#(which is easier said than done; but practice makes perfect ig)

[raddest-laddest]

note to self: stop talking about your plans, just fucking do them. make it an unpleasant surprise for everyone else.

[wendimydarling]

The Thirst is Real

Summary: Little Freya might not be who she says she is...

Pairing: Henry Cavill x Little Freya 

Word Count: 1965

Warnings: uhhh.... slow burn; dirty thoughts; erotic thoughts; mentions of arousal, daddy kink, spanking, oral, masturbation, and thigh riding; size kink; slight manhandling; dom/sub kink if you squint.

A/N: So it’s been buzzing around The Cavillry that @littlefreya​ is either a mole in the community or Henry himself... @agniavateira​ (my beautiful goddess of a beta who also beta’d this fic for me) and I had a sensational conversation about what Freya and Henry’s weekly meet-ups would entail, and this beautiful birthday present was born! It’s also a little different that what I’ve done before, as I might have used some real life thirst examples in the fic. 

Did I call you out? I guess you’ll just have to read. 😈

You’ll get another gift on your actual birthday my love, but for now, please enjoy!!

~~~~~

Freya adjusted her curls in the mirror, adding one last dash of eyeliner. She was preparing for her weekly meeting with Henry, but this time her stomach was twisting itself in a spiral like a shirt ready to be dyed. 

When Henry first suggested the idea of her going on Tumblr to spy for him, she was hesitant at first. What if she couldn’t make friends? What if they didn’t trust her? But now, with a solid 6k followers under her belt, she knew she could say just about anything and people would flock to the thirst.

With a nervous look at her reflection, Freya gathered her things and headed out the door, sending a quick couple of texts to Henry.

I’m on my way. You should post on your IG stories… they’re wondering what you’re up to this morning. 

Perfect, thanks. I’ll send you what I’m about to upload.

A couple of seconds later Freya received his text, quickly setting up a post and waiting for Henry to update his Instagram. She smiled to herself; Tumblr would be buzzing in a matter of seconds once she posted, and what better way to show Henry what went on in the torrential world of social media than to show him live? Freya’s phone chimed again, indicating Henry had done as she’d suggested. 

She couldn’t help but grin like a demon as she hit the small blue button.

Pocketing her phone, Freya enjoyed the scenery on the short walk to Henry’s place. He was in London briefly as was she, so they were meeting at his home instead of Skyping like usual. Why she was so nervous, she didn’t know… Henry had been a friend for quite a few years now, even becoming one of her closest companions. He confided in her and she in him, and it was always a joy to see him. Every day she looked forward to their flirty banter. But that was easier when it was over the phone; doing so in person was an entirely different matter.

Freya reached Henry’s small home and knocked on the door. She’d only been there a couple of times, but the tiny house never ceased to give her a wonderful sense of charm and sensibility. A loud bark and clack of nails on the floor signaled that Kal was ready and waiting to greet her, which meant Henry wouldn’t be far behind. Freya fidgeted with her fingers and chewed on her lip in taut anticipation.

The door swung wide and there was Henry, sporting a puppy dog grin on his face and his large frame filling the entire entryway. His muscular chest was practically bursting from the snug grey shirt he wore, and his dark blue jeans couldn’t have looked more sinful. He had Kal by the collar as if the dog weighed nothing, and Freya couldn’t help but feel incredibly small. Henry reached out his hand, softly tugged her bottom lip from her teeth, then swooped her up for a one-armed squeeze.

“It’s so good to see you,” he murmured against her ear, sending chills down Freya’s spine. Her feet dangled helplessly as she wrapped her own arms around his neck, inhaling the sharp scent that had long since faded from the hoodie he’d let her “steal”. The fact that he was holding her petite stature in one arm and still controlling Kal with the other wasn’t lost to Freya, and the images it provoked in her mind of what exactly he could do to her with that kind of strength made her tingle. 

Oh, the positions he could put her in...

All too soon Henry set Freya down, shaking her from her sudden daydream. 

“Come on in,” he said, maneuvering Kal and ordering him to sit. Freya crossed the threshold, imagining what it would be like if she was in a long, white gown…

“I’m making a smoothie, would you like one?” Henry broke into her thoughts again and Freya flushed, hurriedly setting her bag on the table and pulling out her laptop. 

“Just some water please,” she replied, swallowing thickly as she realized how dry her throat was. She logged into Tumblr as Henry bustled about in the kitchen and quickly reblogged a few thirsty comments, scrolling through to find some good ones while she waited for Henry.

“Go ahead and start, tell me what ‘The Cavillry’ has been up to this week,” he stated, not quite a command but it thrilled Freya nonetheless. Stupid filthy gutter brain. She pulled out her notes and dove straight in.

“Well, a few of them like Lisa and Berry have a theory that there’s a mole in the community,” she laughed. “Some of them even like to surmise that I’m you!”

“Do they really?” Henry’s deep chuckle resonated throughout the living space and Freya closed her eyes momentarily, picturing that chuckle after a rather exhilarating round of cardio between soft, silken sheets…

“What else are they saying?” Henry’s voice was in Freya’s ear and she jumped, startled yet again from her indecorous thoughts. Henry set her water down next to the laptop and placed his hands on the table, caging her in his warmth as he leaned over her shoulder to read. Freya felt the familiar flush of arousal start to creep its way up her thighs but she did her best to ignore it, continuing on with her notes. 

“Marta made some really funny memes,” she stammered, “And Demi excels at clipping audios, where it sounds like…”

“How does it sound?” Henry’s hot breath ghosted over her ear, and his exhale came out nearly a growl. Freya felt lucky she was sitting down, positive her knees would have given out on her if she hadn’t been. 

“Like you just had a--an orgasm,” she faltered, grabbing her glass of water for a big gulp. Henry hummed, and Freya nearly choked on the clear liquid. 

“What else do they say? I want you to read it… out loud.”

Freya was shocked for a moment. What was he playing at? Wait a minute... this is a game; Henry is playing a game. Emboldened by her sudden epiphany, Freya switched personalities from timid bird to devilish vixen, determined to win whatever it was that Henry had set in motion. She arched her back and leaned her head against Henry’s shoulder, pointing at the screen.

“Well look, see what your post this morning has done? We descend into a thirsting frenzy every time.” 

She scrolled through a couple of posts, landing upon one that would give her what she needed.  

“For example, Miya writes: 

‘I guess good to know he’s on a morning run instead of fapping off… 

But good sir, you will have to shower after that no? And unless he’s a never nude, he’s going to be naked very very soon ladies. KEEP THAT IN MIND! IN A SHORT FEW MINUTES, HENRY WILL BE NAKED AND RUBBING HIMSELF IN THE SHOWER.’ ”

 Freya emphasized the last sentence and was rewarded with a small hitching of Henry’s breath. He recovered quickly.

“However did they know,” he quipped in a low rumble, reaching over Freya’s hand to do some scrolling of his own. Her hand was trapped in his but her thoughts were elsewhere, immediately flooded with the image of Henry getting off in the shower, water cascading over his hairy torso down the line of his abs and through the rabbit trail on his groin to the surely insurmountable…

“This one next,” he stated, drawing her back to the present. His thumb brushed softly over her skin before landing just out of reach of her touch. Freya focused her attention on the screen and a small groan escaped her lips. He’d chosen one of Wendi’s Smutbombs.

“...My eyes were instantly drawn back to his fierce gaze.

“You wanted to use that mouth,” he snarled, staring at me with lewd concentration.

“So use it.”

Freya’s palms grew clammy at the thought of using her mouth around Henry, in exactly the way the raucous words depicted. The way he would stretch her tiny lips until they burned, the way he’d fuck her throat without a care, the way he’d…

Henry grabbed Freya’s hand and abruptly slapped his phone on her palm, severing the thought. 

“Read this one,” Henry commanded her again, his voice now clear and authoritative. This time his tone left no room for argument; he was doing it on purpose. His arms still pinned her to the table with no way to escape, and she could feel the dominance that was dripping off of him tingling down her spine. 

Freya looked at the small screen, recognition of the words dawning on her face. She faltered, and cleared her throat.

“Yes, my bottom is always bare, Sherlock. Bare and ready for you to spank me and take me any which way you want.”

“Who wrote that?” he questioned sternly. Freya took a deep breath.

“I did.”

“Read the next one.”

Freya whimpered, clenching her thighs together tightly. 

“Fuck this shit I want to die on this man’s thighs.”

“Who wrote that?”

“I did.”

“Keep going.”

Freya’s chest was heaving. Her head was swimming with lust and need. Her arousal had long since wet her panties to the point of extreme discomfort. She was certain Henry could smell it too, as she certainly could and his head was still right next to hers. She watched his fists tighten on the table, the veins in his arms becoming more prominent with every passing second. Freya imagined what his hands would look like with one wrapped around her throat and the other buried knuckle deep inside her…

“I said keep going; you’ve got one more.”

It wasn’t just Henry’s voice this time that dragged Freya back to reality; he wrapped his hand firmly around her nape and pointed her toward his phone. 

She blinked rapidly and scrolled to the last quote. 

“...They share a mutual smile and she forces herself to look away.

They have always liked each other, he has always been kind to her.

Sometimes he would touch her as they sat with friends, a feverish stroke, innocent or by mistake, but that would be enough to make her heart flutter like a huge butterfly in the cage of her chest. 

To see him physically hurts sometimes. Especially on a night like this when she is supposed to be happy, yet her heart feels sorrowful.”

The moment her lips finished moving Freya was pulled off the bench and thrust against the wall. Henry pressed his thigh between her legs, his own arousal evident as it strained against the ridged fabric of his jeans. His face was gentle and sincere but his eyes were as dark with lust as she was certain hers were, and the tremor of his voice left no room to imagine anything but desire.

“Who wrote that?” he whispered softly.

“I did,” Freya whispered back.

“Did you mean it?” Henry searched her face, looking for any scrap of evidence that would present him with permission. Freya brought a hand up to his curls, brushing the one out of his eyes that always seemed to disobey.

“Every word.”

Henry slammed his mouth against Freya’s, probing her deep and hard. She kissed him back with just as much fervor, tugging on his curls and wrapping her legs around his waist as he hoisted her in the air. Never in her life had she ever thought this moment would happen, that he would want her this way. But now, here in his arms with his lips on hers and on their way to his bedroom, she couldn’t picture anything else. 

The man had ruined her for anyone else over a decade ago, and she’d been thirsty for far, far too long.

~~~~~

@wolvesandhoundshowltogether​ @killjoy-assbutt-1112​ @achaoticaugust​ @demivampirew​ @raspberrydreamclouds​ I hope you don’t mind that I used your thirst! I though it might be fun, but if you don’t like it just let me know, I’ll remove it. 😊

[butgilinsky]

blueberry pancakes // rc

part one | series masterlist 

warning; language, drinking ig

summary; while y/n’s running from her feelings for jj, she ends up in a mess she didn’t account for 

word count; almost 3.5k 

life on the cut was anything but luxurious. small houses and being forced to work jobs that sucked, but paid somewhat decently. y/n was an only child which meant getting a job wasn’t even a question. her dad worked out of town a lot, and her mom worked doubles most of the time so she was pretty much always on her own. 

most kids would’ve killed for that, but y/n had gotten so used to it that it got old quickly. she didn’t want to be alone all the time, so she spent most of her time at john b’s house. 

she was there almost as much as jj, which wasn’t a problem with her. the two had been friends for years, and though she was close with all of the pogues, jj and john b were the two she’d known the longest and inevitably grew the closest to. 

john b had filled a brother role that she never knew she needed, though she enjoyed it immensely. jj, on the other hand, seemed to catch her attention in a slightly different way. 

having feelings for jj maybank was slightly problematic. the boy that was always in trouble, always doing things he wasn’t supposed to be doing and saying things that should never be said out loud. he was one of her best friends, and besides, he had feelings for kiara. 

“what am i going to do, y/n?” the girl opened her eyes, squinting slightly at the blinding light from the sun before looking at the blond. he was staring off the edge of the boat, hand running through his hair and tugging while he gulped down his beer. 

“about what, j?” he scoffed, being able to tell that she hadn’t been paying attention due to her question. 

“kie. how do i tell her i have feelings for her without fucking up our friendship?” y/n could practically feel the blood drain from her face. 

sure, she knew jj had a thing for kie. all of the pogues had a thing for kie, it was hard not to. it had been only recently that jj had started vocalizing his deeper rooted feelings for the girl, but he only ever told y/n. obviously, jj had no idea that y/n had the same thoughts about him. 

“i don’t know, jj. just tell her i guess. what’s the worst that can happen, right?” she wanted to rip her tongue out. the taste on her tongue as she spoke the simple words that held a deeper meaning was vile, and she felt her skin crawl at the mere mention of it. 

“you think i should just tell her? what if she slaps me or something?” 

“then you know how she feels, i guess.” y/n stood up, not wanting to sit around and hear anymore questions or give any further advice to the boy she’d fallen for that had fallen for her other best friend.

y/n dove into the water, barely making a splash. the water cooled off her skin, but there was no way to put out the fire in her stomach. the burning feeling of hearing jj talk about kie, though he had said it to her before, was almost unbearable. 

she stayed a few yards away from the others, not wanting to dive into another conversation. she floated on the surface, ears beneath the water and only hearing dull noises while she stared up at the sky. 

she had shut her eyes for what felt like only a few moments before something cold touched her stomach and she flinched. she opened her eyes and moved quickly, letting out a heavy sigh when john b stood there laughing at her. 

she punched the boy’s chest roughly but took the cold beer can from him. 

“you scared me, dick.” he laughed gently, his smile dropping at the fact that a smile never stretched across her lips like it usually did. 

“what’s wrong?” the girl shook her head, trying to shrug it off before it became a topic of conversation. 

“nothing, i’m fine.” she whispered softly before tipping the beer can up and taking several gulps of the cold liquid. 

“the kie questions, again?” she nodded, eye flicking up to the boat to see jj hanging over the side and messing with kie. 

they were hitting each other playfully, their laughs filling the air while pope stared at the two and sighed. he tried to get them to stop but it was no use when kie splashed water up at jj and he practically jumped on top of her. 

“you should just tell him.” y/n scoffed loudly at that, staring at john b with a knowing look. 

“and make an absolute fool out of myself? no thanks, johnny boy. i’ll stick to being the therapist of the group and help my two best friends fall in love with each other.” john b rolled his eyes, but he knew she was telling the absolute truth. she was the one everyone went to for advice, and she never thought twice about giving it, despite her own feelings.

“you’re going to kill yourself with this, y/n.” she shrugged simply and looked back at him, seeing the disapproving look on his face. 

“then i’ll see you on the other side.” 

she looked at the boat when kie called out to the two of them, pointing out the sun that was nearing its setting point. she told them to swim back to the boat so they could hitch a ride back to john b’s house before the boneyard party later that night. 

john b nodded quickly and tried to get in another word with the girl beside him but she had already started swimming back, holding the beer can above the water’s surface and handing it to kie once she was within arm’s reach. 

y/n pulled herself back on the boat, wringing the water out of her hair and her bathing suit top and completely ignoring the various glances thrown at her before she walked back to the same place she always sat in. 

she put her sunglasses on and lost herself in her thoughts as they rode back to john b’s dock. she helped unload the boat before walking into the chateau, stealing the shower before anyone could stop her. 

she found herself sitting beside john b hours later, eyes locked on the fire until they weren’t. the sight of brown curls up against blond strands that stuck in different directions caught her attention, making her stomach twist. 

to the pogues it was nothing, at least nothing they’d never done before. hell, y/n had done the same thing with pope and john b, but it sat different this time. her knowledge of jj’s feelings paired with her lack of knowledge of kie’s was enough to make her chest ache. 

“you’re staring at them again.” y/n snapped her head back to the boy beside her, sighing heavily when he gave her the same look he always did. 

she brought her cup to her lips, downing the rest of her beer before letting out a soft hiss and a heavy sigh. she stared at the empty cup before glancing back up at her two friends. she only watched for a second this time, standing up quickly and sighing once more. 

“i’ll be back.” she guessed she was walking towards the keg, but she didn’t truly care where she ended up as long as it wasn’t somewhere with a perfect view of jj and kiara. 

it hadn’t been all of five minutes that she was walking before she a body stopped in front of her, copying her movements in order to trap her in place.

“hey pogie, how’s your night going?” she rolled her eyes at the tall boy with a cocky smirk on his face and scoffed.

rafe cameron, prince of the kooks. she didn’t like him, though that was a given with their socioeconomic differences. the only difference between her and the rest of the pogues were that she didn’t exactly hate him, despite his reputation. 

the two never got along, but rafe seemed to go easier on y/n than he did with the rest of the pogues. she knew what he did in his down time, and how him and topper had practically dedicated their lives to making it known where they stood above all and any pogues. 

“nowhere, rafe. why do you even care?” he laughed gently at the question, because y/n knew exactly why he cared. the only thing that pissed off the pogues more than getting into a physical altercation with them, was when the kooks hit on y/n or kiara.

it had happened too many times to count. kie was at a slight disadvantage since she went to school with them for 9 months out of the year, but she also stood her ground against them. y/n easily gave into the interactions, letting the conversation go further that kie every would, before she simply walked away. kie, on the other hand, would jump at any opportunity to harshly shove the kooks away from her.

y/n never knew why but she never felt the deeply rooted hate for every kook on the island like her friends. though, that changed for kiara and more recently sarah. kiara and sarah were “different” as the boys always said, but it wasn’t something she liked to dwell on. 

topper and rafe always hit on y/n to piss of the pogues, and it worked every time. though, y/n thought that’s all it was, just an easy way to piss of the pogues and add another tally mark onto the kook’s score in this stupid classism war. 

“maybank and kiara look pretty close tonight.” rafe looked over y/n’s shoulder at the pair of friends that looked far from a pair of friends in that moment. y/n’s back was to them, but she could imagine what they looked like from previous experience. 

y/n rolled her eyes, face to face with rafe’s chest while he looked behind her. her eyes lingered elsewhere, trying to rid herself of the images flashing through her mind.

“do they? i haven’t noticed.” rafe laughed at that, knowing far too well that that was far from the truth. 

“well that’s a load of shit. you stare at the kid all night long and drink to forget about how they look together.” a small smirk grew on y/n’s lips as she tilted her head back slightly to look up at the boy in front fo her.

“have you been watching me, cameron?” the way his eyes snapped down to meet hers told her everything she needed to know, but he still scoffed and shook his head.

“in your dreams, pogue.” she rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh, catching the boy’s attention once again.

“you can fool just about everyone on this island, rafe, but you’ve wanted to get into my pants since you were in high school. just because i didn’t jump at the opportunity doesn’t mean i didn’t notice.” his eyes blew wide for a split second before returning to normal. he’d never heard anyone say something like that to him. 

he tried to brush it off, but he didn’t succeed. different things rushed through his mind as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to react to this information, and what he was supposed to think about it.

“come with me.” he grabbed the girl’s hand and started trudging through the sand out to where everyone parked their cars.

the girl rolled her eyes but let the boy drag her away anyways. she didn’t feel threatened, and rafe didn’t seem angry like he usually did in situations like this. she knew rafe meant well when he acted around her, so she didn’t fear for where he was taking her or why he was taking her there. 

“i’m not having sex with you in the back of your truck, rafe.”

“that’s now what we’re doing. we’ll do that later.” she bit back a laugh and just followed the boy, shocked to see him open the passenger side door for her.

she pulled herself into the truck and watched rafe run around the front of it before he pulled himself in beside her. it wasn’t until they’d driven for a few minutes in silence that she asked where they were going.

“just trust me, yeah?” she scoffed, not knowing how she was meant to trust the boy that had beat up all of her friends on more than one occasion, but kept quiet. for some reason she did trust rafe, as crazy as it sounded.

it only took a few more minutes with rafe’s tendency to surpass the speed limit before they got to where they were going. it was the only restaurant on the island opened at this hour, and she loved it. 

she used to come to this diner all the time, but hadn’t been in what seemed like years at this point. she didn’t come often anymore, not having the money or the ability to convince her friends to come with her. it was also somewhat out of the way from where the pogues always spent their time, so there weren’t many opportunities for her to come. 

“i love this place.” she whispered softly, more to herself than anyone else.

“i know. you used to come with your dad all the time.” her head snapped to the side, narrowing her eyes slightly in shock.

“what else do you know about me, stalker?” he laughed gently before stepping out of the car, ignoring her question entirely. 

she followed suit, stepping out of the truck after him and following him into the diner. he held the door open for her, which only slightly surprised her this time, before they slid into a booth up against one of the large scaled windows.

she watched rafe look over the menu, though she knew he didn’t need to. most people that came to this diner knew what they were getting without looking, everyone had their usual order here. y/n hadn’t even grabbed a menu once they sat down. 

“you’re staring.” y/n clicked her tongue softly before the boy looked up at her, dropping the menu onto the table and intertwining his fingers together.

“i’m confused.” he raised an eyebrow in speculation, waiting for her to continue. “you dedicate your life to harassing the pogues, but secretly know things about me that my best friends don’t even know. and then you sweep me away from a boneyard party to take me to a diner that i haven’t been to in years.”

“years?” she rolled her eyes, surprised that that was the bit of information he clung to.

“yeah, years. hard to eat out all the time when you don’t have much money. plus, the pogues never want to come all the way out here so we just eat at the wreck most nights.” she shrugged, not finding the use in dwelling on the small pity party.

“they don’t come here with you?” she shrugged again, not knowing why it bothered him so much.

“are you going to tell me how you know weird things about me? how did you know i came here with my dad, and how did you know that i like jj?” she leaned over the table slightly, only pulling back when an older woman stopped by the table to pick up their orders.

she was surprised when rafe ordered french toast, figuring he’d be more of a waffle guy, but let it pass when she ordered her blueberry pancakes. she turned back to rafe after the woman left and leaned back over the table.

“i know you used to come here with your dad because rose used to drag sarah and i here to bond with us. you were almost always here, and when you weren’t, your dad was picking up a to-go order. i know you like maybank because it’s fucking obvious. you stare at him constantly and always have the same gloomy look on your face when he’s with kiara.”

she rolled her eyes, still finding this whole situation out of character for him. rafe cameron was the biggest ass on the entire island, and here he was, showing real interest in something that wasn’t cocaine or impressing her father.

it was odd to see rafe both sober and genuine, but y/n liked it. she liked this side of rafe, and it wasn’t the first time she’d seen him like this, though it had been the first time in a while.

“well that’s odd, cameron, but slightly endearing in the weirdest way possible.” he laughed gently, though it was the most genuine laugh she’d ever heard. his smile stretched across his lips, almost reaching his eyes, and his eyes lit up slightly.

“but tell me things i don’t know about you, y/n.” y/n shrugged, nervously picking at her fingernails. she didn’t like being the topic of conversation very much. she talked to people about them, not her. 

“why don’t you tell me about you?” 

“everyone knows shit about me, y/n.” she rolled her eyes and leaned back in the booth, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“high school reputations don’t mean shit to me, rafe. i don’t care how people on the island see you; how the pogues see you. what are your hobbies? why is topper your best friend? why the truck and not a 4x4 like topper?” she rattled off small questions that she truly felt interested in, not caring about the kook image he attempted to uphold. 

“i guess i don’t have that many hobbies. top and i play golf a lot, so that’s one i guess. reading, i guess.” y/n’s eyes blew wide and she leaned back over the table, stopping rafe from continuing. 

“you read?” rafe scoffed at her tone, ignoring the annoyance building in the back of his mind. 

“yeah, i read. it’s therapeutic to me. good to know that’s so surprising to you. i couldn’t tell you why topper’s my best friend, he just has been for a while i guess. he knows too much about me for me to cut him out of my life.” y/n laughed softly, knowing the feeling all too well. 

“and i didn’t pick the truck, my dad did and i was just grateful to have a car at the time so i didn’t care what it was.” 

their food didn’t take long to come out, and y/n didn’t realize how hungry she was until she was staring at a stack of three large blueberry pancakes. she looked up at rafe when she heard him laugh at the slightly dazed look in her eye. 

“is there a problem, cameron?” he smiled brightly at her but shook his head as he poured a dangerous amount of syrup across the top of his french toast. 

“eat your pancakes.” 

the two stayed at that table for hours, finishing both of their meals and rattling off things to each other about themselves. y/n was sure she’d learned more about rafe in the first hour at the diner than she had learned about anybody in her life, besides john b or jj. 

it seemed incredible how different rafe was when he wasn’t deep in a pile of cocaine or on a rampage because of his dad. he was a normal guy, and y/n found herself sympathizing with him after he started opening up about his dad to her. 

y/n rolled her eyes when she saw that the lights were off in her house, knowing her mom hadn’t expected her to come home for the night. she couldn’t blame her, but know she’d have to navigate the house in the dark at 2 am. 

“you’re going to be okay, right?” she smiled at the worry in rafe’s question and nodded, sending him a reassuring glance. 

“she probably thought i was staying at john b’s, i’ll be okay.” he nodded and smiled back at her, ignoring the feeling in his chest when he realized he didn’t know when he’d see her like this again. 

she opened the door and jumped out of the truck, feet colliding with dirt before turning back to face the boy just a few feet away. 

“call me, cameron.” she smiled softly before shutting the door and walking up to her front door. 

he saw her pick up the flower pot beside the door and grab the key underneath before lodging it into the lock and pushing the door open. she waved at rafe one more time before disappearing into the house. 

she waited by the door until she saw the headlights disappear, smiling to herself at the night she had. 

--

taglist; @queenofthebees003​ @extratragic​ @jjtheangel​ 

[usertoxicyaoi]

First of all I completely disagree with everything you guys have been saying about Sarawat. Nobody is at fault but the issue here is Tine's insecurities. Pam's text was a hello so how could Sarawat have been lying and texting her? Also Tine was the one imaging scenarios in his head while browsing through Pam's ig, something he didn't need to do. Also Sarawat can't force Tine to talk, he asked him several times to tell him what's wrong and he refused to. Wat also stayed up all night which is /1

how he knew that Tine stayed up listening to music but like I said Tine didn't want to talk so what exactly do you guys expect him to do? Even the next day Tine STILL didn't want to talk and it was only till Sarawat abandoned band practice to take care of Tine and asked him again what was wrong which is when Tine told him how he felt about Pam. Wat explained the situation to Tine even pointing out he doesn't see Tine and Pam as similar to each other and his little joke at the end was just to /2

lighten the mood and make Tine feel better, which he did, not to dismiss his feelings. As for the song, it's probably the same as the video Tine thinking it's one thing and it being another. I don't understand how if Sarawat doesn't completely deal with Tine's insecurities, he's his boyfriend not his therapist, and Tine assumes stuff then that means Sarawat is an evil demon who has wronged Tine in the worst way. No one is wrong here people just need to talk. /3

hiii anon!!! wow okay. urm. so.

firstly, i’m sorry. i hold my hands up and i wanna apologise not just to you, but anybody else who i may have offended yesterday by saying how disappointed i was with sarawat in ep 12 and how he felt written really badly for me to the point where it irked me bc it felt like glimpses of novel! wat were peaking thru him in ep 12. but i’ve slept on it, and i’ve calmed down now. but yeah, i am still really sorry for what i said. 

and its fine that you disagree and its absolutely okay for you to do so. you saw wat in a very different way than i did. thus, my interpretation was a total 180 from yours. 

that being said, its ..... a sensitive issue. tine’s insecurities are a sensitive issue. yes, sarawat isn’t his therapist or counsellor. he is his boyfriend. and i feel like, if i were in that position, it would worry me if my s/o kept on hiding things from me, only for me to constantly find yet another ambiguous thing, and when i ask them for an explanation, they panic and freeze and just ... evade. especially if that happens not just once, but again and again. then, do you really blame tine for overthinking things? lets leave his insecurities out for a second, lets say he wasn’t insecure. even then, would you really blame him for being in the wrong if he overthought? 

now here’s where tine has been a bit more quicker to react, in that he eventually, within that same ep, plucks up the courage to ask wat directly. and within that same ep or directly onto the next one, things get resolved and wat explains himself. so they do communicate. 

but this time, its not just a simple issue. its not just a video, or a song. its a person. a first love. a past thats come to the present of which tine had very little idea on. handling that is a very different issue than to handling a video or a song being hidden from you. and what heightens it for him is that wat referred to her as his “first love”. not even a crush, but a “first love”. and pam says to him “she loves him back”. now obviously, we know that wat doesn’t love her. a ‘first’ love doesn’t mean the ‘only’ love. but couple that with tine’s already failed dating history, where his s/o has left him everytime, due to which he now feels he isn’t worth it, along with the fact that pam is quite literally a reflection of him in many ways, yet different from him too. what else is tine supposed to feel other than “second best yet again”. 

now, like you said. the issue here is tine’s insecurities. you’re right - it is! bc this whole show is from tine’s perspective, so of course, all the issues and faults relate back to him and his way of perceiving and reading things. he either reads too much into it or doesn’t at all. its what insecurities do - they mess up and warp your perception into 2 very radical and polar opposite ends, one thats too intense and deep and one that is hollow and vacant. 

now, i’m gonna say what i said yesterday. though this is sarawat’s first relationship, from what we know and can see, wat LOOKS and APPEARS to be the more secure one in the relationship from the two, partly bc he has had that year to stew over his feelings for tine, and this was when he didn’t even know if he’d see tine again. and now that he’s with tine, its more or less everything he’s ever wanted, given to him. but tine’s not had that time. all he’s had is failed relationship after failed relationship. but also, just bc sarawat has now, in tine, what he has always wanted, doesn’t mean its plain sailing. sarawat didn’t know tine came with such a huge amount of emotional baggage with him. 

and yes sarawat has tried. he tried again and again yesterday to reach out. and i commend him for it. but now is the real crucial time for sarawat to learn who tine is, and help him unload that emotional baggage - not do it for him, but help him. not as a therapist or counsellor, but as his significant other. 

and in doing that, he can’t make light of the situation. which, ya know, you found it as him tryna cheer tine up, but i didn’t. i found it rude and inappropriate. and thats okay. you have your view, i have mine. what also needed to happen here was, not sarawat saying that “he claims tine and that tine belongs to him”. no. go back to ep 11, where sarawat said to tine “i’d like to be with you for longer than 10 years”. something like that was what tine needed to hear then. something that mentioned stability and longevity, something he hasn’t had before ever in a relationship, not possessiveness. but of course, that’s just me being very nit picky so ... feel free to ignore that.

and the thing is, ya know what. in all of this. tine is gonna beat himself up more than anything and anyone else. he won’t even lash out that badly at sarawat, more so than he will beat his own self up for it. for being “dumb and silly and stupid and not enough and just a shadow and a failure”. he’s done it before, he will do it again. he won’t even feel the need to see sarawat as a demon. he loves him too much for that. and thats also another problem. 

he sees sarawat as this entirely perfect person. i dont wanna say that he puts him on a pedestal, but bc other people do, it doesn’t help in his perception of seeing sarawat as being this too good of a person thats somehow ended up falling in love and being with him. that’s tine lack of self esteem speaking. and thats something they’re both gonna have to talk about. 

these things arent just gonna go away. they’ll lie dormant, then flare up, then lie dormant again. what they can do though, like you mentioned, is talk. not as therapist-patient, but as 2 people, as equals, in a relationship. tine is gonna have to learn to open up and trust wat and change his perception and see that wat is human and that he isn’t perfect and that he is just as much of an equal part to this whole relationship, and wat’s gonna have to learn to not keep things secretive from tine and make tine see that he in fact is human and not perfect and just be more empathetic towards tine’s insecurities and low self esteem.

but thats easier said than done.

[por-cel-ain]

the wolf says, “it’s me”

Rating: 13 & up (Mentions of violence, described injury, swearing) Word count: 3200 Media/pairing: ffxv, promnis

Prompts || 50. “holy shit you’re bleeding.”

The mangled bite marks on his shoulder still stung almost half an hour later, but the satisfaction that bloomed in his chest at a job well done helped to lessen the pain. A feral werewolf had been spotted roaming the woods near one of the major parks and mutilating wildlife, and so Regis had quickly issued a warrant for their death in order to ensure the locals' protection. Naturally, Ignis was immediate in complying; setting off that same night to take care of the problem. They had been easy enough to dispatch, despite the still-bleeding wound he'd received. It only went as awry as it did because the poor fool was mad beyond belief, stumbling and thrashing this way and that like they couldn't manage to control their own limbs, but once he'd managed to pin them down they were in too sorry of a state to even try to fight him off. He'd made sure to give them a quick, painless death, given that they showed telltale signs of a forced turning. He distractedly shook his head, feeling his stomach flip at the thought. It wasn't an experience he would wish on his worst enemies, and he knew that even they would feel the same. Regardless, the situation had been dealt with, and now he had a long walk on a fairly sore leg to look forward to. Not that he was exactly complaining, since he easily could have been injured far worse. But he was definitely not getting back in the same amount of time that it took for him to get here. Then, as he left the shadowy shelter of the treeline and started to make his way through the park, he saw a human figure in the light fog. He stopped in his tracks. From their point of view, they would see a bloodied wolf striding along the dirt path without a care in the world, looking the perfect part of a mad beast on it’s way to ravage a small town's worth of people. ...well. This was about to get interesting. Rather then keep walking and have it potentially seem like he was stalkingly-approaching them, he waited for them to walk closer until they finally looked up from where they were messing with their phone and saw him just ahead of them. Though, at that point, they were close enough for him to get a better look, and the fur along his spine prickled. Short, fluffy blond hair. Crystalline eyes. Prompto, he realized, his eyes widening.

"...oh my fucking Gods," he heard him whisper under his breath, completely fear-struck, and he realized he wouldn't recognize him as he was; he'd never seen him shifted before. "He-hey, there, big guy," he stammered out, defensively reaching his hands up and very, very slowly stepping back, "sorry to, uh, invade your space...uhm...I-I'll get out of your way, and, uh--no one has to get hurt, yeah?" A feral would have torn him to pieces within the first few words. He let out a sigh-y huff under his breath, already planning to put aside the time to teach him how to handle a situation like this sometime later that week. Flattening his ears and lowering his head, he put on his best puppy eyes and calmly approached him. If he was lucky, he was on his way to meet up with Noctis, which meant that Ignis could potentially get back to his flat sooner rather than later. "Uh--woah, there," he squeaked, his shoulders stiffly rising, and it hurt a surprising amount to know that he was frightening him so bad without even meaning to. He loathed the idea of Prompto feeling like he had any sort of reason to fear him. He tried not to let it get to him too much, since he understandably didn't even know it was him. Prompto was practically a statue by the time Ignis stood mere feet from him, staring down at him with wide eyes. He let out an intentionally pitiful whine, trying to play up his injury by heavily favouring his leg. He looked to the torn, blood-matted fur on his shoulder, then, and his expression softened with sympathy. "--holy shit, you're bleeding," he gasped in realization. He hesitated for a moment before sinking down onto a knee, raising a hand toward him in suggestion. "Uhm...think I could take a look at that, for a sec? I won't touch it; just wanna look," he hastily assured him. Relieved that he was finally relaxing, he stepped just a bit closer before sitting down in front of him, angling his body so he could easily get to his shoulder. Prompto seemed taken aback at his friendliness, but quickly recovered and reached forward to gently part his thick fur, examining the gashes. It felt nice to have weight off of it. "Ah, man...that looks nasty," he hissed quietly through his teeth. “That has to hurt." He settled his palm against his side, subtly scritching at his pelt with dull nails, and Ignis let his eyes contently close at the feeling. Then, he brought up his other hand to rub at his neck. "Hmm...no collar, huh, bud? Wonder if you're chipped, then," he mused to himself. ...he didn't realize he was a werewolf. He thought he was a domestic dog. Of course, he deadpanned in his mind since his tongue wouldn't let him. He briefly wondered how he would react when he realized who he was and remembered that he'd stroked his fur like some kind of pet. Even after knowing one another for several years now, Prompto still had a terrible habit of acting nervously skittish around him at times, and he could just imagine the string of apologies he was going to throw his way later. He would have to see what he could do about correcting that behaviour. "Hey, so, listen," he began, and he quickly blinked open his eyes to find him looking up from where he'd been texting on his phone, "I'm supposed to meet a friend of mine out here, and he could probably get you somewhere where you could get that bite bandaged up. Does that...sound cool with you, or...?" he ventured cautiously, running a hand up his neck to scratch the back of his head. Gods help him, his hand felt heavenly in his fur. He must mean the Prince, he realized after quickly clearing his thoughts, swishing his tail a bit. Thank the Six, I won't have to walk all that way on this blasted leg. In an answer to his question, he simply leaned forward and gave his cheek a chaste lick, able to feel the way he froze up afterwards. "...I'll, uhm, take that as a yes!" he managed to squeak out after a moment's lapse, bringing his hand away to shyly feel at his face. Ignis, ever the fool, had forgotten just how cute he could be. It was a pleasant sort of reminder, certainly. After that, Prompto was quick to lead him to one of the entrances of the park, where they then sat on a nearby bench and waited. He caught him staring more than once, seemingly tracing his eyes over the patterns on his fur. He briefly wondered how in the world he thought that he looked at all domesticated enough to just be some average dog, with his towering size and clearly-wolfish features. Suddenly feeling more than a little bold, he turned from where he sat facing the street and instead laid down so his front legs splayed over his lap, resting his massive head between them. He felt him quickly bring his arms up, hiding his face in his hands if his muffled, hushed squealing was any indication, then after a moment he felt him bring them back down to hesitantly card his fingers through his pelt. He could tell he was intentionally giving his wound a wide berth, and even when he wasn't anywhere near it he still rubbed at him with maddening gentleness. "Such a handsome boy, aren't you," he cooed to himself, and Ignis' eyes flew open in surprise. "Your coat's way too well-groomed for you to be a stray; your owner must be missing you something awful." He briefly contemplated whether he had the meanness in him to tease Prompto for this afterwards or not. Likely the latter, if for no reason other than simply for his sake. It was a few more minutes before the Regalia pulled up in front of them, top-down. I should hope his father knows what he's doing right now, he thought with a narrow of his eyes as he lifted his head to look over. Noctis had parked with the passenger side closest to the sidewalk, presumably so Prompto could get in easier, and he squinted at the two of them over the distance. Staring right at Ignis. "About time, Noct! We've been waiting forever out here," Prompto playfully complained, wrapping his hand around the front of his neck to gently push him up and off of his lap so he could stand. He stashed his phone away into his pants pocket before turning to gesture to him, looking over at Noctis a bit sheepishly. "Sooo, this is the dog I was telling you about--"

"Prom," he suddenly cut in, completely deadpan. Ignis sat up straighter on the bench, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"...what?" he replied in confusion when Noctis just gave him a look.

"Okay, so, two things," he started with a low sigh, waving a lazy hand for them to hop in the car, which Ignis did immediately while Prompto hesitated for a moment when he saw him jump in the front seat, leaving him to sit in the back. "One; that's not a dog, that's a werewolf," he explained dryly as he started driving, ignoring the shocked expression his best friend sent him in the mirror, "and two; that's not just any werewolf, that's Ignis."

"What?!" he all but screeched from the backseat. Ignis dared to glance up to the mirror to find Prompto already staring back at him in horror. A few dreadfully long, silent seconds went by before he piped up again, this time barely louder than a mouse. "I-I'm so sorry, Igs, I had no idea, I--holy shit, I'm so sorry," he whimpered, desperately trying to curl up into himself and hide his face from sight.

"Let me guess, you acted like an idiot, didn't you," Noctis blankly spoke up, to which Prompto just let out a muffled whine. He was outstandingly kind to me, he wanted to retort, sharply turning his head to glare over at Noctis, a trait you could afford to learn from him, your Highness. "Easy, Specs," he quickly said after catching his blazing eyes, "I'm just teasing."

"Uggghhh, I was such an idiot, though," his voice carried from the back once more, and he turned his head to actually look at him. Prompto must've felt his eyes on him, for he peeked through his fingers a few moments later, looking painfully embarrassed. "I really am sorry, Iggy..." He wished he could’ve put his mind at ease. He was already prone to locking up around him, and he could only imagine that his anxiousness would get even worse after this if he didn't do something about it. Unable to soothe him with words, he instead reached back to gently paw at him. But he'd already shamefully looked away again.

They made it to his apartment around half an hour later. The rest of the drive had been silent, as was the walk through the lobby, and the elevator ride up to his floor. All the while, Ignis contemplated on how he would be navigating the situation at hand. I have to tell him tonight, surely? he pondered as Noctis got out his spare key and let the three of them inside.

"We should probably get going now, Noct," Prompto suggested nervously, very clearly feeling like he'd overstayed his welcome. Before he could even think to start walking back out, Ignis leaped to stand in the hallway between him and the door. "--Iggy?" he yelped, taken aback.

"Pretty sure he wants you to stay, dude," Noctis chimed in, easily stepping past his body-blockade. He patted at his back as he went. "Go easy on him, Igs." He just huffed softly in reply. Naturally.

"Al-alright...uhm...see you later, then?"

"Mm. Later." And just like that, Noctis closed the door behind him and it was just the two of them. Prompto stood in the hall like he thought the surrounding walls were going to sprout teeth and crush him into pulp between animated jaws. He could only hope that, in time, he would come to be as comfortable here as he was in his own home. He batted at his leg with a paw, gesturing to be followed. He brought him over into the living room and waited until he sat down on the couch, lingering to make sure he was settled, before finally trotting off to the bedroom. He opened one of his dresser drawers with his teeth, randomly plucking out a pair of jeans. He could bother with boxers and a shirt later. Then he was back out and into the bathroom, carefully nosing the door shut. He instinctively wanted to lock it, but quickly decided that Prompto wouldn't just burst in on him while he was shifting back, and thus made peace with the fact that he couldn't and carried on. Setting his pants to the side, he did a quick check to make sure there wasn't anything in the immediate space that he could accidentally injure himself on, before feeling confident enough to finally close his eyes and ground himself, his muscles constricting and spasming as he willed himself into human form. Thankfully, he'd spent much of his younger years carefully mastering his control over his shifting, specifically so that he didn't sound like some sort of dying beast every single time. After what felt like barely a minute, his eyes blinked open, and he saw two hands clutching at the tile floor. Sighing under his breath in relief, he moved to stand to his feet--

"Fucking--hell," he suddenly spat out in pain, the once dull stinging in his shoulder now a full-blown fire raging throughout his arm and back. Naturally, the bite had become quite agitated after such drastic contortions. Grinding his teeth together so he didn't growl out loud, he finally managed to stand on shaky legs and get himself over to where he'd tossed his jeans, trying to put them on as quickly as he could without losing his balance in the process. He could dress the wound later; right now, he needed to talk to Prompto. Running his hand back through his hair so that it wasn't so messy, he opened the door and made his way back into the living room, pleased beyond belief to find him still sat at the couch. He immediately jumped up as he entered the room, staring pointedly at his bleeding shoulder in clear shock.

"Oh my Gods, it looks even worse now," he fretted, apparently not noticing how Ignis was advancing on him given that his posture had yet to accordingly change. "Do you need help with--" He cut himself off with a surprised squeak when he bodily leaned against him, making sure to rest on Prompto's right side so that he didn't get blood all over him. He gently pushed at his hips with sluggish hands, and once he got the hint and sat back down he immediately sank down onto his knees in front of him and pressed the top of his head to his chest, all but on his lap. He could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage. It felt like years had gone by before he finally spoke up again, his voice quiet in the darkness of the apartment, shaking anxiously, "Ignis, are you okay...?" He let his words hang in the air for a few moments as he thought. Then, he tilted his head up so he could languidly nuzzle the bridge of his nose against his soft shirt, greedily breathing him in. He always smelled so nice.

"I am, now," he rumbled hoarsely in reply.

"...are you sure?" He just nodded slowly against him, entirely entranced by his scent flooding his senses. Again, Prompto went quiet. He could feel his hands hovering awkwardly around his shoulders, obviously uncertain of what would be acceptable for him to do right now. "Li-listen," he began, stammering in his nervousness, "I'm really, really sorry about earlier. If I had known it was you, I promise, I never would have--"

"As if the way you acted towards me was so abhorrent," he smoothly interrupted him. At the mention of it, the memory resurfaced fresh in his mind, and he suddenly found himself aching to feel those soft hands running through his hair.

"I treated you like a dog, Igs," he whined in embarrassment. "I petted you."

"And?" Immediate, practically palpable silence.

"...wh-what d'you mean, 'and?!’" he eventually managed to weakly shoot back, sounding bewildered at his dismissal. "You should be mad at me right now--why aren't you mad?" An opening. Finally.

"I've never been able to be angry with you, Prompto," his admittance was hushed; soft with emotion. Somehow, his heartbeat quickened even more. Before he lost the moment, he hastily added, "I have always had something of a soft spot for you in my heart, from almost the very moment I first laid eyes on you." More silence. He continued. "For so long, I have suffered from this ache in my chest; longing for your presence, your touch. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have dreamed of simply having you," before he could think to stop himself, he leaned up and desperately--yet gently, ever so gently--cupped his cheek with a hand, daring to bury his face into the side of his neck. "I am so, so heart-breakingly fond of you, Prompto..." After a few seconds, he started lightly shaking again, though he made no attempts to push him off or otherwise try to get away. Ignis just gripped at his waist with his other hand and pressed his nose more needily to his neck, waiting for his response with bated breath.

"...holy shit," he finally breathed out, and when he realized he could hear the smile in his voice he felt relief wash through him like calming water. "Am I dreaming right now?"

"I should hope not," he chuckled a bit, lovingly nuzzling against him. Prompto eagerly wrapped his arms around his neck in a hug, though he could tell he was still being mindful not to accidentally bump his injury. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, he abruptly leaned up so that they were eye-level. ”Please let me kiss you,” he murmured, their faces barely even an inch apart. Prompto’s eyes widened just the slightest bit at first, then he saw his dark pupils begin to dilate and drown out the blue-violet of his irises. The little nod and agreeing hum he gave was all Ignis needed, and as if the very world itself would end if he didn’t do it right then he surged forward to capture his mouth in a heated kiss. The way he instinctively pressed into it felt even better than he imagined it would. "Stay the night," he practically begged against his lips once they parted.

"O-okay," came the breathlessly excited reply.

[iximaz]

Running thoughts on The Mandalorian Episode 8

This episode summed up in one word: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA???!!!

I’m only gonna say it once: MASSIVE spoilers beyond the break!

THEY PUT BABY YODA IN THE BAG ASDFGHJKL; YOU MONSTERS aw cute point of view shot from inside the bag but also HOW DARE YOU

DID YOU JUST SERIOUSLY HIT MY BABY 

did you seriously do it TWICE

Okay these two troopers have big Taika energy and as much as I already hate them I’m laughing my ass off

These two trying some target practice to pass the time can’t shoot for shit and I’m living for it

That other trooper be like

Okay it’s not just me who heard that trooper say “Oh my god”, right??

You go Baby Yoda, you bite that mean trooper WHO JUST FUCKING PUNCHED YOU WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM I HOPE THEY DIE

oh my god IG you better show them what’s what

Breaking that fucker’s arm after he hit Baby Yoda yesssssss

IG is an icon and i love him

“The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers” oh that’s neat so that’s where it was

“If we can get down there, they can help us escape” uhhh Dyn how long has it been since they said they’d have to relocate buddy

Oh the troopers are getting out a big gun thing this is fine they’ll just miss with it anyway

...What the hell kind of sewer has access inside a bar lounge?

can we just get more footage of cara with her big gun being sexy and stuff please

SHE’S FROM ALDERAAN HOLY SHIT WHAT

HE KNOWS THEIR NAMES OH SHIT

!!!!! SPELLING CONFIRMED IT’S DIN DJARIN MY MAN I NEED TO GO EDIT MY FANFIC NOW BUT AAAAAAAA

“Night of a Thousand Tears” is this just me or does this just sorta feel like Kristallnacht like seriously yikes and also oof

Ughhhhh I hate Moff Gideon so good job writers on that I absolutely loathe your villain well done

“Mandalorian isn’t a race.” “It’s a Creed.” FUCKIN YES THANK YOU THIS IS SOMETHING FANS WON’T SHUT UP ABOUT

baby din is so precious and i wanna feed him cookies and tell him it’s gonna be okay send help please

ARE THOSE DEATH WATCH MANDOS OH MY GODDDDDDD

Baby Din being carried away via jetpack my heart

Oh man so the Purge would have happened semi-recently which means Din’s clan are a more orthodox version of the Way that’s neat aw shit Imma have to tweak my fic again aren’t I

Baby Yoda and IG-11 on the bike together are just stunning

“I am fulfilling my base function. ... To nurse and protect.” YOU GO NURSE DROID IG

Greef downing shots thinking he’s gonna die is honestly such a mood

hnggg yess more of Cara being sexy AF

MOFF JUST BLEW UP MY HUSBAND HOW DARE YOU

Cara yes RESCUE HIM PLEASE

“If you go near this child, I will have no choice but to kill you.” ME TOO

Oh shit oh shit that’s chunky blood

Not good not good not good

Din baby please you can’t die this is your show

oh god is he gonna need to take the helmet off

oh no he’d rather die than take it off

he wants cara to protect his baby send help

“the foundling” BABY YODA IS CONFIRMED HIS SON NOW AAA

BABY YODA REDIRECTING THE FIREBALL YOU’RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE

Din asking IG to kill him nooo ;-;

The episode’s only half over and I still haven’t seen some of the trailer shots how’re they getting out of this

oh

oh m

my god

“No living thing has s-seen me without m-my helmet since I s-swore the C-Creed—” Din stoppit stop stuttering and dying you’re breaking my heart

Oh no is this gonna make him stop hating droids so much is this a loophole is this not can he not be Mandalorian is he g

oh my g

Din baby look at what they’ve done to you

(internally: oh my god he’s hot this is not fair imma die send help my ovaries am become explode)

HE’S SO EXPRESSIVE WITHOUT THE HELMET

his reaction to IG’s attempt to make a joke like my god aaaaaaa

I’m just gonna go cry seeing all the helmets and armor piled up here if we’re gonna continue the Jews parallel this is like all the shoes you see at Holocaust museums and I bet this was 100% intentional

Din just slowly falling to his knees seeing it :(

Oh thank fuck the Armorer is actually alive and the preview scene wasn’t from a flashback!

She knows about the Jedi~~~

Din: “So you mean this thing is my baby now?” Armorer: “Bitch haven’t you been watching the entire show”

For real this brings my heart so much fucking joy I can’t even

“You are a clan of two.” ASDFGHJKL; AAAA

HE GOT THE MUDHORN AS HIS SIGNET AFTER ALL

“Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?” JETPACK?

“When I was a boy, yes.”

JETPACK!!!!!!

BABY DIN LEARNING HOW TO USE A JETPACK ART NOW PLEASE AAA

Also okay so like he says nobody’s said his name since he was a kid but apparently the entire clan knows it? What? Did I miss something? Guys?

Maybe he’s never heard the name from people outside the clan? Fuck it, that’s what Imma go with

Oh my god the Armorer beating the absolute hell out of those Stormtroopers I am so gay for her right now aaaaa

Cara watching Greef and Din trying to move the boat and then she just shoots the dock it’s on XD

aww the little R2 unit’s got little arms WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING IT’S GOT LEGS TOO??

Din: “I don’t suppose anybody here speaks droid?” IG-11: “bish u wot m8″

God the convection from this lava river’s gotta be brutal

omg fire ferrets good bois good bbs

...Literally everything about IG’s death and Din starting to overcome his hatred of droids just in time to watch his savior self-destruct to save them all hurts so hard, jesus christ

oh shit it’s the Moff in a TIE

“Come on, baby! Do the magic hand thing!” Greef you absolute icon i love u

Baby Yoda just fuckin waving back at him and cooing im ded

oh shit it’s motherfuckin JETPACK TIME

wait how’s he wearing it over the cape won’t the cape burn up

Nvm he’s got the cape slung over one shoulder now

HE FLYIN HE FLYIN HE FLYIN

aAaAaAaAaAaAaA THAT CAN’T BE GOOD FOR HIS ARMS

hahaha Moff get fuckin REKT (no way he’s dead though people climb out of worse crashes than that all the time)

Okay Din using the jetpack is way sexier than it should be can he just take me now please i thirst

Cara becoming Greef’s enforcer is just perfect and I hope we see more of these two in the next season also sweet Din is gonna find his life a lot easier now that he’s not running from the Guild

BABY YODA WANTS TO BE PICKED UP BY HIS DADDY MY HEART AAAA IT’S JUST LIKE WHEN DIN WAS SAVED AS A KID

He made Kuiil a grave im not crying ur crying

is he gonna name the baby Kuill

Baby Yoda has the pendant he gave Cara!!

HE GETS TO KEEP THE PENDANT DIN HAS ACCEPTED HE’S GOT A SON AAA

And now we pan back to the wreck where Moff is climbing out of it

or not

fuckin Jawas, man

Now Moff?

wait

oh

my

g

w

o

OH

MY GOD

IT’S

IT’S THE DARKSABER!!!!!!!!

[revisionaryhistory]

Three Days ~ 31

Catch up on AO3

EMMA

What a crazy fucking weekend.

I watched Sebastian walk through the doors before I drove off. I was barely back on the main road when the weight of the time together really hit me. We shoved a lot into a short period of time, but the short period of time wasn’t that short. Total of four days. Four days isn’t that long to get to know someone, unless during those four days you were apart for maybe ten hours. Two before dinner and eight after. We weren’t apart from Saturday at eleven until just now. Three full days, minus him leaving equals sixty-eight hours of an uninterrupted time, add in fifteen minutes at the grocery and nine and a half for dinner. Now were at seventy-seven hours and forty-five minutes together. I have no idea why I did this math. Usually when you’ve known someone for four days you’ve hung out, talked on the phone, did a few things. We didn’t do that. We spent seventy-eight hours together. Barely any of it sleeping. The problem, which isn’t much of a problem, is trying to accept how I'm feeling about Sebastian after four days and seventy-eight hours sound like more time, which makes the difficulty saying goodbye make sense.

I need to talk to my best friend. My drive isn't nearly long enough. I told my vehicle to call Angie and waited for her to pick up.

"My favorite person!"

I smiled at the sound of her voice, "Even on a long weekend Tuesday morning?" Those are almost worse than Mondays. The short week being the only redeeming quality.

"Always." We both laughed. "I'm dog assed tired. We didn't leave Eli's parents until late. There were too many one last songs. How was your weekend?"

"Apparently it was the weekend for visiting parents. I met a man who was up here helping his parents move."

The excitement in her voice was clear, "Did you? I want to hear absolutely everything. Wait, is this a good meet or a bad meet? I still want details, but need to be prepared."

"Ang, he is incredible. I... he's incredible. It was such a good weekend. I want to flop down on my bed kicking and screaming. He is sweet, funny, and we talked for hours and hours. We had so much fun. And that was before the sex. Parts of my body are still tingling. When I get home my sheets are going to smell like him." I took a shuddering breath. Wow, it felt good to get that out.

"Holy shit!" Angie's laugh was pretty close to the best part of my day and I’d had a really good day. "You're gushing over this man. I can’t wait to hear everything. Why didn't you call me last night?"

"Because I only just dropped him off at the train station."

"Explains your still tingling parts."

Yes, it does. Meet up on FaceTime about four?"

"Sounds good."

We hung up and I felt like I could make it through the day without exploding. There is something about a new romance, especially when it comes out of nowhere, that fills you with so much energy. It's fun and exciting. I walked into school with a ridiculous grin and an idea.

I had to work fast. My kids would be coming soon. I ducked into Mallory's room on the way to mine, "Hey, can you come help me for a minute?"

"Sure. Right behind you."

Mallory was a fifth grade teacher. She would definitely corroborate that age were smart asses, but she liked smart asses. We'd started the same year and became friends going through all the orientation and training stuff together. Mal had clued me in on the gossipy teacher I'd gone out with a few times. I would not have been the first story he'd told.

Mallory caught up to me, "Everything ok? I missed you yesterday."

We were good friends, but not good enough for me to tell her about Sebastian before talking to Angie. "Yeah, I was enjoying the long weekend and wasn't ready to be social."

"I hear you. Felt like a work pot luck."

My day had been much better. "I laid around all day." Truth. We walked into my room and I sat my stuff down, handing my phone off to Mallory. "I want a new picture for my final newsletters. Wanted to get it before all this white got dirty."

Mallory took my offered phone, "You look really pretty."

"Thank you." I wanted a very first grade teacher picture. I went to the bookcase in front of our nearly full word wall. I held one hand out like I was showing off our year, which I was, but I was showcasing the words baby, blue, and boy. She took a few pics, I gave her a quick hug, and told her I'd see her at lunch. I took a couple of close up selfies before sending the full body one to Sebastian with a text saying, "Ready for the week."

I got back, "Damn..."

My kids started arriving and it was lunch before I checked my phone. I had a two word message this time, "Closer, please." I picked the selfie I thought he'd like best and sent it before heading to the teacher's lounge for lunch.

It would be after school before I heard from him again.

Sebastian ~ So pretty

Emma ~ Glad you think so. TY

Sebastian ~ Posting something on IG. Not creepy to follow now.

Emma ~ We're past the creepy zone?

Sebastian ~ More or less. My thoughts about a first grade teacher are more inappropriate than creepy.

Emma ~ Completely different.

Sebastian ~ Good day?

Emma ~ Very! Heading home. You?

Sebastian ~ Meeting with manager. Tell you all about later. Safe drive home.

Emma ~ TTFN

I headed home, skipping my usual trip to the gym. Volleyball practice could count. I was out on my deck with a glass of iced tea when Angie called right before four.

"Start at the beginning."

I went through how we met, dinner, and the festival on Saturday. The falling asleep on the couch got us laughing.

"He sounds adorable, Emma. Tell me about him. Where's he live?  What’s he do?”

Angie knew all about Ed and she was married to a musician, so I wasn't concerned about her reaction to him being a celebrity.

"He's tall and works out. His body his amazing. Gorgeous blue eyes, brown hair with just a little wave, and a beard. His lips ... his smile lights up his face and he has crinkles at the corners of his eyes. He's gorgeous."

"Of course, he is."

The slight sarcasm in her voice wasn't doubting what I said, but the level.

"You think it's the sex haze." We call the tendency to find someone more attractive if the sex is good being caught in the sex haze. It will blur a lot of faults. "Except he is objectively gorgeous. Want to see a picture?"

"You bitch! You should have led with a picture."

I laughed, "No, I shouldn't have." I sent her the silly picture with the bear from the festival. "I wanted you to hear about him before knowing who he is."

Her eyebrows pulled down, "Who he is?" I heard her text notification and watched her face go from confused to wide eyed, "Holy fuck, Em! That's Sebastian Stan."

"I didn't recognize him until we were outside the grocery. I started laughing." I told her about him not wanting to be anything more than a guy on a date and our conversation about Ed. I could see the disbelief on her face. I didn't talk about Ed. "I thought it would make things easier."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. It's just weird how you meet this famous actor, but aren't all that impressed because your second dad is in Pearl Jam. It's like some weird fate thing. Ed's not going to be happy."

I laughed loudly, "Oh, he’ll fucking hate it."

I told Angie the rest of the story, leaving out some of the more personal bits. When I finished we sat silent for a minute.

Angie smiled, "What do you need from me? You already know the complications that come with being famous. Not particularly stable relationships, paps, and fans. He doesn't sound like a paranoid narcissist, which is a bonus."

I nodded. I did know the pluses and minuses. "I don't need anything really." I took a deep breath, "I needed to talk to someone who wouldn't give a fuck about who he is. My dopamine levels have got to be astronomical. I like him. It started in the grocery, when I realized he was lost and not a rehab patient. There was something about him, how he felt. I immediately wanted to know him and the more I got to know the more I wanted to be with him." I paused, smiled and shook my head a little. "There was this connection. It's comfortable and exciting at the same time. I know it doesn't make sense, but it makes perfect sense. He just feels right."

Angie let the fingers over her lips fall away, "Em, if any one deserves someone, something wonderful it’s you." We shared a smile. "When are you going to see him again?"

"This weekend. He’s coming up for the volleyball tournament." Just thinking about seeing him made me grin.

"Hey," Angie's eyes lit up, "I think Eli met him." She picked up her Macbook and started walking. "A party or something." I could see she was in her living room. "Hey babe, didn't you meet Sebastian Stan?"

I couldn't see him, but recognized Eli's voice, "Who are you talking to?"

I yelled, "Hi, Eli!

His face came into view as Angie sat next to him, "Hi, Em. Shit, are you two fangirling over a Marvel movie?"

I said no at the same time Angie said yes.

Eli rolled his eyes at us. A frequent occurrence when we were all together. Still, he answered. "A couple of times. He's infuriatingly better looking in person."

"What's he like?" Angie, not me.

Eli looked between us before answering, "Nice guy. Funny as hell when he's drunk and they start talking shit. Boone's husband, Kirk, worked on Gossip Girl. Seb's been to gig, a couple of parties. He was filming something and couldn't come to the wedding, but he was at the bachelor party."

Angie shoved him, "Where were we at these parties?"

He looked at her like she was crazy, "You could have been there. No one pays any attention to him. If anything, he tries to blend in. He’s kind of an introvert. And really, would either of you recognized him before Civil War?"

Angie smirked, "One of us wouldn't recognize him if she ran into him."

Eli narrowed his eyes at her then looked at me, "What have you done, Emiliana?"

I waved my hands around in front of me, "Why am I getting the dad voice?"

More eye rolling, "What have you done?"

I rolled my eyes right back at him. "I went to the grocery and there was this guy in a baseball cap and hoodie cursing and talking to himself in the baking aisle. Turns out he was Sebastian Stan."

Eli snickered, "Sounds like him." Angie put her phone in front of him. I could see the wheels in his head spinning. "You would never ask for a selfie. Hook ups don’t include photos. You went on a date."

I raised my eyebrows.

Eli copied me, "You're dating him."

"It would seem so."

"And I’m providing a character reference?"

I shook my head, vehemently, "No. I was having a teenage girl moment calling my best friend to rave about the new guy and she remembered you'd met him. I promised not to Google." They stared at me, "I want to get to know him not research. Fuck knows I don't want him to find me on Google."

I guess Eli could till the last bit shook me, "Em, he would never know where to look."

I shook myself out of the mood, "Yeah, so no, I'm not wanting details on him. He’s a good guy. He’s sweet, good to his mom, was nothing but respectful to me. He’s good to me.”  These were my best friends. “I know he partied too much for a while and there was an ugly breakup where they fought in public, said some mean shit. I don't want information unless you need to wave me off."

Eli frowned and shook his head, "I wouldn’t ask your permission to wave you off."

"I love you too, Eli."

[marshmallowprotection]

Can I request HC for RFA + Minor duo (soz Vandy) with MC who loves kids and babies? Eg. MC would get slightly teary from seeing cute babies on IG or if they go w/ their S/O and saw a kid, their heart would melt straight away like "OMG they're so adorable!" (For Baehee and Zen's case, assume MC saw a co-worker/fan/customer who brought along a kid and MC gets super friendly like *cue baby language towards the kid and somehow the kid gets along with MC*)

Personally, children terrify me with the amount of responsibility they require as well as the dedication it takes to be a good parent. I respect anyone who has the gall to do it. But definitely not a good idea for me personally which is okay too! God, I hope I did you right, anon.

Yoosung Kim

° Oh my God. MC just got somehow more adorable than he thought they could? Yoosung feels some kind of way when he sees how excited or bubbly you get around children, you’re just so nice and it really makes his face turn red when he incidentally imagines what a future would be like with you where the both of you have kids together. He’s frankly, not going to admit it outright at first or anything, he’s just going to appreciate this from afar until you’re both a little older and more prepared for that kind of conversation.

° Him baby.

° He's still young. As are you! So the idea is off the table until later in life, of course, but boy whenever you get into that mood it makes him red.

° "Uh. Whatcha watching there, Y/N?" He asks as he sees you teary eyed from either laughter or joy.

° "....My friend's baby is super cute, and I can't help but watch whenever she posts something!" comes the muddled explanation from your lips. "I really like seeing babies doing cute stuff, makes me hopeful for our future."

° You're beaming and he's mortified.

° You want to... with him?

° Boy, he can hardly handle kissing you the first couple of times and you're already onto the future when you might have kids. His heart is weak but he can't deny how adorable it is to see your face light up.

° Upon seeing his red-face, you have to reassure him. "Don't worry, Yoosung. You have no idea how red you are right now! That's still a long time away!"

Hyun Ryu

° You have no idea what that is doing to the beast. Your sheer enthusiasm is really something that amuses him. The way that your eyes light up and the way your smile looks when you’re playing a game with a toddler really makes him chuckle. Unlike Yoosung, he’s going to verbalize his interest and tease you a little bit about you. Because he definitely wants kids sometime in the distant future with you when the timing is right, unlike the internal struggle that either one of the Choi brothers would be through, Zen’s connection with the idea of parenthood is different.

° He had it pretty bad, but he promises to do better, and he intends to uphold that. Zen will do better and never make his kid feel like they’re outcasts or not good enough. His fear isn’t in that he thinks he’ll become like his parents, it’s all channeled into becoming a better person. It’s a healthier manifestation of his issues but even he isn’t immune to thinking he might make a bad choice here or there.

° You met with some old friends and he saw the way you just instantly brightened with a kid in the room. It must be something about you because you can get enraptured in the smallest of thing and the simplest of things.

° Like, wow, you look super into making that kid believe his hiding spot is perfect.

° "You're pretty good with kids, Jagiya."

° "Haha. I guess so. I never really noticed. I'm just fond of them. I've always wanted to be parent."

° "...Is that so? I can help you with that."

° Uh oh, watch out MC, the beast is going to be unleashed if you aren't careful with your word choices.

Jaehee Kang

° One of your friends came over to the cafe and brought along their child, and you immediately took to the scene to say hello and amuse them for their parent long enough so that they could get a coffee and relax for five minutes. And you're surprisingly very good at handling the situation, in a way that impresses Jaehee. It's another side of you that she had not known. Your compassion has no bounds and you seem to want to help everybody.

° You radiate strong parent energy when you're like that and Jaehee has to admit that she's impressed. She had never imagined either of you as the type to have children but this cements the idea that if you did decide later on to do that or something like that, you would be a perfect fit for it. And the way that you always light up when you're amusing children just makes her feel even better about you.

° Jaehee is most put together person among everyone and she always tends to have a plan in line. Routine and day to day, she's more than ready to be able to add a child into that mix if the situation allowed. She's not always the most confident but boy will she do great as a parent because she knows how to handle messes. She doesn't exactly remember what it was like to be with her family but she knows it would be nice to build a new one with you.

° Jaehee often finds herself smiling in your direction at the counter when you coo at babies.

° You'll catch her staring and tease her for watching you like that. "Jaehee, are you jealous?"

° "Of course not," she'll say. "I just like watching you caring for children like that."

° She also would love to see you stare at her like that. Low-key.

Jumin Han

° It was one thing when he saw how gentle you were with Elizabeth the 3rd, and it is another thing entirely when he sees you with a kid.

°That really invites those domestic feelings that he's always longed for in his life. His home life wasn't always the simplest when he was a kid, and he didn't exactly get a rounded experience that every other person has been able to have. So, for him to be able to imagine being able to have that kind of life in his future really does it for him. Like, oh boy, he can work with this.

° You're always in a place that he hasn't been able to connect with the moment you're around a kid. Your face lights up and you're so bubbly and kind. It's like you flipped a switch and he really loves seeing you like that!

° You would be holding a friend's kid, cooing at it, humming a song underneath your breath, and man oh man, Jumin feels some kind of way about all of that.

° "Y/N, how do you feel about children?" He asks.

° Clearly oblivious, and unknowing of what he meant, "I love kids, Jumin, I thought that that was abundantly clear with my attitude, why do you ask?"

° "I meant for us."

° "Oh."

° Good luck with that!

Saeyoung Choi

° Oh, no. His MC is too cute for him!

° He cannot handle the amount of cute that happens every chance you get around some children. It's obvious to him right off the bat that you've got a lot of compassion to give to the world and of course you had to be the kind of person that somehow attracts the attention of every kid in the room. It doesn't matter what you've done or what you said, kids just seem to know what you radiate. You're a trustworthy person and innocent things pick up on that immediately. Seven knew your heart and type well before you worked your way into his heart.

° Similiar to his brother, he would have this internal dialogue that makes him feel like he won’t be cut out for it. It isn’t as bad as the fears that Saeran would feel, but it’s damn near close. Would he be a decent parent? Would he do the right thing? Would he royally fuck up? Because he wants to he a better person to everyone around him, including his own possible children in the not far future.

° It's actually you that makes the world of difference in his fears by helping him work on that fear as you often help out friends who have children, and your family who have younger children.

° You would be hanging out with a child while babysitting, likely working on a puzzle or something together on the carpet. Encouraging them whenever they did something right as well as pointing out the next step low-key, and the minute that you caught Saeyoung staring that was it for him. You don't take no for answer at times like that. He's roped right into this before he can say anything and it turns out he's not as horrible as he thought he might be.

° You have a way of easing out his nerves and that makes it a lot easier for him to talk with children and humor their imagination. His childish nature actually works pretty well with most kids so that persona isn't hard to come out naturally when he's pressed.

° "Saeyoung," you scold him afterwards, knowing what he was thinking. "You shouldn't be scared of children, you're a natural at caring for them!"

° Wounded pride. "Not as well as you are, Y/N."

° "That's only because I've been working hard at it. You didn't even have to try. I know you love kids, you'll be great with our children when it comes down to it." You say.

° Reassurance and teamwork really makes the dream work.

Jihyun Kim

° Jihyun loves the way that your face lights up when you're with children. The warmth of your heart really sets him on fire, and he decidedly cherishes this side of you because it's sweet.

° Even though it's been rocky for such a long time for him, he was trying to care for Saeran and Saeyoung when he was practically a kid himself. He doesn't regret trying to help those brothers even though it turned out the way that it did. That's the one thing that has stuck with him in spite of the fears. Caring for children, your biological, or adopted, it's a rewarding thing! It's something that he believes in and won't ever be shaken from. He might be hesitant to take that step in his own life again, in the fear that he make a horrible choice that lands somebody in trouble again.

° It would take a very determined MC who helps him learn otherwise to allow him to want to be a parent again to another child but he'll prove himself.

° It's easy for you to keep up with children, and he catches you in the midst of playing a game with a friend's kid and the way that that kid is so excited about you makes him think that you could be a great parent.

° "You've been hanging back for a while, Jihyun, do you prefer watching then participating?" You would tease him for standing in the doorway, just watching from afar.

° "No, no. I just like seeing how your face lights up, Y/N." He would say, looking away. "You're great with kids."

° "Are you just saying that cause i cried at that video with the baby last night?"

° "No way."

° Probably. You'll never know for sure, now will you?

Saeran Choi

° His struggle is probably the worst out of this group.

° It’s not a bad thing, per se, it’s just that he fears children. No, it’s not that. He wouldn’t mind children if they were the others his brother had, or possibly even some of the other RFA members. It’s that he fears the idea of parenthood. He doesn’t think he’s ever going to capable of that, and that feels like a failure to him. He gets that his MC likely would want to be a parent and he loves the way your face lights up when you see kids it’s just -

° There’s a disconnect. Oh, he can envision his MC being a great parent to someone. But! He cannot see himself in that place. He struggles to see himself in charge of another life; Its hard enough for him to keep himself alive most days. It’s this lingering fear that he’s had for a long time where he might turn into his parents. He fears the sheer idea alone that he could ever be as awful as they were to him to his own children. Just the thought of raising his voice to a child makes him want to spin into a panic attack and dissociative fit.

° This would even be after a few years of really trying to get himself better, too, he can’t just shrug that fear away. It'll always be a part of him and he's tried to accept it.

° But, he knows how you are with kids. He respects that and stays out of the way most of the time when you're engrossed.

° It's when he's sitting alone with the kid and you had to leave the room to take care of something and you've left him alone with this kid, that he's put on edge. Of course this would happen. But, its not awful, it's a soft spoken child who hasn't said a lot since you left the room. He would manage a small "hi," and so would the kid. Awkward, to say they very least.

° Unfortunately he's not you so he doesn't know what to do.

° And when the kid starts to cry a little, he panics.

° What is he gonna do?

° You'd come back to the situation thinking it would be alright, and yeah, you're right. Saeran's taken it upon himself to ease whatever fit the kid was having by offering to share some of his sweets. That's one way to work your way into a kid's heart. Its moments like that that reassure some of Saeran's fears. The way that you smile at him when you see he's handled his fear, that's what makes him feel so great about himself for once in his life.

��� Mod Kait 💜

[saintjojis]

The Draw

ANONYMOUS ASKED:

Hi! Can I ask for a BTS fic with JungKook when he joins a dance academy and the reader is already one of their top dancers and he starts to fall for her? They end up being asked to do a partner dance for a competition and before they perform it on stage JungKook confesses? Thank you so much! I LOVE your blog❤️💕🌸

Genre: Dance Prodigy!Jungkook, Fluffy Angst

Word Count: 1,662

 Jungkook was hailed as a prodigy his entire life. He had a good voice, he was a good dancer, charismatic and charming. He could be the perfect star. So, it came as no surprise that he’d want to pursue the arts. He had no problem getting accepted into a prestigious dance academy, and just like that he was closer to achieving his dreams.

On the first day there, the newcomers had to show what they were made of. He didn’t fail to impress all but one. He was good for a new comer, but the mysterious girl didn’t seem impressed. Her expression impossible to read, nevertheless, she shot Jungkook a smile. Soon after, formal introductions were made. From the beginners to the intermediates, to the top dancers; here he found out her name and who she was.

“(Y/n), leader of the advanced dancers. Welcome to Joffrey Academy of Dance”

After introductions and a quick rundown  of the curriculum, everyone was sent to their respective teachers and groups. It came as a pleasant surprise for Jungkook to see (y/n) in his group, she would be assisting his teacher certain days and he wasn’t complaining. She always kept a stern look on her face, professional, calm and collected. When she danced her mien changed, she conveyed the mood of the dance through her varying expressions. She made everything look effortless and perfect. She oozed confidence, and Jungkook couldn’t get her off his mind. Just everything about her screamed flawless.

He tried his best, he gave his all, but she never seemed fazed or impressed which only frustrated him more and more. Everyone could see how good he was, why couldn’t she even give him another smile? Had she done it to be polite? Why was he stressing about her anyway? There were plenty of other girls that’d bend to his will, he didn’t need (y/n). So, why was she on his mind? Jungkook was determined to get her attention, at least once. He started practicing any chance he got. Soon whenever he was needed he could be found in whatever practice room was free.

Be it fate or be it some divine sign, one day while looking for a place to practice he found her in one of the rooms. He stood in the doorway hidden from view, and just watched her. The finesse in everything she did made her look like an angel, so effortless that she made it look like magic. She was almost too good to be real. He tried to take a closer look, only to stumble into the room. She looked at him, but said nothing. Jungkook’s cheeks flushed red as he looked at her. He got up as quickly as possible.

“Sorry, I was looking for somewhere to practice.” He hoped she wouldn’t notice that he’d been watching her.

“You can practice here, I was about to leave anyway.”  Her voice was a sweet melody to Jungkook. He felt both relief and embarrassment, he didn’t mean to just kick her out in middle of her practice.

“You don’t have to leave, I can just find somewhere else to practice, I mean it’s not-“

“You need to practice more than I do. By the way you should go over the moves from Monday’s lesson, you’re still a little stiff.” She cut him off, but as soon as she finished talking she packed up her things and left. Leaving Jungkook alone.

“Still a little stiff,” He muttered “I’m not fucking stiff.”

He went over the moves anyway. Maybe (y/n) was a little right. Just a little. He went over the whole lesson plus everything he’d learned as many times as he could in that afternoon. He couldn’t get the image of her out of his head, her voice, just everything about her. Jungkook wondered how she could dance so rigorously without even breaking a sweat. On his way back to his dorm, he thought about how good his name would sound if she said it. He could guess it was such a sweet sound. Maybe if he ran into her more, she’d eventually say his name.

 The weeks went by, and Jungkook had yet to impress (y/n). He was still invisible to her. Until, dance season was nearing. Tensions were at an all time high, everyone was feeling the stress of the competition on landing good parts. It was no struggle for (y/n) to get something good, but he could tell she too was stressing out about everything. Nothing had been announced yet, but everyone knew it’d be a showcase of the new talents as well as a farewell to those who will be leaving. The weeks leading up to it were hectic, everyone rushed to practice rooms after lessons, which meant more awkward encounters with (y/n). She offered to help him with whatever he was struggling with, but Jungkook’s pride made him deny the help every time.

One Monday, four weeks before the showcase, Jungkook’s teacher began assigning dances to the class. Some were group dances, other solos. One was a couples dance. Jungkook desperately hoped he’d get either a solo or a group dance, he couldn’t do a couples dance. There was no way. But the universe is cold and unforgiving, and he wound up getting the couples dance; with none other than (y/n). How ironic. He pleaded with his teacher to make a change, he couldn’t do it, especially not with her. However, his teacher refused, “You can’t? If you can’t then you can finish this semester and not come back the next.  That’s up to you, though.” Basically, a friendly ‘no pressure’ which just had him fuming. From here until the showcase he’d be seeing (y/n) every day, for hours on end. He had to put whatever was happening inside his head aside and focus. This was be all end all of his place in the academy. The first day of their practice was ultimately the most awkward. His movements were still stiff and awkward, he was overthinking his movements; which only made things harder for himself. Soon, (y/n) noticed why he was dancing like his limbs were made of stone.

“You need to stop thinking about it so much, Jungkook. Just listen to the music and lose yourself in it. Your movements will flow better, just don’t think” Just don’t think, easier said than done. He tried, he really did, but he was still intimidated by her. She could feel him tense up whenever they touched, she stopped the music.

“What’s wrong with you today? You dance great every other day! Why are you so tense now? Have you never danced with a girl? You can’t keep dancing like this, it can end you.” She ask, half mad half disappointed.

“So what if I’ve never danced with a girl! It’s not like I’ll always dance with a partner!” If she wanted to make him mad, she was succeeding. He couldn’t believe that she’d even be mad, it wasn’t easy and she treated it like it was the simplest thing.

“You know, maybe we should call it off for today. I’ll make arrangements tomorrow to get you a dance that’s more up to your skill. I can tell this isn’t for you.”

‘This isn’t for you’? Really? Was she really doubting his skills? That was it, they were getting this dance done by the end of the day. She was gathering her things and getting ready to leave when Jungkook turned the music back on. This caught (y/n) by surprise, what was he playing at now. She looked at him, he stared back expectantly. She made his way over to him, and they began the routine again. This time, it went over perfect. By the end of it, (y/n) was impressed by the change of character.

“What changed, shy boy? If you can keep this up everyday, we’ll make a good impression on everyone. Maybe you’ll move to the next course sooner.” (Y/n)’s tone was different, she sounded pleased.

“Yeah, maybe.” Jungkook said, quietly.

 The weeks flew by in a daze. Practice with (y/n) had gotten progressively better after the first day. It wasn’t as weird as he’d been expecting. They grew close in the few weeks leading up to the showcase, and soon, it was already the night they’d been preparing for. (Y/n) didn’t seem stressed at all, Jungkook on the other hand was really feeling the pressure. Before he knew it they had to begin preparing for their performance. She noticed him standing there all tensed up, with a look on his face like he’d just seen a ghost.

“You okay there? We’ll do fine, yeah?” Her voice was warm and reassuring, but he couldn’t shake off the nervousness. An impulse of stupidity came over him, and his mouth moved faster than his mind.

“(Y/n), I really, really like you. I hadn’t told you because I was kind of intimidated, but I really do like you. I think you’re beautiful and fun and smart. I’ve thought so ever since I saw you and-“

In that moment, everything was too real for (y/n). This explained his shyness to touch her, the loving gazes he gave her when they danced. Every unscripted touch and look suddenly made sense. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

“I like you too, shy boy. But we’ve got something to do.”

Without any words, they made their way to the stage. It was the perfect stage, every move was hit perfectly, every look they gave each other only further solidified the mood they’d set. It was electric, and everyone felt it. By the end of it, they’d captivated the audience. They received a standing ovation from the crowd. As soon as they made it backstage, Jungkook pulled her into him by the waist and kissed her softly. (Y/n) put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Maybe couple’s dances were Jungkook’s thing.

[arayael-eloha]

Clear Vision for the Future - Finding Beauty in the Journey

Imperfection. We are not perfect nor do I believe anyone could ever achieve perfection in their lifetime. If you know someone, hit me up, because I would LOVE to meet them to have a conversation about what that is like. Life is hard. I think most of us have figured that out by now, but it is also amazing. My life is amazing! I have something to be grateful for Every. Single. Day.

Life is here to shape you - to shape your individual path, to teach your soul the lessons it needs to learn to evolve to the next phase. WE are all here to serve a purpose, some are fortunate to quickly find out what their purpose is, some are lucky to find their soulmate to grow and navigate life with, and most of us are still trying to figure it all out, but one thing I know, and I have to remind myself, is that everyone has something they are working on. We are not perfect and even though the perfect life or perfect scenario can be portrayed, you really have no idea what that person is going through or has gone through to get where they are. So I say this to myself, and I say it to you, acknowledge your flaws, really try and understand what does limit you, because your weaknesses can be turned into strengths, they do not always have to inhibit you. They are there to be lessons for us, to strengthen us, to balance us, to HUMBLE us.

Easier said than done right? Yes, I know, trust me I KNOW! I have to constantly remind myself, especially when overwhelmed, what my gifts are, why I am here, what makes me happy, and not to let the flaws lead. A lot to think about right? We must be gentle with ourselves when making small changes or when accepting our reality. You do not have to be content with where you are if you don’t like it, but you need to embrace that and then build to make change. BE GENTLE. SHOW COMPASSION to others and to yourself. It is a lesson for all of us, so try that out. If you have the opportunity to reflect on yourself and what you striving for, look at your strengths, but also your flaws. Make a game plan. Make the changes. Be gentle and GROW! 

In my last post I spoke to my non-traditional views when it comes to healthcare and my take on what wellness looks like to me, well I wanted to talk about another practice that believe in and incorporate into my life.

Acupuncture/Cupping

This is a trend/wellness practice I can get behind. I found the perfect place right in DC called DC Acupuncture and the wonderful Joselo runs this business in providing these options, which usually are fairly expensive, to all. It is pay what you can sliding scale $20-50 per treatment, with a one time membership fee. This place makes me so happy and acupuncture and cupping has helped me so much in my workouts and even with life anxiety and stress. Acupuncture has amazing benefits and there is so much more I need to learn, so every time I go in to see my main man Joselo, I ask questions, seek his opinion on certain matters that might be going on in my body. I always go in open minded. He is open, loving, gentle, and wise. Such an amazing soul here in the District. If you want to try it and are in the area go book your appointment now!! Some questions I get when I show that I go on my IG are:

1. Does it hurt? → No, the cupping can be uncomfortable, but it does not hurt. It does leave some sexy marks after though, so keep that in mind ladies if you have a backless dress or some event. Marks usually last 4-7 days. Make you feel like the Riz!

2. What if I am scared of needles? What do those feel like? → The needles used are extremely thin, so the actual insert of them is not painful. There are various lengths and depending on how deep the acupuncturist places them into your body, where they place the needles combined with your pain tolerance, it can be mostly discomforting, but no extreme pain at all! And trust me I freak out over a finger prick. I used to have a meltdown as a child. 

Acupuncture is based on the thought of energy flow through the body through meridians which are the channels that hold your Qi. With the correct positioning of the needles, your meridians can be opened to help restore your energy and heal what is in need. Our bodies are vessels and can be very sensitive to energy, so when you feel ‘off’ or anxious or in pain, chances are you are experiencing a blockage. Acupuncture helps open that flow! Try it out next time or look into it to incorporate into your wellness routine!

WORK OUT

For this post’s featured workout, I wanted to show you a fun circuit to do after a nice run or light cardio day. You can even do this workout as the main event, but I usually use it as a booster on top of a cardio day. Try and do 12-20 reps of each movement for 3 rounds.

EATS

TWO FOR ONE! It is trial and error when it comes to meal prep and what works and what doesn’t for you. I HATE wasting food and so cooking the same thing for 5 days straight does not work for me. Plus I like freshness! Veggies usually get soggy after day 2, so I learned to cook food for two days and then switch it up. Here is a good rotation for lunch this week M-TH and then treat yo self on Friday!!!!!

Meal One Idea: Sautéed Spinach, Ground Turkey, and Cauliflower Gnocchi

-super easy, sauté spinach in ghee and adobo seasoning and trader joes is my best friend - if you do not have one near you, then you can do some couscous or cauliflower rice instead

Meal Two Idea: Mini Tacos, Chimichurri Rice, Peppers and Onions with cheese and tomatillo salsa

Remember, find beauty in your imperfections. The path is not always going to be straight and clear cut, but you’ll be able to navigate your ups and downs with clear vision if you embrace it all!

Be well my loves - eat, sweat, DANCE, be HAPPY!

In Peace,

A

[wr8tur]

SUPERGIRL RANT TIME 5

Imagine, if instead of Mon, Kara found a teenager/kid inside the pod? A little girl/boy Kryptonian/Daxamite that she could have taught and cared for? I personally think that would have been more interesting to see than Kara falling for the man-child she was babysitting.

I can imagine the kid being more into the science stuff if they were Kryptonian and then meets Lena and they click would have been better than Man Boy’s entrance.

Or like Kara gaining an understanding of why Clark didn’t take her in, because she sees how hard it is. Or maybe even getting angry with Clark because she’s making it work when he didn’t even try, that way we get a touch of the darkness in Kara like in the episode where she couldn’t show her anger.

I really think that could have offered her a lot more growth because now her entire arc has been placed on her love life.

Sadly this season has been all about love.

I say sadly because everyone got a love life which freaking annoys me. They should have just focused on Maggie and Alex getting together or even maybe Winn’s love life. By the way, totally called the girlfriend being evil somehow.

This season everyone got a love interest, even James because his love is the Guardian.

To be honest, I’m 80% happy that Katie McGrath got promoted as a season regular because I’ll get to see Katie on television again. I’m 10% terrified that they’re going to butcher her character somehow and the other 10% is worried that they just did it to bait us Katie Mcgrath fans and they’ll only show her like half the time to keep us watching.

I mean, how many of us just watch it now because of Lena? Tune in to see her name on the screen and then flip the channel when we don’t see her on the guest spot? Or if you live in the Pacific time zone like I do, check IG at 6 for #lenaluthor to see if there’s new screen caps of her? She’s honestly the only reason I watch Supergirl.

I admit, the sequence and story progression regarding that the villains and the objective have gotten better from the first season. There’s flow in the action but character growth and development is all over the place for me this season.

Kara starts off wanting to find herself, wants to find her place in the world, define herself outside of a romantic partner but then not even halfway through the season, she falls for Mon-El who’s a mess of a character himself because his arc has been completely rushed.

Alex and Kara don’t even really feel like sisters anymore. And honestly, Alex pushing Kara to date kind of makes me think she did it so she can concentrate on Maggie and not feel guilty that Kara’s alone. And being with Mon is easier for Kara since he already knows the Supergirl thing and because she doesn’t have to worry about her powers but I don’t even know what Kara likes about Mon?

He’s really a good guy despite his chauvinistic and arrogant beliefs? That he’s trying to change from the irresponsible coward to a hero? Why? Because he loves her enough to try? Why does Mon even love Kara? It always seems like he wants her to change too?

And the fuck was that episode on Flash? Music Meister wants them to learn they should allow themselves to be saved by their romantic partners and forgive them?

Jesus, Kara’s ass gets saved by J’onn and Alex half the fucking time on the show!

And we know Kara can forgive. She’s done it for Mon at the end of every episode. I know she’s not perfect but come freaking on. He practically said he never would have admitted it to her if his parents didn’t show up. That just proves that he hasn’t really changed.

Maybe that’s the attraction to Mon? He’s the selfish entitled jackass that she wants to be sometimes but feels like she can’t afford to be.

If that’s the case, then that explains some things.

It doesn’t excuse things because I get being attracted to the thing you want to be, but if Kara wants to be selfish deep down, then she could do better! Be with someone who can stand up for their self, who can back up their actions. That’s my problem with Mon El. His whole character’s excuse for being shitty is that he supposedly doesn’t know better.

That’s his entire excuse. He just says sorry but he never really shows that he is. And besides, he seems to have such little faith in Kara that it makes me wonder why he even really likes her?

He was afraid that she wouldn’t treat him right because he’s a Daxamite? He didn’t want to confess because he was afraid to prove Kara right? Or that Kara wouldn’t speak to him again? That means he thinks she’s an unforgiving racist. Why does he freaking love her then?

I really don’t understand what their character’s attraction is to one another. Especially on Kara’s end!

But still, Kara forgiving Mon after this just really pissed me off because it’s restarting the cycle of abuse all over again! Fucking A Kara, he lied about who he is so you would let him get close to you. And he lied about not telling anyone that you were dating. Lied about letting the Jeremiah thing go. He lies about shit and Kara just forgives him all the fucking time because he’s a Daxamite? He doesn’t know better because of the planet he comes from so we must excuse his ways? I thought Kryptonian’s were supposed to be smart?

Besides, she could have forgiven him without wanting to get back together. Make him really earn your trust which Kara seems to give so easily to everyone but LENA!!!!!

Yes, Mon saved her but come on, that crossover was a freaking mess. Music Meister did it so they’d learn a lesson? Like I said, Kara knows how to forgive. I don’t like that they were manipulated/forced into the situation where she had to learn something that a 26 year old woman should already know and I don’t like that everyone was telling her to forgive Mon because yes, Jeremiah lied to Alex and Lyra lied to Winn, but it’s not even remotely the same because they did it to protect people they love.

Because clearly, Mon doesn’t have a problem protecting Kara from his ‘truths’ since he reminds her of her faults whenever they’re arguing.

Clearly, the only person Mon is interested in protecting is himself.

Also it’s crude and derogatory to Supergirl/Kara. She’s supposed to be the epitome of female empowerment and yet they backed her into a corner to force her to see their point.

It just makes her stupid and it reinforces the belief that people should be forgiven even if they continually repeat the same mistake over and over again and that there are no consequences to Mon El’s actions. I mean, he’ll have to fight his parents but that doesn’t matter since Kara will offer her support and vagina every step of the way.

Anyway, this whole season is just a jumbled mess. Kryptonian’s have been painted as prideful arrogant race while Daxamites are savages who treat women objectively? But then why does Mon El’s dad let his mom have so much say?

She’s the one that talked to Kara to convince her to return Mon to them. I don’t think such an important task would have been entrusted to the queen if women were nothing compared to the men. Nothing about Mon’s mom seems like she’s subservient so if Mon’s been exposed to powerful women, why would he react like he doesn’t know strong women exist? Besides, if Daxamites were truly savages wouldn’t they have just issued an ultimatum and demanded Mon’s return or else blown the planet to bits? I mean they have an people at their disposal. It seems like the King and Queen wouldn’t even bargain, just make demands. Clearly they aren’t strangers to politics.

It just feels like the Kryptonian/Daxamite disagreement’s being blown to epic proportions because if their beef really had been that severe, if they truly hated each other wouldn’t the Kryptonian’s just have eliminated them with the Medusa virus?

The writers seem like their pushing Kryptonian/Daxam hatred of one another too hard and it feels inauthentic.

Like they’re really making it seem like Mon and Kara’s races were so different and that they truly hated each other and that they should never ever be together because of that.

But from what’s gone on, it feels more like they disagree on their views seeing as Kryptonian’s value academics and intelligence while Daxamites value wealth and power. Mostly it feels like they don’t like each other but leave the other race well enough alone. If that’s the case, it doesn’t warrant such reactions. Even the way they talk like ‘Daxamites are this’ and ‘Kryptonites are that’ make it seem more like they ignore each other’s existence because they don’t think highly of the other. It doesn’t really feel like they hate each other enough to have been at war with one another to the death for years.

Am I the only one getting that?

It’s racist but if they truly hated each other I’m pretty sure Kryptonians/Daxamites would have ended the other race if it really bothered them to that degree.

And Mon’s the crowned prince. Like honestly, does he think his tyrannical parents will let their heir go after he disrespected them? And if he really wants to change things on Daxam, if he has become a selfless individual, wouldn’t the right course be to be with his people and try to change things there?

I know he loves Kara but did he even think about the mess his parents could bring to her, to Earth if he stayed?

If this is the type of writing that I have to look forward to then I’m afraid for Lena Luthor. They’re going to give her a love story not worth her character, one that’ll probably test her friendship with Kara somehow, before she’ll be painted as an evil character. Or they let her remain good but then they’ll ruin her character anyway, in the most unimaginative way. They’re going to weaken her character.

I bet they’re going to make her date Winn since they’re both super smart and both have family members that killed people and are in jail.

I like Winn, don’t get me wrong, but Lena with him would be predictable and boring. I mean, Winn hasn’t had suffered half the stigma that Lena has and yes, they’re both smart but then it’ll be like Maggie and Alex all over again because the characters would be too perfect together.

I’m preparing myself for the worst. I’m lowering my expectations so I won’t be disappointed. I’ll simply enjoy seeing Katie McGrath grace my screen, focus on the good instead of the bad.

[pixelproductions]

Why eCommerce Business Should Consider Instagram as A Sales Channel

Instagram drives sales. Every eCommerce business should be using Instagram as a core sales channel for easier assist driven conversions, find out why.

10 years ago, the world woke up to the advent of Instagram. Since then, this social media network has grown to become a cultural touchpoint for millions of users and an effective platform to connect with family and friends. And since Instagram is one of the most heavily trafficked social media platforms, businesses are scrambling to get coders for rent who can create peripheral platforms that interface with the platform for purposes of connecting with customers and building revenue.

Better yet, by generating customer’s insights, enterprises are also able to conduct marketing on Instagram, consequently stimulating demand for their products and services through targeted offerings.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how Instagram has influenced contemporary marketing practices and why e-commerce businesses should embrace Instagram marketing.

What is Instagram Marketing?

Instagram marketing entails brands using their Instagram accounts to connect with their existing and potential customers. Over the past few years, Instagram Marketing has gained massive popularity with businesses using the platform to engage with customers, showcase their products, cultures, and even recruit new employees.

According to a report by Sprout Social, an estimated 89% of marketers indicated that they use Instagram for their marketing efforts, with 83% of all the surveyed consumers indicating they used the platform.

Along with the growing user base, Instagram’s revenue has also continued to grow over the years. In the third quarter of 2019, for instance, Instagram’s parent company Facebook generated $17.65 billion in total revenues, a majority of which came from advertising. In terms of growth, industry analysts forecast that Instagram will contribute up to 30% of Facebook’s ad revenue in 2020 and beyond.

With Instagram offering businesses all these inviting prospects, what are the benefits of Instagram Marketing?

Benefits of Using Instagram as a Sales Channel

Wide Customer Reach

Incorporating Instagram on your website gives you a wide footprint, connecting you with your customers across multiple channels. For example, displaying your Instagram account photos on your website gives customers browsing on your site gives them an opportunity to follow you on Instagram.

Higher Customer Engagement Rate

Compared to other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Instagram is largely a Millenial’s platform. According to a report by Statista, more than half of all the Instagram users are in their mid-thirties. And with the average Instagram user spending 53 minutes per day on the app, it is a highly engaging platform, especially for enterprises looking to target a younger demographic.

In terms of consumer shopping behavior impact, Instagram has done an incredible job. According to a survey conducted by X-Cart, 51% of respondents reported that Instagram highly influenced their purchasing decisions.

Figure 1: Source: Sprout Social

A different report by Retail Drive indicates that 72% of Instagram users have made beauty, fashion, or style-related purchases based on their Instagram interactions.

Easy to Target Your Customers with Advanced Targeting Options

Many businesses are constantly facing the problem of trying to figure out their core demographics or where they shop. And for Instagram, e-commerce businesses have to chalk it up to Millennials and Gen-Z.

Instagram comes with a wide array of filters, insights, and targeting features that allow you to better understand and reach your audience. Armed with this automated targeting info, you are able to get a head start in creating content that resonates with your audience.

Boosts Your Marketing Efforts with User-Generated Content

As a startup with limited resources and constrained user-generated content marketing strategy, Instagram is an effective way to grow sales and relevant traffic. By nature, Instagram photos are user-generated content as people are regularly creating and sharing their images.

Instead of investing in your own images, you can use their photos- with their permission of course- for your own marketing. With this free content, your customers also get to make them feel like a part of your brand, which is a good strategy for future engagements.

Eliminates Guesswork

Blindly investing resources in an Instagram marketing campaign that won’t perform is counterproductive. Luckily, Instagram’sUGC campaigns give you advance feedback on the performance of your content before you start wasting valuable website real estate or shell out funds for Instagram ads.

Rather than guessing what will work or not, you are able to use all the photos that your customers liked most.

How to Boost Sales with Instagram

With over a billion million monthly users, Instagram is a marketing paradise for businesses. But how do you find ways to interact with this large community, earn personally invested followers, and even convince them to buy your products/services?

Here are five easy and effective ways to boost your sales on Instagram:

Create an Optimized Instagram Business Account

If you’re going to be advertising your products/services Instagram, the first step should be to create a separate account from your personal one. This is because marketing is 100% audience-oriented and not about updating your customers about a recent trip to the Bahamas with your significant other. Such personal stories aren’t relevant to your customers and they will not get you sales.

In fact, as a general rule of thumb, “you” should rarely or completely stay off your brand’s IG page. Instead, you should optimize the account by including your business’s Bio Link to boost website traffic.

Grow a Real and Engaged Tribe

With all the buzz surrounding Instagram marketing, you can easily get carried away by the fanfare and forget about the basics. When looking to boost sales on Instagram, being real and authentic is key. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs choose to engage in uncanny tendencies such as buying followers, pumping out mediocre content, and spamming followers via direct messages in a bid to increase “followers.”

The only problem with this is that if they don’t know who you are and what you do, chances are that they wouldn’t be interested in buying from you.

Instead of employing all these low-brow tactics to grow your Instagram footprint and influence, you should endeavor to build a real and engaged audience with active presence and smart automation.

Use Creative, Compelling, and Professional Images

Product photos have always been the holy grail of online shopping, and Instagram elevates this power to the next level. According to a report by Business2Community, online customers can only retain 20% of what they see online. However, once such info is paired with visual elements, the information rate climbs to 65%. Better yet, 67% of customers indicate that clear and detailed images tend to carry more weight compared to product info or customer ratings.

As a business, bombarding your customers on Instagram with countless product photos and descriptions won’t just cut it. And Instagram being a social market place, users won’t simply bite your straight sales pitches.

To overcome this challenge, you need to share unique, attention-grabbing, and full of personality images. Flaunting your goods while showing off your brand’s aesthetics adds variety to your marketing strategy and sounds less salesy.

Use Hashtags

Using the relevant hashtags on Instagram can help boost your sales and attract even more customers. The right hashtags combination not only helps your target customers to easily find you but also increases your brand’s awareness.

With that said, concocting the right combo of effective hashtags isn’t as easy as it sounds. You need to extensively research to ensure that you come up with a balanced combination of unique and relevant hashtags to incorporate in your Instagram posts.

Lastly, experimenting with different hashtag combinations will help you discern the ones that work best for you and those that don’t. And if you are partnering with influencers, you need to request them to deploy the same mix of optimized hashtags.

Make Exclusive Offers to Followers

Another great way to boost sales on Instagram is to stoke your followers with special offers, bonuses, and insider announcements. Periodically offering your customers special deals and making exclusive announcements is a great strategy to keep them coming back again and again.

Final Thoughts

Instagram’s nature of being visually appealing makes it the perfect platform for e-commerce businesses to reach out to potential customers. Additionally, the platform also helps you create your own narrative by telling your own brand’s story from your own perspective.

With that said, Instagram Marketing ultimately boils down to how effective you are in turning Instagram followers into loyal customers. And for this, you need to know your audience, and only then can you create relatable and visually appealing marketing content that will speak directly to your potential customers.

[amatchgirl]

Things We Loved in March

Did March even happen? I feel like we’re all sort of stuck in this weird limbo stage of WTF is going on and when is this whole virus thing going to end so we can all get back to our normal lives.

Here’s the thing: being stuck at home without the ability to see our friends, participate in social activities, have access to copious amounts of food, and limiting our spending of money on materialistic things has really opened my eyes to just how lucky we are, and how grateful I am for the basic necessities and my family.

However, that doesn’t mean the situation is ideal. In fact, it’s stressful as hell. There are a lot of unknowns and the impact all of this has on our mental health may be too quick to realize. We are all going through huge transitions in the way we operate and function in our everyday lives. It’s complicated, frustrating, sad and upsetting all at the same time, but I think the best we can do is take it day by day. And above all, appreciate what we DO have. Focusing on the positive things is essential, but always easier said than done.

Things I’m doing to stay grounded during quarantine

practicing self care through exercise and movement. I have started doing at home workouts and am loving the energy and ‘me’ time they provide. It’s also fun to do them with Tony because we can encourage each other.

getting outside. breathing in the fresh air. enjoy the sunshine whenever possible.

connecting with others. it’s funny but I swear I’ve had more conversations with friends and family over the past few weeks then I have in the past few months.

eat nourishing meals. I’m using this time as an opportunity to create more and am loving it. It’s actually nice to forget about all the supplements and diet culture trends we tend to lean into. Right now I’m digging frozen veggies, canned beans, dried lentils and all the nuts.

stress baking. every single week I’ve been baking something exciting and different for Tony and I. I can’t stop!

recognizing emotions. I’m trying to be hyper aware of how I’m feeling in a time of serious unknowns and swift transitions, because I don’t want to stuff away my emotions and trade them in for something like binge eating or not eating.

practicing gratitude. every day I write down 3 things I’m grateful for. can be small or big — it doesn’t matter.

I want to hear from you: how are you feeling and coping? Are you doing anything to keep yourself grounded during this time?

Recipes from March

Here are all the recipes published on Ambitious Kitchen this March that you might have missed. Did you make any of them?!

Damn Good Salmon Taco Bowls For Two: wow, these bowls were so delicious and great to make when you have no idea what to do with fresh or frozen salmon!

Vegan No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars: love that this recipe is like a granola bar and peanut butter cup had a baby. Options to make them with dates or pure maple syrup!

The Best Healthy Recipes Using Yogurt: if you need to make a recipe with yogurt, I’ve got you covered.

Sheet Pan Kickin’ Curry Honey Mustard Chicken & Veggies: a wonderfully easy weeknight meal. Tony has been obsessed with brussels sprouts lately and this is SO good. Sometimes we even leave out the curry powder.

Flourless Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies: I republished this recipe and you guys fell in love. Minimal ingredients, lots of chocolate flavor.

Blueberry Pie Bars with Oatmeal Crumble (vegan & gluten free): omg these bars are SO good and easily vegan and gluten free. Feel free to use jam if you don’t have blueberries available.

Snickerdoodle Tahini Date Smoothie: yes, this smoothie actually tastes like a snickerdoodle cookie!! It’s unreal.

Healthier Pasta Recipes for the Perfect Dinner: for when you need ideas for all that pasta you have in your pantry.

Easy Pantry Recipes for Every Meal: all my favorite pantry friendly meals!

Healthier Carrot Cake Banana Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: when carrot cake and banana bread had a baby.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust: the perfect make ahead breakfast to crush on.

Incredible Caramelized Onion Spinach Chicken Pasta Bake: okay you absolutely have to make this spinach chicken pasta bake. So ridiculously yummy!

Healthy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats: another one of my must-makes. This recipe is simple and no bake and one of our favorite treats to whip up!

Delicious & Easy Ways to Use Canned Tomatoes: do you have too many canned tomatoes? Then check out these recipes!

Best Ever Healthy Banana Bread Recipe: my new and improved banana bread recipe is a healthier take on classic banana bread. Made with greek yogurt, naturally sweetened and seriously moist.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups: another must make for breakfasts or healthy snacks! I couldn’t stop scarfing these down.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Maple Syrup: if you have coconut flour, then why not try out these pancakes? So easy.

Greek Salad Pinwheels: snack inspo!

Things we loved in March

Below you’ll find a few products I’ve been loving:

Tony and I started watching Westworld from the beginning. It’s not my favorite but whatever. We also binged Tiger King on Netflix, which was truly insane and SO good. Highly recommend. Other shows I go in an out of include The Morning Show, Killing Eve and Ozarks. I need your Netflix/Hulu/HBO/Prime show recommendations!

I’ve been using Majka Energy Bites & Lactation Powder to help boost my milk supply and recently made these yummy energy bites. Use the code ‘ambitious’ for 10% off your first order!

I have been loving this TULA 24/7 moisture cream. It’s incredibly soft, hydrating and lightweight enough to wear under makeup too. Seriously amazing! Use ‘AMBITIOUS’ for 15% off.

I’m beyond obsessed with this Hungry by Nature Paleo Granola! Started by a local chicago blogger, this granola is UNREAL and a great buy if you want to support a small local business. The chocolate cherry is my current fav.

Sidney has blow outs every once in a while and this Branch Basics Oxygen Boost has become our new BFF. I spray his clothes with Branch Basics all purpose cleaner that I make from their concentrate, then sprinkle the oxygen boost on top and spray again, then usually rub together to help get the stain out; let it sit for 1 hour on the stain and it’s gone in the next wash cycle! Use the code ‘AK10’ for 10% off your Branch Basics purchase.

Just because your breastfeeding doesn’t mean you have to give up alcohol. I got these Milkscreen for Breastfeeding test strips to test my breast milk so I don’t have to pump and dump if it isn’t necessary.

Sidney has been loving his Lovevery Play Gym that we got him. He sits and stares at the contrast cards and laughs — so cute.

Recently got this gorgeous lululemon Find Your Unwind Pullover and can’t stop wearing it.

I just got these Women’s UA HOVR Phantom RN Running Shoes for running and walking outside and so far I really love them.

Umm these Dang Foods Chips are AMAZING!

I recently started using this Honeymoon Glow by Farmacy and my skin feels SO freaking soft. I can’t believe how amazing it is. I use it every other night and honestly am SO obsessed.

We’ve been craving so much pasta lately and this 30 minute Healthier Pasta Carbonara has been one of our favs!

Have you heard of Three Wishes grain free Cereal?  They recently sent me their Original, Cinnamon & Honey flavors and I can’t get enough!

If you happen to have a jar of almond butter, then you need to make my Almond Butter & Raspberry Jam Cups (this month’s exclusive IG recipe!)

I personally LOVE reading Llama Llama Red Pajama to Sidney.

Okay, that’s all I’ve got for you. Hope you’re keeping your head up! I’ll be back with more delicious recipes soon. xo.

from WordPress http://sweetly.site/things-we-loved-in-march/

[theladysmith]

Elevation

It’s been such a long while. I’m going to fight the urge to do that thing where I lament about how much time has passed and all the ways I suck for not posting more often…

Anyway, hi. It’s good to be back - and I mean that in a few ways. We recently got back from an amazing 5 day trip to Colorado Springs, that equal parts vacation and hard work. Well, if you’re Mike, it was more hard work than anything, but I got to unwind a little and immerse myself in mind-blowing scenery before immersing myself in the deep end of learning about my craft. More on that later.

I haven’t really been to the mountains before. I grew up near “hills” and have skied “ranges” and toured “highlands” and lived near “escarpments”, but I’ve never really experienced that #mountainlife. Colorado has been on my bucket list since I was a little kid, mostly because the name itself sounds like an adventure epic. Thanks to Mike’s hard work, we suddenly had an opportunity, and I couldn’t wait to see somewhere new. Like, totally, never-seen-it-before new. The majority of the past 6 months have been flat af. My eyes were actually hungry for it.

We flew with friends to Denver, rented a car and drove south to Colorado Springs, a smaller, chill little city just over an hour south, and way closer to the mountains. They grew increasingly more impressive with every mile we drove - a car full of creatives and we started to run out of expletives to describe what we were seeing. Half an hour into the road trip, I feigned wanting a quick break at a look-out point so that we could take some photos, but if I’m being honest, I needed some fresh air to calm the sensory overwhelm that was swamping my sleep-deprived brain. There was too much to take in; too many colours, too many beautiful subtleties, too much dramatic contrast, too many extraordinary qualities of light, too much texture and pattern and rhythm. Too much. And not quite enough oxygen for my little low-lander lungs, as I felt the overwhelm of the scenery highlight the fact that I was feeling actually breathless. In those 2 hours, I realized that all I could do is just greedily open myself up to this shameless consumption of beauty, open my eyes to every damn detail and trust that my brain wouldn’t short out, open my lungs as wide as I could (given my usual shallow breathing habit) and trust that my lung capacity/comfort would improve, and if I could just do that, this trip might just be the thing to blow the front door open on the past 6 months.

At the risk of sounding like I’m backtracking on my promise of not lamenting on all the time that has passed, the past 4 months (well, year, really…) have been a thing. I’m going to assume that if you are reading my blog you might have some interest in the environment that feeds the life that feeds my process as an artist, so I’ll be brief in catching you up here. Letting go in CO was really hard, because the past 6 months have been all about holding on for dear life. Our financial situation hasn’t been exactly “fluid”, I’ve been working longer hours than I’d like, I’ve been in more constant pain than I’d like, there’s been an unending shitshow of chasing clients to pay their invoices, big changes rolled through Mike’s work life, there has been so much work to do all the time, and a long-ass, very cold winter to contend with (although we did a pretty good job getting out into it as much as we could.) And then there’s the neighbour sitch. For 10 months we have been living next to an ever-changing cast of loud, violent characters who have kept us awake all hours of the night, whose constant high-level noise have stressed my cats out to the point of visibly changing their behaviours and personalities, and whose explosive anger has woven a sharp thread of uneasiness into the fabric of our home life. Hell is other people*. Shitty neighbours are the worst.

Anyhow, onwards. The neighbours are finally gone (evicted; like I said, they were terrible), the shitshow has been reduced to chasing just one client (goddamn it Kennedy Ford, pay me…) and while it won’t immediately improve my financial situation, I’m dropping back to working 3 days a week at the shop instead of 4, which will probably help reduce my retail fatigue* (and possibly the extensor tendonitis in my feet) and allow me more time to work on my freelance business and to get into the studio to prepare to for the upcoming show season.

It will also give me more time to hang out here. I’ve been aiming to “complete” my website for some time, but the longer I work on it, the more I realize that completing what is supposed to be a running log of my creative life is impossible. I’ve put it off for almost 4 months, citing all of the above as reasons why I couldn’t get it done. So I’m “launching” it this way - incomplete - on the 3rd anniversary of my cancer surgery, feeling a bit silly and sentimental that this little project that I’ve been planning, working through and dreaming about for probably a decade is finally aloft. I’m proud to say that this site is me, as far as representing myself digitally, and it will stand as my sounding board and experiential diary of my creative life. I intend to write more about how I’ve gotten to be 43 yrs old as a semi-fuctioning artist/human, about how Mike and I navigate running our businesses together, and my on-going observations and frustrations with this life I am living. I am not pretending that I know even 1% of it all, but I’m 43 and I’ve lived some shit and I’m still making art, now more than ever. That is my motivation for this website, at its more basic. That, and publishing my work. Oh, and selling stuff

Aaaaaanyway… So, when we were in Colorado, I had the great fortune (and fun) of studying with Bonnie Nelson and Jerry Ruhland of Cottonwood Silversmithing and Lapidary Supply in downtown Colorado Springs. I spent about 6 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday, learning the ropes of casting a wire ingot, drawing it out to beautiful bezel wire with the rolling mill (which really put me through the ropes of learning how to fully use my recently acquired rolling mill!) I worked on a pendant using a eudialyte cabochon and 5 tiny faceted sapphires haloed above, that Jerry spent most of Sunday showing me how to flush set. Bonnie taught me about fold forming while we put some copper through its paces, and Jerry taught me some fabrication and hammering techniques that completely changed how I understand metal. As instructors they were excellent; friendly and open and eager to let me work at my pace in my own direction. I loved working in another artist’s studio, and getting a feel for their ergonomics and workflow. I loved it so much that as soon as I came home to my studio, I knew it totally had to change. It had to change because I had.

I think the thing that really stuck with me the most from studying with them was of how capable they held me. Both instructors gave me lots of positive feedback on my technique and approach, which made me feel skilled, relaxed and resourceful. I rarely feel this way in my studio. So much of my inner dialog is low-level imposter mutter when I am working - I am generally convinced that I am doing everything wrong (sometimes that is backed up by project fails) and that everyone will be able to tell that I am teaching myself as I go along, that I obviously haven’t gone to school for this, and that because I haven’t been able to connect with any sort of supportive metalsmithing or jewellery artist community here I must be unqualified, unlikeable, or an outsider. I know it sounds melodramatic, but this is how my brain works.

The kind of practical, targeted instruction and positive, friendly feedback that I received in Colorado, coupled with the intense atmospheric beauty really made me soar. I had renewed confidence when I got home, full to overflowing with ideas and audacity and with a newly expanded skill set. I couldn’t get into the studio fast enough to tear it all down and rebuild it into something more supportive, something evolved. After spending a few days creeping Kijiji for a suitable desk, a perfect one showed up in the garbage area behind our building, and Mike heroically got it up 2 flights of stairs, through the confusion-corner that is the hallway to the studio, and assembled for me as a surprise when I came home from work. I bought some casting equipment so that I could start reclaiming some of my sterling scrap to make new work. I got to know my new big torch better and experimented with drawing bezel wire on my own mill. And through all these experiments, this whirlwind, this chaos, some strong new work has been made and there is more underway.

I admit that sometimes I’m not very good at remembering that there are edges to the storm when I’m stuck in the middle of it. It’s been a long, flat low period, the last few months, but just as flat plains feed a gathering storm front, they are also instrumental in pushing the storm through. The last decade of doubt and timidity about publishing myself and my work, the last 10 months of hellish neighbours, the last 6 months of crap luck and kicks when we’re down…all flattened, blown away, as if by wind whipping down the mountains. With this new confidence, this new certainty, it’s easier for me to see each day as fresh and new now, even if it isn’t, really.

I’m eager now to just work at what I’m here to do. I’m glad to be able to share my perspective and my work here, and I’m absolutely thankful for any and all support be it reading my words, engaging with me here or on IG or irl, or purchasing my work to embellish your life in some way. The storm has passed, clear skies ahead. Thank you for holding fast.