#I’m waiting to see if giphy will remove these

[nicolethered]

Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy in Obsession

[kikis-writing-world]

Whiskey Straight - The Foil (4)

Jack Daniels x F!Reader

The masked men, who still haven't identified themselves, have you. They have questions and you're forced to admit things out loud that you hadn't been wanting to even admit to yourself.

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: Light kidnapping vibes (reader is blindfolded and tied to a chair at one point,) interrogation setting, SMUT: unprotected p in v, memories of unwanted sexual advances (if you made it through the last chapter, it's just reader trying to get over/deal with it.) If I've missed anything, please let me know. I care about you all and want you mentally safe <3

Series Masterlist  -  Prologue  -  One  -   Two  -  Three  -  Four  -   Five  -  Six  -   Seven

via GIPHY (Credit to Artsplained on GIPHY)

The thick, dark hood over your head kept you from seeing anything as you were led forward by a strong hand on your arm. It muffled the sounds around you but the echo of footsteps bounced around in the small space. You could only guess you were being led down twisting, barren hallways as two sets of shoes clacked against the floor.

You had tried asking questions when you woke, the hood already placed over your face. Your head felt heavy and lethargic, your chin rested against your chest. As you remembered everything that led to your situation, specifically the hard hit to your head, you were surprised to not be in any pain. You tried to lift your hands to remove the fabric covering your face, but they were tied down. It took you a moment to take stock of your body: You were sitting in a chair and some kind of straps held your arms in place. They were pliable, so likely made of fabric or leather as opposed to metal. Your feet weren’t secured, but as you shuffled them around, you could feel nothing but the legs of your chair and the floor beneath you.

You started to shout, asking where you were, demanding to be let go, but all your pleas were met with silence. By the time you heard a door open and footsteps approach you, your voice was hoarse. Still, none of your questions were answered as you were released from the chair and led from the room.

You were halted, the hand on your arm tightening as you stopped. You heard a door open in front of you and the hood was pulled from your head. You couldn’t adjust to the brightness of the halfway before , you were pushed forward into the darkened room.

“No, no, no!” You panicked, turning to find the door slamming shut behind you. There was no handle. You started to press your palms along the seam of the door, frantically searching for a way to open it. You whimpered, scratching at the door, when the lights behind you clicked on with a loud pop. You turned, backing yourself against the wall to take in the room.

Large and empty aside from the metal stool placed in the middle, the room appeared to be made of concrete. The lights came from the corners of the ceiling, pointing down on the stool like spotlights. One of the far walls housed a large mirror. You didn’t need to check it to figure it was a two-way mirror and you were being watched. Still, you approached the mirror cautiously, hoping to see through to the other side. You wanted a hint as to where you were and who was holding you here.

“Sit down.” A loud, robotic voice echoed through the room, making you jump. You hadn’t even made it to the mirror, and you scurried to back yourself against the wall once more. You leaned against it trying to be as small as possible.

“I said sit down.” The voice returned. You stared at the stool, taking slow steps towards it.A plain metal stool, it reminded you of the kind from science labs back in high school, or maybe in a doctor’s office. You touched it gently, making sure it wasn’t boobytrapped in any way before sitting down, facing the mirror.

You waited for further instruction, your breath coming in short, panicked pants. You blocked the bright lights from your eyes with a shaking hand.

“Who do you work for?”

“U-uh,” you stuttered out of fear. “It’s a sm-small office downtown.”

“Who do you work for?” The voice repeated.

“Stern and Carpenter.” You answered, giving the name of the company this time.

“Who do you work for?” You were asked a third time.

“I don’t know what you want!” You wailed. “I work an office job, data entry! I’m just a secretary!”

“Sure, Mrs. Daniels.”

You froze, breath catching in your chest as they used your real name. They knew who you were. Not Trisha Strickland, no code name or cover story. They knew you.

“What was a secretary doing in the woods with an international terrorist? Taking dictation?” The voice questioned. “How long have you been part of The Vulture’s faction?”

“F-faction?! I don’t know anything about a faction!” You gasped, shaking your head. “I-I’ve only known Phil for a few weeks, maybe a month and a half. I don’t know any Jackal.”

“Phil,” the voice pronounced the name slowly, dragging it out as if it was testing the way it sounded. “Is that who he said he was?”

“Y-yes. Phil Strickland. I barely know him!” You explained, unable to stop the hysterical tone to your voice.

“That’s not what it looked like when we found you.” You could hear the mocking tone of the voice, even through the robotic crackles.

You bit back a sob, hanging your head as you remembered Phil forcing himself onto you just before the men in masks had appeared.

“How did you meet him?”

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes as you thought back over the past month. You explained the first time meeting him. How he had dropped the briefcase at your table and rushed off almost immediately afterwards. You explained not wanting anything to do with him - you left out how that had changed over the past month. You told them how you broke open the briefcase, finding the gun and the documents and cash, how you wanted to get rid of it but didn’t want anything falling into the hands of someone on the streets.

You were interrupted, the voice asking why you continued to see him after you realized he was dangerous.

“He said he needed my help.” You sighed with a small shrug.

“Not because you were attracted to him?” The voice accused.

Your jaw dropped, insulted and shocked. “No!”

“You weren’t attracted to him at all?”

“No!” You repeated, shaking your head emphatically. “He’s not my type, and I’m happily married!” The words rolled off your tongue easily, you’d been telling them to yourself long enough now. Your hands fidgeted in your lap as you thought about the way working with Phil had made you feel. You felt important, you felt seen.

“Maybe a little.” You admitted sadly, your stomach churning at the admission. It wasn’t Phil’s looks or his charm or even his car that attracted you to him, it was the way he treated you. That he would compliment you easily and often, constantly thanking you for your help. You grew attracted to the attention he gave you. “B-but it wasn’t like that-”

“Is cheating on your husband common for you?” The voice accused.

“What?!” You gasped. “No! I’d never!”

“So this was the first time then?”

“I wasn’t cheating!” You wailed, wanting them to believe you desperately. You may have done bad things, but you hadn’t cheated on Jack. Phil had forced himself onto you, and you had tried to stop it. The memory made the stomach bile creep up your throat.

“Tell me about your husband, Mrs. Daniels.” They demanded.

Your brow furrowed in confusion as you stared at your own greening reflection in the mirror. “Jack? What do you want to know about Jack?” You waited, but they didn’t clarify. “What can I say about him?” You wondered aloud with a shrug. “He works for Statesman Distillery, runs the division...”

“So sex with him isn’t doing it for you anymore?”

Your jaw dropped once more. “That’s none of your fucking business!” You hissed. “What kind of question is that?!”

“You’re in a lot of trouble, Mrs. Daniels. I suggest you cooperate.” The voice glowered. “If we want to know about the most intimate details of your life, you had better tell us if you want to get out of here.”

You choked back another sob at the threat. The thought of never leaving this facility, of never seeing Jack again - you’d never get to make up for the month of bad decisions, never get to hold him or kiss him again. Would they tell him what happened, or would he go on never knowing what happened to you? You fought back the tears, not wanting whoever this bastard was to see you cry.

“Jack is a good man.” You whispered, closing your eyes. It was true, and you felt like you were reminding yourself just as much as you were telling them.

“But he doesn’t exactly ‘take you to church’ anymore-” The voice cut off abruptly. You were glad for it, the guilt and anger bubbling within you.

“Why did you go to Francis’ hideout.” They asked.

“Francis?”

“Francis Steinruck, legal name of The Vulture. Also goes by Phil Strickland.”

“Francis Steinruck.” You repeated quietly to yourself, the name tasting bitter on your tongue. You’d been so stupid to believe him. “He wanted me to go with him to Paris. For a mission. He needed a cover and he wanted me to… pose as his wife.”

The silence was deafening. Saying it out loud, you felt like an absolute moron, falling for all of his attention and flattery.

“And you agreed?” The flat voice nearly sounded in disbelief, not that you could blame it.

You nodded pathetically, unable to look up and face your reflection.

“Why?”

You shrugged before dropping your hands back into your lap. “I don’t know.” You admitted, nearly laughing at yourself. “I… I guess I just needed something. Something... more?”

“What did you need, Mrs. Daniels?”

You shook your head, giving another small shrug. “To feel alive? I just wanted to do... something outrageous. Something that was just for me… And it felt really good to be needed. Wanted.” You admitted with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling and blinking back the tears. These were all the thoughts you’d had since meeting Phil, but saying them outloud was just tearing open wounds you’d been ignoring in your life.

“He trusted me. When I talked, it felt like he was listening. He noticed things… He made me feel special.” You paused, taking a steadying breath. “I-I’m not getting any younger, you know?” You laughed bitterly, looking at yourself in the mirror. The tears threatening to break, the dark shadows under your eyes. It was all too apparent as you looked at yourself.

“There’s so much more out there in this life and I didn’t want to miss it. I wanted to be able to look back one day and say ‘yeah, I lived that life. I was wild once! I was reckless and did something exciting!’” You sniffled, not able to stop a few tears from spilling over, letting some of your deepest insecurities come to light.

They said nothing. You didn’t know if they were judging you or felt sorry for you. Both options made anger flare up inside you.

“I don’t give a shit,” you mumbled, wiping your face before feeling more confident as you defended yourself. “I don’t care if you understand or not, okay? I made a decision for myself, and maybe it wasn’t a good decision, and maybe I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. I don’t know. The point is I made it for myself, and you don’t have to understand that. I have to answer to myself, and to my husband, but certainly not to you.”

“This Phil… did you sleep with him?”

You sighed, feeling defeat spread through your body. You were exhausted and scared and wanted to go home. You didn’t think you could argue with the faceless voice anymore. “No.”

“You mean you did not have sexual relations with him?”

You huffed, halfway to a laugh as you shook your head. “If you’re going to ask me every goddamn question twice, this is going to take a really long time and I have to get home.” You snarled, standing from the stool.

“You’re not going anywhere.” The voice scolded you as you started to approach the door.

“Just get me out of here!” You screamed, hands flailing at your sides helplessly as the rawness in your throat flared up once more.

“Answer the question.”

“I already answered your fucking question!” You snapped. You couldn’t handle it anymore. The judgement from the people watching and questioning you, your own guilt and anger inside you. You grabbed the stool, swinging it with all your strength into the mirror. It barely cracked, a small spider web pattern spreading from where you connected.

“I did. Not. Sleep. With. Phil!” You screamed, bashing the stool into the mirror with every syllable. “I did not plan to sleep with Phil, I did not want to sleep with Phil!” You shrieked, nearly hysterical as you kept swinging the stool. The mirror broke more and more, your own reflection morphing into a jaded puzzle of yourself, but the mirror never shattered completely.

“Calm down!” The voice demanded, but you ignored it. They called for you to calm down over and over, but you swung the stool until your arms hurt. You swung and swung, screaming until you felt the last ounce of energy you had leave your body.

You stared at the cracks in the mirror, realizing it was never going to break. You panted, chest heaving as you caught your breath from the break down, stumbling back a few steps.

“One more question, Mrs. Daniels.” The voice prompted, sounding as calm as ever. “Do you still love your husband?”

The question made you drop the stool from your hold, clattering loudly to the floor.  You smiled sadly as you thought of Jack, sitting at home with his newspaper or watching a football game while he sipped from his favorite tumbler, having no idea what you had been doing or where you were now.

“Yes. I love him.” Your voice cracked, both from emotions and all the screaming you’d been doing.

The room was silent once more. You didn’t care what they thought anymore. You were just tired and wanted to go home. Curl up next to Jack and start to make your amends for your foolishness. You bent over, fixing the stool and sitting back on it, waiting for the voices to tell you what was happening next. You prayed silently to whatever power might be listening that they would let you go, that you’d get that chance to make your amends.

“There’s only one way to fix all this, Mrs. Daniels.”

You looked back at the broken mirror, the lines and shatter patterns too many to even make out your reflection anymore.

“You will work for us.”

You laughed pitifully, rubbing your forehead as you fought off the headache that was starting to form behind your eyes.

“I am offering you a choice. If you work for us, we will drop the charges and you can go back to your normal life. If not, you will go to federal prison and your husband will be left humiliated and alone. Your life as you know it will be destroyed.”

Your jaw dropped as you listened to the ultimatum. “Gee, what a choice.” You deadpanned.

“Yes or no?”

“Yes, of course I’ll do it.” You huffed in defeat, nearly wanting to laugh. It wasn’t a choice at all. “What do I have to do?”

“You will be contacted with the assignment. The code name of your contact will be Whiskey, and your code name will be Bourbon.”

You huffed, unable to stop yourself from rolling your eyes as you heard Jack’s voice in your head. “Bourbon is a whiskey, dumbass. You remember the part when I told you my husband runs a distillery, right?”

The lights clicked out suddenly, making you jump. Sassing them when they had started to show mercy may have been a bad idea.

“You’ll receive our call.” The voice echoed in the darkness. “Goodbye Mrs. Daniels.”

The door behind you opened, and you spun to see a man silhouetted against the light of the hallway. The door stayed open as he stalked towards you.

“Please, I didn’t mean it!” You defended, holding your hands up in front of you in surrender.

The man said nothing. He placed the dark sack over your head and grabbed you once again by the arm, pulling you out of the room.

You weren’t led back to the room you’d been in before, taking different twists and turns through the facility. You weren’t sure if that was a good thing or not. They had said they would let you go, to have you work for them, but that was before you mouthed off.

A door ahead of you opened and you could tell you were outside. Gone was the echoing of shoes, clicking off the pristine floors and bouncing off the walls. The crunch of gravel was under your feet, the sound of trees rustling in the breeze. Out was good… right?

A new sound just in front of you made you jump and as you were pushed forward to climb into a vehicle, you realized it had been a van door sliding open. The moment it closed, the van was moving. You fell to your side, catching yourself with your elbow against the scratchy carpeted flooring. With no one holding you and nothing binding your hands, you were tempted to remove the hood but you didn’t want to know what would happen if you saw something you weren’t supposed to. You stayed quiet and still, mentally pleading for them to let you go.

You weren’t sure how long you drove before the van screeched to a halt - literally screeched, throwing you forward with the momentum. Before you could even think to right yourself, you were grabbed and pulled out of the van. The hood was ripped off and something shoved in your hands.

Your purse.

You were next to your car, where you had parked it when Phil- or Francis, or whoever he was - had picked you up that night. Oh god, was it even the same night?

The van was gone before you even had your bearings about you, no chance at trying to catch the license plate or any distinguishing features. You stood in the deserted street, almost not believing that they’d let you go.

With shaky hands, you opened your purse and dug out your car keys. You dropped them twice while trying to unlock the door. When you finally did, you climbed inside and locked the door right behind you. Feeling even the tiniest amount of safety, locked inside your car, you finally cried. You wrapped your arms around yourself, sobbing as all the emotions from the night hit you. The terror, the disgust, the guilt- it all hit you like a tsunami as you finally broke. 

You wailed, angry with Phil, angry with yourself, gripping at the steering wheel as your knuckles turned white. Pulling at your hair until it hurt. Part of you wanted to hurt, you deserved it after everything you’d done.

You weren’t sure how long you sat in your car, under the overpass, crying, screaming, cursing - eventually you felt numb. Sore, exhausted and numb. It started to feel like the last day had been a movie, something you’d watched someone else live out, not lived it for yourself. You wiped your eyes, seeing it was a little after 11 at night. The last time you’d looked at the clock, it had been around 4 when Phil had picked you up from this very spot. Was it really only 7 hours later? It felt like a lifetime.

You took several long breaths, trying to calm yourself as you started the car. You felt in no way like you were up to driving but you had to get home somehow. You took your time, driving slowly and taking side roads to avoid having to navigate too much traffic.

The porch light was still on when you pulled up to the house, Jack’s Bronco parked in the driveway. A dim light was on in the den, the colours of the TV shining onto the curtains. You parked, wondering if he was awake, waiting and worried, or if he had dozed off.

You took a moment to try to make yourself look semi-presentable. Your red rimmed eyes and heavy bags were a lost cause, but you smoothed down your hair to look somewhat decent, straightening your clothes. There was no way he wouldn’t know something had happened. You thought of the threat that robotic voice had uttered - you will go to federal prison and your husband will be left humiliated and alone - and you knew you had to lie yet again.

You swallowed around the lump in your throat as you unlocked the front door, trying to calm the shaking of your hands as you entered your own home. It was quiet inside, the noise from the TV turned down low. You cleared your throat, wincing at the pain shooting through it before you called out to Jack, your voice as level as you could force it.

There was no answer as you kicked off your shoes, not bothering to right them from wherever they fell. You dragged your hand along the wall for balance as you made your way to the den, your legs shaky after everything you’d been through.

Lit by the lamp to his side and the flashes from the TV, Jack sat in his favorite armchair fast asleep. His head was flopped back against the chair, mouth open as he snored softly. The sight sent waves of regret through you. You might have cried if there were any tears left in you. You crossed the room, crawling into Jack’s lap.

Jack woke with a start as you curled up on his lap, grumbling to himself as he slowly figured out what was going on. You buried your head in his shoulder, curling your fists into his shirt as his arms came up to wrap around you.

“Hey there, darlin’.” He greeted happily, his voice slow and sweet like honey as he woke, his accent thick with sleep. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” He chuckled.

You didn’t answer, clinging to him as you tried to find it in you to beg for forgiveness for something you couldn’t even begin to explain to him.

“Sweetheart?” Jack asked, giving your arm a slight shake when you didn’t answer. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I’m sorry.” You stuttered, whispering to hide the strain in your voice.

“For what? What happened?” Jack shifted under you, sitting upright as his tone flooded with concern. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, face still hidden in the crook of his neck.

“Darlin’ look at me, please?” He asked, cupping your cheek as he tried to coax you out of hiding. You took a deep breath and let him pull your face into his view.

“What happened?” He asked calmly, but you could see the concern swirling in his amber eyes. He stroked your cheek as he waited for you to answer.

“Nothing,” you lied, shaking your head.

“Don’t look like nothin’. Talk to me?” The sweeter he was with you, the worse you felt.

“It’s stupid.” You denied once more.

“Rough day?” He guessed, and you were relieved for the out. You nodded as he brushed a large hand over your hair, smoothing it down. “I’m sorry.”

He pulled you into a soft kiss. It felt so different from the last set of lips that had been on yours. Welcome, warm, soft. You melted into the kiss, relishing the love and care behind it. You held him close as he tried to pull away, chasing his lips with your own. He let you lead the kiss, let you take what you needed in your emotional state. The more you kissed him, the more his mustache tickled your lip and his hands massaged your back and shoulders, the more you realized you needed him.

You adjusted yourself in his lap until you were straddling him, your thighs pressed tight to his in the chair. He hummed happily, his hand sliding down your back to rest on your waist. You licked the seam of his lips, pressing your chest to his as he opened his mouth.

He moaned softly as your tongues danced, cupping your cheek as his other hand teased along the hem of your shirt. You wanted to feel him, skin on skin, and you started unbuttoning his shirt. He took the cue to slip his fingers up the back of your shirt, callused fingers dragging over you. It made you gasp, the warm loving touch helping to erase the past several hours. You splayed your hands over his chest, feeling his warmth, the way his chest rose and fell as his breath sped up. It wasn’t enough.

“Need you, Jack.” You whimpered, foregoing the remaining buttons of his shirt to focus on the button of his jeans instead.

“You have me.” He promised, his voice low and husky as he pulled your shirt up. You didn’t lift your arms until his jeans were undone, sitting loose on his hips. Your shirt was discarded carelessly on the floor before Jack surged forward, kissing between your breasts as he palmed them through your bra. You tangled your hands in his hair, letting your head fall back as he focused on you, arching into his touch as your breathing sped up.

“Tell me what you need, baby.” He prompted before closing his teeth over the fabric of your bra, pulling it away before letting it snap back into place.

“Upstairs. Need you to fuck me.” You told him, nearly begging. “Need you inside of me.”

Jack groaned, long and low as he took in your request. His hands scooped under your ass, the only warning you had before he stood. You locked your legs around him, one arm around his shoulders as the other stayed in his hair.

He carried you into your bedroom with ease, despite your lips along his collarbone and you writhing in his arms. He set you on the bed, kissing you passionately as his hands slid up your back to unclasp your bra. You pulled at his shirt, not caring if the buttons opened or broke off. You needed it gone. Your breaths mingled in the space between your lips, panting as the heat grew between you.

He pulled your bra down your arms, dropping it to the floor before sliding his shirt off to join it. You pushed his jeans down his hips, pulling his briefs with them. He helped you, pushing them until they were too low, kicking them off his calves. He removed his lips from yours, kissing down your chest as he worked on your pants.

“Please,” you mewled, gripping his shoulders as you lifted your hips.

“I got you.” He responded, breath ragged as he pulled the last pieces of fabric out of the way.

He wrapped his arms around you, lifting you without warning to set you in the middle of the bed. You gasped, caught off guard, and tried to pull him up to kiss you again. The more he kissed you, the more you forgot about Phil. About feeling alone and unseen. The more you could think about nothing but Jack Daniels, the man you should have been thinking about this whole time.

You felt his thick fingers slide along the crease of your hip before dipping into your folds. You moaned, shaking your head.

“Need you now.” You urged against his lips.

“Okay. Okay.” He panted his understanding as his hand left you. You felt him adjust himself, the blunt head of his cock replacing his fingers at your core. You shuddered, dropping your legs open further for him.

“Please, Jack please.” You babbled, letting your head fall back into the mattress.

He shushed you, positioning himself at your entrance. “You sure you’re ready?”

“Yes, god please, Jack.” You nearly sobbed, canting your hips against him.

You gasped as he finally pushed forward, your breath catching as he stretched you. He groaned, letting his head fall against your shoulder as he entered you slowly. You felt his whole body shudder against you as he bottomed out, his short, quick breaths flitting across your skin as he struggled to control himself.

You gripped at his back, feeling the muscles taut under his skin, pleading with him to move. He obliged with a grunt, pulling out before snapping his hips against you. You cried out, back arching up off the mattress as he set a rapid pace, pumping into you steadily.

“Yes, yes, yes,” you sighed, repeating it like a mantra as your nails dug into the skin of his shoulder.

“Like that? That what you need?” He panted, lifting his head to stare down at you. His eyes were black with lust, hair matted to his forehead with sweat, jaw clenched.

You continued your mantra as his answer, wrapping your legs around him to push him deeper with your heels against his thighs.

He cursed under his breath, nose nudging against your before he took your lips again. All teeth and tongue as he fucked into you. The kiss didn’t last long, both of you struggling for breath.

“M-more.” You stuttered. You wanted him to fuck you. Hard and fast. Use you.

He grunted, increasing his pace. He choked on his words, losing his wits as he cursed, panted your name, ranted how good you felt. You were no better off, only able to ask him for more, more, more as he pounded into you.

He pulled you upwards suddenly, making you gasp in surprise as he sat back on his haunches with you in his lap. He wrapped his arms around your back, using his hands on your shoulders to push you down onto him as he thrust upwards. The new angle made your head spin, his pubic bone grinding against your clit as you cried out for him.

“Wha’d’ya need?” He demanded through clenched teeth. “Need’ya to cum. So fuckin’ close.”

“Don’t stop, god don’t stop.” You plead, wrapping your arms around him and holding him as close as physically possible. Your sweat-slicked chests rubbed together, your nipples hardening at the friction.

You felt Jack’s pace stutter as he got closer and closer to his orgasm. He snaked a hand between you, pinching your clit. Your whole body seized up, a gut-wrenching moan ripping itself from your chest as you came around him. His body shook under you as he rutted into you, your walls holding him tight. You heard him growl as the warmth of his seed filled you.

You collapsed into him, body turning boneless as you came down from your peak, your walls still fluttering around him, throbbing with every beat of your heart as you shakily gulped down all the air you could.

You felt the tremors shaking Jack’s body as his pleasure faded. He carefully lowered you back to the bed, cradling you in his arms before pulling out of you with a drawn-out grunt. He rolled to the side, falling onto his back as he caught his breath. You felt his cum leaking out of you, dripping down onto the blanket beneath you.

Neither of you spoke or moved, simply trying to catch your breaths as your bodies hit you with faint aftershocks of your orgasms. Your mind was finally quiet - the guilt, the anger, the stress all replaced with the only thing you could think of: Jack.

You jumped when his hand caressed your cheek, not having realized your eyes had drifted closed.

“Y’Okay?” He asked, his eyes sparkling with love and care even in the dim room. You nodded, resting your hand on top of his.

“Feelin’ better?”

You nodded again.

“Good.” He smiled tiredly before leaning over you, kissing you so gently you almost questioned if his lips were even touching yours. “Stay here.” He ordered once his lips left yours.

He got out of bed, grousing quietly as he moved. You didn’t think you could disobey him even if you wanted to. There was no way you could move.

He returned with a washcloth, gently parting your legs to clean you. You moaned softly as your muscles protested the movement. The cloth was warm and his touch gentle and soothing to your aching, swollen flesh. When he was satisfied, he tossed the cloth in the direction of the various discarded clothes littering the floor to be dealt with in the morning. Climbing back up the bed, he carefully pulled you to him, holding you close with your head nestled on his chest.

His heartbeat, slowly returning to a normal pace, beat steadily in your ear. His smell was all around you, he was all you could feel. His voice rumbled through his chest, speaking a soft good night as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. You mumbled your response, too tired, too spent to articulate. You were passed out mere moments later.

Tagging  @wickedfrsgrl @din-damn-djarin @dinthisisthe-wayson @seasonschange-butpeopledont @vonschweetz @insideafictionaluniverse @driedgreentomatoes @computeringturtle @thottiewinemom @phoenixhalliwell @sheerfreesia007 @and-claudia @weirdowithnobeardo @massivecolorspygiant @mrstaekim @chibi-liz05 @adrieunor @ilikechocolatemilkh @thirstworldproblemss @dynishot @diamond-doritos @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi

[angelanimedesaray]

Through the Looking Glass Chapter 10:  Constellations

AN:  Yes, I named this chapter after the song I’ve been listening to on repeat for two weeks for where this series is right now.  Constellation by Far Out feat. Karra.

Also this picks up DIRECTLY after the previous chapter.

Characters:  Levi, Reader

Pairing:  Levi x Reader

Warnings:  Umm...feelings?  Emotions?  Fluff?  Perhaps a bit of Hurt/Comfort?

Word Count:  6130

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(Gif found HERE on Giphy)

*Reader’s POV*

After the show was over, Levi was...restless.  He’d practically sprung up from the couch once the final credits started playing, and for a moment you thought he was going to claim he was sneaking away to the bathroom again.  He didn’t claim anything, actually--instead he started climbing the stairs, looking agitated with a slight scowl on his face.  If you hadn’t been paying attention to him as well during the show, you might have been completely lost about what was causing such a foul mood from him.

Not wanting to lose sight of him, you quickly scrambled up from the couch to hurry after him as he prowled up the stairs.

“Who the hell wants to watch something depressing like that?” he asked, sounding like a bona-fide sulking teenager as he headed straight for your room.

Well, that didn't sound right. If he hadn't liked the show, he wouldn't have sat through the whole thing, surely?  So he couldn't have hated it.  Maybe just some of the themes made him uncomfortable?  Something about it had upset him, clearly.

"Levi, are you all right?" you asked in concern as you followed him inside your room, shutting the door behind you.

"I'm fine," he snapped back, as if it should be obvious.  The gruff edge to his voice suggested otherwise.

That was a blatant lie. His attitude was a clear indicator that everything wasn't fine, and yet, he was trying to bottle up whatever was bothering him.  He did that a lot, from what you could tell--put up a front, pretended nothing fazed him, hid when something was bothering him, buried his emotions and kept them from rising to the surface.  Something about the show downstairs had really bothered him.  You didn't know what, and you didn't think he would tell you, but you doubted keeping it buried was going to help.

Who knew what else he was trying to shove into hiding, what else he was suppressing.

And that front of his--how many times had he said he was fine, it was nothing, when whatever it was, was clearly something.  You'd seen him starving, roughed up, attacked, and even caught flashes of emotional distress on his face every now and then.  You knew his life wasn't an easy one, and that it was actually pretty scary.  You knew, so why did he feel like he had to put up this front that everything was fine and nothing could faze him when he was with you?  Did he feel like it was protecting you in some way?

You didn't want him putting up that front around you--didn't want him to feel like he needed to.

But how could you tell him, how could you /show/ him he didn't have to put up that act with you, in a way that would make him listen and understand?

*Levi’s POV*

Still sulking from all of the thoughts and emotions that damn show had stirred up inside him while he was watching, Levi didn’t initially notice when she was approaching him.  Normally he would berate himself for letting his guard down, even around her, but he was caught off guard when instead of hearing any kind of vocal answer to his fuming, he simply felt her hand rest gently on his shoulder.

His attention pulled from the dark places his mind kept trying to lead him, Levi turned to look at her, a question on his eyes and about to fall from his lips when he suddenly realized how close she was, directly in front of him and moving closer.  Instinctively, Levi took a few steps back before his legs hit the edge of the bed and he stopped, glancing behind him to confirm that’s what he’d hit.  When he looked back at Y/N, she hadn’t stopped moving closer to him, and he found himself leaning back until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands moving to his shoulders.

His heart was pounding in his chest, face showing clear confusion at the concentrated look that she was displaying despite her odd actions.  Her hands started to move methodically over his arms and was coming towards his chest, and he had to speak up.  “What are you--”

“I want to show you something...but...you’re gonna have to trust me and let me do it, okay?” she said, a suspicious blush coloring her cheeks.  What was she trying to show him?  It wasn’t anything untoward, was it?  His mental image of her was a bit too innocent for that to be a feasible thing for her to be doing right now in his mind.  Besides, if it was that, he was pretty sure she would have already--

Her slowly moving touch suddenly stopped in one of the places Levi kept a knife hidden up his sleeve, and her hand dropped to slide under his sleeve and wiggle the knife out of its hidden holster.

“Hey, leave that alone--” he started to say sharply, the thought of her and knives not mixing well in his mind, or the thought of her disarming him.

Her other hand came to rest on his chest to calm him down, pausing in taking the knife away but not releasing her grip on it.  “It’s all right.  Just trust me and let me do this, okay?” she reassured him again in that same soft tone of voice.

But why take the knife?  What did she want it for?

As he reluctantly allowed her to take the knife from him, he watched as she dropped it over the side of the bed, out of either of their reach.  He gave her a disapproving look, still not sure what she was going for here as her hands resumed the wander they’d been doing before she’d found that hidden knife.

“It’s fine--it’ll be right back where it belongs when you go back, anyway, right?” she said pointedly.  He never should have mentioned that detail of what happened when he blipped back to his world if this kind of mischievousness was going to be the result.  “Just trust me.”

There it was again--her soft spoken plea that he trust her, like she was trying to coax a frightened cat out of a corner she couldn’t fit in or reach it from.  Why?  What was her sudden fascination with…

She found the more obvious knife at his waist and undid it as well, doing the same with that knife as she had with the first, putting it out of reach.  A tightness seemed to be welling up in his chest, and he couldn’t quite figure out why yet.  He felt...vulnerable and exposed.  And that could be a death sentence in the Underground.  Maybe that was it.

Her hands continued to wander lower, passing his waist and starting a gentle and slow search down his legs.  The pounding in his heart became much louder and intense as he finally realized at least what her more immediate intentions were.  He still didn’t understand why, but he knew she was trying to disarm him, to get rid of the weapons he was keeping hidden on his person.

It was terrifying, being so suddenly faced with the prospect of being without a weapon.  Ever since meeting Kenny, he had never been without a weapon, had never been willingly disarmed.  The thought was panic inducing, and as she reached for the last hidden weapon he had on him at the moment, his hand suddenly shot out to stop her, closing tightly around her wrist and holding her arm firmly where it was, refusing her movement a millimeter further.

He had to lean forward to do it, and when she looked up to see why he’d stopped her, her face was close enough to his he could feel her warm breaths against his cheek.  No doubt she was close enough to feel his shallower breaths, as if the for-once wide-eyed look he gave her, the look in his eyes and the slight tremble in his grip wasn’t enough of a sign for what this made him feel at the moment.  It was the hardest he’d ever held onto her...well, consciously.

*Reader’s POV*

What Levi wasn’t aware of was the fact that the look in his eyes and the way he was holding onto you so tightly reminded you of the day the two of you were preteens in the middle of that forest.  Well, it wasn’t nearly as tight of a grip as it had been that day, considering he wasn’t drawing blood.  It was more a shadow of the grip that day, but it was still strong enough to remind you of it.

You covered his hand with the one he wasn’t currently keeping from removing his last hidden weapon, giving his hand a small squeeze to try and give him some reassurance.

“It’s all right.  Trust me, you’re safe,” you said softly, staying calm and patient, waiting for him to show that he would let you before you continued any further.  “You’re okay.”

What you were trying to do, you weren’t trying to be mean, or to force him into anything.  It wasn’t about that.  What you were trying to do was about trust and safety, about vulnerability.  You wanted him to feel and know that he could trust you, really trust you, enough that he could let his guard down when he was around you.  You wanted him to know it was okay to be vulnerable, unarmed in all senses of the word when he was around you.  He didn’t have to constantly be on guard against people that were out to get him when he was with you.  He was safe when he was here with you, and you wanted him to know that, that he wouldn’t be made to regret it whenever he let his guard down around you.

Your mind could have very easily gone to other things with how close you two were, the heat and the feel of him underneath you, but you were too focused on helping him feel safe with you that it didn’t even occur to you, not at the current moment.

A few moments of tension passed between the two of you where you both held your positions, before you carefully and slowly attempted to move your hand closer to the place you’d found this last knife, somewhere around his ankle, probably tucked into his boot.  His grip tightened on your wrist again, and you paused, still holding eye contact with him.

“It’s okay,” you told him softly, the thumb of your other hand, the one resting atop his, gently brushing along the back of his hand.  “Just let me do this.  Trust me, okay?” you murmured softly to him.

This one you weren’t going to drop over the edge.  It was the last one, and with how tightly he was clinging to it, you knew better than to rip it from him.  You were going to have to be slow and mindful with this one.

Levi hesitated, and you felt the grip on your wrist relax marginally.  Encouraged, you carefully pressed a little further, hearing his breathing growing shallow, signifying just how scared this was actually making him.  If his hand wasn’t gripping so tightly to yours, it would probably be shaking.

Carefully, you reached for the last knife, pulling it slowly out of its holster, but making sure it was in constant contact with him, even if it was slight.  Up along his leg before you angled it so that it was resting against his wrist.  Levi’s eyes started to cloud with confusion again, which meant he was a little less resistant to what you were doing, hesitantly following your lead as he tried to figure out what you were doing, what this was all for.

As gently as you could, you pressed the handle into his palm, his fingers instinctively tightening around it instead of your wrist as you pushed him back onto the bed.  Despite his confusion, his cheeks were tinged the slightest shade of pink, which caused you to blush in turn as you realized what he must be thinking given their current position.  Trying to push those thoughts out of your mind again, you covered his hand with your own, the one holding that knife still, so his palm was on one side of the handle, yours was on the other.

You let him sit like that for a few moments, murmuring out the occasional it’s okay, you’re safe, you’re all right, your other hand resting carefully on his other shoulder.  He was watching your every move, listening intently to the words you were saying even though it was the same thing over and over, your voice soft and gentle, meant to be soothing and reassuring.

After a few moments when he started to relax again, his grip slackening slightly on the last knife, you started to carefully loosen his fingers from around the knife.  He tensed slightly as you started to try and take it again, holding his gaze and picking up with the soothing words again, the same mantra, the same tone.  You stayed patient, stopping when the panic started to show in his wide eyes, continuing when he seemed more hesitant and more likely to give way to what you were trying to do.  He never entirely relaxed, but his grip was slowly slackening on the last knife, until at long last you were able to slowly pry it out of his hand, pushing it slightly off to the side.

You could see his fingers twitch, or maybe they were shaking and it was just hard to tell when the back of his hand was lying against the bed.  He wanted to grab at the knife, you could tell as much.  That was why it was right there and you hadn’t pushed it out of the way yet.  At the same time, you made sure your arm was in constant contact with his now empty hand, giving him a continual physical touch with you besides the obvious, giving him something to hold to besides the knife.

Slowly, you let your fingertips push the knife further and further away, inch by painful inch, until the knife fell over the edge with a soft thwump onto the carpet that made Levi flinch slightly beneath you.  With Levi finally disarmed in the physical sense of the word, you let him simply...sit there and adjust to the feeling, still holding his gaze, your hand retreating to hold his now that the knife had fallen over the edge and was out of reach with the others.  His eyes were wide and unsure, and he squirmed uncomfortably underneath you, but neither of you spoke.  The silence stretched on and on between the two of you, and you simply...waited.

*Levi’s POV*

For the first time in a long time, he felt completely and utterly exposed.  There was nothing to protect himself if something went wrong, no weapon within reach.  His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt jumpy, the strongest desire crashing over him to leap up and grab the blades down below just so he could hold them and have that reassurance that they were there if he needed them.

Now that she’d stripped him of his weapons, he expected Y/N to say something, anything, just something that would give him some idea of what she was hoping to achieve.  Instead, she just gazed down at him, watching him closely with a softness in her gaze, her hand slowly twining into his and holding tightly to his trembling fingers, giving him something to hold to in place of the knife she’d stripped from him.

But why?  Why do all this?  Why strip him of his only means of defense if something went wrong?

The longer he stared up at her and tried to figure out what was going on, the less he thought about the knives on the floor, and the more he focused on her instead.  Slowly, he started to relax beneath her, his breathing evening out and his hand tightening slightly around hers, a small comfort in place of not having his knives.  The irrational fear of something terrible happening the moment he didn’t have his knives on him started to trickle away the longer they simply...sat there.  The silence wasn’t a fearful and unknowable abyss, but grew gradually comfortable, nothing terrible happening, no sudden explosion or door being kicked inward with bad guys appearing from the shadows.  Nothing bad happened when she disarmed him, just like she’d promised.  It had been a silly little fear of his, but having them on him made him feel safe and reassured, like a safety net.  Now that she had stripped him of those safety nets, all he had to hold onto, was…

As he reached a middle ground where his breathing evened out and he was partially relaxed despite the instincts drilled into him by Kenny keeping part of him tense and on edge wanting to grab a weapon, she suddenly smiled at him.  It was warm, and for some reason proud and reassuring, like he’d done something grand and awe inspiring, even though all he’d done was lay there and let her take away his weapons.

“See?” she said quietly, her arms shifting to his sides.  He still wasn’t sure about this proximity thing, but he’d been doing what she asked and trusting her with whatever this was, following her lead.  “It’s alright...you’re alright.  It’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes.”

She spoke in the softest murmur, and while Levi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, she wrapped her arms carefully around him and leaned down to pillow her head on his chest in a hug as tender as her movements and voice had been during this entire experiment.

“It’s okay...it’s alright...trust me…”

There was the mantra again.  She was still saying it, even though she’d already stripped the knives away.  Why, though, if she’d already taken care of the knives?  Did she know part of him still wanted to reach out and grab them to hold onto again?

But the more he heard her say it, especially now, in this position while he felt so exposed and vulnerable, with the silence all around them and after the fresh assault of emotions that damn show had brought on…

Something was bubbling up inside him, something strong and alarming, something new that scared him.  Maybe it wasn’t new, but rather something that had been buried for so long and something he hadn’t felt so strongly since that he almost didn’t recognize it.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t something he wanted to feel, it wasn’t something he wanted to confront when he wasn’t alone.  He attempted to get a hold of himself again, to shove the surfacing emotions back down and far away from the surface, bury them all over again where they couldn’t emerge when he wasn’t ready for them.

The arms around his chest tightened, Y/N’s face buried a little deeper into his chest as she said it again.

“It’s okay.  You’re all right.  Trust me.”

Levi’s eyes widened, lips parting slightly as he finally realized this had nothing to do with the knives.  Not really.  The knives were merely a front.  This was about something intangible and far scarier.

This was about letting her in.  Letting her see him unfiltered and without his guard up.  About trusting her enough that he let her see him when he was vulnerable.

Levi’s breath caught, and he immediately resisted the terrifying thought, trying to retreat rapidly on an emotional front, body tensing like he was about to push her off him and try to leave by choice for once.

As he tensed, her grip on him shifted once again, her face fully buried in his chest.  Maybe it was the way he had tensed in her embrace, or maybe it was the way she was holding him just so, but his mind flashed to the tenderness she’d shown him in the past.  That first hug she’d given him after Kenny left, how warm and comforting it had been, and even though he’d resisted it at first because it wasn’t something he was used to, after he trusted her and let her hug him, it helped him feel...a little more secure, and a little more safe, despite what had just happened.

Even further back, when they’d first met...he’d been starving, filthy, near death--considering Kenny hadn’t even been sure Levi was alive when he first saw him, he was certain he’d looked like he was already a corpse.  He’d been ready to give up and die when he appeared in her world for the first time.  And yet, never once did she make fun of or ever bring up his past vulnerability, his past weakness.  She’d never ridiculed it, never drug it up at moments when she could have to make a point.  She’d simply wrapped him in warmth and care and helped him feel better in so many different ways.  She’d helped him feel safe and cared for in his darkest moments, made him feel clean and worthwhile.

And that day.  She’d held him without a word of complaint about the pain of his grip, even when he drew blood.  He’d glimpsed the healing marks later, and had been consumed by guilt that he’d hurt her, but she’d never said a word about it or shown any sign that she held it against him.  After what happened, she didn’t shun him or point out his weakness, or think less of him for finding himself unable to fight back--she’d stayed with him despite her own fear, and she’d given him the strength and resolve to fight back.

She had already seen him at his worst, and never once had she thought less of him for it.  Never had she brought up these moments of weakness that he’d show, not during times when he was helpless, not to point out the chinks in his armor, not even when they were having more serious or personal moments.  Even now, she wasn’t telling him to be vulnerable with her because he had been vulnerable around her in the past in situations out of his control.  Now, she was asking him to choose to be vulnerable around her.

She was asking him to choose to let her in, to choose to trust her that much to feel safe around her.  Safe enough he didn’t need to be armed, didn’t need to be guarded.  She wanted him to know he could feel that way around her without having to worry about some kind of consequence for being vulnerable.  This wasn’t the Underground.  Letting down his guard around her wasn’t going to result in death or some kind of emotional scarring.

He already knew from experience that she wouldn’t make him regret it, that she wouldn't betray his trust if he chose to give it to her, because after all this time, she hadn’t betrayed the vulnerability she’d already seen from him on numerous occasions.

This was still very different, though--choosing to let her see things that he usually tried to keep hidden from her, letting her in behind his guard because he wanted to, not because of circumstance.  Did he really want to?  Normally he kept people at a distance because he didn’t want to lose anyone else.  And arguably, she was the one with the highest risk of being lost to him, considering they didn’t know how this worked, or if it would some day stop.

But that didn’t mean these moments meant nothing.

That was the one lesson he’d been learning the hard way, a lesson that was making him cling all the harder to her.

As all of this went through his mind, Levi’s gaze remained fixed upwards on the ceiling, lips parted slightly like he was about to speak, one arm lying forgotten on the bed while the other was twined with hers, her other arm hugging him tightly to her, his eyes half lidded and her head buried in his chest.  Slowly, as he came to terms with the reality of his vulnerability, and how much of it she had already seen, Levi finally started to relax, even if it was gradually.  That stoic, guarded expression started to soften and crumble, and as he relaxed, Y/N finally peeked up at him, catching a glimpse of his face as those emotions started to bubble up unrestrained.  Their eyes met for a few heartbeats, and the look in her eyes shifted as she saw he was about to tip over some kind of edge.  She moved up, wrapping both arms around him and pulling him to her in a protective kind of embrace, his head cradled gently into her chest as if she was shielding him from the eyes of the world.  He was caught off guard by the sudden shift for a few seconds, before he recognized the protective and shielding position she’d put herself in.

His arms tentatively wrapped around her in turn, and he let his head lean into her as she had done to him so many times before.  For the first time in so long, he felt truly and thoroughly safe and protected in her arms, like nothing could touch him so long as he was here in this very spot.

He hadn’t felt this way since his mother died.

His breath hitched, eyes squeezed shut as he started to suck in shuddering breaths, his shoulders trembling against her as arms tightened their grip from the unsure and tentative hug of a few moments ago to something growing in strength.  His hands clutched at the shirt on her back, and that pressure in his chest and pain in his throat returned as he still held back the unbridled emotion that was rising rapidly inside him.

It was all a jumbled mess, honestly.  He’d been suppressing what he felt for the sake of survival so long, he couldn’t even distinguish one emotion from the other, or where the emotions originated.  He just knew they roiled inside him like an unhindered storm--anger and the pain of loss, abandonment, fear and agony, trauma and desperation, feelings of injustice and a slowly jaded view of the world, a sense of betrayal, worthlessness, not being good enough, powerlessness, a loss of innocence.  It was all coming up at once, and even though he didn’t think he was ready to cry in front of her, he was allowing himself to start to feel it, and to let her get a peek of what he was keeping bottled deep inside.  Even if it was in the shelter of her arms and couldn’t see his face, she could still feel him shuddering violently in her arms, could hear him sucking in unsteady breaths  that gave away how he was at the brink of a harsh cry but wouldn’t let himself fall over the edge.

No, he didn’t dip over the edge.  The dam didn’t break, not yet, he wasn’t ready for that yet.  But he did allow himself to be disarmed, to be held, to show her the cracks in the armor he’d tried to hide before to give her a sense of an unshaking presence at her side.

But he’d been mistaken.  She’d never asked for some kind of guardian, or a knight in shining armor.  She’d just wanted him, as he was, cracks and all.

He would trust her more.  He would let her see more of this side of himself.  Especially because he knew now that it was safe to do so, and that she wouldn’t make him regret it.  Whatever he showed her, would stay between the two of them.  And it would help him get some of this crushing weight off of his chest.

Eventually.  Right now, he just let himself feel and be held, shielded from the world--both of their worlds--by her embrace.

(Two Weeks Later)

“I’m bored.”

Levi turned slightly to look at Y/N, his back against the end of her bed with his legs stretched out in front of him.  She was lying upside down on her bed, her head dangling over the edge a few inches from his shoulder while he flipped through a booklet she had given him because she wanted to know what he thought about her plans to go to some science college after she finished high school to continue her education.

“You’re the one with all the great ideas.  Come up with something,” he said flatly.

Why was he even looking at this?  It made no sense to him--his world wasn’t this advanced, and most of the stuff in her world, he just had to roll with it and accept that’s what it was and try not to think too hard about the details, because they would be lost on him.  Like that rounded box thing that played music through her room while they were together, filling their companionable silence with something to listen to at least.

He preferred it more when she was playing the piano, but at least he was hearing more music from her world he could try to request she play.  Or that he learn how to play, if he liked it enough.

Levi lightly smacked her in the face with the now-closed booklet.  “If you want to do it, do it.  Don’t let someone else decide.”

She sighed, taking the booklet from him.  “It’s going to be really intense.  I’m not sure if I’m cut out for it,” she muttered, flipping through the pages halfheartedly.  “Mom says I could probably get into one of the really good schools if I tried hard enough.  Something like MIT--which means nothing to you, yeah, sorry, I forget,” she grumbled, flipping around on the bed so she was sitting up properly and the blood wasn’t rushing to her head anymore.

Outside, a loud rumble and crack rent the air, and Levi jumped, head whipping around and looking for the danger as a curse left him.  Y/N gasped, but it wasn’t the scared kind of gasp--it was excited.

“It’s raining?” she asked excitedly, dropping the booklet and hurrying over to the window so she could pull back the curtain.  It was dark outside, but there was water on the window and pattering against it, a sound that became more audible when she turned down the music.  “Levi, have you seen rain before?”

“What do you think?” he grumbled, getting to his feet as he sensed the energy coming off her in waves.  That feeling usually came before she dragged him somewhere to try something new.

“I know what we’re going to do,” she said excitedly, grabbing his arm and racing down the stairs.

“What was that sound?”

“Thunder--don’t worry, thunder doesn’t do anything but sound scary.  It’s the lightning you have to worry about, but even then, the odds of being struck by lightning is like, a million to one a year.  Come on this is gonna be fun!”

He wasn’t sure after that comment about being struck by lightning, but it wasn’t like she was going to give him much of an option.  Without any hesitation, she threw open the front door and drug him outside, the screen door slamming behind them as they stepped off the shelter of the porch and were almost immediately bombarded with a torrent of rain falling from the sky.  It was quickly cutting through his clothes and soaking them to the point they were going to hang off his frame, the same as Y/N, but she hardly seemed to care, delving deeper into the weather, straight into the street after letting go of his arm.

Her arms were flung wide, head angled up and eyes closed against the rain that showered down on her with a wild laugh, doing a slow turn.  The water was cool, but the weather itself was warm enough that it wasn’t chilling--not yet, anyway.

Attempting to see what she saw when all he could focus on was how drenched he was getting and how much water was everywhere, Levi looked up at the night sky, squinting his eyes against the rain falling down on his face.  Looking up, he couldn’t see the stars--just darkness, and in its place were the raindrops, falling so rapidly from above that it looked like water was appearing from the nothingness above them to shower upon the earth, falling like stars in what seemed like slow motion, flashing in and out of view as it fell past the beams of light from the streetlamps and the light of homes.

He had to turn his head back down and brush the water off his face, pushing wet strands of hair out of the way as well as he looked over at Y/N, who had put her arms over her head and was doing a twirl, water flying off her jacket and splashing up in the air from the street where her feet spun her, hair flying around her face with her momentum and throwing more water around her as she giggled, not a care in the world.

Her eyes caught his, the brightest grin on her face as she reached out for his hand again.

“Dance with me!” she insisted, pulling him surprisingly close as water splashed into the air from their footsteps, the hand linked with his held up to the side while the other reached for his shoulder.

His mind blanked for a moment, a thousand questions and reasons not to, including that he didn’t know how, flashing through his mind.  What he came up with was a simple, “There’s no music.”

She just laughed.  “Like we need it,” she said as if it was obvious, her hand pulling him along in a purely improvised dance that had no real direction, no music.  The rain didn’t feel so cold anymore--if anything, it felt cooling, refreshing, soothing against his skin, even if he occasionally had to blink it away.  For the most part they simply twirled in aimless circles.  Occasionally she would lift his arm and spin under it, flashing him another wide grin along the way to show how much she was enjoying this impulsive escapade.  Other times she would lean into him, looking up at the rain falling from the sky in wonder, as if she hadn’t seen it a million times before, her eyes dreamy and far away.

“They’re like stars falling to the earth when it’s dark, don’t you think?” she asked, stretching out with the hand that had been on his shoulder to let some of the droplets fall onto her palm.  “It’s like being in a whole ‘nother world for a few seconds.”

Levi wasn’t looking at the rain anymore--he was looking at her, at the shine in her eyes, the glisten of the rain curling down her skin, clothes soaked all the way through like his, hair sticking in random curls along the edges of her face.  She was...gorgeous.  Brighter than any star he’d find staring up at the sky.

And she was freezing.  She might not notice yet, but she was trembling in his arms, the slightest hint of blue coloring her lips.  As beautiful and awe inspiring as it was for her, it was time to head inside.

Levi tugged at her arm.  “Time to go inside--you’re freezing,” he told her, pulling her closer to the house and closer to him in turn, an arm around her shoulders while her hand clung to the soaked fabric of his sleeve, both of them hurrying towards the door.

For a split second, a light flashed through the sky, spider-webbing across the darkness like a fracture in glass in brilliant white and blue light, and a crack of thunder made Y/N squeal in exhilaration and run faster up to the house.

The door slammed shut behind them once more, both of them now feeling the chill of their soaked clothes now that they were out of the rain, Levi taking in how quickly the carpet was turning colors while they dripped all over the place.  After he grumbled something unintelligible about water everywhere, Y/N simply laughed, ruffling his sopping wet hair without warning and darting away before he could grab her.

“It’ll dry--come on, dry clothes and towels in the bathroom for you!” she promised, hurrying up the stairs and leaving a trail of wet carpet along the way as she disappeared.

For a moment, Levi smiled to himself in the quiet to see her so happy, even with the brief water mess.

Next Chapter---->

(Strikethroughs Couldn’t Be Tagged)

Levi Tags:  @clary-quinn @humanitys-hottestsoldier @whalerus @sunny-flo @thirstyforsometea

Through The Looking Glass Tags:  @artist-bby @kaz2y5-pie​ @tartheyes​ @super-peace-fangirl​ @huntersbunker​ @nefelimalfoy​ @soft-levi-girl-blog​ @honeygivemeachainsaw @regalillegal​ @sugas-daddy7​ @cathyannecookie @chaoticshepardplaid @roayaloveslife​ @sanrioclit​ @wvnderfvllyalvne @sparkling-gayyyy​ @do-not-feed-sugar​

[gothicwidowsworld]

Lewis Capaldi #16

Requested - @megandonaldson

Hello can I get a Lewis Capaldi imagine, when she’s a lead singer in a band and she wins an award??? Thanks

Imagine...

Curling the last strand of her y/h/c hair Y/N delicately placed her iconic black rose and crystal studded flower crown on her head before checking to make sure she looked presentable. She felt amazing, her dress hugged her just right while also being comfortable and her makeup looked stunning. “Would you stop worrying i’m sure you look fine.” the well known voice announced breaking her from the slight daze the girl had managed to slip into. Making her way into their shared bedroom Y/N simply grinned at her boyfriend of 1 year “Easy for you to say.. You never look like you give a shit about what you’re wearing.” Lewis being the drama queen he was simply feigned shock “I’ll have you know I’m performing this evening.” flipping his non existent hair. “Well you won’t be if we don’t get a move on” Y/N said with no ounce of sympathy in her voice before leaving the room to get into the car waiting outfront.

“I’m here with Y/N the lead singer from Beatrix’s radio” the male interviewer Jamie Laing stated loudly over the roaring crowd to all the people watching at home. Yasmin Evans greeted the familiar singer warmingly, Evans had become quite close friends with Y/N after interviewing the y/h girl for BBC 1 a few months previously. “It’s great to be here.” Y/N responded into the mic that had practically been thrusted into her hand once the hosts had hijacked her off the red carpet. “So Beatrix’s radio has been nominated for ‘British group’ and ‘British artist video of the year’ how exciting” Yasmin question her London accent making an appearance. Smiling Y/N nodded “Yeah it’s honestly unreal and it’s such a shame the rest of the band couldn’t make it. I mean we’ve worked so hard to make it to where we are and I mean the Brits who would have thought it.” after a couple more questions about the band’s new album and upcoming tour Y/N was allowed to leave and continue her way up the carpet.

Finally it was time to announce the winner for British group. The nerves Y/N had managed to shed throughout the night returned only this time they were taking no prisoners. Grabbing Lewis’ hand from under the table out of habit Y/N waited, blood pounding in her ears making the rhythmic heartbeat known and forming a headache. “And the winner is…” this was it. Lewis squeezed her hand lightly thumb rubbing circles in an attempt to calm her. “BEATRIX’S RADIO”.

It was unreal, like a dream. It was as if Y/N was on autopilot or having an out of body experience.

“Wow, I’m sorry I don’t really know what to say. You see I’m not normally onstage by myself.” the audience chuckled lightly at the girl. Y/N had become well known in the music business over the past year or so working with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan and Little mix but she was also well known for being awkward at times. “I’d just like to thank everyone who spent their time voting, and to all the people who made us feel so welcome.” she trailed off before thinking “I’m just hoping I'm not forgetting anyone or I might get kicked out the band.” Jack Whitehall pulled a face to the camera crew before heckling the y/h/c girl “GET ON WITH IT I WANT TO SEE LITTLE MIX”. Giggle Y/N continued “OK well thanks.. Don’t make me tell your father Jack. Anyway, I'd also like to thank my Boyfriend Lewis for being there when I had diva moments after hours at the studio even though he had his own album to deal with. And I’m sorry for eating the slice of Pizza you were saving. But in all seriousness Thank you for dealing with us.”

After the show was over and Lewis had performed, tears had been shed, awards won etc it was time to go home. At some point Y/N had removed her heels and was now just walking around barefoot award in one hand and swinging lewis’ hand in the other. Turning to face the 22yr old only one word fell from her red lips “Pizza?” Could this night get any better?

Gif Source

Giphy

[revwinchester]

Science Project

Summary: Dean comes home hungry after a long hunt.

Pairing: Dean x Reader Other Characters: Sam (mentioned), Mary (OFC), mentioned

Word Count: 592

Warnings: Daddy!Dean

A/N: This is the second drabble that I wrote for my lovely beta during her long car ride yesterday.  The gif she found and sent is from giphy.  The fic is inspired by that and also based on a tv commercial for Amazon Echo that I’ve seen a few times recently.  We both hope that you enjoy it!

Your name: submit What is this? // <![CDATA[ function replaceAll(find, replace, str) { return str.replace(new RegExp(find, 'g'), replace); } function myHandler() { var input = document.getElementById("inputTxt").value; document.body.innerHTML = replaceAll('Y/N', document.getElementById("inputTxt").value, document.body.innerHTML); } // ]]>

Science Project - 

The hunt had gone longer than Sam and Dean had anticipated and what should have been a milk run ended up taking the better part of two weeks.  It was late but Dean had kept driving longer than he probably should have to get home.  He knew Sam would appreciate sleeping in his own bed tonight and, more importantly, he missed falling asleep next to Y/N and waking up to make breakfast for their daughter.  

Sam had gone straight for a shower and to bed but Dean was hungry so he made a pit stop in the kitchen before joining her in the bedroom.  He rummaged through the fridge, grabbing one of the tupperware containers that held the leftovers from one of the past week’s dinners, hoping that it wasn’t one of the “healthy” meals that Y/N would force on him and Mary a few times a week.  Luckily when he popped the top and put it in the microwave, it looked more like pasta.  Dean opened up a beer and grabbed a fork while he waited for his food to reheat.

When the microwave dinged, he grabbed his food and stirred up the pasta as he walked over to the table.  Dean sat, shoving a forkful into his mouth once he was satisfied that it wouldn’t burn his tongue.  Something on the table caught his eye and he put down the bowl and dragged the paper over towards him so he could read it as he ate.

It was a note from Y/N.  

D & S -

We’ve missed you!  There’s plenty of leftovers in the fridge if you’re are hungry.  Just don’t accidentally grab Mary’s science project!  It’s the bowl with the blue lid and the science fair is next week.  Glad you’re home!

- Y/N and Mary

Dean let the food fall out of his mouth and looked straight ahead for a moment, wracking his brain and trying to remember which container he had pulled from the fridge.  He turned back toward the counter to where he had left the lid but he couldn’t make out the color across the mostly dark room.  He fought back the urge to vomit as he scrambled up and across the kitchen, grabbing the thankfully red lid from the counter and holding it victoriously in the air, a sense of relief setting over him.  

Still, his appetite was gone, and he brought the lid back to the table, closing up the pasta before returning it to the fridge and trudging down the hall towards the bedroom he shared with Y/N.  He shed his clothing as quietly as he could and climbed into bed behind her, gently slinging one of his arms across her waist.  

Y/N’s eyes fluttered open and she turned to face Dean.  “Welcome home, baby,” she whispered.

“Hey,” Dean replied, kissing her on the forehead, “sorry I woke you.”  

Y/N looked at him with a sleepy smile.  “I’m not.  I’m glad you’re home.”  She snuggled into his chest and placed a kiss over his heart before yawning.  “Did you get something to eat?”

Dean chuckled and Y/N relaxed into the rumbling in his chest.  “Yeah.  Didn’t see your note until after I started eating, though.”

Y/N looked up at him with huge eyes, suddenly wide awake.  “You didn’t…” she whispered.

“No,” Dean assured her, “I got lucky.”

Y/N laughed and sighed at the same time.  “Good.  She’s doing something with bugs.  If you had eaten that thing, I would never have kissed you again.”

If you’d like to be added to (or removed from) one of my tag lists, please send me an ask and let me know!

ALL THE TAGS! (forevers): @deathtonormalcy56 @supernaturalyobsessed @roxy-davenport @sumara62 @ginamsmith @gallifreyansass @samwinjarpad @hexparker

Squirrel Scouts: @akshi8278

Dean Tags from @mrswhozeewhatsis: @mrswhozeewhatsis @vintagevalentinexx @thinkwritexpress-official @bowtiesandapplepie @itsemmyb @ezauraemmaline @matteson-crazed @castielspahdehrah @charliesbackbitches @crzcorgi @ellen-reincarnated1967 @gryffindorable713 @deandoesthingstome @deerlululucy @walkingencyclopediaoffandom @mrsjohnsmith @manawhaat @growleytria @thegleegeneration @samtomydeanwinchester @SinceriouslyAmellPadalecki @i-never-said-a-pilot @thewinchestielboys @Supermoonpanda  @sis-tafics @amaranthinecastiel @fandommaniacx @meganwinchester1999 @kittenofdoomage @samanddeanwinchester67 @prettyxwickedxthings @ferferelli @lilyoflothlorien @myfand0msandm0re @olitzisbae @iridianuniverse @the-morning-star-falls  @shortandlongstories @strange-inhumanity @ackleslaugh @noisilyyoungpuppy @fangirling-instead-of-working @aprofoundbondwithdean @eyes-of-a-disney-princess @roxy-davenport @chrisatplay @kayteonline @spnsimpleman @faith-in-dean @kreborn17 @mamaimpala @for-the-love-of-dean @winchesterfiesta @zanthiasplace @salvachester @sleep-silent-angel @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @gadreelsforbiddenfruit @trenchcoats-and-bees @curliesallovertheplace @jencharlan @not-so-natural-spn @skybinx-blog @thebunkerismyhome @feelmyroarrrr @beachy2014 @fandom-book-nerd @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @tia58 @sams-little-toy @deansleather @faegal04 @sunriserose1023 @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @saving-things-hunting-family @winchesterswoonathon @jotink78 @lucifer-in-leather @i-dont-know-how-to-write @everyday-supernatural-af @notnaturalanahi @howmanytuesdaysdidyouhave @supernatural-jackles @babypieandwhiskey @avasmommy224 @angelwingsandsupernaturalthings @mysaintsasinner @chelsea-winchester @spn-fan-girl-173 @besslincoln-bruh @wheresthekillswitch @shelovesallthethings @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish @klaineaholic @deanwinchesterforpromqueen @supernaturalismalife @pinknerdpanda @quiddy-writes @inmysparetime0 @hexparker @atwistoffate @evilskank-inthemegacoven @there-must-be-a-lock

[bondwalker37]

No More Giphy GIF In Zoom Chat Feature For Some Time

Big news for the people addicted to GIFs! Zoom has temporarily removed Giphy, its GIF platform, from its chat feature. To assure its users, Zoom stated that it would bring back the feature after some time. The company is merely waiting for the security and technical measures to get done, after which it will bring back the feature. Giphy is not new in the world of GIFs as it is seen working closely with many messaging apps.

A list containing security updates includes this change. The list also consists of a few updates like screen sharing limits, and muting/unmuting features. The list of security updates also mentions some restrictions around logging in to Zoom meetings from more than one device.

Not many days back, Facebook took over Giphy for around $300 million. It is said by many that the giant wants to integrate Giphy into Instagram. However, the impacts of the acquisition on Twitter, iMessage and other social platforms remain vague. Another critical factor here is that Giphy very confidently stated that it is not having any embedded trackings, and the Application Programming Interface (API)  doesn’t access any data of the users.

Facebook and Zoom have one thing in common these days- both have seen their own set of security issues. However, seeing a tinge of criticism for security issues among all appreciations, the former is trying hard to get over the issue. Zoom cannot hamper its rising demand during the stay in home orders around the world due to problems like these. Almost all countries of the world have instructed for a lockdown in their nations. Well, this is the sole reason for the booming of Zoom these days. People sit back at home, attend meetings, classes and workshops, in better quality and ease during the stay in home orders. Despite all the economic setbacks the nations are facing these days, Zoom is playing a pivotal role in maintaining work functionality and bringing work-life in cosy living rooms.

On asking about the latest change, Zoom said that the action of disabling Giphy in Zoom chat feature is intended to ensure the security and privacy of users. It also gives relief to its fans by saying that it will bring the feature back very soon once additional security steps are taken. The company is working hard to make improvements with its security functioning. Its users are waiting to get the Giphy GIFs back.

I’m Bond walker . I’m a web developer living in New york. I am a fan of technology, a publisher of guides at askme design, and programming. You can read my blog with a click on the button above.

Source:- No More Giphy GIF In Zoom Chat Feature For Some Time

[loadingalta292]

Download Latest Mac Version

This article explains how you can fix the software update problem. More specifically, the focus of this article is on what you can do to when your Mac won’t update to the latest version of macOS.

Download Latest Mac Version

Download Latest Mac Os Version

Mac Os Latest Version Iso

Download Mac Os Latest Version

Some Mac users, unfortunately, have been and continue to be affected by various macOS software update issues where they may experience a stalled macOS update. By stalled, we mean that macOS updates won’t download and install successfully.

The new Apple Music app is the ultimate music streaming experience on Mac. 1 Explore a library of 60 million songs, discover new artists and tracks, find the perfect playlist, download and listen offline, or enjoy all the music you’ve collected over the years. And find it all in your music library on all your devices. This latest version crashes (on the Mac) if I type too fast in Visual Studio on my Windows Desktop at work. I get the spinning beachball- have to exit to the Mac, force quit MRD and restart it, then reconnect. I'm finding myself doing this at least 2 or 3 times per hour! The easiest way for Mac users can download and install macOS Sierra 10.12.6 is via the App Store: Pull down the Apple menu and choose “App Store” Go to the “Updates” tab and choose the ‘update’ button next to “macOS Sierra 10.12.6” when it becomes available. Start quickly with the most recent versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive —combining the familiarity of Office and the unique Mac features you love. Work online or offline, on your own or with others in real time—whatever works for what you’re doing.

Sometimes, you may see an error message saying “The macOS installation couldn’t be completed” or “macOS could not be installed on your computer”.

Mac Won’t Update?

Please try the tips belove if you are unable to update your computer:

It is important that you back up your Mac before you do anything.

There could be a variety of reasons for this. Before you do anything:

GIPHY is the fastest, simplest way to search and share GIFs and stickers across all of your favorite social channels. Enjoy our powerful GIF Keyboard and iMessage extensions that put GIPHY at your fingertips. Spruce up boring conversations with our GIPHY Emoji and GIPHY Text libraries. GIPHY CAPTURE is the best way to create GIFs on your Mac. Simple, powerful, free, and easy enough for pretty much everyone and even a few small mammals. Giphy mac download.

Make sure there is enough space to download and install an update. If not, you may see error messages. To see if your computer has enough room to store the update, go to the Apple menu > About This Mac and click the Storage tap. You can easily free up storage space on your Mac.

If you see a “Update Not Found” error, see this article.

Make sure that you have an Internet connection to update your Mac. You can troubleshoot your connection.

Be patient. An update may take some time. Just waiting may fix your problem. Sometimes more than a few hours. Do not put your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Also ensure than your Macbook, if it is a Macbook, it is plugged it into AC power.

If the update does not complete, your computer may seem stuck or frozen, for an extended time, try to restart your computer by pressing and holding the power button on your Mac for up to 10 seconds.

If you have any external hard drives or peripherals connected to your Mac, try removing them. And try to update now.

Reset PRAM on your Mac and then try again. To reset PRAM, turn off your Mac and then turn it on and immediately press and hold the Option, Command, P, and R keys together for about 20 seconds.

It is possible that your Mac may unable to reach the update server. There could be two reasons for this:

You may have a slow internet connection. You may want to restart your router and modem to fix this problem. If you are using a Wi-Fi connection, try a wired connection, if possible.

Or there could be issues with Apple servers. It is possible that Apple servers are overloaded as a lot of people may be trying to update. You can check if Apple servers are experiencing issues.

If you are still having issues, then you may try the followings:

Safe mode

Try updating your Mac in safe mode. Download gopro studio version 2.5.7. Here is how:

Startup your Mac in safe mode. To do that, turn off your Mac and then turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login screen. Then release the Shift key. And login.

Now your computer is in safe mode. Try to update now.

Then exit safe mode when you are done (in either case). To exit safe mode, restart your Mac normally, without pressing the Shift key.

Combo update

You can use a combo update to install Mac updates. Please note that before you continue, you may want to back up your Mac. You can back up with Time Machine or you can use iCloud.

Please note that combo updates let you update your Mac from a prior version of macOS within the same major release. A combo update is a combined update that means that it contains all of the changes since the original release of that major version. This further means that, using a combo update, you can update from macOS 10.15 directly to Mac OS X 10.15.2, skipping the 10.15.1. But you cannot go from, let’s say, 10.14.x to 10.15.x. For example, using a combo update, you cannot upgrade from macOS Mojave to macOS Catalina.

Please note that combo updates are huge. Here is how you can use them:

Visit Apple’s combo updates site: https://support.apple.com/downloads/macos

Find the right combo update. And download it. As stated above, they can be huge. The combo will download as a .dmg file.

Now quit all apps on your Mac.

Double-click the downloaded file, if it does not start automatically.

Follow the onscreen instructions.

Download Latest Mac Version

Using macOS Recovery to update your Mac

If you still could not update, you may try this. To do this, you need to restart your Mac from macOS Recovery. Using the method below, you will be able to upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac. Here is how:

Download Latest Mac Os Version

Turn off your Mac.

Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Option-⌘-R keys together until you see the Apple logo or the spinning globe icon.

Login.

Click Reinstall macOS and follow the onscreen instructions.

Mac Os Latest Version Iso

Download Mac Os Latest Version

See also: How to fix Catalina update problems

[samuelpboswell]

Grateful and Glad: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful For

For centuries, American families and friends have come together on Thanksgiving Day to feast and give thanks for all of life’s beautiful gifts. But I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again—Thanksgiving isn’t limited to one day in the TopRank Marketing realm. Every day, I see attitudes of gratitude. To date in 2019, our team has typed the words “thank you” in Slack communications a whopping 7,737 times, and “thanks” 4,113 times.

?

via GIPHY As is TopRank Marketing tradition, I’ve asked team members to share what they’re most thankful for in work and in life. Here’s what many had to say.

What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful for in 2019

Lee Odden

CEO The B2B marketing industry brings together an amazing collection of disciplines, technologies and people from the analytical to the creative. When marketing works to connect people with the right solutions, it really can have a positive impact on the world. I am very thankful to be a part of that industry and especially to be a part of the team at TopRank Marketing. The level of talent, focus and professionalism as well as awareness, empathy and curiosity amongst our team is something I am truly privileged to experience. The frequent kudos from our clients, influencers and community I hear about the work that our content, influence and search marketing teams are doing is a constant source of pride. I appreciate the opportunity we have as a team to create meaningful experiences that inspire others in so many ways and look forward to our focus on creating impact in 2020. 

Annie Leuman

Content Strategist and Project Manager I feel very thankful to work with amazing colleagues, clients, and mentors. I truly believe I work with and for some of the best marketers in the game, and we're constantly elevating our skills.  Whether it's learning from each other or learning from experience, we're growing our agency into a hyper-specialized team of marketers and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. I'm also thankful to TopRank for allowing me to spread my wings and take on new responsibilities. We've learned and grown a lot together in this past year and I can't wait to see where we go in 2020.

Keith Widerski

Account Manager I’m very thankful to be surrounded by the brightest minds in influencer and B2B marketing – and learning from these folks every single day. We have such an incredible team here at TopRank and I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of it. I cannot wait to see what 2020 has in store!  

Josh Nite

Senior Content Marketing Manager I'm thankful for the team that makes sure the work gets done: All our project managers, Annie on task management, and Caitlin on team management. There's nothing more draining at work than a pile of unprioritized, vague tasks. I love having order, organization and direction in my workday, and that's all due to their hard work.  On a personal note, I'm thankful for my wife, Jess. My best friend, best co-parent, and best partner in crime.

Ashley Zeckman

Senior Director of Digital Strategy I’m thankful for many things, both big and small. Professionally, I’m incredibly grateful that I have the opportunity to walk in the doors of TopRank Marketing each morning, where I’m given the space to learn, challenge the status quo, and collaborate with an amazing team to create meaningful experiences for our clients, their customers, and our stellar group of influencers.  I’d also like to give a special shout out to my mentors, clients and marketing friends, who have always given me something to aspire to, and provided me with so much more wisdom and direction than I would have ever been able to manage on my own. Thank you especially to Lee Odden, Ann Handley, Judy Tian, Garnor Morantes, Chris Penn, Tim Washer, Robert Rose, Michael Brenner, Cathy McPhillips, and Katie Martell. You’re all amazing.  Lastly, I’m thankful for my amazing boyfriend who is always my number one supporter and my misfit troop of naughty dogs (and cat) that always keep life interesting. 

Birdie Zepeda

SEO Strategist I am thankful to have joined the TopRank Marketing team in early 2019. I get the opportunity to work with so many amazing clients. I couldn't have asked for a warmer welcome to the Midwest. 

Jack Fitzpatrick

Influencer Marketing Strategist I’m thankful for Instagram phasing out “likes”. I’ve had my fair share of “like-envy” in the past, and it is never a great feeling. It was a bold decision of their leadership to remove such an integral feature, and I’m interested to see if it fosters a healthier culture on the platform. I’m also thankful for my newfound hobby of making bread. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but the bread-making process, in particular, makes me feel more in touch with nature and the food I create.

Tiffani Allen

Associate Director of Search & Analytics I’m especially thankful for the search team at TopRank Marketing. We have such amazing opportunities to work with awesome clients, and really push the boundaries when it comes to strategic search marketing that gets serious results. But, of course, we couldn’t do any of it without the support of the entire TopRank team; a team of super smart marketers that we have the privilege of working with are a constant source of support and inspiration!

Elizabeth Williams

Senior Account Manager I couldn't ask for more from a workplace. I've been surrounded by such amazing mentors who have supported me and helped me stretch myself professionally. I think 2019 has been one of my biggest years for professional growth. Thank you! In my personal life, I am most thankful this year for the lifestyle transformation our family has made. From prescriptions to essential oils and homemade tinctures, and from hefty meat-eaters, to organic, to vegetarians—and onward to veganism! I'm so thankful for the improved health and energy we've all gained! 

Debbie Friez

Influencer Marketing Strategist I’m thankful I have I fully embraced emojis this year, because they make my writing pop with visuals, which also makes me thankful that we have a fabulous design team at TopRank Marketing (because I would be an awful designer). As I reflect back on the year, I am reminded how important it is to stop and smell the roses, and take time for work-life balance and professional development. I’m thankful for an organization that realizes this is a priority.

?

via GIPHY

Lane Ellis

Social and Content Marketing Manager In 2019, I'm especially thankful for my wonderful family, friends, and associates. Celebrating 18 years of marriage with my amazing wife Julie Ahasay tops my thankfulness list, along with the joy of having my parents Konnie and Bob in my life, as well as my astounding and always-inspiring 102-year-old grandma Lilly Haldorsen. I’m thankful for over 35 years of using the Internet, which recently turned 50 as I wrote about here. I’m thankful to still be able to run, mountain bike, and ski the beautiful trails of Duluth, and for our three kind cats — ZuSu Pitts, Phineas Faustus, and Kukla Francis Oliver. Now is the time to reach out and give the world and its endless opportunities a warm autumnal embrace, so here’s a big virtual hug to all of you I’m lucky enough to know, lovely family and friends. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving From the TopRank Marketing Team

Thank you clients, influencers, followers, and team members for coming together to drive personal, professional, and brand success. Happy Thanksgiving! Sincerely, The TopRank Marketing Team

The post Grateful and Glad: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful For appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

from The SEO Advantages https://www.toprankblog.com/2019/11/grateful-glad-toprank-gives-thanks/

[ralphlayton]

Grateful and Glad: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful For

For centuries, American families and friends have come together on Thanksgiving Day to feast and give thanks for all of life’s beautiful gifts. But I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again—Thanksgiving isn’t limited to one day in the TopRank Marketing realm. Every day, I see attitudes of gratitude. To date in 2019, our team has typed the words “thank you” in Slack communications a whopping 7,737 times, and “thanks” 4,113 times.

?

via GIPHY As is TopRank Marketing tradition, I’ve asked team members to share what they’re most thankful for in work and in life. Here’s what many had to say.

What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful for in 2019

Lee Odden

CEO The B2B marketing industry brings together an amazing collection of disciplines, technologies and people from the analytical to the creative. When marketing works to connect people with the right solutions, it really can have a positive impact on the world. I am very thankful to be a part of that industry and especially to be a part of the team at TopRank Marketing. The level of talent, focus and professionalism as well as awareness, empathy and curiosity amongst our team is something I am truly privileged to experience. The frequent kudos from our clients, influencers and community I hear about the work that our content, influence and search marketing teams are doing is a constant source of pride. I appreciate the opportunity we have as a team to create meaningful experiences that inspire others in so many ways and look forward to our focus on creating impact in 2020. 

Annie Leuman

Content Strategist and Project Manager I feel very thankful to work with amazing colleagues, clients, and mentors. I truly believe I work with and for some of the best marketers in the game, and we're constantly elevating our skills.  Whether it's learning from each other or learning from experience, we're growing our agency into a hyper-specialized team of marketers and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. I'm also thankful to TopRank for allowing me to spread my wings and take on new responsibilities. We've learned and grown a lot together in this past year and I can't wait to see where we go in 2020.

Keith Widerski

Account Manager I’m very thankful to be surrounded by the brightest minds in influencer and B2B marketing – and learning from these folks every single day. We have such an incredible team here at TopRank and I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of it. I cannot wait to see what 2020 has in store!  

Josh Nite

Senior Content Marketing Manager I'm thankful for the team that makes sure the work gets done: All our project managers, Annie on task management, and Caitlin on team management. There's nothing more draining at work than a pile of unprioritized, vague tasks. I love having order, organization and direction in my workday, and that's all due to their hard work.  On a personal note, I'm thankful for my wife, Jess. My best friend, best co-parent, and best partner in crime.

Ashley Zeckman

Senior Director of Digital Strategy I’m thankful for many things, both big and small. Professionally, I’m incredibly grateful that I have the opportunity to walk in the doors of TopRank Marketing each morning, where I’m given the space to learn, challenge the status quo, and collaborate with an amazing team to create meaningful experiences for our clients, their customers, and our stellar group of influencers.  I’d also like to give a special shout out to my mentors, clients and marketing friends, who have always given me something to aspire to, and provided me with so much more wisdom and direction than I would have ever been able to manage on my own. Thank you especially to Lee Odden, Ann Handley, Judy Tian, Garnor Morantes, Chris Penn, Tim Washer, Robert Rose, Michael Brenner, Cathy McPhillips, and Katie Martell. You’re all amazing.  Lastly, I’m thankful for my amazing boyfriend who is always my number one supporter and my misfit troop of naughty dogs (and cat) that always keep life interesting. 

Birdie Zepeda

SEO Strategist I am thankful to have joined the TopRank Marketing team in early 2019. I get the opportunity to work with so many amazing clients. I couldn't have asked for a warmer welcome to the Midwest. 

Jack Fitzpatrick

Influencer Marketing Strategist I’m thankful for Instagram phasing out “likes”. I’ve had my fair share of “like-envy” in the past, and it is never a great feeling. It was a bold decision of their leadership to remove such an integral feature, and I’m interested to see if it fosters a healthier culture on the platform. I’m also thankful for my newfound hobby of making bread. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but the bread-making process, in particular, makes me feel more in touch with nature and the food I create.

Tiffani Allen

Associate Director of Search & Analytics I’m especially thankful for the search team at TopRank Marketing. We have such amazing opportunities to work with awesome clients, and really push the boundaries when it comes to strategic search marketing that gets serious results. But, of course, we couldn’t do any of it without the support of the entire TopRank team; a team of super smart marketers that we have the privilege of working with are a constant source of support and inspiration!

Elizabeth Williams

Senior Account Manager I couldn't ask for more from a workplace. I've been surrounded by such amazing mentors who have supported me and helped me stretch myself professionally. I think 2019 has been one of my biggest years for professional growth. Thank you! In my personal life, I am most thankful this year for the lifestyle transformation our family has made. From prescriptions to essential oils and homemade tinctures, and from hefty meat-eaters, to organic, to vegetarians—and onward to veganism! I'm so thankful for the improved health and energy we've all gained! 

Debbie Friez

Influencer Marketing Strategist I’m thankful I have I fully embraced emojis this year, because they make my writing pop with visuals, which also makes me thankful that we have a fabulous design team at TopRank Marketing (because I would be an awful designer). As I reflect back on the year, I am reminded how important it is to stop and smell the roses, and take time for work-life balance and professional development. I’m thankful for an organization that realizes this is a priority.

?

via GIPHY

Lane Ellis

Social and Content Marketing Manager In 2019, I'm especially thankful for my wonderful family, friends, and associates. Celebrating 18 years of marriage with my amazing wife Julie Ahasay tops my thankfulness list, along with the joy of having my parents Konnie and Bob in my life, as well as my astounding and always-inspiring 102-year-old grandma Lilly Haldorsen. I’m thankful for over 35 years of using the Internet, which recently turned 50 as I wrote about here. I’m thankful to still be able to run, mountain bike, and ski the beautiful trails of Duluth, and for our three kind cats — ZuSu Pitts, Phineas Faustus, and Kukla Francis Oliver. Now is the time to reach out and give the world and its endless opportunities a warm autumnal embrace, so here’s a big virtual hug to all of you I’m lucky enough to know, lovely family and friends. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving From the TopRank Marketing Team

Thank you clients, influencers, followers, and team members for coming together to drive personal, professional, and brand success. Happy Thanksgiving! Sincerely, The TopRank Marketing Team

The post Grateful and Glad: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful For appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Grateful and Glad: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful For published first on yhttps://improfitninja.blogspot.com/

[karaclevelandca]

Cannabis Concentrates VS Flower By: Lavendersasquatch

Cannabis Concentrate VS Flower

In this day and age, it’s not always what strain is best. It’s usually what’s better, concentrates or flower? You see these people on social media raving about their “terpy dabs” or bragging about the massive dab they did. But what is it? Why are there so many kinds, is it safe?

Dried flower is exactly what it says it is. You have the dried flower taken off the cannabis plant. You grind it and smoke it. Concentrates are on a whole other level. With flower, it’s typically 20% medicinal properties, and 80% plant matter.

Concentrates are made by extracting the medicinal compounds from the plant matter . Several or more grams of flower is taken and turned into powerful grams of pure cannabis wax, which takes on many forms such as oil or shatter. Concentrates are really just a broad word to describe the vast ways of extraction. It can get confusing, but I’m here to break it down for you in a “ Welcome to Dabs 101” fashion.

So Are Cannabis Concentrates Healthier Than Flower?

When you smoke flower, you’re getting those 20% of medical benefits but you’re also inhaling 80% burnt plant matter as well. This isn’t harmful but it isn’t beneficial either. When you’re smoking cannabis concentrates, you’re getting anywhere from 50-80% medicinal compounds.

Also, if you notice when consume you concentrates through a glass device with water, your water doesn’t get dirty as fast because you’re not burning any plant matter! I I have to clean my bong often, My dab rig isn’t as often at all.

With this being said, concentrates are much more powerful than dried flower. A small dab will usually do you. Don’t be foolish like me. When I first started dabbing more regularly, I was dispensing distillate into my heated quartz banger and instead of a 0.1 gram dab, I did an almost .5 gram dab. That was intense. BE CAREFUL, start low and slow and work your way up.

  How Are Cannabis Concentrates Made

Cannabis concentrates are made using the BHO method. Butane is used to extract the medical components of the cannabis and then the butane is removed from the oil. This results in various concentrates, the texture determines their name such as wax, crumble, or shatter.

We also have solventless options, this method uses no butane extraction and uses heat or water to extract the concentrates. This is a great option for people who are wary of consuming products using BHO extractions.

There’s also CO2 extraction which gives us edible concentrates with no plant mater! It’s typically packaged in oral syringes and is called distillate. You can dab it, eat it as is, or mix it in with food!

What Are My Options

Wax– Similar to hash as it’s a softer concentrate usually sold in 1gram chunks.

Shatter– Exactly the same as wax but it’s harder and typically will break apart and “shatter”.

Crumble- Basically a drier version of wax. Crumble is not as sticky and can be easily picked up. I like to add it to my bowls of flower.

Other concentrates with the names sap, sugar, and budder are just variations of concentrates defined by their texture.

Live resin- Made with frozen flower instead of dried flower. This method preserves the terpenes and gives it a better smell and flavour than most concentrates.

Rosin- This has become increasingly popular over the last year. It’s one of the easiest ways to extract the concentrates from the dried flower. This method is basically the flower being pressed under heat and pressure to release its medicated oils.

Distillate- It comes in a syringe for proper dosage. It can come flavoured or unflavoured. It is ready to eat, add to your food, or dab it.

Vape pens- These can come in a wide variety of options! You can get disposable and twist on cartridges that are pre-filled with concentrates, They’re super user friendly and discreet! Weed-Deals has amazing flavours. The mimosa disposable pen is magical .

How To Dab VS Smoking Flower

Consuming concentrates can almost be like a small scientific experiment when you’re first starting out!

There’s so many options on what you can use to “ dab” . From dab rigs that are similar to bongs, except you heat a hot nail or quartz banger and wait for it too cool to a proper temperature and apply the dab and take it. This is not the easiest way to learn how to dab but I’ve done it through a lot of trial and error. You need extreme heat to heat the nail to the proper temperature, So using a butane torch will be your new BFF.

You can also buy vape pens as mentioned above that are pre-filled and super easy to use and are discreet. Toting around a torch isn’t always easy, but I’ve done it. It’s always fun to whip a torch out of your purse with a giant weed leaf on it. You can also get handheld vape devices you can load your own concentrates into. I use a Yocan and love it!

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

Other Ways To Use Cannabis Concentrates

There are also distillate syringes as mentioned above. You can correctly give yourself a proper dosage and eat it and go on your merry way. Super easy and discreet.

Now with dried flower, Its super user friendly. Most dispensaries now sell pre-rolled joints, or pre-milled cannabis so it’s as easy as lighting a joint or packing a bowl and lighting up. You can also buy dried whole buds and grind your own cannabis. You can rolls joints, smoke a bong, pipe, hookah, make a fruit pipe, or vaporize it!

Cannabis can also be made into edible oils like butter or coconut oil through a baking process.

Dried cannabis is not always discreet as it gives off a strong odour and some people get offended by this. So this is where cannabis concentrates can be better as they throw off less smell.

Difference In Taste

If flavour is important to you, sticking to mower will be more your thing. When concentrates are made, the pant material is stripped, thus removing the flavour and terpene profiles. BUT, concentrate makers are getting crafty and reintroducing terpenes to concentrate, giving them a more intense smell and flavour. Dried flower will always have a better taste and terpene profile as that’s how it is in its natural state.

Cannabis is vast, we are super grateful to live in this day and age where we have SO many options. My personal preference will always be flowers. I like the convenience and the classics of it. Don’t get me wrong though, I love a good dab of shatter and using vape pens on shopping trips and such. Both have their pros and cons, I hope this article helps you understand what concentrates are a little more!

The post Cannabis Concentrates VS Flower By: Lavendersasquatch appeared first on Weed Deals.

source https://weed-deals.ca/cannabis-concentrates-vs-flower/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cannabis-concentrates-vs-flower source https://weeddealsca.tumblr.com/post/187137718477

[jayloncormierca]

Cannabis Concentrates VS Flower By: Lavendersasquatch

Cannabis Concentrate VS Flower

In this day and age, it’s not always what strain is best. It’s usually what’s better, concentrates or flower? You see these people on social media raving about their “terpy dabs” or bragging about the massive dab they did. But what is it? Why are there so many kinds, is it safe?

Dried flower is exactly what it says it is. You have the dried flower taken off the cannabis plant. You grind it and smoke it. Concentrates are on a whole other level. With flower, it’s typically 20% medicinal properties, and 80% plant matter.

Concentrates are made by extracting the medicinal compounds from the plant matter . Several or more grams of flower is taken and turned into powerful grams of pure cannabis wax, which takes on many forms such as oil or shatter. Concentrates are really just a broad word to describe the vast ways of extraction. It can get confusing, but I’m here to break it down for you in a “ Welcome to Dabs 101” fashion.

So Are Cannabis Concentrates Healthier Than Flower?

When you smoke flower, you’re getting those 20% of medical benefits but you’re also inhaling 80% burnt plant matter as well. This isn’t harmful but it isn’t beneficial either. When you’re smoking cannabis concentrates, you’re getting anywhere from 50-80% medicinal compounds.

Also, if you notice when consume you concentrates through a glass device with water, your water doesn’t get dirty as fast because you’re not burning any plant matter! I I have to clean my bong often, My dab rig isn’t as often at all.

With this being said, concentrates are much more powerful than dried flower. A small dab will usually do you. Don’t be foolish like me. When I first started dabbing more regularly, I was dispensing distillate into my heated quartz banger and instead of a 0.1 gram dab, I did an almost .5 gram dab. That was intense. BE CAREFUL, start low and slow and work your way up.

 How Are Cannabis Concentrates Made

Cannabis concentrates are made using the BHO method. Butane is used to extract the medical components of the cannabis and then the butane is removed from the oil. This results in various concentrates, the texture determines their name such as wax, crumble, or shatter.

We also have solventless options, this method uses no butane extraction and uses heat or water to extract the concentrates. This is a great option for people who are wary of consuming products using BHO extractions.

There’s also CO2 extraction which gives us edible concentrates with no plant mater! It’s typically packaged in oral syringes and is called distillate. You can dab it, eat it as is, or mix it in with food!

What Are My Options

Wax– Similar to hash as it’s a softer concentrate usually sold in 1gram chunks.

Shatter– Exactly the same as wax but it’s harder and typically will break apart and “shatter”.

Crumble- Basically a drier version of wax. Crumble is not as sticky and can be easily picked up. I like to add it to my bowls of flower.

Other concentrates with the names sap, sugar, and budder are just variations of concentrates defined by their texture.

Live resin- Made with frozen flower instead of dried flower. This method preserves the terpenes and gives it a better smell and flavour than most concentrates.

Rosin- This has become increasingly popular over the last year. It’s one of the easiest ways to extract the concentrates from the dried flower. This method is basically the flower being pressed under heat and pressure to release its medicated oils.

Distillate- It comes in a syringe for proper dosage. It can come flavoured or unflavoured. It is ready to eat, add to your food, or dab it.

Vape pens- These can come in a wide variety of options! You can get disposable and twist on cartridges that are pre-filled with concentrates, They’re super user friendly and discreet! Weed-Deals has amazing flavours. The mimosa disposable pen is magical .

How To Dab VS Smoking Flower

Consuming concentrates can almost be like a small scientific experiment when you’re first starting out!

There’s so many options on what you can use to “ dab” . From dab rigs that are similar to bongs, except you heat a hot nail or quartz banger and wait for it too cool to a proper temperature and apply the dab and take it. This is not the easiest way to learn how to dab but I’ve done it through a lot of trial and error. You need extreme heat to heat the nail to the proper temperature, So using a butane torch will be your new BFF.

You can also buy vape pens as mentioned above that are pre-filled and super easy to use and are discreet. Toting around a torch isn’t always easy, but I’ve done it. It’s always fun to whip a torch out of your purse with a giant weed leaf on it. You can also get handheld vape devices you can load your own concentrates into. I use a Yocan and love it!

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

Other Ways To Use Cannabis Concentrates

There are also distillate syringes as mentioned above. You can correctly give yourself a proper dosage and eat it and go on your merry way. Super easy and discreet.

Now with dried flower, Its super user friendly. Most dispensaries now sell pre-rolled joints, or pre-milled cannabis so it’s as easy as lighting a joint or packing a bowl and lighting up. You can also buy dried whole buds and grind your own cannabis. You can rolls joints, smoke a bong, pipe, hookah, make a fruit pipe, or vaporize it!

Cannabis can also be made into edible oils like butter or coconut oil through a baking process.

Dried cannabis is not always discreet as it gives off a strong odour and some people get offended by this. So this is where cannabis concentrates can be better as they throw off less smell.

Difference In Taste

If flavour is important to you, sticking to mower will be more your thing. When concentrates are made, the pant material is stripped, thus removing the flavour and terpene profiles. BUT, concentrate makers are getting crafty and reintroducing terpenes to concentrate, giving them a more intense smell and flavour. Dried flower will always have a better taste and terpene profile as that’s how it is in its natural state.

Cannabis is vast, we are super grateful to live in this day and age where we have SO many options. My personal preference will always be flowers. I like the convenience and the classics of it. Don’t get me wrong though, I love a good dab of shatter and using vape pens on shopping trips and such. Both have their pros and cons, I hope this article helps you understand what concentrates are a little more!

The post Cannabis Concentrates VS Flower By: Lavendersasquatch appeared first on Weed Deals.

source https://weed-deals.ca/cannabis-concentrates-vs-flower/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cannabis-concentrates-vs-flower source https://weeddeals.blogspot.com/2019/08/cannabis-concentrates-vs-flower-by.html

[peaflesh61-blog]

Ask the Unnis: From Creams to Creeps, the K-Beauty Squad Tells It Like It Is

We here at the K-Beauty Squad turn to each other for advice on everything from diet to entertainment to, of course, beauty. So why not you? Pick our collective brains and ask away about anything. We may not have all the answers, but we definitely have opinions (especially about creeps …).

We here at Beautytap have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips thanks to the collective brains and experiences of our K-Beauty Squad. Think of us as your big skincare sisters — or in Korean, your unnis and noonas. We’d like the share that wealth with you in our new feature called Ask the Unnis. Write to us with any skincare or even life and love questions you’d like answered! We’ve seen it all and we’re here for you!

You can ask the Unnis a variety of ways: DM us on Instagram (because you follow us, right?!), use the Contact Us page to submit your question, or just comment below.

So let’s begin with our first question!

Hello Unnis, I’m not sure exactly how to determine my skin type. Is there a simple way to tell what I am? — Unsure

Hello Unsure! Unless you’re very obviously one extreme or the other, it can be kind of confusing determining what your skin type is. And even skin types tend to be oversimplistic categories. Oily, dry, normal? What is normal?

So let’s start with a brief rundown. Oily skin usually has visible sebum, especially in the T-zone. You may find that makeup slips off your face if you don’t properly prime or powder. Dry skin has no or very little visible sebum and can feel tight immediately after washing if not followed up quickly with hydration and moisturizing. Normal skin is neither dry nor oily; it’s somewhere in the comfortable middle, a bit of sebum but not too much, and rarely feels tight unless the circumstances are extreme. Do any of these sound like you, Unsure?

If you’re still unsure, take the blotting paper test. Start your day out without any powder or primer, if you usually use those. If you suspect you’re dry, do your routine as normal but skip the heavier creams you normally wear. When you hit the middle of your day, take a blotting paper and press it against your cheek. If you’ve picked up a lot of oil and the paper shows a visible clear spot, you’re likely oily. If the paper is dry, so are you. If there’s just a bit of sebum you’re probably normal.

Combination skin is also a possibility. To determine that with the blotting sheet, press it against your nose and forehead. If your cheek was mostly dry but you’re picking up oil in the nose-forehead-chin T-zone, you’re almost certainly combination. (Read more about combination skin here.)

Hope this helps you feel a little more sure, Unsure!

Hi Unnis! What are you favorite moisturizers at the moment? I’m tired of what was once my holy grail lotion, and I’m looking to explore. — Magellan 

Hello Magellan! I hope you don’t get seasick because we’re about to set sail on the high (hydrating) seas. I have a pair of new favorites right now, and they’re both from the SanDaWha line. SanDaWha Revitalizing Liposome Lotion is my new go-to emulsion. Its very first ingredient is Camellia japonica flower extract, which is my favorite emollient source. It’s extremely lightweight yet so very hydrating. It glides on and sinks in quickly, giving my skin a nice bounce.I’ve described it before as “everything I wanted Clinique’s Dramatically Different Lotion to actually be,” and I think that’s a pretty good assessment.

via GIPHY

Since I have dry skin, an emulsion isn’t usually enough, so I like to follow that up with SanDaWha’s Floral Water Cream, which is also features camellia flower extract. It’s rich without being too heavy and keeps my dry skin comfortable for the entire day.

I asked some other Squad members about their fave moisturizers. Associate editor and social media manager Ruth is currently using Earth’s Recipe Moisture Bound Cream for her dry skin. “It doesn’t feel heavy at all, and it sinks in quickly without leaving a shiny finish or heavy feeling,” she says. “It’s a mild moisturizer, good for daytime and for summer.”

For night, Ruth likes COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream. She says the centella-rich cream feels substantive but not heavy. “I wake up with very balanced skin.”

EIC Anna seconds the COSRX Balancium cream. “It starts out dense but melts into skin beautifully,” she says. “And I love that it has centella, which I inundate my routine with in the summer to tone down redness and breakouts.

“For my very oily T-zone, I’ve been really liking the Keep Cool Soothe Phyto Green Pair Cream,” she adds. “It feels similar to the COSRX Balancium, but more lightweight and watery on the skin. And of course, I like that it calms inflammation and soothes redness.”

Hello Unnis, I’ve been dating someone pretty seriously for the past nine months. He has yet to introduce me to any of his friends, and we’re always either going out or staying in at my place. He claims this is because of his anxiety. We’ve never once been to his apartment. He tells me he used to date his roommate and she would cause trouble if he brought me around. For the sake of his living harmony I’ve stayed away, but I’m starting to suspect something is up. Am I just being paranoid? — Worried

Hey there Worried. I think it’s time for you to remove the rose-colored glasses because if life constantly has a pink tint to it, it’s impossible to see those bright red flags. I’m sure that once you typed this out, you could see how alarming these things look when read back. Say it out loud. Never met his friends. Never been to his apartment. Living with an ex you’ve never met. That’s like a checklist for someone living a double life.

Now I could be wrong, and I hope I am. But nine months in a committed relationship under these strange circumstances? You can gestate an entire human baby in nine months; don’t you think it’s odd that in all that time you don’t even know what his living room looks like? Keeping a side piece and friends separate is rule #1 when it comes to the cheater’s playbook. If he truly has nothing to hide, he won’t balk at you demanding to meet his friend group. If he’s worried about the harmony of his current living situation, that’s fine, but at this juncture it would be more than prudent to expect him to break the news that, hey, he’s moved on and is seeing someone. All of this is as fishy as Pike Place Market.

Do you have any burning questions about beauty, skincare, love, or life? Ask the Unnis by DM’ing us on Instagram, using the Contact Us page to submit your question, or just commenting below! Can’t wait to hear from you!

Source: https://beautytap.com/2018/08/ask-the-unnis/

[dorothydelgadillo]

Are Your Marketing Job Candidates ‘Ghosting’ You? You’re Not Alone

Christmas Eve in Houston was a beautiful, 65-degree day.

As I worked from my home office, I could hear the trees rustling in the wind and my neighbor’s relaxing wind chimes signaling what a gorgeous day it was.

While I would have loved to frantically clean the house before company came over hit up a brewery and spend time with friends and family...I instead waited on Zoom video calls for applicants that didn’t show up to their interviews.

We’re aggressively hiring for four to six positions right now in our Services team. I vet all applicants and am the first person every applicant meets with for their first three stages of our hiring process.

It’s time consuming, but it’s one of the most important things I do to make sure we have a successful team and continue to provide the level of service our clients deserve.

While most of the agency took off the week of Christmas, I continued to interview considering it’s easier for most candidates to interview when they’re off work.

I had four scheduled interviews through the early afternoon that Christmas Eve day, and only one person bothered to attend their call.

via GIPHY

Ghosting In The Marketing Industry On The Rise

To clarify, ghosting is the sudden withdrawal of all communication with no explanation. A person simply vanishes. What used to be a term only used in dating has now spread to the workplace.

According to the latest by Digiday, I shouldn’t be surprised to be ghosted repeatedly now that the unemployment rate is at 3.7%, the lowest it’s been since 1968.

While I am extremely appreciative that the job market is doing so well, I can’t help letting out a few “WTFs” when I learn that more and more people are committing to meeting with you, only to not hold up their end of the bargain.

Where did integrity go?

Even worse, some employers are experiencing ghosting at a whole new level beyond the interviewing process.

Digiday highlights a story about Aquent Studios, a staffing firm, that was working with an agency to staff a Digital Marketing Strategist position (something we hire for often). After 5 rounds of interviews, a negotiated salary and contract in-hand, the new employee never showed up for their first day of work and was never heard from again.

I don’t know about you, but if that happened to an employee I helped hire, I would be fearful something terrible happened to the person.

It would never cross my mind someone would not show up on purpose because they were afraid to have an adult conversation.

(Unfortunately, an even worse form of ghosting - sudden quitting with no explanation - is also happening once employees are well into their job.)

Although Digiday doesn’t present hard numbers, several agencies and in-house teams confirmed to them that ghosting during the hiring process is on the rise.

I can confirm that from my experience in hiring for IMPACT as well.

But there are a few things we’re doing to minimize ghosting’s colossal waste of time that you can do too.

How to Minimize Your Ghosting Problem

Digiday’s article does state that it helps to show how your business is competitive in the perks department to try to reduce your chances of losing out to other employers...but really, you should focus on eliminating a person who would do that in the first place.

Over time, we’ve narrowed down what we’re looking for and designed our hiring process to pick up on red flags early in the process to minimize wasted effort down the road.

Our hiring process used to have the following steps:

5-minute phone screen with me

30-minute interview with me

A situational activity with me

30-minute manager interview

30-minute interview with our CEO, Bob Ruffolo

Team interview/other important IMPACTers

Offer

However, we’re always learning and looking to improve. Last month, we decided to make a change in our hiring process to speed up our process from a candidate perspective, as well as save loads of time on our end.

1. Make the first stage an assignment

To reduce the amount of time I spend sitting on our initial phone screens with no one showing up on the other end, and to see if applicants are willing to invest in how we communicate, we no longer do an initial phone screen.

We now ask each candidate to send us a 5-minute video answering a set of questions we provide. This does a few things to reduce the annoyances of ghosting, as well as helps us see early on who’s a potential great fit.

By asking a candidate to do an assignment off the bat, we know that the ones who do are serious because they have put in some sort of effort.

2. Be very clear about the role they’re applying for

In our second step, the 30-minute call with me, we used to spend the first 5 or 10 minutes discussing the role and answering any questions our candidates had.

Then we’d go into more of a traditional interview to learn more about their experience as it relates to the position.

After this call, we would have a pretty big drop off in our pipeline - either because I eliminated a candidate or because they’d remove themselves from the process.

And, of course, some would ghost.

Now, between the video our candidates send to us and our next call, I send them a pre-recorded video explaining more about the role and addressing the top questions every candidate asks me in the interview process.

The goal of my video to them is to be very clear with them about what the job is and, almost more importantly, what it isn’t.

This way, we allow candidates to self-select out of the process before we ever spend time on the phone with them.

This also spares me from repeating myself so much.

3. Be transparent about the hiring process

I’m not sure why, but we didn’t always let our applicants know what to expect when it comes to the hiring process.

I’ve been on the other end of that where you feel like the calls never end and you aren’t sure when you’ll know if you get the job.

We now follow up our first phone conversation to the applicants who make it through with an email outlining the steps of our hiring process so they can manage their time and expectations.

We’ve received feedback that this has provided a positive experience to candidates, and we know we’ve done our due diligence to get their commitment up front to hang with us throughout the process.

P.S. We make sure we now let every applicant know where they stand in our hiring process at each stage - whether they've moved on to the next round or not. We even send applicants who don't move to the first video stage an email letting them know and thanking them for their interest. Keep this in mind so you don't end up ghosting your own applicants! 

What Are You Doing About Ghosting?

As sad as it is that ghosting is a real thing in the workplace, we can at least make some small adjustments to mitigate the effects.

That's what we're trying - let us know if you've experienced ghosting and made any adjustments accordingly in IMPACT Elite!

from Web Developers World https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/are-your-marketing-job-candidates-ghosting-you-youre-not-alone

[whimsysgeekery]

So, first world problem (plus informal review), but my husband got me an early Christmas present (mostly cause he’s bad at surprises) that I am SUPER excited about and it arrived today.

These bad boys. Sennheiser HD559.

Except, they don’t come with a normal headphone plug, they come with a 1/4″ plug. So now I have to wait for the adapter. Which, back in the olden days I could’ve gotten at RadioShack for a markup, but with instant gratification. Anywhere else I could go for instant gratification I’d either have to call ahead and ask or just go and risk them not having it. Not like these things are universally needed anymore these days - unlike Apple’s headphone converter shit.

Frasier and Niles are the most first world problem people I could possibly think of.

Read more to see the informal review for these sub $100 headphones.

I have a digital piano that uses the 1/4″ plug, so I have gotten to try them but I am chomping at the bit to use them for my current Rise of the Tomb Raider playthrough. When I used them on my piano (which is somewhere around 20 years old and can record to floppy disks) they worked very well, and the stereo definition was excellent. There was some muddiness in the midrange, but I’d sooner attribute that to my piano being old than anything else.

Also, they are SUPER COMFY. Like, I have large ears and they fit over my entire ear because of their shape. The part that goes up against my glasses doesn’t press too hard, which I was sort of worried about. The fabric is soft and fuzzy, not leathery. They are a bit heavy, which I hope doesn’t end up causing me headaches. My neck is not the most stable, which has caused me problems with holding up just my head without headphones. I’ll report back on this later after extended use for others in the Ehlers-Danlos community.

Anyway, SUPER EXCITED. We found them through research on r/headphones mostly, but also general reviews. Good value at the low-end of prices for Sennheiser. We got them through eBay, but they are reasonably priced at most online places. Really what sold me on Sennheiser vs. other brands was the cup shape. Cause ears. And so far I am happy with following my instincts ears.

Oh, and for gamers that want a mic, this doesn’t have a mic! And obviously, since my problem is with the plug, it is not wireless! I prefer corded since they cost less for higher sound quality, and I already have a surprisingly good ambient mic in my DAC/Amp.

Before you go spending money on nice headphones for your PC, make sure you have a DAC/Amp. Since Tumblr killed links, just google “What is a DAC?” and you’ll have your answer. I personally have this one:

It’s the Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1.

Which is not the greatest, but priced very well. I originally got this while I still lived at home and could have surround sound. Now I’m apartment living, so no subwoofer out of kindness for downstairs neighbors so I’ve got two speakers plugged into it in the back from an old CD player and can switch to headphones just by plugging them in.

The onboard ambient mic is pretty decent, though I’ve only needed it for Guild Wars 2 on occasion and for one Roll20 game. You just have to make sure to have a click-to-speak set-up particularly if you have a mechanical keyboard because it will pick-up all the clickity-clackity and hurt all your friends' ears.

This stuff is only worth it if you use your PC for things with high sound quality!

If all you do is listen to MP3s and stream videos with low bitrates, then these will likely do little for you except give you a better volume range!

My next pick-up will probably be a mic on its own stand, simply because I do want to do more voice recording things. Anytime there’s a mic attached to the headphone I get the urge to chomp on it so that’s a no for me.

Gifs all taken from Giphy. I’d link to credit people but Tumblr killed links in search. So if you want to find the creators, search by keyword, though I know not all gifs uploaded to Giphy are actually uploaded by the creators. Frustrating gif sourcing world we live in these days. Does anyone know if when you use the Tumblr insert gif function (which by nature has a link) if that removes your post from search?? I can’t usually find anything there anyway...

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5 Ways To Get Silky Smooth Armpits Without Shaving Them

New Post has been published on https://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/5-ways-to-get-silky-smooth-armpits-without-shaving-them/

5 Ways To Get Silky Smooth Armpits Without Shaving Them

Shivani K November 22, 2018

Don’t you hate it when you have to wear your off-shoulder tops or sleeveless tops, and your arms don’t let you do that? Our arms are smooth; we’ve been applying those body butter like we get them for free. But that’s not the problem. The problem lies in those pits, the armpits to be specific. Those tiny little hair strands sneak out of the follicles when you’re least expecting them to. It could be an episode of pillow fight or a workout routine at the gym, but if you have forgotten to keep the elbows locked up at a ninety-degree angle so that nobody sees your underarms, then you are most likely to give everybody a hairy sight.

How do you get rid of that unwanted hair of your underarms? Most of the women pick the shaving route although they are aware that it can cause a lot of irritation to the skin, not to forget the ingrown hair that causes irksome itching. But what if you could achieve those smooth underarms without touching the razor? We’ve put together five such ways that will make you ditch the razor forever. Check them out.

1. Egg White And Cornstarch

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Peel-off face masks are the rage these days, aren’t they? If you’ve tried them then you sure know how they help in removing those stubborn blackheads from your nose. Has the thought of trying something similar for your underarm problems ever occurred to you? We found a mask for just that. All that you’ll need is:

Crack open an egg. Separate the white out and you can throw the yolk away.

Now add half a tablespoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the mixture.

Apply the paste generously over the hair on your underarms and wait for it to dry out completely (yes, you have to be patient here with your arms held up). Once dry, peel off the mask and say bye-bye to the unwanted hair.

2. Sugar And Lemon Juice

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These two ingredients are substances that have been a part of the sugaring paste (wax) since ages. It helps to remove hair easily and the results last for at least 4 weeks. Good news is that ingrown hair is never a possibility with this hack. You could make this in your microwave at home. These are the ingredients you need:

A cup of sugar

A quarter cup of honey

Juice of a half lemon (2 tablespoons to be specific)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then microwave the mixture for just two minutes. (Did you just remember Maggi? Haha!) Once you take it out, keep stirring the mixture every 20-30 seconds so that no lumps are formed. Let it cool and then use it. Apply on the desired area and once it has dried off, peel it off and along with it pull out the unwanted hair.

3. Turmeric And Milk

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This is one remedy that will slow down the pace of hair growth on your underarms as well as make the hair thinner with every use. For this, you require:

Three tablespoons of turmeric powder

One tablespoon of milk

Mix these up to get a thick paste. Apply a nice generous layer of it on your underarms. Let it dry completely. Now, dip a wash towel in some warm water and get rid of the mask by rubbing it with the towel in circular motions. Dry yourself with the help of a towel. Note that you need to do this often to get noticeable results.

4. Turmeric And Baking Soda

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Another way you could use turmeric is with baking soda. And it’s super easy to make too. And this is how you do it:

Take one part of turmeric powder and two parts of baking soda.

Add water gradually to them to make a thin paste.

Apply the paste over your armpits and let it dry out completely.

Rub this dried paste off with your hands.

Now wash, and pat your armpits dry with a towel.

We hope you’re aware that turmeric has a stubborn orange-ish color. So be ready to scrub and wash your armpits profusely to get rid of that.

5. Papaya And Turmeric

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There’s another use of turmeric, although this is an exotic one because it has papaya in it. No, no, we know the fruit isn’t exotic. But it’s what the papaya contains, something called papain — it’s an enzyme which is capable of destroying the hair follicles (1). It also prevents their regrowth.

Take around two tablespoons of mashed papaya and add half a tablespoon of turmeric powder to it and mix it well.

Apply the paste to your underarms and massage well. Then, let it dry.

Wash it off with warm water.

Note that this remedy is surely effective but only when you repeat this for at least 2-3 times a week and continue to do it for a few months.

via GIPHY

So, yes, the underarm hair is surely a problem that one cannot avoid. But we can make it less bearable at least. How do you treat your underarm hair? What’s your go-to way of getting rid of that unwanted hair from your armpit? Let us know in the comments below.

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[fayecallasdatingblog]

How to Approach a Guy: 16 Sneaky Tips to Help You Start the Conversation

Gone are the days when you had to wait for a guy to approach you. You’re an empowered woman…you just need to know how to approach a guy and you’ll do it.

Maybe you didn’t make the first move when you were last single, but you’re ready to try something new at this point in your life. Still, if you’re struggling with the idea of approaching a guy because you feel like you’ll come on too strong, let me help you shift your mindset.

Don’t think of approaching a man you’re interested in like you’re “hitting on a guy.”  Instead, see it as you being “extremely social.” This removes all of the pressure you might otherwise put on yourself!

Oh, and one more thing before we dive in. Don’t forget how terrified guys are of approaching women! They fear rejection. But by you learning how to approach a guy, you give him a “window of opportunity” to then start pursuing you. And there’s no rule that says just because you do the initial approaching that he doesn’t have to do some work too. Once you catch his attention, if he’s interested, he’ll need to woo you properly.

16 Tips on How to Approach a Guy

You might try all of the following suggestions, but find that one or two become your go-to moves because you’re comfortable with doing them (and they always brings success!). Or you might switch it up every time you see an attractive man just to keep things interesting. Either way, the more you practice, the more confident you’ll become at approaching men.

1. Ask to Borrow the Salt

My favorite suggestions on this list are the ones that you could do to anyone, whether it was a cute guy or not. Who’s going to think you’re hitting on him just because you ask to borrow the salt from his table at a restaurant?? (Just make sure there isn’t a salt shaker sitting on your table!)

As he’s reaching to get the salt, do a quick scan of the situation to find something to start a conversation about. You could ask how he likes his steak or compliment him. Use the “I need salt” excuse as a foot in the door so that you don’t simply turn back around and shake sodium on your meal, and that ends that opportunity.

2. Ask What He’s Drinking

I always tell my coaching clients to sit at the bar if they want to meet someone. It’s hard to strike up a conversation when you’re at a table, but when you’re sitting right next to a good-looking guy, it’s much easier.

Particularly if you haven’t ordered your drink yet, you can ask what he’s drinking. If it sounds good, ask more about it. If he’s interested, he’ll let you taste it. Use the opportunity to talk about the merits of different beers or liquors, then make yourself comfortable in the seat next to his.

The worst that can happen is that he’s not interested or his girlfriend returns from the bathroom (check to see if there’s a purse in the chair next to him first!). But even then, at least you got a good drink recommendation.

3. Pretend Like You Know Him

Want to know how to approach a man? Pretend you know him.

Okay, it may be a little devious, but what’s the harm in pretending like the guy looks familiar? It’ll get him to open up as he tries to figure out how you might know him.

“Do you go to the gym down the street? Or maybe you know my cousin Beth?”

Eventually, he’ll have to give up the guessing game and just have a conversation with you. If you’re feeling extra sassy, you could even confess that you made it up as an excuse to talk to him.

4. Brush By Him on the Way to the Restroom

Sam is sitting on a stool at the bar when a beautiful woman (you) lightly brushes his backside as she passes. It was an accident, he thinks, until he looks up and sees your smiling face. Maybe it was no accident after all…

Obviously, this is a weird thing to do if there’s plenty of space on the way to the ladies’ room…or if he’s not sitting anywhere near the path there! But in a crowded bar, it’s the perfect excuse. If you bump him slightly, you now have an excuse to talk to him and apologize.

5. Stay Centrally Located

The booth in the corner might be your favorite seat at your local restaurant, but this position won’t help you succeed at how to approach a guy. Instead, stay in the center of the room wherever you go. When you’re centrally located, you’re more likely to get the attention of males in the room, and this will increase odds that a guy will come talk to you.

If you’re with a group of friends, sit on the outside, rather than flanked by your ladies, to make it a little less intimidating for a man to approach you.

6. Ask the Score of the Game

A sports bar is a great place to meet men!

Whether you’re into sports or not, being in a sports bar during a game is a great opportunity to meet men. This is another good time to sit at the bar rather than at a table. That simple question, “what’s the score?” will be enough to get him to peel his eyes away from the television to be swept away by you. If you’re genuinely into the game, you can talk stats and players. If you’re clueless, ask questions to make him feel like he has something to teach you.

Don’t be too offended if he spends more time watching the game than flirting with you; he came to the bar with one intent for the evening, while you came for another. If you think he’s into you, stick around and see what happens at halftime.

7. Talk to His Friend First

If, as you’re learning how to approach a guy, you’re not quite ready to walk up to a man you’ve been eyeing, try this: talk to his friend(s) first. You can use any of the techniques in this list geared toward them. Ask the friend for a salt shaker. Tell him he looks familiar. Get comfortable talking to the friend and then open your conversation up to include the object of your desire.

Nobody likes to be ignored when their friend is flirting with someone else, so this strategy makes sure to include the friend as well as use that conversation as a jumping off point to talk to the guy you’re crushing on.

8. Simply Smile and Say Hello

via GIPHY

Not every one of these tips on how to approach a guy requires strategic planning. The simplest technique is to just smile at him and say hello. Introduce yourself and ask his name. Again, this isn’t hitting on him; you’re just being friendly.

Pay attention to his reaction. You can easily tell if he’s interested in you; watch his body language. If he turns toward you, that’s an excellent sign. If he leans in toward you, even better. If he smiles while he’s talking and even asks you questions, he’s definitely into you.

9. Compliment Him

Everybody — and I mean everybody likes being complimented. It’s a great way to put someone at ease, especially because when your gorgeous self approaches him, he might get a bit nervous!

Keep the compliment simple. Focus on:

His clothes

His shoes

His hair/facial hair

His drink or food choice

Once you’ve given the compliment and see how he responds (positively, I’m willing to bet), ask a question and get a conversation going.

10. Connect with Him on Social Media

This tip is for a man that you already know, maybe through friends or your social circle. In that case, a tip for how to approach a man might happen digitally, through social media.

You can follow him on Instagram, but chances are he’ll never notice if you do. Facebook is a better channel to get his attention because he has to approve the friend request. Once you’re connected, be sure to comment on his status updates to stay on his radar. Maybe you can share a post that reminds you of him (and say just that), like a video of a basketful of sloths (he loves sloths).

11. Ask Him a Question

A question is a great icebreaker when approaching a guy.

The sky’s the limit with this tip. You can ask him about the weather, what he’s listening to on his headphones, what he ordered…

You could even stump him by asking him a question that completely takes him off guard.

“Would you rather never eat your favorite food again and be rich or be completely broke and be able to eat it?”

“If your house was on fire, what’s the one thing you would take?”

“What’s your dream vacation?”

No man expects a woman to approach him asking these types of questions, so you’ll instantly get his attention.

12. Order a Drink for Him

You’ve seen this move in romcoms, but it’s usually the dude sending a drink over to a pretty lady. You’re empowered, so flip the script and send one to him.

When the server brings him his drink, be ready with a smile and a wave from across the room. I guarantee he will get up and walk over to you. Classy!

13. Ask a Friend to Introduce You

So you find out that the guy you are lusting after at a party is a coworker of your best friend. This is one of the easiest ways to learn how to approach a man because you’ve already got an in: your friend.

Grill her to find out what she knows about him. Obviously, start by finding out if he’s available and straight, but then see what she knows about his interests. She can help you find common ground. Maybe you both love hiking. She can use that commonality when she introduces you to get the conversation started. From there, it’s up to you to dazzle.

14. Make a Face at Him

Catch him off guard. Make a funny face!

Most of the tips I’ve given so far are pretty standard in terms of how men and women meet in public places. But maybe you’re extra spunky and want to stand out from everyone else who’s ever flirted with this guy. Try this: stick your tongue out at him or make a funny face, then smile. He will be so thrown off that he’ll want to know why you did it. Your reply might be something like:

“I assume you’ve heard every pickup line in the book, so I wanted to try something different to get your attention.”

In fact, he probably hasn’t heard that many pickup lines, but he’ll be flattered that you think so.

15. Beckon Him with Your Finger

If you want to know how to approach a guy, sometimes you’ve got to be bold, like in #14. Another bold move: if the two of you are making lingering eye contact across the room for a while, just smile and beckon him with your finger.

You: [smile and beckon]

Him: [looks behind him] “Who me?”

You: “Yes, you. Get over here!”

16. Dance By Yourself

Let me just say: if you’re at a dance club and you are surrounded by your besties, there’s no way a man is entering that shark pit. It’s too darn intimidating. So if you see a man looking your way, separate yourself from the pack and dance alone. It’s much easier for him to approach you, and if you smile and toss your hair in his direction (or maybe use that finger to beckon him) he’ll understand that you want him to dance with you.

What to Do Once You Approach

Possibilities are endless once you learn how to approach a guy.

You’ve already done the hard work by succeeding with your plan on how to approach a guy…but now what? You’ve mesmerized him with your flirting skills…but what do you do with him now?

Most women I’ve coached find that once they get over the initial fear of rejection and see that the man responds positively to their efforts to get his attention, that the rest is easy. If you’re a good fit with this guy, the conversation should flow easily. If not, well, he might not be right for you.

Just don’t put pressure on yourself. The worst case is that you have a short conversation with the guy, realize you’re not compatible (maybe when he boasts about his massive gun collection), then walk away. No harm, no foul.

The best case is that you hit it off. You laugh and talk for hours. Your friends leave you there so you can keep talking. He gets your number. He calls. You go out and live happily ever after…er, or something in between these two situations.

Regardless of what happens, you’re simply sharpening your dating skills, which can be valuable, particularly if you’ve been out of the game for a while. So even if it doesn’t work out, you’re getting some value out of the situation.

Conclusion:

It may take a few tries before you can psych yourself up enough to learn how to approach a guy with confidence and ease, but you’ll get there. I understand that your self-esteem might have taken a tumble due to past relationships, but there’s no better time to rebuild it than right now!

Test out these strategies. See what works for you, and what you’re most comfortable with. While I do encourage you to push beyond your comfort zone, I don’t want you to try any strategy that gives you outright anxiety. Dating should be fun! Keep that in mind.

If your self-esteem does need a little work, why not download my ebook, Men Love Confident Women? You’ll get tips that will get you back to your sexy, sassy self.

The post How to Approach a Guy: 16 Sneaky Tips to Help You Start the Conversation appeared first on Sexy Confidence.

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