#&&. ❛ PSA ❪ read the fine print . ❫

[shouty-mcnubbs]

why the fuck is retail like that

[aces-and-angels]

URGENT PSA: DELETED GFMS UPDATE- PLEASE READ

the detective hat is screwed on tight gang- i just remembered that the wayback machine exists and have been able to gather some additional information regarding the deleted gfm campaigns for omar, raina, and iman:

all the info is under the cut

---

see the info on the site yourselves by using the following links:

iman: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jhcjrv-help-imans-family-find-safety omar: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-to-evacuate-from-the-genocide ran/raina: https://www.gofundme.com/f/displaced-gaza-family-seeks-help-after-war-destroys-lives

my hunch was correct: these campaigns were not formatted in the way gfm requires in order to stay operational. i detailed the common reasons why gfm's may be terminated in a response post to @rubashabansblog but i will include it again here:

ruba- i have figured out the following info from my own research. there are several issues that can result in a gfm being suspended. the biggest issue comes from how the actual campaign is written. the key is being transparent. that means everyone that is benefiting from the campaign must be listed out by name (there may be a rule about specifying any minors/kids' ages as well) + locations. the issue also may be linked to whoever is organizing these campaigns on behalf of these families. another part that needs to be addressed fully is who will be handling the money. essentially if at any point in the transfer of funds someone is responsible for holding the money raised, they need to be listed on the account plainly and on the actual donation page as well. example: person a is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of person b. the last issue i can think of from everything i've read involves keeping an accurate account of the family's expenses. meaning that you need to write down everything that you are spending the money on. since there's no way to print actual receipts- gfm is asking people to write everything down on their notes app with their phones. these notes count as "receipts" and the total amount must always equal the amount the person/people are trying to raise. example: say i am raising $10K to evacuate, but am planning on putting aside $3K for other future living expenses like rent -> all of that needs to be documented fully. basically- as long as goal amounts match up to your expense report- the campaign should be fine. i understand that some families may need to keep raising their goals in order to cover the cost of living before they are able to evacuate. if that is the case- each time they raise/decrease the goal- i believe they need to update their gfm page to address the new total costs for their fundraiser. please forward this information to the affected families when you get the chance 🖤 perhaps this new info can help them solve the problem on their end *edit: another problem i forgot to mention- the currencies must match between the fundraiser and the bank account it is linked to. this means that if the fundraiser is in euros-- the bank tied to the account must also be in a country that uses euros as their primary currency. a US-based bank account would not work if the fundraiser is in euros.

all three campaigns have the same characteristics: not enough info is being disclosed in the fundraisers. another common theme: they are all recently made (may 2024). the decision to evacuate is a painful choice for families to make as none of want to be displaced yet again- but the situation in gaza has prompted many families to make this decision in an attempt to save themselves + their loved ones. the issue is that many of those who are now choosing to make campaigns are not aware of the ins and outs of how to properly start a gfm (+ i'm most certain there are other factors at play as to why this keeps happening to families in desperate need of aid).

this is bound to happen again and again unless this information is being spread widely. which is why i am also asking for this:

please share this w/ anyone who is fluent in arabic that can translate this in its entirety (DO NOT TRY TO USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE). i have a lot of new followers from 🇵🇸, some of them with newly made gfm pages that may be at risk of being frozen if they do not correct the issues i've addressed above. this information is vital to ensuring they are able to continue fundraising.

i have seen campaigns launched in june formatted similarly to the three that have been abruptly terminated. obtaining a stable internet connection in gaza requires people to put themselves at greater risk as they travel to locations with a working signal. people have been brutally murdered by just trying to activate the e-sims being sent over. so it makes sense that these newer campaigns made by these families would not have all the necessary info required- as these guidelines may be difficult to obtain on their end/may be worded in a way they cannot understand (you try reading the terms and policies of gfm yourself and tell me how fast your brain shuts off- and you're doing so in the comfort of your own homes. imagine what it's like to do so while facing constant bombardment).

a mutual of mine has already tried to contact gfm on behalf of omar- and they have informed me of gfm's response to their question:

Omar has already contacted them and is apparently in contact with the team according to the person i chatted with. they cannot disclose to me *why* the fundraiser was terminated they said they are working with Omar to solve the issue. if the issue cannot be solved, the money will be refunded to everyone... ^ this "contact" is likely using the same chatbox the rest of us need to use in order to even speak to a representative at gfm one-on-one. a very annoying system, but unless someone has a direct line to gfm- it is our only option.

we need to mobilize right now and put pressure on gfm to give these families the time they need to rework their campaign pages.

through the wayback machine i was able to figure out the organizers for each campaign.

omar is the organizer for his own -> says he is located in vienna but that is in direct conflict w/ the location he says he is in under the fundraiser info (displaced in rafah). i'm unsure if he has a contact in vienna that is actually the one responsible for holding/transferring the money, but this information needs to get to them so they can try to fix the issue ASAP

the other two have beneficiaries listed, but there could be additional problems with how that whole thing is currently set up.

i still do not know the emails for raina/iman's gfm's (and the wayback machine doesn't let you see the contact info on the archived pages 😓) but- we can try to mobilize right now for omar. he is absolutely devastated and has lost hope that he will be able to recuperate the money he has already raised. this is not the time for the rest of us to lose faith in his cause.

for anyone interested in helping out- i have laid out all this information so you can question gfm directly. if you come in knowing your stuff, they may be more receptive in their responses than the first initial attempts. please contact me directly if you wish to email on omar's behalf so i can forward you his email linked to the gfm account.

tagging for more reach: @appsa @palms-upturned @malcriada

[bloatedandalone04]

Bets & Bargains - Part 3

Series Masterlist

➪in which you and bradley hang out again and get to know more about each other, and quickly realize that you’re more alike than you thought.

PSA: strongly suggested to read the warnings before proceeding.

WC; 3.5k | Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡ | THANK YOU FOR 4.4K FOLLOWERS

Bradley reread Bri’s text an embarrassing amount of times, and he was still reading it now as he made his way onto the campus grounds. 

His phone was in his hand, her text on full display as he tried to think of how to respond to it, despite it being sent a mere sixteen hours ago. After he got home last night, he stripped down and had a shower in an attempt to cool himself off. He felt guilty about hanging out with you, mainly because he had agreed to that bet he was going to call off, and because he was clearly still hung up on Bri.

He was always bad at replying to texts, which is why he had yet to get back to her, and that was probably another reason she broke up with him. 

Still not knowing what to say, he pockets his phone, his fingers brushing against his wallet and a piece of paper. He had thrown on the jeans he wore last night to the botanical gardens, and when he pulled his hand back out of his pocket, he saw that he was holding the ticket you bought for him. 

God, were you sweet last night. You and he talked for so long, and it was all enjoyable conversations, which was a bit unexpected for the first time he’s actually hung out with you. One of the first things Bradley noticed about you was your voice, and he was sure he could spend hours on end just listening to it, which was a bit concerning since he had no business feeling that way about you so soon after meeting you. 

He was actually a bit shocked that Bri had texted him after seeing him once outside of his house. As much as he hated to admit it, him going out to meet you might have actually scored him a few points with her.

When he tore his eyes away from the ticket, he immediately met your gaze, and a genuine smile took over his lips that matched your own. He puts the ticket in his bag this time before meeting you halfway, his eyes lingering on your floral printed skirt for longer than necessary. “Hi, Bradley,” you greet in your sweet voice that made Bradley bite down on his lip to stop the groan that nearly slipped from his mouth.

“Hi, Y/n,” he said back, watching your lips curve upwards. “Is floral your trademark?”

You look down at your white cropped tee and skirt before shrugging. “It can be,” 

Bradley’s grin only grew at that as he moved to stand next to you. “Can I walk you to class?”

“You definitely can,” you answered and began walking towards the opposite side of campus from where his own class is. He’d probably be late if he were to walk you all the way to yours, but he didn’t care too much, which is a bit surprising for him as he’s always tried to be school-orientated. 

“I had fun yesterday,” he says as he quickly catches up to you. One thing he’s learned about you is that you’d easily leave him in the dust if he isn’t quick enough to keep up, and that was actually something he admired about you. 

You look up at him as you grab hold of the strap of your bag. “Me too,” 

“We should hang out again,” he offered, then added, “Only if you want to.”

You raise a brow as you ask, “Do you want to?”

He scoffed, “I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t want to,”

You nod and break eye contact. “I was just checking to make sure you’re still different from all the stereotypical frat guys I’ve met in the past, that’s all,”

“Trust me,” he started, holding the door open for you. “I’m very different.”

You grin at him as you enter the building. “And you’re proving it very well,”

“Good to know,” he replied and you turned to give him a softer smile. 

“You don’t have to walk me the whole way,” you tell him as you adjust the strap of your bag on your shoulder. “You’ll probably be late for your own class.”

That was true, but oddly enough Bradley didn’t care. “It’s fine, I just finished my class,” he said and you raised a brow as you checked your phone. “I had an eight AM lecture.” He added when he saw you read the time. 

“Oh,” you say, believing him with a nod. “That sucks, I hate lectures.”

“I think everyone hates lectures,” he says as you resume walking again. 

“I have a question.”

Bradley saw the opportunity and took it, “Shoot,”

You smile at him then give him a shy look. “Will your girlfriend get mad that we’re hanging out?”

That had his own smile fading a bit and his brows furrowing. “My girlfriend?” He asked, wondering if you had seen him and Bri around campus before and he just didn’t see you. If that’s the case, it was nice to know that Bri hadn’t gone around and told everyone she knows that she had dumped him like he was nothing at all to her. 

You nod and drop your gaze to his neck, and he thought you were going to ask about his scars or something, then you said, “She seems very possessive of you,”

Your index finger pokes at a sore spot on his throat and he knew then that you were referring to the hickey Bri had given him before breaking up with him a couple mornings ago.

“Oh, yeah, uh,” he trailed off as he felt his face flush in embarrassment. “That’s a really fucking embarrassing story, I’m not gonna lie.”

“Oh,” you repeat and give him a small smile. “That’s okay. Maybe one for another day then. My class is right here.” You point to the door next to him and he nods, grateful that you didn’t try to pry the story out of him.

“Okay,” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck before running his fingers over his sore throat. “I’ll see you later then?”

You nod and give him a small wave before disappearing into the classroom, leaving Bradley to stand in the hallway for a few extra seconds with a dumb grin on his face before he quickly realized that he would probably be close to ten minutes late to his own class if he didn’t start walking right now. 

-

You were blushing pretty much the whole three hours you were at class for. 

Bradley was so hot and so not the kind of guy you would ever go for, which is exactly why you found yourself wanting him. You usually stayed with the attainable ones, hence why you were with your ex-boyfriend for three years before ending it. Luke was your best friend’s brother and he went to the same high school as you, so you got to see him everyday. It was easy with him, but now you wanted a challenge. 

While Luke was your first love, you knew he wasn’t going to be your last. Maybe you thought that at first, when the relationship was still new, but three years later, it was dulling for you. 

With that being said, you still weren’t entirely sure if Bradley was in a relationship or not, so you couldn’t get your hopes up too much. Maybe a good guy friend is all you need. 

Just then your phone went off, and you found yourself wishing it was him texting you, but you also knew better.

Luke♡: Fine, don’t answer me. But just know that I don’t plan on waiting forever for you to figure your shit out. 

You scoff and click on Bradley’s contact instead of answering your ex, but just as you began typing, a text appeared on your screen. 

Fratley: Hope your class went by super fucking fast, and it wasn’t boring.

You smile down at your phone and type with one hand while you use your other to rummage around for your keys in your bag. 

Funnily enough, it went by super fucking slowly, and it was a total bore. I blame you.  

You pull out your house key and were just about to insert it into the lock when he texted you again,

Fratley: That’s not really fair, I walked you to that class and everything. Would grabbing some food and shakes with me make it better?

You look at the time and see that it was nearing four thirty in the afternoon, and then your stomach growled. With a shake of your head, you drop your keys back into your bag and turn around as you replied to him.

You know what, it just might. Meet you at Five Guys in a bit?

Fratley: You read my mind.

Five Guys was around a thirty minute walk from campus, but you could probably make it in half that time if you really tried. You’d be risking looking like a sweaty mess when you got there, but it beat paying for a cab. 

You make it to the restaurant by quarter to five, and you spend a second or so admiring the nice looking red two door Jeep in the parking lot before entering the building. 

Bringing your hand up, you wipe away the thin layer of sweat that gathered on your browline as you look around the red and white interior. You drop your hand when you meet Bradley’s gaze, and you smile at him as you begin to walk again. 

He was sitting towards the back near the windows, and you were a bit out of breath when you finally reached him. 

You definitely reached your step goal today. 

“Hi,” you greeted as you dropped your bag onto the seat across from his at the booth. 

“Hey,” he said back with his cute smile that had you blushing like a teenager. 

“I’m sorry I’m a bit late,” you say as you sit down across from him and rest your palms against the table. 

He shrugged, that damn smile still painted on his lips. “It’s okay, we didn’t set up a time,”

You look at him for a few seconds before letting out an embarrassed laugh. “You’re right, that probably would’ve been a smart thing to do,” 

“That’s alright, we’re both idiots,” he grinned and you laughed again in agreement. He looked a bit nervous as he nodded towards one of the two paper cups on the table. “I ordered us shakes, I didn’t know what kind you liked, so I played it safe and got you vanilla.”

“That was nice,” you beam and he slid it over to you. “Thank you.”

He smiled before it promptly dropped. “I just realized that I should’ve waited to order these. You probably think I drugged it or something,”

You laughed loudly before slapping your hand over your mouth. “I wasn’t thinking that at all,” you say as you look down at the shake before back up at him. “And I still don’t think that since you would’ve just admitted to it, and despite what we just said, I think you’re smarter than you let on.”

Bradley quirked a brow as he sipped on his chocolate shake, then grimaced. “I hate paper straws,” 

You snort softly and shrug. “Save the turtles?”

He set his drink down with a look of fake disappointment on his face. “Oh no, you’re one of those girls?”

You lift a brow as you sip on the vanilla shake. “I won’t apologize for thinking about the environment, frat boy,” 

“So you’re telling me you prefer cardboard straws? Is that it?” He scoffed, pulling the soggy straw out of the cup and setting it down on a napkin. “It’s like drinking from a rolled up newspaper.” 

You laugh again and cover your mouth, your gaze softening at the smile that formed on his lips. “That’s oddly specific,”

“But am I wrong?” He asked, and you stayed silent, making him smirk as he sipped on the shake. “That’s what I thought.”

Half an hour goes by, and Bradley was a proper gentleman when he asked what you wanted, then went up and ordered for the both of you. You didn’t know anything about his family life, but you could tell that he was raised at least somewhat right, and that’s going off of the hours you’ve spent with him since that night at the party. 

You were already done with your food and were sipping on your shake as he asked, “Am I allowed to know who made you so mad yesterday? Because I was genuinely caught off guard when you told me to fuck off when I didn’t even say anything yet,”

You shake your head and smile as you pull out your nearly-dissolved paper straw. “I wasn’t telling you to fuck off,” 

“Who were you saying it to then?” He asked and smirked when you tossed the straw into the paper bag with your wrapper. “Told you, by the way.”

Rolling your eyes, you shrug. “It was just my ex,” you answer then add, “And you didn’t tell me anything.”

“I did, too,” he replied as he leaned back and crossed his arms. “Your ex, huh? Do you still like the guy?” He asked and you were probably imagining it, but you could’ve sworn he sounded the smallest bit jealous when he asked that. 

“Like is a strong word, Bradley,” you mutter and he huffs out a laugh. “In all seriousness, I think I stopped loving him long before we broke up.”

“You were in love?” He asked as he gathered up the wrappers and napkins, stuffing them into the paperbag afterwards. 

You nod and give him a grateful smile. “Yeah, he was my highschool sweetheart or whatever,” 

Bradley raised his brows as he nodded. “It was pretty serious then,” he trailed off and you nodded again. He fell silent for a few seconds before leaning over and bracing his elbows on the table. “Are you gonna get back together?”

Now it was your turn to be quiet as you took in his question. You hadn’t let yourself give it much thought, and hadn’t actually decided if you wanted Luke back or not. He was a past chapter in your life, a good one at that, but you wanted more. 

You wanted a fresh start. 

Luke was an amazing boyfriend, and the perfect match for highschool Y/n, but you were getting older. You were maturing, and you supposed Luke was, too, but not in the same way as you. 

You were entering your second year of college, and it was clear that he wasn’t the right fit for the person you were becoming. “I don’t know,” you answer, though you were starting to strongly feel like the relationship was great while it lasted, but maybe it was past the due date to move on. 

Bradley looked in thought for a couple of beats before he asked, “What happened?” He sounded hesitant to ask that, and you could appreciate his kindness and subtle interest in your life. 

“I guess I just…stopped missing him,” you confessed, and it was the first time you’d admitted to that. Your eyes widen a bit in embarrassment and you try to laugh it off as you sit up. “Anyway.”

He gives you a small smile as he stands up and throws away the bag. “Did you drive here?” 

“No,” you answer and stand up as well, grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. 

Bradley nodded as he pulled out car keys from his pocket. “You called a ride then,” he stated and you shook your head, making him furrow his brows. 

“I walked,” you clarified and watched as his lips parted slightly before he looked out the windows and at the darkness that came with it being night time now. 

“You walked?” He asked and looked back at you, and you nod. “Are you planning on walking back, too?”

You shrugged with a smile. “I don’t like paying for rides,” 

Bradley laughed before taking your hand in his and unknowingly releasing butterflies all over your body with the simple gesture. “Good thing I don’t charge,” he replied and guided you out to the dark parking lot. 

“You have a car?” You ask, a bit shocked since not many people you knew drove or had their own cars. He nodded and your surprised expression dropped as you added, “You already paid for dinner, you don’t have to drive me home as well.”

“I’m not letting you walk half an hour back to campus in the dark by yourself,” he murmured as he led you over to the very Jeep you were looking at before dinner. “I was raised a bit better than that.” 

His words were sweet, but you were too busy looking at the pretty red car. “This is yours?” You ask the most obvious question and he holds up the keys in response, the Jeep label on the chain enough of an answer. “It’s nice.”

He laughed, “Thanks, it was a birthday present,”

“Recently?”

“No, I’ve had her for just under four years now,”

“Her?” You ask with a smirk as he lets go of your hand in order to open the passenger side door for you. 

A faint blush formed on his cheeks, but he wasn’t embarrassed as he nodded. “Yeah, her,”

“Why am I not surprised?” You laughed as he shook his head and closed the door before getting in on the drivers side. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He grunted as he started the car and effortlessly backed out of the parking space. 

He did that whole one hand on the wheel while the other was gripping your headrest thing, and you were powerless to stop the blush that formed on your face. “I don’t know,” you were actually at a loss for words at how you managed to find yourself in the continuous presence of a guy like him. 

Not wanting him to see how red your face had gotten, you lean forward and turn on your seat warmer. Bradley glanced over at you with a small grin as he kept his left hand on the steering wheel and his right elbow braced on the center console. “Are you cold?”

“No,” you answer and look out at the dark scenery. “I just like being warm when I’m in a car.”

He laughed, “Why am I not surprised,” 

You spare a look at him and see that he was wearing a boyish grin, and when you asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?” he just shrugged with a smirk.

Oh yeah, you two matched each other’s energy almost too well, and it was a bit concerning how quickly you found yourself liking him. 

“Thanks for dinner,” you say in an attempt to change the subject. “I can pay you back.”

“Please don’t,” he laughed again and glanced over at you before looking back at the dark road. “Five Guys is, like, the cheapest place to eat at. You also bought the tickets yesterday, so we’re nearly even now.”

“Nearly?” 

He nodded and looked over at you again as he said, “Nearly,” 

You fall silent after that, wondering if that meant that he wanted to keep hanging out after tonight. You made it back to campus and Bradley pulled over to the side of the road outside of your dorm, and he turned the car off before turning to you. “Thanks again,” you start and take off your seatbelt. “I like hanging out with you. I know I keep saying it, but you’re different from the other guys I’ve hung out with in the past.”

He smiled at that. “I like hanging out with you, too,” 

You debate on your next words, and you knew you didn’t have much to lose at this point, so you take a nervous breath before saying, “My ex and I aren’t getting back together. I know that earlier I said that I didn’t know, but I think I do. We had a few good years together, but I think it’s time to move on,”

Bradley nodded in understanding, “I hope you didn’t feel pressured to come to that conclusion. I didn’t mean to pry earlier,”

“Oh, no,” you wave him off and grab your bag. “I knew it before, I just wanted you to know, too, I guess.”

He nodded again and shifted in his seat. “I just got out of something, too,” he tells you. “It wasn’t as serious as yours was, but it still fucked me up a bit. I mean it, though, I really like hanging out with you. I almost wish we met sooner, I could use a few more good people in my life.”

You give him a comforting smile. “Yeah, I get that,” you trail off and sling your bag over your shoulder. “Have a good night, Bradley.” You hesitate for a few seconds before leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek, and he laughed softly before smiling over at you. 

“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow? Or later in the week?” He asked with that same smidge of desperation that had you nodding in response. “Have a good night, too, Y/n.” 

You waved at him as you closed the car door and pulled out your keys, and you tried not to think about the fact that he waited until you were fully inside the building before he started the car again and left.

[starberry-cupcake]

To add to the pile of questionable tumblr behavior as of late, and as a psa at large:

I searched a mental health related tag last week and I got immediately a message from a bot called Koko. It intended to put me through to "people who are interested in mental health topics". In this tumblr message format, they didn't immediately facilitate hotlines, specific mental health care services or professional help, just "people".

I didn't respond to it. It's a bot. I didn't block it because I was interested to see where it would lead, but I didn't talk back. In the following days, it kept sending me messages, trying to get me to use their service.

Among the messages, they told me how it works, not that I had asked:

So, it sounds like a recipe for disaster in the making to me. My personal mental health information being passed through random tumblr users and getting a reply from someone who, not only isn't a professional or part of any sort of mental health care group I could get informed about, but they also will provide unsupervised answers to topics of great importance to someone who was looking into related tags.

But, tumblr user thewindandthewolves seems to endorse it, so let's check them out and see what they have to say.

Well. I'm posting the responses in chronological order, but I guess the raving review from a tumblr user was actually a kid who didn't give them consent to use their words as endorsement. Great look.

Today, I got a new message. Again, unprompted.

Second review person has apparently deleted their blog, so no background information on that one. If that's you, let us know.

I decided to look at their blog and read people's comments on their posts. The tumblr userbase came through with the receipts and linked this very detailed article about not only the bot and its founder but the sketchy study it uses as a foundation:

Here's an important quote from this article regarding the study in which Koko is founded as a clear notion of what consent means to them:

Morris [Koko's founder] declined to say whether he thought the subjects had meaningfully consented to the study. He told Motherboard that his goal was to establish a new best practice, where he would be able to transparently show his results to social media platforms. However, when asked if he felt that the experiment was transparent to the participants involved, he said he’d needed more time to think about it. 

It's not a tough one to respond to, Morris.

I suggest you to please read the whole article but the way in which these people perform verbal gymnastics to try to justify the lack of consent from people involved is alarming.

About Tumblr's involvement, the article didn't get comments from them on it:

Stony Brook's IRB [Institutional Review Board] and multiple people tasked with overseeing the IRB did not respond to multiple emails from Motherboard about the study or the process. Facebook, Discord, and Tumblr responded to Motherboard’s initial emails but did not provide comment. Telegram did not respond to Motherboard’s request for comment. 

The article also read the fine print of the Terms of Service, the only thing they provide as any type of consent to users, and the previous situation of using tumblr user posts without them knowing is illuminated further:

The current dynamic between Koko and its users more closely parallels the relationship between most tech companies and their users than that between a mental health provider and patient. Its Terms of Service, for instance, state that, “You grant Koko a fully paid, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable and fully sublicensable right (including any moral rights) and license to use, license, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works of, publicly perform, publicly display, and otherwise fully exploit Your Content.” 

As an editor, that sounds more like a US release agreement form for intellectual property, which should not be used as any form of mediation for personal data. It also alarms me to no end that the "Content" in question, in the example we have was, according to OP, a post they had made on their own blog about Kokobot and not a response or quote provided to Kokobot itself which, in tow, signifies that the data collected could come from anywhere and not only what you actively provide them. But what do I know.

I did more digging by myself and found even more articles denouncing the behavior of this bot and company, this being another interesting one:

This one included the following thing about the peer-counseling aspect of it and the use of AI to craft the supposed "people" responses:

During the AI experiment—which applied to about 30,000 messages, according to Morris—volunteers providing assistance to others had the option to use a response automatically generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 large language model instead of writing one themselves (GPT-3 is the technology behind the recently popular ChatGPT chatbot).

Apparently, Koko has been around for a while, with articles discussing it as far as, at least, 2017. Still, I had never before received unprompted, unwanted, invasive messages from it on tumblr until now.

If you post or search tags related to mental health, it's very likely that you'll get this bot in your messages or you already have. There are many layers of breach of ethics in this situation, in my opinion, each one worse than the last one.

Before using it or sharing any information at all (with any bot ever), I'd advice you to look into it beforehand. I know we are the "trust no bots" website and the fake ladybots have taught us well on how to spot them and protect ourselves, but this one in particular seems very dangerous to me.

I can't talk about whether or not this has helped anybody, I'm not coming anywhere near it, but the sole concept of this sounds like a bad idea. The advice provided doesn't seem to come from selected professionals the platform is endorsing legally but by random people (and/or AI) who are not only not trained for it, they aren't being compensated for work made for a program, which is probably making good money out of all the social media platforms it's working with. It also allows them to not be responsible for the advice given, to some extent.

Even if people with mental health concerns can discuss things between them in very productive and helpful ways, there isn't genuinely transparent communication if it's anonymously mediated by a company and there isn't a proper professional care that can accompany them from someone who is trained to facilitate it. You can talk to a friend without having to provide data to a company that could identify you since, according to the first article:

There is, further, no easy way to wall the collection of such data off from actual subjects, as anonymized datasets can often still be traced back to specific individuals. (A 2019 study found that 99.98 percent of Americans could be correctly re-identified in any dataset using 15 demographic attributes.) This is why privacy experts have been vocal about the exploitation of data privacy and the unreliability of an anonymous dataset. 

I'm not here to tell anyone what to do or not to do but I'm here to share this because I know that I would appreciate the information if someone else had come across it instead. Make decisions with all the information you can get.

Throwing a wild idea for the hellsite but maybe staff and ceo should be a little less occupied in persecuting trans folk and more into reading the fine print of the unethical companies they're signing with, who are exploiting their userbase's mental health, especially that of literal children whose quotes are being used to endorse their business without any legal consent, aside from a terribly worded TOS. But what do I know.

[copias-girl]

Hey. I saw you deleted all the excitement/nonsense from the other day, wanted to check in on you. I realized that while I've been on this hellsite for 12 years and seen and experienced a great deal of my own anon drama, I forget how overwhelming & terrible it feels when it first happens to you.

I failed to notice that, in addition to being very new to this site, you're also only 18 (please note that this is not meant to sound condescending - tone is impossible to convey via text). I was a couple years older than that when I joined here, and I carried just as much excitement and energy into everything I posted and reblogged and quickly gained a reputation for myself. From what I've observed from your blog though, mine was decidedly...less fun & positive, so I got a LOT of anonymous messages telling me what they thought of me. I would spend a lot of time thinking about those anons and the terrible things they said to me, constructive or not, objective or not. It didn't matter how many support messages I got from friends or mutuals, or how much we mocked the anons or made light of the situation - I was angry, embarrassed, felt like nothing I did would fix it, and sometimes didn't want to log onto this site anymore, despite it being the only outlet I had to express myself in this way.

It is normal to focus on the small negative in spite of the overwhelming positive - healthy? No. But normal.

My point is: Please do not let this nonsense deter you from being you. Not everyone is going to like you, and that is totally fine. Not everyone is going to like how you post/reblog on your blog. Speaking solely for myself, I generally keep a more contained dashboard I can scroll through quickly at work, so I don't follow your blog, but I don't translate my personal feelings on how you blog into my personal opinion of you as an individual. Everyone blogs differently on this site, which is what keeps it interesting. I'm also not so chronically online to go out of my way to send you a 5-paragraph essay about consent or being hypersexual in a fandom for a gay Satanic band. Instead I'll send you a 8-paragraph essay trying to comfort you and to tell you not to despair, lmao.

I LOVE your enthusiasm about how you express yourself in your posts & reblogs, and it seems there's a shit ton of blogs around you that feel the same way & express themselves the exact same way. Don't lose that spark! Don't let them rain on your parade! [Insert another cliche phrase here]!

Take time if you need a break, but please understand you did nothing wrong. Everything said to you was someone's opinion they wanted to force on you to control how you behave because they themselves are terrified of the world around them and don't understand they cannot control others. Hopefully one day they'll realize how sheltered and, quite frankly, stupid they are. I did.

My advice: if you ever reopen anons and start getting those messages again, delete them and don't engage. Most of the time they're just looking for attention, to rile you up. Classic bullying tactics.

Or print out their messages and use them as firewood. Or toilet paper. Whatever works.

Lastly, you don't have to acknowledge this or publish this message if you don't want to. Genuinely, I just wanted to reach out and make sure you're okay and to attempt to longwindedly impart some advice from my own experiences over the decade.

You do you, dude. Fuck the haters.

Thank you so so much for this incredibly kind and comforting message ♥︎ I really appreciate it more than you could imagine, it even made me cry reading it. I feel like this message is a good closer for this situation, so I’m also going to use it as an opportunity to give a little PSA about how my blog will be operating from now on.

First of all, just thank you again. I’m honestly astonished because every single thing you mentioned is exactly how I feel. The hurt of it all despite getting so much support, the empty feeling of not wanting to go on tumblr anymore despite it being my only outlet. Tumblr was supposed to be my safe space, my escape, my home, and it really sucks because it honestly doesn’t feel like that anymore.

I think the thing that hurts the most is that literally no one reached out to me as a friend in the dms to tell me that I was bothering them. I’m not a mind reader, so if no one says anything then I assume I’m not bothering them. But I do pride myself on always being approachable, I’m ALWAYS open to people messaging me with their concerns.

It’s different when it’s some faceless anon who comes off as slightly passive aggressive. If someone would have just DMed me, I definitely would have put more thought into it and taken their suggestion. Since I haven’t been on tumblr long, I didn’t even know the difference between reblogging with a comment or reblogging with tags until literally just now during this whole situation.

I just feel like I’ve been serving spaghetti every night for dinner. 9 people say they absolutely LOVE it, but then I come to suddenly find out the 10th person doesn’t. But they never said anything all this time, so how was I supposed to know?

I’ve had two people block me who I thought were my friends. One who, during this situation, even said she’d always be there for me. Basically, she informed me that our mutual friend had been upset about my comments and apparently never said anything before this, so I reached out to that friend and apologized. She apparently got triggered by my apology, and they both blocked me. That hurt. A lot. And if I’m being honest I’ve been fighting so hard not to self harm during this time.

I feel like I’ve been treated like a malicious criminal over this, when in reality everyone should know damn well I’ve never done ANYTHING to deliberately make people feel bad.

And don’t worry, I definitely did not take the comment about my age to be condescending. In fact, I wish more people would have taken it into account. And the fact that I’ve only been on tumblr for 6 months, so I don’t really know much about it.

I have a life outside tumblr. I’m a student, and I’ve had to be a full-time caretaker to sick relatives who have now unfortunately passed away. I’m grieving. My father abandoned me and my mother, so I’ve had to take over doing all the things that he used to do.

I come on tumblr, I scream about everyone’s favourite satanic antipopes, I post some fics, and then I close the app and go about my life. I don’t research the history of tumblr and what’s deemed acceptable by certain groups of people. I’m a human. I’m a real teenage girl, with feelings. I’m able to be hurt, and triggered, and everything else. I know I’ve created a personality for myself on here, and I think people often forget that I’m a real girl.

I wish I could say I’m okay, but right now that spark definitely feels dampened into a sad little ember. Since this has happened, I’ve almost stopped eating entirely, and when I do eat, I immediately throw it right back up. My Mom took me out to eat and I threw up in public. This has honestly had my stomach in knots.

Today was the first day I actually didn’t feel nauseous. So hopefully time will heal this wound. I wouldn’t wish this on ANYONE, but I’m glad to see you got through it and made it out ok. I’m hoping for the same outcome for myself too.

Now for the PSA portion of this message (everyone please read):

Will I stop being unhinged? Hell no. But I will be moving any horny comments into the tags, as suggested by the people who had complaints. The absolute last thing I want to do is alienate people and make people uncomfortable. (I still have questions about reblogging with comments tho, for example, if I say something not horny should I still put that in the tags or is it ok to comment that?)

Secondly, my best friend suggested that I should just start taking my unhinged comments and making them into posts of their own, so I’ll probably do that too. I think I might tag them with some cheesy tag, probably a pun on nsfw (not sugar for work?) so that if you’d like to blacklist that tag, you can, and then your dash will be safe for scrolling at work or wherever. And you can just click ‘view post’ if you want to view it.

So, rest assured, the horny party will never stop! But since I’ll be putting my stuff in the tags, you probably won’t see it circulating as much as reblogged comments, so if you want to see me being unhinged, just come to my page and scroll through!

Also, I’ve gotten so many other supportive messages and I want to thank everyone for sending them in. I won’t be answering them, because I don’t want a lot of stuff about this situation on my blog. And this is going to be the last time I talk about this situation on my blog. But the supportive messages really do mean a lot to me, so thank you all ♥︎

I feel malaise, so I might still be absent for a little while, but I’ll try to get back in the saddle as soon as I can. I haven’t been in the best mindset to write, but I’m really going to try because posting fics and running this account genuinely make me happy.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope to see you all again very soon

Love always,

Sugar <3

[three-green-waterbottles]

PSA FOR MOBILE USERS

i have seen a lot of posts about the ai situation on tumblr, but no posts explaining where in the settings the opt-out button is.

for mobile, go to settings, scroll down and click visibility under blog settings. it should be the third checkbox down: be sure to read the fine print, because of course they hide the information in the little text.

[polyamorouspunk]

PSA from your very pissed off holiday retail worker:

Having displays for things that you can buy online but we ran out of/weren’t shipped the actual product in store is NOT false advertising

An item being thrown over a tag for a completely different price is not “false advertising” the price for that item. It’s not the same fucking item. I’m sorry some other customer threw it there where it doesn’t belong and you think that’s the price but if it doesn’t match the SKU or the item description you cannot have it for that price. And it’s not false advertising.

Something that has very visible fine print that YOU didn’t read isn’t false advertising. If the fine print is there and YOU didn’t read it it’s not a lie. Read the fine print.

Thank you,

Your friendly (unless you fuck with me) holiday retail employee).

[askthedevicer]

Friendly neighborhood PSA

If you are a working class citizen, you should at least glance over the FLSA (+ any additional laws your particular state may have). Not reading them is like blindly signing a lease agreement. A lot of employers hedge bets on the fact that their employees don't know their rights, and the rights go wayyyy beyond just minimum wage.

For example, most "exempt" employees I know are actually not qualified for exempt status under FLSA. It's about more than being payed a certain amount. You're not allowed to have more than half your duties be laborious if you're "exempt." Depending on the type fo "exempt" (and yes there are several types of exempt employee) you are, you may be disqualified if your boss is a control freak who never lets you make any decisions of significnt procedural or financial importance to the company. There are PAGES of rules outline in the FLSA regarding who is allowed to be exempt. If either of the above scenarios strike a chord with you, this might be worth speaking to a lawyer about.

Also for my hourly cohorts, BREAKS ARE MANDATORY not just lunch but your two tens as well. Especially those ten minute rest periods. If a boss forbids you from taking them, they are stealing your money as the point of a rest period is ten minutes of pay without work. Furthermore, agricultural employees are required to have more breaks.

For my tipped brethren, those tips are yours. ESPECIALLY if your business is taking the Tip Tax Credit. Management is not allowed to touch your tips. Even if management requires you to pool your money to non-tipped employees, always make sure you read the fine print and don't let them tax you out the ass if you're technically not tipped. Don't let greedy assholes take your money.

Please please please, don't let your bosses take advantage of you. Know your rights.

[lindajenni]

jan 9

perhaps a last chance at laughter

"then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing." psa 126:2 when your pastor stops by for a visit a new pastor was visiting the homes of his parishioners.  at one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.  therefore, he took out a business card that had printed “revelation 3:20” on the back of it for just such an occasion, and stuck it in the door.  when the offering was processed the following sunday, he found that his card had been returned. added to it was this cryptic message, “genesis 3:10.”  reaching for his bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.  revelation 3:20 begins “behold, I stand at the door and knock.”  genesis 3:10 reads, “i heard your voice in the garden and i was afraid for i was naked.” when God answers prayer after starting a new diet i altered my drive to work to avoid passing my favorite bakery.  i accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and as i approached, there in the window were a host of chocolates, donuts, and cheesecakes. i felt this was no accident, so I prayed... “Lord, it’s up to You.  if You want me to have any of those delicious goodies, create a parking place for me directly in front of the bakery.” and sure enough, on the eighth time around the block,��there it was!  God is so good! the Word is indeed a sword an elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of religious service when she was startled by an intruder.  as she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, 'stop - acts 2:38!' (...turn from your sin...).  the burglar stopped dead in his tracks.  the woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.  as the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, 'why did you just stand there?  all she did was yell a scripture to you.'  'scripture?' replied the burglar, 'she said she had an axe and two 38's!' and now, some quick one-liners the sermon this morning: 'Jesus walks on the water.'  the sermon tonight: 'searching for Jesus.' ladies, don't forget the rummage sale.  it's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.  bring your husbands. don't let worry kill you off - let the church help. miss charlene mason sang 'i will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones. please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered. the church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. ------ laughter does indeed do good like a medicine.  remember to laugh whenever you can.  this coming year may carry few chances to do so.  keep the word ever ready on your lips and in your heart.  "anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad." prov 12:25 no, we have not passed this way before, but we know Who holds the future, and we know He holds our hand.  "so we may boldly say: 'the Lord is my helper; i will not fear.  what can man do to me?" heb 13:6 "behold, I am coming quickly!  hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." rev 3:11

[daveg65]

In Touch With iOS Episode 267 With Kelly Guimont, Jeff Gamet, Ben Roethig

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by gues Kelly Guimont, Jeff Gamet, and Ben Roethig. Airdrop tips and keep that list hidden. Setapp is planning to launch its own alternative iOS app store in the European Union in 2024. No more SIM Free iPhones and Apple Card financing. iOS 17 Beta 6 moved the phone end button back. Read the fine print on app subscriptions and make sure you are not charged especially with the kids. 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com


Direct Link to Audio 

Links to our Show

Click this link Buy me a Coffee to support the show we would really appreciate it. intouchwithios.com/coffee 

Another way to support the show is to become a Patreon member patreon.com/intouchwithios

Website: In Touch With iOS

YouTube Channel

In Touch with iOS Magazine on Flipboard

Facebook Page

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Twitter

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News

Setapp plans to launch EU-only alternative iOS App Store

GM Admits No Technical Reason CarPlay Couldn't Be in Future EVs

Apple Is Killing off This App You Probably Forgot Existed

Google App for iOS Can Now Use AI to Summarize Articles

Apple Card Monthly Financing No Longer Available for SIM-Free iPhones

Apple Card continues to be a consumer hit despite Goldman Sachs turmoil

Topics

Apple Releases watchOS 9.6.1 With API Access Fix for Apps

PSA: macOS 13.5.1 Ventura update fixes System Settings location permissions

Beta this week. iOS 17 Beta 6 was released this week. 

Apple Seeds Sixth Betas of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available] 

Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of watchOS 10 to Developers

Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of tvOS 17 to Developers

Everything New in iOS 17 Beta 6 - The end call button moved back. 

iOS 17 beta 6: Here's what's new with the update

Already talking about iOS 17.1 and we will see iOS 16.7 next month too. 

iOS 17.1 testing ramps up, iOS 16.7 likely coming next month

App subscriptions are what you need to be aware of and educate yourself and your kids with the fine print. This app os popular but read the fine print before you buy. Add Text: Write On Photos on the App Store

Airdrop always has its issues. We talk about how you can have a better experience. 10 Ways to Fix AirDrop on Your iPhone

Macstock 7 is in the books for 2023. Purchase a virtual pass to see Dave, Brittany, Chuck, and Jeff and their presentations. 

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastadon @daveg65, 

Twitter @daveg65.and the show @intouchwithios

  Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet as well as Twitter and Instagram as @jgamet  His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. Twitter @benroethig  Website: https://roethigtech.blogspot.com

About our Guest

Kelly Guimont is a podcaster and friend of the Rebel Alliance. She appears on The Incomparable network as well as hosts I Want My M(CU) TV. you can find her on Mastodon and Instagram @verso

Book recommended by Kelly

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi - Audiobook - Audible.com

Here is our latest Episode!

[powdermelonkeg]

sadkjhsjdh sorry for the silence, guys, the weekend was BUSY. I’ll be posting theories and stuff like normal now though, don’t worry

[thespns]

in order to regain muse  and  activity I’m moving mary jane to @crscendo

[nobuverse]

SO 

Another personal decided that reblogging my headcanon posts and ‘correcting’ my history was a good idea.

New rule:

  Any personals found reblogging and 'Correcting' how I apply historical fact to the fate universe or how historically inaccurate I am will be blocked. This is a roleplay blog, not a history class. Get that pretentious shit out of here. Literally everyone knows this isn't real. STOP.  

[bloatedandalone04]

Wrapped Around Your Finger - Part 0.1

Series Masterlist | Original Fic

➪in which you and anakin move into your new apartment in the city and aren’t even settled down yet before new opportunities are presented.

PSA: strongly suggested to read the warnings before proceeding.

WC; 3.7k | Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡

Your arms were sore from all the packing you’ve done in the past month, but you were determined to get at least a couple of things sorted before you eventually give up and relax for the rest of the night.

Tearing away the tape and opening the box labeled MUGS - FRAGILE you carefully begin placing each porcelain mug into the cupboard next to the window that had the prettiest view of the city you had ever seen. 

California had been your home for as long as you could remember, but you had never seen it from this high up before. It was almost overwhelming, and you quickly went back to your task before you could let your eyes wander too much. 

In the front entryway, the door that read 1505 swung open and in stumbled Anakin and Vinny, both of them carrying a box. Vinny struggled to close the door behind him and walk into what will be the living room as Anakin called out to you, “Hey, princess?”

“In the kitchen,” you called back and turned around as he entered the room, a small grin on your face as he set the box down onto the island. “Having fun?”

He huffed out a laugh as he rounded the corner of the counter and stood in front of you. “I’m having a blast,” he says as he pulls you into his arms. “What are you doing, anyway?”

You look at the few mugs you had placed in the cupboard before looking back up at him, resting your hands on his chest. He looked unbelievably good right now, with his grey sweats, graphic tee, worn out converse and a thin layer of sweat coating his skin. If you weren’t in the middle of moving, you’d jump him right here and now. “I’m putting away the essentials,” you say as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Duh.”

Anakin hummed, looking in the box filled with your vintage mugs that were wrapped in paper. “Essentials, huh?” He mumbled, pressing a kiss to the side of your head before pulling away and tapping the box he had just brought in. “Unpack this one for me, then.”

The box was filled with his notebooks, sheet notes and a framed picture of his album cover, and you eye it with a teasing smile on your lips. “Your music box?” You ask and watch as he nods. “Doesn’t seem that important right now.”

“My music books are just as important as your mugs, baby,” he pointed out and gave you a boyish smirk. “Maybe even more.”

You gasp and place a hand over your heart. “How dare you,” you turned back to your box as he laughed behind you. “Go put it in the spare room and I’ll sort through it next.”

“Okay,” he picks up the box again and ventures down the hall, but not before he calls out, “Thanks, pretty girl.”

You shake your head and unwrap a mug that had a bunch of old logos from the 70s printed all over it. It was one of your favorites, and that was probably because Anakin bought it for you on your second date and that was when you started the whole mug obsession. 

An hour went by and you could safely say you had the easy job of unpacking the boxes the guys brought in. Thankfully the building had an elevator, but still, fifteen floors is pretty high up to have to bring boxes and other furniture. Somehow, though, Anakin and Vinny managed to do it relatively quickly. 

Vinny had just called it a day and left when you finished sorting through Anakin’s notebooks and sheets. After setting them into neat piles on the desk, you wander out into the hall and towards the living room, where you find your boyfriend standing amidst all the boxes. “Oh, hi,” he says when he turns to see you staring at him.

“Oh, hi,” you say back and enter the room. It was pretty bare, with the only actual piece of furniture being the TV stand by the window. You hold back a laugh as you ask, “What now?”

Anakin looked around and placed his hands on his hips. “You hungry?” He asked and when you nodded he added, “Pizza?”

“Always,” you say back and watch as a grin forms on his lips. He pulls out his phone and searches for the nearest pizza place, putting in a mobile order as you grab a throw blanket from off the top of a box. “When’s the couch coming?” 

Anakin pockets his phone as he answers, “Tomorrow, I think,”

You nod and smile up at him when he steps towards you and places his hands on your waist. “Our first official place together,” you murmur as you wrap your arms around his middle. 

“It’s about time after living in student housing for two years,” he grinned and placed a kiss on your forehead. “And after living in my mom’s basement before that.”

You laughed and pressed your head against his chest. “You never wanted to leave that place after high school,” 

He hummed in agreement. “Well, yeah, there was free food and I had the whole downstairs to myself,”

“It was also easier to sneak me in at night,” you pointed out.

“Until my mom caught us and made me sleep on the upstairs couch that night while you got to sleep in my bed,” he reminisced. “I still don’t see how that was fair at all, I had the worst fucking pain in my neck when I woke up the next morning.”

You laughed louder and traced your finger over his tattoo that was your initial. “We learned to be a lot quieter after that,” 

“Yeah,” he huffed and leaned down to press his lips to the side of your neck, nudging the collar of your shirt with his nose before he brought one hand up to grip your chin and guide you into a kiss. Your hands slide up his back and you stand a bit straighter in order to deepen the kiss, your mouth parting when his tongue runs along your bottom lip. 

“Mm,” you mumbled when you pulled away, eyeing the small but of saliva you’d left on his lips. “How long until the pizza comes?”

Anakin’s eyes never left your mouth as his hands trailed down your sides. “Twenty minutes or so,” he replied and began peppering kisses down your neck. 

You groaned quietly and reluctantly stepped away from him, pushing away his hands when he reached out to you again. “That’s not enough time for us to start this,” you say and sit down on the blanket you placed on the floor. “Better stop now before you scare the poor guy with your boner.”

“Tease,” he muttered and put some distance between the two of you to hopefully stop his growing hard on. 

Twenty five minutes later you and he were both sitting on the blanket with an open pizza box next to you. You were leaning back against Anakin’s chest as you bit down on your slice, nearly melting at the soft circles his thumb was rubbing against your skin through your shirt. 

“I could get used to this,” he said in between bites. 

You scoff and lean further back against him. “We’ve been living together since we were eighteen, if you count the year I snuck into your basement every other night,” you laughed. “You’re not used to it yet?”

“Not in our own place,” he says. “My name is on the lease, baby, and not one that will expire within a year or so. We’re here for as long as we want.”

You smile and press a kiss to his bicep, right on the spot that held the tattoo he got for you. 

“We don’t have to be quiet,” he continued and your smile dropped as a sense of need quickly began filling your bones. “We can be as loud as we want, these walls aren’t nearly as thin as the ones on campus.”

There was a hint of humor to his voice, as both of you knew you weren’t ever quiet to begin with. You’d received your fair share of dirty looks around campus from the people who lived in your building, so you could only imagine how happy they all are that you’ve finally moved out. 

“Anakin,” you said quietly and swallowed harshly. “Don’t say that to me when I’m trying to eat the first real food I’ve had all day. It’s not fair.”

He laughed and wrapped his free arm around your waist. “I’m just letting you know what’s in store for you later,” he said smugly. “If you were expecting a quiet first night in, I’m sorry to say you’re not getting it.”

And that was how you found yourself pinned underneath him while he drilled into you with a new found energy he got from the pizza. Both yours and his sweats were discarded a few feet away and he reached down to wrap your leg tighter around his waist as he filled you so well. 

“Ani,” you gasped quietly as your hands tangled in his hair. 

“Fuck, I love when you call me that,” he groaned as his hips met yours at a brutal pace. He remembered when he was in middle school and his seventh grade teacher called him that once. Everyone in his class started to call him it after that day, but in a much more mocking and teasing tone. He hated that nickname at one point in his life, but quickly grew to love it when you called him it one day in high school.

It became your nickname for him from that day on and no one else had called him it since. 

You hum and attach your lips to his neck, kissing and sucking his skin as he rocked into you. “I love you,” you murmured against his shoulder, wrapping your legs even tighter around his hips. 

“I love you,” he rasped, grunting when he felt your walls clench around him. “Fuck, baby, I love you so much.”

“Anakin,” you moaned as he picked up the pace, his forearms braced on either side of your head as he pressed your body into the hardwood. The blanket you put down to sit on provided a bit of comfort, but the cold floor was the furthest thing from your mind, anyway. He was stretching you out so good, like he always did, despite him being your one and only intimate partner. You only knew him this way, like he only knew your body in this way. 

He let out a deep groan next to your ear and the sound had your eyes rolling a bit and your core tightening. “I’ll never get tired of that sound,” he says as he coaxes more whines out of you. 

Anakin is a very vocal person, both in the bedroom and out of it, and he loved when he got you all loud for him. He didn’t care about the looks he’d get on campus or the annoyed texts he’d wake up to from the guys back on tour, he just wanted you to feel good all the time. He loved your sounds and the verbal proof of how he was making you feel. 

It was a good ego boost, too. 

“What about me?” You teased as he pulled your shirt up. It was actually his shirt and way too big on you, but you insisted on wearing it because it was comfy and you wanted to be comfortable during the move. “Will you ever get tired of me in general?”

Anakin lifted his head and softly glared at you, thrusting a bit harder as if you had personally offended him. “Fuck no,” he muttered. “Are you serious? What kind of question is that?” 

You grin and shrug, tugging on his hair a bit as you feel the knot in your stomach begin to tighten. “Just want to make sure I’m doing enough to keep you satisfied, and not just in bed,” 

“Don’t talk like that,” he nearly begged as he leaned into your touch. “You’re it for me, pretty girl. I knew that from day one.”

You smile at him and press a chaste kiss to his mouth. “You’re it for me,” you promise and turn your head to press a kiss to your initial on his bicep. He does the same to your wrist, where the capital A was permanently etched into your skin. “I need you to make me come, Ani. Please.”

Anakin cursed under his breath, his pace faltering for a fraction of a second as he took in your words. Despite being with you for nearly five years, he still wasn’t used to your dirty talk, and he was sure he never would be. You were just so cute, he couldn’t help but be surprised every time he heard the vulgar requests that left your lips. “I’ll make you come, baby, like I always do,”  

You whine and kiss him again, locking your arms around his shoulders as you feel your stomach tighten even more. “Please,” you whimpered as the coil snapped and you clenched impossibly tighter around him. “Fuck.”

The feeling of your warm walls sucking him in had triggered Anakin’s release. He let out a throaty groan as he spilled his seed into your welcoming core. “Holy fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he moves to lay next to you. 

You laugh quietly as he wraps you up in his arms. “Are you officially exhausted?” 

He huffs out a scoff mixed with a laugh as he nods. “Definitely used more energy than I had, that’s for sure,” 

You trace your finger along his array of tattoos as you listen to his erratic heartbeat by resting your head on his chest. “Well, we’ve got no solid plans for tomorrow, so you can relax all you want. I can get a start on the boxes in our room and you can set up the TV in here,” you suggested and hear him hum in approval. 

“That’s probably a good idea. I’m awful at unpacking, so give me all the other things to do other than that,” he agreed as he ran his hand up and down your back. 

Smirking, you glance up at him. “Well, since you’re offering,” you trail off and he looks down at you with a raised brow. “I have that new shelf I want to put in our room. Do you think you can figure out how to put it together?”

He scoffed again. “I think I can manage it,” he answered and you just laughed. “Remember, you wanted to check out that thrift store down the street at some point, too.”

You lift your head in surprise. “You remember that?” You ask and don’t bother hiding the shock in your voice. “I said that way back when we did the tour for this place, like, a month and a half ago.”

Anakin gave you a look of disappointment. “Of course I remember that,” he replied. “You underestimate just how much I pay attention to the things that interest you.” 

You grin at him and press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Maybe we can go there tomorrow? In the afternoon?”

He nodded and held your body tighter against his. “Sounds perfect,” he said and you hum before kissing him again and moving so you’re straddling him.

-

You wake up the next morning tangled in a blanket and Anakin’s arms. Since you weren’t able to locate the box that held your sheets and comforter before he whisked you away to bed for the night, you and he fell asleep only covered by the throw blanket that would go on the couch once it arrived. 

It was nearing ten when you pressed a light kiss to his chest before carefully slipping out of his hold. He still hasn’t gotten back to his usual sleep schedule since ending the tour, and you knew he could use an extra hour or so of sleep, so you were quiet with your movements. 

You get up from the bed and close the door gently behind you. After rummaging around in your suitcase that was still in the front hall, you dress yourself in an oversized tee and leggings before heading over to the kitchen.  

You managed to get a few more boxes unpacked and were browsing through some college programs when Anakin finally emerged from the bedroom. His hair was a mess and he had decided to only throw on a pair of sweats before entering the kitchen. 

As he made his way over to you with a knowing smirk on his lips, you had a hard time keeping your eyes off his toned chest. He stood behind you as you sat at the breakfast bar and scrolled through the possible options, his head dipping down to press a kiss to the side of your neck. “Morning,” he teased, knowing damn well that it was nearing twelve thirty in the afternoon and that he had slept all of his morning away. “How’d you sleep?” 

“Amazing,” you answer and lean back against him when he wraps his arms around you. “What about you?”

“I slept fantastic,” he said and peered over you so he could look at the screen. “What are you doing?”

“Seeing if the colleges around here have any writing programs. I got my first year done, but we’re too far away for me to continue it at that campus,”

Anakin hummed as he watched you scroll through the various programs. “See any options you like?”

“Yeah,” you answer with a teasing grin. “There’s this really cool program where we get to write a short story with an actual author who has over fifteen published books. We can ask him to read our stories and if he likes them he’ll send them to his publisher.”

“Wow,” he says and presses a kiss to the side of your head. “That is cool.” 

You nod when he steps away and heads towards the fridge. “Yeah, it would be a really good experience, but it’s a program for a school in London,” you inform him with a disappointed shrug. “So it’s definitely too far away.”

Anakin grabs a water bottle and takes a sip from it before asking, “How long is the program?” 

“Only a few months,” you reply and give him a pointed look. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s way too far. I’d have to live there to be able to take this program.”

He shrugged as he shut the fridge door. “London could be fun,”

“Ani, we just moved here less than twenty four hours ago,” you scoffed and watched as he rolled his eyes. 

“I’m not talking about moving there,” he laughed and walked back towards you. “But maybe we could stay there until the program is done. If you were to get accepted, that is, but I know you would if you sent in an application.”

Your face heated up at that. “You would actually go with me to London just so I can take this course?” 

He nodded as if the answer to that was obvious. “I’d do anything for you,” he says. “You know that. Apply for it, see if you get in.”

“Seriously?” You asked as you clicked on the program tab. 

“Why not?” He shrugged. “If it helps you start your career, I think you should try it out. Besides, London could be a great place to write songs. I’ll be inspired the entire time we’re there, I’m sure.”

You pull away to get a good look at his face and realize that he is being completely serious. “You’d seriously go to London with me? If I got accepted?”

Anakin nods and sets down the water bottle on the counter. “Of course,” he answered and began walking towards the bedroom when his phone started going off. “If it’s something you’re interested in, then do it. Send an application in, at least.”

You bite down on your lip as you watch him disappear into the room. 

Should you seriously consider packing up and leaving for London? A mere few weeks after moving to this place? This is still your house, and would still be here when the program finished, but you were already thinking about leaving it in order to live in London for a few months, not even twenty four hours after your move in day.

Anakin emerges from the room a few minutes later and his outfit had your mind blanking for a second or two. He wore black jeans, a white muscle tee that showed off his sleeve of tattoos, and converse. His phone was still pressed to his ear as he grabbed his keys and wallet from off the kitchen counter. “Yeah, alright,” he muttered. “See you soon.”

He hangs up after that and gives you a tight smile. “Everything okay?” You ask, giving him your full attention and pushing away your thoughts about the writing program.

“Yeah, that was Helena,” he said and grabbed his water bottle. “She wants me to meet her and the guys at the studio for a band meeting or something.”

“Oh,” you furrow your brows and move the laptop away from you. “Okay.”

“Sorry, pretty girl, I know I said we’d go check out that store later today, and we probably still can. This shouldn’t take too long,” he apologized and leaned down to place a chaste kiss to your lips. 

“No worries,” you wave him off. “Take as long as you need.”

Anakin grinned down at you. “Love you, princess, always,” 

“Love you,” you say back and watch as he heads towards the door, hearing it close loudly behind him a few seconds later. 

You chew on your thumbnail as you glance between your laptop and the hallway that leads to the door, contemplating what to do next.  Looking back down at the screen for a few more seconds, you click on the ‘start application’ button and before you know it, you send off a form filled with your information, as well as your previous writing experience.

[seizasa-a]

V. PSA !! i’ll be moving tomorrow so things are probably going to be a little hectic over the weekend. additionally, i finally got a job !! it’s full - time monday through friday, so my activity is definitely going to slow down throughout the week. it is a work - from - home position, but my work will require my undivided attention, so it’s not likely that i’ll be able to multitask. i’ll mainly be on during the evenings &&. weekends !!

thanks for reading !!

[offerslove]

For  the  new  year  I’ve  made a new  blog  for  gladys  ,   if  you  want  the  url,  like  this  post ! to be blunt, I don’t want to make people think they have to follow me so I will seldom be following people first from this blog unless we’ve spoken previously. The gladys I will be writing is what I’ve created on this blog + the hunger / vampironica / alwa and archie comics. I will still interact with show blogs, it’ll just be a completely different universe sort of thing. Thanks so much for sticking with me,  and I will be emptying some things from my inbox before moving completely over.