#site has some missing pages here and there but otherwise good

[silk-bullet]

Why do Jjk characters make such weird faces

like it makes them very expressive and that’s a good thing, but like I had to look at this, followed immediately by this on the next page 😭😭

I had to put my tablet down to giggle for a minute before I could continue hahaha

[vikenticomeshome]

The Cyberchase Homepage Through the years: part 1 (December 28, 2001 through December 12, 2004)

I decided to collect some screenshots showing the evolution of the Cyberchase area on the pbskids.org website over the years. Keep in mind that this is based off Wayback Machine archives, so I am limited to whichever variants the web crawler captured. They didn't necessarily crawl every time the page updated. There may also be assets missing, as the Wayback Machine doesn't always grab everything.

Let's start with the earliest known capture. This is from December 28th, 2001. This was 24 days before the show premiered.

We can see links to the webisodes, which were a set of official prequel web comics. There is a link to the original e-card creation page, as well as a link to the "What is Cyberchase?" page that explains the premise of the show.

The next major revision came up after the show released. The earliest capture of this page was on February 2nd, 2002. However, I picked a capture from August 3rd, 2002, as it was the earliest capture that wasn't missing any assets. We can see Jackie setting down to play the old Cyberchase flash game "Symmetrizer", while Matt is leaning on a small table near the TV that is advertising Season 1 Episode 18 "Problem Solving in Shangri-la". Inez and Digit are missing for some reason. Why is Buzz here without Delete?

They made a Christmas version of this page. The only capture I found was from December 3rd of 2002. They put some lights around their logo. Matt is now wearing a Santa hat. Jackie has a giant bow in her hair. Inez and Digit are still nowhere to be found. Did Matt and Jackie kick them out for breaking the TV?

The earliest capture I found of the next major update to the site was from December 3, 2003. Does anyone remember the "PBS Kids Go!" rebranding where they tried to market some of their shows to slightly older audiences? Inez and Digit are finally allowed to be in the group photo. They now have two TVs, as well as some combination of a computer and arcade cabinet. Why are Buzz and Delete here?

This version of the site got a Valentine's Day update to promote Season 2 Episode 1 "Hugs and Witches". This capture is from February 8th, 2004.

So, this capture from June 9th, 2004 is the same version of the site as prior to the Valentine's Day update. However, I thought I should include it because Creech and Slider popped in for a cameo.

Here is a capture from June 6th, 2004. It contains a summer promotion by Delete. It also replaced Jackie with a clone of Inez. This may have been a mistake in the website itself, since it seems to randomly pick a kid to put in a place on this background. Otherwise, the Wayback Machine may have grabbed the wrong image somehow.

And then, they cloned Matt on June 27, 2004. This must have been a mistake in the webpage code where they put the same kid in two places.

Yeah, Jackie got her turn to be cloned on June 29, 2004.

There was a layout update that added a promotion for new shows. I grabbed this example from September 3rd, 2004. It also shows off a contest from the time, which deserves its own post.

Fast-forwarding to October 13th, 2004, we have the kids in their Halloween costumes from Season 2 Episode 14 "Trick or Treat". We also see an advertisement for Season 3 Episode 11, "Shari Spotter and the Cosmic Crumpets". Apparently, they also fixed the duplication glitch.

On November 11th, 2004 We get a link to the winners of that contest.

This capture from December 12, 2004 shows that the kids have decorated for Starlight Night. We also see an advertisement for Season 3 Episode 12 "Starlight Night".

This seems like a good place to leave of for now. I didn't realize how many variants there were until I got into it. I will make a part 2 at some point.

[spookystarfishzombie]

Just a little 'hello & welcome to my blog' post.

Most people have a pinned introduction post & I thought I should probably get on that. This will also double up as a FAQ post too.

Also, if you wanna buy me tea, you can -> (green tea of course)

First & foremost: FREE PALESTINE! I won't hear any different, go argue with a wall (no it's not performative, as I have been accused of in the past (all because I criticised an actor), I've attended marches, signed petitions, written to my local MPs, attended meetings & help set up fund raising events, so fuck off with your 'performative activism' buzz words, I'm not here for it). As I run a Stranger Things page, it's worth noting that I do not support the zi0nists in the show, most notably No*h Schnapp (tagged as 'he who shall not be named) & Br*tt Gelman (tagged as 'other he who shall not be named'. I honestly think he's down right insane). If you are one of these people that venomously supports them then this page isn't for you. You're not welcome here. And since some children in the fandom can't tell the difference between criticism and hatred, I don't hate these people (well maybe Gelman because he's actively causing my community a terrible reputation), I hope that through education and compassion they see how wrong & hurtful their words have been. Thankfully, I've been educated my whole life about isr*el through the Holocaust legacy we have in our family, my great grandmother having survived it and actively fought against the idea of isr*el, how it's just going end up brainwashing so many youths into thinking they can just turf indigenous people from their literal homes. I've unfortunately been to isr*el when I was a child because my dead beat father seemed to think it was a good idea, even if my beloved great-grandmother pleaded with him not to. Luckily my mom did the right thing and left him and my step-father has been great. He used to blindly support isr*el until he finally educated himself and has felt terrible that this was his mindset for so long. Change can happen, but you need to detangle yourself from isr*el's cluthes and realise that it's more important to protect the real indigenous people of Palestine. Listen to the Rabbi's out in the streets, protesting. Listen to the Jewish Community when we tell you that Zi0nism is a dangerous thing that has weaponised Judaism and played the victim to use as a shield ... okay that got heavy. Moving on!!!!!

Secondly, Hi, I'm Kay (she/her), I'm a veteran of Tumblr, unfortunately. I love watching films, I love to draw, read and have green fingers, yes I'm a plant mama, I just love plants. My prized plant is my monstera because she started off so small & now she's doubled in size. So happy! I also put the B in LGBTQ, I'm very proud of the bi community & love being part of it (biphobes, especially within the queer community, are truly baffling to me - so take your biphobia elsewhere, or better yet, you know, educate yourself? It's not a hard thing to do). I also have crippling anxiety and I'm irritatingly shy, I wish I wasn't but I've always been shy, so if you want to talk to me, you're going to have to be the one to reach out otherwise I'm radio silent (I'm working on it). I'm a millennial, so if you're a minor, sorry, I won't be forging friendships. But you're awsome, just know that!

I used to have Texts From Last Night (TFLN) blog for Stranger Things a few years back that was basically the same as this blog (except back then I had thousands of followers *sigh*). I deleted it because a) people were annoying about it, b) people didn't seem to understand that this wasn't to be taken seriously and c) I got chased off the site because apparently labelling Mike as bi was a death sentence. I said fuck it, and deleted. I started it around when season 2 came out & deleted just before season 4. But I'm hoping the fandom is a little more mature now & I can start up with a fresh, new Stranger Things TFLN blog again, mainly because I miss making edits. Making edits helps take my focus off my anxiety. Yay anxiety.

I take texts from the site Texts From Last Night (it's no longer being maintained, unfortunately), then I take screencaps from my own laptop or from a site called screencapped, then throw it altogether (if you want to look at the site for yourself, just a trigger warning, some of the texts are either gross or bigoted - so just a heads up, I obviously filter out those ones from my blog, I don't want that on here).

I do sometimes edit the original TFLN to fit the screencap, so if the original TFLN mentions a name, I'll change the name to say, for example, Lucas or Nancy. I'll change it if it includes ages & place names too, just to fit with Stranger Things. I also sometimes add my own Text to make it flow smoother, for example this one with Steve & Eddie (the post), the original TFLN only had the 'Eddie' part but I didn't think it flowed well, so I made up a 'Steve' text with a made up area code, so it made more sense that 'Eddie' was responding to 'Steve' rather than just having it as a stand alone text (I really over-complicate my descriptions, huh?).

The numbers on the posts are area codes, and the texts aren't colour coded, I just use what ever colour stands out against the background. I also don't do it by ships; I'll find a text that I think is funny and find a screencap that roughly matches up, so please don't request ship/character posts. I'll maybe do submissions at a later date, where you can send in your funny texts but right now, I'm just making my way through the TFLN site.

Not a particularly interesting introduction post but there you go. I ain't got much to say, I guess. But I will say thanks for your support so far on here, you guys seem to be enjoying the posts and that's all that really matters. Much love!

Kay

x

[fitgothgirl]

⬆️ Lovely sunset walk the other day, and the venue of a wedding I went to this past weekend

⬆️ My outfit for said wedding, and more pretty walk views. Not my favorite pic of me but didn’t get a better full body one and I loved my shoes 🥰🕸️🖤 (purchased them a while ago, hadn’t had a chance to wear them yet). The dress and belt were also new!

Hiiieeee I’m still alive. Been enjoying some time away from social media again. Most times I get the compulsion to click on tumblr or Reddit or something, I just click Solitaire or Wordscapes instead. And times when I have clicked on social media have been fairly short sessions before I remember why I stay away.

Of course I do always miss tumblr peeps... 🖤 That’s always the biggest downside of these breaks.

Went to the gym the day before yesterday for yet another “kicking out the cobwebs” session. Last workout was 4/2, and before that my last one was 3/22, etc... Bit of a pattern haha. But I’m already planning to get back today! I don’t want to keep doing this once-every-1-to-3-weeks thing. It’s better than nothing of course but I want to be doing at least twice a week... Ideally 3 times a week, but I’ll take fewer days first while just getting some friggin consistency down.

Therapy is going well, I wish I could see her more than every other week but it’s okay as it is for now. I’m still trying to get my official ADHD diagnosis and am in the process of switching psychiatrists at the service I use. But in the meantime my therapist sent me a couple links to sites for ADHD assessment that she’s pretty sure the psychiatrist will refer me to anyway (therapist and psychiatrist are from the same telehealth service). I tried one and it let me know it’d be a 60-90 minute process that I’d do on my own and then someone would reach out to me to schedule an appointment for me to talk to a doctor. The very first thing of this assessment was a page that just said “In your own words, please tell us more about why you are here, and your long term goals” and it had a blank area for me to type with no character limit... I was like ohhhohohooo wow... Where to begin... They’re going to get an essay from me. But it also just triggered some major overwhelm-shutdown too. The irony of it is great. I’ll need to get in the zone to tackle this, but it did warn me it’d be up to 90 minutes; we’ll see if I even stay within that lol.

Otherwise with therapy, I’ve been good about doing my “homework.” I keep a little post-it on my desk’s hutch near my monitor so I see a bullet point list of the key things for me to remember until the next appointment. Those are my priorities and anything else is just bonus. Some things don’t get done but that’s to be expected - she says if I always did 100% in everything then she’d ask if I was really being honest lmao. But no self-deprecation or guilt allowed!

Weather has been beautiful and I’ve been spending time outside, either in the backyard or going for walks. One thing my therapist brought up with me when I was talking about wanting to get 10,000 steps a day since it’s so good for so many things, was that it’s a little unrealistic to expect myself to suddenly do something every single day when I’m hardly ever doing it to begin with. My Fitbit makes me want to hit daily goals but what other habit changes would I expect to suddenly do daily? Most of the time we try to do new things once or twice a week or whatever. Kind of was like an aha moment for me and helped lessen the guilt of how much I struggle to get that done. So now my daily step goal is 5,000, which is still a little more than I’d get just sitting around all day, so that’s a good goal. And for 10,000 steps, for now I’m aiming to hit that once a week. I’ve dedicated Tuesdays for that. And if I get it more days than that, then great! And I’ve actually gotten 10,000 steps on 5 out of the last 10 days... 😳 Plus another day of 9,000. Funny how that works lol.

We had a slender salamander in our backyard 😭 Look at him legs do steppies!!!! 🥺🥺 Also peep my bf helping take off the thing stuck to him lol. We’re in a moderately dense suburb-ish area so we don’t get much besides some birds and the usual stuff. Wonder where he came from and where he went…

I could probably keep going, but I’ll end this essay here for now lol.

[shortfictionweeklychallenge]

Short Fiction Weekly Challenge

Time for a new prompt from the Short Fiction Weekly Challenge, tumblr edition.  Let it spark your imagination.  Any character, any fandom, any original world.   Reblogs welcome!

Post your story to your blog and send the link to Short Fiction Weekly Challenge!  The link will appear in our feed and the site index, and your blog will be listed on the Participating Blogs page.

It’s a new Month of Meta from Short Fiction Weekly Challenge! These prompts focus on craft and writing tools, as opposed to scenario prompts. This month’s theme: Canon, Schmanon!

Fanfiction--and SFWC has its roots firmly planted in fanfiction--always had a loose relationship with show/book/game/movie canon. Every writer draws their own lines as to how canon-compliant they want to be. This month, we’re throwing out specific canon and replacing it with our own.

Don’t write fanfic? Working on something original? Guess what? You made your own canon, and this month you have permission (if you feel you need it) to explore alternatives and write AU fanfic of your own work. Try it! 

This week’s Canon, Schmanon! SFWC prompt:

Week of March 3, 2023

The Big One: Kill a Canon Character Starting out with a bang! Maybe literally! It could be a character you hate. It could be one whose close call ought to have (or could easily have) been fatal. It could be one you love, but their death would change the story in dramatic and interesting ways. Maybe it’s a character that canon revived but shouldn’t have (looking at you, Palpatine). Their death might grant another character closure, or vengeance. Maybe they’re just extra and removing them tightens the tale. Their death could be funny or gruesome, or they might have never existed in your new continuity. This week, someone dies.

Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt.  A masterpiece missed the deadline?  Don’t let it gather electronic dust.  Submit it anyway and Short Fiction Weekly Challenge will publish it.  

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

Paying the Bills: Adventuring often pays well-- if erratically. Some characters ply a trade or rely on other, more reliable, income sources. At the same time, our characters incur expenses less adventuring types never worry about. How does your character deal with routine bills? What constitutes "routine" for your character? Can they trade the "good laying hens" they received from a villager in gratitude to the local temple for a curse removal? Suppose Republic Credits are no good and they need something more real? Write about a time when your character had to balance their budget.

None Shall Pass: Gates and those who protect them keep your character out of places they want to go. Physical ones and the associated guards might bar the way to the castle, the detention block, or the treasure they want to steal liberate. Physical gatekeepers overlap some more figurative: the ones who decide, based on their own criteria, who gets into a space. Those criteria don’t have to be (and often aren’t) logical, and may be changed on a whim to keep the “wrong people” out. They might be the security around the concert or ball your character wants to attend. They might be the superfans quizzing someone new on fandom minutia. Perhaps your character is one of the guards at the gate, keeping out the “undesirables.” Write a story involving your character’s interactions with gatekeepers, physical or otherwise.

Got an idea for a prompt?  Submit it here.

[josiebelladonna]

of all the social networks, i think facebook is the one i have the most dysfunctional relationship with. it’s the one i’ve taken the most breaks from, and the one that i wish i could just delete already, and yet i can’t seem to bring myself to pull the plug. i came really close a couple of times, like really close: i was there at the deletion page, but there was something that stopped me from doing it.

i want to rid of it. i want to wake up tomorrow and see it gone forever and instagram its own independent thing, just like how i want to wake up tomorrow and see tiktok gone forever as well.

what’s stopping me, you ask? my dad is on there. so is alex. and my aunt chris. and teababe. and xana.

i don’t give a single fuck about the rest of it, though. the people i’ve on my friends list are either: complete depressive pathetic trash, right-wing nutjobs who don’t listen, people in their 40s/50s/60s who are your typical run-of-the-mill boomers/gen xers or they have empty nest syndrome, people my age who are already entering their quarter-life/”oh fuck i’m turning 30 soon” crisis (been there, done that, can’t help ya) and i look at them and think “it’s 2023. what are you guys even still doing here?”, ai apologists, or just really, really, really boring people, and what’s weird is i didn’t really start taking notice of these traits until about a couple of years ago when the pandemic first hit. there’s only like a few people visible to me who actually strike me as happy or genuinely content with life. i see a lot of people on there who give off this vibe of missing something from their lives the memes are trash or glurge-y or the most cringe bullshit i’ve ever seen or just the same shit i’ve seen and heard a thousand times before on tumblr... what, 10 years ago? jesus. there are so many people on there i just punk the shit out of because they need to be challenged and offended because they have a terrible attitude (like, kristin: “ugh, pop music sucks” | me: “some of it does, but some of it’s actually kind of decent, i don’t make the rules #kristinisthenewkaren #apologiestoanyonenamedkristinwhoisntlikethatatall” - fun fact, i have never seen that woman laugh. not a giggle, not a teehee, never went “HA!”. she’s very pretentious, too: besides being a massive loser stuck in the past and an absolute fucking piece of shit i, i mean, a ~pro-life feminist~ who’s way too much of that for her own good to the point of believing in the theory of evolution but heaven forbid science proves 100 times over that it’s okay to have an abortion, she’s one of those people you look at and you think, “do you even have any hobbies or pets or books or... a sense of childlike wonder? because when you’re not at work, or bragging, you’re navel-gazing pretty much. at least I have hobbies and a dog and a cat, and i’m always wanting to read stuff, too.” yeah. you need to be punk’d, and by a woman no less). i’ve called that place a toilet before, and i’ll really call it that now. also, the groups suck, and it almost doesn’t matter what the subject of said group is now.

i should’ve left 7 years ago when it all started going downhill with the orange running for el presidente.

but i didn’t, though. because i have people i care about on there. otherwise, yeah, i would’ve deleted in 2016. all i can say is that site just needs to die. we need to let it die on its own. it’s old and stodgy and useless and clinical and censors everything and everyone often for no reason (i know it has with me).

the other thing that kills me about it? it’s the one account i have with my real name on it. i’m mostly faceless on instagram (mostly; i’ve shown my face and my name on there before but i’m known as simply badmotorartist and hannah-bal lecter on there), but it’s the one place i’m most myself on - next to tumblr of course - because i can’t do it anymore on facebook.

it’s this really weird conundrum of having people i care about on there but i feel so restricted and it also brings out the hellraiser in me, and yet i’m more “myself” in places where they’re nowhere to be found and my rebellious streak is put to good use. or in alex’s case, lurking and 99% of the time, i forget he’s there. he’s a very quiet one - you know, typical triple scorpio man, he moves very silently until he’s ready to pounce. but this also happened to me with chris all the time; and i get that with joey and eric, too, i forget they’re looking at me all the time. i think that sets me apart, aside from the art, is that i just don’t even think about it, like, “oh my god, chris cornell is following me” or “oh my god, alex skolnick is watching me”, i don’t think about that sort of thing. it surprises me when it’s brought to my attention, like “holy shit, really?” or when it happens initially, but i don’t ruminate on it, mainly because this is the internet. unless you’re sitting behind a paywall or you jimmy with your settings to where you’re left out of a simple search, you’re out in the open and you can be found. there’s something very comforting about that, too.

[1prabhatsingh]

How AI Helps in SEO for Web Development

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has worked wonders for many industries and the same can be said for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for web development. The integration of AI in SEO is helpful to businesses because it helps them in improving their website optimization and increase their ranking on search engines. Here's how AI helps in SEO for web development:Here's how AI helps in SEO for web development:

1. Keyword Research and Analysis

AI tools can assess large amounts of data within a short time and give a business the keywords that are frequently used by the public. Therefore, using AI, one is able to determine search intent and user behaviour to give related and likely to be searched keywords. For example, an SEO company based in Jaipur or an SEO agency based in London can use AI to find out keywords that are relevant to their markets only and hence they will be able to compete for the local and international searches.

2. Content Optimization

It does this by examining high-ranking pages and determining why they are successful in an effort to apply similar strategies to content. This comprises keyword density, content organization, readability, and many more. Applications such as NLP help the AI in understanding the meanings and the overall context of a piece of content in order to generate more engaging content for the users as well as for the search engines.

3. Automated SEO Audits

Auditing a website for SEO is very important to ensure that the website is in good condition. Some of the features that AI SEO tools can perform is to crawl a website and check for any problem such as broken link, slow page speed and even missing meta tags. This is useful for web developers and SEO firms including an SEO company in Delhi to easily fix these problems and make sure that the site is always in the best shape for search engine crawlers and indexes.

4. Personalized User Experience

This is because AI is capable of understanding user behavior on a website and changing the content accordingly to meet the user’s needs. For instance, if a visitor is in search of services from an SEO agency in London, then the website can display content relevant to the visitor’s interest thus enhancing engagement and sales. This makes the user experience better while at the same time helping improve the website’s ranking in the search engine results page.

5. Voice Search Optimization

Due to the increased usage of voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa, it is necessary to focus on voice search optimization. AI enables the identification of the user’s intent from natural language queries helping businesses to better tailor their content. Using conversational keywords and phrases will help businesses to rank for voice search queries, which is essential for an SEO company in Jaipur that is targeting the local market who actually uses the voice search to find services.

6. Enhanced Data Analysis

This means that the algorithm performs analysis on large sets of data in order to come up with conclusions that would have otherwise been hard to reach. This entails traffic flow analysis, user demographics and other critical metrics among others. These insights can be valuable for an SEO company in Delhi or any other city as it will help the company to know its target audience and make the right decisions based on the data collected.

7. Automated Reporting and Monitoring

SEO reports can be created by AI-powered tools that will help in monitoring the results of different SEO strategies used in a particular period. This is beneficial for SEO agencies like the SEO agency in London for it allows them to check their performance with time and change things accordingly. Automated monitoring also notifies the web developers of any changes in the traffic or the rankings and they are able to respond accordingly.

Conclusion

Thus, AI has already found its application in SEO for web development as an essential instrument that improves the overall performance. Whether you are an SEO company in Jaipur, an SEO agency in London, or an SEO company in Delhi, you can use AI to stand ahead of the competition by getting better keyword research, content optimization and data analysis. Therefore, as AI technology advances, it will become more and more involved in SEO and thus should not be neglected by any SEO strategy.

[cindylouwho-2]

Recent SEO & Marketing News for Ecommerce, January 2024

Here's my first SEO and marketing news report for 2024 (please read my ecommerce and Etsy news report as well, if you want to keep up to date! They were previously one large report together)

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

If you have ever wondered how Google ranks pages, this correlation study [infographic] by Semrush may shed some insight. 

And if you have ever wondered how Google assesses page or site quality, this good overview of Google’s “E-E-A-T” standards can help you gain better reader satisfaction and even higher rankings. “Although these guidelines might not have a direct impact on rankings, adhering to the principles of E-E-A-T is aligned with creating content that meets user needs, which can positively influence search performance.”

If you want to optimize a page for Google do that search first and see what Google displays, including related searches and related questions. 

An interesting study shows that tons of people use Google search like a bookmark service, to search common sites instead of typing the full URL. On the other hand, the long tail numbers have grown as well. 

Some Google search results in the EU will be changing a bit, due to the Digital Markets Act. Most of them involve Google giving searchers more options to see Google’s competition. 

Periodic reminder that you should not move your website or otherwise alter the URLs without making sure you won’t lose Google traffic in doing so. 

Google’s Helpful Content updates have really hurt some sites. There are things ecommerce sites can do to improve their “helpfulness”. 

While this Semrush blog post claims to focus on ecommerce SEO, it’s useful for most types of websites and has little in it specific to ecommerce. This post on ecommerce product pages specifically has more ecommerce-focussed info. 

A great article demonstrating how SEO is done on content blogs, and why it often means we get substandard content and confusing Google results. As with the The Verge’s last piece on SEO, some SEOs were not happy with this, and Google reps directly contradicted some of the info, including the claim that you need author bylines to rank better. 

“There is no such thing as perfect SEO”, and Google confirms that. 

If you missed any Google developments in December, you can catch up on them in this webmaster report. Missed November as well? That’s covered too. 

Not Google

Despite Bing’s AI chat being widely preferred to anything Google has put out, Bing only gained an extra 1% of search traffic worldwide in 2023. 

Baidu is China’s largest search engine; here’s a correlation study on ranking factors. 

SOCIAL MEDIA - All Aspects, By Site

General

A US federal court blocked Ohio’s ban on under-16s signing up for social media accounts without parental consent. 

Facebook (includes relevant general news from Meta)

Meta has introduced Link History, so that users have more control over privacy, but note that “Meta is just asking users for permission for a category of tracking that it’s been using for over a decade.”

Meta ads no longer have some detailed targeting options, as of January 15. 

Meta collects info on you from thousands of companies, an average of 2,230 different ones, according to a study by Consumer Reports. The study was not a representative sample, and “[p]articipants were also likely more privacy-conscious and technically inclined than typical users and more likely to be members of Consumers Reports.”

Instagram

Instagram now lets you make custom stickers from your still images. Note that you can do this with other people’s still images as well, unless they have disabled permission. 

Reddit

Reddit is expected to introduce its IPO in March, after a few years of rumours. 

Threads

Threads became available in the EU in December. And it even has hashtags now. 

TikTok

We’ve heard a lot about Gen Z using TikTok as their primary search engine, and this study from Adobe confirms it: 64% of Gen Z say they have done this, while only 29% of Gen X has. Almost 10% of Gen Z prefers TikTok to Google for search engines. Also of note: across the whole study, YouTube finished second to Google as the most useful search engine. 

If you market on TikTok, check out their Valentine’s Day guide. 

YouTube

Shorts are doing well on YouTube, and the company now provides a tool to change your long form videos into Shorts. 

(CONTENT) MARKETING (includes blogging, emails, and strategies) 

To get results from content marketing, you need a solid content strategy. This Search Engine Journal article outlines 11 reasons a strategy can underperform, with some tips on avoiding these issues.  

Get next month’s promotions ready early with 5 content marketing ideas for February. 

New Yahoo and Gmail email rules take effect in February, which may mean more promotional emails get sent to spam filters. There are some things you should do to improve deliverability rates, including not sending from free email addresses. 

Is a business’ blog eligible to show up in Google News? Possibly, but you still have to follow the content rules. 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (EXCEPT INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AND ECOMMERCE SITES) 

While Google Ads is not planning on phasing out free support for the product after introducing a paid support service, they are looking at AI to improve service. Hundreds of employees in the Ads division have been laid off as AI-options become more available. 

Google’s Chrome browser has begun removing tracking cookies for 1% of users, the first step in removing them for everyone by the end of 2024. “The impact of Google removing tracking cookies will be significant, with cookies traditionally providing key insights that help power the internet’s targeted ad system. Google’s replacement will instead see users categorized into topic listings, in an anonymized way, so brands will still be able to show their ads to subsets of users, but they won’t be able to utilize granular targeting based on the specifics of what people have engaged with across different websites.” If you use Chrome, you can figure out if you are part of that 1%. [Sadly, I am not in the initial test.] Remember that Google “makes the vast majority of its money tracking you and showing you ads online” so this is a big change, but “Google isn’t about to destroy its own business.”

Not sure if you can afford Google Ads for your website? This article walks through the current average costs and how to control them. For example, “[a]d scheduling, also known as dayparting, involves specifying the hours or days to show your ads to potential customers. This practice enables you to allocate more of your budget to peak times when potential customers are more active, ensuring better visibility and more clicks.” As for setting bids, “If you’re unsure where to start, Google suggests a $1 max CPC bid. But the golden rule? Set a max bid below the point where you no longer profit.”

You need to set up GA4 in certain ways to get the most data out of your Google Ads. 

Microsoft will soon launch an AI tool to generate banner ads for you, based on the product page you want to advertise. 

BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

When asked in surveys, free shipping is very popular with most US shoppers. Yet another survey had similar results, noting that same-day delivery is far less important to buyers. 

IMAGES, VIDEO, GRAPHIC DESIGN, & FREE ONLINE TOOLS

So many artists are furious about AI image generators scraping their work that there is now a tool, “Nightshade”, that you can embed in your work to poison the data set. “This can result in the algorithm mistakenly learning to classify an image as something a human would visually know to be untrue. As a result, the generator can start returning unpredictable and unintended results.���

MISCELLANEOUS (including humour) 

Looking to give away surplus stock? Here are some ideas. [The charities linked are in the US, but there are many general ideas that will apply to other countries as well.]

People are so careless with their AI use that they are posting items to marketplaces containing OpenAI’s refusal to generate a response. It’s hilarious. 

AI-created items can’t be patented in the UK. 

[thewul]

Yes but the status bar, well any good webdesign is going to automatically resize what we have, rather the focus is on how Open SDG, an open source SDG tool, quite extensive and customizable has now become the main nav of the site

India is doing some mind boggling stuff with SDG graphics I should say

SDG 15 from the side nav doesn't take you to this page, this is a rotating teaser page there are others, SDG 15 from the side nave takes you to Open SDG with SDG 15 breakdown and stats, to which we want to add projects and initiatives using both a scroll list and interactive map

I guess we should break down SDG 15 because other goals will be like it

A 25% opacity black fill is versatile and unobtrusive to serve as a side nav

And we have the breakdown here of SDG 15, the color gradient can change to match the goal color

So it is only the site landing page that is missing

I like it it's quite transparent in terms of interface, easy to understand and to use, color coded gradients on top of that, so it taps into the color coding of SDG's

And yes different teaser pages, features, each time you visit

Next we have that same goal broken down in regions using an interactive map that lets users see how that goal is distributed regionally

The gradient fill, well it's nice to have it fills the screen the background would be white otherwise, but further down that page using signets we have either a white or light gray background

The map is versatile and useful for bringing that geographical dimension to each SDG goal or sub goal or attached projects and initiatives, on this map for example we can see where the palm trees plantations should take place

That's a lot of palm trees, so like we said the strategy is to invest heavily in our southern provinces, have assets there, that's half the superficy of the country that can be developed and a strong growth factor for the Kingdom

[belgiumwebnet1]

7 Tips To Keep in Mind For eCommerce Website Development

A vital principle for running a business is to have a dynamic approach. It simply means being adaptive to conditions according to the business environment. Thus, with changing trends, you need to mold your business too.

The introduction of the internet has changed the way we interact within a marketplace. Now, websites and social media handles have become the firsthand representative of your business. 

A website is essential for each business in order to boost its lead generation. It is a virtual store for your business. It allows the target audience to browse through the products and services offered by your business. If you want, you can acquire the assistance of an ecommerce website development company for jewelers to build a website and get started with your online store. 

Here are some tips that will help you in the website development for your business:

Right Platform and Functional Theme

When assessing an ecommerce website development, it is essential to choose a platform. A platform is the foundation of your business. You can opt for proven platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and others that can handle the volume you anticipate for the future of your business. 

Once you have chosen a platform, the next critical choice is your theme. You need one that:

Is visually appealing

Customizable to your brand

Loads quickly

Responsive

Works on all browsers

This is where your customers interact with your site. It must look good and perform well.

2. SEO and Site Performance

Use proper eCommerce SEO and search marketing so that your pages receive a higher rank and shoppers can find you. Site performance and page load speed also make a huge difference to your UX and Google ranking. Researchers have found 40% of shoppers leave if the page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

3. Mobile Responsiveness

Mobile users need to be able to search, browse, and buy right from their phones and other devices without hassle. Statista reports that 49.7% of page views in 2017 came from mobile devices. You're missing out on almost 50% of your potential customers if you are not yet mobile-responsive. You can get help onboard with the help of an ecommerce web design company for jewelers for better results.

4. Security and Data Safety

Trust between customer and merchant is critical for sales. You can build trust among your customers by encrypting every page using HTTPS protocol, not just the payment information pages. Customers rightly expect you to keep their data safe.

5. Product Selection and Site Search

Offering too many choices to your customers can hinder sales. Buyers may have decision paralysis when they get overwhelmed with too many options. They will walk away rather than stay and decide. Always include a site search that is fast, reliable, and scalable. 30% of visitors use a site search. It’s a critical component of any eCommerce site. 

6. Quality Visuals of the Product

Visuals are a perfect way to grab the attention of your customers. The key to success is having one, or both, located above the fold on every page.

Video can tell a complete story that photos can’t. Try adding as many product videos as possible. It will help you boost your conversions as well.

7. Painless Transaction

Remember to allow your potential customer to have a hassle-free checkout from your website after they have added the item to the cart, otherwise, your sales will get affected. 

Your customer should be able to purchase without any problems by making payments via any medium. 

Keeping these points in consideration will allow you to make a flawless and customer-friendly E-commerce website. If you are planning to get professional assistance, then Belgium Webnet is here to help. They are the best web design and digital marketing service provider for jewelers offering the most satisfactory services. Visit their website to know more about them.

Original Source: https://belgiumwebnet.blogspot.com/2022/12/7-tips-to-keep-in-mind-for-ecommerce.html

[seolongisland]

How to Optimize Your Technical SEO for Greater Search Visibility

Search engine optimization (SEO) has been around since the early days of the internet. It is still one of the most valuable things you can do to increase your visibility and bring traffic to your website or blog. However, there is always more to learn and more ways to improve on what you are already doing with your site. So here are some tips from a New York City SEO expert on optimizing your technical SEO to take advantage of improvements that might otherwise have passed you by.

Conduct an inventory of your website.

A good place to start is an inventory of your website. This will help you identify any errors that may prevent search engines from accessing the content on your site. You can use this information to pinpoint the problem and solve it in a way that provides better visibility.

We recommend performing this inventory in a spreadsheet, on which you can record a list of the pages and their URLs, their content type (e.g., blog post or product page), and any errors you find that are related to the technical aspects of SEO (e.g., missing title tags, duplicate meta descriptions).

Identify and fix broken pages and links.

If you have any broken pages or links on your site, it is vital to identify them and fix them as soon as possible. This will help make sure Google can crawl and index your site without errors. If a page is broken because of a URL change, it can be fixed easily by updating the old URL with the new one. However, if a page is broken because of an outdated file or script that no longer functions, it will take more time to fix.

If you are unsure what's causing a broken page or link, use Google's Schema Markup Testing Tool. This free tool will allow you to test any URL on your site and tell you if it is returning an error that would prevent search engines from properly indexing it.

Improve site speed and performance.

Site speed is a critical ranking factor in Google's search algorithm. It can affect your rankings, traffic, and conversions. To improve site speed, you should use a content delivery network (CDN) and optimize images. You should also have an SSL certificate on your website and compress images with tools like JPEG Optimizer, Kraken, Tiny PNG, and Optimizilla.

Implement schema markup.

If you are not using schema markup in your site's code, you are missing a lot of important information about the content on your pages. Schema markup is a way of adding semantic data to your site's code that helps search engines better understand what type of content is being displayed. 

Adding schema markup is relatively simple and can be done using many different CMS platforms. If you have your site running on WordPress, there are numerous plugins that allow you to add schema markups without much work.

Improve your mobile experience.

You may have heard that Google has begun using mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor. Additionally, more and more searchers are using mobile devices to find what they are looking for, so optimizing your site experience is essential. To do that, you should consider using a responsive website design. This will allow the page to adjust its layout based on the screen size of the device being used.

In Conclusion

Your search engine optimization strategy is only as good as the underlying technical SEO. If you don't have a handle on the basics, your website will not be visible in search engine results. Hire professional SEO services in New York to get your technical SEO up-to-date and ensure you rank on Google's first page of results.

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: March 30th, 2021- Part 1

We’ve been really focused on getting the Step 3 DLC done and keeping up with asks kind of got away from me, aha. Thank you for waiting for a reply! We’re still definitely behind, but here’s a good chunk of responses!

I love Our Life so much but if the release of the step 3 dlc is in April, please don't "release" it on April 1, my poor heart can't take that prank 😭

Don’t worry! I’m horrible at pranks, haha. When we do post something specifically for April Fool’s it’s always to pretend it’s a joke when in reality it’s something we’re actually planning to do. But we don’t have anything like that arranged for this year. Any posts on April 1st will just be like normal.

Omigod, can you end the game in love with Cove but not in a relationship? My character stayed calm at the restaurant and Cove slept over at her home and I think I may have missed it. I'm delirious if I did, may never stop laughing. The children are idiots 

Haha, yes, it is possible to be in love and still not get into an actual relationship. There’s no forced ending where the two are made to confess their feelings and accept, it’s all optional/avoidable.

How can you see the new main character cut-in images? I'm not trying to be rude, but, all of my playthroughs, but I haven't seen them yet. (I know you can go through an entire game without seeing them, but I have went through multiple games.) 

It’s a bit of a spoiler to say here, but you can check out the guide we posted on Steam HERE!

Is it possible to win first place in the library quiz with Lizzy (Step 1 DLC) 

Yep, it is! Someone made a guide for the answers HERE (it’s also on Steam). We probably shouldn’t have required a perfect score to win a children quiz, but oh well, haha.

Hello!

In the future (in step 4) can you marry Cove even if you are friends? I would love to have a platonic wedding with him!

I’m afraid not. As much as he cares for the MC when they’re besties, Cove would only really want an official marriage if it’s based on romance.

Hello! I bumped into Our Life randomly last month, and it is one of the best coincidences I have ever laid on. I love how the choices and little details in the story changes throughout the game, and I'm excited to keep supporting you! I'm absolutely in love with Cove and would like to ask what keeps him to be especially interested in the MC? Other than how you can choose what fondness level you have with him, what ultimately leads him to be in sync with us? Sorry if it's a little much & thank u! 

Cove likes the MC because, regardless of the different personality traits you can give the MC, they meet him on his level, listen to him, understand him (even if you’re indifferent and not really close the MC still gets where he’s coming from), and if you’re fond/crush/love than you’re there for him. He finds the MC someone he can respect, trust, and, if they’re close, feel safe with. I’m glad you enjoyed the game!

hi there! for xoxo droplets i see the that female pronouns are used in the description, in the actual game can you change the pronouns or are they stuck as female? i'm aware the game is free, but i have a bad habit of buying dlc's before playing the game so it would be helpful to know before i spend money on it. if anything i'll save that money for more our life dlcs when they come out :D

XOXO Droplets does have a set MC. It’s the story of a specific person rather than a game about making your own story. All of our games prior to Our Life were about exploring MCs that were fully fleshed out people in their own right, so you can’t get the OL experience from what we did before. But we do plan to do more custom-style MCs going forward from here!

For the our life nsfw dlc, will you have to be in the patron to have it or  will there be another way for people who really support the game but can't pay to get it? 

I’m afraid not. We might put it up for sale somewhere other than Patreon someday (though never on Steam or Itch) since we know not everyone can use that site, but it will still cost money on any other hosting page we use. It’s unfortunately not a piece of content we can give away for free.

Hello! I finally got to play Xoxo Blood Droplets and it mentioned about a DLC coming out soon. Is it already out or are you still planning it?

We are still planning to finish it when we can, we just had to put it on hold because 2020 was a tough year and we needed to put all our focus on Our Life. There’s some of the extra DLC stories available for beta testing on the Patreon.

Is there a link to the soundtrack for Xoxo Blood Droplets? I really like the music in this game! 

That’s not available yet, but we’ll probably put it up for sale once the rest of the stories are done.

Would there be any chance for XOXO Droplets OSTs to be released in the future? (Please take my money-) 

We might! There are some things we wanna do and fix before we really start advertising XOXO Droplets things again, but hopefully it all comes together.

Why does Cove dislike Shiloh so much despite all of Shiloh's efforts to get along? I can understand his dislike for Lizzie, but why Shiloh? 

They met under bad terms (with an arranged play date he had no choice in), Shiloh’s sort of pushy himself when it comes to trying to get along, and Cove thinks he’s just kind of unusual in how he interacts/reacts with people. They don’t click, basically.

Is there a way to have your character be a tsundere? And have Cove toughened up a bit due to that? Sorry if the is a stupid question! ^^;

Maybe? The options in the game aren’t based on those types of personality tropes and I don’t know them well enough to say if you can accurately find a way to make it work with the available options. But it’s not a stupid question, I’m sure plenty of other people have considered something similar c:

do voiced names work only with their exact spelling? cause my mc is called Sophia and one of the voiced names is Soffia so i was wondering but if only works like that it's fine (sorry if i made any mistakes, english isn't my first language) 

“Voice” and “text” are separate! You can pick the “voice” you want and then type in whatever “text” you prefer. And your English is really good.

Will OL:NF be based on a season/break like the first game? Or some other type of setting? 

Our Life: Now & Forever takes place over the full course of Autumn. So, the start of school and then into the fall holiday season type of time period.

Will we ever see a jealous cove😭😭 please im begging u- 

Only in small ways, really. Sadly, I’m just not someone who enjoys jealousy in stories and therefore I don’t know how to implement it in a way that feels enjoyable. Maybe I’ll figure out a angle I can work with in future projects.

Do you have any plans with Our Life once step 4 has been released along with step 3's DLCs? 

After the Step 3 DLCs and Step 4 we’ll be releasing the Cove wedding DLC, the Derek romance DLC, and then the Baxter romance DLC. The project will likely be considered fully complete at that point.

Hello, I just needed to first of all sat how amazed I was when I discovered this game. I thought I would be disappointed by the lack of love interests, but you worked so hard to make sure Cove is the Best Boy for so many different people!! It really has been my comfort game for a while now, and I think all the different choices you allow make it the best romance game I’ve played in my life. The only problem is now my expectations for love are Cove level, and no one can live up to that. You’ve put so much consideration to make this game super inclusive and I think it’s amazing. If I can ask, for the exclusive NSFW Patreon dlc, will it only be available for the month it comes out? Or could I become a patron months later and still be able to download it. I just don’t have a job right now otherwise I would LOVE to subscribe to your Patreon and definitely will once I have the money again!! Thank you so so much for making such a lovely game that’s brought me so much joy.

&

Hiya! I'm so sorry for sounding like a complete degenerate for asking, but will the nsfw moment on patreon still be available even if i'm not a patron of the month it comes out? (e.g. i didnt pay/join the necessary tier before the moment is released) Thank you for your hard work on OL, I really connected with Cove in a way I never anticipated.

Thank you very much for such kind words! The Patreon DLC will be up for download on the Patreon indefinitely once it’s done. Just like the normal DLCs, you can pay to get it whenever you like but it won’t be up for sale until it’s finished. So take all the time you need.

Sorry to bother you guys, but there was an earlier ask detailing the OL LI's love languages and I was just wondering- Would that be for them personally, as in what they do, or the love language they enjoy receiving the most? Because I know for some people it's different for both on giving and receiving and was a bit confused, haha. Sorry for the trouble, your games are really nice!

For Cove and Derek it’s what they like to receive and what they give. For Baxter, it’s what he likes to get. What he gives is tailored to his partner. He’s flexible that way~ And it’s no trouble.

asking (and also fanning... fanboying? fangirling? fanpersoning? screw it- from a distance) anonymously because my confidence is nonexistent.

will you be doing a kickstarter for our life: now and forever? i know it's probably been asked and mentioned before, but will you be doing a kickstarter akin to the one done for our life: beginnings and always? if so, will you be doing similar tier rewards? (if you guys do so, i will [politely] throw my money at you).

now, to the fan.. personing? FAN. uhm. to the part where this anonymous agender idiot will begin to act as the fan they are.

THE GAME IS SO. SO NICE. IT'S CUSTOMIZABLE. I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT PART. AAAAA I ALSO ENJOY THAT YOU GAVE US THE OPTION TO JUST STAY BEST FRIENDS OR SOMETHING A8DBAIHEW- AND YOU INCLUDED AROS AND ACES IN THAT SEXUALITY CHOOSING PART- aaaAAA AND YOU MADE ELIZABETH FILIPINO- THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR CREATING SUCH AN INCLUSIVE GAME!!!

to summarize; will you be doing a kickstarter? and thank you for creating such a nice game. i, and likely the majority if not all of those who have played the game, am thankful.

Aw, thanks <3! I’m so happy it was such a nice experience for you. We are planning on having a Kickstarter for Our Life: Now & Forever. It’ll have similar rewards to the Our Life: O&A Kickstarter, but some changes will have to be made. Like, we’ll definitely need to increase the rate for getting a voiced name. Originally it was $3USD, which was super low for how much work it really took to add in a customized piece of voice acting, aha. Live and learn.

So sorry if you've already answered this, I looked but I couldn't find anything. Is the 18+ DLC coming out alongside the Step 3 DLC, or do they have different development timelines entirely? I'm so excited for all the DLC coming out in the future, and even though the release dates aren't out, I'm already counting down the days. :)

They have different development times and will come out separately. Despite taking place in the same Step period, they’re disconnected pieces of content and making progress on one doesn’t mean the other is closer to being finished. The normal Step 3 DLC is releasing first. It’s great to hear you’re looking forward to them!

Hey!! I'm absolutely LOVING Our Life! I have been pondering on one question though, what's Cove's ethnicity, if there is a set one? Or is it something we can Headcanon? 

&

hi hi! i wanted to say first of all that i absolutely adore our life. it's one of my favourite games of 2020, and i think it was just the perfect dose of positivity we all needed, even if you didn't intend to release it during such a hectic year lol! secondly, i wanted to say: if it's alright to ask, what ethnicity is cove? :-0 and what about his parents? i was just curious about it ^^)/ thank you!!

Cove’s mom, Kyra, is white. But his dad’s, Cliff’s, race doesn’t come up and players are able to headcanon it. So Cove is half white and half whatever you prefer Cliff to be! 

hello! there was a post on the patreon where you can run your fingers down cove's chest in errands - how do you get that scene? ♥ 

That was an old mistake on my part- you can only get that scene in the Ending rather Errands. You have to leave the big family dinner at the restaurant to go into the car, be dating Cove for a while, have Cove come see you there, and then mention using your hands when Cove makes a joke about hands.

in baxter’s dlc, is there any point where you can tell him about the previous renters of the condo? 

You can talk to him about that in the normal Step 3 DLC!

—– —– —– —–

Thank you for all the interest in our games everybody :D

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Extreme Aggressor: Part Two

Pairing: Eventual Spencer Reid x Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill, and angst

Summary: Jason Gideon is called back from a six-month leave from the Behavioral Analysis Unit to profile a killer. Meanwhile, the team flies across the country to Seattle when another young woman goes missing at the hands of "The Seattle Strangler," another serial killer.

Author’s Note: Here is it finally! After hard work, it is finally ready for your viewing pleasure! Please, feedback is always appreciated so let me know what you like about it and what you didn’t!

I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there is any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated.

So without further ado, please enjoy!

After arriving at the police headquarters, you followed Gideon and the rest of the team inside the building. It still felt awkward between you and the rest of the team which is why you stuck to Gideon’s side the whole time. He walked fast throughout the building, and you did your best to keep up.

“He never stands with his back to a window. When I was between him and a doorway, he asked me to move,” Derek gossiped about your friend.

“That's hypervigilance. It's not uncommon in post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“Just how much disorder are we talking about?”

“Morgan, it's been six months. Everything's okay,” Hotchner calmed him down.

“And he brings along a woman we don’t even know? How do we know we can trust her? I’m sorry, but she doesn’t mean anything to me yet,” Derek asked just as you passed them.

Looking at them over your shoulder, you caught Spencer’s eyes before moving on.

“Give her time. You gave me time,” he said, catching up to you. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. He’s right. I’m a stranger to you guys.”

“Hopefully by the end of this, you won’t be,” he smiled, walking into the main room with you that was crowded with uniforms.

“This is special agent Gideon, special agent Morgan, our expert on obsessional crimes, special agent Reid—”

“Dr. Reid,” Gideon interrupted.

“Dr. Reid, our expert on well, everything, and the newest member of our team, Y/N Y/L/N. And after two years busting my ass in this office, I hope you all remember me,” Hotchner smiled with the laughter that ensured throughout the room.

“He's willing to travel with the body,” Gideon speaks, looking at the map.

“Then he drives a vehicle capable of concealing one,” Hotchner added.

“1 in 7.4 drivers in Seattle owns an SUV,” Spencer spat out.

“But how do we know it's his car? Ted Bundy drove a VW Bug. What about a Jeep Cherokee? Jeeps are more masculine,” Derek voiced his thoughts.

“We all know how an unsub feels about asserting his masculinity,” Gideon chuckled.

“When did the bureau become involved in the case?” Hotchner asked the lead police officer.

“After the fourth body. He dumped that one out of state.”

While everyone was conversing and talking, you walked up the board with the recent pictures of the latest kidnapped victim, Heather. She went missing about a day ago which means she has about 24 hours left until she is dead—and the clock is ticking. Her image and the photos of the abduction site certainly does something for you, but it’s not enough. Reaching up to touch the image of her, you closed your eyes to see if you can get anything from a picture.

A flash of an orange car here, her heart rate increasing while inside the car, but other than that, you got nothing. It would be better if you were touching some of her things since the human body leaves traces wherever they go, whatever they touch. Since she wasn’t murdered, there isn’t a dump site that would give you even more clues and answers.

“What are you doing?” Spencer asked when he saw you.

Opening your eyes, you lowered your hand before looking at him.

“I am trying to connect myself with her through a photograph. It’s not that common to get anything, but it does happen. I see an orange car and her fearful expressions, but that’s about it.”

“What do you need in order to get a clearer picture?”

“Her belongings. Every human leaves a spiritual trace wherever they go. It’s stronger with personal items.”

“Agent Gideon, where would you like to start?” one of the policemen asked.

“Let's start at the site of the last murder. Y/N, you coming?”

“I think I’ll get a better read on Heather and whether she’s alive or not if I’m with her things. I’ll go to her house.”

“Reid and I will go with you,” Hotchner announced.

Knowing you wouldn’t go alone, you bit your own tongue and followed the two men out the door. The fact that the Bureau provided government standard SUVs were pretty cool. It didn’t take long to go to Heather’s house, and when you arrived, you met her brother and the dog she owned.

“Sandy, no, no, no. I'm so sorry,” Heather’s brother, David, apologized when the big dog started barking and trying to playfully attack you three. However, when it came to you, the dog just stared at you silently.

“No, it's okay. It's what we call the Reid effect,” Hotchner stated, causing the young doctor to be confused. “I'm agent Hotchner. This is special agent Dr. Reid and Dr. Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Y/N is fine,” you quickly added.

“You two look too young to have gone to medical school,” the man observed.

“They're PhD's. 3 of them. She has two.”

“Spencer,” you whispered softly to get him to shut up about it.

It’s not like you don’t want people to know you have 2 PhDs, but you just didn’t want the attention. Plus, if your dad knew you went to school to be a profiler in the FBI, he’d have your head.

“Are you a genius or something?”

“I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute,” he gushed. The man stared at him like he was crazy, so the young doctor just agreed. “Yes, I'm a genius.”

“Sandy, you get a lot of attention, don't you?” Hotchner asked the dog who just panted.

Instead of being with them, you took a look around the room to see if you can get a feel to the place. Heather’s spirit was here through certain items, but because there are more than one, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where it’s coming from. The conversation went on about her dog until it got back on track.

“David, does your sister drive a Datsun Z?” Spencer asked when he picked up a magazine.

“No, but she's in the market for one. How'd you know?” he asked, and Spencer held it up. David just shook his head and took his dog outside since she was getting antsy.

“There's an immediate relationship established between a buyer and a seller, a certain level of trust. If I want to coax a young woman into my car, I’d offer her a test drive,” you said, causing the two men to stare at you.

Their bodies were emitting tension, and you knew they didn’t trust you at all. You needed to do something to prove to them that you were worthy enough to be on this team.

“Let me show you what I can do, okay?”

“Alright,” Hotch said.

Taking the magazine from Spencer’s hands, you closed your eyes in concentration. A multitude of pictures flashed through your mind due to the residue that Heather left behind, until those pictures turned into film. Heather was seated on the couch right behind Hotch and Spencer, flipping through the magazine happily. When she got to the page she wanted, she grabbed the red marker on the table next to her and circled the orange car a bunch of times. She then grabbed her money and began counting it to see if she had enough money to buy it.

“Heather is sitting on that couch, super excited to buy the orange car I keep seeing. She circles the one she wants with a red marker, and she starts to count her money,” you open your eyes, and began to flip through the magazine until you found the page you were looking for. “If I’m right, it’s this page she was on. She found someone with this exact car, and whoever took her did it because they got her to test drive it.”

The page you landed on was the same exact page with the red marker.

“Nice job,” Hotch complimented.

“That’s amazing,” Spencer muttered.

“Thank you. I just want to help, Agent Hotchner.”

“Please, call me Hotch.”

“Okay, then how about the fact that on one hand, we have paranoid psychosis, but the autopsy protocol says what?” Derek asked.

Back at the office, everyone was talking about the case and how the MO of this unsub didn’t make any sense. Derek was the one who was freaking out about everything since apparently not having a profile ready didn't bode well for him.

“Adhesive residue shows he put layer after layer of duct tape over his victims' eyes,” Spencer answered.

“He knows he wants to kill them, but he still covers their eyes. He doesn't want 'em looking at him, apparently. Okay, but then he takes the body and dumps it right out in the open, murder weapon nearby.”

“Not the MO of a paranoid convinced he's being watched or surveilled,” Spencer added.

Gideon stares at the drawing board while the rest talked about the case. Just by the look of his face, he was drowning out whatever they were saying. Even though you can get a read on his spiritual energy, that didn’t mean you could understand what he is thinking.

“Jason? What’s wrong?” you asked quietly, making sure only he could hear you.

However, he didn’t answer you directly.

“Alright, enough,” he interrupted the chatter in the room. “Let's tell them we're ready.”

“We're ready?” Derek gasped as Gideon left the room. The young genius started to write something down on his notepad, but the older agent wasn’t finished. “Reid, you're good with this? We've got a woman who's only got a few hours left to live, an incomplete profile, and a unit chief on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”

“They don't call them nervous breakdowns anymore,” you noted.

“It's called a major depressive episode.”

“I know, Reid,” Derek sighed.

Walking away from the board, you looked at Spencer quickly right before you left the room. Gideon gathered everyone in a conference room to deliver the profile and stood in the middle of the room with the tables blocking him in on three sides like a square. The rest of his team stood off to the side, and while Hotch, Spencer, and Derek were listening, you were watching the reactions of everyone in this room. If your abilities told you anything, it’s how untrustworthy even the most highly respected person could be.

“The unidentified subject is white and in his late 20's. He's someone you wouldn't notice at first. He's someone who'd blend into any crowd. The violent nature of the crime suggests a previous criminal record--petty crimes, maybe auto theft,” Gideon began. Running your eyes over every person in this room, you tapped into their energies to see what the normal eye couldn’t.

“We've classified him as an organized killer—psychopathic as opposed to psychotic. He follows the news, has good hygiene, and he's smart. 'Cause he's smart, the only physical evidence you'll find is what he wants you to find,” Gideon continued. The person right in front of you wanted to pay attention, but all of his focus was centered on his phone. He’s got some private issues at home that you rather not delve into right now.

“He's mobile, and his car in good condition. Our guess is a Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows. The murders have all involved rapes, but rape without penetration is a form of piquerism, and that tells us he's sexually inadequate.”

The person to your right is paying very close attention to what Gideon is saying, but she is focused on his lips and the way he talks which says that she’s attracted to him right now. That made you want to laugh because you knew for a fact that Gideon was seeing someone on the down low.

“What is it?” Spencer whispered when he saw the hint of your smile.

“That woman over there wants to bone Gideon,” you whispered back.

“How do you know?”

“I’m psychic, Spencer. I know more about a person than you think. Want me to do you?”

“No, thank you,” he whispered and got back to what Gideon was saying.

“Psychiatric evaluations will show a history of paranoia stemming from a childhood trauma—death of a parent or family member, and now he feels persecuted and watched. Murder gives him a sense of power. Organized killers have a fascination with law enforcement. They will inject themselves into the investigation. They will even come forward as witnesses to see just how much the police really know. That makes them feel powerful, in control. Which is why I also think in fact, I know you have already interviewed him,” Gideon finished, causing the entire room to feel shocked at the news.

wanna be tagged? add yourself to this document! if your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

@averyhotchner​

[cheri-translates]

Headcanon - Fights with the guys

[ this Ask was wheelbarrowed over from @cheri-cheri​ ]

Hello~ Angst is inevitable with such a prompt, but I hope the fluffiness at the end makes up for it! (´･ᴗ･ ` ) Lucien isn’t here because I’m not familiar with his character :<

[ Gavin - spending too much time apart ]

It begins with a pang of disappointment when a date she’s been looking forward to for weeks gets interrupted halfway by a phone call

With that, Gavin gets whisked away abruptly for a month-long mission

During the first week, she cheers herself up with a reminder that Gavin is doing something noble - keeping the streets of Loveland City safe.

During the second week, she consoles herself with the knowledge that this isn't the first time Gavin has been uncontactable for a long period of time. Shouldn’t she have gotten used to it by now?

During the third week, doubt creeps in. Despite him telling her in advance that the mission site could lack a proper signal, the heaviness in MC’s chest gets weightier with each unread message and unanswered call.

She doesn’t know if her boyfriend is dead or alive.

She doesn’t even know where he is.

During the fourth week, she’s frustrated. She's frustrated at the STF, at Gavin, and at herself.

She’s frustrated that this isn’t the first time the STF has deployed Gavin on missions at short notice, as though he’s simply a tool ready to be wielded at any moment.

The frequency of missions over the past few months suddenly skyrocketed. It’s the main reason why she was looking forward to the date before he left - she wanted him to get a proper rest.

She’s frustrated that there doesn't seem to be anything she can do about the situation.

She's frustrated that the days without him pass by so painfully slowly.

She’s frustrated that-

“MC, I’m back.”

The fight is a quiet affair.

It might not even be considered one, since MC is the one doing most of the talking. She pours out everything in her heart, and how she’s very, very tired.

She doesn’t know if she can continue being in this relationship if she's going to be the only party in it.

Gavin listens quietly.

Then, he takes out two plane tickets from his pocket

The reason why he was deployed on so many missions recently was because he actively volunteered for them. That way, he would be able to clock in enough hours to take her on a long, undisrupted vacation

He intended for it to be a surprise, but didn’t expect that his actions would make MC upset instead

Aside from this, they also try to make future time apart more bearable:

When Gavin knows that he’d be embarking on a mission where remaining contactable is an issue, he would write a bunch of letters beforehand and entrust them to Minor, who would secretly place one on her office desk every morning

The letters vary in length. They could be entire pages filled with a somewhat clumsy yet heartwarming documentation of what went through his mind on certain dates they had together... 

Or a simple: I love you. I’ll be safe. I can’t wait to come home.

MC finds out very easily who Gavin’s “messenger pigeon” is, and she forces Minor to hand over the entire box just in case he loses it or decides to take a peek out of curiosity (which he already did)

Meanwhile, MC leaves tons of voice messages in Gavin’s phone for him whenever he needs a pick-me-up.

They could range from her reading works from Byron’s Poetry Collection, or a clip of her playing the piano...

Or a simple: I love you. Be safe. I’m waiting for you to come home. 

[ KIRO - the fatigue of a secret relationship ]

Initially, MC thought that having a secret relationship with a world renowned celebrity would be as thrilling as what’s typically depicted in TV dramas

Whenever they go on dates outside the studio or their homes, Kiro has to disguise himself with various props

e.g. wearing an ugly wig, donning oversized sunglasses, peppering his face with fake freckles, and even changing the tone of his voice

While it was funny the first few times, it gets exhausting after a while.

It’s mentally exhausting to always be on the look out for paparazzi and discerning fans at the expense of enjoying the date and each other’s company

It’s emotionally exhausting to see gossip magazines speculating about Kiro’s relationships with gorgeous women in the entertainment industry

It’s exhausting when her mind wanders afar off, leading her to ask:

“Are you... ashamed of me?”

The fight is one akin to daggers to his heart.

“Of course not! Miss Chips, why would that even cross your mind?” 

Kiro explains that he’s more than capable of renting entire restaurants, and even the entire amusement park so he can remove all his stuffy props and be with her without worrying about the fans

But at the same time, he wants their relationship to be as normal as possible.

Because when he’s with her, he doesn’t feel like Kiro the celebrity. He’s simply a boy in love who wants to go on normal dates like any normal couple would

He doesn’t want MC to get tied down by having every social media post and every move scrutinised by the public.

But MC has considered all of this. And she's ready to shoulder the relationship with him - both the good and bad.

Eventually, when the time is right, and after much discussion with Savin and the PR department, MC and Kiro go public with their relationship

He starts doing livestreams more often where he does cute couple activities with MC, in the hopes that his fans are won over by her just as much as he is

It turns out that MC wins his fans over a little too much

Sometimes, they even ask Kiro to step aside and let MC take over his livestream instead QAQ

[ SHAW - good intentions gone wrong ]

“I’m grabbing dinner with Minor and Gavin. Want to join us?”

“Eli and Gavin were telling me about the new dishes in Lynn’s Kitchen. We should drop by sometime.”

“That tin of biscuits? Gavin gave it to me. Help yourself to them!”

...

For some unfathomable reason, MC has been bringing up his brother in their conversations every day over the past two weeks

When he sees MC putting on Gavin’s ginkgo bracelet before heading out, he finally snaps.

“Since you’re always going on and on about Gavin, why not date him instead?!”

The fight is one he wishes he could take back.

“I’m not... You’ve got it all wrong! Gavin’s been wanting to meet you, and I-”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

MC flinches at Shaw’s harsh tone.

Then, she averts her eyes, hoping her tears wouldn’t spill out

“Yeah, I clearly don’t.”

And she runs out of the apartment, and into the storm.

After chugging down a can of iced Cola, Shaw more or less cools down

In the process, it dawns on him that MC does know many things about him that he’s never shared with anyone else

She’s caught the nostalgic gaze in his eyes when he talked about the little guardian who held his hand from the moment he first started walking

The little guardian who had fathomless patience for his endless ‘why’s

His very first best friend, and someone he could rely on.

And how the little plane from so many years ago wasn’t the only important thing he left behind that day.

And right now, he’s close to losing another important person.

Ignoring the dampness on his face, he grabs his phone and calls MC, before realising that she left her phone in the apartment

So, he sends his first text to Gavin.

Together, they manage to locate MC, who’s drying herself off in the rehearsal room of Live House.

“I’m sorry.”

Shaw’s apology is soft, but it reaches the hearts of two people.

Before Gavin turns to leave, Shaw calls after him.

“Thanks. Your bracelet was of some use.”

Of course, Gavin will never tell him that he doesn’t actually need it to find MC

“Cough, no problem.”

Although the estranged relationship between the brothers requires much more than a stormy night to mend, having dinner together is a promising start.

-

Just want to put it out there that it isn’t confirmed if Shaw and Gavin are brothers. It’s a very sensitive topic within the CN community where a sizeable portion of the players believe they aren’t, and the players aren’t afraid to tear you down if you believe otherwise LOL

But for me personally, I love the idea of them being brothers!

[ VICTOR ]

I couldn’t think of any major things they could fight about aside from his sharp tongue. But that’s painfully cliché so I shall just leave you with two petty reasons why they would argue instead:

Whenever MC visits Souvenir, she doodles on the serviette while waiting for the food. She eventually makes it a habit to draw really awful caricatures of Victor and laughs over them with Mr Mills. Victor gets all pouty because he can hear their laughter from the kitchen but is missing out on the fun :<

Victor decides to test MC one day, and gives her a pudding from a convenience store instead of his. MC does taste the difference but doesn’t say anything because she thinks Victor is just having a bad day. On the other hand, he gets irritated because HOW DARE SHE mistake this low-grade jiggly thing for his perfect pudding??

[shortfictionweeklychallenge]

Short Fiction Weekly Challenge

Time for a new prompt from the Short Fiction Weekly Challenge, tumblr edition.  Let it spark your imagination.  Any character, any fandom, any original world.   Reblogs welcome!

Post your story to your blog and send the link to Short Fiction Weekly Challenge!  The link will appear in our feed and the site index, and your blog will be listed on the Participating Blogs page.

This week’s SFWC prompt:

Week of November 19, 2021

Beneath Notice: What things in your character's life or world are invisible because they’re common or believed to be unimportant? Cooks and cleaners are often beneath notice, giving a clever character a way into a secure place. Or, an enemy a way into your character’s stronghold! Most such duties are also necessary--so what happens when your cyborg character’s mechanic is kidnapped, or their janitorial staff quits en masse? Could your character cripple their enemy by stirring up unrest among their underlings? Notice who’s usually overlooked this week.

Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt.  A masterpiece missed the deadline?  Don’t let it gather electronic dust.  Submit it anyway and Short Fiction Weekly Challenge will publish it.  

This week’s prompt not for you?  Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive.  Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.  

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

Bodies: Everybody has a body, your character included. How do they take care of themselves? Are there features they like and ones they don’t? Things they change regularly? Others they accept as permanent? Do they make allowances for their own unique issues and inform others of their requirements? Do they try to hide what they see as imperfections? Compensate for a lack, reasonable or otherwise? What about upgrades or other alterations? A cyborg might replace parts for any number of reasons. In a magical or biologically advanced setting they might regenerate, regrow, or augment what occurs naturally. Alternately, they might be stuck with what they were born with, good and bad alike. This week, give some thought to how your character relates to their physical form.

A Matter of Life and Death: This week the stakes are high. Your character has to intercede or maybe they're the one in the situation. It's a matter of life and death. Whose? Why? How did the situation get this serious? Is there any way out? Is it really a Matter of Life and Death or did someone use the distress beacon to order pizza?

Got an idea for a prompt?  Submit it here.

[tiramisiyu]

Tears of Themis: Lu Jinghe’s Birthday - 6.13 “Decision to Compete”

Translation Masterlist

Event Story: 6.13 Decision to Compete | 6.15 Personal Instruction | 6.17 Building Block Dolls | 6.19 Participating in the Competition | 6.21 Birthday Celebration

Event Story Interviews: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Art Gallery Boss: Young miss, all pieces displayed at the Rembrandt exhibition this time are priceless authentic versions. Your request is very…

MC: But he really is my very special friend. Just like you, boss, Rembrandt is also the artist that he holds in highest esteem.

Not long ago, I found out that June 21 was Lu Jinghe’s birthday. To give him a birthday surprise, I came to Stellis City’s antique art gallery, where they were about to hold an exhibition on authentic Rembrandt works. 

With Lu Jinghe’s current identity, if he were suddenly appear in a well-known art exhibition, aside from garnering attention, it might also cause additional problems. So, letting him enjoy the works of the artist he so admired without disturbances should be an excellent idea. After a sincere, long conversation, the boss finally agreed to rent out the venue for me before the exhibition opened.

Art Gallery Boss: You absolutely must be careful – do not bump into or damage them.

MC: I will be careful, don’t worry.

After confirming the venue, I opened my notes, checking over the other things I needed to prepare.

MC: Cake… I’ll order taro mousse, but what should I give as a gift? Watches, leather belts, ties? Lu Jinghe definitely isn’t lacking on these.

I logged into the shopping app, and “Today’s Main Recommendations” on the gift recommendation page caught my attention.

MC: These are… building blocks?

On the product pictures, hundreds of building block components piled together, creating a flowing, miniature city. In an instant, the scenes of what happened at the Lu Mansion played in my head…

--

Three days ago.

 Lu Mansion

Lu Jinghe: Careful!

In the Lu Mansion, gift boxes of all sizes were piled up, making it easy to trip if one weren’t careful. Good thing Lu Jinghe caught me in time.

Lu Jinghe: Jiejie, you’re too careless.

MC: It’s clearly because you have way too many gifts here. So is it almost your birthday? Otherwise, why would so many people give you gifts?

Lu Jinghe: Sure enough, I can’t hide anything from you. There’s still over half a month until my birthday, so those people came running over in a rush.

MC: “Those people” are…?

Lu Jinghe: Past business targets, children of other major families, plus some entertainment stars. Lots of people want to get in on the Lu family’s good graces.

MC: (As expected of Lu Jinghe – even his birthday’s got to shake up all of Stellis City.)

Seeming like Lu Jinghe had seen through my thoughts, he laughed quietly.

Lu Jinghe: So… shouldn’t you also send me a gift?

MC: Lu Jinghe, you’re not lacking on gifts, are you?

Lu Jinghe: For those sent by others, of course I’m not lacking on them. But ones sent by you…

MC: Ahem ahem.

After receiving Lu Jinghe’s hint, I faked a cough. Turning my head around, I saw the “main offender” that had just tripped me. This was a meticulously-wrapped box of building blocks, with modern-looking buildings printed on top, with “limited edition” written on in conspicuous text.

MC: Lu Jinghe, you play with building blocks?

Building blocks were a toy invented by the Austin family. They became popular worldwide as soon as they were launched, and now have nearly a hundred years’ worth of history. If they didn’t suit someone’s tastes here, toys like this would not appear here.

Lu Jinghe: I have played with them before – someone probably remembered that up until now. Although, I haven’t played with them in a long time.

MC: Why?

Lu Jinghe started to speak, then stopped, a troubled look emerging in his clear eyes.

--

Building Blocks Room

MC: So many… did you build them all?

Lu Jinghe took me to a room on the second floor of the Lu Mansion. What appeared before my eyes were innumerable building blocks models. From rich, colourful flower fields to the little roads of a foreign country’s streetscapes – there was even a proportionate reconstruction of Stellis University.

MC: Amazing! You must have spent a lot of time to make so many works, right? You’re so talented, so why didn’t you continue?

Lu Jinghe: Because…

Lu Jinghe walked to the French windows, sinking into a short silence. Golden sunlight shone on his side profile, creating a dappled light effect.

Lu Jinghe: On certain levels, I can no longer continue creating with building blocks…

MC: (What… Certain levels means…)

Lu Jinghe: My mother passed away right after I was born.

Lu Jinghe slowly began to speak, his voice quiet. I suddenly regretted asking a little.

MC: If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t need to force yourself. Everyone has their own secrets.

Lu Jinghe: It’s fine. I have no secrets in front of you.

Lu Jinghe’s words were indescribably gentle, but my heart felt like a little like it had been yanked.

Lu Jinghe: Though I lost my mother, my father and older brother loved me dearly. Compared to others, I’ve never been lacking in anything. I even had more than them. Until I noticed that for both oil paintings or building blocks, I couldn’t create anything related to “family”…

MC: (How could that be… Speaking of which, “Z” has indeed never made anything related to “family”.)

Lu Jinghe: Are you feeling sympathetic? Looks like not being able to create “family” is no big deal, because it’ll at least make you sympathize for me.

MC: … Lu! Jing! He!

I faked anger, but my sad feelings had been swept away by Lu Jinghe’s seemingly joking words.

Lu Jinghe: Alright alright, don’t be sad. I thought about it after – perhaps I can’t create anything with a “family” theme because I’ve never had a major female figure around me, ever since I was little. If…

MC: If what?

Lu Jinghe: Ahem ahem… nothing.

MC: …

--

After coming back to my senses, my fingers slid over the screen.

MC: Since Lu Jinghe likes building blocks, I’ll send him a building blocks set as a gift. Although… which set should I send?

--

Home

To find a suitable gift set, I looked up lots of information online related to building blocks after getting home. Among them, an article titled “The first Stellis Building Blocks Competition will be held soon” caught my attention.

MC: Building blocks creator Mr. Austin’s out-of-print posthumous work – the “Future” series’ first public reveal; only one set worldwide. Cabin in the woods, a glass flower room, and an open-air art studio that faces the mountains. This work is called… “Future Home”?

Note: “Home” and “Family” are the same word in Chinese.

MC: (This set… looks like one that Lu Jinghe would like.)

I couldn’t help thinking of joining the competition, but I froze after scrolling to the next article.

MC: “Z” will appear at the building blocks competition as an evaluator, and many fans have signed up… “The Shepherd Girl” may become a competition topic.

MC: (Lu Jinghe’s going?!)

The theme of this competition was “World-Famous Artworks”, where people were to reconstruct world-famous artworks using building blocks. With Z’s works being so famous, becoming a topic of the competition wasn’t out of the question.

MC: (If he really is an evaluator, my participation will definitely be exposed, and I won’t be able to give him a birthday present.)

But would Lu Jinghe really appear in public under Z’s identity? Though this might be something made up by the hosts, I still decided to call and ask Lu Jinghe, just in case.

Lu Jinghe: Hello?

MC: I-it’s me.

Lu Jinghe: What’s the matter, did something happen?

MC: Nothing, I just wanted to ask – do you know about the building blocks competition being held next month? I heard that “Z” was going to be a competition evaluator.

Lu Jinghe: There’s actually this sort of news, huh. The host probably was probably afraid of being low on hype and let out fake news. If you’re suddenly asking this… did you want to participate? Then I can teach you for free.

MC: (Since Lu Jinghe’s not going, getting taught by him is indeed the best introductory method.)

MC: Is that alright?

Lu Jinghe: Of course. If you need it, I always have time. Besides, after today… Z’s appearances may become very rare.

MC: ?!

MC: I-is it because of Pax?

I brought up the guess I had. Sure enough, Lu Jinghe signed almost inaudibly on the other side of the phone.

Lu Jinghe: Yeah, balancing studies and Pax already expends too much of my energy. After graduating, similar impediments will only continue to increase. To an artist, it’s really easy for these sorts of conditions to cut off creativity, so…

Lu Jinghe’s voice had an exhaustion in it that was impossible to ignore.

MC: Lu Jinghe, if you’re working too hard, you can stop for a bit and rest.

Lu Jinghe: … I understand. But unfortunately, no one will give me time to rest. Before being “Z”, I am first and foremost Lu Jinghe of Pax.

--

After hanging up, Lu Jinghe’s words echoed in my head.

MC: So many people clearly like “Z”. Can Lu Jinghe really give it up?

MC: Right! It just so happens that lots of “Z” fans will be participating at the building blocks competition. I should gather some things that they want to say to “Z” and give them to Lu Jinghe! Even if he really can no longer create in the future, the fans’ encouragement would be memories worth treasuring.

--

That night, I submitted a registration form on the building blocks competition official site, as well as an application to interview the participants to the hosts. After registering, a participant list, including methods of contact, was sent to my inbox.

MC: (Next, I’ll practice building blocks as I interview people for what they want to say to “Z”.)