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featherlinnea · 2 years ago

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Protect yourself and others from Scams

Years ago, probably, I wrote a journal, that was super messy, but to help people avoid being scammed. Please share these with people you think could fall victim to a scam or are being scammed.

Now what is a scam?

A scam is quiet simply the process of someone lying to you in order to get money. Mostly in a way they cannot legally be charged or be accounted for, so you are out of your money and can’t do anything about it.

Or google by definition: “ a dishonest scheme; a fraud. “ “swindle”

Let me give you some examples:

E-mail and Phone call scams:

I get plenty of spam E-mails. For Example where they say “You won car/card/etc” despite never participating in anything. Or “your Antivirus is running out/found a virus”. I often get things like “Your package has been sent”, “Congratulation, blabla couldn’t reach you”, ��Weight loss 14kg in one month!?” and all the fun stuff. Some people may also get “Your Social Security number has been compromised”, etc. Stuff that is worrisome but actually just a lie.

These e-mails are all infact scams. None of them would/will deliver on their promise, they are lies. Most phone-calls go the same way. Calling you about for example some expired software or false reports etc.

In the end the scams will end in you sending money as a “fee” so you can get what they promised- but they never do. It is a scam after all.

-Also never! Never ever open links from your e-mail. Especially from paypal or amazon for example, go over the usual way, google, website, log-in, but not over the link in the e-mail. You can check this way if whatever the e-mail is claiming is true, if you don’t find anything, it is a scam! Some scammers are very good at faking these E-mails, so be extra careful.

-Also: check grammar, spelling mistakes and most important the E-mail adress, you’ll often see very very different e-mail addresses than what the actual support e-mail of the websites are. Spelling and wording is often an indicated as well.

-These type of scams can also be on websites/apps in messages claiming to be from support/moderator/admins

Pop-up scams

Ever gone on a website and suddenly a pop-up comes up saying your computer has a virus? To call a specific number? Adds also often contain scams on more dubious websites.

Yep, those are scams. Websites and especially pop-ups cannot diagnose wether or not your computer has a virus.

So what these scams likely lead to is, that they ask you to download a program similar or even anydesk to gain remote access to your computer.

They’ll pretend with the console that they check and found a virus, they make you pay for the “repair” or and after lock you out of your computer and demand money to unlock it.

-Similarily the refund and cancelation scams:

E-mail, phone-call or so forth telling you to call the number in order to cancel a service you likely never ordered in the first place, for example an Antivirus software. They’ll also want to connect to your computer, make you open your bank account and with some html fake having send a shit ton of money to you. They then beg you in order to save their job to send back the money minus the refund. However, they infact never send you money. They only made it look like it.

For cancelations, they’ll likely ask for a “cancelation fee”. But it all goes down similarily. You pay the fee, they lock your computer, you pay more.

Packages, and money laundering:

In some cases, you’ll be ask as a result from scams, like cancelation fee or refund scam, to buy for example google play cards from multiple stores and send them to an adress in a package.

They could also ask you to send them the cash in a box/letters instead of cards, but it is still sending it of physically.

You might also be a person that receives packages that they tell you not to open.

Most of the time, they’ll send it to an adress where one of the scammers co-workers can pick it up and then send it to the scammers.

If you are asked to pay with google pay/amazon or any sort of store card, especially asked to put them in a box and send them off? 100% a scam.

Romance Scams

Lots of people are lonely no? You go on a dating app or website and get a match. You talk and flirt and then you hear that the person you like is financially struggling, you may offer to help or they straight up ask for money.

Could be for gas/diapers/groceries whatever. The point where it really becomes obvious that you are being used as a cash grab is when they ask for more.

You’ll also never see a cent of it back.

On top of that, you’ll either encounter someone who just wants a sugar daddy/momma/piggy bank or a catfish.

Likely you’ll sent money over paypal as friends and family or any app the scammer wants you to pay with, and poof money is gone forever and you can’t claim it back.

Recruitment/job scams

Okay this is really quick. You NEVER have to pay the job you work for just to work for them. They are meant to pay you, not you them.

If you do fall for it, you’ll likely don’t even get paid or get paid even less than expected. Most of these are super shady businesses, so as an extra advice:

don’t do any job that is illegal or likely very shady.

-Extra advice, always read your contract before signing and get a copy of the signed contract. If you are not fine with the contract, don’t sign.

Business/Artist/Commission Scams

Artists often do commissions, so lets take small business and artists as example.

You commission some and all is great, they took the commission and give you updates, you pay... And weeks go buy, with or without business, eventually you are over deadline and no product in sight.

At this point if you did not have frequent updates or any updates the artist will continue making excuses and more time passes. Eventually when for example paid with paypal, after 6 months you cannot get your money back, the artist blocks you and cuts contact. At that point they sucessfully stole your money.

Now: I do like to mention, that some artists just take upon to much work/might actually have an emergency and so forth. But they will tell you such. Popular Artists, have a query, so it could take a while before they get to you, but you’d certainly see them complete their orders after another.

Bad businesses do not update you/no proof to the updates/take upon more commissions despite yours not being completed. Read the goddamn reviews. Even more, some may just look awful, could be spiteful customers for whatever reason, however if you see more of such, ask for the customers experience. Some scammers will deliver products to customers while also scamming the other half, to continue to seem like a legitimate functioning business.

Good businesses, keep in touch. Smart business have the time-frame of order completion (not counting delivery) in their T.o.S.

Always read the T.o.S. If you don’t like the T.o.S then don’t buy. Some artists or scammers specifically state that they will not refund or and that you can’t even use what you purchased. If you do they’ll fine you or similar, so while reading these long texts is exhausting, it is to protect yourself from any legal repercussions.

Also remember, do not pay with family and friends, that is essentially “gifting” people money. Actual freelance artist need to send you an invoice, because they also have taxes to pay! Similar to serious businesses, they’ll send you bills with tax(unless it is ruled differently, however at least in Germany such also has be mentioned on the bill)

If an artist/business, gives a lot of excuses, doesn’t update/show proof, perhaps even have an attitute or ask you to pay more, are long over the deadline-, I definitely suggest to cancel your order and get your money refunded. But dang make sure to have read their T.o.S, and make sure that they didn’t update it in order to scam you.

Customer scamming you the business

Ah it also goes the other way around!

The easiest way to protect yourself as a business/artist/freelancer is a clear T.o.S. Alias Terms of Services. Petty customers or scammers will try to find any sort of loophole to scam you out of your money.

But some of the once I know are “Empathy Scams” or “My kid purchased without me knowing”.

With Empathy, they’ll likely say that they “accidently” bought it or forgot they needed the money for bills. They’ll beg you to refund them, while you likely already sent/finished or are in the making of the product. They are specifically going for your empathy. Maybe even throwing in the “my mother died/my kids birthday/christmas etc”, but these are all lies, also often attempts from choosing beggars to get something for free or a discount. Business is business, remember that most business offer “luxury items”, art btw counts as a luxury, it is not a necessity, therefore if you can’t afford don’t buy. Some may also start blaming you when you refuse that it is your fault “kids won’t have gifts/birthday-holiday is ruined/she or kid is crying”, all that to just get a free product and or their money as well.

In other, you’ll get a message back that they want a refund, because the kid bought the item and hey maybe stole credit card. in these they likely also already received the product from you.

In these scenarios: Your T.o.S is of utmost importance.

-I’d also limit the amount a single customer can buy from you per month or amount. You don’t want to be stacked with a massive amount of orders just for the customer not even having the money.

I’d also like to mention: Some people might spent a ridiculous high amount of money on your products. Be extra cautios of such, it isn’t necessarily someone who then skips out on/scams you, but rather mentally ill or/and on a high, maybe drunk, or people with a shopping addiction. So limiting how much can be bought/how much can be spent/ as a single customer, can be good for both sides, especially as small business that likely can’t deal or handle large quantities of orders.

Also, don’t immediately use the money you earned, you never know when a customer finds a hole in your T.o.S and files a lawsuit or similar. Businesses also have taxes to pay, so remember to put money aside for taxes and weird emergencies.

Friends sending you links

Sometimes a friend shoots you up with a link to a giveaway, there you type in your account information, and woops your account is gone. But wasn’t it a friend that send the link?

The problem with these types of scams is, that your friends account, that sends you these scam baits has already fallen for the scam. The scammer uses your friends account to lure all the other contacts into the same scam, and with each account stolen, the scammer sends the next messages with the stolen accounts.

I’ve personally had classmates and family fall for such scam, but it luckily was quickly resolved by the support.

If your friend acts suspicious, try to contact them by other means and see if they were the ones sending the message, if not, then you can quickly inform everyone that the account has been hacked/stolen and to not interact with it, until support has dealt with the issue.

Choosing beggers/Street scams

So first, people on the street begging for money, might actually not need it, but just looking for extra cash. Actually some might use the money for drugs instead.

To see wether or not they actually need money, it is better to offer food/drinks instead, you can see at the reaction if they are grateful and it actually helps or if they just wanted money for drugs or similar.

Some people while shopping, will give you a sob story about how they have little money, maybe even get you to pay for their groceries. You don’t go shopping if you don’t have the money. They are just looking to get more free items this way.

If someone is maybe short like a few cents, that could be real (happend as a kid to me so often haha)

Don’t give strangers money on the street, don’t pull out your wallet in public, you never know if they are going to snatch and run with it.

Cheap products:

Some MLM (Multi-level marketing), especially sell dirt-cheap and poor quality.

If you buy from businesses, check reviews, history and legitimacy of the business. Do they deliver what they promise?

Check T.o.S. any sort of contracts for issues as well.

If anything sold is dangerous for you and everyone, these businesses should then be reported or a law suit be filed against for breach of contract for example.

Businesses just starting out however? Hardly able to prove their legitimacy yet, though if you see poor quality and bad business practices, leave such as a review. If it is dangerous, report.

Some advice:

-“If it is too good to be true, it likely is.” Dunno who said it first though.

-Don’t ever click links, E-mails you weren’t expecting.

-if you do expect a link or so, please be careful if it is someone you don’t know for long. Some people do disguise normal links as downloads to malicious software, that can steal your data and more.

-if a friend sends out-of-character messages it is worth to check on them by other means and see if their account is being misused.

-Don’t send strangers on the internet, money. Especially when you need it for yourself.

-Don’t give strangers money. Actually internet or no, just don’t.

-Watch for the “https” the s stands for secure, more likely to be a serious website than the one without. You can mostly see it, that the “lock” is locked.

-these scammers do not care if you are struggling, don’t interact with them, don’t give them the time of the day. You do not know what they are capable of.

-be suspicious, check wording, spelling, address and claims

-read the fine print (I just recently got out of a contract, because you know I could and wanted too, because it was in the contract, read the contract and the fine print, see if there is anything off)

-VPNs are great to protect yourself and/or your business online. I recommend it.

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If you know of more scams, please let me know! I’ll add them to the list, or by sharing it will be seen. If anything could have been worded better, or if you have a more fitting description, I’d love to qoute you instead then! (if you give me permission first that is haha)

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joshslater · 4 years ago

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Beached

Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

It's really amazing how the beaches can be so empty when the weather is this good. It's technically winter or spring or whatever, but that just means you can spend all day on the beach without getting heatstroke or sunburn. No one else appears to agree with me though. Someone is walking a dog in the distance in one direction, and some surfers are ignoring the warnings of big waves in the distance in the other direction. Like that would be bad thing in their minds, though just right now it isn't as windy as in the morning. Volatile weather is another drawback of spring weather.

I don't think it is the weather that is keeping people away though. This whole plague thing is really messing with people. The hotel was almost deserted and the room dirt cheap. Flight was cheap too. The plan was to go here with Will, but he chickened out at the last moment. Probably the positivity rates of their "second wave" or whatever. The tickets were refundable, only way they can sell anything these days, but I had already made up my mind to go here. Spring in Rio is better than summer at home, and the summer is decidedly over now, where you are never sure in the morning if you need jeans and hoodie. Here it is shorts and T-shirt every day, and the water is really nice when the waves aren't fatal. I really thought it would be colder the way the ocean looks.

As I walk along the beach in solitude I spot a gaudy, cheap beach chair also alone in the sand. I look up towards the road that goes along the beach. Sometimes there is a bunch of chairs or stuff chained together, waiting for busy days when the owner can charge a coin for a tourist to sit on it, but I don't see anything up there. I take a seat and look out over the crashing waves. There is a zen-like quality sitting on a lone chair on a vast beach, alone in a different country, watching the waves while the warm spring sun smiles down on you. No birds or animals around either, so you just have the white noise of the ocean keeping you at peace. I had fernet and coke in the lobby bar last night and evening has been going slow even before this, but somehow I felt I deserved a break from doing nothing.

I lost track of how long I was sitting there. I have all week after all. I'm taken out of my trance by someone behind me talking agitated in Spanish. No, Portuguese probably, as that's what they speak here. I turn my head and a stereotypical Brazilian beach greaser steps into my view. He wears a loose, pink tank top with Copacabana printed on the front. It reaches almost far enough to hide his green speedos that peeks out every step he takes. Brazilian tan, white teeth, black, slick hair, and a swagger that comes equally from acting macho and years of bodybuilding that prioritized looks over range of motion. "What?" I ask him, mostly just to tell him to speak English.

"This is your chair?" he asks. "Yeah," I say tentatively. At least I'm using it right now. It really was calming to look at the ocean like this. "No. No, it is not your chair," he says in an accusing tone, visibly upset. "You want to sit?" I don't need any trouble. It's soon time for lunch anyway. I start to raise myself from the chair. "No, you sit! You sit!" he almost screams at me, and I fall back into the chair.

I'm confused. Did I sit down again, or did something push me down? He steps towards me, and I again try to get out of the chair, but I'm somehow not strong enough to lift myself. He grabs the front neck of my T-shirt and pulls it up over my head. My arms do nothing to stop him. He then grabs hold of the legs of my shorts and pulls them sharply forward. Again, I can't do anything to stop him. I can move my body, sort of, but it's sapped of all strength.

If things were weird up until now, it just turned impossible. Instead of my Hanes underwear I wear black speedos with yellow print "ca-rio-ca" in front. How the fuck did they end up on me. He doesn't waste any time, but just bunches my clothes together in his hand and angrily marches off towards the road behind me. "Hey! HEY! I don't want this fucking chair." I shout at him while making another failed effort to get out of the chair as he disappears out of view. It's like being stuck with your ass in a big bean bag. I just can't get up somehow. I try to rock sideways to knock the chair on its side so I can roll out of it, but again with no success. Exhausted I fall back into the chair.

It's a cheap-looking foldable beach chair. Some green tubes as a frame with some blue and yellow nylon fabric as a seat, suspended between the tubes. I could see how someone would pick it out for its "Brazilian" colors, but all the shades were totally off compared to the flag. It couldn't be more than $10, probably much less down here. Why would anyone make such a fuss over it? I touch my magically appearing speedos. They appear completely normal. Some type of high tech stretchy fabric with yellow print on top. As I touch the print on the front of the speedos there is like a shock wave through me, like I rubbed the exposed head of my dick. I quickly move my hand back to the dainty armrests, but the damage is already done, at least for now. I can feel the blood inflating my dick, at least partially.

I look back at the ocean, trying to distract myself. I still see the surfers way off in the distance to one side, but I don't see anyone in the other. I'm a bit limited in my field of view though, reclined in the beach chair. Dammit, and I was about to have lunch. Fuck! My wallet is in the shorts. My phone, my credit cards, my cash, my hotel room key, all in the hands of some dude made of muscles and STDs. If he doesn't come back I'd have to walk back to the hotel, wearing only speedos like a fucking douche, tell the lobby staff to get my passport from the room to identify me, and issue a new key card. Then I have to take the laptop and block the credit cards and the phone SIM. I hope you can do that online. If nothing else you can call 800 numbers from Skype, I think. But first I need to get out of this fucking chair.

I make another failed attempt to get up. How can this be happening? Did he poison me somehow? Perhaps I just need to relax for a bit and regain my strength. That doesn't explain how my underwear was swapped out. Perhaps I'm making this more complicated than it has to be. These could be two unrelated events. Perhaps the speedos were somehow in my room, and somehow I put them on this morning without thinking about it. I think I've seen something similar in a store back home. "CA" could just as well mean California. This pair could have been forgotten by someone and then mixed into my laundry somehow, packed in my travel bag by mistake, and then ended up on me without me thinking about it because of the fernet. No, that doesn't make a lot of sense either. If you remove all impossible explanations, the remaining one, however improbable is the right one. It's just so very fucking improbable.

I want to drop it. Thinking about it more won't solve anything, and my current problems notwithstanding the day is still very nice. The slow burn of the spring sun, the smell of sand and salt, the soothing white noise of the ocean, and the wide visuals to go with it all. If I just let go of my predicament it was easy to relax again. That's what I needed to do, right? Just look out and feel the sun rejuvenate me. Despite it being essentially just indoor temperature, I've managed to get a tan. I trace the skin from my knees and up with my eyes. No, this is wrong. I should have tan lines where the shorts and T-shirt ended. I've only been sitting here topless for ten minutes, twenty at the most. There's nothing to tell time. The surfers are gone.

And I really shouldn't look this good sitting down. I don't sit down with a flat belly. I can't remember that I ever did, not that I really paid a lot of attention to how I looked. I try to stand up to have a better look, but only manage to lift a few inches before falling back. "Merda!" I say out loud. Not only did I fall back into the chair, but I managed to pull something. There's a cramp in the abdominal muscles that hurts like hell. I squirm in the unyielding chair and arch my back to make it stop, which results in both my legs cramping at the same time. I let go and fall back into the chair, and raise my legs up and try to shake them. I tense and relax the muscles over and over to make the feeling go away.

When it finally goes away I feel exhausted. I certainly don't want to feel that again. It's like a cosmic force doing everything to keep me in place, docile, and watching the ocean. While I want this to all be over I don't feel like I want to put up a fight. I scratch an itch on my face and feel my beard. I know I shaved less than... I know I shaved this morning, whenever that was. I've done that every morning from when I started to grow facial hair. I know nothing that looks worse. Nothing that looks more like you are taking a shortcut, or don't care. Yet I could clearly feel strands of hair all around my mouth and up the sides of my face. Not just stubble either, but fingertip length beard. The kind that doesn't look like a planned and neatly maintained beard either, but an accidental one. I didn't think I could freak out more when my hand touched the hair behind my ear, and I frantically felt the rest of my head. It was clearly a curly mess, and not just wavy but a tight curl. My hair is straight.

"Olá!" one of the two young surfers greet me. I'd been too preoccupied and had completely missed them walking across the beach towards me. They looked very similar, same height, same short cropped pitch-black hair, handsome white smiles, black and blue Mormaii wetsuit. My startled mind feels blank. I have no idea what to say to them. Somehow, inappropriately I can feel my dick stirring again. "Você quer foder?" I shout back at them. I have no idea what it means. They just keep walking, shaking their heads and ignoring me. What the fuck is going on? Can't I control myself anymore? I haven't since I sat down, I realize. This fucking chair is ruining everything.

I'm angry with it. I start hitting it. At first I'm just feebly pounding the armrests, but then work myself up to start hitting anything I can find. I'm banging the tubes, I'm pulling the synthetic fabric of the seat, I'm trying to pry the joints free. I'm only hurting myself of course, though not bad enough for any visible bruises. After some minutes someone has had enough of my tantrums and I feel a searing pain across my chest, back, and right ribs. I cry out in pain. My noise is met by the constant noise of the ocean. When it stops, just as suddenly as it started I look to either side and all I see is empty beach in both directions.

I'm almost afraid to look, and it is difficult to see well, but the skin has discolored where I felt the pain. On the right side of me is a sentence tattooed in cursive. I can't tell what it says. On my front chest is another large tattoo saying something almost as difficult to read upside down, just below my chin, also in cursive. "Live fast, die young" I think. I can only imagine what platitudes are on my back. "Carpe Diem?"

My legs are hairy. They've been that for years, but now they are black pubes kind of hairy. Did that happen just now as well? What's with the slow walking? Just do all the things to me and be over with. Arms are hairy too. I'm not even going to be upset anymore. I'll just sit here until it ends, whatever that means. Listen to the ocean and let the sun do its thing. Holy shit, that isn't suntan. I have a different skin color for sure. No. Not upset, just listen to nature and come what may. Let the sun sparkle in the water.

I can also see a sparkle from my right nipple. I feel drained, dazed, and dumb. Did the nipple piercing come with the tattoos and I had just missed it, or did it sneak up on me somehow? I don't really care. I slowly reach for it with my left hand. It feel an explosion of sensations as soon as the vibrations of my touch reverberate into the nipple. It shoots right into my balls, into my spine, into my brain, into my dick. Not quite an orgasm, but definitely not not an orgasm. I can feel the cramp again. The muscles on my front all contracts, but this time it isn't really painful. It's more like when you exert yourself during sports.

As before I arch my back to flex the chest and abs differently to make it go away, but the cramps just spreads. I can feel it in my back as well, and my arms, then finally in my legs. It's like those youtube videos where you can see the muscles moving under the skin all on its own. I just turned to the side and rolled in the sand, unable to control anything. It wasn't pain, but definitely not not pain.

When it finally stops I'm on my back in the spring warm sand, exhausted, panting, looking into the blue sky, hearing the waves crash down at the edge of the beach. I somehow know before I see it. My arms are almost twice as muscular as this morning, my chest and abs chiseled, and my legs are massive.

The sun is getting low. It is probably getting close to dinner time, though it sets early. I sit up in the sand, looking in both directions down the beach. There's nothing but sand. I know how to walk back to the hotel, though I can't remember the name of it, and I think I know what my name is, but I'm pretty sure nothing on that passport will match me. I don't feel like going there though. I really, really need to find someone to fuck. Or be fucked by. I don't care.

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realllllfangirllllll · 5 years ago

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Sugar Daddy!Kun ||

Headcanon

{NCT Masterlist}

{Masterlist}

A/N: I had this thought for the longest time & decided to put it to words. The thought of Daddy Kun is always screwing me over agshskskfj

(I will also have a set premiere date for Beyond Lovers very soon!!)

Kun first saw you shopping at a Chanel store

You were dragged there by your friend

Who loved high brand fashion unlike you

You knew you couldn’t afford any of the things she bought

But you always followed along because you loved your friend

While lingering around the perfume section a person suddenly sprayed perfume on your neck

You turned around in anger

Expecting a worker to bother you

But was met with a beautiful man’s smirk

There he was whispering next to your ears

“Grasse Jasmine and May Rose would smell amazing on you”

Both stunned and offended you left him hanging

Meeting your friend at the cashier counter

The cashier worker went up to you and handed you a bag

Peeking inside you saw the exact perfume the man sprayed on you

In the bag read a note:

It would be a waste of perfume if it wasn’t on you.

Love, Kun

He also left you his phone number on the back

Touched and frustrated, you went home and dialed the number

You tried to tell him you won’t accept the $135 perfume

Including the dress and bag that came with it

So he appeared on your front doorstep

And did the exact opposite of what you wanted

He took the bag and stepped into your house

Making himself perfectly comfortable as if he owned it

Placing the bag on the floor beside the couch

He made a deal with you instead

He told you there were no refunds

And that if you weren’t comfortable with owning such expensive stuff for free

Then you would just simply have to repay him

A burden lifted off your shoulders as he offered this to you

But you weren’t aware of his hidden motives

When you shook his hands to seal the deal

He pulled you onto his lap and said in a husky voice

“Be my babygirl”

You stared at him like he was crazy but he continued speaking

In a close proximity

“I’ll treat you well in return and you’ll have everything you ever wanted”

You questioned him for details and he only said

“Call me daddy”

Your eyes widened

You were freaked out by this man

But he was so smooth and his damn dimples hypnotized you

Your face flushed and you looked down to hide your face

Pulling you by the chin he leaned even closer

“Say it and you won’t ever have to worry about anything else”

You were intrigued but still felt very awkward about the situation

You bit your lip in frustration

About to refuse but suddenly

You felt something hard underneath your thighs

And you blushed even harder when you realized what it was

Kun let out a groan

“Fuck don’t bite your lips like that”

“See what you did to me?”

Kun couldn’t wait any longer for your response

Too captured in the sensation of your close proximity

He pulled you by the back of your neck into a heated kiss

You melted into his touch and your hands shot up to his head

But before you could tangle your fingers in his hair

He grabbed your wrists

“Nuh uh babygirl, down.”

You did what he told you to

Too caught up in the lust

“Unbuckle”

Your hands slowly shot up to his pants and undid them

What you didn’t expect was to see his impossibly large length bounce onto his neat dress shirt

“Open.”

You opened your mouth and he grabbed a fistful of your hair

Taking him slowly

But Kun had different plans

He made you take all of him as soon as he can

Thrusting up into the tip of your throat

Making you gag as tears started to form on the edge of your eyes

You held his legs tightly as you tried your best to take all of him

Pulling you up by your hair

You let go of his member with a pop

A trail of saliva mixed with precum connected the tip of his dick and your mouth as you got up

He sucked harshly on your lips

Exploring the inside of your mouth

Tangling your tongues together as he unzipped your dress

Pulling it down and tossing it to the floor

You unbottoned his dress shirt and pulled his expensive suit jacket off him

Your mind was in a haze as he aligned the tip of his dick near your entrance

Anxious you gripped onto his broad shoulders

You let out a long moan when he pushed inside you

“Shit babygirl you’re so tight”

All you can do is moan as he stretched your tights walls

You let out a gasp as he pushed halfway into you

Burying your face in the crook of his neck and whispered

“It kind of hurts”

Kun immediately stopped

Gently grabbing your face to face him

“Fuck y/n are you a virgin??”

You avoided contact as you replied with a quiet “yes”

Kun became furious at the fact that you didn’t tell him

“I didn’t know it was such a big deal”

Kun scoffed and pulled out of you

Scooping you up he asked where your bedroom was

Lightly tossing you on the bed

And removing the rest of his clothing

He hovered over you

And placed a light kiss on your forehead

“Tell me if it hurts even a little ok?”

You nodded and he slowly entered you once again

You grabbed the bed sheets as the feeling of pleasure bubbled up in you again

Kun slowly inched inside you

And when you confirmed you weren’t in pain

He began slowly thrusting in you

Wrapping your arms around his neck you moaned loudly

Not able to handle the agonizing pace you whispered

“Faster please”

Kun left wet marks on your neck and mumbled

“Please what”

It took you a second before you realized what he wanted to hear

You moaned “please daddy”

Before you even finished speaking

He thrusted into you with incredible speed

Hitting a spot you didn’t know could make you feel so good

Leaving marks down his back with your nails harshly scratching at it

You moaned constantly as he relentlessly thrusted in you

Your body shook uncontrollably as you reached your orgasm

Kun captured your moans with a deep kiss

You felt him twitch inside you as he quickly pulled out of you

Gently panting your head

“Open up for me babygirl”

You obeyed and opened your mouth

As he released his seed inside your mouth

The remaining cum dripping down your chin

“Good girl now shallow”

He rubbed your cheeks as you slowly shallowed

Fascinated by the new taste of salt and a tinge of sweetness

Grabbing a tissue on the nightstand

Kun cleaned your chin and gave you a kiss

“You did amazing babygirl”

You smiled tiredly as he pulled the blankets over you

Falling asleep almost immediately

He left a kiss on the side of your head and left you a note on the nightstand:

Call me when you wake up. I’m taking you on little trip to Hawaii tomorrow. No need for a luggage. I’ll have everything prepared for you on the jet.

Sweet dreams, Daddy

1K notes · View notes

greenninjagal-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Roman Prince, Psychic pt1

Hello, I’m back with another au!

Summary: Roman reads minds, loses his job and makes it his mission to get his brother a boyfriend.

Pairings: Anxceit, (future) Logince, and brotherly Prinxiety

Word Count: 6014

Quick Taglist: @chelsvans @faithfulcat111 @holliberries @jemthebookworm @killerfangirl3 @stricken-with-clairvoyancy @treasureofpriam

Read on AO3 || My General Writing List

Roman has lost twenty two jobs in the past three years, which is offensive on many levels. First of all, twenty two was a number that could only be divided by two and eleven, which is much worse than twenty eight minutes ago when he had lost only a total of twenty one jobs in the past three years.

Twenty two only ever brought bad luck.

Additionally, he had been fired from all of his previous jobs so that meant that he had technically failed twenty two times before. Roman was not a fan of failure, not a fan of other people (Virgil) knowing about said failure and lording it over him.

And, of course, there was also the fact that Roman was a grown adult and suddenly money was an issue when he wanted to not be evicted from his apartment. Or, you know, eat.

So when his brother picks up on the third ring, Roman knows that Virgil already is aware what he’s gonna ask.

“Again?” Virgil says instead of the usual “hello”. He sounds tired, worn out, but Roman gets the feeling its not really directed at him.

“It was an accident,” Roman whines, slumped over steering wheel of his car. “I swear!”

“That’s the second this month.”

“I can’t help it, Emo Undertaker.”

Which is a lie, because he definitely can help it and has helped it before. Roman is just bad at helping it. He thought he was doing well! He was really trying this time! He had managed to snag an editing job for a newspaper that required barely any talking to other people! He could make it through the day without actually talking to people and then there would be no issues other than his crippling desire to hold a conversation which was easily overlooked in the grand scheme of things--

But really, he should have guessed. No one, not even his absolute idiot of a(n ex) boss said “I’m gonna schedule you because you’re the only one stupid enough to say yes” to someone’s face.

Perhaps on his next resume he should title it Roman Prince, Psychic.

On the other side of the phone, Virgil huffs distantly, “No its my brother, Pat. He got fired again.”

“Patton is there?” Roman asks.

He can almost see Virgil cringe on the other end of the phone, “Uh yeah.”

Roman’s lips twist downward on his already not-great mood. “Virge, it’s been months--”

“I know!” Virgil says, “I know! There’s just some stuff we have to do first.”

“We?” The word is short on his tongue, bitter, leaving Roman’s tongue chasing down syllables for the empty space.

“Hey weren’t we talking about your lack of a job?” Virgil says suddenly.

“I do not want that creeper using you, Virgil.”

“Hey, Pat’s not a creeper.” Virgil says sounding more annoyed than Roman’s sure he has a right to be. “New rule, I don’t tell you to stop reading minds, and you don’t tell me to stop seeing dead people.”

“There’s a difference between seeing dead people, and seeing dead people Virgil.”

“Hey have you considered shutting up?”

“Look, he may be cute, but he’s been dead for twenty years--”

“Roman.”

“I’m just saying! He is old enough to be our dad, dude!”

“I’m hanging up.”

He does before Roman can say anything else. Roman flips his phone in his hand three times (a good number, Roman’s favorite) and senses the on coming text before it arrives. He twists his keys in the ignition of his car and listens as it rumbles to life with a story of the previous owner (Harold Johnston, who purchased it new, drove it for a while, hit two deer, and got four speeding tickets on before passing it on to his son who crashed it once in a drowsy driving accident that resulted in it being sent in a reused car dealership where Molly Keller bought it----).

By the time Roman makes it through the seven stop lights (three of which he squeezes through because Carl Smith is out jogging and pressed the crosswalk button at just the right time), there’s a message from Virgil in his inbox with a list of new places that were hiring.

It wasn’t that Roman has never thought about starting his own business, because he has. Many times, all the time. Every time he fell asleep. He imagined a cute little office off mainstreet: A psychic shop with charms in the windows that glowed at all hours, colorful draperies and scented candles that would make the shop float on mystery and otherworldness. He’d emerge from the back of the store in elegant clothes, like an ethereal being to startle any customers who dropped in, and he’d whip up a facade of a crystal ball, hide fans around the shop, and electrify the table in the middle of the room to sell the bit.

Roman has thought about starting his own psychic business before. But unfortunately, no one wants to be told things they already knew.

Which of course was the only psychic thing Roman can do. Read minds and see inner dreams with absolutely no ability to confirm them happening and-or not happening.

(And you only tell a person once that they’re getting a puppy for Christmas before you learn your lesson.)

To be perfectly honest, which Roman tries to be as he flicks on the lights to his apartment three times, Virgil would have much more luck maintaining a psychic shop. They’re almost opposites, if true opposites were a thing that exists.

Instead of reading thoughts, Roman’s younger brother hears murder stories. Instead of seeing dreams, Virgil sees dead people wandering the streets.

It made growing up and having friends a real challenge. If Roman had a nickel for every time Virgil had grabbed his arm with his cold fingers and looked him in the eye before asking if Roman could see the person in front of them, he’d have three nickels. Which wasn’t a lot, but there was something upsetting about hearing the complete terror in his little brother’s voice when he couldn’t tell the living from the dead.

The dead also like to talk to Virgil, like to hover around him because he gives off a shadowy aura that works like a drug on ghosts. It makes them feel a bit more alive, makes them more corporal, makes them more dangerous. And once they’ve had a taste, they come back for more, and more, and more.

Ghosts are good for getting information, but rarely good for anything else.

(Roman does not trust Patton. Not since Virgil told him the ghost had shown up, not since the last guy had whispered all the things he would do to Virgil if Virgil tried to leave or cut him off, not since Roman had put a hole in the hospital waiting room wall because that was his brother and he should have been there.)

Roman calls Virgil back just before dinner time after he had gone over the list (seven places, another good number) and it rings only twice before his brother picked up.

“Hey Ro, I’m kinda busy right now--”

“Busy?” Roman asks, “On Tuesday?”

“Yes!” Virgil hisses, “Very busy-- ow! Don’t touch that!-- I’ll call you later, Ro.”

“Are you raising the dead again?”

“What? No! I’m, uh,” There was a shuffling, a swear word, and a distant, “at the movies?”

“Right, I’ll pretend I believe that.” Roman says, “I was just checking the list. Your coffee shop is on here.”

“Yes, it is.” Virgil shifts the phone, “Remy fired a guy last week for purposely giving people regular coffee instead of decaf. I thought Remy was gonna kill the guy.”

“Are you sure you want me to apply there?”

There is a swatch and the telltale sound of a match lighting, and the phone shifts again, “I had an idea.”

Roman traces his fingers over the edge of his counter top, absently counting the corners, and grating his skin when it comes up even numbered. “Oh?”

(wrong wrong wrong. Its too short)

“Yeah, maybe you’ve been going about this all wrong. Instead of cutting yourself off from people, maybe you should embrace them-- ow!” Virgil makes a hiss and Roman guesses plops his fingers in his mouth quickly, “Fucking candles. I hate lighting matches.”

“Stop trying to raise the dead for a second and help your dearest brother understand,” Roman says. “What do you mean “embrace them”?”

His fingers slice the edge of the counter, four four four isn’t enough, is too much, its wrong.

“A customer came up to me yesterday and demanded a refund because I didn’t put whip cream her latte.” Virgil explains. “I was angry because she didn’t tell me that she wanted whip cream and its not like I can read minds-- and then I remembered my brother can read minds.” The phone shifts again, “Besides you love talking to people and don’t even try to deny it. That editing job was slowly killing you.”

Roman is quiet for a moment, because, really what is he supposed to say to that? Reading minds isn’t all that great, the same way as seeing their childhood cat that died seven years ago wasn’t all that great. But Virgil was also right: Roman missed talking to people, missed the days when he could show up without having to study for the “pop” quizzes and when he could do little magic tricks to wow his friends in between the classes.

And even if everyone thought his psychic abilities were just parlor tricks, Roman still misses the attention.

“I’ve gotta go, Ro,” Virgil says, “McDonalds nuggets get cold fast, and the dead don’t like cold food.”

“Picky, are they?”

“Very much so.” Virgil agrees, “Just send in an application. I’ll put in a good word to Remy, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll figure something else out.”

Roman’s fingers hit the corner of the counter again, for the seventh time and he flings them back like they were burning. “Right, yeah. Sure.”

“Bye, Ro.”

“Yeah, thanks, Casper.” Roman says and means it deeply.

Virgil ends the call.

Roman twists the phone in his hand three times as the call screen closes. The puzzle game on his phone is about two minutes 120 seconds from reminding him his game hasn’t been played yet today and wouldn’t play at all today if he ended up in the hospital waiting room because something his brother got food poisoning from McDonald’s--

Roman fingers tap the call button again.

First ring, “Ro?”

“Sorry,” Roman blurts out, “I-- am? Damnit! I really am sorry, Virge.”

Virgil’s quiet for a moment, but then he says softly, “I get it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Roman’s mouth snaps close. He ends the call and lets his brother go back to raising the dead on his Tuesday night where he is not going to get food poisoning. He leaves his phone on the counter and flicks the switch three times before leaving the room to go find his computer and fill out the online application.

***

Roman enjoys his twenty third job interview much less than Remy Dormire does. It lasts slightly less than twelve minutes, and by the end of it Roman is ushered behind the counter and given a brown apron (with a single hole at the bottom) and a nametag with his name on it.

(First name only, and it makes the back of his mouth taste like bitter oranges.)

Virgil gives him a rare smile on his way back out, and finishes making two drinks at once, and ships them off to the customers waiting patiently at the end of the counter.

It wasn’t quite the calm Roman was used too, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Thoughts flowed over Roman like a river, dangerous but exciting. He felt a type of connection to everyone in the store, a type of connection that came from understanding the blurbs and fragments that made up a consciousness.

It was strange to think that no one else felt like this, felt like they were touching and being touched in a way that was closer than physical contact. How could anyone not want to feel like this?

But how could anyone know what they were missing when they had never had such a feeling before in their lives?

He had tried explaining it to Virgil once, twice, thrice before. He wishes he could send thoughts the way he read them.

Roman leans over the other side of the counter watching Virgil pour coffee into a styrofoam cup, “You’re off in a minute right?” He taps the the dividing wall, “Wanna grab lunch?”

Virgil hums, his eyes flicking to the side just enough for Roman to guess who might be standing in the empty space.

Roman taps again, “Unless you and Ghost McGee already have fun plans.”

“They can be changed.” Virgil says, and slides the drink over the counter, “Logan!”

Roman shuffles to the side so a guy with glasses and a plaid button up can get his drink. “I don’t want to get in the way of your ghost time. And I definitely don’t want you bringing undead dilemmas to our lunch.”

“I don’t have--” Virgil huffs, “Patton has things to do this afternoon anyway.”

Roman frowned. “Things to do? The guy’s dead.”

Virgil scowls darker than usual. Actually now that Roman is looking, he notices that Virgil’s eyeshadow is a shade lighter than normal: as if he’s trying to make his skin look less pale by comparison. His fingers tap the dividing wall again as Roman narrows his eyes at his brother and tries to remember if he’s ever looked his drained after a night of summoning the dead for a ghost party.

“Five minutes,” Virgil says abruptly, “I’ll see you then.” He wipes the counter with a purple rag and then uses it to slide right away from Roman entirely.

Its a cheap tactic. Roman’s almost offended. The buzz of the cafe hums around him, through him, and causing goosebumps right down his spine. Its exciting, being close to people, almost exciting enough to distract Roman from the predicament of Virgil being cagey-er than before (which he hadn’t thought was possible). His knuckles tap the wall three times and he turns on his heel to settle into a chair for the next five minutes.

(Five was an okay number, Roman supposed. Seven was better, and Three was the best. But Five wasn’t an even number so it was something. At least, no one ever got cancer when he counted to five.)

Roman’s never been good at singling out thoughts in a busy location: too little practice, not enough reason to need to. The process itself required a lot of focus and will power and it felt a lot like pulling out teeth (something he had done when he was seven and Virgil was five and he had lost two teeth in a row and it was wrong, and he couldn’t figure out how to explain it to his parents when they came to figure out why the doors kept slamming). Cutting out the thoughts that weren��t even in order, had no logical reasoning: in the span of a minute a person could go from thinking about a TV show, to thinking about the color of the tile floor, to the scent in the air, to a birthday present for a friend, to, to, to. And with multiple people? In a small space like this coffee shop? It was easier to stop a mountain slide than cut off one person from himself.

Roman’s never been good at singling out thoughts in a busy location, but just this once he’s makes an attempt.

Roman’s never been good at singling out thoughts in a busy location--

Virgil is his brother, and so that means that Roman is obligated to figure out why he’s being cagey. Especially if he’s going to bring the moping to their lunch. And Roman’s absolutely not patient enough to wait five minutes to figure out what is causing him distress.

Virgil's thoughts feel exactly like him, Roman thinks. He's a little cold, a little clammy, a little crafty. His presence is like a cat evading capture by any means and when Roman was particularly bored as a child he used to chase after them, chase the feelings, and the scraps of emotions and impressions that sped by like he was actively running out of time to think them.

Virgil is thinking about coffee. He’s thinking about how to punch buttons into the computer they use for the register and how the person currently ordering is an actual idiot because they don’t serve a “Vanilla Chai Tea Latte” because this store is not a freaking Starbucks, its either a “Vanilla Chai Tea” or a “Vanilla Latte” and fuck, Roman get out of my head before I send a Zombie after you.

So Roman blinks back seeing his brother at the counter, using that customer service smile to please the middle aged woman digging through her purse, but his eyes are dark when he shoots Roman his patented don’t-mess-with-me glare.

I said five minutes, fucking wait will you.

And Roman debates for a moment, less than a minute, just 21 seconds staying there in Virgil's mind that feels a lot like a sweater in the middle of the winter. But in the end Virgil’s mind moves on to the ingredients in a Vanilla Chai Tea and someone else and the girl in the corner has the top third song of the week stuck in her head on a loop and Roman is ever so easily distracted by the repetition of the three lines--

He falls out of his brother’s mind and back into the connective conscious of humans as a whole. There's nothing jarring about it. It's just simple acceptance, like the course of a river gently rolling over him.

If he closes his eyes it feels like safety and warmth and calmness.

The next thing he knows there's a shove as his shoulder that nearly nearly knocks him off the chair. Virgil's standing there, his hair sticking up from where he yanked off his visor and his mysterious purple eyes glowing with annoyance and irritation and a bit of worry.

"I've been calling you," He says, "Are you alright?"

Roman offers him a blinding smile, that most likely comes across dopey, "Absolutely, Graveyard ghoul!”

Virgil stares at him for a moment longer, mouth curled downwards. “Holy shit, just how socially starved are you? You look like you’re on drugs.”

Roman’s vision is a little blurry. He rubs his eye to clear it, and is surprised when it comes back with tears. Was he crying? “I’m perfectly fine!” He flicks away the tears, because honestly they’re happy tears, and they mean so much and absolutely nothing at the same time.

He gathers his stuff and stands up, (tall enough that he can count the three inch difference between him and Virgil), “Are we going to lunch now?”

Virgil keeps staring at him for a moment, and Roman can only glimpse fractions of impressions from him before his eyes narrow with suspicion.

“Fine. Yeah.” Virgil says, “I know just the place.”

****

“Really, this place?” Roman asks and almost can’t quite believe it.

Virgil, in all his brother loving glory, does not give him a response. Since he was the one driving he puts the car in park (“not this spot! Use that one!” “Is this necessary?” “Do you like your current car insurance number, Virge?”) and then kicks the door open with more force than necessary. In the car is a lot quieter than in the cafe, but Virgil spends the entire drive thinking of musical numbers rather than what is bothering him.

The only things that Roman learns from the twenty minute drive to a sandwich shop in the middle of the city is that, Virgil is really into The Guy Who Doesn’t Like Musicals for someone who doesn’t like musicals, and that he’s three times a better driver than Roman can ever hope to be.

“Why here, Virge?” Roman asks getting out of the car and stumbling around the edge of the trunk. His brother is already across the parking lot by that time. “We passed nine other shops on the way here!”

Virgil’s hand goes flying up and snaps close in a silencing motion. Roman thinks that its way more effective on ghosts than on living being that he can’t control, but he goes quiet anyway. Virgil huddles by the storefront glass doors turning his around with his hand to his ear-- is he seriously pretending to be on the phone right now?-- and is peering into the shop as inconspicuously as he can.

Roman is beyond confused.

Virgil takes a deep breath, and nods to himself apparently seeing whatever he was looking for. He grabs the door and then waves Roman inside quickly like he’s embarrassed to be seen with him.

“What is happening?” Roman asks.

“Just shut up and follow my lead.” Virgil says.

And proceeds to go up to the counter and order a sandwich like a normal person. Roman frowns at the implication that he doesn’t know how to order a sandwich from a shop. His fingers knock the counter (Ew the last customer did not wash their hands after using the restroom, ew, ew!) and he gives the tired sandwich maker a dazzling smile.

He looks a little old to be working in food retail in honesty. Much more Virgil and Roman’s age than the high school teenagers that are manning the cash register a few feet over. His eyes are gold and brown and very interesting to look at, along with with the dusting of concealer that is all over his cheek covering up something. His name tag is strategically missing in the moment but Roman doesn’t think it matters too much in the grand scheme of things.

The guys name is Dante Ethan Ekans. He’s tired. Overworked. Not paid enough.

He got a nice voice though. He keeps glancing between Virgil and Roman and Virgil, Virgil, Virgil. So much so that he puts way too much mayo on Roman’s sandwich.

Roman grabs a thing of chips and throws them on the counter at the same time as Dante the sandwich maker puts his carefully wrapped flatbread sandwich next to the register to be rung up. Instead of sliding to the back, Dante leans on the counter next to the sandwiches ignoring the high schooler ringing them up and grins at (a blushing????) Virgil.

“Back again, Raccoon?” Dante the sandwich maker says flicking his tongue out just enough to show off a tongue piercing. Its not something Roman thought could be attractive, but somehow he makes it attractive.

And if Roman can tell that from two feet away, Virgil’s hopeless as the target of such an action.

“Yeah,” Virgil says, “I mean- I just-- I wanted lunch.”

“I can see,” Dante says with a smile. “You’ve made a habit out of coming here for lunch. A guy has to wonder if thats the only reason you keep coming back.”

Roman looks at him, and then Dante the sandwich maker, and thinks he almost understands what is going on.

“Virgil, quick question….”

“I’ll buy you a cookie if you can hold your fucking tongue for three more seconds.” Virgil snaps out loud and then thinks so horrifically loud in his head that Roman resists the urge grimace.

Say it out loud. I dare you.

Virgil is glaring at him again. Dante is staring at him like he’s just now noticing that Virgil came with someone, despite the fact that the man made his sandwich. He pushes off the counter suddenly, with his eyes darting between Virgil and Roman and his thoughts becoming clouded with a sudden flurry of unhappy impressions then he clears his throat and hums a self dismissal.

“And Ice cream from the parlor on First Street.” Roman whispers quickly.

“Roman!” Virgil snaps.

“Deal or no?”

“I hate you.”

“What type of brother would I be if you didn’t hate me?” Roman says loudly without even looking at Virgil. Dante stumbles his steps towards the back. Roman thinks he glances back, but its so quick that Roman really only has the unraveling of the sandwich makers shoulders to take as assurance he was heard.

Roman leans towards his brother in a much, much lower voice, “is this why you’ve been distracted? Because boy troubles?”

“Shut up!” Virgil hisses back and elbows him.

“That will be $23.36.” The cashier says effectively keeping them from breaking into a brawl at the counter.

Roman taps his foot in a series of three while Virgil pays with a debt card and takes their sandwiches and drink cups to a table.

“He’s flipping amazing,” Roman says once they’re sitting and Virgil’s stopped blushing through his concealer. “What’s the problem?”

“Can you read his thoughts right now?” Virgil hisses back. He does a great job of flicking a piece of lettuce off his sandwich.

“Can I-- YES!” Roman presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. “I am insulted you had to ask at all--”

“Just do it.” Virgil snaps and then folds his arms on the table and burrows his head into them without even attempting to eat his sandwich at all.

Roman imagines that Patton is floating over Virgil’s shoulder even if he can’t see the ghost. He hopes the ghost is as confused as he is, but he seriously doubts it.

“It shouldn’t be that hard.” Virgil mumbles, “He’s probably always thinking about him.”

Roman’s stomach drops for his brother, “A boy friend?” (He frowns at the needless separation of the words)

Virgil moans, “Worse.”

“He’s not straight,” Roman mumbles, because at least that much is obvious.

Virgil doesn’t give him a response, so Roman goes deeper. Dante’s thoughts are at odds with his actions, which throws Roman off when he goes to single them out from Virgil’s and the other workers and the small family that was eating across the dining area. Where he comes off as smooth and suave and absolutely sure of himself….

HOLY FUCK BROTHER DOES HOT RUN IN THE FAMILY WHAT THE FUCK--

...His thoughts are not. Roman chases the screaming through the astral plane with mild amusement. Even when the man is cleaning dishes in the back or checking bread or pacing the back, his thoughts are shouting with panic and he keeps coming back to the snapshot of Virgil at the counter. There’s fragments of emotions with it too, amusement, happiness, self embarrassment, as if he can’t believe he really called Virgil a Raccoon and Virgil let him.

Honestly with how much Virgil comes up in his mind, Roman can’t see why his brother isn't launching himself over the counter and dragging the sandwich maker to the freezer for an impromptu make out session.

Or at least he couldn’t.

Then Dante’s thoughts take a leap to the cook time on the last batch of bread, and then the clock, and then the current time and then--

“Dad!”

Roman’s head jerks as he lets go of the isolated thought process and comes back to reality. Virgil does not look up but half his sandwich is gone. Its looks very much like Virgil is throwing himself a pity party while Dante rounds the counter to catch a small child in a hug.

Its undeniably adorable. Roman’s own heart is melting at the sight. The kid can only be four at max, and he’s wearing a backpack almost as big as he is, with a spiderman theme. When the kid talks, he prattles on, and Dante listens to each word with adoration in his eyes.

“So he has got a kid,” Roman comments. He taps Virgil’s foot under the table, “Don’t tell me a kid is a turn off.”

“Roman, you know how I am with kids,” Virgil says. “I’m worse with kids than I am with adults! Which is saying something! The last living person I talked casually to called me a freak and threw a kickball at my face.”

“That was middle school, Miserable Mortuary.” Roman points out, and taps Virgil's foot again, “And if you remember, I beat the snot out of Alfred Hitchcockopolous for saying that. Not to mention, we are talking right this second.”

Virgil grunts sullenly, “Whatever. I’m still bad with kids. I give off that dark energy aura, remember? Give it an hour and Thomas will be running for the hills! There’s no way I could court his dad if he hates me. I’m not gonna drive that wedge between them.”

“You don’t know that yet! Have you talked to this Thomas?”

“And get labeled as a pedophile? No way, not happening.”

“Virgil,” Roman says pointedly (and taps Virgil's foot again), “I’m not saying approach the kid and offer him a joy ride in your crappy used silver Scion. You don’t have to even wait until Dante is out of earshot. Ask him about his favorite color.”

Virgil makes a rather pathetic noise in response. “It’s Dee. He hates being called Dante.”

Roman glances back at Dante the sandwich maker and Thomas the kid. Dante was getting him set up at a table by the counter where he could color in a cheap Star Wars coloring book. He hadn’t come in with anyone. Which was odd. It wasn’t like anyone would let a four year old ride the buses around town either. But surely if there was another parent in the mix they would have at least come in to see that Dante had received the kid, right?

Roman chews on his sandwich for a moment. His eyes are narrowed at his brother as the melody of thoughts roll over him. He’s seeing, feeling glimpses of something else from his brother something that’s making him even more upset than the whole Dad issue.

“What is it?” Roman says, because he’s terribly impatient for his brothers cryptic dance around thoughts.

“You know how I was busy last night?”

“Summoning the dead on a Tuesday?” Roman nods three times.

“Yeah,” Virgil says and drops his head again like a moody teenager. “Yeah that.”

Roman gets flashes of flash night from Virgil’s point of view: Patton kneeling beside him, McDonalds kids meals, too many melted candles, too many slight variations to the chalk circle, a long night. There’s an unsatisfied tinged to them, an unhappiness, a frustration and a nervousness.

It takes Roman a moment to work out what it means.

“Oh,” Roman says, “oh no.”

“Yeah,” Virgil bounces his head on his arms staring into his lap, “Thomas’s mother, Dee’s girlfriend, died in childbirth.”

The sandwich tastes foul in Romans mouth. Too much mayo and bad feelings from it. Virgil stuffs a chip in his mouth and crunches on it sadly.

Overall, it's not how Roman was expecting the lunch out to go.

"It's been four years though, right?" Roman tries, because even if Virgil and him give each other grief all the time, he never wants to see his brother unhappy. "He's definitely in to you, Vee. I have proof. He's moved on."

"That's not the issue," Virgil whines. His eyes flick over Romans shoulder where there's absolutely nothing there, which means that Patton the ghost is witnessing this exchange at least. "Ghosts are tricky businesses. For all I know, me dating Dee will cause a tremor in the afterlife and will bring a vengeful ghost down on the three of us."

"Isn't that an extremely rare occurrence?" Roman says.

Virgil huffs glaring to the side, "Not helping, Pat. And to answer your question, Ro, it is a rare occurrence. But I'm also a magical fucking beacon of dark energy that draws ghosts to myself. Do you really think that the odds are in my favor for this one?"

Roman squints at his brother, "Yes, I do? That is why I'm telling you to go talk to the kid?"

"I'm not going to talk to the kid," Virgil says stubbornly, "Not until I know I'm not gonna endanger him or Dee or… myself." He rubs the insides of his arms, and Roman gets flashes of an emergency room and his own fist in the walls. Neither of them say anything for a moment, and from the glassy look in Virgil's eyes, Patton chooses to be quiet too.

Then Virgil shakes his head and wards off the thoughts. "It's fine. Or whatever. Patton and I are going to do some deep research and I'll find a way to contact Marissa. If she gives me permission, I'll go ahead and talk to Dee again."

He wraps up the rest of his sandwich neatly and leans back in his chair facing the counter where Dante is replacing the produce selection. As if sensing him watching Dante's head tilts up and he winks towards Virgil with another snake like flick of his tongue piercing.

Virgil goes red in the face and stands up. "You know what, I'll be outside!"

Roman catches a glimpse of a dopey, stupid, lovesick smile on his brothers face and cant believe that hes not in a Hallmark movie. Really it's insulting now. This is drama gold and no ones even writing it down.

Dante frowns as Virgil flees the scene, and head to the back again with the clear intention to mope in his thoughts. Roman is left alone at a table, with half a sandwich. Which is fine! All fine!

Roman packs up their combined trash and saves the second half of Virgil's sandwich before he gets up and strolls across the restaurant to the trashcan near where Thomas is sitting. Once he throws his stuff away he stops by the table where the kid is sitting.

"Oh my lord!" Roman says, "Look at this magnificent art work! The colors, the lines, the texture! How very bold! Tell me artist, are you the one who crafted such intricate works?"

Thomas grins up at him bursting with joviality. "I am, mister! Who are you?"

"My name's Roman Prince, young artist!" Roman says, "I am trying to solve a problem that I think you can help me with."

"Me?" Thomas says, "What is it?"

Roman thinks that this kid would be very easy to kidnap.

"Well you see, my brother comes here quite often and he thinks your dad is very super nice." Roman explains the best he can, "He wants to be your dad's friend but my brother is very shy around people."

Thomas taps a red crayon to his lip, "He's that scary man that was over there, right? Dad talks about him a lot."

Roman smiles, "My brother talks about your dad a lot, too!" It's a lie, but really it's for a good cause. "I want them to be friends because they seem very happy together. How about I write down my brothers phone number and you give it to your dad for me?"

Thomas nods easily at the words, and then excitedly, "Then they can set up a playdate! Even if Mr. Purple is really scary, I think he makes dad laugh a lot. And Uncle Emile says laughing is good!"

Roman laughs at that. He scribbles out the numbers for Virgil's personal phone in red crayon on a napkin and gives Thomas a fist bump for teamwork. By the time Dante appears in the front again (with a cloud of suspicion and terror that a stranger is near his son) Roman gives him a cheery wave goodbye and is out the door.

(Virgil is lying in the middle of the parking lot just behind his car and asks Roman to run him over and put him out of his misery.)

(Roman does not run him over.)

(It does take twelve minutes to convince his hopeless brother to get off the asphalt and into the car for the ride back to Virgil's apartment.)

#psychic au #thomas sanders #sanders sides #roman sanders #virgil sanders #symapthetic deceit #deceit sanders #dadceit #patton sanders #Psychic!Roman #Necromancer!Virgil #kid!Thomas #coffee shops #anxceit #future logince #brotherly prinxiety #Number counting OCD #ghost!patton #sorry pat

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ponydera · 3 years ago

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Modern Oracle

My name is Nessa Lamont and I’m what you’d call a “modern oracle.” I can tell the future. Kinda. It only works for me actually. I was gonna try to make money off of it but when I tested it on friends the results still only happened to me, so that kinda sucks. But anyways, I found out that I had this ability one day by accident. I was spamming my friend Ashley emojis because I was excited about this concert we were going to and then what happened in the emojis happened at the concert!

“🎆🎇🎆🎇⚡⚡⚡😱😱😱😱🔥🔥🔥🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨“

It was just some explosion fireworks and some lightning bolts but there was actually a lightning storm during the concert that hit the stage and set it on fire! The whole set was canceled and thankfully we got refunds for the concert but we really just wanted to see the band perform.

Anyways, ever since Ashley pointed it out to me that my emojis predicted what happened, I have been randomly testing out the ability. Like, I tried to spam some cash emojis and I didn’t get any money so it doesn’t seem to work if I type on purpose… So now I’m just here at the Tim Hortons a couple blocks away from the University I attend, I’m an English Literature major, and I pull up the Notes app on my phone and just lazily tap on my screen.

“🤹🏻‍♀️🤹🏻‍♀️💃💃☕️☕️☕️ 🥵🥵🥵🤬🤬🤬🤬“

So, a juggler and a dancer are gonna have coffee and it’s going to be so hot that they start swearing? As usual my prediction doesn’t make sense and won’t until it actual comes true. I look away from my phone and do a sweeping glance across the store looking for someone who would fit the description of either a juggler or a dancer. As expected, I just see other college students getting their morning joe before classes and some moms with their kids and ordering frappechinos and Timbits.

One mom hands the box of Timbits to her daughter who immediately opens the carton and tells her sister that she can catch the Timbits from the air with just her mouth. “Ah, this has definitely got to be it.” I think as I see the scene start to play out; I don’t know the definite outcome so I can’t really do anything to stop it from coming true so I just watch. The girl’s sister is excited and starts to do this little twirling dance while holding her mom’s hand, the first girl tosses the first Timbit into the air and it hits her square in the forehead instead of the mouth. Her sister bursts out giggling and twists out of her mom’s grip and into the legs of this tall guy with a backpack bursting with what looks like all his books. Backpack guy buckles at the knees after being hit, his freshly made latte flying open towards his face and clean shirt. Guy doesn’t fall that far, just to his knees, but he’s now covered in scalding hot coffee. Yikes, somebody is off to a bad day. I get up and immediately start asking for cold towels and paper towels as the rest of the shop just looks on in shock and haven’t registered what’s happened yet. Backpack guy is just letting out grunts of frustration and pain which slowly turn into cursing. The mother of the sisters has realized that it was her kid’s fault that this has happened and rushes towards the guy. All she can think to do is dab at his shirt with the napkins from the counter and she actually pours her frappechino on the guy! Wow this guy’s day just got even worse!! The mother is now cooing at the backpack guy saying her frappechino will cool down the coffee spilled on him so he doesn’t burn. It’s going to be a while before it’s determined if this is a good save or not.

After backpack guy stops cursing and the people around the store start going back to their business, the mother offers to pay for the shirt and will buy him a bag of ice if he still has a burn. Backpack guy is just kinda dazed after everything he has just gone through and accepts. The Tim Hortons shift manager offers backpack guy the option of buying one of the crew shirts they have to replace his current shirt and the mom steps in to say yes and pays for it for him. Backpack guy just nods and finally notices that I am there and I tried helping and says thanks.

“Do you need help getting to class?” I ask. “My name is Nessa; I’m heading to campus next anyways. Do you want to order another coffee? Although, it seems like you’ve already had quite the wakeup call.” Backpack guy gives me a quick glance up and down and after deeming me satisfactory, sticks out his hand and says “Name’s Todd, I appreciate the offer.” I shake his hand and then wait for him at a table as he goes to change into the shirt the manager brought. I take the time to briefly bring up the Notes app again and type out another prediction.

“👩🏻‍🏫👩🏻‍💻👩🏻‍🏫🐤🐤🐣🌧🌧⛈🌧“

“At least this one is pretty straightforward.” I think. I’m going to be in class and there’s going to birds outside the window with a nest. Then it will start raining and there will even be lightning. The forecast didn’t call for rain today but when has a weather reporter ever been right?

Backpack, I mean Todd, comes back from the bathroom and we set off towards campus. We make idle talk on our way there; stuff like our majors, he’s a physics major, the weather for the day (when I say it will rain, he doesn’t believe me because that’s not what the morning’s weather report said), and how crazy of a morning it’s been. His skin is still a little red so I offered him some lotion and he turned me down and said he used some lotion he had on him when he changed. Was not expecting a guy to have lotion on him but with how full his backpack looks; he seems ready for any eventuality. Except having coffee spilled on him. We make it to campus and we wave goodbye at the science compound after becoming friends on Snapchat. I make my way to the English and Foreign Language Center for my first class. I walk into the classroom and sit down in my usual seat next to the window. I can see a nest with a couple of eggs in it but there are no other birds. As class eventually starts, I keep looking out the window, two birds are back at the nest and one of the eggs has hatched. Slowly after it starts raining.

And that’s what my everyday has looked like since I found out I had this power.

#writing #writing prompt #nanowrimo #oracle #prediction #around 1100 words

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krinsbez · 3 years ago

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Work Stories

So, I’ve theoretically accumulated quite a few stories in the past month, what with the two weeks of working extra hours and having no days off owing to one co-worker having surgery and others leaving or turning into flakes because most of the Counter Crew are high school students and it’s summer, while also being HELLA busy. While I have a cold. As a result, I’m not sure I could recite them, as the last month has kinda turned into a bit of a blur, honestly.

(Wish I’d had the energy to share ‘em while they were still fresh in m’mind, but oh well. No use crying over spilt milk)

I can, however, share some stories from yesterday morning.

-Well, actually, it starts the day before yesterday, when someone calls asking to place a catering delivery for about 20 people about an hour after the kitchen opens the next day (that is to say yesterday). I spend twenty minutes helping him decide what he wants, going over basically every 9x13 tray we offer multiple times. At one point I have to hand the phone over to my boss to explain somethings because the dude keeps insisting that he wants the food in a form we don’t do. Ultimately, he settles on six 9x13s of stuff that’s relatively easy to do (and yes, I ask multiple times if he’s sure that enough, noting that a 9x13 constitutes roughly four servings). The guy gives a crappy delivery tip, but whatevs, it’s small order, I’m not gonna fight with him over it, especially as it was late and I was working a double-shift, and I’ve already spent 20 minutes on this.

-The next morning, I walk in (note: I come in about an hour and a half before the store opens, which is fifteen minutes before the kitchen opens). It seems two online orders have been placed for the moment we open (our systems are...not the best, to say the least). This is, of course, impossible to accommodate, so I call both customers and explain that it’ll have to be 30 to 45 minutes later. One explains that they placed the order because the moment we open is the latest time they can pick-up their food before they have to be at work. I offer to refund her, she asks if she can instead have the time changed to when she finishes work. I say it can, but there’s a high chance it’ll come out early and be cold by the time she picks it up, she says that’s fine.

-The next person tries to argue with me, stating that that’s too late, they have to be back at work half an hour after the latest time I stated, I say we’ll do our best to have it ready by the earlier time, they say fine.

-Note that we also have a trainee in, who I’m supervising (side note: the current crop of new hires KICK. ASS. We now have employees who’ve been here for three days who know what they’re doing better than the guys who’ve been here for a year). And also are opening after a hella busy day the night before that cleaned out certain items. And the boss is coming in a bit late. So things are, as you might imagine, a bit hectic. Plus, of course, getting that catering order squared.

-So, here I am, trying to modify the two tickets that came in before we left with the new times, show the new kid around, do my morning set-up tasks all at once, and get that catering order going...when the guy who placed it calls. Despite him having decided that those six 9x13s were sufficient last night, he’s decided he wants more stuff. I say I need to call my boss. The customer insists that no, no, it’s just one or two things, it’ll be fine. Since I don’t want to bother my boss, want to get this over with, and have a spine like a wet noodle, I let him bully me in to ordering more food.

-Once again, I have to go over our whole catering menu with him. He says he wants to add an item we don’t sell 9x13s of, and also only have a limited quantity of. He says that’s fine, he doesn’t need a 9x13, just four orders. Which, as I had pointed out to him repeatedly last night, is what goes into a 9x13. And also, we haven’t got. Note that I have to explain this to him THREE. TIMES.

-By the time he’s done, he’s added SEVENTEEN items to the order (granted, that included seven individual servings of soup, and six individual orders of dessert). He declines to increase the tip when he pays.

-My boss arrives. He is, to say the least, unhappy about my taking this order, and spends ten minutes (rightfully) calling me out on it, plus gently ribbing me about it all morning. He tells me to call the customer back, and tell him the now much-larger order might need to be up to an hour late. I tell the customer. He declares that we have a whole hour to prepare his order, what’s the problem? He makes noises about canceling the add-on. My boss looks over the order, realizes we maybe can do it in the original timeframe, albeit with difficulty, tells me to tell the customer this. The customer is pleased, and concedes that tripling an order an hour before it’s supposed to go out is maybe a bit unreasonable.

-OK, so we’re hard at work. We’re gonna make it, we’ve got most of the big order out, we just got to do the last couple items, and then pack them up. We’d have been done with it, in fact, except that by now we’re open and customers are coming in to order, and have to be helped. A customer comes in, and slowly makes a rather large order. I tell him it will take quite a while, he’s eminently reasonable about it.

-I’m about to finish packing the catering order, we’ve started working on the big order, the second lady who I called about her initial order time being impossible rolls up with her husband, half an hour after she said was the latest she could come (and forty minutes after it was ready; they turn out to be older folks, which I suspect is one of the reasons for what follows.

-Now, I’ve discussed out lunch special before, not going to recap it again, but suffice to say they come with a particular side, and for a small price that side can be replaced with a different side. So naturally, the first thing the lady says is that she knows it wasn’t on the initial order, but can she make such a replacement? I sigh, and say sure. But, when I call up her order...not a lunch special. Full-size everything.

-She says, oh, sorry. Thought I ordered a lunch special, never mind. They check the bag. Her husband demands to know where the sides are. I explain that said side comes with the lunch special, which they didn’t get. But we’re supposed to get a side he insists. SHE explains that it only comes with a lunch special. He insists that they did, in fact, order a lunch special. I show them that they did not. He finally, reluctantly, concedes. I ask them to pay. He insists that he already did. I tell him that he did not, and show him this. He spends ten minutes arguing with me, ten minutes I do not have to spend, because of all the other stuff to do. I’m about to lose my temper...and one of my coworkers, who would prefer I be helping with other things steps in and takes over arguing. (please note, she’s being reasonable and trying to get him to be reasonable, but he’s not having it). I finally get him to pay by promising talking with our technical people, and promising to refund them if it turns out he paid double. As they walk out my co-worker says to me that man it was hard not to yell at the guy.

#Work Story #Work Stories

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hotforharrison · 5 years ago

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His Service ch 4: It’s the destination, not the journey

Chapter 3 <-- His Service Masterlist --> Chapter 5

Pairing: Tom Holland/Reader, eventual Harrison Osterfield/Reader

Summary: A series of memories of memories relating to the love of your life, Tom, and his service in the Army.

Word Count: 3,023

Warnings: Language and smut, my usual go-tos.

A/N: Longer than usual chapter! Poor reader!

You walked up to the ticket counter at the airport, wheeling your suitcase behind you, giving her your ID. “I’m heading to the Lawton Fort Sill airport.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, your connecting flight to Dallas Fort Worth has been canceled due to the weather. Would you like to take a later flight or receive a full refund?” the ticket agent told you.

“How much later?” you asked. “My boyfriend is graduating from basic training, and Family Day starts tomorrow morning.”

“We’re pretty booked up right now. Looks like the earliest open seat I have is at 11:30am, with a connecting flight to Lawton Fort Sill at 6:00pm, arriving at 8:40pm,” she said.

“I’d miss the entire Family Day!” You felt tears burning hot in your eyes. “Fine, though. I’ll take it. Since it was the weather, I take it there’s no free hotel room?”

She booked your new flight. “No, there’s not. I’m sorry again, ma’am.”

“It’s okay. Sometimes stuff happens,” you responded, with a shrug, before you turned around and headed back to the airport entrance.

Your ride was long gone already. You’d chosen an airport a few hours away from home to save significantly on your plane tickets, which was now pointless because you were going to have to pay for an extra hotel room for the night.

No one from London was able to make the trip for his graduation, so Tom was going to be alone for Family Day now. Lovely.

You used your phone to find a last minute hotel room near the airport and get an Uber to take there. Since that was done, you opened your messenger app to text Tom.

You: Not sure when you’ll have your phone back, but my flight got canceled, and they weren’t able to get me on a flight until tomorrow afternoon. I won’t be getting in until tomorrow night. I’m so sorry I’ll be missing Family Day, but I should hopefully be there for graduation.

With a heavy sigh, you went to wait for your Uber.

----

The hotel you went to was overbooked. In fact, all the hotels within a reasonable price range in the area were booked up due to the flight cancellations.

You spent over two hours trying to find somewhere to stay so you could be a functional human being for traveling the next day.

It left you over half an hour away from the airport in a motel that had seen better days, and cost entirely too much for what it was, but at least it was something.

You settled down in your room, ready to take a shower and head to bed.

After being used so much, your phone really needed to be charged, but you quickly discovered that you’d only packed the USB cable half of your charger.

You were so exhausted that you decided to just take a shower and set the alarm clock in the room for early enough that you could go buy another power adapter at the nearest store.

Tom probably wouldn’t get his phone back that early, so you had plenty of time to charge yours for when he got in touch with you.

The bed was uncomfortable, but you eventually drifted off to sleep.

----

Daylight was streaming through the edges of the curtains when you woke up, and you immediately panicked.

It was after 11am, and you weren’t even out of bed. Your flight was supposed to take off in about half an hour. Your hotel was over half an hour away. That flight was not going to happen.

You checked the alarm clock and found you’d set the alarm for 6PM instead of 6AM.

Even though you were missing that flight, you still hurried to check out of the motel so you could head to the airport via a taxi you called from your room, since your phone was dead.

The taxi was late, and you didn’t get to the airport until almost 1pm. Then, you waited in line to go to the ticket counter once again.

“I’m late for my flight, which was entirely my fault, and I’d like to book a new one to Lawton Fort Sill, as soon as possible,” you said.

“I can get you to Dallas Fort Worth today, but you’d be on stand-by for the last two flights to Lawton Fort Sill,” the ticket agent replied.

“Thank you. I’ll do that,” you told him, handing over your card to pay for another plane ticket and to check your bag. It would be worth it to see Tom again.

You had slightly over two hours before your flight took off. At least there would be a shop in the airport to buy a new power adapter after you got through security, and somewhere to plug it in.

Security was relatively painless, since you hadn’t brought much with you that wasn’t in your checked bag.

Before you headed to your gate, you quickly walked around trying to find a shop that might have a power adapter, eventually finding one with a drastically overpriced charger for your phone.

Your gate had some power outlets, and you plugged your phone in to charge, powering it on as soon as you could.

You had unread messages from Tom.

Tom: It’s not your fault the flight was canceled, sweetheart. I have my phone back for a bit now, so I’m going to call.

Tom: Is everything alright? It went straight to voicemail. Are you on an earlier flight?

Tom: Well, Family Day is starting soon, and we have to give our phones back. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I can’t wait to be with you again, love.

For the second time, you’d missed talking to him. You wanted to curl up in a ball and cry again, like you had when you missed his phone call before, but you settled for just the crying part. You’d pull yourself back together before your flight to Dallas.

----

Your flight to Dallas was long, but you made your way to the gate for the flight to Lawton Fort Sill. Both of them were booked up, but you did get on a morning flight. Unless the flight defied the laws of physics, you were going to miss the ceremony, but you'd definitely get to see him for his 36 hour pass off base after that. You couldn’t wait.

You’d already talk to the hotel you booked to let them know you still intended to stay for the next two nights, and that you wanted them to give a keycard to Tom if he showed up before you did.

You pulled out your phone to text Tom to let him know.

You: I’m so sorry I missed your call again. Fuck the universe right now. This trip so far has been a complete shitshow. I’ll tell you all about it later. I won’t be at the airport until early tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll head straight to the hotel. I’m attaching the confirmation page with all the booking info, in case you get there before I do. I already called and told them you might be there first. Hopefully, they made a note of it somewhere.

You put on your headphones and decided to watch some YouTube videos to decompress, since you were spending the night in the airport at the terminal.

You’d already set a dozen different alarms. Oversleeping was not going to be an issue again.

-----

You thought the flight to Dallas had been long, but the flight to Lawton was infinitely longer, the seconds until you would get to see Tom again passing by slower than molasses.

Even though you’d been up for almost 24 hours, sleep wasn’t going to happen when you were so keyed up. You wouldn’t be able to relax until you were in Tom’s arms again.

You did everything you could to help pass the time. Reading took too much focus. You hated every single song that came up on shuffle on your mp3 player. You’d turned off your phone to preserve battery life, paranoid another incident would happen with your phone dying at the worst possible time.

“I hate to be nosy, but are you okay?” the woman seated next to you asked.

“Yeah, I’m just seeing my boyfriend for the first time in a couple months. We haven’t even been able to talk on the phone. He’s graduating from basic training this morning,” you explained.

“I figured as much. I’ve been there and done that. My husband’s been in for over 9 years now. I’d recommend checking out online groups for military girlfriends and wives for support. I’m part of some on Facebook, and it’s been really helpful, especially during deployments.”

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll keep that in mind,” you told her.

“You look like you could use a distraction. So, tell me about your boyfriend,” she said.

“Well, his name is Tom,” you started.

----

The flight landed smoothly, and you turned on your phone as soon as the flight attendant said it was allowed.

You’d found a new friend in the Army wife seated next to you, Hannah, and you added each other on Facebook.

“Have fun seeing Tom, honey,” she told you as you exited the plane.

“I definitely will. Thank you for earlier,” you said.

She pulled you into a hug. “Anytime. Don’t hesitate to message me if you want to talk.”

“I won’t,” you agreed as you parted ways and went to baggage claim to grab your suitcase.

Tom hadn’t messaged you again yet.

You headed to the hotel, fidgeting the entire ride there. It wouldn’t be long now.

After you checked in and got your key card, you headed up to the room, annoyed at how slow the elevator seemed to be moving.

Ideally, you’d be able to take a shower before he arrived and make yourself look cute.

You opened the door and walked in, heading straight for the shower.

The bathroom door opened, and you immediately startled.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I think they gave me a room that was already taken. I’ll go back to the front desk now,” you babbled as you grabbed your suitcase.

“Darling, it’s me. I wanted to surprise you,” Tom said he as he stepped into the room.

“Tom!” you cried out, abandoning your suitcase and launching yourself into his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”

His arms wrapped around you. “Me too.”

You knew how tightly you were clinging to him was probably uncomfortable, but you couldn’t bring yourself to stop.

He pulled away slightly and looked at your face with concern, thumb coming up to wipe away your tears. “Are you alright?”

“Overwhelmed and happy tears. I haven’t slept in over 24 hours, and I’m kind of all over the place, too,” you admitted.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He moved to kiss you, but you stopped him.

“Let me brush my teeth and take a shower first?” you requested.

He stroked your cheek instead of kissing you. “Of course. Do you mind if I join you?”

You leaned into his touch. “Not at all. Want to turn on the shower to warm up while I brush my teeth?”

“Sure.” He was quick to shed his clothes and head into the bathroom while you got your toothbrush, toothpaste, and shower supplies out of your suitcase.

The shower turned on before you brushed your teeth, and you were as quick as possible while still being thorough.

Your clothes joined his on the floor, and you found that he’d already gotten in and was cleaning himself off.

You slipped in next to him, immediately noticing the water pressure wasn’t the best, and there wasn’t a ton of space for two people. It was still workable, though.

Now that you could see him without a hat, the first thing you noticed was his new buzzcut. As much as you’d loved his gorgeous curls, he definitely still looked good, as devastatingly sexy as he always was, just a little different.

You ran your fingers lightly over his head, enjoying the feel of the short hair on your fingertips. Your thoughts wandered to what it would feel like against your thighs. Knowing Tom, you’d find that out soon enough.

The second thing you noticed was that he was leaner and more muscular than he had been. He put in time at the gym before he enlisted, but his workouts weren’t nearly as intense as basic training would be.

“Damn, you look really good, babe,” you told him, sincerely. “I was a little nervous it would take some getting used to, but I love it.”

He smiled brightly. “I was a bit worried, too, that you wouldn’t like my new look. I do plan on growing my hair out some, though. There’s plenty of regulation haircuts with a little more length.”

“It’s up to you. I like you fine just the way you are,” you promised.

He kissed you again, longer and wetter, and slid his hand down your body.

You laughed softly. “Let me get clean before we get dirty.”

“Of course, love. I’ll help,” he offered, reaching down to grab your shampoo, knowing how much you loved when he washed your hair.

You got under the spray until your hair and body were wet, then turned around.

His fingers worked the shampoo into your hair, slowly and thoroughly massaging your scalp, just the way you liked.

You clenched your thighs together. His touch was intensifying the arousal pulsing insistently between your legs. You slipped your hand between your legs.

He noticed and pushed it away. “I know, darling, I know. After you’re clean, I’m going to make you cum so hard you won’t remember what century it is, and then I’ll do it again, and again, and again.”

You whimpered, and were very grateful that he sped up the process of bathing you. The last place he cleaned was between your thighs, quick but thorough, and just left you wanting even more.

“Alright, we’re done.” He turned off the shower. “Just need to get dried off, and then I’ll take such good care of you.”

Instead of letting him dry you off like you normally would, you snatched the towel from him. You were still a little damp when you were done toweling yourself off and may have raced to the bed, but he didn’t say anything.

You plopped down with your legs spread, waiting for him to move between them.

He didn’t hesitate, positioning your legs over his shoulders. His tongue licked a broad stripe from your entrance to your clit. He lapped at your clit, pushing two slender fingers into you and pumping them in and out.

His buzzcut tickled a bit against your thighs, but you found that you liked it, a new sensation to add to the others.

“More,” you begged, squirming against his face.

He worked you faster with his tongue and pressed a third finger in next to the other two.

That was exactly what you needed, and you moaned, loud and long. Your hands scrambled to find something to do as you grew closer to your first climax, since the curls you usually gripped were gone.

His free hand reached up to grab yours, intertwining his fingers with yours.

You squeezed his hand, and moved the other hand onto the bedspread below you, finding that was enough.

“God, Tom, I’m so close. Please,” you groaned.

He knew exactly what to do, sucking your clit into his mouth and working his tongue over it just the way you liked.

Your orgasm hit you hard, sparks of pleasure igniting throughout your body. He didn’t stop, and neither did your orgasm. Eventually you disconnected from awareness, feeling like you were floating in a sea of fireworks.

��Sweetheart?” you heard Tom ask from far away.

“Tom?” you asked, your voice sounding weird in your head.

“Are you alright? I kind of lost you there for a minute,” he said, concerned and closer.

You opened your eyes, to see him at face level instead of between your thighs. “Jesus, I’ve never cum like that before.”

He softly laughed. “I broke you.”

You grinned. “You did, but it was amazing. You’re an orgasm wizard. But now, it’s your turn.”

“I’ll need a minute. Seeing, and hearing, and feeling you like that already got me off,” he admitted, sheepishly.

“That’s really hot. Also, this is your side of the bed,” you teased.

He grinned. “Worth it.”

Now that you were relaxed in your post-orgasmic bliss, you found yourself yawning.

It was contagious, Tom yawning louder and longer than you had. “Fuck, I’m knackered. We’ve both been up for a long time.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to miss out on time together, though,” you complained.

“We still have.” He glanced over at the alarm clock. “Over 32 hours. I’m not going to be awake for the next 32 hours when I have to head to my next duty station right after I get back. You’re also not staying awake for four days straight.”

“I guess you’re right,” you conceded, sighing.

“I’m always right,” he said, playfully.

You laughed. “Hardly, but I’ll give you this time.”

Both of you moved to get under the covers, and you moved into his arms, where you belonged.

“I missed you so fucking much,” he told you softly. “Missed this. Thought about you all the time, especially when it was rough. Your letters were everything during that 9 weeks of hell. Sorry I didn’t write back more.”

You pressed a kiss to the nearest skin you could reach, his chest. “Don’t be. I understand. I just wish there was more I could have done to help. Really, it was the least I could do for you. God, I love you.”

“I love you, too, darling. So much. I wish we had more time together, but we’ll make the most of what we do have,” he promised. “Now, sleep. I can tell how exhausted you are.”

You closed your eyes and listened to his heartbeat against your ear, quickly drifting off to the familiar rhythm.

tag list: @spooky-haz @farfromhaz @eeyore101247 @adayasgeorgia @moorehollandplz @softnessparker @dasexydevitt13 @imagine-lovebug @robbinholland @strang-ersclub @hollandisapuppy @goldenpeaxh @legendsofwholock @superheroesaremytea @tomblrholland @niiight-dreamerrrr @spidermanffh3000 @devildisguiseasangel @theyy-lovemo @spidergiirl @jinx4karma @tinycertain

#tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fanfic #tom holland imagine #tom holland scenarios #tom holland smut #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland reader #tom holland you #tom holland reader insert

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katandabbieslife · 5 years ago

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The Long Awaited Update, maybe, if anyone still reads our stuff...

So, it’s me, Abbie, who dropped the ball this time and not Kat. I promised you guys an update about why we were gone all summer and that did not happen. To explain it, completely, I might need to go back Winter break 2 years ago. It was right around the time we started this blog. Kat and I were both full time students and working to pay for food and bills. We both let our jobs know in September that we’d need winter break off to go home for the holidays as a lot of employers in college towns expect. We were both told that would not be a problem and we made plans, book flights because they’re much cheaper when booked in advance. We were set! Wrong, we were both screwed. Schedules came out for the weeks of winter break and Kat was scheduled for 2 days that first week and then scheduled for Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas. Kat went to ask if it was a mistake and her boss told her no, that it wasn’t a mistake and they couldn’t spare her for two weeks. She explained we booked our flights in early October because we were told she’d be off. Kat explained she needed the time off to visit family and they told her they couldn’t do it. Kat told them she was already told she’d have to time off and was going home to visit family at which point they told her if she was a no call no show, that they’d have to terminate her. She broke down in tears and went back to work. Over the next couple days, she kept begging them to give her the time off. She talked to co-workers to try to get those days covered and several said they would do it. They just had to convince their asshole manager.

Just as Kat was seemingly ready to get her situation finished, mine popped up. My schedule had me scheduled for a full 40 hours for both weeks. I was beyond shocked because I never worked over 32 hours and usually only 28 hours. I went to ask why I was scheduled for a full 40 hours and the bitch told me “Oh, you only work a short schedule because you’re a student, and since school is out for these two weeks, we had some of you kids want to go home to family for the holidays and we need you to cover some of those shifts since classes are out.” I threw my schedule down on the desk and said “Yeah, some kids wanted to go home for the holidays, I was one of them, I put in for this in September and you said it was approved, what the fuck happened?” and she just blankly stared at me. I asked when some of the other put in for the break and she was like last month, and proceeded to tell me I should ask for time off 3 weeks in advance, I pointed out I asked 3 months in advance. She gave me a shitty grin and a chuckle and told me to get back to work. I refused and told her we had flights booked for over two months and they were non-refundable (not sure if they were or not, just said that to hopefully change her mind) and she told me, I hope you didn’t pay a lot, it would suck to lose all that money for something you can’t use. I told her “I’m not going to lose money, I’ll go to the labor board or small claims court since these were booked AFTER you approved my time off.�� She told me to stop being dramatic. I explained I would be going home for the holidays one way or another. After arguing with both our respective bosses, we were finally told we’d get the time off. We thought it was all settled. We left, we had a great holiday, we came back to school. We stopped by both of our places of employment to get our schedules and Kat was told she’d been replaced. She came out in tears and I comforted her and explained we’d get her another job. She calmed down and we drive to my shithole job and I get my schedule and I’m scheduled for 3 hours one day, 5 hours another and only have 5 total days scheduled in two weeks. 16 hours for 2 weeks. I raised hell and it did me no good.

Kat started her job search and I worked my few hours while filing out applications Kat brought home for me since I was looking for a new job too. Our parents knew what went on just before break and they weren’t surprised when we had to call them for extra money for bills and rent. As some of you know, My mother is an attorney and my Stepdad(Now Dad, he officially adopted me Aug. 2018) owns a small chain of like 30 or so sporting goods stores in my home state. Kat Parents own a huge Horse farm/Ranch made up of three original farms combined to make one large one. Our families are doing nicely. By this time, almost a year into our relationship, our parents were already friends and talking on a regular basis through texts, Email, and phone calls, I figure initiated by my slightly over protective mother because she feels responsible for my abuse at the hands of my biological father. Anyway, they are all friends and talk often. Mom told me to get a list of our rent and average monthly bills together and call her tomorrow. And in the meantime, Kat’s Parents put money in her account and mine did the same. I called mom with the rent and average bills and I expected her to be putting a budget or something together because “moms love that shit” right? We talked for a bit and then she said she had some phone calls to make.

She called back a couple hours later and she told me to put it on speaker phone and I heard her asking “Katherine, are you guys there?” and we heard Kat’s parents chime in and say “yes, we’re here.” We all said hi and Kat and I were looking at each other like “W.T.F.?” Mom started by telling me I needed to go quit my job immediately after the phone call, Kat’s mom told Kat to tear up any applications she had filled out and to never mind finding a new job. Again, Kat and I looked at each other like “W.T.F.?” Mom and Katherine(Kat’s mom) both started telling us how they couldn’t believe how much trouble we had just trying to come home for the holidays and how upset they were when, at first, they didn’t think they’d get to see their girls for the holidays. They were glad when we finally got to come home but they expected we’d face some kind of retaliation for taking the time off. They were a little shocked at what actually happened, they thought it would be the opposite and we’d get the hours dogpiled on us instead, causing our schoolwork to take a backseat. They both wondered that if we got new jobs, would we get too many hours to handle both work and schoolwork? Or would we go through the same trouble next holiday season? Would we get to enjoy summer break? At which point they collectively decided to pay our bills, our rent, our food, and we’d get a small bump in our monthly allowances. My allowance was guilt money from Mom anyway. Most of it goes into a saving account anyway, I also get money from stud fee’s from my German Shepherd Franklin. Usually around $500 a month sometime more (if he gets lucky, if you know what I mean? : ) Our parents were paying for school anyway, our bills did not add that much more in comparison. We just had stipulations. Every break, we have to go home to visit at least for a week unless we’re granted a reprieve. This only applies to Thanksgiving, Winter, and Summer breaks. All other breaks are short and we’re free to do with as we please. Because of comments I made to my mother about how much cam girls make online and how I bet Kat and I would make bank doing the cam girl thing, we were told “Absolutely no porn!” If they ever found a single picture of either of us online, a nipple, a lip, a butthole, our agreement would be null and void and we’d have to get jobs and all money would be pulled except for tuition, of course. (Way to go Mom, take all the fun stuff away and leave us with Work and School only! LOL) Anyway, we agreed, we wouldn’t do Porn. We also have to keep our grades up, which wouldn’t be hard since we wouldn’t have to worry about reading chapters on breaks at work, or getting papers written before our shifts. Everything seemed great. We agreed. Without having to work a part time job after class, I used the free time in the evening to pick up a few more classes each semester and have since taken classes from (8am to 7:30pm) 3 days a week and (8am to 7pm) 2 days a week, assuming the classes are offered, and luckily they have been. Those extra classes allowed me to double major and earn two bachelor degree’s this past spring, when I was only on track for one degree and only a few classes short of my second which I had planned on earning the end of this current semester, but my schedule worked out and the classes were offered during my new found free time.

Skip ahead to December of 2018 and you have stories of my Birthday Party, our Holiday party, and that’s where we left off. Through spring semester, things got hectic again. I loaded my schedule to get as many classes done as I can and with any luck, I can graduate early.

Our lives were also changed last year when we went home for winter break and I can’t wait for that chapter to start. Some of you know we’re both engaged with full blessings from both my family and hers, and we’re planning on getting married in June. One year of dating, and then 2 years and 3 months of engagement until the wedding. We’re still as happy now as we were on day one, if not happier. Kat’s mom corners us every chance she gets with wedding planning. We’ve already decided on getting married by our favorite lake on their farm, but the details are what Momma Katherine loves to obsess over and I love her for it. Ok, on to the life changer. I wrote about Kat handling the purchase of the farm northern property line of her parents property. The days leading up to arriving back home for winter break were filled with Exams and Kat making contract changes with my mother, the attorneys advice. She and Kat talked as much the week before we went home than she and I since summer break all combined. Mom helped Kat make changes and Kat emailed it to her parents attorney to make the changes official. Kats parents had been telling us they were going to take us out to celebrate when we got home and were just told we were celebrating the new addition to the company and the plans for that part of the property. Ok, well, the life changer will not be in this quick little update since the original draft of this was 28 pages long and over 22,000 words. It kind of bled into everything above then into Winter break 2018/2019. I found my Word document that I journaled in during break, just as I do with stuff I think I will write about later. So, we have this update that will hopefully explain a few things about us, and I will follow that up with the posts about last year’s winter break. I have my word files from the spring and summer too so those will be written up when I get time. For now, here is a chance to learn a little more about us. If you’re still around reading our ramblings, thank you for your patience, if you’re new, enjoy what’s been posted already and please, do not hold us to a schedule. We don’t mean to be liars by saying we’ll be posting soon and not posting for months, it’s just that life and schoolwork take precedence over Tumblr posting. I hope you understand. -Abbie

#lifechanger #bisexualgirls #collegelife #farmlife

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bitcoincoderobot-blog · 6 years ago

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Bitcoin Code Review

Cryptocurrencies, the newest fad to take trading by storm. Are you ready to take advantage of this golden opportunity too? Can you get rich with Bitcoin? Sure, by investing at the right time and the right amount, anyone could. Cryptocurrencies are getting more and more popular and are most likely the future when it comes to transactions of all varieties. Today, we will take a deeper look at the Bitcoin Code system (also called Bitcoin Code Ltd) that is advertised as something that will secure your financials. Are your alarms going off? Well, you are not the only one but let’s take a closer look!

Great News! We have found a Robot that will make you so much richer in less than 30 working days! Show me the Robot!.

Bitcoin Code Review

Bitcoin_Code_Sales_Pitch

The Bitcoin Code – How it Looks Like Is there a secret formula, a secret strategy, a secret code that’s gonna make us easy money? The answer is yes. Apparently, this guy “Steve McKay” has discovered a Bitcoin ATM machine… yeah, that’s the story. End of world hunger is near – hurray!!! Oh no, what’s that… it’s LIMITED! Only to 25 people. Bla bla bla… This sounds so familiar. The story and the lies I mean. Again with the secret formula, the genius, fast and easy money and it’s limited to only x people!

Here is the best part, this has nothing to do with Bitcoin, nor secret formulas. The “secret” is pretty straightforward actually. You will deposit 250 with a garbage broker which gives that 250 to these scammers behind the Bitcoin Code Ltd. And the story ends there, there are no 13K per day for you, not even 1.3 dollars or cents.

Fake_Accounts_at_Bitcoin_Code

As you can judge by looking at the image above, we can trade currencies or any assets just like a regular Binary Options broker. Where is the Bitcoin part? Am I depositing in Bitcoin? NOPE. Will I be trading Bitcoin? NOPE. Then why the hell is this called Bitcoin Code? Never mind, let’s instead take a closer look at those results, I smell photoshop.

The Bitcoin Code Ltd – Is It A Scam? Those results look good. Too good if you ask me. Let’s look closer… hmm. Notice anything? Don’t you? Well, look closer damn it! There, the strike price is giving a losing trade in one place but the strike price is also giving a winning trade on another trade! Oh photoshop, you are good but you can’t help greedy scammers from making editing errors.

More_Fake_Results_Bitcoin_Code

Either both should show 0.000 or both should show a winning amount. Why? Cause in both cases, the entry, and the expiry were the same! #PhotoshopMistakes.

Anyone who has ever traded knows that a broker either will count a strike as a win a loss or a tie. Well, most brokers count it as a tie and give your investment back. Some count is a loss. But you can’t have it BOTH WAYS. Hence the editing mistake in that fake image above! Busted. Before I forget, here is another big warning sign: their terms and conditions, support and policy links/tabs are not working. They are also fake!

But there is more! Don’t let me make my case with just one error… NO, let me show you MORE!

Fake_Members_of_Bitcoin_Code

Hahaha! Rachel Smallay is one of their members? Who could have guessed… oh sorry, I got carried away. The first female on the left, Caroline Essen is actually Rachel. She is a New Zealand television reporter! And she comes with her own funny story of calling people fat with the microphone on. LOL! At least she is not a scam artist. So they took her picture off of Google and added her involuntarily as a member of their scam service. I bet she would love to report this story on her channel. You know, just to shift focus from her own bad mouthing. Haha, maybe I should email her this! “The Okane and Rachel Scoop” – likely we will win a Pulitzer Prize? Or is it just for the US journalists =(?

Moving on, how about that gentleman to the right, with the glasses, Charles Millington? Turns out he is Michael Dines and a realtor. Sigh, so much nonsense here! Hold on, I need to make a phone call…

*bleep bleep bleep… phone is dialing*

Sarah: Hello this is Sarah at the Bullshit Store how may I help you Today? Okane: Hey dear, I would like to know if you have a shipment of bullshit stories to send me? Sarah: Oh, I am sorry sir. We are freshly out of stock here at the Bullshit store! We just shipped all of our bullshit to the Bitcoin Code. Okane: I suspected that was the case! Sarah: I can, however, promise that we will have fresh bullshit stories every week for new binary options robot scams – so tune in on Monday! Okane: Wonderful, will it involve a Genius, a secret code, limited spots, and easy money? Sarah: Hahah, oh yes why of course sir! And fake testimonials and images too, don’t forget about the fake images!

I would continue pointing out more fake stuff on this Bitcoin Code scam site but honestly, I just ate and my stomach is starting to cramp from all this bullshit. My doctor recommends only a tiny dosage of bullshit per day and it is getting exceeded here by far.

Alright alright, I do a couple more! Ready?

Bitcoin_Code_Happy_Fake_Clients

Bitcoin Testimonials: Yes, FAKE Again! Look at these happy people, looking fancy and all in their boats and bikinis… FAKE! This image is stolen from some boat stereo sales site and it has nothing to do with Crypto or CFD robot trading. No, those people are not happy Bitcoin millionaires! They are just happy getting paid for their photoshoot.

Their Testimonials Are Fake, Ours Are Not I love seeing people share their experiences and getting involved in the comments section because that way, others will avoid getting scammed. Maybe you don’t feel like reading a whole review that’s 1000 words long and you just want to read a few words written by someone who used the thing. Like this comment below:

Bitcoin Code Hellen Complaint

Hellen is straight to the point here: Rip-off! Believe us Hellen, many times we would like to simply say “It’s a Scam so stay away!” but often times people need a bit of convincing and of course, they need to understand why we believe a certain robot to be a scam. That’s why we need more than one word.

Bitcoin Code Ronald Complaint

Bitcoin Code has been out for a while now and most people know it’s a proven scam but a year or more ago, this wasn’t the case and people still hoped it could work. Ronald’s comment above shows he’s done the right thing: research before investing money. Thanks for believing us Ronald, and you’re welcome at the same time.

Bitcoin Code Complaint by Paul

You lost 7000 GBP but got most of it back thanks to a nice lady with a nice voice who knows refund codes for banks, called “reason codes”. Huh what? There’s no such thing and I smell some BS here. Just be warned there are TONS of scam recovery services who claim to get your money back if you’ve been scammed. 99% of them don’t work and you will end up losing more money. Be warned and read Recovery Services – The Real Story if you want to know more!

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cindylouwho-2 · 6 years ago

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TOP NEWS & ARTICLES

Google core algorithm update started March 12; early winners & losers here and here, among other info about the update.

Also, Google accidentally de-indexed some pages last week, & they are still working on fixing it.

Etsy phone support finally available to everyone (if you speak English, of course).

Amazon no longer requires Marketplace sellers to keep their prices elsewhere the same or higher as on Amazon.

Worldpay, one of Etsy’s payment providers, sold to FIS for $35 billion. (Etsy also uses Ayden for some of their payment processing.)

TOP ETSY NEWS

Last week, Etsy sent emails to non-US sellers, telling them that their refunds for the overcharging that has been going on since October 2018 will be issued by the end of the day, June 30th (or earlier). It doesn’t mention when they will stop overcharging, though.

Etsy held Investor Day on March . You can view the slides that went along with the presentations, and there is a short summary of the search info discussed here. CEO Josh Silverman then did an interview with CNBC (video only), which is summarized here.

There was an Etsy podcast on search questions (links to recording, and transcription), but it didn’t have any new info.

They’ve also released their spring & summer trends report, with a podcast & transcript, as well as a lengthy pdf file with keyword data (I will be summarizing that separately).

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES

Rand Fishkin (founder of Moz) is doing a series of 10-minute Whiteboard Friday presentations on learning SEO basics, with both video & transcripts included in the links. Remember, some of these things do not apply to Etsy shops, but can apply to your website, depending on the coding.

Part 1, SEO strategy; It assumes some knowledge of marketing terms, but the SEO part is definitely intro-level

Part 2, keyword research. Long tail: “20% of all searches that Google receives each day they have never seen before.”

Part 3: satisfy searcher needs.

Part 4: optimizing through keywords & other elements.

And Moz’s Beginners Guide to SEO is finally fully updated. (Some parts are more technical, so stick to the on-page stuff if you are really new to this.)

Chrome now offering the ability to select privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo as your browser default. This should increase DDG’s slice of traffic if Google continues this.

Google released its Webspam report for 2018.

Hmm, wonder why I would come across SEO tips for Tumblr this edition? 🤔

CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

(includes blogging & emails)

19 call-to-action phrases you should be using on social media (infographic)

10 tips for more clicks on your social media posts

US social media expansion has plateaued, but podcasts’ popularity continues to grow. 23% of US homes have a “smart speaker” (Alexa etc.); 56% have a tablet. Smartphone ownership has also levelled off.

Related - most Americans dislike/do not trust social media.

3 tips for great social media content (infographic), & 4 more tips for writing social media posts.

Email marketing stats that show its impact. If you don’t already have an email list, it is time to start one. After all these years, it still works!

Instagram beta-testing checkout within the app; US brands only for the moment.

Facebook was storing your passwords in plain text & many employees had access. “My Facebook insider said access logs showed some 2,000 engineers or developers made approximately nine million internal queries for data elements that contained plain text user passwords.”

Did you know you can remove your last name from your public Facebook profile? (Plus 12 other Facebook facts & tricks)

Create great pins on Pinterest.

Pinterest files for IPO; admits that Google changes last year hurt it.

Backgrounder on short video sharing site TikTok.

Twitter Analytics has an events page that tips you off to annual events you may want to tweet about/around, under the Events tab in your Analytics.

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS)

Beginners’ guide to cost per click (CPC) ads - includes Google, Facebook, & Instagram.

Facebook & Instagram ad costs have rocketed since the site-wide outages on March 13.

Facebook’s advice on optimizing your Facebook ads.

Google fined by EU for blocking other ads.

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING

Ecommerce reports in Google Analytics (for websites, not Etsy shops).

5 Instagram analytics tips.

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS

Microsoft considers competing with Shopify.

eBay states it uses artificial intelligence (AI) pretty much everywhere on its site, as do most big sites.

eBay adds Google Pay as a payment option.

Half of US households will belong to Amazon Prime this year. “Amazon Household, a program that allows different members of a single household, including teens, to have their own log-in for shopping and viewing of Prime content, was specifically cited by eMarketer as a factor driving adoption.”

Shopify is ending its MailChimp integration; interesting article here. “Mailchimp wrote a blog post stating that it asked Shopify to remove the Mailchimp integration from the Shopify marketplace. Mailchimp’s reasoning behind the move was due to the new term requiring partners to send back any data collected “on behalf of the merchant” back to Shopify. According to Joni Deus, director of partnerships at Mailchimp, that data (in Mailchimp’s eyes) doesn’t belong to Shopify.”

This is seen as a battle for data, a lot of which flows through APIs (APIs are how third party tools integrate with websites, like Etsy & label providers such as Shippo & Pirate Ship).

Square improves a bunch of ecommerce tools including social media integrations. They bought Weebly a year ago, & are using that to make changes to Square Online Store and Square for Retail.

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE

Tone is key to good customer service. I like the bit about answering apparently stupid questions - making the customer feel stupid (even if 99% of readers would agree the question was stupid) is usually not a good approach. But it can be hard to weed out negative tone. Other good quotes: “Directing the conversation away from the negative aspects and focusing instead on the proposed solution helps customers accept the situation and reduces the odds that they will be upset.” and “It almost doesn’t matter how good the news is; if it comes after “actually,” I feel like I was somehow wrong about something.”

Figuring out what motivates your customers.

Ecommerce customer service 101.

MISCELLANEOUS (INCLUDING HUMOUR)

Facial recognition software is scraping the photos you post online to improve their software. “Despite IBM’s assurances that Flickr users can opt out of the database, NBC News discovered that it’s almost impossible to get photos removed. … There may, however, be legal recourse in some jurisdictions thanks to the rise of privacy laws acknowledging the unique value of photos of people’s faces. Under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, photos are considered “sensitive personal information” if they are used to confirm an individual’s identity. Residents of Europe who don’t want their data included can ask IBM to delete it. If IBM doesn’t comply, they can complain to their country’s data protection authority, which, if the particular photos fall under the definition of “sensitive personal information,” can levy fines against companies that violate the law.

In the U.S., some states have laws that could be relevant. Under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, for example, it can be a violation to capture, store and share biometric information without a person’s written consent. According to the act, biometric information includes fingerprints, iris scans and face geometry.”

Cookie warnings are getting really complicated in some jurisdictions.

Microsoft killed Clippy again.

American drunk shopping continues to increase.

Posted April 8, 2019.

#seo #search engine optimization #etsynews #analytics #stats #social media #contentmarketing #ecommerce #smallbiz #CindyLouWho2NewsUpdates

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nimarkiva · 6 years ago

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So I’m pretty sure I swore fealty to an old god for a week.

I’m waiting at the bus stop, literally just about to get on the bus. My goal? Go pick up the jeans I ordered online and needed, after my next-to-last pair ripped out in an embarrassing way. My phone bings with an e-mail....oh. Hey. Yeah. The pants you ordered and we said you could pick up? We sold ‘em on accident, but you can get a pair shipped to you for free, or refunded.

Well, ok, that’s par for the course considering the week I’ve had. I’m just about to hit the ‘free shipping’ option when my mom messages me that she needs to borrow $50 until a check she’s got clears on Tuesday. I have $56, so instead of ordering pants, I tell her sure and cancel my order. No one the wiser.

And I sit at the bus, frustrated but glad I didn’t have to get on since it smells like weed. Eew.

But it’s been one thing after another. So I have a bit of a small breakdown. Not obvious, but clearly I’m frustrated as all get-up about this. One thing, c’mon, please? Please? Why?

This older gentleman stops me and asks if I’m alright, I look like I could use a smile. And for some reason I just opened right up. No, I’m not alright, I’m a bit homesick and tired and frazzled and would like for one thing to go right. He promptly replies that I could use a smile, what would help? What’s something from home? I reply that I can’t do that, I haven’t even seen a Long John Silvers around in the area, awesome as that would be because Mom and I would do that when we were tired and needed a break from driving. It reminds me of home, and is something I haven’t had since I moved.

He grins and says there’s one at the mall, let’s go! I perk up at that, then remember...I have practically no money. He beams and says it’s on him, his treat. He literally buys me dinner, and then a slice of chocolate cake from the bakery near it. And on our way up to the food court, I was stopped by the crew at one of my favorite stores- they’d put together a Christmas gift for me and had hoped they’d see me soon to give it to me. So not only do I have dinner and cake, but a really sweet and thoughtful gift from the folks I normally take goodies and such in to.

As we’re walking back to the escalators, I smell popcorn and smile. He grins, and says there’s that smile- what made me smile? I replied that it was the scent of the popcorn, I love the stuff and it smelled really good. He promptly leads the way and buys a bag of popcorn for both of us.

So he walks me to the bus, and says to keep that smile. Also, pass it on this week, help other people smile, I do such a lovely job at it.

Then he’s gone, and I realize while I’m on the bus that we never introduced ourselves. I have no idea his name, and wait, why didn’t he get on the bus, too? And then while I’m walking home, I remember I have a pair of jeans that are really ratty and ripped at the bottom hems, but I sew and have all sorts of fabric. I can not only fix them, but make them fun. Literally all my problems solved, and leaving me feeling so much better.

So here I am, eating popcorn, fixing up the most comfortable pair of jeans I own, and thinking I’ve just sworn fealty to an old god for a week. A week of smiles for others as well as myself, huh? I got this, totally.

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how-to-get-refund-blog · 6 years ago

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How to Get Refund?

Ever returned poor or faulty goods for the shop to simply dismiss your complaint? Now imagine walking down the high street, or phoning up, this time covered in a glistening suit of consumer rights armour.

We hope our guide will help you do just that. Below it explains what your consumer rights are, and what to do if your purchases go wrong. Read it now and save it to your favourites for when it's needed.

The law changed in Oct 2015. The Consumer Rights Act came into force then. This guide focuses on your rights for items purchased AFTER 1 Oct 2015 – but where the rules differ for items bought before then we've made it clear.

In this guide

What are your consumer rights?

Understanding the law

Your rights when buying goods

Your rights when buying digital content

Your rights when buying services

Buying on the web, by mail or from home

How to make 'em pay up

Still not happy?

Consumer rights Q&As

The complaint checklist

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What are your consumer rights?

Your consumer rights protect you when you buy goods and services. This means you have rights by law, which a shop or service provider can't change.

This should be taught at school - everyone should know their basic statutory rights. Know these and you can enforce fair treatment. It's so crucial, you should actually memorise it. Our mnemonic is to call them your Sad Fart rights. When you buy goods they must be...

This applies even if you buy things in a sale or with a discount voucher. Frankly, every customer-facing member of staff should be taught these rules before they're allowed to work. Yet as they're not, we need to be polite and persistent in quoting the rights.

Consumer rights: Quick dos and don'ts

Later in the guide, you'll get a much more detailed explanation of how consumer rights work. But let's start with a few simple dos and don'ts to help you protect yourself.

DO spend gift vouchers quickly

DO take things back as quickly as possible

DON'T assume you can exchange it if it's the wrong size

DO write 'it's a gift' on receipts

DON'T think buying online means fewer rights

DO check suitability before buying

DON'T think 'no receipt' means 'no return'

DO return it to the store, not the manufacturer

DON'T think eBay's different

DO ensure Christmas delivery's specified

DON'T think you've no rights with freebies

DO consider paying by credit card if it's over £100

DO remember it's about expectations as well as rights

Whatever you bought, don't just quote the rights, say this… "according to the Consumer Rights Act 2015".

Saying this can make a powerful impression. Yet if you're going to complain, especially about an expensive item, it makes sense to dig into the rules in even more detail – see the section below.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? Don't quote the Consumer Rights Act – it doesn't apply to things bought before then. Instead, quote the Sale of Goods Act 1979 for goods, or if it's a service, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (common law in Scotland had a similar effect for services).

Understanding the law

If you've got a dispute going on, it's important not just to know your rights, but to understand how and why they work.

Every time you buy something, be it a mobile phone from a mate or a week in Cuba from a travel agent, you make a contract with the seller.

What does this contract really mean?

Both you and the other party agree to terms and conditions. The seller has agreed to provide your 'statutory rights'.

The nitty-gritty of the law depends on whether you're buying goods, digital content or services. It's also worth noting it only applies to consumers, not to something you're buying in the course of a business (eg, from wholesalers such as Costco). However, it does apply to everything bought in the UK regardless of where the retailer is based (though if you bought something from, say, Outer Mongolia, it might prove tricky to enforce).

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? The laws only apply if the retailer is based in the UK or elsewhere in the EU – if you bought from elsewhere you're subject to the laws of that country. Digital content also wasn't covered separately prior to 1 Oct 2015 – it's just treated as a good or service.

Goods: Anything you can hold

Goods could be a T-shirt, toaster or a truck, whether new, second-hand or bought online.

Jump to the Goods buying rights section for full info on your rights.

Digital content: Data and anything digital

Officially described as "data which is produced and supplied in digital form" this includes things like computer games, films, downloaded music, ebooks or mobile phone apps.

Jump to the Digital content buying rights section for full info on your rights.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? Digital content wasn't covered separately – it was just treated as a good or service. For example, a Blu-ray would count as a good, while downloaded music would count as a service.

Services: Everything from dentists to restaurants

Whether it's fixing your teeth or filling your tummy, a service is a contract where a company has carried out some work for you.

Jump to the Service buying rights section for full info on your rights.

Mixed contracts: A combination of any of the above

If something you buy is made up of more than one type you need to look at the rights for the part that's faulty.

For example, the delivery (service) of a compact disc (goods) containing music (digital content) could use any of the rights available depending on what's gone wrong.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? If you bought goods with a service (eg, a handset with a mobile contract), your service buying rights apply (under the Supply of Goods and Services Act, or, in Scotland, common law had a similar effect) – even if it was the good (ie, the handset) that was faulty. The protection's the same as under the Sale of Goods Act, though – it's just that you need to quote the services law.

Your rights when buying goods

The legal protection you have here is from Part 1 Chapter 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This sledgehammer cracks any nut.

At this point, it's crucial to understand each line of the SAD FART mantra and exactly how it works.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? Your legal protection's under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 rather than the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

'Satisfactory As Described'

Now the latter part of this, as described, might sound pretty obvious. For example, a blue jumper either is or isn't. But other goods, such as a silk shirt or a cashmere sweater, must be made of that material, while a multi-region DVD player must play international DVDs.

It's easy to buy goods that don't measure up to what the label says. So "as described" is the foundation that makes sure you get what you pay for. Dangerous goods always break this rule, though.

Satisfactory quality is harder to define. The law says "satisfactory" is what a reasonable person would be happy with, looking at all of the information easily available to you, such as its price and condition. See more later on second-hand goods.

But what's reasonable? Now there's a question lawyers have rowed about for years and there's no set answer.

In a legal context and in a dispute with a shop, it means goods must be in a state that you, or any other normal, reasonable person would think was reasonable. Easy, eh?

Certainly if you bought an expensive music player and the sound was virtually inaudible, most people would almost certainly say it wasn't satisfactory. But let's say you bought a cheap garden trampoline, where you could bounce on it, but it moved around as it wouldn't bed into the soil. Would that be satisfactory?

Ultimately if you and the shop couldn't resolve it, you'd need to take it to court for a judge to decide. But hopefully, it wouldn't get that far.

Fit for purpose AND last a reasonable length of time

This means stuff must work and not fall to bits after an hour's use. This might sound pretty basic common sense, but without it, you can find yourself exposed.

Say you buy some new car headlights without checking which car they're for – if you get the wrong ones, that doesn't make them faulty. Yet if you get them having asked the shopkeeper if they'd work in your car – even though the box didn't say yes or no – then they aren't 'fit for purpose' and you can get your money back.

Get a full refund within 30 days

This is a nice new addition to our statutory rights. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 changed our right to reject something faulty, and be entitled to a full refund in most cases, from a reasonable time to a fixed period (in most cases) of 30 days. After that, you lose the short-term right to reject the goods and you'll have fewer rights, such as only being able to ask for a repair or replacement, or a full or partial refund if this doesn't work.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? Under the Sale of Goods Act, an item still has to be fit for purpose – but you have a 'reasonable length of time' rather than the fixed 30-day period to get a full refund.

Second-hand or 'on sale' doesn't mean second-rate

Even if the item's second-hand or reduced, it doesn't mean you get second-rate consumer rights, except where the seller pointed out the specific problems before you bought.

The same consumer rights rules apply to second-hand and sale goods from shops. They must be of satisfactory quality and, if they're faulty, you can return them.

If you buy a used motor from a trader or grab a £700 'sale' telly with 30% off and it goes kaput once you get home, then take it back and complain.

It's worth stressing that the second-hand price will be taken into account. So if you buy a car for a fiver, you wouldn't expect it to run normally. Second-hand cars are one of the most complained-about issues – see these Citizens Advice and Gov.uk guides for more.

Watch out too if the goods were uber-cheap because of a blindingly obvious flaw. In this case, the shop could refuse to refund you.

The rules change with private sellers

If you're buying second-hand goods from a private seller (someone who doesn't sell goods for all or part of their living), your rights are nowhere near as strong as when buying from a shop.

The only protection is that it's correctly described and the owner has the right to sell it. Here, it really is a case of caveat emptor or "let the buyer beware".

So if the seller says nowt or little about the goods and you buy it, then that's it. Even if it's shoddy, you weren't mis-sold, so have no comeback. Though if they lie to you – you do.

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Know who's responsible

When returning items, beware shops trying the oldest trick in the book: saying they're not responsible for the shoddy goods and you must call the manufacturer. This is total nonsense!

If a company fobs you off by saying "go to the maker instead", it's wrong. It's the retailer's job to sort it.

It doesn't matter if it's an iPod from a high street shop or a designer frock from a department store. If something's broken, torn, ripped or faulty, the seller has a legal duty to put it right as your contract is with it.

What proof do you need?

When goods are faulty, if you return them within six months, then it's up to the shop to prove they weren't faulty when you bought them. After this, the burden of proof shifts and it's up to you to prove they were faulty when you bought them.

But that's not all. There's another piece of legislation called the Limitations Act (it's the Prescription and Limitation Act in Scotland) that can help you out.

You have up to six years after you bought a good to complain. (In Scotland, it's five years after you first realised there was a problem.)

This comes in handy if you buy goods, but don't use them for a few months or if something breaks after the six month rule and the fault was likely to have been there all along. Yet the longer it's been and the less durable the item, the harder it'll be to fight for a full refund. In such a case, you might have to accept a partial refund or credit note.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? You have the same rights but they are under the The Sale And Supply of Goods To Consumers Regulations 2002.

This is the law BUT in reality shops usually give you more leeway (though this is often suspended in sales)

Many of us have bought something only to later decide it's unsuitable or not needed and shops are under no obligation to take your goods back, just because you've changed your mind.

But even when you don't have legal rights, plenty of companies do STILL give refunds even if the item isn't faulty. These are mainly high street stores allowing you to simply take back whatever you want within a set timeframe. Here are some examples:

* John Lewis. If you're unhappy with a purchase, you have up to 35 days to return it. There are some exclusions including perishable goods, made-to-order products or opened computer software, which must be faulty or not as described to be refunded or exchanged.

* Waterstones. If you're unhappy with your purchase you can return it in a resalable condition with proof of purchase within 30 days. Gift cards and some specially ordered items are excluded.

So what about my 'extra rights' during sales?

Many shops often revert back to the basic statutory rules during sales, so you may not be able to enjoy any extra rights if the item you bought has been discounted.

But remember, if goods are faulty you can still use your Sad Fart rights. This applies whether you bought something in a sale or not, unless the retailer told you about the fault before you bought it and part of the reduction in price was due to this. Plus, online orders always get the 14 day cooling-off rights from the Consumer Contracts Regulations, subject to the standard exclusions, wherever and whenever you bought them.

Your rights when buying digital content

The new Consumer Rights Act has introduced specific new rights to protect you when buying digital content (it's Part 1, Chapter 3, if you want to look it up).

Before the act came into force on 1 Oct 2015 (or still, for anything bought before then) you didn't have separate rights for digital content – you had to use the goods and service rights, which didn't always apply well to digital items.

The new law applies to any digital content, whether it's a Blu-ray disc containing a film that can be physically touched, or a downloaded film that can't be. It also applies to any updates and modifications made to the content for six years after you've had it.

The SAD FART rules still apply to digital content – it needs to be of satisfactory quality, as described, fit for the purpose and last a reasonable length of time. But there are a few differences with digital content as well.

There's no automatic right to a full refund within 30 days

If the digital content doesn't measure up you can ask for a repair or replacement. If the repair or replacement doesn't work, or isn't possible, you can then ask for a reduction in price instead.

The law says that a full refund may be given "where appropriate", so act quickly and you may actually get all of your money back – but in general this is likely to be a partial refund.

Compensation is available if the content damages your device

If you can show the faulty digital content has caused damage to your device or other digital content you're also entitled to compensation for the damage caused, or to get the damaged item repaired.

This might apply if, for example, a downloaded music track caused your MP3 player to play up, or an updated app deleted movie files from your mobile. Any repairs needs to be done in a reasonable time and compensation paid within 14 days.

It doesn't cover free content, unless you paid for something else to get it

You need to have paid for the content, either with cash or something like a gift voucher, token or virtual money in a game, to be eligible to use these rights. This includes buying something that includes free digital content, like software with a computer.

If something was free, and it damages your device, you won't be able to use the Consumer Rights Act. But you might still be able to get compensation via a different route – complain to the retailer in the first instance, but ultimately you might have to go to court.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? Digital content wasn't covered separately – it was just treated as a good or service (for example, a Blu-ray would count as a good, while downloaded music would count as a service). So the usual rights for goods or services apply instead.

Your rights when buying services

Whether it's a shop, restaurant, bank, insurer, public and private transport or healthcare (we could go on!), top-notch service is the least you should expect in today's super-competitive climate.

Of course, things still go wrong and when they do, you've powerful protection from Part 1 Chapter 4 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Quite simply, it demands that any service should be carried out with...

Reasonable care and skill, Within a reasonable time, At a reasonable price.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? Essentially you had the same rights but they were under the The Supply of Goods and Services Act(common law in Scotland had a similar effect).

What is 'reasonable'?

In a legal context, and in any dispute that you might have with a retailer or company over standards of service, it means the level of service must be one that you or any other normal reasonable person would also consider to be reasonable.

The best way to think of it is to imagine what a sensible, unbiased, friend would say who knew both you and the person providing the service – would they agree it was reasonable?

Of course this can stray into difficult territory. If you get a mobile phone in Scotland and have told them you'll use it there, but it only gets a signal in Wales – no one would consider that reasonable. Yet if you get the phone and the only place it doesn't get a signal is in your home – is that reasonable?

But what do the 'reasonable' rules actually mean?

Care and skill

This means a business should look after you and your property properly as, by being a business, it is saying it is capable of doing so. So a hairdresser would be expected to NOT ruin your hair and a builder NOT to forget to lay foundations.

Reasonable time

If the time taken to complete a job is unclear, it should be carried out as soon as possible and not drag on for years. If you need something doing by a certain date, eg, a wedding cake to be made in time for your special day, you can make your contract 'time is of the essence', which'll give you stronger rights if there's a problem.

Reasonable price

This is about the price of work that hasn't been agreed in advance, not the overall price of the service. If you get an estimate to fix your boiler for £200, have the work done and problems mean you end up being charged £2,000, the trader would need to prove this was reasonable, usually meaning what other plumbers would charge.

Do note you can't be unreasonable and also expect rights. So if, at the start of a new conservatory job, you agree a price and timescale, you can't come back later and substantially change your order – although you can if there were new charges, or the work was taking longer than agreed.

Buying on the web, mail order or from home

On top of all the other protections described above, there are major advantages to buying on the web, mail order, or simply from home. Thanks to the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, in most cases you have the right to cancel your order and get a refund – even if you've just changed your mind.

When do I have the right to cancel?

The Consumer Contracts Regulations apply to contracts for goods or services (including digital content) of any value ordered from an EU-based business via mail order, phone or online. You're also protected if buying something costing more than £42 away from a normal seller's premises (usually at your home or work).

I got a present from someone who bought it online. Can I return it?

Importantly, these rights only apply to the person who bought the item, so it's trickier if you want to return a present you got. The store may ask that the original purchaser return it.

How long do I have to cancel?

Here it depends what you're buying:

Goods: 14 calendar days from the day after you receive all goods in an order (unless it's for regular delivery such as a magazine subscription, when the first delivery counts). Once you've cancelled an order you then have a further 14 days to send the goods back.

Services and digital content: 14 days from the day after the order is made. If you want to start a service within the 14 days, you will usually be asked to give your agreement in writing. This then means you can't cancel. However you are able to get a refund minus the proportionate cost of anything you have used.

If you aren't told about your cancellation rights in writing, you have up to a year and 14 days to cancel the contract.

What ISN'T covered?

There are quite a few exceptions, but they are usually in niche areas.

Show me the excluded items

How do I cancel a contract?

The business will give you a cancellation form, which it must acknowledge receipt of . You can use this if you like, or you can write to seller instead. Some businesses may allow you to cancel by phone. Your time to cancel starts from the day you send a form, letter, email or fax, not the day the seller receives it. It's your responsibility to prove you cancelled on time so ensure you get a confirmation from the company. As soon as you've cancelled, take good care of all of the goods, as you have to return them in reasonable condition (but not necessarily in the same packaging) and within 14 days. If the goods are damaged the seller can take the relevant cost from your refund.

How do I get a refund – and who pays for delivery?

The seller must then pay back any cash within 14 days of it receiving the goods or being told you want to cancel a service or digital contract. Your refund must include the least expensive delivery option but if you chose a more expensive delivery you'll need to cover the difference. Be sure to specifically ask for delivery to be included as some stores don't add it automatically. You'll also usually be asked to pay for return delivery, unless the seller doesn't say this in its T&Cs, or the goods were faulty.

Quick questions:

What about 'click and collect'?

Do I have to send it back in its original packaging?

What about specific deliveries?

What if I'm buying on eBay?

What if I'm taking out a financial agreement?

How does this apply to package holidays and timeshares?

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How to make 'em pay up

While the legal protection is strong, it doesn't matter what the rules are if the seller won't obey them. Yet this isn't always easy with consumer law, you need to sort out your own problems.

Don't go militant unless you have to. The first easy step is to go back to the shop or phone the call centre and explain the problem and your suggested resolution.

If you go in with gusto, saying you know what your rights are, chances are the store will sort your problem in a flash.

Sadly, many customer-facing staff in stores have no idea about the statutory rights, so you may come up against a brick wall. Stay calm, if possible find them the law – and politely ask to speak to a supervisor.

Before you go though, there's some rules to follow...

The complaint checklist: Know what outcome you want

When complaining, don't get angry. Be cool, calm and rational and you'll be more likely to get results than ranting and raving. Throw a temper tantrum and the company may be perfectly happy to lose your custom so it gets rid of you.

Decide the answer to these three questions before you start:

Do you want to exchange the goods/keep the digital content/continue the service? If you could get the goods fixed, the digital content replaced or have the service improved, would you be happy to accept that? If the answer's yes, life's easier.

Do you want a full refund? While you may want a full refund, you're not always entitled to it if they can fix the problem. Having said that, sometimes it's just easier for them to pay up to have the problem solved.

Do you want compensation and, if so, what kind? Do you want money over and above just fixing or replacing a product, for the time you've spent sorting it or the distress you've been caused? While this can happen, it certainly complicates things. Be reasonable and be sure you genuinely feel you've been unfairly put out.

Act as soon as possible

In a nutshell return something in 30 days and in most cases you'll get a full refund. Miss this and your rights reduce.

Therefore the best route is simple...

Complain the instant you realise there's a problem. The longer it's left, the more likely you'll lose your rights.

The longer it's been and the less durable the item, the harder it'll be to fight for a full refund. Yet whatever you request, the retailer must sort it within a 'reasonable' time. So while two weeks to fix a car brake fault is acceptable, two weeks to clean it isn't.

What if you've taken longer to return the goods?

If you take longer than 30 days to return the item, you'll have to choose between a repair or a replacement. The retailer can veto either though if it's impossible to carry out a repair or the cost of a replacement is much higher than that of a repair.

If the item is still dodgy after just one attempt at a repair or replacement, the repair or replacement isn't possible or it hasn't been carried out quickly enough you're then entitled to ask for a refund – this could be the full amount within the first six months, or otherwise is likely to be a partial refund.

Bought something prior to 1 Oct 2015? You still need to act as soon as possible – but the crucial point here is whether you've been deemed to have 'accepted' the goods.

Stop using it as soon as you can

This could be tricky, especially if it's a car or your bank. But the less you use something because of your annoyance, the more it adds weight to your complaint.

Do be careful about payment here, though. If you've not paid in full, beware cancelling payment as the company could continue to chase you for money, which may end up affecting your Credit Rating.

Keep a diary

Note down what went wrong, who you spoke to and when and what you agreed, if anything. This is more important if your original agreement was made verbally, as your complaint will be harder to prove.

Collect evidence

Stash pics and other evidence to back up your case, such as receipts or terms and conditions. Receipts are not essential to have (or give, although nearly all stores do), but proof of purchase – a cheque book stub, bank statement or credit card statement – usually is. Don't post originals to sellers, because you'll need a back-up.

Keep a log of any extra costs

Note down any extra costs you've had to pay, such as phone calls or replacing damaged items, so you can ask for the cash back. Ask to be reimbursed for additional costs. In the case of holidays or fun activities, it's possible to get extra cash for inconvenience or distress.

If you're forced to pay, do it 'under protest'

If the seller is forcing you to pay for something you're not happy to cough up for, you have two options. One is to refuse and suggest they take you to court for the rest. The other – possibly a better option if they have something of yours, such as a PC in for repair – is to say you are "paying under protest". This will help your case if you need to take your complaint to court.

Still not happy?

If you've followed all the tips in this guide, hopefully things have been resolved. Yet if your complaint to the seller has fallen on deaf ears, there are several other steps you can take to fight back. See the full How To Complain guide to see which is best for you, or the Small Claims Court guide on how to take legal action for up to £10,000.

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osmw1 · 6 years ago

Text

Dimension Wave Chapter 1—Gutting Knife and Shoddy Rod

Lurolona, the First City

“Huh…?”

I lost consciousness for only a few seconds. Well, if you think of in real life–time, I was out for maybe only a few nanoseconds. If you believe what the developers say, then from this instant on, time is passing by at two different rates—one in this world and the other in real life. And as explained earlier, I’ll be living in this world until the game is completed.

I look around to find an ultra-realistic setting. A Western-style castle peeks out in the distance and white paving stones line the streets. Call it realism or whatever, but if you look closely, the stones even have grime on them, like they’ve actually been trodden on. Around me are other players that have just logged on and reacting the same way. Some are even talking about it; their voices becoming the bustle of a thriving town.

I’ve played other VRMMOs before, but never have I experienced anything on this level. That’s probably one of the reasons why we’re directly connected to the servers, though I haven’t really thought about that until now.

“Alrighty then, enough with being moved to tears, let’s—huh?”

That’s weird. Why is my voice so high? Your voice is among the many things you can freely fine tune in the character creator. I’m sure I made my guy sound cool and stern. Even if I didn’t, I shouldn’t sound like a little girl. Did I mess up the settings or something? … I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I tilt my head down to look at my body.

“I’m definitely a girl. Thanks a lot,” I subconsciously mutter out.

I’ve got long black hair, a petite body, small hands and feet, and a chest that can be described as “lacking”. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s novice equipment, but I’m wearing a simple white dress. It’s a little breezy down there, as if I’m wearing a skirt again.

—Kizuna†Exceed, you have received a new private chat request. Accept?

I hear the voice directly speaking to me from inside my head. Though I don’t know who Tsugumi†Exceed, the sender, is. But judging from how awfully similar their name is to mine, I bet it’s the one who set me up. From just having the thought of accepting the chat request in my head, the game goes ding and I hear the girls’ voices.

“Hey, Big Bro!” “’sup!”

Both of their voices ring out. Are they using their real voices? It doesn’t sound like they’ve changed it.

“Big Bro? Wait a minute! Your character and your name too! Why’s everything totally different?! Oh, Big Sis is gonna regret it big time!”

Our older sister’s name is Kanata†Exceed. Whose bright idea was this anyway? All our names are structured the same way—Japanese first name, a symbol, and a random English word? This is some late-stage terminal eighth-grader syndrome shit.

“All your older sister ever wanted was another little sister…” “I’ve always wanted a little sister too!” “Ugh…”

I reflexively let out a groan, making my character groan out loud too. Now that I think about it, she never did ask me what I was gonna look like. She must’ve edited my character yesterday.

“And, y’know?” “Hmm?” “Since we’ll be in this world for months or even years, I wanted us to all get along…” “Kanata…”

Seems like she’s got reasons of her own. Wait, I can’t just say whatever and look the other way. She totally accessed my data without permission and changed me into a girl. That means until the game ends, I’m a GIRL—Guy in Real Life! … that’s just great.

“And, y’know…” “What?” “’Two sisters and a brother’ is kind of a mouthful, don’t you think?” “…”

What, was that a joke? Anyone else would be steaming mad by now.

“Ugh, okay, I get it. Whatever. I’ll live my second life as the other sex.”

It’s not like it’s the first time I’m getting screwed over by my sisters. Such is life for being the only brother. I’ll hold my tongue. If I get mad, I’ll just spoil the fun for everybody.

“What are your plans, Big Bro?” “Mm, I was thinking of leveling up my fishing skill, so I think I’ll try it out.” “Starting off with a minigame, huh, Big Bro Kizuna?” “Big Bro Kizuna…”

… being called that just does not sit well with me. It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice though.

“I was just gonna go hunt. How ‘bout you, Sis?” “I haven’t decided on my equipment yet, so maybe I’ll go take a look in the shops.” “So, we’ll split up then?” “It looks like it. I’ll phone you guys later—err, rather, I’ll send you a chat later.” “See ya.”

—Private chat ended. Returning to regular chat.

Alright, let’s go fishing like I planned from the beginning. If I remember correctly, it’s a skill I have to learn. By focusing my thoughts, I open up the menu screen and click the “Status, Skills, and Item” screen.

Name/ Kizuna†Exceed Race/ Spirit Energy/ 1,000 Mana/ 50 Serin/ 500

Skills/ Energy Production I, Mana Production I

Items/ Novice Weapon Chest, Novice Energy Potion ×10, Instruction Manual for Spirits

I select Instruction Manual for Spirits from my inventory. As soon as I do that, a book about the size of a paperback novel appears in my hands. I flip through the pages and see it written in some foreign language. But for some reason, I can understand it. I think it’s the Spirit language.

“Let’s see…”

—Unlike other races, Spirits do not have levels, HP, MP, STR, AGI, INT, MIND, DEX, or LUK. Instead, the stat “Energy” replaces them all. The more Energy, the stronger the character. While—with enough Energy—Spirits can withstand any attack from enemies, be careful that any damage to HP or consumption of MP will result in a corresponding usage of Energy.

I see. That’s pretty unique. In short, if I have a lot of Energy, I have a lot of attack, defense, HP, and MP. On the other hand, I’ll be super weak if I don’t have enough. I don’t totally understand it, but let’s see what’s next.

—Like with other races, acquiring or upgrading skills costs Mana. Using them costs Spirit. These are the two things consumed by Spirits.

—Performing actions will unlock skills, the same as other races. For Spirits, acquire skills by spending Mana once they are unlocked. Acquired skills may have a passive drain on Energy. As such, players can choose to level down skills, refunding 50% of the Mana spent on acquisition. Furthermore, skills will be leveled down at random when Energy goes below +1.

It seems like it’s important for Spirit players to manage their Energy. Well, I’m sure I’ll learn along the way. I slam the manual shut and put it back in my inventory. Next, I selected Novice Weapon Chest. Lots of different weapons are in the box. They’re all pretty normal-looking and they all have Novice in the name.

I grab a one-handed sword. You can’t go wrong with one of these. As soon as I make contact, a simple explanation of the sword pops up. But I threw the sword back in the box without reading the text. Even though there are descriptions of them all on the game’s official site, both Kanata and I reserved our judgement to see how they’re like in person.

“Oh?”

I caught a glimpse of an interesting-looking weapon and take it out of the chest.

Weapon/ Novice Gutting Knife Description/ A knife made for field dressing game.

—Detailed description: A weapon made for breaking down game and plants. Causes monsters to drop items upon their death.

That’s a brief explanation. If I choose the one-handed sword, I can equip a shield at the same time too. But this one’s more interesting. It even has a bonus effect. I choose the gutting knife.

So, do I just grab it with my hand to equip it? I’m not too sure. My status screen lists out stuff like my Energy and Mana, but there’s no equipment section. Well, that’s how you’d usually do it in VR games anyway.

Anyway, I must have a rod to fish. I wonder where they sell fishing rods. It’d be appropriate to sell them in a general store or something. I open up the menu and select the map. Lurolona… that’s the town I’m in right now. There’s a place with a bag symbol showing on the map, so I’ll head over there. It’s closer than I thought. I mean, I had my head down reading the Spirit guide. Luckily, though, I’m standing right before the shop.

It’s a grey rectangular building. A sign with the symbol of a bag juts out from the wall. All of a sudden, a lot of people appeared—Humans, Lycanthropes with their dog ears and tails, pointy-eared Elves, and Jewels with blue gemstones embedded in their chest.

… I’m the only Spirit in here. That’s just a coincidence, eh?

Inside the general store was a bunch of different stuff. They’ve got restorative potions, seeds, scrap paper, copper, hammers, pots, pans, mortars, pestles, hoes, pickaxes, shovels… and fishing rods. Oh, goodie. But this is just a wooden stick with a bit of string attached to the end. It’s a shoddy rod that look like it’s ripped straight out of a comic book. But how am I going to fish without it? Let’s see how much it is.

—600 serin.

Oh, so that’s what serin is. But I’m missing 100 of those. Is there anything I can sell? I have my brand-new gutting knife, Novice Energy Potions, and the clothes on my back. It feels like I’ve got underwear too. I could always buy more clothes later… Seems like Novice Energy Potions sell for 20 serin each.

“I’d like to sell these.” ‘I can give you 20 serin for each Novice Energy Potion.’

I’ve heard the shopkeeper’s voice before. From an anime, maybe? His voice actor has definitely voiced a bunch of different characters before. Hmm, whatever. Gotta deal with the matter at hand first.

‘That will be 100 serin for five Novice Energy Potions.’

I hear a ka-ching as my wallet ticks up to 600 serin. I go grab the fishing rod and come back.

‘That will be 600 serin for the Shoddy Rod.’

Hey… You can’t call your own products “shoddy”… One of the Humans browsing through the shop lets out a chortle. If this is what shops are like in this alternate universe, then I’m never shopping again. Dang NPCs making fun of me. I stop myself from lashing out at the storekeeper and then grabbed my Shoddy Rod.

previously: /prologue/ /ch001/ /next/

(please support me on Patreon or Paypal)

(check out the other title I’m translating—written by the same author!)

#Dimension Wave #DWV #Average Translations #AvgTL #osm #Yusagi Aneko #Aneko Yusagi #light novels #ln #web novels #wn #VRMMORPG #isekai #ディメンションウェーブ #一般の英訳 #ライトノベル #ラノベ #オンラインノベル #異世界

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atakportal · 6 years ago

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High Carb Fat Loss - by Rusty Moore & Mark Kislich

New Post has been published on https://www.atak.co/2018/07/04/high-carb-fat-loss-by-rusty-moore-mark-kislich/

High Carb Fat Loss - by Rusty Moore & Mark Kislich

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Description:

How to Lose Weight Feasting on Delicious Carbs.

…into believing that carbs are the reason so many people are struggling with excess body fat.

We are told to reduce carbs and increase fats if we want to lose weight.

Almost all of the fat you see on your body comes from the fats you eat.

Your body doesn’t even change or convert the fat you eat before it gets stored as body fat.

Eat a lot of saturated fat?

Saturated fat is what will get stored on your body.

Use a bunch of vegetable oil?

Your body fat will contain that same type of fat.

Where does the body store carbs?

Excess carbs get stored in your muscles as glycogen.

The only time your body attempts to convert carbs into fat is when your muscles are 100% full of glycogen.

Your muscles rarely reach this point.

The average person can store up to 1,500-2,000 calories of glycogen. It takes sustained extreme overfeeding of carbs before your body begins the process of converting carbs to fat.

Low carb high fat advocates like to point out that carbs raise insulin.

This does cause the excess fat you eat to get stored as fat.

It is the fat you eat that gets stored as body fat, NOT the carbs.

Somewhere along the way, we forgot this simple fact.

…and I’m as guilty as anyone.

This is a good time for a quick introduction.

My background includes being a fitness advisor to runway models… men and women who need to add definition while staying slim enough to fit into stylish clothing.

Bulky fashion models get sent home.

I’ve also been a full-time fitness writer for the past 10 years and teach the “definition without excess size” training methods in my Visual Impact Fitness courses.

All of my programs in the past have been workout routines, with just a few dietary guidelines.

I never wanted to create a pure diet course.

This past spring I was FORCED to change my mind.

Here’s how it all happened…

The story begins in beautiful Reykjavik, Iceland.

Rewind the clock back about 8 years.

I am running a wildly popular fitness blog and an Olympic Strength & Conditioning Coach who lives in Iceland begins providing great tips in the comment section.

His name is Mark Kislich.

Before I met Mark he had lost close to 100 pounds.

He isn’t genetically gifted.

Although he has helped numerous Olympic and professional athletes reach peak condition…

Staying lean was a struggle most of his life.

We quickly became friends…

…but after a couple of years, we lost touch.

He went back to training athletes who compete at the highest level and spent less time online.

He went off the grid for a few years.

I’m slightly older, but it’s rare to see anyone over 40 close to this level of conditioning.

“Dude! Are you getting ready for a contest or something? You look like you are at about 5% body fat. WHAT have you been doing?”

He told me the key was a special high carb diet he was following.

…and from lowering dietary fat to 8-10% of daily calories.

He has been this lean for the past 5 years by following this approach.

After hearing this, I wanted to kick myself.

We know that carbs rarely get converted and stored as body fat.

…and that your body fat is mainly made up of the fat that you eat.

10 years ago I KNEW this was an extremely effective way to get and stay lean.

In 2007, there weren’t many Paleo blogs.

By 2008, they were popping up like crazy.

I became friends with some of the very first Paleo bloggers.

I didn’t fully adopt a Paleo approach but was definitely influenced by a lot of the stuff they taught.

Around 2010 some of these Paleo bloggers specialized and focused on the ketogenic diet.

…but the keto diet became a huge movement.

It took about 5 years for the ketogenic diet to reach critical mass.

These past 2 years the keto approach has EXPLODED.

The ketogenic diet is to the point where relatives who aren’t even into fitness will ask you about it.

“Rusty, have you heard of the keto diet? Supposedly you can get lean eating bacon and butter. Also… Kelly Ripa says that rice is now bad for you.”

If you are into fitness you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.

You tell your relatives something about fitness…

Then a talk show host talks about the exact same thing 10 years later and all of a sudden it enters their reality.

We have a DEEP understanding of how low carb diets work.

None of this is new to us.

My dieting philosophy was affected by the low carb movement.

Mark headed in the opposite direction.

Instead of increasing fats?

The results have been almost unreal.

We are about the same age.

I’m older, but we are close enough in age to have attended high school at the same time.

After seeing Mark’s pictures…

I grilled him for 3-4 months about his methods.

My face got lean and more angular shortly after beginning this diet… and my skin looked more radiant and full of color.

I’m leaner than I’ve been in 10 years (getting leaner every week).

My energy levels are through the roof.

Here are just a few highlights from the course:

We realize that the low carb approach is wildly popular.

We are 100% convinced that our High Carb Fat Loss Blueprint will be a more effective approach for you.

I realize this is a BOLD claim.

When you follow our diet and limit fats?

Your insulin sensitivity will DRAMATICALLY improve.

This will give you the energy levels of a teenager while accelerating the rate at which you lose body fat.

It’s a fantastic feeling.

This online course is fully mobile optimized so it reads like a dream on your phone.

We poured our heart and soul into this…

…but wanted to make this affordable to the masses.

He spends his days training world-class athletes.

His athletes all buy into the high carb philosophy.

I no longer take on personal clients.

There is a lot of rehashed and recycled info on the Internet.

This isn’t another “cookie cutter” program.

If you want to lose weight and the current way you are eating isn’t doing the trick?

We believe this is the approach you should follow.

Order Now at Zero Risk – You Have a Full 60 Days to Test Drive the Program…

If High Carb Fat Loss doesn’t provide you with greater energy, more vibrant skin and steady fat loss, you will receive all of your money back.

Click here to get High Carb Fat Loss – by Rusty Moore & Mark Kislich at discounted price while it’s still available…

#amp #Carb #Fat #High #Kislich #Loss #Mark #Moore #Rusty

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