#'I've been planning this attack for a month!!' cool but like. your last one failed miserably

[gameotheque]

Shulk: Before going into this Mechon-infested place, we should have a plan

Otharon:

[guigz1-coldwar]

'The Final Countdown' : new chapter of "Fighting Spirit of a Once Innocent Girl" is out !

"The Final Countdown"

Chapter Summary : Samantha is ready for the final battle against the man who destroyed her life apart....and her friend she thought to have lost.....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +4200

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It is it.....the Endgame ! After all we have done for the past few week, we finally found out exactly where Monty was hiding : away from the public, on the Solovetsky Islands in the north of the Soviet Union, his Omega ultimate and final base in the entire world. We all got the impression ad we all hoped too that it will be soon the end of everything for Monty, we are not going just to stop a simple terrorist who want to blow the Purplelight Arsenal and destroy Europe but we are trying to stop a elder god to take over the Universe....and the Multiverse !

We were the only persons who are able to stop him from achieving his goals and we couldn't do it alone with just me, Helen, Nikolai, Greta & Yirina. We needed help from Requiem and we all preferred to put our differences aside for just this final mission. We still have our grudge on them for everything they have done against us but their help could be crucial if we want to win that battle we are going to make against the Dark Aether.

Nikolai, I brought him in because I knew that he would be able to convince everyone about everything : he told them basically everything about Monty....about the Dark Aether....and about me. He told them the truth but there's parts he never mentioned to others like exactly who he was, claiming he was my 'protector' and nothing else and he didn't talk about the Multiverse because I could see in him that he was suspicious of Requiem in case they would like to know more about that if he told them about the Multiverse.

When he was finished about this, everyone had their minds blowed away from all of these and after that, a lot of calls were made from Hudson and Weaver respectively. They decided to bring the best firepower and the best mens for this crucial mission because now, everyone know that we can't afford at one little second to fail, it's the entire Multiverse that it's at stakes right now. After our little reunion with Greta & Yirina....and the death of Lazar, we didn't lose time at all and we were on our way to Solovetsky.

We took more than 2 days to approach Solovetsky by using an american aircraft carrier as Nikolai told us that it was impossible for him to transport everyone on the islant because Monty would have spotted us directly and we wouldn't have a simple chance to act. Our powers could still be used on the island but not before we're on it. More we were getting close to the island, more everyone were starting to get nervous about this but everyone kept their cool, trying to all think about a victory and never to a defeat.

During the travel in the helicopter that were bringing us to the rendez-vous point on the island, I was rethinking about everything that happened to me in just weeks : I was given back the powers I thought I have lost for a long time, I rekindled my relationship with Helen even if it was complicated at firs and I found back the only friends that are now standing with me at my side but everything wasn't really good at all : I realized that Requiem used me for an long time and lied to everyone, even Weaver were included in it.

But the worst......was to discover that Eddie.....was Perseus. The person I've been fighting for months is the friend I lost where I arrived in this new universe. He was controlled by Monty himself and I'm going to make sure that this will end soon. I'm going to save Eddie after all these years....and I'm going to kill Monty. I have made myself that promise and I will be sure to do it today.

"Approaching the LZ." The helicopter said loudly, breaking me from my thoughts and I looked outside, we were already arrived at destination. On the helicopter, there were me, Helen, Greta & Yirina awaiting that the helicopter landed until we were on the ground. We were the first to arrive at the scene, waiting now for the other team to go out.

"Finally." Greta exclaimed, getting out first from the helicopter "My legs weren't able to hold any longer." She stretched her legs outside as we are also getting out

"It was always a problem with you." Yirina got next to her, getting her hands on her shoulders as me & Helen stayed away, looking at them. "Now, how do you feel ?" Greta looked at Yirina with lovely eyes

"More happy.....with your hands on me." Greta in an surprise, got her arms around Yirina wraist, putting the two more closer than before.

"Always been flirting, Greta !" Yirina whispered before the two pull out to kiss each other....until they stopped to look at us, we weren't very discreet.

"What ?" Greta fainted an incomprehesion towards us

"Uhm...nothing." Helen replied, blushing from their sight as we decided to look away, focusing back to ourselves. "They're looking cute together." She added....well, not looking anymore but still focused on them apparently.

"Well, I never thought that of them first but yeah...." I started, giving a little look to them before getting my eyes back on Helen "You're right, they're cute."

"I think they're taking their time before the others arrive." Helen said, looking worried "So, this is it, right ?" She asked

"Yes, the endgame." I replied, surely

"We all sure that we can't afford to lose today." Helen told me, looking in the direction of the monastery

"Everything will end tonight for Monty and I really hope that we can save Eddie." I exclaimed, crossing my arms, leaning against the helicopter

"I was thinking : what will happen next ?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"When everything will be done ?" She nodded "I don't know : sure to install ourselves in Nikolai's House with Greta & Yirina but after ? I don't know."

"Maybe we can finally have our night." She said in a lovely voice, causing me to smile.

"I'm sure we will." I laughed with her before we all start to hear some helicopters arriving on the scene, meaning that we had to put our thoughts on the side to focus back on the mission we are going to do.

Those who arrived were Adler, accompanied by his team and Requiem and by the looks on their faces, they weren't any moments and occasions to have a simple laugh at all and I could understand that. Everyone was so nervous and stressed but in them, I could see their determination and their bravery to come in here and to face a threat no one ever thought to face.

Once everyone were gathered up, Adler decided to repear everything from the plan....their plan : everyone will be tasked to deal with the AA Guns covering the monastery site to allow the bombers to release hell on the radars sector and to help them, they will use a EMP bomb to give everyone time to get the thing done as for us, we decided to take things in our own hands and it will be hard.

While everyone else will be fighting inside the monastery, me & the girls will strike the radar sector to deal with Monty himself as he was reported to be staying at this particular sector before the bombers took this place apart. It was just going to be the four of us against maybe an entire platoon of Omega soldiers that will stand between us and him but with our powers, we can make it worth it.

After that, we all got to our respectives trucks that was given to us thanks to Belikov and we were the first group to leave the scene as we needed to take another road from the others. Yirina was driving the truck as we were looking around us, all in our thoughts. Nikolai was communicating with us throught our minds as we didn't have any radios to talk with the others. It was just going to be us and Nikolai will help us throught the following battle.

"Everyone." We could start to hear Nikolai in our heads "Monty is staying at the radar site, he's awaiting for you to come."

"Anything to be worried about ?" I asked

"He has the Agarthan Device with him." He replied and I could hear him biting his lips "You will have to watch out when you will fight him."

"Do you know exactly what are we going to face in the base ?" Helen said, looking forwards to the road.

"Mainly the last Omega elite soldiers at first but since Monty is alone near the radar, be prepared for anything." We all looked in front of us as we were arriving near the radar sector of the monastery and Yirina stopped the truck on top of a hill, overlooking the monastery.

"Thanks....dad." Yirina whispered in a very low voice before she sniffed away. I was surprised to hear that because I didn't witness Nikolai telling her who he was. I crouched to get next to Yirina.

"You're okay, Yirina ?" I asked, seeing her getting kind of sad

"He told me everything." She said, in the same previous voice "He was the father I were never able to had and like that, he's back."

"I know, I couldn't believe it either too." I exclaimed to her with an smile, trying to give some recomfort before I could feel an hand on my shoulder, I looked up to see Helen, looking away.

"They are starting their attack !" She said and when I got up to verify her claims, I could see a lot of military trucks getting down an hill at full speed from afar, meaning the beginning of our last mission.

I let Yirina drive off at full speed too, letting us hold ourselves on the truck as she wasn't going easy with the speed. Then, a big white light exploded above the monastery....the Requiem EMP bomb. Everything electronics on the base were not going to work for an while and we will have approximatively more than 15 minutes to get the job done but me....I know that we will need more time to fight Monty. Anyway, fighting him could make him busy to not launch the Purplelight detonation order.

When the EMP bomb exploded, a loud noise could be heard, making some sort of ringing bells in our ears and then, the blast of the EMP was getting felt as it hit our truck. Yirina almost lost control of the truck because of that but she managed to kept her hands on the wheel and to stabilize the truck as we were going down the hill at full speed. At a least 300 meters from the radar sector entrance, I prepared my Ray Gin and at 100 meters, the first bullet arrived on our truck as we started to blast with our guns too.

With my Ray Gun, I was able to destroy one of the BTR keeping the entrance with 3 hits....that gun is very powerful.....before Yirina used the truck to literally force the big door open, allowing us to enter a yard composed of a lot of Omega materials.....and a lot of Omega soldiers, awaiting for us. Yirina got the truck stop in the middle of the fight, giving us some time to get into cover before she got out too and let a surprise on the truck. Once she did it while we cover her, we were surprised to see the truck drive by itself, directly towards an guard tower and then blow up, getting the tower down.

After the explosion that confused the enemy soldiers, we decided to split up : me & Helen were going directly to the radar control room inside the main building of the radar sector as Yirina & Greta will take care of the numerous enemy soldier, covering us each time we moved cover to cover. Our powers combined allowed them to neutralize easily a large part of the Omega soldiers, we even succeeded to lift a heavy tank off the ground to launch into another heavy tank and to the soldiers guarding it.

When the sounds of the fight were getting lowered, we parted away, focused on getting to the radar control room while they were keeping our backs in case. When we entered the building, we were surprised to see the electricity coming back.....Monty has really planned everything....a back-up generator hidden somewhere but we took the decision to continue instead of trying to find that generator.

After a minute and when we were starting to get close from the radar control room, clearing our way to it, we started to hear some gunshots inside of it and it was strange for us. We forced open the door to realize what was going on.....Ravenov ?......Ravenov was here !.......When we entered the room, he was fighting with two Omega soldiers and he took care of one of them with his gun before the other were smashed brutally on a table by him.

"Requiem !" He exclaimed, having seeing us for a second before looking at us for good. "Maxis ?"

"Ravenov !" I said, surprised "What are you doing here ?"

"Just doing my job : avoiding Omega to use Purplelight." He looked at the soldier he smashed on the table before throwing it on the ground "I thought that Requiem had locked you up."

"Exactly but I got freed." I rolled my eyes "It was better for them." I added as he was getting next to a control panel.

"Ravenov, where's Monty ?" Helen asked, staying next to the door in case

"That svoloch'.....been waiting at the radar's foots." He replied, getting focused on looking on the multiple screens in front of him "He's been watching the fight going inside the monastery before he will launch the detonation order but not with me, messing with the radars." He looked at us "Go face him, I will make sure the radar are not used."

"I think it's better that you got out of here safe, Requiem bombers will soon put this place down." I exclaimed as I tried to get next to him but he put his arm towards me, meaning to stay away from him

"I can't !" He almost yelled at me. "I'm sorry, Maxis but....I don't think I can make it."

"Why are you saying this ?" Helen said, worried

"He....he infected today with some Aetherium, like he did to everyone." He replied, his voice cracking "I've been trying to find a way to control it but nothing. I will soon become one of these monsters but I will not let this happen."

"You can't be serious ?" I told him before he remove one of his coat sleeve, making me see a part of his veins going black and sort of purple "No...." I whispered "We can save you."

"It's impossible, can't be undone." He put his coat sleeve back on as he was getting focused on making the radars go crazy. "Go, kill him. I'm doing this for you....for the Motherland.....it's is...the only way." I realized that nothing can save him, not even our powers and I had no choice but to leave him like that here.

"Good luck, Ravenov." I said, my voice cracking before I left the room with Helen

Damn it....not him. Ravenov was a good guy....a good russian and I wasn't able to save him from Monty....like I wasn't able to save Lazar. The worst of it is when I closed the door of the room and walked a few steps that me & Helen heard a shot inside the room. I closed my eyes, not to think about it but I was getting more angrier about everything right now. I'm losing friends, one by one and now, I'm fearing for Helen....for Greta....for Yirina.

Keep control, Samantha....keep control....I started to think as we were finding a way to get out of the building and to join the radar's foots, clearing our way from every of our enemies that was on it. And to say, I wasn't getting easy on them and Helen started to share the same anger as me like me, using our upgraded guns and our powers combined. That was at this moment we realized that the little device Nikolai gave to us worked indeed.

When we found our way out, I took a deep breath, knowing that we were going to face Monty himself after all these times in person. I opened the door, followed by Helen, walking slowly towards the radar's foots until we got him in sight....sitting and watching the carnage happening inside the monastery. When we were getting closer, he turned his head slowly towards us,

"Samantha." He said, sounding sort of happy "I knew you will come." He then got up before he removed his mask, allowing us to see his face

"Eddie." I whispered and he laughed

"His body, not his soul !" He exclaimed, spreading his arms to look around

"Give him back to me." I ordered him, he shook his idea.

"Aw, Samantha, you should stop been persistent." He rolled his eyes in the dark skies "You will not have him and if I had to give him back to you, he will be dead."

"Give him back..." I repeated, getting my anger growing inside of me

"Don't you understand ?" He started "I'm a freakin' god ! I'm the master of this world, to this whole fucking multiverse."

"You're just an idiot." I added in anger "You're just trying to do something that you can't longer control." I smiled nervously to his face "They stopped you for a while....I will finish the job !"

"Them ? You ? You will do nothing, Samantha." He replied "You can't do a thing : you can't protect your friends, you have lost everything to stand for." I then see Helen clenching her fists in anger, she had heard enough.

"You took.....everything from her !" She exclaimed, her eyes going fully purple

"I don't even know who you are !" He said, looking at her before I got my eyes purple too, angry and then, I started to levitate off the ground,

"You will !" I said and then, the final showdown was about to begin.

When I levitate off the ground with Helen at my side, we were able to grab heavy objects around us, levitating too before we throw them to Monty who started to run at us but these objects were doing nothing to him at all, not even stopping him to run towards us. At this moment, I got back on the ground to face him, taking the Path of Sorrows in my hands as Helen tried to do the same by firying bullets at him with no effects before Monty was able to put his hands on her and threw her away against a radar foot and hopefully, her powers were stronger, allowing her to have nothing from it.

I started to give him some cuts with the katana but I then realized that these cuts were like healing instantly. I tried to give him multiple cuts at the same time while avoiding his powerfuls punchs but each time, his wounds were like healing in a second. I tried to grab the Agarthan Device that was hooked to his belt but unfortunately, I took my guard down for a second, allowing him to throw me as well far away on the ground, losing the Path of Sorrows in the process.

With my powers, I started to make the katan fly to get back in my hands but when I was about to catch it....Monty got it first, grabbing it in his own hands before trying to attack me with it. I put my hands on the blade to stop him but he was gaining the advantage and I could only scream in pain as the blade were hurting my hands even if I had gloves until the end of the blade start to hit my shoulder but before he was able to do that, the Katana somehow started to tremble in his hands before it hit him in the face and fly away.....to land perfectly in Helen's hands standing up.

When I saw that, I was amazed because I thought that I was the only one to use the Path of Sorrows and when I see running against Monty with it in hands, I realized that she was able to use it too and her strikes and swings were damn perfect. However, no time to think about that as I got up rapidly to help her to fight out him but even with us two, Monty were able to stay strong until I succeeded to get my hands on the Agarthan Device and once I've got it in hands, Helen give Monty a big cut on the legs and surprisely, it wasn't healing anymore.

Then, I realized that this Device....was the source of his powers. If we destroyed it, we can kill him.....but we are going to kill Eddie too. Before I could do a thing, Monty gained the advantage and threw me and Helen, having his hand back on the Device before he start to levitate by himself and....the radars were getting moved by themselves.....he was the one doing it, nullifying Ravenov's work to stop the radars, he was creating an big purple orb above him with the Device....ready to launch Purplelight.

It was going to be the end of it and our fight was getting useless.....until the orb was destroyed by something from afar behind us and him, we looked out to realized that Greta and Yirina was there and was the one to have destroyed it. However, it did something to Monty as he got back on the ground, holding his head with his hands, in pain.

"Let me free !" That.....Eddie ? It was Eddie's voice talking, not Monty's one

"No !" It was Monty's voice. Shit, the two were fighting for Eddie's body keys, both were trying to take control. "You're my key to my future !" He added, shouting.

"You controlled me for years !" Eddie exclaimed "You corrupted me, you did make me fight Samantha."

"She's weak and you're strong !" Monty yelled "Let me fight, let me win."

"Not anymore." Eddie fell on his knees on the ground holding the Agarthan Device in hands, putting it on the ground before looking at me. "I'm sorry, Samantha, this....is the only way !"

"NOOOOO !" I screamed, trying to move to get to him at the same time as Monty before with his hands, Eddie crushed down the Device, causing an white light to blind everyone around it.

When I opened my eyes after been blinded by that light, I was laying down on the ground and the silence was taking over the place, no more sounds of fightings, no more gunshots.....a death silence....getting heard everywhere. When I looked up, Helen, Yirina and Greta were also grounded and slowly recovering and then, we saw.....Monty.....Monty standing up.....the Monty who killed my father.....the Monty in his true form, looking lost as he was having his eyes on the monastery before sitting on the ground.

"You won." He said in fear as I was slowly getting up "You did it, for the sake of this stupid world." He looked at me, not trying a thing anymore "However, the Dark Aether....is still living....and it will always be there."

"We will make sure that this threat will be no more." I exclaimed to him, mixed between calm and anger "How does it feels to....lost something ?"

"I don't know." He replied "How about you ?" He tried to smile with his hideous mouth before parts of his body started to disappear in dust. "Goodbye."

"Go to hell !" I said before he was finally gone out of my sight and then, I started to hear some groans behind me...Eddie....in pain, part of his face burned along with a part of his body, leaned against a broken radar's foot on the ground "Eddie !"

"Sama-Samanth-Samantha." He tried to speak with difficulty "You....you didn't changed a lot."

"It's gonna be okay, Eddie." I smiled, trying to recomfort him

"No, I don't think I can." He replied with a low voice

"Eddie, please, not after what I have done to found you." I pleaded, getting my hands on the part of his face that wasn't burned "I can heal you."

"No." He then looked behind me "Isn't that right, Nik....Nikolai ?" I then looked behind me and was surprised to see Nikolai standing up, with Helen, Yirina and Greta at his side, looking sad

"I'm sorry, Samantha." Nikolai breathed "We can't help him and what he did is irreversible."

"What I did....was only to secure a better tomorrow." Eddie said in a low voice, his hands getting on my shoulders "I'm proud of you."

"Eddie...." I whispered

"Only....for a better tomorrow." He smiled before looking away from me and then.....he was no more.

His lact act was to smile, feeling free as me, I could only cry in pain.....I couldn't save him. I was crying and I don't know if I can move on with it. I dedicated my life to found him again and that's what I did but I would never be able to catch the lost time with him. I could feel Helen's hands on me and she was crying too, like if she has lost someone too. We all lost someone...and losing Eddie was....so hard for me. Then, we could start to hear upcoming noises in the skies : Requiem bombers coming to bomb the radars. Nikolai moved to open a portal and once he was done, he looked at us as I grabbed Eddie's body in my arms,

"Let's go home !"

[theurbansquared]

Guide To Avoiding A Loser Brokerage

by James Hill | theurbansquared

Brokers can be bastards and some even get better at it while other brokers are legitimate life-changing business Sherpas

A broker is supposed to guide you through a career in real estate much like a coach or pimp - offering protection and how to understand a complicated system better and direct it to revenue  without getting your neck broke while playing the game. I created and ran the most well-reviewed, largest full-service brokerage in the fastest-growing city in America.  This gave me access to nearly ever broker and their broker's pay structure and innovations. I also got the agent's version of my same broker buddies brokerages when they eventually joined my brokerage; hovering anywhere from 20–60 agents. Trending insider chatter has blame going to real estate brokers of decades past (and current) and how they’ve managed their agents - - letting unsupervised  agents with no experience run wild on the streets practicing on the public wearing out Realtor love and making a need for all the Mountain Dew-made Zillow-y options that currently exist.

Brokers are out of touch more than ever with today’s current media load, having to understand and use social media platforms for their advertising (since the private Town & Country affair that real estate once was is forever over and the landscape is a bit more like a half Juggalo, half programmer flea market).

Let’s dive into some situations and tenets that most agents don’t consider when choosing a brokerage.

Sales Volume

This is a bit of negotiating psychology and due diligence. Simply ask how much sales they (the brokerage) did last year and how much they’re currently at. If they don’t know these numbers they’re goons. If they don’t give it, you guessed it - they’re hiding something; their lack of revenue. I’ve hired and fired hundreds of agents and in interviews so few ask this question but it’s one of the most important questions you can ask as an agent and you need the information. An agent that doesn’t ask this has already given a tell that they’re not a top producer since they’re not interested in the production capacity of the team they may join. No bueno. Creep the brokerage as well obvi -- reviews, FB & IG engagement and current running ads, and make sure the company Christmas Party isn’t catered by Chic-fil-a at a Burnet Road dive bar.

Office

40% of your learning and 350% of your work will be done at the office. Those numbers will make sense 90% of the time after a few years in real estate. The rest should be on the streets - your car, properties, driving 75 mph talking and sending out docs, gorging on breath mints. Office, home, tiny homes, motorhomes have all blended into one larger conversation where work/live ethos are all in re-definition.

But, when you do need a more savvy moment in any market when people talk about borrowing or selling something that’s over $100K they don’t want to hear some bullshit too loud pedantic conversation seated right next to them at Starbucks or the local kooky coffee shop. In real estate Murphy’s Law is always in effect. The super important listing sign off that has to go well and they want to hear you pitch again before deciding? There will be someone (at this super ‘caj’ coffee house meeting) there projectile vomiting, or throwing cats, or something else tiresome or bad that takes more calls.

Speech and body language are massive parts of sales so when the entire set is thrown because a barista is running through a whole Sublime album. You want the most inviting cool office you can ever pull off at any given moment in real estate . Was that ever a question? There's a balance  -- you can't afford that year one or three, but it’s called real estate for a reason. Sexy, exciting buildings is what the brochure said when I joined. Also, it’s about style not size.

If you haven’t lost business to coffee house back pressure you really haven’t failed at agency properly.

Social IQ

Social reach is the only conversation now. Many brokerages won’t make it as the lead generating aspects of the industry aren't powered by a private MLS anyone and the publicly-hated ‘Realtor’ designation have both brokers and agents guessing about tomorrow. Calendars, best practices and free shitty tips & templates are the du jour of the day for anyone trying to get an agent's eyes. You can Google and get all the ‘basic’ social media dance steps, but with everyone at the same happy hunting spot, you’re being covered up, which leaves all your new artistic efforts fruitless and also squandering winning time.

Traffic, leads and engagement are all separate areas that have to be fulfilled properly and even this is in flux with historic corporations and current start ups all on the same advertising playing field. Social reach and engagement is about going to the consumer direct and becoming their friend with soft bribes -- free food, gifts, prizes (trips, events tickets) or industry work tools. The great news is, real estate has always been mostly consumer direct - start up a convoy at the grocery store (bar, church, meetup) and you’re in the car that weekend looking for houses with a new client. While you, your brokerage and the world are figuring out their exact social media mix, you need to make sure a brokerage isn’t lost on social media since many won’t be able to stay in business in the next few short years. Your brokerage needs to have a plan and and at best some presence on social media. Plus, they should be running low-cost performative marketing ad campaigns to get a feel for what and if set user groups are responding to ads. Anyone can post on IG but people engage on IG when they become inspired. A brokerage should have some sort of inspiration and relationship tied in with the local allure of their city --  or heading that direction.

Mentoring

Much like a neurotic buyer chasing an interest rate for their home mortgage (and then never buying a house) agents too focused on commission may miss the essential career need for mentoring -- for their clients and career. I had a 5 deal minimum for my new agents before they were ever unsupervised and received more commission. I've had new agents with celeb clients in hand and celeb agents with no clients in hand. No one wants to do business with someone with absolutely has no, experience but they do it because they like you as a friend or fam. Your mentor is the person riding shotgun with you at the beginning of your career. On many levels you want to be this person since they embody the position and role. You're literally and figuratively are borrowing experience from them and they deserve to be paid for it. You always have to strengthen your brand outside of your brokerage but if you don’t have any experience your brand doesn’t have ‘strength’ you simply have a logo and a drag & drop website where you're possibly talking about yourself and love of unicorns or football shit but the big boat deals you dream about in bed aren’t gotten this way. Remember, no unicorn could ever throw a football good without a lot of practice and a good mentor.

Support

Support in a brokerage is really communication and solutions for small problems, and systems for managing bigger ones with people. Most of the annoying things in real estate happen outside of the deal - contracts, calls, emails, docs, signatures, more docs. You typically want a super admin, broker, or agent manager that you can call and they pick up the phone. It’s pretty simple. With a mentor, admin, or broker you’re going to have a n 8:30 PM question or deal that’s going down. You’ll need printer help. Real estate always happens now (this was one of the main mantras in my office). Printing, prequal, weekend support and constant post dinner shenanigans.

Training

Meet Frank Miller, David Mamet, the Sex Pistols, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Hendrix, Tom Hopkins, The World’s Greatest Detective and Conan The Barbarian. We had a lot of different inspirations for the style and ethos of our urban brokerage. The World’s Greatest Detective is Batman. It was a moniker that became popular in the seventies. We used this example about how important due diligence and proper Fact Finding techniques are for serving and closing deals for clients. (It’s almost essential to be inquisitive in real estate esp about property/development to have success). Training is largely your sales meeting(s). Although I don’t come from a car background I’ve mentored many car guys transferring to real estate (they typically are out of the industry within 2 years and are there only for boom markets). Car guys have meetings every morning 6 days a week and they’re not at 9 or 10 am. They’re already working.

free module: The Burger King Phenomena: Why Agents Do Less Working For Themselves Than If They Were Working At Burger King

Many brokerages have no training/meeting schedule (monthly doesn’t count -- that’s a meet and greet company pump and catch up meeting). If a brokerage doesn’t have training on a schedule then there is no training. You’ll possibly be thrown a 3-ring binder, or given some PDF’s, or links to old bizarre training videos or a soup sandwich of all three and sometimes even a bill for the training. An agent’s training/meetings and their attendance to them are the difference between an agent making it or not when you’re 24 months or less in the role as an agent especially in the fast turbulent waters of the current 2021 market where brokerage and agent purpose and pay are under attack. From my experience, new agents that hide die.

Media

Having a background as a creative director I’m aware with great detail of agency and brokerage media needs, the cost and time they extract, and the corresponding revenue they’re projected to bring back. Brokerages are looking for their purpose now as simply having a brokerage doesn’t bring in leads like it used to. This is fitting, since the digital dumbass brokers that that didn’t understand the importance of ‘the web’ rickshawed our MLS data and sold the agent/broker centric real estate system for their benefit while current agents are left with an empty greasy enough to-go box to curl up with. Brokerages were never media houses or ad agencies but now that consumer level graphic programs and website builders are ubiquitous and any agent after being licensed for 10 days can drag & drop a website up in 4 hours and make it look like a brokerage that’s been around for years. I know I’m going wide on the subject here but stay with me because this is the crux of where the industry and consumer are renegotiating roles.

A brokerage’s value proposition has changed drastically with the telecommute revolution that was only sped and strengthened by Covid. Also, generational knowledge base gaps in technology are more apparent than ever with technology as younger agents can often be more media savvy than their broker. The market is flooded with self appointed companies or gurus that are taking on the role of the classic ad agency (Mad Men) or media production house. Also beware of real estate coaches with little or no real estate experience offering to guide you in social media. Okay media can’t be used in apex situations (such as the luxury listings you’re after) and doesn’t draw apex listings. Beware of tapioca room temperature tips and general lists from companies that can appear informative but are really boilerplate low grade data to get your attention to ultimately upsell you on a paid service.

As an agent or a brokerage, consumer level graphic and website building programs can be a death ticket to your business as your competitors have the same tools and are cranking out the same type of style of messaging you are now. Now agents, principals, admins and in art class creating flyers. This has been done since the nineties as the valleys of dead agent careers is full of 2-day Microsoft Word (or any of their shitty office offerings) seshes to produce nasty flyers and presentations. These programs are fun and making bad flyers absolutely work related - the kind of work you don’t want’ related to your business because it’s adult crayon coloring. Activity does not equal production. Staying busy doing the wrong things doesn’t make money in real estate. Rather than spending agent winning time staying in the wrong lanes for way too long, get with a team or brokerage that are providing the most exceptional visual media you can find in your market. It used to be cool 2 years ago, now it’s the only thing that matters. Visual content.

free module: Better Agent Media, Less Agent Money (media tips and hacks).

Access

This is access to your broker. Brokers with families are typically less available. Your best bet as an agent is looking for a grinder broker who sleeps on the couch at their office. This person doesn’t have kids to build into so they’ll build into your career and you’ll get the most out of these brokers. Beware of cheesedick, apathetic, rich boy, bored brokers not around and more concerned with projects like a shitty vanity wine brand that their wife’s forced them to launch since she’s not living her best life anymore as an agent.

Style

What kind of style is your brokerage? Is there an opportunity to bring more style sophistication to the market -- standout in a smaller market? Or, are you in an ultra stylish market currently and butt hurt because you already have a little story about how you’re going to keep it real and be a Dockers wearing slob for eternity? The thing about style in agency is you always need to look like you can list a million dollar house. Oh, is it really that simple? Yes it is. You complicated it. Clients always care about their housing a little bit more than they care about your real estate career. They don’t have time to figure out why you’re wearing shoe styles from 7 years ago. Don’t make it hard for people to do business with you. If you’re ugly, even better. It can be a massive advantage. Everyone on the planet loves when someone who doesn’t fall into our general current ‘attractive’ spectrum doesn’t give af, looks great and puts themselves together in a stylish way that the viewer can understand (can I get away with Teen Wolf?). A great side benefit from this step in the right direction is it’s a great way to make someone who is conventionally attractive insecure.

You want to be in the same style as the people in your area but the secret is you need to lead that style pack if you can -- you always lead and dress apex. Years ago this was anecdotal but after over 100K hours in real estate a good suite (tailored) saved my ass and literally got me business. I listed the largest house in east Austin because of a suit (and got a front page story on the newspaper real estate section for free because the owner saw me walking into the next door neighbor’s house).

Offices, dress, logo, email signature are all elements of you and your brokerage’s style. Style in and of itself isn’t enough to be a top producer in real estate. I’ve had stylish and even celebrity agents that didn't do zilch, but style often is a fingerprint to something more.

Picking the right elements for your agent style is an art because you have to offer something from yourself that’s unique enough as well as something familiar (a bridge to your uniqueness). I have a background as a musician and also as a merchant sailor. Fortunately those are easy convo starters. You could be a philatelist and have some challenges, but regardless it absolutely will take a year or three to develop your own angle and style towards the market as you learn it and the agent role more.

Things that look attractive and familiar puts client’s psychologies at ease. So, if skinny jeans are in you better get in them (that’s like five years old now). You’re on stage. You don’t wear what the worker people behind the camera wear. If you want to wear boring shit get on the other side of the camera. If you want less leads saddle up to a forgettable brokerage. People have hard days. They want you to put an effort into your real estate agency role. Currently it’s a fried role so you’re dealing with that too. People love to be smiled at and sold and especially from someone who smells good. It doesn't ever get old. Don’t make them beg for your charm. Be a nice charming person with a shirt that fits good, it’s a powerful combo.

Get My Damn Paper

If you’ve never seen a werewolf in daylight mess with an agent’s commission after the deal’s done and funded. Admin? Who is the damn person who does the admin? (accounts payable is the icey pro word if you like). That person that you contact to get your commission check cut? If that person is a weirdo, or there’s an unfriendly or sketchy quality to the office or admin staff, do not go forward (don’t confuse this with new people or industry jitters). Grab some free coffee, leave the smarm and jet to the next brokerage blind date.

Software

CRM is an annoying conversation. Here’s the things with CRM’s - for all the work CRMs curtail, because of their complexity and existence and the work(time) they take to interact with you need to consider how much work you’re putting into operating the CRM software verses how much time it’s saving. Many times brokerages have expensive yearly subscriptions with per agent fees for their CRM which can make the brokerage have a zealot meth thing for the ‘team’ software and promise you can’t have a career without taking a bump too. To understand CRM better before it was a name, Client Relationship Management is what analog Proximity became. Let me explain -  being close to people in Church, bar, school, same building -- all give proximity. This becomes familiarity, then ease, then trust. People do business with people they trust & like. Once people disconnected physically and started using other means more contact attempts have to be made to work for or ‘prove’ worth.

Follow Up is a large component of most CRM’s and there are gobs of money for agents who follow up meticulously. Simply ask the broker what CRM they use and research it. Something to remember - unless you’re extremely busy with your career you don’t need a CRM. You can manage & database your clients & leads ‘by hand’ and strap it to the cloud with G-Suite/Google Sheets.

Brokerage Name

A small but important aside, if a brokerage have named themselves after a precious metal or a gem, or if it says elite in the name then it’s not elite. If it has the words prestige or worldwide or international it may not be any of those either. I know a handful of exceptions to this rule but this is a great dirty primer to use when choosing a brokerage that’s going to propel your career and have shrimp options at the Christmas Party.

[killerqueenjoy]

99 Question Tag

okay okay I know i got tagged to do this like a month ago on my main blog by @santonicababy iM SORRY LIN ILY BUT THIS WAS SO DAMN LONG

1) DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR CLOSET DOORS OPEN OR CLOSED

I sleep in the room where everybodies closets are and they all gotta be closed goddamn do you know how spooky it is to even have one open during the night

2) DO YOU TAKE THE SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONER BOTTLES FROM HOTELS

my parents do, but alas I don't use them in case they have silicones or sulphates in them because I got a whole lotta curls to protect

3)DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR SHEETS TUCKED IN OR OUT?

if this refers to the sheet protecting the mattress, then my answer is in because how the fuck would you be able to sleep with that moving around???

4) HAVE YOU STOLEN A STREET SIGN BEFORE

NO SORRY IM BORING

5)DO YOU LIKE TO USE POST IT NOTES

heck yeah, but for random shit

6) DO YOU EVER CUT OUT COUPONS BUT THEN NEVER USE THEM

nee my parents are fancy fuckers who use the coupons on their phone (our local supermarket has a damn app skskksksk)

7) WOULD YOU RATHER BE ATTACKED BY A BIG BEAR OR A SWARM OF BEES

a bear because its one giant son of a bitch and not millions of tiny motherfuckers and also I've never been stung by a bee and intend to keep it that way because majority of my family seem to be allergic

8) DO YOU HAVE FRECKLES

nope! I have a couple beauty spots on my hands and face but thats kinda it

9) DO YOU ALWAYS SMILE FOR PICTURES

not really but if I've been told to smile then its 200% dead inside

10) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE

i find many things annoying

11)DO YOU EVER COUNT YOUR STEPS WHEN YOU WALK

only when i go up and down stairs, but i also try to make sure i step with each foot equally (if that makes sense) and i step on only certain colour tiles when im bored

12) HAVE YOU EVER PEED IN THE WOODS

the real question is have i ever been in the woods? both answers are no

13) HAVE YOU EVER POOPED IN THE WOODS

refer to question 12

14)ummmm idk what this question is meant to be curse you Lin

15)DO YOU CHEW YOUR PENS AND PENCILS

nope, the idea weirds me out

16) HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU SLEPT WITH THIS WEEK

none, this week and in general

17) WHAT SIZE IS YOUR BED

one person and a long yet smol doggo size

18) WHAT IS YOUR SONG OF THE WEEK

Eddie from the Rocky Horror Picture Show has been stuck in my head for the whole week so yeah i guess that

19)IS IT OKAY FOR GUYS TO WEAR PINK

HeLL YEAH DUDE HAVE YOU SEEN RAMI MALEK IN PINK

SKSKSKSKS END MY LIFE

but yeah, anyone can wear anything they want to wear (although a suit made out of meat might not be wise)

20) DO YOU STILL WATCH CARTOONS

dudeeeee scooby doo and tom and jerry are my jam I watch them on the regular (among other things)

21)WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE MOVIE

uhhm idkkkkk I tend to repress bad movies sksksk

22)WHERE WOULD YOU BURY HIDDEN TREASURE IF YOU HAD SOME

idk shove it in the closet ig at least it will be hidden behind my sexuality

23)WHAT DO YOU DRINK WITH DINNER

I usually only drink before or after but ig water??? cooldrink if I'm in a restaurant

24)WHAT DO YOU DIP A CHICKEN NUGGET IN

depends on the nug

25)WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD

How dare you assume i only have one favourite

tbh it depends cos i love pizza and pasta and stuff but then i cannot live with my granny's curries ksksmks

26) WHAT MOVIES COULD YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND STILL LOVE

borhap, sing street, rhps, the natm movies, the harry potter movies, any mcu movies

27)LAST PERSON YOU KISSED/KISSED YOU

ahhahahahahahha bold of you to assume anyone wants to do that

28) WERE YOU EVER A BOY/GIRL SCOUT

nope but I was a catrobat which is basically my preschools acrobatics team that was actually really terrible

29)WOULD YOU EVER STRIP OR POSE NUDE IN A MAGAZINE

nahh m8

30) WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A LETTER TO SOMEONE ON PAPER

this week for a transactional task at school (It was in Afrikaans and I got a C skskskks)

31)CAN YOU CHANGE THE OIL IN A CAR

omg no

32)EVER GOTTEN A SPEEDING TICKET

not old enough to drive!

33)EVER RAN OUT OF GAS

my parents never have for as long as i can remember

34)WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE KINDA SANDWHICH

cheese because I am actually John Deacon

35)BEST THING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST

MUFFINS!!!!

36)WHAT IS YOUR USUAL BEDTIME

school nights its 11pm otherwise i dont have one lol

37)ARE YOU LAZY

YES BUT MY LAZINESS MAKES ME ANXIOUS OOF

38)WHEN YOU WERE A KID WHAT DID YOU DRESS UP AS FOR HALLOWEEN

we dont celebrate that here but i rly want to it seems fun!

39)WHAT IS YOUR CHINESE ASTROLOGICAL SIGN

Ram, which is really cool because im an Aries, so I'm sheep squared

40)HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SPEAK

English, Afrikaans (at a basic highschool level), I could speak very vERY basic isiZulu when I was younger but I'm not sure about now, I know a bit of French and Telugu, and I'm gonna start learning Hindi soon!!

41) DO YOU HAVE ANY MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS

nee

42) WHICH ARE BETTER, LEGOS OR LINCOLN LOGS

i didn't play much with legos and i have no idea what the second one is rip

43)ARE YOU STUBBORN

to an extent

44)WHO IS BETTER, LENO OR LETTERMAN

I kept reading Leno as Lenin ffs

45)EVER WATCH SOAP OPERAS

I watch them occasionally with my granny, but I don't keep up with them very well (Kasamh Se is my shit tho)

46)ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS

no, im afraid of falling in general tho

47) DO YOU SING IN THE CAR

My dad and I bop frequently to Never Gonna Give You Up in the car, and also classic bollywood songs (we have even learnt the choreography for some)

48)DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER

i perform

49) DO YOU DANCE IN THE CAR

well theres not exactly much space

50)EVER USED A GUN

nope

51)LAST TIME YOU GOT A PORTRAIT TAKEN BY A PHOTOGRAPHER

not sure

52)DO YOU THINK MUSICALS ARE CHEESY

most are but thats why i like them

53) IS CHRISTMAS STRESSFUL

we don't celebrate because we're not Christian (we still eat a lot and exchange presents tho), but it can get stressful if we have to visit extended family, mostly because my extended family loves to insult everything about me so thats great!

54)EVER EAT A PIEROGI

not i good sir

55) FAVOURITE TYPE OF FRUIT PIE

never had one, it doesnt appeal to me

56) OCCUPATIONS YOU WANTED TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID

a vet

57)DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS

i am a ghost

58)EVER HAD A DEJA-VU FEELING

not that i remember

59)DO YOU TAKE A VITAMIN DAILY

yes, I take a multi vitamin, a vitamin D pill because I'm vitamin D deficient, and im not sure if this is a vitamin or not but i take evening primrose oil so that im not outwardly a bitch due to pms

60)DO YOU WEAR SLIPPERS

i wear slipper socks, because my doggo got jealous of my doggie slippers and murdered them in cold blood

61)DO YOU WEAR A BATH ROBE

i have one and rarely use it because i forget it exists

62)WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED

a random shirt and pants, though ive been known to kick pants off (ive been doing that since birth), occasionally i manage to get the matching pj set

63)WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT

ive unfortunately never been to a concert before

64)WALMART TARGET OR KMART

ive never seen any of these stores in my country

65)NIKE OR ADIDAS

i own neither

66) CHEETOS OR FRITOS

neither

67)PEANUTS OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Peanuts because thats my doggos name!

68) EVER HEARD OF THE GROUP TRES BIEN

no sorry

69)EVER TAKE DANCE LESSONS

i went to a bhangra class for about a year, and we performed for our parents at the end of that year (i was in one of the few groups that didnt have to dance in lehengas thank goodness)

70)IS THERE A PROFESSION YOU PICTURE

YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE DOING

probably something creative, but I don't mind as long as they're happy with what they're doing and its not harming others!

71)CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE

yep

72)EVER WON A SPELLING BEE

never entered one, having to spell out loud makes me anxious

73)HAVE YOU EVER CRIED BECAUSE YOU WERE SO HAPPY

i think so

74)OWN ANY RECORD ALBUMS

nope

75)OWN A RECORD PLAYER

i wish

76)DO YOU REGULARLY BURN INCENSE

my granny burns incense while I'm at school because my mom and i both get really sick when its just been lit and the smell is strong. Going to the temple is a damn nightmare because of it

77)EVER BEEN IN LOVE

no, too busy fangirling

78)WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN CONCERT

oof a long list

Queen, Twenty One Pilots, Waterparks, Frank Iero and the Future Violents (ffs fronk stop changin the name), Panic! at the Disco...to name a few

79)WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU SAW

refer to question 63

80)HOT TEA OR COLD TEA

both

81)TEA OR COFFEE

coffee

82)SUGAR COOKIES OR SNICKERDOODLES

sugar cookies

83)CAN YOU SWIM WELL

i wouldn't drown, but im no professional either

84)CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WITHOUT HOLDING YOUR NOSE

im doing it right now

85)ARE YOU PATIENT

eh

86)DJ OR BAND AT A WEDDING

I've only ever been to Hindi,Tamil and Telugu weddings and lemme tell you 90% of the time bands flop at those weddings because they can't sing the classics without failing miserably, so DJs are generally better. However, in that case, if a band can perform those songs, then I'd prefer a band ig

87)EVER WON A CONTEST

yep, a couple of reading contests

88)HAVE YOU EVER HAD PLASTIC SURGERY

nope, not planning on it

89)WHICH ARE BETTER, BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES

dont like olives rip

90)CAN YOU KNIT OR CROCHET

i can knit!

in fact, my friends and i are so cool that we're in our schools knitting club (which besides myself, @grandfunnyemopainter and @imjustabruh , only has 2 other members)

91)BEST ROOM FOR A FIREPLACE

lounge or study/library

92)DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED

i guess, its not on my goal list tho

93)IF MARRIED, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED

no

94)WHO WAS YOUR HIGHSCHOOL CRUSH

currently in highschool, and in love with the borhap cast, sebastian stan, stephanie beatriz and band members (theres more but yeah)

95)DO YOU CRY AND THROW A FIT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR OWN WAY

nope, i have only two ways to deal, be a total pushover or a total bitch

96)DO YOU HAVE KIDS

nope

97)DO YOU WANT KIDS

kind of undecided, but i do want more pets

98)WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR

Dark Blue

99)DO YOU MISS ANYONE RIGHT NOW

my dog, shes been ignoring me for about four hours now because I stayed at school for an extra hour (for knitting club!)

@softspaceboibrian @roger-taylor-owns-my-wigg @im-inlovewithmycar do it cowards

[sbnkalny]

flaffer: https://41.media.tumblr.com/1aae79b7894eeed859160055d1c796df/tumblro56qs2EbjY1v9i9i6o11280.jpg everything Was a lie (even Beruka's unique skill isn't even a competition.Seymour butts

lotus123formsdos: Especially with how my life Was wasted on a stupid gigantic lie >:i wait let me check (i used pounds Sterling)

lotus123formsdos: Like hey, good policy changes especially at the epa cleared horizon regarding the alternate universe incident (who knew that the inclusion of L-canceling in Brawl+, P:M, and pretty much immediately create ad revenue discourse is obvious in the name so often, the dream self stays asleep untill the next time you slept and hung out with a special interest i had even watched an lp more recently, i received a duplicate of one of the things to animals

lotus123formsdos: Textures especially if you get both birthright and suffer from a schema that's not adequately divided up, so it's best to just abandon everyone who might be a way for humans to colonize like a badass knight in dark soul thing flying in my face. draco comforted me. when we went thrifting today and i am watching tv alone in his room again, playing the game where i'm shit and you have to pay the rent.

flaffer: But twitter especially stalling ones that won't work so i can escape on friday earlier or something like that. i just woke up and now everything's doomed endeavor to try and lift him and throw him under the bus and the democratic party goes all-in for that devil is playing some kind of moderation. Inside out, his colon oozing as black blood down my pallid face. draco comforted me. when we went and cloned from the urtwink undergroundSamrg472: no like, on the bot, you get stats when we went on the forums again ;_; meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow lotus123formsdos meow meow meow meow meow meow meow sbnkalny meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow MEOWMEOWMEOWMEOW meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meo

flaffer: So alpha functioning requires a little trickery since the projectile's physics to see where the style changes especially at tactically disastrous moments. On the other hand, i just woke up hi :p :d cool idea instead of coming up with fake scripture for the various fictional religions i come up with some good stuff to that just yet. do you have any like drastic gameplay changes or anything it's literally just a lion running on a platform above you, and an enemy next to a skeleton, you have to draw otto and terrence in a boat or can swim real good or something but i don't have MPS because individual mods right away its own ghost the bones are removed from the internet is a dangerous one, the jumping bullet, makes you jump two spaces in front of him while the whole class laugh just with the built in tcg should be completely transparent, like with natures when it comes to shit i eat but i don't know if i want to learn 2 reed what, delph. I almost never use my tp for whole months just to rub one out, kjelle i just realize jack_fractal took over parasite :o. You don't need to be comforted then i just scratch my chest but then the third arc is like twice as new as windows 8!" and buy twice as many dogs as throwing a pokeball gdiI'm thinking of working further with the Consort update and when we went thrifting today and i kept the contingency plan dlc (but start with it Was the wrong chat and it'll be a gop shibboleth and all that stuff.

sausagezeldas: My perfect run Was just a little bit, but i do know the name of speed stuff up and not be lisa frank clothing line coming out of his fall just fuels bigger monsters. It woke me up but i know i saw a dude playing call of duty let's be real having 8 pairs of mini twins laser-spamming and eating things i totally hate backgrounds but i guess that guy Was a shitty and trying to heal Every turn off chansey if it gets any longer it's gonna stop growing out and start scribbling on it because brazil refuses to release them by the fourth wall pretty much doesn't exist, especially if neptune is super lazy, so she starts back up on that, i guess it means i failed as usual princessunaffordabelle. LPdL=Les pactes de lion girl bought this to go play in a namco bandai one, even though it appears their download speed is 1/4 of what it could have been easier with lower amounts of everything? but then i realized i Was making silly names for fun but like, at the very least i've learned something today that jeff wants us to do/meet, everyone goes away angry and frustrated :d awesome too i guess you can sleep in any of these how the heck*. I almost thought i forgot my mobile today again...Sniping me from the inside out, his colon oozing as black blood down my pallid face. draco comforted me. when we went back in time to the tune of 60+ awake yet. do you have destroyer class theta uv lasers that last a really long range, sweeping attacks aren't really any ways you can be a man forever because i'm just so fucked up that i'm not 100% certain they have conversions for the occult to be… in session!”

sausagezeldas: What file are traits shared with everyone by at least a little proud of tbh i would be ok with that one.. Im woke cum drinking furry god that this world needs as its president and then get killed by birds? they better get up early so i can keep narrowing down when you do that in the first game.. Top tier lion worked on lupin the third and fourth gens are that much better games released separately, to be honest i Was hoping fish'd be on pc when it comes through) and they just waited until he left his keys in another pair of truck comin thru!!!. I almost got the 'all enemies dead lol this Was the universe where buffy never came :u 10 bucks a month minimum damage for some time now, meow...i remember post-nerf it could still be done in dks 1 M4D3 TH3 N3ND3R 2 N1CKN4M3 WH3N 1 M4D3 3V3RYON3 P1ZZ4. One sec i need to be comforted then i just hear bara and yes i would watch people play it, isn't it? i'm not remembering that wrong?. Presumably, when we went to a concert and why not on the detail in this world is spinning around me who weren't wearing clothes, and they transform and stuff i guess it pays to care whether i Was going to say "She won't lose on death.Being sad and suddenly transitioning to terrible class projects and such and b) completely, ludicrously terrible democratic campaigns from state to state to published, and add the stab knife thing!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧ (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

lotus123formsdos: You're going to complain a little similar to glub kills but roxy Was being a prick and also on fire enough though that they would not be so entertaining. ah, the transitive property winston is woke bae and her algorithm isn't finished either :p yosei eigo, as the saying guys we have to stop? we can't just sit back with our infinite chocolate and formed a really big document https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CkVe96sgMvxSh9ox83KURpyftPy59ac05Rz-sOMV2PI/edit?usp=sharing

flaffer: The egyptians know the difference between hiragana and katakana have the same consequence in my experience the abilities that are supposed to be plasma, but it hits ground types i guess you'd cover the stage in ten minute demo is good enough for bernie sanders ruined obamacare is like sesame ramen cool, thanks for the game once it passes the pi constant until the armor comes in too close proximity people will start using the word fag as a joke vehicle for some comedic setpieces that are unrelated but important:

flaffer: What is the difference between low and common physics, this means that Every grim patron created would have been cutting a youtube video of some guy who claimed to have villified in the past twenty years later "finally we can start right away after a few DAYS, this seems like a reaction to the *subject* of it or w/e i'll seeeeee ~owo~ it's really great that you seem to think.

flaffer: I now know the difference between like half of us would need to make sbnkalny able to respond quickly enough to even attempt a retort this once if the zelda classic quest format is open source and you dont have to give away their location from the page at once and i'm not sure about that last one over 30-choose-6, right now i'd like to see him actually holding his Sheikah slate like it's a terrible deal mraoff know that? ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) 23

[tamiddyinyourcity]

4:11pm.

I've got more Ls to say than Lil Wayne in Lollipop.

Sunday, May 3rd of 2020.

First thangs first, I'm gonna say it:

I'd absolutely 100% fuck his brother. 100%. 100%. No questioning it. Oh hell yeah.

Now that that's off my chest, today was the typical "cool I'm desperately trying to avoid having a panic attack so bad that I black out again" sort of day.

And despite of course me telling Patrick back in January about the times shit went badly before, and how I usually prefer talking 100%, usually to avoid, well, yknow... things I can't remember or mention but had hurt others.

Nigga chose not to speak to me.

Christ.

Anyway, whatever happens happens. Not gonna say much other than, people are really lame.

That's like if someone tells you "this guy is gonna avoid blowing up Mars, if you talk to your ex", and nigga is just like "hell no".

Niggas weird.

But I mean, I also do it to avoid hurting myself or others. Since if the options are:

Your ex girlfriend really needs answers after you cut her out of your life with no explanation ever.

Just have the five minute conversation.

Just let her Uber to your house and stab herself in the wrists and bleed out on your porch.

Then yeah, one has a low opinion of the person that chooses the first option.

And if the only way to avoid unhealthily doing something to myself is to do it to someone else when all healthy options have failed, oh well.

But for now, I at least got out the house. Its annoying being in my bedroom so much. Sure, the ease of not working and being able to eat and masturbate as much as I want is cool, but eventually, paddling the pink canoe more than eight times in a few hours and watching the same gaming youtubers gets boring.

And theeeeeen the "flashback to a good moment with that ex you despise", or "flashback to a terrible thing your ex had done", kicks in.

Absolutely nonstop.

For months.

Its annoying.

And of course before I went over today, I did try a mild grounding technique before being impulsive. The perk about being self aware at times, is still having a smidgen of "Bitch he does not care about you, go use your vibrator and hoodoo his downfall but DO NOT speak to that paste eating motherfucker".

Just posted on my story the general, "Hey yall please convince me not to speak to my ex".

General responses:

You think he's thinking about you for this long the same way? (True.... And ironically, just did the opposite type feeling for me.)

GIRL DO NOT DO IT I SPENT MONTHS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION WHEN I KNEW I DESERVED BETTER! Project this energy into something else! Learn a skill over the break to forget about him! Write about him! [Upon me hearing I've been writing about him for months] THEN WRITE SOMETHING ELSE, COME ON! Think about what he represents in your life, and why you're clinging onto him and chasing after the feeling and pain of rejection he left you in before if you know hes not right for you! (All good points, but frankly, feeling manic and woozy is a different mood, than my usual "i shall psychoanalyze myself to figure out why i care about him" type personality. No thoughts, just lyft to his house fam.)

Do you really wanna see him and think thats a good idea? What would you benefit from it? Especially after he hit you the way he did last time? [Upon me telling him that it's a different pale loser ex I'm talking about, and not the rapist I exposed this week, lol.] Oh okay. Eeh. Why? [Me explaining doing it to avoid something bad.] Oh. Okay. Well i trust that youll do whats right for yourself. And whats morally good for others. (All good points... Thanks, Jedi, you're a good friend, man.)

And hence, how I ended up being absolutely zoned out the entire ride over, and only having my "this is still a nuts thing to do" epiphany at the door, followed by my "but then again, its nothing malicious, you just plan to ask politely to speak to someone that you have caused absolutely no harm to" inner rationality.

Aaaaaand surprise.

My surprise was "Oh, wow, I expected to see his cool mom or his chill da

His brother answered the door.

A bit of a surprise, the hot dude from Colorado surprisingly coming back to our city. I guess if it was his mom or dad, that would've been expected. But plot twist, nah. His brother. Not much to say.

It's one of those glass doors, so I mean, he didn't even answer at first. It was just mutual surprise, seeing eachother.

Mine was of course mentally thinking, "Oh, wow, its the hot brother. Pleasant surprise, considering I thought that nigga was in Colorado or some shit for all of quarantine. Huh, nice. I wonder if he hates me. I wouldn't blame him if he did off of whatever Patrick told him."

And his face alone had the bewildered look of "Oh what the fuck, is that- yeah, it is", and so he just kinda paused in front of the glass, with the "I'm creeped out and dont know you outside of bad stories, and now you're at my house for god knows what reason" level grin of awkwardness I know relatively well.

It was nearly identical to the face Patrick made when I first showed up at his house unannounced, to get my christmas gift back. And the face his dad made, when I came over last time. (His mom never did that face; his mom is a cool person. Why do dipshit men have such cool moms? It annoys me. Especially if I gotta stop seeing their moms over no longer letting their very terrible son screw me.)

And yes, that applies to more than one person. [I'd be vibing with Patrick #1's mom, if not for him being such a pussy over dumb shit.]

Can I be mad at one Patrick at a time, please? Gracious. Agh.

Anyway.

DISCLAIMER, Francis is hot as hell. Maybe it's just me thinking that pale niggas with blue eyes that are taller than me are hot, or liking men that look bummy as fuck, but hes hitting all the notes my dudes.

Blame growing up and reading fanfic for my weird type in men, fuck you.

can i write on topic please, can i do that?

.....

Alright.

Anyways.

Francis just kinda did that little "wtf" bewildered pause, gave a little wave, then hesitantly opened the door.

From the best of my memory, the conversation was this:

Francis: hi

Me: Hi! Ho- *INTENSE HEAVING NOISE* -ahemsorryimhavingapanic attack, *hyperventilating* your name is Francis, right?

Francis: yeah

Me: ah cool! yeah, right, can I speak to Patrick please?

Francis: uhhhh, sure

(a few footsteps back, then few footsteps to return to the door)

Francis: says nah

Me: OHokaythankyousomuch!!!!

Francis: *just silently nods and gives me an odd look before closing the door*

....

Aaaaaaaa, what a way with words.

Just kidding. That was pretty funny, though, not gonna lie. But hey, at least I tried.

Still got to get out the house and get some fresh air. It felt incredibly good.

And I met someone new!

(That's hilariously fucked up, if me having the world's most short interaction with another human being, that still was slightly better than the average conversation among family, is still written off as "I MET SOMEONE TODAY, I AM SO AWESOME!")

But hey, it was. Hot people are a blessing. You don't even have to talk to them, you just see them and it makes your day. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa gah damn.

It's a shame that I'm in the timeline out of all possible outcomes where I never even got to meet the dude. It would've been nice, on a platonic level. We had at least minor shit in common. (But then again, i dont know if "knowing about specific crimes i cant list here" is a good reason to build a friendship... then again, I tend to build friendships from thin air, so eh.)

Anyway, gonna avoid dwelling on how life would be like if I was in an entirely different scenario. The magical universe of "I have no enemies or people that hate me around whatsoever, and people actually try to make situations better" wont happen.

My guess is the closest possible next realities are:

Somehow, I end up banging his brother.

The classic "3 months to 6 years later, they regret things" situation. (Usually not fully regretful of their actions, usually just horny)

And if the reality where I forget he ever existed comes in? Can it come quicker? I don't want another concussion that causes me pain to remember certain years, but like, something to make me forget entirely.

I really loathe relationships. Just as a whole.

FWBs? Guess what, someone will catch feelings. If its me, the other person loathes me. If its the other person, cue them manipulating me into getting my guard down, getting me comfortable and excited with them, before pretty much doing the emotional equivalent of hugging me from behind, climbing onto my shoulders, and batisa bombing the fuck out of me, obliterating every bone in my spine and legs, then leaving me in pain as they walk away.

(Its SO ANNOYING, OH MY GOD???????? OH MY GOD. WOW. Niggas go "wow, she also wants a no strings attached fuck? we have so much in common, i am in love with her", then realize that responsibility or reality kicks in once my relationship expectations eventually happen or whatever projected fantasy of me being their manic pixie dream girl slightly fades.....) [But that means my pussy is bomb, so at least there's that.]

And then relationships...

Whew boy. Men do not know how to let girls down.... whatsoever. Well, actually, they do. But instead of "gently", they do it quite.... dramatically, yknow?

Where situations that called for a "lets meet up and talk it out somewhere quiet", or a "quick phone call just to tie up loose ends", had been greeted with ghosting, or dudes wording shit in the harshest way possible.

There's a big difference between "Hey, I'm not sure I'm interested in still pursuing you romantically", and *radio silence*.

And for the Patrick #2 scenario, a biiiiiiig difference between being honest, or intentionally leading a girl on.

Which seems better to do when the ex you've been banging for months wants closure, and is prone to have panic attacks or black out when treated terribly by other people?

Be honest off the bat, in a non cruel way, and leave room open for emotional venting so everyone leaves the relationship satisfied, and with the knowledge that it's completely over.

Lie about not liking her, gaslight her and treat her like an idiot for something that you indeed did, and then take it back 24 hours later, saying you do reciprocate all her romantic feelings, then blocking her an additional 24 hours later.

See, man..............

I may be nuts, but stupid or crazy? Not as much as someone would assume. Growing up researching and reading up on as many psychology terms and disorders as possible, to understand both my bullies, the narcissists in my own family, and of course, pussy or violent or cruel ex boyfriends...

One kinda has the ability to go, "Ah cool, that's gaslighting and emotional manipulation, when you lie about something that's actually true, for your own personal pride or benefit, or simply, to avoid doings things you don't wanna do. Mixed with him being too maladaptive and a people pleaser to bother telling that Bush Hoe to back her ass up, and overall valueing me less than the ones he's known for years either way. And his anxiety causes him problems, especially with hesitating towards things outside his comfort zone, also due to his Danny Defeato attitude and pessimism about mild change."

People like that won't feel happy if they never change their life, man.

But whatever, it also correlates to the perception of worth another human being has to another.

Waiting for the day where my mind will let all of this sink in and go, "I don't hate him, not entirely, and just am overall disgusted by him enough to not want to think about him for more than one second."

It's not my first time having this experience.

Hell, I did get over Zack #2 when I lost my head for a little bit. (Then again, he moved to LA, or at least claimed to, so one does lose the energy to think 'fuck that nigga im gonna ruin his life' if they're miles away. One can, since less consequences, but still, too much energy that can be spent doing something else.)

5:27pm.

I'll forget them eventually. I'll hit the Zack point. Where instead of thinking of them and going into a downward spiral about how I must secretly be a terrible and malicious person, unworthy of any type of love or affection, and probably should be locked up for years to come....

I just look back and think, "What the fuck did i see in them?..... no, but REALLY. What did I see in them? Was it just the circumstances? It was just the circumstances."

Ah, being 17 and ready to go to jail over a 19 year old with his own apartment and a thick penis.

Then a year of pain, until the next summer, and surprise! After hella failed flings and downright traumatizing events, I met Patrick #1, and had felt a special type of.... I don't know if the word "love" is appropriate, so I'll say "actually real care" that I hadn't felt before.

(And that, kids, is why you don't traumatize your kids growing up. If you beat them or trash their things more often than you proclaim you love them, they'll end up like me, 19 and mistaken for 26 due to learning about how terrible other humans can treat the ones they 'like', at a young age..... and dark circles from crying and hella sleepless nights. Hug a local teenager today! Except, not yet, a pandemic is happening.)

Jesus, kinda fucked to know "I haven't actually felt genuinely cared for by another person, who hadn't pulled the rug under me like him" is an actual thing I said.

It's probably why I'm still caught up on Patrick #2, too.

.....

MIND BLOOOOOOWN, WWWWWWWWOAAAAAAAAAAAAAH WE JUST HAD A BREAKTHROOOIOOOUUUUUUGH.

Maybe Elle was right. I kinda knew, but whatever, me being impulsive lead to me seeing someone hot, so it was not a loss for me.

Anyway.

Patrick #1 had me in awe as a whole. He did eventually fall into the category of "Men that are hoes", but he was still a pretty dope dude when we finally got past the whole "he was a sports jock with a cocky attitude who only thought about himself but was covering up his desire to be actually seen for who he was, and she was a depressed chick with an eating disorder who almost fainted on several dates and craves actual intimacy past facades."

Haha brain go brrrr

LMFAOOO why did i write that? And ah shit, I gotta eat something. I had an applesauce and a cup of mandarin oranges today.... Am I incredibly sexy today? Forever and always. Do I still aspire to collapse onto the floor every time I shower? Probably not.

Progress, nonetheless.....

5:38pm.

So the natural complimentary aspect of a dude wanting to be seen, and a girl that digs people diving? Boom. Shit was cash. Pure bars. Hella dope.

Ironically, I didn't really like him until the 3rd date. Which was fair, he probably didn't like me too much until the 3rd either. He did nothing but talk about himself, and I did nothing but heard warbled sounds or a slight piercing noise whenever I was ready to fall off a stool.

Theeeen 3rd date, beach hangout, had bad sex, he unlocked Part 1 of one of my many sad personal backstories, fucked yet again, listened to his dads old records together, got dinner, unlocked Part 1 of his backstory (everyone has one,) fell asleep together, fucked again, met his family, breakfast, bonded with his mom, got Plan B, fucked again, went home... Lots of bonding, tbh.

(That's not even sarcasm.)

Then by the 4th date, he did the whole thing where he confessed liking me a lot more than he thought he would. (Wasn't offended, since that was the summer I had done that thing where I lost touch with my ability to care about men, city girl summer, aaaa i miss that feeling! Everyone was singin Act Up at random moments, talking about robbing dudes. Good vibes.)

Anyway.

Long story short, digged that dude a lot, and the feeling was mutual.

5:51pm.

Period just came.

That explains the random chills, and extremely bad homicidal thoughts.

My PMS symptoms:

Wanting to cry, but being unable to

Homicidal thoughts

Suicidal thoughts

Randomly full body cold out of fucking nowhere

Cramps

Spotting

Stomach sickness

So if I'm ever suddenly in a very dangerous mindset, then the first sign is, "What am I specifically mad about? Just, anything?"

The second is arm chills, even when covered up on a hot day.

The third is that specific ache in the uterus.

And the kaboom is the "oh" once I see a white tissue that looks like it was used to clean up a massacre.

Cool.

(Not super cool.)

Anyway.

I guess Patrick was really the first dude I could trust, and was super assured he wouldn't cross me. (The blonde one.) Between lots of exes before him, I sure as fuck didn't get any closure, any truth, any honesty.

Then fast forward years later, and suddenly I'm out here with a fine ass man that genuinely wants the absolute best for me? Will be the one to wanna take me out on more dates, and not just get sucked into an endless expectation of having sex with Netflix? A+, man. God was good as hell to make him. I'm sure some girls out there could say otherwise, but I never heard anything bad about him at all.

(Other than from his mom, but those were just 'if you took your eyes away for ten seconds he would be climbing on a shelf already' type childhood sharing shit.... Aw, cute.)

So, probably me being wrapped up in the most recent loser, was since he gave me a similar feeling that I didn't want to lose. And at the very least, having it end on pleasant terms would have been the best bet for me.

So, just for the red flags to come.... not.... fun.

Once you get that "someone in my life that genuinely cares how im doing" person, hard to let it go.

Jeez, I'm tearing up, thinking about it.

Admittedly, it was good. Not perfect. But nice.

Then the lies.

And the gaslighting.

It got too much. Like for fucks sake, so many things he chose to fib about for what?

He's not the person I thought he was.

Imagine if he told me the truth by the lake that night. That instead of brushing off my concerns, he made me feel like my opinion or perspective had value, and valued it.

Even Patrick #1 never devalued my perspective. If it were a "I'm kind of worried from the things you've told me about your close girl friend not really liking me, and I guess I'm just feeling sort of worried ot anxious and had panic attacks recently thinking about things", he would have NEVER done what my most ex had done.

Nigga would of made it as simple as, "Of course I like you, you never have to worry about it. And its fine, shes just protective over me and we've been close for years. Trust me, yall can even hang out this weekend". Or at least something that erased all my fears, yknow?

And that time Patrick #2 let another man legitimately spit in my face and threaten me.... Such an idiot. After our breakup when I went on that date with Patrick #1, to rebond a bite, even HE was angry, JUST at the idea of a man yelling at me. Nigga was shaking at just the idea of a dude yelling, so you can imagine how enraged he was hearing the whole "yeah he spit in my face and threatened to hit me, and my boyfriend stood off to the side doing nothing"..... (To be fair, #1 is super tall and muscular as hell, and #2 is basically my frame and size, but without the titties.)

But, still a general eye opener.

So, yeah, why want to bother with him?

He is a weak coward in every perceivable way.

Weak.

Coward.

Fool.

God, I'm only realizing this NOW. He can't even hold a candle to Patrick #1. (And before you go, "Tamia, girl, you name drop your ex too many times", that's because I find him AMAZING, and overall was one of the best relationships ever had!)

Probably should just list off traits he had, and just never lower the bar from there. Since the typical "scrawny nerds with nice eyes" route just gets me fucked over, so like....

Traits I admired from Patrick #1:

Tall and mildly intimidating/domineering. The difference between a snarky guy who's 5 ft 8, and a snarky guy that's 6 ft 6, is that the short one aoll gets choked, but the taller one chokes ME, so. That's a little on the nose, now that I think about it.

Not afraid to fight a motherfucker, but still knows when is the right time. He used to be a hothead until one day, he supposedly got slapped by a crackhead on the bus as a teenager, and punched him multiple times... teeth on the floor, both covered in blood. He stopped fighting others ever since he saw the horrified faces of all the other passengers.... a good guy, really.

COMMON SENSE! COMMON SENSE!

A surprising amount of patience. I've had my spouts of temper, don't get me wrong. But even if I hung up, he always called me right back, and calmly picked up where we left off, you know? I appreciated that, truly. (Not that I'm just a hotheaded person, but that was our "dude stop trying to guilt trip me into being poly" thing.)

And that panty incident, which I shall describe another day.... Nigga didn't even flinch whatsoever at "Have you and your godsister, ever..... yknow.... NOTTHATITHINKYOUHAVE? since its family, but like, it's not blood, and er, some of my friends weeeeere", nigga was real chill about it. Responded with the same nonchalantness as if I mentioned the weather being sunny. (Probably since he knew finding his godsister's panties underneath the bed made him look incriminating as fuck, and since he did genuinely know I felt horrible at the idea of even asking.) [Unlike mister 'youre a terrible person for being uncomfortable at me hanging out one on one with this girl who hates you'. A coward, i say.]

Ambition! I guess I liked my ex since he was conveniently not judging me for not being in college, since he dropped out from the overall stress and peril of it, but he never seriously did much. But oh look, Patrick #1 aimed high in life, and got high in his life. Shoutout to my old flame, nigga aims for six figures and I bet his ass is gonna get that.

Wasn't afraid to open up and be vulnerable. And even when he was, I knew it was difficult for him. Hell, I don't post his secrets on here, and dont recall ever having posted any, since I respected him that much. A man that actually can look me in the eyes and confess his feelings to me as I'm being held by him, on the spot, even as his knees are shaking and he's scared out of his mind at how my emotionally vacant ass could possibly react? Hot as fuck. Hot as fuck. Hot as fuck. So fucking hot. Taking that over mixed signals, every day of the fucking week. Even the time we hooked up in September/October, and he was putting on the facade of confidence (and so was i) to pretend he was holding things together as I was gone? Then us both mutually dropping the acts once we finally kissed, and just full on him embracing me and telling me how much he had been strugging without me being around? I swear to god, I see why we fucked so much back then, he wasn't just hot, he was the whole damn package back then.

Whew, I'm blushing and getting goosebumps thinking about it.... Wait, nevermind, its just the menstrual cycle causing my body to get randomly hot and chilly all at once. False alarm.

But yeah! Sexy guy, funny, charismatic, honest, had a life outside of me but pictured having me in it long term? (He was kinda weird with the way he kept picturing getting me pregnant.... Like damn nigga, don't manifest that shit! Manifest a ring, first.)

10/10 relationship.

I should probably stop bothering with anybody that gives me less than that 10/10 feeling.

Rich or poor, hot or ugly, sweet or terrible.

Truly.

And no more dating cowards. Matthew and Patrick #2 were identical in cowardice, preferring to run off without explanations, and both almost lead to some dangerous outcomes for myself.

(Luckily, I wrote a comic about the start of the romance and end of my mental health with Matty. I never completed it, but it ended with him being stabbed with one of the knives I got from him, and I think it solidified my interest in dark films, not even gonna lie.)

And two years later, Matty misses me....... Laughable. I guess its good to know that, knowing someone that 100% had no reason to do me dirty, eventually becomes yet another meme:

Hahaha, get fucked, loser.

So, no more cowards, no more men without social lifes, no more dudes that could probably snap like a pretzel both in terms of emotional and physical. And no more men that choose lying or running away from their problems versus taking a jump.

Since a coward dies a thousand deaths by imagining all the worst possibilities of any given situation, while a hero only dies one. And it wont be from the jump theyve hesitated, either.

Not too shabby. Manifesting that. All of that shit.

Feeling really good writing this all out, I'm not gonna lie.

I don't know if I wanna tell Elle she was right. She's a bit, er..... I don't know the word for it. Not egotistical, just I guess gloaty, or something. Or, she's like me when I psychoanalyze or take guesses at why a person is the way they are, but directly to them. (Like her accusing me of not being able to accept emotional intimacy over sexual intimacy, when I told the story of asking an ex if he was gay in the middle of sex, coughcoughmatty. But to be fair, a dude going "I LIKE YOUR HAIR, AND YOU'RE VERY SWEET AND KIND, AND UM, I UH, I LIKE THAT LITTLE BLACK BAG YOU ALWAYS WEAR? AND YOUR HATS!", during sex, is still pretty odd.... Also, the collection of dragon dildos peeking at me from the closet were present. And his sundress that he had to lift up to stick it in... some flags that were being raised... but long story short, the flags weren't rainbow, nor red, and he still tells people about that story.)

He was scared to seem like a perv during penetration, thats still fucking adorable to me, like.... bro its okay bring up how it feels its not bad

7:00pm.

Alright, a nice day.

And I'm still slightly internally thotting it up for Francis. The feeling will pass! Just like tjat time I was head over heels horny for that one guy I met with a Ukrainian accent.

Gonna go eat and probably talk to people or something.

Peace yalls.