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[apolloscastellan]

Never quite buried | loss of my life chapter 4

Pairing: Art Donaldson x Tashi Duncan x Patrick Zweig x FemaleTennisPlayer!reader

Summary: Your life had always been divided in two: before you met Tashi and after you met Tashi. The second you had laid eyes on her for the first time you knew you had been changed. You were soulmates, meant for each other Nothing could ever tear you two apart, or so you had thought. You could've pinpointed the junior U.S. Open as the night that changed everything. Now you have to juggle your hate-love relationship with tennis with your love-love relationship with Tashi and the two guys who you can't seem to stay away from. Tennis, after all, was only one of the most fucked up relationships of your life.

Warnings: challengers spoiler, challengers content warnings, super minor character death, terrible mother figure, use of y/n, polyamory.

Word count: 6.5K

A/N: Please let me know what you think bc my motivation is severely lacking rn, i feel like i'm writing into the void

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Tashi remembers perfectly the day your retirement from singles hit the news. It was all everyone could talk about. First, it was the statement on your social media. A well thought out paragraph about your struggles with continuing to enjoy tennis the way you used to and deciding to take a new route, it ended with a promise for more and better news soon. Then it was the teasing posts from Adidas, the “she is not done just yet” and the “love conquers all”. It all came to a peak with the release of the pictures of you and Patrick. Both of you wearing matching Adidas apparel, practicing in the private court you had in your backyard. The chemistry between the two of you was obvious to everyone who saw them. There was a glint in your eyes that no one had seen since you went pro. She knew the smile you were giving Patrick all too well, it used to be reserved for her. 

Her and Art, who had just very recently reconnected, sat on his couch for hours watching the tennis channel, waiting for updates. The relief they felt when it was announced that you were not quitting because you were fatally injured, as everyone had originally thought, was short lived. Neither of them spoke as the commentators showed the images of you and Patrick. Practicing, giggling, getting closer, him giving you that teasing smirk they both knew, you throwing your head back laughing, him beaming at you when you weren’t even looking, both of you focused on the ball, kissing… They both thought about turning off the TV, hitting some balls to work out how they were feeling, but then you were introduced into the set, a vibrant smile as you walked in, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt too big to be yours. The Mark Rebellato Tennis Academy logo only confirmed the obvious. You shook hands with everyone, sitting on the sofa they had reserved for you.

“Y/n Y/l/n, thank you for being here” the older man said, over the clapping of the crowd.

“Thanks for having me!”

“What a day it’s been for all of us, tennis fans. You’ve had us on the edge of our seats! First we mourned, now we’re celebrating… Please tell us why did you do this to us?”

“I am so sorry! I am, I really am” you laughed as the man teased you, God how they missed that laugh. “I have a flair for the dramatic, I must admit, and I am, in a way, saying goodbye to my career as I know it. It’s the start of a new chapter, and it’s really exciting, but it is also a goodbye and it felt right to give it its proper moment. I didn’t realize so many people were going to be so upset about it.”

“Why the switch? Why decide to give up singles completely?”

“I wasn’t enjoying it anymore, it was painful and I had started dreading every second of it. Fortunately, I am in a position where I can decide I don’t want to keep doing something that is bringing me down, so I took advantage of it. I didn’t want my stubbornness to completely ruin my love for tennis. I thought I could step back, maybe take up teaching and try to find that passion again. I was going to quit regardless, so this playing doubles thing happened at just the right time.”

“Yeah, let’s talk about that! You’ve decided to become a full time mixed doubles player with Patrick Zweig, who is a challengers player, somewhere in the two-hundreds. You are currently ranked number one in the world, how does this happen?”

“I think rankings and numbers can be misleading sometimes. Sometimes a player is not playing their best because of external reasons, or simply because they are not meant to be where they are. I think me and Patrick are meant to play together, I really do. And if you can’t trust anything else, trust this: I am really competitive and I hate losing, I would not put myself in a situation like this if I really thought we couldn’t win.”

“From what I’ve heard Zweig and you are committed to each other both on and off the court. You’ve never been open about your private life in the media, and he is the first boyfriend you’ve ever made public, what’s different about him?”

They couldn’t take their eyes off you as you let a bashful smile spread on your face.

“I mean…  Everything. I am pretty possessive of my privacy and we still don’t plan to share everything we do, but the truth is that I have never been open about any boyfriends because I have not had any serious relationships since I went pro. Patrick and I will be playing and training together so I thought it was bound to come out, so to me, I'd rather have that happen on my terms. And I do think Patrick is very different to all relationships I’ve had before, in the best way possible”

Art swallowed, refusing to look at Tashi when she turned to watch him. He didn’t deserve to be jealous. He knew that, if he had treated you right, you would still be together. That knowledge didn’t change how he felt.

“How does that happen? How does one manage to make the Y/n Y/l/n fall in love with them?”

“Well, me and Patrick met each other a while ago, at the U.S Junior Open, actually. He won it, I got second, we hit it off instantly. But it was one of those situations where it’s never the right time, you know? We kept missing each other, we were in relationships with other people, and we ended up drifting apart when I went pro. And then, funnily enough, we bumped into each other at an Adidas party about a year ago, and the rest is history.”

Art couldn’t bring himself to be angry when the TV shut off. He turned to look at Tashi who stood there with the remote in her hand, not looking at him. 

“I’ll see you in ten in the court. We need to work on your serve.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, grateful for the excuse to take his feelings out on the ball. To think about anything that wasn’t your smile as you talked about Patrick. He didn’t say it out loud, but he knew Tashi felt the same way, the sudden urge to train had not come out of nowhere. 

New Rochelle, New York. August 24, 2019:

You look down, shaking your head as Patrick crashes his racquet repeatedly against the floor. The umpire’s voice ominously announcing the score. You raise your face back up when Patrick gets given a penalty. Art walks nonchalantly back to the bench, you can feel Tashi’s smug grin beside you. You make eye contact with your husband and shake your head, he rubs his face with both hands, then nods. As much as you both don’t really care to win this tournament, he knows you’ll be angry if he just lets it go, gets angry and in his head and lets Art have it on conduct alone. So he sits back and waits, ready to be better, to prove himself to you once again, like every time he steps on the court.

Earlier that week. New Rochelle, New York. August 18, 2019:

Tashi is working, writing stats on her computer when she sees Patrick walking towards her from the corner of her eye. She rolls her eyes as he stops behind her, pointing at her screen before he speaks:

“He’s not bad, I played him at a few of these things when I did singles.”

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be practicing to not humiliate your wife before she carries you through the U.S. Open?”

“I just finished, thanks for caring.”

“Wonderful” she says, not a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Hey, come have a cigarette with me, I have to talk to you.”

“Yeah I don’t smoke, and I’m not talking to you.”

“Neither do I. It was just an excuse.”

She looks back at him, unimpressed, but he doesn’t let up. He stands there, staring at her until she gives in, closing her computer and standing up. Patrick is not sure what he is doing. He probably shouldn’t be doing anything at all, if he’s honest with himself. But he has dug a hole too deep to jump out of now, so he is going to follow through. He is doing this for you, he reminds himself, no matter how angry you’ll be with him at first, he is doing this for you. They find an empty alley and look back at each other, Tashi waits for him to speak, he takes his time collecting his thoughts before he does.

“I’m gonna propose something to you and it’s going to make you angry. It’s going to make you very angry,” he can’t help the smirk growing on his face, her expression doesn’t let up. “I want you to be our coach next season.”

“What?”

“Our coach is retiring, we need someone else. I want you to be our coach from next season on.”

“Does she know you’re offering me this position?”

“No, not yet. But she will, and she’ll agree with me.”

“You know that’s bullshit. Plus, why would I want to coach you guys? I already have a highly successful athlete under my wing.”

“Yeah, but even if he wins the Open and completes his career grand slam, Art’s still gonna retire as someone who was really, really good. That’s what you guys will have done together. But imagine if you could get your hands on us. Imagine if you could make us great. You’d go down in history. We have a couple more seasons. We still have a couple more good seasons and I need you to bring it out of us. What do you think?”

He doesn’t expect Tashi to slap him, turning his face completely, although he really should have. He mumbles a curse under his breath.

“How fucking dare you?” she sounds angry, too angry for his stupid proposition. “You want me to give you my best piece of advice? To coach you? Ok, quit.”

Patrick can’t even begin to think of a response, the murderous gaze Tashi gives him fixes him to the spot.

“Quit right now, right fucking now, quit.”

“What are you talking about?” he is too shocked to be offended.

“You’re dragging her down. She should’ve gone down in history as the best ever player. She would have broken records. She should have been good enough to beat the men, and she is what? Going around playing mixed doubles with you? It’s pathetic. Quit, and maybe she’ll have a chance at being an ounce of what she should’ve been.”

“You’re fucking joking”

And now Patrick is angry too. Because he is tired. He is so tired of the endless comments and judgment. He is tired of being blamed for ruining you and your career as if it hadn’t been your decision. As if it hadn’t been your idea. As if he was capable of ever doing that to you. As if he hadn’t begged for you to think it over a million times before you took a step that you wouldn’t be able to come back from. As if he hadn’t been the sole reason the world of tennis hadn’t lost you completely. As if he didn’t try harder than he had ever tried to be enough for you and make sure you never resented him or regretted being with him in any way. The thing that makes him the most angry, though, is that it’s Tashi. And how dare Tashi, the woman who had abandoned you and ruined your love for tennis in the first place, blame him for something she had pushed you to do. Something that was nobody’s fault but hers.

“You must be fucking delusional if you think for just one second that I would ever, ever, ask her to give up on her career for me. You know whose idea it was to play mixed doubles only? Y/n’s. She thought of it, she asked me to do it, she orchestrated every single little detail. And you wanna know why she did it? Because she hated tennis. She was going to quit. She couldn’t stand the thing she loved the most anymore. And you wanna know what made her start to hate tennis, even though her love for it never wavered before, not even with her borderline abusive mum who only loved her for her talent in it? You, Tashi. You did. You ruined tennis for her. So get the fuck off that high horse you continue to ride everywhere, because if there’s one person here to blame for ruining her career, it’s the one I’m looking at.”

He is out of breath when he finishes speaking, and he doesn't know what to do. He has so much shit he wants to throw at her, so much resentment for all that she had put you, and him, through. But he can’t say anything else, the second Tashi’s expression falls, even if it is only for a moment, he can feel his heart shatter inside his chest. No matter how much he hates Tashi, how much he resents her, he loves her. He loves her so much it hurts deep inside his chest, like an ache that is so present he had almost forgotten it existed. But looking at her right now, he feels it, pulsating all through him, and he knows, with a certainty he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge before, that he will never not feel this way about her.

“You don’t know what you’re saying” her voice is stern, but Patrick knows her too well to believe her tone.

“You hate me” it’s not a question. “And you hate her too. Me, for having her. Her for having the career you deserved. And it’s driving you crazy, because as much as you hate us both, you also love us. And as much as you love Art, you hate him too.”

“Excuse me?”

“You hate him because he is just Art, that’s all he can ever be. He will never be me, and he will never be her. And as much as you love him, just Art will never be enough for you.”

“I don’t know what gives you the right to speak about my marriage…”

“The same thing that gives you the right to speak about mine. Does Art know about Atlanta?” he cuts her off.

The pure, unfiltered shock on her face lets him know he has caught her off guard. She did not expect him to know about it. She collects herself quickly, but she doesn’t say anything.

“You keep saying you came here because Art needed matches, but I think you came for something else.”

“You think I came here for you?”

“And for her” he says nodding. “I’ve been signed up for this tournament for months, there’s no way you didn’t see my name in the participants list.”

“You think I came here, to throw it all away for you?”

“Maybe you just wanted to see us…”

“I don’t need to see you to know that you look like shit, and she should get as far away from you as soon as possible.”

She starts to walk away, decisively.

“I’m going to beat him,” he says, it stops her in her tracks, she turns her face to look at him. “If we both make it to the final I’m going to beat him.”

“Even if you did, it wouldn’t change anything.”

“It would break him, you know it would.”

She shakes her head and starts to walk away, too exasperated to come up with another hurtful retort about his failed career. She jogs after her, catching up with her pace almost effortlessly. He grabs her arm, makes her stop walking. He pulls up a piece of paper from the back pocket of his jeans.

“My number, in case you change your mind about the coaching… Or about seeing us again.”

“I won’t.”

He nods, shrugs his shoulders. Then, he watches her put the note in her pocket. He smiles.

New Rochelle, New York. August 24, 2019:

Patrick hasn’t looked away from you even once. You know even though you are looking into your lap. You are hyper aware of every single person around you. Most accurately, you are hyper aware of the woman next to you and the two men playing against each other. You play with your ring as you feel Tashi tell Art to focus. When you finally meet Patrick’s eyes he doesn’t smile. He raises his left hand and kisses the ring on his finger without breaking eye contact as the umpire announces the start of the next set. He crosses paths with Art as he makes his way to the other side of the net but he doesn’t move his eyes from you until he is getting ready to serve. You know then, with absolute certainty, that he is doing this for you.

Atlanta Open, Atlanta. July 18, 2011:

Even though Patrick and you both know why you are sitting in the stands during practice time instead of walking around the venue, or actually practicing, you are still shocked when you see Tashi and Art walk into the court. Your hand reaches for Patrick, holding on to his thigh as if on a rollercoaster that is suddenly going down. You both try to look composed and careless, but you don’t know if you are doing a good job. Art and Tashi do the same, pretending they can’t see you, even though you are the only other ones there and you stick out like a sore thumb. Patrick and you talk to each other, although neither of you would be able to recall anything said during your conversation, and share the fries you had bought before walking over. You pretend you just casually stumbled to sit there for a snack, that you hadn’t checked the schedule to figure out what time and what court Art Donaldson had for pre-match practice. Art hits the ball like he hasn’t been able to hit it in a while, grunting as his racket made contact with it. Tashi looks at you for a second, then back at Art. She nods, satisfied. You want to run away, want to erase that satisfied smirk from her face and your memory. But you stay glued to your seat, hand in your boyfriend’s thigh, heart pounding, and you take the way they ignore you like a punishment.

New Rochelle, New York. August 23, 2019:

The wind is relentless, the trees hitting against the window making repetitive thwack noises that remind Patrick of the sound of the ball hitting the racket. You have been answering emails and making calls to finish preparing things for tomorrow, the U.S. Open, and whatever lies in store for you both after that. Patrick knows that you’ve been messaging potential coaches and though the guilt pit on his stomach keeps growing, he can’t bring himself to say anything to you. He hopes you haven’t set in stone anything, because he is still delusionally confident that Tashi will accept his offer. He knows he should help, whatever you are doing affects him too, but he is too nervous to do anything productive so he just lays around, throwing a ball against the ceiling, or the wall, or whatever he can find. After the third time the ball slips from his hand too early or too late and hits you, you stand up and point to the door.

“Leave, right now” he makes no attempt to move. “Patrick, I mean it. I’m working and I know that you are nervous but you’re stressing me out so go down to the sauna, or get a drink or something that’s not going to make me ask you for a divorce or have to spend the rest of the night finding a place to hide your body.”

Patrick smiles as he stands up. He picks one of the keys from your bedside table and walks over to you, kissing your head before making his way to the door.

“I love you.” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, love you too. Leave now, please.”

He giggles all the way down the elevator. He doesn’t feel like drinking, which means he doesn’t feel like making a fool of himself tomorrow for getting drunk the night before a match, especially not in front of Art and Tashi. So he walks around until he finds the sauna, maybe that will help him calm down. But as he gets naked and opens the door he can’t believe his bad luck. Although there is a white towel covering his face, there is no denying the naked man sitting right in front of him is Art Donaldson. Patrick doesn’t think there’s a world where he wouldn’t recognize him, no matter how much he’s changed from that scrawny blonde boy he once knew like the back of his hand. He thinks about turning around, walking out, pretending he never saw him, and finding something else to do for the night. But there’s no way Art hasn’t heard the door opening, and Patrick has never been one to run from conflict, not really. So he steps forward, lets his mind get a little bit caught up in the past, sue him he hasn’t seen this guy in years, and opens his mouth:

“Can you do me a favor? Can you not like, demolish me tomorrow?” He says it with the inflection of a pick up line, and before he can even finish his sentence Art is pulling the towel away from his face and looking at him like he already knew that it was him standing at the door, even before he said anything.

They are both smiling as Patrick pulls the sauna door closed and walks toward Art. He is acting far more comfortably than he feels, but if he stops to think about what is actually happening he might start shaking and poop his pants, which would be a terrible thing seeing as he isn’t wearing any. He gets way too close to him, and raises one of his legs on the bench, dick fully on display. Art makes a valiant attempt pretending he doesn’t look down.

“Hey, congrats on being a Phil Tire’s Town Challenger finalist.”

“Yeah, you too” Art says, looking forward to not have to look at Patrick, who is smiling far too wide for the situation they are in and the past that they have.

“Hopefully the wind dies down by tomorrow and we can have a fair fight” Patrick lets himself pretend this is normal, like they are two competitors getting ready for the final, maybe even pals catching up after not having seen each other in a while.

Art doesn’t let him have a second of the little fantasy he’s made up in his head, though. He slides down the bench, getting as far away from him as he can without looking like he is actually running away.

“C’mon, can we talk?” Patrick says, and his voice sounds pitiful even to his own ears.

“Can you put your dick away” Art’s voice is stern, but he looks him in the eye for the first time since he walked in, so he counts it as a win.

“This is a sauna,” Patrick scoffs, putting up a fight so Art won’t notice he’d do anything he told him to. “Look, we've been here for a week and we haven’t said two words to each other. It's just… it’s silly, man. It’s dramatic. I mean, really, why are you so angry with me?”

He sits down, obeying Art and covering his dick. Art is finally looking at him, really looking at him. It has the same effect it did back when they were kids, Art looking at him makes him feel brave. He can’t stop himself from rambling on.

“Look, I don’t buy that it’s because of Tashi, I don’t think it’s because of what happened to her. And I hope it’s not about Y/n, because you have no right… So, I think, maybe, you’re just really disturbed by the fact that they could’ve been into someone like me. Both of them”

“Tashi liked you when we were teenagers.”

“Sure, but I just got married to the girl you said was the love of your life.”

“I ended things with her.”

“And you regret it every single day of your life,” Patrick knew, because it was the same way you and him felt about him and Tashi, “and you know that Tashi does too.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We both know that if Tashi had been a little more brave back then, she would’ve never taken either of our numbers. If she had been a little bit more honest with herself, she would’ve swept Y/n away and neither of us would’ve had a chance with either of them.”

“That still happened when they were teenagers. When we were teenagers.”

“Huh” Patrick looks thoughtful. “When they were teenagers…”

Atlanta Open, Atlanta. July 18, 2011:

You slip out of your room in a t-shirt that is definitely not yours and the first shorts you stumble across on your way to the door. You can’t sleep and Patrick’s soft snores, which you often find endearing, are getting on your nerves. He doesn’t stir, even as you close the door softly behind you. You don’t know what you are doing, or where you’re going. You take the stairs down, needing to move your body for a little bit. You walk outside, feeling like no matter how hard you breathe in there’s not enough air in your lungs. You lay your weight against the brick wall of the hotel. You get your breathing under control after a couple minutes of staring at the sky trying to look for constellations you don’t know the name of anyways. When you turn around, to go back inside the hotel, you realize that right next to where you were standing there’s a window to the hotel’s bar. There, sitting down, nursing a glass that you can only assume contains something strong, already staring at you, is Tashi Duncan. You don’t know what you’re doing, but you let your feet guide you inside. Then, instead of going up the stairs like you should, you take a right turn and walk right into the bar. Tashi finds you immediately, having been looking at the door. You don’t understand what you’re doing, but before you can think about it you are sitting right in front of her. You haven’t looked at her this up close in years. You search, but you can’t find many differences. She looks exactly like the girl you knew with her hair a little shorter. You wonder if it’s the same on the inside, if the million secrets you knew about her still hold true. If you could still tell which of her smiles were fake, or when she was about to cry but was trying to hold it down.

“I heard you gave up,” she whispers after a minute of staring into each other’s eyes.

“I quit singles, I didn’t give up,” but you can tell she doesn’t really believe you, so you scan her, trying to find something else to talk about. Your eyes lock on the ring in her finger. “That’s a gorgeous ring.”

Your fingers find your own ring instinctively. You don’t know if you’re trying to make sure it’s still there, or if you are trying to ask your dad for strength. Her gaze lowers, first to your ring, then to her own.

“It’s his grandmother’s.”

You nod, you know what that means. Art had always talked about wanting to propose to his future wife with his grandmother’s ring. Back when he fantasized with you about it, it was your hand that ring ended up on. He always talked about taking you to the residency so you could meet his grandmother, completely sure she would love you and give you her blessing immediately. You think of your own sentimental family ring, unsure you would ever be able to trust anyone enough to carry it, no matter how much you loved them.

“How is she?” you ask, more out of politeness than anything else, you never got to meet her, after all.

“She died. Stroke”

You grimace, knowing the feeling of losing the one person who truly believes in you too well.  You look around, trying desperately to find something to say, you will your brain to remember the million icebreakers and conversation starters you had been forced to memorize for the awfully boring networking parties your mum used to throw for you. You come up with nothing, so you look back at her and lean over the table and she imitates you. Your faces inches away from each other. You feel drunk even though you haven’t had a single sip of alcohol all day. You don’t question it, Tashi always made you feel like you were going crazy and a little bit drunk. It must be that what pushes you to say what comes out of your mouth next:

“I miss you.”

She doesn’t say anything, but she leans further over the table, getting impossible close to your face without touching it. Then, when you are completely sure she is going to tell you to go fuck yourself and leave her alone, her hand makes her way to the back of your neck pushing you towards her until your eyes meet. There might be a million things that have changed since the last time you did this, but kissing Tashi Duncan feels exactly the same as the first time you did it. It feels like coming home.

New Rochelle, New York. August 23, 2019:

“You’re right” Art says finally, leaning his back against the wall. “I do find it disturbing.”

“There’s no need, man. Lots of girls were into me, but only one of them wanted to marry me. I’ve always thought that was not what I was for, so I don’t know how I did it.”

“Yeah, neither do I.”

Patrick feels his entire skin burn with the way Art looks him up and down. He curses in his head the years they’ve spent apart and the secretive, mature person Art has become, he can’t read him like he could. He can’t tell if he is teasing, or trying to humiliate him. He can’t tell if he’s angry, or just as desperately sad as he is.

Atlanta Open, Atlanta. July 18, 2011:

You don’t know how but you and Tashi have stumbled onto a hotel room that you don’t recognize. It’s much bigger and fancier than yours so you assume it’s hers. You want to ask where Art is, if he is about to walk in on the two of you making out on his bed, but the way she is kissing you makes you forget about everything. You roll onto the bed, hands on either side of her face as hers roam your body freely. It’s too much and not enough simultaneously and you moan and pant on her lips. It’s everything you’ve always dreamt of and you can’t help wanting more. More of her and her body, of her lips, more of her heart. You try to not be greedy, take what she gives you, and soon you’re seeing stars and rolling over, breathing with difficulty.

“That was…” 

“Yeah” she mumbles.

“So… What happens now?”

“What do you mean what happens now?” she seems confused as she stands from the bed, walking around until she finds your clothes.

“We just had sex,” you say, obviously.

“Look, we shouldn’t have done this. It was a mistake.” She throws your t-shirt at you, you put it on slowly.

“A mistake?” you’re getting angrier by the second, but you don’t want to yell and alert whoever is sleeping in the room next to this one.

“Yeah, we will act as if nothing happened.”

“What about Art?

“He doesn’t need to know,” you shake your head as you finish putting on your clothes.

“That’s fucked up.”

“Do not act as if I was the only one who cheated! Aren’t you and Patrick dating?”

“I never said that! You can’t just run away from everything you refuse to accept. You haven’t talked to me in years!”

“Yeah, and it should have stayed that way.”

“One day you’re going to wake up and realize that everything you’ve refused to accept all your life is catching up to you, and by then, it might be too late.”

“Get out” she says, instead of replying to what you said, you don’t need to be told twice.

You manage to hold back your tears until you are standing in front of the elevator. You’re fully sobbing when the doors open, revealing a very confused Art. You see him step towards you, but you refuse to let either of them continue breaking your heart. You step backwards, then turn around. You run until you find the stairs. By the time you make it back to your room you look like a mess. You knock on the door, you must have left your key in Tashi’s room but you are too upset to care about that or waking Patrick up. His entire face changes when he opens the door. Worry taking over his expression.

“Y/n, what happened? Where were you?

You fall onto his arms, sobbing. He leads you in, closing the door behind you. You don’t speak until you’re both seating in bed.

“I saw Tashi… And I… We…” you don’t say anything else, but you don’t need to, he understands.

He holds you through the night. The next morning, you forfeit the tournament and go home.

New Rochelle, New York. August 23, 2019:

“Honestly, I thought you’d be happy I was in the draw” Patrick is not ready to let it go, to shut up and walk away from Art, he doesn’t know when’s the next time he’ll be able to talk to him again, so he runs his mouth. “I mean, you’ve always wanted to beat me in a tournament, and two weeks before the open… It’s the perfect confidence booster.

He settles on cocky because he doesn’t know what else to do. He has never been very good at being vulnerable, not with Art, and no amount of therapy is going to make him start now, when he can see how done he is with him from a mile away.

“I know what you’re trying to do right now,” Art smiles.

“I’m not trying to do anything, Art,” but he doesn’t know if he’s telling the truth. “This is a challenger, I don’t need to play mind games with you.”

“Right, you don’t give a shit.”

“Hey, I didn’t say that…”

“We both know that you have a considerably higher stake here than I do.”

“Do I?”

Art laughs, but there’s no real humor to it. Patrick does too, trying to conceal the way he is sure his entire body is shaking.

“Oh, fuck… Where do you get your swagger from, man?” Patrick can tell, from the way Art is looking at him, that this is the part that’s going to hurt, he doesn’t try to stop it. “I mean you come in here swinging your dick around like I’m supposed to be afraid of it but do you realize how embarrassing it is that you are here right now?”

“Not quite as embarrassing as you being here,” Patrick has never known a way to back down, so he stirs the pot.

He’d rather have Art yelling at him or humiliating him than not talking to him at all. His therapist would not be very proud.

“I’m just stopping by, man. You would live here if it wasn’t for her” there’s a pause, suddenly Patrick wants to take everything back, run away with his tail between his legs, but it’s too late. “You know, I’ve always tried to figure out what happened to you, but the more I thought about it the more I realized… It’s what didn’t happen. You never grew up. You still think you can talk to me like you’re my peer because we came from the same place, because you’ve managed to stumble into some of the same competitions. But it’s not about where you came from in tennis, Patrick, it’s about winning. And I do, a lot. And you only do because you tricked Y/n into playing with you. But one day, she’s going to wake up and realize she wasted her entire fucking life in a pathetic man who thinks he’s the shit because he won the junior U.S Open a trillion years ago. And then, you’ll be left with what you deserve: nothing.”

“You’ve never beaten me,” he says, as if it’s what matters out of everything he said.

He says it because if he focuses on what Art said about you, he might cry. He doesn’t want to cry, not in front of Art, not right now. He doesn’t have enough willpower to fight him, like he knows he should, like he did with Tashi.

“So what? I haven’t beaten most of the guys who play in these things, or the ones who only make it into the big tournaments playing doubles. This is a game about winning the points that matter.”

“I don’t matter?” he doesn’t know why he says it, or what he is expecting to get in return.

“Not even to the most obsessive tennis fan in the entire world,” his voice is monotone, tired, Patrick wants to crawl out of his skin.

“We’re not talking about tennis.”

“What the fuck else do I have to talk to you about?”

“I wanted to come in here to wish you good luck, Art,” he says, and he means it.

“That makes no sense,” Art scoffs, looking away, he’s talking to himself more than Patrick.

“I wanted to say that I’m looking forward to it, I miss playing with you,” he is being vulnerable, but he knows Art won’t believe him, which is probably why he says it in the first place.

“Yeah,” he nods his head and he looks amused, but Patrick can see right through him, he’s about to finish him off. “Well, I don’t miss playing with you, man. I’m too old for it.”

As soon as the door is closed behind Art, Patrick lets himself drop onto the bench. He tells himself he is not going to cry. There’s tears running down his face by the time you open the door of your room to him. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t need to, you understand.

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 10, 6/21/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

This week's issue is accompanied by a PDF version created by the lovely Cheer! Pick it up here to check it out!

This Week At The Overseer HQ

By Nes

Welcome to a new segment here at The Overseer where we keep you updated on the mishaps here at The Overseer HQ! Ever wonder what your favourite writers and artists are doing between issues? Well, now you’ll be able to tell!

The HQ was incredibly hyped this week as we approached our 10th issue, a big milestone! We ended up naming this week our official birthday, so be sure to wish all writers, artists, editors, etc, a very special day if you see them! If they act confused, assume they have been replaced with a clone and act accordingly.*

Incidents this week were shockingly low with only 28 reported. These incidents include a food fight in the breakroom, multiple fires thanks to a failed baking attempt, and multiple failed kidnappings. The Overseer would like to remind people that no, our writers are not up for adoption and you cannot take them home. That goes for artists and beta readers as well. 

The Seers are ecstatic this week as they are back in business with three asks to answer! Be sure to give them lots of love and consider leaving an ask of your own via the ask box, they’ll be answered as soon as we receive enough to warrant an article. 

We’re also busy at work on the Citizen Census which is set to be released the first week of July, huge thanks to Lydia for leading the charge in gathering the information needed! If you have some citizens who haven’t completed the census form yet, then you can do it here! The Census Forum is set to close on the 28th. We can’t wait to finish the article and see the employment rate on the server!

The Overseer would also like to note that we are always seeking new writers, artists, and proofreaders. To apply, simply pop into The Overseer channel on the server and let us know you’re interested in taking part in the newspaper!

*for legal reasons The Overseer would like to state that no one has been replaced with a clone and this is a joke

Articles on the Overseer this week:

The Overseer Newspaper Celebrates 10th Issue!

Affiliate Happenings

Throwback #1

Weekly Weather Report

Yet Another Birthday Article

Astrology Corner

Ask the Seers

Now onto other news below the cut!

The Overseer Newspaper Celebrates 10th Issue!

By Lydia

The Overseer Newspaper releases its tenth issue today, June 21st, 2023! This fan-created project has brought over 500 Citizens the latest updates regarding everything from the inner community’s events, changes, and overarching evolving presence on the Server overall to frequent updates about their favored Hermits’ recurring content. The dedicated staff appears overjoyed to be able to celebrate the newspaper’s tenth “Birthday” and has stated that this is an incredible milestone. Previous conversations within the organization have included wishing to commemorate all of the work that the team has contributed to this ongoing collaborative project. Through each issue, The Overseer solidifies its identity as “Made by the Hermit Citizen Community, for the Hermit Citizen Community,” through its recurring columns featuring Horoscopes, a Lost and Found, an Advice Column, Server Affiliate Summaries, retrospectives from On the Sidelines, Citizen Organization Advertisements, Weather Forecasts, its Games and Puzzles, and its aesthetically detailed Coloring Pages and Comics. This newspaper releases both a textual version and a PDF version of each issue through its Tumblr page and garners an increasingly growing readership of the Hermit Citizen Hub.

Roo, the Editor-in-Chief of The Overseer, has guided the Newspaper collective through each issue’s weekly progress, providing suggestions for new articles, keeping track of the present staff members and their engagement, structuring the order of the articles for their public releases, providing the Affiliate Summaries, frequently updating the staff about the ongoing news regarding both the Hermit Citizens and the Hermits themselves, answering endless questions from both outsiders and staff members, organizing special events for The Overseer’s future issues, and bolstering consistently high morale among the staff through encouraging and welcoming leadership. The task of keeping each staff member accountable while also ensuring that they are not overworking themselves to the bone is far from an easy one, with over twenty staff members and an enormous passive viewership of approximately six hundred participants of the Hermit Citizen Hub. The comprehensive duties of this volunteer position can easily rival those of a full-time paid occupation, and it is incredibly generous of Roo to provide these extensive services without monetary compensation. The Overseer staff and the Hermit Citizen Community would like to extend a long-overdue “Thank You” to Roo, the ever-determined visionary, and cat-herder of The Overseer!

While each newspaper issue varies in length, the written voices of each contributor have become increasingly distinct over the past ten weeks. Frequent readers of The Overseer may very well be able to guess the writer of each article by merely a single paragraph, and the subject matter of each article. Corundum Cat and Jamie create ominous, humorously written Horoscopes each week. Sirius, Ilea, and Azure make Word Searches, Crossword Puzzles, Coloring Pages, and Comics that invite readers to test their wits and their knowledge of color theory. Roo brings the most prevalent Hermit Affiliate groups to the center of attention through the bi-weekly Affiliate Summaries, all with the reporter’s commentary. Jester, Nes, Vi, and S all provide lighthearted assistance for all Citizen problems through The Seers Advice Column.

Rainy brings readers full Weather Forecasts to help Citizens prepare for thunderstorms, rip tides, and the odd sandstorm, as well as predictions for Hot Guy sightings. Lydia shines the spotlight on Citizens’ artistic pursuits. Two previous issues also included Lydia’s Spectating Science column, which ran capacious reports covering scientific researchers of the Server. Virtual ensures that all missing items are tracked down with perfectly descriptive articles in the Lost and Found. Felix provides Op-Eds full of wonder and boundless enthusiasm for life itself in the On the Sidelines column. Jamie organizes advertisements from all around the Server in the Citizen Advertisements column. Cheer shows off her affinity for graphic design through the PDF versions of each issue, including adapting the titles and formatting each article.

With over fifty articles published in total for The Overseer, every writer’s level of finesse and skill comes to light through their efforts to make an entertaining, informative, and personalized newspaper. In addition, the majority of the staff also shares the task of writing recurring topics with each other, allowing for a varied writing group each week. It is not an accident that readers may see various recurring articles written by different members from one issue to the next. While not seen as nearly as challenging as performance art, the act of providing one’s written word in a public setting can be nerve-wracking to any number of viewers. The Overseer wishes the best of luck to all of the writers, all of whom are trying very hard to develop their creative literary experience to the best of their ability in the public eye!

The assiduous team of designers, editors, reporters, writers, and organizers of The Overseer, including Arcade, Azure, Berry, Cheer, Corundum Cat, Felix, Fool, Ilea, Jamie, Jester, Lee, Light, Lydia, Mewie, Morph, Nes, Nika, Rainy, Roo, S, Sirius, Snuffy, Styx, and Virtual, would like to share their thanks to each of their readers for the steadfast support they have received for the past two and a half months! They would also like to thank the overall Hermit Citizen Community for effortlessly maintaining such an altruistic and vivacious space for all of their fellow participants.

Affiliate Happenings

By Roo

Bdoubleo: There has been a sighting of the Bdoubleo in his natural habitat. All is well with the world.

GoodTimesWithScar: Apparently, literally all the Hermits are the tallest possible, even not counting various extra limbs. The good times keep timing.

Grian: They’re planning a trip to Omega Mart. Please don’t look up commercials, as from what I’ve gathered, they are extremely concerning and honestly, probably the worst thing I will see in my life, if you don’t count the newspaper’s lack of storage. Nobody worry, we’re still debating on whether or not to call Pearl, as we’re all broke enough already.

JoeHills: (Non-threateningly) Joe Hills.

MumboJumbo: As a direct quote, “Mumbo Jumbo should compete in a stache' contest,” which, while having a multitude of grammatical and spelling errors, we at the newspaper fully agree with.

PearlescentMoon: They’re studying her under a microscope. They’re taking notes. They’re running full-level tests and then wiping up the extra soup spills so as to not ruin their hard work.

ZombieCleo: Cleo has been turned into a lofi girl (gender neutral) and honestly, I think we should be scared.

If your affiliate channel has not shown up this week, it is, as always, and I should really not have to keep saying this, but it’s become a tradition at this point- it is because it has been inactive or the activity has been minimal. Have a lovely week, citizens!

Throwback #1

By Ilea

With the rise of museums on Hermitcraft (and us at The Overseer covering briefly what is in them), the local Hermit-history nerd of The Overseer (that’s me) decided that covering some of the artifacts collected in detail would be interesting. It will probably be a series showing up now and then.

So, welcome to the first edition of this trivia thing, I may manufacture the name in the future. This week we are looking at the season 9 big Iskall head in the implications of Iskallman being back.

Firstly, who is Iskallman? Technically, Iskall with an extra Iskall head on his head. However, what is more important is that said head implies that Iskall will give someone a gift that is of help. The character originated from Hermit Challenges after Iskall got dared and has been carried over to season 9.

Now the big head was made to give Stress a gift and later to use in his King’s court audition tape. 

Questions that we cannot answer are ‘How is Iskallman?’ and ‘Will Iskallman be back?’ We only may hope to learn that in the future, but that has been your quick history throwback for a week.

I have been your host, Il, thanks for reading.

Weekly Weather Report

By Nes

Temperature will be presented in Celsius format, sorry, Americans

Thursday - Cloudy skies with a high of 21 Celsius is expected to last throughout Thursday, with winds picking up in the evening. An excellent day to do outside work as the clouds will prevent a lot of the suns UV’s from reaching you, plus the slight wind ensures you won’t overheat.

Friday - Light showers are expected to begin Friday afternoon alongside a high of 32 Celsius. Showers will last until around dinner time before clearing out to reveal clear skies. Might be best to choose an indoor activity.

Saturday - Clear skies with a high of 34 Celsius is expected for Saturday and will last the entire day, be sure to hydrate properly and consider avoiding labour intensive work while outside during the day.

Sunday - More clear skies with a high of 38 Celsius, seems like a bit of a heatwave has hit Hermitcraft. Be sure to drink lots of water, avoid unnecessary labour, and try taking showers if you feel real groggy. 

Monday - The heatwave continues with clear skies and a high of 34 Celsius, as always be sure to hydrate and take care of your bodies needs.

Tuesday - Clear skies continue but the heat seems to have gone down as the high is expected to be 26 Celisuis, might be a good day to get anything you put off during the heatwave done. 

Wednesday - Light showers are expected in the morning before making way to clear skies by noon with a high of 25 Celusuis, perhaps consider visiting a nearby body of water for a swim.

Yet Another Birthday Article

By Roo

The Overseer was an idea suggested by Hermitcitizen and mod Void on April 15th, 2023, the idea coming from a dream, if our sources are correct. Not even a week after the Hermitcitizen Hub was up and running, the first issue was  posted on April 18th. The three days between the newspaper's founding and first issue were full of pure chaos, name suggestions, and a growing group of various citizens contributing in their own ways. 

The name "The Overseer" was suggested by Shroomgun, and for the last ten weeks, the crew at The Overseer has been working to produce a newspaper each week, complete with games, weather, articles, coloring pages, a PDF version, and even a recent expansion to Twitter.

The newspaper consists of less than 30 citizens, and honestly, if I were to pick a newspaper crew,  i sure as hell wouldnt pick them I would pick them every time. These citizens are all people who put in extra time for no paycheck (we're all unpaid interns, any donations would be welcome) and make amazing creations. Thank you so much for everyone in the newspaper crew, because if it was just me and one or two other people, it'd be a really crappy newspaper. I may be herding cats, but if I'm fully honest, I'm more of a cat person anyways.

Here's to many more weeks to come.

Astrology Corner

By Winter

Have you been feeling without guidance? Do you look at your birthday, look up your star sign, and wonder, “Do I need to bake a cake?” “Are the horoscopes gonna be wholesome this week?” Don’t worry, here at The Overseer, we can help you.*

Aries: You will find a pet and adopt it. You will then become lifelong friends.

Taurus: You will find a really nice coffee shop and become friends with the co-owner. 

Gemini: You will adopt an introvert and make them feel welcome.

Cancer: You found this epic cat cafe and wanted to book it for your birthday, but someone else has booked it. Weird.

Leo: You get a message from a long-lost relative with an inheritance sum of “more than Docm77’s” diamonds. So, a lot. Are you the richest Hermitcitizen?

Virgo: You approached Capricorn about Cancer. You also got paid by your employer.

Libra: You have arranged (after Decked Out is complete, of course) for TangoTek to do the groundhog thing he did last time Decked Out was being built. If he comes out, you and the Decked Out people get to go on extended leave. 

Scorpio: You have been gifted 20 pugaliers. Take good care of them.

Sagittarius: You get to be adopted by The Rift. Congratulations!

Capricorn: You will be approached about throwing a birthday party for Cancer. If you choose to take on this task, make sure it is at a cat cafe.

Aquarius: You get adopted by Gemini, and they then will accept the cupcakes you make in response. 

Pisces: You are somehow significant to the lore and get an exhibit dedicated to you in one of the museums.

All star signs: Did you think I could be wholesome?

*Ignore how blatantly specific these are. Nothing bad will happen to you.

Ask the Seers

By Seers Jester, S, Vi, and Nes

Life can be confusing and sometimes we don’t hold all the answers, but that’s ok because The Seers are here! Have you recently adopted a Warden and don’t know what to do with it? Do you believe yourself to be in danger due to your affliate Hermit blowing up our resident mad scientests machine? Ask us for advice and we’ll be sure to get back to you… eventually!

—————————————————

Dear Seers,  um.. every time I pass the tree of whimsy, I hear voices, is this normal ? - Talking to the voices in my head

Dear Talking to the Voices,

While mildly disquieting, hearing voices isn’t too uncommon on the hermitcraft server, particularly when near a build with as much residual whimsical energy as the Tree of Whimsy (Whimsy Anomaly Center of Knowledge [W.A.C.K.] site OO100) or The Entity (W.A.C.K. site CON412). Though if you are still concerned, here’s a quick checklist to determine the severity of your situation:

Do the voices remain even when you have left the W.A.C.K. site’s radius?

Do the voices imitate either your voice, or the voice of a friend/loved one?

Are the voices accompanied by music? Particularly acoustic covers of your favorite and/or least favorite songs.

Do the voices become panicked or even scream when near large redstone contraptions?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, please stop by the W.A.C.K. research center (located below the end island) for testing treatment - The Seers

_______________________________

Dear Seers, can we adopt the horse-curse horses from Scarland? - Really wants a horse from scarland

Hello Really Wants A Horse From Scarland! What is kidnapping if not surprise adoption? Just be sure not to get caught by Scarland staff and take proper care of the horse - chances are they’re safer in your hands then his given his track record of keeping literally anything alive. - The Seers

_______________________________

Dear Seers I work and live in Scarland, and need to find a new place to go after the incident, what are the safest places to live? - Someone who has probably already faced Docs wrath since sending this in

Assuming you are not already one with the ground due to this delayed response, perhaps consider moving into The Perimeter! Shockingly there is no place safer for you right now than the most dangerous place on the server. Good luck! - The Seers

_______________________________

ADVERTISEMENTS

By Jamie

—————————————————

—————————————————

Requesting some Angelica Flowers at Dwayne! While Scar has given us permission to lock Grian out of his base, the plan is yet to be determined. All chaotic gremlins please make your way over to the rift this Friday (do NOT lick anything) for some mandatory shenanigans.

—————————————————

Ever get tired of hunting for a mob spawner to get the tiniest bit if XP to finish enchanting? Well, with SUS's free anti-mob-proofing service, the spawner can come to you! No matter where your base may be located, it can always be made more unsafe. Scar Unsafety Service takes no responsibility for lost or damaged items, lives, or bases. Call 1-800-SUS to book your free anti-mob-proofing today!

—————————————————

Fun and Games

This week's fun and games are brought to you by Lydia and Azure!

Word Search and Crossword by Lydia

Brain Teasers by Azure

And that's all for this week folks, thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!

[anyhs-themes]

HIATUS (en)

What about my themes? I'm not taking commissions anymore, but all my themes will continue to be available for now, however I'm no longer updating them, so use them at your own risk!

Where to find me? You can still find me on my personal blog (@anyhsalinas). And if you have a theme/HTML/CSS/JavaScript related question for me, as long as it's a simple question I might have time to help you, so send it to my personal blog (here) ONLY. Don't even try to ask about these things on my other social medias where the focus is not coding, please, otherwise I'll block you (I had people doing this before and I get very annoyed by that, respect my spaces, please).

Why I'm quitting?

One of the biggest reasons why I loved Tumblr was the ability to customize our blogs however we wanted and turn it into our own space with our own style. And that's why I started making themes for myself and for other people. But over the last years Tumblr has kinda neglected this feature of the platform:

Clicking on a blog through the dashboard now takes you to a default dashboard-like page (this) and not to the customized version of the blog (this), which turned customizing your blog into something pointless because we take a long time customizing our theme only so that it might never even be seen by anyone;

This change also made it possible for people to send me messages without even seeing the rules for messaging me first;

And let's not forget the fact that now we need to contact Tumblr's staff to ask and wait for their permission in order to use JavaScript in custom pages, which makes things so unnecessarily more difficult for people who want to use our custom pages (they say it's for safety reasons, but it's still possible to use scripts on the main theme, so what's the point?).

Let's talk about writing posts as well:

We can no longer use basic HTML codes on posts which made it impossible for me to post tutorials (since it blocks the codes I'm trying to teach) -- which made me need to create a blog on Blogger to post my tutorials there, and have to simultaneously take care of two blogs on the exact same topics, which is kind of annoying;

Also the new post editor has been very buggy for me. Sometimes when I try to copy a portion of the text I'm writting it just won't copy no matter what. Sometimes it will duplicate paragraphs on its own for no reason...

Tumblr has also made some bad decisions (in my opinion at least) over the years of what kind of content to allow in the platform which caused serious problems to the platform itself (as you might have seen in the news around that time), but even before that also caused a big change in its community and the majority of the blogs I loved (the meme, poetry and fandom blogs of shows and bands I like) moved to Twitter (I still refuse to call it "X", lol) and other social medias. So most of what I loved about this platform is gone forever and the only things still keeping me here are the things I have saved in my blogs, my liked posts and drafts (mostly custom content and mods that I found here for The Sims, lol).

I haven't been using Tumblr regularly in... years, actually. Only sometimes I pass by. And I no longer enjoy developing themes for this platform because now, after all these changes, it has turned into something kinda pointless. Also, I've been busy with other projects that are bringing me more joy at the moment, such as my Youtube channels and crafting. So I'm leaving behind this part of my life... I don't like saying this is an end because I can always change my mind. But unless Tumblr goes back to making our custom theme as the main page of our blogs (instead of that default dashboard-like boring page), I don't think I'll go back to making themes for this platform.

But thank you all for your support in this blog and for using my codes through all of these years! Wish you all the best. 💕

— Anyh's Themes (2013 - 2024)

[charmedhypno]

The ABCs of Attending Charmed! - A through M

Will Charmed!2024 be your first kink event? Or your first event full stop? Here is a short primer to guide you through the experience.

A - Attendance

How will you attend Charmed!2024? In-person? Online? In-person and online? All three of these are options! Charmed!2024 is a hybrid convention, which means that we plan to stream most of our classes. Some of those classes will be recorded and re-broadcast over the weekend, so that people who missed them the first time around have a second chance. All streamed content is available to every convention attendee – in-person attendees are welcome to watch streamed content via their own computers from the comfort of their hotel rooms.

B - Before the Convention

Register for whichever attendance option works for you!

If attending in-person:

Reserve your hotel room!

If you haven’t done so already, join our Discord server!

Arrange your travel!

Make sure your Covid vaccinations are up to date and that you have a test to take in the three days leading up to your arrival!

Make sure that you have enough well-fitting masks (like N95s or KN94s) for the entire weekend!

If you’re attending virtually:

If you haven’t done so already, join our Discord server!

When it’s available, verify your identity on the event server!

If haven’t got it already, sign up for Zoom!

C - Consent 

At Charmed!2024 (both in-person and online) consent needs to be:

informed, affirmative, and revocable. Any scene, play, or hypnotic interaction between two or more attendees needs to be negotiated with those benchmarks in mind.

Consent standards need to be generally observed as well. For example, attendees need to have consent before they:

Touch another person, even in non-sexual ways

Touch or handle another person’s property, be it human property or toys/equipment/clothing

Insert themselves into or interrupt a scene in progress

Involve another person in their scene or non-scene activity

The entire consent policy can be read HERE on our website.

D - Discord

Although information about Charmed!2024 is being released through multiple sources, being a member of our Discord server is a vital step in being fully informed for the convention. In the months leading up to Charmed!, Discord is the best way to get to know your fellow attendees! It’s where you’ll find things like a general chat full of people with experience attending conventions, and closer to the event, room-share and ride-share channels . For the convention itself, we’ll have a special event server that attendees will be invited to join sometime in December. All communications, updates, and class links will be made only in the event server! You can join our regular server HERE

E - Etiquette

Navigating a new space, whether it be online or in-person, can be daunting, especially when there might be rules that you don’t know about. If you’ve never attended a kinky convention before (and Charmed!2024 qualifies!) here are some things to keep in mind.

Everyone will be using a scene name. Very few people attend a kink con using their “real world” name. This is usually for safety and security reasons; reactions from non-kink people to anything kink-related can range from “that’s weird” to “burn it with fire” and it’s not an exaggeration to say that there are people who have been outed as kinky who have had their lives ruined– losing their jobs, relationships, and children in the process.  

Observation and use of diverse pronouns is our standard. You’ll have the opportunity to put your pronouns on your badge (or in your ID on Discord) and we expect you to use the correct pronouns for every person you encounter. You may encounter a pronoun you’ve never seen before, if this happens, do your best to remember it and correct yourself immediately if you accidentally use the wrong one.

Any and all hypnosis must happen with prior negotiation and consent. This means that trying out your killer handshake induction on a random, unsuspecting stranger is expressly against the rules. It also means that our convention is off-limits to non-attendees! Our door dragons (volunteers who guard each entrance to the official convention space) will be checking the badges of every single person who passes them, and if you don’t have your badge you don’t get to go in. Trying to involve other hotel guests (or staff!) in your hypno-hijinks is also against the rules.

F - Food

Our hotel has its own restaurant that offers room service, but your food options are far broader than that! Most of the guest rooms have mini-fridges, and it’s not unusual for attendees to get a weekend’s worth of groceries and forgo restaurants entirely.

Another popular choice is to order meals using a delivery service app. There are many restaurant options near our hotel, which give attendees many options for take-out, dine-in, and to try to have a sit-down meal with a large group in under an hour because you’re strapped for time…

… yes, that last thing is something that people try to do, and my official advice is that you never get done in under an hour. Like, ever.

G - Gaming

As in board games, card games, role-playing games, etc. There will almost certainly be a place for gaming, which may or may not be in our con suite (a social-gathering space provided by the con for basic chilling and hanging out.) In past years, we’ve had gaming as an evening event, and I’d be shocked if that wasn’t the case again in 2024.

H - Hotel

I am not going to tell you where our hotel is at this time. (If you read that in Peter Falk’s voice, then you know where my head goes anytime I use the phrase “at this time”.)

For security reasons we do not share the name or exact location of our hotel with non-attendees. This means you’ll find out what it is after you’ve registered! Here’s what I can tell you: Location: Annapolis, Maryland. The hotel is within walking distance or very short driving distance of local shops and restaurants. Cost: $104.00 per night + tax $117.52 per night with tax. Payment is due when you physically check in, in person, at the hotel. Upgrades: Upgrades may be available but are not guaranteed. If any possible upgrades are available you will be prompted by the hotel site to apply after you've registered. You will not know if you are receiving an upgrade until you physically check in, in person, at the hotel. Possible Upgrades: Early Check-in: $25 (one time charge) King Corner Room: $42 (nightly up charge) Junior Suite with King Bed: $77 (nightly up charge) How to reserve a room: After you've registered for the convention, you will receive a confirmation email. At the very bottom of that email you will find a direct link to our discounted hotel rooms. Please, unless you have a very compelling reason not to, use that link to reserve your room! Filling a pre-specified number of rooms is part of our contract with the hotel. You must be 21 to reserve a room! Please note that discounted rooms are available from Wed January 10 through Tues January 16. You will need to edit the days of your stay when you are reserving a room through our form. Check In is at 4pm Check Out is at 12pm Cancellation Policy You can cancel your reservation any time before 11:59pm local time on January 7, 2024.  Amenities On-site Restaurant w/room service Mini Fridges Microwaves Fitness Center Free Parking Free WiFi Digital Key (for Hilton Honors members) 

Accessible rooms are available; to request one you’ll need to contact the hotel directly.

I - Important Links

Registration: https://bit.ly/46JXxjW  Volunteer Application (includes Consent Team) -- https://forms.gle/3ZHTPjXwLSAvcXa97  Presenter Application/Class Proposals -- https://pretalx.com/charmed2024/cfp  Official Website: https://charmedhypno.org/ Charmed!ChitChat (The Official Charmed! Newsletter): https://open.substack.com/pub/charmedhypnocon/p/charmed-chitchat-18a?r=2dd9vo&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

J - January

Charmed!2024 will be Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend: Thursday, January 11th through Sunday, January 14th. Monday the 15th is MLK Day and many people have the day off, so you can expect to see attendees staying after the con officially ends on Sunday and traveling home on Monday. If you’re trying to decide when to leave, staying Sunday night for a final evening with friends is often the highlight of the con for people.

Annapolis weather in January is usually briskly cold, with an average high temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit ( 7 degrees Celsius), and definite possibilities of snow. If it snows, it will be inches, not feet, and the only real impact on con attendees will happen when it comes time to travel. If there are major storms during Charmed!2024, attendees traveling by air will definitely want to keep an eye on their flight statuses!

K - Kink

Charmed!2024 is a kinky con. While everyone’s level of kinky engagement with hypnosis is different (for example, some people play almost exclusively in the “recreational-with-no-kink-elements pool, and others do not necessarily equate “erotic” with “kinky”) overall our convention celebrates kinky erotic hypnosis. Our schedule and attendees reflect that! You might have the opportunity to attend classes that were developed in a BDSM background, showing power exchange relationships or the intersection of hypnosis with other disciplines like shibari, dollplay, and forced chastity. (There are also classes that don’t have anything to do with kink or BDSM; we do try to have something for everyone!)

L - Lobby

As a kink con, it’s very important for us and our attendees to maintain a low profile in non-event spaces of the hotel like the lobby. In non convention spaces, we ask that attendees do their best not to invite direct attention. Again, for some people, being outed as kinky in their vanilla life can have devastating consequences. Outside of official conspace, we ask that attendees do things like flip their badges over so they can’t be read easily, keep discussions that graphically describe their hypnosis hijinks private, and cover their kinkier outfits with a coat or robe when traveling to conspace. 

Non-attendees always try to enter conspace at some point or another, that’s why we have door dragons. Our goal is to keep these interactions to the barest minimum.

M - Masking

For health reasons, Charmed!2024 will continue to be a masked conference. This means that everyone inside con space will be required to wear a well-fitting mask like an N95 or KN94. We will also be requiring that attendees be masked in our badge pick up area, which is in a public part of the hotel. Presenters may remove their masks when they are presenting a class. We acknowledge that many events and locations around the world have acceded to the public opinion that masking is no longer necessary, but we have a high number of immunocompromised people that attend our event and we refuse to endanger them by ignoring the reality that Covid is still a threat.

Attendees will also need to be fully vaccinated for Covid, and will need to provide proof of a negative Covid test result to registration staff when picking up their badge. 

Attendees are welcome to make their own decisions about whether or not to mask outside of conspace.

You can read The ABCs of Attending Charmed! - N through Z HERE!

[sujiwonhao]

Someone New (Part III)

read part two here

⚠️ content warning: mature themes, implied oral s3x 🔞

"I could barely see anything, is it okay if we stop over at my place? It's the condo to the left." Santi broke the silence.

It's true though. The weather escalated so quickly, it's almost zero visibility at this point. I was squinting my eyes just to see what his finger was pointing at.

"Sure, I don't want us getting into an accident." I said.

My mind hasn't processed what I just agreed to. I almost did a rough version of a facepalm but instead, I made a mental note to keep my hands to myself once we got to his place.

Santi made his way to his parking space. He got out of the car right after turning the engine off to open the car door for me. He offered his hand which I took with a smile.

"Ugh. He's such a gentleman." I thought to myself once again. Trying my best to push any indecent thoughts away as we walked towards the elevator.

He pressed the button headed to the 21st floor of the building. Santi had his arm snaked around me the entire time, gently caressing my shoulder with his hands to keep me warm. Wearing a thin baby blue sundress was a mistake, so much for not checking AccuWeather.

I leaned my head against his chest, his hands now on my waist. I was practically hugging him now, I lifted my head to make our eyes meet. His eyes now a darker shade of brown.

"You're beautiful, Sav." Santi said, his thumb lightly touching my face.

"You're too sweet, Santi." I replied, giggling at the compliment.

He was about to lean in for a kiss when we heard the elevator ding, signaling that it's time for us to get off.

Santi led the way to his condo unit. He guided me to the couch and told me to make myself comfortable since he will be grabbing drinks from the fridge. I turned the TV on and tuned into a news channel, wanting to make myself updated on current events and perhaps the weather as well.

"Hey, angel." Santi greeted, with a new term of endearment this time. Two wine glasses on one hand, a bottle of wine on another.

My mouth formed a slight 'o' as I tried to regain my composure.

"The weather's really bad. I don't think it'll get better anytime tonight." I said in a worried tone while pointing at the TV.

"I know, but don't worry I'll keep you safe. You can stay here if you like, I'll just sleep on the couch tonight." Santi offered, his tone was sincere and reassuring.

"Are you sure? I'm literally a stranger you knew from the bookstore." I joked, grinning at him as an attempt to tease him.

Santi laughed, the sound altered my brain chemistry. It was music to my ears.

"Well, you're one fun stranger to be with so it's a win for the both of us." He responded with a wink before sitting next to me.

I opened the bottle of wine and put some on our glasses. As I swirled the liquor before giving it a taste, I noticed how Santi's lips were a nice shade of red. I dismissed the thought and went back to drinking.

As the night deepened, I found myself in Santi's arms. He's now cuddling me while playing with my hair.

"Do you want to take a shower before you sleep? You can borrow my clothes, that dress looks uncomfortable to sleep in." He said as he played with the strap.

I nodded and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. As I was about to get away from his embrace, I felt his grip tighten on my waist.

"What is it?" I asked shyly, my fingers fiddling with the hem of my dress.

Without a word, Santi closed the gap between us, taking me in for a deep and passionate kiss. It took me a few seconds to finally respond to the kiss, my body moving on its own accord, I sat on his lap without leaving his lips.

His kisses were hot and needy, his tongue now exploring every corner of my mouth. I sucked on it while my hands were touching and feeling his clothed chest. While Santi was caressing the small of my back, he left a trail of wet kisses on my jaw and neck, down to my shoulders and chest. He tightly tugged at the skin with his teeth as he went, which I'm sure will leave marks tomorrow.

I felt Santi growing hard as I grind on him while we made out, his moans making it harder for me to control myself. I can taste the wine from his mouth and I swear it tasted better that way.

I pulled out of the kiss to catch my breath and Santi took that as a cue to manhandle me, my back now lying on the couch. His hands went from my thighs up to the hem of my lace underwear, his gaze was sharp and filled with lust.

"Can I?"

"Uh huh." I moaned in response. Santi's palms were warm in contrast with my cold exposed skin.

"I need words, angel. Will you let me eat you out?" He asked in between labored breaths.

"Yes, Santi. I want you. I need you." I replied, my hands guiding him to lower the tiny piece of clothing he was aiming for earlier.

-

[gaymerchats]

The Gaymers have arrived!

Hello all ladies, men, and non binary peoples!

We've finally made our procrastinating asses over on yonder to here. We are a small group of queer individuals from across the spectrums to bring content we just feel like making. Allow us to introduce ourselves!

Introductions:

The leading hoe is CelestialL0tus, or just L0tus. They attempt to keep the others in check, but tends to slack a bit too. Dont be too put off by their bite, but do be a little careful as they don't mince words.

We have our creative lead, ElvishRaptor, or just Raptor. Young man is responsible for all our thumbnails, backgrounds, and that kind of jazz. Save for what's drawn by L0tus and Skull.

And lastly we have Simpleskull, our pool of ideas. He's provided the majority of ideas that we will one day discuss, once the others stop being lazy 🤣. He's also the main mod in our discord, so you've been warned.

What we're about

We are a multi fandom group with fandoms across the board. This includes, but is not limited to:

Minecraft, stardew valley, left 4 dead, Miraculous Ladybug, Vox Machina, Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Steven Universe, and more.

Our Community

We have been building small communities before mozzying our way over here. If interested, here y'all go:

Discord || YouTube

Anything else? Well...

We discuss a myriad of topics on our YouTube channel as we branch out and discover our passions for this line of content.

That is all for the time being. We'll do our best to keep things updated, but this is all our side hustles, so, we do what we can.

This has been L0tus, Skull, and Raptor. Talk to you all soon, gaymer

[psytechdigipvtltd-blog]

How Online Reviews Impact Local SEO (and How to Manage Them)

In the digital landscape, online reviews have become a vital part of a business’s success. They not only shape customer perceptions but also play a significant role in influencing search engine rankings. For businesses aiming to excel in Local SEO, understanding the impact of online reviews and effectively managing them is crucial.

This article explores how online reviews affect Local SEO and offers insights into managing them efficiently. Additionally, we’ll discuss how Psytech Digi Pvt Ltd can help your business leverage online reviews to boost visibility and customer trust.

The Role of Online Reviews in Local SEO

Online reviews are a direct reflection of customer satisfaction and trust. Search engines like Google prioritize businesses with positive reviews and higher ratings, making reviews a critical factor in Local SEO strategies. Here’s how they influence your rankings:

1. Improved Local Rankings

Google’s algorithm considers the quantity, quality, and recency of reviews when ranking businesses in local search results. A business with numerous positive reviews is more likely to appear in the Local Pack, the coveted top three spots in local search.

2. Enhanced Click-Through Rates (CTR)

Positive reviews and high ratings act as a magnet for potential customers. When users see a business with excellent reviews, they are more likely to click on it, boosting CTR—a key metric for Local SEO.

3. Increased Trust and Credibility

Reviews provide social proof that your business delivers on its promises. High ratings and detailed feedback establish your credibility, encouraging customers to choose your business over competitors.

4. User-Generated Content

Reviews are a form of user-generated content that search engines index. Keywords in reviews can improve your relevance to specific search queries, further enhancing your Local SEO.

How to Manage Online Reviews Effectively

Managing online reviews is not just about accumulating them but also about responding to them strategically. Here are some effective ways to manage your reviews:

1. Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews

Request feedback from satisfied customers through email, social media, or in-person interactions. The more reviews you collect, the better your chances of improving your Local SEO rankings.

2. Respond to Reviews Promptly

Engage with your customers by responding to both positive and negative reviews. Acknowledging their feedback shows that you value their opinions and are committed to improving.

3. Address Negative Reviews Professionally

Negative reviews can harm your reputation if not handled well. Always respond politely, address the issue, and offer solutions. This not only mitigates the damage but also shows other customers that you care about their experience.

4. Monitor Reviews Across Platforms

Keep track of reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Use tools to monitor reviews and get alerts whenever new ones are posted.

5. Highlight Positive Reviews

Feature positive reviews on your website or social media channels to build trust and attract more customers. This boosts your reputation and reinforces your Local SEO strategy.

How Psytech Digi Pvt Ltd Helps with Local SEO and Review Management

Managing online reviews can be time-consuming, but Psytech Digi Pvt Ltd makes it seamless and effective. Here’s how we help businesses enhance their Local SEO through review management:

1. Comprehensive Review Monitoring

Our team monitors your reviews across multiple platforms to ensure you never miss customer feedback. We use advanced tools to track reviews and provide real-time updates.

2. Strategic Review Responses

Psytech Digi crafts thoughtful responses to both positive and negative reviews, ensuring your brand maintains a professional and customer-focused image.

3. Encouraging Positive Reviews

We implement strategies to encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, helping improve your ratings and strengthen your Local SEO.

4. Negative Review Mitigation

Our experts handle negative reviews professionally, resolving customer issues and minimizing any impact on your reputation.

5. Integrating Reviews with Local SEO Strategies

We incorporate online reviews into your broader Local SEO strategy. This includes leveraging keywords from reviews and using them to enhance your visibility in local searches.

6. Detailed Performance Reports

We provide regular insights into your review performance and its impact on your Local SEO rankings, helping you understand your progress.

Why Choose Psytech Digi Pvt Ltd?

At Psytech Digi Pvt Ltd, we specialize in crafting tailored Local SEO strategies that deliver results. Our expertise in review management ensures that your business stands out in local search results while building trust and credibility among your audience.

By partnering with us, you can:

Improve local search rankings

Attract more customers

Enhance your brand reputation

Drive sustainable business growth

Conclusion

Online reviews are a cornerstone of Local SEO, influencing your visibility, credibility, and customer engagement. Managing reviews effectively can significantly impact your business’s success in local markets.

With Psytech Digi Pvt Ltd as your partner, you can harness the power of online reviews to boost your Local SEO strategy. Let us help you connect with your audience, improve your reputation, and grow your business.

[themagikmirror]

PLUG INTO AUTHENTICITY : PLAYLIST UPDATES🎧

On first listen not only am I blown away by this album/mixtape--whatever it is-- because people are calling it both, but I knew that it MUST go in the "Intuitive Listens" playlist! I had a playlist created when first filming spiritual/self help/venting content in 2020, but it was more so tracks I thought were hot that year and wanted to share. Kinda recreating the initial playlist that was basically a sound track for my "Message from Mesh" videos into "Intuitive Listens" --deep cuts of music I have pre-examined with intuitive ears or "spiritual ears"-- as I call it in some of my long form video content---for healing & helpful qualities along our journey. Check out the playlist, shuffle it and go about your day!

This latest project from Kendrick Lamar stands out for one main reason AUTHENTICITY! If you wish to channel more raw, unfiltered truth into your life and being, THIS is definitely something you'll wanna listen to and keep in rotation for a while!

I literally love every single track, and that means a lot coming from me! It's full of potent energy that demands respect! Kendrick really shows he's legendary, classic and a king here! He speaks on many topics, but mainly a big one that many in the collective as well as viewers of my content struggle with : identity and living authentically. Many of us OVER-IDENTIFY with lifestyles/personas/jobs/etc. and end up getting lost in a single aspect of our being, when the truth is we are so much more. That's what will always make you YOU, the real you, is all the parts that make who you are. What a perfect way to enjoy Saturn moving direct in Aquarius while simultaneously Jupiter retrogrades through Taurus & Sagittarius transits creep in . . . exploring more truth!

Be sure to save/subscribe/like my Spotify playlist to be in sync with updates!

[sleepynoons]

TIME PLACE & OCCASION – a multi-fandom series!

WELCOME to TIME PLACE & OCCASION, or TPO, for short. I know you are probably overwhelmed, so here are four recommendations, out of our many camgirls, to get you started...

PEONY – reader x kuroo tetsurou (haikyuu!!)

PEONY is our newest addition! Shy and timid, she might come off awkward at first, but she has a lot of potential and is pure sunshine once you get to know her. She is known for being very honest and gentle, so she is a stellar choice if you are looking for someone who excels at making you feel fluffy and warm-hearted. She is a busy college student majoring in biochemistry, but when she can catch a break, she likes to go out with her sorority sisters and watch thrillers!

AMARYLLIS – reader x sado yasutora (bleach)

The top of the top, AMARYLLIS is TPO's shining star – our most popular camgirl with over 2 million subscribers. You can never go wrong with a classic! Bold and feisty and very seductive, she is skilled at making anyone and everyone fall for her. She is also known for having an acute memory and incredible conversational skills, allowing her to make smart comebacks and witty remarks to maintain energy and build great relationships with regular viewers. She is currently exploring a variety of new content, so if you ever want something more tame, she also has livestreams of her just chatting with friends and playing video games.

CLEMATIS – reader x aventurine (honkai star rail)

CLEMATIS is another top-performing camgirl of ours, though she tends to only do private streams for her most frequent and committed viewers. She is known for her bratty, stubborn attitude and may or may not have a bit of a sharp tongue... well, you might just discover a new favorite kink! Most importantly, she is very private. Even I cannot tell you what she does for fun or had for lunch yesterday!

JASMINE – reader x geto suguru (jujutsu kaisen)

You can consider JASMINE your Internet best friend (but remember, we do not condone parasocialism!). Known for having the most contagious laugh, paired with a great sense of humor, you are bound to have a fun and exciting night if you watch her. She is very experimental and loves to get down and dirty, literally. She also works a daytime job, so check out her weekend streams as you unwind!

AND if you are interested in joining TPO, feel free to contact...

MANAGER – reader x togame jo (wind breaker)

MANAGER loves her girls more than anything. At first, she started this job on a whim to pay off her college loans and monthly rent, but after meeting and befriending many wonderful friends and colleagues in the industry, she has stayed for years ever since. To say she is fiercely overprotective and caring of her girls is an extreme understatement. MANAGER is also very straightforward and thinks in rational terms, though she might take things a little too seriously at times (please do not tell her I said that!)...

NOTES: Logistics and detailed information here! Please fill out this form to be included on the series tag list (38/50 slots remaining). Please only fill out this form once, so be sure to check your spelling and choose the correct blog (if you have multiple) for me to tag. If you want to be removed, please let me know, and I will also automatically remove any accounts from the tag list if they are deactivated or the owner has moved. You have to be 18+, so please indicate your age somewhere on your profile.

Camgirl-specific masterlists are hyperlinked at their names. You can also keep track of, or mute/block, this series through the following tag: #TPO – carrot writes!

For moots, if you would like to be notified of updates, please let me know via private messages, my ask box, or over Discord. I will notify you of new chapters via the same messaging channel.

As an aside, I want to thank everyone for 150+ followers! It has only been two months since I started writing, and frankly, I never expected such a warm reception. This series is, in part, to indulge in my own fantasies and writing urges, but it is also to celebrate reaching such a huge milestone! This series will definitely take a few months to complete, so please hang in there with me and give this series lots of love via reblogs, essays-long tags, and comments!

[damagegetsdonerp]

general

Members must be 18+ to join.

Please tag for triggering content, and use spoiler tags in all Discord areas where trigger warnings are not visible (posts, texts, etc).

We have no minimum/maximum word count. Write what feels right! Talk to your RP partner if you feel you aren’t getting what you need from their replies.

We don't consider extended lore to be canon on DGD. That means the American ministry as we know it doesn't exist, and neither does Ilvermorny. This being true, you're free to create your own magic schools and other headcanons for the far-reaching wizarding world! If you'd like to create your own school, let us know and we'll add it!

activity

We will have monthly interest checks in the server, where all you’ll need to do is reply with the characters you intend to keep!

aesthetics

Avatars are 200x400. You'll also need an image for the application (it will resize, but I suggest at least 400x400), as well as another square image for your profile, which can be a gif if you'd like. That's it!

applying

We have no rules for creating new characters. All we ask is that you keep your limits in mind and keep track of your activity.

When you're finished with your application, fill out the form in our Discord channel to let us know. We'll look over it asap!

Please ensure your profile is fully filled out. There are some optional fields; for more information, please see the application guide!

You can use any celebrity (musician, actor, etc.) and you may use pictures of them that are in the past to fit the age of your character.

We do not allow deceased celebrities as face claims.

Celebrities must also be 18+ to be used.

If a celebrity is trans and/or nonbinary, please respect their gender when considering using them for a character. You may use cis celebrities for trans/nonbinary characters, but we highly encourage using a trans/nonbinary person whenever possible!

Because of the AU nature of the site, you are allowed some freedom with character ages. A general rule of thumb is to assume characters are born 20 years after their canonical age because of the way the timeline works out, but if you'd like to change an age up a bit, you're free to. Additionally, canonical families are not required to be together on site. This means that if someone makes Lily Evans and doesn't have her marry James Potter, then Harry Potter may not exist. On the flipside, if Lily or James aren't taken and someone makes Harry, they are allowed to give him different parents. This is up to whomever makes a member of the family first. If a non-family canon is important to your character's backstory, go ahead and write them into your app and let an admin know so we can update the canon list accordingly. If we have an issue with how they're written, we'll let you know and work with you to figure something out.

All characters must be 15+.

Regarding school staff, we require that professors must be at least 24, and that their assistants, the librarians, caretakers, etc. be at least 19.

When a character is made for a request, we will check with the requester to ensure that the character sufficiently fills their request. If there are any issues, we will address them then.

member groups

Our membergroups are based off of the Seven Personalities! Don't take these too seriously; it's just for a fun way to divide up the membergroups. You can also change your characters' membergroup if you change your mind! Just let an admin know.

The descriptions below are from this site right here.

Artisan: Is the world too boring for you? Do you catch yourself daydreaming nearly every hour of the day? If so, you are probably an “artisan," someone who is naturally creative, inventive, imaginative, sensitive and dexterous. These are the artists of our world, the Van Gogh's, Da Vinci's, Steve Jobs' and Bill Gates'. They are ones who find the future and make it discoverable, they see the world as a place to build and admire. Do you do you only look at its cover or do you proceed to read the world for the contents of its pages? If you agree with the latter, consider yourself a potential artisan.

King: These are your aggressors, they are naturally commanding, assured, powerful, authoritative and decisive. You know those people who are the undeclared leader of your squad. They are the ones to make the finalized decision to you and your group's boredom, they have the final say in what bar you go to. Think of how a senior is seen to a freshman, there isn't really a power struggle there.

Priest: No, these are not necessarily the people who are pledging their lives to the church, instead these are the people who are naturally inspirational, uplifting, motivating, energizing and a visionary. This is a rare one, not many people are a true “priest," most of the time it's the people who are always the optimist. They are the type to turn a horrible situation into a manageable one, they reassure you, encourage you and cheer for you on the sideline. However, these are also the people who create revolutions. Picture Martin Luther King Jr. or Ghandi, those two are perfect “priests."

Sage: These are our entertainers, “sages" are naturally engaging, articulate, charming, entertaining and expressive. Know that one funny guy or gal that always knows how to make you laugh and keep the party going? That's your “sage." They are the people who keep the world turning by making it an enjoyable place to be. Where would we be without entertainment? What would we do with our free time? The “sage" is the personality that reminds us what it means to be human and how to feel emotion. Need an example? Robin Williams.

Scholar: The intellects of the seven, they are naturally curious, studious, academic, analytical and neutral. One could categorize these people as strong left‐brainers, they are the personality that questions every reality of this world and pursue the answers. What is the source of gravity? What is in a black hole? Are these common questions that enter your mind? You may be the next Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein. Consider yourself among the intellectual greats of our world, what revolutionary discovery will you make?

Server: These people are naturally accommodating, caring, hospitable and altruistic. To help you visualize the personality, do you have that one friend who is the “mom" of the group? The one who always takes care of you and the others when you need it, whether it be a last minute ride back to school or the one who waits by your side as you wear the porcelain crown after a night of heavy drinking.

Warrior: [This personality] is one that is forceful, loyal, protective, determined and steadfast. In other words, picture the Olympic athletes to help understand. These are the people who live for others and themselves and will do whatever the cost to ensure its safety. They don't know when or how to quit, it isn't in their blood. They strive to be the best they can be, there is no second best, only success or failure.

[mrrosedoodler]

Twitch Update

As stated in my other update post, my Twitch channel is getting some major changes.

I won't be streaming on a set schedule on Twitch anymore. Unless it's a charity stream, art/writing stream, or an update stream, I will not be going live on Twitch. This is mainly due to two main factors;

---

1) I realized that streaming is not something I can or want to do any longer as a career in general.

Streaming has turned from a joy of being able to speak to others who enjoy the same games as I do, into something that has fed into my anxieties and has begun to cause me to worry not only for my own health, but for my friends and family's health as well. I'm worried that if I say the wrong thing or word something wrong (as I sometimes do - it can be hard to properly articulate how I'm feeling about something), that someone might go as far as to hurt me, my friends or my family members. I want to nip that in the bud right now.

2) I've found my true calling in being an author/comic artist.

I was never great with verbal speech (as stated before, I fumble and mess up my words verbally occasionally - mostly when I don't have time to think on things), but I've always loved writing characters, stories, locations. . . All of it! I love it. I want to do what I love, and that's why I'm not streaming games anymore. I also found that doing your favorite games over and over for hours on end can be incredibly tiring, and it ruins the magic of it all over time. Plus, some of the stuff bleeding over from my initial update post and the first reason. Thus- writing! Huzzah!

---

Q&A (below the read more)

Q: So, what does this mean for Twitch?

I won't be streaming video games on Twitch or making gameplay clips on Twitch anymore. I will be saving the clips I have had on there, and on June 14th, 2024, I'll be removing them all so we can start fresh on the channel. If you want to save any gaming clips from our streams, make sure you hop over there before then!

Q: Why are you removing the old clips?

I'm hoping to give the channel a complete restart, since we won't be doing gaming streams for the most part anymore. A new coat of paint, so to speak!

Q: So what content will you be making on Twitch?

If I have an art stream or writing stream, I might stream myself there, but not much more than that. It will mainly be a place of keeping folks updated on my projects, and other things.

Q: What will you be doing instead of Twitch?

I'll be making small videos on Youtube from time to time, or I'll be posting about stuff on here!

Q: What about Charity Streams?

I will be working on trying to establish proper dates in the future, but that will be later on. At our current state, we can't exactly do much, but I'd love to do whatever I can for said charities outside of streams! If you guys have any recommendations on charities or volunteer projects I could help with, feel free to share. I'd love to do more for each cause if I can.

---

Thank you to everybody for your unwavering patience through all of this. There's been so much, and I can't thank you enough for your support. I'll be making an update on Youtube in a bit here, so stay tuned for that.

Remember to self-care!

[nexgendigitalsolutions]

✨How E-Mail Marketing Services Help Businesses Grow Online 📧

In the digital age, e-mail marketing has become an essential tool for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and drive growth. Nexgen Digital Solutions offers comprehensive e-mail marketing services that can take your business to new heights. Here’s how our services can help you achieve this:

1. Targeted Campaigns for Higher Engagement

Our e-mail marketing services allow you to segment your audience based on various criteria such as demographics, behavior, and past interactions. This segmentation ensures that each email campaign is highly targeted, resulting in higher open rates and better engagement. Personalized content resonates more with recipients, leading to increased conversions and customer loyalty.

2. Boosting Customer Retention

Staying connected with your customers is crucial for retention. Regular newsletters, special offers, and updates keep your brand top-of-mind. By maintaining a consistent line of communication, you build strong relationships with your customers, encouraging repeat business and long-term loyalty.

3. Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy

E-mail marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available. It allows you to reach a large audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing methods. With a high return on investment (ROI), e-mail marketing is an efficient way to maximize your marketing budget.

4. Driving Traffic to Your Website

E-mails with compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) can significantly drive traffic to your website. By linking to relevant pages, promotions, or blog posts, you not only increase your site traffic but also improve your chances of converting visitors into customers.

5. Measurable and Optimizable Results

One of the biggest advantages of e-mail marketing is the ability to track and measure results. Advanced analytics and reporting tools allow us to monitor the performance of your campaigns, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. This data-driven approach enables continuous optimization, ensuring your campaigns are always improving.

6. Enhancing Brand Awareness

Consistently sending well-crafted emails helps build brand awareness. Each email is an opportunity to reinforce your brand’s identity and values. Over time, this consistent messaging establishes your business as a trusted authority in your industry.

7. Utilizing A/B Testing for Best Results

A/B testing is a powerful tool in e-mail marketing. By testing different subject lines, content, and designs, we can determine what resonates best with your audience. This continuous testing and optimization ensure that your emails are always performing at their best.

8. Increasing Sales and Revenue

Ultimately, the goal of e-mail marketing is to drive sales and increase revenue. By leveraging targeted campaigns, personalized content, and strategic CTAs, our e-mail marketing services help convert prospects into customers and boost your bottom line.

Conclusion

E-mail marketing is a vital component of any successful online marketing strategy. At Nexgen Digital Solutions, we specialize in creating and executing e-mail marketing campaigns that deliver results. Partner with us to leverage the full potential of e-mail marketing and watch your business grow.

#Email #EmailMarketing #DigitalMarketing #BusinessGrowth #NexgenDigitalSolutions #CustomerEngagement #MarketingSuccess #OnlineGrowth #BoostYourBusiness

[k-fic-collection]

Every Club Member must follow these rules in order to remain a member of The K-Fic Collection. If you feel that you cannot abide by these rules, then please do not apply for membership.

🧾Membership Rules🧾

Be 18+ with an age indicator in your Tumblr bio to tell us as much.

Be active on Tumblr, we will check. This means you should post/reblog at least twice a month.

Participate in at least one Read per month. This means reading at least one fic, as well as posting at least one review each month. We understand that not all of the fics will be to your tastes, so we do not expect you to read and review every single one (unless you want to, of course).

Once you've been accepted into The K-Fic Collection, make sure to add our network to your Tumblr profile in a visible and easy to access place.

Follow all of the server rules.

🧾Server Rules🧾

Every member must have their associated emoji and Tumblr username in their server nickname.

Do not lie to us about your age. If we find out that you have lied, you will be banned from the Club and added to a blacklist.

Please do not mute the announcements channel. It is very important for the Librarians to be able to keep everyone informed.

Be kind and considerate of others.

We do not tolerate any hateful speech, including but not limited to; homophobia, racism and ableism.

No politics/world issues discussions, that’s too much of a stressful topic for many. This also includes boycotts. The keyword is Bookworm. Discuss that in your personal spaces or elsewhere, please.

If you have any issues, please let a Librarian know so that we can try and fix any problems.

Please let our Librarians know if you change your Tumblr username so that we can update our records. Additionally, if you want to leave the Club, also let us know.

Respect other members’ privacy; don't DM without permission.

Do not spread member/server business to people not involved (no screenshots etc).

Do not talk about potentially triggering stuff unless it's directly related to a Read. Make sure it is in the appropriate channel and that all potential triggering content has the appropriate trigger block. This server isn't meant for venting about your personal life/problems, so please try to refrain from using it in that way.

Do not share personal information; phone numbers, addresses, places of work of yours or anyone else, it can lead to dangerous situations.

Follow all guides supplied, they are there to make everyone's lives easier.

If you aren’t sure if a fic you want to recommend for Club Reads is appropriate/breaks any of our Reading Rules, please check with a Librarian first.

Here is a quick rundown of what we don’t accept for Club Reads; ❌Anything with a total over 30k ❌Incomplete fics ❌Anything without a summary ❌Anything involving minors as a main character ❌Depictions of non-con. Mentions are fine so long as it’s plot-relevant ❌Permanent character death for a character portrayed by an idol ❌Incest ❌Smut involving bodily waste (urine, faeces, etc.)

Disclaimer Our Librarians do not read through fics before they are added to the Reads list so we can only go on warnings. It is not our fault if an author fails to add warnings or chooses not to, so please do not blame us if something pops up in a fic that hasn't been warned in the author’s own warnings. Please keep yourself safe and make your own judgement based on the information the author provides before reading anything. We cannot be held accountable. Thank you.

Run and created by Head Librarian Chee and Head Librarian JiJi. Updated: 03/01/2025.

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[cryptoadvertsing]

5 Unique Crypto Marketing Strategies to Increase Your Token Selling in 2024

The rules of the game when it comes to Web3 and crypto are excitement and buzz. You'll need the greatest crypto marketing Strategies to promote your project to the appropriate audience if you want to successfully sell out your tokens and develop a vibrant community.

The good news is that there are numerous avenues to try, like influencer marketing, press releases, and Medium marketing. The bad news is that it might be challenging to determine which approach best matches your project and your budget.

But hold off on giving up just yet. This post will outline the 5 Unique Crypto marketing Strategies that will save you money and help you reach the widest audience.

5 Unique crypto marketing Strategies

Let's now look at the 5 unique crypto marketing Strategies you can employ to promote your product.

Paid advertising

News Release

Reddit

Medium

Using influencers

Paid Advertising

Popular paid marketing channels like Google Ads and Meta are no longer available for ICO-related campaigns due to recent regulation changes. 

To reach the Web3 audience, platforms for paid cryptocurrency advertising like 7Search PPC, Coinzilla, Bitmedia, Blockchain-Ads, and Cointraffic had to be established. Especially if you're launching an ICO or airdrop, this crypto marketing strategy is a solid way to go because it gives you immediate awareness and reach. 

The unfavorable aspect, though, is how challenging it is to accurately identify cryptocurrency users. Not unless you're using Blockchain-Ads, which, in contrast to other paid crypto Advertising platforms, offers a more streamlined targeting method with its Web3 cookie tech. To see how Blockchain Ads can help your project, read our in-depth evaluation.

News release

News releases are typically the first option when new initiatives are launched, in 90% of cases. Why? They can raise awareness using this tried-and-true technique by publishing a lot of articles and news items on cryptocurrency websites.

Millions of users who regularly check their content have subscribed to these online news and media sources. The best aspect is that most of them concentrate on blockchain and Web3-related issues, so you can be sure that your content will reach a specific audience. 

Press releases are an excellent Crypto marketing strategy you should use. There is no way to gauge its efficacy, which is the only drawback, and it is quite expensive.

Reddit

Sharing project updates on the content-sharing website Reddit is a great idea. Participate in subreddits like the nearly 6.3M subscriber-strong r/cryptocurrency. Prior to advertising your project, you must first earn consumers' trust by taking part in discussions. Then, think about establishing a subreddit for your project. To keep the post's worth, avoid over-promotion.

Medium

If you're looking for a free crypto marketing strategy, Medium ought to be on your list. A text-based platform called Medium swiftly rose to prominence as a repository for material on cutting-edge technologies like AI and cryptocurrency.

The fact that Medium already has an audience waiting for you is one of the reasons we adore this tactic. So all you need to do is write interesting content about your idea and the cryptocurrency market after creating an account.

Make sure you follow other platform users and work to position yourself as an authority. You'll need to put in a lot of time and work, but you'll succeed.

Using Influencer

One of the most effective methods for spreading the word about your product is the use of cryptocurrency influencer marketing. Here's how it functions. On well-known websites like YouTube, X, and Instagram, you can find prominent influencers who discuss topics relating to cryptocurrencies. Afterward, you get in touch with them to discuss your idea or bring it up in front of their sizable audience.

Similar to press releases, it is still a costly choice, and it is very difficult to determine how beneficial it is. Additionally, the following of some accounts is frequently overstated. However, if done correctly, your project may see a significant increase in adoption.

Other crypto marketing Strategies to think about

Use referral programmes: By rewarding both promoters and referrals, referral programmes help to build a loyal client base and increase conversion rates.

Affiliate marketing programmes: These campaigns make use of the clientele that affiliates already have to increase traffic. The fact that they are used by well-known platforms like Coinbase and Binance attests to their efficacy.

Airdrop Tokens: Airdrops give away free cryptocurrency tokens to users who have registered, generating buzz, expanding reach, and adding liquidity to your project.

Email marketing is still a successful method of promoting cryptocurrencies, despite the growth of other channels. Use email databases to reach prospective customers directly with weekly newsletters, airdrop alerts, and other updates.

Conclusion

Each new cryptocurrency project that launches every minute increases competition in the market. Finding the best crypto marketing Strategies can therefore provide you a competitive edge and help you sell out more quickly. 

Press releases, influencer marketing, and blockchain advertising are the greatest marketing tactics you ought to think about, in our opinion. Either combine them or concentrate on one at a time. The key objective is to select the strategy that will provide you the highest return on investment for the least amount of money spent.

FAQs

Q1. Do all digital currencies lend themselves to crypto marketing strategies?

A1. Yes, even though specific marketing tactics might need to be customized, the fundamentals of successful marketing can be used by all types of cryptocurrency projects.

Q2. How can a cryptocurrency marketing strategy be evaluated for effectiveness?

A2. The efficiency of a marketing effort in the crypto realm may be evaluated using key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement rates, conversion rates, and ROI.

Q3. What part does community involvement play in cryptocurrency marketing?

A3. Increased brand loyalty and a devoted investor base are results of community participation, which promotes legitimacy and trust within the cryptocurrency community.

Q4. How can cryptocurrency businesses adjust to market regulation changes?

A4. The key to adjusting to regulatory changes is to keep up with regulatory updates, communicate openly, and promote compliance throughout the organization.

Q5. How are new technologies influencing the development of crypto marketing?

A5. The emergence of DeFi, NFTs, and blockchain developments is altering the field of cryptocurrency marketing and opening up new channels for interaction and expansion.

[coupomated]

Why Coupomated is the best Coupon API/Data Feed provider for affiliates in India?

As an affiliate marketer in India, finding the right data feed provider and Coupon API can be a game-changer for your success. With the increasing competition in the eCommerce industry, more and more affiliates are trying their hands in this fast-growing market. But, the pace with which affiliate marketers for coupon websites are growing has also raised steep competition in recent times, Hence it’s inevitable to be cost-effective and unique to successfully survive in long run.

Towards making your operations viable, it’s necessary that you take advantage of automation by choosing a trusted and best Coupon affiliate API provider for your couponing website.

The Power of Coupon API/Data Feed Provider in Affiliate Marketing

Before we dive into why Coupomated stands out, let’s quickly go over the importance of data feeds in affiliate marketing.

Data feeds are the lifeblood of affiliate marketing. They provide you with real-time information about deals, offers, and discounts from various online stores. This information is invaluable because it allows you to promote the latest and most attractive deals to your audience, thereby increasing your chances of earning commissions.

Here is how coupomated helps to increase your income by Coupon API/Data Feed integration:

1. End-to-end solution provider for coupon data feed: Right from website development, optimization for page speed, security configuration, merchant & category master data to the coupon data feed, Coupomated provides all this at one stop.

2. Fully automated coupon affiliate feed: One dashboard to configure, manage & monitor all your major operations. Coupon data feed automatically update your website without any manual intervention. Just sit back and let coupomated’s automated affiliate feed do all the work. The simple and robust content delivery system feeds can be easily integrated with virtually any platform. And the scalable architecture ensures the high availability of content without compromising the quality.

3. Large number of Coupons and Deals: We consolidate, clean, validate, and standardize the coupon data aggregated from various sources and transform the content into easy-to-consume XML, JSON, and CSV feed. The data feeds contain 5000+ offers across more than 2000+ merchants and over 12+ affiliate networks. Know more about popular affiliate networks in 2023 here.

4. You are the king of your content: You have complete control over the creation of coupon content. Our sentence building module lets you choose how the coupon title & coupon description be created. This ensures the uniqueness and SEO compatibility of coupon data on your website. Mostly coupon data is prepared to keep the end-user in mind by providing catchy titles and SEO-friendly content.

5. Easy monetization of your every sale: We give the ease of smart deep linking. All you need to do is to configure your relationship IDs with the network on the Coupomated dashboard and all your links will be automatically deep linked. Never worry about a program going down by any network, our feed will automatically route through to the next available network ensuring you don’t lose out on a single penny.

6. Advanced analytics on coupon redemptions: Analytics has a great role to decide future strategies in any business. Our indigenously developed WordPress plugin provides advanced analytics on coupon redemptions. It also provides you data about the top-performing coupons, and coupon listing pages on your website as well as a list of top referral websites leading traffic on your website.

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The best coupon feed API in India. Access 1000+ stores and deals with a single API

Learn More 7. Alternative monetization channels: Apart from cost per sale or cost per lead, we help you configure various ways to monetize your website effectively. This will really be greatly helpful in the initial days of your startup in reaching break-even quickly.

8. SEO, SMM & Digital Marketing: We have, with our extensive experience in running successful affiliate businesses, developed various best practice guides specifically suitable for couponing websites. This will surely help crack the enigma of SEO, SMM & overall effective digital marketing.

9. Coupons & Product Widget: Coupomated is the first in India to develop such widgets. This is a simple widget that can be configured below your content or in the sidebar. It features the best coupons & deals during that particular time so as to ensure a high click-through rate and eventually commission.

10. Reasonable Pricing: As our mission is to help you build a successful business, we ensure that the cost of running your business is always as low as possible. All our plans & services vary competitively priced. We also run promotional offers on various services time-to-time.

11. Coupon generator API: One of the primary features of the Coupomated deals and coupon API is its ease of usage. Businesses may quickly create and manage coupons using a simple user interface that does not require specialised technological knowledge. The API also includes extensive documentation and support, ensuring that merchants can incorporate their coupon promos into their existing systems and workflows quickly and efficiently.

Problems with the free Coupon API/Data Feed that are overcome with Coupomated:

Legal issues: Coupomated is a platform that generates legal coupons for businesses that want to provide their consumer’s discounts and promotions. Unlike free coupon APIs that may have questionable sources for their coupons, Coupomated verifies that all coupons created are real and authorized by the businesses themselves.

Expired coupons: Expired coupons: Coupomated is a coupon generator API that makes certain that its users do not receive expired coupons. Unlike other free coupon API, Coupomated maintains its database regularly to ensure that all coupons are genuine and can be redeemed by users. This method avoids users’ disappointment and pain of attempting to use expired coupons.

Technical issues: Coupomated is developed to be a trustworthy and user-friendly coupon management system that minimizes technological concerns while providing a consistent experience for both businesses and customers.

Conclusion

Coupomated is not just a data feed provider or a Coupon API; it’s a partner in your affiliate marketing success. With its extensive merchant network, real-time updates, user-friendly API integration, comprehensive reporting, dedicated support, and competitive advantage, Coupomated has earned its reputation as the best in the business.

If you’re serious about taking your affiliate marketing game to the next level in India, I highly recommend giving Coupomated a try. Your audience will thank you, and your commissions will reflect the quality of service that Coupomated provides. Don’t settle for less; choose Coupomated and watch your affiliate marketing earnings soar.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started with Coupomated today and experience the difference for yourself!