#on today's episode of “chris' taste in men is questionable at best”

[je-suis-problematique]

So we made a new OC courtesy of Chris' horny thoughts as usual. Here's the moodboard Zed made for him:

His name's Reno, he's a Resident Evil OC for RE4 and he's supposed to be Saddler's cocksleeve partner. Some fun facts about him:

He's trans (FtM).

He was born in El Pueblo but moved to America for college because he got tired of his extremely religious, extremely conservative family and he didn't want to spend all his life in the tiny village tending to farm animals and shit. He has a doctorate in history and he did his thesis on ancient Egypt, meaning he relocated to Cairo for a while too. He was able to afford all that traveling by saving up a bunch and also applying for various scholarships.

Despite being highly educated he struggled finding employment in the States because save for teaching he can't really do anything with his degree so when money started becoming an issue and his mental health started tanking he decided to return to Spain for a while.

A couple more things that drove him back to Spain were some very concerning letters he started receiving from his two siblings and his mother's deteriorating health.

Not too sure under what circumstances he met Saddler but he ends up joining Los Iluminados willingly and he genuinely sees Saddler as a sort of savior for the village. He also gets infected with the dominant type plaga and becomes one of Saddler's lieutenants, like Krauser.

Reno's relationship with Saddler is very Fucked Up and there's nothing healthy about it. There's lots of mind games and manipulation, there's dubcon/noncon, a kind of TPE dynamic with an obvious power imbalance, obsessiveness, possessiveness, and a shitton of creepy religious undertones. Reno is so broken he's into it though because Saddler offered him what he always wanted which is power, influence, and freedom.

Might actually make it so Reno's siblings escaped being infected and they're trying their hardest to bring their brother back to his senses. Either that or they kill him and help Leon against Saddler, who knows.

[vminni]

Besties Pick Bae

“I just don’t understand why we have to do this,” Jisung whined, knocking his heel against the leg of his chair. “It’s stupid.”

“We’re doing this because you need a man and you have terrible taste.”

“I do not,” Jisung huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Seungmin. “My taste is fine.”

“Your taste is trash,” Jeongin chimed in. “Trust us on this one.”

“Excuse me.” The camera director looked like he’d aged 20 years in the last five minutes, “I’ve asked three times. Could you please just introduce yourselves?”

“Oh right, sorry,” Seungmin didn’t look the least bit sorry. “Our bad.”

“Just your names and ages for now please. Starting with Jisung.”

Jisung eyed the camera sullenly, “Hi, I’m Jisung and I’m 19.”

Seungmin waved brightly, “I’m Seungmin and I’m 19 years old.”

“And I’m Jeongin and I’m 18,” Jeongin’s smile was blinding.

The camera director sighed, “Jisung, could you try to look like you want to be here?” “I don’t want to be here,” he rolled his eyes, but plastered on a fake smile anyway. The faster he got this over with, the faster he could go home and plot his revenge on the two idiots he called his best friends. “Hi! My name is Jisung and I’m 19.”

“Better, now talk a bit about why you came on the show.”

“Basically, my friends think I have shit taste in men and signed me up for this without my knowledge because they think they know better than I do. They’re wrong and I can’t wait to prove that today.”

The camera director rubbed tiredly at his temples, “You know what? Fine. That’ll be our angle for this episode. Be as bitter as you want, we’ll just run with it. Next question. What’s your type?”

“I don’t have a type,” Jisung shrugged. “Just boys.”

“Wrong,” Seungmin piped up. “Jisung’s got a superiority complex. His type is people he thinks are below him. He doesn’t want anything to do with anyone who’s better looking or more talented than him. He only goes after people he knows will worship him.” “That’s not true!”

“It is,” Jeongin agreed. “So today we want to find him someone he would never pick for himself. Someone who’ll push him out of his comfort zone and make him a better person.”

“Jisung is super creative, so we want someone like that for him. Someone who does something in the arts, whether it’s music, dance, sculpture, paint. Anything like that.” Seungmin smirked at the camera, “And preferably super hot.”

Jisung smacked him on the arm and the two of them squabbled for a bit as Jeongin stayed smiling at the camera.

The director rolled his eyes and cut the scene. “Alright, Jisung, take this blindfold and put it on. We’re going to move your chair so your back is to the stage. Seungmin and Jeongin you can stay there. Once all the boys are in, the blindfold can come off.”

Jisung did as he was told, resettling into his seat once it had been moved. He clutched at his bopping knees, nerves starting to set in now that this was actually happening. He hadn’t been on a date in a while and he never been on a date with a stranger. Especially not one his two idiot friends were choosing for him.

“Alright, guys. Come in and line up, then we’ll start with introductions.”

Jisung could hear footsteps and shuffling as his potential dates all settled into place behind him. He could also barely make out Seungmin and Jeongin whispering to each other, but their actual words were lost in the noise.

“You can take off the blindfold.”

Jisung did so, resisting the urge to turn around and ruin the whole thing. His heart was starting to beat a little faster and he wondered if his face was as red as it felt. This whole thing made him feel vulnerable, and it was not a feeling he enjoyed. Jisung liked being in charge. Today everything was out of his hands.

“Please introduce yourselves.”

“Hi, my name is Chris, but you can call me Chan if that’s easier. I’m 21 and I’m a swimmer.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hyunjin.” There was a bit of shuffling from Seungmin and Jeongin at that point and Jisung could tell from their smirking faces that Hyunjin was hot. He dropped his head into his hands and sighed. “I’m 19 and I’m studying to be an interior designer.”

“My name is Changbin, I’m 20 years old and I’m a rapper.”

“Hello, I’m Woojin. I’m 22 and I like to sing.”

“G’day, I’m Felix. I’m 19 and I’m a third degree black belt in taekwondo.”

“Hi, everyone,” the boy giggled slightly and Jisung lifted his head up, suddenly intrigued. “I’m Minho. I’m 20 and I’m a dancer. I used to backup for BTS.”

“He sounds cute,” Jisung breathed, not even realizing he’d said it out loud until he heard that pretty giggle again.

“Thank you,” the smile was obvious on Minho’s voice. “You sound cute too.”

Jisung flushed and looked down, twisting one of his rings around as he did his best to avoid his best friends’ gazes. He glanced up briefly and Jeongin shot him a wink and two thumbs up. Jisung flipped him off in return.

“So far everyone sounds really good. Everyone is artistic, which is one of the major things we’re looking for. Jisung is into writing and producing music, so we definitely want someone creative. There’s a couple people that stand out right now, but we’ll have to see how it goes.” Seungmin clapped his hands together, “I’m excited. First question, thoughts on horror movies?”

“I’m not much of a movie person.” Jisung had already forgotten half the contestants names, but he imagined they were answering in the same order they had introduced themselves in. “I don’t really have time for them.”

“I don’t like horror movies.” That was Hyunjin. He could tell just from the way Seungmin and Jeongin were looking at him. He had no doubts they were going to try to keep him around for as long as possible, even though his first answer already went against Jisung’s.

“I like horror movies!” Jisung knew that was the boy who said he was a rapper, but his name was escaping him at the moment.

“I also like horror movies.” Jisung had no idea who that was.

“I hate scary things. Comedy is more my style.” That was the boy with the deep voice and the English name.

“I love all movies!” Jisung knew that was Minho. He straightened a bit at his voice and heard Jeongin giggle lightly at his obvious interest. “Horror movies are great because they lead to more opportunities for cuddling. And I really love cuddling. ”

“Jisung is a big horror movie fan,” Seungmin tapped his finger against his lip. “I’m really sorry, but we’re going to have to let you go Felix.”

The eliminated boy stepped down and exited the room, walking past Jisung as he did so, “Good to meet you, mate.”

“You think he’d be interested in rapping?” Jisung asked once he disappeared. “That voice is killer. Maybe I should get his number later.”

“Focus.” Jeongin wiggled a bit in his seat, “Okay, second question. How do you feel about skinship?”

“I’m a big fan of skinship.” Chan! That was his name.

“I like skinship if I’m comfortable with the person.” Jisung noticed that both his friends were looking at Hyunjin with heart eyes. At this rate he was gonna end up with him just so they could get his number. Pouting, he sunk down into his seat and crossed his arms.

“It really depends.” That was the rapper boy again, “It’s all about my relationship with that person and how I see them. It’s definitely not something I’m into with people I barely know.”

“I like it sometimes.” Jisung wracked his brain and finally came up with a name. Woojin. The singer.

“I love skinship! Like I said before, cuddling is my favorite. Especially with someone cute and tiny. Like Jisungie.”

Jisung almost jumped out of his seat to defend himself, remembering at the last second that if he did the whole thing would be ruined. Instead he chose to whine, “What makes you think I’m small?”

Minho giggled prettily, “Your head doesn’t show above the chair.”

“Hmph,” Jisung was highly insulted. “This is just a big chair, I’m perfectly normal sized”

“If you say so.” There was a clear flirtaious lilt to Minho’s voice, “I’ll guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“You’re all probably taller than Sungie, except for Changbin.” Ah, that was the rapper’s name. “Unfortunately we have to eliminate someone once again.” Seungmin leaned towards Jeongin and the two of them whispered back and forth for a bit, “This has nothing to do with your height, but Changbin, we’re sorry. Jisung is huge into skinship, in fact it’s probably killing him to be sitting there right now without touching anyone.”

The chosen boy stepped down, saluting Jisung as he left, “Maybe we could collab sometime. Give me a call.”

“Now, onto our third question.” Jeongin eyed the remaining contestants, “Would you consider yourself talented?”

“I like to dabble in a lot of different things, like music and art and dance. But I wouldn’t say I’m talented. I’m not awful, but I’m definitely not the best.” Chan’s tone was humble, “Except for swimming. I’m good at swimming.”

“I love to dance, but I’ve gotten to where I am today because of hard work. Not talent.” Jisung wasn’t even sure his friends were hearing Hyunjin’s answers, they were both too busy drooling over him.

“Want me to sing for you right now? I can prove I’m talented.”

“I danced with BTS, if that doesn’t tell you that I’m sexy and incredible, what will?” Minho’s voice turned sultry, “I’m very talented. I know exactly what I’m doing with my body. I’ll prove it to you later, Sungie.”

“Alright, let’s keep this rated PG,” Seungmin quickly jumped in to stop Minho. Jisung pressed his hands to his flaming cheeks and hoped his insane blush wasn’t being picked up on the camera. “Jisung has a bit of a superiority complex. He’s confident and talented, but he doesn’t like to date other people who are because he always wants to be the best. Which is total bullshit and Jeongin and I will not stand for that. So I’m sorry, Chan. We need someone who’s a bit more confident and willing to put this idiot in his place.”

Chan stepped down, flashing a peace sign and a dimpled smile as he disappeared.

“And then there were three.” Seungmin rubbed his hands together gleefully, “If you win the honor of taking our baby Jisung on a date, what would your plan be?”

“Dinner and a movie, I guess.” Jisung rolled his eyes at Hyunjin’s boring answer and the way his friends were lapping it up, “The movie first so we’d have something to talk about during dinner.”

“A fried chicken picnic at Han River.”

“I don’t know if baby Jisungie could handle it, but I’d take him to a club. We could dance up on each other in the darkness and I’d let him touch me anyway he wanted.”

Seungmin let out a delighted cackle, “You should see Jisung’s face right now. He’s so red. It’s incredible. You pass just for that.”

“I think we’re going to have to eliminate Woojin this time. I’m sorry,” Jeongin apologized. “Jisung hates fried chicken.”

Woojin gasped as he approached Jisung, hand clutching his heart, “How could you?”

Jisung rolled his eyes, “I don’t hate fried chicken. These two idiots just want to keep staring at Hyunjin.”

Woojin laughed, “Fair enough. He’s pretty hot.”

“Time for the final question. Drum roll please.” Jeongin made the noises as Seungmin continued speaking, “Why should we pick you?”

“Um,” Hyunjin hesitated. “I don’t know? I’m nice, I guess.”

“You should pick me because clearly Jisung is interested. He’s been reacting to my answers all day. And if what he just told Woojin is right, you two have only been hanging on to Hyunjin because you like him, not Sungie. Pick me, I’ll treat him right.”

“Fair point. Congrats, Minho. You’re the winner.”

Hyunjin exited the stage and Jisung saw him for the first time. He understood why his friends were so enamored, but the boy definitely wasn’t his type.

“Give Seungmin your number before you go or I’ll have to hear about it for the rest of my life,” Jisung offered Hyunjin a small smile, and the other boy returned it before sneaking a shy glance over his shoulder at Seungmin. Jisung’s friend grinned at him and a slight pink dusted Hyunjin’s cheeks as he hurried out.

“Sungie, put your blindfold back on. It’s time to meet your man.”

Jisung did as he was told, his hands trembling slightly as he slipped the material back over his eyes. He stood up, took a deep breath and straightened the edge of his shirt.

“Cute,” Minho’s giggling voice was close. Too close. A hand brushed his face and suddenly Jisung could see again, the blindfold lifted away.

He blinked once. Then twice. Then a third time.

“Holy shit, you’re beautiful,” he breathed before flushing red and clamping his hands over his mouth.

Minho just laughed and reached out to poke one of Jisung’s warm cheeks, “And you’re the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

Jisung batted his hand away and Minho caught his wrist, twining their fingers together loosely as he grinned at Jisung. Jisung couldn’t fight back his own smile and he gave Minho’s hand a gentle squeeze as they stared at each other.

“This ended shockingly well,” the camera director removed his headphones and nodded to the four boys in front of him. “Thank you all for your participation.”

Minho started to walk out, tugging on Jisung’s hand, “So can we start our first date now? Or is that too soon? Do you just want to exchange numbers and met up later? We can go to the club later. Or we don’t have to, if you don’t want to. We can watch a movie and cuddle. Your friends said you like skinship. I do too, so that’s great. Or we could go for a walk by the river. That could be fun. You could meet my cats. I have three. Or we could…” Minho trailed off to stare at Jisung, who was doubled over in hysterics, their fingers still tangled together. Minho pouted, “Why are you laughing at me?”

“You were so confident before! What happened?”

“Shut up,” Minho knocked Jisung’s hip with his own, smiling sheepishly at the other boy’s continued laughter. “It was easier to flirt with you when I couldn’t see you! Stop laughing, I’m sensitive.”

Jisung got his laughter under control, but lost it again when he looked up into Minho’s pouting face. This time, Minho joined in, giggling softly before breaking into full on belly laughs, one hand on his stomach and the other still holding tight to Jisung’s.

“Idiots,” Seungmin smiled at the two boys fondly. “It looks like Jisung has finally met his match.”

“We did great,” Jeongin agreed, high fiving his friend. “And you got Hyunjin’s number.”

-

“So,” Minho hooked his chin over Jisung’s shoulder, tightening his arms around the younger boy’s waist, “was it worth it?”

Jisung leaned back into his touch, ignoring the movie that played out on the screen in front of them. Him and Minho had decided on a horror movie marathon with extra cuddles as their first date and Jisung would never admit it to his friends, but they’d done great.

“Definitely worth it,” Jisung tilted his head back and offered the other boy a soft smile. “If I had met you in real life, I never would have gone for you. You’re too pretty. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but those idiots were right.”

“To be fair, you picked me out yourself as soon as you heard my voice. I think your friends would have chosen Hyunjin if you weren’t so obviously into me.”

“This is why you’re my new favorite,” Jisung settled more comfortably into Minho’s hold, tipping his head back to press a sloppy kiss to the curve of the older boy’s chin. “I do have fantastic taste. They were right about one thing though.” Jisung batted his eyelashes seductively at Minho, “I do have a superiority complex. So please worship me accordingly.”

[shijiujun]

history3 ep 6 - i’m sorry

HAHAHA gosh okay so there’s this thing - i get a deathly case of secondhand embarrassment and WOW this ep’s restaurant scene is the epitome of that and i couldn’t make myself go through it and had to quickly press press press the fast forward button to get to the end because obviously shao fei has no idea what he’s doing and tang yi is totally like regretting his decision to come out and eat with shao fei so I’M SORRY GUYS I REALLY CAN’T TELL U WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SCENE OTHER THAN SHAO FEI AND TANG YI ORDERING FOOD

but i did make myself sit through the part where shao fei moves over to sit on tang yi’s side of the table and tries to feed him. i can see the total regret on his face.

LOL okay i think one of the touching parts of this episode is when shao fei returns to the team and he’s obviously scared of police chief, so he asks the girl junior who obviously has a crush on him where the police chief is, and if he’s in a good mood today - police chief appears right behind him and yells “not good!”, and shao fei tries to get out of it by 1. reminding police chief that he should concentrate on his daughter’s (i think, pls correct me if im wrong) wedding rather than his SMALL little mistake 2. he’s still sick, running a bit of a fever and his arm hasn’t healed BUT obviously police chief doesn’t give two shits and hits him where it hurts

police chief: “the previous time you wrote 3000 words (for his apology/reflection letter) and you obviously haven’t learnt anything, this time you wanna write 5000?”

shao fei: “oh come on, you can’t just increase the word count from 3000 to 5000 at a go!”

and then police chief drags him to interpol and the head/chief there to apologize for jeopardising the operation they were on, and obviously the chief ain’t happy with shao fei, calling him impulsive and unthinking of his actions as he not only jeopardised the previous mission for thailand, but this one as well - police chief, awwww he’s a softie and obviously cares about shao fei a lot despite how much he yells at him, says, “sir, shao fei is actually very hardworking and serious about his job”

to which the interpol chief threatens police chief, that if he doesn’t control shao fei, he’ll go to their bosses and tell them that they aren’t working together anymore and replace the investigative team with another one, so police chief has no choice but to promise that this is the last time that shao fei will do smth like this again

and awww outside, police chief smiles and praises shao fei for not talking back to the interpol chief, and shao fei admits that he was at fault, and then cheekily says that, well the interpol chief isn’t police chief - police chief scoffs and goes: “so you’ll be obedient in front of him but because it’s me you always talk back and argue with me?”

cue the light hitting again, and shao fei says that’s not the case, it’s because he knows police chief is the best, and thanks him for having his back inside, and police chief obviously is happy but pretends to be irked - awwwww they obviously care about each other a lot and police chief has a soft spot for shao fei despite everything - of course, because with the way shao fei works i’m not sure if i was boss i wouldn’t have like gone out of my mind

they return to the cafe/restaurant the previous mission was at, before shao fei and tang yi were kidnapped, to see if there are any clues as to who abducted them both and just as shao fei is talking to zhao zi, he turns around and catches sight of chen wen hao - and okay he’s cute but srsly what would him yeling at chen wen hao and catching up to him do at this point? of course chen wen hao leaves before they can catch up to him

whoooo cool mob boss tang yi - i’ve got to admit that chris wu in this role is damn excellent and he’s got the mob boss vibe in this case - he asks jack if he’s found out who abducted/attacked him, and jack says he needs a bit more time, and tang yi goes: “i hope i won’t be waiting too long.” 

they get to the store and LOL as expected shao fei is there waiting for him with a GAUDY AS HECK SUIT OMG FLOWER PRINTS SHAO FEI FLOWER PRINTS AND TANG YI IS LIKE “it’s not suitable” and okay fine shao fei you win with that cute pout

so shao fei puts the suit back on the racks and thank god, and you can see that tang yi, consciously or unconsciously, is super amused by him. at this point i don’t think tang yi likes him that way yet, but he definitely has a soft spot for him whether he knows it or not - anw tang yi smiles and sits down and asks: “so what is it today? did you pick up something else of mine? or are you going to bring me for ‘coke + add spicy’ (referring to the earlier scene where they’re eating and shao fei is feeding him right, basically while i was avoiding the scene as much as i could, shao fei was showing tang yi (against the man’s will LOL) how to eat spicy food and then washing it down/adding to the effect with coke)?”

anw gosh shao fei always asks the same questions, so he asked if tang yi really had nothing to do with wang kun cheng’s death, and then to catch tang yi’s attention he says that he’s figured out who abducted/attacked them that day - that it’s chen wen hao and shao fei (correctly) guesses that tang yi was there that day to catch a glimpse of him after getting word that chen wen hao might turn up

tang yi, as always, neither confirms nor denies, just asks: “why are you saying all these?”

shao fei bb basically points out that tang yi more or less challenged and fucked with chen wen hao directly, and shao fei doesn’t want tang yi to be defeated by the man so early in the game, and tang yi is like “i’m not worried”

shao fei goes to sit next to him and i like that they’re really quite comfortable to the extent that tang yi aint like about to throw him off the couch and shao fei just does it without thinking of the distance between them - and omgahhhhh he stares at him for so long, and when tang yi asks what he wants to ask for real, shao fei simply sighs and says, “these past 4 years, no matter what i asked you, you always have this (poker) expression and i’ve resigned myself to the fact. i’d rather do my own investigation and find out, or.... wait for you to want to tell me.”

OH MY GOD THAT’S KIND OF... THAT’S TRUST MAN. THAT’S TRUST. and okay i may be reading too much into it but i think tang yi seems a bit surprised and touched in a sense, maybe that shao fei actually does know him q well or that shao fei actually left it at that instead of persisting in asking him questions, either way MY HEART-

shao fei goes back to the station and the team is having a meeting - they’re doing another undercover stakeout thing at a bar and police chief singles shao fei out and reminds him that he better do his job properly this time - and his cover is gg to the club with the junior as couples and LOL the club scene - i think wearing the couple pink shirts are like the girl’s idea, and shao fei is like: “isn’t wearing this a little bit ridiculous” YES SHAO FEI IT IS pink shirt and striped long sleeved underneath?!!!!! gosh

and whooooooo wow i gotta say, tang yi has got fine taste in friends - the FWB guy he’s with, he looks pretty good in that top and lol shao fei’s face when he sees tang yi come in with the dude - okay so the guy right, aside from being tang yi’s FWB, i think he also occasionally helps tang yi with his requests for e.g. in this case, tang yi says to him while playing darts that he wants him to find out who attacked him, and the guy goes, “you’ve only just come to see me and you want me to work :(((, didn’t you miss me?”

and tang yi is like, “you sure you want me to drop by often?”

pretty guy rolls his eyes and goes. “whatever. everytime you’re here trouble occurs”

and okay i think tang yi sees shao fei, and anw the junior leans real close to shao fei and drops the information that tang yi is very popular, and he sleeps with both women and men and look at shao fei’s JEALOUS FACE THERE’S NO MORE ESCAPE FOR YOU

AND OMFGGGGGG TANG YI - UNEXPECTEDLY HE SAYS SMTH NICE ABOUT SHAO FEI - okay so while tang yi and pretty guy are dancing together, pretty guy also mentions that chen wen hao met someone at the cafe/restaurant place, and tang yi smiles and says that he knows already, and pretty guy who i’m pretty sure is tang yi’s occasional informant for information, he’s like, “you already know? who told you?”

and tang yi just smiles, and pretty guys KNOWS he’s like “you’re such a player, did you find another guy? that guy is better than me?”

ANOTHER GUY REFERRING TO SHAO FEI, AND TANG YI SMILES HE’S ALR IN QUITE DEEP BUT HE DON’T KNOW IT YET, BUT HE SAYS, “that person, he’s impulsive, stubborn, troublesome and childish, but...”

“...he’s pretty okay.”

HE’S FOND OF SHAO FEI LOOK AT HIM YOU CAN’T TELL ME THAT HE AIN’T FOND OF SHAO FEI OKAY and pretty guy hears it too, he says, “well it sounds like the both of you get along pretty well.” AND TANG YI DOESN’T FUCKING DENY IT WHICH MEANS HE AGREES!

anw they catch sight of each other and tang yi idk what he wants to do but he deliberately like caresses pretty guy’s waist and then shao fei COME ON YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT KINDERGARTEN NURSERY SCHOOL STUDENT HUG and of course tang yi is like hah, lemme just kiss the dude

and woohoooo the bad guys turn up and the entire team is on alert including shao fei - i think tang yi didn’t know that he was there for an assignment until he saw people moving around and okay MAY I MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT HOW DAMN OBVIOUS THEY ALL ARE ISN’T THIS A COVERT OPERATION AND THE CLUB IS SO DAMN SMALL ANY ONE WITH EYES WOULD’VE SEEN THE COPS FROM A MILE AWAY

soooooo... hope you guys have seen the previews for next week’s episodes 7 and 8 and FARKKKK i can’t wait - shao fei is jelly that tang yi is chummy with pretty guy and i guess hong ye as well, and he’s going to be even more embarrassing at least for the next two episodes, but the good news is the plot has moved and next week shao fei is moving into tang yi’s place OMGGGG and we get more jack x zhao zi!!!

[emwrites]

Chris Evans- The Meeting (part 1)

I smoothed out my black pencil skirt as I stood in the elevator, straightening out my blouse and letting out a shaky breath as I rehearsed everything in my head. This is the most important interview I’ve been to, so I need to make sure I say all the right things. I closed my eyes and recited everything in my head, breathing deeply.

The lift came to a stop and the doors opened with a ding, and I opened my eyes only for my gaze to land upon a tall, suited figure who was stepping into the elevator. My breath hitched slightly as I took in the appearance of the man who had not yet spared me a glance. His beard was scruffy, his light brown hair perfectly styled. Whoever he was, he intrigued me. He was clean cut, wearing a blue suit with polished black shoes and a perfectly aligned spotted grey tie.

The man pressed a button for his floor and turned to face me as the doors closed, my eyes suddenly meeting his beautiful blue orbs. His lips instantly turned up into a small side grin.

“Hi.”

God, his voice was sexy too. The lord is either with or against me right now.

“Uh, um.. hi.” I stuttered out, face palming internally at how pathetic I sounded. Nice going, jackass. My cheeks heated up while he chuckled deeply.

“I haven’t seen you here before, are you new?” His voice was rough but velvety soft, it was the most audibly pleasing sound I’ve ever heard.

“No. Well, erm- I have an interview today.” Smiling nervously up at him, I mentally applauded myself for managing to form a sentence without sounding illiterate.

Just as I answered him, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. I cleared my throat quietly and once again smiled at the stranger, whose gaze was on me the whole time.

“Well… bye.” Could I have sounded more awkward? Probably not. I went to step into the hallway as the man’s voice blessed my ears once again.

“Good luck,” the stranger grinned at me from inside the lift, “and relax. You’ll be fine.”

As I smiled back at him, the doors closed and I was left staring at my hazy reflection in the shiny metal. Jeez, that was the most awkward encounter of my entire life, but his looks made it worth the pain my pride felt.

Taking a deep breath, I walked to the reception desk and I was asked to take a seat in the waiting area while I waited for the interviewer. My foot tapped nervously and five whole minutes passed before someone came to get me and I was taken to a quiet room at the end of a long hallway. Closing my eyes briefly, I somehow calmed myself and entered the interview room with a friendly smile on my face. Thankfully, the interviewers were incredibly nice and seemed pleased with the answers I provided to their questions.

“Well, thank you for your time miss. We will have someone call you with the news before this evening.”

Saying my goodbyes, I left the room feeling confident and proud of myself. Upon leaving the tall company building I hailed a cab to take me back to my apartment that I shared with my friend, Chrissy. The cab dropped me off on my block, and I quickly paid the driver before hopping out and practically running into my apartment.

“Chrissy!” I shouted as I slammed the door shut and slipped my shoes off before running into the kitchen, finding her sat on a stool eating cereal in her pyjamas.

“Blimey, what is it? Was it an ex? Did you see Lady Gaga?!” She stared at me wide eyes in shock as she threw questions at me.

“What? No! Ok, brace yourself. I saw the most attractive guy EVER today. I’m talking ‘instantly drop to your knees’ kind of attractive. Tall, sexy, UGH. I’m still in shock.” I held my hand to my chest and babbled to Chrissy as she took huge mouthfuls of cereal, listening intently.

“Mm,” she held up a hand to stop me as she swallowed, “sounds gorgeous. What colour were his eyes, what was he wearing?” Her eyes narrowed as she grilled me and took another mouthful of food.

“This amazing fitted blue suit. Let me tell you, his biceps looked so good. Oh, and he had blue eyes,” I sighed as I remembered how gorgeous he was. Chrissy groaned as she chewed; we have similar taste in men.

“God, blue eyes are my weakness. They’re like an ocean I would gladly drown in.” I giggled as Chrissy wiggles her eyebrows at me and stood to put her bowl in the sink. “So, how’d the interview go? Did you get the job?”

“It was great, actually, they’re gonna call me sometime today- which reminds me,” I rummaged through my bag to retrieve my phone, “I need to make sure my ringer is on.”

“Girl, you’re gonna get it. You have way too many pros in your resume not to, it’s like a hundred pages long!” Chrissy exclaimed. I have to admit, I feel pretty confident about this.

“Thanks, Chris. You got any plans today? I’m thinking, Man of Steel and pizza.” I wiggled my eyebrows at her and watched her eyes light up at the mention of her favourite movie.

“Bitch, you BET I’m free. Get your pyjamas on, I’ll set it up and order the pizza!” She squealed and ran off to set up the TV. I laughed at her excitement and quickly changed into short pyjamas, throwing an oversized tee on and putting my hair up in a high ponytail. Within an hour the pizza had arrived and we were ready to start watching the movie, and I made sure I had my phone next to me so I wouldn’t miss a call if I received one.

“Ugh, what a MAN. Seriously, if he crashed into my back yard, I’d give him much more than a place to stay.” Chrissy mumbled as Henry Cavill came on screen, almost making me choke on mine.

“Honestly, I can’t disagree. I’d let superman snap me like a twig.” I put down my pizza slice and got up from the couch.

We finished Man of Steel and watched a few episodes of The Vampire Diaries. I stood up and stretched a little, and realised how thirsty I was after the pizza.

“Hey, you want a drink?”

“Nah I’m good babe, be quick or you’ll miss the good b- ooh, my boy Matty blue is on, be quiet!” Chrissy shooed me away as I laughed and made my way to the kitchenette. I grabbed a glass and was filling it with water when I suddenly heard my phone’s ringtone go off loudly, making me drop the glass which somehow didn’t smash. Bolting over to the couch, I grabbed my phone as Chrissy paused the movie.

“Hello?” I tried to sound as polite and friendly as possible, and like I hadn’t just ran to pick up the call.

“Miss Y/L/N? Hi, it’s Evans & Co. here. We’re calling about your interview this morning.” A pleasant female voice informed me from the other end. Chrissy stared at me expectantly as she took another bite of her pizza.

“Oh, hello! Thank you for contacting me.” I made sure to smile as I spoke- mom always said they can hear the smile in your voice.

“Well, we have good news- you got the job!” I gasped quietly and jumped up and down briefly before she began to speak again, “are you able to start on Monday at 9am?”

That gave me two days to get some new clothes for the office and celebrate.

“Yes, of course! Thank you so much for this, I’ll be there at 9am on the dot!” Grinning from ear to ear, I said goodbye and hung up the phone.

“You got it?!” Chrissy stood up, dropping her pizza slice in the process.

“Yes! I’m staring on Monday! This is amazing, we are DEFINITELY going shopping!” I exclaimed and hugged Chrissy, the two of us jumping up and down excitedly.

“Congrats! Oh my god, we have to go out and celebrate. It’s nearly,” she paused to check her phone, “4 o'clock now, why don’t we get ready to go for dinner somewhere?”

Briefly discussing where to eat, we agreed on a nice restaurant in the city, and ran off to get ready. We both take ages to get ready, so there was no rush.

We left the flat at 5, and managed to get a table at this restaurant which was rather busy tonight. Chrissy insisted on getting a glass of champagne each, so we both sipped our champagne while we ate.

That night when we got home, we were ever so slightly tipsy, but I had the best sleep ever.

———————————————-

Monday morning rolled in, and I woke to my alarm at 7am feeling somewhat refreshed having gone to bed early. I groggily dragged myself out of bed and showered, yawning as I got dressed in my new clothes I had bought on Saturday and dried my hair. Applying some makeup, I made sure I looked good enough for an office but not too glam. Subtle glam. Yeah, that’s totally it.

Slipping on my court heels, I scribbled a note for Chrissy and slapped it onto the kitchen counter before checking the time; 8:15. I grabbed my bag and shoved my phone in it, checked my appearance once again, and set off outside. The cab I had booked the day before was waiting for me at the side of the road, and I jumped in and gave the driver my destination. I arrived at the large company building at 8:50, thankfully I was on time. By the time I got to my floor, it was 8:55, and I stepped out of the elevator only to see the woman who had interviewed me.

“Ah, Y/N! My name is Lexie Hardwell, call me Lexie. I’m in charge of this floor, so I’ll give you a tour and then you can get to work!” Lexie beamed at me making me feel much more relaxed.

The tour of the floor didn’t take long, and I was soon sat at my very own desk. During the lunch break I managed to chat with my new coworkers, who were thankfully very nice. The day passed surprisingly quickly and I was loving the new job, which consisted of sorting paperwork and doing online work with a bunch of figures.

“So, how was your first day?” Lisa, my new coworker, was chatting to me as we left the office and made our way to the elevator.

“It was great! I really enjoyed it, I’m so glad I get on with you guys as well,” I smiled at her as we waited to reach the ground floor.

“Oh, just WAIT till you meet the boss. His name’s Chris Evans, he owns the company. He is so dreamy,” she pretended to fan herself as she chatted away. “He’s tall, handsome, and his voice alone could make your knees weak. Trust me.”

I chuckled and told her I hadn’t, but I was now very intrigued. Hopefully soon I’ll meet the almighty Chris Evans.

As we walked through the lobby, in the corner of my eye I saw a familiar figure quickly approaching from my left. I nearly choked on air as I turned my head to look at him, only to see the sex god I shared the elevator with on the day of the interview. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he walked toward me like a freaking runway model and his eyes met mine, and he winked at me as he walked past me toward the lifts.

Lisa grabbed my arm and practically dragged me out of the building and the evening sun hit me as we stood by the entrance.

“Girl, did you see him?!” She whispered loudly, “isn’t he so hot?!”

“Um, hell yeah! I’d have to be blind not to see how good looking he was,” I breathed out and looked through the glass door into the lobby, remembering those crystal blue eyes. “Who is he?”

“He- who is he?! It’s him. That, honey, was Mr Evans- our boss.”

———-

A/N

Legit just decided to write this because Chris is ultimate daddy and I love daddies lmao

Thanks for reading!

[thepearlsourceposts]

When it comes to buying jewelry, men tend to buy what they like. But, when they’re buying jewelry for the women in their lives, it’s all about her. He needs to know that what he’s buying for her will make her happy. So, how do marketers make pearls more appealing to men?

First, we’d like to give a shout out to A1 Bentley of the Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood reality TV show. This successful producer wears pearls every chance he gets. He’s a fashion icon who knows how to set trends. And, even though he loves wearing pearls, A1 Bentley is all man!

So, what are some other ways we can make pearls more appealing to men like A1 and other men around the world?

A1 Bentley of LHHH Loves Wearing Pearls on Every Episode.

…because real men wear pearls too!

Ways to Make Pearls More Appealing to Men Who Buy Jewelry

We asked our audience for tips to get more men to buy pearl jewelry online. Here were our questions:

How can marketers make pearls more appealing to men buying jewelry online?

Men are the ones that buy jewelry online for their women. How can marketers make pearls more appealing to these men? And, can men wear pearls too?

Our audience is a creative one. People submitted some really awesome ideas. Some are pretty basic, while others are very creative. Here are some of our favorites:

Jonathan Poston

Pearls appealing to men: The pearl carries a mystique that is often more deeply appreciated in the old world, where gifts of jade and gold are more commonplace in business deals. Leverage pearls as a symbol of good faith in negotiating high-value deals.

Jonathan Poston M.E. https://twitter.com/wjonathanposton http://bit.ly/2w08pw6 http://bit.ly/2gXkvMs

Ricardo Ramos – QNY Creative

Pearls of Wisdom: I have two words for you; Product Placement.

An appealing product-ritual must be created in order for social attitudes to be changed over time. To achieve this, pearls need wide exposure linked to elements this demographic puts a high value on.

The historical use of this strategy by DeBeers campaigns changed the markets (and men’s) perception towards diamonds a product with little to no market back in the 1930’s.

Ricardo Ramos Head of Strategy QNY Creative http://bit.ly/2vZMuVS

Margaret Andriassian – Beverly Hills Shirt Co. – Beverly Hills, CA

I’m reaching out from Anto, America’s leading distinctive shirtmaker. Since 1955, Anto has been handcrafting bespoke shirting, in the USA, for high profile men and women including actors, politicians, royalty, and industry executives, along with many men and women who are conductors of fine bespoke clothing. The majority of our clients are men that purchase custom made dress shirts.

All Anto shirts are made with Mother of Pearl buttons that are imported from overseas. Mother of Pearl buttons add quality, luxury and durability to all of Anto’s fine custom made shirts.

I hope this helps your quest on how men can wear pearls!

All the Best, Margaret Andriassian www.antoshirt.com

McKinzieBrocail – Medology.com & McKinzieWrites.com

I am a travel blogger and content marketer, and here’s my take on making pearls appealing as engagement/wedding rings:

Pearls are associated with the beach and the ocean. If you’re a couple who love to travel to sandy destinations or sail, a pearl engagement ring can be a great way to commemorate both your love and your love of the sea.

It can also be symbolic to water signs (Cancers, Pisces, and Scorpios), so if you are looking to get your loved one a classy, nautical ring, pearls are a great option. Imagine how stunning a pearl would look in a clam shell ring box during a proposal!

Thanks, McKinzie Brocail Travel Blogger http://bit.ly/2gVSapN

Louis Gudema – revenue + associates

Response: marketing pearls: People buy with emotion and if a man is buying jewelry for his woman it’s to make the woman feel great. Not every man is going to buy pearls, but for those who would an online display ad or website showing a man and woman interacting when he’s putting a pearl necklace on her from behind, and the pleasure on her face, will inspire them.

Louis Gudema President revenue + associates http://bit.ly/2gXkEiY http://bit.ly/2vZCfB2

Slogan: Helping companies grow faster.

Chris McCarron – Flash Bang SEO – Glasgow, Scotland

Easy answer: Hey, I work with Neil Patel, Noah Kagan and international brands such as Roadtrippers. Here’s my quote.

The easy answer is to stop guessing what will make men buy your products. Instead mine Amazon reviews for their common likes, dislikes, and emotional triggers.

Take notes, look for patterns and then use this research to tackle objections. Use the exact terminology that they use and tap into the emotions that triggered their purchase. Then watch your sales skyrocket.

Chris McCarron http://bit.ly/2w04m31

Robert Matthams – Shiply

Latch on to the vintage trend: There are many women out there who adore the vintage aesthetic – appealing to partners of these women could be a great way to market pearls.

Jewellery is typically marketed toward the idea of luxury and big money – an unrelatable world to most people, so appealing to a more vintage-inspired couple could be just the ticket.

Getting involved in vintage fairs to find the Marilyn Monroes rather than the modern Instagram models would be a great fit and could really pay off.

Laura Hall Marketing Executive at Shiply http://bit.ly/2gXkGaA

James Nowlin – The Purposeful Millionaire – Austin, TX

  I have a handful of male clients who are fascinated by pearls. Here is my answer to your query.

“The most powerful men in history have worn pearls. Our pearls, imbued with power and nobility, are designed only for those who are men among men. Are you man enough for one?”

Sincerely, James R. Nowlin JamesNowlin.com

James Pollard – The Advisor Coach

  “Marketers can make pearls more appealing to men by demonstrating centers of influence or celebrities using pearls. Making it known that someone in professional sports or a famous Hollywood actor purchased pearls for his significant other makes it more likely that a man will emulate this behavior.”

“Can men wear pearls? Of course. The discerning gentleman with a taste for fine jewelry can most certainly wear pearls. If they were good enough for ancient royalty, they’re good enough for today’s sophisticated man.”

I hope that helps! Thanks a lot, James Pollard TheAdvisorCoach.com

Reuben Kats – Falcon Marketing, LLC – North Hollywood, CA

Marketers are growing at a fast pace these days and competition is expanding as well. Marketers need to start thinking outside the box.

To whom it may concern,

When a business is growing especially in the jewelry industry, the marketing department needs to be on the track of their promotions, deals, and any events. One has to get them signed up to a monthly newsletter, email promotional codes to save money on future purchases, add crystal clear messages that turn people’s attention to what they truly want.

Men are the ones usually buying luxurious gifts for their spouses when one buys jewelry like pearls a man needs to be assured that his partner will like it. When a man sees a celebrity wearing a pair of diamond and pearls they now that this company is legitimate. Men can definitely wear pearls, I have Tahitian pearl necklaces I wear.

Reuben Kats Web Design Sales Engineer /Customer Service/ Account Manager GrabResults, LLC http://bit.ly/2gVSl4r

Michael O’Connor – Style and Substance

As a celebrity stylist and Jewelry/Style expert here are my thoughts.

Pearls have previously been seen as a jewel for women, mainly because of pearl strands. Today, however, the market is perfect for men to also embrace pearls. Designers who give pearls a masculine and casual feel will benefit. Some great men’s styling includes single black pearls on a neck-cord or small darker colored pearls on leather bracelets.

The key is to provide a rough-hewn or casual feel that’s fashionable and not too precious at price points that make the pearl piece less of a “considered purchase” and more of a fun accessory that will go with everything.

Michael O’Connor TV Host, Style Commentator, Celebrity Stylist styleandsubstance.com http://bit.ly/2gXkMyY

Rob Boirun – PopNet Media LLC.

One of the best things I can picture for effective marketing of pearl to men would be to have many images of pearls on ‘real women’. Personally, I would like to see how pearls are used by women and how they ultimately look being worn before I buy one for my lady.

Rob Boirun Reviewster Network http://bit.ly/2vZK2yP

Casey Tibbs – image squared marketing – Effingham, IL

Good afternoon! Here is my response:

If I were tasked with marketing pearl jewelry to a male audience of jewelry gift buyers, I’d go straight for the mildly risqué. My first thought is a campaign titled something like Hunting for the Pearl? Hunt No More.

Use elegant imagery that shows, for example, a man choosing a pearl wedding ring, in focus, with traditional diamond rings looking dull in the background. In other ads, go straight for the risqué with a man and woman’s hands caressing a piece of pearl jewelry and the tagline, She’ll Love it When You Find Her Pearl.

Casey Tibbs Owner & Founder of image squared marketing, a boutique marketing agency in Central Illinois. imagesquaredmarketing.com

Danny Welsh – CubicZirconia.com – Bedford, KY

She decides and buys, and he pays and wraps. Click To Tweet

Men buy jewelry that: the woman in his life explicitly tells him to buy, overtly hints she wants ‘someday’, or subtly arranges for him to indirectly ‘discover’ she wants through some sneaky feminine ninjitsu men will never understand.

That accounts for why 70% of our website traffic demographic is made up of women, who spend an average 11 minutes on our site…and yet 70% of our sales are to men who spend an average 112 seconds on our site.

Conclusion: marketers selling to men are mistaking how the actual purchase process most often happens. She decides and buys, and he pays and wraps.

Danny Welsh CubicZirconia.com

Real men wear pearls in 2017. Can you handle it? Image: A1 Bentley of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. His fashion forward style helps to make pearls more appealing to men.

The post Roundup: How to Make Pearls More Appealing to Men Buying Jewelry appeared first on Pearls of Wisdom.

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