#ALSO HELLO GERALD IG ??

[ellatherepersons]

coUGHS AND DIES

I alreayd remsmber how that ship got so popular

[seeingivy]

hii ronnie i’m usually a silent reader (ig my introverted-ness transcends realms) but i had to tell you that i love love love your writing sm!!! i have to split this up to really encapsulate my experience on your blog 🙂‍↕️

my first ever interaction with your blog was when your taylor as gojo post came up— specifically king of my heart and speak now … although you’re losing me has to be one of my faves. reading the series as it came out, it was actually mind boggling to me when i realized you also wrote family rules!!

when bsfob sukuna came out i HAD to read it… are u crazy.. i think i’m most attached to him since i now was so active (reading wise) on your blog and really enjoyed each chapter (might’ve shed a tear here and there) the intricacies of everyone’s relationships and their love … im gonna sob.

now.. onto the past THREE days ! i always saw your posts for method acting but never really got around to it, that is, until this week. i started reading it out of wanting a multi-part story and that i knew i’d love your writing as i have so many times before. when i started method acting.. i couldn’t even put my phone down and stayed up the whole night reading half the story and sobbing every chapter (probably beginning at sick with sadness like everyone..) i had never been so hooked at the ending of “historic wins” like wdym they don’t get married and adopt a cat named gerald immediately … WHAT DO YOU MEAN ..this is SICK work. anyways i finished the rest of method acting within the next two days (much to my dismay…) and now im writing this ! i have NOT been the same i don’t think i’ve been so emotional in a while

im so excited to see what you have in store for dream girl, coffee toji and anything else !!! pls don’t ever feel bad about your writing i swear there are too many of us that WILL gobble up anything you throw at us

side note cause i didn’t get to mention him— casual suguru you will ALWAYS be famous 🫂

this whole post might’ve been spurred on by you saying you feel that taylor as gojo doesn’t do as well (interaction wise) and im here to tell You 🫵 to ALWAYS trust in tayppell as gojo anon and ME (and a bajillion others) to have your back !!

oh my goodness!!!! hello my sweet baby <3333

first and foremost, so flattered that you were willing to take the time to get over the nervousness to tell me what you've thought about my writing/blog!!!! I totally get that because...I literally used to be like that...so I literally take it as the biggest compliment that you even took the time to leave this ask

wait this literally gave me the CRAZIEST FLASHBACK. its actually crazy bc family rules and king of my heart...like to this day are some of the most popular pieces that i've ever written...and speak now was LITERALLY the first time I even ever wrote something so those all make me so nostalgic for that time period when i was fighriung out what it was that I liked to write 😭

oh bsfsob sukuna....so insane but I literally pulled up one of the chapters in comments in my therapy session the other day and she was like okay well...if you can write this why can't you understand it and I was like 😃 this is about my boyfriend sukuna girl shut up....but on the real, that fic is/will always be so special to me because there's just so much of me and my own feelings in there that it literally feels like my little baby of hurt feelings that people relate to and get happiness from and its all types of weird and healing and idk

CAT NAMED GERALD IS SO FUNNY FLKDJSALKFDJSLAKF. gerald kills me bc for some reaosn thats the name of the siblings groupchat that I have like we all just named it gerald and now its been like years of that. no because I actually feel that bc I was rereading it the other day to feel somethind and realized how like...I was predicting some stuff that was gonna happen before I wrote it unintentionally...lIKE I WAS UNINTENTIONALLY EASTER EGGING its kind of insane and that fic is just so comprehensive and whole and I love it so much and I don't think i'll be able to write anything as good as that again

you and taypell as gojo anon are my fiercest riders I fear like I think about IT ON THE DAILY. GOJO AS TAYLOR FANS IM TRYING I SWEAR TO GOD

[doug-meat]

parts of the npmd soundtrack that scratch my brain perfectly (act 2)

again its all under the cut. i hope this is comprehensible its longer than the last one. idk what else to say

HATCHET TOWN

dan's whole bit at the start. just the way he says everything. so good

the ahh ahh ahhs

the electric guitar <3

curt's voice for bailey esp the growl

A LOSIN STREAKS COMIN!

the smoooothness of corey's voice and the way he sings things auuauauuau

IF HE GETS ME NEXT I COULD BE THREE!

the harmonies on man down down down down

the little plinky organ melody in the backround that comes in halfway through the chorus UAUUAUAUA

the way jon says donna

donna's "DAN!!!"

i certainly dont LOVE killing!

the harmonies on "bailey's/barry's on the loose and he's got a gun" (im talking mainly abt the soundtrack and not the proshot so bailey is more applicable here but both r so good)

I'M A COP!

fits the bill! it fits the bill!

THE HARMONIES ON THE SECOND MAN DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN UAUUAUAUAU

the who's swingin the hatchet now harmonies

HATCHET TOOOOOWN

I AM THE MAYOR!!!!

HOW DARE YOU!!!

bryce's solo <3 all of it is so good

BOY JERRY <3 and gerald monroe ig but i love jerry

LET'S KILL 'IM!

CAN I SHIT OR WILL I DROWN

kim's little opera bit

the final in hatchet town harmony <3

JUST FOR ONCE

this whole song in general btw. i love ruth fleming so so so so so so so so so much this song was such a silly contemperary theatre tribute

NO, i haven't seen your grill brush, MAURY. huh YEAH! i used it to BRUSH MY HAIR this morning CANT YOU TELL. ugh

DONT LEAVE ME OUT HERE WITH THE MEAT, MAURY! medium WHA? how can something be medium AND WELL, MAURY?

ugh. maury.

*sigh* i turned 40 today.

the piano coming in

the synthy strum

the way lauren sings the word saturday. her voice throughout this whole song just scratches the brain itch so well

the way she says window, right, dream, and had

they never win

and LIIIIIFE is FULLL of all of the Trappings of The Well to Dew

god i love ruth. i love this song i love this song.

the slight tonal shift (thats not the right word ugh) for the choruses.

39 I LOSE MY HAIR UNDER CAREFUL CHEMO TREATMENT

the way lauren says ensnared

JUDGE ME.

IT FUCKING WORKED I'M FUCKING HERE HE'S FUCKING HER IM DISAPPOINTED

and of the two who's the worse for wear (ME.)

the tambourine

idk what that instrument is in the bg of second chorus it sounds like a saxaphone but also synthy???? idk but i love it

SHOULD I FLIP THE BURGERS NOWWW!

the clarity of lauren's first oh UAUAUA

SHOULD I LET THE YEARS COOOK MY BODY DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM

all 3 just for onces esp the last one with the riff

THE WAY THAT BEHIND THE JUST FOR ONCES YOU CAN HEAR THE "if i can finally be cool i will know that i'm not a loser" MOTIF AUUAUAISUAUUAISIAU

the way the tone calms back down but its still like so vulnerable... uuuuuauu

the way she says every word in this last verse

i used to dance :(

IF I LOVED YOU

THE SYNTH

I NEVER WANTED YEW ANYWAY!

joey's general tone in this UAUAU so good

mariah's deeper voice HEART EYES AUUUU

i just love lautski this song is so good i can barely pick things out bc this whole song scratches my brain

joey's lil growl on "oh babe i'd let u know"

OOOO! i guess we'd better save the date!

need a lover MAYUN

i love when jeff blim crams a lot of syllables into an amount of time like that its so fun

the harmonies <3

wake me up when u turn 18!!!

if i IF I!!!!!

the repeating round style of singing in order to come together eventually I lov them

dissonance <3

THE SUMMONING

the way the lords names are sung i love it sm

the lords names being whispered in the background

tNOY karaxis

WIGGOG WIGGOG Y'WRATH

the woah ohs and the drums kicking in

the music cutting out

HELLO FWENDY WENDS

the we will build a portal motif

the laughter

just the whole little lord verses its so discordant and fun and i love it so much i love the voices they put on i love the lyrics

LA LA LA LA LA ALALALALALA

the book has all but closed on ur life!

THE LORDS IN BLACK ARE THE LORDS IN BLACK ARE

blinky's we've been watching u gracie

the way curt says spankoffski and toy box

GOOOO NIGHTHAWKS!

tinky's laugh

jon's wiggly voice

WHY HELP U WITH THE JAGERMAN WHEN WE CAN HELP THE WORLD

the drums

swallow his soul i wanna lick it!

i wanna see thaaaat

WHATEVER WE WANT WE WANT WE WANT WHATEVER WE WANT WE GET

AAAAUHGUGH there IS something!

something FUN!!!

the lords in black the lords in black call us...

what do u want steph...

do it... or DIE

WE DONT GIVE A SHIT ABT UR PHONE!

AHHHHHHUHGHHH THERE HE IS

what's in your pocket STEPH-A-KNEE

STEPHANIE HAS GOT A GUN TRALALALA HOW FUN! STEPHANIE HAS GOT A GUN SHE KNOWS WHAT MUST BE DONE

i love this whole song its so silly and crazy

YUM YUM!

or FUCK OFF

that last "the lords in black the lords in black call us"

COOL AS I THINK I AM REPRISE

this one makes me really sad :( still so good

one of us is in love :(((((((((

it doesnt TAKE a detective

the violins coming in again

is it really a crime if you get to live your life to the fullest :((((

YOU GET TO LIVE ON :(((((

the i love u i know :(((((((

ur not as cool as u think u are! :(

THE HARMONIES :(

IF I CAN FINALLY BE COOL :((((

i will know that you have to do it :(((

joey's lower register for this last little if i loved u chorus :(((

loved u more than the stars above :(((((( (how many sad faces can i use)

the pause before could've :((((

i cant even say anything more abt this one it makes me too sad

ok yes i can the i never wanted you anyway breaks my heart

BEST OF YOU

the guitar

the needy beast esque pronounciation of words idk how else to say it i just love it

LIKE EYE DEW

we hurted!

the harmonies on town and down

IM THE BEST OF YEW!

this song is just so fun

it's like you knew me b4 u knew me! that whole bit! i love it!

THE AHS IN THE BACK OF THE SECOND BIT OF THE SECOND VERSE

ABSCONDED BELOVED

FOREVER!

WE'RE GONNA RUN AROUND 2NITE!

I BELIEVE IN YEWWWW

never gonna fall!

the echoey verse in the back at the end Auuu so good

the ending note harmony

DIRTY DUDES MUST DIE

the souls of the pervs make me strong

her laugh

I LOVE ANGELA'S VOICE

everything she sings here sounds so incredible

ARE U HARD BC UR STRESSED

what????

i just love this reprise its so so good

i cant point out specific parts bc its just all incredible

OF THE NERDS U MINIMIIIIIIIZED!!!! her RIFF!

THE LAUGH

when the ensemble comes in heart eyes

WHO WILL PRAY 4 U WHEN UR BODY'S GONE THIS IS THE CONSEQUENCE FOR WHAT YOUVE DOOOOONE

DARKNESS WILL SPARE MY SOUL

run pervs RUN

[vanessadoofwasmygayawakening]

Chapter 1 of my gay mlb text fic

Can be found on ao3 here

Here goes!

Chapter 1

LuckyCharms has created the chat Francois Dupont GSA Club

Wednesday, September 3rd 17:10

cats_meow has been added to the conversation

pocketwatch has been added to the conversation

jasontodd has been added to the conversation

ratgina_george has been added to the conversation

LuckyCharms: Hello. Welcome to the group I guess. Please state y'alls names, pronouns, sexualities, grade level, and anything else you might want to share.

cats_meow has changed chat name to be crime do gay

cats_meow: *le gasp*

cats_meow: a cereal goddess??

cats_meow: can anybody be more lucky???

LuckyCharms: Your names please.

pocketwatch: hand them over :)

pocketwatch: or elsa :))

jasontodd: lmao elsa

pocketwatch: shut

LuckyCharms: Okay. I'll start. My name is Marinette, she/her, and I am the biest bi to ever bi :) also I'm a junior

pocketwatch: hey hey hey thanks for checking in im ✨still a piece of garbage✨

pocketwatch: anyways, im alix, gender is a social construct, fuck romance and i have a fake spider named Gerald. hes 2 years old but im a sophomore

ratgina_george: loving how the only thing you capitalized was gerald

pocketwatch: :)

cats_meow: @LuckyCharms i was hoping for you to actually be a cereal goddess just so i could get a lifetime supply of that cookie cereal with a wolf mascot just to piss off my cousin who thinks that frosted flakes are the best brain fart god has ever had but they're nOT THEY ARE A FUCKING TRAVESTY TO ALL THINGS CEREAL THEYRE SO BLAND

jasontodd: excuse me sir but what the fuck-

cats_meow: *ahem*

cats_meow: excuseh mwah

cats_meow: my name is adrien agreste, my pronouns are he/him, im as gay as a fucking rainbow am poly, a junior, and the first person to go when we finally eat the rich will be my sperm donor, gabriel "asshole" agreste

ratgina_george: ima give that a solid amen

ratgina_george: my name is chloe, my pronouns are she/her, and to deliberately plagiarize off of one adrien agreste, im as gay as a fucking rainbow and a huge theater nerd, evidenced by the name

ratgina_george: also a junior :)

cats_meow: @jasontodd ??? youve been ghosting

cats_meow: also, @ratgina_george rude :(

jasontodd: lmao sorry I was eating

jasontodd: I'm Kim my pronouns are he/him, I'm the straightie here but I'm trans so ig that counts for being able to be here,,, and im a junior!!!

pocketwatch: ohmigod we have a token hetero!!!!

pocketwatch: also you're completely valid you dont need to be gay to be part of the club

pocketwatch: all you really need to do is not be a homophobe and you're eligible

cats_meow: @LuckyCharms see look mom we are already hitting such huge milestones!!!

cats_meow: our very own het!

LuckyCharms: :,) my brain child,,,

LuckyCharms: so proud :,^)

ratgina_george: ew what is that nose-

 

be crime do gay

Friday, Sept. 5th 7:01

 

ratgina_george: yall

ratgina_george: THE SCHOOL MUSICAL IS HEATHERS

ratgina_george: AND AUDITIONS ARE NEXT WEEK

ratgina_george: asdfghjkl

ratgina_george: AAAAHHHH

cats_meow: !!!!!!!!

cats_meow: thats great!!!!!

LuckyCharms: I'm assuming you're auditioning?

ratgina_george: ofc!!!!

ratgina_george: who do you think I am!!?

ratgina_george: a peasant!?!?!?!

pocketwatch: heather chandler? 

ratgina_george: yes

ratgina_george: it's like

ratgina_george: Mean Girl Solidarity™

jasontodd: makes sense

pocketwatch: im auditioning for jd!!!

pocketwatch: me and nath are doing it together!!!!

pocketwatch: because if the teachers wont go for an enby whos biologically female

pocketwatch: then theyll have to go for another enby who's biologically male

pocketwatch: bc fuck gender stereotypes!!!!!

LuckyCharms: praise 🙏

 

be crime do gay

Wednesday, Sept. 10th 15:15

 

mimekinnie has been added to the conversation

pocketwatch: bro @mimekinnie

mimekinnie: bro!!!!!

LuckyCharms: @mimekinnie Please state your name, pronouns, sexuality, grade level, and anything else you want to share

mimekinnie: ok ig

mimekinnie: my name is Nath, I'm a sophomore. I go by he/they, I'm poly and bi and my boyf changed my name to this because I drew myself as a mime one time and always wear berets

cats_meow: oh so youre the hot french guy!!!

cats_meow: ive been wanting to meet you

jasontodd: um sir that's kinda gay,,,

ratgina_george: you get out of here dc superfan

ratgina_george: marvel all the way

jasontodd: *gasp*

jasontodd: you take that back

pocketwatch: things are getting heated in the superhero fandom

cats_meow: lmao yall over here with the justice league and avengers

cats_meow: the only bitches i respect in this house are kid cosmic and the local heros

jasontodd: ok thats fair

 

mimekinnie > redhoodie

 

mimekinnie: asdfghjkl

redhoodie: lmao wassup

mimekinnie: yk that guy who always wears really fucking tight leather pants??

mimekinnie: and who has the greenest eyes anyone has ever seen???

redhoodie: oh yeah the kid who always makes cat puns

redhoodie: what about him

mimekinnie: he called me

mimekinnie: and I quote

mimekinnie: "the hot french guy"

mimekinnie: like

mimekinnie: tf am I supposed to do with that????

mimekinnie: is he flirting??

mimekinnie: is he just being nice???

redhoodie: omg dude calm down

redhoodie: if he is flirting

redhoodie: and let me assure you, he def is,

redhoodie: do you at least have a chance with him?

mimekinnie: yeah he said hes gay and poly

mimekinnie: so ig you have a chance too

redhoodie: flirt with him back

redhoodie: ill come to the next meeting

redhoodie: lets woo us a catboy

[toss-a-coin-to-your-bard]

*wiggles into ur asks box* any thots on yennefer x renfri?

Hello lovely anon, nice seeing you here lmao thank you for asking such a good ask ✨

I pondered for a while who I could see Yenn with (Istred was a good, solid first love for her but that ended understandably and would have ended somehow anyway, in my opinion lol) other than Gerald which I still -tragically - can't seem to get behind. I'm so sorry, book lovers out there and came a bit short.

It's funny, Renfri/Yennefer where kinda around my periphery for a while and I truly feel like Yenn could be happier with a woman in the long run (I hc her as bi btw but I only know her from Netflix, etc) and with Renfri I definitely see the potential! Also, those two are very lovable assholes I adore them both

Edit: I give them a premature b lmao I'm such a mess sometimes

In a nutshell:

I want to ship it ig??

Somebody wants to rec me stuff? I'd be grateful af

[jeremystrele]

How To Build Community Around Your Business

How To Build Community Around Your Business

Small Business

Fiona Killackey

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Way back in 1969 when Ross Reading, his partner Dorothy and Peter Reid opened a small bookstore in Carlton, they could hardly have envisioned that almost fifty years later it would have become an iconic and internationally acclaimed destination for book lovers worldwide.

Mark Rubbo bought the business in 1976. ‘ I had always hung around Carlton; my father was a Professor at Melbourne University and I studied there; our family home was in Parkville and then my share houses were in Carlton. In 1972 I opened a record shop, Professor Longhair’s Music Shop a few doors up from Readings. At the time Carlton was Melbourne’s artistic, bohemian and intellectual hub. That and its proximity to the University made it one of the best places in Australia to sell the books and music that interested Ross and I.’

By the time Ross approach Mark to buy Readings in 1976, Mark had developed his music business, joining forces with record store owners, Greg Young and Steve Smith. ‘In 1976, Ross approached me and asked if I was interested in buying Readings. He wanted a lot of money, $50,000 (about $300,000 in today’s terms) but I saw it as a great opportunity; I was getting jaded just selling music, and had always loved books. We raised the money from Greg and my families, changed our name to Readings Books and Music, and expanded the book sections in the other shops. I looked after the book side and Steve and Greg the music side.’

In 1983, while attending a bookseller’s conference in Brisbane, Mark met Robert Brown from University of Queensland Press. ‘He told me how they organised monthly events with writers and would get up to 200 people… Brisbane at the time was a very conservative backwater… I thought that if they could get 200 people, then, in Melbourne, we could get thousands!’

Mark worked with Greg Hocking and Iain Stewart to run an event with Helen Garner, Robert Drewe and Gerald Mundane, ‘it was fantastic, and we packed the house!’. Mietta O’Donnell and Tony Knox of Mietta’s approached Mark, and soon Readings events at Mietta’s were selling out. Mietta’s friend James Strong from Australian Airlines was approached to help bring in writers from interstate, with the first being Kate Grenville, ‘She arrived at Mietta’s very excited; Mr Strong had put her in First Class’. In the first few years more writers and spaces opened up and events were held with Bill Bryson, Peter Carey, Tim Winton, Shane Maloney, John LeCaree and Annie Proulx ‘just to name a few’. Today, Readings hosts around 400 events annually!

In addition to events, Readings cultivated community by using their shops to let locals advertise jobs, events and share houses, ‘it became the go-to spot to find somewhere to live… We were building up all these little communities.’ These little communities continued to grow, and armed Readings with the ability to defeat competition, even when it came in the form of US giant, Borders (which opened metres from Readings Carlton in 2003).

‘Our Carlton location had become one of the leading bookshops in Melbourne and Australia… I felt a competitor would like some of that action’ Mark recalls. Prior to Borders’ arrival, Mark and Steve had cashed in their Super to buy a bigger premise. ‘We had a shop big enough to offer people a range, and also to host bigger events. When Borders came we were in a much better place; our customers rallied around us and it became their fight too. People made a point of shopping with us, even though they knew the same book across the road was cheaper.’

While Readings survived (Borders closed), it wasn’t immune to the tsunami of eCommerce that swept in a few years later. ‘Our industry was hit badly by the likes of Amazon and Book Depository. We went early online line, and kept on investing more and more (we still are); initially, we tried to match our competitors’.’ After ‘haemorrhaging money’ Readings focused on being ‘more creative with offers, differentiating ourselves from those that offer the cheapest price’. This included spending more time understanding their customer and working with The Retail Doctor who conducted a huge survey of their audience. ‘The results were very illuminating – almost everybody loved us, loved what we did – our events, our service, our range, our monthly magazine – the surprising thing was that although they loved us, they didn’t shop exclusively with us,’ admits Mark. ‘The first thing we had to acknowledge was that people would use different channels to get their books – us, online, eBooks – and we had to respect that, so we had to concentrate on doing what we do to the best of our ability, and give them reasons to keep on shopping with us.’

Mark now views online as ‘another form of marketing, and a way of building our community digitally’, a community that’s nurtured by Marketing Manager Nina Kenwood and her team via online and offline content, email, social media, a monthly magazine and, most recently, a podcast.

So, after thousands of community-building events and almost half a century running Readings, what’s Mark’s advice for other small business owners? ‘I don’t see Readings as just a retailer… Be different and  DO NOT try to beat the competitors on price. If you are different you will build up a loyal core.’

Shop Readings online or find your nearest store here.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

TIPS FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING

1. Understand Your Audience

The foundation for every business success starts with understanding who your customer is, and how you can best serve them. Community can only result when you get to know their needs and wants and are able to meet (or exceed) these. Just starting out? Follow the owners of Readings’ footsteps and talk to those in your own networks first, act on their feedback and ask them to help you spread the word. Utilising industry-specific Facebook groups as search engines can also help you uncover real-life customer needs, as can surveying an existing audience using Typeform or even utilising polls in IG Stories.

2. Pique Curiosity

What is your audience most curious about? What’s important to them? This is the starting point for all community-building. Are they new mums curious about how to get their child to sleep? Are they wannabe authors, curious as to how bestselling writers got their first book published? Are they recent arrivals to Melbourne looking for somewhere to live? Start by creating a thorough customer persona (using this template) and then drawing a mindmap of all the things that pique your audience’s curiosity. From this you can begin looking at ways you might cultivate community — from inviting your tribe to tune into a Facebook Live, through to attracting sales to a ticketed event.

3. Map Their Journey

As Mark found out after surveying his audience, people have different needs according to where they are in the Buyer Cycle (awareness, research, evaluation, purchase, post-purchase, advocacy). One of the best ways to build community around your business is to map your customer’s journey from start (hearing about your brand) to finish (becoming an ambassador for it). What could you do at various points to help them engage with you and attract others? An annual fundraising event? A monthly get together? A weekly podcast or Facebook Live? Or, perhaps more staff training and data processes so customers feel you “get” them through customisation (offline and online)? By mapping the journey, you begin to see the points at which community helps both your business and its audience grow.

4. Don’t Be Fooled by Followers

In this era of insta-everything, it can be easy for small business owners to believe that more followers = more community. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can’t grow/don’t have a community until you hit X followers or Y subscribers. In the words of Arthur Ashe, ‘Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can’. Your community may initially start with just two women meeting once a month and grow into an online hub of almost 100,000 business women (hello, Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine).

5. Experiment & Collaborate

One of the keys to Readings success is their openness to experiment and collaborate with others. When it comes to building your community there are no rules. If events don’t work for you, consider another channel. If you find yourself loving a new brand, ask how they helped instill that feeling in you and whether that’s something you could replicate in your business. Consider who shares a like-minded audience and how you might collaborate to bring together, and grow, both communities.

Fiona Killackey is a business consultant and coach and the founder of My Daily Business Coach. Fiona will be running her workshop, Loving Mondays: How to Plan and Start a Business in Sydney on August 25th and in Melbourne on September 22nd. Tickets available here.