#prompt extravaganza 2019

[foxgloveinspace]

@excelsior9173 🫡 Fox’s Fic Rec Extravaganza:

(Sorry for another post/tag, but you can’t posts links very easy in comments and knowing me…. I’d run out of room on the comments lol. I’m also gonna just copy past the descriptions of the fics for you 🖤)

Transformers (Megatron/Optimus Prime):

Victory Conditions by astolat:

“Do you want me to tell you a story?” Megatron said mockingly. “You won’t like it, Prime. It’s not a very nice one.”

[Foxgloves Notes: Megatron and Optimus Prime get trapped in a cave and think they are gonna die. astolat is just an amazing author, so I wanted to include one of their works. I am gonna go reread this actually once I finish this post lol.]

Assassin’s Creed (Altaïr/Malik):

Life studies its own emptiness by Scarecrow

"For the coming year, as penance for what you have taken from him, you will obey Malik Al-Sayf absolutely"

══════════════

A study on the nature of grief, recovery, loss, and longing; a year in the life of Malik Al-Sayf as he adjusts to his injured body, and grasps with a hollow desperation for a reason to live after failing to protect his sibling, as told in slices of the twelve months he spends learning to forgive Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, the man he blames for his brother's murder.

[Foxgloves Notes: ok, so this is omegaverse. But I am SO PICKY when it comes to omegaverse, so please. Please trust me on this one. The writing on this fic takes my breath away. It’s some of the best written work I’ve ever read in my entire life. I teared up reading this. Idk, like I know it can turn people off, but it’s the best one out there truly, and I was changed after reading it. (You can read this one blind, I think it tells you all you need to know about the plot of the game that you’d need to know, so. some of the most amazing prose I’ve ever read, some of the most gut wrenching lines, just. Fuck dude, this fic is so so good.]

Assassin’s Creed (Altaïr/Desmond [my favorite assassin’s creed ship🫡]):

I was born for this - esama:

Juno did her best to lead him to her preferred fate, but the end is coming and Desmond has doubts.

[Foxglove Notes: I feel like I have to rec the most kudosed fic in the fandom. I like esama’s style, I don’t know you’ll feel about it, but. I also genuinely love this fic, I’m not just reccing it cause it’s popular, I’m reccing it cause it’s a good read, and I liked the plot. It’s a time travel fix-it fic (my favorite trope).]

Tron (Sam/Tron, of course):

We Are Pilots - shirozora:

Six months and Sam still can't shake off his father's ghost, so Quorra suggests returning to the Grid to find the answers he needs to move on. With her monitoring from the outside, Sam goes in not knowing what he'll find or if he'll succeed. What he discovers is a dying Grid that needs his help to rebuild… and Tron, who needs to become himself again.

[Foxglove Notes: I don’t know what to say here. This is like The Classic SamTron fic. I just. *muwh* I love this fic]

Mea Culpa - 2019-2020 (EnglishLaguage):

Alan and Tron (accidentally) start to communicate. This is long overdue.

[Foxglove Notes: my notes?? 😭😭😭😭]

Genesis - EnglishLanguage:

Clu’s reintegration with Kevin Flynn burns the Grid to ashes. Sam rebuilds.

//

Prompt: Where did we come from?

[Foxglove Notes: same as the above really, EnglishLanguage is just…. Wow. Breath taking writing.]

Kingdom Hearts (Ventus/Vanitas):

You’re not the boy you used to be. - magicities:

There's no guidebook to tell you how to react when someone who made your life not worth living dies. There are, however, hands to hold yours tight as you stumble through the wreckage.

If only you can convince yourself to take them.

Vanitas: the place he came from, the home he found, and the people who helped him find it.

[Foxglove Notes: this is my favorite book of all time. Like, not even my favorite fic, it is genuinely my favorite Book of all time. It is kingdom hearts so it’s got some jarring moments where your like ‘wait, Minney Mouse??’ And you just have to roll with it cause it’s a COMPLETE au, so there’s nothing in the setting that is about kingdom hearts, it’s just the characters. I think about this work at least once a week, it’s so much more than that description, but I feel like I can’t actually talk about what is in the fic, cause it’s one of those stories where part of the story is things getting revealed. (If you read this tho, please know because it’s a complete au, you might want to treat it as its own novel, and not try to get into KH fic cause I can not in good graces tell someone to read none au KH fic without knowing anything about how absolutely bonkers the game series is. I can not even explain the plot, but that’s the point, the point of the games is that they are meant to be experienced, not explained…… sorry I went on a KH rant, it’s one of my longest hyperfixations lmao.)]

[florbexter]

OOOH maybe dean/pharm fake dating 💃?? but instead of dean/pharm team and pharm have to fake date and dean doesnt know how to pursue pharm??

Prompt Extravaganza -  💃 Fake Dating

Until We Meet Again Ficlet - Dean x Pharm

“It’s not like I outright said: Pharm and I are dating,” Team tried to defend himself. “They just assumed.”

Manaow just lifted her phone and showed him the comment section under the latest Cutest Boys Facebook entry. 

“You wrote: ‘please leave my BF alone’.”

“And?” Team saw out of the corner of his eye that Pharm reached for his jacket and knew that he would hide under it for the rest of the break. 

“BF! You wrote BF!”

“Best friend! He’s my best friend who would think it’s for Boyfriend?”

“Everyone in the shipping community,” Manaow said and Team rolled his eyes. 

“Crazy, every one of them,” he murmured and yelled “Hey!” when Manaow pinched him. 

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he whined and slid closer to Pharm who was already hiding under his jacket. 

“Ai Pharm! I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry.”

Pharm peaked at him from under the jacket. “It’s not your fault.” 

“Please don’t stop making food for me.”

“I guess it has one advantage that everyone now thinks you two are dating.”

There was a twitch from Pharm. 

Team turned to Manaow who was busy tipping on her phone, a frown on her face. 

“The news already reached other clubs in the university. I’m in our drama chat room. P’Alex is in it, too.” 

“Why does this affect P’Alex?”, Team asked and Pharm sat up, still covering half of his face. 

“He’s going to stop bothering Pharm when he knows you two are together. How about you two fake date until we are done with our drama and then we will be less around the club anyway because of the exams and you two can ‘break up’.”

“But when we break up do we have to fight?”, Pharm asked in distress and Team huddled closer to embrace him. 

“I will literally die if I’m not getting my sandwich each day Manaow. Literally, die.”

“As long as you don’t admit anything no one can make you feel bad to say after a while you two aren’t dating. It’s their fantasy and gossip.” 

“I’m still going to make you sandwiches,” Pharm promised Team who let his head sank on Pharm’s shoulder with a pitiful whine. 

+++

There was a flaw in their plan Pharm realized two days later. They had only thought about how it would help to keep people, like P’Alex, away but what about someone Pharm wanted… near? 

Pharm peaked through the gap in the bookshelves and on any normal day he would - after pumping himself up and channelling his inner Manaow - walk up to P’Dean to say hello. It was some kind of ritual by now to check for each other in the library. Pharm even went when he didn’t have any reason to and P’Dean was always sitting in the same spot as if he wanted to make sure that Pharm would find him. Which was most likely wishful thinking…

How could he walk up to P’Dean if there was the possibility of him knowing about the dating rumour? 

Was he getting ahead of himself? Thinking that P’Dean might care? But what if he did and he would stop teasing Pharm with his soft touches and even softer smiles. Pharm never could have imagined how it would make him feel to have someone touch his wrist, lightly, the calloused fingers producing toe-curling goosebumps. 

He had to let P’Dean know! 

As always P’Dean was napping on his desk. He did it every time, for half an hour. Pharm had a lot of pictures to prove it. It would be the perfect opportunity to leave him a little note because the thought of talking to him face to face about it made something in Pharm’s belly churn. 

He quickly wrote up a little note on a post-it and looked around. No one was here except him and the sleeping body of the swimming club president. Perfect. 

Pharm was quiet but quick and put the message on P’Dean’s desk, next to his outstretched arm. He suppressed the urge to make another picture and wanted to turn around but P’Dean’s arm snatched out and grabbed his wrist. 

Dark, tired eyes blinked up at him and Pharm was only able to stare at him with an open mouth. 

“Nong Pharm?”, P’Dean asked and shook his head as if he wanted to wake himself up further. 

“P… P’Dean,” Pharm stammered and it was now that he wished for a hole to swallow him up. 

As P’Dean straightened himself the note crinkled and got his attention. 

Oh nooo, Pharm thought but P’Dean’s hand was still around his wrist. P’Dean stared at the message, stared and stared and then as if a gear was finally shaken free from sleep he whipped his head around to stare at Pharm. 

“Really?”, he asked and the blush on Pharm’s face made him feel like he was on fire. He stared down on the floor and nodded. 

“It’s fake?”, P’Dean asked and the hand around Pharm’s wrist relaxed and turned into a caress. Pharm was going to combust. 

He nodded again and after the silence stretched out between them he peaked at P’Dean through his fringes. 

“I’m glad,” P’Dean said when their eyes met. 

[artisticvicu]

The Writing Marathon | Crystal Heart - ‘In the end’

[2017 beginning] [2018 beginning]

[2019 beginning] [prev]

"If just barely," they grunted as they clambered to their feet. The world moved around them and it was all they could do to keep from collapsing onto their knees. The trip into Diggory's mindscape had overwhelmed them and in turn had taken a toll out of their body. "He seemed rather content just wasting away and not letting anyone help him."

"Can you blame him?"

Thoughts filled their mind, most of them memories of things they had known about Diggory before they had finally met; they really could not fault him no matter how much they wanted to. "No, but that doesn't mean I can't at least try."

The ghost hummed behind them. They pushed themself to their feet. Their arms and legs shook with the effort but they kept themself moving. Their magic pressed on Diggory's, calming it as best they could while their magic started to gather in their chest around their crystal heart. They weren't sure why that specifically but they weren't about to ask questions as they approached Diggory.

How had they managed to get so far away? Had their magic reacted to their experience in the mindscape or had it been Diggory's?

"What are you planning on doing?" They glanced at the ghost. For whatever reason it was following them. "Do you even have a plan or are you going to try and talk to him again?"

They arched an eyebrow at the condescending tone. "I have a plan, but that doesn't mean I have to tell you."

The ghost gave them an incredulous look. "So it's a half baked, flying in blind kind of plan, then."

They gave the ghost a shrewd look. "And what's wrong with that?"

The ghost sighed. "You're only going to create more damage."

They felt their lips quirk up at that. "Probably."

There was no rebuttal when they approached this time. Diggory's magic let them get right up to his side and they took full advantage of it. Diggory was still curled in on himself but there was enough room for them to slip their arm in among the tangle of limbs to press their hand to the other's chest. They shuddered. The physical contact - even with it being through fabric - amplified the resonance between their crystal heart and Diggory's. The echoes of voices and emotions made it difficult to concentrate but it wasn't like they needed to concentrate much anymore anyways.

They started to pull all of their magic back in, bundling it tight in their chest to make sure they didn't screw this up. They could practically feel the ghost breathing down their neck but they ignored it, focusing on the Crystal Heart instead. There was no guarantee this would work but they were going to try and be damned if they didn't give it their all.

In the end all the plans they had once held above all else were nothing more than faded memories as they poured all they had into Diggory's crystal heart. They weaved their magic through the cracks, repairing each one as they offered Diggory a silent apology.

He better keep his promise to them after all they were doing for him. They were not above haunting his ass if it came down to it.

The pain was so beyond anything he had ever experience, even agony failed to describe it. He fought against whatever was causing him harm but his body wouldn't react. He was forced to suffer through an eternity of pain with no end in sight.

And then it stopped.

All of it stopped. 

The peace that followed was euphoric. He had never realized he had never known true peace till he was in the middle of it and it scared him.

It scared him because that meant something had changed and that never seemed to bode well for him.

He opened his eyes to familiar faces.

"Diggory," Madam Jasmine breathed, the tears in her eyes finally escaping. Her hands were gentle and warm against his cheeks, fingers rough from callouses he knew the stories behind. Leader Valcor Credence was beside her, the man's hand heavy on his shoulder. 

"Welcome back," Leader Valcor offered thickly.

There were other faces there, ones he half knew or wasn't certain he could remember their names, but they were all friendly and one stood out to be very familiar. He could feel Neryk's hand in his as they asked, "How do you feel?"

He had to wet his lips before answering. "Like I've lived a third life in a matter of seconds." He frowned, squeezing their hand. "When did you all get here? Where even is here?"

"We're in IPPA's orbital base," Madam Jasmine informed him. "You somehow managed to appear in the middle of it without anyone knowing how or why."

"Jamie and I were here relatively quickly," Leader Valcor added. "For the longest while there, we were the only one that had remembered you and had been keeping an eye on anything that could have been you."

"Whatever had been keeping the rest of us from remembering you lifted not too long ago," Neryk finished. "I only arrived a few minutes ago."

He frowned. There was something he needed to check on but he couldn't quite figure out what. He focused on Madam Jasmine and Leader Valcor. "Any ideas what changed?"

The pair shared a look that made his stomach drop. Madam Jasmine spoke up. "The Professor....we're certain the Professor attempted to repair the cracks in your crystal heart."

Diggory's eyes blew wide and he jerked upright out of everyone's holds. He could see every bit of magic imaginable and, for the briefest moment, he was overwhelmed. "Where's Iro?" he demanded in a panic. His gaze immediately latched onto a faint, fading strand of magic he somehow knew far too intimately for never having seen it before. "Where's-"

The words died at the back of his throat as the fading strand led to a prone body several feet away.

"Iro."

[coochiequeens]

Who the fuck thinks it’s ok to bring children to a Drag Strip show? Call CPS  

A TikTok showing a very young girl being led through a bar by a half-nude drag queen with breast implants is making the rounds on Twitter and sparking outrage from netizens concerned about the girl’s safety.

On June 2, popular YouTuber Lauren Chen posted a TikTok she had found to her Twitter, writing: “These people belong in jail. This is a hill I’m willing to die on.”

The disturbing footage shows a very young girl being led by a provocatively dressed drag queen. The drag queen only had nipple pasties covering what appeared to be breast implants, and money stuffed into the skimpy underwear of his outfit. The girl is being held by the hand as the drag queen struts through a restaurant area, and continuously looks up at the man’s exposed body. The child also appears to also be clutching a few dollar bills in her free hand.

Overlayed onto the video is the text: “Children belong at drag shows!!!! Children deserve to see fun & expression & freedom!”

The source of the video posted by Chen was TikTok by user Nonie Kalra, who uploaded the original to her account earlier today. In her bio, she advertises a fundraiser for the Marsha P. Johnson foundation.

Kalra tagged the establishment the video was taken in — a Latin restaurant which caters to the LGBT community in Miami called R House Wynwood. On its website, the multi-purpose venue advertises hosting a ‘Drag Extravaganza‘ on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. Last year, Secret Miami ranked R House #1 on a list of “Fabulous LGBTQ Bars To Check Out In Miami.”

While it is unclear if the child in the video is Kalra’s or if she was just filming an occurrence at the restaurant while there, Kalra was supportive of it, writing in the comments “baby was in awe” in reference to the little girl apparently enjoying the show.

On a post from its Instagram made exactly two weeks ago, R House Wynwood posted a photo of a topless drag queen who looks similar to the one in the video uploaded by Chen. The caption reads: “We live for Escalando nights. What to expect? Salsa, drinks and a hell of a show.”

Since Chen’s post went live, the original TikTok has become inundated with negative comments, with many concerned users expressing outrage that a small child had been allowed in such a dramatically inappropriate setting.

On Twitter, users are similarly expressing disgust. Even a politician has since gotten involved, with Texas State Representative James White asking Chen where the event had occurred.

Many are wondering if punitive action is going to take place, and questioning the legality of having a child in a bar late at night.

“Where are the parents and why are they ok with this?” Asked one user in response to the video, with another replying: “Seriously. [I don’t know] how I could be just a random dude in that place and not stand up and at least say something. This is absolutely insane.”

Drag shows and their appropriateness for youth have become hot topics over the last few years, especially since the controversial spread of Drag Queen Story Hours across North America and Europe. In 2019, it was discovered that a registered sex offender had been performing at a Texas library for children as a Drag Queen.

On June 24, a Pennsylvania-based drag queen with a history of performing in front of children was charged with 25 counts of the possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation material following a 2-year long investigation by law enforcement officials.

Earlier in June, a video of ‘drag queens’ performing provocatively for an audience of children at a gay bar in Texas went viral on Twitter, prompting massive backlash and raising concerns about child safeguarding. The children were seated in front of a sign which read “It’s Not Gonna Lick Itself” as they watched drag queens perform, tipping the adults in cash.

The event had been subject to protests by right-wing advocacy group Protect Kids Texas, which stated on Twitter that they had 80 people outside of the venue voicing their concerns. The group also posted a video showing police showing up to the bar and escorting children from the venue.

By Jennifer Seiland Jennifer is a founding member of the Reduxx team, writing with a focus on crimes against women and sex-based rights rights advocacy. She is located in the American south where she is a passionate animal welfare advocate and avid coffee drinker.

[stahlop]

A Self-promo Sunday Game

I was tagged by @profdanglaisstuff and @thisonesatellite.

Rules: Just for fun this Sunday, let's talk about our personal favourites of our own fics.

Not the ones we necessarily think are the “best.” The ones we go back and reread again and again (because if you don’t reread your own fics what are you even doing?), or the ones we wrote for something or someone special, or the ones that were most difficult to write and just make us proud when we think about them? Whatever criteria you choose, just talk a bit about the fics of yours that you really like.

Must Love Dogs

This is the first fic I wrote and it was based off how my husband and I met. It was supposed to be a one shot, and then it turned into a 5 chapter MC.

(Even before I met you) I was far from indifferent to you

My first time writing something based off a prompt. A kind of Christmas themed fic written for September Sunshine where Killian thinks Liam is gay and that ‘Swan’ is his lover.

A One Time Thing

Neverland smut. Need I say more. Written for @profdanglaisstuff birthday.

Where the Love Light Gleams

Written for CSSS 2019, this is what happens when Pan’s curse doesn’t happen and Emma tries to bury her feelings by planning a Christmas Extravaganza with Mary Margaret. Contains my Neal gets outed scene that I may have reread about 50 times because I love it so much.

Tagging: @teamhook @hollyethecurious @elizabeethan @sailtoafarawayland @snowbellewells @searchingwardrobes

[aftgficrec]

do you know some christmas aus/fics?? or maybe november/decemberish?? or even just some winter aus pls❤️ i love your page :))

Oh, there are so many! I’m dividing this ask in two so I can stuff it full! Here’s winter. - A ❤️

Here’s part 2 of this ask, Christmas

Winter from previous recs

‘When the frost is in bloom’ (Jack Frost AU) here

‘Fox Sleep’ and ‘This is our beginning’ (shapeshifters) here

‘A Panther, A Fox, and Their Artist’ (shapeshifters) here

‘A Snow Globe for Monsters’ (Harry Potter) here

‘The architecture of flight’ (Harry Potter) here

‘Did you know I've never been skiing?’ (kandreil) here

‘Kandreil Ski Trip’ here

‘You Are Here’ (chapter 2) here

‘The Long Winter’ here

‘Snow Day’ here

‘daydream in pink’ (kev/allison) here

‘Winter Banquet’ here

‘Some Kind of Disaster’ (AU) here

‘the snow is melting’ (AU) here

‘Lost in Translation’ (AU) here

‘winter, formal’ (AU) here

‘all i want (is love that lasts)’ (AU) here

‘Miracle at Trojan Horse Coffee’ here

‘careful hands, mended hearts’ and ‘careful hands, mended hearts (the fever remix)’ here

Whiteout by loose_canon [Rated M, 5717 Words, Complete, AFTG Reverse Big Bang 2019]

The man next to Andrew leans forward and groans into his hands. Andrew doesn’t ask him if he’s all right, but he does flick the man an eyebrow in question.

“I’m fine,” the man says.

“Definitely.” Andrews gives his outfit a slow once-over.

“I’ll manage. I’ve done it before.” Defiance changes his pretty face, makes him fierce. Andrew grunts skeptically and opens his book before he can say something stupid.

But that doesn’t stop his seatmate. “I don’t like not being able to move, being stuck in a crowd, you know?” The glacier-lake eyes slowly close, and the man breathes out, soft and slow. Then he says, “I’m Neil.”

“I thought you were fine.” Andrew gets a shadow of a smile for that one, and it’s a cold wave of water in his gut, a quick shock and a trace of pleasure.

tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced torture

NB: Art prompt by @fornavn​ here

made up of light and shade by freefall [Rated T, 7588 Words, Complete, 2018]

It was getting harder to breathe. Neil wasn’t sure if that was because of the frigid air freezing his breath in his lungs or because of the knife wound in his side.

Snowed In AU.

tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced rape/non con, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: mild blood/gore, tw: canonical character death, tw: gun violence

get closer to me by sporadichearttcollector [Rated G, 1010 Words, Complete, AFTG Winter Exchange, 2019]

Neil and Andrew go on a date, and are very in love.

let me show you how much i love you by constellation_roses [Rated T, 1469 Words, Complete, 2020]

Andrew has a bad pain day, pushes himself too hard, and collapses during practice. Neil is there to take care of him.

Just some gentle love in the winter.

not looking for redemption nor some shallow kind of bliss by emmerrr [Rated T, 2314 Words, Complete, 2020]

A snowstorm, a power cut, and forgotten truths whispered in the dark.

falling down like angels fighting (stars and lightning hold me tightly) by unsealie [Rated G (we say T), 4784 Words, Complete, AFTG Winter Exchange, 2019]

Andrew and Neil and winter over the years. The physical distance between them may grow, but they become closer than ever, finding more pieces of home in each other. A story of healing, love, and warmth.

tw: implied/referenced abuse

wintry by lolainslackss [Rated T, Collection, Complete 2018]

Chapter 1: ugly christmas sweater potluck dinner extravaganza  

Chapter 2: hiding out at the winter formal 

tw: involuntary outing

Chapter 3: dinner date 

Chapter 4: ice rink 

tw: blood

JUST IMAGINE hc by @cressworthkiss [Tumblr, 2018]

- Kevin Day on a cold winter day

Kevin Day being able to actually enjoy the snow for the very first time hc by @cressworthkiss [Tumblr, 2018]

Art

Fun in the snow art by @fornavn

Neil and Andrew in matching Foxes beanies art by @oblivionsdream

Matchin’ Mittens comic by @jewel-imagines Part 1 | Part 2 | Extra 1 | Extra 2

[nightglider124]

2020 Creator’s Self-Love Extravaganza/Creator Tag Meme/8 Favorite Works

Tagged by @tarisilmarwen  - Thanks for the tag, gurl! <3

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Well, shit. I have uploaded practically nothing in 2020 LOL. Like... I’m cheating with my answers but hey, we’re gonna count my favourite robstar week oneshots as individuals cos otherwise, I don’t even make half of the 8 lmao.

1.) Subscribe

Ahh, my current main multi-chapter AU fic that I actually started in August 2019 but I reckon it has seen most updating this year, tbh. It’s honestly one of my favourite AU concepts that my brain has ever birthed. A YouTube AU with Gar as the channel owner just feels like such a Gar thing and I’m so excited to keep going with it in 2021. 

2.) Nova 

I actually love this oneshot that was completed and submitted as part of my involvement in the dickkory zine that was created early 2020. I only posted the excerpt on tumblr which you can find by clicking ‘Nova’ as I thought I’d keep the whole thing just as an exclusive thing for the zine. But, I really loved writing that and felt my final piece was pretty great considering there’s a word limit and a specific theme to follow and it was such good fun, all in all so loved that one. 

3.) Simulation

I actually forgot about this oneshot until I was scrolling through my tumblr tags like ‘wtf did i even write this past year??’ and I remembered the atrocity that was JLD: Apokolips War and how the burning need to write a fix it fic for all my dickkory pals was literally overwhelming. I was actually pretty happy with the final product, despite it’s length. And also, it gave me the dcamu dickkory ending that I wanted lmao.

4.) Robstar Week - Day 1: Star-Aligned/Destiny

I think I was actually pretty negative about this when I initially posted it for Robstar week but since then, I have come to appreciate that writing anything during this last shit show of a year is a miracle so y’know, we’ll take it as a win lmao. I actually really did enjoy writing a oneshot that’s mostly between Dick and Wally and talking about Starfire cos it makes me smile. 

5.) Robstar Week - Day 3: Tamaran

Another addition for Robstar week that I actually really enjoyed reading as I love writing little moments such as these between the two dorks. Anything that is remotely adorable and intimate in a fluffy way is like heaven to me; whether I’m reading it or if I happen to be writing it XD.

6.) Robstar Week - Day 4: Fantasy AU

My absolute faveeeee for Robstar week, to the point, I am now in the midst of planning a whole AU multi-chapter fic around it. I fell in love with the idea of Dick basically being akin to a Witcher and being paid to ‘deal with’ Kory, a magic user which is prohibited in the lil made up world. I honestly vibed with the idea so much and even now, I love it. There’s so many more details and plot I wanna add into it so it will eventually be a whole fic but... it’s been shelved for a little while til I get Bound and Subscribe updated to where I want them. 

7.) Robstar Week - Day 6: Wedding Bells

I may start to sound like a broken record but this happens to be another submission from robstar week that I really smiled at whilst writing. It was great to take a fairly common prompt and just do an actual wedding so it was fun to slightly spin that around for how I wrote it instead. 

8.) Robstar Week - Day 7: Constellations

I already mentioned how I love writing Robin and Starfire in these little cute and intimate moments that are filled with sugary fluff. This is kind of another one. I really do believe they would have these little games or things between them such as a game revolving around constellations and guessing. Idk I just really enjoyed this one as well.

________

I honestly did not think there were gonna be 8 to list lmao. I wasn’t overly active in 2020 due to... *gestures around me* the state of the world for the majority of the year. I’m hoping 2021 will be a more productive year for me in terms of updating current projects as well as bringing some new things to the fic table. 

I taaag: @fireflyxrebel-writes @loubuggins @stefanotis @ships-bynoa and @spaceprincessem + anyone else who wants to jump in on this!! <3

[the-porg-apprentice]

2020 wrap-up

2020 Creator’s Self-Love Extravaganza!!

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!  

I was tagged by the very talented @roninreverie​ , whom I can always depend on to randomly send me chats of “hey did you see this?” thought-provoking background details from whatever they are watching. Such an eye the little things! :-)

I have to admit, 2020 has been a rough year, creatively. I spent the months of March through May curled up in a ball with my laptop, and during the second half of the year some not good personal stuff happened. These favorites are in chronological order, rather than favorite order (because then I’d have to choose a favorite and I’m not sure what to pick.)

---

1. Sherie and the Porglets go for their First Footing  (Jan 1, 2020)

I like the camera angle here, and the bare trees against the blue sky. It was a really nice morning.

---

2.  One Week (March 5, 2020) It took me ages to finish this story. It was for my own Ascension Week 2019 challenge that I had organized, and I couldn’t finish it in time. (Why I no longer organize challenges and try to talk myself out of joining other people’s) I am most proud of the tango scene, in which I tried to mimic the tempo of the tango in their argument.

---

3.  Snack Break (March 14, 2020)

What is the correct way to eat an Oreo cookie? This was fun to write. Thranto is not something I ship romantically, so I wrote genfic that could be viewed in a romantic light. I threw in the perpetually chaotic/unhinged Pik and Waffle for funsies.

---

4.  Iditapod sticker Lucky (March 17, 2020)

Lucky expresses our collective shock over the brand new quarantine. (And literally I was in shock right then- so cold and shivering I had to go to bed for two days and take a mental health sick day.)

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5.  Porglympics (April 2020)

The amazing Porgkins the Porg organized a Porglympics for the Porgstagram community and it lifted us out of our collective stupor and got our creative juices flowing. Even if we were in quarantine, maybe we weren’t alone after all? I had a lot of fun creating events for the porgs.

---

6.  Waffle’s Tooka (October 22, 2020)

A spinoff from the 30-day Thryce prompt drabbles that I wrote in October. I love playing with Waffle and Pik, and the concept of Waffle the tsundere was too much to resist for my crackfic-loving muse.

---

7.  Relicts (November 13, 2020)

This fic really got me out of my comfort zone. I hate writing smut because there are only so many synonyms one can use and so many things two people can do. The pressure to write something original is crippling. Still, I am glad I wrote it, and many thanks to EvilMouse for creating the challenge. Mind the tags!

---

8. My Star Wars Rebels holiday exchange fic. (coming soon!)

This is not done yet, but I’ve had a lot of fun writing it. I have to finish it today, because it is due tomorrow! I can’t wait for you to read it. As usual, it is more crack.

---

I am not going to tag anyone because I always feel awkward when I tag people, so if you want to play, please consider yourself tagged. Really, I mean it! I’m not just saying that.

[newsiesocweek]

Newsies OC Week 2019!

Well guys, I'm bringing it back.

Newsies OC Week will make its triumphant return next month, for a winter/holiday themed extravaganza! If you did this last year you probably know the drill already, but for the new folks around here I'll explain!

What: An entire week dedicated to creating content centered around your Newsies OCs! All the prompts this year are winter and holiday themed because of the time of year, so that's an element of this as well.

When: December 23rd-29th.

How: Make content about your Newsies OCs! Whatever it is doesn't have to match the prompts exactly, and you can repost things you've already made that fit each day's theme. The only two rules are that whatever you create (art, writing, edits, playlists, etc) centers around your OC and is winter or holiday themed. You do not have to write about Christmas specifically if you don't want to, though! After you've made your content, post it and tag this blog (@newsiesocweek). I'll be reblogging the things people make on here, so that everyone can see them! Now, on to the most important part of this!

Prompts:

Day 1: First Winter (Your OC's first winter with the newsies! What was it like for them? Did they enjoy it? Did they celebrate any winter holidays?)

Day 2: Music (What is their relationship with music at the holidays? Do they have a favorite song? Do they have a piece of music they associate with a specific person? How do they feel about Christmas/holiday music in general?)

Day 3: Hurt/Comfort (Have they ever been life-threateningly sick or hurt during the winter? Do they often take care of others when they're sick or injured? Have they ever spent the holiday season with a sick or injured newsie? Has this ever impacted their enjoyment of the holiday season? Can be angsty or fluffy, whatever you want.)

Day 4: Romance (How do they spend the holidays with their significant other(s)? If they don't have any, what is their feeling about romance in general? What was a memorable romantic event for them during the holidays?)

Day 5: Objects (Do they have specific objects that mean a lot to them? Are they in possession of any family heirlooms? How did they obtain those objects? Do any of these objects relate to the holidays? Were they gifts, important decorations, etc.?)

Day 6: Future (What does the holiday season have in store for them in the future? Who do they spend it with? Are they married? Do they have children? Grandchildren?)

Day 7: Free Space (Do whatever you want! Well, whatever you want as long as it's related to winter and the holiday season. Canon era, Modern AU, any AU really, angst, fluff... go forth and have fun! The world is your oyster!)

Please reblog this to spread the word that Newsies OC Week is back, so that everyone who wants to participate can. And if you have any questions for me, feel free to shoot me an ask on this blog! Happy Holidays!

[weekofhetalia]

                   Welcome to The Hetalia Extravaganza!                                Hetalia week 3.0 is here!

The votes are in, and you have all decided on what prompts are for each day, just like last year! If you’re unhappy with the prompts given, you can also do another listed prompt you like that wasn’t voted in, or do whatever you like! Remember, everything is allowed, regardless of ships, 2ps, nyos, favorite characters, everything is acceptable, along with any form of art, writing, or other such creative works. There are only a few exceptions that are made, and can be reviewed in the rules page! The event will be running from September 22nd to September 28th 2019, roughly a month before it starts, just to give people a little bit of time! Be sure to check your calendars or remember the date! I’ll make a post a week before the The Week of Hetalia starts as a reminder. Voted prompts for the week:

Day 1 (Sept. 22): Cardverse -   The Spades and Clubs kingdoms are perhaps at odds once more, or maybe magic has been causing troubles within the realm. Perhaps there is a quarrel within a single kingdom, or a forbidden love between enemies. Here’s some information on what [cardverse] is!

Day 2 (Sept. 23): Platonic - Do you have a favorite sibling duo? Or perhaps a couple that you don’t ship, but love to see hanging out just as friends? Even a group of friends! Whether it be at the mall, or hanging out in their favorite place together.Today is a day for underappreciated friendships.

Day 3 (Sept. 24): Soulmates - There is much potential with soulmate aus. Soulmates that share the same tattoo or mark when they are born, where they know the first words their soulmate will say to them, or they may share their pain. Or maybe they cannot see in color until they meet their soulmate for the first time.

Day 4 (Sept. 25): Crossover - Are you a huge fan of another fandom? This is an opportunity to have your favorite Hetalia characters interact with another character from another form of media. Or maybe, they are a part of that universe instead, battling monsters in a mystic forest, or attending a school for those who have magic potential.

Day 5 (Sept. 26): Highschool/College -  One of the most legendary aus around, there’s no doubt adventures can happen, from art class, to gym, to late night parties!

Day 6 (Sept. 27): Free Day -  This is a day to do whatever you want, anything is game! Is there a prompt you really wanted that wasn’t listed for this week, or perhaps there’s an idea that’s been on your mind for awhile? Today is a day to let your creativity run free!

Day 7 (Sept. 28): Historical -  Historical Hetalia! Perhaps the roots of the fandom. There is plenty of potential from past and present times alike! Just like last year, I saved the best for last! Historical won at the top once again just like last time! I wrote out some drabbles as well to hopefully help with some ideas if any of you may be stuck in a rut on what to do. Please remember to tag your amazing works as  #HetaliaExtravaganza2k19 or @ me so that I may be able to find it! Spreading the news would be very much appreciated! Thank you, everyone!

[honeysucklepink]

Reaching Out to Touch a Stranger: A Glee Potluck Big Bang/Klaine Advent Special

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationships: Sam Evans/Mercedes Jones, Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates with a third wheel twist

So if you can't tell by the title, this chapter incorporates the prompt words for the 2019 @klaineadvent, plus December Drabble prompts (through the 24th) from the @gleepotluckbigbang in one very special scene. I hope to write another chapter over the break that gets more into Samcedes, but until then enjoy a BIG moment, both for Kurt and Blaine, AND for Mercedes!

Link to AO3 (leave comments for the Baby Jebus Birthday!)

------

Mercedes was starting to worry about Sam a little after the Warbler performance at Breadstix. First there was the Bieber thing. In spite of the tension with Quinn, he was determined to regain her interest. But Justin Bieber, really? The fact he’d roped the other guys in the Glee Club sans Finn into his tribute band made her eyes roll back. She texted a video to Kurt to get his reaction (his only response was OMG I’ve never been so happy to be stuck in this blazer).

But then he started dating Santana, and all bets were off.

“Santana freaking Lopez, Sam? Really?” Mercedes cornered Sam in the cafeteria. “That’s your rebound from Quinn Fabray?”

“I don’t need a lecture, Mercedes…”

“I’m not lecturing, I’m just worried. Quinn at least has a good soul; I’ve seen it. But Santana is a user that I’m pretty sure eats souls for breakfast.”

“Well, she’s fun.”

“Really? Tell me one thing y’all do for fun.”

Sam suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I...uh, damn is that the time? I gotta go ‘Cedes I have, uh, football practice.”

He ran out as Mercedes shouted, “Football season was over two months ago!”

------

By the time the Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza went off the rails, forget soulmates and conduits, Mercedes began to think the entire concept of love was a sham. She decided to drink her cares away and was pleased that the more she drank, the gigglier she became. She and Tina sat off in their corner getting wasted on fruity booze, observing the shenanigans as Rachel sloppily organized a game of spin-the-bottle. She wasn’t bothered by Sam kissing Brittany (at the rate he was going he’d plow through all the New Directions girls by the end of his senior year, she predicted). And she was even amused by Rachel and Blaine’s makeout, at least until she saw Kurt’s face registering a mix of revulsion and resentment. Oh this was not good at all.

“What’s not good?” Sam appeared at her shoulder all of a sudden, his breath smelling of beer. Oh, she must have thought out loud.

Mercedes hiccupped. “Looking at Blaine and Rachel. That’s supposed to be Kurt sucking his face off, right? It’s not even a glow it’s like a, a shadow or something.” Mercedes couldn’t stay grounded enough to keep her train of thought going, though. “My buzz is wearing off,” she said. She passed her empty cup to Sam. “Top me off?”

The following week after the party was a consistent chase to stave off the hangover by continuing to drink. Starting with Artie’s “hair of the dog that bit your ass” Bloody Marys and ending with whatever the hell Rachel had concocted, Mercedes’ verdict was that she’d reached her maximum on booze for life.

------

What was this semester? Last week was all about booze, now it was gonna be all about sex? This was all Brittany and her stupid stork nest’s fault. To be honest, she was comfortable with the concept of sex, and embraced her own sexiness. But she was a good Christian girl, saving herself for marriage, or at least for the right man. She wasn’t about to join the celibacy club with Berry and Fabray or anything. She just didn’t feel the need to announce her business (or lack thereof) to the world. Besides, she liked romance. Probably why she had fallen misguidedly for Kurt that first year. Speaking of, her phone buzzed in her pocket as Miss Holliday’s “lesson” ended:

I need an emergency sleepover. Mercedes was confused about Kurt’s text until the next one: Blaine just tried to talk to me about sex.

After she managed to get her eyes back into her head, she texted back: I know exactly what both of us need; cookies and Hallmark movies.

As Kurt and Mercedes settled against the headboard, a plate of cookies and other sugary treats between them, Kurt pressed play on the DVD remote. “Is this the one where the guy is forced to work as a mall Santa after burning down the town’s Christmas tree with off-market lights and then teams up with the lonely caroler to save the children’s charity and they fall in love in the process?” Mercedes asked.

“No, it’s the one where the traditional Secret Santa exchange at the office Christmas party gets upended when the organizer gets pneumonia after a snowball fight and all the presents go missing.”

“Ooh, after this one we should watch the one where the ice skater bumps her head and loses her memories of Christmas until she falls in love with the holiday card writer and then wishes on an enchanted ornament.”

As Mercedes swapped one DVD for another, Kurt spoke: “You know, I’ve missed this.”

“Missed what?”

“You know, our kinship.” Kurt sighed. “I know we haven’t been as tight since I went to Dalton.”

“No, I get it,” Mercedes said. “We’ve been busy getting ready for Regionals too. Plus all those advanced private school classes you’re taking, and all your time with Blaine. Speaking of that?”

Kurt groaned into his pillow, “Mercedes do we have to?”

“Yes, we do, now why was Blaine talking to you about sex?”

“The tone of your voice is entirely too hopeful,” Kurt said. He then recounted the whole thing, from Sue’s intel dump at the Lima Bean, to the warehouse and his sexy faces, to the flustered quarrel ending in asking Blaine to leave.

When he was finished, Mercedes looked at him sympathetically. “Boo, I know you like hand-holding, romance, all of that. But be reasonable; you’re not totally naive, Kurt. And I’ve seen you make sexy faces and they didn’t look like gas pains. Remember us doing Madonna with the Cheerios last year? Or when you did 'Le Jazz Hot' on duet week?”

Kurt looked down. “Did I really look that sexy?”

“Kurt, you could have burnt the house down, don’t act like you didn’t know.” Mercedes got a smile out of him; good start. “You wanna know what I think? I think it’s not talking about sex you’re uncomfortable with. It was Blaine talking about sex.”

“Ugh, you’re right,” Kurt sighed. “When he said he’d tell me what he knew, I got all flustered, because what if what he knows is first-hand experience? And then I thought of him having that experience, and then me having that with him, and…” Kurt drifted off, then cleared his throat. “And that’s why it’s going to be so weird seeing him again at school.”

“Well at least you have prospects,” Mercedes said. 

“Yes, and speaking of, Miss Jones, I saw you at Rachel’s party, sitting all by your lonesome. I had to look away from Blaine and Rachel’s ill-advised rendezvous. So still no one at McKinley is catching your eye?”

Mercedes suddenly had a flash image of Sam, his blond swoop fringing his blue eyes and his smile...what? No, hell no, hell to the no! ”Um, nope! No one at all. Okay next movie, I think this one is the one where the CEO of an ugly Christmas sweater company has to make amends with the mistletoe farmer...”

Kurt didn’t dig any further, thank goodness.

------

While Mercedes was once again listening to the latest way that Sue had managed to sabotage the club, she received a text from Kurt:

K: oh crap oh crap i’m so screwed.

M: What’s wrong?

K; I killed the bird.

M: WHAT

K: I mean I don’t think I murdered the bird, but we were doing scales this morning and he keeled over so I feel somewhat responsible

K: What am I going to do?

M: Can’t you just go to PetSmart and get a new one?

K: NO THEY’LL KNOW

M: Look Kurt birds don’t live forever, didn’t you say Pavarotti had been passed down as a Warbler tradition?

M: How old was he?

K: I don’t know. Oh god what will Blaine think? He’ll hate me for breaking some sacred Warbler creed.

M: No he won’t, calm down. He’ll understand. Just tell them the truth.

M: He probably had an undiagnosed heart flutter.

K: …

K: That’s not funny.

M: Come on it was a little.

K: That bird was entrusted to me. I felt a little like him. Like we bonded over...it’s hard to say

M: Being stuck in a cage?

K: Well…

M: Come on Kurt, I know you love Blaine and love being close to him at Dalton, but isn’t that blazer just a little stifling?

K: I guess.

M: Tell you what, why don’t you put on your best mourning clothes and sing in his honor? I’m sure the warblers would appreciate the gesture.

K: Thanks Mercedes. I was freaking out there.

M: Glad I could help.

------

The next couple of days were a lesson in disappointment. Santana’s “Trouty Mouth” had really upset Sam to the point that Mercedes wondered once again why he was dating her, especially when she was spending more and more time with Brittany. But she couldn’t let that interrupt her world debut of what would be a sure-fire hit at Regionals. She turned off her phone to focus her full attention on the song she wrote. She was very proud of “Hell to the No.” It spelled out all her frustrations with the world and what she was told she could or could not be. The other New Directions girls’ backing vocals were on point, and collaborating with the band on the sound part boosted her self-esteem. I can totally do this for a living; the best divas produce their own stuff. So when Schue said it just wasn’t quite right she was dejected. At least the writing session that followed was productive.

When Mercedes turned her phone back on, she had a missed call and three texts from Kurt, all of them saying CALL ME URGENT. Mercedes immediately called Kurt back as she walked out of the choir room. “Hey boo, is everything okay? I haven’t heard from you since the bird incident.”

“Everything is fine Mercedes. It’s great, it’s grand, it’s…’s wonderful, ‘s marvellous, that you should care for me…” Kurt began to sing a Gershwin tune.

“Hummel, what are you talking about? Or I guess I should ask what are you singing about?”

“Oh, nothing, just that Blaine asked me to duet with him for Regionals.”

“Kurt, that’s great! I mean let’s face it, I miss you here but at least Dalton’s giving you a chance to sing in a competition!”

“Mmm-hmm, oh yes, the duet, yeah…” Kurt still had that dreamy tone to his voice.

Mercedes was suspicious. “Kurt, is there something more you’re not telling me?”

“Well, Blaine came down to the common room while I was bedazzling Pavarotti’s casket.”

“You were what now?”

“Not important, Blaine was telling me about the song he chose, but then he started talking about having a moment about me, and wanting to spend more time with me, and…”

Kurt paused a little too long, stretching the anticipation to a snapping point until Mercedes nearly shouted into her phone, “Oh my God, speed it up, Kurt!”

“He kissed me! He kissed me, and I kissed him back, and we’ve basically been spending all afternoon kissing, and Mercedes it was just...everything I ever wanted in a kiss.”

Mercedes tried biting her fist to keep the scream down in her throat, but it came out as an excited squeak that turned heads in the hallway. “Mind ya business,” she said to the two Cheerios giving her a concerned stare. She turned away and quietly spoke into her phone. “Oh boo, I’m so happy for you! And if you ask me, it’s about time that boy did something. Now, tell me every detail.”

Once Mercedes got off the phone with Kurt (after he said he had to hang up because Blaine wanted to practice more that evening; ”Sure, Kurt, you best get on to your practice, just don’t let your practice go too far, okay?” she sent a text message to Sam, remembering a bet she made with him last semester:

M: Just talked to Kurt, Blaine finally got his head out of his butt...guess I owe you Breadstix.

Sam texted back ACHIEVEMENT!!!!! followed by five thumbs up and four heart eye emojis.

------

Next thing they knew, it was already time for Regionals. Mercedes had barely heard from Kurt except for texts gushing about Blaine (even more than when they had been just friends...except with the addition of what a great kisser he is). She caught a glimpse of Kurt at the venue, in the hallway between their dressing rooms. She noticed a faint glow around him, but thought it must just be the lighting. He hugged her before thrusting a bag into her hands.

“Kurt, what’s this?”

“Well Rachel let it slip that you guys were doing audience props, so the Warblers decided we needed to step up as well. Pass these out when they call us up!”

“Sure thing, boo. Good luck!”

The New Directions settled in their seats as the announcer spoke: “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Dalton Academy Warblers!”

“Here, take one and pass the rest down.” Mercedes passed the bundle over. “They’re prop battery-powered candles. We’re supposed to wave them after the bridge at the key change.”

As the Warblers began the song, Kurt stepped out from the group into the spotlight.

“The power lines went out, and I am all alone, but I don’t really care at all, not answering my phone.”

Mercedes was so proud of Kurt getting his first solo in a competition. Then Blaine moved down and began singing:

“All the games you played, the promises you made, couldn’t finish what you started, only darkness still remains…”

It didn’t matter that it was a breakup song. No one else could see what Mercedes was witnessing. As Kurt and Blaine’s voices harmonized, there was an incandescent glow surrounding each of them. When the two stepped closer to each other the glowing intensified and the light from each boy pulled toward the center, until the connection was complete and the couple was bathed in a golden light, like the way sunlight turns warmer and softer right before sunset. She remembered a photography blog calling it the “golden hour.” The only time she had ever seen a glow even close to it was at her aunt’s wedding. This was bigger; it overwhelmed them and their surroundings, until Mercedes could see only them, and she was sure for them, each other.

Suddenly Mercedes felt the warmth from the yearning of Kurt and Blaine’s glow deep in her chest; it radiated through her and she began to cry from the sheer joy of it. Rachel looked over at her. “Mercedes, are you okay?”

All she could do was nod and wait for the bridge.

“And someday, you will get back, everything you gave me…”

She and the rest of the audience turned on and raised their candles, waving them in the air as the boys completed their duet. Mercedes wondered just what everyone else saw; no battery-powered candle glow could have competed with her view. But then the lights went up and the Warblers went into their second number, a much more raucous P!nk song. The glow wasn’t as bright as during their duet, but Kurt and Blaine both still had a halo of light around them as they bounced with the rest of their choir to the choreography. She did get the pleasure of one last flare of light, as Blaine and Kurt hugged post-performance.

As the New Directions made their way to the backstage area to prepare, Sam pulled Mercedes aside. “Hey, I couldn’t help but look over during their duet and see you crying, but like, happy crying. You saw it, didn’t you? The Glow?”

Mercedes’s grin probably rivaled it. “Sam... it was beautiful.”

[1nixed-blog]

5 Statistically Backed Website

Be aware of everything: 2018 Holiday Marketing Statistics You Should Know 

Is it true that you are prepared for the Christmas season? Indeed, I realize fall has scarcely quite recently started, however it's never too soon for retailers and e-rears to begin contemplating occasion advertising and deals. 

It's a decent time to be in retail, particularly with shopping spectacles like Black Friday and Cyber Monday practically around the bend. 

Right now, it is anticipated that U.S. customers will go through $119.99 billion with online retailers during the up and coming Christmas shopping period of Nov. 1-Dec. 31. That is a 15.5% expansion contrasted and the assessed $103.88 billion spent internet during a similar period in 2017. 

Be that as it may, to truly profit by the capability of the up and coming Christmas season, retailers must realize how portable will overwhelm the customer experience, the significance of online networking brand mindfulness and how man-made brainpower controlled, customized item proposals will factor into occasion buying so as to effectively arrive at their maximum capacity during the 2018 Christmas shopping season. 

To assist you with taking advantage of this Christmas season, we should investigate an accumulated rundown of probably the most significant occasion showcasing measurements you have to know in 2018 so you can design in like manner. 

With this data, you can investigate 2o18 occasion promoting patterns and go through them to shape your vacation showcasing for a sprightly decent time! 

2018: Holiday Marketing Statistics to Consider 

*Helpful numbers to place these measurements in context: The total populace is 7.7 billion and the web has 4.1 billion clients. 

General Holiday Shopping Statistics 

Seasonal shopping begins as right on time as September and October. 

Shopper trust in the US is at its most significant level since 2000, as indicated by certain measures. With low joblessness and rising wages, the prompt viewpoint for shopper spending stays strong. 

The US Department of Commerce discovered deals of building materials and nursery hardware flooded by 8.1% during the Christmas season, while furniture and home outfitting deals expanded by 7.5% and deals in gadgets and machine stores became 6.7%. 

In spite of the happy Christmas season for retailers, pedestrian activity keeps on drooping. One investigation discovered pedestrian activity in US retail locations fell 7.5% in November and December 2017, proceeding with the more drawn out term pattern toward online business and away from customary retail. 

NRF expects occasion retail deals in November and December—barring cars, gas and cafés—will increment somewhere in the range of 4.3% and 4.8% more than 2017 for an aggregate of $717.45 billion to $720.89 billion. The estimate contrasts and a normal yearly increment of 3.9% in the course of recent years. 

For the second back to back year, Black Friday was the greatest computerized shopping day of the period, with income developing 32% year-over-year, dramatically increasing Cyber Monday's 15% expansion. 

Digital Week II is the best-concealed chance. Gift vouchers close by, clients are prepared to treat themselves in the approach New Year's Day. 

A year ago, Shopper Story 2017 found that, in many nations, customers esteem both on the web and retail encounters. Truth be told, 62% of customers said that they utilize their telephones while they're coming up. 

As indicated by an Adobe Digital Insights report, Black Friday speaks to 4.6% of absolute U.S. retail income for the Christmas season. 

The online Christmas sales extravaganza spoke to 6.1 % of absolute occasion retail deals. 

It is anticipated that the greater part of occasion requests will incorporate free dispatching. 

The shopping extravaganza following Thanksgiving tops at 8:00 PM. 

The normal customer will buy 14 presents during the 2016 Christmas season. 

33% of customers report occasion end of the week buys were driven by advancements. 

Very late customers make up about 30% of online occasion deals! 

USPS expected to convey in excess of 15 billion bits of mail including 850 million bundles. 

UPS wanted to convey in excess of 750 million bundles universally. 

FedEx anticipated 400 million bundles. 

Versatile and Online Holiday Shopping Statistics 

A year ago, Cyber Monday alone drove $2 billion dollars in a single day through portable! 

In 2017, over 40% of every online deal in November and December were made on cell phones. This year, prepare for the greater part of all online occasion buys to happen on portable. 

8 of every 10 occasion customers are impacted by the web before making a buy (with web indexes being the most persuasive). 

December's most elevated traffic day (on portable in any event)— is really the day after Christmas 

Versatile keeps on being a main impetus for web based business development. US retail "mcommerce" deals were up over 40% in Q4 2017, as per comScore Inc. eMarketer expects complete US retail mcommerce deals will grow a further 32.7% in 2018. 

Online deals represented 13.0% of all out retail deals a year ago. Furthermore, in the main quarter of 2018, online business represented 13.8% of absolute retail deals, a 1.4 rate point increment from a year sooner, as indicated by Internet Retailer gauges. 

Thanksgiving 2017 denoted the first occasion when that PC request share dipped under half. On Christmas Day, versatile request share rose to half, denoting the first run through ever that cell phones represented most of all buys made. 

Research from Winterberry Group found that solitary 1.3% of advertisers are "very sure" in their information procedures, with examination being the most wanted expansion for most groups. 

December 23, 2017, (firmly followed by Christmas Eve and Christmas) was the greatest day ever throughout the entire existence of versatile trade in the US: 48% of all buys were made on cell phones. 

68% of customers visit YouTube on their cell phones to figure out what to purchase. 

Voice search shopping will be 3% of occasion deals as 46% of Americans use voice gadgets like Alexa. 

8.8 billion information focuses were gathered during Black Friday a year ago as email information exchanges and a large group of other lead-age strategies, about 3 billion messages were sent. 

Transformations fall by up to 20% for consistently deferral of portable page load time. 

83 percent of 18-multi year-old clients will utilize their cell phone inside a retail location—note by 2019, 33% of human populace will be 18 years of age or more youthful 

In 2018, the traffic began from cell phones will be more prominent than the entirety of the traffic in 2015 over all gadget types—PCs, tablets, workstations and telephones 

Just because, traffic from interpersonal organizations will surpass 5% of all traffic. Instagram is up 51% from 2017 as far as retail shopping traffic. 

76% of versatile customers adjust their perspective on which retailer/brand to purchase from in the wake of looking through on the web. 

55% of customers around the globe have an increasingly great perspective on organizations that react to them over online life 

Over $20 Billion worth of products bought among November and December will be returned. 

The normal occasion customer spends around $935 web based during the special seasons. 

Internet business Holiday Shopping Statistics 

Deloitte gauges that internet business deals could increment between 17-22% for the 2018 Christmas season, which it characterizes as Nov. 1-Jan. 31. 

Amazon alone represented 37.5% of all out U.S. e-retail deals during the 2017 Christmas season. 

Occasion web based business deals are required to increment 15.3% in 2018, says eMarketer's new figure. And keeping in mind that that sounds incredible (and it is), in 2017, occasion web based business deals became 17.8%—an expansion that the National Retail Federation (NRF) credited to "developing wages, more grounded work and higher certainty." 

As indicated by inquire about by LCP Consulting, the arrival rate for Black Friday buys is half higher than the rate over the year overall. 

64% of cell phone customers go to versatile pursuit before making a beeline for the store. 

Offer costs can increment by 140% over their yearly normal during the special seasons! 

20% of showcasing experts plan over 3 months ahead of time of the pinnacle email season. 

As indicated by BigCommerce and Live Chat Inc, on normal sites recieve 63% more site visits during the occasion! 

The Economist estimated that 47% of clients need quick answers to their inquiries, issues, and input. 

Presently You Know! 

Occasion measurements offer significant bits of knowledge you can use to control your vacation promoting plans. We have the numbers to follow all that we wish to control and feature in our showcasing activities. 

Use them and you can improve any marketable strategy! As an advertiser, you can't resist the urge to be energized for occasion palooza 2018. Obviously, there are numerous open doors for quick development! 

In any case, as Stanley Marcus once stated, "purchasers are measurements, clients are individuals." That is the means by which you should utilize these numbers: to more readily serve and help your potential clients. 

As an extra asset, I needed to share Louise Lyer's vacation schedule infographic to give you extra bits of knowledge into occasion advertising you can exploit of.f you need assistance in making methodologies around a portion of these measurements, we can assist you with making an arrangement! Reach me here!

[florbexter]

🦄KORNIN PLS IF THE PROMPTS ARE STILL OPEN!!!!!

Prompt Extravaganza -  🦄 Wild Card

Until We Meet Again - KornIn

In looked up to Korn with a pout that rivalled every other pout In had ever thrown at him. It was impressive and Korn sighed. 

“You’re sure you can’t walk?”

In shook his head. “I’m clearly badly hurt.”

Korn looked at the step, which was so tiny it didn’t deserve the name step, and then back at In’s ankle. It wasn’t even reddened. But he knew that In wasn’t someone to just let this opportunity slide away and he also knew that In was capable of crying on the spot. His eyes already shined in a way that, again, found Korn impressive.

“What should I do,” he asks and In had the energy to swat at his arm. 

“You need to let my piggyback ride, of course!” 

Of course, Korn thought. 

He turned and squatted down and had to smile when he heard that In tried to stifle a squeal. 

“Quick,” Korn ordered. 

“So bossy,” he heard In murmuring and clearly, the boy had no idea who the bossy one was in this relationship but he climbed at Korn’s back quickly, sliding his arms around his neck and with no strain whatsoever Korn rose. 

“Oh,” In said softly followed by another ‘Oh’ when Korn put his hands under his tights to support him. 

In was warm and light. 

“I’m going to move now,” he warned In and felt his nod against his shoulder. 

“You should hang on tighter,“ he said and knew that his voice didn’t sound as scruffy as he wanted and the quick kiss against his nape told him that In found his attempt at being bossy amusing but the hold around his neck and waist tightened and he started walking. 

“You have to bring me to the infirmary,” In whispered and something inside Korn clenched. Always looking out for him that silly boy. 

“I know the way,” he said and when he took the long route In didn’t say a word.

[artisticvicu]

Weekly Short Story | Part 4 - Metal Bindings that Tie

[first]

[prev]

He did his best not to let his trepidation show. It must have worked enough because one of the closest employees approached him. She was much smaller than him but he felt the metal she carried and knew she would manipulate if she needed to.

He was also certain he could overpower any manipulation she tried.

"Welcome, sir," she offered cordially. "Is this your first time visiting?"

He felt her try and control the collars of his and he placed himself in her space. Her metal sang under his control and she stared wide-eyed at him as he pulled it from her. "Do not touch what is mine without expressed permission," he warned, coiling her metal behind him in an impressive display of control. "You will not be able to overpower me and I do not want to have to put you in your place if you tried."

Her face turned bright red with her shame and embarrassment as he returned her metal to the shape and place it had been before he had taken over. She opened her mouth but he was already turning away, silencing her before she had the chance to speak again. His heart was pounding in his chest. Why had they put their lives in his hands again?

"We are leaving," he spoke to the other but there was no real desire to leave the shop. They needed the underground market. Either the employee that approached him either knew his lack of desire or was desperate.

"Sir, a moment."

He turned looking to the older man that had spoken to him. If he had to guess, the man was probably old enough to be his father. "I am Perix, manager of this establishment. I wish to offer an apology on behalf of my employee. We do not often gain patrons of your caliber and this was her first interaction with one such as yourself."

He scoffed. "Do you not train them?"

His skin crawled at the thought of the role he had shoved himself into.

The man gave a shallow bow. "Absolutely, but due to the rarity customers such as yourself are, she has yet had any experience beyond yourself to make sure the information is retained."

"She best retain it after this," he ground out. "I'm not so certain I will return after such an interaction." There was a flicker of annoyance in the man's eyes but the man's expression remained calm. He almost let the smirk cross his face. Or maybe it did slip forth as the man's expression turned a bit confused. He ran with it, grateful for an excuse to shake off the persona that made his skin crawl. "How am I not surprised this isn't the first time you've had to deal with this kind of situation?" The confusion took over the man's expression completely. He waved it off. "I am not pleased she tried to take control the second time but I understand the reasons for the first. Unfortunately I'm very....particular about those that are mine. I have lost one due to someone's idiocy before. I am not keen on letting that happen again."

The man nodded with a neutral expression once more. "Of course, sir." Had they truly been his, he probably would have been offended when the man's gaze flickered to his companions. "I offer my sympathy. Do you have intentions of replacing it?"

"Replacing it? No," he spoke. "They were unique. There is no replacing when it comes to something like that."

The bell over the door rang out. It took all he had not to look over. He trusted at least one of the others to take in whoever entered. The man before him, though, looked over before offering him an encouraging smile. "I know they are not of much condolence but I can show you some of our more finer pieces freshly made in the back for yours."

He arched an eyebrow. "Lead the way."

The man led them through the shop to the back. The man opened the door to a back hallway and he stepped through the door without hesitation. There was a pause as everyone filed in and the man pulled the door shut. He fell into step next to the man as they were led down the hall.

"How unique was the one you lost?" the man inquired.

He gave the man a flat look. "Unless you are taking me to a viewing of some 'replacements', I have no reason to show you."

The man sent him a smug look. "I can make that happen."

"At a price, I'm sure."

The man chuckled. "You are quite perceptive for your young age."

He snorted. "And you're not, old man. So the shop manager persona's just an act?"

"Hmm, no," the man offered. "I can be quite cordial if I wish to be. I simply have less patience behind closed doors."

"Fair enough," he stated, getting straight to the point. "I want access to the Underground."

"That unique?"

He stopped and turned, the group stopping in turn. He reached out, hand towards the snake around the human girl's neck. "I had two of these. I want another or nothing at all."

Despite not having said anything, the creature understood and turned to smoke that drifted towards him. It reformed into some sort of bird he had never seen that was massive. If he had to guess, its wingspan was now longer than the tallest twins were tall. It was an imposing sight and he appreciated the decision without guidance. The man beside him was stiff as the creature stared him down with brilliant eyes that looked like molten gold still churning.

"If there is one to be set for auction, I'm sure the Magistrate will know."

He focused a hard gaze on the man. "Not a word of this to anyone else, Perix. You're death won't be pleasant if you slip."

The man bowed, not even phased by the threat. As uneasy as it made him, it was a good sign. "Of course, sir. Let me take you to the Magistrate."

The rest of the walk was in silence. He sent the creature back to the human girl where it returned to the shape it had been when he had first seen it. If any of the others were phased by what had happened, they didn't show it.

The man came to a stop at some seemingly random door and produced a key. It looked too small for the lock but he still inserted it and gave a full rotation before removing it and opening the door. Beyond the door was a massive showing space and he knew immediately where they were stepping into. Without even looking back, he thinned their collars to chain them to each other. There were no complaints and the way the collars shifted under his awareness told him that the twins were book-ending the group. The male twin was at his shoulder, the female twin at the back; the entire group was close and pressed in together. It was less likely they would get picked off like that and he was glad for the silent communication that seemed to happen.

The man noticed. "You have very obedient claimed, sir. Even the Quillian?"

"They are in my care as a favor to someone I owed," he offered nonchalant. "Those collared are simply well trained and intelligent. They know how to behave."

Silence lapsed over them again as the man continued on, weaving this way and that through the expansive showroom. It was near the point he was about to ask how much farther they had to go when the man turned and started down a secluded hallway. The space quickly became less showy and he realized they were being led into the back areas of the market. A cacophony of sounds started reaching them. It wasn't till they were almost upon the source that he realized it was a variety of creature screams and people shouting. They stepped into a space that wasn't very wide but it was long. It looked like the main thoroughfare for goods drop-off and pick-up. There were a number of creatures being wrestled into new cages, crates of goods moved with careful crews, and yet the man did not stop.

They took the thoroughfare for quite a distance before the man slipped down a new hallways. This time there was only one creature sound coming from ahead of them but plenty of voices shouting.

The room they stepped into was small compared to the other two spaces they had crossed through but it was still huge. In the center of the room was some sort of creature struggling against the metal restraints. Out of the swarm of people. there was one standing to the side watching all of it.

"Wait here," the man said, rushing off to speak to that person.

He turned his attention back on the creature. He felt the restraints break in one section and that seemed to be all it needed. In a sudden burst of smoke, the creature's shape reformed into a massive dragon.

He now knew why they were in such a large room, though he thought it was still a stupid idea.

Something shot past him as the human girl behind him screamed, "NO!"

Another surge of smoke and suddenly there was a second dragon screaming too. Rage surged through him speckled with panic as he took a step forward. The workers were already moving to corral the creature but he did it first. Liquid metal seemed to quickly form out of mid air in floating globs before strands shot out and wrapped around the creature that was under his protection. He made the bindings hurt both because he was furious and because it was to be expected. He shoved the creature to the ground and pinned it without moving a muscle. He sneered down at it as it whined, its muzzle bound shut. "Return to form," he barked in the echoing silence. "Now!"

The creature's large form seemed to puff into smoke that quickly condensed and solidified against the human girl's chest as a mouse. The human girl's hands came up to cradle it.

He let his gaze drift over the room, taking in all the people watching him. Before his gaze settled, he took in the other creature that was now pinned to the ground staring at him. He looked to the person the man had gone to. They had an intrigued look on their face and he wasn't sure he could get them all through this alive anymore.

[dewmie-in]

Fandom: Steven Universe (Cartoon) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bill Dewey/Jamie (Steven Universe) Characters: Bill Dewey (Steven Universe), Jamie (Steven Universe) Additional Tags: Eurovision, Pre-Slash Series: Part 10 of Dewmie Fictober 2019 Fills Summary:

From the Fictober 2019 prompt: “Listen, I can’t explain it, you’ll have to trust me.” - Jamie must find a livestream of his favorite European yearly singing extravaganza.

[brokehorrorfan]

Event Report: NorthEast Comic Con (Spring 2019)

Back in November, I spent my Thanksgiving weekend attending my first NorthEast Comic Con & Collectibles Extravaganza. Having had a blast, I was excited to return for the next semi-annual event. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait very long, as its Spring 2019 edition occurred over Saint Patrick's Day weekend. I returned to the Regency Hotel in Boxboro, Massachusetts on March 16 to experience all the celebrities, panels, comedy, concerts, vendors, and other fun it had to offer.

The afternoon kicked off with a panel featuring iconic comedian/actor Gilbert Gottfried (Aladdin). He was funny, as he naturally is, but this was not a standup set; it was an honest conversation. He discussed everything from the recent fake outrage over his not being in the new Aladin film and the controversial jokes that resulted in his being fired as the voice of the Aflac Duck, to being raised on the Universal monster movies (and questioning why the Wolf Man dressed so well if he knew he was going to transform into a werewolf) and comedy in the modern age. ("The internet makes me feel sentimental for old-time lynch mobs," he quipped.)

Prompted by audience questions, Gottfried also talked about his ad-libbing on Aladdin (during which he would occasionally have to be stopped and reminded that it was family film), working with John Ritter on Problem Child (which no one thought was going to be a hit), Howard Stern, Hollywood Squares, Wife Swap, his Amazing Colossal Podcast, and more. Never one to miss an opportunity for an off-color joke, Gottfried responded to a comment about a failed TV pilot by stating, "Buddy Holly has better luck with pilots than I do." The session was recorded for the The Boston Comedy Podcast, so you'll be able to hear it in its entirety soon.

Later in the day, I caught another panel with Nicholas Brendon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Criminal Minds fame. With no need for a host, the animated and entertaining Brendon began by riffing on the likes of tuna casserole to cannibalism for a few minutes before launching into the entire story of how he was cast on Buffy (in which he went from production assistant on Dave's World to reluctant actor, then booked Buffy a mere two months later). He was open and honest about his past struggles, but he has turned over a new leaf and is now giving back by using his celebrity to raise awareness for mental health.

In addition to Gottfried and Brendon, the guest list included Chris Rankin (Harry Potter franchise), Gigi Edgley (Farscape), Ann Robinson (The War of the Worlds), Mark Goddard (Lost in Space), Clayton Prince (Hairspray), animation producer Jeff Kline (Transformers Prime), Emmy Award-winning puppeteer Bill Diamond (Little Shop of Horrors), author and Squirrel Girl co-creator Will Murray, Disney comics writer Joe Caramagna (Duck Tales, Frozen), cartoonist Guy Gilchrist (The Muppets), and paranormal investigator Kadrolsha Ona Carole, among others.

NorthEast Comic Con's standup battle royal proved to be a fun way to spend any down time. Local and budding comedians had the opportunity to sign up and perform seven minutes of material for a chance to win $100 a day and compete for the $500 weekend prize. The competition was judged entirely by audience applause, and Phil Anthony ultimately took home the grand prize. It was apparent that some of the competitors didn't have much stage experience, with bits that weren't fully realized or comedic timing that needed work, but the audience was receptive and ready to laugh.

Comedian Roger Kabler has been impersonating Robin Williams for many years, which earned him a finalist spot on the ABC celebrity impersonator reality competition The Next Best Thing in 2007. Following Williams' death, Kabler decided to utilize his talents and pay tribute to Williams with a film called Being Robin. A brief portion of the movie was shot at the convention, and attendees were allowed to participate as audience members as Kabler performed a portion of his Williams act. Not only does he have the voice and look down, but Kabler also nails Williams' idiosyncratic mannerisms. The film is currently seeking funding; I’m looking forward to seeing the final product after witnessing a small portion in the making.

An unexpected highlight of the previous NorthEast Comic Con was seeing Gwell-o, a Gwar-inspired metal band featuring members of the comedy rock act Green Jelly dressed as intergalactic monsters in homemade, cardboard and duct tape costumes. They performed as part of the Saturday night after party this time around, and I couldn't miss it. A new layout to the stage allowed all nine members of the band to fit up there. The lineup features four people who sing backups and perform combat theatrics during the show, while the other five musicians perform a mix of originals and covers, including Gwar's "I Hate Love Song" and "Sick of You," Green Jelly's "Three Little Pigs," Judas Priest’s “Night Crawler," and “I Need Mo’ Allowance” from the cartoon Doug.

Proudly hailing for Ipswich, Massachusetts, The Fools headlined the after party. At first glance, they seem like a rock act in the vein of The Rolling Stones or Van Halen. Upon a closer listen to vocalist Mike Girard's lyrics, however, it becomes apparent that they are satirizing the classic rock acts of yesteryear as much as they are paying tribute to them. That's not to say they don't take themselves seriously; the quintet makes their tight live show appear effortless.

Along with the celebrities, panels, standup comedy, and live concerts, NorthEast Comic Con offered cosplay contests, gaming, kids activities, and more, not to mention dozens of exhibitors and vendors. Many attendees came in costume, ranging from pop culture giants to comic book characters to original creations. For my money, two people dressed in large, elaborate Kang and Kodos costumes from The Simpsons were the most impressive.

A NorthEast Comic Con employee mentioned to me that this was the convention's biggest turnout at the Boxboro location yet. While it's wonderful to see the event grow with bustling crowds of enthusiastic fans, I revel in the fact that NorthEast Comic Con & Collectibles Extravaganza remains an intimate experience in comparison to the massive pop culture expos, which can be overwhelming and impresonal. On top of that, the show continues to keep its prices low and value high.

Click here to see all of my NorthEast Comic Con Spring 2019 photos.