#read in Jon’s perfect monotone

[bring-the-storm]

absolutely obsessed with the concept that someday not too far in the future one of our favorite OIAR employees will come to work just to hear their text messages being read allowed by a man stuck in a computer

[bunnies4steven]

Dark!Jonathan Levy x AFAB!reader

╰┈➤ WARNINGS : NSFW, SMUT, BREEDING KINK, NON CONSENSUAL BREEDING, AGE GAP, PROFESSOR! JONATHAN LEVY, ORAL MALE RECEIVING, DD/LG DYNAMICS, IMPACT PLAY, P IN V SEX, PET NAMES (SWEET GIRL, BABY, HONEY, SLUT, COCKWHORE), UNPROTECTED SEX, NON-CON, DADDY KINK, PRAISING AND DEGRADING KINK, ROUGH SEX, CO-ERCION, DARK THEMES, MDNI.

˗ˏˋ✎ part one, part two, part three,

𓆩⚝𓆪 caution: this fic is very dark and contains themes of non-con and blackmail. if these things trigger you I advise you to not read this and click off.

Originally Jonathan planned to break it to you sweet, but he felt like you were trying to run away like his wife did during this moment. He needed to have you now. Seeing a few tears leave your face made his cock erect. He knew he shouldn’t feel turned on by your tears, but fuck did you look so pretty.

“I d-don’t want to.” You weakly protested.

“You don’t have a choice, sweet girl.” Jonathan mockingly cooed.

You nodded no as in denial with him and yourself. You felt stupid for thinking that he gave you these compliments, gave you these opportunities, and wanted you to perfect your writing skills with him just on the pure basis of education. You felt disgusted with him and you felt humiliated with yourself.

“Take off your clothes and get on your knees, honey. I could always tell your boss at the internship you weren’t as good as I thought you were or I could even take a couple points off the assignments I graded.” Jonathan threatened with a gentle voice.

You then dropped your bag out and gave in and he praised you “Good girl.”

You took off your sweater and shirt. He bit his lip as your white lacy bra became visible, he noted that it would be something for him to personally keep along with your panties. You then took off the rest of your clothes and garments.

Your nude body looked even better than he would’ve thought. You then got on your knees as he walked towards you. His hand gently caressed your cheek as you looked down on to the floor. He lifted your head up and murmured,

“So fuckin’ pretty.”

Jonathan then unbuckled his pants and they dropped. He took off his boxers and his thick cock hardened. You moved your face away from his cock and your expression curled into disgust. Jonathan roughly grabbed your chin in offense.

“No, no, no fuckin’ look at me baby.” Jonathan ordered.

He wiped the tears from your face as you tried to protest “Professor I don’t wanna-” Jonathan interjected your words by slapping your face. Your eyes widened from the stinging pain and you gasped.

“That’s not my name. What’s my name?”

“Your name is Jona-” Smack!

“Wrong answer.” He responded in a monotonous voice.

You were completely shocked because you thought you had answered right. You then cried out to him in pain and shock “But y-your name is Jon-” Smack!

You sobbed from the pain. Your sobbing made his cock so hard and made his pre-cum leak so much. Jonathan leaned down and said lowly “My name is daddy. You will keep calling me daddy.”

He then kissed you. You could feel his prickly beard on your chin. The way he kissed you was filled with hunger and lust like he has been waiting for this. He then roughly pulled away from the kiss and a string of saliva was apparent.

Jonathan grabbed his cock and tapped it on your plump lips. “Here’s what's gonna happen. I’m gonna fuck your pretty face and you’re gonna take it like the perfect cock whore you are, mkay?”

Before you could respond he shoved his thick and lengthy cock in your mouth. You gagged as his cock reached the back of your throat. His veiny hands wrapped around your hair as he started thrusting his cock inside your mouth as if it was your pussy.

“Look at you, baby. Sucking my cock so good, like a little slut.” Jonathan praised.

You made gagging noise and gurgle noises as you were forced to suck his cock while he thrusted it in your mouth. Jonathan chuckled and groaned in pleasure. He thought you must have had so much experience to be such a good cock sucker.

“Fuck- baby. Such a good fuckin’ cock sucker for daddy, huh? You used to suckin’ off the boys on campus?” He mockingly asked.

Jonathan enjoyed seeing the tears fall down your cheeks, the drool dripping from your mouth to your tits, and seeing forms of spit circle around his cock and your mouth. You looked like his whore and he loved that.

“Such a dirty little girl letting daddy use your throat like this.” he moaned.

As he continued fucking your throat he was coming close. His moans and groans got louder and breathier. His thrusts were getting sloppy and the pleasure that was building inside of him was aching for him to cum.

“That’s it, fuck- i’m gonna fucking cum down this little slutty throat, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Jonathan growled.

His seed then released on your tongue and he groaned in pleasure. His cock left your mouth and you coughed and tried to gasp for air. As he saw you coughing he stopped you, saying “No, no, no swallow my cum, honey.” You obeyed and then he made you get up.

“Now bend over that desk baby, like a good little girl.” Jonathan ordered.

You bent over the desk and he smacked your ass which made you yelp. He rubbed his cock on your clit which made you whimper. Despite knowing you were being violated your pussy couldn’t help but drip wetness.

Jonathan then took your slick with his fingers and smirked “So wet for me, baby. You’re so excited for my cock, hm?”

“No.” You denied as more tears fell down your face.

“Baby your cunt is dripping for me. I didn’t even fuck you yet and your pussy knows it belongs to me.” Jonathan countered.

He then positioned his cock near your pussy. Jonathan then entered his cock inside of you which made both of you gasp. The feeling of your warm, wet, and tight walls surrounding his shaft made him throw his head back and relax his posture.

“So fuckin’ tight.” His shaky voice praised.

Jonathan started thrusting. His thick cock was stretching your pussy and you gritted from pain and pleasure. Your nails scraped on his desk as his pelvis met your ass. He then grabbed your hair and pulled your head back so you could face him.

“I’ve wanted you ever since I’ve fuckin’ met you, but I didn’t go after you because I was with Mira.” He began and he started thrusting faster which made you whine in pleasure “I was too fuckin stupid to notice you were better.”

“You’re so much sweeter. cuter. fucking tighter.” Jonathan emphasized his last words by syncing them to match with his thrust,

You were moaning and your body was betraying you. You couldn’t help but feel good as he pounded your little pussy. Jonathan loved your facial expressions and how much pleasure was expressed by your moans, sobs, and whimpers.

“Daddy is makin’ you feel so good, right sweet baby?” Jonathan cooed.

He then moved you and him back and continued pounding your pussy from behind. His finger pad reached your clit which made you whine. “Tell daddy that he’s making you feel good, and you love him, and you'll never leave him.”

He made you feel so good but you refused to for your pride and dignity. You were close to orgasming and he noticed the way your pussy tightened on his cock. You were sobbing from pure pleasure.

“Say it or you won’t cum.” He said,

You felt yourself coming close to your orgasm and at this point your pussy was making the decision for you rather than your mind was. You repeated his words “D-Daddy is m-making me- ahh! F-feel good, n’ I-l-love him, and I’ll never leave h-him!”

“Good fucking girl!” He growled.

Your legs then trembled and your vision went white. You screamed as you orgasmed and he continued pounding his cock into you trying to chase his high and pro lasting your orgasm. His lips kissed your forehead as his cock hit the deepest parts of you.

“M’ gonna fill you up baby. Gonna fill this pretty pussy with so much cum!” He moaned “This pussy feels so good. It was made for me, baby. I deserve this, I deserve you.”

As he was coming close he growled in pleasure “F-Fuck, fuck, fuck! M’ gonna cum in this pussy. Gonna breed you baby.”

His thrusts got faster and once he finally orgasmed he grunted. His thick cum filled your pussy and you both groaned. Both of your chests heaved and you both panted from exhaustion. His cock slipped out of your stomach and he gave you one last kiss.

He deserved you and he finally got you.

[parfumieren]

Borneo 1834 (Serge Lutens)

Much like fire fights fire, it seems the only remedy for Serge Lutens is more Serge Lutens. One need only look to his back catalog to find a treatment for Miel de Bois. (Did you think I meant L'Eau Serge Lutens? Good lord, we want to revive you, not autoclave you.)

The conventional myth surrounding Borneo 1834: Lutens found inspiration in the historic use of patchouli (genus Pogostemon) as a moth repellent for textiles. Asian merchants scattered patchouli leaves on lengths of costly silk before rolling them up into bolts to be shipped west. The alien/alluring fragrance of such cargo turned heads upon its arrival in European ports (a date apocryphally set by Lutens as 1834). Only the wealthy could afford to adorn themselves with these sumptuous fabrics; thus the scent of patchouli became synonymous with 19th century luxe.

If you visit a modern sari boutique and stealthily sniff the air, this historical fact comes alive under your nose. A silk salwar kameez I purchased some years ago retained that heady, transporting scent for ages. I regretted its slow fade, and even today, I remember with pleasure that every garment in the shop was imbued with the same.

It's too bad that the West abhors smells like patchouli. Fixated as we are on soap-and-water cleanliness, we usually associate such odors with poor hygiene or alternative lifestyles which set the wearer beyond the pale. (My father, himself an ex-beatnik in the know, used to joke: "You're wearing that hippie crap again.... you holdin'?")

I'm not going to even try to refute the patchouli stink factor (though I will have you know, Dad, that I stopped smoking that shit years ago. Really.) But I will say that the main culprit is cheap patchouli applied neat and unadulterated. Certain scent elements cannot perform well unless used in reasonable (read: miniscule) amounts, embedded among other olfactory notes so that they do not hijack the entire fragrance. If you, like me, cringe at the difference between a "touch" of rose and the full-force wallop of rose absolute, you understand what I mean. But whereas pure patchouli behaves like the Borg, ruthlessly assimilating all weaker scents, patchouli-in-miniature tends to play nice-- though you want to keep an eye on the friends it makes.

In Borneo, Lutens arranges a playdate between patchouli and cacao, with camphor as a referee. The result: simply happy. True, the resulting accord is nearly identical to that which underpins Thierry Mugler's Angel, stripped bare of all the sleaze. Some may find it monotonous, even severe. But Borneo's herbal-chocolate accord possesses more elegance and credibility in its birthday suit than Angel has in all its Lady Gaga shock frippery. It stands alone in perfect dignity despite (or maybe because of) its nakedness.

(All this confirms my suspicion that it's not Angel's foundation which is defective, but the cassis-floral funhouse structure built atop it. Because here, one finds its bare bones isolated-- and it works.)

This is not to suggest that Borneo lacks flesh to go with those bones. After applying Borneo to my clean, freshly showered body, I notice that I no longer smell exactly clean or fresh-- but neither do I smell unpleasant. I smell alive. This is the friendly scent of a warm-blooded animal, with no flower-and-herb concoctions to camouflage it. I feel unmasked for the mammal that I am-- natural and, as Jon Lovitz famously put it, "nude as a bee" underneath my clothes.

And I love it.

In Patrick Süskind's 1986 novel Das Parfum (Perfume), the antihero Grenouille creates an exaggerated "human" perfume for himself to conceal his lack of personal odor from the people around him. From a hell's-grocery-list of loathsome ingredients, he devises a fragrance he hopes will allow him to "pass". Today he wouldn't need to go to such trouble; he would fit in perfectly with the rest of us who have been denatured, rendered scentless and sanitary and safe. And if you think that's a crime, go find yourself some Borneo 1834 and get back in touch with what a human ought to smell like. It might come as a pleasant surprise.

Scent Elements: Patchouli, camphor, cardamom, labdanum, galbanum, cacao

[ashes-in-a-jar]

The Princess Hold: a Jon, Martin and Also Martin Tale

@dathen​ asked and I'm attempting to deliver XD

Really wanted to do this anyway as a sort of writing exercise. I hope y'all like it!

.

.

The Wind whipped around him angrily as though the air was cross at being forced to move around. The hallways, doors, shifting carpets, tacky plants and all that was that maze of a hotel were folding into themselves, creating a void for the air to rush in. Jon barely managed to find his bearings eventually completely losing his footing as the floor beneath him gave way into nothing. Vaguely he thought he was lucky he was on the bottom floor and immediately realized it didn't matter because now he was midair and falling fast.

He hardly had time to think beyond the bitter notion that while time and space didn't function, gravity seemed to work just fine when impact occurred.

Only it was not what he was expecting.

That is, it wasn't jarring or painful as it should have been. It was soft and gentle and made a muffled 'oomph' noise.

Jon tried to catch his breath as he looked up. His mind immediately calmed at the sight. Martin. His lovely Martin, slightly rattled was looking down at him as his arms were somehow wrapped around him in an almost princess hold.

But not quite.

Because the way he landed, there was no way a mere princess hold could catch him so securely and steadily. And that's when Jon looked up to his other side.

There was Martin. Again. As disheveled and surprised as the first.

"Christ, Jon??"

Jon whipped his head around to the first Martin. Then back to the other one. Then back again.

"Um..."

His mind took a moment to finally let the information seep in as he Knew what he was seeing. Oh. Interesting. It did not make it any less bizarre for him though. While fully comprehending what was going on he suddenly realized his current situation and his face began heating up.

"O-oh Martin. G-good. Um, it’s good to see you... both." He really didn't know which way to look and being held the way he was was not helping.

Martin (and... Also Martin?) must have read the daze and astonishment on his face because despite their evident bewilderment they both chuckled and gently set him down between them in perfect synchronization. They did not step back.

"W-what happened? We just got here, there was a hotel and suddenly..." Martin said, still confused.

"Jon what did you do this time?" The other Martin chided fondly.

"I, um, I killed Helen." They were not backing away and it was very distracting.

"Oh." Said one.

"Why?" Said the other.

Jon couldn't keep up. He just had a whole building implode like a black hole around him and he was still trying to adjust to the sudden change from being immersed in distorted, dizzying patterns to being back in the gray, eye-full, monotone landscape that now surrounded him and his beloved(s). He could hear the rain not too far away.

It was disorientating how nice and warm he suddenly felt. From both his sides. Both Martins had put their arms around his waist and back to steady him and kept their hands there. Two arms more than Jon was used to. It was strange. It was nice. It was... What were they talking about?

"Uhh.. I-It's a long story. Ish. I-I'll explain later." There is no way he could concentrate enough to explain all of the convoluted manipulation games he and Helen played. Not now when there are two very distracting persons standing so near him.

One Martin sighed "And of course you couldn't wait until you were safe outside to make her disappear."

"No. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Jon, we're just glad you're okay." The second Martin was stroking his back in reassuring circular motions.

"Uhh... H-how was your domain?" This is getting ridiculous. He needed a way to differentiate between the two Martin's in his mind otherwise he will just become more confused. He settled on a simple Right-Martin and Left-Martin where they were positioned around him accordingly.

"Uh, as you can probably tell, it was a... An enlightening journey of self discovery." Right-Martin said, eyeing Left-Martin reflectively. "I... didn't realize I’m quite so… argumentative."

Despite himself Jon snorted while Left-Martin rolled his eyes "Well..."

Right-Martin tightened his grip on Jon's back "Oh, be quiet you."

"I was going to say it goes both ways." Left-Martin smirked. "We had some important things to discuss so the split just... happened. Sort of underwhelming compared to what we're assuming you just went through, to be honest."

"Yeah." Right-Martin agreed.

"Hmm" Jon hummed, letting himself lean into Right-Martin's arms. He was quite groggy and being surrounded like this did not help him regain his attentiveness. Left-Martin stepped forward to sandwich Jon even further and buried his face in Jon's tousled hair. Right-Martin sighed and brought his arms down to tighten around Jon's lower back. Jon's breath stuttered slightly.

"So... Helen's gone then." Right-Martin said quietly.

"Yes." Jon breathed.

"Time to mourn?" Left-Martin asked. He lowered one hand to catch Jon's. It was a bit awkward in this position but his hand felt warm and secure so Jon wasn't complaining.

"You can if you want..." He looked up from Right-Martin's chest to his face. "Do you? want to mourn?"

"A bit? I mean, she was our friend, sort of."

"No she wasn't and you know it" Left-Martin quipped, squeezing Jon's hand. "She was just pretending to be our friend. Probably thought she had something to gain from it. You know how the Distortion is."

"Yeah, I guess. But she was one of the only other people we met on our journey that we could actually talk to. That must count for something, hm?"

"Maybe. But Jon killed her and probably had a good reason to, no?"

"Yeah, you're probably right, as usual." Right-Martin conceded begrudgingly.

"Well, when I'm right you're right. I'm you." Left-Martin stated and then unprompted leaned forward and planted a kiss on the Archivist’s left cheek.

Jon, who was half listening to the back and forth banter while blissfully basking in all that was his wonderful boyfriend Martin, started. "Wha-"

"Hey!" Right-Martin exclaimed.

Left-Martin rolled his eyes again. "Come on, you know you want to. Look how lovely and adorable he is." He pecked Jon's cheek again. Jon’s face was at this point so warm he felt like a Desolation domain in the making.

"Fine, yeah I do." Right-Martin tentatively looked at Jon who stared back wide eyed and gently leaned to plant an identical kiss on his right cheek.

Jon was almost gone at this point. This was more overwhelming than the confusion the Distortion tried to enforce on him. He hugged Right-Martin back with one arm and squeezed Left-Martin hand where it held his. They stayed that way for another moment before Jon gently extracted himself from between them, attempting to regain some semblance of control. He coughed and moved to straighten his hopelessly disheveled clothes and hair.

He could feel Martin slowly returning to himself, the effect of his domain wearing off as Left-Martin began fading while drifting closer to Right-Martin with a wispy, floating quality about him.

Jon was a bit disappointed at that. But maybe it was for the best. He's not sure he'd be able to handle having two of his boyfriend, even in the long run. Especially in the long run.

"M-Martin. Um... That was... Interesting. Th-thank you for the kisses."

Left-Martin let out one final snort before he faded into Right-Martin and became just. Martin.

They looked at each other a moment longer, drinking in one another's sight with endless affection. Jon broke the silence.

"If you need a moment to adjust, to... to mourn, take your time. But not too long."

Martin sighed in mixed relief and melancholy as he felt the effects of the merge. He smiled at Jon gently and asked "Why the sudden rush?"

"See that over there?" Jon pointed to the grey horizon, dark shapes sticking out like strange twisted fingers. "That's London"

"Oh." Martin said in a hushed tone. He laced his fingers with Jon's as they stood there, taking in the view.

"This is it then. The final leg of the journey."

"Yes." Jon said. "Let's find out if my efforts to clear our path were actually worthwhile."

"Hmm?" Martin hummed, confused.

"I'll explain on the way. Come on let's go."

He smiled fondly, oh so fondly at Martin, squeezing his hand.

Martin smiled back, lifted the hand to kiss it and stepped forward.

Jon followed suit and hand in hand they walked away from their meeting point, towards the unknown fate ahead.

[hyunrun]

Dream SMP/Batfam

This is my reasoning for connections between Dream SMP members and the Bats. This was all just for fun, but feel free to give feedback if you’d like! And do say if I’ve made a mistake. I haven’t done everyone, so if there’s anyone else you’d like me to do, lemme know! Please read, I spent a good while on this :D

Batman (Bruce Wayne)/Technoblade: Technoblade's Dream SMP origin story starts with his parents dying, so the backstory fits. He swears to kill all orphans because of the way they killed his parents (Similar to the way Bruce wanted to stop crime from running rampant in Gotham). Techno is also, technically, an orphan as Bruce was. I've always imagined Bruce's voice to be kinda like Techno's, especially that monotone tone he uses, and especially when he's Batman and not Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is -Bat-man and Technoblade is a pig, need I elaborate? Both of them seem to stay up till ungodly times of the day, and I'm sure their sleep schedules are never on the same clock as anyone else's, Bruce's because of his vigilante lifestyle and Techno because... well, he's a Minecraft YouTuber. Both of them have a father figure, although not biological. They also have a friendly rivalry with a fellow content creator/hero (Cough Dream/Superman cough). We say Dick/Wilbur is dramatic, but you can't possibly mean to tell me Batman/Technoblade isn’t subtly more dramatic. They practically invented being dramatic in their respective businesses.

Alfred Pennyworth/Philza Minecraft: Is the father figure to Batman/Technoblade. Is really a force of chaos but everyone pictures them as a soft, loving dad because we all have parental issues and we need more father figures. Both of them are very badass in their own ways. Old and British. Here's a parallel I thought was pretty cool. Philza had been building up his hardcore world for 5 years before he died. It was like his home disappeared in front of his eyes as he fell away from his life. I'm not sure which continuity/arc this is from (Please do not hate on me, I am but a small child) bUT I do know that Alfred died of a heart attack/stroke at the same time the Wayne Manor was destroyed. His home was destroyed as he died. Just as Philza's had been.

Damian Wayne/TommyInnit: Is never really loved by anyone at first glance (From the fandoms). Tommy's the loud, annoying one, Damian's the grouchy, haughty one. But everyone eventually gravitates towards their characters later on. Their families were wary of them at first but grew to love them. Both of them are the youngest, and generally angriest child. Both are not American, Tommy being British and Damian, Arabic. They both have ICONIC mothers. MotherInnit is a queen, we all know this. If she can handle Tommy, she can handle absolutely anything. Talia Al Ghul has a reputation of her own right, and while she hasn't quite the pristine repertoire, she definitely strikes a strong mark on people. Now, this is a dumb connection between the two, but hair!! Tommy’s seems nice and floofy while Damian's is generally drawn spiky, and I think that's a cool contrast. Their love for pets is also important to note. Tommy's the one that's known for starting wars over the deaths of his pets, and it's easy to know that Damian wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone if they did anything to Titus or Batcow. It’s been shown on multiple occasions that he loves his pets a lot.

Jon Kent/Tubbo_: Best friends with Tommy/Damian. Do not try to argue that Jon and Damian aren't best friends because come onnn. And PLEASE do not take this as a dumb excuse to ship Tommy and Tubbo, as I know people ship Dami and Jon. Both are the embodiment of chaos wrapped in kindness, and both are definitely the more stable of their friendship with the other gremlin children. I am confident that both would probably refer to their parents as mother and father dearest. You cannot convince me otherwise. Tubbo has already done so, and Jon would never disrespect his parents, so this would obviously be the next best alternative for when he is upset by them. Jon’s powers fluctuate upon shifts in emotion and he can’t really control his powers, like the shifting of Tubbo’s alter egos. We never know when Toob or Big Law will creep out of the shadows.

Dick Grayson/Wilbur Soot: (Second) most dramatic in the family, though perceived as the drama queen because of their boisterous personalities. The one that was probably a theatre kid in school. The lighthearted one that keeps everyone cheerful, but also the one with the easiest path to a horrid descent into madness. They have a flair for drama, the glitter and sparkles to Batman/Technoblade’s sombre smoke and haze, which is why they work together so well. The closest family member to Tommy/Damian. Their little brother/big brother dynamics are just impeccable. Both are the most simped for by their respective fanbases (from what I’ve seen). The token pretty boys. Both artistically talented in different ways, with Wilbur’s music and Dick’s acrobatic skills. Also the ones that get constantly shipped with every woman they literally even look at. They also express their dramatic tendencies through their clothes, Dick with his jazzy Discowing suit and Wilbur’s dramatic L’manburg outfit.

Superman/Dream: The OP gods, need I say more? Friendly rivals with Technoblade/Batman. Very often perceived as ‘Perfect’ which they are not, but many refuse to accept that. A funny parallel I drew was the fact that both of them are famous in their own rights, but can just walk around and not get recognised despite millions of people knowing their online/superhero identities. Both are technically not human.

Stephanie (Batgirl/Spoiler)/Sapnap: Both of their names start with S! Not my only reasoning, but I’ll take it into account anyway. Both are basic looking in my head (Blue eyes blonde hair for Steph?? There’s at least 3 other girls that look EXACTLY like her in the nearby DC universes. And Sapnap blends in with every other white boy, though I love him regardless.) but both also have immaculate personalities to make up for it. They’re the most normal people out of all their co-streamers/superheroes in my eyes, also my favourites. (I didn’t realise as I put them together that I loved them most but here we are). They’re both great at dumb banter. They don’t have huge, hilarious bits often or any constant jokes that are pulled on time and time again, but their general atmosphere makes everything seem like a joke. They may not be the best at what they do in their friend groups but are actually really good nonetheless and do not get due credit for their effort and talent sometimes. Has a warring relationship with Damian/Tommy (Sapnap over the pets and Steph and Dami didn’t have the most friendly relationship at the start)

Jason/BBH- Same but opposite but same. Exists to cause chaos. I wouldn’t have associated these two with each other till the Badlands became a thing… but then the Badlands became a thing and I had to. Now, I know that technically Bad doesn’t have a grudge against Techno, but Jason would totally set up a whole empire just to mess with Bruce’s plans, just to get in the way, to instigate, to fan the flames of the fire till he’s driven Bruce to his breaking point. Bad isn’t exactly trying to do that, but he’s only around for the chaos. He’s only here for his own benefit, and he’s only here for that because of the hurt caused to him by the nation he came from. A parallel being Jason causing havoc because of the pain Bruce caused him. Besides, both have a cool red and black colour scheme, and both wear jacket!! Both are also technically not alive (If we're considering BBH as a demon).

Roy Harper/Skeppy: I have absolutely no explanation for this, but it just Fits. Besides, they have cool opposing colour schemes and are best friends with BBH/Jason!!

Aaaand last but not least

Jason/Technoblade: Now you must be thinking But Kaly you already spoke about them! And yes, I did, and they do go really well with their respective characters but I couldn’t simply ignore the connection between these two, so I thought I might as well write about it. Technoblade was an English major (If I remember correctly) before he dropped out to pursue his youtube career. Jason, though this may not be a well-known fact, was a definite literature nerd at school before he met his demise. Their cut off education in English is an interesting parallel to me. Both of them also have destructive tendencies, with Technoblade being an anarchist and Jason periodically running an underground empire to make sure he can do whatever the hell he wants to. They don’t generally care who they hurt on their way to reach their end goal. Jason’s reckless shooting and killing clearly shows this, as he continuously justifies his actions by saying he’s ending crime rather than just making it wait in line for its turn to pop up again, while Technoblade’s release of the withers and excessive use of his firework crossbow clearly shows that the deaths of the residents of L’manburg do not matter to him as long as he abolishes the government.

[cami-chats]

Fanfic roundup, 2019!

In summary, WOW this was a busy fanfic writing year for me. According to AO3, I published 439,972 words this year (whaaaaaat). About 20k of that is from a years-crossing WIP, so the full word count isn’t accurate, but I feel like after I passed 300k mark, the 20,000 words stopped mattering as much (and I still don’t know how this happened). 

I’ve got at least one fic in the following fandoms: Avatar, Charmed, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Marvel, Shadowhunters, Star Trek DS9, Supernatural, That 70′s Show, and Ultra Maniac. 

None of the fics are particularly long but there’s... a lot of them. So everything’s going to be listed by fandom with the pairing (if applicable), summary, and word count next to it under the cut

Avatar (2009)

I Choose You (10728 words) Tsu’tey/Jake Sully: The night after Jake becomes Omaticaya, he chooses Tsu'tey as a mate and somehow, Tsu'tey chooses him as well. With a little talking and waking up in a different situation, they're able to stop the destruction of Hometree.

Charmed (TV 1998) A Family Man (9744 words) Also Supernatural Fandom, Piper Halliwell/Dean Winchester: With the yellow-eyed demon dead, Dean retires from hunting. He doesn't expect for a routine set-up at his job one night to end with starting to date Piper, but he's not complaining. Cursed (3648 words) Wyatt Halliwell/Chris Halliwell: Bianca was sent to the past to retrieve Chris for Wyatt. Chris knew that as soon as he saw Wyatt again he wouldn't be able to say no to him, but he also knew that he couldn't outrun Bianca. The past is filled with shadows, but the present isn't much better. Your Pain Almost Destroyed You (1148 words) Wyatt Halliwell & Chris Halliwell: When Wyatt was a baby, Leo cast a spell on Piper to keep her from getting upset so that she wouldn’t fall apart. Almost twenty years later, Chris finds out that Wyatt isn’t exactly fulfilling the role everyone cast him in, and Wyatt casts that same spell on his brother.

Game of Thrones (TV) A Line Of Firsts (14086 words) Jon Snow/Sansa Stark: The firsts of Jon and Sansa's lives through their relationship, from getting together to getting it on outside, to having an anniversary. Boy On The Side (3113 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Jon thinks that things with Tormund are going really well, until one day he sees Tormund shopping with a woman and two kids that are obviously his. What Now? (1197 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Jon and Tormund are together, despite Jon's occasional stupidity. So with the war over, what does Jon do next? Hint: Tormund thinks it should be with him. After The Long Night (1777 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: When the dragon falls, dead, Jon's only thought is to find Tormund and make sure he's alright. It's An Age Thing (4565 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Tormund only meant to return Jon's book, he didn't mean to find out that his boyfriend was still in high school. Home to the North (653 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Jon is back at the Wall where he belongs: with Tormund and Ghost and the Free Folk-- but mostly with Tormund. After The Miracle (836 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Jon died but came back. Tormund knows that, but in his sleep-addled mind, he panicks at seeing Jon look the same way he did when dead. A 'Lord', A Lady, And Their Lovers (6608 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane, Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell: Jon and Sansa are strangers, now forced in an arranged marriage. Jon's in love with someone he couldn't marry even though he wanted to, and Sansa found herself falling for her best friend before she was married off.Aka Jon and Tormund are together and Jon getting married is fucking with their relationship. In an effort to fix that, Sansa and Margaery lie about being together so that Jon and Tormund can be happy. Bastard Of A Different Kind (4950 words) Jon Snow/Ned Stark: It is well known that Jon Snow, Lord Stark’s bedmate, is a Targaryen bastard. Lady Catelyn Stark hates him because Ned prefers him to her, but they’ve managed to live with it for years because they are stuck together for life. Everything changes when King Rhaegar and his siblings come for a visit to the north. White Russians And Hot Bartenders (1980 words) Arya Stark/Ygritte: Arya didn't mean to hook up with her favourite brother's best friend, but in her defense, she hadn't known who Ygritte was to him at the time. Your What? (3014 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Jon's home for the holidays, and he sort of forgot to tell his family who Tormund is. Left Behind (3779 words) Jon Snow/Robb Stark: When Robb left for King's Landing without a word, Jon felt like half of his heart was missing. Robb finally returns, expecting, for some reason, that Jon will be willing to pick up their relationship right where they left off. Abreast (644 words) Arya Stark/Ygritte: Arya keeps messing up in fencing club because she has a crush on Ygritte, the senior leading the club. Not Rock 'N Roll Good (4623 words) Arya Stark/Sandor Clegane: Sandor's life is monotonous but okay until he receives a text from the wrong number. He didn't think that telling someone their date stood them up and lied to them would result in a relationship, but he ends up pretty damn happy. Our Family (848 words) Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen: Daenerys burned people living, and sometimes that was hard to remember when she was smiling at Jon so sweetly as she shared news that obviously made her happy. It only made him feel trapped. First Choice (7223 words) Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark: Trapped in King's Landing, Sansa is offered one choice about her life: who she wants to marry. Picking Ser Sandor Clegane was one of her best decisions. Married (2636 words) Jon Snow/Tormund Giantsbane: Jon had agreed to come to this wedding with Tormund pretending to be his husband. After he sees Arya there though, the situation gets a little complicated.

Harry Potter Not The First (847 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is inexplicably nervous about the ball. Fortunately, James knows him well enough to take care of it before it's a problem. Like Father Like Son (1435 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Harry's nervous about coming out to Sirius, but then he learns that there was nothing to be afraid of. Perfect Morning, Perfect Boyfriend (487 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Anniversary/Valentine's Day morning fluff for James and Sirius. When Is A Door Not A Door? When It's Exploded. (806 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Remus, Lily, James, and Sirius have to run from Death Eaters. None of them were hurt, but the war is starting to wear them down. Engaged, Said Facebook (691 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James and Sirius aren't together, which makes it all the more surprising when Euphemia calls to congratulate them on their engagement. SBDS Founder James Potter (3228 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James is Sirius's Number One fan, and everyone that interacts with him realizes it sooner or later. Write Yourself A Love Story-- And Make It Last (5476 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James and Sirius are ridiculously in love, but no one's life is absolutely perfect. There are good days, bad days, and blah days, but they always have each other and their friends. Healer's Bed (1043 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is doing some secret reading in the dormitory when James decides he wants some quality time. James and his "I love Sirius" rant (785 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius has been trying and failing to talk to James about a kink he has in mind, and James has had enough. What You Lose (2238 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: In the Shrieking Shack in Harry's third year, Sirius learns that James isn't dead, just in a coma. Now he has something other than revenge to live for. Leaving Me In The Dust (2198 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius decided to move out, and James does not like that. Not one bit. Tie Mix-Up (1431 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: It's the easiest thing in the world to sneak Sirius into the Gryffindor dormitory for a little bit of fun, but then they oversleep and have to rush off to class, still trying to tuck in their shirts. Just Come Home (3213 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius's boyfriend is abusive, and James can't understand why he stays with him. Proposing Is A Great First Date (2191 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: On the one hand, it seemed like a mistake to propose to Sirius when they weren't even dating. On the other hand, fuck you Moony this is a great idea. What A Ruin (2414 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James always dives into things too quickly, so after he does that with his new dance partner, he takes a step back before it gets too bad. Only now Sirius is upset with him and he doesn't know how to fix it. Typical Behaviour (749 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: It was pretty typical of James to wake up after a brutal attack that left him in critical condition that was so bad he had to be put in a medically induced coma, and immediately start getting on to Sirius for not taking care of himself. Win/Win (1787 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James has been planning his proposal to Sirius for a while. It was meant to be a surprise, but when he lets it slip a few days beforehand, he thinks the whole thing is ruined-- Sirius loves him far too much for that to be true. You're a virgin?? (3776 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James learns that Sirius is a virgin, and then he can't think of anything else. Not A Prize (2591 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James and Remus both fancy Sirius, and they agreed that neither of them could spend time alone with him until they got it sorted. For his part, Sirius has no bloody idea what's going on, except that his mates are avoiding him like he has dragon pox. The Creepy Professor (3209 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: The newest DADA professor likes Sirius in an entirely inappropriate way. James notices and tells him, but Sirius thinks he’s overreacting and ignores all the warning signs until the professor tries something. Not A Hair (1788 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius gets hurt in rehearsal, but he's too embarrassed to fess up to his friends, leading to Remus thinking that James is abusing him. Fix Your Mistakes (1169 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Instead of James running to stop Snape from seeing Remus as a werewolf, it's Sirius, who gets badly injured while doing so. Et Vous? (1036 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is French, and James quite likes that. Cold And Comfort (1144 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius runs away from home, but James doesn't know it's permanent at first. The Not-Yet Sirius Potter (518 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is bigger than James, and James is a romantic. Reading (892 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is dyslexic, and James does his best to be supportive when he finds out. Speak Now (1365 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: When James says the first, cliche'd line of a breakup, Sirius thinks he's being weird. Next thing he knows, James is telling him that he's about to marry someone else. Sniffles (1172 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James is sick. If Sirius weren't so much bigger than him, it would be easier to run away instead of taking care of himself. Hold Me And Let Me Cry (993 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James knew that Sirius's past had left lasting marks, but sometimes he forgot just how much that affected him. Deserve What You Get (2102 words) Sirius Black/Lily Evans, James Potter/Sirius Black/Lily Evans: Both Sirius and Lily want James, but they know that they’re not good enough for him. Some time together though... that’s not a bad idea. Home and Bloody (604 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is late getting back from a mission, and James worried about him. Breaking Out (1264 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James busts Sirius out of Azkaban, and they're not really careful about Sirius being in public. Why would they be? He was never officially charged with anything. The Little Things (4870 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius was miserable, but he was getting through it. James Potter showed up and decided that 'getting through it' wasn't good enough for Sirius despite the fact that they hadn't talked to each other. Too Cute (582 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is sloshed and he likes to talk about how great James is. Keep Calm. Failed Step One. (1330 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius sees a suspiciously shaped scar on the back of Harry's hand. He deals with it like a reasonable adult. Happy Birthday (741 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James and Sirius have a birthday party for their two year old son. So Happy Together (1687 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Everyone thinks James and Sirius are together. A stupid decision or two later, and they are. Through It All (5951 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: When Sirius gets Sorted in Slytherin, it changes his friendship with James. They're still friends, it's just... different. Not as certain, even if they end up in the right place. Absent (256 words) Lily once described muggle ghosts to Sirius. He didn't expect to be surrounded by them. The Potter's, Both Old And New (22050 words) WIP James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius helped raise Harry with James until they had a fight. Sirius hasn't seen them in years, but he's a teacher at Hogwarts, and Harry is now 11. With the constant danger Harry's in, and the likely return of Voldemort, they can't ignore their issues any longer. Snuggling (2082 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius feels like James is avoiding him, and Prongs (James's daemon) takes the initiative in fixing it. In his own way, of course. Post Prank Depression (2778 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: Sirius is depressed, and the Marauders don't really know what to do. Like and Subscribe (753 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: The Marauders are famous youtubers, and James and Sirius's fans ship them without realising they're already together. Absolute (768 words) James Potter/Sirius Black: James didn't understand how Sirius could constantly ignore his wishes to keep Padfoot off the couch, but talking about it one day made certain things come to light.

Marvel: Abomasum (299 words) Bruce Banner/Tony Stark: Deer Tony is trying to bond with his Brucie-bear partner. Bruce is somewhat disgusted by what goes on in Tony's body. Abominable (354 words) Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Tony and Bucky and Natasha came out about their relationship, so now Tony has to stop them from murdering the judgmental public. Resting Murder Face (6699 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Everyone knows that Bucky and Tony love each other....Except for Tony and Bucky. After watching them pine uselessly, the Avengers and Company do their best to get them together, even if the oblivious idiots make it more difficult than it needs to be. Aboral (473 words) Peter Parker/Tony Stark: Tony finds out that Peter lied to him (it all ends okay). Don't Waste Your Life (2338 words) Tony Stark/Ho Yinsen: Tony had sort of given up hope on meeting his soulmate. And then they met while being held captive by Ten Rings. They made it out miraculously alive, but now Tony's starting to notice that they don't kiss, and they're not really together. The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker--Only not the first and third ones (2231 words) Pepper Potts/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark: Pepper meets a gorgeous baker, now she just has to convince Tony to give a new relationship a try. Aboriginal (559 words) Tony Stark/Thor: Tony thinks that if Thor wants to see him in a pretty dress, there are easier ways than lying to him about wedding traditions on Asgard. In Your Camera Roll (3151 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Bucky was innocently working at home when a wrong text makes his night much more enjoyable. One For You Too (1447 words) Tony Stark & Avengers: Tony gives the okay for someone to make prototypes of Avengers themed sex toys, but he forgot to warn the team. They're more than a little surprised when they're opening the mail and see that. It Was The Soup (3428 words) Peter Parker/Tony Stark: Peter lies about being sick because he's out of suppressants, and he doesn't trust himself to be around Tony without purring and following him around like a puppy. Of course then Tony shows up at his apartment with soup and then Peter goes into a rut. Not Always 20/20 (1545 words) Tony Stark/Wanda Maximoff: Wanda thought she had finally found a home and a friend that wasn't related to her. She doesn't know what happened, but all of a sudden her life came crashing down.Now it's years later, and new information comes to light. Mail Order Bride (2834 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Tony knew as soon as he woke up that he'd done something stupid last night, but it would take a while for him to figure out just how bad it was. As far as mail order brides went though, Natalia was something of a god send. Around The Living Room (1418 words) Avengers/Avengers: The Avengers have a movie night, only more interesting than usual. (Just porn) A Cliche In Love (1745 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Natasha is a prostitute, and Tony mistakenly thinks that she doesn't really like him. My Baby's Got Me Locked Up In Chains (1061 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Winter has a kink that he wants to try, and Tony is 100% on board. Chatroom Meeting (1864 words) Tony Stark/J.A.R.V.I.S.: Jarvis only meant to make Tony feel better. He had no intention of catching feelings, much less a body. Abort (761 words) Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff: Wanda doesn't listen during a mission and she gets hurt. Natasha talks to her about it. Aborning (434 words) Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanoff: The death of Pepper's icy reputation, but she doesn't mind. Classroom Play (1033 words) Pepper Potts/Wanda Maximoff: Pepper and Wanda are trying out a little teacher/student roleplay. About-face (628 words) Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanoff: Natasha has been pining after Pepper for a while, and a well placed motivation spell finally gets her moving. Aboveboard (599 words) Matt Murdock/Tony Stark: A villain lets Daredevil hear Tony's thoughts during a fight. Unfortunately, Tony thinks about Matt's ass in that outfit a lot. Fit (1769 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: There were three things that weren't really secrets. 1. Tony was trans. 2. That bulge in Bucky's pants wasn't because of a sock. 3. Bucky and Tony were dating. Tense Date Night (1639 words) Bucky Barnes/Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes/Pepper Potts: Tony's wearing a remote controlled vibrator, and when Pepper finds out, she thinks that's hot as hell so she drags Bucky off to have some fun. Abreaction (538 words) Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff: Wanda's a bit of a coward, so she finds some courage in a truth spell. Always Friends (1203 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: In which Tony and Rhodey could have been together for thirty years if they learned how to have a conversation. The Man Inside The Armor (8023 words) Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark: It's obvious that James Rhodes is the one in the Iron Man armor, right? Steve and Bucky want to add Iron Man to their relationship, so instead of asking Iron Man directly they go to James so there's less confusion. Only now they're rejected, and Iron Man's mad at them. It's Like We're Living In Hell (409 words) Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff: The heater's broken, and Nat's stripped down to undies. Bringing You Down (309 words) Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanoff: Natasha has a stomach bug and is being Dramatic. Think Of Me Fondly (1544 words) Wanda Maximoff/Tony Stark: Wanda knew that Tony would miss her while she was helping rebuild Sokovia, so she left him a present to keep him company. Back Against The Wall (636 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Winter pins Tony to the wall and has some fun. Bucket List (1213 words) Clint Barton/Tony Stark: It’s on Clint’s bucket list to have sex with Tony Stark, and now that he’s on a superhero team with him, his chances of it actually happening have skyrocketed. A Love Like This (1762 words) Iron Man Armor/Tony Stark: It's pretty well known that Tony makes his best friends (DUM-E, Jarvis, Friday), but Mark LIV of the armor takes it to a whole new level. Making Me Yours (875 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: It was for the best, probably, that Tony was used to being on his knees so often. He'd gotten used to it before he was sent off to boarding school, working on one project or another, and he associated the ache in his knees with pride of a job well done. Unlikely Invitation (3433 words) Sharon Carter/Tony Stark, Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark: It was bad enough to be pining after two people, but it just got worse when Steve found out that they were dating each other. Inside The Mask (3060 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony has a secret identity, which doesn't work out super well when he likes Bucky (and Bucky likes him??) and villains have any number of weird powers that could expose him (and let him have a first kiss twice somehow). Spun Onto You (1616 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: Tony thought they only played spin the bottle in high school movies, but he's willing to let that go when Rhodey spins it right at him and he thinks that he's finally going to get to kiss him. Dataport (1003 words) Steve Rogers/Tony Stark: On Deep Space Nine, Steve saves Tony from a jail cell once again, except this time they achieved their goal. Just Another First Contact (1886 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony catches an alien disease-- which somehow is the least concerning part of the situation. Bucky wants to spend time with him, only Tony's trying to avoid him so desperately that he gets caught in a lie. Ability (28958 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony knows there's an issue in his company, now he just has to find it and fix it. Easier said than done. His boyfriend is down an arm and doesn't look happy to see him, his best friend is mad at him, and he doesn't know who to trust.He's had better years. I, Tony (10451 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: It was a secret from everyone that Tony was android. Including Tony. When he finally finds out, Howard is long since dead, he doesn't know what that stone inside him is, and he's pretty sure he won't be able to hold a relationship like this. The Sex Tapes (2293 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Bucky knows for a fact that Winter has never had sex-- and especially not with Tony-- so why, exactly, does he know what Tony looks like during sex? Vanilla And Lovin' It (1541 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Tony thinks that he’s old, and he wants to give Natasha a reason to stay with him. Somehow, him fucking it up isn’t even a bump in the road. Truth Is... I'm Not Iron Man (9642 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: The public doesn't know, but the team sure knows that Tony Stark is Iron Man. There are disagreements about getting him to admit it, and of course the biggest problem with that is, well, he isn't Iron Man. Rhodey's Iron Man, and it's a very specific kind of torture for Tony to see the man he's been in love with for most of his life to be in danger 24/7. If Wishes Were Horses (1814 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony's had an obvious crush on Bucky for a while, but it's taken to a whole new level when his imagination manifests a version of Bucky that's all over him. Hidden Winter (4027 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony thinks he has a pretty great life post-Iron Man. Riri's got everything nicely in hand, but he gets worried about Bucky. Bucky hates that he's keeping his Winter Soldier identity secret, but he thinks that he's in too deep to get out. I just wanted some candy (2747 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: Rhodey went to the store for candy, and somehow ended up going home with an abused omega and his kid in tow. The Kidnapper's Heart (12787 words) WIP Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Falling in love with one of your kidnappers was definitely a bad idea. Tony could probably blame it on his heat hormones at first, but then Winter goes and rescues him and Tony doesn't let him leave once they get home. Now he has a mate, his parents actually care about him, and he still needs to finish college. Seeing You Again (1667 words) Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Years after breaking up, Natasha tells Tony that they have a kid. He falls back in love with her and her current boyfriend Bucky, and they somehow end up together. Which Of Us Is The Devil? (4335 words) Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Bucky and Nat cross the line from teasing Tony about their sex life, to being entirely inappropriate. Having sex with him wasn't really an improvement on that, but here they were. Your Coffee, My Libido (1453 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony was definitely not going to thank Loki for swapping his and Bucky's powers, even if it resulted in them getting together. Hold Me Down (652 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Winter wants to try bondage, but Tony has some doubts. They compromise and have a good time. It Wasn't You (2752 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: A month and a half ago, Rhodey was kidnapped and replaced with a Skrull without anyone noticing. In that time, he and Tony got together. Now though, they know he's a Skrull, and Tony tries to figure out how to live with what's happened. Abridge (2255 words) Tony Stark/Johnny Storm: Johnny and Tony are in love, but Johnny doesn't quite realize that. Abroach (451 words) Darcy Lewis/Tony Stark: Darcy catches Tony trying to hang decorations dangerously high. Abroad (1073 words) Tony Stark/Wade Wilson: Tony had a way of showing up at the worst possible moments. Like, when his ex was in the middle of blowing up a building, for example. Abrogate (590 words) Bucky Barnes/Matt Murdock/Tony Stark: Tony thinks there should be a Superhero Holiday, but his partners aren't as into the idea as he is. It's all a blur last night (4498 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark/Clint Barton: Natasha is posing as a stripper, and it works best for everyone when Tony takes a definite interest in her. Clint shows up a while later, and Tony takes it in stride. Abrupt (465 words) Pietro Maximoff/Tony Stark: Getting coffee spilled on you may not be the BEST meet-cute, but Tony's had worse from people that weren't near as attractive. Abscess (295 words) Bruce Banner/Tony Stark: "How many times do I have to say that I'm not that kind of doctor? Honestly Tony, how do you not know better? You've got a doctorate, too." "Maybe-" he said, as if he hadn't gotten his doctorate literally a month ago "-but you took biochem and I didn't, so clearly you know more than me." In Bed (774 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Natasha is asexual, and the conversation with Tony could have happened a little sooner or been a little easier, but at least it happened. A Taste Of Heaven (1926 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony was doing work when Bucky came in, wanting some attention and fidgeting like there was no tomorrow. A Helping Hand (1045 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Winter's on what is basically a filler mission, and he helps the random guy that just escaped a kidnapping. Time to take a shot (1410 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: When Nat's undercover, she doesn't end up as Tony's assistant, but she still catches his attention. At a party. And Tony's offering to show her the Iron Man armor up close, how could she say no? The Red-Head Harem (792 words) Bethany Cabe/Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark, Gamora/Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts: Tony and all his red-headed girlfriends get along quite nicely. Breakfast fluff and teasing are commonplace. The Lost Twin (1023 words) Wanda Maximoff/Tony Stark: Wanda gets shunted back in time for a little bit and learns that Tony has a twin sister she's never heard about. Turns out there's a reason for that. In Love With Wolves (655 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Natasha gets turned into a wolf, and Tony still thinks she's the best. Both literal and figurative fluff ensue. Field Of Study (3035 words) Bruce Banner/Tony Stark: Bruce is the Hulk, and Tony thought he was keeping a different anger-related issue secret. They break up but get back together when Tony learns the truth. Beside And Below You (602 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Tony gave Winter a necklace, and he's a little confused as to why Winter isn't wearing it when he comes to his room that night. Hot Summer Day (521 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Nat wanted to come to the fair, but it's hot outside. Three Loves Of Life (873 words) Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff: Tony knew from a young age that coffee was the love of his life. Now he has expanded that list to include the two hot baristas at his favorite coffee shop. Younger but just as in love (826 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: Tony gets de-aged, and they're all unreasonably surprised that the best way to keep him in control is to bring in Rhodey. About A Little Boy That Lived In A Blue World (11537 words) WIP, Tony Stark/Loki: The Frost Giants are willing to sign a treaty with the Asgardians, if there's a little marriage with them to solidify it. How Tony got dragged into that when he's just a human, he'll never know. His husband is attractive though. So that's a plus. It Began Like This (406 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: Tony thinks their relationship started the first time he kissed Jim. Jim thinks their relationship started the first time they kissed and kept kissing. Your Heart/My Heart (3881 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: When they're young, James and Tony break up for basically no reason. It takes them twenty years to get back together. Abscise (1157 words) Sharon Carter/Tony Stark: Tony and Sharon have been together a while, but being a top-secret spy doesn't let her have much time at home. Of course one day she shows up with Steve in tow and Shield after them, so like, maybe not Tony's biggest problem. Pictures Of You (2085 words) Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: When Tony loses his memories and sees suspicious pictures in his room, he assumes the worst and tries to leave Avengers Tower. An Expectation (4655 words) Matt Murdock/Tony Stark, Matt Murdock/Tony Stark/Foggy Nelson: Foggy drops by Matt's apartment one day to find Tony Stark leaving. As if his crush on Matt wasn't hopeless enough. I've Been Drinking (2249 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony can't remember last night at all, and he can't even blame it on Avengers business. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (2715 words) Tony Stark/Natasha Romanoff: Tony wakes up in Vegas with a hangover and a wedding ring on his finger. He was going to embrace the cliche and make the most of this. Better Than A Ferrari (1384 words) Clint Barton/Tony Stark: Clint often had bad ideas, but they usually didn't include asking Tony to down a lethal amount of caffeine. Fortunately, Nat's only a phone call away to give him more good advice than he bargained for. Stay At My Side (4417 words) Gamora/Tony Stark: Tony gets picked up by the Guardians after an expedition gone wrong and becomes an honorary member. He likes not having to think about the Avengers breaking up, but when Thanos goes to Earth to get the Infinity Stones that are kept there, he doesn't have much choice. Lovin' Me Good (5199 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Bucky loves Natasha Stark so much he forgets that people have shit ideas about her. Chance Encounter (2196 words) Giuletta Nefaria/Tony Stark: When a villain pulls Giuletta into their universe hoping for help, Tony is quick to follow. This universe's Avengers don't really know what to do with them. Iron Man in a relationship with Tony Stark? Yep. (1736 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: James Rhodes is Iron Man. It makes the secret identity less confusing, and if you asked Tony, he'd say that Jim was better at it anyways. Abscond (453 words) Gamora/Tony Stark: Somehow Gamora ends up pregnant. No one will be more surprised than she is. I Always Have You (3932 words) Bucky Barnes & Tony Stark: From Tony's first day on the earth, he had a soulmate looking after him. Not everyone wanted Bucky to be that close with him, but they manage. Abseil (479 words) Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: The team goes to a rock climbing wall, and Tony hates that he promised his girlfriends that he'd go through with it. Absinthe (1395 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony lives, and Bucky gets reborn again and again and again. Tony always finds him. If someone were to give it a label, it would probably be soulmates. Myshka (3767 words) Tony Stark/Natasha Romanoff: Soulmarks are the nicknames your soulmate will call you. Tony has some Russian petnames and guesses wrong the first time, but Natasha’s just happy that Tony asked her on a date, even if he went on one with Bucky first. Business Time (1050 words) Tony Stark/Winter Soldier: Tony promised Pepper that he would stop having sex in his office, but that was before Winter had an idea. Identify Yourself (773 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: All Bucky wanted to do was see his boyfriend after a week long mission. He didn’t want to deal with this random ass person in their kitchen that apparently was Tony’s brother. Not the fun kind of handcuffs (500 words) Kate gets kidnapped by a bunch of amateurs. More embarrassing for them than her, thank god. Here In Your Arms (1702 words) Tony Stark/James Rhodes: Jim goes to the past specifically to save Tony, but he finds himself stealing a kiss or two while he's at it. It's called SOUR cream (481 words) Natasha Romanoff/Tony Stark: Tony thinks Natasha's latkes gave him food poisoning, she thinks it's the sour cream he put on it, and Strange just wants to undo a curse. The Last Candles (510 words) Steve Rogers/Tony Stark: Tony forgot candles, and he finally finds some. There's one little problem: someone else is trying to buy them too. The Meaning Of Chanukkah (353 words) Sam had thought it was a pretty innocent question to ask what Chanukkah was about. He was wrong. Dreidel Cheater (206 words) Kate Bishop & Clint Barton: Clint cheats at dreidel and denies it. Gasp, The Latkes! (389 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: The team gets Bucky latke themed shirts to wear for Channuka. Stop Stealing My Latkes (406 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Bucky doesn't think it's weird that Tony's keeping him company in the kitchen until he notices most of the latkes missing. BYOC (1003 words) Wanda Maximoff/Tony Stark: When Tony forgets to bring a channukiah to a channukiah party, Wanda offers to let him share. No Shirt, No Pants (628 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark: Tony dropping sufganiyot jelly on his shirt ended with Bucky inviting him to his room, so... good Hanukkah party? Operation Metalwork (897 words) Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark:  From Bucky: The plan is WORKING From Natasha: DETAILS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN From Clint: DISH DISH DISH From Bucky: Tony told me that I had to stop growing a beard  From Natasha: What the fuck Barnes I got all excited 

Shadowhunters: Abound (339 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Clary supports Izzy at a party. Above (289 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Isabelle is taller than Clary, and then she puts on heels. Aboveground (425 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Clary and Isabelle come out to the Lightwood parents, and it doesn't go well. Ab ovo (1122 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: In Pandemonium, Clary catches sight of Isabelle and thinks she's the most gorgeous person ever. That crush sticks around through demons and getting her mother back. Abracadabra (1006 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Clary is a warlock, and Isabelle is a Shadowhunter-- that doesn't stop Clary from falling for her. Abrade (462 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Izzy's recovering from the vampire addiction forced on her. Alec and Clary are both there for her. Ditched (390 words) Clary Fray/Maia Roberts: Maia and Clary's friends ditch them during a night out, so Maia opts to go home with Clary. Poison =/= Love (329 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: It's an expected disaster when Izzy tries to cook. Told You So (413 words) Clary Fray/Maia Roberts: Clary and Maia get together after a surprise demon attack. Mistaken Mother (302 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Clary's glad to find out that this beautiful woman is Max's sister, not mother. Dragged To Hell Kicking And Screaming (477 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Clary's annoyed that their date got interrupted, and Izzy just wants the attention back on her. A Smoothie And A Kid (337 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Clary walks in with a smoothie in one hand, and a goat in the other. Secrets Told (4988 words) Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland: Jace makes a deal with a demon to help Clary find her mother, but it was just a truth for a truth, what was the worst that could happen? Chicken Wings (356 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Izzy's costume creation didn't look like she imagined it would. So Pretty (100 words) Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood: Isabelle's singing and braiding Clary's hair. Under A Spell (3387 words) Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland: Alec and Jace are together. So why the hell is Jace flirting with Clary and ignoring Alec completely?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:

About (290 words) Jadzia Dax/Kira Nerys: Jadzia tries to convince Nerys to go on a double date.

That 70′s Show:  Girls Girls Girls Night (1135 words) Jackie Burkhart/Donna Pinciotti: Jackie goes to a strip club after a rough day, and stumbles upon the most gorgeous woman in the world. Well, maybe second, after herself of course.

Ultra Maniac: Pictures Of You (Pictures Of Me) (947 words) Sakura Nina/Tateishi Ayu: Ayu has a crush on Nina the size of America, so when Yuta gives her a magic camera, it's the perfect opportunity to see if Nina feels the same way.

[sarahlwlee]

31 Stories in 31 Days: Music

What is this? As part of celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), I am writing a story a day about my experiences as a Chinese Malaysian immigrant in America. My friends and family have provided numerous one-word prompts to help me create these stories. Today’s word prompt was contributed by Tieng Yee L. and the word is “Music”. Thank you Tieng for your contribution and thank you everyone who stopped by to read my story today.

When I was a kid I didn’t like piano lessons. I was 5-years-old when I was enrolled in piano lessons. My piano lesson took place at a pastor’s house right behind the kindergarten I attended. The kindergarten was also a Lutheran church. While attending kindergarten, my mother was also a teacher at the kindergarten and heard the pastor’s daughter was giving piano lessons. She enrolled me as soon as she could and told me that whatever musical gifts I had, I needed to serve God in church when time came. I did not understand what my mom meant at the time and nodded in agreement so that I could get started with lessons. Finally, I could be just like my sister playing the piano.

One of the big things you learn at the beginning is learning how to read music notes and how to count. Neither of which I was very good at. My piano teacher tried every way possible to teach me music theory including using analogies of a large circular man eating four apples equals a semibreve and using imagery that looked like the notes themselves. It was a lot of fun coloring the apples however when it came to practical application to playing the piano I didn’t do so well. More often than not, I was always very shy when it came to playing the piano and became scared of the piano teacher because she got angry when I wouldn’t curve my fingers on the keys. She would us a thin wooden dowel to press on to the tips of my fingers to illustrate those were the only parts that should be touching the keys and not my whole finger.

Apparently this didn’t sink in with me, so she brought out Chinese medicine balls (or Baoding balls) to put in my palms, flip my hands over and told don’t drop the balls while I played the piano. I got so scared that I held on tightly to the balls and played ever so slowly with my fingers curved. She sternly asked me to keep up with the tempo and to stop dragging my fingers. I stopped playing and started to cry. She took the balls from my hands and walked out of the room to return with tissue paper to wipe my tears. I think it was awkward for her that I was crying and she kept saying, “Don’t cry… you just need to follow instructions, Sarah.” We took a break and worked on more music theory coloring before my lesson ended.

When kindergarten ended, I thought my piano lesson days were over. I dreaded the teacher and was not enjoying the process of learning at all. Around Standard 3 (or 3rd Grade equivalent), my mom decided to enroll me in a music school called PianoTec to pick up where I left off when I was in kindergarten. This time the teacher I had was amazing. She was so patient and made learning the piano a lot of fun. Unfortunately,  after six months she moved on to a different job and left the music school. I was assigned a new teacher and she was a lot stricter. She trained me really hard on playing scales, especially the Suzuki method, and it started to get monotonous and boring. I wasn’t playing anymore fun songs and the pieces were not even songs that I had ever heard before. At that point I had completed Grade 3 level for piano andI decided to tell my mom I didn’t want to take piano lessons anymore. My mom honored my wishes and I was relieved that I didn’t have to go back to PianoTec ever again.

Something changed when I was 12. My mom brought me to a piano concert at someone’s house that had two grand pianos. At the time my aunt had a fundraiser for her nonprofit and she had invited a few professional piano performers to play a special concert for attendees to hear an exclusive performance. It was the most amazing performance I had every watched up close and the emotions they emoted made me think I could do this too. I told my mom I wanted to take piano lessons again when I turn 13 and this time I’ll stick with it. Once again she reminded, whatever musical gifts I had I needed to use it to serve God. I went back to PianoTec with a different teacher and made it through Grade 6 in terms of exams. After that I told the teacher I needed to take a break when I was turned 15 because we were having a major Form 3 exam at school called PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah or Lower Secondary Assessment). It’s the exam that determines what stream specialization you get assigned to based on your grades when you move on to Form 4 and 5 (the equivalent to high school).

My social life changed when I was 15. Not only were we preparing for a major exam, boys and girls were getting eager to get to know each other more than just classmates. I wasn’t interested in anyone at school, mainly because there was no guy who matched my comprehension in English. Even the one guy who I had a crush on couldn’t communicate with me in English and I couldn’t communicate with him in Cantonese, so we talked in Malay. I learned quickly that he and I had nothing in common and soon the crush faded. During a school holiday break, I signed up for a School Christian Fellowship Leaders camp as part of my training to help our at the Christian Fellowship in school. At this camp, I learned to overcome my fear of public speaking and I met the most interesting guy in the world who was three years older than I was. His name is Jon. He was so worldly, cool and good looking. When camp ended, the campers traded numbers and emails with their bunk mates and new friends. Unfortunately, I didn’t get Jon’s email or phone number nor did give mine to him.

A few weeks later after the camp had ended, I was back in school and we were working hard on exam drills in preparation for PMR. I was once again getting bored by the monotony and repetition that I studying became less interesting. One day I received a call from Jon while I was having dinner with my family. It was the strangest thing because I didn’t give him my number. Later I found out he had asked one of my bunk mates for my number and one could only assume he must be interested in me. Since it was dinner time, I asked him for his email and phone number so that I could contact him later. He said I’ll just email you my information. I hung up with glee and eagerly awaited his email. We ended up talking more on ICQ, an online messenger service, into the wee hours of the morning. I learned he was an avid musician, primarily violin and is hoping to venture into bass guitar. I started to take violin lessons with my mom’s permission to surprise Jon. Our camp friends planned a small get together just to catch up and we both decided to talk more in person during the get together. This in person conversation didn’t quite take place as I was so shy to have a conversation with him in front of people.

Jon had an interesting obsession at the time with yoyo and this traveling yoyo performers called ProYo. They were an American team traveling all over the world teaching kids how do tricks with a yoyo. I attended my first ProYo event with Jon and bought my first butterfly ProFire yoyo. It was a lot of fun but probably what made it exciting for me was an opportunity to spend time with Jon only and no one else. The day we were traveling to the ProYo event, it was pouring rain and I remember my white jeans was getting soaked. I was picking my pant legs up with my hands because it started to get heavy while walking and I remember Jon turning to me saying, “I’m sorry you have to hold your pants like that, seems I should be holding your hand instead.” My heart started to race and my crush had turned into deep infatuation for Jon.

After my PMR exam, I attended another School Christian Fellowship camp with the newly elected Christian Fellowship executive committee at my school. I was selected to be secretary and was excited to be part of something important in school. After camp, I didn’t know a few of my newfound friends from Malacca were mutual friends with Jon. So when a Christian rally was taking place at the stadium near my house, I learned a few of my friends from camp were planning on attending and need a place to stay. My mom approved  of two of my camp friends, a boy and a girl, and also Jon to spend the night at our house. The boys slept in the other room and the girl slept in my room. The first night when we were all together, we laughed and talked late into the night. All of us finally went to bed because the next morning, my Christian Fellowship president was going to walk us to a great spot to watch the sunrise.

Jon and I couldn’t sleep. We both went downstairs to the main family room and we kept all the lights off so that we didn’t wake anyone else up. The moonlight was our only source of light and the sound of my mother’s favorite small bubbling fountain in the corner filled the air. We continued to talk and flirt, before I knew it we were kissing deeply. That was my first kiss with a boy and it was awkward and great. I don’t know how that’s possible to have both reactions, but I think it was because I wanted it to be great because it was my first kiss. The very next day, we were so sleepy because we barely slept and we had to go walk to the site where my Christian Fellowship president insisted on showing our guests the perfect sunrise. When we got back to the house, I barely ate breakfast and decided to take a quick nap that morning and so did Jon on my bedroom floor.

When we woke up, my mother stopped by the room and started chatting with Jon as well as the other two campers. I so happened had my violin in my room and my mother requested of Jon to play “The Swan” by Saint Saens. He happily obliged and had this song memorized already. I was so impressed and inspired to keep practicing my violin because he had played on it. I wanted to show him that I could match him and that I would be good for him as a girlfriend. We were somewhat officially together upon my insistence. Over the weeks and months later, he eventually broke up with me on ICQ because I wasn’t his type and he didn’t want to be tied down. I was terribly heart broken and could not get over him. For years I kept longing for him and no other guy could measure up. During that time of longing, I just worked hard on my violin performance and just making music with any band or orchestra or even at church because I wanted to prove that I could be his match on that level. For a long time I tried to win him back, even when we were on friendlier terms.

Looking back on this experience, the only good thing that came out of it was the experience of a lifetime in pursuing good music or rather a good sound from an instrument. A lot of my affections for him was poured into music and my musical instruments, especially the violin. I know now that what we had at the time wasn’t realistic nor meant to be. We were on different paths even though I tried so hard to make sure my path would lead to him or at least bring me closer to him. When I was reading through old emails and transcripts of conversations with Jon, there were so many signs where he had expressed not having the deep infatuation that I did of him. I just refused to acknowledge at the time and was truly blinded by an infatuation built on false hope.

First love’s are hard to forget and you will always carry them with you where ever you go. They don’t occupy rent in your heart, mind and soul like it use to, but you know it’s there like a long lost memory. I am glad that the last love is the one to last forever. In this case, my husband. Finding Chauncey, who is now my husband of 12 years this coming August, is like a one in a million. With him, I have learned to understand what deep love and friendship should be and how it helps you grow as a person. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to spend the rest of my life with. Even though we don’t share similar musical taste, we deeply admire each other for our accomplishments and cheer each other on in the pursuit of our goals in life. My only hope at the end of this journey is the ability to love Chauncey as much and be worthy of his love and affection for me.

[hairton4-blog]

Speech Critique Suki Kim (TED 2015)



Speech Critique: Suki Kim (TED 2015)

This article reviews the 2015 TED talk by Suki Kim about her experience living undercover as a teacher for six months in North Korea.

Aside from the powerful core message, Kim’s talk also has several speaking lessons for us, including:

how to read a speech without being flat and emotionless

how to use pauses effectively

how to align words with facial expressions to convey emotion

how to make every word count

This is the latest in a series of speech critiques here on Six Minutes.

I encourage you to:

Watch the video; (If it does not appear below, watch it here.)

Read the analysis in this speech critique; and

Share your thoughts on this presentation in the comment section.

Lesson 1: You can read a speech.

What is your first response when you see a speaker reading their speech? Are you expecting it to be engaging? Boring? Flat?

When you choose to read your speech, you accept certain disadvantages:

The lectern acts as a barrier, making it harder to connect with your audience.

Body movement is limited by virtue of needing to stay close to the printed words on the page.

Eye contact is reduced.

Air flow is restricted (due to a lowered head), which limits the resonance of your voice.

But, it is possible to deliver an effective speech while reading, and Suki Kim demonstrates this by compensating in a variety of ways:

Her preparation is obvious. At many times throughout the speech, she had clearly committed the words to memory, and didn’t need to rely on the page.

She uses pauses expertly, and varies the pace of her vocal delivery.

Her face and eyes convey a great deal of emotion.

Her writing is so strong, and her story is so powerful that I forgot she was even reading after the first minute or two.

Could this speech have been even better without reading it? Perhaps. I sense that isn’t really Suki Kim’s strength, however. She chose to read this speech, and this speech was undoubtedly very effective.

Lesson 2: Master the pause.

Too often, TED speakers (and all speakers) tend to rush their delivery. The strict time constraint tempts them to speak faster to “fit all their content in” rather than ruthlessly edit their material.

Suki Kim, on the other hand, gives a perfect demonstration of how to use effective pauses. Consider the opening 73 words of her speech which include nine lengthy pauses:

In 2011, [pause] during the final six months of Kim Jong-Il’s life, [pause] I lived undercover in North Korea. [pause] I was born and raised in South Korea, their enemy. [pause] I live in America, their other enemy. [pause] Since 2002, I had visited North Korea a few times. [pause] And https://coursework-writing.com had come to realize that to write about it with any meaning, [pause] or to understand the place beyond the regime’s propaganda, [pause] the only option was total immersion. [pause]

Note the significant words immediately preceding the pauses. By pausing as she does, Suki Kim allows the weight (and significant contrast) of these words to linger in the minds of her audience:

“North Korea”, “their enemy”, “their other enemy”

“any meaning”, “regime’s propaganda”, “total immersion”

I can’t recall any other speech where the speaker used pauses more effectively. I encourage you to listen to this entire speech, focus on the pauses, and learn from her skill.

Lesson 3: Be expressive.

Reading a speech tends to blunt the emotions of speakers, resulting in monotone and expressionless delivery.

Suki Kim avoids this pitfall. Indeed, she expresses many intertwined emotions: love, frustration, confusion, hatred, regret, friendship. Her words contribute to conveying the emotion, too, but that’s the point! Her words were in perfect harmony with the expressions she conveyed through her voice, eyes, and facial expressions. As just one example, note her expressions on the video during the following passage very near the end of her speech:

9:10] Once, toward the end of my stay, a student said to me, “Professor, we never think of you as being different from us. Our circumstances are different, but you’re the same as us. We want you to know that we truly think of you as being the same.”

By sharing such honest, raw emotions, Suki Kim helps the audience feel these emotions too.

Lesson 4: Make every word memorable.

The advantage of reading your speech is that every word can be carefully crafted, and every phrase you write will reach your audience, untainted by a potentially faulty memory. As a professional writer, the strategic use of words is Suki Kim’s strength, and her speech is packed with dozens of evocative phrases.

Consider just a few of the examples quoted here.

Example 1

I was born and raised in South Korea, their enemy. I live in America, their other enemy.

The emphasis on “enemy” is powerful, especially as the second and third sentences in the speech. These are the sentences which Ms. Kim uses to introduce herself to her audience—as an enemy of North Korea. By mentioning America, she pulls her audience into this “enemy” relationship.

Example 2

I went there looking for truth. But where do you even start when an entire nation’s ideology, my students’ day-to-day realities, and even my own position at the universities, were all built on lies?

Note the contrast between “truth” and “lies”.

Example 3

North Korea is a gulag posing as a nation.

Everything there is about the Great Leader. Every book, every newspaper article, every song, every TV program — there is just one subject. […]

The school was a heavily guarded prison, posing as a campus.

“North Korea is a gulag posing as a nation” may be the most powerful sentence in her speech. The repetition of “posing” a few sentences later (in “posting as a campus”) emphasizes this.

Repetition of the word “every” at the beginning of successive phrases is anaphora, a powerful rhetorical device.

Example 4

But something also felt wrong. During those months of living in their world, I often wondered if the truth would, in fact, improve their lives. I wanted so much to tell them the truth, of their country and of the outside world, where Arab youth were turning their rotten regime inside out, using the power of social media, where everyone except them was connected through the world wide web, which wasn’t worldwide after all.

I love the use of “world” and “world wide” here.

The figure below shows the most commonly used words in her speech.

More from Suki Kim’s Memoirs

If you’d like to know more about Suki Kim’s 6-month experience undercover in North Korea, I recommend Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea’s Elite.

The book is a New York Times bestseller.

Jon Stewart, during an interview with Suki Kim on The Daily Show said:

It’s a book like no other book that I’ve ever read. It’s a look into a society, into a culture, but […] objective and humanizing and terrifying.

What do you think?

What did you think of this speech? What are the best aspects of this speech? How could this speech have been made even better?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Please share this.

This article is one of a series of speech critiques of inspiring speakers featured on Six Minutes. Subscribe to Six Minutes for free to receive future speech critiques.

[theleap1-blog]

The Best Books to Read to Inspire your Travels

The Best Books to Read to Inspire your Travels

Books allow you to escape into a world of adventure and excitement, but for most readers, they then have to go back to their mundane livesLuckily for gap year students you have the chance to have an adventure for yourself, discovering what freedom really is. However, if your still not quite sure that being away from home is your thing, or you just don't know where to go look no further because here is a list of some of the best, award-winning, books that will definitely inspire you to pack your bags and go on an adventure for yourself.

1. On the Road- Jack Kerouac (1957)

On The Road is famous for its ground-breaking style and rapid pace, portraying a world of defying convention. This semi-biographical novel takes its readers on the wacky, energetic, dangerous road trip of a lifetime through 1950's America. Sal Paradise documents the places, people and stories him and his hell-raiser friend, Dean Moriaty, pick up along the way. Obsessed with drugs, alcohol and women, this novel epitomises the meaning of freedom Although I wouldn't quite recommend taking travel ideas from this book, it will certainly make you want to get out and explore the world

QUOTE: the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing.. but burn, burn, burn like roman candles across the night

2. The Beach- Alex Garland (1996)

Garland's novel is about a few backpackers in Thailand, who, through strange events, come across an Asian Utopia. On this beautiful island lives a self-sufficient community. Although at first this seems like the ideal existence for our freedom seeking protagonist, this garden of Eden idea doesn't last long. The Beach is one of the most captivating books around-backpacking to the extreme! And although it does get a bit dark towards the end, the authors descriptions of South East Asia are simply gorgeous Still not convinced? Watch the trailer of the great film adaptation (and who doesn't want to see Leonardo di Caprio at his finest)

QUOTE: And me? I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it's not some place you can look for. Because it's not where you go. It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something. And if you find that moment It lasts forever.

Check out our Madagascar program:

3. Into the wild Jon Krakauer (1996)

Possibly one of the most captivating books on the list, Into the Wild is about a boy who has had enough of his seemingly perfect 'American dream' life, and decides to hitchhike to Alaska. Once in Alaska he treks into the wilderness north of Mt McKinley I won't give away the rest, but be assured it is deeply moving. His search for enlightenment, through solitude and contact with nature, is something that will make you want to drop everything and escapeone of the best books around.

QUOTE: The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.

4. Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure Sarah Macdonald (2002)

Sarah Macdonald's 'Holy Cow' captures, in an incredibly humorous tone, the unfortunate trip of a journalist to India. Finding it hot, poverty stricken and unpleasant, she swears never to return. It is only several years later when she follows a lover out again that she realised its spectacular beauty and individualism. This book will definitely make you want to explore the culture-filled lands of India probably more enjoyable for the females out there

QUOTE: India is beyond statement, for anything you say, the opposite is also true. It's rich and poor, spiritual and material, cruel and kind, angry but peaceful, ugly and beautiful, and smart but stupid. It's all the extremes.

5. A cook's Tour: global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines- Anthony Bordain (2001)

This book explores the world whilst looking for the beast meals each place has to offer, so if you're a fan of foodlike so many of us are, this book is a must read. It steers away from the expensive food so is also great have for a reference if you find yourself in one of these countries. Its meals and recipes are too delicious to be read on an empty stomach.

QUOTE: They're professionals at this in Russia, so no matter how many Jell-O shots or Jager shooters you might have downed at college mixers, no matter how good a drinker you might think you are, don't forget that the Russians any Russian can drink you under the table. What is love? Love is eating twenty-four ounces of raw fish at four o'clock in the morning.

6. The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia Paul Theroux (1988)

The Great Railway Bazaar is Paul Theroux's account of his intrepid journey by train through Asia. He recounts the epic routes he went on, people he met and stories he heard. He describes the dangerous positions he found himself in, as well as the idyllic landscape he came across. This book will definitely encourage the inter-railer in you to blossom.

QUOTE: Anything is possible on a train: a great meal, a binge, a visit from card players, an intrigue, a good night's sleep, and strangers' monologues framed like Russian short stories.

7. The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemingway (1926)

This all-time classic, The Sun Also Rises, is sure to make you want to run with the bulls in Pamplona. The book is based on a group of British expatriates living in France. They decide to leave their wild, hedonistic nightlife, to travel to Pamplona for the Festival of San Fermn. Here they witness the running of bulls and bull fights, and the moral dissolution that comes with them. Hemingway captures the essence of the post-World War 1 generation in this powerful and beautifully written book.

QUOTE: Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bullfighters.

The places, people and journey's all of these authors create for their characters has made for a deeply inspiring list of books However, if you're still looking for inspiration and don't have enough time to read ALL of these, head over to our Gap Advice blog about the best films to watch that will inspire your travels.

The post The Best Books to Read to Inspire your Travels appeared first on .

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A review of free PPC reporting solutions from Google

Performing PPC reporting right frequently entails some trade offs between money and time. The statement that is perfect requires a large amount of time for you to develop — period that may have now been invested enhancing a merchant account’s efficiency. A repeatable and quick statement, about the other-hand, is generally generated. Therefore Information Studio’s appearance, which now does therefore at a price of £, and offers really personalized reporting, justifies a study to find out how account administrators can be helped by it.

Since my company’s device collection, Optmyzr contains PPC confirming, investing the full time to judge sense was created by Information Business in my experience. Therefore if you’re can’t and overstressed truly sacrifice Information Business oneself to be looked at by a couple of hours, get my undertake it within a 10 that is quick -moment read. I’ll actually reveal a number of reviews that are awesome you may make.

Trust my estimation? On being useful to marketers since my own reliability within this business hinges. Therefore while I’ve got skin for this article, within the sport I tried Information Business to determine where it could are unsuccessful and wherever it shines out for research entrepreneurs and placed on my company cap.

What’s Information Business?

Although Information Business isn’t fresh (it had been introduced in March of 2016), it wasn’t something for many people since there is a five-statement restriction per user — barely enough for that typical advisor or company. Anybody who required more reviews needed to purchase a permit for Studio 360.

Using the current statement this restriction no further applies towards the free edition, Information Business may be worth a brand new search for anybody who balked in the high-price before.

Free PPC reporting choices from Bing

But when you’re buying reporting device that is free, Information Business is barely the only real offering from Google. Therefore I’ll likewise reveal cons and some pros of the options which have been around a little longer: AdWords and Googleanalytics.

Googleanalytics

Googleanalytics Dashboards (screen-shot from Google.com obtained January 2017)

Googleanalytics (GA) is mainly something for examining what customers do on the site. If you wish to appear beyond conversions and price from PPC, GA is an answer that is great. It can benefit why ticks transform clarify.

It’s also at displaying purchase information from additional stations therefore you’re not restricted to confirming just what goes on in AdWords excellent. But although it instantly understands what traffic originates from Facebook Facebook it understands nothing about strategy particulars or expenses if you don’t do some severe function establishing UTM tracking labels and posting price information. In this instance, you’re spending money on a totally free answer together with your period.

GA isn’t an objective-constructed reporting device, therefore it may possibly not be advanced as you’d like. It will possess some abilities like dashboards that may be sent on the routine.

Bring from any marketing funnel utilizing the function in information and UTM tracking guidelines.

Aids evaluate WHY ticks transform, not only when they transformed.

Easy integration with AdWords enables information to become discussed in both instructions between GA.

Performs delivering reviews on the routine.

Price information that is posting is very time consuming if you don’t make use of a tool for this, nevertheless when utilizing a device, this answer isn’t any longer free.

Reviews CAn’t be bright-described.

No method to create modifications to numerous dashboards in mass, producing easy modifications really laborious for companies with several customers.

AdWords campaign management reviews

Download and routine reviews from AdWords (screen-shot from Google.com obtained January 2017)

AdWords advertisers’ vast majority utilize only AdWords itself obtain reviews and to investigate the outcomes. Consequently, the abilities within the strategy administration software is mainly tailored for achieving with the requirements of the consideration supervisor, as opposed to the government group.

This implies reviews are pretty dull, composed mainly of easy graphs and platforms. As the new software may enhance with this, for the time being, the majority of US continue to be caught using the outdated edition that doesn’t give itself to making very reports nicely.

An understanding may immediately be converted into motion since reviews within this section of AdWords likewise are actually within the same location where modifications are created. The larger observations and developments may possibly not be apparent to determine — but that’s where the Statement Publisher is available in useful, and that is covered by I’ll more below.

Nobody has information than Google itself about AdWords. Therefore additional reporting suppliers can’t provide an alternate answer for instance, Market Observations aren’t obtainable in the API.

It’s simple to deliver fresh information via e-mail on an automatic routine.

Fresh data in platforms assists choices are made by bill supervisors, but it’s never as helpful for not involved with evening-today administration. I contended in my own current article that mailing reviews that were really comprehensive with the information in platforms isn’t the proper way to complete reporting.

To those who have use of the AdWords bill, information can just only be sent for protection factors.

AdWords Record Publisher

AdWords Record Publisher Graphs (screen-shot from Google.com obtained January 2017)

To get a truer type of reporting, AdWords has got the reporting bill. Their Statement Publisher supplies a better quality, pull-and- environment for adjusting discovering and imagining information. The reviews you discover below may be used even to produce fascinating aggregations, or to produce better quality versions of the tables present in the Strategy administration area. You may also create excellent- like graphs that highlight results that are important.

In ways, it’s like they introduced a few of the performance from Google or Shine Sheets. I was lately told by Product Administration guide Jon Diorio, “one of our Statement Publisher objectives was to get rid of the full time lost creating graphs and pivots from downloadable data.” the advantage is the fact that of attractive clean information from AdWords, the monotonous action isn’t any longer required. While reviews become easier to replicate, consideration supervisors are far more prone to acquire efficiency to enhance.

As the device is surely a Timesaver when compared with performing exactly the same evaluation in a spreadsheet, it just enables one evaluation in a time to become discussed, therefore it nevertheless leaves the job related to creating an excellent multi page are accountable to be achieved personally every time. Having said that I’ve observed whispers that beta-testing has been started by AdWords simply this type of answer that was dashboarding.

Effective method to chop and piece information via rocker tables and sophisticated graphs.

Do data each time and exactly the same evaluation usually completed in a spreadsheet skipping the need.

A “report” includes precisely one creation, which means you need to produce numerous reviews to inform a tale.

Just like all reporting options, it may just be distributed to those who have use of the AdWords bill.

Google Data Business

AdWords Record in Knowledge Business (screen-shot from Google.com obtained January 2017)

Knowledge Business may be the latest free reporting device from Google. It’s for performing evaluation on the number of data, ideal sets, including Google Linens databases and many Google items like AdWords BigTable, facebook, Analytics. Just like many Google items, immediate integrations using the additional people that are large are sorely absent, as well as for companies, which means there’s no incorporation with Google Advertisements, Facebook others or Advertisements that contend with Google for marketing bucks.

Unlike the AW options for reporting and also GA, the product is made especially for dashboarding and reporting, therefore the result is much better-searching, and a study produced below might help talk the right tale about a merchant account to a if completed right.

But Information Business wasn’t constructed mainly for marketers, which exhibits within the insufficient a couple of things an average company may need from the reporting device: the capability to display advertisement wording information, arrangement of reviews and also the capability to influence one statement theme against a significant number of customers.

Personalized with shades various fonts and layouts -tag with pictures.

Generate dashboards which are numerous websites.

Information integrations with Items like MCC Research Console universal and BigTable fittings like MySQL.

No integrations with Google Advertisements, Facebook Advertisements and so forth.

Can’t be bright-described having a custom site.

Can’t be discussed on a computerized routine

Five items to attempt in Information Business

Information Business continues to be an incredible device with lots of helpful and effective performance that you ought to make the most of although it may possibly not be the Ultimate Goal of PPC reporting that we’ve been searching for. Here are a few helpful PPC issues I had been ready to complete.

1. Produce a MCC dash

The MCC dash may be the location that is beginning for everyday marketing program is manager’sed by a merchant account and offers an excellent summary of the efficiency of many balances at the same time. Companies utilizing our resources that professionals would like to get use of this kind of tabular summary information were noticed from by We’ve. But allowing an access that is executive to AdWords might not usually seem sensible, possibly they may unintentionally hinder the job you’re performing or simply because they may be drowned in an excessive amount of information.

a method to produce your personal edition of an dash that may quickly be distributed to anybody is provided by knowledge Business you would like, even if they don’t have use of AdWords. And because of the recently improved AdWords MCC incorporation in Information Business, it’s super easy to choose simply the balances from an MCC to incorporate (so long as they make use of the same currency).

2. Produce a custom heat-map desk

Platforms are excellent, however they may take sometime comprehend and to see. If you like to mix the amount of depth you receive understanding information creation – from the table by having an easy-to, get one of these custom heat-map desk. You are able to develop the desk with as much as 10 degrees of segmentation to obtain a really granular watch. For instance, use plenty of color and sections coding to greatly help rapidly determine parts of a merchant account that could be fresh for a marketing.

3. Display third party phone-following information

Despite the fact that Information Business doesn’t combine straight with phone-following suppliers, you are able to nevertheless contain that kind of information in the event that you preserve it on your SQL machines that are own or in a Spreadsheet. The chart above is definitely an instance I made out of phone-following information from CallRail, that we added with Zapier to a Google Linen.

This information may then be made in a number of methods that were fascinating. Below, equally a chart is shown by me using the general whole going back thirty days and also the quantity of calls obtained every single day. I utilized among my personal favorite abilities in Information Business: custom measurements to sum everything up because every phone is just a strip about the spreadsheet, to obtain the count of calls. Particularly, I utilized the method COUNT(Time) to obtain the sum total calls by evening.

4. Utilize determined areas to exhibit how large your consideration is

There are several great capabilities that will help determine measurements that are new in the fundamental information in Knowledge Business. For instance, make use of the purpose COUNT(Advertisement Team) to exhibit just how many advertisement teams you will find. Subsequently utilize adata filtration to some measurement like Advertisement Party Standing to exhibit so just stopped how a lot of those are energetic or removed.

Within this instance, we’ve determined the amount of the amount of keywords, in addition to energetic advertisement teams in one single account that actually have An Excellent Rating of 6, and exactly what cheapest and the greatest Quality Rating is for almost any energetic keyword within the account.

5. Eliminate difficulty from reviews by normalizing campaign titles

Various strategy calling events with respect to the technique of the consideration framework is used by consideration administrators. For instance, one campaign and another Beta.” The receiver of the statement possibly just gets puzzled once they observe your calling tradition, why not standardize the titles may be named by somebody using an beta framework?

Renaming issues can be done using a adjustment purpose to produce a fresh area that is calculated. For instance, produce an area for Strategy Name” that is “Normalized that eliminates the beta notation that is leader/. So the statement becomes easier to consume for a, the ensuing statement is instantly reaggregated. The particular purpose I utilized in this situation was REPLACE(REPLACE(Campaign, “alpha”, “”), “beta”, “”)

Summary

There are many free reporting options from Google that will help account supervisors using reviews due to their stakeholders’ development. Regrettably, there’s no reporting answer, whether compensated or free, that’s likely to function as the ideal solution for everybody. Therefore prepare yourself to bargain, whether it’s on price, time functions or savings. Since it might help improve some traditional duties, but fundamentally, a strong device that’s liberated to utilize, like Information Business, must have a location within our toolboxes.

Some views stated in this essay might be those of not fundamentally and the guest-author Searchengine Property. Team writers are outlined below.

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