#and im the only one that takes care of murphy and my chickens
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List 10 of your favorite girl names.
Violet, Eleanor, Faye, Ophelia, Holland (holly), Vera, Ivy, Naomi, Lorelai, Jane, Yvette (evie)
List 10 of your favorite boy names.
Theodore, Max, Jack, Matthew, Smith, Hugh, Burke, Beau, Crosby, Murphy,
List 10 girl names (or up to 10) that you don’t really care for.
I probably wouldnt name my daughter: beth, susan, kathy, crystal, sarah, jessica, aurora, mck-anything, lily, peyton
List up to 10 boy names that you don’t really care for.
I probably wouldnt name my son: paul, steve, frank, richard, bill, alexander, patrick, philip, douglas, jimmy
How old were you when you found out Santa wasn’t real?
My siblings made that pretty early.
List one past regret.
Not asking more questions when red flags occurred.
Do you own Converse, and if so, what color?
I do not
What color was your senior prom dress?
Like a fushia pink
Are you colorblind?
Nope.
Name the people you know who are colorblind.
jase
What’s one pet peeve of yours?
People asking me to get involved with something that has nothing to do with me, simply because they dont want to deal with the other person.
Would you ever consider a career in writing?
Ummmm, perhaps
What was the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up?
A missionary
What was your first favorite color?
Blue and orange
What is your favorite color now?
Pink and blue and white
Do you know a lot of people with the same middle name as you?
No. im sure people do, but i dont know more than i thiiiiiiink 1
Have you ever purchased a youtuber’s merch?
Nope.
Last thing you bought online? Did you like it?
A book. I havent read it yet but i assume ill like it.
Could you date someone who didn’t drive (and didn’t show an interest in ever getting their license, either)?
I could, but it would definitely not be an attractive quality to me. My weakness is a man driving me around in a truck.
How would you react if your artwork became famous?
Id be probably super uncomfortable
Would you get your nipples pierced?
Hmmm… probably not but ive never given it much thought
How many people know your birthday?
A handful of people. I think a lotttttttttttt of people forgot lately.
Has anyone ever tried to ruin a relationship you were in?
Yeppppppp. There were honestly only a couple relationships ive been in that the man was ABSOLUTELY in control of his feelings for me and did not allow anyone else to interfere with that. Gah that is the most … insanely attractive thing. Actually, the person that comes to mind that fiercely protected his relationship with me, had every reason to have it split apart by others. He refused. Man it was like.. My heart swelled at that.
Have you ever watched a whole hour long infomercial?
yes
What is your favorite kind of meat to put on your sandwich?
chicken
Which one of your exes do you feel like you have the most chemistry with?
Hmmm. john & K i was very much in love with. Chemistry was very strong. In person, physical chemistry? C. omg i would be constantly reminding myself “stop staring. Stop ogling him”
How do you feel about people who make Facebook profiles for their pets?
I think it is.. Odd. but it doesnt bother me.
Have you ever personally known a pair of conjoined twins?
Personally, no.
Is there something in particular you like to look at photos of? What is it?
I like to go back to pics of myself when i was feeling hot. I also like to look at pictures of people that i love/am romantically interested in
Chewy chocolate-chip cookies: like or dislike?
All for it.
Do you think your grandmother is/was beautiful?
absolutely.
When was the last time you got all dolled up?
Aug 16
Do you have a criminal record?
Nope.
Last person you took a nap with?
Other than myself.. Dutch? Maybe Z
Does seeing your mother cry automatically make you feel sad as well?
yes
Do you think someone likes the same person you like?
Lol. its going to take a long, long, long time before ill be able to *naturally* refrain from instantaneously believing there are other women in any picture of any man i am romantically involved with. That fact really bothers me, i used to be a bit more trusting.
Do you want your life to stay the way it is right now forever?
no
Are you medicated?
Nope
Do you shape/fill in your eyebrows?
Definitely. My natural brows are white blonde.
Have you ever stolen/borrowed clothes from an ex?
Stolen? No. i have a sweatshirt or two from jase, tho we just were romantic and umm.. Well we were romantic lets just leave it at that. I have clothes from Josh. I have a button up from John. I have i believe two shirts now from K. so the stuff ive got, ive been given.
Do you think you’ve already met your soulmate?
I really thought so, but i sure hope now that that isnt the case.
Do you get the feeling something good will happen in your life soon?
Im sure it will. I am always hopeful of that.
Do you enjoy romantic movies, even when they’re cliche?
definitely.
Have you been to McDonald’s in the past month?
Yep. we get our ice from there lol
Have you ever slept over at your best friend’s house?
who
How often do you go bowling?
Its been ages. I love bowling
Last time you were in an apartment?
Couple months.
Have you ever seen a live seahorse?
yes
Would you like to have your own yacht?
Honestly, no.
Winnie the Pooh or Tigger?
both.
What’s the unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten today?
Hmmm cereal
Has a stranger ever offered to buy you a drink?
yes
What is something you’d be happy to receive as a gift, that doesn’t cost a lot?
Daisies, handwritten letter,
What kind of music does your significant other/crush like to listen to?
pass
Who did you have your first kiss with? Do you remember what colour his/her eyes were?
Jase. blue.
Are there any themes from TV shows that you like to sing along to?
Gg obviously
Do you eat dessert after dinner?
Pretty much never.
Have you ever had too much to drink and felt embarrassed about your behavior the next day?
Lol. nah i own the behavior. OCCASIONALLY ill send texts or make calls that are umm.. Difficult to explain later.
When you go out drinking, what do you prefer to drink?
Depends if im trying to forget something/someone or not
What was the last animal that you saw?
Charley. He got up when i went down for water
What was the last thing that you said to one of your siblings?
“Do you still want your AAA membership”
What is the most expensive thing that you’ve purchased that you paid for:
Oxygen, medical appointments/imaging
What is your favorite messaging program?
I either use snap chat or text the most frequently.
Do you eat fast food more than 5 times a week?
no
Have you ever almost drowned?
yes
Have you ever learned something shocking about someone through Facebook?
Yessssssssss ugh.
Do you remember the first conversation you ever had with the person you currently have feelings for?
Yeah I do
Do you dread certain days of the week? If yes, what day/s and why?
Ummm no, not really.
If you eat oatmeal, do you have it plain or do you have certain toppings that you like to add to it?
I add toppings usually.
Choose one - Butterfinger, Milky Way, Snickers:
butterfinger
Do you use Mozilla Firefox?
I used to, im on a chromebook now.
Who is your favorite person to hug?
It has been so long since ive had a really, really, really good hug. C used to give me the most incredible ones. Honestly might go see him just to get one.
Have you ever had to have a mug shot?
No. well, a fake one for a youth group event.
What was the last thing you carried to your room?
water
When was the last time you had a late night phone call?
Like a week ago.
Do you know anyone who works at McDonald�s?
Not on a normal employee level but i do know two people who work for corporate mcds
What are your plans for next weekend?
Well.. some of the plans im willing to announce: town shred event, airport, antiques, cleaning, a go-out-bar-hopping night.
Do you know anyone who plays heaps of sports?
yes
Have you ever been suspended from school?
no
When was the last time you had chocolate?
yesterday
Have you ever been to a sports game?
yes
If so, what sport did you see?
Football, water polo, soccer, softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, swimming, tennis
Have you used a sewing machine before?
absolutely.
When was the last time you had a snow day?
In college probably….. 3 years ago or so
Have you ever gotten in trouble for using a phone in class?
no.
Where do your cousins live?
I dont know about some of them. I know a couple used to be in colorado. Some are in florida. One is in chicagoland area.
Have you met any of your second cousins?
yes
Do you like the All-American Rejects?
Yep yep
Is your computer slow or fast?
Oh its plenty speedy. Its just constantly restarting.
What colour shirt are you wearing?
A gray tight ribbed tank.
Have you ever faked sick to get out of something?
no
Have you ever been ice skating?
I have. I just have to be careful cus my bones are weak and that is a recipe for disaster haha
Who do you sit near in math?
Not in math
Have you ever had Werther�s Original butterscotch toffee?
Of course. I have some downstairs currently.
When was the last time you wore a skirt?
A week ago
Have you seen all the Shrek movies?
I have not. I didnt like them.
Have you ever fainted?
Yes from heat exhaustion. Oh also when i was severely burned as a child.
What did you have for breakfast?
I skipped breakfast.
When was the last time you went on vacation?
It feels like a really long time.
Do you have any pets other than dogs or cats?
Nope. two kittys.
What colour is your bed sheet?
It is pink flowers.
What was the last thing you cooked?
Hard boiled eggs
Do you know anyone with the surname Matheson?
Not to my knowledge
Are you the type of person who gets injuries often?
No, not really. When i was younger i broke bones all the time. But no, not lately. Thats a large reason that im working out so consistently is that i want my body to rely on newly strengthened muscle groups that had previously been so weakened from illness.
What does your soap smell like?
coconut
Have you ever finished a whole video game?
Yes, absolutely.
Are your siblings allergic to anything?
No, theyre all good to go.
What time is it?
3:52am
Do you own a purple hoodie or sweatshirt?
Uhhhhhm i dont think so
Has your house ever had a pest infestation?
No. we occasionally get a mouse or two being that we are directly next to a forest preserve. But benny addresses that problem immediately.
Do you have any bad habits?
Of course.
Can you speak French?
No. i cannot.
Which one of your friends has great music taste?
em
What can you smell right now?
Not much of anything. I blew out my candle hours ago. I cant quite smell my room freshener with 5 fans going currently.
What was the last movie you watched?
Christmas at the plaza
What will you do after this?
Probably see if I can go to sleep.
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Past Connections (Javier x Reader) {MTMF}
Title: Past Connections
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2100
Warnings: Mild Angst
Notes: You can find everything about Maybe Today, Maybe Forever here. Set in March 1998.
Summary: The second article hits the newstands.
@grapemama @seawhisperer @huliabitch @pedropascalito @rogrsnbarnes @thewallpapergoesorido @twomoonstwosuns @gooddaykate @livasaurasrex @ham4arrow @plexflexico @readsalot73 @hdlynn @lokiaddicted @randomness501 @fioccodineveautunnale @roxypeanut @snivellusim @lukesrighthand @historynerd04 @mrsparknuts @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @exrebelshocktrooper @awesomefandomsunited @ah-callie @swhiskeys @lady-tano @beskar-droids @space-floozy @cable-kenobi @cool-ultra-nerd @himbopoes @findhimfives @pedrosdoll @frietiemeloen @arrowswithwifi @random066 @uncomicalhumour @heather-lynn @domino-oh-damn @cyarikaaa @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @im-still-a-pieceofgarbage @ksgeekgirl @yabby-girl @xqueenofthecraziesx @punkass-potato @coredrive @pascalesque @theduchessofkirkcaldy @queenquazar @sabinemorans @buckstaposition @holkaskrosnou @yespolkadotkitty @fleetwoodmactshirt @seeking-a-great–perhaps
PAST CONNECTIONS SPEAK OUT IN DEA SCANDAL
Following the bombshell report The Post released in the March 2nd issue, the DEA came forward with allegedly incriminating documentation purporting a pattern of unsanctioned expenditures, where Javier Peña had filed expense forms on evenings spent with Colombian hookers.
During our investigative reporting, The Post was able to connect with three of the women who had been paid by Peña, using DEA funds, during his time with the DEA in Colombia.
Elena Ramierz, who was willing to go on record using her own name, was forthcoming with information concerning her time with Peña.
“I would not be where I am today, had I not crossed paths with Javi. He was willing to sponsor my immigration request — without asking for anything in return. Javier Peña is one of the only men I worked with who was a genuinely good man. He cared about all of the girls at the brothels and would look out for us. I cannot, however, say the same about other men who abused the systems the DEA willingly put into place.”
When pressed further, Ramirez went into detail painting a picture of the systemic abuses that were encouraged by the DEA, including but not limited to brutalizing sex workers, non-consensual contact, and intentional situations that led to physical and mental harm. These claims were largely substantiated by the other two women who were willing to speak with The Post.
“He hated what he had to do to get information for the DEA. You could see the weight on his shoulders. Despite the brutal situation he was in, he was always kind and gentle with me and the other girls. Whatever picture the DEA is trying to paint him out to be, it’s to hide their own misdeeds.”
At the request of the DEA, The Post also made contact with Lorraine Jackson (neé Davis) who was the former ex-fiancé of Peña. Jackson, who hails from Laredo, Texas, provided details about the nature of her relationship with Peña nearly thirty years ago. Despite the DEA’s insistence that Jackson’s testimony would be detrimental to Peña and Morley’s case against DEA, her statement was to the contrary.
“Look,” Mrs. Jackson stated, “Javier left me at the altar when we were kids. I was angry for a long time. A long time. Even after I got married and started a family with a truly wonderful man. I was still wounded by what Javier did, but it all worked out for the best. I can’t even imagine what life would’ve been like if he’d shown up. Have you met his daughters? They adore him. He’s a good man, despite what happened between us.”
Mrs. Jackson continued, “When the DEA approached me about our relationship, I let my hurt feelings get the best of me. He made a lot of mistakes when he was younger — but didn’t we all? He left, went to college and came back to work for the Sheriff’s Office. He’d closed himself off and frankly, he was an ass. I don’t pretend to know what happened in Colombia, I wasn’t part of his life then, but I could see he had changed when he came home. The DEA wants to paint him out to be a villain in all of this and that’s just not the case.”
The DEA issued a revelatory statement, rebuffing the claims previously printed in The Post.
There is no doubt that Ms. Morley contributed admirable efforts in the war against Pablo Escobar. As the American people have now seen, her records contain multiple instances where she assisted in the apprehension of multiple associates of Escobar’s.
Despite her efforts, during her tenure with the DEA in Colombia and Ms. Morley failed to uphold the standards expected of a DEA field agent. One year after her transfer, she entered into a relationship with a CIA liaison who was an active member of a joint task force formed by the two agencies. It became clearly, early on, that she was not capable of maintaining a professional work environment.
In 1992, when Ms. Morley revealed that she was pregnant, she was immediately placed on desk duty. During a meeting with her direct chain of command, Ms. Morley intentionally concealed the identity of her child’s father. When questioned about Mr. Peña, she blatantly denied that she had any sexual contact with her partner. The following year, when Ms. Morley and Mr. Peña provided the DEA with the truth, we were forced to terminate her employment for her misconduct.
While The Post may attempt to twist this situation into a gender-based discrimination case, it is abundantly clear that both Ms. Morley and Mr. Peña engaged in unethical practices unbefitting of federal agents.
The Post reached out to CIA Agent, Lance Collier, who Ms. Morley was in a relationship from June 1988 to June 1989, clarified that their relationship had been approved by his director prior to its beginning.
Collier was willing to go on record with a statement of his own, “Annie was one of the hardest working agents I’ve ever worked with. During meetings, I repeatedly witnessed her being ignored and silenced by her superiors. They would ultimately use her knowledge under the guise of their own, intentionally undermining her abilities. On numerous occasions, I was also present for meetings where Javier Peña and Steve Murphy would go to bat for their partner. Annie was well aware of the risk and complications related to being a woman in a male dominated field, and despite that she persisted. I have seen men who acted as bad agents against our government still be venerated, so why are they still punishing her for becoming a mother?”
The Post is dedicated to the continued investigation of this scandal.
————
“You’re brooding.” You told Javier as you shut off the stove and grabbed a trivet to sit the pot of wild rice off the burner.
Javier huffed, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the kitchen counter across from you. “I’m not brooding.” He rubbed at the back of his neck before he pushed away from the counter and moved to grab two plates out of the cabinet. “The timing was just less than ideal.”
“I know.” You grabbed an oven mitt and pulled out the pan of chicken patties, sitting it on the stovetop. “I wish Vickers had told us how thorough Valerie was going to be in her statement to the paper.”
“It was fucking mortifying, baby. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it through exams next week. Think it’s too late to make it a paper?” He questioned, grabbing the buns and mayonnaise out of the fridge.
“Unfortunately,” You made a face as you shut off the oven and moved to grab a paper plate to cut the tomato on. “It’ll blow over.”
“Not nearly soon enough,” He shook his head. “You know how much I hate looking back on that shit and now everyone knows my business.”
“It was a risk we were both willing to take,” You reminded him. “Say the word and we pull the plug.”
“I’m not pulling the fucking plug, baby. I’m just saying — did my class really need to know about my exploits with hookers in Colombia? I get that it’s tantalizing, but she pushed it too far.”
“Even Elena didn’t realize how far it would go,” You sat the knife down and wiped off your hands on a dishtowel, turning to approach him. “I’m sure the DEA thought they could put a wedge between us — like I didn't know what you got up to.”
“You talked to Elena today?”
You nodded, “I called to thank her. Her word would’ve been enough I think, but having two ‘Jane Smiths’ reaffirm what she was saying? There’s so much bullshit going on, in the pursuit of stopping drugs that has to end. We both know how they abuse those women.” You reached up and brushed your fingers over his cheek, leaning up on your toes to kiss him.
He snaked his arm around your waist, pulling you towards him. “Think they’ll try to track down Matias next?”
You let out an incredulous laugh at that, “God, I don’t even know what happened to him.” You admitted, “I doubt they’d be able to track him down.” He had been a sweet young man you’d spent a handful of evenings with in the pursuit of intel nearly a decade ago. “It’s not like you don’t know.”
Javier dragged his teeth over his bottom lip and nodded slowly, “It’s just fucking bullshit. Even if it exonerated us.” He sighed heavily, “I should’ve cancelled class. Standing up there trying to keep on topic — knowing they’ve just read an article with three women who I’ve fucked.”
“Technically five.” You pointed, clarifying when he arched a brow. “Elena, Valerie, and Mia, Lorraine, and myself.”
He made a face, feigning disgust before he released you. “I hadn’t realized the DEA would be so determined to punch below the belt.”
“Because bribing Monica to say you’d fucked her was above the belt?” You pointed out as you moved to grab two buns out of the bag, throwing them on the plates and using a spatula to pick up the chicken patties and place them on each bun.
“Alright, alright. You’re making valid points.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “One day the girls are going to see these articles.”
“Then we’ll explain to them that sex workers deserve more praise and credit than they’re currently afforded.” You stated simply, “And that there’s nothing wrong about being sexually active — like we were, before we got together.” You shrugged.
“You wanna have that conversation with them?”
You shrugged, licking your thumb clean after you got mayonnaise on it, “Sure. It doesn’t bother me.”
Javier pinched at the bridge of his nose for a moment before he started plating up his chicken sandwich, “You got cheese?”
“Hang on,” You headed for the fridge, pulling the door open and rummaging around in the deli drawer. “Swiss or cheddar?”
“Do we have any of the pepperjack left?”
You hummed as you pulled open a drawer below, grabbing the bag of pepperjack cheese. “You’re in luck. I hid it the last time Nadia was here.” You tossed it onto the counter beside him, “That girl loves cheese.”
“Monica wasn’t in class today,” Javier stated, throwing two pieces of cheese onto his chicken patty before topping it off with the bun, “Did you hear from her today? I meant to call but got pulled into meetings.”
“I called her this morning at work,” You told him as you stowed the mayo back in the fridge. “She’s still pretty skittish after everything that happened.” You explained, smiling when you returned to your plate and Javier had scooped up a spoonful of wild rice for you. “Thanks, babe.”
He pressed a kiss to your cheek, “Anytime.” Javier gave your ass a playful swat before he headed for the kitchen table. “She’s got office hours with me tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t make a big deal about it,” You cautioned him as you sat down across from him at the table. “Honestly, she seemed fine. She just wanted to skip today.” You took a bite of your sandwich, before washing it down with a swig of beer. “I can’t wait for all of this to be over with.”
“You and me both, baby.” Javier retorted, covering his mouth with his fist as he spoke with his mouth full. “I want them to fucking pay for their bullshit and let us get on with our lives.”
You nodded your head slowly, “Everyone at the P.D. has been so supportive. They’re far from perfect, but they at least recognize what the DEA’s been doing is morally and ethically wrong.”
Javier rocked his jaw slowly as he stared at you across the table, “You still thinking about quitting?”
“All the time,” You admitted with a shrug. “I just want to get through this first. The DEA’s been such a dark shadow for so many years.”
“Once this is over, I feel like we’ll be able to really live.”
“Right?” You agreed with a grin, “Connie thinks we should go on vacation.”
“As soon as this semester’s over.”
You leaned across the table and took his hand into yours, giving it three short squeezes. “There’s a part of me that is stupidly excited about my name finally being attached to yours in the record books. And Steve’s, of course. It’s bizarre to see our lives laid out in the newspaper, but at the same time — I love it.”
“Me too, baby.” Javier grinned at you, “It means no more hiding.”
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blistering feet, ch1: improvisation
on ao3
'hey tea are you ever going to write something thats not a dance au' no.
welcome! i dont know why im posting this OR why i started it!!! i only have 2 chapters written and i just started college and i have no outline. so.
fingers crossed (please dont expect a lot from me)
shoutout to all my friends for encouraging this. thank you for being bad influences.
also please!!! read chapter notes!!!! ill be putting any sort of specific trigger warnings in the beginning notes. let me know if i ever need more. in the END NOTES ON AO3 ill be putting videos and links to any dance terms/references that i use in the chapter. let do this
tw: references to self harm
Connor clenches his fists, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. He’s shaking, his brain is screaming a million things at him, and he feels like he’s drowning in his thoughts.
He can hear his mother’s voice in his head telling him about breathing exercises.
Fuck breathing exercises.
Before he does something he regrets — even though summer is coming to a close, it’s still too warm to suffer the fate of long sleeves — Connor throws his hair up into a ponytail. He changes out of his jeans and into old sweats, his jeans are old and soft but not stretchy enough, and hauls his bag onto his shoulder. He grabs his phone as he passes it on his desk and resists the urge to slam his bedroom door behind him as he leaves.
He’s already going to get shit from Larry, he doesn’t need more.
Connor huffs out a breath before knocking on Zoe’s door. She opens the door quickly, a questioning eyebrow raised. She gives him a once over before closing the door again. Connor crosses his arms and taps his foot impatiently as he waits. He finds himself tapping out an old rhythm that his body has somehow remembered despite the years and leans into the beat.
A few minutes later, Zoe leaves her bedroom. She has a bag on each arm and is wearing sweats and a loose top. “I’m choosing the music,” she says, twisting her hair up into a messy bun and kicking the door shut with her foot.
Connor Murphy started dancing when he was five years old.
His mother signed him up for a tap class when Zoe refused to go on her own. Connor hadn’t wanted to go, but he was the older sibling, he was supposed to be the example, he was supposed to be there for his sister. So despite all his complaining and all of Zoe’s tears, Cynthia packed them into the car and drove them to the dance studio.
Connor was immediately put off by the amount of pink— pink was Zoe’s color, she had a monopoly over it. Zoe hated all the people, all the parents that were much bigger than her and all the other dancers who she had never met. She hid behind Connor and held onto the sleeve of his hoodie.
Connor decided he hated dance.
But he didn’t mind the way the shoes clicked on the floor.
They stood in line and the teacher talked and Connor stopped listening. But then the teacher turned on the music and showed them how to hit the floor with the toe of their shoe just right. The studio filled with the sounds of stomping.
Connor decided he liked dance.
Connor grits his teeth as Zoe plugs the aux cord into her phone. She hums to herself as she scrolls through her music, pursing her lips before settling on a playlist.
Connor focuses on the road, even though he knows this route well enough by now that he could probably drive it in his sleep. Not that Zoe would let him.
Zoe leans forward and turns up the music, guitar notes floating through the speakers. Surprisingly, it’s not a song that Connor recognizes. Probably some indie band that Zoe found and has decided to obsess over for a few weeks.
He doesn’t know how many songs have passed when he pulls into the parking lot.
“You’re lucky Heather likes us,” Zoe says as she hops out of the car.
Connor rolls his eyes and turns off the engine. He grips the steering wheel one last time before grabbing his bag from the back.
Melinda looks up from where she’s working behind the desk when Zoe pulls open the door of the dance studio. Melinda smiles and asks Zoe how she’s doing, her eyes flicking over the Connor briefly. Connor can practically feel the worry dripping off of Melinda and elects to ignore it. Whatever.
“Is Studio C open?” he asks, kicking off his shoes.
“Always is!” Melinda says cheerfully. He doesn’t care enough right now to decide if the tone is forced.
Zoe thanks Melinda as Connor climbs the steps to the storage room for the competitive dancers. He dumps his shoes and sweatshirt in his usual cubby and glances to his bag for a moment before deciding just to take all of it. He passes Zoe as he leaves the room and she holds out a water bottle to him. He takes it without a word.
Studio C is cold like it alway is. The heating in this particular studio isn’t very good, especially since it’s in the older part of the building. Him and Zoe moved to this studio when he was eight and his mother wanted them to start taking dance more seriously. When they were ten, the studio expanded into the building next to it for more studio space. Now, this studio in particular, with its dented wood floors and small size, is usually left open for anyone wanting practice space.
Two years ago, Connor claimed it as his own.
He plugs his phone into the speaker system and turns the music up as loud as he can without getting yelled at by Heather to lower the volume or get out. He can feel the beat in his bones as he sits on the floor and laces up his tap shoes, easy and familiar.
He stands and closes his eyes, facing the mirror but not wanting to see himself.
That’s the worst part about dance studios. There are so many mirrors. All of your mistakes, everything you are that you don’t want to be, projected for what seems like the entire world to see.
Connor does a few cramp rolls. His mind starts to calm as he soaks in the music.
He’s really supposed to warm up. It’s important to do, even for tap. He’s supposed to warm up his ankles.
He’s not really in the mood to be safe.
The song ends and the intro to another starts up. He always leaves his phone on shuffle when he improvs so it can be a surprise. He recognizes the song after the first few notes, smiling a little to himself.
Connor counts himself in and he starts with a simple flap ball change. And then he dances.
—«·»—
Zoe is sitting on a bench outside the studio scrolling on her phone when Connor has finished, his muscles sore and his heart racing. She barely gives him a second glance when he drops his bag on the bench next to her and sits down.
He leans over to check the time on her screen. Zoe pushes him away.
“It’s almost three,” she says. “And you smell.”
Connor rolls his eyes and pulls the hair tie out of his hair. “Do you want to grab something to eat before rehearsal?”
Zoe is already standing. “God I thought you’d never ask.” Connor follows her into the storage room as she complains about their mother’s cooking. “—which isn’t bad but, we dance twenty three hours a week, we need more carbs than that.” Zoe shoves her bag into one of the cubbies and puts on her shoes. Connor fishes the car keys out of his bag and does the same.
“McDonald’s?” he asks as they get into the car. The car has already gotten warm since they went into the studio and Connor remembers that he really fucking hates summer and heat.
Zoe is already reaching for the aux cord. “Depression fries?”
“Fuck you,” Connor says flatly. He shifts the gear into drive and tries not to speed out of the parking lot. If Heather so much as suspects that he was speeding in the area, he’ll get an earful at rehearsal tonight.
“I’m not judging,” Zoe says as she chooses a song. “I want chicken nuggets.”
Maybe fast food isn’t the best idea before rehearsal, but Connor stopped caring about what was healthy a long time ago. He spends hours in the studio without eating or drinking and sleeps less than five hours a night. If his plan was to live a long life, he’d be failing. But luckily that’s not his plan.
If he spends enough time in the dance studio, the rest of the world stops for a while. Or at least he stops paying attention to the rest of the world for long enough that it’s a little less shitty.
That’s the problem with school starting up again. Less studio time. More time in a hellhole where no one would care if he died, where half the school thinks he’s about to snap and go on a shooting spree, where all anyone knows him for is throwing a printer in the second grade.
Yeah. High school definitely is the best four years of his life.
Connor doesn’t even realize he’s made it to the drive through until Zoe is leaning over him and rolling down his window. He really has to stop doing that when he drives, even if he knows the route well. One of these days he’s going to get into an accident and kill himself (not a bad thing) and Zoe (a bad thing).
Zoe orders quickly, getting him a drink along with his trademarked depression fries, and then sits back down in her seat and buckles in, motioning him to drive forward. It’s sort of weird how Zoe just goes along with stuff like this without question, but it’s better than being at home and getting yelled at for it.
They sit in the McDonald’s parking lot for a while and eat because Connor’s fries would get cold in the drive back to the studio and McDonald’s fries have this magical ability to get really fucking gross when they’re cold. Zoe cranks her weird music louder as she eats her chicken nuggets, clicking through emails and updating Connor on studio events.
Connor takes a sip of her drink before his own, mostly to annoy her, partially to see what she got because he’s already forgotten what she ordered. “Do you think Erin is going to try more party pop jazz?”
Zoe shudders. “I hope not. That was…”
“Fucking awful?” he asks, and she nods eagerly in agreement. Lauren liked trying new things. Trying a different style of jazz, with a lot more pop music and jumping and neon, had not worked out in her favor. Connor had tried to drop the dance and Zoe had yelled at him.
“Do you think you’ll get a solo this year?” Zoe asks lightly.
Connor raises an eyebrow at her. “Do you think you will?”
They stare at each other for a long moment before Zoe snorts and grabs her drink from the cup holder. “Erika would lose her shit if they didn’t let you have your solo.”
Connor smirks. “That’d be something to see. Maybe I should refuse it.”
Zoe whacks his arm. “ Drive , asshole. Heather will have your head if we’re late.”
“What about your head?” He puts down the empty fries container and backs out of the parking space.
“I’m too pretty for that,” Zoe says haughtily. “Besides, I’m actually good at ballet.”
“I’ll throw you out of this car,” Connor threatens.
Zoe just changes the song and blasts the music louder.
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The Website 6: Key Characteristics of the Perfect Inbound Website
It's safe to say that most - if not all - businesses want a website that brings them perfectly packaged, highly qualified inbound leads. That is the most common goal we hear from our clients here at IMPACT, and why so many marketers pour hours of time and thousands of dollars into their websites.
So how do we achieve this goal? I’ll tell you, but first a quick story.
Last year as my son’s second birthday approached, I remember freaking out just a bit about what to do for his birthday party.
I have proudly attended many a toddler birthday party, and I think everyone has seen the ridiculously amazing pinterest birthday party ideas out there (all the moms out there know what I’m talking about). The over-the-top, no-way-is-it-DIY, must-cost-thousands-of-dollars type of parties have apparently coined a real term called “pinterest stress”.
Meanwhile, I fail just trying to glue two popsicle sticks together.
So, needless to say, I was stressing just a little bit about what to do for his birthday. Then a realization struck! My son was turning TWO. He could care less about decorations and party themes. His favorite things were sugar, rolling in mud, chasing our chickens, and playing “dinosaur” with his friends.
So I stopped everything. I gave myself a virtual slap in the face and reminded myself that his birthday party was for HIM and not for anyone else.
I made a perfect toddler party, and NONE of it was pinterest-worthy, but my son thought it was the most perfect day in existence. I made banana bread instead of cake, we dug holes in the backyard, the kids held monster truck toy races, and the adults drank mimosas (because let’s face it, some of the party is for the adults 😉😏).
Ok, so why am I talking about toddler parties?
It’s simple really.
As businesses, we suffer from the exact same problem when it comes to our websites. We have a really hard time getting over our pride and remembering that our websites aren’t for US, they are for OUR CUSTOMERS.
I was spending all of my energy focusing on how I could make everyone else think I was a great mom by throwing a picture-perfect party when I should have simply been focusing on how I could throw the perfect party for my son so HE thought I was a great mom.
There is a huge difference between those two goals.
Similarly, the way to build the perfect inbound website that generates the results you want is to stop focusing on your own ego and start thinking about who our website is really for.
There are 6 key drivers that make a great inbound website and will take your marketing results to the next level.
1. Sales Driven
If you've been thinking that your website is a marketing tool, I've got news for you: you're wrong. You need to shift your mindset and think of your website as a sales tool.
Your website is your best salesperson. It is available 24/7, it never asks for a raise, and it is always collecting data on your most qualified customers for you. Really, what else could you ask for from a sales rep?
Now, if you start to think of your website this way, you need to ask yourself one question. Have you really invested everything you should into it?
The best ways to ensure that your website can become a conversion machine are to ensure your sales team views the website as the most valuable resource they have and your website visitors have very easy ways of self identifying as prospects.
To make your website a valuable sales tool, all you have to do is answer the questions that your reps answer in the sales process on the site itself. Then, tell your sales people about it.
Here is an example of the Sales Content Directory that our Director of Web & Interactive Content, Liz Murphy, keeps updated for our sales team on a weekly basis. It gives them a one-stop shop to search for helpful resources to send to prospects.
If your sales team isn't using your website every day, you have failed to create the perfect inbound website.
2. Customer Driven
There are lots of ways you can make your website more friendly for your customers that you might not be doing right now, but you should be obsessing over how to make your website more customer friendly on a daily basis.
Did you know that 70% of the buying decision is typically made by a consumer before they ever speak to a sales rep or go to purchase a product? This means most of the purchase process is totally out of your direct control.
Nonetheless, there ARE ways to guide that first 70% of the conversation.
The number one reason people choose to buy - from any business - is based on trust. So not only do you have to make sure your prospects trust you before they will buy, but you have to figure out how to build that trust during the 70% of the buying process that happens before you even talk to them.
Whew, that is a lot to ask of your website!
Luckily, there are a few simple rules that you can follow to do just that.
Focus on Providing Value: Every page and every word on your website should be there because it provides value to your audience. Your website visitors don’t want a bunch of fluff. Give them real value and educate them in exchange for the time they’ve spent reading the words on your page. Providing value is the first step in building the trust you need oh so badly.
Answer their Questions: Answer the REAL questions your audience has. Don’t shy away from the topics that most businesses are afraid to talk about like pricing or your competitors. Really focus on making sure you are thinking like a customer and answer every question you know they will ask you in the sales process. And here’s the most important part: make sure you answer it honestly. You can’t build trust based on lies.
Use Video: People don’t buy from businesses, they buy from people. Video is the number one way to build trust with your audience and humanize your brand. In today’s environment, incorporating video on your website is table stakes if you want to see measurable, lasting results. There are 7 types of videos that every website must have: 80% videos, bio videos for your team, product or service videos, landing page videos, customer journey videos, videos about the claims you make as a brand, and a video that details who you are not a good fit for (yes, seriously).
Make the Customer the Hero: As one of my favorite country songs so aptly reminds us, our website visitors want us to talk about them, not ourselves. Use “you” statements in your content rather than “us” or “we” statements as often as possible. Customers want to see themselves in your website, not you.
youtube
3. Search Driven
The next group you need to be really chummy with are search engines. They are the ones who bring the customers to your website. Luckily it is really easy to be friends with them because they have the same goal as you: providing value to your customer.
To get Google and the other search engines to send lots and lots of visitors to your website, focus on providing value. (Good thing we already covered all that up in the previous section.)
With that taken care of, there are some ways that you can now structure the value you provide in order to help Google more easily understand who they should be sending your way.
You are already doing a great job of writing valuable, educational content for your audience, right? Now all you have to do is make sure you are using the right keywords and organizing your content into clusters, grouped by topic area, to help Google understand where your expertise lies.
Learn more about how to do this exceptionally well from, keyword research to content execution, with our comprehensive guide.
Some of the other factors that Google looks at in order to determine how much value your website is providing are:
User Engagement: Google looks really closely at how your current visitors are interacting with your website as a strong indicator of how happy other visitors they send your way will be. It does this using metrics like Time on Site and Page Depth. The idea is that if people are spending a lot of time on your website and navigating through multiple pages, they are likely finding lots of valuable content and are happy with their experience.
Content Freshness: The frequency with which your website is updated is also a big factor in Google’s ranking. The idea here is that newer content is most likely more relevant to potential visitors than older content, and the longer you’ve been regularly producing content, the more likely it is that you are a valuable source of information. Thus, having a good balance of a domain that has been around for a while and plenty of regularly updated, fresh content is the perfect mix.
And, lastly, Google really cares that your users are having a positive experience with your website regardless of what device (mobile, desktop, etc.) they are visiting from. In order to ensure that Google knows your visitors will be happy, there are some Technical SEO basics you should focus on:
Website Load Speed: Google cares a lot about how fast your website loads because it knows that users are impatient and will get frustrated by things that take too long. As a result, it is less likely to send traffic your way if your website takes too long to give them information. You can test your website using www.webpagetest.org to see how quickly your site loads. Ideally, it should be under 2 seconds.
Mobile First and Responsive Design: More and more users are visiting websites from mobile devices, so Google has been cracking down hard on websites that have poor mobile user experiences. Make sure your user experience is flawless on any device to steer clear of problems here.
Site Security: SSL certificates are no longer negotiable. Not only do website visitors expect them at this point, Google will seriously ding you for not having one. So just get one, please.
4. Experience Driven
This characteristic goes hand-in-hand with being customer friendly, but it deserves it’s own category because it is so important. Treat users that come to your website like you would customers in a store.
I know when I go to a store with my toddler in tow (maybe to buy birthday party supplies), I want to be able to find what I need as fast as possible, and with as little effort as possible.
Your website visitors want the same thing.
Make it as easy as possible for them to find the thing they want with the least amount of effort on their part.
Make sure the entire experience is built to delight them from start to finish. The design of the website should speak to what they like (again, not what you like). My toddler’s design aesthetic is very different than my grandmother’s. Anything I’d design for them would be wildly different from each other, and wildly different than what I personally like.
To provide the simplest experience and avoid overwhelming your visitors, make sure your website is free of clutter and doesn’t provide them with too many options at any one moment. Create an experience that is familiar to them while finding small, pointed ways to inject uniqueness where it makes sense.
A good goal to keep in mind is to structure your site in a way that requires the user to make the least number of clicks to get to their goal. Then, structure and design your menus and individual pages to that end.
5. Conversion Driven
If you're like most businesses, the end goal of your website is probably to drive revenue. To do that, it has to support a solid conversion rate of anonymous visitors into known contacts.
What is better than having our customers tell us they want to buy instead of us having to try and convince them? Nothing is better. That is the holy grail of website results. So how do we get it?
A self selection tool is the best way to help your website visitors feel like they are getting a customized experience, and it allows them to do all the work for you.
Tools that allow users to customize options, select features that fit their needs, or even do all of the qualification your sales team needs without the help of an actual sales person are the best way to do this. Done right, your customer is happy because they got exactly what they wanted, and your sales team is happy because they don’t have to do any work to close a deal anymore!
If you want to see a great example of what I'm talking about, check out the Wix.com website. It has one of the better self configuration tools we've seen (and it's pretty fun to play with!).
Every page of your website should have a goal to move customers to their logical next step in their journey with you. If you haven't mapped out your next step conversion goal for every page of your website, you are leaving that conversion up to chance.
Another way you can improve your ability to convert is to make it insanely easy for your users to convert. The harder it is for your users to contact you (e.g. the more clicks they have to make to get there) and the longer it takes for you to contact them back, the more leads you will lose.
So take the effort and the waiting out of the equation with great tools like Live Chat and Messenger Bots. This allows your user to get right to speaking with a person the moment they are ready. Now who doesn't love that?
6. Marketer Driven
Ok, we are finally ready to talk about you instead of your customer.
Given everything we’ve already said about how your website is for your customer and not for you, there is one small caveat we have to talk about.
If your website is a hassle to update, maintain or change, how often are you going to do it? Be really honest, now.
Probably almost never, right?
So, for your website to do all the great things we talked about above, it should be really easy and user friendly to maintain so that you will actually maintain it.
What do I mean by this? The backend of your website should be intuitive and flexible, allowing for easy page creation, content updates and structure changes. The best way to do this is by building your website on a content management system (CMS).
Some of the most common CMSs that are reasonably priced and allow for the flexibility mentioned above are:
HubSpot CMS
WordPress
WooCommerce
Shopify
The most beautiful, custom coded website in the world that never gets updated with new content will never provide you the results you want. Instead, find the right place on the spectrum from super custom to super flexible to ensure you will update your website regularly and produce content consistently.
Final Thoughts
Your website is the face your company shows the world. Make sure it represents what your customers want to see, allows them to find what they want quickly and easily, and provides them so much value that they can’t help but trust you.
Do all these things, and I promise, your website will provide you results.
For one day, my son thought I was greatest mom in the world when I threw him the perfect party. Allow your website to give that feeling to your customers and they will keep coming back for more.
from Web Developers World https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/characteristics-of-the-perfect-inbound-website
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Unusual Asks
Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora?
Spotify
is your room messy or clean?
messy clean
what color are your eyes?
poopy brown
do you like your name? why?
i do cause it was given with love
what is your relationship status?
taken
describe your personality in 3 words or less
shy / kind / confused
what color hair do you have?
dark brown but with shades of light brown and pink????
what kind of car do you drive? color?
none
where do you shop?
primark <3
how would you describe your style?
sweet and ‘’who cares’’
favorite social media account
twitter
what size bed do you have?
normal , 1 person only :c
any siblings?
1
if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?
Portugal, i like it in here
favorite snapchat filter?
dont use snapchat
favorite makeup brand(s)
i use anything cute tbh
how many times a week do you shower?
depends if im going out or not
favorite tv show?
hmmmmmmmmmm been watching alot of master chef lately??? but i dont usually watch tv
shoe size?
39 (EU)
how tall are you?
1.72 cm
sandals or sneakers?
BOTH
do you go to the gym?
nop
describe your dream date
hmmmmmmm i just like a good walk and listen to soft music or maybe watch a movie? i just like anything if im doing it with someone special.
how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment?
5 euros prolly?
what color socks are you wearing?
striped socks yellow and dark blue and hufflepuff symbol on the side
how many pillows do you sleep with?
2
do you have a job? what do you do?
not at the moment, college
how many friends do you have?
not many
whats the worst thing you have ever done?
oof...idk...
whats your favorite candle scent?
soft and fruity
3 favorite boy names
Gonçalo
Henrique
Guilherme
3 favorite girl names
Mariana
Susana
Mafalda
favorite actor?
Jack Black
favorite actress?
Jennifer lawrence
who is your celebrity crush?
cillian murphy / joseph gordon / Jon Jafari
favorite movie?
Dont have one
do you read a lot? whats your favorite book?
only when i have patience and time and i really like the Hunger games trilogy
money or brains?
both
do you have a nickname? what is it?
Nisi
how many times have you been to the hospital?
2 many
top 10 favorite songs
i dont have favs but ill just make a top of what ive been listening latelly
https://youtu.be/evUe46ua8Ao
https://youtu.be/zdVRV8HcgKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT8cX2-_7pQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaTJU1G-T6c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvJjmWTg7Qo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHAwhZBnI1A
https://youtu.be/qkLMPihvKaQ
https://youtu.be/e3Ze62AL9r0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vecSVX1QYbQ
https://youtu.be/E2Q52cVx7Bo
do you take any medications daily?
the pill
what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc)
oily
what is your biggest fear?
alone in the dark
how many kids do you want?
2
whats your go to hair style?
short, messy with bangs
what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc)
normal?
who is your role model?
no one
what was the last compliment you received?
cutie
what was the last text you sent?
A baymax plushy
how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real?
i always knew
what is your dream car?
chunky and cute
opinion on smoking?
stop
do you go to college?
yup
what is your dream job?
illustration and character design
would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs?
rural
do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels?
YIS
do you have freckles?
hmhm
do you smile for pictures?
+/-
how many pictures do you have on your phone?
96
have you ever peed in the woods?
yup
do you still watch cartoons?
yup x2
do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds?
we dont have wendy’s here
Favorite dipping sauce?
sour cream and onion
what do you wear to bed?
pijama for winter / panties for summer
have you ever won a spelling bee?
its not a thing here
what are your hobbies?
drawing
can you draw?
hmhm
do you play an instrument?
nop
what was the last concert you saw?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
tea or coffee?
COFFEE
Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?
we dont have dunkin donuts
do you want to get married?
yis
what is your crush’s first and last initial?
x _ x
are you going to change your last name when you get married?
dont want it
what color looks best on you?
i think yellow
do you miss anyone right now?
i do
do you sleep with your door open or closed?
closed
do you believe in ghosts?
sorta
what is your biggest pet peeve?
when ppl coff and dont cover their mouth or when im talking and since im soft spoken everyone interrupts me
last person you called
im on call with a friend rn
favorite ice cream flavor?
prolly coffee and i love ice cream in general
regular oreos or golden oreos?
never had the golden ones
chocolate or rainbow sprinkles?
why not both?
what shirt are you wearing?
cyan XXXL one from the world cosplay summit
what is your phone background?
Kamen Rider Fourze
are you outgoing or shy?
shy
do you like it when people play with your hair?
i do
do you like your neighbors?
some of them
do you wash your face? at night? in the morning?
morning
have you ever been high?
no
have you ever been drunk?
no
last thing you ate?
soup
favorite lyrics right now
[Verse 2]
I feel like all of this has aged me
Right on the edge of 22
You look like you've just seen a monster
Is that what I look like to you?
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh won't somebody hold me and tell me it'll all work out
Say that there's nothing to worry about now
'Cause I'm so sick of the drama and I hate to shout
But you drag it out of me
summer or winter?
winter
day or night?
day
dark, milk, or white chocolate?
all of them
favorite month?
June
what is your zodiac sign
Gemini
who was the last person you cried in front of?
My bf
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