#boost this post so it reaches as many eyes as possible!

[tyguy275]

Chromebook Tech Literacy Masterpost

I've seen a lot of posts about the systemic death of tech literacy in schools with the advent of ChromeOS, and instead of responding to them one by one, I want to create a masterpost to destroy the system. First: FUCK CIPA. The Children's Internet Protection Act is a United States FCC act that standardizes internet safety across the country. Public schools are not required to comply with this act, but they will lose discounts offered for the E-rate program. In short, if you don't want to put up web filters, then you don't get government grants for technology and Internet. Fuck that. Many of these workarounds bank on my personal experiences, so some solutions may not work with your web filters, but they definitely are a step in the right direction. For talking with friends: chat rooms are your friend. Many chat rooms for professional use act just like Discord, and many are just a single text channel. Several I've used include: Google Messages, Rumbletalk, Slack, Element, ClickUp, Pumble, and... in a pinch, Google Docs can give you a shared document that's practically impossible to block. For watching videos: some chat rooms, especially Rumbletalk, allow you to directly embed a YouTube video. This is rare, however, so we found some workarounds. Canva has a video search and embed function that allows you to play YouTube videos straight from the editing page of their slideshows. For anime, a website that I don't think is maintained as well but should still work is AnimeTribes. It is a .ru site but it is perfectly safe, as long as you don't click on ads. I've never seen it redirect you otherwise, and the owner used to be commonly found on the chat page. Another piracy site is 9Anime, which doesn't work on Chromebooks but is an infinitely better source in general. A non-anime video piracy site is Arc018, which is my favorite. It does redirect you decently commonly, but just take care to avoid those redirects and follow piracy suggestions that I will lay out further down. For adblocking: the easiest method is to use uBlock Origin. Though, with all the stuff that Google has been doing, I'm not entirely sure if it works anymore. I gave up on Chrome the second I could get away from it and I suggest you all do the same. For playing games: so. I'm a nerd. I play Pokemon games. SO if you do too you're in luck. The only thing I could come up with was to download GPemu, a ChromeOS based emulator. Unfortunately it's pretty bad, but apparently there's an alternative called EmulatorJS. I never used it myself, but if someone wants to try it and let me know how it goes, that would be appreciated. HOWEVER, none of these work without the games to play them with. I'm going to detail piracy safety later, but for now: Vimm's Lair recently got axed by Nintendo's DMCA, but some ROMs may still be available. Another source (which is admittedly undergoing some major changes) is The Internet Archive. I haven't done a lot of searching on the Archive, and I don't know if it works on Chromebooks, but try it and let me know :).

Circumventing the web filter: While those solutions work for specific things you can do online, these present a general solution, capable of multitasking and providing you much more extended freedom. The first is CroxyProxy, a completely free proxy service that can be added through the Chrome Web Store. If the Web Store is blocked, it can be accessed via the direct website or through specific IP addresses. These change frequently, and I’m absolutely positive the ones that I have access to are blocked or simply go nowhere useful. The other option, assuming you have a home computer connected to the Internet at all times, is Chrome Remote Desktop. It will work as long as both computers are signed in to one shared Google account and both are connected to the Internet.

But Ty... none of this works for me: Oh boy. I guess it's time for my trump card. The pinnacle of my Chromebook workaround career has culminated in this. The ultimate destruction of ChromeOS, all without jailbreaking the computer and getting in a LOT of trouble (don't do that please). My magnum opus came from my blossoming understanding of emulation and, specifically, Windows images. During my senior year, I successfully used a trusted and necessary source (unblockable) to emulate a Windows computer entirely through a single Chrome tab. This source… Microsoft Azure. This cloud computing service allows the creation of a remote desktop that will save data when offline. The biggest hurdle with Azure is that… it costs money. However, when I did it, I got 200 hours of emulation FREE, and I would highly recommend you find the same deal, if it still works. Things to note: you can make multiple accounts, but you will need to also have separate payment cards, as multiple accounts with the same card will flag and not be usable. The frame rate is decently shit, and there is no physical graphics card, so the vast majority of games will not run. I mostly used it for Discord. However, feel free to experiment and make it your own. Use this knowledge wisely, and run free, my friends. Fuck CIPA, and fuck ChromeOS!

Please feel free to reblog or comment with more suggestions, because I would love to add them!

[mingtinys]

" i would do anything for you "

pairing : lee chan x gn!reader

"13 ways to say "i love you" with seventeen"

warnings : traffic violations ( for a good cause ! )

word count : 0.6 k

a/n : it's bittersweet posting this last part of the series :( i'm so sad for it to end cause i've had so much fun , but i couldn't be happier with how it turned out ! thank you to everyone that showed this series so much love and support <3 next up .... an nct series !!

Maybe you're just being paranoid. Perhaps the scratching at your back door wasn't some crazed killer messing with you before the inevitable. In fact, it's extremely likely you've simply stayed up too late and now your brain is playing tricks. But are you willing to take that chance? Absolutely not.

The fifth scratch comes and you're picking up the phone to dial the first person you can think of.

Chan reaches your home at a speed only possible by violating a few traffic laws. Armed with nothing but a broken broomstick and his dinosaur bedroom slippers. You're not even sure he's entirely awake. But he marches his way through your home and straight to the back door with conviction, advising you to stay back while he handles it.

He lowers his voice a few octaves as he speaks. "Whoever is out there, you better knock it off!" The scratching noise picks up. "I'll come out there!" Chan warns, though sounding a little unsure. Yet the scratching never ceases.

At this point, the genius thought to call the police finally enters your panicked brain. Something that probably should have been your first instinct. But it's too late, you can hear Chan thrusting the door open. "Alright, you asked for it– oh..."

When your savior returns, a fluffy orange creature in hand, you feel your face drain of all color. Your friend's cat. The one you were supposed to be sitting while they were away on a business trip. You'd forgotten you'd even let him outside to explore hours ago.

Chan points to the cat with a mock-serious look, "Is this guy bothering you, babe?"

Though severely embarrassed, you let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry, Peanut," you coo at the cat, carefully taking him from your boyfriend's arms and carrying him over to his food, which you're certain is what he was scratching to get in for.

When you spin back around, Chan's arms are crossed over his chest, an expectant look on his face. "You know, usually the knight in shining armor gets a kiss for his bravery."

The playful tone in his voice alleviates some of the guilt you feel for calling him over at two a.m. to defend you from a killer cat. A gesture for which you're more than happy to reward with a kiss or two. And once he's claimed his prize, Chan happily gathers you in his arms. He rubs circles into your back, soothing any remaining anxiety in your muscles.

"I'm sorry you came all the way here for nothing," you mumble into his shoulder. "I guess I watched one too many crime shows and sort of panicked."

"You don't need to apologize. It's my job to be here whenever you need me." He pulls back and takes your face in his hands, holding your gaze with genuine eyes. "I would do anything for you."

That confession earns him a second kiss, causing him to break out in a dopey grin. "My hero," you tease, although he looks rather proud of himself for it.

"One question though?"

"What's that?"

"If you thought someone was trying to break in, why didn't you just call the police?"

Trust, Chan is over the moon to be the person you call in a time of need. But realistically, what was he supposed to do? Fight to the death with his bare hands and a broomstick to save you? He absolutely would... doesn't mean he'd win.

You pause. "I don't know, I guess I just panicked and thought of you first."

Chan is probably going to be riding that ego boost for the rest of his life.

taglist: @matchahyuck @dontwannaexsist @minnieminshi @myfavoritedelusion @armycarat2612

[moonyor]

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 107 SXF MANGA ₊⊹

RIGHT i know i’m delusional but hear me out 😭😭

so, chapter 107 ends off with us finding out that lunaluna selena is actually melinda,

which i kinda thought it would be her so woohoo

ALSO on an unrelated note, a lot of people are saying stuff which makes melinda look really sus and although it doesn’t make much sense, i feel like she probably had to do some last minute work or something— she did organise the whole event (with her group), but something probably didn’t work out so maybe she had to fill in for someone??? i’m not sure, she did mention her being sleep deprived too, so maybe it was her being tired from organising the event and having to fill in? idk though 💯

okay back to what i was saying!!! so, skipping a few things, what if melinda does end up reading both yor and anyas palms? i imagine her saying something along the lines of “oh i’ll read your palms since that’s what you came here for!” and then explaining how her readings arent very accurate, but saying that she’d try to make it as accurate as possible since, well, it’s yor and anya

anya would DEFINITELY say “ME FIRST ME FIRST” and both melinda and yor would just go along with it 😭 (we love anya guys)

OKAY now hear me out, what if, for anya, melinda describes damian as her partner or whatever??? and loid as yors??? i’ll explain further 🗣️🗣️

both our girls go to see how compatible they are with their “soulmate” right?? and possibly to see who their significant other is too, so melinda tries to be accurate and gives descriptions of damian for anya and loid for yor ⁉️⁉️

i imagine the description for damian to be hilarious, saying how he can be pretty honest wellllll….. foul-mouthed? you get my drift. anya would be like “yikes why the hell is my man like that i don’t want that pls 😭💔” and then melinda saying how he’s truly soft deep down and how he’s really just a sweetheart #tsunderedamian

ALSO: anya could possibly read melinda’s mind and find out she’s referring to damian, but i don’t see this happening as in my eyes, melinda herself would not be aware of who the person she’s describing is, but she would know how they may look and certain personality traits of theirs!!!! i’m not sure though 😅

as for loid and yor, yor would be COMPLETELY oblivious while melinda is stating the obvious, kinda like the panel of yuri describing loid, it was in chapter 12 i believe?? anyway, yuri says something like “sure, maybe he’s tall, good looking, blonde” etc etc, i see melinda basically stating how he looks and how he overworks himself 😭😭😭 loid is an absolute workaholic but yor is too dumb (i’m sorry yor not in a bad way i love you) to realize that melinda is actually basically just stating everything about loid 😿😿

yor, loid and anya then meet up again after they leave the place and loid asks what happened blah blah blah, yor THEN literally says everything melinda told her and how that’s her partner and how they’re perfect for each other

they’re so cute together i’m actually crazy about them

ANYWAYS loid either is just as clueless as yor, and somewhat jealous that there’s someone else out there that’s PERFECT for yor (although he doesn’t recognise his jealousy and quickly dismisses it) OR he’s like “hey.. that kinda sounds like me??”

obviously he doesn’t say this out loud and he just thinks this in his head, but he does go on to explain how he’s happy there’s someone out there like that for yor (and he thinks that someone is him)!!!! i feel like his ego would get slightly boosted by the fact that yors other half is him, and obviously, he doesn’t say this directly and recognise it properly but he still does act somewhat giddy 😭😭😭🩷🩷🩷

THATS IT FROM ME!!! this is my first post so i don’t think it’ll reach many people— i’m not really sure on how tumblr works lmao but i just needed to get my delusional thoughts out!!!!!

this would be cute but i’m expecting something a lot bigger than this and i don’t think there’s gonna be much romance at all, in fact i feel as if there’s gonna be a lot of action in the next few chapters and oh boy am i excited!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥

if this did happen it probably wouldn’t be like how i’ve explained it, and it’d probably be like the calm before the storm 💔😭

oh well i guess we’ll find out in a month

[transmutationisms]

how do i help gazans and others if i don't have a bank account? i want to help, and i've wanted to help, but it is not possible for me to give money. i've shared posts here, liked them on instagram and shared them there as well and it doesn't feel like enough

the reality is that posts made by longtime tumblr users who write fluent english get more notes and donations than gazans' own posts because this website is racist. so, sharing posts is a great start, but there are also so many people who need someone to actually write a post for them. if you drop a reply here or send an ask off anon, i can dm you usernames of people who need someone to write them a post about their campaign; i receive (i am not exaggerating) upwards of 200 such requests per day and am nowhere near capable of even replying to all of them, let alone actually writing that many posts. i know that many of the other people on here who frequently boost fundraisers are getting similar numbers of requests, if not more, and we literally always need more people to help.

it's also helpful to write updates on fundraiser posts, whether the original posts were written by you or by someone else. an update can be very basic (amount raised, distance to goal, currency conversion if it's a weaker currency than usd because that's what most of this website uses, link to vetting info if it's not in the original post) but you can also write a few sentences about the person's specific situation and needs. updates help keep a campaign circulating and show potential donors that someone is paying attention to this person. you can do this any time a fundraiser crosses your dash, when someone messages you or sends an ask, etc.

if you are willing to commit for a longer term, it is extremely helpful to 'adopt' a campaign (or more than one, if you can), meaning you commit to continue posting about that specific person until they reach their goal. this is more work, it's more stressful, but it can also make a huge difference for the person on the other end. i can also point you toward people who need this and have asked for it, if it's something you can do.

if you have artistic skills, original artwork is often helpful for drawing attention to a campaign. even just a quick sketch of a family portrait can be helpful for getting more traction on posts. i've also seen people make banners, cartoons, pixel art, you name it. donation posts generally do better when they're short but also eye-catching, and art is one way to help with that.

and you might consider whether you have any skills, artistic or otherwise, that you could offer as a raffle or giveaway to support these campaigns. i've seen people offer art or writing commissions, research skills, aquarium passes, gift baskets, plushies, fibre crafts, etc. frankly i think sometimes these giveaways are just helpful because they reassure potential donors (yet again) that the campaign is 'real' and has people looking after it. you can offer these kinds of incentives whether or not you're in contact with the person fundraising; i've even seen some people just offer commissions or raffle entries as a blanket offer for anyone who donates to any vetted campaign.

i also want to stress again that this truly is a situation where any commitment is better than no commitment -- like, can't adopt a campaign but can write someone an original post once a week? great, that's still helpful to that person. can't do that but can commit to writing short updates on someone's campaign once a day? great, still helpful. literally any time and effort you can put in is good, it's not an all-or-nothing proposition. i think most of us are capable of finding at least a few minutes to do something on this list.

[mrs3vil]

𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐕 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 “𝙝𝙤𝙩“ ★

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝐟. gabriel o'hara, miguel o'hara, peter b parker ❞ 🎀

𝐢’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 with gabriel o'hara I had to insert him. also this is not smut or sexual (i mean technically it kinda is but whatever) only tws, old men and flustered spider people. also gabriel is kinda ooc 𓈒*◞🎻

𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 tried to keep the reader as gender neutral as possible! sorry of there are any specifications, also sorry for any mistakes but english isn't my first language!! 𓈒*◞🎻

𝗚𝗔𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗟 𝗢’𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔

He thought you were talking about another Gabriel O'hara at first. You were mindlessly talking on the phone with one of your "spider friends" while walking right next to his private lab, loudly enough so that he could hear. He stopped doing whatever he was doing for a moment, moving his goofy goggles on his forehead. His heart beated faster against his chest, as if it was about to destroy his rib cage and come out just for you. It was the only thing on his mind for a few days, how your voice shaped perfectly those words, he would do anything to be called such things by you again. Now that he knew you liked him back, he was much more confident when awkwardly flirting with you.

𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗟 𝗢’𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔

He couldn't believe his ears. He's been "flirting" with you for some months, if of course, you consider being treated like a normal human being with feelings and opinions a flirt. He thought you weren't really interested, when really you just didn't even realize he was being "extra nice" to you, or at least, his idea of extra nice. But you had to admit, he wasn't bad looking, he wasn't at all actually he was hot, and apparently you were happy to admit it to Jess too. He swallowed as he leaned closer to the core of your voices, paying attention to staying hidden. He didn't know why he was being so dramatic about it, he felt like a little school girl, but suddenly, he desperately wanted to hear you praise him again.

𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗕 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗥

It immediately boosted his ego, a proud grin spreading across his features, finally his terrible dad jokes paid off. He listened carefully as you talked with one of the many Spiderwomen that were friends with you as you two giggled like to little girls at a pijama party. You started complimenting things he never realized about himself, and he couldn't do anything but lean closer to hear further how hot you thought he was. He could have listened for hours, if only he didn't trip on a wandering peace of paper that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Your eyes widened, your hands reaching to cover your mouth, trying to hide your red face. "Hello..."

‧₊˚ ୨ HAHAKS im sorry if i didn't include hobie i just didn't have any inspiration for him today :( if yall liked this post tho i could include him in a pt 2 or smth. also reblogs and comments are very appreciated! goodnight and stay safe babes <3

[exouniverse]

The Ultimate Party Planner/Partner

Pairing: chanyeol x gn reader

Genre: fluff, established relationship, shared birthday.

Warnings: none (but if you find anything, please let me know)

Summary: As you two share your birthday, Chanyeol and you make a playful bet—who can throw the best party for the other? With the help of the EXO crew, the competition is on. But as your care for one another makes your relationship reach new heights, you prove some bonds are stronger than any challenge.

Word count: 8,8K+

A/N: Ah it feels a tiny bit overwhelming to have posted this fic too late, but as I was saying… my life is a little chaotic right now with so many events and projects coming. I also couldn’t shorten the story so I had to keep writing until it felt right, and here it is now. But I’m so happy with the result, so yay! I had so much fun writing it. Happy (late) birthday Chanyeol!

Divider credit to @k1ssyoursister

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD

Chanyeol was easily lost in thought whenever you laughed. Your smile and laugh only brighten his days, lifting his spirits like a sunny morning after days of unstoppable rain. He had tried to deduce why so many times now, but it was hard to define. All he knew was that he wanted to witness it and be the cause of it as much as possible.

A voice called his name, sadly breaking his daydreaming about you. The voice came from Baekhyun; he had that signature smirk that usually meant he would drag him into some sort of mischief. “Earth to Yeol, come in, Yeol!” Baekhyun chuckled, snapping his fingers in front of Chanyeol’s face. “You back? Back me up, please, huh?”

“No, don’t!” Your voice pulled him in, and he smiled back at you.

“What’s going on? Should I back you up?” he asked you, making Baekhyun groan.

“You’re lost, Chanyeol-ah! If you back Y/N up, you’ll lose.”

You laughed again, and he was almost hypnotized, but Baekhyun looped an arm around his shoulders. “It’s true!” he exclaimed at you. “Don’t be cheeky, Y/N! He planned the best party of the year, right, Chanyeol-ah? I know that ‘cause it was mine.”

Chanyeol blinked in confusion; your laughter was still ringing in his ears, the melodic sound echoing in his mind. “Best party this year?” He wondered what the two of you could be talking about.

“I’m just saying, Jongdae’s party was so good that people still talk about it. I get calls from your friends asking for the DJ’s number and where to get the cake I bought for the party, and the venue has had a boost in bookings.”

Baekhyun almost accepted his defeat as Chanyeol became lost in you; he rolled his eyes dramatically and groaned loudly beside him. “Please, Yeol, I know you’re hopeless when it comes to Y/N, but try to keep up.” He smacked Chanyeol’s back, making him huff in pain.

“As I was saying,” Baekhyun continued, shooting you a playful glare. “I was telling Y/N here that you are the best party planner I know, but then this cheeky one here is claiming the title.”

“I can do better; I have done better, as stated earlier,” you kept teasing.

Chanyeol’s brow furrowed as the pieces slowly came together. Baekhyun was right in advocating for him, but you were only challenging the both of them. His competitive spark ignited as the cheeky grin on your lovely lips heightened his devious mind.

“Is that so?” He addressed you directly now, his eyes full of amusement, matching your cheekiness. He shifted in his seat, already plotting the best bet for you. “Jongdae’s party was legendary; I give you that. You helped enhance it a lot, but if you think you can outdo me, you’ll have to prove it,” he taunted with a mischievous wink.

You offered a daring smile; this bet was on. You would never back down from a challenge, and it intrigued you to know what he was plotting in his mind.

“Whose birthday is next?” Chanyeol asked Baekhyun, still holding your gaze.

Baekhyun attempted to check his calendar, but he quickly deduced the answer. “Yours, both of you,” he revealed. Baekhyun was enjoying it too much; at least his friends weren’t too cheesy about their budding relationship, and he could have fun with them.

“Oh, what a coincidence!” Chanyeol exclaimed, tilting his head to the side.

A knowing smile spread across your lips as comprehension dawned. "Double coincidence," you agreed, breaking eye contact shyly. Chanyeol found the action unbearably cute and almost faltered along with you.

Before you could give everything away, you looked at Baekhyun. "You might end up calling me to plan your party next year after all," you teased, confidence undimmed.

Baekhyun laughed heartily at your bold statement. "This is going to be good,” he said as he started drumming his fingers on the table. "May the best party planner—and partner—win!"

Just then, the doorbell rang, making you all jump in surprise. All of you almost forgot you were expecting Jongdae to arrive. Baekhyun jumped from his seat. “Right, my house, I’ll go get that.” He strode off down the hall, leaving you two at the table amidst excited chatter over the party competition.

“Are you ready to lose, hotshot?” you exclaimed as you looked back into Chanyeol’s piercing look. “Wait till you see what I’ve got up my sleeve.”

“I know you better than anyone; prepare to have your mind blown away.” Chanyeol grinned, excitement buzzing through him at the challenge before them. But more than that, he has a chance to impress you—to see that beautiful smile light up for him. This was a challenge he fully intended to win.

A comfortable silence fell as you both speculated on each other's potential plans, sizing one another up. You'd always loved this competitive side of Chanyeol, this fiery spirit that refused to back down. It only made defeating him all the sweeter.

Soon enough, Baekhyun returned with Jongdae in tow, interrupting your stare-off. "Alright, lovebirds, break it up. Dae, you're just in time,” he playfully raised his eyebrows, creating anticipation.

“Why? What’s going on? Why are these two looking like they could set each other on fire?”

“They’re planning each other’s birthday party as a challenge.” As Baekhyun quickly filled Jongdae in, you shared a secret smile with Chanyeol, amused by the situation you got yourselves into because of both of your competitive natures.

“Another challenge?” Jongdae asked. “Weren’t you two challenging each other on Overwatch a couple of weeks ago?”

The two of you laughed, reminiscing about your late nights playing at his house. “I won!” Chanyeol exclaimed, punching the air.

“I’ll need a rematch soon, though,” you requested, smiling at Chanyeol and reaching for his hand.

“These two live for a challenge; just look at them. This is going to be epic.” Baekhyun nudged Jongdae.

“What is the prize?” Jongdae asked an interesting question, causing both of you to look at each other curiously.

Baekhyun was faster than you with his answer. “Bragging rights as the ultimate party mastermind?” he suggested.

Jongdae let out a low whistle. “High stakes. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.” He looked at Chanyeol. “You’d better bring your A-game. Y/N’s a fierce competitor.”

Chanyeol chuckled and squeezed your hand. “Oh, don’t you worry, I know this one like the back of my hand.” Turning to Jongdae and Baekhyun, he said, “alright, gentlemen, I’m gonna need all the help I can get if I want to truly wow our Y/N here. Who’s with me?”

“What?” You exclaimed. “Help?”

“Okay, fair play. I think we could raise the stakes even more. What do you say we open it up for the rest of the gang, have them choose sides?”

“Chanyeol,” you said too quickly before you comprehended his request. “Wait… I like how that sounds.”

Chanyeol chuckled at your flustered reaction, loving how easily he could rile you up without trying. Opening the competition up to the members was surely going to make it even more entertaining.

Leaning in close, Chanyeol dropped his voice into a playful whisper. “Don’t worry, jagiya, I’ll still go easy on you.”

You rolled your eyes, interlacing your fingers with his and squeezing tightly. “In your dreams. Just you wait, I’ll get the best on my team.”

Chanyeol only laughed at the lovely gleam in your eyes. “Guys, you’re with me, right?” He asked, looking back at his friends.

“You got it, Yeol!” Baekhyun shouted and went to encourage Chanyeol, massaging his shoulders a little too harshly and giving you an apologetic smile. You just giggled as you squinted at him, while Chanyeol frowned, trying to hide the pain from Baekhyun’s pressure on his shoulders.

Jongdae smiled sheepishly, hesitating. “We can assemble the teams tomorrow after our meeting,” he suggested, earning time to share his decision.

“Yah, Jongdae! How are you not joining me immediately?”

“Sorry Chanyeol-ah, I believe in Y/N’s fierceness,” Jongdae said as he offered a high-five your way.

Chanyeol chuckled good-naturedly as Jongdae sided with you, not surprised at his choice. Your competitive fire and passion for planning are unmatched, and you two have known each other long enough after all—it was no wonder he wanted to join your squad.

Still, it stung a little to lose one of his closest friends so early in the game. He turned on his best puppy-dog eyes, pouting playfully. “Dae, you wound me.”

You only grinned, giving Jongdae’s shoulder a proud pat. He chuckled and shrugged at Chanyeol. “I’ve always had a soft spot for this silly troublemaker here.”

You looked back at Jongdae, still not fully understanding his words. “I’m gonna try to take that as a compliment.”

Baekhyun smiled at his team leader with pride. “We’ve got this, Yeol. We’ll get the members on our side easily.”

Chuckling, he offered a thankful nod for the vote of confidence, but his focus remained on you. Your smile almost sent him into a trance again. This was sure to be epic, and somehow he knew that no matter who emerged victorious, the real win would be to keep on witnessing your happiness and celebrating one more milestone with you by his side—sharing his birthday date with you was so exciting.

You stared at the screen showing the floor numbers going up to Chanyeol’s apartment. The excitement built up with every change, and you almost jumped out of the elevator when the doors opened to his floor. Every step you took was even more confident and joyous as you walked down the hall, giddy with anticipation for the fun you will all have assigning the teams for the challenge.

Your heartbeats speeded up as you heard the door opening just after one press of the doorbell. Chanyeol must have been as eager as you to begin the selection and see you again.

His smile was so bright when his eyes met yours. You embraced him in a warm hug and searched for his gaze, planting a tender kiss on his lips.

“Aw the lovebirds are too cute.” You heard Jongin’s voice behind Chanyeol. He was carrying a bowl full of popcorn, stealing some before anyone could.

“Jongin!” You shouted, moving away from Chanyeol to wrap your arms around the loveliest of the members. You had missed him dearly and didn’t know he would come.

“Oh, careful, the popcorn!” Jongin exclaimed, chuckling. “Aw, it’s so nice to see you, Y/N,” he squeezed you back.

“I was replaced so quickly,” Chanyeol commented, looking at you with a pout, jokingly.

“No, just in time. Otherwise, I would call it all off, and I can’t let that happen; I need to win this,” you smiled mischievously.

Chanyeol recovered his smile and wrapped around you again, resting his head on your shoulder and offering Jongin a small cheeky grin.

“You two are also crazy,” Jongin giggled.

Minseok’s voice called you all to the living room. You grinned as you slipped into the soft slippers waiting by the door, always so thoughtful of Chanyeol. Interlacing your fingers with his, you pulled him eagerly into the living room—Jongin trailing behind you as he kept stealing popcorn.

The joyful chatter and laughter welcomed you, and your smile only grew at the familiar faces gathered there already.

You quickly made your rounds, greeting each member with a tight hug. It had been too long since you had seen them all together. The energy was soon filled with anticipation for whatever was coming their way.

Once you settled beside Chanyeol on the couch, you started, “well, I believe it’s time to announce the reason why we gathered you all here.”

“Yeah, I didn’t say much before our meeting,” Chanyeol continued. “Y/N and I are—“

“Getting married?” Baekhyun interrupted, throwing the obvious cheesy joke, but he still managed to surprise Junmyeon and Sehun. The former had a surprised yet alarmed look on his face, while the latter was pure confusion, possibly even hurt that his hyung didn’t tell him before everyone else.

Chanyeol shook his head, shooting Baekhyun a playful glare before continuing. “Not quite yet… though who knows what the future may hold…” He trailed off meaningfully, giving your hand a gentle squeeze.

You could feel the tips of your ears heating up at the implication; its meaning was not lost on you. You cleared your throat, regaining focus, as you recollected your thoughts to explain to the group the playful challenge that brought you all together that evening.

Gasps and cheers erupted at the revelation, drawing a small giggle from both of you. You knew you had chosen the right people for the task. Scanning their lively faces, you witnessed their spirited encouragement for you both. Your gaze then met Chanyeol's, his eyes twinkling with amusement and affection as he squeezed your hand in support of addressing the lively crowd. Though nerves fluttered at the challenge before you, his encouraging smile steadied your resolve to see this joyful contest through.

Chanyeol pulled you closer to peck your cheek once the members awaited for you two to start the recruiting. His mischievous mind was already plotting ways to convince the members to join him. “The winning team gets bragging rights until the next get-together. Possibly some other goods and favors during the planning. So what do you say—who wants a spot on the champion squad?” Chanyeol rallied.

It almost seemed like cheating because of how he talked too convincingly, so you nudged him, trying to tickle him and throw him off his game. He did bring some arms up and laughter from the rest of the members.

“Not fair using gifts to get them on your side; you cheat!” You accused him playfully.

Chanyeol was still laughing on mute with your tickling. He managed to grab your wrists, struggling to catch his breath between giggles. “All’s fair in love and party planning, jagi.” Those dazzling eyes of his seemed to sparkle even brighter with amusement.

You couldn’t help but melt a little at his smile. Leaning in, you pressed a swift peck to his lips before pulling back with a shy smile as you heard the members’ whistles and teasing cheers. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Park,” you whispered.

Sehun made a weird, puking sound. “Ugh, you two, my eyes hurt! I might need some new sunglasses if you want me on your team.”

You flashed him a playful grin. “Aw, I think Sehunnie is only sour ‘cause no one’s showing him any love,” you teased, earning some laughs from the other members.

He scoffed, feigning his usual cool disinterest, but it was almost evident that suppressed laughter was hiding behind his irritated gaze. You were the only person in the world that Chanyeol knew that could withstand teasing Sehun and emerge unscathed. He took a little advantage of this fact and drew you closer, casually draping his arm around your shoulder. With a mischievous gesture, he pressed a smacking kiss on your cheek, causing you to squeal and playfully swat him away.

“You’ll always be our favorite maknae,” Chanyeol declared cheerfully.

Sehun simply rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. “Yeah yeah, just save the PDA for later, you saps. I really want my new pair of Ray Bans… and celebrate you two,” he mumbled the last words, but the slight quiver at the corner of his mouth betrayed the levity he was trying so hard to conceal.

The members erupted into renewed laughter and chatter once more. With your guidance, the debates over team selections began soon enough. Baekhyun, already on Team Chanyeol, was trying to win Kyungsoo over to their side.

You nudged Jongdae, your partner in crime, and he sat down next to Kyungsoo, offering a fist bump. Hesitating at first, he looked between Baekhyun and Jongdae with a flustered smile. Kyungsoo looked back at you and then at Chanyeol, a smirk forming in his mouth. It was a battle of looks, but an important one if any of you wanted to secure the Ace member you two seemed to have thought of. With his incredible knowledge and skills with food, he was surely the member you would fight over in the most passionate way. The rest of the members couldn’t help but notice the gazing battle before them, expectantly waiting for the outcome.

Kyungsoo seemed to find out in that moment that he could be the MVP you two were looking for. He held his gaze with Chanyeol, but his smirk didn’t fade away as he responded to Jongdae’s fist bump request. “This is the winning team,” he decided. “I’m with Y/N all the way,” he said, looking back at you with an honest smile yet offering a mischievous wink.

A collective gasp rose at Kyungsoo’s declaration. You caught Chanyeol’s gaze with a smug grin, already envisioning the victory feast you would have in your hands with Kyungsoo on your team.

However, Chanyeol wasn’t giving up that easily. “C’mon, Kyungsoo-ya, with those skills of yours, you’ll be our real MVP. We’ll have a whole spread just for you.”

Kyungsoo was not that convinced yet, but it seemed his resolve did waver when Baekhyun began pleading unashamedly. “Please, please, please. You’ll have whatever you want. I won’t bother you in the least; you’ll have all the calm you—“

Amused with Baekhyun, you had to intervene, sliding in on Kyungsoo’s other side and resting your arm on his shoulders. “Don’t listen to their lies, Soo. You know I’ll treat you like the king you are, right, Jongdae?”

Your right-hand man chimed in effortlessly. “Only the finest ingredients and treatment for our Soo.”

The members were more than entertained by Kyungsoo’s recruiting between you and Chanyeol. A wholehearted chuckle rumbled from Kyungsoo’s chest as he patted your hand. “Flattery will get you anywhere, I see. Alright, consider me recruited for Team Y/N!”

Chanyeol shot a playful pout at you, which you returned with a wink. “Thank you, Soo! I promise you a sweet victory over those two.”

“Traitor!” Baekhyun crossed his arms theatrically. “You’ll pay for your betrayal with mediocre snacks.”

Kyungsoo simply raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “If you’re that worried, maybe you picked the wrong team.”

Laughter rose up at the cheeky retort. You simply beamed, already buzzing with plans and partnerships. With Kyungsoo secured, you only had a couple of key members left to convince.

You scanned the circle, looking for Junmyeon, who stood on the other side, observing the exchanges with fond amusement. But in that moment, Jongin caught your attention as he raised his hand to speak up. Chanyeol encouraged with a nod of his head, and everyone turned their focus towards him. “How will you know which party planner truly wins if the other ends up having the best party either way?”

A collective murmur of agreement resonated through the group. Jongin had a valid point, prompting you to share a meaningful look with Chanyeol as you pondered over the dilemma. He grinned suddenly. “I’ve got it! We can’t plan and ask for each other’s input or interference, so until our day, we reveal the parties simultaneously without seeing each other’s plans in advance.”

You snapped your fingers, reading his mind. “And we nominate an impartial judge to decide which event was better planned and executed overall. No bias from us at all.”

“They are so in sync, these two.” Baekhyun seemed to be in a full-on teasing mood, beaming at the shared love in your gazes.

“Baekhyun-ah, you’re going to make Sehun puke for real,” Chanyeol said between giggles.

“You two could seriously stop with the PDA though,” Sehun snarked, rolling his eyes while he hid a smile.

“They are cute though,” Minseok commented.

You took a deep breath to stop your laughter, thanks to their chatter. “Anyways, great catch, Jonginie. You might be team captain material after all.”

He ducked his head shyly, but his eyes shone with pride. A hush fell as all eyes turned expectantly back to you and Chanyeol.

“Then what do you say, Nini? Care to join my team?” Chanyeol asked.

Jongin gave it a small thought, looking between you two. “Yeah! Peer pressure and all,” he chuckled at Baekhyun’s crazy look directed at him.

Chanyeol’s smile shined bright. You beamed at him, letting him win this one. “Sorry, Y/N, but I promise to make sure you love your party. Count me as some kind of ally on the other side full of clowns.” Jongin offered you an apologetic bowl of popcorn.

“This is some type of scheme; look, Chanyeol!” Sehun said after witnessing Jongin whispering at you. Jongin just walked towards Chanyeol as he giggled.

“I take it you’re joining Chanyeol,” you assumed, playfully squinting at him.

“Well, the decision is really simple… you have a cool and fun advantage, but I really want those Ray Ban sunglasses, so I’ll remain loyal to Chanyeol hyung.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, almost regretting his bribing, but he was securing himself a fun team for the party planning. You darted your eyes back to Junmyeon and Minseok; there had to be a way to get both of them on your team.

Junmyeon still watched on serenely, taking in all of the energy, while Minseok conversed quietly with Kyungsoo. You were so proud of your team, sneakily drawing the best members to side with you. You focused on Junmyeon, flashing a charming smile. “Leader-nim, you haven’t committed to a team yet. Care to lend your impeccable taste and wisdom to Team Y/N?”

Chanyeol cut in swiftly. “Hyung hyung! You know you want to be where the fun is; just come over here!”

Junmyeon chuckled. “Both sides make compelling cases…” His eyes twinkled playfully.

Minseok spoke up suddenly. “I’m team Y/N! I’m convinced by your amazing recruiting skills, that can only translate into great leadership.” He winked in your direction, accompanied by a bright smile. “Also, you might need some muscle,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows as he playfully showed his biceps, only to shy away with a giggle.

You pouted, moved by his encouragement. “Thank you so much, Minseok! You’re the obvious wildcard with all of your talents.”

Chanyeol could only beam at the entire interaction. He really wanted his hyung on his team, but seeing how you managed to convince him, he just let it be. Witnessing how his friends accepted you was worth more than anything; the respect that Minseok’s words had for you was quite moving.

“Are you not pitching in, jagi?” you asked, and he simply shook his head. “Well, Junmyeon. You’re a package deal, right? Minseok chose Team Y/N; are you in too?” You held on to Jongdae’s arm, expecting the leader’s answer.

“Don’t forget about me, hyung! We got this, but we need our fearless leader.”

Junmyeon’s smile was unbreakable. “You two are meant for each other, no doubt, huh?” He looked at his hand, pondering for a little while, until he met your hopeful gaze with his signature calm. “I believe in Team Y/N.”

His words sparked elation among your already lively squad. He approached cautiously, but you enveloped him in a tight hug, feeling his quiet laughter rumble through his chest.

Pulling back, you searched for Chanyeol’s eyes across from you. He was so pure, smiling like that, radiating pride and joy. Crossing over to him, you extended a hand, which he delicately grasped, tugging you in as he wrapped his arms around you. You felt the soft wool of his sweater against your cheek, and his heartbeat resonated in your ears louder than the cheers from the members around you two.

Chanyeol's bright eyes crinkled into crescents as he tapped your back gently. "You pulled a great team together, congrats!" He giggled softly into your embrace before reluctantly letting go.

You met his shining gaze, getting lost in the warmth and affection reflected there. Leaning in, you pressed a swift kiss to his awaiting lips, eliciting whoops and hollers from the members watching on. As you broke apart, grinning like fools, his hands lingered on your arms a moment more before dropping away all too soon.

"May the best team win, Yeollie. I'll see you at the finish line!" With one last grin, you turned to rejoin your squad, heart soaring.

This challenge lit a new fire within you. With the inspiration of your team and Chanyeol's love and support behind you, there was no way you could lose. The party was sure to be one for the ages.

You and Chanyeol sat side by side under the dark blue sky; your crocheted blanket that he gifted you once when you were just catching feelings for him was over the two of you. Winter felt nearer every single night because of how cold the evenings were becoming, yet it occurred to you both to go out and see the city view from the rooftop of your apartment’s building, with Namsan Tower in the distance perfectly adjusted in the landscape.

Comfortable silence embraced you as you reflected on everything that brought you to this specific moment in time together. The past couple of days were surely fun to spend with his dear members. You had missed each other though, so you decided to have a night in to distract you from all the planning and dedicate time to each other.

Noticing your boyfriend’s pensive smile, your heart grew curious, but it also swelled at seeing him so serene. You were sure this was what you wanted to see every single moment—the genuine purpose that had driven you all along. Yet pride lingered too in all of the plans already set in motion and the efforts of beloved souls. To call off the challenge now seemed unfair when the group had already rallied; you realized that harmony can rule where care guides the way.

Next to you, Chanyeol marveled at your radiant glow, shining brighter than any festivity ever could. He let out a soft sigh, quiet but content. He felt reassured that the thoughts occupying his mind lately were the right choice to make.

The chill night air nipped at his fingers as he gazed over the city, but his heart felt warm and cozy under the blanket with you. So much has changed since the days when a glance from you sent his pulse racing; now your mere presence at his side brings calm. Turning, he took your hand in his, rubbing gently to warm it.

You peered at his thoughtful face, exquisitely brightened by the moonlight and the city lights. There was a calmness in his eyes that you were just now discovering, but it filled you up with so much reassurance.

“So Yixing called me today,” Chanyeol started, whispering.

You stopped his hand with a squeeze and searched for his eyes with a small giggle. “We’re not supposed to share any insights, jagi.”

He chuckled, pulling you closer in a warm embrace. “I’m not, I’m not. He just wanted to say that he would come and be the judge.”

“Oh you couldn’t recruit the gentle heart of his,” you giggled.

He gasped and squeezed you tighter. “Don’t tease me, or I’ll look for payback.”

“Like I can’t take it,” you said daringly.

Chanyeol’s look was filled with mischief. Wrapping both arms snugly around your waist, he pulled you closer still until your faces were mere inches apart. “Oh, you think you’re so tough, hm?” he chuckled, low and rumbling.

Your entire body felt lighter somehow, and the smile forming at the corner of your lips was so genuine. You leaned and nuzzled his nose, getting a nervous giggle out of him. He was truly enchanted by this lighthearted side of yours.

Gathering back his courage, he tightened his grip on you, causing you to squirm and burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Your laughter proved infectious, and he eventually found himself lying down, clutching his belly. Following suit, you allowed yourself to collapse at his side, resting your head on his chest and basking in the warmth of his body and the melodic sound of his laughter.

As you gazed up at him, your eyes locked for a brief moment before you leaned in, bringing your lips together in a passionate kiss and indulging in a fleeting moment of fiery connection.

Breaking up the kiss, Chanyeol chuckled softly. “I have to leave; I don’t want to.”

It was impossible to hold back your laughter, knowing the feeling all too well. Reluctantly pulling yourself from his embrace, you took his hand and gazed into his eyes, alight with care and tenderness even when you knew he had to leave.

“Then don’t,” you whispered, a playful smile teasing at your lips.

He giggled in return, interlacing his long fingers with yours. “As much as I’d love to stay right here with you always, duty calls pretty early tomorrow morning.” He placed a quick kiss on your forehead. “But I will be counting the moments until I can see you again.”

When he allowed himself to be affectionate and lighthearted, you couldn't resist falling even more deeply for him. Standing up, you extended a hand to help Chanyeol rise to his feet, both of you reluctant to break contact just yet. He retrieved the blanket and guided you back indoors, never once releasing your hand.

Still filled with reluctance, you shared one last lingering kiss before parting ways. Closing the door of your apartment slowly, you couldn’t help but hope that he might change his mind and decide to stay. However, you knew that his care for you would remain, even when he was not physically there. Climbing into bed, a sense of contentment washed over you as you treasured the precious and much-needed moments of intimacy that you two had shared.

The next afternoon, you reunited with your team for the last in-person party planning meeting since they were all pretty busy with their work schedules.

The previous night had given you so much clearance about what you really wanted to do. The members had the best ideas, and you all had pre-planned some of them, so it was time to decide which one would take flight for the challenge and win that precious title. But your heart joined you slowly and changed your perspective.

It was Jongdae who noticed your pensiveness. Approaching carefully, he smiled at you. “Someone on your mind?” He whispered, aware of the echo that the meeting room he managed to get for you all created.

You chuckled silently, taking a look at the rest of your team busy on their notebooks and cellphones. “You could say so,” you whispered back at your friend.

“You know, Minseok and I managed to get in contact with a drone show service. We still don’t know if they would take it to the yacht party,” he chuckled, conscious of how all those words together sounded. Your team had some crazy ideas for sure, all for the fun of past full-on competitive brainstorming sessions.

Junmyeon walked towards you with a solution in mind for the games/gaming theme party idea you had between your options. “Y/N! My friend from the set design department has some chess pieces we can use for the decoration. They’re giant, wanna see—“

He also noticed the difference in your smile. “Have you decided on the 1 Billion Views theme?” he asked.

“Y/N’s gotten distracted by a little—not little, someone,” Jongdae taunted, projecting his voice to fill the entire room. The sound made Kyungsoo and Minseok look your way, eliciting affectionate coos and chuckles from them.

“Guys, it’s not—what you think, I mean…” you trailed off, giggling. “Come, let’s have a little chat,” you requested.

Minseok and Kyungsoo approached, sitting in front of you at the table. They waited patiently for you to continue while you peeked at their notes and yours, happy to have had the best party planning team on your side. You sighed, realizing there was something bigger calling at you from deep inside.

“I know I’ve delayed the decision a bit. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think… I think it would be best to keep it a little simpler.” The look on their faces didn’t change much; they were still paying attention. If there was any surprise in their eyes, they knew how to hide it pretty well.

“I have loved our interaction as a team; I couldn’t ask for a better one. There’s just a little something, a little voice that has been telling me to not go crazy with Chanyeol’s party.”

“What do you want to do then, Y/N?” Minseok wondered, showing you a caring smile. The rest of the guys had the same look, showing their care.

“We will probably not win this, but I don’t want all of those flashy things for his party. I want Yeollie's day to reflect all the love and joy he's brought to our lives simply by being himself. His generous spirit, his caring heart—that's what's most deserving of honor.”

“I’m in,” Kyungsoo encouraged.

You smiled at him, and the others agreed to the change wholeheartedly. “Yixing will be the judge; you can still win this,” Minseok commented, making all of you chuckle.

In another meeting room within the building, Team Chanyeol was enthusiastically planning your party, fueled by Chanyeol’s infectious energy. This fun team had all the chemistry needed for the best rave anyone could ask for, but they had been changing plans since two weeks ago.

More bribery had been required to get Sehun to agree to Chanyeol’s change of heart, but he eventually came around and eagerly joined his hyung in orchestrating the most endearing and romantic surprise for you.

As the meeting came to a close, Chanyeol felt his heart near-bursting with gratitude for his amazing team. They shed the initial rave plans, but their eyes still brimmed with enthusiasm, now transformed into a deeper purpose.

"Alright guys, I think that about does it for now," he announced, beaming around at their eager faces. "We've put together something truly special that I know Y/N will love."

Baekhyun slung an arm around Chanyeol’s shoulder, grinning mischievously. "And maybe if we play our cards right, a certain someone will finally work up the courage to—"

Chanyeol cut him off with a playful punch, feeling his cheeks flush at the implication. But maybe, just maybe, he had a point buried in his teasing. This night could be about new beginnings as well as celebrating what has already blossomed so beautifully between you and him.

Sehun must have sensed his distraction, clearing his throat loudly. “So, are we telling Y/N about this change or keeping it a surprise?”

Smiling softly, he shook his head. “No need to tell. I want it to be a complete surprise when Y/N sees what we’ve done. This isn’t about winning or losing anymore; I just want it to be special for Y/N.”

“I knew this was going to happen,” Jongin commented with a knowing smile on his face. “He can’t help it! He sometimes lets Y/N win at their challenges.”

“I don’t—“ He tried to object, but he knew that he had done it before. But you are unstoppable and a great competitor.

His friends couldn’t resist teasing him. "Alright, fine, you got me," he laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll admit Y/N is a tough opponent, and it's hard not to go soft sometimes with that gorgeous grin."

Baekhyun snickered gleefully while Sehun pretended to gag, earning a playful shove from Chanyeol in return. But beneath the humor, a warm fondness swelled in his chest at the thought of you—your smile, your spirit, the way you somehow always made him want to be better.

Sobering slightly, he continued. "Seriously though, guys, Y/N means the world to me. This is about showing Y/N how much I care."

Jongin shot him a knowing wink and a thumbs up. Chanyeol grinned sheepishly, nerves and excitement dancing hand in hand at the prospect. Then, shaking himself back to the present, he clapped his hands decisively.

He beamed at his teammates, his heart filled with gratitude and love. "Now come on, boys, we've got a party to prepare!"

A sense of excitement coursed through both of you as you walked hand in hand down the hallway. You heard how Chanyeol took a deep breath and felt his fingers tenderly squeezing yours.

His eyes had shined so brightly when he looked at you earlier. He stumbled, and his jaw nearly hit the floor. You were proud of yourself to be able to keep making him flustered. You couldn’t talk much either, because when you caught a glimpse of him across the room, your breath caught in your throat and your eyes widened as you smiled wider.

Part of you wanted to just linger in that intimate bubble you had created together in the hallway, but another part wanted to see what surprise lay behind the party room doors. Chanyeol had that look—the one where his smile could only form crescents on his eyes. You knew whatever awaited you inside would be magical.

Nothing could have prepared you two for the astonishing scene that greeted you as you entered. The love and warmth that flooded the room nearly swept you off your feet. You were overwhelmed with gratitude for each cherished friend and family member who came to celebrate this special day with the both of you.

Reluctantly letting go of Chanyeol's hand, you made your way through the crowd, embracing everyone with hugs and smiles. Their well-wishes and affection meant the world.

When you two finally reconnected in the center, you turned to Chanyeol with shining eyes. "So, ready for a tour of your birthday party?” You held his hand. “I really hope you like it; that’s all that matters to me now.”

The real reason for your words passed him by because of the excitement deep within him for his plans for your birthday party, but he nodded eagerly as he smiled warmly.

Yixing approached you both. “Is it okay if I accompany you two while you check the parties?” he asked a little bashful, knowing it would be awkward to have him around while you shared your feelings poured out in all of the planning choices for each of your birthday parties.

“It’s fine, Yixing! You’re the judge after all,” you accepted, offering him a kind smile.

As you guided them both, Chanyeol gasped in delight at each thoughtful detail in the decoration that your team came up with. The games he loved playing decorated the room, a star projector enhanced the mood, and food and drinks were inspired by the games he loved the most.

But it was the dance floor that truly left him speechless��an interactive mat where guests could join in the music. As he tested it out, his enjoyment enhanced as he heard songs from his favorite artists and games represented. The guests around him cheered at him, and he spread some high-fives.

“Y/N, this is too amazing! How did you manage to plan something so perfect?” He breathed, taking your hands in awe.

“Your friends were key factors in the planning. They had the craziest ideas.” Your smile radiated warmth, and Chanyeol wrapped you in a tight embrace. You saw your crew and mouthed a thank you towards them, in case you hadn’t said it enough.

You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. “There’s one last surprise,” you said, smiling back at Yixing.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened expectantly. “Show me!” he exclaimed excitedly, and you led him towards a red arcade-like machine decorated with musical notes, guitars, drums, and pianos.

Chanyeol had to hold on to you for balance because of the amount of joy that radiated from his face at seeing a familiar character on the screen—it was him, rendered lovingly in pixelated form.

“Y/N… is this for real? Does it work?”

“Yes, it does,” you answered, pressing the play button. “Minseok knew this game creator who helped us with this mini adventure game with you in it. I hope you like it.”

Heart swelling with affection, he couldn’t help but pull you into a tight hug, followed by a kiss on your forehead. “Are you kidding? This is the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me!”

You planted a kiss on his lips before your team approached to hear what Chanyeol thought about his gift. Chanyeol hugged each member, not being able to contain his euphoria.

It was his time to show you the party that he planned, but the game seemed too interesting not to play it right away. “Thank you all again. This is—this means the world to me,” he beamed, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “Do you mind if I play through just a bit before we continue?”

You couldn’t help but laugh brightly. “Of course, take your time! I’ll be waiting when you’re ready.”

With that, he eagerly ventured into the pixelated quests alongside his virtual self, grinning wider with each level completed. From the corner of his eye, he saw you chatting happily with Yixing and Junmyeon, radiating warmth and care.

The game ended all too soon, but he came out victorious. He took another look at you. The game was fun, but his plans were more exciting. Chanyeol approached your group with a smile on his face and tenderly held your hand in his. “That was even better than I imagined,” he sighed happily.

He turned to Yixing. “I believe it’s my turn now.”

Yixing smiled knowingly. “Cool! Let’s go check what magic you’ve conjured for Y/N’s special day.”

Chanyeol winked at you and led you to the other side of the room. You had peeked a little when you arrived and while Chanyeol played with the video game, but it was even better to experience it fully.

Light beams danced upon the walls, matching the colorful LED light decorations; all of the food and drinks glowed in neon-like colors, but it was the photo booth that surprised you the most.

“Care to try it with me?” Chanyeol asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

You nodded eagerly and stepped into the cozy photo kiosk. Chanyeol grabbed two flashlights and offered you one before he dimmed the lights down.

He kissed your cheek on the way. “Do you remember the light painting exhibition we saw months ago? It gave me an idea.”

“No way this works for real,” you exclaimed.

“I know, let’s try!”

You doodled around with the flashlight, but Chanyeol seemed to have something in mind based on how precise his movements were. As you exited the booth, Yixing took the photo strip with a sweet smile directed towards you two.

“You two are something else; you should check this out, Y/N.” Yixing handed you the prints.

Tears of delight pooled in your eyes as you finally saw what Chanyeol was so focused on drawing with the flashlight: “You’re my light,” writing each word in each picture and a heart for the last one. Yixing found it endearing that you also drew a heart for the last picture, with an arrow on the side pointing towards Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol…” you breathed, gazing upon him with all the affection overflowing your soul. Words could not capture what he meant to you and the magical moment you found each other in. Smiling softly, emanating that same light he described you to be for him, he stopped the little tear about to fall down your cheek.

A chorus of “awwws” caught your attention as Team Chanyeol approached behind you. Even Sehun was cheering for you, but he didn’t let go of the opportunity to playfully roll his eyes at you when he caught your gaze.

Their care for you in that moment meant everything. You smiled and joyfully welcomed Baekhyun and Jongin’s embrace. But Chanyeol softly pulled you close once more, needing more of your moment together. His eyes shone just for you.

“This is lovely, but we’re still in a challenge that needs to crown a winner,” Baekhyun teased, giving you a small wink.

“I believe the true winner is obvious,” you teased back, mirroring his gesture.

“I-I’m not ready… was I supposed to decide now?” Yixing asked, making you all chuckle.

Chanyeol placed a hand on Yixing’s shoulder. “Not yet, man. Whenever you’re ready,” he clarified. “But for now, let’s have fun!”

With that, Chanyeol and you made your way to the dance floor, dancing under the lights. Your friends gathered close, sharing laughter and jokes wherever you were.

As the music flowed through you, all else fell softly away; only the joy of the moment shared with the one you dearly considered as your person remained. Chanyeol's smiling eyes held galaxies of warmth within which you were happy to lose yourself time and again.

Letting go of the challenge and only planning the party to make Chanyeol happy made you forget about the prize. Seeing him happy and having the most fun he could on his special day with the people he loved the most was the reward you didn’t know you were looking for. Although the competition brought you all there, it was the bond you all shared that made each moment sweet.

Chanyeol and you were lost in competition over Tekken when Jongin approached and whispered something in Chanyeol’s ear. Jongin flashed a warm smile in your direction before making his way back.

You looked at Chanyeol, wondering what was going on, but he grabbed your hand before you could speak up. “Come,” he said softly.

Intrigued, you followed him to the opposite side of the room. Near the photo booth, there was some sort of window that he seemed to have covered so the light from outside wouldn’t enter the room. It seemed completely reasonable because it could have made it difficult for the light painting in the photos to work. But when he moved the curtain and opened the door—not window—a balcony with a set of stairs decorated with fairy lights surprised you.

For starters, you didn’t even know that your venue had a balcony. Jongdae and Minseok had come to check it out with Chanyeol because you had been busy that day.

Your heart fluttered, filled with expectations. You glanced back at him with questioning eyes, and his shined brighter than any light decoration in the room. The warmth of his hand holding yours was calming; his thumb brushed the back of your hand, inviting you outside with a little squeeze.

You followed him up the spiral stairs until you reached the rooftop. The view of a cozy seating area and the gentle, chilly breeze enveloping you caused you to seek out Chanyeol’s comforting presence, yearning for his warmth.

Chanyeol's secret paradise took your breath away. With lights glowing softly all around, it was as if stardust itself had sprinkled down upon that rooftop nook just for the both of you. It seemed like his message on the light painting photos was not at all random.

His giggle caught your attention, and as you looked at him, you realized you both had played the same game all along, but he still continued to amaze you, heart and soul.

“I had one last surprise, for your eyes only,” he simply said as he led you to the cozy nest of beanbags, his guitar waiting alongside your private feast. Joy and gratitude swelled within your heart.

“One last surprise, you say?” Smiling softly, you traced his cheek. “Yeollie, being here with you is the greatest gift of all. You’ve given me magic where I least expected to find it.”

His signature simple, nervous smile never failed to melt your heart. As he leaned to steal a kiss, you couldn’t help but grin at his adorable, flustered ways. “I… have something,” he said as he grabbed his guitar and gestured for you to take the beanbag next to him. “I’ve been working on a song for you.”

You settled in with eager eyes fixed on his handsome face. As he strummed those first soft chords, he captured your gaze, making you feel as if nothing else existed in the world besides the music flowing between you two. And when he finally started singing, his velvety voice and heartfelt words engulfed you completely.

You leaned into him, tracing patterns along his back while grinning at the way he watched you from the corner of his eyes, full of care.

The song drifted softly away, leaving only the sounds of the city below and your mingled breaths in the cool night air. You turned then to find Chanyeol watching you still, a question in his eyes that held its own beauty.

Reaching up, you traced the curve of his lips, feeling his breath hitch. "Chanyeol... that was the most beautiful song I’ve heard, and it-it means so much that you wrote it just for me,” you whispered, struggling a little to speak between tears of joy. “You’re my genius songwriter."

He hurried to dry your tears, making you giggle. The emotions were becoming clearer within you, and your palm found its place over his beating heart. His hand closed over yours and intertwined your fingers. “You have no idea how happy I am to see how much my song moved you, jagiya."

He lowered his gaze for a second as he took a deep breath before he looked into your eyes once more. “You are my whole world. And I love you, Y/N."

Joy overflowed within you as your heart swelled almost to the point of bursting. Hearing those words from him for the first time since you met him compares to nothing else in the world. Your heart found solace, and your face radiated a brilliance that outshone all the lights around you. Raising his knuckles to your lips, you met his expectant smile. "I love you too, Yeollie. With all of me," you whispered.

A gentle smile spread across Chanyeol's face as he gazed lovingly into your eyes. He reached up to cradle your cheek, brushing away the remnants of your tears with his thumb.

Leaning in, he planted a gentle kiss on your forehead before slowly resting his own against it, relishing the intimate connection. Your hand continued to rest firmly over his racing heart, filling him with a comforting warmth and deep appreciation for the love you both cherished.

"I meant every word, you know," Chanyeol murmured. "You truly are my whole world. From the moment I met you, I was a goner. Your smile, your laugh, your beautiful soul—you stole my heart completely without even trying."

Reaching up to cup your cheeks in his hands, Chanyeol sealed his declaration with a lingering kiss, pouring all of his adoration and passion into the tender moment you shared under the moonlight. In the warmth of your embrace, you both uncovered the ultimate reward that lay at the heart of your spirited party planning endeavors—it all began and concluded with love.

Epilogue

“Alright guys! Are you ready for the real party planning showdown between Chanyeol and Y/N?” Chanyeol announced, looking at all of the faces of his friends before him.

“I hope you don’t end up proposing this time or anything,” Sehun commented, and you threw a marshmallow at him.

“Behave, Sehun. We already know you love us; no need for snarky comments, dork.” You shut him up, earning giggles from the rest of the members. You glanced at Chanyeol and stole a quick kiss from his lips.

“Yixing, hyung, are you ready to choose a team this time? These two are fierce!” Jongdae asked him, knowing that last time he had a difficult time choosing between you two and ended up declaring it a tie. Considering what went down on your birthday, everyone accepted it. Yixing himself suggested making the challenge all over again so your own feelings wouldn’t get in the way and leave him with a tough decision.

“I’m really not sure, but this seems more fun than judging,” Yixing replied.

“This time it is my birthday, so I will be the judge,” Kyungsoo said, giggling at Yixing’s expression. “Don’t worry, hyung, just choose Y/N’s team!”

“Oh, oh, this judge has some strong bias; should we truly trust him?” Baekhyun pointed out teasingly.

Jongin was pure laughter beside you, while Minseok tried to intervene. “Kyungsoo knows what he’s talking about, but it could be fun switching teams for this challenge.”

“I would love to be on Y/N’s side this time around,” Jongin commented.

Before more silly debates continued, Junmyeon raised his hand, trying to calm everyone. “Guys, let’s start with the recruiting! We have a chef to impress this time,” he said calmly, draping his arm around Kyungsoo.

“Are you ready?” Chanyeol looked at you with a warm smile.

“Oh, you bet, jagiya!” you exclaimed, offering a fist bump his way. He responded and sealed it with a kiss on your knuckles.

Baekhyun cleared his throat and signaled for everyone to join his chant. "May the best party planner—and partner—win!" You all exclaimed in unison.

[aidanchaser]

Full Exposure [REMIX]

remixed from Full Exposure by @ladyofthenoodle for the @mlsquaredance event! A huge thank you for organizing it. It has been such a blast and such a boost to my creativity this past month.

beta'd by @ccboomer and @sunshinemarauder

Marinette snaps her laptop closed and groans into Alya’s pillow. She is so tired of looking at empty bank accounts and red spreadsheets. “How am I supposed to afford anything at this rate?” she whines.

“Out of noodle-dollars already?” Alya asks without looking up from her tablet.

Marinette rolls over to stare at the ceiling. “It’s impossible to be a student full-time, have a full-time unpaid internship, and work enough hours to buy food and pay rent and every other little thing that comes along, while also being a full-time superhero!” Marinette ticks each list item off on her hand as she talks. “I can’t keep taking out loans or putting it on a credit card.”

“The system’s broken,” Alya agrees nonchalantly. “You could always sell nudes.”

Marinette squeals in a combination of horror and disgust and throws a pillow at Alya.

Alya takes the soft blow with the smallest of grunts. “There’s nothing wrong with it! A lot of people make a lot of money that way.”

“I’m not interested in gross comments, people photoshopping my body, or having my image fed into A.I. generators.”

Alya shrugs. “Fair.”

Marinette scrunches up her nose. “How much money?”

“A few thousand, easily.” Alya adds a note into her journalism reading, then sets her tablet and stylus aside. “You could probably make a good deal.”

Marinette rolls her eyes. “No one is going to pay a thousand dollars for my nudes.”

“They might for Ladybug’s though.”

Marinette reaches for Alya’s second pillow and throws it. This time, Alya catches it.

“Ladybug is a national icon! She can’t just post nudes!”

“Ladybug is a full-grown adult woman who doesn’t get paid by the city. She can do whatever she likes with her image.”

Marinette shakes her head as she sits up. She leans back against Alya’s wall and stares out the window. Ladybug is a hero of Paris. She has a reputation. Besides, what would Chat Noir think? He’d see them, surely. How many pussy jokes could she bear?

Marinette taps her fingers against her closed laptop. “What if they were… tasteful nudes?”

“Boudoir photography is very in,” Alya says. “You’d just have to make sure people know they’re paying for almost-nudes.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’d need you to be my photographer.”

“Girl, I’m happy to help you, but you already know someone who actually does model photography.”

Marinette squeals again and reaches for a pillow, only to find herself out of ammunition. “I can’t ask Adrien to take Ladybug’s nudes!”

“He’s your boyfriend.”

“He’s Marinette’s boyfriend!”

Alya shrugs, as if this is irrelevant, when in fact it is the most relevant that any fact could possibly be to this conversation. Yes, Adrien has turned to directing photoshoots rather than modeling in photoshoots now that they’re in university, but Marinette is not going to ask her boyfriend to take nudes of another girl! And Ladybug is, as far as Adrien knows, another girl.

“You know he’s going to look at them either way,” Alya says. “You might as well make him part of it so he doesn’t have to feel guilty about it.”

“Adrien would not look at Ladybug’s nudes. Not when he’s my boyfriend!”

Alya raises her eyebrows. “He’s loyal, not dead. You remember how he talked about Ladybug when were in school together. He won’t be able to resist.”

Marinette does not remember the way Adrien talked about Ladybug when they were younger. She was too busy daydreaming about him or trying to talk without tripping over her words.

“Adrien used to like Ladybug?” she asks weakly.

“The way a fish likes water.” Alya tips her chair back and, with a mischievous grin that’s rather fitting for the holder of the miraculous of illusion and trickery, says, “Just ask. See what he says.”

✦✧✦✧

Adrien is still not entirely sure that this is a good idea.

He’s flattered, honestly, that Alya, as the admin for the Ladyblog, recommended him to Ladybug as a photographer. He’s surprised and grateful that Marinette assured him that it would be fine for him to do such a risqué photoshoot with such a well-known celebrity. And he’s nervous, more nervous than he has ever been about anything in his life.

Chloé has agreed to give him access to one of Le Grand Paris’s suites for the day, though he hasn’t told her why he needs it—not that he thinks he can fully keep it secret from her. She’ll figure it out once the photos are released.

Zoé helped him haul up his lighting equipment. He didn’t tell her why he needed the room, either, but he imagines she’ll be one of the first people to download the photos once they’re online.

Adrien finishes tightening the C-stand beside the bed. He’ll adjust the lighting once Ladybug arrives, but he wants the grunt work done before she gets there. The last thing he needs is Ladybug standing around in her underwear while he tries to work with heavy equipment.

Adrien rubs his eyes and tries not to picture Ladybug in lacy underwear, though it’s as absurd as it is futile. She’ll be here any minute and he’ll have to photograph her while she’s actually, physically in front of him and is actually, physically wearing lacy underwear.

A knock on the balcony doors breaks through Adrien’s internal battlefield. His heart, which is already nesting in his throat, decides it’s time to run a marathon just at the sound of her arrival. He’s worried it might fully burst before he even lays eyes on Ladybug.

He swallows and reminds himself that he has a girlfriend. That he is going to see Marinette tonight, once this is over. He’ll have to laugh and tell her how absolutely innocent it was when it’s all said and done. Because it has to be innocent. It has to be.

Adrien slides open the balcony door and is relieved to see that Ladybug is still fully clothed in her usual suit. The only thing that makes her appearance on the balcony any different from an evening on patrol is the duffel bag in her hand, like she’s come for a sleepover.

“Hi,” she says.

“Hi,” he replies, and hopes she doesn’t notice how breathless he is.

Adrien isn’t sure if the pause between them feels long because adrenaline has his brain running double-time, or if the silence between them really does stretch out interminably.

“I’m just about ready,” he finally says, “whenever you are.”

“Right! I just need to um… change.”

“Right.”

This time, he’s certain that the pause is too long, but Ladybug finally slips past him and into the bathroom.

When she’s gone, Adrien scrubs his face with his hands. His palms come away sticky with sweat. He is supposed to be the professional. If any of his photographers behaved like this while he was a model, he would never have worked with them again. He can’t let Ladybug think he’s some sort of creep.

The bathroom door opens and Adrien’s heart, again, races, but she doesn’t come out in her underwear, not yet.

Instead, Ladybug is wearing a thin, silky black robe. They discussed a color palette—one of the hardest conversations Adrien has ever had to keep a straight face for—and settled on blacks and reds, which not only keep with Ladybug’s theme, but are sensual enough on their own.

Her hair is pulled up in a bun and her mask covers her eyes—or rather, a replica of her mask. Even the earrings in her ears have to be a copy, at least for the moment. Adrien, knowing how his ring camouflages itself, asked her if her earrings bore her iconic spots when she was not transformed. If she was surprised he knew to ask, she didn’t show it. She simply confirmed that he was right, and she would have to wear a copy if they wanted to maintain the traditional icons of Ladybug.

He can tell that she’s taken his advice about makeup, too. The low dip in her bathrobe reveals perfectly smooth, pale skin. She’s covered up any blemishes and freckles, something he suggested not only because of his own experience in modeling, but because anyone who knows her, like a partner, might recognize such marks.

She blushed and said that her boyfriend didn’t know that she was Ladybug, so that was probably smart.

“I can also clean it up in post,” Adrien told her. Then, he dared to ask, “Does he know you’re doing this? Not that he has to—it’s your choice—I just… if you’re nervous about him finding out, that sounds… bad?”

Ladybug wrinkled her nose and stared down at their notes. “He sort of knows?”

But Ladybug’s relationship isn’t really Adrien’s business.

“Where to first?” She fidgets with the tie around her waist.

“I’ve set up over here.”

Adrien leads Ladybug to the bed, where he’d already pulled back the hotel bedspread and laid out a black silk sheet to cover the stark white hotel bedding.

Ladybug’s fingers slips into the knot around her waist. Adrien picks up his camera and busies himself with the settings, intentionally missing the moment she slides out of her bathrobe and onto the bed.

“I’m just going to check the lighting,” he says, and lifts his camera.

It’s easier to stare at her through the lens.

She’s not only taken her bathrobe off, but she’s pulled her hair down. Her dark hair falls along the curve of her neck and brushes over her shoulders. Adrien follows those curves down to the black cups edged in red lace that cover her pale breasts, though he catches the tiniest sliver of pink peeking out from behind the lace. Black straps fasten her bra to the high-waisted underwear that, while it covers her stomach, curves high over her hips, leaving her legs long and exposed. Her bare feet are decorated in bright red nail polish. Something about that nail polish nags at his brain—didn’t Marinette paint her toes last night?

But the shutter on his camera clicks and he forgets to finish his thought. It takes all his mental fortitude to look at the photo professionally and academically. The shadows on her skin are too harsh; her hair blends in with the black silk; one of the straps of her bra is twisted.

Adrien adjusts the bounce of the light around the room, softens it with a flag, switches the bedding from black to red, and asks Ladybug to fix her bra strap.

“And then the robe back on,” he says, “but open.” It takes all his effort to keep his voice steady and even.

He checks his settings again, adjusts his camera, and finally, they can begin to shoot in earnest.

Once he gets going, it’s fairly easy to maintain his professionalism. There isn’t a whole lot of sensuality when it comes to adjusting angles, clicking the shutter, checking the shot, adjusting the pose—it really does feel like work. But Adrien would appreciate it if his heart would stop jerking in sudden bursts whenever Ladybug turns her brilliant blue eyes to the camera, or when he has to set the camera down to direct Ladybug into a new pose.

She, at least, behaves like a professional.

“New pose?” Adrien asks, and Ladybug readily shifts so that one arm drapes lazily above her head. Her face tilts up so that her neck slopes in a soft arch into her shoulder, and one knee cocks, suggesting a subtle invitation.

Adrien very gently touches her elbow, and she moves her arm at his direction. “Have you done this before?”

“No!” she says quickly, then swallows. Her bright red lips open and close as she looks for the right words. “I mean—I just did a lot of research beforehand.”

Adrien did, too. He’d never done any shoots like this during his time as a model. He quit before he was old enough to even have conversations about these sorts of shoots. So he’s spent a lot of time looking at boudoir photos in the last few weeks. Marinette helped him, and it had certainly been nice to discuss ideas with her.

He still doesn’t know why Marinette was so calm about it all—at least, for Marinette’s standards. She fell into her high-pitched, nervous voice when they discussed the shoot; she laughed awkwardly and blushed terribly. But Adrien knew that Marinette had absurdly jealous tendencies. He still didn’t understand why she didn’t exhibit any of that during their conversations about Ladybug.

Adrien had certainly felt a pang of jealousy when Ladybug told Chat Noir.

“I just… wanted to warn you,” Ladybug said. “And—you don’t have to, er—feel bad if you look at them. I mean, not that I want you to look at them! And I think—just don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

Chat Noir leaned against his staff and tried for a smile, but it was hard with the anxiety curling in his stomach. He no longer loves Ladybug, but she’s still his partner. He doesn’t want to share her with the rest of Paris this way. He also wanted to promise her that he wouldn’t look, especially if it made her uncomfortable, but he couldn’t very well promise abstinence if he was going to be the one taking and editing each and every photograph.

“My lady,” he finally said, “I would never let this change anything between us. Maybe I’ll even do my own.”

But Adrien doesn’t think that he’ll ever be able to do something like this as Chat Noir. Not only does he have absolutely no desire to get back in front of a camera and let someone else take control of his image again, there are too many photos of Adrien Agreste out there. Someone will inevitably hold up Chat Noir and Adrien’s bodies against each other and put it all together, and then it will be over. He’s grown since his modeling days, certainly, but it isn’t a risk he wants to take.

As Adrien pauses to check over the photographs, Ladybug relaxes into the bed. He risks a glance away from his camera to look at her properly, to shut out the stands and equipment and take a moment to see Ladybug as she is.

Her fingers twist in the ends of her hair, like an anxious fidget. Her eyes are locked with the ceiling and there’s a pinch to her cheek, like she’s gnawing her way through a difficult thought. Her black hair fans out on the red silk just as the black robe does, and as she shifts, it falls from her neck and shoulders, revealing the sharp angles of her collarbone. Her lipstick is the same shade of red as the lace that curls around her breast and her waist. Adrien can’t help but stare.

“Is everything all right?” she asks.

“Yes—” Adrien wishes he could sound less defensive. He glances back down at his camera. “Did you want to see them?”

He sits down on the bed next to her and she leans over his shoulder. A shiver runs down his spine as her bare skin presses against his arm. He has never touched Ladybug’s bare skin before; not in all their years of pulling each other out of danger has he ever been this close with her.

“Is that really me?” she asks.

He laughs, but it sounds as forced as it feels. “Yeah. You—You look great.”

She feels warm against him, too warm. He wishes she would pull away.

“You’re really good at this,” she says.

“Thank you. I think knowing what it’s like on the other side of the camera helps.”

Her brow furrows beneath her mask. It doesn’t shift fluidly with her expression the way the magical one grafted onto her might have, but it tilts and twists with her confusion.

“Have you done shoots like this before?”

“No, no, nothing like this. This is… new for me.” Adrien swallows and stands. His arm feels cold where she had been touching him. “But if they turn out well, maybe I can convince my girlfriend to do one.”

Ladybug crosses her legs and leans over onto her knee. “Oh—do you think she’d like that?”

“She did help me plan this shoot, so maybe?”

Ladybug posed so neatly before, but now she looks small and drawn into herself, hunched over her own legs. Adrien wonders if she’s thinking about her own boyfriend, and how he’ll feel to see her like this. Does her partner know her well enough—love her well enough—to recognize her like this?

“Lean back?” Adrien says.

Ladybug places her hands behind her, fingers pressing deep into the mattress and slipping along the silk.

“Chin up, chest out?”

She does, but the worry in her blue eyes doesn’t fade. The pose should be haughty, a look Ladybug has been giving him easily for the last hour. He wonders why she’s so lost now.

He snaps the pictures anyway, then suggests she lean back on her elbows and look away. If she can’t be haughty, he can redirect and lean into pensive.

But after a few more clicks of the shutter, he has to ask, “Are you all right?”

She turns back to him and stares like she’s wandered in from another planet. “What is it?”

“You just look worried.”

“Oh. No. I—I was just thinking. Your girlfriend—I mean, my boyfriend—I mean—I don’t know if he’d want pictures of me like this.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“I just mean I’m not like this, you know, without the mask.”

“You are very pretty. I’m sure your boyfriend agrees.”

It’s hard to tell in the dim lighting, but he thinks she blushes. “I’m a lot more awkward without the magic,” she says.

“You’re not wearing any magic now.”

He doesn’t realize how much attention he’s giving to her breathing until he notices her chest go still, her breath caught in her lungs.

He snaps a photo.

“Oh, I wasn’t ready!”

Adrien glances down at the preview. Her blue eyes are wide and her red lips drawn into a small pout. It’s different from the looks they’ve been leaning towards—powerful, dominant, desirable. Instead, she looks surprised and vulnerable. It’s his favorite picture of the day so far, but it’s clearly not what she wants, not the way she wants others to see her. He deletes it.

“Maybe we should try some of the tease shots?” he suggests.

She shifts onto her knees and reaches behind her to the hooks of her bra. Adrien captures the moment of her unclasping her bra several times before she lays back down on the bed, cups still in place, but backstraps splayed out on the bed.

Then they take a few with the bra cast aside, first with her hands covering her nipples and then with a red ribbon reminiscent of Ladybug’s hair ribbons.

Adrien looks away each time she changes her minimal modesty coverings out, but he can’t help but think about how many nights he spent as a teenager dreaming about Ladybug beneath her mask and beneath her suit. It wasn’t always fantasies like this, but he’d be a liar if he said he had never dreamed of Ladybug like this.

She bites down on her lip and he snaps another series of photos.

Then she puts the robe back on and Adrien’s heart stutters as he remembers what they agreed to shoot next.

Ladybug said she wasn’t interested in full nudes, that she didn’t want all of Paris to see all of her. But they agreed that they would shoot the robe without lingerie.

She shimmies out of her underwear and climbs back onto the bed.

Adrien swallows down a host of anxiety and desire that wells up in his chest as she adjusts herself on the bed. Ladybug leans back against the headboard, one leg bent up and the other out, but her black silk falls neatly between her legs. Adrien’s heart races as she tugs the silk up at her waist so that the V covering her chest pools into something loose and inviting. Adrien can see the lines where her breasts press against her stomach.

“Can you move the knot?” Adrien gestures to her waist, where the knot of her silk tie is hiding behind her thigh. It doesn’t need to be exposed, but it would give the shot more intrigue, though he supposes Ladybug has enough of that all on her own.

She shifts the tie as he directs and shifts all the silk with it.

“May I?” Adrien asks and, with heart racing, fixes the tie for her.

He does everything he can not to brush her skin as he adjusts the way the silk falls against her chest and around her thighs. He checks each wrinkle at her waist to make sure it looks intentionally casual and comfortable. He double-checks the fall of the silk against her chest to make sure the best parts of her are hidden. Finally, he smooths the silk over her thigh and tugs on the ends so that there is only just enough fabric to cover between her legs, but leaves most of her legs visible to the camera.

He catches sight of the tiny, heart-shaped freckle on the inside of her thigh and goes very still. She goes still, too.

“What is it?”

Adrien swallows. “You and my girlfriend have the same freckle.”

“Oh—I’m sorry—I can get my concealer—”

She’s already trying to get out from under him, ruining every bit of staging he has just finished setting. He means to get out of her way and to tell her that he can hide any freckles in post but his brain is too busy trying to figure out why Ladybug just apologized to him for having the same freckle as Marinette.

She crashes into him and he tries to catch himself on the bed, but the silk is smooth and they both go tumbling to the floor.

“I’m so sorry!” she says. “I told you, I’m clumsy without the magic.”

She’s on top of him, and the red silk sheet falls onto her waist, draping over them both. Adrien stares up at her from the plush carpet. She tries to get up, but he grabs her hip and holds her steady. She freezes.

His other hand, as slow and automatic as if it belonged to a machine separate from him, drifts up to her mask. Her breath hitches as he thumbs the end of it, just where it covers her cheekbone.

“Ladybug,” he breathes. They’re so close to each other that he can see the bob of her throat as she swallows.

He knows the next logical thought, but he can’t bring it to his lips. It makes sense, though. Ladybug choosing him, Marinette’s lack of jealousy, the toe nails, the one, single mark on her skin that he’s seen a dozen nights before in Marinette’s bed…

“I’m sor—”

But he cuts off her apology with a kiss. He knew, before he kissed her, but he truly knows it now. He knows Marinette’s shy, hesitant kisses, and the taste of her tongue and the curve of her lips. He feels dizzy as years of flimsy excuses and missed flirting in all directions flood his memories, but it also feels good. It feels right to know that this is how it has always been, that Marinette has always been the girl that he loves.

He drops his head back to the floor and stares up at her with a satisfied grin.

She looks back with panic in her eyes. “Adrien, I’m so sorry,” she says.

But he only smiles. “I don’t know why you’re apologizing. I feel like the cat that just caught the canary.”

✦✧✦✧

Alya yawns and leans against Nino. He pulls the blanket tighter around them and turns the movie up.

Then Alya’s phone buzzes.

“It’s Marinette,” she says, and Nino groans, but he pauses the movie.

“If something happened between Adrien and Ladybug today, I probably should call Adrien.”

“It might be nothing,” Alya says, though neither of them believe it. She leans away from Nino as she answers.

Nino can’t hear Marinette’s words on the other end of the call, but he can pick out the frantic tone. He starts thumbing through his own phone to text Adrien.

Alya frowns and gets to her feet. “Girl, slow down, I have no idea what you’re saying.” Then a grin spreads across her face. “Ah, well, that was always a possibility… No, I’m not saying I planned this on purpose. I’m just saying it’s been years and maybe you should have told him by now… What did you just say about Chat Noir?”

[writersdrug]

A snippet instead?

Ok, so I didn't come out with the story this weekend. I overloaded myself with trying to write this, and also working sixteen hours this weekend. I just ended up exhausting myself, and writing to a point where I feel like it started to derail and not be what I wanted it to be. So I'm postponing it to next weekend. I hope all of you can understand, and I appreciate your patience. In the meantime, please enjoy a few snippets from the story (to prove that I am actually writing)!!

P.S. I did notice that listening to the Skyrim soundtrack on loop does give me a creativity boost

slight nsfw below the cut, I tried to do this without too many spoilers but also with something to hopefully keep yall satisfied.

- - - -

Watch your every step. From the moment you step foot into those woods, you can’t trust anything you see.

That’s what the client had drilled into his head before Konig had begun his journey. He called you dangerous, cunning… “A sneaky, meddling bitch…” he had grumbled over the din of that crowded tavern. Two small pouches, one of silver, one of gold, sat in between the two patrons on the table. Stains of ale and coffee rings littered the unvarnished wood. The wax of the thick candle had trickled down and formed small, hardened pools at the base – it’s flame flickered weakly, casting unflattering shadow’s against the man’s weathered features, and making the portentous hood covering Konig’s face only that much more ominous.

He'd listened warily as the sorcerer described the witch – you. Centuries old, too much knowledge and too little wisdom to use it sensibly. You take whatever you want by whatever means possible, and your favored method was using your physical assets and the promise of sexual devotion to coerce those within your web to do your bidding. “Sometimes, she does it for fun.” The warlock added. “Akin to a serpent, she winds you into her embrace, and then crushes your bones before she swallows you whole, saving your heart for last.” You’d done it to him, ensnaring him into your alluring trap, before stealing his spellbooks, his potions, his most prized collections… and vanishing into thin air.

An enchantress, Konig had concluded.

- - - -

You pulled the thick cloak tighter around your body – you were tiny. Well, everything was tiny compared to Konig. But you were unexpectedly small. With the way the sorcerer had described you, he had expected you to reach his shoulders at least. But there you were, craning your neck to look up at him with fearful, owlish eyes.

“State your business!” You demanded, your voice cracking slightly.

Konig didn’t respond. He took you in – your lips were pulled into a frown, parted slightly to reveal your perfect teeth, the way the fabric of your cloak quivered where it bunched in your fist… perfectly ordinary things that ordinary people do. But, besides the fact that you were a witch, something about you made it all so captivating.

- - - -

“I’ll let you do the honor, boy.” The warlock spat.

Konig looked back at him – his eyes were still transfixed on your naked form, his hands outstretched and clutching around the air, choking you merely with his will. “See what she has done to you, what she has taken from you? What she would have taken?”

Konig remembered your fingers tracing over his heart. The way your nail had slightly dug into his skin.  Did you truly take anything from him, that he didn’t already give to you?

- - - -

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in the post!

[rushingheadlong]

Emergency Fundraising - Please Read!

Tldr: I have opened an etsy shop and am offering fic & gif 'commissions' to help raise money for a friend's move.

Hey everyone. Apologies for the serious post, but my friend and I could really use your help.

To make a long story short, he's a trans man living in a deeply red state and deeply transphobic state where numerous anti-trans laws have been introduced. He's facing increasing harassment from his neighbors and unfortunately things have reached a point where he has no choice but to leave his state for safer pastures.

We are fundraising to help cover the costs to move him 1,500 miles across the country next month.

If you want to help, the best way to do that is to donate to his gofundme HERE.

Anyone who donates to the gofundme can send me a message (here or on discord at RushingHeadlong#8660) with proof of donation to request either a fic OR a gifset. Fics are 100 words per $1 up to 2,500 words, anything goes except bigotry. Gifs are $3 for 1 gif, $5 for 2 gifs, $13 for 6, or $18 for 8.

I've also opened an etsy shop that you can find HERE where I'm selling Queen-related bags, buttons, and cross-stitch patterns. All proceeds from the shop will go towards funding the move.

Please signal boost this even if you can't donate!

Tumblr often hides donation posts with outside links from the tags, so we can really use your help to get as many eyes on this as possible! And thank you in advance, because any help we can get from yall is absolutely appreciated here!

[veronika-tserber]

Hiii. I’d like to participate for a reading if possible <3. My info is 2001 feb 28, 14:45 pm Santa Marta, Colombia. Thank you 🙏!!

Hello there! 😊

Your Data:

2nd house in Leo

The Sun in Pisces, 9H

The Sun at the apex of a T-Square!

Sun square Mars

Sun square Pluto

Sun square Jupiter

Neptune sextile Mars

Neptune sextile Jupiter

I use the Whole Signs system! :)

Also, if you don’t know what Sabian Symbols are, please check my post HERE. ❤

Your 2nd house in Leo tells me that your ability to earn an income is closely linked to your self-esteem. You might love to spend money on your appearance, as well as on luxurious items. The Sun, which is the ruler of your 2nd, is in the 9H, which points to a great focus on forming a belief system in life and expanding your worldview through higher education, travel, publishing, teaching, and spirituality/philosophy. The Sun in Pisces gives an extra boost of sensitivity, intuition, and idealism to this placement. The Sun is also at a Capricorn degree which shows the possibility of using the aforementioned qualities of your personality in your work and career.

The Sabian Symbol is called “An Aviator in the Clouds”. The pitfalls of this symbol include losing yourself in ideals and unrealistic goals/ambitions. On a positive note, it shows the ability to have a higher perspective in life and rise above difficulties - in your case, this is especially true when it comes to money and the material side of life. Perhaps, you need to learn how to have a balanced approach to money and the material world, in general. A slightly detached, "bird's eye view" can help you remain positive and have faith in life and its ability to provide for your needs, but also try to remain grounded and use your vision and idealism as a tool to advance in the material world (in your career, for example). Be wary of avoiding the truth about your finances and material stability by trying to be “spiritual” and not taking responsibility for your material reality.

The Sun is at the apex of the T-Square, so your identity and self-expression will help you reach a lot of success and perhaps even fame in life. You could become a famous spiritual teacher, for example, or an artist. It would be largely helpful if you pursue an actual degree in arts or modeling, for example. Can't help but notice that Aries Venus is in your 10th, close to the Midheaven, too, and it trines Pluto - definitely could be known for your sex appeal and physical appearance, too.

With so many squares to your Sun, I feel like your identity has been challenged by other people quite a lot. Perhaps also your father (ruled by the Sun) has been domineering or someone who tried to stop you from expressing who you truly are, and following your own desires and goals in life. So, let’s take a look at the Sabian symbols, and gain more insight into that.

Jupiter is in Gemini, at a Gemini degree, and since it’s in the 12th house, it tells me that communicating with the “other realm” and spirit guides is essential to strengthening your fate, defining your ambitions in life, and gaining prosperity. It also conjuncts your 11th house of social groups, friends, and dreams, so you could be abundant with dreams and visions and have a reputation of being known as the “teacher” or the “guru” in your friend circle or on the internet. Saturn is also lurking nearby though, so it's possible that this side of you hasn't been expressed, yet.

Jupiter in Gemini is great at teaching and learning, so expressing the wisdom you acquire from the spiritual world can be a way for you to make a contribution to society, and even be known for it in the relevant communities and groups. The Sabian symbol is called “The Charming Court Life at the Garden of the Tuileries in Paris”. It speaks of being spiritually wealthy, and sharing the beauty and riches of the “garden” with others! No wonder it’s also conjunct your 11th house cusp - you will find great abundance and satisfaction in your life when you communicate your knowledge and insights to the collective! Your audience could be as narrow as your close friend group or as broad as filming yourself and putting out videos on Youtube. The point is to teach what you know, and share the abundance, but in a Geminian, down-to-earth way, that feels natural, as opposed to having a God complex or looking down upon those who are behind you in their spiritual evolution.

Your Mars is at a Libra degree, which immediately points to relationships, and the Sabian is called “Cupid Knocking at the Door of a Human Heart”. Yup! 😅 This symbol speaks of learning how to open your heart, connect to your emotions, and let your guard down. Definitely, with the Sun square Mars, you could be defensive and feel like in life, you must fight for the right to be yourself. This is supported by Pluto squaring your Sun, as well. I feel like your experience with your father has largely formed this belief in you, and now, it can feel quite difficult to let others see how vulnerable and sensitive you actually are.

Actually, it doesn’t have to be your father, per se. It could mean that for some time in your life, you were criticized or people had strong reactions to you. The Libra degree points to this potentially being an issue in your romantic relationships, as you might be hesitant to truly open up and be vulnerable in front of another. This can lead to a fear of commitment and since it’s the planet that rules your sexual expression, it could point to an affinity for casual hookups or relationships that burn out quickly because of their lack of depth and true intimacy. It all boils down to your (potentially) closed-off heart.

It’s worth mentioning that your Mars sits in the 6th house of your day-to-day reality, and this is what your co-workers or the people who live with you would see. You might act in an extroverted, upbeat kind of way, and people can be totally unaware of the deep sensitivity and spiritual wisdom hiding within you. Mars is also about short-distance goals and desires, and with this Sabian, you could be acting upon more superficial and ego-based desires that don’t match your long-term visions or your values/beliefs in life. This also applies to your work situation.

The 12H rules mental health, and Jupiter here asks you to get in touch with your emotions and feminine side so that you can, first and foremost, heal your heart. When you soften up, let go of all pretenses, and accept yourself as you are, this will positively affect your relationships and bring you partners that accept you for who you are, as well.

Both Mars and Jupiter make positive aspects to your Neptune, so you should certainly use your spiritual and psychic gifts to grow your faith in life, and to form AUTHENTIC long-term goals and visions for your life. Your intuition is a potent tool and a trustworthy compass! Neptune is at the 7th, Libra degree, and the Sabian Symbol is "A Child Born Out of an Eggshell". Keywords include: the birth of something new and unconventional, breaking free, and emerging as a new version of yourself or having ideas/projects come to fruition. When Pluto crosses over your Neptune in the next few years, it will bring you opportunities to find more meaningful ambitions, and perhaps your worldview will shift as a result of some kind of crisis. It could also mean that you will have the opportunity to finally reveal something you've been working on, and reap the fruits of that endeavor.

Now, going back to the Sun - this is the culmination point, the planet that will bring your Mars and Jupiter together, and we see how it all starts to make sense. The Sun (the ruler of your 2nd house of financial stability, self-worth, health, and groundedness) is where you find your gold. You need to learn how to love, accept, and express yourself as the sensitive, intuitive, and spiritual Pisces that you are, as well as to embrace the role of a teacher, and share your spiritual wealth with others! This is the key to your stability, deep satisfaction, self-worth, and prosperity in life. This will involve a good amount of self-reflection, healing, and shadow work, of course. I also recommend checking out my Sun/Pluto Natal Aspects post HERE.

Lastly, important dates for you will be the 12-year Jupiter cycles (12,24,36 etc…), and between the ages of 28-35 which are considered the “Sun years” of anyone’s life. These are the times when you can expect big lessons and shifts regarding your personality and the themes of the T-Square. Also, stay woke when Saturn begins to go back and forth over your Sun in 2024!

I hope you found this analysis valuable. Please, let me know if you did, and have a nice day/night! :)

[ennobletechnologies]

7 Effective Ways to Boost Your Organic Social Media Reach as a Remodeler or Custom Builder

As a remodeler or custom builder, you want to make sure your social media posts are reaching as many eyes as possible. You’ve likely already put a lot of effort into perfecting your website design and content, so now it’s time to focus on growing your organic social media reach. Here are 7 effective ways to give your reach a boost.

The world of organic social media reach for remodelers and custom builders can be a tough one to crack. You want to make sure your social media posts are reaching as many eyes as possible, but you also don’t want to spend a fortune on ads. The good news is, there are a few effective ways to boost your organic social media reach without breaking the bank.

Here are 7 effective ways to give your reach a boost:

1. Use social media scheduling tools

When you’re running a business and need to keep your social media channels current, using social media scheduling tools can save you time and ensure your posts are updated regularly. Social media scheduling tools help you plan your posts ahead of time so that you don’t have to worry about posting manually on different social media platforms every day.

You can plan content for multiple channels, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more. Scheduling tools can even automate posts and help you tailor your content to the right audience. This way, you can reach a wider audience, enhance engagement and boost organic reach.

The use of social media scheduling tools can help you save time and be more efficient with your social media management. Additionally, by consistently and regularly updating your social channels, you can boost your organic reach and keep your followers interested in your content.

2. Use hashtags thoughtfully

Hashtags can be very beneficial to your organic social media reach. Hashtags help your content reach the right people and even become viral. When used effectively, hashtags can make your content go viral and attract a larger audience. If you are remodeling or custom building in a specific area or have a target audience, hashtags can be useful for many reasons.

The use of targeted hashtags can help you boost your organic reach as it will speak directly to your target audience. Keeping your hashtags consistent with your content could generate more organic likes and shares, which leads to more organic followers.

Using hashtags thoughtfully is essential when you want to boost organic reach. Especially when you use hashtags associated with the local area you are remodeling or custom-building in. Also, if you create content focused on renovation or custom-building tips, using hashtags with similar topics can be very beneficial to expanding your organic reach.

3. Collaborate with other businesses or influencers in your industry

Collaborating with other businesses or influencers in the same industry could help you reach a wider audience and boost your organic social media reach. Collaborations with businesses can help you cross-promote content, leverage each other’s followers, and create exclusive content together.

Similarly, partnering with an influencer in the custom building and remodeling industry can help you reach influencers’ followers and generate more organic shares for your content.

When creating collaborations with businesses or influencers, make sure both sides benefit from them. The influencers should be paid for their work, even if it’s only a token of appreciation. Otherwise, it could backfire and damage your reputation. On top of that, influencers should use authentic copy, unique visuals, and relevant hashtags when promoting your content. The right hashtag combinations used effectively can be a great help to your organic social media reach.

4. Take advantage of user-generated content

User-generated content is another great way to boost your organic social media reach as a remodeler or custom builder. User-generated content is any content that has been created by your followers and published on your page.

It can come in many forms: posts, photos, hashtags, reviews, and video. It helps you connect with potential customers better, build trust, and boost your brand awareness. On top of that, user-generated content can create more organic shares and significantly increase your organic social media reach.

Encouraging your followers to share their experiences and content with your brand is key to leveraging this type of content. To make it easier, use relevant hashtags and create contests, challenges, and ask questions. People love to share their opinions and experiences, and this way, you can get them to create content for your brand and help to amplify your message.

Read More: https://ennobletechnologies.com/social-media/7-effective-ways-to-boost-your-organic-social-media-reach-as-a-remodeler-or-custom-builder/

[tumblehcendrum]

Hiyah! Im so sorry for thisnbeing direct! 🥹🙏 please do give me a chance and read what im about to ask 😭

I urgently need some of your help, its for my little cat who needs to be seen by a vet and have an urgent, :((( if you have an extra time please do check the post I pinned and kindly give it a boost or share to have more reach if possible, it would really mean the world to me and I will be forever grateful.. Please join me in praying the surgery will be successful and we can begin the road to recovery and healing. 🙏 please do send me a msg to reply as I would like to atleast thank you for giving me the opportunity! Have a wonderful day ❤️

This is sadly the pattern of many a scam on here, so I would advise you offer to produce proof of some kind that you aren't (say, a new picture of your cat or the bill or something).

Now, this not to say I will personally refrain from helping out over said fear (especially as it would be weird of the most charitable and easily fooled motherfucker on the land to say so), but to warn others to keep an eye out and you to help others vet you. We need to work together against these pieces of shit so we can be better equipped to help each other.

[nientedal]

This protest had solid intent but it's unfortunately really frustrating to read about. The article above does a good job of framing it positively, but most of the articles from more widely-read sources maintain focus on the Gala itself rather than the protest, because of course they fucking do; you are not going to have the reach doing this that you think you are unless you actually make it to the location where the event is held and can disrupt the photos, as we saw success with last week at the White House Correspondents Dinner. The odds of making it to the door without a plan are extremely slim, and sure enough, it did not happen this time. Protesters lingered in Central Park; those who did attempt to march on the Gala were blocked by police at every turn. If you're protesting an event as big as this one, you need a way to get your people to disrupt the event itself. At the bare minimum, you need an extensive network of media contacts pushing pushing pushing this on social media and in the news, or you are going to be drowned out by the spectacle.

I am absolutely not saying Don't Protest At Celebrity Events, but for fuck's sake, part of protesting is pushing your cause higher into the public consciousness and that is not going to happen here and it just drives me up the wall. You have to make sure you have laid the groundwork for your voice to be heard when you do something like this! You're marching against the goddamned Met Gala with no strategy to make you bigger and actually get you to the Met Gala? What?

I dunno. I see what they were trying to do, and it did get some news articles. But it does not seem to have succeeded in generating focus the way it would have if they had, you know, actually made it into the crowd at the door. I'm not reading that they had any plan to that effect and it's just so frustrating.

ANYWAY "nobody better be posting about" etc. etc. without also posting a link to a local bail fund if possible. In this case, that'd probably be the Action Bail Fund, which supports protesters in New York. Bucknell has a multi-state list of bail funds as well, though many of these are cause-specific. Do your own research, but please support protesters where you can.

(Here's also a link to a list of Palestinian fundraisers that I believe have been vetted as legitimate. Clicking here will generate a random fundraiser from that list; the website's About page says they prioritize fundraisers that haven't gotten as much attention or have stagnated. So, that's cool. Donate & signal boost, you know the drill; getting more eyes on aid will hopefully help individual people a bit more than just posting a vaguely guilt-trippy link and calling it good.)

nobody better be posting about the met gala without mentioning the giant pro-palestine demonstration going on outside

[delivermytuneo6]

The Complete Guide to Independent Music Distribution

In today’s music landscape, artists have more control over their careers than ever before. Gone are the days when record labels held the keys to success; now, independent artists can reach global audiences on their own terms. But how can you take full advantage of these opportunities? This comprehensive guide will teach you how to create music distribution strategies tailored to your needs, ensuring your music reaches the right people without breaking the bank.

What Is Music Distribution?

Music distribution is the process of getting your music into the hands (or ears) of listeners. Traditionally, this involved physical mediums like CDs or vinyl sold in stores. However, the digital revolution has made free and fast music distribution possible, allowing artists to share their songs instantly via streaming platforms, social media, and online stores.

For independent artists, the challenge isn’t just about how to distribute music for free but also how to do it effectively. With so many platforms available, creating a streamlined process is crucial to building your audience and generating income.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Distribution Platform

The first step in distributing your music independently is selecting a distribution platform. These services act as middlemen between artists and major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Many platforms offer free and fast music distribution, but not all are created equal.

Here are some popular platforms:

Amuse: A free service that allows you to distribute music worldwide and keep 100% of your royalties.

RouteNote: Offers a free plan where you keep 85% of your earnings or a premium plan for full royalty retention.

CD Baby: Though not entirely free, it provides comprehensive distribution services with one-time fees.

DistroKid: A budget-friendly option with unlimited uploads for an annual fee.

When selecting a platform, consider factors like speed, cost, and revenue share. For true independence, choose services that let you retain your rights and royalties.

Step 2: Preparing Your Music for Release

Once you've chosen a platform, the next step is ensuring your music is ready for distribution. High-quality production is essential, as poorly mixed or mastered tracks will hurt your credibility. Beyond production, focus on:

Metadata: Accurate song titles, artist names, and album details help platforms index your music correctly.

Cover Art: Eye-catching visuals increase the likelihood of your music being noticed.

Release Schedule: Plan your release dates strategically to maximize exposure and avoid competing with major artists.

This preparation ensures your distribution efforts are seamless and professional.

Step 3: Leveraging Social Media for Distribution

One of the best ways to complement your digital strategy is by leveraging social media. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow you to reach fans directly, making them invaluable tools for independent artists. Here's how to integrate social media into your distribution strategy:

Create Shareable Content: Behind-the-scenes videos, acoustic performances, and interactive posts help build engagement.

Use TikTok Trends: Pairing your music with trending challenges can boost streams.

Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers in your genre can introduce your music to new audiences.

These tactics show that knowing how to distribute music independently goes beyond uploading tracks—it's about building a community around your work.

Step 4: Exploring Free Distribution Options

If you’re on a budget, there are several ways to achieve how to distribute your music for free without sacrificing quality. Besides platforms like Amuse, artists can take advantage of direct upload features on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Here are a few tips:

SoundCloud: A great option for sharing music directly with fans while building a loyal following.

Bandcamp: Ideal for selling music and merchandise while connecting with niche audiences.

Audiomack: A rising platform where independent artists can upload tracks and gain exposure.

These options ensure that even without a large budget, you can reach your target audience effectively.

Step 5: Tracking Your Success

Distribution isn’t just about releasing music—it’s about understanding how it performs. Most distribution platforms provide analytics that shows where your music is being streamed, who’s listening, and what platforms are driving the most engagement. Use this data to refine your approach.

For example:

If you notice a spike in streams from a particular country, tailor your marketing efforts to that audience.

Track which platforms are delivering the best results and focus your promotional efforts there.

Step 6: Monetizing Your Distribution Efforts

While distributing your music for free is a great way to start, the ultimate goal is to monetize your work. Here are a few ways to generate income:

Streaming Royalties: Earn revenue from plays on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

Merchandise Sales: Sell branded items like T-shirts, posters, or vinyl to your fans.

Live Performances: Use your distributed music to attract bookings for gigs and festivals.

By combining free distribution strategies with monetization techniques, you can build a sustainable career as an independent artist.

Conclusion

Learning how to create music distribution strategies is essential for any artist looking to navigate the modern music industry. Whether you're using free and fast music distribution platforms or exploring ways to distribute your music for free, the key lies in preparation, promotion, and persistence.

Independence doesn’t mean doing it alone; it means taking control of your music’s journey. By understanding how to distribute music independently, you can connect with fans worldwide and take your career to the next level—without the need for a record label.

[musicindustry123]

How to Launch Songs on Spotify and Boost Streams with Pre-save Campaigns

Knowing how to launch songs on Spotify effectively is crucial for musicians looking to reach new audiences and gain traction. One powerful strategy for maximizing your song's impact is through pre-save campaigns, a feature that allows listeners to save your track before its official release date. This not only builds excitement among fans but also signals to Spotify's algorithms that there is interest in your music, increasing the likelihood of landing on playlists. In this guide, we’ll explore the full process of setting up a successful pre-save campaign, from building anticipation to driving streams post-release. With services like Deliver My Tune supporting your distribution needs, you can focus on creating and promoting, knowing your music is set to hit Spotify efficiently.

1. The Importance of Pre-save Campaigns for Spotify Success

A pre-save campaign works much like a "pre-order" for music streaming. When fans pre-save your song, it automatically appears in their Spotify libraries on release day, boosting the number of streams and engagement right from the start. These early metrics are incredibly valuable because Spotify's algorithm observes initial listener activity, such as saves, shares, and listens, to decide whether your song should be recommended on algorithm-driven playlists like Discover Weekly or Release Radar.

Pre-saves can be particularly advantageous for independent and emerging artists. Without the backing of a major label, independent musicians often rely on organic methods to grow their audience. A pre-save campaign helps generate excitement before your release, giving your song a better chance to thrive on launch day.

2. How to Set Up a Pre-save Campaign

Setting up a pre-save campaign may sound technical, but many music distribution services offer this as part of their package, simplifying the process considerably. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up your campaign:

Choose a Distribution Platform: Services like Deliver My Tune, DistroKid, and TuneCore offer pre-save features. When you distribute your song, these platforms will generate a pre-save link that you can share with fans.

Generate Your Pre-save Link: Once your song is uploaded to your distributor, you will typically receive a unique pre-save link. This link is the key to your pre-save campaign, allowing fans to click and save your track before it officially drops.

Customize Your Pre-save Page: Most distributors allow you to customize your pre-save landing page, adding a biography, visuals, or exclusive content to make it more engaging. Use an eye-catching header image, include information about the release, and if possible, offer incentives for fans to save the track.

3. Promoting Your Pre-save Campaign

Once your pre-save link is ready, the next step is to get it in front of as many potential listeners as possible. Promoting your pre-save campaign effectively is crucial for ensuring that your song launches with momentum. Here are some promotional tactics to maximize your reach:

Social Media: Social media is one of the best places to promote your pre-save campaign. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter allow for creative posts, countdowns, and short video teasers. Use Instagram Stories to share the pre-save link directly with followers or create a pinned post on your profile with the link. On TikTok, consider creating a video teaser using the song to build curiosity and anticipation.

Direct Link in Bio: Make sure your pre-save link is easily accessible by adding it to your social media bios. Many fans follow artists on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, so having a link in your bio provides immediate access to your pre-save page.

Leverage Email Newsletters: If you have an email list, send out a dedicated email announcing your upcoming release and including the pre-save link. You can even create a multi-email series leading up to the release, sharing stories behind the song or offering exclusive content to incentivize pre-saves.

4. Using Content Marketing to Drive Pre-saves

Content marketing is an excellent way to keep fans engaged and excited for your upcoming release. By sharing various forms of content related to your new song, you can keep your audience involved and remind them to pre-save your track.

Behind-the-Scenes Content: Show fans the work that went into creating your song. Share videos or images from the recording studio, clips of rehearsals, or even snippets of the writing process. This exclusive look behind the curtain can make fans feel more connected to your song.

Song Teasers: Release short audio or video snippets of your track to give fans a taste of what’s coming. Use a lyric or a hook that captures the essence of your song and share it across platforms, reminding fans to pre-save if they want to hear the full version on release day.

Fan Engagement: Host a live session on Instagram or YouTube where you discuss the inspiration behind the song, take questions, and encourage fans to pre-save. Engaging fans directly is a powerful way to build hype and ensure they don’t forget about your pre-save campaign.

5. Collaborating with Influencers and Other Artists

Collaborating with influencers or fellow artists is an effective way to reach new audiences. By tapping into their fan bases, you can introduce your music to listeners who may not have discovered it otherwise.

Micro-Influencer Partnerships: Partnering with influencers who have followers in your target demographic can drive significant engagement. Micro-influencers (those with smaller, highly-engaged audiences) tend to have more personal relationships with their followers, which often leads to higher engagement.

Artist Cross-Promotion: Collaborate with artists in your genre to promote each other’s pre-save campaigns. A simple social media post where you both share each other’s pre-save links or a joint live session can double the exposure for both of you.

TikTok Challenges: If your song has an upbeat or catchy part, work with TikTok influencers to create a dance challenge or other trending video format. TikTok’s viral nature can be a massive boost for your song’s pre-saves, especially if the challenge gains traction.

6. Leveraging Spotify’s Algorithmic Playlists with Pre-saves

One of the most significant benefits of pre-saves is that they can increase your song’s chances of being picked up by Spotify’s algorithmic playlists. When a song launches with high engagement metrics, such as pre-saves and day-one streams, Spotify’s algorithm interprets this as a sign of interest and may promote it further.

Discover Weekly: If your song performs well shortly after release, it has a better chance of appearing on listeners’ Discover Weekly playlists, introducing it to new fans who may not have heard of you.

Release Radar: Every pre-save increases the likelihood that your song will appear on Release Radar, a playlist that Spotify curates specifically for users to discover new releases from artists they follow or listen to frequently. High engagement from your existing fans can push Spotify to recommend your track to even more users.

Boosting Algorithmic Engagement: Post-launch, encourage fans to continue engaging with the song by adding it to their playlists, sharing it, and streaming it repeatedly. The more interactions your song gets in its first few days, the more likely Spotify’s algorithm is to promote it.

7. Tracking Your Pre-save Campaign’s Success

Once your song has launched, track your pre-save campaign’s success by monitoring your Spotify for Artists dashboard and other analytics tools. Pay close attention to the following metrics:

Streams and Saves: Check how many streams and saves your song received on its release day. A high number of pre-saves often translates into more streams, as fans are likely to revisit the track.

Playlist Adds: Track how many listeners added your song to their playlists. This action signals strong interest to Spotify’s algorithm and can increase your chances of landing on curated playlists.

Geographic Data: Understanding where your streams are coming from can help you refine future marketing efforts. If your song performed well in certain regions, you might consider focusing more promotion there for your next release.

Conclusion

Mastering how to launch songs on Spotify is about more than just uploading your track—it involves strategic planning and effective promotional tactics, with pre-save campaigns being one of the most impactful. By building excitement ahead of release day and driving pre-saves, you can maximize your song’s visibility and potentially secure valuable playlist placements. Services like Deliver My Tune can support this process, ensuring that your song is distributed smoothly and available for fans to pre-save. With a well-executed pre-save campaign, you’re setting your release up for early success, building momentum that can carry your music further. Remember to stay engaged with fans post-launch, keep them excited, and leverage the insights gained for even stronger campaigns in the future.

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Top 10 Hashtag Strategies to Boost Your Digital Marketing Campaigns

They are powerful tools that can elevate your campaigns and connect you with your target audience. If you aim to enhance your digital marketing efforts, consider these top 10 hashtag strategies that the best digital marketing company in Kanpur swears by.

1. Research Trending Hashtags

Staying updated with trending hashtags relevant to your industry is essential. Use tools like Twitter Trends, Instagram Explore, and Hashtagify to find popular hashtags. By leveraging trending hashtags, you can tap into larger conversations and increase your content’s reach.

2. Use Industry-Specific Hashtags

Identify and utilize hashtags specific to your niche. For instance, if you are in the fashion industry, hashtags like #FashionTrends, #StyleInspo, and #OOTD (Outfit of the Day) can help you connect with a fashion-savvy audience. The best digital marketing company in Kanpur often uses industry-specific hashtags to ensure their content reaches the right audience.

3. Create Your Own Branded Hashtags

Branded hashtags are unique to your brand and can help build a community around your business. They make it easier for users to find content related to your brand. For example, Nike uses #JustDoIt, while Coca-Cola uses #ShareACoke. Creating a catchy and memorable branded hashtag can enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement.

4. Mix Popular and Less Popular Hashtags

Using a mix of popular and less popular hashtags increases your chances of being discovered. Popular hashtags have a broad reach but also face high competition, while less popular ones have a more targeted audience with less competition. Combining both types ensures a balanced strategy.

5. Analyze Hashtag Performance

Regularly analyze the performance of your hashtags to understand which ones are driving engagement and reach. Use analytics tools provided by social media platforms or third-party apps like Sprout Social and Hootsuite. The insights gained can help you refine your hashtag strategy for better results.

6. Keep Hashtags Relevant and Specific

Ensure your hashtags are relevant to the content you are posting. Irrelevant hashtags can mislead your audience and reduce engagement. Be specific to your content to attract a more interested and engaged audience.

7. Limit the Number of Hashtags

While it’s tempting to use as many hashtags as possible, overloading your posts with hashtags can appear spammy. On platforms like Instagram, using 5–10 relevant hashtags per post is effective. On Twitter, aim for 1–2 hashtags per tweet for optimal engagement.

8. Participate in Hashtag Challenges

Hashtag challenges are a fun and engaging way to connect with your audience. Participating in or creating your own hashtag challenges can increase your visibility and encourage user-generated content. For example, the #IceBucketChallenge was a massive success in raising awareness and funds for ALS.

9. Monitor Competitors’ Hashtags

Keep an eye on the hashtags your competitors are using. This can provide insights into successful strategies and help you discover new hashtags. The best digital marketing company in Kanpur often monitors competitors to stay ahead in the game.

10. Stay Updated with Hashtag Trends

Hashtag trends can change rapidly, so it’s important to stay updated. Regularly check for new trends and adapt your strategy accordingly. Being quick to adopt trending hashtags can give you a competitive edge.

By implementing these hashtag strategies, you can significantly boost your digital marketing campaigns and enhance your brand’s online presence. Remember, consistency and relevance are key. Stay updated, analyze your performance, and adapt to new trends to stay ahead in the digital marketing game.

If you’re looking for expert assistance to elevate your digital marketing efforts, consider partnering with the best digital marketing company in Kanpur. With the right strategies and professional guidance, you can achieve remarkable results and take your brand to new heights.