#found family navigating how to run a business and keep their passion of making video games alive

[sweetnotgentle]

spoilers

[emmaharrison]

Top 10 Kasalsa Songs to Keep You Moving: Dance Your Way into the Rhythm!

If there’s one thing that can instantly lift your spirits and get you on your feet, it’s the infectious energy of Kasalsa, Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Samba, and Latin music. These rhythms are more than just sounds; they’re the heartbeat of a vibrant dance culture that brings people together, regardless of skill level or experience. But finding the right community to share your passion for these rhythms can be challenging.

Enter **Kasalsa Rhythm**, a new Facebook group designed to unite dancers of all levels and keep the rhythm alive.

**The Common Struggles of Dance Enthusiasts**Let’s face it—navigating the world of Latin dance isn’t always easy. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just starting out, you’ve likely encountered some of these common challenges: 1. **Struggling to Find the Right Music**: With so many tracks out there, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect playlist that truly captures the essence of Kasalsa and other Latin genres. 2. **Missing Out on Dance Events**: Ever felt frustrated because you found out about an amazing Kasalsa night after it happened? Staying updated on dance events can feel like a full-time job. 3. **Lack of a Supportive Dance Community**: Dancing is more fun when you can share it with others. Yet, many dancers struggle to find a group where they feel welcomed and encouraged. 4. **Balancing Passion with Practice**: Maintaining consistent practice while juggling a busy schedule can be tough. Without a regular space to share and grow, your passion for dance might start to fade. 5. **Finding Inspiration**: Whether it's new music, fresh dance moves, or simply the motivation to keep dancing, sometimes it’s hard to find the inspiration you need to keep going.**Kasalsa Rhythm: The Ultimate Solution for Dance Lovers**Now, imagine a space where all these challenges simply melt away—a place where your love for Kasalsa, Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Samba, and Latin music can thrive. Welcome to **Kasalsa Rhythm**, a new Facebook group dedicated to bringing dance enthusiasts together in a supportive, vibrant community. Here’s how **Kasalsa Rhythm** can help you overcome the hurdles of the dance world:

1. **Curated Playlists to Keep You Moving**: At **Kasalsa Rhythm**, we’ve got you covered with top-notch music selections. Our community shares the best tracks to keep you dancing non-stop, with playlists that will make your heart race and your feet move.

2. **Stay in the Loop with the Latest Events**: Never miss another Kasalsa night again! **Kasalsa Rhythm** keeps you updated on all the hottest dance events, workshops, and social nights, ensuring you’re always in the know.

3. **A Welcoming Dance Family**: When you join **Kasalsa Rhythm**, you’re not just joining a group—you’re becoming part of a family. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’ll find a supportive community eager to share, learn, and dance together.

4. **Consistent Engagement to Fuel Your Passion**: **Kasalsa Rhythm** offers a space where your passion for dance can flourish. Share your favorite dance videos, get feedback, and stay motivated by engaging with fellow dance lovers who understand your journey.

5. **Endless Inspiration at Your Fingertips**: From discovering new tracks to learning fresh moves, **Kasalsa Rhythm** is your go-to source for all things dance. The community is constantly buzzing with inspiration, so you’ll never run out of reasons to keep moving.

**Discover the Top 10 Kasalsa Songs That Will Keep You Dancing**. Here’s a sneak peek of the tracks that our community can’t stop playing:

1. **"Tumbao" by Celia Cruz** - The queen of Salsa, bringing unmatched energy to the dance floor.

2. **"Obsesión" by Aventura** - A Bachata classic that pulls at the heartstrings and keeps your feet moving.

3. **"Dame" by Orquesta Guayacan** - A Kasalsa gem with rhythms that won’t let you stay still.

4. **"Despacito" (Kasalsa Remix) by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee** - A remix that infuses new life into this global hit.

5. **"Bésame Mucho" by Consuelo Velázquez** - A Kizomba favorite with deep, romantic vibes.

6. **"Valió la Pena" by Marc Anthony** - Salsa at its best, perfect for a lively night out.

7. **"Te Amo" by Makassy** - A beautiful blend of Kizomba and Zouk that’s impossible to resist.

8. **"Vivir Mi Vida" by Marc Anthony** - An anthem of joy and celebration that gets everyone on the dance floor.

9. **"Caraluna" by Bacilos** - A sweet, melodic Salsa track that’s as catchy as it is danceable.

10. **"Maria Maria" by Santana ft. The Product G&B** - A fusion of Latin rock and dance that remains a favorite.These songs are just the beginning.

At **Kasalsa Rhythm**, you’ll discover even more tracks that will keep your dance spirit alive and kicking.

**Join the Kasalsa Rhythm Community Today!**Ready to take your love for Latin dance to the next level? Whether you’re looking for the perfect playlist, the latest event updates, or simply a community that shares your passion, **Kasalsa Rhythm** is where you need to be.

Join us today and let’s keep the rhythm going—because the dance floor is calling, and we can’t wait to see you there!Let’s dance, share, and grow together in the world of **Kasalsa Rhythm**—where every beat brings us closer and every step is celebrated.

https://www.instagram.com/kasalsavibes

[prettyglambabes]

welcome to my Beauty business

Who am I ?

My name is Angelica Guidelli. I am 23 years old . I was born an raised in upstate ny . I come from a huge italian american family & although I don't speak italian It doesn't make me any less proud of my heritage. my favorite dessert is a cannolis. who doesn't love cannolis . I have 3 siblings 1 older brother & 2 little sisters. I have only ever worked one part time job 2 and a half years & left to do my beauty business Full time . I run a boutique as well Elegance Muse Boutique & im soon launching a jewelry business. I'm a animal lover an beach lover . dogs are so precious to me & always melt my heart . I'm a passionate new york giants fan fun fact my profile picture i'm wearing a new york giants shirt & & im a new york mets fan. Im someone who tells it like it is & carry myself pretty well . Although my business is public my life isn't I like to keep you guessing so stay tuned

so how did I get my start in makeup

First ever makeup kit I bought when I decided I wanted to start wearing makeup this is going to be an interesting story weeks prior to buying this kit I watch hours of makeup Tutorials I was excited I was like maybe just maybe I want to give makeup a try mind you for years I was anti makeup but the true reason for that is because I know most makeup animals were harmed for it to even be produced & that made me sad . So one day I found myself on Ulta website an I seen this set it was called be beautiful set an I look at the price it was $20 an I had the cash for it ofc with starting off I really didn’t want to spend a lot of money so that night me an my mom went to the store an pick it up I seen it an I was like finally I’ve got my hands on it !!! But we didn’t stop an Ulta we went to Walmart an got the remainder of the makeup. I was so excited so as soon as I got home I opened everything an I was like wow this is so pretty !! Then after I opened everything I started to practice the kit came with a few makeup brush so I used those . They weren’t the best quality but I didn’t care because it had brought me joy . That night I had also filmed a YouTube video which I posted but later deleted. Fast forward to present day I took a bad situation the world going crazy an it being only phase two in New York me not really being happy & felt confined an turn it into a positive I took $20 an started my journey I didn’t know where it was going to take me but I took a chance an you could too it

so what to expect & what you'll see

Your able to navigate albums by typing in a product " desert sands "for ex

when looking at my albums of each product you will see yourself

amazing customer service by me feel free to ask any and as many questions as you need

a gift guide catered to make shopping easier

shade matching i find your shade for you so you don't have too

skincare quiz right on the website- take the quiz & it will give you results to what you should be using

finding the perfect hair care

an amazing customer referral program $10s in website credit for every new order you bring in using your link

helping you with your hair products goals I'll help you find what will work for you

amazing year round savings

exclusive customer perks coming you don't want to miss

helping you get your start in makeup

helping you discover cruelty free alternatives to your favorite makeup, skincare , hair care , body care , & more

shop prettyglambabes today

[redhairedfeistynerd]

A Very Bucky Thanksgiving

Bucky Barnes x reader, singledad!Bucky, Riley and Piper Barnes, Steve Rogers

Summary: This is the first year Bucky has invited someone special to join in on their Thanksgiving dinner.Will everything go smoothly?

Warnings: some swearing, some sly sexual conversation, teasing, some humour

Word Count: 3K +

A/N: I originally wrote this piece for Canadian Thanksgiving but here we are!  I hope you enjoy another moment with the Barnes family.

For as long as his girls have been in this world, Bucky has been passionate about baking. He figures this came to fruition when his ex-wife started spending more time out of the house and preferred being away on business trips than building a life with him and their young girls. As their relationship slowly deteriorated, Bucky found solace in pastries, cookies, and breads. Navigating his way through forums and how-to videos online, searching for recipes like he once hunted for his latest mission.

His girls had requested their favourites for this last-minute weekend celebration. Pumpkin pie with maple cream, pumpkin walnut scones, and a new treat he was testing out today, pumpkin spiced doughnuts with maple salted glaze, and for his sweet lady friend; a pecan pie.

Bucky could smell the doughnuts before the time reached zero. The soft smell of cinnamon and sugar wafted through his two-story house, reaching him while he tidied up the bathroom from the girls attack on it early that same morning. Wiping down the counter, he flicked off the light, bounding down the stairs to the kitchen as the last seconds wound down on the timer. Oven mitt on, doughnuts pulled out of the oven (he was trying out a baked version this time) he had about an hour before the girls would burst in the front door after a day of shopping the holiday sales.

The weekend plans had changed at the last minute, his ex (Jackie) had cancelled on the girls again. The girls were to fly up to their mothers' cabin in Whistler, B.C. for a Canadian Thanksgiving but a last-minute job had come up and she chose that over her kids.

Bucky was not impressed by her choice. Riley rolled her eyes at the news and muttered “big surprise” when Bucky relayed the message to his youngest daughter.

Jackie always chose work before their daughters. Her new husband had more importance to her these days.

Her influencer status has skyrocketed after she left Bucky, leaving him high and dry to raise the girls. He didn't see it as an issue though, he loved his girls and if he had to do this on his own, then that's what he would set out to do. His Avengers status pushed away a few years before, he found that he was calling Steve a bit more during those earlier years. Sometimes he needs a break, to sit in a quiet room where Riley wasn't screaming at the top of her lungs, which would have Piper in tears. There was something magical about Uncle Steve though, maybe it was his rich voice, whispering sweet words to Riley to ease the screams to a low whimper. Maybe it was the way he sang the sweet songs of the 40s to stop the tears flowing from Piper's bright blue eyes. Whatever it was that Steve had, Bucky was extremely thankful for.  

One of their first Thanksgivings without Jackie, had both girls sick with the stomach flu. He'd never seen anything as disgusting as what his young girls were dishing out.  

Blood, wounds, and other violent memories had nothing on this. Who knew little people could cause THAT much mess?

Bucky was exhausted. Riley had finally fallen asleep on the couch and Piper was sprawled out in the master bedroom on his bed, resembling a starfish.

With one last swipe of the kitchen counter, Bucky tossed the rag in the laundry basket and released a sigh of completion. Turning on the hood fan, he turned off the track lights and walked towards his daughter who was now snoring lightly on the couch, when a soft knocking came from his front door. Puzzled, he turned away from his sleeping daughter and made his way to the entryway. He opened the door to Steve's smiling face.

"What are you..."

"Nat phoned and gave me the heads up that you were literally drowning in shit."

"Language," grumbled Bucky as he opened the door wider to let Steve in.

Steve chuckled and took a good look at Bucky. "Man, you're looking a little rough around the edges."

"You would too if you were knee deep in dirty laundry and had two goblins that were puking so much, they make that scene in the Exorcist look tame.

Steve scrunched his nose and tried to shake the memory of that scene out of his head. The previous year, Bucky had invited his old team over for a horror movie night while the girls were spending the night with their mom. Steve still hadn't forgiven Bucky for subjecting him to that movie. "Absolutely disgusting."

Bucky grunted and shut the door, Steve following him from the entryway and up the stairs to the kitchen.

"Here, Nat made some soup for you and the girls, if they are feeling up to eating it,” Steve said holding out the package.

“Oh ya, thanks. I’m sure the girls will appreciate their Aunty Nat making her famous soup,” he nods his head in thanks before muttering “hopefully it's not pea soup,” and walks across the kitchen.

Steve watches as Bucky tucks the soup away in the fridge, noticing how stringy his hair has become and when he looks his way, the dark circles are around his eyes. “Hey Buck, why don’t you leave the tidying up to me and you go take a shower, relax a bit.”

Bucky shuts the fridge door and looks at Steve. “Are you sure you want to clean up this cesspool?” He asks as his arms waving to point out the mess around the kitchen.

“Yes, I’m here to help you out, all right?” Bucky nods and pats Steve on the shoulder on his way up to the bathroom.

Steve manages to tidy up the first floor of the house, shift Riley from the couch to her bed, and fold a load of laundry. He’s pouring hot water into a mug when Bucky walks back in, looking like the shower did its job. “You want a cup of tea?” He asks Bucky when he sit down at the kitchen table.

“Please, a cup of something black so I can keep my eyes open for a bit longer. You feel like watching a funny movie? I feel like I need a good laugh after what this week has been like.”  

“Sounds good, how about you go on down and put something on, I’ll bring the tea and some snacks for us,” Steve replies and pours a second mug full of water.  

The men settle in and watch a classic comedy, quiet laughter sailing out of both of their mouths, trying to be quiet while the girls sleep. Steve decides on a second movie and they watch until they fall asleep on the couches.  

Bucky wakes up, his stomach twisting, and the pain, THE PAIN. "You've got to be fucking kidding.” He lurches off the sectional and runs to the bathroom by the laundry room.

Steve wakes from the sounds of his friend slamming the bathroom door, the unmentionable sounds have Steve pulling his pillow over his head. When he moves it away several minutes later, all he hears is silence. Steve gets up from the couch and makes his way to the bathroom, gently knocking on the door. "Bucky? Are you alive in there?"

"Fucking kill me, please,” he begs and Steve hears his best friend heave again.

Steve camps out at the Barnes household during that Thanksgiving weekend. There is no turkey, no pumpkin pie, or a dysfunctional family fight. Everything is quiet as Bucky careens himself in his bedroom while Steve manages the rest of the household. He keeps the girls busy and out of Bucky’s hair for several days; visits to the ice cream shop and to the park near their home, keeps them smiling and giggling while their dad is at home, miserable in bed.

Steve sits back on the park bench and admires the colours changing all around him; the leaves sway from left to right, falling gently down to the ground. Piles of brown and yellow sit before him, raked into tidy piles. He gets and idea, something to cheer Bucky up the last few days of having the stomach flu. He calls the girls over and tells them his plan to make their dad smile. He makes a video of them, jumping in the leaves and throwing them around, their laughter warming his heart. When the girls have finished frolicking in the mounds of colourful leaves, he takes each other their hands in his and begins the walk back to the house. He’ll send the little video to Bucky in the morning when he heads out and back to work.  

Bucky still smiles at the memory of that little video. He can now smile about his treacherous first Thanksgiving as a single dad but he made it up every year that followed; this year, he has to make up for what his ex has left behind. Riley is pressuring him to make her mom's famous stuffing (he laughs at this because this is a recipe that she took from a cookbook he had from his mom) Piper has decided that Bucky is THE WORST because he is going to kill an innocent turkey and all she wants is for him to save one (and yes, he does donate to a local farm that saves turkeys later in the week) and have it live the rest of its life, in their backyard. He notes that she will have a plate of vegetables tonight and he has no idea if that is sufficient enough for a teenage girl who that is 15.  

“Cranberries sauce”

“Check!”

“Water chestnuts.”

“Check!”

“Wait, what the heck are water chestnuts for, Pop?”

Bucky is sitting on the kitchen floor sorting through the pantry and about to answer when he sees you creeping into the kitchen, hiding behind his oldest, about to scare her. Her arms wrap around Piper and she squeezes her tightly expelling a high-pitched squeak.  

He will never get over how beautiful her smile is when her eyes meet his. His heart beats so fast that he’s afraid she will be able to see it pounding in his chest.  

The flowers she is holding scream fall – oranges, yellows, and reds – the cute Chinese lanterns that she adores, wobble back and forth as she walks towards him. She reaches for him with her free hand and pulls him into a tight hug, whispering “you look extra handsome today, soldier.”

“He got his hair trimmed for you,” Riley shouts from the top of the stairs and watches as her father’s face turns as red as the Gerbera's in the bouquet. She snorts as she walks down the stairs at Bucky’s embarrassment and hops down the last few steps to pull y/n into a hug.

“Hi sweetness, I missed your smiling face,” Y/N says into Riley’s strawberry blond curls.

“Missed you too. Are you ready for your first Barnes Annual Canadian Thanksgiving?” Riley asks while rocking on her feet.

Y/N looks at her, “Is it any different from the other Thanksgiving I would be having?

“Well duh, this one if full of maple syrup, poutine, and never-ending skits by Bob and Doug Mackenzie!

Bucky bursts out laughing and poor Y/N is looking between the two of them, lost when it came to the last item. “Okay, okay, Ri, leave the poor woman alone. Here love, let me take those flowers and put them in a vase.” Bucky squeezes her waist gently, taking the colourful bouquet from her hands. She follows him to the cabinet housing the vase and sniffs the air.

“What’s is that smell? It’s so-

“Delicious?” Riley adds as she passes by Y/N and hops up onto a bar stool? “Your taste buds are in for an incredible treat. Dad is the best baker this city has!”

“Pretty sure I’m not hun, but thank you for boosting me up a bit.” Bucky’s cheeks changing in colour, somewhat embarrassed by his daughter's compliment.

“Oh, come on dad, that’s why all the moms are always swooning when you join the bake sales,” Piper chirps in.

“The moms swoon over your dad? I’m pretty sure that has more to do with his-” she’s cut off by Bucky shoving a Snickerdoodle in her mouth. Squinted her eyes at him and waving her finger as if she’s promising to get him back later. He can’t help but smirk and squeeze her side.

“Shhh, my sweet. Don’t be telling my girls how irresistible I am,” he whispers into her ear and kisses it.

Riley makes gagging sounds from behind her dad and Piper’s face turns red from the affection their father is showing Y/N. This is the not the first time they have seen their father with a woman but this specific woman has done something to their father. He’s smiling, he whistles while he bakes, and he’s happy.  

Y/N turns to face Riley, “Oh kid, are we embarrassing you? Making you feel a little queasy inside?” She walks over to Bucky as he arranges the flowers in the vase and loudly kisses his cheek and laughs. “How about that Ri?”

“You’re the worst,” Riley chuckles and grabs the serving spoons to put on the table.  

Bucky pulls Y/N into a hug and kisses her lightly on the lips. He can taste the Snickerdoodle and it makes him wish he could fully indulge but he restrains, knowing that tonight they’ll have time alone once the girls head to their rooms for the night. He brings his lips to her forehead before taking the flowers to the table and placing them in the centre.  

“All right ladies, let’s get this show on the road!”  

“Don’t you mean Barnes’, Assemble!” Piper asks with a smirk on her face. Bucky just shook his head, a big smile across his face.

“Tell me where you want me, Barnes,” Y/N said as she looked at Bucky, his smirk telling her that where he wanted her was not in the kitchen.

“Turkey is in the oven, that weird Tofurky thing is in there too, I need to add the water chestnuts to the beans, the pot of potatoes needs to boil, and in a bit, we can get the rest of the veggies going too. Who’s good with making gravy?”

“I hope you made stuffing for me that isn’t in that bird, dad,” Piper said, giving her dad one of her teenage looks.

Bucky slides a bowl across the counter to his oldest so she can see the stuffing he made; animal free. “It’s vegan sweetie, I hope you like it,” Bucky responds. “I found this recipe online, some popular blog.” He watches as she scoops a bit of the warm food in her mouth, and can’t help but chuckle when a groan of satisfaction spills out.  

Y/N can’t help but take a scoop for herself, a squeal of delight escaping her mouth. “Shit, Barnsey, you’ve been holding back! Where have you been all my life?” She laughs and walks back over to him, wrapping her arms around him and going in for a quick kiss. “Let’s get this show on the road! All pots on boil!” She shouts and turns the last pot on.

The Barnes family and their first-time guest are indulging in their feast within an hour. Nothing but chewing and soft music can be heard at the table. It always amazes Bucky that it takes hours upon hours of work for this one evening and within minutes the food is gone. He’s thankful though; for his girls, for the life he now has, and for you. He wouldn’t change anything. One last scoop of mashed potatoes goes into his mouth and he places his fork down. “So, do you three want dessert now or do you want to digest a bit first?” Riley stands up from her seat and throws her hands in the air. “Roll out the cart of desserts for us to feast upon, father!”  

All Bucky can do is laugh, she’s always been the dramatic one and he lives for these moments. “Riley, I haven’t said what I’m thankful for yet this evening but one of those things I’m thankful for the humour you provide in this family.”

“Aww Pops, I appreciate that but can you please just bring out the good stuff?” Riley’s blue eyes sparkle and Bucky pushes his chair in and heads back to the counter where he has the pies and other sugary treats. He brings the doughnuts and pumpkin pie with maple cream out first, leaving the girls to help themselves as he returns to the kitchen to cut Y/N a slice of pecan pie. He places a dollop of fresh whipped cream beside it and carries it to her, his face turns red when he places it before her stating, “I made this especially for you.” A look crosses her face and its one he has only recently seen. He thinks its adoration? Or could it be...love? He’s not sure if it’s either but whatever it is, he hopes she continues looking at him that way. He sits back down across from her and watches as she takes the first bite of pie. Her eyes close and he can see the sparkle in her eyeshadow as the light above bounces off of it. It feels like forever before he hears a sound of approval from her.  

“Wow Barnes. I’m going to say this is almost as good as s-

“Well now, girls, how about you start cleaning up what you can and let Y/N finish up her pie.” He tries to pull back Piper’s chair and is met with resistance.

“No WAY, Pops. I want to hear all about how good this pie of yours is. Right, Riley?” Piper looks to her sister, eyebrow raised in hopes that her sister will join in on the teasing.”

“Hell no, I don’t want to hear about the crap these two get up to. Nu uh, NOPE,” she shouts and she grabs a few dishes from the table and heads to the sink to rinse them off.  

Dishes away and the leftovers wrapped up, Bucky takes Y/N’s hand and walks with her to his room. Door closed and locked behind him, Bucky finally pulls his sweet lady as close to him as possible. “Happy Thanksgiving, baby.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, Buck.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him into a kiss. “Come on Barnsey, there’s one thing you haven’t warmed up yet this evening.”

“Oh, did I forget to warm up your pie because I can head back-

She quiets him with another kiss, deeper than the last. “You know damn well that’s not what I meant. Now, be good a good man and get ready for the real dessert.”

Bucky can’t help but curl up and laugh loudly. His girl knows all the ways to make him laugh and smile, tonight is no exception. With one pull, she is on top of him, where he wants her this evening; where he can be warm within and thankful for everything his life has brought him.

[athela-3]

mankai company: cyberpunk

I never asked for this. But that’s just how ideas work, ain't it? One minute you’re mindlessly going through the daily grind, and the next moment it hits ya like a sucker punch to the gut. Then your mind’s racing, and you think: Why not? Whaddaya have to lose? You’ve rambled your way through semi-coherent flashes of inspiration before. Why should this one be different?

Note: everyone is aged up, oh, let’s say at least five years. Also, long post is long. I’m not joking. The page break is there for a reason.

Mankai Company is a modest-sized corporation specialising in biotechnology and cybernetics. But operating beneath its public face is a semi-covert band of mercs, private eyes, and fixers called Kaga Solutions, fully-equipped to navigate the mean city streets on command. Their founder and CEO, Yukio Tachibana, has recently disappeared; as per his express wishes, the company leadership is transferred to his estranged daughter, Izumi. 

Izumi Tachibana: the new CEO, more experienced in programming than in biotech, she wants to lead Mankai in a new direction focused on augmented reality and fluid human-machine interfacing, while also investigating her father's disappearance with its covert Kaga operatives.

Isuke Matsukawa: Yukio's—and now Izumi's—personal assistant who also handles most of the day-to-day finances, a seemingly bumbling man with hidden talents. He has more connections than you'd expect, and his loyalty is bone-deep.

Yuzo Kashima: a major shareholder in the company whose investments helped Yukio jump-start his dream into reality. Initially skeptical of Izumi's direction, he slowly grows to believe in her vision, even if he's still brutally honest about many things. He's aware of Kaga and the hidden side of Mankai, and is implied to have once partaken in it more personally.

Tetsuro Iwai: the local hardware genius. If you need something built, he'll figure out how to do it in record time. He's happy to work with the old boss' daughter, even if her ideas can stretch him to his limits sometimes.

Ken Sakoda: nobody's really sure what his official job is. He's just always there, usually appearing out of nowhere to do whatever Sakyo asks him to (there's rumours of a personalised cloaking device). This ranges from coffee runs to, ah, semi-legal inventory procurement.

Kamekichi: a robot parrot Yukio personally built as a pet project. Originally a prototype for robotic therapy animals, his code gave birth to his own emergent sassy personality.

Sakuya Sakuma: head of Engineering, what he lacks in experience he makes up in talent and dedication. Has politely declined playing a more active role in Kaga's assignments, declaring his current job to already be his dream job anyhow.

Masumi Usui: a tech prodigy, a quick learner who's always keen to impress Izumi for reasons which may not be strictly professional. Built his own memory implants from scratch, and is always willing to help with Kaga if ever asked.

Tsuzuru Minagi: the top dog when it comes to programming and software. Tends to overwork himself, especially at crunch time, but he writes top-notch code that leave Mankai's competitors scratching their heads. Also helps oversee and plan Kaga's missions, especially when it comes to concocting cover stories and identities.

Itaru Chigasaki: yet another punch-clock worker whose only skills lie in testing and bugfixing… or so he'd have you believe. In reality, he's one of Kaga's most reliable operatives, using his salaryman persona to relieve suspicion and gain people's trust. By the time his targets notice the "GG EZ" hacked onto every screen, it's too late.

Citron: another Kaga operative, people see him and think he's the expat office worker who struggles to string a coherent sentence together, so they don't always pay attention to what they say around him. Big mistake. If he can't evade you in conversation, then he'll evade you the traditional way and vanish seemingly into thin air.

Chikage Utsuki: formerly Itaru's senior at their old job, who followed him to Mankai for reasons of his own. He does minor coding for them now, but his primary focus is on being a field agent for Kaga, where his charm and covert investigative skills really come into play.

Tenma Sumeragi: a former child actor, now the company's face, appearing in advertisements and endorsements. He's great at both presenting Mankai's personable, human-interest agenda and selling Kaga's sharp professionalism to potential clients.

Yuki Rurikawa: hired fresh out of university, his sharp sense of aesthetics led Izumi to trust him with practically all of their product design. Every concept has to have his seal of approval before moving to the production stage. He also handles disguises for Kaga's operations.

Muku Sakisaka: formerly slated to compete in the Olympics before an accident, he now provides another public face for Mankai alongside Tenma. He writes a good deal of the company's promotional material, and has a strong sense of what would affect their clients.

Misumi Ikaruga: officially, he tests the more physical cybernetics, such as Sakuya's impact-dampeners or Tasuku's mountain-climbing legs; his videos performing literally superhuman parkour feats often end up as promotional material. Under the table, he's Kaga's go-to operative for situations requiring speed and agility.

Kazunari Miyoshi: head of the PR department, in charge of keeping their public image in the positive while also keeping Kaga’s activities mostly out of attention. He keeps everyone in the loop with current affairs, often feeding intel to his old friend Tsuzuru for planning.

Kumon Hyodo: baseball's new rising star, he started doing sponsorship and endorsement deals after Muku and Juza introduced him to Izumi. He's enthusiastic about working with them and often helps coming up with ideas for reaching into the sports demographic.

Banri Settsu: a bio-augmentation enthusiast and grey hat hacker, he once breached Mankai's firewalls basically out of boredom; when Izumi tracked him down, she decided to offer him a job in her cybersecurity division, and he agreed. Of course, as soon as he hears about Kaga, he all but jumps into it headlong.

Juza Hyodo: wanted to be a cop as a kid; that was before the city's corrupt police force disenchanted him of the idea. His cousin Muku convinced him to work for Mankai, so he thought he'd give the corporate samurai gig a chance. His earnest dedication quickly wins him a spot on Kaga, as do his excellent combat skills.

Taichi Nanao: initially a mole from Godza, sent to tear Kaga apart from within, he went turncoat within months and is now their primary source on Godza's methods and internal affairs. He balances quick and dirty combat tactics with his boyish charm and knack at appearing harmless.

Omi Fushimi: former military, honourably discharged after a terrorist attack took out his best friend and left him heavily injured. Now he works for Mankai as head of security, with a bit of unofficial HR thrown in there. Unlike the rest of Akigumi, he isn't part of Kaga, as he believes his focus should be on keeping the company safe and secure.

Sakyo Furuichi: head of Kaga, and its oldest member still on active duty. These days he mostly sticks to mission control, but occasionally lends support on the field if he deems it necessary. His sharp mind and eye for patterns makes him particularly good at planning missions, exit strategies, and backup plans.

Azami Izumida: the son of a yakuza boss who decided to leave the family business behind to strike out on his own, he still keeps a number of his old underworld contacts. Officially an intern, he's also eager to get into fieldwork with Kaga, putting his years of swordsmanship lessons to use.

Tsumugi Tsukioka: head of biotech, his research on how cranial implants can be used to treat sleep disorders turned him—and Mankai—into a household name. He infrequently lends a hand to Kaga by developing and fine-tuning their cybernetics.

Tasuku Takato: a former member of Godza, he quit his job to work for Mankai instead, and is now a valued member of their biotech team. He specialises in developing prosthetics for their more athletic clients, and like Tsumugi, focuses on his R&D most of the time.

Hisoka Mikage: formerly working for a similar fixer/PMC group, a near-fatal neuro-implant malfunction caused him to forget everything that happened since its installation. As Mankai found him, removed the bad implant, and nursed him back to health, he thought it's just apt to repay the debt by working for them. One of Kaga's most well-rounded operatives, he is strongest in stealth and wetwork.

Homare Arisugawa: an eccentric professor to his core; his studies range from urban to agrarian, sprawling across fields and topics, but his passion project lies in developing ocular implants that can read micro-expressions on the fly, allowing its owner to identify and record people's emotional reactions easily.

Azuma Yukishiro: the face of the biotech divison, he works closely with Mankai's clients to help them find the perfect cybernetics for their personal needs. He also often gleans information and gossip from his endless well of unsuspecting acquaintances and old contacts, passing them on to Kaga for their missions.

Guy: a friend of Citron's from his homeland; extensively cybernetically augmented after a major accident years ago, he claims to be more machine than human by this point. Ostensibly Homare's research assistant, he is a field agent for Kaga, equally skilled in hacking as he is in hand-to-hand combat.

[bryonysimcox]

Remember to Breathe: Weeks 24, 25 and 26, Spain

Sometimes life runs ahead of you. As three weeks since my last post have elapsed, I remind myself to take stock and breathe.

I started with such good intentions. A blog post a week, documenting our adventures driving East in our van. An intention I kept pretty strong until the past few weeks, which have passed in a daze. I’m not sure if it was lack of time or lack of motivation that stopped me from writing, but I do know that as our travels ground to a halt and I have had less adventures to report on, it has been harder to see the purpose in writing a blog. And yet, it is in truly extraordinary times like these, where we find ourselves all living altered lives amid a global pandemic, that writing has value - not just in exploring the things we’ve done but the things we’ve felt.

It’s been a busy three weeks here in Spain that’s for sure. Suzi the Van has brought us her fair share of dramas, especially when we discovered a burst coolant pipe a few days before we were booked to do a video shoot over an hour’s drive away. In a series of rather fortunate events, we found a Toyota garage and a super friendly mechanic who helped us navigate old Japanese parts diagrams and who wasn’t picky about our mix of Spanglish and hand gestures! He managed to order us in a specific genuine part (which was admittedly pretty pricey for what is effectively just a section of pipe) and George fitted it himself which was brilliant.

Doing our own repairs and maintenance on the van can be incredibly rewarding at times, but also super frustrating when we don’t have the tools or space that we need to do it effectively.

We’ve definitely realised that living minimally and with no fixed address can be a real pain when it comes to needing to do practical things, and we both dream of having a workshop and stash of tools and materials one day! Nevertheless, George’s pipe installation worked a treat and he changed the oil and fuel filter a few days later too - which also wasn’t without its dramas (but that’s another story)…

(images) Repairing the split radiator pipe in the van

Measures to manage the pandemic are still very much in place here in Spain. But they do at least mean that elements of ‘normal life’ can continue in a managed way, and so now that people are allowed out and about, we’ve been able to resume filming. We’ve been working with a small tourism company based in Valencia called Valtournative to help create some promo videos - a job we had originally booked way back in March before Covid-19 had taken a hold of Spain.

Valtournative is run by a bunch of genuinely lovely people including Danny, director and tour guide extraordinaire. He is the kind of business owner who wears his passion on his sleeve and his deep fascination for the Spanish countryside and the stories embedded within places is infectious.

As soon as it was safe to do so, we headed out with them out on some of their tours, firstly to an incredible vineyard and winery called Chozas Corrascal and later to some thermal springs in the town of Montanejos. What Valtournative does best is taking people out of the city and into the incredible natural spots around Valencia, which is of course is an even more appealing type of tourism, for its ability to enjoy yourselves in a safe and spacious environment, given the Covid-19 considerations. For Broaden to be filming amid grapevines, tasting organic wines, exploring small rural villages and swimming in natural springs… well, it’s a bit of a dream really!

(images) Filming at the vineyard and winery of Chozas Carrascal with Valtournative

(images) Filming at the Fuente de los Banos in Montanejos with Valtournative

As commercial work with Broaden grows, it’s not only a way of sustaining ourselves, but a kernel of hope that the future holds activity, exchange and adventure again. That things will get better.

I’ve also been building some exciting projects with AnalogueBryony, my collage-making practice. The wicked Manchester-based rock-pop outfit ‘Glass Caves’ recently released their single ‘Eye to Eye’ which features a collage I made as its artwork, and I’ve finished a few private commissions which I’ve been really pleased with as well. It’s strange to see AnalogueBryony grow as an enterprise considering how long I’ve been just plodding away at making my collages as a project for myself.

Being able to generate some income from my collage-making is huge for me, but I also have to remind myself that it’s first and foremost a creative process I can tap into to care for myself (something I explored in my post from Week 22). It’s probably no surprise that while I’ve been super busy making commissions, I haven’t found the time to make art just for fun! That said, I have at least managed to pop into MiKENGO cafe in Valencia a few times, and seeing my art on their walls in my show ‘Stop Making Sense’ is always a humbling and surreal experience.

(image) The final artwork for Glass Caves’ ‘Eye to Eye’ single, which you can listen to here.

Amid all the doing, there’s feeling too. Whilst these three weeks have been chokka block with stuff, I’ve forgotten to stop and take stock at times.

In many ways, ‘doing’ things all the time is a form of distraction. And after the enforced slowing-down that came with lockdown, I guess I’m not alone in suddenly trying to cram it all into this de-escalation phase - both to distract myself from the reality that life is still not as it was, and to make up for the ‘lost time’ of the months that have just passed. Working on building Broaden, releasing videos such as our new documentary about the town of Portland in New South Wales, making collages, generating work, it’s all a form of ‘being productive’. And I know that sometimes I turn to these things when I don’t want to stop and think too much. 

I guess when I sat down to write this blog post after a bit of a hiatus, I thought to myself ‘what’s the overarching message’? And the message I concluded with, a message to myself, is that I need to remember to breathe.

Breathing means taking stock, looking at what’s come before and what’s ahead, and being kind to yourself. I think it also means being honest, and not fooling yourself into thinking that everything’s okay just because you’ve been busy.

(images, left to right) Moments of breathing: an incredible sunrise on the drive to a video shoot, an evening on the balcony, the deserted town square in Corbera looking blissful.

Sure, it’s an honour to be busy and especially to be occupied with wonderful creative projects, but I’ve got to remember the low points, the spectrum of emotions, the mundane everyday routinesm the frustration of still not being able to see family, the uncertainty about the future, the despair at global powers who seem to have taken climate change completely off the table. Breathing means taking it all in - the good with the bad, the doing with the thinking.

So why am I sharing this with you? It seems, yet again, that a personal insight could in fact be of value to others, that the idea of breathing, and of giving yourself the time and respect to feel all sorts of emotions about this topsy-turvy trainwreck of a year is an idea we could all benefit from.

Just because the initial hype of coronavirus and the full lockdown it triggered has subsided a bit, doesn’t mean it’s not genuinely affecting our lives, our livelihoods and our mental wellbeing. And perhaps that’s another reason I haven’t written for a while, that I haven’t wanted to admit to myself that while George and I are busy, it’s still a struggle to stay positive and keep our heads above the water. But the irony is that in admitting it, in remembering to breathe and in writing this all down, I suddenly feel a whole lot better.

Have a wonderful week of doing, thinking and breathing.

[ctrlnataliacruz]

╰☆╮ CIERRA RAMIREZ ─ NATALIA CRUZ identifies as CISFEMALE and uses SHE/HER pronouns. they’re a CHOREOGRAPHER/COMMERCIAL DANCER, and they’re only TWENTY-TWO ! they’re said to be +SPIRITED, but also -IMPETUOUS. i guess that’s why they’re known as THE PLEASURE SEEKER in the tabloids.

omg hey i’m so flipping excited to be here OH my goodness hiiiii! my name is sarah, i’m 18, and i live in the cst timezone. it’s been an extra thicc minute since i’ve been apart of an rp so i’m so excited and nervous to be here ahhh. i want new friends so please don’t be afraid to reach out and love me chat! i’m a proud latina and because of that i’m so excited to present to you my first hispanic child! natalia is a very proud, bilingual, mexican-american young woman and i feel like a lot of who she is is built on her culture so i just thought that’d be fun for you guys to know :). anywhooo, she wild and there’s so much more to her than just that stuff! please read on to learn all about her and hopefully you’ll love her just as much as i do!

background

natalia cruz is 22, female, uses she/her pronouns, and is bisexual :)

natalia grew up in a lively mexican-american home in a culturally rich, hispanic neighborhood near santa barbara, california. she was well loved by her family and friends and very early on the life of every party. that’s the way she remembers her childhood mostly, being the center of attention on the dance floor at somebody else’s quinceanera, a cousins wedding, or her neighbors summer fiesta.

natalia has two immigrant parents that came from mexico to give their daughter the world. her mom was always a little harder on her but in a loving/supportive way. she wanted big things for her child but was worried that the world would be as harsh to natalia as it was to her. her mother got jobs however she could for the beginning of her life in the states but later landed on cleaning houses - later starting her own cleaning service. her dad started his own landscaping business pretty early on as well. with their businesses combined they managed to make good enough money to provide for natalia and her big brother and two younger sisters - but they were nowhere near rich. her parents work ethic has always inspired natalia to work hard herself and has taught her to be very grateful for what she has. 

as cliche as it sounds - nat can’t remember not dancing. she learned to move her body and dance to the music they would play at parties, but anybody who knows her knows that it was just always who she was. it was in her blood. one day her mom got a job cleaning the house of the owner of a successful dance studio in the LA area and one thing lead to another and natalia began taking dance classes and really starting to grow in her talent. her life very quickly became centered around dance. she’d go to school all day just to go straight to the studio and get home sometimes as late as 11pm to do her homework. she worked her ass off at everything she did though - school included. natalia only ever brought home A’s and B’s even with the craziness that was her dance life. 

nat had a very close relationship with her grandpa. she was absolutely a grandpa’s girl  and he loved it. her grandpa was the one who taught her to follow her dreams, love fully, and to always be true to herself. he taught her so much so when he passed away, it hit her like a ton of bricks. it was the first realization natalia had that put life into perspective. she was living off of borrowed time and knowing that is what ultimately cause nat to move to nyc but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

around 16 is when things started taking off for nat. the people she’d meet in classes became real connections. she began assisting for choreographers and learning from the best of the best. she’d do the occasional video, show, and taught the occasional class but it was only the beginning. at 18 her mentor got her cast in a JLO video and that’s when everything in natalia’s life exploded. she became a regular in her videos, got to go on tour with her, met so many incredible celebrities along the way, got to do a few broadway shows, and began choreographing her own work! at 20 years old she became an official dance captain for JLO and became a nationally renown dancer/choreographer. now, at 22, she is still doing her thing and she works with people like ariana grande, lizzo, taylor swift, dua lipa, britney spears, beyonce, and of course jennifer lopez. she is hoping to open her own dance studio very soon!

how natalia’s head works/general info

nat is very good at loving the people around her and putting everything she has into her passions and loved ones but when it comes to herself and her emotions - she has no clue what she’s doing.

she isn’t great with dealing with her feelings. she either pushes them down (or drinks/smokes them away) or freaks out and lets her feelings control her actions. which, as you could imagine, doesn’t usually turn out great for her.

that being said, nat isn’t good at being alone with herself. she is her toughest critic and somehow always manages to pick out what is wrong with her even when she’s doing great. this is why she’s always busy. either at a party, with friends, or working.

she’s very good at convincing others (and herself) that she loves her life and is happy with who she is but the truth is that she has no idea who she even is half the time. she comes off as such a confident, bad ass bitch but inside she feels completely lost and like she still hasn’t found herself. 

natalia has a lot of learning to do when it comes to navigating her emotions and thoughts. specifically, the romantic ones.

nat is kind of a mess when it comes to romance. she’s had a few relationships/flings but the ones she’s had have kind of blown up in her face. her first love was with a boy who really used nat and often times emotionally drained her. he was the kind of guy who wouldn’t let her hang out with her friends - especially the guys ones, wouldn’t let her go out to parties, and expected her to do anything for him - no questions asked. it was incredibly toxic and so hard on natalia. after her first relationship ended with what, at the time, felt like the love of her life she promised herself she’d never let somebody use her and break her heart like that. so she did what a lot of people do and put up a wall. nat began to survive on hookup after hookups and the occasional short term relationship that she would somehow ruin/run from when it felt like it was getting to serious. yeah, the girl self sabotages. 

so nat may be incredibly hardworking buuuuut with the “work hard” attitude comes a huge “play hard” attitude. nat is definitely a huge party girl and isn’t afraid to get a little sloppy. she’s very impulsive and kinda just does what she feels like doing in the moment. this could get her in trouble but she hasn’t had to face any consequences yet lol so she just keeps doing it!

she’s lowkey a pothead and kinda sleeps around (as mentioned before) although doesn’t necessarily label herself by those things. again this is very much her free spiritedness coming out. she does what she feels like doing in the moment and sometimes the thing she wants to do is a person lol and i oop-

nat has BIIIIG feelings and trusts others (friends) way too quickly. she just loves people and loves life and doesn’t use her head as much as she should. 

is motivated by what things will give her pleasure (thus her label lol)

she has the tendency to be dramatic at times but that’s just those big feelings again.

she’s v flirty and loves a good fling.

although is fluent in english she chooses to speak spanglish a lot haha.

as much as she loves her job and what she does her friends and family her first priority always.

she’s not afraid to be a bitch to get what she wants but is usually pretty chill.

a very loyal friend!

again, i’m so happy to be here and so excited to get started. this is gonna be such a blast. ahhh okay i’m gona stfu now ily all already <3

[arcadialost]

Chrysalis, Consequence : Max’s Journey and Choices

Strange men walk around Isolated With a chip on their shoulders They are looking for a smile From you or from me But instead I find myself leaving

Preface: Some of the choices listed here are not in the game. They may not be canon, but they are in character for my interpretation of Max. This is only meant to reference the game’s story alone and give some insight into Max and her choices, some of which tie intimately into other characters’ reactions and fates. Please don’t take this as me pushing my interpretation onto your characters. If you have a muse who features in the game, you are more than welcome to come plot with me about how characters like Nathan, Chloe, Victoria, and Kate may handle things differently/took a different route than what I have described. Episode 1 - Chrysalis one.   Shaken from watching Chloe’s death and subsequent resurrection, Max confesses to Principal Wells that she saw Nathan with a gun. two.   In lieu of rigging the paint can, Max instead messes with the sprinkler system to soak Victoria’s cashmere. A guilt-ridden Max then does her best to comfort Victoria after ruining her afternoon. While searching for a way to prove to Juliet that Dana didn’t cheat, she refuses the opportunity to reorganize Victoria’s selfie wall. Dana’s pregnancy test remains untouched, with Max only aware that Dana and her ex-boyfriend Logan had falling out. three.   Max erases the crude insult on Kate’s slate. She intervenes on Kate’s behalf upon discovering security guard David M.adsen harassing her friend. four.   Ever the nosey one, Max snoops through David’s surveillance system and files. Her sleuthing skills aren’t quite up to par, though, as she leaves evidence behind. When Max’s impromptu reunion with Chloe is interrupted by David, she takes her friend’s advice to hide. But Max’s anxiety skyrockets as hostilities between parent and child escalate, leading her to come out of hiding and take the heat for Chloe. five.   Max saves the bluejay outside of the lighthouse, something that brings her comfort after learning that Chloe has stolen her step-father’s gun. Episode 2 - Out of Time one.   Another day, another instance of victim-blaming shenanigans; Max erases the URL to the V.ortex C.lub video in the girl’s bathroom. After a nerve-wracking confrontation with Victoria, Max returns a borrowed book back to Kate. With her friend clearly depressed over the bullying, the photographer gently questions her about what had happened the night of the video. Fearing that Kate has been assaulted, she urges her friend to report her experience to the police. Kate’s mention of Nathan’s involvement, coupled with Chloe’s previous experience with the Prescott heir leads Max to view him with increased suspicion.   two.   After using her powers to befriend Taylor, Max is faced with an even more daunting task---saying no to a man. Despite Warren’s insistence, she refuses his invitation, feeling sick from her previous discussion with Kate. three.   Max taking the blame for Chloe earns her an earful from Joyce at the diner. While waiting for breakfast, Max convinces her estranged friend that she has powers. Max takes a call from a distraught Kate before they leave, much to Chloe’s chagrin. Her attitude causes Max to reflect on the value of their friendship, questioning whether Chloe is still the same person she loved. four.   The presence of Chloe’s gun stirs up Max’s anxiety. During “target practice” Chloe is accidentally shot, prompting Max to rewind and ask to stop. After experiencing a combination anxiety attack and vision, Max and Chloe are confronted by Frank. As tensions rise and Chloe demands to know where Frank found Rachel’s necklace, Max pulls out the gun to defend her friend. Whatever bravado she has in the moment fades instantly; Frank rightfully calls her bluff and swipes the gun. Chloe’s resentment is keenly felt by Max long after she saves her friend’s life on the train tracks. five.   Freezing time allows Max to reach the rooftop before Kate jumps. She convinces Kate to live by appealing to the strength of their friendship, promising to bring the culprits behind the assault to justice, and asking Kate not to jump for the sake of her sisters. Pulling Kate into a tight embrace, Max and she cry together in the rain. six.   Going off Kate’s earlier testimony, Max chooses to blame Nathan for her friend’s s.uicide attempt. Having previously reported Nathan for having a gun, he is suspended, and Max leaves the office emotionally strung out but triumphant. Episode 3 - Chaos Theory one.   Max argues passionately against Chloe taking money from the school’s accessibility fund for disabled students. Having borne the brunt of society’s ableism as a young autistic woman, Max comes away convinced that Chloe does not appreciate the value of accessibility and inclusion. The disgreement drives a wedge in their relationship, with Max left depressed and alienated from her former childhood friend. two.   The morning after their great escape to Chloe’s house, Max kisses Chloe after she dares Max to do it. The decision comes out of Max questioning her sexuality, and a desperation to reconnect in some significant way with her childhood friend after their argument. Feeling discomfort after having kissed Chloe in Rachel’s clothes, Max trades in the flannel and torn jeans for her outfit from the previous night. three.   Unbeknownst to Joyce, Max deletes the message on her answering machine about the break-in. After yet again snooping in on David’s business, Max sides with Chloe during the M.adsen family’s argument. four.   While looking for a way to gain access to Frank’s RV at the diner, Max takes the time to warn a homeless woman about the storm and save Alyssa from minor disaster---again. Having lured P.ompidou out of the RV with a bone thrown in the parking lot, Max does what she does best: snoop. five.   Max leaves Chloe’s confiscated gun untouched, choosing to let Frank keep it after Chloe’s near-fatal stunt in the Junkyard. Episode 4 - D.ark R.oom one.   Max refuses to Chloe’s request to die, asserting that Chloe needs therapy to see that her life has value. After returning the timeline to its original state, Max resolves to stay by Chloe’s side until Rachel’s return. two.   Max frees the bluejay from the confines of the M.adsen family home. At the hospital, Max makes plans to go on a tea shop tour with Kate after she is discharged. three.   After snooping around Nathan’s room, Max and Chloe are confronted by the Prescott in question, and Max fears she may have to rewind...until Warren steps in. Feeling nauseated at the thought of more violence, Max stops Warren before the beatdown turns serious. four.   Having come to the meeting with Frank unarmed (albeit without the money) the girls leave the beach having peacefully gained Frank’s trust and his list of clients. five.   The discovery of the D.ark R.oom and Rachel’s body sends Max spiraling into a severe depression. Convinced that her powers mean little in the face of so much corruption and violence, Max prepares to get revenge on Nathan in the present. six.   At the party, Max saves Alyssa (for an exhausting fourth time) and warns Victoria to stay away from Nathan. Episode 5 - Polarized five.   Awakening in the Prescott’s bunker, Max discovers that Victoria had heeded her warning---and it led her directly to the D.ark R.oom. This revelation coupled with Victoria’s breakdown and Nathan’s death leads Max to seriously question why she was given powers at all. four.   Fun and wholesome things happen that aren’t upsetting. Victoria’s sobs echo in Max’s head. Puppies and kittens. Jefferson threatens to hurt Kate as many times as he needs to break her spirit. It’s fine! Max’s nightmares will have nightmares. This is fine! It’s fine! three.   Weary of the violence, Max chooses not to tell David about Chloe’s death, leading to Jefferson being captured alive (for the moment). two.   In Max’s initial rush to get to the diner, she saves everyone she encounters, including Alyssa for the final time. one.   Upon exiting the nightmare, Max is confronted with one final choice: sacrifice her hometown, or sacrifice Chloe. Max, predictably, takes a third option. Epilogue - The Golden Hour      On a rain-soaked clifftop overlooking the destruction of everything Max and Chloe hold dear, Max realizes that Warren was incorrect: the storm was about the life she hadn’t saved, the injustice that had started this entire chain of events---Rachel’s death. Max’s epiphany leads her to use her focus power on a certain photograph to go back to the Prescott barnyard. Upon discovering Jefferson’s portfolio of Rachel, Max slips the binder into her bag before running after Chloe to find Rachel’s body. Following a screaming match and a much-needed cry session, Chloe agrees to head back to the M.adsen household instead of rushing over to the V.ortex C.lub. Max gathers as much evidence as she can---including Frank’s list of clients---before using her focus power on a photo taken the summer before she moved away to S.eattle. Leaving William to his fate, Max befriends Victoria years before attending Blackwell, sticking by her side as they claw their way to the top of the “it crowd”. But being popular isn’t easy; Max is forced to mask her neurodivergence hard, navigating the capricious moods of her peers, and walking the thin line between try-hard and just ambitious enough.      There are casualties in every timeline, and this one is no exception. Max’s relationship with her parents worsens to the point where they can hardly stand to be in a room together. Her mother misses the shy daughter who took pride in their shared neurodivergence. Her father misses his kind baby girl, the one who knew her roots and wasn’t afraid to embrace them. Rejecting her identity and giving her parents lip aren’t the only problems. Booze and drugs are the bombshell no one wants to touch, both parents scared shitless that this will be what buries the last dregs of filial affection for good. Max’s mental health is another sacrifice in the rectified timeline. She just thanks the universe that overdosing and drinking to excess gives her much-needed pretext for her breakdowns.      But partying and pissing her family’s good faith away has a purpose; each connection gets her ever closer to finding Rachel.      And when Max gets that full-ride scholarship to Blackwell a year early, she knows her sacrifices will pay off. There is a pile of photos, notes, and evidence shoved underneath her bed, waiting for the right moment to surface. Rachel deserves to know the truth, and to live the life that was so cruelly stolen from her.      Max won’t fail in her task.

[5hfanfiction]

The Last Person You Love - Chapter 1

Summary: 

It started at a coffee shop, as all cliché love stories do.

~ 

Despite it being mid-September, remnants of summer’s heat still lingered for a few hours a day before the crisp air from the fog took over. It was typical San Francisco - one moment the sun would be shining and all of a sudden a blank white sheet was covering the sky. Camila worked downtown near the Bay and, from her view from the hospital windows, she would often admire how rays of sunlight reflected off the water and skyscrapers to highlight the bridge connecting the city and Treasure Island. As she would bike back to her apartment through nearly sky-high hills, Camila’s lungs heaved for oxygen and would be relieved when the fog rolled in to cool down the sweat falling down her face.

She lived in the western part of the city - opposite the Financial district where all the booming tech companies were taking over and where tourists scoured for the best clam chowder near Union Square. She lived in the residential area by the ocean and just a ten minute bike ride to the beach - although, it was nothing in comparison to the beaches back in her hometown, Miami. Ocean Beach’s sand was too coarse and - as ridiculous as this may sound - the Pacific Ocean just felt different from the Atlantic. It was not as warm and the water against her skin did not feel as smooth. Nonetheless, she still loved it. It was one of her favorite places in the city. She and her best friend, Dinah, often found themselves there, playing reggae and entertaining themselves with a few joints because it was San Francisco and smoking weed in public was as common as wearing headphones on public transportation.

After graduating from New York University three months ago, Camila returned to San Francisco to be with her mother, Sinuhe, and younger sister, Sofia. The three of them moved to the city after Camila’s father died from lung cancer the summer before her freshman year of high school. He was an architect for houses along the coast and, after he died, their home simply felt like a house. So they packed their things and moved to the first job offering Sinu got, which was not too hard considering she was one of the nation’s most renowned cardiothoracic surgeons.

The whole situation was overwhelming for Camila - one moment she was saw her dad take his final breath in a hospital bed and the next moment she was in the middle seat of a plane, admiring Sofi admire the window view from their high altitude. However, San Francisco did her well. She cannot explain it, but it helped her grow in more ways than she believed she would have had she stayed in Miami.

They went from a three-story mansion with a backyard the size of a park to a two-bedroom townhome that was half the size of their previous home, yet double the cost. Camila took the bus every day to her high school, which she had to apply to despite being a public school rather than being assigned by proximity to her home. Her school emphasized service learning and critical diversity, and the foreign language department offered various languages rather than just Spanish. Their field trips were to community centers, museums and gardens, and tech headquarters in Silicon Valley. Camila loved Miami for its rich Cuban culture and laid-back aura, but San Francisco always offered something new. There were endless opportunities and so much autonomy to navigate self-discovery, which is what Camila needed after losing her father.

San Francisco made her realize she was a city girl and, ultimately, made the transition to study in New York City not as overwhelming than if she had moved straight from Miami. At NYU, Camila studied Global Public Health and Science with a track in Biology - her goal being to follow in her mother’s footsteps and be a doctor, too. Maybe not surgery because Camila wanted to form relationships with patients and be part of their lives - not just seeing them once or twice, and saying goodbye after that. Her dream was to foster her passion for underserved healthcare and social justice through comprehensive and compassionate care to long-term patients.

Since Camila finished her undergraduate studies in three years, Sinu let her daughter take a gap year to apply for medical school and gain clinical experience during what would have been Camila’s fourth and final year of college. Through her mother’s connections, Camila was able to get an internship at the hospital Sinu practiced at. Camila was a medical scribe, which was a fancy term for “personal assistant to her mother, who she could not call her mother in front of patients, so basically she was Dr. Cabello’s bitch, which really was not any different than from when she was living home.” Her main responsibility was charting her mother’s interactions with patients, documenting all important notes from their discussions. The job is perfect for her considering she spent most of her high school years typing away her feelings on the Internet. Sinu used to always take away her laptop when she was a teenager because she spent “too much time staring at a screen” and, now, Camila loves to rub in her mother’s face that her word-per-minute count can keep up with how fast Sinu talks thanks to all her tweets and Tumblr posts.

With her mom being her supervisor, though, Camila’s hours were lenient - mostly because her mother dismiss her early to pick Sofi up from her middle school and take her to all her extracurriculars. In between piano lessons and soccer practice, Camila often found herself waiting for her younger sister at her favorite coffee shop near Golden Gate Park. The coffee shop was just another hole in the wall, but she loved its minimalist interior design, fairy-light-adorned patio, and lavender white chocolate mocha. She has been going to this place since she had to study for the SAT. However, with her studying in New York, she never considered herself a regular until she moved back home after graduation. She spent all summer working on her medical school application and published article about her undergraduate research on educational neuroscience, but, now, with both submitted, Camila was able to actually enjoy the ambience of the charming coffee shop.

Taking a break from watching YouTube videos on how to properly water succulents, Camila looked up from her screen to sip her mocha and take in all that was around her. There was a table of three adults in business suits, talking animatedly about the stacks of papers next to their mugs. A woman was breastfeeding her baby as her toddler was playing with the banana bread in front of her. Camila’s eyes scanned the room when they stopped to soak in what had to be the most beautiful being Camila had ever laid her eyes on.

The woman was dressed casually - faint jeans and a white tank top partially covered by a black leather jacket that matched the raven hair twirled halfway down her back. The look was so simple, but Camila could not help but squint her eyes to try and focus on the woman standing in line a few feet away from her table. The mystery woman was texting fervently and her left foot tapped with what Camila assumed to be annoyance. Every few seconds, the woman would let out a long sigh or run her fingers through her hair - both of which were only noticeable to Camila, who tried to hide her gawking behind her laptop and mug.

She could hardly hear what the woman had ordered when she stepped in front of the cashier, but Camila could make out raspy mumbles that intrigued her even more. She looked around her table for an excuse to get up and quickly stuffed the rest of her croissant in her mouth so she could bring her empty plate to the bar. This was her idea of flirting: Sneaking glances at a distracted woman with her mouth too full to even talk. Camila gave a tight-lipped smile to the barista as she finished chewing and swallowed in time to turn around to face the stunning woman waiting for her drink. The woman looked up from her phone to meet Camila’s eyes and it was as if time stopped for a moment.

Camila blushed for having been caught staring, but managed to give a small smile before scurrying back to her table without looking back. The woman stood perplexed at the elegant features of the other woman, wishing she was able to admire more before she basically ran back to her table. Her breath caught at her throat and she was not brought back to reality until her order was called out. She grabbed her dirty chai latte and glanced back at the tables to try and see the woman’s face once more before she had to go to work. Her eyes landed on the woman, but was only able to see the white bow clipped at the top of her light brown hair as she was looking down to write some notes.

The raven-haired woman smiled at how simple yet cute the other woman looked and left the coffee shop knowing it was going to be a good day.

~

Still catching her breathing after her bike ride from work, Camila entered her apartment to find Dinah sulking on their couch with a bowl of ice cream and “Moana” playing.

“Rough day?”

“I miss Mani,” Dinah looked at her best friend and pouted.

Camila simply rolled her eyes at how dramatic her best friend was being. Dinah was so in love with her girlfriend, Normani, that she could not even handle a few days without the older woman. Normani had left just the night before to visit her family and best friend, Ally, back in Texas and Dinah has been acting like a complete baby ever since.

“It hasn’t even been 24 hours, Cheech.”

“You don’t understand!” Dinah threw a pillow at Camila. “What’s the point of living without her by my side?!”

“Okay, calm down, Juliet,” Camila sat down on the couch and instantly rested her head on Dinah’s shoulder. “Put the dagger away and just go FaceTime your girl.”

“I can’t. I know she’s having fun and I don’t want to take away time from her family and friends. I just feel so empty, you know?” Dinah sighed and leaned her head against her best friend’s. “Please tell me something interesting that happened today so I can distract myself.”

Camila thought about her day. She just finished a brutal bike ride because there was some convention that caused traffic along her normal route, so she had to take an alternate that included more hills than usual. Her mother was her typical self and kept pestering Camila to have dinner at their house because Sofi was being like any moody middle schooler. Not that she did not love her younger sister, but Camila knew the last thing Sofi needed was some staged intervention by their mother. Sometimes, things just sucked and you needed to be a bitch.

Nothing about her day was out of the ordinary except for the “flirtatious” moment she had with the stunning woman at the coffee shop earlier in the morning. Was their three-second gaze even considered a moment? Maybe it would have been if Camila had not fled in attempt to hide the flush of red that crawled across her face.

“I don’t know, there was this girl at the coffee shop.”

“A girl?!” Dinah’s head instantly snapped up and she bent her head down to look at her best friend with eager eyes. “Spill!”

Camila sat up and shook her head at the mischievous look on Dinah’s face. She shrugged and mumbled, “It’s nothing. We just looked at each other and I ran away.”

“Ugh, not again, Chancho!” Dinah buried her face in the palms of her hands. She groaned at how awful her best friend was at interacting with anyone she found even slightly attractive.

They have been best friends ever since Camila had initially moved to San Francisco and they ended up living in adjacent townhomes. They hit it off right away despite them going to different high schools - Camila at a randomly assigned public school while Dinah went to a private performing arts school on the opposite side of the park. Their families got close as Dinah’s parents always welcomed Camila and Sofi into their homes when Sinu had a night shift, and Camila tutored Dinah in basically every subject except Dance and Music Theory.

With Camila not being the one to really go out and Dinah always getting stuck babysitting her younger siblings and cousins, the two of them basically spent every moment with each other outside of school. They maintained their friendship via constant texting and daily FaceTime sessions while Camila studied at NYU and Dinah stayed in San Francisco to become a dance instructor at the children’s dance studio a few blocks down from their homes. When Camila returned from New York, she knew she would go absolutely insane if she moved back home on top of already working every day with her mother, so she proposed to Dinah that they live together. 

It really was not hard to convince the younger woman to move out of her family’s small townhome with twenty other people.

Their two-bedroom apartment was just five bus stops away from their families, but it was enough for them to feel somewhat independent and in their 20’s. They were able to finish a bottle of wine on a weeknight and not have their mothers scold them for displaying borderline concerning alcoholic tendencies. They rolled and smoked on their fire escape after a rough day - much more convenient than when they would have to sneak out in high school to light a joint at the neighborhood park. They did not have to be second mothers to the little kids running around their homes. They were able to simply enjoy being out of school and somewhat adulting. 

Normani lived with them, too, but, with her working at a major tech company as one of the best computer engineers, she went on several business trips to the company’s other offices - from Seattle and Chicago, to Shanghai and Berlin. You would think with all the business trips the older woman has gone on, Dinah would be used to her absence, but it seemed that the younger woman’s separation anxiety only got worse with each trip. Sometimes, Dinah would be so miserable that Camila sucked up her pride and put on the tightest dress she owned just to take her best friend out clubbing.

Camila may not be able to dance, but her ass was big enough to not have to do much and still have guys fighting over her. She cannot lie and say it did not boost her ego to watch extremely desperate guys gawk at her as she tried to sway her hips the way Dinah so effortlessly did. There would always be a few handsy guys who would grab her waist from behind and try to slam their boners against her, but “D” in “Dinah” basically stood for “Dick Deflector." 

The younger woman never let a guy get their way with her best friend - always shoving them away and grabbing Camila to dance with. Sometimes, Dinah would push Camila against a wall and grind on the older woman just so no guy could get at Camila from the front or back. Sometimes, Dinah would hold Camila from behind and bend her down just to make it clear that her best friend’s Cuban ass was off limits. It was hot for most guys to watch and, honestly, if they were not practically sisters, it would really look like Camila and Dinah had something going on between them. Normani would murder her girlfriend in a heartbeat if Dinah ever danced with anyone the way she did on Camila. The two best friends just worked - there was no other way to explain it. They balanced each other out, always had each other’s backs, and never failed to have the times of their lives together.

So, when Camila admitted she ran away from a girl at the coffee shop, Dinah was not surprised, considering the older woman always ran off to the bathroom whenever someone tried to pick her up at a bar or club. Camila was not experienced with intimacy and romance. In high school, she "dated” a basketball player, Austin, for less than a month before he dumped her because she denied his sexual advances. During her three years of college, Camila only went to a total of seven parties - only four of which she got drunk at and only two of those four instances did she drunkenly kiss someone. She gave Shawn a quick peck on the lips as a rule for King’s Cup and she hooked up with Hailee after she took a body shot from the girl’s cleavage. The girl took Camila to an empty room and showed her what is was like to be with a woman, being the first person to ever see Camila in such a vulnerable state. Camila did not regret having sex for the first time with Hailee, but, prior to their hook up, Camila never considered the thought of being attracted to girls. She always thought girls were pretty and felt more comfortable around them than with guys, but, after experiencing the sheer bliss and passion with Hailee, Camila could not help but think that maybe she was only attracted to guys because that was expected of her and being with a girl was what she truly desired.

This reveal was not surprising to Dinah, who always noticed how flustered her best friend got around boys and caught Camila staring at the cheerleaders more so than the football players when they would go to Friday night games back in high school. She did not care how her best friend identified - all Dinah cared about was that Camila found someone deserving. This was hard to determine when Camila could hardly even flirt. If a decently looking guy tried to converse with her, Camila would stutter and make some excuse about having to pick up her younger sister. Whenever a pretty girl passed by her, which was all the time because women are just so effortlessly beautiful, Dinah would have to physically close Camila’s mouth for her. The younger woman has tried to teach her best friend the basics, but Camila always froze in the moment and resorted to what she knew best: Running off to be by herself.

“I really tried this time, I swear!”

Dinah crossed her arms and gave her an incredulous look. “How?”

“Okay, so I was learning how to take care of succulents, which is much more complicated than you would think, and then I saw her,” Camila stood up to reenact the morning. “She was standing in line on her phone like this and I thought to myself, ‘I have to do something!’ So I did what I thought was the best thing to do in that moment and shoved half a ham and cheese croissant just so I could give the plate to the barista at the bar, where the girl was standing, waiting for her drink.”

Dinah’s mouth hung open at how ridiculous her best friend was, but she let Camila continue.

“When I turned around to go back to my table, our eyes met and holy shit! Dinah, her eyes! Her eyes were like, fuck, I don’t know how to explain it!”

“What color were they?”

“They were green, but not just green!”

��Oh, so like hints of blue?”

“No, no, no,” Camila shook her head furiously as she paced back and forth in front of the TV. “It’s not as simple as that. They were so full. I don’t know how to explain it except that it felt like magic and bliss and warmth and eternity! We looked at each other and time stopped and I felt a rush of comfort take over me as if I have been scouting the universe for centuries and finally found my home.”

When she stopped her movements and looked at Dinah, whose eyes were as wide as saucers, Camila shook her head in frustration at how she could not fathom into words how gorgeous this mystery woman was. She knew she sounded crazy, but, of everyone she has encountered - from Mexico, Cuba, Miami, San Francisco, and New York City - this woman was surreal. You know how everyone has a celebrity crush or that dream person that stars in every fantasy? This woman blew every face imaginable for Camila. Camila did not even understand how a face so perfect could exist - it had to be chiseled by God himself and topped with Midas’ touch.

After moments of silence, Camila plopped face first back into the couch and groaned into the cushions as her best friend rubbed her back.

“Oh, honey…” Dinah cooed. “Should I pop open the red or white?”

“White." 

~

A/N:

This is going to be a very long story… Get ready for an agonizing slow burn… 

I hope you enjoyed - thanks for reading! 

Wattpad: nodustollens7

[orbemnews]

After Tony Hsieh’s Shocking Death, Zappos Looks to Move Forward It was never going to be easy to succeed Tony Hsieh, the celebrated chief executive of Zappos, who turned a tiny online shoe seller into a $1 billion behemoth through an obsessive focus on corporate culture and happy employees. But Kedar Deshpande took over at a particularly fraught time. Zappos, which is owned by Amazon, was already navigating remote work and grappling with pandemic-driven changes in how people shop when Mr. Hsieh abruptly retired in August after two decades, which led Mr. Deshpande to be named C.E.O. Then in November, tragedy struck: Mr. Hsieh, 46, died from injuries suffered in a house fire in New London, Conn., sending shock waves throughout the roughly 1,500-person company, as well as tech and entrepreneurial circles. Since then, it has been reported that Mr. Hsieh had been behaving erratically for months and that friends had considered staging an intervention last summer. The revelations brought new scrutiny to the circumstances of his exit from Zappos. Mr. Deshpande, who was previously Zappos’s chief operating officer, said that when Mr. Hsieh told him last summer that he wanted to pursue other projects, he did not push back. “From my experience working with Tony, Tony always believed in the things that he wanted to change,” Mr. Deshpande said in an interview, his first as chief executive. “I asked him, ‘Hey, Tony, are you sure?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I want to retire’ — so that was the end of the conversation.” Now, Mr. Deshpande, 42, is tasked with shepherding Zappos through the late stages of the pandemic and into the company’s next phase as an online retailer, without Mr. Hsieh’s guidance. He must also show whether the company’s culture of “fun and a little weirdness” in Las Vegas can survive without its chief architect. “The Covid situation and everything else going on makes it very tough, particularly with a culture that is built on physical proximity and happiness associated with that,” Mr. Deshpande said in the Zoom interview, from his home in Henderson, Nev. But he said he was optimistic about the future, especially given the decade he had spent at Zappos in different roles. “The culture is not just one person or two people,” he said. There was apparently no long-term succession plan when Mr. Hsieh stepped down. Zappos’s board, which consists of Amazon and Zappos employees, elevated Mr. Deshpande to the role. The company, founded in 1999, has long functioned as an independent unit within Amazon, which acquired it for $1.2 billion in July 2009 and does not disclose its financials. It’s tough for a person to replace a C.E.O. with an outsize personality like Mr. Hsieh, said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, who anticipated that Zappos’s culture will face some changes under new leadership. “The person who takes over from the founder who created the culture doesn’t have the authenticity or moral authority that the founder had,” Mr. Gordon said. “Can he maintain the same spirit of fun and a little weirdness and positive team spirit?” (Mr. Hsieh did not found the company, but has been referred to as a founder based on his involvement as an investor and chief executive from its earliest days.) Mr. Deshpande, who is from Aurangabad, India, came to the United States for a master’s degree in computer engineering, and joined Zappos after stints at General Electric and PepsiCo. He joins a growing list of South Asian chief executives in the United States, at companies like Microsoft; Google’s parent company, Alphabet; and Gap. Zappos, which derives its name from “zapatos,” the Spanish word for shoes, was an early e-commerce success story under Mr. Hsieh, who wrote a best-selling book in 2010, “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.” It argued that a company’s top priority should be its culture and that keeping employees happy translated into success with customers. The company, which moved from the Bay Area to southern Nevada in 2004 and now has a campus in downtown Las Vegas, developed a reputation for being a fun, almost cultlike place to work, where employees regularly socialized at work and outside the office. The company has claimed that it is harder to get a job at Zappos than it is to get into Harvard. Mr. Deshpande said Zappos employees had become closer in some ways in the past year as they brought family or pets into the remote-work fold. “When we have Halloween contests, it’s the entire family that is participating,” said Mr. Deshpande, who has two young daughters. He described packages Zappos sent to employees and their families for activities like planting herb gardens or performing science experiments. He guessed that employees would start returning to the office after July 1 and were likely to develop hybrid schedules with some remote and some in-person work. While Zappos did not have to struggle with the drop-off at physical stores that so many other retailers did, it did take a hit early on in the pandemic as shoes and clothing became an afterthought; few people were buying high heels last March. Sales have recovered since, fueled by demand in the so-called performance and home categories — think running and hiking shoes, pajamas, athleisure and slippers. Mr. Deshpande said he was unsure when demand for high heels would return, but anticipated that people would continue to want comfort as the economy reopened. Zappos has introduced and expanded ways to smooth out the kinks of online shopping during the pandemic, like allowing some customers to make returns through UPS home pickups, and making it easier to exchange items. It also observed that the average length of calls with customer service representatives had increased as people had more time in a closed-off world. They also left more detailed reviews on products. One of the company’s biggest goals, and a top priority for Mr. Deshpande in coming years, is figuring out how to make online shopping less transactional and more like the browsing experiences that people seek out in malls and department stores. That includes developing new digital magazinelike “verticals” — much like what media companies create — such as “The Ones,” which is tailored for female sneakerheads and advertised as “powered by Zappos.” Zappos is also behind VRSNL, a luxury site that has its own web address and no visible link to the shoe site. It features wares from designers like Dolce & Gabbana and Proenza Schouler. The company has been pouring new effort into product detail pages and informational videos catered to audiences like new runners, and even co-developing merchandise and campaigns with the brands it carries. “What online fails to deliver, which physical delivers today, is around these different experiences,” Mr. Deshpande said. “Until you actually go and deliver on these experiences, people will go back to the physical, in my opinion, and they will stay online for only transactional experiences.” The company refers to these efforts as “experience commerce,” and said the category was driving 25 percent of its investments. Outside of prompting consumers to explore more, Zappos is also trying to make online shopping more cohesive — all with the aim of getting consumers to spend more money over time. “One of the challenges has been that when somebody walks into ‘online,’ somebody looking for a jacket, for example, we show them inventory next to each other — like a $30 jacket, $50, $100, $300,” Mr. Deshpande said. “This is a very disorienting experience.” In his view, all of the efforts are in line with Zappos’s obsessive focus on service for the past 20 years, which he anticipates remaining its focus for the next 20 years. While the company is still grieving Mr. Hsieh, Mr. Deshpande said, employees will continue to embody the values that he championed. He pointed to an instance during the holidays when one employee mentioned children missing out on meeting Santa Claus during the pandemic, leading to a multidepartment effort to set up Santa Zoom meetings for children around the country. “To me, Tony’s legacy is around delivering this happiness to everybody,” Mr. Deshpande said. “This culture he has created or pioneered, it’s going to be alive.” Source link Orbem News #Death #Hsiehs #move #Shocking #Tony #Zappos

[redhairedfeistynerd]

A Very Bucky Thanksgiving

Bucky Barnes x reader, singledad!Bucky, Riley and Piper Barnes, Steve Rogers

Summary: This is the first year Bucky has invited someone special to join in on their Thanksgiving dinner.Will everything go smoothly?

Warnings: some swearing, some sly sexual conversation

A/N: I originally wrote this piece for Canadian Thanksgiving but here we are!  I hope you enjoy another moment with the Barnes family.

For as long as his girls have been in this world, Bucky has been passionate about baking. He figures this came to fruition when his ex-wife started spending more time out of the house and preferred being away on business trips than building a life with him and their young girls. As their relationship slowly deteriorated, Bucky found solace in pastries, cookies, and breads. Navigating his way through forums and how-to videos online, searching for recipes like he once hunted for his latest mission.

His girls had requested their favourites for this last-minute weekend celebration. Pumpkin pie with maple cream, pumpkin walnut scones, and a new treat he was testing out today, pumpkin spiced doughnuts with maple salted glaze, and for his sweet lady friend; a pecan pie.

Bucky could smell the doughnuts before the time reached zero. The soft smell of cinnamon and sugar wafted through his two-story house, reaching him while he tidied up the bathroom from the girls attack on it early that same morning. Wiping down the counter, he flicked off the light, bounding down the stairs to the kitchen as the last seconds wound down on the timer. Oven mitt on, doughnuts pulled out of the oven (he was trying out a baked version this time) he had about an hour before the girls would burst in the front door after a day of shopping the holiday sales.

The weekend plans had changed at the last minute, his ex (Jackie) had cancelled on the girls again. The girls were to fly up to their mothers' cabin in Whistler, B.C. for a Canadian Thanksgiving but a last-minute job had come up and she chose that over her kids.

Bucky was not impressed by her choice. Riley rolled her eyes at the news and muttered “big surprise” when Bucky relayed the message to his youngest daughter.

Jackie always chose work before their daughters. Her new husband had more importance to her these days.

Her influencer status has skyrocketed after she left Bucky, leaving him high and dry to raise the girls. He didn't see it as an issue though, he loved his girls and if he had to do this on his own, then that's what he would set out to do. His Avengers status pushed away a few years before, he found that he was calling Steve a bit more during those earlier years. Sometimes he needs a break, to sit in a quiet room where Riley wasn't screaming at the top of her lungs, which would have Piper in tears. There was something magical about Uncle Steve though, maybe it was his rich voice, whispering sweet words to Riley to ease the screams to a low whimper. Maybe it was the way he sang the sweet songs of the 40s to stop the tears flowing from Piper's bright blue eyes. Whatever it was that Steve had, Bucky was extremely thankful for.  

One of their first Thanksgivings without Jackie, had both girls sick with the stomach flu. He'd never seen anything as disgusting as what his young girls were dishing out.  

Blood, wounds, and other violent memories had nothing on this. Who knew little people could cause THAT much mess?

Bucky was exhausted. Riley had finally fallen asleep on the couch and Piper was sprawled out in the master bedroom on his bed, resembling a starfish.

With one last swipe of the kitchen counter, Bucky tossed the rag in the laundry basket and released a sigh of completion. Turning on the hood fan, he turned off the track lights and walked towards his daughter who was now snoring lightly on the couch, when a soft knocking came from his front door. Puzzled, he turned away from his sleeping daughter and made his way to the entryway. He opened the door to Steve's smiling face.

"What are you..."

"Nat phoned and gave me the heads up that you were literally drowning in shit."

"Language," grumbled Bucky as he opened the door wider to let Steve in.

Steve chuckled and took a good look at Bucky. "Man, you're looking a little rough around the edges."

"You would too if you were knee deep in dirty laundry and had two goblins that were puking so much, they make that scene in the Exorcist look tame.

Steve scrunched his nose and tried to shake the memory of that scene out of his head. The previous year, Bucky had invited his old team over for a horror movie night while the girls were spending the night with their mom. Steve still hadn't forgiven Bucky for subjecting him to that movie. "Absolutely disgusting."

Bucky grunted and shut the door, Steve following him from the entryway and up the stairs to the kitchen.

"Here, Nat made some soup for you and the girls, if they are feeling up to eating it,” Steve said holding out the package.

“Oh ya, thanks. I’m sure the girls will appreciate their Aunty Nat making her famous soup,” he nods his head in thanks before muttering “hopefully it's not pea soup,” and walks across the kitchen.

Steve watches as Bucky tucks the soup away in the fridge, noticing how stringy his hair has become and when he looks his way, the dark circles are around his eyes. “Hey Buck, why don’t you leave the tidying up to me and you go take a shower, relax a bit.”

Bucky shuts the fridge door and looks at Steve. “Are you sure you want to clean up this cesspool?” He asks as his arms waving to point out the mess around the kitchen.

“Yes, I’m here to help you out, all right?” Bucky nods and pats Steve on the shoulder on his way up to the bathroom.

Steve manages to tidy up the first floor of the house, shift Riley from the couch to her bed, and fold a load of laundry. He’s pouring hot water into a mug when Bucky walks back in, looking like the shower did its job. “You want a cup of tea?” He asks Bucky when he sit down at the kitchen table.

“Please, a cup of something black so I can keep my eyes open for a bit longer. You feel like watching a funny movie? I feel like I need a good laugh after what this week has been like.”  

“Sounds good, how about you go on down and put something on, I’ll bring the tea and some snacks for us,” Steve replies and pours a second mug full of water.  

The men settle in and watch a classic comedy, quiet laughter sailing out of both of their mouths, trying to be quiet while the girls sleep. Steve decides on a second movie and they watch until they fall asleep on the couches.  

Bucky wakes up, his stomach twisting, and the pain, THE PAIN. "You've got to be fucking kidding.” He lurches off the sectional and runs to the bathroom by the laundry room.

Steve wakes from the sounds of his friend slamming the bathroom door, the unmentionable sounds have Steve pulling his pillow over his head. When he moves it away several minutes later, all he hears is silence. Steve gets up from the couch and makes his way to the bathroom, gently knocking on the door. "Bucky? Are you alive in there?"

"Fucking kill me, please,” he begs and Steve hears his best friend heave again.

Steve camps out at the Barnes household during that Thanksgiving weekend. There is no turkey, no pumpkin pie, or a dysfunctional family fight. Everything is quiet as Bucky careens himself in his bedroom while Steve manages the rest of the household. He keeps the girls busy and out of Bucky’s hair for several days; visits to the ice cream shop and to the park near their home, keeps them smiling and giggling while their dad is at home, miserable in bed.

Steve sits back on the park bench and admires the colours changing all around him; the leaves sway from left to right, falling gently down to the ground. Piles of brown and yellow sit before him, raked into tidy piles. He gets and idea, something to cheer Bucky up the last few days of having the stomach flu. He calls the girls over and tells them his plan to make their dad smile. He makes a video of them, jumping in the leaves and throwing them around, their laughter warming his heart. When the girls have finished frolicking in the mounds of colourful leaves, he takes each other their hands in his and begins the walk back to the house. He’ll send the little video to Bucky in the morning when he heads out and back to work.  

Bucky still smiles at the memory of that little video. He can now smile about his treacherous first Thanksgiving as a single dad but he made it up every year that followed; this year, he has to make up for what his ex has left behind. Riley is pressuring him to make her mom's famous stuffing (he laughs at this because this is a recipe that she took from a cookbook he had from his mom) Piper has decided that Bucky is THE WORST because he is going to kill an innocent turkey and all she wants is for him to save one (and yes, he does donate to a local farm that saves turkeys later in the week) and have it live the rest of its life, in their backyard. He notes that she will have a plate of vegetables tonight and he has no idea if that is sufficient enough for a teenage girl who that is 15.  

“Cranberries sauce”

“Check!”

“Water chestnuts.”

“Check!”

“Wait, what the heck are water chestnuts for, Pop?”

Bucky is sitting on the kitchen floor sorting through the pantry and about to answer when he sees you creeping into the kitchen, hiding behind his oldest, about to scare her. Her arms wrap around Piper and she squeezes her tightly expelling a high-pitched squeak.  

He will never get over how beautiful her smile is when her eyes meet his. His heart beats so fast that he’s afraid she will be able to see it pounding in his chest.  

The flowers she is holding scream fall – oranges, yellows, and reds – the cute Chinese lanterns that she adores, wobble back and forth as she walks towards him. She reaches for him with her free hand and pulls him into a tight hug, whispering “you look extra handsome today, soldier.”

“He got his hair trimmed for you,” Riley shouts from the top of the stairs and watches as her father’s face turns as red as the Gerbera's in the bouquet. She snorts as she walks down the stairs at Bucky’s embarrassment and hops down the last few steps to pull y/n into a hug.

“Hi sweetness, I missed your smiling face,” Y/N says into Riley’s strawberry blond curls.

“Missed you too. Are you ready for your first Barnes Annual Canadian Thanksgiving?” Riley asks while rocking on her feet.

Y/N looks at her, “Is it any different from the other Thanksgiving I would be having?

“Well duh, this one if full of maple syrup, poutine, and never-ending skits by Bob and Doug Mackenzie!

Bucky bursts out laughing and poor Y/N is looking between the two of them, lost when it came to the last item. “Okay, okay, Ri, leave the poor woman alone. Here love, let me take those flowers and put them in a vase.” Bucky squeezes her waist gently, taking the colourful bouquet from her hands. She follows him to the cabinet housing the vase and sniffs the air.

“What’s is that smell? It’s so-

“Delicious?” Riley adds as she passes by Y/N and hops up onto a bar stool? “Your taste buds are in for an incredible treat. Dad is the best baker this city has!”

“Pretty sure I’m not hun, but thank you for boosting me up a bit.” Bucky’s cheeks changing in colour, somewhat embarrassed by his daughter's compliment.

“Oh, come on dad, that’s why all the moms are always swooning when you join the bake sales,” Piper chirps in.

“The moms swoon over your dad? I’m pretty sure that has more to do with his-” she’s cut off by Bucky shoving a Snickerdoodle in her mouth. Squinted her eyes at him and waving her finger as if she’s promising to get him back later. He can’t help but smirk and squeeze her side.

“Shhh, my sweet. Don’t be telling my girls how irresistible I am,” he whispers into her ear and kisses it.

Riley makes gagging sounds from behind her dad and Piper’s face turns red from the affection their father is showing Y/N. This is the not the first time they have seen their father with a woman but this specific woman has done something to their father. He’s smiling, he whistles while he bakes, and he’s happy.  

Y/N turns to face Riley, “Oh kid, are we embarrassing you? Making you feel a little queasy inside?” She walks over to Bucky as he arranges the flowers in the vase and loudly kisses his cheek and laughs. “How about that Ri?”

“You’re the worst,” Riley chuckles and grabs the serving spoons to put on the table.  

Bucky pulls Y/N into a hug and kisses her lightly on the lips. He can taste the Snickerdoodle and it makes him wish he could fully indulge but he restrains, knowing that tonight they’ll have time alone once the girls head to their rooms for the night. He brings his lips to her forehead before taking the flowers to the table and placing them in the centre.  

“All right ladies, let’s get this show on the road!”  

“Don’t you mean Barnes’, Assemble!” Piper asks with a smirk on her face. Bucky just shook his head, a big smile across his face.

“Tell me where you want me, Barnes,” Y/N said as she looked at Bucky, his smirk telling her that where he wanted her was not in the kitchen.

“Turkey is in the oven, that weird Tofurky thing is in there too, I need to add the water chestnuts to the beans, the pot of potatoes needs to boil, and in a bit, we can get the rest of the veggies going too. Who’s good with making gravy?”

“I hope you made stuffing for me that isn’t in that bird, dad,” Piper said, giving her dad one of her teenage looks.

Bucky slides a bowl across the counter to his oldest so she can see the stuffing he made; animal free. “It’s vegan sweetie, I hope you like it,” Bucky responds. “I found this recipe online, some popular blog.” He watches as she scoops a bit of the warm food in her mouth, and can’t help but chuckle when a groan of satisfaction spills out.  

Y/N can’t help but take a scoop for herself, a squeal of delight escaping her mouth. “Shit, Barnsey, you’ve been holding back! Where have you been all my life?” She laughs and walks back over to him, wrapping her arms around him and going in for a quick kiss. “Let’s get this show on the road! All pots on boil!” She shouts and turns the last pot on.

The Barnes family and their first-time guest are indulging in their feast within an hour. Nothing but chewing and soft music can be heard at the table. It always amazes Bucky that it takes hours upon hours of work for this one evening and within minutes the food is gone. He’s thankful though; for his girls, for the life he now has, and for you. He wouldn’t change anything. One last scoop of mashed potatoes goes into his mouth and he places his fork down. “So, do you three want dessert now or do you want to digest a bit first?” Riley stands up from her seat and throws her hands in the air. “Roll out the cart of desserts for us to feast upon, father!”  

All Bucky can do is laugh, she’s always been the dramatic one and he lives for these moments. “Riley, I haven’t said what I’m thankful for yet this evening but one of those things I’m thankful for the humour you provide in this family.”

“Aww Pops, I appreciate that but can you please just bring out the good stuff?” Riley’s blue eyes sparkle and Bucky pushes his chair in and heads back to the counter where he has the pies and other sugary treats. He brings the doughnuts and pumpkin pie with maple cream out first, leaving the girls to help themselves as he returns to the kitchen to cut Y/N a slice of pecan pie. He places a dollop of fresh whipped cream beside it and carries it to her, his face turns red when he places it before her stating, “I made this especially for you.” A look crosses her face and its one he has only recently seen. He thinks its adoration? Or could it be...love? He’s not sure if it’s either but whatever it is, he hopes she continues looking at him that way. He sits back down across from her and watches as she takes the first bite of pie. Her eyes close and he can see the sparkle in her eyeshadow as the light above bounces off of it. It feels like forever before he hears a sound of approval from her.  

“Wow Barnes. I’m going to say this is almost as good as s-

“Well now, girls, how about you start cleaning up what you can and let Y/N finish up her pie.” He tries to pull back Piper’s chair and is met with resistance.

“No WAY, Pops. I want to hear all about how good this pie of yours is. Right, Riley?” Piper looks to her sister, eyebrow raised in hopes that her sister will join in on the teasing.”

“Hell no, I don’t want to hear about the crap these two get up to. Nu uh, NOPE,” she shouts and she grabs a few dishes from the table and heads to the sink to rinse them off.  

Dishes away and the leftovers wrapped up, Bucky takes Y/N’s hand and walks with her to his room. Door closed and locked behind him, Bucky finally pulls his sweet lady as close to him as possible. “Happy Thanksgiving, baby.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, Buck.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him into a kiss. “Come on Barnsey, there’s one thing you haven’t warmed up yet this evening.”

“Oh, did I forget to warm up your pie because I can head back-

She quiets him with another kiss, deeper than the last. “You know damn well that’s not what I meant. Now, be good a good man and get ready for the real dessert.”

Bucky can’t help but curl up and laugh loudly. His girl knows all the ways to make him laugh and smile, tonight is no exception. With one pull, she is on top of him, where he wants her this evening; where he can be warm within and thankful for everything his life has brought him.

[funkymbtifiction]

ISTP

SUBMITTED by https://indy745.tumblr.com

Being: My day job is implementing/supporting a telecommunication software application. I avoid project management at work like the plague because it requires detailed notes, project plans, organization, conference calls, and lots of follow up. All methodical things that usually have to be done in a specific order. I am not good at these things and hate methodically doing anything in a specific order. But I am very good at logically troubleshooting problems, at asking the right questions to get to a customer’s true needs and/or problems, and at resolving issues faster than most of my co-workers. Give me a problem at work, leave me alone, and I’ll resolve it or escalate it to the engineers. I know pretty much right away when it’s an issue I can figure out and fix myself versus something I would be wasting my time on it needs to be escalated to engineering.

I have no patience with slowness and having my time wasted. At all. My co-workers will usually give control of a computer over to me if I’m helping them solve a problem because they know they’re not going fast enough for me. I even avoid going to the grocery store with certain family members because they take too long randomly browsing aisles. I can do it twice as fast alone, get out of my way! I have a sign that says “The only thing worse than seeing something done wrong is seeing something done slowly.” This is so true. I’m value independence and need the freedom to do what I want when I want. I have no problems traveling alone, going to movies alone, going to dinner alone. I’m not so good with romantic relationships, but I like to think this is only because I haven’t met someone willing and unthreatened by the sheer amount of space and alone time I need. Even spending time with my family requires me to retreat to privacy to recover after just a couple hours of being with them. On the other hand, large crowds don’t faze me because they don’t engage me or affect me personally. They’re merely obstacles to be navigated around. What exhausts me at a place like Disneyland is never the crowds, but the family or friends I have to spend the day with. It’s almost guaranteed I’ll take off by myself at some point during a visit to Disneyland to regroup. Also the time-wasting thing comes into play again... I’m not going to sit around while they move too slowly for me or do something I don’t like. I’m going to go do my own thing and meet back up later.

I’m calm and quick-acting under duress and emergency situations. I also crave adventure constantly. If I’m driving, I’m always eyeing any open country I see and wanting to be out in it hiking or just wanting to see what’s over the top of a rise or around a bend. I passionately love the outdoors. But my need for adventure is also satisfied by a good action movie or book or television show. I don’t have to physically be out doing things. Thinking about them will do the trick. This is a big reason why I became a writer, so that when I wanted adventure, I could just write an adventurous story.

I only drive manual transmission cars because then I’m in control and I can shift gears when I want, not when the car wants. I love driving and I love a car that handles and moves out like a sports car, but pragmatism also make me choose low maintenance vehicles that also get good gas mileage and have good visibility out all the windows. Almost everything I do is a balance between satisfying those physical cravings and logical efficient practicalities.I am a sucker for shiny things, like a watch with all the gadgets, and high-end audio/video equipment. I am drawn to the best of things and will admit I look down my nose at cheap things. I also like instant gratification and will often buy in haste, though I usually do at least some online research about any large purchases.

I have very strong opinions on a lot of things, but I basically never share my opinions on controversial topics (such as politics) because I’ve found no good comes from it. I may completely disagree with what someone says to me, but I will merely nod or make a non-committal noise and move on, and they usually never know how opposite my own view actually may be. I’m value honesty, so saying nothing is usually the best policy. Most people, I’ve found, don’t actually want to hear what someone else thinks, anyway, they just wanted to air their own views. I’m very emotional over some things, but not over other things that perhaps I should be. Movies, music, books, beauty, animals – these things make me cry pretty freely. Actual people-things I probably should react to usually don’t elicit a feeling. I have cried at funerals of extended family members because everyone else is crying, but inside, I would have to admit I do not feel sad. The opposite is true as well. I can beam and tell someone how happy I am for them and not feel the least bit happy inside. I am very good at putting on the appropriate face for others while keeping my inner feelings private. I will often say generic things that I don’t feel or mean in small talk with people simply because I know the person I’m with feels that way, and it keeps things smooth and easy. What I’m really thinking is none of their business.

How others perceive me: People who don’t know me seem to find me intimidating and anti-social, aloof, a bit mysterious, and humorless. I can be very blunt in criticizing, though the older I get the more tact I’ve learned to employ. Part of that is because I handle criticism very well, and I didn’t realize for the longest time that most other people don’t. People seem to get their feelings hurt very easily, which is foreign to me. People who do know me find me loyal and caring and get to see my silly side. Which can be very very silly. I laugh a lot when I’m with people I trust. But it usually takes a long time before I trust people.

The perception of ISTP: mechanic who will take your car apart and put it back together. Hah. No. Not cars. However, I’m very good at figuring out how things work on my own. I built two wooden gates myself just from understanding how a gate has to work. I’ve put in multiple brick patios. I’ve made multiple costumes by hand with no instruction, but because logically a corset can only function if it’s made a certain way, etc.

ISTPs are daredevil adrenaline junkies... no, that’s not me. This kind of stereotype seems to look at Se without considering Ti comes first. My Ti prevents me from doing stupid reckless things that would get me injured or killed, raise my insurance, cost me money I don’t have, etc. I think first, then act. Sure, I enjoy driving fast, but will only do it when I don’t endanger others or myself. I’d love to know what it feels like to parachute out a plane, but I doubt I’d do it because one thing goes wrong and you’re dead.

They’re badasses – Well, I admit, I’ve studied fencing, kickboxing, can use a bullwhip, and am good at archery. I walk/run several miles every day, and I have a great need to be in shape or I’m very unhappy with myself. But I avoid conflict and would try to talk my way out of a bad situation before I tried anything physical.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Under the Apple Tree--Chapter 3

Ship:  Outlaw Queen

Rating: T

Synopsis: After being hit by the Olympian Crystal, Robin was transported to Seattle, unable to return to Storybrooke or any magical. When it was clear he had no way to return to his family, Robin finally decided to bury his broken heart in work–founding a landscaping business, Sherwood Forestry.  Fifteen years later, Robin receives an order from the last person he ever thought he’d see again, making him realize that hope never truly dies.

Previous: Chapter 1  Chapter 2

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Robin had anything but a restful night.  His nerves were stretched tight, like the string of his favorite bow.  Thoughts and emotions he hadn’t experienced in years came flooding back, strong and poignant as ever.

It had been fourteen and a half years since he last saw Regina.  Fourteen and a half years since Hades shot him with the Olympian crystal and banished him to the far side of this fair country.  He remembered the early days just after it became apparent he would never return.  It had been agonizing wondering what had become of Storybrooke, of his family, of all those he loved.  

Had his sacrifice given Regina the time she needed to stop Hades once and for all or had Hades triumphed? What became of Roland?  What about his newborn daughter who he’d not even had the chance to name?

The uncertainty had tortured him for years until finally the sharp edge of grief and fear had worn off. As much as he tried, there was nothing he could do to help those he loved, nothing he could do to even learn their fate.  All he could do was endure, try to make a life for himself in this new land, live a life his soulmate, his son, his daughter could be proud of.

But with the events of this past day all those latent emotions came rushing back to the surface. Somehow, someway Regina was here. Here!  Had she fallen victim to Hades’ weapon as well?  Had she similarly sacrificed herself to save those she loved?  He sincerely hoped she hadn’t undergone that fate.

And he had reason to believe his hope was well founded.  After all, when he was banished he retained his memories.  He knew precisely what had befallen him, but Regina…Regina was not even aware of her true name.  Could it have been some sort of a curse that sent her here?  If a curse, were there others in this town of Misthaven? Could…could Roland be here?  His daughter?

Roland.  He’d missed his son with a sharp ache that had only dulled, never completely left.   What had become of him after Robin’s banishment?  How had he adjusted to life as an orphan?  The lad would be an adult now, an adult in his young 20s.  And Robin’s daughter!  She’d be a teenager now.  Tears came to his eyes as he thought of all the years he’d missed with his children.

And so Robin had tossed and turned throughout the night.  Finally, at dawn, he’d arisen to shower and prepare for his breakfast meeting with Regina…or Rayna, rather.  He didn’t know what brought Regina here, what had happened in Storybrooke, or where everyone else had ended up, but he knew the key to learning those answers lay in bringing back his soulmate’s memories.  

The big question, of course, was how.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Robin set his fork back on his empty plate and hummed in pleasure.  “Delectable as always, Regina” he said, looking over at the woman sitting across from him.  “It’s no wonder Grandma enthusiastically endorsed your idea and agreed to sell your line of desserts.”

“Delectable as always?” she asked, her brows raising, “this is the first time you’ve tasted my baking…and my name’s Rayna.”

Robin felt his face flush. It had been such a lovely morning. They’d fallen into easy conversation from the first moment he stepped into her home.  It felt so very much like old times, like the delightful months they’d spent together before everything crashed around them.  It was so familiar, that for just a moment Robin forgot that she’d lost her memories.

“I…I merely assumed your food is always delicious,” he stammered rather lamely.  “My turnover was perfectly flaky and delicious.  That perfection is not born overnight.”

She continued looking at him skeptically.

“And…” he continued, “well…you remind me very much of a Regina I…knew…many years ago.”

And she did.  Clearly whatever curse or memory charm had befallen her had not changed her personality.  But for her lack of memories of any life besides the one she lived here in Misthaven, she was exactly as he remembered her.  The same strength, the same fire, the same passionate love for those she cared about.

The years had been kind to her.  Though more than a decade had passed since Robin last beheld her, she looked largely the same, only the tiny crow’s feet around her eyes betraying the passage of time. She was so breathtakingly gorgeous Robin felt his heart stutter and then race just looking at her.

Gods but he’d missed her.

“I’m pleased you enjoyed it,” Regina (no Rayna; he mustn’t slip up again!) said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.  “I’ve been making these turnovers for years, and they usually tend to go over well.”

Indeed they did. Robin felt the familiar ache in his chest rise up as he remembered how very much Roland had loved Regina’s turnovers. He’d rarely gotten sweets in the Enchanted Forest, but he had as much of a sweet tooth as any child, and Robin believed Regina had won his little boy’s heart that very day.

Afterwards, it became something of a tradition for them.  Whenever they had family dinner nights, Roland helped Regina roll out the dough and place the sweet apple filling inside, before running off to play video games with Henry.

“Robin?” she asked after a moment, and Robin realized he’d drifted off into his own thoughts.

“Apologies,” he said with a wry smile, “I’m afraid I was woolgathering for a moment.”

She gave him a piercing look and Robin held it, trying desperately not to squirm.  “It’s the oddest thing,” she breathed.  “You seem so very familiar.  I just had the weirdest sense of déjà vu that we’ve done this before, shared a meal, but that’s ridiculous, right?”

Robin’s heart picked up. Was it possible she was beginning to remember.  “Are you sure it’s ridiculous?  Are you sure we’ve never met?  Perhaps in another place, another time.  I spent a fair amount of time in a town called Storybrooke in Maine.”

Her brow furrowed again. “Storybrooke?  I can guarantee you I’ve never been there.  I’d certainly remember a town with such an unusual name. And I’ve never been to the east coast. I’ve lived here in Misthaven since….since…well that’s odd.  I can’t really remember when I came here….or where I lived before I came here…  At any rate, I’ve been living here, in this house, since long before James moved in.”

Robin felt a distinctly unpleasant jolt.  James?  Did this version of Regina have a boyfriend?  A husband?  Looking around, Robin noticed tennis shoes lined up at the doorway, far too big for Regina’s dainty feet, a distinctly masculine leather jacket hanging on the coat rack.  How had he missed it?

It had been a decade and a half since Robin had been banished; he certainly couldn’t blame Regina for moving on.  Still the thought hurt.

“Oh no,” Rayna rushed to reassure, clearly seeing the turmoil in his eyes.  “James isn’t my significant other; he’s my brother.”

Robin breathed a small sigh of relief…and then promptly felt guilty for it.  “He lives here with you?  I’m sorry; It’s really none of my business...”

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “James and I have always had a…complicated relationship.  We’ve never been particularly close, more likely to snipe at each other than get along, but he’s my brother.  A while back, he lost his wife and his hand, and he was a total mess.  I asked him to move in with me, at least until he got back on his feet and learned to navigate life with a disability.”

Robin sucked in a quick breath.  He lost a hand?  Was it possible?  Could this “James” Regina thought was her brother actually be Hook?  

“I’m so sorry,” Robin said after a moment.  “It must have been terrible for him.  How did it happen.”

Rayna opened her mouth and then closed it with a snap.  “You know…it’s the weirdest thing.  I can’t really remember.  It must have been a car accident or something…”

Or something.

The questions swirled in Robin’s head.  Was Emma the wife “James” had lost?  What happened to her?  Had the savior actually fallen to a villain?  Was that why Regina and Killian, at the very least, had been cursed?

“It was a terrible time,” Rayna continued, “and as usual my next door neighbor, Robert Goldson didn’t make things any easier.  He’s one of those personal injury attorneys.  You’ve probably seen his billboards throughout town. ‘Hurt in a car accident?  Let me make a deal for you!’.  He’s a real piece of work.  I suspect he’d sue his own grandmother if he felt it would be lucrative enough for him.”

Gold.  Gold was here too?

“I’m sorry,” Robin said. “It must have been a difficult time for you both.”

“It was,” Rayna said, and then shrugged, “but we survived, and now things are better.”

They fell into a pleasant silence for a moment, a silence only broken by the clock chiming the hour. Looking up at it, Robin gave a start. Noon!  He’d been here four hours?  He’d enjoyed his time so much it felt like it had only been a few short moments.

Robin got rather reluctantly to his feet.  “I’m afraid I must be going,” he said with very sincere regret.  “I’ve a bit of work to attend to at the nursery, but I’ve enjoyed this morning immensely.”

Rayna got to her feet as well.  “I did too. Maybe…maybe we could do it again sometime?”

Robin smiled down at her, wanting nothing more than to lean down and kiss her, knowing Rayna was not yet ready for that.  “I would love to.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Six hours later, Robin trudged up the stairs and down the hall to his apartment.  Stepping inside he crossed to the refrigerator and grabbed himself a beer before settling into his favorite chair in the living room.

It had been quite the day. There had been enough work to keep him occupied at the nursery that he hadn’t had a chance to assess his time with “Rayna”.  Now, in the comfort of his own home, he finally could.

The morning had been enjoyable, of course, but he wouldn’t consider it an unqualified success.  He still had no idea how to restore Regina’s memories.  At least she’d expressed a desire to see him again.  Perhaps he’d receive some new inspiration before he saw her again.

There was a sudden knock at the door.  Curious.  Robin wasn’t expecting anyone.  He set his beer down on a coaster and went to the door.

“Hi,” said the man on the other side.  “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Henry Mills, and this is my daughter, Lucy.”

Notes:

--Well there you go!  The mystery of Regina’s brother’s identity is revealed (as is the identity of Robin’s neighbor that I teased in my last notes section).  With the addition of Rayna’s neighbor, Robert Goldson, the smarmy lawyer, all three of the returning cast are now accounted for.  The question, of course, is are there any other familiar faces in Misthaven, and if not….where are they?

--For those of my readers who are CS fans, take a deep breath and remember “James” is cursed.  No, Emma isn’t with him right now, but the reason for that may not be exactly what he believes.

--Up next: We turn the clock back a few hours and find out what’s been going on with Henry…and how he reacts to the cute little girl who showed up at his door claiming to be his daughter at the very end of season 6. Through his conversation with Lucy, we get quite a few answers about just what led to Regina, Gold and Killian being cursed in the town of Misthaven.  When Henry realizes that his next door neighbor is actually Robin Hood, he decides to go to him and request his help as he and Lucy start trying to put things to rights.

Tagging a few who I talk to frequently and might be interested: @flslp87 @hellomommanerd @linda8084  @snowbellewells @kmomof4.

[charleightolley-blog]

Final Major Project

26-01-2019

I began my Final Major Project by struggling to find something I wanted to spend a vast amount of time researching into and creating outcomes for. I began by brain storming issues in society which I was interested in tackling and then narrowed them into a handful of topics which I could tackle realistically and produce powerful outcomes for.

After a conversation with one of my lecturers, Brian, about what I was passionate about in the world, what sparked an interest and what I spent my spare time looking into / watching. I created a brain storm of what I am extremely passionate about and chose one pathway from that.

I spend a lot of my spare time looking into missing people cases as it amazes me that in the 21st century people can still go missing, especially in a city like London where we are completely watched with CCTV. I watch YouTube video’s to understand theories and do my own research into how and why people go missing. It’s a bit of a strange hobby but it’s actually quite popular and growing in popularity on YouTube. So I took this hobby and started researching into a specific area among missing people where I could explore and maybe someone hadn’t already explored.

Then having a group chat with some peers and presenting them with the issues I have faced, helped me narrow down an insight to tackle directly through out my final major project - some people want to be missing (for what ever reason), how can we help the people they have left behind. Rather than force the missing to be found when this is not their wish, help the families have closure to a worrying time.

I started some brief research into the current missing people campaigns and how charities have tackled the issue of missing people / runaways. The emotion I got from these campaigns were extremely sad but also very mechanical. I wanted my campaign to have emotion and feel personal to the people I am targeting.

09–02-2019

I needed to decide how I would be able to help those wishing to stay missing without making them feel as they need to disclose their location. After critically analysing existing campaigns for missing people and discovering that there is not any campaigns which allow the missing person stay missing - all current campaigns feature them coming home or others disclosing their whereabouts. This research helped me greatly as a designer as this will be what I will be researching into and gaining an understanding of what is already targeting the area of which I am trying to 

Most campaigns are online, meaning those with no smart phone / internet do not get to see these campaigns which may be aimed at them. I knew I had to design and make something physical and that could reach those without smart phones and could possibly be living on the streets.

From this, I began researching into techniques pieces of information can be distributed physically.

05-03-2019

I began looking directly into zines and why zines were used. Zines are most commonly used to distribute a message to a vast audience, however on a budget. I believed that using a zine, printing it by hand gave each issue a personal touch rather than polished magazines which have no personality to them. Zines usually look rough, not polished and finalised. Going to Ravensbourne university library, I was able to look at some hand made zines which had been donated to the library for educational purposes. This really helped me gain a better understanding that Google wouldn’t have been able to.

After deciding I was going to be  creating a zine, I began doing depth research into people who have gone missing and are believed to be in London (as London is a popular city people decide to run away to due to its population). When researching into charity pages such as Missing People and YouTube video’s where YouTubers relay the information they have researched, I began making content for the zine. The content consisted of the missing persons photograph, hand written messages from their loved ones and where they were able to send a response home.

After talking to Brian, again, it came to me that maybe it would be very difficult for the missing person to compose a message to their loved ones. Finding it difficult to put into words why they need some space, and then Brian told me about how back in the world wars, families would receive a message from the front line but it would be a pre written message. Rather than the soldiers composing messages themselves.

Taking a leaf from this book, i decided to start looking into possible pre written responses which would be sent to families back home.

As well as doing this, I was designing the layouts for the zines and working out which type of printing would work best.

17-03-2019

After a Riso Printing workshop with Steve Stacey,  I decided that this way of printing would fit perfectly with my zine’s identity. I wanted the zine to feel personal to each person reading it and that the reader felt a connection to the content they were reading. Each print from the Riso printer would be slightly different depending on how the paper went in, how warm the ink was and the papers grooves. I then began changing my designs to fit how the Riso printer needed the images / layers to look.

I had never used such a printer before so it was quite difficult learning how the print outs would work, very trial and error with a lot of my first zines. However, after perseverance, I began to know how the printer worked, how to change the ink colours and what buttons I pressed would effect the final outcome.

Whilst prototyping the zine, I began drawing up some of the interactive screens and how they would navigate through the screen / user journey. Very early on, I knew that the screen had to work in a few taps rather than taking a lot of time out the individuals day. The longer it took to answer, the less chance it is for someone to complete the screen activity. The human races attention span has rapidly decreased - it’s known on social media, if a video is longer that 30 seconds, most turn off the video. And some news articles now have a time of how long it will take you to read it. So keeping this in mind, I made the screen designs easy to follow and only a matter of clicks.

25-03-2019

I began using Adobe Xd to start developing my drawings of the interactive screen. I had not used this software before and gaining an understanding of how it works and how it can help me in the future developed me as a designer. Developing my knowledge of prototyping and how to mock up a screen to understand and map out the users journey.

I realised when creating the interactive screen that it would be handling delicate information and there could be a chance that the person interacting with the screen could want to exit the screen quickly as they had changed their minds with contacting home. This was then back led up with research when looking into the Missing People Charity - on the website, there is a button which says exit quickly. When pressed changed the page url and what is on the screen to a search home (google). I then incorporated the exit quickly button into the screen and who ch pressed, takes you back to the home page and deletes all content/ data.

Developing the users journey through the screen and creating the different ways someone could explore the screen helped me explore the software more and understand how it could be used to present my work to it's full potential.

After watching some YouTube tutorials, I began working Adobe Xd to it’s full and working the mock ups so I was able to drag the screen and scroll down pages which would be used in the real interactive screen. After finishing this mock up, I was able to put the video onto an iPad screen to show viewers how it would really look when in person.

After creating this, I had to do the same with the application on smart phones where families / loved ones could submit their messages for the missing person.

30-02-2019

Sadly, my next door neighbour was reported missing - he had gone missing after a family argument and leaving the house. He was known for suffering of depression and having a rocky relationship with alcohol. Having a person so close to my home chose to go missing and seeing first hand what it does to a family when searching  and needing closure made me more passionate about creating my FMP outcomes better and more relatable to the missing person. Having many conversations with his wife and her sister about him being missing and following their search for him over a week gave me an insight into how families feel about loved ones deciding to go missing.

Fortunately, he made contact with home and was found safe.

02-04-2019

Printing the final zines with the Riso machine was a bit touch and go, still learning how the machine works and how to change the master print. However, it did work eventually and I was able to print out two issues of the zine.

After creating my first issue of the zine, sadly two of the young missing people’s bodies had been found. Liam Smith was a 16-year-old who was last seen on 17the November on a bus. A major search was launched in the Aberdeenshire countryside, but a member of the public discovered a body which has now been confirmed the body was that of the teenager.

And the other being the 21 year old student Libby Squire. Police searching for missing Hull student Libby Squire have confirmed a body recovered from the Humber estuary is in fact the young woman. 

Due to these sad news updates, I decided to design a second issue of the zine.

After finishing the zine prints, I decided that it would be practical to made small business card like cards with the information to where the interactive screens are located with the name of the cause. This would be practical for people to hand to homeless people around London and could be in constant cycle when the zines are not published or circulating.

This project has really helped me improve as a designer by understanding how the research process and prototyping process works in industry. I developed my knowledge in prototyping software and evaluate what was missing in my portfolio and created it. Physical / print outcomes were missing from my portfolio and by creating and finishing this brief, I was able to fill that whole in my professional portfolio.

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Top 5 Social Media Trends in 2019 (And How Brands Should Adapt)

What will be the most important social media trends in 2019 for brands and businesses?

Hootsuite’s annual report has the answers.

It’s based on a survey of more than 3,000 Hootsuite customers—from large enterprises to small agencies—conducted in late 2018. We’ve also included insights from interviews with dozens of industry analysts, as well as reports and data from Edelman, Gartner, GlobalWebIndex, Forrester, Econsultancy, Kleiner Perkins, We Are Social, and others.

New formats, challenges, and ways of engaging make 2019 an exciting time to work in social media. Here’s our roadmap for navigating and thriving in the year ahead.

Top 5 social media trends for 2019 1. Rebuilding trust 2. Storifying social 3. Closing the ads gap 4. Cracking the commerce code 5. Messaging eats the world

Bonus: Get all the insight and tools you need to inform your social strategy in 2019 with our free social trends toolkit. Find out how successful brands are adapting to each trend, access data from over 3,000 customer surveys, and read the full report.

Trend 1: Rebuilding trust Brands get human as the circle of trust on social media tightens

2018 represented a crisis year for trust on social media.

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and a Congressional hearing, Facebook faced pressure from users and regulators to improve security, transparency, and accuracy.

Twitter, meanwhile, fought controversies over the large presence of bots on its platform, purging millions of fake accounts.

In recent months, consumers, regulators, and media observers have questioned the privacy, accuracy, and ethics of nearly every social network.

The result: 60 percent of people no longer trust social media companies.

For brands on social media, this shift presents new challenges and opportunities. Users have grown distrustful of many media and celebrity influencers (whose followings, it turns out, are often bought or fake). Trust has reverted back to immediate friends, family, and acquaintances on social media, as well as traditional and trusted journalism outlets.

Source: Edelman 2018 Trust Barometer Special Report: Brands and Social Media

Smart brands are focusing less on maximizing reach and more on generating transparent, quality engagement. Companies like Adidas and The New York Times, for example, are working to develop intimate, meaningful dialogue with smaller, more valuable audience groups. They’re creating communities and sharing insightful and researched content—then getting out of the way and letting passionate users talk to one another.

Hootsuite’s recommendations for this trend Beginner

Create a branded hashtag for Instagram aligned with community values.

To build conversation around your brand, create a short, easy-to-remember branded hashtag that brings your community together around a common interest. For example, Herschel Supply Co. has a popular branded hashtag, #welltravelled, for people who love to travel. They encourage their customers to share photos of Herschel products while exploring beautiful corners of the world.

Use hashtags to align users around a brand value or noble purpose, rather than just a product offering.

Take part in (or run) Twitter chats.

A Twitter chat is a public discussion on Twitter around a specific hashtag. Twitter chats are a great way to build community by generating lively discussions around your customers’ interests. The chats are held at a specific time, cover one topic or theme, and are led by a moderator.

Hootsuite hosts a monthly #Hootchat on social media marketing and strategy, bringing together a group of engaged participants who want to learn more about social media for business.

Build a Facebook Group around a core audience interest.

If you have a Facebook Business Page, you can easily create a Facebook Group to complement it. While your page will offer more general information, your Facebook Group can address niche interests and target your superfans.

The key for brands is to create a space where customers can talk to one another. Facilitate that engagement and then get out of the way. Avoid heavy-handed pitches or product plugs.

You can choose to make your group public or closed, and you should clearly identify the purpose of the group so people know why it exists.

Advanced

Include micro-influencers in your marketing strategy.

When planning campaigns, consider hiring a micro-influencer to improve the quality of your outreach with more niche audiences. Unlike well-known or celebrity influencers, micro-influencers have smaller, highly engaged social media audiences. They are more affordable for brands, are viewed as more trustworthy by consumers, and often drive better results.

One of the easiest ways to find micro-influencers is through a hashtag search on Twitter or Instagram. This will help you find people that have influence in your industry. To learn more about micro-influencers, check out this overview.

Start a secret group on Facebook.

Public groups on Facebook are open to everyone. Closed groups can be found via search but need admin permission to join.

And then there are secret groups: invisible and unsearchable to the outside world. The only way to join is to get a member to invite you.

For the right brands, secret groups can be an effective way to create an aura of exclusivity or intrigue, especially in the context of launches and special promotions. And members, free from the prying eyes of the outside world, may feel freer to share ideas.

Check out MEL Magazine’s profile of the potato-chip themed Gettin’ Chippy With It Facebook Group.

Run monthly Facebook Live Q&As sessions around commonly asked questions.

To keep customer trust, it’s important to communicate often, address problems proactively, and be as transparent as possible.

Facebook Live Q&As are an excellent place to start. They make your brand feel more human by having someone talk to customers in real time. They’re also easy to manage and budget-friendly to run.

Don’t worry about scripting beforehand—the goal is to be authentic and engaging in an informal setting.

Activate employee advocates.

To share technical info and unique insights, tap into the experts already on your team, from product specialists to your CEO. And encourage employees to reshare branded social content that’s relevant to their unique audiences.

Dedicated social employee advocacy tools can streamline the process of creating and amplifying social content.

Trend 2: Storifying social Content teams adapt as Stories offer new formats for sharing

According to consulting firm Block Party, Stories—the vertical, disappearing videos invented by Snapchat—are now growing 15 times faster than feed-based sharing.

Facebook’s own chief product officer Chris Cox shared a chart showing that Stories are set to surpass feeds as the primary way people share things with their friends within the next year. And nearly a billion users across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat already turn to Stories to share.

Source: TechCrunch, “Facebook Stories reveals 150M daily users and here come ads”

Social media is pivoting from text-based platforms originally designed for desktop use (think early Facebook) to truly mobile-only networks that enable users to capture in-the-moment experiences—and Stories embody that pivot.

Stories are overwhelmingly visual and meant to be created and consumed on the fly with nothing more than a smartphone and a creative eye. Because they’re ephemeral—often disappearing after a day—there’s more room for fun and experimentation. Stories feel real, immediate, and intensely personal.

For brands, this social media trend requires a major shift in focus in 2019.

While high-production-value posts are still important, it’s key to balance different content styles. Increasingly, brands are embracing the intimate, multimedia look and feel of Stories. The Guardian and Tictail are finding that less polished, more realistic Stories perform better than heavily edited takes filled with heavy-handed calls to action.

Hootsuite’s recommendations for this trend Beginner

Start experimenting with Stories.

An estimated four out of five major brands are already on Stories. If you aren’t creating Stories, it’s time to start.

Stories can be as easy to create as you choose, so there’s a low barrier to entry for any team’s skill set. Share content weekly (and at different times of day) to see what works best with your audiences.

Pro tip: Shoot your videos vertically. That’s how people watch them.

Create Story-specific content.

Your content should reflect the unique look and feel of Stories—raw, unedited, and live action.

Our social team at Hootsuite tested both professionally animated and live action Instagram Stories, and found that live action videos performed significantly better because they matched the Story aesthetic people are used to seeing.

Use the Stories Highlight feature.

Despite their off-the-cuff style, Stories can sometimes take a lot of time to create and share.

For brands reluctant to let their efforts simply disappear after 24 hours, there’s Highlights. Display select Stories as long as you want on your profile, along with a cover image. This feature is great for special promotions, campaigns, or longer, high-production videos that deserve extra attention.

Tap your team’s full creative resources.

Stories work best when they integrate video, storytelling, text, images, and more. Expecting a single social media specialist to integrate all these skills is a tall order. Instead, find ways for your video, photography, and graphic design teams to join forces to create something memorable.

Advanced

Get creative with your Story structures.

Stories are easy to create and allow you to produce content quickly, so you should experiment with different structures to find what works best for your brand. For example, you can create tutorials showing people how to use your product, give a behind-the-scenes look at your company culture, host a takeover, or run a Q&A on topics that interest your customers.

Add UTMs to your links to track success.

Business accounts with over 10,000 followers (or verified accounts) can add a “swipe up” feature to their Stories. This lets viewers follow a link to another website or landing page.

By adding UTMs to your Story URLs, you can track where users are going and get a better understanding of what content they like. If you don’t have access to the “swipe up” feature, add a link with a UTM code to your bio.

Get in early with Facebook Stories.

So far, Facebook Stories (which appear on the network’s flagship platform) haven’t really caught on. But CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to get Stories right on Facebook and is investing a lot in the format.

Currently, only around nine percent of major brands post to Facebook Stories, but companies that get in early may enjoy an early adopter advantage. Plus, it’s easy—the tap of a button lets you syndicate Stories straight from Instagram to Facebook.

Experiment with AR and custom GIFs in your Stories

Consider adding augmented reality features and GIFs to your storytelling. AR experiences and GIF stickers are now widely available as features of the Stories cameras on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Use GIFs to enhance your images, grab attention, and direct viewers’ attention to something like a call-to-action or “swipe-up.”

Trend 3: Closing the ads gap More competition on paid social forces marketers to up their game

By now, everyone knows we’re in the pay-to-play era on social.

Accordingly, marketers are increasing social ad budgets (up 32 percent in 2018 alone) and producing more ads than ever before. One of every four Facebook Pages now use paid media. And Facebook already accounts for 23 percent of total U.S. digital ad spending.

But rising costs and fleeting attention are limiting ROI for advertisers.

To counter this, paid social teams are pairing ad money with equal time investment, creativity, and targeting savvy. And they’re paying to boost their best performing organic content.

Bonus: Get all the insight and tools you need to inform your social strategy in 2019 with our free social trends toolkit. Find out how successful brands are adapting to each trend, access data from over 3,000 customer surveys, and read the full report.

Get the free toolkit now!

Spotify and Netflix are leading the way with creative social ads that are at once personalized and entertaining, rather than just bland banner ads squeezed into a news feed. The end goal is to generate user discussion and engagement, rather than simply “broadcast” an ad at an audience.

We’re seeing brands build out their social teams (both in-house and agency) with skilled cross-platform content creators versed in video, motion graphics, design, and more. Enhanced third-party ad targeting tools, which enable easy A/B testing (in some cases with hundreds of variants), are also becoming the norm.

Hootsuite’s recommendations for this trend Beginner

Understand and target the right audience.

Knowing your audience is key to high engagement. Each ad campaign should target a focused group based on interests, jobs, relevant competitors, and previous interaction with your brand.

Social networks have different targeting options depending on the type of ad you want to create. If you don’t know who you’re supposed to target and why, research your customers to understand what their challenges are. Also find out how they interact with your business, brand, products, and services.

Define your goals and metrics.

It’s important to show that social media has a positive bottom-line impact on your business. That’s why every ad campaign should have goals and metrics that tie back to business objectives and that you know how to measure.

Your metrics will depend on the type of campaign you’re running and the audience you’re targeting. Awareness campaigns, for example, might focus on impressions, while conversion campaigns should put more value on click-throughs.

Invest in high-quality content.

With more brands competing for people’s attention on social media, ordinary posts aren’t good enough anymore. You need to create high-quality content that will resonate with your audience.

Create compelling visuals, which are essential for clicks and high conversion rates on social media. Not every brand will have the budget for expensive equipment or a professional crew. But, learning some video basics or even hiring a freelancer can make a big difference.

Advanced

Repurpose concepts from top-performing organic content.

Creating high quality social ads takes time and money. Test your ad concepts as organic posts first to see how they perform. Once you see what’s working, you can adapt and..

Read more: blog.hootsuite.com

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ANDROID O PUBLIC BETA: OUR FIRST TAKE

Android O is now in beta

Google I/O is right here and at the display, Google announced Android O is in beta — which means that in case you’re a developer, or simply an Android hobbyist, you could now get the brand new and best version of Android on your phone. Keep in thoughts, the working device is in beta mode so that you must anticipate insects and likely should now not install it in case you don’t understand what you’re doing. You can sign up for the Android O-beta by means of heading to the signup page.

While Google didn’t always announce any new functions for O at Google I/O, it did highlight a few components of the running device. For instance, the corporation referred to Project Treble, its new initiative aimed at pushing updates to Android far faster. Project Treble basically allows manufacturers to without problems push low-level firmware updates to Android without having to replace the operating machine as an entire.

Google is likewise rushing up Android, in preferred. The corporation announced that through a number of operating system optimizations, boot time is now faster and apps need to run loads higher. It is also imposing “sensible limits” on apps that run inside the heritage — making sure they do not take in an excessive amount of battery existence and processing.

Know About The Android Operating System

The Android operating system holds more than 1 / 4 of the overall percentage of the operating systems in the marketplace. As it’s far the open source, all the new innovations are designed with the android running device. It is the friendly running gadget for the users with hundreds and heaps of packages and for this reason, it is desired by way of the human beings. There are many android app developers to be had to make the market stunningly aggressive. Many corporations use unique android software to draw the customers to their commercial enterprise. The recent development in the android custom designed utility gives lots and lots of advantages to the traders and commercial enterprise humans. Gaming applications, social networking programs, and different amusement packages are evolved through the android app builders.

Creative designers of the applications are engaged by way of the enterprise firms to make their business familiar to the general public. The expert designers make the programs tailored to the wishes of their customers. The packages are customized in step with the desires of the business. The builders limit the app development fee and desire their customers. Though the apps are evolved by the professional builders, the supply code ownership is submitted to the clients. The builders of the layout of the application the programs inside the stipulated time and deliver them promptly. After growing and delivering the applications to the clients, the builders perform the assist services to the clients, upon the request. How to create an app for android is the commonplace query requested by means of the clients. With the builders and the software available online, the applications are without difficulty created and advanced.

Almost all of the websites are accessed thru the mobile gadgets which include phones and capsules

Though the websites are accessed through mobile phones, there are navigation issues to move from one web page to any other. There are little difficulties in sorting out the pictures and the textual content through the mobile net. Android and iPhone users experience the important of the cell websites as they could effortlessly browse their desires. The programs are developed with the browser compatibility. Developing the packages for the cellular websites might be tough while comparing it with the laptop view. Videos and multimedia functions in the websites are keenly dealt with to get operated in the cellular devices. The designers focus on presenting the proper applications for the clever telephones customers.

Importance of Ethics in Public Speaking

It is a regarded fact that the goal of public speak is to advantage a preferred response from listeners however no longer at any fee, however, we have to inspect the department of philosophy that offers with troubles of proper and incorrect in human affairs “Ethics”

The question of ethics rise up every time we ask if a path of action is ethical or immoral, truthful or unfair, simply or unjust, sincere or cheating.

We face questions daily in nearly each a part of our lives. The determine to have to decide how to deal with an infant who has been despatched home from college for unruly conduct. The researcher should determine to color her facts “just a chunk” on the way to advantage credit for an important clinical breakthrough. The shopper ought to determine what to do with the $5 greater trade mistakenly given with the aid of the clerk in the grocery shop. The student have to determine to mention whatever approximately a pal he has seen cheating on a final examination.

Questions of ethics also come into play every time a public speaker faces an audience

In an ideal world, as the Greek philosopher, Plato stated, all public audio system would be sincere and dedicated to the good of society. Yet history tells us that the power of speech is often abused occasionally with disastrous results.

Adolf Hitler became absolutely a persuasive speaker. His oratory galvanized the German humans into following one perfect and one chief. But his objectives had been horrifying and his methods despicable. He stays to this day the final instance of why the strength of the spoken phrase wishes to be guided by a sturdy sense of moral integrity.

As a public speaker, you’ll face moral issues at every level of the speech making the process from the initial choice to talk via the final presentation of the message. This is actual whether or not you are talking within the study room or the courtroom if you are collaborating in a business assembly or a spiritual provider if you are addressing an audience of human beings or 2,000 humans. And the answer will no longer usually be clean.

Your moral selections will be guided with the aid of your values, your conscience, your sense of proper and wrong. But this doesn’t suggest such selections are virtually a matter of personal whim or fancy. Sound ethical decisions entail weighing a capacity direction of movement towards a fixed of ethical requirements or guidelines. Just as there are suggestions for moral conduct in other regions of life, so are their guidelines for ethical conduct in public speaking. These tips will now not robotically solve each ethical quandary you face as a speaker, however knowing them will provide a dependable compass to help you locate your way.

As with different moral problems, there can be gray regions when it comes to assessing an audio system goal regions in which affordable human beings with requirements of proper and wrong can legitimately disagree. But this is not a reason to avoid asking ethical questions. If you’re to be an accountable public speaker, you can not escape assessing the ethical soundness of your desires.

My First Communion Experience

I cannot neglect the first time that I went to church for my First Communion

Everything appears to be well prepared for. From the clothes I’m approximate to put on to the small amassing in our house that will happen rapidly after the communion, the whole lot became taken care of. Though I still don’t have an awful lot idea on why I am meant to take part in that birthday party at that time, my pleasure on how I will take part ruled my curiosity on why do I actually have to participate in it.

I had continually been wondering given that then why it was so unique: why changed into there a special clothing that they required us to wear, why did my parents appear to be so excited while preparing for my First Communion, why did a number of my household and neighbors had been invited to a small amassing in our house and why did a number of them even gave me First communion gifts as if this changed into my birthday. I definitely did not recognize it that much however my mother said I became simply formally announcing that I apprehend and take delivery of Christianity in my existence. I may have not found out its real meaning at that time, however, it just felt proper.

Now once I look again to that time, I can not help myself, however, to thank God for I recognize I’ve been blessed to have an opportunity to grow in a Christian family and recognize Him at the sort of young age. Because of that, I found out at an early age on how Jesus sacrificed his lifestyles for me and saved me through his frame and blood which we attempt to don’t forget and have a good time within the First Communion. This has even led me to a brighter outlook on life and gave me the passion for living life rightfully even as playing it.

The right of that first communion might be simple and undeniable however it has significantly affected my factor of vines, and furthermore, my character. It might have been a long term since I first had that communion, however, its essence will genuinely remain in my heart all of the days of my lifestyles.