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yelenasdog · 4 years

Text

it was a pleasure to burn (spencer reid x fem bau!reader)

genre: fluff i think even though the name is v angsty LOL it’s a literal screenplay with the amout of dialogue i wrote LMAO so idk

summary: a particularly rough and disturbing case gets to reader, and spencer and reader are brought together by this.

words: just about 6k (my longest fic ahhHH)

warnings: typical criminal minds gore and violence just up a notch, they get on a plane at the end, somebody gets ~shot~, somebody gets ~bonked~, cursing, mentions of reid’s addiction, and i think that’s it. also the reader wears reading glasses but that’s the only predetermined factor of appearance. btw i don’t think i used any pronouns in this but i apologize if i’m wrong.

a/n: LMFAO i was outside awhile ago celebrating litha with a nice lil hike and i saw a butterfly and i had just started watching cm and was like hMMm... killer who’s obsessed with symmetry??!1??!? y Es. enjoy 😼 EDIT: THERE IS SO MANY PLOT HOLES OMG FBREHJBFHEJFRE IM RBFBRE

🂦∙🂦∙🂦

Present Day, Central Park, New York

“Aren’t they just stunning?” The unsub spoke, keeping her eyes trained on the butterfly sitting happily on her finger. The brightly colored creature fluttered off her hand that was dripping scarlet, flying around her curly head of brown hair. Her, formerly white, blood-stained dress flowed around her as she followed it, watching in awe as it soared about. She giggled, plopping down on the grass in the middle of a circle of her victim’s pale, lifeless bodies, all of them with ironically morbid butterflies resting upon the frail skin of the corpses.

“Aren’t they, agents?”

She slanted her green eyes, gripping the grass a little harder. I flicked my tongue over my lips nervously, looking over to the lanky man on my left. He simply shrugged, just about as sure of how to handle the situation just as much as I was.

“If I knew you all were coming, I would have cleaned up, I really would have, I promise.”

We slowly walked towards her, twigs and leaves crunching under our feet. It could have been comparable to a hunter stalking its prey, but it unfortunately was quite the opposite.

6 days earlier, Quantico, Virginia

“3 bodies, all found within the last 48 hours in rural New York. So far, the first body has revealed that although it was dumped upstate, the victim was murdered in the city, and the same most likely goes for the other bodies as well. Nails well manicured, no drugs in the system. They aren't junkies, we’re dealing with upper class citizens.”

My face contorted as I took the photos from Reid’s hands, his large and tanned one surprising me by how soft it felt as it accidentally brushed against mine. I blushed like a madman, looking to see him doing the same thing. I cleared my throat getting Rossi’s attention.

“Why are we only now hearing of this?” I questioned, flipping through the images as I did so, my confusion only growing. I didn’t recieve an answer, leaving my curiosity to bloom.

“Wait, how did you say they were killed again?”

Morgan looked up, taking the photos from me. “He didn’t.”

I sighed, pushing my glasses up on my nose.

“Is there at least any correlation between the bodies and the butterflies?”

Our attention was shifted to JJ, the resident expert on the insects.

“Actually, the ones being found with the bodies are from the Amarynthis family, all native to Latin America. They weren’t there by accident so yes, they’re somehow related.”

Rossi stood up, grabbing his coat.

“Well, none of this is nearly enough for a profile, so pack your bags and tell the others, wheels up in an hour. We’re headed to New York.”

4 days earlier, F.B.I. Field Office, New York, New York

“The final report from the latest victim is in, all the autopsies are clean. They show no signs of struggles, no marks, no blood, no anything. The eyes weren’t bloodshot, so suffocation is ruled out, and that was our best bet.”

I sighed, sliding the case file across the glass table to Spence as I took my seat, sinking into it and allowing myself to be consumed by its warmth.

“So what your saying is that we’re back at square one.”

I looked up at Hotch from where I sat, running my hand through my ponytail.

“Yeah. That’s what I’m saying.”

Just then, the young Doctor spoke up as he flipped through the pages.

“The eyes weren’t just not bloodshot, there was barely any blood left in any of the victims bodies, only about 3% of the volume left. The killer drained them.”

Morgan gave me a shocked expression, silently asking for an explanation.

“Which you failed to mention, Y/n.” Aaron spoke, agitation once again present in his voice.

I looked at the ceiling, crossing my arms in front of me before turning to face Hotch once more.

“Yeah, well, I thought it was obvious when I said no blood.” I stuttered out cautiously.

“On the bodies! Not in the bodies!” Morgan exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in what was in my opinion, very childish. Everyone else in the room aside from Spencer was either shaking their heads or pinching the bridge of their noses, and reasonably so.

“Look, I’m sorry I just didn’t see it in the report, plus, In the scheme of things, it just doesn’t seem to matter.”

I soon regretted my words, realizing how ill-fit they were for the current conversation I was having. Spencer looked up, tilting his head.

“Doesn’t seem to matter? How? There’s an endless amount of possibilities now that we know this. If we had known it sooner we probably could have figured out the pattern and caught the one doing this!” He harshly spewed, his voice acting like a crescendo of sorts, quiet and calm and moving towards a loud and violent tone. Tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes and I was starting to feel guilty, not to mention absolutely stupid as could be.

“I’m- I really am sorry guys, truly.”

Hotch locked eyes with me, taking a stern tone that one would usually take with a disobedient child, perhaps even Jack.

“I hope that’s a comfort to you when another body shows up. That’s their blood on your hands.”

I was frozen, the gravity of the situation taking its toll.

In the background I heard him say something to Morgan about a new profile having to be made as there were many new things to be known from this revelation. But it all went in one ear and out the other, just unpleasant white noise.

As I clumsily stumbled out of the room, I felt Reid’s eyes burning holes into the back of my brain. I was quick to turn my head to meet his glance, causing him to look down. I felt bad, the weight on my chest growing heavier from the interaction.

I sat down at my desk, turning on my computer and immediately going to google. I typed in “hypnosis” and let the info trickle in.

About 30 minutes later, I still felt absolutely horrible, but I had also put together a valuable profile in the time that had passed. I shut the newly finished file, blowing an abandoned strand of hair out from my eyes. I had to do a double take when I saw Spencer staring once more, his deep hazel eyes meeting my own. I gave him a small smile before standing up and walking to Hotch’s makeshift New York office. I pushed open the heavy door, placing the folder on his too-clean desk.

“What’s this?” He asked, taking it in his hands.

“My theory about the unsub. I think I know what she’s been doing. You can tell the team if you want, I’m not sure if they would wanna hear it from me. ”

He gave a small smile, pushing the file back over to me.

“You get the team together and I’ll get the local PD caught up. You tell them yourself.”

A few minutes later, everyone except for Reid had gathered in the meeting room. I peeked through the half closed blinds that allowed a line of vision to his desk in an attempt to locate him. He was positioned there, staring blankly at his laptop that appeared to have nothing on the screen. I knocked on the window lightly to catch his attention, his glazed over eyes looking in my direction. I tilted my head at him, silently beckoning him to join me. He only shook his in response, shaggy brown locks swaying back and forth. I sighed, frowning at his action. I turned to the group, clasping my hands in front of me.

“Everyone, this will just be a second if you’ll excuse me.”

With a raised eyebrow from Hotchner and a jab in the direction of Spencer’s workspace, I swiftly walked out of the crowded room.

“Spence, care to join us?” I asked, resting one of my hands against my hip, the other on his orderly desk.

“No, I don’t think I will. I need to try to figure this out before she finds her next victim.”

“What makes you think the unsub is a she?” I searched his eyes that had seemingly become brighter at my piqued interest in his hypothesis.

“Well, the unsub seems to be obsessed with symmetry, all the bodies being found in obscure yet symmetrical positions. This could suggest she had some sort of deep rooted insecurity, possibly from some sort of bullying from growing up in a small town where she was looked at as a superior for subpar looks. She moved to the big city, expecting a big break. Instead she was shunned for being less than average. She grew frustrated and as a result, she began her killing spree. The stresser could have been one too many insults that made her snap. Plus, that would account for the butterflies left on the scenes that are used in modern examples of both femininity and symmetry.”

I smiled widely at his words.

“What- why are you smiling, what are you smiling at?”

I tapped his desk, rolling my bottom lip between my teeth. I headed back towards the conference room, looking over my shoulder.

“Because, I’m glad we’re on the same page, Dr.”

——————

“So, our girl, as Dr. Reid has explained to us, is obsessed with her appearance. She’s an organized killer, no mistakes and no signs of blood or anything of the sort on scene. She has practice, she does this sort of thing every day. She is most likely in the age group of 23-30, and has a job in the cosmetic industry, our guess is in plastic surgery. She probably volunteers weekends at local butterfly sanctuaries or zoos, finding comfort in their perfection that those in her life, or formerly in her life, cannot and could not provide.”

“Which would explain to her easy access to non-native species of the insects. She has an absolute infatuation with symmetry, which yet again, links the butterflies on the crime scene to her MO.”

Spencer and I were vividly explaining our shared theory to the team, as well as local law enforcement. He was excited by his discovery and the lead on the killer, and his energy was contagious.

“She kills without remorse and out of jealousy, picking victims who all have one thing in common.”

Spence pointed to all of the images pasted on the board in the center of the room, all of them split in half and reflected, creating a perfect mirrored portrait.

“They all have perfectly symmetrical faces, as well as strong jawlines and high cheekbones. As most of these victims are models or those searching to start a modeling career, we believe she is luring them in with a photographer trope, promising to make their dreams come true.”

I nodded, taking a moment to study Reid’s own sharp yet somehow soft features. I allowed my eyes to wander over his sunken in, kind, and curious eyes; his pillowy pink lips that are in dire need of some chapstick.

“Agent?”

I turned my head, snapped back to reality by Rossi calling my name.

I gave a tight and quick smile, returning to the topic at hand and tactics to catch the unsub. But of course not before Emily gave me a crooked smile, resulting in me rolling my eyes.

“Physically, she’s nothing special, most likely a mundane appearance or one with quite obvious surgical changes. No in between. Check all of the plastic surgeon offices in the area for both employees who fit our description, as well as a patient who has gotten any serious facial mod operations. Do the same for any weekend volunteers at local zoos and animal sanctuaries, specifically working with any insects.”

It was an NYPD officer then that spoke up this time, raising her hand briefly.

“But, you still haven’t mentioned how she’s killing them?”

“Hypnosis.” Reid and I both spoke at the same time. He looked to his black Converse, sliding his hands into his pockets. I observed the room and all of the skeptical faces filling it.

“Even if it may sound far fetched, we saw no signs of anything that indicated a struggle or even any marks or wounds. This led us to believe that some form of hypnosis was used to allow her an easy kill. This means extra caution will have to be taken when actually handling the unsub. Even though we’re positive she’s using hypnosis, which method she is using to actually kill them after the fact is what we’re unsure of.”

I turned to Spencer, handing off the explanation to him.

“We think that because of her whole thing with symmetry, she wouldn’t want to disturb the natural state of the victims and their faces, even if she would do the same to her own.”

“Which means?” JJ asked, her blue eyes slanted and glossed lips left ajar.

“It means that the unsub wouldn’t want to leave any large marks like stab or gunshot wounds.” I nodded at Prentiss, who had made the assumption, confirming she was correct.

“With her presumed background in plastic surgery, we believe she was able to make small incisions that made no visible scars. We’re having the coroner look back over the bodies as we speak.”

“She drains the body’s blood 97% of the way before closing the holes up. What she does with the blood, we don’t know. Another Eddie Mays, perhaps.”

I looked over to Spencer, raising my brows at his comparison. He was quick to defend himself, shaking his hands left to right and mouthing “No” while simultaneously shaking his head the same way, something he seemed to be doing often as of late.

After we had finished consulting with any officers who had remaining questions, we branched off to conduct our own routine investigations. We found that the only thing they all had in common apart from the symmetrical faces, is that they all had visited the Central Park Zoo in the 24 hours before they were killed. We received a phone call from Garcia not long after we put together those pieces, being alerted that there was one girl who had, in her words, “Hit every mark there was to hit, sunshine.”

“Her name is Alessia Copelas, she works weekdays as a surgeon's assistant at Premier Cosmetic, and weekends at Central Park Zoo from 4-8 p.m.”

I smiled at the new info from the blonde bombshell known as Penelope, turning to Reid who was still looking at me quizzically.

“Alright, thanks babes, you’re the best.” I spoke into the phone, a comical “Mwah!” made from either side as we hung up.

He shook his head, keeping the odd look on his face.

“I swear, you guys have a weirder relationship than her and Morgan.”

I laughed, sliding my phone into my back pocket.

“Oh, please, Spence.” I gingerly placed a hand on his cheek, patting it twice.

“You’re just jealous.” I made a pouty face, letting my hand linger before walking off. “Come on, we’re going on a field trip.”

“Where to?” He asked, gripping the door frame, using it as leverage to swing himself closer to me. He took long and quick strides, catching up to me in no time.

“You like animals, right?”

———————

4 Days Earlier, Central Park Zoo, New York

As soon as we entered the zoo, our ears were filled with the sounds of the loud screeches of birds and monkeys alike. Reid covered his ears, cringing and making his displeasure known with an “Ahh!”

I smiled at his geeky behavior, admiring the animals in the enclosures. I paid special attention to a particularly impressive species of tarantula, leaning down to admire them. A few moments later I looked to my left and saw Spencer doing the same thing.

“Did you know that arachnids have asthma which is why they don’t run for extended periods of time, similarly to cheetahs?”

“Yes I did.”

His face scrunched up in an adorable manner, causing an involuntary giggle to fall past my lips.

“Well did you know that-“

“Ma’am?”

I turned to see a young woman with flaming red hair and a freckled face smiling at me, her green collared uniform top complimenting her eyes of a different shade wonderfully.

“Oh, hi, I’m Agent Y/l/n and this is Dr. Reid, we’re with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI.”

Her expression shifted to a more confused one, her smile not leaving her face.

“What can I do for you two?”

“Is there an Alessia Copelas that works here, maybe volunteers on the weekends?” Spencer asked, his puppy dog eyes immediately warranting a response.

“Yeah, she volunteers here, she seems nice. Is she helping with an investigation?”

“Well we think that she may have some part in a series of murders.”

Her smile disappeared this time, turning into a cement frown as panic flooded her body.

“Oh God, was she- Is she a killer? Have I been working with a killer for all this time? I mean, I never had any shifts with her but from what I heard I thought she was so sweet-“

“Look,”

Reid glanced down to her name tag that read “Lillian” before meeting her eyes. His tongue darted out, licking his lips, a nervous habit of his I’d picked up on.

“Lillian, we aren’t sure if she’s the killer we just needed to get a feel on her and get some information regarding her personal life.”

She started frantically nodding her head, more trying to convince herself she was okay rather than ourselves. I looked over her shoulder at some exhibits, thinking to myself how this would end up being a waste of our time if this poor girl couldn’t get a grip on herself.

I was soon proven wrong when I looked over to see a young girl wearing an identical uniform to Lillian, probably somewhere between 23 and 24. She had untamed chocolate locks with bangs that stopped just above the shoulder, blemishes covering her T-Zone, and a rounded face to go with it.

The cherry on top? Under her arm she carried a small enclosure with what appeared to be amarynthis meneria, the same butterflies found on the victims.

I tapped Reid on the shoulder once as discreetly as possible, catching his attention. I heard him mutter a small “Oh God” before he told Lillian to walk away calmly and quickly. She ignored his request, turning to look at Alessia, letting out a blood curdling scream and sprinting the other direction.

“Shit.” I cursed, beginning to walk towards Alessia, Spencer by my side. I smiled at her, trying to appear friendly. Reid spoke up as we got closer.

“Hello, do you by any chance-“

wham!

“Spence!” I exclaimed, reaching down to help him up from where he had fallen from being whacked by the 4’2 pyscho that was Alessia Copelas.

“Did she get away?”

I turned to see her gone, the only sign she was even here being the forming bruise on the Dr’s face.

“Yeah. She did. I’m sorry, Reid, that was really stupid of me.” He shook his head, running his own hand over the raw skin.

“It’s fine, I would have done the same for you.” He looked up, and I wasn’t sure if it was my school-girl esque crush on him or the fact I just had another experience with a serial killer, but my heart was racing nonetheless.

————————

F.B.I. Field Office, New York, New York, 1 Day Earlier

The stress levels in the room were high.

Despite our best efforts, several more bodies had been found, New York’s narcissists were in a state of panic, and the spirits of the BAU were down to say the least.

“What? Are you kidding me?” I exclaimed, looking at Hotch in disbelief.

He rolled his chocolate eyes, fanning the folder containing the new information we had gathered on Alessia.

“I wish I was, Y/n. She’s off the grid completely, her apartment is empty, phone and credit cards have been deactivated, and the surgeon’s office hasn’t heard from her for 5 days. And the media has decided to give her the name ‘Butterfly Baron’, so she’s probably been fueled even further. We need a new lead before she strikes again.”

I scoffed, standing up and pushing my chair away.

“This is unbelievable. How many times do we have to reinforce the idea to local PD! Especially when the unsub is a self absorbed psycho, do not give them a name! God, I really cannot fathom this.”

I reached up, letting my hair down from where I had messily thrown it up upon my arrival to work that morning.

I stormed out of the room, my heels clicking behind me. I ignored Hotch’s calling of my name, making my way to the closest restroom.

I went in, locking the door behind him. I ran my hands through my roots, tugging just enough to where it hurt.

Turning the water to the left all the way, I splashed it from the stream leaving the faucet on to my face. I scratched my fingernails against the skin, wiping away the tears that had escaped.

“This is all your fault, y/n.” I whispered at myself in the mirror, doing my absolute best to engrain the message in my brain. I had my head hung in shame when a knock rang out.

“Y/n?”

It was Spencer. My mind started going a million miles a minute, thinking about why he could be there. With my voice raised a few octaves, I tried to scrape up a response.

“I’ll be out in a few, Spence.”

It was quiet for a split second, leaving me to foolishly dance around the idea that he had left me to wallow in my sorrowful thoughts.

“Y/n, Hotch wanted me to check on you. Are you ok?”

My heart slightly sank at the idea that he might’ve just come to check on me because he himself was worried. I discarded the thought, bringing myself back.

“Y/n can you please answer me? If you don’t open the door I’m gonna send in JJ or Emily.”

I sighed, wiping under my eyes where my mascara had smudged, begrudgingly walking over to the door. Just as my hand landed on the silver handle, his voice that was constantly playing in my head echoed out once more.

“Y/n, please? I need to know you’re okay. I’ll come in there myself.”

A soft smirk graced my face as I turned the handle to reveal a worried looking Spencer.

“Y/n, oh God, you had me worried.”

He was quiet when he spoke and his hair looked messy, like he had been running his slender fingers through it in a stress filled state.

I sniffled, attempting to still keep back tears that were still threatening to spill.

“I’m alright, Spencer. Really, I’m fine.”

He gave me a small smile, his eyes meeting my own.

“I know, it’s just that when I had my Diludad problem,” he hesitated.

“I would lock myself in bathrooms to shoot up, and I know you aren’t having a problem like that but I just was worried about you- what are you doing?”

I cut off his rambling by throwing my arms around his middle. He tensed, but quickly melted. He wrapped his strong arms around my shoulders and my waist, laying his head on mine.

“Y/n, I promise you, you’re doing your absolute best to stop Alessia. We wouldn’t even be where we are right now if you hadn’t made the connections. Those deaths are not your fault.”

My tears finally began to cascade like a waterfall, staining his shirt.

“I know, but it’s just like it is all my fault! I could have paid closer attention, or-or, I could have went after her at the zoo, it’s all my fucking fault, Reid.”

I sobbed into his shirt, my hand gripping his shirt like my life depended on it. Like if I let go I would fall into a deep, deep, endless hole.

His hand on my waist moved up to cradle my head.

“It’s not, I promise you-“

He was cut off mid sentence by the ringing of his phone.

“I am so, so sorry-”

I pulled away, breifly touching under my nose with my wrist, then moving a hair behind my ear.

“Nope, it’s fine, don’t worry.” Our words almost had overlapped each other as we clambered to fight the tension that had risen. I closed my eyes, tilting my head up, thinking about how unprofessional yet intimate our previous position had been. How wrong, yet how right it felt.

I kept running the moment through my head, the feeling of his warm figure encasing mine on replay.

His phone call played as background noise to the film playing in my brain, his voice calming me to an extent.

“Yeah, we’re on our way. Thanks, Morgan.”

He closed the phone with a snap, also snapping me out of my trance, putting the movie on pause.

“They’ve got a hit. Copelas was seen dropping by her old apartment.”

And for the first time since that Goddamn case had started, I smiled genuinely.

“Let’s go get her.”

————————

15 Minutes Prior, Central Park, New York

“Hotch?”

“Yes?” He looked back from where he was driving, following our lead in a rushed manner.

“What will we do if she...” I trailed off.

“Hypnotizes one of us?” He finished for me. I nodded solemnly.

The look on his face was conflicted and it took him a moment to come up with a response.

“We kill her before we have to kill one of our team members.”

He saw a look of uncertainty on my face and spoke up once more.

“And that’s an order.”

I nodded again, making eye contact with him through the rear view mirror. I fell back into my seat, closing my eyes briefly.

After a few more minutes on the road, we had arrived.

The doors all slammed to the SUVs, one after the other as we stepped out.

“The letter said that she would be here, somewhere here.”

The voice of Morgan was channeling through my earpiece, referring to the letter found at her apartment that she had left just for us.

“We ordered evac on citizens, correct?”

The unsure voice of JJ was also heard through the earpiece, her uncertainty quite unusual to hear.

“Yes, it was the first thing we did, Jayj.”

I whispered, a sly smirk from Spencer forming at my behavior.

“Oh shut up.”

“I didn’t even say anything!”

snap!

Our senses adapted, becoming dialed to 11 at the sound of a twig snapping under someone's feet.

“Was that you?” I mouthed to Spencer. He shook his head no and I silently cursed to whatever force was listening.

I nodded, which he then reciprocated, the pair of us slowly walking towards the source of the sound after he did.

“They’re going to remember me, I’ll go down in history.”

The voice was sing-songy and quiet, floating through the air. I took a shaky breath, continuing my steady pace.

My breathing momentarily halted soon after.

Different variations of “Oh my God”s, and loud gasps from almost everyone on the team flooded my ear canal at the horrifying sight in front of us.

Red. So much of it.

“Guys, I think we know what she’s been doing with the bodies’ blood.”

“No shit.” I muttered under my breath.

She was bathed in the blood, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

“Alright everyone, I want you to approach her as quietly as possible, Morgan, if you get the chance, corner her.”

Hotch’s voice was a stark contrast to her own, Derek’s response all the same.

—————————

Present Day, Central Park, New York

“But Agents, you still haven’t answered my question. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Alessia Copeleas, FBI, come on, get up, lets go.”

Derek’s voice was stern, not asking, but demanding that Alessia come with us.

“I’m afraid I just can’t do that, Agents.”

She stood up abruptly, causing all of our weapons to rise. The sun reflected off of the silver metal of Reid’s gun, sparkling in a stunning way that caught me off guard.

We all were trying to act as if we were in total control of the situation, but we could tell that us nor Copelas really believed that. Her words were her weapon, and this was the one time where words could hurt, but sticks and stones had virtually no power.

“Take another step and we will have no hesitation to fire.”

She smirked, rolling her eyes.

“If you do, will I be famous you think? You think they’ll hear about me back home?”

Her curls softly blew in the wind, making her appear almost harmless, maybe even endearing, if it wasn’t for the hardening coat of human blood soaking her clothes and seeping from her skin.

“Is that what you want? The kids back home and everyone here to hear about you? You want ‘Butterfly Baron’ written on every billboard in Times Square, your picture painted in museums, films to be made in your honor?” Reid was the one who spoke up this time, his voice remaining strong. Her eyes shone with a sickening excitement at what he said.

“You want to be famous?”

She nodded vigorously.

“Too bad.”

My eyes widened, surprised at the detour the conversation had taken.

“What-what do you mean?”

“Please, the only thing people will hear about is a sad, boring little girl from a small town who killed to feel better about herself. They’ll forget about you in a week, who knows, maybe they’ll even grow an infatuation with your town, someone you went to school with may get as lucky as to catch their big break!” He laughed, while Alessia looked absolutely devastated.

“You? You’ll be a nobody.”

“That’s not true! I’ll go down in history, and they won’t! I’m the fucking butterfly baron for hells sake! All these people?” She gestured towards her field of bodies.

“You won’t remember their names, maybe not even their pretty faces, but me? I’ll live forever.”

Her nostrils flared and she strode over to Reid with purpose. The safety on my glock clicked off, but Spencer motioned for me to wait. So I did.

“You know, Agent-“

“It’s Doctor.”

This visibly agitated her even more as she started her sentence over again.

“Doctor, you have a beautiful bone structure. Absolutely perfect. Symmetrical, not to mention just flat out stunning.”

A glaze formed over Spencer’s honey eyes at her words. He lowered his gun momentarily before turning towards me, Copelas doing the same.

“And you, Agent. Wow. I feel like I’m in an art exhibit, you’re gorgeous. I think the Doctor man here would agree.”

As he lifted his revolver at me, the situation became all too real as I understood what was happening.

I either had to shoot the man that I was struggling to admit I was beginning to love, or died at the hands of the very same man.

Tears flooded my eyes, all safeties were turned down, and all guns were pointed at Reid.

“Spence, please.”

My voice was weak, something that seemed to bring Alessia lots of joy.

She laughed before talking again, commanding Spencer.

“Pathetic, really! Spence”, she mocked,“shoot her.”

“No!”

bang!

whack!

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

Present Day, Somewhere In The Sky, The Jet

I opened my eyes from where I had been tackled to the ground by Hotch, surveying my surroundings to see Alessia laying on the grass, the source of her gunshot wound non-distinguishable from the previous blood on her body.

I looked to the right to see where Spencer had crumpled to, his frame bent in a discombobulated position.

“Spencer!” I cried out, crawling over to him like some sort of dog,

“What happened to him?”

“Y/n, he was going to shoot you-“

“I don’t care you should have let him!”

I cradled his head in my lap, allowing my pent up tears to fall.

“Y/n?”

My eyes snapped open for real this time, my mind calmed at the sight of Spencer sitting next to me on the couch, gently shaking my shoulder in an attempt to wake me from my nightmare.

“Spencer! Sorry, was I too loud?”

He chuckled, gesturing to the rest of the sleeping plane around us.

“You’re fine, I wasn’t sleeping, I decided to reread ‘Fahrenheit 451’ for nostalgia purposes. And you weren’t that loud, you just looked like you were having a bad dream.”

I chuckled at the not-so outlandish idea in an attempt to diminish it from his mind and move on.

“I’m fine. But fun fact, I did have nightmares after reading ‘The Veldt’. Seriously, I don’t get how you can just reread Bradbury’s stuff all the time.”

The genius scoffed, starting a rant on how Ray Bradbury’s storytelling was just classic literature and deserved to be reread, thus successfully changing the topic as I hoped my statement would. Although soon after, he caught on much quicker than I would have liked him to.

“And not to mention, The Veldt alone could be seen as a forewarning to the 21st century and beyond, even Bradbury himself supported that interpretation-‘

I gave him a tired smile, enjoying his rambling like I always did.

“-and you totally just got me to change the subject.”

“I was wondering when you were gonna catch up.”

“Hey!”

He laughed as I rested my head on my hand, trying to fall back asleep.

“Really, I can tell those nightmares are bad. What’s going on?” He questioned, his tone empathetic and compassionate.

“It’s nothing, Reid. I just keep seeing in the park, when Alessia got shot and you-you got hurt but instead of getting up like you did in real life, you just…”

I trailed off, not wanting to relive the negative dream any longer for fear of the tears that were pricking my eyes escaping.

“It’s okay, that didn’t happen, I’m right here.”

He pulled me into a hug, allowing me to bury my head in the crook of his neck, his warmth consuming me once more, a sequel to the film from earlier.

“I know, but what if it hadn’t?” I asked as I pulled away.

He shook his head, reaching for his wallet.

“In this job, this course of work, we can’t focus on ‘what if’s’. In this job, we also get nightmares, all of us. It happens.”

He slid a picture over to me, it was of a happy family. The edges were worn from years of being carried, but the picture seemed loved.

“Gideon gave me that when my nightmares started. He told me about how those families we save everyday, and how that’s what makes what we do worth it. And I know you didn’t know Gideon personally, or the work on the specific case with that family, but I want you to have it anyway-“

I cut him off by throwing my arms around his neck, attempting to speak despite being muffled by his fluffy sweater.

“Thank you, Spence. Truly.”

I smiled, and I imagined he was doing the same.

“No problem y/n. Anytime.”

I moved my legs over to be tucked underneath my arms, leaning into Reid. He wrapped his arm around me, also leaning in. We both managed to fall asleep for the remainder of the ride in our state of content, but not before he managed to sleepily call out my name.

“Y/n?”

“Yeah?”

“When we land do you wanna go on a date or somethin’?”

I smiled at him, separating from his form just long enough to see that beautiful face of his.

“Without a doubt.”

🂦∙🂦∙🂦

AHAHAHHAHAHAHA I’M WAY TOO HAPPY WITH THAT LMAOOO but anyway chile-

i don’t have some long ass paragraph to write this time omg wig, i’m just proud asf of my work for once (except for the zoo part ngl kinda didn’t like it😳)

😛✨vibes✨ love u, xx hj

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mazpacheco · 4 years

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You made a claim that they're ethical but you didn't say How there ethical. I would also like you to explain what they are reimagining. All you have to do is back up your claims

well babe i said they were following guidelines of business ethics in hopes that u would do the work of researching it for urself. that way you can draw your own conclusions but since you asked ever so sweetly and have found me in quite the good mood, i’ll spoon-feed it to you 😊

for any business to be ethical it needs to follow the stakeholder theory of business ethics instead of the shareholder theory.

the shareholder theory says make the most profit you can by whatever means necessary so that the ceo, owners, and investors (shareholders) can get as rich as possible as fast as possible, fuck everyone else lol. you see this in most corporations, for example: amazon.

the stakeholder theory demands that everyone involved in the business (not just shareholders) is taken fully into account plus their interests should be recognized and protected. this includes lit rally everyone from the customers, ALL the workers (so not just the crew but the people who make the fabrics, transport it, people who turn fabric into those clothes, etc. you get what i mean. literally everyone who does any kind of work for reinc), the investors, the owners, the society and even the environment from which the goods come. have reinc done so? lets see

workers: everyone who works directly or indirectly is paid livable wages at the very least. they also employ factory labor in the usa and turkey which means they can more closely control/manage the manufacturing process. not to mention they hire an extremely diverse team who work both behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera.

customers: customers need good quality and affordable products. most people complain about their prices but one, the cost of manufacture is high because they do it ethically. two, their fabrics are of extremely great quality. it isnt the cheap merch people want to make it out to be. and three their prices are extremely low compared to similar brands. fear of god or off-white charge up to THOUSANDS of dollars but reinc only go as high as $150 for their streetwear. meaning you can wear the same style of clothes as those other brands, get great quality and ethically made products, but save like 90% of the money. i think all things considered, the customer is getting a sweet deal.

investors: the investors expect a certain percentage of payment from re-inc’s income. idk how many investors they have and what percent they pay each one but that’s an additional cost of their income that they couldve used to lower the prices even more or donate more or whatever, but they do have the investors to consider. they also may have taken out loans but i havent read anything about this

society: like i said, their diverse team allows for representation of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ persons in fashion, which is a breath of fresh air. also their clothes are gender-neutral. they also highlight many important causes that should be supported, and often use their platforms to hold conversations on important topics. they also have a theme with each capsule that allows people to have something think on as they wear/use their products. they also donate a certain percentage with every single drop they do. could they donate more? all costs considered above (and below), i really dont think so. maybe i would agree that they should do more donating with their art work since they make bank with it but 17% isnt too bad.

environment: factories in usa and turkey allow for a reduced carbon footprint and their products are environmentally friendly

owners: idk im not their accountant lol but i wouldnt be surprised if they werent taking home any profits. people think they’re swimming in re-inc money when logically if you count the costs, they dont seem like they’re making much in profits just yet.

as far as reimagining goes: they’ve been very clear that they’re reimagining the status quo by simply going into a straight white male dominated field as lgbtq women (plus pressy is black) and disrupting the norm by their mere presence in that industry. that is all. not whatever it is you all seem to be pushing. they do encourage people to do the same too so try to find your own area/field to enter and upend with your mere presence if you can, thats your homework lol

i may have forgotten some things but you get the gist, im tired of typing lol so i broke it down for you enough i hope. hope u are keeping that same energy with fighting your local billion-dollar corporations lol

anyways i hereby find the defendants not guilty of crimes of capitalistic greed 😁

#re-inc #christen press

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betweenthetimeandsound · 3 years

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Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#230-221)

#230: Dschinghis Khan -- Dschinghis Khan (Germany 1979)

"Die Hufe ihrer Pferde, die peitschten im Sand Sie trugen Angst und Schrecken in jedes Land Und weder Blitz noch Donner hielt sie auf"

"The hoofs of their horses, they lashed in the sand They carried fear and horror in every country And neither flash nor thunder stopped them"

One of my favorite songs to jam to is Boney M's "Rasputin". A disco-influenced song about the life of "Russia's greatest love machine", it's energetic while telling that of a myth. I mention this because Dschinghis Khan is compared to this often, in all the ways.

Only this time, it's about the great conqueror Chinghis Khan, who took over the whole universe (and lasted for a very long time). From how he struck fear across the steppe to fathering seven children in one night, he is seen as the embodiment of masculinity.

While entertaining, sometimes I'm put off by the gimmickry. It can be argued that it wouldn't age that well today, because it can be seen as culturally appropriative or mocking Mongolian culture. But for what it's worth, it's enjoyable and still a classic today.

Personal and actual ranking: 4th/19 in Jerusalem

#229: Louisa Baïleche -- Monts et Merveilles (France 2003)

“Oh, mon amour Où es-tu, mon amour?” “Oh, my love Where are you, my love?”

A definite case of love at first listen for me—Monts et Merveilles is a calming ballad, albeit with sad lyrics about the end of a relationship. The instrumentation is quite nice; it reminds me of songs that stood out on the charts during that time. It also had the "ethnic style" percussion in the bridge, which made me think that France Televisions wanted to mix what worked in the last two years (ballads) with the ethnic sounds from the 1990s (as Louisa is half Kablye, an Algerian ethnic group)

Despite it, it got a pretty low result—though it may be because 2003 was a stronger year songwise compared to the two years that came before it. Or it maybe because of the hair getting into her face that took away from the experience...

Personal ranking: 5th/26 Actual ranking: 18th/26 in Riga

#228: Hakol Over Habibi -- Halayla (Israel 1981)

"הלילה, הלילה, יהיה זה הלילה נאמר דברים שלא אמרנו מעולם"

"Tonight, tonight, it will be the night We’ll say things we’ve never said before"

On a random note, whenever I would search up Idan Raichel's "Hakol Over", Hakol Over Habibi would be one of the first search items that pop up. I would completely ignore it until now, when they actually participated in Eurovision!

That said, Halayla is very groovy song which plays with the disco vibe of the 1970s and the highly energetic choreography that would define 1980s Israeli Eurovision entries. The instrumentation is quite awesome, with the mix of piano, strings, and I think accordion setting up the vibe. (And it switches well from minor to major and back again , which can go awry when done wrong).

The members seem to have a ball on stage, and Kikki looks beautiful in her dress, which was fitted that way because she was pregnant at the time!

Personal ranking: 5th/20 (though it jumps around often...) Actual ranking: 7th/20 in Dublin

#227: Wind -- Laß die Sonne in dein Herz (Germany 1987)

"Manchmal bist du traurig und weißt nicht warum Tausend kleine Kleinigkeiten machen dich ganz stumm Du hast fast vergessen wie das ist, ein Mensch zu sein Doch du bist nicht allein"

"Sometimes you feel sad and you don’t know why Thousands of little reasons are making you dumb You nearly forgot what it’s like to be a human being But you are not alone"

Wind has the interesting distinction of participating three times and coming in second twice out of those three. The first one, "Fur Alle" was seen as such as a big contender that there were bets made against it winning. And then it didn't.

Laß die Sonne in dein Herz didn't come that close to winning in 1987, but I can argue it's the better song of the the three.

It catches you right away with the reggae influences, which creates a relaxed vibe throughout the song. It builds up well with every key change--it does get repetitive at times (especially with the choruses), but never boring. And while it shares a similar theme to Fur Alle, it doesn't come off as either derivative or charitys-single like.

(That said, I did grow to like Fur Alle eventually, but this one was more instantaneous.)

Personal ranking: 7th/22 Actual ranking: 2nd/22 in Brussels

#226: Charlotte Perrelli -- Hero (Sweden 2008)

“This is a story of love and compassion Only heroes can tell.”

The better Charlotte song, in my opinion. The song she won with, “Take Me to Your Heaven” is a complete vintage track, almost influenced by ABBA-nostalgia going on at the time. “Hero” , while still on the same schlager vein, modernizes the production a little bit, to the point I imagine it would be a good pop song of that era.

Alongside that, Hero has some compelling lyrics, one which could summarize the hero's journey in general. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody were to write a Eurovision jukebox musical, they would use this in some format.

That may be the case on why l like it better, but it could also be because it should’ve done better in the contest. The fact the jury wildcard saved Charlotte is a reason why they're around, but the fact there was a wildcard which kicked out the actual tenth placer (North Macedonia's Let Me Love You) could be totally flawed too.

Personal ranking: 6th/43 Actual ranking: =18th/25 (with France) in Belgrade

#225: Carlos Paião -- Playback (Portugal 1981)

“Podes não saber cantar nem sequer assobiar, Com certeza que não vais desafinar, Em play-back, em play-back, em play-back,”

“Maybe you don't know how to sing or even how to whistle But you won't sing out of tune for sure, In playback, in playback, in playback”

This is so modern and infectious it’s unbelievable. From the introduction to Carlos’ biting lyrics to the choreography, it makes one wonder why it got neglected in the voting. 1981 was a strong year, sure, but this song is definitely one of the best of that field.

Playback, as the title suggests, is about the pervasiveness of lip-synching in the music industry. One day, nobody will have to learn how to sing because the playback will save them. They can all focus on the performance without taking note of the song.

It's eerily relevant to Eurovision today, considering we don't use live music anymore and backing vocals can be mimed. I have mixed feelings about the latter, because one side argues it allows different genres of music to appear, but the other argues it reduces artistic credibility. I prefer having live vocals; if a delegation wants to use them on the track (e.g. looping), it should be on a case-by-case basis.

Maybe that's why it somehow made the ESC250 the last two years...

Personal ranking: 4th/20 Actual ranking: =18th/20 (with Turkey) in Dublin

#224: Emma -- La mia città (Italy 2014)

“E dimmi se c’è davvero una meta O dovrò correre per la felicità”

“And tell me if there really is a destination Or I have to run for happiness”

The black sheep of Italy’s post-comeback output, and coincidentally the only song completely chosen internally. That being said, La mia citta is still a good song, and for me it’s better than some of the fan-favorites out there.

Admittedly, I prefer the punchy verses to the chorus, with the latter reminding me of something out of P!nk's discography, but I revel on Emma’s energy and her letter to the city of Rome. We have struggles about the place we are from, but still try to sing its praises when we can!

The staging was a bit tacky at times, but I did like the aesthetics of it—particularly her laurel wreath. Her costume had a good concept also, but is also overdone it in terms of the bejeweled top.

(As for the Sanremo winner that year, Contravento, it feels like a bit of a grower. The clarinet intro really takes one in, but there has to be a whimsical, sweet staging to accompany the hopeful song. Had they done so, a left-side finish would've waited for them)

Personal ranking: 6th/37 Actual ranking: 21st/26 in Copenhagen

#223: Brigitta -- Open Your Heart (Iceland 2003)

“Everything you share with me Turns a little darkness into light And that is how we’re meant to be Truth will keep the light shining brighter”

Also known as, the woman who originally came from Husavik! The difference is that Birgitta was the lead singer of the group Irafar. Open Your Heart reminds me of songs that end up on DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) soundtracks—it can actually work in the end, but also in the beginning to introduce the characters and/or their circumstances. The random running order really helped it with being first, haha! Beyond that, it's an optimistic song, helped with the guitar influences which ground it in the era. Plus, the production and lyrics add to this feel, encouraging even the shiest to open up their feelings. Also, I like the flowery aesthetic that Birgitta has, from one in her hair to the larger one (which I think is real?) on her microphone. Personal ranking: 4th/26 Actual ranking: 8th/26 in Riga

#222: Tomas Ledlin -- Just nu! (Sweden 1980)

“Han vill dra iväg, kanske ner till Paris Och hitta äventyret på något vis Inte sitta här på stans konditori Och låta tankarna, bara fladdra förbi” “He wants to go away, perhaps down to Paris And find adventure somehow And not just sitting here at the local café Just letting the thoughts flutter by” The 1980s saw the genre New Wave come to vogue, and Just Nu was a valiant attempt on the genre, especially considering the direction Eurovision would go later. From the opening notes, I got the punkish notes from the instrumentation, and the lyrics definitely add to the feeling of being free from societal expectations, crying out "right now"! (which is funny, because I learned Romanian at one point and nu means no in the language. So I keep thinking it's "just no!" against conformity) Tomas also shows quite the attitude on stage--he just struts into the stage with a boyish charm and kickstarts the song. With his looks and usage of the microphone stand, he portrays this rebellious character well, though the orchestration could’ve been improved with the strings and flute. Personal ranking: 2nd/19 Actual ranking: 10th/19 in Den Haag

#221: Lea Sirk -- Hvala, ne! (Slovenia 2018)

“Moje ime je Lea in/Za vas imam nov lik!” “My name is Lea/ And I have a new character for you!”

I love the opening lines for this song—it immediately sets the tone and has a strong statement alongside it. She's Lea, and she won't let anything down on She asserts that she can’t be sold out, and has a great attitude to accompany the trap beat, which reminds me of a K-pop song for some reason. The staging fits the song to a T--though it didn't need any changes from the NF, haha. As for the fake break, I don't have any strong opinions on it, but it definitely kept up interest for the song. A nicer touch was the Portuguese line in the end. Either way, it was a surprise qualifier in its semi that year, and it was one surprise that I greatly welcomed. Hvala da!

Personal ranking: 8th/43 Actual ranking: 22nd/26 GF in Lisbon

#esc 250 #esc top 250 #esc germany #esc france #esc israel #esc sweden #esc portugal #esc italy #esc iceland #esc slovenia #three minutes to eternity #eurovision song contest

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iampikachuhearmeroar · 4 years

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“you don’t talk passionately about your past job experiences. how do you expect people to hire you???”

y’all how the fuck am i meant to be passionate about a 2 week work placement that I did in 2013/the end of high school at 17/18???? like obviously I’m not passionate about theatre and the entertainment industry anymore bc im not a teenager anymore. how am I supposed to be passionate about the stuff I chose to do 7 years ago now??? like im a completely different person to what I was at 17/18. and also. it’s hard to be passionate about two jobs that didn’t pay me anyway lmao. but also, I shouldn’t have to talk about them passionately???? I should be allowed to be bluntly honest about them??? why is that bad??

“you don’t talk passionately about your uni courses. what’s wrong with you??? everyone in my course is passionate. how do you even expect anyone to hire you if you’re not passionate about your past studies??? also how didn’t you think of the consequences???”

it’s the education system thats wrung out all the passion from me, meg. that’s not my fault. it’s the fact that no one actually takes arts degrees or arts job titles seriously anymore.... so then you’re stuck going into a fucking postgrad degree anyway just so end up having a job title that people can easily define. plus passion shouldn’t be a fucking pre-requisite for a job anyway.... when that passion will be wrung out of you, again eventually, when you realise that you might’ve chosen the wrong thing bc of the hours you work or whatever. I’m being realistic here. bc that could easily happen eventually. like fuck off about passion when I’m just talking about trying to get any job here, even something in retail lmao.

as for the consequences part, im in my fucking 20s??? like you’re supposed to fuck up and not think of the consequences???? and plus I started uni as a teenager, of course I was gonna pick the wrong things!!! i know that you’re probably referring to the argument that i should’ve really “studied in a more in demand field like law or science or even commerce/business!” but my interests never lay in any of those fields (mostly) aside from general interest. just because you’re one of the lucky ones who has a stable middle management job in an architecture firm by 24, doesn’t mean everyone will, meg.

like yes. I did my marketing diploma but that course was so drastically different to uni that it stunned me and bored the fuck out of me. and also, besides the point, half the time the my uni’s careers department wasn’t very helpful.... especially when I was thinking about changing from comms & media (marketing comms and advertising) to arts bc my heart just wasn’t in marketing and advertising like I thought it was..... and that careers advisor told me to stick with marketing anyway if I wanted to go into it???? like they basically told me to stick with a course that I wasn’t passionate about bc it was more likely to get me a job???? what the fuck??? but yeah anyway.

#life #about me #shut up ilona #ilona whines about her shitty life to her followers lol #ilona shares what she should really write in a fb argument lmao

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imbarely · 4 years

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Hello and thank you.

I don’t know if you guys are gonna read this but I hope you do. And I don’t know how many people are still active on tumblr but if you’re reading this, I just want to say thank you.

You don’t know how much it means to me to have this blog and see how you guys like the content that I reblogged these past few years (even tho I’m not active anymore). I started blogging when I was 12 years old and now I am 20 years old and is about to have my internship on February 2020.

This blog isn’t my first blog, I’ve had another blog before and have also forgotten the passwords so many times and I’m not sure if this is my third account that I made or is it even the tenth account I made. Okay so anyway, that’s not my point.

My point is that for so many years, I have reblogged so many beautiful pictures, started when I didn’t even know what kind of blog posts do I want to reblog so I just reblogged whatever I like which made my blog looked like a mess but at least I enjoyed it. Later on, I started to focus on tumblr more and joined several facebook group to increase my followers on tumblr and here I am now, I have 120.000+ followers. I also started looking at tumblr not only to have fun but also to earn money.

Now this is the most fun part. I never knew that blogging could earn you a lot of money. And when I said a lot, it is really A LOT. I mean, back then I was just a 15 year old kid from Indonesia and my country doesn’t even allow us to have a part time job, so as a 15 year old, earning almost 1.000+ dollars in a short time is count as a lot, not only money, but you also get FREE STUFFS. Plus, you only need to reblog content or post a content to earn that cash, you don’t even need to socialize or meeting face to face with the company that you work for (isn’t that great?! especially when you’re an introvert or you’re just too lazy to socialize all the time, just like me).

So life was good back then. And for the first time in forever, my parents even let me to sit in front of the computer for hours without them complaining or yelling at me because I kept busy with my computer (ofc during the weekend cause I had school at weekdays) well at least they weren’t complaining because they knew I was “working” (hey! tumblr is a part time job too y’know)

Okay, I don’t know if I’m talking too much or if this story is actually interesting for you guys BUT ANYWAY, time flies so fast and now I kinda feel like I’m betraying tumblr. I stopped making tumblr as my part time job because as I grew up, I needed to go to university and actually doing something with my life. Which includes passing the national exam in order for me to get to the university and got a scholarship.

I ended up passing my national exam and here I am, in my 3rd year of university in Netherlands. Now, I’m not blogging anymore, I still open my tumblr account sometimes but I’m not active everyday but still, I can say that this is one of my biggest achievements so far. I’m looking for an internship right now, and it’s really hard especially when you’re a foreigner in a foreign country (i mean, im indonesian and im in netherlands, ofc those companies prefer people that can speak dutch, so you feel the struggles now?)

Now, you must be thinking why do I say thank you for?

So here is why. I made my CV already, and I haven’t mentioned this before, but I’m an International Communication Management student. I really want to work in communication field but related to fashion industry. So as some of you guys know or maybe everyone does know about this, when you’re making a CV, you need to include your experience(s) that is relevant to the job field that you are aiming to. At this point, I am aiming at marketing communication field at fashion companies, and tumblr is one of my experiences because I’ve been working with several online companies by posting their content on my blog. So I put that on my CV as a blogger.

Just like some other students, ofc I asked one of my teachers for a feedback on my CV. He wasn’t sure what I meant by “blogger” at first and then I started to tell him the whole story but in a short version because duh, people only care about the success version. No one cares how long did it take for me to get to this state, they only care and interested about how did you get so many followers, what kind of ways, etc.

My story blew my teacher’s mind (not for real but for real, you get what i mean?). He started telling me to change “blogger” to “influencer marketer” instead, how cool is that? I never thought myself as an influencer before, because duh I’m just a normal person hanging around tumblr. I never really told my blog to anyone before, unless we’re really close then I would probably tell you but when it comes to CV, I would do anything and also because this isn’t something you need to be ashamed of, it is actually a great experience considering being an influencer is such a big deal nowadays.

I want to say thank you to all of you, I don’t really want to say “my followers” because it sounds like you guys are my fans or something but YOU ARE NOT. Although, it is called followers on tumblr but still okay whatever. But I do want to thank all of you, you who have helped me to gain all of these followers, you who thought my blog was pretty, you who thought i reblogged interesting pictures, you who always messaged me asking how i’m doing, you who always sent me nudes (it was really popular back then I HONESTLY DONT KNOW WHY UNTIL NOW). I just want to say thank you to everyone for everything.

Without this tumblr, I wouldn’t have such a big achievement like this. Then I wouldn’t have something to write on my experience on my CV. I’m still looking for my internship right now, but I know I’m gonna get it real soon (with the help of people around me and with the help of you guys because you’re part of this blog.) I never knew that my followers count will matter a lot until this point, the fact that some companies are really looking at the quantity really blows my mind, I always think that it doesn’t really matter how much followers do I have (that’s why I didn’t even put it on my CV at the beginning), heck, even if you have 1.000+ followers, that’s already big enough, I think.

My point is not that I want to brag about how many followers do I have, but my point is that the fact that I am capable to get a lot of followers count as my social media strategy and that is also why I put it on my CV. Not to brag, but to show them how capable I am with social media.

So thanks to all of you, that I am capable to put this as one of my biggest experience and that it could help me to achieve my dream. It might sound weird but damn, it has a really big impact on me. This is crazy, I don’t know what to say anymore but damn, this is crazy.

#mypost

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houseofvans · 5 years

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SKETCHY BEHAVIORS | INTERVIEW W/ CRYSTAL HABITATS

Combining stain glass, metal smithing and mineralogy, founder of Crystal Habitats, Rachel Pitler transformed her drawing and painting skills into a magical world of 3D stained glass and molten metal sculptures – from jewel adorned cardholders, wands, daggers (athames), to ring holders, just to mention a few. Not only one thing, Rachel is also a co-founder of Bitchcraft, an unique holiday event featuring over 60 vendors, selling everything dark & magical. We’re excited to talk to Rachel and find out more about how she started her creations, what inspires them, and what she has planned for 2019!

Take the leap below!

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself. My name is Rachel Pitler Hsiung. I am a mixed-media artist (stained glass, molten metal, oil painting, and clay). Originally I am from Detroit; however, I have been living in Los Angeles now for many years. My professional background is in the rock & mineral industry. Working in this field allows me to travel to all the big gem shows where I am able to work with interesting specimens on a daily basis... as well as being surrounded by these beauties is a huge creative plus for me and where I draw much of my inspiration.

Tell us a little about your background in art? I never had any formal training in drawing & painting. My mom is a fantasy illustrator, so growing up I often sat with my mom and watched her paint/draw, and I took to it myself pretty quickly. I got a job in my 20s teaching art to kids & teens on the basics of drawing, watercolor & oil painting. I taught art for 8 years. It was a really important time in my life for me to grow as an artist. Through teaching others I discovered a lot about myself, I learned to enjoy my process of making art, to never stop learning, and to push myself out of my comfort zone into new mediums.

How did you go from working with traditional material like oil paints and pastels to a medium like stain glass and solder? When did you start creating pieces out of glass, metal, and so forth? A little over 5 years ago one of my best friends Erin Coovert (Moontan Stain Glass) started taking a glass class. She encouraged me to try out her class, I did and have been forever changed by this incredible medium. I am so grateful to her for sharing this path with me as it opened up so much more for me in terms of my creative abilities. It's really hard when you have a lot of creative ideas, but little tools to make them into reality. I was such a two dimensional art person trying to be a 3D artist and for whatever reason stained glass opened that part of my brain up to problem solve and tackle art projects that I would have otherwise given up on.

Tell us a little about Crystal Habitats and the unique pieces that you create for it? In mineralogy, the word crystal habit is a characteristic of crystal groups & individual crystals. I wanted to make artwork that reflected my own take on crystals and create pieces that are like little worlds within themselves, little habitats that harness magick and cast their energy onto whoever uses them. Art for me has always been a refuge and a place of healing.

I love making tools that do just that. I make wands & daggers (athames) that are adorned with crystals & molten metal. I make three sided pyramids (often with crystals adhered to them), jewelry, ring holders, and a lot of other items. In my drawings & paintings, I have a fantasy world I came up with called The Ice Crags. Many of my paintings & drawings take place in this realm. My characters are often High Priestess (and wizards). Recently I have started to making these characters in stained glass.

Of the many things you create–from wands to daggers–which is your favorite to make and why? What is the process like for one of these, from start to finish? Right now I am really enjoying the process of making my snake athames (a type of dagger). Snakes represent healing & transformation, when paired with a stone setting and blade, these pieces really become a source of internal empowerment.

My friend John (@jabforge) makes my blades, I make the hilt with molten metal...I cut out a copper/metal sheet with my metal cutter to create a handle. I hand solder the entire base...there are different ways to solder...I have adapted a painting style of soldering, you can create patterns within the metal to give it a unique look. When I add the crystals I make bezels out of metal, and solder it to the hilt, and I hand make the the snakes out of epoxy clay. I give my pieces a dark patina and I often use my dremel to smooth out parts and I sand it down to give it an interesting aged look. I enjoy making these in particular as it is a collaboration which I always love and each piece has such a unique character to them. When working with molten metal, I never know what pattern I am going to make till I start soldering, it's always fun to see how they turn out.

In your studio, what type of art materials and tools would we find on your desk? Too many tools and never enough tools! Lead free solder, soldering iron, flux, glass cutting materials, dremel, jewelry wax, metal cutter, thin wires, metal sheets, copper sheets, all sorts of dental tools (I use them for carving) epoxy clay, lots of glues, torch, hammers, paint, glass, wood, my lapidary wheel, patina, cabochons and crystals parts, there's a lot of stuff! Im super obsessed with working with new materials. Since I work in a handful of mediums, it becomes a real science project in my studio mashing them together to see what works and what doesn’t.

What are some of the cool collaborations you’ve done? How do collaborators incorporate your works into what they’re doing? A recent collaboration I did was with my good friend Alex from Acid Queen Jewelry. She makes incredible jewelry and we often talk shop on a weekly basis. She made a gorgeous ring and I made a matching glass ring holder (glass base with a quartz point as the holder for the ring). She and I will have more collabs in 2019! Very excited to work with her again! And as mentioned earlier John from Jab Forge. He is a blacksmith, his blade work is my favorite...his blades look like moon craters, they have a real old world look to them and I enjoy matching my style of metal work with his work.

What medium haven’t you tried that you’d definitely like to get your hands on? Metalsmithing. Well this is a medium I have dabbled in but really haven’t gone deep and it’s my goal for 2019 to get into it more. Specifically so that I can incorporate a different type of metal work into my stained glass & my solder work. Medium cross over is my favorite thing to mess around with, good for the brain ;)

Not only are you behind Crystal Habitats and its creations, but you had an active role in creating an event/community called Bitchcraft. Can you tell us more about Bitchcraft, how it started and the idea behind it? When was the last one and when’s the next one? Yes! 10 years ago I co-founded it with 4 of my friends. We all made things and wanted an all female handmade collective where we could barter/sell goods. I believe we had like 10 vendors at the first one in our friend’s backyard...now there are over 60 vendors, it's a pretty large holiday event. It's a collective that celebrates everything dark & magickal, a curated group of like-minded makers filled with everything from metal goods, apothecary, altar items, capes, wands, jewelry, and really a lot of items related to other worldly and the occult. We just had our annual holiday show in December! There's always a chance for a mid year show but for now not till Dec 2019 :)

Who are some of your favorite vendors or artists from that Bitchcraft community? What’s your favorite thing about that community? Oh that is really hard for me to say!! Most of these people have been my friends for a long time and have been a creative support system and I cherish all of them and appreciate & admire all of their works. My favorite thing about the Bcraft community is the friendships! There is so much love and support with this crew...outside of this event a lot of the vendors work with each other on projects, do shows together, help promote and support one another. Having a strong group of makers is super important to me and has helped me grow so much as an artist, and I am so thankful for all of them!

Who are some other artists you’re inspired by? What kind of things inspire you? I have the longest list of artist who have inspired me!! But I have to say my very top inspirational artist would be my mom, Sheri-Pitler McClure. Her work is everything to me...she has a way of drawing people that is so out of this time, totally belongs in Middle Earth. Growing up my mom surrounded our household with fantasy - wizard & unicorn statues spread throughout our my childhood home...she is a big fan of science fiction, so as a kid I was exposed to all movies and books on the subject. She is also a rock collector (she did opal lapidary work back in the day) so I guess all of these things had a big impact on me. When I was really young she painted a series of these goddesses that represented the different seasonal full moons. These women were painted as strong ethereal beings, who’s magick reached out from the canvas and wided my eyes to endless worlds one could create. That was my first memory of how art can really change your perspective and it has stuck with me ever since.

Other things that inspire me spans from crystal formations, old medieval paintings, everything Tolkien, old lore & fantasy books/movies. I am also really into the color pallet of the Dark Crystal, I often watch and think about that movie when I am making.

What’s been the most challenging part of maintaining Crystal Habitats? What’s been the most rewarding? What do you do to keep the balance? I would say compartmenting my time has been a big challenge….often people tell me to do my art full time but working in the mineral business is my dream job and it is also is a place where I come up with my concepts...its like one can’t exist without the other, so figuring out the balance of them has been something that I am always working on. The most rewarding part is when I have a really fresh new idea and I am able to execute it….there are some designs that I will do over and over, but when a new design pops into my head it becomes extremely exciting to work on.

Recently I have been bringing balance into my work space by not taking on too many custom orders or too many shows...allowing myself to have breaks...through these breaks I have been able to come back fresh and renewed, which is very important to my process.

What’s your advice to folks who see what you do and want to pursue it as a career? Don’t compare yourself to others. Keep learning, discover new mediums, always be a student of something it really opens your mind to concepts that otherwise could be dormant.

What’s your best advice for creative folks on social media platforms, like Instagram? Have fun! I know that sounds lame, be seriously don’t get caught up in it too much. The more stress you surround yourself with social media & the more it takes away from your art. I love using social media, I love using it to showcase my art and be connected to other artists/communities, but don’t allow it to become overwhelming. I think being true to your art is the most important part:)

What are your FAVORITE Vans? Slip-Ons!

Finally can you share with us what exciting things you may have lined up for 2019? I’ll be working on a new line of handmade jewelry boxes. A lot more snake themed items for sure!! I have been working on some Shield Maiden jewelry through metalsmithing/lost wax mediums, it is something I have been really taking my time with and I am hoping to have some completed soon. I will also being vending at the Culver City Gem & Mineral Show in June 2019.

FOLLOW RACHEL | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

#Art #Vans #Vans Art #Vans Girls #Crystal Habitats #Rachel Pitler #Metal smithing #stain glass #crystal #hand craft #DIY

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lacommunarde · 2 years

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genuinely what the fuck is wrong with you <3 like im not attempting to hate you for any nonsensical identity drama, but your beliefs sound absolutely null and void. i ask you, to what extent is a corporation a person, and entity? does it feel, does it have morals, does it function like any other social group, or does the inclusion of power/money create a fundamentally unique dynamic between those with jobs and those in need of one? DC is literally a sea of lobbyists, I would fucking know cause my uncle literal IS a gas lobbyist. regulation simply will not work in "small doses" or over time, since money is entrenched in each aspect of government, and the US is still in debt. there is no incentive for the government to regulate corporations, you can see it quite clearly when examining the expansion of corporate personality into the modern consciousness. fuck. i hate ancaps. anyways i hope you get well soon.

I... think this is in regards to someone else's post?

If it is in relation to me, you certainly won't get any argument out of me that a corporation is not and should not be regarded as a person. (Except for certain legal acts that require it to be an entity). I did not volunteer as hard as I did fighting to raise awareness of Citizens United and to get a sufficient number of signatures that could be delivered to congressmembers so they would have to at least discuss a bill to do away with that horrific for human rights ruling to be mistaken for thinking a corporation should be a person.

That being said... I was a business and human rights focus and literally my thesis was on the recent history of government and corporate and international organizations actually legislating and finding ways to create rules and regulations around corporations. One piece of very useful Voluntary Sustainability Standard is called the UN Global Compact, and it is basically a yearly Human Rights Report that companies do and submit, and that are then argued with when the company is lying. These are recorded, along with a lot of other news, on the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre website, where additional news about companies and human rights gets posted to. At present, where legislation stands is with the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights currently drafting up a binding document with a remedy for when corporations behave badly. Which they will do. Some companies actually do want legislation, as with legislation, it gives what they want to do increased bite (say telling governments they aren't doing various grave human rights violations). There are degrees of how good a company is at caring about the environment, social and economic surroundings including people's rights, and its own governence. The most common is a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 covers most oil companies and monsters like Koch Industries and Walmart and Amazon which are actively working to undo hard won human rights legislation, 2 covers onnes that are following the law only just, 3 is doing some corporate social responsibility but not that much or that meaningful, and 4 and 5 are actually trying to do good in the world, in some cases being primary drivers behind thing like The CROWN Act and handwashing and clean water initiatives (Unilever would be a 4), and actively helping the workers and the communities in which they are.

Also, as with companies, DC is not a monolith. Various politicians do not hear lobbyists and are in fact working to make it considerably harder for lobbyists and the special interests they represent (Oil, Big Ag, Big Pharma, etc) to influence politics.

Plus, several politicians are working with NGOs and UN agencies to expand and realize the Sustainable Development Goals, which are needed.

That being said, every setback is a hard one and it will not be an easy fight by a long shot. But there are slowly gains. Slower than many in the human rights field would like. Certainly slower than I would like. But all is not hopeless.

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asterinunfathomed · 3 years

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hello! im currently studying pre med in 12th, and im bat shit worried about neet. i am very much into psych too, but my dad says there isnt much scope in india. either ways, any tips i could get into a nice college like you did ?

also, ps. did you write neet ? any tips ?

thankyou if you decide to answer <33

Uhh...refer to my previous answer for the college tips? I don't wanna type again I'm sorry

And no babe I didn't give NEET, I am an arts student. But I'll say your dad isn't entirely wrong. Psychology is still an emerging field in India, and although it has expanded to good measures in the last few years, it still has a long way to go for people to stop saying "psychology ka toh koi scope hi nahi hai".

On the other hand, every adult I've interacted with who has any knowledge of education and the job field and psychology has said it has a lot of scope and I chose a good subject.

I can tell you all that I know, but that won't be a lot and can sometimes be a little incorrect. So if anybody decides to actually read the whole thing and finds some error, I would prefer if you point it out so that I can amend it.

Added a cut because this post turned out to be very long and I don't want to unnecessarily fill somebody's feed with something they are not interested in.

I can tell you this though. You can do either BA or a BSc in Psychology in India, here they are more or less the same.

After that, you can go abroad for masters since it is a much more well established field outside and a lot of students opt for that. No harm in staying in India too though.

You specialise during your masters, so that is when you choose if you wanna be an industrial psychologist or a clinical psychologist.

Industrial/organisational psychology education can be better acheived abroad. Its not like doing so in India won't be worthwhile, its just a newer field here.

If you want to go into clinical psychology and then practice in India, it is preferable you do your masters here only and then an M.Phil to get your certificate to practice. Plus obviously a change in culture and environment can change a lot in this field, so if you study outside you'd be better qualified to serve there than here.

In terms of career opportunities, the need for clinical psychology is growing in India, especially after this pandemic, and more so with the younger generation. And we don't have enough clinical psychologists (I've overused this term now) to deal with the growing mental anxiety and stress levels. So the scope is definitely increasing, although I won't call it an extremely well paying job. Then there's obviously the little fact that you yourself have to be emotionally and mentally strong to deal with others.

Industrial psychology, on the other hand, pays you very well. And its starting to spread in India as big corporations like American Express hire industrial psychologists on their teams. So the scope here is definitely growing, and in terms of pay can land you in a good enough place. The limitations here are that 1. Its a corporate job (not a big fan) and 2. It is still not very popular here. But because you are still in school (I think?) I believe by the time you complete your masters, without which you can't get a decent job anyways, the field would have expanded enough to generate a lot of opportunities that you can hop on to.

Because you are a NEET aspirant, I think you should know that you can pursue psychiatry, which is a field reserved for medical professionals. I cannot be a psychiatrist because I don't even have a science background, forget a medical one. But you sure can. I am not sure if psychiatry requires a medical degree first, I think it does.

Either way, psychology doesn't have as much scope as medical, but it is definitely increasing and you won't be left completely untethered and unvalued just because you took it up. It is a lot more in demand than it earlier was, and that is just increasing with time. So I'd say your dad isn't wrong but he isn't entirely right either, and things are going to change for the better in the coming years so you can count on that.

Also jaan dont worry about NEET. Its still quite a few months away. I understand the fear but also this is not the time to be afriad, its the time to prepare as well as you can. I an not qualified to say how easy or tough NEET can be, but there are a lot of studyblrs here who have experience. If you want, I can tag a few down below.

Phew, this has been a long post. If you have any more questions, you can dm me or send in another ask and I'll be very happy to answer.

I've been writing for so long I feel like signing off properly. So,

With all of my love,

Aster

#anon asks

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warmau · 7 years

Text

{Special} College!AU Johnny

major: film & television

minor: business

clubs: rather than clubs, johnny always has some part in other classmates movies/set productions so,,,he has no time for clubs LOL

sports: was humbly signed up for track and field by ten but the only good thing about his long legs is jumping over hurdles,,,otherwise he’s slower than a turtle much to everyone’s surprise

goes through what his friends call “phases” every other week,,,,,and it usually has to do with whatever project he’s most immersed in

and that means one week,,,,when he was helping out the french exchange students he walked around campus in a beret and refused to eat bagels - only croissants. then he was working on an action scene and signed up for martial arts on the the quad,,,,,,or that one time they were trying to do a historical bit and johnny almost bought a hanbok on amazon for fifty bucks and taeyong had to physically remove the laptop from his dorm in order to stop him

no one is surprised that he’s a film major,,,,,tbh he’s always been creative and outspoken so the industry fits him

the shocking part is his minor,,,,because is business really something???? johnny has any interest in

and johnny always dramatically puts his hand over his forehead and is like “in THIS day and age all that matters is MONEY no one cares for the ART-”

everyone is like ok we get it but johnny just siGHS like the whole world is over and slumps in his chair and is like i know ill never make it,,,,,,,ill have to be a slave to the system a COG in the machine another worker bee - but wait did i tell you guys about this GREAT idea i had last night for a movie so basically the main character is a zombie alien and-

talks a mile a minute,,,,,seriously even when his opinion or comment is unneeded,,,, but he’s trying his best and he’s always trying to lift the mood and make people more confident

like he IS the person in the friend group whose there for anyone when they need him,,,,, is the person who makes ten smile when he’s down, helps cheer up doyoung about the future,,,,, and even gets taeil out of the dumps (which is a rarity, but,,,,,,,wow is it harD to cheer him up - tbh only johnny is capable)

tells people to have a super-duper fantastic great day after seeing them in the coffee shop,,,,,and the person will be like do i//?? even know him??? probably not but johnny is trying to spread that positivity

and it works !!! because when he’s smiling and laughing he looks so soft and approachable

but at the same time,,,,when he’s really working on a scene or on a plan for filming,,,, he adopts an entirely different aura

ten calls it the ‘youngho effect’ meaning that silly johnny is gone and now it’s down-to-business youngho and during finals week,,,,,,is when it’s the WORST

like people don’t even recognize him and thats hard considering his fashion and height stand out ,,,, but seriously the stern, concentrated look on his face makes his whole appearance seem different

yuta is always like “youngho is sexy and johnny is cute” and johnny is just like ?????? are you- flirting with me??? or are you just commenting and yuta is like ;) it’s hard to tell i know but no im just saying my dude

johnny is also super charitable ,,,, like find him helping every last single person in his studio effects class or dramatic writing

which is why he barely gets sleep because he’ll be up with a group of writers or on film location for work that isn’t EVEN HIS but,,,, he really likes film and he really likes seeing and testing out new things so his ability to say no is down the drain

unless it’s doyoung asking for extra change to get coffee then johnny is like lol no jokes jokes

oh also him and ten are practically inseparable and they sometimes do what taeyong refers to as “comedy acting” on the quad which is really just them arguing over something dumb like is trump REALLY an overgrown cheeto but also everyone on campus loves it

minus their ACTUAL friends who are like can you two please be quiet for like a minute and ten and johnny are both like excuse me no and taeil is like rip my ears

but they’re best buddies,,,,,,,it’s very adorable

ten’s dad even calls johnny to ask if ten is doing well in uni and johnny always try to make something up before ten steals the phone and has to explain in rushed thai that NO he didn’t get a tattoo on his forehead

accidentally got confused for being a part of the uni mens volleyball team because of his height

misses chicago and has pictures up of it and his family in his dorm and everyone is like wow johnny you’re such a sentimental guy but like LMAO HE REALLY IS HE CRIED DURING THE LION KING anyway

you’re not a film student at all,,,,,you’re actually pretty camera shy and so you think watching movies is cool and all but you’d like,,,,,,never dream of being an actor or something like that

which is ok because your major has nothing to do with that line of work and your part-time job is as a dog walker in the city on weekends

and one weekend you’re doing your job,,,,,the last dog you’re walking for the day is a cute corgi named mr. squiggles

when suddenly someone taps you on the shoulder and to your shock you turn around and see ???? johnny

who you know just because a friend of yours is in a class with him and he’s kinda hard to miss ,,,,,,, he’s basically a walking skyscraper

but you’re like “oh h-hi?” assuming he might have recognized you from uni but johnny isn’t looking at you

he’s looking at mr. squiggles and then at you and going

“you two would be perfect for my project! have you ever wanted to do acting???”

for a second you think you might just be making this up in your mind but you blink a couple of times and johnny is STILL standing in front of you

looking more excited than mr. squiggles whose small stubby legs are pawing at johnny’s jeans and asking for him to bend down and pet him

and you’re like “uh,,,,,,n-no?”

johnny does bend down,,,,giving the corgi a couple of pats on the head only to look up at you again and go “but i think this dog has!!!! do you think you could be in my film?”

johnny’s eyes turn up as he smiles,,,looking at you almost expectingly,,,,,

until you scoop up mr. squiggles in your hands and shake your head explaining that for one,,,,,the dog isn’t yours,,,,,,this is your job and two,,,,,being filmed is a bit-

johnny’s smile drops into a childish pout and he reaches out to scratch the pups ear going “but you guys are perfect for the scene,,,,,and it’ll be short!!!! can you ask his owner??”

and you wanna be like excuse me i gotta go im getting a call but then u know,,, johnny goes to uni with you so maybe not making a fool of yourself is the right call so you just shrug and mumble that you’ll ask

johnny’s grin returns and he quickly takes something out of his back pocket,,,,,which you realize is a scrap of notebook paper with a number scrawled on it

and he’s like i make this in case i find people on the street i want to cast,,,,,text me if the owner says yes!!! ill keep the spot open for you and -

he motions to mr.squiggles in your hands and you go “oh his name is mr. squiggles” and johnny bursts into cheerful laughter like “that’s PERFECT!! ill be waiting for your message”

and with that he’s off,,,,,you left holding the dog and the paper with his number and thinking to yourself that,,,,maybe johnny will just,,,,,,,,,,forget?

i mean he probably doesnt even know you go to the same uni,,,,,you reason as you put mr.squiggles down and go back to your walk

,,,,,,out of curiosity though when you return him to his owners you ask ,,,,, would they let him be in a movie some time and the owner claps their hands together and is like ofc!!!! mr.squiggles is a born STAR!!!!! why is a friend of yours looking -

and you’re like nope no im just asking see you next saturday

come monday you’ve basically forgot about the whole thing,,,convinced johnny is popular enough to find other people to act for him

when you’re waiting in line to get coffee at the cafe and someone goes “hey!!!! what did mr.squiggle’s parents say?”

and it’s,,,,loud so everyone turns to look at you because mr.squiggles-?

and you’re like,,,what who??? only to see johnny standing behind you in line and you’re like oh myGOD

and he’s like “i knew id seen you before!!! cool that we go to the same school, so can you guys do it-?”

and you’re like “o,,,oh they said n-no so im sorry but-”

johnny clicks his tongue but waves his hand and is like nO SWEAT we can find another dog you walk dogs right????? do you think anyone else would be cool with it??

and you’re like dogs? what are dogs? idk any dogs? ahahahah

but johnny is like you told me you walk dogs,,,,,right??? im sure someone is ok with having their pup on screen plus it’s for a class so really-

your turn to order comes up and you quickly spout it out just to be like “oh, im sorry i have to go-” to johnny

rushing over to the pick up counter and thankfully,,,,a small black coffee is fast to make,,,,so you grab it and johnny makes a point to try and call out to you but you’re like class!!!! gtg!!!!

and with that you’re gone,,,,,looking solemnly down at the coffee in your hand and crinkling your nose because the last time you drank coffee was the last time you had a math final in high school

but also,,,,,why did johnny have to remember??? why did you have to bump into him???? what kind of weird coincidence???

but also you’re sure you’re off the hook this time,,,,like you told him mr.squiggles was unavailable and it wasnt like your classes ever clashed with film majors so you were home free

but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

you weren’t

a couple of days later johnny saw you in the library,,, asking again if you were up for the part

unenthusiastically you explained that all the dog owners said no so,,,,,,and johnny said it was fine again that he knew some people with dogs so-

but you ducked out of there again saying you had a study group to meet up with

another time you were on the quad and johnny sat down next to you,,,,asking how you were and if you weren’t busy to talk

once again you checked your phone and pretended to take a call

and honestly,,,,,,you don’t know WHY you can’t just tell him you can’t act- or more like you don’t want to act

because you’re convinced he can find someone else so easily that the pursuant asking you ,,,,, you just didn’t get it

not until you overhear a couple of people talking about how they’ve never seen johnny hold out for this long,,,,,usually he’s the first one to start filming ,,,,, but something is taking him so long this time

and with a slightly guilty conscious you take out your phone,,,the paper with johnny’s number is still tucked in your wallet and you fish it out too,,,inputting it and typing out a text

‘im sorry ive avoided you about this, but im not a,,,,,,,im not an actor. i dont want to mess up your movie so i hope someone else can be the better fit’.

you send it,,,,,hoping you weren’t being to blunt but an hour later your phone lights up and johnny’s reply is ‘that’s ok! im sorry for bothering you, it was really uncool of me to keep chasing you - i didn’t know you were uncomfortable and i was being a douche. tell mr.sqiggles i still think he’s a star in the making!’

smiling down at the cute response and the line of dog emojis and stars you go back to your homework,,,,,but it’s a little hard because,,,,,,why’s johnny so much cuter to you all of a sudden

a couple of weeks go by and you stumble across what looks like a film set near the dog park you frequent on your job

and your entire pack starts tugging on their leashes in excitement and barking because of all the new people and cool looking cameras and you’re like “guys!!! calm down”

and you notice someone turn around and it’s johnny??? he waves at you and you’re like “he-hey?? are you filming here??” and johnny nods and is like “it’s a little film im doing about a dog and their owner and they can like,,,,,,,talk to each other and the dog gossips about other dogs it’s kind of a comedy??? romance i guess”

and you’re like oo a romance featuring cute dogs cant go wrong with that and johnny is like exactly,,,,101 dalmatians,,,,,airbud - not romantic but dogs so

you giggle and you’re like well!! ill try to keep the kids from barking too much but!!

johnny grins and squats down,,, mr.squiggles running toward him like johnny’s been his owner for yEARS and licking his face and johnny is like it’s still a shame i couldn’t cast this lil guy

you smile,,,and johnny says he’s going to be filming for a bit but that it was nice talking

and you know,,, you go to the dog park and play a bit not noticing johnny whose struggling with the actors on set and some of the crew and usually johnny is really good with people

but the way the lead isn’t getting along with the dog is stressing him out and at some point johnny is like “it’s fine, ill scrape this idea” and someone mentions that the deadline to hand it in is three days away and johnny is like “it doesn’t matter, i don’t think it’s going to work out and im not giving unfinished garbage to the professor.”

you look up seeing that most of the people are gone except for johnny and you pick up mr.squiggles and go over to him and you’re like “you look down,,,,,so i brought this guy to maybe help you smile?”

johnny looks up from his head in his hands and gives a sad chuckle that you’ve never seen from him and you’re like whats wrong

and he’s like “i think,,,,im not going to be able to finish this.” and you’re like why not??? you had people here and stuff and he’s like sometimes things don’t work out

and you’re like do you have time?? and johnny mumbles that three days isn’t enough, even if the whole thing is fifteen minutes long

you see the defeat in his eyes,,,,which is hard to imagine since this is the johnny that never seems to give up

so with a tiny swallow you go “i,,,,,,,,,ill help. mr. squiggles too.”

johnny raise an eyebrow and shakes his head,,,,,saying that he can’t force you to help him, that’d be fucked up of him and you’re like you’re not!!!! consider it a change of heart

johnny motions to mr.squiggles and goes “didn’t their owners refuse-?” and you’re like “hahahah abOUT THAT,,,,,anyway what do we have to do??”

johnny explains the jist of the plot,,,,,you and mr.squiggles can understand each other and talk about the other dogs but you meet another owner who can speak to his dog too and you,,,,,basically fall in love

and you’re like giggling because ok,,,, a bit corny but u like it

and you’re like whose going to play the love interest?? and johnny looks around and is like i,,,, think im gonna have to do it because all the other footage is unusable. the dog tried to pee on the leads so -

and you’re like oh my gosh,,, well ok,,,,,,let’s try

to your surprise you’re not AS nervous in front of the camera as you thought

maybe because holding mr. squiggles calms you down or maybe it’s the way johnny is patient and encouraging

but when all your individual cuts are done johnny is like “ok we have on thing left, where we meet and,,,,,well,,,,,,,mr. squiggles is supposed to tell you to ask me out” and you’re like oh,,, Oh,,, ok ,,,, well,, ahem

and johnny sets the camera to record and rushes over to sit beside you on the bench,,,pretending to look over at the other side of the park

and you’re like “oh,,,,shh ,,,, shh what? h- he isn’t cute???? i- what??? you want me to ask for his number???”

johnny turns around,,,putting his arm over the bench and going “are you talking to your dog?” and you jump a little almost forgetting the line and you’re like

“i,,,,im not,,,,,” and johnny, effortlessly slides closer to you on the bench and is like “well, whoever told you to ask for my number is right - do you want it?”

feeling your cheeks glow red you nod and johnny is supposed to lean in closer but you’re kinda like !!! so you lift mr. squiggles up and he licks at johnny’s face and ,,,, after a moment you’re like im sorry!!!!! that wasn’t in the script

but johnny bursts into laughter and is like you know what,,,i think it’s a great ending shot

you realize you’re close to having to drop the pups off so you gather mr. squiggles and tell johnny it was,,,,fun and that you hope he gets a good grade

johnny seems to want to say something,,, but you’re like im not avoiding you this time - i actually really need to go

and as you’re running back to get the rest of the dogs you hear him call out your name and he’s like “let me repay you with dinner sometime???” and you’re like “sounds good!!!”

after getting back to campus from work, you drop your things off in your dorm and you check your phone to see a text from johnny

‘are you free tomorrow night?’ you smile,,,,thinking for a second and your roommate is like why do you look so happy - is it a date????? and you’re like WHAT,,,,,,NO,,,,,,,SHUTUP

but you say you are and the next night you meet up with johnny off campus and he’s telling you about this restaurant a friend of his opened and then you notice it,,,, the slight darkness under his eyes and you’re like johnny did you sleep??

and he’s like oh no i stayed up editing,,,, also this afternoon i had to help hyungsik with his shooting so

and you’re like oh my god go home and sleep but he’s like no!! i gotta take you out and pay you for your help,,,,,and since i don’t have actual money please consider this food as payment

and you’re like shdlfkjds johnny and he’s like it’s good food,,,,,so???

even though he’s obviously tired,,, johnny still manages to keep up an exciting conversation and you try to get him to split the bill but he’s like nooooooo i am a respectful chicago gentleman

and ur like ,,, does a respectful chicago gentleman try to mimic a parrot in a resturant and he’s like i see your point but let me live?

and johnny is ,,,, someone you never thought you’d hang out with one on one just because he’s bright and attracts attention

and he’s a silly, handsome guy??? like???? getting near him seems like a feat but here you are,,, after diner walking to the arcade and johnny winning you a stuffed animal in one of those crane games but also completely losing to you in tekken 5

and you’re like,,,,, it’s nice to be like this with him and it’d be nice,,,,,,, to get to know him more

so you’re sad when the night ends and you guys are on your way back to uni on a crowded train and johnny keeps moving his body so no one is squishing up against you and it’s ,,,,,,,,, it is like a date but you refuse to let yourself cave to that mentality

but then as you get off at your stop, johnny��s hand slides into yours and it’s ,,,,, natural almost

and you get to campus and he’s like thanks for letting me take you out,,,and for being in my film

and you’re like haha,,, to quote you - no sweat!!!

and it’s silent,,,but you’re still holding hands and you’re not quite sure what that means

until johnny goes “i don’t want to be awkward but - this was a date, right? can i call it a date?”

and you’re like OH WELL,,,,,,,,,um,,,,,,,,, and you’re like “i’d like if it was a date,,,,”

and johnny is like me too because then that means there can be more,,,,,dates,,,,,,,,for us,,,,,,,for me to take you on,,,,,,,,,am i making sense i feel like im not making sense

but you’re like!!!!! you are,,,,making sense,,,,,,

johnny grins and even in the nights dark light you can see the cute expression on his face and you’re like hey can you bend forward a little bit and he’s like oh?

and you lean up, kissing his cheek quickly before letting go of his hand and saying that you’ll see him ,,,, on the second date???

and you’re halfway across the quad to your dorm when you hear someone running behind you and you turn just to be tackled into a hug

and it’s johnny,,, you can tell by the way his hair tickles your cheeks and his frame is wide and he smells,,,,so distinct

and he’s like “sorry,,i couldn’t wait till the second date,,,” and you’re like fldkjsde please,,,,

but it’s cute haha when he lets you go you guys wave goodbye and when you get home your roommate is like “ah, so how was the date?” and you’re like IT WASNT ---- ok it was and it was amazing

dating johnny,,, is exactly what you all expect it to be

he’s an affection moNSTER and i mean that in the BEST way possible like he is FULL of love to give at ALL TIMES

forehead kisser extraordinaire

showers you in compliments and talks about you to everyone he meets honestly the night after your first date ten,,,,,,in his pajamas half awake had to listen to johnny talk for exactly one hour and forty three minutes about everything that happened between you two and at the end of the night ten was like “i got it,,,,they sparkle like the stars in the sky ok can i go sleep- yes you told me about how they remind you of the best days of summer ok im going to sleep now jOHNNY SHUT UP”

for someone whose confident in their skills,,,, johnny got shy about showing you the end project of his film but when he did he was like “did you like it??” and you’re like yes!! im sorry for my bad acting also mr.squiggles says hi

and johnny is like tbh i love that dog and ur like more than me and he’s like yeah and ur like thats cool i love him more than i love you too

johnny: WHAT

you: dogs > boys, a cardinal rule

also you learned from jaehyun that the reason johnny stayed up all night to edit was because he was apparently watching the clips of you over and over again and being like they’re so cute,,,,

and you’re like no way

and jaehyun was like you don’t have to believe me but ten has a video and ten is like i do wanna see

and it’s true,,,,,johnny literally was sitting at his computer with the goofiest grin on his face looking at you like they’re adorable,,,, ft. ten’s snickering in the bg

johnny doesnt know ten took the video,,,, but when he found out he chased him across campus but tbh you just thought it was super cute of your boyfriend

is tall and therefore whenever it rains he does this thing where he puts his hands over your head and is like “im ur umbrella” and you’re like ,,,,, im still getting wet and he’s like “,,,,,,,,,,listen im not a GOOD umbrella, but im YOUR umbrella” and you’re like oh my god you’re a dork that’s what you are and you’re my dork so it’s ok

johnny calls you love unironically and you’re like are you british or and he’s like WOW LET ME BE CUTE WITH YOU PLEASE

once mark drew a flower on your wrist or something and johnny was like draw one on me too and mark was like why and johnny was like because we’re a couple mark and i want to match

im just saying johnny seo is a corny couple items guy like look at the man

thinks the most useless things are cute and buys them for you and you’re like johnny i didn’t really need this mickey mouse ice cream scooper and he’s like ok but it’s cute tho??? and ur like saVE YOUR MONEY YOUR MINOR IS BUSINESS And johnny is like IM TRYING IM AN IMPULSE SPENDER

also everything cute just seemingly reminds him of you like the boy is heart eyes for you ok

probably a really loose-lipped drunk,,,,, honestly texts you like paragraphs about how he’s going to make a movie dedicated to you but the typing is l1k3 th*$

he’s late to dates a lot but not because he doesn’t care or something but because he’s always busy helping someone film and you don’t mind but you’re like johnny take a break and he’s like i will but also hyuk was telling me about this sci-fi animation he’s gonna do and he might need me-

and you just motion for him to open his mouth so you can put some food in it and you’re like shhh just eat first talk later (this is hard since johnny loves to talk,,,,,,,,,)

is dramatic about anniversaries and holidays but it’s romantic and cheesy like yes he bought you bear the same size as him for valentines day and YES he recited a monologue from ‘the notebook’ to you on your birthday because that’s who johnny is

texts you about what outfit to wear and you’re like huh what is that and johnny is like im going though a hippie phase should i wear this tie-dye t-shirt OR this tie-dye t-shirt

and you’re like wear a white t-shirt right now johnny and put the tie-die away

him: but baby i-

you: right now. away.

asks you for updates on mr. squiggles and you once told the owner your boyfriend really likes their dog and the owner was DELIGHTED she invited johnny and you to dinner and it was,,,,,,the most funny thing

to see johnny get tipsy on wine and gush over movies from the thirties with this little old lady????? priceless

johnny: you know she’s much older now but bettie davis was a hottie,,,,,

you: oh my god

johnny: i won’t lie,,,,,im still into john travolta the man hasn’t aged-

you: put the drink down

when you guys talk on the phone,,,,you’ve noticed that johnny’s voice gets lower at night and it’s really nice and you’ll never tell him because you know he’ll tease you but,,,,,,wow

speaking of other really nice things johnny had invited you over to his dorm while ten was away with family and you guys were supposed to use the blank wall and project some movies on it and cuddle

but at some point the movie was the last thing on your mind because johnny’s half-lidded eyes and lips spread apart are PRETTY hard to ignore

also johnny is such a,,,,,physical person that he knows what to do with his hands and his mouth and long story short you ended up tangled in mr seo

and only after did you realize that the movie was over and you were like ,,,,,, should i play another one

and johnny pulling you right back ontop of him was like no no there’s more important things to do

johnny is a show off when it comes to relationships so the next day doyoung was eating and was like whats that on your neck - you got a rash?

and johnny was like nah my s/o stayed the night and doyoung was like oh and mark choked on his rice

does this thing that when he’s thinking to fast he’ll switch from korean to english and then backtrack and translate what he said and sometime’s he’ll stutter over this or that

and you’re like johnny you’re so cute but gather your thougths you don’t alWAYS have to be talking

and he’s just like,,,,,,,,,,you’re right but tbh if im not talking what can my mouth be doing and you’re like rolling your eyes but you’re like “kissing me?”

and he grins like eXACTLY come here

you guys kiss a lot just so you know like wanna know something about johnny? he’d kiss you till you were breathless jot that down

you asked him where his backpack was once and johnny was like i dont carry one everythings in my head

and you’re like what about that test in finance that you’re gonna have and his eyes got wide and he’s like i,,,,,,,,,,gtg get the notes off of someone see you later

told you his dream vacation isn’t chicago anymore,,,,like he wants to see his family so bad but he also wants to take a roadtrip with you and see you under all those stars beside him

and you were like we should do it sometime but i have a feeling we’d open the trunk and ten would be there

also you know this conversation has happened like one too many times

ten: you know, if you two have kids i want to be the godfather

you: what if we don’t, what if we adopt a cat or something

ten: then i want to be the godfather of the cat duh

you:

johnny: you know it ten, we’re brothers for life come and hug me

as silly and as romantic and fun as johnny is,,,,,he’s still got some reservations about himself and sometimes he jokingly,,,,mentions that it must be hard to love someone like him - always making mistakes or saying something embarrassing

but you always assure him that people aren’t supposed to be perfect, that you think he’s damn near close to it and you wouldn’t stop loving him over things that are only human

but if he does call you banana pumpkin angel in front of your friends again- and johnny is like fine fine ill stop using fruits for petnames,,,,,,,,,,,,my cherry sunshine universe and you’re like WHY do you INSIST ON BEING SO CORNY

and he’s like dont’ you love it though???? secretly??? just a little

and you’re like,,,,,,,,,,,fine yes i do god no wonder you’re a film major your brain is TOO Creative for it’s own good

johnny kissing up your arms to tickle you and make you feel better when you’re sad

also johnny would completely 100% let you borrow his sweaters and even if you’re wearing one just because it’s comfy and you have study hall

he’d lean over to the person beside you two and be like “they’re wearing my clothes, don’t they look cute?” and the person is like ???? and you’re pulling johnny back over to you by the ear and you’re like boy

calls up the uni radio and requests that they play your favorite song every weekend without failure

and you’ll hear it and even if you’re not with johnny you can feel your heart burst because he’s the kind of boyfriend that remembers the smallest little details and shows you his love whenever he can

and there’s nothing better than having someone adore you like johnny seo adores you

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sodrippy · 6 years

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hey shreya so I think I FINALLY found a film degree that I like it offers basically everything producing cinematography storytelling directing and sound editing etc buut it's from a really new uni (founded in like 2016) and ppl keep telling me film school is worth it only if it's a really big one? also besides being worried I'm not creative enough I'm also worried bc I lack knowledge in terms of editing and I feel ppl will already know that stuff??

hey bud! that sounds awesome! i mean, i guess it depends, if you’re living maybe in LA or something perhaps a bigger uni name/brand would be helpful in getting a foot in the door after graduating, but in my opinion what you learn is much more important. it also depends what you want to study- if youre looking for something more technical based like editing or maybe cinematography a newer school can come with the advantage of implementing new technology and techniques, and having a more open mindset towards teaching methods etc. where an old school might be reluctant to move on, if that makes sense.

what i found is THE most important thing in a school (besides how much of the course is hands on filmmaking, of course) is their industry connections and the networking opportunities they can give you. this might sound harsh, but my undergrad degree advertised Industry Connections and Learning From People Actually In The Business! but actually just had smalltime/independent professionals who basically teach full time bc they never really Made It, and on top of that, they had no resources to help us find jobs after graduating, which was really shitty, though i suppose schools dont really have the onus to guide you post-graduating.

on the other hand, my current diploma course has tutors who teach part time on top of being actual leading industry professionals, plus we get more access to networking opportunities with forefront studios in our field, so i’d def recommend looking into what kind of hands on, industry immersive opportunities your uni options can give you!

a lot of times big/established film schools have the upper hand in this respect, BUT that being said, my current college was opened in like, 2015 or something, so its really not always about the oldest schools being the best.

re: worrying about your lack of creativity or knowledge, i felt the exact same way, and to be fair im really Not super creative, ive always been more on the side of abstract imagination and worldbuilding and strengthening ideas rather than core creative who makes everything all the time, but i really dont think you need to be The Moste Creative to make it in the industry or to get a good job or love what you do. just take your time and find what you like and what youre good at (there will be both of those things, trust me!) and if youre open to trying new stuff and learning from the people around you, youll be able to boost your own creativity (which im sure you have, even a little, otherwise you likely wouldnt be interested in pursuing filmmaking!) and your skills.

the knowledge thing too will come, nobody goes into school knowing every single thing, and those who do will either be nice people who will help you fill in your gaps, or assholes who talk over the teachers because they were an unpaid grip’s assistant one time 3 summers ago, but cant set up a tripod, so either way i think you’ll be okay!

sorry this got quite long, and honestly i might be totally off the mark bc i live in australia and didnt go to a real Filme Schoole, but i hope my experience is relevant and helps you out a bit!! let me know how you go and what you decided on!!

#Anonymous

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antoniaschupkedigitaldesign · 5 years

Text

WEEK 8

Job Research - Advertised Design Jobs That Interest Me

Job 1:

How well they match:

This job would match quite well as it is a junior digital design position and would be great as a job after graduation. It also matches my interests in creating artworks and motion graphic design.

What the job involves:

Brighterbox is a company in the influencer marketing space that helps brands and agencies find, match and report on creator relationships through insights and data-driven intelligence.

Responsibilities:

Creating digital and offline marketing and event materials

Designing artwork for the brand’s website and social media

Creating static and animated presentations

Interpreting audience data into easily digestible, creative audience insights

Ensuring the overall brand identity is adhered to across a host of touch points

Skills required:

A degree in Graphic Design or similar

Proactive creative flair

Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator skills

Powerpoint and being able to put together presentations quickly and effortlessly

Understanding of current design trends and styles

Excellent English (written and oral)

Has to love branding and telling stories

Bonus Points for video and animation skills

Skills required:

A degree in Graphic Design or similar

Proactive creative flair

Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator skills

Powerpoint and being able to put together presentations quickly and effortlessly

Understanding of current design trends and styles

Excellent English (written and oral)

Has to love branding and telling stories

Bonus Points for video and animation skills

Where they work: Central London

Hours: Full-Time

Salary range: Not specified

Role with a future?

This internship is supposed to lead to a permanent position if I did a good job and got along well with everyone. I believe it might even lead to a higher position within in the company, possibly a senior digital designer after a couple of years. I don’t think I would want to do this job for a large amount of time, but it would give me the necessary work experience in order to move on to other jobs in other companies.

How would I get this job?

I would have to have a degree in a Design course (grade not specified) which I hopefully will do in a few months’ time. I will need strongly creative portfolio to showcase my design skills and an understanding of branding and design trends. I would be most likely to get this job by demonstrating my video and animation skills as they said in the job description that that would get the candidate bonus points.

Would this be a good career for me?

I think this would be a good starting point for me as the job involves the sort of skills that have already gained through work experience and throughout my course at university.

Job 2:

How well they match:

This job fits quite well as they’re looking for a Junior Digital Designer and it matches my skill set.

What the job involves:

Createselect is a creative marketing agency that works to the goal of developing and executing exemplary integrated campaigns for their clients.

Responsibilities:

Help to create web experiences for client’s digital campaigns

Create assets including advertising, emails, social media, websites, animation and video content, as well as some print (from initial idea through to final product)

Skills required:

Extremely creative

Portfolio demonstrating understanding of layout, typography and attention to detail

Agency experience

Examples of designing the digital space

Where they work: Central London

Hours: Full Time

Salary range: Up to £25.000 per year depending on experience

Role with a future?

I believe this job would lead to higher positions as they advertise in their job description that they “help develop their staff and push them forward in their career”.

How would I get this job?

As I don’t have any agency experience yet I don’t think I might be able to get this job. I can imagine that they possibly would consider me if I had a very good degree and strong portfolio. However, I might have to gain relevant agency work experience somewhere else first.

Would this be a good career for me?

I’m sure that this would be a good career for me as the company seems to be very modern, creative and a good company to work for.

Job 3:

How well they match:

This job matches really well as it matches my skills set and I’m a fan of the brand Urban Outfitters as well as their overall brand design.

What the job involves:

The Junior Digital Designer is responsible for assisting in the creation and execution of the visual identity for the brand Urban Outfitters through ecommerce website and digital marketing materials including collaborating with designers to carry out design and production of graphics for all facets of the UO brand.

Responsibilities:

Create visual assets of Urban Outfitters digital marketing channels (email marketing campaign, lookbooks, editorial layouts, paid media, app, etc.)

Create clean formatted InDesign files, and web ready graphics

Work with project coordinator to maintain deadlines

Communicate with designers, developers and project coordinator on weekly objectives and help facilitate execution of projects with limited timelines

Collaborate with designers to create new graphics seasonal direction

Develop graphic systems that are not just visually engaging but make sense for the brand

Skills required:

BA in Graphic or Communication Design, or one year equivalent experience

Highly proficient in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Creative Suite on a Mac Platform

Detail oriented and highly organised

Advanced understanding of digital formats across screen sizes and devices

Good understanding of web technologies and standards

Expert in creating web ready artwork

Ability to handle multiple design projects in a fast paced weekly workflow

Past experience in retail or fashion related industry is a plus

Where they work: London

Hours: not specified, but I’m assuming it is full-time

Salary range: Competitive Salary Plus Benefits

Role with a future?

I’m assuming this role has the potential to lead to higher position within the Urban Outfitters design team.

How would I get this job?

I would need a degree in a Design subject and a strong creative portfolio. In the interview process I would have to show good communication skills and my ability to multitask.

Would this be a good career for me?

This might be a good career for me as I really like this brand. I’m not sure if I would want to work for such a big brand straight away though as it seems to be extremely stressful and possibly difficult incorporate personal creativity as the brand already has a really good design and identity.

My Career Aspirations

In the first year after finishing my degree I don’t think I want to go straight into a design job as I think I am not quite ready for it yet. I want/need to further develop my portfolio, personal art style and After Effects and Illustrator skills while working other jobs part-time.

After this I would like to try to get some work experience and start applying to internships. Hopefully if this works out I might be able to apply for Junior Design jobs, such as Junior Digital Designer or Motion Graphics Designer. As my preferred area is Animation and Motion Graphic Design I will try to get a job in this field. It would be nice to work for a smaller company at first and then possibly move on to a bigger company later in my career.

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jackaccletonfutureworks · 7 years

Text

DD2000 - Research blog for a path into industry

Portfolios and their importance

Now before we even get to the building up to our chosen job and how we get there we have to talk about arguably the first and most important step when going into any industry, a good portfolio.

A portfolio in definition is according to many sources such as google, the oxford dictionaries and the free dictionary

a set of pieces of creative work intended to demonstrate a person's ability to a potential employer.

Example: "she had a portfolio of crayon portraits"

now reading the definition you should get an idea as to why a portfolio is quite the important tool in any industry but allow me to elaborate, a portfolio usually contains all of your best and well presented work that you wish to show off to a future employer in the hopes that it will impress them enough to consider you for the role available and hire you into it.

Even if that doesnt happen they are important tools for ensuring people dont soon forget you, if its good enough your employer might talk to his co-workers about it and the work that was in it, might recommend you to other companies and give you an easy-ish way into the industry, not only that but if its up online somewhere it can allow none industry people to view it and get invested in the work you do, get invested in your ideas and anything to do with them and begin to support you and want more of your work which is hard to ignore from people in the industry.

But an important part of a portfolio is to make sure it fits the job role, its nice that its all neatly presented and stunning work but if your going for a modelling job and bring in cool doodles of swords instead they will more than likely enjoy them but dont cross your fingers for the job or even being well remembered in a good way.

Now lets take that Modeling job as an example, if your looking into that job there are some things that would work well in your Porfolio

What to include generally

Some well constructed and unique models to show your skill, talent and creativity. Make sure to have beauty shots (Three angles) a Uv render (Shows off the uv maps of the models showing you do know how to Map and texture) and a wireframe

some more bland models that everyone has but it shows you can model things of this type, guns, corridors things like that

all of the work should be finished and if not it should be a w.i.p showing of how the model developed or something you are working on recently and wish to say “this is my latest project”

Portfolio : About myself

Every portfolio for every job must be different and suited for the job role your looking to invest into. Now my portfolio will have me looking into narrative design so there are some things i do need to include when constructing mine and things i need to look out for

What i should include

Well written stories of varying length and style as well as on different matters and subjects to give a quick look at the range i can write at and my ability with different styles and topics

Character development if possible, Original character, fan characters and things like that, let people in the industry see the work and love put into them and how you created them from the ground up, even include the most trivial detail if needed it will show how i think about even the smallest things for characters and bring them to life

Same applies for world building, show worlds you crated and the living breathing atmosphere they have, show off head canons and theories about already made worlds if you wish

Show dialogue and scripts made, this includes roleplaying and back and forth between characters of your own and friends

Work done that is not narrative directly but does still link to it

Any writing done for games, this includes small projects and twine games

Now what have i done to go towards this portfolio as of writing this?

I have written many short stories and poems some better than others i cannot lie however i tend to struggle sometimes with motivation in writing longer tales if they are not split into parts either via working time or as part 1, part 2 etc, 3 twine games which could be improved but stand at a decent enough quality and i do intend to create more, have an entire blog built for role playing (character creation and building, dialogue, world building) this is where i let alot of my ideas roam free as well as some of my more out there character traits, this character has spawned off into his own story and world view from a character that had nothing to start with, he has spawned countless side characters and alternate realities surrounding him and all of them have their own stories and worlds not to mention many pieces of college work.

All of these very important in the portfolio especially for the job role im looking to enter.

General Examples of both good and bad portfolio's

Networking

Networking is in short terms the connections you make with people be them big or small, it forms a web coming from you of connections you made. If you meet David and David knows Susan but you dont know Susan, she is still now in your web of networking due to knowing David.

Networking is important to the industry at it is a key way to get into the industry and get yourself known to people, without the links to people it would be almost impossible to get a way into the industry without directly going up to someone and asking for a job or applying yourself.

Networking can also offer unexpected help from people inside the industry through simply talking to them.

But how can networking help my career path into a narrative games career?

More importantly what kinds of networking could help my cause?

Well the obvious one to start off in narrative would be social media, its a great place to store and write small stories or tales and build character/worlds. It is also perfect for getting your small tales out to a large audience of people very quickly.

Take tumblr for example, its blogging allows for quick short stories or grand giant multi-post tales to be re-blogged , twitter is also a good example here as many industry insiders use twitter and could be a great way to share your narrative ideas and work with them to get feedback and make yourself known to them

It is also a prime location to show off portfolio w.i.p work and gain interest in what else is inside your portfolio both from regular people and industry insiders which could lead to job offers or simply having you in mind when a place does come up

Another prime example would be Game conventions, they allow for examination of upcoming games as well as series of games with over arching stories as well as the idea of communication with industry insiders as well as games media about games and your general idea. It could also provide you with skills and much needed tips if your willing to buy some people a beer. Game designers are just people like you and me so most of them have no issue sitting down to talking.

There are a few that take place here in the UK :

EGX - EGX is a British made Gaming Convention sponsored by Virgin media and s currently set to take place in the Birmingham NEC arena on the 21st -24th of September

Play Expo - Play Expo is a British games convention set in Manchester England at event city.

There is one that comes to mind and does take place in the US

Ludem Dare - Ludem Dare is a game jam hosted this year in San Francisco that gives people a theme and 24/48 hours to create a game, this allows people in the industry to see how people work under a tight deadline and the quality of games they can create with minimal information. It also allows for the people involved to brush up on their skills or develop new ones.

Well i say one but you cant talk US and game gatherings without mentioning

E3 - E3 is a yearly multi company convention in which the biggest games are shown and revealed and many of the gaming industries top professionals visit to give their games that needed star power, a place like this is perfect to ask questions, build connections and show off work you had done in hopes of making an impression

One important thing to know about networking overall however is that you should never be afraid to talk to someone or ask questions to them, they are not some untouchable idol who will simply scoff at you, they are infact just as human as you are and i imagine they they have trouble talking to a person from time to time. Plus there is only things to gain instead of things to lose

The Ideal Work Place/Key Companies In My Field

When it comes to an ideal work place that generally comes down to preference, some might want to work for Bethesda, maybe you want to work for EA but this is in general terms which company would be the best suited for the field i would like to enter

The first company that instantly jumps put for narrative focused games would be tell tale who have generally been known to create heavily emotional narrative focused point and click/episodic games based on existing IP’s such as The walking dead, borderlands and game of thrones

https://telltale.com/ - 4000 Civic Center Dr, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA

https://telltale.com/jobs/

As of this moment in time they are only looking for a senior writer in the job field i wish however that doesnt mean i cant apply for another job they are in need of to work my way into a writing position for example they are always looking for q/a testers so using that i can wiggle into a narrative design or writer role by suggesting things that could improve the story experience or helping with the writing of scripts and dialogue.

An issue with telltale however is it is hard to single out a game from their library as more narrative focused or important than any other, walking dead offers a dark saddening take on the world where every option and choice you make will have an impact later. This is in stark contrast to say tales from the borderlands which yes does have a similar choices matter mentality however the story in that game is less serious and grim and more light hearted and lovely.

With tell-tale they cover so much ground in their narrative focused games its hard to single one of them out alone

Not a company that comes to mind when thinking of narrative but one that i would enjoy a job at would be gearbox, they are mainly known for creating the borderlands franchise and as of now are in the process of making the third game . Their narratives tend to be somewhat serious but have a lighthearted tone to them with alot of dirty humor.

Borderlands and its sequels probably are the most notable games they have created and do narrative in an inventive way in that it is both serious yet not at all serious at the same time i mean....the planet your on is in grave danger from a tyrant hell bent on wiping life as you know it off the planet with an alien doom weapon, but at the same time the villian mocks you with such childish insults and sarcastic nonsense its hard to take it seriously, even more so with some of the side missions like “shot this guy in the faace” which is exactly as it sounds.

http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/ - 5757 Main St, Frisco, TX 75034, USA

http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/careers/

Gearbox software have an odd internship program that allows people of all skill levels to join and it is called the cogs program, in their own words the cogs program is

“The COGS program at Gearbox Software is designed for future game developers to get a chance to start their careers by becoming embedded with the veteran, professional developers at our world-class video game development studio and actually contribute to a commercial video game project. It’s the real deal. This is the foot in the door. This is the chance to prove yourself.

The COGS program differs from a traditional internship because Gearbox Software will actually pay you during your time at the studio. What?! Did you read that right?! Yes, we’re going to pay you to prove yourself. We must be nuts.But forget about us being nuts for a minute – the COGS program is as real as Clap Trap’s malfunctioning artificial personality.

COGS stands for Contractors of Gearbox Software – you will get a contract and it will say that you have become an actual, official, paid professional inside the studio that is home of Borderlands, Duke Nukem, Brothers in Arms, Homeworld, Battleborn, and Randy Pitchford’s flamboyant shirts. The contract terms can be for as little as three months or as long as a year, depending on the timing and the role. During that time you’ll get free soda. Also during that time you’ll contribute to a real commercial product at our AAA development studio earning valuable experience and credit that will not merely be rewarding and insanely gratifying, but will also set-you-up to be very valuable and sought after by the industry. And there’s free snacks to wash down with the soda. Did I already mention the soda? It’s a cool deal.”

quote directly from here

This is all to simply prove if you deserve a job or not

Key people in my field

http://www.evanskolnick.com/games

His portfolio is rather well put together and lists all of his skills and accomplishments as well as any and all of the projects he has worked on it also seems to show his wide range of work as he has taken part in narrative roles on project such as mafia 3 which is full of gore and racial angles and tension to the kid friendly hi-jinks filled over the hedge game and movie.

This is a portfolio i should keep an eye on and learn from

https://twitter.com/evanskolnick?lang=en

Evan Skolnick is an american born writer who has previous worked on marvel comics as a lead writer and now has jumped into narrative video game design, his most recent project/job being the walking dead : a new frontier by telltale which makes him a key player not only in my field but a company based solely around the field i wish to work in

has a book out called : video game story telling, what every developer needs to know about narrative techniques

the description of the book and what it may offer

“With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. With Video Game Storytelling, game writer and producer Evan Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the development process—by all members of the team. This clear, concise reference pairs relevant examples from top games and other media with a breakdown of the key roles in game development, showing how a team’s shared understanding and application of core storytelling principles can deepen the player experience. Understanding story and why it matters is no longer just for writers or narrative designers. From team leadership to game design and beyond, Skolnick reveals how each member of the development team can do his or her part to help produce gripping, truly memorable narratives that will enhance gameplay and bring today’s savvy gamers back time and time again.“

Edwin McRae isnt noteworthy due to the work he has done, though he has worked on many smaller titles and mobile games as a narrative designer and world builder. He is more notable due to his constant advice and tutorials on how to become a better narrative designer and how to build a living breathing world from scratch

He too like Evan has a book or two to be purchased and read which can be found here : https://www.edmcrae.com/books-and-comics.cfm

Another good narrative designer to take a look at would be Daniel Dick, he describes himself as follows

“ I'm a Narrative Director & Writer with over 15 years of industry experience creating, building, and implementing successful narratives (including multiple AAA titles). I also recently designed a narrative design and game writing course for the University of British Columbia's Creative Writing Program.”

Some notable projects he has worked on include

★ DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED Narrative Director Eidos Montreal ★ HOMEWORLD: DESERTS OF KHARAK Narrative Director BBI / Gearbox ★ SPEC-OPS Lead Narrative Designer & Writer Rockstar Vancouver ★ BULLY Narrative Designer & Writer Rockstar Vancouver ★ SOCOM: TACTICAL STRIKE Lead Writer & Narrative Designer Slant Six / Sony ★ SOCOM: FIRETEAM BRAVO 3 Lead Writer & Narrative Designer Slant Six / Sony ★ NEED FOR SPEED & SSX Story Consultant & Contract Writer Electronic Arts ★ TREASURE PLANET Game Designer & Writer Barking Dog / Disney ★ THE DAMASCUS LETTER: A Spy Novel Author Finalist for the AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD in 2011.

His portfolio on Linkden is also very well put together and will have to keep an eye on this one as well

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldick/

The skills i need

When it comes to narrative design in general there are certain skills you will need when entering the field.

Atleast basic knowledge on pacing and tone to a story, you cant have characters fighting an epic war then suddenly 2 seconds later have a clown filled tea party only to mourn their friends for a solid hour or two after that, it kills both the tone your going for and pacing. Keep it balanced and consistent

Understand character and world building, it good to create a world or character but if they are blank slates of boring with a side of boring pie then no one will care.

To create a breathing living world you must think about every detail and bit of history, what does this town do for the world, why is this ruin here, where do these enemies live etc. However be careful as you cannot make a game with backstory and word building alone and people do not want to have to sit through hours of lore.

Characters are harder to build, they can have preset fears and goals and motivations and even backstories however alot of the time they need to grow alongside the player and inside the events of your narrative. If a character loses something precious to them show it, if they are tried from a long battle show it, if they have been beaten badly and took a massive hit to their pride again show it to the player and in the character.

Script/dialogue writing skills and understanding what goes into creating them. Make sure every bit of dialogue fits who it is meant for perfectly and try to avoid repetition if possible. Ensure scripts are clear to read for the voice actors

Ability to take critique and improve from it, maybe someone thinks a certain aspect of your narrative is a bit off and wants to give feedback, it would be your job to take that feedback in and maybe change the narrative a bit to fit it.

Interpersonal skills, do you really think your going to be working alone....yeah no it doesnt work like that as you will be with a team of writers more than likely who will be throwing in ideas into this world or character and trying to make them perfect. Listen to what they have to say and work with them. Plus you will be working with other departments, maybe the environment designer needs specific dialogue for a fire area and you need to take a look at the area to gauge what kind of dialogue to fit into it, Maybe the character designer needs help figuring out how this character might speak and what they could even say

You have to have the ability to understand the genre of what it is your writing, cant have a kid friendly platformer suddenly have sexual jokes and decapitations now can we?

Organization in your writing is a good skill to possess as well as good motivation skills and time management

My work and evaluating it/General Evaluation

Now that i have mentioned the skills needed and the work i have done it is time to evaluate it bit by bit and see if i meet the standards set above and if not how can i achieve them from where i am now

My work

Short stories and poems tend to come to me in the moment and usually come from my already made characters, existing characters from movies/tv/games or from some random idea i had in my mind. However as mention before they tend to be a one time thing and rarely branch out and become longer, any longer story usually gets forgotten about due to motivational or memory issues even if broken into parts (For example i got 5 parts into a dark souls 3 story before forgetting it and never really going back to continue it). If i wish to get into narrative i need to work on long stories

The few twine games i have made so far are at a time where i have minimal knowledge of twine and one of them i cannot add to my porfolio due to content inside it. They are not nearly to the standard they could or should be and i should spend time completing and working on them to put them at the level i believe they could be.

The blog is personally my proudest bit of writing, i started the blog with a charcter based on an ingame mario enemy that had no backstory or anything, no personifcation or even personality. I took this enemy and gave it life and a soul, gave it wants and needs and fears and a personality, it has goals and a past now and as said has spawned countless Alternate worlds and ideas from it due to the story i have told with him. However alot of the writing tends to be very informal and dailouge based and the blog also has some informal and silly content to go through, will need to isolate the writing from this blog to show on the portfolio

As said he has spawned countless characters off of himself, from a sweet gentle shy king, to an evil dominating tyrant, a lonely yet wise last of his kind hunter, a sickening horrific yet lovable spider hybrid creature, a shy 1 limbed mechanic looking into necromancy to power his robotics to be honest this is stuff to include in the portfolio however it mention it here as no matter how many characters i do have i should continue to add more to the mix and develop them every chance i get to do so.

Skills and myself overall

In terms of skills i would like to atleast believe i own some of the needed skills for my job role, a basic understanding of pacing and tone, world and character building experience as well as interpersonal skills and abilities. Perhaps i do struggle a small amount with critique as sometimes it dont learn or go back to redo what is told of me.

Out side of skills to myself in general im a generally approachable and creative guy who could keep tensions low and ensure that everyone in the company is keeping themselves happy and destressed, i would also like to believe im willing to advance and learn even if it is painful.

But to evaluate you have to speak of the bad too, which is sometimes i can be very unmotivated and avoid/put off work for as long as possible even if i understand and know i have work. I can also get frustrated easilly with things that i cannot do or do not understand, if i wish to advance in my industry i willl need to put these under lock and key

My path into industry due to what i have found here

Due to the information i have found here there are a few paths into industry i can take

i can look for a indie or triple A developer looking for a q/a tester and work into the company from there offering the skills i do have to help construct the game and help any struggling member of the team during my none working hours, this iwll show them my previously obtained skills and allow them to remember me above all the other Q/A testers thus getting a foot in the door

I could also use my Voice acting talent and get in through that, voice a character and offer changes and help to the script as well as developing the character which again gives me a foot into the door.

another option is to wiggle into games journalism, this way i can write about and meet many developers as well as play some of the hottest games before anyone else and offer my opinion on them and what could be changed.

#FWDD2000

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