#ok edit: i got an ask saying it was good and it boosted my confidence so hard i put it on youtube. https://youtu.be/0LgFq3Hlgfg

[gaybitchfx]

If it’s alright I have this request and it’s peh asking the reader on a date and they go to a fair and they have fun going on the rides, eating some fair food and peh jokingly suggest to go on the tunnel of love ride and when they do go on it problem is that the ride is like years old and the ride animatronics are crappy and worn out, the audio is distorted and the ride doesn’t feel as romantic but peh and the reader try to make the best of the ride

Note: I’m so happy someone requested something for Peh-Yan!

Character(s): Peh-Yan

Type of reader: M!Reader

Category: SFW

Warning(s): None

Edited: ❌

Peh has been making googly at you for months on end know.

It was pretty clear he had feelings for you, and of course you knew, but wanted him to make to first move just to boost his confidence a bit.

Of course, Peh wanted to ask you out, but didn’t know how to not make it awkward in a way.

So he had went to his best friend, Pah-Chin to seek some advice which surprisingly went very well. “C’mon Peh-Yan!” Pah whisper shouted at the lanky teen.

“The worst he could say is no.” That’s the thing, he was hoping you wouldn’t say no. Mainly because of all the preparation and hell Pah had put him through to make him more gentleman like.

“You got this, do as we rehearsed!” Pah said with a thumbs up and grin as he handed his friend a flower.

Peh nodded his head as he took the flower in hand and began to robotically walk towards you. “Ex..Excuse me..?” Pah crooked out gaining your attention.

“Yes? Do you need something?” You asked him. Peh looked behind him and saw Pah silently cheering him on. He turned back to you and exhaled.

“Willyougoonadatewithme? (Will you go on a date with me?)” Peh quickly asked as he held out the flower to you. A couple seconds past before you spoke.

“I will gladly go on a date with you, Peh-Yan.” You smiled and took the flower from his hand gingerly. “Does 3 sound nice?” You asked, twiddling the flower in between your finger.

Peh quickly nodded his and you smiled. “Alright, see you tomorrow than.” You waved a small bye to him and left. Peh was beyond shocked to find out he of all people finally had a date.

“See?! I knew he’d accept your offer!” Pah exclaimed as he gave Peh’s back a good hard slap making him exhale with a groan. “Now let’s go see what you should wear on your date!” The next day you guys met up and Peh took you to the fair.

“Sooo, what ride do you wanna go on first?” Peh asked with a smile. “Hmm, let’s start off withhh..” You hummed and scanned the map. “This?” You pointed to a roller coaster with a really far drop. Peh swallowed his spit and turned to you.

“A..Are you sure?” He stuttered and you quickly nodded your head excited. And so the two of you went on. Peh had tried to put on a ‘brave face’ but just ended up passing out countless times till the end of the ride where you were holding him up.

“I can’t feel my legs..” Peh groaned making you laugh. “I thought you’d like those kind of rides!” “And I thought you’d like much slower rides!” Peh said. The two of you looked at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.

“Ok, ok! How about the carousel? That ride is pretty peaceful.” Peh suggested. “Sure! You look like you’d end up passing away if we ended up on another roller coaster.” You giggled making Peh smile.

The carousel was quiet peaceful, if you ignored the cries of random babies of course. You two went on a couple more rides till Peh’s stomach ended up growling.

“Let’s go eat real quick.” You said and took his hand in yours. His face slightly light up till you started dragging him with the force of 11 horses. Once you two got to the food court you stared at the options.

“What do you want? My treat.” You asked hun making his eyebrow raise. “No no, it’s my treat since I asked you out.” Peh said, now you were raising your eyebrow.

“So? I said I’d pay so I’m going to pay!” You huffed. “Rock paper scissors?” “Alright, three rounds.” You agreed and so you two began to compete on who’d end up paying.

Out of some random luck, you ended up winning making Peh deflate from being defeated. “Alright! Pick whatever you want!” You said, a smug grin present on your lips.

“Finee.” He groaned before looking at the options. “Hm, I’ll get a funnel cake and some water.” “Same thing.” You paid, got your food, and sat at the little tables near the food court that had those red and white umbrellas.

“Aww, they added way too much powdered sugar onto mine!” You sighed, beginning to dust some off. “You can have mine if you want, it doesn’t have as much.” Peh offered making your eyes brighten.

“Really?!” Peh nodded his head and moved his plate to you and your plate to him.

“You’re so sweet, thank you Peh!” You gently kissed his cheek making him practically melt. The two of you are your fill, waited for a bit, and decided to look at other rides.

“How about we go on this one?” Peh asked with a smirk. “Which one?” Peh pointed to the tunnel of love. “This one.” You could feel your cheeks heat up a tad before you cleared your throat.

“Alright, let’s go.” The two of you made it to the tunnel of love, rules were told, and you both were sent off.

“Oh..” You mumbled as you stared at the Cupid robot that looked like one touch would make it fall apart. The audio wasn’t making it any better since it was slower and deeper.

“This wasn’t what..I thought it would be..” Peh grumbled as he looked at the water, it was completely green to the point you couldn’t see no bottom. “Well..at least the walls are..a kind of pretty pink..” You sheepishly laughed and Peh nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right. You also looked so concerned when seeing that Cupid back there.” Peh laughed making you punch his arm.

“Ow?!” He groaned. “Wanna know something?” You asked Peh who hummed as he rubbed his arm. “Today was really fun. I hope we can have more days like these.” You said, gently resting your hair on his shoulder.

Peh’s cheeks had quickly reddened and he nodded his head.

“Yeah..I hope so too.”

Tags: @jkloserdazai @secretivemessenger @reallyromealone

[sonianvmd]

thh characters with a crush on you

warnings: none, maybe some swearing but otherwise nothing major

oH and mentions of murder and death but this is danganronpa so im going to assume u expected as much

a/n: so we kickin this blog off with a bang, writing for LITERALLY THE ENTIRE TRIGGER HAPPY HAVOC CAST LMFAOAOAOAO (excluding hifumi, yasuhiro, and the two despairs doe bc i’ve already made that clear)

also some character’s sections are shorter than others im sorry i just couldnt think of as many bullet points for them *tiktok cry emoji*

edit: I FORGOT CELSESTE FU K SORRY

spoilers under the cut!!

★ 彡 ★ ミ ★ 彡 ★ ミ ★

makoto naegi

when he realizes he likes you, he doesn’t necessarily panic or anything, but he does get nervous

nervous around you, that is

y’all saw how he was with sayaka

if he says anything that might sound intimate then he’ll immediately rephrase it or reassure he didn’t mean anything by it

he really only does have good intentions but his wording just kinda flops sometimes

he appreciates how you listen to him and value what he says

you don't make him feel dumb or inferior compared to a bunch of ultimates with actual talents

he’ll muster up the courage to tell you eventually

let’s hope his luck comes through 😁

byakuya togami

now when THIS man realizes he likes you, he a bitch nigga bout it 😐

he can't believe he fell for a common plebeian such as you

but it was hard not to

the way you preferred to get to the point

the way you were aware of your situation and didn't sugarcoat how you felt about it, although you certainly were nicer with it than him

he's ruthless

anyways

you knew your priorities and spent no time trying to use your resources

he noticed how much you had in common; in you, he saw himself

and we all know how this mf feels about himself 😐

he’ll be quick to defend you in class trials

he won’t realize he’s doing it but he just subconsciously protects you

but just because he doesn't notice it, don't mean the rest of the class brushes past it as well

yeah they on his ass LMFAOO

kyoko kirigiri

kyoko is very good at keeping her composure so she won’t be very obvious

she’ll probably just hang around you more

she’ll also defend you in class trials, calmly

“oh, it couldn’t have been [name]. i remember seeing them in their dorm around the time the murder took place.”

hifumi probably finna say some dumb shit like “aye what was you doin in their dorm doe” but anyways

she finds you respectable

if you have anything to contribute, she’ll let you take the floor

when she tells you, she’s very composed, but also very indirect LMFAO

she’s not too sure on how to express her interest in you but maybe she’ll go about it like “well, [name], now we’ve made it here, would you like to step back into the world with me?” or somethin else along those lines idk

take her hand

pls

toko fukawa

y’all know her whole “master togami” shtick

yeah so 😁😁😁😁

no but fr, toko ofc still has her borderline stalkerish 🧍🏾‍♀️ tendencies

she’ll often find herself staring at you, either in the library or in the morning meetings everyday at breakfast

but she isn’t as straight forward as she is with byakuya

i actually think she’d be mad shy and non confrontational

the whole thing she kept up with him ? yeah, never again

if you approach her first then she’ll be able to get a few words out but for most of the conversation, she’ll just nervously play with her braids

you’ll most likely put two and two together

unless ur a makoto kinnie bc then you’ll have to wait till someone else puts it in place for u but anyways

if you decide to approach her about it, you’ll kinda be backing her into a corner bc she’s just bad at deflecting things lmao

she’ll eventually confess (begrudgingly but hey i mean its better than nothing)

expect much stuttering and a gesture like giving you a small gift

and not to be that writer that uses japanese terms in english writing but toko seems like a tsundere but not really if that makes sense?? so she’d probably shove it in your hands and if you try to say something then she’ll just try to play it off as not a big deal lol

calls u a baka 😍😍

aoi asahina

i know y’all all see how she is with sakura

yeah.

aoi is the kind of person who’d like to spend time with their crush rather than shy away from them

she values you and your friendship very much

bring her donuts

just trust me bring her donuts

she doesn’t really realize she’s into you like that for a while but believe me, she is, the whole time

and yeah i think she’d be nervous to tell you bc that’s just natural but ultimately she’d be cool about it

uh oh looks like we goin for a swim

sakura ogami

similar to kyoko, she’s very calm

despite her big and bad appearance, she really is a sweet girl

she cares for you and your well-being very much

will indeed go on x games mode for you

the way she tells you is very sincere and well spoken

kith her

naow

im sorry this is like the shortest one i couldn’t think of much for her 😔😔

leon kuwata

flirtatious ass mf

and he’s lightskin

so this just cannot go well

y’all know that bit where it’s like the guy yawns and stretches his arms up and then wraps one around your shoulder

yeah that’s literally him LMFAOO

he’s very confident

he was fairly well known with the ladies at his old school so you know he’s rhockin wit it ‼️

but

you feel.. different than usual ??

those girls were just lil flings n dates bc he was nice enough to accept their confessions and it boosted his ego anyway so it was a win win

but you

he was genuinely interested in you since he had saw you the first time

he didn’t just acknowledge your appearance

he learnt about your personality and your hobbies and what you liked and such, and he really cared and wanted to hear you talk about it all

he felt the need to really make an effort to show you how much he respected and had affections for you

he doesn't tell you in a grand way

probably just asks you out to a movie or somethin

he's chillin

mondo owada

you know

for being the biggest, baddest, most respected biker gang leader

or just for being in a biker gang period

mondo’s a huge softie lol

yeah he gets violent but he’s a sweet guy who cares about and is loyal to his friends

so mfs need to be nice to you

or they gettin whooped

when he decides it’s time to tell you how he feels, he thinks over his words and he’s all confident there’s no way you’d reject him but then he sees you in the halls and goes 🧍🏾 LMFAOOO

he’ll push through but it’s like he’ll walk up to you and look away from you because he refuses eye contact and just go

“so y/n, would you wanna.. tch.. come to a drive-in movie with me or somethin’?... dumbass.”

real smooth mondo i think you got em good job

please tease him LMFAOO it’d be so funny

he’d probably yell but you can tell he’s not mad so you just keep going with it

but once you’re done tormenting him, you do agree to the movie, don’t worry 🙏🏾

also mondo would call his s/o doll

that is all

chihiro fujisaki

my fav dude in a dress <3

chihiro would be quite shy, but that’s just how he is tbh so no surprise there

he’s very kind so he’d check up on you often just to see how you are

he cares about you v much

the way he confesses is one that consists of a red face as he offers you a box of candy or something similar

and he’d feel honored that you reciprocate his feelings

he’d be very scared to tell you his secret but once he does, he’s delighted to hear it doesn’t make any difference to you

he doesn’t know how he got so lucky with you

not only because woooo they like me back but also because you like him despite,, well everything about him LMFAOO

sweet lil boy

i’d feel like he’d talk about you to alter ego a lot

and when u meet the program for the first time, he’s like “oh! you must be [name]! master’s told me all about you :)”

sobbing i miss him

kiyotaka ishimaru

okay here’s the thing

if taka were to like someone

i can’t tell whether he’d be more strict because he doesn’t want them to get in trouble (and also so it would hopefully divert any suspicion that he DOES like you since he treats you the same as everyone else, only more)

or if he’d hold back more because he favors them LMFAOO

so imma write a lil bit for both

in the case that he was even stricter:

he’d prefer to be around you because he believes the best way he can make sure you stay out of trouble is to make sure you don’t get into any in the first place

of course it’s impossible to monitor you every second of every day but he does his best to make sure you’re doing well

if he sees you do anything out of line, he’s shutting that shit down IMMEDIATELY

but in the case he let up:

he’d still lecture you but noticeably less than the other students

if your feet were resting on top of a desk, he’d ask you to move them and then leave you alone rather than yell at you and forcibly move them himself

if you notice his behavior towards you in comparison to the other students do not tease him about it he will go as red as his eyes /hj

either way he’s confessing to you with a polite but exaggerated bow while holding out a well thought out letter with both hands

sayaka maizono

she will tell you

idk why but i feel like she’d be straight up lol

she’d make sure she’s sincere

she is the ultimate pop idol and all so she wants to make sure you know that she really does like you and isn’t playing a sick joke on you or anything

ok bc

while i do think she’d tell you

i’d feel like she’d be a little indirect just to see how you feel

like she’d give you a free ticket to one of her upcoming concerts with a kind smile

and naturally, you're like :o

and of course you come to support her

and seeing you smile at her from the crowd and cheer her on was the encouragement she needed to push her to ask you out

for real this time

she asks if you wanna come to a concert with her and ur like “oh yeah i love ur shows!!” bc ur dumb and then she’s like “no i mean.. for another artist” and eventually it hits you that she’s asking you out and ur like “oH YEAH YEAH SURE THAT SOUNDS GREAT YEAH OK” LMFAOO

———

i really hope that this is good LMFAOO this is my first time writing for dr so 😃👍🏾

fun fact i finished toko’s section first and taka’s last 😁😁

and i’d like to thank @mius-imagination @bloodygir n the rest of the discord for helping me figure some of these characters out *simultaneously whips and nae naes*

bye ive been working on this for like weeks this took forever

———

edit: here’s a deleted section bc i kept blanking for this character 😍

[ravenadottir]

what do you think the characters would be doing after the show/how would they be using their platform? for example, i think lottie would be using hers to give people astrology readings and stuff and i think the season 3 mc would be sooo problematic online

ok but you know what? definitely! s3 mc would be causing the stir she wanted to in the villa and couldn't. i'm almost certain she would be raging and saying absurd things to get attention, something like gabby hana you know? BIG YIKES.

one thing is certain... all of them (purposely or not) would be making thirst traps... and definitely supporting masks and registering to vote. so that's a certainty for almost all of them.

lottie. witchtok constantly. not necessarily giving readings but she would be an apologist and majority on that tag. her instagram would be split into two accounts: one for her personal endeavours like thirst traps and *looks of the day*, and a second for her brand as a makeup artist/personal stylist. cause i think that would be so fucking cool! lottie knows how to perpetuate her personal brand and would use social media for that as well. here's some edits i did in the past to explain it better. i headcanon a collab with elisa for wigs that they would both wear on social media, so that's something i really like! plus, advocating for women's rights, especially when a male politician says something dumb, so you know, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

bobby. in the middle of the pandemic? can't help thinking he would be doing some humorous videos, but in my head they're not the funny type. just some cringey ones... don't get me wrong, but bobby is only funny when he's not trying to, and in social media he strikes me as the type that not only makes videos but also puts the towel over his head to play a girl, so that's probably the majority of his content. some food of course, and DEFINITELY some *cute* selfies that he knows it works as thirst traps. i think he talks about registering to vote and blm, but doesn't give his opinion on anything else, politics wise. here's bobby's feed for the rest.

gary. i'm not thrilled to inform that gary would be thirst trapping all the time. now that he's relatively famous there's no reason why not posting those pics and videos. between tik tok trends to show off his muscles, and instagram to... well, do that exact same thing, he might take some time to show nan and the soup kitchen, but overall... thirst traps. possibly being blunt about masks and registering but his content is very closed off. also, he will get a dog and encourage people to adopt. there's a lot of pranks on dicky and vice versa, so that's something i thought for his social media, just couldn't find a good faceclaim that has a variety of pics.

lucas. mostly bringing awareness about covid and the use of masks, probably pointing it out a couple of political disputes, and definitely advising people to be careful about their votes all around the world. i like to think he's a huge advocate for legalization of a certain practice that women have to beg to have (you know the one), and i think he knows exactly how to make a thirst trap without making one. stop asian hate and blm carrds present, and often giving his followers the incentive to donate. DEFINITELY 'look of the day' for at least the weekend, and lots and lots of landscape from the places he's been visiting or wishing to.

henrik. he's everywhere and he takes his phone to talk about it. no doubt henrik is having the time of his life by travelling alone, or with his wife, and doing lives at all times. i think you would see him doing lives in the middle of the night, or watching the sunset/sunrise with his followers, besides making his *questionable* forest foraging and recipes. survival videos? MOST LIKELY THAN YOU THINK. here's his social media, where i covered mostly of what his relationship would like on instagram. (heavily based off "beyond the hill").

carl. the amount of rpg on his stories? immaculate. chess? you bet! lots and lots of carl's launchings for his company, which does have a separate account but he can't quite separate himself from it and it shows on his feed. his relationship would be discreetly displayed with cryptic captions since he's not so sentimental. here's his feed with some personal things he would be encouraged to post and boost that confidence of his.

anon that asked for more hannah stuff, this is for you:

hannah. i have one for her because i do like her aesthetic. don't mind the faceclaim, it was the only one i could find in so many situations. horses, books, some *cute* selfies, travelling pics and more. on tiktok definitely booktok, no doubt about it. she might do a lot of the "telling the story of my book as a story time" trend to promote it and say "technically it's real life."

elisa. it's all about branding and she knows how to do it well! some influencers might not get political because of how they can be perceived but i think elisa doesn't give a flying fuck about that. she talks often about blm and vaccines on her stories. i get a jackie aina vibe from her when talking about brands that support/encourage dark skin models and influencers, so that's a plus. she will give shit to a makeup brand that doesn't care for shade range and won't hide her feelings about it. here's her usual feed, with looks and tours (that i'm certain she would do a lot). i also think she'll eventually cave and have a brand of wigs, clothes and makeup, AS SHE SHOULD.

hope. there's no question about her activism on social media and i like to imagine she would be speaking up against anti-vaxxers and racism, mostly. just like yewande, she would probably talk about every time she felt the show might've favoured people that don't look like her. we would be getting the hot tea on everything since she's so honest. there's also lots of looks and promoting her friends' products because she supports them so much. priya's clothing line, elisa x lottie collab, etc. here's the feed i made for her a while ago.

chelsea. she might not be that deep into politics but she'll talk about covid and how people should be more careful about it, "wearing all these cute masks my babes lozza made for us!". LOTS of *look of the day* and tours on the spaces she decorates, besides the behind the scenes of parties and weddings (of ex-islanders) that i know she would throw. her feed also includes her closet, supporting her friends' endeavours and promoting them, besides some random mug collection shots and FOR SURE a pug selfie with mc.

priya. there's not much to say except for the occasional thirst trap (with those amazing thigh, ffs she should), lots of vaccine warnings, definitely political anecdotes and her clothing brand. i love to think she would have an actual boutique once things get settled after covid, and she would use social media to promote every line. her feed consists mostly of her travelling, designs, supporting the girls and her photoshoots.

kassam. lots and lots of backstage photos and that *prickly* way of demanding people to use their brains and wear a mask, besides getting the vaccine. in studio or just before the stage, selfies with a clothing line with his logo and definitely pics with islanders he didn't get to meet but is now friends with. during covid he would be using his lives to play for his followers, like lots of dj's and musicians i've seen doing on reddit and tiktok, probably called "late night music" or something like that. encouraging followers to donate for causes as well.

noah. not so huge on social media, might be the most discrete of them all. there would be lots and lots of pictures of the mornings before he opens the library, because i sincerely think he would keep his job. not the most outspoken about certain matters but carrds like the blm's and 'stop asian hate''s are on all of his bio's. i do like to imagine him taking selfies with the boys from the show, like ibrahim. he would be so present in noah's feed it's not even funny. the casual "cute unintentional" thirst trap too. family photos from ages ago and lots of his siblings as well. he does love to write long captions for whenever he posts his girlfriend. one thing though, during the first few months on the outside, he wouldn't be so present, afraid of facing the bashing on him if he got with mc in the show. that could be a reason for him to stay away until people "forget" about it.

marisol. SO - MANY - SUITS - SELFIES it makes me cry happy tears. between advocating for women's rights in a more technical way, she would definitely be using her platform to also talk about lgbtq+, especially after the realization she had during her journey. lots and lots of activism about those things, and i think she would be doing a fine job. definitely promoting the girls' products/services and an occasional thirst trap with a braless suit look.

rocco. covidiot. (i just wanted to use this nickname one more time). he might get a hard time from followers and villa buddies because of his stance on vaccines. i just hope he reads some articles instead of sharing bibity-bobity-bullshit on facebook and instagram. there's lots of vaccine memes on his comment sections no matter what he posts though. it's gonna take a while for the public to move on.

[spyoikawa]

can i request friendship headcanons with bokuto pls ? (do you need a description of me ?)

Description: i can be really loud when i am with people i trust , otherwise i am an introvert ( a really quiet one ) , my main hobbies are drawing and animating , it still embarrasses me when i receive compliments and i have no idea of how to respond to them , i usually demostrate how much i care for others by spending time with them or texting them or telling them nice things , i'd say i can be a clingy person and i sometimes feel self conscious about talking to my friends because i feel i bother them

I'm really sorry this took a while! It's finals prep week at my school, but I finally got free time!

So here we go!

Friendship HCs with Bokuto

For someone who's introverted at first, it's a good thing bokuto is extroverted- he really does not mind starting up conversations with you, so long as he knows you don't mind him there

He enjoys meeting new people, but also respects boundaries

But holy hell the fun you'd have once you open up, the energy is immaculate

Tbh, because he speaks to you often he wouldn't really notice the difference of exactly when you speak up more

But every now and then he likes to look back and really admire the change

He'd absolutely hang out with you any chance he gets, inviting you to his lunch table, sitting at yours, catching up to you after volleyball practice, high fives in the hallway, anything

Kinda reminds me of the super talkative senior/junior that everyone knows and can walk into any teachers room and start a conversation. But bokuto is a bit less annoying an obnoxious

He absolutely loves watching you draw or animate, and would probably try to copy you or do what you do from time to time, to get a peek at what his friend enjoys doing so much

And he'd like it a lot! He likes drawing and animating too, perhaps not as much as you. But he's more than happy to just sit and watch, and see the final product. He finds it amazing when the piece finally comes together

He wishes you were a bit more open to compliments and see how great you really are, but he understands that can take a bit of time

He still compliments you any chance he gets, trying to boost your confidence a bit more and to help you find ways to react to such things

And this guy will never make you feel self conscious about speaking, he will respond with so much enthusiasm everytime you text or speak to him, he's happy to just hear from his friend

He tries to hang out with you whenever he can and if not always responds to texts

He's also a firm believer in rain checks (I hope that's how it's spelled-) and will probably keep track of them. Anytime you start feeling guilty about being to clingy he'd shush you saying that he owes you a hang out session and he will go out with you one way or another

The overly aggressive borderline threatening supportive friend

Also picks up on how you show care through words and quality time, and he lives up to that

He's actually quite sharp with social cues, and he understands all of his friends care displays and tries to demonstrate it back in the same way

He def texts you asking about your day or wishing you luck on an event if you hadn't texted already

And he tries keep a couple hours of free time every week just in case you want to spend time with him, so he doesn't have to turn you down for too long

10/10 recommend being friends with bokuto, he really cares and tries to understand all his friends, and he usually does a great job :)

Ok, it is 11 pm on a school night, I am running solely on monster energies, and I didn't edit this before posting, so if anythings wrong let me know please! I will gladly fix it!

[lovesgonnabe]

Love Is Worth It - Episode III: When Boy Meets Girl

Characters: Chris Evans x Maya Alonso-Evans (Black OFC)

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, cursing, slight Implied smut

Word Count: 2126

Summary: What happens when boy meets girl and that boy underestimates that girl?

AN/Disclaimer: It has been a while since I’ve written so please bear with my rustiness, and there’s slight edits so there may be errors. italicized is a flashback.

Taglist: @thesecretlifeofdaydreamss, @canadian-girl87, @i-just-like-fanfics if you would like to join the taglist message me.

Please leave a note and tell me what you think!

December 14, 2019 - 3rd Person

Every Year Chris, Maya and their friends get together and do a Friendsgiving in December to celebrate holidays.

This year it was the Evans’s turn to host in their second home in Brooklyn, New York.

This group consisted of a good combination of Chris and Maya’s friends.

Scarlett came with her fiancé SNL Writer Colin Jost. Along with Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and sometimes (but not this time) RDJ.

Austin, Maya’s brother of course, Tika and her fiancé. Maya met Tika while at Yale spending time in New York, and Tessa Thompson who met Maya at a glamour magazine event and has actually been quítely seeing Sebastian for the last year or so.

“You know you look a lot like Chadwick Boseman” Colin said looking at Maya’s brother Austin.

The group laughs “yeah I get that a lot” Austin says as he takes a sip of his drink.

Maya walks into the media room with a cheese board and popcorn in her hand, as their friends sat on the couches getting ready to watch a movie on the projector.

They were all sat close to the Evans fire place chatting, drinking, laughing and just enjoying eachothers company since they don't get to get together often. Especially since Chris and Scarlett are no longer actively apart of the MCU.

“Ok so what is your story, like how did you guys meet, everytime i ask Austin he refuses to tell me” Austin’s girlfriend Alana asked pointing at Maya as she sat on Chris’s lap in the love seat they were sharing.

Chris and Maya at the moment were getting a bit handsy with each other under their blanket. He was sweetly kissing her neck as he rubbed her thigh, moving his hand up to play with the elastic on the waistband of her shorts.

“Oh god I love this story” Tessa said sitting with Sebastian and grabbing some popcorn.

Chris chuckles “you wanna tell it or should I” he said smiling at her biting his lip.

“How about I start and you cut me off if I get something wrong” Maya said playfully rolling her eyes and Chris nodded.

She sat up and cleared her throat since Chris’s hand moved to shifting her shorts and panties to the side.

“Ok so I meet Chris through Scar they were in New York filming their first Avengers film, having a night off she called and asked if I wanted to go out, of course I said yes then invited Austin and Tika to go with me so I wouldn't be alone.”

”We meet up at the pool bar, we walk in and here is this six foot blonde not paying me any attention” Maya said 

She shifted cuddling closer to Chris as he slowly he teased her warm slit as it slowly got wet and slick.

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

Maya - September 2011 

It was a warm fall evening in New York CIty the leaves were beginning to change and I was midway through my first year of my dermatology residency.

This bar was in the middle of Hell's Kitchen Manhattan and did not look like much from the outside. We went down a flight of steps into a smokey, dingy pool room. 

Scarlett was in the back of the bar with two men. One brunette with sunglasses who looks to be making a joke and a blonde leaning against the pool table laughing.

When we walked up to the group the blonde and I locked eyes, even in the dim room his blue eyes pulled me under a spell. He was the first to break eye contact as we got close.

“Hey Scar thanks for the invite, I needed this break” I say hugging Scarlett.

She chuckles “it’s not a problem, we have been trying to get together for a while and I’ve been the one blowing you off”

I shrug “it’s all good this isn’t a place I’d pick to hang but it’s cool.”

My face scrunched up at my surroundings I wasn’t fond of going anywhere in Hell’s Kitchen but hey I didn’t pick the hangout this time.

We introduce both groups of friends to each other, the brunette with her was Robert or Downey and the blonde was Chris.

The first hour was pretty chill and I was having a good time just watching the crowd as the bar began to actually get full with people.

Robert opened up to me fast he is warm and inviting, telling stories and cracking a jokes about every person that passed our way. However, Chris was giving me the cold shoulder mostly gave me the side eye and sometimes a condescending smirk when he looked my way as he and Robert played on the table next to Austin and Tika’s as Scar and I drank watching the games.

“What’s wrong May it seems like you have a lot on your mind” Scar asked.

I shrugged “just thinking you know school, work, and I don't really know, I haven't been here long yet Chris keeps giving me a side eye”

Scarlett laughs “please don’t try and figure out Chris I promise it will just give you a headache.”

But I can’t stop thinking about this golden man standing in front of me without a care in the world, he enamores me, his smile was beautiful his eyes would make any women weak in the knees and I was going to figure him out by the end of the night.

When Chris and Downey finished up there game Chris stood up and looked at me like he was challenging me. 

 “Look at that, who’s next It seems that Downey can’t hang with the pool champ” Chris boosted.

I rose from my seat and removed my jacket  “I’ll give it a shot” I said grabbing my drink.

I walked over to the pool to a brooding Chris as he smirked at me readying his pool stick.

“Can you actually play princess?” Chris asked.

He reset the pool table as I grabbed my stick smirking at his question.

I shrugged when he looked up at me “we will see, you break” I said.

As we begin our game Chris was like an open book and was so easy to read. His stance oozes confidence he played lazyly like he couldn’t be beaten. I let him win the first game no problem and he let me win the second game, while i acted like I couldn’t play.

He was making the game so boring and easy so I decided to spice the game up a bit.

“How about we make this a bit more interesting? Every ball we make into a pocket we must answer a question?” I say setting the balls.

He laughs “ok, be prepared because this could get interesting”

I smirk and break sinking the blue solid ball “I’m solids now what’s your problem with me we just meet” I said missing my second ball as I step back.

“Um I don’t have a problem it’s just you’re just a little prissy for my liking” Chris answers monitoring the table prepping his next shot.

i roll my eyes “I’m not prissy, I just I like what I like and I know what I don’t like, I guess you were listening in on Scar and I’s conversation.” I say 

I leaned against the pillar next to me with my arms crossed waiting for an answer.

He shoots one in the pocket and misses the next ball yet completely avoids my question all together.

“how old are you” he asks

I roll my eyes “you know you shouldn’t ask a women her age, but since you asked nicely I’m 25” we both laugh.

The back and forth continued until he had about two balls left to win and I had five it was my turn.

I shot the first ball into the center pocket.

“if you could go anywhere in the world what would it be?” I ask

“The Swiss Alps” he said

I nod and shot ball two in the left corner pocket

“Do you have any siblings” I ask

I walk around the table analyzing my 3 shots I had left.

“Um yes one brother and two sisters” he says

Chris now looked nervous as I smirked at him laser focused.

“Don’t run scared on me now big boy” I laugh walking to my next ball.

I shot my third ball in the bottom right pocket, and we now gained a bit of a crowd forming.

He clears his throat “well damn i wish you would have told you knew how to play”

I shrugged my shoulders looking into his crystal blue eyes, smirking.

“You didn’t ask but now that you are interested I’ll tell you, I am the middle child between two very competitive brothers and a daughter of man who doesn’t like to lose” I say smiling at my brother, walking over to Austin and did our handshake. 

“But I’m suppose to be the one asking the here questions sir” I say turning to Chris and smirking at him.

With my back to the table I take the shot behind my back and I sink my second to last ball into the cup.

Now everyone at the bar was watching our game with anticipation and we both only had two balls left.

“ok wow I like her Scarlett” Robert said and I laughed.

I walked up to Chris “next question if I win will you tell me how big your friend down below is because I think he is happy to see me” I whisper to him.

I brushed up against Chris as he clears his throat “I plead the fifth” he says standing tall covering his growing friends in his jeans.

I sucked my teeth and pouted “you’re no fun.”

With only my eight ball left i decided to miss on purpose just to extend the game a little longer what can i say i was having fun messing with him.

The crowd of the entire bar though they did like that I missed an easy winning shot since they all groaned in displeasure.

Chris looked so nervous, when he lined up to his next shot his hands began to shake.

“Don’t choke on me now” I taunt him.

He takes a deep breath hits the ball to the left corner pocket the red stripe rolls as if it was going in but stops a hair short from the pocket.

Some people cheer others groan in sadness for his defeat, Chris stands back looking satisfied yet defeated.

I smirk, walking around the table and shot my ball into the right corner pocket.

The crowd cheered and Chris smirked dropping his head in defeat.

I walked up to him as people congratulated me which I found weird because all we did was play a few rounds of pool.

“That was one hell of a game young lady” he smiled trying to act cool as he leaned against the pool table.

“how about we start over?” I ask 

Sticking my hand out shake he took it, smiling at me.

“I’m Maya Alonso from San Francisco and you are?”

“I’m Chris Evans from Boston” he said chucking.

“Well Mr. Evans you wouldn’t mind going out with me sometime maybe get to know each other a little better?” I smiled as we kept holding each other’s hand.

“Well Ms. Alonso I wouldn’t mind that at all, until next time.”

He let go of my hand, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“until next time” I whisper to myself butterflies in my belly feeling like a giddy school girl.

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

Everyone was laughing

“Se la vie, now almost ten years and one kid later, I still can’t keep my hands off of him.”Maya says

“Umm that’s not how I remember it happened.” Chris said looking at Maya confused.

“That’s exactly how I remember it” Tika laughed

“We left and he couldn’t stop talking about her, begged me to give him her number all the way back to his airbnb.” Scarlett said in between a gut wrenching laugh.

“Whatever, at the end of the day I got to the girl and that’s all that matters” Chris said holding my chin, pecking my lips continuously whispering that he loved me.

Austin sucks his teeth rolling his eyes “Alright that’s enough, y’all got a room for all that, let’s start the movie already” he said pressing play on West Side Story.

Maya laughs and goes back to kiss Chris masking the moan trying to slip from her mouth, as he slowly pushed his fingers inside her wet cave just hitting her g-spot as the movie played in the background.

[sollitudde]

haikyuu & cafes (1/?)

bigass creds to @luvoikawa with this post that inspired me to write too much nonsense about nonsense

all my writing got deleted edition 🐸 also jesus christ sorry this is super long i just really like cafes and drinkys and coffys...

karasuno

ukai

for a guy who gets up early every morning coffee is a must. canned coffee is his drink of choice for getting up and it’s one of his morning routines before starting work. he actually dislikes cafes because they have an atmosphere he isn’t too fond of and likes bars (enjoys shit beers = enjoys shit coffee) more- but he could go to a cafe when asked by his friends or if he’s going on a date, just don’t ask him about what type of coffee he’d like specifically because all he wants is it to be hot and black, no milk no sugar. when he was younger he actually disliked coffee, but with age he learned to 1. not be fussy about it 2. just tolerate it to pick him up. it’s not like he dislikes the tastes of it but i don’t see him as picking up oh many tannin inteiciasies cause he’s not developed a pallete, also gets the cheapest no fuss shit. prefers hot over cold even in the summer

for food, he doesn’t enjoy completely western menus. likes meat and doesn’t order any sweets like pastries and whatever the fuck, not only is it too expensive but also he’d just rather have the coffee unless he’s particularly hungry. like i said he isnt a cafe guy but life takes you to a lot of places so ☕️

takeda

actually can taste tanins like some sort of a legend. still though on a teachers salary you’re not going to have an espresso machine at home so he settles for his drip brew. actually doesn’t like espresso too much either if hes working at least. but since he is a teacher and a club supervisor he drinks 2 (two) of those shits a day, one in the morning from home one in the afternoon from the teachers lounge- needs it to deal with the energy at practice. takes just milk in his coffee and prefers it steamed, but has that shitty milk foamer thing that takes so much time to get results out of he just ends up drinking drip w cold milk; the workingmans choice.

with cafes and food he still enjoys drip brew (this time fancier) coffee with milk. could ask to taste test the plain bean coffee if he enjoyed his first cup so much. LOVES a pastry with his drink, if he goes there to do work will get a coffee and a pastry of any kind, i think he likes cream so expect him to get a cream puff esp if on a date cause then he gets to share it and be cute 🥴 loves a cafe hangout with friends or an s/o

kiyoko

pre time skip she did not need coffee at all. like her face at first says either only black coffee or shes so well adjusted she needs nothing and i’d say it’s the latter though i could debate. though she was an enjoyer of canned coffee milk later in life before having to consume coffee for life energy in her adulthood. nothing too fancy either though, small coffee machine that only she uses (tanakas a pussy!) for making coffee, pours milk and adds a teaspoon of sugar into it- doesn’t really like flavors cause to her they taste artificial. busy lady! so she can pick up some starbucks or sit down for a brief second and get coffee wherever she is, thinks it energizes her and also is an enjoyer of the novelty of steamed milk. it actually doesn’t buzz her ever even when she first starts drinking it so rather than having to drink more coffee as the tolerance builds up she just has a plateau of coffee give me caffeine boost

for cafes she just gets whatever looks good to her. also not the biggest fan of sweets rather than a good bread, enjoyer of plain croissants and good bread if she gets a sandwitch. who doesn’t love carbs

yachi

the sweet sugary drink enjoyer has arrived. didn’t even touch coffee until her 3rd year at college, tried a sip of black coffee from her friend in junior high and became instantly afraid of it- managed to skirt by college with a good schedule until the junior terror seeped into her veins and now her early classes she has to drink coffee for. but like she still gets good grades so it’s only the morning she’s required to partake in bean water for- doesn’t even do anything on weekends if she doesn’t have anywhere to be. at home she has 2 syrups 5 milks and overloads her drink so much she’s barely drinking any coffee at all, still the sugar and the hot stuff in the morning has an effect (placebo lol)

loves a starbucks for its accessibility, but gets refreshers and iced drinks more often than any of their caffeine. not only does she think it’s not worth it if she can make coffee at home, but she has a tiny cafe she goes to to cram that serves a mean lavender rose vanilla latte (fucking ew?) that shes in love with. but it costs a lot and she’s a rare visitor, gets sweets and small sandwitches if she goes. w friends she doesn’t know that well she’ll get a flavored coffee to seem mature&cute, but with old friends she’d rather drink a milk tea or a seasonal drink rather than bother w a latte (since she uses it to get energy if it’s 5pm and her day is nearly done whyd she need it then?) no 7-11 coffee or vending machine coffee (junior high trauma) rather sweets and candy if she’s buying from one

daichi

courtesy to @sugardaddykenma, i think daichi oinking his way to the top ended after he had a midlife crisis- so he stops drinking coffee the way he would at the pig pen. sorry ok enough puns but yeah i think he was drinking way too much coffee in both college and at his “job” so coffee now messes with his stomach so much he thinks he might have a heart attack if he drinks more than one cup a week. i don’t know if that directly makes sense but too much coffee can literally kill you and since now he doesn’t fear the revolution here’s another thing for his mind. no coffee, maybe like once if hes at a cafe with his friends but really really prefers plain tea more- especially as he gets older. likes green white and black teas rather than herbal cause caffeine, and doesn’t put sugar in either cause hes #real and genuinely enjoys the flavors more that way

doesn’t go to cafes except for reunions or hanging out with the boys, always more of a “what do they have to eat” rather a “what’s new and exiting to drink” boy. i actually think the only reason he does drink coffee occasionally is because sugawara teases him and also sometimes it’s easier to order something to not be embarassing and to live up to the expectation of a dilf on the prowl rather than well like. dilf drinking tiny mug of jasmine tea. surprisingly an atmosphere enjoyer, people talking all around him is comforting- though if he were to go there frequently he’d grown annoyed

sugawara

king of looking fuckable at a cafe. literally can’t drink coffee black and hates it but still uses it for that energy boost in the morning. has a cheap espresso machine (like 2nd hand and super busted) with a milk frother cause he can’t even drink coffee with just milk it’s so repulsuve to him, he’s gotta fancy it up with syrups & steamed liquids to get anything out of it. but like i said hes king of looking fuckable at a cafe and that’s cause he goes to them all the fucking time. to study to hang for dates like part of it is the ambience is unparalleled but also i mean 1. he likes looking hot 2. he can study 3. man idk hes just a little bitch that wants to look smarter than he actually is. literally in love with the concept of a meet cute so hes in there like “wow... i look so pretty and i’m reading such a big book won’t someone come talk to me”enjoys smiling at other hot patrons and the nines. i think he’d start banter only if you spilled a drink though or something happened hes not that confident to go up to someone full force, and well while he is there sometimes for the hell of it he does actually study there too cause it forces him to do something rather than fuck around on the computer at home. win win system

frequent cafe flyer and frequent cafe snack enjoyer. he’d much rather go for the small snacks like chips and nuts rather than big meal shit cause since his stuff is there he doesn’t wanna get anything on it, and would rather lounge back at home while eating anyways. frequent buys you a sweet on a date type of move, asks if you wanna give him a small bite but doesn’t actually enjoy most sweets that much. ICE LATTE ENJOYER but only when hes on the go or it’s summer, they make a mess when condensation happens.

asahi

hate to tell you folks, but you won’t find this guy in any cafes ever. if he needs to study in a public place he’d rather go to a library and if he can’t go there he’s just seriously gonna sit on the street if it’s the worst of it. can not only not handle cafes if it’s at full capacity, sugawara once shared his cafe strategies with him and now he overthinks whenever he steps foot into one. if he does enter a cafe it’s for a to go order of a cafe au lait (with soy milk, he got in the habit from ordering the wrong thing and never asking them to fix it) because espresso beverages give him anxiety, and add anxiety with a lot of people there it’s just no good and he becomes nervous. he does relax when his friends are there though, and a la p5 enjoys a quiet cafe at night the best. he like herbal teas without sugar (maybe some honey) and aromatic tea blends, but not refresher like beverages at starbucks

since he doesn’t sit down and eat at cafes hes not getting anything substantial, but has a pertulance for sweet stuff! nothing too big but if he gets something sweet with his coffee (and he does get coffee out a lot actually i feel i should clarify. it’s the devil wears prada influence and if you’re a fashion designer chance is you need to go somewhere fast so he needs the energy to power walk and actually ends up picking up coffee for his crew sometimes)

nishinoya

oh christ dude if he got coffee while in high school he’d go fucking insane. way too much current energy + caffeine is such a bad combination- but i think he’d never step into a cafe until his world traveling days. in which case i mean like first of all if you are traveling you’re going to have to keep a tight schedule unless you’re like rich as fuck and can afford to leisure around, and i think he does have some savings but at the same time if he’s himself he’s very likely running around- in summary, cafe visits very dépendant on the culture. cafe dates and cafe stops to get a pick up i think would be the most common stuff here, and coffee would be only used as a wake up i need more energy tool

with food i mean going to a great underground cafe is a right of passage if you’re traveling so i’m sure hes tried all sorts of shit and also hes a big eater, so i can see him getting whatever looks the craziest. big coffee ice cream enjoyer but like i said that’s just to wake up & i think there’s better places to get better juice (& international soda) than a hole in the wall coffee place. did someone say italian sodas or do i have to get my hearing checked

tanaka

man this guys a pussy. thinks starbucks is the fancy coffee place even though it’s a chain and can’t enjoy a non sweetened coffee- even sweetened coffees are a bust. honestly also is too concerned about caffeine being able to “hinder” him, it’s not going to kill you or make you crazy but probably saw someone go balls off the walls with it and is too pussy to try it himself because he thinks he’s so energetic already it’ll make him turn super saiyan. very big enjoyer of a juice, a smoothie, or a refresher again if we’re going from starbucks’ menu. actually yeah it the place offers smoothies he definitely gets that 100% no questions asked, cause it’s the one sweet he can permit himself because he actually thinks it’s healthy when the only reason it “is” is because it’s fruit. does not enjoy the vibes whatsoever and is kinda spooked by everyone drinking coffee in coffee drinking establishments. his wife is more of a man than him in that regard but he can take it

cafe foods aplenty though! likes to walk in and run to get smth and leave, cause it’s less effort than making something and more effort than going to a convenience store. actually has this thing where he picks wifey dearest up snacks he thinks she’ll like. before that he used to scoff at them but now seeing as shes a frequent patron and he is married to her he’s all like look at this treat i bought for you at (blank). it’s kinda sweet! plus he prolly gets a takeout drink for himself too so win win

ennoshita

physical therapy is a lot of work! sorry for the lack of substance for this guy but like a normal adult i think he is normal with his coffee consumption. aka- drinks it to get up, and when hes tired. i think he has a particular interest in trying new things though and will get whatever is interesting to him or something that is weird on the menu like a pumpkin chocolate latte or some shit like that that is unusual but still tasty. adventurous and also you can’t tell at all that hes had coffee, acts completely the same and people even tell him he should drink some coffee cause of the low energy. hes had two cups already and that’s enough!

kinoshita

i think this guy just doesn’t like coffee for whatever reason. he seems like the type of dude to just not drink it and instead go for something energizing in the form of tea or an energy drink but not bean juice, just a vibe! enjoys a cafe every once in a while but goes rarely, i mean hes just chilling! there is a place that hes gone to that he is now an irregular regular of that has a tea infusion of different berries and ingredients that’s meant to clear up your sinuses and calm you. they don’t sell it in packets and hes disappointed about that but the very reason it exists at all is because it’s made out of fresh chopped shit and spices, also it’s a gimmick. they serve them in tea pitchers and he stays there and reads until he finishes. it’s the little things!

kazuhito

writing got erased again but like literally just think of a guy. a guy that works at a company who has to go to work everyday so yeah he drinks coffee and the chances of it being instant are very high. actually doesn’t know that starbucks is a chain and just has the regular drip coffee machine at home, probably takes it with milk and sugar and whatever is there at the time. relaxed guy and relaxed preferences

kageyama

dude doesn’t even know what coffee is to be completely honest. well no that’s a lie he definitely tried some but it made him jittery and he can’t be jittery or else he’s not doing perfect tosses, so no can do. like i know the milk joke is old but i don’t think the habit stops at high school i genuinely think unless one of his teammates or someone with him is like no getting milk or they don’t just serve raw milk because who the fuck would he maybe gets a milk tea at most. honestly not a fan of sugary drinks such as juice or refreshers and whatnot nor iced drinks because well hes just a weirdo. if you take him to a sbucks or somewhere else either order him a london fog or water or a cup of milk if you want your cashier to have something funny to tell. he likes matcha lattes but since they’re high caf he only gets them on off days and like when does he have those? never. genuine weirdo

okay for food it’s anything goes but i think thr funnier thing to talk about would be the amount of time it takes him to read a menu. literally can’t decide on anything especially if a place is out of stock well hes gonna be out of comission for a few minutes as he reconsiders. asks what this has and what’s in this if it’s not listed so it’s really best to just pick smth for him, plain simple and he won’t have any complaints and just sit down w you.

hinata

actually got fond of espresso in brazil but still prefers juices and shit to actual caffeinated beverages. they don’t make them like they used to there 😔 but he does get lattes. LOVES coconut milk and nut milks cause they have an “oomph” (what?) but honestly anything goes kind of guy in where he can get coffee out of a machine at a convenience store starbucks a cafe anything anywhere no problem. thing is though he can only consume it in a short amount of time aka just the morning or else he’s unable to sleep at night, a thing that is most definitely a placebo but like he believes on it so insistently that he just doesn’t mess with it. is a fan of anything new and anything that catches his interest in coffee places, likes to pick stuff up rather than sit down cause he’s a fan of walking and talking and drinking

pastry guy :) or just anything breaded. again likes to pick whatever catches his interest cause he became more adventurous with food for sure, enjoys a sandwitch or some shit i mean you get the point i think. he’s just a funny little guy

tsukishima

honestly? cant fucking drink black coffee. i think it’d be so funny and well also fitting that if he does drink anything he does drink super sugary sweet stuff, like i mean we know he enjoys sweets anyways so why not push it further and say this motherfucker can’t handle tanins at all? and like by all i mean he has to have tea with milk and sugar no matter what it is (well not herbal tea 🍵 that’s an emoji of a green tea but herbal tea never should be enjoyed with milk) his go to is a hot matcha latte and a cold iced vanilla latte. cause both are sweet and make him look a little less pussy when ordering them. straight up will chug purely black coffee out of spite and suppress gags to seem cool, it’s okay tbough hes so far only worried about this happening in front of friends and it hasn’t yet. he has practiced at home though and he can so far not gag but still squint, which he’s thinking if he has to explain will explain by “well uh it tastes like shit so”

i don’t think he needs coffee to get up but instead does need something sweet. since cake doesn’t last a while i’d see him trying to buy some for himself discreetly like i know this dude isn’t a pussy but also imagine being so hard and then being made fun of for eating a cake alone by yourself in a cafe. doesn’t order sweets therefore unless hes in a private room or with a trusted friend. yamaguchi won’t tell on you bro in fact he’ll order the cake and let you have it. doesn’t like any savory thing on the menu for some reason, no matter the place he goes

yamaguchi

actually enjoys tanins but chugs cheap shitty coffee for energy no matter the time of day. he just got used to the lack of taste and definitely grabbed a caffeine addiction to add to his problems to worry about but it’s okay cause hey while he’d never say it he thinks it’s better to be able to taste them and enjoy a normal cup of good beans than to be like his unnamed friend. enjoyer of the whole menu, entirely dependent on the mood. focusing, straight espresso shots, reading, matcha or peppermint tea, vibing, lemonade or lemonade mixture idk you name it. very into cafe energy and feels good whenever he enters one, but doesn’t do it out of neccesity cause once he did actually have someone slightly hit on him at a cafe and he stopped going to it because he interacted with them very awkwardly. is sure the baristas heard and just can’t do it anymore. has pulled all nighters and 24-hr study sessions in internet cafes chugging coffees like a motherfucker. hasn’t yet poured a redbull into coffee yet but i mean it could be coming we never know (nah hes afraid of it)

not a fan of ordering stuff in cafes at all cause hes not there to eat. can be persuaded for a bite if friends are there but if not then hes avoidant of foods. you can’t blame him! it’s kind of awkward to order food at a coffee place anyways so he just steers clear

[lady-olive-oil]

Work Out: Chapter 3

What up what up! It’s that time again, and you already know! It took a me a good minuet ti get this done and edited, but it’s here and I am currently working on the next chapter along with BSB. Critique is greatly appreciated along with likes and reblogs. If you’d like to be apart of the Lil Nastie’s tag squad, let me know. Here we go!

Warnings: none but fluff, tension, language

WC: 5.1k [not sure how this went about but i did it]

Lil Nasties: @themyscxiras || @maddiestundentwritergaines || @designerwriterchic || @honeychicana || @chaneajoyyy || @jojolu || @dc41896 || @titty-teetee || @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanimelove || @ljstraightnochaser || @mimigemrose || @crushed-pink-petals || @fumbling-fanfics || @madamslayyy || @amelatonin || @screamingdrago || @sparklemichele || 

(Five, four, three, two, one

Leggo! (watch me)

Level up, level up, level up, level up, level up Level up, level up, level up, level up, level up All this on me, so yummy, all this oh so yummy You know you want this yummy, yummy all in your tummy)

Groaning to sounds of my alarm on my phone, that only meant one thing. I had to get my cute self out this queen sized bed and get ready for school. Not too much left to do for graduation. Good thing I had enough gas in my car. Leggings and a T-shirt was all I need, along with my braids in a bun and sneakers. Turning off the alarm, I gathered myself together. Looking like a bum for school was what everyone was gonna get from me.

Taking classes to become a physical therapist, were anything but easy. Especially taking it a second time, but being more advanced. Go back to school to become a physical therapist they said, it’ll be fun they said. 8 am classes ain’t no joke, yet I thought I’d be done with it all. Nope! Still taking them. Only taking three classes anyway, graduation ain’t far behind. Anatomy, general chemistry 2 and biology 2.

As I made my way to the lecture hall, I saw one of my classmates walk past me. She looked happy as hell and I wanted to know why.

“Hey Layla. Why do you look so pleased?” Leaning against the brick building that held the campus library, I got her attention.

“Oh, hey Geneva. You didn’t hear about class being canceled?”

“Uh nah. Was it in the- damn. The group me. I have got to turn the notifications back on.” Feeling embarrassed, I checked the chat and it was true. Class had been canceled, well I’ll be damned.

Waving goodbye to Layla, getting back to my car, I contemplated my next move. 

Well it is 8:45, I have no others classes today. I could either run those errands I was gonna do. Talking to myself in my head, as I planned my day out accordingly, I got a message from the devil.

Jake: Are you free for lunch today? We need to discuss some things.

I know this negro did not just- cool it down Gege. Inhale, exhale, let it go. Thinking of what to respond back to him, he messaged her again.

Jake: I know you read my message, Geneva. Don’t play these games. Be an adult.

That was the last straw. I winded up calling him and putting him on speaker phone.

“Nigga, what do you want?” The obvious sass coming from my voice, lack of sleep from packing up the rest of his shit last night.

This divorce was taking longer than I had planned and it wasn’t making my life any easier. It caused me to have sleepless nights; not eating as much as I should’ve been and just tuning things out. Yet I initiated the divorce.

“Ouch. Language my love. Listen-”

“Not your love, and it’s Genevieve to you and your little pile of sand you call a girlfriend. Now answer the damn question: what do you want?” The irritation was getting to me, I had to calm down somehow.

“Leave Mandy out of this please, she’s not my girlfriend. Cool it with that shit. Anyway, I just think we should meet up to discuss the divorce. Say over lunch at that pizza parlor in Times Square?” He suggested with a gentle tone, I could feel the smirk on his face through the phone.

“You a whole ass child coming at me with that stank attitude. Ha! You got me twisted, thinking you can talk to me just any old kind of way.”

“Are you done? Cause clearly the dude you’ve been running around with don’t look like much either.” His tone was dull and irritated.

“Are you done? Clearly you don’t get the point of a divorce: sign the papers, get ya shit and leave. What don’t you get Jacob? Leave Florian out of this too. He’s just a friend, nothing more.” I haven’t said his full name in a minute. Why did it hurt to say that Florian was just a friend? Jesus be a fence.

“This is just a misunderstanding. Look, just have lunch with me. We haven’t talked since you gave the papers to me.” He did have a point, just this one time.

The deep sigh that left my lips, caused my body to hum in frustration.

“One lunch. That’s it. The next meetings we have will be with our lawyers present. This needs to be done and over with already.”

“Oh come on. I know you miss me, baby girl.”

I nearly gagged in my mouth when he called me that. The only time it meant something, was when we first started dating. Once the lies started in our marriage soon came the infidelity; the over charging in our joint account. The list goes on.

Did I really want to get dressed again, out of my leggings and Nike T-shirt? He just gonna have to deal with what I present to him.

“Let’s get something straight, ok?” I started and grabbed my phone to make my statement clear.

“First of all: We ain’t meeting at the place we went on our first date. Ain’t happen captain, you ain’t slick. Second of all: whatever I got on, is what I have on. I look like a bum so that’s what you’ll get. And third of all: we’re meeting at a neutral spot which is yours. You’re paying for my food, for wasting my time” he owned a little cafe on Times Square. Only thing going for him is his business degree.

There was a poignant pause, a heavy sigh followed. He tried it.

“Deal. It’s just you right?” He didn’t want any surprises. He needs to get over himself.

“Just me. Get over yourself. See you in 15.” I hung up before I could hear him say bye back. I had enough of his bullshit anyway. I didn’t even want to do this meeting but I had to get it over with.

Before I could even leave the parking lot, I got a message from Florian. Which made my body freeze and a smile stretch across my face.

Florian: good morning gorgeous. I hope your morning has been well.

This man knows how to woo a woman. I just don’t know how I ended up with him being back in my life. Responding back, I had to be honest. Pretty sure he could read right through me.

Me: it’s been going, could be better. Class today was canceled but. My ex wants to met up with me for a chat. Sadly.

Everybody I came in contact with knows that I no longer desire any time to be around Jake Austin, anymore. I have wasted the last 4-5 years of my life over some dude who can’t keep himself in his pants.

Waiting for him reply, I was anxious for his response. Knowing he didn’t care did Jake much either.   

Florian: it’s only a chat right? I’d hate to come up there to save the Princess from evil.

Me: well aren’t you a charmer. I’m a big girl I can handle myself love. I appreciate it though. Definitely looking forward to tonight too~

This man was something. From the top of his head, to the soles of his feet. There was no way he was real. Making my way to the cafe, I started to think about what could Jake possibly want to talk about this time. Could be an intelligent conversation. Not.

The place was packed but luckily, a spot was available for me to snag. Hearing my phone buzz one more time, I bit my bottom lip in concentration.

Florian: if you ever need me to become backup, let me know. I’m looking forward to tonight too. Tell me, which sounds better: fancy dinner or Dave and Busters?

He really going for it. I like a man who can take charge. Walking into the cafe I saw Jake behind the bar with Alejandro, his bartender, and they both waved at me. I hadn’t seen Alejandro in a minuet, so seeing him made this meeting better. The place had a it’s moments, some great and bad one's. But they were moments.

I couldn’t help but think back to when he first opened this place. He was so happy and full of energy, that he couldn’t fathom any of it. One of the only times where it was good, but the bad outweighed it all. It finally crashed down when we moved to Orlando. My phone buzzed again, from Florian.

Me: let’s do something fun; Dave and Busters. I’m gonna need some fun tonight. You’re just the person to give it to me.

I didn’t think I’d be this bold with talking to anyone, let alone a man. But hey, it’s working out and confidence boost is needed. My phone buzzed again, taking me out of my concentration as I took a seat by the window, across from Jake.

Florian: oh I’ll give it to you alright. See you tonight princess.

“Well damn.” I muttered to myself while looking at my phone, knowing that Jake was giving me a death glare. I didn’t care either way, so I sent Florian my address and then put my phone on the table.

“Care to share with the rest of the class?” He asked in a smug tone, leaning back to show up. Which he didn’t have much to show off.

“None of your business. That’s what I want to share. So why am I here?” Not in the mood for his shit, I cut right to the chase.

“Nice to see you Jake, how are you? Oh my good Geneva thanks for asking.” He rolled his eyes and scoffed at me.

“I have plans today, so hurry up. Why did you want to discuss our divorce?” I didn’t want to be here any longer than I already was.

“Well there’s been a little upset happen and I figured I’d tell you now, rather than wait and hide till the final day.”

“Quit stalling. I’m sure you have to get back to Mandy, she has you on a tight leash.” I took a sip of strawberry margarita and eyed him carefully.

“Leave her out of this. That’s your problem, always wondering about who I’m messing with. You need to check yourself.” He eyed me back.

“Uh oh, little Jake got some bass in his voice. And FYI, I watch everyone I mess with. Now tell me why am I here?”

“I have a child now.” He went right out with it. There was a poignant silence in the air.

“A what? Is Mandy your baby mama?” I arched a brow in curiosity.

“Yes she is the mother of my child. And, why does it matter?” He confessed. He looked comfortable about it too.

“So let me get this straight: you mean to tell me she had your baby? And you want child support from me?” This was about to hit left.

“Not child support, more of alimony. Settle the divorce. To help out.” 

“Nigga is you dumb? We sighed a prenup for a reason.” And it went way left.

“Yeah we did. I still have my half of what I came with, you do too. I just need more to help out with the baby.” He sure was talking out the side of his neck.

“Is it crack? Is that what you smoke?” I asked in a hushed tone, leaning against the table.

He looked at me as if I was the crazy one. He has the wrong one when it comes to legal matters.

“Genevieve, I need your help with this. I can’t-”

“You can’t what? Stop gambling your money away? Spending it on strippers and what not? You can, you absolutely could stop. Cause I’m not giving you dime. She gave you something I couldn’t!” That memory still haunted me. The day I lost the baby and how he made me feel as though it was my fault, I still can’t sleep at night because of it.

“I- know, and I’m sorry for all of that.” He sounded so sincere and I almost fell for it again. He reached for my hand and I drew it back.

“No you’re not. You’re looking for a goddamn handout again. I’m not the one to mess with Jacob. Have a good day, see you in a month.”

I grabbed my belongings and headed to my car. I couldn’t believe him, the audacity of him to think he could do this to me. I needed a change of scenery bad.

Message to the girls:

Meet me at the salon. I need to vent and look good for tonight.

Sending the message, I drove as far away as I could. I had to get my head on straight.

-The salon-

“Hell no. He got some nerve asking you to give him some hush money to help him and his raggedy ass baby mama.”

Destiny went off her rocker when I told her and Cynthia about my altercation earlier. We were all getting our hair and nails done, at Bon Bon, to release some stress. I had to get beautified for my date at least.

“He wants you to give him more money from the divorce, to help raise his baby. Nah, hell no. This divorce is going on long enough. He needs to sign them.” Cynthia wasn’t having it either. It didn’t make sense to her either. Josie came in just in time, already knowing the rundown.

“He’s a damn fool. I have to tell Florian what happened today, can’t start a new beginning with a lie or secrets.” I sighed gently, thinking of how he’d take it. The look I got from them three was priceless.

“So, you and Captain Romania huh? You two seem pretty close.” Cynthia arched a brow, as her nails were getting done.

That caused my face to heat up a little, just thinking about the late night conversations we’ve been having. He’s really easy to talk to; great listener, makes me laugh. He’s just too good to be true but he’s real.

“Yeah we’ve been talking a bit. Hung out a few times before skate night. I’m just nervous about going on my first date in a year, and on top of it all dealing with Jake’s broke ass.” Letting Evangeline curl my hair a bit, was checking my phone.

Looking at Instagram, occasionally glancing at my feed, I see a new post from Florian. The picture looks like it’s me, at the skating rink. Holy shit..

“Uh ladies. Did you check Florian’s recent post?” I asked the room and they all checked their phones. Within the next 2.5 seconds the rook erupted with a fit giggles, oohs and ahhs.

“Girl! You got him smitten! ‘There’s something about a grown woman in roller skates, and slow jams.’ What did you do to this man? Got people asking if you’re his lady or not, and what’s your Instagram.” Josie squealed happily, as she kept reading through the comments.

“All I did was stand my ground to Mandy; roller skate with him and kissed his cheek. That’s it.” I explained gently, trying not to grin so hard.

“Girl! That’s uncharted territory!” Destiny tapped my shoulder.

“Ok, ok! Maybe I felt daring, and I may feel daring again tonight too.” Handing the money to Eva, I checked myself out in the mirror. Damn I looked good.

“Keep us posted!”

“Please do!”

“We need to facetime later!”

“I got y’all. Don’t worry!” Blowing them all a kiss, I headed out the salon feeling better than ever. Something about getting your hair done makes you feel powerful. It was only a matter of time before the big night.

-Geneva’s Condo-

Boxes on top of boxes. I still have yet to unpack and I’ve been here for about nearly a month. Luckily my clothes were in the walk in closet.

My orange camouflage pants were in the dryer; my white sneakers were in their box still and my black lace bodysuit was in the closet.

“Ok. I need to shower and shave yo cause ya never know.” Checking my phone for the time, it was 6:45, he’ll be here soon.

My shower wasn’t long anyway; pinned up my curls in a bun, quick shave and lather in cocoa butter lotion. All the essentials needed for a perfect date.

Hearing the doorbell ring, I paused before applying my snicker doodle lip-gloss.

“Coming!” I hopped down the stairs to get the door, and was met with a tall Romanian teddy bear that held a bouquet of sunflowers.

“Florian. You shouldn’t have.”

“I insist, and besides it wouldn’t be a date without flowers?” He handed me the flowers, then placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

“True. I’m almost ready, I just need to get my sneakers on and my jacket. Then we can go, make yourself at home. Sorry about the boxes.” I kissed his cheek, upon seeing him get flustered a bit, I set the flowers in a vase then I headed upstairs to get my things.

“Take your time draga.” He smiled gently and sat on my couch.

Did he just called me dear? Hmm, if only he knew I can speak Romanian fluently. Studying abroad in Germany had its perks for a semester, from the second year of college. Slipping on my sneakers and grabbing my jacket, I skipped down the stairs.

“Ready to go?” I asked, catching him off guard from his selfie. I’m pretty sure I got in one.

“Yup let's go- you look amazing.” Florian bit his bottom lip and gave me a once over. The heat rushed to my cheeks as he spun me around a bit.

“Florian, come on now. We’re gonna be late.” Smiling sweetly as possible, I grabbed my keys and headed for the door with him in tow. Making sure the door was locked, I sighed in relief and continued on.

“Alright, Alright. Let’s go have some fun.” He opened the door for me to get in.

“Ever the gentleman. Scoring points so far, Flo.”

“Good to know, I aim to please.” With a wink in my direction, he slid into the driver seat and had us rolling to our date. Watching as the city moved past the window, I noticed that he held my left hand as we drove on.

It all just felt right being here in this moment with him. Our fingers were laced, vibing to some R&B without a care in the world.

-45 min into the date, after dinner-

“This is nice. Just the two of us, finally.” I was nervous ok? Who wouldn’t be with a man like him? Scooting closer to him in the booth, I felt a bit better.

“Yes it is. I’m glad you said yes, to coming out with me. I have to admit, I was going to be really upset if you didn’t.” As if his eyes weren’t enough to sway me, he added the puppy dog pout with it. This man is going to be the death of me.

“No you wouldn’t. The Florian Munteanu, would’ve been upset if little old Geneva, turned him down? Flo you could have any woman you want.” I took a sip of my 1st bottle of Angry Orchard, trying not to smile so hard.

“But yet I want you. You see past all of the fame, and that’s what I admire about you, draga. Hell, my parents only met you once and yet they can’t stop asking about you.” He smiled at me sweetly, causing my face to heat up a bit. His green eyes were like emerald jewels in a crown, that would shine with every passing glance.

“All I did was keep them company while you filmed your scenes. They were real easy to talk to.” The look on his face was priceless when I said that. I leaned back to see what he was going to do.

“Easy to talk to? How did you talk to them? Do you speak Romanian?”

“Mhm. I went to study abroad in Germany, they gave us a choice to either learn German or Romanian.” I confessed with a smirk.

“Say something for me.” He encouraged with a hopeful look. It only made me giggle a bit.

“Ok, um let’s see. tu ești cel mai frumos om pe care l-am cunoscut vreodată. Este o rușine că nu ați fost răpit încă.” I looked him dead in his eyes, while caressing his cheek, which turned red.

{you are the most handsomest man I’ve ever met.It’s a shame you haven’t been snatched up yet}

“There’s no way you’re real. You’re a nurse going back to school for a physical therapy degree; you’re a personal trainer, you speak 4 languages, took jiu jitsu and kickboxing at age 12 and you sing.” Easy to say he was intrigued by me even more. Normally I don’t talk about myself but he made it easy.

“Yeah that’s me. Genevieve Leona Shaw.” I was more comfortable with him now and all self doubt went away.

“Well princess Geneva, why don’t we play some games? Air hockey?” he offered his hand to me to take, and i slid out the booth.

“You’re on.”

-15 min later-

“Cheater! You cheated!” I was pouting a bit as Florian won the 3rd game of air hockey. We had a bunch of food, good drinks and great conversation. So what better way to top it off with a few games, even a bit of hookah.

“Prinţesă, how can one cheat at air hockey?” The sly smirk that graced his face, made the butterflies come back.

“By doing shit like that. Let’s go play pool.” I chuckled, grabbing my angry orchard and heading towards the pool table room. Of course we had gotten each other some prizes from the winners circle, and took them to his car real quick. I held on to the little koala in a hawaiian shirt and sunglasses.

Racking up the balls, and grabbing my pool stick, I leaned against the table eying him. I hit the rack and the balls went in various directions.

“Eyes up front Flo. Don’t need you getting distracted.” The tone I used with him was smooth as chocolate and slick as eco styler gel.

“I’m not distracted draga. You’re just enticing is all.” He admitted and gave me that look that would make any woman melt. I had to stay strong regardless, and not crack.

I rounded the table, looking at him fiercely. My hands grazed his hips and he froze.

“Sorry love. Your go.” I smirked back at him leaning against the other side, just checking him out. He was a sight to behold.

He took his turn, gracefully hitting the balls against the others. He looked as if he was etched in marble, tall like the statue of David in a prestigious museum. You’d want to touch so bad, but know you’ll get in trouble for it. I am a grown ass woman, if I want to get in trouble I will.

“See something you like Geneva?” They way he uttered my name was so suave and delicate. The look in his eyes was predator like, drawing me in further into his trap.

“I do. I might need help with this trick shot though, think you can help?” I asked curiously, watching him walk behind me and grab a good of my hips to position them right.

“Like this.” His voice was hot and heavy, tantalizing even. The deep bass of his baritone voice was like a warm blanket, by the fireplace, on a winter New York night.

Feeling his broad chest against my back again, just as if we were at the skating rink all over again, I felt secure and protected. It had been a while since I’ve felt like this, and it’s foreign to me. I didn’t want it to go away.

On instinct I bit my bottom lip, having his hands on mine to hit the cue ball. Making the last balls ricochet and sink all in their pockets.

Squealing happily I turned around, hugging him tightly. We both fit so perfectly against each other, it was maddening. Pulling away gently, resting my head on his and breathing deeply, we looked into each other’s eyes. His scenery was intoxicating, like teakwood from Bath and Bodyworks and when the rain stops. I wanted to stay like this forever.

“I uh- I should be getting home. I have a lot planned this week.” I broke the tension a little and saw his shoulders relax a little as he still held me close to his body.

“I’ll take you home. Don’t need a pretty girl walking home alone.” I nodded at him gently, feeling like shit for not kissing him right then and there. Holding his hand, as we walked out of Dave and Busters, I felt like I messed it up.

The drive back to my house was a long and quiet one. I had to think of something fast.

“You doing anything tomorrow, Florian?”

“Other than going to the gym, possibly hanging out with the guys. Why?” He made it in front of my house and I knew what I wanted to do.

“I wanna go to the gym with you. I just gotta get my bag from upstairs and I’ll be right back.” Without thinking, I leaned over, pecked his lips and got out the car.

I looked back, and to my surprise he was in shock. With a sweet giggle, I went up to grab my gym bag, that had extra clothes in it. It had all my essentials in it anyway. By the time I came back down, he was so flustered by the little kiss I gave him.

“Florian. You ok? You look flustered.” I rubbed his face gently, as he drove to his hotel room. He let out a sweet chuckle.

“Well I was caught off guard, by a princess giving me a kiss. Maybe later tonight, we could continue it?” He was very charismatic as ever. Pondering the thought in its entirety, I wondered if I could.

The journey up to his room was nothing but comforting and understand. Once inside, he handed me one of his shirts to sleep in, which looked like a dress and we chatted a bit. He was shirtless and in a pair of grey sweatpants.

“So back to what you said earlier, you’ve been singing since you were 10 or 12, right?”

“Yup. I gave it up when I met Jake. He told me I should just focus on school and not on some pointless dream.”

The more I explained it the more hurt he looked. Pulling me into a tight embrace, I finally got the chance to breath him in again. He was really intoxicating and it was down right sinful.

“If you still want to peruse it, I say go for it. I'm in your corner. I’m not gonna let him be anywhere near you ever again, I promise.” He mumbled into my hair, rubbing my back in a tender manor.

Just hearing him say those words to me, the words I’ve been wanting to hear for years, made everything I do seem worthwhile.

I just held on to him, as tight as I could and the tears fell. Lifting up my chin to look into my eyes, I knew this was coming. I wanted it too, so I let him lead us to his bed and just cuddled him.

“Draga, you can just rest on me if you want to-” I shut him up this time. It was now or never, and I chose now. My lips crashed on to his in desire, on their own accord.

“Flo, I’m sorry. I don’t know-”

“Why are you apologizing? Come here.” This time he pulled me closer to his body, which was warm and inviting, kissing me again.

Our lips moved in sync as the kiss grew hotter by the second. He lifted me up by my hips, on to his waist and drew me closer by the back of my head. I didn’t know what else to do but to hold his face in my hands and just rub my thumbs against his cheek. His hands rested on my hips, and the kiss grew hotter.

I could feel his heartbeat increase under my hands, once I moved them. We fit so well like a puzzle piece, it was uncanny. Once it was broken, we looked into each other’s eyes again, taking it all in.

“Wow.” He smiled like a Cheshire Cat as he pulled the blankets over us both. I didn’t feel like moving, he was too damn cuddly underneath all that muscle.

“Wow I right.” My face was nuzzled into his neck and I felt at home for the first time since I moved back. Maybe Florian is the one. I don’t want to scare him away at all, but this new journey was worth it.

I started to hum lightly, and he caught me.

“You should sing me to sleep. Think of a song you’ve finished.”

“On the spot Munteanu?” I traced a few shapes on his chest and thought.

“Yes Printesa. It’s ok, it’s just me.” Kissing my head for reassurance, he gained a smile from me.

“Ok ok. Lemme think. I got the verse done but not the rest. Is that ok?” I asked nervously.

“Go ahead.” He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sounds of my voice. I scooted up closer to his ear, and held him close to me.

“If you keep on putting it down, you gon' make me love ya. If you keep on putting it down, you gon' make me stay. Ain't no competition, you that man by far. Maybe you the best, got me going so hard.”

My voice carried itself as I saw him smile sleepily a bit, holding me as if he’d lose me.

“And if this isn't love, why do I feel this way? Why does he stay on my mind? And if this isn't love, why does it hurt so bad? You make me feel so mad inside. Something about your love that's got me staying. Something about you boy, don't know what it is. And all you did to me, I'm steady fallen…”

He was sound asleep with me against him, holding on for dear life. Placing a kiss on each closed eyelid of his, i too fell asleep in a peaceful slumber. He wasn’t going to lose me, I was going to make sure of that.

[goldngguk]

red // 04

part one of trilogy series

warnings // fluffy cuteness

word count // 2.2k

trilogy masterlist

Jeongguk

"Ok, care to explain whatever the hell that was?" Yoongi shut the door to the practice room once the boys were inside and crossed his arms over his chest. They all stopped and gathered in a circle around me.

"What?"

"Oh, you know. You. Giving Y/n the stare down of a lifetime at nine in the morning.

"Oh." I rubbed the back of my neck keeping my eyes on the ground. It's not that I was afraid of making eye contact with them, I just didn't feel like seeing the judgment when I didn't even know what it meant for myself. "That."

"Mmm. That. What exactly is that?" Shifting on my feet, I glanced up to see Namjoon giving me a look of pity. Before I could answer Yoongi, he spoke.

"Listen, Jungkook-ah. I don't know what you're thinking and even less what you're feeling, but I think you should be careful. I know you've heard it a thousand times, but there's a lot at stake here. If there were to be some sort of scandal--"

"Ok, woah. Wait. Who said anything about a scandal? I just met her and I think she's interesting, it didn't mean anything. Besides, aren't you the one who keeps telling us we need to get to know them? That's all I'm trying to do."

"There's a difference between getting to know someone and being creepy," Hobi giggled.

Sighing, I went to sit in my chair while we waited for the stylists. Namjoon followed and put his hands on my shoulders. "I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong. We just want you to be careful, no matter what happens. You know how people get when we interact with women, let alone any other artists."

"Yeah, I know. And I do understand what you're saying, I just don't think I should be getting lectured when nothing happened." Yet.

"You're right, Jungkook. I trust you and we won't bring it up again."

Taehyung snickered from his chair. "Yes you will, Joonie."

-

After finishing with my stylist I headed for the conference room to help set up.

"Oh hey, Busan." Y/n. She was sitting on a couch placed in the middle of the room where we would film the tour announcement. I took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

"What?" I laughed. "Busan?"

"I just gave you a nickname. Do you like it? I'm sure I could come up with something more creative soon. That was just the first thing that came to mind."

I sat down a couple of seats away from her. "I think I prefer what you called me last night. No one really calls me that." Ok, good. Off to a great start.

"What was that again?"

"Gguk. I like that." She smiled, nodding her head and making me curl my toes in my shoes. She could still make me feel nervous so easily. I cleared my throat and continued, "So gold, huh?"

"Hey, don't get a big head about it. I picked it first."

I squinted my eyes at her, turning my head slightly to signal my doubt. "I've been called the golden maknae for five years."

"Which makes you 15, then. I've been obsessed with gold since I was twelve years old, bud. You've got nothing on me." I snorted. This is going to be fun.

"Oh, so you're feisty now? I would've thought the competition would wait until we started filming for Run."

"But that wouldn't be any fun. Besides, you should get to know who I am now before I beat you at your own games."

Normally anybody talking that much game would spark something in me; a need to be better than them. The only thing I felt right now was a longing to be nearer to her. The games didn't matter if I couldn't know her. "I do want to know you."

Keeping my eyes on her, I watched for any sign of reaction; anything that would show me she was interested. Her lips parted while she breathed in and looked away, in need of a moment to collect herself before returning, "What do you want to know." Now she was the one being flustered.

Before I got the chance to answer, the crew came in followed by the whole of the members. "Maybe later," I whispered to her.

"Alright," PD entered. "Let's get to work."

-

The twelve of us sat together on a long couch waving at the camera as it clicked off. "Great job, everyone!" PD exclaimed with a clap of his hands. "We'll take this to editing right away. It should be posted by tonight."

I slumped back in my seat throwing my arms up to stretch. "That took forever to film," Yoongi said with a yawn. "I think it's time for a nap."

Hayden chuckled, "It's one in the afternoon."

"Which means we've been filming for two and a half hours. Break time."

PD laughed his big belly laugh. "Take your break, Yoongi. All of you. You've got the rest of the day off. I highly recommend you make use of it because once Run starts tomorrow, time off will be scarce, and it will only get busier from there." We all shared our thanks and he left with the crew to have the clips edited.

"Well, see you guys at dinner." Yoongi stood up and gave us a two-fingered salute. 

“Yeah, me too,” said Maya. “This jetlag is killing me. Waking up this morning was awful.” 

“Um, excuse me. At least you didn’t have your only source of heat ripped away from you,” Y/n scoffed. 

“I was hungry, and it worked, didn��t it?” 

Everyone else seemed to have a reason to leave and followed. My eyes followed Y/n as she rose from the couch. 

“What are your plans? I asked her. She pouted her lips, tilting her head to the side in thought. 

“I’m not sure. I might want to go wander around the city for a bit. Just to see what there is. You?”

I stood up and brushed my hands against my jeans before looking up at her. “I think I’ll join you.”

-

“You really didn’t have to come, Gguk,” Y/n said, tugging on her hoodie. 

I smiled at the sound of my new nickname falling from her lips. “It’s okay. To be honest, I don’t really get out of the dorms much. It’ll be good for me.”

“Ok, so where should we go first?” She pulled her arms up into the sleeves of her sweatshirt to make a set of sweater paws and pressed the button on the crosswalk. Adorable. 

“I don’t know, wherever you want. I’m just here to make sure you don’t get lost.”

“Are you assuming that I would?”

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“No, but that’s not the point. I’d figure it out,” she huffed. The light turned green and we crossed the street that passes the BigHit. “I guess we can just keep walking for a while.”

“Oh yeah, you know - just make a few turns here and there til were good and lost,” I smirked when she stopped to shoot me a glare from over her shoulder.

“You have no confidence in my skills.”

We continued to make our way down the avenue. “And what are said skills?” I asked.

“I can remember the street names. And I have my phone.”

“Your phone is not a skill.”

“Ok Mr. I never leave the dorms, how would you make it back without GPS?” I opened my mouth to answer only to close it again in defeat. She nodded her head in satisfaction, making me chuckle. “Come on," she grabbed my wrist and pulled me along behind her. Her hand, though soft on my skin, felt almost explosive. I swear I could visibly see the sparks of electricity emerging from the tips of her fingers. "Let's see if there's anywhere to eat." Stumbling on my feet behind her, I followed until we came across a small coffee shop. Just in time, as it had begun to rain.

"Hello," one of the baristas welcomed us. We ordered a couple of drinks and found a small table in the back corner to avoid being noticed.

"You like it strong, huh?" I nodded towards the large espresso she was sipping on. I took note of the way her feet swung underneath the table, just barely missing the floor. There was a substantial size difference between us; height and weight. I couldn't help but think of how easy it would be to pick her up and carry her around, or how perfectly her head would fit in the crook of my neck. I was so invested in my daydreams that I almost missed her answer.

"Depends on the day. I like sugary drinks too, but I really need an extra boost today. I'm so jetlagged."

"Is that gonna be your excuse for everything?"

"It might be! It was a fourteen-hour flight at 3 in the morning and we got here in the afternoon. My head feels like it's spinning and I don't think it's gonna stop."

I hummed my response and watched her face while she drank. I wanted to take in as much about her as I could. Her baby pink lips, the rosy dust that covered her cheeks, the deep color of her eyes. Everything. I don't know very many girls, but something about this particular one went way beyond beautiful. Maybe it was a connection through music or the fact that we could speak the same language. How can one person have such a strong effect on another?

We continued with small talk until we both finished our drinks and were ready to head back to the dorms. Approaching the door of the shop, we realized how heavy the rainfall had become. "There's no way we can make it back in this. I can't even see across the street."

"That's okay, we can just sit until it passes. Storms here usually go by pretty quickly." Sitting down again, I noticed a black shape on her wrist that I hadn't seen until she rolled up her sleeves. "What's that?"

She looked to where my eyes had been trained. "Oh." Turning her wrist towards me, I got a better look at the shape. "It's a star. I got it tattooed when I was 17."

"What's it for?"

"I think the sky is fascinating. I really like the stars - all those cheesy quotes about how nebulas have to blow up before they really shine. It's like a symbol for my story."

"I like that. That's cool. I've always wanted a tattoo, but I never had anything that important that I wanted on my skin permanently."

"I like to think that they can tell us stories. What a person has been through, the things they enjoy, what means the most to them. Someday, I want to have my story written somewhere important, whether it's a history book or just my body. It doesn't matter.

Watching her talk about her hopes and what she wanted out of life mad me ecstatic. Her eyes lit up and I could see the glimmer inside them. I wanted to keep that light. It was comforting and made me feel like I could do anything. I knew that I didn't know her well enough to tell her these things, but I wanted to so badly.

We talked for what seemed like an eternity, listening to the rain pour. She told me about her family; how close her and her siblings were. We talked about what our school years were like, and she laughed at my stories of randomly filling in test bubbles and dashing out of the classroom. She told me about her friends back home, her pets, how she and the others formed a band. I listened to her talk about her struggles, and she listened to mine. Never in my life had I felt so comfortable with someone so soon. I told her everything I could think of as a new topic sprang up, and I listened carefully to every detail she mentioned about herself. I studied her face every time she spoke about something she loved dearly. Her eyes were so radiant and bright. Have you ever seen someone talk about what's most important to them? It's exhilarating. We talked so long, I didn't notice the rain had stopped completely and the sun had set. It was one of those perfect conversations that carry on forever; you never stop to notice the world around you.

As I laid in bed that night, my thoughts raced back and forth until they finally reached a conclusion - a kind of understanding of these strange feelings I'd been having. Something was fueling my competitive nature. I had an innate desire burning inside my stomach that I was otherwise unfamiliar. It was like a game; a new challenge to win. I had to have her.

I rolled over to my side, pulling the blankets up to my shoulders. Filming for Run would begin tomorrow, which could only mean more quality time with Y/n. Oh, this is gonna be fun.

-

taglist // @darkdragonskies @kalisica

[livelovesimallways]

“Never Be Like You”….Pt. 2 

Today I’m on the set of my photo shoot for Simvouge’s special “Lingerie Edition”. When I got the call asking me to be on the cover, along with a spread and interview, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I worked my ass off to get to this level in the fashion industry and to be the first stylist featured with the magazine is truly humbling. Barely being able to contain my excitement, I immediately let everyone close to me know...well everyone that is, except Moses. I was apprehensive as hell about telling him since this shoot involved me “showing my goods”. We’re finally in a good place, hell, a great place actually, and I was a little nervous that something like this could make things spiral out of control like it did before. I mean shit, life is good, I got the man back that I fell in love with and I damn sure didn’t want anything to ruin it. I thought about keeping it a secret until the issue came out or not even doing it at all, but that would only lead to more drama and resentment. Besides how could I preach the need for honesty and full transparency from him if I don’t give the same thing? It took me a day or two but I eventually ended up telling him. I mentally prepared to be met with opposition, but it thankfully it never happened. I was stunned to say the least, the man who at one point argued with me about anything he didn’t see fit, was genuinely happy and even got on his twitter to boast. Finally getting encouragement and support from him for everything I’m doing feels amazing and was just the confidence boost I needed for this shoot. Moses planned on coming today but he had to take care of some last minute things at the record label. I would’ve loved for him to be here, watching how I work the camera, but just the fact that he was willing, was good enough for me. Humph, plus with these gifts he sent over, his absence is definitely compensated for, ha. After I finished posting to Simstagram, I tried to call him but there was no answer. My phone rang directly afterwards, but it wasn’t him. It was Dana calling to gush about the posts I just made.

Dana: “Girl bye...can we please trade men??” *laughing* “Shit, I’ve been wanting that Chanel bottle bag and can’t find it anywhere but somehow your man gets it to you as a random gift? I’m bout sick and tired of his thoughtful ass....Makin me re-evaluate my relationship and shit.” 

Teeleah: “Ahhh...Bitch you stupid!” *laughing* “But yeah, this is too sweet. Not just the gifts but really the fact that he wanted to come to support me. This is what I needed when I first started trying to build my brand.” 

Dana: “Blah blah blah...Shoulda, woulda, coulda, didn’t, but is now. Anyways, did you let ya boo hit it yet? How long has it been since we met up for yoga, which ain’t do shit by the way?”

Teeleah: “Ha...ok...First, you got that saying extra wrong and second, no I haven’t. It’s been about two maybe three weeks, but to be honest we haven’t had sex in a few months, with all our fighting and everything. I know with all that I probably should've just jumped right into it but I wanted to take it slow, trying not to cloud shit with sex. Now before you say anything, I’m feeling like that shit is about to change. Girl, this morning, the way he kissed me...humph, my shit was wet as fuck. I had to dip off and wipe that shit before they helped me get dressed on set.”

Dana: “Oh lawd..” *cracking up* “Don’t go too crazy and fuck up a hip or some shit.”

Teeleah: “I can’t with you...Shit, hopefully he’s free tonight...I am well beyond horny right now.”

As Dana and I couldn’t contain our laughter, I heard a familiar voice say “Are you now??” 

I looked in the mirror fast as hell, making sure it was who I thought it was. Even though the shoot was over, Moses rushed over to be here. Humph, I didn’t know whether to be excited that he was able to come through or excited that his fine ass was looking like he was ready to pounce standing against the door. I quickly hung up with Dana, as he approached, wrapping his arms around my waist. 

Moses: “So I see you like the gifts I sent...”

Teeleah: “Of course, but I think I like you being here better. Speaking of which...” I said, turning around. “How much of my convo did you hear?”

Moses: “All of it. I’ve been here for a min..Heard the photographer tell you to stop posing like you’re doin it for ya man and think more along the lines of an editorial. I wanted to let you know I was here but, you was doing so well that I didn’t want to mess up your flow and have you pokin that ass out for me again.” He said, as his hands traveled down and found their way under my robe. 

Teeleah: *giggling* “Behave....”.

Moses: “I’m just tryin to make sure this expensive ass lingerie is good...Wouldn’t want you to dampen it. You gonna let me kiss those lips?...Your pretty red lips, red lips, girl you know what you do to me...” 

As he continued to sing and I melted right into his arms, the lingerie that he was so concerned about became mine as my “love” came down. I wanted him bad and the bulge coming through his sweatpants meant he felt the same. Humph, if we weren’t on a set, that door would’ve been shut and we would make good use of that couch. I had no choice but to settle for a kiss.

Moses: “Damn, baby...I think, you, need to behave.” He said, as pulled away I biting his lip. 

As he moved closer, trying to get more of my lips, my assistant, Levi interrupted us.      

Levi: “Ahem...” *clearing his throat* “Umm Leah, they want you to see a few shots they picked out. Listen to me when I tell you, they’re amazing, just giving me life right now.” 

Moses: “Wassup Levi...Humph, she’s damn sure givin me life right now.” He said as he kissed me again before letting my waist go. 

Levi: “Mr. Muse...” He said, sarcastically with a sight attitude. 

Teeleah: “Vi be nice...I’ll be out there in a miniute.” 

Levi: “Oh trust me, I am.” He shouted, as he headed back to the set. 

Teeleah: “Anyways...” I said, turning my attention back to Moses. “Maybe we can finish this at home, once we leave?”

Moses: “Shit, you don’t even have to ask...But before we go home, we have a stop we need to make.” 

Teeleah: “We???...Hmmm ok...Even though you’re up to somethin, I’ll make it quick.” I said, strutting out the door. 

During the car ride I tried to press Moses to tell me exactly where we were going. Of course he didn’t budge, smirking at me with every question I asked. 

“Bae...Can you please tell me where we’re going? Ughh you’re killing me.” I begged. 

“Sorry beautiful, can’t do that.” He said, giving me that damn smirk again. “But umm, there is one thing I do wanna talk to you about before we get there.” 

“Ok...Oooh, hold up. Levi just sent an edited pic and yasss I look fantastic.” I said, scrolling through my email. 

“Speaking of Levi, what was up with him anyway? He seemed like he had a problem with me.”

“He’s just being over-protective. He’s still hung up on the fact that you slept with Asia. You gotta ignore him.” 

“Wow, I’m shocked you told him...You sure you can trust him like that?”

“Oh please, Levi’s a sweetheart. He wouldn’t blab off to the media.” I said, stroking his arm reassuringly. “So what did you wanna tell me?”

“Ehh, it’s not important...And it looks like we’re here.”  He said, clearly holding back as we pulled up in front of his family’s label, Muse Productions. 

My curiosity got the best of me as I was too distracted by it to grill him about what he decided not to tell me. So many questions filled my mind: What on the hell were we doing here? Why the record label? Wasn’t he just here? We headed towards the boardroom where our lawyers were sitting. At this point I had to know what was up, so I stopped walking and demand he tell me.

“Alright, enough is enough Mo...What the hell is going on?” 

“Damn woman...You can’t just go with the flow?” He asked, as I raised my eyebrow. 

“Ha, I take that as a no. Well, if you must know, it dawned on me the other day that we keep callin the house our home but it’s really not ours.”

“Okay??......” I said, as he wrapped his arms around me. 

“Well, I wanna change that...legally. Even though we ain’t married, What’s mine is always gonna be yours. Plus sign over your car...Somethin I should’ve done the day it was bought.” 

I stared at him for a good second, in shock that he wanted to split his 3.5 million dollar estate with me and we’re not even engaged. I started to think that he had some ulterior motive but looking into his eyes, all I got was sincerity. 

“So are we gonna do this or what?” He said, snapping me back into reality. 

“Umm, yeah...I don’t see why not. I already staked my claim with my closet that has it’s own floor.” 

“Good, that’s what I like to hear.” He said, as he kissed me right before we went inside. 

Moses is really trying and I am soaking up every minute of it. This is how our relationship should’ve been when I first moved in, but it’s better late than never. Shit, I’m done with any pettiness and so is he. Everything is finally good. Although, I am still curious as to what he stopped himself from telling me. 

Previous/Next

[preciousmetals0]

Dow 25,000? Get Real; Robinhood’s Most Wanted … Is Carnival?

Dow 25,000? Get Real; Robinhood’s Most Wanted … Is Carnival?:

Enema of the State

I’m in a mood today, dear reader, so let this be a warning that a rant is incoming.

First, let’s start out with today’s astonishing development that sparked this Great Stuff mood.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 25,000 today — the culmination of a 35% rush off its March lows. The S&P 500 Index is also on fire, gaining a similar 35% to trade north of 3,000.

Remember when everything tanked back in March? Wall Street was worried about the coronavirus’s impact on the U.S. economy and corporate earnings — and stocks took a roughly 35% haircut. (35% again? Is that like the new 42?)

The markets are now less than 12% from their February pre-pandemic plunge highs, and you need to ask yourself some critical questions as an investor…

Are things really that good right now?

People are going back to work with the “Grand Reopening,” but tens of millions remain unemployed. Business activity is picking up, but many consumers choose to stay home and stay safe from the virus. Even Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said last week that the economy might not fully recover until the end of next year.

On the corporate earnings front, first-quarter profits fell by the fastest rate in more than a decade.

Due to the coronavirus’s impact, S&P 500 companies saw earnings collectively plunge 13% on a per-share basis. And that data includes at least two months of a fully open U.S. economy. What will the next quarter look like? The one after that?

This certainly doesn’t look like a “12% away from all-time highs” market or economy to me. Does it to you?

So, Mr. Great Stuff, why are stocks rallying?

That’s an excellent question, and I have an answer: hope and unlimited stimulus.

In the movies, billionaires like Bruce Wayne step in with their snazzy PJs to save humanity from crises like these. They swoop down, solve the problem and everything goes back to normal in less than three hours on the big screen.

Despite what you might think about Elon Musk and his ilk, they aren’t pushing to reopen the U.S. economy for your benefit. They haven’t solved the coronavirus crisis. It’s still out there. It’s still rampaging across the country. More than 1.6 million are infected, and the numbers are rising. Nearly 100,000 are dead.

These supposed modern-day “superheroes” push to reopen the economy because they’ve seen profits plunge 13%. It’s hitting their bank accounts, and that’s serious.

Serious enough to push an economic reopening without a cure or approved treatment in place. That push fuels hope that things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Meanwhile, with unlimited stimulus propping up the whole shebang (and driving interest rates through the floor), what else will you do with your money? Save it? Pay down debt?

Lol, as if. This is America.

You’d buy stocks. You’d help drive the Dow and the S&P 500 back to their all-time highs — whether the economy reflects those gains or not.

But how long can you, the retail investor, hang on? Will you last through the coming second wave of coronavirus infections? Can you withstand a second economic shutdown?

One is coming. COVID-19 can lay dormant for two weeks without showing symptoms. We will all know just how sideways things have gone with the reopening in about a month. The question is: Will you be prepared for the fallout?

Click here to make sure you know what lies ahead … whether you think you’re prepared or know that you’re not.

The Good: [Insert Neo and The Matrix Joke Here]

Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc. (Nasdaq: NIO) clambered back into the headlines this week on positive sales data. According to China Daily, Nio CEO William Bin Li livestreamed a presentation on the company’s EVs, which led to 320 vehicle orders and $21 million in sales.

Not too shabby for a CEO livestream. Now imagine if he did it on TikTok!

The bigger excitement surrounding Nio, however, is the company’s deal with China’s Anhui province. Nio will reportedly move to Anhui’s capital city, Hefei, in exchange for $981 million in new funding. Anhui will also take a 24.1% stake in Nio.

There are two massive caveats for investors here:

First, as part of the deal, Nio and Anhui will create a new company that holds all of Nio’s assets. What that means for U.S. investors remains unknown.

Second, there’s that pesky U.S. Senate bill targeting Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges. The disclosure of foreign-government ownership could directly affect Nio under this new deal.

So, while Nio has become one of the most popular stocks on Robinhood, buyers really need to beware of the fine print on this Chinese stock.

Besides, we have better opportunities stateside — especially with Trump’s “Re-Declaration of American Independence,” his mission to bring manufacturing and growth back to American soil from overseas. Click here for the scoop.

The Bad: Robinhood’s Most Wanted

Coming in at No. 8 on Robinhood’s most wanted list, Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) has seen an unnerving bout of enthusiasm lately.

The stock saw a significant boost this week following the Memorial Day holiday weekend, after throngs of people threw caution to the wind and rushed out into bars and local watering holes. Once again, we’re looking at you Lake of the Ozarks partygoers.

The idea is that once the CDC lifts its No Sail Order in July, Carnival ships will once again flood with passengers looking to party and forget weeks of at-home quarantine. I’m not sure what gives investors this level of confidence — especially since there’s no vaccine or cure for COVID-19 right now.

But CCL stock certainly is popular.

Even today’s announcement that AIDA Cruises (a Carnival subsidiary) would extend its pause in operations through July 31 didn’t faze CCL investors. AIDA said that international regulations surrounding the pandemic remained unclear, preventing its return to business as usual.

The easing of pandemic-related lockdowns is one thing. It’s another thing entirely to be locked up on a boat at sea for weeks (or potentially longer) if your ship happens to be unlucky enough to have an outbreak.

Once again, buyer beware.

The Ugly: Luckin Nuts

Shares of Chinese caffeine purveyor Luckin Coffee Inc. (Nasdaq: LK) have surged more than 89% in the past two days.

Why? Because investors be crazy. That’s why.

If you don’t remember Luckin, it’s the Chinese coffee company that fabricated roughly $300 million in sales. It just made up cash out of thin air like it was the U.S. Federal Reserve or something.

CEO Jenny Zhiya Qian and Chief Operating Officer Jian Liu were both fired over their roles in the scandal. Luckin faces the very real threat of bankruptcy. LK’s trading was suspended, and the company received a delisting notice from Nasdaq.

Seriously, though … why are people buying this garbage stock?

Well, according to a Reuters report, there’s a chance that Yum China Holdings Inc. (NYSE: YUMC) and other competitors are interested in buying Luckin’s assets, including the company’s popular smartphone app and its customer data.

Now, that sounds nice and all, but it doesn’t mean that the proceeds raised will save Luckin from insolvency. Furthermore, if the company sells its most valuable assets to stay afloat, what exactly are investors left with?

No, dear readers, avoid this coffee nightmare like the plague.

Debates over free speech? Whack.

Completely nonsensical market environments? Whack.

A Wednesday without your Poll of the Week? Now that would be whack.

It’s Poll of the Week time!

With all the divisive news out there, let’s talk about something that definitely won’t ruffle any feathers or split any political hairs — regulations! (OK, I could hardly keep a straight face there.)

Love it or hate it, the regulation pendulum could swing ‘round soon for overseas companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. At least, if the House picks up what the Senate is putting down.

With the Luckin calamity top of mind, we want your take on Chinese stocks in particular today.

Are you buying up Chinese stocks amid the talks of tighter regulations or have you steered clear completely? Let us know below!

By the way, boy was last week’s Poll a blowout! We asked you whether or not you’ve invested in the biotech sector — you know, that whole medicine-making lifesaving shtick?

By and large, Great Stuff readers are gung ho about biotech investing, with about 82% of you having ventured into the sector.

Another 14% want to see what all the Big Pharma hoopla is about — and for good reason. I mean, Great Stuff readers have already seen an insane 117% gain on our trade with Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: INO) … not that I’m bragging or anything. Seriously, I’m proud of all of you who got in on that win!

Now, I can’t say when the next biotech opportunity will come up … you know, uncertain markets and whatnot. But trust me, you’ll be the first to know if a Great Stuff Pick comes along!

In the meantime, if you’re still want to chase the biotech bounty, just remember that it can be treacherous terrain until you find treasure.

Don’t go into the great biotech market alone — Click here!

Great Stuff: You Write, We Listen!

Another week, another edition of Reader Feedback! If we’re being honest here, this is one of my favorite parts of the week…

It’s simple: Every email you send us … every message you write … we appreciate it all! From the rants to the raves, you have the entire Great Stuff team in stitches sometimes.

So, why not drop us a line this week?

Send us a message at GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com, and you might see your email in tomorrow’s edition of Reader Feedback! Remember, you can always catch up on the latest Great Stuff on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, stay Great!

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[goldira01]

Enema of the State

I’m in a mood today, dear reader, so let this be a warning that a rant is incoming.

First, let’s start out with today’s astonishing development that sparked this Great Stuff mood.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 25,000 today — the culmination of a 35% rush off its March lows. The S&P 500 Index is also on fire, gaining a similar 35% to trade north of 3,000.

Remember when everything tanked back in March? Wall Street was worried about the coronavirus’s impact on the U.S. economy and corporate earnings — and stocks took a roughly 35% haircut. (35% again? Is that like the new 42?)

The markets are now less than 12% from their February pre-pandemic plunge highs, and you need to ask yourself some critical questions as an investor…

Are things really that good right now?

People are going back to work with the “Grand Reopening,” but tens of millions remain unemployed. Business activity is picking up, but many consumers choose to stay home and stay safe from the virus. Even Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said last week that the economy might not fully recover until the end of next year.

On the corporate earnings front, first-quarter profits fell by the fastest rate in more than a decade.

Due to the coronavirus’s impact, S&P 500 companies saw earnings collectively plunge 13% on a per-share basis. And that data includes at least two months of a fully open U.S. economy. What will the next quarter look like? The one after that?

This certainly doesn’t look like a “12% away from all-time highs” market or economy to me. Does it to you?

So, Mr. Great Stuff, why are stocks rallying?

That’s an excellent question, and I have an answer: hope and unlimited stimulus.

In the movies, billionaires like Bruce Wayne step in with their snazzy PJs to save humanity from crises like these. They swoop down, solve the problem and everything goes back to normal in less than three hours on the big screen.

Despite what you might think about Elon Musk and his ilk, they aren’t pushing to reopen the U.S. economy for your benefit. They haven’t solved the coronavirus crisis. It’s still out there. It’s still rampaging across the country. More than 1.6 million are infected, and the numbers are rising. Nearly 100,000 are dead.

These supposed modern-day “superheroes” push to reopen the economy because they’ve seen profits plunge 13%. It’s hitting their bank accounts, and that’s serious.

Serious enough to push an economic reopening without a cure or approved treatment in place. That push fuels hope that things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Meanwhile, with unlimited stimulus propping up the whole shebang (and driving interest rates through the floor), what else will you do with your money? Save it? Pay down debt?

Lol, as if. This is America.

You’d buy stocks. You’d help drive the Dow and the S&P 500 back to their all-time highs — whether the economy reflects those gains or not.

But how long can you, the retail investor, hang on? Will you last through the coming second wave of coronavirus infections? Can you withstand a second economic shutdown?

One is coming. COVID-19 can lay dormant for two weeks without showing symptoms. We will all know just how sideways things have gone with the reopening in about a month. The question is: Will you be prepared for the fallout?

Click here to make sure you know what lies ahead … whether you think you’re prepared or know that you’re not.

The Good: [Insert Neo and The Matrix Joke Here]

Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc. (Nasdaq: NIO) clambered back into the headlines this week on positive sales data. According to China Daily, Nio CEO William Bin Li livestreamed a presentation on the company’s EVs, which led to 320 vehicle orders and $21 million in sales.

Not too shabby for a CEO livestream. Now imagine if he did it on TikTok!

The bigger excitement surrounding Nio, however, is the company’s deal with China’s Anhui province. Nio will reportedly move to Anhui’s capital city, Hefei, in exchange for $981 million in new funding. Anhui will also take a 24.1% stake in Nio.

There are two massive caveats for investors here:

First, as part of the deal, Nio and Anhui will create a new company that holds all of Nio’s assets. What that means for U.S. investors remains unknown.

Second, there’s that pesky U.S. Senate bill targeting Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges. The disclosure of foreign-government ownership could directly affect Nio under this new deal.

So, while Nio has become one of the most popular stocks on Robinhood, buyers really need to beware of the fine print on this Chinese stock.

Besides, we have better opportunities stateside — especially with Trump’s “Re-Declaration of American Independence,” his mission to bring manufacturing and growth back to American soil from overseas. Click here for the scoop.

The Bad: Robinhood’s Most Wanted

Coming in at No. 8 on Robinhood’s most wanted list, Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) has seen an unnerving bout of enthusiasm lately.

The stock saw a significant boost this week following the Memorial Day holiday weekend, after throngs of people threw caution to the wind and rushed out into bars and local watering holes. Once again, we’re looking at you Lake of the Ozarks partygoers.

The idea is that once the CDC lifts its No Sail Order in July, Carnival ships will once again flood with passengers looking to party and forget weeks of at-home quarantine. I’m not sure what gives investors this level of confidence — especially since there’s no vaccine or cure for COVID-19 right now.

But CCL stock certainly is popular.

Even today’s announcement that AIDA Cruises (a Carnival subsidiary) would extend its pause in operations through July 31 didn’t faze CCL investors. AIDA said that international regulations surrounding the pandemic remained unclear, preventing its return to business as usual.

The easing of pandemic-related lockdowns is one thing. It’s another thing entirely to be locked up on a boat at sea for weeks (or potentially longer) if your ship happens to be unlucky enough to have an outbreak.

Once again, buyer beware.

The Ugly: Luckin Nuts

Shares of Chinese caffeine purveyor Luckin Coffee Inc. (Nasdaq: LK) have surged more than 89% in the past two days.

Why? Because investors be crazy. That’s why.

If you don’t remember Luckin, it’s the Chinese coffee company that fabricated roughly $300 million in sales. It just made up cash out of thin air like it was the U.S. Federal Reserve or something.

CEO Jenny Zhiya Qian and Chief Operating Officer Jian Liu were both fired over their roles in the scandal. Luckin faces the very real threat of bankruptcy. LK’s trading was suspended, and the company received a delisting notice from Nasdaq.

Seriously, though … why are people buying this garbage stock?

Well, according to a Reuters report, there’s a chance that Yum China Holdings Inc. (NYSE: YUMC) and other competitors are interested in buying Luckin’s assets, including the company’s popular smartphone app and its customer data.

Now, that sounds nice and all, but it doesn’t mean that the proceeds raised will save Luckin from insolvency. Furthermore, if the company sells its most valuable assets to stay afloat, what exactly are investors left with?

No, dear readers, avoid this coffee nightmare like the plague.

Debates over free speech? Whack.

Completely nonsensical market environments? Whack.

A Wednesday without your Poll of the Week? Now that would be whack.

It’s Poll of the Week time!

With all the divisive news out there, let’s talk about something that definitely won’t ruffle any feathers or split any political hairs — regulations! (OK, I could hardly keep a straight face there.)

Love it or hate it, the regulation pendulum could swing ‘round soon for overseas companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. At least, if the House picks up what the Senate is putting down.

With the Luckin calamity top of mind, we want your take on Chinese stocks in particular today.

Are you buying up Chinese stocks amid the talks of tighter regulations or have you steered clear completely? Let us know below!

By the way, boy was last week’s Poll a blowout! We asked you whether or not you’ve invested in the biotech sector — you know, that whole medicine-making lifesaving shtick?

By and large, Great Stuff readers are gung ho about biotech investing, with about 82% of you having ventured into the sector.

Another 14% want to see what all the Big Pharma hoopla is about — and for good reason. I mean, Great Stuff readers have already seen an insane 117% gain on our trade with Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: INO) … not that I’m bragging or anything. Seriously, I’m proud of all of you who got in on that win!

Now, I can’t say when the next biotech opportunity will come up … you know, uncertain markets and whatnot. But trust me, you’ll be the first to know if a Great Stuff Pick comes along!

In the meantime, if you’re still want to chase the biotech bounty, just remember that it can be treacherous terrain until you find treasure.

Don’t go into the great biotech market alone — Click here!

Great Stuff: You Write, We Listen!

Another week, another edition of Reader Feedback! If we’re being honest here, this is one of my favorite parts of the week…

It’s simple: Every email you send us … every message you write … we appreciate it all! From the rants to the raves, you have the entire Great Stuff team in stitches sometimes.

So, why not drop us a line this week?

Send us a message at GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com, and you might see your email in tomorrow’s edition of Reader Feedback! Remember, you can always catch up on the latest Great Stuff on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, stay Great!

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[barshadnia-blog]

Essay 1- The Power of a Selfie

Benyamin Arshadnia

Professor Coy

English 110: FY30

September 16, 2018

                                  The Power of a Selfie

     How many selfies have you taken in the last week? Have you ever wondered the deeper meaning of a selfie? Selfies are being taken everywhere, everyday, by everyone. “SELFIE: The Revolutionary Potential of Your Own Face, in Seven Chapters” written by Rachel Syme, analyzes the deeper meaning of a selfie. She explains the power and benefit a single selfie has. Syme also addresses why there are many selfie haters out there today. My selfie reflects on a lot of the points Syme mentions in her article. It reflects on the fact that selfies can be a coping mechanism for people, they can boost ones self-esteem, and they give us a certain power we can’t receive elsewhere. It also reveals a lot about the selfie culture as whole. In addition, prevailing attitudes about selfies will be proven to be incorrect. Through my selfie, you will see the many benefits selfies have to offer, how they each have a deeper meaning behind them and lastly, that selfie haters “are wrong” (Syme).

     A selfie is pretty much what everyone knows them to be, a picture of yourself taken with your front camera. Although, according to Syme, there are a few things that are needed for a selfie to be considered a selfie; you need to take the picture with the intention to share it, you have to take the picture yourself, and you need to be alone in the picture. In my selfie, I got all dressed up, posed for the camera, snapped that selfie and clicked send. In my selfie, I am all dressed up ready for the Jewish New Year. I sent my picture to my close friends and family wishing them a happy new year. I was in a little bit of a down mood for certain reasons, but looking at my selfie of me smiling made me feel much better. After sending the picture I got a lot of messages from the people I sent it to saying how good I looked and how happy it made them to see me, hearing that lifted my spirits even more. When I look back at the picture I sent and I see how good I looked, all trimmed, dressed up and in the holiday spirit, it makes me more self-confident that I am able to be one of those people with enough courage to send a selfie and feel good about the way I look. I’m used to going out looking good and asking someone else to take my picture for me. But when I took my selfie, it was very empowering. I for once was able to control everything about it. I was able to control which side of my face was in the picture and I was also able to take the picture as many times as I wanted to until I found the one I liked. Once I found the one I liked I was able to edit it in a certain way to make myself look much better. 

     Selfies offer many benefits for people; one of which is a coping mechanism. Syme offers many examples in her article of how this is true. One of which is where a depressed person “stepped into [his] bathroom, looked in the mirror, decided [he] looked great, smiled as big as [he] could, and snapped a picture.” (Syme). Had it not been for this person taking a selfie he probably wouldn’t have smiled that day. Another example Syme mentions is a man who separated from his wife and documented how he looked. He said, “It wasn’t a sudden, complete change, but very rapidly (and really, I’ve only noticed while collecting these selfies), the light came back to my eyes, I re-learned how to smile (if only slightly).” (Syme). I found this to be true in my selfie as well. I wasn’t feeling too great about myself at the time, but after looking back at my face in the picture, it helped me a little bit to cope with what I was going through. This proves how selfies can be a coping mechanism for anyone and can help lift their spirits regardless of how bad their situation is. 

      Another benefit selfies have is boosting ones self-esteem. Syme says “With every selfie, you can build your fan base, gain stats, pose for your own Wheaties box, and experience the thrill of a cheerleading squad” (Syme). This means that when someone decides they look good enough to take a selfie and post it they are saying to the world “I am good enough”. Then when social media responds with likes and positive comments it gives the selfie taker approval that they do look good and they are worthy of posting pictures of themselves thereby boosting their self-esteem. I too found this to be true through my selfie. After sending my selfie to my friends and family I received a lot of heartwarming comments from everyone. This really boosted my self-esteem and gave me a feeling that I could be just like anyone else who posts their own selfies. 

     Selfies give us a certain power that we aren’t able to receive elsewhere. It gives us the ability to be “the subject, the photographer, the editor, and the publisher” (Syme). We get to choose how our own image is portrayed to the public, not how someone else makes it look. If you take a selfie and you’re not happy with how your skin complexion looks or if your acne is out of control that day, you’re able to edit it to your own preferences, not someone else’s. Before sending out my selfie, I too edited my face slightly to my own preferences. Selfies also give us the power “to discover dimensions of ourselves we never even knew were there” (Syme). We have the ability to take hundreds if not thousands of pictures of ourselves until we find that certain spot of our face that we love and want people to see. You don’t see it in my selfie, but that’s what I did. It took me a few shots to finally get the one picture that I was confident enough to use. 

     Selfies have another form of power, not to individuals, but rather to capitalists/ businesses. Due to the fact that selfies are everywhere, businesses have started taking advantage of this amazing marketing technique. Capitalists offer teenagers money “to be walking billboards of their goods” (Syme). They pay younger, good looking people, to promote their products by wearing them and taking selfies. This benefits the capitalists by spending less money on marketing. It also benefits those taking the selfies by; putting money in their pockets, making them feel good about themselves, and making them famous. 

     Even with all the benefits selfies have for people, there are still many selfie haters out there. You hear and see people making fun of people taking selfies everywhere. The hate isn’t only coming from regular people, it’s coming from powerful people as well. CNN mocked oxford dictionary after making it the word of the year in 2013. There was also an incident during a Colorado Rockies game in September. A pair of male announcers decided it was ok to focus the jumbotron on a group of women taking selfies and mock them. Syme also states that “when a phenomenon leaks so completely and quickly into the cultural water supply, people are bound to get freaked out”. This could very well be the reason that many people hate selfies, because they are still in shock from them and their potential. Although this may be the reason many people hate selfies, I believe it’s coming from where Syme says it’s coming. She says that people are just so embarrassed of themselves and that they themselves have no self-esteem so in their mind selfies are “terrible”. 

     To conclude, selfies do have a deeper meaning to them than what we see on the surface. Syme does a phenomenal job expounding on their many benefits. Through my own selfie, I was able to see and experience for myself exactly what Syme says. I was able to cope with what I was going through, through my selfie. My selfie also boosted my self-esteem in many ways. Furthermore, having complete power over my picture was an amazing feeling of empowerment. As you can see, for whatever reason selfie haters hate selfies, they are wrong.                                  

                                       Works Cited 

 Syme, Rachel. “SELFIE: The Revolutionary Potential of Your Own Face, in Seven Chapters”. Medium.com. 19, November 2015. https://via.hypothes.is/https://medium.com/matter/selfie-fe945dcba6b0.   12, September 2019

[yoursillygirl-onmedicine]

Week 2 + HappilyEverAspinwall Wedding

July 29- August 5 

Well folks.. the biggest updates this week include

1. Had my first medical school exam and anatomy practical 2. Finally made it to Parker Ranch North in Montana for Alyssa’s (fiance’s younger sister) wedding!  3. United Airlines sucks.  1. As I might have mentioned, I’m currently learning MSK. We just finished up our course on MSK: Superficial Back, so of course, we had an exam. I felt fairly good about it since I had understood the material and had a good foundation of all the concepts. I did well on all practice questions leading up to the exam and felt confident in my anatomy abilities too. What I was not expecting was the amount of radiology clinical questions associated with some clinical correlations discussed in class. If there was one aspect I of the exam I felt unsure about, it’s that one. Some details about exam 1:  - It covered MSK topics from Histology, Embryology, Nervous System (spinal cord is apart of the back, remember!), Gross Anatomy, and some Radiology.  - It was taken via Examsoft/Examplify on the computer - 65 questions multiple choice, in 1 hour and 40 minutes.  Hopefully I did well. I heard that the class of 2021′s raw average on the first MSK exam was 70%,which was curved to an 83%, so we’ll see how well my class did. We get our exams back on Thursday. 

 How I feel waiting for Thursday to come around: 

The anatomy practical went very well, I think. I was able to identify the origins/insertions/actions/innervations for what I was asked. So if anything, that’ll just boost my score. :)   2. After my exams finished on Friday, I went home and packed to catch an evening flight from Denver to Missoula, Montana. My awesome fiance picked me up from the airport and I finally got to see the beauty of Montana... sort of. It was almost 10pm so I couldn’t really see anything outside the window. Haha. But Parker Ranch North (the property his family owns) is absolutely gorgeous. The outside looks like a forest lodge, and the inside looks like an ornate cabin with the most detail-oriented woodwork you’ve ever seen!!! Seriously, the house took my breath away.  Alyssa’s wedding was on Saturday. Everything about it was beautiful. Alyssa truly put her entire heart and soul into planning her big day, and I think it’s one of the prettiest weddings I’ve ever been to. The ceremony took place in the trees, with hand crafted log benches, live music, and warmth. Butterflies were fluttering in the trees everywhere, and several would land on programs, the wooden cross at the end of the aisle, and on wedding guests. Joe (the groom) said vows that moved me to tears, and Alyssa was just so perfect in that moment, you couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with joy and love for her and her husband. I’ll post pictures once my phone decides to operate like normal again. :P 

3. Lastly, United Airlines is absolutely terrible. Lol. I flew out to Missoula just fine, but coming back to Denver... well, let’s just say I’m still not back in Denver. I had originally booked at 10:25am flight from Missoula to Denver today (8-5-18). We had boarded the plane and were ready to get going when the captain said we couldn’t take off until the maintenance person fixed the airplane’s lavatory. Apparently, the toilet couldn’t flush properly. Then, after waiting for 10 minutes or so, we were de-boarded, and told that United policy would not let us fly on an airplane for 2.5 hours without a working toilet. Are. You. Kidding. Me. If I can hold my bladder for 2.5 hours, so can everyone else. -.- 

So, that was a first for me. We were told that the flight would be delayed for about a hour. No big deal, right? But about 20 minutes into waiting, the flight got CANCELLED. Ok. Now I start to panic. It’s Sunday. I have school tomorrow. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow that I can’t reschedule. What am I going to do?  I called United Airlines while waiting in line like everyone else to figure out what to do. I was told that the next available flight would be tomorrow (Monday) at 2:25pm. NO. My heart is pounding and I’m furious. I asked if I could stand-by on the later flights that evening, but the attendant said those flights were overbooked so the likelihood of me getting on is low. I reluctantly booked that 2:25pm flight and called Michael (fiance) back to let him know what happened. As I was figuring out what to do, I decided to talk to the attendant at the ticketing desk about my situation, to try and get some compensation.  Good thing I did, because she was able to rebook me for a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, leaving at 1:17pm and arriving at 2:50pm. I would then take a connecting flight at 5:44 and arrive in Denver tonight at 7:15. Hallelujah! I was relieved!! She had worked with Delta airlines to get me on a good flight, and I actually ended up in Business Class, which was just awesome. So much leg room.. ahh! 

However, once in Salt Lake, things turned again. I’m currently here waiting at my gate (It’s 4:46pm, flight to Denver initially scheduled in 1 hour) and I get a text message saying it’s delayed.... for another 30 minutes. -.- Seriously?! I just want to get home. -.- I’ve got things to do.. meals to prep... the Buck Book to read before class tomorrow!! UGHHHHH. But I guess all I can do is pray I get there tonight. 

Anyway, that’s all really for this week. >< I’m so tired... ^o^  Starting MSK Upper Limb tomorrow!  **EDIT: It’s now 4:58pm and I’ve just received a text saying my Denver flight has been pushed back another 45 minutes.... so instead of departing 5:45, I’m departing at 7pm... fml. :( NEVER FLY UNITED!!!! 

[photomaniacs]

How to Make the Jump from Amateur to Professional Photographer http://ift.tt/2sV617a

What makes a pro photographer a pro? How do you do it? Do you just wake up one day and the photo gods anoint you a pro? Do you have to pass the pro photography exam and get some sort of certificate?

I studied photojournalism at San Francisco State University where I learned a lot about the technical side of photography, ethics, work ethics, and storytelling. What I didn’t learn much about was the business the side of things. I knew in my second year of college I wanted to be professional photographer but I had no clue how to make that happen. The industry is constantly changing and universities can only teach you so much.

The challenging part isn’t becoming a pro — the hard part is having the confidence to make the leap and make it work.

I made the leap about a decade ago and it hasn’t always been easy, but I made it happen the old-fashioned way: hard work and persistence. Now I own a commercial photography and video production company, a destination wedding photography business, and I shoot as an editorial photographer as well.

When I teach workshops or meet budding photographers at events, the most common question I get asked is how to become a pro, so I decided to put my advice into an article. Everyone has a different path in their journey from amateur to pro, but I hope these tips will help steer you in the right direction.

Talent Isn’t Everything

I wasn’t the most talented student, but I worked my butt off and stayed committed. Don’t let the narcissist professionals tell you it’s all about talent. Becoming a professional photographer is like anything else: hard work pays off in the end.

Commit

Make sure you commit to making it work no matter what, through the good photos and the bad, for better or worse.

Don’t Let Contests Be Your Measuring Stick

Photography contests are a huge business and most of them are purely for them to profit from your entry fee. Don’t measure yourself by how many contests you’ve won, as your clients won’t care much about that. I’ve never had a client ask me about contests. Sure, enter them and have fun doing so but don’t stress if you haven’t won anything.

Shoot Even When You Aren’t Paid To Shoot

I’m not saying to go out there and work for free, but practice and shoot whenever you can. If you want to learn about portrait photography, gather your friends and do portraits of them for fun. Borrow lights if that’s your thing and figure how to use them.

Get A Proper Portfolio Website

A Facebook gallery isn’t a website, a Flickr account isn’t a website, an Instagram account isn’t a website — you get the picture. Your website should have portfolio galleries in your specialties (e.g. weddings, portraits, products). You need a contact page, and about page, and a simple logo.

Of course, having social media accounts is important but use those outlets to draw attention to your portfolio website where potential clients can see your work and hire you. I use Squarespace, they are super easy to use, very professional customized templates and they won’t break the bank. Another great option is PhotoShelter, they are great resource for business advice and to manage your archive.

Equipment

Don’t be intimated by photographers with lenses on top of lenses and mounds of gear. Get a simple kit that you can afford. It’s easy to think “oh, if I had that $4K camera I’d be much better. Get better by practicing and learning not by spending. Now I have expensive equipment, true, but when I started I shot with one lens and one camera for an entire year’s worth of assignments and I got by just fine.

Treat Yourself Like A Business

When you first start off you are the head of marketing, sales, accountant, etc. Understand the basics of these positions and apply them to your business. Download basic contracts and invoice templates and customize them as you grow larger.

Commit

Wait, dude, you already said that. Well, it’s worth mentioning twice so there, I said it. You will have moments when you will be bummed out because of a slow month(s) — photographer’s doubt I call it — but stay with it and use that down time to focus on positive things like practicing and learning something new.

Don’t Be An Ass

This applies to all professionals I suppose, but I feel many photographers can, well, be asses. Don’t be insulted when you get low ball offers or asked to work for free. Let me rephrase that, you can be insulted, just don’t show it and don’t burn bridges. Understand your value, the market, and politely explain (not in condescending way) why your fees are the way they are.

Don’t Expect It To Be Easy

I’ve met a lot people who get into photography because they are lazy and it sounded better than a 9-5pm job. I said it, writers and photographers are some of the laziest people I know and the ones who get work hustle and have ambition, the ones who don’t are lazy. It’s pretty simple. When they aren’t shooting, they are b**ching online about other’s work, hanging out in cafés not getting anything done. When I’m not shooting, I’m clocking in and putting full work days into my business, marketing, sales, research, etc.

Stack The Odds In Your Favor

For many editorial photographers, their personal work/projects is their portfolio. Spend a lot of time on your projects and do them right. If photographer A spent 1 week on his personal project and photographer B spent 2 years on theirs, photographer B has a huge advantage. Most editors aren’t looking at how long you spent shooting your projects, they are looking at the final product and that’s it, so spend time on your project and get it right.

Crowd Funding

I bet you think I’m going to tell you that this is a great resource. I heard a panel directed at young aspiring photographers teaching them about crowdfunding as a business plan and it upset me — ok, it pissed me off.

Don’t rely on others’ money to start your career, it’s like asking for donation for a charity and there are people in need a lot more than your friends funding you to travel to Africa to take pictures. Don’t be an ass, like I said before — work and save and fund yourself. I get it for Kickstarter and places like that where you are trading special editions of a book, or selling prints, and stuff like that. I just mean don’t make this your only source of income. It’s not sustainable and your friends/family will get sick of funding you to travel around and take pictures.

Having A Book Doesn’t Make You Good

I see people rush to publish a book as if that solidifies their place as a pro. Anyone can self publish a book, it’s very easy to do. I can go out this afternoon, take selfies of me taking selfies, title it self reflection, and have my book published by this evening. Does that make me a pro? Does that make me good? No, it makes me a narcissistic weirdo. It can be expensive and time-consuming to publish your own book, so wait until you have a body of work or project that you feel is worthy of a book and then do it right.

Understand The Market And The Competition

It’s very important to understand the market and your competition, so d*mn important. Look at the work of photographers in your market, see what they are doing right with their branding, marketing, etc and learn from them. I’m not saying to copy everything they are doing, just use them as a measuring stick for you and your business.

Make An Announcement To The World

Walk out of your house or apartment right now and scream to the world, “I’m a professional photographer!” Ok, don’t do that, but rather, when you meet people in the real world, introduce yourself as a photographer rather than “oh I work in the cooperate world and sometimes I take photos of this, that, and the other thing.” See yourself as a photographer and others will see you the same way. Do the same in the social media world as well.

Have A Content Strategy

I work with great content strategist named Brandon Chew. He’s taught my a lot for all my brands and helps me strategize on social content. We think carefully how each social media outlet identity and purpose and how each outlet fits into the brand scheme of our marketing strategy. For example, I use Instagram to tease content that’s on my website, things like that. It’s also important to budget and strategize on how you target and boost posts. Email Brandon if you want to take your business to the next level.

I hope these tips were helpful to you.

About the author: Justin Mott is photographer based in Thailand and Vietnam serving all of Asia and beyond. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. He has shot over 100 assignments for the New York Times, TIME, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, and many others. Mott is also host and resident judge of History Channel’s hit photography reality series Photo Face-Off. Visit his website here. For more tips and articles from Justin please visit askmott.com and follow Justin on all social media outlets with the handle @AskMOTT. This article was also published here.

Go to Source Author: Justin Mott If you’d like us to remove any content please send us a message here CHECK OUT THE TOP SELLING CAMERAS!

The post How to Make the Jump from Amateur to Professional Photographer appeared first on CameraFreaks.

June 22, 2017 at 06:00PM

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

Over the years I've kind of noticed that a lot of people (not everyone of course) who've Instagrams, Tumblrs or other social media dedicated to tv shows, celebrities, singers etc. have struggled with hard things in life, i.e. depression, anxiety, bullying and so on.... and that's why they've come into fandoms, because they needed some sort of happiness, a way to feel like they belong and just get a break from reality, sort of... (part 1)

(cont.) like being in a fandom helps people deal with whatever they’re going through in real life. For example, when I fell (literally fell, it wasn’t intentional) into my first fandom I was going through a pretty rough time in my life, but being in a fandom helped me and it gave me a chance to sort of get a break from reality and the problems I was struggling with and brought a bit of happiness, and it kept me going and not to give up.and I’ve just noticed that a lot of people in fandoms have struggled with various things in real life and I have this “theory” that is why they get drawn into fandoms, because that TV show, or that actor or singer or book series etc becomes a way for them to hold on and get a break from the hard things for a while. Fandoms also gives people a way to meet others who might feel the same way they do and can relate to each other and find comfort together… what do you think about that? this got way longer and messier than I had expected (I apologize for that!) but I’ve just been thinking about this for a while and I wanted to know what others think… and you always gives such a good perspective and thoughts into your posts that I felt like sharing, hope that’s ok and that you get what I tried to get through… 😅

Don’t worry, I understand what you’re trying to say completely. Of course, it’s okay for you to share this with me. Thank you for asking. It’s actually an important and interesting topic to discuss, particularly for me because I feel like being a part of Tumblr and the fandom world has changed my life. I think everyone’s reasons for being in a fandom is different but the common denominator is that it acts as an outlet in some shape or form. 

I’ll put the rest of my answer under the cut, since it’s pretty lengthy. 

Personally, I see the fandom as a hobby in exactly the same way as football, bird watching, dancing, drawing etc. would be considered a hobby. And hobbies are such important parts of people’s lives because they serve so many purposes. They’re a way to channel our energies and creativity, share our ideas, build communities and make friends, improve our confidence and/or mental/physical/emotional health. So hobbies are very important and special to people, although the experience and meaning of those hobbies is unique to each every individual. 

It has different sides to it just like any other hobby, so for me its: edits (gifs), meta and fanfiction and all of them are ways in which I’m able to express my creativity. Writing in particular is my passion and the fandom gives me an outlet for that in the most amazing way because I get to pair it with the passion of a show/movie/character/ship I love too. And it requires time, patience and care. Every day or every other day I sign into Tumblr, I reblog a post or make a change to my theme, answer an ask, respond to a request etc. just the same as any other hobby. And most of all it provides me with a release. When I’m going about my day (particularly when I’m at uni or writing an assignment) all I look forward to is being able to come onto Tumblr. It’s a form of relaxation and joy for me and for so many others. And I don’t think that the fandom particularly attracts people that are going through hard times, I think that is true for any hobby. When people are down, they’re struggling, they’re in a dark place etc. it’s only natural to seek out something to make you feel better about yourself and your situation. I think the difference is that more confident and extroverted people are more likely to go out and pursue an active hobby, whereas more reserved and introverted people are more likely to pursue that online. I know that for me personally, I’ve always struggled with my self esteem and there was no way I had the confidence to actually go out there and meet people and try to find a hobby (plus, I always loved writing and the best way to channel that is online anyway). But I think it’s just a natural thing for those that are introverted and/or not very good socially to seek social contact via the internet, because it’s easier than having to do it face to face. It’s easy to portray yourself differently online, to be the more confident you that you are on the inside until you’re in face to face social situations and I think that it’s a way for people to build their confidence socially. I also think that it’s a way for people to seek validation and acceptance. Particularly for those that have been bullied or just generally haven’t fit in at school or at home, the fandom is a place to find other people similar to yourself that will remind you you’re a good, decent and important person. And at the end of the day, that’s something that every human needs sometimes. We all just need to know that we’re not alone, that there’s someone else out there that feels/thinks the same way as us and more importantly that someone recongises our existence. I also think there’s a common feeling amongst a lot of people in the fandom whereby they feel out of place in their daily life and the world around them, which is again why they try to seek a place they feel more comfortable online.

I actually watched a news report about this recently. it was about how young kids are getting addicted to social media because each time they receive a follower or like or reblog or whatever it is, it releases dopamine in the brain and that’s a feeling I think everyone can relate to. Particularly for people that may not have many friends or have gone through their life never being popular, it’s kinda an amazing feeling to have people recognise you and want to talk to you, even if it is online. Each time we receive an ask or gain a follower or a note, it feels like validation and I think that definitely gives people a boost that they’re probably not getting in their daily life. 

I also agree with you that the fandom is definitely a place where people seek out others that love the same things as they do. Although I’ve spoken to a tonne of people, I’ve only made one real friend through the fandom. But honestly, it’s so great to be able to go to her whenever and be like “DID YOU SEE THE NEW EPISODE OF _____?!?!?” because there is no one else in my life I have to share that with really. And I think that sharing the love for a particular show/ship or whatever it is can bring people together because it opens doors and is that first step of talking to someone. But in reality with time those friendships grow to be something much more profound and although you’ll probably still talk about fandom-y things, it becomes a real friendship that’s about so much more than just that. And you can’t really put a price on friendship as corny as it sounds. Even though the friend I made from the fandom lives thousands of miles away there are genuinely days when I feel like she’s the only one that’s there for me and I talk to her about things I don’t talk to anyone else about. So I think the fandom is definitely a place people come to form friendships and it works too. 

For me personally, I actually joined for the opposite reason. Meaning, I didn’t want friends, I was looking for somewhere I could come and be anonymous, where I didn’t have to speak to anyone at all and could do my own thing. I loved that on here no one knew my name, no one knew my face, none of my friends were even on here and as cliche as it sounds, I felt so free with that. I felt like I could do whatever I wanted and it was for me. It’s not that I’ve ever particularly hidden my interests and likes from people, but I think until I found Tumblr I always felt like I had to downplay my passion for fandom-y things. My friends and family would always laugh at me (only harmlessly) for watching the same shows and movies over and over and for always reciting the script along with them, because to them that isn’t normal (whatever that means haha). Yeah, they all watch TV and movies but once and they never feel as strongly about it as I do. Since I was a kid I have been obsessed with watching things over and over again. It started with Disney (Lion King, Bambi, Aristocats to name a few), then it got to Harry Potter (seriously I could still write the Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire scripts from memory), I watched repeats all day long of shows on Cartoon Network (Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd & Eddy etc.) then it got to Zoey 101 and Drake and Josh, when I got to my early teens Friends, Skins. I could go on, but you get the point. But I would literally fall in love with these movies/shows (don’t even get me started on how many times I re-watched the episode of Zoey 101 where Chase finally admitted he was in love with Zoey, eeeeep!) and no one around me really understood it. So to be able to come to the fandom and openly express my love for these things was so amazing. I didn’t need friends or anyone to even share that with, all I cared about was being able to have somewhere to unleash that side of myself. Obviously over time, I naturally got speaking to people and made a great friend, but I do think that being a part of the fandom can be as much about just having a place to anonymously exist and express your passions without the want or need for friends. Unlike other forms of social media you can literally come on here, do your own thing and literally no one will bother you or question you and I think that’s pretty unique to social media personally. 

But I think you hit the nail on the head as to why so many people fall into the fandom or choose to be a part of it - escapism. Regardless of how happy or unhappy we are, it’s human nature to seek some form of escapism. Whether it’s through watching tv, writing, playing video games, reading, painting, listening to music - it’s all a form of escapism. It’s a distraction from whatever bad stuff might be going on in our lives, it’s a way to unwind and relax, to chat with friends, see the things we love. I often see edits on my dash and genuinely smile or laugh and it improves my mood when I’m having a bad day. I also think that in terms of the specific fandoms, shows, movies, characters and ships we attach ourselves to, they all kind of represent their own form of escapism. An example of that would be that one of my favourite characters is Prue Halliwell from Charmed and one of the reasons I love her so much is because I see all the qualities in her I wish I possessed (beautiful, confident, strong-willed, driven, successful, family-orientated, admired, passionate). My point here is that to an extent I almost live through Prue, imagining myself as who I want to be and putting myself in her shoes. That is just one example. Another would be that I love Sons of Anarchy because it is nothing like my life and I love being able to experience a completely different world from my own or my love for Cook from Skins because he is everything I’m not - reckless, adventurous, fiery, ruthless. All of it is escapism, it’s a way to experience different worlds, different lives, loves and emotions in a safe environment. 

I also think that the fandom acts as escapism in regards to providing us with an alter ego. Who we are in the fandom is not who we are in our daily lives (at least not in my experience). On here most people probably think of me as ameliapondsraggedyman or pruehaliwells, the faceless girl that writes unnecessarily long ass responses to all of her asks and bitches about Stelena not being endgame hahah. But that’s not how my family and friends see me. To them, I’m just Shannen (or Shan), the girl that eats coco pops every single morning for breakfast, laughs too loudly (and usually at inappropriate times), talks too much, is best friends with her cat (what a saddo) and has to make her bed in this really weird but particular way (don’t even get me started haha). How I’m perceived or how any of us are perceived within the fandom is not a true reflection of who we are. Or should I say, it’s not a true reflection of every part of ourselves. For example, you may know my exact thoughts and feelings on Stefan Salvatore’s death, but do you know what I did yesterday? But that of course is the appeal of the fandom. To an extent, you get to be who you want. It’s a different side of you, probably one you usually have to suppress or hide and it’s great to be able to escape from who you are everyday and be the other you for a while. 

Those are basically my thoughts on that subject. It can mainly be summed up as: I perceive the fandom to be a hobby like any other that acts as a form of escapism from the struggles of daily life and gives people the opportunity to make friends that they have common interests with, a way/place to express themselves and their passions or creativity and improve on themselves whether that be socially, emotionally or mentally. 

I hopefully managed to express myself clearly amongst that huge messy response haha. Thanks again for stopping by to share your thoughts and asking me to share mine.