#telling people to go buy a different camera that's more expensive???

[ofstormsandwolves]

always interesting to me when I see comments online regarding hobbies where somebody feels the need to tell people 'don't buy [cheaper version more people can afford], buy [expensive version that's only worth it if you do the hobby loads or you're trying to make it a side hustle]'.

like... have people forgotten that sometimes people just do things for fun? not everybody can afford the really expensive craft materials, or the £1500 camera, or the super niche machinery that you need a garage to store it in, because it's literally just a hobby so they can't justify the cost/find the money...

[eistyping]

yandere!brothers best friend

headcannons/intro to my brothers best friend/skater boy oc, nico nomura.

warnings. typical yandere behavior, light mentions of stalking, secret cameras, murder, etc, not proof read

a/n. nico is my bbg omg you don't understand.

- you first met nico when you were eight and he was nine. he came over to your house to have a playdate with you and your brother while his father had a business meeting with your parents

- nico had just moved to your country from japan for his fathers business and didn't have any friends. he quickly took a liking to your brother and the two of them quickly took a liking to teasing you.

- the two of them became inseparable, which meant you saw him everywhere too

- you went to the same schools, went on vacation together, lived in neighboring apartment buildings

- and for a while it was very much platonic, brotherly vibes

- until it wasn't.

- nico didn't know when it happened, but at some point you had grown up, right in front of his eyes and his thoughts for you began to shift from pure and innocent to well....

- he still teased you often but it began to feel different, almost like flirting?

- you knew you had to be imagining things, i mean, this is nico we're talking about. he was practically a second older brother.

- he began to walk you home from school everyday, pick you up from wherever you were. sometimes he would even just... show up without you even telling him where you were.

- it honestly began to freak you out a little bit, and by the end of high school you tried to avoid him altogether.

- however, nico would never allow that. you are his darling after all, didn't you know you needed him?

- that's when things started to go very, very wrong for you

- people were dropping you left and right, things of yours happened to start breaking, you got fired from your job

- and nico just so happened to be there to pick up the pieces.

- he began to hang out with you more, comforting you over the loss of your friends, buying you new, expensive versions of whatever broke with daddy's money, getting you a job at his dads law firm so you never have to worry about being out of work again.

- need a place to stay? you can crash at his place, he has an extra room just for you! (that totally doesn't have hidden cameras)

- need a new apartment altogether? why don't you just move in! half your stuffs already there anyways

- need help on an assignment for class? don't worry, he can help, even if he never went to college and is only getting by on nepotism and pure luck.

- cant you see that he would do anything for you?

- i mean there's a reason that anyone who's ever mean to you mysteriously disappears.

[britt-kageryuu]

Donnie is still setting up the stream even though it's already going, and the audience is watching his model move around what little of the studio that was within the cameras view.

Some kept pointing out how weird it was that Donnies model had on only small black shorts with his tail hanging out, battle shell, purple wrist bands, his bandana and goggles, and a pair of purple tabi. Some were clearly simping for the nearly naked model.

"Alright everyone, I believe everything is set up properly. Now to announce what I am doing for this stream. Shelldon, River, Drumroll Please!" As his droid children pop in to play the sound effect, Donnie rolls in a stand on wheels with a purple cloth covering a box shape on top.

Donnie pulls the cloth off with a flourish at the last beat of the drumroll into some fanfare. Revealing a set of purple framed lightly tinted glasses. Which gained a large amount of confusion.

"Introducing, the prototype Genius Built AR Glasses! That I have been given permission to test out on stream." Donnie picks up the glasses, and puts them on. The lenses flash for a second before looking like regular tinted glasses. "Now give me a second to find out why the AR effects from the glasses are not showing up on the stream." Donnie moves his hands around in the air while looking around himself.

After a couple minutes a bunch of holo screens pop up around Donnie, one of them is showing the stream apparently, one with what looks to be the settings, and another with a graphic of the stream deck.

"There we go, I hadn't fully synced the glasses to my system in one minor way, and it didn't like that." Donnie adjusts how the glasses are sitting on his face, "Now I can't guarantee this will be very entertaining, but I'm sure there are some in the audience who will very very very much enjoy this test run of the Prototype Genius Built AR Glasses. Also want to know when they plan to release them to the public and how much... so stay tuned and find out!!"

Donnie continues on with the test and demonstrating what difference there was between the Genius Built AR Glasses and the other brands that he could find. In example he brought up various videos of people showing off other AR Glasses.

"The company didn't want to actually buy any of the competitors stuff, partially because of how expensive some of them are, and mainly to not have accusations of just ripping off their tech, by just taking it apart or something." Donnie brings up a small screen with the known prices of the other brands, along with pictures of the products.

"Besides, many of the techs really liked the challenge. If the rumors are true there was a bet between some of them to build the first working prototype then make it slimmed down. Amused Chuckle." He looks directly at the camera with a grin, "I heard the prize was quite a big want for all of them. They won't actually tell me what the prize is, but it's a big deal for them. Shrug"

Donnie brings up the environment simulator, turning the area around him into a concert stage with instruments sitting around with out a band to play, or any humans actually. Donnie moves around the environment a little, checking for any possible problems.

"Well this appears to be working well enough, let's try thi-" In the middle of him talking his model is suddenly missing his battle-shell, and is in black/purple thigh high boots, a black super cropped jacket, his goggles are replaced with cat eared headphones with a mic, and has a purple dragon on his plastron.

Chat is going nuts over this sudden change, with one notable message of, "HOW ARE THEY HOTTER WITH MORE CLOTHES ON!!!!"

Donnie looks at his model with mild annoyance, "While this isn't a bad look, I could do without the dragon. Well everyone, if you excuse me, I must quickly make a call to question the other techs about this. As this is not one of the presets for my outfits that I cued up for this demonstration. Be right back."

With a wave of his hand the screen changes over to and animation of a much bigger Raph sleeping while floating in water with his now smaller brothers taking turns climbing and jumping of his back, and swim around.

--------------

Masterpost

With some companies working on AR I figured Donnie would make his on.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

S!!! kinky subby anon here. I gotta tell you about my latest experience cause hot damn.

so, I've been overstimulated before by being fucked (penetrated, toyed ect) a lot in the span of certain time but with hands and I really wanted to do it with a machine because previously I had use a doxy wand and I just could never keep it after I had reached my orgasm. it was too much but I really wanted to try it so last night we set the camera, we invited two of our friends and!!!, we got a Sybian, no we didn't buy it, they're expensive but we got one for a little bit. In our house we already have the structure for me to be tied to the ceiling so somehow we put the Sybian in a table and I sat on it (we tried in the bed but to be honest, it didn't feel good because you're not putting your whole body weight in it and I reeeeally wanted to feel it. so I sat on it, my hand tied above my head, tits clamped, collar on, spider gag on and I was ready to go. by the way! it turns on the Sybian has a lot of different shapes you can ride, we chose two: the double penetration and the biggest dildo one, I first rode the double one, it was good but it wasn't so big so we changed to the biggest dildo in less than 10 minutes I think, I'm just so used to be full now, so anyway we changed and holy shit. I can tell you I don't remember much of that,I do remember reaching my second orgasm and I was drooling and shaking. I did tell my boyfriend to not get me out of there even if I was screaming, I really really wanted to experience that over stimulation but I knew I wouldn't like it at the beginning because as i said, I've tried before. so I'm there riding the thing and our make friend goes behind me, outs hid fingers in my mouth while his girlfriend was sucking on my tits and then he pushes my legs down to get my clit even closer (was that even possible?? apparently yes) to the thing, holy shit S.... everybody should try that thing at least once, it was wonderful. as I said I remember perfectly reaching my second orgasm and I remember I was screaming, I was screaming so loud that my baby decided to change the spider gag to a penis shaped one so nobody would think I was being murdered (lol).after that everything got fuzzy but watching the video was surely an experience, I ended up masturbating at seeing myself drooling and with my eyes rolled in the back of my head, no I wasn't unconscious cause I'd open my eyes and so but my eyes were a mess. I think I saw myself cumming another 3 times or that's what it appeared to be. our friends and my boyfriend kept on touching me and that was actually cute to see. everything ended up so wet, like if I had taken a shower right there. when my boyfriend decided it was over and he pulled me out of that I was just a mess, I remember opening my eyes and I couldn't even get my fingers to even brush my vagina at all. everything was swollen and red-ish but my clitoris specially hated me (which is okay cause I loved it). I couldn't even take a bath for the upcoming 3-4 hours because I couldn't touch it. in conclusion it was amazing, it was more than I expected and to that one anon who had sent you an ask about Seb riding a Sybian? yeah... he should! and everyone should to be honest 🙈

I can't find that ask right now, ugggh, I wanted to link it lol

Hey, sweetheart!

Immediately I have to say OH MY GOD, that sounds like a hell of a fucking time. A good fucking time.

I feel like I say it every time, but I'm just speaking the truth, lmao--you're out there living the fucking 🤌🏻dream.🤌🏻 The kinkiest, best dream.

The sybian. The big dildo. The gags. The camera. The multiple people. The overstimulation. The drooling. The haze of it all.

All 👏🏻 of 👏🏻 it 👏🏻

Good for you! I am fucking cheering you on from the sidelines; I love reading the play-by-play.

Also, yeah, your poor neighbors--they most definely thought someone was getting fucking murdered, lol. Although, is it really that good of a time if you don't get a noise complaint, don't make your neighbors bang on the door/wall because you've pissed them off, or something of the sort? 👀

That, 10000%, sounds amazing. I'm thrilled for you, I'm thrilled that you had such a good time! And yeah, your first-hand experience certainly vouched for everyone to try it (including and especially Sebastian. Wanna see that pretty face all fucked out and hear all the pretty little hoarse whimpers he makes when he's screamed himself raw 😮‍💨😮‍💨)

Thank you as always for being willing to share!

[notwiselybuttoowell]

“We are here to break male dominance in the field of birding,” says Judith Mirembe, the chair of the Uganda Women Birders Club, as the group reaches the botanical gardens on a day where the weather cannot decide between light rain and sunshine.

Mirembe, in the check shirt, with other female birders, using their phones to find out details about a bird they’ve spotted.

“There are very few female birders in Uganda. The tourism industry in general is yet to fully appreciate women,” she adds.

Two dozen women follow Mirembe in silence, hoping to spot a “lifer” – a bird on their wishlist. “Everyone has a different lifer,” says Linda Nakalema, one of the club’s 80 members. “We see the red-chested cuckoo all the time in Uganda but people from South Africa are very excited when they see it because it only migrates there seasonally. It is their lifer. For others it is the marabou stork that we see scavenging through our rubbish every day. It looks so elegant when it flies.”

Tour companies describe Uganda as a paradise for birdwatchers. About 50% of Africa’s bird species, and 11% of the world’s, are found here. Uganda has the highest concentration of birds in Africa. The country’s birders have an ambitious target of bringing in an annual $700m in tourist revenue by 2030. In 2019, tourism in Uganda generated about $1.37bn, about 3.6% of total GDP.

Mirembe believes that female birders are entitled to a share of these earnings. At the International Conference for Women Birders the club hosted in Uganda earlier this month, female enthusiasts from all over the world met to discuss their unique challenges and discuss how, together, they can bring more money to women in the sector.

“Birding is expensive and many Ugandan women are struggling to meet costs such as buying binoculars, telescopes and cameras to record and share the birds they sight with other people,” she says, adding that cultural expectations of women as caregivers mean their spouses may not let them go for week-long birdwatching tours. “This is our reality. Even tourist operators do not take women seriously and we know that we must work twice as hard as men to get the same respect.”

Members of Uganda’s Women Birders Club, which started in 2013, meet in Entebbe every Sunday. It is a training ground and a support network. Many of the women already have careers in tourism and wildlife. Others join to make new friends and learn.

After the satisfaction of spending hours looking for birds and the joy that reverberates through the group when someone sights, accurately names and describes a bird, the women sit down for lunch in a restaurant. Over smoked beef and matooke (mashed green bananas), they speak of a time when birding could be a hazardous pursuit for women.

People would see women with binoculars, accuse them of trying to steal land and beat them up. Others could be hostile to the women because they wore trousers – a taboo in some Ugandan cultures. They recall tour operators who would send them to the field with drivers who’d sexually harass them and tourist accommodation where the women would be put in a shared room with men.

Miremebe watches the younger enthusiasts with pride as she tells them how Uganda was the first country in Africa to start a female birders’ club, and how there are now similar associations in Rwanda and Kenya.

“We must not let fear hold us back from opportunity. We need to keep it going against all odds,” is Mirembe’s farewell cry, as the women leave the restaurant and head back into Entebbe alongside the tired beachgoers and weary market-sellers.

[victorluvsalice]

Christmas-Related Valicer (Modern!AU) Headcanons

I already did Halloween, so let’s get festive here~

-->As you might imagine, Smiler LOVES ugly Christmas sweaters. XD They have a whole collection of weird designs, including some that have lights and sounds. XD They also definitely give them out as gifts, and Victor and Alice each get a couple appropriate to their tastes.

-->Smiler’s Christmas decorations are almost entirely kitschy stuff -- those singing and dancing tree toys, various rude Santas, smiley-face light strings, stuff like that. Victor, for his part, came with some stuff from his house, which means he has a lot of super-delicate, super-expensive stuff that he’s afraid to take out for fear it’ll get broken, so he embraces Smiler’s hardier, more-fun nonsense. Alice, for her part, never really decorated after getting out of Rutledge, so she’s only too happy to jump on Smiler’s bandwagon of ridiculousness.

-->Smiler also has a bright yellow artificial Christmas tree, natch -- Victor and Alice, more used to natural trees from their childhood, do need a minute to get used to that. XD Once they’re all living together, they have both the yellow tree and a natural green tree in different corners, and all buy ornaments for both (Alice likes cats and rabbits, natch; Victor dogs and butterflies, natch; and Smiler -- I’m picturing frogs in Santa hats and those ornaments you can put little photos in).

-->Like with Halloween, Smiler’s friend group has movie nights -- Oblivion and Th13teen tend to pick goofy holiday horror movies on their nights, while Rita and Galactica stick with more traditional fare or straight-up comedies. There’s also one designated “mock Hallmark” night with plenty of booze (Victor and Alice really like that one, even if they don’t really drink themselves).

-->Also like with Halloween, Victoria and Emily host treat nights, making Christmas-themed cookies and building gingerbread houses! Their first few efforts are -- iffy, but they eventually get the hang of it and make some pretty impressive structures.

-->Alice, once she realizes she has more people than just Nanny to celebrate with, gets really into taking photographs and making scrapbooks about the holidays because -- well. She lost all her PREVIOUS Christmases to the fire. I imagine Victor gets her a nice camera one year, to her absolute delight.

-->Victor tells everyone to please give him an upper spending limit when it comes to gifts because “I grew up rich and with a mother who only accepted REALLY EXPENSIVE presents -- I do NOT have any sense of proportion.” (He still has a tendency to go a bit over, but nobody really minds.)

-->And to brush up against NSFW-ness, there’s probably a few “special presents” that the trio opens alone on Christmas Eve for special fun times. XD I mean, I do have them as a hypnokinky hinge trio focused on Smiler and Alice teaming up to dom Victor. . .

[chasing-rabbits]

My dad won some free AirPods in a raffle for a work do & they suck so much. The left one consistently disconnects & takes multiple attempts to get it to reconnect which sometimes I just give up on. Also I have long hair, thick sometimes wavy/curly long hair. The amount of times the AirPods got knocked out of my ear because I’d go to move my hair or something and they’d get knocked out by my fucking hair. Sometimes I definitely feel the oh god I sound like my parents as a millennial with boomer parents. Actually tbf they don’t complain that much the main thing my dad hates is he still likes to buy DVD’s & he’s annoyed they’re dying out he went to CEX yesterday to get some because it was one of the few places he can buy them from locally now. Tbf I have the same complaint in terms of TV’s no longer having DVD slots and laptops not having disc slots. I always say to my dad stop buying DVD’s you can get it all digital now mostly because his DVD collection was so large it takes up so much space but I recently saw something that made a valid point I’d never thought about. If you buy a movie on a streaming platform apparently if their license on it runs out or w/e then you lose access to that movie I’d never even thought about that tbh which is crazy that you pay for something & you don’t really get to ‘keep it’ like with DVD’s. My main thing was there are some things I like to own on DVD & it annoyed me when it dawned on me oh shit yeah can’t even play it because my new TV didn’t have a slot. It’s like how even though kindles exist many people still like physical copies of books that’s how I feel about certain movies I want the physical copy idk why I just do it’s not the same. The smart fridges though lol and how nearly every single washing machine/dryer comes with the built in smart connection shit I don’t get that tbh like I assume its to be able to turn your machine on remotely right? But why would I want to fill up my washing machine and not just put it on right there & then what scenario could I possibly have where I’d want to pre schedule my washing to a set time.

When I moved out after Covid I was looking at fridges & I saw a smart fridge that I guess has a camera inside & it tells you when your food is going off or something I have to admit i thought that was kinda cool but its ultimately a novelty thing really like how useful will it really be day to day it’s not got no use but it was also ridiculously expensive it had other features too it was like a whole little tv screen in the fridge it had a lot of different functions but all of them seemed unnecessary for a fridge to have outside of the camera thing which is mildly useful but again probably more novelty than having worthwhile real life use for most of us.

[lordsgalaxy]

To steal in Walmart How is stealing in Walmart?

 These people might come up to you if they think you're stealing. Store security often requires a reasonable suspicion or probable cause to suspect that you have done or are going to commit theft before detaining you.

 What Takes Place at Walmart If Someone Steals?

Like numerous other companies, Walmart employs loss prevention specialists who strive to identify and stop theft. These people might come up to you if they think you are stealing. Store security often requires reasonable suspicion or probable cause to suspect that you have done or intend to commit theft before they would arrest you.

10 different types of theft at Walmart?

Razors

You may have noticed razors behind safety glass if you've been to your neighborhood superstore.

Razors are frequently stolen by shoplifters, especially because replacement blades can be somewhat expensive. This also includes electronic razors and hair trimmers.

Cosmetics

 Any kind of makeup is another item that is frequently stolen from Walmart.

This can apply to skincare products as well as makeup and tools. Some explanations can be that these things are more expensive and usually quite little.

Playthings

Unexpectedly, toys are a common target for Walmart theft.

Larger things like bikes and board games are usually avoided by shoplifters since they are difficult to take. Usually, they target smaller toys and trinkets, especially those that are more expensive.

Playing video games

This item is another one that your neighborhood superstore has concealed behind a security case.

Targeted merchandise may include computer games, DVDs, and video games. These are popular for reselling since they’re such high-ticket commodities.

Accessories for cell phones

The majority of cell phone accessories are vulnerable to theft because of their small size.

This covers phone cases, cords, and charging blocks for cell phones. This is an additional item that people may take and then market.

Don't Miss: 9 strategies for reducing excessive food expenses that your grocery shop won't tell you about

Electronics

are yet another item that burglars frequently take. Throughout their journey, they might aim for anything from tiny cameras to Bluetooth headphones. The things they can steal in this area may surprise you.

Clothes

A lot of shoplifters choose this section of Walmart because it carries items for everyone from infants to adults.

This supermarket is a favorite target for theft because it carries clothes for every family member and every season. 

They also provide sets and packs of various clothing items that could be targeted by thieves

Clothes

Walmart sells clothing for every age group, therefore many shoplifters concentrate on this section of the store. This supermarket is a favorite target for theft because it carries clothes for every family member and every season. They also provide sets and packs of various clothing items that could be targeted by thieves.

Sunglasses

Unexpectedly, sunglasses are frequently taken at Walmarts worldwide. Maybe it's because this is a little, concealable object. While some may choose this item for the thrill of stealing, these aren't as necessary as some of the other items on this list.

Quit paying too much when you purchase online

Online shopping offers advantages. Finding the greatest bargains can take some time, despite how convenient it is. Try Capital One Shopping instead of searching for promo codes (which don't always work!) and opening numerous tabs in your browser to compare prices.

 Additionally, Capital One Shopping will provide you with a helpful pop-up before you check out at more than 25 major shops if the item you're buying is cheaper elsewhere.

Capital One Shopping is ad-free and available without cost. Put it in now and overspend to avoid 

Jewelry

While more expensive jewelry is kept in a case, other jewelry, including pieces with cubic zirconia, is visible. Shoplifters now find it easy to target these less expensive jewelry items. This area is more likely to be stolen, from bangles to earrings.

FAQ’s

It’s essential to recognize that robbery is illegal and unethical, regardless of the shop. Walmart, like several outlets, takes theft seriously, employing measures like safety cameras, loss prevention teams, and anti-robbery devices to prevent it. Stealing can lead to felony consequences, which include arrest, fines, and a permanent criminal report. If you're suffering financially or want help, many sources, charities, and packages are available that could offer help legally and ethically. Always pick the right route.

Is it possible for chilled Chinese food to last for five days?

After five days, it is not recommended to eat leftover Chinese food, even if it has been refrigerated. Bacteria can grow and eventually increase the chance of getting a foodborne illness, even in very cold settings.

 How long may Che finish being safely frozen?

You may store Chinese cuisine in the freezer for up to three months. After that, eating is acceptable, but the quality might

 How should frozen Chinese food be thawed?

 Refrigerating frozen Chinese food is the most effective technique to thaw it. Using this technique guarantees that the food thaws at a safe temperature.

Conclusion

Stealing from Walmart, or any retailer, is both unlawful and unethical. While a few people may additionally justify robbery because of financial hassle or different motives, it is essential to recognize the broader results of such actions. 

Theft not simplest harms organizations through lost sales but can also result in rate increases for other customers and strained relationships within communities.

 On a non-public level, getting caught stealing can lead to felony consequences, together with fines, criminal statistics, and jail time, which can affect someone’s future possibilities. 

It is always better to seek valid means to overcome financial problems and admire the law, as honesty and integrity are key components of a functioning society.

[from-dre]

The Fine Line Between Awareness & Fanaticism

Can you tell I wrote this in 2014?

11:32am—I checked the clock on my microwave twice before sitting down in the desk chair with my morning coffee today. It was still steaming so as I began blowing a gentle stream of cool air into the cup, I hopped on YouTube knowing I'll have some time to kill before beginning my day.

A good headline should be attention grabbing. It should pop out at you amidst a sea of other unrelated clutter. More often than not, if it doesn't stand out the first time my eyes glaze over it, I won't even know I missed it much less give it a second chance. So I begin to skim—typical compilations or foreign music videos or news segments of world events fill up most of my screen. Then, something along the lines of, “How the CIA manufactured Isis.” Here we go, I think to myself, almost rolling my eyes. I know I shouldn't. But we've all been through this exact minute in one way or another. Maybe you're running to the grocery store to pick up some milk or whatever and there, in the checkout lane sits The National Inquirer, shouting at you from its rack: “HEY! I KNOW EMBARRASSING THINGS ABOUT FAMOUS PEOPLE! BUY ME AND READ ME!” You know you shouldn't, that you're above it. But its got a picture of a pot-bellied Brad Pitt on an exotic beach somewhere with another unrelated snapshot of a black-eyed Angelina staring down in some type of shameful pose. Could it be true?,your mind thinks. “I NEED TO KNOW!” I don't blame you. In return though, I ask that you give me the same courtesy during my own display of attempting to show zero self-restraint and giving in to that guilty pleasure which goes against my better judgement. I click on the video as I prepare for the next few minutes.

It's what you'd expect. Decent graphics, a fancy set designed to emulate a respectable news studio, and an expensive diaphragm microphone with a very animated man shouting frantically behind it—arms flailing, voice heightening to new peaks every other sentence, all while the overly-agitated speaker spews opinions dressed-up as factual reporting.

The 10th Circle of Hell

It's interesting to see these people work themselves into such a frenzy, such anxiety-riddled rants that they must feel as if they don't hit every single angle and theory, then the “sheeple,” or “uninformed” audience will miss their point entirely. I don't want to pick solely on this specific man, there are hundreds of like-minded people who dedicate every free moment of their lives to producing new content for their YouTube channels, blogs, podcasts, or if they're super edgy, their still-in-circulation zines. I'm not knocking the passion. Their dedication is honorable. Even their motives, I suppose, are admirable—to merely wake up the sleeping. All fine and good. It's their processing abilities that they've shrunk down themselves that signals a loss of a perfectly valuable mind, before it had baseless theories pelted at it from all sides—and worse, forced to accept.

Though I'm perfectly satisfied with The Divine Comedy as is, I'm sure if Dante were to have gone any further, the tenth circle of the Inferno would consist of nothing but having to convince one single conspiracy theorist of rethinking his arguments, even for a moment. It just isn't possible. Their world is just as sick and chaotic as everyone else's, they don't need to look any farther to find a news story ripe with injustice. We then, begin to differ on how we mentally process such things. A balanced brain can admit the sadness of the story at hand, they're also able to leave it alone, as is. They don't need to attach any extra narratives to make sense of what they've just heard or seen. It is what it is. Tragic. Or a miserable example of human interaction. To a conspiracy theorist, there must always be something else that we're not being told. We aren't given all the facts, ever. Surely, certain words have been blackened out of the official transcript before the cameras went live. Everywhere they look, there's a connection to be made. It's all run by The Man Behind The Curtain, down to the very last detail. Nothing is under-thought or left to chance. Big Brother is very real and is watching them even in this very instance. Like the final shot of Hitchcock's Psycho,Norman knows he's being observed, analyzed, so acts that much calmer. Not even a fly can break the man's concentration when it's time to put on the poker face.

Their incessant warnings have fallen on deaf ears for so long that they've adapted the same formula they profess to be exposing: fear mongering. They say mainstream, State-run media is all one huge sham. That their stories are used to advance hidden agendas. The irony is that they are employing these same tactics themselves. It takes a willful eye to pick up on the hypocrisy, but it's there. Was it really necessary for this opinionated speaker to keep reiterating his validation of a particular politician again and again? Say you respect the man's views once, then move on. Things like that. It's bothersome, not because they hold allegiance to their own political figures as the big boys do, but because they do it all while making such a huge fuss about how honest their aims are, how thankful the general public should be toward them because of their unwavering courage in exposing the truth.

Patterns = Safety

Well, “the truth”—in my opinion—is that they're just as scared and bewildered and let down in humanity as the rest of us are. They don't understand how such pure hatred could go unnoticed for so long, how so many innocent lives are lost for the furthering of poisonous ideologies. That much is completely understandable. However, they get diluted with fantasy—that if some shadow government was behind it all, everything would make that much more sense. There would be a pattern again. Life would cease to be so chaotic and they'd be able to sleep once more. They're amazing talkers who have no interest in exercising any reason whatsoever, so a good conspiracy theorist is quite able of convincing even himself that up is down or that the sky is actually bright red. Once connections are drawn from seemingly unrelated events, they begin seeing it goes farther than planes flying into buildings. That it's bigger than the gas chambers and extermination camps built solely with the purpose of wiping millions of innocent lives off the face of the planet. In fact, it's the most extraordinary piece of knowledge ever—and they're the ones who stumbled upon it. They will expose these criminals hidden-in-plain-view to the rest of the world and because the assassins must already be on their way to their homes, they'll go down as martyrs for humanity. Truth seekers who saw it all before anyone else.

Either way, listen to any one of them talk long enough and you'll quickly start getting tired of hearing about their sure-deaths. How they'll be used to cover-up the truth they were trying to expose. They say it with such certainty. From the mouth of this man himself: "When the nuke finally goes off, expect every last one of us leaders to be killed within an hour. That's all it'll take. An hour. You'll see!”

Rabbit Holes

With all of that said, here's the whole point of this essay: after sipping the last of my coffee, I looked up from my computer screen—12:47pm.

More than an hour later and I was still jumping from video to video, listening to mumble I could either poke holes the size of these men’s egos in or—while trying to give him the benefit of the doubt—not only accept, but strengthen his arguments with much better logic on my end. Both were incredible wastes of time. It was useless trying to reason with hyperbole. So how did I lose track of time? The sheer arrogance of it all engulfed me. I was in a trance. Much like flipping through channels and stumbling upon The Wiggles or Teletubbies or any Kardashian-centered show, you can't help but take a few extra seconds to admire the awkwardness. “How does anyone watch this?!,” you ask yourself, while watching it. Not even noticing the seconds ticking by, turning into entire minutes.

As I closed out Safari and began getting myself ready for the day, all these thoughts swirled around my head. This is how honest, good-natured people get sucked in, I thought. The need some humans hold in their black hearts to see Western Civilization burn down to nothing but ash is a terrifying thought and a properly-wired, down-to-Earth mind tries to make sense of such a thing. The reality of there being no good motive behind these crimes against humanity is a tough pill to swallow. So the armchair geopoliticians flock to their keyboards and offer their skewed theories, promising the truth. The ones with louder personalities and intrusive characteristics eventually build a following, get noticed and maybe get a talk show, with real producers, because someone will still listen to a complete stranger’s opinion, no matter how much lunacy they radiate.

Advocates & Worshippers

But a true thinker considers all viewpoints, no matter the source. So, let's play Devil's Advocate and for a minute, humor these people and their delusions. Even a shadow government is still compromised of human beings. Even if they're secretly praying to evil deities and placing subliminal symbols in everyday environments, they're still two arms, two legs, and a torso with a talking head. Even if they perform Satanic rituals at meetings of the world's utmost elite, they're still buying weekly groceries, eating at their favorite places, trying to stay in shape, arguing with their wives or husbands, accidentally backing up their toilets, walking their dogs, oversleeping, getting sick, getting old, dying. These devil-worshippers draped in scarlet robes who wear animal skulls as masks and chant in ancient tongues are not real threats. The real danger is a poisoned ideology.

Those are what this speaker and Co. should be concerning themselves with dispelling and eradicating. Those ideas are what live on, much longer than that of the men who spend entire lives living for, spreading and eventually dying for. Hitler is no longer with us, so why are Neo-Nazis still sprouting up randomly? His theories can be called out for the sick rhetoric they are—but as long as they hold weight in sick hearts, they retain enough power to destroy lives. An internet show or podcast built around the discussion and dissection of ideas doesn't pull in the masses though. We're talking ratings people! YouTube has been writing out some hefty checks—let’s get in on that action! Instead of exposing why and psychologically where these monstrous acts of violence come from, taking the time to destroy their threads of logic from the inside out and exposing their followers as blind and ignorant, they choose to paint a picture full of hidden plots, mystique, secrets, connections that are so outlandish, they just might work. And of course, they do. Every time. They speak to an audience who doesn't like thinking for themselves. Unfortunately though, these are the types of people they replace their innate intuitions with.

Just the fact that people lose their lives, isn't that enough of a news story? Isn't that enough to bring out the best in us? Why does there always have to be even darker, ulterior motives? No matter what the event, an even grimmer truth is waiting underneath the surface. Look long and hard at something and a person will trick himself into seeing exactly what he wants. If there are governments in bed with each other who also invite Big Pharma and The World Bank for one huge orgy and their ultimate goal is the enslavement of 99% of Earth's population so that they can feed us nothing but that weird paste fast food places pass off as beef, then I'll be a pretty bummed out slave. But until the day comes where I am taken from my home by MIB-looking agents dressed in expensive Gucci suits with sunglasses to match, why obsess over the possibility and eventual rise of this New World Order? Why spend all my waking hours and gorgeous summer days listening to Apocalypse-enthusiasts who make it a point to dream up the most brutal scenarios they can, as if it’s a sport? The end of the world is never close enough for these soapbox preachers. Disease! Famine! The fact that Joan Rivers once had a joke about Scientology in her set! Can't we see how simple and related it all is?!

Finale

Which brings us to the end of this long diatribe. I left my studio and stepped out into a sunshine so bright and invigorating, so powerful and lifting, that I suddenly felt more alive just standing outside my front door than I had in the entire past week. The sounds of the city flowed in and through my head; laughter, birds singing, church bells, an airplane soaring high above taking people I'll never meet to new places they've never seen. It was all so real, so perfect. It reminded me what life truly is. Or at least, what it can be if looked at with the right frame of reference.

There's been so much sadness lately. A million reasons to just break down or shout at the sky or give up completely. I've realized that the continuous stream of bad news will never stop. There'll always be a tragedy waiting to happen and be reminded of in the weeks afterward. You get mentally and emotionally exhausted. You forget how important it is to be able to appreciate a nice day outdoors. The trick isn't to disconnect from the mainstream media by just jumping ship from these opinions to those. Rather, it's to disconnect entirely. No more theories. No more “strange” and “curious” camera edits. No more tracing back the paper trails and who was whose distant relative. It may all be related, sure. But that's because they're all things vying for your full attention, energy, and heart. All of which are so precious and valuable and nobody but yours.

Of course it’s important to be aware of the world you live in. Of the evils which are possible and those carried out everyday by tyrants. But to know is one thing. To fill your life with them to the point where they’ve consumed all you are is another.

If these men behind the microphones ever allow themselves to truly experience a moment’s worth of honest happiness where they aren’t looking for connections or hidden plots put in motion by scary men in the depths of dark shadows, I’ve never seen it caught on tape. Maybe at some point they too, chuckled at something funny. Or maybe they got home one day and instead of their usual B-line for the conspiracy websites, they grabbed their wives, spun them around and while in their arms, planted a huge kiss on the women’s lips for no other reason than to make them smile, just for that moment. Maybe. Who am I to assume to know these complete strangers? I just wish they and the millions of similarly confused theorists would just take up a hobby every now and then. Something that doesn’t involve a computer or a webcam. Crocheting circles? Then they could harness those beautiful brains of theirs on who keeps using all the green thread or why the jar of raspberry jam they’re all supposed to share always turns up mysteriously missing. At least it’ll keep them busy.

[steadfastmockingbird]

Found elsewhere and... Yeah. Not sure I 100% agree with all of it but the sentiment is sound.

There appears to not be any "less stressful" way of doing anything anymore.

Hate driving in traffic? Take public transit. Three trains have been replaced by shuttle busses. Standing room only. One of the busses caught fire so now two busses have to fit on one bus. And you're waiting in traffic anyway. Don't want to deal with unreliable public transit? Buy a car for thousands of dollars. Pay hundreds in insurance and maintenance. Stop at a gas station once a week to feed it. Then good luck finding a place to park, loser. Who has a car in the city?

City life is too stressful. Move to the country. Figure out how to be self reliant and do everything the hard way. Everything and everyone is a two hour drive. Buy enough groceries to last two weeks at a time. Freeze everything. Cook all your own meals. If you want fresh produce, grow your own. Want something between the country and the city? Welcome to the suburbs. It's just as expensive as the city but instead of museums and theaters, there are lawns. Get all your packages stolen off your porch. Set up security cameras and watch people steal your packages without being able to do anything about it. Your neighbor's security cameras face your house too and you don't know why. Maintain your lawn or the HOA will fine you. Bring your empty garbage cans in from the street before dark or the HOA will fine you. Pick up your dog's poop in a plastic bag. Even in the woods where thousands of wild animals are also shitting. Shovel out all the snow in your driveway and the sidewalk that crosses your property. Keep kids off your property because they could get hurt and their parents will sue you. But don't TELL kids to get off your property because you'll end up on the Internet as "Front Lawn Karen."

Don't want to cook? Order food. Restaurants don't have delivery drivers anymore, download an app and link it to your bank account. Remember you will also be paying service fees and taxes on your food. Tip ahead of time or the driver won't even bother. Yes tips are different than service fees. They are also picking up multiple orders at multiple locations for multiple deliveries so if you want to get your food hot maybe tip 40% instead of 20% to get them to care. They are messaging you now. They can't find your building. Your instructions are unclear. They send you a photo of where they left a bag of food on the sidewalk. You have to walk out of your house to pick it up. It's the wrong order, you now have someone else's food. You call the driver to let them know. They tell you they don't speak English and hang up on you. So fuck it, no more deliveries. You will order your food and then go pick it up yourself. You get to the restaurant. They ask for your confirmation code and you give it to them. They look confused because someone else already took your food. They forgot to ask for that person's confirmation code. You ask them to please remake the food. They look at you like you're running some kind of scam. You cannot react to any of this or you will end up on the Internet as "Postmates Karen."

Like, all of that just to live, work, and eat. That doesn't even include additional things that people might want to accomplish that are MEANT to be hard.

[masakiastrology]

signs as christmas stuff 💭

So, it is officially July. And I am sure you know what July means? No, not July 4th. CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

So, I'm doing the honors of telling you what Christmas presents you should get each zodiac sign.

Aries

A jacket from their favorite band or artist. Aries almost always have an artist or band they love more than another. And they're not afraid to show off what they like. They don't care what others think, it's their likes, not others.

A planner. Believe it or not, Aries enjoy making plans and doing new projects. With a planner, they can write down important information and make sure they set appointments, parties, and hang outs on free days.

Some new sneakers. Aries love being active, whether it's hiking, playing sports, or going to the gym. So, with the amount of activeness they do, their sneakers are bound to get worn out soon.

A gym or pool membership. As said before, Aries like to be active. If the Aries doesn't like a gym, get a membership to your local pool. If your Aries friend isn't an active Aries, then get them a membership to their favorite game or a gift card.

Taurus

A plant. Taurus are big nature lovers, need I say more? They know how to care for a plant, just like they know how to care for animals and people!

A nature-scented perfume. A scented nature perfume may appeal to your Taurus friends or family, and even remind them of the nature they enjoy.

A plush robe. Taurus love comfort and being cozy. So, what better way to be cozy on Christmas then cuddling up in a plush robe by the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa and watching a Christmas movie?

A candle: And if they don't have a fireplace, get them a scented candle instead! :)

Gemini

A planner or journal: Geminis are very logical. So, their minds are often cluttered with important info, and they tend to forget useful information a lot. So, get them a planner or a journal to write down important info, dates, or assignments.

A set of colored pens: Geminis are very creative, so they probably like to write in different colors. So, get them a set of colorful pens to go with the planner!

A duffel or tote bag. Geminis are probably going to be traveling somewhere after Christmas as they love to travel and go on a vacations. So, why not buy them a duffel or tote bag so they can put their clothes, accessories, and extra items in their?

A book: Geminis are often bookworms. Whether it be something simple, like a magazine or non-fiction book, or something major, like the entire Harry Potter series, all Geminis have some type of story that interests them.

Cancer

New cooking supply(ies): Cancers are very creative. And, almost all Cancers I know love to cook and bake. So, why not get them a new frying pan, oven mitts, baking sheet, or even just some utensils?

A new hoodie: Similar to Taurus, Cancers strive for comfort. They usually like to cuddle up in a hoodie when they get cold.

Art supplies: Cancers love to draw and paint, and art is a huge hobby of theirs.

Movies: Cancers once again like to cuddle up and relax. So, get them a new movie they've never seen before.

Leo

A scarf: Leos love to go Christmas shopping, usually for themselves with Christmas money they get. Why not get them a warm scarf to wear for comfort and style while they go?

Jewelry: Most Leos accessorize their outfits with jewelry, usually earrings or necklaces.

A new video game: Believe it or not, most Leos like to game.

New clothes: Leos love to make new outfits, some give them some new clothes to make new outfits with!

Virgo

Activity books: Virgos have a lot on their mind, and often need to just de-stress. So, get them one of those 'variety puzzles' books and watch them go to town solving them.

Something electronic: Virgos are very high-tech and modern, so they love receiving the latest technology. So, get them something technological. It can be something somewhat cheap, like a camera or watch, or something expensive like a macbook or VR system.

Stuffed animal: Virgos are huge animal lovers and love to cuddle up with a stuffed animal.

A gift card or money: Now, Virgos are often really picky, so make sure to slide some cash or a gift card in their Christmas card so they can buy something they want.

Libra

Makeup: Some Libras love making new makeup looks and practicing tutorials they see.

Earrings: A Libra you know have their ears pierced? They did it for a reason. They did it for the earrings.

A painting to put in their room: Libras are fans of design and high-art.

Headphones: Do Libras like music, TikTok, and podcasts? Yes. Do they like playing it out loud? Not really.

Scorpio

A jacket. We Scorpios tend to go out a lot with friends and family, and since Christmas is in Winter, get us a cozy jacket to wear out. <3

A purse or bag: Based on experience, and me being a Scorpio, we usually carry a lot of stuff with us. Like, just for an hour long road trip, I have my phone, money, eyeliner, lip gloss, my airpods, and a book. And nowhere to put it.

A blanket: Us Scorpios love comfort and warmth. And I love to hide under a blanket and watch Netflix, please.

A customized gift: I love when people give me customized gift because it makes me think 'omg, you really did think of me!'

Sagittarius

A vacation: If you're going on vacation, please take your Sagittarius friend. They're stressed out and really need a break.

A purse or wallet: Sagittarius' cannot live with a purse or wallet to put all their supplies in.

Movies: Sagittarius like to sit back and take it easy most of the time, so what better way than with a new movie?

Exercise equipment: Based on my own experiences with Sagittarius, most of them love working out at home. Not at the gym.

Capricorn

A gift card: Do Capricorns love money? Yes!

A journal: Capricorns have a lot to say, and a lot of feelings. So, get them a journal for them to write in.

Hair accessories: Capricorns love their hair, and they love to style it.

A magazine or a book: Capricorns like to read.

Aquarius

New shoes: Based on my own experience, some Aquarius have a shoe obsession.

A watch: They're busy people who need to keep up with the time.

Earrings: They like jewelry.

A book: They're logical and smart like Virgos, and one way to keep up that logic and intelligence is by reading.

Pisces

A stuffed animal: Pisces love animals and they also love cuddling with stuffed animals.

Bed sheets/a new comforter: Pisces love comfort and style, and they also enjoy a chance every now and then.

Slippers: Comfort!

A poetry book: They get bored easily with novels, but they enjoy short books with poems or various stories.

[chrisliss0878]

Things to keep in mind when buying CCTV

When it comes to your home or business, you probably want to make sure that it looks its best at all times. After all, who wants to live in a place where they don’t feel comfortable? Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to help achieve the look you’re after. And one of the most important of these is ensuring that you have good security cameras. CCTV cameras aren’t just for checking out suspicious activity outside your home or office; they’re also important for checking on people who come and go throughout the day as well as at night. That means you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity when it comes to buying them; after all, there are so many different types that it might be difficult for you to decide which one is best for your needs. Here are some things you need to keep in mind when looking to buy your first CCTV camera.

Know the kind of CCTV you need

Before you start shopping for a CCTV camera, it’s important to learn about the kind of CCTV you need for your needs. There are many different types of security cameras, and knowing what they are best used for can help you choose the right one for you. If you want to check out what’s going on outside your home or office, you’ll want a surveillance camera. This can be used for both indoor and outdoor use, and will allow you to check out what’s outside your property as well as those who come in. For those who need to check out what’s going on inside your home or office, you’ll want a nanny cam or a security camera. These can be used for both indoor and outdoor use, and are what many businesses use to keep an eye on their staff, inventory, and other important areas of their business. If you want to be able to keep track of people who come and go throughout your home or office, a visitor cam is likely what you need. These can be used for both indoor and outdoor use, and are what you’d use to keep track of guests who come to visit you. And for those who need to check out what’s going on in a certain area at a certain time, a time lapse camera can be exactly what you need.

Think about your budget

Next, you’ll want to think about your budget. While it can be nice to have the best camera money can buy, it’s important to also keep in mind how much money you have to spend on your new camera. And if you’re on a tight budget, you might want to consider going for a cheaper model. Remember, however, that just because something is cheaper doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a bad camera; often, it’s simply because the manufacturers cut corners in order to keep the price down. That means that while it certainly won’t be as good as a more expensive model, it might be enough for your needs. You can also consider looking into a leasing program or a home security system. These can often be a good way to get a cheaper security camera system and free monitoring.

Ask for a demonstration

Another thing you can do to make sure you get the best camera for your needs is to ask for a demonstration. This can give you a chance to see exactly how the camera works as well as get advice on which one might be best for your needs. And while many people will tell you that a demonstration doesn’t matter, they’re often wrong. A demonstration can show you how a camera works, allowing you to see if it actually works as advertised. That, in turn, can let you avoid buying a camera that’s simply not going to work for you. However, it can also show you some of the cheaper problems with a camera, allowing you to avoid the same problems with your own camera. That can be incredibly helpful.

Take the time to research

Another thing you can do to make sure you get the best CCTV camera for your needs is to do some research. This can help you not only learn about the different types of cameras that are available, but also learn about the different brands that create them. That way, you can make sure you buy from a manufacturer that’s known for its quality. This can ensure that your camera is durable, reliable, and capable of doing exactly what you need it to do. It can also help you learn more about the best ways to use your camera. Most cameras have a number of different features that you can use to make sure they get the most out of your investment. By learning more about these features, you can make sure you use them to their fullest potential.

Set up your camera(s) correctly

The last thing you need to keep in mind when buying your first CCTV camera is setting it up correctly. A lot of people make the mistake of buying a camera, installing it, and then forgetting about it; however, that can be a mistake. Since cameras need to be plugged into an outlet, you’ll want to make sure that it’s in a place where it can be easily accessed. This can be difficult if you have limited wall outlets in your home, and/or if you want to be able to see your camera from outside. Setting it up correctly is also important because many cameras have to be able to receive a signal from the outside; otherwise, you won’t be able to view anything. That means you’ll want to make sure it’s in an area where it has good signal.

Conclusion

Now that you know some of the things you’ll want to keep in mind when buying your first CCTV camera, you can start your search. However, be sure to do your research and make sure you get the best camera for your needs. That way, you can make sure your home or business is as safe as possible.

Best CCTV Installation

CCTV Installation Near Me

[astrosweet]

🔱✨Makeup in astrology✨🔱

                                                         Part 1

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆. Neptune through the houses  .⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆

☆Neptune represents your flashy or showier side its the planet of illusions and rules over makeup, glamour, fashion, theatre, films, T.V. ( Neptune is like Venus minus relationships and romance). ☆Your Neptune placements/aspects can tell you about your makeup style and what will suit you best.

🔱 Neptune in the 1st house will not leave the house/be seen without makeup. they are amazing at makeup. they are also the type to enhance their features, really overline their lips, or do their eye makeup so they look like a Tim Burton character. heavy contour. you guys are like shapeshifters with makeup its amazing bc it doesn't even look bad when you guys go real heavy people won't even know ur lips are overlined or your nose is contoured. you taught urself ur makeup skills. people will always try to copy ur makeup and it's just something people are jealous so you might get told you wear too much makeup but that's just because they envy the way you can wear 10 pounds of makeup yet still looks like you aren't wearing any.

(OMG!! I just looked at Kylie Jenner's birth chart and she has Neptune 1h)

🔱 Neptune in the 2nd house can be a makeup artist or make money through makeup. you will only use expensive makeup bc it might be the only kind that looks good .you think cheap makeup just doesn't look good on ur face like when you use drugstore/inexpensive makeup it looks cakey, creasy, or doesn't blend. though you also stress about buying makeup. simple makeup would look really good on you. 2nd house is ruled by Venus/Taurus it's a feminine house so try to avoid harsh contouring especially sharp jawlines( a masculine feature). a more feminine/supple look would suit your face best so embrace full checks. you guys have money karma with makeup (especially if it's aspected to ur Saturn!)

🔱 Neptune in the 3rd house the first thing I thought of is doing ur makeup in the car and using ur camera app as a mirror LOL. if you wanted to you could be a beauty guru or that's like the only YouTubers u watch. your sister(s) might have taught about makeup and you first discovered makeup at a young age. you don't like spending a lot of time on ur makeup. you definitely get mascara all over your eyelids. the best look for you is a doe eye look that makes ur eyes look big( like get fake lashes now). or an old Hollywood look like Marlyn Monroe/ Priscilla Presley look. that Gemini/mercury teasing style looks amazing on you. smooth skin, soft yet defined features, the symmetry and innocent look. (I swear to god my intuition is at %5000 today the only thing I was picturing when i was writing this was marlin Monroe, Pamela Anderson, and Lana del Rey, and guess the fuck what? my queen Lana has Neptune 3h(whole signs))

🔱 Neptune in the 4th house your mom or mother figure taught you abt makeup(u definitely steal hers /use the same products) or she always wore makeup, like makeup is her thing you would watch her doing her makeup as a kid, its one of the main things that come to mind when u think of ur mother even if she isn't super into makeup. you like clean simple makeup and do the same look every day... for years. you like the stability. if you do ur makeup, not in the comfort of ur home u think it looks terrible. the 4th house is literally the house of foundation lol not like makeup foundation but still, you guys might always wear foundation or use like 2 primers and 50 squirts of setting spray you will do anything for it to last all day. like 2nd house natural feminine looks suit you best.

🔱 Neptune in the 5th house makeup makes someone extremely creative the house of creativity with the planet of art. it speaks for itself. you guys are naturally talented with makeup. makeup just like any other form of art for you. you might do something different every day with makeup bc it's an opportunity to practice your artistic skills. if you guys aren't into makeup I highly recommend getting into it. the 5th house is abt finding pleasure in the things you do. bronzy looks would look really good on you, also cut crease or cat-eye looks. you can also really pull off bright blue eyeshadow or crazy fun makeup. like all the euphoria makeup looks come to mind.

[sineala]

How would you say fandom culture has changed over the years? What are some differences you notice between older and younger fandom folks?

I’ve been thinking for a while about how to answer this, and I’m not sure I have a really good answer, but I’m going to try.

I’ve been in fandom since approximately 1995. Maybe 1994. At that point, the world wide web was a relatively new part of the internet, and the fandoms I was in had most of their activity on privately-hosted mailing lists (predating eGroups/OneList/Yahoo Groups) and on Usenet newsgroups, with fiction beginning to be available on websites as part of either fandom-specific or pairing-specific archives as well as authors’ individual pages. Fanfiction.net did not yet exist. LiveJournal did not exist. AO3 definitely did not exist. If you wanted real-time chat, there was IRC. I was coming in basically at the tail end of zine fandom; zines were no longer the only way of distributing fanfiction, as fandom started to move online. So I have a selection of zines from 90s-era Western media fandoms but even by then zines weren’t where I was doing most of my reading.

I think in terms of generally “what it was like to be in fandom,” the big-picture stuff hasn’t changed. Fandom still produces creative fanwork and likes to, y’know, get together and talk about fandom. Also, almost every fight or complaint that fandom has about something is a thing that has been going on for actual years. People complain that, say, the kudos button is ruining comment culture because back in the LJ days the only way you could comment on a story was, well, by leaving an actual comment, or sending an email on a mailing list, and this might mean that people who would have otherwise commented have left a kudos instead. But back in the LJ and mailing list days, people were complaining that commenting was going downhill since the days of zines, when in order to comment on a story you had to write a real paper letter and mail it and because you had to do that, the quality of feedback was so much better than you got nowadays because people could just dash off a quick email or comment. You get the idea. Top/bottom wars are not new either. Pairing wars are not new. If you’ve been in fandom a while, you will pretty much have seen all the fights already. I think one thing that is new, though, is the fandom awareness of things like privilege and intersectionality and various -isms, as well as things like “providing warnings might be nice” (do you know how much unwarned deathfic I have read? a lot!) and I sure won’t say we’re perfect at any of this now, but I think fandom is trying way way more about all that stuff than it used to.

There are some fights we actually don’t have anymore, as far as I can tell. I feel like it’s been years since I’ve seen the “real person fiction is wrong” battle, but also I don’t hang out in a whole lot of RPF fandoms, so it’s possible that’s still going and I just don’t see it.

There also used to be a recurring debate about whether gay relationships that were canonical were slash or not. When slash started, obviously this wasn’t a question because there weren’t canonical gay relationships in fandoms, period. But as gay characters began to appear in media, people started to wonder “does slash mean all same-sex relationships, or does slash mean only non-canonical same-sex relationships?” Now, you may be reading this and think that sounds like an incredibly weird thing to get hung up on, but that’s because what appears to have happened is that the term “ship” (originally from X-Files Mulder/Scully fandom) has, as far as I can tell, come up and eaten most of the rest of the terminology. Now people will just say, “oh, I ship that.” For any pairing, gay or not, canonical or not. Fandom seems to have decided that for the most part it no longer actually needs a term specific to same-sex relationships as a genre.

Similarly, there are a few genres of fic that we used to have also pretty much don’t exist anymore. There are also plenty of genres that are well-entrenched now that are also extremely recent -- A/B/O comes to mind. But there are some kinds of fic we don’t write a lot of now. Like, I haven’t seen smarm in years! I also haven’t seen We’re Not Gay We Just Love Each Other in a while. There was also a particular style of slash writing where you’d basically have to explain, in detail, what made you think that these particular characters could be anything other than straight. You’d have to motivate this decision. You’d have to look at their canonical heterosexual relationships and come up with a way to explain why all those had happened in order to reconcile how this one guy could have romantic feelings for another guy. When had he figured out he wasn’t straight? Who might he have been with before? How does he interact with people in ways that make you think he’s not straight? That kind of thing. You had to, essentially, show your work. And these days a lot of fanfic is just like, “Okay, Captain America is bisexual, let’s go!” It’s... different.

Fandom also used to skew older, is my sense. A lot older. I don’t know, actually, if it really was older, but I get the sense now that there are some younger people who are surprised that adults are still in fandom. I have seen people saying these days that they think they’re too old for fanfiction because they are not in middle school anymore. And I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the barriers to access fandom are a lot lower than they used to be. You used to basically have to be an adult with disposable income (or know an adult with disposable income who was willing to help you out; but even then if you were reading explicit fiction you also had to swear you were 18+, usually by sending in an age statement to whoever you were buying the zine from or to the mods of the list you wanted to join, so a lot of fandom was very much age-gated). Internet access was not widely available. Even if you had internet access, you maybe didn’t have your own email address, so you couldn’t sign up for mailing lists; free email providers didn’t exist. If you wanted to buy zines, you had to have money to buy them. If you wanted to go to cons, you had to be able to afford the cost of the con, travel to the con, et cetera. If you wanted to have a website you had to know HTML. Social media did not exist. You want to draw art? Guess what, you’re probably drawing it on paper! You might be able to upload a picture to your website if you have a digital camera or a scanner, but both of those things are expensive, and also a lot of people don’t have the capability or the money to download pictures from the internet (some people have data caps with overage charges, and some people have text-only connections!), so they won’t get to see it. Maybe you can sell your piece at a con! You want to make a fanvid? We called them songvids, but, anyway, you know how you’re doing that? You’re going to hook two VCRs together and smash the play and record buttons very fast! If you want anyone else to watch them, you are either making them a tape personally and mailing it to them or bringing your vids to a convention. Maybe you can digitize them and upload them, but it’s going to take people hours to download them!

(Every three hours my ISP would kick me off the internet and I’d have to dial in again. If it was a busy time of day, it might take me 20 or 30 minutes to get a connection again. And that was assuming no one else in the house needed to use the phone line. Imagine if your modem went out every three hours now.)

And now, for the cost of my internet connection, I can read pretty much whatever fanfiction I want, whenever I want it. I can see all the fanart I want! I can watch vids! Podfic exists now! Fanmixes exist! Gifsets and moodboards exist! If I want to write fic I can write it with programs that are completely free, and as soon as I post it everyone in the entire world can read it. If I want to draw or make vids that may require some additional investment, but I may also be able to do it with things I already have. Do you have any idea how good we all have it?

There are a couple of kinds of fan activity that don’t seem to exist anymore, though, and I miss them. I know that roleplaying still goes on, but I feel like these days most people who do real-time text roleplay have switched to things like Discord. I know that in the LJ days, RP communities were popular. But I really miss MU*s (MUDs, MUSHes, MOOs, MUXes..), which were servers for real-time text-based RP with a bunch of... hmm... features to aid RP. There were virtual rooms with text descriptions, and objects in virtual rooms with descriptions, and your character had a description, and they could interact with the objects as well as with other characters, and you could program things to change descriptions or emit various kinds of text or take you to different rooms, and so on. Just to, y’know, enhance the atmosphere. It was fun and it was where I learned to RP and I’m sad they’re pretty much gone now.

I also don’t think I see a lot of fanfiction awards in fandoms. Wonder where they went.

Going back to the previous point, the barriers to actually consuming the canon you are fannish about are way, way, way lower now. You can pretty much take it for granted that if right now someone tells you about a shiny new fandom, there will be a way to read that book or watch that show or movie right now. Possibly for free! Of course you can watch it! Why wouldn’t you be able to?

This was absolutely, absolutely not the case before. I’m currently in Marvel Comics fandom. If there is a comic I want to read, I can read it right now on the internet. I have subscribed to Marvel Unlimited and I can read pretty much every comic that is older than three months old; the newer ones cost extra money. But I can do it all from the comfort of my own home right now. I was also, actually, in Marvel Comics fandom in the nineties. If I wanted to read a comic, I had to go to a comic book store and hope they had it in stock; if they didn’t, I had to try another store. Not a lot of comics were available in trade paperback and they definitely weren’t readable on the internet. I used to read a lot of Gambit h/c fic set after Uncanny X-Men #350. I never found a copy of UXM #350. I still haven’t! But I did eventually read it on Unlimited.

Being in TV show fandoms also had similar challenges. Was the show you were watching still on the air? No? Then you’d better hope you could find it in reruns, or know someone who had tapes of it that they could copy for you, otherwise you weren’t watching that show. It was, I think, pretty common for people to be in fandoms for shows they hadn’t seen, because they had no way to see the show, but they loved all the fanfic. The Sentinel had a whole lot of fans like that, both because I think it took a while for it to end up in reruns and because overseas distribution was probably poor. So you’d get people who read the fic and wrote fic based on the other fic they’d read, which meant that you got massive, massive amounts of fanon appearing that people just assumed was in the show because it was a weirdly specific detail that appeared in someone’s fic once. Like “Jim and Blair’s apartment has a small water heater” (not actually canonical) or “Blair is a vegetarian” (there’s an episode where his mother visits and IIRC cooks him one of his favorite meals, which is beef tongue).

Like, I was in The Professionals fandom for years. I read all the fic. I hadn’t seen the show. As far as I know, it never aired in the US, and it certainly never had any kind of US VHS or DVD release. I’d seen a couple songvids. I eventually saw a couple episodes in maybe 2003, and that was because my dad special-ordered a commercial VHS tape from the UK and paid someone to convert it from PAL to NTSC. I didn’t get to see the whole show until several years later when I got a region-free DVD player someone in fandom sent me burned copies of the UK DVD releases and then I special-ordered the commercial release of the DVDs from the UK myself. But if I were a new fan and wanted to watch Pros right now? It is on YouTube! For free!

I think also one of the things about fandom that’s not immediately evident to new fans is the way in which it is permanent and/or impermanent. There are probably people whose first fannish experience is on Tumblr or who only read fanfic on FFN and who have no idea what they would do if either site, say, just shut down. But if you’ve been in fandom a while, you’ve been through, say, Discord, Tumblr, Twitter, Pillowfort, Imzy, DW, JournalFen, LJ, GeoCities, IRC, mailing lists. And sure, if Tumblr closed, it would be inconvenient. But fandom would pack up and move somewhere else. You would find it again. It would, eventually, be okay. Similarly, if you’ve been in a lot of fandoms, if you’ve made a lot of friends, drifting through fandoms is like that. You’ll make a friend in 1998 because you were in the same fandom, and then you might go your own ways, and ten years later you might be in another fandom with them again! It happens.

But the flip side of that is that I think a lot of older fans have learned not to trust in the permanence of any particular site. If you like a story, you save it as soon as you read it. If you like a piece of art, you save it. If you like a vid, you save it. Because you don’t know when the site it’s on will be gone for good. I have, like, twenty years of lovingly-curated fanfic. And I feel like people who have only been in fandom since AO3 existed might not understand how much AO3 is a game-changer compared to what we had before. It’s a site where you can put your fic up and you don’t have to worry that the webhost is going out of business, or that the site might delete your work because they don’t allow gay fiction or explicit fiction or fiction written in second person or fiction for fandoms where the creator doesn’t like fanfiction, or whatever. Because all of those things have absolutely happened. But, I mean, I still save pretty much everything I like, even on AO3, just in case.

So, basically, yeah, fandom is a whole lot more accessible than it used to be. I think fandom is pretty much still fandom, but it’s a lot easier to get into, and that has made it way more open to people who wouldn’t have been able to be in fandom before. There is so, so much more now than there ever was before, and I think that’s great.

[livingdeadmlm]

Have you ever seen a video on YouTube or any other resource where a person living in their own or a foreign country talks about prices, clothes, cosmetics, and food? Walks around the stores with a camera and tells what products are there, what they take and the total amount. Can we get a headcanon where the reader is also something like a youtuber who talks about food/clothes/etc.? And goes shopping with the pillarmen, they point out and buy what they like, discuss. At home they talk about the taste of food for example (Kars shows and talks about cosmetics)

I love those videos so much bc I love seeing how other countries work and what they have in stores. (one of my favorites things to do is go to convenience stores/general stores and look around, especially if its a new one that I get to now learn the format of [it's the autism]) is this realistic? absolutely not lol but that's the fun of fanfiction that you get to pretend that things are fun and cool lol (as long as it's not weird, looking at you proshippers, weirdos)

due to your job, you had to travel around a lot leading you to stay in different countries for months at a time and a few times spending an entire year there

due to this, you picked up vlogging the stores and best shops you would go to especially if it was a repeat country/city

you had gained a decent-sized following from fellow travelers and even just people who found it entertaining.

you had met the pillar men during many of your travels and they began to stay with you when they found out that your company will see them as dependents and offered to cover their tickets. so it was a win-win.

they got to be with their boyfriend all the time

when they found out about your videos they thought it was very cute watching you film the shops and reviewing the things you got.

your followers began to notice the very obvious large men that were always with you.

they would show up more and more holding this up to the camera or just taking your camera and filming to talk about products the recommended

they each have small segments in the videos where they talk about the things they got or picked out

Kars looks more into cosmetics and reviews them on if they are good and talks about different makeup customs in other countries

Wammu talks more about deals and how to be sure that you are getting plenty of bang for your buck due to possible scams which are often done to foreigners and travelers. He also talks about products to get instead of the more expensive ones

Esidsis talks about the foods and good combinations that can be made with them

your fans were very excited to have more helpful content

when you are showcasing the products and reviewing them the pillarmen can be seen in the background of your hotel/Air BnB.

which became a small joke in your comments

esidsis occasionally prepares the new foods for everyone to sample

when in stores showing off products it was much easier having one of the men hold the product

though sometimes they turn it around on you and have you holding whatever they want to talk about

[parkersroses]

omg would you be able to write something fluff inspired by the Italy pictures🥺🥺 maybe like y/n being harry's assistant and they were taking each other's pictures on the boat, walking around Venice after harry's done with filming, and just them doing cute things and harry realizes that he likes y/n and when he told her about it she was gobsmacked and happy bc she's always been in love with harry and just all that fluff

love in venice. | harry styles.

summary: there's nothing more romantic than an evening stroll down the streets of Venice as Harry and Y/N figure out how to tell each other how they feel for each other.

pairing: harry styles x fem!reader (assisstant!reader)

wc: 3.5k

warning(s): fluff <3

a/n: hey anon, hope you like this! i definitely have thought of writing about italyrry when the pictures came out but just didn't have the time. he’s looks sooooo dreamy. but here it is now! i hope you guys like this ball of fluff as much as i do :) reblog (!!), comment, tell me what you think! and if you want to, donate to my ko-fi! all my love to you <3

There is something in the Italian air.

Perhaps it was the way the Sun shines on him, a faint halo appearing over his head, or even the way his soft curls move as the wind howls through the city. There is something in the way he looks sun kissed during the day, and dreamy and enchanting during the night.

It’s almost undoubtedly to assume how much Harry loves Italy. He truly enjoys coming here with a peace of mind, simply a different yet familiar environment that he’s used to. He always thinks about buying a place there where he would go whenever he wants to hide from the world sometimes. A little hideaway for him.

He watches from the boat, people walking on the grounds of Venice, bustling here and there to their own businesses. People playing tourists, taking pictures in front of buildings and eating cold ice cream under the hot day. He enjoys the scenery from where he sits. Under the summer Sun shining on his skin. He occasionally waves at those who recognised him from the sight of his tattooed arms.

He hears a ‘click’ sound and turns his head towards the direction of it. He smiles as the girl in front of him fiddles with a film camera in her hands.

“Did ya get my good side?” He smirks. She playfully rolls her eyes at him. “Always, H,” she tells him, grinning at the golden boy.

Harry and Y/N’s relationship is… interesting, Harry would say. It started out a year ago when she was hired as his personal assistant. They never cross each other’s boundaries, and they rarely talk about things outside of work to keep things strictly professional. Though, it would be a lie if they both never found each other even a bit attractive.

Then one night, Y/N got a drunken call from a very drunk Harry who was at a party, blubbering nonsense and singing at the top of his lungs off key. As his assistant, she came over to help him get home, which proved to be a bit of a challenge as he kept clinging onto her and playing with her hair as she guided him in. As someone who saw him as a friend, she stayed over and slept uncomfortably on his expensive sofa to help him out when he’s hungover.

Since then, they grew closer as friends and the attraction towards each other merely grew in size by the amount of times they hung around together. Unbeknownst to each other, they’ve developed crushes but were too scared to ruin their friendship.

Pretty normal for two adults, you would think.

Harry was ecstatic when they were said to film ‘My Policeman’ in Italy. He loved everything about the place, from the weather to the food to the culture. And being there with amazing people to make what he thought is an amazing film takes the cake.

Harry and his team arrived a few hours ago and he opted to go on a boat ride, do a bit of sightseeing on the first day before having to prepare for filming tomorrow. He’s got his bag of journals that he often writes in and a camera to take pictures with.

He shares the bag with Y/N for the most part now, often letting her store her own film camera or books. He’s pretty glad of how much they both have in common, such as writing and photography.

The wind blows through his brown locks of hair and he doesn’t make a move to fix as he leans on his arms, cheeks squished into them.

“God, you’re a mess,” Y/N giggles at him as she runs her fingers through his hair, fixing it up. Harry hums and closes his eyes at the comforting gesture, he’s lucky to be wearing sunglasses so people wouldn’t see how practically whipped he is for the girl.

“Aren’t yeh glad that you came here with me?” He teases her. “Of course. Who else was gonna bring your ass up to your room if you ever get pissed drunk singing a Britney Spears song?”

He scoffs playfully at her, grabbing her hand that was on his head. “You’re mean,” he pouts. She shakes her head, grinning at him. “Just keeping you humble, H.”

She brings up her camera to her face, aiming at him. “Smile for me,” she murmurs. He does just that, giving her his beautiful award-winning smile that seems to kill every person that looks at him. “Make sure I look good even in the candid ones,” he says as he poses naturally in front of her.

She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Has anyone told you how much of a narcissist you can be?”

“Mmm, a few times. But I like to hear from you, baby,” he flirts at her, which makes her feel all fired up inside.

“Just shut up and pose for me, Styles.”

It’s also important to mention how they somewhat have a flirtatious connection between each other. Giving compliments and gifts, calling each other sickeningly cute pet names like baby or love. Everyone thinks it’s only a matter of time when both of them admit their feelings to one another.

After the boat ride, the pair walk on the cobblestoned streets of Venice, admiring the area on what they thought was a perfect summer day. They walk together closely, with their hands occasionally brushing against each other but neither dare to link their fingers together.

They decided to stop by a local jewellery shop. Y/N is already amazed at the many items found, her eyes light up in delight. Harry walks closely behind her, smiling at her as her eyes scan the jewellery laid out. He too looks at some of the items but anyone who paid attention would know his full focus is on her.

Y/N eyes land on a particular necklace, the pendant being a small pink stone made into a heart shape. It’s beautiful with its little imperfections, almost delicate for her to not touch it.

“See anything y’like?” Harry’s voice behind her makes her jump a bit. She nudges him slightly before turning to the necklace she eyes on. “It’s beautiful,” she tells him.

He smiles at her, his eyes lingering a look of adoration on her before he turns away. “You should get it then,” he suggests. Y/N sighs at this. “I wish. It’s quite pricey.” She points out the price label of the necklace.

She shrugs at him. “S’alright, though. I’m sure there’s probably a cheaper version of it somewhere,” she jokes, but to Harry, it seems as though she’s convincing herself that.

Harry realised a long time ago that Y/N didn’t necessarily come from a lot of money. She was merely working at a diner from 9 to 7 everyday to make ends meet and pay off her student debts. She was lucky enough to have gotten this job which paid her a lot more in a day than the diner did a month. Money has always been a worrying issue with her, she’s almost paranoid for spending too much even on things that might make her happy.

But she deserves everything good in this world. Harry knows this. And maybe it’s because of his undenying romantic feelings for her, he’d make sure everyday that she felt that deserving feeling.

Which is why when she saunters off to the other side of the store, he waves over one of the workers and pays for the necklace, telling them to gift it nicely for her.

𓆰

Y/N is annoyed. And from the looks of it, she could tell Harry is too.

The next few days were solely dedicated to filming the last few scenes and it was going great so far. If you exclude the screaming fans following around the crew as they film.

Harry felt guilty. He knew that most, if not all of those people, were there for him. He always loves and appreciates his fans, he’d never deny the wonderful things they did to get him to where he is today. But there were also days like these where he sometimes wishes to disappear in a far away land where he would have some peace to himself and not worry about people following him around like an animal in a zoo.

But he manages when she’s with him. He always has her practically attached to his hip so she could look out for him and vice versa. In a way, they keep each other sane in moments where he felt like he didn’t get any privacy, even when working.

He’s just lucky to have found her, really.

And luckily, they finished filming which was a relieving and exciting moment.

Y/N decides to accompany Harry back to his hotel. She guesses at how helpful it is that they could only get into the building by using their own private boat that they rented.

She could tell how exhausted he is. But he still looks beautiful and she partially envies how majestic and enchanting he looks, particularly under the Italian Sun.

He yawns, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as the boat reaches the hotel entrance. “You okay?” She asks. He turns to her and smiles, exhaustion clear in his emerald green eyes. “M’fine, lovie. Just thinking about taking a nap,” he murmurs.

She nods and rubs his back in a comforting manner. As the boat stops in front of the building, he helps her get off, holding onto her hand as she steps off the boat. For a moment, thinking of how soft and warm her hands feel in his calloused, large ones.

The two greet the staff in the lobby as they tiredly trudge up the stairs to his room. When they enter, Harry is quick to throw himself onto his bed, face first lying on his stomach. Y/N chuckles at the sight and sits next to him. Harry rolls on his back and puffs out a breath.

“Can’t believe we’re done filming,” he mumbles out. She lies down on her back next to him. “Yeah? How d’you feel?”

He hums for a moment as he thinks, letting out a ‘hmm’. “Kind of bittersweet, actually. I loved everything about filming the movie, but I’m glad it’s over now because it definitely took a while to film. It almost feels like I’ve been working non-stop for the past few months.”

Y/N can understand where he’s heading. When she found out from him that he’ll be filming another movie after ‘Don’t Worry, Darling’, she felt concerned as most friends do. She was worried that he might overworked himself. But he showed up to set early everyday with a smile on his face with determination to make something good out of it. And proud is an understatement from what she feels for Harry.

“Have you thought of taking a short break? You know, lay off work a bit and just enjoy yourself?” She prompts. He shrugs at the thought. “Definitely have thought of it. I’ll still be writing a bit here and there for an album, but for now, I’d like to have some time off. Just relax and not worry about a schedule or setting an alarm so early.”

“Well, you deserve it, H. I know you do.” She tells him. She looks over his profile, eyes tracing around his defined jawline and cheekbones, his hair messy after ruffling it. Yeah, he really is the most beautiful man she’s ever met.

Harry turns to look at her and she hopes he didn’t hear the hitch in her throat as he looks at her with his shiny emerald eyes. Their faces are so close to each other. She almost shamelessly looks down at his pink, plump lips. And it’s to her surprise that he shamelessly does the exact same thing, eyes glancing down on where he wants to plant his lips on.

She swears she might have seen him lean in a bit.

She clears her throat and sits up from the bed, leaving him confused. “Um, I should probably go,” she announces, quickly getting up. “You should get some rest, H,” she says as she walks to the door.

“Wait, Y/N!” Harry calls for her, and it’s embarrassing how quickly she turns to him. “Yes?”

He fiddles with his fingers before standing up from his bed. “Um, since filming is done and we have a few days to stay,” he mutters. “Would you, maybe, want to go out with me tonight? Get some dinner or do some sightseeing?” He breathes out nervously.

Y/N stands still with wide eyes at his words. It takes a minute for her to process what he said before speaking.

“Yes.”

Harry blinks at her. “Yes, you wanna go out with me tonight?”

She smiles and nods knowingly at him. “Yes, H.”

Harry lets out a breath of relief. “O-Okay, then! I’ll see you tonight. What time d’you want to go?”

Y/N thinks for a moment in her head. “You could come by my room at 7.” She suggests sheepishly.

“7, yeah, sure! Sounds perfect! 7, it is,” Harry starts to fumble on his words. In his defense, he didn’t think she would agree to this, date? Can he call it that?

She chuckles at his nervous behaviour. “I’ll see you later, H.” She says, walking back to the door. “Yeah! Of course! Your room at 7 tonight! I’ll see you then, love!” He starts blurting out his words to her, cursing at himself for acting so weird all of a sudden.

Y/N simply smiles sweetly at him before closing the door behind her.

Harry breaths out again once he’s left alone in his room in silence. Shaking his head, he walks over to his bag to pick out a nice outfit to wear when he sees her again, calling himself an idiot for being a blubbering mess in front of the pretty girl.

𓆰

His hand is fiddling with the necklace in his pocket as he walks to her room. He’s persistent to arrive earlier before 7, like the gentleman his mother taught him to be.

When he stands in front of her door, he checks himself again, making sure his hair is in place and his shirt is tucked in his pants nicely. He knocks on her door, bouncing lightly on his heels as he waits.

When Y/N opens the door, Harry’s breath is almost taken away. She wears a long maxi summer dress with ribbon straps, a long slit that goes up to her knee, paired with some white strappy sandals. Her makeup and hair is done lightly. She looks like a dream.

“Hi,” she greets him, smiling.

“Hey!” He curses at his overexcitement, but thinks it’s okay as he hears her laugh.

She closes and locks the door behind her, turning to face him. She breathes out, still not believing that Harry is taking her out. At this point, she’s nearly positive that he would reciprocate her feelings for him. But that’s up for tonight to determine.

Harry smiles in awe at her before letting out his hand. “Shall we?” He asks.

She nods in excitement as she puts her hand in his, taking in how warm it feels against hers.

The pair enjoyed the beautiful night as it progressed. Harry took her to a nice little restaurant that had an amazing view overlooking the city. The sky darkens as the city lights shine and he can’t help but admire how pretty she is sitting across from him at their table.

They walk along the streets after dinner. There were not a lot of fans coming after him, which is a relief. He wants a sense of normalcy, especially spending his time with her. She likes the music playing on the streets, almost like it fits perfectly with the scene they're in.

Harry is itching to hold her hand again but doesn’t, instead just lets his hand brush lightly against his. And if she happens to link her hand with his, he’ll for sure hold it tightly.

Eventually, they stop by a large fountain. She looks up at the bright night sky, admiring the stars twinkling down on them.

“Beautiful this place is, isn’t it?” She murmurs without looking at him. But his eyes are on her.

“Yeah, it is,” he mutters under his breath, turning his face to the front to hide the fact that he was staring at her.

She turns to look at her. She sees a slight furrow in his eyebrows, almost like the gears in his head are turning and he’s thinking about something. “Hey,” she rests a hand on his arm which catches his attention.

“You okay, H?” She has a worried expression on her face and it really warms his heart at how much she looks out for him. He grins slightly as he rests his hand on hers that’s holding on his arm.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just thinking,” he tells her.

“Yeah? What about?” She gently asks.

Harry contemplates in his head for a moment. It’s like the perfect scene. In the beautiful Venice summer air, the clear starry night, with music playing in the background on the streets. And she looks so incredibly beautiful.

Harry is certain that he’s in love with her.

“I actually want to tell you something.” He shifts so he’s fully facing her, making her do the same. “Oh! Okay,” she smiles for what it’s worth to ease his nerves.

“I uh,” Harry starts, his shiny emerald green eyes holding so much awe and love in them. “I love you.”

Y/N is surprised. Her eyes are wide in shock while her mouth opens agape just slightly. She struggles to get her words out without making a fool of herself, but a smile finally breaks out on her face. “Really?”

He nods and chuckles nervously at her reaction. “That’s, that’s great, Harry.” She says. Harry feels his heart slowly deflate. Was this a mistake? Had he been reading the signs all wrong?

“Yeah?” She could hear the slight sadness in his voice. She nods at the beautiful man in front of her.

“Because… I love you too.”

Harry lets out a big sigh of relief as she says this. He chuckles at her and shakes his head. “Nearly killed me there, woman. Thought I might’ve made a mistake.”

She giggles as she steps forward, holding his hand gently. “It was kind of funny,” she shrugs at him. Harry laughs again as he leans his forehead on hers.

Their breaths hit each other and if they lean in a bit more, they’d feel each other’s lips.

“Oh!” Harry quickly pulls away, earning a confused look from Y/N. “I almost forgot something,” he utters as he digs in his pocket.

He gently pulls the necklace out, letting the stone hang in front of her face. She gasps at the necklace she was eyeing on just a few days ago, fingers delicately touching it. She’s lost for words. “Wha’? I,” she stutters on her words, completely speechless.

“I knew you wanted it the other day, so I got it for you.” He shrugs slightly. “I was thinking of when to give it to you, but now seemed like a good time.”

She looks at him in awe and amazement. He remembered, albeit it was such a small thing, but he remembered how much she wanted the necklace, and instantly got it for her.

She lets out a laugh and shakes her head at him. “You’re amazing. You know that?” Harry chuckles at her words. “I know. Y’told me that before. Can yeh say it again?” He smirks at her.

She slaps his shoulder, giggling at narcissistic comments. He turns her around and clasps on the chain, letting the stone sit on her skin by her neck. His fingers brush gently against her neck, making her shiver slightly as her fingers touch on the pink stone pendant.

She looks down at the piece of jewellery and turns to look at him, smiling brightly. Harry smiles back as he brushes a piece of hair off from her face, his thumb brushing gently against her cheekbone.

“Beautiful-,”

His words are instantly cut off when she pulls him in by the neck and kisses him. He’s quick to respond back, letting his arms wrap around her waist. She whimpers as his tongue enters her mouth and lets her hands travel up his neck to the back of his head, tugging lightly on his curls. He groans into the kiss and cups her face with one hand, like he’s holding her in place as they kiss.

They breathe heavily as they pull away. Y/N touches his lips, pink as ever, they feel soft under her fingers. He pecks on them before leans in to kiss her lips again. He grins when he hears her giggle, thinking it is the sweetest sound he’s ever heard.

He looks at her with love in his eyes, muttering the words ‘I love you’ again in which she utters the words back to him. And once again, she pulls him in, letting him taste her lips again.

And Harry thinks there is definitely something in the air in Italy. It’s love.