#no effort in trying to sell me their things at halloween anymore

[writeouswriter]

Too much capitalism in Christmas and not enough in Halloween, companies need to start slapping little bats and pumpkins back onto their packaging asap

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

Man, I don't like Discord fan tribes, not anymore, I used to love to see them but over time I asked for interest and realized that many are just created to suck money from others, I'll try to explain my opinion so it doesn't seem like I am against with closed species

fan tribes closed by me, that's fine, the tribe belongs to the person, if they feel comfortable making it a bit closed that's fine, but there are fan tribes that I won't mention (obviously so as not to turn into a fight or controversy) that are created just for money so much that some servers have the option of suggesting a lore for the tribe because the tribe simply doesn't even have a story and that hurts me because making a tribe, making culture, language and especially history for me is a very important part of forming a tribe, I have a tribe that is very simple so much so that there are no rarities in them they are rich in culture and history and my friends love my tribe

Look, selling an appearance of a tribe fan doesn't hurt, because many artists strive to make a reference and really deserve a good amount of money, but man lately it's been boring, there's a server that posted things about the culture and history of the tribe but he hasn't posted in over 7-8 months and they are selling a lot of references literally taking advantage of anything like halloween, christmas and even games, they are making appearances of game characters to sell and man I wonder when they will show more lore of the tribe because I don't care about the adopts I just want to know the lore which is precisely the reason I'm on that server

and one thing that bothers me a little is the rarities, because there are so many rarities that I ask myself "How can the tribe identify that dragon?" because even though he is from the same tribe he is very different, besides what bothers me are the famous silver/gold scales which, seriously guys, natural gold and silver scales? It's easier to be painted than for the dragon to be born

I don't want to belittle the tribes because many are created through good effort, but seriously, value the tribe's lore and don't sell several dragons with a thousand types of rarities

Open tribes can be fun too

Furthermore, many fan tribes have so many appearance rules that it's boring to create a character, it's okay that you want it to follow the tribe's standard, but I think that if there are multiple types of rarities, the tribe's standard no longer exists.

anyway, sorry for the text, I just wanted to confess my stress for the fan tribes of current servers

.

[cantfightmoonlight]

“You know you could work on your sell there, Buddy,” Chai let out a deep chuckle at the thought. “I’m pretty sure renowned surgeons can buy a house too, but only one of you, runs through fire for a living,” he pointed out. “Nothing all too dull about that.” But quickly he found the conversation shifting off of how cool Efe’s job was and how he shouldn’t downplay his own achievements, back to Chai and his lack-their-of of them. “And got it. Dr. Umukoro. And I have,” he said slowly, giving Efe a slow nod at his question, not that he thought it was too much of a shocking revelation given that Efe had seen him disarm, knock out, fight and hurt a number of those who attacked them over the years. “You’ve watched me do it. With the ghosts back on Halloween last year? And with the hunters back on Valentine’s Day?” He pointed out, before letting out a deep sigh at what his friend said next. 

Tilting his gaze up to that of the ceiling, Chai  leaned back in his chair. A shadow casted its way across his eyes as they sat there in silence for a prolonged moment before he finally said, “Some hunters tried to kill you, Efetobo. Some humans locked you in a freezer and it was awful. If I could take that experience away from you, I would in a second. But, does that mean that you’ll lock someone in a freezer next, just because they did? The both of you are human after all. All I’m saying, is that not all hunters are the same and neither are all people. And yeah, the nature of hunters, is fucked up. I can admit that. Killing is fucked up. It’s why I got out, but disregarding those who attacked you on Valentine’s Day, most of the hunters I’ve met or have known are simply misguided and ignorant. They’re just scared people who are attempting to defend themselves, just like a lot of us in this town have done the past. It doesn’t mean what they’re doing is right. But, as much as I have my own faults as with my family, they’re not out here making some diabolic scavenger hunt to trap people in.” He understood where Efe was coming from, he did, but, pinching the bridge of his nose, Chai found himself wishing that he didn’t have to point out just once that the world wasn’t so black and white. 

“Hm, sure,” Chai mumbled under his breath, despite now not being so sure if telling Efe had been such a good thing. “It’s cool,” he offered up with another shrug. “And probably not, no?” Chai admitted at Efe’s question. Another sigh escaping his lips as he racked his hand back through his hair. “Look, Efe, I don’t make an effort to try to hide it, okay? I don’t go around putting how I was raised on display either, for well precisely this exact reason, but you’re sort of one of the few people I’ve ever actually came out and told? Those who know, typically have figured it out on their own. And okay. You can take a second or however long you need. I can go if that would be preferred? And, I agree, no one does have to die. But, in a situation where it’s not humanly possible to save everyone, isn’t it better to save two lives over none?” Chai reasoned, seeing that the latter was exactly what had happened in the dreamscape. All three of them died, when two of them hadn’t had to. “I don’t see it as a life trade-off. But, we don’t have to talk about the nightmares anymore,” he offered up as he pulled himself up out of the chair he had been slumped back in. He could tell he had clearly hit a nerve. Likely multiple at that. So rather than make things worse, he put the ball in Efe’s court. “You want me to wait in the living room or head home? I can do either.”

Efe laughed at that, a low, genuine noise. "See, I've never had any problem living my life on my own terms. My terms were just always pretty dull. Sorry, ma and daddy, I can't be a renowned surgeon. I have to have a well-regarded government job and buy a house." He sighed, pressing a finger to his forehead as if he could use it to push away a new ache there. Looking up, though, he met Chai's eye. He offered a small, encouraging, if uncertain, smile, but it seemed to fade as quickly as it appeared. And as the other spoke, Efe's features grew heavy, settling like stone. Something in his chest ached, heavy and hollow, at this revelation, but he did his best not to show it on his face. Though, he supposed it did make sense, given some of Chai's capabilities. Swallowing hard, though, Efe grit his teeth. "Dr. Umukoro. Don't let her hear you say Missus." He said this for lack of anything else coherent, shifting a bit in place. And all at once, he could not actually meet his friend's gaze. "You've hurt people?" He asked this all at once, unable to bite it back before it was out in the open. "I'm just...Hunters tried to kill me, Rune. They locked me in a freezer. I don't mean to say...I know it wasn't you...." No. He knew Chai was not like that, but he himself had maybe not completely recovered from those wounds. "Thanks...for, for telling me."

He nodded along, distantly, as the other spoke. "You're right. You didn't. And she didn't. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything. Really." In any case, there were now other things to make the situation awkward, and as much as Efe liked to pretend he was consistently well put together, everything felt so utterly complicated now. There was no clarity to find, despite how he reached for it in the encroaching dark. "Is Reese aware of...your past?" He looked up, voice tight. "Look, I need a sec. I don't like how we're talking. There's no life trade-offs here. No one has to die," he mumbled.

[leam1983]

Trying out "Inscryption"...

The demo is fairly feature-complete, and it really sells the idea that this is actually a full-fledged Daniel Mullins game - albeit with the full backing of Devolver Digital.

The Hex and Pony Island felt like one-man indie efforts in scope, mechanics and design, and Inscryption feels like Mullins likely had help for the visual aspect of the project. The leap in complexity is so large I don't have trouble buying he served as the single designer, but I do have a hard time imagining him creating, animating and coding every part of it all. It's still fairly contained, if just complex enough to make you realize you're not confined to Game Jam fodder anymore.

Otherwise, there's something to the theme of it all that I'd call PS1-Era Hand of Fate 3 demake set in Gold Rush-Era Americana that Riffs Heavily on Slavic Mythology.

Like in Hand of Fate 1 and 2, you're at the mercy of a mysterious dealer of cards. The first game involves your tritagonist of choice literally conjuring cards out of your character's own disembodied past; while the second one involves an unseen presence forcing you to relive your forest sojourn, all the while gathering a menagerie of eclectic forest friends - from the talkative Stoat (?!) to the not-at-all-omnious Black Goat. Each of them is embodied by a card that comes with Life and Attack values, and that occasionally includes special abilities. The Toad's Great Leap allows it to attack and deflect airborne units, while the Cat can be endlessly sacrificed in order to finance more cards. So far, so Hearthstone.

As yes, you aren't playing with Mana. You're playing with Blood. Squirrels are the meekest of creatures and require no sacrifice, but also largely exist in order to serve as sacrifice fodder for your other cards. Dead animals earn you Bones, and some cards require specific Bone totals in order to be played.

This seems relatively tame, so far. Where things take a turn for the dark and eerie is where your captor hands you a pair of pliers and tells you you'll need them to influence unfavorable scores.

You see, a few grim features stand out: first, hits are counted in human teeth on a scale sitting next to the playing field. If you tip the dealer's scale all the way down, you win the round. If he tips yours, you lose one of two. If you lose two rounds - the dealer kills you, but not before embedding your soul and a selection of stats into a new, custom playing card that can feature in the next deck. That gives the Hearthstone-ish formula a touch of Roguelite complexity, in that previously lost rounds can benefit future ones. On the other hand, if you're looking to forestall your demise, you can also pull your own teeth using the provided pliers, and artificially inflate the dealer's count. As you can expect, you can only do it a total of 32 times. Yummy.

In-between won rounds, the dealer usually asks you to run short errands around his one-room cabin, from fetching figurines to rearranging a few of his personal belongings. Therein lies a fun, sort of Myst-like twist: the longer you play, the more your character loses his marbles - obviously - and the more your animal card friends talk to you. Their banter might seem random at first, but then clues are dropped as to codes scrawled in the book that's sitting on a shelf to your right, or regarding the ways in which you might eventually be able to escape from that dreaded little cabin... The puzzles are limited, and you won't find a treasure trove's worth of level design insights in a one-room cabin that's very sparsely lit, but you really can't fault the game for lacking atmosphere. Add to that the dealer personifying all side characters and bosses you'll run into - and usually customizing the table's furnishings to fit the theme, and you get a finished product that feels coherent, lively, passionate - and that combines sheer glee and absolute malice with obvious ease.

The full game releases on October 28th, just in time for Halloween. If you're looking for something fun to play as we get closer to Ye Olde Spookfest, you can't go wrong with Inscryption. It scratches that "Unavowable Dark Fantasy Pagan Magic" itch for me, in ways only matched by movies like The Witch.

[loominggaia]

Fanfiction: New York (part 7)

Anonymous submitted part 7 of their fanfic “New York”! I’m posting it under the cut. You can find the other parts under the fanfic tag.

Zeffer left that evening, taking to the city streets under the cover of night. Even at nighttime the city still seemed so lively and bright. It hurt his eyes, He deciding it be better to check the alleyways and darker corners of city, hoping he’d have better luck. Aside from afew homeless and passed out drunk people he found nobody of interest in the ally’s. That’s was about to change rather soon as the night went onward.

Outside the back of a dumpster by what looked like the back of a store he found three young humans just smoking and hanging out. All three wearing dark attire, black hair and makeup with piercings. Being the first sober people he saw, Zeffer decided to ask if they have seen anything. He walked up to them silently, startling them alittle by his approach. They greeted him, he ask if they’ve seen anyone matching Evans description. They say no but the group stares oddly at Zeffer.

Zeffer wondered why they where staring at him? Their stares where not that of fear or disgust but more curiosity with a large does of excitement. “He are you like, a vampire or something”? The short pudgy women of the group asked. “What”! Zeffer thought to himself, could they really see threw his illusion! Granted he wasn’t that great at illusions but still he Atleast thought he put it. Damn how he really wished he had the ability lie right now!

Zeffer tried but failed to dodge the question, as the tall, lanky guy with shaggy hair and way too thick eyeliner chimed in. “Yeah man, it’s cool if your a vampire dude, we’ve been dying to met one for real ! “. Okay what kind of freaks show has Zeffer walked in on? Why would anyone be happy to see a vampire, an evil blood guzzling corpse that feeds on the living? He get his answer whether he wanted to or not.

The shorter guy in the group, having long black hair with more metal in his face then in a zareen refinery piped in. “Hey man, could you turn us into vampires too!” Wait…. WHAT!!! Did Zeffer hear that right or was he just going crazy? Did this human seriously just ask to become an undead abomination!? His brain near shut down in pure shock. “Why the fuck you want this curse!” He blurted out in angry confusion, this was gonna be a bad night.

Each member of the group excitedly listed off the reasons for wanting to be a vampire, immortality, super strength, shapeshifting, etc… for as ridiculously stupid as wanting to be a vampire already was, some of their answers didn’t even make any sense? Last Zeffer checked vampires can’t turn into bats or mist, or survive decapitation. Zeffer just went off on them, going into a massive rant that vampirism was nothing but a curse of the worst kind and how all vampires are evil monsters.

His ranting against vampirism only seemed to encourage them. Them all being super happy to meet a real deal vampire and where enamored by his raving against his own kind. In an effort to shoot them down he let them know humans can’t become vampires, only fey can. They seemed confused, asking what fairies have anything to do with vampires? He didn’t know himself, just saying it was some magic stuff like how only commoners can become werewolves. Wrong answer.

They became even more ecstatic finding out werewolves where real too. Asking Zeffer if he knows any werewolves, how the eternal war between vampires and werewolves is going, and the shorter guy asking since he can’t be a vampire can he become werewolf instead? These humans really have lost their minds Zeffer thought. He finally got their names, the tall guy, Dillion introducing them, the fat girl being his gf Morgan and the short guy being their friend Alex.

Some how it got even crazier when the three rolled down their sleeves, offering their arms to him. Dillon spoke up saying that if he can’t turn them into vampires then at the very least they could offer themselves as his servants, forming a coven and performing dark rituals at his side. Zeffers brain had completely broke at this request, this outdoing their asking to become vampires in levels of sheer stupidity. He didn’t even know how to respond other then a resounding no.

Zeffer just stared in pure confusion, his eyes twitching. Okay he was done with these three. Zeffer just told them no, I’m not your dark master and I’m not gonna drink from you. They where genuinely upset by this, asking why not and where asking if he even was a real vampire? He sarcastically apologized for not being whatever image they had of vampires in their heads and just told them he’s not interested in creating some blood cult, besides humans can’t do magic.

“Can Too” Morgan told him indignantly, pouting. The three told Zeffer they really knew about magic and they could be so useful as his dark disciples and, and. Zeffer didn’t care to listen, he just walked away not wanting to be a part of this madness anymore, he had better things to do then argue with a bunch of idiots. What kind of strange, fucked up world has Evan gotten himself into where people actually WANT to be vampires and werewolves!? Zeffer just shivered and continued his search.

Zeffer had no luck finding his lover or any trace of him. Every allyway he searched had nothing of interest, again. In the backstreet he currently going down he found something interesting, a back ally vendor he could guess. An obese, dark skinned man wearing a jersey and sun glasses at night sat in a plastic chair overlooking a large vehicle. It’s back doors where open and showing what he had. This guy could be useful Zeffer thought to himself and decided to approach.

The man didn’t see him coming, jumping and shouting at him upon suddenly seeing him. “God damn man! Don’t sneak up on a brother like that with your crack head, skin diseased ass! Made me near shit my pants”! Judging by his reaction this guy could see through Zeffers disguise too and had a more ‘normal’ reaction thankfully. The man just glared at Zeffer, told him he don’t sell rocks and was asking what the hell he wanted. Zeffer just decided to ask his name and what he does sell.

The man introduced himself as fat tony with an f-a-t and is the sole owner and distributor of the little store in front of him. Handling all your night time needs, illegal or not. He also told Zeffer he don’t allow window shopping, so he can either buy something or leave. Zeffer asked if he sold phones and knew how to get ids? “Burner phones and fake id’s, that I most certainly can do” fat tony told him. Zeffer asked for phones and id’s for his full crew, minus one id for Elska.

He would have to pay upfront and in cash for this of course. He heard from the crew that gold coins don’t work here but did hear from Issac and Jeimos that they got a store owner to accept it after telling them it was solid gold. Taking a long shot Zeffer handed fat tony his coin purse as payment, he just looked in the bag and saw all the gold and silver coins and angrily asked “what the fuck is this”?.

Tony just threw the coins back at Zeffer and told him he’s not taking no Halloween props. Zeffer told him their real gold and silver but that didn’t sway him. Tony just asked if he looked like some kind of medieval merchant and told him he can either pay up or leave, it didn’t matter as long as it got Zeffer away from him faster.

Zeffer just left, realizing he wasn’t gonna get anywhere. The sun was rising so he was gonna have to go back to base, he also hadn’t drank that night and the blood thirst was basing at him. He always hated this but he was gonna needs to find a drink on the way back to bases. That’s when he noticed that a hooded figure was following him.

The hooded figure was walking behind him, a small distance but gaining. His hands where in his pockets and face covered, eyes staring directly at Zeffer. He knew this guy was gonna be trouble Zeffer looked at him he’d suddenly stop and just look around, but would continue his pursuit once Zeffer stopped looking.

The more Zeffer walked the faster the guy got, he was almost directly behind him now. He could hear the mans breathing and could see he was pulling something out of his pocket. The man grabbed Zeffer from behind, putting a gun to his head and told him he’s gonna hand over all his money or he’s gonna splatter his brain across the pavement.

Zeffer just laughed at him, that’s when the wanna be robber noticed Zeffers ghostly pale skins and glowing red eyes. He froze in a moment of hesitation, all the time Zeffer needed to break free and knock the gun out of his hand. His vampiric instincts took over as he bite the robber, deciding he will be his drink for tonight.

The man kicked and screamed trying to escape Zeffers grasp. His efforts where futile as Zeffer drank from him, his body falling lifeless to the ground after he was done with his feast. He always hated this, no matter who the victim was.

Curiously he checked his not so innocent victims pockets and didn’t find much but some cash. Deciding he wouldn’t be needing it anymore he pocketed the cash and went back to base for tonight.

*

I already stan Fat Tony. I love that Zeffer has this little cult of goth kids looking up to him, that’s hilarious! I’m imagining them trying to break into the hospital and save Evan for him or something, but who knows what will happen at this point. Things are getting really interesting! TO BE CONTINUED...?

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #326

“life by life  /  waste to waste  /  i'm the harbinger: the master of decay”

When you get married what do you think you’ll put most of your focus and money into? Do you mean like, for the wedding? Probably the venue. Or possibly the photographer. Have you ever had a teacher that also taught your parents? No. What’s something you complain about frequently? My legs. Are you afraid of falling in love? Very. Are you close to any of your aunts/uncles? Not very. Do you hate it when people smoke around you? Very much so. Do you own anything that is special edition? Yeah, things like DVDs. Do you have any funky bookmarks? I have this one meerkat bookmark where the image moves when you tilt it. Did you ever watch Pokemon? Hell yeah I did. Are there more females or males in your family? Females. Does anyone in your family snore loudly? My mom does due to having gerd. Dad did too when I actually lived with him. I wouldn't know nowadays. Do you own a camera tripod? Yes. Did you ever believe in mermaids? No. Have you ever purchased alcohol? Yes. Any essential quirks/interests/other you look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner? Similar interests, like being a metal fan and gamer especially, as well as a serious animal lover for sure. Any romantic gestures you really like? Okay if someone did that little bow thing while reaching out for my hand to dance, I'd melt, lol. I also appreciate love interests holding open doors, SHOWING INTEREST IN HOW I FCKN FEEL, asking permission before doing anything in sexual exploration, stuff like that. Any sexual fantasies? Are you daring enough to share one? Yep, not sharing those lmfao. Have you ever been in love? Twice. What is your favorite/least favorite word? My favorite is "serendipity/serendipitous," and my least favorite is "retarded." Have you ever been skinny dipping? No. If I actually had a body I was confident in, I probably would in privacy tho at night lmao. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Oh yeah. What is your favorite thing to do? Probably RPing with my favorite OCs when I'm in a really creative mood and during a great scene. Did you go to your senior prom? Yeah, I did. Prom's honestly pretty damn overrated, but I did it and his senior prom anyway. It's the picking out a beautiful dress and taking pictures that I loved. What did you do after graduation? I don't remember. We probably went out to eat or something. Favorite home cooked meal growing up? Spaghetti. What item most embarrasses you to purchase? Nothing, really. Do you give cards to people for holidays or events? No. Name the coolest thing about one of your grandparents. Uhhhhh idk. Name two things you put whipped cream on? I hate the texture of whipped cream. Do you ever eat peanut butter straight from the jar? Sometimes if I want a snack but am trying to be healthy-ish, I'll eat just a scoop. What was the last pill you took for? Pain. Do you prefer your clothes loose or close fitting? Loose, 100%. Favorite thing you’ve ever painted? Meerkats grooming. I did it in high school on a large piece of burlap. Are there any songs that remind you of your mother? "Take It Like a Woman" by Alice Cooper, for one. How did your elementary school teachers describe you? Very smart, sweet, friendly, and nice. Game you were best at in PE/gym? Pf, none. Obsession from childhood? Dinosaurs and Pokemon. Best way for someone to bond with you? Let's talk about deep stuff regarding the world or about how awesome animals are. Top 5 favorite Vines? Oh boy. There are just way too many. I'll try to name a few: 1.) the "I can't find my berries" saga guy; 2.) *in drive-thru, asked what he would like to order* "I wanna FUCKIN DIE"; 2.) "i cOUldA DROPpeD my CroISSAnt"; 3.) "it's Wednesday, m'dudes"; 4.) "a d a m"; 5.) "I WON'T HESITATE, BITCH." God, I miss Vine. What is the first meme you remember seeing? Holy cow, I have no idea. Sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes? Fantasy. Favorite tradition? Dressing up for Halloween, even though I don't do it anymore... Talent you’re proud of having? Writing. Favorite website from your childhood? Webkinz was unbeatable. I was obsessed. Any good luck charms? I don't believe in those. Favorite potato food? French fries. Tell me the color of your eyes, without using the name of a color: Uhhhh a cloudy sky right before rain? Ever been through a goth phase? Goth is my fucking AESTHETIC. I wish I could afford a truly gothic wardrobe, because you bet your sweet ass it's all I'd wear out. Can you remember your first phone? If so, what kind was it? I think so? It was a Blueberry, I believe. Who is your favourite character from Alice in Wonderland? Obviously the Cheshire cat. What is your favorite type of YouTube video to watch? Lately, it's been tarantula and snake channels/pet YouTubers. I still think my overall favorites are let's plays, but right now it's just stepping back a bit. What’s the next project you are excited to start? I have this pretty cool drawing I wanna do of a morbid meerkat doing a big toothy smile, doing a peace sign (but his fingers are syringes) with a crown blinking over his head. Inspired by the "Professional Griefers" lyric of "lab rat king." I just really wanna make it perfect and am procrastinating in fear of failing... Have you ever experienced a miracle? I don't think I believe in miracles. What are your top three names you like for a daughter? Alessandra, Justine, and Chloe, to name a few. Which did you like better: high school or college? High school, at least in most ways. What is the theme of your bedroom? It doesn't have a theme. My interests just kinda threw up everywhere, haha. Have you ever lived in a dorm? No. Were you raised religious? Yes. Do you do your own taxes, or do you hire a professional? I don't have to do taxes yet. What was the very first thing you ever saved up to buy with your own money? Venus was the first big thing, I think. Describe your favorite Christmas ornament: I don't know what that would be, honestly. We have so very many. What jobs did your parents have when you were growing up? Dad's always been a mailman, and he also had a second job as a carpenter for a while. Mom worked with special needs children at my elementary school as a teacher assistant. She also worked at the hospital at one point, doing some computer work. I don't remember her actual position. Are you taller than your mom? We're the same height. Would you marry someone if they were unable to have sex? Sure, that's not a big deal to me. Last reason you went to the ER? For myself, a suicide attempt/overdose. What was the last word document you typed? This survey, actually, so I could save progress as I combine them. What’s something you don’t think people take seriously enough? Global warming. Have you ever dated someone who had a child from a previous relationship? No. Is there any drama currently going on with your family? No. What was the last fruit or vegetable you chopped/sliced up? An apple. I wanted apple slices with peanut butter. What is your favorite Hostess/Little Debbie snack? Holy SHIT that is impossible. Maybe the devil cakes, but I really don't know. I love most of them. Do you/your family buy loaf from the bakery or bagged on the shelf? Bagged. White, wheat or other? Mom buys white bread, but my favorite is pumpernickel. What was the last non-fiction book you’ve read? (Not a school textbook!): I ain't got a clue. I don't really read non-fiction. What color are your headphones/earbuds? These are blue. Would you be embarrassed to find out you snored loudly in public? Yep. Thankfully, I don't snore. Do you feel guilty about killing bugs? Yep. How do you feel about coconut? Not a fan. ^ Ever cracked one open? Ha, I've always wanted to. Who did you last worry about and why? My mom. She's getting a CT scan ASAP due to chronic headaches and stomach pain, so I'm worried her cancer might be re-emerging. When was the last time you ate/drank something gross just to be polite? I don't know; I struggle to do this. If I don't like something, my face shows it. I can't help it. When did you last make up a baby’s bottle? Never. Do you have any framed black & white photos in your home? Who are they of? No. What’s the most expensive thing your car needed to get done? N/A If you had a thousand dollars to spend on a pricey brand you like but can’t really afford (until now of course), which ONE brand would you chose? I don't know. Real talk, I find most luxury brands to sell pretty ugly stuff... Do you like candy canes? Yeah. Do you still talk to any of your old teachers? Yes; one is my landlord. What color was the dress you wore to your senior prom? It was black. Ever go to another school’s prom? No. Do you like burning candles or incense? I love incense. Do you ever venture into the woods? What do you normally do in there? When I used to live in the woods, I did every now and then to take pictures. Does your significant other ever make you mix CDs? Single, but that would be so romantic. /swoons How did you dress your freshman year of high school? I was this emo/metalhead/goth creature. What is the best present you have ever received? My dog Teddy. <3 What is the best present you have ever given? I put the most effort into a scrapbook thing of well over a hundred reasons I loved my then-boyfriend Jason. Even though we're done, I honestly hope he still has it, just to remember. What is the best surprise you have ever had? Sara's parents paying for a flight up there to be with Sara for her birthday. Have you ever been robbed? No, thankfully. Ever kiss someone on the first date? No. Ever sleep with someone on the first date? Definitely a nope. Ever give someone a wrong phone number on purpose? No. What’s the strangest thing you have ever witnessed firsthand? I have no idea. It's... very morbid, but possibly dogs twitching after being euthanized. Seeing Teddy do it was such a strange, painful experience. Like there was still life in there... even though I know it was just his nerves doing their final hoorah and he was already dead. Ever seen a psychiatric ward? I've been in a mental hospital five or six times, so I'm uncomfortably familiar with them. What is the last thing you did that you didn’t want to do? Group therapy. I'm really burning out on it. Thankfully, I don't have it on the weekends. What is the last thing you convinced someone else to do? I dunno. If you could live in a different time, would you? When? Nah. Do you prefer to sleep alone or with someone else? Sleeping alone is more comfortably physically, but I usually prefer sleeping with a partner because there's this amazing feeling of safety, love, and companionship. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two. Do you prefer cold air and blankets, or warm air and no blankets? Cold air and blankets by ten miles. I can't sleep if I'm even remotely hot. How often do you dust? Sigh, not as much as I need to. What is the most "extreme" activity you have ever done? I haven't done very much that fits that description... so idk. Dr. Pepper or root beer? Dr. Pepper. I hate root beer. Last room you cleaned? Mine. Last thing you did that made you feel like an adult? Checked into the doctor's office by myself, haha... Talk about sad. What’s your favorite picture of your mom? Dad? It's not my business to actually share those pictures, but I can describe them. I fucking ADORE this candid photograph I took of my mom laughing; I will forever cherish it. It's morbid to think about, but it's absolutely a picture I'll frame of her once she's passed away. I don't have many pictures of Dad, but I do really like this picture we took together at Red Lobster once. Are you subscribed to anything (Magazines, monthly boxes, streaming sites, etc.)? Mom pays an Adobe Creative Cloud photography bundle subscription for me, but that's it. Last TV show series you finished? Fullmetal Alchemist with Sara. It was a rewatch for me, but she'd never seen it. What’s something exciting that’s happened to one of your friends recently? A childhood friend got engaged a few days back. Do you have any board games? If so, where do you keep them? We have a few somewhere. What were the last things you glued together? I don’t recall. What are your friends’ pets’ names? I'll just use Sara here since she's my best friend. She has two family dogs, Buster and Beesly, a cat named Winter, four ball pythons named Martha, Crowley, Little Dot, and Jane Marie, and Doris, a bearded dragon that I personally adore most. :') What all did you do today? I played World of Warcraft early this morning, but not for very long. I've been in a phase of being very uninterested in it lately. I've mostly just done surveys... lots of surveys. I'm just in the mood to. I've also been listening to music and watching John Wolfe play Amnesia: Rebirth periodically. If you live in a house, how many floors does it have? If you live in an apartment building, how many units does it have? It's just one floor. Would you like to live in a world with mythical creatures, even if they turned out to be evil or dangerous? Honestly... I probably would, haha. Are you scared of heights? Yes. When was the last time you lost something of great sentimental value? Did you ever end up finding it again? Never, I think and hope. What food do you find to be the most filling? Is this something you eat a lot of? Eggs or oatmeal. Not really. What do you think of people who purposefully train their dogs to fight or to be aggressive? They're fucking garbage human beings. If you suffer/have suffered with acne, do you squeeze your spots or do your best to just leave them be? Ugh, I was so bad (and still am if something pops up) about picking at it. Does your father have any hobbies? What are they? Sure. He loves sports, fishing, idk if he still plays video games, fantasy football... and I can't forget playing with his grandkids. It's hard for me to know all of them when I don't live with him and see him rarely. What did the last face mask you wore look like? It was just a white cotton one. Is there a specific song that you always request at parties? What is it? I don't go to parties. Would you rather read poetry or write poetry? Write it. Have you ever had any really infected injuries? I've had infected piercings as well as a badly infected pilonidal cyst. Is there any band out there that you like every song by them? No. Are you popular on any websites? No. What was the last song you listened to? Aaaaand now I'm hooked on "NIHIL" by 3TEETH. Are you currently texting anyone right now? No. When was the last time you played jump rope? Yikes, probably not since I was a kid. I used to love it. Who was the last person you offended? I dunno. What’s the earliest you’ve ever had to wake up for work? Not early. Do you know anyone who has changed their first name? I know trans people who have, yes. Do you know anyone who has been on life support and survived? No. At least, I don't believe so. Do your parents have a strong relationship together? They're divorced, and Mom at least can't stand him. Dad doesn't really care. Do you ever feel like you’re sharing too much about yourself online? Oh, I absolutely used to. I still might, idk. I've tried to reel it back some. How many windows are in the room you’re in? Eight, but they're just small, vertical rectangles stacked together, so it's not as revealing as it sounds. What was the last necklace you wore? My spiked choker, I think, for pictures. Or maybe the one I have with a bunch of big silver skulls. Do you think there are more dimensions than what we’re able to perceive? I don't think so, no. Does anyone in your family have schizophrenia? My half-sister on Dad's side that I've never met. Have you ever been in an abandoned house? A shack, yeah. Do you like art? I positively adore it. I could NOT imagine life without it. How about theatre? I don't care for it. Have you ever made breakfast for someone? Yes, for Sara. Do you talk to your crush? If you have one. Yeah, she's my best fren. If yes, what do you usually talk about? Nowadays I ask her almost daily how she's doing in regards to her progress of recovering from both serious physical and mental stressors. I try to always be an available ear if she ever wants to vent. Would you rather read or watch a video about something? Watch a video. In what ways have you fulfilled some of the hopes and dreams you had as a teenager? I've fulfilled none of those. What’s one stressful thing you’ve been trying to deal with lately? How have you been dealing with it? Inexplicable, chronic boredom/serious anhedonia. I've just... put up with it. I get pleasure out of essentially nothing most days, and it sucks big time. I just try to distract myself and force myself to do things I usually love, though I've been bad about actually succeeding in making me do said stuff... Is there a regional chain of store/restaurant/etc. in your area that you feel very loyal to? MOTHERFUCKIN BOJANGLE'S, BITCH. You think YOU have good fries somewhere? Oh hunny, sit down. Oftentimes, people warn us against getting tattoos or body modifications or dying our hair unnatural colors because we could be judged poorly for them. But has a more “alternative” look ever worked out in your favor? Well, I like myself better with my piercings and tattoos, and that's all that really matters to me. Do you have any daily routine/habit of that you’re really proud of keeping up? No. .-. Pick one of the following activities to do in a forest (assume you would be equally good at each one of these): Foraging for mushrooms, identifying trees, searching for specific types of bugs, trying to build something out of fallen branches and logs. Searching for bugs w/ my camera!!! But that all sounds fun. What’s the hardest class you’ve ever taken? My most recent math course that I failed horribly.

[loove-persevering]

The Other Holland (Steve Harrington Imagine)

Description: Barb had a sister, that sister is you. What happens when the answers don’t add up? What happens when you find yourself smitten over Steve Harrington in the process? Will you find out why Barb was alone that night and why Nancy left her? 

A/N: This is the start to a new series that Im so excited about! I haven’t seen a fic with Barb’s sister before! I think adding in a relationship with Steve (Seeing as him and Nancy were basically the reason Barb was alone) Would be a pretty big twist for the reader and how she could potentially find out! Let me know what you think! Should I continue? 

 Barb was your big sister, you were almost total opposites but she kept you grounded that was for sure. Ever since she went missing you could just picture her walking through that door like she usually did, you would both sit down and have dinner with your parents and talk about your day just like old times. But now that seemed like such a distant memory, because Barb had been missing a while and without her home didn’t feel like home anymore. 

  you remember the day you found out she was missing it was just like any other day, she had told you her and Nancy were going to the ceremony for Will Byers to show support. The only thing was you knew for a fact she wasn’t there, you were and you didn’t see her that entire night. Hawkins was a pretty small town and while the turnout was big it wouldn’t have been hard for you to find her in the crowd. 

 ‘’Hey Nancy?’’ You ask interrupting her conversation with Steve, Tommy, and Carol. 

‘‘Y/N hey,’‘ You say noticing the awkward tone in her voice. 

‘‘I was wondering if you’ve seen Barb? I didn’t see her this morning and I haven’t seen her all day.’‘ You explain nervously feeling all of them looking at you. 

‘‘Uh,’‘ She hesitates looking around at the rest of them, ‘‘I think she’s at the library, she had some studying to do she said.’‘ She explains to you. You nod your head giving her a small smile before quickly making your way to the library in search of your sister. 

 You never found her that day, and when you went home your mom and dad were both in full panic mode, first Will Byers and now Barb? ‘’Mom I’m sure she’s okay, It’s Barb!’’ You try and assure her. If you knew one thing it was that your sister wasn’t much of a fighter but she knew how to take care of herself, she was easily the smartest person in the room at all times and it showed and if she was in danger she’d know how to get out of it. 

 It’s been a while since she disappeared and Steve and Nancy were coming over for dinner tonight, something they had been doing since she went missing. You really didn’t understand why but you didn’t question it since you liked Nancy, Steve too. You had always had a crush on Steve but you were a year younger than them and he was head over heels for Nancy that was one thing Barb had been telling you about before she went missing. She was saying how different Nancy had been acting since her and Steve began dating and how she was scared once Nancy got in with Steve and all his friends that she would forget about her. You assured her Nancy wouldn’t do that, her and Barb had been best friends for so long that their friendship would last till they were old and wrinkly. That was only a few weeks before she disappeared.  

 You hear the door bell ring and you get up excited to see someone other than your parents for a change. Just like Barb you were ahead in your studies and doing really well in school but with her missing you had taken some time off and the school allowed you to fulfill your studies at home. You swing open the door seeing Steve and Nancy standing there and Nancy rushes in giving you a hug, Steve gives you a one handed hug that was pretty awkward but you appreciated the gesture. ‘’Hey!’’ You say to them both. 

Your mom walks in then ushering them into the dining room already having set up for dinner, they just bought KFC. We use to have a lot more home cooked meals but when Barb went missing it seemed like any food we made in this house stopped as nobody had the effort to cook anything. ‘’I love KFC,’’ Steve says taking a bite of his chicken leg and you hold back a laugh and you see him glance in your direction giving you a small smile. 

You made some small talk for a while about school and it seemed odd not having Barb around because while Nancy’s life was in full swing you couldn’t help but wonder what Barb would be doing right now if she was here. ‘’I noticed a for sale sign out front?’’ Nancy says in more of a questioning tone, ‘’I hope that’s the neighbors.’’ 

 You felt yourself shrink back into your seat as your mom looked to your dad then back to Steve and Nancy, ‘’We hired a man named Murray Bauman, he was an investigative journalist for the Chicago Sun Times. He does some freelance now and agreed to take Barb’s case.’’ She says excitedly. You had your doubts about the man, one half hoped more than anything he’d find your sister and bring her home. But on the other hand you were scared your parents were going to put out all this money and get nothing only to be left with our hearts more torn then they already were. 

‘‘That’s great!’‘ Steve says looking over the card your father had tucked away in his pocket. ‘‘That’s really great, right Nanc?’‘ Steve asks showing the card to her. 

‘‘What exactly does that mean?’‘ Nancy asks. 

‘‘It means he’s gonna do what that lazy son of a bitch Jim Hopper-’‘ Your father lets out your mom touching his arm letting him know he was saying too much. 

‘‘Dad,’‘ You say looking at him with pleading eyes and he mutters a sorry under his breath. 

‘‘It means were going to find our Barb,’‘ Your mom says and you can feel the raw emotion in her voice the mix of sadness but hope. 

‘‘Is that why your selling the house?’‘ Nancy asks. She looks over to you and you nod your head yes. 

‘‘Yep,’‘ You say and for the first time in a while Steve looks over at you sympathetically. 

‘‘Don’t you worry about us sweetie, we’re fine. More than fine!’‘ She lies. Truth was none of you were fine you were walking around on egg shells around each other. You hadn’t been in Barb’s room since the last time you talked to her in there, you couldn’t bare to look at it not knowing if you’d ever be able to just walk in her room and talk with her again. While barb and you were different you had a special connection with one another, you didn’t look like sisters but you had the exact same personality one that was older beyond your years. You knew things your parents didn’t want to tell you, you knew how mad they were that the Hawkins police couldn’t find her. 

You watch Nancy shift uncomfortably in her seat and then look to Steve who was watching her closely. She excuses herself and your left in awkward silence, ‘’It’s finger lickin’ good,’’ He says and you look at him a hint of a smile on your face. After a few minutes of more awkward silence you walk back to the bathroom wanting to make sure Nancy was okay and you can hear crying from the other side of the door. You wait outside for a few minutes and she finally comes out her eyes still filled with tears she quickly wipes them when she notices you. 

‘‘I get it,’‘ You say trying to sound strong. It was one thing to be the sister of the girl who’d gone missing, people were always asking if you were okay and how your parents were doing. You hadn’t thought about how you weren’t the only person that lost someone, Nancy had lost her best friend. ‘‘You’re her best friend.’‘ You tell her giving her a smile. 

‘‘She’s mine,’’ She says smiling at you through her tears. ‘‘I’m so sorry Y/N I-’‘ She begins to say but is cut off when Steve walks in the hallway. 

‘‘Everything okay?’‘ He asks looking to Nancy then you. 

‘‘Yeah,’‘ You say nodding at him. You look back and forth between him and Nancy not really sure what to say. 

‘‘You should come hangout with us sometimes Y/N,’‘ Nancy says. Steve gives her a look, ‘‘Get your mind off everything, I can’t imagine being here all the time..’‘ She says and you nod looking around the house noticing more pictures of Barb. 

‘‘Yeah,’‘ Steve agrees giving you a nod, ‘‘We can go to a movie or get some ice cream or whatever you wanna do!’‘ Steve suggest. 

‘‘I’d really like that,’‘ You tell them truthfully, it would be nice to get out and do something normal. ‘’You guys are leaving soon?’’ You ask them and they both look to each other and nod. 

‘‘Yeah it’s getting late,’‘ Nancy says. 

‘‘Alrighty!’‘ You say and offer to walk them to the door. You walk them out and your parents wish them a goodbye, before they leave Nancy pulls you aside. 

‘‘You should come to Tina’s party with us, on Halloween!’‘ She suggest. 

‘‘I don’t know...I’ve never really been to a party.’‘ You say rubbing your hands over your arm feeling the cold air. ‘‘Who would drive?’‘ You ask. 

‘‘I would!’‘ Steve interrupts. ‘‘Don’t worry I’m a safe driver,’‘ He says smiling admirably. 

‘‘I’ll come,’‘ You say to them and they both smile and wish you a goodnight. You liked Nancy a lot, she was sweet and pretty and funny and in a way kind of like another sister to you. Since you were so close in age Barb and her didn’t really mind when you’d tag along with them, you knew Nancy had a younger brother and usually got really annoyed with him. 

 There was one thing you were itching to ask her though, if her and Barb were together that night then how did Barb go missing? Where was Nancy? How did nobody see anything? You constantly asked yourself these questions and maybe one day you’d finally get an answer, you could only hope that would be the day your sister came home. 

 PART 2 COMING SOON (Please leave feedback so I know people want more:)) 

Part 2

[prorevenge]

A Story of a 15 Year Old Badass

WARNING: this is really long, but it’s worth the read!

When I was 14, I started high school, like most 14 year olds are scheduled to do, but I really didn’t feel ready.

Even though I was in an extremely dark place, I was really hopeful that high school would be the opportunity I needed to get my life back. On the first day of school, I was boy crazy because I was hanging out with other girls who were and I figured that it could be a fix for my depression. My mother is a pastor, so other than getting prayed for and praying, there was nothing being done to treat my depression and the only thing my mother could think of was to spank me and punish me whenever I self-harmed or isolated myself. I spent the entirety of my first day, ogling boys and envying girls I compared myself to. At the end of the school day, I was walking to my bus and saying bye to my friends and bumped into a white boy, with long, very curly hair and coke bottle glasses. He had a bandanna wrapped across his head, rainbow tie-dye shirt, and a faux cow suede vest with fringes. He was holding his skateboard in one hand and smoking a cigarette with the other. When we looked at each other, all I could say was “my bad, dude...i respect your vibe” and I walked away, occasionally looking back at him and saw that he was still looking at me and I waved before getting on my bus and he waved back.

The next day, I asked everyone if they knew “a hippy looking boy with coke bottle glasses” and finally someone said, they knew Tony. They continued to inform me that he was a junior, he was a huge pot head, and he didn’t “believe in relationships, so, aside from his ex, no girl can tie him down”. They said they saw always him in the Drama hallway, with all of the theater kids. I made a plan with my best friend, Keke, to go to the Drama hallway and pretend to sign up for the play after school. As soon as we went, we were greeted with a round of applause and hugs from the older thespians, who were thrilled to see fresh meat show an interesting in their pride and joy. We introduced ourselves and, after announcing my name out loud so all thirty-sum people could hear me, one person immediately said “Iris*...a girl named Iris...nice to meet you”, and as you suspect, it was Tony.

(my name is a dead giveaway of my identity because it’s a boy’s name and there aren’t a lot of girls who share my name)

To speed things along, I ended up joining the Drama club, primarily because I felt like it was the perfect niche for me but also because Tony was in it. I signed up to do hair and makeup for the fall play and tony was a part of stage crew, where they stay after school every day and assist the contractor in building a custom design set for each production. I asked him if there were any girls in stage crew, and aside for one older girl who graduated already, it was mainly a small group of guys. As you can guess, I joined and so did Keke because we were adamant about having each other’s backs. I was partially interested in woodwork and building at the time (I was 14 and I managed to mount my TV to my wall by myself) so I was looking forward to learning how to use a nail gun, a saw machine, stain wood, design something, take precise measurements, and have everything come together into something beautiful. After week two of high school, Keke and I were staying after school every day to work on the set for the play and I was able to get to know Tony, without looking too desperate. He asked me to be his girlfriend on the last Friday of September. I told him that it felt like the last true day of summer, and I also told him I never had a boyfriend or kissed a guy before. We had an established routine of going to the lake, parallel to my high school, and eating lunch before stage crew started (we had from 2:15-3:30, to be exact). He kissed me after I asked him if I could try his cigarette and started cough after one pull. We walked back to campus holding hand and it felt like we were making our debut as a couple because almost everyone looked at us. It was like in those high school movies, where everyone’s attention is on the focal point and it’s really dramatic. I felt accomplished because I, a freshman, was the one who tied down Tony Bologna, one of the ten most longed for boys in my high school. Little did I know, he was the biggest can of worms in the tristate area and my dumbass opened the fucking can, y’all. My brother, who was also a junior, told me I was dumb and advised me to end things with him, but I assumed he was just being protective of me.

As we dated, he taught me everything I was willing to learn about. I learned how to skateboard, how to smoke cigarettes without coughing, how to buy them without looking like I wasn’t old enough and which type of cigarettes to smoke. I learned the different levels and intensities of kissing. I learned how to navigate the hallways of high school without looking like a lost duckling and I smelled weed, for the first time intentionally. A girl, who was senior in the drama club and I worshipped on a semi-regular basis, came up to me and told me that heard a rumor that I was dating Tony and wanted to let me know. I told her that it wasn’t a rumor and her entire tone shifted. She asked me if I was sure we were officially together because he has a reputation to go for vulnerable freshman just to manipulate them and have sex, and I told her that we’d already been serious for about a month and I was a virgin but he respected the fact that I wasn’t ready. As soon as I said I was a virgin, her eyebrows went up and she laughed in my face. She apologized for laughing, and said “I’m not laughing at you being a virgin, I just didn’t realize Tony wasn’t addicted to sex anymore...when we were together, all he wanted to do was have sex with me so I broke up with him. I didn’t realize he’s a new person now, and I never really fell out of love with him...thank you for letting me know!”

I should have paid more attention to what she said about the sex thing, but I was so jealous. She was THE ex, and she was a senior, and she was such a confident badass. I told him about the conversation during our daily lunch at the lake and he said that “even though 30% of me would still date Sam*, and 80% of me would definitely still fuck her, I’m crazy about you and I don’t want to lose you”, and I thought that was the most romantic thing ever. In an effort to compete with her, I started adjusting my style and wore more black. I wasn’t willing to give up my virginity to compete with her, but I knew that they both smoked weed and drank. I heard rumors about him being a drug dealer and selling weed, acid, molly, coke, shrooms, and etc., but I didn’t believe it to be true for a second. In October, he told me about a halloween/birthday party his friend was throwing and ask if I could come. I meticulously planned it out: I asked my mom if I could spend the night at a friend’s house nearby and she happily agreed, thinking that my mental health was finally improving. I went to CVS and used my lunch money to buy liquid eyeliner and dark red lipstick. After school, we went to his house and I met his very sweet and liberal parents. We stayed in the movie area of the basement and watched Benchwarmers and made out the whole time. He directed my hand to where he wanted it (y’all know what I’m saying) and showed me the specific motion. I didn’t feel confident enough to continue so I straddled him and attempted to grind in skinny jeans. After ten minutes of that nonsense, I felt like a new woman and he was definitely proud of me. We went upstairs to eat dinner shortly after and being in the presence of a functional family that loved and respected each other made me feel so uncomfortable, so I was pretty silence. After we all ate dessert and watched “Adventure Time” in the living room, he drove me to my friend’s house and we planned to meet up at the party. I wore black shorts, with fishnets underneath, combat boots, and a grey cropped sweater with skulls on it. My friend did my make up and we walked 10 blocks, in late October weather without coats at 10:30PM, to the party. When we got there, we saw grown ass adults, between 18-30 years old, and we thought we were at the wrong place. I saw his ex, Sam, and realized I was exactly where I needed to be. A 26 year old man greeted me, saying he was Tony’s best friend, and gave me a vodka bottle, filled with what I thought was just orange juice. I never tasted alcohol so I didn’t realize that it was the weird taste I noticed in the orange juice and I drank the entire thing without really pausing, on an empty stomach. As soon as Tony came, several guys rushed greet him and I stood up and tried to walk towards him...and that vodka HIT me like a goddamn truck. I threw my body on him and he immediately knew I was drunk. He started asking me how I got drunk and what I had to drink and why I drank so much and repeatedly asked if I was okay. He sat down in my chair and placed me on his lap and fed me water, without making it obvious to people that I was really drunk. Drunk me appreciated the care and attention he gave me in that moment and, in combination with my first dry hump experience earlier, I was feeling really confident and in love. I whispered in his ear that I loved him and he whispered it back, then I started whispering about doing a bunch of sexual things with him and to him and rubbing my butt against him, without realizing that we were sitting in a circle of people passing around three blunts. I felt Sam looking at us a few times and I decided to look her dead in the eye after passionately kissing Tony. I felt like such a badass, so when Tony was hitting one of the blunts, I took it from his hands and took a good hit to celebrate my victories, and coughed my lungs out. When Tony was ready to leave, he drove my friend and I back to her house and, after I changed and wiped my make up off, her older sister dropped me off at my house. That was where things took off for me.

I managed to do a variation of this routine for the entire school year. My parents were convinced that I wasn’t depressed anymore, but being around his stable family so often made me resentful of mine and I always picked a fight with them, by criticizing the way they always dismissed me and ignored how badly my mental health was. Tony and his friends taught me how to roll a blunt and a joint and how to handle my liquor. I found solace in my pot head boyfriend and his unemployed adult friends, and I clung to him as my feelings got stronger. He suggested ecstasy as a remedy for my depression and, after taking it, I decided to stop self harming completely and I grew even more infatuated with him. In March, he was arrested for having an ounce of weed, a ziplock back with molly, and an entire sheet of acid wrapped in aluminum foil, in his locker. He wasn’t allowed to return to school until the next year and he had to take drug classes and attend meetings every day. After a month, he was allowed to take night classes so he wouldn’t fall behind on school. For some reason, I thought that WE were going through this tough time and I kept insisting that we were going to “get through this together”. It annoyed the shit out of him and he became really distant for the rest of the school year but I didn’t want to push him away even more, so I gave him space when he wanted it and I continued to hang out with his friends, do stage crew and hair and make up, and I even got casted in the spring musical. Over the summer, we periodically hung out, but it felt like we weren’t even dating. Whenever people asked about him, I would make up some lie about how he was doing better and I regularly saw him, as if our relationship wasn’t in limbo. I turned 15 and, towards the end of the summer, we started talking and seeing each other more and our relationship felt brand new. He wasn’t selling drugs anymore or smoking cigarettes, but he still smoked weed and such. My best friend, Keke, told me to break up with him after he got arrested, but I told her that she couldn’t possibly understand what I was going through. I told her that on our one year anniversary, I was going to have sex with him. She told me that I was an idiot for sticking with him and that letting him take my virginity was the dumbest thing I could do. Mind you, Keke lost her virginity before we even started high school, and she regularly smoked weed with her 35 year old mom, so I didn’t know why she had such an issue with me doing the same things.

When September came, and sophomore year started, I had a pixie cut, I developed my own style that I was confident in, and I got a new pair of glasses that looked just like Tony’s. I met him at his locker before the first class started and he was annoyed that I got glasses that looked like his. I asked him if he was still interested in stage crew and he said he wouldn’t want to do it if I planned on signing up too. I told him I was planning on auditioning for the play and I wasn’t just doing stage crew because of him. I didn’t want to give it up just because he believed I was only doing it for him, so I stuck with stage crew and I auditioned, and I got an understudy role. Keke continued to do stage crew with me also, even though she wasn’t interested in it, and I was planning to only talk to her and the others after Tony upset me, but our friendship wasn’t the same after we got into the argument where she called me an idiot. For some reason, Tony noticed that Keke and I weren’t talking and asked her why, but they were consistently having conversations and completely forgot about me. Whenever they were talking it was always at a distance where I couldn’t hear what they were saying and when I tried to enter one of their conversations, they would stop talking and look at me until I walked away. I told Tony what Keke said about breaking up with him and he told me that she was just being a good friend and, based on what she told him, I was a bitch to her. I told Keke that Tony thought I was copying him, and even though she knew I was just into stage crew and I just liked my glasses and they had nothing to do with him, she agreed that I was copying him and I told me I looked like a desperate, lost puppy and, based on what he told her, I turned him off.

The week prior to our one year anniversary, I messaged Keke and apologized for being insensitive. I begged her to help me prepare for my first time because I was really nervous and after sending her a dozen messages, she replied back, saying this:

“You have to stop. You can’t have sex with Tony and you have let it go. You weren’t being a bitch and I’m not mad at you. I just feel guilty and it’s really hard to be friends with you because of what I did. I don’t even know how to tell you this and I’m scared you’ll never talk to me again if I tell you.”

After assuring her that I wouldn’t cut her off, she confessed that her and Tony have been having sex since him and I first started dating. She admitted that she told me to break up with him because she was jealous and she called me an idiot because she couldn’t stand how much I trusted and loved her and Tony. She told Tony about my plan on our anniversary and he started pushing me away because he felt guilty too. He told her not to tell me the truth and that he was going to eventually break with me to be with her, but she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

THE REVENGE: I was in such shock, that all I could do was thank her for telling me the truth. I told her I needed space and I asked her not to tell Tony about our conversation at all. I didn’t tell her that I had a plan but I knew that virtue had no place in this situation. We proceeded to stay together and I acted like I didn’t know about him cheating on me. I gave him less attention than I normally did and he started coming to my locker instead and would text me first. It wasn’t obvious that I was mad or upset with him, but I really couldn’t stand to be around him or even pretend to. I would dodge his kissing without thinking and walking away without hugging him, so he knew something was up. I told him that I was acting weird because it bothered me that he thought I was copying him, and he felt so horrible. He spent the entire day apologizing, telling me that he loved me and that he was going to make up for it on our anniversary.

On our anniversary, I dressed up a bit and wore a black high waisted mini skirt and a black cropped Pink Floyd t-shirt and my classic high top converse. He came to my locker with a few sunflowers and was shook when he saw me. He told me that I looked as sexy as the day he met me. Our original plan was to have a picnic by the lake after school, then go to his house when his parents were out for bible study and have sex.

INSTEAD, I snuck outside during lunch to the student parked lot and keyed “CHEATER” on the hood of his car. I put on the dark purple lipstick I wore fairly often and left kisses on his side mirrors. I wrote “Fuck you, Manhoe!” on his rear window with the lipstick. I snuck back into school before lunch was over and I texted him and told him to meet me by the lake for our picnic, instead of coming to my locker. The lake is across the street from the student parking lot, so he would have to pass his car to get to the lake, which is exactly what I wanted. I told Keke to pretend to be confused if he accuses her of telling me the truth and she did exactly that. People were taking pictures of his car and sending them to me, asking me if I did it and I never admitted to being responsible. My brother sent me a picture of Tony’s car also and told me that he was proud of me. After Keke told me the truth, I asked his close friends if they knew and they were all shocked and pissed off and disappointed in him. I also asked them not to mention anything and told them I had a plan. One of his closest friends, Jerry*, who was 20 years old and practically Tony’s mentor, was the most upset. He knew how much I loved Tony and offered to listen to me if I ever wanted to talk and we ended up talking nonstop, about Tony, about personal things, about everything. He mentioned that he thought I was flawless and he was envious of Tony for finding me before him because he would have never fuck up a chance with me. I told him about my plan on Tony’s car and he loved how petty it was. Jerry offered to pick me up from school and take me out to eat to get my mind off of my one year anniversary with Tony, and after celebrating the success of my petty revenge over a meal together, he kissed me and invited me over to his house. Jerry knew I was a virgin and he asked me why I felt ready to lose my virginity to Tony. I explained to him that I was determined to have my first time with someone who I was in love with, but after Tony crushed me, I completely stopped caring about losing my virginity with someone I was in love with because doing so would set me up for heartbreak, regardless of who it’s with. After agreeing with me and telling me that I had a mature thought process, I kissed Jerry. I got on top of him and we ended up having sex. The next day, we did the same thing, and I had lunch and sex with him every day for two weeks until I found out he was engaged and blocked his number after his fiancée messaged me and threatened to end her life if I didn’t leave him alone.

After Tony saw his car on our anniversary, he took pictures of it and sent them to me. He asked me how I found out and if Keke told me about them and I pretended to be completely clueless and surprised, and so did Keke. He couldn’t figure out if I did it or if Keke did it and, when he realized we were both “confused” and upset when he accused us, he stopped trying to figure out who it was. Keke and I didn’t really get back to being friends, but I know she didn’t tell Tony that I was the one who fucked his car up because she was also heartbroken over him and she didn’t want him to think that he had a chance with her, so she let him believe that both of us were potentially responsible. She had no idea I was going to fuck his care up, but she did commend me for doing so. I broke up with him when he sent me pictures of his car and mentioned “Keke telling me about them”. He never admitted that he was sleeping with Keke, but I acted like I had no idea what he was talking about when he texted me and I kept asking him what he meant about “Keke telling me about them”, and I pretended to put two and two together, and told him that it was over if he didn’t explain himself, and he never did.

After he stopped selling drugs, a lot of people ghosted him and when he told his close friends about everything that happened, they told him that they already knew everything and that he was foolish for fucking things up with me. They also told him that Jerry and I were having sex (which is probably how Jerry’s fiancée found out). Tony eventually came clean and apologized to me for cheating on me and asked for another chance to be with me. I accepted his apology and declined his request to get back together. We haven’t talked since then and he still doesn’t know who fucked his car up. :-)

TD;LR: My first boyfriend cheated on me, with my best friend, the entire time we dated because I wasn’t ready to lose my virginity, so I fucked his car up and had sex with his best friend.

(source) story by (/u/cutebugsmallhands)

[the-captains-ayebrows]

I am curious about the Fall for CS story.

Hi there, Nonny! Thanks for the ask!

It was/is a grocery store meet cute between single mom Emma and Children’s Book author Killian. I had the beginning going fairly well, but I couldn’t ever figure out where the plot should go from there. 

Here’s the (unedited) part I actually wrote in case anyone is interested - with a cut so as not to clog dashboards:

“I’m hanging up now. I need both hands to park.” Not a complete lie, Emma thinks. Her ancient Volkswagen does require both hands, both feet and a little bit of Jesus-take-the-wheel to maneuver through the overcrowded parking lot. The real reason she wants to hang up on Ruby, however, is because she’s so tired of hearing--

“So whatcha buying at the grocery store today? More chocolate? You know it’s been scientifically proven that chocolate produces the same brain chemicals as an orgasm, so why not just--”

“Ruby, no.”

“You can’t argue with science, Emma.”

“I’m not arguing with science, I’m arguing with you. For the millionth time, I do not need to get laid. I’m fine. Not to mention I don’t have time for a guy, between work and Henry and--”

“You’re telling me you don’t have six minutes for scientific purposes?”

“No, I do not have--Wait, six minutes?”

Emma can actually hear the leer in Ruby’s voice. “If you’ve got a partner who knows what they’re doing.”

“I don’t know whether to be horrified or impressed right now.”

“Both. Definitely both.”

“Okay, but the thing is, I’m parked now. Gotta go. Bye.”

“Fine, fine. Go buy a mountain of chocolate. I hope it keeps you warm at night.”

“Hey, the chocolate is for Henry’s school carnival!”

“Sure, girl. Whatever you have to tell yourself. Bye!”

With a frustrated grunt and grinding of gears, Emma shifts her beloved yellow Beetle into park. Not that kind of frustrated. Ruby’s wrong. Very very wrong.

She continues to muse on how wrong Ruby is as she yanks a shopping cart free from the cart barn just inside the sliding glass doors. Emma Swan’s life is full, overflowing even. Especially this year when Henry finally has Mary Margaret for a teacher after years of wishing to be in “Aunt M&M’s” class, because of course, when one of your best friends is your son’s teacher you find yourself volunteering for all sorts of school activities. Almost as if your name appears on the parent sign-up sheet by magic. Kinda like how she’d found herself responsible for buying all the candy for the 5th grade class booth at Storybrooke Elementary’s Halloween Fest.

Emma swerves at the last second to avoid smashing her cart into a card table set up at the end of an aisle, and whose bright idea was it to put that thing there? She mutters an apology to the vaguely man-shaped individual sitting there, but doesn’t give him much more thought.  Probably a poor schmuck getting paid minimum wage to annoy people into changing their cable provider or some such bullshit. She takes a hard left and continues on her way. The guy might have said something to her as she passed, but it didn’t register. All she wants to do is grab a gluttonous amount of candy--most of which is definitely for Henry’s school carnival--and go home. To a nice glass of wine. And to not thinking about Ruby’s commentary on her love life.

Emma dutifully loads bag after bag of “fun size” candy bars into her cart. Maybe she grabs a few extra of her favorites, but those aren’t for her. It’s for the kids. She’s a damn saint. Henry should be happy with her at least. Operation Sugar Coma or whatever catchy little name he’s come up with for his class booth ought to be a complete success.

As Emma strolls down to the end of the aisle before making her way back up the next toward the check out, she falls into that a special kind of supermarket trance that only a mom who’s finally getting to do the shopping without her kid along can understand. Eyes glazed over. Colorful packaging and fellow shoppers passing by all strangely out of focus. Actually able to hear her own thoughts. That is, until--

“I’m coming to your house, love.”

The voice snaps Emma back to alertness, her wide-eyed stare finally landing on the guy at the table she is now passing for the second time. Her instincts put her immediately on the defensive, ready to maul this creep who is… who is…

Who is mischievously grinning at her with perfect white teeth and a wry tilt to his full, sensuous lips. And if he were just a pretty mouth, it’d be bad enough, but the rest of his face is pretty damn pretty, too. He dips his chin, looking up at her through unfairly long eyelashes and raises his dark eyebrows encouragingly. Her reply, when she finally remembers to make one, is a profound and very badass-

“Huh?”

He leans back in his cheap, plastic folding chair and gestures lazily to her cart. “You’ve got the good candy. I’d surely enjoy a piece.”

Her pulse jumps. She isn’t even really sure why. He said it completely straight-faced, but there was just… Just a little quirk of his eyebrow or flicker of his tongue behind his teeth or… Nuh-uh. Nope. She’s in no mood for nosy best friends or flirty cable guys. She tightens her grip on her cart handle.

“Nice try, but these goodies aren’t for you.” She puts as much sneer into her voice as she can and stalks off, the sound of his laughter behind her eventually fading into the ambient noise.

She’s halfway to the register when she realizes there are a few more items she should probably pick up while she’s at the store. Bread, milk, toilet paper, Lunchables. You know, actual non-chocolate groceries. Still, she forces herself to walk all the way down to the produce section before turning her cart so the smart-mouthed stranger doesn’t get the idea she’s hiding from him or something.

Because she’s not hiding. Emma Swan does not hide. Avoid maybe, but not hide. Honestly she’s not even thinking about him anymore, not much anyway.

Maybe his stupid smirky face popped into her head while she internally debated whether Henry would notice if she bought generic mustard and funnelled it into the empty French’s bottle. And maybe while she grabbed a week’s worth of lunches from the frozen section, it occurred to her that he must be freezing sitting so close to the ice cream with the top buttons of his shirt undone like that. God, man-cleavage is so cheesy. That’s probably why the cable company put him there. Some flirty, enticing little treat to lure in all the female shoppers. Or hell, maybe the male ones, too. Who was she to judge?

Well, it wouldn’t work on her. Emma had a will of iron and a Netflix subscription, so she didn’t need anything this guy had to offer. And if he tried to chat her up again she’d tell him so. Again. Except that…

She realizes that what she thought were pamphlets on his table are the wrong size. They look more like… books? Kid books, probably, if the brightly colored cover art is anything to go by. The closer she gets to the table, the more apparent it becomes that the guy is a) attempting to sell said books and b) not doing a very good job of it. Most of the shoppers that pass don’t even look at him (like how?) and the few that do just wave him off and go on their way.

He seems really bored and kinda lonely and it tugs at something in Emma’s gut. She remembers feeling alone and invisible. Nowadays she has a son she loves to pieces and a handful (yeah, Ruby is definitely a handful) of well-intentioned if meddlesome friends, but she still remembers. So, she decides to go talk to the guy. Throw him a bone, or whatever. Not that kind of bone.

He doesn’t look up as she approaches, focused instead on the sharpie he’s fiddling with. Admittedly the rolling movement of his fingers as the pen twirls from knuckle to knuckle is distracting as hell, and it takes some effort for her to redirect her attention to the cover of a book.

“Killian Jones?”

He perks up instantly. “Ah, so you’ve heard of me?”

His smile is dazzling and his eyes are a little too blue. It does weird fluttery things to Emma’s stomach. She’s not about to stand for that. She glances pointedly at a stack of books.

“Just reading the cover.”

His smile dims and the hand holding the sharpie reaches up to scratch behind his ear. “Ah. I see. I’d honestly be surprised if you had. We self-published types rarely attain much in the way of name recognition. Otherwise I wouldn’t be hawking my wares in a grocery store.”

Well, shit. Now she feels even more awkward. She came over here to… Well, she’s not really sure why she came over here, but it wasn’t to be a buzzkill.  She tries again, picking up the top book in the stack and turning it over in her hands without really looking at it.

“So, you’re the author then?”

He nods. “Indeed. Though, erm, you’re not exactly the target demographic of that particular work.”

It’s then that Emma notices the cutesy drawing of a puppy dressed as a pirate, complete with a little hook on one paw and a trick-or-treat bag clutched in the other. It’s actually pretty adorable and Emma finally lets a tiny hint of smile break through.

“Jolly Roger, huh? So the puppy decides to be a pirate for Halloween?”

“Aye. You see, it’s a bit sad at first because Roger doesn’t want to go to his friends’ Halloween party. They’re all dressing up as superheroes and he doesn’t think he can be a hero because he’s missing one paw. Fortunately he has a big brother puppy to set him straight and teach him that he doesn’t have to be like everyone else. It might even be more fun to be a little different. So they decide on Captain Hook for a costume, Roger goes to the party and wins the costume contest.”

Okay well that’s charming. She’s officially charmed. Dammit. She can hear Ruby’s voice cackling somewhere in the back of her mind. “You know, my son may be a little old for picture books, but I do have a best friend who’s an elementary school teacher. She might be interested in some of your books for the school library. Do you have a business card, or…?”

Now his original smirk is back in full force as he stands and withdraws a card from the pocket of his very, very well-fitted jeans. He leans closer holding the card between two fingers, and Emma eyes can’t to decide where to look. At the card, which is conveniently located right next to the open placket of his shirt, thus putting an enticing view of chest hair in her line of sight. Or into his eyes which seem to be twinkling at her. Or worst of all at his lips which seem to be saying something… Oh right, she should probably be listening right now.

“If you wanted my number love, you needn’t stand on ceremony.”

Emma snatches the card from his hand and rolls her eyes. “Does that routine work on all the moms?”

[sweethails]

Prompt List #2 (D-H)

Send a request with the number(s) and which prompt list it’s from if you don’t give me the prompt list I will just assume its from #1. and also Give me the character you want!  

[Example request]: Can I please have number 2 from prompt list #7 and  number 72 from prompt list #10 for peter parker where the reader finds out Pete’s spiderman

You can send in your own prompt(s) or just send in a request without one. these are here to use at your leisure (Most of these are not mine. Credit goes to those who made them.) I am add to this list occasionally so check back later for new ones. This is prompt #2 (D-H)

I do not take straight up smut requests even if some prompts sound slightly dirty. (I might change my mind who knows send me your smut request and i might decide to do it) There may be some repeat prompts but bare with me I’m trying to clean them up. Thanks enjoy!!!!!!

There are 289 prompts in this list

D-did I ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are?“

Daddy, how did you and mommy fall in love?”

Damn, when did y/n get hot?“

Damn, you’re strong for a little thing.”

Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.“

Dance with me!”

Dance with me.“

Dance with me? But there’s no music!”

Dear Diary, …"

Define normal.“

Despite what you think, I am completely capable of taking care of myself”

Detention? again?“

Diamonds.”

Did I ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are?“

Did it ever occur to you that you’re hurting me too?”

Did someone eat half of the cookies?!?“

Did someone spike the eggnog?”

Did you actually get a Santa suit?“

Did you actually just climb in through my window? You couldn’t have been normal and used the door?”

Did you buy me… lingerie?“

Did you do something different with your hair?”

Did you do this to yourself?“

Did you get my text?”

Did you have to sneeze in my face?“

Did you hear that?”

Did you just call that alligator by name?“

Did you just casually throw an ax?”

Did you just fall? No, I attacked the floor. I’m freaking talented!“

Did you just flick me?”

Did you just go throw up?“

Did you just hiss at me?”

Did you just see that?“

Did you know they used to be called ‘Jumpolines’ until your mum jumped on one?”

Did you need something?“

Did you read it?”

Did you see my phone?“

Did I actually sleep through New Years?”

Didn’t you read the sign?“

Disgusting.”

Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?“

Do I have to ask you again?”

Do I look like I’ve moved on?“

Do I regret it? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably.”

Do it. I dare you.“

Do it. Take a chance, I’m begging you. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life wondering what could have been.”

Do not tempt me.“

Do that again.”

Do us a favor… I know it’s difficult for you… but please, stay here, and try not to do anything… stupid.“

Do we have to kiss at midnight?”

Do we have to?“

Do we like…hold hands now?”

Do you believe in aliens?“

Do you believe in ghosts?”

Do you believe in love?“

Do you ever chill?”

Do you hate me?“

Do you have a problem with me?”

Do you have a ride home?“

Do you know what’s funny?”

Do you like it?“

Do you need that much candy?”

Do you promise?“

Do you really need all that candy?”

Do you really need those?“

Do you think I’m scared of a woman?”

Do you think other species have their own kind of drugs? Like something that gets them high?“

Do you think you can teach me that?”

Do you treat all your hookups like this?“

Do you trust me?”

Do you two still talk?“

Do you wanna Build a-”-Absolutely not.“

Do you want me to accept you as you are, or do you want me to lie to myself and try to like you?”

Do you want this?“

Do you want to kiss as bad as I do right now”

Do you want to kiss as bad as I do right now?“

Do you want to kiss me as badly as I want to kiss you right now?”

Do your parents even realize they’re living proof that two wrongs don’t make a right?“

Do yourself a favor and ignore anyone who tells you to be yourself. Bad idea in your case.”

Does it Hurt?“

Does this make me some kind of hero?”

Dogs don’t wear clothes!“

Don’t call this number again.”

Don’t argue. Just do it.“

Don’t be a smart ass.”

Don’t be afraid.“

Don’t be embarrassed, it’s normal.”

Don’t be scared, I’m right here.“

Don’t come back.”

Don’t cry.“

Don’t deny it”

Don’t die on me– Please.“

Don’t drink that! I saw that guy slip something in there!”

Don’t fuck this up.“

Don’t give me that puppy dog face.  How am I supposed to say no to that?”

Don’t leave me. Don’t you dare leave me.“

Don’t leave me…”

Don’t let the negativity get to ya! Here, have a flower!“

Don’t let your mind wander, it’s far too small to be let out on its own.”

Don’t lie to me.“

Don’t look at me like that.”

Don’t look for any redeeming qualities. I don’t have any.“

Don’t look in her eyes, she might steal your soul.”

Don’t make me come over there myself!“

Don’t make me pop your ten grand sandbags, honey.”

Don’t make me regret this.“

Don’t make me tape your mouth shut.”

Don’t mind if I do.“

Don’t open those till later!”

Don’t play me for a fool, I know exactly where you were.“

Don’t pretend I didn’t just see what you were doing.”

Don’t promise me you won’t leave. Just don’t leave. I don’t think I can handle another promise right now.“

Don’t say another word.”

Don’t say that.“

Don’t sell yourself short.”

Don’t start with that again.“

Don’t talk. Please.”

Don’t tell me to shut up.“

Don’t tell me we’re in matching costumes AGAIN.”

Don’t test me.“

Don’t thank me for insulting you. It was my pleasure.”

Don’t touch me.“

Don’t try to fix me. I’m not broken.”

Don’t worry about it.“

Don’t worry, you’ve got me to take care of you.”

Don’t you dare say/do that to me.“

Don’t you dare touch _______!”

Don’t you dare!“

Don’t you ever change.”

Don’t you get it? I’m in love with you and it scares the hell out of me.“

Don’t you give up on me.”

Don’t you just hate those things you say that make you feel really blonde?“

Don’t you just love it!”

Don’t you know how to knock?“

Don’t you love me?”

Don’t you realize that there are already enough people to hate in the world without you putting in so much effort to give us another?“

Don’t you think this is too much Fall decorations?”

Don’t you think you’re a little too old to be using cheesy pickup lines?“

Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

Don’t you trust me?“

Drop the attitude.”

Easier said than done.“

Eggnog rules, bite me.”

Eggnog sucks, fight me.“

Enough with the sass!”

Even when we were kids, I always kicked your ass!“

Every day I get with you is a good day.”

Everyone gets so annoyed by how much I talk about you sometimes.“

Everyone’s entitled to act stupid one in a while, but you really abuse the privilege.”

Everything is fine.“

Ew, that is so sappy, I might vomit.”

Excuse me. I have to go make a scene.“

Excuse me?”

F-Fuck.“

Fair enough.”

Feed me that chocolate I’m busy"

Finally! Snow!“

Fine, don’t say anything and make me worry.”

Fine.“

First one to make a noise loses.”

First rule, no being a heathen.“

First second I saw you and I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were.”

Flea markets don’t carry fleas, you know?“

For starters, that’s impossible.”

For the last time, I AM NOT JEALOUS!“

Forget it.”

Forget the douche. He’s a dick. He’s a dickdouche.“

Forgive me. Not for my sake, for yours. Forgive me.”

Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.“

Fuck you”

Fuck- please just pretend to be my date until we can leave this joint?“

Fuzzy socks.”

Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.“

Get away from me.”

Get it away from me- that’s disgusting!“

Get out of here! This is my hiding spot!”

Get out of my way!“

Get out!”

Get over it, pussy.“

Get that thing away from me!”

Get your hands off of me!“

Ghost hunters.”

Ghosts are real, I’d know because I am one.“

Gingerbread people are very serious!”

Girls night in?“

Give it back!”

Give me a chance.“

Give me a reason not to turn around and walk away now.”

Give me anime or give me death.“

Give me back my phone!”

Give me that back!“

Go ahead and hit me.”

Go back to bed.“

Go back to sleep.”

Go fuck yourself.“

Go home.”

Go on, knock his teeth down his throat.“

Go on… Touch it.”

God, you always make me blush so damn much.“

Going somewhere?”

Good story, but in what chapter do you shut the fuck up?“

Good thing I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

Good, bad, I’m the one with the gun.“

H-how long?”

Haha, made you look.“

Haha. Nice try. Magic isn’t REAL.”

Half the time I get too embarrassed to say anything.“

Halloween decorating.

Halloween is better.”

Happy Birthday.“

Happy Festivus!”

Happy New Year’s Eve eve eve eve eve eve eve!“

Have fun being deal.I will.”

Have I mentioned, I fucking hate Halloween.“

Have you ever had those days when you are holding a stick and everybody looks like a pinata.”

Have you ever heard of personal space?“

Have you ever heard of what happened in this building?”

Have you ever tried to run in heels?“

Have you got your speaker on you?”

Have you lost your mind?“

Have you seen my glasses?”

Have you seen my… oh"

Having you as a best friend is simultaneously the best and worst thing that has happened to me.“

He already boarded the plane. We’re too late.”

He already knows.“

He did what- and you just let him off?!”

He yelled yeehaw and I’m not quite sure why.“

He/She did it.No he/she did.”

He/She kissed me" Who?“ ”___“

Heaven won’t take me and hell’s afraid I’ll take over.”

Help me hide!“

Help me I’m stuck.”

Help me pack or get out. You’re in the way.“

Here take my sweater.”

Here, let me help you.“

Here, take my blanket.”

Here’s my number, call me some time.“

Hey! Don’t do that! You can’t do that to me!”

Hey, at least you tried.“

Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

Hey, I know you’re hurting.. but, you’re not alone, okay?“

Hey, um, can you not pretend to play the drums on pots and pans at 3am?”

Hey, what would my name be if I was a Pokémon?“

He’s a fuckboy and he’s never going to treat you better than this.”

He’s dead because of you.“

He’s dead.”

His finger was right on the trigger but he wasn’t fast enough.“

Hold me and never let me go.”

Hold me. Just for a bit, okay? I just… I need someone to hold me.“

Hold my hand until it’s over?”

Hold still.“

Hot, gorgeous, beautiful…whatever you want to call it.”

How about you make me?“

How am I meant to hate you when you look like that?”

How are you feeling today?“

How can you say that to me? After everything you did, how can you possibly say that to me?”

How can you still look so attractive while crying.“

How come you’re here? I thought the zoo is closed at night…”

How could I ever forget about you?“

How could I forget?”

How could someone make food this badly?“

How could this happen? They’re so…so pure. Ugh.”

How could you ask me that?“

How could you do this to me?”

How could you do this?“

How could you forget your son’s birthday?”

How dare you? Yes, I am.“

How did I lose it?”

How did it take me so long to realize?“

How did we get here?”

How did you fail a survey?“

How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open.”

How did you get in here?“

How did you imagine our future together?”

How did you know where to find me?“

How did you know? I never told you, so how’d you find out?”

How do I know that I can trust you?“

How do I look?”

How do we get in?“

How do you always manage to look so captivating?”

How do you do that? Are you a witch? What type of witchcraft is this?“

How do you get your skin to be so soft?”

How drunk was I?“

How is my wife more badass than me?”

How much did you drink?“

How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?”

How ‘bout you stick it up your ass instead?“

“How’s life treating you?” “Like I ran over its dog.”

Hug me so I can Get warm.“

Hurry up, before we regret it.”

  Other Prompts Here Masterlist Here Request Here

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2020 - Day 6 - The Pool (2018)

How unlucky can one guy be...

Welp, it’s the sixth day and everything up to this point has been American for the most part, sure Pandorum might have had some German production behind it and The Innocents was very much a British affair but other than those? American. We always like to broaden our horizons around these parts so lets open ourselves up to a little diversity with today’s offering all the way from Thailand. Pretty certain that would be a first so that’s always neat to check one off the list.

Or, as they apparently say in Ireland, ‘Thigh-land’. At least that’s what I’ve come to learn from Mr Jay Hunter from OSW as he highlighted this film in a semi-recent edition of the ‘OSW Playlist’ series which has been available more publicly during the pandemic. Some real good guys over there, making more of their content free to watch until the world is right again. Can of Coke to you, lads. For the uninitiated out there, they chronologically critique wrestling storylines pay-per-view by pay-per-view. They’re currently romping their way through the WWF New Generation era but have covered stuff in the past like the Road to Wrestlemania 17, the David Arquette WCW saga and the ascension of Black Reign in TNA. My recommendation though is the life and times of Ed Leslie during the Dungeon of Doom period of WCW.

You know who else says Thigh-land? Donald Trump. Maybe he’s not Scottish/German afterall, maybe he’s Irish.

Anyway, The Pool centers around Day, working on some sort of advert shoot in the eponymous pool but sticks around even when most of the crew clear out once production is wrapped. His buddy lets him know that he’s started to drain the pool before taking off to visit Nepal for 3 months. Unluckily for Day, he falls asleep on a lilo in the pool only to awaken some time later when the pool has all but drained, leaving him stranded and with no one nearby to help.

I can only assume at some point in his life Day destroyed a mirror factory, walked under a whole bunch of ladders or had several black cats cross his path because I don’t think this guy could be anymore unlucky if he tried. Granted being stuck in the pool is his own fault for falling asleep in there, that aside he also has the ticking time bomb of the fact he’s diabetic and his only shot of insulin is up on a table by poolside. But he also has his phone fall into the pool just when he thinks he’s going to be able to catch it and call for help. Plus in his efforts to block the plug hole and save himself from left in an entirely dry pool, he matches to snag himself on the grate and nearly drowns.

This does also come at a point when a pizza delivery boy arrives and doesn’t notice the figure struggling at the bottom of the pool. Check out the Pizza Hut uniform front and center. Their logo is in the opening graphics along with the production companies and what not, did they partially finance this or something?

he worst part in all this is when he’s attempting to climb out and manages to partially rip his own finger nail off. So far I’ve seen vampire attacks, cannibalistic feasting and faces ripped apart by hooks and chains but this is the one that made me wince. Just looking at this still frame again is making me a little queasy...

And as if to tempt the Gods themselves, Day utters something along the lines of ‘At least this can’t get any worse’, at which point an escaped crocidle springs forth from the darkness, slinks around the pool for a while before slipping and falling in with him. I guess this bad luck is contagious.

The obvious comparison for me would be Frozen (no not that one) which had a similar premise of people being stuck on a ski lift when the slope is shutdown for the weekend, albeit here it’s the other extreme of the weather that’s a risk, all that heat rather than freezing temperatures. Even then, at least those guys didn’t have giant birds bothering them whilst they were stuck up there.

The crocodile is kinda funny in a way, it’s not really too aggressive for the most part, it just seems to loiter in the pool and Day isn’t outwardly afraid of it, just really apprehensive that it might finally decide to wander over and take a bite. It’s like they have this stand off, like the croc is some annoying roommate that Day has to tolerate.

Considering the croc has a pretty big role to play throughout the movie, the potential is there for it to be a lacklustre effect that drag everything down but I think it’s actually pretty good. There are definitely some iffy moments but for the most part it’s fairly convincing.

Like Frozen, it’s compelling to see what happens next and all of the different things Day does to try and escape the situation. Though, I wasn’t a fan of the way they front loaded the movie with a scene of the croc attacking him before transitioning back to the chronological start of the movie during the filming. It feels like they can’t trust their audience to keep interested without saying “We promise you, this really exciting crocodile stuff is gonna happen if you sit through all this other boring stuff first!”.

They should have just started with whatever it is Day’s crew is filming. I don’t know if this is some weird avant garde movie or if they’re selling something but it has a clown lady swimming under water around a fancy sofa. You could have shown that, had people thinking “Wait, WTF is this?” and then you have the director shout “Cut!”, you reveal it’s all a movie shoot and then you move on from there.

I don’t remember Frozen having nearly as many instances of ‘near misses’ that this does, if any actually. It feels like An American Tail where Fievel and his family are constantly like 2 feet from each other if only one of them would turn around and notice.

For a foreign film, there’s nothing to really worry about in terms of having to keep up with all the subtitles as there’s not really a massive amount of dialogue. The whole thing is pretty limited in terms of scope of locations, cast etc, set in pretty much just once location and with only a handful of characters. Definitely a departure from the grand visions of The Stand and Dracula.

[shostakobitchh]

Dialogue Prompt: “You drugged me!" “No, I helped you. There’s a difference.”

happy Jily death day i mean halloween! felt like writing some alive!lily since my dash is depressing as hell. I hope you enjoy! x 

“You drugged me!”

“No, I helped you. There’s a difference.”

A snarl ripped through the dark. Lily stayed in the doorway, letting Severus fume in relative darkness. She could practically see the vein in his forehead pulsing, which was rather impressive. Usually it took him at least a few minutes to get this worked up.

“You haven’t slept in two days.” Lily went on, crossing her arms in an effort to exert her dominance. “If I didn’t give you something to make you rest, you were going to end up sick… or delirious, although I’m pretty sure you’d already gone round the twist.”

“I was fine.” he hissed, threads of drowsiness still hanging around the edges of his voice.

“No, you weren’t.” Lily rolled her eyes. “Even Ariel was starting to catch on. She asked if she’d gotten you sick too.”

Severus didn’t answer. She could practically hear the air crackling with anger. There was nothing Severus hated more than being bossed around, especially when he worked himself into a frenzy.

Which was why Lily had slipped a mild sedative into his drink the night prior.

"Her fever broke an hour ago.” Lily gave him a tired smile. “Want me to bring her in?”

His head shot up like a bullet. “She’s not asleep?”

“She was hungry when she woke up. Which is a good thing, mind you.”

“I suppose,” Severus conceded, some of the tension in his face finally crumbling away. “am I allowed to get up, or have you Charmed me to the bed?”

“I still want you to rest.” Lily gave him a look when he curled his lip. “Are you going to complain, or can I bring Ariel in without worrying that you’ll blister her ears?”

“If you don’t, someone’s ears are going to suffer.”

Lily sighed, and gave him an only half-apologetic glance. “I was just trying to make sure you didn’t run yourself ragged. You lose your head whenever Ariel’s sick. It scares me.”

He scowled, turning away, but Lily saw the line of his mouth soften. She took that as a sign to go ahead and get her, giving Severus one last meaningful look not to move before she walked across the hall to Ariel’s bedroom. Lily found her making a fort of pillows atop her bed, her blankets in a puddle on the floor. 

“Hi baby,” Lily scooped Ariel up into her arms, ignoring the mess for now. “Wanna go visit Daddy? He wants to make sure you’re okay.”

Her face lifted. “Right now?”

“Mhm,” she kissed the top of her head. “I think he needs some cheering up.”

“Why? Is he sad?”

“No, just cranky.”

“Did you give him a potion to make him better?”

Lily laughed. “Something like that.”

She carried Ariel back into their bedroom – Severus’ eyes immediately landed on Ariel as they crossed the threshold. Ariel smiled happily, practically leaping out of her arms as she scrambled up and onto the bed. 

“Hi Daddy,” Ariel said in a sleepy, stuffy voice. “I’m all better now. Mummy says I’m not con-day-gus anymore.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Severus said in a very forced voice. “I missed that transition.”

“Daddy was feeling funny.” Lily told Ariel as she handed her off to Severus. “He needed a nap, just like you.”

“Your mother likes to omit things.” Severus said dryly. “It’s one of her charms.”

Ariel settled in his arms, leaning against his sternum as she let the lower half of her body slide down. Severus lifted his hand to her forehead, a look of relief passing over his face.

“I thought we’d end up having to take her to St Mungo’s.” he murmured. “Her fever was unmanageable.”

Lily hummed in agreement. She’d heard that the Dark Flu wasn’t something to mess around with, but the past few months had been spent dodging Dragon Pox and various other illnesses – it had been inevitable. This had undoubtedly been the worst, between the raging fever that hadn’t let Ariel sleep or stay comfortable for more than a few minutes and the inability to hold anything down except water. She’d done nothing but cry, mostly out of exhaustion, for the past three days, and Severus had been running around trying to brew something to end her suffering. Not to mention that he’d insisted on carrying Ariel up and down the hallway to calm her down, which had taken longer than usual, since she’d been so sick. Lily had been worried when they’d gone on day three with no change, but when she’d awoken to find Severus still without an hour of sleep, his hands trembling with fatigue, she’d known she had to take matters into her own hands before she ended up with two severely sick patients.

“Did you take as many potions as I did?” Ariel asked Severus, pulling the blanket he had tossed aside when he’d woken up over her.

“I wasn’t really sick.” Severus told her. “Mummy poisoned me.”

“Severus,” Lily warned.

Ariel giggled into her hands. “Mummy wouldn’t do that.”

“Well, if you’re confident enough in that belief, then I suppose I’ll have to agree.” Severus tugged on her foot. “How do you feel?”

“Stuffy. And tired. Mummy says that I’m gonna feel that way for a while, but that’s okay. I’d rather feel like I’m gonna ‘splode then how I did last night.”

“'Splode?” Severus asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Ariel then promptly sneezed. Severus grimaced as she began a coughing fit, rubbing her back in small circles.

“Are you certain she’s alright?” he asked grimly.

“I had a Healer come this morning. She said some symptoms will linger for a while.”

“I’m okay, Daddy.” Ariel reassured him, turning around so she could lock her arms around his neck.

Severus tucked her head under his chin. “You’d better be. I gave you enough potions to tranquilize a hippogriff.”

Lily snorted, but Ariel’s eyes widened.

“You didn’t use all your potions on me, did you?”

“A little more than half,” he said dismissively. “I’ll have you assist me in replenishing my supplies as penance.”

Ariel cocked her head. “What’s pennies? Like the Muggle money Mummy uses sometimes?”

“No, love,” Lily smiled, kissing her forehead. “Daddy’s being silly.”

Sev looked offended by the statement. Ariel grinned up at him, like she’d caught him in a lie.

“Is Daddy being silly cuz you poisoned him?” she asked, giving Severus a sideways glance.

“No, he’s just grumpy because Mummy made him go to bed.” Lily smirked.

Severus gritted his teeth. “This is decreasing in its cuteness.”

Ariel fell back against his chest, giggling madly against his nightshirt. She rolled her head back to look up at him, grabbing his chin from underneath. Lily watched as Severus’ face relaxed until all the tension faded away into a serenity he only seemed to achieve when Ariel was around.

“I’m glad you’re awake Daddy.” said Ariel. “I missed you. Did you miss me?”

“I couldn’t miss you if I was knocked unconscious.”

Lily stared up at the ceiling. “Your daughter is going to be an actress when she grows up if you don’t tone down the dramatics.”

“Nonsense,” Severus kissed Ariel’s brow. “she’s going to be a model Slytherin, if anything.”

“I wanna be a werewolf like Uncle Remus!” Ariel joined in.

“No, you don’t.” Severus said sharply, turning a little green.

“I’ll leave you two to debate that,” Lily smirked as Severus glared. “would you like some tea?” 

“I shouldn’t trust anything you prepare, after what you did.” 

Ariel snickered into the pillows. Severus tugged on her pigtails, his expression soft. “Don’t get any ideas.” 

“Don’t sell Slytherin short.” Lily said wryly. 

Before Severus could retort, Ariel yawned, lying back against Severus. “I don’t wanna be a Slytherin. I wanna be a werewolf.”  

“You can be whatever you want, love.” Lily smiled down at her. Severus said nothing in response – he curled his arms around her, and closed his eyes as Ariel’s own slid closed. 

Lily didn’t bother to make the tea… not that Severus would’ve drunk it anyway.  

[gotgifsandmusings]

GoT 7x06 Musings

My initial reaction to “Beyond the Wall”

Apparently this is the episode that is pulling the wool off of everyone’s eyes. Not the one where Sansa married Ramsay for revenge and got raped. Not the one where Shireen was burned alive because of flurries preventing Stannis from marching 20 feet. Not the one where Marg was arrested for perjury and threatened to be paraded naked except that was a fake-out and the king (unbeknownst to the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard) had formed an alliance with the Faith that didn’t already totally exist and therefore the largest army in the land was rendered useless or unwilling to free the heir of Highgarden…

You know I can keep going. I’ll take it, and yes, the teleportation was its most egregious because we KNOW how much time passed in-verse while the raven and dragons were traveling. But still, this isn’t a new level of bad, no more than Barbaro and Jessica Henwick teleporting onto a ship to murder their cousin—for justice!

Though on the other hand, there was almost nothing I could see as even being objectively enjoyable about this episode, other than one moment of some decent CGI. The battle itself was surprisingly short, and so obviously contrived that we couldn’t pretend it was a “stunning war theater” like we could last year, even if last year the context also made no goddamn sense.

Alright, time to stop delaying and actually talk about this, though of course I’ll point you to Jess’s fabulous review first if you haven’t already read it.

Winterhell

Jess breaks down the horror of Arya’s stupid Ned-slow-clapping-at-her-landing-a-bullseye story better than I can. Arya didn’t do what was required of girls growing up, and that was a source of frustration

But no, here she’s some third-wave feminist who realizes how bad the system is.

Speaking of that bad system, way to sew you dumb asshole, Sansa. What, do you think people need CLOTHES or something?

No seriously, I can’t take the toxically masculine assumptions about empowerment anymore. This entire thing is such a sexist premise, Arya shaming Sansa for navigating in a socially acceptable way

WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF SANSA’S ARC. SHE FIGURES OUT HOW TO WEAPONIZE THE SYSTEM TO HER BENEFIT AND DOES IT WITHOUT AROUSING THE SLIGHTEST SUSPICION

The letter thing is ridiculous too. Not even mentioning how Winterhell burned down so that’d probably be destroyed, this should not be that much of a conflict, nor should it have the potential to undo Sansa.

As Jess pointed out, Ned played along with the Lannisters too, because THAT’S WHAT YOU DO. Is he a traitor?

Then Sansa runs to Littlefinger even though we know she doesn’t trust him.

This is where the “they’re playing LF” honeypot stems from I think, but there’s no indication that Arya and Sansa aren’t reacting to each other alone, earnestly. Do they think Littlefinger planted some kind of audio bug on Sansa or something?

LF then brings up Brienne, which is followed by the scene of Sansa ordering Brienne to Cheryl’s Landing on her behalf for the already-scheduled meeting (even though Operation Bag-A-Wight is still going on), and being an asshole about it

The only sense I can make of this is that LF wants Brienne dead, or Arya dead, and is trying to urge a fight between them since we know they enjoy that? Which I guess would just help narrow down the field of non-LF allies to Sansa

Then *maybe* Sansa is sending Brienne away for her own protection, a la through rocks in Nymeria’s face??

Except there’s NO INDICATION OF THIS. Sansa’s rationale for why she’s sending a proxy to Cheryl’s Landing checks out, especially given Jon being MIA for the North (lol)

To cap off the game of “let’s hate each other to fuck with LF in private” Sansa then finds Arya’s messenger bag of Halloween masks

and no, sorry, Sansa’s terror is played as genuine, and thank the gods she gets yet another abuser, this time a member of her family! Yay!!

SPOILER (if anyone cares) I’m starting to wonder if Sansa orders Arya to execute LF next week just to buy herself a little trust from her horrible sister, and not because they actually figure anything out

Just all around bad bad bad. Fuck sisterly affection. They were different and hated each other growing up, so therefore they’ll be antagonistic towards each other after reuniting, trauma and shared grief be damned

That said, I feel like Sansa listens to UBS. Yes! She is the reason they have the North! She shouldn’t march her face into Cheryl’s Landing! She should have her interests represented! Correct!

Bo had the above take. This killed me. I want the Bunny Hood next week.

Dragonstone

They’re playing a weird game of having to deal with all of Tyrion’s plans turning to shit, and yet also having to keep him the golden boy. It’s not really working

Is Deadpan supposed to be getting paranoid like Aerys now? But then she’s later portrayed as a straight-up Good Guy Hero later, so I have confusion

This conversation goes literally nowhere, and frankly…yeah, why bother dealing with the line of succession now? She holds Dragonstone and no one even wanted it. And Daario’s probably doing fine in Meereen

This could have been a good exploration into her sorrow over being the last Targ…sorta? Like, her just not wanting to deal with it. But the show has never dealt with it before, so it doesn’t really come across as anything rooted in characterization

Me too, Deadpan.

Beyond the Wall

My brain was unable to focus on half these conversations, so I’m going to go back and rewatch before podcasting. Like. It was all walking and talking.

Not even in the good way. In the fic-ask-prompt kind of way. “Jon and Beric in a coffee shop, go!”

To highlight I guess

Jon & Jorah: Jon offers Jorah Longclaw because being an exiled slaver was hard on him. Glad this never came up with Lyanna, the actual heir of the house

Tormond makes a bawdy joke about raping Gendry because sex is a good way to keep warm. Male victimization is a hoot

Gendry gets mad at the Brotherhood without Banners for literally selling him and almost killing him, but Sandor tells him to stop “winging” because his complaints about being sexually assaulted by Mel “could be worse”

The Hound & Tormond chat about nicknames for penises before Tormond #nohomos and talks about how hot Brienne is

Jon & Beric have both been dead, what’s up with that? Also Jon quotes his Night’s Watch vows that he broke to gain inspiration from then, and Beric says he doesn’t look like Ned. Uh…

Jorah thinks Thoros was AWESOME for the Pyke battle

Then a bear attacks and I’m put out of my misery. A wight bear. Whatever

Who the fuck are these red shirts?

Thoros almost dies, but doesn’t die, but then he dies overnight, so…okay.

The wights walk in an orderly single file.

We learn a new contrivance: wights all fall if the white walker that personally res’d them is killed. There’s so many ways this doesn’t work with what we’ve seen, not the least of which that there was ONE WIGHT who was still squirming around

A whole lot of effort for convincing Cheryl, btw, who has essentially no army at this point

Then the other wights hear this wight’s struggle? And Jon tells Gendry who has never seen snow before that he’s the fastest runner (how does he know this) and has to go send a bird to Deadpan to help them out

this is baldly ridiculous. Their only shot is if they all try to book it

Then they run across cracking ice to a little rock, and then are shielded from wights because of…cracked ice

DEAD THINGS IN THE WATER

Also, dead things go through the water later in the episode

In-verse time: Gendry runs towards Eastwatch as the sun is setting and gets there around dusk. Jon & Co. wait out one night and the attack begins when the sun is still shining. I’m putting this at about 22 hours passing. A low-ball could be 14.

Raven gets to Dragonstone, Dany flies beyond the Wall and bails them out

The battle itself was underwhelming, I thought. Just smashing random skeletons who now die with any weapon (what about FIRE like we learned in Season 1?)

Viserion’s death looked cool, and the sinking into the puddle reminded me of King Dodongo. Dunno if that’s a good thing or not, but there you have it.

However, why did Shogun aim for the far away flying dragon and not Drogon who was RIGHT THERE and full of the people trying to get away?

He literally had his buddy ready his javelin for him

Jon falling into a puddle was…what? Why did this happen? Was this for closure for Uncle Benjen? Was this so we could have a dramatic moment of Deadpan thinking he died? Was this just to have a reason for a shirtless Jon on the boat so she could see his stab wounds? What did this add??

Then the res’d Viserion was kind of cooler in concept than seeing it happen. Oh wow, let’s focus on his eye I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Lol at the metal working wights with their big ass chains. Can they make mini-Needle necklaces for everyone too?

Also very not reading into any of this being from the books. I could see this happening in a way, I guess? But this context, especially with a javelin-throwing Night’s King can’t be the case.

I don’t even… At least the critical reviews are pouring in. This deserved it. So did the past three years’ worth of episodes, but still.

Top 3 Nitpicks (not glaring, gaping errors)

The invitation to a meeting in KL that couldn’t have been arranged yet

The clothing! No one was wearing a hood? Deadpan was traveling faster than a jet without ear warmers?

Jon not being dead of hypothermia (or his managing to climb out at all with his sodden furs and heavy boots)

[imaginethatdan]

Do I wanna know – part 9

Two people from different worlds fall in love in a world they created for them own. But a shadow hunts her and as it gowns darker and darker, it threatens to destroy everything.

This is a high school AU and some parts could be triggering I think so if they are or if you just want to talk, you can always come and talk to me. My ask box is always open and I’m always here if you need me. If you liked it, you can like/reblog/message me and I will be eternally grateful and happy. Y/n = your name, y/l/n = your last name.

I’m so so so so sorry it has taken me so long to upload the new chapter. I totally get it if nobody is interested in it anymore.

I want to give a big big thank you to my bestest friend and my Nugget for helping me with figuring out a lot of things about this story. She’s the best and I couldn’t do this without her! There literally wouldn’t be a story if she isn’t there with me for every step. Go give her some love!

The pictures from this chapter.

The locations from this chapter. 

The soundtrack.

Previous chapter

Dan parks in front of your house.

“What are your plans for the weekend?”

“Saturday are rehearsals and Sunday Jack and I are recording and filming some for our channel.”

“Your channel?”

“YouTube channel. It’s actually Jack’s but we both post covers on it. We also love doing duets and going in costume on stage for the video. Oh and he also posts our Christmas show and yearly musical on it.”

“Guess I’ll have to look that up. So you’re busy this weekend?”

“Well yes, why?

“How about Friday evening?”

You quickly think if you have anything planned. “I’m free then I believe.”

“Can I take you out?”

“Sure.” You smile.

“I’ll pick you up at seven.” He half asks you, half tells you.

“Okay, good. Where are we going?”

He holds back a grin. “I have an idea. But it’s a surprise.”

“Then how do I know what to wear?”

“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.” He now fully grins with a sparkle in his eyes. He looks excited and happy with whatever idea is forming in his head. You don’t know if you should worry or also get excited. You decide on the later.

“I’d better get inside. Don’t want aunt G to think you are a suitor for her.”

“We don’t want that no.” He cups your cheek in his hand and brings your face towards him so your lips can connect. After a short kiss you pull back and open the car door.

“I’ll see you Friday?”

“At seven.” He smiles at you. You give him a wave when you have reached the door and see him drive away. You try to open the door but find it locked. After trying a few times you make your way to the back door but find this one also locked. You take out your phone.

“What?” Aunt Grace snaps through the phone.

“You’ve locked all the doors.”

“I know.”

“Well can you unlock them?”

“I’m busy.”

“And I’m cold and tired!”

“Can’t you just go away for another night?”

“No! Please let me in.”

“Give me an hour.” The line goes death. You sign. Great! You slide down against the door and wrap your coat around your pulled up legs. Memories of your eventful date flash before you and you smile. Who would have ever thought this would happen? Surely not you. You see his scars again and let your head drop back against the door. How can anybody do that to somebody? To a kid? You turn on the internet on your phone to distract yourself. WhatsApp tells you you have messages and when you open it you see that Dan has send you the pictures. You save them to your phone and smile as you open them. You look like a couple, you think as a blush heats up your cheeks. You can’t believe how you’re falling for him. You’ve spend the night in his car and skipped school. You lied to a cop! He damn well is having an impact on your life! But you would be lying if you said you didn’t like it.

~~~

School goes on as normal. You don’t feel that great lying to everybody as they ask if you feel better. You actually feel great but you have to keep to your story. Whenever you see Dan in the hallways you get a secretive smile that gets the students talking and you smiling. You try to mask your excitement for the date on Friday by throwing yourself into rehearsals and the planning for the Halloween party on Sunday. The school starts buzzing about Halloween and scary pranks get pulled left and right. You’re picking a book out of your locker right before your next class when you hear screaming further down the hall. You close the locker door and look around, trying to see if it’s just a prank again or actual danger. As you walk cautiously through the hall you get jumped from behind. A pair of teeth pierce your skin and you shriek both from pain and fright. You struggle against the grip the neck biter has on you as you’re sure the teeth are drawing blood. When you get free and turn around, you are faced with a grinning Alex. Fangs are peeking over his lip and there is some blood on his mouth. You cover your neck with your hand and when you pull it back you see blood on it too.

“Are you out of your bloody mind?!” You scream to him.

“Tasty blood.” He licks the redness of his lips. “I wonder if it tastes even better on certain other body parts.”

“You’re sick!” You say as Dan rounds the corner.

“Do we have another victim?” He grins at Alex. You see extended fangs in his mouth and a long black coat is flowing around him as he walks.

“We have. You get to decide if we kill her or not. I prefer to feed some more.” Alex shows you his teeth. You don’t know which store sells fangs that sharp but you have no desire to be bitten by them again. You look at Dan to see him smirking at you.

“You have had your share. Go find somebody new. I’d like to have a taste now.” He winks at you and steps forward but you take a step back as you glance at Alex. He seems to be interested to see what will happen. Dan then takes you off-guard as he wraps his arms around you and attacks you neck, thankfully the other side then where you are wounded. You feel his teeth graze your skin and you decide to play along and start trashing to get out of his grip. You let out a yelp that should sound like you are in pain but actually you’re startled to feel Dan’s tongue on your neck. You push against his chest and look at him in shock as he laughs. Alex laughs too, probably thinking Dan truly bit you.

“On to the next victim.” Dan exclaims as he high fives Alex and starts walking off. Before he disappears he turns around and give you a wink. No matter how hot he looks as a vampire, right now you want to punch him in the stomach.

~~~

“What the hell is that on your neck?” Jack asks as he stares at you.

“I got bitten by a vampire.” You see the look of disbelieve on Jacks face. “Seriously! Alex Dayson had sharp fangs stuck to his teeth and bloody bite me.”

“He’s insane!”

“That an understatement.” You mumble.

“Just for those kind of pranks I’m happy Halloween is almost over. Though I’m excited for the party. You ready for it?”

“Of course I am. The outfit is ready and I’m sure it will be great. I’m also very curious to see Zoë’s house.” You both walk to your first class.

“We working on our songs tomorrow in rehearsal?”

“I hope so but I’m having costume fitting with Hannah and Hilly and I have some ideas so I don’t know how long that will be.” You sit in your usual spot in English with Jack besides you.

“Maybe rehearse some tonight?” Jack asks as he puts his notes on his desk.

“Oh uhm.” Shit shit shit, you think. “I’m actually going out. Just drinks. With someone. But I don’t know how it will be so I don’t know what time I’ll be back.”

“Okay…” Jack look at you unsure. You press your lips together totally fearing the truth will spill out. To make matters worse Dan walks in and brushes past you as he goes to sit in the back. Jack goes to say or ask you something but the teacher comes in and you’ve never been happier. All through the day you try to avoid Jack’s questions about who you’re going to go  out with and after lunch you think you’re going to go insane as Carrie joins the interrogation too. By the end of classes you’ve come to the agreement that you’ll tell them how it went tomorrow and you quickly walk home to have some fresh air. Back home you see a box before the front door with a big black bow. Under the bow is a card with your name on it. You take the box inside to your room. There you take the card out.

This belongs to you and now you won’t have to worry about what to wear. I can’t wait to see it on you. Love, Dan

You take off the bow and open the box, holding your breath. You gasp as you take the white lace dress out the box. How did Dan get this? When did he do this? How? You let out a laugh as you’re touched by the gesture. Excitingly you start looking for shoes and jewellery to go with the dress.

At exactly seven the doorbell rings and you curse as you’re still putting on your earrings.

“I’ll get it!” You yell at your aunt though you have no clue where she is. You open the door to see Dan smiling nervously at you.

“Hey.” You breath out. Dan seems to be at loss for words. You did put an effort into your look. You’re wearing the white dress with nude pumps on your feet. For jewellery you have a necklace with a butterfly pendant on it and your earrings are dangling diamante ones. Your hair hangs down in soft waves with some strands pulled back in a clip and you have kept your makeup natural except for your red lips. Dan has never seen you like this, only in your everyday look, and you’re curious to what he thinks.

“You-“ He clears his throat. “You look absolutely stunning.” From behind his back he takes a dark red rose and offers it to you. “I heard this was a good move to make.”

“A very good move. Thank you.” You take the rose as you feel yourself blushing and you smile up at him. “You look quite handsome yourself. Nice shirt.”

He’s wearing the black dress shirt you found in the same store your dress is from. Of course the rest of his outfits is black. A black jeans, black zip up shoes and a black suit jacket finished with leather.

“Someone suggested this shirt to me. I though why not.”

You playfully bump against him as you go to grab your coat.

“So where are we going?”

~~~

Your eyes grow big as Dan pulls up to the restaurant.

“We aren’t eating here right?”

“Yes we are.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Nope.”

“You got reservations?”

“Yup.”

“No way.” You go to open the door but Dan beats you and offers you a hand to get out of the car. Before you is what’s said to be the best four restaurant in the city and it’s always fully booked. If you want to get a table you have to book months in advance yet Dan seems to have arranged one. A girl welcomes you once inside and when she hears Dan’s name she guides you to your table. Your coats get put away and you take your seat. Two glasses of champagne get put on the table and you look around in amazement.

“This is too much.” The restaurant is just stunning. It’s the perfect bland between modern and classy. Even though there are many table, everybody has their privacy and the conversations are a murmur in the background. Dan lifts his glass.

“To a good night?”

“I’ll drink to that.” You say as you touch your glass to his. As you swallow the delicious bubbles, you remember something.

“Hey! This is the first time you’ve gone on a third date right?” You see him nod cautiously.

“So I’m your first third date. Your fist serious date. Your first. I’m taking your third date virginity.” You laugh.

“As long as I get to take yours.” Dan casually throws back.

“Dan!”

“You served, I finished. Could have seen that coming. But don’t worry. I’ll see that you come and sure finish first.”

You kick his shin under the table as your face heats up. “Will you stop talking?”

“Want me to use my mouth in a different way? I know some ways and I’ve been told they’re very good. Get you screaming in under-“

“Shut up. Shut up!” You bury your face in your hands to try and cover your utter embarrassment as Dan starts laughing. When you peak between your fingers you see some people looking at your table as Dan’s laugh carries through the restaurant and you sink further down your chair.

“Hey.” You still hear the laughter in Dan’s voice as he opens your hands to free your eyes. “I’ll stop.”

“Please do.” A waiter brings the menu cards and you thankfully take yours. As you scan the menu, you realise just how posh the restaurant is. You have never tried anything you see on it and honestly only the desserts sound appetizing to you. When you glance up at Dan you see him smiling at you.

“What?”

“See anything you like?”

“Well the desserts look good…” You trail off. “I don’t know any of these foods.”

“Neither do I.” Dan laughs. “But this place must be so popular for a reason.” He waves the waiter over. “Ask the chef to make us the most delicious thing he can make. And you get to have any desserts you want.” He winks at you.

After eating the most delicious and fanciest dice in your life, you’re enjoying your wine and looking at Dan.

“So tell me something about yourself that nobody knows.” You put your chin in your hand.

“There are loads of things people don’t know about me.”

“I know. But that’s no fun. It doesn’t have to be big. Just a little fact nobody knows.”

“And why would I give you blackmail?”

“Oh come on.” You give him your puppy eyes look.

“Fine! Let me think. Okay.” He sits up straighter in his chair. “But first you’ve got to promise me to keep this to yourself.”

“Okay.”

“No. Promise.”

“I promise.” You laugh. Then you seriously hold out your pinkie. “I pinkie swear I will keep whatever it is you’ll tell me to myself.” When he doesn’t react, you motion with your pinkie to him and he rolls his eyes as he locks his own pinkie with yours.

“Tell me.”

“My real name is Daniel James Howell.”

“James?” You laughingly bring out.

“Shh!”

“Sorry.” You try to keep in your laugh. “Such a formal name.”

“Don’t laugh at me! There’s a reason nobody in school knows my real name.”

“In school? I thought nobody knew.”

“Yeah well.” He seems to be thinking. “99% of the people don’t know.”

“Okay. Fine.” After a second you add, “Daniel.”

“No! You promised!” Dan nearly knocks his chair back as he points his finger at you but you just laugh.

“We need to even this. You tell me something nobody knows.”

“Impossible.” You see Dan rising his eyebrows. “It is. Between Jack, Carrie and Phil they know everything about me. And I mean everything. Jack knowing most.” Except for the things Alex does and says. “Well there is one thing he doesn’t know.”

“What’s that?”

“You.”

“I’m pretty sure he knows I exist as he threatened me when he found us in the snowball.”

“He doesn’t know we’re here. He doesn’t know that you and I… That we… He asked me to sing tonight but I obviously couldn’t and I didn’t know what to say and I hate lying to him. So he knows I’m away for some drinks but that’s it.”

“Let’s keep it that way. I like having you just to myself without people minding our business. But that isn’t an answer. Tell me something nobody knows.”

You think. And think some more. What is something that nobody knows?

“My father doesn’t love me.” You look up at Dan. “Nobody knows this because nobody wants to see it.” You see his questioning look. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

“I’ve told you before that my mom’s death, right? She died when I was two from cancer, leaving Phil and me in the care of my dad. Only he was broken by mom’s passing. He couldn’t deal with the loss, with life let alone with two kids. So my aunt, his sister, stepped in and offered to take care of us. So she moved in in our house and dad left. He was supposed to come back after a couple of months but he stayed away. After a year he took on a job that had him travelling for most of the year. Aunt Grace did her best. She didn’t wanted to be our mom but she did it anyway. Dad would come back for holidays, birthdays but after that he would be gone again. He did make sure aunt Grace could give us anything we wanted. When I was I think eight years old aunt G started to have enough of the mommy life. She wanted her old life back and she was of the idea that Phil was old enough to take care of the both of us. She stopped being a mom like figure and went back to the fun, wild aunt. She would stay out for the whole weekend or worse take guys back. It’s then that Mrs Howard came in. When she heard that I would sleep with Phil because I was scared of the noises, she offered me, well us, a safe place to go to. As Phil got older he would go more to his friends or just out in general and I would stay over at Jack’s. Or Jack came over to mine’s. We’ve been inseparable ever since. But as I got older, I started looking more like my mom. And every time dad would look at me he would get this heartbroken look in his eyes. I saw him last when Phil graduated from high school. He has visited Phil at uni sometimes, to also apologize for missing Christmas dinner but I don’t see him. He calls me for my birthday but… I remind him too much of his death wife for him to see me as his daughter.”

“I sorry for that, Y/n.” You stop fidgeting with your spoon when Dan’s hand covers yours. You look up and you’re glad to not find pity in his eyes but understanding.

“So, do you also have daddy issues or is that just my thing?”

Dan laughs. “He’s no issue as I don’t know who he is. He left my mom when she was pregnant with me and that was that. The only thing I have of him is his last name. But you can call me daddy if that turns you on.”

“Dear lord, no.” That makes Dan laugh.

“Have you heard anything from your mom?” You ask after it has gone quiet. Dan shakes his head.

“Nope. And I don’t want it any other way. It was all just one big repetition of the past. They kicked me out and I ran away.”

“Wait, they kicked you out? I thought you left.”

“I did. Or well at this dinner I walked out. It was a combination of both when I was fourteen. I more of threatened to run away but mommy dearest said that if I couldn’t take the consequences that I deserved for my actions, I shouldn’t bother coming back. So I packed some stuff and left.”

“That you deserved?! She’s bloody mental!” You stumble over your words as you try to say what’s going through your head. You end up taking a deep breath. “I can’t wrap my mind around it.”

“Yeah neither could I. And on top of that I was wandering the streets so that makes for one angry and scared teenager.”

“The streets? You didn’t go to family?”

“What family? I just left. I only realised later what that meant. I was stuck on the streets but that was better than the house I came from. But of course it wasn’t easy. I had to fight other homeless for sleeping places, I ate out of bins or stole food if I could. I broke into an old car and I was quite happy with that relatively warm and dry place but of course that didn’t last long. I got badly beaten up. Stole from the wrong people I guess and word had gone around that the fourteen year old punk had found himself a car. Anyways it was then that Alex found me. He fixed me up and let me stay at his place. Believe me, after a month on the streets a hot shower feels like an orgasm. No, if Alex hadn’t plucked me from the streets I don’t think I would be around anymore. I owe him everything.”

“You sure do owe him that he got you into the criminal business.”

“He gave me an opportunity. And I made a choice. Yeah our jobs might not be legal but that’s part of the fun. Point is that he was there when everybody in the world had ditched me.”

“Still, does being good to one person weigh more than being bad to others?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He’s not exactly the nicest person in school.” You try to hold your resentment back.

Dan shrugs his shoulders. “Alex is Alex. He does things in his own way and I don’t agree with everything he does or say but he’s my mate. He’s tough on the outside but he’s a good guy.”

You’re biting the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from lashing out. You can’t believe how blind he is! Alex is a vile person as you experience over and over again and you’re going to make Dan understand that when the waiter places the desserts in the middle of the table. A plate covered with delicious sugary and chocolatery desserts distracts you from your anger. With the first bite in a brownie you forget what you were angry about as the marvellous taste of chocolate fills your mouth.

“I’m stuffed.” You bring out as the empty dessert plate gets cleaned up.

“I bet! I think I’ve never seen somebody eat a crème brûlée with that much love.”

“I’ve got a sweet tooth.” You confess though that’s no secret.

“Would the miss and sir care for an after drink at the bar?” The waiter asks. Dan looks at you. You nod and your chair gets pulled back for you as you get up. Dan lets you go first and you feel his hand on the small of your back as you follow the waiter to a different room where the bar is. Low electronic music is playing and purple lights illuminate the white and black room. You take place at the bar where you see the bartender mixing cocktails as he throws and swirls the bottles around.

“This isn’t real. When will you tell me we’re on a movie set? No wait we’re in a movie!” You pick up your martini and turn away from the bar on your spinning barstool. You cross your legs and lean back against the bar. “Do tell me which roll I’m playing.” You say with a posh accent. Dan takes a swing from his wine.

“Well you’re obviously the most beautiful lady in the room that all the men want. But you don’t care for them. You’re just here to relax after a day of being the careerwoman you are.”

“Sounds good. How about you?”

“I’ve never been here. Not my type of bar but I ended up here anyway. Just looking for a drink. And then I see you. You’ve stolen my breath and I need it back to survive. So I approach you.” He stands up and comes to stand before you.

“Let me guess, you buy me a drink.”

“Oh no. I take your drink away.” And he does take your drink out of your hand and places it on the bar. “And I dare do what all those men wanted to do but were scared of.” He comes in your personal space and you feel his breath on your lips. “But then I do something unexpected. I give you the choice. You get the final say.”

“Kiss me.” You breath out and you take his face in your hands as he kisses you. His arms lock around your waist and he pulls you into him, causing you to slide forward on your stool. You hold his cheek in your hand as your other arm wraps around his shoulder. He kisses you with such passion it sets you on fire. When his tongue caresses your lips, you let him in and shiver as he slowly discovers your mouth. His hand finds its way to your neck as the other caresses your back. You melt into him and a low groan escapes from his throat. When the sound of somebody politely coughing registers in your head, you and Dan pull back.

“I’m guessing you want the check?” You hear the bartender ask. You don’t dare look up from the spot on Dan shoulder that you’re looking at. You can’t believe you got so wrapped up you forgot you are in a bar. With people.

“Yes please.” Dan breaths out. You look up to see his eyes burning into yours. Half a smile is on his lips which are slightly swollen and have redness on it. Your eyes grow wide as you realise that your lipstick is on his lips and you can only imagine how you must look. Dan seems to read you mind is his thumb swipes under you lip.

“You look sexy.” He bends down and captures your lips again. A cough comes from behind you. Dan pulls back with a sign an look up annoyingly. You let your head fall against his chest as you bite your lip to keep from laughing.

“What?” Dan bites at the bartender.

“Your – your check sir.” The poor guy stammers out. “And your coats are waiting by the uhm by the uh by the door.”

Dan tips the guy nicely and helps you put on your coat. When you step outside you look at each other and start laughing. The line of people waiting to get into the restaurant and bar give you weird looks but Dan just slings his arm over your shoulders.

~~~

Dan walks you to your front door. You play with your keys as you look up at him through your eyelashes.

“I had a really great night.”

“As did I.” Dan responds with a soft smile. His fingers play with your hand as he inches closer.

“Was I gentle? You know, with this being your first third date and your first steps into more serious dating. Did I take it slow enough?” You try to keep a serious face. “Daniel.”

“Don’t think you can play this game Love, because you’re not ready for it.” He steps close to you and presses himself against you. “Before you know it, the tables can turn on you.”

“Who says I’m not ready for this game?” You boldly look him in the eye. He lifts an eyebrow as he searches your face. A sly smile appears on his mouth that turns into a full smile and he lets out a warm, delighted laugh. He leans down and plants a soft kiss on your lips.

“Better get inside before I won’t be able to let you go.”

You bite your lip to try and mask the goofy smile on your face. You stick your key in the lock and nothing. You try again but the lock won’t open. You let out an annoyed sign.

“Aunt Grace left a key in the door. I have to go to the back.”

“I’ll come along.”

“You don’t have to-” Dan grabs your hand.

“I want to.”

But you have no luck either getting in through the back door. You try not to let on how embarrassed you are as you call your aunt.

“Hello?”

“Open the door.”

“Who’s this?”

“Open the door!”

“Weren’t you out?”

“I was but I’m back home. And I can’t get inside so open the door.” You hear a low voice in the background and aunt G starts giggling.

“I’m busy. Just call Jack. Or live a little and do a bootycall.” She hangs up. You stare at your phone.

“Your aunt not letting you in?” Dan asks.

“She’s not even home! Call Jack? I can’t call him out of his bed because she’s screwing somebody. And besides, I can’t tell him we just had a drink if I call him at eleven in the evening with you still here. God, why does she keep on doing this to me?!” You cover your face with your hand and have to keep yourself from smashing your phone into the floor.

“I’ve got an idea.” You look up at Dan. A smile starts forming on his face. “I’ve got an idea!” He grabs your hand and drags you back into his car.

“Where are we going?”

“To continue the evening.”

You have no idea what he’s talking about when he drives back into the city. It’s when he pulls up to the fanciest hotel in the city that your heart starts to sink in your stomach. He walks up to the counter and after talking to the man behind it he comes back with a key. When in the lift you start to feel nauseas. You open your mouth to talk to Dan but the doors open and he happily walks to the door that opens with your key. The room is absolutely beautiful. And you feel like you’re going to throw up. Dan kicks off his shoes and takes off his suit jacket before turning to you with a big grin. Your heart races in your chest as anger and fear mingle in your blood. Why has he brought you to a hotel room? Has he planned this from the start?

[racheljhaydentx]

11 Actionable Tips for Better Keyword Research

Doing SEO the right way can take hundreds of hours. It depends on what you’re looking to optimize, how much work you have to do, and more.

Content creation is often the lion’s share of SEO hours. You can spend hours discovering keywords and then creating topics from them. Then you have to actually create the content to go with them.

Since keywords inform content, it’s little wonder people spend so much time on keyword research. The right keywords could be the difference between Google’s top spot and getting lost on Page 2.

Of course, the other side of it is that finding the right keywords or good keywords can be difficult. There are many factors that must be weighed to determine whether a keyword is worth trying to rank for or not.

It’s not surprising people sometimes make poor choices about which keywords to invest in, even after careful research. If you’re not sure your research efforts are paying off, take a look at these 11 tips. With them, you can supercharge your research and find better keywords.

1. Know Your Audience

The very first step of keyword research isn’t writing down words you think your customers associate with your brand. It’s not even looking up search terms.

The foundation of all good keyword research is knowing your audience. What are they looking for? What do they want to know?

All too often, SEO experts get caught up in writing for robots. As search engines have shifted to semantic search, though, the focus has moved back to human users.

In short, Google thinks more about what a user means than what they actually type into the search bar. This is known as intent-based search. With Google’s BERT update and natural language processing, intent-based search is even more important.

Does that mean keywords are on their way out? Not yet. Keywords are still important since they tell Google what your content is about.

From there, the search engine can match your keywords to the user’s intent. That’s why it’s so important to know your audience. With a better understanding of what they want, you can align your content to serve those needs.

2. Let Google Make Suggestions for Keyword Research

Knowing your audience is a great first step, but it leaves you at a bit of a loss when it comes to finding keywords. You can start with generalized terms, such as “shoes” or “pizza.” If you sell shoes, then chances are your users will associate that term with you.

That’s great to know, but “shoes” and “pizza” aren’t great terms to try and rank for. How can you get from these “fat-head” keywords to the terms your audience is actually searching for?

One way is to let Google make some suggestions for you. Google Suggest will auto-fill search terms based on past searches and common questions. Start typing your question or keyword, and let Google do the rest.

Remember that Google Suggest doesn’t tell you much about how competitive a keyword is or search volume. You’ll still need to do the research to make sure the terms it offers are actually good keywords for you to use. That said, it can be a great place to start generating ideas.

3. Survey Says!

If you’re not sure what your audience is looking for, you could ask Google to make suggestions. There’s actually a much better source: your audience.

This is a key tip for how to research keywords that actually matters to your audience. By asking them what they want to know or what they’re looking for, you get better insights into both content and the search terms they’re likely to use.

Surveys are simple to conduct. Ask customers to fill out a quick poll on social media or email them a link. A pop-up on your website can also work.

There are extra steps after this. You’ll still need to verify search volume and weigh the competitiveness of any keyword. Once you’ve completed these tasks, though, you’ll have a solid direction for your content strategy.

4. Leverage on-Site Questions

Another way to find relevant keywords is to leverage data from your own site. If you allow people to conduct searches, then you can mine that data.

This will let you see what people are asking when they use your site. You can then take these terms and evaluate them as search terms. Other data, such as what they look at, can also help you design content around terms people are searching for.

5. Learn from Your Competitors

It’s very rare that you’ll be the only company offering certain services or products. Even if you focus your SEO efforts on local search, you may find you still have several competitors.

This isn’t all bad. You can use your competitors to inform your keyword research.

How?

One easy way to check in on your competitors is to use Google’s Keyword Planner. You can drop a URL into the “Your Landing Page” bar, then click “get ideas.” The tool will offer you some insight into which keywords people use to arrive at the site.

The tool can give you information about search volumes for any particular keyword. It can also be helpful to plan topic themes or groups of ideas.

Other tools offer more robust information about your competitors. You may be able to compare your ranking and theirs on a particular keyword. Once you have this information, you can analyze their on-site and off-site SEO to rank higher for these and similar keywords.

6. Add Negative Keywords to the Mix

The next tip in this keyword research guide is one people often forget. They focus so much on the words they want to rank for that they forget all about the words they don’t want to rank for.

Negative keywords can help you narrow the field more. Suppose you sell running shoes, but not hiking shoes or dress shoes. In this case, it would make sense to add “dress” and “hiking” to your negative keywords list.

Negative keywords are more important for your ad campaigns than for content creation. Adding them to a keyword planner can help you direct your strategy though. Being aware of the words you don’t want to rank for is sometimes as important as being aware of those you do want to rank for.

7. Invest in Specialized Keyword Research Tools

If you want to get a job done, then having the right tools at your disposal is crucial. This is true of keyword research as much as anything else in life.

So, what tools do you need?

Google offers a host of free tools that you can use to inform your research. Keyword Planner and Google Suggest are just two of them.

There are many other tools out there. You may be using a keyword research tool or SEO platform already. If you’ve partnered with an agency, they likely have access to a host of tools they can use to conduct better keyword research.

There are some specialized tools you may want to check into. An SEO toolbar could help you identify keywords on competitor websites or elsewhere. There are services that can help you identify related searches.

There are even generators to help you create bulk lists of keywords in one go. Many of these tools are free to use. Check them out and discover how they can help you power better research for keywords.

8. Timing is Everything

Trendsetters aren’t just in the fashion world anymore. Keywords also follow trends. Some keywords gain popularity over time, while others fade.

When a news story breaks, a certain topic will trend. More people will search for related information. Many brands and publishers want to get in on the action.

It may seem difficult to follow trends, especially for these sorts of “flash-in-the-pan” topics. The good news is many keywords actually have much longer trends. If a keyword isn’t getting much traffic right now, it may not make sense to try and rank for it just yet.

That may change over time. Take a look at the historical trend for the term. If search volume has been on a steady rise, then it may make sense to create some content to address this keyword.

As search volume continues to increase, you can add more content. Better yet, you may even beat your competitors to the punch.

Following trends is also important when looking at keywords that are on their way out. As industries change and evolve, so does the terminology around them. That, in turn, influences the things people are searching for.

If there’s a keyword that your competitors are ranking for, it’s a good idea to see how volume is trending before you try to steal their crown. If volume is still on the uptick, then competing for this keyword makes perfect sense. If the search volume is trending down, then you may want to skip it and look to rank for the next hot term in your industry.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

You should also keep seasonality in mind. Some search terms experience ups and downs throughout the year. An example is “Halloween décor.” Most people aren’t looking for Halloween decorations in April.

While search volume for these terms is variable throughout the year, it makes sense to compete for them. Having content for seasonal terms can help you rank and boosts your SEO strategy.

9. Don’t Forget Branding

Most people don’t search for brands themselves. If they’re looking for pizza, they’re more likely to search “pizza near me” or “best pizza places in NYC” than to seek out a specific brand.

There are always exceptions, of course. Branded searches do happen, and you want to be sure you’re capitalizing on them. For example, shoe giant Nike probably wants to rank for “Nike running shoes.”

Even smaller brands can benefit from ranking for branded search. Instead of trying to build search around your terms, though, use search queries to build your brand.

If you happen to “invent” an industry term or find a way to capitalize on it, this can help you dominate the rankings. “Inbound marketing” is the classic example.

You can also try affinity searches, category searches, and discovering interested audiences.

10. Go for the Longtail

The way people search has been changing. With the advent of voice assistants, people are now asking grammatically correct questions.

That means you need to adjust your keyword strategy. Longtail keywords are specific phrases or even complete questions that are entered into the search engine.

These keywords can be specific. As a result, they don’t have nearly the same search volume as “fat-head” keywords like “pizza” or “shoes.”

The competition for them is also a lot less intense. You actually stand a chance at ranking. What’s more, is that these more targeted searches are usually conducted by people looking for answers.

They’re going to spend longer on your site, and they may even check out more posts. In turn, you’re already hard at work building a relationship with them. That’s much better than competing for the top spot for “pizza.”

11. Evaluate Keywords

Finally, you must remember to evaluate any keywords. Surveying your audience, checking on-site searches, and using Google Suggest are great ways to get ideas.

You need to make sure those ideas have legs. Knowing searching volume and competitiveness are key.

Don’t forget to look at the difficulty rankings either. Be sure to dive deeper into competitiveness and difficulty, as these metrics are often averages. There may be less competition than you think.

By conducting this kind of analysis, you can balance search volume against difficulty to find a “sweet spot” for your keywords.

The Key to Better SEO

Keyword research doesn’t need to be difficult, and these 11 tips can help you find better keywords for your business.

If you still have questions about keyword research or any other part of SEO, it might be time to team up. Get in touch with the experts and discover what a difference an agency partner can make.

from Riserr Marketing https://riserr.com/11-actionable-tips-for-better-keyword-research/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=11-actionable-tips-for-better-keyword-research from Riserr https://riserr1.tumblr.com/post/190671197246

[riserr1]

11 Actionable Tips for Better Keyword Research

Doing SEO the right way can take hundreds of hours. It depends on what you’re looking to optimize, how much work you have to do, and more.

Content creation is often the lion’s share of SEO hours. You can spend hours discovering keywords and then creating topics from them. Then you have to actually create the content to go with them.

Since keywords inform content, it’s little wonder people spend so much time on keyword research. The right keywords could be the difference between Google’s top spot and getting lost on Page 2.

Of course, the other side of it is that finding the right keywords or good keywords can be difficult. There are many factors that must be weighed to determine whether a keyword is worth trying to rank for or not.

It’s not surprising people sometimes make poor choices about which keywords to invest in, even after careful research. If you’re not sure your research efforts are paying off, take a look at these 11 tips. With them, you can supercharge your research and find better keywords.

1. Know Your Audience

The very first step of keyword research isn’t writing down words you think your customers associate with your brand. It’s not even looking up search terms.

The foundation of all good keyword research is knowing your audience. What are they looking for? What do they want to know?

All too often, SEO experts get caught up in writing for robots. As search engines have shifted to semantic search, though, the focus has moved back to human users.

In short, Google thinks more about what a user means than what they actually type into the search bar. This is known as intent-based search. With Google’s BERT update and natural language processing, intent-based search is even more important.

Does that mean keywords are on their way out? Not yet. Keywords are still important since they tell Google what your content is about.

From there, the search engine can match your keywords to the user’s intent. That’s why it’s so important to know your audience. With a better understanding of what they want, you can align your content to serve those needs.

2. Let Google Make Suggestions for Keyword Research

Knowing your audience is a great first step, but it leaves you at a bit of a loss when it comes to finding keywords. You can start with generalized terms, such as “shoes” or “pizza.” If you sell shoes, then chances are your users will associate that term with you.

That’s great to know, but “shoes” and “pizza” aren’t great terms to try and rank for. How can you get from these “fat-head” keywords to the terms your audience is actually searching for?

One way is to let Google make some suggestions for you. Google Suggest will auto-fill search terms based on past searches and common questions. Start typing your question or keyword, and let Google do the rest.

Remember that Google Suggest doesn’t tell you much about how competitive a keyword is or search volume. You’ll still need to do the research to make sure the terms it offers are actually good keywords for you to use. That said, it can be a great place to start generating ideas.

3. Survey Says!

If you’re not sure what your audience is looking for, you could ask Google to make suggestions. There’s actually a much better source: your audience.

This is a key tip for how to research keywords that actually matters to your audience. By asking them what they want to know or what they’re looking for, you get better insights into both content and the search terms they’re likely to use.

Surveys are simple to conduct. Ask customers to fill out a quick poll on social media or email them a link. A pop-up on your website can also work.

There are extra steps after this. You’ll still need to verify search volume and weigh the competitiveness of any keyword. Once you’ve completed these tasks, though, you’ll have a solid direction for your content strategy.

4. Leverage on-Site Questions

Another way to find relevant keywords is to leverage data from your own site. If you allow people to conduct searches, then you can mine that data.

This will let you see what people are asking when they use your site. You can then take these terms and evaluate them as search terms. Other data, such as what they look at, can also help you design content around terms people are searching for.

5. Learn from Your Competitors

It’s very rare that you’ll be the only company offering certain services or products. Even if you focus your SEO efforts on local search, you may find you still have several competitors.

This isn’t all bad. You can use your competitors to inform your keyword research.

How?

One easy way to check in on your competitors is to use Google’s Keyword Planner. You can drop a URL into the “Your Landing Page” bar, then click “get ideas.” The tool will offer you some insight into which keywords people use to arrive at the site.

The tool can give you information about search volumes for any particular keyword. It can also be helpful to plan topic themes or groups of ideas.

Other tools offer more robust information about your competitors. You may be able to compare your ranking and theirs on a particular keyword. Once you have this information, you can analyze their on-site and off-site SEO to rank higher for these and similar keywords.

6. Add Negative Keywords to the Mix

The next tip in this keyword research guide is one people often forget. They focus so much on the words they want to rank for that they forget all about the words they don’t want to rank for.

Negative keywords can help you narrow the field more. Suppose you sell running shoes, but not hiking shoes or dress shoes. In this case, it would make sense to add “dress” and “hiking” to your negative keywords list.

Negative keywords are more important for your ad campaigns than for content creation. Adding them to a keyword planner can help you direct your strategy though. Being aware of the words you don’t want to rank for is sometimes as important as being aware of those you do want to rank for.

7. Invest in Specialized Keyword Research Tools

If you want to get a job done, then having the right tools at your disposal is crucial. This is true of keyword research as much as anything else in life.

So, what tools do you need?

Google offers a host of free tools that you can use to inform your research. Keyword Planner and Google Suggest are just two of them.

There are many other tools out there. You may be using a keyword research tool or SEO platform already. If you’ve partnered with an agency, they likely have access to a host of tools they can use to conduct better keyword research.

There are some specialized tools you may want to check into. An SEO toolbar could help you identify keywords on competitor websites or elsewhere. There are services that can help you identify related searches.

There are even generators to help you create bulk lists of keywords in one go. Many of these tools are free to use. Check them out and discover how they can help you power better research for keywords.

8. Timing is Everything

Trendsetters aren’t just in the fashion world anymore. Keywords also follow trends. Some keywords gain popularity over time, while others fade.

When a news story breaks, a certain topic will trend. More people will search for related information. Many brands and publishers want to get in on the action.

It may seem difficult to follow trends, especially for these sorts of “flash-in-the-pan” topics. The good news is many keywords actually have much longer trends. If a keyword isn’t getting much traffic right now, it may not make sense to try and rank for it just yet.

That may change over time. Take a look at the historical trend for the term. If search volume has been on a steady rise, then it may make sense to create some content to address this keyword.

As search volume continues to increase, you can add more content. Better yet, you may even beat your competitors to the punch.

Following trends is also important when looking at keywords that are on their way out. As industries change and evolve, so does the terminology around them. That, in turn, influences the things people are searching for.

If there’s a keyword that your competitors are ranking for, it’s a good idea to see how volume is trending before you try to steal their crown. If volume is still on the uptick, then competing for this keyword makes perfect sense. If the search volume is trending down, then you may want to skip it and look to rank for the next hot term in your industry.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

You should also keep seasonality in mind. Some search terms experience ups and downs throughout the year. An example is “Halloween décor.” Most people aren’t looking for Halloween decorations in April.

While search volume for these terms is variable throughout the year, it makes sense to compete for them. Having content for seasonal terms can help you rank and boosts your SEO strategy.

9. Don’t Forget Branding

Most people don’t search for brands themselves. If they’re looking for pizza, they’re more likely to search “pizza near me” or “best pizza places in NYC” than to seek out a specific brand.

There are always exceptions, of course. Branded searches do happen, and you want to be sure you’re capitalizing on them. For example, shoe giant Nike probably wants to rank for “Nike running shoes.”

Even smaller brands can benefit from ranking for branded search. Instead of trying to build search around your terms, though, use search queries to build your brand.

If you happen to “invent” an industry term or find a way to capitalize on it, this can help you dominate the rankings. “Inbound marketing” is the classic example.

You can also try affinity searches, category searches, and discovering interested audiences.

10. Go for the Longtail

The way people search has been changing. With the advent of voice assistants, people are now asking grammatically correct questions.

That means you need to adjust your keyword strategy. Longtail keywords are specific phrases or even complete questions that are entered into the search engine.

These keywords can be specific. As a result, they don’t have nearly the same search volume as “fat-head” keywords like “pizza” or “shoes.”

The competition for them is also a lot less intense. You actually stand a chance at ranking. What’s more, is that these more targeted searches are usually conducted by people looking for answers.

They’re going to spend longer on your site, and they may even check out more posts. In turn, you’re already hard at work building a relationship with them. That’s much better than competing for the top spot for “pizza.”

11. Evaluate Keywords

Finally, you must remember to evaluate any keywords. Surveying your audience, checking on-site searches, and using Google Suggest are great ways to get ideas.

You need to make sure those ideas have legs. Knowing searching volume and competitiveness are key.

Don’t forget to look at the difficulty rankings either. Be sure to dive deeper into competitiveness and difficulty, as these metrics are often averages. There may be less competition than you think.

By conducting this kind of analysis, you can balance search volume against difficulty to find a “sweet spot” for your keywords.

The Key to Better SEO

Keyword research doesn’t need to be difficult, and these 11 tips can help you find better keywords for your business.

If you still have questions about keyword research or any other part of SEO, it might be time to team up. Get in touch with the experts and discover what a difference an agency partner can make.

from Riserr Marketing https://riserr.com/11-actionable-tips-for-better-keyword-research/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=11-actionable-tips-for-better-keyword-research