#im offically inconsistent with my tags

[forthehpfanboys]

I'm 🐻's bestie Aydin,,, hello,,,

Is there already a jack-o'-lantern anon,,, I would like to be 🎃 anon,,,

I went through my entire anon tag on my blog to see if anyone has it, no one claimed it yet!

So yes, it's nice to meet you Aydin (🎃 anon)! Can't wait to interact with you!!

[i-am-vita]

Someone Looking for You (pt. 1)

👉 Previously: Someone Who Loves You

Bogard x Ghost Rose Oc (afabReader)

+2,000 words

👉 My Masterlist, Oc Ghost Rose Masterlist, Scruffy Bogard Inspiration, Bogard's Sexy Spy Wife Headcanons

Sorry I haven't been as active as before in the fandom. Got a new job and a flu barely two weeks in, started some character design classes, went to a Dia de Muertos weekend to Michoacan (to foreigners, the place where Pixar went to look at for Coco) and came back with a stomach infection... I swear I've been back a officing for a month and a half and already went to the doctor three times.

But more importantly, I reached 100 followers in October and didn't realized!!!

I noticed I had some new followers here and there but never thought to look up the numbers. Thank you so much, people, for choosing me, even with my inconsistency. Have the first part of Some Who Loves You next chapter as a little treat. I've had it started for a while but unsure of how to proceed. Maybe some peer presure helps.

Moots and interested people I remember: @fanaticsnail @jintaka-hane @cinnbar-bun @gingernut1314 (look how swiftly I play around that new Tumblr rule of not letting you tag more than five people in a row) @writingmysanity @feral-artistry @indydonuts @since-im-already-here

Summary: After your night together weeks ago, Bogard is set to find you and uncover the mystery of your identity. Could you really be the love he thought lost all those years ago? Warnings: Scruffy Bogard. Swearing. Hidden identity. Regular canon violence. Expect: They Have History. Lovers to Strangers to Lovers. Use of You, not Y/N. Change of pov. FemOcReader, fem pronouns. Probably better English, but don't hold your breath. I've been subjected to testing crappy Visual Novels for a month and a half. My time tenses may be worst than ever.

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His footsteps were hardly the only noise in the lively nightlife of this island.

Cantinas and dance clubs filled the main street with music and laughter. Their patrons too busy to pay attention to the solitary scruffy man in the brown overcoat wandering the night, aiming his time.

Any other time, Bogard would be eager to be back in his room for the night, get rid of these street clothes, shave the scruff off of his face and report back to his superiors after a good night of sleep.

It hadn’t been like any other time since that night.

The night he was ailed by that damn cheap interrogation serum. When you stayed to nurse him and, eventually, helped him bear the side effects with your body. Only to wake up the next day alone with a small note of yours. The calligraphy style too similar to that of the notes from his lost love he still kept. Read and reread so many times over the years he could recognize the lines and letters like the palm of his hand.

Hope flooded his heart.

That dreadful emotion had been crushed years ago when he accepted his one and only love was lost to him forever. Bogard had buried himself in work, focused only in his career at the marine and serving along Garp. His leisure time was occupied in activities to engage in logic rather than indulge his feelings.

If a need arose, he took care of it with promptness and no attachment. And if his eye catched a likeness to the one he had lost… then maybe he could indulge himself after all.

Until he had entered that bar one night and you were there.

The alluring new guard of The Contact.

How had he wished for you to turn around and let him see your face. To be just a regular man getting in a bar, free to revel in the company of a beautiful stranger, instead of an undercover marine agent meeting with one of the most notorious intel dealers in the Grand Line.

By some chance, his wish was granted and his properly ordered life was shattered.

He had gone to a graphologist to analyze the written notes and see if it was possible to be from the same person. The expert told him that, despite the similarities in the calligraphy style, there were details that suggested they still could have been written by different people. The inclination of letters, some twirls here and there.

That specific style was popular years ago among the young women of society. It only proved that both women had similar upbringing and were taught by private tutors during the same period of time.

To the expert it wasn’t much, but to Bogard it was everything. Because to him it couldn’t be a coincidence. Not after that night and how you were with him.

Oh, he had come to question his sanity over the last weeks.

Wondering if he was just so desperate for sincere affection and connection that he was projecting his longing for his lost love in an unsuspecting woman who happened to show him more kindness than he was used to from a one time lover.

Both you and her memory deserved better than that.

He thought he would see you again soon and confirm or deny his suspicions. Bogard didn’t know which he preferred.

The next reunion with The Contact came and he couldn’t find a trace of you after the meeting.

While he and your boss discussed and exchanged intel about the group trafficking with those serums that were after them the last time and how to take them out, his eyes kept returning to your figure standing guard at the bar. Long hair falling down your back, a dark dress encasing your seductive figure, your face turned away from his insisting gaze…

After the meeting, he stood from his seat and looked over for the last time, but you weren’t there anymore.

He didn’t know what he was expecting. For you to leave your spot and run into his arms?

Another meeting came next week.

Bogard arrived some minutes earlier and he could swear he saw a feminine figure slipping away into the darkest shadows of the bar, where he didn’t have a good sight.

You were avoiding him.

Damn it.

That night, Bogard had been reluctant for you to stay to aid him with the side effects of the serum, but you had and offered the comfort of your body. He knew he had lost control at some point, too gone in the aphrodisiac’s effects.

Had he done something to hurt you or offend you after all?

Were you mad at him? Did you regret that night?

What was he supposed to do now? Ask the Phantom Captain for an introduction like he was a suitor looking to court you?

If he had actually known his interlocutor, Bogard may have realized that’s what your boss was half expecting for you two to do since the first moment he caught the longing gazes. Your reluctance to speak of your feelings was getting on everybody's nerves.

Something had to be done about you two before the careful plan the Phantom Captain and Garp had been brewing for months was ruined.

Bogard was so deep in thought walking back to his safe room after that second meeting it took him several minutes to realize he was being followed until his assailants were almost on him.

Just regular thugs with no training or special abilities.

The five men ambushed him, two of them aiming to immobilize him. Bogard had those unconscious on the floor in a few seconds.The other three were tricky, but he had one’s arm in a lock with a hand before the other two could react.

All of a sudden, both assailants fell to the floor, holding their knees and screaming in pain. Sharp blades pierced their joints and then flew back towards a dark alley.

Bogard threw the man he was holding to the floor and ran to the alley finding nothing, but a sweet flowery and fruity fragrance in the air.

Were you following him on your own volition or your boss’ orders?

Did you care for the intel he had to deliver or himself?

He needed to get to you and third was the charm.

Tonight, all his enhanced senses were keen on the presence following him in the street. It took all his will to not turn around to try to find you among the crowd of night goers.

He had to time it just right.

Tonight, you will be in his arms again.

.

You just wanted to make sure he was safe.

Those smugglers were still on the run and some had seen him. Even if they didn’t know Bogard’s real identity, he may have become a target. They may still have some of that interrogation serum. Even after you and your crew managed to track them that night and take down their lair with most of their supply.

You had asked your crewmate Meg, an expert perfumer and chemistry, more about those cheap serums and it had left you livid. If you hadn't been there to… treat Bogard’s ailment, it would have been much worse to him. He could have hurt himself; wander outside, lost in the pain and frenzy, and hurt someone else.

It was a matter of the common good.

Vice Admiral Garp had the means and connections to guide Marine resources to take down those smugglers. Bogard was their main contact with Garp. He needed to be protected.

That was all.

The fact he was the man you had loved and almost married in your youth was minor. You had burned that bridge when you decided to put his well being over yours and ran away from your engagement.

He was about to reject a most excellent promotion to stay with you, not knowing that his promising career was the only reason your family had allowed your relationship. Your brown-noser of a stepfather would lose his opportunity of having a well connected son in law.

You were ready to postpone your engagement with Bogard until he was better established in his career, and you still wanted to go to university. There was no need to rush and lose opportunities when you had the rest of your lives to be together. Until you discovered your stepfather scheming to get rid of your beloved and marry you off to some marine Captain that best suited his ambitions.

Accidents happened and even the most promising young officers could fall in the line of duty and nobody would be the wiser.

At 18 years old, with a mother that would agree it was better for you to just call off your engagement and go with your stepfather’s plan of finding you a better suitor, and no other adult close or well-off enough to ask for help, you couldn’t find a better solution than to run from home.

You broke his heart.

You knew you had to.

You were cruel in your break up, publicly enough so your family were sure you hadn’t run away together when he accepted his commission overseas. You also had to be sure Bogard wouldn’t look for you when he came back and you weren’t there anymore.

The heartbreak had been agonizing, but it had to be done. No matter how misguided your actions were, you wouldn’t tolerate being a puppet of your family and any harm coming to the young man you loved.

No matter the pain, both of you would be fine and thrive on your own.

It had to be enough.

Or it had been until Bogard had walked in that bar and you discovered it was him and Vice Admiral Garp whom your captain had been intel dealing with this whole time.

And now all the operation could be at stage because you couldn’t stop thinking about that night.

Been able to be near him again.

Talk to him, touch him, nurse him. And then more…

You had hidden from his sight every meeting since then. Fearing to be unable to hide your real feelings. To run into his arms and uncover yourself.

But your feelings were not important.

His safety was.

That’s why you had followed him every night after, assisted him when he was attacked, and ensured he arrived safely to his destination before you went back to your crew’s safehouse.

That’s why you were here this night, following him through the night crowd…

Bogard stopped abruptly in his walk, looking intently at some point ahead of him and then walked to an adjacent street.

Well, fuck.

Who had he spotted that had made him change his route like that?

You ran to the crosswalk while surveying the street, but nobody else seemed to be on his chase. The sight of his brown overcoat turning a corner ahead indicated you of his path. Your own black long coat fluttered in the air as you ran to keep up with your pursuit of him.

As you turned the corner you found yourself running right into a tight embrace. Momentum spun you in half a circle while strong arms surrounded your smaller form and brought you against a firm torso. A swift hand halted yours from reaching to your knives’ pouch tied to your thigh.

“Forgive me. I know I deserve it, but I would rather not be stabbed tonight,” Bogard murmured in your ear, sending shivers down your back.

“Rick…” you sigh his name unconsciously, completely taken by surprise.

“You’re very hard to catch.” His grip on you relaxed, but his arm remained around your waist, anchoring you to him and warmth of his body.

His hand raised yours to deposit a soft kiss on your palm.

“To catch… Did you set me up?!”

"I needed to see you."

"You had seen me."

"You know what I mean." A gasp escaped your lips at the intensity of his gaze.

It took you several seconds to realize you weren’t wearing your lace mask and Bogard was able to see your full face. Even with the illusion over your real facial features and skin tone, you felt almost naked under the scrutiny of his eyes.

Oh, no, what had you let yourself fall into?

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.

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[thegalaxysedge22]

After Ever (Chapter 3)

masterlist

< Prev | Next >

pair: sylus x MC (named)

tags/tw: death/grief, the absolute pain of research, annoying MC, cannon adjacent

word count: 4.6k

song rec: bad blood by taylor swift

a/n: this is quite the lore drop

important: if you want to follow this fic and updates but don't want to follow me bc im annoying (understandable) check out the tag #after ever fanfiction also if anyone wants i can start a tag list

Work was slow yet again when Kore returned to the Hunter’s Association, leaving her with a lot of time with her thoughts. Something about the death of Dr. Higgins occuring at the same time as the death of her Grandma didn’t seem quite right. That was where her downward spiral began.

Through her clearance with the Association she was able to obtain police reports and the medical autopsy. She spent the morning meticulously going through all of it, looking for any inconsistencies that could tie the two explosions together.

Lost in thought, her eyes became unfocused from the screen, that’s when she spotted something new. On one of the police reports she had open she noticed a faint mark to the side. Zooming in on it, the writing was illegible, but it looked like something had been written in with pencil.

Despite all the advancements in technology over the recent years, the cops tended to keep things old-school, using paper copies of reports when they could and scanning them into the database once they were done. Although inefficient, their success rate showed that it seemed to work for them, so no one forced any change.

Squinting, Kore tried her best to make out the notes in the margins, but it was illegible. In a desperate attempt she took a screenshot of the paper and adjusted the contrast of the image. The markings started to become clearer and when she adjusted the sharpness of the image she could make out one word with a question mark afterwards.

Onychinus?

Hearing footsteps approaching, she took a post it note and scribbled down the word before closing the image and minimizing the reports. She quickly opened some random tab to make it look like she had been working.

Tara appeared, poaching herself on the top of Kore’s cubicle, tilting her head in curiosity. “You don’t look very well rested,” she said accusingly. Kore had forgotten her promise to her friend to rest.

“I tried my best, but it’s been difficult, I keep reliving it," Kore said, trying to deflect blame. While it wasn’t entirely a lie, she did leave out details of her rather adventurous trip. Worry plastered Tara’s face and she nodded solemnly.

“I was stopping by to see if you wanted to get some lunch,” Tara asked, changing the subject.

“I think I’ll have to pass today, I have a lot of work to get done,” Kore apologized. Tara knew damn well that that was a lie, but she didn’t push it. It was then that Captain Jenna also came over to Kore’s desk. Tara barely spared a glance at the captain, showcasing just how deep her concern went.

“Sorry to interrupt ladies, I was just wondering if I could talk to Kore for a moment,” the captain said.

“That’s alright, I was just leaving,” Tara told her, eyes still trained on her friend as she walked away.

“Kore, can I talk to you in my office please,” Captain Jenna asked. A stroke of fear overtook Kore’s expression to which she was offered a reassuring smile. “No need to worry, it isn’t anything bad.”

Kore gave her captain a brisk nod and followed her back to her office. Once the door was closed, Jenna offered her a seat while she took her place at the other side of the desk.

“I wanted to check in on you, Kore,” Captain Jenna said, folding her hands on her desk, “I know it has been hard for you recently, so I wanted to see how you are doing.”

“I am alright,” Kore said, she was in fact not alright. The Captain raised an eyebrow at this, it was clear that neither of them believed the words that just came out of Kore’s mouth. It was not a secret that she had become a husk of herself since the accident, everyone who knew her could see it and she hadn’t bothered to hide the fact either.

“I know you’re relatively new here so I wanted to inform you about some of our policies. You know that we get a lot of protections and benefits working for the government. One of those is that when a loved one dies, you are entitled to bereavement leave of up to three weeks if you need it. Now I don’t want to pressure you into doing anything but you should know that you have options, if being here is too hard for you, taking time off might be your best choice.”

“In all honesty,” Kore started, vulnerability wavering in her voice, “I think that working has helped me take my mind off of things. When I am left alone with my thoughts, I start to go down a slippery slope.”

“I had a feeling you might say something like that,” the captain responded with a sympathetic smile. “I also wanted you to know that we do offer counseling free of charge. Although it is typically reserved for work related trauma, I would be more than happy to pull a few strings and make an exception.”

“I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I think I have to decline for now.”

“Alright, well, that is all I have for you, so you can go ahead and get back to work,” Jenna said, dismissing Kore. Kore made a move for the door, about to exit when Jenna stopped her, “Please let me know if you change your mind at all.” 

“I will,” Kore gave the captain a weak smile. With that she started to return back to her desk, the idea of taking time off completely out of her brain. On her way there she took note of how the office was largely deserted, most people on their way to lunch. Grateful for a bit of peace and quiet, Kore turned back on research mode and started digging into this “Onychinus.” She couldn’t help but wonder if they had any connection to her family’s deaths.

With a pad of paper and a pen she scoured the Association’s databases, typing in the word nothing came up. She tried various other phonetic spellings of it with only zero results to appear. She tried “Onychinus” once more, this time something did turn up.

Did you mean “N109 Zone”? The database asked her. She wasn’t sure how they could be related, it wasn’t like you could misspell “N109 Zone” that badly, but it was a start.

Clicking on the link she was brought to another page. A sigh of relief passed through her. We are finally getting somewhere, she thought. The results were limited, 51 to be exact.

She had heard whispers of the N109 Zone before, but it was something that was treated more like an urban legend rather than a real place. It was hard to get a clear picture of everything as most things seemed to be redacted to shit. Most sources seemed to be regurgitating the same information over and over again, it seemed like the area was once a hub for technology but has become a wasteland after the Catastrophe, controlled by cartels who made money off of the trade of illicit goods.

There were discussions of the illegal sale of protocores at auction, most of which appeared to take place in the N109 Zone. Kore wasn’t stupid, she knew that the sale of protocores must’ve been a thing, they could be worth a lot of money and they are powerful. Protocore auctions turned up dozens of reports of raids that had occurred, only a few had a passing mention of the seemingly elusive Onychinus, but that was really it.

She tried using the information she had to expand her search, but as hours passed, there was very little that she could turn up. Frustrated, she goes to Nero, the team’s tech wizard, to see if he can help. Perhaps he has higher clearance than she does, or maybe she is just bad at researching, surely he can turn something up, she rationalizes.

Nero is deeply engrossed in something when Kore reaches the dark corner he resides in. Glancing over at his screen she sees him on some forum talking about a Lumiere?

“Who’s Lumiere?” Kore asked. Nero jumped in his seat at the sudden intrusion.

“What-I was just working, I wasn’t doing anything,” Nero stumbled, trying to cover his tracks.

“Wait, you don’t know about Lumiere?” He questioned, doing a complete 180. Kore just shook her head.

“How could you be a hunter and not know about Lumiere?? They’re an icon, a legend. They were the first Hunter. When the Chronorift Catastrophe first happened in 2034, they were the first one to fight the wanderers!!! It was reported that they alone saved dozens of lives when it happened. They were a hero, I cannot believe you have never heard of them.”

Noticing his enthusiasm, Kore started plotting. If I allowed him to talk, maybe he would be more receptive to bending the rules and helping me out, regardless of my clearance level, she thought. The remorse she would feel after manipulating him was in the far corners of her mind, she was a woman on a mission after all.

“They sound incredible, can you tell me more,” Kore asked, pulling up the chair from the empty cubicle next to his. Nero’s eyes lit up at the opportunity and his whole entire demeanor changed.

“Wow, where do I even begin… Well, Lumiere’s identity has never been confirmed. There have been whispers and speculations, but if you ask me, none of them have been right, they just don’t fit the profile. After saving the city during the Catastrophe, which Lumiere did single handedly, not even the military knew how to handle the situation, at least not like Lumiere did. Anyways, after Linkon City was saved, Lumiere completely disappeared. No traces left behind at all.

“That is until about 2 years ago - on February the 26th of 2046 - rumors of a Lumiere sighting started to circulate online. A picture was posted on one of our forums and people went crazy. None of the Lumites - Lumiere fans - could agree on if it was actually them. It caused a whole big fight online. 

“But eventually more and more sightings appeared and we Lumites came to the consensus that it was Lumiere, but then that started a whole other bout of discourse. Why would they wait this long to come back? What were they doing out and about now?

“Well, through eye witnesses and photographs we were able to piece together a little bit of information. Although some Lumites contest it, it is widely accepted that Lumiere became a Tenebra. You know what that is right?”

Kore shook her head.

“Oh I thought you would know what a Tenebra is because you’re a Hunter, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised considering you didn’t even know who Lumiere is,” Nero scoffed before his hands covered his mouth, “I am so sorry I didn’t mean to rude. Please forgive me.”

“It’s fine,” Kore waved off his words, “but what is a Tenebra?”

“Right, right. A Tenebra is someone who broke the Hunter’s Code. Although it is typically due to them engaging in illegal activities, most commonly protocore smuggling, that isn’t always the case.” Nero checked that the coast was clear before leaning in and continuing in a whisper, “For years now there has been a theory that the higher ups in the Association ask high level hunters to do some crazy things and that go against most people’s morals.

“A few high level former hunter’s have said as much, but they have widely been discredited as either addicts or having extreme paranoia, but some people think that is propaganda.” After that Nero sat back up and continued at his previous volume

“Anyways, another key component of being a Tenebra is ties to some sort of secret organization. So one can, in theory, be a Tenebra without participating in any illegal activities. And we know that Lumiere isn’t a bad person, so, it isn’t the illegal activities that potentially make them a Tenebra. No, we think that it is because Lumiere has ties to some of the groups in the N109 Zone.

“And this isn’t just a theory either - Lumiere has been spotted in the N109 Zone as recently as two weeks ago and as far back as two years. We think that Lumiere is the one who is keeping the wanderers out of the N109 Zone and that they potentially have ties to Onychinus, who is supposedly one of the big names in the N109 Zone.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kore stopped him while he was taking a breath, “What do you know about Onychinus?”

“Well, there isn’t too much known other than they practically govern the N109 Zone, it’s thought that they have a big hand in protocore trade though, even if it can’t be confirmed. I have also heard whisperings of the name Sylus in connection to them, but I have never been able to figure out how that plays into everything.”

“What do you know about the N109 Zone,” Kore pried for more information. 

“I don’t know too much, it is well known that information about this and Onychinus is kept largely under lock and key for some reason, but I do know that it is a hotbed for crime, also that it used to be a tech hub. Ever was allegedly based there when it first opened, but you can’t find that now, for some reason they are trying to scrub the internet of their history. There’s also–” Nero suddenly got quiet.

Xavier had appeared, leaning over the cubical’s low walls. “I was looking for you, Kore,” he said, “we have a mission.”

Kore apologized to him and stood up also apologizing to Nero for leaving him, asking to talk more about this soon to which he eagerly nodded. She then followed Xavier’s retreating footsteps.

“I don’t know why you’re talking about Lumiere,” Xavier said once she caught up to him, “It is pretty well known that they died during the Catastrophe, protecting the city.”

The wanderer was a particularly stubborn one, making it a tough fight, especially for Kore, who was already off her game. Usually, she had an uncanny ability to predict the movements of wanderers, which was why she was put in the Alpha team fresh out of the academy, but she was slightly off her game. Most of her blows were hitting the target, which was concerning considering she was the top marksman in her class. A few of her attacks were just grazes but unfortunately the wanderer could say the same. She had been grazed by the creature several. Her movements, while not exactly sluggish, were not up to her usual standard. It was mistakes like this that made her job all the more deadly.

Reloading her pistol, she took her eyes off of the wanderer, just for a moment. Big mistake. She didn’t see it coming and would’ve been hit if it wasn’t for Xavier jumping in front of her and deflecting the hit, his sword and skill easily fending off the attack.

Xavier was quick to deliver the finishing blow and Kore was left feeling ashamed. She moved off to the sidelines and fiddled with her equipment. She could feel Xavier wandering over but tried to ignore him.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” he said, “even the best of us have bad days.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Kore grumbled, picking lint off of her uniform.

“I’m not patronizing you, I am just letting you know,” Xavier said walking off. It was just then that Kore remembered she had something that she wanted to ask him.

“Xavier, wait,” she said, continuing when he turned back around, “Do you know anything about aether cores?”

A look of surprise flashed over his face, he was clearly not expecting that question, but he was quick to be able to mask his shock. He shook his head, responding, “No, I have never heard of such a thing.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Kore said accusatively, fire in her eyes. She had seen him falter and she would not drop the subject until she got what she wanted. Xavier sighed, shoulders relaxing before adjusting his posture.

“I should have known that you would be able to tell that something was different about that protocore,” Xavier said. Confused, Kore thinks back on their time together and remembers their first fight. It was in No Hunt Zone 7, the first time that they had met. She had noticed something was off about the protocore that came from the wanderer that they had fought, but she had always assumed that it was because she only had seen controlled specimens in her classes and never a real one out in the field.

“In its most basic form, an aether core is a type of protocore, one that has been modified somehow,” Xavier continued, unaware of the rapid thoughts in her mind, “it is very rare for aether cores to develop naturally and so they are often a result of human interference. Oftentimes their power dwarfs that of a regular protocore. They are very dangerous and not many people know about them, not even the Hunter’s Association.”

“If you know about the existence of aether cores, why haven’t you told the Hunter’s Association about them,” Kore questions.

“Well you know about them too, why haven’t you?” Xavier counters, her reaction is far from the ‘touche’ he expected.

“Now that I know that you have been hiding stuff from me AND the Association, how am I supposed to be able to trust you?” Kore practically shouts. Logically, she was aware that she was more mad than she had any right to be, but that didn't stop the fire that was coursing through her veins.

“Well you’re keeping something from me too, how did you find out about aether cores in the first place,” Xavier asked calmly.

“Because allegedly I have one in my body and that makes me feel like I have a right to know,” she said, her temper rising.

“You what?” Xavier said, his face paled, “What do you mean that you have an aether core inside of your body?” He didn’t even know that it was possible for a human to survive with an aether core inside of their body.

“Well apparently I was in some sort of experiment when I was younger, which I don’t remember by the way, and there was one placed in my heart and that is why I have Protocore Syndrome in the first place.”

“What do you mean ‘apparently’ you either were or you weren’t how do you know?” Xavier said, confused. Kore then recounted everything that had happened to her since Friday. 

She was so angry she didn’t gloss over any detail. It was if all at once all of her frustrations about the whole ordeal came out, the pot had boiled over. Xavier, for his part, stayed calm and collected as she went off on her verbal rampage.

“--and I need to find out more information on Onychinus because I just have a feeling that they are the fuckers responsible for this all happening but nothing is coming up–” Her avalanche of words stopped when Xavier placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I just don't know what to do,” Kore admitted as she made eye contact for the first time. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes and her bottom lip quivered. Xavier smoothed down her hair with his other hand. A sob escaped her and she fell against him as if she no longer had control over her body, he wrapped his arms around her as she cried. Deep down she was embarrassed with how she was conducting herself, but it had been so hard recently and she hadn’t been giving herself the time or space to just feel.

Slowly but surely, Kore was able to compose herself. Although still a sniffling mess, she pulled herself off of him and said meekly “I’m sorry about that, I don’t know what came over me.”

“I think I might have something to cheer you up. Here,” Xavier said as he fiddled with his Hunter’s Watch. He put their two watches together and hers lit up, Confirm Security Clearance was on the display. “The Association’s databases are useless if you don’t have the right level of clearance. I extended my security clearance to you so hopefully more things will turn up for you.”

“Really?” Kore said, still wiping her tears.

“If it’ll help you feel better and earn back your trust then yes,” he said, “but you should know that it only lasts for 24 hours. Now go.”

Kore looked at him appreciatively, touched by his gesture, “Thank you, Xavier, for everything.”

The office was nearly empty when she arrived, which made sense as the day had been over for quite some time now. She had practically sprinted the entire way back, her leg wouldn’t stop bouncing the entire ride there, every stop the subway had made felt like a lifetime. As quickly as she could she got to her computer and logged in. Preparing herself for the worst, she typed “N109 Zone” in the search bar. The results were instantaneous, and she was shocked at just how much more information came up.

The redactions in the records that she had been reading earlier were fewer, but not gone completely. She was, however, able to learn more about these supposed protocore auctions that took place there. The auctions were allegedly held at a place only referred to as Elysium and it seemed that the vast majority of them were run by the group Onychinus. There’s that name again, she thought to herself.

Scanning the screen again she noticed that with this level of security clearance, a new database had been unlocked for her the Abyssal Chaos, which she knew existed but didn’t know what it was for. Taking a chance, she put “Onychinus” in the search bar, the results were far greater than she had expected.

This time, a shocking number of reports popped up. It seemed that Dr. Higgins’ death wasn’t the only one that had suspected ties to the criminal organization. It appeared that they had been targeting former Ever researchers but the motive was still unclear. This information, coupled with her grandmother’s former ties to the company, made her convinced that they had been involved somehow.

She became obsessed over reading every single report linking them to metaflux explosions and suspicious deaths. Falling deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole, but she didn’t mind, she was too busy developing a deep hatred for the organization. She had already felt like what had happened was not an accident and matching the similarities to their M.O. was intoxicating. She was placating a hunger she didn’t know she felt.

All of this eventually led her to find another, classified, report that vindicated her belief that Onychinus was involved in her Grandma and Caleb’s deaths. This wasn’t the one that she had been obsessing over just last week, this was a different, confidential one. As pissed as she wanted to be that this was kept from her, the desire for retribution was taking over her. She had to make them pay. 

She stumbled upon a document containing all of the data that the government had on Onychinus. In it she found a lot of information that she knew already, but there was also intel on a few potential members of the group. One of the suspected higher ups was only known as Mr. Sherman and he was thought to be the brains behind the operation. Sherman’s profile was unexpectedly deep and through, it made her wonder why they hadn’t got the guy if they knew so much about him.

However, it was another alleged member of the group that really caught her eye. There was very little on him, not even a picture, just his name, Sylus. He was suspected of being the leader of the group but there was a point of contention on if he was even real. The report mentions how some of the information about him seemed to be more stuff of urban legend than reality, for example. It was said that he could disappear into a plume of black and red smoke, Kore rolled her eyes at that. Yeah right he can do that, does he turn into a bat too? Like a fucking vampire? 

Despite the myths that seemed to surround him it was confirmed that he was, in fact, a real person, and that he was the leader, or at least figurehead, of Onychinus. Everything that she learned about them culminated into hatred for this one man. “Hatred” was too weak of a word for what she felt, she loathed nim, no she despised him.

Somehow, someway, she was determined to make him pay for what he had done. If I could just go to the N109 Zone and track him down, I could make him pay, she thought. Wait, what’s stopping me from doing that? The gears in her brain started spinning and she was calculating exactly what steps she needed to take to go there. She wasn’t even sure what exactly she would do once she got there, but for the time being that was irrelevant to her.

Kore refocused her attention on the N109 Zone, this time searching Abyssal Chaos’ database. There was something new that caught her eye. A decades old brochure with touristy information, incredibly out of place for a top secret digital archive. 

The scan resolution of the old pamphlet was abysmal, but it was still legible. What really confused her was that everytime the name of the town should have been mentioned it was scratched out. This wasn’t as if someone had redacted it digitally or with a pen, it looked like someone had been desperate to erase the name in its entirety. 

Come to think of it, she had never heard of the N109 Zone referred to anything other than that. By the age of the brochure it was clear that it was older than the Catastrophe so it could not have possibly always been the N109 Zone, she reasoned. A picture captured her attention.

Nearly an entire page was dedicated to the brand new Ever research facility that was opened in 2007. Outside of the shiny new building was the unmistakable image of her grandmother, decades younger than the woman she had known, but it was her nonetheless.

Unexpectedly seeing her grandmother like that was like a punch to the gut. Especially when she was having so many mixed emotions about the woman since she had learned more about her role in the experimentation that was done on her. She tried to clear her mind and get back to reading, but it was difficult.

Inside there was the regular touristy information one would expect a city to promote, the weather, hot spots to check out and sights to see, as well as a map of the city. Thinking ahead or acting in pure paranoia, Kore downloaded the document onto a hard drive she kept at her desk before she switched focus.

Before shutting down her computer, she made one last search. She typed in “aether cores” and waited for the results. It was exactly as Xaiver had said, the Hunter’s Association didn’t know anything about them – at least not in an official capacity. 

Kore was getting tired and her desk was looking mighty comfortable. Checking the clock, it hadn’t even struck twelve, she decided that there wouldn’t be much harm in taking a short rest, so she gave herself permission to close her eyes. Sleep hit her hard and fast.

Next >

[maschotch]

Okay okay okay, so I saw your opinion on Hotchreid (and I also saw your tags saying you wanted to have a discussion but also like only maybe cause the ship is a squicky one for you, so I totally understand if you don't respond to this).

So, at least for me, there's enough evidence in the show to say that Hotch is only 10 years older than Reid. In the episode where we meet Sean, Hotch says something along the lines of Sean being 25 years old, and Hotch is only 10 years older than Sean--this is in season one when Spencer just had his 24th birthday. So, to me, Hotch is 10 years (maybe 11) older than Reid. Does that make the age gap better? Probably not. But in the real world, once you're older, having a lover who is 5 or 10 years older than you isn't that big of a deal (I personally know older family friends who are 9 years apart and they've been married for 45 years and counting).

I totally see the father-son dynamic between them, too, and I freaking LOVE platonic Hotchreid. Hotch being there for Reid as a father figure is one of my favorite things, and I love the fics where Reid goes to Hotch for help or support.

Okay okay so, I honestly cannot tell you why Hotchreid is my favorite ship--because as much as I joke that it's my daddy issues, I legit can't stand Daddy Kinks (no hate to those who love it). For me, I think their relationship would happen by accident. It starts with them having intelligent and fun conversations (it's well known that Hotch is very intelligent as well, though maybe not with an IQ of 187, haha). I can see them eating dinner in Hotch's office while discussing law and science and psychology. It just *grows* from there, becomes something fun and teasing, until one day they both realize that they want more than just friendship. For me, Reid sees Hotch as his intellectual equal. He's always been younger than his peers, so he doesn't see the age gap as an issue (though Hotch would, for a while).

I dunno if I explain this well enough for you to understand, lol, but yeah, that's how I feel about it. That being said, I am in therapy c; LOL! And I still totally get why Hotchreid isn't everyone's cup of tea. I personally cannot understand Hotchniss or Demily because to me, they seem more like siblings than lovers (in both cases), but I get why people love them.

Anyways! I hope you have a wonderful day <3

i have given up on criminal minds ages tbh. the writing is far too inconsistent to even try to argue with it so im just gonna say that if thats the ages you think, then thats what they'll be for the rest of the discussion! bc who am i to say their ages when i have no fucking clue how old they are akjsdhlgs

i understand that there are some real life age gap relationships that can be perfectly healthy. and age gaps definitely dont matter as much when you're older! someone middle aged dating someone 5 years younger/older is no big deal. someone 20 dating someone 5 years younger/older can be pedophilia. my own personal bias against age gap relationship are probably not as inclusive as they should be and im aware of that.

reid and hotch are certainly on the same mental intelligence level. reids higher askjdg but that doesnt translate to emotional maturity. its very clear that, at least early on, reid is definitely not very emotionally developed. he definitely improves as he gets older

this is the dialogue that crosses a line for me and prevents me from seeing it as romantic. hotch plays an active role teaching reid how to be an emotionally capable individual. and even though reid was over 18 when they met, even though reid is very intelligent, he is still developing as a person. and hotch is helping him through that

i just think that when someone is helping another person grow and fully mature as their own individual for the first time, they have great influence over how they end up. so anything romantic coming from that.. thats just.. grooming

to be fair, im very very very VERY conscious of this as i engage with media and interact w fandoms. im a star wars fan, and a lot of popular ships follow a similar dynamic: falling in love with the person who helped you grow up. and thats just... thats so inappropriate to me. even if the older person would never intentionally abuse that, its still a wildly unhealthy power dynamic that makes me really uncomfortable. its just something im hyperaware of in fandom spaces because its such a common trope that people sexualize.

with the rest of the team, its not as relevant because they were already developed in that particular arena. they've all had relationships before, they've all lived their own lives and had their own experiences and their own ideas of whats right/wrong and who to love. hotch wasn't directly involved with their development as a well-rounded individual.

i appreciate you explaining to me your thought process behind it, so i just wanted to expand on what specifically i cant wrap my head around so that you can give your reasoning on why this isnt a concern for you. if you have a response, please send another ask because i really do want to know more.

and i totally get the sibling thing for emily/hotch and morgan/emily. i agree on morgan/emily being more a sibling thing. and im totally fine with hotch/emily being completely platonic like its no biggie for me. im not really a big "shipper" but its fun to think about sometimes, and they're just the ones thats easiest for me to think about probably because theyre my favs and i do nothing but think about them all day

AJSDLHF actually in therapy :* me too~ lets get better ~healing and love

thank you for the ask tho fr. its not something ive ever really tried to think about, so any reasons to enjoy it are lost on me simply.

[space-borb]

Surrender

Dabi x fem!reader

summary: you have been “acquaintances” with dabi for awhile now. you did your own thing being an underground quirk fighter under giran’s wing and he did his own, until one night after a small incident do you and dabi find out that maybe you two aren't that different. you just go about it differently

“what a fucking joke” you spoke softly as you sat in the simply bare room with only a table and two chairs, the cuffs around your wrists were tight and rather uncomfortable as you simply leaned in the chair annoyed with the position you were in.

“can you run any fucking slower” dabi’s irritatingly rough voice spoke as you ran after him down the street trying to avoid the cops

 your fight was being staked out and little did you know was about to be raided you were thankful that dabi was watching you fight but wasn't expecting him to be so quick to help you escape with him.  

you shook your head at the memory feeling your legs start to go numb and your head getting dizzy from trying to remember.

the detective walked in the room giving you a soft smile making you role your eyes as you leaned forward “miss l/n” there was a short pause as he clicked his teeth “I've contacted your family and they should be here soon to pick you up” your body tensed at the mention of your family you tried not to let it show but the detective simply shook his head as he sat in the seat across from you “you do understand that running away wont solve all your problems” he spoke as he tried to meet your eyes only to fail “if there's something you’d like to share then you can speak here” 

his words made you look up over his shoulder at the obvious two way mirror the odd feeling of eyes watching you made you look at the detective before spitting in his face knowing full and well how to make this man angry. you watched with a smug grin as he jerked you forward by your cuffed hands his fist connecting with your nose making an audible crack

you groaned in pain the dizzy feeling coming back as the detective dragged you out of the interrogation room. you lazily kicked your feet dragging behind the man to make it harder for him as he slammed you against the bars of the holding cell your head connecting with bars making you wince as he slammed the doors closed “fucking disrespectful punk”  he mumbled as he wiped the dribble of spit off his face. he walked away leaving you sitting on the concrete floor of the holding cell 

blood started to drip to the cold dull concrete floor with the sounds of phones ringing and inconsistent mumblings filled your cold cell as you leaned against the bars with a soft grin coming to your face as you closed your eyes 

‘I wont be seeing him anytime soon’ the thought came to the fore front of your mind as you focused on your breathing when the image of your father came forth... breathe in... he wont be getting you in here...breathe out...

                                                  ~.~

the sound of someone shouting caught your attention waking you up from the cot your hands stretched out above you “huh?” you rubbed at your wrists seeing the cuffs were gone 

“I want to see her!” a mans deep voice shouted making your eyes widen at the sudden flood of memories, the scars on your back started to ache as you listened to the rushed footsteps and officers shouting at the man to get back “Y/N!” your father shouted making you jump slightly as you stared at his feet in a daze “i’ll get you out of here sweetheart dontchu worry” his voice was like gravel being shoved into your ears as you listened not giving him the satisfaction of having you right in front of him. your father slammed his hands against the bars “what the fuck is wrong with you?” he was getting angry from you not answering him as the officers started to pull him away “what have you done to my fuckin’ kid!” he shouted as he started fighting against the officers hold.

the detective from earlier had showed up shortly after your father was taken away and began your discharge forms 

“someone has shown up with bail you're free to go” he spoke with a sour grin “but we all know you'll be back” his words made you pause standing in the doorway as you turned slightly giving him a smug grin as you tossed the bird over your shoulder as you began to skip down the steps of the police station.

you weren't surprised to see one of giran’s men what did surprise you was dabi sitting in the backseat the smell of cigarettes and cheap liquor filled the small space “what the fuck happened to you?” he asked his voice was quiet and rough you welcomed the gravelly tone as you simply shrugged your sore shoulders ignoring the way he scanned your bruised nose and reddened wrists 

dabi made note of the way you trembled slightly in your spot the way your eyes glazed over from being in silence...he sighed as he leaned further into the seat spreading his legs a bit more letting his knee graze yours breaking you out of your trance “be careful your mind is a dangerous place to be stuck in” he deeply whispered making sure that their driver didn't hear his words.

 you nodded leaving your knees touching grounding you as you looked back over to dabi seeing his scars and the multiple little silver staples that would glint in the passing lights, you couldn't wrap your head around him he was always quiet or had some smartass remark to make but last night somehow your opinion on him changed just a bit... 

it took alot longer to get to giran’s place than you expected as you climbed out of the car feeling giran embrace you tightly squishing your cheeks as he examined your bruised nose “oh no no no… this wont do” he tsk’d as he started to shove you through the door into the house slowly but surely suffocating you with medical attention until you finally had enough of his caring facade pushing him away with a subtle glare the exchange made the two other men in the room to chuckle. it didnt take long for giran to get bored after he ordered food saying he was going out for a bit leaving you and dabi alone the both of you rolling your eyes at his lie of going to store to get milk.

                                                    ~.~

dabi stood from his spot seeing your slumped form against the couch the empty takeout container clasped in your hands and the dark bruise across your nose and under eyes, giran had told him a few things about you he was simply curious about you and why someone so young was wrapped up in illegal fights. now that he knew he felt drawn to you in a way. he cracked his neck followed by his knuckles as he stalked his way towards the kitchen rummaging through his pocket grabbing the little green bottle of pain killers letting a few little pills fall into his hand as he tossed them into his mouth swallowing them dryly before taking a gulp of water letting the pills sink in trying to numb the pain a bit before he left.

he turned back towards your sleeping form before slid out of the door with a dead look on his face “might as well pay dear old detective kim a visit” he whispered into the night. 

                                                    ~.~

A/N  so this uh this is pretty much the fever dream i had its um...VERY slow not gunna lie so dabi and y/n have known each other due to giran this is an au with some noncan things... its going to be a long ride with this one, so im more than likely gunna post this on a03 once i get a few chapters up but heres the firstish chapter i hope you enjoyed! i tried to put everything in the tags

[mischiefandi]

the marauders in class at Hogwarts - headcanons (2)

A/N: here’s another headcanon because i just love these characters so much and im feeling very inspired recently. obviously this is just me describing what i picture when i think of the Marauders, but i honestly kind of love these headcanons and i feel like they fit quite well :)

if u would like to be added to my new Harry Potter taglists (either Harry Potter or the Marauders taglist, or both), please fill in this form !

headcanons below the cut <3

James

James’ favourite subject is Flying

nothing compares to the feeling he gets when he’s racing against the wind

flying above the grounds of his school

he tends to show off his skills

performing tricks for his fellow classmates

flying out of his teacher’s reach when she scolds him

he doesn’t really pay attention to her remarks, though he does work very hard

he trains a lot because he wants Gryffindor to win the Quidditch cup every year

he’s highly competitive and confident in his abilities

he’s not a bad student in other branches, but he often gets distracted by his mates

he’s always playing pranks on teachers and showing up late to class, tie not made correctly

he absolutely hates anything too mathematical, which automatically ruins Transfiguration, Ancient Ruins, and Astronomy for him

though he still gets rather good grades in those subjects

however he loves Charms and gets excellent grades in that class

he is very clever and he doesn’t mind shoving it in certain people’s *Snape’s- cough cough* faces

when he chooses to work hard, it usually turns out great for him

though he doesn’t often choose to

Sirius

he’s probably the worst student out of all 4 marauders

too busy making his classmates laugh or teachers fume with anger

he’s been to dumbledore’s office so many times, he couldn’t even count them if he tried

he often finds himself in detention with Mrs. McGonagall, who keeps a very sharp eye on him

they always end up chatting towards the end of detention though

he would never admit it, but she’s his favourite teacher

he finds her brilliant and he adores pushing her buttons

Sirius is smart, but he gets bored easily, and his love for adventure gets in the way of long hours of work

he only really enjoys one class which is Defence Against the Dark Arts, because it’s the only one in which he can actually do something

it’s also because it’s the only class he actually finds useful aside from Charms

he is however a gifted wizard and even though he isn’t a very devoted student, his magical prowess never ceases to amaze the staff members of Hogwarts

his favourite spell is Wingardium Leviosa, with the occasional Alohomora

they always come in quite handy

Remus

while Sirius is the worst student in the group, Remus is definitely the best

he loves learning about magic

he also loves reading, which explains why he enjoys History of Magic so much

he’s always sitting somewhere beside a fire or against a cool window, reading a book about mythical creatures or about unfamiliar hexes

he’s passionate about Defence Against the Dark Arts, and he’s oftentimes caught waving his wand at objects in the dormitory, practicing his spells

it’s no surprise he’s the one who’s always helping his friends out with their homework

he never complains about their lack of work or motivation

he’s always willing to help them, unless he’s in a very bad mood

when he has his off days, he pretends he’s got a lot of work to do

when really he just stares into the void, unable to concentrate on his books

aside from those days, Remus pays a lot of attention to his classes

he enjoys each and every one of them for different reasons, though some more than others

if he had to pick one class he really didn’t like, it’d have to be Divination

he doesn’t like its illogical and inconsistent characteristics  

Peter

Peter’s not good in school, but he isn’t bad either

he’s just average

in everything

he’s not particularly passionate about anything, though he really enjoys Potions

unlike most things in life, if you follow the instructions properly, you always get the result you were hoping for, and that’s why he likes it so much

Peter works a lot but his grades unfortunately don’t always match up to his efforts

he gets very annoyed when James or Sirius get better points than him, especially when they boast about barely studying for the test

he thought he’d enjoy Flying, but his first experience on a broom traumatised him so badly he got a special permission slip not to have to keep attending the class

James used to tease him about it but eventually offered to help him deal with his fear of heights, a proposition he gratefully declined

while he isn’t particularly talented or skilled, he’s a very good listener, and he enjoys listening to his teachers talk, especially when they’re passionate about their subject

he often asks Remus for extra help or explanations and Remus gladly helps him out

he might not be an exceptional wizard, but Peter always tries his best

tagging a few pals who might be interested and my forever tag <3

@duskholland @siriusly-harry @apatheticanvas67482 @teen–marvel@thegirlwhoimagined (u dont have to interact of course!)

forever tag:

@stixnstripesworld @masterofbluff @drakewalker04 @superapplepie @apatheticanvas67482​

if u would like to be added to my new Harry Potter taglists (either Harry Potter or the Marauders taglist, or both), please fill in this form :)

[pretendcnco]

starcrossed - christopher velez

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* :･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ:*

or the long awaited sequel to caminos destructivos

word count: 5.5k

note: currently feeling like this video lmao, but hi, I hope you’re all well, I haven't posted in the actual longest time. I did lose a lot of motivation for many things, writing being one of them but this has been in my drafts for months and I’m lowkey proud of it so I finally decided to post it. I hope y'all enjoy my own overplayed rendition of Romeo and juliet LMAO. im slowly getting back into the mindset of writing so just be patient with me, I do see the unanswered asks and will try my best to work on them but really, no promises. but again, hope u enjoy :)

tags: @ella-se-vuelve-loca @mepuserojito @yatusabess @estoy-enamorado-de-ti @richukisbb @smoljoelito @cnc-oh-boi @esmejha108 @h-bea92 @ericks-mala-actitud@undeadspazzattack @cncoh-damn @itsspelledbyannca@estefania723@cncogirl18 @pizzaspirits @miacha3xl @you-kinda-smell-like-christmas@jessenia-p@KitKat1328 @boundtobreakk @nochillnelly @cnco_bby @prettydamnmuchinlove @maggie-lunax @s4usagee @ericksmamita@wastedearth@ccnicole02 @apla-o-eaytos-mou @cncoaddicted @rosebud213@ruvaitkevicius@lover2448

join my taglist !

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* :･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ:*

From the moment Christopher Velez stepped foot into town, rumours circulated around him. Rumours about his tough looking exterior, the tattoo on his hand, and the reasons as to why he had moved to town. Whispers were heard all around town about him. He didn’t fit in, it was obvious. His dark wardrobe contrasted immensely from the bright apparel most of the town's population donned. He was quiet, never really speaking unless spoken to, trying to make as little impact in his last year of high school as he could.

But that was until he met her.

He knew about her before he officially met her, of course. Most of the trophies in the school's front office held her name, her face adorned the many pictures hung up on the walls. Class president, Model UN, Debate Club, Environmental Rallies, Scholarships, Soccer, Cheer. Everyone knew her name, her face, she was the star student. But what surprised him was that she didn’t have a group of followers mindlessly trailing after her, rather she was always with just one other girl. This intrigued him because she didn’t seem larger than life, like how the school portrayed her, she seemed rather normal. She was humble, at first glance no one would think she was the Y/N L/N that everyone talked about. He supposed that was what intrigued him about her. He questioned how someone so accomplished in her young age could be so humble about it. Maybe because he grew up around people who would always brag about their accomplishments, no matter how horrible they were.

Christopher wouldn’t describe himself as someone who didn’t care about school, but some things presented themselves in his life that made it one of his lowest priorities. He always zoned out when the guidance counselor began talking to him about his future, because she always said the same: he didn’t have one. His grades were inconsistent, as was his attendance, and his test scores were, let’s just say, not the best. He knew he didn’t have a bright future, you didn’t need to tell him, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want one, he so badly did. He wanted to be able to provide for his family in the right way, he wanted to do something meaningful with his life, but ultimately the stars choose a different path for him.

Catching the school- no the town- angel’s attention was not what he had planned to do. He was okay with just watching her from afar, never in a million years believing a girl like her would go for a guy like him. But that night at the party, the night he decided to make his move, waiting to be rejected, he was surprised to find her kissing him back, with as much, if not more, want as he had.

She was intoxicating to say the least. Her innocence excited him, the idea that he knew things she didn’t, that he could teach her those things, excited him.

But the backlash of their relationship was immediate. Her brother was no fan of him, taking every chance he could to let Christopher know how much he didn’t deserve his sister. Chris didn’t take his threats seriously, knowing he could take him easily, but he tried to respect him, he was Y/N’s brother after all.

It was difficult, keeping their relationship discreet, especially when Chris couldn’t keep his hands off of her. Despite what her brother and most of the town believed, Christopher didn’t want Y/N just to sleep with her, to purposefully corrupt her. He wanted her because she was smart, care-free, and kind. Very different from the people he used to hang around back home. He could stay up late on the phone every night because she always had something interesting to talk about, he enjoyed listening to the way she thought, the things she cared about. But he also wasn’t going to deny that she was an amazing kisser, despite her lack of experience.

Christopher didn’t plan on breaking her heart. But he also didn’t plan on having all he ran from be unearthed in this new town. He ran from it for a reason. He looks back now and wishes he could have changed something, anything, to make things better, but in reality he had no idea what. He believed Y/N to be his saving grace, a gift from God in the hopes of turning Christopher’s life around, but now he assumed his actions had caught up to him, and God himself realized Christopher didn’t deserve something as good as Y/N.

ten days until zabdiel’s end of the year party

Christopher’s arm was slung over Y/N’s shoulder as they sat in the front seat of the truck Benito let him borrow. Her legs were tucked under her as she cuddles in close to him, both of them watching the movie being played that night at the drive-in. She lets out a small chuckle at the joke one of the characters say and he glances towards her. The light from the film lights up her face, her lips plastered in a permanent smile. She was so beautiful, he couldn’t believe she was his. And this is what prompts him to lean down and place a kiss on her cheek.

She looks up at him then.

“What was that for?” She questions, eyeing his small smile.

“Nada, you're just so beautiful.”

Her face heats up at his words, compliments from him always making butterflies erupt in her belly.

“Oh, stop.” She says with a small laugh, nervously moving her gaze down. At this, Christopher lets out a small chuckle and places a hand under her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Their eyes meet and Y/N couldn’t help but get lost in them. And then he’s slowly meeting their lips together. She smiles into the kiss as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap. His hands settle on the backs of her thighs, her arms wrapping around his neck. He begins trailing kisses down her neck, reveling in the way her eyes flutter shut at his actions. He sucks on the spot under her ear, earning a small gasp from her.

“Chris,” She breathes out, her hands gripping his shoulders at the sensations.

And suddenly, all that is heard is hoots and laughter as small pebbles hit the trucks windows. It was no secret in town that kids came to the drive-in to hook up, and of course there were the dumbasses who made a big deal whenever they saw a couple too close in the car.

Y/N jumps away from Chris, letting out a small laugh as more pebbles hit the car. She glances towards her window and her smile suddenly drops.

“Fuck,” she mutters. Chris eyes her warily as she gets off him and scoots to roll down the window. The boy outside's laughter immediately stops when he sees who the couple in the car was.

“Wait until your brother hears about this.” The boy says, shaking his head. Chris was utterly confused, did they know each other ?

Y/N scowls at the boy outside the window before speaking.

“Fuck off Johann, don’t you have something better to do than be Michael’s lap dog?”

The boy’s, Johann's, eyes widen in shock, mouth popping open at Y/N’s remark. Chris stifles a laugh upon seeing the boys face, and Johann turns to face him.

“You just wait, you don’t fucking belong here and we’ll show you.”

Y/N sticks up her middle finger in the boys face and rolls up the window. She lets out a loud sigh and straightens her shirt.

“I’m sorry about him. My brother and his friends are a pain in the ass, but you already knew.” She tells him and Chris shrugs.

“It’s okay, hermosa.” He tells her, leaning down to peck her cheek. “Let’s get out of here.” He mutters and she nods. Chris sets the car in drive and pulls out of the field, eyes meeting Johanns as he passes, the other boys gaze filled with hate.

Later that night, Chris finds himself looking after the supermarket as Benito had other matters to attend to. Y/N was long asleep at this point and he watches the clock, waiting for midnight to hit. When the clock read 12, he quickly gathers his stuff and heads out. He clicks the lock shut and shoves the key into his jacket pocket before beginning his walk back to Benito’s.

“Christopher.” A voice shakes Chris out of his thoughts and he turns to find the one person he didn’t want to see. Chris sighs heavily as Micheal, Y/N’s brother, jogs over to him.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“I think I’ve heard enough.” Chris states simply. He heard all the things Micheal said about him, thought about him. They were whispered around town and he caught words as he walked by, he didn’t need to hear more. Christopher turns without another word and walks away, feeling Micheal’s burning stars like a target on his back.

seven days until zabdiel’s end of the year party

“Yo, who would’ve thought Y/N would end up with you?” Richard says with a laugh as he receives the newly rolled blunt from Zabdiel. The rest of the boys chuckle at his words and Chris just smiles, blowing out a puff of smoke from his mouth.

“I don’t even know.” He admits.

“You’re treating her right, right?” Erick asks, taking a sip of his drink. Chris looks up at the younger boy from where he was sitting. He knew Erick saw Y/N as a sister, so of course he was a little protective.

“Of course.” He states and Erick nods. If Y/N was happy, he was happy.

They were all currently chilling at the Camacho family’s mechanic shop, where Richard worked part-time. After hours they all gathered there to smoke and drink, unbeknownst to his father of course.

A knock at the metal garage doors brings all the boys attention to the group of people sauntering into the shop. Richard stands from his seat and quickly hides the blunt in his hand. Zabdiel and Joel fan the air, trying to rid the area of the obvious smell of weed.

“We’re closed, bro.” Richard says to the group of boys walking in.

“Yeah we know.” The tallest boy says, and when they finally step into the light, Christopher quickly sits up. Y/N’s brother and his pack of goons walk towards them, their sights set on him.

“We’re just looking for one person.” Micheal, simply states. Christopher’s jaw clenches as he sits up straighter.

Richard steps in between the two boys.

“Listen, you’re not gonna start this shit here.” The red-haired boy tells Y/N’s brother. “Now I’d really like if you all just turn around and get the fuck out of here.”

“We just wanna talk to him.” Micheal says, pointedly looking at Chris. The other boys turn to face him before looking back at Y/N’s brother and his friends.

“We know you guys don’t want to just talk.” Joel states.

“And if you’re trying to start something, piénsalo otra vez.” Zabdiel speaks up, standing and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Listen, you just let us have a talk with our friend here,” Micheal begins, motioning towards Christopher. “We don’t mean any harm to you guys.”

“Bro, we already told you, get outta here. If you want Christopher, you have us too.”

Now all the boys stood, staring down the other group.

“I suggest you back down Richard, unless you want the whole town knowing Joel passes your drug tests for you.” Richards stare was pure rage, and Joel shifts uncomfortably next to him.

“And you Zabdiel, how about that girl you knocked up last year? How is she doing?” Zabdiel pauses, fists clenched at his sides, not having expected that to come out of his mouth. Christopher watched the scene unfold, knowing exactly where this was going. Despite the small towns shiny exterior, there were heavy secrets lying just below the surface. Christopher’s was one of them. The life he ran from, the reason he moved to a completely new country, the thing he’s been trying to keep hidden for months. Christopher held his breath, just waiting for Micheal to spill his own secrets. His heart was beating so wildly in his chest he couldn’t hear, or didn’t want to hear, the rest of the conversation. Before he knew it, a punch was thrown. Christopher is thrown back into reality at Erick’s shout and he turns to see Johann and Richard in a violent embrace, both boys trying to get the other to back down, however bloody that left them. Somewhere on his left, this same messy dance was started by Zabdiel and another of Micheal’s friends. Joel and Erick watch with wide eyes as Micheal walks towards Christopher. Erick acts first, trying to push Micheal away, but to no avail. And before Chris knew, Micheal’s fist collided with his face. Joel and Erick were on him now, struggling to pry off Micheal from Christopher. Micheal manages to get in another hit before Joel and Erick completely pull him off. Chris was bleeding, he reaches up to wipe the blood from his mouth. His ears are ringing, the blows to the head he received not working in his favor.

“This is the last time I tell you. Stay the fuck away from my sister.” Micheal spits out as Joel and Erick push him away. Christopher looks around to see Zabdiel and Richard panting heavily, Richards eyebrow was split and Zabdiel had a bruise growing on his cheek.

“And the longer you guys protect him, the more likely all your secrets are gonna come out.” Micheal spits onto the ground next to Christopher, blood dripping from the one place Chris managed to land a punch. Without another word, Micheal and his boys depart. Chris and the others watch their figures depart, dark silhouettes against the stores warm yellow lights.

“Fuck,” Richard mutters. “Fuck!” He shouts, kicking a beer can so hard it hits the metal garage doors with a loud bang.

“How did he know about Zabdi? And Richard?” Joel whispers. No one answers, because no one had a clue. But they were all thinking the same, if he knew that, what else did he know?

“I’m sorry.” Chris says. Zabdiel shakes his head. He saunters over to the small refrigerator and tosses Chris a cold beer. Chris places the can on his face, hoping to lessen the swell before he got home, he didn’t want Benito to think he was doing the same things he was doing back in Ecuador.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Zabdiel tells him.

“Si, I don’t think loving a girl is wrong.” Erick mutters, and a silent agreement is shared throughout the room.

Chris leaves the shop that night with guilt hanging heavy on his mind. He apologized again and again to the boys, but they kept telling him it was okay. But it wasn’t, it wasn’t okay.

As he begins his walk back home, his phone pings. He hoped it was a message from Y/N, she was the only person that could cheer him up in an instant. But as he unlocked his phone, he saw the message wasn’t from Y/N, rather from an unknown number. He eyes his phone warily as he clicks on the message. There were pictures, pictures of Christopher. His throat instantly felt dry and he looked around him, a shiver running down his spine as he eyes the dark expanse behind him. He turns his attention back to his phone to examine the photos. They were pictures that didn’t put Chris in a very good looking position. Goosebumps erupt on his arms, and it wasn’t because of the cold. A message pops on his phone.

Unknown: leave her or this will be released.

Chris: fuck you

Unknown: you have until the end of the week.

Chris eyes his phone in disbelief. He ran from this, but here it was to be the end of him.

The next morning Chris was surprised to see Y/N at his door. Rushing to pull on a shirt and get to the door before Benito did, he slides out of his room, breathless when he finally opens the door. He opens it to reveal his angel. Y/N stood in front of him, a bright smile on her lips and a tray of cupcakes in her hands. Chris peeks outside, notices Benito’s truck is gone and looks back at Y/N, a sly smirk on his face. He reaches towards her and quickly pulls her in, maneuvering the cupcakes from between them and just as quickly placing their lips together. Y/N makes no complaints, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. Chris relaxes in her hold, the only place he has felt truly at peace since leaving Ecuador. Their lips meet in small, slow kisses, savoring the moment together. After a while, he pulls away, placing his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, the tropical smell of her perfume that always reminded him of her. Y/N places her hand in his hair as Chris holds her tight.

“Erick told me what happened.” She mutters, and Chris sighs. He pulls away and walks to the kitchen. “I’m sorry, Chris.” She says, following him into the kitchen. She leans against the doorframe and watches as he paces back and forth. He looks up at her, his big brown eyes caught in the morning light.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, hermosa.” He tells her before turning to pull out two mugs.

It was her turn to sigh now. She steps towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and resting her head on his shoulder as he prepares them coffee.

“I just wish things were easier.” She mutters. He chuckled softly before placing a kiss on her head.

“If everything was easy, there would be nothing to fight for, right?”

He just wanted to make her feel better, but how he wished things were easier too.

The rest of the morning was spent with Y/N and Chris wrapped in each other’s arms, tangled in his sheets. She had fallen asleep, huddled up into his side. He watched the way her chest slowly rose and fell as he drew small circles on her arm. He kept thinking about those photos, that threat, and what it could mean to him, what it could mean to Y/N. His head was full of what he could do, how he could fix this. He had no clue. Before he could think anymore, he felt Y/N stir in her sleep. She smiles when she notices him looking at her.

“Hi.” She says and he smiles, slightly giggling at how messy her hair was.

“Hola.” She sleepily grabs her phone off of his bedside table and in an instant sat up.

“Shit, I have practice in an hour.” She exclaims, quickly getting up to get her things in order. Chris sits up to watch her.

“Do you have to go?” He questions. At the moment he didn’t feel safe. Tough, punches-first-talking-later Christopher Veléz was afraid. He wasn’t sure what these people wanted, he didn’t know who they were. But they knew him, and they knew where he was and that was enough. He didn’t want to worry Y/N just yet, but he supposed because his nerves were so high, Y/N took notice anyway. She looks up at him, a worried look on her face. She promptly drops her bag at the foot of his bed and abandons her efforts to put her shoe on to approach him. She crawls across the bed to straddle his waist and without words Christopher pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her and snuggling his head in the crook of her neck.

“It’ll be okay, Chris. My brother can’t make decisions for me and I won’t let him continue tormenting you like this.” She unconsciously runs her hand through his hair, force of habit.

He chuckles a little at her words. His worries were much bigger than her brother, but he couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t.

“You’re so tough, hermosa, but you don’t need to protect me.” He says, lifting his head up to meet her eyes. She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“Okay Macho Man.” She says, to which he laughs. “I love you, Chris, of course I’m going to try to protect you.” His heart physically hurt in that moment. Here he had someone so selfless, so beautiful, and she let him call her his. His past was catching up, but he hoped he could stop it in time. He leans up to press a kiss onto her lips, allowing himself to melt into her for a second.

“Vamos, you have to go.” He says, playfully pushing her off. She chuckles as she falls off him. Quickly she collects her stuff and gives him a quick peck before bounding out of his room. Christopher grudgingly follows her, never fond of seeing her go.

“I’ll see you later, okay.” She calls out as she walks out of the house.

“Bye, amor.” He responds, watching as she walks to her car. With one last wave, she’s gone, and Christopher is left alone.

three days until zabdiel’s end of the year party

The rest of the week was uneventful. The growing nerves of both fear and excitement loomed in the halls as the seniors got ready to graduate. Christopher doubted he would graduate, and if by some miracle he did, he had no idea what he wanted to do. He walked the halls and overheard his peers with their larger than life plans. Some were going to big schools in the big cities, others were planning on making it big in Hollywood, and others decided on staying close to home and attending local universities. Whatever their plans were, they were definitely more than what Chris had in mind, which was, at the moment, nothing.

He admired hearing Y/N’s plan for her future, she seemed to have everything prepared. She had laughed when he mentioned this to her now.

“Yeah, but I still feel like when I graduate I’m gonna spiral.” Chris chuckles and brings their entangled hands up to plant a kiss on hers.

“I doubt that, amor.” He mutters. She shakes her head, as if tossing the whole thought from her mind.

“What about you? What are you thinking about after graduation?” He clenches his jaw at her words. Did she want an honest answer? Christopher didn’t think he would have lived long enough to graduate highschool.

“We’re closed.” Chris calls out from behind a shelf. He waits a beat to hear a response, or even the store’s bell to tell him someone has left. Neither of that came. He sets down his inventory sheet and steps towards the front of the store. He turns towards the magazine rack to see someone scanning through the prints. “Hey, I said we’re closed.” He tells them. The person still did not respond. Christopher felt goosebumps prickle his skin. None of this situation sat right with him. Chris begins to approach the person.

“Hey,” He begins, reaching out to grab their shoulder. Catching Chris completely by surprise, he feels a fist collide with his side. On instinct he jumps away, pain coursing through his body. There were two people. He scoffs, unsurprised that Y/N’s brother would start something here. But as the two people approach him, he notices how big they were. These guys could not be Micheal and his friends. Chris tries to fight back but these guys were definitely stronger than him, deflecting his every blow and returning them with two of their own. Grunts sound through the small store as the mystery people deliver fist after fist to every square inch of Christopher’s body. He tried to fight back, but they easily overpowered him. It was in little time that Chris began to fall unconscious. He didn’t know how long it had lasted, but when he finally came to, the people were gone, and the clock read 3AM.

Sitting up was a nightmare, he could feel the deep green and purple bruises forming on his ribs and face. Chris manages to stand after several failed attempts and limps to where his phone was left discarded.

A couple calls and texts from the boys, several missed calls from Benito, and double from Y/N.

Painfully, he manages to drive home.

As Christopher locks the door behind him, Benito’s shouts greet him.

“Christopher Velez dónde cojones estabas?”

He turns to face Benito. His hearing was muffled, it was as if hearing through a wall.

“It’s three in the morning! I’ve been worried sick!” Benito flicks on the lights and prepares to yell some more when he stops, finally seeing Christopher’s face. The bruises were growing, ugly shades of purple and green spotted on his face.

“What happened?” Benito questions, slowly approaching Chris. Chris shakes his head, not wanting to discuss what had happened at the store. He walks past Benito into the kitchen.

“Christopher.” Benito warns, following close behind him.

“It’s nothing!” Chris tells him, but Benito shoots him a look, a look that Chris couldn’t ignore.

He sighs. “Some guys came into the store, and out of nowhere started beating me up.” As Chris says this, Benito retrieves some frozen peas from the freezer and alcohol from the medicine cabinet.

“They were trying to steal?” Benito questions, handing Chris the peas before pouring some rubbing alcohol onto a towel.

“I don’t know, I don’t think they took anything.” Chris tells him, wincing as he presses the cold bag to his bruising face.

“Chris,” Benito begins, a pensive look on his face that didn’t settle Chris’s nerves. “I promised your mother to take care of you, but it looks like I’m not doing a good job.”

Chris answers in silence, unsure of what to say.

“I hope you’re not messing with the wrong people.”

Chris glances up at his words, but doesn’t say anything, his silence was answer enough.

Benito goes to step out of the kitchen, but before he leaves, he places a hand on Christopher’s shoulder.

“Call Y/N, she’s worried.”

Chris rests his head on the cupboards and lets out a sigh.

He knew he had gotten himself into some deep shit, and the last thing he wanted to do was involve Y/N. But he needed to hear her voice.

“Hello?” She says when the call connects.

“Hi.” He responds.

“Hi? Hi? You go missing for hours and all you have to say is ‘hi’?” She’s exasperated, and she’s probably been up for hours waiting for him.

“I’m sorry.” He says.

“What happened?”

He wasn’t going to get her involved. Christopher’s number one goal was to keep Y/N safe, and he would do it no matter what.

“Some guys were trying to rob the store.”

“Oh my gosh, Chris, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, amor. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, deberías ir a dormir.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

There's a small pause.

“Yeah. Buena noches, hermosa.”

the day of zabdiel’s end of the year party

The next couple of days were difficult. Every call that came from Y/N, he ignored. Every text he left opened. He knew it wasn’t the best plan of action, but he needed her to let him go, and this was the only way. He knew she would hurt, but a broken heart was better than one that wasn’t beating. Chris hadn’t planned on getting deep with La Marquesa, but he needed money and working as a delivery boy back in Ecuador didn’t cut it. He was going to stop after he got enough so that his family could live somewhat comfortably, but that was a pretty lie he told himself. He knew this life, once you got in it, it was almost impossible to get out.

Friday night came by slowly. The pain it brought him to ignore Y/N’s calls was almost unbearable. But he needed to protect her at all costs. His phone then pings from where it lay on his bed.

zab: vas a la fiesta hoy?

He had forgotten about the party entirely.

zab: you said you’d help me with the beer

He sighed, he had promised that. Christopher sends a text back quickly before throwing on his jacket. He didn’t want to go tonight but he had promised a friend. He decided to just drop off the drinks and leave, not wanting the small possibility of facing Y/N.

After taking as much beer as he could find from Benito’s, promising to restock tomorrow morning, Christopher set off to the party. By the time he got there, the music could already be heard down the street. The pulsing lights shone through the windows and the silhouettes of drunk teenagers were visible.

“You made it!” He hears as he steps inside. Joel approaches him and slaps Chris on the back. Chris offers him a smile and lifts the boxes of beer in his arms. Joel nods and motions towards the kitchen.

“Zab is upstairs, he’s been looking for you.” Chris nods and sets down the boxes on the counter before heading up to Zabdiel’s bedroom.

“Aye! Llego el Christopher!” Zabdiel exclaims as Chris pushes the door of his bedroom open. He offers them a smile as he and Richard clap him up in greeting.

“Everything okay?” Richard questions, noticing fatigue in Christopher's eyes, the normal bright and effervescent look in his eyes was almost completely diminished.

“Si, si.” Chris mutters. They both nod his way, but don’t completely believe him. Zabdiel quickly finishes getting ready, as he was already more than fashionably late to his own party. After he sprays the last bit of cologne, he and Richard follow Christopher out of the room.

“Creo que me voy para la casa.” Chris says as he walks to the stairs.

“Que?” Zabdiel questions. “The party just started!”

“I know, I’m just tired.” Zabdiel and Richard share a quick look.

“Bueno loco, it was good seeing you even just for a second.” Richard says, patting Chris on the shoulder.

Christopher walks downstairs, ready to head home. He keeps his gaze in front of him, just wanting to get home as soon as possible. He steps out of the house, Zabdiel and Richard following to bid their farewells. Chris doesn’t look back as he approaches his truck, but he almost stops dead in his tracks when he hears someone calling his name.

“Christopher!” Y/N. He knew her voice anywhere. Christopher flinches at her voice, but he didn’t turn, he didn’t stop, he couldn’t. Zabdiel leans down to whisper something to him but he brushes the taller boy off.

“Christopher!” She yells again and in a moment, she grabs his arm and turns him to face her.

He made sure his expression revealed no emotions, despite the fact that his heart was a hurricane of them. He watched as the tears clung to her lash line, threatening to fall any second. Christopher’s heart hurt as he looked at her, wanting to console her, to tell her it would all be okay. But he couldn’t. Y/N then reaches up to touch his face, noticing the bruises. Before her fingertips could graze his skin, he moves his face away, sure he would collapse into her if he let her touch him. She recoils back and a large pang of hurt erupted in his heart.

“What are you doing?” She questions.

“What?” He questions back. “Did you really think this meant anything to me?”

Her mouth pops open at his words.

“Wh-what?” She stutters. He hated this, he hated it so much.

“You never meant anything to me.” He states. Those words were a double edged sword, hurting both him and her. “We’re over.”

The tears were falling soundlessly down her face, and Christopher swore he felt his heart crack in two.

“You know they’ve always talked about you.” She says in between tears. “They said you would never treat me right. Maybe they had a point.”

Hearing her say that almost knocked the entire facade off. Y/N, the one person who always told him he was capable of so much more than he thought, the person who made him feel like less of an outsider, the person who defied all rules to love him, was telling him this, hitting him right where it hurt. He knew he was never good for her, but she always made him see him through her eyes. But now she saw his as everyone else did, a criminal, an outsider.

[vampswillhurtyou]

i was tagged by the lovely @spockinaa​ thank you L 💕💖

rules: answer 30 questions and tag 20 some blogs you are contractually obligated to know better.

name/nickname: jo, josé  gender: girl but sometimes not? more like genderfluid  star sign: capricorn height: 169 cm / 5′5 probs time: 2:30 pm birthday: december 31st favorite bands: the clash, queen, led zeppelin, the doors, fleetwood mac, pink floyd, aerosmith, guns n roses, iron maiden, deep purple, the who, the b-52s, REM, greenday, the pretty reckless.... favorite solo artists: angèle, philippe katherine, idk lol  song stuck in my head: whatever i listen to last so probably les misérables last movie: TOG..... again..... yesterday last show: south park and the office when did i create this blog: hmmm i think 2011 what do i post: damn im inconsistent... these days mostly TOG and cast, les misérables,the mandalorian, clint barton and winterhawk last thing googled: attestation de déplacement dérogatoire  other blogs: yea to blog about tma : jolistenstotma  do i get asks: i do sometimes and i love every one of them why i chose my url: does it need explaining lmao following: no idea probably like 500 followers: around 400 last time i looked average hours of sleep: i wish is was consistent enough to have an average lucky number: 8/16 instruments: nope what am i wearing: joggings and hoodie dream job: no job lmaoooo (L im keeping your answer sksdkksksdk) dream trip: chile or venezuela favorite food: hard one... i love gnocchi lol nationality: french favorite song: last one i listened to as always last book read: le génie lesbien by alice coffin (and a lot of fics lmao) top three fictional universes i’d like to live in: lmao i have no fucking idea somewhere with the sun and the beach ? where the end isn’t on the verge of ending probably 

tagging : @nickydestati​ @spacewitchqueen​ @demonicneonfishy​ @marwankenzari​ and @rupzydaisy​ if you want to !

[scripttorture]

So I’ve seen a few organized crime asks and wanted to ask something for a book I’ve been working on. How do I show characters living with things like chronic pain and depression and anxiety after being exposed to violence, without adding to stigma that mentally ill people are violent? I don’t want readers to think committing violence will not affect people in any way, but I also don’t want readers with mental illness to think their own disorder is a punishment for something they haven’t done.

That’sa good question.

Anda bloody difficult one.

I’vebeen pretty open about having mental health problems, intrusivethoughts about violence and how these stereotypes have effected me.

Butthat experience only really allows me to speak for myself. I can’treally speak for the  millions, of other people in the same position.Some of them are likely to feel differently. I’ve seen peoplerespond to @scriptshrink’s blog by saying they don’t thinknon-mentally ill people should write about mental health at all.Personally- I don’t agree, but we’re not a monolithic group.There are huge differences of opinion here.

So-other people may disagree. This is a subjective issue rather thansomething I can fall back on research papers and statistics for. Keepthat, and my biases, in mind.

Whenit comes to writing my philosophy is ‘balance’. Which in thisparticular case means that I’d try to add in more mentally illcharacters who are not violent criminals.

Oneof the easiest ways to do that in this scenario is to include thefamilies of these criminals.

Let’spause for a moment for a tangent into a real life case. Take a lookat the appendices of thisbook (freely available online here),we’re looking at Case Group B, Case No 3, page 168 out of 196.

Theyoung woman of ‘Case No 3’ was the daughter of a torturer and thecases are Fanon’s notes taken as a mental health professionalduring and after the Franco-Algerian war.

WhatI’m trying to highlight here is the way violence can impact themental health of witnesses and people who are only peripherallyinvolved as well as attackers and victims. I think including peoplefrom these groups could help because it gets to the root of whatyou’re driving at: that violence causes mental health problemsrather than the other way round.

I'dalways encourage people to include victims in their stories, if itcan be done in a way that allows them to be fully rounded individualsrather than objects.

Howeverthat’s not always possible if the story focuses on the ‘badguys’.

Otherwitnesses and public officials can also be used to show the effectsof violence. I suppose police officers are the obvious group to leapto but in places where the levels of violence are high there oftenseems to be a huge pressure on health care professionals. They’reexposed to much of the violence of organised crime and they’resometimes deliberately targetted (as in Mexico and Pakistan).

Ifyour story involves any of the criminal characters being injured andin need of emergency treatment- well @scriptmedic always used tosuggest trying to give medics more personality even if they’re onlyin the story for a short amount of time. A connection with thepatient over shared mental health problems could be a good way to dothat. Especially since a doctor could plausibly voice the obviousconnection: they feel this way because they’re exposed to violenceevery day.

Ithink if you can it’s also important to take the time to show thesemental health problems developing in your abusive characters.Establish that they were violent long before they were mentally ill.

Youmight not have space in the story to show that development from thebeginning of the character’s time in a gang. But if you don’tthere are other ways to work that in.

Havinga character reflect on their past is a possibility, or having someonewho knows them well point it out to them.

‘Youknow you never had to take those pain pills until you started doingx’

‘Youdidn’t have these days before you joined the gang-’

‘Youwere so much calmer when-’

Andso forth.

Youcould also approach this by looking at the way older more establishedmembers see younger members. If your older mentally ill character whohas seen a lot of violence now has this ‘kid’ trying to tagalong, wanting to learn the ropes, wanting to be ‘tougher’ and‘stronger’- It would probably be naturally for the character tolook back and think ‘I thought like that too, before the painstarted, before I needed the pills, before I spent weeks at a time inbed. This dumb kid has no idea what they’re asking.’

Bothof these tactics are… attacking the idea at the joints. The firstone is establishing that mental illness exists outside of violentaction and the second is establishing that the character was violentbefore being mentally ill.

Thereare probably other ways to approach doing this. These are just theways that stood out to me and that I thought would fit the scenariobest.

Ithink you’d probably also benefit from finding a beta reader orjoining a writing group.

Becausethis sounds like the sort of scenario where the execution is going tobe incredibly important to how this comes across. It’s not justabout picking a few strategies it’s about making sure they acrosseffectively on the page. And the best way to find out is to getpeople to read it. Ask them about the story. Ask them how theportrayal of mental health problems comes across. Ask for theirsuggestions for more elements or improvements.

Honestlythis helps so much. I can’t count the number of times my writinggroup have picked up on inconsistencies, unclear passages or justplaces where re-writing things a little could improve the emotionalimpact of the scene. Clarity, consistency and good use of atmospherewill go a long way to achieving what you want in this story.

AndI’ve found that it’s very easy to assume we’ve got all thosethings the way we want them as we write. Because we know what wemean. Showing other people our work and getting their feedbackreassures us when we havegot it right and helps us figure out what to do when we haven’t.

Ihope that helps. :)

Availableon Wordpress.

Disclaimer

[graciouswift]

I got tagged to answer a bunch of questions about myself and i’m gonna put it under the read more for anyone who wants to know a bit about me!! :)

I was tagged by @swifts-nyc

rules: answer 30 questions and tag 20 accounts you want to know better

Nickname(s): i don’t even have one cause no one’s found a cute way to shorten my name :/ smh fake hoes

Gender: female

Sign: virgo

Height: 5’0 i’m short af

Time: 10 pm

Favorite Bands: lmao so i went through a huge 1D phase and i haven’t listened to much bands ever since cause i’m an uncultured hoe but rn I’d say maybe the 1975?

Favorite Solo Artists: TAYLOR and LORDE!!! their minds amaze me 

Song Stuck in my Head: literally every song in taylor’s discography is played on shuffle in my head at all given times

Last Movie I Saw: Doctor Strange cause i’m trying to catch up on the 10 years of marvel movies i missed out on :( i’m huge marvel trash now and woW it was the best decision i’ve made

Last Show I Watched: jane the virgin was the last one i properly watched and then i started the office but put that on pause cause of my marvel movie marathon 

When Did I Create My Blog: 2014

What Do I Post: taylor with a sprinkle of marvel and chris evans

Last Thing I Googled: the definition of time inconsistency preference cause i’m tryna study for a summer course but im also SUPER distracted ugh :/

Do I Have Any Other Blogs: i had a 1D tumblr from 2012-2014 and then taylor bought my ass so i abandoned it right then and there

Do I Get Asks: sometimess when i literally beg for them lmao

My URL: gracious + swift = graciouswift but with a single S cause i am just so random 

Following: 348

Followers: its about to be 0 if ppl read my long ass rambling answers 

Avg. Hours Of Sleep: varies from like 5 to 10 hours tbh (rn i’m at the high end of the scale cause i’m on summer break)

Lucky Number: 17 (hasn’t done much luck for me tho to be quite honest hmm)

Instruments: i’ve played the trumpet in elementary school cause we had to choose an instrument for music class and my lips went through SO much suffering because of it

What Am I Wearing: pajamas!

Dream Job: something in healthcare/medicine i hope!!

Dream Trip: DISNEY CAUSE IVE BEEN WANTING TO GO SINCE I WAS A LITTLE CHILD but also Iceland cause of the hot springs and sceneries!!

Favorite Food: i LOVEE a bunch of types of pasta and also my mom’s Indian food 

Nationality: Canadian :)

Favorite Song: it jumps between enchanted/last kiss/haunted/state of grace cause i’m indecisive af

Last Book I Read: i haven’t properly read a book in like 3 years but i think it was the last one was the fourth HP book

Top 3 Fictional Universes I’d Join: MARVEL UNIVERSE!!!! (someone pls throw me into it i beg), wizarding world, and any magical disney universe if that counts?

I tag anyone who’s made it this far into reading this post cause I appreciate your interest in getting to know me :D

Edit: waiT i tag @graciousswift13, @momentiknew and @underlined-in-red if you guys wanna do it :)

[city127-archive]

Rules: answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 people

I was tagged by: @taezever 👼💫💕

last

1. drink - water
2. phone call - my dad 
3. text message- ‘yeee its saved too’
4. song you listened to - probably instagram by dean..? i don’t remember 
5. time you cried - ehhh last sunday maybe?

ever

6. dated someone twice - nah
7. kissed someone and regretted it - not rlly
8. been cheated on - nope
9. lost someone special - idk,, i dont think so,,
10. been depressed - yup
11. gotten drunk and thrown up - gotten drunk yes, but not thrown up

fave colors

12. baby blue
13. light pink
14. light yellow

in the last year have you…

15. made new friends - yess
16. fallen out of love - nope
17. laughed until you cried - idk man probably 
18. found out someone was talking about you - uhh yeah 
19. met someone who changed you - i think so?
20. found out who your friends are - yeah
21. kissed someone on your facebook friends list - not in the last year

general

22. how many of your facebook friends do you know irl - most of them
23. do you have any pets - umm a few goldfish

24. do you want to change your name - i mean sora’s not my *actual* name and i’d honestly change it to that bc my birth name is ☠️☠️
25. what did you do for your last birthday - literally nothing lmao
26. what time did you wake up today - 8 am
27. what were you doing at midnight last night - sleeping for once 
28. what is something you cant wait for - my trip to japan!!
30. what are you listening to right now - nothing
31. have you ever talked to a person named tom - i think so??? maybe not
32. something that’s getting on your nerves - mostly myself lol
33. most visited website -tumblr or ao3
34. hair color - black
35. long or short hair - long w/my extensions,, p short without

36. do you have a crush on someone - im always crushing on like everybody

37. what do you like about yourself - my?? idk my voice ig

38. want any piercings? -yes!! a septum and more ear piercings ((i wanted nipple piercings for a hot minute lmao))
39. blood type - i have no idea my mom lost the document that said it
40. nicknames - cy, sometimes cereal
41. relationship status - single as heckles
42. zodiac - aries,, technically maybe an aries/taurus cusp but it depends on who you ask
43. pronouns - she/her
44. fave tv shows - hannibal, the office, death note, devilman crybaby
45. tattoos - i want one on my inner arm
46. right or left handed - right handed
47. ever had surgery - nope
48. piercings - just my lones
49. sport - i used to do figure skating, gymnastics, dance ((some ballet nd contemporary)) and karate but i quit bc im inconsistent as hell yay!!
50. vacation - most of the time i just go visit family in africa
51. trainers - what

more general

52. eating - ramennn
53. drinking - water w/ lemon juice
54. i’m about to watch - i gotta finish rewatching the office
55. waiting for - my lil baby hixtapr
56. want - money and a boyf/gf
57. get married - not my main goal but i wouldnt mind
58. career - fashion designer? graphic designer?? industrial designer?? research psychologist?? i have no idea ((but i rlly like designing stuff so probs one of those))

which is better

59. hugs or kisses - hugss
60. lips or eyes - eyes
61. shorter or taller - taller which isnt hard bc im 5’5
62. older or younger - older,, until im at least like 25,, younger’s a bit weird during teenage years bc a 14 year old’s so different from a 15 year old and so on
63. nice arms or stomach - stomachh
64. hookup or relationship - relationship but idv
65. troublemaker or hesitant - idkk

have you ever

66. kissed a stranger - nope
67. drank hard liquor - yess
68. lost glasses - once
69. turned someone down - yes
70. sex on first date - never
71. broken someone’s heart - idk,, might have once
72. had your heart broken - yee ig
73. been arrested - nope im a pure kid
74. cried when someone died - yes
75. fallen for a friend - probably

do you believe in

76. yourself - meh
77. miracles - not rlly
78. love at first sight - i want to even if i know its not true
79. santa claus - no
80. kiss on a first date - yeah why not
81. angels - maybe,, its a nice possibility but idk

other

82. best friend’s name - uhh torie?
83. eye colour - dark brown almost black
84. fave movie - okay so;; whiplash, the grand budapest hotel, the imitation game, the wolf of wall street, pulp fiction 
85. fave actor - i have no idea

I’m tagging: @glowcherry @yoongihoneys @taelaev @dreamytaehyungx @rainpjm @satanbagel @nctit @jellyhyun @jinsbangtan

feel free to not do this!!

[isaksarchie-blog]

i was tagged by @bramgrcenfeld thanks for tagging me! rules: answer the questions and tag 20 blogs you want to get to know better nicknames: reeciespiecies (my last name is reece lol) star sign: gemini w/ taurus traits height: 5'3 time right now: 5:48 pm last thing you googled: how much i would get charged to park in a parking garage on my college campus lol favourite music artist: p!atd, børns, weezer, john mayer song stuck in my head: iSpy KYLE ft. lil yachty last movie i watched: split last tv show i watched: the office what i’m wearing right now: a sweatshirt and noooo pants bc im laying n bed it feels gr8 when i created this blog: a few months ago the kind of stuff i post: a mix of tv shows, harry styles, musicals and movies idk rly anything i like do i get asks regularly: nah not rly why did i chose my url: bc alec and isak are my main hoes gender: female hogwarts house: hufflepuff pokemon team: i think i was valor favourite colour: lavender average hours of sleep: god it varies so much my sleeping schedule is so inconsistent lucky number: i like 11 (how typical) favourite characters: oh god why is this a question i have soooo many i love homer and bucky from the oa raphael from shadowhunters noora and jonas from skam every single character from the office tbh PHILIP SHEA IS MY BABY number of blankets i sleep with: used to be two but recently only 1 following: like 400 something tagging: @alecsmaguns @ifixedyourflat @harrystyler @isaklightwood @harryeven @jonasvsquez @katmcnamras (that's not 20 but o well)

[prevsapphism]

i.graine + small talk! like / reply if you read and wna interact w modern!ig/raine because this is like Vital to her modern verse.

igraine got the idea for small talk when she was in her late teens and realised she ‘cldnt make a career out of painting’ because her work wld almost never b consistent, and inconsistency is rlly bad for igraine. and also this stigma that ‘’’’’artists starved’’’’ or whatever. 

so her idea was to create somewhere where artists cld hang out and create art and make small talk in a safe, warm, friendly environment. 

which brings me to the next point. its name, small talk arts centre, came from when igraine was trying to name her Vision so that graeme wld go through w it and bankroll them. they realised that whenever she described their project to other ppl, they always said the same thing: ‘somewhere where artists can hang out and make small talk.’ small talk arts centre sounded cute and catchy so it stuck :,)

the building was actually given to igraine as a belated birthday present in august of 1991.

 it was an old cafe building that was down on its luck in downtown portland. graeme pretty much only agreed because he ‘loved’ his wife ( read: he wanted them to shut up ) and it was rlly cheap because it was going out of business. 

it was very slow going at first....

‘small talk in 1991 was nowhere near the artistic hub it is now ; bustling, cosy, seemingly alive. it was sleepy and esoteric, known only amongst portlands art students and struggling local artists looking for ig.raines loving enthusiasm and free use of paintbrushes, coloured pencils and charcoal. 

but it soon blossomed under igraines care and drive. it was one of the most popular artists hangouts on the west coast by 1998.

from the outside, small talk looks like this, and im gna transpose copy and paste my tags on that photo into text for more description:

the bldg w the blue trim in that photo is literally what small talk looks like from the outside, although the trim is carmine-red. it has old fashioned storefront style letters on the front, rlly big windows, and climbing plants up the walls when its warm out. the sign hanging is wooden and handpainted. it has a light on top so you can read it when its dark out.

small talk is rlly big inside, and it shld b-- its always bustling. the inside / main floor is never empty-- ppl r always sat at the tables drawing or painting w watercolours or colouring on the tables themselves ( the tops r chalkboard and washed at the end of every day ) and talking. hardly anybody in small talk is ever idle.

theres a rainbow flag on one wall and this is stencilled on the other, w each phrase in rainbow colours :,)

downstairs in the bldg is the merry widow tea parlour, which is a victorian / gothic-themed teashop owned by a guy and his boyfriend. they opened there in 2011 and theyve been a smash hit since, esp round hallowe’en. igraine knows the owners rlly well and they let the small talk team get free tea all the time, esp because they pay rent to igraine now!  they arent a cat cafe, but they do have a cat!! shes a three year old tuxedo cat and their mascot. shes called the honourable miss lucinda and sometimes if its quiet on small talks main floor she gets loose and wanders round upstairs. ( the merry widow is a great date spot btw ;0 ) 

upstairs in the bldg is a loft-type lvl, w skylights overtop. theres a Bigge expanse at the forefront, which overlooks the main floor below over a balcony. ‘messier’ crafts, like painting and sculpture are to b done up here. the upper lvl has easels and painting / other art supplies, and also a corner w beanbag chairs and a power strip for ppl to Chill in. 

towards the back of the upper lvl r the four, five personal studio spaces, which can b bought and paid for monthly ( it costs less for students ) as well as igraines personal studio in the very corner, and lys office. 

at the very top / on the roof, theres a beautiful expansive patio, which igraine opens for normal activity when its warm out, does summer group stuff, her pride activities and their midsummer festival! there r flowers growing up there and kids like to draw on the patio w chalk :,) its one of igraines favourite places in small talk, esp when the sun is rising

these r igraines coworkers and they love them with all her heart.

holland will probably b the one to greet you first, as thats basically her job, and hes friendly and funny, yea, but hes goddamn LOUD shes even louder than igraine. seriously holls its 9.15 am why r you so :VVVVV. also shes never not wearing a hawaiian shirt or SOMETHING tropical print, no matter what time of the year it is. 

if its not holland, itll probably b caesar, who is much more laid back by comparison. he looks intimidating-- hes quiet and outwardly calm, has two sleeve tattoos, and usually dressed in blacks and greys-- but florians easygoing and a softie. theres a reason he leads the tiny picasso programme there w mads.

talking of which, the tiny picasso programme is Wildly Popular at small talk. its an art programme in the summer led by mads and caesar for kids aged preschool-age to about second grade, and usually they ‘make their own masterpieces, learn to follow directions thru art and the power of self expression’ as it says in the desc on the tiny picasso sect of small talks website. sometimes they have like. a concrete craft to make. they r occasionally seasonal, if a season or holiday is coming up, but they keep their creations strictly secular. ( eg flowers for spring, beach stuff for summer, snowflakes for winter etc. ) 

come late winter / early spring, parents r CLAMOURING in caesar and igraines email inboxes to get their kids into tiny picasso-- it operates on a first come, first served basis because it Blew Up when it was introduced in 1995.

igraine also talked to several local school gsas and worked w them to do programmes during the school year where leetle lgbt kids can make gӓÿ art at small talk. 

there r also a couple interns of varying degrees of paid / unpaid floating round small talk on Any Given Day.

small talk has SO MANY inside jokes. 

one of them is ‘caesar....’ ( read the tags on this post )

another one is holland and caesar being ~In Luv~ because they fuckening R and they jokingly flirt w each other all the time and REFUSE to ADMIT IT and its like GODS GUYS just KISS ALREADY

another is caesars nickname, queso. a lot of the kids he works with cant pronounce ‘caesar’ as ‘seezer’ instead of ‘kay-sar’, ( because theyre all like 4-6, ) which gradually devolved to ‘queso,’ and now all the kids call him that and so does small talks staff :,) 

small talk is rlly famous locally and there r accolades of photos and newspaper and magazine articles where its been featured framed on the walls!!

you can also get a membership at small talk!! i dont know what a membership entails but! you can. b a member. 

they have tshirts on their website and also in person probably!

theres a paper shop down the block from small talk and igraines like. in there every week for supplies. 

its funded by ppl who donate to it, members / studio renters and the programmes!

[alanajacksontx]

How to get started with local SEO

Local SEO proved to one of the biggest trends throughout 2016 and 2017, and is expected to continue doing so throughout 2018.

Businesses that have been able to optimize their on-page and off-page SEO strategies are already reaping the supreme benefits of local SEO. For others, there are undeniable opportunities to begin their local SEO journeys.

Google suggests that 80% users conduct online searches for local businesses, while 50% of users who do a local search on mobile for a business visit its store within a day. Yet businesses continue to miss the opportunities that local SEO provides.

Don’t be that business. Instead, use the tips and tricks mentioned in this guide to get started with local SEO.

Claim your Google My Business page and optimize it

Google+ might have mostly fizzled out, but Google My Business continues to be a cornerstone for implementing local SEO. If you’ve not claimed a Google My Business listing for your business yet, this is the time to do so. The chances of your business featuring on the front page in a local relevant search improve manifold purely by having a well optimized and filled out My Business Listing.

Go to google.com/business, start the registration and verification process, and wait for Google to send you a postcard to your physical store location.

Make sure you understand that Google only allows real business owners to have their My Business pages; so you need to work out an arrangement with your digital marketing consultants so that you continue to own the My Business listing even if they depart.

Your business name, address, and phone number (abbreviated as NAP) must match what you have been using for digital marketing till now. Also, lay special emphasis on selecting categories, business hours, types of payment accepted, etc.

Then, have top quality photographs of the office front and insides uploaded on to the profile. Digital businesses without a location can hide the address to still be able to claim their My Business listing.

Here’s what a well maintained and optimized Google My Business profile could look like on a search page.

Understand and master the art of citations

Here’s it, put simply – every mention of your business online is a citation. More citations are good for your business’ local SEO. How does Google consider a mention as a citation? Well, your business NAP has to be mentioned for it to be counted as a citation.

Too many businesses have already lost several months of efforts in getting themselves mentioned online, purely because of inconsistent NAP. Though increasingly there’s consensus among digital marketers that Google actually triangulates data and identifies slightly different business names as belonging to the same business using NAP, we’d recommend you play it safe.

Keep on optimizing your website for mobile

Though this is something every website owner must do, local business website owners need to speed up their game particularly well. That’s because a majority of local searches are done on mobile devices, and are intent-backed.

Responsive layouts, intuitive user experience and interface design, etc. are the basics; you need to step past them! Google’s Mobile Friendly testing tool is a great starting point. I did a test on a post I was reading recently, and was impressed with the tool’s validation.

Add business directories to your to do lists

Apart from giving you a valuable citation online, business directory pages for your business also garner more visibility for your business. Here are some action points for you.

Start with the most notable business review directory websites such as Yelp and CitySearch

Next, use this list of business directories and create your business profiles on each (target at least 7 complete profiles per week)

Look for niche specific business directories and create your profiles there

Look for local business community websites, and grab your listing there

Check if the state government has a Chamber of Commerce or equivalent website, and look for a way to get a mention there

Use the services of citation aggregators like Infogroup, Acxiom, and Factual

Look for an opportunity for a citation via local newspaper websites

Of course, remember to get your NAP spot on every time.

‘Localize’ your website’s content

You can do a lot to help search engines understand your business’ local appeal by optimizing your website for the same. Local content, for instance, can help search engines contextualize your website’s niche to its local service. Then, you could include an interactive map widget to further enhance the local SEO appeal of your website.

Also, consider creating a separate local news section on your website, wherein you could post content about niche-related local events. This will serve you well in terms of allowing the usage of local SEO relevant keywords.

Businesses such as restaurants, lawyer services, house repairs and interior décor, etc. have a lot to gain by using these basic tactics.

Be very hungry for online reviews

A Moz report attributes 8.4% of ranking value to online reviews. It doesn’t sound much, but considering how 88% users depend on online reviews to form opinions on quality of businesses, brands, and products, the eventual impact of reviews is significant.

Google My Business reviews are the primary source of SEO juice; you need at least 5 reviews for Google to start showing your reviews. Facebook Business reviews must be the next on your radar, because of the trust they inspire among online users.

There are several other review websites you need to take care of, to maximize the local SEO benefit from the same. To get more reviews, try out these tactics:

Motivate store managers and field sales personnel to get reviews from customers on handy mobile devices, asking them log in to, for instance, Zomato or Yelp, and doing it on the spot (consider giving them a little discount for the same)

Use email marketing, with a single link that takes users to the reviews page

Consider using a social listening tool such as HootSuite to be alerted of your business and brand mentions, which you can transform into reviews

It’s worthwhile seeking services of online reputation management agencies for this.

Invest effort in local SEO relevant rich schema

Schema markup can be added to your website’s code to enhance its readability for search engines. There are several scheme markup tags that specifically focus on local attributes of your website.

Local schema markup tags assists local SEO in two ways:

First, it allows search engines to understand your business’ local relevance

Second, it means search engines can show your business page result along with rich snippet info such as phone number, address, business working hours, ratings, reviews, etc.

Here’s an example of how web results with local SEO schema markup appear on SERPs.

Local schema markup is beyond the scope of this guide, but here’s a good tutorial from Schema App.

Don’t forget to run your website through Google Structured Data Testing Tool to understand if the schema markup is done correctly.

Concluding remarks

As you read this, there are hundreds of potential customers searching for businesses in your neighborhood. Your website could be staring at them through their desktops and mobile phones, as soon as you get started on local SEO with the tips, tricks, tools, and methods described in this guide.

from IM Tips And Tricks https://searchenginewatch.com/2018/01/23/how-to-get-started-with-local-seo/ from Rising Phoenix SEO https://risingphxseo.tumblr.com/post/170039671590