#the solution may be snippets if u want

[n0bluev]

I always render the face first (its not even fair...)

[littlefankingdom]

What if I gave you some snippet of WIPs I may never finish because I'm a perfectionist with too little time?

It has always been his luck, and curse, that Gotham Cemetery was in Bristol. His luck, because it was close enough to the manor for him to visit his parents' mausoleum as much as he wanted, in the Wayne's plot. His curse, because it was close enough to the manor for him to feel the judgment of the dead every hour he spent awake. From where they were, did his parents judge him? Did the Graysons hate him? Did Janet Drake fear his influence on her son? Did his boy wait for him every day, just like his last? Was he alone, even with his mothers' bodies by his side? Was he cold? Was he sad? Was he scared?

~ Demain, dès l'aube

It is not with pleasure that Bruce accepts the invitation given by Ra's Al Ghul. The man may be the only living parent to the woman he loves, but he cannot forget the terror he felt for the last 72 hours since he discovered his ward's bed empty. Even now, with the boy safe and sound by his side, his warm hand in his, Bruce can still taste the fear. Even if he refuses, the man has already proven he knows how to make Bruce go where he wants him to. He has already shown how easily he can take what is the most precious thing in his life from under his eyes without being caught and make Bruce run around the world to find it. So, it is with reticence that Bruce accepts the invitation, holding his boy as close as he can. However, if they dare try to take him from Bruce again, then “Lord, have mercy,” as Alfred says, Bruce will make hell rain on them as many times as they need to get the message.

~ Who Wants to Live Forever?

Jason would be lying if he said Bruce was an emotionless man. He had become more closed off as the years went on (and someone's death did have affected him, but Jason wasn't ready to admit that out loud yet), but his feelings could be read easily by a combination of signs, hidden by the cowl and the cape during their nighttime activities. Well, mostly, because his mouth and voice's intonation still gave some of them away, like how terrified he was when one of them would get hit and did not immediately reappear in his line of sight unharmed, yelling their codenames with all the strength his vocal cords could stand. And in some long-lost memories of his that came back at time, Jason could dig up an affectionate and proud smile the Dark Knight would give him after a mission well done where he had come up on his own with the solution to save the day. Anyway, that didn't matter at the moment. No, what mattered was that Jason knew Bruce, and he had never seen him look this small and terrorized at the same time. Something was wrong.

~ Prologue to Playboy

For years, his birthday had been a sad event, with loneliness, grief, and the aging butler as his only guests, but his 21st had been different. For his 21st, Alfred had managed to get Bruce's old friend and classmate from boarding school, Oliver Queen, to come to Gotham, and had succeeded in making Bruce invite his only current friend at Gotham U, Harvey Dent. Quite the small party for such a milestone, but it was a record for his young master. After a fine dinner at Wayne Manor, the two men, boys in Alfred's eyes, had dragged a hesitant Bruce into town. A sober Harvey, not of age yet to consume alcohol and a more law-abiding citizen than the two others, had brought back two very drunk young millionaires around 5 in the morning. Oliver's loud and bad singing woke up the old butler to meet a laughing Bruce barely standing up, holding to his friends' shoulders for support. Alfred had never seen him smile like this since the tragedy. The three partygoers had crashed at the manor for the night, and for the first time in a decade, there wasn't any silence in the old house.

~ Playboy

The sound of a child screaming. The smell of popcorn. The taste of blood in his mouth. The sight of empty, dead eyes. The feeling of warmth from the people around him. The two bodies on the ground are calling him, trying to guide him back to the alley, but he is anchored in the presence of people around him, strangers that cannot see him struggle. The absence of guns on the scene, of the sound that haunts him, may also be a reason. As he comes back to his full senses, he sees the child running to his late parents, and a dreadful feeling conquers him. That poor boy cannot suffer like he did, like he does. Bruce will not live with himself if that happens. There's laughter in the manor where it used to only be dreadful silence. There's light where there used to only be darkness. There is Robin when it used to only be Batman. They teach each other the same lesson: life goes on after death. And, as the years go on, there's a son instead of a ward in Dick Grayson.

~ Triggers

Dick had been excited about Metropolis; the art deco architecture was so beautiful on the prospectus his parents had shown him; but his own tour had ended here, in Gotham. And it wore its name well, because neo-gothic ruled over the city, with huge decorative gargoyles at the corner of each considerable building. Even in Europe, he had never seen so many gargoyles in one city. They were mostly on churches and cathedrals on the old continent, but here, they were everywhere. And distracted by the singularity of Gotham, he didn’t see one of its creatures moves until it landed in front of him. It was an immense bat, well over two Dicks tall. It wrapped its body in its wings, its head peeking out at the top from a collar of black fur. Its silhouette was strangely human, and the way it stands mimicked humans, but it was too animal-like, too bat-like for a man. Dick should have been terrified; any children would have been; but instead, he was captivated. He had grown up listening to tales full of creatures and spirits, but this was his first time seeing one. And even though most of these stories were warnings on how dangerous these beings were, he felt no fear.

~ Unnamed Criptid!Batman AU

[wedriftlikelonelyplanets]

will u be mad if i ask for a snippet from lestappen no church in the wild follow up 🥺

(assuming u have anything written down)

Oh god. Having something written down and having something I LIKE written down are two very different things. I wrote what I have written at a different time, and I feel like my writing is more polished now than it was before. The solution to this is to probably rewrite the thing entirely but alas. Here we are. Paralysis of the writer.

Max’s hand settles high on his thigh as they pull out of the parking lot, the brush of his thumb on the inside, “Cha,” his voice is soft, but there’s a firm edge to it. It’s a kneejerk to obey, especially when he feels like this, unspooled and not like himself. He twists his head back to look at Max, lifts his thumb to his mouth, teeth worrying at the ragged edge of his cuticle, watches as Max’s eyes dart to him, and then back to the road. “What do you need, baby?”

It’s a broad question. He wants his mind to stop racing, wants Max’s fingers tangled in his hair, wants to be told that he’s good, that he’s everything Max has ever wanted and more. Wants to know that Max hasn’t spent painstaking hours breaking down their relationship to Lando so deeply that Lando knows how to take him apart with a well placed blow, a razor blade cut. He wants reassurance that he’s the only one for Max, that he’s where he belongs, that he’s not going to his knees for someone who doesn’t care.

But that’s all too much to think about when they’re in the car. It feels like too much for this closed space. So he opens his mouth, shuts it again, and focuses with renewed vigour on the skin surrounding his nail, chews at it until he feels the sting of the split, tastes a mouthful of copper. He lets the silence stretch between them, the soundtrack of their drive nothing more than road noise and the radio that Max has turned down to a mumble.

I feel like I MAY have shared this before…but I could be wrong.

[k-s-morgan]

Will u post TGSTLTH soon?? So excited

I should! At this point, the only problem is in the size of this chapter, it's getting impossibly long again :D Sebastian can't stop thinking and doing stuff.

Meanwhile, here's a snippet! A conversation between Bard and Sebastian from the time Ciel assigned Bard to be Sebastian's superior as punishment.

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

He obeyed. He stayed silent — mostly. He lasted three days without chopping Bard’s clumsy hands into minced meat and serving them to Young Master. In his book, it was a resounding success. 

Granted, Bard wasn’t trying to abuse his new and temporary position as much as Sebastian expected. He gave occasional stupid orders and snickered as he watched Sebastian follow them, but he didn’t insist and he even asked for advice himself sometimes.

By the fifth day, it occurred to Sebastian that he’d spent all this time trying to solve a human problem by relying on his demon mind. Attachment like the one he’d been suffering from was a strictly human feeling, wasn’t it? Bard was a human. Perhaps he could produce a solution.

It was worth noting that his previous recommendations had been rubbish, but at this point, Sebastian was desperate enough to clutch at anything remotely feasible.

“May I ask you a question?” he said. He was rinsing the vegetables, removing all traces of dust and dirt from them.

“Sure thing,” Bard replied cheerfully. “Is it about the boiling? We just have to—”

“No, it’s not about the boiling,” Sebastian growled. He clenched the tomato so tightly that it burst right in his hand, splattering it with red juice. “How many times do I have to tell you, we are not going to boil these vegetables. You do not boil the tomatoes. Unless you want Young Master to punish us both this time by assigning Mey-Rin as our next superior?”         

“Gods no!” Bard shuddered dramatically. “Fine. Keep rinsing them, though, and replace that tomato. You cannot serve our lord something like this.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. He contemplated forcing the ruined tomato into Bard’s mouth and making him eat it, but his question was more urgent, so he subdued the impulse, at least for the time being.

“It’s about attachment,” he said carefully. “I assume you have experienced it?”

“Attachment?” Bard scratched his head in confusion. “Well, yeah, of course I did. How do you go through life without liking anyone?”

Sebastian assumed the question was rhetorical, so he didn’t grace it with a response.

“This feeling is fairly new to me,” he uttered, “and I find that I don’t appreciate it. I would like to get rid of it if possible, but I’m not sure how to do it. Perhaps you have some advice?” 

Bard stared at him, his hand still glued to the back of his head. He was emanating astonishment, and Sebastian quickly began to feel self-conscious.

It might have been a mistake to ask. Bard wasn’t the brightest representative of humanity, so expecting a worthy reply from him was naïve. He wouldn’t be able to say anything that Sebastian himself hadn’t tried already.

To his surprise, Bard threw away the cigar and took several steps in his direction. Amusement and surprise faded from his face: they were replaced with seriousness.

“Why’d you want you to get rid of it?” he asked. “Attachment’s supposed to be a nice feeling. People like it.”

“I don’t see why,” Sebastian retorted coldly. “It’s distracting me from my duties and forcing me to act in a way I never have before. It makes me physically unwell and fills me with the most ridiculous thoughts and impulses. I’m not in control of my body because of it, which gets progressively unnerving, and I’d like this nonsense to stop.” 

Bard gaped, and then his seriousness turned into wariness. It was his turn to clear his throat, as if he wasn’t sure how to say what he wanted.

“Now, look here, Sebastian,” he muttered. “I understand, really, I do. Mey-Rin’s a beauty and all that. But she already fancies you, and things could get very ugly very fast if you encourage her. Unless you are planning to marry her—”

Sebastian listened, blank-faced and dimly exasperated.

Just like he’d thought, asking Bard was a stupid decision. He always said things that made Sebastian believe they were speaking different languages. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Mey-Rin had to do with his question and what possessed Bard to arrive at this conclusion.

He kept mumbling something about the marriage, and finally, Sebastian’s patience snapped.

“I’m not talking about Mey-Rin,” he spat with derision. “Are you attributing your own desires to me? Why would you bring her into this discussion?”

Tension left Bard’s shoulders, and he gave a startled laugh.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, his face heating in embarrassment. “Sorry, sorry. It’s the Young Master, then? Just, you said… the way you said it, I thought you mean romantic attachment. Or, you know. Attraction.”

Sebastian shook his head in disbelief at the sheer hopelessness of this creature standing before him. Bard held his hands up defensively.

“Hey, you were the one complaining about not controlling your body! What was I supposed to think?”

“This conversation is pointless,” Sebastian concluded. Disappointment stirred in him, killing off the remaining sparks of hope and optimism. “I don’t understand a word from your babbling.”

[writeyouin]

Tfa request #1: what is the thoughts of bumblebee/jet twins/ blurr/ sari ( when she’s a teen! ) who has a crush on a dorky yet kind hearted person and what is thier reaction of when they kiss s/o, she fainted or got a nosebleed...( this happened to me but I fainted =u=|| )

TFA X Reader Inserts – Blowing a Gasket

A/N – Hey anon, hope you had a good birthday. Here is a gift for you.

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

Bumblebee

“YEAH,” Bumblebee cheered, punching the air victoriously. He was the only one who had opted out of the nature walk that Prowl had planned, and without Sari who was with her father for the day, he was left alone with the video game console.

You had dropped by only a little earlier to see everyone and had opted to read your book until they all came back. Normally, you would have played something with Bumblebee, but he seemed to be enjoying the single player game so you had left him to it.

“Nice job,” You said, looking up at the screen and seeing that he had finally gotten the golden relic he was after.

“Nice job?” Bumblebee repeated cockily. “I think you mean that I’m the king of ALL videogames.”

You snickered, “That is so precious. You want to talk to me about being the best player, then come back when you’ve got a platinum relic.”

Bumblebee tutted, “Those are impossible. Nobody can win one.”

“Move over amateur,” You said, taking the controller from Bumblebee and moving the small bandicoot on screen onto a level you knew well.

Starting the time trial, you caused the character to jump, spin, crush boxes, and generally beat the score Bumblebee had set. By the end of the level, you were the proud owner of a platinum relic.

“NO WAY!” Bumblebee goggled at the screen. “HOW DID YOU DO THAT?”

You stretched victoriously, “Years of practice. You know, if you play the second game and jump on the head of the polar bear in warp room two ten times-”

Bumblebee tried to look as if he was hanging onto your every word while internally, he was freaking out. How had he never noticed how cute you were before? It was so obvious. Maybe you had a crush on him too? Wait- A CRUSH! Colour rose to Bumblebee’s face plates.

‘Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. What if (s)he doesn’t feel the same? I need to know, right now. Why is (s)he still talking about the game? Can’t (s)he see what’s going on here?’

Unable to be patient and wait for an opportune moment wherein Bumblebee might learn if you had feelings for him, he dove at you, pressing his lips against yours, making you let out a muffled yelp.

Pulling away, Bumblebee stared at you, waiting for you to say something. Blood rushed to your face, turning it beet-red. You squeaked as blood started trickling from your nose.

“Primus!” Bumblebee screeched, jumping back.

“It’s okay,” You tried to explain, cupping your nose to catch the blood.

“HOW IS THIS OKAY? YOU’VE BLOWN A GASKET!”

Bumblebee practically drove off to get Ratchet, forgetting his comm-link in his panic. You meanwhile, were left to mop up your bloody nose and search for an explanation by the time Bumblebee came back; all in all, it wasn’t the smoothest first kiss.

The Jet Twins

Jetfire and Jetstorm were listening intently as you talked about the movies you were going to show them back at the base. You had a feeling they would like your old favourites as much as you did. The twins both loved that you took the time to teach them about Earth media and its origins. You were like a walking dictionary of what was cool and what wasn’t, yet if they liked a character or plot that you didn’t, you welcomed the new opinion.

The three of you came to a busy crossing where you had to wait for the traffic lights to change. As you chattered away, the twins gave a small nod to each other, indicating that it was time for something they had been planning since Megatron’s defeat.

Bending down to your height, they simultaneously kissed your cheeks. Afterwards, your head swivelled from Jetfire to Jetstorm, who were both grinning triumphantly.

“I- I- Uh-” You opened your mouth to say something more, but nothing came out. Instead, in a rush of nerves, you crumpled to the floor in a faint.

Jetstorm picked you up, watching you curiously, “Brother, I think she may have-”

“-overheated, yes it seems to being that way,” Jetfire finished his brother’s statement.

“Do you think her cooling fans are to be working?”

“I am thinking that human fans may be slower than ours, brother.”

“Let us be carrying her home then.

“Yes, lets.”

With that, the twins took turns to carry you home, each eager to hear what you thought of their kiss once your heating systems returned to optimal condition.

Blurr zipped back and forth in front of your house, waiting for you to come home. He had repeatedly run this one stretch of path for four hours; he’d been at it so long that the path was a mess of tire marks and scraped concrete. Far too anxious to stop for even one second, Blurr remained a prisoner of his thoughts, running to keep a hold of his sanity.

During the war, Blurr was only consumed with thoughts about the Decepticons. Now that those dark times were behind him, Blurr had time to think about other things… mainly you. He’d always known that he had liked you as a friend. You were one of the few people that could keep up with his fast mind and faster mouth after all. However, he had only realised that very day that he liked you.

Blurr hated the anxiety of wondering what you would think of him romantically. It made him erratic, like there was a swarm of scraplets living in his brain, threatening to tear him open from the inside out. There was really only one solution and that was to tell you how he felt; whether you accepted or rejected his affections, Blurr would at least have an answer and that would be enough.

Finally, Blurr saw you coming around the corner of your street. He rushed forward to you and started jabbering.

“(Y/N),IhaveromanticfeelingsforyouandIthinkyoumayreturnthemifyoujustgivemeachance.Itdoesn’tmatterthatwe’refromtwodifferentspeciesifwedon’tletitmatter,therehavebeenweirdercouplesinthepast.Whati’mtryingtosayiswillyougooutwithme?”

You stared blankly at Blurr. Usually, you were able to keep pace with his fast talking but there was no way to understand the fast-paced speech he had just given you.

“Excuse me, what?” You asked, dumbfounded.

Panicked by the prospect of repeating himself over such a delicate manner, Blurr pressed his lips quickly against yours, pulling away just as fast to stare at you.

Only a few seconds later, blood started dripping down your nose. Blurr was sure he had hurt you, and cursed himself for his behaviour, starting a rant about human fragility, though you only caught snippets.

“BLURR!” You shouted exasperatedly, surprised that the usually confident bot was so nervous now. “I’m fine, it’s just a little nosebleed. I- I like you too.”

Blurr, somewhat exhausted from the override of emotions flopped onto the floor. After cleaning your nose up, you laid down next to him and the two of you relished a few minutes of calm, each momentarily lost for words.

Sari

You and Sari walked through the park on the way to meet the Autobots for a game of improvised baseball. As you talked, you noticed how subdued Sari was. She hadn’t been herself all day; clearly something was on her mind.

“A penny for your thoughts?” You asked, drawing her attention back to you.

Sari sighed, then forced a smile, “It’s nothing (Y/N), don’t worry about it. I guess I’m just distracted.”

“C’mon Sari, something’s bugging you. You may as well talk about it. I won’t judge, whatever it is.”

“I know you won’t. It’s just… I was thinking about by dad.” That first sentence seemed to unlock a flood-gate as Sari began spilling her guts, “I just worry that one day Megatron might want him back. What if he decides to take him again? My dad is totally defenceless, and he could end up building something way worse than a space-bridge. I get that it’s not likely, but I still worry, y’know?”

“Hey,” You said, grabbing Sari’s hand reassuringly. “It’s all gonna be okay. No more bad stuff is gonna happen to you, but if it did, then you’ll have the Autobots to help out, and me as well, even if I can’t punch Megadork through a wall.”

Sari giggled, and smiled at you. You always knew what to say. She only wished she had a way to show you how much you meant to her. Blushing at the idea that just crossed her mind, Sari kissed you before she could lose her nerve.

As soon as her lips left yours, you let out a nervous croak, fainting soon after. Sari stood over you for a minute.

“Hmm.” She prodded you a few times in a small attempt at waking you up. “That didn’t go exactly how I planned.”

She called the Autobots to let them know that she would be late to the baseball game due to an ‘unexpected delay,’ and then she laid down on the grass next to you, awaiting the moment you would regain consciousness.

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[the-wintershade]

— the sun goes down; he takes the day, but I’m grown

pairing: sam wilson x f!reader x bucky barnes summary: you meet him once at your favorite place and assume that you won’t meet him again, regardless of how good the conversation was, but alas, fate always seems to have other plans. wc: 6.8k+ (no self-control and I actually planned this series out) genre: slightly angsty, flirting, good banter, medium burn

Blue Shade: series — masterlist | 01

The room buzzes with the clanking of machines, snippets of conversation, and the quiet energy of caffeine tapping into the bloodstream, feet tapping against floors, legs bouncing uncontrollably. It would be lying if you claimed that you didn’t appreciate the white noise of it all. You could be standing in line, absentmindedly admiring the mahogany walls with original artwork in monotone shades and not worrying about seeming aloof or cold. 

This whole establishment was a piece of artwork, something to be admired by anyone who endeavored to traverse the outrageous traffic and lack of parking in New York. It gave you a sense of home and comfort among the noise, the energy vibrating through the air calming any rising anxieties.

You ordered your usual and stood, your computer bag slung over your shoulder and a light jacket hanging around your frame. It only took a few seconds to get your drink ready as they slid it across the metal counter, your name written in jagged script. “Started working as soon as I saw you walk in.” Mark, one of the baristas, smiles at you and you flash him a thankful grin back. “Where would I be without you?” 

He only smirks, returning to the espresso machine and preparing the next drink. Your first sip is heavenly, flavors traveling across your tongue at a lightning fast pace and blending into a richness and warmth that can only be attributed to the feeling of this place. Safe and comforting, inviting and welcoming.

You pick your usual seat, right up against the wall, resting against the wood that acts as a divider between the line and the seating area. The tables are all carved from trees with a cherry veneer whipped across before a sealing, clear coat. You run your fingers against the surface, searching for any lingering crumbs, but also to take in the feel, the smooth gloss against your hands, the sturdiness against your fingertips.

Somehow you wish you could take the emotions that rise as you come into this place with you as you go home, but you can’t. The only thing you can do is savor it all as you do the same thing every time you come in. 

You zip open your computer bag and pluck your laptop from its case, setting it on the table and waiting for it to boot to life. It whirls and displays a start up screen as you take another couple of sips of your drink, trying to make the cup last for the next hour or so you’ll spend here, glancing out the window at passing traffic. 

It’s a pain to find parking—you had to park a good way down the block just to make it here—but it’s all worth it. Just for this. Just for the feeling of sitting here and admiring the light outside as it splashes against the buildings, swathing them in wonderfully rich whites and browns and blues. The sunlight reflects against cars and shining sequins, its rays spreading every which way with its brilliance.

It’s wonderful.

Then your computer finally finishes its load up sequence as you dig around for your earbuds, fishing them out to plug into your phone, opening up a calming playlist as you click the web browser on your computer.

Today’s topic will be about how light plays an integral role in the consumer’s experience between the home and their enjoyment they get from it. You’re not a realtor per-say, but you have a deep respect for architecture and how it connects with people.

Just like this coffee shop is comforting to you, you wonder what are the elements that make buildings enjoyable for other people. Is it the light? Is it the noise level? Is it the people and culture that a building attracts? The location?

So in order to explain these questions, you’ve kept lists of them, stored on the hard drive of your phone in a note keeping app. Then, you come here, the place outside of your home that you enjoy coming to and focus an hour of your time on researching these things, discovering answers to problems and questions that need solutions. 

It’s relaxing, lets you get away from some of the problems that you might be having in daily life, like work or in your relationship. It gives you time to delve into something that doesn’t relate to you personally, gives you another subject to focus on while you strive to find those answers about personal issues that you can’t quite come up with yet.

Your music is calming, the various voices speaking around you fading away as you open ebook after ebook, article after article, searching for responses and research that points to a connection between light allowed in the house and customer satisfaction. Surveys come up, testimonials offered, research specialists all weigh in on the topic and you ravage through it all.

The explanation of the connection between sunlight and serotonin can’t be denied and even without the research, you’d be able to tell people that, yes, you’re much happier when out in daylight and fresh air. You feel better. The science is there to back it up, but what happens when architecture is applied?

What about the location of the home? The size of their windows? Where on earth they live?

What if they explored this furt-

“Hello.” The voice sounds foggy and far away and you draw an earbud out of your ear, gazing out of your article to find someone actually standing in front of you. “Sorry to distract you, but is this seat taken?” He gestures at the seat in front of you. 

You spare a glance around the restaurant for half a second and observe the empty tables lingering all around you, wondering why he would want to sit right in front of you when there’s all that space lingering around.

You nod, slowly, with apprehension, and scoot back to allow for more shared leg room. “Thanks.” He sits down as you write a few more notes onto a notebook you slipped out of your bag a few minutes ago, trying to keep your place and appear busy to him. 

If he were to try to strike up a conversation, at least you’d remember where you were and what you still needed to look up, but if he saw you writing furiously with that pen like your life depended on it, maybe he would leave you to your work.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

“Do you always sit here?” He sips on his drink encased in a white mug, sunglasses still resting over his eyes. His voice is kind, but holds weight to it, like he’s trying to pull you out of what you’re working on. You’re not rude, so you appease him.

“Yeah, it’s kind of my spot.” You smile and close your laptop, taking away the temptation to keep searching and just ignore him. You sip your drink in your paper cup and lean back, placing your pen back on the notebook, about ready to put your stuff away.

“Interesting.” He sits forward, pushing the sunglasses out of his eyes, the deep chocolate of them apparent to you now, not that you were looking that hard in the first place. You tell yourself that you definitely weren’t looking that hard. Or that you noticed the slight abrasions on his leather jacket. “You’re not the first to claim this table.”

“Oh?” Your eyebrows shoot up and you take a sip to hide your shock. “This is your spot too?”

“Clever girl.” He leans back and observes you and you laugh at his nonchalant approach to the situation. “Though, I do accept company every now again. Good to allow the table some exposure.”

“How gracious of you.” You muttered over the lid of the coffee cup while the stranger just smiles at you, appreciating your joke and humor in the situation. “I bet Rachel loves being introduced to new people.”

“How do you know her name?” He fakes surprise, setting down his mug. You nearly burst out laughing at his expression, all twisted with his mouth and eyes wide open. “That was supposed to be our little secret.”

“Well I happen to know Rachel pretty well, thank you very much.”

“I can see.” He narrows his eyes and leans back, looking down at the table as he shakes his head. “No loyalty.” He sips his drink, foam sticking to his lip. “Where’s the trust?”

You giggle and hand him one of your napkins, pointing to your upper lip. He gives his thanks as he wipes away the evidence.

You check your watch and jump at the time it reads. You were supposed to leave five minutes ago, planning to meet up with Bucky just down the block. Hastily, you grab your notebook, pen, and earbuds and stuff them into the right pockets. 

“Blowing this joint, huh?” He acts cool but you see the curiosity lingering behind his eyes and you stop for a second. 

“Um...yeah. I’m late to meet someone.”

“Do you need help with anything?”

You slide your laptop back into the bag. “No, but thank you. I appreciate it.” You grab your jacket from the booth beside you and slide it over your shoulders, the material scratching against your skin. “Take care of Rachel for me.”

You slide your bag over your shoulders and begin to walk out when he stops you. “Hey, Coffee Girl.” 

You turn and smile at him. “Yes, table parent?”

“When do you think we can discuss more options about custody over the table?” His smile is warm and there’s something else underneath. Something you don’t recognize, something that sounds like intrigue. You haven’t seen someone look at you with that in, well, a while. It nearly scares you right out of your skin.

“I’m..” Your voice begins to falter and you hang onto your coffee cup just a little tighter. Not out of a general fear of him, he seems really sweet and kind, but for yourself. No one, no one, ever looks at you like that. “I’ll probably be here, next week.” You manage to get out. “Same time.”

“Hmm.” He watches your demeanor change and his smile becomes less beaming, more soft and subtle. “May I ask for a number.” Your face erupts with astonishment, eyebrows shooting up. “Just to confirm, of course.” He adds, trying to placate your sharp change in expression.

“Um…” You look around to see people watching you and notice how awkward the situation is becoming. Closing your eyes for a brief second, you open them to see his smile now gone and replaced with confusion. “I’ll meet you here again and then I’ll swap digits.”

“Okay.” He nods, seeming still confused. “Have a good one.”

You want to punch yourself in the gut. 

“Yeah. You too.” You turn away and nearly run out of the coffee place, the bell ringing like a gong of judgement as you swing the door open just a bit too hard.

There was going to be nothing wrong with giving that man your number, nothing at all. There was just...just this feeling of overwhelming disbelief and a deep piercing sorrow at the fact that he wanted your number at all.

You didn’t see the conversation swerving in that direction. You liked him, thought he was great to talk to and seem genuinely interested and intrigued by what you were saying, but the thought of him having a deeper interest terrified you.

Because he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.

He didn’t know what a bore you were, let alone how uninteresting you could be. 

He wouldn’t be happy with someone like that. How could he be? He was the sun and you would only swallow him in shadow, drowning out his humor and smile and inescapable light.

He would die with you by his side.

He doesn’t want you, not really, because he doesn’t know you. Because he would be horrified by you.

…. 

“Hey, doll!” His eyes light up as he sees you, crinkling in the corners as he opens his arms wide to trap you within his embrace.

You loved when the bright blue of his eyes did that. Their shape turns into splits and his happiness seems to vibrate from his gaze into you, warming you up, making you feel alive. His arms are sturdy and warm, safe and bracing. You don’t feel like you could ever fall with him by your side.

But he smelt foreign to you, like jasmine and lavender. He always smelled like fresh pine and the forest. It was the thing you always loved about him.

He was corrupted, but he was still beautiful. Still the Bucky you knew.

“How are you?” He kept his hands resting on your arms, drinking you in, smiling down at your grinning figure. 

“Good. Are you ready to go?” He nods, slipping his hand in yours. “Where’d you go today?” You stare at your linked hands and grin, not noticing the way his mouth turns into a fine line before a small, pretend smile takes its place.

“Oh, just to the gallery down the street.” Your eyes snap to his and for just a split second, hurt crosses your features before you smooth it over. It all comes back to the gallery. Every single thing.

But if you ignore it, maybe he’ll still be happy with you, happy with the way things are. If you try to fuss about it, he’ll run away or get angry, and you don’t want that. You don’t want to see him upset. He’s not very reasonable when upset.

He seems to see how your face changes and silence takes hold as you walk down the street filled with warmth and sunlight. Although you feel his heat bleed into your hand, you feel as if you’re next to an iceberg, a stranger, someone you want to put distance between, not someone you feel you love.

Bucky shifts, reaching for something to soothe your hurt. “Come on, doll. Don’t be like that.” He laughs, and you try hard to believe him, to fill the air with your warm giggles, but you can’t. You're physically unable to. “She’s just a friend.”

Liar.

She’s not just a friend, no matter how much he tries to convince you. You don’t have any evidence to support your theory, not any true evidence that he can’t refute, but you know a bold faced lie when you hear one. 

That’s why you try to be good, be interesting, because maybe being interesting will bring him back to you, back to your side. 

He’s here now, but he’s never really here. He’s not as devoted to you as you are to him, but that’s your fault. You’re just not good enough for him, but you could be better. You can be better. You just have to show him.

You just have to hold on. Just give him a chance. Show him how exciting you can be.

Taking in a healthy breath of air, you sigh. “Right.” You shake your head as if you’re trying to clear these treacherous thoughts from your mind. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” You smile at him, as much attempting to convince him as you are trying to make it all right in your head. This is the correct way to handle things. This is how you pull him back. Just forgive and move on.

He relaxes at your acceptance, deflating at your calmed hostility. “You know you’re the only one for me.” 

“I know, Bucky.” You rub his arm and his happiness is not as apparent as his serenity over solving the previous conflict. He presses a sickeningly sweet kiss to your head, leaving an impression there that makes your skin crawl, but these feelings will dissipate as time goes on. 

Time will heal everything.

“You still remember that party tonight?” He drawls, as if proud that he’s secured an invitation. The party is for his friend at the art gallery, a celebration of her achievements. It’s supposed to be a small gathering, but with how many people were there at her opening, you would be shocked if the numbers were really that low.

You nod, leaning away from how Bucky’s face hovers so close to you. “Yep. I remember. I’ll be there.”

“Good.” He pulls you closer and you would be lying if you didn’t feel your stomach warm, butterflies recklessly taking flight without fear of slamming into the lining around your gut. 

Your chuckle isn’t quite a lie and Bucky catches on to your honesty, seeming to grow taller and believing himself completely absolved from all original misdeeds.

Then you hit him with your next topic. “A man tried to get my number today. At the coffee shop.”

He stops walking completely, his arm falling from around your shoulders. “He did what?” His voice is tightly coiled, ready to spring at any moment.

You keep walking, not waiting to see what his face would look like. You know his brows are well furrowed and eyes are dark, devoid of any lighthearted fun. They’re not the blue of a gentle stream but a churning and violent ocean. 

“Oh, come on, Bucky. I said tried. I didn’t give it to him.” You roll your eyes in front of him, turning to hold an arm, beckoning him forward and into your arms. He doesn’t move. You stop and cross your arms over your chest. 

“Don’t tell me that you did this to make me jealous.” His words carry bite, but they fall harmlessly from your frame made of metal and steel. Impenetrable. After what you’ve seen and know, nothing he could say or do to you could truly harm you.

“That’s rich, considering he asked me.”

He sees that his tone has no affect on you and stalks closer, ignoring your arm that now begins to fall back into its place by your side. “But you won’t go back there, right?” He grins, malice and hope curling together, like he wants to lure you into a complete false sense of security, urging you to agree. “You know how I don’t want anyone else stealing you away from me.”

He drips with imitation honey and you’re too smart to believe the gold of it is real. “Bucky, you know that’s my spot.”

“And I’m telling you, (name), that you can’t go back there.” His teeth make each syllable sharper and harsher, but it doesn’t scare you. 

But maybe if you back off, get him to stop fighting, he’ll just let this one go. You only told him just to make him aware, not to cause a real argument. This isn’t worth turning into a complete debacle. You’re not going to allow his anger to grow any larger.

“You can’t stop me from going there, but I won’t go back at the same time or on the same days. I probably won’t even bump into him again. It was the first time I’ve ever seen him there anyway.” You turn, holding out a hand to him that he takes and squeezes so hard your hand aches when he relaxes his grip.

“But,” He drills holes in the side of your head. “If you see him again, tell me.”

“Sure thing, oh great shining knight.” You nod fervently, like you’re completely devout to him. And in a way you are. There’s something about him that keeps you just hanging on, refusing to let him go completely.

He laughs with acid behind it. “You know I’m just trying to keep you safe.” He looks wounded as you spare a glance at him. “He might try to take advantage of you.”

“Well good thing you’re here then.” Your face adapts to pure happiness, his concern for you starting to trump all of these horrible things you’re beginning to feel. It always makes you feel important and wanted when his protectiveness jumps out, his vulnerability unlocking something in you. 

He grins just as strongly back at you, gently running circles over your hand. “What did he look like?”

“Bucky!”

“What?” He holds up his other hand, looking like he can’t understand what he’s done wrong. “I need to be ready in case you call.”

“Well I’m not the damn police. I wasn’t really looking that hard.”

“Oh cut that out. I know you got a good look at him.”

You sigh, thinking of a way to get out of having to actually answer his questions without him becoming angry again. You can’t, so you give him crumbs. “He had brown eyes, darker skin. Sunglasses.”

“Doll, I know you can do better than that.” He smirks but it’s strained. 

He doesn’t believe you.

“Not really.” And that’s kind of the truth. You weren’t really paying attention to his attire, besides the rip in his jacket. “I wasn’t really paying that much attention to him. Research remember?”

“Hm.” He consents. “I’ll give you that.”

You breath out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. 

“But just remember to call me, alright?”

“Sure.”

“Doll.” He stops, turning to gaze deep into your eyes.

“Okay.” You hold up your hands and cross your fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

He searches your gaze for just the inkling of a false statement and doesn’t find it. “Alright. I trust you, doll. Don’t make me regret it.”

You nod, your stomach feeling just a little sicker as your hands rejoin and the sun begins to set, the buildings turning a deep shade of crimson.

…

The party is more like a college frat palooza than a respectable meeting for supporters of a budding artist. Red solo cups line the room and the kitchen is stocked with all sorts of wine, tequila, whiskey, and bourbon. 

Drinks for respectable people, of course.

Bucky already has a buzz going from taking two shots of whiskey before you even came to pick him up. You insisted on driving so he could enjoy the full effects of the alcohol before you even made it to the party. Somehow that BS worked and he was getting a little loopy and handsy before you made the door.

His hand now rested at a respectable place on your hip, but you had to keep his hand from drooping lower and lower. Now, his arms spread wide as he saw his red-haired friend, wrapping her into a hug and placing a bottle of rose into her hands. He spun out his congratulations in a slur of wonderfully crafted and charming phrases to which she blushed deeply at, at least until she saw you.

“Willow, this is (name).” He gestured back towards you and you stepped forward, shaking her hand with a polite smile on your face. Even her name was beautiful. Figures he would choose her.

Her smile was nice enough, but her eyes still dragged back to him, lingering on his beautiful face and warm eyes. Of course, any one would be drawn to him, you would be a fool if you ignored that, but there was just something a little too warm and knowing behind her stare. Like she was blushing at meeting her long-lost childhood love again.

It made you slightly sick but you ignored it and tried to send her your best in the only way you knew how. Words that weren’t quite a lie but still sounded nice. For the most part. “Congrats on your art display. Your work is very colorful and has a really cool avant-garde aspect to it. You really could be on to something, Willow.” You winked at the end and she laughed, seeming to take your compliment well.

“Thank you. I know it’s not super conventional, but I hope it opens a new interpretation into art.”

“I’m sure it will.” Yeah, if you’re a lunatic or a complete believer in work that makes absolutely no sense.

She grins and the room erupts in starlight. Her smile is like starting at jewels under direct light, beautiful and dazzling. No wonder everyone seems to gravitate to her. You start to fold inward while Bucky dismisses you, telling you to “make yourself comfortable” and  “introduce yourself to people.”

You nod and immediately make a B-line to the corner, standing away from all of the people in overly priced clothing and drinking strongly proofed wine. It’s not that you didn’t enjoy a good bottle of wine or even something stronger from time to time, but if you had ever learned anything from being in college, it’s that if you’re unsure of drinking something while you’re there, don’t drink it.

You briefly wonder if there’s a regular can of pop to be seen in this place.

Then you look at your surroundings, admiring the wood of the walls, the accent tapestries adorning them and then start to think that this girl might have good taste. The current tapestry you observe has burgundy and gold blended together in a beautiful amalgamation and you play with the strands between your fingers. It’s soft and strong, wonderfully crafted. 

The wood behind it is hard and sturdy, easy to run your fingers along and feel the stronger edges behind every cut. It’s beautiful. A good selection.

But there’s almost no windows. No light. No opportunity for incorporating the day with the dark atmosphere her home carries.

“(Name)! Come over here.” You sigh, peeved by your disturbance from being silent in your corner. You follow his voice till you’re beside him, letting him put an arm around your shoulders. “I want you to meet, Chris Tallow. He designed this place.”

Chris was probably one of the most famous architects in the whole state. Standing in front of him made your knees wobble. “Hello, nice to meet you.” You timidly were able to get out and he smiled warmly at you, reaching out to shake your hand.

“James tells me that you’re quite the architectural connoisseur.” He grins and you nod, enthusiastically.

“I love your work! It’s ingenious and visionary. It’s amazing how you’re able to work with multiple mediums and incorporate them seamlessly.”  The words pour out of your mouth before you’re able to stop them, now embarrassed at your unrestrained confession.

“Girl knows her stuff.” He seems impressed and appraises you accordingly.

“She’s quite the fan-girl.” Bucky laughs, pulling you a little closer. “She’s obsessed with buildings, sometimes in neglect of other things.”

You almost glare at him, but then you remember where you are and who you’re in front of, so you let out a reserved snicker and unwrap yourself from around him, Bucky a little uneasy on his feet. “Nice to meet you. Bucky you want anything to drink?” You look at him expectantly, but he just leans in and presses a kiss on your cheek, waving his cup.

You dismiss yourself again, frustrated with how he brushed your passion off like that.

You travel back to the kitchen, right about to pop the lid open again when you see the man from the cafe, staring you down. You duck under the table and try to catch your breath after the lightning bolt that went firing through your veins. What in the world is he doing at the flighty girl’s party? How does he even know her?

“Nothing you’re gonna want is in there.” He states plainly, but not in a rude way, just in a I-don’t-think-you’re-the-beer-type kind of way.

He would be right. “Oh,” You stand up, wiping the condensation on the fabric of your jeans, “Right.”

He watches you with such an unabashed directness that you can hardly breathe. He’s dressed in a tan leather jacket that sets off his deep red sweater and dark jeans nicely, pulling against his strong physique. He’s still as bright as you remember him to be and you’re lost as to what to say to him to continue the conversation.

The mystery man seems just as distracted  until he sets down his coke to reach into the fridge to pull out another one for you, handing it to you politely, fingers sparking as you hands graze. “Here.” 

“Thanks.” You mutter as you crack the can open and take a long sip, needing a distraction from the man in front of you and your growing unsteadiness around him. At least you have something in your hands that you can cling onto. “I didn’t think that opening a cold one with the boys would be the smartest thing I could do.”

He chuckles, warmth pouring out of him. “Me neither.” He leans against the counter as you drink, surveying the party and drawing his eyes away from you for a moment. It’s a relief as you still don’t think you’re going to be able to think straight. “Not one for parties?”

“What gave it away?” You speak, your voice warbling after your drink and you try to steady it, cringing heavily at its harsh quality.

If he notices, he doesn’t say anything. “In the corner. Where I usually take up my post.”

“Oh, don’t tell me the sunglasses aren’t a hit?” You lean next to him and his eyes graze yours with a twinkle. You smile back as his teeth shine against the hazy lighting the string of lights behind you provide.

“Well,” He leans a little closer, bumping his shoulder with yours. “I’ll give you a hint. It might not be the sun glasses.”

You gasp.

“I know. I know.” He chuckles taking another sip, still grinning at your reaction. You feel a warmth start to spread and fight down the urge to lean closer, to prompt him with far more personal questions. “It’s hard to believe that all this could be such a mood-killer.”

“You know, full disclosure, I do find that a bit startling.” You watch as he looks to you with perplexity and something deeper. You ignore the warmth again as you explain yourself. “I mean, come on, you’re hilarious.”

“Okay, Coffee Girl, what’s your excuse?” It’s your turn to be bamboozled. “You’re funny and intelligent and witty. Why aren’t you out there killing the game? These people would be on the floor if they heard you.”

You look down at your drink, taking effort to pull your eyes away from his deep orbs, keeping you from falling in. You take a deep gulp before you think about answering. He sobers up at your actions and watches gently, waiting for response. 

He’s not so demanding as Bucky, watching you with soft interest not with blatant scrutiny. You actually feel like you can talk with him and not be judged by your responses. You decide to take the leap. “I have a deflector for that.” You tip your coke towards your “plus one” that’s so absorbed in what strawberry is saying that he doesn’t even notice you talking with the man whose name you still don’t know.

“Ah.” He sighs, swirling his drink around, his energy collapsing. “Your boyfriend.”

You turn to him and watch him pointedly avoiding your eye, searching around the room without settling on an object.

His words sting for whatever reason and you feel that you need to correct him, stop him from getting the wrong impression. That you need to make him understand. “Not exactly.” 

“What do you mean, not exactly?” He scoffs, taking another swig.

“I mean that we’re not together, together. Yes, I came with him. Yes, I’ll probably leave at some point with him to stop him from passing out on the street dead drunk, but we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like that.” You don’t look at his face as he turns to you, knowing he’s trying to find any evidence of deceit. 

“Was that who you were meeting after leaving the shop?” He’s open, asking for honesty.

“Yes.” You look at him then, taken aback at the unabashed staring he’s doing, not even looking away as he observes you with such a gentle intensity, like you’re the most beautiful thing he’s seen. He’s wrong, but the way he’s looking would convince you otherwise.

“Okay.” He drinks again, placing the empty cup down on the table. “So, this boyfriend of yours doesn’t let you speak to any guy in any sort of flirting fashion?”

“More or less.” You wash more cold liquid down your throat as he looks away and scoffs. “What?” You prompt, genuinely interested.

“He’s one of those types.”

You purse your lips but say nothing. 

“As he should be. You’re so unaware of yourself.”

You almost choke, but he doesn’t give you a chance to respond as he grabs another coke from the fridge and pops it open. You look around the party and find Bucky and Willow conveniently absent. What a host. Doesn’t even make sure she sticks around to receive guests.

A pang settles against your chest as he comes to lean beside you on the counter, a little closer than normal. He must read your expression as he looks around for them as well and his face settles into disdain when he can’t spot them either, looking back at you. “You know, you never told me your name.”

You chuckle and take another drink, finishing it and placing it next to his original empty one. “You first.”

“Okay,” He turns and offers you his hand. “Sam. Friends call me Falcon.”

“Quite the nickname you have there, Sam.” You take his hand and shake it, feeling the buzz shoot through your arm at the contact and try to ignore how your skin heats up. 

He doesn’t respond for a minute, just looking at you. “Your turn,” He manages after a while, a miniature smirk taking his face, much different from his usual open grins.

“(Name),” You breathe back, trying to act confident. “But people call me Coffee Girl, sometimes.”

“Oh?” He grins fully this time, unconsciously holding your hand still. “Your good friends?”

“Maybe.” You coyly offer and his eyes light up with challenge. 

He laughs to himself as he finally lets your hand go, searching through the crowd again. “I saw you admiring that woven work on the wall over there.” He nods his head in the direction of the tapestry.

“Yeah.” You sigh. “It’s got great hand work. One of the finest I’ve seen.”

“Are you a collector?”

“Not really. Just a fan, I guess.” Your tone drops at the end. Sam looks at your dismal expression, eyes wondering. He searches a second more and then drops the topic. You stand close to each other, the heat wafting from your thin shirt meeting the warmth coming from the collar of his jacket and you take it all in.

The noise of the party seeming far away from the space that you and Sam have created. It’s peaceful and comforting. It feels like the coffee shop. 

Guilt rises at the way you left, at the plans to avoid him completely. Because of Bucky. Because of a man that is overly jealous over the slightest things. 

You clear your throat. “Um, Sam. I want to apologize to you.”

“Why, (name)?” Warmth crackles down your midsection at the use of your name and wonder if your usage affected him similarly. 

“When I left at the cafe, I wasn’t the kindest and know I made you feel terrible for approaching me.” You watch as he grins and lose your nerve and silence yourself.

“If I felt terrible, do you think I would have come over? Even when you hid from me?” You cringe and he laughs harder.

“I’m sorry.” You peak out of the corner of your eye and watch him laugh even harder. Your laughs mix for a couple of a seconds, a beautiful symphony, comfortable and happy. “I just…” You hold onto the counter, propping yourself up a little. “I’m just not used to that kind of attention.”

“Your boyfriend doesn’t look at you with pure adoration in his eyes?” He takes a sip and then frowns when you stay silent. “(Name)?” You can’t look at him as you play with your fingers. “Oh.”

“Yeah...” You weave your left fingers around your right pinky, trying to calm your heart down after your confession and the feeling of intense shame about ready to spill over.

“I’m sorry, if I made you feel uncomfortable.” He carries his words with a look of sincerity and you feel awful for making him feel as though he needs to apologize.

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just out of practice, that’s all.” You look down. “I’m not good with that sort of thing, you know?” You glance over to see his eyes are already on you, electricity threatening to shoot between you.

“Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean.” But he doesn’t look away, just moves a little closer. “If you’re comfortable with it, would you reconsider that number thing? I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything, I’m just showing my interest.”

You can tell.

And something in you tells you that he’s definitely trustworthy, someone worth giving your number to. He just has this draw and for a moment, you forget about Bucky completely as you watch Sam. You nod, slipping out your phone and placing it in his palm, turning the back of his hand over. 

His skin burns.

He smiles softly and enters his number in your contacts. He then slips his phone out of his pocket, furiously typing on it. Your phone lights up in your hand a second later, a text flashing across the screen: This is Falcon, paging Coffee Girl.

You laugh at the nickname. His name reads Falcon in your contacts, his real name hidden to your message app as it rests in the nickname section, which is turned off on your display.

You text him back.

Coffee Girl on stand-by.

He laughs at your response and you loosely smile as you're distracted by his light, by the beauty in his smile. He doesn’t notice and you duck your head to keep it that way.

Your stomach drops as you look up to see Bucky paving a stumbling path through the party to you, eyes ablaze and slightly unfocused. Sam stands to his full height, putting some distance between the two of you. “(Name). Where have you been, doll.” Alcohol slides over your cheek as he presses a kiss to the corner of your mouth, glaring past you and into Sam.

“Here.” You draw his attention back to you as you take in his swollen lips and disheveled hair. Your shadows start to creep back into your skin, originally chased away by Sam, his light burning them away. Bucky’s eyes, despite how intense they look, are unfocused. He’s not in his right mind.

He pulls you closer as he looks down at you. “Who’s this?” He smiles at you but frowns as he spares a glance back at Sam. 

“A friend.”

He looks Sam up and down a couple of times before he looks back to you, a goofy smile coating his face. “Okay.”

You turn around and at Sam’s face distorted in anger, all traces of�� his original kindness obliterated. It startles you, but when he glances over at you, his face softens. “I’m going to take him home.”

“Nice seeing you.” He bids you goodbye with such subtle hints at his awareness of the situation. You get the feeling that he’s not mad at you or the situation, just at Bucky. You silently thank him for his understanding.

He imperceptibly nods his head at you and you turn back to Bucky, slipping his arm over your shoulder. 

You feel a buzzing in your pocket but ignore it as you drag a half-functional Bucky out of the house and into your car. 

…

After hours of dragging him around his apartment and laying him down for bed, you leave him with one glass of water and a few pills for the massive headache he’s going to have tomorrow.

He mumbles for you to stay, but you push his arms off of you as if they’re disgusting chains, attempting to keep you sedated in one place.

When you break free from his place and safely make it back to yours, you collapse on your bed, crawling under the covers, not caring that makeup still lingers on your face. The fact of your phone buzzing dawns on you and you pull your phone out of your pocket, clicking the screen to life to see Falcon appearing on your screen.

See you around, Coffee Girl.

Your heart warms and you send a quick text back before turning out the light, plugging your phone in, and placing it on silent as you drift off.

Goodnight, Falcon.

[writtenbyhappynerds]

Fanfiction 101 Unit 2: Formatting and Text

Ok. So we’ve established the rules of the universe, which is a fancy phrase that means set parameters that meet the standards of the world and stick to them to keep continuity and cohesion. Before we continue onward, let’s talk about the thing that will absolutely make any new reader click off immediately: bad formatting.

       Bad formatting can really make or break your fanfiction and there is no excuse for it. Even if the fanfiction is the next Brave New World, if I as a reader don’t have breaks in the paragraphs when the scene changes or someone new is talking, I will not sit through it. I’m not going to try and sort through what is going on, and who’s talking. On top of that, bad formatting looks bad on the author. It looks like you don’t care enough about your story to use good paragraphs, grammar, and punctuation. Fortunately, there is a solution. Grammarly’s beta is free. You can add it as an extension to google chrome. Write your fanfiction in google docs and let it correct your grammar for you. This series is checked for grammar by not only my Editor but Grammarly. However, grammar is just half the battle.

       A break in paragraphs, ie: a new paragraph appears when there is a change in who is speaking, in location, or in action. You should start a new paragraph when there is a new idea, when your readers need a break, and when you want to present contrasting information.

       When we say, “new idea,” we mean the same thing as a change in location or action. If Leonardo and Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been sitting in the sewers for five minutes and now are going to the surface, you would start a new paragraph to demonstrate that change in an idea.

       When we say, “your readers need a break,” we mean that walls of text are a bit daunting and not pleasurable to look at. If you find yourself having a large wall of text, you can look through to find new or alternating ideas-- showing information that is different from one another also works for new paragraphs, and these can break up a mass of text into something more appealing to the eye and easy to read. Formatting is important, and another thing that is important is text.

       I’m going be blunt: Pinterest lied to you. Tumblr also lied to you. Every verb that is describing the way someone talks or someone moves does not need to be unique. Every verb also does not need an adjective describing it. Writing can get very, My Immortal that way, which, if you don’t know what that is, it's the most iconically bad piece of fanfiction of all time and the Internet Historian has a 3-part series acting out only a chunk of it. However, as the author John Scalzi once said, “to ignore [popularly bad works] is to ignore why they are successful and what we can learn from them.” What we can learn from My Immortal is that extremely specific descriptions of clothing, links to makeup/outfits/hair, and using an adjective and unique verb every time a character moves across the room or speaks is clunky and decreases the quality of a narrative. It’s amateur writing.

       I’m sure you’ve seen the charts. They’re all over Pinterest, and some are on Tumblr: ‘200 words to use instead of ‘says’’ and ‘100 ways to say ‘went’’. These charts are useful to a point. As a writer, you should not pull a new word from those charts every time a character is moving. It makes the writing awkward. It makes it clunky and uncomfortable, and the reader notices it. As readers, we don’t need the tone of something shoved down our throats every ten seconds. If every means of speaking is unique, none of them are.

       In addition, when it comes to speech your characters should have differing voices. You don’t need every line to clue us in to who’s speaking. It can slow down the text. To improve the use of ‘said’ work on developing unique voices, because you’ll find you use them often. It can even work in rooms with many characters. As an example, I’ll show you an Avengers fanfiction, where five of my OCs have been trapped in Loki’s cell. The first example will have every dialogue followed by a unique descriptor for speaking, and an adjective. The second example will have just ‘said’ and a footnote of who is speaking. The third will be as it is written.

**

Example One: descriptor + adjective:

“What, are you the kind mother-figure meant to bring us under your natural authority? Get that first-year psych-student bullshit out of here.” Duncan taunted merrily.

“Please,” Naomi added quietly, coming to rest by Duncan.

“Yes. Please.” Jano murmured low. “B, what was her request anyway?”

“That we stop calling Nicky a pirate. Also probably Nicky.” Bianca surmised aloud. Micah snorted from his position across the room.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen-” interjected Micah quickly.

“Absolutely not,” exclaimed Naomi.

“Have you all gone mad?” questioned Jano confused, “We call it like we see it.” Bianca held her arms out and smiled.

“It’s not just me.” She simpered with a smirk. “A spade’s a spade lady. I don’t do power moves.”

“Noted,” grunted Romanoff, who left the room.

“Get better material!” Duncan shouted cheerily as she left the room. He looked down to see Barton still there. “Are you the bad cop now?”

**

Example Two: ‘said’:

“What, are you the kind mother-figure meant to bring us under your natural authority? Get that first-year psych-student bullshit out of here,” said Duncan.

“Please,” added Naomi.

“Yes. Please,” said Jano. “B, what was her request anyway?”

“That we stop calling Nicky a pirate. Also probably Nicky,” said Bianca. Micah snorted from his position across the room.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen-” said Micah

“Absolutely not,” said Naomi.

“Have you all gone mad?” said Jano. “We call it like we see it.” Bianca held her arms out and smiled.

“It’s not just me,” she said with a smirk. “A spade’s a spade lady. I don’t do power moves.”

“Noted,” said Romanoff.

“Get better material!” said Duncan as she left the room. He looked down to see Barton still there. “Are you the bad cop now?”

**

Example Three: stripped back:

“What, are you the kind mother-figure meant to bring us under your natural authority? Get that first-year psych-student bullshit out of here.”

“Please.”

“Yes. Please,” said Jano. “B, what was her request anyway?”

“That we stop calling Nicky a pirate. Also probably Nicky.” Micah snorted from his position across the room.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen-”

“Absolutely not.”

“Have you all gone mad? We call it like we see it.” Bianca held her arms out and smiled.

“It’s not just me. A spade’s a spade lady. I don’t do power moves.”

“Noted. Romanoff left the room.

“Get better material!” Duncan looked down to see Barton still there. “Are you the bad cop now?”

**

       Do you see the difference? The first one is clunky and doesn’t fit. Some of the verbs and adjectives don’t even make sense together, which is an issue I see on its own. It slows down, and clogs up the pace of the scene and makes it drag instead of pulling it forward. Adjectives can be used to your advantage, but save them when you want to slow things down. Don’t be afraid to use ‘said’ it doesn’t make you basic, it makes your writing easier.

       The second example is better than the first but still awkward. When you compare the second and the third examples you see that not every line of dialogue needs its own note as to who’s speaking. If Jano asks a question, we can assume as readers Bianca is going to answer it. If Micah laughs or snorts across the room, we assume he’s speaking next. From this small snippet, more of each character’s personality can be expanded on and their voice can be distinguished. Naomi speaks in very short one-word sentences. That’s her voice. Bianca is louder. Jano speaks with the Queen’s English. Duncan tries to joke. Something I do when I write characters is give them a couple of cues in their speech unique to them. Maybe Micah starts his sentences with ‘uh’ a lot. Maybe Duncan never shuts up and has longer, run-on sentences. These are things that can distinguish your characters’ voices, and make each one unique. They shouldn’t all sound the same. The third example, also in comparison to the second and first, is much easier to read. It takes less time to get through it, and the dialogue goes down smoothly. You want your writing to go down like that. It should be smooth, and easy to read, and formatted in a way that is easy for the audience.

       Let’s move on to links and descriptions. Clothing is very tricky. I myself, am a former Polyvore hoe. That shit was my jam, and I spent so much time making outfits. Some of them may or may not still be up in my stories. However, we are better than that. I understand a desire to want to describe every inch of clothing, but it makes for a wall of text that is frankly boring to scroll through. It can be done but shortened. For example, if you’re writing a Percy Jackson fanfic, and the character is at Camp Half-blood, I’m going to assume they’re wearing the same summer camp attire that everyone else does: orange t-shirt, shorts, necklace. Give me something that no one else would be wearing. Tell me they’re wearing their bronze bracelet because it has their weapon. Tell me they’ve defaced their t-shirt and sprayed graffiti over the logo. The same is true for Harry Potter. If the character is wearing a uniform, we don’t as readers need to know as much what they have on. We can assume it’s what everyone else is wearing because it's a uniform. You can still show personality through the way they put their hair up. Or their shoes. Look at the novel The Hate U Give. The main character wore a school uniform, and the author then took the time to describe the model and brand of her shoes, because that was both unique to that character and told us something about her personality. A recent Harry Potter fanfic I just read made a point to describe when the character had unique makeup looks, or when she was wearing a stolen sweater, because those pertained to her personality and the relationships around her.

       There are exceptions, of course to clothing. A big one is superhero costumes. However, much like abbreviations in text, you only need to describe it once. So, if I have a superhero and I say she wears… a sleeveless leotard with her logo on the chest, long black pants, and a black domino mask to hide her eyes when she fights crime, for the rest of the story, unless her costume changes from that description, all I have to say is: she put on her uniform. Save yourself some time.

       Now, in regards to links to hair, makeup, and even characters. We all can do better. You are too good of a writer to be linking away what your character’s hair and makeup are. It’s also not hard. Describe the brown smokey eye. Tell me it’s a cut-crease. Say they glued on false eyelashes and put on a red lip. Tell me their eyeliner wing could cut a man. Not everyone is a pro makeup artist, and even if you tell me their makeup isn’t the best, you still can reveal something more about their personality. A girl or boy or nonbinary friend who takes the time to meticulously perfect a cut crease and put on fake eyelashes for the ball is different than the person who pops on a red lip and some mascara and calls it a day. You then make two more hints at personality, rather than just giving your audience a photo. The pictures you use as a reference as authors should be for you and you alone. In your mind, this is what it looks like. As a writer, you have to communicate that image to the reader.

       Links to characters are something I’m guilty of. I checked my Psycho-Pass fanfic before I wrote this section, and yup… they’re still there, and I’m not taking them down anytime soon. That crap’s cringe. Pure cringe. And there’s a good way and a bad way to do it, and the bad way is smack-dab in the middle of the story when you introduce a character. It’s lazy, it takes the reader out of the immersion, and it makes the author look bad. Yes, I am roasting myself. No, I don’t care. This needs to be said. In my Psycho-Pass fanfic, I do it twice: the first is when a sniper is trying to shoot down my OC. The way to rectify that high-intensity situation is to just describe the bare basics. Young woman. Long hair. Giant gun. That’s all the reader needs to know at that moment. The other time I do it, is when a character is going to pick up the OC from the police station. That is a less intense scene, and I as an author can take my time and describe the older man with salt-and-pepper hair who smelled like cigarettes and had a scar that cut through his smile. Notice in both descriptions, I stay away from what each person is wearing. To tie back to before, it doesn’t matter as much. The reader can imagine what a young assassin is wearing when she’s trying to kill a crime lord. The reader can also imagine what that crime lord’s exasperated keeper looks like. I don’t as an author need to spell those things out for you.

       Stock images and reference images of characters are great. They let you as a reader visualize what these characters look like in comparison to everyone else. However, the images and pictures of characters are only for you. You have to be able to communicate the vibe, appearance, and aesthetic of your world. For example, many of my own characters have their own Pinterest pages filled with aesthetic-y images, outfits, and face claims. These images are for no one else but me. They will never be seen by my readers, they will never be checked by the Editor. They are for me and me alone, so that I can check on one board and remember the vibe and personality I am going for with a specific character. These Pinterest boards are reference images, and as such, they are for me and me alone.

       As mentioned, there are acceptable ways to insert images in fanfiction, should you choose to. I don’t believe these are necessary, but if you so desire you can put a little link in the author’s notes or as the footer of your story. Let those lead to the main characters. Next week we will talk more in-depth about face claims and how every fanfiction writer needs to leave Emily Rudd alone and let her live her life. Formatting is the quickest turnoff to a new reader sticking around. Change your paragraphs when necessary, keep your verbs simple, make your voices distinct, and reference images are for your eyes only: use your words.

       If you are interested in additional supplemental instruction, here is the archived My Immortal fanfiction from 2008ish. It is the worst fanfiction ever written and should serve as an example to you all of what not to do. 

https://myimmortalrehost.webs.com/

[gliitchedwitch]

May I please have 1-45 with whatever you haven’t already answered for Aranea? I’m so gay for her.

1. Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

-Nah, none that she would remember anyway.

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

-She doesn’t have a relationship with her mother anymore. A very long time ago, when she was a different person, she very much resented her mother.

3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

-She never knew him. Even before her flesh warping, he was never apart of the picture. She would have hated him though.

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

-uhh,, she kind of failed a coup on a noble house and was literally changed into a drider with no memories of her past self. And yeah, a good chuck of people are aware of this. I’ll give you a twofer tho, since I like ya so much. She also met this really funny human man and because of him, she’s slowly regaining parts of who she used to be. She could probably never express this to him, but she’ll be forever grateful for having met him.

6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

- she doesn’t really have these.

7. Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

- lol but she has tons of these! Her dead husband and children, parts of her past life and her current masters. All of it’s like walking in someone else’s skin and living out small snippets of a life that doesn’t exist anymore. it’s real wild dude.

8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

- Yep! her primary weapon is her rifle. As for that first target, that would a literal target during training. If you meant live target… that would be her husband and children.

9. Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

- yeah, you could say that. She was a dirt poor kid. Now she’s a fairly well provided for slave :U

10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

- She doesn’t actually care? Like it doesn’t matter if she’s nude or fully clothed, doesn’t mean anything to her.

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

-there have been a few but I’ll go with the first time she become fully conscious after her flesh warping, having no idea of where she was and who or what she was for that matter.

12. In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

-This lady doesn’t know peace very often. But before everything hit the fan, she will admit a casual business day with Rinnill was never bad at all. Now it’d prolly be late night rooftop sits.  

13.Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

- No, it comes with the job.

14. Does your character remember names or faces easier?

- uhhh, names prolly?

15. Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

- not really. She’s no need for it.

16. Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

- “Happiness” doesn’t seem like a truly obtainable thing for her. Success is something she can set her sights on though.

17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

- She didn’t have much of anything as a child save for this somewhat fancy looking doll that her best friend stole as a gift for her. She cherished that doll and had passed it down to her daughter. Where it is now is anyones guess and she has no memory of it’s existence.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

- In the past she was overly ambitious and perhaps a lil’ power hungry and it not only destroyed her but her whole family :) Now she is VERY emotionally stunted. 10 years of repression and brainwashing will do that to you but we’re working on it.

21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

- She puts everything on her own shoulders and she knows for a fact that she was the cause of all her misfortunes.

22. What does your character like in other people?

- competence, someone that can hold an intelligent conversation with her. Tell her a good pun and she’s done for.

23. What does your character dislike in other people?

-Mmm,, people that are overly self absorbed or just flat out unreliable.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

-It’s hard to trust when you live in a society that values deceit and betrayal.

26. How does your character behave around children?

- She’s actually very protective of children? Got a soft spot for ‘em for some reason.

27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

- usually a bullet will do the trick.

28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

- shooting her problems away seems to work pretty well so far.

29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

- As a child all she ever wanted was to make something of herself. Be more than the gutter trash she came from and she was willing to do nearly anything for it. It did come true… for a time.

30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

-Not a whole lot? Maybe sticky stuff? Like the nasty kinda mystery sticky stuff that tends to get on floors randomly and you know how when you walk over it it the soles of your shoes make THAT ONE NOISE, maybe that.

31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

- She’s very comfortable doing what she was trained for. Gun in hand, target in her sights and that moment right as the trigger is pulled. It’s second nature now.

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

-When she finds herself overwhelmed with feelings. It’s been a long while since she expressed and felt exceptionally strong emotions and with all that’s been going on with her lately, it can be very draining.

33. In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

-Willing to improve, unless she thinks that she’s absolutely right in the decision she made then she’s a lil’ defensive.

34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

-If one method doesn’t work, try another.

37. Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

- hmm, she doesn’t have much of an honor to speak of and her status as a slave isn’t much to defend.

39. Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

- probably at some point. I think she might have been bitten by some spore rats? Really didn’t affect her.

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

-lol indifferent. Sometimes she intimidates them into not answering funny lil’ bard’s questions. ;)

41. Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

-… even if she earned it at this point she doesn’t feel like she deserves much of anything. It’s perhaps a little bit selfish but she works for it anyway.

42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

-mm, sort of? There’s a running joke that the party has about her masters being called “Mom and Dad”

43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

-hmm, hard to say. I’ll get back to this one another day.

44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

- It is an extremely difficult emotion for her to process and even more difficult for her to be able to say the phrase to someone if she truly meant it. If she had to say it to trick someone for whatever reason, that would be easily done.  

[fullhalalalchemist]

regarding article 13 about to be passed  in the EU and destroy the internet as we know it, here is a link to all the members who are undecided and may sway the vote. i can’t call them since i don’t live in Europe and don’t have international calling (if u do, why not give it a try), but there is a link to email them on the side when you click each individual person. under the cut is what i wrote, you can take this or write your own letter:

Hello MEP ____,

My name is _____.

I want to discuss the copyright reform about to be voted on. I am a creator on the internet, and I believe the European Commission’s proposed copyright directive harms innovation and creativity in the EU, with consequences that would reach the rest of the global Internet.

Some may say that sacrificing content creators works is a must to enable these necessary laws. That is absolutely untrue and unnecessary. Content creators make up the bulk of the Internet. To sacrifice their work is to sacrifice the Internet itself.

I understand the problems you are trying to fix, but this law is not an appropriate and proportionate solution. It’s not in the public interest.

To insist these laws are necessary to protect European cultural industries from exploitation by foreign internet platforms is a falsehood. There is a way to do that without creating filters that no one wants or can control. The link tax is even supposed to single-handedly “save journalism”. Funding for quality journalism is indeed under pressure, but again, this law is not an appropriate and proportionate solution. The cons far outweigh the pros.

Copyright law isn’t the source of these problems, and these plans won’t fix them. In fact, they may well backfire – and they are certain to cause collateral damage to freedom of expression and harm independent creators, small publishers and startups. That makes up the core of the Internet.

On “the internet after Axel Voss”, people will increasingly run into errors when attempting to express themselves on the web just like they do every day today: Chances are, a lot of their links and uploads will be rejected.

“No snippet license found for your region”, “Chance of copyright infringement detected”, “Please wait while we compare your holiday snapshots with all stock photos ever made”, and “Sorry, we’ve had to suspend service to customers in the European Union”: That’s what participating online may come to feel like.

In this open letter, some of the world’s most prominent technologists warn that Article 13 of the proposed EU Copyright Directive “takes an unprecedented step towards the transformation of the Internet from an open platform for sharing and innovation, into a tool for the automated surveillance and control of its users.”

Please reject articles 11 and 13. The future of European innovation depends on you, and the future of the Internet.

Thank you for your time and commitment to an improved copyright directive for Europe’s Digital Single Market.

[deandikha]

TALETE : Fixed APY, Rebase-Rewards Every 10 Minutes

Taletecode is an online tool that provides a variety of tools to help you write code better and faster. It helps you write code faster by typing a code snippet from any language and instantly generating a new snippet in another language. It helps you write code better by validating your code and pointing out possible errors.

Taletecode also allows you to gain insight into the structure of your code, so you can choose the most appropriate language and learn how to code better. You may have heard about the tremendous benefits of keyboard programming. They also reduce the likelihood of making mistakes. But programming with your keyboard isn't as easy as it sounds. There are many things to consider such as using the right keyboard, programming languages, writing styles, and more.

Automated tests are a great way to ensure your code is correct, but how do you start writing automated tests? Instead of trying to automate every single test, you can start with automated unit tests. Automated unit tests are tests run on your code to ensure that it is correct and that your code is behaving as expected. I'm going to show you how to start writing automated tests.

Everyone can program, but not everyone is good at programming. It requires a unique ability to look at the big picture and understand how a given piece of code works with the other pieces of code. This is where programming skills come into play. Many people believe that it takes years and years to develop programming skills.

However, there are people out there who have developed programming skills through talent and hard work. One such person is Taletecode. Everyone wants to write code that is not only readable but also easy to maintain. Better programming practices can help you with this.

However, we often fall into bad habits, making it difficult to write code that is easy to maintain, test, and change. Taletecode is an approach that allows you to break bad programming habits and write code that is easy to maintain. Writing code can be really difficult. Not because of the code, but because of the time it takes to type everything. This addresses a new solution to this problem called Taletecode that helps programmers write code better and faster.

Writing code is a complex task. It requires knowledge, patience and time. But it doesn't have to be that tiring. Using tools to help you code can make the whole process easier and faster. Coding is an essential part of many businesses today. If you're a programmer, you might have heard about the tool that will help you write code better and faster: Taletecode was developed by developers for developers.

Our goal is to make your programming life easier by adding and improving features that help you write code faster and with less effort. We also strive to make Taletecode accessible to as many developers as possible. We hope this is useful and we know that with this knowledge you will be able to improve your skills and write better and faster code with the help of our program. So what are you waiting for? Try Taletecode today.

Please visit TALETE, for further information.

Website: https://www.taletecode.com/ Whitepaper: https://taletecode.gitbook.io/talete-code-the-best-apy-fixed/the-buy-and-sell-fees Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaleteCode Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3rywTwGU Telegram: https://t.me/+f6huFGe8t1M4OTA8 Medium: https://medium.com/@taletecode Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/leomaty/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdvcbBq74j1pIC4JvuleLhA/videos

Author: deandikha88

Profile: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3242971

Telegram: @deandikha88

POA: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5391861.msg59902150#msg59902150

Wallet-Adresse: 0xA51Ab0569EdE2994060BAbf047B5776F5e93CFE1

[andreacaskey]

Did Google admit it uses click data for search? Not really.; Friday’s daily brief

Search Engine Land’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s search marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox daily.

Good morning, Marketers, in one of our featured stories below, I covered how Google decides to rank different vertical search elements, such as the image carousel or news box, in the search results.

Gary Illyes explained about the process but also said that Google determines when to show images or videos or top stories boxes in the search results based on what it learns from searchers’ actions. So, if a lot of people click on image results from the main search results page, it is a sign that Google may want to show an image carousel box on that page.

This click data is not used for individual search results (i.e., to rank page A over page B or to rank image X over image Y). Google is using the click data to see if people are going from the web results, to the image or video results and if they do that a lot, Google may decide to show an image or video carousel box in the search results. Got the difference? 

Barry Schwartz, Click analysis consultant

How Google ranks features like news, videos, features snippets

Gary Illyes from Google explained in a recent podcast how Google Search ranks its vertical search results, i.e., news, images, videos, etc, within the core search results. Why does Google show an image carousel for a specific query in the fourth position and why does Google show videos for another query in the top position? 

Google uses a number of methods for this but Gary Illyes explained that each index or feature bids, like you would in an auction, for each position. So a video carousel can bid based on the weights Google assigned it, to be in position three or position four and Google’s overall universal search system will figure out where to place it. Google also decides when to show a feature based on click data, which is super fascinating as well. This gets a bit technical, so we recommend you read more.

Read more here.

Display & Video 360 gets new frequency and reach metrics

Google is adding a dedicated data visualization in Display & Video 360 (DV360) to show reach gains for each campaign that spans across channels and has a frequency goal set at the campaign level, the company announced Thursday. In addition, DV360 will also calculate the added reach advertisers get for each Programmatic Guaranteed deal using DV360’s frequency management solution.

Why we care. Having access to real-time reach gains can help advertisers gauge their campaign performance and manage their programmatic campaigns across channels. This new data visualization may also enable advertisers to save time that might otherwise be spent experimenting to test the impact of their frequency management strategies across various media types. And, the added reach data for Programmatic Guaranteed deals can help advertisers understand how those deals add to the incremental reach they get for their frequency management efforts. 

Read more here.

Google no longer allows multiple instances of fact check markup per page

Google has updated its technical guidelines for Fact Check structured data, saying that a page must only have one ClaimReview element and that multiple fact checks per page is no longer allowed.

The revised guidelines now say “to be eligible for the single fact check rich result, a page must only have one ClaimReview element. If you add multiple ClaimReview elements per page, the page won’t be eligible for the single fact check rich result.” Previously, the guidelines said “a single page can host multiple ClaimReview elements, each for a separate claim.” But that is no longer the case, now you can only have one ClaimReview element per page, not more, to be eligible to show fact check rich results in Google Search.

Why we care. If your site does show fact check rich results in search and you are using multiple ClaimReview elements on a single page, you may want to remove all ClaimReview elements but one. Google’s guidelines now only allow one per page and thus your rich results for Fact Check may stop showing if you are marking up more than one per page.

Quality threshold, nofollow vs sponsored and Google Ads script beta

Google quality threshold. Gary Illyes of Google explains that if you are on the edge of Google’s quality threshold, you can see your pages pop in and out of the index and search results. You’ll probably want to improve your quality if you see that.

Nofollow vs rel sponsored. When Google announced the new link spam update this week, there was been a lot of confusion around using rel=nofollow vs rel=sponsored. You do not, I repeat, do not, need to switch your nofollows to rel=sponsored according to Google.

Localized site signals. If you have an English site and then a localized French language site, Google generally will give the French site its own signals, apart from the English site, said Gary Illyes. Google Ads scripts beta experience. Google Ads launched a beta version of the new Google Ads scripts experience. To see it, open your script and switch on the new scripts experience (Beta) toggle above the code. More details over here.

We’ve curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader.

Advances in TF-Ranking – Google AI Blog

Author Scores for Recommendations at Google – Go Fish Digital

Daily SEO Fix: Auditing for Technical SEO Problems with Moz Pro – Moz

Quiet Week After The Google Link Spam Update But Maybe A Blip Happening Now – Search Engine Roundtable

Update to Advertiser Identity Verification Policy (July 2021) – Google Advertising Policies Help

The post Did Google admit it uses click data for search? Not really.; Friday’s daily brief appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Did Google admit it uses click data for search? Not really.; Friday’s daily brief published first on https://likesandfollowersclub.weebly.com/

[techyblogger]

Am I canibalising my own page https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/n9uzmr/am_i_canibalising_my_own_page/

Hey reddit. My two top pages do have a very similiar search intent, but quite different queries.

Since the last Algorithm Update in Nov/Dec last year I have the Impression that google is confused which of the two pages to show. The rankings and clicks to the site are volatile. In 2020 I used to have snippets for both queries. Now I am on the lower end of p.1. I guess the posts just cannibalise each other, from what i see in search console.

THEREFORE: My solution with a questionmark:

Should I combine the pages and flag one site as cannonical content?

I am hesistant, because these 2 pages bring in significant amount of traffic (even though a lot more before the update) and i dont want to make something suboptimal worse.

submitted by /u/Konto-Kredit-Verglei [link] [comments] May 11, 2021 at 05:07PM

[shaffaansalam]

Most Important HTML Tags For Search Engine Optimization

Tags are small snippets of html coding that tell engines how to properly read your content. In fact you can vastly improve search engine visibility by adding S-E-O tags in html. When a search engine's crawler come across your content , it takes a look at the html tags of the site .This information helps engines like google determine what  your content is about and how to categorize the material.

Some of them also improve how visitors view your content in those search engines. And this is in addition to how social media uses content tags to show your articles. In the end it's html tags for S-E-O that will affect how your website performs on the internet. Without these tags you are far less likely to really connect with an audience.

1)Title Tags

Title tag is your main and most important anchor. The <title> element typically appears as a clickable headline in the S-E-R-P's and also shows up on social networks and in browsers.Title tags are placed in the <head> of your web page and are meant to provide a clear and comprehensive idea of what the page is all about. The page's title still is the first thing for a searcher to see in S-E-R-P-'s and decide if the page is likely to answer the search intent.

A well written one may increase the number of clicks and traffic which have at least some impact on rankings.

Best Tips  

Give each page a unique title that describes the page's content accurately.

Keep the title's up to 50-60 characters long . Remember that long titles are shortened to about 600-700px  on the S-E-R-P.

Put important keywords first ,but in a natural manner,  as if you write titles for your visitors in the first place.

Make sure of your brand name in the title ,even if it ends up not being shown on the S-E-R-P's it will still make a difference for the search engine.

Use your title to attract attention like inserting it in title tab in your web browser.

2)Meta Description Tags

Meta description also resides in the <head> of a web page and is commonly displayed in a S-E-R-P snippet along with the title and page U-R-L.

The description occupies the largest part of a S-E-R-P snippet and invites searchers to click on your site by promising a clear and comprehensive solution to the query.The description impacts the no of clicks you get , and may also may improve ctr and decrease bounce rates if the page's content indeed fulfills the promises. That's why the description must be as realistic. If your description contains the keywords a searcher used in their search query, they will appear on the S-E-R-P in bold. This goes a very long way in helping you standout and inform the searcher exactly what they will find on their page .

A good way to figure out what to write in your meta description , what works best for your particular topic right now is to do some competition research. Look for how your competitors make their own descriptions to get an idea about it.

best tips

Give each page a unique meta description that clearly reflects what value the page carries.

Google's snippet typically max out around 150-160 characters(including spaces).

Include your most significant keywords so they could get highlighted on the actual S-E-R-P, but be careful to avoid keyword stuffing .

Use an eye catchy call to action

3)Heading Tags(H-1 to H-6)

Heading tags are html tags used to identify headings and subheadings within your content from other types of text (example :paragraph text). While H-2 TO H-6 tags are not considered as important to search engines proper usage of H-1 tag has been emphasized in many industries. Headings are crucial for text and content optimization.

best tips

Keep your headings relevant to the data of the text they are describing.

Always have your headings reflect the sentiment of the text they are placed over.

Don't overuse the tags and the keywords. keep it readable.

4)Image ALT Attributes

The image ALT attribute is added to an image tag to describe it's contents. ALT attributes are important for on-page optimization because alt text is displayed to visitors if any particular image cannot be loaded. And alt attributes provide context because search engines can't see images. For E-Commerce sites images often have a crucial impact on how a visitor interacts with a page . Helping search engines understand what the images are about and how they go with the rest of the content may help them serve a page for suitable search queries.

best tips

Do your best to optimize the most prominent images (product images, info graphics or training images )that are likely to be looked up in google images search.

Add ALT text on pages where there is not too much content apart from the images.

Keep the alt text clear and descriptive enough ,use your keywords reasonably, and make sure they fit in page's content.

5)No Follow Attributes

External/Outbound links are the links on your site pointing to other sites. These are used to refer to proven sources, point people towards other useful resources , or mention a relevant site for some reasons.

These links matter a lot for S-E-O. They can make your content look like a well defined one or a link with not so much content. Google may treat the sources you refer to as the context to better understand the content on your page.By default all hyperlinks are followed , and when you place a link on your site you basically cast a vote of confidence to the linked page.

When you add a no follow attribute to a link , it instructs search engine's bots to not follow the link .Keeping your S-E-O neat , you must ensure a healthy balance between followed and non followed links on your pages.

best tips

Links to any resources that in any way can be considered as untrusted content.

Any paid or sponsored links

Links from comments or other kinds of user generated content which can be spammed beyond your control.

Internal sign in and register links following , which is just a waste of crawl budget.

6)Robots Meta Tag

Robots tags is a useful element if you want to prevent certain articles from being indexed. These can stop crawlers from sites like google from accessing the content. In some cases you may want certain pages to stay out of S-E-R-P's as they feature some kind of special deal that is supposed to be accessible by a direct link only. And if you have a site wide  search options google recommend closing custom results pages, which can be crawled indefinitely and waste bot's resources on no unique content.

best tips

Close unnecessary/unfinished pages with thin content that have little value and no intent to appear in the serp's

Close pages that unreasonably waste crawl budget.

Make sure carefully you don't mistakenly restrict important pages from indexing.

7)Rel="Canonical" Link Tag

The rel="canonical" link tag is a way of telling search engines which version of a page you consider the main one and would like to be indexed by search engines and found by people. It's commonly used in cases when the same page is available under multiple different U-R-L's or multiple different pages have very similar content covering the same subject. Internal duplicate content is not treated as strictly as copied content as there's no usually manipulative intent behind it. Another benefit is that canonicalizing a page makes it easier to track performances stats associated with the content.

best tips

Pages with similar content on the same subject

Duplicate pages available under multiple url's.

Versions of the same page with session id's or other url parameters that do not affect the content .

Use canonical tag for near duplicate pages carefully: if the two pages connected by a canonical tag differ too much in content, the search engine will simply disregard the tag.

8)Schema Markup

Schema markup is a specific technique of organizing the data on each of your web pages in a way that is recognized by the search engines.having a structured schema markup is a great boost to your U-X and it carries huge S-E-O value . Structured data markup is exactly what helps search engines to not only read the content but also understand what certain words relate to.

If one is about to click a rich snippet,with a nice image, a 5-star rating, specified price-range, stock status, operating hours, or whatever is useful – is very likely to catch an eye and attract more clicks than a plain-text result.

Assigning schema tags to certain page elements makes your S-E-R-P snippet rich in information that is helpful and appealing for users.

best tips

Study available schema's on schema.org

Create a map of your most important pages and decide on the concepts relevant to each.

Implement the markup carefully.

Thoroughly test the markup to make sure it isn't misleading or added improperly.

9)Social Media Meta Tags

Open graph was initially introduced by Facebook to let you control how a page would look when shared on social media. It's now recognized by LinkedIn as well. Twitter cards offer similar enhancements but are exclusive to Twitter. Main open graph tags are:

og:title=Here you put the title which you want to be displayed when your page is linked to.

og:url=Your page's U-R-L.

og:description=Your page's description. Remember that Facebook will display only about 300 characters of description.

og:image=Here you can put the U-R-L of an image you want to be shown when your page is linked to.

Use the specific social media meta tags in order to boost how your links look to your following.

best tips

Add basic and relevant meta data using Open graph protocol and test the U-R-L's to see how they will be displayed

Setup twitter cards and validate them once done.

10)View Port Meta Tag

View Port meta tag allows you to configure how a page would be scaled and displayed on any device. View Port meta tag has nothing to do with rankings directly but has a tone to do with user experience. It's especially important considering the variety of devices that are being used nowadays and the noticeable shift to mobile browsing.

Transorze Solutions

[cophoenixseo]

Get more website traffic in Fountain Hills

Each year Google issues at least 500 algorithmic tweaks to its search engine, and with more than 200 SEO factors, keeping track of what is working for SEO is an important thing every marketing manager and business manager must do.Following is a summary of the ranking factors to watch carefully if you desire to be at the top of Google in Fountain Hills Arizona. To start, check out what SEO can do for your local business website.Video: See what a Fountain Hills top rated search engine optimization company can do for your business. SEO ranking company in Fountain Hills partners with Arizona small business owners who want to improve their position on Google.

Grab a zero cost seo audit.

In our experience, an integrated search strategy that utilizes both search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per click (Pay Per Click) is a highly reliable method. To help further inform business owners, executives and marketing directors on the virtues of PPC and SEO, continue checking out for more extremely valuable details as it relates to paid advertising and search engine optimization. To start, Pay Per Click provides laser focused presence.

Top ranking factors:

# 1 – Optimizing for mobile discovery is essential.Over half of standard searches occur on a phone. Isn’t it time that you made your site mobile responsive? Do this work, and there is a guaranteed search engine optimization and conversion advantage.Video: Why you should care about mobile SEO.# 2 – The value of AMP optimization is increasing.Accelerated mobile web pages (AMP) enables a website on mobile platforms to load more quickly than standard HTML rendered in a mobile browser. Google has been suggesting that AMP compatible websites may perform better in search. Don’t wait, get your site mobile ready with AMP.# 3 – Better design leads to enriched UI/UX and deeper engagement.Google likes sites that give users the best experience, and those which make finding the information the user is requesting easy. If you are looking to rank high in the SERPs, the design of your site is an important ranking element, and focus should be paid to it. To learn more about the role of video in marketing, watch this video.# 4 – Page load time must be reduced.Make sure that all your images are properly labeled, and metadata fields such as the ALT tag are used properly, the extra time to scale your photos and reduce their size, will be worth the investment. Google is now taking into account page load times, as a factor for ranking. In addition to using a photo optimization product like JPEGmini, a fast and simple way to reduce image sizes is to ensure that all your photos are scaled to the optimum size needed. Don’t upload images that are larger than the web design requires. Example- you do not need to use a 1000px tall image if the window in your design only displays 300px.# 5 – Google RankBrain and artificial intelligence now control search.AI is now driving everything Google is doing, whether developing self-driving cars or a next generation search engine, AI, beginning with Rank Brain is the power behind the search engine results pages (SERPs) served by Google. Local Fountain Hills SEO agencies will need to invest more R&D dollars to discover the most effective ways to tune business websites for search engine performance and discoverability.# 6 – New content dominates Google.For Google to rank your website in your local niche, you must create engaging, original content. Google can track nearly any site, which means that content which is not unique or does not add value to a subject will have a difficult time getting discovered.# 7 – Content that is longer is more likely to rank.If you are still writing short form posts you must reconsider your approach. Research is showing that Google is now rewarding posts of 1,500 words and more, with better ranking results. However, in the area of search engine optimization, it can be difficult to make a hard and fast rule on the preferred word count of an article that is needed to rank.# 8 – Search engine results are now including rich snippets, schema, FAQs and pre-populated information fields.For searches where Google can identify common questions, FAQs, or other key information, they are beginning to fill a larger area of the home page with data lists, including FAQ blocks so that the consumer can get their question answered without needing to select a search result. You must use schema in order to improve the odds of being included in Google’s rich data lists such as FAQ’s.# 9 – Social variables carry a ton of weight with respect to website ranking results.At SEO Ranker Agency our team sees that social shares from the referring page are now a top 100 ranking signal. This fact is proven by the more than one thousand first page rankings that Fountain Hills SEO Ranker Agency has delivered where traffic from social media networks, backlinks, and shares, were demonstrated to be a significant ranking condition.# 10 – Voice search and also IoT devices will likely eliminate SERP ranking order at some point.As voice interfaces are growing on smart phones, cars and truck infomercial systems with gadgets like the apple iphone, Amazon Echo, Google Home and others, even more individuals will be receiving solutions from a search query expressed by voice. Not just will remaining in the leading issue a lot more but now, if you are not in the initial or maybe 2nd placement, you are not going to get any one of the search inquiry outcomes.# 11 – HTTPS will become important for ranking.Net security experts see Google pushing HTTPS ever harder as cybercrime and also hacking continuously present an actual threat to the globe. Google as well has talked about the prioritization of HTTPS as if it could be a ranking variable not to ignore. Does this mean that if your site is not an HTTPS website, that it will stop ranking? No. If you desire every side feasible, do not overlook HTTPS.# 12 – The Facebook internet search engine will obtain more and more individuals.All Facebook users are utilizing the FB internet search engine. Expect this trend to speed up as customers do not desire to leave the Facebook application just to look up something on Google.# 13 – Titles and Summaries with far better click thru prices will certainly rate greater.Google will certainly continue satisfying publishers who’ve gone the additional mile to create catchy titles that obtain clicked. Google is currently tracking involvement, click thru prices (CTR) as well as time on web page.# 14 – Even more individuals are searching for video clip, infographics, photos and also multimedia web content.If you’re not producing various kinds of aesthetic web content to improve your brand name online, you must seriously take into consideration taking the campaign on. Users are currently becoming aware of the indexing capacities of Google, Bing, and Yahoo! – as well as they are performing look for videos and even scenes inside of video clips. To stick out from your competitors, initially, start creating more visual web content. Don’t fail to remember to release it with as full metadata as well as markup message as feasible.Video: Discover the advantage of SEO compared to paid traffic.If you are wondering, “how can I improve my ranking results?” then you will want to read on.Fountain Hills Search Engine Optimization – totally free Google traffic, is the most economical sales development technique for any organisation that provides their products as well as solutions to regional customers. So what is far better, SEO or Pay Per Click? Frankly, we can’t answer this question without analyzing the business’s objectives and objectives.A securely niched down company with little competition in an extremely small solution area and also a requirement for just a few leads per week might establish strong visibility in the neighborhood and also natural search results page with a standard Search Engine Optimization consulting plan.An ecommerce shop contending with very first web page SERPs from Amazon, eBay.com as well as various other major on-line sellers, is likely going to battle in organic search.A digital advertising and SEO approach with focused short- and also lasting goals is essential. Does your company demand leads now? What is the paid search (PPC) expense each click for your targeted keyword phrases? Does your site have authority? Are you playing the lengthy game online or trying to find short-term results just? Exactly how hard is your natural search competition?CTR and trust are in favor of natural search, so why would an organisation think about paid search? Here are a few PPC benefits:Paid search controls the content are above the fold. In short, on a smaller screen, you will not need to scroll to see the ads, however you will have to scroll to see all the organic search listings. Bear in mind that Pay Per Click advertisements are simply that: ads, which implies as a marketer you will have more control and area available for providing your marketing messages.Google offers the option of a visual shopping ad that can help a user envision exactly what they are selecting/clicking. This ad type enhances considerably the advertisements CTR by using a feature (visual carousel) that is not offered in natural search.By running paid search ads, you will be seen by the right people and guarantee brand presence. In addition, Pay Per Click allows for a much tighter control of the budget plan. Determine what does it cost? you are willing to spend daily and this is all you will be charged. Pay Per Click also offers the small company owner an extremely targeted way to get in front of prospective clients or customers. Organic traffic is a bit more scattershot while advertisements could be targeted by search keywords, time of day they will be served, the day of the week, location/geography, language, device and customized audiences based upon previous visits to your site.Developing a strong organic search presence can take time, making SEO a medium to long range play. On the other hand, a Pay Per Click campaign can be ramped and return favorable results in weeks. Because there is no faster method to get in front of your audience than with Pay Per Click, numerous companies utilize Pay Per Click while the authority of their site is being built up and SEO tactics take a firmer hold.Where organic search obscures keyword information, there is no constraint with paid search (PPC). Speed provides agility and enables fast feedback on brand-new slogans, messages, item announcements, with the usage of short PPC advertisement campaigns.A PPC account that’s properly managed can be an inexpensive way to create leads. If you are an organisation targeting a local service area with a minimal set of keywords, you will find that Pay Per Click can produce ample leads without discussing spending plan. AdWords does not struggle with the turbulence that the organic outcomes battle with. Cautious usage of match types and analysis of the search term reports allow for the elimination of junk search and an increase in roi.The benefits of Pay Per Click and also Search Engine Optimization may not be so obvious, however they consist of the following points of consideration.1. Conversion information from Pay Per Click keywords can be helpful to determine the most reliable organic search (SEO) strategy.2. Pay Per Click can ramp site traffic by targeting clicks in paid and organic for high-performing keywords. E.g. If you are winning the Google AdWords auction and rank in the leading 3 SERPs for the very same keyword, you can expect approximately 50% or more of the overall search volume.3. A/B testing of Pay Per Click landing page and advertising copy can be fed into your natural listing and landing pages.4. Usage PPC to evaluate your keyword method prior to devoting to seo task efforts.5. Talk to users in all stages of the consumer journey from preliminary item research to the competitive contrast, through to the purchase choice phase, with business intent keywords.6. Look huge online and increase the self-confidence and awareness in your brand and business with a robust natural and paid existence.7. Remarket to your website visitors on other residential or commercial properties using the Facebook and Google pixel on your website. This is an extremely effective method that allows you to remain in front of visitors to your site even after they have actually left.There are numerous advantages to paid search advertising, but there are also pitfalls advertisers must be cognizant of.1. Pay Per Click is reasonably simple to copy which means your competitors can quickly imitate your advertisement copy, images and call to actions. Effective Pay Per Click project management requires monitoring quotes, Quality Ratings, keyword positions and click-through rates (CTRs). A few of this work can be finished with automation, but regardless of the technique, you must guarantee that a system is in place to track this important information.2. Paid search marketing (PPC) needs an upfront and continuous investment. There are various options available for PPC that can influence your outcomes. If product listings control the screen for the keywords you are targeting; then text based ads might not convert.For this reason, it’s essential to do some research prior to you release your Pay Per Click campaign. Make sure to Google the keywords that you are targeting and be specifically cautious to view what type is being shown.Enhance search traffic to your service website with search engine optimization of your business website.A major reason to buy SEO is due to the power of online search engine to enhance your awareness. If you have presence in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for the keywords that you are targeting, this will put your service in front of a tremendously high number of possible customers. The very best method to consider SEO is that SEO drives brand name awareness and is free Google advertising.Branding is another benefit of SEO in that search terms and educational questions related to your company can have a favorable branding benefit. As your brand name is returned in the search results, it can (and generally will) become more associated with and trusted by searchers, and this will lead to a purchase decision.Research studies have actually shown that online search engine users trust natural outcomes as being more credible than paid marketing. Lots of users avoid over the ads and go directly to the natural outcomes as they presume that Google likewise rates the natural websites more extremely. Being visible on the first page of Google will give your business a stamp of approval that can be the difference between someone clicking on your listing (ranking) or your rivals.Finally, do not forget the function that favorable reviews play in getting your target customer to call you. It’s a fact that even if you rank higher than your rival if they have more stars showing outstanding evaluations, this can make all the difference in your conversions. For numerous service based organisations, evaluations are vital.Search engine optimization increases site traffic as the greater you rank, the more visitors you will have to your site and the more chance to drive awareness of your business. Though traffic from natural search is complimentary, developing exposure requires time and effort, as Google has decreased ranking results substantially over the last couple of years. The benefit of SEO is that unlike Pay Per Click, once you stop investing, there is a slow decay to the rankings. This does not indicate that you shouldn’t continue purchasing preserving your rankings, however it means that you do not need to invest the very same amount.As an outcome of the points above, organic online search engine traffic by way of search engine optimization can supply an enhanced ROI over standard kinds of paid media consisting of Pay Per Click. While search engine optimization is at first not low-cost or easy, it remains in the long run far more cost-efficient than a lot of other marketing strategies and delivers more powerful brand name awareness and traffic to your organisation site. Unlike paid search marketing or Pay Per Click, totally free traffic from Google does moist up the moment you stop paying.This suggests that SEO will generate more clicks from a natural search listing than from a highly placed paid advertisement. Keyword-level experimentation is required to make sure that you are not paying for clicks that you could get for free, however to maximize outcomes and that is qualified leads, some companies find that visibility in both paid and organic listings are required.Since of the constantly altering and dynamic nature of the web, many business owners and marketing executives find that dealing with an expert digital marketing and SEO specialist is the best way for them to make sure the best outcomes. Organic traffic can take time, and the proficiency needed to beat those above you in the SERPs is substantial. Which is why, if you are simply beginning, and the keywords you are targeting are already “owned” by high authority websites, you may need to rethink your technique.A proficient search marketing specialist need to have the ability to help your team in establishing content assets to search engine ranking dominance. A # 1 ranked search engine optimization company will show their worth by helping you develop safe, sustainable links so you can accomplish the site rankings that will propel your business to the next level.Click here to receive a zero cost seo audit and discover how search engine optimization can impact your business.Discover what local SEO in Fountain Hills Arizona can do for your business online presence. Watch this video:

Get more website traffic in Gilbert

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[estimote]

Estimote Cloud Attachments API: store context in the cloud, less in your app!

In 2016, we introduced the Beacon Storage API allowing developers the opportunity to store small amounts of data within the built-in memory of each Estimote Location Beacon. This feature lets you share data with nearby customers, and display text or images coming directly from the beacon. It’s a perfect solution where internet connectivity is spotty and you don’t need to store a lot of data. An alternative is to have your app either include that data, or fetch it remotely from the cloud. That means either hard-coding the info in the app—which doesn’t scale—or relying on an external service to store it. We’re constantly looking to improve the experience for our developers, shorten the development time, and make maintaining apps a breeze. Today we’re helping with that: introducing our Estimote Cloud Attachments API.

If you haven’t used external cloud services (e.g. Firebase or Deployd) or your own backend before, you can use this API to associate your own data with a beacon, and then use this contextual information to enhance the experience for your users. Embedding Cloud Attachments API service could also decrease the complexity of your application — fewer dependencies are always better. It can also save you time by maintaining smaller number of external services. Another advantage of using Cloud Attachments API is that you don’t need to hardcode data in your app anymore. It helps with maintenance and updates.

Here is a snippet of code showing how to use attachments:

// create an attachment curl -X POST 'https://cloud.estimote.com/v3/attachments' \ -u YOUR_APP_ID:YOUR_APP_TOKEN -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"data": {"payload": {"key1": "1","key2": "text"}, "identifier": "YOUR_DEVICE_IDENTIFIER"}}' // fetch an attachment curl -X GET 'https://cloud.estimote.com/v3/attachments/ATTACHMENT_ID' \ -u YOUR_SDK_APP_ID:YOUR_SDK_APP_TOKEN -H "Accept: application/json"

If you want to utilize them inside Estimote Proximity SDK take a look at code snippets for iOS and Android

We're often asked why Estimote hasn't built our own beacon CMS (Content Management System). The answer is simple: with such a vast landscape of use-cases, we cannot create a service which will be perfectly suited for all our users. Therefore we believe that it's better to deliver similar services as flexible APIs. This way our customers can use their domain-specific expertise to create their own magical experiences.

If you'd like to create your own specialized beacon CMS, you can use Estimote Proximity SDK and Cloud Attachments API to do so. However, if you're just prototyping, we've also added a new section to the Beacon Settings page in our Cloud where you can find the data currently assigned to a given beacon. There is also a simple editor which helps you to easily add, change, and remove existing information, and best of all, you won't even need to connect to physical devices to apply the updates.

You may be wondering how you can use this new feature. Just imagine you are responsible for exhibition content in a museum. Typically, in order to get some detailed information, your visitors would need to come close to the paintings to read the small print on a panel. That’s not necessarily a problem when the venue is empty, but what’s that experience like when the place is crowded? Not great! To make it better, you can place a beacon by the painting, then your team can create a mobile app and use the Estimote Attachments Cloud API. When your visitors are close to the art piece, their smartphones will know which paintings are nearby (thanks to Estimote Proximity SDK), and the app will fetch the data associated with this beacon to show them context-based information. Of course, that could be a more detailed description of the painting, but it could also include a thumbnail, or even a link to a video depicting an x-ray of the multiple layers built up.

Estimote Attachments Cloud API is available today to all our users! You only need to log in to Estimote Cloud or if you prefer to use our API, just check out our documentation. Happy hacking!

[dontburnflowers]

the human condition is complaining about the human condition, that is the secret of humans

Snippets from September

Cigarettes are a way of giving yourself an itchable scratch. A bad one, but one with a clear temporary solution that works (not really). Fuck I’m gonna die alone is not an itchable scratch. 

Like is that what people do, like, oh settle down, mildly hate yourselves slightly, mildly hate each other slightly, get married anyway, have kids like fucking robots not because you want to but because you have to, and lead odd lives where you can convince yourselves you're always great because there's no such thing as mediocrity. Humans are the anti-mediocre being. Acceptance of averageness is essentially death. You may as well be reduced to a puddle of energy consuming organic machinery, which is what you are. Objectively there's some useless people out there, varying degrees of uselessness, just like there are blind people when we should all see, armless when we should be armed. But human endeavors make a lot of humans useful in weird little societies and structures, we ascribe meaning all over the place, we puke it all over. Most humans probably have an anti-mediocrity filter up at all times. It's like their will to live. Their will to be, to continue, to persist in a world of themselves built by people they'll never meet or know, for a world that'll be gone in a blink. Every hour that passes is one more down. Another tally, another tally, and we all love to live with the illusion that it's only ever a small bit. Because life is death by a thousand cuts of time.

Love makes utterly mediocre mundane average families think they are something special. It’s unbelievable. Maybe they’re right. They’re special to each other. Is that all that really matters? Can I be special to someone someday?

It's getting old to hear 'I wanna grow old with you,' 'let's go on an adventure', but maybe so maybe it's because I'm just bitter and alone, and that's totally the case. But from the outside, sometimes, living and Doing Cute Romantic Things seems all the same. Sober, I can ignore how lonely I am (mostly) (maybe) (no not really). Romance, who needs that shit (I do). Libido? That’s been dying for years now (is that a good thing?). Love is real. It's okay to watch it pass by, glittering like a tiresome star in the sky, taunting, meandering along the distance, like the predictable up-down-then-up arcs of movies, of stories with happy endings, hope is eternal as they say but so is reality, and I hope that I can at least have something interesting to say, what else is there to hope for. I'd like to teach my daughter how to ride a bicycle, and the trick to tie her shoes extra quick, I’ll tell her the secret of rain and she’ll tell me the secret of puddles, and just listen to her, she talks about the humans she met and how weird they are when they say they care when they don’t, and I’ll let her speak, she'll look at me and her mom with a genuine smile, the kind you grow out of, and I'll ruffle her hair, we'll watch her walk away, useless imagined memories, don’t trust me please when I say it’s okay it’s okay it’s okay.

u cant say, "i have no idea how to get to know ppl" when youre semipopular, have friends and SO and close with your family. hey u. fuck u

Puns are only okay when they're not abused, puns are really only funny because people insist on finding them funny. So the best remedy to this is actually a slight smile, a very basic recognition, a polite understanding that yes, you tried to make a funny and A for effort, but I am not rewarding you to continue it, nor am I anti-rewarding you so that you may continue out of spite.

I'm with you, and you make me a little more special, we make us a little more special, you're no one else and that's just the truth no matter how much you say to me that you hate yourself and I love you. I don’t care about anyone else because they’re not you and they never will be because only you are you, you're the one I have in our arms right now, and never would I think I would want anything else, I wouldn't want it any other day, just being here with you is everything to me, and this is what makes life worth all the beauty you bring to it.

Who was I talking to? No one at all, actually, I was just imagining a cheesy romance movie, lo-fi, just a cheesy romance movie...