#quick business launch

[michellesanches]

Book Summary - “Million Dollar Weekend” by Noah Kagan

This book is a guide designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to jump-start their business ideas into profitable ventures over a short period of time. Kagan, an established entrepreneur known for his role in companies like Facebook and Mint.com, outlines a methodical approach to launching a business quickly and efficiently. Book Summary 1. Setting the Stage Kagan starts by…

[selfmadebd]

AI Logo Studio Review: Create and sell logos in 3 easy-click

AI Logo Studio - Welcome to my deep review article. More than 78% of Fortune 500 companies use attention-grabbing logos to attract audience attention. So, it's clear that using 100% original logos is the next big thing in the digital marketing arena, and business owners across the globe are leaving no stone unturned to use them in their marketing arsenal.

AILogo Studio Brand New, First to Market AI Tech Creates Thousands Of Stunning, 100% Original Logos From Any Keyword For Any Offer In Any Niche In 60 Seconds Or Less. With Zero Designing, Zero Photoshop Skills, and Zero Hiring Expensive Designers.

💥What is AI Logo Studio?

AI Logo Studio is the world's first AI-powered app that creates beautiful, unique logos and icons with just a single prompt or keyword, even for any business in any niche, in 60 seconds. Or Less With Zero Designing | Zero Photoshop Needed | Zero Hiring Expensive.

Designers: Only 3 Quick Clicks: Make $678.82 Daily, Turn Any Keyword Into Incredible Logos, and Sell Directly To Your Clients From Your Own Fiverr-like Marketplace. Click here for more info>>>]💵💵💵💥💥

💥It works in 3 easy steps:

✅Step #1: Login 

✅Step #2: Insert Keyword

✅Step #3: Sell and Profit

💥AI Logo Studio Review - Overview:

***Creator***

Loveneet Rajora

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💹Product: AI Logo Studio

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💹Launch Date: 07th July -2024

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💹Launch Time: 11:00 Am Est

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💹Front-End Price: $17

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💹Contents: Software (Online)

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💹Support: Effective Response

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💹Recommended: Highly Recommended

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 💹Discount Coupon Code:  Yes, Use Coupon Code [VIPLOGOS ] Instant $5 Discount 

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💹Bonus: Yes, Huge Bonuses

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💹Refund: Yes, 30 Days 100% Money-Back Guarantee

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💹Skill Level Needed: All Levels

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💥AI Logo Studio Review: Features

First-to-Market AI Tech Converts Any Keyword Into Eye-Catchy Business Logos In Multiple Niches and Languages In 3 Clicks

Fire Your Expensive Designers and Cancel Expensive Monthly Subscriptions

Zero Grunt Work: Just Insert a Keyword, and Our Engine Does Everything For You

Create thousands of mind-blowing, 100% unique logos with just an idea, keyword, or prompt.

Sell These Amazing World-Class Logos on Your Own Fiverr and Upwork-like marketplace and Stop Paying Huge Commissions

Browse our HUGE library of 1000's of done-for-you, expertly crafted logo templates.

Upload and sell your own logos to tons of hungry customers globally.

Download and use logos in various formats, such as PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF.

Get 10X More Traction By Using These Beautiful Logos Anywhere You Like

Use multi-industry-friendly logos that force visitors to get hooked on your brand.

Craft a separate entity from your competition without lifting a finger.

Easily Use Yourself or Sell Them To Your Clients Directly For Huge Profits...

Zero logo creation, zero Photoshop, zero third parties, and zero freelancers are needed.

Limited-Time Commercial License Included To Sell Unlimited AI Logos For Top Dollar To Your Clients

Nothing to Download, Install, or Customize: "GGet Started in Seconds.

Limited Time Offer: Get Premium Bonuses Worth $16,458

Iron-Clad 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee Included.

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💥AI Logo Studio Review - Benefits

First-to-Market AI Tech Converts Any Keyword Into Eye-Catchy Business Logos In Multiple Niches and Languages In 3 Clicks

Fire Your Expensive Designers and Cancel Expensive Monthly Subscriptions

Zero Grunt Work: Just Insert a Keyword, and Our Engine Does Everything For You

Create thousands of mind-blowing, 100% unique logos with just an idea, keyword, or prompt.

Sell These Amazing World-Class Logos on Your Own Fiverr and Upwork-like marketplace and Stop Paying Huge Commissions

Browse our HUGE library of 1000’s of done-for-you, expertly crafted logo templates.

Upload and sell your own logos to tons of hungry customers globally.

Download and use logos in various formats, such as PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF.

Get 10X More Traction By Using These Beautiful Logos Anywhere You Like

Use multi-industry-friendly logos that force visitors to get hooked on your brand.

Craft a separate entity from your competition without lifting a finger.

Easily Use Yourself or Sell Them To Your Clients Directly For Huge Profits...

Zero logo creation, zero Photoshop, zero third parties, and zero freelancers are needed.

Limited-Time Commercial License Included To Sell Unlimited AI Logos For Top Dollar To Your Clients

Nothing to Download, Install, or Customize Get Started in Seconds. 

Why AI Logo Studio Deserves Serious Attention

Stunning AI Technology Creates Thousands of Attention-Grabbing Logos in 3 Easy Clicks

Never Spend A Single Dime Extra; Get Tons Of Mind-Boggling Incredible Logos For Your Clients 

No Third-Party Dependency: Our AI Tech Instantly Drives Tons of Targeted Traffic On Your Offers

Use just 10 minutes. Create tons of conversion-boosting logos for any niche.

No Freelancers Needed, This Advanced Tech Creates Mind-Breaking Logos All by Itself

Put AI Logo Studio into action and watch stunning business logos created even when you’re on the move.

💥Watch AI Logo Studio in action. 

Zero Logo Creation Skills

Zero Photoshop usage

Zero Manual: Work Yourself

Zero freelancers are needed.

Zero-Tech Hassles

Zero Extra Monetization Efforts

Zero Third Party Dependency

And the coolest part is that you’re getting launch-exclusive bonuses if you act today. 

💥 AI Logo Studio Review - Bonuses:

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✅Exclusive Bonus 1: VizualAI [FE + OTO1 + Reseller]: It is an AI graphic editor and content writer. You can generate 66+ content types from text, and you can edit or create any social media post images from 2000+ templates. 

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Thanks for reading the AI Logo Studio Review till the end, and I hope it will help you make your decision. 

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[supreme-leader-stoat]

You're fresh out of college and looking for a job. Everyone is hiring. Nobody who's "hiring" is actually hiring. You finally get a call back from somewhere you barely remember applying to (though the voice on the other end sounds synthesized). You pull up the job listing again real quick. The company name and the fact that the listing is for "Minion" are kind of concerning, but you know what, you've interviewed with enough evil corporations by now, you can handle one wearing its true colors on its sleeve. At this point it's a matter of making rent or moving back in with your parents, and as much as you love your family, you can't imagine spending another summer dealing with your brothers' antics. You agree to the interview.

The man who greets you is an enthusiastic older German(?) man who's either way too into cosplay or just that committed to the bit, judging by the lab coat. He made cookies. The tray of cookies is proffered to you by a ten-foot-tall robotic caricature of a 50s businessman. You take a deep breath to calm yourself. You bite into one of the cookies. It's delicious.

You ask the boss about his business model. "Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that, I bounce from project to project a lot." He mentions that his end goal is becoming the undisputed ruler of the surrounding counties. "Really? Not the whole world?" you ask. "I like to set realistic goals," he replies.

As he gives you the tour of his "evil lair," ingrained instincts are screaming at you to report this guy to some kind of authority figure. You remember the salary. You decide that you can always bust him after getting your first paycheck.

The boss asks when you can start. Caught off guard, you say "tomorrow?". Your boss(?) says he'll see you then.

On the way out, you bump into your stepbrother's girlfriend. Your boss introduces her as his daughter. You both silently agree to sidestep the subject for now and act like this is your first time meeting.

You show up to your first day of work. Your boss is putting the finishing touches on a giant machine that was definitely not there yesterday. You are nonplussed. You ask him what it's for and he launches into a convoluted explanation involving his parents always forcing him to put his shirts on backwards so the tag was in front. You think he should probably talk to a therapist.

Your brothers' exotic pet breaks down the wall. You stare at him. He stares at you. Incredulously, you say his name. "Oh, good, you two already know each other!" your boss says. You mention that you used to live with him. "What? Perry the Platypus, you never mentioned having a roommate."

This is what I like to imagine Candace Flynn's life is like, post P&F.

[d3stinyist1red]

ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ʏᴀɢᴀᴍɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Yan light who met you in highschool, the last year

Yan light who becomes your study partner, helping u and ur dumb lil brain

Yan light who starts realizing how cute you were, but never had a crush on u (he did he just never wanted to admit it)

Yan light who now has a crush on you after him trying to convince himself that you're not his type,

Yan light who now helps you with more than studying, whenever you don't have a pencil, he'll give it to you eagerly, whenever you want something from Amazon but your too broke, he'll buy it for you, whenever your too lazy to work on assignments, you call him and he'll let you copy

Yan light who is now your friend rather than study buddie

Yan light who sits with you during lunch, not bothering to hang out with his other popular friends, telling you that he prefers you

Yan light who stares at you during class, thinking of all the things you could do to him before shaking his head, and covering his blushing face

Yan light who convinces his sister that you're his gf, and that's why you keep coming over to his house.

Yan light who now is by your side 24/7, walking you to classes, holding your backpack for you as you ramble about the girl u don't fw, walking you home, and more

Yan light whose house you go to for a study session, but you knew it was just gonna turn out to you rambling about drama as he watched you with heart eyes, hand on your thigh

Yan light who convinces you to stay over, saying "N/n, it's too dark out, just stay here yeah?"

Yan light who you ask "Light, where am I gonna sleep?"

Yan light who smiles, and says "In my bed, where else, sweetheart?" As if it was the most obvious thing in the world

Yan light who cuddles you throughout the night, arms around your waist as he whines when you try to pull away from him

Yan light who now tells you to go to the college he's going to, giving you puppy dog eyes as you refuse

"Sweetheart, come into the college I'm going to, you don't wanna be separated do you?"

"Honey, what do you mean your too dumb? Just copy off me, my love."

Yan light who makes you go to his college, smiling at you when you finally tell him "Fine, I'll go to your college."

Yan light who now barely lets you go to your own house, "Am I not good enough for you, love?" He asks with tears in his eyes like bro I just asked u if I could go home

Yan light who cooks and cleans for you, "Honey, do you want me to make you some pasta for tonight?" He saids all giggly, his sister just gags in disgust bc why is her rat brother acting like a middle school girl in love

Yan light who is literally 3 seconds away from smashing the TV in his room because your busy playing GTA rather than him, he's literally half naked, wanting you to touch him and your playing GTA tryna run from the cops?! How dare you, just watch, he'll get rid of that fucking ga-

"hey wife, can ya bring me my water?" You ask, you gave him a glance making him perk up, knowing that if u called him wife, he'll do anything for u

"Okay! ♡" What was he thinking about again?

Yan light who finally got the death note, and told you "If you fucking even look at someone else other than me, I'll kill them."

"wife, you barely even let me see my own family"

Yan light who Misa finally meets up with

"Light! I'm your classmate, and you dropped this book!" Misa said, showing the book as light makes her follow her to his room. You were inside the room, playing rock paper scissors with ryuk the homie

Oh yeah that lil bitch light showed you the death note and practically said he'll rip anyone's skull if they even bother to look in your direction, genuinely u weren't even shocked bc ur wife was just like that fr fr but anyway now ur homies with ryuk

They both walked into the room, and Misa was quick to glare at you. 'Light is my love, and I am his so why is this homewrecker all up in his bed like that!' was her train of thought, ready to launch at you before seeing Lights dark glare on here

"Don't even fucking think about it, now why are you here?"

They talked and Misa told him if he dated anyone but her, she'll kill them.

"thats...too bad, I'm already y/ns wife"

Yan light who is your wife that kills anyone who gets between you both <333

GUYS LOWKEY IMMA MAKE A YAN DEATH NOTE AND YAN JOJO BIZAREE ADVENTURE STORY ON MY WATTPAD LOLOLO

YAN TOWN, YAN MC DONALDS WORKER, YAN CELEBRITY, AND MORE COMING OUT SOONOJFBYUSDYUHjn

HOPE YALL LIKED THIS ONE I LITERALLY WAS HALF ASLEEP

[ecommenchanter]

Fast-Track to Online Income: Comprehensive Strategies to Earn Money and Grow Quickly in E-commerce

Introduction

The digital landscape has significantly transformed the way we conduct business, opening up countless opportunities for generating income online. E-commerce, a sector that has seen exponential growth over the years, has become a key player in the digital economy, offering anyone with an internet connection a chance to jump into the world of online selling.

While it’s important to maintain realistic expectations — you won’t become a millionaire overnight — with the right approach, strategic planning, and a good deal of determination, it’s certainly possible to start earning money online in a matter of weeks, perhaps even days. This article will offer an in-depth, step-by-step guide to help you hit the ground running and fast-track your online income through e-commerce.

Part 1: Dropshipping — A Quick Start

Why Dropshipping?

The beauty of dropshipping lies in its simplicity and low entry barrier. It’s an e-commerce model where you don’t handle the products you sell. Instead, you work with a supplier who stores, packs, and ships the products on your behalf. This means you can start selling without a huge capital investment or the hassle of inventory management.

Finding a Reliable Supplier

Your supplier is your business partner, and their performance directly affects your customer satisfaction. You can find suppliers on platforms like AliExpress, Oberlo, SaleHoo, or Doba. Check for suppliers with excellent reviews, reliable shipping, and high-quality products. Remember, the cheapest supplier may not always be the best choice.

Choosing Profitable Products

Your product choice can make or break your business. Focus on niche products that are trending but not overly saturated. Tools like Google Trends, Niche Scraper, and Trend Hunter can help you identify potential winning products.

Pricing Your Products

Pricing is a crucial part of your business strategy. It should be high enough to cover your costs and generate a profit, but low enough to attract customers. Consider your target audience, product quality, and market competition when setting prices.

Part 2: Building Your Online Store

Why Shopify?

Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform known for its user-friendly interface, robust functionality, and excellent customer support. It offers a 14-day free trial that allows you to set up your store and get comfortable with the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Designing Your Shopify Store

Your online store is your virtual storefront, and its design should create a positive first impression. Choose a clean, professional Shopify theme that aligns with your brand identity. The layout should be intuitive, with a focus on user experience. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as a significant portion of online shopping happens on mobile devices.

Creating Stellar Product Listings

Your product page is where the selling happens. Each product listing should include an engaging title, a detailed description, high-quality images, and a clear call-to-action. Highlight the benefits of your products and why customers should choose them over competitors.

Setting Up Payments and Shipping

Shopify supports a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and credit card payments, making it easy for customers worldwide to shop from your store. For shipping, you can use the rates provided by your dropshipping supplier. Be clear and transparent about shipping costs and times on your product pages and checkout process.

Part 3: Pre-Launch Marketing

Why Pre-Launch Marketing?

Building hype before your store’s launch can help you hit the ground running. Use this period to create a community around your brand, generate interest in your products, and build anticipation for your launch.

Building an Email List

An email list is a powerful marketing tool. Use lead magnets — incentives you offer to potential buyers in exchange for their email address — to encourage website visitors to subscribe to your mailing list. This could be a discount on their first purchase, a free ebook, or exclusive access to pre-launch products.

Social Media Teasers

Leverage social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to share teaser posts about your upcoming store launch. These could be behind-the-scenes looks at your product selection process, sneak peeks of your products, or countdown posts leading up to the launch. Remember, engagement is key. Respond to comments and messages, and build genuine relationships with your followers.

Part 4: Launching Your Store

The Grand Opening

Now that you’ve built up anticipation, it’s time for the big reveal. Announce the launch on your social media channels and send out an email blast to your subscribers. To encourage initial purchases, consider offering a special launch-day discount or a small gift with every purchase.

Leveraging Social Media for Promotion

Stay active on your social media channels. Regularly post engaging content, interact with your followers, and promote your products creatively. Consider running contests or giveaways to increase engagement and reach. Also, don’t shy away from paid advertising on social media — it can be an effective way to reach a larger audience.

Part 5: Post-Launch Marketing Strategies

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a powerful tool in the e-commerce world. Influencers have established audiences who trust their recommendations. Partnering with influencers in your niche can drive significant traffic to your store and boost your sales.

Running Paid Ads

Paid advertising, particularly on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, can be a game-changer for your online store. With the ability to target specific demographics based on interests, location, age, and more, you can reach potential customers who are likely to be interested in your products. Start with a small budget and gradually increase it as you see positive results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is a long-term strategy that can drive organic traffic to your store. It involves optimizing your website and product pages to rank higher in search engine results. This can be done by using relevant keywords in your content, optimizing your website’s loading speed, and building high-quality backlinks.

Part 6: Fostering Growth and Expansion

Prioritizing Customer Service

Excellent customer service can set you apart from your competitors. Ensure you respond to customer inquiries quickly and professionally. If issues arise with orders, handle them promptly and to the customer’s satisfaction. Happy customers are more likely to become repeat customers and refer others to your store.

Analyzing and Optimizing

Regularly review your store’s performance using analytics tools like Google Analytics or Shopify’s built-in analytics. These tools provide valuable insights into your customers’ behavior, popular products, and traffic sources. Use this information to optimize your website, marketing strategies, and product selection.

Expanding Your Product Range

As your business grows and you gain a better understanding of your customers, consider expanding your product range. This could mean adding new products within your existing niche or branching out into complementary niches. However, ensure any new products align with your brand and are likely to appeal to your target audience.

Part 7: Scaling Your Business

Moving Beyond Dropshipping

Once you’ve built a stable income stream through dropshipping, consider exploring other e-commerce business models. For instance, you could transition into wholesaling or even manufacturing your own products. This could increase your profit margins, give you more control over product quality, and allow you to offer unique products that set you apart from the competition.

Building a Strong Brand

As your business grows, focus on building a strong brand. A compelling brand story, a consistent visual identity, and a clear value proposition can help you establish a strong market presence. Invest in quality branding elements such as a professional logo, a unique color palette, and a consistent tone of voice in all your communication. Remember, a strong brand can command customer loyalty and distinguish you from competitors.

Investing in Advanced Marketing Strategies

As your business scales, so should your marketing efforts. Consider more advanced strategies such as content marketing, email automation, retargeting ads, and even hiring an SEO consultant.

Content Marketing: Regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content can drive traffic to your site, improve your SEO, and position your brand as an authority in your niche. This could be blog posts, how-to guides, or even video content.

Email Automation: Automated email campaigns can help you nurture relationships with your customers. This could include welcome emails, cart abandonment reminders, and personalized product recommendations.

Retargeting Ads: Retargeting ads can help you reach people who have previously interacted with your brand, reminding them of their interest and encouraging them to complete a purchase.

SEO Consulting: As your store grows, you may want to consider hiring an SEO consultant. They can provide expert advice and implement advanced strategies to help your store rank higher in search engine results.

Part 8: Mastering Customer Retention

Why Customer Retention Matters

Acquiring new customers is important, but retaining existing ones is just as crucial. In fact, it’s often more cost-effective to retain a customer than to acquire a new one. A loyal customer base can provide a steady stream of revenue and serve as brand ambassadors, promoting your business through word-of-mouth marketing.

Implementing a Loyalty Program

A loyalty program can incentivize repeat purchases by rewarding customers for their loyalty. This could be a points-based system where customers earn points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for discounts or free products. Or, it could be a VIP program offering exclusive perks to members.

Offering Excellent Post-Purchase Support

Post-purchase support is a crucial part of customer retention. This includes answering any questions or concerns customers may have about their purchase, providing easy and hassle-free returns or exchanges, and following up with customers to ensure they’re satisfied with their purchase.

Part 9: Exploring International Markets

The Benefits of Going Global

Expanding your e-commerce business to international markets can open up a whole new customer base, significantly increasing your sales potential. Additionally, it can help spread risk — if sales dip in one market, they may be up in another.

Conducting Market Research

Before expanding internationally, conduct thorough market research to understand the demand for your products in different markets, the competition, and any cultural nuances that could affect your marketing and sales strategies.

Overcoming Logistics Challenges

International expansion comes with logistical challenges, such as shipping, taxes, and customs. Partnering with international shipping providers and understanding the tax and customs regulations of the countries you’re selling in can help you overcome these challenges.

Part 10: Preparing for the Future

Staying Ahead of E-commerce Trends

The e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of trends can give you a competitive edge. This could involve adopting new technologies (like AR and VR for product visualization), exploring new marketing strategies (like TikTok marketing), or even expanding into new product categories.

Investing in Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to consumers. Incorporating sustainability into your business — whether through eco-friendly packaging, sustainable sourcing, or carbon offset shipping — can not only help the environment, but also attract a new segment of eco-conscious consumers.

Adapting to Changes in Consumer Behavior

Consumer behavior is continually changing, influenced by social, economic, and technological factors. Regularly reviewing your sales data, keeping an eye on industry trends, and actively seeking customer feedback can help you stay in tune with changes in consumer behavior and adapt your business accordingly.

Part 11: Building a Team

As your e-commerce business grows, you may need to expand your team to handle the increasing workload and bring in new skills and perspectives.

Hiring the Right People

Hiring the right people is crucial for the success of your business. Look for individuals who are passionate about your industry, align with your company culture, and have the skills and experience needed for their role.

Delegating Tasks

As a business owner, it’s important to delegate tasks so you can focus on strategic decision-making. Assign operational tasks (like order fulfillment and customer service) to your team members, and consider outsourcing specialized tasks (like SEO and content creation) to experts.

Building a Positive Company Culture

A positive company culture can improve employee satisfaction and productivity. Foster a culture of open communication, recognize and reward hard work, and provide opportunities for professional growth.

Part 12: Keeping the Momentum Going

Building a successful e-commerce business is a marathon, not a sprint. Even after achieving initial success, it’s important to keep pushing forward and striving for growth.

Continually Optimizing Your Store

E-commerce is a fast-paced industry, and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Regularly review and optimize your store based on performance data and industry trends. This could involve tweaking your website design, improving product descriptions, or optimizing your checkout process.

Expanding Your Marketing Efforts

As your business grows, you should continually expand and diversify your marketing efforts. Test new marketing channels, experiment with different ad formats, and continually optimize your campaigns based on performance data.

Innovating and Experimenting

Don’t be afraid to innovate and experiment. Whether it’s launching a new product line, trying a new marketing strategy, or experimenting with a new business model, taking calculated risks can lead to big rewards.

Conclusion

While the promise of fast money in e-commerce is enticing, it’s important to remember that building a successful online business requires strategic planning, hard work, and a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation. It’s not about getting rich quick, but about building a sustainable business that can provide a steady income stream over time.

The roadmap outlined in this article offers a comprehensive guide to fast-tracking your online income. By starting with dropshipping, setting up an attractive and user-friendly online store, leveraging pre-launch and post-launch marketing strategies, and focusing on customer satisfaction, analysis, and optimization, you can set your e-commerce business up for success. As your business grows, you can explore other business models and advanced marketing strategies to further increase your income.

So, are you ready to embark on your e-commerce journey? With this detailed guide, you’re well-equipped to fast-track your path to earning online income. Remember, every successful business started somewhere, and today could be your day one. So, take that first step, and let the journey begin!

[getodrools]

You're round and heavy with another coddled baby, again... and the tot that was already a year old hanging on your hip was screaming, again... and finally, to add to such chaos, the third child that just turned four has now tripped, and is also now crying, again.

You sigh. Heavily. Again.

Even though Sukuna was resting, the pain throbbing in his chest annoys him out of nestled dreams — and the ruckus, "Shut him up. And you, get up, you're fine." Your husband grabs the collar of his son's shirt; twists the fabric around, and lifts him right up to his little feet with ease. His tiny limbs dangled at the short air time, but they went right to work soon as he plopped him down, watching how he mindlessly ran back into whatever adventure his little head could get into... But motherly eyes, mostly see how the freshly ironed Spiderman top now wrinkled and sagged around your little boy's body.

You went to shoot the grump slugging towards you a glare, but the obvious leak dribbling through hard peaks forces you to suck in your lips.

"You're... —"

"We both are." Sukuna waves an arm around as another pair reaches for the wailing chub lashing in your hands. He ignores how snot slobbered down his forearm in the process… But free from the baby, you glance down and also see that you are in fact, soaked with running milk too... Again.

The cries instinctively had your perk breasts stimulate an activation on cue... Used to it yourself, but seeing that big, grouchy man also leak just how you did, bewildered your thoughts! The multiple outcries must've sent Sukuna’s tender pecs to dampness and it was quite a sight for you.

“I didn't know you—”

The hiss Sukuna belches in the baby's face with fangs peaking out, a wrinkled nose, and curling lips force your hand to launch at his broad shoulder.

“Like an annoying mosquito.” His throat rumbles into a deep chuckle at the attempt.

You stick your nose up, “Be nice— and dont hold him like that!” You moved quick, forcing his arms to cushion out instead of holding the baby like a damn flimsy piece of paper in the air…

“He stopped that ugly crying, sweetheart. I think I'm doing something right,” Sukuna pecks at your forehead, feeling the heat rise against tender lips, “Go get washed up.” And you want to admire his stupid smug face, and that odd fatherly nature all the boys so seemed to find comfort in, but you couldn't help but huff.

“Why do they like you so much. I birthed them.”

“I too would listen to a man who has four arms and was titled the King of curses.” He had a point, but it felt much deeper than that… They truly loved their father, watching the youngest yawn out of tears and nuzzled to his chest—

“Ah! The little shit bit me.” Sukuna hisses again and you snort into a fit of laughter how the baby tried to latch itself on something he had no business hooking for…

It was chaos, again.

<– BACK: PINNED ⊹ ࣪ ˖ NEXT: MORE SUKUNA –>

[etherealyoungk]

thinking about mingyu who gets so excited telling you about his day. He talks so fast, his lisp becomes prominent that at some point you barely understand some phrases but its okay, you love him. You'll learn his "language". Even if he gets overly excited his hand gestures knock over his cup or his knees hit the coffee table. Sometimes theres just a brightness in his eyes and flush of his cheeks as he yaps that you just stare. He'd pout when you don't respond and you just giggle and kiss him silly cause he's so passionate, so adorable, so precious, and so yours.

-🍙

🍙 anon this is so cute stop

imagine you’re curled up on the couch, reading a book while sipping on your coffee when mingyu bursts through the door. his face practically glowing with excitement and you can tell he's brimming with stories to tell you.

“gyu, how was your day?”, you ask as he takes a seat next to you.

before you can even take another sip of your coffee, he’s already launching into his tale. “you won’t believe what happened! i was at the—” mingyu begins, his words tumbling out in a rapid-fire. his enthusiasm makes his words merge into a blur of excitement.

as he talks, his hands fly around animatedly, demonstrating every detail of his story. at one point, he’s so engrossed in his explanation that he accidentally knocks your cup of coffee, which spills slightly. you try to keep up with what he is saying, but his enthusiasm is so infectious that you’re too busy watching his bright eyes and adorable, animated expressions, even if you catch only every third word,

“—and then i got this amazing—” he says, waving his hands so energetically that he nearly smacks the lamp next to the couch.

he’s so wrapped up in his excitement that he barely notices the chaos he’s creating. his eyes are sparkling, and his smile is so wide it seems to light up the room. you’re mesmerised by his passion and adorableness, and as you watch him with a soft, loving smile. he’s so cute that it’s almost overwhelming.

you giggle, unable to resist the charm of his energy. he finally pauses and notices you staring at him with an amused smile. “what? why are you looking at me like that?” he asks, pouting slightly.

you lean in, cupping his face gently in your hands. still laughing softly. "because you’re absolutely precious. your excitement is the sweetest thing ever and you're so adorable when you get excited and i love you so much.”

mingyu’s blush deepens, and his pout turns into an almost bashful smile. “really? i just got so caught up in telling you—”

“yes, really", you say, cutting him off. "you’re the cutest thing ever, and i wouldn’t trade these messy, adorable moments for anything.”

he giggles at your words, his eyes sparkling with joy as he looks at you. you lean in and plant a series of quick, silly kisses on his cheeks. “you’re just so precious. i can’t get enough of you.” you say between each kiss. the grin on mingyu's face is infectious as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you closer into a tight hug as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, getting shy. you just love him so much <3

[often-daydreaming]

A Quick Chat

'Absolutely not!'

'I'm just gonna talk with him!'

Following the quickly escalating shouts down to the Batcave Bruce found Dick and a heavily armed Tim at each other's throats while their siblings oh so helpfully egged them on.

They were arguing about Wally and their last universal saving mission for some reason and Tim had nearly every contingency he could think of to handle a speedster on him.

-nna talk, that's it!'

'Then you can leave the gear here!'

'What's going on?'

All of his children froze, finally realizing he was here before they started shouting over each other.

'You remem-'

'-ick's trying to-'

'Father Dr-'

'-ng crazy, just because the universe re-'

'Enough!'

'Now, can someone tell me what's going on or do I have to get Alfred?'

And Jason was happy enough to tell him. 'Replacement's pissed because we finally discovered a pretty big difference with the universe after the League hit the reset button.'

Multiple screens on the Batcomputer held information on new heroes, a Junior JLD and everything Tim could dig up on two individuals. The first one was Phantom, a new addition to the Titans and had a number of detailed conspiracy theories tracking his appearances through time while the other held the detailed background information of a recently graduated Daniel James Fenton. Tim had dug up everything from his kindergarten grades to... Oh... Oh no... That explains why they were arguing about Wally.

Most of Daniel's latest online post covered his move to Gotham, his new job offer working in their engineering department and his new boyfriend Bernard. Looking at it all made it painfully easy to piece together that... 'They stole my life!'

And Dick and Tim were arguing again but Bruce knew it wouldn't get too heated and focused his attention on the gathered information. It was easy to see that a number of encounters his kids (mainly his oldest three) should have had with the Titans were adjusted just enough to fit Phantom now and Tim's involvement with the Children of Dionysus had been shifted around to involve Daniel in this new universe.

'-e universe reset doesn't mean you can ruin their lives. Phantom seems like a good kid.'

'Dowd would have left you eventually.'

Dick had to hold Tim back from launching himself at Damien while Jason and Steph stood by egging the two of them on, but then Tim got that look in his eye when Duke brought up the idea of reintroducing himself and everyone noticed.

'No.'

'Come on. Tim, you don't need another restraining order.'

'But it didn't happen in this universe so it doesn't count.'

'It counts if we still remember it!'

But Tim wasn't listening, too busy changing out of all of his gear as a plan quickly started forming together in his mind.

Why waste time with Wally when he can just as easily win over the new couple while ignoring everything else he's learned from his friends.

He'd figure it out one mess at a time. After he won Bernard back he'd figure out the situation between Red Robin and Phantom.

-_- -_- -_-

Reading over the sticky note Danny couldn't help but wonder what Clockwork meant when he wrote 'Have Fun'.

Again, I blame my medication for this, but this came from a couple of different prompts about Tim, Bernard and Danny and I just sort of went with it. Basically the main roster of the League has to stop (Pick a threat) and end up resitting the universe again. The problem is they still remember the old universe so they spend a week or two looking up any big changes and a sleep deprived Tim starts believing he barely knows Bernard in this universe when he's actually dating him and Danny. He just hasn't dug deep enough to figure out his own connection.

[reimenaashelyee]

Idk if I talked about this here, but for the past 3 years I've been quietly developing a particular kind of comics taxonomy: identifying, naming and describing the visual-literary devices used in comics. Most of them are devices appropriated and adapted from other mediums, like poetry, rhetoric, cinema, etc - but quite a few are unique to comics. My intent is to give language not just for comics creators when they need to articulate their authorial choices, but for critics, scholars and teachers to talk about comics as a visual-literary art form.

Anyway, the research has gotten to the point where it's ready for the public. My plan is for this resource to be delivered in the form of a Wikipedia, online database, basically an accessible website that contains all the information related to the devices, including working examples from other graphic novels, webcomics, etc. It's STILL not ready yet - Idk when it's gonna debut, but I've recently secured an opportunity that will make progress move faster.

This zine right here is both soft-launch promo + a fancy business card for the Comics Devices guide. It's meant to pitch my research and act as a quick reference type of thing for folks. I'm only able to sell this in person in Australia, but folks in the US might get an edition soon (related to aforementioned opportunity).

But yeah. Big comics stuff happening.

[barcaatthemoon]

happy birthday || alexia putellas x reader ||

alexia takes you out for your birthday.

you hated that the closer your birthday got, the more nervous you were. alexia had no obligation to take you out, but you hoped she would. dates with alexia were rare, especially ones outside of her apartment. she was a homebody, and a night in was absolutely perfect in your eyes. you liked a good night in, but sometimes, you just wanted to be a little more social.

in hindsight, there had been little hints that alexia was planning something big. your birthday fell right around the same time that she was due back from a business trip. alexia was going without her ibiza trip this year, and she had asked if you'd stay in with her for a couple of weeks.

alexia returned early from her trip. she had been a bit distant, but not enough to raise too many questions. your mind had been going haywire trying to figure out what could be going on. you were terrified of alexia breaking up with you, but when you woke up on your birthday, you realized how safe your relationship was.

"bon dia! i made you breakfast." alexia looked like a little kid as she stood in the doorway holding a tray of food. she looked so proud of herself, and your heart was swelling at the sight of her. "happy birthday bebita. i hope that today is perfect for you."

"thank you ale," you said as you leaned over to give her a kiss. alexia deepened it, slipping her tongue past your lips teasingly before she pulled away. alexia watched as you ate the breakfast that she had made for you. alexia didn't do a lot of the regular cooking in the house, often having to make her meals different from yours. you didn't mind, especially because more often than not, she was stealing bites of the food you had made yourself.

"i know that it's not as good as what you'd make, but i tried," alexia told you.

"it's delicious," you promised her. alexia's ego liked that more than anything, which was evident with the little pep in her step for the rest of the morning.

alexia seemed to have the whole day planned for the two of you. she let you call and text everybody that you needed to from the comort of her arms while a movie played in the background. you hadn't been paying much attention to it, nor had alexia. all of her focus was on you the entire time, which definitely had you feeling some kind of way.

"we can not skip lunch altogether, so i'll pick us up something quick in here. sandwich okay?" alexia asked. the two of you had gotten modesty dressed up to pick up a present that alexia had for you. there was a suitcase in the backseat, something that you didn't miss. however, alexia wasn't answering a single one of your questions.

"that sounds good. you know what i like." you pressed a quick kiss to alexia's lips, dismissing her to leave. alexia raced off to the store. you waited in the car for just a couple of minutes, alexia having sprinted back after getting the sandwich and some drinks. alexia ate her half quickly. the excitement was practically radiating off of her.

alexia didn't make you wear a blindfold, so you figured out the destination about halfway through the drive. there was a little resort on the coast about an hour and a half's drive away from your house that you absolutely loved. it wasn't nearly as fancy as some of the other places alexia had taken you, but you loved it a million times more. alexia was convinced that if you could pick that place to stay every year, you would.

"it's not ibiza or columbia, but i figured that since it was your birthday, i'd pick the place i knew you liked the most," alexia said as she parked the car. she looked a bit nervous, but all of that was pushed away when you launched yourself into her arms. you mumbled your gratitude in between kisses pressed all over her face and neck.

"i love you so much. you didn't have to do any of this, really," you told her. alexia rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, as if she hadn't expected this sort of praise.

"it's not over yet. there's a dress on the bed. dinner is in a couple of hours, so you have plenty of time to get ready," alexia told you. she placed her hands on your hips, which was when you knew exactly what she was thinking. smirking, you led her back into the bedroom.

…

"ale…" you were at a loss for words. whenever she said dinner, you had expected a restaurant. this was so much better than that. alexia had sectioned off a little part of the beach and set it up for the two of you to enjoy together. it felt like something out of a romance movie, and you were honestly too shocked to respond.

"come, sit down. it's not perfect, but i made you dinner," alexia said as she guided you into a seat. she brought a plate over, which was when you saw your favorite meal laid out on the plate. alexia had a bit of trouble making things from your home country, mainly out of the lack of available ingredients. some of these things you knew she would have had to get shipped here to really complete the experience.

"this is it," you said to yourself. alexia paused, fearful that you were upset. you didn't blame her, your voice was obviously overwhelmed with emotion, and alexia couldn't tell which way it swung. "this is what it's like to be loved by someone else. this is what it's like to feel important. i don't ever want to give this up."

"you won't have to, i promise," alexia told you. she leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. you needed the moment of reassurance from alexia. you had never shied away from your feelings for her, but you did tend to retreat into yourself when you got scared about her leaving. "i love you far too much to ever do something like that. football won't last me forever, but we will."

[leilakisakabiri]

Cut The Camera (LN)

Summary: Working as a reporter at the Miami Grand Prix when your boyfriend wins it.

Warning(s): None.

A/N: She's back! and with an F1 story of all things. Requests are open.

Word Count: 1.3k+

Masterlist

It was a warm day in May and you and your team were gearing up for another race weekend, this time in Miami.

Since Miami was the home base of your organization, and also your hometown, you decided to take the trip over from Monaco a few days earlier than everyone else.

That meant you had also left Lando behind, promising to see him once the race weekend started.

You wanted to spend some time with your family before work took over.

Now the weekend had arrived and you were busy getting ready in the garage, running through your pre-race questions and attaching your mic.

You were beyond excited. This would be the first time since you began working with F1 that a race would be held in your hometown and you had the opportunity to interview the drivers. Nothing could go wrong.

Pre-race questions went off without a hitch and you were able to interview at least three different teams drivers, which was a win for you.

Of course, you interviewed Lando, who was more than eager to answer any questions you had for him. In reality, he was just excited to see you again after being apart for a week.

"Good luck today." You gave him a genuine smile that the camera couldn't pick up.

He grinned back, handing you back the microphone, hand lingering on top of yours for a second too long, "Thanks. Feeling good about this one."

Since you had started dating six months ago, the longest the two of you had been away from each other was only a measly two days when Lando took a quick trip to London - other than that you had been attached at the hip. Of course both of you working in the same place and traveling to the same locations helped significantly.

However, although the staff at McLaren and around the pit were used to you two being affectionate, the rest of the world was not.

To them you were just y/n, the F1 reporter, who interviewed drivers and had no relations to anyone outside of that. They had never even seen you and Lando interact outside of work. Half the fans didn't know your name, so you flew under the radar pretty effectively.

You and Lando had been talking about the possibility of making your relationship a bit more public, nothing crazy, but just something small so people got the hint that he might be seeing someone. You wanted a soft launch, in hopes of reducing scrutiny, and Lando just wanted whatever you did.

As you passed the six-month mark in your relationship both of you grew annoyed at the prospect of never getting to be around each other. If you guys went to dinner, you would have to arrive first, and then around 15 minutes later Lando would show up. If you went out in a group, again, one of you would have to go first, with the second trailing behind after a couple of minutes.

You planned to wait until the season ended before making any decisions.

That was until today.

Things slowly started unraveling the closer the race got to finishing. You were sitting in the reporter tent, eyes trained on the monitor with bated breath as you watched Lando take the lead. You couldn't help the smile that broke onto your face when he managed to break through, you clasped your hands together, resting your chin on them while staring at the TV and trying your best to seem unaffected.

You shot out of your chair as the race drew to a close and you had to squeeze your eyes shut to not get overwhelmed with emotion once you heard the crowd start chanting Lando's name and your co-anchor in your earpiece screaming about Lando's first win.

You wanted to celebrate with him, so badly. He had done it. And in Miami no less.

You rushed your team as you tried to get to the barricade to watch the trophy celebration. You saw the McLaren team running to the podium, letting out a laugh once you realized a certain driver had jumped on them.

The entirety of the trophy celebration consisted of you yelling your lungs out cheering for your favorite person while also trying not to cry every time he looked up at the sky in disbelief.

"Y/n we're on in 10 let's head back." Your cameraman yelled over the crowd.

Once the drivers started to trickle back into the paddock after the celebration it was pure mayhem. Everyone was excited about Lando's first win and didn't have much to say in the debriefs leading to very short responses.

Finally, the man of the hour himself, came out drenched head to toe in champagne, a large grin settling onto his features once he spotted you, prompting him to immediately cut his conversation short and making a beeline to you.

He reached out to hug you, eyes twinkling with sheer joy, seemingly forgetting the camera was there, and you had to push his hands away below the camera lens so no one would notice.

His eyes immediately shot up to yours at the rejection, and you hoped he would understand once you started talking,

"Hello, Lando! Congratulations on the win, you're very first! How do you feel?" You couldn't hide the excitement in your voice.

He continued to gaze at you for a beat longer before responding, "It feels amazing. I'm so happy to have won, I feel like our team really put in the effort this week and it paid off. I for one wanted to win this weekend in particular."

You arched an eyebrow, a smile ghosting your lips, "Any reason why?"

His smile mirrored your own, "I've always loved Miami. Think this city has my good luck charm," He boasted.

You felt your cheeks heat up at his response, his boldness taking you off guard, as you moved to hastily tuck your hair behind your ear, his eyes following your every movement.

You glanced back up at him, "What does this win mean for you?"

"It means everything." His words were rushed, almost like he physically couldn't hold them back any longer.

You waited for him to continue, "It means that all the sacrifices my parents had to make, all the years spent helping me, supporting me, and allowing me to chase my dreams even though it was a long shot, finally paid off. It means that I was finally able to make a team proud that has believed in me time and time again even when I gave them reasons not to. This win isn't just for me, it's for every single person who helped me get where I am, every person who made me who I am, and for those who continue to shape the person I'm becoming."

Your heart melted at his answer, and you could see the sincerity and passion so clearly in his eyes that it was hard to form a response,

"Well you earned the title you got today, and I'm sure every person you mentioned is immensely proud of what you've just accomplished. I'll leave you to celebrate with your team."

You wanted to end the interview there. After his emotional response, you weren't sure how much longer you could remain professional.

It seemed Lando had other plans though.

As you reached for his mic, his hand landed on top of yours, stopping you.

"No."

"No?" You looked up confused, but he was already leaning down.

His free hand wrapped around your shoulder, pulling you closer as his other hand pushed the mic against the camera, trying to block the shot.

Your head tilted back in his grip and your hand instinctively wrapped around his shoulder bringing him closer. It took your brain a few seconds to register what was happening, and where, and by then he was already pulling away, tugging you into his side as he looked down with a shit-eating grin.

Your cheeks were pink, and your mouth was slightly open, not believing what just happened.

You looked at your cameraman, and he seemed just as shocked, finally you spoke, voice unsteady, "Cut the camera?"

[tastesousweet]

⭒ blurb : podcasting

bf!hamzah x poc!reader

summary: based on this ask!!! little blurb of the times you pop up on the ooc podcast

mickey speaks: this was so funny to write!!! also i need to be hamzah's gf yesterday bitch

─────────── · · ୨୧ · · ───────────

hamzah having you in an episode with mandy and martin

“oh wow this couch gets kinda tight when four people are squeezed on here” hamzah says while adjusting a few pillows

“yeah,” martin starts before addressing the audience, “and, well, you’re probably wondering ‘who the heck is that?!’” he gestures his hand over to you, beside hamzah with your legs folded and knees lying against his thigh

you can’t help but smile as hamzah introduces you, “and, yeah, believe it or not i have a girlfriend.”

“i’m right next to you so i’d hope they believe it” give a soft giggle

“only hamzah would announce he has a girlfriend with ‘believe it or not’” mandy adds and hamzah throws a hand up in the air in defeat

★

martin: “i can’t help but think this feels like in middle school when people were just group dating all the time”

hamzah: “was group dating that common? i don’t remember that”

you: “i remember certain friend groups at my school doing that but i definitely wasn't participating”

mandy: “this isn’t really a group though martin, more like a double date? there’s four of us”

martin: "it's not all about numbers mandy sometimes there's just a vibe"

★

martin: “but you two have been dropping hints about dating for a while now”

you: “yeah, we’ve been doing a little soft launching here and there”

martin: “i like that term a lot actually”

mandy: “i think it’s cute, but i've seen a lot of people online that don't use it properly”

you: "i agreeeee, like you didn't soft launch by posting the back of his head if we already saw the front of it a week ago- we know who he is!!! there is no mystery"

martin: "oh so the appeal is the mystery... almost like scooby doo?"

hamzah, nodding his head: "mhm... exactly"

you: "it's always two dumb bitches telling each other-"

you and hamzah together: "exactlyyyyy"

martin looks over to mandy as the two of you laugh: "oh come on this is their first episode together and look at them mandy! we have to be cuter, come on. lock in."

hamzah: "hey no need to be jealous, my friend."

hamzah pats martins thigh

mandy: "so what was that right there?"

hamzah: "you wouldn't understand..."

martin: "no but seriously mandy you never soft launched me- only hard"

mandy: "there was no need to??? next time i'll do it i guess"

you, laughing: "next time???"

hamzah is sat in thought for an extra second before he replies to martin, making them both laugh

hamzah: “okay martin you said like that term so much? boy, now imma soft launch these nuts in your mouth”

you: "and i know you were thinking on that joke for a minute"

martin, through laughs: “okay, okay, enough”

hamzah, wiping his eyes: “well, now the jig is up. you know it's all aired out and public”

martin: “yeah... a hard launch on the podcast, that’s crazy bro”

you and mandy, mocking: “that’s craaazzyy brooo”

★

hamzah answering your call during a podcast

martin: “hamzah whenever you buy clothes from the store or get it shipped in the mail always wash your clothes!”

hamzah: “i do wash my clothes but if it’s new that doesn’t make any sense”

martin: “so you’re just gonna open it up and put it on?”

hamzah: “yes!”

hamzah’s phone starts ringing

martin: “and wow. now look who’s breaking the phone rule!”

hamzah: “stop shhh. it’s y/n”

he answers, hamzah: “hey what’s up?”

you see the mic in his hand and widen your eyes, you: “oh shit, i’m sorry to interrupt”

hamzah: “it’s okay i have something to ask you now anyway.”

you: "okayy.. do you wanna go first or me?"

hamzah: "you go ahead"

you: "okay quick- is this business casual enough for an event tonight?"

hamzah: "nobody is doing business lookin' that hot, you can't be serious"

you: "kay thanks"

hamzah, jokes: "you are not anyone's office siren, girl"

you: "i'm gonna hang up"

hamzah: "no!!! i need to ask if you wash your clothes after you buy them."

you: "if they smell like stale water and factory chemicals, yes"

hamzah: "martin is educating me on the importance of this unimportant thing right now."

you: "and you should listen to him, stinky"

martin: "thank you!"

hamzah: "oh nahhh, now i'm gonna hang up"

you: "mkayy bye, sorry for interrupting! bye martin!!!"

martin: "byee"

★

you drop something off at the warehouse studio while they’re filming

hamzah: "what was that noise?"

martin: "i don't know..."

hamzah: "it sounds like someone's actually trying to break in, what?"

martin: "were you expecting company?"

hamzah: "no, were you?"

martin: "no...i mean let's ask the audience"

martin turns to the camera, concerned

hamzah: "okay i'm actually about to go check. this is weird."

it cuts to a clip of hamzah sat again and you peeking your head in the frame to wave

hamzah: "nevermind. it was just my sweet girlfriend bringing us lunch, sorry if that scared you guys."

martin: "should we make like a super artifical thumbnail for clickbait? somethin' like; 'someone tried to kidnap us in our studio!'

hamzah: "no"

★

they have a trolling episode where you and mandy both sub in and act as martin and hamzah for an entire episode

mandy: "you know i find it crazy how we manage to talk about nothing for an entire hour"

you: "this is the talent people expect from us bro! and if we ever get too boring we can always discuss the state of sabrina and barry's relationship."

mandy: "true. and don't make fun of me but everytime man-crush monday comes around i'm always picking barry..."

you: "well if i can't make fun of you then i'll just stay quiet for your sake."

taglist -★ (some of u didn't ask to be tagged but have frequently liked my hamzah content lol, just lmk if you'd prefer not to be tagged!!!)

@sirenedeslily @333michelle @thatmartinkitten @@maybankfr @imsosillygoofylol @certainfestivalnerdshepherd

[ecommenchanter]

Quick Start to E-commerce: A Comprehensive Guide to Start Making Money in Months

Introduction

E-commerce has revolutionized the way we do business, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. With the potential for high profitability and the ability to operate from anywhere in the world, e-commerce has become an attractive prospect for aspiring entrepreneurs. While it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, with the right strategy and tools, you can launch an e-commerce business and start making money within months. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to get started quickly in e-commerce.

Step 1: Identify Your Niche

The first step towards starting a successful e-commerce business is identifying your niche. A well-chosen niche will give you a clear focus, help you understand and target your customers better, and differentiate you from the competition.

Keyword Research Keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can provide valuable insights into what potential customers are searching for online. Look for popular search terms related to products or services that aren’t overly saturated with competition.

Competitor Analysis Analyze your potential competitors. What are they selling? How are they marketing their products? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Understanding your competition can give you insights into what works and what gaps you might be able to fill.

Market Trends Use tools like Google Trends or TrendHunter to identify trending product categories or up-and-coming niches. Choosing a trending niche can set you up for success by capitalizing on burgeoning market demand.

Passion and Expertise While it’s not a must, having a passion for your chosen niche can make running your e-commerce business more enjoyable and fulfilling. Likewise, if you have expertise or experience in a particular area, you might consider choosing that as your niche.

Step 2: Conduct Market Research

After identifying a potential niche, it’s crucial to validate it through market research. This will help you understand your target customers and the market demand better.

Customer Personas Create customer personas to understand who your ideal customers are, what they want, and how you can provide value to them. This can include demographics, buying behaviors, interests, and challenges.

Market Size and Demand Estimate the size of your potential market and the demand for your products. Tools like Statista, MarketResearch.com, or industry reports can provide useful data.

Pricing Strategy Analyze your competitors’ pricing strategies. How much are customers willing to pay for your products? Should you position yourself as a cost-leader or a premium brand?

Step 3: Source Your Products

After identifying your niche and validating it through market research, the next step is to source products to sell. Here are a few methods:

Dropshipping Dropshipping is a business model where you don’t hold any inventory. Instead, when a customer makes a purchase, the order is forwarded to the supplier, who fulfills it directly to the customer. This eliminates the need for inventory management and upfront investment in stock. However, margins can be lower, and you have less control over shipping and product quality.

Wholesale Purchasing products wholesale involves buying in bulk from manufacturers or distributors at a discounted rate and then selling them at a markup. This method requires more upfront investment and you’ll need to handle storage and shipping, but it generally offers higher profit margins and more control over your inventory.

Manufacture Your Own Products If you have a unique product idea or are skilled in making something, creating your own products can be an excellent way to stand out from the competition. However, this can be time-consuming and requires careful planning for production and inventory management.

Print-on-Demand Print-on-demand is a business model where you work with a supplier to customize white-label products (like t-shirts, mugs, or bags) with your own designs, and sell them on a per-order basis. This is a great way to sell custom merchandise without the need for inventory management or upfront investment.

Step 4: Build Your Online Store

Once you’ve sourced your products, the next step is to build your online store. Your website is your online storefront, so it should be professional, user-friendly, and representative of your brand.

Choose an E-commerce Platform There are several e-commerce platforms to choose from, each with its pros and cons. Shopify is user-friendly and has excellent customer support, but it also has recurring fees. WooCommerce is free and highly customizable, but it requires some technical know-how.

Design Your Website Your website design should be clean, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly. It should reflect your brand’s image and make shopping a seamless experience for your customers. Many e-commerce platforms offer pre-made templates that you can customize to your liking.

Product Listings Create detailed product listings for each of your products. Include high-quality photos from different angles, comprehensive descriptions, prices, and customer reviews if available. The more information you provide, the more likely customers are to make a purchase.

Payment and Shipping Set up secure payment gateways so customers can make purchases easily. Popular options include PayPal, Stripe, and credit card payments. Also, determine your shipping strategy. Will you offer free shipping, flat-rate shipping, or real-time carrier rates?

Step 5: Implement a Marketing Strategy

Having a robust marketing strategy is critical for driving traffic to your store and converting visitors into customers. Here are some key components of an effective e-commerce marketing strategy:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Optimizing your website for search engines can help you rank higher in search results, driving organic traffic to your store. This includes keyword optimization, on-page SEO (like meta tags and URLs), off-page SEO (like backlinks), and technical SEO (like site speed and mobile optimization).

Social Media Marketing Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok are powerful tools for promoting your products, engaging with your audience, and driving traffic to your store. Regularly post engaging content, interact with your followers, and consider using social media ads to reach a wider audience.

Email Marketing Building an email list allows you to keep in touch with your customers, promote new products, and encourage repeat purchases. You can use email marketing tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to automate your email campaigns.

Content Marketing Creating valuable content related to your niche can attract potential customers to your site, improve your SEO, and establish your brand as an authority in your niche. This could be blog posts, how-to guides, video tutorials, or infographics.

Paid Advertising Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads can drive targeted traffic to your site. You can target your ads based on demographics, interests, and buying behavior.

Step 6: Provide Excellent Customer Service

Providing excellent customer service is crucial in building trust and loyalty with your customers. It can be a significant differentiator in the e-commerce space.

Customer Support Offer multiple channels for customer support, such as email, phone, live chat, or social media. Aim to respond to customer inquiries and resolve issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Shipping and Returns Offer reliable and fast shipping options. Also, have a clear and fair returns policy. This can significantly influence a customer’s decision to make a purchase.

Customer Reviews Encourage and showcase customer reviews on your product pages. Reviews can provide social proof, improve SEO, and boost conversion rates. If you receive negative reviews, handle them professionally and try to resolve the issue.

Personalized Experiences Personalize the shopping experience for your customers as much as possible. This could involve product recommendations based on browsing history, personalized emails, or special offers for returning customers.

Step 7: Measure and Optimize

After launching your online store, it’s important to regularly measure your performance and optimize for better results. This is where analytics tools come into play.

Google Analytics Google Analytics can provide a wealth of data about your website performance and user behavior. Track metrics like site traffic, bounce rate, page views, and conversion rate.

E-commerce Platform Analytics Most e-commerce platforms also provide built-in analytics tools. These can give you insights into sales trends, product performance, customer behavior, and more.

Conversion Rate Optimization If your site is getting traffic but not many sales, you might need to optimize your conversion rate. This could involve improving your website design, enhancing product listings, or offering better shipping options.

A/B Testing A/B testing involves changing one variable on your website (like a headline, image, or call-to-action) and seeing if it improves your performance. This can be a powerful way to optimize your website for higher conversions.

Customer Feedback Regularly seek feedback from your customers. This can help you understand what’s working well, what needs improvement, and what new products or features your customers might want.

Conclusion

Starting an e-commerce business can be a rewarding venture, but it requires careful planning, consistent effort, and continuous optimization. However, with the right approach, you can start generating revenue within months. Remember, the key to success in e-commerce is providing value to your customers. By offering high-quality products, creating a fantastic shopping experience, and delivering excellent customer service, you can build a successful e-commerce business that stands the test of time.

[seung-mong]

got it - han jisung

includes: fwb! idol han jisung x reader, semi-public bathroom sex, fwb to lovers, possessive han, lots of praise, han is rough but also so so weak for you, poor, sweet mark

dedicated to @yzsqu :))

wc: 4k

horndog - DO NOT REPLY 

~baby

~u up?

of course i'm up han jisung- it's fucking 7 in the evening. you're beyond tempted to reply, but you dont. you know what you replying means to him. instead, you let your phone drop to your mattress, turning over and hugging your pillows up to your chest. 

han jisung has been your... well... 'friend' for the better half of the year now, constantly asking you to "hang out" at his place. and he's been a good friend, truly! as good a friend can be when they've got their dick shoved down your throat. 

it's not like that's how the friendship started, obviously not. you met when you guys were still children, attending the same school as everyone else in his idol group. you were sincerely good friends, you often opened up to him about your worries and problems, and he would always be there to comfort you and take you out for a night of food, drinks, and throwing up behind the dumpsters of random clubs while he held your hair up. 

but one night, you had too many drinks. you were too vulnerable, and his hands just felt too fucking good running up and down your sides. and yes, you're guilty for initiating it. he was simply comforting you while you vented about work. next thing he knew, you were climbing onto his lap and leaving hickeys down his neck. how could he say no to you? 

and you thought it could lead to something more- but han just wasn't ready for a relationship with his busy schedule as an idol, too afraid of how the public would react to him coming out with a relationship. and you were not comfortable with being a casual fuck. for a while. 

who can blame you? his dick just fills you up so good every single time, has your toes curling and back arching as you scream his name into his pillows. you'd swear up and down that each time would be the last, but he would hit you up with a lame "r u free tonight?" and you'd be on your way to his apartment in a fucking flash. 

but the feelings never went away. you started to fall in love with him, and curse you and your heart for falling for him. but how could you not? how could you resist when he'd flash you his stupid smile after fucking your brains out, panting and chest heaving as he lay on the space beside you. and it's not like after a session he'd make you leave, no. he'd open his arms and whine until you gave into him, cuddling into his sweaty side. who could expect you not to fall in love with his eye smiles and quick kisses on your cheek? 

"you're kidding me." felix whines from behind you, shoulder resting on your doorframe. you sit up with a groan, turning your head to meet his gaze with a frown plastered on his face. 

"hi lix." you mumble, patting the space on the bed beside you, but he shakes his head. 

"y/n. it's seven in the evening. on a saturday! you should come out with us, c'mon." he pleads, walking over to your side of the bed and pulling on your arm. you realize he's dressed up, black formal pants and a white button up. 

"where you going?" you yawn, letting him pull you out of bed. 

"the launch of minho's restaurant? remember? come with us, it'll be fun." he begs, pulling you until you're fully standing, your silk shorts and tank top sticking to your skin as sleep lines decorated your  bare arms. he walks over to your closet, throwing the cabinet doors open and surveying your clothes. 

"but it's gonna be full of idols and i'll feel so left out and-"

"for minho?" felix pouts, making you roll your eyes.

"what's the theme of your outfit today?" you ask, playfully shoving him to the side. 

felix scoffs from beside you, elbowing you. "everyone's gonna be wearing formal." 

"formal?" you whine, looking through your brightly covered club dresses and pushing them to the side. "what's the color palette?" 

felix hums, glad that you're on board. "pretty neutral tones."

you groan, taking out the different dresses you had which fit the category. 

"come on, minho's super proud and he wants everyone to look their best. besides, the restaurant's pretty classy anyways." felix eyes the nude bodycon dress that you hold up in front of you, raising an eyebrow. 

"and a blazer, it's cold out." felix advises, sitting down on your bed. 

"fine. but only because there's free food and wine. and i love minho." you roll your eyes taking the dress with you to the bathroom to get ready. 

"what other reason would there be?" felix mutters under his breath as you close the door behind you. 

you're immediately glad you came. minho is positively beaming, answering all the questions journalists throw at him with a cheeky smile and a playful wink. you stuck beside felix and chan's side the whole night, overwhelmed by all the famous idols that popped in and out of the establishment. you're grateful you took felix' advices to dress up, majority of the idols dressed in flashy dresses and fashionable outfits. you're one of the few non-idol friends, and at some point you feel left out when they're all talking about their hectic schedules. 

you don't let it get to you, though. you didn't want to spoil minho's night! you stand at the back of the room with a glass of wine in your hand, taking too many sips in a short amount of time and making you slightly buzzy. 

"you a friend of minho's?" a voice calls out from beside you and you nearly choke on your wine when you turn to see who's started a conversation with you. fuck. of course it had to be that annoyingly attractive idol from nct. 

"yea," you weakly choke, turning to face him. 

mark lifts an eyebrow when you sputter, but he chuckles good-naturedly to avoid this encounter from becoming awkward. 

"not an idol?" he asks, leaning against the post next to him and now you're starting to wonder why the hell he's starting a conversation with you when twice is literally standing a few feet away from you, chattering loudly with chan. 

"nope, just a childhood friend. and roomate." you laugh, wishing you hadn't taken your blazer off when you stepped into the restaurant because you're standing right under a vent and you're shivering but you don't want to put your blazer on because it's such a huge movement and you want to stay as still as possible. 

"oh? never thought about taking that career path?" he raises an eyebrow teasingly, raising the glass of wine in his hand to his lips. 

"does it look like i can dance?" you joke, and to your relief mark laughs. 

"oh come on, i'm sure you dance great." mark shakes his head, brown eyes so intensely set on yours. 

"nah, i have two left feet." you lean your shoulder on the wall behind you, closing the distance between you and the slightly tipsy idol. 

"oh? maybe i should see it for myself." his voice trails off into something much more suggestive, and you raise an eyebrow. 

"are you asking me out to dance... or are you asking me to audition for sm in front of you right now?" 

mark throws his head back and lets out a deep laugh, making you blush when a few people turn their heads in your direction. you bow sheepishly, a little giggle escaping your lips. 

"and if it's the latter?" he raises his glass to his lips, eyes still on you. 

you shrug. "sorry, more of a jyp gal myself." 

he laughs, and you think it's a sound you could get used to.

"damn, you're really-" mark starts, wiping the tears from his eyes away with the back of his hand. 

"y/n?" a harsh voice interrupts him, both of your heads turning towards the owner of the voice. 

fuck. and felix said he couldn't make it. 

"well change of plans, hyung. im on my way!" han yells through his phone, trailing behind his manager as they push past the strangers crowding around minho's restaurant. 

"you said you had to do 'a thing.'" minho accuses him, setting his glass of wine down on the table in front of him. 

"yea, yea." han huffs, finally getting past security and shrugging his coat off with a huff. how's it his fault he's late when you're the one who wouldn't reply to his messages asking you to be his date? he hangs up, mumbling a small 'thank you' to the person who offers him a glass of wine. he smiles when he sees the rest of his group in the same table at the very center of the restaurant, politely bowing when he crosses paths with his seniors and juniors who decided to show support to the owner. 

"hyung, congrats!" han hugs minho excitedly, patting his back. 

"you said you couldn't make it!" minho beams, pulling a chair up for the younger. 

"yea, was supposed to bring a date. but uh, she couldn't make it." han shakes his head, surveying the restaurant. "damn, there's a lot of people, huh?" 

"yup! go! go mingle with the others for the night." minho winks at him as he walks away, being pulled into conversations. 

han smiles as he watches minho mingle with the crowd, genuinely proud of all that he's achieved. 

"y/n's here." felix informs him, patting his back and pointing him in your direction. 

"oh?" he stands up, eager to see you. and met with the sight of you and mark getting a little too close for his liking. 

he walks up to you, anger bubbling in his chest. he messaged you, and you didn't reply. he was gonna ask you to be his date tonight and you didn't respond. but here you were, flirting with mark. 

"han." you choke, standing up straight and averting his gaze as if he'd caught you red handed doing something illegal. 

"oh hey, han jisung! you're the group's rapper right? damn bro i got to say i'm such a huge-" mark walks forward, holding his hand up and reaching for a handshake. 

"y/n. let's go." he steps forward to you and grabs your hand in his, squeezing tightly. 

"excuse me? i'm not going anywhere with you." you scoff, removing your hand from his hold. 

you look at mark apologetically, who is genuinely confused by the scene unraveling in front of him. 

"oh, i- im sorry is there something like- between you two.." mark takes a step back, holding his hands up in surrender. 

"no." 

"yes." 

you look at han incredulously, scoffing at his answer. "yes? really? since when."

"don't- put on a show baby. say bye bye to your friend." 

you blink back at him, thrown off by the firmness in his voice. you open your mouth to retort, but he silences you with the raise of an eyebrow. 

"bye, mark." you huff, bowing apologetically. 

mark is obviously confused, stuttering out a goodbye and walking back to his group of friends with wide eyes. fuck. you just know mark will have so much fun telling his little buddies from nct about the absolutely pleasant encounter he had with han jisung. 

han drags you around the room, settling his glass of wine on an empty table and pulling you behind him. you're beyond embarrassed, apologizing profusely when you bump into several idols, all of whom you liked. you could feel the heat spread across your cheeks and down your neck when they looked at you curiously. you downed the remaining contents of wine in your glass in one go before placing it on a tray held by a passing waiter. 

"han." you hissed, trying to pull your hand away. but he doesn't budge, pushing you into the empty bathroom, checking to see if anyone is watching before locking the door behind him. 

your breathing is deep and ragged, your blood rising to your cheeks and bubbling in anger. 

"what the hell was that?" you hissed. 

"i should be the one asking you that." han's voice is low, accusing you. 

you scoff, in disbelief. "what's that supposed to mean?" 

"you blew me off this afternoon and when i finally get to see you, you're flirting with mark lee." he hisses, face going red with anger. 

"and so what?" your voice is getting louder now and you take a step closer to him. "and don't say i blew you off as if we made plans, you and i both know you were just messaging me so you could get your dick wet." 

"that's- that's not true." he falters, and for a second he sounds pained. "and- and what do you mean 'so what?' are you just going around flirting with idols now? is that how it is? talking and sleeping around?" 

you laugh manically, the anger coming out of you and radiating in waves. "that's just so fucking cheap, han. you're talking as if i had my fucking hand down his pants! and what's it to you who i'm sleeping with anyway? i could choose to fuck all 23 of them and it still shouldn't matter to you." 

"yea? well it does!" and for the first time he's yelling at you, brows furrowed and tie swinging wildly as he steps up to you, hands balled into fists.

"the hell are you fucking talking-" you move forward to shove him backwards, only for his hands to catch your wrists, pulling you closer so you stumble forward, and his lips catch yours in a heated kiss. but you're still angry, and you bite down on his lower lip. you pull away, pushing him away by his shoulders. "what the hell?" you breathe, wiping away the spit on your bottom lip with the back of your hand. 

"it- it matters to me, okay?" he sighs, exasperated. 

"what are you talking about?" you laugh hollowly, shaking your head at him. 

"i- you- you know i'm not good at this!" he groans, opting you to pull you closer to him by your wrist all over again, hand resting on your jaw and hastily placing his lips on yours to shut you up. 

you soften a little, because you do know. you know han's never been one to open up too much, too insecure about his own emotions to ever determine how he's actually feeling. but that's the exact reason he keeps wanting to fuck you, every roll of his hips a hint to just how much he likes you (how romantic). 

but you're a sucker for han jisung. 

you let him push you nearer to the sink, rough hands grabbing at your ass and trying desperately to roll your dress up. you quickly remove his suit jacket, pushing it off his shoulders and onto the floor. he doesn't seem to care, too busy bunching your dress up by your waist and groaning against your mouth. his kisses are sloppy and messy, tongue probing in and out of your mouth but god you're drunk on him, taking everything he has to give with grace. 

when he finally has your dress hiked up, he takes a moment to break away from the kiss and look down, fingers dipping into the waistline of your underwear. 

"fuck, you're soaked aren't you?" he groans, pulling the waistband back and letting it snap against your skin. you yelp, cheeks turning red from the lewd words he whispers against your ear. 

he moves to undo his tie and and you shake your head frantically, hands reaching up to stop him. "keep it on," you mumble, lifting yourself up on the sink and puling him closer by the fabric. 

"fuck you'll be the death of me." he slots himself in between your legs, which wrap around his hips and pull him closer. his bulge rubs just against your clit, and you whine in his ear. 

"hurry and fuck me, please." you whine, rolling your hips upwards and trying to get as much friction as you can from his slacks. he tuts at you, pulling you nearer to the edge by your hips and leaning down to plant a messy kiss on your neck. 

"i'll mark you up, then everyone gets to see you're mine." he groans against your neck, grinding you harder against his bulge. "then no one gets to fucking touch you after, right baby?" 

you nod, delirious and high on lust and alcohol. "gimme it." you mumble incoherently, undoing han's pants and blindly fishing for his cock. 

han chuckles condescendingly at your enthusiasm, hands gripping your hips and squeezing once his cock swings free from his pants.

"put it in." han orders, growing harder by the minute when he sees your hands wrapped around his shaft. you don't hesitate to comply, shimmying your underwear down until it falls down to hang on your ankles. han quickly grabs the fabric and stuffs it into his back pocket. you guide the tip of his cock to your entrance, shimmying closer to him until your chest is pressed against his.

"fuck. good girl." han rasps, lifting your hips slightly as he buries himself deep into your cunt.

you whimper at the praise, fingers digging into his shoulders as he pulls back, only for him to slam harder into you. you let out a moan at the impact, throwing your head back until it hits the mirror behind you. han leads forward, his pace unrelenting as his hands squeeze the side of your thighs. he rests his head in the crook of your neck, a sheen of sweat on his forehead as he groans against your chest. 

you cant help the sounds that escape your mouth, trying desperately to keep your sounds to a minimum, because what would all the people outside think? 

"oh come on baby, i wanna hear you. know i love it when you moan my name." han chuckles against your neck, before biting down and sucking a dark mark onto the skin. 

"h-han." you whine, hands curling into fists against the fabric of his blouse. his fingers dig harder against your hips, so much it almost sings. you bite your lower lip to keep the embarrassing sounds from flooding out, much to han's disappointment. 

"no, no, baby. this just won't do." he sighs dramatically, one hand reaching behind you and hooking onto the sink as leverage to pound into you harder. you gasp at the feeling of the tip of his cock driving deliciously into you, hands clutching onto his shoulders for dear life. 

he's fucking you too good, his hips snapping into you too harshly, you can't possibly keep your mouth shut. every whine and whimper that leaves your mouth sends a shiver down han's spine, and he uses it as motivation to fuck you harder. 

"tell me you're mine." han commands, fingers pinching painfully into your thigh. 

"m-m'yours hannie." you whine sweetly, eyes closing at the pleasure his hips bring you. 

"apologize for being a slut and flirting with that joke from nct." he seethes, so close to cumming when you squeeze around him. 

"fuck!" you hiccup, almost falling back if not for han's stable hold around your waist. "i- in sorry for flirting with mark." 

"good girl. you gonna cum baby?" han teases, bringing a hand up to your cheek and lightly slapping you to catch your attention. 

"yes, please?" you beg, desperate for your release. but your body is conditioned to han's favor, body only cumming when you hear the words come out of his mouth. 

"do you deserve it after today?" han smirks mischievously, a drop of sweat dripping down his neck and onto the collar of his shirt. honestly, han's been dying to cum since he first entered you, only holding out for your pleasure. 

"yes, please, han! i said m'sorry i'm sorry, please? i'll be good, promise." you babble incoherently, too fucked dumb to have an ounce of pride. 

"you're only mine, got it? cum for me, baby" han whispers, smirking at the immediate response he gets from your body. your hold on his shirt tightening as your cunt flutters around him, your eyes closing and a silent scream escaping your open mouth. 

the sight alone is too much for han, who thrusts once, twice and cums deep in you, a strangled groan leaving his lips that is muffled against your shoulder. you feel his cum slowly drip down the side of your inner thigh, but you're too tired to care. you pant heavily against each other, trying to catch your breaths. you feel han pull out of you, more of his liquid oozing out of you. you hiss at the loss of contact, wincing at the thought of being sore tomorrow. 

"don't move." han mumbles, grabbing a handful of tissues from the dispenser and reaching behind you to dampen it with a bit of water. slowly, he nudges apart your thighs, wiping away the mess in between your legs. 

"thank you." you mumble awkwardly, shimmying down the counter and pulling your underwear up. 

you're used to this by now, knowing without even looking at han that he wants you to go out first, like always. you push past him as you reach for the door but han stops you, pinning you back to the counter with his hips. 

"again?" you groan, but han shakes his head. 

"stay for a bit." he sighs, hands finding purchase at your waist as his thumbs rub circles against your sides. 

"but everyone's probably looking for you." you argue, pressing your hands against his chest. 

"i don't care." his tone catches you off guard, and you stay rooted to your spot. 

"hannie-"

"y/n, please don't flirt with him." his voice is barely above a whisper, but you catch his words nonetheless. 

"with mark?" is he still pissed about that?

"with anyone." he clarifies, pressing his forehead against yours. "anyone that isn't me." 

you sigh, tired of being held back by rules that would normally stand in a relationship, without eve being in one. "han, i can't keep being your little fuck buddy, it's tiring." and painful. 

"i know." han sighs, eyes closing as he inhales your sickeningly sweet scent. "i'm just - i dont want to date you and be bad at it." he suddenly confesses, a pout on his lips as his lower lip juts out. 

your heart twists at that, and you place a hand on his cheek in reassurance. he leans into your touch, afraid of opening his eyes. 

"baby, you'll never know if you don't try. we'll take it step by step. slow and steady." you know its a weak attempt, but it seems to put han at ease when he straightens up and wraps his arms around your waist. 

"does that mean you won't flirt with mark anymore?" he whispers, and you can't help but giggle. 

"i won't." 

he's silent for a while, a naughty smirk painted across his lips. 

"you're mine now, got it?" 

you giggle, planting a kiss on his cheek. "got it."

taglist: @pochamin22 @bee123sthings @ohnocent @hyunchannie017 @r1n4 @heluvschibi @kpop-obsessed-all-the-time @elizalabs3 @uknowme-not @bee123sthings @n034sy

[imaginesig]

Left my heart in SoCal

Arthur Leclerc x Surfer!reader

What happens when you add surfer + racer?? Oh and Danny Ricc is there too

Doesnt line up with reality, whoops

yourusername

liked by outerknown, bff_username, user5, and 374,839 others

yourusername: Outerknown not only has my back for the summer, but warm SoCal winters as well #sponsored

tagged outerknown

outerknown stunning!!

yourusername 🫶☀️

user1 girl as much as I wanna shop this collection I cannot afford

user2 fr fr

bff_username get that bank girlie!!

yourusername gotta afford competition somehow

user3 ugh she's drop dead gorgeous

user4 loml

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yourusername

liked by bff_username, user45, user94, and 443,948 others

yourusername: quick solo trip to the Netherlands before winter 🇳🇱 let's all thank the nice stranger who offered to take my photo at the beach and didn't kidnap me

tagged: no one

bff_username you had me stressing on the phone

yourusername thats why I didn't tell you til after

user1 LMAO GIRLIE YOU'RE IN A FOREIGN PLACE ALONE AND LET A STRANGER NOT ONLY TAKE YOUR PHONE (where they could've easily run away with it) BUT ALSO TURN YOUR BACK

yourusername he had a cute French accent it was fine

bff_username Y/N NO

user2 omg did you go to the GP??

user3 imagine if she was ever a celebrity guest

user4 I'd cry but also the chances an American surfer (despite the fact she's pro) is on F1's radar

user5 why am I not surprised that you went to another country entirely and still managed to find and post a beach

youusername 🤭

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arthurleclerc posted a story!

caption: 📍 Zandvoort

yourusername

liked by user54, user4, Arthur_leclerc, and 283,849 others

yourusername: California Christmas, 1954

tagged: bff_username

bff_username our apartment has never looked better

yourusername ugh the laughter from our party still echos!!

user1 I love that you guys went with retro aesthtic

user2 im in love with the tinsel tree!!!

user3 it still throws me off every time you post and there's no snow

user4 am I seeing that right?? Arthur leclerc in the likes??

Charles_leclerc @/maxverstappen1 @/carlossainz55 @/lorenzotl this is her I'm sure of it

maxverstappen1 everything else checks out

carlossainz55 updating the gc right now

yourusername oh hello! can I help you?

Charles_leclerc check your dms

lorenzotl please

user5 lmao who are these guys?? Y/n blink twice if you need help

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arthur_leclerc

liked by yourusername, user45, lorenzotl

Arthur_leclerc: Joyeux Noël🎄

tagged: Charles_leclerc, lorenzotl

lorenzotl I See you were in the sprit of family Arthur

Charles_leclerc so glad to know our short time together was spent disappearing for a girl

Arthur_leclerc so dramatic, both of you!!

user1 not Arthur soft launching

user2 awww baby Charles and Arthur

user3 what are the possibilities its that surfer user was talking about on twitter

user4 what?

user5 who?

user6 OMG WHAT IF???

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yourusername

liked by bff_username, Danielriccardo, lorenzotl, and 673,838 others

yourusername I could get used to this ✈️🇦🇺🇲🇨

tagged danielriccardo

visacashapprb what a social offseason!!

yourusername give me a seat next year 🙏

visacashapp only if you teach me to surf

user1 soft launch??

user6 how do you know Danny ricc??

yourusername I have connections

user2 maybe we were wrong and somethings happening with Daniel and not Arthur

user5 but she put Australia and Monaco

danielriccardo hope the Aussie oceans didn't disappoint 🤙

yourusername never ever!! 🤙

bff_username no you don't get to get used to this- stop galavanting across the world with drivers and come home!! The kids miss you!!

yourusername otw 🏃‍♀️💨

user3 drivers?? as in plural?? this soft launch is getting more and more confusing as we go

user4 girlies has a busy off season

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yourusername

liked by danielriccardo, sexwax, user4, and 623,838 others

yourusername: back to Cali and I'm proud to announce my newest sponsor Sex Wax!! My favorite brand for keeping my board grippy 🫶🤙

tagged: sexwax

sexwax lookin bitchin'

yourusername 🤭🤭

Arthur_leclerc 😳🥵

yourusername 💋💋

Charles_leclerc Arthur Leclerc.

yourusername oop

user1 what is happening

user2 im so confused

user3 right girlie we need clear signs as to who you're dating

user3 my timeline has been blessed

bff_username well hey there

yourusername heyyyyyyyy

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Arthur_leclerc

liked by yourusername, Charles_leclerc, user2, and 271,823 others

Arthur_leclerc: Left my heart in SoCal 🩷

tagged: no one

yourusername bit obvious no??

Arthur_leclerc I was sick of assumptions 🤷‍♂️

user1 Arthur said Daniel?? Really??

user2 ok soft (hard) launch

user3 no way ive officially lost Arthur

Charles_leclerc glad to see its been a nice trip

Arthur_leclerc bringing you back a seashell

user4 LMAO WHAT

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yourusername

liked by Arthur_leclerc, bff_username, user4, and 823,983 others

yourusername: preseasons going great!!

tagged no one

Arthur_leclerc "bit obvious no??"

yourusername dont make me delete this Leclerc

user1 OMG OMG STOP

user2 you're telling me this actually went somewhere

bff_username still not happy you trusted him in a foreign country alone

yourusername but the accent ☺️

user3 after todays results I can't wait for how the first competitions gonna go

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yourusername

liked by Charles_leclerc, user5, Arthur_leclerc, and 748,384 others

yourusername Ferrari is my red flag

tagged: Arthur_leclerc

Arthur_leclerc im very much a green flag thank you

yourusername that jealousy streak says otherwise but ok...

Arthur_leclerc doest exist

user1 Y/N IN THE PADDOCK!!!!!

bff_user bring me home a hot driver

yourusername yes ma'am 🫡🫡

user2 ditto

user3 not Arthur roping her into a lifetime of disappointment and false hope

user4 Forza Ferrari ✊😔

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Arthur_leclerc

liked by yourusername, user3, danielriccardo, and 839,938 others

Arthur_leclerc: no need for Red Bulls of any form here

tagged: Charles_leclerc, yourusername

danielriccardo "and I was like what he'd say fuck me for"

user1 lmao Arthur said "fuck the rumors"

yourusername "doesn't exist" my ass

Arthur_leclerc 🙄

user2 the matching jackets 😭

user3 as a long time Y/n fan, its been nice to see how their relationship has brought her out of her shell and out of the small bubble that is SoCal

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yourusername

liked by user5, bff_username, user66, and 883,739 others

yourusername: I love you more than a California sunset 💛

tagged: Arthur_leclerc

bff_username more than a cali sunset?? what spell are you under

bff_username @/Arthur_leclerc I need to know your secret

Arthur_leclerc 🤫

user1 not her teaching him to surf 😭😭

scudaraferrari please keep out driver safe!!

yourusername always admin 🫶

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Arthur_leclerc

liked by user4, yourusername, Lorenzotl, and 803,938 others

Arthur_leclerc: I take my job as a wag very seriously

tagged: yourusername

yourusername and what a wonderful job you've do!!

Arthur_leclerc ❤️❤️

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yourusername

liked by bff_username, user89, Arthur_leclerc, and 837,847 others

yourusername: my good luck charm has brought me so much support, confidence, and many wins!! I'm so sad I have to give him back to @/scuderiaferrari. Arthur, je t'aime

tagged: Arthur_leclerc

Arthur_leclerc Je t'aime aussi

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[skalfy]

Misunderstandings

alexia putellas x reader, ~4.1k words, part 1/probably 2

angst in this part, but planning for a happy ending.

Hi! for people waiting for part 3 of the Misa story I promise I am working on it, just been busy and got caught with some other ideas, including this one. Hope y'all enjoy this in the meantime!

Also please feel free to send me requests, I am not very quick, but would love to take on some ideas. I don't really have a complete list of players I will/won't write for, but if you send me one for someone I won't, I'll reply and let you know so you can send it elsewhere :)

--

You had no idea how you had gotten off on the complete wrong foot with Alexia Putellas.

It had only been a month since you joined Barcelona on a three year deal, fulfilling a lifelong dream while launching you far out of your comfort zone. You were shy, and coming from Tigres, and before that, college football in America, you hardly even had a former opponent to befriend. All of your new teammates were strangers, and in some cases, even strangers you’d looked up to for years. All of your teammates except one, that was.

In a strange twist of fate, you had met Ingrid Engen almost a decade prior, when the two of you were both 17. You had an aunt--not a real one, but one of your father’s old friends from college-- who had moved to Norway a few years before you were born. Your family had gone to visit Aunt Anna every couple summers, spending a week or two seeing the fjords and the beautiful traveling the countryside. The summer you were 17, Aunt Anna had invited you to stay for a whole month. It was meant to be a sort of final hurrah before you started college in the fall, and your parents agreed without much debate.

Your second night at Aunt Anna’s house in Melhus, you had headed to the football pitch down the street with the intent to complete your assigned summer workout, and instead you had met Ingrid. That evening on the pitch was the start of a whirlwind month-long friendship as the two of you bonded over your love of the sport, then grew to find you had much more in common beyond that. One night as you sat on your bed in Anna’s house, Ingrid had told you that she was gay, opening up about the feelings she had for one of her U-19 national teammates. She held you in a tight hug as, for the first time, you said out loud that you thought you might be gay too.

You had said a tearful goodbye at the end of the month, but stayed in touch with Ingrid somewhat throughout the years, exchanging infrequent texts congratulating each other on football achievements or to check in on life. You had been pleased to hear that things worked out with her national team crush, Marie, though sorry to hear it ended a few years later. She had cheered you on in turn when you had your first serious relationship with a girl at college. When you first arrived at Barça, the two of you hadn’t seen each other since that month in Melhus, even with your respective places on your senior national teams, but you still considered her a trusted friend.

During the your first month with the Blaugrana, you had gravitated immediately toward Ingrid. You were delighted to fall back into the easy friendship you had shared so many years ago, and it helped that you were nervous to attempt to befriend your other teammates. You worried that you were monopolizing Ingrid’s time, but she easily assuaged your concerns, telling you that she was happy to spend the time together and that she would be there to support you as you took opening up to the team at your own pace. She offered you an open invite to have dinner with her and Mapi whenever you were ready to branch out.

Though you mostly kept to yourself and Ingrid, the rest of the team seemed friendly and open for the most part. Pina and Patri didn’t seem to mind your shyness and often chattered happily to you, managing to include you as a third member of their two person conversations in the changing room. Your spanish wasn’t perfect, but three years playing in Mexico had brought you up to a passable level.

Keira and Lucy, often accompanied by Ona, would also frequently bring you into conversations. You got the sense that it was as much for Keira’s sake as yours, she seemed more than pleased to have another native english speaker to chat to. You appreciated their dynamics, full of biting wit and teasing that reminded you of time with your national teammates.

The one person who seemed to hold nothing but animosity towards you was the one who you had been most excited to play with. You racked your brain, but couldn’t place any reason why you so often seemed to be at the receiving end of Alexia’s ire, but it was unmistakeable. At best, she ignored you-- the few mornings you had arrived early enough for the two of you to be the only ones in the changing room, she remained stubbornly silent, hardly acknowledging you at all besides a flat look as you entered. At worst, she singled you out in training, barking critique after critique. You had a relatively thick skin, but the captain’s intense disapproval wore on you as it never seemed to relent.

The obvious explanations that you could think of for her behavior were out. You were a forward, used to playing out and out striker or tucked under as a false 9, but you hadn’t played midfield since a few times in a pinch in college, so even setting aside her unmatched abilities, she couldn’t possibly think you were threatening her place. You had hardly ever played against her, coming off the bench late in a game once against Spain, and playing most of a friendly with Tigres. You had certainly never put in a risky tackle against her, you didn’t think you had even made any impact on her. Certainly nothing she might hold a grudge for-- you hadn’t, say, nabbed a winning goal.

As far as you could tell, it seemed like it was something you had done since joining Barça, because she hadn’t seemed so frosty on your first meeting. The captain had been quiet but polite as she welcomed you to the team, even returning the shy smile you had given her when you were introduced, but by the end of the first week it became clear that you had drawn her ire.

You had asked Ingrid for her opinion, and, while she agreed that Alexia did seem to be especially critical of you, she couldn’t come up with an explanation. After thinking through it, she optimistically suggested that it could be a misguided attempt to help you adjust to the Barcelona playstyle. At the skeptical wince you gave her in response, she offered to ask Mapi to weigh in. You thanked her, but declined. Alexia’s best friend’s opinion would likely be your best chance to understand, but you were wary of putting either Ingrid or her girlfriend in an awkward position.

--

A few days after that conversation with Ingrid, a particularly bad day of practice with Alexia all over your every move had you feeling desperate. You had stuck it out to the end of the session, but raced away as soon as you could, eyes hot with unshed tears and face red with embarrassment and exertion. You passed through the changing room only long enough to kick off your boots and grab your keys and phone. Jana was inside and changed already, on a slightly shortened training plan as she returned from injury, and she called out in concern as she saw you dart for the exit.

“¿Estás bien, Y/N? ¿Qué pasó?” You shook your head as the younger player stepped toward you, not sure whether you were answering no to the first question or trying to deny anything was wrong. Either way, Jana took matters into her own hands, grabbing you gently by the elbow and guiding you to face her. “Let me drive you home, vale?” you choked back a sob and let the defender walk you towards her car.

You told Jana which apartment building you were in and she didn’t bother to plug it into the GPS, navigating the short drive easily. She had turned on some music and you were grateful that she let it play quietly without asking you any more questions. When you reached your building, she turned the car off and climbed out, circling around to meet you at the passenger side door, clearly intent on seeing you all the way in. You let her walk you through your apartment door, sinking onto one of your kitchen chairs once you were in. The defender stood at the edge of the kitchen, looking a little uncertain.

“¿Quieres que llame a alguien? Call someone?” she asked.

“Voy a llamar a Jenni. Gracias por todo. Puedes quedarte si quieres.” you replied, managing a genuine smile at the young defender. She smiled back, pulling out the chair nearest you to sit.

Jenni had been one of your closest friends at Tigres, and she was eagerly checking in on your move to Barcelona every day, but you had held back about the challenges you were having with Alexia. You were afraid to gossip about the captain, especially with Jenni, and you weren’t entirely sure what kind of reaction to expect. But after the day you had, you craved Jenni’s support and guidance too much to keep holding back.

The phone only rang twice before Jenni picked up, greeting you with a cheery “¡hola, cariño!” you tried to answer her in return, but you were caught off guard by the wave of tears that surged back at the sound of her voice. All you managed was an urgent sniffle as you fought to hold the tears at bay.

“¿Cari? ¿Qué pasa?” Jenni’s voice, now concerned, crackled through your phone’s speakers again. After a moment, you felt Jana’s hand slide onto your knee comfortingly. You turned to her and saw that she had reached her other hand out, palm up. You handed the phone to her and watched as she immediately brought it to her ear.

“Hola, Jenni. Es Jana.” she greeted her former teammate before launching into a stream of spanish too quick for you to try to follow. You zoned out to the sound of Jana’s voice, focusing on deep breaths to unclench the tight knot of tears high in your throat.

You had managed to relax yourself considerably by the time Jana brought your attention back with a light squeeze to your knee where her hand still rested. You looked up to see her holding the phone between the two of you, an expectant look on her face.

“Jenni asked if you are ready to tell what’s wrong.” You nodded and took a deep breath.

“Alexia hates me. I don’t know what I did, but she hates me and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“How do you know, what is she doing? Cari, Alexia is shy and competetivo. Maybe she doesn’t know she is hurting you.”

“No, Jen.” you felt a tear roll down your cheek. “She knows. If it’s just the two us she will ignore me, she can’t even look at me. When we are with the team she tells me everything I do is wrong, my touch, my passes, my shots. I know I am not as good as everyone else here, but I’m trying and none of it is enough for her. I can see how she is patient and kind with the young ones, so I know it is about me.”

“Es verdad, I haven’t been in the practices, but the others have been worried about it. I didn’t know it was so bad, but Ale has been muy dura.” Jana chimed in, and you were a little surprised to hear her mention the team was concerned.

“I thought I wanted to play here, but I can’t do this for three years. I just want to be back at Tigres.” you admitted.

“Lo siento, Y/n. Lo siento mucho. I wish I was there to hug you.” you could tell she meant it by the waver in her voice, and it made you miss her even more fiercely.

You talked through everything you could think of, all your interactions with Alexia, every idea you had eliminated for what went wrong. Jenni and Jana alternated between outrage and murmured words of comfort, but mostly just listened as you vented everything you had been holding in for weeks. By the end, you actually felt better. Whether it was the release of finally letting everything go, or the relief of hearing two people who knew Alexia agree that something wasn’t right, a weight was definitely lifted from your chest.

“So what should I do?” You finally asked Jenni. “How can I fix whatever this is?”

“Oh, nena, you shouldn’t fix this, it’s Alexia who needs to. Quandó ella escuche lo que tengo--”

“Jenni, no porfa! You can’t talk to her about this.” You loved Jenni, hot head and all, but you couldn’t let her go off on Alexia about this. “Thank you, I know you would do that for me, but I need to do this. I don’t want her to think-- I can’t ruin—”

“Vale, I understand, cari. I won’t say anything, prometo.” Jenni saved you from struggling to explain further. In the pause that followed, Jana spoke suddenly from next to you.

“I think you need to talk to Ale. O sea, if you want to understand what is in her head. Maybe Mapi knows, but,” she stopped with a shrug, and Jenni finished for her,

“Only Ale knows what Ale is thinking. Jana is right.” You nodded, even though Jenni couldn’t see you. She sighed over the phone, then continued. “It might be easier if you are gentle. Even if she doesn’t deserve it.”

“Gracias, Jenni.” You were suddenly very tired. “Te amo mucho. I wish I was back with you.”

“Yo también, nena. Te amo mucho. I am here if you need me.”

“I know. Good night.”

“Good night.” You hung up the phone and placed it on the table.

Jana stood from the chair next to you and held a hand out to you. When you took it, she pulled you gently to your feet, then wrapped you in a hug. You immediately softened into the embrace, grateful for the comfort. She held you close for a long moment, then released you into a light hold.

“I know you have Ingrid, but I’m here for you too, Y/n. We haven’t had much time to get to know each other, but I’m glad you are at Barça and I want to be your friend.” The earnest look in her eyes as she spoke nearly had your own tearing up again. You tugged her back into a hug, squeezing her fiercely before you let go.

“Gracias, Jana. I want to be your friend too. Thank you.” You could feel a smile break across your face, and she grinned in return. “I should let you go home before it is too late. Are you okay to drive?”

“Yes, gracias. It is a short drive, we are almost neighbors. You can visit me soon and I will show you!”

You walked Jana back down to her car, exchanging numbers before you said your goodbyes. Despite everything, you felt a glow of hope for your future at Barcelona. At least you had a new friend and some kind of plan.

--

You were halfway through your pre-practice routine the following morning when your phone chimed with a message. It was Jana.

Jana: ¡Hola! Do you need a ride this morning?

Jana: Because I made you leave your car

Jana: Not sorry for that 😋🚙

You had completely forgotten about your car, so you were grateful for both the reminder and the offer.

You: Yes, thank you! I can walk to you if that is easier.

Jana: Do not worry, I will pick you up. 20 minutes?

You: Perfect

True to her word, Jana picked you up outside 20 minutes later. The drive was much more lighthearted than the previous night. You asked about Jana’s english, curious about why it was so good when she had spent her whole career in Spain. She started to explain that it was part of the curriculum at La Masia, but then cracked a smile and confessed that it was mostly because she was dating Jill and it was much easier than learning Dutch.

You had been curious about the rumors around the two, and seeing the way Jana lit up made you glad to hear they were true. You said as much to the defender, which led to her telling the story of how they met during the rest of the drive. The sweet story left you both in a good mood as you pulled up to the training center.

You climbed out of the car and grabbed your bag, laughing with Jana as she came up next to you and bumped into your shoulder as you started to walk together. For the first time in a while, you didn’t feel dread at the thought of walking into training, and you weren’t desperately searching for any sight of Ingrid. Jana seemed to be noticing the same thing.

“You will have to let me take you home more often if it puts you in this good of a mood!” She said, wrapping one arm around your shoulders.

You were about to respond when another voice beat you to it.

“Jana. Y/N.”

You froze, looking up to see Alexia approaching. Jana squeezed your shoulder where her hand rested. The captain had an unreadable expression on her face, eyes darting from you to Jana, then back to you.

“Hola, Capitana.” You said, lowering your gaze as her eyes met yours.

“Can I talk to you?” It was clear that the question was directed at you. When you didn’t immediately respond, she spoke again, voice softening almost imperceptibly. “Jana, vé sin nosotros. Iremos pronto.”

Jana caught your eye and you nodded slightly. You appreciated her willingness to look out for you, but you didn’t want to get her in trouble, not to mention you wanted to speak to Alexia anyway. The defender gave you a final squeeze to your arm before walking past Alexia toward the training center.

The two of you stood in silence. For a moment, your mind raced to guess what she had stopped you to say, but you pushed the worry down. With the way your relationship was going, it hardly seemed worth predicting what her latest criticism would be. You stared over Alexia’s shoulder, waiting.

“Jana has a girlfriend.” It was maybe the last thing you expected the midfielder to say, and you were caught completely off guard.

“What? I—I know.” You sputtered out. Jana’s last comment jumped into your mind, and when Alexia didn’t say anything else, you felt the need to continue and clarify. “What Jana said… She didn’t mean what it sounded like. She gave me a ride home last night and then this morning.”

“Bueno.” Alexia finally said, quieter than before.

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” You asked, voice flat.

“Ah...” she hesitated. “No.”

The blonde turned and walked away as you watched. The good mood you had only a few minutes earlier was gone, leaving behind a sort of hollow feeling. Jana had been the one to drive you, the one with her arm around your shoulders, and the one to make a silly joke about taking you home, but still, Alexia assumed the worst of you and you only. Suddenly, you felt like an idiot for thinking you could talk anything out with the captain. A surge of hopelessness washed over you as you imagined her scrutinizing every interaction you had with your teammates in addition to your skills on the pitch, and you felt sick. You walked to where you left your car last night, pulling out your phone to text Jonatan.

You: Lo siento, estoy enferma y no puedo ir a practicar.

--

Once at home, you buried yourself under the covers on your bed. You still felt awful from the interaction with Alexia, but you were overwhelmed by a wave of other emotions-- guilt for missing practice, anger at yourself for letting a personal issue get in the way of your career, and a deep fear that things were not going to get better.

Your phone was vibrating in the other room, but you ignored it, certain it wasn’t anyone you wanted to talk to right now. Ingrid was at the practice you just left, and it was far too early for Jenni or your family to be awake in their timezones.

As you lay bundled in your bed, the adrenaline from your high emotions faded, and you found yourself suddenly fighting heavy eyelids. Slowly, you faded into sleep.

--

You awoke to a loud pounding on your apartment door. Disoriented, you dragged yourself out of bed, padding out into the living room as the noise continued. You flipped the deadbolt and yanked the door open, coming suddenly face to face with your insistent visitor.

“Alexia?”

The blonde shouldered her way past you without a word, marching into your living room and looking wildly around. You closed the door and locked it before turning back to see Alexia peering into your bedroom. You snapped.

“Alexia! What the hell are you doing?”

“Looking for Ingrid!” She turned to snarl at you, eyes cold.

“What? Ingrid’s not here, what are you talking about?” You were genuinely confused, and Alexia barreling her way through your apartment wasn’t helping. You reached out and caught her by the elbow as she made to walk into your bedroom. “Stop, please! Can you just explain what’s going on?”

Alexia shook your hand off her arm, but stayed put.

“I’m not stupid. You show up here while Mapi is injured and try to steal her girlfriend. I see you every day at practice all over Ingrid. You don’t talk to anyone except her, you follow her around, you take her out for coffee, all while my best friend isn’t there to see. At first I thought you were just friendly, but it’s only with her.” Her chest heaved as she paused to take a breath. “Then I realized today you skipped practice and convinced Ingrid to join you and I knew.”

Your head was spinning and you were certain your jaw was nearly on the floor. You understood Alexia’s words, but struggled to comprehend what she was saying. As it finally clicked, a burst of laughter rose up in your chest. Alexia looked on, eyes narrowed, as you found yourself almost giggling.

“I’m, I’m sorry. It’s not funny!” You managed, pulling yourself together with a deep breath. “It’s just… you’ve been making me feel awful for weeks now because you think I’m trying to steal Ingrid from your friend? Did you even think to bring it up to Mapi herself?”

The blonde made no move to respond.

“I’ve been friends with Ingrid since we were 17. Mapi knows that. If we had any interest in each other we would have sorted it out long before now. You’re completely right that I’ve been following her around and sticking by her side, but you’re completely wrong about why. God, Alexia, I just came from halfway across the world to play for a team full of people I’ve looked up to for years. I miss my family and Jenni and the rest of my old teammates. A month ago, Ingrid was the only person I knew in this entire stupid country!”

You closed your eyes for a long moment, trying to calm your racing heart. Your body felt like you had just played 90 minutes of a championship final. When you eventually opened your eyes again, it was to the sight of Alexia still rooted to the same spot. She had hardly moved a muscle other than to drop her gaze to the floor, back and shoulders. rigid with tension. You left her in the bedroom doorway and walked over to sink into the same kitchen chair Jana had occupied last night.

“Y/n, I—” she started, but paused at the sound of the lock, then the knob turning on the door. It swung open.

“Y/n! Sorry to use your spare key, but you weren’t answering my texts! I would have come sooner, but I had a dentist’s appointment I had to leave practice for. Are you okay? Are you sick? Jana said you seemed fine until you talked to Alexia this morning, did she say something?”

“I’m okay.” Ingrid’s gaze caught you when you spoke, then rose to look past you as she responded.

“Good, I-- Alexia?”

“Alexia was just leaving.” You spoke before the blonde could. “Are you okay to drive home, Capitana?”

“Sí. Yes.” She answered quietly, finally moving away from your bedroom and towards the door to leave. Before she stepped out, she paused to turn your way. “Lo siento, Y/n. I will fix this.”

When the door shut behind her, you dropped your head into your arms on the table.