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petri808 · 5 years ago

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Bakudeku canon divergent one-shot, 7k words. it kinda went on its own damn train ride lol. SFW except with swearing and inferred sexual content but not explicitly described.

They were just going home for the weekend to unwind, but on the way there, Izuku falls asleep on the train leaving Katsuki in a predicament that triggers a wave of possible misunderstandings. But that wasn't even the worst of it, when a blogger snaps an impromptu photo of the pair that sends Katsuki over the edge and threatens the very relationship he wanted before it could even begin. Are they pro partners or... partners?

You would think, that having lived on the outskirts of a big city for all of their lives, it would have made them immune to the humdrum of chaotic metropolitan life. People everywhere, and during rush hours such as before or after business hours, the streets resembled the mass migrations of wildebeests on their way to a new grazing field. All you could do to keep from being trampled were follow along with the flow of traffic.

The weekend was a freebie for once, with no training, interning, and even better a lull in villain activity. So, most of the class of 1-A opted to return home to visit family, including Katsuki and Izuku. So, as the pair stands amongst the sea of Friday afternoon commuters, it was clear that it would take a couple of passes before they would get onto a train, despite station personnel shoving as many into the cars as possible. This irritated the blonde hot head. They would have missed the busy time if the nerd had packed the night before and not waited until after classes had finished for the day.

“My mom asked if you’d like to come over for dinner,” Izuku questions his friend. “She said she could make that spicy curry you like.”

Knowing that the woman had most likely asked his mom first, who’d probably accepted, Katsuki knew his options were either to agree or deal with being yelled at by his mother. He held back the growl burning in his throat. “You sure aunty Inko doesn’t mind?”

Izuku smiles. “Of course not, Kacchan. She likes having you over.”

Welp. He swore this family was trying for sainthood status or something. Not many could handle his explosive personality, aside from family, and the few close friends he kept close to his vest. “Alright, I’ll stay for dinner,” he grumps and goes back to scrolling on his phone.

Satisfied with his friend’s response, Izuku does the same, since it was the best way to pass the time. If only the train wasn’t so full, because he was ready to use this opportunity to get some much-needed R & R. He stares at his phone, zoning out on his Instagram feed, mostly scrolling through with the occasional like or share to his story. A yawn cuts through, but he pays it no mind, assuming that his late-night studying was catching up to him.

Ever wonder what canned sardines might feel like? Well, it’s crossed Izuku’s mind once or twice as he stood shoulder to shoulder next to his friend. All he could pray for was no one tried anything funny. And as for Katsuki, he did his best to ignore the fact that he had no personal space in this damn commuter train.

They bumped along the track, the people inside swaying along like a gentle wave, ebbing and flowing with the surges. It was a sight to see if you’ve never experienced it. Those that could reach, held on to the overhead bars or hanging straps, while the lucky few who’d managed to snag a seat, were crowded with just enough space to sit. It brought a smile to Izuku’s face to see that seats were readily given up for the aged or those with small children.

But the rocking motion was making him sleepy, and before he knew it, the green-haired hero was dozing off. That wasn’t a good thing, since they still had several more stops to go before their own would come. For the first couple of times, it was Katsuki’s elbow to his midsection that woke him up again.

One would think it odd to fall asleep standing up on a train, but when you picture the compacted nature of their situation, it certainly was a possible feat. Surrounding passengers acted as gentle bumpers, guiding you with the flow, while the cramped nature made it impossible to fall down. Plus, the occasional jarring along the track would wake most people from their slumbers.

At first, Katsuki was annoyed when Izuku’s lolling head would come to rest against his arm. It was bad enough to feel trapped in this metal box, but to now be used as a pillow?! It’s not like he could push the sleeping man away either. But he had to admit... the nerd was adorable when he slept.

There was such a peaceful essence, an almost angelic nature to his oldest friend. From the cherubim cheeks, silly freckles, and sweet boyish charm that melted many hearts, including, to his chagrin, his own. Katsuki rarely knew what it felt like to be at such peace, and frankly it was one of the things that annoyed him about his friend. How could this mouse go from anxious-riddled while awake, to a zen like state so easily?

The blonde looks up at the automatic announcer screen and sees another stop coming up in a minute. He knew once the other passengers began to filter in and out, the shift would cause Izuku to lose his buffer and fall.

Damn it!

Now he couldn’t just let that happen or how bad would it look? Up and coming pro hero, let’s friend face plant in a train. All he needed was the multitudes of phone cameras going off and being lectured by Aizawa for unbecoming hero behavior... yeah thanks, but no thanks. His face blooms a shade of pink, and his skin heats up as he slips his arm around Izuku’s body, hugging the shorter man against his side. Katsuki does this as quietly and gently as possible so as to not wake his friend because the last thing he needs is to feel any weirder than he already did. Luckily for the blonde, the man never wakes, despite being brushed and shifted by the flow of new and old passengers.

But a new dilemma arises, not enough passengers. To Katsuki’s horror, he’d have to keep his arm around Izuku or the man would have little other support. Sure, he could wake his friend up and yet... as he glances down at the slumbering nerd, he just couldn’t do it. Kami, he was even smiling in his sleep!

Zing. It stops the hot-heads heart for a millisecond as the word cute almost slips from his lips. Katsuki looks away, shielding his eyes, or maybe to hide the new wave of heat flooding his cheeks. Damn it! Where were these emotions coming from?! He forces himself from looking back out of fear that his heart might skip a second beat.

But a snicker catches his attention, and Katsuki looks over to see a couple of younger males staring at him and whispering between each other. He lifts his hand briefly, flashing a spark. That shuts them up, their eyes quickly averting back to their phones. ’Yeah that’s right,’ he muses, there ain’t nothing going on here. ’Two more stops... two more stops to go...’ chants chorusing through his mind. He just needed to survive two more stops.

Suddenly, Izuku shifts, turning slightly as if he thinks he’s sleeping on his side on a bed, cuddling a little to the warmth he found purchase on.

Katsuki stiffens from the contact, this damn nerd! He rubs his sweaty palm against his pants as the heat index suddenly doubles in the tin can. Dear Kami, he didn’t know if he wanted to kill the man or... ’don’t you dare finish that thought!’ He growls under his breath.

“Ka—cchan, don’t growl at me...”

He hears his friend’s whiny mumble, along with even more snickering around the car. ’What the hell!’ Does Izuku know, thinks he’s sleeping next to him?! Oh no, no, no! His heart was ready to explode, or his brain, either way if they didn’t get out of there soon, he might combust! Was this man dreaming... about... him?! Friends don't just cuddle! Katsuki couldn’t breathe and the air grew stuffy, overbearing as if a strange fog of tepid air had descended and filled the car. His mind spun through a kaleidoscope of emotions... confused and yet hints of sinful thoughts hitch his breath in abated release. If he didn’t do something soon it was down the rabbit hole for him.

At the next stop, as soon as the other passengers began to disembark, Katsuki quickly pulls Izuku over to a seat that opens up and drops the unaware man onto it with a thud. Everything, this! It was too much, too sudden to thrust onto his shoulders. They were on a train for heavens sakes! This was not the time or circumstance to be delving into the potential... ’Don’t... I can’t... face this truth right now.’

“Kacchan?” Izuku rubs his eyes after the jarring wake up call. “Are we at our stop?” He looks up and sees his friends back facing him, but the blonde’s fists are balled so tightly at his sides, he could see the whiteness of the knuckles and veins screaming under the skin. “Kacchan what’s wrong?”

As soon as he hears Izuku’s voice behind him, the blonde almost jumps out of his skin, as electrical currents rip up his spine, causing his body to freeze in place. “Nothing.” His words are terse and final. “Our stop is up in a couple minutes.”

The green-haired man looks up at the digital announcements and sees the message. Oh good! And wow, had he really slept all the way here? Though somehow, he’d gone from standing to sitting. He smiles unknowingly, “Thank you for waking me up Kacchan.”

“Tch.” Guess the nerd doesn’t remember anything and hell if he was gonna be the one to point it out.

For the rest of the train ride and short walk to their apartment building, things went back to normal on the outside with Katsuki keeping his word and staying over for dinner. Inko Midoriya’s cooking was just as he remembered it, and he was delighted in how spicy she’d made his portion. She talked their ears off, asking how things were going at school, excitedly showing them newspaper paper clippings of the two of them that she would save. Frankly, that surprised him a little. Stories of her son were one thing, but why articles that included him? Seeing how happy they made her, any questions he has die away on his tongue.

“It’s really nice to see you boys still friends after all these years,” she tells them as Katsuki stood at the door ready to leave. “And I feel a lot better knowing my Izuku has you of all people watching his back.”

"Um... Thanks auntie Inko," Katsuki mumbles a bit embarrassed. He really wasn't sure how to respond knowing how much of a dick he could be to his oldest friend.

"Aww mom," Izuku blushes red. He wasn't sure of the truthfulness of that statement... well maybe, he guessed it was true that he and Katsuki could fight like cats and dogs but when it came down to a battle, his oldest friend was the one person he trusted more than any other.

"Goodnight aunty Inko..." Katsuki turns to leave, "and you too De..ei—Izuku."

"Goodnight Bakugou," Inko smiles and watches the young man go, "and tell your mom I said hi!"

"Night Kacchan!"

Inko closes the door to the apartment. "He's turned into such a fine young man his mother is so proud." She then turns to her son, "like I'm so proud of mine," then places a hand on his shoulder, "promise me to take care of each other. There's nothing more important than the strength of your friendship."

If only she knew. "I will mom," Izuku blushes, "I'd do anything for Kacchan."

"I'm sure you would," she smiles and pats him on the shoulder before walking away.

In the Bakugou household, the moment Katsuki walked through the front door of the apartment, his mother pounced on him like a lioness. How did it go, how were the Midoriya's, did he behave, when was he ever planning on bringing Izuku over to visit? Tired and frankly with his head still spinning from that afternoon’s events, all the hot head would give her were one-word answers. Fine. Good. Yes. Never! Of course, that last one had his mom screeching, but he tuned her out and locked her out of his bedroom.

At last! Without turning on the overhead light, he flops onto his bed and throws an arm over his eyes to shield them from the non-existent light source. Darkness was a friend right now, offering solace and quiet, yet with little peace from the raging thoughts swirling through his mind. Today really was a rabbit hole of twists, turns, and uncorroborated revelations that left the blonde grappling with what to do about it.

Number one, he hated being blindsided like that, and number two, he hated it even more when emotions were involved. They just weren't his thing. He understood logic and a straight-forward attitude, not hidden intrigues or anything that could be associated with weakness. Well, maybe weakness was a strong word. Confusion? Being unsure? In his opinion letting emotions cloud one’s judgement made them a target. That's why he preferred to wear his on his sleeve... Err, sort of. His explosive personality, or the anger that could come out was a testament to never holding things in.

Katsuki closes his eyes, exhausted from thinking about Izuku and that damn train ride. Maybe after a good night of sleep, he'll start the day off fresh and forget that anything had ever happened.

That evening, after his friend had left and his mother retired for the night, Izuku takes advantage of the quiet nature of their apartment. It was getting late, but he fills the furo and sinks up to his neck into the steaming waters. Wow, he needed this. The hot water was a god send to mellow out the raging storm he’d held inside. Since the moment he’d woken up in that train the whole situation ate away at him, and the more his analytical brain processed it, the bigger the realities became clear that something had indeed happened.

First off, he remembered being sleepy, even dozing off a couple of times. Then the next thing he knew, he was sitting, no longer standing, and they were minutes away from their stop. Based on his calculations, he’d been asleep for approximately 20 minutes. But what had gone on during that time? It must have been Katsuki that put him in the seat, though why had his friend seemed so annoyed?

Izuku replays the moments from the time his eyes opened until they disembarked, and distinctly remembers the clenched fists and curt tone in the blonde’s responses. In fact, Katsuki wouldn’t even look at him the rest of the way home and it was only when his mother forced conversations between them, did he receive short glances. His friend was hiding something. Damn it, but what?! He sighs and sinks deeper into the refreshing waters. The only thing left to consider is the one thing he couldn’t remember.

Ugh!

Maybe he’d been dreaming? Which would make sense considering there wasn’t much more a person could do while asleep. But wait, had he been asleep standing up for a part of that time? When he’d woken up, the train was no longer the sardine can it had been, so how could he have slept standing up unless... “Oh... no!” Izuku gasps, wishing he could drown himself right then and there. Katsuki must have kept him from falling. But the worst part, was realizing, he sometimes talked in his sleep. ‘Fuck!’ Is that what happened?! It wasn’t a dream after all, but his worst nightmares come true!

But why hadn’t the hot head said anything?! Jump down his throat, snap, something! Oh, this was bad if Katsuki kept quiet about it! What the hell did he do?!

That night Izuku tossed and turned through strange dreams. The constant thoughts of his friend plaguing him and bringing with it, images of raw and unadulterated moments that have never taken place. He awoke with a start, flushed and feverish, only vague memories of the dream. But what was left had sent his mind in a tailspin. 'I can still feel...' Katsuki's touch. Ghostly lingers along his skin, his arms, his face heated and sweat glistening along their pale bodies. 'Oh my god...' he covers his face in embarrassment despite being alone in the room. These were well hidden desires creeping into his subconscious... and maybe... had it... 'Did I sleep talk on that train?!’

This was never to be mentioned again! It was doubtful that Katsuki would bring it up, so he'll just pretend that nothing had happened. End of story. Damn his mouth always getting him in trouble! Needless to say, sleepless nights continued and as Sunday morning dawned, the nerd was sorely in need of another break. So much for the rest and relaxation.

“Oi Deku be ready by 4pm.”

Katsuki stared down at the text message he'd just sent. The damn nerd better be ready on time for once!

He flops back onto his own bed and turns on the television. The sound coming from the screen merely a droning to the thoughts plaguing his mind, and one he preferred to avoid. It had all started by middle school, little twinges of emotions whenever the nerd was around. Back then, he'd buried them deep down where he'd hoped they'd die away. On the contrary, only growing stronger over the years. The hostility was his coping mechanism. Be mean to the guy and no one would suspect the opposite.

Becoming the #1 hero was his goal and focusing on that should be his main priority. Training, getting stronger, all of these things were what mattered. He didn't want some stupid crush to make him lose focus. Until now, it hadn't been difficult to do any of that because he assumed Izuku had similar goals. Plus, the man never gave any inkling he might feel the same way.

Well if this didn't just throw a proverbial monkey wrench into the situation! Maybe it was nothing but a bunch of exaggerated conjecture, fantasies contrived in his own mind that would turn out to be one big misunderstanding. Katsuki's brows furrow, such a thought didn't make him any happier. On the contrary, that might break his... 'Not going there!' But it would be a bigger punch in the gut then when he’d found out the nerd had a quirk.

Bloody hell. As Katsuki looks over at his clock he realizes he’s been sitting there for an hour just fussing over this unrequited mess he was in. He clicks off the useless television and storms out of his room, some training would do him justice to work off the frustration.

10 am turned into noon and still no response from Izuku. By 2pm the hot head was ready to explode. Why hadn't the nerd answered him?! He couldn't call Mrs. Midoriya because she was inconveniently out with his own mother on a Sunday shopping trip. "Argh!" Katsuki throws his phone at his bed, fuming as he packs up his belongings. He didn't want to risk waiting until 4pm, only to find out the nerd wasn't ready. So, when he hears his mother return, that was his cue. The blonde looks at his phone, '3'o'clock. Perfect!’ he grabs his backpack and heads out.

When he knocks on the Midoriya's door, Inko answers.

"Oh! Hello! Please," she waves him in. "I think Izuku is asleep again, he's been really tired all weekend."

Just great! Katsuki didn't want to snap in front of the woman so he simply nods and bangs his way into the nerd’s room. Sure enough, there the man was all sprawled out on his bed!

Without thinking, he rips the blankets from the bed, pulling Izuku along with it. The man falls out half twisted amongst the fabric. "Damn it Deku you're gonna make us late again! I swear I..." Shit! The blonde pauses mid rant and spins on his heel to face away. "Put some fucking clothes on Deku, you got 5 minutes to be packed!" He then storms out of the room leaving a half awake and clueless Izuku shocked on the floor.

'Huh?' Izuku looks down, 'Eek!' pulling the blankets up around him. All he had on was a pair of All Might boxers and nothing else. They've seen each other naked in the showers before not to mention as little kids when their parents would make them bathe at the same time, but this was the worst timing!

He glances at the clock wondering why Katsuki was there in the first place and sees the time. Oh man, no wonder the blonde was pissed! Izuku quickly scrambles around his bedroom, throwing on clothes and shoving his belongings into a backpack. He races out of the bedroom and smacks right into his friend. "Oof!"

"Tch," Katsuki pushes him off, pushing down the fierce heat that flames up from the contact.

"S-Sorry, Kacchan."

Without a retort, he ignores the man and after saying good-bye to Izuku's mom, walks out of the apartment.

"Is everything okay," the woman questions her son as he tries to hurry after his friend.

"Ye-Yeah, everything's fine. Bye Mom!" He races out, still working on his shoes.

They walk in silence to the train station. The normally chatty nerd was lost for words and the hot head pretending nothing was wrong. Thankfully, the train was devoid of people, save for a handful at the other end of the car. That could change at subsequent stops but at least it gave them first dibs on seats.

Izuku picks an empty bench to sit on and is surprised when Katsuki follows suit by sitting right beside him. He didn't know if he should be happy or even more on edge considering there were other options available to the blonde. But the man simply pops his ear buds in, turns on his music and closes his eyes, ignoring him. Clearly, the man didn't want to be bothered and so, he took his cue and focused on his own phone for entertainment.

His whole weekend had been a frustrating and tiresome ordeal, and all he wanted to do was grab some food when they reached the dorms, then curl up in bed until it was time to leave for Monday morning classes. If Katsuki was going to ignore the fact that anything strange may have happened between them, the green-haired man simply assumed that his unrequited feelings would remain just that.

But just like Friday, slowly, the phone screen began to blur, and Izuku struggles to keep his eyes open. He didn't want to fall asleep again. He didn't want to risk another encounter... but the train's motion was lulling him, beckoning him into another slumber. And before he could stop himself, the world had slipped away.

With his eyes closed, Katsuki had been unaware of the nerd’s predicament. It had been the plan all along to ignore the man, then lock himself away in his dorm room. That's when he feels it, as the train shifts during a bend in the tracks, and the weight of a body presses against his side.

This man was out to kill him...

Every fiber in his soul pulled him in two different directions. On the one hand, move to another seat and leave Deku crashed out on this bench. On the other hand, just put up with it, be the friend who keeps him from slipping. Ugh! Why was the second option winning?!

He looks over and there’s that damn angelic face again, so comfortable and serene in an unknown dreamland. Peacefully resting with his head against Katsuki’s shoulder. ‘Tch!’ Why was the nerd so tired lately? He brushes away a few strands that had slipped over Izuku’s face, noting a few more freckles that he’d hadn’t noticed before. ’Cute...’ Arrow to his heart. What was he thinking?!

Katsuki turns away and tries to ignore the pull, but he can’t resist. Seeing this man so quiet brought a strange calming effect that he never quite understood. Oh, don’t get him wrong, an awake Izuku could push his buttons like no other and yet there was something of a balance they held that when put to the test was amazing to witness. He exhales, like the time on Nabu, just one of many that proved how perfect they were together.

A cold chill from nowhere causes his breathing to falter. That island... he’d pushed past a fear to keep fighting, the only fear that could stop his heart cold. They’d been so close, for a brief moment in time the idea he might lose this man next to him was enough to push him past any barriers his body threw up. He didn’t care if broke every bone in his body because there was no way he’d let Izuku die.

He looks over again at his friend. Regardless if things ever progressed between them, he’d always be there for this man. A light smile worms its way onto Katsuki’s face. Alright fine, so yes, he had a heart and it happened to belong to one person. Izuku may not know it yet, and that was okay. He slips his arm around the man’s shoulders, keeping him locked against his side. So be it. Katsuki closes his eyes and relaxes with his head rested against Izuku for the rest of the train ride. Guess this wasn’t so bad after all.

"Dudes!!"

"What Shitty hair?!"

Kirishima rushes down the landing practically jumping the steps to confront Izuku and Katsuki as they arrive at the dorms. He shoves his phone in their faces. "What is you guys are going viral!"

The two men zero in on the small screen and it was Izuku to react first, his face exploding into a red firestorm of sputtered, indecipherable babbling while Katsuki's face paled like a snowy forest being blanketed in its first winter’s storm. It was a photo of them on the train, sitting quietly as if asleep with their heads resting against each other's. Someone had taken a picture of them! But the kicker was not the photo itself but the headline: Pro Partners or... Partners?

Silence... deafening peaks of human interaction gone as the air surrounding the trio pulls away like a vacuum in a combustion chamber gathering fuel. Distant sounds of metropolitan life or fauna muffled and roaring in their ears. They flinch from the cracking of knuckles balled tightly against their friend’s sides.

Izuku and Kirishima retreat back, one step, two as steam slowly rises from their friend’s hands. Oh... Shit... “Go,” Izuku whispers to the red-head, “j-just, go I’ll deal with him.”

“It was nice knowin’ ya,” Kirishima mutters as he books it for the dorm.

Katsuki was beyond reckoning. Why now, like this, when he was just getting used to the idea... IDEA! Of maybe, maybe dropping his guard and letting Izuku in. ’This wasn’t his fault...’ ’I know that!!’ Stupid, fucking, bastard, if I ever find the photographer, he’s dead! DEAD! How dare he use such a bold headline! It didn’t matter if there was an ember of truth, the fact that this photo was blasted on social media would surely garner attention that he was not at all ready for!

What was Izuku supposed to say when he was just as shocked, maybe more so than the hot head. He didn’t even know this had happened. Obviously, it was taken on their way back when he’d fallen asleep, but he thought nothing else of it. He’d woken up, still sitting on the seat with Katsuki scrolling on his phone beside him. It was all within norms. Hell, he was relieved that nothing else weird had gone on!

But now he along with the world learned the truth after being blasted on social media. Even so, it wasn’t worth making up insinuations. Maybe his friend had simply fallen asleep too. Nothing weird about that. Though... ’how do you explain Kacchan’s arm around you.’ Leave it to his conscious to remember the details.

A rush of emotions spark within Izuku at how relaxed his crush was looking in that photo. If one removed any misunderstandings of the two, it really was a nice photo. To see Katsuki looking at ease and not angry or tense, even for Izuku who’s known the guy since childhood, such moments were rare indeed. He knew his friend had a softer, caring side despite hiding it. It’s one of the things that made him fall in love with the man all those years ago.

Now, how to keep the blonde from exploding?

Izuku reaches out tentatively for his friend’s shoulder, “Kacchan, please let’s just...”

“JUST WHAT?!” The hot head’s rage explodes, and he swats the nerd’s hand away. “You can’t make this better, you can’t fix everything Deku so just fucking stop!”

“I’m not...”

Katsuki loses it. He grabs Izuku by the shirt with both hands. “Don’t fucking interrupt me! I’m not someone you need to save!” He shoves the boy back. “You just don’t get it Deku! This! It’ll ruin my fucking image! I can’t be seen with you like that!”

’Oh... fuck.’ All the blood in his face drains the second those final words register on his lips. The blonde knew he’d just screwed up royally, when the man deflates right before his eyes. All the anger over the photo taken out on the one person he cared about.

Izuku didn’t deserve that.

“I get it, okay,” Izuku takes a step back, clutching to a non-existent pain in his chest and choking back a sob. “You hate me. Always have and just put up with me to keep your mom off you back.”

“Izuku wait...”

Another step back. “No, no your right Kacchan. I’m your rival, your enemy. Of course, you don’t want to be seen with me, I get it.”

’FUCK!!’ “Wait no goddamn it! I didn’t mean...” he grabs for his friend once more, but the heartbroken man steps out of reach and races away into the building.

“ARGHHH!!! STUPID!!” All the anger returns ten-fold but onto himself. His damn mouth ruined everything! He didn’t hate Deku, he... loved him. That stupid, sensitive mouse who was always there for him, didn’t fear him like others do, was the one he wanted. “Damn it!”

Katsuki wastes no time in storming through the common area in such a fury, their classmates flinch and quickly get out of the way. He heads straight up to the dorm floor and right to Izuku’s room where he finds it empty. “Where the fuck did, he go?!”

Ping. His phone beeps with a message from Shouto. Of all people, what did half and half want now?!

”Midoriya was in the kitchen talking to Ochako, he just left.”

Without responding, the hot head bee lines it back downstairs. He finds the gravity chick still in the kitchen, standing puzzled and upset, leaning against a counter. But as soon as Uraraka sees him enter the room, she turns and starts snapping with a level of anger he’s never seen before.

“You’re such a bastard! You crushed that poor guys heart over what? Your Image!! It was just a cute photo for crying out loud!”

“Look I ain’t here to argue with you,” he narrows his eyes and growls at her. “I just wanna talk to Izuku.”

“Well he ain’t here.”

“No shit! Then where is he?!”

“Why should I tell you, so you can destroy him some more?! Izu was so happy to think... you know what never mind,” she crosses her arms. “All I will say is he deserves so much better than you! I don’t know why in the world he would crush on a guy who treats him like shit!”

His eyes grow wide, dizzying, the world spinning as all the strength in his body suddenly dissipates. “WHAT?!!” Katsuki crumples, trips over his feet, stumbling backward against the door jamb. Did he just hear, what he thought he heard?! “D-Deku actually likes me too?...” it was more like a whisper, but the words echo in his ears. He’d resigned himself to a one-sided quiet infatuation, convinced that the whole ordeal in the train was just a misunderstanding. Izuku couldn’t have been dreaming of him. Maybe he was after all, and now he might have lost his friend forever.

Katsuki jumps to his feet, rushes and grabs Uraraka by the shoulders in a panic.

Her eyes flash wide in fear and confusion for she’s never seen this man lose his cool like this. She cringes as he grips tightly to her frame. “Let go, you’re hurting me!”

“Tell me... TELL ME! Where did Deku go?! I need to find him!”

“Oww! Stop it!! Why should I tell you!!”

“Because... because...” when he realizes the fear in her eyes, his shoulders slump and he releases his grip with a heavy exhale. “Because I like him too, okay. I-I need to fix this... please.”

Ochako blinks as she rubs her shoulders, processing the sudden change in emotions. Was this hot head for real? Part of her screamed in favor of protecting her friend Izuku, but her heart was telling her this man was being genuine. She sighs, “I really don’t know exactly where he went. I’d barely got the story out of him when he heard you storm in and rushed out.”

Katsuki slumps to the floor cradling his face in his hands. “Then I’m screwed.”

“You know he’s bound to come back, right? There’s no way he’d miss school.” She reaches out tentatively and places a hand on his shoulder. When Katsuki doesn’t react, she relaxes. “Izu once told me there’s a place he goes to when he’s upset. Something about a river fort. I don’t know where that is, but maybe he went there?”

’The fort?!’ But it was already getting dark outside. “I know where it is,” he sighs and stands up. “Thanks, Uraraka,” he mumbles and sprints away.

While using their quirks outside of hero work was generally forbidden, it was faster than taking the train. He puts on a jacket and grabs an extra one, before heading out of UA for the river near their apartments in Musutafu. It’s been years since he’s been to the old fort, and he didn’t even know if it still existed. They’d built it when they were 5, 6, Katsuki couldn’t remember, but he would assume it’d been long ago demolished or destroyed by weather.

With the help of his quirks propulsion’s, he reaches the river in 10 minutes. By then, the sun had fully set, and the half-moon only provided minimal light through the trees. He uses a stick as a torch and traverses the riverbank to where he was sure the old structure would be.

“W-Who’s there!”

As Katsuki hears the voice, a flash of green light zips past him like a warning flare.

“If you don’t tell me who you are, I’ll send another one!” The voice calls out from the darkness.

“Oi, quit the light show, it’s just me.”

“Kacchan?!” What was he doing there?! “How’d you find me?”

“Gravity chick after she cussed me out. I just wanna talk Deku.”

“There’s nothing to talk about so please just leave me alone Kacchan. That’s the least you could do for me.”

The sorrow brimming in his crushes voice just ate away at his soul. Kami he was such an asshole who didn’t deserve forgiveness. But as much pain as they were both in, to walk away now would be the death of his better half. Katsuki sighs, “I can’t do that. So, if I leave, you’re coming with me.”

He hears Izuku suck in a draft of air as if preparing to do something. “I’m coming closer, so don’t you dare hit me,” the blonde warns, holding up his torch to light his way. A few feet further, he sees the worn wooden planks of the old fort and the vague outline of his friend sitting on one of the makeshift benches.

Izuku looks away as Katsuki drives the torch into the earthen ground and takes a seat at the other end of the bench. For once the chatty mouse was as silent as the grave the blonde felt like he was sitting in.

Katsuki looks at the ground, his brows furrowed. “I didn’t mean it Deku. What I said in anger... it wasn’t true.”

“Right,” the nerd rolls his eyes, “saying that I ruin your image wasn’t meant for me. Look I can’t hate you Kacchan but that doesn’t mean I’m not angry so, don’t lie to me. I’m through being your punching bag.”

Ouch that was like a kick to the groin. But the nerd was right, and he deserved much of the hostility being levied at him.

“I was afraid,” Katsuki responds with uncertainty. “Everything that happened I just wasn’t ready to face it.”

“Face what?” A snide retort. “An innocent interaction between two friends... oh I’m sorry, I forgot I’m not your friend, I’m just a means to an end for your image.”

“Oi, I’m trying not to be a dick for once! Damn it Deku I don’t hate you! Get it through that thick skull of yours! You’re not an enemy! I was upset that some jack ass on social media portrayed us as a couple when I hadn’t gotten around to talking to you about it first!”

“What are you trying to say Kacchan?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready for relationships yet, but this whole ordeal made me realize... what you really mean to me. Ugh!” Katsuki groans, “I fucking like you idiot, that’s the whole secret, okay? I just didn’t appreciate a troll blasting it online just to get likes.”

An uncomfortable silence grows with each ticking minute misfiring in the blonde’s head. He’d just poured his heart out, but Izuku still hasn’t responded and it was driving him insane. After about 10 minutes, he can’t take it anymore. “Well?! Aren’t you gonna say something?!”

The man’s voice was quiet, reflective in a way as if a great many things were on his mind. “I-I don’t know what to say Kacchan. You’ve been my crush since we were 10, but I never thought that it would become real.”

Katsuki palms his face, don’t tell him they’ve both been crushing on each other since primary school. They really were idiots in love.

He slides over on the bench noting the slight tremble of Izuku’s frame and covers his shoulders with the extra jacket he’d brought. The adrenaline of the evening was wearing down while the night air grew colder around them. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles as he wraps his arm around the man’s body. “I never meant to hurt you like that.”

Izuku’s body shudders lightly as his hands fly up to his face, and tears flow along his cheeks, covered in embarrassment from his overflow of emotions. It was all too surreal. Too dream-like that he feared it was just his imagination born in the dark of this childhood forest home. But as Katsuki’s hold increases, pulling the sobbing man closer, enfolding and pulling him against his chest, he knew it was real.

He holds his friend until the last vestiges of sorrow spill away and tears have dried. “You good now?” Katsuki whispers against the nerd’s neck, triggering a shiver. He feels the man nod, but keeps his face buried against his neck. The blonde smiles for the first real time that day. No one could predict where their future will go, but for now, he at least had his best friend back.

Several more minutes pass by as the two men simply sit in peace under the stars. Their light source was gone, but no longer necessary. Katsuki pulls away just enough without letting go. “We should go home,” he smiles and prompts Izuku. Wiping at the dry tear stains, he smooths his thumb over the nerd’s cherubic skin. “Don’t know ‘bout you, but I’m exhausted.”

Izuku’s cheeks flush with warmth, but he chuckles, bringing a wider grin to the blonde. “Y-yeah,” he smiles back. After everything that’s happened his reserves were running on empty too.

Katsuki gets to his feet and pulls the man up from the bench. He was feeling energized, freed with one less weight holding him down. So, what if anyone teases them when all that mattered was Izuku.

“Will you make another torch so we can find our way out?” The nerd queries his friend.

“Nah,” the blonde smirks, “got a better idea.” And before his friend can question further, he scoops the man in his arms like a bride crossing a threshold and maybe it was in a way, the threshold of a new future.

“Kacchan?”

“Hold on.”

He rockets the squealing man up and over the tree line, crossing the small river, and landing in the neighboring park.

“Kacchan you didn’t have to do that you know.” But the man just shrugs and puts him down.

“Felt like it. Now come on, you dork,” the blonde grabs his friend’s hand and intertwines their fingers, “I’m tired and starving.”

A renewed blush sweeps over Izuku from the intimate gesture. He squeezes his hand, “ok.”

They walk to the train station in companionable silence, each full of many more questions, but ones that could wait for another day. It wasn’t worth breaking the serenity of their newly found world.

’I wonder what our parents are gonna say,’ Izuku muses to himself. ’Are our nicknames... now pet names?’ That one almost causes him to snort in laughter. Kacchan was his... He looks down with a small smile of apropos bliss. It didn’t matter if there was a title or not, for this, he gives their hands a gentle squeeze, was enough for him.

Settled once more on a bench in a barren train car, Katsuki places his arm along the backing, letting his hand fall atop Izuku’s shoulder. “You gonna crash on me again?” The blonde teases. And as if on cue, a yawn erupts from the man before he could even finish asking.

“Sorry,” Izuku’s cheeks tinge pink in embarrassment. “I barely slept all weekend.”

“Tch,” Katsuki pushes the man’s head to rest on his shoulder, holding it in place, “it’s fine, idiot. I’ll wake you up when we get to our stop.”

“Thanks, Kacchan,” his eyes already heavy and drifting closed.

Remind him again why he fell in love with such a damn dork? He brushes strands away from Izuku’s eyes, smiling when his crush smiles in response. That’s why.

Katsuki takes out his phone to pass the time, but when his eyes fall on the photo app, clicks it instead of Instagram. He looks over at his lightly snoring partner and grins. The hand near Izuku’s head, holds up the middle finger, then with a quick press of the shutter, the blonde snaps a couple of selfies of the two of them.

Satisfied with the way it looks, he posts it to his Instagram, and tagging the original poster with a headline of his own: “Off Limits!”

#bakudeku #bakudeku fan fic #bakudeku fan fiction #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #Katsuki bakugou #Izuku midoriya #deku #kacchan #bakugou x midoriya #Katsuki x izuku #canon divergent #idiots in love I guess lol #bnha #bnha fan fic

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graciebirdie · 6 years ago

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It’s Christmas (almost) @thisdiscontentedwinter a gift for the amazing you! I hope you like Peter cooking! (also on ao3)

Peter didn’t consider it to be a character flaw that he was a man in his 30s who didn’t know how to cook. He had a few pretty good reasons why he’d never learned how before he’d reached his 30s after all.

Not the least of which being when he’d been a part of a pack he’d been regulated to hunter rather than chef. While usually hunter just meant he was the one who did most of the grocery shopping he did, occasionally, get to hunt down deer or rabbits for when they had special dinners. That was of course his favorite part of providing for the pack. One of the few times his propensity for violence was not only accepted but also praised.

Now he had been living by himself, surviving on take out and deli made meals.

This wouldn’t be a problem except he found he missed homemade meals with a ache he could physically feel behind his breast bone.

Now he only had two options on how to sooth this newest hurt: he could either ask one of his three pack members if they could cook a meal for him or he could learn to cook himself.

The answer was obvious without even calculating in the fact neither Cora nor Derek lived somewhere with a functioning oven.

So Peter bought a cookbook and figured since he wasn’t completely helpless he would be able to figure out one of the basics of adulthood.

It turned out Peter was terrible at cooking. He could make sandwiches or any kind of egg but anything more complicated than those he always managed to royally screw it up.

He didn’t even know what he was doing wrong that make his pot roast taste like char or his stir fry to be oily when he hadn’t even used oil.

After almost a month of failures he would have given up if it hadn’t started to turn into a point of pride. Stiles had brought roast beef sandwiches to one of the pack meets and he had proudly told everyone that he’d made the roast himself.

If Stiles, who oscillated between having the attention span of a gnat or hyper-focusing to the point of forgetting to breath, could make a truly delicious roast then so could Peter.

So he turned to his last resort: cooking blogs.

One google search for ‘how to actually cook and make it taste good’ later he’d gone through five different blog posts and only learned that for some reason bloggers really liked to talk about their kids and perfect lives. It would have been depressing if Peter actually cared.

After two hours of travelling through homebodies trying to convince him to make everything vegan he found a post titled “Recipes made easy for those who are lazy, have ADHD, no time or alternately too much time, know how to cook but want to learn new things, or people who think they can’t cook but are willing to give it a try.”

What a mouthful of a title that covered all the basics of people looking at cooking blogs.

The whole blog was written in run on sentences that somehow managed to be both amusing and informative, a very narrow line to walk.

Peter might have also fallen a little bit in love with the author who gave such informative tidbits as “Why spring for a colander when you could just slap the lid on a pot and up end it over the sink while praying you won’t drop it and/or burn yourself as you tilt the lid to strain out the water but not the noodles.” and “Seriously just toss all the shit into a crockpot and forget about it for 8 hours, except you probably won’t be able to because you’ll have to keep trying to remember if you actually turned the pot on or not. (I suggest setting up a live stream camera to be on the safe side.)”

Other than an obvious good sense of humor the writer didn’t give any personal information. No name or nickname. Even the profile picture was generic. Peter thought that little touch of mystery just added the the writer's personality.

The third time Peter made macaroni and cheese from scratch – “Just cook some plain old noodles and then toss in a bunch of different kinds of grated cheese and a couple of scoops of sour cream and a bit of crumbled bacon with a little pinch of salt and bake it in the oven for a bit and bam homemade mac and cheese that people will be amazed over.” – he was so proud of his creation he brought it to that night’s pack meeting.

He set the large casserole dish down on Derek’s ridiculous table that only Stiles ever actually used and pointedly ignored the stares everyone was giving him. He settled down in his chair – the one just off to the side of the stairs that faced the door and the whole of the open living room – and pulled out his phone to feigning nonchalance while he waited for the rest of the pack to ask what he thought he was doing.

Of course Stiles was the first one to speak up. “Oh!” he said, sounding excited. “Did you make a casserole?”

He leaned forward over the table to open the dish that had been, very conveniently, placed right in front of him.

Peter watched with a surprisingly strong sense of anticipation as he watched Stiles’ eyes widen and mouth drop open in surprise.

“Is this homemade macaroni and cheese?” he asked, excitement clear on his face.

Peter gave a vague hum of agreement. “I’m trying something new.”

Stiles sprung up away from the table and practically dashed into the kitchen. He came back out only a few seconds later with a paper plate in one hand a plastic fork in the other.

Peter supposed he should be grateful Stiles took out a portion instead of eating right out of his casserole dish.

Stiles scooped up a bite and managed to bring it all the way to his mouth before Scott stopped him with a strangled cry.

“Stiles! What are you doing?!” Scott yelled as he threw himself over the back of the couch he had been sitting on. He raced to Stiles and slapped the fork out of his before Stiles could get the bite into his mouth.

“What the fuck!” Stiles gasped, cradling his hand against his chest and staring at Scott in shock.

Peter found, much to his surprise, that he had both stood up and let his claws out without a thought. He took one long deep breath and slipped his claws away before sauntering over to the table.

He oh so casually leaned his against it, back to Stiles, crossed his arms over his chest and stared Scott down.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the front door slide open to let in Boyd and Erica. The both of them slipped past Scott and behind Peter to, no doubt, stand next to Stiles.

Stiles spluttered and yelled again. “Scott! Peter's not going to bring in poisoned food when most of you guys don't trust him!”

Scott glared darkly at Peter. “Yeah we don’t trust him because poisoning is exactly something he would do.”

“Well yeah.” Stiles said. Peter could practically see him shrug. “Of course Peter would poison someone. But he’s not going to use food to poison the pack.”

Erica snorted loudly and said “Yeah Peter’s devious but he’s not stupid.” there was a pause before she added with her mouth obviously full “And if you paid attention to anything you’d known this mac and cheese is not only totally poison free but also delicious.”

“Hey...” Stiles said sulkily. “That’s my fork.”

Scott’s self righteous expression was replaced with sour resignation. Peter gave him his best fake smile before turning his back on him to look at Erica, who was eating right out of the dish.

Boyd had found another fork somewhere and had stolen Stiles’ plate.

Stiles was glaring at the both of them and Peter felt oddly annoyed.

“You going to share?” he asked Erica who seemed to almost hunch over the dish.

She just smirked at him and pulled the dish even closer to her, effectively blocking anyone else from taking some.

He stared her down intently while Stiles made indignity noises.

Boyd, smart and dependable Boyd, held out his half full plate and a second fork for Stiles who gasped and smiled brightly before scooping up his own bite.

The loud almost pornographic moan took Peter off guard and the sudden quick shot of arousal he felt was even more surprising.

He heard Erica choking on a laugh and sent her his best blank look that the pack had long learned meant he was fighting back the urge to murder one of them.

Boyd, wise and quiet Boyd, had completely given up his plate to Stiles and had instead decided to try and distract Erica with an impromptu fork fight.

Stiles seemed to be having a small spiritual moment. “Do you know what tastes weirdly good in mac and cheese?” he asked suddenly.

“What?” Peter asked gamely.

“Tuna and Peas.”

Peter stared at him while Boyd and Erica made simultaneous noises of disgust.

Stiles shrugged apologetically. “It’s strangely hearty.”

Peter hummed in thought. He was certainly petty enough to make something that only Stiles would want to eat. It’s what everyone else deserved for being rude about Peter’s cooking.

~*~

“Chicken alfredo is so easy. Just cook those wormy noodles for a few minutes and toss in some canned alfredo sauce with baked chicken and bam! Food! Or if you want to get fancy pan fry the chicken before adding milk and actual heavy cream. But who really has time for that? (I do. I apparently.) Here’s how to do it the fancy way if you’re into that kind of thing.”

It continued to amuse Peter how the writer could give easy alternatives and complicated instructions for the same recipe.

His first two batches turned out tasting fine. Not amazing but certainly edible. It was vast improvement from where he started.

He felt an oddly strong urge to both thank the writer of the blog and get to know them better. A combination of emotions he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

This might not have been a problem for him if he didn’t have an strong suspicion he knew who the writer was.

Tiny hints here and there had given it away. He just had to get confirmation.

~*~

After a month of bringing in different dishes to pack meetings Peter had gotten a pretty good handle on Stiles’ likes and dislikes. Considering one of Stiles’ constant likes was Peter’s cooking in general he was confident in his welcome at Stiles’ apartment so long as he came bearing food.

Peter showed up right in time for dinner and Stiles blinked at him before letting him with only a “I’m not going to turn down your cooking, even if it is surprise cooking.”

Peter smirked at him as he made himself at home in Stiles’ tiny kitchen. The size of it certainly explained the latest post “How the hell are you supposed to get anything done in a 3 by 3 space: a photo tutorial by me, not a professional photographer.”

Peter had recognized the kitchen in the pictures from when he had helped Stiles move his (un)surprisingly large collection of kitchen gadgets.

“So what’s the occasion?” Stiles asked as he poked at the wax wrapped loaf of cheesy bread.

Now that Peter had gotten a better grip on cooking in general he had decided to try his hand at baking. He wasn’t very good at it yet but Stiles appreciated bread of all kinds and wouldn’t mind that it was a bit darker in some spots.

“Oh nothing too special.” he said casually. “I just noticed that your newest post got a million hits. Sounds like something that should be acknowledged.”

Stiles jumped and stared at Peter in shock for a moment before he relaxed again. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Peter a slightly embarrassed smile.

“Why am I not actually surprised you know about that.” he said with a little laugh.

He turned back to the bread, pulling off a piece and inspecting it before spinning back to stare at Peter with huge eyes.

“Oh my god, did you get all those recipes from me?” he asked loudly, excitement obvious on his face.

“Well your instructions are very comprehensive.” Peter said with a casual shrug.

Stiles grinned at him, obviously pleased about Peter complimenting him.

“That’s a really fucking nice thing to say.” Stiles said, grin turning into a softer smile.

Peter shrugged again and turned to start pulling dishes down from the cupboard. “It’s just a fact.” he said casually.

Stiles laughed. “Whatever you say. So what you make me?”

~*~

Stuffed full of the potato soup and cheesy bread Peter was slouched down on the couch and making grocery lists on his phone. Stiles was curled up next to him, half leaning against Peter’s shoulder while half watching Leverage, half reading one of the books Peter had given him.

“Holy shit!” Stiles suddenly yelled.

Peter turned to look at him in interest.

“Are you courting me, Peter Hale?” Stiles asked eyes and mouth wide open in shock.

Peter blinked at him in genuine surprise for a moment before past behavior clicked together in his brain. He couldn’t stop himself from face palming.

Stiles laughed uproariously and leaned harder against.

“This is the best thing ever.” Stiles said breathlessly.

“Which part?” Peter asked through narrowed eyes.

Stiles grinned even harder at him and didn’t answer, just leaned forward to give Peter a soft kiss on the check.

“I’m going to milk the shit out of this.” Stiles said in amusement. "I can't believe I didn't realize sooner! You get so pissy when Erica steals food from me that it should have been obvious."

Peter supposed he kind of deserved that respond if he’d gone around trying to give gestures of romance through food and not even realizing it.

Peter raised his arm and Stiles instantly cuddled himself deeper into Peter’s side, tucking his face against the side of Peter’s neck.

“It’ll be nice not to be the one cooking all the time.” Stiles said quietly.

Peter felt a rush of protectiveness and fought a sneer at the thought of Stiles always having to be the one to talk care of himself.

He turned his head slightly and gave Stiles a light kiss on the temple. “Not just the cooking.” he promised softly and Stiles shivered against him.

Stiles took a long shuddering breath before fully melting against Peter. “Yeah, sounds good.” he whispered and curled his hand into Peter’s.

Peter wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed to get him and Stiles to this point but there was no way in hell he was going to complain when Stiles was being so shockingly soft with him.

Peter decided that it was immensely satisfying to be the one Stiles felt was providing for him and let himself feel as protective and possessive as he wanted, secure in the knowledge that he had to be doing something right to have earned Stiles’ trust.

#steter #steter secret santa #my fics #my shit #thisdiscontentedwinter

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felidae-charr · 5 years ago

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A Reflective Anniversary

As many of us know, GW2 is coming up on its seventh birthday.

It’s made me do a lot of thinking about what GW2 as a game means to me. This game isn’t what it used to be. It’s seen a lot of changes, both in the staffing at ArenaNet that direct the game, and the game itself. Some of those changes have been pretty fantastic. Others seem to have been pretty catastrophic.

All in all, it’s gotten me thinking. Thinking about how I even came to play GW2. How I came to run a Tumblr blog with over eight hundred followers - which is still a huge number for me! All the people I met by doing those two things and all of the events I’ve attended in-game. (I still so fondly remember TREU meetups, I think is what they were.)

I remember picking up GW2 at the behest of a friend on Perfect World International. He and I were good friends and spent a lot of time on PWI together, doing the dumb shit that terrible free game had to offer, but he had been a big fan of GW1 and was very excited for GW2 to come out. Curious, I took a look at it. I think some of the first videos I ever saw of it were... gosh, I don’t remember. Part of me wants to say it might have been a Yogscast video.

I fell in love with Charr. I adored them. They were, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the selling point of GW2 for me. A beast race done properly. And I remember making Felidae Soulshield on the very first open beta, and having no idea what class to play. I had always normally played rangers, or archers, or other ranged classes. For Felidae though, I wanted something different. She was definitely a melee character. A supportive one, maybe? So a guardian.

And Felidae Soulshield has existed ever since. A big stronk lioncat who I have always loved the design of and have never even though of giving a makeover kit to. With the beta of GW2 came other things - specifically, this Tumblr blog! I posted about all kinds of things, from dabbling in PvP to looking at the cost of cultural armours and how they looked. Hell if I can really remember precisely what it was I posted about. Slowly but surely, I found other GW2 bloggers and the community was very small, especially the Charr portion of it, but everybody was friendly and we had nothing but love for the game to share.

As time went by, I made two very specific Sylvari characters: Aindryas, and Rasiel. Aindryas was, I think, my most well-known and I tried to dabble in roleplay with him. From what I heard in years following, a lot of people thought he looked incredibly nice and admired him at a distance. A few people came and roleplayed though, and we hung out. There was the usual roleplay drama because isn’t that always how roleplay winds up going, but it was fun. Aindryas and Rasiel also made me appreciate the Sylvari as a race a lot more, and Rasiel would also re-introduce me (albeit temporarily) to the world of PvP once I got him to level 80 and worked out a pretty bomb-ass Condi Thief build, back before Runes of Perplexity got hit with the nerfbat and buried in the grave. (Fuck, I miss that build.)

Some of the closest friends I’ve ever had were made in this game. Had is an operative word there, as none of us speak any more at all and it seems like we’re all on god-awful terms. But regardless of how things seem to have turned out, for many years, these people were a big and important part of my life and I would never try to claim they weren’t. I cared about them and I loved them, and I would never have met these people if I hadn’t picked up GW2 one day because somebody told me to go look at it.

Perhaps that’s why the state of GW2 today hurts me so much to see. Of any MMORPG I have ever played, it is this one that lead me to my closest of friends. It’s this one where I tried new things. It was this one where I felt a part of a community, and where I felt like that community was worth being part of. Full of friendly faces, and people who had amazingly good discussions, and generally free of snobbery. GW2 used to have an identity. And these days, I think it doesn’t have that any more.

It doesn’t have the identity of being the open-ended and flexible MMORPG with a fairly tight community. Now it has gained the reputation for being a top trending MMORPG that almost never updates with real content, and where all of those in-game rewards you used to be able to earn got either shoehorned behind raid content or otherwise put into the gem store. Now it’s known as the game where only “filthy casuals” play it, because all the “hardcore elite” got told to leave if they weren’t happy with the state of the game and so leave is precisely what they did. Now it’s just a husk and a shadow of what it used to be, where there are still plenty of players, but there’s also no shortage of people who will admit that half the playing of GW2 involves making your own games in GW2, because the game certainly isn’t giving you content any more.

Now GW2 is the game that added the ability to sit in a chair... and then sold chairs to its players, because anything that makes a quick buck, right?

I’m not even angry. I’m just tired. I’m sad. I keep logging into GW2 and I’m still playing the game - now and then. I finally finished Save the Queen just last week! A pre-cursor! But it feels hollow. Pre-cursors used to give me such excitement. Shit, I finished Bolt this year after years of staring at it and telling myself I’d get around to it, and... well I mean, it’s just Bolt. I’m slowly, tiny bit by tiny bit, working my way towards Astralia for my Viper Renegade, who I also finally have in full ascended accessories (my second ever character, out of 60, to be full ascended in accessories.) These things should be achievements to me. And I am happy and proud of myself! But... what does it matter, anyway? It’s not the achievement it used to be. Finding new builds feels worthless in a world where metas have become so predominately important (and look, I’m not saying that raids were bad for GW2, but they brought with them a more intense scrutiny towards “meta builds” than we had ever had previously) and where PvP and WvW are such poor jokes even ArenaNet forgets to turn on content for them.

It’s an anniversary, yes. It’s a birthday of the game. But I just don’t know I could call it happy, because when I reflect on what I remember this game for being and how fond it was to me back then, the game seems so shallow by comparison. The particular focus on gem store conveniences and chairs and rewards you can’t earn in game ever even when there’s no good reason not to be able to... GW2 lost its spirit somewhere along the way, I think. It was never a perfect game, and it was never going to be a perfect game, but the truth is if you put a big red button in front of me that said “GW2 (and community) pre-HoT” I’d probably smash it in a heartbeat.

Or, maybe I’m just a nostalgic idiot.

#felidae rambles #long post #merry anniversary i suppose

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ywally-blog · 5 years ago

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Title here

Why am I starting to journal or write again? I heard it’s good for your emotional well-being. There are feelings that I am unable to express or unable to recognize. Sometimes, I don’t have the words to describe them or the comfortability to put them into words. I’m doing this as my brother is blasting Country Music through his cellphone, leaving the door to his bedroom garage open to allow a Sonata of songs of whiskey and pick-up trucks come into my room. I’m here doing this for myself. My bullet journal is open sitting to my right, and my new Google Pixel 3 sitting to my left. It was delivered just several minutes ago. It’s eleven o’clock in the morning, and my desk is facing my window with a printer on enclosed wood box to its left. There area stack of notepads sitting in a back wired basket, which is siting on the printer. On top of the notepads is an iPad, which rightfully belongs to my mom. I’ve been using ever since my iPhone died. I just finished the book Everything that Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalist.

My brother keeps to talking to him, knowing I’m listening to drama at his job about Tryactin (however you spell that drug). Tryacitn? Try-actin like a man, he says to me, going on and on about how it’s inappropriate to be making hyper-masculine jokes in his field of worker -- the Fire Department. Why isn’t my desk clock ticking? Oh, no. The battery’s already pushed in. What if I turn the knob. No. Oh, well. Plop. I want to write more often. I’ve inspired by dream to quit running suffering for the corporate ladder and to pursue a career blogging. This blog won’t be blog to help me get there. I have another project in mind, but at least this will be the laboratory to expose myself under the pressures of many other writers and Tumblr users. I didn’t always get good grades in English.

I was raised by two Cambodian parents, who like many other Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge, left the country, took refuge in Thailand, and came to American to live a better life. While many Cambodians live comfortable, and some well-off lives, I was born, raised, and educated in Long Beach my entire life. I never lived anywhere else. Anaheim Street, Long Beach, CA is the supposed to epicenter of Cambodian Community. My mother graduated high school and my father didn’t. Both parents worked assembly jobs before the Great Recession. My mother works an assembly job closer to home, and my father moved to Utah to live with his sister for other reasons other than finding work elsewhere. My parents were separated in 2013 and life became a bit more complicated. I received average test scores and only got great grades for doing the homework. Writing was not my strongest aptitude. When I used to keep my old school work from middle school and high school, I found my thoughts to be incomplete, and my verbiage wrong in some context.

I remember having teachers, who didn't teach English, during the writing portion of a state exam excused themselves from taking responsibility in helping their student with spelling or sentence construction. Later, it was because teachers were not permitted to assist students in spelling, punctuation, or sentence construction. However, to an eight grader, a twelve year old, it just sounded like an odd sorry excuse. You can’t spell, because you studied mathematics. You can’t do algebra, because your college degree only made you read books and write poems. Later, I learned that college students do this all the time: they sacrifice brain-power to be insufficient in one subject in order to focus on their primary subject of interest. For a public school teacher, this definitely looks bad. Just stick with teachers can’t help you during state exams at all, and perhaps one would not remember them for seeming like a fuss. (Great word choice, Wally!)

Anyways, writing and reading my strength. I read more in high school, and my essays started to form better in college after some harsh critiques by professors. But, it was not grade A material. Many essays I wrote for any course were not grade A material. Some of papers for my major (Economics) were grade B’s and C’s. And some of them were D’s. Every student at Cal State Long Beach were required to take a written exam to see if they were proficient to produce literary works and essays for higher level courses. I received a pretty good score that was similar to a B grade, I believe. So, here I am, I want to be a constant blogger, and I still can’t get my thoughts down to convey the very ideas needed to be expressed.

I know reading this may seem awkward for the audience, but it’s best way I can write out my thoughts. I always felt like there is a logic flow that I’m missing in the way I write when compared to other writer’s. However, that’s also how I think. This is the best way I form sentences, thoughts, and ideas and sometimes it just seems awkward when I write, but I don’t know where to begin. How can I fix something that I cannot see. And that’s why I have to practice. If writing a blog as a career is going to work out for me, I hope I’ll be able to gain a small set of readers who can understand me fully.

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uclaradio · 6 years ago

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Interview with Beliz and Henry of the Menu, the UCLA Radio Show of the Month

Interviewed and transcribed by Natalie Benudiz.

UCLA Radio’s Natalie Benudiz caught up with Henry and Beliz of The Menu at Audrey over the weekend to talk good food and the success of their show.

Tune into UCLA Radio’s Show of the Month, The Menu, Mondays @ 11am

This past week, I was lucky enough to catch up with Beliz and Henry, the hosts of The Menu! Beliz and Henry are the dream team behind our Show of the Month for March, and they were kind enough to sit down for dinner with me at Audrey, the new restaurant at The Hammer Museum, right in Westwood. After we finished our meal, we decided to talk a little bit about what we had, discuss their foodie-centric radio show, and get some exciting hints about their plans to finish off this season of the show.

Natalie: Well guys, thank you so much for sitting down to dinner with me. I was thinking we could start off the interview by discussing what we just ordered as if we were on an episode of The Menu!

Beliz: We first got the white bean hummus as a starter.

Henry: Which, I don't know if we all agreed we could describe as a hummus.

B: Yeah.

H: And it comes with an herb jam as well. I don't know if I could describe it as a jam, but in my opinion, it's delicious.

B: I am especially a fan of the herb jam because I like herbs anyway, but because white bean is something that can be really overshadowed. So it complimented the subtle taste of white bean really well.

H: So, I agree with you, Beliz that white bean is very light, and it needs that sort of extra highlight, a flavor. And I think the jam did that well and the toast was well toasted and had olive oil on it. I mean, what more can you expect from a, you know, a bread appetizer. What else? What else did we have?

B: I had the eggplant steak, with trumpet mushroom and salsa verde. The salsa verde on top was really good and they had dill on top of the eggplant as well, and the eggplant was charred beautifully. But the thing with eggplant is that they can be really bitter. So I think they needed to soak it in salt water a little bit before cooking because I needed a little bit more zest or like a little bit more salt on top to like balance that bitterness out. But overall I really liked that, it was delicious.

H: Could you taste Miso glaze? Supposedly there was miso glaze on it.

B: Really?

H: I take that as a no. I had the celery root soup, with trout roe toast, and dill; more dill! I love celery root. It's a really good alternative to potatoes. I've seen mashed potatoes made out of it, and this time soup. And it's a very creamy soup. It was, it was very yummy. Hearty, good on a cold night, great portion. I haven't had a trout roe toast served at a restaurant before. only my dad makes that and it's pretty good. And I would never have guessed trout roe with celery root, so I was happy with the combination. And it was, it was yummy, and a really good price too; pretty cheap. And then we also had the magic potatoes.

N: They were pretty fucking magical.

B: They were seasoned to perfection. Like the salt was in its place. The seasoning was like balanced, it was just good and the crunch was good on the outside of the potatoes. I like a good potato.

H: Yeah. And I think it was deep fried. Right. Perfect. Can't go wrong with deep fried potato. I was the only one who got to try the lemon creme fraiche too, which was awesome. Delicious. Yeah. That's what we had! How has the ambiance?

N: Ambience was great! It feels a little.. awkward? I dunno if that's just because I'm sitting with my back to the rest of the museum. I kind of, I'm aware of the fact that the space is very large, but like I'm also seeing a very small part of it. But yeah, I think the outdoor is a very good choice, especially in the summer.

B: I am still currently enjoying myself a lot. This has been a really enjoyable dinner for me.

H: Me Too.

B: I'm just like, I'm having a glass of wine with my friends, enjoying good food. Just talking for like hours and hours and I can go for like two more hours on it. Yeah. It's been pretty nice. And that's what food is about. I like the fact that it brings people together and that we can just enjoy things.

N: So on the subject of food, bringing people together, how did you two come together to do a show?

B: Um, I think it was last year when we discovered that we were both really interested in cooking and like eating foods because Henry like casually told me, he like, he grew like beets.

H: I don't remember that..

B: Yeah. And I was like, so interested. Like, I remember like telling my mom and dad over to somebody, like, “Do you know I have a friend who like, grows beets at school?” And they were like, “Oh wow, honey, that's really nice.”

H: I'll take it.

B: Yeah. And then we just like started talking a lot about food and we started going to these places. And it just kind of grew from that.

H: Yeah, I remember, kind of not being able to get my fix in terms of talking and expressing myself when it came to Los Angeles cuisine and dining. You know, and with my friends at UCLA, because I like talking about this stuff. What's the point If you can't, I don't know, share it with other people? I forget how [Beliz and I] discovered that we were both interested in it, but once we figured that out, it was, you know, it's awesome to have someone you can just.. just as if you're a nerd about video games or about movies and you find someone that, you know, it's interesting to talk with, you kind of want to do it all the time. And so, you know, since we're already a part of this awesome platform that is UCLA Radio, I mean, it was the next logical step, right? We're talking about it outside, so let's share it with other people. And we figured we were pretty good at it too.

B: Yeah. People actually trusted us, our reviews and what we had to say about food.

N: Ever since I saw you guys did a like an Instagram on Elefante, I was like, “I have to go there!” Oh, it was Henry! Thank you, Henry! So when you were first starting to construct the idea for the show, what were your initial goals? What was just format idea for the show?

B: I think we kind of like planned it on being like about one theme or like one neighborhood per episode, but then we kind of realized that we had so much more to talk about, and the food scene changes day to day. So we wanted to also be in the loop. And I think our main goal is just to try to present what LA has to offer to people in terms of the food we have here. And as college students, we don't get to go out as much and spend a lot of money on food, but even knowing what options there are in this really huge city that has, you know, a developing food scene is important. Because we live here! And, you know, food is part of our experience in Los Angeles.

H: You touched on it a little, but yeah, at first this idea of sort of having like a theme do week each week where we do either spotlight on a neighborhood or a spotlight on a certain type of cuisine or spotlight on, like, sandwiches. Like, we're talking about sandwiches or hey, we're talking about Venice. But I think that that's really difficult. You really have to commit to that each week. So, you know, we also, I guess we realized that our lives were already filled with interesting stories and experiences about relating to food already that we didn't have to curate it a theme. And then well, of course, we also want to bring in guests. We were very excited about bringing in guests to talk with them. And I've been so pleasantly surprised with how many guests we've been able to bring in already! Yeah, I'm super scared. I didn't really expect to have many. I thought it was just going to be me and Beliz shooting the shit each week about food. Um, but yeah, we've had a lot more than expected and I think that's become half of our format, is talking with people who are more knowledgeable than us, so that we can learn and so that our listeners can learn. And I think, that kind of was in our heads at the beginning a little bit, but at least for me it has become pretty important, as we've gone through what we, eight weeks, seven weeks. Yeah. Wow. It's a lot of episodes!

N+B: Yeah! Yeah.

N: So to structure a show that's not really dependent on an individual theme that you have to commit to each week, how do you scout out the new places that you're going to talk about on your show?

B: we follow a lot of bloggers on Instagram and we also follow eaterLa and a lot of sources that we can we get our news from, basically. And we just read a lot about food. So, if some restaurant is getting a lot of attention, we obviously want to go there and we always look at the Los Angeles "essential list."

H: I think I curated the show partly after I have the experience. Right. So, I mean it's definitely in my mind I'm like, okay, for sure this whole quarter I've been like, "Okay, I have to go somewhere this week." But I think I less pick something out for that. I kind of decide based on what I'm doing that weekend. So if I'm going out to Pasadena for something for some reason I'm, I'll, I will look really hard. And Eater is a big part of that, you know, they have a lot of like local best or like interesting restaurants and stuff. But yeah, so it's based on my activities, if I'm going down to Torrance or whatever, you know, go to... I know right, ew? You, but like they have some really unique stuff. I was just reading about, you guys know the Big Hawaiian, um, brand of roles? They have restaurants, that are like traditional Hawaiian cuisine. Yeah. And they're like, real Hawaiian, by the factory. There's a factory down in Torrance! And so they have them close there. And so yeah, there's a lot of interesting stuff and so I kind of, you know, unless it's a special occasion, which has happened quite a few times, yeah, I sort of curate what I go to eat based on where I am in the city. And I try to find the best place that's around me. Well, how do we curate our content? I mean we also talked so much that like we only need a few places.

B: Yeah, that's true. Every time we have like 10 topics that we aim to talk about for a show, but then we only go through like five of them, because we have so much to say! And like, you would think that we would do an hour show and then it would be over, but then when we leave the booth we continue talking about food!

N: So speaking of the bloggers that you follow, you guys have your own Instagram. So who is in charge of the Instagram?

H: Beliz is in charge of the Instagram!

B: Um, yeah, I have a lot of photos that I took over the past, like two years. I was in Los Angeles and because you know, I can't always go to places every time. I either use my back catalog of photos or.. Just like infatuationLA, although I don't agree with their reviews all the time, [they] inspire me with their stories a lot. And I just want to give people an honest and genuine review of the foods that I'm eating. I just don't want to be someone who goes somewhere fancy all the time and be like, oh, this is what I ate. And you know, it might be somewhere fancy, but if it's not salted enough, it's not salty enough, you know? Yeah. And it's like the fact is that we are college students, and I don't want to take ourselves too seriously when it comes to food because it's about enjoyment. But I do like taking nice pictures of food!

H: Yeah, so Beliz is being humble. She has lots of experience in social media. She does! And she's also a very good photographer. I have anxiety about taking photos at restaurants still. We talked with food bloggers, Hangry Diary, about how you had to get over that fear. And I don't know, I just get anxious. Um, also, I know I don't take good photos. Like I can't take good photos of people, so I can't take good.. well, food is still, which might make it easier, but I still can't take care of photos of it. Um, so yeah, I leave that to her. I do make appearances every once in a while. I posted that Elefante story. That was my one, but I just copy her! I mean it's straight up like I use like the same sort of font, you know, those Instagram font and so yeah, it Beliz is our social media guru and I kind of follow suit.

N: So I guess this next question is for Beliz then. How is the medium of Instagram different from the medium of Radio when you're talking about food?

B: Well, you have to be really descriptive when you're talking about food on the show because people can't see it. And it has actually given me a new perspective on how I experience my food because I've never actually had to describe food in a more, I guess, official setting. I would like tell it to Henry, but I would always use more casual adjectives for food. But because now I have a radio show, I want people to be able to imagine that food that I experience. So it's definitely different than editing and posting a nice photo of it.

H: I want to talk about like describing food with your voice. I think it's a lot like writing. and I don't do that enough where I write down my thoughts on food, but it's extreme. It's extreme. If you've ever tried it, it's extremely difficult to describe the sensation of eating cause I just, I default to, "Oh, it was tasty. It was good. Yum, wonderful." But to really describe the experience of, of not just the flavor and the texture of the food, but the whole entire experience of dining is something really difficult and it takes a long time to master. You know, you, you just read one Jonathan Gold or article and you know, that's just not, this is not something that a beginner can do. If you compare that to what we're saying or what other new food bloggers.. It's, it's totally different. And it's something that, you know, we're just going to have to learn how to do over time. Um, you know, we were just joking about the wine stuff and those are words that people come up with because it's like hard, you know, cause they want to describe it and interesting way and I don't know, it's, it's silly, yeah, it's difficult to present that whole experience with just words, but we try our best.

N: Well, personally I think you guys do a great job. That's why I'm such an avid listener of the show! So I really want to know, what's the best part about having a show about food?

B: Using that as an excuse to go out and eat food all the time! Because now I like whenever I need to go somewhere like research and development, it's fun! It''s for The Menu.

N: How are you guys not sponsored yet!

B: I don't know. I want to be sponsored by some vegan thing where you can hash out a vegan dessert.

H: Radio. Radio needs to give us money to go out.

B: Come on. We need to be reimbursed! No. Even real bloggers don't get paid for trying out.

H: Okay. Wait, my answer going! Were you going to skip me?! What?! Um, it's being able to express myself, like that's the best part of this medium in general. No matter what you're doing, whether it's music or comedy news. You know, it's all just self-expression. And I, I love it. It's kind of silly, but it's like, it puts us in a position of, like importance, you know, and it feels valid. Our self-expression feels valid in its purpose. Purposeful. Use that word, please. Yeah, exactly. It's not just, we're not just shouting into the void where, where people are listening to us and that's fantastic! That's a wonderful feeling to talk about and express yourself in, you know, something you love and that people listen and care about it.

B: Yeah! And like sometimes my friends text me and they're like, "Hey, I need like a casual spot in downtown. Where should I go?" And like getting those texts make me so, so happy! People coming to me for advice about food just makes me happy because it's my thing! And then it means that I'm being acknowledged for my thing. Actually, if you were like away from Los Angeles for a while, where would you go when you just get back?

N: Is this a me question? Are you turning the tables on this interview? I'm conducting this interview! Um, I think that yeah, Tatsu no question, because well, look. You probably have just come in from a flight, and you have to drive from LAX, whatever. It's going to be fucking late. Like, by the time you get through all that traffic, what's the only thing that's going to be open and close enough to home that it's convenient? Tatsu. What's gonna put you in like a good mood to either go to sleep or start the day? It's Tatsu.

H: That's actually, like, really sound reasoning.

N: Well, it's coming from experience.

B: Yeah. I mean when I get back to la I usually order Blaze Pizza, but I probably wouldn't get that if I was like away from LA and I was missing it so much.

N: I already know. That's what I'm ordering when I come home from anywhere.

B: I think, I might, I might actually go to Lodge Bread Co. They have everything I want! Hummus, really good pizza, really good bread, really good almond butter. Really good coffee! And um, I'm set. I can live there. If they had Wifi, I would be there all the time!

N: How far is it?

B: It's in Culver City, so it's really close.

H: I'd go home. I would go to my mom probably or my dad cooking something. Definitely. I was just thinking about that. I can't believe I didn't answer that one. Yeah. Oh, 100%. Like they're both such great chefs and cooks and I can't believe I didn't take advantage of that when I was young. I told y'all I was picky and yeah, I'd go home.

N: Do you think that potentially impacted why your interests in food now? Having grown up with such excellent cooks?

H: You know, absolutely. And I like, yeah, I wish I had grasped that sooner. But definitely, they'd probably snuck in flavors in dishes early on that I wasn't aware of. And I think they got more adventurous as I grew up. Cause I do definitely remember steamed brussel sprouts, which I still hate, but then they got more adventurous. Yeah. And my mom started roasting her veggies instead of steaming them! And they're delicious. Oh, so good. You know, and yeah, I'd probably ask for like pesto pasta from her garden. Yeah, she has great basil, and that's her specialty. I'd probably ask for that, and my dad makes like wonderful soups and stuff and good lobster. I Dunno. Wonderful. Yeah. And so definitely, yes.

N: So for your last couple of shows for The Menu this quarter, are you gonna have any special finale or anything like really big plans for the end? Oh wait, did I touch on something like, okay to be continued. So I guess I'll have to find out! Well, you don't have to divulge any industry secrets.

H: Okay. We're going to have a few more interviews. We have interviews set up at least two more for the quarter. We're gonna bring in our first, or, well, I guess Evan Kleinman is a chef, but our first current chef who owns a restaurant, active chef, um, as well as the cookbook librarian at UCLA. So there's a two coming up.. And we might have a special event planned.

N: Whoa!!

H: For our friends, the general public.

N: I love that. That's so exciting. Okay, well I will keep an eye out for that on Facebook. Everyone keep an eye on, we will all keep an eye out. Awesome

#themenu #uclaradio #collegeradio #audrey #food #foodblog #food critic #interview #showofthemonth #radio #tatsuramen #tatsu #los angeles #lafood #larestaurants #losangeles #Evan Kleinman

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geekns · 6 years ago

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The rules are as follows: go to page 7 of your WIP, go to the 7th line, share 7 sentences, and tag 7 more writer-bloggers to continue the challenge.

I was tagged by @grassangel who specificially inquired about projects that are not PMS but i’m including it since it’s the only thing i’m actively working on. I haven’t even written another words of Princeling!

1 - PMS ch. 14 (ugh this is random and sounds terrible)

She made a sound of disagreement but was rather at his mercy.

“Just while we eat?” he cajoled. She rolled her eyes.

She dozed while he puttered the in the kitchen. She felt warm and safe hearing him cook for her. She wanted to try to feed herself this time.

A few minutes later he was setting food on the table between them.

2 - Tea with the Brig (doesn't have seven pages, only five; this is from page one)

“I say, who are you?” the Brig demanded, jumping to his feet. “Where have you brought me?” His chair thumped to the rugged floor, overturned. The doors behind Missy opened abruptly, and he backed away from the sound. She heard Seb quietly threatening someone, restraining them from entering the small sitting room. The Brig was gazing around her tea room in open shock. Sunshine streaming through curtains, potted plants, an ebony and velvet changing screen, a chaise lounge.

3 - still untitled twissy fic should have finished ages ago (i’m so sorry)

And she felt as if she were being watched. She scanned her surroundings, pretended to look at a watch--not that she had or needed one--didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Nothing was out of place, just quiet as death. She tilted her head back, crossed her ankles, and closed her eyes.

After a long minute there was a quiet rustling and a breath of air. Missy kept her eyes closed and refrained from crinkling her nose: someone needed to bathe. Small hands touched her knees.

4 - Petrichor sequel that i sometimes return to but may never finish (ugh this is an awkward section, thus why it’s unposted)

But he was willing to try to do this for Donna if she understood the risk to herself.

“Yes,” she said again.

“Lastly, you will not bear these children until they are born, it is...” he didn't want to say impossible, he didn't actually know that for certain. “advisable that the male carries the eggs after a certain point.”

“Eggs?” Donna confirmed, doubt in her voice. Humans are mammal, was he trying to tell her that Time Lords weren't?

“There's no word for it in your languages,” he explained.

5 - Epilogue to Something Blue (from page five, again no seventh page)

The temple was nearly fully submerged itself, its marble columns shining beneath the indigo water. It had an upper level that was still mostly above water that he was headed for. He cut power and drifted the last bit, pulling up to a balcony. He leapt over the railing, his feet only partially submerged. It only took a moment to tie the boat up, and then he was ascending a few stairs into the temple's interior.

There were no plaques or displays or velvet ropes in here. This part of the temple was typically off limits to the public, though clean enough that perhaps VIP tours or fundraisers were perhaps an event.

6 - Incubus (now read this, i fully intend to delete this scene at a later date but it’s still in the draft)

The Doctor squirmed, resisting the urge to tell Jack what was going to happen next time they met:

“I don't know the details, Jack,” he lied.

“And even if you did, you wouldn't say anything,” he laughed. “I knew what I was dropping on you when you left me at Torchwood, after that year that never was. I could have stayed with you, but I knew that it was time to get out. That's when I decided not to pine after you anymore, start trying to form some new connections.”

“And now?”

7 - Unicorn (Simm!Master regenerates into Missy post-End of Time, now non-canon)

It hurt, it was too warm, but she endured it. She grabbed a bar of soap and started scrubbing harshly at her pale skin, trying to bring some color to it and get rid of the horrid stench of living rough. She couldn't even remember the last time she had taken a bath, nor a shower. Her thoughts started to wander again. The Doctor had never been rough with her, but she had been rough with him. A part of him hadn't liked it, but the part of her that had been going mad had wanted it. She had wanted him to hate her, or to at least act as if he did.

8 - A Thousand More (Simm!Master regenerates post-the Doctor Falls...i have no memory of writing this!!! From page two out of five.)

She gradually regained control of her bodily processes and limbs, and told her body to sit up.

The third thing she noticed was her hair. It was dark, which suited her just fine, but it was everywhere. She had more hair than that bitch River Song. It was at least waist-length and had a mind of its own. Portions of it were damp from her tears, and it was hanging in her face now, wild curls frizzing frightfully and completely out of control. It simply would not do; she would have to tame the mop and quickly.

9 - In Case of Emergency (Ten, Donna, and Martha stick around a bit longer after “the Doctor’s Daughter” and get to see Jenny regenerate)

"Jenny," the Doctor gasped, voice tight with unshed tears. "Oh, you came back to me, you regenerated."

"Is that what that was?" Jenny asked, reaching to pull Donna into the embrace she was sharing with her father. “I'd never felt pain anything like it, I was so scared." She buried her face into Donna's chest, turning away from her father entirely. She was shorter now, just as petite but less developed as a woman, with curlier hair now in a beautiful strawberry blonde. Her eyes searched for Donna's approval, and were brown, the same color as the Doctor's, which was jarring to the extreme, but it was still Jenny looking out at her.

10 - The Doctor’s Backup Plan (mpreg crack, pure crack)

The Doctor blinked at her.

“I suppose,” he allowed. “I hadn't thought of that. I guess I'll put on some protection...not that you're likely to be impregnated by me. I doubt that we're compatible.”

“You don't know for sure?” Donna asked, amazed that he was admitting to a gap in his vast knowledge. She often wondered if he actually knew half of what he claimed to.

11 - Slap (basically the Doctor gets turned on when Donna slaps him??? Donna’s POV, terribad)

Had he ever done this before? The pervert probably had, multiple times. But Rose was the name and size of a mere girl, not a real woman. Donna would make sure that he forgot her. She wagered that Rose had never even considered playing rough like this, no Rose was a porcelain doll for a pedestal, not a woman with deeper needs. Not a woman capable of fulfilling an old man's darkest fantasies. And that's what he was, she realized...she had no idea how old this man was, but his eyes were old, and tired, and seen more than even she could imagine.

12 - And Then She Forgot (Donna tries to go back to work at the temp agency after the mindwipe)

Donna blinks at him, stunned, and tries to regroup as quickly as possible. She bursts into tears, laying it on as thick as she dares. She can feel the eyes of the other employees and potential temps on her as she sobs away. Kevin sighs, walks around the desk, and offers her a tissue box.

“I suppose you didn't hear about the accident,” she manages to take a tissue between sobs.

“Accident?” he asks dryly, sitting on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed.

13 - Smith, Jones, Noble, and Mott (AU series 3 ep “Smith and Jones”)

“Sarah!” he exclaimed as they hugged each other tightly. “This is Donna, and this is Martha. Girls, this is Sarah Jane Smith.”

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

“No Rose or Mickey this time?” Sarah Jane asked, smiling at the two women warmly, albeit a little confused.

“Uh, no, not after...” the Doctor lowered his voice. “...Canary Wharf.”

14 - Desert Fox (original fic, very old)

When I wake the lights have been dimmed, and I no longer have to squint against their harshness. Logan is seated beside me, his hands clasped around one of mine, his head resting on our hands. I feel no pain, only relief, comfort, safety. I realize suddenly that this is why I have chosen to stay with him: he is the only human I have ever felt safe with. I lift a hand to brush his hair out of his face. He had grown it back out, has yet to cut it again.

"How are you feeling, miss...?"

I get lots of ideas but not much traction. I tag @basmathgirl @missysrehabilitation @ellym3lly @perrydowning @emilyweepsforpilfrey @kylorenvevo @xreyoflight and anyone else who may want to take a whack at it

#writing #fanfic #this is embarrassing tbh #tagged

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hunterstream591 · 3 years ago

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Best Free Writing Software For Mac

Book Writing Software For Mac

Script Writing Software Free Mac

Best Free Music Writing Software For Mac

Best Free Novel Writing Software For Mac

Best Free Writing Software For Mac

Check Writing Software For Mac

There are many people who are just fond of writing and for their writing, they just need the right tool. The combination of a perfect writing tool and the writer can deliver some of the best and unique forms of writing. There is an enormous amount of writing tools present which can help you to reach your destination. Today we will be discussing on some special writing apps for MAC devices. These apps are leading in the MAC world and many of the users are using this.

The main reason why this app is on our list is it is free to use. But the pro version of this app will cost you $14.99 per year. Conclusion on Best Writing Apps for Mac. So, these were some of the important writing apps for the Mac. Many people across the globe are using those apps and came with some of the best of the writers. Offline Scriptwriting Software for Mac 6. Highland Software. Highland software works with the Fountain file format, a text-based file compatible with several of the best screenwriting software options. Fountain documents are plain text, so when you write one you don’t fiddle with formatting, and can write it anywhere (GoogleDocs, NotePad, etc). Ulysses is one of the most sought after novel writing software programs today but it also caters to any type of writers. The software can transform the text into stunning eBooks, PDFs and Word documents- properly styled & formatted. It will even export the works into HTML format so.

The writing apps for Mac which we will be discussing today comes loaded with different types features and people using those apps gave very positive reviews. So without doing any further delay let’s start the discussion.

Remember this app won’t elevate your writing skills it can just modify your writings.

Here are Best Writing Apps for Mac

Listed below are some of the best writing apps for Mac which you should check out in order to get the best of the writing experience.

1) Ulysses

Ulysses is a multitasking writing app for Mac where you can write different types and patterns of writing like if you want to write short things you can do that or if you want to go for big things even you can do that too. As soon as you open this app you will be greeted with a beautiful interface which is very advanced looking.

The design of the interface is so nice that you can easily get into the system instantly. The app is divided very smartly into three division. The middle pane, the left pane, and the right pane.

The left pane of the app consists of the library place where you will get different types of things like your menu, folders, trashes etc. Here you will also get the option to store your writings on the cloud storage. Coming to the middle pane which is also known as sheet where you will find all your individual documents.

The right pane is the most important part it is the text editor place where you do all your main works. This app supports different types of formats which can help you to get the best of the writing facilities. This app is not available for free it will cost you around $44.99 which looks quite a decent with a feature loaded like this.

Interested Read on How to do movie downloads free

2) Scrivener

Talking about Scrivener this app is very close to Ulysses and comes loaded with different types of features. But if we take a deeper look at this app then only we can explore the lacking of this app. The first thing which should be developed is the user interface. The user interface looks quite complicated and many needs time to get familiar with this app.

Many people find this app not much comfortable. Now let us find out some of the best and important features of Scrivener. The most attractive thing about this app is that they come with the best of the organization facility which really helps you to maintain your works.

Even finding your document gets very easy as they come loaded with the dedicated search bar which helps you to find your documents instantly.

Just like the previous app this app too can support different types of formats which help you to elevate your work. Even sharing your works gets easy with this app. At Scrivener, you can even add different types of layouts like underline, border, margin, Bold etc.

First on our list of 20 best accounting software for Mac is FreshBooks, a popular. ZipBooks is the best free accounting software for Mac. Sign up for a free account and gain access to our professional design, simple invoicing, and time tracking capabilities. ZipBooks can help your business accomplish its financial goals today. For small and medium sized businesses or personal users that are seeking a seamless. Business accounting software for mac freeware. Accounting Software for Mac Free Download Get started using best-in-class accounting software for student Mac with a free 30-day trial. FreshBooks lets you test out our easy-to-use features for a full 30 days before committing — no strings attached and no fine.

All these things elevate your work experience. To use this app you have to pay $44.99 which is just the cost of the previous one but with all the features loaded here this price worth it.

3) I A Writer

This is a very simple looking writing app which gets a bunch of features on it. The user interface of this app is very simple not like the other apps mentioned above. It is a bright and attractive looking app which gets easily connected with the users.

The main focus of this app is given mainly in writing so as such no fancy coloring is given on the app. coming to its user ability.

The app is very comfortable to handle and many writers recommend this app for writing. Here you can put different types of formats as the system supports all. Even saving any file gets easy with the help of this app.

If you want to get in the navigation portion of this app just slide right and you will be into the navigation portion. The searching portion is advanced as the system gets its own searching space which can help you to get access to your files and documents easily.

The most attractive part about this app is that, while you are writing anything the line which you will be writing get the highlight and the rest of the line above will be in a gray color which helps you to concentrate on your work more.

The price of this app is far less as compared to that of the previous ones. It is priced around $9.99 which is quite an affordable and reasonable.

4) Bear

This is the last and the most effective app for writing. With the help of this app you can write both small and long notes and it as effective as the previously mentioned apps. There are many people across the globe who are using this app at an extensive rate.

The user interface of this app is even very attractive looking and works well as compared to that of the other apps. The most important features of this app are it is very simple and support almost all kinds of formats. The main reason why this app is on our list is it is free to use. But the pro version of this app will cost you $14.99 per year.

Conclusion on Best Writing Apps for Mac

So, these were some of the important writing apps for the Mac. Many people across the globe are using those apps and came with some of the best of the writers. The apps mentioned above are best in class and comes loaded with different types of features. Some of the apps might cost you but with features loaded the price worth it. So, what you are waiting for use one of those apps and give your writing a new flow.

Share Your Thoughts on this article by Commenting Below. If you liked this content do share it on your social media now.

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Writing is fun and it is considered to be the best way to express your thoughts and feelings. There are lots of tools that can help you organize, edit and modify your notes or stories. If you’re on the lookout for a certain tool which helps you modify and organize your writings, then the Free Writing Software is the best one for you. Some of the widely used writing software tools and their main features are mentioned here in this article.

Libre Office

Libre Office is the most powerful office suite which comes with a Free Writing Software tool in addition to the other office tools. The writer can be used to create simple memos and complete books with diagrams, index, and content. Use this tool to get good looking documents and various templates.

Ywriter5

The word processor yWriter5 helps to split your novel into separate chapters and scenes. This Free Writing Software tool can be considered as a novel writing software which lets you organize your story into different sections. Use this tool to edit and add new scenes to your novel.

LitLift

Book Writing Software For Mac

LitLift is a Free Writing Software tool which lets you write, organize, save and share your stories. It comes with features such as full-screen editing, friendly interface, library, storyboard, etc. This tool helped to promote writing and so you can depend on it to complete your story.

Scribus

Abiword

Novlr

LaTeX

JaLingo

WordPress

Writer Duet

Writer’s Block

OMM Writer

Script Writing Software Free Mac

The Novel Factory

Apache Office Writer

Free Writing Software for Other Platforms

Look out for the various book writing software tools that are available online. Search for free writing software download to get access to the number of tools that are available for download. Use the best tool to get optimum results.

Trelby for Windows

Best Free Music Writing Software For Mac

Trelby is a Free Writing Software tool or screenwriting program which is specially designed for Windows users. It comes with a screenplay editor, supports various platforms, includes multiple views and helps to compare scripts. Other features include a database, PDF generator, report generator and options to export or import files.

Byword for Mac

Byword is one of the easiest writing tools that is available for free download. Free dna sequence analysis software for mac. Although this Free Writing Software application doesn’t have rich features, it is quite handy when it comes to clean and fast writing. It works fine on all Mac devices without any hassle.

Jotter Pad – Writer for Android

JotterPad is a writing application which is designed for creative writers. This Android application is all that you need for writing novels, poems, essay, screenplays, etc. Use this Free Writing Software application to focus more on your story and write without any distractions. The extended keyboards, phrase finding options, syntax highlighting and night mode are some of its features.

Evernote – Most Popular Software

Evernote is the most popular workspace which helps you do all kinds of tasks. The handwriting tool is a Free Writing Software tool which lets you express your thoughts in a clear manner. Just tap the pen in a note to start writing. It also comes with a camera, an app center and also provides search options.

How to Install Free Writing Software?

Best Free Novel Writing Software For Mac

Free Writing Software tools can be downloaded for free from the official websites. The tools come with all the necessary features that help in the easy modification of your story, memos or quick notes. With the rich features, you can concentrate more on your thoughts and work a lot faster. Install the best Free Writing Software tool to start writing in a professional manner. You can also see Novel Writing Software.

Best Free Writing Software For Mac

Free Writing Software tools let you manage your writings in an effective manner. These tools can be installed on all the latest smartphones and devices for quick use. Writing stories is made simple using this free writing tool.

Check Writing Software For Mac

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wendyimmiller · 4 years ago

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Don’t Give Too Much Away Too Soon – A Letter to the Midwest

April 15, 2021

Lovettsville VA

Dear Scott,

Spring! Etc. etc.

What a relief. I am torn between feeling overwhelmed each morning, and tearful gratitude. However, finding a new colony of native may apples where I winter-dispatched a thicket of multiflora rose may have soundly tipped the scales towards gratitude. Those mottled, delicate umbrellas took me by total surprise this morning – especially as they appeared to have been professionally underplanted with a carpet of claytonia.

Try not to pay attention to the honeysuckle. It’s a never ending battle.

Isn’t it ridiculous that I can hunt for, locate, plant, and cosset a Podophyllum pleianthum (which is now tentatively emerging near the front door), but when I rip out brambles by the roots and trample the soil to within an inch of its life, suddenly I’ve got April at Mt. Cuba happening on my northern slope? Perhaps I should give up all future expensive podophyllum acquisition dreams and just focus on what I’m apparently good at: editing.

My cossetted P. pleianthum – making a late-ish entrance to a party well underway.

I find it fascinating that each spring unfolds with its own unique rhythm – some mellow, others not so. This spring’s rhythm reminds me of an underground prohibition-era bar in NYC I used to visit when I was younger and less protective of my sleep patterns: slow build-up, exciting jazz riffs, a little blues, and no punishing jazz fusion. There has also been plenty of opportunity to sip a top-shelf G&T. All in all, worth lingering a while in the evenings and ordering a second.

Along with the common-as-dirt may apples I attach a few poor photos of my rapidly growing epimedium collection (minus my two faves – ‘Amber Queen’ and ‘Pink Champagne’ which are just coming out). Watching these delicate flowers emerge thrills me in that same way I used to bemusedly observe in other (more obviously nerdy) plant nerds.

This one was given to me as ‘Lilac Seedling’ from John Willis.

How we find ourselves where we find ourselves I honestly do not know. I was normal once. I assume that, to a certain extent, you were too. Yet here we are, sharing photos of epimedium, claytonia and hellebore while the rest of the world is buying a new Weber and three sacks of Weed and Feed.

Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’ is my cheapest and most cheerful. When it is regularly dug and divided you can have a huge carpet rather quickly.

I enjoyed your Easter letter and its tasteless but nonetheless amusing resurrection analogies; but I harbor concerns that illustrating your gargantuan, drain-digging labors in such Kafkaesque detail could be very off-putting for the 20+ million who garden-dabbled in 2020.

I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job as an award-winning garden writer (groan) and purveyor of unending green happiness, but perhaps these people shouldn’t be made so soon aware of the inexorable, destructive effects of the humble water droplet?

Maybe it’s not an issue as 19+ million of them are probably reading The Spruce and haven’t yet moved on to the Rant portion of their gardening lives, but for those who have read ahead in the curriculum, truth of such magnitude could shake a few foundations. And damn that was some serious truth.

We only have these people by the finest of hairs Scott. Right now you should be YouTubing the immeasurable joys of seed starting with a fixed, but generous, smile upon your face and a sponsored product somewhere within arms’ reach. Let these sweet innocents find out about water, and its revengeful, spiteful nature later in the process when there is no escape from the gardening life they have worthily embraced. They can learn about roots then too.

Bait and switch my dear. Bait and switch.

This is a sweet little epimedium given to me by Lindie Wilson in Charlotte last year. Glad to see it blooming.

However, as the damage is now done, I will admit that for the rest of us, it is a relief to hear of your suffering. Moreover, it is a relief to hear of you jumping into a job of that magnitude. I wonder how many others are daily tortured not so much by the undertaking of large home and garden projects, but by their identification and the accompanying dread of them. I can instantly think of three projects that sink the heart in me, and that’s without trying.

Once stuck in, there are moments of pure despair (as you so richly illustrated), but there is also the knowledge that, for better or worse, you got started. It’s happening. What is worth worrying about must be solved, and what isn’t disappears into that dark and dangerous place one only visits at 2am (instead of that underground bar – sadly). All of the ambiguity and worry about the particulars is crystallized into certainty.

Cannot remember where this one came from – and no name sadly – but it is a lovely orange flower paired with a rather boring leaf.

I wish you luck and less in the way of roots. If this letter had an envelope, I’d slip you one of my precious lidocaine patches – or is that technically drug dealing?

With regards to roots, I have spent much of the last three weeks moving shrubs which are too big for the space where I planted them seven years ago, to spaces which will be too small for them in seven years.

An SI joint and my lower back have been so dodgy for the last year that I am forced to do this wearing a constricting belt that limits my ability to move without cutting off circulation to a major artery. The resulting lightheadedness then limits my ability to make better decisions about spacing – or at least that’s how I will look at it in seven years’ time.

It is a blow to one’s vanity to look down and see such a contraption strapped around comfortable and generous sweatpants where levis and leather belts with bronze buckles once dwelt, but if it gets the itea shifted and the lilac finally scrubbed out, I must accept my personal new normal while I undertake a hideous strengthening program that is right, and good, and boring as hell.

Speaking of itea and lilac, one mistake I am never (yes, I use that word precisely) making again is to put a heavily suckering woody shrub anywhere other than an area where I am happy to have it sucker (such as along my streambank).

This cuts down on a lot of options for mixed borders – but there are plenty of less enthusiastic shrubs whose rarer suckers still excite the frugal wench within me. Runners from my rugosa roses for example. I never grumble as they provide cheap, cheerful, and exceedingly welcome gifts for new gardeners who have never attempted to prune one.

Look at this lovely thing – Iris bucharia blooming this morning through the little gray rosettes of pilosella.

The lilac wasn’t my doing – it was here when we moved, and I have held onto it for sentimental reasons as I had a fondness for the previous owners, Lloyd & Jeanne. I even called it Lloyd’s lilac, when the truth of the matter is that Lloyd probably didn’t plant it, and if he did, didn’t put any more thought into it than what he was having for dinner that night. Still, it was one of few cultivated plants on the property, and I felt I must nurture it, renovate it, and tactfully avert my eyes as it became more matronly and less maiden-like.

I trust you will offer me the same consideration when we next meet.

But this is the year. Strengthened by Dan Hinkley’s admonition in Windcliff not to plant a “meaningless blob of nothing to fill a gap” and extrapolating from there to include eradicating those inherited monsters that do the same, I decided to take it out. With my handy battery-operated chainsaw it was the work of an Ibruprofen-laced moment, but now I am faced with this large stump complex. And my back. And another one of those large digging jobs whose contemplation brings me full circle to my points above.

Yet the job must be done. The space is slated for a Chamaecyparis obtusa that has gracefully grown too large for its current spot. In my defense I always knew it would, but wanted it where it was for that gorgeous five-year window of perfect height. You are a lover of trees so I know you know exactly what I am talking about. Trees go from small-and-helpless, to perfect, to too-damn-big the same way as children do – though thankfully they don’t have adolescent mouths on them.

Lastly, with the exception of the bananas, the tropicals are out of the garage and into hacked-together temporary cold frames for the next couple weeks. The spring has crept up on me quickly this year. And with the vegetable/kitchen garden undergoing a major re-do which will most likely take all season, I have not started seeds as I normally would.

It is exceptionally freeing and I highly recommend it.

I cannot get enough of this time of year once the claytonia start blooming. They are absolutely everywhere.

I have started many thousands of seeds over the years and I’m sure there are thousands more in my future, but I realize these days that I actually prefer the excitement of cuttings. It’s ironic to get excited about asexual techniques, but there you go, that’s middle age for you. Are you a seeds or a cuttings man do you think? You may answer freely – I promise that I won’t draw any moral conclusions (at least consciously).

Here is an unusual one (at least for around here) that sports pink flowers, rather than just pink veining and pink pollen.

I must stop before some horrible dystopian software alerts you that this letter is more than a “four minute read,” (thank God Tolkien and Tolstoy weren’t bloggers), but before I do, I can assure you that, yes, the word used to describe you in that email was indeed ‘treasure.’ The term has even been repeated and shared on Facebook, and therefore cannot possibly be considered misinformation, as apparently, they’ve got that sort of thing squarely locked down.

However, before you alert various media companies, shamelessly looking for yet another award (and you wonder why someone at work is being mean to you), I will pass on a wise bit of advice that I heard recently:

If you don’t let compliments go to your head, insults cannot pierce your heart.

Wise indeed as there is usually a hefty supply of the latter to negotiate in this life.

Yours,

Marianne

P.S. Please tell Michele she looked beautiful in that dress. Easter personified.

P.P.S. My long overdue author copies of Tropical Plants and How to Love Them finally arrived today! It’s a treasure. Possibly award-winning.

Don’t Give Too Much Away Too Soon – A Letter to the Midwest originally appeared on GardenRant on April 15, 2021.

The post Don’t Give Too Much Away Too Soon – A Letter to the Midwest appeared first on GardenRant.

from Gardening https://gardenrant.com/2021/04/dont-give-too-much-away-too-soon-a-letter-to-the-midwest.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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williamexchange · 4 years ago

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8 Top Reasons Why WordPress Should Be Your First Choice

Has your company decided that it is time to update its website? Are you a bit wary of taking things into your own hands, yet there is no money in the budget to hire a developer? Then WordPress may be the perfect option for you.

A typical site may need regular updates or new content uploaded indefinitely. With a content management system like WordPress, you can easily take control of your site without any prior tech experience under your belt. While the platform is not a piece of software, it runs on a live server and any changes that you make can be published immediately.

All the technological mumble-jumble is already handled for you, so WordPress makes web publishing worry-free. Simply pick a theme to suit your needs and everything can be managed from your convenient, user-friendly dashboard. (However, if you do want to get your hands dirty, you may add code as you feel necessary.)

Here are some 8 top reasons why WordPress should be your first choice when building your site from scratch:

1. WordPress Has a Variety of PlugIns

Perhaps the best advantages that you will get when you choose to install WordPress are what are called “plugins”. Plugins are add-ons that you can install from your dashboard that will expand your site’s capabilities. For example, you can start an image gallery, a members-only area, a photo carousel, a slideshow or incorporate social media accounts. That are tens of thousands of plug-ins available to WordPress users, and you can easily find the best ones for your purposes by searching the platform by keyword via your dashboard.

2. WordPress Can Be Optimized for Tablets and Smartphones

You can easily optimize your website for any internet-enabled device just by switching to one of WordPress’s “responsive themes”. A responsive theme will ensure that your site’s users, regardless of whether they are using a tablet or any other mobile device, will receive a uniform and adequate experience browsing your site.

It is important to double-check that your branding and unique content remain the same as they are when accessed from a regular PC or laptop, and WordPress makes this simple. The only portion of the site that should change is the layout, since it must be customized to each unique screen.

WordPress offers starter responsive themes that pretty much anyone can employ easily. However, they are able to be re-created in more complex and complicated ways if a skilled developer wishes to take the time to improve upon the design.

3. WordPress Users Can Update Content Easily

With WordPress, you can create the most basic of sites with little to no development experience. Everything is carefully laid out in easy-to-understand instructions. You can load text, images and other types of content without the worry of memorizing complex code. This is probably the top reason that a great majority of bloggers and businesses have adapted WordPress. The ease of use saves them time, which in turn saves them money.

4. WordPress Has Blogging Built In

Blogging can be a powerful marketing tool, but it can be difficult to incorporate a blog into a ready-made site. However, WordPress comes with a blogging platform already built in, and uploading and publishing posts can be done in a snap. You can draft or copy-and-paste your post within the dashboard, where you can edit and hyperlink it as necessary, as well as add images or videos. You can even request a post preview (with some themes) prior to publishing it live! Remember, while WordPress has certainly branched out, it started as a blog engine, and blogging is still what it does best.

5. SEO Management and Tracking Can Be Added to WordPress

WordPress has an array of plugins that allows Meta Descriptions, Meta Tags and H1 Tags to be used for SEO purposes. These are different types of phrases or keywords that search engines pick up on to arrange results listings. There are even plugins that can estimate how well your site or even a particular page is SEO-optimized. Some third party plugins can also track your performance for certain keywords over a given period of time. Having these statistics on hand will greatly improve your online marketing strategy.

6. WordPress Has a Large Developer Community

WordPress has the distinction of being used by over 20% of all the Internet’s websites. Due to its inherent popularity, it also boasts one of the largest developer communities in cyberspace.

Whether those people are hobbyists or professionals, the developers are always hard at work improving the site and creating and revising plugins to serve other users better. Anyone is welcome to contribute source code if they feel they can add to the product. This diversity of skill ensures that WordPress has the best of all worlds and is sure to please even the pickiest of users.

7. WordPress Is Used By All Types of Companies

WordPress isn’t only for part time bloggers and start-ups, either. The New York Times, Sony Music, Time, Inc. and Xerox are all huge brands and all proud WordPress users. Do you know why WordPress is the go-to platform? It is because the interface is easily scalable and able to grow with a company, yet simple enough for large groups of staffers to be able to master quickly. Whether you have a one page personal blog or an international magazine, WordPress can handle the workload. That is why it is the platform typically used by online stores, interactive blogs and even small static business sites.

8. E-commerce on WordPress Includes Many Options

You can quickly locate free basic plugins that are suitable for any type of store, regardless of size. Many of these are a part of existing pre-made themes, some of which were specifically created for online retail. These themes may have cart processing and order forms, while a select few many even cover shipping. Relying on these plugins is much easier than having to integrate the same features into an existing site.

In conclusion, WordPress is extendible, customizable and built to be simple to work with, even if you are a non-technical user. That is why WordPress is a modern way to build a website from the ground up. After all, the platform is so easy to master and chock-full of fantastic features. So, don’t get nervous! Try it out today. You won’t be sorry.

If you are considering an enterprise call analytics platform, our team of Web Designing St Petersburg, FL will help you decide whether or not you need one.

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growinstablog · 5 years ago

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How to Write the Best Instagram Bios for Businesses

Writing an Instagram bio might seem easy to many: it’s just a couple of lines, after all. However, it’s not as simple.

An Instagram bio is one of the things that help you grab the audience’s attention, so you definitely need to make it work. Today we want to offer you a couple of tips and tricks that could help you do so.

How To Use Instagram For Business in 2019: Tools and Tips for Marketers

7 Simple Tips to Write the Best Instagram Bios | Instagram Marketing How To

An Instagram bio is one of the things that help you grab the audience’s attention, so you definitely need to make it work. Today we want to offer you a couple of tips and tricks that will help you do just that.

1. Know what your bio needs to accomplish

Before you even get to writing the bio, you need to answer that question. The goals could differ a lot for influencers, bloggers, small and big businesses. Therefore, it’s important to come up with your own ones at first.

Here are a couple of goals you might want to consider:

convey what your business does

educate the customers about how can they reach you, what are your working hours, etc.

show the brand’s or the company’s personality

inform the customers about your latest products or services

prompt the customers to take some kind of action.

5 Instagram Bio Templates

Make your profile special

Download pdf

Here’s why this is so important: what to include in the bio depends on these goals. When you need to inform the customers about certain products, services, news, etc., you should include a related link in the bio.

When your goal is to show your business’s personality and you don’t need to drive the attention to something specific, you can settle for a general link to your website or shop.

2. Pick a good photo

If you are a brand yourself, consider picking a photo with your face on it. After all, photos with faces get 38% more likes on Instagram in general, so your profile photo might have a good impact on the audience as well.

But it’s not only about that. People like it when a business has a face as it looks more personal, friendly, and open that way. When picking a photo, remember that it shouldn’t be too detailed, otherwise it might look too unclear. It shouldn’t look too formal as well, as Instagram is all about connecting with the audience, not distancing from them.

Here’s a good example of such photo:

This is a great example of an Instagram picture. It demonstrates the nature of the person.

However, if your brand is not about the person, use the logo instead. Keep in mind that logo symbols look better than signatures when it comes to the Instagram bio. So if you use both signatures and symbols for your identity, try to pick a symbol only for your profile photo.

Wave.video uses a logo as their Instagram account picture

3. Write a bio that really represents your business

Should a bio be long or short? Should it include emojis or not? It all depends on your business, on its image and vision. Therefore, spend some time putting that vision into words if you haven’t already.

It should also align with your overall social media strategy. How do you normally compose tweets or Facebook posts? What tone do you use?

Come up with words you want to be associated with your brand, with the emotions you want it to evoke. Check out the bios of similar brands for inspiration (but don’t copy – your brand needs to have its own unique voice after all).

There are bios that are short but still align well with the brand’s image.

Old Spice Instagram bio is short and to the point

5 Senses Coffee Instagram bio is almost a motto

There are also ones that are more detailed and still work well.

Check Tim Ferriss’ Instagram account bio for inspiration on writing longer Instagram bios

4. Break it up

It is easier for many to perceive the information when it comes in smaller portions. Therefore, breaking up the bio with line spacing often proves to be more effective than writing it down in one line.

A London-based food blogger Fatma al-Baiti uses emojis to break up the lines in her Instagram bio

Pro tip: since it’s impossible to use breaks when writing a bio right within Instagram, use a note-taking app like Notes on iPhone or Google Keep on Android to craft your Instagram bio. Once you’ve finished writing the bio, simply copy and paste it in the Instagram bio field.

5. Consider including emojis in your bio

Did you know that 50% of the Instagram comments and captions contain emojis? People seem to like it a lot, so why not make the most out of it?

The emojis are often used to make your brand look more emotional and friendly.

Emojis can also be used for breaking up your bio more effectively. For example, why use bullet points when you can pick emojis instead?

Be careful with it, though. It’s important to not simply include emojis in your posts but to do this appropriately. Not all people actually interpret emojis in the same way you do and there’s also an emoji slang you need to consider.

6. Use branded hashtags

7 out of 10 Instagram hashtags are branded. Therefore, why don’t add to the number?

If you have or want to have a branded hashtag for your business, include it in your bio. This will give your audience the opportunity to share their content for you or to share their opinions about your products or services.

Such hashtags are also a great tool for collecting the feedback from your audience, be it reviews, photos of your products, and so on.

7. Make a link part of your bio

Since the link in bio is the only clickable link Instagram allows you to have, make sure you make it count.

The link comes right after the bio, so naturally, you might want to attract your visitors’ attention to it with an extra symbol. These are a couple of the most popular emojis used in this case:👇 ⬇️

To put extra emphasis on the link, use several pointing or arrow emojis in a row: ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

An Australian blogger Chloe attracts visitors’ attention to her latest YouTube video with an emoji

Conclusion

The Instagram bio might be only 150 characters long but it doesn’t make it less important. It’s the opportunity to tell the audience who you are, how can they connect with you, and which of your products or services they should check out. It could also help you drive back more traffic to your website.

Therefore, it’s important to invest time into crafting a good bio for your Instagram account. Keep in mind that the definition of «good» isn’t overly specific here. You can write a serious bio, a funny one, a short yet impressive one, or the one that barely fits the 150-character limit. Just write something that really represents your business and keep our tips in mind to achieve better results.

It’s important to invest time into crafting a good bio for your Instagram account

Do you believe the Instagram bio is important? Do you maybe have some tips to share with us too? In this case, please do so in the comments below.

About the author: Charles Ebert is a career mentor, content coordinator for edubirdies.org, motivational speaker & human resources consultant with over 10 years of experience in HR sector. Apart from career mentoring, he loves photography and football. Find him on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook & Google+.

https://growinsta.xyz/how-to-write-the-best-instagram-bios-for-businesses/

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thecrimsonfly · 7 years ago

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WARNING: WALL OF TEXT! TL:DR: We're going on hiatus, so I can get the comic on its own hosting, and covert the comics to HTML5/javascript to make them easier to read on mobile and avoid the 2020 Flash-drop deadline.

So, if you've been visiting the Crimson Fly for the last few days, you'll notice that instead of the comics, there are just white rectangles where the comics used to be. That's because, in Dropbox (who I used to render content)'s words:

"Effective September 1, 2017, Dropbox Plus and Business users can no longer render HTML content, and the Public folder and its sharing functionality have been disabled."

What this means is that the blog can no longer access the strips from Dropbox to render on the site, so the "white rectangles" are the site's way of throwing its hands up, trying to show something it can't acccess. The thing is, using dropbox to broadcast flash content on a blogger site was a "series of bandaids" on top of two on-going problems that I've always had since the comic's inception, that I was always going to have to address at some point. One is easily fixable now, the other is not.

The first problem is that the "site" isn't actually a site, but rather a blogger page retrofitted to look like a blog. This was done because, when I started the comic, I didn't have a source of income to pay for domain names hosting fees, and so I had to take what I could get. Tumblr couldn't host the swf files, and blogger was the most reliable "free" alternative I had at the time, using Dropbox to publish the content, since I couldn't directly upload the swf files to blogger. Buying a host would allow me to upload the strips (and flash player) directly to the site, and this would not be a problem.

This has been fixable for a while; remember when I switched from "thecrimsonflycomics.blogspot.com" to 'just' "thecrimsonfly.com." Well, that's because I started pony-ing up the money for a domain name. Ever since I got my day job in 2014 (ish?) I've had a steady source of income that's allowed me to tackle a variety of small upscaling projects; a new workstation with two new computers for the comics, a webcamera and microphone for video recording and streaming, and the actual funds for tabling at comics conventions and printing comics to SELL at those conventions. The only reason I didn't make the jump into hosting is that I didn't want the responsibility of maintaining upkeep on the site. I'm not a programmer or webdeveloper by trade, and I wouldn't know how to either set anything up or fix anything if it broke (hence why its not business-as-usual right now).

The second problem is really the coalescence of several small problems; my mediocre "skills" as a programmer, the increasing obsolescence of Adobe Flash and the SWF format, and the obscurity and lack of infostructure to support anything resembling animated interactive comics (due to said medium obscurity). What all that means is that beyond BARELY being able to make my comic strip, the internet doesn't know how to support and/or publish it, and it doesn't help that the file format chosen to make it is prone to hacks and better off dead in a ditch. And while I've been trying as many courses that can hold my attention span since Adobe decided to try out HTML5 in their little rebranding project called (bleh) "Animate," I don't know enough to convert the comic to a file format that will endure for the next 5-25 years. So, basically, a "crash" like this was always inevitable, whether now (thanks, dropbox) or in the next 3 years, thanks to Adobe promising to drop support for the swf format the comic exists in the next 3 years.

You can see the extensions of this problem if you're visiting the site for the first time; when the comic asks you to "activate Flash player" so you can even SEE the comic, or on mobile, where the comic isn't visible at all (Thanks, Steve Jobs). I'd kinda ignored these problems because I didn't know how to fix them, or even make an attempt at fixing them and I figured I'd have enough time to either learn the skills myself, or get someone else to fix them for me (even though I turned my nose up at getting actual help, since I'm trying to never be so cheap as to NOT pay someone, even if only in a consulting role). Well, the clock hasn't completely run out (I could get hosting and host the comics until 2020, at which point this problem would resurface), but I might as well start ripping off those bandaids and work on actual fixes.

So, to that end, rather than burn the candle at both ends, the comic is going to go on the dreaded hiatus until these goals can be met:

-The comic is stably viewable on computers using HTML5 -the comic is stably viewable ON and formatted FOR mobile using HTML5 -All current 104 strips are converted to a mobile/user friendly User interface -All current 104 comics are translated in their entirety (or updated to reflect the most current user interface) with no compromises in format or integrity.

What this means is: -No new comic updates -No new Youtube Comic video updates

Why not just give up on the animated portions until the situation is resolved? Because the construction speed ratio of static, non-moving comics to the time it takes to animate one panel of the interactive strips is so horribly skewed that if I started doing static strips and waited for the fix to work on animated comics, I'd never catch up. The Crimson Fly would be effectively DEAD as an animated comic.

Why not just give up on the static portions and make it a series of animated shorts on YouTube? Those things take forever to make (3-5 months per short), and there'd be no content in the meantime, at which point, people's attention spans would wain and I'd lose all but the most loyal of fans. Sure I could make weekly 15 second strip-videos, but Youtube's algorithms are such that they wouldn't be very profitable, due to the minimalistic watch-time. I'd have to redirect fans to other forms of support that currently don't exist atm.

And both of those solutions (including the others that I'm not elaborating on) ignore the crux of the problem; the Crimson Fly is an Animated Comic in full, equal measure. Its not just the character or the story, its the format in which you guys enjoy it as well. Its something different for anyone looking for something different on the web, and until animated comics become so ubiquitous as to be the default medium for comics on the internet (not likely, but I can dream), the Crimson Fly will continue to be the premiere animated comic on the web. To go halfsies on either the animation or static illustration kills the interactivity, and that's just not acceptable.

And honestly, I need the break to be able to focus on fixing the problem, rather than bouncing between testing out code/fixes and making a diminished comic (and all the other stuff I have to do on top of that). Focusing on one thing at a time and all that.

I honestly don't know when I'll be back; I don't know how long it'll take to learn what I need to learn to fix/update everything, to say nothing of how long it'll take to actually fix/update everything and/or even compile them into complete stories and/or volumes (something I never fully figured out, even in actionscript). I can guarantee though, that I'll be out for rest of the year, and the Crimson Fly won't return until 2018, at the very least. When in 2018? I have no idea. Ideally? January? Realistically? June at the earliest. Cynically speaking? This time next year, at the earliest.

But here's the thing: THE CRIMSON FLY WILL RETURN.

I've worked too hard, I've got too much planned, and there is too much faith in me to NOT come back to this adorable Spider-Sonic ripoff. So I will be back with a website, an easily viewable and readable animated comic, some PDFs for peeps who don't like their comics moving, some videos for peeps who don't like to flip pages, (maybe) an app, and (maybe) some merch. But I will be back.

And I'm not disappearing entirely! I'll still be on Twitch; working on other projects like animated shorts, the Eleven second club challenge and/or other projects.

This has just been a long time coming, and I figure that its better to deal with the consequences now, learn some new skills and maybe come up with some cool toys for everyone to play with, than have this conversation in 3 years time.

So, for those of you who've gotten to the bottom of this page, Those of you who're just now picking up the Crimson Fly for the first time from elsewhere, and those of you who've been around from the beginning: Thank you. This project can't just be for me, and your faith in me keeps me going every single day. It will be rewarded with an even better Crimson Fly; just you wait. Until then, I'll catch you peeps LATER!

-Collin "SkipperWing!" Byrd PS: if you can/would like to offer some tech support, my email is [email protected]. Thanks!

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muellerewald-blog · 5 years ago

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Last updated on February 12th, 2017 at 01:22 pm

[Admin Note: Everybody knows, I love East Africa. It’s beautiful, it’s safe, it’s easy (well relatively so) to travel. But then Anwuli Okeke from Hacking Africa, inspired me to consider this hidden gem that she discovered while backpacking Nigeria. It’s one of those spots that you’ll see once, but never forget. And it’s much different than the experiences you’ll get in Lagos or anywhere else in the country. This is her story of her recent trip.]

Cross River State. One of thirty-six states in Nigeria and situated in the south of the country bordering Cameroon to the east.

A state whose capital, Calabar, is said to be an acronym for “Come And Live And Be At Rest” because Calabar is famous for its women, cuisine, beauty and tranquility. That tranquility and beauty are not reserved to only Calabar though, because a little north of Calabar lies Obudu Mountain Resort, a ranch that’s located on the Obudu plateau, close to the Cameroon Border, and built at an altitude of about 1600 metres above sea level.

The ranch wasn’t always called Obudu Mountain Resort. It was known, at one time, as Obudu Cattle Ranch but one of the state administrations (I’ve forgotten which one) changed the name in order to give the ranch a facelift and attract more tourists (and their income). The name change and renovations worked because now, the resort is one of the go-to places for local and international tourists and couples even go there to get engaged or to mark an anniversary.

The view from the resort

Getting to the Resort

I went with a friend to the resort – it was his first time backpacking Nigeria & his first overall visit to Africa – and we flew into Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, then took a flight from Lagos to Calabar (~$80/person), a trip that lasts about an hour. The trip from Lagos to Calabar can be done by road and it should take about 10 – 11 hours though it can take longer since the roads are bad.

If you arrive in Lagos, your final destination is the resort and you intend to travel by road, I suggest going directly to the resort from Lagos rather than going to Calabar before heading to the resort. If you do decide to travel directly to the resort from Lagos, expect to spend between 12 – 15hours on the road, assuming no traffic, or more, assuming traffic. Going to the resort from Lagos is considered a specialty service (because there aren’t many travelers who do this). Therefore, expect to spend a bit more on transportation if you pursue this option.

What We Chose + Other Options

Since there are frequent trips from Calabar to the resort, we chose this option; plus it didn’t hurt that we had people we wanted to visit in Calabar. While in Calabar, we did some sightseeing then hired a private car and driver to the ranch at a cost of ~$100 (for both us and which included gas), after a bit of negotiation. You can expect to pay way less if you share a car with others. Be sure to haggle the price.

If you arrive in Calabar, be sure to make arrangements for transportation to the resort. You can fly there – there’s an airstrip at the resort – but this is expensive. So most people go by road, us included.

The resort is a 206 mile drive from Calabar and the road trip from Calabar to the resort should take about 6 hours, though it can take 10 hours or more because the roads are terrible.

Arriving at the foot of the plateau, on which the resort is located, is the first step. To get to the top (where the resort actually is), we had to drive along a long, narrow and steep road, a road my friend says is not for the faint of heart. The drive uphill can be a bit scary and the road is also very winding so if you typically suffer from carsickness, you may feel a bit nauseous on this trip – just something to keep in mind.

Crazy winding roads along the way

Charter air service is another option to get to the top of the plateau. Also available is a cable car. Both services provide a spectacular view of the landscape (and the really winding road). However as we were on a tight budget, we stuck with our car.

Climate at the resort

Due to its altitude, the temperature is cold when compared to the regular villages/cities in Nigeria. So if you tend to always feel cold, grab a light sweater. I tend to always feel cold but I found the weather to be a refreshing change. However, it does get cold later in the day and I remember really starting to get a chill while taking a walk in the evening and was very sorry I didn’t take a sweater with me when I left my room that morning.

Where to stay

The hotels can be very expensive so a more affordable option is Abebe’s Lodge Obudu with rooms going for $20 – $35. Don’t expect western standards though. Hot water for bathing is available, if you ask for it; but eating is difficult so you’ll have to either cook yourself in the shared kitchen or at the hotel on site. It’ll cost you $9 for a main course meal with a small portion of chicken or fish.

To get an idea of the kinds of hotel rooms offered at the resort and how much they cost, check out Hotels.ng

Must-See

A good guide is imperative and one will either be offered to you or you can simply ask around for one. Your guide will suggest attractions for you to see but you can also whisper a thing or two in their ear. They’re very happy to accommodate visitors.

Here are a few sights I recommend:

Prayer Mountain.

You’ll see Cameroon from here, though what you’ll really see are just hills, fog lazily hovering over the tops of these hills and lots of green. Hopefully the weather will be on your side so that you’re able to really take in the view, which is quite lovely without fog or mist. I find the fog or mist quite lovely too especially how they drift above the mountains. But if you’d like to see Cameroon, then the fog or mist is just disappointing. So choose a clear day so get the most out of your trip.

Prayer Mountain Top

The Cable Car.

It’s sometimes shut down so you want to check if it’s running before you go. A trip on the cable car provides a great view of the resort as well as surrounding areas.

The beautiful cable car journey

Canopy Walkway.

It’s a walkway situated in trees that allows visitors to have a close view of various bird species. The long and narrow walkway with nets on each side (to avoid a fall) and trees are all around you. Similar to one of those walkways you have seen in an Indiana Jones movie–one he has to run across and break off in order to avoid being caught by his pursuers makes for an adventurous feel despite the peaceful surroundings.

You get the idea.

The Canopy Walkway

Grotto.

A natural rock pool garden. A swimming hole, really.

Things to note

There is a restaurant at the resort but the food is expensive. It boasts an international menu but the restaurant may be unable to serve all the meals listed on the menu – which is especially true for international dishes. They’ll typically be able to serve most local dishes.

If you’re able to afford a suite, those come with complimentary breakfast.

There aren’t many recreational facilities in place but the resort is a great location for nature lovers, hikers and campers.

Have some indoor games with you for a rainy day.

Don’t count on passing some of the time by watching TV because the programming isn’t extensive.

Distance from the resort to town is very far. So be sure to take everything you think you could possibly need with you because you won’t be able to easily run into town for a thing or two. Carry drinks, snacks and fruit for late night cravings.

The resort is pretty much in the cloud so depending on your perspective, visibility while on the ranch can be good (if you’d like a view other than the city) or bad (if you’d like an elevated view of the city).

The crazy amount of fog surrounding Obudu Mountain Resort

Mobile network sucks too and there’s no Wi-Fi. However, MTN & Glo networks (cell phone service providers in Nigeria) are available up there, so internet access is still possible. Just be sure to register and buy a SIM card and lots of recharge cards (cards that provide airtime minutes).

If you have the time and are able to afford it, there are two natural attractions nearby worthy of a visit – the Afi Forest Reserve and Agbokim Waterfalls – both of which are within 3 hours drive of the Resort.

One last thing – don’t forget your camera!

About the Guest Blogger:

Anuli Okeke is a blogger/vlogger sharing stories about Africa at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship and the arts.

The post Backpacking Nigeria: The one remote destination you must see! appeared first on Backpacking Africa for Beginners.

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