#posting it just to show what writing truly means for somebody who cherishes words

[taegularities]

get you someone who

[esmecvllens]

Bridal Worries

A few days go @esmeshardwoodfloors wrote THIS post about Esme and Bella and I just had to make an oneshot out of it, I hope it’s ok! I’m not sure what exactly possessed me to write this, but I hope it’s nice. We need some more Cullen girls moments.

Bella stood in front of the Cullen mansion with her hands in her pockets. A bit anxious to come inside, she glared over the enormous house, hidden in the woods like a medieval castle. All the lights were off, and if Bella didn't know who lived there, she'd think all family members were sleeping. It was the middle of the night, to be fair, but Bella couldn't force herself to sleep and needed to talk with somebody. Charlie would be the obvious choice, but he was long asleep. And even if he wasn't, Bella would rather drown than ask him the questions she had, so she wore a hoodie over her pajamas and came to the one place where no one ever slept.

Bella sighed, hesitant to come inside. She knew she's always welcomed here, but she'd never actually came there without Edward. She never came intending to spend time alone with his family, and the thought of it made her nervous, but at the same time, she felt that if she doesn't voice her worries to anybody soon, she'd combust. Suddenly, she realized that she'd like to see Esme.

Bella hadn't talked with Esme one on one many times, but she had a feeling that only she would listen to her questions without any mockery. Esme, although being only eight years older than Bella, felt like her own mother to her. The difference, however, was that Esme was way warmer than Renee, Bella realized. There were things she would be too embarrassed to talk about with Renee, things too private or too serious, and she felt no such barrier with Esme. She wondered why that was. There was something about Esme that felt very welcoming, very sympathetic - was it her gentle way of being, or the fact that she willingly took five teenagers under her roof and treated them like their own, Bella wasn't sure. She knew, however, that Esme would never mock her worries.

Edward was hunting with his brothers, and Bella assumed that Carlisle went with them. So there were only women in the house. That thought gave Bella the confidence to walk over to the front doors.

She didn't get to knock on the doors before they opened, and Rosalie stood in them, with her eyebrows risen and arms crossed on her chest.

"Bella," she said with surprise in her voice, the reluctance she once felt towards Bella almost gone.

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" Bella replied quietly. She always felt overwhelmed by Rosalie, and even though their relationship improved recently, the blonde vampire still made her uncomfortable. Bella wasn't even sure what exactly Rosalie had that made her nervous, but it was probably a combination of her impeccable perfection and the way she felt about her. They made it impossible for Bella to relax while Rosalie was around.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You actually are, I was just about to go to sleep."

Bella chuckled, although she wasn't sure she was supposed to. Rosalie's sarcasm often left her confused, and she couldn't tell when she was joking and when she was serious.

"Come on in," Rose let Bella inside the house and switched the lights on. "Have you come to tell us that you're not marrying my brother after all?"

"Yes, I changed my mind," Bella joked. "I realized that marriage terrifies me more than vampirism. Call the whole thing off."

Rosalie smirked. "Fine by me, but Alice might have some objections."

They went into the living room, already prepared to host the wedding tomorrow. All the beautiful furniture was gone. The Cullens moved it out to create a big, open space, with only Edward's shining piano still proudly taking its place in the corner. It made Bella gasp out. Instantly, everything seemed more real. Only seeing the white flowers strategically placed around the living room, the ribbons and garlands of tiny lights hung around the windows, it finally hit Bella that she's getting married tomorrow. Her hands trembled again, and she hid them in her long sleeves, desperate to seem tough and ready. She didn’t want Rose to feel how terrified she really was.

Rosalie watched her expectantly, her arms still crossed at her chest.

"Bella, I don't mean to be rude," she said softly. "But is there any particular reason for your visit?"

"I was hoping to talk with Esme."

A shadow of surprise glimmered across Rosalie's beautiful face, but she quickly got rid of it and nodded.

"She's in their bedroom," she replied. "Do you know the way, or should I show you?"

"I know the way."

Bella had never been in Carlisle and Esme's room before. She passed it many times, but the doors were always locked, and so it was this time. Coming inside without knocking felt incredibly inappropriate, but before her fist hit the wooden doors, she heard Esme's voice inviting her in.

The bedroom was exactly how she imagined it to be. Just as the rest of the house, the walls were white, with wooden paneling on one of them and big windows overlooking the woods and sky. The room smelled of books and fresh flowers, and every paper, every pillow knew its place. The furniture was very tasteful, dark and mahogany, and made the room like an elegant hotel - only that hotels never felt this domestic. Heavy, velvet curtains were open to show the starry sky. The only messy part of the chamber was Esme herself; she placed her easel in front of the windows and painted on an enormous canvas, with paint on her apron and fingers. Judging by the details on the piece, it was almost done.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come downstairs to welcome you before, that’s very rude of me," Esme said, tracing the brush along her painting. "But you see, the sky today is just beautiful, I needed to capture it before it changes. Tomorrow is a big day, and painting always eases my nerves."

"No need to apologize," Bella replied and stood behind Esme, glaring at her unfinished work. "It's beautiful. Edward said you paint, but I think he diminished your abilities."

"You're too kind," Esme replied with a smile and wiped her fingers onto the apron. She looked lovely, very domestic, truly the heart of the house. Bella never saw her like this, and it almost felt like invading her privacy to watch her in her element, with messy hair and paint on her clothes, still beautiful, but a bit more human. If anything, it made her seem more real.

"Do you want something to drink, love? Maybe some tea? You seem cold."

"I'm fine, thank you," Bella replied, only then realizing that she'd been hiding her hands in her long sleeves.

Esme sat on the swivel chair, leather and brown, and crossed her legs elegantly. The moonlight fell inside the room and her skin shined with faint, sparkling diamonds. Bella saw it before on Edward, of course, but she couldn't draw her eyes away.

Esme didn't speak for a solid minute. She watched Bella with a smile on her face until it became quite obvious she's waiting for her to start. Bella sat on the bed, a bit hesitantly, and tucked her hair behind her ears.

Bella was never sure how she should talk to Esme - whether she ought to treat her like a mother, or like a friend. Esme had an aura of wisdom and grace around her, but after all, she was still only twenty-six years old. The rest of the family would call her their mom sometimes, but it didn't feel comfortable to Bella. She doubted if it ever would.

"I wanted to talk with you," she started a bit bashfully. She never opened up to Renee about certain things and wasn't sure where to begin, but Esme's calm, golden eyes were glued onto her, and Bella felt she has her full attention.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a few questions, but they're rather private."

"You can talk to me about anything," Esme smiled at her reassuringly; she truly felt so. "You seem so nervous, Bella. Is it about the wedding?"

"Mostly."

"The night before ours I was so stressed, Edward had to talk me down for hours. He would later joke that I nearly ran away," Esme confessed, a faint smile on her lips as if the remembering itself amused her a bit. Bella raised her eyebrows in surprise. She always looked up to Esme and Carlisle's relationship; she knew no bond stronger or more admirable than the love they shared. It felt odd, but very comforting to realize that they were once newlyweds, too, and faced the same challenges she and Edward stood before.

"Really?"

"Of course!" Esme shrugged. "I don't think those things change. If you asked Alice or Rose, they'd tell you the same. It's perfectly normal to be stressed."

A veil of silence fell between them for a second, before Esme cleared her throat.

"Although I have a feeling there's something else troubling you."

"There is," Bella sat more comfortably, with her legs crossed, and looked out of the windows. She wasn't the best at speaking about emotions. Her mother never taught her how to do it, and Charlie was happiest not speaking about them at all, so opening up to Esme felt new. New, but not necessarily scary. Bella found it easier if she wasn't looking at her, so she glued her sight onto the stars. "The honeymoon scares me more than the wedding itself."

Esme let out a sigh. To say she expected it would be an exaggeration, but it didn't surprise her that Bella would need guidance, and it made Esme smile that she chose her to confide in. Bella looked tiny and insecure sitting on the bed with her knees drawn to her chest. She truly looked her age then, and Esme almost ached to hug her, but she wanted to ease her nerves first.

She tried to dig deep into her memory and remember how she felt that first time, and for a second, she relived it all over again - the fear, the nerves, the excitement, all to be rewarded with bliss and love. She hoped Bella would have memories to cherish, too.

"What would you want to know, Bella?"

"Everything," she replied, still looking at the stars. "Everything I should know. I've never-" Bella started, but words got lost on their way out of her throat. "Never with a human, and a vampire... I suppose it's different."

"Well, yes, it is," Esme tried to put her words together with much consideration. "It is way more intense."

"What should I expect?" Bella whispered, feeling Esme's amber eyes on her, but she didn't turn her head.

"Oh, it's an absolutely divine feeling," Esme replied softly and placed her hands on her knees. Bella felt as if she was talking with her older sister, not Edward's mother. She should be more embarrassed, but she wasn't. "It truly bonds you for the first time, body and soul. It's very powerful, sweetheart, even more to us than to humans."

"Will it hurt?"

"I'm sure Edward will not act hastily, but I'm afraid it might be a little painful to you. In the beginning, at least. Your human body is very fragile compared to ours."

Bella looked at her with her lower lip bitten. She surmised all the thigs Esme had just told her, but it felt comforting to hear them said out loud. The way Esme spoke, calmly, softly, it all made Bella feel safe. "Is it different from... intercourse with another human?"

"Very different," Esme nodded seriously. "My experiences as a human weren't the best, as I'm sure you know, and I don't know how is it between one of us and a human, but I can only imagine it's the most heavenly. Sex between normal people is... well... when you have a comparison, it's boring."

Bella let out a chuckle when Esme blinked at her, trying her best to make her more comfortable, and it was working. Bella's tense body loosened up a bit and she finally dragged her eyes onto Esme.

"What if I'm not any good at it?" she whispered, and Esme smiled at her warmly, reassuringly. Her smile made Bella believe everything would be alright. She knew Jasper was the one to control emotions, but there was something about Esme's loving presence, about her maternal ways of being and bright eyes that Bella felt more relaxed, and she was so happy she opened up to her.

"Oh, love, nobody's good at it at the beginning," Esme replied. "But communication is the key. I know Edward is not the one to open up easily but talk to him."

"I'm afraid we're similar this way."

"You're doing wonderful tonight," she smiled. "You need to talk about it to get better at it. Voice what you like and what you don't, make Edward do the same. You have to be truly honest with each other for it to work."

Bella was watching her with her eyes opened wide, invested, focused on every word, and it made Esme love her even more. Bella deserved somebody to confide in, and she was more than happy to take that role tonight.

"It scares me," Bella whispered. "The vulnerability. I want to, of course, but at the same time..."

"Remember that you don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Esme said, way more seriously. "No pressure, love. I know it seems very scary. It's very rewarding, but it can be overwhelming."

Bella just nodded, but Esme was still piercing her with her caring eyes.

"Is Edward pressuring you into something?"

"No, God, no," Bella shook her head so lively, she heard a quiet crack in her neck. "Don't worry about... it. But he said he talked about those things with Carlisle, and I wanted to get some insight, too."

"Did he?" Esme chuckled. "I didn't know that. I wonder what Carlisle told him."

"What you told me, basically," Bella shrugged softly and yawned loudly, making Esme smirk. She suddenly felt very sleepy. Talking with Esme eased her nerves a bit, and she felt she could fall asleep peacefully now.

"I'm so glad you came to me, Bella. It's really my pleasure to help you with anything you need."

"Thank you."

"Did I help a bit?"

"You did," Bella replied, standing up from the bed and smiling at her. "You really did. Thank you for listening to me. I didn't know who to talk to about it. Alice probably wouldn't help at all, and Edward... you know."

"Oh, I do," Esme laughed and stood up to take Bella into a long, tight embrace. Bella returned it thankfully; although Esme’s skin was cold as ice, the hug seemed warmer than any other. Bella yawned again, and Esme laid a kiss onto her forehead.

"You should really go to sleep, love," she said. "Tomorrow is a big day. You can sleep in Edward's room if you don't feel like driving."

"No, no, I have to go back," Bella mumbled, her arms still wrapped around Esme. "Charlie isn't a fan of my night escapades. I should be home in the morning. One last time."

She left the Cullen house feeling as if an enormous weight had been pulled off her chest. As she was driving home, she made a mental note to always come to Esme with her future worries.

other fics / have a request?

[sankyeom]

belle’s 2020 tumblr wrap up

i almost didn’t make one of these because i lost my laptop charger on my flight home to california and i didn’t want to type this out on my phone but after being tagged in so many people’s wonderful end-of-year messages (thank you @sunlightwoo​ @heartyyjeno​ @atbzkingdom​ @chaoticdeobi @xfirebenderx @fairyoftbz​ and for including me thus far 💗) i decided i had to join this beautiful love fest and end the year on a good note! 

m i l e s t o n e s  (personal and for the blog) ✨

◇ on february 17th 2020 i started stanning (and eventually ulting) the boyz!   ↳ this is important because i had been listening to the boyz’s music since no air era, but never watched their videos or learned the members’ names. after stanning the boyz, i was introduced to my beautiful deobiblr, which is such a warm and welcoming community. i met most of treasured mutuals through this community and honestly don’t know what i’d do without it!

◇ on april 23rd 2020 i reached 1,000 followers on my blog!     ↳ this was very special to me because i have previously reached 1k followers on many different platforms (quotev.com, wattpad, a different tumblr blog, etc.) but after not writing for a long time i was worried people wouldn’t like my writing anymore or that i wouldn’t be good at it after taking a break. reaching this number was surreal for me and it made me realise that i wanted to study creative writing in university, which i am now doing!

◇ on may 30th 2020 i graduated high school!   ↳ i graduated with honours and a 4.0 along with a lot of life-long friends that i had made in the two years i spent at my competitive, college-prep private school. i faced a lot of hardships but eventually got through it and i am a better person for it. congratulations to all the graduates who didn’t get the graduation they all dreamed of, you did something spectacular this year!

◇ on august 24th 2020 i started university as a creative writing major!   ↳ 2020 was a crazy year for everyone and it made picking which uni to go to really hard, but there was one uni in particular that loved my admissions essay and wrote to me personally saying they would love to have me in their creative writing program, which really touched me and interested me in this uni. i’ve always been someone who finds academics really important so i had gotten multiple scholarship offers from different “higher ranking” universities, but i was able to learn what was important to me in picking a school that would both foster my learning and make me feel at home.

◇ on september 21st 2020 i got my first ever B on a test!    ↳ and i was really happy about it. in high school i strived to get 100% on every test and would have panic attacks when i got even a single point off. i wish i was joking, but that’s the truth. i’ve always been a perfectionist and i wanted to have a more healthy relationship with my personal expectations in university. being in uni helped me to pace myself academically and learn to juggle doing fun things – like this lovely blog – alongside studying. i still managed to get all As in my final grades for this semester, but i really loved letting myself get Bs and take breaks. 

◇ on october 18th 2020 i reached 2,000 followers on my blog!   ↳ if you read how important reaching 1k to me was, you can probably guess how amazing and emotional this was for me. not only did i have enough followers to fill three of my high schools, but i had made a lot of friends at this point, and that was so special to me. i had also never done a special series to celebrate a milestone, and as i stand here on december 31st with 2,457 followers, i have yet to finish my 2k celebration due to taking a short break from writing. don’t worry though, it’s all coming very soon!

◇ on november 29th 2020 i reached 1,000 notes on a masterlist!  ↳ facade? was my first social media au masterlist to reach 1,000 notes and when that happened, it truly blew my mind. i have no words to describe how special that moment was for me. a lot of people loved it because they resonated with the main character or because they found all the plot twists fun, and i really love that so many people enjoyed it and gave it a chance, despite the general plot being quite common.

◇ on december 7th 2020 i reached 1,000 notes on a fic! ↳ he loves me, he loves me not was my first one shot/fic to reach 1,000 notes and my second fic ever to reach 1k notes, which was literally crazy. so many people have reached out to me about that fic and how much it resonated with them and their experiences, and i just loved that this was the first written fic i ever had reach 1k notes because of the emotional implications.

m u t u a l s 💛

i have so much love and appreciation for you all, it’s unreal. i’m a very shy, often times insecure, and quiet person so i have a hard time reaching out to people. this means that minimal interactions actually mean a lot to me, so please never think that i don’t love or support you guys just because i’m a little quiet. that being said, here are some mutuals who i have gotten to know better in 2020 and a little love letter for you each 💌

@xfirebenderx

💌 nani, you were one of my very first mutuals here on tumblr back when i ulted seventeen and literally never spoke to anyone or interacted with people other than the few anons in my inbox. you made me feel comfortable and welcome here on tumblr, and i’ve always seen you like an older sister figure because of that. your enthusiasm and support are often times unparalleled because you never hold back anything and i am in awe of how lovely you are. thank you for having my back this year and making me feel so supported! 🌟

@chaoticdeobi

💌 bea, you’re such a ray of sunshine and brightness in my life and on my dash, i’m in awe of how much of a social butterfly you are! you were one of the reasons i started writing for the boyz because i felt excited when i read your fics and i was extremely impressed with how immersive your writing was (and still is!). aside from your amazing writing abilities, you’re truly someone who i feel comfortable with even though we haven’t spoken that much privately, and you have an amazing gift of making people feel accepted and at home. thank you for being a wonderful brightness in my life this year! 🌼

@heartyyjeno

💌 alesha, i’ve said this to you many times before but i truly treasure you as a person and as a friend. you are without a doubt one of the most supportive and uplifting people that i’ve met on tumblr, and i can always rely on you to make me feel like i’m loved and a good writer, especially on days where i feel like i’m neither. i know that 2020 has been a struggle for you and i wish i could have done more to support you, so i hope you take this love letter as evidence of how loved you are and how much i cherish you as a person and as a friend. thank you for being my rock this year! 🌷

@httpsohnpouts

💌 rosie, you are someone who is very dear to me and i always feel so lucky to be your friend! we’ve spoken quite a bit this year and i loved getting to know you and finding out we stan/ult so many of the same groups! i loved gushing over dark haired eric, seunghoon from cix, and blackpink’s comebacks with you this year so much because it made me feel much closer to you! you’re always one of the first people i send love chains to on tumblr and i just really appreciate your lovely energy every time we interact. thank you for being a caring friend for me this year! 🌹

@stealerz

💌 qiu, first of all your url change is absolutely adorable and i’m a huge fan. second of all, your writing is so stunning and it was also another reason why i wanted to start writing for the boyz this year! you’re somebody who i often see on my dash and try to interact with, and it always feels a little surreal when you gush over my writing because i look up to you in that sense. you are such a lovely friend who i don’t talk to very often because i’m shy, but i feel like you’re always around to remind me that you support me and just make me feel loved here on tumblr. thank you for being an inspiration to me and sending me so many cheerful love chains on tumblr this year! 🌻

@neoskidz (i wasn’t sure which of your blogs to tag so i’ll add @chocolattees just in case)

💌 elsie, i always feel undeserving of your hype and excitement when you comment on my fics or leave me lovely asks in my inbox to sing my (absolutely undeserving) praises. you’re someone who seems very bright and warm-hearted so i always feel comfortable around you, and i only wish i could have praised you and given you as much love as you did for me in 2020. i love when you randomly pop up in my inbox and i love to hear about how you’re doing because i feel like it’s the least i can do to show you that i support you and am always interested to hear what you’re up to! thank you for reminding me that friends can come from anywhere and for always being so compassionate this year! 💐

@deobienthusiast

💌 k, i always look forward to when you reach the latest chapter of my social media fics because i’m always living to hear your reactions to them! i always feel so lucky that you interact with me and reach out so much because i’m shy and it makes it a lot easier for me to talk to you and actually get to know you. i love that we stan so many of the same groups and can always gush about cix and the boyz together, especially when we tag each other under any posts that have to do with blond baejin. you are honestly someone who i feel very relaxed with because we talk so often and have so many of the same interests, i really appreciate your presence in my life. thank you for being someone who i can talk to about my fics and all of our bias wreckers this year! 🌈

@atbzkingdom

💌 dee, i’ve said this before but you’re a literal ray of sunshine to me and you warm me up like the sun with all of our interactions. i always love to hear your comments about my fics because you never hold back and always unleash so much excitement onto me that i can’t help but reciprocate and allow myself to get super hype and happy. you have an ability to make me open up and actually feel excited about my friendships here on tumblr and my own writing, which can be really hard for me sometimes. i’m blessed that you look up to me and i have to say that i absolutely look up to you as well, in more ways than just your writing! thank you for being my personal hype-man and helping me come out of my shell this year! ✨

@lsangyeons

💌 yu, i think you are seriously so damn talented it’s actually unbelievable. not only are you an amazing writer but your designs, sketches and other amazing works of art are just so inspiring and i find it incredible that you’re so multifaceted. you’re always someone who i think very genuinely wants to know how i’m doing and is always ready to catch up and share what you’re working on with me, and i find that really illuminating and fun because you’re so talented. thank you for reaching out to me so often and making me feel comforted this year! ❄️

@fairyoftbz

💌 rosy, i am totally kicking myself right now for not reaching out as often as i wanted to because i feel like we get along well and we could be really close if i wasn’t so shy and bad at keeping up with my asks/mentions. i think you’re a lovely person and i’ve felt so fortunate to have gotten to know you better this year. as i mentioned before, you’re a very thoughtful person and i look forward to getting to know you better in 2021! thank you for being a supportive friend to me this year! 🪐

@sunlightwoo

💌 gina, i adore you, and that’s the absolute truth. i’ve been so happy that we were able to connect this year and become friends because you are a fiercely supportive and lovely mutual to have. i have to thank the kpop gods for getting you to start standing the boyz so we could meet and be friends after all this time. i love how you yell and gush about my fics because it makes me feel like i’m actually writing something people like and not just rubbish that i come up with in my head, and you make me feel grounded and supported, which i can only hope to reciprocate just as enthusiastically to you! thank you for being a fiercly kind and supportive friend to me this year! 🌠

here are some people who i haven’t interacted with much (because, like i’ve said, i’m terribly shy and don’t interact with people much in general (feel free to reach out though i would love to chat 🥺)) but still wanted to mention! i love and appreciate you all for replying to my posts, recommending my fics or just posting really amazing content here on tumblr for us all to enjoy, and that i’d love to get to know you better in 2021!! @1ovejisung​ @jenoleeaesthetic @thepixelelf​ @honeycobie​ @tbzwurld​ @meltingjukyu​ @mae-gi-writes​ if i’ve forgotten everyone i’m terribly sorry but also very jetlagged and bad at keeping track of my friends xx

a n o n s 🦋

i’m grateful to everyone who joined my anon list this year and i’ve genuinely enjoyed all of our interactions so much! i wanted to give a short thank you to a few specific anons but i also love my other anons, 🐝 anon, 🧸 anon, 💫 anon, 🦋 anon, 🥯 anon, 🍇 anon, 🌜 anon, 💒 anon, and 🦕 anon a lot and appreciate you all! thank you for joining my anon list and i hope we can continue to get to know each other in 2021!

🤍 anon 💌 you always check on me and ask me how i’m doing, and i feel so comfortable around you it’s like talking to a friend. we always talk about anything and everything and i appreciate that you’ve been such a constant in my life this year!

🌱 anon 💌 my sweet deobi 🌱 anon! i love gushing about the boyz and my social media fics with you, it’s always so fun to see how passionate you are and it’s honestly everything to me.

🐹 anon 💌 you really feel like a sibling or a friend to me because you’re always telling me to take care of myself and encouraging me to take breaks and be happy. i want everything that you encouraged me to do for you as well and i hope that you take care of yourself and stay healthy/safe!

🐱 anon 💌 literally the absolutely king/queen of getting involved in my fics and gushing to me about how every chapter made you feel. i love seeing your responses and i’m always so touched when you leave me simple messages telling me to have a good weekend or asking me to be your friend. we are absolutely, 100% friends my love!

🔮 anon 💌 you’re my most recent anon but i feel like we’ve known each other forever now! we talk quite often and i always love it when i see the little 🔮 emoji in my inbox because i love how enthusiastic and understanding you are. thank you for deciding to join my anon list so we could become closer!

f o l l o w e r s   a n d   r e a d e r s 💘

i doubt that all 2,457 of my followers are going to see this, but i’m going to write this as if you all will anyway. thank you for being here and for caring about my content enough to hit the follow button. numbers don’t mean much and are quite arbitrary, but i still think that it’s amazing that there are 2,457 of you cuties who put up with me. to those of you who don’t follow me but read my fics/like and reblog my posts, thank you. i personally see those things as small praises and/or appreciations for my efforts and i wish i could tag you all here to tell you that i love and appreciate you, but tumblr won’t let me and i think most of you wouldn’t want that either. i couldn’t make a love letter to the people that shaped my 2020 without addressing all of you, so i hope that some of you decided to give this a read. i appreciate you and i want you here, healthy, and safe on this planet. please take care of yourselves as i would love to take care of you. x

[moonlight-breeze-44]

Em’s Year in Review

Hey, guys! It’s been a long time since my last personal post on here, but as it’s officially 2021 (thank God), I wanted to do the cheesy Year in Review thing and give thanks to the friends I’ve made, the communities I’ve joined, and the things that have changed me beyond words this year that I want to share with you all. 

To start, perhaps the biggest and best change of the year was when I joined the Shadowhunters fandom. Not to mention the friends I’ve made along the way and the support I’ve received and the amazing community I found my home in, Shadowhunters managed to rejuvenate my love for this site and fandom in general. Shadowhunters transformed this blog from an occasional place that I would visit to kill time into a means of expression that I am extremely proud of. Shadowhunters transformed my AO3 from a practically extinct account with three fics posted to an up-and-running, 80-fics-and-still-going-strong profile that is, truly, one of my biggest accomplishments. 

Shadowhunters also led to several friendships that I know I will cherish for the rest of my life. I would like to take this time to give thanks to some of them, and I apologise deeply if you deserve to be on this list and you aren’t; I know there are probably some people that I’m forgetting. You’re all important to me, and you’re all a part of the reason I am writing this right now. 

To start off, @arialerendeair has been an incredible source of support, friendship, and love for me throughout my journey into the Shadowhunters fandom, and she means more to me than words can say. She is a forever friend, a wonderful person, the best kind of enthusiastic and encouraging, and she is one of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. 

Before I joined the @malecdiscordserver and met a myriad of people that I gladly call my friends, I existed in the Shadowhunters fandom solely on Tumblr, and I would like to give thanks to my very first Shadowhunters fandom friend, @lightwormsiblings, for making me feel at home here and generally being an amazing person. 

@sugarandspace is a wonderful author and an even better person, and my friendship with her has led to many amazing fics, conversations, and sweet words. Her mental health fics and her response to mine are what inspired me to really start writing for this fandom, and as I’m sure you can imagine, that is something that I am very grateful for. <3

I would also like to give a shout-out to my fluffy counterpart, @bidnezz, who created the Fluff vs. Angst Battle 2020 with me, an AO3 collection that has made me smile countless times. Likewise, @aceon-ice deserves a shout-out, as well, for being an amazing person and supporting me despite my angsty tendencies. 

I have @eternallysilvermagnusandalec and @emma-arthur to thank for my love of Autistic Alec, and I want to give them the biggest of virtual hugs for screaming with me, bouncing headcanons with me, and generally being my biggest Autistic Alec supporters. They are wonderful friends, and I’m so lucky to have them both in my life. 

As for friends that aren’t actively on Tumblr, I would like to give thanks to Val, one of my favourite sprinting buddies and an amazing friend, Hannah, my favourite dinosaur-obsessed Among Us murderer and the source of endless support, and Evi, my recently-found friend, writing support extraordinaire, and fellow Team Angst comrade. 

I am extremely grateful for every single friend I’ve made in the Shadowhunters fandom, and every person who helped me feel at home in this community and showed me that this is a place where I can belong. You are all amazing, and I wish I had the words to express my gratitude for you. 

Another thing that the Shadowhunters fandom brought me was a means of self-expression, through a character like no other I’ve ever encountered before. Alec Lightwood and his place in Shadowhunters has brought me endless joy, validation, and hope for the future. Alec Lightwood is a character that I love dearly and relate to strongly, and his happy-ever-after as a gay man in love with a bisexual warlock truly lifted me up when I needed it. His character helped me to start writing things that I love, things that I enjoy, and things that benefit me to put on paper. For that, I am forever grateful. 

This year has brought a lot of changes to my life, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Shadowhunters & the friends it’s made me are by far my favourites. 

Other than Shadowhunters, there are a few other things that have shaped my year in large ways that I would like to give mention to. 

To start things off, as most of you know, I’ve been a fan of Supernatural since before I even knew fandom was a thing - hell, before fandom really was a thing. Supernatural and the SPN family and the AKF campaign got me through some of my toughest times, and I will always be grateful to that show for giving me everything that it did. 

Despite the discourse and despite everything that took over Tumblr with the finale and Cas’s confession, I am so happy that I made it to see that finale. It gives me a lot of joy to know that I’ve been here for fifteen seasons of a show that changed my life, and everything that comes in between. I love Sam and Dean and Castiel and all of the other characters that captured my heart in Supernatural, and I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of a family like this one. My experience in and with the Supernatural fandom will always be important and special to me, and I want to thank my first ever fandom friend (you know who you are), who encouraged me to post my first ever fanfiction back when I was younger and taught me what it means to be a part of a fandom community. She is the reason I’m fandom-ing it up today, and I’ll forever be grateful to her for that.

I’ve already mentioned them once before, but I want to give another shout-out to @eternallysilvermagnusandalec, @emma-arthur, and @arialerendeair for being truly amazing, wonderful people when it comes to a certain aspect of my identity that I’ve just started becoming okay with. 

For any of you who may not know: I am autistic. ...damn, that felt good to say. At this time last year, I was still very much “in the closet” about having autism and I was masking so much that I panicked at the slightest hint that I was “different”. I did not like who I was, and I had been conditioned to believe that I had to hide my differences if I wanted to have any chance of being accepted by others. 

These three made me see that that isn’t the case. 

Constantly being told “Quiet hands!” and to just look at somebody when I was talking to them and that it was irrational & dumb to be too overwhelmed to speak took its toll, but the Shadowhunters fandom and Silver, Emma, and Aria helped me realise that my hands can be as loud as they need to be, it’s okay if I stare at the wall while I talk to someone, and sometimes not being able to speak is just the way the cookie crumbles. Their acceptance of me and their incredible support has helped me become so much more comfortable with myself, to the point where I’m unmasking when I’m alone and letting myself stim without fear of repercussions or the feeling that I’m doing something wrong. They are the best kind of people, wonderful friends, and truly incredible. 

It is largely thanks to them that I am even fighting this ongoing battle against my own internalized ableism, and it’s important to me that all three of them know that. <3

For more information on autistic masking and what it looks like and why some of us do it, I recommend checking out this video, made by an autistic creator! 

If you’d like to know the true, harsh meaning of “Quiet Hands”, I recommend checking out this post, which explains the phrase & its connotations better than I ever could. 

Thank you to everyone who has read this far, and I hope you all have a wonderful 2021! This year was hard, but we survived. There have been times when I wanted to give up, and there have been times when you wanted to give up, I’m sure. But we are both still here, and that counts for something. That counts for a lot, actually. It’s everything. I did it. You did it. We did it. That’s something to be proud of.

Going into 2021, I hope that everyone will be kind, do their best to be understanding of other people’s differences, and treat others with the amount of respect they deserve. 

I love you all, and thank you for making this year, despite all of its challenges, one that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. 

[lextherandlxce]

Hi there! I’m not sure how long ago you made the post or if you’re still even interested in writing for Branch, but I saw your headcanon post and you said if anyone was interested you might do a post about what Branch is like as a lover? I recently got into Longmire and I adore this man, but there’s so little content for him out there :( I love the way you write him though, so I’m definitely interested if you still have more to say about him! Thank you!

{ Hello! I’m sorry this took about a century and a half for me to answer. I hope you’re still into Longmire and enjoy Branch’s character!! You’re absolutely right. There’s not enough content about him, and sadly people more often than not wind up disliking his character. But you don’t have to look very hard to see that Branch is actually a great guy. That said though, I offered, and you asked my dear, so let’s get to some headcanons about Branch as a lover!! }

First off, Branch is incredibly monogamous. He grew up seeing his father (and most likely Uncle Lucian) fooling around with all kinds of women regardless of whether either man was married. Branch has never and will never cheat on a partner. He’s still ‘monogamous’ even after somebody breaking up with him. Cady is a wonderful example. Even though they broke up, and even though there were beautiful women around very obviously interested in Branch, he never had any kind of flirtatious interaction with them. He refuses to hurt a partner by seeing someone else behind their backs. He is fiercely loyal.

Branch doesn’t like dating or one night stands. When he was younger, he did it quite often, as young men do. But he actually finds the idea of going home with a different girl every night exhausting and unsatisfying. Women have always been very transient in Branch’s life. He hates that. More than anything, he wants to be with a women who will stay. He was consistency and stability. 

Feeding off of the last point, Branch desires long term relationships, so he’s very picky about the kind of women he interacts with in a romantic/sexual manner. If there’s no potential for a future with her, he’s not very interested. He doesn’t want a quick fuck, he wants the love of his life. Quite frankly, watching Walt and Martha Longmire growing up had a huge influence on that. Their’s was the kind of love and marriage that he dreamed of. It was the kind of love that he and Cady had, the kind of future that they planned to have together. But other people had other plans for them. 

Now I’ve been talking about women, because women are a big deal for Branch. But I write Branch as bisexual. He’s always silently admired other men. He can admit that other men are handsome or good-looking. But as he grew older, he couldn’t keep fighting the fact that he wanted to fool around with men just as much as he did women. Considering where he lives, what his father’s like, and the job he holds, the fact that he’s romantically and sexually attracted to men is something he keeps very well hidden. But it is there, and as of right now, my Branch is in a very happy relationship with @peritxetxinvenit ‘s Vic Vega :3

A big part of who Branch is as a lover is his willingness to give. He gives, and he gives, and he gives. He’s not a selfish lover at all. He never minds matching his partner’s pace for the relationship. If they want to move fast, they can. If his lover needs more time and patience, he’ll gladly wait. If they want to broadcast the relationship, Branch will gladly show them off. If they want to keep it perfectly private, he won’t utter a word. Branch gives in every imaginable way. If he loves someone–and in order to be in a relationship with him, Branch does truly need to love his partner–he’ll give anything. If he loves someone, he’ll readily and happily change things in his own life or his future plans to make things easier for his partner. He does this because when he loves someone, them staying means more to him than anything else in his life. 

Now Branch does have some issues with people leaving him throughout his life. And he does give perhaps a little too much as times. He often lets himself be hurt by a partner much more than he should. But he’s not actually co-dependent. He’s not the kind of man who keeps calling a partner non-stop throughout the day. He’s very protective but not possessive. He does his best not to cling to the person he loves. He will always let his partner have their own space. He always understands that sometimes everyone just needs to be alone for a little while. He never takes that to heart or gets offended by it. He will never try to exert control over what they do or who they see. That said, he actually adores if his partners, especially male partners *cough* Vic *cough*, get possessive of him. 

Branch is an incredibly affectionate lover. His partner will never starve for any verbal or physical affection. They’ll know without a shadow of a doubt how much he cherishes them. He’ll always give a partner a simple pet-name. He’ll kiss them anywhere, nibble on their ear or shoulder. He loves putting a hand in the small of a partner’s back and letting his hand slide down to their ass. He loves playing with their hair. He loves cuddling and hugging them from behind. And Branch is weak for his partner giving him the same kind of affection. He won’t ask for it. He’s actually too shy to do so. But he’ll enjoy it fully when they do give him that affection, and he’ll hope they get the point and keep doing it.

Branch is the kind of man who falls into the sexually dominant role of a relationship quite often. Most of his partners either assume or want him to be dominant, so he is. He does enjoy being dominant. If anything, he is a switch. But he barely has the opportunity to be submissive sexually, and that’s really what he craves. (Notice how Cady was always on top of him during their loves scenes in the show?) He relishes being submissive in bed and having his partner be on top/top in in any way.

I’ll end this rambling with some of Branch’s kinks because….why not? He is a rather kinky boy, and a lot of it has to do with his desire to be the submissive partner in bed. He loves being humiliated, he loves being roughed up, bitten or marked. He loves being handcuffed or tied up with a rope. He loves having a blindfold put on him, and he can’t get enough of orgasm denial. He’s a complete needy happy mess with it. He’s a bottom with men, though he relishes the chance to top his male partner. Depending on how brave the woman he’s with is, she could try penetrating him a little. And it’s not even really a kink, but Branch loves to give either a man or a woman head. He wants them to feel good and moan his name. Quite frankly, Branch is a fantastic fuck. He’s fun, and giving, and knows what to do to make someone feel good. But his favorite thing of all is to make love to the person he’s in a relationship with. He’s had lots of sex. He’s been made love to by only two people, and they mean everything to him.

{ Well…I hope that gives a little bit of an idea of what (my way of writing) Branch is like. I tried to keep this as coherent as possible. Thanks for reading everyone, and please feel free to send all the questions you have about Branch! I always want to talk about my cowboy }

[alifeofalifer-blog]

Seth Anthony - Episode Transcription

Podcast Music: [00:00:00]You have a collect call from Taylor, an inmate at the Washington Correctional Center. To accept the call press 5.

Taylor Conley: [00:00:32] There's nothing like waking up to the sound of clacking and buzzing as the door's crack open in the morning after count clears, waking up to the reality of life in prison. For some, it's just a stop along their journey, a mile post, an experience. For others, it is a revolving door, in and out, in and out. And that's their way of life, stuck in the cycle, pulling and eating away at them. And then for some it becomes their destination as the hammer came down and that judge issued him a death sentence, the slow way, by way of life in prison... This is the Life of a Lifer, by Taylor Conley.

Hello friends and family. Welcome and thank you for joining us today. Today we got an exciting program. I'm really, I'm really stoked about this today, I'm going to be interviewing singer and rapper Seth Anthony, a man who has been able to overcome the odds and take it adversity and whip it's ass, man.

So it's a continuous struggle and an uphill battle, this man won't stop. He's not going to stop. He's gonna get it, and he's getting there. He's grinding and he's making it happen. He's an example. He's an example of what change really is about, and change is a state of mind, and I wrote about this in my book called the convicted entrepreneur.

He's taking the discipline he gained through years and years of doing time and transformed that into a career. He's taken this huge negative and made it into an even bigger positive. What I like most about this dude is how humble he is and yet he's got such a confident style, and swag and he's unwilling to sell out.

He keeps it one hundred thousand, keeps it all the way real I can't do anything but respect this man, and that's why I support everything he's doing. You'll see Seth on the cover of the next issue of Inside Designed Conviction, the Magazine, which is coming out in late January. Really excited about that too, and you'll get more of the full story of his journey along the way.

You know, also coming out later on in January, towards the end of January is the Free Taylor Project album. And that's an album that I did together with my, my good friend and, and my brother Caleb Twidwell, we wrote these songs inside a prison over five years ago while we were serving time together, and he's since gotten out and been able to really take his music and take what he's done and though he's had a lot of struggles along the way, he's such a talented guy and I really am appreciative and happy to be able to, though we butted heads along the way and things haven't been easy and perfect. And you know, there's, there's plenty of different, different triumph or struggles that we've had to triumph over and been able to overcome these things and put together this, this album that we created with, you know, with guitar and just being able to sit down and really write, coming from a perspective of somebody doing life in prison, and there's also some, some nice feel good songs on there. Anyways, and I also added an additional song that I wrote called walk the line, uh, which Caleb is doing some rapping on that as well. We made this journey happen. We've released the two singles already Walk the Line and So Cold, which you can find out right now, and those will also be on the Free Taylor Project. Uh, we put this album out on our independent label, or we put these songs out on our independent label, Designed Conviction Entertainment, which this album is going to be the first album that we drop off of there and we'll see what happens with that.

Man, we just, we really want to do something that is coming from inside, and get it out there so people can really see that there's a lot of talents locked away inside these walls and fences. But I want, on a different note, I want to take a moment and talk about something that, that has me sad right now. I've got a little bit of bad news and, and that is, it's a program that I've been doing for, you know, about the last year and a half or something like that. And it got put on hold. The Toastmasters program. I've talked about it before, but Toastmasters is something that has really helped me to learn how to communicate and articulate myself better. It's such a positive outlet and given me the tools to be able to communicate with words instead of other ways of communication such as, you know, lashing out in anger or, getting upset about everything. To be able to just sit back and be able to communicate and learn these positive leadership skills, which I had, but this has been able to cultivate those things.

So it is unfortunate, and I'm, I'm truly saddened that our sponsors have had to step back. You know, they, they have health issues and, and personal reasons, so they're not able to come anymore. So I'm really bummed out about that. And until we can find new sponsors to come in and, and help us to be able to make sure that this program continues to grow, uh, we're not going to be able to do it. I love the environment that Toastmasters creates. That's what's the coolest thing about it. It's a space where you're able to really kind of just get away from everything else that goes on in prison and, and have the, the curriculum that you follow throughout, and it just really cultivates and helps you to develop these skills that help us to grow as people and express ourselves in a constructive way.

Like I said, man, being able to communicate is such an important thing in life, especially in this environment, and I cherish that and I hope that we're able to find some new sponsors soon. I mean, if you're listening, and you're interested in this, and you, and you're around the Olympia, Aberdeen area in Washington state, and you have anything to do with Toastmasters or you're were even interested by it, and you want to get involved in it, you know, feel free to reach out to us and we can try to put you in touch with the right people to make that happen because man, this is something that really does change lives. Uh, I've seen hardened thugs come into Toastmasters and within a couple of months begin to change their perspective. It's all about the perspective on the way you look at things. And it's such a cool thing to see that, you know, there's even a club out there on the streets that it's called the Inside Out Toastmasters, which consists of men and women who were formerly incarcerated, as well as advocates who advocate for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated to help with reintegrating back into society.

And this program is continuing to help them on their journey as they get out of prison. So it's a great support system and having the clubs available in prison and then being able to transition out there for other people to get involved with it. And the Toastmasters organization is huge. So, I mean, it's the best program I've ever been a part of in here and had the opportunity to experience.

I'm actually the president of one of our clubs here where I'm at right now. Uh, a gavel club, which we are working on getting chartered. And what it means to be in a charter club is to be recognized by Toastmasters international. And so like, you know, you have to pay dues and, and people actually come in and help us to make that like a legitimate thing. Those are like legitimate credentials that people can get and they can take those and transfer those into real like things you can put on your resume and stuff like that. And not, not to mention, just being able to have a more positive environment within the prison system.

It really helps with that, it really helps with being able to communicate your issues better. Being able to actually work on rehabilitation and not just punishment. So I really believe in the Toastmasters program, and you know, maybe you don't live in this area, you've never even heard of it, but you want to know more about it.

I would encourage you to go to the ninth wave toastmaster.com website and you can, you can learn more about it. That's the number nine T H wave Toastmasters dot com and you can see different ways in which you could contribute and be a part of it. And you know, basically contribute to the rehabilitation of people within prison to where the hope is when they get out and they transition out, they will have better set of skills to work with and be, you know, a more productive member of society.

That's the hope. So without further ado though, I would, I would like to get into this interview and let's see if we can get Seth on the line here. One more thing though, I want to give Seth a big congratulations as he's just announced that his girl is about to have a baby. I think that that's so cool and I'm sure that he's going to be a great father. I'm really happy for you, man. But right now let's get into this interview. I think we got them here, so thank you very much. Look forward to what's to come.

Taylor Conley: [00:10:59] Hey Seth, how you doing today, brother?

Seth Anthony: [00:11:00] I'm doing good brother. How are you doing?

Taylor Conley: [00:11:03] Ahh, I'm doing good, man. Glad to hear you again

Seth Anthony: [00:11:07] Yeah, man.

Taylor Conley: [00:11:08] Thanks for coming on the show, bro.

Seth Anthony: [00:11:10] Yeah, of course, brother, of course, man. I respect what you're doing, man. So 100%.

Taylor Conley: [00:11:15] man.means a lot to me. It really does. I know you're a busy man, so I'm glad that we got you here. As a matter of fact, you know, earlier today, I was in there checking on Jpay man, where I get the music at, and I was searching through the top albums list and man, I seen your, I see your song on there, Rebel Road, bro. I couldn't believe it. I know it's like climbing on the charts, but uh, shit.

Seth Anthony: [00:11:42] Yeah, man, it's uh, it's, it's, you know, it feels really good man, because you know I, I, I put my heart into all my music man. And just, uh, that combi-, that gratification, man. It's just, it just, it feels like, I wrote that song about being in prison, you know what I mean? So I would..

Taylor Conley: [00:12:00] That's what grabbed me about it.

Seth Anthony: [00:12:02] Yeah, man. So it's like for people to just be so responsive with it, it means a lot, man. Cause that's just, I would just, I'm just real with my music, you know, I just, I sing or I rap or whatever, whatever I do, man, I do it from my heart. I do 100% of my heart, man. You know what? I've been through my life, man, and just for people, just for it to get that much attention, man, it just, it makes me feel good.You know? It's like all the hard work I'm putting into this, you know it's paying off, you know?

Taylor Conley: [00:12:33] That's great man. You know, I can tell too, when I listened to it, it's like, I mean, I don't want to talk bad about other people, but I hear a lot of these country rap songs and they're trash, man, they like, they don't sound, there's not good production on them. You know, it just sounds like, like some dude talking over a beat.

Seth Anthony: [00:12:56] You can only uh, you can only rap so much about Yetis and big trucks and mud holes, man. You know what I mean? So I try to open my mind up, man, and just literally, when I started doing this music, I said, you know what? What would I, what would I listen to?

And I said, I would like to listen to somebody that's being real, that's been a prison. Sold drugs, hooked on drugs, just went through the ringer, man. And then, you know what I mean? And talks about it, not ashamed of it, not trying to hide it. Nothing, man. So that's what I was doing, man. And since I've been doing that, um, literally, I've been doing music for 22 months now, professionally, and I got millions of views. Um. Um, you know, I'm just, I'm, I'm all over. I'm about to go on tour. It's just, it changed my life, man. And it feels good because, you know, that's why I would never sign to a record label because I wanna, I want to sing and rap or make the kind of music that makes me happy, man. I don't want to sit there and make any kind of music for album sales or this or that.

You know what I mean? So to do what you want to do and have that passion just really feels good, really feels good.

Taylor Conley: [00:14:07] That's definitely an amazing thing to be able to have the freedom to just, however you see it, however you feel it, you put it down and it comes through, man. Cause that shit touched me right, right in the soul, man. I could feel it. And those are songs too that you can listen to time and time again and they don't get old. And that's the great thing about it.

Seth Anthony: [00:14:30] Yeah. I still listen to them all the time, man.

Taylor Conley: [00:14:35] How does it feel to listen to your music?

Seth Anthony: [00:14:38] Uh, you know, there's only one thing wrong with it man, uh, the only thing that bothers me is, uh, I'm still obsessive with my music man, and literally obsessed with it. My girl will, I'll be in the living room and my girl was like, Babe it's midnight, you gotta go to the studio tomorrow and I'm like, I'm just going to finish this part for this song. She'll go, wake up, it's four o'clock in the morning. I'm still sitting out there writing and then refining things. So when I hear my music, I love it, but I'm always like, damn, I should've did that right there. oh damn

Taylor Conley: [00:15:07] Ahhh, man

Seth Anthony: [00:15:09] you know what I mean? So I pick it apart...

Taylor Conley: [00:15:10] Oh I know what you mean

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, man. Whenever I write music, I do the same thing, bro. I'd be, you know, once it's done and it's down and you're like, damn, I should've done this. I should've said it like that or something. You know what I mean? But that shows, cause that's what makes great music, man.

That really getting passionate about it and getting into it. You know what's funny is it not only was it on the Jay pay, but then I was telling Cecilia's assistant Sara about that, you know, she's kind of looking after some of our social media stuff. She's involved with that. And, and I was telling her, Hey uh, Seth's, Seth's Rebel Road song is on, on the top songs on JPay, she was like, wow cause I was just looking at Facebook and he's trending on there with the video for that. I was like, damn, he's blowing up right now.

Seth Anthony: [00:16:05] Yeah, man. Um, yeah, it's, it's doing really good man. Um, and I just released a new video on Rough Neck Remedy um, off my new album, I'm dropping 2020 Vision and, um, I mean, yes, it's, it, things are just coming together, man. It's just, kinda just like that old saying, real recognize real man. Like there's not one person on the streets or in prison that could say that I'm not real. You know what I mean? So it's just like, I just, I keep you a real man, you know what I mean?

I didn't live the best life. I didn't live the worst life. I was just real throughout my whole life, and went through a lot of fucking shit. You know what I mean? So I just put that into the music and people just relate to it then because you know everybody, this is my problem with the music industry, man, and this is my real problem, is people that start getting a little clout and they do music, they want to act like they're just like on this high pedestal, and I'm this, this person, or I'm this, nah man, just, you know what? Fuck that you're, you're a human being. You still go through shit. People want to relate to you, man. So be real. You know what I'm saying? Like I just can't stand that because that's how I'm a normal guy, man. I'm a normal dude, man, that just love to make fucking music and knows how to rap my ass off. And I learned it cause I did fucking years and years and years in prison, you know what I mean? You ain't got nothing else to do but write letters or writing music or workout or, you know what I mean? So now I'm just a different level than a lot of these dudes.

Taylor Conley: [00:17:32] Yeah, yeah, man. That don't get no realer than that right there, bro. And you said it best when you say that, you know, you're, you're just a person just like any other person. You're not better than nobody else for doing it. And it just shows that I reached out to you, man. And you responded, cause real recognize real man. You know? And I, I just want to tell you that. That's cool, bro. You're like a real down to earth dude.

Seth Anthony: [00:17:58] And I mean I gotta be, man, I gave up for these interviews left and right man. And the only reason I did this is because there are a lot of people are just trying to get clout or this guy's going up, are you doing all this? And he's willing to do an interview. I won't do a lot of them. The only interviews that you'll see on my, on my go on YouTube and pulled me up is about prison because I want to inform people, man. You know what I'm saying? Excuse me. And they really see who the fuck I am, man. You know what I mean? So when I reached out to you and I clicked on your podcast, I was like, all right, I see, your name you caught me. I'm looking at 'em. I'm like, okay, he's trying to do something. And then I seen, Oh shit, he's locked up. And when you talk to me about the podcast and you say, man, your music hits you. I said, man, I'd be a fake motherfucker, man, if I didn't fuck with this dude, because you know what? I was there so, I'm out here now. Hey. You know what I'm saying? Like that's just not, I'm just a real person and I ,I fully back everything you're doing, man.

You know what I mean? And I tip my hat to your brother because it's hard to get caught up and twisted up in some bullshit when you're behind the bars, man. I was there for a long time, So it's just, you know, I tip my hat to ya, I respect what you're doing, man.

Taylor Conley: [00:19:15] Man, I appreciate it, man. This, uh, this shit ain't easy bro, but you know what? This is the stuff right here, what we're doing, this is what keeps me going, man, cause I'm serving a life without sentence, you know? And uh, man, you got to have something to live for. You know what I mean? I'm still struggling and fighting for my life with my appeals and shit like that, you know, I didn't, I didn't get done fairly, man. But at the same time, I'm not complaining about it. I'm doing something about it and I'm doing something with my life despite the odds, despite the situation I'm in, I'm not going to make that something that I, you know, just dwell on it and sit here fucking depressed and everything, man. But you know, it, it's cool that you recognize that shit, man. And uh, anyway, bro. I really do appreciate that, man. And so anyways, uh, as, as I was talking to you as I found out a little bit more about what you got going on, I hear that you're going down to Nashville to shoot a video with Struggle Jennings.

Seth Anthony: [00:20:17] Yeah yeah man, um I got the new album coming out 2020 vision. Um, so me and Struggle Jennings, uh, you know what I mean? He's, he's well known. He did all the, uh, Waylon and Willies with Jelly Roll. Um, I, I do, my producer is good friends with him and producer. So I was like, Hey man, let's make the play, man. I'm trying to climb the ladder. Let's do it. So we did the song together. I went to a show and got on his tour bus and I'm like, yo bro, what's up? I was like, we need to do this video. He's like, all right, you got to come to Nashville though. So I booked the ticket for me and the the video guy, we're bringing all the gear and we're going to go knock this video out, man for the album and uh yeah, I'm gonna make a vlog and everything. Like I was telling the assistant or whoever it was I was talking to. Um, you guys are going to be sending me some gear, man. You guys send me that gear, man, and the vlog I'll make and and everything, I'll wear it and represent shout out to you man, Free Taylor. You know what I mean? So I'm all for it, you know, and looking out, man.

Taylor Conley: [00:21:16] Yeah, man, uh, that's ,that's cool, man. Yeah, we shot it to you, man. So I hope you get it before you leave and, uh, you're gonna represent it. It's the Free Taylor Project, man. It's actually an album that we made with, uh, you know, a dude, a good friend of mine, man. He's like my brother that he was in prison with me. We did, we did time together, and he's an amazing musician himself. He's, he's a really talented singer. So, you know, we did the Free Taylor Project and, uh, it's, it's got some really really hard hitting song. It's like a variety of songs, man, you're getting some rock, some country, and uh even a little bit of rap on there, bro. And you know what I mean? That's something that I really, I really get passionate about myself, man, is writing music.

Seth Anthony: [00:22:03] Is that song that you sent me, is that on that, that that album you're talking about?

Taylor Conley: [00:22:10] It's going to be on there. Yeah. The So Cold song and the Walk the Line song are the ones, we released those two singles that we're going to put on the album. And uh, yeah, man, it's, it's going to come out in January actually as well. Probably the end of January. We're gonna put it out and uh, you know what I mean? It's just supporting that supporting positive shit that we're doing and getting the message out there. You know what I mean? It's like, Hey, check it out. Check what this dude's doing and come support it, and it's good music, bro. Like this music came out, came out of the inside. You know what I mean? We recorded a demo inside when we still had a, uh, we still had a music room that has some recording equipment, you know, some old stuff you recorded on tape deck and it was just a guitar and a, and some singing man. And we ended up being able to take that project and bring it out to the streets when my friend, Caleb Twidwell, when he got out, we got in contact years later and ended up making it come to life, man. And now we're now, we're going to really make it happen so. I'm hoping that

Seth Anthony: [00:23:18] Hey your boy Caleb though, I checked out the, I'm really feeling the So Cold. Um, song. He's got a good voice, man. When I was listening to, I was like, man, if you could just throw like a rap verse into that, So Cold song, it would be, it eb be really dope man. Cause he's just, he's killing it on that song,

Taylor Conley: [00:23:35] Dude, that would be, that would be a good idea, man. Maybe we can talk about the remix sometime.

Seth Anthony: [00:23:41] Yeah, yeah man.

Taylor Conley: [00:23:43] That would be cool. But well, what we did talk about was, uh, we talked about doing this Renegade song. So I threw it out there man that I wrote this song that I think would be right in their wheelhouse and, uh, sent you over the song. You know, it reminded me of something that would fit perfectly with, with you, man. Like, it resonated with you being able to do the song, man. And I reached out to you and you said that you were interested in bro. So. What, tell me about when you think about the song, man?

Seth Anthony: [00:24:14] I really feel, uh, like I said, when I, um, when I read people's, when some people send me music, I read the lyrics and I, and when I read the lyrics, like I instantly knew they were real because I've been in the same places that you're at. You know what I'm saying? So I was, I felt it 100% man. And I really, uh, I, I'm really down to, to, you know, I'm really busy and I'll finish this out. I got a project coming, I'm about to go on tour, but I'll definitely squeeze in sometime, man and find some time, man. And we'll knock the track out man and representing that.

Taylor Conley: [00:24:50] That's what's up man, cause you know, I couldn't do this song with anybody that hadn't done time and you know what I mean?

Seth Anthony: [00:24:56] Of course not, of course not.

Taylor Conley: [00:24:57] ... And then so we're going to get Caleb, we're going to get Caleb to do, he's going to sing the, he's going to sing the hook and you're going, you're going to rap on it.

Seth Anthony: [00:25:09] Yeah, I'm down brother, definitely down.

Taylor Conley: [00:25:11] Al- Alright broAlright, man. That's, that's going to be a hit, man. I, I know that with, with what you got to put into it and, and that producer that's gonna be producing it. It's going to be a hit man. And the beats, the beats that give me too man, and what with what we get put on it, that's, that's going to be a hit song right bro.

Seth Anthony: [00:25:33] Definitely man, I'm definitely down, brother. It's a good song.

Taylor Conley: [00:25:37] So, so the one other thing I wanted to ask you about, man, cause I think from what I understand, you're an independent artist, right?

Seth Anthony: [00:25:47] Hundred percent bro, hundred percent

Taylor Conley: [00:25:50] So are you trying to get a deal or are you trying to stay independent?

Seth Anthony: [00:25:55] No, I'll never, I'll never sign the deal, man. I already had a couple people, a couple, record labels already come to me, and a middle man tried to come to me and everything. And you know, uh, the last deal was good. You know what I mean? I'm not saying that's not, it's a, it's a good deal, but this is why I will never sign a deal, because right now, if I want to talk about prison or if I wanna talk about my woman, or if I wanna talk about my mom and dad dying whenever I want, however I want to sing it, rap it however I want to do it. I can do it because there's no one telling me, Oh, you get album sales as this, and this is what it's uhh generating right now.... and analytics show... Fuck that, man. I, you know what I'm saying? I just watched a video right before I got on this uh podcast with you, and a dude said, you know that the minute you start making music for album sales, it's fake. You know what I mean? You, you make the music man, because it's from your heart. And that's what people relate to it. So, and I already know the game with them record labels, man. All everybody should be trying to, man, you just gotta go get it. You gotta gotta get it, man. It ain't, it's not handed to you. It's not handed to you. You gotta grind, man. You've got to grind you gotta network, you gotta put the content on, you gotta put real lyrics, and you have talent and build a team behind you, man. That's what it's all about, man. You know what I mean? I was in prison so long, and that's why I'm ahead of the game behind these dudes, because I have street knowledge and music knowledge combined, man. So it's like, you know, I'm just, I'm killing it, man, because I have the drive, way harder. I, I've been in situations that I've never been in where my mind thinks a lot different than those dude, man. You know what I mean? So I'll never sign a deal, man, ever.

Taylor Conley: [00:27:43] Okay. Okay, well, say it then, man. Said that with some passion, bro. I uhh

Seth Anthony: [00:27:49] Yeah. I'm passionate about this music

Taylor Conley: [00:27:51] I hear you. I'm a, I'm a strong believer in that, man. You know, I, I really like it. I like where you're coming from. I like, I like the way you think and uh, there's definitely something about having..

Seth Anthony: [00:28:04] Look at it like this

Taylor Conley: [00:28:05] Yeah

Seth Anthony: [00:28:05] This is how I look at it, this is how I look at it, man. If I'm working at construction, I still work. I still work every day. That's how much I want it and get it. I wake up at four o'clock in the morning every morning, go to work, do commercial concrete, bust my ass climbing walls doing this crazy ass work. Come home, write music and record my songs and do videos on the weekends. Now let me tell you something. I'll never change that, that fire I have in me, I'll never, I'll never change that man. So a record label ... What is that going to do? You're going to give me some money and then you're going to own me. You see what I'm saying, man. But they did the fire in me, man. It would be taken away because it's like someone dictating your future. When I walked out of those prison gates, I made a promise to myself that no man will ever disrespect me or tell me what to do ever again. I'm free. You know what I mean? So. That's why it's just, I can't do that. You know what I mean? That's just something with me. I can't do, you know what I mean? So I'm just really passionate about it because I'm passionate about it, man. You know what I mean? It's just, if I was to be up, man, my producer's like Seth, calm down. I'm like, dude, you don't understand man. I'm honest music, man. You know what I mean? Like you don't get it. You know what I mean? Like this is not just like, people just don't get that I'm ahead of the game because of the shit I went through. You know what I mean?

Taylor Conley: [00:29:23] Absolutely. Man. Absolutely. And that's the drive that other people that have been in your situation could look to in and hear this. If there's anybody listening that you know is an aspiring, uh, artist of any type or know, I heard this story of yours, you know, and they can be inspired by it themselves to, to understand, you know, that you can take. What you've been through and turn that into art

Seth Anthony: [00:29:50] you always can,

Taylor Conley: [00:29:51] whether it's music..

Seth Anthony: [00:29:51] You always can, man

Taylor Conley: [00:29:53] whatever kind of art it is man...

Seth Anthony: [00:29:55] Because you know what, man, let me tell you. No, you're going to wh... I'm going to tell you something right now. Whoever's listening, well, anyone that's been incarcerated already will resonate with this man, and I'm gonna tell you what, just say you're in the, in the world. I'm in the world right now. People wake up on the wrong side of the bed. You see what I'm saying? People want, it's just human nature. You wake up in a bad mood and on the wrong side of the bed, but guess what, man? When you wake up in the bad mood on the wrong side in prison, it's not a fucking good day, man. You know what I'm saying? You got motherfuckers telling you when to eat when they sleep, count this blah, blah lock down on this. Um, the phone cut off or you can't get it. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just, there's so much more shit. That weighs up on you when you're having a fucking bad day, that if you can get through that, you can get through anything, man. So that's why I said I'm ahead of the game man, and you know what I'm saying like that people just don't understand what it's like, man, to sit there and worry about your loved ones and nobody gives a fuck about you or this motherfucker, showing you all this pressure on the compound, man, I got to walk. You know what I'm saying? So if you, unless you live that, you know what I'm saying? People will never understand, and that's where the fire comes from, man. You know what I mean? Because it's like. I've been there, man. So it's like nothing can stop what I'm doing. You know what I mean? It's like this is what I'm fucking doing, and people are going to have to relate to it because it's real, they have no choice too. You know what I mean?

Taylor Conley: [00:31:21] Whoo, that's some heat right there, man. That's some heat, straight up.

Seth Anthony: [00:31:27] Yeah brother

Taylor Conley: [00:31:27] I might have to put that on the, on the backside of the album, bro.

Seth Anthony: [00:31:34] Yeah. Put it on there, brother

Taylor Conley: [00:31:37] Yeah, man.

Seth Anthony: [00:31:37] Put that on there man

Taylor Conley: [00:31:40] Cause that, I mean people need to hear that message right there, man. You know, it don't get no realer than that, bro.

Taylor Conley: [00:31:51] So I know that you're busy, bro. I know you got places to go and things to do, man, you're grinding, man. But I just got one last question for you if I could.

Seth Anthony: [00:32:00] Yeah what's up brother?

Taylor Conley: [00:32:02] So, man, you know, I'm serving a life without the possibility of parole sentence in here. And, uh, you know, I just, I would appreciate getting your take on what you think about life sentences?

Seth Anthony: [00:32:15] Well, a person that was incarcerated for many, many, many, many years and been locked up since I was 14 years old and on and off then. My personal opinion and I really don't answer questions like this, like just like I don't answer questions about politics cause it's just a huge debate man. But my, I'm going to answer it because I respect what you're doing. I don't agree with it, man. I don't feel like the system is so fucked up man, where they don't give a fuck what your situation was or if you see them, they don't care about the situation or anything. The circumstances of the situation. They just look at them points and you, and you've got a shitty public defender is working in cahoots with the fucking state attorney and you know what? They're, you know it. Do they look at that money, they'll get that money and they'll fucking ruin somebody's life, man. About a fucking, you know what I'm saying? No matter how severe it is, man, I don't think you should take somebody's fucking life away.  forever because of one incident. Yeah. You know, sometimes people make mistakes and you need to get punished for that. I needed to go to prison for the fucked up shit I did, but guess what? I did my time and got out and look what I'm doing now. Look what I'm doing now, you know what I'm saying? So for you to give a person life behind something for one incident, I think is ridiculous. Ridiculous.

Taylor Conley: [00:33:36] That's a mic dropper right there, bro. You know, I, I appreciate you, uh, coming on here, man, and, and being so passionate and really speaking your mind and speaking your heart. It uh..

Seth Anthony: [00:33:49] Of course brother

Taylor Conley: [00:33:50] It means a lot to me Seth

Seth Anthony: [00:33:51] Of course I respect what you're doing, man, I respe-, I really respect what you're doing. I'm not just telling you that I'm one hundred percent with you, man. cause you know, a couple of times since I got out, I could be sitting right there next to you, bro. You don't understand that. You know, you get out of prison, your mind is fucked up, man. You know what I'm saying? It took ...I'm still dealing with society, man. And I wig out sometimes, man. You know what I'm saying? Because that shit just fucks you up when you get out. You know what I mean? So. I'm all for what you're doing, man, and you're fucking being you're being positive, bro. And, you know, positive people make it in this world, no matter what circumstance their in, they make it, you know what I mean? So that's just something you gotta - I just respect what you're doing, man. You know what I mean?

Taylor Conley: [00:34:29] Likewise, man, I really respect what you're doing, man. I'm a big fan and I can't wait to hear the album, bro. And I like to do a follow up with you later on. You know, maybe after, after the album drops or maybe, uh, you know, at some point.

Do a follow up and see how you're doing. And, and definitely after we do this Renegade song, bro, maybe we can do it at that time, but uh, but yah look forward to it man, and uh, good luck next week down doing that, that video shoot bro. And, and just, just keep doing, doing the hard work, bro. Keep uh grinding out there man. Cause you're getting it.

Seth Anthony: [00:35:06] Yeah thanks brother, keep your head up in there man.

Taylor Conley: [00:35:10] All right brother.

Seth Anthony: [00:35:12] Alright man good talking to you brother

Taylor Conley: [00:35:13] You have a good one man. Absolutely.

Seth Anthony: [00:35:15] you too brother, alright peace

Taylor Conley: [00:35:17] Alright, peace man.  If you want to find out more about Seth, you can find him  @sethanthonycm that's C M as in country music on Instagram. Follow him. Check out what he's got going on. Get his new album when it comes out. I know it's going to be dope.

This dude's really doing it. And I just got to say, I really support this guy and what he's doing, and I hope that we can continue to move forward and feed off of each other in the positive direction that these things are going in. And I, I encourage, and I'm a big fan, so I just, I really thank and appreciate Seth for coming on the show and telling his story and I look forward to it being able to write this article about him and have that come out and have him be on the cover of our next issue of Inside Designed Conviction, the Magazine. So at this time, this is the segment in the show where we like to do a question and answer, and if you got any questions and you're listening to this and you want to know the answer to it, go ahead and hit us up at @alifeofalifer on Instagram or the Designed Conviction page lifeofalifer.com you can find us on all of these different pages and I want you to know that I will answer your question, whether it gets answered on the show or not, it will get answered. So thank you very much for your support.

And today we got a question from somebody and, and it's a question that I feel like a lot of people might have. So it'll be interesting to figure it out now how I answer it to the best that I can to the best of my ability. So what is it like to deal with the day to day of life in prison and do all the things you're doing?

I mean, it's kind of a general question, but at the same time something that, as I think about it for a second, I think like prison is such a complex environment. There's so many different variables, you know, uh, things can change within a second and we could all be, you know, have the life. There's so many changes that have happened since I've been in prison along the way that reshape basically the environment that you're in.

Prison's like a microcosm of society in and of itself in which you're under a microscope. Everything you do is monitored and there are rules for everything. It's difficult to navigate these rules, which are set by the state, but then within that is a whole another set of rules and conduct. So you really have to walk a fine line.

I mean, and it depends on what you're doing too. There's so many variables at play. Like I said. So if you're not vigilant in everything that you do, one wrong step could have your whole world flipped upside down and everything changed. Everything that you thought that you had is gone. So it's, it's really comes into balance, especially if you're trying to do something with yourself outside of the normal day to day life of prison.

It's, it's a balance of being aware of your surroundings. And what I do? I stay busy with my time, I grind it out. I'm involved in a number of positive programs that I try to stay involved in that as much as I can because it, it keeps my mind busy. It keeps me active in working towards becoming a better person.

And the biggest thing for me is, is if I can inspire somebody else to do something different with their lives so they don't keep coming back here to visit me. Doing life and fricking prison. It's, it's something that I'm very passionate about because I love to hear these success stories of people that get out and they do something different.

Man, I hate it when I see these people keep coming back in and like a revolving door and it saddens me. Really. It really saddens me. It hurts me. I don't even like to, I don't even like to think about it because it's happened so often. I've seen people come back five, six times since I've been in prison these last 14 years and I just, I truly, truly want to stop seeing that happen. Cause there's so much more to life and you can use these, these tools that you can create within yourself by doing this time to really have a success. And that's why I Seth Anthony's story is so powerful is because he used what he went through to make himself a success, and he's just seeing more and more success with it. So it inspires me to do even better and to go even further because I know that other people can do that as well. And I want to inspire that in them. So thank you very much for tuning in. I just want to give a big thank you to everybody who makes this possible, and I really, really want to say that I appreciate all the listeners.

Anybody listening who has a question, like I said, hit us up and we will get back to you. Alright? Have a nice day.

Podcast Music: [00:40:41]

[themagiciansreccenter]

Author Spotlight: @shmazarov/ lazarov

Every week we interview a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

I'm in my late 20s, Canadian. I've spent more of my life writing fic than not, and tend to flit around from fandom to fandom.

How long have you been writing for? 

The oldest fic on my semi-defunct ff.net account dates back to 2006 - so at least 13 years, although I posted plenty of misguided LiveJournal fanfiction long before that.

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

I was originally a book fan, although when the books were coming out there wasn't much of an online fandom. Truth be told, it took me a long time to warm up to the show - but once I did, I found that the TV versions of the characters inspired a lot of fic ideas.

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite? 

Quentin! Always. I really enjoy the way his jumbled, speedy thought patterns and self-consciousness translate into the way he speaks, and I think it's fascinating to explore the ways in which he subverts the White Male Hero trope by never quite managing to be the hero in his (or anyone's) story. Quentin Coldwater is deeply misunderstood and I would fight a bear for him.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about? 

Not really, except for being fond of the Mosaic timeline (because I am human). Otherwise, I usually write as if canon is an inconvenience.

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it? 

For the Magicians fandom, I am slowly picking away at a multi-part Queliot angst fic that is dear to my heart as well as something new, current-season oriented and (surprisingly) canon-compliant. Who knew I had it in me? For other fandoms, I am perpetually working on a Daredevil fic that is well over 60,000 words and has been ongoing since 2015. It is my white whale. I also, naturally, have not even gotten around to watching the newest season of Daredevil in keeping with my tradition of treating canon as more of a suggestion than an imperative.

How long is your “to do list”? 

Not that long! My to do list is limited strictly to the stuff I'm actively working on right now. I have dozens of little prompts-to-self saved in my Google Docs drive, but I tend to write them and tuck them away, forgetting them until I can rediscover them with fresh eyes. I never think of them as "to dos" so much as "maybe somedays."

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why? 

I love Other People very much.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

It never surprises me when things I write don't get much traction, because I have a tendency to write niche tropes or stuff that I personally want to read! However - I do think One and the Same is good and affecting and has kind of snuck under the radar. I like that one, and I'm going to keep adding to it (because I like it so much and because, as above, I am a sucker for the Mosaic timeline).

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

My writing process is GARBAGE! It's garbage. I am needy, and lazy, and terrible at self-motivating. I'm disorganized and hard on myself. I almost never have the help of betas, because I feel a silly but overwhelming sense of guilt asking people for help. With that said, I am always extremely proud of myself for Doing the Damn Thing when I do write.

My personal weird thing is writing on my computer, then always doing my edit read-throughs on my phone. Something about the smaller screen and different font focuses my brain and helps me read my own writing more objectively. I also tend to pick a song, or an album, to listen to on repeat every time I work on a fic or a chapter of. It focuses my scattered brain and helps me write toward a specific mood.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

I love writing during seasons because it means people are READING. The spike in feedback that happens during seasons is incredible and so gratifying. Plus, I'm desperate for attention at all times and want those comments and kudos like Mardi Gras beads, obviously. Canon, as always, is optional. Especially in this fandom! Who needs fandom when you have timelines?

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

In the Magicians fandom, the most recent chapter of Stories We Tell kicked my ass. I am always trying to improve my visualization and descriptive imagery, and that was a real test for me. I'm not great at it yet, but I'm glad I challenged myself with that one and look forward to doing it even more.

Are there any themes or tropes that you like particularly like to explore in your writing?

So much angst. Sorry guys, it's free therapy? I can get self-conscious about the fact that I barely ever write fluff, but I have a really hard time getting inspired by anything other than misery. 

 Somebody's gotta do it.

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

Fanfiction : @greywash, obviously @sashayed and Lady Jaida are like, the pinnacle??? of fic writing, @longnationalnightmare, @afterism, @refusals... there are so many.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I haven't had time to read or keep up with much fic lately, but semi-recent greats include colour all the squares by @afterism and spring sooner than the lark by @greywash!

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

"Your writing is incomprehensible." - a TA who gave me an extremely sub-par mark and made me realize that sometimes people are just going to hate your writing, and that's ok. 

"When you write a story, you're telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story." - that one is Stephen King, but I would like to pretend it was advice given to me, because I cherish it.

Are there any words or phrases you worry about overusing in your work?

I can't think of any offhand, but I would pay someone to hit me with a rigid stick every time I use a cliche in my writing.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

I have vague memories of terrible The 10th Kingdom fanfiction. It doesn't exist anymore, sadly/thankfully - but now I am feeling nostalgic and digging through the old 10th Kingdom Angelfire archive, right this second. Be still my heart.

Rapidfire Round! 

Self-edit or Beta?

Self-edit, because I am too shy and full of shame to ask for help. It's not a virtue.

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes?

COMMENTS. Comments are the thing that bring me more joy than, well, many other things that probably should give me a lot of joy. Comments keep my heart full.

Smut, Fluff or Angst?

As if it's even a competition -- ANGST. Always angst. Angst always.

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn?

Slow burn. Particularly involving difficult and meandering conversations and shrouded looks.

Favourite Season? 

Season One

Favourite Epiosde? 

I truly cannot decide.

Favourite Book?

The Magicians Land

Three favourite words?

softly / petrichor / idyllic

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

[michaelandy101-blog]

The Definition of web optimization in 100 Phrases or Much less [FAQs]

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The Definition of web optimization in 100 Phrases or Much less [FAQs]

Search engine marketing (web optimization) appears fairly easy. You decide just a few key phrases, and voilà! Your web page is optimized for web optimization, proper?

Not but.

Many individuals perceive the fundamental rules of web optimization, however quite a bit has modified within the final decade.

The web optimization that we all know and love immediately isn’t the identical web optimization that we knew and cherished (or hated) 10 years in the past. And that is why web optimization is one thing entrepreneurs ought to proceed to outline, and redefine. This is a short definition in below 100 phrases:

What Is web optimization?

web optimization stands for search engine optimization — that a lot has stayed the identical. It refers to methods that assist your web site rank larger in search engine outcomes pages (SERPs). This makes your web site extra seen to people who find themselves on the lookout for options that your model, product, or service can present through search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

What hasn’t stayed the identical are the methods we use to enhance our rankings. This has every thing to do with the search algorithms that these corporations continually change.

Listed below are another often requested questions on this important apply immediately.

How Does web optimization Work?

web optimization works by optimizing an internet site’s pages, conducting key phrase analysis, and incomes inbound hyperlinks. You may usually see outcomes of web optimization efforts as soon as the webpage has been crawled and listed by a search engine.

Wanting deeper: There are a ton of the way to enhance the web optimization of your website pages, although. Search engines search for components together with title tags, key phrases, picture tags, inside hyperlink construction, and inbound hyperlinks (also referred to as backlinks). And that is simply to call just a few.

HubSpot customers: you can check out the SEO panel in your HubSpot account to see how well you’re optimized for those things.

Search engines additionally have a look at website construction and design, customer habits, and different exterior, off-site components to find out how extremely ranked your website needs to be of their SERPs.

What Is an Natural Search?

Natural search refers to somebody conducting a search by a search engine and clicking on a non-paid consequence. Natural search is a search marketing channel that can be utilized as a part of inbound marketing to extend web site site visitors.

Wanting deeper: In present-day web optimization, you possibly can’t merely embody as many key phrases as potential to achieve the people who find themselves looking for you. In truth, this can really harm your web site’s web optimization as a result of search engines will acknowledge it as key phrase stuffing — or the act of together with key phrases particularly to rank for that key phrase, somewhat than to reply an individual’s query.

These days, you need to use your key phrases in your content material in a method that does not really feel unnatural or pressured. There is not a magic quantity — all of it relies on the size of your key phrase and article — however in case you really feel such as you’re forcing it, it is higher to disregard it and proceed writing naturally.

What Is web optimization Technique?

An web optimization marketing technique is a complete plan to get extra guests to your web site by search engines. Profitable web optimization consists of on-page methods, which use intent-based key phrases; and off-page methods, which earn inbound hyperlinks from different web sites.

Wanting deeper: Earlier than you create a brand new website web page or weblog publish, you will most likely be desirous about learn how to incorporate your key phrases into your publish. That is alright, nevertheless it should not be your solely focus — and even your main focus. Everytime you create content material, your focus needs to be on the intent of your viewers, not what number of occasions you possibly can embody a key phrase (whether or not it is lengthy tail or brief tail) in your content material.

To fulfill intent and rank properly in the long run, construct your web optimization marketing technique round matters, not key phrases. In the event you do this, you will discover you possibly can naturally optimize for essential key phrases, anyway. Understanding your audience (aka purchaser personas) and what pursuits them is vital to attracting related guests to your web site by search engines.

What Is Natural Visitors?

Natural site visitors is unpaid site visitors that comes from search engines similar to Google or Bing. Paid search marketing doesn’t enhance your natural site visitors numbers, however you possibly can optimize your web site utilizing inbound marketing software program to achieve extra guests.

Wanting deeper: One of many greatest modifications within the final decade is the way in which different person behaviors form the SERPs a person sees on search engines. And immediately, social media can have a huge impact in your natural site visitors development line. Even just some years in the past, it did not make a distinction who was discovering your content material by social search. However now web optimization takes under consideration tweets, retweets, Google+ authorship, and different social alerts.

Social search additionally prioritizes content material and folks which are linked to you. That would imply by a Fb good friend, Twitter follower, or connection by one other social community. Typically social search will even prioritize content material that has been shared by an influencer. Social search understands that you could be be fascinated by content material that your community feels is essential to share, and due to this fact it’s going to typically get surfaced to you.

This all means while you’re desirous about your web optimization technique, it is advisable to take into consideration how your social media technique matches into the puzzle, too.

What Is Direct Visitors?

Direct site visitors consists of web site guests that come to your web site by typing the URL into their browser, somewhat than coming from one other web site, a search engine, or social media.

Wanting deeper: Consider search engine optimization as “search experience optimization.” It isn’t simply essential to your customers to seek out your web site — it is essential for them to remain in your web site, work together along with your content material, and are available again later. Direct site visitors does not simply enhance your “page authority” within the eyes of Google; it creates extra alternatives to show somebody, who first found you organically, right into a buyer.

web optimization really takes under consideration whether or not or not your guests are staying in your web site and fascinating with different content material. In the event you rank properly for a key phrase and appeal to a customer who is not related, it will not really assist your web site.

Take into consideration your guests and the content material they’re on the lookout for greater than how many individuals you possibly can appeal to to your web site.

The Significance of web optimization

web optimization is essential as a result of it helps folks discover data and uncover pages on the world huge internet. web optimization is very essential for companies because it ensures they’re answering their viewers’s greatest questions on search engines, whereas driving site visitors to their services and products.

Wanting deeper: Previously, web optimization success was measured by whether or not or not you had been ranked excessive on the primary web page of Google. However even in case you ranked properly for a time period, does that truly imply you are going to see outcomes?

Not all the time. You would possibly rank rather well for phrases that are not ultimate for your enterprise. So that you seem excessive on search engines, get a ton of site visitors, however then your web site guests understand your organization is not what they had been on the lookout for. You do not convert prospects from this site visitors, and rating excessive for this specific key phrase is basically fruitless.

Additionally, you do not essentially have to be within the high three slots to achieve success. In truth, in case you rank properly on subsequent pages, you should still have a high clickthrough rate, albeit much less site visitors. That is nice information for entrepreneurs who can not seem to deliver pages into these high slots or off the second web page.

We stated it earlier than and we’ll say it once more: The quantity of site visitors to your web page is much less essential than how certified that site visitors is.

How A lot Does web optimization Price?

web optimization can price between $100 and $500 per 30 days in case you do it your self with a key phrase analysis device. It could actually price between $75 and $150 per hour for a guide, and as much as $10,000 per 30 days in case you rent a full-service marketing company. Small companies usually spend much less on web optimization than huge manufacturers.

Wanting deeper: An web optimization price can imply considered one of two issues: the funding in your natural search technique, or how a lot you pay for paid search engine marketing (SEM) companies like Google AdWords. In the event you’re paying for a device, guide, or marketing company that can assist you optimize your internet content material, your invoice can fluctuate wildly with the depth of the companies you are receiving.

Sure, $10,000 sounds scary, however 40% of businesses immediately are literally spending lower than $1,000 a month on web optimization.

What Is Paid Search Engine Advertising and marketing?

Paid search engine marketing refers to pay-per-click (PPC) promoting. This lets you pay a search engine for textual content advertisements proven on the high and backside of search engine outcomes pages after somebody conducts a search. It’s used to extend web site site visitors and acquire extra prospects.

Wanting deeper: You may really pay for high rankings on Google SERPs by registering for a free account on Google AdWords. You may then choose varied key phrases you’d prefer to rank below, and pay Google every time a person clicks in your consequence. That is known as PPC search engine marketing, and your advertisements might be noticeably totally different of their look than the natural outcomes beneath them.

The typical price of a paid search marketing campaign on Google will be lower than $1 per click on, however, naturally, the extra in style the key phrase, the extra you would possibly pay.

The best way to Do web optimization

Conduct an audit of your web site content material.

Use key phrase analysis device to establish the key phrases with which persons are discovering you.

Goal new key phrases you’d prefer to rank for.

Develop new content material and optimize present content material.

Monitor your web site’s efficiency.

Buy inbound marketing or web optimization software program.

Look at the online pages which are performing properly.

Search for alternatives to earn inbound hyperlinks from comparable web sites.

Monitor your change in rankings and site visitors.

It is nonetheless the identical factor it was 10 years in the past — a bunch of techniques that, in case you make use of them, will make it easier to rank higher in search engines. It is simply the techniques we now use which have modified. In the event you’re new to web optimization or would really like a refresher course, you may be fascinated by our free SEO training.

It is as much as us to remain on high of the quickly altering traits, and do not forget that finally, the purpose of search engines is to ship the very best expertise potential to their end-user — searchers. In the event you maintain that purpose in thoughts along with your web optimization technique, you will discover your selections repay, even in case you’re not completely updated on each single nuance of search engine algorithms.

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[hoshira]

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

for every ♡ i’ll tell you how to win my muse’s heart !

o1. give him compliments ! tooru adores being told what is liked about him. it gives him a sense of validation + lets him know that he does have good traits. one big insecurity of his stems from the fact that tooru feels like he has no set personality─ that the traits which he shows are not his own, but rather those that have been stolen from others. if you give him in-depth examples of how or why he’s nice / loving, he’ll love it. this also goes for physical traits, as well. if you tell him his eyes are nice or his skin is soft, etc, etc, he’ll get really flustered about it, but he appreciates it a lot… being complimented in general gets him embarrassed, but you’ll know you’re doing things right when he brushes his hair back and can’t really look you in the eye. he gets overly flustered because he isn’t used to being complimented like that… so you’re basically telling him stuff he’s never heard, with a possible genuineness he’s never experienced. of course, this can be negative, as well. if you know what to say, you can get him to fall for you rather easily, even if you don’t mean any of the words you’ve told him. he’s pretty easy to fool in that sense. just watch out, cause even though tooru can’t tell apart what’s real and what isn’t, you bet your butt his team will step in and kick it if you’re just lying to him / feeding him fake compliments to get something out of him.

o2. share / support his interests ! now, you don’t have to be 110% invested into every single hobby or interest of his. that’s just unrealistic, and while tooru would appreciate it at first, he’d probably get bored just as easily. i mean, when you’re with someone who’s really similar to you, it opens a lot of paths to take in terms of subjects you can discuss, but it almost starts to feel like you’re talking to a mirror at some point if you don’t have at least a few things you can debate about / disagree on. anyway, i digress… no, you don’t have to relate to everything he says, but being supportive of what he likes is a good thing ! he’ll definitely find it endearing that you’re at least attempting to get into what he’s into. brownie points if you encourage him when it comes to his more… eccentric interests, like his pursuit of aliens or really obscure things that he dabbles in, like… tea leaf reading lol. and it goes both ways, since tooru’s super supportive of people, no matter what ! if it’s something like volleyball, too, tooru gets really pumped if you both share that hobby, since you have stuff to talk about ( his life p much revolves around his team ok… )o3. understand that the team comes first. this is… kind of big. tooru loves shiratorizawa with all of his heart. if you’re dating him in high school, this is something you HAVE to be aware of. tooru sees his team as his family, and if you make him choose between that or his relationship with you, he will always pick the team. this doesn’t necessarily count for his university au, since the team will have split up + gone different ways by then, but the notion stands. to tooru, shiratorizawa were the first people to teach him what the notion of ‘ family ’ and ‘ home ’ meant. if you can’t understand why he cherishes them, then you have no chance with him lmao.o4. on the other side, however… be possessive / dominate. to a healthy extent, of course. i’m not talking about ruin-his-social-life possessive, but rather just… hold him closely when you notice other people looking at him in a certain way, or call him yours. the latter makes him really flustered tbh, but he likes it. likes knowing that you’re not going to leave him─ a fear that resonates deeply within his mental illness. he’s scared that people are going to leave him one way or another, so being possessive in that sense is completely fine. and honestly, tooru’s pretty submissive in general. i mean, he’s not gonna take shit lying down if you piss him off enough, but he also won’t complain about the occasional head pat or the tight yet domineering hug.o5. be considerate of his mental illnesses. umm this is super important tbh… like, not even if you’re dating him, just in general. you have to be aware of tooru’s mental illnesses ( especially his bpd ), and know what causes him to act in a certain way. tooru is very understanding, so if you aren’t sure of what to do in some situations, he’ll try his best to guide you through it. he knows that bpd is difficult to deal with on both ends, and even more so when you know nothing about it. but there’s a line between misunderstanding / general ignorance ( + willingness to accommodate / improve ) and just being a plain old dick and not even trying to understand him. it ticks him off, tbh, especially since he would do the same for anyone else. if you demonstrate that you sympathize + want to understand him, then he’ll love you like 12340x more for it !!! because this is so essential to him, especially since he lives in a society that would shun him for being this way !!o6. niceness. that’s it. like, this is the easiest way to woo him, and it also coincides with my first point of complimenting him. tooru gets infatuated so easily, and it’s almost always because the other person was nice to him. tooru’s so used to living in a world where you feel like you’re fighting a war─ against society, against your peers… against yourself. so it’s always so liberating to him to meet somebody that is nice ( though whether that’s how they truly are vs how they merely act is another thing altogether… ). he’ll definitely find it as a shock, but he’ll also be more than happy to embrace it. and it’ll get him to like you even more─ he loves finding that small speck of light within this world of darkness.o7. if you’re taller than him and act like a jerk but have a hidden heart of gold, he’s already fallen for you. no joke─ if you fit all these requirements, there is an 88% chance that he likes you in some way, even if it’s just infatuation. he loves guys who can more than easily hold through a fight, but also have a soft spot for things like plushies and puppies… i guess he’s a sucker for romances. tooru is a rather hopeless romantic, despite being repulsed by the thought of him being in a relationship at times. he loves the whole bad person / good person trope, wherein the former’s single weak spot is the latter… why is he like this… he just wants to be the good person, yknow…o8. SERENADE HIM, HOLY SHIT. noa fence but… tooru’s a sucker for shit like this… if you sing a love song to him or write one… he’ll like… cry. literally he’s tearing up as i type this rn HE WILL LITERALLY CRY AND SWOON AND FALL IN LOVE W/ U 10/10. tooru loves singing but it isn’t really a talent that he shows off but just !! he appreciates a good song when he hears one, and he’ll appreciate you like 50430x more if you sING TO HIM PLEASE HE DESERVES THE HAPPINESS OF HAVING A SONG WRITTEN ABT AND SUNG TO HIM ADAUKFHAo9. u dont even have to write him a song just do sth for him honestly. i can’t believe… how easy it is to get tooru to like you… like just look at this list, you literally just… breathe and he loves u already… wtf… but to add onto this list. just do anything in his honour. tag him in a post. link him a song that reminds you of him. write him a poem. include him somehow. he loves it─ loves being validated, loves knowing that he matters enough to make someone think about him. because that’s all tooru wants. his name may mean ‘ to become invisible ’ but that doesn’t mean that he wants to be forgotten. please, just remember him in some way. make him feel like he is allowed to be.1o. tell him you’ll never leave him. even if you’re lying, i doubt tooru would care. he just wants to cling onto the hope that there is somebody who will be with him, always. even if you’re just lying to him. even if you leave one day. he wouldn’t even blame you─ rather, he’d probably see it as something that he did, but… still. tell him you won’t leave. make him feel like he matters. that he isn’t worth losing. even if you do feel like he’s worth abandoning.11. be his friend ! tbh, just. maintain a friendship with tooru. make it so that even if you guys were to break up, it wouldn’t be awkward. remind him that you can stop dating someone but remain friends. that’s really what he wants out of any relationship─ permanence. he doesn’t want to lose those happy memories, so just being with him means a lot. no need to tack a label onto things. just stay.12. remember him… please ? he wishes that this would last after he dies, but. he knows that’s never going to happen. nonetheless, he wants to be remembered in some way. yes, it’s impossible, especially given his canon, and yet… and yet.

meme. // @bokuutos​ ( thanks for sending it in !! )

[disneydreamlights]

For Sky, Luca, Lila, and Mirai; G, H, L, N, P, W, Y, Z

Sky:

G) Hobbies and favourite pastimes

All of my keykids have an artistic past time. Sky, being the first one I made, loves music. The instruments she can play depends on my mood and how much I want to default to the comfortable flute, but she’s good with music and things. While she doesn’t dance, she enjoys watching her sister perform as well although I’m not sure how much that falls into music.

Now I know she’s a Keykid but Sky also just generally likes competitive fighting? Like stuff like how we’d have a fencing tournament in real life? She just has fun doing the Keykid equivalent of that.

Her final hobby is swimming. I’m not going to say she’s like...amazing at it or anything? But she enjoys swimming a few laps in the pool for some exercise. 

H) Something they’re exceptionally good at.

I’m going to disappoint you on this one but she’s good at Keyblade Wielding. What that entails is up to your imagination.

L) Their favourite kind of weather.

Snow. She’d never admit it but she’s very much a snow person. No matter how old she’ll get if it starts to snow she turns into a five year old almost immediately.

P) Is there something or someone they cannot stand? Why?  

Yuuya She has a surprisingly low tolerance for heavy handed flirts and flirting. A part of it is she’s just uncomfortable with it a lot of the time but there’s also a part of her that dislikes it because she’s still hung up on her past and how she killed one of her crushes and her other crush refuses to talk to her. Makes her uncomfortable with unsolicited romantic pursuits in general.

W) How would they describe themselves in 5 or less words?

“Strong, Loyal, Reacting, Impatient, Emotional.”

(What she means by love is that she loves easy.)

Y) Is there anything in their life that’s stopping them from succeeding?

How about death? And TrAuMa both of those are pretty good at stopping any measure of success.

Z) Do they have an item that means a lot to them?

She carries around a star shaped necklace in her pocket. It’s a matching set to one she gave Sera and it’s supposed to represent an unbreakable bond between the two sisters.

Luca

G) Hobbies and favourite pastimes

Luca’s two major hobbies are art and archery. Fun fact of the day: Before the rp Luca actually planned to major in art and become an artist or mangaka. His college plans changed just a bit tho because of all that shit.

H) Something they’re exceptionally good at.

Luca is truly an amazing artist. Like his stuff got noticed by Yukari for a reason and that’s because he’s very, very good at it.

L) Their favourite kind of weather.

He loves the sun. Bright clear days are the perfect opportunities to go out and do things.

P) Is there something or someone they cannot stand? Why?   

You mean aside from uh...what’s his face. The dickwad that abused Matt, and Astra? And the people who antagonized everybody throughout the story? Luca doesn’t really have it in him to hate a lot of people in his life, but there is a special place of hate reserved in his heart for the bad date that dumped coffee on him at the end of their date.

As for something he can’t stand? He has a passionate hate for grape flavored things. Never try to talk to him about those.

W) How would they describe themselves in 5 or less words? 

“Loving, Loyal, Protective, Stupid, Unreliable”

Bonus sixth word is gay.

Y) Is there anything in their life that’s stopping them from succeeding? 

Luca is the poster child for “God gave me depression to nerf me” and he still is doing his best.

Z) Do they have an item that means a lot to them? 

Do cats count? Otherwise nah, probably not.

Lila

G) Hobbies and favourite pastimes

Gaming and soccer are her two biggest ones. She’s also an avid movie fan and enjoys reading and writing analysis of her favorite movies (and shows.)

H) Something they’re exceptionally good at.

I don’t think you ever would’ve guessed this but soccer is a huge deal for her in terms of skills. (It’s one of her possible career fields.) She’s also incredibly bright and very good at studying, school, and test taking in general.

L) Their favourite kind of weather.

Like Luca, she prefers her days clear and sunny. Easier to go enjoy the outside on a clear day than a rainy or gross one.

P) Is there something or someone they cannot stand? Why?  

You mean aside from Matt post rp? She refuses to collect pops because she thinks the eyes are soulless and creepy.

W) How would they describe themselves in 5 or less words?

“Intelligent, Determined, Stubborn, Diligent, Active.”

Y) Is there anything in their life that’s stopping them from succeeding?

Absolutely not. If something stops her from succeeding she’ll stop it from succeeding and then do it anyways.

Z) Do they have an item that means a lot to them?

She holds onto the collar of her first dog, even after he passed. It’s a memento of a lost friend she’ll always cherish.

Mirai:

G) Hobbies and favourite pastimes

Mirai is an avid reader. If you give her a book she’ll sit down and devour it in an instant. I would also say magic is more of a hobby for her than a significant part of life.

H) Something they’re exceptionally good at.

Thievery is a terrible answer for this given the character but she’s surprisingly good at stealing things when she needs to. Go figure.

L) Their favourite kind of weather.

Rain. Mirai finds the soft drops of rain on the ceiling soothing, and she could fall asleep to them if allowed.

P) Is there something or someone they cannot stand? Why?  

If Mirai hates anybody or anything I want to know what it did to hurt her.

W) How would they describe themselves in 5 or less words?

“Meek, Kind, Open, Loyal...” She’d then proceed to stop after that, not wanting to come up with any more.

Y) Is there anything in their life that’s stopping them from succeeding?

The fact that she has no money means she is literally broke. Succeeding for her is survival.

Z) Do they have an item that means a lot to them?

Her younger sister once bought her a charm before they’d run away to fend for themselves. She keeps it on her at all times as a memento of their friendship, and the fact that it was the first book somebody bought her just to buy her.

[rebeccahpedersen]

Closing Day Etiquette

TorontoRealtyBlog

I went to the beach with my wife, mother, and 19-month-old daughter on Saturday, and it was great!

I managed to close a condo sale, and write this blog post in my head, as my family wished that I knew how to relax and partake in some semblance of normalcy.

Today I want to talk about what you should do when you sell your house or condo, and lock the door for the very last time.

And how come there’s sand everywhere in my condo?  I barely left the beach blanket, how come sand manages to stay with you for a week?!?!

Last week, I wrote a blog post called “Open House Etiquette,” where I laid out ten scenes that take place in an open house, and whether or not they’re offside.  Most, as you might assume, I concluded were offside.

Most of the readers concluded that the etiquette lessons I was providing were simply a lesson in common sense.

I can’t say I disagree.

So today, I figured I’d go back to the well, and provide a “To Do” list for when you are closing on your house or condo, and once again, much of this is common sense.

Now before I start, I’d like to go off on a not-so-closely-tied rant about common sense, since that is the topic of the day.

It’s about common sense………….and soccer.

The World Cup is now upon us, and while I think I might have ranted about this four years ago, it bothers me so much, that I’m going to do it again.

Soccer is a beautiful game, with the most passionate and engaged fans on the planet.  It truly is the only “global” sport, and the game reaches every single country on the planet.

However, despite all this, I simply can’t respect the sport, or understand how people continue to turn a blind eye to the fact that flopping around on the ground and pretending to be hurt is an accepted part of the game.

Where’s the common sense in that?

Common sense would dictate that with the advances in technology over the past 10-20 years, it’s no longer reasonable for a player to embellish, or straight-up fall over for no reason to try to show the referee that he was hurt.

I played soccer competitively until I was 18-years-old.  I was actually pretty good, and a better soccer player than I was a hockey player, which is rare for a Canadian kid.  Growing up, our game was very different from the professional game, as I learned when I first watched the World Cup in 1994.  I had never seen “diving” before, and watching the game with my uncles – who can remember being led into the school gymnasium in 1972 with the rest of the student body to watch Game 8 of the Summit Series, was eye-opening.  With every flop, drop, and roll of the players, my uncles went nuts, yelling at the TV, throwing their hands up in the air, and just being absolutely disgusted with the antics.

24 years later, nothing has changed in the game.

On Monday, I watched about 15 minutes of Brazil versus Mexico, and that is the last soccer I will ever watched.

This “Neymar” fellow, who apparently is a great player (but hardly a role-model or ambassador for the sport, as I’ll explain) was already laying on the ground, clutching his head from all angles, as though he just got a magic bullet through the back of the neck, when a Mexican player, who had enough of Neymar’s nonsense, came over and grabbed the ball from Neymar, touching his foot to Neymar’s ankle in the process.

Neymar then began to roll around like a worm being burned with a lighter.

He was screaming in fake-pain, clutching every part of both��of his legs.

And everybody just stood around and watched.

Why isn’t that a red card?  Why isn’t that an ejection?

Until a referee has the guts to kick somebody out of the game for that, nothing will ever change.

NHL hockey players put themselves through an all-out war every spring, and when their team is eliminated, we hear about who had a broken wrist and played through it, who had a separated shoulder, and on, and on, and on.

Football players routinely play through real pain, and leave everything out on the field.

Basketball, which isn’t thought of as a “physical sport,” has 7-foot-tall, 280-pound men throwing the full weight of their bodies up in the air, to meet the full weight of another man’s body.

And here we have soccer players, who think it’s “part of the game” to fall over and play dead.

I think it’s shameful, and the only thing worse are the soccer apologists who say not only is it “part of the game,” but that “a player who can fake at the right time and draw a call is a skilled player.”

Ugh.  Nonsense.

Imagine if Roger Federer pretended to fall down and sprain his ankle every time Rafael Nadal hit the ball past him?

What if Michael Phelps fake-drowned in the swimming pool to get the race stopped when he was trailing?

WHY IS DIVING PART OF SOCCER?

It lacks common sense.

End.  Rant.

~Fin.

Okay, so you’re closing on the house or condo that you just sold, and you’re getting ready for the final days or even hours in the property.

What should you do?  What’s the “right thing” to do?

What makes you a Mensch?

Well, let me sum it up for you – it costs ten bucks.

Ten bucks, and you can call yourself a good guy or gal.

Let me explain through the first two points, and then go on a few points more…

–

1) Have the property professionally cleaned.

This is a no-brainer, and yet maybe only 40% of sellers clean the property before they leave.

It’s common sense, and dare I say – common decency.

You’re probably asking, “But wait a minute, you just said it costs ten bucks to be a property-selling Mensch!  Cleaning a condo costs a hundred bucks!”

True.

But in most cases, you’re moving somewhere, right?  And that somewhere is a place you would also like to have cleaned?

This is a classic case of “do unto others,” as spending $80 to clean your condo before you move out, will come back to you in kind when the seller of the house you’re moving into spends $80 to clean that puppy too.

Even if you’re not moving into a new property, like, let’s say you’ve sold your house to move into a tent, it’s still just the right thing to do.

A client of mine closed on a century-old cottage in Cabbagetown, which he and his wife truly ‘cherished’ even before they closed and took possession.  When they got the keys, they were shocked the condition in which the house was left.  There was garbage on the floors throughout the home, a disgusting fridge, carpets clearly not vacuumed, rotting trash under the front porch, piles of sand in the laundry room, and storage items left behind, ie. some random shelving unit they didn’t throw away.

What was even more disappointing to my client was that the owner of this property owned 4-5 adjacent properties as well, and had owned the block for thirty years.  This wasn’t some one-off closing where an overseas seller forgot, or didn’t care enough, to have the property cleaned before closing.  This was somebody who still has a horse in the race, or a foot in the door, as an owner of multiple properties in this row of homes.  My clients were almost more upset that the owner didn’t respect the house – a unique, timeless, vintage, and historical property.

In the end, unless there’s a clause in your Agreement of Purchase & Sale instructing you to do so, you’re under no obligation to have the property cleaned.

But I don’t think that’s an excuse for decency.

–

2) Leave  hand-written note, and a bottle of booze.

Here’s where you see the ten bucks at work.

If you spend $85 to have your property cleaned before you move out, and the property you move into has clearly been cleaned for a similar amount of money, then spending $10 on a bottle of booze, and leaving it on the counter with a hand-written note, is how I come up with my ten-dollar figure.

You don’t have to buy Dom Perignon.  Just grab a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz if need be.  Buy the cheap 2018 stuff.  Or the 2019 if it’s available!

It’s not so much the taste or quality of the wine, which will likely be re-gifted, but rather the gesture.

A hand-written note, that takes 3-minutes to produce, goes a long, long way, in the eyes and hearts of new buyers.

I recognize that this doesn’t apply to everybody, but if you’ve been living in a house for a few years, I’m sure you respect the property.  It’s your home, and now it’s going to be somebody else’s.  Ignoring investment-properties, and/or hands-off owners, surely handing the keys over to a new owner has to mean something to you, no?

Clean the property – your home, and leave a cheap bottle of wine, and a few nice words on a piece of paper.

Dear Jenny & Stephen, We hope you love living here as much as we have for the last five years! We’re so sad to be leaving, but knowing that we sold to really good people who will cherish the home as we have, makes it so much easier! All the best in your new home, have a drink and celebrate! Jake & Samantha

It’s not rocket-science, folks!

–

3) Ask if they want the paint cans, case of hardwood flooring, and box of tile.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of this email:

Hey David!  We’re in the house, everything is great so far!  Quick question – can you ask the seller if they remember the paint colour in the living room?  We’re trying to match that colour through the kitchen and down the hall.  Thanks!

Was it “Inner Peach,” or “Apricot Beige?”

Twilight Dreams, Arizona Canyon, Mountain Hideway, Warm Cognac, or Baked Clay?

The possibilities are endless.  And we all know that even though we learned to split the atom eighty years ago, we will never be able to “colour match” to the exact specifications of an existing paint colour.  To try, is simply to fail.

So just as “common sense” helped us with points #1 and #2, you can see how asking, “What would I want, if I were in their position?” helps with a lot of the other points on our list.

If you have paint cans from 9 months ago when you did a fresh coat of the basement rec-room and upstairs bedroom, ask the buyer if they want them left behind.

I say, “ask the buyer,” because for the first thirteen years of my career, I always told sellers to leave them.  And then in early 2017, I actually had a sale not close because of a paint can, and a box of tile.  No joke.

My clients had renovated their home shortly before putting it on the market, and I told them the could leave the three paint cans and box of leftover hardwood flooring (I also frequently get asked, “Can you find out what type and style of hardwood was used on the main floor?  We put a huge gauge in the wood moving in our sofa, and we want to replace the one board!”) upstairs in the unfinished attic of the house.

The buyers went nuts.

They refused to close until “proof that the leftover garbage had been removed” was provided to the buyer’s lawyer.

The deal closed a day late, and I was shocked.

Live and learn, I guess.  This was the only time I had ever seen a buyer have a problem with this, but that will teach me, moving forward.

For the rest of you, think about how this is helpful to you.  Have you ever had to replace the flooring in an entire room, because you didn’t know what type of existing flooring was there, and you only needed like three replacement boards?

–

4) Leave the appliance manuals behind.

If you have them, leave them.

And strangely, most people have them.

I know for a fact that up above my microwave, next to the vent, there are appliance manuals for all the appliances in my condo.  They were up there when I moved in, and seven years later, there they remain.

I don’t know why I wouldn’t throw them out, but I guess I don’t know why I would either.

And for some odd reason, buyers love manuals!  I get asked about them all the time, just like paint colours, and types of hardwood flooring.

The most common need for a manual is with respect to warranty, although you could probably just Google the make and model too.

Manuals for electronics, or even assembly instructions can come in handy too for new buyers.

–

5) Don’t play God with the lockbox and key.

Raise your hand if you wanted to visit, or “inspect” the property you purchased in the days leading up the closing, and your real estate agent told you that you can’t, because there’s no key?

This happens a lot.

And while I’d say it’s the agent’s fault a large percentage of the time (ie. either because they want to remove their precious lockbox, or they don’t advise the seller to keep a key on site), it’s also the seller’s fault for not realizing the buyer is entitled to a visit right up until closing.

We often get in these back-and-forth’s with the lawyers, where the buyer is insisting on a visit, the seller says, “I’ve already handed the keys over to my lawyer,” and then the listing agent, seller, and seller’s lawyer all offer, “If you want to do the inspection, fine, but you’ll come pick up the key at the lawyer’s office.”

And rarely, if ever, does a buyer do that.

It’s very, very simple, folks: leave a key in a lockbox right up until the day of closing.  In actual fact, this can help facilitate a smoother closing.  Once upon a time, the buyer would get the keys from the buyer’s lawyer, via the seller’s lawyer, via the seller.  Nowadays, why not just leave the keys in the house, leave one unit or door key in the lockbox, and release the code upon closing?

–

6) Forward your mail.

Some of you are thinking, “Who doesn’t do this?”

But I assure you, the answer is, “Many.”

How many times do you think I get this email:

“Hi David, can you kindly ask the new owners to keep our mail aside, and we’ll come pick it up at some point this weekend?”

I have no problem helping my seller-clients; that’s not the issue here.  The issue is that I don’t have the contact information for the buyers.  I’d have to go through their buyer-agent, and you can see how one more step makes failure or confusion more likely.

I recently sold a house to buyers, and I got this email from the listing agent:

“Hi David, my clients have ordered something from Amazon.ca to the house and they’d like to come pick it up.  They won’t be in the city until the weekend, so we’re hoping your clients can take it inside and keep it for them until then?  Thanks!”

So first of all, why didn’t they update their address on Amazon.ca?

But more importantly, why wouldn’t they think this is an imposition?

I know I’m talked about being a Mensch, and “doing unto others” in the sections above, but this is something different.  This is asking others to make up for your laziness, because you didn’t call Canada post and have your mail forwarded.

Time and time again, I find myself facilitating the collection and delivery of mail for buyers and sellers alike.

–

7) Cancel the alarm system, and/or other contracts and services.

This cuts both ways.

The nice thing to do, as with the paint cans, is to ask the buyer if they’d like to take over your alarm system monitoring, so that they can save whatever setup fee might exist.

Having said that, the seller should cancel all services and contracts associated with the house.

I had a client close on a house and receive a landscaping bill.

The sellers had moved out 6 weeks before the deal closed, but didn’t tell the landscaping company, who continued to mow the lawn.  When the new owners moved in, the landscaping company continued to mow the lawn, and eventually sent them a bill – with the balance owing.

Now there are a few problems here, and questions as well.

Is it the responsibility of the sellers to pay for lawn care when they’ve moved out?  Maybe, but probably not.  It would be nice for them to keep up the maintenance of their asset right up until closing, and not simply let the grass go brown.  But either way, if they do have the landscaper show up for work, they’re supposed to pay for it; not just dump it on the new owner.

Secondly, if the landscaping company continues to mow the lawn, after closing, are the new buyers on the hook?  Legally, no.  Practically, yes.

The sellers should have thought of this, just as any seller should think about the alarm system, or cable and internet, and ensure that they’ve notified Toronto Water, Hydro, Enbridge Gas, et al about the change in ownership.

–

Geez, this thing got really long, really fast.

Maybe my epic soccer rant had something to do with that…

The name of the game today, once again, is “common sense.”

All seven of these points relate back to some level of common sense, and yet the issues arising therein are, themselves, extremely common.

Just as the saying goes: “The simplest answer is usually correct,” I might also add that “The most common problems arise from the least-important issues.”

I feel like having to tell somebody to pay $80 to clean their $750,000 condo before closing is a wasted breath, but as you read above, it usually isn’t…

The post Closing Day Etiquette appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.

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Brazen Garden Blunders.

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