#SHOUT OUT to belle for being one of 2 designs i like from this production ur a real one girl

[tabooiart]

i saw london 2024 belle and was IMMEDIATELY in love and i Needed to add her to my canon. i can have 5 coaches thats fine. took some artistic liberties (but dont i always) in order to make her fit in with the rest of my designs better and also. to maybe make her look more like a sleeping car hahahahahaha

i think her and rusty have a sibling-esque relationship. in my canon she would race with rusty in heat 2 (where they lose to electra. whoops!)

[doubleattitude]

24/7 Dance Convention, Atlanta, GA: RESULTS

High Scores by Age:

Sidekick Solo

1st: Charlotte Brayman-’Wonderful World’

2nd: Emersyn Lawson-’Beautiful Things’

2nd: Khylie Wilkerson-’Proud Mary’

3rd: Audrey Mikkelson-’Shake the Room’

4th: Brenna Ferrell-’Showstopper’

Mini Solo

1st: Mia Clark-’Dem Beats’

1st: Carrigan Paylor-’Orange Colored Sky’

2nd: Elizabeth Scott Lanier-’Bitter Earth’

2nd: Kaylee Schwamb-’See Me Now’

3rd: Ashley Otano-’Dark Matter’

3rd: AnaKate Danner-’Malfunction’

3rd: Ella Barnes-’Nobody’s Watching’

3rd: Layla Karadchy-’Tomorrow’

4th: Jasmine Pando-’Amelia’

4th: Georgia Beth Peters-’Come Together’

4th: Allie Plott-’Fire’

4th: Savy Luetchtefeld-’Sound of Silence’

5th: Lauren Fenton-’Boogie Shoes’

5th: Cora Wunder-’Faith’

5th: Rudie Bolton-’Still Don’t Know My Name’

6th: Isabella Shortridge-’In This Shirt’

7th: Bella Smith-’Against The Music’

7th: Sami Nix-’Bridges’

7th: Rose Mangan-’Make Someone Happy’

7th: Ruby Wilkes Petty-’Once Upon Another Time’

8th: Alessandra Gauger-’Morning’

9th: Kenzie Wagoner-’Recharge’

9th: Laila Taylor-’Riot Rhythm’

10th: Belle Brining-’Ain’t to proud to beg’

10th: Malea Moore-’Big Time’

10th: Gabi Brown-’Brown Skin Girl’

10th: Sydney Lawrence-’Everybody Wants To Rule the World’

10th: Lyrah Atkins-’Keep It Moving’

10th: Vivian Liu-’Opportunity’

10th: Channing Jones-’Tight Rope’

Junior Solo

1st: Giselle Gandarilla-’All Human Beings’

2nd: Nicholas Moreno-’Blue Lips’

2nd: Emme James Anderson-’Resume’

3rd: Mia Doyle-’Designated Harmony’

3rd: Brinkley Pittman-’Gravity’

3rd: Belle Richardson-’Seven Birds’

3rd: Leila Winker-’Takt’

4th: Addison Bradley-’Dynamite’

4th: Maddie Shaw-’Final Goodbye’

4th: Caroline Powell-’How Rare’

4th: McGowan Howell-’Resurface’

4th: Maely Weaver-’Staggered In a Configuration’

4th: Cadence Lyles-’Warrior Queen’

5th: Amanda Fenton-’Devil In Disguise’

5th: Emma Martin-’Dreams’

5th: Leah Midgett-’Mirror Mirror’

5th: Morgan Belyeu-’Older’

5th: Vanessa Johnson-’Over The Rainbow’

6th: Kaden Brown-’Resolution’

7th: Mollie Mikkelson-’Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’

7th: Gracie Elder-’No More Tears’

7th: Sloane Dawson-’TEA’

7th: Scarlett Liu-’Unaccompanied’

7th: Sydney Martin-’Vibeology’

8th: Isabella Burdo-’Dance, Dance, Dance’

8th: Estella Guzman-’No Contamination’

8th: Alora Freeman-’Sing to the Moon’

9th: Lila Jane Meadows-’Friend Like Me’

9th: Ever Martin-’Long Time Traveler’

9th: Ensley King-’Ruby Blue’

9th: Gracie Hawkins-’Smokestacks’

10th: MacKenzie Meissner-’Be Strong’

10th: Kinsleigh Gullette-’Despicable’

10th: Pierce Bevans-’Float’

10th: Stella Adamson-’Gamzatti Variation’

10th: Sophia Bell-’Waving Through A Window’

10th: Taylor Dillard-’Way Down We Go’

Teen Solo

1st: Brady Farrar-’Once More’

2nd: Oliver Keane-’Electric Pulse’

2nd: Georgia Greene-’Warning’

3rd: Preslie Rosamond-’Possibly Maybe’

3rd: Sophie Garcia-’Warrior’

4th: Emma Vaughan-’Tango’

5th: Camille Pepper-’1,000 Faces’

5th: Savannah Manning-’Line Thickness’

6th: Emery Sousley-’Birds of Paradise’

6th: Addy Beckham-’Fame’

6th: Natalie Bumgarner-’Lullaby’

6th: Angelina Brennan-’Woman’

7th: Loren Puchalski-’All The Time’

7th: Nika Nosova-’Epiphany’

7th: Sydney Jones-’Raise Your Voice’

7th: Jackson Smoak-’The Longest Time’

8th: Abigail McKinney-’Shout’

8th: Haley Midgett-’Smile to Me’

8th: Callaghan Johnson-Untitled’

9th: Hadley Snell-’Like This’

10th: Emmy Fuller-’Be Be Your Love’

10th: Tierney Denny-Lybbert-’Lean Back’

10th: Sophie Hunsicker-’Take Flight’

10th: Kayleigh Atterton-’Wild Is The Wind’

Senior Solo

1st: Xavier logan-’Self Memoria’

2nd: Thiago Pacheco-’I’m Naturally Platinum’

3rd: Lily Sledge-’My One and Only’

3rd: Kayleigh Everhart-’Thunderstruck’

4th: Grace Robinson-’Always;

4th: Wysdem Ceaser-’Blades’

4th: Niya Smith-’Down2Ride’

4th: Seth Gibson-’Identity’

5th: Chloe Jeffcoat-’As For The Fall’

5th: Dai Boyd-’Try A Little Tenderness’

6th: Alexandra Jinglov-’Action Reaction’

6th: Maika Takemoto-’Changes’

6th: Bella Mills-’Everywhere, Still’

6th: Shaeleigh Person-’Mine’

6th: Christian Butts-’Ohm Sweet Ohm’

6th: Brittany Willard-’Unchained Melody’

6th: Javon Moore-’Visions’

7th: Tristin Edsel-’And So It Goes’

7th: Belle Mason-’Drones’

7th: Saleya James-’Fix You’

7th: Lily Thompson-’Foolish Games’

7th: Savannah Folding-’Heart Shaped Birthmark’

7th: Kirsten Brown-’Trainwreck’

7th: Ella Samellas-’Without You’

8th: CJ Parker-’A Letter From France’

8th: Bailey Cerio-’Free Falling’

8th: Mallory McCormick-’Rose’

8th: Chloe Barr-’Still Light’

8th: Jalen Scriven-’TIME’

9th: Jasmyn Hopper-’Another Lifetime’

9th: Raven Rutledge-’A Pale’

9th: Sydney Scott-’Forsaken’

9th: Katelyn Midgett-’Georgia’

9th: Morgen Watkins-’Gonna Love Me’

9th: Ryin Corcoran-’Red Dust’

9th: Sophie Hooker-’We’ll Meet Again’

9th: Hannah Rivers-’Will You Ever Return’

10th: Blair Southerland-’Desperation’

10th: Izzie Bringle-’Hush’

Sidekick Duo/Trio

1st: West Main Studios-’Colors Of the Wind’

2nd: To The Pointe-’Wildside’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: Carolina Collective Dance-’It’s Quiet Uptown’

2nd: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Loves Me Like A Rock’

3rd: Carolina Collective Dance-’Proud’

3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’To Build A Home’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Even The Sun’

2nd: Milele Academy-’Fiyah Speak’

3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Nothing We Can Do’

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Let Me Follow’

2nd: Milele Academy-’Down We Go’

2nd: The Royal Dance Academy-’Grieving’

3rd: Great Gig Dance Co-’Canon In D’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Addictive’

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Verlust’

2nd: Milele Academy-’Darkest Hour’

3rd: Studio 413-’Black Flies’

Sidekick Group

1st: Studio Powers-’Big Love, Small Moments’

Mini Group

1st: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Daisies’

2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Bones’

3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Hey Hi Hello’

3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’The Moment’

3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Wepa’

Junior Group

1st: The Southern Strutt-’A Young Mind’s Thoughts’

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Made of Stone’

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’The Swan’

2nd: Studio Powers-’Cry Me A River’

3rd: Milele Academy-’Save a Horse’

Teen Group

1st: Milele Academy-’Close Up’

1st: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Slack Jaw’

1st: Studio 413-’Social Media Overload’

1st: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Wooden Hymnal In C’

2nd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’He’s A Dream’

3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Shaken Lung’

Senior Group

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’I’m Delighted’

2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’What A Girl Wants’

3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Dying of Thirst’

Sidekick Line

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Mr Piano Man’

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Rainbow Brite’

2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Besties’

3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Dump Him’

3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Reflections’

Mini Line

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Fergalicious’

2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Brown Skin Girl’

2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Found A Good One’

3rd: The Southern Strutt-’As Good As It Gets’

3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Back At It’

Junior Line

1st: The Southern Strutt-’This Place About to Blow’

2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Dance Apocalyptic’

2nd: The Southern Strutt-’I Will Leave The Light On’

3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Genesis’

3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Kill The Lights’

Teen Line

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Lay Them Before Me’

2nd: Studio 413-’Hold On Tight’

3rd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Midnight Street’

Senior Line

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Sunny Side of the Street’

2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Charlie Boy’

2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Deep Fried Flavor’

2nd: Great Gig Dance Co-’I’d Love to Change The World’

2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Layla’

2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Matter’

3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Full Bloom’

3rd: Studio 413-’Rumors’

Sidekick Extended Line

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Flying Solo’

Mini Extended Line

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Fly Kicks’

2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Wonderland’

3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’The Happy Disco Show’

3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Yacht Club Cuties’

Junior Extended Line

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Foot On The Gas’

2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Walk It Out’

3rd: Studio 413-’Girl Boss’

Teen Extended Line

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Work’

2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Earthquake’

2nd: The Southern Strutt-’The Wave’

3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Angels’

3rd: The Southern Strutt-’XR2′

Senior Extended Line

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’The Reception’

2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Here Comes The Boom’

Sidekick Production

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Chewy Chewy’

Mini Production

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Yacht Club Cuties’

Junior Production

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Ski-A-Rhythmdale’

2nd: Studio 413-’Electricity’

Teen Production

1st: exonerated

2nd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Southern Hospitality’

3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Bay 2 the A’

High Scores by Performance Division:

Sidekick Jazz

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Chewy Chewy’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Rainbow Brite’ 3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Dump Him’

Sidekick Hip-Hop

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Besties’

Sidekick Tap

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Mr Piano Man’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’ABC’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Shout’

Sidekick Contemporary

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Flying Solo’

Sidekick Lyrical

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Reflections’ 2nd: Studio Powers-’Big Love, Small Moments’

Mini Jazz

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Fergalicious’ 2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Brown Skin Girl’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’The Happy Disco Show’

Mini Ballet

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Concerto In D’

Mini Hip-Hop

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Fly Kicks’ 2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Found A Good One’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Back At It’

Mini Tap

1st: The Southern Strutt-’As Good As It Gets’ 2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Love Shack’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Jitterbug’

Mini Contemporary

1st: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Daisies’ 2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Bones’ 3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’The Moment’

Mini Lyrical

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’3000 Miles’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Fly Me To The Moon’ 3rd: Studio 413-’Helium’

Mini Musical Theatre

1st: The Southern Strutt-’Wonderland’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Yacht Club Cuties’ 3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Little Shop of Horrors’

Junior Jazz

1st: The Southern Strutt-’This Place About to Blow’ 2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Dance Apocalyptic’ 2nd: Studio 413-’Electricity’ 3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Kill The Lights’ 3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Genesis’

Junior Ballet

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Violin Fantastique’

Junior Hip-Hop

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Foot On The Gas’ 2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Walk It Out’ 3rd: Studio 413-’Girl Boss’

Junior Tap

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Sussudio’ 1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Here Comes The Sun’ 2nd: Studio 413-’Into the Night’ 3rd: Great Gig Dance Co-’Tiny Dancer’

Junior Contemporary

1st: The Southern Strutt-’I Will Leave The Light On’ 2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’The Swan’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’A Young Mind’s Thoughts’ 3rd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Off The Rails’

Junior Lyrical

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Made of Stone’ 2nd: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Daisies’ 3rd: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Firework’

Junior Musical Theatre

1st: The Southern Strutt-’First Day Fruge’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’The Gospel Truth’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Zero to Hero’

Junior Acro

1st: The WHEREHOUSE-’Day-O’

Junior Specialty

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Ski-A-Rhythmdale’ 2nd: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Grease!’

Teen Jazz

1st: The Southern Strutt-’XR2′ 1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’I Hope My Life’ 2nd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Shake’ 3rd: Studio 413-’Body Language’ 3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Kick It’

Teen Hip-Hop

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Work’ 2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Earthquake’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’The Wave’ 3rd: Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Southern Hospitality’

Teen Tap

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Rock Your Body’ 2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Hook’ 3rd: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Wooden Hymnal In C’ 3rd: Studio 413-’Gold Watch’ 3rd: The Southern Strutt-’Gold Watch’

Teen Contemporary

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Exonerated’ 2nd: Studio 413-’Hold On Tight’ 3rd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Embrace the World’

Teen Lyrical

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Midnight Street’ 2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Angels’ 3rd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’This Particular Dream’

Teen Musical Theatre

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Groundhog Day’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Beetlejuice’ 3rd: Heather Wayne’s Dance Company-’Too Darn Hot’

Teen Acro

1st: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Oceans’ 2nd: Studio Powers-’Area 51′

Teen Specialty

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Lay Them Before Me’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Book of Love’ 3rd: Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Hip Hip Chin Chin’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Born to Be Alive’

Senior Jazz

1st: Studio 413-’Rumors’ 2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Human Nature’ 3rd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Saved By The DJ’

Senior Ballet

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Recomposed’

Senior Hip-Hop

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’Deep Fried Flavor’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Here Comes The Boom’ 3rd: North Georgia Dance and Music Factory-’Power’

Senior Tap

1st: Rhythm Dance Center-’What A Girl Wants’ 2nd: Great Gig Dance Co-’I’d Love to Change The World’ 2nd: Rhythm Dance Center-’Layla’ 3rd: Great Gig Dance Co-’Faith’

Senior Contemporary

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’I’m Delighted’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Charlie Boy’ 2nd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Dying of Thirst’ 3rd: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Full Bloom’

Senior Lyrical

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Matter’ 2nd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Tides of Lamentation’ 3rd: Dothan School of Dance-’It’s All Coming Back to Me’

Senior Musical Theatre

1st: Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Sunny Side of the Street’ 2nd: The Southern Strutt-’Too Darn Hot’ 3rd: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Might As Well Be’

Senior Specialty

1st: Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’The Reception’

11 O’Clock:

Sidekick

Studio Powers-’DANCE’

The Southern Strutt-’Flying Solo’

Rhythm Dance Center-’Besties’

Mini

Studio 413-’Helium’

West Main Studios-’Spiders’

Milele Academy-’Move Your Body’

Studio Powers-’Iconology’

Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Bones’

Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Daisies’

Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Found A Good One’

Rhythm Dance Center-’Fly Kicks’

The Southern Strutt-’Fergalicious’

Junior

Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Dance Apocalyptic’

Studio 413-’Girl Boss’

Rhythm Dance Center-’Foot On The Gas’

The Southern Strutt-’This Place About to Blow’

Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Kill The Lights’

Milele Academy-’Missy’

Studio Powers-’Cry Me A River’

Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Made of Stone’

Teen

The Southern Strutt-’The Wave’

Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Hip Hip Chin Chin’

Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Exonerated’

Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’Lay Them Before Me’

Oconee Youth School of Performance-’Poppin Party’

The WHEREHOUSE-’Changes’

Studio Powers-’Stand Up’

Milele Academy-’Close Up’

Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Southern Hospitality’

Studio 413-’Hold On Tight’

Rhythm Dance Center-’Earthquake’

Senior

Dothan School of Dance-’You’ll Never Walk Alone’

Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’The Reception’

Rhythm Dance Center-’What A Girl Wants’

Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Sunny Side of the Street’

The Southern Strutt-’Charlie Boy’

Great Gig Dance Co-’I’d Love to Change The World’

Studio 413-’Rumors’

Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Exile’

Milele Academy-’Get It’

Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Bitter’

Heather Wayne’s Dance Company-’Old Skin’

Smitty’s Performing Arts Center-’Where Is The Love’

Studio Showcase:

Milele Academy-’Close Up’

West Main Studio-’E R’

Variations Dance Studio-’Through The Cracks’

Upstate Carolina Dance Center-’Exile’

The WHEREHOUSE-’Changes’

The Southern Strutt-’Charlie Boy’

Studio Powers-’Stand Up’

Studio 413-’Rumors’

Rhythm Dance Center-’Earthquake’

Oconee Youth School of Performance-’Poppin Party’

North Georgia Dance and Music Factory-’Tap Dat’

Heather Wayne’s Dance Company-’Old Skin’

Gretchen Greene School of Dance-’Hip Hip Chin Chin’

Great Gig Dance Co-’I’d Love to Change The World’

Dancemakers of Atlanta-’Exonerated’

Columbia City Jazz Conservatory-’The Reception’

[wannabemerida]

I had so much fun writing my first kid fic with the help of my beta, @heartthrobphilly  and basing it off of @bluevlvvt ’s artwork (the link above!) —— Word count: 2.6k Prompt: Phil offers to drive his friends daughter (lola) to her ballet lesson. he runs into a cute dad with his daughter rosie. he offers to drive lola to her ballet lessons every week after that. (slow plot development lol) Warnings: light cursing, angst —— It’s 3:02pm as Phil waits outside of Brookside Elementary School. According to Ian, Lola usually exits through this door and waits to be retrieved from the playground. So far, there’s no sign of the little blonde girl playing outside.

A shout of “Uncle Phil!” catches his attention and he turns around to the soccer pitch just in time to see the kindergartener running at him, embracing him in a hug when they collide. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m taking care of you tonight, remember? Your dad has a big business dinner, and your mom is in Wolverhampton for her job, yeah?”

“Ohhhhh, I just thought Grandma would be taking care of me again,” the six year old explains, not seeming particularly fussed.

“C’mon, let’s head home.”

Two hours later when Phil suggests they order Chinese to the brick house, Lola quickly shuts his craving down. “Uncle Phil, we can’t have Chinese tonight, Thursdays are always Kraft Dinner nights, dummy!”

“Hey Lola, are you done with your dinner? You have ballet soon and still need to get ready!” Seeing Lola’s face that has a bit of the cheesy noodles left on it from quickly scarfing down her meal, Phil grabs a paper towel from the roll on the kitchen counter.

“Yeah! Do you have my leotard?” Phil grabs the light green leotard out of the overnight bag that Lola had brought along, handing it to her with the napkin, (“Lols, you’re a mess!”) her slippers, and a pair of tights.

The drive to the Portner Ballet Studio takes about 15 minutes, with Phil accidentally hitting every red light possible. This causes Lola some distress, claiming that the five minutes she has before class “isn’t enough to talk to Rosie, and she’s the only nice one there that I like.”

Nevertheless, when the raven-haired man and his favorite “niece” enter the building, a small girl with fluffy brown hair immediately runs up to Lola and hugs her. “Rosie, this is my Uncle Phil!

“Lola! You’re finally here! Daddy said you might not be coming today because you’re normally here before me,” the brunette pauses, “but you’re here now, see, Daddy? I told you she would come!”

Phil is frozen. The man who walks up behind Rosie is the most beautiful person Phil has seen, and that’s saying something, considering that Chris Hemsworth exists. But no, the curly brown fringe, hazel eyes, tall, lanky stature, and his soft face (not to mention his monochrome aesthetic and “best dad in the world” travel mug) easily outrank even the likes of Thor.

“Um, hey?” Phil is snapped out of his trance, needing to be able to respond to the greeting. “You’re Lola’s uncle?”

“Well, um, sort of? I’m really good family friends with Lola’s dad, and so I’m kind of an unofficial uncle to her.” Had he been responding to anything else, Phil probably would’ve stuttered, but the number of times he’s had to explain the title makes it so he can explain perfectly, even in front of someone this stunning.

“I’m- I’m Dan.” The two men glance over at the young girls who are chattering animatedly.

“Oh, yeah, Phil Lester.” Dan holds his hand out for a handshake.

“Rosie’s my daughter,” he says quietly, but there’s no mistaking the fondness he has when he says it.

“I can tell, she looks just like you, without the black and white.”

“Oh, I guess we do? My parents keep saying she looks like, um, Angie-” Dan’s voice decrescendos as he gets further along his sentence.

“Angie … is Rosie’s mom?”

“Oh, um, yeah.” Phil’s heart drops.

“Cool.” Not cool. Dan has a wife. Dan had a kid. With his wife.

“Have you got any kids?” Dan asks, a light blush still visible across his cheeks.

“Ah, no, I didn’t have time to find someone in Uni and now I’m single with 2 masters degrees.” Phil unconsciously plots a way to make himself seem more interesting.

“What are they in?” Dan asks, looking genuinely curious.

“I got my first one in English language and linguistics, and my second in post-production editing.”

“What do you do with those? How do they fit together?”

“I’m a special effects engineer for Disney, and they don’t really fit together to be honest,” Phil pauses, “although I do make YouTube videos and that kind of meshes them together,”

“Wow, um, cool,” Dan stutters.

“So what about you?”

“Huh?”

“What’s your job, besides ‘best dad in the world’?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m stupid.” Phil giggles, thinking of how his father would reply with ‘Hi stupid, I’m dad!’. “But I’m a writer for Vogue and I dabble in fashion photography. It’s mainly just taking photos of Rosie if I’m being honest, but the photographers sometimes get sick and I end up doing the shoot.”

“Vogue? Like, the fashion magazine?” Phil doesn’t know much about fashion, but he’s seen the magazine numerous times in the Tesco checkout lane.

“Yeah, well, technically it’s British Vogue, but…”

“Yeah.”

There’s a calm but slightly awkward silence as the conversation loses direction. The two men avoid eye contact, not wanting to make it worse.

The silence is broken by Dan’s tenor voice. “So what films have you worked on?”

“I got to work a bit on Spiderman: Homecoming, but the Live-action Beauty and the Beast was pretty fun. You know the scene where the gold leaf comes off of the ceiling to go on Belle’s dress?” When Dan nods, Phil breaks out into a grin. “That was me.”

“Wow.” Dan breathes out. “After she saw that, she kept trying to put stickers on her ceiling in the hopes that they would transfer to her shirt. It was a nightmare.”

“Ah, sorry.”

“Nah mate, it was kind of funny as well. I’ve got a few photos that I’ll save for when she graduates.”

“She’ll love that,” Phil chuckles, and the deep, throaty sound makes Dan’s heart stutter. “So you’re into fashion?”

Dan blushes. “Yeah? I mean I can’t really afford any designers, but I’ll turn into a fanboy at times.”

“Why do they charge so much? Like, half of the suits these designers make look identical to something I could buy from a department store for thousands of dollars less.”

“Well, a lot of designers carefully hand-make every piece, whereas the stuff you get in a store has probably been made by a pre-programmed machine and poorly paid workers in a factory. There’s also differences in fabric types, quality, and origins. And, a lot of designers will tailor the suit to perfectly fit you for a slightly higher price. If you go to a department store-”

“I see what you mean when you say you turn into a fanboy, but thank you for the mini lesson on why celebrities are willing to spend so much money on a navy tux. Your insights are amusing.” Phil grins.

“Did you also know that navy suits are better investments than black ones? It’s because the blue fits into so many more settings than a black one.”

While Phil could watch Dan talk about his passions for hours, just watching and memorizing how the lines change across his face, and God, that dimple, Phil supposes his relentless staring would get a bit creepy. “So what are the ballet lessons like? I’ve only been to a few of Lola’s performances.”

“Oh, um, well, they spend the first 20 minutes warming up, and then they move to the barre where they practice a bunch of stuff that’s in French that I can’t remember, and then they start to go over the routine for their next performance.”

“What is it?”

“What?”

“Their next performance?”

“Yeah! Sorry, I’m stupid,” Dan blushes for what must be the fiftieth time since he first met Phil. “The studio is putting on The Firebird.”

“No! Um, I mean, you’re not stupid. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with The Firebird. What is it about?” Phil has heard the name before, but only in the context of movie scores resembling Stravinsky’s composition. “It sounds kind of intense, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, um, I don’t know much, but from what Rosie’s told me, the firebird gets caught by a prince and when he lets her go she helps him defeat the magician to save some princess, but I’m pretty sure I’m missing like half of the plot. I would say to just Google it and not to go by my word,” The nervous laughter emitted by Dan makes Phil instantly worry that he might have made the brunet uncomfortable or misread Dan’s friendliness as a blossoming friendship when it might have been a ploy to gather gossip for the nosy ballet moms.

“Thanks, I think I’ll trust you on that.” Dan offers a small smile at Phil’s response, letting the two men fall into silence as they watch the group of young girls and 3 boys practice their pliés and dégagés. An hour and a half later, the children exit the studio and find their guardians to go home.

“It was nice meeting you, Phil,’’ Dan admits as Rosie and Lola exchange a goodbye hug. The six words send Phil’s heart into overdrive and he feels his cheeks heating up.

“Yeah, you too, Dan,” Phil replies, proud of himself for not tripping over his words. Looking back, Phil’s whole interaction was impressive, considering his track record of ending up injured in some way.

Last time, Phil wound up with a broken ankle, having paid more attention to the cute digital renderer than the set of stairs they were walking down. It wasn’t all for nothing, though, Phil having gained the cute man’s phone number. Not that that did much for his love life, finding out two days that the boy he had his eyes on was dating the very female gaffer of their most recent movie, but that’s not the point.

This time, nothing will happen, because a) Phil dropping Lola off at ballet was a one time thing, so most likely, he’ll never see Dan again, and b) Dan has a daughter, who is his genetically, which means he has (or had) a wife, all summarizing that no matter how cute the brunet is, Dan is straight.

Not that Phil’s brain will accept that Dan is off-limits as a possible partner. Over the next few days, the image of soft brown eyes, curly fringes, and lanky limbs continuously make appearances in the back of Phil’s head. The very effective distractions cause Phil’s co-workers to worry, and PJ’s repetitive “have you been sleeping okay?”s have driven Phil to the point of insanity.

The answer to PJ’s question is quite easily “no”, Phil having only slept well once that week (he refused to admit it but that was the night that he got off to the image of a faceless figure who looked suspiciously like the boy who wouldn’t leave his head.)

By Wednesday, Phil was fed up with his brain’s reaction to not having seen Dan since the previous Thursday. Pulling out his phone, he does the only thing he can think of to satisfy his hungry mind. He calls Ian.

“Phil? Do you need something?” is the answer he gets when Ian finally picks up.

“No, um, I was just wondering, would you like me to take Lola to ballet again tomorrow?” Phil looks at the lines he had written down on a notepad, an effort to keep himself from going into a 20-minute rant about how in love with Dan he is.

“Sure, I guess? Why are you offering?”

“Just thought that you and Pam could use a break,”

“Oh, okay then, thanks! Same as last week?”

“Sure! Talk to you later!”

Phil’s convinced that his squeal of excitement was the reason that the people who lived across the street turned their lights on and not the fact that their smoke detector went off. He probably set that off too, in hindsight. And caused the stove fire.

23 hours later, Phil finds himself standing inside the dance studio again, surrounded by shrieking kids, chattering parents, and the faint sound of the top 20 radio playing in the background.

“Mister Phil! Where’s Lola?” Rosie pulls on Phil’s sleeve, stopping when she sees her best friend walk out of the bathroom.

“Why, Miss Rosie, she’s right there!” Rosie giggles, pulling out of a hug with Lola.

“I know that now, silly.” She and Lola run into the studio, eager to get to do the optional partner stretches before class starts.

“Are you Lola’s father?” A woman dressed in a skirt suit and heels walks up behind Phil.

“Oh, no, I’m just a family friend. I occasionally take Lola to ballet to give her parents some alone time.”

“Ah.” The woman sticks her hand out for a handshake. “I’m Angela Wright, Rosie’s mom.”

Had there been a small creature under it, Phil’s heart would have killed it from the speed at which it fell. He knew that Rosie had a mom, that Dan had a wife, that Dan wasn’t available. So why did it still hurt so much?

“Oh, cool,” Phil responds a moment later, his voice considerably deflated.

Phil’s unspoken question is answered right as it pops into is head. “Dan contracted the flu, and is stuck at home in bed, which is why I’m here this week. I’m normally responsible for taking Rosie to taekwondo while he takes care of ballet lessons, but that evidently won’t work this week. Honestly, it’s just like Dan to get a winter disease in the middle of summer.”

“I was going to ask about setting up a playdate between Rosie and Lola, but…” Angie trails off.

“Yeah,” Phil nods in understanding, not liking this woman any more than he did a minute ago. “I’m gonna go sit down.” No response comes from the woman, but Phil’s not particularly bothered.

Maybe he should be nicer to the wife of the man he’s stupidly trying to woo, but he just can’t. How is he supposed to be nice to his competition, who’s already clearly won?

When he vaguely notices the ballet instructor make a big motion with her arms, Phil decides that watching a group of five and six year olds is an adequate distraction from the turmoil in his brain. After 10 minutes of watching the kids do various tasks, jumping and prancing around the room, he zones off.

“Uncle Phillll, come onnnnnnn!” wakes Phil from his trance, no longer seeing the ballet students in the studio but now milling around the lobby and leaving. “Class ended like, forever ago! Can we leave? I wanna go get ice cream!”

A quick look at the clock told Phil that class had only ended 5 minutes ago, but to an antsy six-year-old, he supposed that could feel like an eternity.

“Lola, we aren’t getting ice cream. I’d rather not have your parents be mad at me for loading you up on sugar, right?” The small girl pouts but grabs Phil’s hand, dragging him to the car.

While it was easy getting Lola into her car seat, getting her out was a whole other task. It took Phil, Ian, Pamela, a blanket, 2 stuffed animals, and a lullaby to successfully remove the sleeping child out of the carseat, into the house, and onto her bed where she could sleep without interruption.

Once he was back in his car, Phil sat in the driveway, resting his head on the steering wheel, regretting ever offering to take Lola to dance lessons at all. Remember back in college when all those crushes were single? You fucked up, bud.

[pi-cat000]

MSA time travel idea (part 14)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Vivi POV, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Lewis POV, Part 12, Part 13

Part 15: here

Arthur glares at his reflection, leaning closer to the mirror's surface, scanning for imperfections. He’s been managing between four and five hours sleep a night with a careful combination of sleeping pills, anxiety meds and monitoring his caffeine intake. The dark circles, which had started to develop, are smaller and less noticeable. His younger body appears to be adapting to the sudden change in lifestyle decently enough. It’s amazing what a person is capable of when they haven’t spent several weeks lying in a hospital ward or worked themselves half to death. He stares and pulls his expression into a cheerful grin. It’s warm, inviting, the sort of smile you gave a friend upon hearing a particularly humours joke.

Perfect.

To double check, he glances down at his phone which is propped up by the mirror. A photo depicting him, Vivi and Lewis mid-laugh, school gates in the background, stares up at him. After coming to the uncomfortable realisation that he’s failing in the ‘being Arthur’ department and causing unneeded stress, he has been putting a bit more effort into engaging and being more sociable when Lewis and Vivi are around. Hence the search through his computer and phone for as many pictures of himself as possible to use as a reference. There’s not a whole lot because he has never been a huge fan of photos but the ones he does find all show him either grimacing in exasperation or grinning happily alongside Lewis and Vivi. Currently, he has one as a screensaver and a few others stuffed into his wallet for extra material. The three of them, together, happy. It’s weird seeing pictures of Lewis again. After The Cave, he had had to delete or hide away most of them so Vivi wouldn't accidentally see one and have an episode. He reaches to pick up the phone and fumbles with his left hand, almost knocking it into the toilet.

“Arthur,” Uncle Lance yells, voice filtering in from the garage, “You were plannin to leave a half hour ago. You’re not makin those friends of yours wait again are you.”

After a bit of awkward juggling, he manages to circumvent the disaster, and he lets out a long breath of relief.

“It’s okay. Everything’s on track,” Arthur calls, then flushes the toilet, letting out a tired huff. Lance isn’t one to hover, but he has been a whole lot more watchful this last week. Despite Vivi’s instance that he talk to his Uncle, he has yet to broach the topic of his odd behaviour, and Lance hasn’t openly called him out, so he’s been avoiding it mostly. It’s a familiar routine at the very least.

“You goin to keep in touch while on this road trip? Or am I just goinin to have to trust ya not to get murdered,” Lance comments when he tramps out into the reception, thin fibber door clicking behind. Arthur scoops up his overstuffed backpack and shoulder bag from the disused reception desk, slinging one over a shoulder.

“Yeah. Of course,” he gives the grin a trial run, “I’ll give you a call when we stop for the night. Unless there’s no reception, then I’ll call you tomorrow,”

His uncle frowns at him searchingly, “See that ya do,”

He doesn’t remember Lance being this worried on his first time around, but it’s possible he’s just forgotten.

“I will,” he does a small wave, stepping towards the front door, “Guess I’ll see you in a mouth then,”

This van is parked out front, full tank, packed with supplies, ready to go. All he has to do is pick up Vivi and Lewis from the Pepper’s diner.

Before he makes it through the doorway, Lance grabs his lower arm, pulling him up short, “You get inta any trouble you give me a call, ya hear.”

Lance is about a head shorter than him, so he has to bend at an odd angle. Thankfully, he doesn’t flinch at the sudden contact, but it’s a near thing.

“We’re doing regular touristy things. You know, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, stuff like that.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Hopefully.

Lance grumbles inaudible complaints under his breath and lets his arm go, giving a stern nod. Arthur rolls his eye’s good-naturedly, squashing a chuckle, amazed at how natural the interaction feels. The comfortable sensation lasts up until he turns back towards his van. It’s bright orange, shinning with a fresh coat of lacquer.

There is no ‘Mystery Skulls’ logo.  

His smile falters, falling away. Of all the things he thought he would change this hadn’t been one of them. Vivi and Lewis had decided to hold off finishing the van’s design under the mistaken impression that Arthur disapproved of it. A by-product of blaming his recent change in behaviour on a fear of supernatural phenonium.  How the hell do you explain that it’s not the supernatural generally that’s the problem, just their groups' tendency to run into danger with lethal outcomes. An increase in hovering by both his friends means that any excuse or reasoning he tries needs to be airtight or risk being picked apart by a hyper-attentive Vivi and overly watchful Lewis. So... no ‘Mystery Skulls’ logo.  

With a sigh, he approaches, running his left hand across its smooth, unmarked, surface. Somewhat forcefully, he yanks open the door, throwing his bag into the back and settling into the driver’s seat. Time to go pick up his overly attentive friends and spend the next few weeks exclusively in their company, with no breaks and possibly sharing the same tent and the motel rooms.

He’s so not ready for this. If they don’t notice his weird sleeping habits, then they are sure to see when he inevitably slips up in his acting. Arthur slaps his cheeks with both hands, taking a few more deep breaths, thinking of Vivi and Lewis, both of whom were waiting.

It’s too late to worry about that now. Everything is okay. This will be fine.  

The van rumbles to life and he waves at Lance one last time. The older man is standing in the doorway, arms crossed, eye’s tracking Arthur as he expertly reverses and spins the van onto the highway.

…

Pepper Paradiso is located on the same highway as Kingsman Mechanics, just on the opposite side of town. It’s hard to miss, being painted in bright shades of pink and purple. Sporting wide, stain-glass windows, the building is almost alarming in its contrast with the browns and dull greens of the surrounding desert.

“Arthur!”

Vivi greats as he pulls in, bobbing about in poorly contained excitement. The smoothly paved lot encircling the Pepper’s diner is mostly empty, not uncommon for the early morning, and he pulls straight into a spot near double door entrance. Lewis is in standing by the doors in the middle of what looks like a family huddle. Both senior Peppers are there, and he’s got one of his little sisters sitting atop his shoulders. A wistful smile tugs at Arthur’s lips. There had been many days during his extended quest to find Lewis dominated by the fear that he would fail and never see the Pepper family, happy, all together, ever again.

Vivi jogs up, and Arthur shakes the melancholic thoughts away, winding down his window so he can hear her while he finishes up parking. Mystery is trotting alongside her, and he tries not to give the dog any overt attention. This last week he’s been working the gauge how much Mystery knows but the dog is just too good at being a dog for him to get a proper read.

“There you are. Almost thought you’d forgotten again. Then we would have had to postpone things till the afternoon and miss a whole day’s worth of driving.”

Arthur can almost taste the slight underlining tension which now pops up whenever he forgets or doesn’t behave in a way that’s expected. Vivi’s on the lookout for behaviour flags. Luckily, he’s got a lot of experience dodging Vivi’s pointed questions.

“Yeah, sorry, it took me more time to pack than I anticipated. Also, Lance wanted to say bye as well. That took a bit longer than I thought it would.”

He hits her with the grin he’s just spent the last half hour perfecting in the mirror. It’s a success because Vivi relaxes and grins back.

“Haha. You’re not the only one,” She gestures at Lewis and his family huddle, “You would think he’s leaving for good with the way they’re acting.”

“They are a pretty affectionate people,” he responds, quashing the strain in his voice. Vivi doesn’t notice, now focused on Lewis again. Don’t think about it. This time Lewis is going to return. He’ll make sure of it.

“Hey, Lew. Look who finally showed up,” Vivi calls over, waving. Lewis, one sister still on his shoulders and another dragging at his arm, tries to turn and almost topples over. Vivi snorts in amusement. Her shout also attracts the attention of Lewis’s family. Cayenne, the little red-haired menace, immediately runs over to jump around just below his window.  

“Arthur. Arthur is this your van! It’s cool. Can I come in? Pleeaasse.”

“You’ve been in the van before,” He says with only a slight hint of apprehension. Cayenne used to be pretty big on pranking from what he remembers. After Lewis’s disappearance, her Arthur-targeted jokes had become less frequent, almost non-existent.  But, since that hasn’t happened, he should probably be on the lookout.

“But now it’s orange!” Cayenne shouts enthusiastically, jumping up, trying to get a look in.  

Vivi sniggers, “She’s got you there Arthur.”

He opens his mouth to object but is beaten to it by Lewis, “I’m sure the van’s too full to fit you in. Maybe, when we get back, Arthur will give you a ride if you ask nicely.”

“Aww. No fair,”  Cayenne pouts, throwing a look back towards Mr and Ms Pepper like she is hoping for Lewis’s verdict to be overridden.  

Lewis crosses his arms, appearing about as stern as one can with Paprika, who’s covered in copious amounts of ribbon and lace, sitting on his shoulders, clinging and messing up his hair.

“Cayenne,” comes an amused grumble from the older Pepper, “Make yourself useful and go help Belle with your brother’s bag,”

A few feet away Belle is attempting to move Lewis’s fully packed duffle-bag with minimal success. Arthur swears Cayenne gives him the evil eye on her way past, and he shivers, feeling like he’s dodged a bullet. Paprika also scrambles down off Lewis’s shoulders to join Cayenne. Together, the three girls manage to lift the bag despite taking the time to stop and squabble among themselves.

Lance sighs, watching his sisters merger progress, and loosens, turning to an amused Vivi, “She’s had this thing about fart bombs this last week. Don’t know where they’ve come from but I, for one, don’t want to suffer for the next eight hours.”

Vivi laughs, “Good thinking.”

Mystery barks, jumping around, acting every bit the excited dog, energised by the surrounding activity.

They watch Cayenne, Belle and Paprika attempt to drag over Lewis’s bag, stumbling when Mystery gets caught underfoot. He ends up climbing out of the van to help Vivi load up her last two packs, one of which is full of books going by the weight, while she runs off to corral her fake dog.  So far, everything’s off to a good start. Lewis is too distracted saying goodbye to his family and Vivi is fussing over Mystery.

Now. If Arthur can just keep it together for the next eight hours, then everything would be perfect.

Note: Had a bit of a dip in motivation to write recently. Luckily, you can always count on long-ass train trips to bore me into productivity.

Part 15: here

[bat-besties]

On Impossibility - 5

Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3    Chapter 4    Chapter 6   Chapter 7   Chapter 8  Chapter 9

A popular!Logan and loser!Roman high school AU based on @2pointomg’s idea with eventual Prinxiety. 

impossible 

ɪmˈpɒsɪb(ə)l

adjective

·       not able to occur, exist, or be done.

Eg. It is impossible to fund both the sports and drama programmes with the school’s limited budget.

·       very difficult to deal with.

Eg. The situation which Logan Sanders, Student Body President, is in after he convinced the school board to cut the unsuccessful drama programmes is impossible.

·       (of a person) very unreasonable.

Eg. Roman Prince.

To Roman, nothing is impossible. Not following his older brother Patton to acting college, not being a loser taking on the school’s popular Student Body President and definitely not writing and performing an epic school play with no money and six cast and crew members.

Edited by @alpacasarethegreenestanimal, who has an amazing fanfiction on AO3! If you like superheroes, sarcasm and Virgil angst then you'll love this

@toolazytothinkofcreativename

@entitydark

@romanasanders

@barclays-sides

@cashmeredragon

@jughead-is-canonically-aroace

@immacrazyfangirl

@narniasfinestavengingsociopath

@featuredfander

@what-a-catch-joe

@mightaswellenthuseaboutbooks

@candiukas​

@whatamessofwords 

Logan had never been more productive. He was ahead on homework, debate preparation and extra credit work, more invested than ever in running the student council and had recently taken over running the accounts of Elise's band. Cutting out lunchtime as a break had greatly improved his efficiency, which was doubly true when he followed a traditional meal structure of seven or eight meals throughout the day, skipping the need for a proper lunch altogether. His parents had always tried to understand their unique son, so when he explained his new regimen to them they let him take a smaller dinner at his desk as well, providing that he promised them he wouldn’t work himself too hard. Logan wasn’t working hard enough – he taught himself basic ASL and studied Hamlet, watched Bill Nye on his laptop as he read essays on Cicero, then took up jogging every morning before school so he could join the track team. It may seem counter-intuitive, but two weeks on Logan had confirmed the hypothesis that losing Virgil was the best thing which had ever happened to him. 

Virgil leant against Logan's bright red locker, looking as though he was the fulfilment of the collective hopes of Simmons High and had fallen back to sleep. The position was much less comfortable than it looked, and the currents of conversation swirling past him were unnerving, but if he couldn’t see Logan coming then he would be engaged in conversation before he could run away.

There they were – those tapping soles in their regular rhythm cutting across the scuffles and pounding feet of the rest of the student body.

‘Virgil.’ succinct for once in his life, the single word from Logan was both an inquiry and an accusation.

Virgil forced himself to open his eyes slowly. God, Logan looked awful. He had lines under his eyes and his polo shirt had a tiny crease on the shoulder. To the outside eye he seemed fine, but Virgil knew that for Logan this was like rocking up to school in a dressing gown clutching a beer bottle. Why was he like this? Had Elise not checked he was fine after the fight, and had Joan not seen how exhausted he looked, and had the people constantly asking him for help not noticed how overburdened he was? He was with all these damn people the whole time, why hadn’t he asked a single one for help? Virgil hated that he couldn’t stand on his moral high ground when he saw his friend floundering in the waves beneath him.

‘Virgil?’ Logan’s forehead was creased with concern.

'Um, yeah. Well, I was just going to ask you something, but you look really bad man, is everything...Are you okay?’

'I am fine, not that it is any of your concern. What do you want?’

‘Well, I’ve joined Roman’s play thing and we really need money for costumes, so I was wondering if you could, you know find some to, you know, fund it.’

Logan stared at him wide-eyed, ‘Virgil – there is no money. I looked. I don’t know if anyone else but me has realised, but the school has to spend a lot of money ensuring standard of learning is maintained, and its extra-curricular fund is not infinite.’

‘OK, look, man, let’s do this another time, what time were you up last night?’

‘Don’t patronise me, Virgil. Let’s do this right now.’ Logan folded his arms and somehow managed to stand even straighter, ‘I have agreed to help a small group of people from my Spanish class go over verb endings before a pop quiz, and I do not want to keep them waiting.’

‘Fine – what about the debate team trip to New York, could that be made less expensive?’

‘No. And we can’t cancel – all five of us are counting on a national win or at least placing high out of the finalists for college.’

‘Well, the theatre kids need stuff for college too.’

‘I am fully aware of that.’

‘Well, then can we- ‘

‘There is no money!’ Logan quietened his voice after people looked round at his outburst, ‘I have checked, and re-checked, and checked again, and we can run debate, sports teams, bands and choir and assorted student-led societies. Nothing else. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to Spanish.’

‘See you around.’

Something in Logan went slack at that smallest of amicable farewells. Then he drew himself up again. ‘Goodbye.’

Time to wade into the fucking river. ‘Logan, wait.’ The boy turned, ‘Um, we’ve been using lunch to iron out small details to maximise rehearsal time. It’s a good plan – I got it from you.’

Logan smiled a little, ‘Using dead time to work. It does sound like a good plan.’

Virgil cupped a hand at the back of his neck. ‘Would you like to join us? No big deal, just so you’re not sitting alone anymore.’

So, Virgil had noticed him – he had seemed too caught up in stirring up the theatre kids to louder and louder shouts of laughter with his little comments and observations. It was a nice gesture, but when Logan had spent so long as one half of a pair it was hard to be tacked onto Virgil’s new group: all loud, all weird and all on the outskirts of the social structure of the school. Besides, they wouldn’t want him there. He doubted Roman wanted him on the same continent as him, let alone the same lunch table.

‘Sorry, Virgil. I too have been maximising lunchtime efficiency. I – I am glad you at least learnt something from me. Well, I must be going.’

Virgil stood for a moment, watching the crowds rush past him and swallow up Logan. In that moment, he wished he could just let it go, ignore Roman and his crazy dream and Talyn and their beautiful designs trapped on the page, and Dahlia and her corny puns, and Terrence’s dancing, and Valerie’s evil laugh, and Kyle’s love of monologues. He wished he could let go of the memories of green plastic and blood rushing to his head, of the imagined scenario in which he could no longer paint and how much having that taken from him would hurt.

He didn’t want to dramatically run after Logan or tell him he was right and abandon his principles. All he wanted was to be lying on his bed, scrolling through Tumblr and to have Logan flipping through a book on his bedroom floor. Every now and then one would read out something interesting or amusing to the other, mostly they were silent. They might have film music on in the background and there would be a plate of Mint Oreos halfway between them, so that they could both reach. Perhaps later they would brainstorm ideas for Logan’s project, or come up with silly names for emo bands, or watch Cosmos for the fifteenth time and have twin existential crises afterwards. Perhaps they would have dinner with Virgil’s parents and tap Morse code on each other’s chairs beneath the table in one-word inside jokes. Perhaps they would just stay there forever, preserved in the golden afternoon sunlight as though in amber.

The school bell rang shrilly, and Virgil jumped, cursed, and ran to his first lesson.

-----------------------------------

It was ironic, really – Logan working on his Macbook in a comfortable suburban house worrying about money. It wasn’t impacting whether he’d eat or what he could afford to spend his weekend doing. It wasn’t part of his job at all to look at the school’s accounts, but Logan could not just stick to ‘salad bars’ or ‘laptops’. He had gotten this job (twice) to change things, and it had given him power and popularity, so he would do it properly. He had negatively impacted the lives of the theatre kids, and now he had to rectify that. Before, he had decided to follow logic: money for football, track and swimming meant college scholarships for the athletes and prestige for the school, which came at the expense of only fifteen people, and only six of these were really hurt by the decision. But now he would try something different – he couldn’t do the impossible Roman wanted him to, but for Virgil he would try his best to examine what he could do to help the play.

At least he had somewhere to start from: there was no money. How could he get some? Borrowing from a bank wouldn’t work, even if money could be made selling tickets. Fundraising, then. He knew enough by now to know that selling rainbow T-shirts to raise money for theatre may be seen as a slight. Moreover, those free T-shirts were part of a project which would be his legacy to the school which had accepted him: compassion, equality and empathy.  Fine, at $3 each if he could sell 50, then that was $150. It was a start.

He stared out of his window, down the darkening street. Bake sales? Eight people could make a lot of cake, even if two of those had baking skills so disastrous they had vowed to never try having any snacks but Mint Oreos ever again. Logan pushed away his laptop to lie on his bed instead. He closed his eyes. There was a calculus test tomorrow, and he had an essay due in he really should rewrite. However, his priority should be to help the people he was elected to represent.

--------------------

Mariana Sanders tried. She tried to tell her son he didn’t have to do everything himself, she tried not to feel hurt when he corrected her grammar or brushed aside her view on science even if she held a chemistry degree, she even tried to take his textbooks away from him when he stayed up at night working until he began to plead with her and she relented. His father was happy to let Logan do what he wanted, provided he seemed happy and in control, but she just wanted to understand what was making him happy and if he needed help staying in control. She stopped outside his bedroom door and knocked softly. ‘Honey?’

‘Vinegar.’ He sounded tired.

She pushed the door open and threw some papers at him.

‘`Sweet Pea' and `Pussy Cat': An Examination of Idiom Use and Marital Satisfaction Over the Life Cycle’’ he read, then smiled up at her. ‘We’re not married.’

‘Same principle.’ She was glad he was lying down, and his school stuff was away on its shelf, ‘Are you going to bed soon?’

‘Soon.’

‘Sleep is incredibly important- ‘

‘I know.’

She sat down on the bed and tugged on his tie. Sighing dramatically, Logan loosened it, then at a look from his mother removed it completely.

‘Everything alright with you?’

‘There’s a lot on. Still, you know me, perfectly in control of it all.’

‘Invite Virgil over tomorrow, you need a break and I miss his confusion whenever I slip an MCR quote into general conversation.’ She rubbed his arm, ‘I’ll get you guys Oreos.’

‘Mmm.’

Mariana frowned. ‘Logan, is everything alright with you and Virgil?’

That look. He had that look and she was knocked back years. ‘How did you lose your new astronomy book?’, ‘Are you sure that everyone is away on your birthday?’ and once, terrifyingly, ‘Where did you get that bruise?’

‘No. Just a slight disagreement, both he and I are men of principles…’

She pulled him into hug, and he broke off. There was a beat before ugly, racking sobs began to shake his body and he clung onto her desperately. ‘There, there.’ She stroked his back.

A single tear wended its way through Logan’s hair, though he was too upset to notice it. Mariana tried to blink it back. She was the mother, and she was meant to sit and be a rock, not break down alongside her son! But – she was upset for him and angry at him, and goddammit she was human too.

Logan couldn’t even think straight. ‘Mom.’ He had soaked the back of her top, ‘Mom.’

‘I’m here, Lo.’ She was crying openly now, ‘Lo, you idiot, I’m here. I’m here.’

[forr-everrmorre]

Anastasia - October 14, 2017 Matinee

I just got back from Anastasia and I’m still internally screaming despite it ending like 4 hours ago. here’s my detailed explanation description. (and I mean very, VERY detailed. a lot of it is under a cut bc I get into super spoilery territory)

Zach was on as Dimitry, and Ian and Kristen were on for Zach and Molly respectively. ZACH. DIMITRY.

before anyone asks, I didn’t record an audio. I got so caught up in the moment I forgot lol whoops.

honest to god, even before the curtain went up I was crying when I heard the opening notes of the Prologue.

NICOLE IS SO ADORABLE

during Last Dance Of The Romanovs, the suitor dancing with Kristen didn't lift her properly and right after they looked at each other and he was like "whoops"

the death of the Romanovs actually scared me like they made it terrifying with the window shattering effects and the red EVERYTHING

Lily can actually be seen comforting the Dowager Empress after Last Dance Of The Romanovs

yes, I internally screamed when Ramin came on. don't judge me.

Gleb so confidently says his opening Leningrad monologue, then Dimitry just comes in and roasts the hell out of him

when Dimitry says "Hail our brave new land", he's mockingly waving his arms around while right behind him Gleb is doing the exact same thing and honestly same.

right after that, Gleb like goes up to Dimitry and he legit RUNS OFF STAGE IN FEAR OMFG

during the part where everyone is like saying something good about Leningrad then saying something snarky, Gleb’s face is like "see, great place waIT WHAT"

after singing his verse in A Rumor In St Petersburg, Vlad immediately hits Dimtry with his hat

everyone's so happy during Rumor, but at the end right before the final shhhh, Gleb just gets on the podium and everyone just does the shhhhhh in fear

before moving on, I would like to mention that I love Kristen Smith Davis, Sissy Bell and Shina Ann Morris.

Dimitry is HIDING BEHIND A COUCH WHEN ANYA COMES INTO THE THEATER IM

Vlad's also hiding and it scares Anya when he comes out

now’s a good time to mention that when a song is starting, the projection usually gets like a subtle change in hue and it’s really cool

Gleb does this like intimidating version of the chin thing (tm) that basically LIFTS one of the fake actresses, then he like lightly blows on one of them and they all run away

Anya throws/hits with a book Dimity and Vlad at least 3 times in Learn To Do It

When Vlad makes them dance, at first Dimitry takes these GIANT UNGRACEFUL STEPS AND ITS HILARIOUS

the background changed from winter to spring once it seems that Anya's finally confident in her ability

Gleb's like shouting in his office until he turns and sees who Anya is and his voice just softens in like two seconds

you can tell that even when Gleb is trying to be funny and personable, he's still a stiff military man

THE CHIN THING (TM) WAS SHORTER THAN PROMISED SMH RAMIN

there's one part during the last verse where Anya harmonizes with Gleb, but it's so subtle that you probably can't tell from a recording

when Gleb says “it’s the silence after I remember most”, not only is it dead silent, there’s also the sound of wind in the background

James Pierce quickly became one of my favorite ensemble members just from how he acts drunk before My Petersburg

Dimitry gets like a potato or something from the street rats' fire and gives it to Anya before My Petersburg

ANYA SAVES DIMITRY AT ONE POINT DURING THE FIGHT SCENE

when Zach was climbing the bench for My Petersburg while the turntable was spinning, you could tell he was having a little bit of trouble and it was adorable

(he also had trouble taking the second can of beans out of his bag during Rumor btw)

also ZACH KILLED IT IN MY PETERSBURG

THE LIGHTING DESIGN IN ONCE UPON A DECEMBER GIVES ME LIFE

they project the phantom images of the Romanovs dancing on the walls of the side of the theater. you probably can't see it from the orchestra seats tho

Dimitry lifts Anya A LOT

I knew from the recording that a lot of the actors were fantastic singers, but live, so many of them are STELLAR. Christy, Ramin, and Constantine in particular imo are so much better live.

btw Stay I Pray You gave me chills. that song really lets the ensemble shine. literally. half the song, Christy, John and Zach were just standing there not singing while the ensemble KILLED IT.

Anya and Dimitry leave the train compartment by the time Vlad starts singing We'll Go From There, so he’s basically monologuing the entire time

after Vlad says "I'll bow as if I'm still a frisky young pup" HIS BACK CRACKS

when Dimitry's doing that thing where he's half standing on a bench, half leaning on the train, the ladies on the bench just look at him as if he's crazy the entire time

the way that them jumping off the train transitions into Traveling Sequence was SO COOL

THE STAGING FOR STILL WAS SO

ITS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS PRODUCTION WISE DESPITE HOW SIMPLE IT WAS

so like Gleb's standing off to the side from Traveling Sequence and he starts singing and it's all dark and stuff

around when he reaches "a son becomes a man at his father's knee", a soldier gives him his jacket. then around "I am nothing but a man with nothing but his orders to fulfill", another soldier gives him his train tickets. but then around "until your heart replies", another one gives him a gun.

at the end of it, there's like 4 vague shadowy soldier figures behind him, and he turns around and all of them salute before the lights fade.

Journey To The Past gave me chills. that's all I'm saying.

I never liked Paris Holds The Key that much, but the freaking choreography CERTAINLY made up for it. hands down my favorite choreo the entire show

before Dimitry's lil solo in Paris Holds The Key, it looks like he's about to ask Anya to dance, but someone else grabs her hand before he can. I’m nope

the projection and lighting design makes it look like the end of Paris takes place on the top of the Eiffel Tower and I am so down with that

again, Christy is FANTASTIC live

honestly, Dowager Empress sounds so broken during Close The Door and I am so not ok

Little Anastasia appears behind the windows during Close The Door and I am so not ok

at the end of the number, the Dowager Empress makes a picture she has of Anastasia face down on the table and I AM SO NOT OK

when the doorman of The Neva Club tells Gleb where to get food HE JUST LOOKS SO OFFENDED LIKE “TF WHO DO YOU THINK I AM”

the choreography of Land Of Yesterday is some goOD STUFF M8

theres a good 5 seconds Lily spends shooing Count Leopold away while she’s dancing

after the instrumental break, everyone except Lily is passed out and the lighting makes it look like morning, which is why she stomps her foot and says “the night’s young”

Vlad just sneaks up and is awkwardly facing outwards in the circle dance thing at the end of Land Of Yesterday

honestly The Countess and The Common Man is a blessing and it’s hilarious

right after they say “when you sent me our sign”, they show what it was (it’s like a super subtle hand gesture). they do it at least 2 more times in the show.

during the instrumental break, they’re both just dancing like crazy and the panting at the end involves them stretching, having cracked backs, and Vlad timing his pulse

the kiss after “until you’re kissed” is SO LONG and they do weird stuff during it, I’m just,,,, nope,,,,,

they kiss like 4 more times before Land Of Yesterday Reprise btw

Gleb watches their last kiss and his face just says “what the hell are you people doing”

also freaKIN LAND OF YESTERDAY REPRISE MAN. RAMIN IS SCARY GOOD AT THIS ROLE.

A Nightmare is actually so chilling like I can’t

it does the same thing with the lighting as Once Upon A December where Anya’s the only one properly lit and everyone else looks like ghosts but just everyone being crowded around Anya instead of gracefully dancing around her seriously sets the tone

ASKDJFLGKD IN A CROWD OF THOUSANDS B Y E

THE BLOCKING IS SO SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE

ANYA LEANS IN ON DIMITRY WHEN SHE STARTS SINGING

I SWEAR THEY GET THIS FREAKIN CLOSE TO KISSING AT THE END BEFORE DIMITRY DOES THE “YOUR HIGHNESS” THING AND I AM DEFINITELY NOT OK

Vlad’s being alone during Meant To Be makes it super powerful

also, HELLO QUARTET AT THE BALLET

THE WAY THAT EACH OF THEM STAND UP AND FACE THE CROWD WHILE SINGING MADE IT REALLY FEEL LIKE WE WERE SEEING INTO THEIR THOUGHTS

Gleb like almost pulls out his gun like 3 times I stg

Gleb is also the only person who doesn’t applaud at the end of the ballet. he’s also the only guy not wearing a tux at the ballet. (he basically wears the same outfit the entirety of Act 2 until the Finale) they really make it very clear how out of place he is in Paris.

also the ballet itself was AMAZING. Lyrica, Kyle and James were hella good

I swear I was as stressed out as Dimitry was during Everything To Win and I knew what was gonna happen

right before Once Upon A December reprise, there’s the scene where the Dowager Empress comes into Vlad, Dimitry and Anya’s dressing room and like???? it had some gold comedic timing but was also super serious????? how???????

also Dimitry watching Anya and the Dowager Empress being reunited just breaks my heart??????????

that line in The Press Conference where the guy’s like “we do exclusive interviews”, he legit pays off Vlad to start talking and they like talk off to the side until Lily gets everyone’s attention

there’s a phone on either side of the stage during that scene and the sopranos who do that harmony at “the Princess Anastasia” use them almost as microphones and I’m in love?????

GET. ROASTED. COUNT. LEOPOLD.

during Everything To Win Reprise, Gleb is very clearly closing all the doors behind Anya but like Anya never notices until she turns around

also, when she turns around, it does the song transition as perfectly as it happens in the soundtrack and it’s gr9

idk if it was just this performance, but Gleb sounded a lot more somber and conflicted during the dialogue of Still/The Neva Flows Reprise, but then when the singing starts again, he was honestly terrifying, like Anya was legit backing into a corner

this was something I noticed from the bootlegs, but I’m pretty sure no matter what angle you view it from, Young Anastasia is blocked by the archway during Still/The Neva Flows Reprise while you can very clearly see the rest of the Romanovs. idk I just always found that to be an interesting choice

at the end of Still/The Neva Flows Reprise, GLEB ALMOST PULLS THE TRIGGER ON HIMSELF AND DEAR LORD GLEB THAT GOT DARK FAST

listen,,, every time Dimitry has lifted Anya before,,,,,, she like let out a little squeal of surprise,,, except after they kiss,,,,,,,,,, she’s just staring into his eyes the entire time,,,,,,,,,,,, can y’all believe they invented love,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

the Finale was just beautiful ok

especially when the singing starts again and then the Romanovs come on stage around Anya and Dimitry

all around this show was just beautiful and amazing and I cried multiple times

also Zach totally got the loudest applause (I’m pretty sure it was louder than Christy’s tbh) and yes I live for understudy/ensemble appreciation

BONUS ROUND: STAGE DOOR AFTER

Kevin was actually the first person to leave, and a few people recognized him but he just waved and left

NICOLE IS SO SMALL AND ADORABLE

apparently Christy just restocked the candy. time to put Creepy Anya above the candy box again.

John was such a nice dude

Caroline was so bubbly and happy the entire time I love her

BUT CHRISTY FREAKIN ALTOMARE

she took the time to talk to any fan who had something to say to her

like she spent like 5 minutes talking to the people next to me since they apparently all went to the high school she graduated from

and when I talked to her, I told her about how much the soundtrack and Royal Misfits helps me get through the really rough days and and she game me a hug and I’m

not

ok

also Zach came out and everyone was like “DUDE YOU WERE AWESOME AS DIMITRY” and tbh big mood

anyways. thats it from me about Anastasia. except probably not. catch me two weeks later just randomly posting something I loved about the show because it was  r e a l l y  f r e a k i n  g o o d.

[pixie-skull]

# 12 Post, part 2: FINALLY Top Ten 2D Animated Women’s List

Update August 12th! Updates in bold.

So I am behind on my promise and seeing this net neutrality could happen here my top lady crushes. I try to go into detail. I have to admit number 10 going to be confusing see her movie has different animation styles, so I try find a picture of which one I like more. ON TO THE DELAYED LISTED. Reminder none of my new crushes can be made after 2016, when I graduate high school. Warning lots of breasts. Hey I am Pan, as in pansexuality, so yes I am mostly romantic, yet I want to clarify, I am not liking the characters for that. Also, I tried list movies from animated companies, or else this be Disney mostly. XD Here the RULES https://indigo-psyduck.tumblr.com/post/167091245072/post-12-part-1-rules-for-animated-crush-list

10. 2010′s Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic Beatrice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1C9WtnOr7Y  So now I  said I have two styles I really like, yes this movie has 5 or 6 styles. O.O 

So I chose this design of ALL other, maybe has a close second, yet this (due to it enhances the Souls and Demons)

 Now on to the reasons she wins number 10. Her personality, hopeful, positive, loyal,  patient (still annoyed at Dante for what he did), honest, and just an embodiment of virtues. So besides being someone who so kind to have what happened to her is heartbreaking. Plus her overall appearance was attractive too. I am not sure why women’s almost naked I feel more comfortable seeing, yet men’s and non-binary I feel my demisexual side bit more antsy. Yes middle school me was both freaked out and at the same time enjoyed the film. Helps also I was figuring out my sexuality and came out in mid high school.  Oh and she stands ups for herself and tries not to be a prize. Unlike the video game, she is not a pushover. D: XD Also I am now sure I am asexual.

9.  2000′s Titan AE, Akima. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXmcVV3WJWwEven though this movie was hard to watch(the CGI :( ), the characters and their designs are very fun to watch. Now besides being voiced by the attractive Drew Berrymore (fun fact is bi), the haircut, and those eyebrows, there more to Akima.  I like she reminds of (the stunning) Zoe from Firefly due to both pilots (in a sense) so have the voice call the shots, she can take care of herself, knows how to fight yet be not a killer, and more. I do personally headcanon her as bi. She very low on the list for I admit I saw the movie sooner than I like to admit, so she not as much a childhood crush, as a new one. Only her animated style was constant, unlike 10. Sorry, the gif changed her appearance a bit, I know in the movie she of Asian descent.

8. Now nine was tempted to put Gwen from “Total Drama Island”, first two seasons (I have a soft spot for dyed hair and punk and goth look), until I saw this movie. (I do plan do a maybe top five of TV 2D women)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVbX1NeWY9s&t=3s1992 Cool’s World Lonette.

 (I like how her hair so cute and messy here^ A sweet, short, messy, haircut. Also yes her body also quite nice XD ) I really find her kindness endearing such a negative world. Even though I like all eye colors, dark green eyes I am a sucker for. Also she was loving to Frank, makes hope for someone as affectionate as her. I know she Holli look very much in common, but Holli I felt lacked in such romance tenderness.

This smile ^ so adorable.

7. 1999′s Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost  Luna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92jw0fxXca4

(in Violet and short red hair)I could have easily put this whole band down, yet I wanted pick their second singer.  The fact she sings, plays an instrument, in an eco goth band, dyed hair, her parent helped give the band their fangs, and more, is why I like her so much. Also she drawn in this movie she more drawn with details and for that she is more attractive.https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/8/8c/New-ghrfh-the-hex-girls-24106229-720-480.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110909113258&path-prefix=protagonist < - - -  Close up on her.

6. 1993′s The Thief and the Cobbler, Yum-Yum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZibUpH-AME&list=PL18B0CA620B61D076 and https://vimeo.com/88602144 

Shocked how few royals are on this list, especially for being a 90′s kid. So why Princess Yum-Yum, even though she a weird blend of Aladdin (I bring this up to claimed Disney and if they or if they did NOT steal from this movie) Jasmine (I also have a crush on her too) of having a voice and using her power, but sometimes seems underdeveloped in comparison. However to me that is only when compared, so she to me is still fleshed out. I am happy to see her make the band of thieves due what she says, she merciful, she helps Tack and does her fair of saving the day. Not just a pretty face, she actual does something.

5. ANY DC comics Batman adaptation of Selina Kyle also known as Catwoman.

(^ Not to stereotype, yet this “gay” haircut I love so much on her)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjQPXvQ7ZPQ

Now on to why I like her. First bonus is she cannoned as Bi as bisexuality. Now to the rest, she a character who in the grey waves of morals. She is either a villainess, anti-hero, or whatever. I enjoy also how much a tease she can be to Batman (thanks to her I can be like to my relationships too sometimes), she loves animals, she inspires me with her self defense and flexibility. Catwoman also she makes me comfortable being her dominate power force. I want to clarify I am waiting till marriage. XD I also like she kinda an example of a character, who can depicted with different racial background, body types, and more. I am aware some characters can not have such changes, yet Catwoman a positive example of done right.

4. 2003′s Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Marina. 

Shout to @animagix101and @thenamelessdoll edits of her, if from a racebend to giving her more muscles, thank you.Now why do I like this short haired ambassador? One she stands up for what she believes in, she a quick learner, she gives off vibes like she could be bi, poly, or pan, and is fearless, yet gives mercy. Her relationship is shown on screen to grow, not just boom love, yet (I do not like Sinbad by the way, I much more like Proteus). I was tempted to give this spotlight as a tie to Moses Tzipporah, yet I know ties are not fun for most people.

3. Sailor Moon (90′s version), Michiru Kaiou AKA Sailor Neptune. 

Now I know I am making this my 2D animated ladies from MOVIES, but she did make appearances in film. Sorry too the gif makes more pale (yes the characters in the anime are suppose to be Japanese). Shout out she also in the LGBTQ+ Community, cannoned as lesbian. Now on to why I like the Sailor Guardian of the planet Neptune? Besides having colorful hair (I am sorry dyed hair a bonus for me, like how accents are a bonus for other people), she has a colorful personality. XD She very artsy (I like people who can have a passion in something that is like theater, music, etc), romantic (like dang she and Sailor Uranus are soooooooooooooooo cute), funny, clever, and more.

2. Okay this rule is broken of only MOVIE ladies, yet this  a childhood crush since my elementary school years. 1996′s The Incredible Hulk animated Series and any other Hulk/Marvel product, Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MStHVaHNf_Y

XD Yes that scene beyond suggestive and yes her voice by the stunning Cree Summers. So what makes a delight, she can be funny and serious, an amazing lawyer (I believe the comic staff did this be part of the second wave of feminism [no hating for this, okay to be a feminist or have the ideas of one to want equality with men), confident in her body and mind, she has colorful hair, she so strong that I be happy be held by her, and more. XD It is kinda takes to her women of any height (she is “5'10" (in human form) 6'7" (as She-Hulk” according to http://marvel.com/characters/51/she-hulk)  because tall Titanesses need some love. Also yes sucker for either her She-Hulk green eyes or her Jennifer’s form with brown eyes and this cute haircut. So Bruce Banner or Hulk, can you give me your cousin’s number please? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2j4_C4cvSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbVnnImJOYc

1. 1996′s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda. 

So I like Disney a lot to choose ONE woman is not easy to do, yet I chose to one who I know for the fact I can say just has more to crush on. For starters her personality (seeing beauty from within a huge trait I love), spreading mercy, standing up her others, her sense of Faith (I am Spiritual, so her song to me a great representation of faith - - - > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEEpavnk7Uw ), her voice (both speaking and singing <3 <3) rich (I thank real life cutie Demi Moore, in Ghost her haircut is something I want to mimic on day), and more. Looks, well as long you are not a woman who is straight and a man who is gay, I find it hard to believe you can not understand how she is a jaw dropper. I personally head cannon her Pan as in Pansexuality.

So before you assume anything, yes there one more cutie after this, why, because I like to count zero. XD

Honorable Mentions: 

X-Men: 

Raven Darkholme  AKA Mystique (fun fact I believe she is cannoned as Bi, even though I heancanon as Pan)

Ororo Munroe AKA Storm  (XD the Pan flag I love it)

Disney:

2001′s Atlantis: The Lost Empire Kida

1991′s Beauty and the Beast Belle (I love her hazel eyes and dimples)

1999′s Iron Giant: Annie 

0. 1982′s The Last Unicorn, Lady Amalthea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-TioQfT-jg

Even though yes she barely seems happy, just something about her that so stunning. If her indigo eyes, silver hair (I want to maybe dye my hair like her’s one day, when my hair longer), or moment of smiling.

Okay now I looked at her physical appearance, how does Amalthea win by personality. With light spoilers (not going into detail) she starts and end the movie on a quest for herself and it is empowering to see her just do this for she wants to. Not out of love, a prophecy, nope just wanted to save more like her. She is does not give up, she goes on. Amalthea strong in her morals, she helps her friends, her arch is powerful, and so much more. PLEASE READ THE BOOK TOO! =D So I like to point out (because my sibling and I had a debate) I liked her when HUMAN and she call herself human, not sure why this confused my sibling.

*Please anyone name what traits stick out as reoccurring in my named character crushes.*

I challenge @thenamelessdoll @sailorzelda94 @myhollie1911 @cereittanyprincess15 @deanscourse ANYONE else to make their top animated women’s, men’s, non-binary, or your top animated crush list.

I want to clear up that listing women easier because men tend be less developed. So my top 10 men list be BOTH movies and TV, so I make a top 3 tv cartoon ladies.

@theghostlightison

So since I made this, I am making a top five different, details of why I like them stay the same, yet different spots

5. Maria

4. Sailor Neptune

3. Catwoman

2. Amalthea (I kinda like this “mad” gif looks more like checking someone out. XD ^*_*^ )

1. Esmeralda (I still hope to use this quote one day)

0. She-Hulk

[tenorsauruswes]

“Trust your intuition.”

Most of us have downloaded some type of star-chat app or follow a social media account that provides monthly (sometimes weekly) guidance based on our astrological sign. There is certainly nothing new about humans wanting a deeper connection to the greater power that we believe guides us (or in some cases, designs for us) as we travel around our sun.

I’m a Leo with my rising in Virgo and my moon in Aries. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t a clue what this means on a deep level except that I like attention and overthink things…a lot.

So often the advice I receive from virtual horoscope sites is the simple statement to “trust my intuition.” I have to say, nothing scares me more than trusting my intuition when my intuition often behaves like Peter Parker’s Spidey sense – a constant bell that things around me aren’t quite what they seem.

And yet, it is my intuition I must thank for the story I’m about to tell.

Without going into every minute detail, the summation of the end of my summer was this: after carrying around for a decade the weight of having a college professor and mentor proposition me for sex while I was still his student, I finally came forward with my story. If you’re looking for more specific information, I encourage you to read the Boston Globe article here. What people don’t know is how that story almost didn’t come out.

In September 2019, I was a local opera singer working for multiple companies in Boston as both as regular chorister and a soloist for smaller companies. I cantored for Catholic churches and had a steady 9-to-5 – what I lovingly refer to as my “muggle job.” It was in the midst of the high holidays at a temple in Needham, MA when I discovered an article on schmopera.com by editor and co-creator Jenna Simeonov that chronicled the story of a fairly-well-known American bass’ experience of sexual abuse by a guest director while the bass was a student.

I was astounded at two things: the first being that someone whose expanding career I followed on social media had a #MeToo story to tell, and second was the bravery of this man and the writer of the article in boldly exposing the truth of that moment in his life. For years I’d carried around my burden and while I did share my story with friends and colleagues throughout the ten years after my own experience of sexual misconduct by a college professor, my assumption was that I would continue to live in a world where the man who violated my trust saw no penalty for his actions. Keep in mind, this man who was my private voice teacher in Florida now worked as the President and CEO of a large arts organization in Boston. I’d been contracted multiple times throughout my years in Boston in productions where either the show either performed or rehearsed in the space that this man now controlled. My fear with telling my story wasn’t simply that I wouldn’t be believed, but that by exposing the truth, all these years later, I would become a pariah in the Boston arts community and never work on the same level again.

After a day or two of considering my options I was left with one feeling: my intuition. And it told me to write my story and share it with Jenna. I assumed one of two things would happen: 1) she would read my article and decide that my story wasn’t on the same level of behavior as other stories she’d received (I recognize how fortunate I am that my story doesn’t involve physical confrontation or violence) or 2) she would never respond.

I was completely wrong. In just over a week Schmopera published my account and people were sharing it on social media. That’s when I knew my story wasn’t finished being written.

Next is the part you don’t know.

After much debate with myself I contacted the Boston Globe. My fear was that the same actions he’d taken toward myself and others at the small school in Florida continued in his tenure in Boston – and now he was the highest-ranking person in the organization. I knew how helpless I’d felt in those moments after I received his initial anonymous email, writing, “I know I am your fantasy.” I could only imagine what the possibilities could be in Boston with him surrounded by more impressionable young men. My mind told me to count myself lucky that I’d been edified by friends and colleagues after the Schmopera article went live and not push my luck. My intuition told me to keep pushing forward.

That is when I sent the article to the Globe. And you can guess what happened next: no response. So I penned a lengthier explanation, again sharing the article to the Globe’s email hotline, and, again, no response. I figured I’d gotten too “big for my britches” as my parents would say. They were this goliath of a newspaper so they got to decide what made news and what didn’t.

It wasn’t until a discussion I’d had with a colleague who shared a Boston Globe news article regarding the same person, but this article wasn’t about inappropriate behavior. It detailed a new, controversial program he was promoting that caused uproar among people concerned that many artists would be displaced once it was implemented. While not related, it was a lead to putting my story in front of the eyes of someone already reporting on both the person and the organization.

My brain pleaded with me to slow down and not get myself deeply involved in what could potentially be a very painful, not to mention reputation-destroying, path. But my gut told me to keep going. So, I did.

I emailed the reporter Brian, and, for the first time, I felt heard. I suspect many of you won’t be surprised to read about the amount of back-and-forth there was between myself and the reporter. He was so patient and encouraging every step of the way. Yet, even with my completely open (and perhaps often naïve) cooperation to publish the entire story using mine and my offender’s name so publicly, it took multiple phone calls with Brian and another staff member at the Globe before I was able to sit down for the interview. Every step along the way I thought of people like Christine Blasey Ford and every other survivor of sexual assault we’ve heard from since the #MeToo movement began. Not that I would ever compare their experiences with my own, but I appreciate so much more now their courage. Every step Brian and I took toward publicly sharing my story I asked myself three questions:

“What are the facts?”

“Why am I doing this now?”

“What result am I searching for?”

Looking back, I think of those questions as my armor. They were what would protect me from a libel lawsuit and/or community backlash. After all, someone doesn’t become the head of such a high-ranking organization without convincing a few people you’re the best person for the job. And part of that is convincing people you are the good guy.

So, the question I ask now is, “What kept me going?” At any point I recognized that I could take my foot off the gas…or even turn the car around. No one was forcing me to expose the awful truth of what happened ten years prior. I often thought about a sign my mother had in her Sunday school room when I was a child that read, “I do not have to attend every argument I am invited into.”

Now, anyone who knows me knows this is not my talent…avoiding unnecessary arguments. If you want proof, check out my Facebook profile feed from approximately 2015-2016 (i.e. the previous contentious presidential election cycle). But while this was a moment I could walk away from, I had to ask myself if I should walk away. After all, he was more powerful, had a bigger profile, and was cunning enough to weasel his way out of retribution once before (read the Boston Globe article to understand how many times he’d showed this behavior prior to my incident).

Maybe it was the stars telling me to trust my intuition. Maybe it was the profound sense of right and wrong my parents raised me to believe in. Whatever it was, I am thankful every day for the patience and care Brian took with me to ensure that we got it right. And for my fiancé and every friend and colleague who was with me as I traversed the frightening path to coming out with my story.

Why am I sharing this experience now? Because my intuition is telling me to.

Part two of this story involves you. What story are you afraid to tell? What truth are you afraid to live? If there is any result I hope comes from these articles it is this: that one more person isn’t afraid to live in their truth.

In the Bible, John 17 reads, “Sanctify them through your truth…” The sheer number of people who reached out in person or online to express their appreciation to me would astound you. People I would have never considered would be victim to inappropriate behavior told me, some in detail, of their own experiences and trauma. Others thanked me, not alluding to any shared experience except in their eyes.

You don’t have to be ready to risk it all or to shout the truth from the highest mountaintop. But you can. And you will be believed. And you will be supported.

The most important thing: believe your horoscope and listen to your intuition.

[helencweekestx]

Top 8 Tips for Marketing in 2020

Top 8 Tips for Marketing in 2020

December 23, 2019

Online marketing

The start of a new year is always a great time to consider your marketing, but it is especially important as we start a new decade. Here are eight tips to make sure you are getting the most benefits from your digital marketing.

Create Your Online Strategy

You may set new goals for the next year and the next decade. Do not forget to set goals for your internet marketing. Setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely will help you know if you are moving in the right direction. Then, put them in order of importance, so you know which steps you need to master first. After you get started, you will see a snowball effect as all your hard work moves your company’s sales in the right direction.

Optimize for Maps

Especially if your business relies on foot traffic, it is essential that you optimize for Google Maps. Start by claiming your Google My Business account if you have not already. Then, write or optimize your company’s description to incorporate words that real people use when searching for your business. This can be a great place to add in brand names you carry. Then, encourage your customer base to leave reviews. Add great quality photos to your account. Write short informative articles and post them directly to your account. Interact with your customers by thanking those who left you a good review and suggesting ways that you will work with those that are not happy with your services. While you are at it, claim other review sites as well and that your data matches across all of them.

Use Natural Link Building Schemes

You also need to check the links on your website to make sure they are all working properly and that they do not point to sites filled with spam. Remove any broken links and find sites to replace them. Always make sure you are linking directly to the content that you want your viewers to see. Create a hierarchy within your own site so you are building up your most important pages by linking to them when appropriate. Once you get your own links in order, use a tool to find opportunities where others may want to link to your content. Shoot the webmaster a line suggesting it. They may use it and also come back to you for more links.

Utilize Paid Search

When the internet was new, there was no such thing as a paid link, but that is not the case today and paid search advertising will become even more important in the future as Google and others continue to cut down on the number of links appearing on the first search engine result page. Even as we enter the new decade, paid links usually hold the top position on many search terms. Look for pay-per-click advertising to become an even more effective way to reach segmented customer bases as Google and others use artificial intelligence to become even more talented at delivering these ads at exactly the moment that customers are ready to make a buying decision.

Focus on Website Design

There are at least three factors that have been buzz words during the last part of the 1990s, and they are not going anywhere soon. You need to have your security certificate in place so that your website displays as a https. You also need to consider your mobile speed. Too many bells and whistles can slow down your website sending your customers to your competitor’s site. You also need to ensure that your website is responsive. After your website is secure, mobile-friendly and responsive, then concentrate on the use of whitespace to help focus users attention. Employ a navigation system on every page so that users can easily get where they want to be on your site. Users should never have to click more than twice to get to the most important elements on your page. Viewers will scan your page even faster in the future, so create ways for them to easily find what they are looking for on your site.

Personalize Emails

You need to be segmenting your email subscribers and only sending them emails that are most pertinent to them. Think about the type of content that they are most likely to want to see and forward to others. Video emails may be a popular option during the next decade. Each email should have a definite purpose and the viewer should know exactly how you want them to follow up. Your headline should be catchy, but be careful of using humor because of sensitivities. You will probably only want to send one email per week.

Content is King

Content is, continues and will always be king. Your content must be the best, connect with your target audience and represent your brand’s voice. It must capture attention through its thoroughness. Think of your customer as being on a journey, and you are their leader each step of the way. Therefore, you need to get them prepared to make the journey by showing them their pain point. Then, educate them about solutions. Follow up with expert help on making the right decision and how to get the product that they need. Finally, provide them with multiple ways to get help when needed and ask for a positive review at the moment they are most likely to be happiest with your company.

Professionalism

Customers will expect you to act like a professional each step of the way. That is difficult when you have so many things on your plate. Google, Bing and others are likely to throw unexpected curves into marketing, such as Hummingbird, Panda and Medic have in the past. Therefore, you need to work with a professional in digital marketing who is watching for these trends and staying ahead of them.

Are you ready to take your marketing to the next step? Contact us today as we are here waiting to assist you now and throughout the coming decade.

Kyle Busch

With over 15 years of marketing experience I have helped over 1,000 businesses amplify their customer base. I have spent the man hours to make sure every one of my clients have had a positive experience. I take the time to sit and get to know every company I work with on a personal level. I started this company to put qualified leads in front of the companies who are looking for them. The Website Marketing Company headquarters in Orlando, FL. 32803 services clients across the country.

marketing in 2020, online marketing

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Helped guide me to make my website professional and personal so my clients could see my business higher on SEO rating! Very helpful would use again

Matt Montgomery

15:13 02 Jun 18

These people are awesome guiding me through how to make my website more popular and it did just that! I would recommend them to anybody

Mackenzie Thatcher

17:58 02 Jun 18

SEO takes patience and Website Marketing Company, has proven they know what they are doing! Not only am I receiving business inquiries from referrals, but now from people searching on Google! Huge THANK YOU

Taylor Lakes

18:27 19 Feb 18

The seo rankings we have been receiving have been amazing switching companies to you has already paid off. The old adage of you get what you pay for is absolutely true! Roi is up and the changes you suggested have paid off. Thanks. I'll be recommending

Mike Moon

01:21 15 Mar 17

Perfect Job . I love the site that they built as well as their input as far as SEO goes. Not only that, I asked for the site and it was complete within a week. AMAZING!!!

Stephanie Lennon

23:28 08 May 17

really nice service, made me a nice looking, easy to use, user friendly website for my travel blogs. really enjoy the style they used. thank you!

Edgar Rellis

22:29 19 Jun 18

Your marketing has been amazing. Thanks for elevating us!

Jonathan Weber

01:35 15 Jul 18

Thank you for improving our SEO. You were upfront (which is more than i can say from our last agency) and honest. Thank you for pointing out the mistakes our last agency made using tactics frowned upon by Google and getting us back on the right track. 7 months with you guys has been better than the last year and a half with 2 other agencies.

Love Ruth

05:01 05 Oct 18

I am glad i found you sooner rather than later our PPC spend was out of control and yall helped me increase sales while decreasing spend. I knew something wasn't right and yall quickly turned it around. I'm not going to try and do the "marketing" stuff on my own anymore.

Thomas A. Dahl

15:12 09 Oct 18

Thank you to Kyle and his team for their hard work and dedication. Kyle literally spent the first 3 months being my main point of contact and he is the CEO! With a large budget like we spend its nice to know the owner of the company is available to take my calls and meet with me. He was in the office everyday we dropped in and our new account manager Ryan is just as good! The positive ROI has been amazing and i can't wait to bring my new start up on board from the begining when it launches in December of 2018.

Stanley Taylor

05:43 13 Oct 18

Very pleased with the work. WMC has kept in constant communication with me about any changes, and although marketing requires a lot of patience, they have been putting 110% into their work with exceptional professionalism.This makes me feel like I am part of the family. Shout out to Kyle and Jess for making things happen. Jess is phenomenal.

Jose Miguel De La Cruz

18:40 25 Oct 18

Top notch customer service and very knowledgeable when it comes to PPC marketing. Austin is our PPC account manager and he is always available to take my call. Our business has tripled sales over the last 5 months. I highley reccomend you contact them the consultation was free and they are very laid back and not some huge 500+ employee agency that never has time for you.

Steven Elmore

19:55 25 Oct 18

Website marketing company has done a great job managing our social media accounts. They provide us with the content to review ahead of time and explain in easy to understand terms on why they post and when they post. We have seen our social media presence jump 300% this month

Alice North

05:25 07 Nov 18

Social media is what we came for and we have not been disappointed! Jessica has been great and keeps us informed on trends and makes great content

Amanda Spence

08:10 11 Nov 18

We needed an Orlando marketing agency that could meet the daily needs of our company and we have met our match made in heaven. Website Marketing Company has not only done what we hired them to do but they have exceeded our expectations. Friendly staff and its right down the road from our Orlando office which makes it convenient.

Elisha Love

13:32 02 Jan 19

We went through 4 "marketing agencies" before we finally had results with Website Marketing Company. All agencies are not created equal and we learned you get what you pay for. Other agencies locked us into a contract and charged extra fees we were not aware of before signing up. All of that is a thing of the past now with y'all. You were upfront and honest, no extra fees, no contracts and i feel at home. Prompt replies to my emails and a detailed breakdown in easy to understand language.

Alison Wilson

09:56 03 Jan 19

Our business has significantly improved due to the marketing strategy that you implemented. We even had a last minute change that needed to be made and we were able to call our account manager Austin on Christmas and he had the changes implemented the same same day! Thats customer service and can't wait wait for 2019.

Chapman C.

08:29 04 Jan 19

This company was originally helping us with our SEO and website improvements, but they have now progressed into assisting us with our social media presence. I was completely oblivious to how effective social media can be for leveraging new customers. Over the past few months, they have been very successful in attracting and influencing new customers and building our organic presence. I’ve learned a lot about the right and wrong ways to improve our business thanks to Mike and the marketing team. Thank you for your honesty, transparency, and guidance! I look forward to a continued and prosperous partnership between the both of us. Best Regards,Angel

Angel Turner

19:22 17 Jan 19

They have catapulted my maid cleaning business to new heights! Excellent customer service, response times, and professionalism from everyone on the staff. Whenever I’ve had a question about something, it has been answered promptly and transparently. I feel like I’m in good hands with this company. I would recommend them wholeheartedly if you’re running a local business! Cheers to SUCCESS!

Isabella Ramirez

02:24 24 Jan 19

I have a very busy schedule. Therefore, I do not like to spend my free time hassling my marketing company for updates regarding work I’m paying for. I had that issue with a few other marketing companies before finally migrating over to this company. They are organized and it shows because my status report at the end of the month is always detailed and pinpoints exactly what kind of results were achieved during that specific month. So far, they haven’t missed a month. My SEO has drastically improved and I’m looking forward to running more campaigns as they continue to prove they are capable. Special thanks to Austin and Peter for being consistent and personable to do business with.

Ryan Jefferson

01:48 24 Jan 19

If you’re looking to explode your rankings, this is the right company for the job. I own a dog sitting business and I’m partnered with corporate partners like Rover, but despite that, I knew my business could be improved even more. I handle my own social media marketing, so I really only needed this company for Google ranking purposes. They skyrocketed me to the number 5 position in my niche and city in just 2 weeks. I was probably on the 3rd or 4th page before that, so they really worked their magic. What’s crazy to me is, this is JUST the beginning of what my business’s rankings are capable of!

Davon Phoenix

20:51 24 Jan 19

Jess made us feel right at home with the way she handles social media marketing. She explains things well and gets results which at the end of the day is all that matters. We highly reccommend her for social media!

Melendez Mary

09:39 30 Jan 19

Great Orlando marketing agency. Quick to do a marketing analysis on our company and send over the proposal. No contracts which is awesome. didn't try and oversell us services we didn’t want.

Mark Bilodeau

04:37 21 Feb 19

Best investment i have made in my company was going with this marketing agency. Jess has been super helpful and Pete is great with websites.

Jan Spencer

15:23 14 Mar 19

Shyanne is my account manager and she has been doing a good job answering my questions and keeping me in the loop about our social media management. I will be recommending to other business owners i know.

Dean Dietrich

15:58 18 Mar 19

Walked into your office and the huge wall mural you guys made yourself caught my eye. I could see the creativity instantly and thats why I went with you for our logo design. Quick turn around time and just what we wanted

Rebecca Diaz

15:29 25 Mar 19

Peter has been great in the whole design process of our new website. Keeps us up to date and lets us take peaks at the progress when we drop by. Cant wait to see the end result!!

Lydia Turner

14:56 26 Mar 19

No sleezy salesman here. Your presentation was solid and there was no pressure to sign. i like that there are no contracts which is hard to find in a marketing agency now a days. 1 year in and i wouldn’t give you guys up for the world

Thomas Arnold

13:32 07 Apr 19

Website Marketing has done a great job helping our local orlando business gain traction. They handle our social media accounts and our Google ads. They have improved our ROI and continue to bring us an incredible amount of leads. There communication is key and they are easy to get ahold of and their Orlando office is really nice. We feel at home, Thank you.

Josef Yanez

16:52 18 May 19

Highly recommended!! Jess and Austin are amazing account managers and have been working with our company for over 3 years. They must not have a high employee turn over rate because we have been able to talk to them for the past 3 years and that speaks volumes to their knowledge of not only our business but the marketing agency as well. I am looking forward to continued success and sorry it took us 3 years to get to writing this review.

Jenise Fehribach

15:14 20 May 19

Jess made us feel comfortable with the way she handles social media marketing. She explains things well and gets results which at the end of the day is all that matters. We will recommend her for social media!

Hunt Daron

15:33 05 Jun 19

You guys are doing a great job on our Ecommerce marketing! Thank you for helping out a local Orlando business achieve success

kitty keychain

16:48 25 Jun 19

Great marketing results for my roofing company. Easy to get a hold of and no hidden fees

Anabel Carpenter

14:33 12 Mar 19

Finding a trustworthy marketing company is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. When you find one, it's a phenomenal feeling. That's how I've been feeling for the past 3 months now, as I watch my newly optimized website rake in the traffic! Flawlessly executed by them!

Simon Jenner

15:05 24 Jul 19

My new website looks great. Much better than the one I tried to build for my own business. Thank you for taking over!

Palmud Rich

18:54 24 Jul 19

Made a switch to this web design company and haven't looked back since. They do quality tier work and I'd endorse them for this marketing service.

Richard Barrett

18:34 25 Jul 19

Having a website that generates leads consistently is vital to the heartbeat of any business. Thank you for helping me achieve this finally after so many wasted months of trying to do it myself.

Helena Joseph

06:51 26 Jul 19

Don't worry about spending money for a pro to build you a professional website. You will quickly make that money back if it's done correctly!

Richard Contraisee

17:15 27 Jul 19

Great experience! Would recommend them for web design.

Rolesaau Pollard

02:39 30 Jul 19

Amazed with my new website! Launched in less than 2 weeks and runs incredibly fast!!

Rizuwan Ahmad

18:34 29 Jul 19

I remember that I ordered a new Website for my business and they just finished my work in couple of week. I will never forget how their Brilliance made my website best. They are recommendable just because of their Outstanding Skills and trustworthy Management.

Ridam Reha

20:38 01 Aug 19

No one can deny the fact that they are best in market for SEO/SMM. In my Opinion, They are Mind-Blowing.

Peter Handscomb

15:46 02 Aug 19

My experience of working with them is Remarkable. I won't forget the brilliant website they built for me in several days. Thanks Guys!

Hazel Keich

18:00 05 Aug 19

I loved them the way they serve their customers. I always like them as they are brilliant in building E-Commerce Websites.

Sinfonia Futon

15:58 09 Aug 19

I would like to thank WMC for explaining and breaking down what we needed done to start bringing in leads. We ultimatly ended up going with Pay Per Click and the return on investment has been fantastic.

J Davis

15:08 09 Oct 19

We were looking for a marketing agency in Orlando that we could visit and have sit down meetings with who could really get us some SEO results and well we found it!! Our website has already made it on the front page of Google and we are already getting organic sales. So awesome in 3 months to have these kind of results.

Charles Hance

05:17 10 Oct 19

Really top notch marketing agency. We had given up hope on PPC trying to do it ourselves and we quickly realized when set up and run properly the ROI was huge!

Robbie Johnson

14:16 23 Oct 19

Really top notch marketing agency. We had given up hope on PPC trying to do it ourselves and we quickly realized when set up and run properly the ROI was huge!

Robbie Johnson

14:16 23 Oct 19

I would like to thank WMC for explaining and breaking down what we needed done to start bringing in leads. We ultimatly ended up going with Pay Per Click and the return on investment has been fantastic.

J Davis

15:09 09 Oct 19

Kyle at website marketing set us up with call tracking and grooming leads for our salon. We not only hear the phone ringing more but you can go back and listen to the calls which helps us with training and let’s us know what calls were from his leads. Our appointment books are filled!

Jeff Lauzon

15:02 29 Oct 19

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source https://www.websitemarketing.co/top-8-tips-for-marketing-in-2020/ from Website Marketing Company https://websitemarketingco.blogspot.com/2019/12/top-8-tips-for-marketing-in-2020.html

[furederiko]

The remaining piece for Legendary Argo is finally here! Will the Kyurangers succeed in obtaining it? Get the answer on Kyuranger's 19th episode...

- Wow, 2 weeks without Kyuranger feels like ages, eh? Well, not exactly *grins*. Anyways, let's start the episode with... PLUSHIES! Oh TOEI and Bandai, you just have to promote a product every time opportunity knocks, huh? But this time it's rather melancholic, because the bigger scene contains Champ who's still in pieces. Aaaaww... T_T. Painful flashback and all, this is an extended version of the cliffhanger we saw closing episode 18. What is Stinger up to? - At the same time, a massive armada of Consumarz is approaching Earth. Looks like Don Armage is getting... a little anxious about the planet, and that's because of The Argo. Rather than taking them all down, Commander Xiao thinks it's best for the team to race for the last piece of the Legendary Vessel instead. The #87 Carina Kyu Globe to be precise. One that is located in Planet Keel of the Carina System. Contrary to my complaint, turns out they DO need Pyxis to point out its specific location. TRIVIA: Carina is the Constellation of... Keel. As in, THE actual English name of a ship's crucial structural element. In this case, of course it's derived after the mythology of Argo Navis. Similar to Vela that was found in Planet Vela of the... Vela System, TOEI isn't even trying to be subtle by placing Carina in Planet Keel of Carina System. LOL. - Unfortunately, learning that his boss is getting cold-feet, Scorpio is more determined than ever to find the Argo as well. He revives another part of Madako, and tells the new gallant-dramatic personality version to watch over Earth while he's off hunting Kyu Globe in the Carina System. When I saw this episode on-air, I was quite puzzled to see how Madako is STILL alive. I mean, dang it, we all see how the persistent Octopus bit the dust in another universe! But on 2nd viewing, I've realized that there might be a logic to it. It makes good sense that Scorpio keeps a part of her body, for emergency cases, right? Which means, this isn't the remains of that Madako who died last week. What I still don't get is, HOW Scorpio manages to figure out the location of Carina? Did something we should've known occur off-screen as well? - We get to see Kotarou... on the monitor again. He's reporting that Stinger is missing from the HQ, and that the repair of Champ has probably reached around 60-70%. Unbeknownst to Xiao, Stinger himself shows up at the Orion not long after. To do what? To paralyze Garu and Raptor, and... steal Puppis and Vela Kyu Globe. Whooaaa there.... what's happening?! Is he betraying the team now? - The away team arriving on Planet Keel isn't faring better as well. While Lucky, Hammy, and Spada deal with rock-hard Malistrate Olmega (who somehow reminds me of "Tomb Raider"), the BN Thieves are attacked and trapped in vines by a mysterious person. Chamaeleon Green uses the #69 Caelum Kyu Globe to... 'fix' Olmega's face, causing the Malistrate to run off abandoning the villagers he enslaved. Village Elder tries to warn the three Kyurangers to avoid the Forest Guardian. But since they are racing against time, no time to hear long and winding fairy tale! LOL. - Said Forest Guardian who has captured Balance and Naga, is the Princess from... "Legend of Zelda". Wait... seriously? Nah, my bad... she just reminded me of Zelda. Her name is Eris (portrayed by gravure Idol Hinano Ayakawa), and apparently she has been entrusted to guard and protect the Carina Kyu Globe for many years. At least until "saviors in pursuit of the Argo" appears to take it. Eris might be a important character, but identity of the mysterious man requesting her aide might be a FAAAR bigger deal than her. I suspect this guy is going to play a VERY crucial part in future story. In fact, thanks to the tone-of-white costume he's wearing, can't help but wonder if he might somehow be related to... Lucky's past? Also... for some reason, the lower half of his face feels oddly familiar. There's something about it that rings a bell. Like I've seen it before. Could he be... a veteran Tokusatsu actor? Hmmmm... - Enough about Orion, and let's focus on Eris. Because there's a chance we might not see her again. Eris isn't only tough, because... she comes with a rather fickle personality. Eventhough she's clearly all over 'Ikemen' Spada (while shooting down poor Balance, who actually thinks she's her type), she doesn't trust the away team easily to hand over the Kyu Globe. Not even a very early (yeah, already?!) suitless roll-call is enough to convince her. Which is troublesome, because Scorpio has been spying them all these time, and ends up stealing the Kyu Globe in just one strike. Battle against Scorpio is ON!!! - The team is divided into two. Scorpio proves how heartless he is, by turning Olmega into his 'Zombie', and commands him to attack the village. Thus while Leo Red singlehandedly deals with Scorpio, the others have to stop Olmega. Much to Eris' dismay, who complaints that the Carina Kyu Globe she had spent all these time to protect, is far more important. Using the Shining Kyu Globe, Leo Red turns into Sun Leo Red and retrieves the item. A short-lived victory, because he has to let it go again in exchange for Eris' safety. - Dorado Yellow and the others manage to defeat Olmega, using the "Paper, Globe, Scissors" technique (utilizing Cancer and Scutum Kyu Globe). He turns giant, and that obviously calls for mecha fight. It comes with a catch, because Leo Red utilizes the Shining Kyu Globe once again, and this time powers-up both Libra Gold and... Ophiucus Silver. Yes... contrary to another previous complaint of mine, this power-up DOES affect other members too! Which is NICE. Then again, how come Raptor and Hammy weren't affected before? Don't tell me it's for men only (sexist much?). Oh well, the Hyper-Kick seals off Olmega's fate alongside his Consumarz. - Lucky's rousing speech about saving everyone, has converted Eris into his fans. She apologizes for not believing them, dumps Spada (don't worry Chef, you still have Raptor!), and namedrops the name of 'that mysterious guy' to the team: Sir Orion!!! According to Eris, Orion was "one of the saviors who once saved the universe!". Does this mean, he's a Kyuranger of previous generation? Or... probably is STILL one? NOTE: Wouldn't it be AMAZING if this previous 'saviors' consisted of mythological figures, like Orion, Herakles, Perseus, Cepheus, and Andromeda? It's a wishful thinking, but I'd go batshit crazy if that's the case. Also, don't forget that the Rebellion's mothership is also called... Orion. Hmmmm.... does this mean, there's a clear-cut connection somehow? Well... either that or TOEI is being really LAZY with names (casepoint: Vela/Vela, Keel/Carina, Scorpio/Scorpius, Oray-on/Orye-on. It's Tomayto/Tomahto, folks!). - But before Eris can explain any further, INTERRUPTION! The classic old Tokusatsu distraction technique has returned! Xiao suddenly alerts them about Stinger's situation, so the away team have to leave Planet Keel right away with a new goal: to retrieve ALL of Argo Navis components. Ouch!!! But what's Stinger doing with Puppis and Vela? Using both as bait to lure Scorpio out. Because it's time for a brotherly duel...

Overall: This wasn't a perfect episode. In my opinion, it veered somewhere between just okay and good. The humor seemed a bit forced, and ruined the serious aspect of Don Armage's desperate all-out invasion towards Earth. But what I did love about it, was the way it teased future developments using the 'Quest for Argo' as the foundation. Not only we've seen hints leading towards the arrival of future members, it might have also opened up possibilities to dive and/or peel even deeper into the past. I wouldn't be surprised, if Orion is later revealed to be the man who created the Kyu Globes in the first place. And perhaps, there might even be a link between him, and the true identity of Don Armage. For the same reason, I also hope that Eris will show up again in future episodes, despite how annoying her personality might have been. We're still not even halfway through the show, so it's unclear what kind of arcs we'll be seeing next. Here's hoping the writers will make good use of these potentials... Next week: It's up to you, Kotarou! Go save your big-bro Stinger... PS: Don't miss out the 1st teaser for Summer Movie "Kyuranger the Movie: Gueath Indaver no Gyakushuu". The title alone (direct English translation is "Gueath Indaver Strikes Back") is already an obvious shout-out to "Star Wars", but THIS? I mean LOL TOEI, that's obviously a Death Star, right? They're not even trying to be creative about its design... *sigh*. Oh, and apparently Over-Time omitted the footage that was aired right after. It was a promotion for Zyuohger Returns' V-Cinema, in case you're wondering. That one is set to be released TODAY, on June 28th, 2017!

Episode 19 Score: 7,7 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: June 27th, 2017 - Version 2.05. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[fictionzonedfangirl-blog]

I’ve been waiting for February 26 to come since last year. Why? It’s the day that I’d finally see EXO perform live for their 2-day #EXO’rDium concert. I’ve mentioned in my previous post all the confusion and the hardships I’ve gone through all for the love of that 9-member boy group who made me fall deeply and madly in love with them with their charms and undeniable talent.

When D-DAY came, I went to the venue super early despite the fact that it’s reserved seating. Of course I’d rather spend the remaining hours waiting in line than lose my mind because of excitement at home. Along with my cousin and her best friend, we went around Gateway mall to window shop to kill time. EXO songs were blaring in the mall’s speakers and it pumped our energy even more. It was around 1:30 in the afternoon when we decided to go to the respective gates assigned for us.

On normal days, I don’t like long lines or waiting in general. But that day, I didn’t mind waiting for the gates to be opened under the blazing sun. I brought a book with me so I was being productive while waiting. I met a new friend, Belle, while waiting. We talked about our favorite EXO moments, variety shows and upon discovering that we have the same bias, the connection went to a whole different level. She even gave me Chanyeol-designed socks which were too adorable fo mah freakin’ lyf!!!

Around 2 PM, there was progress in the line. We were ushered to the main lobby of the Red Gate entrance. EXO songs were still playing and some of the fans were literally dancing, singing and crying all at the same time. It was crazy! You could feel everyone’s excitement. At 3 PM, gates were finally opened and we went inside to our designated seats.

The first thing I thought when I reached my seat is that: “Fck! This is it. I’m here and I made it. All the tears and the pagtitipid came down to this. All the waiting is over.” I got really kilig and nervous at the same time. Nervous for the fact that i don’t know anyone from the section I’m in but thank God because my social skills didn’t fail me! I tried talking to the girl behind me and she was really nice! She also happened to be alone so yeey instant friend.

There were two other girls I met few minutes before the concert started and yeah, we clicked as well. We went on talking about EXO and other K-pop groups that we liked. We also commented on how rude some fans are. Honestly, I really felt like I’ve known them for so long because of the way we actually talked to each other. Hannah even gave me a Chanyeol photocard! #hoorayforfreebies

We were given hand banners and I fixed it together with my lightstick and Beakhyun cloth banner (which I didn’t use because I was so charmed by Chanyeol I felt like I was cheating if I used Baekhyunie’s banner hahahaha!). A few more stories and whatnots later, the lights finally went out signalling the start of the show.

Swear to the good Lord! I was mesmerized at the sight of the silver ocean. It felt freaking surreal. Never in my wildest dreams I imagined myself being there, part of the crowd who would cheer their hearts out for our beloved boys. I thought that I’d just cheer with them on screen but no. I was there. Part of the hyper and super-mega-intense crowd with them just a few meters away from me.

An AVP was shown which was some sort of introductory narrative in FILIPINO SUBS!!! I cannot. Then the LED wall opened revealing the 9 epitome of perfection. Char! The boys performed a remix version of MAMA followed immediately by Monster.

I was in awe. I was so used to watching their performances in YouTube that I had to pinch my arm to assure myself that what I’m seeing that moment was the actual thing. I cried because it’s just too much. I felt like all my internal organs were dancing because of too much kilig. It was unexplainable. Another thing that striked me was their freaking visuals. They’re so perfect!!! Too handsome to handle. It felt like my poor heart was on the verge of exploding.

When the first part ended they had a moment to introduce themselves. I couldn’t take my eyes off Park Chanyeol! He’s so cool and funny and talented. Aside from him, it was their leader, Suho, who caught my attention! God! He looked like a fcking Prince straight outta fairytale! The way he talked to the fans both in English and in Korean had some certain swag laced with undeniable grace.

One of the most loved performances was their acoustic medley. They didn’t just perform but they talked to the fans as well. It was so heartwarming when they said that they’re amazed on how passionate and hot were the PH EXO-Ls. Also, they noticed how we’re so good at singing their songs. They also mentioned that they tried Filipino food. D.O said he liked Lechong Manok and they expressed their love with Jollibee hamburger and chicken. Bonus sight: Kai and Chanyeol chanting “Chicken! Chicken!”--so adorable!!!

The medley was followed by their hits Love Me Right, Call Me Baby, Playboy etc. There were also videos which are so freaking adorbs. The one shown right before the 3.6.5 and Lucky performance. The energy doubled when Chanyeol had his guitar solo which was followed by Drop That. Honestly I thought the big dome would collapse because of the crowd’s screams and feet stomping. The Lightsaber is one of the highlights for me. IT WAS SPECTACULAAAAAR!!!

They continued playing with one another on stage in between performances which made the audience craved for more. OTP moments were there but I was too stunned to see it live and I think that I’d keep that to my mind and heart. Hahaha! I was touched when Suho told the crowd that the DAY 2 crowd was so much more hotter and full of energy. Even Xiumin was amazed and he said that we really knew how to have fun. Baekhyun said that if they were put inside a room full of EXO-Ls he could tell if one’s a Filipino because of the passion, dedication and love were into another level, he could recognize it instantly.

When it was nearing the end of the show, they thanked us fans for the unwavering support and the unconditional love. They sang a few lines of Hawak Kamay which they sang on their very first stage performance here in the Philippines. Suho said that they’d learn new tagalog song to sing for their concert here next time and that ‘next time’’s pretty soon.

My throat was aching after the concert because I screamed “Mahal din kita!” at the top of my lungs as reply to Chanyeol every time he shouts “Mahal ko kayo!” to the audience. But it’s okay. I felt no tinge of regret. The best part of the show was when they screamed “INIIROG KITA, BES”, which was printed on the fan project banner, before they sang their final song Angel. Seriously, the hardships, pagtitipid and all the looooong wait really did paid off. It was absolutely amazing and I’d save up to see them again but hopefully with my mom and sister. They made sure that every minute of the three-hour show was worth it.

[jobsearchtips02]

Previous Pinterest staff members explain a hazardous work environment

This story is readily available exclusively on Organisation Expert Prime. Join BI Prime and begin checking out now.

Business Insider spoke with 11 former Pinterest employees who said that in spite of the business’s positive product, it was a hazardous and difficult location to work.

Multiple Black individuals who had worked on Pinterest’s advertisement sales group state they were fired or “pressed out” of the business with no genuine description.

Silbermann has this week acknowledged that parts of Pinterest’s “culture is broken” and says he’s “embarrassed” that he didn’t understand the “depth of the challenge and hurt” experienced by employees.

Ozoma had been lobbying unsuccessfully to have her pay leveled-up to what she said others with her experience and duties were earning, and her supervisor, who she said had stonewalled those efforts– and who several other sources determined as Charlie Hale– was looking straight at her as he spoke.

He “took the opportunity on the panel, with me sitting in the front row, to then gaslight me by saying things to the whole space complete of women like, ‘You must only ask for what you should have,'” Ozoma remembered.

When a Pinterest employee shared Ozoma’s personal info with an internet hate group, she stated she got rape and death dangers; Banks was demoted and questioned by the company’s private detective after she lobbied for providing specialists holiday pay, she stated.

The experience felt particularly ravaging to many workers Organisation Insider talked to, they say, due to the fact that they felt deceived. Pinterest’s visual social media service is a friendly location where nearly 400 million monthly users swap concepts on fashion, food, crafts and design with little of the vitriol discovered on other social media networks. The business’s slogan is “the last favorable corner on the web,” and employers sell Pinterest to potential employees as a good company, with down-to-earth founders whose objective is to assist everyone “develop a life they like”– the opposite of working at an Amazon or Uber, with their notorious cut-throat track records.

” I have actually operated in tech my whole profession, at Google, Facebook, Pinterest and it’s a pattern at all of them. Pinterest is particularly bad,” stated one former sales employee who left the business in 2016, however stays in a social network group with Pinployees. This female was so “shocked” by her manager’s continuous criticism of her work, that she stated she invested years in treatment. She noted that a number of people who had a reputation for being tough managers from her time there are still a part of CEO Ben Silbermann’s inner circle, consisting of, she stated, Hale. Hale declined comment for this story.

A number of these employees paint a picture of a hazardous, disorderly culture where, they state:

People, particularly Black workers, were suddenly fired or “pushed out” after meeting and exceeding their performance objectives.

A “macho” culture, where workers could be chewed out, publicly humiliated or decreased to tears at work.

Poor management skills produced a culture of firing that left everybody defending recognition. Internal teams felt pitted versus each other, taking credit for each others’ work.

Several individuals stated they suffered stress-induced conditions. Some said they required medical treatment ranging from “stroke level” high blood pressure to depression and PTSD.

Numerous females believed they were underpaid compared to what male coworkers were earning.

When problems were made to human resources, HR routinely sided with managers, multiple people stated. Those employees then typically gotten unfavorable reviews, despite meeting efficiency goals, while managers were promoted, they stated.

CEO Ben Silbermann, who was widely referred to as great, peaceful, shy and pleasant, was viewed as someone who wasn’t thinking about how organisation managers around him behaved, as he concentrated on the Pinterest user experience.

Pinterest decreased to comment, pointing us to an email Silbermann sent out last week where he confessed problems with the culture and vowed to make changes.

Staff members operate in Pinterest Head office in San Francisco, California.

Kim Kulish/Corbis by means of Getty Images.

” I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t understand the depth of the challenge and harmed many of our team members have actually experienced.

In an all-hands meeting on Wednesday, after Service Expert released the story of how Ozoma and Banks were benched, denied promotions and fielded death threats, Silbermann asked anyone who felt they had experienced mistreatment to email him straight.

The manager, she stated, continuously pried into her dating life, consistently inquiring if she ‘d date people from work and asked to drive her house.

When she began to bristle, he grew controversial, she stated, stripping her of jobs, declining to answer emails, and scolding her in front of others.

Fearing retaliation at her evaluation, the lady stated she asked HR to sit in on it.

One white female from the ads operations group who left last year said she witnessed multiple supervisors across the company who dealt with people “extremely badly, disrespectfully, shouting and yelling to the point they would cry. Some individuals had the ability to take it. However you shouldn’t need to. It’s psychological abuse from supervisors.”

Another lady, who likewise stated she was regularly criticized by her supervisor in front of the group, said she declined to sob in front of her employer. During her time at Pinterest, she saw her high blood pressure rise to “near-stroke levels” and was briefly hospitalized.

Evan Sharp, left, and fellow co-founder & CEO Ben Silbermann, (far best), watch as Enid Hwang calls the bell during their IPO on April 18,2019

Associated Press.

Some Black Pinterest employees felt embarrassed or got suddenly fired

Several Black previous staff members said public embarrassment was a regular part of the task. Multiple individuals described Pinterest as a “revolving door” for individuals of color, specifically in the sales company.

Of the former employees Company Insider spoke with, eight of them are Black. They worked in a range of jobs including sales, policy/legal, and administration. All however one left Pinterest within 2 years.

While these former employees likewise saw white male and female staff members sob, get fired or transferred to new groups on a whim, and be the targets of poor performance evaluations, the majority of the Black employees said they however felt singled out.

For one Black lady who invested over a year operating at the business, the job fell apart on her very first day. That’s when she learned that the executives she was employed to support, and had actually talked to with, had currently been fired.

This new recruit had been poached from an executive assistant position at another social media network with the guarantee of broadened, job supervisor duties at Pinterest. She had actually been so lured to advance her career that she took a $10,000 pay cut.

Soon after she started, she was appointed to work with a white woman manager who replaced one of the fired ones. The lady manager, she stated, right away began requiring individual tasks like making doctors’ appointments and paying parking tickets. She failed to invite the staff member to offsites and failed to contact her during group conferences, the staff member recalled. When the manager contracted a urinary tract infection, the assistant stated she was publicly laid into, and blamed for not arranging restroom breaks into her boss’ calendar.

Other former Black staff members stated they took pleasure in the work and were succeeding at it, however eventually felt singled out by their managers. In spite of having greater quotas to hit than the rest of his group, he stated he worked hard to hit or exceed his sales goals.

One day, the guy said his unit supervisor called him into the workplace and fired him.

Pinterest cofounders Ben Silbermann (left) and Evan Sharp.

Richard Drew/AP Photo.

Some ladies also felt they were targets

For another Black salesperson who exceeded her sales goals, the situation included working for a younger, inexperienced white female supervisor.

The young manager had received little formal management training from Pinterest– a criticism revealed consistently by sources.

The ex-employee felt especially singled out to the point where she stated coworkers noticed it too. The manager insisted she speak with her about her home life, however then also accused her of taking more time off than other workers since she was a mother, she said. The previous staff member also said the supervisor frequently slammed the lady’s efficiency in front of the entire team.

The staff member said she spoke to HR multiple times about her supervisor, recommending the company invest in some training. Rather, she said HR backed the manager and suggested she attempt to handle the circumstance herself.

A bad review followed regardless of her accomplishing her sales objectives, the female said. She stated she consented to be put on a performance plan and was fired four weeks after it concluded.

Some females who worked for Pinterest and spoke to Company Insider felt they were relatively paid. Others, such as Ozoma and Banks, stated that they were not paid relatively compared to male associates.

Someone acquainted with management’s thinking, pushed back on Ozoma and Banks’ claims. They stated the 2 ladies were currently well paid and had actually gotten several raises, although not the accurate promo or pay they sought. This person believed Banks and Ozoma didn’t have the necessary years of experience to be granted the more senior level ranking they requested.

” This is a story of mismanaged expectations wrongly folded into [African American’s] collective story of injustice,” this individual stated.

Service Insider has seen documents with the task descriptions for each level of seniority and those descriptions contained primarily subjective language, but no years of experience. Such subjective language, the ladies state, might be utilized to either validate or deny the promotions they sought, specifically when compared to how Hale explained Ozoma’s function to her in writing, according to the e-mail seen by Organisation Insider.

Pinterest says it dealt with the employees relatively. A representative states:

” We took these concerns seriously and carried out a thorough examination when they were raised, and we’re confident both workers were dealt with relatively. We want each and every one of our workers at Pinterest to feel welcomed, valued, and respected. As we outlined in our statement on June 2nd, we’re dedicated to advancing our work in inclusion and variety by taking action at our business and on our platform. In locations where we, as a company, fail, we must and will do much better.”

A female walks past sign at Pinterest’s San Francisco headquarters.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images.

Where’s Ben Silbermann?

The most perplexing aspect of the various reports of Pinterest’s inefficient culture is how incongruously it lines up with Ben Silbermann, the 37- year-old billionaire CEO who created the concept for Pinterest based upon his youth pastime making cardboard dioramas of his stamp and bug collections.

Individuals Company Expert talked to universally described Silbermann as kind and quiet, if somewhat aloof from the business’s day-to-day operations. They are baffled as to how he can be so nice, as is cofounder Evan Sharp, when his business is so cut-throat.

Numerous think the response is that Silbermann hasn’t been taking note, especially to the ad-side of his company. When Pinterest required to begin earning money, Silbermann left it to executives cut from an extremely various fabric than him, some stated. This prevails for product-focused creators, who care more about what they’re constructing than how to turn it into a company.

With such supervisors put in location, and Pinterest’s love of poaching from Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and investment banks, staff members say a “dazzling jerk” conceit penetrated parts of the organization.

” A culture of a business readies early. If you don’t handle that culture, it becomes something you don’t strategy. That’s what occurred to Ben,” stated one early staff member who left in 2016.

Because the business lacks enough excellent supervisors, it is chaotic and not well-run, all of these ex-employees said, a belief that was echoed by 20 previous staff members and professionals who talked CNBC about the culture in 2019 Those workers claimed the business weaponized its picture of being “great” into a passive aggressive culture where speaking up was frowned upon and people who criticized certain supervisors end up fired.

” It boils down to that management are a bunch of kids that never managed people previously,” said the previous staff member who was hospitalized for high blood pressure. “They might have checked out one book on how to run a group and if you do not fall under that model, they inform you, ‘You draw.'”

Teams that must be working together are attempting to take credit for things, to look like the much better group,” said one woman from the advertisements operations group who left last year.

Silbermann says he’s awake to the issues now.

Many previous workers are taking a wait-and-see mindset, however hope this is the long-overdue change that will bring the business better to the image it represents.

More:

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/previous-pinterest-staff-members-explain-a-hazardous-work-environment/

[riannagalvez]

Hello, dolls!!! ❤ I am 38 and half weeks pregnant now and I am so ready to meet my baby girl! It’s funny how anxious I am to get the next phase of this journey started when I know I am also going to miss being pregnant (oh you know, just a typical day in my brain lol).  

My pregnancy with baby #2 did not start well. I had morning sickness ALL DAY and felt really weak during my first trimester. When I felt better, I told myself that I have to enjoy this journey in every way I can. So I looked up activities and events that I could participate in and made sure I would give myself enough time to prepare for baby girl’s arrival. I am happy to say that I can look back at this moment in my life and know that I have wonderful memories….finally.

Raise your hand if you’re a Mama like me who loves free goodies! Especially FREE baby products! So before I tell you how I brought all this home, let me share how my recent trip to New York was for Big City Mom’s Biggest Baby Shower.

 I got the invitation to be one of the Influencers to cover the biggest baby shower in New York months before May 7. I immediately told A there is no chance I will miss it! That even if it’s a work night and we will have to travel from Baltimore to New York, I know in my heart it would be worth it, and it was.

I had the biggest smile as soon as I walked into the venue — excited about everything in store for Moms like me!

It could be a bit overwhelming because of the number of brands they have at the venue but Big City Moms made it very easy to go around each booth.  Do not be discouraged that you can’t bring your stroller in if you have a baby with you, because trust me it’s better that way.

There were lots of people at the event that day but I love how it did not feel like space was too tight, there was no pushing, and the noise level was moderate enough that you do not have to shout when talking to someone.

When I was pregnant with little A, I wasn’t able to go to any informative classes or read a book about pregnancy or newborns…nothing! I did all my “research” after he was born during our night feedings. This time, I want to devote more time to learn more about Motherhood and parenting so seminars are one of the things on my list!

Big City Moms set up two bars to keep everyone hydrated, how convenient!

Here are some of the brands that I learned from. Each table had great things to offer to parents and babies, it felt like 3 hours flew by after A and I went around each table!

  Ellie 

Ellie is a parenting group app founded by a Mom in New York. I can’t wait for them to expand to Baltimore someday because I know it would be beneficial for Moms like me who want to escape the chaos of some Mom groups on Facebook. I feel like sometimes you get judged right away when you ask a question! lol

Lassig is a German company specializing in diaper bags and other travel/baby accessories. They caught my attention because I noticed the interesting finish of dishes they have! The designs are so cute.

Upspring was there with their lactation goodies AND Shrinkx belly strap. I was able to talk to them about their cookies and drink mix but I kind of wish I asked about their belly straps as well because I need a new one. I was unhappy about the belly strap I bought after I gave birth with little A and I am still scouting for the perfect one!

Similac and Enfamil were there with a generous amount of formula samples for everyone.

  Stokke was there with their hottest baby gear, but what really caught my attention was this Jetkids trolly that is on my dream list for so long now after seeing their video ad for the product. For those who love to travel like me (especially with kids), this is such a great addition to your packing list because it converts into a bed that you can attach to the seat.

Palmer’s with their awesome skincare products.

I love how they had snacks going around during the event!

Seedlip  is a brand that sells non-alcoholic spirits. I love how regal the bottles look so it would be nice to have a bottle or two on our bar cart for when I have my Mom friends over 😛

We sampled the Grove 42 which is their citrus flavor.

Mommy photo break! 

I loved how they had cute backgrounds for taking pictures. They had 4 in this specific area which was awesome because I did not feel like I was holding up anyone.

  For photobook lovers like me, Little Book of You is a great company to order your baby’s own storybook from.

  One of the brands that I want to make little A try is Banza. They had samples of their mac and cheese made with chickpea pasta at the event and I honestly liked it — which says a lot because I am not a “mac and cheese person”. I, however, like chickpeas though so I think having a box of Banza for my “lazy-lunch-at-home” with the kids would be very helpful!

What a treat! Puff Delights was there to give us a sugar rush ❤

People close to us know how much my husband loves British brands. This is him so engrossed at the Maclaren booth, the only brand he spent more than 10 minutes talking to. We learned tips on how to utilize our Maclaren Quest more and even got a nice gift from them!

  Lil Mixins , Cloud Water Sparkling CBD , Re play dishes , and Twelve Little.

There were interesting services in New York that participated in the event I wish we could sign up for. The ladies from CozyKin were adorable and really good at what they do, they still told me about the company even after I informed them I live in Maryland!

I couldn’t believe how many Dr. Brown’s products I did not know about. Seeing this table full of stuff I can use for little A and baby girl made me want to go to Target right away! lol

This convertible bottle tote caught my attention.

One of the brands we used for little A was Dr. Brown’s and as much as I love how sleek the bottles are and how it prevents him from being gassy, I hated how sometimes it would leak! The lady I spoke to was very informative and told me a tip I will definitely do once baby girl starts using bottles — do not heat your milk with the middle part of the bottle to refrain it from expanding.

EZPZ had an amazing deal at the event that I could not resist. Little A used to throw his bowl or plate off his highchair before so I am going to try to avoid that this time. I purchased a set of mini mat, training cup, and tiny spoon!

Babo Botanicals was there with great organic products for the family.

If you are a fan of Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard then you probably know they started their own brand earlier this year. Hello Bello was there with their products and I was able to feel how soft the diapers are! I am considering trying it for baby girl eventually.

More snacks up for grabs! Cloud10 rice crispies, YUM!

The event was AMAZING! It definitely is one of the highlights of my pregnancy. I would go again if I could! Just the experience itself, the energy during the event and the wonderful team behind Big City Moms make it super worth it to go.

Taking home all these free goodies was the best part about it, of course! 😛

I brought home 4 bags full of products from different brands. When we left Baltimore on Tuesday morning, A gave me a look when he saw we are bringing a large empty suitcase, I told him “you’ll see”. LOL

So how did I get 4 bags?

*1 regular swag bag that you can purchase with your ticket

                       *1 Influencer swag bag that Big City Moms gave me as a thank you for covering the event.

                        * 2 purple tote bags that A and I got when we walked into the event and fill with goodies from the brands.

Regular Swag Bag goodies.

Lotion and Body wash from Baby Magic

A full-size bottle of Hello Bello lotion

Butt paste/cream from Noleo and Boudreaux’s

Ducray hair lotion

…and diapers from Babyganics!!! (Was really looking forward to bringing home a pack of diapers..so yay!)

Sample packs of wipes, lactation drink, and vitamins for kids! My favorite is the mini first aid kit from Shipt.

Formula from Similac and Enfamil

Baby Bottle from Dr. Brown’s

EvenFlo pacifier and baby bottle

Mam baby bottle

Breastmilk storage bags from Nanobebe (which I can’t wait to try!).

Munchable snacks from Nosh (I love this brand so much! It was my #1 choice for little A’s snack when he started eating).

A full-size bag of lactation cookies from Booby Boons.

Booklet of baby’s first holidays

My Influencer goodie bag contained great products from amazing brands. Just getting this bag alone made our trip to New York very worth it.

I may have screamed out of happiness a little bit when I saw Hello Bello gift set in my bag. It has 3 FULL-SIZE bottles of bath stuff AND wipes! #HappinessOverload

Wipes and Diaper Samples

Full-size bottles of Baby Magic Lotion and Body Wash

A full-size bottle of Dapple body wash (after seeing all the bath stuff in this bag, I like to think I will be good on toiletries for baby girl until the end of the year lol!)

Another item I was very happy about, EZPZ tiny cup!! Now we have two at home! How convenient ❤

Sippy cup from Replay that little A is using now (without the cover lol)

Pacifier from Avent

I can’t believe my goodie bag came with a TwelveLittle fanny pack!! They cost $60 originally so it was such a lovely surprise! ❤

Treats for Mommy! I love how the bag came with a full-size bottle of Palmer’s skin therapy oil. I was running low prior to this event and I was happy to get one…for FREE!! ❤

Goodies from the 2 bags A and I filled during the event. I like to think we did GREAT! Lol

Travel bag with formula cans and ice pack from Enfamil. I can never have enough cooler bags here at home! I am thinking of using this when we travel to the Philippines at the end of the year, so this is so perfect!

Melissa from Spoonful One sent me an e-mail prior to the event so I made sure I had time to stop by at their booth and learn about the brand. I LOVE the idea behind it especially since A and I are such foodies. She pretty much filled our bags with Spoonful One snacks — how generous!

Bada Bean Bada Boom and Cloud 10 snacks.

Bowl and spoon set from Replay. I love how they reuse milk jugs to make their products.

My favorite out of this bunch is the Pact onesie. It is the softest onesie I’ve ever touched!

I forgot my sanitizer in Baltimore *facepalm* so when I saw Halo and Shipt were giving away sanitizers, I told A we should each get one! lol

I am now convinced that TwelveLittle is a generous brand! They gave away this year of the pig wet bag. I love it because it’s to represent luck and it’s pink so it will be perfect on baby girl’s stroller 😉

THE BEST giveaway that night, Maclaren cup holder!! A and I loved talking to the lady at the Maclaren booth so much and I mentioned we lost the attachment for our cup holder during our trip to London. It was very nice of her to give us this.

Needless to say, I was one of the happiest Mommas that night! ❤

I love how it also felt like a babymoon for A and I. We stayed in New York that night and was able to try two new restaurants throughout our stay.

Some of my friends thought it was daring of me to take a trip to New York when I am already 37 and a half weeks pregnant. For weeks, I told myself not to go into labor because I would hate to miss the event! Almost a week after, I am just anxious and ready to pop! lol

Thank you, Big City Moms for giving me one of the best memories during this pregnancy! ❤

xx

R >3

  Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to cover this event and received free products and admission. My opinion and EXCITEMENT are all unbiased 😉 

Big City Mom’s Biggest Baby Shower New York May 2019 Hello, dolls!!! ❤ I am 38 and half weeks pregnant now and I am so ready to meet my baby girl!

[waynekelton]

Interview with Immortal Rogue Developer Kyle Barrett

It's not often we get to do developer interviews these days, but thanks to the efforts of an interested reader, we're pleased to be able to share with you a Q&A with Kyle Barrett, solo developer on generation-hoping rogue-like Immortal Rogue (which we recently reviewed). This interview was conducted by Sam Jeffreys, a designer for Feral Interactive who happens to be a fan of PT and now Kyle's work. Sam is not an official staff writer, but he generously donated his time and his words to bring us this article. (ED)

---------------- 

Pocket Tactics: How did you get started in game development?

Kyle Barrett: Well, I think the very first time I made a game I was about 10 and used the Age of Empires 2 scenario editor to make a little RPG for all of my friends to play. From there I started dabbling in GameMaker, the StarCraft editor, Morrowind mods, etc.

For some reason (probably because there was no real game industry where I grew up), I never thought making games could be a career. It wasn’t until I was over halfway through earning a degree in architecture that I had the idea to start sending out game design specs to my favorite companies. Eventually I got my foot in the door at a start-up in the bay area and the rest was history.

Pocket Tactics: Vampires, branching timelines, an elegant one finger control system... What came first, and how did everything fit into place?

Kyle Barrett: It was a combination of a couple separate ideas. One of those original design specs I created to try and get an industry job had this cool (or at least I thought it was cool) matrix that showed how worlds could evolve based on authoritarian factors and technological progress. I always wanted to put that in a game, ideally without a multi-million dollar production budget. I don’t remember where the vampire metaphor came from exactly, but it seemed like a great way to utilize a system with such a long narrative timespan.

The control system comes more from a personal challenge. Since I primarily work in mobile, I like trying to come up with control schemes that can provide dynamic gameplay with minimal touchscreen inputs. While there are pretty decent dual stick control schemes out there, they just don’t feel natural for a platform that doesn’t actually have buttons or joysticks.

Pocket Tactics: How long was the development time?

Kyle Barrett: Three months! I’m kind of proud of that. I knew I had three months where my work obligations weren’t going to be as intense, so I picked a concept I thought I could execute in that time period.

The first month was rapid prototyping and figuring out how the game would work. The second month I spent figuring out the art style and creating assets. The last month was spent importing the assets and polishing. It did take me a fourth month to fully launch the game, but that was because I neglected doing any marketing while I was focused on development.

Pocket Tactics: And what was your dev tool of choice?

Kyle Barrett: I used GameMaker Studio 2. While I mostly use Unity for industry work, GameMaker has always been my go to for rapid iteration and prototyping. It’s come a looong way since the ‘90s, and made a solo project much more feasible.

Pocket Tactics: Immortal Rogue is your second mobile title. What lessons did you learn from Ever Knight?

Kyle Barrett: Pretty much all the stuff that let me make Immortal quickly. How to work with the engine I was using, what animation tools and processes to use, the quirks of publishing on different mobile devices, etc. It probably took me longer to make Ever Knight than Immortal, even though EK is a much simpler game. The best advice I could ever give someone who wants to learn a game development tool is to just try making and publishing a simple project. I learned a ton.

Pocket Tactics: You have a full-time job in the games industry. How do you balance that with being a solo indie dev?

Kyle Barrett: I don’t have kids so that probably helps. But really, I think it’s about creating a habit and setting aside regular time blocks where you can work. For me, a few hours a night and larger chunks on the weekend seemed to work. I had to give up another hobby, but it was totally worth it.

It also helps if your bosses are cool and supportive (which mine totally were). Pro tip: mark down any game you want to make as a ‘previous invention’ when signing a job offer, so you can develop and own that project without making things messy for you or your company.

Pocket Tactics: What are your core design philosophies? What should every one of your projects have?

Kyle Barrett: That’s a tough one. For a personal project, I get excited if it has three things:

An enticing player fantasy or story that could stand on its own (like the story of a vampire living through all of history).

An addictive/novel core gameplay loop that works even in greybox. If I’m not playing the greybox in my free time then it’s probably not fun enough yet.

Systems that tie the first two elements together in a way that they enrich one another. So it’s sort of like a sandwich: Metaphor on top, core gameplay on the bottom, and systems in the middle.

Oh, and an art style that’s fun to draw…. So four things.

Pocket Tactics: I love seeing early concepts and prototypes. Is there anything you could share?

Kyle Barrett: The first few weeks went through a ton of changes as I figured out how the gesture controls and visuals would work together. I actually started with Ever Knight sprites. (Oldest to newest from left to right)

Pocket Tactics: Any tips for indie devs on staying the course and keeping focused?

Kyle Barrett: I’m still pretty new to the indie side of things. I think just setting a small, achievable goal and following through is the first step. Also, prioritize! You don’t have to do everything; Find a simple mechanic or idea and build your game around that. Bells and whistles are fine but they don’t make a game fun if the meat isn’t there first.

Pocket Tactics: Why knights?

Kyle Barrett: Because they’re awesome! I was originally thinking the hooded character would be Immortal’s mascot, but I ended up liking how the knight armor looked too much. Also, a shout out to my friend Matt Elser (http://www.elserart.com/) for making the awesome splash art character.

Thanks again to Sam for writing this up for us, and thanks to Kyle for agreeing to be interviewed. 

Interview with Immortal Rogue Developer Kyle Barrett published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[duncanoncars]

Whats new and a Baleno

Industry Update 2016/17 & Suzuki Baleno review...

My first point of order today comrades, if you are unhappy with your car right now 2017 is your time to change!  With over 80 new vehicle and vehicle derivatives hitting the showroom floors, you are now further spoilt for choice, and with the industry still in a tight spot, dealers out there are hungry for business thus offering some really attractive deals.

So ditch the boring or not suitable anymore and find something to brighten up your commute. Welcome back to you avid followers and if you arrived here by accident just to let you know what you are reading, myself Duncan McDonald is in the drivers seat sharing the low down on all four wheels and a steering wheel...

Right so straight into it today and reiterating what I mentioned moments ago, plenty of fresh metal on the scene this year, we will go through a few of the interesting ones shortly. Then touch on some stats regarding what happened over the festive season in the industry and on the roads with some top safety tips thrown in there, and then conclude with a vehicle review of what I have been driving, the Suzuki Baleno.

Cool so the new stuff, over 80 new vehicles and derivatives here are my top 5 must check out vehicles and todays list is about aesthetics, for the love of beautiful metal:

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport starts us off in our top 5 cool looking cars heading our way, with its futuristic front end.

Next up Renault Duster Oroch- I know an SUV based 3/4 ton bakkie hitting a style list is rather peculiar, but here in SA, we love our bakkies and this is just the best looking one of late.

 Toyota hits our list at number 3. Toyota more sensible than sexy for the most part, defies its usual fair and offers us the C-HR, a sleek and very sexy light SUV Crossover. 

In second place, the Alfa Romeo Gulia – the reimagined 159 looks the business as the new offering in the compact executive segment and thank you Alfa, there is a hot 375kilowatt version coming!

And todays top pretty car fro me is the  Alfa Romeo Stelvio- Alfas first attempt at an SUV/compact cross over and boy does it look good!

Any other notable mentions I may have missed out or my list differs to yours? Message me on the Facebook page and lets compare notes.

So what happened whilst we were on holiday in the car trade in SA?

Well not much to honest, a further drop of 15.3% was recorded in December 2016 year on year. The usual players held the top spots in the passenger segment with the VW Polo Vivo regaining the top spot of its more mature brother the Polo. Notable mentions the BMW 3 series rejoined the top 10 best sellers in 6th place and the newbie Renault Kwid placed at 7th. This concerns me though, many South Africans choosing to buy a new vehicle with no ABS and optional 1 airbag in a country where on average 40 deaths per day occur on the roads… hmmm. Im not knocking Renault or the Kwid here, Im merely just saying that there are safer options in the bottom end of our market, perhaps consider a pre owned vehicle? Just my two cents worth.

Moving on, Opel sold 23 of the recently released Opel Mokka X, one of the cars I am very keen to have on test and finally the Honda BR-V moving rather well as Honda’s most sold vehicle last month.

And finally in the hotly contested King of the Bakkie segment Toyota regained top spot from the Ford Ranger a whopping 409 units, very closely contested space. Interesting to note that the top 2 selling Bakkies far out sell the top selling passenger cars which just goes to show how much we love our bakkies.

That was the good news, unfortunately here is some bad news

According to the transport minister, Dipuo Peters, the festive season saw 1714 people killed on our roads in SA.

The minister said there had been an increase of more than 250 000 vehicles on the roads. She said the combination of back-to-back long weekends‚ rain and irresponsible driving was to blame for the high number of road fatalities‚ with 75% of those killed being men. I feel that these stats are almost entirely avoidable with driver error being the main cause. Now before we place all our hope in self driving cars, we have a few years to wait before we are there, so lets best just pull up our socks for the time being. To further help,  I have compiled 3 easy non negotiable top tips for driving safety that we can adopt and also share with our friends and family.  I have even given them a fun flight theme to make them easier to remember:

Top Safety Non negotiable one:

Pledge and hold yourself accountable to a zero alcohol policy. Pilots don’t drink, only passengers. When you plan a night out, you commit to not go out unless there is a designated driver or the Uber has been booked. Hold your mates accountable to this one to. Perhaps make it a challenge to see who can rack up the most frequent flyer miles free Uber rides

Top Saftey Non negotiable two: Buckle up and switch your cellphone to flight mode. With distracted driving causing a significant amount of crashes out there, just put your phone on flight mode before you take off switch back on when you land at your destination.

And 

Finally Top Safety Non negotiable three: Equipment flight check at regular intervals: do the walk around and check your tires every time you take off. When refuelling check the tyre pressure Schedule your maintenance services for the year ahead now. You don’t want your equipment to fail whilst in the air.

Cool so now on to my wheels for the week: 

The Suzuki Baleno

What is it, well if you live under a rock Suzuki is well known Japanese brand which has been fielding cars to  SA motorists for ages, Most noted historically in the 80’s for the indomitable SJ and very Mitch Buchanan Vitara convertible, if you don’t understand the references ask your parents. The Baleno is their new medium hatch sedan offering, complementing the current range which includes the Swift and Ciaz. You will be forgiven for not knowing about the different offerings, as Suzuki has seemed to let them fly largely under the radar. Which quite frankly I am surprised at because they are really good offerings. In the staunch VW and Toyota or nothing medium segment, I’m talking Polos and Etios, I think Suzuki should be shouting just a little louder about their products. The good news for you is that if you are reading this review, you can consider yourself now more informed than the next bloke.

“The Baleno is a splendid vehicle, mixing a sweet blend of all the creature comforts, bells and whistles and good to haves in to one very affordable package...”

What am I on about?  Well the Baleno is very comfortable, has plenty of interior, claimed class leading space, ergonomically friendly interior, all feeling premium. Its super economical, with me managing most of the time to hit 6.7 litres per 100km. Couple this with cruise control, a relatively easy multimedia system and priced between R199 900 to R244 900, this suddenly makes a lot rands and er sense. Its good looking too, very actually, when compared to the rather beige alternatives with the likes of the Polo and Etios. Its almost cool, but easy there, not quite just yet. Its still a car built on a budget and thus then by definition cannot qualify to by cool in my books. If I am looking for niggles, the amount of wind noise at freeway speeds is more than a Polo sedan. And you will feel cross winds in it a little more to. But as for the rest of the drive, sublime. In town, a doddle to drive, on the open road comfy and gets on with it, if you do not try to rush the 68 kilowatt 1.4. Has a nice little growl from the 4 cylinder around 4000rpm, hints to you that its time to change up, you are out of economy mode. Decent boot space too. So the Baleno I must say really impressed me and if you can shift your paradigm away from the big two, affordable medium size compact hatch sedan brands, I think you will enjoy this quirky alternative.

So that’s it from me today, Duncan McDonald, feel free to connect with me on the Facebook page Duncanoncars, Next week we will chat about the New Isuzu KB double cab, until then Happy and Safe Motoring…