#often i watched shows and was bummed to discover there was little fan content

[tuiyla]

I’m very much a teenager that was not aware of the glee fandom at any time the show was airing, but I feel like the reason that other shows nowadays can’t grow to That size is because of them releasing entire seasons at once. There’s no time for the online communities to grow and everybody’s exhausted it by a couple months. I think Stranger Things 4 dropping in two parts helped it’s fandom’s longevity a little but it’s not the same as the Chad episode a week fandoms of old.

Or maybe I just really hate that model and want to blame all the world’s problems on it <3

That's certainly part of it, I think. There's a reason some streamers are moving back towards weekly releases, like Disney+ and the MCU shows, or even Netflix doing a few shows like Stranger Things and You in two parts. I get why you hate it, binging has been under scrutiny in media studies for a while. For a few things, most notably that it just doesn't enable the same kind of fandom community as more incremental releases. I've lamented this a few times with different media. The fact that Wednesday still got as popular as it did despite being released all at once is honestly kind of a miracle. Stranger Things has had hype since 2016, of course, but season 4 being released in two parts did help the longevity, I agree.

It's interesting because I wouldn't say something like Stranger Things or Wednesday is that different in popularity than, say, The Last Of Us, but there are so many factors to consider here. So I guess the bottom line just is that yeah, TV has changed a lot in the past decade and that affected online communities. When Glee was airing, not only was twitter relatively new and at least 40% more tolerable, but platforms like tumblr were in their heyday. And! Glee was almost a year-round phenomenon, with 22 episodes and tours in the summer. Even when there was a wait in-between seasons it wasn't nearly as long as the standard whole year with streaming/binging, not to mention to 3 bloody years Stranger Things 4 took. There simply wasn't as much of a danger of people jumping ship and losing interest; Glee had its hook in pop culture. The grip loosened with the OG cast graduating and if you look at viewership numbers, seasons 5-6 couldn't even dream of the high millions season 2 had. At the same time, TV today couldn't even dream of the numbers season 6 had, you know? So it's just a totally different thing.

There's really something to be said about TV and how it used to be an event but streaming and, crucially, binging changed the game. I find all this really really interesting as this was part of my studies at university and could go on. But yeah, it's interesting to think of how your TV experience as a teenager is so drastically different from what mine was, even though there isn't that much of a difference in age (at least I hope haha!). I do feel we're moving somewhat away from the binging culture of the early streaming days but I also don't think the circumstances will be given for anything like Glee to ever happen again. And Glee wasn't a uniquely insanely popular thing, but it did occupy a curious place in pop culture. A gap that I would argue hasn't really been filled since.

[queen-of-my-goofball-army]

Favorite Voice Actors

For those of you that know me, you know that my number one special interest is cartoons and the people that voice my favorite characters. Studying my heroes and watching them in interviews became a favorite pass time of mine. A lot of my friends thought that it was really weird and they stopped talking to me because of it. For a long time before I got diagnosed as having aspergers I talked forever about it. I think that both bored and confused people. For me, I love voice acting because anybody can be anything. You can watch a show and years later be like I know that voice it’s insert name here if you’re like me. True, certain actors have something that is brought to every character (I can think of one prime example later on down the list) but it is always about the heart that they put into their characters. 

10. Charlie Adler: I’ll admit that I am mostly a fan of him due to the amount of work that he has done and the quantity. This man was the voice of Cow, Chicken and Big Red guy in Cow and Chicken. True, this show was past my time (and if it wasn’t I feel like it would get the Fairly OddParents treatment where my parents would forbid me to watch it.) When I listened to his episode of Talkin’ Toons I found his story’s really interesting and compelling. I can only imagine how much work and effort went into all of his characters in that show. To develop one character is one thing but to be able to switch between them like a deck of cards is a completely different thing. I did however watch a lot of Brandy and Mr. Whiskers when I was younger!! Growing up with that show and hearing him play Mr. Whiskers brought me a lot of joy when I was sick at home and for that I will always be a huge fan of his voice and his work. 

9. Jim Cummings. If I were to say that one voice actor had a ton of versatility it would probably be him. I was a major Tigger fan when I was growing up. Not just that but I loved Raymond when Princess and The Frog came out. He is actually my mom’s favorite voice actor. But I also loved CatDog when I would see that on reruns, I grew to love Darkwing Duck and countless other shows that he leant his voice to. Studying voice acting and the people that do it has led to me finding some things out that I would rather not. Especially when I found that he wasn’t actually the nicest person in real life. But, to me that doesn’t matter when it comes to this list. He is here because so many of his characters made my childhood just a little bit happier. When I was thinking about favorite voice actors I considered two things, personality and character content. This one is here just for character content. 

8. Bob Bergen: I reblogged a post a long time ago with this man at the helm. What he can do every time I see him do it blows my mind. Bob has been the voice of Porky Pig since pretty much Tiny Toons back in the early 90′s. He has stated that there have been some others but when I think Porky this is the name that comes along with it. Watching him do his thing is something that continually blows my mind. Listening to his life story on Rob Paulsen’s podcast Talkin’ Toons is something that inspired me more than anything. It’s this story of persistence and resilience from a young age. He is one of the few voice actors that actually got to talk with Mel Blanc when he was fourteen. I love his genuine heart and the ability that he has to jump into his character full force. Porky was a big portion of my childhood and I grew up laughing at his “silly” stutter. It wasn’t until I got older and learned that the stutter is an actual art form that I learned something entirely different. 

7. Richard Horvitz: Most of you that know me might be surprised at this rather seemingly low placement for somebody that I greatly admire. I mean he was Invader Zim and Billy from Billy and Mandy for crying out loud!! I just bought a print for the man but really when I thought about it, he hasn’t really inspired me as much as my top six have. I love his sense of humor and his love of musical theater but he hasn’t taught me anything life altering. I think that he is hands down the funniest voice actor in Hollywood. I could listen to him make jokes forever and just talk in his voice but at the same time he is so other worldly and knows so much about the craft that it inspired me that way. He is as most of his fans joke “the dad voice actor” complete with dad jokes. I love Invader Zim so much, the show has helped me through a lot of loneliness and emotional moments in my life reminding me to keep laughing at life’s craziness. I also love Moxxie from Helluva Boss. All in all Richard is a fabulous man and actor. He has helped me figure out the kind of person that I wanted to be and I owe him a lot of laughter hours. 

6. Greg Cipes: Can I talk about probably my OG hero for voice acting? When I was six I spent a lot of time in front of the television watching the original Teen Titans. My favorite character was Beast Boy his character that he played. When I say that BB changed the way that I think about my life that is not an exaggeration. He was one of the first characters that made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. Growing up I had to fight people for his validation. It seemed like nobody loved him as much as I did. Cut to me in middle school I’m a bit more grownup and I start channel flipping. I wind up on Nickelodeon and see the reboot of Ninja Turtles. I figure I’ll watch it and see what all the hype is about. I hear Mikey open his mouth and instantly I get this rush of my childhood coming back. It was one of the first times that I made the connection between voice actor and character. Greg taught me so much vicariously through his character. He taught me about fun and laughter, about the importance of feeling lonely doesn’t mean that you’re alone in the world and even if you’re the goofball that doesn’t mean that’s all you have to be. The fact that he is such a relaxed and genuine person only adds to the admiration of this vegan beach bum. 

5. Corey Burton: This is a very personal hero of mine. It’s one that I hold very close to me because of one thing. As far as I know, there have been very few voice actors on the autism spectrum. Corey is the only one that I have ever found. He’s the man that actually surpassed every expectation and said screw live performing it makes me anxious I’m going to get my experience through something that I know I’m good at radio. So he does radio and becomes really good at that. Then he goes to cartoons. He does Dale in Chip And Dale Rescue Rangers with a certain feminine icon of mine. He gets Ludwig Von Drake and has been that voice actor since the original DuckTales. Then he hits the peak, he was Mole in Atlantis Lost Empire a big budget Disney movie. I am so often inspired by my top six favorite voice actors. They are the ones that took me by the figurative hand and told me hey you can do get through whatever it is that you are struggling with. It just takes a little bit of laughter through the bad times, and an optimistic attitude that things will slowly but surely get better. Corey was the one that actually got himself to the top of the mountain and got to say that he did it. I admire that about him so much because for a while I thought to myself “Hey, he did it so can I”. 

4. J Michael Tatum: In terms of anime voice actors, even though I love a great many, only one has ever remained of legend status. It comes yet again with a rather personal story. I was 17, lost and a little bit confused. I knew that I was ace but I had no idea how to tell my parents. It was around this time when I was getting back into anime due to Yuri On Ice, Space Dandy and Princess Jellyfish. I decide what the hell I’m going to watch some panels of my favorite voice actors for anime haven’t done that since I was thirteen. I had always loved Tatum as Kyoya Ootori in Ouran High School Host Club and France in Hetalia but other than that I didn’t know very much about him. I looked up panels for him and came across one for Florida Anime Con filmed that year. In it, he talked about being gay a lot. It implanted a seed that would inspire me. If he could be out and proud then why was I stoping myself? It might sound silly or stupid to some but to me it changed everything. From that moment on I loved everything Tatum. It led me to discover my love for Rei in Free, Okabe in Stein’s Gate and many other countless roles of his. 

3. Tom Kenny: This man right here, he is the OG voice actor special interest of mine. He is the first name that I remember hearing because he did so much for Nickelodeon showing children how he did his most iconic voice. Who is that iconic voice you may ask yourself? Well it’s Spongebob flipping patties Squarepants. If that alone doesn’t put him at this spot then I don’t know what does. Like so many children in the early 200s I spent a good chunk of my childhood with me and my parents on the couch and this show on the television screen. You want to talk about legacy? This man voiced his way into the hearts of millions of children across the united states. I remember the first time I saw his actual face. I was flipping through channels and I saw this man on Nickelodeon. He had a goofy smile on his face and I figured what the hell I’ll give this a watch even though it’s not a cartoon. Then he started talking he introduced himself as Tom Kenny. Then he starts doing Spongebob. My five year old mind was blown. I never forgot his name ever since. Every time I would watch Teen Titans and Mambo would be on that episode I would be like “Oh that’s Spongebob’s voice actor”. It was that moment that changed everything for me. I have never looked back from my main special interest ever since. He has helped me through so much. Whether he be my favorite exorbitant yellow sponge, or Dog on CatDog, or Lazlo on Camp Lazlo part of me will always be with Tom Kenny. Keep making children happy Tom you’ve been doing a great job so far. 

2. Tress MacNeille: Hoo boy this is a big one for me. For those of you that haven’t ever been around here before and don’t know the name of my character on my icon her name is Dot Warner (the Warner sister) and this is her voice actress. I hope that she changes your life and inspires you as much as she has mine. When I was nine I had an incredible fourth grade teacher. She showed us Yakko’s Nations Of The World for geography class. She also encouraged us to watch the rest of the show because it was full of educational songs and humor. I went home that day with on thought in mind. I wanted to watch the rest of that series. I go home and I make one distinction, hey that Warner sister I can kind of talk like her a little bit if I try hard enough. It was a little bit harder back in those days and I talk a lot more like her now with the reboot out in the world. This is the first and only impression I can do. I can do Dot and that’s it. And to me that was what mattered I didn’t need to be able to do anybody else. There aren’t a whole lot of woman voice actress’s that can keep working. All we have is Tara Strong, Cree Summer and the one and only goddess Tress MacNeille. Tress has helped me out so much in my life. I have never been the most confident person alive but from a young age hearing her absolutely smack down the actors of her brother’s in the show (Rob Paulsen and Jess Harnell) something about that inspired me. It was around this point in my life that I learned I can speak my mind and just not give a hoot if anybody feels the same way that I do. I can make my opinions known to other people. I was sixteen when I made that discovery and Tress was there for me all the way cheering me on in her Dot voice.  I owe a lot to her and I wish that she was more active on social media so that I could have the opportunity to thank her for everything that she has done vicariously for me. 

1. Rob Paulsen: If you were surprised by this, we probably haven’t talked before. At least not extensively because my dog do I love this man!! He has inspired me more than any other and he is not just my favorite voice actor but I consider him my ultimate hero in life. Where do I even start with him? There have been so many moments where I’ve fallen in love with one of his characters. I suppose one should start at the beginning. As I mentioned with Tress, my introduction through Animaniacs was Yakko’s Nations Of The World. This moment it changed everything for me because this was the first time that I could actually remember seeing Rob do a role. Yakko was the first cartoon character to actually make an impact on me. It was the first time that I ever loved a character that deeply. It was also the first time I ever made my own character to pair up with a canon character not even knowing that I was doing it. Ever since then a part of me has known okay that’s what Rob talks like. Now thanks to Tom Kenny I can recognize him in other places. And recognize him I did. From there I found that he was Carl on Jimmy Neutron, Mark Chang my favorite character on Fairly OddParents and countless other roles that we could be here all day for. As I mentioned, I was in middle school when the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were originally airing. When I watched that first episode, Donatello sounded really familiar to me. So I waited to the end credits only to find out that holy hell that was Rob!! The same person that played my favorite fast talking older brother. I found out about his fight with cancer a few years after it happened. This is when he went from favorite voice actor to hero legend status. He fought his way out of hell so that he could continue to sing “United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Heidi, Jamaica, Peru” until the end of his days. Reading his book changed my life forever as it gave me insight to not just the man who made me laugh, cry and cry laughing listening to his podcast but that same man had a whole ass heart and soul that he put into every character that he did. I find it really hard to explain what he means to me. He’s my hero, the one that made me laugh when I was a sad and lonely elementary schooler and the one that continues to bring me back to my childhood every time I see him in a show. I don’t feel the compulsion to give strangers hugs very often but if I ever met Rob I don’t think that I would be able to stop myself from giving a hug and just telling him thank you. Thank you for making my childhood and the childhoods of countless others much better than they would have been without you. 

And that’s it folks!! Whew that’s a lot of me rambling but I feel a bit better now. Finals preparation week has officially started for me and I just wanted to give myself this big ol’ boost of serotonin before I went into it.     

[lanonima]

I finished a new novel so you know what that means!

Romantic - Fucky is not how risque a work is but rather my opinion of the attitude/quality of the main relationship, the way the characters interact with respect to one another. I like a lot of stuff in fiction but if you’re easily made uncomfortable, stay towards the top half.

Easy reading - Plot-heavy is how I personally consider the plot’s intricacy and successful implementation, regardless of the author’s intention.

Fox Demon Cultivation Manual

Author: Feng Ge Qie Xing

Quality: 8

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: This was a delightful romp. I had expected it to be somewhat silly and was pleasantly surprised. It was heavy enough to be engaging but light enough to be an easy read, with multiple spots that made me literally laugh out loud which does not happen often. This is apparently just one book in a series of same universe novels, and a lighter-hearted one at that. I would be interested to read the others because I found the world pretty engaging, and I do want to know what became of the other characters. Overall I found it very fun and very cute, I read it in four days so that says something. On the downside, the link for chapter 9 is broken. But skipping a chapter doesn't seem to have affected the experience of the novel as a whole.

Would I read it again: Yeah I think I would be willing to read this again someday. If it gets adapted I would also consume adaptations, in addition to being interested in the other connected works.

The reviews of things I previously read are below the cut.

Mo Dao Zu Shi

Author: MXTX

Quality: 9.5

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: I have a huge emotional connection to this novel. There are some weak parts, the tension isn’t quite even, she’s pretty terrible at erotic scenes and not great at fight scenes…but that being said, I love the characters and some of the plot points really ripped my heart out. This is a novel that’s really driven by the characters so if you’re a character-focused person like me, definitely look into it (as if we all don’t already know it lmao). I really, really love this story. Every single adaptation of it has also been great, but the novel is still my favorite. It was my introduction to xianxia novels too, so you can say it changed my life!

Would I read it again: I’ve already read it twice, and consumed every adaptation (sometimes also multiple times)

Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Author: MXTX

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 5

Comments: I’m not much of one for comedy and, as I discovered, not really into system novels either. Clearly weaker than MXTX’s later work, many of the characters are somewhat bland, she hasn’t quite found her groove yet. It’s not my style but the fandom is hilarious and the fans constantly produce content that I actually do find entertaining so overall I still have some fond feelings for this one, even if not for the source material.

Would I read it again: I found a different translation and am willing to try again in the future, I’m also willing to watch the donghua. But I can’t guarantee I’ll like it any more than previously.

Tian Guan Ci Fu

Author: MXTX

Quality: 10

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: I love this book…but not as much as I love Mo Dao Zu Shi. I think the plot is somewhat typical, however the characters are great once again (though maybe slightly less deep than MDZS), and her use of thematic repetition and foreshadowing are killer. Actually, I liked this book more the second time around because it just hits differently. Definitely the best of MXTX’s couples, they are so soft and sweet. Very long, but worth it.

Would I read it again: I already have, was personally translating the manhua before I hurt my arms, and am eagerly awaiting the donghua this fall!

The Villain’s White Lotus Halo

Author: A Big Roll of Toilet Paper

Quality: 10

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: Fuck, I love this one so much…..even though it’s also a system novel. But that part is in it so rarely that it reads more like pure fantasy. I love the characters, I love the plot, I love the way the relationship is developing. Oh yeah, the translation isn’t even complete but I already purchased not only the original from JJWXC but also the print edition. I’ve even drawn fanart for it, which is so unlike me. Every time a chapter comes out, I’m ruined for the rest of the day, I can’t think about anything else. Good fight scenes, which is uncommon. My favorite danmei novel so far.

Would I read it again: I fully intend to once the translation is complete, and also plan to read it in Chinese later (I’ve already read certain parts in Chinese hahaha but not the whole thing)

2Ha (Husky and his White Cat Shizun)

Author: Meatbun Doesn’t Eat Meat

Quality: 8

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: 2Ha is not for the faint of heart, it’s very horny, and violent, and has a lot of questionable content. However I love it so much. The story and characters are great, Meatbun really has me by the heart. The writing is a little more on the casual side but it hardly matters because the story is so great. Good fight scenes. Chu Wanning is like, the ultimate Me™ character, I hate how much I adore him. If you read this, just go into it knowing that it’s a long emotional journey, the characters are very dynamic and there’s a lot of character development.

Would I read it again: Same as the above, I plan a reread when the translation is done and have read parts in Chinese and might read the whole thing again later. Cautiously eager about the up-coming live action and donghua.

Di Wang Gong Lue

Author: Yu Xiao Lanshan

Quality: 2

Enjoyment: 9

Comments: This is one of the most terribly written things I’ve ever read, but I’m a character girl and the characters and ways they interact fucking kill me. I’m constantly entertained….although I don’t think this is actually supposed to be a comedy. If I were going to treat myself and like, take a bubble bath and read something that made me laugh, this is exactly the sort of trashy romance I would want to read. Technically a political intrigue story but it’s so abrupt and full of holes, are any of us reading it for the actual plot? The donghua is on Youtube, I watched it first and recommend others to do the same. If you can handle that, you can handle the book because it’s exactly the same in quality, just gayer. I do love the main couple a lot, the set-up surrounding the relationship is great, and the side characters are also really fun.

Would I read it again: Probably not, but I’m still having fun with it. I watched the donghua and read a bit of the manhua as well, which has very cute art and is probably my favorite version of the story.

Liu Yao

Author: Priest

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 7.5

Comments: I really struggled getting into this one, it took me about 25 chapters to get invested. Initially I had rated it a 6 in enjoyment but after careful thought, I realized that even though it was so hard for me, it probably is my favorite Priest novel and I really do love the main couple so much. Her side characters also seem to be slightly stronger than usual in this one. Decent plot, not too much or too little. It seems really chill to me, doesn’t provoke much of an emotional reaction but I do think it’s very sweet, which is nice sometimes too.

Would I read it again: No, but I think (?) it’s supposed to get some kind of tv adaptation (drama or donghua, not sure), and if that happens, I’ll watch it.

Didn’t Know the General was Female

Author: Rong Qing

Quality: 4

Enjoyment: 6

Comments: Not the greatest thing I’ve ever read, but cute. It’s short, and a little lesbian fluff is never a bad thing. Writing is a bit weak and the plot is basic, but the characters are enjoyable and I liked it overall.

Would I read it again: No.

Wrong Way to a Demon Sect Leader

Author: Yi Zhi Dayan

Quality: 4

Enjoyment: 7

Comments: Again, not the greatest in writing or plot, it’s a bit shallow. But I found the idea of it to be entertaining, and actually liked it more than I would have assumed. It’s fairly short and cute, like a good summer beach read.

Would I read it again: Probably not, but possibly, if the stars align.

Female General and Eldest Princess

Author: Please Don’t Laugh

Quality: 7

Enjoyment: 6

Comments: A very good first effort, but the writing is a bit weak. It’s slow to start and I don’t think the political plotline is spectacularly strong. Some things were left unexplained, and her sense of battle tactics and fight-writing were very confusing, definitely room for improvement. I don’t think it’s as good as people say, but she writes with the air of someone who will continue to improve. And also, a lesbian author writing lesbian stories so that’s a plus. Overall I enjoyed the experience, this story is definitely worth a read.

Would I read it again: Maybe, but probably not.

Sha Po Lang

Author: Priest

Quality: 7

Enjoyment: 7

Comments: Originally I rated this one higher, but on later thought I realized that I actually enjoyed Liu Yao more. I personally have issues with the way Priest writes, and this book showed a lot of them. Characters were okay, I did like the main couple, but side characters were weak as usual. The plot is pretty good, though not great, and I think some of the pacing is off. Some descriptions were confusing, but that could be a translation issue. Overall, still a pretty good political drama, but I would say that of the three I read, this was the Priest novel with the least impact on me.

Would I read it again: No. But I will watch the live action if it ever gets made.

Guardian

Author: Priest

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 5

Comments: I love Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, thought the plot was interesting, and there were some enjoyable moments. But it has all the problems I usually have with Priest in addition to some choices that offend me as a queer reader. I spent about 75% of the time reading while pissed off. And actually the fact that it had a happy ending kinda bummed me out because I love a good tragedy. Overall, I can only give it an average score. If you like Priest, you’ll like this one too. I’m not a tv person but I binged the hell out of the live action, I really loved it, so I was sort of disappointed that the source material didn’t seem as strong as I had assumed.

Would I read it again: No, but I will happily watch the live action again some day.

Jing Wei Qing Shang

Author: Please Don’t Laugh

Quality: 9.8

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: I have to start off by saying: damn girl. The improvement evident in this book is absolutely insane. A few minor issues prevent me from giving it a 10 out of 10 – her transitions are still extremely abrupt, the ending is slightly weak and some plot points remain unresolved, and her use of narrative repetition is too heavy-handed for my taste. Other than that, this book leaves me almost speechless. Very similar to Female General and Eldest Princess, there are many similar themes and events. But while I thought FGEP was fairly cute, I like this one way better. If you like angst, political intrigue, and lesbians, you should definitely read this book. I have no doubt that Please Don’t Laugh will continue to improve in the future, and I really look forward to following her career.

Would I read it again: 100%, I absolutely intend to read this again sometime in the future. It’s very long and very dense but delightful and ultimately worth it.

[agressivelyunfancynerd]

Cabin in the Woods (Captain America Fic)

Let me preface this by saying I have never, ever written a fan fiction, or a smut. So please, please be kind! However, if you find any mistakes, or anything, feel free to message me J

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Female Reader

Warnings: Smut, Penetrative Sex, Unprotected Sex (wrap it please!), Clit Stimulation

Word Count: 3500+ 

Blurb: You’re a hacker who has been with the Avengers for a year, when you discover some seriously dangerous plans that could kill a lot of people, you help Steve assemble the team, only for them to have to leave you and Steve in harm’s way; you find yourselves in a hidden shack, and things get a bit heated.

You were the newest member of the Avenger’s team, although, calling yourself a member might be a stretch, you weren’t a trained assassin, or proficient archer or thunder god or even some rich engineer, you were simply a girl with excellent hacking skills, a big attitude and enough martial arts training to maybe not die in a hand to hand fight. A fight which you would’ve started with your sarcastic mouth.

If someone had told you two years ago you’d be working at the Avenger’s tower, or going out on missions with Captain America – your biggest crush since high school – and his team, you would have laughed in their face.

And yet here you were, sitting in the lounge room of the tower, tapping away on your laptop. It was late afternoon and the sun was blasting through the windows.

“Hey y/n, new intel just came in, it’s encrypted, think you can hack it?” Steve asked, although you hadn’t heard him come in.

“That hurts Rogers… Underestimating my ability to hack things not meant to be hacked, I’m offended” you winked at him. He smiled.

You held your hand out for the flash drive. He padded over to the couch where you were sitting cross legged and put the device in your hand, his fingers brushing against your skin, causing you to shiver. He turned and started to walk to the door, you watched.

You hated to see him go, but boy did you love to watch him leave. He turned to say something, catching you starring at his bum. Embarrassed you went back to typing away on your laptop.

Your cheeks started to burn hot, you were blushing at being caught ogling Captain America.

You had been with the team just over a year now, and in that time, you had made an idiot of yourself in front of Steve at least once a day, every day of the week.

Bucky knew you had a crush on Steve; your bedrooms shared a wall and he heard you touching yourself one night pretending it was Steve. He poked fun at you the next day, until you felt like you were going to combust, due to the heat in your cheeks; but he vowed never to tell a soul, and from then on you became good friends, he was your confidante, sparring partner, and horror movie marathon partner, and you became his tutor in all things 21st century.

But from the day Bucky found out about the crush you had gone out of your way to avoid Steve, in the hopes that your silly crush would subside and fizzle out. Sometimes you thought it was going well, you’d not see him in a week, you’d stop thinking about him every second of the day, but then bam, literally bam, you’d turn a corner and run into him. You’d touch him, he’d touch you and the crush would reignite.

This always ended in you sitting on Bucky’s bed late at night talking, and him laughing at how ‘cute’ you were. And then you’d punch his flesh arm and leave.

***

As the hours ticked by you became more and more invested in the files on the drive. If someone was trying this hard to protect and hide what was on here, it must have been important.

“Hey Y/N, I’m about to make some garbage eggs, you want some?” Wanda asked walking into the small kitchen just off the lounge.

“Hmm, what, no thanks,” you replied not even stopping typing or looking up.

“Wait, garbage eggs?” when you finally registered what Wanda had said you looked over the top of your laptop at her.

“Yeah, it’s basically when you get the entire contents of your fridge, whatever leftovers are still alright and you turn it into scrambled eggs or an omelette. Pietro used to make it for us.” She got a faraway look for a split second, before turning back to you and waiting for you answer.

“Sounds… interesting. But again, I’ll pass. Thanks though.”

Wanda cooked up her garbage eggs and left.

Bucky came in a few hours later, straight from the gym, he shot you a goofy smile before grabbing some fruit from the bowl on the counter and leaving. Bruce and Tony came in not long after that, made coffee and left, not once acknowledging your existence, or if they did you didn’t acknowledge them.

And you can’t be sure, but you thought Nat came in, but she’s so stealthy you and you were tired, you might’ve imagined it. More hours ticked over, your body was getting sore, you stomach was growling and you were starting to get annoyed.

***

Ten and a half hours…

That’s how long it had taken you to finally crack the data on the flash drive Steve had given you; it was a tough security system, encryption and fire wall, you were actually impressed. You’d be more impressed if the information wasn’t highly classified and extremely dangerous; as you skimmed the files on the drive, only registering the important words your heart started to beat in your ears, you had to tell the Avengers now. This could mean the end of the world.

Without thinking, or looking at the time, you leapt off the couch, laptop in your arms and started down the hallway to Steve’s room, since he was the leader, it made sense to tell him first. You knocked on his door, and when he didn’t answer you turned to go look for him, not realising how late it was.

“Y/N, what’s the matter?” He had opened his bedroom door, sleep still grasping at the edge of eyes; he was wearing a thin pair of cotton briefs and nothing else. He looked alarmed.

You stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought.

“I, umm, uhh…” you kept trying to look just at his face but your eyes kept wandering. He stepped out of his room and you backed up, hitting the wall.

“It’s two o’clock in the morning Y/N, what is it?” His concerned tone knocked you out of your daze.

“I cracked the encryption on the flash drive, I only just finished viewing the files, you need to see this”, you pushed past him, into his room – you were in Steve’s room – put your laptop on his desk, bent down and opened some of the files. You felt him approach, standing mere inches from you, the heat radiating from his body, the heat radiating between your thighs; as he read over your shoulder.  

Gooseflesh worked its way up your arms and across the back of your neck. There was a dull throb between your legs. You couldn’t think of anything else while he was this close. If you were a more confident person, or sure he felt the same way for you, and the circumstances were different you might’ve turned around and just kissed him, hard and fast, but you weren’t confident, and the circumstances weren’t different, so you closed your eyes and tried to breath.

“That’s great work Y/N, but uh, what does all this mean?” Steve straightened up, folding his arms across his chest and waited for you to explain.

“The cheat sheet version?” You asked, taking a small step away from him.

“Please” He half smiled, still sleepy.

You broke into a tirade, explaining the files, what you had found, what the potential outcomes could be, what the best and worst case scenarios could be and what the next step would be. You showed Steve the diagrams of weapons, bombs and other things you had found on the files, even that you had found more hidden files under deeper encryption.

“Christ,” Steve muttered. You turned back to your laptop, closing the lid and picking it up, creating a barrier between you and Steve. He turned away, grabbed a pair of long pants and pulled them on, and grabbed a baggy white tee, before grabbing your hand and leaving his room.

“We have to tell the others, form a plan, and stop this, before it begins” he said pushing you towards the elevators. “You get to the debriefing room, start making a file, I’ll get the others.”

***

You were sitting in the back of the Quinjet – you hated flying, absolutely detested it in fact. You had a fear of heights, and death.

You were bouncing your knee up and down and tapping your fingers on your leg as if it was your laptop keyboard.

You don’t really know why the Avengers were bringing you, you programmed a flash drive to reverse the process of the encryption, erase all the data and then blow up; so all they had to do was put it into the computer drive, run away and presto, it would work.

You explained all this only an hour ago to Steve, and he had taken the flash drive from you, pocketed it and then told you it was Plan B.

“So what’s plan A?” you asked.

“You’re coming with us; you’re going to copy all the data before blowing the system up, manually.” He said.

You were flattered that the Avengers had needed you… But now, sitting in the Quinjet, you hated yourself for being so good with computers.

“Nervous?” Steve asked taking the seat next to you.

“A little” you swallowed, looking around the jet, trying to get your mind off the fact you were just about shitting yourself, and the fact Steve was so close to you.

Clint and Nat were in the cock pit, Bruce and Tony were towards the back, talking science, or something else you didn’t understand. Sam, Vision and Wanda were all standing around talking to each other. And Bucky was brooding in the corner, his eyes closed.

“You know, it’s just like being in a bus” Steve said smirking at you.

“Yeah, except buses don’t usually unexpectedly fall from the sky, nor do they often get shot at.”

“Huh, I must be taking the wrong buses” Steve smirked. You tried to smile.

The jet lurched, making you dig your nails into your legs and squeeze your eyes shut. Nat announced over the comms that it was just that we had gone through some storm clouds, and no, before Tony asked, it wasn’t Thor. He was still off planet.

A big warm hand encased yours, touching your thigh.

“It’ll be okay; I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” Steve whispered next to you, “you can open your eyes.” You could feel the blush creeping into your cheeks.

You started to open your eyes, as Nat announced we were starting the decent on the base, and before you could say anything Steve was on his feet and standing behind Nat and Clint. His hand left a warm feeling on your thigh. You took a deep breath and tried to steel yourself for what was coming.

***

A bomb exploded to your right, Steve was barking orders in the comms and you heard Hulk growl before what sounded like metal being torn apart. You were bent over the computer, tapping as fast as your fingers could allow, but it wasn’t quick enough.

There was no Intel to tell you that this base was so heavily manned, but from the minute you touched down it was a flurry of bullets and yelling and explosions.

Glass shattered above you and rained down.

“I’ve got to go help Clint, stay right here. Right. Here!” Steve barked before taking off and jumping out the window. You continued to tap away on the keys, but every time you got through a fire wall another one popped up. This was far more superior to the flash drive Steve had given you.

What felt like an eternity later you had cracked the final fire wall.

“Boom bitch!” you yelled at the computer. You started the copying process; it was copying directly to the Quinjet mainframe. You heard footsteps behind you.

“I got it Steve, we’re in,” when he didn’t answer you turned, only to be smacked across the head with the butt of a rifle. You fell to the floor hitting your elbow and shoulder hard on the tiles.

You managed to roll over just as the man in a black stealth suit slammed the rifle down at your head again. You kicked him and stumbled up. You were dizzy and currently seeing three of him. You raised your arms in your guard defence, just as he launched, you T stepped, and slammed the palm of your hand into the man’s face before bringing an elbow up under his chin; just your Kung Fu instructor had shown you – thank god for deciding to get into shape – he stumbled away, losing his gun, then he lurched and kicked you in the guts, you folded in half and fell.

The man retrieved his gun, and aimed it right at your face, your heart was pounding, your vision was blurry and unconsciousness tugging at you. BANG.

You flinched, and saw the man crumple, he fell towards you and you rolled to the left. Steve came running over to you.

“Y/N, it’s okay, I got you” he helped you up, a hand wrapped around your back and waist and he put your other hand over his shoulder.

“Computer” you croaked. He headed towards the console. You let go of Steve and watched as the files finished copying to the Quinjet.

Another explosion rattled the remainder of the building; Steve started yelling in his comms. You looked up and saw the Quinjet taking off.

“Uh Steve,” you stammered.

“I know Y/N, I told them to go, they can’t hold down the forces, get us back and save the files. They’re going to get the Intel to the government, and then they’re coming straight back for us,” you must of looked at him in horror, because he grabbed your face, “I promise”. You nodded.

“But we have to find somewhere to lay low, until they can get to us, come on.” He grabbed your waist and you started out, slow and steady.

***

It was dark now, you could barely see anything. Your head was pounding, you’d tripped maybe twenty times since getting away from the compound, if it wasn’t for Steve you would’ve fallen face first in the dirt and probably would’ve just stayed there until they found you.

“Here,” Steve picked up the pace, basically carrying you, towards this little shack in the middle of nowhere. He kicked in the door, placed you against the wall before doing a once through making sure there was no danger. He boarded up a few windows, found some old musty sheets and hung them in the windows, before lighting a fire.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, lightly touching your head.

“Like a crazy ninja in a black leotard smacked me with a rifle… Oh wait, he did.” You deadpanned.

“You got a real attitude Y/N, you know that?” Steve said before going in search of a medical kit. When he came back you were leaning against the wooden table, in what you assumed used to be the dining room.

Without asking, Steve grabbed your hips and hoisted you up onto the table, he stood between your legs and put the medical kit beside you. Without speaking Steve bought a damp cloth to your forehead, he started cleaning up the dried blood and the wound on your head. You couldn’t do anything but breathe and try not to stare. He tendered to your wounds for a few minutes, before putting some gauze on it. He turned to close the medical kit up.

Without thinking your hands went to his hips. He took a deep breath and stilled.

“What?” you asked when you had noticed he had stopped. You looked up at his eyes, his stare was so intense. So blue. You had never noticed before, but being this close to him, you could see the flecks of amber in his irises.

“You’re injured, you hit your head, and you’re not thinking straight, I don’t want to take advantage.” He whispered, closing his eyes.

“Steve” you whispered. His hands folded across his chest. Almost like he was protecting himself.

“Y/N”

“I’ve had feelings for you since forever” you touched his arms, getting him to un-clench his fists, “the pain in my head is almost gone, I am thinking clearly. In fact I’m thinking logically, like if the team doesn’t get back here in time and we’re found; I don’t want die not knowing what touching you, kissing you feels like.” You entwined your fingers into his.

“Don’t talk like that, we’re going to get out of here, alive.” He said.

“But if we don’t,” you hooked your legs around his hips and locked your ankles and pulled him closer to you. Without any further arguments Steve planted a hard, needy kiss on your lips. Your hands crawled up his back under his shirt.

Steve grabbed your face, before his hands travelled down your sides to the hem of your shirt. You could feel him getting hard between your thighs. You rolled yours to get a bit of friction.

“Y/N” he moaned, before ripping your shirt off over your head and threw it somewhere to your right, before standing up straight and ripping his off as well. As he came back down to your face he pushed you further back on the table. Until you were lying on your back with him on top of you.

He trailed kisses down your throat until he was between your breasts. With a snap he tore your bra away and took one of your breasts in his mouth while palming the other. You threw your head back and moaned his name.

“Steve” you dug your nails into his back the more suckled.

He moved away from your breasts and trailed down to your belly button, before he slid out of the grasp of your legs.

“Hold on to the table” he said, and so you grabbed the sides of the table as he hooked his fingers into the belt loops of your pants and tugged. He ripped your pants and panties straight off, until you were lying there, in all your glory.

“Please Steve” you whispered looking up at him, before sliding back to the edge of the table. He took one look at your pleading face. You started on his button and zip, pulling his pants down until they were around his ankles. He sprang free, and was already rock hard.

“Y/N are you sure about this?” Steve whispered.

Instead of answering with words, you wrapped your hand around his length and slowly started pumping, rubbing the pre-cum around the tip with your thumb. He moaned and took a step towards you.

His mouth crashed into yours. Your hands moved from his length, to his hair and you wrapped your legs around him again. He lined himself up with your entrance, and slowly he entered you. It was agonizingly slow at first, so you could adjust to his size. He filled you entirely.

He started rocking his hips and you rocked yours in time with him. He moved his lips from yours to your neck, where he gave you a light nibble, which would definitely leave a mark tomorrow. Your hands traced his spine and his muscles. He rocked into you harder, and moved one of his hands between the two of you and started tracing circles on your clit; you dugs your fingers into his back leaving red scratches.

“Steve” you moaned as he took your breast back in his mouth, “Steve, please” you begged.

“Y/N”

You were close; you could feel the coil tighten in your stomach, the throbbing between your legs. With each rock. With each circle his thumb made. You were about to lose control.

“I’m close” you panted, your legs feeling weak. He thrusted harder into you, and you cried out his name.

“STEVE”

That was enough encouragement for him, his thrusting became faster and sloppier, and he came inside you. You rode out the end of your orgasm as he rode out his.

“Y/N” he panted against your ear, before pulling out and half collapsing on you. Your legs still hooked around his hips. Your hands were still rubbing up and down his back and you nibbled on his neck. He hoisted himself up onto his elbows until he was above you.

“I’ve been in love with you since the day you arrived at the tower.” He whispered, trailing kisses up and down your neck, “I fell more in love with you the first time you sassed Bucky and he had no idea how to respond, except stand there with his mouth open” he snickered, the vibrations sending shivers up your spine.

“And I fell more in love with you tonight, and I didn’t know that was even possible”

And with that, you half judo flipped him until you were straddling him on the table.

“How about now?” you whispered against his neck as you nibbled. He growled and grabbed your hips. Just as you were about to go for round two, you heard the rumble of the Quinjet engines above, and you knew the Avengers wouldn’t be far behind.

“Oh shit” Steve said as you both jumped up and gathered your clothes.

“Language. Captain” you smirked. He slapped your ass before pulling on his shirt.

You two were just finished getting dressed when doors to the cabin flung open, Bucky, Nat and Sam stood there. Clint was in the cock pit of the jet and the other Avengers were on guard duty.

“Come on you two, we don’t have time for hugs and welcome backs, and all that crap” Stark yelled over the comms. As Steve walked away with Nat and Sam, they explained the situation; Bucky fell into step beside you, a smirk on his face. He held up your panties.

“You ah, left these behind doll face” he threw them at you and sprinted up the ramp. You quickly thrust them into your pocket, before climbing up and taking your seat, opposite Steve.

  End…

[seogine-blog]

SEO for Tourism: 7 Benefits of SEO That All Virginia Beach Businesses Should Know

The height of the Virginia Beach tourist season lasts from late May to early September. During this time, people flood in from all over the country and the world. Many businesses make the majority of their money during tourist season. You don't have to be an expert to know that people on vacation come with money to spend. If your business is positioned correctly, you could be in the purchasing path of these vacationers. The purchasing path is the time an idea enters a customer's mind to the moment they make the purchase. Google has segmented this path into tangible bits to help businesses offer customers the most value. Search engines are flooded with businesses and, unless you're in a prime beachfront location, you can't rely solely on foot traffic. This is where SEO comes in. The right SEO strategy will help you gain visibility in a saturated space on and off-line. In this post we're going to discuss: What SEO isThe benefits of SEOTypes of SEO ContentHow to use SEO to capitalize on tourist season First, let's talk a little about tourism and the traveler's journey.

Virginia Beach Tourism

The tourism and hospitality industry is vital to many local economies. It supports salaries for residents, hospitals, and schools. Tourism for the coastal city of Virginia Beach has been steadily climbing in revenue for the last 5 years. In 2017, the city generated a record-breaking $2.45 billion during tourist season. It hosted visitors from all over the US, Canada, and other countries around the world. Google breaks down a traveler's journey into 4 parts: dreaming, planning, booking, and experiencing.  Each of these parts are called moments. Within these moments are micro-moments. Micro-moments are the quick searches done when someone wants to know something right away. These quick searches are increasing in volume and converting to sales. Businesses that build a content strategy around these moments see an overall increase in tangible results. Identifying user intent during these moments and offering the best value is the key to success. Value is measured by how well you satisfy their search need. No matter how great your content is, it doesn't matter if customers can't find it.  Using the right SEO techniques will help gain visibility in your industry.

What is SEO?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V989Z1oE6v8 The term SEO stands for search engine optimization. In the digital age, businesses are only as competitive as their visibility in search results. SEO is a system of processes performed in order to rank higher in search engine results. SEO techniques seek to generate traffic to a website or a webpage via free search results. Techniques include using keywords in titles, content, metadata, and building backlinks. Essentially, you are positioning yourself to be found in the natural search path.  Because Google is the most popular, SEO evolves with each change to Google's ranking standards. Local SEO seeks to help brick and mortar businesses gain foot traffic via an online presence.

Types of Content

Content marketing is a great way to take advantage of longtail keywords with less competition. Longtail keywords are phrases that contain 3 or more words. They are more specific search terms and allow companies to create niche content. The content you create for customers will depend largely on where they are in their traveler journey. Content for the dreaming phase will be different from content in the planning or booking phase. You should be visible at all stages. Creating a great experience for your customers will keep them coming back to you year after year. Here some common types of content: Blogging - This is a tried and true method of creating content. Blogs are harder to succeed within 2019, but despite this, they are still a great way to provide information your customers are looking for. Local small business blogs should feature the town around your business. Video - Video is a great way to display a more relatable view of your business. Content that includes video or visual media is more likely to be shared. Showcase your products, interview local experts, or let your customers talk about why they love your business.  User-generated content - User-generated content includes anything you showcase from your customers. It can be fan art, travel photos, selfies, and more. This is a great form of reputation management. Customers that see others enjoying your business will feel more confident using your services.

FAQs - Voice search is quickly taking over micro-moment searches. When someone performs a voice search, an answer box appears. Many searches don't go past this point. To capitalize on the answer box, create a FAQ page. Your frequently-asked-questions page should be pertinent information people in your industry ask often. In all content, using popular keywords is critical to the success of your content.

7 Benefits of SEO for Tourism

50% of internet search traffic is from mobile devices. What do you do when you travel to a new place and find your tummy grumbling? You whip out your phone to find the nearest place to eat based on reviews. If your business doesn't show up in search results, you're missing out on profits. Here are 7 benefits of SEO for tourism. 1. Targeted Traffic Using SEO tactics means you use popular keywords in your industry. Targeting relevant keywords means you get found by the people looking for what your business provides. Satisfying the intention of what they were looking for will lead to sales. If you have high traffic numbers but low conversions, you have a good guess that somewhere in your content you aren't providing the right value. 2. Local Search Ranking Leads to More Sales According to a study by Google, 50% of people who search for a local business will travel to that business within 24 hours. Tourists use their phones as personal guides in a new land. They are looking for entertainment, food, accommodations and more. Ranking for popular search terms improves the chances of winning their business. 3. Get in Front of Leisure Travelers 63% of people traveling for vacation use search engines as their first planning tool. This is in contrast to business travelers who start on hotel websites. Your optimized content will catch potential customers in every phase of their purchasing path. This will make sure that your business is one they make a note to visit. 4. Stay Competitive The internet connects stores to customers on opposite sides of the world. This has increased possibilities for some and created hardships for others. As people do more shopping online, local brick and mortars lose business. This is evidenced by the recent closings of several major retailers. Adaptation to changing times is a basic survival principal for any endeavor. SEO helps build a virtual storefront and allows your business to stay visible in a growing market. 5. Highest Ranking Sites Get Continuous Promotion Long after you create your SEO content, you're ranking in search engines will stand. Properly executed SEO can take 6 months to a year to see tangible results. Once your site ranks on the first page, it can stay there for years. 

Websites ranked on the first page of Google lose clicks the further down the page they are. Your business may as well not exist if you rank on page 2 or 3. Search engine optimization brings you front and center where your content can be discovered. 6. SEO Improves Your Visibility The major purpose and benefit of SEO is that it improves your visibility. In the digital age, relying solely on foot traffic is not enough to pull in customers. When a customer does a voice search for a restaurant near the beach, you want your business to show up in the results. 7. Good SEO Builds Credibility Content marketing is part of a good SEO strategy. Good content can establish you as an authority on a subject and build trust with your readers. For example, if you compile a 'local events' list, customers that try those things will keep coming back to your site. This also improves the chances that other businesses will want to collaborate with you.

How to Use SEO to Capitalize on Tourist Season

For sticky, humid climates like coastal Virginia, beach season can't last long enough. The good news about SEO is that the work you do for this year will continue to pay dividends for next year's beach bum migration. The following are some ways to use SEO to capitalize on tourist season. Partner With Local Events To capitalize on tourist traffic find out where people are spending their time. Is it food trucks on the beach or open-air concerts? Collaborate with these local businesses. Offer to guest post on their blogs or trade social media for the day.

The links you build from other websites back to your pages help to build visibility in search results. Also, offer your services for free or at a discount. From there you can direct customers to your business. Newsjacking Newsjacking is taking a subject that's trending and refocusing the topic on your business. The most popular form of this was the Amazon drone hoax. Drones were the talk of every news feed so they concocted a story about delivering packages with drones. It had the desired effect and raised their profile. Amazon is continuing with this story for other major news events even though there is still no concrete evidence they are actually coming out with drone delivery. Try this with a calendar of events in your town. Keep Your Reviews Visible Online folks trust reviews about as much as they trust their bestie. People check reviews before they make a purchase online and in real life. Reputation management is a vital part of a good online strategy. So don't be afraid of the 'humble brag'.

Keep your positive reviews front and center on your website. Make sure to address negative reviews quickly. Customers will be more confident using your service when they see how you handle issues. Try an SEO Service Running a successful business often requires wearing many hats. You're an accountant, a chef, a marketer, an event planner, etc. But the best businesses focus on what they are good at. Hiring an SEO service allows business owners this focus. SEO is a combination of continuous effort over time. Done wrong, it will take longer to get the desired effect. Done really wrong, you can get your site banned from search results. You're an expert in your industry. Consider letting another expert grow your traffic and revenue. 

Things to Remember

The benefits of SEO are available to all who seek. But it's not an overnight process. It requires consistent, continual effort before you start to see tangible results. For the tourism industry, mobile phones have changed the way people travel. Desktop searches are still strong but traffic from smartphones is gaining share each year. Mobile phones create short bursts of search traffic and are gone just as quickly. Taking advantage of these micro-moments are integral to business success. To capitalize on SEO, identify where your clients are in their search journey. Target your content toward the 'buying moment' or the 'planning moment'. It's important that you understand the user intention so you can offer the most value. Businesses that have diligent SEO implementation reap the benefits of heightened visibility, increased foot traffic, and higher conversion rates. If this sounds overwhelming, don't fear. Partner with a professional SEO service and stress less. Learn more about how SEO improves your small business in our other blog posts.  Read the full article