#TikTok is very bad at hiding hashtags…

[nanowatzophina]

Literally already in love with them both—

[eighteenoheight]

I’ve been in and out of a conspiracy rabbit hole for the last two weeks and I don’t know who would care about it other than me. My problem is I don’t like being misled.

So my guilty pleasure for a long time has been those Reddit stories on TikTok with the Minecraft gameplay. I live for other people’s drama and I need to be very stimulated in order to not get lost in thought so it’s the perfect thing for me. I’m sure a lot of the stories are fake but I don’t really care as long as I’m being entertained. But typically what gets me off TikTok for the day is when a story comes up that advertises a product. Immediate turnoff how dare you. It’s painfully obvious that it’s an ad when the storyteller brings up a specific product in the most inorganic way possible. It’s mostly a weight loss supplement called obvi or something similar sounding and each time it’s a no no no. I’m taken out of the fantasy world created here. So you, random person on reddit, talking about how you got revenge on your cheating ex husband, decide you should impart your wisdom on the masses by talking unnaturally about a product that made you miraculously lose weight? I may be tricked into believing Reddit lies, but I can sniff out product placement like a dog sniffing a pissy streetlamp. I know your game here.

I never really questioned why these TikTok pages would post these dull stories that only exist as sponsorships, for some reason in my head they would just run any and all Reddit stories through the AI voiceover and call it a day. What should have been obvious is the tiktok pages are sponsored. Found this out the hard way.

BARELY DISCLOSED ADS.

So you’re scrolling through your fyp hoping for some fun, maybe a few ha ha moments. Then you stumble upon a Reddit video asking flight attendants about the scariest things about working on a plane.

Looks harmless enough. Perhaps enlightening. Scandalous? Absolutely scandalous because the whole video is squeezing in as many sponsored products as possible while mixing in a couple of home remedies for naturally growing breast size??? So you wonder to yourself omg are all these things true? I mean this lady worked as a stewardess for a billionaire so these products she’s talking about must be really good.

But then

Sneaky little disclosure at the bottom you’ll only see if you expand the description. Not only under the title, but under the hashtags. I’m no expert on FTC guidelines, but I’m pretty sure you have to make it abundantly clear if/when you’re advertising a product. According to my various sources (single google search, and one person on YouTube explaining another situation in regards to undisclosed ads) it has to be very hard for the viewer to miss that a post of any kind is sponsored. These bitches are hiding the disclosure at the very bottom. I say these bitches because it’s multiple accounts. And for added creep factor they all use the exact same verbiage. “This story is a promotional piece. It is a perfect depiction of what could happen.” What does that even mean.

One might be saying, is that really the biggest problem you’re facing at this time? It’s 4am on Christmas Eve, you’ve got a ton of shit to do and shops close early so why are you up in arms about this? Also Kim there’s people that are dying. For one I have the autism excuse of a hyperfixation so get out of my face. Next unethical practices are bad even if they seem minuscule, any idiot could view this and be tricked into buying a product that’s probably shit. I would be one of those idiots if I ever had money to spend. Actively lying to people and being that sneaky with ads just to get paid alongside whatever tiktok is paying you is gross. And finally the reason I care so much about this is my secret weapon I’ve been hiding like the tiktok pages are hiding the ad disclosures. I think it’s bad enough to push products onto your viewers under the guise of a quote-unquote real person oh so naturally talking about these amazing things that changed their lives and oops just so happened to mention to exact name of the product would you believe this obvi stuff made me lose all this weight and save my marriage. The crème de la crème of this nonsense, the cherry on top of this bitter sweet journey I’m on. This one specific post advertising a toothpaste in my opinion is the worst.

We start our wondrous story with the words “I think dentists may be running the biggest scam in America.” That’s the most important part of this. The rest of this totally real and true story is just about dentists lying about cavities in order to charge patients for a deep cleaning, but this person never had cavities before and he always uses [insert toothpaste brand here] and even uses their mouthwash several times a day out of fear of getting a cavity. Goes to his old dentist who says nah mate your teeth are perfect oh you’re using [insert toothpaste brand here] yeah keep doing that and you’ll be fine, also get your wife to do the same.

Maybe I’m the crazy conspiracy theorist, maybe I’m seeing malice where I shouldn’t. However, to me that story looks like an attempt to discredit the entire dental industry in order to advertise a fucking toothpaste. The very beginning sowing those seeds of doubt, that the dentists are just trying to get your money. We, the [insert toothpaste brand here] people, are actually better than dentists. You’ll never have to see those evil scammers again if you buy our products.

Again, idiots like me who might actually believe the story to be a true account of someone’s experience may come away from this thinking I’m never going to the dentist again. Risking the oral health of viewers just to advertise a toothpaste???? I’m not American so I don’t know what the situation is like over there. But even if it’s true that the dental industry is scamming people through unnecessary procedures, it’s not exactly a noble cause when you’re trying to ADVERTISE A TOOTHPASTE. Are you kidding me? Nasty nasty nasty. I could be overthinking this, always a likely possibility, but all of this builds up. The deception of the story being completely fake. The fake story being an ad. The ad trying to discredit an entire industry and pushing bad advice. And the ad not being made clear to whoever’s watching. The trash behaviour stacks on top of each other until we get to this point.

Multiple of these Reddit accounts have posted this story, clearly the brand is getting around, but weirdly the title of the story keeps changing. It’s usually framed as a question asked on Reddit by whoever for other users to post their anecdotes or experiences. Not really a huge thing here just odd. Also odd is sometimes the question has nothing to do with oral health so the story seems to come out of left field.

A little bonus one though that really took the piss for me. We begin our story with a teacher who adopts one of her students and their sibling who were trapped with an abusive parent. They spent a long time adjusting to the new home, like really fucked up from their previous environment. It’s Christmas time like it is now, but the teacher not only doesn’t have enough money to make a great first Christmas, but also not enough to pay rent so they’re gonna get kicked out. Christmas Day arrived and the oldest child gives her an envelope filled with money, enough to pay the rent. Wow so heartbreaking then so heartwarming. Everything worked out, such a happy ending. But alas we couldn’t end it there. The whole story was an ad for one of those websites that promises you money in return for filling out questionnaires I think it was. That’s some nasty shit. Anything to make money though, I guess.

I think what really got me down this rabbit hole was the first time I saw that phrase “this is a promotional piece. It is a perfect depiction of what could happen.” I thought wow this account is such a huge bitch never watching again. Then I wondered how many of their posts were promotions so I searched it. Only to find several different accounts had the same well-hidden disclaimer, with the same stories circulating. That’s when I decided this was a conspiracy worth bitching about to anyone who would listen. It’s unethical, so fucking rude and honestly classless. Show a little decorum.

Jumping before that though, i was first watching a YouTube video about undisclosed ads on tiktok for something called bloom. Supposedly something good for health even though it’s provably not. To make a long story short, a ton of influencers were being paid to just have the product in the background of their videos, maybe use it without saying anything about it. Some would say it’s odd but I’d say it’s ingenious. Idiots like me would see this one thing in all these creators’ videos and think hmmm that seems to be a must have item for everyone considering barely anyone is promoting it and clearly they use it because it’s in their kitchens. A very subtle manipulation. One could say you don’t have to disclose it being an ad if you’re not actively promoting it, but if you’re getting paid money from a company to include specific content in your posts then yes you kinda have to. Sneakiness will not work here. What’s also funny is in posts where they actually do use the product and they either take the smallest possible sip they can, or try really hard to hide how disgusting it tastes. I can understand making money but you have to stand on business. Chug that shit and give me the fakest smile. Advertise to me properly. You chose the billboard life so now have to live it. Got distracted and almost forgot my point. The topic of undisclosed ads intrigued me because I’d had so many of those Reddit story tiktoks with the hamfisted inclusion of a product that got me thinking hmmmmm. As I said before I initially didn’t think to consider the TikTok accounts were posting sponsored content for whatever reason. I think I figured it would be a weird niche for advertisers to want to get into, completely failing to realise it may be a weird niche but it’s a very popular one. My memory is complete mashed potato but I think I started considering the blatant possibility of the accounts themselves getting paid when the product placements were becoming way more frequent. And while I’m cussing out my brain functions I don’t know why but I get surprised by things I was already aware of. Learning about undisclosed ads should not have been as shocking to me considering I learned about it years ago when the YouTube beauty community was still thriving and there were instances of creators not letting their audience know they were being paid to shill some makeup. Anyway, this needlessly shocking revelation had me thinking are these Reddit story TikToks promoting shit without disclosing? That’s when I found out they’re using the “see more” loophole in order to disclose without actually disclosing.

Think I’ve got it all off my chest, hopefully now it’s out of my head I can put the incoherent babbling to rest.

[katsuflossy]

Misguided Spark

Pairing: Kaminari Denki x black reader

TW: Suggestive themes, some obscenities, Becky

A/n: Why do I always get inspired by Tiktoks 😭😭 but anyways I’ve been giving Mr Bakugo wayy too much attention and neglecting our shocky boy Denki. So please enjoy!!! 💕

P.S. credit to my bb @iiminibattlehero for giving me a title when my brain was pooped😣

You’ve been with Denki for two years. After joining Uravity’s agency, you’ve met the bolt of lightning that struck through your beautiful black heart (this was after many failed pickup lines and one failed date that resulted in your favorite shirt getting seared off.) Denki did nothing to conceal you, in fact, he showed you off despite your protests; the few couples photos on his Instagram told the story of your love life—not secret but it’s none of your business. 

So why do his fans pair him up with every other hero?!

You would’ve understood if he was shipped with his friends and other heroes in the Big Leagues; your reputation being Uraraka’s sidekick had granted you some fame but you hadn’t reached the big pond yet. 

However, his mass of fans and reporters paired him with everyone under the sun—heroes and sidekicks alike—except you. Just last week Mina nearly choked out a reporter because he trailed her during her patrol, asking what she and Chargebolt did last night. Who knew a simple drink with close friends would spread like wildfire over the news. Oh, not to mention you were there too, holding Kaminari’s hand and laying your head on his shoulder. Your brown face and body had been cut out from every magazine seen the next day. The picture of Mina and Kaminari at an older drink night resurfaced on your timeline, showing Mina slapping his back as he choke-laughed on some beer. 

You didn’t tell Denki your insecurities about the whole world romanticizing him with other very pale—except for Mina’s case—heroes. You can picture his exact laugh, his hand falling on your cheek while affirming you had nothing to worry about. You’re his lovely lady forever and always. 

However, tonight was a different kind of irritation.

The bedroom finally fell quiet, your steamy session released the sexual tension during today’s joint practice. Kaminari’s eyes followed your heavenly molded ass all around the gym, and your own followed his nicely sculpted back when it was angled in your peripheral view. The deed was done now. Your finger made pointless drawings on his naked chest as you laid against his stomach, looking thoughtlessly up at him and his blonde glory. Two nude bodies curled against each other in comfortable silence.

At least that was the case until your phone pinged due to a notification. Your phone glowed the Twitter symbol, the only app you used to keep up with the hero scene and news. One glance at the title and you wished you had put your phone on Do Not Disturb.

Chargebolt's with a civilian fiancee?! Read more about the Electric hero dating top American chef, Becky Gudhear, and their secret relationship.

Your lips formed a scowl at the picture. The blond female chef was entering a car as Denki held her umbrella above her head, the rain clattering against the umbrella as he smiled at the lady. Only for you to remember the next two minutes after the photo was taken; Denki snatched you up, running through the rain as both screamed in delight. 

You shot up from his muscular chest, the middle of your brows creased and your brown thumb scrolled through the hashtags. Denki looked at you before going on his own phone.

Deku’s ratty shoes @noticemesemmpai: “I didn’t know Denki liked white girls *this goes completely with my fantasy*”

Ground zero’s harem girl @otakuforevaava: “Not him cheating on Mina.”

Ground zero’s harem girl #2 @lemmebiteacrumbofdatass: “@otakuforevaava Nah, he’s with Jiro. Did y’all not see when she gave him that hug?”

Your eyes darted from one ship to another, none ever mentioning you, before throwing your phone on the mattress. You swung your legs over the edge of the bed, removing yourself from its comfort to pace around the room in frustration. Denki cocked a brow at your strange behavior; you weren’t usually this upset and if you were, you’d simply just watch baby videos until you perked up. The screen glowed through the mattress despite being faced down, holding the secret of your furrowed eyebrows and sharp glare. He took up the phone, showing all the news outlets, fan mentions, and titles creating a relationship not with his black girlfriend but with some random lady that he helped out of the kindness of his heart. 

“Damn, they’re really going bonkers over this one act of kindness. Is Chivalry that dead?”

“As dead as their brains are.” You grumbled out, flopping back on to the edge of the bed.

“It’ll die out in a week. Give or take.” 

“Or not at all. They always come back when they spot you 6 feet from this lady, then resurface this same picture or even better crop me out and photoshop her in it!” Your outburst was met with silence and a wide-eyed, very concerned lighting wielder. 

“...but it’s cool tho.” 

“(Y/n)? Why didn’t you tell me this’d been hurting you?” Your gaze averted to your fingers, twiddling as your embarrassment heated your cheeks.

“I didn’t want to because I thought you’d think I was silly for thinking like that. Plus, I was the one that told you that being with a superhero like you will make me look like a whore trying to climb the ranks.”

“Silly? Baby, I nearly threw your teddy bear across the room because it was looking at your ass too much. If anything I’m the silly one.”

“You didn’t nearly throw Parker across the room, you did throw him across the room.” Two pairs of eyes went to the slumped bear at the opposite corner of the room. It’s patched tongue ratty due to the force it was a victim to.

“... And I’d do it again.” Your attempt to sigh only released the giggle in your throat as Denki continued.

“And baby? Fuck what these tabloids are saying. You’re a skillful fighter and Ochaco’s number one sidekick! If that isn’t a fine, brave, amazing woman then I don’t know what is.” Your body tingled in warmth, unable to hide the physical effects of his compliments as wrapped your arms around his neck, kissing him straight on his lips.

“Thank you Denki, I really needed to hear that.” 

“Oh, I’m not done yet.” He moved out of your embrace, kneeling to set his phone up on the bedside table. The lamp was used as support, showing the front camera the entirety of the room. 

“Denki? What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry doll, just sit there and look pretty.” He continued to tap against the screen before a familiar symbol popped up.

Tiktok, one of Denki’s favorite apps, met your eyes as it began to start up. Denki was one of the only pro heroes on Tiktok, which garnered him 5.5 million followers, and at least a million views each video he made. He swiped and scrolled until his eyes lighted up.

“Go put on my shirt. I don’t want them seeing any parts of you only for my pleasure.” You raised an eyebrow at the request but still complied. 

“Now come here, sexy.” Your footsteps hesitantly approached his side of the bed, unknowing about what scheme he made up in his brain. You stopped right where the camera couldn’t see you but you were too far for his liking, so he grabbed the plush of your thigh, pulling you close enough to bury his nose into your flesh. 

“That’s more like it. You ready?” 

“Denki I swear to God you better answer me. What are we doing—”

He tapped the screen, unaffected by your threat, and began to record. The beat was all too familiar before your eyes widened and your face erupted in heat. Sex Talk?!

“Aye uh...ahhh.” He wasted no time getting into character, sticking his tongue out as he winked at the camera. Your melanin-rich thigh stared back at you through the phone, making it known that the leg Denki held indeed belonged to a black person. His hand, under the shirt, kept firm on the back of your thigh to ensure that you stayed within the frame as he continued his Tiktok.

“Aye, bad bitch tastes like cherry kiwi, real big titties these double DDs.” He sings out the song, pointing to your very exposed thigh. Your face hot, the thought of this going online burned your face with not only embarrassment but also excitement. You buried your face in your hands as Denki skimmed your leg with his nose.

“Mwah…” He pressed his lips against your flesh, the epicenter sending tingling waves through your body as he looked straight up at you. His eyes twinkled with mischief as the sound ended. He grabbed the phone before you could reach it, hitting ‘post’ before you could snatch it out of his hand.

“Denki! Your PR manager is so going to kill me.” You scrolled through his phone frantically; it was already pinging with likes and comments from the video posted just 10 seconds ago.

He plucked the phone from your hands and placed it down on the table.

“Never mind that baby girl. The song said a bad bitch tastes like cherry kiwi and I suddenly forgot how that taste. Maybe I should sample you again…” Without ceasing he pressed his lips against yours, ready to start the night off again. 

(H/n)’s footstool @blackshipper: @theeofficialy/n this you? *Chargebolt’s new TikTok*

Chargebolt and (h/n) sittin in a tree @comegetyalljuice: I fucking knew it! (h/n)’s living our Chargebolt fantasy.

Stream Sex Talk by Megan @kpophoebutnotondalow: If your man ain’t kissing up your thigh like Chargebolt did with (h/n), is he even your man?

Mirko’s left rabbit foot @westanMirko: Guys, that’s not @theeofficialy/n, that’s Mirko duh…

You rolled your eyes at the tweet before scrolling through the rest of them. Denki’s chest raised and lowered as he looked through his own phone. Suddenly, you received an email notification. Your eyes widened as you read its body.

“Denki! Some talk show wants us to come in and talk about our relationship. They finally recognize that I’m your partner!” He craned his neck to face you, offering a smirk at your excitement.

“Good, that’ll show Parker who you’re real man is!” The teddy bear stayed in the corner it was thrown, now laying on its side, looking solemnly at the bed. 

“You’re annoying.”

“You still love me though.” A smile spanned your face as you inched closer to Denki’s. Your lips met his in a soft embrace before withdrawing. 

“Yeah, I do.”

[senorarelojes]

Pizzaverse artwork and ficlet: 'A Little Piece'

@maiyashu made this really cute and beautiful Instagram post of Pizzaverse Dave being silly and drawing little monsters/creatures on the notes he leaves for Alan and their kids around the house. Of course, Alan shows off his husband's work on Instagram. Under the artwork is an accompanying ficlet set in the future for the Pizzaverse timeline. Thank you dear Shu for your gorgeous (and funny) artwork! Happy Father's Day to the boys!

Title: A Little Piece Pairing: Dave/Alan Rating: General Tags: Pizzaverse, Kid Fic, Fluff

Dave was always amused whenever Alan teased him about being the one in their relationship who was more addicted to social media. It seemed they were both on an even keel; Alan posted more often, while Dave had a variety of accounts across various platforms that he’d lost interest in after the initial posting frenzy. They had their different addictions too: Dave liked the spontaneity of Twitter and TikTok, while Alan for some reason preferred Facebook and Reddit. But Instagram was their common vice, and most of their friend circle were on it as well.

Before fatherhood, Dave had imagined that his use of social media would dwindle because he simply wouldn’t have the time. But instead he’d found the opposite to be true: now he wanted to post about Alan, Paris and Stella all the time, and he didn’t even care if no one outside their family and a few chosen friends would find it cute.

Of course, both Dave and Alan took care to obscure the faces of their daughters. But the adorable things they did were up for grabs: Paris’ first steps, then followed by Stella’s in a few years. Their first stuffed toys. Their first drawings. Dave shamelessly spammed his IG feed with various pictures and videos, and refused to feel bad about it because Martin was doing the same with his kids, and so was Fletch, who seemed convinced that his daughter was a maths prodigy.

Of course, Dave posted pictures of Alan on his feed as well. Naturally his husband was usually included if it was a picture or video with one of the girls, such as Alan helping Paris with her homework or feeding Stella at dinnertime. But sometimes Dave saved a few precious shots he’d snuck on his phone, like Alan frowning at the computer in his tiny makeshift home studio, or stealing a rare moment after the girls had gone to bed to listen to one of the many records he owned. Those didn’t get as many likes and comments as anything Dave posted of the girls, but he didn’t care much.

In truth, Dave would have probably gone on like this if Alan hadn’t taken him aside one night and asked him why he’d stopped posting pictures of his art. “My art?” Dave echoed, genuinely surprised that Alan had been keeping track because Dave certainly hadn’t.

“Yeah, your paintings.” Alan gestured towards Dave’s most recent effort, which was a white cat posing regally by a candle. Even that had been painted more than a year ago, before Stella had come into their lives. “You don’t really post them anymore. Or paint much more, for that matter.”

Dave just kept staring at Alan in astonishment. When they had gotten married and subsequently made the decision to become parents via surrogacy, it had been pretty much an unspoken agreement between them that family and work would have higher priority. This meant their hobbies were naturally the first thing to be sacrificed for time, and Dave had been fine with that. They hadn’t touched the band in years, not since the last time everyone had performed at Martin’s wedding.

But now Dave realised that he missed painting with an ache like a phantom limb, like something that had always been a part of him was now oddly missing. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d picked up a paintbrush for the hell of it. Everything he’d designed or illustrated over the past year had solely been for work, and that thought pained him like a spike through his solar plexus.

In contrast, Alan - who had always been very driven and disciplined - seemed to have no problem reviving his interests in mixing and composing after Stella had started sleeping at more regular hours. So Dave didn't even have the excuse of fatherhood.

“You should pick it up again,” Alan told him with a gentle squeeze of his hand, before moving on to the topic of Father’s Day, which was coming up. Dave just nodded distractedly when Alan suggested ordering in brunch from a nice restaurant, still preoccupied with thoughts of Alan’s mind-blowing revelation.

After that conversation with Alan, Dave decided to try and carve out time for painting. Although that wasn’t always possible, he did want to show Alan he was trying, so he started with small gestures. If he left reminders and post-its for Alan around the house, he’d be sure to draw a funny cartoon to accompany his loopy handwriting, like a sentient postbox (to remind Alan to go to the post office) or a funny caricature of Martin and Fletch (to ask Alan if he wanted to have dinner and catch up with them).

Alan never really mentioned the little drawings beyond an amused eye-roll, but Dave knew Alan was never particularly verbose about his true sentiments anyway. Dave had learned to look towards Alan’s actions instead. Sure enough, Alan started taking pictures of Dave’s little drawings and posting them on Instagram with an accompanying dry and witty caption, along with the hashtag ‘#artisthusband’. To Dave’s surprise, it really took off among their friends and other family members, and Dave always had to fend off demands from his mum and Sue about more cute artwork everytime he called home.

Since Paris and Stella loved the drawings too, he started drawing little monsters for them on their paper lunch bags, which he would prepare for them before Alan would drop them off at daycare. It wasn’t long before Alan started posting these on Instagram too, and his comment section would get animated at times because Martin, Fletch, Paul, Daryl and the rest would start discussing which creature Dave had meant to draw. He didn’t have the heart to tell them he’d made them all up on the spot.

Having Alan’s support like this, even for his silly little drawings, was more fulfilling and touching than Dave had expected. So he’d really meant it when he said he was going to get art supplies, but more often than not Dave would get distracted and buy Elsa colouring books for the girls instead. Alan hadn’t said anything at all, but Dave knew how to read him pretty well by now. His husband was definitely planning something.

On the morning of Father’s Day, Dave was the first out of bed so he put in the order at the restaurant before going for a run in Hyde Park. His metabolism wasn’t what it used to be, and he’d gotten into the habit of eating off the girls’ plates whenever they couldn’t finish their food. Alan was a really good cook too, so Dave knew he had to fit in a run today if he was going to be feasting on french toast and eggs benedict for Father’s Day.

When he got home, he thought he spotted Alan in the study with a giggling Paris and Stella. “Hello, my loves,” he yelled out at the door, even more mystified when Alan quickly stepped out of the study with the girls, closing the door hurriedly behind them.

“The food’s just got delivered, I’ll set the table,” Alan told him with a too-bright smile. ‘You go shower first, yeah?”

Dave decided to let his suspicious behaviour go for now. “Alright, sure.” He loped over to where they were, giving Alan a brief kiss and a I’m-on-to-you squint before bending down to stretch his arms out to the girls. “Can I get a hug first?”

“Daddy’s stinky!” Paris protested laughingly, while an uncomprehending Stella just giggled along with her older sister.

Dave’s jaw dropped in mock outrage. “Stinky, am I? How about I make you stinky too, huh?” He pretended to chase a squealing Paris and Stella for a hug, laughing when they ran to hide behind an amused Alan’s legs.

“Just go shower, the food’s getting cold, you lunatic.” Alan shook his head at Dave with a grin before shepherding the girls to the dining area. Dave left him to it, washing up quickly so he could join his family for breakfast.

However, he wasn’t expecting to find Alan and the girls waiting for him outside the bedroom, all of them grinning innocently at him. “What’s going on?” a suspicious Dave asked.

Paris took his hand and tugged him to the study, Alan picking up Stella and following with her in his arms. When Paris pushed open the door, Dave stared in shock at the brand new easel waiting for him, along with the art supplies neatly piled on top of a blank canvas. He stepped forward, picking up the paints and brushes with trembling hands. Alan had gotten everything right, remembered every detail from when Dave used to paint before they’d gotten married and become fathers.

“I had to take a bit out of the holiday budget for this,” came Alan’s soft voice behind him. “But it’s worth it for me to delay our trip. I’d rather see you painting again.”

“We want more of Daddy’s paper monsters!” Paris declared gleefully, while Stella stared at all of them in bafflement.

“I--” Dave just couldn’t speak. His heart was so full, like it was going to overflow with joy and sentiment and his overwhelming love for his family. There were simply no words that could possibly encapsulate the emotions warring within him now, so instead he grabbed Alan and the girls to him in a tight hug, his breaths ragged and his eyes wet.

“Happy Father’s Day,” Alan said quietly, the smile evident in his voice even though Dave couldn’t quite see his face.

“You too, Al.” Dave pulled away to kiss him, then smothered his squealing girls with equal affection.

[identybeautynet]

Doctors suggest you don’t take your beauty tips from TikTok

Doctors suggest you dont take your beauty tips from TikTok “I always know when something is trending on TikTok because I’ll have an influx of patients coming in and asking me about the same thing,” says Dr Niket Sonpal, a gastroenterologist. Most of the time, that “thing” is a beauty or wellness tip that’s gone viral on the video-sharing platform, without evidence that it actually works. The advice may be ineffective or outright dangerous, from drinking chlorophyll to induce weight loss, to using sunscreen only in select areas to “naturally” contour your face. “We talk about TikTok all the time in my office,” says Dr Dendy Engelman, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, “and I think it might be worse than other platforms because people are really looking to create content with that wow factor, the thing that will go viral, even if it’s not grounded in science.” It’s not surprising that the app that brought us the “Benadryl challenge” (taking large doses of the antihistamine to induce hallucinations) and “the Everclear test” (doing shots of the high-proof alcohol) is not a fount of doctor-approved beauty guidance. But many consumers throw reason and caution to the wind when faced with these trends, underscoring a growing subversion of authority in which an influencer’s word is replacing that of experts. “It’s funny because patients are often so timid in our office about trying treatments,” Engelman says. “But when they see something done on Instagram from an 18-year-old influencer, they’re like, ‘Sure!’” What not to try at home Compiling an exhaustive list of TikTok’s bad beauty advice is next to impossible because the content on the platform seems to multiply in step with our increasingly short attention spans and insatiable craving for the new. But a few trends that have dominated the platform of late are especially mind-boggling to doctors. If people are seeing ‘results’ from drinking chlorophyll, it’s likely because they’re drinking more water than normal, so their skin is getting better and their bathroom trips are more regular Dr Niket Sonpal Take “slugging,” a TikTok trend advising people to sleep with a thick layer of Vaseline on their face to aid hydration. Videos with the hashtag have 14.4 million views on the platform, and the trend has been promoted by influencers like Hyram Yarbro and Cait Kiernan. But dermatologists warn that it can have adverse effects on your skin. “Putting an occlusive on your skin and letting it sit overnight sets you up for exacerbating clogged pores and breakouts,” Engelman says. Then there’s the “sunscreen contouring”, which dermatologist Dr Neera Nathan heard about, to her horror, from one of her patients. Some influencers have advised people tired of contouring their faces with makeup to use a thick sunscreen with high SPF, applying it only on the areas they want to highlight, like the top of the cheekbones and bridge of the nose. The rest of the face is left to tan (and burn), sunscreen free. It’s a tip that flies in the face of the American Academy of Dermatology’s recommendation that everyone wear a broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30 on any exposed skin. “We know that this is crucial to do from a very young age from both a skin cancer and anti-aging perspective, so the idea that these videos are suggesting otherwise to a very young audience is disturbing,” Nathan says. In April, drinking chlorophyll, which has had moments on other social media platforms, had a spike in interest on TikTok, driven by the endorsements of influencers like Amelie Zilber, according to Traackr, an influencer marketing platform. It has been called a “miracle product” that can increase energy levels, induce weight loss and clear up skin, but doctors say these claims are not backed by research. Drinking chlorophyll is one of the more harmless recommendations on TikTok, but it’s likely to be a waste of money. (Raw chlorophyll drops on Amazon cost about £15, on average.) “If people are seeing ‘results’ from drinking chlorophyll, it’s likely because they’re drinking more water than normal, so their skin is getting better and their bathroom trips are more regular,” Sonpal, the gastroenterologist, says. What trend do doctors really want to see left to the professionals? Microneedling, which involves puncturing the skin with tiny needles in an effort to generate new collagen. On TikTok, conversation around at-home microneedling grew in 2020 and is already experiencing five times more engagement in 2021, per Traackr, but experts say it’s incredibly risky to do at home. While some studies have shown that medical-grade microneedling can improve skin suppleness and lessen wrinkles, “it needs to be done in a really clean, safe setting,” Engelman says, pointing to the high risk of infection. “If you go hard enough on your skin, it can lead to colour change, textural change and scarring, essentially worsening what you’re trying to make look better, like fine lines and acne scars.” Viewer, beware Tilly Whitfeld, a reality TV star from Australia’s Big Brother, has learned firsthand just how dangerous beauty trends can be. After spending her time on the 24-hour surveillance-style show wearing clay face masks or heavy makeup, she was questioned by viewers about what she was hiding and confessed vaguely on Instagram in May that a TikTok beauty trend had damaged her skin. Whitfeld, 21, says by phone from Sydney that she hadn’t told anyone exactly what it was because she “knew” she would look like an idiot. Last August, she was browsing TikTok when she came across a video teaching people how to give themselves freckles using sewing needles and ink that were said to fade within six months. Since the video didn’t clarify what type of ink to get, she ordered brown tattoo ink she found on eBay, which she later discovered was a counterfeit product made with high levels of lead, and began pricking her face in a freckle pattern. “It didn’t hurt at all, so I didn’t think I should stop,” says Whitfeld, who went over the marks multiple times, as advised by the video’s creator. There weren’t any faux freckles, and her face swelled up from infection, which caused her to briefly lose sight in one eye, she says, and she now has scarring across her cheeks and nose. With nearly $12,000 already sunk into doctor’s visits, Whitfeld has yet to find a solution to correct the damage. Laser removal is apparently not an option because, doctors have told her, the ink she used will turn black rather than fade. “The main response has been that I’m stupid, and, yeah, I agree,” she says. For doctors, it’s a terrifying scenario. “You have a lot of people claiming to be experts who have no real consequences for giving really bad advice,” Sonpal says. Stories like Whitfeld’s have doctors hoping that the companies running these platforms will place disclaimers on beauty content stating that it’s unverified or dangerous to try at home, but they’re not holding their breath. In the meantime, they’d prefer that you reach out to, yes, a doctor, via appointment or direct message on social media, before putting your faith in a TikTok video. As Sonpal puts it, “We can counsel and educate you for more than 60 seconds.” Doctors suggest you don’t take your beauty tips from TikTok Read the full article

[prismmarketing]

Is it possible to monetize YouTube videos? Some Have Already Been!

How has the success of YouTube Shorts been so far, and can they be monetized? Learn how to make Shorts profitable and understand how the short-form video format works from Prism Digital Marketing one of the best video marketing companies in Dubai.

 On March 18, 2021, YouTube Shorts made its debut in the United States. The new short-form video experience, which YouTube describes as “...for producers and artists who want to film short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones,” is still in its early stages.

 According to a post on the Official YouTube Blog by Todd Sherman, the Product Lead of YouTube Shorts, the player has already topped 6.5 billion daily global views. Since the beginning of December, the number of Indian channels employing creation tools (where they are being beta tested) has more than tripled.

 Will YouTube Shorts Become Popular?

 We previously said that there are three target audiences for YouTube Shorts: 

● Artists and creators.

● Subscribers and viewers.

● Brands and advertisers.

 And, as I previously stated, if creators and artists don't see an increase in the number of viewers and subscribers that advertisers and marketers want to target, this three-legged stool will topple over faster than you can say "Vine."

 That's why I didn't focus on the new editing capabilities, which could do things like link together various video clips. The fact that short, vertical videos will be "easily discoverable on the YouTube homepage (on the new Shorts shelf), as well as across other portions of the app" was the deciding factor.

 So, has YouTube's new Shorts shelf altered the way videos are discovered?

 When Sherman announced the launch of YouTube Shorts in the United States, he made it clear that creation was simply one aspect of the service. YouTube also sought to make it easier for viewers to discover Shorts and artists, hence the new section on the homepage dedicated to them.

 He continued,

 “As more people make and watch Shorts, we expect our systems to improve, allowing us to better assist you in discovering new material, trends, and artists you'll enjoy.”

 According to YouTube, it is continually experimenting with new methods to present content, and Shorts can currently be accessed in the following places: 

● On YouTube's home page and in the Shorts section.

● By default, featured on channel pages.

● By selecting the module titled "What to Watch Next."

● Using the YouTube search engine.

● Subscription feeds for users.

 Creators should use the hashtag #Shorts in the title or description of their film to help it get discovered and featured on YouTube. So, what else can you do to make your YouTube Shorts more optimized?

 What's Working for Creators of YouTube Shorts

 Take a peek at some of the most popular Shorts from the last few weeks to get a sense of what people are watching. According to Tubular Labs, the YouTube video with the most views was uploaded on or after March 18, 2021, and it was only 1:00 in length. “THIS NEARLY GAVE HIM A HEART ATTACK!” it says.

 It was uploaded by Woody & Kleiny Extra on March 26, 2021, and it presently has a view count of almost 140 million. Oh, and the hashtags #shorts, #comedy, and #bestfriends are all used.

 This is, without a doubt, a prank video. That's a genre that's been around since CarrieNYC's "Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise" received 74.9 million views in October 2013. Nonetheless, Woody & Kleiny Extra deserves credit for repackaging this classic wine in a new bottle. It's also worth mentioning that Woody & Kleiny Extra are from the United Kingdom.

Is YouTube Shorts available in that nation already? Certainly not. Many stations in various regions of the world are interested in attracting American viewers and subscriptions. Is it true that this worked? During the two weeks leading up to the posting of "THIS NEARLY GAVE HIM A HEART ATTACK!" the channel received 180 million views and 275,000 subscribers.

 In the two weeks after the prank film was uploaded, it received 330 million views and 389,000 subscribers (47.7 percent of their YouTube audiences come from the U.S., while 7.8 percent come from the U.K.). The authors of their Short also encourage visitors to subscribe to our main channel in the description.

 In the two weeks after the prank film was released to their secondary channel, their primary channel received 5.5 million views and 20,000 subscribers.

 “TwinsFromRussia latest tiktok #shorts” is in second place. This 0:31-long film, which was uploaded on March 22, 2021, has already received 81.3 million views (notice the #shorts hashtag in the title).

 “Good always wins bad!” question identical twins Kirill and Filipp Revega, award-winning performers, musicians, bloggers, and public characters, in a pinned comment to their video. “Are you in agreement?”

 Although it dates back to Aesop's tales, this genre is relatively new to YouTube. Who knows, maybe we'll start seeing other Shorts that deliver a story's moral in under a minute.

 “The Tiktok food Challenge #shorts” is in third place. Tiktoriki's amusing video.” This 0:23-long film, which was uploaded on March 24, 2021, has already had 80.3 million views. The hashtag appears in the title once again.

 What genre do you think this video belongs in? It's similar to a mukbang, when two hosts eat varying amounts of food while conversing with the audience. This genre first gained popularity in South Korea in 2010, and it has since become a significant global craze. Why not adopt mukbang shorts? Since March 18, 2021, 96,900 accounts have uploaded 525,000 videos to YouTube with the hashtag #shorts.

 In the three weeks ending April 8, 2021, they collectively received 17.4 billion (with a "b") views. So, how popular are YouTube Shorts? Without a doubt.

 Can YouTube Shorts Be Profited From?

 Now we come to the crux of the matter: can YouTube Shorts be made profitable? If you watch the three short-form videos mentioned above again, you'll see that they all contain advertisements.

 However, keep in mind that there are two types of Shorts:

 ● The first is content made with the Shorts camera, which has a 15-second time limit.

● The other is any vertical video with the hashtag #Shorts in the title or description that is less than 60 seconds long.

 We shouldn't be surprised to learn that the lengthier version of Shorts is supported by advertisements. This could explain why the lengthier version is used in nearly three-quarters of the films published with the #Shorts hashtag since March 18, 2021. Is this to imply that making a shorter version of Shorts is a "faith-based initiative"?

 Let's take a look at Sherman's post once more.

 Near the end, he discusses how YouTube has aided a generation of creators in turning their passion into a business, paying out more than $30 billion to them in the last three years. Okay, that's OK. But what about Shorts' shorter version?

 Sherman continued,

 “Because Shorts is a new way to watch and produce on YouTube, we're rethinking how to commercialize Shorts and reward creators for their work.”

 They're still figuring out how to monetize this format in the future, so stay tuned for more information. Alternatively, the solution may already be hiding in plain sight, as I suspect.

 YouTube unveiled BrandConnect on June 16, 2020, promising to make it easier for creators and marketers to be more real and effective. Henry Scott-Green, the Product Manager of YouTube BrandConnect, said in a post on the Official YouTube Blog unveiling insights-based matchmaking tools to provide eligible creators additional access to sponsored content:

 “Our proactive matchmaking delivers highly engaging and relevant sponsored content because of the connection that creators have with their followers. And it's working: the average deal size across the complete service package has increased by more than 260 percent in the last two years.”

 He went on to say that new measurement tools like Brand Interest Lift, Influencer Lift, and organic view-through dialogues would provide more accountability and real-time marketing results. He explained that this allows marketers to assess the impact and return on investment of influencer marketing on YouTube.

BrandConnect's first launch was hampered by a number of problems, including the COVID-19 epidemic and early eligibility limits. (Only creators with 25,000+ subscribers in the United States were eligible.) So, if YouTube is looking at future revenue options, my utterly unscientific wild guess is that one of them will likely be reducing the constraints for BrandConnect participation.

 Keep an eye out for more developments. Prism Digital Marketing a local video marketing agency will keep you updated and can help you in creating Shorts that will trend and will be very profitable.

[simonaj1804]

Social research

Social Media – Impact on human behavior

I have previously been interested and read up about mental health and behaivor changes in humans that has happened or changed due to impact of media or society that has been impacted by media and internet. It is an interesting topic and it’s a topic that is seen to take place in every day life. Social media overal has made humans bolder. Societyy as whole is affected when rumors are spread.  Social media encourages mob mentality and supposed justice when accorded by a mob even if fatal to the individual rarely gets punished. For example Twitter is full of trolls looking for validation. Their goal is to pick on a celebrity or a content creator and insult them in horrible ways. You can see that many times on other social media such as TikTok, Instagram etc. people carefully look after the well-known people and pick on every little mistake they could possibly make and call it being ‘cancelled’. Which at times sometimes could ruin a person’s life or career (not only the online one) or mental health which is even worse when it’s affected. Also another fact is that Social Media has allowed to become to so many people celebrities through the apps. I is encouraging many others to become popular as well and in the process some are turning into self-obsessed and narcissistic. It can also make people very insecure if they’re not pretty or good looking, or even talented as others. There’s many times when a good looking female or male posts pictures of themselves and many many people comment that it has made them cry or that they’re jealous. They become self-conscious by comparing themselves to the (mostly) edited pictures or selfies of celebrities which are anatomically or naturally not the same as irl and in the picture. It is also encouraging violent behaivour for many. Before the internet has became popular, people couldn’t harass others easily. But now anyone can easily harass and threaten others by hiding their identity. Most of the social media content creators face cyberbullying, threats and trolling. People who are used to harass other online tend to develop more and more violent behaivour because most of the times they aren’t being punished enough for it. I had myself many experiences with this where I have received death threats, people attempting to stalk me or actual stalkers trying to get access to my location I lived in. Lot of teens and younger generations suffer from anxiety and depression when they face cyber-bullying. Lack of awarness and knowledge when they enter the online world is letting them become vulnerable to people who can use them or proceed to threaten them. Many of them are also suffering from low-self esteem as I said previously because of watching many people showing off their talents through social media. It has also power to instil anger in people in particular communities or towards particular people and this anger is being carried forward to real life. There’s also plenty of content on social media on makeup anad beauty products. There are so many makeup channels on YouTube. With high-quality videos and images, people are promoting products to improve their outward appearance. This is causing people, especially girls to give too much importance to beauty. They are also often being lied to because eventhough the product are being promoted by content creators and have photoshoots with people and skin they’re often still photoshoped or edited. Fake news is also causing panic among people. It is in turn leading to hatred and clashes between communities that we have seen in previous years..

Overal negative impact on sociaty might be that it is promoting gossiping and causing damage to the reputation of people. It’s the major reason for making content viral. However, not all viral content is trustworthy. There are many incidents of fake news going viral. A while ago few people were lynched by a mob in separate incidents. This happened because they believed fake news that said child traffickers are roaming in their area. Innocent people were murdered as the villagers thought they came to their area to kidnap children. Powerful people are using social media as a tool to impose their ideaologies on people. For example when political parties are creating lots of content on social media to influence and manipulate the viewss of people on goverments and political parties. Trolling is on of the major negative consequences of social media. Politically motivated trolling is also very common. The social media is also being used as a tool for data mining.

There are obviously many positives as well of Social media on human behaivour and on society such as giving access to varied opinions and thoughts of people of different cultures and different regions. This has the power to make people broad-minded, challenge stereotyped views on particular communities and develop mutual respect among people of different backgrounds. It allows us to expand knowledge through social media and most of the social media content creators encourage people to pursue career they love, to take care of themselves and learn new skills etc. That creates positive impact on human behaivour as it often really takes just someone to believe in one another for them to try their hardest or at least keep their head up. Traditional media was the only medium until recently to reach people. Not everyone could share their views and information with people. Most of the traditional media channels are in the hands of big businesses. Social media enriched democracy and equality by enabling everyone to send out their content to a larger audience. It also gives voice to minorities and vulnerable sections. For example more women are voicing their opinions through social media, who were otherwise not encouraged to speak up due to cultural norms. Another example is that differently-abled people are sharing content to encourage people who have the same problems, and are voicing their thoughts to goverment and society. People are collaborating for good. Tweeting by hashtags, they are pushing goverments to do their duties.  Though there are some negative effects, social media can be considered boon to society. However serious steps should be taken to mitigate the negative influences of social media like fake news, trolling etc. Cyber protection cells and AI together can solve these problems to a great extent. Along with that, ethical values should be imbibed in schools and colleges. Awarness programs help people to know about the good and bad sides of social media. I got the infor from these sites: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/social-media-impact-human-behavior-society-piyushi-jain#:~:text=Social%20media%20use%20has%20also,tendencies%20and%20behaviours%20in%20children.

https://islaahwellness.com/social-media-its-consumption-and-impact-on-human-behavior-and-society/

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What-is-the-impact-of-social-media-on-human-behavior  - I liked this thread because it’s like a discussion of people talking about it I have also looked at discussions between people on Reddit and Quora

[abdicatedarchive]

cream and sugar? || juliette and florence

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: juliette’s room // early march 2021.

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: juliette x florence.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒: none.

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒: florence texts juliette that she has bad news.

Florence hurried across campus to the dorm, climbing the stairs as fast as she could. Knocking on Juliette’s door, she hoped it was just her friend in there. She bent over, catching her breath, as she waited for Juliette to open the door. 

Juliette groaned as she peeled herself out of bed, she had been on a tiktok bender for over an hour and time has escaped her. She opened up the door, "Would you like some tea before you give me bad news?" she asked quietly with a soft smile on her face. She knew the news was going to be Stevie related, and she knew it wasn't going to be a fun twist where she got good news instead.

Once Florence got her breathing mostly under control, she stood up and smiled sadly at Juliette. She knew this news wouldn’t be fun. “Would it make you feel better to make tea?” she asked. If Juliette needed to busy herself, she would take whatever was offered.

"I would like to make tea" she said, nodding softly as she turned on her little pistachio colored electric kettle. One of her things that made her very happy. She pulled out two of her favorite mugs and her tea pot. "Alright, go ahead and tell me" she said as the water started to boil. She was terrified of the news, but she also figured it would be what she already knew: that there were other people in this world.

“Then I would love some,” Florence told her friend. Anything to help her stay calm. She sighed and followed her into the room, letting the door close behind them. She took a seat on Juliette’s bed, fussing with the comforter that matched her own. There was no easy way to say what she had heard, so she might as well spit it out. “Well, Wren told me that Stevie didn’t U-haul because she fell in love in high school, and she stopped really dating... until now,” she shared, hoping she paraphrased correctly. It was close enough. “He isn’t sure if they’re girlfriend/girlfriend, though, but his phrasing was that she’s kind of off the market.” She sighed again and looked over at her best friend, sadness etched all over her own face. “I’m sorry, Jules.”

She focused in on making tea. Everything else was spinning. "It's okay. I mean ... I could have told her I was here a few weeks ago and I didn't. She was probably already seeing her" said Juliette, swallowing hard. It was humbling for sure, but a lot of it was her own fault. She had been the one to call it quits. They wouldn't still be together regardless, something else would have come up. She was sure of it. It was all she had: doubling down on her decisions. Juliette poured the boiled water into her tea pot and started to steep the tea, "cream and sugar?" she asked, dodging how she was feeling.

Florence wasn’t sure what else to say. Yes, Juliette could have told Stevie she was here before, but what did that do now? She hadn’t asked how long the two girls had been dating, but if they were when Juliette arrived, Juliette would still get hurt. “That doesn’t make it any less hard,” Florence pointed out. She watched her friend pour the water into the tea pot. “Yeah, that’d be good, thanks.” Maybe Juliette wouldn’t want to talk about it or maybe she would. Either way, Florence was glad she had come to tell her in person. This way, she could be here to offer moral support and a shoulder if she needed it.

She was shutting down: she tried to make it that the only thing in her head be tea. "What's hard about it? I told her to move on and she did. I called it quits, and then I could have just gone to her when I saw her. If she's happy then I'm happy" she said with a sweet smile. Her brain felt like it was on fire. Her impulse to be perfection and put on a good face was overriding her emotions. Once the tea had steeped, she poured two cups and put in cream and sugar. Juliette brought the mug over to her, "Was that all?" she asked, doing her best to be as nonchalant as possible.

“That doesn’t matter. I know I don’t have the experience, but I’ve read enough books and seen enough rom coms to know that it hurts to see your ex with someone else, no matter who broke it off. Jules...” She paused, looking down at her hands. “I hate that I’m the bearer of bad news, but... I did the right thing telling you, right?” she asked. She looked up again as Juliette brought over the mugs. She took one carefully from her and held it in both hands. “That was all, I think. He talked about their shows and said I should bring my best friend by sometime. I didn’t tell him who you were; I didn’t think you’d want me to.”

Juliette took a small sip of her tea, it was still too hot. "Yeah, thank you" she replied, "I don't need him knowing I'm here." Juliette gulped a little bit of air, "It's like I'm not even here" she said as she looked down. Like she wasn't even here. Stevie's life had gone on like she didn't exist, and to her ... she didn't. And that was good. She was happy, she was settling down. Juliette only had herself to blame. "Thank you for telling me, but I don't think it changes anything" the girl added.

Florence sighed and chewed on her bottom lip. “I know. I’m here for you, though. Always hashtag Team Juliette. Would you want me to go to one of their shows for you?” She felt bad that Juliette felt the need to hide her presence at this school. College was meant to be a fresh start, and having Juliette transfer to join Florence was supposed to make the college experience more fun. “Do you want to watch a movie? We can watch About Time or you can pick something else.”

She had a feeling that she never had with Florence before: a need to be alone. She ignored it though, knowing that her being alone would only cause more damage than good. "I mean you should see them, the music is really good" she encouraged. It would be a fun event, and soon she would be able to go. She knew that at some point she could force herself to go, and watch another girl fawn over Stevie. That would be all too much for now. "I think I just want to listen to music and drink tea" said Juliette softly, her voice barely registering above a whisper. It felt like her throat was closing.

She tucked the thought of going to see Juliette’s ex’s band in the back of her mind. Maybe she would, but it would be more fun if she had Juliette to go with her. Lifting her mug, she blew on the hot beverage and tried to take a sip. “We can do that,” she said, matching Juliette’s tone and volume. She would just sit in silence with her friend—something she felt completely comfortable with.

She opened up her phone and connected to her bluetooth speakers. She put on an old playlist of Stevie's because what is having your own music taste? "I think that would be nice" said the girl as she sat up on the bed and took a sip of the tea. It was the right temperature now. Honestly, she felt very numb inside. All of her upset feelings had turned inwards: blaming herself for ever letting Stevie go, and for not telling her she was here. She knew it was important that she had let Stevie go two years ago, but how could it still hurt this much.

Florence adjusted her position on the girl's bed, scooting over a little to make more room for Juliette to join her. She tried not to look at Juliette too much because she didn't want to make her feel any worse or like she had to talk about it because that wasn't it at all. Florence was completely comfortable sitting in silence with her friend; she just worried that the girl might try to keep it all in. She took a drink of her tea, humming with satisfaction. Juliette was the one person who could get Florence to drink tea instead of coffee.

The girls sat in silence as they had their tea. Juliette just listened to the music and tried her best to not think of another girl loving Stevie. That was where the heart break really came in. It wasn't that she was having sex with people, she knew that was going to be something real the second they broke up. But it was the thought of her being really serious about someone after her. How she would learn from their relationship, and somehow be an even better Stevie with someone else. That they could enjoy college together, that they could wake up in the same small twin bed in a room filled with love and freedom. All the sweet joys that Juliette had thought of before but could not have with her. She would have to find someone else and experience a different love. She couldn't imagine experiencing any love but the love that was shared between her and Stevie. She thought it would last forever, but she was wrong. And that is what hurt so much. //END