#they make loads of mistakes but they they are not the worst website out there

[cazzyf1]

The other day on my tiktok I created a simple post about how James Hunt is more than just the Playboy persona that is associated with him. This flew over someone's head who commented about how he was a Playboy. I responded explaining the point of the video but instead they doubled down saying that James didn't care about F1 only about partying.

So today I went through some of my books and gathered a load of quotes to show the James Hunt that most people do not know about, the one outside of the Playboy perception. I've posted it on tiktok but figured I'll upload it here as well so the true James Hunt can reach more people and slowly we can dismantle the reputation 'Rush' gave him ❤️

TW: Depression, unhealthy coping mechanisms/addictions

When you think of James Hunt you think of the 'playboy'. The guy who partied, drank lots, took drugs and slept with lots of women. Its true he did that, and a lot but to dismiss him as just that is wrong. He was a good driver, a person who tried his best, a kind man who cared for human & animal rights.

The next few slides I've compiled quotes from a few books and website to show what kind of person he actually was and what he went through in life and that less people will dismiss him as just a Playboy.

James Hunt's first marriage was rocky because James was already very involved in his addictions and he knew he didn't love Susy because he felt that he wasn't capable of love. But he felt responsible for her and wanted to look after her. Here is his own opinion from his book ->

"It was really THE problem. I thought that marriage was what I wanted and needed to give me a nice stable and quiet home life, but in fact it wasn't and the key mistake was mine. I really wanted to go racing on my own, and it wasn't much fun for Susy to sit at home and wait for me all that time. It was also a terrible hassle for her to come racing because race meetings were probably the most relaxing time in my schedule. The rest of the time you tend to be leaping on aeroplanes once a day and that made it even worse because it's bad enough organizing one person to get on an aeroplane. Organizing two gets to be twice as much hassle. It got to the point where it was a problem for Susy to come travelling and a hell of a deal for her to stay at home. It was making life miserable in the extreme for her and since I felt responsible for her it was making me miserable too. So we had agreed to split up and then Richard Burton came along and solved all the problems. We had had an immensely successful marriage because I learnt an awful lot about myself and life and I think Susy did too. We all ended up happy, anyway, which is more than can be said for a lot of marriages" - p14 Against All Odds

Much is said about James Hunt and the ladies he kept company, and without knowing anything about James you might assume the worst, but here's some quotes about what he was actually like with the ladies ->

"I don't usually have sex before a race because I am very definitely concentrating -I find that it is the communication between two people that makes it worth- while, and before a race I am pretty uncommunicative. However, if say I have an hour or so to spare before dinner on the night before a race then I can enjoy the physical release. But I will only do it with someone who is fully understanding" - p15 Against All Odds

"He was always attentive to his partners needs. Indeed much of his satisfaction came from giving pleasure. The only problem, some of them confessed, was that his desire to please often out-stripped their needs" - p264 James Hunt: The Biography

"I was sure he was gay, because he never made a move on me for so long" - p278 Jane Birbeck, long time partner, James Hunt: The Biography

"He missed the actual skirmish - he was inside getting drinks at the bar - but had to be forcibly restrained from going after the policeman who hit his girlfriend" - p284 James Hunt: The Biography

James Hunt had many affairs in his time, because he had become an addict to many things including women (more on this later) He was aware of his and it plagued James that he couldn't control it ->

"One evening she returned to their London home to find James in tears. He was tormented by feelings of guilt caused by his lust for other women. He confessed the full extent of his unfaithfulness, that it was unfair to her and that for her sake they couldn't remain a couple. It wasn't that he was bored with her, but that his desire for other women was insatiable and uncontrollable. He held Jane in his arms and they both wept" - p320

One thing that helped James in his life time was his love for animals especially his pet dog Oscar. Here are some quotes about his love for animals and how far he would go to help protect them ->

"I think in a way Oscar was the child James never had at that stage. He was a remarkable dog, no question, but James thought a lot about animals and their requirements and was very concerned about their needs. He gave Oscar the very best treatment and also was keenly intrested in the welfare of other dogs. He would look at a dog, wonder if it's owner was treating it well and bringing it up properly and if the dog was getting everything out of life that it could" - p281

"Before he came to know James better, the journalist Nigel Roebuck was pleasantly surprised by an incident involvinged stray dog. It was late in the evening after a Grand Prix and tha teams were packing up to leave when James, while talking to Roebuck, saw the dog wandering around the paddock, shiver-ing and obviously very hungry. Roebuck, also sensitive to the needs of an animal in distress, went with James to several of the team motorhomes where they got food and fed the dog. But that wasn't the end of it as far as James was concerned. He insisted that they should take the dog up to the race control centre.

Roebuck: 'He took the dog in there and would not leave until he was sure it would be looked after. James actually made this official sign a piece of paper saying he would take care of the dog and see that it was housed and properly cared for. I was very impressed with this. James was probably one of only a handful of people on this entire planet who would even give that sort of thing a second thought." - p281

"He also thought the wild animals residing on his estate should be left alone. If vermin had to be controlled it should be done in the most humane way possible, and he strongly dissaproved of blood sports. The very thought of fox hunting he found horrible and he vowed not to allow it on his property" - p308

James was also incredibly caring towards the young people in his life such as his sons and his younger siblings. Here’s an extract from his first GF about James and his siblings ->

".. the way he expressed his concern for the emotional youngest members of his family:

He really enjoyed looking after them, and just seeing the way the behaved with his little brothers and sisters you knew was instinctive in him. He was always going to be a good father.

One evening he invited her home where he was babysitting Jo Jo, Dave and Tim. When James had tucked them in he left Ping to read them a bedtime story. When Ping came downstairs James asked her if she had helped them say their prayers. When I said no, James said: "Right. You've missed out hugely there. Come on, we'd better go and do it." So they did. His attitude was that he was taught to do that by his parents and it simply had to be done.'

But he also practised what he preached, and he believed in the power of prayer. In the troubled years to come James would pray to God for strength and help, and he eventually passed on the bedtime prayer ritual to his own two boys, to whom he became completely devoted.

During his time with Ping he had talked about having children, and she thinks fatherhood earlier in his life would have prevented James from sinking into his period of decadence.

I felt so sorry for him then because I knew underneath it wasn't the real James doing this. I think he was trying to make life happy, the wrong way. If he had settled down earlier, had a more normal home life with children of his own when he was younger, one could have seen a totally different James.' - p26

James Hunt cared for human rights especially taking a stand against the Apartheids in South Africa. The Apartheids in short was a system of racial segregation. In protest most sports were not going to South Africa but Formula One still was, and James Hunt made it clear his thoughts

->

“We were once covering the South African Grand Prix during the days of apartheid. All of a sudden, and for no particular reason, he launched into an attack on apartheid.

“It was nothing to do with the Grand Prix, nor would it do British-South African relations any good. Our producer pushed a piece of paper across saying: ‘Talk about the race!’

“And then James blurted out on air: ‘Thank God we’re not actually there!”

But simply calling out Apartheid on the air wasn’t enough for Hunt. He sought to have his race commentaries blocked from being broadcast in South Africa, but was unsuccessful.

When that didn’t work, he instead — and secretly — gave financial support from his income as a race broadcaster to groups struggling to end Apartheid in South Africa."

"His deeply compassionate and loving nature was something that, unfortunately, wasn't adequately conveyed to the public, who only ever heard about the sensational side of James Hunt" - p282 John Watson

As mentioned earlier James Hunt was an addict. His playboy lifestyle was his addictions and this is all rooted back to the fact that James Hunt had depression which grew stronger and stronger. He relied on his additions to get rid of his depression which meant he kept doing more and more. Here are some quotes about his struggle with it and eventually how he overcame it ->

"At home James became increasingly introverted, uncommunicative and reclusive. He gave up golf and spent more and more of his time in the aviary tending his budgies. While the parties continued he would often leave the guests to Sarah and closet himself in the aviary for hours on end.

It became obvious that James was very troubled, but only Sarah and his closest friends knew the full extent of the anguish and despair James suffered during his bouts with what he called his 'dippers'.

Black dog' was the term Winston Churchill used for the recurring 'depressions which afflicted him throughout his life. Bubbles Horsley thinks James was 'born with a "black dog" on his shoulder. His racing pushed the "dog" away far enough so that it was no longer visible. But underneath that wonderful joie de vivre, the laughter and enjoying life, he was given to black moods. He was fearful of them and maybe it was that fear that drove him on. Perhaps without it he would never have been World Champion.

'And I think after the initial "honeymoon" of retirement from racing the black dog came and sat on his shoulder and wouldnt go away. So he became more fearful and sought distraction in various ways, through sex and drink and drugs and rock and roll, as it were." - p323

"At home Sarah watched her husband's condition worsen and desperately sought to help him. She thought his depressiond might partly be due to a chemical imbalance that James was born with, a theory that James explored himself. Then, too, to keep his dippers at bay he consumed too much alcohol and marijuana, both of which can temporarily bring relief but over the long term on have depressive effects.

Like others, Sarah felt that another reason for his 'dippers' might have been because he cut off his emotions early in his life and never learned how to open up to people, or to need them. He was essentially a lonely man and his inability to form close relationships made him despair. His depressions further deadened his feelings, and when he was unable to respond emotionally to marriage and children he grew progressively more despondent.

Sarah: 'He was at war with himself. His depressions became Intolerable and towards the end he stopped trying to fight them coming on because he knew they would take over for two days or week. His face would go black and he would take to his bed and stay there, even on Christmas Day. He'd gone to bed two days beforehand and we had Christmas stockings for the boys. I said, Come on, Beast, the boys are waiting." And he said, "Beast, i can't do it." And he was crying" - p333

"When James felt a "dipper" coming on he would go on two- or three-day benders, mostly drinking vodka. He would just keep going and going, which was always a bit terrifying, and after these deep, dark blank days he would suffer real self-loathing. He could forget his trouble with drink, but it always came back.

For many years trying to get rid of his depression was his major concern, which is why he got the budgerigars. He thought it would be such a huge amount of effort that it would distract him and they became an obsession rather than a hobby. He would sit in the aviary for hours, but he would come back still in the grip of gloom. And for a long time he was so down it was very hard to even converse with him." - p326

"He tried different treatments acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and looked into every possible theory. He went to different healers, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, the lot, to try and find the root of his depression. And in the end he cracked it" - p337

"He began to become more diet-conscious and to eat healthy foods. He also consumed information, in books and magazines, on overcoming addictions, and sought more professional help.

He knew he should stop smoking cigarettes and reduce his marijuana consumption, and he told some friends he thought he might be an alcoholic. He worried that his need for women was another form of addiction and feared he might contract AIDS and infect someone else.

John Hogan: 'So he stopped it all. Straightened himself out by absolute willpower. The strength of character of the man enabled him to get out of it. He cut out the cigarettes, the dope and drugs. the booze and the womanising and his sense of priorities became more well-balanced.' - p338

As he started healing himself of his addictions he became serious about F1 again. He always cared for the sport, doing everything he could to race when he was younger and now though he was retired he still commentated and took part in other ways to stay close to the sport ->

"James became serious about strengthening his position in the media side of Formula 1 racing. He took on an internationally syndicated newspaper column and spent many hours gathering information for it. Working with a journalist he applied himself conscientiously to making sure that every word was written to his satisfaction" - p338

James started to heal his relationships as well, becoming an amazing parent to his two boys and finally meeting a woman who helped him feel loved and be able to love after so long of not being able to ->

"The boys were real handfuls to look after but he was awfully good with them and he really fathered and mothered them extremely well. He was always up early in the morning cooking their breakfast and then the four of us would go off salmon fishing. James would fish properly and I would fool around fishing with the youngsters. And then in the evening we used to settle down and he would tell them stories." - p343

A letter James sent to his girlfriend Helen:

"I went to the parents' 50th in a totally negative frame of mind, feeling very much an outsider and wanting the floor to swallow me up. As the day went on, although I remained 'out- side', I could see and feel lots of generous, undemanding love around me. Something changed for me there with my family. Everyone was exuding love and I saw the wonder of it and want to be part of it, but firstly with you.

I realise now that the feeling of not being loved as a child made me close up to any incoming love projected onto me. I do see that I cannot live on without love. You brought it home to me when you pointed out how well I'm doing with the boys. Well I have had to work at that and I've got better at it and I have to do it with you. You are the girl of my dreams. Without you I have no future. I want to make you happy and continue to do so until I die.

All my love for the love of my life,

James"

- p350

Finally James was happy. He was healed from his addictions, in a healthy relationship, had two lovely sons and a job he loved. And best of all he was able to be open with Helen ->

"James confessed to Helen that he was unable to be faithful to anyone in the past because sex was for him just another addiction and he needed women to get his highs. He disliked social gatherings and only had parties or went to them to pick up women. Helen was willing to forgive and forget what went on before, but told him she wouldn't tolerate it in their relationship and he agreed to be faithful to her." - p350

Helen went away on a girls holiday before her and James were going to start trying for children. James proposed to her over the phone on the holiday to which she said yes. But she would never see her finance because he passed away from a heart attack. Unfortunately the previous life he lead caught up to him.

Thank you for reading all of this and I hope you now know more about James Hunt than you already did! It's sad that James is best known now for his unhealthy coping mechanisms for his depression, especially with the film 'Rush' romanticising it. But even if just one person reads all of this it means one more person knows the truth of James Hunt and that makes it worth it ❤️

[space-station-collective]

Howdy! I saw your "ask a system" post and I personally have been wondering if I am a system. Do you have any advice you can share for someone trying to figure this out on their own, or any personal experiences with learning and discovering systemhood you're comfy sharing? I currently don't have any way to get tested or diagnosed but I still want to be able to understand what's going on in my brain. Thank you!

hey hi! thank you for your ask! :D

so this one im gonna try my Best to answer but im not sure how well it will help, also keep in mind this is just my& experience and there may be other things that work for you!

first things first, keep in mind that these things take time! i found out about the system im a part of really really quickly and honestly it caused a lot of problems because of how quickly it was. it usually takes time to figure it out and develop healthy communication among the system members, and generally know what is going on

^ that was written by the host (who was so unbelievably tired), I'm taking over now, but didn't want to delete what he said! (Grian) (long post ahead!)

I'm gonna start with some resources/advice, and move to more personal experiences at the end!

the difficulty with determining if you're a part of a system, while already knowing about systems, is that it can be very difficult to know if the words actually describe you, or if it's just the closest thing. I know this is probably the worst to hear, but a lot of it honestly is a load of self reflection and determining what labels feel comfortable for you! at its base, plurality is a very wide label, and the way it applies to one person may be completely different to how it may apply to another!

the next thing is so much research. we were lucky to already have a very good base of knowledge due to a research hyperfixation a couple years back, which made things much easier on us, but there was still a lot we had to look into before really understanding what was happening

this website looks like it has a lot of good information! it has a section specifically dedicated to "Am I Plural?" which links to several other resources, as well. I don't fully have the energy to read through the entire site, but from what I saw it has good info, and I've seen other accounts link to it, so I'm inclined to trust it!

okay, now for personal experiences

I'm actually the main reason we found out about our system! or at the very least, how we found out when we did. I could probably make a post on that at some point, if there's interest in it, but to put it short, we had been suspecting plurality for a while and then I actually switched in, and now here we are!

honestly, my main advice is just keep doing research, and try not to doubt yourself. whatever might be happening, be it plurality or something else entirely, it's still your experience, and it's valid! also, a mistake our host made is trying really very hard to push down the system and ignore it. what actually happened was.. very damaging. please don't try and push away what's going on, I promise you it'll make it a lot easier if you lean into trying to understand it

I wish you the very best of luck! I hope this post actually made sense, our writing tends to be a bit all over the place sometimes. I hope this was able to offer some guidance!

-the host (he/they) and Grian (he/him/they)

[russilton]

I’m thinking about starting a fish tank! Do you have any advice on a tank for beginners? I’m a broke college student so my budget is like $150 and I don’t want to get a massive tank.

I can absolutely give you some advice, but also I want to stress upfront that if I seem a little discouraging, it comes from a place of caring about the welfare of fish in the pet trade. They’re all questions I had to ask myself before I got my fish and are why I waited so long to get mine.

So to start with- don’t get goldfish

Don’t get goldfish. don’t get goldfish? Don’t get goldfish!

I LOVE my goldfish, with my whole heart. They are the pet I wanted more than anything for a good part of my life. But there is no goldfish that is compatible with a small tank. Even the fancy ones need a minimum 50 gallons (30 for one, 10 each for two more, they are social and need to be kept in groups). Long bodied goldfish are pond or big tank fish, my tank is 5ft long, it takes an hour or more to clean each week, and when I eventually move with them? Moving it will take 4 people and two cars. Why will I have to move with them? They can live 10-20 years. They shit like machines because they have a massive bio load. You can’t keep most plants with them cause they’ll eat them, and you have to make sure nothing in their tank can fit in their mouth or they’ll eat it. They are aquatic toddlers. Don’t get goldfish!

Okay with that out the way, there are lower budget friendly fish, but please consider that they’re a pet and while you can do most moderate fish vet care at home, you will be their vet and that can be expensive. There’s been more than a couple times my boys have taken up my free spending budget to get chemicals or food they need.

Make sure caring for them is something you can fit in your weekly schedule. You’ll need to clean their tank every week by doing a water change, this maintains a healthy nitrogen cycle. This means removing some water and then replacing it with fresh dechlorinated water, swishing filter media in old water, and removing waste and any plant trimmings you may need to do. Fish keeping is like keeping an entire ecosystem, you’re trying to create an out of place environment, and that means you’re the boss. Same goes for reptiles and amphibians.

Last point before I get to some recommendations: do your research. Do it online. NEVER rely on a pet store for your lone source of advice. I love my local fish store but I don’t trust even them as my sole source of info. Also be wary of where your info is coming from. If a website is owned by an aquatic product company, they’re going to give you info that favours their products.

Get yourself well, well acquainted with the nitrogen cycle, it’s the foundation of fish keeping. Make sure you research every flora or fauna you want to put in your tank, know it’s needs and if you can meet them, and how it interacts with other fish or animals. I had a fish die because he ate one of his tank mates I was assured he wouldn’t and it gave him bloat. Mistakes happen, and I was devastated by it. You don’t have to always assume the worst, but be prepared for it.

Genuinely the best advice can come from Reddit. I know, I KNOW, reddit is full of know-it-all pains in the ass. And that’s why it’s great for aquarium info, because you will find no greater treasure trove of guides and wikis on recommended care, because these folks will have spent a lot of time correcting people’s care, and have made guides to point people to. Every question you can think of has been asked. I’ve frequented the r/goldfish sub when I needed care advice or just wanted to share my boys. YouTube can also be great if you want more gentle and personable advice. There is a product review for everything and a treatment guide for any ailments. Research the critter you want back to front and back again. Know their diets, lifespan, favoured habitats. Look at how other successful keepers are keeping their fish.

Please never settle for the bare minimum. Just because a fish CAN live in a lacking environment doesn’t mean they should. Just you wait till you see their little personalities come out, I can’t imagine not doing the best I can for my boys when I see their little bodies light up when I walk into the room. Their love is humbling.

So, recommendations! First of all: tanks

If you’re in America, I believe petco (or pet smart? Google it) have something called a dollar a gallon sale. This is insane and I wish we had it here. If you want something small, 5gal can keep a betta fish quite happy, if you can spare the space, a 10 gal is much better! I have an 11 gal tropical that I find the maintainance on finicky, but easier than the big tank. The bigger you have the more you can keep. Anything you keep in 15gal or below tends to be considered a “nano” tank, and it’s best to follow guides for those kinds of tanks. But also, be wary of articles trying to tell you one kind of fish CAN live in a nano tank, and every other keeper site going “okay but it should be in a 20 because it needs to be kept in a school”

My currently uninhabited tropical 11, looking a little hairy. The heater broke and I’m waiting till I can get a new one, but the plants don’t much mind since it’s in a heated room.

If you don’t have access to cheap tanks new, try eBay. Yes eBay. My 126 gal 5ft tank? £41 second hand from a downsizing cichlid breeder. It should have cost £500 or more new. You can get some insane deals on stuff from smaller businesses on there too. I’ve also been told to keep an eye on Facebook marketplace. I tried but I abhor Facebook and favoured eBay.

Equipment and chemicals:

You don’t have to go to the fancy brands but trust me it’ll last longer and probably work better. The stuff I bought from a good and mostly trusted label always stuck around. It’s also good to buy from smaller fish focused businesses, because they’re putting the work in to test and cater to fish keepers. I’ll always go to somewhere like seachem or fluval, rather than pets at home, even if it’s more expensive, because my fluval siphon still works so well two years later, and seachem prime and alert has yet to steer me wrong. If you can, invest in higher quality foods too. I’ve got so many compliments on my fish after switching to repashy gel. It’s more dear but I can prep the food and freeze it in advance, it’s much nicer on their tummies, they love it, and it comes from a company that focuses on exotic pet food blends.

If there’s one thing you don’t cheap out on, filters and heaters. They are the engines that keep your tank moving, and if they break it’ll leave you scrambling.

When you’re doing your research, make sure to look out for having emergency supplies ready. I have a make shift hospital tank stocked away, back up battery air pumps incase there’s a power outage, and a large lidded bucket should my tank fail and the fish need to be put elsewhere.

Plants:

If you’re keeping anything other than goldfish, you will probably want some tropical plants! It can be expensive to start and a bit scary looking, but they’ll help your filtration by eating up all the adverse chemicals in your tank! Plus, it’s self growing decor.

I can personally recommend Anubias, Chinese water weed, crypts, Java fern, Amazon swords, Mariano moss balls, hornwort, Java moss.

All of these are low light low tech plants that don’t take much care, and those first three are my faves. A good local fish store can help you pick some that suit you, mine did!

Finally, the bit you were probably looking for: fish

Assuming you’re going for a small nano tank, I would genuinely recommend a betta fish!

They’re generally affordable, not too much maintenance, don’t need to be kept in groups (in fact, you SHOULDN’T keep them in groups, solo only), and so pretty and full of personality. Do not follow any advice that lets you think you can keep them in fuckin vases, you can’t. But you can keep them in 5-10 gal heated planted tanks.

Please avoid buying them from anywhere that sells them in cups, I know it’s tempting to save them, but all you’re doing is encouraging that business by giving them money. I have seen people get sicker ones free, but be prepared for that potential heartache. They aren’t sold like that in the U.K. usually and you should only be buying from places that keep them in small isolated tanks. Support businesses that care for their fish, and you will get a healthy fish for it. Remember for chain stores, it can benefit their business model that your fish dies and you come back to get a new one. Not all stores are like that, but some are.

If bettas aren’t your ball game, consider nano schooling fish like raspbora or some tetra! I’m personally looking at pygmy corydora and ottos for my small tank.

And don’t count out invertebrates! Look up Amano of Neocardinia shrimp! (Aka cherry shrimp), I will be getting myself some! There’s also so many freshwater snails, and you’ll probably end up with some whether you like it or not. I have hitchhiking ramshorn and mystery snails in my nano. I couldn’t kill them if I tried! They just plod along growing in my tank without my help at all.

At the end here it’s worth just saying: you are going to make mistakes. You will. We all do. You may lose fish for it, and it’s heartbreaking. I’ve lost fish in my learning journey and it strikes you down hard. But that’s why it’s important to do your research, it reduces the likelihood of it, and means YOU know that you did your absolute best.

Got to the end? I’m proud of you! That was so much, here’s a video from last night of my boy tiger bothering me for cuddles while I was scrubbing. He won’t leave me alone till I stroke his back or tummy. If it looks like the water is low, it is, we were doing a big big clean yesterday.

[kalpavrikshaacademy]

10 worst SEO mistakes you need to avoid in 2024

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for getting your website noticed in the vast ocean of online content. However, there are common mistakes that can waste your efforts and prevent your site from achieving its full potential. Here are the 10 worst SEO mistakes you need to avoid in 2024, explained in simple terms.

1. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

In 2024, mobile optimization isn't just an option; it's a necessity. Google now uses mobile-first indexing, which means it predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. Websites that aren’t optimized for mobile can suffer in rankings and provide a poor user experience, leading to higher bounce rates.

Why It’s a Mistake:

With the increasing number of people accessing the internet via smartphones, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial. Google’s algorithms prioritize mobile-friendly sites.

How to Avoid It:

Ensure your website is responsive, meaning it adapts to different screen sizes and devices. Test your site using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool and make necessary adjustments.

Responsive Design: Use a responsive web design to ensure your site adapts to different screen sizes.

Fast Loading Speeds: Optimize images and use caching to speed up your site.

User-Friendly Navigation: Simplify menus and buttons for easier navigation on small screens.

2. Neglecting User Experience (UX)

Why It’s a Mistake:

User experience is a significant ranking factor. If your website is hard to navigate, slow, or unattractive, visitors will leave quickly, which increases your bounce rate and negatively affects your rankings.

How to Avoid It:

Improve your site’s loading speed, simplify navigation, use clear calls-to-action, and ensure your content is easy to read and engaging.

Site Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to measure and improve your site's loading times.

Clear Navigation: Ensure your site’s structure is logical and intuitive.

Content Layout: Use headings, bullet points, and images to break up text and make content easier to read.

3. Not Doing Proper Keyword Research

Why It’s a Mistake:

Keywords are the terms people use to search for information online. Without proper research, you might optimize your content for the wrong keywords, missing out on potential traffic.

How to Avoid It:

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your content.

Keyword Tools: Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner to find the right keywords.

Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords that are less competitive but highly specific.

User Intent: Understand the intent behind search queries to align your content with what users are looking for.

4. Keyword Stuffing

Why It’s a Mistake:

Keyword stuffing refers to overloading your content with keywords in an attempt to manipulate search rankings. This practice not only makes your content unreadable but also leads to penalties from search engines.

How to Avoid It:

Use keywords naturally and focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to your readers. Aim for a keyword density of around 1-2%.

Natural Integration: Integrate keywords naturally into your content.

Synonyms and Variants: Use synonyms and related terms to avoid repetition and keep content natural.

Focus on Quality: Prioritize creating valuable content over keyword density.

5. Ignoring Local SEO

Why It’s a Mistake:

If you have a local business, ignoring local SEO means missing out on potential customers in your area. Local SEO helps your business appear in local search results and on Google Maps.

How to Avoid It:

Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing, include your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your website, and encourage customers to leave reviews.

Google My Business: Optimize and regularly update your Google My Business profile.

Local Keywords: Include local keywords in your content, meta descriptions, and titles.

Local Citations: Ensure your business information is consistent across all local directories and social platforms.

6. Not Optimizing for Voice Search

Why It’s a Mistake:

With the rise of voice-activated assistants like Siri and Alexa, more people are using voice search to find information online. Ignoring this trend can result in missed opportunities.

How to Avoid It:

Optimize your content for conversational queries and long-tail keywords, which are more common in voice searches. Include natural language and question-based phrases.

Conversational Language: Write in a natural, conversational tone.

FAQ Pages: Create FAQ pages to address common questions in a way that matches voice search queries.

Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords that reflect how people speak.

7. Poor Quality Content

Why It’s a Mistake:

Content is king in SEO. Poor quality content that is irrelevant, poorly written, or duplicated from other sites can harm your rankings and reputation.

How to Avoid It:

Create original, high-quality content that provides value to your audience. Ensure your content is well-researched, well-written, and addresses the needs and interests of your readers.

Originality: Ensure your content is original and provides unique value.

Relevance: Create content that is relevant to your audience’s needs and interests.

Accuracy: Fact-check your content and provide reliable information.

8. Not Utilizing Social Media

Why It’s a Mistake:

Social media can drive traffic to your website and improve your online presence. Ignoring social media means missing out on potential visitors and backlinks.

How to Avoid It:

Share your content on social media platforms, engage with your audience, and encourage social sharing. Use social media to build relationships and increase brand awareness.

Content Sharing: Regularly share your content on social media platforms.

Engagement: Engage with your audience through comments, likes, and shares.

Social Signals: Encourage social sharing to boost social signals, which can indirectly affect SEO.

9. Failing to Use Analytics

Why It’s a Mistake:

Without analytics, you won’t know what’s working and what’s not. This can lead to wasted efforts and missed opportunities for improvement.

How to Avoid It:

Use tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s performance, monitor your traffic, and analyze user behavior. Use this data to make informed decisions and optimize your SEO strategy.

Google Analytics: Set up and regularly review Google Analytics to track your site's performance.

Conversion Tracking: Monitor conversions and user behavior to understand how visitors interact with your site.

Regular Audits: Conduct regular SEO audits to identify and fix issues.

10. Not Building Backlinks

Why It’s a Mistake:

Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a major ranking factor. Without them, it’s challenging to improve your site’s authority and visibility.

How to Avoid It:

Build backlinks by creating high-quality, shareable content, reaching out to other websites for guest posting opportunities, and engaging in online communities.

Quality Content: Create high-quality content that others want to link to.

Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for reputable sites in your industry.

Outreach: Reach out to influencers and other websites for link-building opportunities.

Conclusion

Avoiding these 10 common SEO mistakes can significantly improve your website’s performance and visibility in search engines. By focusing on mobile optimization, user experience, proper keyword research, and high-quality content, and by leveraging social media and analytics, you can improve your site’s visibility and performance in search engine results Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and adaptation to stay ahead of the competition. Focus on providing a great user experience, creating high-quality content, and staying up-to-date with the latest SEO trends to achieve long-term success.

[billconrad]

ALL CAPITAL TITLES

    Book titles capture what a book is about. Their purpose is to break down potential reader’s resistance so they will open their wallets and hand over hard-earned money. This means that, at the core, the title is an advertisement.

    How does this work? Depending on the book, titles can be clever, friendly, outrageous, or welcoming. However, their overall goal is to entice a sale. “Dear reader. You are going to love my book. Sit down and take a load off. Now, flip to the first page and enjoy my story.”

    Well… Some authors have not received the friendly title message. There is a new trend of using all capital letters in a title. What is the purpose of writing in capital letters? It is to emphasize words as if they were being shouted. I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THIS!!! I suppose in a limited instance, having all capital letters does have merit for shocking titles. “AIRPLANE DISASTERS” “ROMANTIC FAILURES” “WORST MISTAKES IN HISTORY”

    Note: An unwritten rule is that the title should have all capital letters on the cover. This makes a bold statement to entice readers. This is the time for an author to be confident.

    The problem occurs in websites that sell books and search engines. Authors capitalize their titles to distinguish themselves. They even capitalize their names. The result reads too heavy-handed. It is like those annoying television commercials where the car dealer yells at the top of their lungs to buy a used car. Our reaction is to change the channel quickly.

    To show you what I am referring to, I copied several titles with their authors listed on Amazon:

    THE ULTIMATE PERSONAL FINANCE GUIDE FOR TEENS: LEARN THE SECRETS OF MONEY MANAGEMENT TO BECOME WEALTHY AND LIVE A STRESS - FREE LIFE by CARLOS A. DAVILA

    WE ARE NOT IMPOSTORS!: HOW TO IDENTIFY, MANAGE, AND OVERCOME IMPOSTOR SYNDROME AS PROFESSIONAL WOMEN by JT BLACKWELL

    JUST FIREWORKS : A Child’s memories of a war-torn Lebanon by Nader Barrak

    HOW TO TALK TO ANYONE: Unlock Conversational Excellence: Transform Your Communication, Speak with Confidence, Connect Effortlessly, and Navigate Social Landscapes with Charismatic Grace by Rowan Becket

    SEPARATION AND DIVORCE: SURVIVING WITH YOUR CHILDREN by Bridget Michaels

    SCREWED-UP: BREAKING CHAINS FROM NARCISSISM: Know your Worth and break the toxic bond from a narcissist!! by Hayde Miller

    VAGABOND by ATHANG RATHOD

    FAYTHE OF NORTH HINKAPEE: The Saga of a Young Woman’s Quest for Justice and Love in Colonial America by James T. Hogg

    INTERESTING FACTS For GENIUS MINDS: 1492 Entertaining Trivia & Facts For All Ages 8+ by Natalie Larsen

    THE LITTLE BRAZILLIAN COOKBOOK by Cristina Ripley

    Why is a cookbook yelling at me? Why are interesting facts shouting? Did they lose a bet?

    Authors capitalizing their names? We are supposed to be a friendly bunch. “Hey, there. You seem like a great person. Why don’t you read one of my books.” The last thing a reader wants is an arrogant JERK of an author screeching at the top of their lungs, “DON’T YOU DARE READ MY BOOK! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!”

    I suppose my rant about capital letters will not turn too many heads. So… What am I hoping to accomplish? If an author reads this article, please keep your readers in mind. I know it isn’t easy to stand out, but capitalizing your title is a step too far. THANKS FOR READING THIS.

    You’re the best -Bill

    June 05, 2024

    Hey, book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:

    Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.

    Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.

    Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.

    Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.

    These books are available in softcover on Amazon and in eBook format everywhere.

[magnigeeks]

The 9 Worst Digital Marketing Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Digital marketing has become an essential part of every business's marketing strategy. However, even the best-laid plans can sometimes fall flat. One small mistake in your digital marketing campaign can ruin your entire strategy. For example, let's say you have planned a great social media campaign but forgot to optimize your website for mobile devices. As a result, potential customers who click on your social media posts will be redirected to a website that they can't navigate on their mobile devices. This will lead to a high bounce rate and a low conversion rate. This blog will discuss the 9 worst digital marketing mistakes and how to fix them.

1.  Not Understanding Your Target Audience:

One of the biggest mistakes in digital marketing is not understanding your target audience. If you don't know your target audience, you won't know how to create content that resonates with them. You need to know their age, gender, interests, pain points, and buying habits. This will help you create content that speaks directly to their needs.

Solution: Conduct market research and gather data about your target audience. Use tools like Google Analytics to understand their behavior on your website.

2.  Ignoring SEO:

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for the success of any digital marketing campaign. Ignoring SEO means that potential customers won't be able to find your website through search engines. This means that you'll miss out on valuable organic traffic.

Solution: Optimize your website for search engines. Conduct keyword research and use those keywords in your content. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading speed.

3.  Not Having a Clear Call-to-Action:

A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that prompts the user to take action. Without a clear CTA, your visitors won't know what action to take next. This can lead to a high bounce rate and a low conversion rate.

Solution: Have a clear and concise CTA on every page of your website. Use action-oriented language and make it stand out with contrasting colors.

4.  Focusing on Quantity Over Quality:

Many businesses make the mistake of focusing on the quantity of content rather than the quality. This can lead to low engagement rates and a poor user experience.

Solution: Focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to your audience. Don't publish content just for the sake of it. Make sure your content is well-researched, engaging, and informative.

5.  Neglecting Social Media:

Social media is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. Neglecting social media means missing out on potential customers and engagement.

Solution: Have a social media presence on platforms where your target audience is active. Create engaging content and post regularly. Use social media advertising to target specific audiences.

6.  Ignoring Analytics:

Ignoring analytics means that you won't know what's working and what's not in your digital marketing campaign. This can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities.

Solution: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track your website's performance. Use the data to make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.

7.  Not Having a Responsive Website:

A responsive website is essential for providing a positive user experience. If your website is not responsive, it will lead to a high bounce rate and a low conversion rate.

Solution: Use a responsive website design that adjusts to the user's screen size. Test your website on different devices to ensure it's responsive.

8.  Overlooking Email Marketing:

Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. It's a great way to nurture leads and convert them into customers. Overlooking email marketing means missing out on potential revenue. Solution:  Use email marketing to nurture leads and convert them into customers. Create engaging email content and segment your email list to target specific audiences. To know more visit us at https://magnigeeks.com/blog/

[inkalight]

Dear @staff 

New ways you can improve this website things that allow more interaction between creators and followers -voting polls feature to put into posts -pop up chats with likes and reblog stats when clicking pictures or posts in a clean side bar format for at least desktop version. -Stories are a very nice feature of Instagram you don’t have to make them exactly the same maybe call them Blips but its nice to have a less permanent format to interact with audiences and supporters. -live streaming interactions, podcasts, gaming, live creators its all heavily popular. The future is with interactions if you can manage to make a video follow me as I’m scrolling you can also manage to have a watch a stream that sits at the top of my feed, you can Call the Live-posts. once they’re finished or ended they become a normal video post with all the material auto recorded.

The more interactive material you can give the individual creators the more people will value their space on your website. lot of these features would complicate the format of Tumblr but we need some more modernized additions to what is already good here. 

This place can easily become a better choice for bloggers and social media networking if you put your focus into keeping its all simple and organized but adding communication strengths. Twitters far messier and doesn’t have the privacy features you have, Instagram has so many communication and interaction features but they lack reblogging features and for many creators that is a huge draw back.

You guys are very good at cleaning and simplifying things and respecting the privacy and rights between a poster and their followers. The biggest change would be the story feature (or Blips cause that just sounds cute) and the Live-posts but it would also have the most benefits for interaction features its format is less formal than a post and designed specifically to more loyal interactors.

Love this website its the only one out there where certain features of design doesn’t make me want to tear my hair out, but it can be evolved. 

Best of luck Tumblr.

[all-the-love-harold]

Fine Line

Chapter 1 - Lovin’ you’s the antidote 

The First installment of my new series, let me know what you think about Harry and Clara

December 16th 2019

Clara was sitting on her window sill staring out at the rain falling down onto the street below her. People were battling with their umbrellas against the wind and she felt a sudden feeling of warmth as she stared into her living room, her best friend's new album playing through her TV and grateful that she wasn’t outside and that she didn’t have to leave her flat now until tomorrow morning she turned it up. The sound of Harry’s voice singing “Just let me adore you” echoed around the room and in that moment, she couldn’t help but feel lonely. Harry was still in LA after the release of his album and the rest of her friends were back in their hometowns for Christmas already. Normally she would call her boyfriend, but less than 2 hours after Harry boarded his plane to LA, Will called her and said that he wasn’t in love with her anymore and it was probably best that they stopped seeing each other. And just like that 8 years was over in one phone call and her shoulder to cry on was on a plane halfway over the atlantic.

Clara had met Will on her first day of university and they’d been together ever since but apparently his work had become too important and he didn’t have time for her anymore. She knew this was a load of bullshit, she knew that he’d been spending a lot of time with his assistant, who was very skinny and very blonde and everything that Clara hated about the world.

“You’re better off without him” Harry had said to her over the phone when he finally had the chance to call her back

“Doesn’t feel like it right now” she replied

“I know,” Harry sighed “I wish I could hug you”

“Me too” she said, Harry’s hugs always made everything better, they had ever since they were little and the worst thing that happened to them was falling off their bikes onto the concrete.

Clara sighed deeply as she sunk down into her spot on the bay window. She hated that she couldn’t enjoy having one night to herself, but she had gotten so used to having people around her, people she had to look after or take care of in some way.

“Maybe I should get a dog,” she thought to herself. Then she would never really be alone and she’d always feel needed.

But she lived in a small apartment so she would need a dog that was ok with being left inside while she was at work. Or maybe even a dog that she could take to work with her. Or a dog that Harry could dog sit for her when he was home. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and googled her local shelter. This was the most excited she had felt for months and the advice her mum gave her when she was young kept replaying in her head

“A dog or a baby will never be a mistake, they might make things harder sometimes, but you’ll love them so much that you’ll never feel like you made the wrong decision” and love was exactly what Clara needed right now. Because after Christmas Harry would be leaving for an almost year long world tour and she couldn’t stand the thought of being alone in London for that long. And her job meant that she couldn’t move back home to Holmes Chapel.

With just nine days left until christmas the shelter was full of dogs that needed new homes, dogs of all shapes and sizes, some who had been there for months and some who had only spent a few days there so far. If she had a bigger space, she'd adopt them all, but for now, one would do. She scrolled through and looked at all the profiles on the website before deciding that she would need to meet the dog before making any kind of concrete decision. And that was that, tomorrow morning she would pick Harry up from the airport and take him straight to the shelter to help her choose her new baby.

***

“Good Morning Ra” Harry said, shoving his bags into the boot of her car. The advantage of having a best friend that lived in London was not having to feel like an ass who needed a chauffeur to drive him around his home city.

“Good Morning Harold” she smiled trying to contain her excitement. Sleeping on the idea of getting a dog had not changed her mind, if anything it had only made her more sure of herself. And maybe slightly nervous.

“You’re very cheerful for someone who’s just been dumped” he said as he sat down in the passenger's seat and buckled his seatbelt.

“Do you have anywhere you need to be today?” she asked, ignoring his attempt at mentioning the elephant in the room

“I have rehearsals tonight, but until 7 I am free, don’t you have to be at work?”

“I have the day off”

Harry frowned “You never take days off” he said suspiciously “What’s going on?”

“We’re going on an adventure” she handed him her phone, “You’re in charge of the music”

“Da da da da da da ddada” The opening line of Golden echoed through the speaker, and Clara drove off,away from the airport, rolling her eyes at Harry for playing his own album.

They drove mostly in silence, Harry didn't want to ask where they were going and after the way she ignored his comment about the break up he didn’t want to bring it up in case it made her sad when right in this moment she seemed happier and more excited than he’d seen her in months.

They pulled up in a dingy looking car park on the outskirts of London and Harry furrowed his brow

“Where are we?” he said, half tempted to lock his car door

“I’m getting a dog” she smiled widely

“A dog?”

“Yeah, you know four legs, barks, like to go on walks, looks really cute when it’s asleep”

Harry laughed “I know what a dog is” he said, “But you’re not home enough for a dog”

“Office dog” she smirked “and I didn’t think you’d have any objections to dog sitting when you’re around”

“I mean, I don’t” he half smiled “but are you sure”

“Harold, in the very wise words of my beautiful mother, a dog or a baby is never a bad thing. And since the other half of my baby decided to up and fuck off a week ago, I’m getting a dog”

Harry sighed and unclipped his seatbelt, “You know most people find a rebound after a breakup, but a dog suits you better.” Harry knew when to stop arguing, he’d known Clara his whole life and, in a way, he knew she was right, a dog really was exactly what she needed.

They walked into the shelter side by side and anyone walking past would guess that they were a happy couple, looking to add the first addition to their little family. But that wasn’t the case, Harry and Clara had never been and will never be more than friends, despite what their mothers might think.

“Hi” Clara said as they walked into reception “I’m looking to adopt a dog”

“Of course” the girl smiled eyeing Harry off “just follow the hall all the way down to the end and one of the girls will help you once you’re down there.”

“Thanks” Harry smiled, winking at her as they walked away.

“Do you you have to flirt with everyone?” Clara said to him once they were out of earshot

“Just helping you get a really cute one”

Clara rolled her eyes and ignored him, she found that sometimes if she indulged him too much he became even more annoying.

They walked through the door at the end of the hallway and Clara’s heart immediately split into two. The dogs were all in tiny cages and a few of them looked unwell and malnourished, and that sympathetic feeling she felt when scrolling through their profiles last night only increased tenfold, staring into their lonely little eyes.

“Hi, my name’s sarah” a girl came around the corner, a wide grin on her face “are you just having a look or are you here to adopt today?”

“I’d like to adopt” Clara said definitively

“Yay!” Sarah said, “These dogs here have only just arrived and they’re not quite ready for adoption yet, but if you really fall in love with one of them you can come back in a few weeks and pick them up once they’ve had their needles and health checks or, if you go a little further down, those guys are ready to go - do you have a yard for a big dog, or were you looking for an apartment dog”

“I have a flat” Clara said, “but he has a yard just around the corner from my flat where I would take the dog to run around”

“I think I have the perfect boy for you!” Sarah exclaimed and started down the hallway, stopping outside a cage.

Clara smiled up at Harry and followed, almost at a run she was so excited.

“This is Larry, he’s a 10 month old greyhound and he’s been living in this shelter for 7 of those months”

Clara turned to face the dog and instantly fell in love, she crouched down and let him sniff her hand and instead he gave it a big lick and snuggled into it.

“He’s a sweet boy” Sarah said “but he’s not without his issues, he’s been seen by our behaviour therapist and he’ll need ongoing training and support but a little bit of love will go a long way with this little guy”

“What did he need to see the behavior therapist for?” Harry asked, knowing that Clara wouldn’t.

“He’s displayed a few guarding behaviors, they’re not uncommon for his breed, with the right training, he’ll grow into a wonderful dog”

Clara had stopped listening, she was kneeling down now, with her hand outstretched so that Larry could sniff it. But he didn’t want to just sniff, he greeted Clara with a great big lick and she knew right then that this was the dog that she would be taking home today.

“I’m sold” she said, without taking her eyes off the dog, who was now sitting very elegantly, staring up at her.

“Really?” Sarah said “Great, I’ll go and get him and take him to the play area and you guys can get to know each other while I get all the paperwork sorted - any questions?”

“Just one” Clara said thinking of the only obvious issue with adopting a dog named Larry and being publicly linked to Harry “Can I change his name?”

“Of course” Sarah smiled “He’s still a pup so he’ll learn his new name very quickly”

“Perfect”

Harry smiled at Clara as Sarah walked away “Are you sure Ra?”

“I’m sure as hell H, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life”

“Alright then” he smiled “guess I’m becoming an uncle today”

***

“How about David Bowie” Harry said later that afternoon, sitting on Clara’s living room floor, throwing Larry the tiny tennis ball that he’d gone out and bought after they got him home.

“Bowie for short” Clara mused “I really like that”

“David when he’s in trouble” Harry laughed

“Bowie” Clara called and Larry’s ears pricked up

“Bowie” she said again, and he bounded over to her.

“Well that’s settled then” Harry said.

Bowie sat down on Clara's lap while she petted his head gently.

"I'm so in love with you already little dog"

Harry spent the rest of the afternoon watching as Clara turned into the dog mum she was always meant to be and he felt his heart swell every time she smiled at something Bowie did.

"Loving you's the antidote" he thought to himself although in that moment he wasn’t entirely sure who was helping who.

***

December 19th, 2019 - London’s Electric Ballroom.

Late was one thing that Clara hated being. If she was ever late for something it usually filled her with so much anxiety that she would have to call someone and let them know that she was in fact on her way. But tonight she was running late because she couldn’t tear herself away from a snuggle on the couch with her beautiful boy and she hadn’t called anyone because couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone that she was late to her best friend's album release because she was too busy snuggling her dog and that she wasn't sorry at all. So instead she snuck in the back door, slipped into the dressing room and pretended she had been there the whole time.

“Gem!” she exclaimed when she spotted Harry’s sister “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.

“No you haven’t” she smirked “You just snuck in that back door, you were late”

“Shhh” clara hushed “Don’t tell H”

“He won’t care, not today, anyway - Have you met the latest piece of arm candy?”

Clara batted her eyelashes at the news that Harry was dating someone new

“No” she shook her head, “I didn’t know there was anyone new”

“Oh they only met a few days ago, just before he left for LA I think, but she’s pretty clingy and so far she doesn’t seem that nice”

“Blonde?” Clara asked, a tone of bitterness evident in her voice

Gemma nodded

“Skinny?”

“You bet” Gemma sighed

“Checks out” Clara nodded, “That’s why he hasn’t told me, I think he’s afraid I’ll get sad if he’s dating someone that looks like the girl Will slept with 2 days after he broke up with me”

“What a prick” Gemma said “Will, I mean, not H… maybe H a little bit” she added

“Is she here?” Clara asked, raising her eyebrows as if she was on a mission.

“Yeah” Gemma nodded towards the closed door to Harry’s private dressing room “They’re in there together, doors locked”

“Gross” Clara rolled her eyes.

All of Clara’s gulit about being late seemed to disappear after that, Harry would never know, or care if he was too busy having sex with a girl he’s only just met in the dressing room just before the show. Especially if hadn’t deemed her important enough to tell Clara about.

Go time was fast approaching and eventually Jeff and Tommy, Harry’s managers, started ushering all the guests into the concert hall, so that Harry could get ready and warm up. Clara had never been to this venue before, but as herself and Gemma stepped out onto the balcony, she understood why it was called the electric ballroom, the room was buzzing with excitement and she felt herself become excited too. She did always love watching Harry perform. She had ever since they were babies and Harry would dance in the kitchen play area at daycare and she would giggle along.

“Just there” Gemma whispered to her, pointing at the tall blonde that just walked into the room.

Clara shrugged and handed Gemma the glass of wine that she herself had just been handed “Well if H won’t introduce me, I’ll just introduce myself”

She walked over to where the girl stood, looking lonely and out of place and held her hand out to her quickly withdrawing it, thinking about where it might have been not too long ago.

“Hi, I’m Clara” she said, keeping her hands firmly by her side, “I’m Harry’s best friend, Gemma told me that you guys are dating”

The girl looked her up and down “I’m Shelly” she said, sounding bored with the conversation already “If you’re his best friend you’ve probably been to one of these things before right”

“Yeahhh” Clara nodded, not sure where she was going with this “Once, this only his second album”

“How long do they go for? I’ve got a somewhere to be later”

“He’ll be on stage for about an hour and half” Clara said taken aback by the lack of support she was showing “but it’s a release show, so he’ll want to hang around celebrate the album going to number one already”

Shelly scoffed “Oh well I Probably can’t stay for that, I might even have to leave before he gets off stage”

Before Clara had a chance to reply the house lights turned off and a voice began to echo around the room.

“Right” Clara nodded, not wanting to say too much, although it was becoming pretty clear to her that they both seemed to only be in this for sex “Well it was nice to meet you, I’m going to go watch from over there”

“She’s a delight, isn’t she?” Gemma said, handing Clara back her glass of wine, glad that the screams were echoing around the room loud enough to drown her words out from any eavesdroppers.

“I give it a month”

Gemma didn’t have a chance to retort, because Harry had made his way onto the stage and the screams filling the room became deafening, but she thought a month was ambitious.

“Golden, golden, golden, As I open my eyes' ' A smile as wide as Harry’s cheeks spread across his face as he looked out into the crowd and he winked at Clara when he found her standing next to Gemma on the balcony.She always loved that his first instinct was to find her in a room full of people. She smiled back at him and tears filled her eyes. She was so proud of the man standing up on that stage, he’d come so far since the last time they were standing in a room like this and she’d been there every step of the way.The smile on his face said it all, he was happy and he was proud of the album he’d written and so was she.

“I’m Harry, nice to meet you, thank you very much for having me, how are you? Harry said after playing Golden “The crowd cheered and Harry moved his gaze back to where Clara and Gemma were standing, tears streaming down both of their faces “Good! Before we start the show properly, I’d like to point out that my beautiful sister and my beautiful best friend are already crying, after they promised they would wait until I sang Falling”

The crowd laughed and Clara only cried more while Gemma tried to hide her tears from everyone who had now turned around to look at them.

“So my new album came out a week ago, and tonight I’m going to play it for you. London is home. You are my home, it only felt right to sing it in front of you before it goes on tour. So welcome, and sing along when you can”

As Harry began to sing Watermelon Sugar, Clara glanced over at the space where Shelly had been standing and noticed that she was gone. Clara shrugged and turned back to face the stage. All she wanted to do now was dance, and enjoy the art her best friend had devoted himself to for the last year and a half.

When the first notes of “Falling” echoed around the room Clara’s heart sank and she was taken back to the day he’d written the song. It wasn’t that long ago, 4 months maybe, and he was heartbroken, a complete mess, he had been so in love and camille had ripped his heart right out of his chest and walked away with it. He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he found comfort in Clara’s apartment, pretending that none of it ever happened. And that’s exactly how Clara felt now, Will was gone, she was alone, and she felt like maybe that was it for her, she’d had her one great love and now she was someone no one would want around. Life had it’s funny ways of letting you know that you’re on the right path, and for Clara, listening to Harry on stage, reclaiming his heart for himself in a room full of people who loved and supported him through his worst moments, was one of them, if he could do it, so could she. Each song after that filled her heart with more and more pride and by the time Harry came off stage she felt as though she was going to explode.

“Harry fucking Styles” she said running into his arms when she finally got backstage

“Clara fucking Riley” he wrapped his arms around her

“I want to stay and party but I have to get home to my Bowie”

Harry kissed on the forehead “If I could I’d skip the party to hang out with Bowie too.”

“He’s pretty much the best”

“I’ll stumble in at some point later on though” he smiled “So we can head back home for christmas early tomorrow”

“Good idea, alright, Love you H - and we have to talk about Shelly in the car!”

“No we don’t” he smirked

[chris-evans-indian-fanfic]

Longing

Chapter 1

Description: Chris Evans becomes obsessed with you when he realises he can't have you. Eager to be with you in some form or the other, he starts writing fanfiction, where both of you are passionately in love with each other. But what happens when his imagination starts to merge with his reality in his subconsciousness?

Warnings: This entire mini-series will contain smut, bad language and angst. ONLY PROCEED IF YOU ARE 18+

This first chapter is inspired by the GIF below from @navybrat817 and @stargazingfangirl18 's ShamelessHoesForChris writing challenge. Click here to know more

A/N: I do not know Chris Evans personally. This fic is a work of imagination and should only be used as such. It doesn't comment on Chris or anybody else personally. It is also not meant to destroy his reputation or paint him in a bad light. I admire the guy and he really seems like a genuinely nice person. Again, I repeat, THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION SO TREAT IT AS SUCH!

A/N 2: I did search quite a lot on the internet and didn't come across a fic like this. Which makes me nervous and also kind of excited that I get to do something unique? Please please give me your criticism and feedback on this! Would love to hear your thoughts.

A/N 3: I have used a few big words throughout the series because this fic is from Chris' POV and we all know that he's a bit of a wordsmith 😅 I had never even heard these words before in my life. So please let me know if I have used them in an incorrect manner. 

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I don’t consent to have any of my work published or featured on any third party app, website or translated. If you are seeing this fanfiction anywhere but Tumblr and AO3, it has been reposted without my permission. In that case, please do share the link and let me know.

…

The best thing about shooting Defending Jacob? Chris got to stay in his house in Boston. The worst part about working on the set? He was currently stuck in a room engulfed in hot, angry flames of fire. The fire had abruptly started due to a short circuit and spread across the set in the blink of an eye. Coughing, Chris doubled down on the floor, his breathing becoming more laboured with each second. 

The smoke stung his eyes as he looked around for a fire extinguisher. He tried calling for help, but only small grunts managed to escape his lips. Just as he was on the verge of losing consciousness, he heard a voice. Your voice.

"Is anyone here?" you called out, your voice faint in his ears. "Hello?" 

Chris tried to shout again, but only sank further towards the floor.

Luckily, you opened the door of his room and found his almost crumpled body on the ground. Using the fire extinguisher, you managed to douse as many flames as you could, while also covering Chris with a thick blanket. As the room was still filled with smoke, you pressed a wet towel on his face, asking him to breathe through his nose. 

Slowly, you managed to drag him out of the room and into the corridor, the fire reduced to embers in most places thanks to your fire extinguisher. Chris being a heavy man, you tried your best to support his weight as much as you could, your body almost stooping to form a right angle.

Just as you thought you might be in the clear, you heard a crack from above. Looking up, you realised that the ceiling was about to cave in and so, on impulse, you pushed Chris out of the way, as portions of the false ceiling fell on you, knocking you unconscious. 

Chris, in his state, vaguely realised what happened, before he lost his balance and fell to the ground a few feet away from you, his left arm stretched towards your limp body, as if reaching out.

Sirens of the firetruck and the ambulance filled the heavy air. A deep groan escaped his lips as he attempted to crawl towards you, a failed effort. Where did it all go so wrong? he thought. I was supposed to be the one to save you angel! You should be falling in love with me!! And break-up with your good for nothing fiancé! 

Overwhelmed with emotions, Chris started drifting off to sleep, your name leaving his lips in the form of a desperate whisper.

🔥

8 MONTHS AGO

Chris met you for the first time at the table read for Defending Jacob. You didn't strike him as anyone special. Being the Junior Assistant Scriptwriter for the series, you were just in the room as a formality. It was your job to jot down the minutes of the meeting, and have the parts of the script marked which were supposed to be changed slightly. 

You managed to stay invisible for more such meetings. An introvert by nature, you kept to yourself even when the shooting started. 

It was in the Week 4 of the shooting when Chris actually started to notice you. He realised you were always absent from his house parties, never stayed around on the set for after-work shenanigans and, you never hung out with any of your crew-mates for a drink.

What really drove his attention towards you were your random acts of kindness. He once saw you feeding a homeless man in the alley behind the set. Unknown to you, it was where Chris often hid from his cast and crew to smoke. 

Then there was the bit with setting up of a mobile blood donation camp on the set, which was completely your idea. He had also seen you distribute fliers for animal adoption centres and NGOs who fought for climate preservation.

You always made sure everyone on the set ate before you did, and the ones who couldn't due to work, you were sure to help them and share their load so they could have lunch.

But one particular incident made him see that you were no ordinary woman. 

It was a particularly tough day on the set. They were shooting the 35-second sex scene between him and Michelle. While these scenes looked easy on the screen, they always made Chris feel uneasy about himself. "What if my body is not upto the mark?" , "I don't want to hurt Michelle in any way" , "God I hope I don't touch her inappropriately by mistake" and more such troubling thoughts clawed at his mind. After the scene finally ended, he felt the lustful eyes of the crew feasting on him, admiring his body on display. 

He hurried towards his van, avoiding to look at anyone, until his eyes met yours for a total of 5 seconds. He expected to see the same smirk to be reflected in your eyes as everyone else's. Instead, he saw a completely different emotion. He saw sadness, sympathy, and most importantly, recognition of his discomfort etched on your face.

After that, Chris started to keep a close eye on you. You always wore comfortable clothes, with loads of pockets. Yet somehow, they always fit you well. He also noticed that you always got your own lunch, refusing to eat the food available on the set. 

A few days after filming the sex scene, he decided to try to speak with you. Palms sweaty, he headed towards you and gently said your name. 

"Hi," he said, and stopped. 

"Hello Mr Evans," you greeted him back, a little surprised that he knew your name. 

He continued to look at you, bright cerulean eyes bearing into yours, apparently lost. You blinked twice, unfazed, and a little uncomfortable, "Can I help you sir?"

Chris shook his head slightly. He was so used to women fawning all over him, that your utter lack of excitement on seeing him deterred him a bit. 

He cleared his throat, a little flustered, *Ahem yeah… I wanted to ask… something… karaoke!" he managed to mumble, "It's karaoke night at my house. Tomorrow. Will you come? At night?"

"Umm… No Mr Evans. I am sorry I will not be able to make it," you politely declined while taking a small step back.

"Oh. Uhh… well we can have it any other night if you want," he cleared his throat again, sweat starting to gather on his forehead as he noticed your movement, "You never visit any of my house-parties."

You smiled a bit, "I like to go home early. I want to spend as much time as I can with my fiancé and my cat."

Chris raised his eyebrows at that revelation, "Fiancé? I… I don't see a ring."

"That's because there isn't one," your smile widened as you pulled the chain around your neck and revealed a locket. It was an intricately carved sunflower locket, with small, delicate curls nestled inside the petals. 

Chris glanced at it with disdain. It looked hand-made, cheap, "Is that… is it made from clay?"

"Yes Mr Evans," you beamed at the locket, admiring it with love and pride, "My fiancé is a potter and he made this himself. It took him over 6 hours just to carve all the petals. But he still made it because he knows how much I love sunflowers."

"So he's too poor to give you an appropriate ring?" Chris snapped at you. 

Offended, you looked at him in shock and anger as he continued. "You deserve someone who can afford to give you an expensive engagement ring. Not some cheap craft project."

You grit your teeth at his comment, "Unlike some people, I don't look at the price of the gifts, I look at their value. While this," you held the locket in front of his eyes, "is worthless for you, it is priceless for me."

You placed the locket back inside your shirt and walked away. Chris stood rooted at the spot, biting his cheek hollow. He hadn't meant to drive you away. He had just wanted you to see him as a prospective partner. 

As he turned towards his trailer, an idea popped into his head.

🔥

Next Friday saw you and your fiancé walk into the bowling alley. The production house had organised a "Bring Your Partner to Work Day" and you both were excited to step out of your routine lives. 

A few people on the set recognised your fiancé Aiden from his YouTube channel. Kenneth, an Assistant Set Designer, drooled over him, "Maaahhnnn! I love your pottery videos! They are so calming dude. How do you make them so relaxing?"

The ever shy and soft-spoken Aiden gushed at the compliment, turning a shade of red which you always found adorable. Aiden was almost the same height as you, with a lean figure and a kind, freckled face. Your friends always told you that Aiden's looks were nothing to brag about, but you disagreed. Because for you, this man was the most handsomest, cutest and sexiest person in the world. 

And you knew he felt the same way about you. That's why, even after being together for almost 5 years now, you two still looked at each other with heart eyes.

As the party progressed, you made sure to avoid Chris, and so far, you were successful. That was until he softly said your name. 

With dread in your stomach, you and Aiden turned around to face the man. Aiden knew of your previous encounter with Chris, and tried to square his shoulders as much as possible, but Chris' towering physique and personality literally made it impossible for Aiden to appear tough.

You gave Chris a curt nod and received a sweet smile in response. 

"I believe I owe you an apology," he confessed, "I am sorry. My behavior that day was inexcusable." He paused for reaction, but looking at your hesitant faces, he continued, "It was quite a hectic day on the set and I guess I took it all out on you," he looked towards you, "You know I am capricious by nature. It takes me some time to become gregarious. But," he raised his hands in the air, "I repeat, the way I acted was inexcusable. I am sorry."

He extended his arm towards Aiden, "You are a porter I believe."

"Potter, sir," Aiden corrected while shaking his hand and introducing himself.

You bit your tongue, knowing that Chris was mocking you with his false apology. 

He invited Megan to join the conversation, "Megan loves handmade ceramics. Maybe she would be interested in your work."

Introductions were made again, and as the conversation pursued, it arrived at the topic of your marriage.

"Have you guys decided on a date yet?" asked Megan as Chris looked at you. 

"We are planning to get married as soon as the shooting ends for DJ," you smiled.

"Oh really? Wow that's… unusual," Megan tried her best to hide her surprise.

"We don't know exactly when will the shooting end," Chris said with a frown on his face.

"That's not an issue Mr Evans. We are actually planning to get married at the courthouse," revealed Aiden.

"You know if money is an issue then we would be more than happy to help you guys out," Chris offered in a sincere tone. 

"Oh no no Mr Evans. Money isn't an issue," you clarified, "We have decided to donate the money we had intended to spend on the wedding."

"But thank you so much for the generous offer, we really appreciate it," Aiden added with a sincere smile.

"You know a lot of couples are doing that nowadays. It's a trend I believe," Megan commented, "Where are you going to make the donation?"

"The local orphanage where I grew up. We both love kids and, it just seemed to be the perfect choice," Aiden beamed at you. 

You mirrored his expression while Chris scowled. "I think everybody should get the wedding of their dreams, and you" he stated, pointing towards you, "deserve much more than a courthouse wedding. Don't you want to get married in a beautiful church? Walk down the aisle in a gorgeous white gown? And get married to a man who can actually fulfill your wishes and desires?"

Squaring your shoulders, you looked at Chris dead in the eye, "I am marrying the man of my dreams Mr Evans. The wedding ceremony doesn't matter to me. What does matter is the beautiful life we will begin together. Now if you will excuse us," you linked your arm with Aiden's, "we need to leave."

Chris watched you leave as Megan tried to distract him with something else. Tonight did not go the way he had anticipated.

He left the party shortly after you, directly heading for his home. Standing under the cold shower, he tried to reason with himself. He was acting out of character. There was no reason for his behavior. You had made it ample clear that you loved your fiancé and that nobody in the world could sway you.

Then why was he so hell-bent on claiming you as his?

Because she's perfect for you, a voice answered him. 

Yeah, but she belongs to someone else, he argued.

So what?, the voice urged, Fight for her. You saw her wimp of a fiancé. You can break him into two pieces without breaking a sweat. She is made for you. Just you, and nobody else.

"I… Just… No," Chris stammered loudly as he shook his head, trying to get rid of the voice in his mind.

He tried to meditate, but it didn't work. Dodger too, was unable to distract him. Even his books on self-help and mental health were of no use.

As a last resort, he opened his laptop, but his fingers halted at the search bar, the cursor blinking back at him.

He was too tempted to search for you again. The last time he had Googled you, he had been satisfied with the results. You often volunteered with a few NGOs, coordinated multiple donation drives, visited orphanages and taught underprivileged children. His heart had melted at a particular photograph- you were holding an 8-month-old girl in your arms, while looking over a painting drawn by a 4-year-old boy as the child looked up at you with a toothy smile. 

It reminded him of everything he wanted to have, but still couldn't. 

He closed his eyes and started kneading his forehead with his palms. Everybody he knew always only had the best things about him. Right from Scarlett to Mark to Olivia to every fucking person he had ever worked with, everybody said he deserved to have a loving wife, a stable family. 

And yet, here he was, on a Friday night, home alone with a beer bottle, on the verge of anxiety. 

Was it just anxiety though?

Who the fuck is Aiden and why does he deserve to be with her? the voice in his head was back.

They love each other, they want to get married, Chris reasoned.

He doesn't hold a candle next to you, the voice persisted, People love money more than they love others. She will come to you. But you need to let her know you are available. You need to take her to-

"No," Chris interrupted the voice loudly, "No. This is unhealthy. No."

Reaching for his phone, he searched for his therapist's number, when the voice chuckled, You really think a shrink is going to help you with this? Eh? They are only going to ask you to fuck another pussy, or read more books. And I will be damned before you touch another book about trees. 

Chris shook his head again, but in vain. Unable to find the number in his contacts, he turned to Google for the second time that night and started searching for therapists in his area. The voice tut-ted, Yeah, as if the psycho doctor is going to shut their trap about Chris Evans crying over a girl.

Chris almost crushed his bottle in frustration. He couldn't let the voice take over. Not now. Not after working his ass off to get where wanted in his career. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the screen again and came across the headline- "Why Do People Write Fanfiction?" The word fanfiction seemed vaguely familiar to him. He was going to ignore the article and scroll downwards, but the brief underneath the headline made him stop- …mostly, people write fanfiction to stay in touch with the characters they love," says leading Psychologist Andrea Williams.

Intrigued, he opened the article and started reading. Then he opened another, and another and by the time he was done, he had read 6-7 articles on the concept of fanfiction and what it entailed.

Sighing, he opened a new word document. He was reluctant to type a letter, let alone a whole fictional story. He had tried everything and yet, you chose to occupy a rent-free space in his mind. 

Now all he needed was a reference.

He minimised the document, and opened a new tab on his browser. His hesitant fingers typed the words - Chris Evans Fanfiction - into the search bar, and he instantly winced.

Millions of search results were displayed before him, and as he read the descriptions of each one of them, he realised that 99% of these stories were porn. There was no sugar-coating it. On the 5th page of the search results, he luckily found a story sans the erotica. It was a cute one-shot about him going on a first date with the reader. He read it with squinted eyes, afraid that a sex scene might jump out of the blue, but luckily, nothing of the sort happened. 

Chris liked reading it. It was an innocent story filled with romance. 

But the only problem? It was written from the reader's point of view. He checked a few others, and realised they were all written from the women's perspective, not his.

He sat back in his chair, turning his head such that he was looking at the ceiling, contemplating his options. 

You want her, the voice whispered.

Reluctantly, he typed the first word that came to his mind. Your name. 

Chris rested his chin on his palm, wondering where to start. If this were fiction, would tonight have gone different? Would you have visited his house for karaoke that night? 

Tapping his fingers on the desk, he bit his tongue in thought. Thinking it was better to start at the beginning, he started typing from his POV-

The first time I saw her I thought she was pretty. I saw her during meetings and the shooting. Then one day I saw her giving food to a homeless man-

Deleting his words, Chris shook his head. This was insane! Right? You were a real human being and it was unethical of him to write this! He needed to learn to handle his feelings. 

If you don't have the balls to fight for her, then be with her in the stories you write. Grow a spine Evans, whispered the insulting voice.

Hesitating, he tried to write another paragraph, which ended up getting deleted. 

Try again, the voice coaxed him. Pour your heart into this. Write better. 

Taking a sip of the beer, Chris started typing again-

It was lunchtime when I saw her arranging some equipment on the table. Her back was facing me as I carefully approached her, afraid to startle her. I breathed in her scent, light, floral and fresh, before whispering her name.

She turned around, a bit surprised to see me, but she smiled nevertheless. Oh gosh her smile. I had seen her smile a few times on the set, but in person, it took my breath away. 

"Hi," I managed to greet her shyly. She matched my response.

"I was wondering if you would like to sing karaoke with me? There's a karaoke party tonight at my house if you would like to come," I asked her hopefully.

Her expression turned remorseful as she apologised, "I cannot come Mr Evans. My fiancé won't let me."

Imagine my surprise when I found out about her fiancé. "I didn't know about your fiancé. Why won't he let you come?" I asked her, concerned as she started sniffing a bit.

"He's… he's very strict Mr Evans. He doesn't like it when I go out with my fri-friends or co-workers," she shared between her light sobs.

My heart broke into pieces on hearing her confession. I had often noticed her taciturn behaviour on the set, but I had no idea about the reason behind it.

I raised my hands to cup her face. I was itching to wipe her tears with my lips, but instead, I used my thumbs. 

"I want to help you. Please let me," I requested.

"Nobody can help me Mr Evans. I am stuck with a monster." She pulled a chain from underneath her shirt and I got a glimpse at the marks on her neck. "Aiden gave me this chain and locket instead of an engagement ring. He said it will be better than a ring. And now he-" she started sobbing harder. I pulled her into my chest, running my right hand through her hair as my left hand soothed her back.

"And now he uses it as a leash," my angel whispered, horrified, "he says I do not deserve a ring."

I hugged her tighter and thankfully, she buried her face in my chest, "You are no longer stuck with him. Are you listening to me?" I bent my face to bring my lips near her ears, "I will make sure that you are free of him."

She shook her head, reluctantly pulling away from me, "No Mr Evans. I cannot-"

"Yes you can," I interrupted her. "You are going to come to my house for karaoke tonight. Message Aiden right now, and tell him that I will be dropping you home. Okay?"

After some coaxing, she agreed. I held her close as she typed out the message, her hands shaking around her mobile phone. Finally she clicked on the SEND button.

I brushed a kiss on her forehead, "Wait for me in the back alley after the shoot, okay? I will pick you up from there."

She nodded gratefully in response.

I couldn't wait for the shoot to be over that day. In my eagerness, I even messed up a few takes, mumbling over my lines like an idiot. But eventually, I got through the day. 

I was excited when I picked her up after the shoot. I could see she was nervous and maybe a little bit scared, but she still entered my car anyway. So I made small talk with her and tried to put her mind at ease.

Finally, when we reached my house, she was in awe. 

"This is the most beautiful house I have ever seen Mr Evans," she gasped as I led her inside, "I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before!"

I chuckled, "I am happy you like it. It… it just feels empty sometimes, you know? I find loneliness ubiquitous in this house."

You looked at her puzzled expression and smiled. "Ubi-what was that word Mr Evans?" 

"Ubiquitous," I replied, "it means something that is present and is found everywhere."

"Ahh okay," she nodded, "thank you for teaching me."

"I will accept your gratitude only on one condition."

She tilted her head ever so slightly, "And what would that be Mr Evans?"

I smiled as I slightly bent down and held her hand, "You need to start calling me Christopher."

Visibly flustered, my angel looked down at her feet. "I-I can't Mr Evans," she said in a low voice.

"Why can't you?"

"I respect you too much sir," she confessed.

"Hey," I gently nudged her forehead with mine, "I want you to say my name. Please?" 

I stared into her eyes as she met mine. God.

There was something about her eyes that was absolutely riveting. The depth of her eyes pulled me in towards her as I read the plethora of emotions hidden within them. Her gaze searched my face for malice, deceit, but only found love and trust in return.

I slowly cupped her face as her breath hitched in her chest. I could feel my own heart race. Bringing my face as close as I could to hers, I whispered, the distance between our lips fast closing, "Please."

She parted her lips ever so slightly. I felt her warm breath on mine as she obliged, "Christopher."

I closed my eyes as I heard the most melodious symphony, my name draped in her sweet voice.

I dipped my head to kiss her, feel the shape of her lips, but she stepped back.

"I-I am st-still engaged Chris-Christopher," she stammered.

I straightened myself, my hands no longer cupping her face, "I understand. I am sorry. Would you like-"

Before I could finish, a car honked outside. While I was curious at the intrusion, her eyes widened with fear. 

"That's him," she gasped, "Aiden is here. He found me."

"How is that possible?"

"He has a location app installed on my phone through which he tracks my location," she revealed, visibly shaking at the thought of greeting her fiancé.

"Stay here. You will be safe inside. Let me handle him," I said, squeezing her shoulders.

I walked out of the house and towards the car. The vehicle didn't look in good shape, it's owner even more so.

Aiden manually rolled down his window and spat on the ground. Fumes of cheep alcohol and stale cigarette smoke escaped through the window. "Where is she?" he hollered.

"That's not your concern anymore. She's breaking up with you," I crossed my arms and stood facing him. "If you know what's good for you, you will leave her alone and stay out of her life."

Aiden exited the car at that threat, the door of the vehicle rattled as he opened it. "She said that?" he scoffed, "Color me surprised, I thought the little mouse had no fight left in her. Bring her out here. I want to hear," he wriggled a finger at me, "whatever the fuck you are saying from her own fucking mouth."

"Not going to happen Aiden. You followed her here against her own wishes. Now scoot off before I call the cops," I warned.

"You think I will be scared of some Hollywood prick who shits diamonds?" he sneered. 

"No. But you should be scared of the law. You are currently harassing the owner of this private property, not to mention you have clearly abused your girlfriend mentally, emotionally and physically. So be sensible," I took a step towards him, "and fuck off."

"STOP," she shouted as she trusted towards us. She stood in front of me, as if to guard me from her monster of a fiancé, "Please don't hurt him. I will come with you. Just let him be," she pleaded with him as he smirked. 

Before he could react, I pulled her behind me, making sure my body was shielding her from Aiden.

"She's a gold-digging bitch. You stay away from her," he pointed at me as he tried to reach her. 

I pushed him away once and kept my hand on his weak, thin torso. Turning my head, I asked her for the last time, "Are you sure you want to go with him? I can save you. I will protect you, provide for you and keep you happy!" I urged her.

She looked at me with hope and helplessness. Slowly, she glanced at Aiden who looked like he was ready to commit murder. Sobbing uncontrollably, she removed the chain with the sunflower locket and threw it at his feet. 

"Leave me alone," she managed to mumble at him.

Furious, Aiden growled and tried to pounce at her. Fortunately, I intervened on time and punched his sorry excuse of a face into the ground. 

She gasped as Aiden fell with a thud. Embarrassed, he slowly got up and dusted himself, muttering under his breath as he sat inside his wreck of a car. 

"Don't bother coming back to gather your stuff! I am burning it all tonight you cock-sucking bitch!" and with that outburst, Aiden was finally gone.

She was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably at what had just transpired. I wrapped her in my arms to let her know she was safe. Within moments, I felt her ease into my body. 

I closed my eyes and smiled, my nose buried into her hair. My angel was safe. My angel was mine.

Chris blinked his eyes as he re-read his story. He already felt a whole lot lighter, his anxiety at ease, and mind exhausted. Clicking on SAVE, he finished the last of his beer and went to sleep, hoping that this was the end to his problems. Little did he know about the horrors that awaited him, behind the door he had just opened by writing that fictional story.

__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__

Permanent tag: @donutloverxo

Chris Evans and his characters taglist: @onetwo3000

This story: @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @carpediemm-18

(If you guys don't want to be tagged in this, just let me know. No hard feelings 😊)

Taglists are open! Just comment, send an ask or a message!

[noahtechno]

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Table of Contents

GreenGeeks Prices

GreenGeeks Pros & Cons

What is GreenGeeks used for?

When not to use GreenGeeks hosting?

GreenGeeks Backups

GreenGeeks and WordPress

Final GreenGeeks Review Comments

Frequently Asked Quesitons

GreenGeeks Prices

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GreenGeeks Pros & Cons

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Green-minded: GreenGeeks is attempting to offset their server’s electricity consumption by using as much renewable energy as possible.

Unlimited data bandwidth: you can host one or multiple sites with complete peace of mind when it comes to visitor numbers and bandwidth.

Unlimited data storage: your site can be as large as you like, so good for video, high-res photos and ecommerce with loads of products. Just keep an eye on the number of files. Hosting more than 150,000 could void your plan’s contract.

Server locations: three continents to choose from, the US, Canada and Europe.

Heavily reduced long term plans: it’s not unusual to pay less for 24 or 36 month plans, but GreenGeeks is slashing their monthly prices by up to 70% for long term users.

Cons:

Missing advanced features: serious website owners and developers will need to look elsewhere for staging or premium DNSs.

No team management: it’s not possible to add multiple account users and to give permissions.

Lack of free backups: you get one automatic backup every 24 hours. One free restore per month, but the rest are paid. Not good enough.

Outdated design: Not a deal-breaker, but the whole system could do with a new coat of paint, which could also help with the user experience.

What is GreenGeeks used for?

I’d say GreenGeeks is best for website owners with green goals in mind. You can even show one of their green badges, to highlight on your site.

The generous bandwidth and storage is advantageous for those who own multiple sites. As far as the performance to price ratio goes, it’s good, and becomes more acceptable when you buy a long term contract of 24 or 36 months.

When not to use GreenGeeks hosting?

Anyone managing a team should consider that inviting others to join the account isn’t possible, and the lack of developer-friendly features could be a big no-no for certain businesses.

Developers with complicated workflows that need staging areas probably won’t be big fans of GreenGeeks’s platform either.

GreenGeeks Backups

Backups and restore are one of the areas I start considering a lot more these days when it comes to choosing a web host. A Sod’s law states: if something wrong can happen, it probably will, and at the worst possible times. This happened to us, and please learn from our mistakes when I say you should backup as often as possible.

GreenGeeks cPanel Backup Feature

Anyways, this is how it works with GreenGeeks. Option 1 is to use the cPanel backup tool. I’s a bit clunky and manual but by no means too difficult to do:

Login and click on the appropriate site’s cPanel button

Click Backup in the Files section

Click Home Directory under Download a Home Director

You can also download a database instead, or a full Zipped account backup, which is what you’ll need to keep on your local drives.

A couple of important things to note:

If your account is larger than 10GB in size, the whole cPanel backup option will be disabled. You’ll have to pay $5 per backup.

cPanel backups saved to your home directory will be deleted automatically after 48 hours, so it’s better to download the ZIP file locally.

The first monthly restore is free. After that, each restore costs $25. Note that it’s not unusual to restore at least a couple of times if there’s an issue (e.g. you chose the wrong backup to restore).

Option number two is to download files manually using an FTP program. If you use a CMS like WordPress or Drupal that also means you’ll need to backup databases. I always find that a big pain to do, and also slow. Which is why a better backup tool would have been useful.

GreenGeeks and WordPress

Although GreenGeeks has a special section on their website for WordPress hosting, I couldn’t find a difference between these plans and the share hosting ones.

In any case, here’s what you get for both if you want to install the world’s most popular CMS.

Easy installation: it’s not 1-click, but they use an install app called Softaculous, which simplifies the process for you. Maybe 4 or 5 steps, which you can read about here.

LiteSpeed Cache plugin: it’s a caching plugin that will make WordPress run faster on your site when properly configured. Be aware this is not GreenGeek’s own solution, but just a generic plugin they recommend.

LiteSpeed Cache Settings

To be honest, I feel like all the WordPress-optimized stuff is mostly there for marketing purposes. If you are really serious about WordPress experts (and you have the budget for it), I’d consider other options like Kinsta or WP Engine. SiteGround is also a great option if you need something a bit more affordable.

Final GreenGeeks Review Comments

GreenGeeks is certainly the provider we’ve tested that’s the most committed to protecting the environment. It’s an admirable choice, and businesses with a green goal will certainly be pleased to hear that they can host a website with a reliable performance, price, and low carbon footprint.

But there are nevertheless a few downsides to consider. The lack of advanced options like staging and team management features can be a dealbreaker for professional business owners. The limited backup features may be not enough for most.

And if you need a top-performing host, other (and more expensive) solutions like SiteGround, Kinsta or WP Engine could be considered.

It’s also not the cheapest provider out there. For example, at renewal DreamHost is more affordable and offers similar performance levels.

> Try GreenGeeks risk-free for 30 days

Frequently Asked Quesitons

How Do I Pay for GreenGeeks?

You can pay via all major credit cards and PayPal. No checks, money orders, wire transfers or Western Union payments.

Is Everything Really Unlimited?

Yes. Just keep in mind that there is a limit on the amount of files you can keep on your sites, though. It’s a really high number, so mostly a precaution against file-sharing websites.

Can I Get My Money Back?

There is an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee offer.

Is There an Uptime Service Guarantee?

Yes, if your website hosting drops below a 99.9% rate, GreenGeeks will refund some of your hosting fees.

Is GreenGeeks Really Environmentally-Friendly?

They’re certainly advertising as such. In practice this is how it works: GreenGeeks tells the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) how much electricity they use. The foundation calculates how much green energy they’ll need to use to make up for it. GreenGeeks purchases that amount in renewable energy.

So it’s not like their servers use less energy than standard hosting. However, they are certainly committed to making up for what they consume, and using as much green energy as possible.

Get GreenGeeks Now

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #355

“despite all my rage, i am still just a rat in a cage”

Have you ever shared a shower or bath with someone as an adult? No, only as a kid. What kind of pizza toppings do you like? Meats or jalapenos. When did you first take a shot of alcohol? Never, and I'm not interested. Did you babysit for money when you were in middle school? No. Who is your favorite band? How long have they been? Ozzy Osbourne, since middle school. Has the last person you kissed ever been to your house? My old house, yes. Not the one I currently live in. Have you ever been to a spa? Only because my friend at the time took me. When talking on the phone, do you place it against your left or right ear? My right. What’s your favourite Lunchables meal? The nachos one. Do you like Bob Marley? NO. Omg his voice is awful. Have you ever eaten at Golden Corral? Yeah. I'm not a big fan. Do you sit and eat dinner at the same table with your family? We only ever do that if my sister is over (she comes for dinner once a week). Are you listening to any music right now? If so, what are you listening to? Yeah, Violet Orlandi's cover of "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" by The Smashing Pumpkins. God she's so beautiful and talented and asdfjkaljddkfjlwkee FUCK I'm gay for her. Who was the last person to make you genuinely smile? Watching Mark. :') Is there something you want to say to someone but can’t/won’t? Yeah. Do you like men who have a sensitive side? Yes. Please be in touch with your emotions, for the love of God. Have you ever tried to get someone into a certain band/artist? Not persistently, no, but Mini is a case where me mentioning them enough got her to listen to them. Metallica, by the way. They're her favorite band because of mwah, haha. Have you ever carved you and someone else’s initials into a tree? It's possible, but I don't believe so. Do you like Dairy Queen? Love it. They're Oreo Cupfection thing is BOMB. Is there anyone you know with an amazing personal success story? Yes. I have a friend Shannen who first was a widely-recognized photographer in the state, and now she's a fashion designer (or something like that) up in New York. Is there a song in a different language that you can sing? A number of Rammstein songs. How do you feel about bands that use pyrotechnics in live concerts? So long they're well-made for safety reasons, I don't care much. They do seem a bit unnecessary, though; like just look at James Hetfield's accident that burned half his body because of standing in the wrong place. It seems easy to fuck up and get in a dangerous range. Ever fallen down a hole? No. Do you like bananas? Yeah. How long do you normally spend in the shower? Not even 10 minutes, usually. I've never understood how people can take such long showers. Have you ever been a featured member on any website? Yeah, on a Silent Hill fansite. Have you ever had any weird pets? Not by my standards. A ball python morph is as "weird" as it gets. Are you currently talking to/texting/instant messaging anyone? Nope. Have you ever experienced insomnia? Ugh, yes. I went through a horrible insomnia spell, and I still have an awful time trying to fall asleep. Do you like egg nog? Nooo. Would you ever wear Converse with a prom/formal dress? I'm not opposed to it, but realistically I'd probably wear something more traditionally suiting just because. Do you prefer hot chocolate with or without marshmallows? Without. How many different people of the opposite sex have you cried over? I've cried all the oceans over just one lol. Would you rather be a surgeon or mortician? Being a mortician actually doesn't sound awful, weird as it sounds. It sounds almost relaxing if I could just be alone with some music doing my job. Would rather be a musician or a painter? A painter. Would you rather write your own book or make your own movie? I'd love to write a book. At home, do you have a trampoline? No. When you are about to go to bed, do you put on some sort of noise? No. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Jim Carrey's How The Grinch Stole Christmas. And what about your favorite Christmas song? Probably "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" or whatever it's called. "Carol of the Bells" too, of course. What is your ultimate favorite stocking stuffer? Haha, okay so it seems to be an unspoken rule that Mom always gets us Slim Jims for our stockings, and that's obviously the best considering my sisters and I loooove them yet still don't buy them much. You're making me ready for Christmas, lol. After Halloween, do you sort out all of your candy into little piles? I did as a kid, and then my sisters and I would trade what we preferred. When you listen to music with headphones, do you keep the volume low enough to hear surrounding noise faintly, or do you blast it? It's honestly pretty loud. What did you have for breakfast this morning? Cold pizza from dinner leftovers last night. What’s the largest animal you’ve ever had as a pet? Our late boxer mix, Cali. She was a big 'ole pup. Do you own any kind of helmet? No. Out of everything currently in your refrigerator, what food or drink is your favorite? Food: strawberries. Drink: Mountain Lightning. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? Either when I skinned my knees so deep that pus was visible, or when I fainted onto my chin and got a short, but very deep cut. Do you like the taste of cough syrup? No. What is something you like to have conversations about? I like talking about deep stuff, like where we came from, our unique feelings and beliefs, conspiracy theories and cryptids, mysterious stuff like that, too. And don't forget animals. And Mark, haha. What all is in the trunk of your car? I don't have a car, and I don't remember what's in Mom's trunk, even though I helped bring in groceries just the other day. Do you ever put fruit on your cereal? Ew, no. Is your heat or air conditioning currently on? Our AC is currently on because it's too damn hot. The weather here has been so up and down, it's wild. Have you ever fallen off of a horse? No. Which do you value more, your appearance or your intelligence? Honestly? I'd be dumber than I already am if it meant being happy with how I look, because my appearance now is a key factor to my depression. When was the last time you drove something other than a car or truck? Oh jeez... I have no idea. I don't think since I've driven a golf cart at someone's b-day party as a kid. Were your grandparents present when you were born? No. If you drink/smoke, how often do you do these things? I don't smoke, and I only have a drink or two very rarely, usually just on special occasions. What do you think of fast food? I like it way more than I wish I did. What website do you spend the most time on and why? YouTube, because I'm always listening to and/or watching something. What’s the most amount of time you’ve spent online? Is this usual for you? In one non-stop setting, I don't want to know. I pretty much only exist on the computer. When it comes to travel, what kinds of places intrigue you most? Mountainous, loads of nature, cooler/cold, mysterious locations... stuff like that. Do you think humans colonizing Mars is a good idea? Would you go, if you could? If we learn from our goddamn mistakes and not fuck up its environment, it could be healthy or even life-saving for humanity, but I'd prefer to stay on Earth as long as possible. What is the farthest you’ve walked in one day and what made you do it? I dunno, maybe at Disney World or something like that as a kid. What is something important that’s often on your mind lately? Physical health stuff. I'm worried about a lot of things relating to that. What about something unimportant, but you can’t stop thinking about it? I don't know about "unimportant," at least to me. Do you like oatmeal? If so, what kinds of things do you like in it? Yeah. I only really eat the cinnamon apple ones; I always use milk and sprinkle some sugar in there, and it's delicious. What was going on the last time you felt nostalgic? When Mom and I stopped at Jason's house to bring the family some treats following his mother's death. I stayed in the car and couldn't even look towards the house, but yeah. So many memories just stampeded me. How much attention do you pay to the movements of the stars and planets, and do you believe they influence anything? I pay zero attention to it; I don't believe they have influence over people in any way. What is the most difficult or involved video game you’ve ever played? I guess you could say World of Warcraft. It's definitely the most involved, like I've been playing it almost consistently since 2014, and I used to be in a Heroic raid team, which certainly wasn't easy. Then there's some achievements I busted my ass to get. Which accent do you find most sexy, alluring or appealing? British is where it's at. Which accent do you find most annoying, disturbing, or bothersome? Extremely Southern ones. Can you cry on cue? Is it any kind of useful? No. Does it take you a while to actually get jokes? Embarrassingly, it frequently does. Can you wear socks to bed or does it annoy you? Ugh, I could never. I hate the feeling of socks. Have you ever bleached your hair? By myself, no, but a professional has to dye it. Do you like jelly beans? They're okay. It really depends on the flavor, and even then I can't eat a lot of them. Do you have trouble sleeping when it’s storming? Yes, but not because it scares me, but rather that I'm just jumpy. Subtle thunder isn't so bad, and I LOVE the drone of heavy rain, but once you add booming thunder and strong flashes of lightning, it's too disruptive for me to fall asleep easily. Who was the last person you know that graduated? (high school or college) My not-so-little sister is just about to finish her Master's lakdsjfakwe I'm so proud of her. Were you happy or sad when you found out your babysitter was coming? I think I was always kinda bummed out, even though I liked my babysitters. I had horrible separation anxiety from my mom. Did you have a boyfriend in kindergarten? No, but I did have this one guy who'd been like obsessed with me since pre-k and would always chase me to hug and kiss me. In pre-k it was awful, but he still did it sometimes in kindergarten, despite the teachers getting on him about it. It's actually a memory I forgot for a very long time, like I think my brain tried to oppress it, and I wonder if it has anything to do with my fear of people standing behind me, men specifically, and being raped. Did you ever read the Magic Treehouse series? Oh yes, I was obsessed! Who was your best friend in elementary school? It jumped between Brianna, Kim, and Quiata. Did you ever watch The Land Before Time movies? YESSSSS. I even had the computer game. Did you collect anything when you were a kid? Stickers. I'd put them on my dresser everywhere to the point it was absolutely covered. Did you get an allowance? No. Not because my parents didn't want to or anything, but rather they couldn't afford allowances to three kids. Were you into American Girl dolls? Nah. I got one, but I think it was mostly so my sisters and I each had our own. Nicole, however, was sooooo into them. Were you friends with your childhood neighbors? Some, yeah, especially the boy down my street named D'Andre. We would hang out ALL the time, be it at each other's houses or just riding our bikes. He actually got married very recently and I'm so happy for him, ahhhhh!! What was your biggest fear when you were a kid? Thunderstorms. Did you ever play the "Reader Rabbit" computer games? Oh my god, YES. The one where you were hosting a surprise birthday party was my absolute favorite. Did your parents let you drink soda growing up? Yes. .-. What was your favorite kind of cake as a kid? Chocolate, of course.

[binsofchaos]

99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice

• That thing that made you weird as a kid could you make great as an adult — if you don’t lose it.

• If you have any doubt at all about being able to carry a load in one trip, do yourself a huge favor and make two trips.

• What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. At your funeral people will not recall what you did; they will only remember how you made them feel.

• Recipe for success: under-promise and over-deliver.

• It’s not an apology if it comes with an excuse. It is not a compliment if it comes with a request.

• Jesus, Superman, and Mother Teresa never made art. Only imperfect beings can make art because art begins in what is broken.

• If someone is trying to convince you it’s not a pyramid scheme, it’s a pyramid scheme.

• Learn how to tie a bowline knot. Practice in the dark. With one hand. For the rest of your life you’ll use this knot more times than you would ever believe.

• If something fails where you thought it would fail, that is not a failure.

• Be governed not by the tyranny of the urgent but by the elevation of the important.• Leave a gate behind you the way you first found it.

• The greatest rewards come from working on something that nobody has a name for. If you possibly can, work where there are no words for what you do.

• A balcony or porch needs to be at least 6 feet (2m) deep or it won’t be used.

• Don’t create things to make ; make money so you can create things. The reward for good work is more work.

• In all things — except love — start with the exit strategy. Prepare for the ending. Almost anything is easier to get into than out of.

• Train employees well enough they could get another job, but treat them well enough so they never want to.

• Don’t aim to have others like you; aim to have them respect you.

• The foundation of maturity: Just because it’s not your fault doesn’t mean it’s not your responsibility.

• A multitude of bad ideas is necessary for one good idea.

• Being wise means having more questions than answers.

• Compliment people behind their back. It’ll come back to you.

• Most overnight successes — in fact any significant successes — take at least 5 years. Budget your life accordingly.

• You are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

• Assume anyone asking for your account information for any reason is guilty of scamming you, unless proven innocent. The way to prove innocence is to call them back, or login to your account using numbers or a website that you provide, not them. Don’t release any identifying information while they are contacting you via phone, message or email. You must control the channel.

• Sustained outrage makes you stupid.

• Be strict with yourself and forgiving of others. The reverse is hell for everyone.• Your best response to an insult is “You’re probably right.” Often they are.

• The worst evils in history have always been committed by those who truly believed they were combating evil. Beware of combating evil.

• If you can avoid seeking approval of others, your power is limitless.

• When a child asks an endless string of “why?” questions, the smartest reply is, “I don’t know, what do you think?”

• To be wealthy, accumulate all those things that money can’t buy.

• Be the change you wish to see.

• When brainstorming, improvising, jamming with others, you’ll go much further and deeper if you build upon each contribution with a playful “yes — and” example instead of a deflating “no — but” reply.

• Work to become, not to acquire.

• Don’t loan money to a friend unless you are ready to make it a gift.

• On the way to a grand goal, celebrate the smallest victories as if each one were the final goal. No matter where it ends you are victorious.

• Calm is contagious.

• Even a foolish person can still be right about most things. Most conventional wisdom is true.

• Always cut away from yourself.

• Show me your calendar and I will tell you your priorities. Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you where you’re going.

• When hitchhiking, look like the person you want to pick you up.

• Contemplating the weaknesses of others is easy; contemplating the weaknesses in yourself is hard, but it pays a much higher reward.

• Worth repeating: measure twice, cut once.

• Your passion in life should fit you exactly; but your purpose in life should exceed you. Work for something much larger than yourself.

• If you can’t tell what you desperately need, it’s probably sleep.• When playing Monopoly, spend all you have to buy, barter, or trade for the Orange properties. Don’t bother with Utilities.

• If you borrow something, try to return it in better shape than you received it. Clean it, sharpen it, fill it up.

• Even in the tropics it gets colder at night than you think. Pack warmly.

• To quiet a crowd or a drunk, just whisper.

• Writing down one thing you are grateful for each day is the cheapest possible therapy ever.

• When someone tells you something is wrong, they’re usually right. When someone tells you how to fix it, they’re usually wrong.

• If you think you saw a mouse, you did. And, if there is one, there are more.

• Money is overrated. Truly new things rarely need an abundance of money. If that was so, billionaires would have a monopoly on inventing new things, and they don’t. Instead almost all breakthroughs are made by those who lack money, because they are forced to rely on their passion, persistence and ingenuity to figure out new ways. Being poor is an advantage in innovation.

• Ignore what others may be thinking of you, because they aren’t.

• Avoid hitting the snooze button. That’s just training you to oversleep.• Always say less than necessary.

• You are given the gift of life in order to discover what your gift *in* life is. You will complete your mission when you figure out what your mission is. This is not a paradox. This is the way.

• Don’t treat people as bad as they are. Treat them as good as you are.

• It is much easier to change how you think by changing your behavior, than it is to change your behavior by changing how you think. Act out the change you  seek.

• You can eat any dessert you want if you take only 3 bites.

• Each time you reach out to people, bring them a blessing; then they’ll be happy to see you when you bring them a problem.

• Bad things can happen fast, but almost all good things happen slowly.

• Don’t worry how or where you begin. As long as you keep moving, your success will be far from where you start.

• When you confront a stuck bolt or screw: righty tighty, lefty loosey.

• If you meet a jerk, overlook them. If you meet jerks everywhere everyday, look deeper into yourself.

• Dance with your hips.

• We are not bodies that temporarily have souls. We are souls that temporarily have bodies.

• You can reduce the annoyance of someone’s stupid belief by increasing your understanding of why they believe it.

• If your goal does not have a schedule, it is a dream.

• All the greatest gains in life — in wealth, relationships, or knowledge —come from the magic of compounding interest — amplifying small steady gains. All you need for abundance is to keep adding 1% more than you subtract on a regular basis.

• The greatest breakthroughs are missed because they look like hard work.

• People can’t remember more than 3 points from a speech.

• I have never met a person I admired who did not read more books than I did.

• The greatest teacher is called “doing”.

• Finite games are played to win or lose. Infinite games are played to keep the game going. Seek out infinite games because they yield infinite rewards.

• Everything is hard before it is easy. The day before something is a breakthrough, it’s a stupid idea.

• A problem that can be solved with money is not really a problem.

• When you are stuck, sleep on it. Let your subconscious work for you.

• Your work will be endless, but your time is finite. You cannot limit the work so you must limit your time. Hours are the only thing you can manage.

• To succeed, get other people to pay you; to become wealthy, help other people to succeed.

• Children totally accept — and crave — family rules. “In our family we have a rule for X” is the only excuse a parent needs for setting a family policy. In fact, “I have a rule for X” is the only excuse you need for your own personal policies.

• All guns are loaded.

• Many backward steps are made by standing still.

• This is the best time ever to make something. None of the greatest, coolest creations 20 years from now have been invented yet. You are not late.

• No rain, no rainbow.

• Every person you meet knows an amazing lot about something you know virtually nothing about. Your job is to discover what it is, and it won’t be obvious.

• You don’t marry a person, you marry a family.

• Always give credit, take blame.

• Be frugal in all things, except in your passions splurge.

• When making something, always get a few extras — extra material, extra parts, extra space, extra finishes. The extras serve as backups for mistakes, reduce stress, and fill your inventory for the future. They are the cheapest insurance.

• Something does not need to be perfect to be wonderful. Especially weddings.

• Don’t let your email inbox become your to-do list.

• The best way to untangle a knotty tangle is not to “untie” the knots, but to keep pulling the loops apart wider and wider. Just make the mess as big, loose and open as possible. As you open up the knots they will unravel themselves. Works on cords, strings, hoses, yarns, or electronic cables.

• Be a good ancestor. Do something a future generation will thank you for. A simple thing is to plant a tree.

• To combat an adversary, become their friend.

• Take one simple thing — almost anything — but take it extremely seriously, as if it was the only thing in the world, or maybe the entire world is in it — and by taking it seriously you’ll light up the sky.

• History teaches us that in 100 years from now some of the assumptions you believed will turn out to be wrong. A good question to ask yourself today is “What might I be wrong about?”

• Be nice to your children because they are going to choose your nursing home.

[aforgetfulreminder-blog]

Tips To Help New Bloggers Succeed

It seems that just everyone has a blog. Use the advice provided below to create a blog that will attract readers.

Be present to your readers at all times. Make a habit or routine for your readers. When you start feeling like you want to give up, remember that others besides yourself could be disappointed.

Don't ever copy something else. You don't need to be professional, but you do need to be knowledgeable and passionate about your subject.

Blog about topics that people want to know. Everyone does daily chores like vacuuming or washing dishes and vacuuming. Choose an interesting topic that you know people care about. The main goal in blogging is to make people want to read what you write.

Make your blog unique. Unique and interesting content is key to attracting return readers. You should also include information they can't find elsewhere. Try to post about unusual pastimes or hobbies. Explain exactly how widgets are made in a way that will really wow your readers. Give the readers a reason to come to your site when they need information.

Keep your posts short and to the point. While depth and details are important qualities to keep in mind, posts that are too lengthy or wordy may turn off your readers. Blog readers are less concerned about mundane details and flowery prose. They want to get to the main point of the matter!

Let your readers post comments and then respond to these comments. This is an active part of your site and provides you the opportunity to develop a relationship with your blog. If people see you are responding to their comments, they will return after making a comment to read your response.

When you are blogging, you should write in an informal manner. A blog should be social and social. You need to tailor your blog accordingly.

Choose keywords to put in your blog that is unique and less-competitive keywords.

Post your articles everywhere online. This will help get you to have many different people reading your content. Don't ever limit the mediums of outlet for your blog. You want to make sure you have access to as many viewers as possible with the best techniques. Use every outlet available on the attention that you need.

Social networking sites offer wonderful opportunities to increase traffic to your site to attract more visitors. Social media is the newest technology on the internet, but if you do not use it, you are missing out on a big chunk of potential traffic to your blog.

Research every topic thoroughly before making a post about it. You also need to have plenty of the topic in order to respond intelligently to comments.

Your blog should always include a contact page that is easy to find. This lets visitors be able to contact you with questions or comments. You may hear from someone who has a blog you would be interested in, and you might get some valuable feedback when you allow them to contact you.

Blogging conferences are a worthwhile investment. You can pick up a lot of great insights and new information to enhance your blogging at these conferences. As well, these conferences enable you to network with successful people, and that can rub off on you.

Make sure you choose a blog theme that's SEO ranking. In this day and age, your readers will not want to wait around while your graphics and plug-in laden blog loads. They will quickly resume their search for another blog without ever see what your content has to offer.

Don't bog down your blog with too many keywords. Selecting effective keywords is a vital part of blogging, but a few good keywords far outweigh tons of less-targeted ones. Search engines are much better at analyzing websites. When you have lots of keywords on your site, it flags the search engines and tells them that quality content is not your first priority, and your blog's ranking will probably suffer. Choose keywords that have been proven to attract traffic instead.

 If you turn out a blog that is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, you'll look foolish. While this is the worst that can happen, you have to be vigilant about incorrect word usage and other mistakes that spell check will miss.

 This helps make your posts interesting and increases the quality of your posts. This is an easy way to improve the individuality of your blog.

This will make it easy for readers to know what your blog is all about, and will enable people to know if your blog is what they were looking for.

Blogging is nothing short of an online phenomenon. Bloggers have many reasons for creating their blogs, but they all have a common purpose in that they want to promote a certain point of view. Use the many tips and bits of advice you have learned here to design a blog that will be noticed by all the right people.

[its-the-love-shot-exo-writer]

Kim Kai Fluff

@theloveinkimkai 😏😳😈😎 enjoy ❤❤❤

There was something wrong with your eyesight that was your first thought when you saw the blurry blown up stalker pic of the man you were currently dating.

It was so absurd at first you didn't even recognize the place or the person in the picture. We never really get a far away look at our life unless someone deliberately tries to encapsulate moments in the form of photographs and those are taken consensually.

This was not consensual. This was a rude, crude, and an undoubtedly cruel breach of someone's privacy and you couldn't believe people could be capable of such injustice and harm living in what we call civilized society.

The worst part was that you started to think about the girl in the picture next to her celebrity date and after a while it dawned on you who it was and why she looked so damn familiar.

And no matter how hard you tried for the next fifteen minutes to try and erase that information from your brain, you couldn't do it because holy gods in heaven that was you. In the picture. In the midst of a secluded street you were absent mindedly sharing an ice cream with… none other than Kim Kai, the person you were on a date with the previous night.

How could they have gotten these pictures up on that stupid website so fast? When you still have a hangover from all the wine you drank the previous night?

Let's face it, this wasn't your first time on the site. You went there occasionally to keep up with the life of your favorite people and though it frequently bothered you to see these stalker pics, you had to admit that you were guilty of seeing them too quite a few times. Something that you were about to swear off of now because before today it had never quite hit you how terrible it was to distribute those pictures and the accompanying vicious articles. Karma was a rotten bitch.

It was the first time that happened to you and it dawned on you just how inappropriate and screwed up it was to invade people's private lives for a few hits to your site. The people who did it didn't think twice clearly but you were miserable.

You don't even know why you continue to read the post below those pics.

And maybe you're a glutton for punishment because why else would you do that to yourself? Reading the contents of the ridiculous, inciting viewpoint of the author that basically makes you sound like another one of Kai's conquests.

Kai isn't exactly a virgin and that's why you like him. He doesn't have all these pretenses. With Jongin you get what you see and even though last night you were certain you meant something to him now you weren't so sure.

Because suddenly you were being called words that weren't suited for an intelligent conversation. They were calling you a whore and you didn't know what to do. Should you just ignore and pretend nothing was wrong?

Just then you get a phone call from a number you don't recognize. Thinking it might be Kai, he checks in with you frequently even when he's in locations where there's no reception on his phone so naturally you pick it up. “I know you're his current slut,” a woman's voice said. “But he's had way better. What was Kai doing going out with someone like you?”

Before you can even get a word in, the woman speaks again. “My friend used to go out with him you know,” she began. “And she's a popular idol, beyond beautiful, and still got dumped when he was done with her. That's what he does. He doesn't care about you. That innocent idol appearance is all an act. You're not seriously buying it you're not that naive are you?”

The woman continued to speak and say vile things and you don't know why you couldn't just hang up. Because there's a part of you, that insecure, negativity ridden part that says she might be right. “He could go out with anyone in the world and he chooses you? Stop kidding yourself, Y/N.”

Saying your name out loud was the last thing you expected from her but there she was doing exactly that.

“You must be wondering how I know your name,” she said. “I have contacts in the industry. If you go out with someone like Kai expect your personal details to be outed. For your worst mistakes, the ones you've forgotten about, will come out as well. I suggest you take some time to think and then make a decision. There are going to be endless sacrifices for an outsider like you. This community has never been patient.” Saying that she hangs up.

You're left standing in the middle of your living room with no idea what your next move should be. All you want is to talk it out with Jongin but he's in rehearsal and you don't want to disturb him. That's not the kind of person you are. So you decide to spend the rest of your day organizing your kitchen.

But soon you start getting attacked by more phone calls and this time some of them leave you mean texts. And the subject of every single comment is the same: leave our oppa alone. Leave our idol alone. You even get one from a reporter asking you to give a statement and offering you a load of money in exchange for a juicy story.

All this keeps piling up until you feel like there's no more space in your head for any more and you feel a little heavy in your chest and on the verge of throwing your phone out the window. You have somehow managed to stay away from the stalker pic site and at least that's something you tell yourself. You can do this. It won't last forever. But no matter how much you tell yourself you can live through this those texts keep coming and they keep getting angier.

When the doorbell suddenly rings you almost jump. And when you've settled down a bit you answer the door and the sight of the man standing in front of you makes all those emotions you were holding in, burst.

And you're suddenly a crying mess like you've never been before and you feel Jongin’s arms around you tighten and his worried voice is the same soothing and kind as always. “Are you OK, babe?”

And suddenly it dawned on you that you are standing in the foyer.

At least you can finally stop crying now.

Kai closes the door and locks it and you notice the shopping bag in his hand that he places on the breakfast bar. The second his hand is free he comes back to you and hugs you again even harder this time.

In all your confusion and anger his arms give you the strength you need to finally broach the subject with him. But before you can speak he pulls you away gently so he can look at you and gaze right into your eyes. “They said terrible things about you, didn't they?” Jongin says.

You don't want to cry again so instead you try to say something positive. “It's not that bad” why would you even say something like that? When you feel like a mess inside?

Kai looks at you and knows you're lying. “Do you know how many times I've been called ugly on some post or comment? I've been called everything from stupid to untalented. For one art is subjective. Even the art god made in the form of us. You know how they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder? It's a fact. Ugly people see ugly things because it's nothing but their own repulsiveness being reflected. That's why you can't take a person's views about any of these things seriously.”

You try to smile but it's not easy.

“OK, tell me precisely what it is that's bothering you?” Jongin wants to know.

You hate it but you also know that you have to get this off your chest or it will bug you forever. “I'm not the only girl you've dated,” you finally let it out. “It doesn't bother me but I can't help but think maybe what I feel for you is way more than what you feel for me.”

“That's not true, Y/N. Yes, I've had plenty of experiences and that's why I'm able to know the difference between real and temporary. Between lust and love. And what I feel for you isn't just lust. I've known you for months now and every day I feel like I want you even more,” Jongin pauses and kisses you gently. “I love you, Y/N.”

Suddenly you feel flustered. “Why are you saying that? If it's because I'm upset--”

“Do I sound like the kind of person who has to resort to saying that to get what I want?”

Of course not.

You don't know why you even said such a thing. But then you realize just what he's done. Kim Jongin just confessed to you that he loves you. And he's not done, because out of nowhere Jongin’s lips press against yours, gently, and you feel that rush you always feel when he gets that way.

There's no one else in the world who can make you feel that way.

When he finally breaks off he stares at you. “Isn't there something that you'd like to confess?”

You bite your lip.

There's only so many seconds a man like Kim Kai can wait patiently for your response. So his impatience makes you forget about everything that was bothering you and all you can do is grin. “I don't think so,” you say playfully knowing full well it's going to bug him.

“You know what,” Jongin says. “I wasn't going to play the Baskin Robbins card but you're forcing my hand. If I don't get a reply to my artistic confession then I will have all the ice cream and eat all the take-out.”

So that's what the fragrance was. Delicious, delicious, food.

“You can't possibly finish all of that before I steal your dumplings,” you retort.

Suddenly Jongin can't stop laughing.

If he was gorgeous before his laughter basically devastates you in every way. Whatever seriousness you were currently holding on to is gone the second you see him laughing like that. Innocent. Beautiful. All heart. Mine.

“You can steal all the dumplings you want after I get my confession!” Kai groans.

This time it's you who's laughing.

You're still smirking when Jongin grabs you by the shoulders and jokingly pushes you on the bed. When he's on top of you he kisses you again.

“Not fair,” you say without much conviction and he knows he's won.

“Say it,” Jongin says. “Or you'll get to spend the rest of the night right under me and I can't promise what might happen.”

You realize that for once in your life you feel happy. This man makes you feel like you are wanted. He makes you feel everything you craved to feel. Desire. Warmth. Comfort. Loyalty. And now…love.

Which is why what you say next comes so naturally you don't even know how it happened.

“I love you, Kai.”

Why do you feel so emotional right now? You don't want to cry so you try to smile.

Before you know it, Kai kisses you again. “You can have the dumplings but I need the sugar.”

You jokingly try to push him away but you can't stop laughing. “Could you be more corny, Kai?”

“I could be if I tried,” Jongin says. “But I have to warn you. My superior corny might not be something you can handle.”

“Two can play that game,” you say responding to yet another kiss.

Kai goes silent and looks at you. “I meant what I said before. I love you, Y/N. I really really love you.”

You bring him closer. “I love you too, Kai.”

[miraculousstorytelling]

Ladybug’s Kitchen

Happy belated holidays, @noblechaton​! I hope you had a wonderful start to your new year, and I hope you enjoy this gift for the @mlsecretsanta​ exchange!

This assignment was a joke. Alya knew it, and the utterly ridiculous editor who assigned it to her knew it, too. She grumbled the entire walk to her desk and half-slammed a notebook onto her desk for good measure.

"Whoa. Is everything okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Chloe just told me my next assignment is finding out who this stupid food blogger is. Just because her dad practically owns the school, doesn't mean-"

"Doesn't mean she should be able to run the paper like some kind of dictator," Nino finished for her. "I know."

"It's a fluff piece!" Alya hissed, glaring in the direction of Chloe's small office, built just for her when she decided to take over the school newspaper. "She doesn't even care about this. She just wants to be in charge something!"

"Then, let her." He shrugged. "Do your own stuff on the side if you want. She won't care."

"I care! And so should you! This is why journalism is dying!"

"Really?" he didn't need to give her more than a look to point out just how ridiculous she sounded.

"Okay, so it's not the only reason," she said, still annoyed but at least now she'd let out some of her frustration. Finally, she slumped back into her chair and pulled out her phone. "Have you ever even heard of Ladybug's Kitchen?"

"Now, you have to be careful when you pipe in the filling. If you overfill it, you're going to have some messy macarons. And it's harder than you think to clean chocolate filling out of the carpet. Not that I've done that..." She laughed a bit at her own joke, which was oddly endearing in Alya's opinion. "Just a little swirl like this, and you'll have the perfect treat for your family or your friends or even just yourself if you've had a long week."

"Are you still watching that?" Nino peeked over Alya's shoulder. "It's been hours."

"I'm doing research," she answered, despite the blank notebook beside her. "She doesn't ever show her face."

"Yeah, that's kind of her thing."

"I noticed." She paused the video. "You can see her apron, and sometimes, you can see her hair, but that's as close as I can get. I'm just looking for clues."

Nino reached over to scroll down the page. "How many videos does she have anyway?"

She swatted his hand away. "Hey, don't make me lose my place. She's been doing this for years, and I'm watching all of them. She had to leave a clue somewhere."

"Seriously?" he chuckled. "What happened to this just being a fluff piece?"

She blushed. "I'm a serious journalist, okay? I take every assignment seriously."

"Half of your last fluff piece was filler text. You just put your questions in and all of the mayor's answers were just lorem ipsum whatever."

"What, you don't think our mayor speaks Latin?" she smirked.

"Okay, Mademoiselle Serious Journalist. Have fun with your crepes." He stuffed his laptop into his bag and waved. "I'm off to fail a chemistry test."

"Good luck!" she called after him. "And they're macarons, not crepes! Maybe if you don't fail, I'll buy you some so you can learn the difference."

"Seriously, one point away from failing really shouldn't earn you anything, especially not the best macarons in Paris," Alya grumbled as they waited in line.

"Hey, you said if I didn't fail, you'd buy me some."

"I also said maybe."

"Next!" the woman behind the counter called with a smile brighter than sunshine.

Alya paused for a moment, just staring at her until Nino pushed her forward, and she nearly stumbled into the counter. "Uh, hey!" Alya straightened and smiled back. "A dozen macarons and um..." she scanned over the available pastries. "Do you have any crepes?"

She smiled. "Sure! What flavor did you want for the macarons?"

"What flavors do you have? Like vanilla or chocolate...?"

She produced a list from behind the counter and handed it to Alya. "We definitely have a lot more than those. You can pick up to six different flavors when you buy a dozen. Why don't you take a minute to decide, and I'll get your crepes started, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Dude, you're blushing," Nino murmured once she'd stepped out of earshot. "And you're staring."

"Shut up!" Alya glared at him and shoved the list into his chest. "One more word, and I'm getting nothing but apricot."

"Rude, using a man's allergies against him," Nino said under his breath as he scanned the list that spanned both the front and back of the page. "She wasn't kidding. There's tons of flavors here. I didn't even know some of these existed."

"Let me see." Alya held up the list so she could read the back. "Wow, I've never even heard of pomegranate macarons."

"Do you still need a minute?" Alya hadn't even noticed the woman had returned from the back. "I know there's a lot to choose from."

"Uh, maybe," Alya said, glancing over and trying not to stare this time.

"I can recommend a few." She stepped out from behind the counter to stand beside them, and Alya could feel soft heat spreading over her cheeks. "The cheesecake and the strawberry are really popular, but my favorites are the green tea and the honey and lavender."

"Those sound great," Alya answered quickly, releasing the list so Nino could look it over some more and Alya could look anywhere else. "I'll get those two, and he can decide the rest." How was it possible for someone to actually smell this good? Was it just because she worked in a bakery? Maybe it was just the bakery.

"Perfect! And what about the crepes?"

Alya wasn't exactly new to the idea of flirting with women she found attractive. Some would even say she was good at it, but right now, she couldn't even speak. This wasn't like her. Sure, she'd felt flustered and tongue-tied before, but that was back when she was a teenager and still new at all of this. She shouldn't have trouble answering a simple question just because this woman was exceptionally pretty.

"Chocolate sounds good," Nino said from behind Alya, handing over the list as he did, "And we'll get cheesecake, strawberry, cappuccino, and orange."

"Coming right up." She looked back at Alya. "And could I get your name? For, um, for the order?"

And maybe it was Alya's imagination, but did she just trip over her words? "Alya. And you?"

"Marinette," she darted back behind the counter. "It'll be ready in just a minute."

"Huh," Nino said, watching her leave. "Was she blushing?"

"God, I hope so," Alya murmured.

"You know..." Nino spoke between bites. "If you buy these every time I don't fail a test, I might pass chemistry."

"Yeah, I so didn't sign up for that." Alya reached for another one while the latest video from Ladybug's Kitchen loaded. "If you want to pass, buy them yourself."

"But, if you do, you get to see Marinette again."

Alya hated how quickly her cheeks reddened at just the mention of her name. She'd nearly dropped the bag twice when their order had come out, and Marinette had been painfully sweet about it. "Who says I need to buy anything for you to see her again? My mom's been asking me to pick up some better bread. Apparently, she works at the best place in Paris."

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know she existed." He snatched one of the macarons from her pile. "You owe me."

She slapped his hand away. "Nice try. If we get married, maybe I'll send you a box from our honeymoon."

He shrugged. "I'll take what I can get." He looked over at her screen. "Any clues yet?"

"Nope." She sighed and clicked play. "And I've gone through all of them twice."

"Twice?" His brows raised. "But, you said she has tons of videos."

"I take my job seriously, okay?"

"Maybe you just have a thing for bakers," he teased.

"Yeah, like you've got a thing for models?" she smirked. "Or did you think I missed that perfume ad you've been staring at?"

It was nice to see Nino blush for a change. "That's research. Chloe needs a model for the front page."

"Sure..." she chuckled, grabbing one of his cheesecake macarons. "You keep telling yourself that."

As annoying as it was to admit Nino was right, maybe she really did have a thing for bakers. She'd been watching for hours now, and Alya was beginning to suspect she had a crush on a voice that she couldn't identify. Ladybug was cheerful and encouraging, and she had the worst sense of humor, but Alya chuckled at it anyway. She was humble, too, showing her failures right along with her successes.

"Everyone burns cookies every once in a while. And that's okay. It's not a great feeling, I know. The first time I burnt my cookies, I cried. I mean, I was seven, so of course I cried," Ladybug chuckled at the memory, holding up a blackened cookie. "My dad found me, and he told me that mistakes just means you're trying something new. Or, in my case, it means I got too invested in a tea party with my stuffed animals.

"So, just keep trying. And make sure you set a timer!" Ladybug waved at the camera. "Hopefully, I'll have something a bit more appetizing for you tomorrow! Thanks for watching, and I hope you all had better luck than I did making this!"

"Are you still going through her videos?" Nino dropped down beside her. "I thought you saw all of them like a million times."

"Yeah, I did." Alya took the coffee from his hand and drained it. "I'm not getting anything. And everyone says the same thing. They know she's in Paris, but that's about as close as they can get."

"They?" Nino took the cup back and frowned down at it once he realized it was empty. "Now you owe me coffee and macarons."

"In your dreams. And, yes, they. I'm not the only one looking for her." She smirked. "There's boards and websites trying to figure it out, and she visits sometimes to say hello."

"Nice." He nudged her side. "So, if everyone's trying to figure this out, maybe it's more than just a fluff piece, huh?"

He actually flinched at the look she sent his way. "Just because Chloe got lucky, and this is actually interesting doesn't mean she gave me a good assignment. She thought this was fluff, and she wants to waste my time."

"Whoa, hey, I'm not arguing with you. Just saying. It's a good piece."

"It will be if I can figure out who she is," Alya mumbled, scrolling through the notes she'd made for any sort of connection she might have missed.

She might never have figured it out at all if not for one little mistake.

Ladybug had just posted up a video, and Alya had started watching the second it was available.

"It took me a little while to come up with an idea for this video. I feel like I've kind of shared everything I know how to make with you guys, so you'll need to send in some new recipes for me to try." She shuffled through some pages beside her as she spoke. "But, then, I was inspired by a customer that came in the other day. They were looking at macarons and couldn't pick a flavor.

"I mean, I can't blame them. All the flavors are amazing. So, I offered some suggestions, and they went with my two favorite flavors. And that got me thinking, maybe I could try out a new recipe based on their order. You can find the full recipe under the video, but I'll go ahead and walk you through it. Hopefully it's better than my cookies from last week!"

Alya scanned every frame while Ladybug spoke, looking for even the hint of a reflection or some sort of personal item that might give her a clue.

"So, first, we'll gather our ingredients. Some of them are a little unusual, so feel free to come back and bake with me later on if you need to go get anything."

Nothing. Even when it looked like she might catch a glimpse, the image was blurred or distorted, or even in one case, replaced with a tiny stock photo of a ladybug. Whoever edited her videos was thorough.

"So, some of you might be wondering why I'm making a recipe based on a customer. It's not something I do every day, you know." She measured out flour as she spoke. "But, well, I have to be honest with you guys, this customer was just really, really gorgeous. And I really wanted to ask for their number or try and flirt or anything, but I just kept chickening out. I'm sure at least one of you knows that feeling."

Alya frowned. She knew it a bit too well. She'd tried to work up the nerve to ask Marinette for coffee or lunch or anything, but she hadn't even walked by the bakery since the day she and Nino went. She could use the excuse that she was busy working, but it really was just that. An excuse.

"And, anyway, they came in with someone, so maybe it's a good thing I didn't. But, I just wanted to try my luck. And if they ever come back, maybe I will. I know I always tell all of you to take chances, but I have to admit, sometimes I'm scared to try something new. You've all been brave enough to bake with me, so let's all try to take chances outside the kitchen, too! Even if it means embarrassing ourselves in front of someone we like."

Alya rolled her eyes. She had to, since it really was a bit on the cheesy side, but it was just like Ladybug to say something like that, and it hit a bit too close to home for Alya's liking.

"So, here we are! Honey and lavender crepes! Let's see how they taste." She pulled out a fork and cut off a piece to eat. "Oh, that's even better than I thought! I hope yours all turned out great, too! Tune in on Thursday for part two! We'll be making green tea crepes with our own handmade whipped cream on top!"

"Wait..." Alya frowned. "No way..."

It had to be a coincidence. Just because that happened to be her order and she happened to be with someone when she made the order and she also happened to go there a few days ago... It didn't mean anything.

Alya started the video over again, this time scrutinizing each frame. Her heart was racing, but she was still trying to convince herself that it was all in her head. It was just too convenient. Like something out of Hollywood or a cheesy made-for-TV holiday movie.

But then she saw it.

There, in the middle of the papers Ladybug looked through was the recipe she'd written down. Anyone else might not have recognized the significance, and Alya might not have even seen if it if she wasn't so desperate for evidence.

There it was. The title, clear as day: "Crepes for Alya". The recipe was for her.

And that meant Ladybug was actually Marinette.

And that meant Marinette was interested.

Alya arrived at the bakery moments before it was time to close, a little out of breath and hoping she wasn't somehow wrong.

"Welcome!" Marinette greeted her when she walked through the door. "What can I get y-"

Oh, that was definitely a blush. Alya grinned, all confidence now that Marinette was the one visibly flustered. "Hey, Marinette! I actually had a question for you."

"Sure!" Marinette relaxed a little. "It's, um, good to see you again, Alya!"

Great, now she was blushing, too. "Yeah, you, too." But, she had the upper hand here, and she had to find out the truth. "Do you do any special orders? You know, stuff that's off the menu?" she asked, her smile just a bit playful.

"Maybe." Marinette leaned in a little, her voice dropping just enough that Alya could tell she was starting to realize Alya was flirting. "What did you have in mind?"

Alya approached the counter, close enough that anyone else wouldn't overhear. "Well, I was thinking of some honey and lavender crepes. Maybe green tea, too, but I don't know. Do I have to wait till Thursday for those?"

The color drained from Marinette's face. "What? I mean... I don't think I've heard of anything like that, but I um, I could look that up or..."

Alya grinned. "Really? And here I thought you made the recipe for a really, really gorgeous customer just like me."

"What? No!" Marinette realized her mistake in an instant. "I mean, not no. You are really, really gorgeous, but I didn't make a recipe for you. I don't know what you're talking about."

Alya pulled out her phone to show the video, paused right at the moment where the recipe's title showed on the screen. "You know, if you wanted my number, all you had to do was ask."

Marinette stared at it, clearly stuggling to think up some explanation. Finally, she looked back at Alya. "You're not going to... tell everyone, are you?"

Even if she wanted to, Alya knew she never would. "Not a chance. I'm way more interested in dating you than making you famous."

"Thank you." Marinette grinned, and Alya couldn't help but smile back. "I really-" Then, her eyes widened. "Wait, did you say you want a date?"

Alya laughed. "Yeah. Is that a yes?"

"Hold on." She ran over to the back. "I need to leave early! Mom, can you take over?"

"Sure!" A voice answered from the back. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep, just gotta go! Bye!" Marinette tore off the apron. "I'll be five minutes. I just need to freshen up."

She was gone before Alya could clarify that exactly meant tonight, but maybe it was better that way. Who was she to argue? The more time with Marinette, the better. She pulled out her phone while she waited, a slow smirk spreading over her lips. Besides, her deadline was tonight, and the only thing that could make a date with Marinette even sweeter was turning her phone on silent and ignoring irate calls from Chloe during said date.

"Ready to go?" Marinette asked, somewhat out of breath.

Alya looked up, briefly mesmerized by Marinette's quick transformation. She'd somehow managed to pull her hair up into a perfect updo, put on a hint of makeup, and change into a gorgeous pink dress in just moments, which left Alya was simultaneously jealous, impressed, and completely smitten. "Absolutely."

[noirandchocolate]

Wanted to talk just a little about Gamzee as a Bard of Rage in the Epilogues.

First off, here’s the canon explanation of Rage from the Extended Zodiac website:

Those bound to the aspect of Rage are bringers of chaos. They posses great contempt for lies or false ideas, including the stability that false ideas can impart. To them, the true is far more important than the good; they would tear down a system just to destabilize it if, by their reckoning, it is built on faulty premises. Often the Rage-bound prefer anarchy to any of the alternate forms of civilization, which they believe to be riddled with lies and foolishness and obedient masses. They are bringers of confusion and doubt, and they can be frustratingly difficult to convince otherwise when they have attached themselves to an idea. If they sound dangerous, they are. The Rage-bound tend to be most volatile and unpredictable of the aspects. At their best they are original, revolutionary, and fearless. At their worst they are cruel, uncompromising, and vicious.

I also remember a really good fan-theory post where the Rage/Hope aspect pair was discussed as being about narrowing or broadening choices and possibilities.  The idea was that when someone is hopeful, they can feel like the sky is the limit, that there is endless potential and myriad options for them, while when someone is full of rage they may feel like they have few options or only one choice in a situation--usually a harmful or negative one made in anger.

Then there’s the Bard class, which is paired with Prince as a “destruction/destroyer” class.  Bard is the passive side, while Prince is active.  Passive classes are more about inviting or inspiring things to happen, so we could say that a Bard of Rage is about “inviting/inspiring destruction through rage” or “inviting/inspiring the destruction of rage.”

So here’s a few things I noticed about Gamzee and his role as a Bard of Rage in the Candy side of the Epilogues.  (Note that Gamzee is not really a God Tier despite his outfit--but god imagine if he was, holy shit.)  First of all, after reading both sides I realized that Dirk violently noped out of Candy very shortly after Gamzee was de-fridged.  There are plenty of reasons why Dirk did what he did that will not be discussed here, but in a meta sense it’s possible that there was only a need for one destroyer per Epilogue.  There’s also the fact that both Dirk and Gamzee are “parts of Lord English”: half of Gamzee, and the Autoresponder/Lil Hal/ARquiusprite copy of Dirk, ended up fusing with Caliborn to form LE.  Maybe there was only need for one “sort of part of LE” per Epilogue?  ANYWAY I’m getting off track.

Next, while Dirk actively and very tenaciously influenced events in Meat, Gamzee just sort of existed disgustingly in people’s presence and nudged things certain ways, maybe without even actively having a plan to turn things to chaotic shit (although also maybe with a plan, who knows, the clown is in many ways inscrutable).  Aside from proclaiming the gospel of MoThErFuCkInG rEdEmPtIoN, his influences on the story pretty much just came from him acting like his ridiculous and gross self around everyone.  A Bard versus a Prince, right???

But he did have some pretty big influences nonetheless, and they were pretty Rage-y come to think about it.  For one thing, he insinuated himself into Jane and Jake’s lives pretty damn hard, and was instrumental in ruining any relationship they may have had to the point where Jake was basically abused and the two’s child...well, also abused (also don’t want to go deeply into this, I’m not here to analyze Jane and Jake too hard, I’m doing Gamzee today)!  Without Gamzee around, perhaps Jane would’ve been an overbearing wife or a cold mother, but with Gamzee, holy fuck.  Inviting destruction through Jane’s rage, don’t you think?  Inspiring “confusion and doubt” in people like Jake and Lil Tavros, right?

Keeping on that track with Jane, her political actions in Candy are so much worse than in Meat, and I don’t think that’s only because things progressed through so many more years in Candy (although granted that’s just my speculation).  Gamzee knew how to push her buttons by calling her a xenophobe and declaring she’d be “canceled” over certain remarks about troll reproduction.  Which, if you take the view of Rage being an aspect of narrowing choices...really could be said to be a subtle forcing of Jane’s hand.  If she hadn’t been so pissed off, maybe she could’ve seen more clearly and not thought the only choices on the issue were all-or-nothing and that “do nothing” was such an untenable position that it wasn’t really a choice at all.  I really don’t think it’s a mistake that a Rage player, canonically a chaos-bringer, was instrumental in Jane’s descent into being “Trump-Hitler.”  Although again, it could be argued it would’ve happened anyway, maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad or maybe at some point she would’ve realized what she was doing was evil rather than just “practical” or however she justified it.  Things were peaceful on Earth C, and maybe politics could’ve stayed more or less stabilized.  But definitely not with a Bard of Rage hanging around such a key player.

Keeping on with the narrowing of choices concept, in Candy we saw a lot of characters doing things “because they just thought they should,” even if those things weren’t all in themselves wholly negative and even if some people were later just as happy with their choices.  Right after Gamzee showed up, Roxy just kind of decided then and there that they “should be” with John, and then went through a lengthy period of just kind of doing that and feeling unable to stand up for themself or their own desires, choices, identity, etc.  In contrast, in Meat they felt empowered to explore their gender, for example.  Even though in Candy they much later say they’re happy as a woman with she/her pronouns and  enjoyed being pregnant and a mom and all that (so it’s possible that in the Meat timeline they also might’ve come to that conclusion in time--or not!) the fact that in the timeline where Gamzee existed they felt more pushed into not even considering other options is interesting.  There’s also the Dave/Jade/Karkat mess, and how in Candy Dave felt a lot more pushed into just going along and being with Jade exclusively despite honestly really wanting to be with Karkat.  There’s some other examples too but this post is getting really long.  Again, while obviously not everything is All About Gamzee, or actively his fault (I don’t think he really had anything much to do with any of these people other than declaring his redemption to them), his passive existence in this timeline...hm!

Finally (or finally all I can think of right now) there’s the fact that Gamzee seemed able to extinguish a lot of people’s rage or disgust toward him simply by proclaiming the “truth” of redemption.  Now, we all know that someone just saying sorry and suddenly “being redeemed” is a load of shit and a lame fandom trope used to woobify villains (hell plenty of people did and probably still do this with Gamzee himself--his “apology” speech contained a LOT of stuff very common in the earlier fandom when his shittiness was a little less...obvious and enduring).  Rage players are, according to the above quoted description, supposed to be all about eradicating lies and falsehoods, so what’s going on here?  Well, Gamzee is full of shit!  Maybe he honestly believes he is redeemed and others should try to be redeemed in the same bullshit way--so his proclamations of this as an ultimate, religious Truth make sense.  Or maybe he knows it’s a lie but is just being the manipulative, destructive clown his Class points to: a destroyer.  What better way to insinuate himself into society than by forming some kind of redemption cult, preaching about something he knows is a lie but a useful one?  Ultimately a destructive one, because it destroys chances for real redemption while letting people’s destructive tendencies go by unquestioned because “you can always just say sorry and be redeemed.”  And in doing so he makes many people just sort of accept his gross, unseemly behavior and stop being mad at him.  People believe this nonsense.  Gamzee effectively destroys the rage they might’ve otherwise felt toward him by acting pathetic and contrite when it’s convenient for him, and thus makes himself more able to not only stay alive, but thrive and invite all the destruction mentioned above.

Ultimately it doesn’t work on a few people.  Karkat, Gamzee’s former moirail, sees right through it all.  Jane is an exception to not showing rage to Gamzee because he’s using her in a different way as discussed before: tl;dr baiting her into hating him in a sexy way is part of his chaos-bringing ways.  He tries the same thing with (Vriska) and succeeds for a few minutes but then she just straight up murders him.  Which makes sense, because Vriska.  Why would any Vriska allow herself to be manipul8ted for long?  As a Light player, of course she could see through his bullshit (Light is a knowledge-based aspect) and would want him gone.  She’s a Thief of Light, for goodness’ sake, of course she’d steal his “luck” in being able to influence so many people and  stay alive despite being so contemptible, and his “relevance” in inspiring so much of the Candy storyline.  She’s Vriska, she thinks she should be the only star of the show!

Anyway I’m NOT DOING VRISKA TODAY I was supposed to just be doing Gamzee, and that’s what I have to say about Gamzee, the Bard of Rage, on this particular day!