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u2fangirlie-blog · 10 days

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Book Club Introduction

Recently, I was invited into a book club on Facebook. A friend asked me to join with other friends she knows. I know two out of 30 members. How are people supposed to introduce themselves and get to know each other in FB groups, particularly book clubs? I have no clue! The book club creator and moderators all follow BookTok and have To Be Read lists. I don't do that. It's all new to me.

To start, I read through posts, liked, commented, and replied to interesting and relevant posts. I thought this would be a good way to get to know new people. Then I took a risk and wrote an introduction. The post was viewed by half the crowd. My friend H. replied, but there were no other comments. Just silence. Not even a clock ticking in the background.

The first book selected is Murder at the Book Club by Betsey Reavley. I want to stay, make new friends, and be introduced to new authors, but I feel like an asshole. My introduction to the book club was dead on arrival, so I'm going to delete it from the group.

Here's the introduction. I put a lot of thought and planning into it and don't want to see words go to waste. Someone might read it in the vast expanse of words on Tumblr.

Hi! H. invited me to join the group. She said you are awesome fun people. H., C., and I have been friends since elementary and junior high school. In the past, I've been part of reading circles where we read and discussed metaphysical books. This is my first online book club. Please guide me in what is appropriate behavior and social conventions for online reading groups. I hope to read books in genres I've never read before. I look forward to getting to know everyone here.

I just want to introduce myself a little bit to the group. I'll start with my reading habits and preferences.

I don't have a TikTok account, so I don't follow any Booktok creators.

On YouTube, I don't follow many Booktube creators. However, I do watch channels that focus on one author or genre. I like Quinn's Ideas. He's the go-to guy for Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire. He also discusses classic hard scifi and new scifi. I enjoy T.L. is Reading, who is doing a Discworld read-along. If I'm interested in a new book or TV series based on a book, I'll look on YouTube. I learned a lot about the Wheel of Time that way.

I prefer print books. My house is stacked to the rafters. Remind me sometime to tell you about the time a tree branch went through the roof, and instead of going to the basement for safety, I ran upstairs to rescue boxes of books from the rain.

I do read some ebooks, usually if it's a long series or older books that are hard to find in print. Discworld has 41 book, so most of my Pratchett collection is in ebooks.

Kindle Unlimited - I don't have it because of the cost of subscriptions. If I get a book, I buy it. One reason I prefer print books over ebooks is that having physical media is forever (exceptions of fire or flood). What's going to happen if Amazon loses rights to books or if there's a major technology failure? We the consumers will lose access to digital media we "own" and paid for and will never get it back. It's already happening with streaming videos. If the Big One happens and if we lose electricity and satellites and the internet and if electronic devices stop working, y'all can come to my house. I own all the books and DVDs. LOL!

Audible - See above. Cost of subs. Potential loss of access to digital media. I listen to bootleg audiobooks on YouTube. I have a few audiobooks on CD. I haven't got any new audiobooks in ages because they're so freaking expensive.

Genres - Sci-fi. Fantasy. Classic literature. Mythology. Metaphysical. Paranormal. Occult. Tarot. Non-fiction essays and articles. Encyclopedias and dictionaries. You read that right. I'm a sucker for an encyclopedia with pretty pictures. I have lots of specialized encyclopedias in mythology, symbolism, gemstones, animals, and plants. I love etymology and enjoy looking up word origins. Classic authors: As an English major, I read a lot of the classics. Jane Austen is okay, not my favorite. I have issues with the Bronte Sisters and other authors who introduced the bad boy lover and gave really unhealthy expectations to young people about relationships.

Authors - Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Frank Herbert, Diane Duane, George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Laurel Hamilton, and Anne Rice (because smut is better with paranormal characters, and their vampires are infinitely better than Stephanie Meyers) J.K. Rowling (before she turned evil), and Neil Gaiman (Yes, I know about the allegations and am still processing how to respond publicly. His alleged behavior is horrible. The Good Omens and Sandman fandoms are fighting and ripping each other apart.)

First, full disclosure: I have a BA and MA in English, with a minor in creative writing and special studies in archetypal myth criticism. I don't write fiction. The creative writing workshops were difficult for me. My professors didn't inspire creativity, but instead they instilled critical analysis of writing, self-criticism, and self-doubt. My teachers critically wounded my desire to write stories, and later it just died. I gave up writing fiction a long time ago. No, I do not secretly want to write fiction.

My strong suit is non-fiction, including articles and essays. Mostly I write short humorous stuff for my social media and a captive audience of about 70 friends and family. Also I write in-depth analyses and criticism of books, movies, and TV series. And sometimes my friends get sick of my BS and think I'm too critical. That's just how my brain works. Analyzing something to the extreme doesn't mean I don't still enjoy it or love it. (Unless it's objectively crap. LOL!) I have a Tumblr blog for publishing what I don't want family to read.

That being said - When I put a lot of time and effort into writing a longer piece (for example an essay with photos) and people either don't read it or they only respond with a like, I feel frustrated and very hurt. I get it. People don't have time and are selective about what they read. I wrote a Tumblr post about it and will share it if anyone is interested.

For the past 7 years, I taught English comp and how to write research papers at a community college. I also ran the writing center with a staff of one (me) and helped students with their papers. If you need help with MLA and APA citations, I'm your girl! I departed for financial reasons. My past work experiences were in office/clerical. Recently, I started a new job in an office. It's good.

Finally, this is my binder full of maps. As an avid fan of fantasy and sci-fi series. maps are important to know where characters are located and the various cities and realms they are in. I'm obsessive. I'm a nerd and a dang weirdo (in the Muppet Gonzo sense of being a weirdo).

Here's a link to the binder of maps from fantasy, sci-fi, and history in literature.

#book clubs #booktock #booktube #book tumblr #facebook groups #book nerd

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golbrocklovely · 4 months

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I've been reading the last messages you've been sent and honestly with some of them I am horrified. I don't understand how people can have this much hate for someone they don't even know. All we know about their girlfriends are fun little tiktoks and that's about it. No deep conversations about anything, which I would love to hear, just so people can stop seeing them as shallow women.

I have a bit of anger and sadness about all this, and how people just won't not can't its totally a won't let them enjoy celebrating each other, and building their little world. I for one enjoy seeing people learn and discover each other.

Plus focusing on their sex lives, is a little obsessive, it's not fanfiction its' real life, and yes they have shared things with us, but tiny little details. I don't care if they do or don't have sex, their choice, just like everyone else.

I hope the girls show up in videos, just to we can enjoy getting to know them, but also if I was them I would stay away from what I can only see so far are young toxic fans crying because their idol isn't dating them. (reminding anyone of one direction days?)

it really does feel extremely unwarranted and out of nowhere. like, i didn't expect everyone to love the girls out the gate, but like… this is a level i never would have saw coming.

and a lot of what the girls are getting hated on for is dumb stuff. like fans are harping on malia for having work done or for once having an onlyfans or for dyeing her hair a color amber wanted to do to hers. and then for katelyn, it's mostly made up shit, or ppl jumping the gun on things she's said and assuming she's referring to something more sinister.

what confuses me is do these ppl not realize that yall are more obsessed with them than anyone that claims to be a fan of them??? you spend day in and day out hating these girls, following their every move, looking thru past shit of theirs, buying their subscription…… yet claim you hate them???

sounds like a fan to me.

and yeah - focusing on either the girls' sex lives or the boys is so strange to me. like it's one thing to be curious, it's another to learn something that you sought out, and then judge harshly. but idk what i expected from fans that barely have graduated high school and can't even say the word penis without full body cringing lol

and i hope the girls are around for a while, solely just to piss everyone off. everyone wants things to end with them quickly, so i'm hoping they all stay together and keep going until every last one of these fans have left butthurt over their wattpad bfs not dating them :)

at the end of the day, you can say whatever you want about the girls. or the guys, for that matter. but don't expect snc to want to associate with you.

#ask #personal #cb ll #sg ll

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kaoarika · 1 year

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We are starting weeeeelll...

I dl’ed GIMP, a program which I firstly used in the late 2000s, stopped using it around the time I got in college... to use it again in 2017 as an alternative to PS in a temporary/testing work period because the ppl of that place thought it would be cool to install the demo version of PS w/o suffering the consequences of atempting to get rid of it themselves... and here I am, using GIMP precisely because I don’t have other alternatives to PS (and refusing to give money to Adobe in this age with their subscription cloud service) in 2023.

I lack some intuition since it’s been a while since I used PS, but I seem to remember very basics about editing pics and the like, and MY GOD, do my recent pencil-and-paper pics need some editing (and a scanner, tbh).

The thing is, I installed the program 2 weeks or so ago, and didn’t touch it since. I didn’t open it up until earlier. And I ended up jumpscared by a Runtime Visual C+++ (?) error window (two, actually). Which sounds like a reminder of “yeaaaaah, maybe you shouldn’t open this program when you have this many tabs open in Chrome, and other stuff that might kill the memory of your computer”, remembering those old “good” times of me using any Adobe program in my old PC in the middle of partial projects and finals in 2013/14. YUP.

(I know this window is kinda rare to appear, but the only other times that I happened to stumble these are because my old laptop was begging me to stop using it, lol; literally, it was/is on its last legs).

And it’s like “I wish or hope this doesn’t happen when I install and use CSP, although I’m very concerned I’m probably not going to be doing multitasking -ie watching video on the background-... or maybe I could fix everything by buying a new laptop, which... possible, but I don’t have the means to recover the investment in a quick and easy way.

So, yeahhh... good start.

(I also tried to use the program a little more and fortunately, I didn’t have crashes on me again.. then again, with this info I have today... chances for that are minimal to happen again.

#kao's nonsenses

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keii · 2 years

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SORRY I JUST GOTTA VENT ABOUT THIS REAL QUICK LOL

Oh you GOT to be fucking kidding me?? LOOOL GOTTA PAY TO SEE THAT PHOTO?? Okay look. I don’t care if there are answers that you have to use batteries on, and that his private account is behind the subscription… but this??? What is even the fucking point. I don’t like that in part of the actual game, there are choices related to stuff that we HAVE to pay for in order to get the context. WHY GIVE US OPTIONS THAT DIRECTLY INVOLVES A PIC THAT FREE USERS CANT EVEN SEE??? Cheritz COME ON NOW??? Let subscription users have their features since they paid a shit ton for it, but at the same time don’t take away the experience from the free players??? This really is just penny pinching at this point… in MM it was so generous… and because I enjoyed the game and characters so much, I was MORE THAN HAPPY to support and buy stuff from Cheritz… for this game, just the thought of putting money into this… where idk if I like Teo or not, actually infuriates me… what tf happened LOOL Also I’m still trying to find out the correlation between the Labs and Teo’s story. Right now the premise isn’t clear to me??? But don’t tell me, I’ll figure it out eventually… it’s hard to not compare this game to its predecessor, but in both characterization and story-wise… I was EASILY much more invested in MM. Simple and straight to the point. Plan a party, fall in love. This game is… talking to some rando… and idk space exploration via forums…

The micro transactions in the game is such a buzz kill. I know Cheritz wanted to make this game “immersive” with Teo taking breaks between messages and this game being more of a steady pace, in terms of getting to know the character... But to have the constant reminder that if I want Teo to come back faster, I have to pay, if I want to see Teo’s fucking same face selfie, I have to pay, if I want to call Teo, I have to pay, if I want to choose a certain option, I have to pay, if I want him to type faster, I HAVE TO PAY. Do you realize HOW MUCH THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE IMMERSION LMAOO??? The constant ads, and reminders that for the cool/convenient features in this game… I have to pay.

When I played MM bc it wasn’t riddled with ads and the characters were so full of personality, it felt SO immersive. I can see into their world and it’s easy to FEEL INCLUDED within the group. Easy to feel for all the characters and their struggles, their joy— whereas Teo… he falls SO short in terms of connecting with me as a player. It’s like I’m stuck on awkward small talk for the past week and it makes it very hard for me to care as much since he’s not really funny, nor expressive, it’s hard for me to gauge what kind of personality he has bc convos are short and usually just about whatever BS he got going on. This is such a long vent— idk why I got set off when I saw that that pic was behind a paywall and all the options were related to that locked pic LOL like I’m not dreading my experience in this game because I GENUINELY want to know what this game is about, but at the same time, it’s not something where I’m highly anticipating when I get to talk to Teo next. Unlike when I go into the MM Chatrooms and I never know what kind of thing to expect— the conversations with them could either go super deep or plain ridiculous where I’m laughing my ass off. I JUST DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED!!!

#like i'll still play bc as i said... i wanna know #BUT I AM JUST FLABBERGASTED AT ALL THIS OK #doesn't even feel like a game... it's just an app that's just there in my phone that i check a few times a day...#i hate the fact that there are times where he takes 20 minutes to reply #like... i got shit to do teo... hurry ur ass UP!!!#anyway ya my second report on this game LMFAOO #cheritz if u still read tumblr posts... i got lotsa thoughts #keiissum

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atlafan · 4 years

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could u maybe write something ab harry and the reader reuniting after taking a break for a while 🥺 just something a lil angsty and fluffy

a/n: oh wow, I’ve actually been wanting to write something about this for a little bit, let’s see what I can whip up! Less angst in this than I thought, but super fluffy. Hope you liked it! This is an au, so ya boy’s not famous.

New York to London

It wasn’t easy, but you both decided to take some time apart. You both just graduated from college, and you needed to figure out what you were doing for jobs. If you needed to move somewhere for work, neither of you wanted to hold the other back. You were in love, but you were still so young. If it was meant to be, it would happen, right?

You ended up in New York. You loved clothes and fashion. Were a marketing major with a minor in art. You found yourself living in a cozy apartment on the upper east side, working remotely for a clothing app. You got to design and select outfits for people. It was sort of like Stitch Fix. Working from home allowed you to fill up your sketch books with design ideas of your own. Sometimes you would go out and work from the local coffee shop, just to have a change of scenery, of course making sure to buy coffee and food in exchange for the free wifi.

You and Harry agreed not to really talk, or fill each other in what you were doing. Neither of you wanted to fall into the “please, just come move here with me” trap. You weren’t entirely sure what he was doing, or if he had decided to go back to London altogether. You missed him, and it was a good relationship, but it had definitely run its course. You were with him for two years, you did a lot of growing up together, but you were never certain if he was the man of future.

Six months into your job, you had started making friends in the city. You found time to go out and enjoy the night life when you could. You had even gone on a few dates here and there, a couple of one night stands when you were sick of using your own devices to get off. Things a lot of young, twenty-somethings did. One day, out of the blue, you got a text from your ex-boyfriend.

Harry: hi love, is it okay if I still call you that? lol...anyways, I’m in NYC for a few days...work thing...would love to see you if you’re up for it...xx

You take a deep breath when you see the text. You hate the way it makes your heart flutter. You ended up dating Harry in the first place because he always had this way of making you nervous, but in a good way. You always had butterflies around him, and you always found it hard to say no. You were genuinely curious to see how he was doing, and what exactly he did for work, so after waiting precisely twenty minutes, you decide to text him back.

You: hey! course it’s okay ;p I’d love to catch up! dinner and a drink sound good?

Harry: sounds great, name the time and place

You and Harry decide to meet up at a restaurant near his hotel that Friday night. You didn’t want to go to some tourist trap, but you knew of a nice place near where he was staying. You made sure to look your best, maybe remind him a bit of what he was missing. You knew he’d do the same. You put on your best little black dress, put your hair up into a sleek high pony, and put on some makeup. You grabbed a pair of red pumps for a pop of color, and into your uber you went.

It was a nice, spring evening. It was getting warmer out, so you only needed a light jacket along with your dress. You wait in the lobby of the restaurant for him.

“Y/N?”

You’d know the sound of his voice anywhere. You turn around and smile. He was almost shocked, you had never looked better. He looked nice. Blue pair of slacks, white button up with the first few undone, and a salmon pink sport coat. Classic Harry.

“Hi!”

You wrap your arms around his neck and give him a kiss on the cheek.

“You look great.” He says, blushing slightly.

“Thanks, so do you. I put a reservation in for us online. Wanna see if the table’s ready?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

He puts his hands in his pockets and follows you up to the hostess. She checks you both in and leads you to your table a few minutes later.

“Come here a lot?” He asks as he sits down.

“Sometimes. Been here with some friends.”

You take your jacket off and hang it on the back of your chair. He gets a really good eye full of you. He smiles when he sees you wearing the necklace he had gotten you for your last birthday.

“So, you’re in the city for work?”

“Yup, I’m an admissions counselor for a small school up in New Hampshire. I got hired to do a lot of the traveling, so I’m rarely on campus.”

“Oh, that’s cool. Where else do you travel to?”

“Mostly the state of New York and Massachusetts.”

“What made you-”

“Hi folks, I’m Max, I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start either of you off with a drink?”

“I’d love a glass of pinot noir please.” You smile.

“Just a Corona for me, thanks.”

“Excellent, I’ll be back in a few minutes with those.” He smiles and walks away.

“Anyways, what made you want to become an admissions counselor?”

“I get to travel with all expenses paid. I really had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated, so this gives me more time to figure it out. I can explore the various places I go to. S’not like I’m tied down, right?” He jokes.

“Right.”

He clears his throat.

“So, it seems like the city’s treating you well.”

“Very well!” You chuckle. “I love it so much. I get to work remotely too, so no one really bothers me, which is great. I’m able to work on my sketches in my down time.”

“Yeah, you’re working for like a clothing subscription service?”

“Mhm, it’s awesome. I love getting to know my clients and all that.”

“You seem happy.”

“I am. I feel really independent.”

The waiter comes back over with your drinks. You end up ordering a salad with some grilled shrimp, while Harry opts for a veggie burger. You clink your glasses together.

“So, it’s okay that I texted right?”

“Of course! I think I’d be a little upset if I knew you were so close by and didn’t even think to say hi.”

“I’ve wanted to reach out for a while, but...I know you said you wanted some space.”

“Well, we both agreed on that.”

“I guess.” He shrugs.

“Did we not?”

“No, we did. I guess all I mean is...I don’t know...takin’ a break has just been weird, that’s all.”

Before you can respond, your food is brought over. The conversation lightens up a bit as you eat. Harry really enjoys the food. Towards the end, he insists that he pays. You eventually agree to just split the bill.

“Wanna come see my place? I think you’ll like it, it’s cozy.”

“Sure! Thought I’d have to work a little harder for you to invite me back with you.” He smirks.

“Oh, stop it.” You swat an arm at him.

The uber ride back to your place is quiet. He was impressed by the building you were in. He couldn’t believe you could afford such a nice place.

“So, it’s a studio, but it’s not cramped.” You show him inside. “Like, I can stretch out in the shower.” You giggle. “Got really creative with the storage too.”

“View makes it all worth it, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.” You both look out the window together. “Sit, sit. What can I get for you? I have more wine, and some beers int he fridge.”

“Beer’s fine, thanks.”

He sits down on your small couch while you get the drinks together. You come back over and him a beer.

“Thanks.”

“Sure.” You take a sip of your wine. “So, do you, like, have an apartment in New Hampshire?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a small place to call home when I’m not traveling.”

“That’s good.”

“Mhm.” He takes a sip of his drink. “Can I ask you something...sort of personal?”

“Um, sure.”

“You haven’t been, like, hooking up have you?”

“What?”

“Because I haven’t.”

“I never told you not to.”

“So, does that mean you have?”

“Harry...we’re not together, we’re broken up.” You frown and so does he.

“A break is different from a break up, though, right?”

“We agreed to end things so we could go off and find our career paths. I mean, I think about you a lot, but I guess I didn’t really think we’d actually get back together. It’s been six months, Harry.”

“I know...”

“I mean, I’m not seeing anyone. I’ve had a few dates here and there, but nothing serious. I don’t really have time for it.”

“Me neither...I guess the only difference is I haven’t wanted to even be with anyone else, random or not.”

“I find that very hard to believe.” You scoff. “If there was a day I couldn’t see you, you’d tell me how touch starved you were.”

“That’s true, but it was your touch I was starved for, no one else’s. You know me, I was never the hook up guy as it was. It’s gross.” He takes another sip of his drink. “Do you always hook up with different people or-”

“No.”

He nods his head.

“How many have there been?”

“What does it matter?”

“Just wondering if I need to catch up or something.” He scoffs.

“Harry, we never agreed on not hooking up with other people, we never even talked about it.”

“Because I just assumed we wouldn’t! Don’t you miss me?”

“I miss being in college and having zero responsibilities.” You sigh. “I try not to think about what I miss about you too much. And no offense, but I’ve actually begun a career. You’re still figuring things out. It wouldn’t good if we tried to get back together right now. I like living alone, and-”

“Alright, I get it, you’re better off without me.” He rolls his eyes.

“That’s not what I meant.” You put your hand on his shoulder, but he shrugs it away.

“Do you think I like not being good enough? I’d give you the world if I could, but I literally have zero idea what I’m passionate about. I feel like I wasted four years of my life. Now when I talk with these kids on where they want to go to school and the reasons they want to go...” He shakes his head.

“You’re a people person, you’ve always been that way. You have a stage presence to you. A room lights up when you walk in.”

“S’not exactly a transferable skill, love.”

“You’ll figure it out, Harry. I know you will.”

A year or so later you heard from a mutual friend that Harry moved back to London. He had gone off into the world of PR, and he was thriving. Your job had lead you to some opportunities to go to London, they had even asked you if you wanted to relocate there. Many of the clothing lines they had were exported from there, and they wanted you more on the buying team since you had such a great eye. You said you’d consider it and go for a visit to check things out. You and Harry hadn’t talked much since he had seen you in New York, but you wanted to pay him the same courtesy he given you.

You: Hey, Harry! It’s Y/N...I’m coming to London next week for a work thing. Might even be relocating there! I was wondering if you’d like to get together. Maybe you can tell me how great the city is, lol

You had deleted the text about five times before actually hitting send. Two hours later he got back to you.

Harry: Did you think I deleted your number?! Of course I know it’s you! That sounds great, let me just check over my schedule with my assistant and I’ll get back to you on when would work.

You: wow, an assistant, how fancy are you?

Harry: she keeps my head on straight, that’s for sure

You: well, I’m looking forward to seeing you...it’s been too long!

Harry: I agree

And just like that, you had butterflies in your stomach. You hoped maybe he was single, but you wouldn’t be surprised if he was seeing someone. He was a girlfriend guy, and you had basically told him you weren’t getting back together last time you spoke.

You were given a wonderful tour of the office you’d potentially be working in. Everyone seemed friendly, and you certainly wouldn’t be the only American working there if you decided to accept.

Towards the end of the week, Harry invited you over for a dinner at his flat. You were surprised he didn’t want to go out. Maybe you’d be starting at his flat and then go to a club? You were dying to see how the London night life compared to New York’s. You take a cab to his flat and text him when you’re there. He comes downstairs to meet you outside.

“Harry!” You practically squeal. You wrap your arms around each other for a nice embrace. “It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you too. Driver found the place okay?”

“Mhm.” You smile.

“Come on up. Just got dinner on the table.”

He leads you upstairs. Your jaw drops when you see how spacious his flat is. It was a one bedroom with a nice open concept. It looked like he entertained quite often. He had a bar set up in the living area.

“This is beautiful.”

“Thanks. Figured I could afford a nice place, why not have one?” He shrugs.

You use his hall bath to freshen up. He has you sit down at his dining table. He had made curry.

“This smells so good, thanks so much for cooking.”

“I figured you’d enjoy a real meal after eating out all week.”

“You figured right, thank you.”

“Oh stop.” He sits down. “Just eat, yeah?”

You moan after tasting the food.

“This is delicious.”

“Thanks.” He smirks. “So, do you think you really might move here?”

“I might, yeah. It seems like a really big step up for me.”

“No one back in New York to miss you?”

“Nope.” You grin. “Other than the few friends I’ve made.” You shrug. “My family is really supportive too.”

“That’s great. I’m really glad I came home. I feel like once I did the opportunities came flying in. I love PR. I make phone calls, set up events. And I get to meet so many cool people.”

“And you have an assistant.” You chuckle.

“S’not what you think. She’s not some young thing that’s enthralled with me. She’s like forty years old, has a couple of kids that don’t need her home with them anymore. She’s a great help though. I actually requested someone a little older.”

“Why’s that?”

“Some of the younger girls in the interview, when they actually came to speak with me, I don’t know, I just kept getting this weird vibe.”

“It’s because you’re so captivating. You’re intimidating, but charming.” You take another bite of food. “Sexy.”

“Oh, gimme a break.”

“I’m serious! You always made me feel nervous when we first started talking. You would always really sit back and observe the room before talking. You can be quiet sometimes. But that was you then, that’s just a version of you that I know, you could be different now.”

“I’d like to think so. Although, I think I’m just a good listener. I definitely like reading a room before I join a conversation.”

“I’m so happy to see you doing well.” You take a sip of your drink. “So...any lucky ladies or fellas in your life?”

“No.” He laughs. “M’way too busy for all that. I mean...I’ve had some fun here and there, I’m not celibate.” He takes a sip of his own drink. “What about you?”

“Nothing serious.” You shrug. “I haven’t minded being focused on my career, you know? I have a good work-life balance, don’t get me wrong, but like if I were in a relationship right now, I may not be making this move.”

“Tell me, if I didn’t live here would you still consider moving?”

“I don’t know. It’s a huge plus knowing I’d have someone close by, someone I know to show me around. If you had the time of course. You could even tell me what the good neighborhoods to live in are.”

“You could get a flat here. It’s a really nice building to be in. I bet you’d be able to afford it if I can. They want you to be a buyer?”

“Yeah, my boss thinks I have a great eye, and I always get the highest ratings from my clients.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m happy for you. I know last time we saw each other it didn’t seem like it, but I was really confused about the direction my life was going. I wasn’t happy.”

“You’re happy now?”

“Very much.”

“Good.” You put your hand over his. “It’s all I ever wanted for you, to be the best version of yourself.”

“Same here with you.” He rubs his thumb over the back of your hand. “I got some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. Wanna move to the sofa?”

“Sure!”

You both sit down on his large sectional. You dive into the sweet treat.

“Do you entertain a lot?”

“Sometimes, yeah. I like it better than going to some stuff club. You can be out until four in the morning if you’re not careful.” He laughs.

“Well, I’d love for you to take me out to a club sometime.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, love. I’ll take any excuse to dance with you.” His dimple peeks out in his grin, and it makes you melt. “When do you have to give them your decision by?”

“A few days. I’m headed back to New York tomorrow night.”

“How’s your hotel been?”

“It’s nice...not as cozy as this though.” You lean back into the cushions and look up at him.

“Yeah, I definitely don’t miss that about working in admissions. Different hotels all the time sounds like fun, but when you just wanna do your laundry and you can’t, it gets old really quick.”

“I can imagine.” You make a bold move and rest your hand on his knee. This time when you touch him he doesn’t shrug you away. “I think I may move here. I can home here and you can cook for me all the time, or you could bring me to your fancy parties.”

“Is that so?” He scoots a little closer to you. “It would get some people at the company off my back. They’re always askin’ why I never have a date to anything.”

“And why don’t you?”

“I don’t know, I’m there to work, not bring arm candy with me.”

“Ah, but that arm candy can help you network. I’m impeccable at networking.”

“Alright, so you’ll be my date then when I need one, is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s what I’m saying.” You smile.

“What about when there’s no fancy party? Can I call you for a date?”

“I’d like that.”

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I please kiss you?”

You nod yes. He leans in, cups your cheeks, and presses his lips to yours. They were soft, just like you remember. He takes them away a little too quickly for your liking though.

“What’s wrong?” You frown.

“I just don’t wanna, like, rush this, that’s all. I don’t even know what this is, but whatever it is, I don’t wanna mess it up this time.”

“Harry, you never messed anything up. We did the right thing before. I think we’re both in a place where we could have room to be together again. But, I think you’re right, one step at a time. Let me actually accept the job and move here before we dive into anything.”

“Exactly.” He sighs happily. “Okay, I’m gonna kiss you again, and then I’ll drive you to your hotel.”

You giggle as he smooches you again and again. Harry never really ever stopped loving you, and you could tell. You never really ever stopped loving him either.

#harry styles #harry styles fic #harry styles imagine #harry styles x reader #harry styles y/n #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fluff #harry styles fluff fic #harry styles angst

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karajaynetoday · 4 years

Text

how to support your favourite creators on tumblr dot com

hello friends and welcome to unsolicited advice from karajaynetoday

here are 5 simple ways you can support your favourite creators on tumblr/the internet in general, whether they be writers, artists, incredible GIF makers and edit-creators, and everything else in between. I get so much joy out of tumblr content, so I’d thought I’d share some tips that I’ve gathered throughout ten years on this hellsite/safe haven lol

1. REBLOG THEIR CONTENT

go on, tell us how you really feel in the tags. no really, by sharing their original content (always reblog rather than re-post. NEVER re-post without permission or credit - you’ll see on the GIF I’ve used above Tumblr has added the credit to @ghostofmashton as the OG creator), you’re helping give their work more exposure, feedback and love, which is a lovely thing to do.

2. INTERACT AND GIVE FEEDBACK

Did you lose your mind over that blurb? have a meltdown (in a good way) over that GIFset?? Head on over to their ask box or the replies and let them know!! Giving feedback helps your fave creators figure out what kinds of things you like to read or see on their blog, so they can plan future content! With writing feedback in particular, I like to be specific - if there was a particular phrase or section that made me feel an emotion, I mention it; if there was a particular writing element that struck me (the character dynamics, the scene descriptions, the narrative structure, the fictional universe etc etc) I call that out. A lot of people have an anon option on their ask box if you feel more comfortable giving feedback that way! If creators post things and all it gets is likes but no feedback, it can feel a little bit like you’re screaming into the void!

3. RECOMMENDATIONS/REQUESTS/FINDING LOST CONTENT

Most creators will say in their bios or on their ask page if requests are open or closed - be sure to be respectful of this! But, did you read a fic or see an edit a while ago that you can’t remember the name or creator of? ASK SOMEONE! Are you in the mood to read a particular kind of vibe? ASK SOMEONE! The 5SOS community on tumblr is incredibly supportive and helpful when it comes to sharing recommendations, whether it’s through having a recommendations sideblog or fic recs tag (for example, I regularly check Lau @sexgodashton‘s rec tag for new pieces to read), responding to specific ask messages that request recommendations, or helping people find things they’re looking for (check out Crystal @kindahoping4forever for all your 5sos historian needs) so don’t be afraid to ask.

4. BE RESPECTFUL

yeah look this one is just a good general rule for life and everywhere you are on the internet but basically remember that there is a human on the other side of the screen. this is a safe space, and we can all engage in discourse and headcanons and whatnot, but don’t be a c*nt about it. if you don’t want to see a particular type of content, you can block tags. at the end of the day, the creator of the blog is in control of their own content, and if you don’t like it, unfollow them. if you think their content puts someone in danger or violates the tumblr community guidelines, you can report it. Jex @sadistmichael has some of the best NSFW writing on this site, and also some of the most reasonable opinions and responses to divisive discourse and I think this post of theirs sums it up:

a reminder that it’s okay to exist in the same fandom as someone that doesn’t have the same preferences or opinions that you do when it comes to a celebrity you don’t know <3 everyone does not have to think like you to be valid <3 as long as they are not encroaching on someone’s human rights and are in their lane you can unfollow them <3 having different opinions on things is a central part of being an adult in the real world <3

5. GIVE WHERE YOU CAN

okay now this is potentially the most controversial one?? maybe?? Idk, that’s why it’s last. obviously right now the world is on FIRE and a lot of people are struggling, so don’t feel pressure at all to do this if you can’t. it’s important to look after yourself first, especially during crazy times like 2020. however, personally I’ve been in a position recently where I’ve had a little spare money (that I would usually spend on my morning coffee in the office, or whatever, that I’m now not spending thanks to rona) and I’ve chosen to support a few of my favourite creators that have ko-fi pages with a small donation as a thank you for their work (@ everyone I follow who doesn’t have a ko-fi page pls make one so I can keep doing this!!! lol). The way I see it, I’d usually buy a book to read, pay for a netflix subscription to watch content, or things like that - so this is my way of repaying creators for delivering excellent content essentially for free in terms of $$$, but not really free if you think about the time and effort that they put into their creations. I know a lot of people pursue creative work for the love and passion they have for it, but everyone also has bills to pay - just because it’s fandom-based work, doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable than mainstream creative work you engage with. If the creators you want to support don’t have a ko-fi or similar, maybe see if you could commission them to do some work for an upcoming birthday or something like that! that being said, donating to support their work doesn't give you ownership or rights - just like buying a 5sos album doesn't. They're not at your beck and call to create and engage 24/7 - see point 4 about BEING RESPECTFUL 🙃🙃🙃

tl:dr: reblog, interact & give feedback, ask for recommendations and make requests, BE RESPECTFUL, give where you can.

thank you for coming to my TED talk <3

#5sos #5 seconds of summer #tumblr creators #fanfiction #ashton irwin imagine #calum hood imagine #luke hemmings imagine #michael clifford imagine #unsolicited advice

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kiefbowl · 4 years

Note

I’m sorry to just drop this long ramble on you but I wanted to tell you that your post about going more analog really resonated with me. I’m a little older than you (just turned 31 about a week or so ago), and I didn’t get a cellphone (or, for that matter, internet or cable/satellite) until I was in high school so I remember a time when I had to call to talk to friends. I miss it; I only ever do that with my mom and sister anymore, none of my friends are comfortable with phone calls. I’d love to go back to actually calling people for quick things or long conversations. I’ve never really developed a comfortable relationship with the digital age. I have a landline and a large collection of records, cds, dvds/blu rays and such and honestly I prefer it. I feel you on the overwhelming options in streaming and the feeling that I’m being taken over by technology. I hate the way streaming is unreliable in its permanance, the way things will just disappear, and yet still so endless. Lately, I’ve also been longing for a newspaper subscription; there’s just something about the feel and smell of it as well as the comfort of not being plugged in constantly. Obviously I still have a cellphone, computer/internet and such, but I engage very little with social media these days: I use tumblr the most and I’m not terribly active on here. I still feel too plugged in for my comfort.

Also, I love Frasier. Used to watch it all the time and in 2019 I started rewatching it which was such a good feeling. I’ve been doing this with a lot of older shows I loved and remember from my childhood; most prominently Buffy and Seinfeld. I’m deep in the nostalgia these days lol.

Anyway, something about what you said about the digital presence in our lives reminded me of a book I read when I was in middle school called Feed by M.T. Anderson, did you ever read it? Can’t vouch for quality, it’s been almost 20 years since I read it, but you just brought it screaming back into my mind.

I LOVE BUFFY!!!! We just rewatched it all in 2019, so I’ll probably come back to it in a few years. But literally, if I was to start buying dvds/blue-rays again, a full Buffy box set would be first thing. I couldn’t imagine not having it available at my whim. I haven’t read Feed, but I just looked it up. It literally looks like a weird prediction of our current world, holy shit. I’ll add it to my list of books to read. Thanks for reaching out!

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jmkitsune · 3 years

Text

BUT hey ya know all in all

IF/When tumblr tries this whole subscription bullshit

I reminder you

I got patreon and honestly its mostly cause it directly supports the whole twitch/youtube/writing stuff I do

there are 4 tiers

Economic : 5 bucks a month (same as a twitch sub BUT I get the cash not Bezos) ((there are 100 slots for these each month)

Basic: 10 a month (two twitch months sub but again NOT going to bezos or google) (100 slots here too)

Gamer Patron: 60 a month- you can tell me what game to buy with your 60 bucks to stream/record and it'll be done (within reason) (5 slots as I figure it'll mean like 5 new games at a time .-.)

WHO ARE YOU!? tier- 100 a month- I'll go stream/record me using some cash to buy a model (gundam/zoids) or lego model kit, build it and hang out with chat or something I'll show you options and you can pick what gets purchased (10 slots a month cause...like WHO THE FUCK GOT THAT MONEY THEY WANNA DROP ON ME?!)

twitch: 3-4 streams a week (ideally)

Mon-Wed 6/6:30 PM EST until like 9-10 EST

youtube: 7 days a week uploads from previous streams and recorded content off stream (each upload goes up at noon EST

tiktok- OCCASIONALLY I am able to find the energy to make cosplay stuff or meme content (currently would like to make a mando/jedi cosplay but ya know MONEY)

also with the country opening back up (GET VAXED KIDS) money can help towards cons or travel in general

writing- well have you tried paying for being a writer to get editing and published? its expensive lol

POINT IS TLDR- instead of giving your money to tumblr to see my posts/my crap- just go support me on patreon, I'll provide tons of gaming content on youtube and twitch and be able to afford to do more in the future (bills suck yo)

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purplesurveys · 4 years

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1123

survey by zqrwrgnani

What do you typically have for breakfast? I skip breakfast Monday to Friday. On weekends either of my parents will usually make fried rice served with 3–4 of the following: eggs, hotdogs, corned beef, dried fish, ham, longganisa, and luncheon meat.

Where do you purchase most of your clothes? There’s a tiangge at the local mall where they will change up the collection of clothes being sold every couple of weeks. They have trendy choices at really low prices so that’s where I liked getting clothes back when I went out more.

Do you have any opinions on Anna Delvey? Literally have never heard of her. Should I know who this is...?

What are you currently streaming? I have an episode of (surprise!) 2D1N turned on, but it’s paused.

What do you typically order when you go for coffee? Iced caramel macchiato. I actually switched it up today and went for a basic iced mocha, though. Just wanted to try something new, I guess.

Anything you’re looking out for at the thrift? No, and I don’t usually make trips to thrift stores either.

Who are your favorite YouTubers? Louise Pentland is a recent favorite. There’s also Good Mythical Morning, Grace Helbig, and The Try Guys. I also like a ton of BuzzFeed people but I don’t think they count as YouTubers. I like a good number of local vloggers as well but they’re no one you would recognize.

Describe your skincare routine. I just splash some water onto my face first thing in the morning, every day.

What’s your typical morning routine look like? Work has conditioned me to automatically wake up at 6:30, and by then I have the choice to either go back to sleep or try to properly wake up by watching YouTube videos. Either way, I have to be up by 8 so I can start working. And like I said, I briefly wash my face, then I immediately head to my laptop. That’s it, really; it’s super uneventful and I'm sorry I can’t make it any more interesting lol.

Are you still playing Animal Crossing? I never bought the game, actually. I asked Nina if I should buy it and she said it probably won’t be suitable for me since the game requires a lot of creativity, which as y’all know by now I lack entirely hahaha. I have my eyes set on other games.

How has the pandemic specifically affected you? It kept me from having a memorable final year in university, and it kept me from having a graduation ceremony. We also had to sell one of our cars, which I really loved driving when we still had it, so that bummed me out. I believe the pandemic had also been a slight factor in the crumbling of my former relationship as well.

Where’s your favorite place to go for brunch? I never go out for brunch.

What’s on your nightstand? Right now there is a bunch of books on it and a paper envelope from work.

What do you think about before falling asleep? Anything except my already pending deliverables work for the following day.

What is your main source of anxiety? Continued from the previous evening. I don’t know if there’s a main catalyst...a lot of things have the ability to make me feel anxious.

Any bands or artists you’ve recently discovered? I’m going further down the K-pop rabbit hole as I know it, lmao. It’s starting, you guys. This week I discovered GOT7; I’ve only heard one song so far but I’m extremely hooked. Ravi’s also very talented and has catchy songs.

What are your goals for today? Have a great rest of the evening and enjoy the start of my weekend.

What kind of games do you play on your phone? I haven’t been playing a lot of games on it, actually. I mainly use it to keep track of my Viber notifications (because my laptop sometimes won’t, and I end up replying to some work threads late) and to watch on Viu. But the last game I downloaded was a logo quiz game for old times’ sake.

Are there any packages you’re waiting to come in through the mail? Nah, haven’t ordered anything recently. I think I’m over my online shopping phase hahaha. I was just really excited about it when I got my first couple of paychecks, but now that the initial thrill has passed, I mainly look forward to spending on food – exactly like how I predicted it would be for me.

Describe your favorite t-shirt? I’d neverrrrr throw out my CM Punk Best in the World shirt for the world, no matter how more tattered and stained it gets. It’s one of my prized possessions and it reminds me of a really happy and carefree time in my life.

Do you have a specific aesthetic? I don’t know if I fit into a certain one; I certainly don’t consciously try to. You’d have to ask my friends if I do have a specific kind.

Skinny jeans or mom jeans? Mom jeans, a thousand times over. I dread wearing skinny jeans.

What’s your favorite 90s cartoon? The Wild Thornberrys.

Describe the moment you realized you were falling in love with someone. I felt scared more than anything else. I’ve never felt such a heavy sensation before, so I didn’t know what was going on. I also felt the need to be around them as much as I can, as I was starting to love and enjoy their presence, and be the one to attend to their needs.

Have you tried the feta and tomato recipe? No but sounds delicious.

What’s your favorite sparkling water brand/flavor? I don’t drink that. Sounds nasty.

What’s your favorite makeup brand/brands? Don’t wear makeup, either.

What’s your all time favorite movie? Two for the Road.

What are some female names you would name a baby? Olivia, Mia, and Amelia are some of my favorites.

What about male? Erm, probably names like Mason, Elliott, Matteo, Liam...I don’t want a son, so I don’t think about boy names too often lmao.

Do you have any subscription boxes? No. I’ve always wanted to subscribe to one with a quirky concept, like a Korean-themed one, or international snacks or condiments, or curated alcoholic drinks, etc. but at the end I feel it’s a luxury I could do without.

What did you purchase the last time you bought groceries? The last time I got groceries was for work, and for that instance I got several of the following: coffee packs, soju, various canned goods, spaghetti set, Nutella, and toiletries.

What fictional creature would you like as a pet? Wouldn’t keep him as a pet but I feel like Maximus from Tangled would be such a fun dude to be around.

Describe your favorite piece of jewelry. I don’t have one. I love borrwing my mom’s Tiffany’s jewelry, though.

Have any local businesses closed that you’re sad about? So fucking many of them, especially the ones I frequented back in college. I went back to Katip last week and the place felt like a damn ghost town.

How do you feel about the BLM movement? I support it, of course. And I feel infuriated by those who try to counter by saying aLl LiVeS mAtTeR or worse, bLuE lIvEs MaTtEr.

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever taken? I don’t think I ever took an advice I knew was bad or would be useless or irrelevant to me. But this reminds me of my mom’s favorite piece of advice for every bad situation, which is to pray lmao.

How do you feel about your neighbors? I feel like I answer this a lot on this surveys, but I don’t think anything of them. We mostly keep to our own business.

What kind of dwelling do you live in? A house.

Have you been watching this season of The Bachelor? I’ve never tried watching it and have no desire to.

What’s typically kept in your purse/wallet? Paper bills, receipts I have the tendency to stuff and keep there even though I’ll never have to use them again, my Paramore ticket, TIN ID, copies of 1x1 and 2x2 photos of myself just in case I have to whip one out, driver’s license, my debit cards, and my vape.

How do you feel about TikTok? I gravitate towards the tutorials and unique prompts (like people showing their parents of different nationalities, the then-vs-now of their pets, etc) more so than the dance-y/meme-y ones. I’ve never felt the need to get the actual app, though. I get my TikTok fix on Facebook, which makes me feel old saying so LOL

What’s the hardest thing you’ve done/been through? Dealing through a breakup was surprisingly harder and more excruciating than deaths I’ve had to go through.

Did you/do you still have a Neopets account? I never had an account but I did have a Neopets game on my flip phone.

What do you look like on a day where you don’t leave the house? Haggard.

Do you have any opinions on Amberlynn Reid? Have literally never heard of that name.

Any current trends you dislike? Most streetwear.

#survey #surveys

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truegodofthearena · 4 years

Note

Bridgerton! Plus one other fandom of your choice!

My answers are based on the Netflix show only, not the books.

Top 5 favourite characters: Anthony, Siena, Daphne, Eloise, Lady Danbury Other characters you like: Marina, Benedict, Simon, Penelope, The Prince, Sir Philip Least favourite characters: Violet, Nigel, Mr Featherington Otps: Anthony/Siena Notps: Siena/unhappiness Favourite friendships: Eloise/Penelope Favourite family: Siena/Geneviève (yes, they count as a family). I’m very divided on the Bridgerton family so far, I liked some dynamics but not all. Favourite episodes: An affair of honor, After the rain Favourite season/book/movie: only 1 season so far :D Favourite quotes: Umm, every time Anthony earnestly says “Siena” - does that count? Best musical moment: Siena singing in that pale dress with tears in her eyes Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: I think its either the scene where Anthony decides to spend his last night before the duel with Siena and his pleas to her, where she’s really conflicted, but then gives in to her feelings. OR that scene between Daphne and Simon where they’re talking about his mother’s favorite painting and how it reminds her of the countryside. I found that scene very touching and tender. When it really disappointed you: Penelope ruining Marina by exposing her. Saddest moment: Anthony and Siena’s break up, for sure. Also when Daphne gets her period during the concert and breaks down. Most well done character death: Uh, Simon’s dad. Simon’s last words to him were just *chef’s kiss* - its what he deserved to hear after how he treated Simon Favourite guest star: the Prince - want a decent cinnamon roll Favourite cast member: I haven’t really seen any interviews to form an opinion. But I guess Jonathan Bailey seems fun from the gifs I have seen of him behind the scenes ? Character you wish was still alive: Simon’s mom One thing you hope really happens: Anthony and Siena find their way back to each other despite the rules of society forcing them apart? One can dream lol. I’m sorry they have such amazing chemistry, its the endgame we deserve :D Most shocking twist: Penelope revealing the truth about Marina to the world. Still not over that. When did you start watching/reading? Few weeks back Best animal/creature: i don’t remember seeing any? Favourite location: Siena’s room because that’s where Santhony get to be themselves and leave the troubles of the world behind. It’s their HAPPY place. Trope you wish they would stop using: Forced romances. The whole idea of marriage being the only choice because you were caught in an embrace or whatever is so ridiculous. Let the people marry those they love ffs. Also introduce more options for the elite women other than marriage? One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Representation and costumes Funniest moments: The stove scene and Daphne’s snorting laughs at the Prince Couple you would like to see: Anthony/Siena - can’t get enough obviously Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Keira Knightley :D Favourite outfit: almost all of them - hard to pick Favourite item: i loved the jewelry the women were wearing in the show Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: Netflix subscription? lol What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: Would follow Siena and her talented butt anywhere Most boring plotline: The financial crisis of the Featheringtons? Most laughably bad moment: anytime Violet decided to set Anthony up lol - she needed a new set of eyes and perspective Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Simon’s backstory Most layered character: Anthony, he screwed up most of all, but he tried to made amends and grew throughout the season, so I enjoyed seeing that evolution. Most one dimensional character: Violet - she just wants her kids to marry and have babies, even at the cost of their own happiness. Scariest moment: When i didn’t know what the hell Marina was going to do after the reveal. Oh and that moment where they made it look like she was dead Grossest moment: Violet pushing ladies in front of Anthony as he’s looking at Siena, and she’s right fucking there? Also, Simon prioritizing his hatred for his very much dead dad over his love for Daphne. Couldn’t buy that and it was disappointing. Best looking male: Anthony Best looking female: Siena, Marina, Cressida Who you’re crushing on (if any): Santhony Favourite cast moment: no idea, haven’t seen enough of the cast stuff Favourite transportation: horseback, what’s a period drama without that Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Anthony and Siena’s last bedroom scene where they’re happy and laughing, dancing and so in love. Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: well i ship santhony so you tell me lol. I feel the way this relationship was set up, its hard to top that, if you want the audience to root anthony with someone else next season? We shall have to see. Best promo: For me, they were the santhony gifs on tumblr that made me start the show in the first place. Thanks to @sienarosso At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I think after he broke up with Siena, all the times Anthony felt that angst? lol. I was like A++++ material, its what i’m here for. Also, the costumes and sets really sold the show to me. Even if the story is not appealing at times, the visual aspect of the show is so pretty, you just want to watch it.

@therubbleoroursins thanks for asking ! omg this got so long, i’m afraid i’ll only do this one for now and maybe another show later. Will tag you :)

#therubbleoroursins #bridgerton #anthony bridgerton #siena rosso

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oddinary-investor · 4 years

Text

The How: Companies, Research, and Strategy. (Part 1 of 3)

A story of Sea Limited, Invitae, and Fastly

Ask an athlete how they got where they are now, and you’ll get a very generic “hard work and determination” response. This is not a bad thing, because the answer is someone’s life story. Each athlete got where they were in a unique way and each athlete’s way there was not better or worse than others… Many roads lead to the same place.

So, when I get asked about my approach to growth investing (not an expert < 1 year), I typically give a generic response. Usually not to hide any secrets, but because no one truly wants to see what goes into that. They usually just want a, “I look at blank and blank and invest in it until blank or….”, so I provide that and move on.

But if I am wrong, here’s three examples that illustrate my approach….

My new year’s resolution was to truly grab a path to financial freedom. I kicked around many ideas to make this a reality but settles on the stock market. So, I kept my 401(k) on autopilot and completely forgot about it. I wanted to open a brokerage account that could beat that retirement plan and eventually get to $1,000,00.00 before I retire from the military in 10 years. Bold plan, but I worked on mapping everything out… calculators, formulas, investment approaches, books, YouTube, etc. I was so certain this was possible, but I needed to budget heavily and make sure I could stick to my funding goals.

At the beginning of the year, I thought that focusing on dividend paying stocks would be solid. I would just use those quarterly dividends to buy more shares and over time those dividends would be larger and larger and at 4% average dividends per year, you would passively make $40k a year once a million is hit. I certainly could live with that, so I stacked the top performing dividend yielding stocks. It was a fine approach and once I get to that point dividend investing would be great. I learned quickly that dividend investing keeps you rich, while growth investing makes you rich (yes, debatable… blah blah).

The third week of January I sold every stock I had purchased, which was fine because it was essentially a break even and I would expect partial dividends at the end of the quarter. Now I was on the search to find the next Apple, Google, and Amazon, before anyone else.

January 16, 2020 – Fastly (FSLY) - 24.17 a share

In my search of the next big thing, I wanted to focus on the fastest growth stories I could find. I wanted a strictly technology company that was going to change the world. What I found was… Well, a shit ton of those companies. Like really… It was too simple… I thought I was missing something. With limited money though, I also needed a way to really focus on choosing the best of these companies. I needed rules to follow, to multiply my money, the quickest way possible. It was in this moment I knew that I made the right choice and though this wasn’t going to be a get rich quick scheme, it certainly could be a get rich quicker plan.

My January “Matt’s Investing Rules” I created during many lunch hours in our conference room at work:

1. Relatively newer SaaS companies that focused on growth over earnings.

I wanted companies that focused on subscription-based customers. I wanted all money from these companies going into growing the company, instead of sitting on cash. I don’t care if a company is profitable if this is the reason.

2. I wanted a small market cap company.

I like to look at every company as potentially growing ten times. If I can find a great company at $1 Billion market cap, I can assume that getting to $10B would be more likely than investing in Apple and thinking it will get to become 20 Trillion-dollar company. I felt Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft was too easy. They are all amazing and will keep growing and making you money, but I wanted to get the next wave of companies.

3. I simply had to believe in a future with them being important.

This is probably the most important and the reason I developed so many great skills in researching companies. It forced me to watch hours upon hours of videos and presentations of companies (granted 1.5x speed settings) I was interested in. I learned as much as I could about the company and the people in charge of it, for I really liked investing in companies that are founder led. Skin in the game was appealing to me.

With these rules set in place, on January 16th, I found Fastly, Datadog, Zoom, Livongo Health, and Crowdstrike. These have all multiplied many times since then, but I don’t think that’s going to stop anytime soon. With that said, Fastly was the first company that I truly felt connected to… you know, in a weird investing way.

I found these companies, specifically Fastly, by searching for most recent IPOs (Initial Public Offering) and searching for companies that met my three basic rules. Focusing on Fastly alone—

Fastly appeared to me as a gem. A golden ticket, winning lottery number, and a double rainbow all rolled into one stock symbol: FSLY.

I knew little about what the hell they did, besides them being a less than $2 Billion dollar SaaS company, that made the internet run faster. Therefore, rule number three was crucial in developing a bond with each company I invested in. I went to The Motley Fool to read their free articles. Investopedia, Seeking Alpha, and so many other sites. I wanted to know more about this company, but it really seemed like no one really knew what they did. I remember getting exciting and losing sleep, thinking I was some genius and all I wanted was to learn more. I didn’t want to think I was seeing something people were missing to later find out I was the one missing something and lose all my money.

To learn more, I took a very interesting approach. Kidding. I just went their webpage, YouTube account, and Twitter. And out of these three, YouTube was all I needed to validate my belief in this company. Their founder and at the time CEO, Artur Berman was unlike any CEO I’ve ever seen before. Take the time and watch this sub 4-minute video of him years ago talking about how SSDs are important…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7PJ1oeEyGg

He did not come across as someone who wanted to just grow rich from owning a mediocre company. PowerPoint slides littered with swearing and a total lack of professionalism. He certainly didn’t fit the CEO mold either when it came to looks. He reminded me (still does) of Jobs and Woz combined as one person. I was sold already, foolishly, but I wanted more so I searched all videos featuring the company and Artur.

Artur Bergman IPO Day CNBC on Cloud Computing and Competition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M57NtJeDKLU

Why Fastly?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0wbl9GlG-E

Obviously, I watched at least 10 more hours of videos from conferences and use cases of their company, but this is just laying out my process--

I could not see how a company that seemed so authentic was so undervalued, though, I had no idea at the time how to value a company. I just knew at the time Snapchat was considered a $13B company and Fastly basically made everything run faster. I felt the use case of Fastly, though underappreciated, was worth far more than the sub $2B market valuation.

I invested in this, along with those other gems found on the 16th of January. Over time, Fastly hardly moved, it was not performing at all. I was expecting quick money and grew frustrated with Fastly. I had seen the likes of Crowdstrike and Zoom grow in share price and for a brief period in time thought I was going to just sell Fastly and put all the money into Zoom at like 75 dollars a share (now obviously above $408 a share now lol). I decided against selling my shares and focused on the long-term goal. What I thought this company could be was still possible. Everything was going according to plan, aside from the price skyrocketing. Fastly taught me patience.-

February 27th, I told a close friend that Fastly would essentially make him rich… then the stock market collapsed.

March happened and for some reason the crash made Fastly’s stock price collapse. I remember one day it was at or close to $8 dollars a share. Clearly, I was not going to sell the shares at this much of a loss. Instead, I doubled downed. This company had enough cash on hand to make it through a year of expenses. They were a SaaS company so most of their customers had already paid for the year in January. I kept thinking, more like reassuring myself, that Fastly should benefit from work at home. The more people had to rely on the internet, the more Fastly profits. So, at $11 a share, or more than a 50% discount, I purchased 50 more shares. Now I just needed to wait…During the year, Artur Bergman stepped aside from being the CEO of Fastly. He remains with the company but stepped down to focus on the technology and growing the best company. He made the CFO the CEO and it worked out as planned.

Fastly hit $116 dollars a share in August, which made it, at that time, my fist 10x stock. It now sits are $82 dollars a share, which I can live with.

The company is still under $10B dollars of market capitalization. I will continue to hold on and wait for the next 10x… oh and I will be consistently buying more shares.

#investing #stocks #money #investinyourself #learn #inspiration #technology #fastly #story #journey

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espship18 · 5 years

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Kpop ship for angellus

Hey y’all heyyyyy :3 How are y’all? It’s not even 10 am yet as I’m writing this and I’ve had one heck of a day~ I am here with a ship for @angellus ! I’m excited for this ship, so let’s do this!

Based off of your request, I learned these things about you:

You’re 5′2 with curly brown hair and green eyes

You’re quiet but you can get very quirky and lovable

A joke crakcer omg hit me up I got some good ones!

A big ol’ softie

Interest/hobbies include: watching movies, reading, drawing, and cooking

In uni, studying film

And you’re also family oriented

And in your request, you asked to be shipped with EXO, Got7, iKon, and NCT! I am hekka excited for this ship so sit down, buckle up, and here we go!

EXO: Chanyeol

Okay so this is only group one, but I am already so smitten over you and Chan. I don’t wanna do the normal tall or short ordeal but come on, the height difference is so stinking cute and it’s the cherry on top as to why I love you two so much. You also get a gentle giant all to yourself, what is there not to love?! You two combined as a couple, you two would be so proactive. Like, you’re in school, learning new languages, going around the world for internships, Chanyeol has his career in full swing, and you two are heavily involved in each others career paths. Your career hopes is just an add in to Chanyeol’s career, so like, there wouldn’t be a doubt in my mind that you’re with Chanyeol at his work whenever you can be, and it’s just a great learning opportunity! You’re literally getting so much experience in different parts of film and producing, and Chanyeol would literally show you and every opportunity he could! And our Channie is a smart boy, and he loves to learn as well, so there is no doubt in my mind that Chanyeol would like to dabble into your interests as well and see you take charge in an area he’s not very good in. And I think a really cute example of Chanyeol taking you along to work with him would be taking you to a variety show filming. Chanyeol would be an even extra crackhead that day too, so on top of seeing the industry and Chanyeol, it was a perfect day. And I will be the first to say that Chanyeol is going to treat you like a queen, he’ll even get you a staff and crown, and that’s a big ol’ truth bomb right there. He’s needy, he’s respectful, he’s gentle, lovable, he’s just everything anymore that you could’ve asked for. He would be thinking about you always, and if he was out or you were away, he would get little trinkets of things that reminded him of you. Whether it’s from your birthstone to a little camera key chain, you would have this big collection of bit and bobs from your special man. Another reason that Chanyeol is a king is because he makes time for you every week, at least once a week. For a good like, five or six hours, it’s you and Chanyeol time, and you can either go out, stay home, hang out in his studio, the world is literally your oyster. Hell, sometimes you two will literally stay home and sleep and get tangled up in each others limbs you’re so cuddled in with each other. PDA wise with Chan is all about height. He loves how there’s almost a whole 12 inch difference between you, and he would love to rest his chin on your head, playfully use your shoulders as an arm rest, or he would hug you and lift you up so he could give you kisses.

Got7: Jaebum

Moving right along, I can already tell that you two are more mild when compared to you and Chanyeol, but your bond gets even closer the more you stay in. Although you would be more than comfortable with Jaebum, your quieter side would come out more with him, and your chill vibes would work in unison with Jaebum’s perfectly! And of course, you and Jae would have the same ol’ super sweet puppy love that we all know when it comes to my blog. Omg, imagine if you two were like a business couple. Like you and Jae would work together with his Def Soul projects, whether it would be you two choosing the album or you filming some behind the scenes of really candid moments of Jae writing lyrics and recording, you two would do it all! And omg imagine making merch! That would be so stinking fun OMG! Jae would make all kinds of different bucket hats and you would make fun t-shirts and then you two would make the campaigns and do the merch shots for the website and you two would be completely self made and it’s such a badass moment for you two! Like you two would be absolute couples goals and I am living for you two. When it comes to being social, I can see you two being more of an introverted couple. You two would enjoy staying home and watching crime shows on Netflix, but that doesn’t mean that you’re completely hermits. You two would go on museum trips and go on double dates with your friends. Jaebum would also like to take you on little shopping trips, just one way he would show you his appreciation. Okay listen, imagine if he got you a pair of pearl earrings omg. I think that would be the most expensive thing you would allow him to buy because you’re not materialistic, and a pair of pearls is like a HUGE investment, and you’d wear them practically every day. Another detail I would like to add, is that I think you two would have that teacher/learner type of relationship. I think it would be sweet if Jae would want you to teach him how to draw. He would like to watch you doodle and HOLY CRAP, IMAGINE GIVING HIM SHARPIE TATTOOS!!! You would put them on his hands or arms and I can grantee your little tattoos would have iGot7′s losing their shits. I promise I’m not trying to be all over the place, I’m just so excited about you two! You’re also Jae’s #1 mullet supporter. Like, Jae would keep his mullet for as long as he did because of you. You would give JAe so much confidence and he would keep his mullet. PDA wise, the softest knuckle kisses, soft and secure hugging, and he would always would keep you close because you are tiny. I love you two so much I gotta stop~~~

iKon: Donghyuk

Okay, family, children, Donghyuk, ohhh girl, you’re getting it all- this man has everything you could ever need! As a couple, you and Hyuk would be a good balance of wild and mild and your aesthetics would work well together in my professional opinion. When it comes to you and Donghyuk, all I can think of is family. Whether it’s your family, Donghyuk’s family, and even iKon, you two are such a family oriented couple that I wanna sob it’s so sweet. Once your family would fall in love with Donghyuk imagine your little cousins asking if Dongjyuk is coming. I can definitely see your little cousins falling in love with Hyuk because at family gatherings, you and Hyuk would play tag with the kids and let the kids climb all over you two, and they would like to play pirates or something super cute, and you two would play along so well and the kids just love you two. OO OO! This is the best part, imagine Donghyuk’s mom sending you care packages, and she would always ask you to take care of her son while he’s working, and you two would be best friends. She would also give you some of Donghyuk’s favorite recipes that his mom makes so you can comfort him when he feels homesick. Hehe, and imagine you and his mom getting lunch together and getting pedicures together, so cute! Then you have iKon to take care of, which to be honest you really become a second mom with Hanbin around and you take care of all seven of those crack heads, but they love you to death and you love them back. Moving onto another part of your ship for Donghyuk, I think it would be really cute if you two were big jokesters with each other. Like the king and queen of puns and jokes. And heck, since there is a family theme to this ship.. DAD JOKES! Imagine Donghyuk having a daily subscription to some website where they send him jokes throughout the day, Hyuk would spitting out those jokes like no bodies business. Keeping you smiling is always on the agenda~ Date nights I feel like would be at home and private. Date night would be reserved for you and Hyuk time, mostly because of where you two are out so much. Movie nights would be a perfect type of date night, simply because it’s chill and a good building block for a great date night. Get some good take out and blankets, boom, you have a great date night! Lastly PDA, he’s so gentle and soft with you. He loves to hug you close and sway you side to side, telling you how much he loves you. Then he would have this lil habit of twirling you, so sweeeeet~

NCT: Taeyong

Last but certainly not least, we have NCT. Once again I am in love with this ship so much. And I will go on a whim here and say that you and Tae have more than puppy love, you have smitten kitten love. You would be the rock that holds Taeyong down. You would be one of the few non-work related things that would help Taeyong relax and we all know that Taeyong needs some real relaxation time. Straight up be prepared for some major snuggle time with Tae. I’m not saying Taeyong is submissive or anything, this is not the blog for that conversation lol, but, Taeyong would be more needy for your affection and your touch, because where he’s real emotionally dependent on you. Which like it’s Taeyong we’re talking about, it’s an honor to have him want to snuggle on you. You would have that magic that Tae would crave to help him relax, and he would always want to come back for more. When it comes to couple activities, I think it would be really sweet if you and Tae had a little bit of an old school type of love aesthetic going on. Tae’s the sweet gentleman who gives you his jacket on warm nights and sometimes date night would be playing monopoly til three am and you two pass out on the floor. And omg it would be hecca cute if Tae would have to get one of the other NCT members to watch the Dreamies so you two couple be alone on date night. Moving right along, when I say this, I don’t mean this to sound negative or anything, but I can imagine Taeyong would sleepy for the first couple days or hours when you two would be together. His adrenaline and stress would diminish dramatically and he would be exhausted. You would come to the rescue though because you would be the pillow for Taeyong to sleep on, and you could relax while he rests. You could read a new book you got, or do homework on your laptop. And then when Taeyong wakes up, he’s refreshed and ready to go out. If you two aren’t having a game night, Taeyong would cook you two dinner. Him taking over date night would be like a sign of love he would show to you. Then he would make a dessert made to be shared for two, and you’d eat the dessert together. And for fun, let’s throw in some slow dancing because you it’s the most perfect classic old school love date activity. Lastly, PDA wise, Taeyong would not be able to keep his hands off of you! Tae would always love to have his arm wrapped around you tight, he would come up behind you and give you back hugs, and if you were walking and he wanted a hug, he wouldn’t let go of you til you hugged him, so you would be dragging Taeyong along you like a puppy, hehe. You two are adorable!

I used to do outro’s but I stopped and I wanna bring them back~ I had so much fun shipping you omg. I may or may not have guessed your biases, but I shall support your loves and these loves no matter what! Lemme know how I did, and I hope you have a wonderful day! <3

~STA

#angelus x idol ship #kpop #kpop writing #kpop ships #kpop ship blog #shipping blog #kpop reactions #exo #got7 #ikon #NCT #exo ships #got7 ships #nct ships #ikon ships #chanyeol #jaebum #Donghyuk #taeyong

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