#thankfully phones automatically do this nowadays but whatever
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#//a reminder for how awful we'll feel tomorrow! lol#thankfully phones automatically do this nowadays but whatever#the stupid idea came to me so here it is#through a glass darkly#benjamin tallmadge#ben tallmadge#turn amc#turn washington's spies#turn: washington's spies#my stoofs
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How I organize my books in Zotero
Today, I wanted to write down something about my methods of keeping books and comic books organized. I have plenty of them, so it’s easy to forget and buy the same book twice. To counteract this, I’ve been using Zotero, a free tool to assist you in doing research, as my book archive.
Some of you might know Zotero as a program for storing citations when writing academic articles, which is how I got to know it, and sure - I still use it this way. But then I thought to myself - why not use the program in other ways, too?
Sure enough, I got both academic and regular stuff added. There’s so much info to put in here, though…
Doing everything manually would be such a pain, though. Most books, thankfully, come with an ISBN code - which you can use to add the book data automatically.
Can this be even easier? Yes, it can! Most books nowadays come with a barcode, and the Zotero phone app has this handy little feature…
This makes adding your massive collection of tomes a breeze! Let’s try adding the first volume of Kuro to my archive.
Since we picked the Scan barcode option, let’s find the barcode.
Got it! After I press Close, the book will already be in my database.
Whenever I’m out shopping for new books, I can always make sure whether I already have one or another edition of whatever caught my attention.
Once, I offered to make a database of my friend’s ~850 books (along some much needed dusting). 1) We sorted the books into three groups: I) books with barcodes II) books with ISBN, but no barcode III) books without an ISBN
2) We proceeded to scan the barcode books, then added the rest using their identifiers or just manually inputting data
3) then, all that was left was to sort the books and put them on the shelves.
Zotero has been extremely useful to me in every day life, both when I need to create a proper list of works cited and when just needing out. If you feel a nagging inside to organize your books, maybe this could satisfy this craving!
#books#book#books and reading#comic books#manga#organization#organisation#just writing this down to share with friends later tbh
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Survey #454
“last thing i remember, i was running for the door / i had to find the passage back to the place i was before”
Last thing you bought online? Did you like it? I have no clue. Could you date someone who didn’t drive (and didn’t show an interest in ever getting their license, either)? I don't know. Public transportation isn't a big thing here at all, and even whenever I get my license, my partner needing to get somewhere while I'm needed elsewhere could be problematic. I think it would also depend on why they don't want their license. Like if they had a traumatic wreck, I couldn't blame them. How would you react if your artwork became famous? That'd be fucking amazing. Would you get your nipples pierced? I've briefly considered it. I ultimately wouldn't, though. How many people know your birthday? Without the assistance of Facebook, a few, I guess. My immediate family, Sara, uhhhh... Has anyone ever tried to ruin a relationship you were in? Yes, and it worked. For the better, though. He had a bad reputation. Have you ever watched a whole hour long infomercial? Ha, yes, this one time with Girt. It was a vacuum infomercial. We were just really bored at my place and... okay, I have no justification for watching that whole thing lmao. What is your current MySpace song? I still remember it was "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Beddingfield lmaooo. What is your favorite kind of meat to put on your sandwich? Ham. Which one of your exes do you feel like you have the most chemistry with? Sara or Jason, idk. How do you feel about people who make Facebook profiles for their pets? I don't care. Have you ever personally known a pair of conjoined twins? No. What was the most disturbing thing you have ever heard your mother say? Mom and my older sister got in a fight once and Mom yelled that she was a slut. I don't know why, but... it never left me, and I GUARANTEE it never left Ashley (who is not a "slut," by the way). This was when she was a teenager, so it's been many years and I can absolutely promise you Mom regrets it, big time. I don't even have to ask. Is there something in particular you like to look at photos of? What is it? Mark and meerkats, ha ha. Chewy chocolate-chip cookies: like or dislike? Chewy is the way to GO. If your boyfriend/girlfriend wanted to dress only in the opposite sex’s clothing, would you support that? If not, would you leave them? I wouldn't care. I'm pansexual, anyway. Anyone can be attractive to either gender's clothes to me. I think assigning clothes to a specific gender is dumb, anyway. Do you think your grandmother is/was beautiful? I only remember how my maternal grandmother looked, and yeah, she was a pretty lady. Which of your fields of interest are you a total expert on? Mark, ha ha. I know way too much on a person I've never met. When was the last time you got all dolled up? Not since last October when I did a witchy Halloween shoot with friends. Do you ever name objects? (i.e. mp3 players, guitars, cars, etc.) No. Do you have a criminal record? No. Last person you took a nap with? Sara, years ago. Well, unless you count my cat. He always comes running when he hears me getting comfy in bed, ha ha. Does seeing your mother cry automatically make you feel sad as well? Yes, and angry because I want to stop whatever it is making her cry, but I usually can't. Do you think someone likes the same person you like? I have no idea. Do you want your life to stay the way it is right now forever? God no. Have you ever been to craigslist.com? Yes; I've adopted and rehomed pets from there. What about eBay? Mom's bought stuff from there. Have you ever used Nair? Yes, on my legs. It's just as exhausting as shaving with how thick my hair is. Are you medicated? I think I'm on too much medication, personally. I want to try weaning off my OCD prescription, because I haven't had problems in a long time, but my psychiatrist doesn't want to? Which is odd to me because when I came to him, he was stunned by how many different meds I was on. He's concerned that the symptoms will just re-emerge, but like... I've beaten OCD before, for many years. I can do it again. I trust him with my life though, because he saved it, so I just go with what he says, honestly. Do you shape/fill in your eyebrows? No. Have you ever stolen/borrowed clothes from an ex? I've worn Jason's pajama pants before because I found men's pj pants more comfortable, and besides, sometimes I spent the night when I didn't plan to and needed something more comfortable than jeans. Could you make a statement about anything political? Texas' new "heartbeat bill" is fucking bullshit and is going to get so many women killed from DIY abortions. Do you think you’ve already met your soulmate? I don't believe in soulmates, but I do believe I met the person I loved more than I could ever possibly love somebody else again. Do you get the feeling something good will happen in your life soon? Fuck if I know. Do you enjoy romantic movies, even when they’re cliche? Yes. Have you been to McDonald’s in the past month? Yes. Have you ever slept over at your best friend’s house? I have. How often do you go bowling? Very, very rarely. I haven't been since I was on a date at the end of 2017, I wanna say??? Or was it '18??? Last time you were in an apartment? Not since Colleen still lived in one and I was visiting her. Have you ever seen a live seahorse? Yeah, in aquariums. Would you like to have your own yacht? I mean I wouldn't say no if you offered it to me for free, but I'm not exactly interested in one. I'd probably just give it to my dad. He'd be on Cloud 9. Winnie the Pooh or Tigger? Pooh! :^) What’s the unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten today? A brownie with caramel drizzle. Mom bought a box of them to split between Ash and her family and us, so I had one. :x Thankfully though she gave more to Ash, because I don't like having treats in the house for my weight's sake, but a little something sweet occasionally keeps you sane when you're trying to lose weight. Has a stranger ever offered to buy you a drink? Ew, no. What is something you’d be happy to receive as a gift, that doesn’t cost a lot? I'd really appreciate something hand-made, like a drawing or something. What kind of music does your significant other/crush like to listen to? He likes mostly the same stuff as me, but also more indie-ish stuff than me. Who did you have your first kiss with? Do you remember what colour his/her eyes were? Jason. His eyes are brown. Are there any themes from TV shows that you like to sing along to? Supernatural. It's inevitable that I'll sing, ha ha. Do you eat dessert after dinner? Very, very rarely. Have you ever had too much to drink and felt embarrassed about your behavior the next day? No. When you go out drinking, what do you prefer to drink? I don't go out drinking, but if I was to order a drink right now, I'd go for a sangria. That sounds soooo good rn. What was the last animal that you saw? My cat. Venus is in her hide as I'm answering this, so I can't see her. What was the last thing that you said to one of your siblings? I told Nicole bye when she was leaving the other day. What is the most expensive thing that you’ve purchased that you paid for: My snake. What is your favorite messaging program? Discord, nowadays. Do you eat fast food more than 5 times a week? Yikes, no. Have you ever almost drowned? No. Have you ever learned something shocking about someone through Facebook? It wasn't shocking in a bad way, just very unexpected. One of my friends has been an egg donor twice, I wanna say? What’s the scariest living animal that you’ve petted? I have no clue. Nothing that dangerous. Well wait, I shared the story of holding a tarantula before, and I was still kinda nervous to do so when I did. She was a total sweetie, though. Do you remember the first conversation you ever had with the person you currently have feelings for? I actually don't. Other than he got my attention with "lip ring girl," lmao. Do you dread certain days of the week? If yes, what day/s and why? No, because they're all the same to me. If you eat oatmeal, do you have it plain or do you have certain toppings that you like to add to it? I add a bit of sugar. What is the funniest or strangest thing you’ve ever heard somebody say in their sleep? *shrug* Choose one - Butterfinger, Milky Way, Snickers: Milky Way, 100%. Do you use Mozilla Firefox? No, I use Chrome. Who is your favorite person to hug? Sara. Have you ever had to have a mug shot? No. What was the last thing you carried to your room? Water. When was the last time you had a late night phone call? Damn dude, I couldn't possibly tell ya.
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Just My Luck It’s You
TimKon, Soulmates AU, Fluff, Bit of Angst, Hurt and Comfort, Oblivious Kon, Injured Tim.
Summary: One night as Kon was dosing off to sleep it suddenly feels like he's been suckered punch and left breathless. As he gasps for air he knows something big has just happened to Tim, his very human soulmate, and knows he needs to go and find him no matter what.
Enjoy! :D
Kon scowls at his wrist as he walks into the kitchen of the Tower. Cassie was already in there sat at the island reading a book. Kon goes over there and slumps down in the empty seat next to her while saying, “Whoever my soulmate is, I hate them.”
He glares at his aching wrist in annoyance. It had been hurting since last night. He had been writing his essay for his science class when a sudden sharp pain erupted in his wrist. He held it tightly to his chest and breathed through the pain, he knew instantly that something had happened to his soul mate because writing an essay couldn’t cause that much pain. From then it had been throbbing all night and now all morning, it’s like his soulmate had just broken their wrist or something.
His soulmate, whomever that may be, was either accident prone or just very, very unlucky because it’s like every week Kon is feeling some sort of bruise or even a broken bone. It’s annoying! He’s supposed to be invulnerable, barely able to be injured or hurt and here he was every week in pain because of his (assumingly) very human soulmate.
“What’s wrong now?” Cassie asks turning a page of her book. She sounded exasperated and Kon has the feeling that she only asked the question just to humour him.
Ignoring that feeling he rubs his wrist to try and ease the pain in it. “I think they broke their wrist last night. My right one is really causing me some grief.”
Next to him Cassie freezes. He gives her a quizzical look. “What?”
She says nothing as she places her bookmark inside of the book before turning to him with a calculating look. “You still don’t know who they are yet, do you?”
“Uh, no, why?” He raises his eyebrow at her.
She doesn’t answer him, instead she digs through her pocket and brings out her phone. She goes on it, jabs at the screen a few times and places it down in the space between them.
“Uh Cass what are you-”
“Shush,” she holds up a finger at him, “I have a theory and I want to see if I’m right.”
Kon goes to ask her what she’s on about when Tim’s voice is suddenly coming from the phone in front of them.
“Cassie? What’s wrong? We only spoke a couple hours ago, what’s happened?”
Cassie pointedly ignores the look Kon shoots her. “Everything’s fine Tim, stop your worrying. I’m here with Kon now actually, tell him what happened to you last night.”
There’s a pause between them for a moment until Tim responds sounding just as confused as Kon was feeling. “Uh okay, but why?”
“Just do it.” She snaps at him.
“Uh hey Kon.”
“Hey man.” Kon replies, he shoots Cassie a strange look for her behaviour before focusing on the phone again, “What’s up? What happened last night?”
“Look I don’t know why Cassie seems to be making a big deal of it, but I broke my right wrist last night. I landed badly from a jump, it was a stupid amateur mistake that’s all. I’m fine, just give me a few weeks and I’ll be back to normal.”
“Just take it easy then dude, take the chance to do some R and R.”
Tim snorts, “I’m sorry but don’t you know who I am? Of course I’m not going to take it easy.”
Kon could easily hear the smile in his voice and is unable to stop himself from cracking a grin himself. “Yeah I know. At least I tried.”
“Yeah sure, anyway I gotta go, Alfred’s calling for dinner. I’ll see you the weekend!”
“See you later man.”
The phone switches off and Kon turns back to Cassie. “Okay, so the point in that was… why are you looking at me like that?”
Cassie was glaring at him with narrowed and lips pressed into a firm line. It made Kon want to recoil, it’s almost like he’s about to be told off for something.
She throws out her hands in disbelief, “Are you being serious!”
Kon shrugs helplessly, having no clue to what she was on about. Cassie let’s out a hard sigh and rubs her hand over her forehead in frustration. “I can’t believe – right. Your wrist, your right wrist, is hurting correct?” At his nod she continues. “Okay so what Tim just tell us about his wrist?”
“That he broke it.” He replies slowly still not getting it.
She makes another frustrated noise and on the table her hands clench tightly, like she’s physically restraining herself from strangling Kon.
“Tim hurts his wrist last night. Coincidentally the same night yours starts hurting. What do you think that means?”
It takes a few moment but it finally clicks inside of his head at what she was hinting at. His eyes immediately widen in shock and surprise at the thought.
“Oh no! No, no, no, no!” He’s shaking both his head and his hands in refusal. “Tim is not my soulmate. That’s not – that’s not possible.”
“Isn’t it?” She challenges. “I had a feeling that you two were soulmates, this kinda confirms it.”
Kon shakes his head again. “No it’s not. It’s not Tim. It can’t be.”
Cassie gives him a look that says he’s being stupid. “Just think about it alright Kon.”
Having had enough of the conversation he gets up off his chair and starts making his way out of the room. As he does so he shouts over his shoulder, “It’s not him!”
“Just think about it!”
He couldn’t stop thinking about it. He couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Tim could be his soulmate. It was plaguing his mind for hours, even days, after Cassie pointed it out to him. He’s been constantly rethinking and replaying the last couple of years, all of the bumps, bruises and broken bones he’s felt over time and how Tim always seemed to be hurt in the same places at the same time.
How had he not realised it before? Soulmates feel one another’s pain, (physical pain, not emotional) it sucks as much as it is awesome. If you know your soulmate then you know when they’re hurt and you know to go and help them. On the other hand if you don’t know them then being in pain and knowing they’re hurting somehow is awful because you can’t help them because you don’t know who they are.
After Cass had pointed it out to him Kon couldn’t unsee it. Any time Tim flinched in pain, got a bruise or a cut Conner could feel it, much more than before. That’s probably because he’s now aware of it.
Kon tries to bring it up to Tim multiple of times but he always ends up backing out at the last second. He doesn’t know why he does but he does. He just can’t bring himself to say anything to the other teen about it.
Thankfully after the wrist incident, nothing happens for a while. Just a few bumps and bruises but nothing major which Kon is thankful for, both for Tim’s sake and his own.
It’s two months after Kon realised that Tim was in fact his soulmate when that something major happens. Kon was in his room at the Tower simply dosing on his bed, happily edging towards sleep when he suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. It’s like he had been abruptly sucker punched in the gut and got winded from it. He pushes himself upright into a sitting position and clenches his stomach as pain flares up inside of him. He couldn’t breathe. The pain was almost unbearable, he couldn’t say that he’s ever experienced something like it before. It’s probably worse than being exposed to kryptonite.
Still struggling to get air into his body he fumbles for his communicator. Finding it he presses the emergency button and waits. It feels like it takes forever for the others to get to his room, when they eventually do they burst in and give him a funny look when they don’t immediately find the crisis. Somehow he manages to gasp out that he couldn’t breathe and suddenly they’re moving again.
They help him to sit upright even more and get him calmed down enough to get his breathing under control. Once it feels like he has full function of his lungs once again he thanks them for their help. His stomach was still sore but at least he could breathe now.
After a moment Cassie asks, “Kon, what’s wrong? What was that all about?”
“It’s Tim.” He says almost breathlessly. “Tim’s hurt, really, really, bad.”
Bart looks confused for a moment before he’s quickly brightening up at the realisation. “Oh! You guys are soulmates! That’s so awesome!”
Both Kon and Cassie shoot him a look and he shrinks back in on himself. “Sorry, sorry! But if Tim’s in trouble we need to go and get him.”
Cassie looks between them, “Any ideas where he is?”
Taking a deep breath Kon shakes his head, he winces as his stomach twinges in pain again. “Last I knew he was in Gotham, but that hardly means anything nowadays.”
She nods, like knew that already. She’s then looking at Kon, eyeing him up and down worriedly. “Can you fly?”
Kon takes a moment to assess himself before answering. His stomach still felt like it was on fire, most of it seemed to be near the centre of his stomach and everything around his middle seemed to feel really tender.
“I’m fine.” He answers eventually. He can power through this. Whatever had happened to Tim, he needs to go and find his best friend, beat up the bad guys who had hurt him and then beat some sense or something into Tim for getting badly hurt.
Cassie glares at him as if she doesn’t believe him. Thankfully she lets it go with an eyeroll and says, “Right, let’s go to Gotham and find him.”
Bart and Cassie leave his room and Kon takes a moment to follow. It takes a few seconds for him to be able to stand up, ignore the pain and follow his friends from where they had left. Cassie takes Bart in her arms and together they fly off to Gotham in search for their best friend.
Kon nearly dropped out of the sky a good three times before reaching the dark city. The sudden flare of pain that erupted in his stomach at random times was what made him almost fall, the pain had made him lose concentration because of how much it had hurt.
Once they got to the city Kon automatically hones his super hearing onto Tim’s heartbeat. He guides the others to the west side of the city and down into some dingy, skanky alleyway between a couple of apartment blocks. They touch down just inside of the entrance and Kon gestures them to follow him.
They walk no more than 5 feet before they find a body on the floor behind a dumpster. They all rush forward before abruptly stopping in shock. Tim lies on the floor with one hand clasped tightly over his stomach and his over was weakly grasping at his utility belt across his waist. There was blood all over him and a puddle that’s slowly growing in size just underneath him. His breathing was ragged and the part of his face that wasn’t covered in his masked was contorted in visible pain.
“Tim!”
“Oh my god, oh my god, are you okay, what happened, who hurt you…”
The three of them rush to their fallen friend and fall onto the floor next to him. Cassie and Bart were on one side and Kon was on the other. Kon reaches out and grabs the hand that was weakly grasping at Tim’s belt and holds it in his own, this gets Tim’s attention and the vigilante looks up at him and frowns.
“Kon?” His voice was quiet, weak and raspy. It made Kon’s heart break at hearing it.
He leans forward, “It’s me buddy, I’m right here.”
Tim carries on frowning, as if not believing it was him. “Conner?”
Before Kon could even try and stop him, Tim was trying to sit up. It causes them both to simultaneously hiss in pain at his movement.
Cassie pushes Tim back down. “Don’t move you idiot, we need to get you help. Now what happened?”
There’s a pause between them and for a terrifying moment Kon thought that Tim had passed out but then his friend was making a sound before saying, “I got stabbed.”
His response would be funny if he wasn’t on the verge of dying right now. Cassie obviously doesn’t see the amusing side of it because she rolls her eyes at him, “Really dumb nuts? I hadn’t noticed.” She glances at both Kon and Bart before looking at Tim. “Where do you want us to take you?”
Tim opens his mouth to answer but no noise comes out. That’s when Bart presses forward, his hands covering Tim’s profusely bleeding wound. Tim’s blood was covering Bart’s hand and the sight of it made Kon want to vomit.
“Just take him to the cave,” Bart suggests, “His family can handle it from there.”
Kon shakily nods. That’s a good idea, a sensible idea. When had Bart become the sensible one? He sucks in a sharp breath when Bart presses harder on Tim’s wound, feeling all the pain from it in his own stomach. They really needed to get him help and get it fast.
Kon lets go of Tim’s hand and starts sliding his arms underneath him. Tim makes a sound at the movement and Kon gently shushes him. He looks at the others as he lifts Tim up off the ground. “Come on, we need to get him help.”
Once again Cassie takes Bart in her arms and altogether they head off towards the Batcave.
-----
Several days later Kon finds himself in Wayne Manor in Tim’s room. His best friend was sat on his bed, his back against the headboard, his torso was wrapped in layers of bandages and he was pouting.
Kon smirks at him in disbelief. “Dude I’m not getting you coffee or your laptop. Alfred’s given you strict bedrest instructions. Working away on your computer defeats the object of that and no way in hell am I going against Alfred, not even for you pal.”
Tim carries on pouting at him, he even crosses his arms over his chest as he does so. The action makes him look like a child and Kon couldn’t help but laugh at him.
After a moment Tim drops the act and shifts on the bed to get comfortable again, however the movement causes his stomach to twinge painfully which causes him to hiss. At the same time Kon feels the pain run through his own body and simultaneously as Tim does, he hisses at the suddenness and sharpness of it.
Kon’s hiss doesn’t go unnoticed by Tim because he catches the funny look his friend sends him. Thankfully Tim doesn’t comment on it as he settles down once again so Kon lets it go. Kon considers him for a moment before asking, “You okay dude?”
Tim swallows before nodding, “Okay as I can be I guess. It’s not my first stab wound, I’ll be back to normal in no time.”
“Yeah I guess.” Kon nods again, because he knows Tim and knows what he’s like. He won’t stop until he’s back to his usual level of fitness.
They fall into easy silence after that. After years of knowing one another and being friends awkward silences have long since passed. However the silence doesn’t last long because Tim cocks his head to the side and stares at him with a look Kon knows all too well. It’s his analytical look, like he’s got a mystery and is trying to solve it kind of look.
Kon raises an eyebrow at him, “What? Why are you looking at me like that.”
The look stays on Tim’s face as he asks, “How did you know that I was hurt? I hadn’t called you or the Titans at the time, yet you got to me first.” He seems to realise what he had said and back tracks on himself, “Don’t get me it’s greatly appreciated and I’m happy that you came, but I’m just wondering how you knew.”
Kon’s not offended by his words, he’s actually amused more than anything because it’s not often that Tim rambles when speaking. It’s a welcomed sight so Kon finds it hard to not be offended by his best friend.
In response he shrugs, “Well, I guess I just heard your heartbeat spike, went to the other and together we investigated. You know how I’m trained onto your heartbeat dude.” He’s trying to play it cool and be nonchalant about the whole thing because he really doesn’t want to step into that territory just yet. He still doesn’t think he’s ready for that.
Unfortunately Tim decides to live up to his ‘detective’ nickname because he carries on looking at Kon like he’s a puzzle to be solved and doesn’t let the matter go. “I feel like it’s more than that Kon. You and I both know that it goes deeper than you just listening to my heartbeat.”
Kon looks away from him, now feeling unsure. Of course he knows that Tim is right. They both know he’s right, that’s the annoying thing about it. He opens his mouth to speak up but nothing comes out, he tries a second time and gets the same results. In the end he shakes his head in defeat and remains silent.
That’s when Tim speaks up, his voice is quiet and understanding. “Conner… I think we’ve both known this for a while and whatever the reason neither of us have bothered to comment on it, but I think we need to address it now. The reason you knew I was hurt is because we’re soulmates.”
Kon turns his head and looks at Tim. His best friend was no longer wearing his analytical look but now was wearing one of understanding, one that read, ‘I'm here, you can talk to me’.
“You knew I was hurt because you felt it too. And when you felt it you came running.”
Kon swallows the lump that’s formed in his throat. “Of course I did, why wouldn’t I?” He lets out a disbelieving laugh, “Jesus man, I didn’t know how to bring it up to you. I’ve been trying to for ages but I just couldn’t bring myself to say anything.”
The edges of Tim’s lips quirk up in a small smile, “That’s okay. I felt the same too. Though it’s probably worse on your end, sorry.”
Kon snorts, “Yeah it’s just my luck that it’s you who’s my soulmate, the very human Robin.”
Tim fakes a scowl, “As if that’s my fault. I didn’t choose to be this way. On the other hand I’m happy that you’re mine, means I have to only deal with my pain and hardly any of yours.”
“I feel like this is very one sided right now.”
“That’s because it is.”
They fall silent before both of them are bursting out laughing. Kon feels the weight he’s been carrying over the last few come off his shoulder’s. Tim’s his soulmate and he’s Tim’s and he’s completely fine with that.
#timkon#TimKon Week 2019#Tim Drake#Kon-El#cassie sandsmark#bart allen#soulmate au#fluff#bit angsty#hurt and comfort#oblivious Kon#injured Tim#fanfiction
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The Importance of Retreat
by Chiwang Tulku Rinpoche
Q: Rinpoche, could you kindly tell us what is meant by retreat?
A: Retreat is a means to attain enlightenment. It provides skillful means to obtain ultimate liberation, however its results mostly depend on how much we exert ourselves in its practice. Basically a Vajrayana retreat entails a development stage, during which we visualise ourselves as the deity and, once we have mastered this, a completion stage follows, through which the visualisation dissolves into emptiness. Through the practice of these two stages, we gradually eliminate all our obscurations and move closer to enlightenment.
There are different kinds of retreat, and these fall into two main categories: recitation practice, or open retreat, and session-wise meditation practice, or closed retreat. In an open retreat, we can leave our meditation cell between sessions and engage in other activities, whilst in a closed retreat, we cannot leave our room, see anyone or be distracted by any other matter.
Ideally, it is preferable to do a closed retreat, but if for one reason or another this proves impossible, then we can do an open retreat and take advantage of every available moment to do our recitations. Some people actually manage to do their recitation practice while they’re at work or while performing their normal activities.
Q: Rinpoche, what kind of obstacles do we meet while we practise retreat?
A: Meditators meet with many kinds of obstacles during retreat. The main ones are drowsiness and agitation. Here drowsiness represents being beset by a foggy mind and continually falling asleep, while agitation means being beleaguered by distracting thoughts. Drowsiness is the worst obstacle for older people like me. If we tend to fall asleep while meditating, there are methods to counter this. We should, for example, reduce our daily intake of meals, wear light clothes, straighten our back, and keep our eyes open while gazing a little bit upwards.
On the other hand, some meditators become so besieged by distractions that they are unable to keep their mind focused during their practice. Even if they try really hard, some practitioners find this very difficult. There is the example of one practitioner whom I know who had so much trouble concentrating that he would punch himself in the head every time he became drowsy, which only served to leave him with a bad headache and several bruises. Thankfully, there are more skillful methods that we can develop to help us steady our mind.
There is a Vajrayogini text called dpa’ bo khrag ‘thung. It is said in the text that obstacles creep into our practice without our knowledge, and that we need to keep a close watch on them so that they don’t take root. A long time ago there was a rich family that lived in Kham. Sadly, the entire family was killed by a group of brigands, with the exception of a young child. The brigands brought the child to the central Tibet with them and abandoned him in Dingri. Because of his good karma, he met with the Dharma and practised meditation. He acquired such powerful meditative skills that he could literally fly from the top of one mountain to another. One day, however, while engaging in meditation on the top of a mountain, he saw a flock of birds swooping down the mountain valley just in front of him. At that moment he thought, “Ah, if these birds were armed, I could finish off all my previous enemies.” This thought got stuck in his mind and gradually gave way to pride and anger. So much so that he returned to Kham and took to robbing and killing.
For seasoned practitioners there are two main methods that help to control the discursive mind during the practice of the development and completion stages. These are known as rnam rtog thog rtzis and snagba gdon ‘ded.
Even while we are keeping the pride of the deity, all kinds of thoughts will keep coming into our mind. Nevertheless, if we can manage to steadily maintain the pride of the deity, all these thoughts will eventually disappear. This is called snangba gdon ‘ded. Here snangba refers to thoughts that are relatively shortlived and not too intense. However when these shortlived thoughts linger and gain intensity in spite of the practitioner’s efforts, this is known as rnam rtog. The way to deal with this is known as rnam rtog thog rtzis, which involves meditating on emptiness. This method helps to keep at bay powerful negative thoughts and, if the practitioner perseveres with it, it will eventually eradicate them altogether.
It is crucial to do away with discursive thoughts right from the beginning. Milarepa said that there are three kinds of ‘phat’ that we can shout. The first ‘phat’ should be shouted when the mind is totally plagued by untamed thoughts and is unable to concentrate. The second ‘phat’ should be used when the mind collapses into drowsiness and sleep. The third ‘phat’ that Milarepa refers to is used to dissolve our mind into emptiness. Since Milarepa is the master of meditation, we can trust that this third ‘phat’ must be very powerful. I don’t have personal experience of this, but I am told that it is very effective. These are the methods to get rid of the main obstacles.
There is a further obstacle that affects modern day practitioners who enter retreat. Many meditators expect to experience meaningful signs as soon as they begin their retreat. It is very unlikely that such signs will appear within a short period of time, and it is unhealthy to entertain hopes and expectations for them to do so. Rather than achieving merits, these expectations can create serious obstacles to our practice.
Likewise, when and if signs do appear, we must be very careful how we handle them. The great Sakyapa Master Sachen Kunga Nyingpo said that if we tell other people of our signs, these will disappear. Also, we shouldn’t over-analyse our experiences or our dreams, as this will only create obstacles. As Mahasiddha Virupa said, we should treat all experiences with impartiality. Whatever experiences arise, we shouldn’t dwell on them for too long.
Nowadays, it’s very easy for retreatants to become distracted with technical gadgets like laptops and phones. Never touch these things while in retreat! During our break, rather than chatting to our friends, we should strive to keep the pride of the deity, do prostrations, offer mandalas and recite the Hundred Syllable mantra. It’s very important to remember this.
I’ve heard that there is a notice displayed at the Phodrang retreat house that discourages practitioners from engaging in mundane conversations involving politics, sectarianism and other such topics. This is very true. Such distractions should be avoided, as they too create obstacles.
Another serious obstacle is one that appears when we have finished a session or a retreat. However much effort we may have invested in our meditation, there is the temptation when it ends to act like an unleashed dog. We must be very careful to take post-meditation practice very seriously. Whenever we hear a voice, we should think of it as the voice of the deity. For a Vajrayogini practitioner, all voices should be heard as the Vajrayogini mantra and all objects perceived by the eyes should be seen as the deity herself. All hopes and doubts experienced by the practitioner should be understood as those of the deity. One should at all moments keep the pride of the deity. If one remembers to do this during critical moments, this will be hugely helpful when we face the frightening experiences that we meet during the intermediate stage after death.
Q: Could you offer advice to those who wish to enter retreat?
A: Firstly, if we wish to practise Tantric meditation, we should first receive an initiation and instructions from a qualified master. To enter retreat without doing so could cause us great harm. As is mentioned in the Dum Sum Rab dhye,
“Like squeezing sand won’t produce butter, There will be no accomplishment without initiation”.
Then, we should consult the appropriate texts. There are, for example, manuals called Snyen-thabs that are guides to the recitation practice for specific deities such as Hevajra, Vajrayogini, Sarvavid and so on. If we find this beneficial, we should refer directly to the text relating to the deity that we wish to practise.
But whether we refer to texts or not, the lamas always advise us that the most important thing to bear in mind when we undertake a retreat is to have the correct motivation. Shaping our motivation from the very beginning is fundamental, whether we are receiving initiations and teachings, or whether we are embarking on a retreat. It would be very wrong to go into retreat with the intention of gaining wealth, long life, luck or health. And so our motivation when we enter retreat should be to bring all sentient beings to Buddhahood. This is extremely important.
Equally important is remembering the four mindchangers, or the four ways of turning our mind away from Samsara. Bearing these in mind helps us to revitalise our meditation and our entire practice of the Dharma. The four mind-changers are: 1) the difficulties of attaining a human life endowed with all the favourable conditions to practise the Dharma; 2) impermanence and the unpredictability of death; 3) the law of causality and 4) the defects of Samsara. Remaining aware of these four mind-changers is of huge benefit, as it automatically makes us more eager to practise the Dharma, more devoted to our teachers, and more passionate about engaging in virtuous deeds.
Regarding the difficulties of obtaining a human life endowed with all the favourable conditions to practise the Dharma, one would think that this is an easy thing to achieve. There are so many human beings in this world, and if we look at the population of a major Indian city, we can think that their numbers are boundless. But if we compare these to the population of insects and animals that occupy the same space, then their numbers become minimal. In relation to animals and insects, human beings are actually quite rare. For instance, this house where I’m living at the moment has three people in it at the moment. But it has countless insects. And so, human life is relatively rare, and a human life endowed with all eighteen favourable conditions to practise the Dharma is extremely difficult to achieve, and therefore very, very precious.
What is more, not only is human life rare and difficult to obtain, it is also very fragile and can be lost in a single instant. The causes of death are numerous and our defenses against it are few. Death is unpredictable and no one knows when it will strike. It can even happen before we are born. And so, knowing that death can happen at any moment, we should strive with all our might to practise the Dharma while we are alive.
Then there is the law of causality. This simply means that virtuous actions bring happiness and unwholesome actions bring suffering. The law of causality is never wrong, never misleading. As His Holiness the Sakya Trizin so vividly explains, if the mere description of the suffering of the hell realms is so frightening, we can well imagine what its actual experience feels like for those who are caught in those realms.
I have never had such experiences, but older lamas used to tell me how they would wake up in a startle in the middle of the night after having deeply pondered on the unpredictability of death and the difficulty of achieving a precious human life. Some described how they would wake up in sorrow, with their pillows soaked in tears.
Of all the factors that help to bring us to enlightenment, the most important one is unconditional devotion to our teacher. As the teacher is the source of all blessings and accomplishment, having utmost faith and respect toward him or her is indispensable. Quoting from the scriptures,
If the sun of devotion does not arise, There will be no source of blessing that flows From the snow mountains of the teachers Who embody the four bodies of Buddha. Therefore be relentless in your devotion.
We can’t receive any blessings unless we have unshakable faith in our teachers. Many disciples claim to possess such a strong faith that they actually see the teachers as the real Buddha. But it is quite difficult to gain such strong faith. Deshung Rinpoche says in his commentary on Lama Nyachopa or ‘Gurupanchashika’ that at times, our own demerits and obscurations are so deeply entrenched that we see our own teachers as ordinary persons equal to ourselves. We see that the teachers need to eat and live normal lives; they even get sick just like other human beings; and so we find it difficult to have faith in them. But, when our own demerits and obscurations diminish, we are able to perceive our teachers as more than just human being and we begin to perceive them as Bodhisattvas, or even Buddhas. Actually, it is very difficult to have strong enough faith to see our teacher as a true Buddha. But the more we decrease our demerits and obscurations, the more our faith grows.
Gaining true faith is indeed very difficult. When Dakpo Rinpoche, one of Milarepa’s disciples, first heard his teacher’s name, he was struck with such overpowering faith that he wanted nothing more in this life than to follow him. He received numerous teachings and pith instructions from Milarepa and practiced these during long periods of retreat. One day, Dakpo Rinpoche asked Milarepa, “When may I gather disciples?” Milarepa replied; “There will come a time when you will reach a level of realisation that is far superior to your present one. At that time you will truly perceive me, this old man, as a real Buddha.” Then you will be ready to teach others.
A follower once asked Atisha for a blessing, to which Atisha replied; “Certainly, but you must first become devoted to me.” This reminds us that there can be no blessing without devotion.
And finally, it is very important to dedicate our merits. After each session of meditation, we should recite the Boddhisattva Samantabhadra’s prayer in order to dedicate all the merit accumulated during our meditation session for the purpose of helping every sentient to attain Buddhahood. As mentioned in the prayer thus;
Just as the warrior Mañjuśrī attained omniscience, And Samantabhadra too, All these merits I now dedicate To train and follow in their footsteps. As all the victorious Buddhas of past, present and future Praise dedication as supreme, So now I dedicate all these roots of virtue For all beings to perfect Good Actions.
If we cannot recite this prayer after each session, then we should at least recite it after our evening session. Dedication forms an integral part of a retreat, and we should always remember to do it.
This is what little advice I have to give to anyone who wishes to practise meditation. It comes not from my own experience, but from what I have heard and read from great teachers. I hope that it may be of some help.
#buddha#buddhism#buddhist#bodhi#bodhicitta#bodhisattva#compassion#dharma#dhamma#enlightenment#guru#khenpo#lama#mahayana#mahasiddha#mindfulness#monastics#monastery#monks#path#quotes#rinpoche#sayings#spiritual#teachings#tibet#tibetan#tulku#vajrayana#venerable
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The EXO’rDium in Manila Day 2
After 1 year and 1 month, the kings are back in Manila!! Exo’rDium in Manila! The boys are back with 2 nights concert. Dated February 25, 2017 for the first day and February 26, 2017 for the second day. It was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. And guess who's freaking excited? Phixo!! Me!! EVERYBODY!!
Last year, I was in the Lowerbox B, day 2. This year, after so much "Kakuripotan" and “Iponing”,(Thank you 13th month and freelancer.ph!) I was able to purchase the VIP Seated Ticket! Costy? Yes! A LOT! But that was just some of the things that I did for them, even I can't believe it.
And so the nights of the concert came! Sadly, as in SUPER SAD AND FRUSTRATING, Zhang Yixing/Lay won't be able to attend the concerts again. It really broke my poor fangirl heart. I thought that I'll be able to see my love this time but no. Reason, the producer said it's because of his other commitments. Just goes to show how hard working my baby is! However, my guess would be because of some 'politics'. One thing is for sure, It's not his fault! Stop blaming him guys! Let's just wait for the right time that we'll be able to witness his handsomeness in person.
Going back to the concert. I really tried my best not to spazz what's happening from day 1. I promised not to open twitter but then again, I failed. hehe I really got hyped with all those videos uploaded. Guess what, the morning of Feb 26, 2017 my mom saw me smiling right after I woke up. I did it unconsciously. hehehe
My friend whom I met at last year's concert, Raine, also came with me this time. Due to traffic and slow walking people, it's already 4:30 when I got in the venue. Raine, got there first. When we got inside, the coliseum is almost full already! And the stage is sooooo much closer than I thought!! *But my phone camera make it seem like its far. Sorry. hehehe
The concert started at exactly 5:30 pm. I sooo love the opening VCR!! They crowd got soo hyped up!! The opening VCR seemed like it lasted for 10 mins. It's soo cool. I got the "W" feeling after I saw the comic book effects on the video.
And so the concert began!! Wooooohhh!! It's only the first song but I already got tired. I shouted as much as my lungs can take! It's not just me but everyone inside. I couldn't even hear their voices because of the screams!
I didn't get to take a picture of the very first part because I forgot to when I saw them. I don't know what to do first, to capture the moment or to watch the moment. The result:
SAARRREEEHHHH!!
When I finally got to see them clearly, I automatically counted the members present. I know. I know. I just wish that Lay would surprise us that night. Whatever!
The first set of songs include the remix versions of MAMA, Monster and WOLF. I love the remix versions especially the monster because of Baekhyun’s solo dance! PH EXO-Ls cheered for him all through out that part! (Byun Baekhyun!! Byun Baekhyun!! Byun Baekhyun!!)
Here are some of the shots I took from the first set of songs. I didn’t took a lot because I’m busy fangirling. hahaha
MENT TIME!! As usual, the screams were sooooooo freaking loud!! The members introduced themselves in english. It was so fun hearing them speak in english. They were all so excited with the concert! Chen and Kai looked so hot because of their sweat. They were all so hot nowadays!!
However, Baekhyun saw some fans got injured on the standing side. He said on his ment that when another fan got injured, they'll stop the concert. NO!! They asked everyone in the standing area to take a step backwards. Thankfully, they followed them nicely and they didn't need to ask them again.
When it's Suho's time to speak, he was working so hard to finish his ment in english and in the middle of his speech, he paused for a short time. The crowd cheered for him louder! He's so cute! He even took a bow after the screams.
Now it's the second set of songs!! The sexy songs! LOL. They were supposed to have a rain on stage but they didn't push it through, maybe because of the space. The second stage includes White Noise, Thunder, Playboy and the most anticipated Artificial Love! But the stage is still full of their sexy body waves and godly voices.
Here are some snaps!
Kai needs to stop winking and doing a finger heart while he’s covered with sweat. It’s a fangirl’s death!
BUT! Here's the highlight of the second set of songs. The Artificial Love crane Dance!! Woop Woop!! I managed to take a video of Baekhyun in this dance. Here it is:
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Sorry for my voice. As you can hear all I got to say is ‘Oh My god’! hihihi Don't need any explanation.
VCR TIME!
I couldn't forget this VCR! It's because the very first frame is Lay's face! He's so cute! He's so handsome! He's such a boyfriend material! I love seeing them having fun by themselves. I wish they also have a time to party like that by themselves. Just having a lot of fun together.
The sang Unfair with this cute stage set up.
They are wearing all white and their skin is so white so the result from my camera:
Jamming Time! Chanyeol is in charge of the guitar. That curly haired giant was so hyper playing with his guitar that Suho needs to stop him for them to start. Cute! The first song they sang is the good old Hawak Kamay by Yeng Constantino. After a few lines, Suho reminisced the time when they forst sing this song. It was 4 years ago from the DKFC concert. Just about their debut year. They promised to sing a new Filipino Song when they come back next year.
Chanyeol played the acoustic versions of their songs (My Lady, My Turn to Cry, Moonlight, Call Me Baby, Love,Love,Love and Lady Luck) and just like the whole time, PH Exo-Ls sang along with them. I don't care if I got the lyrics wrong, as long as there is melody. HAHAHA! They even let us sing some parts alone. Here are some of the snaps.
They sang What If during this part (but I’m not pretty much sure).
When they were singing, the background shows their serious faces. I didn't forget to take a photo of Lay with the rest of the members. I take a photo everytime he appears on screen.
Here are some of the snaps of the next stages which includes Tender Love and Love Me Right.
The Vocal Line, D.O., Chen, Baekhyun and Suho were left to sing in the middle of the stage. They sang One and Only and Stronger.
Chen's voice is so lovely. He's slowly climbing up on my already ruined bias list. My heart still flatters when I hear them sing live. It's surreal.
Fun Time! Haha. The VCR for their next stage is adorable. The VCR where their heads were huge. All of them are so cute that I wanted to make them into a keychain. Hahaha But D.O. role is the cutest. He's a sleepy head!
Here’s some pics of them with their cutie cutie costumes.
Cutie little Baekhyun dropped his little red hat.
I didn’t get to take too much picture with this stage because this was the time when I stared at their faces one by one. They all look like an angel. Especially Chanyeol, who all throughout this stage is so hyper! He keeps on shuffling and running around each member. I wonder how can they be so cute and handsome and hot, all at the same time.
For the next VCR, the first frame showed ChanBaek riding a motorcycle going to the stadium. While the other members are preparing for the concert. I remember a shot of Lay while sleeping, Kai while having his hair blow dried and the beagle line being beagles.
I thought that all they’ll do for the whole VCR but hey! There’s more! The VCR prepared by the Dance Line! (Kai, Sehun, Lay). I didn’t got to take a full video because I wasn’t prepared. Here’s some part from the VCR. I started capturing on Lay’s part. I remember this performance during one of the awards night last 2016.
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After that, the next set of stages are the, as I call it, “Handsome Stages”. All their stages for their songs like Overdose, Transformer and Lightsaber! Here are some snaps:
I managed to take a video for the last part of their performance for Lightsaber.
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Time for their ment! And this ment is the longest! The only members left were Suho, Chen, Kai and D.O. Chanyeol, Xiumin, Baekhyun and Sehun went backstage to change costumes. They were all wearing just plain black shirt in which they all look hot. (like all the time)
This time, Suho revealed that a lot of them were injured from the first day of concert. He said it was a secret but he also said that they were all healed by how much crazy(in a good way) PH fans are.
Here are some tiny bits that I remember from what they said. D.O. said that he discovered new Filipino food that he likes, ‘Lechon Manok’. He said he didn’t have a chance to taste the pork but he will the next time they come back. Suho also enumearte which places in the PH he wants to visit and it includes Boracay etc. (haha can’t remember). He also asked Kai about what places in the PH he thinks is popular and guess what Jongin said. “Yeogiyo” (This place) (this place is now the most popular).
The leader-nim noticed the fanproject a while ago and he asked for a sample banner. He asked some fans on the standing area for a copy. Like what happened last concert, he held it up and showed it to the members. He also asked us what does the alibata written means. Even though they can’t understand what we’re saying (Imagine thousand of fans explaining at the same time, how would you understand a thing?). They just concluded that it means I Love You. Which is quite right because the alibata written in it is “Iniirog Kita, Bes”.
This time, Baekhyun, Chanyeol Xiumin and Sehun were left on stage while the other went backstage. Baekhyun kept on talking about how crazy PH EXO-Ls are. He once again asked us to stomp our feet and so the whole coliseum sounded like a whole battalion running from somewhere. They were amazed about how passionate we are.
The fans chanted “PHIXO” after that. We are expecting for him to remember us from the concert last year. He named us “PHIXO” last concert after seeing some fans dance from the standing area. Again, they didn’t got to understand what we’re saying. Gladly, after several minutes of chanting, Baekhyun finally understood. “Ahh, Phixo! Philippine EXO!” Finally guys! Finally!!
Now it’s time to party!! Sehun, Xiumin and Chanyeol thought us on how we’ll respond with their next song. “Katchi Katchi Hae!” (Do It Together).
Chanyeol asked us to stand up and just get crazy! You know it’s about to get really crazy! The song is not yet commercially released and it’s just exclusive for the EXO’rDium Concerts! It’s just like Drop That but with a different feels! The Rap Line nailed it! Everybody was on their feet, jumping cheering and getting crazy!
After that Chanyeol had his solo stage with his Electric Guitar skills!
Soon after, the members went out to party with us! Chen, why do you have to show up wearing a muscle tee? Don’t you know how much hot you are with your biceps?! But thank you for showing it, though.
LET’S PARTY!! The fans partied with their songs like Full Moon, Drop That, Let Out The Beast, Lucky and Remix version of Run. Imagine partying with the boys! It’s really unforgettable and we didn’t even feel tired after all!
We finally got time to relax for a bit when they went off stage. It was also several minutes and we seemed to miss them already. We started chanting “E-X-O!”
It’s now the ENCORE STAGE which means the concert is about to end. NO!!! The boys came back wearing their white baseball jersey shirts! They sang Cloud 9, Growl and Lucky one!
I love seeing them goof around while playing with the toys on stage. The one that caught their attention is the moving puppy stuffed toy. Xiumin even played with it while performing. Chen placed it on the side when they were going to dance.
They’re in the middle of their performance but see how Chen and Xiumin look at the little moving puppy.
And here you can see Baekhyun lying on stage. In which Chanyeol also did after their Tender Love stage.
For these songs, they were just roaming around the stage to get close and wave to the fans. The fans threw some stuffed toys on stage and the stage became messy! Hahaha For Lucky One here’s a video a Suho getting all hyped up dancing alone! Our funny Leader everyone. And you can also see how ChanBaek danced together at the back.
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Here’s how they ended their stage for Lucky one. One of my favorite pictures I’ve taken.
Now, time for the last MENT! NOOOOOOOO!!!!
How time flies when you’re having too much fun! All of them said their thanks to us. Suho asked us to anticipate their comeback here next year! YES! YES! YES! Kai said that their 2 day concert in the PH will be unforgettable for him and the members as well.
Baekhyun said that all of them really got crazy that night. Proof? He just sang “I Believe I can Fly” while wearing a pink butterfly wings and a cute white hat. Chanyeol played so well while wearing an Iron man Mask and he pretended to fly and run around the stage. Suho also said that when all of their fan gather in one place he can easily locate where the PH EXO-Ls are. YEP YEP YEP![Filipino fans are one of the best crowd you’ll ever see in the world! And that’s a fact, even Steve Harvey from the Ms. Universe will agree! Hahaha]
The leadernim really got curious about the banner and he maybe asked the Filipino staff backstage about it and for the last time all of the members shouted “Iniirog Kita, Bes. Manila!” We all got Bes-zoned. hahahahaha
Now it’s really their last stage. They sang Angel for the last time. The members roamed the whole stage waving to every section of the coliseum. The member who’s very diligent about waving at every fan he could is the Maknae, Sehun. I even thought that I got an eye contact with him and Kai.
All throughout the concert, we sang all of their songs, from the very first up to the last one) together with them and they even asked us some time to sing it louder! During the VCRs, we also sang their songs even if it’s just instrumental. Now, tell me how dedicated we are the whole concert! hahaha
Before saying Goodbye, they even asked for a picture together. YES!!!! I finally have a picture with them!! hahahaha (as of writing, they still haven’t uploaded the photo) Here’s how they posed for it from my perspective.
Finally, here’s their last moment on stage:
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Yes, it’s me screaming from the background. And again, sorry for my ugly voice. hahaha
I love how Chanyeol screamed “Mahal Ko Kayo!” so long! and As you heard, they promised to come back! Sehun stayed on stage until the screen closed.
Bye boys!! I already miss you big time!! And don’t worry, I’ll be there with you again, next year! I promise! I love you guys!!
PS. I wrote this as detailed as I could because I want it to be properly documented for my future reading, when I want to reminisce the moments I had with them.
PPS. All the photos and videos I used are all mine. The pictures are blurred and unfocused, I know, but don’t bash, my phone doesn’t have a good quality camera.
Sharing with you my edits.
I LOVE YOU GUYS!!
from your forever fangirl,
-theconfusedmaiden
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CloudFunnels Review Discount And Huge Bonus
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Sales Page: https://www.socialleadfreak.com/cloudfunnels-review/
Particular niche: Software application
Regular monthly cost is really pricey and there are unanticipated revisions when you are hosting your funnels on a 3rd-party your organisation. Today a channel contractor might be billing $397 each month, however 4 months later on they can charge $497 monthly and also you will certainly not have a choice yet to pay or shut down.
Funnel-builders aren't personalized. You do not have accessibility to the codebase and you can not adjust it for your demands. You can not change anything in your funnel contractor even if you employ a designer.
CloudFunnel solves all the above problems and brings you features you have actually never ever seen. CloudFunnels! The only funnel software program that you can install by yourself web server or on any kind of cloud (GCP, AWS, etc). CloudFunnels resembles the Wordpress (WP) of channel contractors. It puts the power in your hands. You have overall control & complete protection. And also, industry-leading features, the likes of which you just will NOT locate in any other channel builder.
CloudFunnels Features
1/ Support for AMP
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) innovation is a key tech from Google. Google can cache your page on their web server and also deliver them on high-speed network when you support AMP.
Your customers will have an outstanding experience on Mobile.
Your pages will certainly load ultra quick.
Google will certainly place your web pages below.
2/ Cloud as well as Server Assistance + Assistance for Google AppEngine
CloudFunnels is the only funnel software that is managed 100% by you. You can quickly organize it anywhere you desire, including your web server & cloud.
Wherever you install it, it is 100% self updatable. Best of all, there is an inbuilt assimilation for Gooogle AppEngine. You can conveniently run your web sites on Google's epic infrastructure absolutely free or at no cost.
3/ Support for Zapier
Cloudfunnels supports Zapier that automatically take your orders and also other transations to any type of system you want with Zapier.
4/ Inbuilt Autoresponder + Support for significant autoresponders
CloudFunnels has a full-fledged autoresponder inbuilt so you can mail your mailouts and also series. Not just that, it additionally sustains all major payment system.
5/ Assistance for Repayment Platforms
In-build support for Paypal, JVzoo, WarriorPlus. More coming on demand!
6/ GDPR Assistance
CloudFunnels is the only funnel contractor that has complete support for GDPR needs. Your European customers will love you for this.
7/ Powerful Search Engine Optimization includes
The only funnel contractor with the SEO includes that you need to get natural web traffic for your service. With AMP, Caching and powerful on-page SEO, you can build sites that place much faster.
Verdict
"It's A Lot. Should I Spend Today?"
Not just are you obtaining accessibility to CloudFunnels for the best cost ever provided, however additionally You're spending completely without risk. CloudFunnels consists of a 30-day Refund Warranty Policy. When you select CloudFunnels, your contentment is assured. If you are not totally pleased with it for any reason within the very first thirty days, you're entitled to a complete reimbursement-- no question asked. You've obtained absolutely nothing to shed! What Are You Waiting on? Try It today and also get The Complying with Bonus offer Now!
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