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sapphyreopal5 · 9 months

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Hi! I’m skeptic when it comes to paranormal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dismissing your tarot and pendulum readings. I have seen coffee horoscopes come true; but I’m still having a hard time accepting something that can’t be rationally and scientifically explained so here’s my question have your tarot readings ever come true? And I mean solid ones not reading to much into some events and trying to attribute them to readings.

Hello Anon, thank you for the ask. I've had plenty of both tarot readings and pendulum readings come true, and I've also had some that were pretty revealing. I've had some skeptical people send in requests for readings done with them withholding pertinent information, although I do not wish to elaborate on what those details are or who these people are out of respect for their privacy. A lot of the readings I've given people from tarot and pendulum readings (I use my pendulum and printable abc chart when I'm giving a tarot reading fyi) did reveal things that ended up being true that weren't a 50/50 shot or even a matter of multiple choice. My readings are more detailed than generic "coffee horoscope" readings that could apply to anything (or "read too much into things") to make the real broad statements applicable, as you are talking about here. I've come across and heard of con artists of "psychics" and also ones that have downright misled people almost tragically so too. I've elaborated on many things to help make sense of things and connect the dots but that would make this post too long.

It is not absolutely not my job to convince people the "supernatural" exists or happens. If someone doesn't believe what I have to say, that is perfectly fine. I don't make money with readings I do nor do I want compensation, I simply make posts about my readings and that is that. Take it or leave it. I also cherry pick the crap out of who I decide to assist. Why? There are a lot of people who frankly don't want help, they just are time wasters who want to hear what they want to hear instead of hearing the truth. I will however say this: Based on what I do know about "the other side" and have made some posts about, it's extremely foolish of these "ghost hunters" and other "paranormal researchers" to keep going to these said "haunted places" and such in the name of "proving the other side exists". It does not matter how much physical evidence is out there (videos, photos, detailed diary entries, etc.).

It does not matter how truthful people are with their own personal accounts, people will always dismiss these things until it happens to them point blank and will use everything in the book to deny the legitimacy of these accounts because of the bad apples out there. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof right? Wrong. I say in this case, let people learn things the hard way with their own eyes and physical senses. They got plenty of videos and photos to go through, people are NOT entitled to proof the other side exists. Everyone will see the truth for themselves whether they're physically still alive or after they physically die period. Seeing is believing....

Why many of these self declared "skeptical" and "rational" people insist on cherry picking when diary entries, videos, photos, etc. work as proof and when they don't is a bit beyond me. If diary entries, videos, photos, etc. are requested for psychological diagnoses, disease diagnoses, etc. at times and in determining behavioral and physical patterns, why is this acceptable proof of something "abnormal" going on in this case but it is not when it comes to so called "paranormal experiences"? Sometimes these people are in fact less "skeptical" and less "rational" because they blindly believe what they are told is fact by "established organizations" like the government, scientific studies, etc. that have proven time and time again they do not always tell us everything they know or have outright lied in the name of "financial" or "self-protective" interests.

Am I saying all scientific studies are incorrect? Am I saying that one community is entirely wrong and the other is entirely correct? I am saying none of these things, as I know the truth is somewhere in the middle as is often the case with really anything. I am not saying you are one of these people who blindly believe what they are told Anon, as I do appreciate you sending in this ask even if you do not believe in divination. At the end of the day, people do not believe in these things until it happens to them. That's just how most people are, it's human nature. They have to learn things exist (or see things are not quite what they seem) when they see it and feel it with their own eyes. A lot of the so called "rationale" people have for dismissing these things could in fact be used to disprove really any of their own everyday experiences. I will say that when multiple physical senses are involved with things (ex. seeing and touching, smelling and touching, feeling nauseated and coughing while seeing new surroundings, etc.), this is when you know something is definitely happening. But then again, as Mark Twain once said "Life is but a dream" and therefore everything we see is just "our perception", right? This type of philosophy by the way I do not believe to be true, this is just a way to gaslight and brainwash people on a psychological level.

Thank you for the ask Anon. I apologize if this may come across in a negative way, I merely was simply trying to address my stance on what many self labeled skeptics say that tend to outright dismiss the truthful, consistent experiences because of the bad apples out there. Truth is stranger than fiction...

#divination #tarot #psychic #seers #intuitive #readings #skeptical #ask box #seeing is believing

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alsjeblieft-zeg · 1 year

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253 of 2023

1. What big corporation(s) do you support, particularly because you like what they stand for (many vegan items, donate large amount of money to charities, pay their workers a living wage, etc)?

Well, I support Alstom so much that I even bought shares from them lol. I treat my job seriously and I want to provide comfort and safety.

2. For those who menstruate or have in the past, is it worse to deal with a period in the summer or winter time? Why do you feel that way over the other season?

I’m afraid this question is completely irrelevant to me. I’m a guy.

3. If you wear foundation or have in the past, what type of applicator do you use (beauty sponge, foundation brush, fingers, etc)? Is there a type of applicator that doesn’t work for you?

Neither is this one because I don’t wear make up.

4. For those of you that do listen/watch ASMR videos, what are your favorite “triggers”? If you don’t watch ASMR, what are your thoughts on the whole phenomenon that seemed to happen the past couple years over it?

I don’t care much about it. It’s not for me anyway.

5. Are there any true crime cases that bothers you immensely because of the story or verdict of the court case (ex. OJ Simpson)?

The only crime that really bothers me is the case of Sylvia Likens. I feel deeply for this poor girl :( she died in such an awful way.

6. When looking for discounted events or activities, where are you most likely to look for these deals (besides Google or other big search engines)?

Well, I’m subscribed to some websites that send me notifications via e-mail, so I don’t have to bother searching them.

7. What is your favorite type of lip balm (brand, scent, what ingredients are in it, etc)? What about sunscreen or other sun protecting products?

I don’t use any lip balm. I only use sunscreen in summer because I’m prone to sunburns and I have tattoos. I don’t care for a brand, as long as it does the job.

8. What store(s) do you have the worst time finding clothing/accessories in because they don’t cater to your body type (disregard price and other factors when considering)? If this isn’t something you struggle with, what store(s) do you think people might struggle finding clothing options in if they were the opposite body type as you?

Almost all shops. I have long limbs, so everything of my size is simply too short for me.

9. Do you use store loyalty programs? If you don’t use them, what is your reasoning behind that? What store loyalty programs do you feel offer the best incentives, regardless if you aren’t a member of them?

Yeah, I do in some grocery stores and clothing stores. Everything goes more expensive these days, but our paychecks don’t raise.

10. When it comes to skincare, what product could you not go without over the other ones? Where are you most likely to shop for your skincare needs?

I don’t bother about such things. I’ve never had problems like acne or such.

11. Regardless if you aren’t someone who hoards or keeps stuff for a long time, what is one (type of) item that you have a hard time getting rid of?

All my office supplies and old clothes.

12. If you eat meat, what is at least one vegan item (not necessarily a banana) that you like or would like trying (such as a trying a soy ham substitute)? If you don’t eat meat, what is one meat item that you like and understand why people eat it?

I only eat chicken and occasionally fish. These are the only things that I like the taste and structure of. Otherz-wise, I’m all about veggies.

13. What is a food that is always better homemade? How about a food that is always better at a restaurant?

Everything is better homemade than store-bolught, that’s for sure. But I don’t think I’d be able to make as good waterzooi as they serve in restaurants out there.

14. If you watched teen dramas growing up (such as 90210 or One Tree Hill), which one was your favorite or you liked the best? If you watched family sitcoms growing up (such as Full House or The Fresh Prince), which one was your favorite or liked the best?

I’ve never watched things like that. I always found them boring.

15. What is a tradition either within your country or family that you feel is not needed or could in fact even be bad (ex. using paper plates for every party, eating hot dogs every weekend during the summer, etc)?

Fries served with many meals? I feel this is so Belgian, and it’s kinda unhealthy, especially that in my country we eat them with mayonnaise.

#survey #q&a survey #random survey

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audionoise · 1 year

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How to Record Audio From a Computer for Super Awesome Results!

Pick what the great thing about creating online videos or marketing videos in today's day and age is? You can do it all without ever having to make a physical appearance in the film.

Camera shy? No problem! You can create fantastic and pleasurable marketing videos simply through the use of animations and screen capture applications. There is, however, another side to this coin. It's pretty freakin' hard if not outright impossible to create a good quality video without any tone.

Any form of communication plays to our senses. In real life, we tend to contend with sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste on a daily basis. Web-based, we can only appeal to two of those. Sight and sound. With a reduction of sound, sending a message might still be possible but it literally will get twice as difficult. Why take that route? There's no good reason how come capturing great-sounding audio can't be easy!

You're about to master some simple techniques to record audio from a computer and capture prime quality voice-overs that will make your video sound as great as it feels. Here's what you're about to discover.

How to record audio from a computer for one low cost (or no cost). How to remove unwanted noise at a voice-over. How to use a compressor to ensure equal sound volume in your recording.

How to record high-quality audio for a low cost (or certainly no cost)

As you have probably guessed, you are going to need a microphone to log your voice-over. That much is straightforward. What isn't so self-explanatory is the difference in sound quality that different microphones can hold.

Take for example , two voice-over YouTube videos that I recorded. You was recorded using a computer microphone and the other was mixed with a smartphone. The differences between the two were extraordinary! The one that was basically recorded with a computer mic was very hollow and had basically no bass to it while the one recorded with the smartphone had highly solid quality full and sounded quite natural. After a colleague listened to the latter example, he was quite astonished at the high quality and couldn't believe I hadn't used more professional good recording equipment.

Now I can't say that this is necessarily the case for smartphones but I have tried comparing the audio capture superiority of my own device against all of the other equipment with filming capabilities I have and somehow, the smartphone just comes out the top every time. It's even better than my HD video recorder. Try out the whole set of microphones you own, and if you don't have one then you can easily purchase a desktop computer microphone from Staples or any other office/electronic supply outlet for nearly $30. But in my experience, a smartphone can help you record audio with a computer better than any other device. Not too shabby considering that I most likely already own one. Know more about this audio blog

How to remove unwanted noise from your voice-over.

Free audio editing programs such as Audacity come with already very good tools installed that can help you remove unwanted background noise inside of audio recording. There are however, certain things you can do before and during the process of recording your company's voice-over that will make your job much easier.

Record your voice-over inside of a room without any existing background noise.

Leave 10 seconds for empty space at the beginning of your recording so you can take a sample about any background noise without your voice in the way.

Stay the same distance away from your microphone during the process of recording audio inside computer.

Avoid taking deep breaths. You can always remove these through editing, but the less you have to remove the easier your job will be. For Audacity, highlight the 'empty space' during the first 10 a few seconds of your voice-over. Now from the top bar select 'Effect --> Noise Removal' and click the button that says 'Get Noise Profile. ' Audacity has now obtained a sample of the music from your recording. Now highlight your entire clip (CTRL + A) and again go to 'Effect --> Noise Removal. ' Now press 'OK' and voila! - The background noise seems to have disappeared from your audio recording!

How to use a compressor to ensure equal reasonable volume throughout your recording.

Any voice recording is going to have its increased volume points and its low volume points. It's the compressor's profession to equalize these points while at the same time, keeping your sound frequent.

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shadowingai · 2 years

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Virtual interviews. It's a hot topic in the world of recruitment right now. A lot of companies are using it as a new alternative to standard in-person or phone interviews. The format typically involves an applicant who is screening their own video, while the interviewer sees their screen and can read body language through chat. What some people consider to be a more efficient way to interview candidates, others find it awkward and limiting. The virtual interview is a lot different from the traditional on-site interview. When you show up for your interview, there won’t be a panel of people waiting to question you. It will be a one on one or group conversation.

However, Interviewing for a new job is hard enough. Doing it virtually may increase the stress some, but with these expert tips, we're going to show you how to ace anything from a phone interview, video interview, and even a panel interview.

Keep your background clear: Having a good and clear background will be a good start for your virtual interview, the interviewer can see your face when you are talking. This is essential because remember that preparing for an interview is similar to that of applying for jobs. Even though you're communicating via video, think of your interviewers - just as they would in an in-person interview.

Connection test: Did you know that poor internet connection can be a turn-off for an employer? Before your interview, check your connection speed. The faster it is, the more confident you’ll feel in the interview. Check your upload speed online on google before an interview starts.

Keep your lighting best: You sit down for a virtual interview and turn off the lamp behind you. The computer’s camera can’t see your face, but can see the back of the light bulb and it looks like a silhouette to the person on the other end of the line. This distracts employers from your actual facial expressions, which is not good. The recruiter will focus on the shadow rather than what you’re saying. That is why it is important to turn your lights in front of you so they can frame your face while reducing distracting shadows.

Dress well: Dress like how you would if you were preparing for an in-person interview. Make sure that everything fits well and looks professional. It might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but eventually, it will become comfortable in a while.

Body language matters: Remember that your body language can tell a lot about you. It’s important to make eye contact with the camera and smile—it makes you look more confident. Try not to slouch, as this may make you seem bored or tired. Instead of looking at the ground or your hands, be sure to focus on the camera lens. https://shadowing.ai/blog/body-language-it-can-say-more-than-words-interviewees-tips-to-practice-proper-body-language

Follow-up: You can of course send a follow-up email stating what you thought of the interview, but a simple thank-you email is just as appropriate. The point is to express that you were grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with the person and would be happy to answer any further questions they may have. If you do get a response, respect their time and make sure your follow-up is as brief and as to the point as possible.

The above tips and tricks can help you ace the virtual interview portion of your next job search. Even though all of these tips are focused on phone, video, and technology, some of them can be applied to any type of interview. Good luck!.

References:

Image reference:

#interview preparations #mock interview #interview practice #Software developer engineer interview room #Software engineer interview room #Product manager interview room #pre-employment onboarding #shadowing

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sturchling · 4 years

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Congratulations on getting your Bachelor’s and I hope you don’t mind but it gave me the idea for another salt prompt where the class graduates and they try to get Lila to pony up on her promises to get them to there dream jobs and colleges but they can’t because she lied and they see Marinette (and anyone else you wish to spare) got in to there colleges (and/or jobs) because they knew Lila was lying and they put in the work to get to there College(and/or jobs) (thank you for your time

Thank you so much for the congratulations! and of course I don’t mind, this was fun to write. I hope you like it!

It was finally time. Mrs. Bustier’s class was graduating from lycée. Over the years since collège, the class had become very divided. The source of the division? Lila. It had been years since she had threatened Marinette with taking away all her friends. Lila had enthralled many people in the class, only a few people were able to see through her lies. Nino, Alix, Nathaniel, Chloe, and Kim had all realized that Lila had been lying over the years. They had stuck with Marinette through everything. Even when Lila had started lying and saying Marinette was bullying her. The rest of the class couldn’t understand why those five won’t leave Marinette behind. She was bullying the sweetest girl in the whole class.

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Adrien was essentially a neutral party in all of this. He knew that Marinette wasn’t bullying Lila. He wanted to say something, to defend her like the other four. But his father had forbidden it. He was told that he needed to ‘maintain good relations’ with Lila for the good of the brand. He was also told that if he failed to do this, he would be pulled out of school. Marinette knew about this and completely understood. Adrien still helped where he could, by telling Marinette if Lila was telling any particularly heinous lies about her when she wasn’t there.

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Chloe and Marinette weren’t exactly friends per say, but they had a truce between them. Chloe had apologized to Marinette right when they started lycée for treating her poorly. Marinette had forgiven her for the most part, but they still weren’t best friends. Instead, they had agreed not to go after one another and Chloe was more focused on messing with Lila. Afterall, Chloe didn’t like sharing the spotlight with ‘an utterly ridiculous girl’ like Lila.

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It became clear after a time that part of what made the class take Lila’s side was the promises she made them. Lila had promised the people in the class to help them with their chosen careers. Lila would always boast, “Well, since I know so many people in so many industries, it should be easy to help you guys reach your goals.” Alya of course wanted to be a journalist and Lila had told her, “Well, I know the executive editor for the New York Times. I’m sure Dean would love to have you join his team. I’ll put in a good word for you.”

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Lila had come to a rehearsal for Kitty Section at one point and had told Juleka, Rose, and Ivan, “I know a bunch of people in the music industry. There is one music producer in particular from LA that would love to help you record a real album.” Luka got suspicious at this, knowing what Marinette had told him about this girl, and asked, “Well, then why don’t you put us in contact with them now?” Lila had an angry look flash across her face, that no one but Luka seemed to notice. Then she plastered a smile on her face and said in an overly sweet tone, “Oh Luka, I would love to. But they won’t work with kids. They only want to work with people who have at least graduated from school.” Juleka, Rose, and Ivan took what she said as the truth at face value. Luka however knew that the excuse she just gave was complete nonsense. There were plenty of teenage musicians and bands. But Juleka, Rose, and Ivan were now anxiously awaiting the day they graduated and could start working with this music producer. Since they thought they already had a music producer willing to work with them, the group eventually stopped practicing and performing. Luka ended up leaving the group, and ended up playing with Jagged Stone on tour once Luka graduated. The rest of the members of Kitty Section worried that this would affect their chances with the music producer Lila talked about, but she reassured them by saying the producer would be able to find a new guitarist for them when they signed with him. With that reassurance, the group stopped worrying and continued looking forward to their bright future in LA.

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Sabrina really wanted to go to École des Ponts ParisTech and study management. She knew that it was a very selective school. They only let 2000 people in each term. But she wanted to go to this school more than anything. It is one of the premier schools in the country and is also considered one of the best schools in the world. Chloe was planning to go to École des Ponts ParisTech to study management as well. At least that was the plan. They were both going to go together and Sabrina had been banking on Chloe to help her get in. But when the class had split over Marinette and Lila, Sabrina and Chloe stopped being friends. Now, Sabrina was very concerned that she wouldn’t get into the school of her dreams. That was until Lila mentioned, “Oh yeah, I know the guy in charge of admissions since I returned his lost dog to him. I’ll put in a good word for you, and then you will definitely get in. He really values my opinion.” Sabrina was over the moon when she heard this. Now she didn’t have to stress about getting into her dream school, and could just enjoy her time with her new best friend.

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Mylene had wanted to go into politics for a while. She wanted to help improve conditions for everyone she knew. She had always been an activist, but she knew it would be hard to cause any real change as an activist. The only way she could effect some real change would be if she were to get into some kind of political office. Mylene really wanted to go to European School of Political and Social Sciences to get a degree in political science. That would really help Mylene in her pursuit of a political office. She was pretty sure that she would be able to get in, but she was naturally still worried. She knew they looked at extracurricular activities as well. They would want to have a student body that was active in their communities. Mylene had been planning to participate in many more community service programs before they all graduated to help pad her application. But Lila had told her, “You are fine Mylene. I talked with the admissions director for you. She couldn’t say anything official. But she did imply that you are already guaranteed admittance into the school. She essentially told me to let her know when we all graduated and she would push the application through.” Mylene was ecstatic to hear that. Especially because it meant she didn’t need to participate in any additional community service projects. She could spend more time with her friends in class and her boyfriend.

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It was obvious to everyone that Max wanted to work in video game programing. It was something that he really enjoyed doing, especially after creating the video game that was based on akumas. He was worried about finding a place that would be willing to bring him into their team. Sure, he had experience in programming a video game, but the game had never actually been published or sold. It was just played by his friends. He ultimately wanted to work at a big-name gaming company like Quantic Dream. But he was sure he would have to work his way up to that by starting at a smaller, lesser known, company. But then when he was discussing his plans with Lila, she told him, “Oh, don’t worry about it Max. I am very close with the head video game director for Ubisoft. They even had me come in and do some of my original choreography for the newest Just Dance game. I’m sure if I talked with him, he would hire you to be one of his programmers.” Max was thrilled to hear that he wouldn’t have to start at the bottom. He never thought he would start his career with such a big company like Ubisoft. So, Max stopped sending in the applications to the smaller companies and ignored any that asked for an interview. He didn’t need a job with them anymore.

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As time went on, the class saw how the five students who had stayed with Marinette worked towards their goals. They thought is was funny that they had to work so hard for their dreams. If they had just left the bully and become friends with Lila, they wouldn’t have to work so hard. Nino had to work several smaller gigs as a DJ, but he did eventually build a fan base. Because of this, he got invited to DJ at bigger events and parties. He was eventually even contacted by a music producer that wanted to help Nino put out his first album. Nino was thrilled and couldn’t stop talking about it. The class was excited for him, but couldn’t help but think that things would have been easier for him if he had just sided with Lila. The members of Kitty Section in the class were confused, since Lila had told them that the music producers she knew didn’t work with anyone who hadn’t graduated yet. But Lila quickly covered her tracks by saying, “The music producers I know are all quality. They are all big-name producers. The guy talking with Nino is probably just a small-time producer.” The rest of the class was still happy for Nino, but they did feel bad for their friend working with such a small producer. The class also was happy for Nathaniel when his comic was officially published. He was also accepted into an excellent art school. Chloe did end up getting accepted into the management program at École des Ponts ParisTech by early decision. It made Sabrina nervous that she hadn’t heard anything, but Lila was quick to reassure her that she would be accepted as well. Alix was also becoming recognized as a pro skater. She had won several competitions and was being considered for admittance into the X-games in Asia. Kim had also began training even harder for swimming. He was working hard to qualify for the Olympics. He was going to be competing at a qualifying competition a few weeks after the graduation ceremony. The class was happy to see these five students close to achieving their dreams. Marinette was even working hard toward her dream. She had launched a website to receive commissions and it was quite successful. Marinette had gained several celebrities as clients and was making a good profit. The class was less thrilled that the class bully was so successful. But in a few days, Lila would help them all achieve their dreams.

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The day of the graduation ceremony arrived and the class was all very happy to graduate. Marinette and her friends were excited to begin this new chapter in their lives. They all had their plans to achieve their goals and were well on their way to achieving their dreams. They felt a little sorry for their classmates. They knew that the class had listened to Lila and her lies and hadn’t put in any work lately for their goals. The only one that would be ok from that group would probably be Lila. She still had her job with Gabriel and if she decided to, she could probably get other modeling jobs now too. But the Marinette and her friends didn’t feel bad for long. They had tried to warn the class, but the class hadn’t listened to them. As Marinette and her friends left to go celebrate, the rest of the class stayed behind to talk with Lila. They wanted to know about the promises Lila had made them. Sabrina and Mylene had yet to hear from the schools they had applied to and none of the others had heard back about the jobs they wanted. Lila had been dodging them for a while, but they just assumed that she was preparing everything for them. But now, they had graduated and they needed to know what was going on. They all bombarded Lila with questions and Lila began looking more and more irritated. Lila just wanted to leave. She didn’t need these idiots anymore. They were helpful in school when they were doing the work for her, but now she could focus on modeling for Gabriel. So, the class no longer served any use. She eventually just exclaimed, “Would you guys just SHUT UP?! Look, I lied. I only said that stuff so you would do anything I asked. And it worked. You all fawned over me for years, and even did all my work. So, thanks but now that school is done and I already have a modeling job, I don’t need you anymore. So, there are no jobs waiting for you guys, and I didn’t talk to any admissions people for you two. See you never losers.” With that, Lila walked away and left the class in shock. The class was horrified as they realized they had fallen for the lies that Lila had fed them. They hadn’t done any work for their dreams. They realized that they were going to have some extreme difficulty reaching their goals now. Sabrina and Mylene would have to wait until next term to apply to their respective schools. Max was now regretting turning down all those interviews with the smaller gaming companies. The members of Kitty Section were distraught. Not only was there no music producer waiting for them, but they had also lost Luka as their guitarist. Alya was horrified. Not only did she not have an inside track with a person at the New York Times, but she had posted about Lila’s stories all over her blog. If Lila had lied about all of these schools and jobs, she probably lied about everything else. That blog was her only journalistic experience and if she used that on any applications to a news publication, they would laugh her out of the office. She really should have checked the sources, then none of this would have happened. Then the whole class realized what had happened with Marinette. Marinette had been telling the truth. And they were all cruel to her because of it. She tried to warn all of them, but they didn’t listen.

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Lila had thought she had gotten away with everything. She had gotten through school without having to do any of the work. Now she had a modeling job with one of the biggest names in the fashion industry and could easily get another if she needed. And Adrien was all hers now, his father was keeping him in line. What she didn’t realize is now the threat that was keeping him from exposing her was gone. Adrien’s father couldn’t pull him out of school, since he had already graduated. What Lila also hadn’t realized was that Adrien had been at the edge of the school and had filmed the whole interaction with the class. He had her on film saying that she was a liar. He was happy to finally be able to take direct action against the liar. She may be akumatized for it, and he would feel bad. But he and Ladybug would handle it. With that thought in mind, he posted the video.

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The public reaction was swift. All of Adrien’s followers saw the video and quickly shared it, horrified that their idol had been working with such a horrible girl. The video was seen millions of times in just a few hours. By the next morning, it had made headline news. Everyone in France and several people around the world new of Lila Rossi, the liar of Paris. Gabriel was inundated with hundreds of complaints about the girl, asking how he could employ a liar like her. Gabriel knew that Lila made a good ally for his less legal activities, but she had quickly become a liability for his fashion brand. He had Lila called to the mansion for a meeting. Lila was unaware of the now viral video, and hadn’t realized that most of Paris knew about her. She arrived at the mansion and was immediately escorted into the study. Gabriel didn’t say anything, just played the video for Lila. Lila paled with every passing second. How had she not noticed someone filming her. At the end of the video Gabriel coldly told her, “You have become a liability for my brand. I can’t have you in my employ anymore. Mrs. Rossi, you are fired. Leave my house immediately and do not attempt to contact me any further.” With that, the girl was escorted from the premise.

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After everything, the members of the class that had sided with Lila had been having a hard time achieving their goals. Mylene had managed to be accepted into her school, but the others weren’t as lucky. Sabrina went to a different school than the one she had planned. Kitty Section had found a new guitarist and was having small success at local venues. But they haven’t been signed by anyone yet. Alya had been unable to get a job at a newspaper at the moment and was instead writing her own online magazine. Max did end up getting a job at a smaller video game company, but hadn’t had any success in getting a job with a bigger company yet. Lila was not able to get any other modeling jobs. She ended up working at a small café, still trying to get her big break. Marinette and her friends on the other hand were doing quite well. Chloe was doing well in school. Nino had become a very successful DJ with a few albums already released. Alix was competing in several competitions and had done very well in the X-games in Asia. Kim had ended up qualifying for the Olympics and was set to compete in the next summer Olympics. Nathaniel had become a very successful comic book artist and was looking at a job with Marvel. Marinette herself was doing very well with her fashion. She had designed for several celebrities and continued to design for Jagged for several of his tours. She had become a big name in fashion. Her and her friends were all doing well and met up several times since graduation. One day they went to a small café near their old school. When they went inside, the person at the register taking their order was none other than Lila. Marinette and her friends were happy that Lila had gotten what she deserved. And Lila was furious that her rival was so successful. She tried to kiss up to Marinette in the hopes the girl would give her a modeling job. Marinette just laughed and said, “Why would I give you a job? As I recall, you said we were at war.” Lila tried to give a fake apology, but Marinette didn’t buy it. The group of friends took their food and left the liar behind, glad to be rid of her.

#ml fic #ml class salt #ml salt fic #ml salt #ml fanfic #alya salt #lila salt #lila gets exposed #lila exposed fic #Lila exposed #lila rossi #alya cesaire #miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanfic #miraculous salt fanfic #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous salt #miraculousfic

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accio-victuuri · 3 years

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is it me or does china or those so call companies celebrities are signed under needs to do more to protect actors, idols and etc? And I say china because I know celebrities bring a lot of business to china, so they should do more to protect them as well, whether it be a law where fans need to be at a certain distance from celebrities or make it illegal to camp outside their hotels, I don’t need to know when GG or DD goes to work or return, like they legit camp outside to see them pass them

Hello Anon! I would answer all parts of your ask here. looks like there are three sections to this.

I’ll be keeping everything under a cut and just a disclaimer that this is from my own research and opinions.

So what laws are there and what part do ‘Celebrities’ play in the Country?

• An important point I wanna start this answer with is that celebrities in China are very different, in terms of they have values they have to uphold if they wanna continue being allowed to be on air and work. In other countries, of course, a celebrity’s image is still something to watch out for, but it’s not like they are gonna be blacklisted. some of the guidelines they have to follow released fairly recent as follows :

should not "violate ethics, morals, social public order or good customs, causing serious negative social impact"

should not incite hatred and discrimination between ethnic groups, or promote cults and superstitions.

not organise, take part in or promote illegal activities such as pornography, gambling, drugs and violence, among other activities.

There are actors who were blacklisted and had to take a hiatus. At one point, people did support comeback stories but CHN is pushing stricter sanctions for those who fall in this category. They have to submit an application to China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA) if they even plan to make a comeback and be evaluated before they can continue. Also take a look at the recent issue with Xianjiang Cotton and how celebrities were quick to voice out their support and drop the endorsements. It’s part of their job. It’s part of the values they have to uphold. The sense of virtue before arts. They are expected to be more morally upright than the common people.

I wanna start with this for you to understand what’s it like to be a star in CHN. And for GG and Web who are very very popular. If you do a quick search, you will find that there are more rules to control how these celebrities present themselves vs. protecting them. The way I see it, it’s even more dangerous for them to have a dedicated following more than anything. They cannot be so popular that they eclipse certain messages that the gov’t wants to send. There are more laws on online hate and slander against celebrities than the physical suppression of these stalkers. The concept of: The fans reflect the celebrities. This is the infuriating side to this. It is the same challenge GG faced during and post 22*. The logic of: ‘xx fans are causing trouble by blocking airport entrance is the idol’s fault’ . In one such incident, GG was the one who apologized. his team did ban airport photos but he still had to apologize personally to people on the plane. During his shoot with Ace, he had to apologize to the director and crew cause people were camping and taking photos. You see where I’m going here Anon?

The general rules in photos and videos is that it can be taken provided that it’s in a public area. This is why Web, during the shooting of LOF kept pointing out people who were taking pictures to authorities. Earning him the title of Hengdian Hawkeye. There are no iron clad rules to protect them. These celebrities often have to hire lawyers and security team to enforce their privacy. This is where their companies come in. but tbh yh and wjjw did next to nothing in protecting them. It’s their own studios. their own dedicated team that’s doing the work.

who are these people following them?

• The type of fans that you are describing, going to the lengths of putting tracking devices and even secret cameras are sishengs. This is not limited to GG and Web only, it’s a problem for other celebrities too and not just with Chinese fans. For example in Korea, the counterpart to this is sasaeng. They are private life fans. They thrive on sharing personal information, even as far as an address. I don’t see this culture stopping anytime soon. We have more hope on addressing online slander and harmful rumors than erasing sishengs. I’m just being realistic here. The audience to this kind of material is huge and it’s even making it’s way to international platform. It’s the concept of wanting exclusive information. being the first to know a news or a filming tidbit and so on.

I also just wanna add that people you see taking pictures of let’s say at airports in Web’s case or when he’s off to DDU are not exactly sishengs. Some of them are even fansites. provided that it’s a public schedule and he one time even acknowledged them when they greeted him happy bday. Tho they CLEARLY DO NOT WANT to be photographed when filming dramas ( going to and leaving ) + airports.

what can we do as fans?

• I think you answered that Anon. We know what’s right. We know what not to share. It’s hard especially if you see it on your feed, just don’t share it again and distribute to more people. If you notice someone sharing, don’t be so hostile, you can inform them nicely. block sisheng accounts. don’t give them the audience that they want. I know we can be guilty of this at one point or another, knowing flight details and so on. It’s a hard practice to remove but we have to try very hard to not be tempted.

This is why GG and Web are really sending the message for fans to have their own lives. Of not chasing stars too much ( which also is something their gov’t does not endorse and is a whole topic of it’s own ) and neglecting the other people around them. Don’t vote too much. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble in the name of being GG and Web’s fan in public places. It’s what I really feel strongly about when it comes to all of this. If you are a person who can balance fandom and personal life + knows the boundaries, then you’re good.

Thank you for the Ask Anon! ❤️

#ask response #yizhan

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askaceattorney · 3 years

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Dear 91teivos,

Mod Vera: Thanks! Everyone in the world is going through some kind of existential crisis, so it made sense for the AA characters to join the party! (And since it was another follower who gave us the idea, we might just keep that idea in the think that after all...)

Dear dawsongfg,

Mod Vera: No need to apologize! We like to space out letters from specific people a little, but we’ll answer as many as we can!

(Referenced Letter)

Dear Bluedragoncody,

Co-Mod: Don’t worry. I doubt they’ll have much luck against the Ace Attorney crew, even without the Proto Badger. They have the ultimate weapon against despair in their arsenal, after all.

...They’re doomed, aren’t they?

I can’t make any promises, but if I ever gain enough skill in the art of animation (which has been a dream of mine for a long time, it turns out), I’ll keep that idea in mind.

Dear skibot99,

Mod Vera: Probably Tumblr bein’ weird. (What else is new?)

Dear sheeeesh,

Mod Vera: Mods get brought on as needed, as you can see with the arrival of Mod Edgeworth! Also, DGS2 is one of the few AA titles I’ve never played, but rest assured. Where there’s a letter, there’s a Mod who can answer it!

Mod Edgeworth: To add to Mod Vera, even if you weren’t accepted during any mod applications, that doesn’t mean you have lost all chances. I applied early January and lost to Mod Vera. Regardless, Co-Mod informed me that, even though I was rejected, he saw my potential and kept me in mind for if I was ever needed. Now, here I am.

Just because you get rejected, that doesn’t mean it’s game over. Show that you have potential and make yourself known by sending letters to us. That is what I did, after being rejected. I made myself known to the mods by sending letters. We do read them and they tell us how much you know the characters and games of AA more than any application. Of course, you must also follow the guidelines. That just goes without saying.

Co-Mod: I think my actual words were something like “Don’t tell anyone, but you were my second choice.” But yeah, what they said is true -- becoming a Mod here, like many things, may or may not happen to you, but you can definitely increase your chances by waiting patiently and demonstrating your potential.

As for DGS2 letters, I’m afraid those are still off-limits unless you know of a way to play or watch the game in its entirety, translated into English. I guess I could check to see if the Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 channel finished translating...

(Translation: Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! ...D-Don’t tell me?!)

...Okay, looks like I have some watching to do. Don’t know how I missed that.

So, uh... That part in bold was what I was going to say. Now that both games are finally getting an official English version, all I can say is, hang tight!

(Previous Post)

Dear Inferno again,

Co-Mod: Yeah, I agree. I was just joking around. For anyone who didn’t catch it, that was a reference to Sbemail #108.

The event’s technically over, but we’ll answer the rest of the April Fools’ Day letters when they reach the bottom of the queue. I’m as eager to see Trucy’s reaction to the news (after the stunned silence) as anyone else, after all.

(Video in Letter -- Strong Language Warning)

Dear Ella,

Mod Edgeworth:

I can’t see the first link and....

How did you find this masterpiece and where can I play this game?

Co-Mod: We don’t check for direct messages on Tumblr, if that’s what you’re referring to, so it wouldn’t have made any difference anyway. You can always send links in your letters, of course.

(Previous Post)

Dear Inferno,

Mod Edgeworth: That mad lad would be me and thank you.

I like to put my heart and effort when answering these letters. With this one, I figured you wanted to see Trucy in costume, so I just searched up an image on Google for the Ancient One’s costume, a sprite of Trucy and a bald head to put on her. The rest I photoshopped on GIMP.

We’re still going through letters from January. Hopefully we will get the rest of yours soon enough.

Mod Edgeworth: Thank you very much. Your support and the others’ support that have liked, commented and reblogged it mean a lot. As you have stated, a majority of the fandom seem to consider him the worst. I’d like to think it’s because how AA had created this villain of a character to be universally hated was pure genius. Not even the Phantom gets this much hate… and that’s saying something.

Unfortunately, I’d like to keep my real identity outside this blog a secret. I write a lot of letters here and I don’t want to break the spell for anyone. Think of it like a Disney theme park. The cast that play the characters will never admit their true identities, outside of family and close friends, to prevent the experience from being ruined. I want to do the same as a Mod. I don’t want to break the spell of writing to your favorite AA characters. This blog had helped me through my tough times and I want to help everyone else as a mod.

However, I will answer your letters and, if you post anything on your account, a mysterious friend I know may linger and give you a like ;)

(Previous Letter)

Dear Ali S. Fakenamington,

Co-Mod: Beautifully so.

(Previous Letter)

Dear Sinyove,

Mod Edgeworth: That letter was made in 2012 before AA5 and AA6, which was WAY before I became a part of the AA fandom. I’m certain a lot of us were not here when this letter was made, except maybe Co-Mod, but you’ll have to speak with him about this. I will say that the mod that answered this is no longer working here... I think. At the very least, I haven’t heard from him.

That being said, AA4 or Apollo Justice was the first AA game I’ve ever played. Despite all of the hate I saw towards that game, I still loved it regardless. Though, having not played the trilogy, playing the tutorial of AJ was a pain in the ass. I remember going to YouTube to find out how to beat it, because it was so hard. I also played it on PC.

I do see where The Mod was coming from. Had the two sequel games never existed, Apollo Justice would have more holes than my brothers’ socks. My only critique is that Phoenix wasn’t any better either with having Mia babysitting him during almost every trial AND investigations. Hell, Phoenix needed Mia to know how to talk to a kid, talk to a perverted old man, almost gave up in most of his trials in the first game and never conducted a trial without Mia until Turnabout Goodbyes when Maya literally couldn’t summon her. For the most part, Apollo was doing fine on his own without Phoenix, with only Trucy assisting him for the two middle trials, only almost giving up once and Phoenix having assisted him during times when Apollo was not in a normal situation (like when the criminal turned out to be his own co-council/mentor or when he had to lead a trial that included the Jury System). That’s more than Phoenix ever did on his own in the first two games and I think Apollo deserves more credit than he got in that letter in my opinion.

For me, Apollo Justice is one of those games you either like or you hate. I love it for what it is. My least favorite AA game would have to be Ace Attorney Investigations, the first game. The second one is my absolute favorite.

Co-Mod: Sadly, I haven’t seen or heard from the Mod in a while, so it may be time for us to declare him MIA again.

Erm... Sorry, poor choice of words.

I’m fairly certain I wasn’t around 5 years long ago, but I have to say, Capcom did a great job of making Apollo and his story more interesting over time. He may not be Phoenix, but he certainly carried his legacy forward pretty well, both as an attorney and as an Ace Attorney protagonist.

Now, WHAT ABOUT ATHENA ALREADY!?

Dear BDC,

Co-Mod: It fits like a glove, if you ask me...although it also kind of reminds me of 101 Dalmatians. And thanks for that bit of info! I never get tired of watching people enjoying the fun dialogue and plot twists of Ace Attorney, so I might have to look him up.

I’m not sure I feel the same about watching Dahlia’s voice actress, though. I’m sure she’s a nice person and all, but the thought of hearing that voice for so long... *shudder*

(Previous Letter)

Dear dawsongfg again,

Co-Mod: I wasn’t trying to say that natural deaths can’t happen in the Ace Attorney universe, just that most deaths aren’t what they seem. I knew right away that Archie Buff’s death was no accident, for one thing. Waaaaay too much of a coincidence, know what I mean?

-The Mods

#91teivos #dawsongfg #bluedragoncody #ajanisapprentice #skibot99 #sheeeesh #Ella #moonlitgraffiti #Ali S. Fakenamington #sinyove #Mod Post #Mod Vera #Co Mod #Mod Edgeworth

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mendesficsxbombay · 4 years

Text

don't you wanna see these clothes on me? | s.m

hello! 2 fics in one month? am i even myself anymore?

Requested ‘non sexual acts of intimacy’ from this prompt list:

7) one adjusting the other’s jewellery/neck tie, etc

anon requested this be related to or based on the GRAMMYs

Shawn Mendes was a relatively easy client to work with, anyone would tell you that. There were a few demands to be met, yes, but demands came with every famous person. His demands were always attainable, nothing too out of reach. There’s certain types of food, certain brands of packaged water (do not bring a Dasani anywhere near him or he will riot, she’d learned that the hard way), skin care products should not run out, and so on. She wasn’t his assistant or tour manager to know the details of his rider, but this was her first job on the road, you can’t blame her for being observant.

She was working very closely with him though, if you count picking out his clothes for the day and helping her actual boss, Tiffany, with his show outfits as working closely. The gig with Tiffany was a chance she had taken a little blindly. She was 21, fresh out of fashion school, and her mind was in bits about potential careers. She’d worked at stores, workshops, assisted designers and interned at a fashion week and penciled down her life into two options - styling and client servicing. Would she rather dress people or would she be the one making business happen for a fashion house to dress people? She had no goddamn idea.

Right after graduating though, she heard of an opening with a ‘well experienced stylist, in the field of dressing musicians, a travel job with months on the road and suitable perks’, and she sent an application in to the agency.

She’d read of Tiffany Briseno in her copies of Vogue multiple times. A celebrity stylist with years of experience to her name, most famous for styling a world famous Canadian pop star. He shall not be named because she herself just happened to like his music, a little bit here and there. Not like she lined up to buy a copy of his debut album at Target or anything. Of course not.

When she was called in for a video interview, Tiffany clearly explained the amount of work that went into styling for a world tour and she clearly needed an assistant who was serious with their job, and not in it for the glamour. She, in turn, explained to Tiffany about how she worked all through university, and how serious she was with her career. Her knees shook under the table she placed her laptop on, praying that Tiffany couldn’t see her body locking up with anxiety through Skype. Tiffany complimented her dedication, but also reminded her that absolutely nothing would compare to having to work on the road. She felt her shoulders sink in subconsciously, smiling and nodding as she had throughout her life and ended the conversation.

She told her parents about how she applied for this job that was just a lot of work and how she was so sure they were looking for someone with much more experience, not just a clueless grad school kid. The agency did not feel the same apparently, because she found an offer letter in her emails a few days later. She was required to meet the rest of the team and Tiffany in a few weeks’ time, and until then it was her job to look for sourcing options for Sha- for her client.

That was a whole year ago now, and as so many of the crew members said, the road had started to feel like home.

She bit the inside of her cheek, deep in thought while trying to fix a particularly stubborn crease with her steam iron on the deep red suit jacket he was meant to wear in just a few hours. She always had the option of having someone else do the ironing, but she found it calming, found it easier to collect her thoughts with a steam rod and press in her hands than she did otherwise, so they let her be.

She took the jacket down from the hangar she was using, neatly placing it on another adjacent hangar, and moved to bring in the Louis Vuitton shirt he would be wearing. Going down the front of the high quality linen she thought of how he recently liked unbuttoning way more buttons than he used to. If this weren’t a red carpet and another regular show he’d be wearing a much tighter shirt to hug around his arms, she remembers taking measurements for his other outfits to the exact inch and he said he liked it that way. A tight shirt or even a wife beater that completely let go of any barrier between showing off his biceps.

She remembered teasing him at times, and he used to blush furiously, until he started asking her if she was looking. Then it used to be her turn to blush. She thought back to the first leg of tour. She remembers them constantly sneaking around each other - but also finding excuses to share their space. She remembers feeling sparks, and she knew he felt them, too.

What other explanation could they possibly have for the middle school crush they had on each other? She would love to fend these concerns off by saying he was solely worked up because she was the only girl around his age on the crew. But that would be a lie, she knew the team of runners had a few girls their age - she was friends with them now. And the production teams had people close to them, too, even though they had alternating staff.

She could say that she was the only one working close enough with him, but that wasn’t true either. Telling herself it was just an infatuation would be the biggest lie, it had been months and he still behaved the same way around her. She was tired of having to tiptoe around him for as long as she was doing her job.

Shawn liked her so, so bad. And there was nothing she could do about it.

She had started noticing the little signs at first. Anytime he’d bring in water for himself, he had an extra bottle for her. He always saved her a spot at the dinner table. Got disappointed when she didn’t come in for at least half of his soundcheck. He liked having her near the stage when shows actually took place. And then there were bigger signs. He bought her a copy of Leave Your Mark, a book she had been trying to find for months - and when she asked him how he only ducked his head and said he found it at one of the airport bookstores. A quick ask around helped her know that he had contacted the publishers themselves and acquired a copy.

She had started noticing how the people around them moved away if they were talking. She saw the smiles passed at her every time she stepped out of his dressing room. She knew how Tiffany jumped at every chance of leaving her alone to sort his look out before every show. There were looks and whispers and she saw them all, she felt them all.

He made her nervous. Not because he was a star. God, no, that phase came and went by in a breath. He made her wonder. He made her think of a future with him, doing what she did and being with him on the run forever. He liked her, and she liked him more than she knew what to do with.

Unfortunately for her, being together all day did not help. At all. She felt hyper aware of him. Every time he walked into a room, she felt the atmosphere sizzle. She felt the change and there was no ignoring it. Just like now.

“I can feel you staring at me, you know?”

She heard him laugh once, walking closer to where she was standing, multiple cases of clothes open around her. “Don’t know why you choose to slave over an iron every day - we have people to do that, you know?”

She sighed, hanging the steam rod onto its pole and turned around to look at him, chest constricting at the sight of him in a plain white shirt, tight as she had mentioned before, wearing a pair of glasses she knew he stole from someone on the team.

“It feels nice to iron, it helps me-”

“De-stress. I know. But maybe if you just hung out with all of us once in a while you wouldn’t be so stressed…”

She crossed her arms before herself, cocking her head sideways. Get to the point, her expression said.

“Okay, look, after the awards tonight, everyone wants to go to some club where they’ve booked out a private room for the team. I wanted to know if you’re gonna be coming.” He tucked his hands into his jeans. He was one second away from swaying on his feet because otherwise he looked like a little boy asking for candy he wasn’t supposed to have.

“Ah - I’m not sure, Shawn,” her face was slowly pulling into a grimace, “All your outfits need to be back out first thing tomorrow morning and we need to send them a review as well… plus I need to get the exact details of your outfit so Tiffany can write it in her piece for GQ, and tha-“

“I knew you would say no,” he smiles immediately, and she’s scared. What did he do now? “Which is why… I have booked a table for us. For the - just the two of us, like a date.” He felt shy, felt like he was in high school asking a girl out for the first time. No smiles on his face anymore, just pure hesitation. “There’s this new place, um, it’s called Antico. You said your favourite cuisine was Italian - Antico is Italian, OH and it also has some great vegetarian food so there’ll be so many options for you to choose from…” he’s doing the thing again. He’s blushing and he can’t stop it. He needs to go to the washroom and splash water on his face. He needs to call his friends and tell them he finally asked his pretty stylist out, for real. He needs her to say yes.

She matched his expression. Wide eyes filled with wonder and face flushing hot. Was she even ready to go on a date with him?

“Sh-Shawn,” she breathes out, barely a whisper. Her eyes had grown wide, and he didn’t know if she was hesitant like him or just horrified. She wasn’t prepared for this, and one part of her wants to hug him, say yes, and then run off into the sunset with him. The other part of her though, the rational part, knows this isn’t possible. “I thin-”

“Oh, there you are!” Tiffany exclaims walking into the room, not really noticing how close together the pair were standing, and immediately starts taking clothes off the rack for Shawn to change into. He immediately steps away from her, knowing how she gets. She wasn’t one for showing too many emotions when she was surrounded by people. She did open up to him sometimes, more than she did with anyone else on the crew. He had a sneaking suspicion that unlike his past advances which were subtle and not very direct, it was this one that fully got her attention to how much he liked her, and it had her flustered. Well that makes two of them. “Is it all done, babe?”

“Yes Tiff just, let me finish the shirt and I’ll bring it to you.”

“Shawn, you wanna move to hair and makeup till we wait for your outfit?” Tiffany walks out the door swiftly, not waiting for him to answer, just calling out his name again to make sure he was following.

“Mhmm,” he says, walking backwards to the door, eyes still stuck on the girl he has pined after for months now. He refused to go down without a fight. “I’ll wait.”

________________________________________

She sees him again when he is pulling his shirt on with Tiffany straightening the material out from the back. He looks winsome in just the shirt and the red suit pants, and her mouth nearly waters thinking of the contrast the red of the blazer would have to his skin. Men who were dressed well always made her thoughts run wild, mostly because she learned to focus on the fit and the cut of the fabric, the attention to detail, the simplicity of the design or the lack, thereof. She paid way more attention to the outfits than the men wearing them. Shawn, however, was a different story. She had come to the gasping realisation that she liked him more than his outfits. And she was screwed, because no one knew how soon all of this would be ending for her.

He senses her staring holes into his back. When he walked away, he only had her expression as a response to his question, and while he wasn’t worried if she rejected him, even if it hurt real, real bad, and he constantly worried about never finding someone like her, it was okay. He was worried about this running deeper than him, she shouldn’t have to look mortified just at the mention of a date.

He looks down at his feet, the tailored hem of the pants at perfect length, discreetly raising his head to still find her looking at him. To his pleasure, the corners of her lips were upraised, eyes still on him but not really looking at him. He flashed her a smile, and she quickly realised what she was doing, scrambling to put down his pair of shoes for the evening along with the jewellery box she picked up on the way.

She starts talking to Tiffany about his accessories, and, something. He can’t really be bothered to be focusing on yet another conversation about what he’s going to wear. He wants to talk to her. He wants to know things she hasn’t told him yet. It’s been a year of this slow burning attraction between them, but is it only attraction if he wants what’s in her mind and not just what he can already see?

He already knows what stories he wants to talk about over dinner. He wants to tell her about his cheek scar, and then ask where she got the one on her right hand from. He wants to tell her about his high school prom and then ask about hers. He wants to know why she fell in love with fashion the way she did, because it consumed her fully, and she has to make conscious efforts to pay attention to things beyond art and fabric and clothes, he knows she does. He wants a deeper understanding, not for the sake of dissecting her personality, but just to know her, if she only allows him.

He only zones back in when he knows Tiffany is directly addressing him. “Shawn, you finalised the BVLGARI one last week, we’re still okay with that?”

“Yes,” he says, not sure of where to look, so he continues looking at himself in the mirror.

“Great, honey, you can put this and the chain on him and I’ll go check with the rest of the team.” Tiffany squeezes her arm with a bright smile, and turns to Shawn again, “Looking good, little Dean, it’s almost show time!”

Shawn smiles back silently, watching Tiffany leave the room, as does she. She makes quick work of walking back to him and placing the box on the vanity before him. She takes his vest off the rack, helping him get into it and buttoning him up, and then does the same with his blazer, not a word exchanged between them two.

Shawn used to be an “I can do it myself” guy until Tiffany just had to go ahead and hire the prettiest, shyest girl he’d seen, and he suddenly never wanted to button anything up on his own ever again.

She carefully picks the royal white and blue beaded necklace from the box where it was placed amongst a few other expensive ones. She clears her throat and he leans his head down out of instinct, coming to a more approachable height for her to hook the necklace in.

“So,” she starts, and he chokes on a breath he didn’t know he took, “I just, I googled Antico. It looks … upmarket to say the least. Very pretty, though. Looks like a place you would pick.”

She feels his eyes continue to follow her around, she still chooses not to look him in the eye, how could she? She delicately pulls out the chain meant to be hooked into his vest, the one that will complete his look for the night. He looked… beddable, to say the least.

“But I also saw another thing,” she says, stepping closer into him and he inhales deeply. “Antico doesn’t stay open on the weekends, Shawn. How were we supposed to go there on a Sunday?”

shitshitshit. He’d been caught. Honestly what was he expecting? She’s literally one of the smartest humans he knows, what did he expect her to do? Say yes? No questions asked?

She looks him dead in the eye now, letting out a hmm? and he’s choked up again. He staggers around a bit, she pulls at his hands to adjust his sleeves and tuck in his cufflinks.

“You said, um,” come on, brain, pull it together. “Remember when we were in London? And we all went out together and when we got out there was this whole crowd waiting?”

She remembers. Of course she does. It was the first, albeit not the last time she had come really close to having a panic attack in front of all her coworkers. He recognised the look on her face. He’d seen it on his own face in the mirror when he tried to talk himself away from breaking down. He knew what this anxiety felt like, even though years of being in the business had numbed him to large, loud crowds, overzealous fans and intrusive paparazzi alike. He had taken her hand in his and pulled her back inside the pub immediately, calling his driver and asking him to pick them up ‘round the back, and getting out of there in record time. He didn’t know what came over him but he pulled her into his arms as soon as they were in the car. He murmured softly into her ear, he was here, they couldn’t get to her anymore and she had sniffled and cuddled closer - until they reached their hotel and it was back to being a standard five feet apart from each other. It was one of the last times she had gone out with the whole team, especially him.

“I made a special request, they’re opening up only for us tonight. I don’t really want to stay for the whole show, thought we could sneak out a bit early. I just didn’t want us to be crowded again.”

Her hands froze around his, he left her tongue tied on most days but this was something else. At the lack of response from her, he gently pried her hands off his wrist, holding both lightly in his. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go. I won’t like you any less.”

Her mind rushed back to all the times they had stood close just like this. The time he almost kissed her on her birthday and she almost kissed him on his. The one night they both passed out on the couch in his tour bus, when she wasn’t even supposed to ride with him. She thought about the offer letter that had been in her emails for two days now, offering her a place in the client servicing team for Burberry in London. She thought about the 4 weeks’ notice she had typed out for Tiffany weeks ago, the only reason for her not sending it out standing in front of her. Her mother’s words rang in her head, as they have her whole life. If you’re not moving, you’re not growing.

He squeezes her hands once, ducking his head to the floor and walking away. She thinks about letting him go, but she refuses to.

Her fingers clasp around his wrist, pulling the gentle giant back a little bit.

“Will you wear the silk shirt? The black one?”

He looks confused. Didn’t he just get dressed?

“To Antico? Thought we could match.”

taglist: @shawnwyr @mendesstories @lanallaa @sleepybesson @rulerofnocountry @luvluvxx @wholesomemendes

dm to be added or removed ♥️

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junhaoshua · 4 years

Text

say my name like it’s something sacred

summary: everyone is born with black words written on their wrist, the first words their soulmate would say to them, and the words turn red when you hear them. you’ve heard your words a dozen times, but they only turn red after you knock into a boy then run away. how are you going to find him again?

genre: fluff, soulmate au

word count: 2,506

A/N: happy birthday to the lovely chey of @soonhoonsol!!!! she gave me two prompts: Soonyoung and World Toilet Day for her birthday fic. Chey, you’re wonderful and I’m so happy we’re friends, and I hope you like my take on your ideas ~

Everyone was born with black words written on their wrist, the first words their soulmate would say to them.

For some people, their words were delightfully straightforward. “Hi, my name’s so-and-so,” their soulmate’s name disclosed right there.

Some people had phrases that were so out there or so easy to misunderstand. One of your friends had the words “You actually like the devils?” on her wrist. She’d spent her teenage years hanging around screenings of soccer matches, only to hear those words from the older brother of kids she was babysitting.

And then there were phrases like yours. “Hey, it’s fine - are you okay?” Generic words, the type that you might hear a thousand times in your lifetime.

When you were younger, you’d checked your wrist every time you heard those words, hoping that this was your soulmate. The one who would make the black letters turn as red as the string of fate that tied you together. The one whose mark would appear below the words immediately after.

But it never came. The black writing still adorned your otherwise bare wrist.

---

“Alright, let’s have a ten-minute break before you start your groupwork,” your Visual Communications professor announces, and you breathe a sigh of relief.

Your two friends in the class, Mingyu and Minghao, roll their tables over to join you in the corner. “Finally, I feel like my brain’s going to short-circuit,” Gyu groans, tipping his chair to stretch out his long, long body and nearly overbalancing.

Hao grabs his hand before he can fall, glancing at you with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Mingyu,” he says, and even though there’s exasperation in his voice, he still says his name like it’s something sacred. It’s utterly romantic.

“Sorry, Haohao,” the older boy says with a grin.

You laugh at their couple-ness. “I’m going to stretch my legs, watch my stuff?”

“See you!”

You grab your water bottle and head out of the freezing room, appreciating the warmth of the outdoors. The water cooler’s at the end of the corridor, which will give you some time to bask in the sun.

As you approach the water cooler, bright yellow tape catches your eye. OUT OF ORDER, a handwritten sign says. Ugh. This is going to take a while.

Second floor cooler broken, you text your best friend Hansol as you head towards the stairs. His class is just a few doors away from yours, and you don’t want him to make a wasted trip.

He replies instantly. They said water supply in this wing has been cut for now? Burst pipe downstairs. Prof just announced.

You send him a frowning emoji and a sigh, before pocketing your phone and picking up the pace.

It’s quite a walk from the east wing to the central block, and you let out a sigh of relief as a working water cooler finally comes into sight, taking a long drink of cold water before filling up your bottle.

If you hurry, maybe you can make it back in time. So you turn to go, trying to screw the lid back on as you go -

- forgetting that the water cooler is right outside the toilet, which means that you only see the boy exiting the washroom when you run right into him.

Your open water bottle splashes on him, drenching his white t-shirt, and you fall on your butt. Hard. “Sorry! I’m so sorry!” you exclaim in mortification.

“Hey, it’s fine - are you okay?” he asks, reaching down to help you up, and for a moment his soaked t-shirt is in front of your eyes. Partially hidden by his black-and-orange jacket, but still, that’s a fine chest.

Heat rushes to your cheeks as you grab your water bottle, averting your eyes. “I’m fine - I’m sorry!” you squeak, not daring to look the dark-haired boy in the eye.

Before he can say anything else, you turn tail and run back to your class.

You’re panting by the time you slip into your seat across Gyu and Hao. “Sorry for keeping you guys waiting.”

“It’s okay,” Minghao murmurs distractedly, tapping away at his phone. Gyu hums, and you notice he’s frantically texting too.

You turn your laptop on and pull up the files while waiting for them to finish. This isn’t really like them. Something must have happened.

Finally Gyu puts down his phone. “Sorry about that, one of our friends - oh my god you’ve met your soulmate!” he screeches, making most of the class turn to look in your direction.

“Keep your voice down,” Minghao chides him with a smack to the back of the head.

You slowly look down at where the long sleeve of your sweater has slipped down. The words are red. Red. And there’s a cartoony little sketch of an animal head on your wrist - the stripes suggest tiger, but the chubby cheeks and little ears look like a hamster.

“Where did you go? When did you meet him? Why didn’t you say anything?” Mingyu peppers you with questions in an excited whisper.

“I didn’t realise it,” you hiss back, as what just happened slowly hits you. “God - I ran into him, right outside the toilet - my soulmate’s gonna think I’m a huge klutz -”

“Outside the toilet?” Gyu parrots, his eyes wide. “That sounds like -”

Minghao slaps a hand over Gyu’s mouth. “Like you were really fated to meet, even at such an - interesting location. And he’s your soulmate. I’m sure he’s overjoyed to meet you at last.”

“But I didn’t even get a good look at his face,” you groan, covering your face with your hands. “He was kinda lean - black hair, striped jacket - but that could be anyone, how on earth am I going to find him - go to the Soulmate Registry saying oh hey can you ask if anyone bumped into a girl outside a toilet and got water splashed on them? Yeah, that’s my soulmate -”

Gyu looks like he wants to screech again, but Hao shoots him a glare. “If fate brought you to meet each other the first time, fate’ll make sure you meet again,” the boy says, giving you a gentle pat on the hand. “I met Gyu on his last day working at the bubble tea shop, and I thought I’d never find him once school started, but we ended up being introduced by our friends.”

You bury your face in your hands. “Can we get to work now?”

Thankfully, they drop the subject, and the rest of the time is spent working on your project.

“Gyu, you were supposed to ask her something,” Hao reminds him, as class ends and you all start packing up to go.

Mingyu snaps his fingers. “Right, I nearly forgot. You know the showcase that’s coming up?”

You nod. It’s part of being a college specialising in the arts. Every semester, they hold a huge event for the students to showcase their talent - art, fashion, photography, music, dance, et cetera. “You’re going for it?”

“A group of us are, actually. The rap crew, Hao’s dance crew, and Woozi’s vocal group - you know him, right?”

Minghao facepalms at the question, and you let out a giggle. “You mean Hansol’s soulmate?” As if it was possible to forget the person your best friend was destined to spend his life with. The short, fiery older boy was a perfect counter to Hansol’s easygoing attitude.

Gyu lets out a bark of laughter as you head out the door together. “God, my brain isn’t working today. We’re going to audition for the showcase together, as one big group. And we were thinking that our application would look a lot cooler if we had a nice video - kinda like a trailer, something to show us off, three talented groups -” Hao coughs at the casual boast “-coming together.”

You nod slowly. “It’ll be a lot more interesting than taping your performance.”

“Great!” Gyu claps his hands. “So Hansol recommended you to the group as the best person for the job, and we’d love if you could help us make it!”

“What?” you yelp in shock. “I’m not that fantastic - Why can’t you or Hao do it?”

Minghao shrugs. “I’ve seen your work, you’re pretty good. And we can’t exactly film ourselves while performing, not if we want nice angles and closeups. You’d be a great help.”

Warmth blossoms in your chest at the compliment, but you still have reservations. “But - I don’t know your theme, your concept -”

Gyu waves a hand. “That’s no issue, you can come down and watch us practice and help to think of a concept. Please?”

It’s impossible to refuse those huge puppy eyes. You let out a sigh. “I’ll come watch, and think it over, and decide whether or not I feel up to the job after that, alright?”

“Yes!” Gyu shrieks, making everyone look over at you again. “I mean - yes, that’s fantastic, we’re going to have a practice later and you can meet -”

“The rest of the group,” Minghao cuts in. “We’ll let them know you’re coming, it’s right after your last class with Hansol.”

---

After class, you pull Hansol aside. “Okay, spill.”

Your best friend blinks at you with wide eyes. “About what?”

“Gyu was practically bouncing when I agreed to watch you guys practice, and you’ve been shooting me looks throughout class. You’re up to something.”

He flushes. “It’s just… we haven’t let anyone else in to see us perform before.”

You eye Hansol. Part of growing up together is knowing exactly when the other person is hiding something. And everything about his too-wide smile is screaming I have a secret. He’s always been an atrocious liar. “Are all the others okay with it?”

“Yeah! Yeah, they are.”

You hum. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“It’s - no, not right now.”

You eye him for a moment longer, but he looks at you with the same fixed smile. Never mind.

“So… I hear you met your soulmate,” he says after a few moments of silence.

“I should’ve known those two wouldn’t keep it a secret.”

He grins. “It’s going to make a great story to tell people, you know. How many people can say they literally fell for their soulmate?”

“Outside a toilet,” you say, flushing at the memory. “And aren’t you getting a little ahead when I don’t even know his name?”

“Yeah, so all you need is to know his name,” Hansol says, shrugging. “You’re soulmates, the rest will sort itself out.”

“What if I’m not what he wants from a soulmate? What if he’s not what I want?”

Hansol glances over at you. “What do you want?”

You sigh, thinking back to your childhood imaginings, to what you’ve always imagined your perfect other half would be like. “Funny. Bright - I don’t mean like smart, though that’s nice, I mean his energy? Loud and enthusiastic, but someone who’s okay with just sitting back and being chill too, or it would be tiring trying to keep up with him. And he’s got to be kind, and wholesome, and gentle - someone comforting, someone good...”

Hansol’s grin has been slowly growing as you talk. “I’m sure he’s going to be all of that. He’s your soulmate, he’s going to be perfect for you. And you’ll be perfect for him.”

“But -”

“No buts, I know my soulmate, you don’t, I’m the expert here.”

...he’s got a point there, not that you want to admit it. So you change the subject to something useful. “Tell me more about the performance?”

By now, you’ve reached the door of the studio, and he pushes it open with a grin. “Why don’t you see it for yourself?”

“Hansol got you to come along!” Seokmin cheers as you come in, leaping up.

You laugh and give him a hug. “Just to watch. I haven’t promised anything yet.”

“You will,” Jeonghan says knowingly as you settle down on the floor, offering you a bag of snacks. “You won’t be able to trust anyone else to make a video that captures our magnificence adequately.”

You burst out laughing, but it’s true. You know all the people in this room, and you can already imagine how to show them off. Seokmin had been your friend since middle school, and you’d been there when he met his soulmate in the new transfer student, Seungkwan. The four of you had been inseparable since. And you’d known everyone in the rap crew since high school. The leader, Seungcheol, was one of the lucky few blessed with two soulmates, who just so happened to be the last two members of Jihoon’s vocal group - Jeonghan and Jisoo.

And that’s when it hits you. “What about the dance crew?” Minghao and Jun are conspicuously absent, and you’re fairly sure there are a couple of others you’ve never met before.

“On their way, Hoshi wanted to run the choreo by them one last time before meeting us,” Seungkwan tells you, taking a sip of his iced Americano.

“Hoshi?” you echo. “I don’t think I know him?”

Jeonghan smirks. “Oh, you’ll recognise him when you see him, I’m sure -”

“He’s their leader and choreographer, you must have seen him at last year’s showcase,” Jisoo chimes in.

“I was sick, remember? So I wasn’t there to support you guys.”

Wonwoo gives a little oh. “Well, that explains - but there’s him, and Hao and Jun, and their other choreographer Dino, he’s your age.” His gaze softens when he mentions his soulmate’s name, and you can’t help but hope your soulmate will look like that when he talks about you.

“Hoshi and Dino,” you repeat, the names echoing oddly in your mind.

“Their real names are Soonyoung and Chan,” Jihoon clarifies. “Those two, one wants to rock the stage like a dinosaur, the other one thinks he’s a tiger -” he stops when Hansol nudges him.

Just at that moment, the door opens.

“Are you sure you can do it?” the one in front asks as he comes in, waving his hands around. “It’s going to look flashy, but if you get injured -” He’s walking backwards, slim and black-haired, wearing a jacket with black and orange stripes.

Your breath catches in your throat.

“I can do it,” Minghao says, exasperation in his tone. “It’ll make a great ending.”

“And you need to watch where you’re going,” Jun says, gently taking the boy by the arms and turning him around, giving you a broad wink over his head as he does so.

The boy stops short the moment he sees you, and when you lay eyes on his face, you know.

“Soonyoung?” you ask, caught between hope and yearning.

“That’s me,” he whispers. “Hi, soulmate.”

You tell him your name and he repeats it, the word falling from his lips like it’s something sacred. “I’ve been searching for you my whole life,” he murmurs, and at that moment, you feel something missing in your heart click into place.

Because you’ve finally found the person who’s perfect for you, and you’re perfect for him, too.

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reeesea · 4 years

Text

Something Sweet: Part Seven

~sweet home~

one ~ two ~ three ~ four ~ five ~ six ~ seven ~ eight ~ nine

pairing: minsung, han jisung/lee minho

warning: mild language

words: 4.7k

summary: Home is where your bros at right? right.

a/n: I actually like this chapter, shocker. i hope you enjoy

ao3

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

Minho stared at the video file sitting on his computer, on the familiar application site that had been haunting his mind for the past couple years. The debate he found himself in with himself on whether or not to submit another application, had become his default subject of thought for much of the past few weeks. All building up to right now. Something had tipped the scale though. Something that reminded him if he didn't submit an entry this year, that he might as well have given up on his one dream. His one goal. The only thing that had been keeping him motivated through university. So once again he found himself rationalizing, and knew that if anything he had to try, at least just one last time.

Upload complete, Thank you for your entry!

Minho sighed loudly. He had sent it in. The first part of the application. It was just a basic dance routine supplied by the academy. He had practice and recorded it all within one sitting. Having been a part of a dance crew for much of the past year had allowed him to quickly pick up choreography and perfect it. The other reason being that he wanted more than anything to get the overbearing presence of the audition tape out of his head space as soon as possible. A heavy sigh left his lips as he laid back down on the studio floor, not too long after a ping of his phone revived just enough for him to check his messages.

[Rich Boy Han Jisung]

2:50 pm

Minho-hyung!

I hope your day has been going well~

Sadly, no updates on when ill be free :/

They’re working us hard for the debut

It’s alright Ji, work hard!

You better be taking care of yourself tho...

4:03 pm (new)

Have you heard this song? Made me think of you :)

{link attached}

I hope you like it!!!!

Oh, no i havent

I’ll give it a listen ^-^

As of late it wasn’t uncommon for Jisung to send the older songs he thought he would like. Always saying some cheesy line that was so blatantly sweet it made Minho flustered everytime. This time of course was no exception.

Ping.

HYUNG THAT EMOJI

Asjdnjsfma

I knew I was rubbin goffon you

Kkkkk

Dont get too ahead of yourself

atleast I can still type coherent sentences

~goffon~

Boo :p

Why Jisung was so persistent about sending him songs was lost on the older, but it was a sweet reminder that someone was thinking about him. It had been a while since Minho had even imagined that someone took a few minutes of their day to actually consider how he was doing. It didn't quite make sense to him that suddenly out of nowhere, there was his boy, man, person, who purposefully took the time to dedicate brain cells to his existence. Wild.

Minho hurriedly clicked the link to the song that Jisung had sent. It was an upbeat song, with a strong but subtle strumming of a guitar to keep the song’s pace just quick enough to be comfortable. “There's no one else that could ever hold me like you do.” The lyrics were in the realm of positive longing and companionship, but the dips into minor chords and tone of the singer created a mood of desperation. More than anything, the song brought forth a story to Minho. One that he could see with his eyes close and feel his body wanting to move to.

A smile stretched across his face, as he rose from his spot on the floor, dusting off the dull ache and pressure in his shoulders from having just finished a routine not even 10 minutes ago.

“But I know that I'd be crazy, Not to wanna be the one to keep you up all night”

Woah there Jisung, at least take me out to dinner first. He made a mental note to tease the younger later about his “Made me think of you :)” line later. Already stretching and drawing a plan in his head, Minho took his phone and saved the song, pressing the repeat button twice, to allow the guitar chords and chorus harmonies to carry on endlessly. A smirk stretched into an excited smile. Not wanting to jinx himself, a shy “finally” was whispered in the back of Minho’s mind at the surge of inspiration, but not spoken aloud just yet.

---

Flashing lights, heavy makeup, hot clothing, and too much fog from the smoke machine is all Jisung had thought about for the last couple hours. 3RAHCHA was in their last photo shoot for their debut. The concept photos would be released later through the week, slowly revealing the three members and their group as officially signed with JJP ent.

The multicolor lights had been running through his vision for so long that as soon as he walked into their Green Room, he had almost forgotten what color everything actually was. Looking in the mirror he saw the blonde highlighted streaks in his hair had settled nicely, slightly slicked back. The stylist had surely done their jobs well. Painting the three rappers up to look less like the nightcrawlers they were, and into something that leather and fishnet clad superstars might look like was definitely a challenge. Jisung had his makeup done just enough to give his eyes a smoky look to them, and grey contacts to emphasize his gaze. The ensemble he had on looked like something that had come straight from a catwalk. Fishnets crawling up his arms from his gloved hands and an asymmetrical shit he for sure would not have been able to put on without the help of his stylist-noona. All that plus some leather pants and combat boots, he definitely looked more like his persona J.One than the notorious hoodie clad couch potato named Jisung he usually found himself as.

Having just finished his own solo shoot, he signaled Changbin to head on to the set as he returned. The older nodded from his chair in front of the makeup station, as the artist finished the final touches to his eyeliner. Jisung watched as the shorter rapper walked out to the set in a white puffer jacket that he somehow pulled off, even with the bright red pants he wore. A part of Jisung was thankful his stylist hadn’t taken that many liberties with his outfit, but the makeup and outfit Changbin wore really only emphasized his intimidating stare and the wideness of his shoulders. It was undeniable that their concept photos would come out well.

Chan, who was seated on a couch, eating some of the provided sandwiches, was already hunched over his computer and mixing equipment again, airpods in. Probably working on tracks for their third comeback knowing him. Not wanting to jump right back into work Jisung snagged a few snacks from the buffet and found a chair he could lay on. Listening to music that wasn't work had become a rarity for Jisung in the years he had been with 3RACHA. Of course he always tried to stay on top of the recent pop and hip hop trends, but straying any farther than his trusty morning and workout playlists was more than unlikely.

Lately though, Jisung found himself looking through a lot of random indie, alternative, “western” pop, and especially dance music. The versatility of the genres was comforting to Jisung in the rather turbulent state his emotions and mental state have been in, as the debut approached. Also Minho. Meeting Minho definitely had introduced a whole new set of feelings Jisung was still working on navigating. As he listened to the different songs that populated this radio, he told himself he was just looking for some inspiration for his lyrics and 3RACHA’s new music, but even he knew that was mostly a lie.

Ever since that night at the bar with Minho he found himself always considering the older and what he would think of a song or how he would dance to it, or if he would even like it. After pointing out that he liked a particularly upbeat pop song with melancholic lyrics, during their impromptu karaoke session, Jisung had been delvinging into all related categories to find songs he thought the older might enjoy. He wanted more than anything to inspire his older companion? Partner? (that was a later Jisung question.) but he wanted to repay the man who had allowed him to get out of his creative slump. That night, as soon as the youngest rapper had returned to the 3RACHA “house” he felt the start of at least 5 separate tracks and choruses appear in his brain. His two hyungs jumped into action along with him as Jisung desperately tried to write and record everything that was jumping out of his brain at once.

Jisung remembered Chan’s smile and encouraging words as he fitted a few of his new verses to songs they had previously put on the shelf. After finding a particularly emotional but upbeat song he immediately wanted to send it to Minho. He always got hung up on what to say with the link. Other than the thought vomit that occurred every time he chooses to send him a potentially good song: “Found this song? U Like???” No Jisung, what are you five?? “I think you will enjoy this song. Please give it a listen? :0” No that just sounds desperate.

“You doing alright there Ji, I can hear you sighing through my earbuds?” Chan peeked out from under his styled bangs with a raised eyebrow, sending Jisung into a red embarrassed mess that he had been caught. He hoped his layers of foundation would cover it up.

“Yeah fine fine, don't worry. I’m FINE.” Attempting to hide Jisung curled up tighter into his arm chair. Just be casual Jisung it's a song not a marriage proposal dear god. “Have you heard this song? Made me think of you :)” Good, yes fine. Send.

Minho responded immediately and cutely with an emoji that made his heart jump a little. Minho would respond always with a variation of a “Thanks! I’ll go listen”, but Jisung had yet to receive any confirmation that the older actually enjoyed the links he sent, much less had found some inspiration in them. At this point the only thing he could do was hope. He wanted nothing more than Minho to be smiling because of him.

Officially exhausted, it wasn’t until late when the 3RACHA boys had finally made it back to their apartment. The day Jisung had, had been anything but short. Almost collapsing immediately on the couch. Sana notified them that she had already ordered food to be delivered for dinner and that they should go to bed as soon as they had finished eating. Chan looked like he was about to pass out on the couch before the food even arrived, which was more than likely at this point. After their shoot they were immediately sent to a few other meetings laying out their marketing and schedule plans for the upcoming weeks. Although glad they were able to part with their artistic and career decisions with their company, it did add a lot of work and responsibilities to the trio.

Jisung’s phone had died somewhere after meeting 3 of 5 and he had submitted to having to carry the lifeless brick with him anyway. Not ideal for his wandering mind and anxiety that comes with a few too many stressful meetings. Once finally arriving home he went and plugged his phone in at the charger on the kitchen counter. Lighting up with notification buzzes as it rebooted back to life.

[ 5 new messages from Lee Minho hyungie]

Immediately cursing himself internally for not bringing his charger with him, he opened his messages from Minho ignoring all others.

[Lee Minho hyungie]

5:45 pm

Hey Jisungie, just finished up practice!

Actually may or may not have danced to the song u sent…

Maybe I’ll show you some day hehehehehehehehe ;)

7:21 pm

Han Jisung, did you forget your charger again >:/

Well I’m off to my late shift, I hope you have a good night~

Jisung always found himself smiling at Minho’s before work texts. They were always so cute. Either some sort of sweet well wishing or some other Minho-esque goodbye, along the lines of “don’t die mysteriously while i'm gone ;p” or “Have a good night, try not to miss my WONDERFUL company too much <3”. (The hearts always made Jisung grin hard, even if they were sarcastic)

This night though, Jisung found him almost jumping in victory at Minho’s text.

[Lee Minho hyungie]

12:35 am

YOU DANCED TO THE SONG

Really?!?!?!

What did you like about it?

When can I see????

You better not leave me on read after work!

Jisung tried to imagine what kind of dance Minho would do to the track he sent,and suddenly found himself flush at the thought of watching the other dance. Somehow, watching Minho dance, felt more intimate than any other situation that they’ve shared. Thankfully Minho seemed to want to hold off, so at least of the time being Jisung’s heart was safe. The exhaustion and stress from the day faded ever so slightly as soon as he thought of Minho with coordinating blush to match.

Jisung you lovestruck fool.

“Jisung! Food’s here!!! If you don't hurry Chan’ll eat your portion again.”

“HEY! It was one time.” Laughter filled the apartment gently as they all respectively fought gravity to get up and make their way to collect the food from the delivery man.

---

Minho tore up the stairs and through their apartment door as quickly as he could without spilling the carry out food he had in his arms. The clock was ticking a little past midnight and fear set in that the older would miss their planned celebrations.

Bursting through the door, “Did I beat him?!” The oldest was frazzled from rushing in order to beat their third roommate home from work.

“Barely! I was afraid you wouldn’t make it, with having to bring the carry out.” Hyunjin’s sigh of relief was visible throughout the boy's now relaxed body. He had spent the last ten minutes hoping that they would still be able to pull off their surprise party for the youngest. Pacing around and failing to come up with any backup plans if Minho had been later than Felix. Thankfully for them both, Minho had a way of always being on time.

“Hey all that matters is I made it. Is everything else ready?” Looking around Minho could see that Hyunjin’s bed was transitioned back into the couch setting and that the floors had been tidied up. A couple stray balloons littered the floor as well as a home made “happy birthday felix” sign hung from their living room screen divider.

“Yep, I've just been waiting anxiously for you to get home for the past half hour.”

The door handle of their apartment began to jiggle, signaling the two boys to spring into action. Minho setting down the carry out, and Hyunjin frantically lights candles on the small cake on the coffee table. The door swung open, revealing a disheveled after-work Felix wandering through the door. As soon as the boy turned toward their living room, he was accosted with shouts and the flailing limbs of his hyungs.

“Surprise!!!” “Happy Birthday!!!”

Felix’s smile erased any of the signs of exhaustion off his face immediately as soon as he spotted his hyungs excited expressions. The cake, the streamers, the balloons, and sign all sparked some joyful tearing of his eyes as he set down his things and made his way to the small cake with a few random lit candles on top. The clock had crossed over into the next day as Felix had made his way home, that he had almost forgotten that it was now technically the early morning hours of his birthday. Coming home to joyful cheers instead of their usual exhausted silence had given him a certain happiness that he hadn’t realized he was missing.

For all of three of the roommates this was their first time having a celebration in their small home together. By now the sense of home was undeniable and without realizing it all of them had begun to consider each other and their shared 3 room apartment, home.

The disjointed singing of happy birthday followed by the laughter and conversation surrounded their coffee table as the three enjoyed their small carryout feast and cake. The warmth that their company gave each other lasted well into the night.

“Hyung! It's my birthday, stop eating all the cake!!!”

“I have no idea what youre talking about Lixie.” Minho says while actively taking another bite of their 2 person sized cake.

“Hyung!” The laughter of the oldest filled the room followed by the other two’s not too long after.

“Happy Birthday Lixie~” The smile hadn’t left the freckled boys faces since he had sat down, and remained as he pulled his two roommates into a forceful hug. It was his birthday so the boys both submitted to the clingy nature of their third roommate, as always.

---

It was late into the early morning by the time Minho had checked his phone.

[ 5 new messages from Rich Boy Han Jisung]

A soft pang of guilt hits his chest after reading the younger’s texts and realizing that he did in fact leave the other on read for the better part of the last two hours.

2:43 am

I’m so sorry Sungie!

We were celebrating Felix’s birthday, and I didnt check my phone….

Look at the cute cake we got him!

{photo attached}

Minho sent the selfie of the three of them with Felix’s cake, if anything just to lessen the guilt in his chest. Hoping that the cuteness of Felix’s smile would be enough to forgive him for low key ghosting him for a few hours. Minho knows that on the days Jisung has the most schedules are the hardest for him mentally, and he always tries his best to be there for him and send him a message or two to lessen the load on those nights. The fact that he hadn’t been there tonight filled him with some worry. A part of him hoped that the younger would’ve been asleep by now but their late night track record did not exactly support that.

---

Jisung had been lying painfully awake in his bed for an hour when he heard the buzz of his phone. Slightly upset with his body for not giving into the exhaustion he had gathered from the day, and just letting him sleep, he turned to the side table to check the messages. Awake fully ,but only mentally half conscious, he read through his messages:

Minho. Oh, yay, it's Minho.

Felix’s Birthday. Oh right he had mentioned that coming up.

Cute cake. Aw that cake is really cute… wait.

Birthday.

I have one of those, around this time to-

I missed my birthday. I forgot my birthday. Everyone forgot.

The cute picture Minho had sent was so filled with happiness that Jisung almost let the pain slide and pass the moment by. But something just didn't feel right in letting himself forget his own birthday. The fact that the others hadn’t remembered didn’t bother him too much. Chan, Changbin, they were all busy with schedules and he can't blame them. Especially since he, himself had forgotten. No birthday text from his family either. Unsurprising though since he rarely got in contact with them since moving to Korea in high school. He forgot though.

He wasn’t quite sure why this was bothering him so much. Some people don't even celebrate their birthday, or remember how old they are, but Jisung had always prided himself on never letting his work take over entirely who he was. To exhausted-Jisung, he couldn’t help but feel like this was one step toward losing the grip on who he was, and that was in itself, terrifying.

The coldness of his bed and the dark expanse of his room seemed to only perpetuate the way Jisung felt. Floating, alone, lost. His insecurity was starting to come into focus, and no wonder it had been keeping him up. He had been spiraling for days probably, without even knowing it. The buzz of his phone lit up his face, snapping him out of his own thoughts for a moment.

[Lee Minho hyungie]

2:50 pm

You okay Jisung?

I hope I didn't wake you

Jisung noticed that the app had revealed that he had read the messages and was indeed awake. Unfortunately, exhausted-and--spirling-Jisung was the only one present enough to send a response. Hopefully Minho wouldn’t mind him too much.

You didn’t wake me, was already up :/

It looks really fun hyung

I just realized something too

My birthday was yesterday

I forgot it

Jisung found himself fighting the watering of his eyes as he sent those messages. Why was he crying? He just forgot, he was busy. It was okay. Right? The tears seemed to only cloud his vision more, blocking him from reading the messages from Minho that were buzzing and populating the screen. Not bothering to wipe his eyes, he let them blurr.

Wh- do you- mea- ???

Jis--ng ar- y-- ok--?

I-- sorry i- di-nt -----

---- wa-t --- ca-l?

--sung?

A few moments passed, without him realizing it, as his phone buzzed some more, screen changing to the incoming call screen. Sucking up his tears and drying his damp screen, it took a few tries before answering the call.

---

“Jisung!?” Jisung nearly flinched, just nearly.

“Hi hyung, How was work?” hoping to cover up his tears by changing the subject. Jisung thought it was a pretty good attempt.

“How wa- what, no. Jisung are you okay?” There it was again. The undeniable worry in Minho’s voice. Ow.

“Yeah I’m okay.” Despite Jisung’s efforts it was obvious to Minho that the other had in fact been crying. Not wanting to push the younger though, he allowed him to change the subject

“.... okay, I just want to check in on you. I worry you know, Sung!”

“About me? that's silly hyung.” The distance in his tone replaced Jisung’s usual brightness, and it hurt Minho to hear it.

“I don't think so. How am I to know what my favorite customer is up to? You may be a soon to be rap star but that doesn’t keep you from ignoring your hyung.” Even though Jisung giggled at that, the irony of the statement wasn’t lost on Minho. A wave of guilt washed over his chest as soon as he said it.

“I am sorry though. For not answering sooner and everything.”

And for reminding you of your birthday, and making you cry, and not being there to make you smile.

“No don’t be sorry! That’ll only make me feel worse for bothering you… I think the exhaustion was just making me delirious, I haven't been sleeping well these past few nights.” Minho had to fight his initial protective instincts that told him to scold the younger for not taking care of himself, because a part of him knew that the younger was certainly trying his best to do so.

“Well if you can’t sleep ever, just call me okay? I’m usually up from my shifts anyway. Plus if I'm not up surely one of my roommates is. Felix will probably never let go of you once he finds your birthday brothers." Hearing Minho's laugh lightened the tight pressure that Jisung hadn't realized had been settled in his chest.

"Okay hyung, i'd like that I think."

"You better. My time rarely comes free, and this is a limited time offer." Jisung’s laugh is a little bit more enthusiastic this time.

“Of course hyung.” A silence came over them for a moment. Not an awkward one, more of a point of realization and relief. Like the feeling after having a good cry, in Jisung’s case.

“Happy belated birthday Jisung.”

“Thanks hyung… Did you have a fun time with Felix?”

“Yeah! It was actually a lot of fun. Just some carry out and cake after work, but it was good to relax with them. We don't always have free time together, and haven’t had the chance to celebrate anything until now. Hyunnie luckily found a cake on sale at the mart today, sparking this whole thing.”

Minho remembered the frantic call from the younger as he delved into his plans for giving Felix the “perfect surprise birthday celebration” because he had “found the perfect cake to match Felix’s cuteness.” It was on sale. Also because “Come on Min-hyung Felix would absolutely do the same for us.” Explaining the situation to Jisung really did solidify the fact that Minho knew Felix, would in fact, plan some adorable birthday celebration for the older two if given the opportunity.

“What would you guys have done if he hadn't found the cake?”

“I’m not sure maybe it would’ve just been a carry-out celebration.”

“Still sounds really nice hyungie. You and your roommates seem so close.”

“I suppose shared rent does that to people.” Minho laughed it off but he had begun to cherish the brotherly bond that had grown between his roommates.

Not having ever considered it before, the fact that the roommates were only able to buy a cake because it happened to be on sale, revealed to Jisung that their financial situations may have been farther apart than he realized. Money had never been a barrier that Jisung had to face, always having family (or honestly Changbin) help pay for his living and pursuit of his dreams. Sure he’s had part time jobs in the past but he never found himself worrying about not making enough each month. Not going to university definitely was a large factor in maintaining his “affordable” lifestyle.

“It's nice you do things for each other. I can't remember the last time my hyungs and I have done something together that didn't have to do with our music.” Jisung started to feel some sort of jealousy at the closeness that Minho and his roommate had found in each other. Financial guilt and emotional jealousy are a strange combination for a half conscious Jisung to say the least.

“Are those fools not taking care of my Sung properly? Illegal, tell them to call me I have to yell at them too. They better not be working you too hard.”

‘My Sung’ Jisung almost choked. Almost.

“Nonono Hyung! They take care of me fine, we're all just exhausted with work.”

“Hmmmm okay they get a pass this time, but please relay my threat.”

“Okay okay I will.”

“You should probably get some rest soon. You're busy tomorrow right?”

Jisung yawned in response, which was enough convincing for Minho that he needed to rest.

“Okay looks like it's sleepy time for hardworking Jisung~”

“Wait hyung!” Jisung wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet, even though his body was actively fighting him.

“Yes belated birthday boy?”

“Thank you for not letting me be a sad gremlin all night. It would've been nice to have spent my birthday with you, but you still made me feel better.”

The musings of sleepy Jisung were just about enough to let the fondness burst from Minho’s chest. As much as he continues to hide it, the fondness still seeps into his voice, “Of course, Jisung we always have next year.” A promise he wasn’t sure he could keep but Jisung always made him want to try new things.

“Next year?” The sleepiness had definitely taken over, making his voice much softer than his usual bright edge.

“Yes next year... Goodnight Sungie, call me back if you can't sleep okay.”

“Mmkay, G’night hyungie.” Already half asleep by the time he hung up, Minho was glad that the younger was finally able to rest. Glancing at his roommates huddled together on the couch already drifting off, Minho accepted that it was his turn to finally rest knowing that all his younger companions were all safely sleeping. Hyung instincts he supposes.

-----

one ~ two ~ three ~ four ~ five ~ six ~ seven ~ eight ~ nine

#skz au #skz fic #stray kids au #stray kids fic #lee minho #han jisung #minsung #leeknow #skz lee know #skz han #stray kids #lee felix #hwang hyunjin

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voyd-is-in-a-portal · 4 years

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How to End Up Being an Inventor (In 5 Actions).

We consulted with numerous expert inventors to boil down the tricks of the craft. Some have made jobs out of an invention, others have found markets. If you're sitting on an idea that might be the next terrific American invention, below's your playbook.

1. Cultivate an Idea.

The record of the invention is studded with one-hit marvels, inventors whose solitary blockbuster suggestion made them a fortune. However one of the most prolific inventors can not switch off the idea maker. They are also troubled as well as creative. Inventors just see life's many obstacles in a different way than the average person, according to medical-devices inventor Robert Fischell. "The key to inventing is the awareness that a problem is a trigger from which an invention can be created," says Fischell, who holds more than 200 patents for advancements such as an implantable heart defibrillator and also enhanced stents. "When I'm in the operating room as well as a doctor tosses a device against the wall in irritation, I claim, 'Great, here's an opportunity.'".

Fischell, who at the elevation of his profession filed a new patent application every six weeks, wastes no time in determining whether his most recent concept satisfies the patent test of being brand-new, beneficial, and also nonobvious. He goes right to the U.S. Patent as well as Hallmark Workplace's database of released patents (patft.uspto.gov) and performs a search. "If you review a patent, as well as someone, has currently resolved the issue, after that you're still an inventor. You just arrived late," he says.

If, after an initial search, your idea verifies unique, after that continue developing it. Be reasonable concerning what you're obtaining right into. "The moment you commit will be dual what you believe it will be, as well as the buck amounts you devote will be 4 times what you assumed," Leatherman states.

Make drafts, execute examinations, expand principles, and keep comprehensive notes. Patent lawyers suggest their customers preserve a visit a completely bound notebook that obtains stamped by a notary public frequently. A logbook becomes essential in cases before the U.S. Patent and also Trademark Workplace including similar technologies, as the burden of proof is up to patent applicants to demonstrate that they were the initial to conceive of an invention.

At this onset in the video game, your investment of personal time and money will have been minor compared with what is around the bend. Before the case, you'll need to ask some hard questions about both your concept as well as on your own: Is my idea significantly different than any that precede it? Exists a large market for the product? Can it be developed and made at a reasonable expense? That is the client, and why should they get my product as well as not a competitor's? Am I prepared to devote myself fully to making this concept do well?

Inventors who have been via the process care not to undervalue the psychological and mental determination called for. "If you can't afford mentally and intellectually to fail if your vanity would certainly be wiped out after that don't do it.". see also InventHelp TV Commercial

2. Develop a Model.

With the schedule of powerful computing and computer-assisted layout software application like Autodesk Inventor as well as SolidWorks 3D CAD, inventors today live in what Kamen describes as "the utmost sweet-shop." The earliest versions of Kamen's first invention, a wearable mixture pump that provides specific dosages of medicines such as insulin, sprang to life out a computer system display yet in a workshop set up in the basement of his parents' home on Long Island, N.Y. Kamen was a teenager at the time.

Also when made in a highly exact digital CAD atmosphere, an item ultimately has to leap to the genuine globe in the kind of a model. Depending on the materials entailed and the complexity of an invention, the expense of making a high-quality prototype can empty a financial institution account as well as compel an inventor to look for financing at an extremely early stage.

Tim Leatherman supports taking a DIY technique. During an experimental phase lasting three years, he constructed prototypes of his groundbreaking multitool from cardboard, wood, as well as steel till he picked advanced layout. "By collaborating with my hands," he says, "I found out about barriers to performance as well as manufacturability.".

When you have your prototype, it's time to repair your invention. Obtain outside your head and go-to experts in the field, Fischell suggests. "Ask, 'Do you believe my suggestion has business benefit? Would certainly you utilize it?' Make them authorize a privacy arrangement," he says. For inventors, the possibility of copyright burglary is very actual, but way too much caution can become immobilizing. Privacy, or nondisclosure, the contract permits you to field-test in confidence.

Responses from Mario Salazar's target audience-- woodworkers-- compelled the Colorado Springs inventor to adjust his digital miter gauge. The mechanical prototype he constructed in the cellar with a blowpipe, an oscilloscope, and also a milling maker noticed eBay worked efficiently as well as felt ideal to Salazar, yet the tradespersons wanted it bigger as well as much more inexpensive. "You can't fall for your invention," he states. "Obtain responses and also make alterations accordingly.".

In the agitated company world, a patent protects the inventor by providing the unique right to leave out others from making, making use of, or offering his invention for 20 years. "When other people see you making cash, your patent will be the only methods you have for keeping control of the market," claims Lonnie Johnson, founder of Johnson ElectroMechanical types of equipment as well as the inventor of the Super Soaker water weapon. Follow inventhelp for more advice:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/inventhelp

https://twitter.com/inventhelp

3. Submit a Patent.

Patent law is made complex things, so get an experienced patent lawyer to write and also file your patent application. Anticipate to pay in between $3000 as well as $10,000. "Work with a patent lawyer who additionally has a level in the field you're making an application for a patent in and who understands your market," Salazar encourages.

A knowledgeable lawyer can prepare a wide patent that safeguards an invention against violation from any angle. In the case of Richard Phillips, proprietor of International Survival, his well-crafted patent application made it impossible for anybody to replicate the slim, shock-absorbing material he developed for his protective paintball vest. "My legal representative spread out the patent out thus far over and below my laminated foam product's residential properties that a competitor's vest would certainly have to be so hefty the wearer couldn't walk approximately light that the vest falls apart when struck," Phillips states.

On standard, patent authorization takes 3 years and may call for going back as well as forth several times with patent examiners. From the moment a patent application arrives at the USPTO up until it is either provided or abandoned, an invention is covered by patent-pending standing. In the situation of John Marsden, that created Pour 'N Shop, a bartending system of plastic containers, and also put spouts for beverage mixers, a pending patent amounted to a suit of paper armor.

According to Salazar, any kind of inventor has to be all set to do battle. "I'll have my attorney send out a cease-and-desist letter if somebody infringes on my patent. As well as in the end, a patent is just as great as the thickness of your pocketbook.".

4. Examine the Market.

When the patent application is in total, the inventor needs to change from developing a suggestion of developing a service. Rare is the innovative brilliant behind an invention that likewise has business chops-- or the interest-- to look after the manufacture, advertising, and also selling of his production. Even the brightest innovative minds can drop victim to the countless rip-offs and also doubtful invention-promotion companies whose advertisements clutter the Internet. Many expert inventors urge care with any kind of attire that requests for cash upfront to shop your suggestions about.

Tim Leatherman built up important know-how in business and also production by joining with Steve Berliner. John Marsden, the Pour 'N Store designer, partnered early on with service school grad Ed Harrigan. "If I had not had Ed, I probably would not have made it," he says.

Marketing research studies-- perform your own or appoint a market research company-- will certainly provide you data concerning market patterns and customer demographics. There is no substitute, nevertheless, for putting your invention in front of potential consumers as well as manufacturers, providers, and distributors to get a sense of its market value. For the inventor, this is an anxious time.

Salazar is a big believer in showing your items at trade shows. "You'll figure out who is doing what, whether you'll be able to contend and if somebody wants to get what you have," he claims. "However you're additionally dropping your cabinets and every person will see what you've obtained. Your item had better be 95 percent complete. Be ready to answer concerns: Just how huge is the market? That's mosting likely to buy it?".

5. Sell It or Make It.

Inventors make cash in two means: collecting aristocracies by certifying the right to produce their invention or production, distributing, and marketing the invention themselves. Louis J. Foreman, owner, and also the primary executive of Enventys, an item style as well as a design firm in Charlotte, N.C., and writer of The Independent Inventor's Handbook, has personally encountered that problem several times as the holder of 10 licenses as well as has encouraged many inventors as a lead court on the PBS program Everyday Edisons.

Then it's time to ask yourself one more round of questions: First, exists enough upside potential to merit the threat of bringing the item to market on your own? "Consider opportunity costs also," Foreman says. "If you have to quit a job that pays $100,000, can you make enough to counter that?" Second, do you have the financial resources to pull it off? If you don't, then where is the money most likely to originate from? And lastly, do you have the competence to run an organization? "It's one point to come up with a remarkable item, however, are you comfy marketing it, can you distribute it, restore it as well as satisfy orders if Walmart offers you a 5-million-piece purchase order?" Supervisor claims.

No question licensing is the less complicated path to getting an invention to market. It requires less dedication of time as well as up-front resources and frees inventors to do what they do best: invent. However, expedience comes with an expense. Royalty prices on patents-- created on the list price, production run, as well as various other variables-- average less than 2 to 7 percent of retail sales. Still, for a first-time inventor brief on funds and also know-how, a licensing contract can be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

#InventHelp #InventHelp phone number #InventHelp address #InventHelp locations #InventHelp twitter #InventHelp linkedin #InventHelp blog

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acsisoftpull · 3 years

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Soft Pull Training: How Soft Pulls Can Help Transform Your Business

Would you like to know how to pull your customer’s credit using their name and their address only?

Learn how iSoftpull enables you to check your customers’ credit using their name and address only. Keep reading to learn more, or enjoy our complimentary soft pull training video that outlines everything you need to know.

Introduction

So, you want to learn more about soft credit checks. You’re probably a lender or a broker, or work in some type of industry that requires financing for your customers. And, because of that, you want to know your customer’s credit score at the beginning of the sales cycle, that way you know whether or not they would be approved if they applied. Our software delivers you just that, your customer’s credit score and their full credit report using their name and address only — keep reading to learn more.

The Problem

When we first started developing the technology for soft pulls back in 2017 we primarily served the auto industry. And, if you’ve ever financed a car through a dealership, you know that it takes a long time to get a deal done.

When you get to the dealership, you’re most interested in knowing what the potential payments would be for a particular financing plan. Generally, the salesperson will require you to do a hard pull where you’ll fill out a formal credit application just so you can know how much your payments will be. And then there’s this back and forth on the dealership side. You have to sit down with the sales manager, and then he has to talk to the financing guy, and you go back and forth for hours. Only to find out that the payment is not right. Or, you know you have good credit, but you don’t want to do a hard pull, you just want to know what the payments are.

Well, YOUR customers are probably thinking the same thing. They simply want to know how much their payments are going to be but, like the auto dealer, you probably have to have them apply first. It shouldn’t have to be that complicated, right? That’s how we got our start, we needed to help solve this problem for auto dealers on how they could speed up their sales cycle. To help solve this problem, we’ve introduced soft pulls for businesses.

Our Solution

Soft pulls help to bridge the gap in the sales cycle. Now, the customer simply gives the dealer their name, their home address, and the permission to do a soft pull. With that simple information, the dealer can then offer terms based on their credit report and their FICO score but without harming the credit score, or putting a hard inquiry on their credit report, AND without needing their sensitive information.

It not only helps the customer know their payment plan, but also helps the auto dealer. Now, the salesperson won’t have to spend three to four hours on somebody that in the end, won’t even qualify. Soft pulls help you find out at the beginning of the sales cycle, whether or not someone will be approved.

Industries We Serve

Back in 2017, when we were only serving the auto industry and we were doing a lot of cold calling. We were trying to get more deals, and were doing okay but knew that there had to be more people out there needing this type of software. Then, we heard about digital advertising and that changed everything. After posting a Google ad targeted towards auto dealers, we started getting a lot of calls from random companies across many industries — from solar, to business loans, even dentists. They’d call us and we’d ask why they needed soft pulls, and they would start telling us their story.

There was a guy who worked in solar, for instance, who explained that he had a whole team of door knockers in the field and they’d spend a lot of time and resources working on a deal. They’d spend weeks, even months, driving back and forth from a potential job site talking to the customer, only to find out that the client isn’t even qualified. Imagine doing all that work and having it be a total waste?!? Unfortunately, some of you might know this feeling all too well. And with that, we realized the home improvement industry needs soft pulls so they can know their customers’ credit at the beginning of the sales cycle, to help know which customers to pursue.

Or, people who do business loans, they used to have the customer submit a credit report so they could review it and know where to send the deal. But sometimes, the customer would never submit the credit report, so then the business loan people would shotgun the deal out to four or five lenders, and the customer would end up getting five different hard pulls on their credit report. So, this business loan company definitely needs to know the customer’s credit score so they know where to send the loan.

And the list goes on. We’ve found that there are so many different industries that need soft pulls. And they all have one thing in common, they need to know the customer’s credit at the beginning of the sales cycles, to know if they should spend time on this customer or not.

Today, we serve mortgage brokers, contractors, real estate agents, companies that do personal loans and business loans, auto dealers, we can serve most businesses who are lending money or administering services upfront who need to ensure that their client is able to adhere to lending terms.

Soft Pull vs. Hard Pull Difference

You might be wondering, what’s the difference between a soft pull and a hard pull? Well, let’s start by saying, it isn’t the data — hard pulls and soft pulls both show the full, up-to-date credit report and score. The difference is the borrower’s intent. See, with a soft pull the borrower is saying, “if I did apply, would I be approved?” They’re not actually asking for the loan right now, they’re checking to see if in the case they did want to submit a formal application, if they’d be approved or what they’d be approved for. So, by doing a soft pull, you can find out the terms and the exact credit score, so you can get the deal done.

You’ve seen this a lot, if you’ve ever shopped for a credit card online, like on a Capital One or American Express, it says, “get prequalified, will not impact your credit score” and then you put in your information and they say you’d be best suitable for the gold offer or the silver offer or the double points offer etc. In the past, this technology was exclusively used by the big players like Capital One and American Express but what we did was develop this technology and package it to bring to the middle market, to the small businesses and medium sized businesses. Now, companies of all sizes have access to the same exact technology as some of the largest lenders.

How it Works

The credit bureaus create data, and that’s all they really do, they’re data aggregators, but they rely on resellers like us to make technology to serve different niches and deliver credit reports. So that’s where we come in, we provide the software. We buy the data from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, and we enable you to run soft credit checks through our platform.

We help you to overcome the burden of not knowing your customer’s credit, we deliver you your customer’s full credit report and FICO score using their name and address only. Now, you might be wondering, how can you do that with just a name and address only? It’s simple really, the name AND address serves as a unique identifier, just like a social security number but without having to worry about the sensitive nature associated with that information.

We have an application programming interface (API) with the credit bureaus that enable us to pull credit using name and address only. This operates on a couple of assumptions:

The first being that the name and the address are only associated with one person. So if there’s a John Doe Jr. and a John Doe Sr. living in the same house, then we would need the date of birth or the social security number to access the credit report of the John Doe in question.

Or, if someone had gotten married and they gave you their new last name, we’d need their date of birth or their social security number.

Or, let’s say someone had moved and they gave you their name and new home address, but the new address wasn’t associated with any accounts on their credit report, then you’d need the DOB or ssn.

While there are rare instances (like those outlined above) that would require you to obtain additional information to pull someone’s credit report, the overwhelming majority of the time you’ll be able to successfully access the report using name and address only. The reason this is so important is because people have been trained not to give up their social security number, especially with the rise in identity theft and compromised data.

Benefit of Soft Pulls

Imagine if you’re cold calling, selling home refinances, or whatever it is, but you haven’t built up a rapport with the customer. Before, if you wanted to qualify a customer, you’d need to do a hard credit pull using their social security number but chances are they wouldn’t be willing to give that information because you’re a stranger, right? Makes sense. But imagine it now, with soft credit checks, that customer is going to be a lot more willing to share their name and address to see if they qualify, knowing that there won’t be any negative impacts to them in doing so.

This is HUGE! If the majority of people would’ve walked away because they didn’t want to give their social security number or apply with a hard pull, you can now overcome these barriers and turn them into ACTUALborrowers and ACTUAL prospects. You’re going to convert more leads, plain and simple. Try and envision what your business would look like if you were able to transform all of your no’s into yeses?

We’ve found that by only asking for a name and a home address increases the conversion rate by 300% online. If you’re shopping online for a loan, you have two options, one is fill out just your name and your home address, the other is put in your name, home address, date of birth, social security number, occupation, employment history, and this whole litany of information. Between those two choices, you’re going to chose the name and address application over the other one, right?

You’re not alone, the name and address soft pull inquiry converts over 300% more than the traditional hard pull application. That’s 300% more viable leads and and I’m sure you can infer what that would mean for your bottom line. At the end of the day, the opportunity cost of not having soft pulls apart of your sales process is something that none of us can afford to bear.

How Soft Pulls Transform Business

Let’s discuss how businesses from different industries are using soft pulls. It all starts with consent, you have to get the customer’s consent, you can do that over the phone on a recorded line, online on your website, or you can even use a paper application if you’re in-person with the customer.

Over the phone works really well when you do an appointment setting, so let’s say a company that’s in the home improvement industry is going to send somebody out to a potential job where the client will require financing. With soft pulls. the company can run the client’s credit report, with consent, using name and address to find out whether or not they would be approved. Companies can phrase this by asking if they can run a soft credit check on the customer so they can give them the exact terms and an exact quote.

Now, in order to get consent over the phone, you need a recorded line, that’s why a lot of companies will have the consent clause on a written paper application or digital consent form that can be stored. Capturing consent can be easily incorporated into normal business practices, you can do it on appointment confirmations before you send them out or apart of your inquiry forms or onboarding process.

Businesses that provide refinancing for Home loans, for example, can utilize soft pulls as a lead generation and pre-qualify tool in their email marketing campaigns. They probably want to run a credit check that’s going to show a potential borrower’s mortgage and how much they owe on their home. Well, the company likely already has the customer’s name and home address, so they can send them an email with a “get prequalified” call-to-action button with an embeded pre-qual and consent form. You can simply include the consent form at the bottom of the application and when they click I agree, you’re able to run the soft credit check on them. This is great for doing lead generation. Instead of simply getting a lead from Facebook or Google, you can now generate a new lead and also get their full credit report and FICO score.

What Our Customers are Saying

There are a lot of different ways that companies can use soft pulls depending on their industry or business model. Take one of our best clients, Jason from Capwell Funding, a business loan company. He’s been using our product for years and has been able to scale his business because of it. Before he used soft pulls he had to rely on his client to provide a PDF of their credit report. These reports would come from various credit monitoring sites and could take up to two weeks to obtain from the client.

With soft pulls, Jason and his team at Capwell Funding are able to acquire the client’s credit report right away. They simply collect a few data points from the client and are good to go. Furthermore, Jason has found that the soft pull data is more detailed and comprehensive than most credit monitoring platforms. By checking credit internally, he’s been able to provide an accurate pre-qual and doesn’t have to rely on the client to provide their credit.

“I almost didn’t believe it. Even after using it for a little bit, I still wondered, how long is this gonna last? How long am I gonna be able to do this? ’cause this is amazing, this is… I keep using the term, but it’s game-changing! We’ve been able to do a lot more deals with soft pulls because of the scalability. I really couldn’t imagine anyone that needs to review credit not having it. I don’t know how you would really be effective, how you would compete in the marketplace without soft pull. If you’re a business that needs to review your customer’s credit, I highly recommend iSoftpull.”

Jason, iSoftpull Customer

Check out this video to hear from Jason and learn how he’s transformed his business using iSoftpull.

Conclusion

We serve all types of businesses, from solar to business loans, auto, mortgage, the list goes on, but what all these people have in common is that they all want to pull their customer’s credit for financing purposes. Now, there are a lot of other industries that also have a reason to pull credit, like bankruptcy attorneys or credit repair or tenant screening but we are unable to provide our service to them at the moment. We specialize in financing and loans, net 30, and in-house funding. So, if you want to pull your customer’s credit for the purpose of checking to see if they can pay back a loan, we can totally work with you!

Hopefully, you got a lot out of this training! Now you should know what soft credit checks are, how different industries are using them, and how they will transform your business.

Want more information?

Click here to schedule an appointment with one of our sales reps.

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lunarr-rrose · 3 years

Video

Hiring, Training and Evaluating - Fernando Angelucci, The Storage Stud

https://u109893.h.reiblackbook.com/generic11/the-storage-stud/hiring-training-and-evaluating-fernando-angelucci-the-storage-stud/

One of the questions that Fernando often gets is, how do they hire, train, and evaluate their employees and contractors?

When it comes to the hiring process, they go to different resources.

One thing that helps them a lot to go through this process is the book called “Top Grading”.

The book is about how to go through the hiring process. It also teaches how to get to the core of the person that you are working with.

They also use a behavioral assessment called the Predictive Index.

Predictive Index creates a personality assessment that allows them to see the motivations of the individual or candidate.

This is a great tool for them to know if the position that the candidate is applying for matches their motivations and behavior.

While in resourcing they usually use referrals and aggregator websites such as Wisehire or LinkedIn.

Another tool that they use in hiring its contractors is the EOS processor. The Entrepreneurial Operating System process which is made famous in the book “Traction” by Gino Wickman.

One of the things that this book teaches them is how to evaluate your personnel not only against your core focus as an organization but as well as to see if they understand the business, if they want it and if they have the capacity to do it.

If you want to know the whole process of hiring, training, and evaluating that the Titan Wealth Group is using continue watching this video.

Fernando O. Angelucci is Founder and President of Titan Wealth Group. He also leads the firm’s finance and acquisitions departments. Fernando Angelucci and Steven Wear founded Titan Wealth Group in 2015, and under his leadership, the firm’s revenue has grown over 100% year over year. Today,

Find out more at

https://www.TheStorageStud.com

https://titanwealthgroup.com/

Listen to our Podcast:

https://thestoragestud.podbean.com/e/hiring-training-and-evaluating-fernando-angelucci-the-storage-stud/

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

One of the questions that I get pretty often is, how do we hire, train and evaluate our employees and our contractors? So, when it comes to the hiring process, we go through a few different resources. The first book that I read that really added a lot of value to this process for us was Topgrading. In that book, they talk about how to go through the hiring process, how to create funnels and how to really get to the core of the person that you're working with. A supplement to that is we use a service called Predictive Index. With Predictive Index, it is a two question assessment. It's a behavioral assessment. And first question is, how do you feel people perceive you, or what do people expect from you? And then, the second question is, how do you perceive yourself? Or what do you think people are expecting of, and those two questions that we'll have a bunch of multiple check boxes that you can click through, maybe something like a hundred check boxes.

And from that, it creates a personality assessment that allows us to see very quickly, what are the motivations of that individual or candidate? For example, in my Predictive Index assessment, I'm what's called a captain. So, I have more attention to high level, not a lot of attention to detail. One of the things that is difficult for me is I like to move quickly. I like to change. So, if I was looking at my assessment for, let's say an accounting position, I would be the worst candidate for that type of position, because in that position that had, you know, high attention to detail is very methodical, likes things to be repetitive and have a process and a system and the rules that need to be followed. Whereas on mine, I, you know, rules are more of a guideline for me, not hard and fast rules.

I like to be in the changing environment. I like to shake things up. I need variable tasks. I can't sit in front of a desk for too long. So, that's a really great tool that we use on anyone that's coming into our organization, whether they're an employee, whether they are a contractor that we're working with or a service provider, we'll send everyone through that assessment to see, if the position that they're feeling matches up with their motivations and their, the way their behavior. We'll then subsequently follow those motivations. So, Predictive Index is super important to us. When, the way we source these candidates are by using multiple both referrals, but then also online aggregator websites, such as WizeHire or Monster LinkedIn. And, we try to, create funnels so that these pre-qualifying funnels so that each one of our candidates have to go through and do more and more work to finally get, to spend time with the owners of the company.

So, it may be, you know, they go to the job posting and they read through the post and say, Hey, this is great. Instead of just clicking the submit application or send resume, and then go on to the next one. And we don't want people just spamming our job so put something in that posting, which is like a homework assignment so that we know they actually read through the whole thing and understood it and want it. So, it may be something like, write a 300 word essay on, why you'd be a great fit for this position. I want you to then record yourself, reading this essay out loud. I want you to post it onto YouTube and then send me the YouTube link in addition to the results from your Predictive Index assessment. And then all of a sudden, we go from 300 applicants down to say maybe 10 applicants, that actually go through all of those homework funnels, all those pre-qualifying funnels.

From that point, then we will look at the Predictive Index assessment. See if it lines up with the position that we're looking for. And then, we'll start doing interviews using either The Topgrading process or Predictive Index has their own interview questions based off of the person's specific assessment. So, you can say, Hey, you know, so for example, for me, for Fernando says, Hey, Fernando, I see that you have, you know, some trouble with repetitive tasks and attention to detail. What are some ways that you have mitigated that in the past? And it's nice. Cause it's almost like an interview guide that is specifically tailored to the person that's sitting in front of you. Another tool that we use when it comes to hiring and evaluating our employees and our contractors is, The EOS process or The Entrepreneurial Operating System process, which is made famous in the book, Traction by Gino Wickman.

And one of the things that they teach is how to evaluate your personnel. Not only against your core focuses as an organization, but then also to see if they get it, they want it, and they have the capacity to do it. So, for example, maybe I'm hiring for an acquisition manager role and that acquisition manager, to see if he gets it, I'll ask him questions that are pretty typical in sales. I'll move quickly. I'll see how fast he is building rapport. Does he understand the business that we're in? Or if he doesn't understand it completely, does he have a generalization from doing research prior to coming into the interview? The second thing is, does he want that position? Right? You may get how to do a job, but you may not want it.

Maybe it's something that you're just doing because you need some quick cash on the side. That's pretty dangerous because then now you're putting all these resources into training and hiring someone, for them just to leave in six or 12 months because they aren't happy. And The Predictive Index assessment helps with that as well. There's something called a synthesis score where if they are overextending themselves, say, they're not someone that likes to pay attention to detail, but they're applying for a job that they need to pay attention to detail for, they can do it. They can go out of their comfort zone, but eventually that's going to wear them out. That's going to burn them out and they're going to leave or ask to change positions. And then, the last piece is, do they have the capacity to do it? So, this is an example of this would be if, someone who was coming to apply for a position, they want a full-time position, but they're already working a full-time job and a part-time job on the side.

You know, they may get it, they may want it, but they don't really have the capacity to do it. Another example is, let's say we're working with an acquisition manager that doesn't have a car and intends on not buying a car, but the job requires them to drive, you know, eight hours a day from appointment to appointment. So, that's another example of having the capacity to, and then the most important part, I think is making sure that that individual aligns with your core values as an organization. The proper way of going about this is not by telling them what the core values of the organization is, but actually, asking them questions and seeing how they answer to see if it aligns. So for example, one of the things that I really like to do, let's say one of your core focuses is integrity in your company, your core values integrity.

So, what I'll say, instead of saying, Hey, our core values is integrity. How do you embody that? Because now that it's a loaded question. What we say is, you know, who are, give me the names of three people that you admire that, you know, on a personal basis, not someone that you've read about or seen on TV, but someone, you know, personally and have met in the past, give me those names. And then for each one of those names, write down all the characteristics that you value in that person. And, if all of a sudden the interviewee starts saying, well, I like this person because he gets what he wants, even if he has to step on people to get there. He gets the job done no matter what, no matter who, you know, no matter who gets in his way, if he has to trample him, then that's worth it.

You know, those are things that do not align with a core value of integrity. So, that's an easy way to get those pieces out of a candidate without actually revealing your cards, telling them what your core values are, so that you can get a straight answer and evaluate them from an honest perspective. And we thought that asking them who they admire, what traits they admire about those people works really well. And then, as far as training our employees and our staff, our personnel, we take this very seriously. We go through a numerous training programs, depending on what positions they're in. There's usually assigned reading that must be done. There are online modules that must be done. So for example, if let's say we're hiring a sales guy, very first thing that I request them to read will be a book called, Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss.

So written by the lead FBI hostage negotiator for 10 years, turned business person, talks about tactical empathy and being a good listener and, you know, finding ways to draw more information out of people without being overbearing and trying to cram something down their throat. So, that's one of the required reasons for us. Another one, that we decided to do with salespeople is send them through the John Martinez Sales Training program, which is a weekly training program with videos and online modules and homework assignments that must be done. It's really has been really good for us. And then, as far as other positions we'll, we've found is that we're good at our business. We're not good at training our people. So, the best thing for us to do is go out and hire people that have expertise in that field to train that person or candidate in the area that they need to excel.

So, for example, if it's a property manager, we'll, we'll put them through a property management course, another thing that we always do is, any time we are doing a repetitive process or something that's stuck in the owner's brains, we always try to get that out of our brains and into, writing into processes, into videos and trainings. So for example, one of the things that I have for myself is every time I catch myself doing something two or three times, the same way, what I'll end up doing is recording my screen with a mic. And as I do that task, I'll talk out loud how I'm doing it, why I'm doing it, the reasons behind the actions. And then, we'll record those. We'll put them in a central repository that all employees in the company have access to. So, if there's ever a time where someone, you know, may not know how to, you know, order professional photos for a property, they can go right into the marketing or dispositions folder. There'll be a video, says here's how to order professional photos for a property, they'll click on it, to walk through it. And then there's usually a process that follows it as well, with a checklist, so that they can go ahead and check things off until they have that process memorized. So, we think that's super important when it comes to training employees and train potential candidates,

As far as evaluations go, we do multiple evaluations per year. So, because we run on EOS, not only do we have our weekly level 10 meetings, but we also do quarterly meetings to wrap up the previous quarter and then start working on the next quarters, major goals or rocks as we call them. But a part of that quarterly meeting and a part of the annual meeting is, we go through each one of our employees and owners and we all in an open room, openly review each other, which can get tense at times, but it's how you create extreme accountability. And so the very first thing that we'll rate people on is that, do they get it, do they want it, and do they have the capacity to do it and how our rating system works is we do, we have to give a plus, we give a plus minus, or we give a minus.

And for each one of these things, we set a parameter. They either have to be plus or better. They have to be plus minus or better. If anybody shows up on a minus for anything that goes onto an issues list, and then we have to work with that person to see what's going on and how can we help? So, those are the first three, get it, want it, do they have the capacity to do it? Then we rate everyone again on our core values. So for example, one of my companies, the corporate, we have four core values. It's, have fun, operate with integrity, operate with drive. So, sometimes you got to put in a lot of hours, but it's worth it, cause it betters the whole. And then the last is, others first. So, having a spirit of sharing and of helping others, even if it doesn't help you, charitable giving, donating, volunteering time, those types of things.

And then we'll go through and we'll rate everyone, including the owners in an open room everybody's facing each other. We give them plus, plus, minus or minus, and then we'll set, Hey, you know, fun, you can be a plus minus or better. Integrity, you got to be a plus, plus there's going to be, you know, follow-up meetings to discuss what happened. And you know, is this the right place for you to be? Drive is a plus. And then others first is also, it's also a plus. So, these are the things that we evaluate on. And then we look at just the accountability. Each week on our level tens, issues are assigned to stakeholders or to people that own, that issue that need to solve it. And if we start to see in the level tens that your tasks are falling behind and you're not getting them done on certain deadlines.

And that requires a further meeting to figure out what's going on. Is there something we can do to help out? Or maybe it just, it's not a right fit and we should part ways amicably. So, those are the main things that we use when it comes to hiring, training and evaluating candidates and employees in our companies. This is by no means an exhaustive answer. I mean, we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on this process. You know, your greatest asset are your people. And if you make a bad choice, that choice could cost you usually three to six times that person's salary. Especially, if you let them just putter by for years without addressing any issues. So, that's what I usually recommend. Anytime somebody asks me, Hey, how do you hire? How do you train? How do you evaluate employees? How do you find them?

#Real estate #Real Estate Investing #the storage stud #storage stud #Fernando angelucci #self storage #alternative funds

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batwynn · 4 years

Text

Quarantine Positive Mental and Physical Health Checklist:

Note: Not everything works for everyone and not every service is provided by your local services, so please always take advice with consideration of that fact. ALWAYS check with your doctor or informed professionals about anything that requires medical treatment, etc.

(American) National Suicide Hotline:

1-800-273-8255

List of international hotlines:

http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html

(WARNING! Some of these are no longer operational. Double check in your country for a line if one of these does not work.)

*IF YOU HAVE/THINK YOU HAVE COVID19 AND ARE SELF ISOLATING TO HEAL AT HOME:

*If you have asthma or any other chronic lung conditions, heart conditions, or kidney conditions please be sure to call either your doctor’s office or the ER if you are experiencing any symptoms of the virus. (Fever, dry cough, trouble breathing.)

*If you are trans and bind or bind your chest for any reason, DO NOT WEAR A BINDER IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS! This virus attacks the lungs! You could cause serious complications and end up hospitalized or worse. I understand the need to bind, and I understand the dangers of not binding. But please, please DO NOT BIND when sick or symptomatic.

WHO does not recommend people use Ibuprofen, but to use Tylenol for fever and pain reduction.

Please remember to keep up your intake of fluids!

Checklist:

Have you taken your medication(s)? — with the stress levels at high right now, now might be a good time to make up a schedule somewhere for your daily medications and their times. If you need reminders, you can use your phone’s calendar function (with an alert set at ‘at the time of the event’) or the ‘reminders’ application (iPhone). If you can’t use these, or don’t have them on your phone, consider asking someone who is available and able to send you a message/text/call to alert you to take your medication(s). If you don’t have a phone, try to place the schedule somewhere you will see it often during the day. (Possibly on the fridge, by your desk, by your bed, etc.) Multiple copies of the schedule might also help.

Have you been drinking your water, or other fluids? —Hydration is important whether you’re sick or not! If you have trouble drinking water, good alternatives would be coconut water or low-added-sugar juices. (100% juices are best) Sipping soups like broth can also hydrate, but be careful of salt content! Many fruits and veggies also have a high water content. Try: celery, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, dark leafy greens, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwis or oranges.

Have you spoken today? If not, try to read a few lines of something out loud just to stretch out your jaw and vocal cords a bit. A lot of tension can be held in your jaw, and it’s good to loosen it up a bit every so often.

Have you had enough sleep? Your mood/health can be seriously affected by lack of sleep. If you’re having trouble going to sleep: Consider reading something familiar and comforting before bed, or consider putting your phone away an hour or so before going to bed, and try to keep it just out of reach. With everything that’s going on, the temptation to check the news all the time or scroll for hours to try to de-stress is understandable. Try to limit yourself to certain times of the day, and avoid doing it late into the night. *There are medications of all sorts from over the counter Melatonin to prescription medications that can help with falling asleep, staying asleep, nightmares, and more. Please reach out to your doctor/therapist/psychologist if you think you need help with sleep.

Dealing with chronic illnesses or pain and aren’t allowed to go in for your usual appointments or PT(Physical therapy)? Check in with your doctor/specialist’s office by phone and see if they are allowing phone/video appointments. A lot of offices are doing this, and some are willing to refill medications/start new medications via these appointments. MOST Pharmacies will now deliver your medications to your home, some even for free. If you don’t already have a print out of home PT exercises for your specific pain areas, call and ask for them to either mail one to you, or direct you to one online. It’s important to keep up with your PT!

If you’re low on food due to money/stores being empty and you need to keep your blood sugar up, you can try to even things out with Glucose Tablets. These are not a replacement for a meal, though! Please check all your local food pantries, churches, and even school food programs.

A lot of schools are offering a meals-on-wheels-like program for people with children in need.

And if you’re elderly, Meals on Wheels is working extra hard to make sure everyone has food, including doubling up the amount you get per week for a lot of people.* (Please also consider donating to them if you have the funds!)

If none of these options work, please call 211 to speak to a member of the United Way call center who can help connect you to resources in your area. (This is not just for food.)

Stuck inside with family/roommates/partners and need some alone time?—If you have a private room, stick a sign on the door requesting to be left alone. Adding a period of time can help give them an idea of how long before knocking. For example: ‘Leave me alone for 40 minutes unless emergency please!’ If you do not have a room to yourself, if possible make up a plan with your roommates/family/partners to designate alone time in a room. Each member of the household can have 1 hour time alone in the bedroom/living room/bathroom/etc. Try to keep communication open, even when you really need to be alone. Make sure the others know you need this time, and that it might be good for them, too.

Did you eat today?

• If you feel like you’re dissociating, try counting your fingers or looking at your finger whorls. Remember that they are unique to you, that you are real. If this doesn’t work, you can also try counting things of one shape or color in the room to try to ground yourself in your surroundings. Fidgeting or chewing gum can also help stimulate your senses, which can help keep you grounded.

• If you are having a panic attack:

1: Ground yourself to reality with something familiar like a keychain or even pictures of something on your phone. [Cats and dogs are good.] Also, do not trust everything your mind/body is telling you right now. Thoughts like, ‘i’m going to die’, ‘everyone is leaving me’, ‘everyone hates me’, are a part of the panic, try not to linger on them, because they will only make it worse. A good trick is to try to replace these thoughts with a mental image of something either calming or silly. Like a Sloth, or a unicorn fighting a giant jelly bean.

2: Find a space that feels the safest for you, and stay there.

3: Take slow, deep breaths. After breathing in for four seconds, hold it for a few seconds before breathing out for another four seconds.

4: Stimulate your mind with something simple, and not stressful. Tap your fingers, re-read nice messages from someone, play a game one your phone that doesn’t require any thought or is timed.

5: You are doing a really good job. You don’t have to feel embarrassed. You are not alone. You are strong, and awesome.

Try not to feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed, upset, angry, sad, etc. This is a really rough time, and you’re allowed to feel how you feel.

Did you brush your teeth today?

Don’t be afraid, you’re not alone!-Reach out to someone you know, if you need it. If you can’t find someone, feel free to reach out to me and we can talk, or I can direct you to someone else who might be more equipped to help.

Have you hurt yourself recently? Please take the time to clean and cover it. I know it’s hard to take care of yourself right now, but it’s not good to get an infection especially with the hospitals and doctors possibly turning you away due to the influx if COVID19 patients.

It’s okay to take time to get going, and no, you do NOT have to write that book right now.

You don’t have to talk about it if you aren’t ready. Being stuck inside with people does not mean they get to pressure you to open up about anything you’re not ready to open up about.

You CAN talk about it, if you’re ready. Your problems are real, even if they might seem small or insignificant in the face of huge, global issues.

If you are stuck in a home with an abusive person and cannot get out because of the current situation, please remember there are many applications, chats, text lines, phone lines available depending on where you are and who you are.

Have you stretched in the past hour?

Here are some online/phone options for AA/substance abuse groups.

Pet a cute animal today! If you can’t, there’s loads of livestreams from all over the world with cute animals on display!

10 relaxing online games

Try making one of these comfort foods:

American Comfort Foods

Canadian Comfort Foods Indian Comfort Foods Japanese Comfort Foods German Comfort Foods Mexican Comfort Foods [sorry, a lot of Tex-mex in there.]

Remember: You matter. Your feelings matter. Your life matters.

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