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sabinanotfound · 3 years

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Let’s Fall in Love for the Night

- Wilbur Soot x fem!reader

- warnings: just a mention of being tired and mention of kids

- summary: snippets of your and Wilbur’s relationship

- a/n: written for lovely @basilly’s and @losingvienna 's 1k/600 writing challenge! go check it out!

- (flashbacks in italic)

Wilbur played his guitar, fingers softly pulling the strings as he hummed along. You sat next to him, a blanked draped over your legs. You sleepily watched your boyfriend, your eyes looking like the exact definition of heart-eyes. You loved him more than anything. He turned to look at you, his previously concentrated features softening, and a smile finding its way onto his lips.

“whatcha lookin’ at, love?” he asked, pretending as if he didn’t already know.

“that wall is very interesting-“ your sentence was cut off by Wilbur tackling you on the couch. He propped himself on his elbows, trapping you under him.

“how about now?” he asked, his smile growing wider. Gosh, he loved you so much.

“I think I’m looking at a handsome young man.” You said playfully, pecking his lips. He laughed and pulled you into another kiss.

“Do you think she’ll say yes?” Tommy smiled to himself. How couldn’t Wilbur see that if he asked, you’d come to the end of the world with him?

“She’ll definitely say no.” Tommy answered his friend’s question in a sarcastic tone.

“Tommy! I’m being serious here!” Tommy could picture Wilbur’s expression. His voice softened.

“Of course she will. She loves you, mate.”

The clock showed 3 am. You tossed and turned in your bed, but just as in the past few hours, couldn’t fall asleep. You were getting exhausted at this point, but with a buzz of your phone you gave up on trying to fall asleep an reached for it. The notification was a message from Wilbur.

‘hey. are you asleep?’

‘nope. why?’ you texted back, and his reply came almost instantly.

‘i’ll pick you up in twenty five ;)’ you grinned to yourself, wondering what he had in mind.

Half an hour later, you were in his car, one of his hands on your mid-thigh and the other on the steering wheel, driving somewhere.

“So… what do you have in mind?” you asked, fiddling with his hand that was on your thigh. He smiled mysteriously.

“You’ll see, my love.” You leaned back in your seat, smiling.

Wilbur drove for about 20 minutes, neither of you breaking the sleepy, comfortable silence. Finally Wilbur stopped the car a little bit out of town. There was a small area, more specifically a flower field. The moonlight was bright, letting you see the beauty in front of you.

“Do you like it?” Wilbur spoke behind you. There was a blanket in his hands.

“So, how about stargazing?”

Wilbur tried to tame his wildly beating heart. He checked his appearance one last time before seeing you come towards his car. You were wearing a white sundress, as Wilbur told you to wear something suitable for the beach. He nervously gulped. You looked like a goddess. He exited his car and went up to you, leading you to the vehicle and opening the door for you, not before giving a few compliments.

The ride to the beach wasn’t long. Wilbur parked his car and opened the door for you. the place looked similar... and then you remembered. Here, on this beach, Wilbur had opened up about his feelings and had asked you to become his girlfriend. You remembered how nervous he was, and it made you smile.

Wilbur led you to the exact spot where you’d sat so many years ago.

“Decided to remember the good ole times?” you joked as if you were 80 years old. Wilbur laughed.

“Maybe.” a few minutes passed by, with you chatting and laughing at funny memories.

“y/n... do you remember how I asked you to be my girlfriend here?” you smiled.

“It’s hard to forget.” Wilbur seemed to collect his thoughts for a while before pulling out a ring.

“Today, I decided to do it again. But this time I’ll ask if you want to marry me.” he said and your cheeks flushed. You couldn’t imagine a better proposal.

“And I will say yes!” you weren’t able to contain your excitement and happiness. You kissed him, once again reminding him how lucky he was.

Wilbur’s head was in your lap, your fingers playing with his hair. On TV was a random Disney movie you’d picked out for that movie night. You and Wilbur were having quite a lot of fun singing along with all the songs. Just as another song was ending you noticed Wilbur wasn’t singing. You looked down at him, he seemed to be deep in his thoughts. You gently poked his cheek.

“What are you thinking ‘bout, baby?” he sighed, turning his head to you.

“The future.” You slightly furrowed your brows in confusion.

“The future?”

“Yep. I- you know, I’d love to have a future with you.” He blushed, and your heart swelled.

“I’d future with you too. Imagine, if we have little y/ns and Wilburs running around.” You said laughing. Wilbur looked at you. You were so sincere, if he could, he’d marry you on the spot. He gently cupped your face and kissed you. You smiled into the kiss. You both wanted to grow old together.

“And you, y/n y/l/n, do you take Wilbur Soot as your husband?”

“Yes. I do.” You said, your eyes watering. Wilbur was looking at you, and at that moment nothing mattered other than your love for each other.

“you may now kiss.” You and Wilbur both leaned in at the same time, but maybe that wasn’t the best idea, because your noses harshly bumped into each other. You both started laughing, all while holding your aching noses.

- “What time should I pick you up, love?” Wilbur’s voice rand through the phone, his British accent never failing to make you blush.

“Hmm... like in 20 minutes or so, if that’s okay?” you were very tired after work and couldn’t wait to see Wilbur. You’d missed him.

~20 minutes later~

You opened the car door, tossing your bag inside before getting in.

“Hello,” Wilbur said, giving you a peck on the cheek. “How was your day?” he asked, starting the car.

"It was good, but I'm so tired... I feel like I could sleep for a decade," you said with a chuckle. "But anyways, how was yours?"

You made small talk, but the conversation soon died down due to both of you being tired. You were home in 15 minutes, thanks to the traffic not being very bad.

"y/n, love? We're home." Wilbur said, taking the key out of ignition. When you didn't respond, he turned to look at you. A smile spread across his face at the sight of you peacefully sleeping, your cheek leaned against the window.

He got out of the car and got both of yours' bags, trying to be as quiet as possible. He then carefully opened your door and picked you up bridal style, while you still sleeping. He carried you to your shared apartment where he gently laid you on the couch. Just as he was about to go and change, you loosely held his wrist.

"Please stay." you whispered, still half awake. Wilbur smiled before laying next to you on the couch and wrapping his arms around you. You nuzzled into his chest.

"I love you." your voice came out slightly muffled. Wilbur affectionately stroked your hair.

"I love you too." and with that you drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

"He's so- so tiny!" Wilbur exclaimed, carefully rocking your newborn in his arms.

"Will, he's a baby. He's supposed to be tiny." you chuckled, looking at your two favourite people in the world.

"He's so cute. Look at his eyes, his nose, his chee-" he stopped mid-sentence. You worriedly looked at him, but your gaze softened and became one of amusement once you saw the reason.

Tommy, as you and Wilbur decided to name him, had grasped one of Wilbur's fingers with his small hand. Wilbur looked like he could explode any time.

"y/n, can we have another one?"

masterlist

taglist: @nachocatowo

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chubbydrawer · 3 years

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Polar Trouble

Tom had been looking forward to this all week! He always loved going to the zoo and seeing all the amazing animals! He always wanted to work there too but it was a long distance so I sadly didn’t see that happening anytime soon. Tom was a 21 year old blonde with blue eyes and fairly lean with a bit of muscle. His hair was short and swept to the side. His skin fair with light hair on his body. He always dressed in plaid button ups red being his go too! And always paired it with some straight cut jeans and converse! He looked good and he knew it! He arrived at the zoo parking lot and walked to the gate,handing his ticket to the clerk. He walked in seeing all the amazing decorations in the zoo! It was near the holidays and was a nicer winter day unusually in the 50s it was a perfect day to walk and see the animals! He rand to the first exhibit and stared at the amazingly huge wolves prancing around showing off to the public! They were so so beautiful! Wolves were his second favorite animal! His first being ....BEARS!!!! He got soo excited! He loved bears sooo sooo much! They were big and fluffy and he always wanted to hug them! He practically ran to the exhibit showing off different types of bears! He first saw the beautiful grizzly chowing down on some grub. He looked happy and stared at Tom for a second. It was almost as if he gave him a wink! He moved next to his favorite bear! The polar bears! He loved them for their beautiful white coats and great swimming ability! They looked so friendly and cuddly! But when he arrived at the display...they were gone!

“What! Where did they go!?”

One of the workers there came up to him, he was clean cut and maybe late 20s. He had a mini paunch and a nice trimmed mustache and green eyes matching his chestnut brown hair. “Hey bud! Sorry to burst your bubble but the polar bears won’t be displayed in their habitat today, they are getting check ups right now.”

“Awwww man that’s a bummer, they are my favorite things to see in the zoo! Maybe next time I guess.”

He started to walk away when the worker called out to him

“Hey buddy wait you a second! I’m not really supposed to do this but I know where the polar bears are housed right now which isn’t a bit behind their habitat! I can take you there real fast if you want a quick look at them!”

“ Oh my god really!!!? Thank you thank you sooo much!”

“It’s no problem it sucks when you can’t see your favorite animal and travel all this way!”

“ it def does, Tom btw!”

“Nate! Nice to meet ya!” He holds out his hand and Tom shakes it firmly.

Ton follows Nate to the back room and they open the door to a room with big cages filled with big comfy beds and food and water. And there were the bears! They roamed casually around the cages getting food and resting!

“Wow they are soooo beautiful! They are even bigger uo close!”

“They certainly are! It’s a pleasure working with them! They are all super friendly and playful!”

One of the bears came up to the cages shoving their nuzzle through the bars and licked Tom’s arm. He giggled at that

“Wow they are friendly! I wonder what it is like to be them. Just chilling everyday and swimming and being big!”

“Are you sure you’d want to find out what it would be like?”Nate smirked.

“ well duh!wouldn’t it be cool to become and animal you loved whenever you wanted!?”

“ I suppose it would be pretty neat! Want to check out one of the cages? It’s pretty big and comfortable I’ll show you how we designed it!”

“Sure!”

Tom walks inside before hastily hearing the cage door shut behind him! He runs back putting his hands on the bars!

“Hey what are you doing!?” Just then Nate pricks his finger with a needle!

“OW what the hell!”

“I’m gonna help you live a fantasy!”

“What are you talking about!”

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride bud!”

“What ride? Let me out!”

Tom suddenly began to feel funny. He got super warm and began to sweat. “Wha-what’s going on! D-did you drug me?” He felt a tad woozy.

“No Tom I just gave you a simple prick. It does have side effects however!” Nate couldn’t force back his smiled he grinned ear to ear looking at Tom’s belly.

Tom looked to where he was staring and yelped! His once flat stomach was pushing into his button up making it tighter and tighter! He hesitantly touched it expecting it to be bloating but his fingers winked into his soft flesh. He shrieked once more and felt it surge forward more, further tightening his shirt.

“What did you do to me!”

Nate didn’t reply just stared at Tom drooling! He watched as his belly swelled even bigger now starting to make the space between his buttons gap. His pecks also started to soften more becoming plumper and soft to squeeze. Fuck he was swelling with fat! His now basketball sized gut blended with his lauded forming love handles stretching wider over the sides of his pants. His pants got tighter and his belly pressed into the button of them. He felt and he grew a fat pad, it pressing into his jeans. His thighs filled the space quickly making his pants tighter and making them make audible groans of being stretched too tight.

“My my what a fine specimen you are!” Nate snickered

“”Please, stop this!”

“Why? Then fun is just beginning!!

Tom watched as Nate shrank smaller. He looked up to see Nate wasn’t shrinking, he was getting taller! The fat piled on as he grew 6 foot and the 7 feet tall. PING!!!! PING!!! PING!!! His buttons popped off his belly one by one as it release his belly from its confines sending it surging down with a jiggle, the force popping his pants button off! His hands we bigger and looked much meatier! His nails also looked longer and more sharp! His converse were growing uncomfortably tight. He flexed his toes and as he did so giant feet ripped out the front! He stuck his foot out and noticed it was gigantic and covered in fur. It look like a paw! He shrieked again bumping up against the cage wall! His body shook as he grew thicker. RIIIIP! His ass burst from the seat of his pants as his thighs ripped open the seams, his body was much hairier now! Patches of white fur sprouting out of the rips and tares. He watched as his belly grew furrier and whiter. His big moobs quickly bursting the last of the buttons releasing them to sit on his giant gut. His face got rounder and his neck thickened. Looking at his hands he saw they were full on paws with pads and big claws! He watched as his nose and mouth uncomfortably pushed out in front of him creating a muzzle. He screamed loud, his voice deeper and raspy! His duck pressed through his pants growing bigger as well as his balls to match his bigger size. A tail sprouted above his giant ass and the fur quickly covered what bare skin was left. He stood there now a full sized fat polar bear in only his underwear and a shirt only hanging by a thread.

“What have you done!” Tom’s voice bellowed!

“Don’t worry it’s reversible! I wanted you to fulfill your dream of being big and cuddly! Now you are the very thing you love!”

“I-I like it but I don’t want to live in a zoo forever!”

“I have a proposal for you!”

“What is it.”

“How about you be like this for three days to get comfortable I’ll change you back and we can find a more easier way for you to switch from human to bear whenever you want! It’s more of a spell that gives you the power to do so! You can live in a dorm with me and work here! Sometimes as a person and other times preform as a bear!”

“Sounds intriguing. You sure I’ll be able to switch whenever I want?”

“Of course we have another guy here who loves being a grizzly, he was out earlier today. May have gave you a wink!”

“This is crazy but-I’m in!”

Nate opened the gate and walked into the cage and gave Tom a big cuddly hug! “Welcome to the zoo fam big guy!”

Tom blushed and felt his own fat furry body! He could get used to this!

#chubby #maleweightgain #fat #bigboy #gainerart #exjock #big boy #curvy #thick #oc #bear #beartf #beartransformation #furrytf #fatfur #polar bear #polar bear tf

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neuxue · 4 years

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Rand has LTT, Mat has the Eelfinn memories, Perrin has the wolves, Nynaeve has surrendering, and Elayne is trying to build a real person beyond the queen persona she has been trained to be. So what's Egwene's struggle for an identity? It seems like she just becomes someone else when she needs to, from Mini-Nynaeve, to aspiring channeler to Tinker to novice to Aes Sedai to Aiel to Amyrlin. Does she have an internal conflict?

It’s funny, because you actually describe something I think is closely linked to her growth and her search for identity in your ask:

she just becomes someone else when she needs to, from Mini-Nynaeve, to aspiring channeler to Tinker to novice to Aes Sedai to Aiel to Amyrlin.

Because Egwene’s story is less about a conflict of identity, and more about learning and discovering and shaping that identity. It’s about deciding who she is, and who she wants to be.

Even more so than most of the other central characters, Egwene’s is a coming-of-age story. A story and a journey of self-discovery, of a young girl with dreams too big for her little world, a girl with bright but as-yet unformed ambitions, setting off on a path that darkens those dreams and sharpens those ambitions but also lets her explore past the edge of what once was a horizon, see all the things she could be and do and become, and eventually leads her to a more deliberate, definite, certain version of herself.

It’s important, I think, to remember just how young Egwene is, when the story begins. The youngest of those who set out from Emond’s Field, and one of the youngest of the main cast as a whole. Elayne is a similar age, but Elayne’s been raised from birth to a specific role, to hold a specific place in the world. Egwene... in her way has, too, but she’s seventeen and has never set foot outside of the Two Rivers and never had the reason or chance to think about who and what she could be, in a wider world. All she knows, when strangers come and adventure calls and Moiraine speaks of a spark, is that she wants something — oh, sure, why not, let’s have a Disney quote here — something more than this provincial life.

For all the others who leave Emond’s Field, there’s a secondary element. The boys have all in their way been Chosen, marked by the tightening threads of the Pattern, and for them there is little choice but to step into that role and eventually learn what it means to accept it. Nynaeve isn’t a Chosen One, but one of the key differences between her and Egwene is that she’s old enough to have established something of her life and her sense of self and purpose and place in the world, whereas Egwene is only just beginning to look for that.

So for Nynaeve, it’s about figuring out how to go from who she was to who she is becoming. It’s about accepting a part of herself she’s afraid of, because she thought she knew who she was, what she was, where she belonged, where she fit. Whereas Egwene has only just come of age when she leaves Emond’s Field. She’s not rediscovering who she is; she’s just starting on that path in the first place--because it’s time, and also because she wants to.

And so she sets off on this path of wanting, of adventure and discovery and seeking something more, and of course she tries on everything she comes across for size. Of course she tries out different personas, different mindsets, different ways of looking at the world, different ways of being.

It’s all new to her, this vast world full of possibility and power that she never even dreamed of. It’s all that yearning for something more, that unspecified wanting, coalescing into specific shapes, into defined options, into ‘you could be this, or this, or this’. It’s all new and it’s all fascinating and one of Egwene’s defining traits is this insatiable curiosity and interest and determination to be the best she can be.

So she tries different possibilities on for size, throwing herself into them with that same bright ambition and curiosity, and learns a little more about herself and the world and those around her as she does. And we see that as well; we see the parts of her that shine through no matter what role she’s embodying--the desire to learn, the drive to do more, the ambition, the resourcefulness, the love she holds for her friends, the strength of will... we see her grow into all of these as she grows into herself. As she figures out, by trying everything, who she really is and what she really wants and how to be that.

For some of the others, it’s about holding on to a sense of identity against invasive or antagonistic forces, or against their own fears. And sure, Egwene faces all kinds of pressures and demands and pain, and as the story goes on she does fight to remind herself of the path she is determined to walk, and of where she will or will not draw her lines.

But ultimately, Egwene’s is a story of stepping out into the world and finding her place in it. Of having all her doors and horizons thrown open and being told you can be whatever you want to be, and having to decide for herself what that is.

#and it's relatable for that!#we all have to figure out who we are at some point #whether that's at egwene's age or earlier or later #though usually without the added pressure of a world to save #asks #anon #wheel of time #egwene al'vere #listen i love her

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christinaengela · 4 years

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Hello friends and fans!

Welcome to my 44th newsletter – August 2020!

On A Personal Note

The 17th of July was a terribly sad day for our family because of the death of one of our fur-children, Ming. She was my little writing companion who used to sit across my shoulders sometimes, or on my knee while I typed away on my laptop.

I love all three our kitties, but Mingy-moo as I used to call her, held a special place in my heart… and to be frank, I miss her presence in my life terribly, as does Wendy.

Lily – our giant white mommy-cat, and Nyx – our little black one, were clearly in mourning as well. Their behavior has changed since she disappeared so suddenly from our lives, and even after a week, Nyx still hovers around the spot where Ming sat the last day she was with us, and Lily still searches the house for the missing kitty.

Ming used to do little things the other two kitties don’t do – some endearing, and some outright naughty – whose absence only makes her loss that much more tangible. Somehow the house seems so much more quiet and empty. Something is missing, and for weeks the empty-nest feeling has hung over it like a pall. It will be a while yet before we lift ourselves up again, and move on.

Then, in the early hours of Friday 24 July, more bad news! Someone asshat with sticky fingers burgled our Golf! Fortunately they were unprepared and set off the alarm and fled, leaving the driver side door open. There was some good news with the bad – there was no damage at all. The enterprising individual must’ve used a ‘slim-jim’ or similar tool to lever the lock open via the window channel, so no windows or locks etc. were damaged. I figure they also probably tried to steal the wheels – and then discovered I had a lock-nut on each wheel, because the only thing the bastards seem to have got away with is one single, solitary wheel-nut!

That aside, on other, much happier fronts, I completed another two paintings since last time we spoke – bringing my total number of paintings to five – and then I returned to writing again! On that front, among the BIGGEST news items I have to share with you this time, is the release of the audiobook version of “Blachart” – it’s finally here – and after three weeks of availability, I’m happy to report that it’s doing very well! More about that below!

Art

I also indulge in painting from time to time – and no, I don’t mean walls! The following paintings are in my portfolio:

“Human Nature” 2017 A4 acrylic canvas

“Balancier” 2020 A2 acrylic canvas

“Rescuer” 2020 A2 acrylic canvas

“The Awakening” 2020 A2 acrylic canvas

“The Earth Wept” 2020 40x40cm acrylic on canvas

I completed “The Awakening” on June 5, and started “The Earth Wept” just a few days later. “The Earth Wept” is on 40x40cm canvas and I finished that on July 12. I’ve also since renamed “Untitled” to “Human Nature”.

You can read more about my art projects on the Art page.

What do you think of them? Feel free to let me know!

Music

Yes – I also make music from time to time!

A selection of music tracks I made using eJay and other similar apps between 1999 – 2008 are available on my YouTube channel.

You can read more on the Music page on my website!

Activism

For those of you interested in my activism-related posts and activities, you can follow them at “Sour Grapes: The Fruit Of Ignorance“.

Current Writing Projects

In the past few weeks I deviated from writing and went into art for a while, delivering four new completed paintings in a little over a month! In the meantime however, I made a return to writing by starting the long awaited next title in the Galaxii series!

Book 4 – still under a working title – is currently at a little over 18,000 words and growing by the day!

Editing

On the editing side of things, my friend Brandon Mullins has been getting me into a proofreading and editing sideline over at Moon Books Publishing, and I’ll let you have any news on that as it happens!

I’ve just received the first submission for a new project entitled “Captain Jockstrap and the League of Do-gooders”! Yes, it probably is as silly as it sounds – but that’s the idea!

In the meantime, I still have a horror anthology on my desktop, which still needs a couple more submissions to reach publishing length – and more than that wouldn’t hurt! There will be no payment to writers, but participation will help get your name out there. If interested, please send them along to [email protected].

Marketing – The Dreaded “M” Word!

Portfolio 2020!

I thought it would be nice if I could produce a neat, organized catalog of all my books that interested parties could download and browse – a free, distributable and shareable catalog, and so I created “Portfolio 2020!” – a listing of all my currently available titles!

Portfolio is more than that though, because it also contains a biography as well as synopses for most of my titles – and I have a plan to update it regularly, perhaps on an annual basis! Portfolio 2020 is available as a free download from my website.

Videos

In July, I made a new book trailer video for the audiobook version of “Blachart” – and so did Nigel Peever as it turned out!

youtube

https://christinaengela.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/blachart-video-by-nigel-peever.mp4

Aren’t they great? 🙂

Sales

Getting my writing available in audiobook format seems to have been the ticket I’ve been waiting for, and these are truly exciting times for me as a writer! At this stage I have only one audiobook out, my first, and with its first month almost complete, sales are really encouraging! For the past month most of my marketing has been aimed at promoting “Blachart” and upcoming new audiobook titles “When Darkness Calls”, “Malice!” and “Demonspawn”. With more to follow, these items really could be the thing that helps promote my writing and blow those doors open that so far have tended to keep me out!

Publishing

Under recent releases this month, these are the six books I’ve released so far this year!

July really has been a month of change. Not only was there a death in the family, but it’s also the month I closed my account with Lulu.com – the self-publishing platform I’ve used since 2005. Although I am angry with Lulu, and sorely disappointed in what they’ve done – and how they did it – I am grateful for what they did for me over the years. There’s no way I would’ve had the foundations in self-publishing I have today, were it not for Lulu. At one time, they were the ONLY self-publishing platform that would take on writers from South Africa – let alone being willing to accommodate paying us via PayPal!

Sadly, I simply couldn’t get to grips with the awful new changes Lulu inexplicably inflicted on loyal users that – in my view – rendered the platform unfriendly and totally useless. In the second week of July I redistributed the titles that were based on Lulu between Moon Books (publishing eBook, paperback and audiobook via Amazon) and eBooks via EBooks2Go, Draft2Digital and StreetLib. Frankly I think some of them that were available only on Lulu will have an even wider reach as a result. I sent Lulu the account deletion request on the 20th.

Unfortunately, due to Lulu’s short-sighted idiocy, I now have to edit and update “The Pitfalls of South African Self-publishing” as well – there’s an entire section covering how to self-publish a book via the system Lulu just casually chucked into the bin that needs to change. Frankly, I’m thinking I’ll need to base that portion on EBooks2go instead – since their system is far simpler and easier to use, not to mention less fiddly.

Also as a result, I’ve had to update purchase links on my website and social media accounts that referred directly or indirectly to my books via Lulu. If you find any I haven’t got round to fixing yet, please drop me a line and let me know! 😉

Hally Park Publishers

For quite a while now I’ve been working to expand my marketing reach, and in the spirit of that endeavor I recently contracted with Hally Park Publishers – a South African small press who also list suitable self-published titles on their website – to list my eBooks!

It’s taken a little time for them to appear on their website – after all, I’m not the only author they have listed, and I have just over 30 books – so I’m sure that was quite a job! Nevertheless, the first fifteen appeared on their site during the night (yes, I’ve been watching)!

The advantage of this arrangement – that is, listing my books on a local South African book selling site – is that it’s a new local market which already attracts its own traffic! Additionally, the prices are displayed in Rands, as well as my books being displayed alongside titles by other local authors – which should attract more local readers looking for some local literary South African flavor!

You can view my listing there by clicking on the link, or the screenshot below!

Audiobooks

“All That Remains” JEA (2019)

“See Them Aliens” MBP (2019)

“Blachart” MBP (2020)

I mentioned previously in my post “Coming Soon! “Blachart” – the Audiobook!” back in May – and in my newsletters for June and July that I’ve been eagerly awaiting the audiobook release of “Blachart” – and I’m sure you have too!

On the July 10th I got a notification that “Blachart” the audiobook was available on Amazon! As I promised in February this year, “Blachart” has (finally) been released as an audiobook! It doesn’t usually take this long to go through the production process, and I’m sure the current pandemic must’ve had something to do with it – but regardless, the eagerly-awaited finished product has arrived at last! And – WOW – what a product it is!

Narrated by Nigel Peever, “Blachart” – book 1 in the Galaxii series – is 10 hours 26 min long, and is nothing less than a rip-roaring sci-fi adventure! You can read more about it here.

I’ve also had to review a string of auditions for “Malice!“, “When Darkness Calls” and “Best Served Cold” – and I have to comment on the diverseness of the sort of voices, accents and personalities that sent their auditions in! Wow! For a writer, nothing encapsulates the diversity of one’s audience more than listening to a variety of people, male and female, reading words you wrote in a variety of accents! It’s even more of a compliment when you can hear them enjoying it as they do so! “When Darkness Calls” is narrated by Miciah Dodge, and Michelle Innes had me covered in goosebumps as she read an excerpt of “Malice!” in her Scottish accent! Currently, “Malice!”, “When Darkness Calls”, and “Demonspawn” are in production, and we’re still looking for a narrator to read “Best Served Cold”!

Coming Soon

In the meantime, here’s a look at the covers for the coming audiobooks of “When Darkness Calls” and “Demonspawn”:

Reviews

You can see all my previous reviews here.

Currently Available Titles

I now have 29 unique titles available in 4 series (not including books I’ve been the editor for, and my 16 free promotional items)! My books are available in three different formats: EBooks, Paperbacks and Audiobooks. Click the links or images below to view titles available in these formats.

Communication

Below are links to a few of my most recent posts and articles since my last newsletter:

Expand The Brand: Hally Park Publishers

Guest Writer #4: Lee Hall

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“Blachart” – TWO Audiobook Trailers!

“When Darkness Calls” – Actually A True Story

A Visit To The Archives!

“Blachart” – A Writing Journey [cross-posted on Moon Books website]

Unleashed: “Blachart” – The Audiobook!

Free Download! Portfolio 2020!

Another Round At The Crow Bar #43 July 2020

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Elements of Horror

FAQ Answered

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Writing Advice

Guest Writers

Newsletters

Interactions

Fan Mail, Reader Reviews & Honorable Mentions

I very pleased to have quite a few items to show you this month!

Parade.com shared one of my quotes in a listing titled “150 of the Best Relationship Quotes and Sweetest Couple Quotes That’ll Make Your Heart Flutter” on July 08, 2020. “Regardless of what language it is said in, ‘I love you’ stays beautiful, and two hearts beating together make the same sound. It is the language of Love.” – Christina Engela

The Satanic Church of South Africa shared my academic book “Satanism: The Acid Test” on their website resource page! (found on July 12, 2020) This is of course, what this book is supposed to do – educate people, demystify the occult, and relieve people of their ignorance!

Miciah Dodge, the narrator recording “When Darkness Calls” sent a message via ACX on July 07:

Jennifer Shepard really seems to have liked my article about “Blachart”! (July 11, 2020):

The audiobook version of “Blachart” received a gracious reader/listener review on the 5th of July:

On July 21, Brandon Mullins, CEO of Moon Books Publishing shared the following compliment for “Blachart” in a publishing group on Facebook:

On July 26, Scott M. Darrah gave me his opinion of the audiobook:

Miciah Dodge, the narrator for “Christina Engela’s Strangely Compelling Scifi Stories vol 1”, “When Darkness Calls” and “Duck Blind” sent me this nice email on July 26, 2020:

I display my Fan Mail, Reviews & Compliments with pride, gratitude and humility. You’re always welcome to have a look.

Hate Mail & Horrible Mentions

On July 17, somebody thought it would probably be hilarious if they spam bombed my inbox with email notifications for a fake account they created in my name – on an Asian Dating Site in Indonesia! Unfortunately for them, I left the factory with a warped sense of humor, so instead of being bent out of shape by their ‘ingenuity’ all they did was give me a few good laughs… I mean have you seen half the profiles on any dating site?? Anyway, I know how to filter and block email addresses – and the admins of said dating site were kind enough to delete the profile for me when I asked nicely, so – better luck next time, whoever you are!

I’m rather proud of my hate mail, and you can review my collection here – but be forewarned, don’t do it while eating or drinking, or you might choke while laughing!

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All my interviews are linked to from this page. If you would like to do an interview with me about my work, please do get in touch!

In Closing

Well, that’s all for this time, folks! 🙂

Thanks again for all your support, friendship and interaction!

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Another Round At The Crow Bar #44 August 2020 Hello friends and fans! Welcome to my 44th newsletter - August 2020!

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sadstonewrites · 4 years

Text

Celestial Steel: Fractured Psyche

Hello friends :) this is my AO3 work that I have decided to begin crossposting onto tumblr in order to reach a wider audience in the Colossus Thirst Collective, as well as just for fans of Colossus in general. This is a large series and I will be posting it in chunks on here, but the full story is already uploaded onto AO3 if you’re feeling impatient. So, without further ado, here we go!

Also, just to avoid confusion later on, My OC (Lane) uses they/them pronouns and identifies as nonbinary!

Pairings: Piotr Rasputin (Colossus) x OC

Rated M

Chapter 1

Police are now engaged in a high speed chase on the interstate involving a pedestrian taxi and a biochemical transport truck that was reportedly hijacked outside of the Belrose Pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, a subsidiary of the Rand Corporation. According to authorities, the truck was reported missing and its driver was found killed in the company loading dock early this morning. It is unknown at this time if the driver of the taxi is aligned with the hijackers -

Piotr Rasputin’s phone rang and he frowned at the caller ID. With a sigh, and a careful press as to not break any of the screen (again), he picked it up.

“Wade-”

“Hey Chromedome, you busy?” Wade’s voice crowed over the speaker.

In the background, Piotr could hear police sirens and Bollywood music playing over a radio. Piotr had to mute the television just to confirm what he was hearing, and groaned at the realization that yes, it was Wade in the taxi involved in the high speed chase. How Dopinder had been able to keep his license was beyond him.

“Wade, please tell me you had nothing to do with what I am seeing on news.”

“Okay, then I won’t tell you. But just if, y’know, you wanted to take a break from jerking off the other X-Men and come on down here, for funsies, that’d be cool.”

Piotr pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and leaned forward into his knees, causing the coach to groan underneath him. “Wade, we have talked about this. Our agreement was that X-Men would allow X-Force to operate and not get involved unless necessary, doing so otherwise is waste of resources and risks endangering -”

“But this is necessary! Okay, that last time with the mattress stores being a front for mutant cage fighting was my bad, but do you have anything better to do?” Wade sighed into the receiver. “Don’t make me admit that I actually need your help with this.”

“What about Cable or Domino -?”

There was the sound of a struggle and Cable’s voice came onto the phone. “We’re already here, big guy.” Cable said, “and he’s actually right about this one. They’re transporting about a hundred barrels of biochemical material in that truck, and something tells me that whatever roadblock they set up isn’t going to be stopping them.”

“A suicide bomber?” Piotr asked, jumping to his feet at the realization.

“Looks like it.” Cable confirmed. “I’ve only picked up one heat signature in the truck cabin, but there’s movement in the back with all the chemicals. Might be hostages.”

“Give me that -” Wade yelled from the background. There was a sound of a struggle and Wade’s voice came back on. “But, yeah. Aren’t the X-Men all about protecting civilians or some shit?”

“Well yes but -”

“But nothing, get off your shiny metal ass and get over here! Bring NTW too, fun for the whole family.”

He hung up and Piotr groaned, shoving his phone back into his pocket. Ellie and Yukio just happened to be walking by, and stuck their heads in at the sight of their mentor standing in the middle of the room.

“Who was that on the phone?” Yukio asked, pulling Ellie into the room behind her.

“Guess,” came Piotr’s defeated reply. He was torn - for Wade to admit he needed help was a cause for concern all on it’s own, but if this turned out to be a bust, it would be his head on the chopping block.

“I thought that after that mattress store fiasco, the deal was that we let them go out and make a mess as long as they clean it up?” Ellie asked, annoyance evident in her voice.

“It is deal. But this might be bigger mess than they can handle.” Piotr stood and walked back out into the hall, the two girls tailing behind him. He reached the elevator and pressed a button, all three stepping inside the metal interior. Ellie pressed the ‘down’ button and turned to face her mentor. “What about Cable and Domino?”

“Already there.”

“Scott isn’t going to like this.” Yukio quietly said, saying what all three of them were thinking. The de-facto leader of the X-Men, Scott had a bone to pick with Deadpool and had banished him from the grounds of the mansion on more than one occasion. Not that anyone had blamed him, especially with the amount of antics that Deadpool had the habit of getting into. He had been the one to raise the issue of using resources for X-Force missions, and as much as everyone thought it was kind of a dick move for doing so, he had a point.

Piotr grimaced, knowing he was already going to be getting an earful about this later. “I trust Deadpool, when he says he needs help, we help. Sometimes for better or worse. But, we are X-Men, it’s what we do. For better or worse.”

They descended into the basement hangar and Ellie and Yukio split off towards their respective lockers to get changed. Piotr practically lived in his uniform - more practical that way - and went ahead to warm up the jet.

“Have you eaten? Had water?” Piotr asked, calling out to the two trainees. “I brought snacks.”

“We’re good,” replied Ellie, stepping out in her suit and following him into the jet. A look from Piotr and she took a bottle of water from his duffel bag, if only to placate him. Yukio took a granola bar as well, just for good measure. Piotr closed the ramp and hit a button, the ceiling above the jet opening up above them.

“Buckle in.” He cautioned, taking the controls into his hands and thrusting them upwards. The jet soundlessly came to life and took off like a shot into the sky, leaving nothing but an empty spot in the hangar.

It didn’t take long for the jet to reach the interstate, cutting through the clouds and flying over the skyline at an extreme speed.

“There’s the truck,” Ellie called back into the cabin of the jet. “And the taxi.”

“And the police.” Yukio replied. Looking out the front windows, sure enough there was a solid line of police cars blocking the end of the highway, and more that were closely following Dopinder’s taxi.

“Get us in closer.” Piotr said, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He picked it up and held the phone back from his ear as Wade’s voice screamed into the receiver.

“Hey Chrome-rad, glad you could make it, we have a plan. Like, a super awesome, blockbuster action movie plan -” There was a shout and Wade’s voice was cut off and replaced by Cable.

“We’re going to pull up beside of it and disconnect the trailer from it’s cab -”

“Would you stop doing that!” Wade’s voice came back on. “Then Cable’s gonna use the force to try and slow the trailer down to keep it from going boom.”

“It’s not the force, Wade.” Cable groaned in the background.

“Would you two knock it off?” Domino’s voice came on the line. “That leaves the cab. We reckon there’s about 500 yards between the cab and the police blockade. How confident are you in your landings?”

“Landings?” Piotr asked, looking out the window to see Dopinder’s cab speeding up to pull beside the truck.

“Not all of us can exactly take a truck to the face and walk it off. Get in front of the truck and stop it. And uh, Good luck.” She hung up.

From outside the window, Piotr could see Wade’s red-clad body hanging halfway out of Dopinder’s taxi, reaching for the small space between the cab and the trailer. He flung himself out of the open door and onto the walkway, frantically beginning to cut the cables connecting the truck to the trailer.

“Bozhe moi. Ellie, bring us in low and open the ramp.”

The jet lurched as Ellie dropped it down lower, Piotr’s stomach lurching likewise. The ramp opened up, the wind rushing into the cabin and the road stretching open below him.

“The trailer is loose!” Yukio yelled from up in the cabin, her soft voice nearly getting lost in the noise of the wind. “Jump!"

There was a horrid screeching sound - Cable’s telekinesis pulling the trailer backwards in an attempt to slow it down. Saying a quick prayer to whomever happened to be listening, Piotr jumped feet first outside the jet into the air, quickly falling to the earth.

#stonetag #stone writings #celestial steel #fractured psyche #colossus imagine #colossus x oc #marvel fanfiction #deadpool fanfiction #piotr rasputin #nonbinary oc #nonbinary

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scribeofmorpheus · 5 years

Text

Counterpart [2/5]

Pairing: Bucky x Reader x Framework!Steve

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Words: 4k

A/N: Just to clear up any confusion, in the Framework the blip and Thanos’s undertaking never happened. Civil War was between Hydra and what was left of Avengers/Shield and the Sokovia Accords weren’t just about registration but an official order branding Shield as terrorists and reinstating the Winter Soldier Program- it passed. Also, Clint has always been Ronin, Hawkeye doesn’t exist in the framework.

Warnings: This chapter contains depictions and mentions of cheating, has drug use, language, slight NSFW and some angst. It’s a dark series, expect a darker take.

Leave a like, comment or reblog-highly appreciated! ☺ Taglist is open

PART TWO: DOPPELGANGERS

~Avengers Compound

"Grrrrrhh!" Bucky flipped the table in a burning fury.

Wanda and Sam looked on at a loss, feeling completely helpless.

"Hey, Bucky try and calm down," Sam said softly.

"How am I supposed to stay calm when she's out there, helpless and alone, knowing it's all my fault?" Bucky shouted.

Wanda took a small step forward, "Bucky, there's no way you could ha--"

"I'm her partner Wanda. We are supposed to keep each other safe! She isn't here right now and it's my fault!" Bucky bit back.

Wanda folded her trembling hands under her poncho as she took a step back, her eyes landing on the cup Y/N had drunk tea from a few hours earlier. Her eyes were sad but lit with fury.

"You think you're the only one who feels responsible? If I hadn’t been so afraid to get on that damned jet, maybe none of this would have happened!"

Wanda's words stung at everyone in the room, making them all flinch at her sudden outburst. The red mist that accompanied her abilities snaked around her form.

Sam unfolded his hands and held them out to try and calm his companions, "Look, let’s all take a breath. We all care about Y/N. We're all worried. But that don't change the fact that all we can do is wait until we get a ping on her location. Fighting isn’t goin’ to change that. Neither will flippin’ furniture."

Bucky let out another guttural shout and connected his non-metal fist into the wall. When his knuckles removed themselves, they were bloodied and the skin was serrated by the shattered wall plaster.

"We don't have time to wait," Bucky said hoarsely. "Those people we found in the submarine. They all flat-lined once whatever that experiment they were part of was completed. If they're doing the same thing to her--"

Bucky slumped to the ground, his head hanging low between his knees as his hands trembled against fists full of hair.

"Screw this!" Wanda stormed out of the room.

"Wanda, where are you going?" Sam asked.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I lose another person I care about," she said with a vicious tone. "I'm not gonna sit around here and feel sorry for myself. I'm going to talk to someone who actually can help me!"

Then she disappeared, flying out in a brilliant red streak.

Sam sighed, the weight of leading the team was heavier than he was initially prepared for. He felt just as helpless as everyone else right now. If he couldn't be the leader they needed right now, the least he could be was a compassionate shoulder to lean on.

Sam sat down next to Bucky, at first all that filled the room was this perpetual feeling of nothingness- a distinct absence of sound beside ragged breathing and tree branches tapping on plated glass from the strong howling wind. It was almost as though the wind had adapted to their moods; angry, afraid and confused. Then, after a few minutes passed, Bucky spoke with a shaky voice.

"You were right, Sam."

"About?"

"I kept stalling abut asking Y/N to marry me because... I was afraid."

Sam rose his eyebrows in disbelief, "Were you afraid she'd say no? Because, I can tell you now, we can all see how much she loves you. There's no way she'd say no."

Bucky ran a rand through his hair as he looked up at the memorial portrait of Steve dressed in his first Captain America suit. Next to it were portraits of Tony and Nat and Vision. All their faces smiling and proud. Even though it was a way of commemorating all they'd done, of honouring those who fell, Bucky couldn't help but feel their smiles were mocking him right now.

"It's not that," Bucky said. "I was afraid she'd say yes. How fucked up is that?"

Sam let out a deep breath, "Actually, it ain't that fucked up."

"I just couldn't shake the feeling that if I kept putting off asking her, then I could somehow stop this fucked up world we live in from finding some way to ruin one of the last few good things I have left."

“Fucked up world, huh?” Sam's eyes fell on the wall of portraits instinctively, a bitter taste forming in his mouth. "I get it. People like us, we get accustomed to a certain degree of loss. After a while, we begin to anticipate it."

Bucky’s head fell back onto the wall with a light thud, "Yeah, that's round about it. Guess you and I aren't so different, Tin-can."

"Listen, don't take this to mean I want you to buy me matchin' friendship bracelets or braid each other’s hair but…" Sam's fist tapped Bucky's right arm, nudging the frozen stiff soldier. "If you need to talk to someone, once all this is over, I know someone who can help."

Sam's sincere words caused Bucky to swallow loudly. He hated feeling vulnerable. Despite Shuri's great work at undoing what Hydra had done to his fractured mind, he still had a lot of their training ingrained in him. He was trained to be a lone wolf and despite how hard he tried to let people in, it was still something he struggled with. Perhaps that was an old habit he needed to change.

"Thanks, Sam. I might just take you up on that."

"Good, now get some rest. You aren't no good to me or Y/N if you burn yourself out before we get a lock on her co-ordinates."

Bucky sighed, "Alright. You gonna go after Wanda?"

Sam thought on Bucky's question for a moment, "With her firepower, I think she can handle herself."

Bucky groaned as he picked himself off the floor and offered Sam a hand, "That's not what I meant."

Sam grumbled as he dusted his sweatpants once off the floor, "I know. She's angry. I think all this has brought back a lot of pain she's been keepin’ buried. I think, despite how bad the circumstances are, she needs to have an outlet for all that anger. She needs to burnout."

Sam glanced over at the portrait of Vision for a brief pause and then back at Steve's, doubt clouding his usually clear eyes. "Until then..."

Bucky placed his hand on Sam's shoulders, "You're doing proud by him. Don't doubt that. It's a heavy mantle to carry. Steve left behind big shoes to fill. You're a good leader, it just takes time. An adjustment period."

Sam chuckled wistfully and patted Bucky's hand on his shoulder, "Yeah, thanks Bird-man."

Bucky hummed something reassuring but his eyes were still dark, they made him look lonelier than he probably felt. A part of him still found solace in seclusion and that part of him wanted to be alone with his feelings.

Bucky left the room, his slumped shoulders informing Sam of his state of mind despite his attempts to try and act as though he now had things under control.

Sam looked up at Steve's portrait one more time, "We're a mess without you man."

~Elsewhere

The sound of girls playing in the back yard softened Wanda's mood slightly as she approached the wooden porch. The childish laughter and squeals reminded her of Pietro as a young, energetic boy.

Ever since she lost Vision, Wanda had been thinking about Pietro more and more. There was a darkness looming over her and the only time she felt somewhat like herself was during the small moments she and Y/N would share together. The red hue brightening her eyes fizzled out like a worn-out candle's flame.

Wanda felt heavy. Her heart threatened to sink back into sadness at the realisation that she may very well lose Y/N too.

With shaky hands, Wanda's petite, ring covered fingers rapped on the wooden door in slow repetitive stroke.

She didn't know what she was doing here, or why she had thought it a good idea, but she was here and she couldn’t unring this bell.

When the door opened, Wanda's fingers fidgeted slightly as she cleared her throat -her old accent slipping out between vowels from urgency.

"I- I'm sorry to just turn up here. I should have called ahead, b- but… I need your help."

"Something's happened, hasn't it?"

Wanda nodded.

The door swung open wider, letting Wanda into the house.

The water waved and lapped softly against the edges of the tub, toes curled at the end of the tub as your head tilted backwards in euphoric bliss. Steve's warm chest heaved up and down behind you, your body moving with the strong motions of his chest. His hands working tantalising circles around your lower body submerged under the hot water and fizzling out bubbles. The scented candles flooded your senses, numbing the former migraine that once agitated your brain.

Steve's heated breath tickled your ear as he whispered sweet nothings, causing your fingers to wrap around his nape.

"You like that?" He increased the pressure around his fingers making you gasp and move instinctively into his touch. Water spilt over the tub and onto the floor.

"Mmmm, yes," you moaned, toes curling and uncurling.

A low rumble escaped his lips right when they found the nape of your neck and placed suckling kisses on it.

"How about we take this to the bedroom?" He rumbled lowly, desire saturating each word.

"Yessss," you strained against his surgical touch. It was as though he knew your body better than you did.

Steve manoeuvred your body so you were no longer laying above him and he stepped out of the tub, water dripping from his wet body. His muscles seemingly glistening from the light hitting the moisture dripping off him. He turned around and instantly swooped you out of the tub, marching you towards the bedroom with hooded eyes burning across your equally wet body.

***

The coffee maker gurgled loudly as it filled with dark coffee that probably tasted as strong as it smelled. You reached into the fridge for the jug of orange juice and closed the fridge shut with your bare foot.

Steve was dressed in a three-piece suit (minus the tie) that hugged his frame flatteringly while he read the newspaper with a half-eaten plate of pancakes. A sub-headline caught your attention. It read: ‘Silver-Blue Blur Spotted in Sokovia?’

You poured yourself a glass of orange juice and sat back down on the table, a small tablet running through the highlights of the week.

Several headlines read: ‘Hydra Seizes Stark Assets; Director Pierce Re-Instates Winter Soldier Program; The Iron Maiden's Reign of Terror Continues; Peter Parker Still Missing; Asgardian Queen Hela Threatens War; Mischief in Moldova?’

"The Iron Maiden?" You repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

Steve noticed your brow was arched in suspicion, your lips pursed in thought, small dimples forming on your cheeks.

"Hydra believes Pepper Potts is trying to recruit more anarchists into whatever remains of Shield," he said nonchalantly as he took his empty mug and refilled it with more coffee. "Our drones spotted Pietro Maximoff in Sokovia earlier this week. Which is not surprising since this is the anniversary of his sister’s death."

You shook your head, unable to reconcile what he was saying.

"Wanda's dead?" You whispered to yourself so Steve wouldn't hear you.

Another migraine pinched at the base of your skull, causing pain to shoot through your eye while you reached for the orange juice. Your vision doubled as the pain worsened and you knocked the glass over, one hand bracing against your temple as you hissed.

"Ahhggg!" You yelped.

Steve set his Hydra stamped mug on the counter and rushed to your side, cupping your face in his strong hands.

"Again?" He asked with calm eyes but a disturbed face.

"Y-yeah..." you barely managed to get the words out.

Steve rushed to the bedroom and suddenly the image of you and Wanda sitting on a couch with cups held between your fingers came to life across the room like a projection. By the stove, a man with long dark hair looked out through your window, the smell of burning toast tickling your nostrils. The morning light obscuring his reflection.

You glanced down at your ring and felt an insurmountable measure of guilt, when you looked back up the projections vanished, leaving an ashed taste in your mouth. Your thumb kept rotating your ring like a nervous tick, your eyes frantically flickering from the couch to the stove in search of the ghosts you had just seen.

Questions that couldn't be answered screamed inside you as you started to hyperventilate. Why were you and the Scarlett Witch acting like buddies? Who was the man with the blue and gold-tinted metal arm? Why did all this feel more real than the furniture you were sat on? Why was Steve taking so damn, fucking long to get your pills?

"What is going on?" You said in fear, unable to trust your own mind.

As if on cue, Steve came back out with your pill bottle, one small pill already placed on his outstretched palm. You devoured it thankfully and let out an appreciative sigh as Steve kissed your numbing temples.

Steve pulled out his phone and started dialling.

"What are you doing?"

Steve looked at you oddly, "I'm taking the day off, my wife isn't at her best."

You held up your hand to stop him, "Nonsense, your work is more important."

"Hey," he hushed you as he caressed your cheek, "Nothing is more important to me than you and Sarah. Got it?"

You nodded.

"While I disappoint Pierce for the third time this week, why don't you get dressed and sign those papers we talked about. They're in my study."

You nodded again and made your way, sluggishly, towards the bedroom. Steve's muffled words growing lower and lower until you couldn't hear them all together.

***

"Do you consent to hereby becoming the legal guardian of one Sarah Carter-Rogers?" You mouthed out the question on the form.

You ticked the box yes and signed your name on the dotted line as you had done on countless other legal forms.

"Hey sweetheart, can you help me with my tie?" Steve walked in.

"Sure," you sat up from his desk and fastened his tie.

Steve peered over your shoulder, a proud smile creeping over his face when he realised you'd signed the papers.

"Huh," his smiled faltered ever so slightly. "You used your maiden name."

You were surprised by that, "I could have sworn-" you turned to look at the signature, and lo and behold, Steve was right. "Old habits, I guess."

"Hey," Steve brought your eyes to look into his. "Marriage has an adjustment period, and with your migraines, it's easy for your wires to get crossed. Don't worry."

He kissed your forehead affectionately before wrapping you safely in his arms.

"Now come on Mrs Rogers, Sharon's weekend is over. Let's go pick up our daughter," he said with an enthusiastic smile.

***

The Rolls-Royce pulled up into a small driveway leading up to a moderately sized townhouse. Toy's littered the lawn and an unopened newspaper was still lying on top of an unkempt shrubbery bush, dewdrops from the morning's cold air precipitated over the plastic sheet.

Steve stepped out the car, his hand held out for you as you scooched over the leather seats and took hold of his strong hand.

Out of the house burst a young blonde-haired girl no taller than your knee. Her pink backpack made rattling noises as it swayed from one side to the other with her running motions. Behind her, a tired-looking Sharon walked out of the house, her hair cropped short to the point you barely recognised her. Her cardigan pullover wrapped defensively around her thinning frame.

"Huh..." you squinted your eyes, unfamiliar with Sharon's new look.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"Nothing, I guess I'm just used to seeing her with longer hair," you revealed.

Steve laughed inaudibly as he crouched down waiting for his daughter to crash into him.

"Sarah, honey don't run!" Sharon shouted after her.

Sarah ignored her mother's words and jumped straight into Steve's outreaching arms, "Daddy!"

"Hey, June-bug!" Steve picked her up into a spinning hug.

You watched Steve lighten up as soon as he scooped his little girl into his arms, Sarah's giggling making the morning seem warmer than it was. In the distance, you noticed Sharon stare menacing daggers at you. You flinched and deflected your gaze to the assorted toys getting soaked from the ticking sprinklers.

A throbbing sensation sent gooseflesh up the nape of your neck as a particularly sour memory returned to the forefront of your thoughts.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 55%

Sharon looked worse for wear. Her eyes were puffy with dark circles making themselves at home on her face. Her hair tied up in an unkempt greasy bun. Nail edges bitten from anxiety. She stood on your apartment’s welcome mat, the look of horror pulling her mouth into an O shape as she glanced between you and Steve -a look of realisation. Steve used his large frame to shield your partially clothed body. Uneasy silence like trudging through mud. A few seconds later, the pizza delivery guy walked off the elevator and headed towards the ajar apartment door with a distraught woman staring at the occupants inside.

You gripped the boot of the car to keep yourself steady. This memory didn't hurt as much as the others. You figured the medication was finally working.

Steve noticed your small movement and set Sarah down to rub your back in slow circles. You nodded your head to signal that you were okay. Sarah hugged your leg causing you to bend down and greet her properly.

"Hey, June-bug, how was the weekend?"

"It was good, we went to a big, big farm and saw horsies," Sarah had a hard time enunciating some of her words, making them sound incomplete.

"Wow! Horsies!" You gasped in an exaggerated tone causing Sarah's bubbly laughter to ripple out in its regular high pitch. You felt your spirits lift from that simple act.

Steve stroked Sarah's head while he spoke to you, keeping her out of earshot. "Hey, I'm gonna go talk to Sharon, tell her the paperwork’s been finalised."

“Good luck,” You blew air out of your mouth and cocked your head to the side, eyebrows rising in acknowledgement of that uneasy task. You stroked Steve's chest, "I'll strap little June-bug here into the car seat."

Steve walked off towards Sharon while you walked around the car with Sarah holding your hand.

When you fastened her into the child seat, Sarah pulled out a pine cone and handed it to you.

"Look what I found!"

“Wow! A pinecone, for me? Thank you, June-bug!”” You accepted the small pinecone. There weren’t many conifer trees nearby for at least a few miles out of the city. Sharon must have taken her far out of the city. "Huh, how far was this farm?"

Sarah's arms spread far apart as she sing-songed, "Faaaaaaaaar."

Without thinking, you pocketed the pinecone and glanced out the tinted window to look for Steve. He and Sharon were having a heated discussion, but they both tried to make everything appear normal.

Sarah glanced over, her smile falling, "Mommy and daddy fighting again."

You tapped Sarah's little button nose, "No they aren't fighting, they're just..." you glanced at Sharon. She was more animated in her gestures than before, pointing and frowning at the car. Steve held one hand up, probably in a feigned efford to calm her.

Speckles filled your vision as another memory burdened your peripheral.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 58%

Sharon lobbed something glass at Steve's head. He ducked as it shattered on the wall. Your throat had all but glued shut, you didn't have the nerve to get a word in. "Homewrecker!" rang through your small apartment. “Don’t act like things were fine. We haven’t been fine in a long time.” Steve words were cold. “I’m not the one who just got caught with his pants down! How old is she anyway?”

When the pain subsided and your vision cleared, Steve was already sliding into the car. His jaw clenching but his voice soft as he turned to Sarah with a big smile, "Alright, who's ready for our day at the park?"

Sarah smiled but it wasn’t as animated as before, “Picnic!”

Steve laced his fingers into yours, the tension from his unpleasant conversation making his grip feel slightly uncomfortable. You didn’t say anything though.

***

Steve tossed a giddy Sarah up into the air a few dozen times while you laid out the picnic basket. The park had a few patrols passing through- peacekeepers were a mandatory presence since the Accords branded Shield as terrorists. A few other families were out too. You tried to get in the same fun spirit as Steve and Sarah, but something about how dishevelled Sharon looked haunted you. You began to imagine how easy everything could slip away. How easy you could end up like Sharon. Guilt clawed its way back through you.

When Steve sat down next to you, he placed a kiss on your head and noticed you didn't reciprocate with your signature smile.

"You okay?" He asked.

You kept your eyes on a trail of ants marching towards an open lunch box with grapes, "Are you happy? Despite everything we went through… everything we did?"

Steve got tense, his eyes falling on Sarah with what seemed to be shame. "I'm not going to act like it's been a fairy-tale. People rarely feel complete, especially in our world, given what we do. I was content before you came along. Sometimes being content isn’t enough, you reminded me of what was possible.”

Steve looked back at you, his face lit up as he brought your finger to his lips for a loving kiss, “And, yes, despite everything, I am happy."

You glanced down at your wedding ring, your frown up turning into a numb smile.

Steve drew you in for a proper kiss and all your worries ebbed away. His large, calloused hands sliding along your folded thighs, a guttural moan escaping his throat as you laughed at his hungry kisses.

“We’re in public, Steve...” you pretended to be embarrassed by his publicly affectionate actions, but truthfully the only time things made sense was when he kissed you.

“That’s never bothered you before,” he said with a raspy voice. Then Sarah’s laughter rippled outward from a few paces away, her form looking much smaller from this distance as she blew bubbles out of a small looped plastic wand. Steve groaned with displeasure, “But I suppose you’re right.”

You licked your lips and straightened your posture before feeding Steve a grape.

Suddenly both your cell phones beeped.

You both groaned from the impending disruption of your day off.

Steve looked at his phone and scrolled through a long docket before swearing under his breath.

"They need us back in the field," he said through a clenched jaw. He wasn't amused with the last-minute work call.

Your eyes widened when you read through your own docket, "They've managed to trace the Iron Maiden back to her hideout."

"Call the babysitter would you, I'll go get Sarah."

Steve walked over to Sarah and lifted her onto his shoulders.

You sighed, dialling the number of the babysitter, "So much for my day off."

***

The dark-tinted tactical SUV raced passed several blocks. You were suited up and fastening on your gloves. Your partner Clint sat beside you, checking the edges of his katana. He had yet to fully fasten on his arm-guards leaving the identical bullet hole scars on his palms exposed. There was also a matching sized hole drilled through the katana’s grip, some of the metal bent outward jaggedly.

Like clockwork, the memory attached to those scars rung through your head. You squinted your eyes shut for a moment.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 62%

A panorama of open country raced nauseatingly across the speeding car's window. A ‘Welcome to Budapest’ sign on the highway. An ambush. The snipers nest releasing soviet made hollow-point bullets into metal car doors. Clint's sword sliced diagonally across a red-haired woman’s face. A single bullet ripping through Clint's hands that were griped on his sword for the finishing blow. A scream, a painful cry, a worried shout. You tackled your partner to the ground. The red-haired woman making a run for it. Steve throwing his shield. The metal impacting with a spine so intensely it crushed the spinal cord. Defector Maria Hill laying paralysed from the waist down. A shield emblem printed on her right jacket pocket. Clint's hands trembling as you wrap them in bandages, his face contorted in anger as he failed to move his fingers. “She better pray we never cross paths again!”

"Hey, you good partner?" Clint placed his hand on your back, having noticed your discomfort.

"Bad week is all," you reassured him as you opened your eyes. “You ever going to repair the hilt on that? It can’t be comfortable to hold with the metal bending out like that.”

Clint chuckled and made a fist rigidly with both his hands, one at a time. When they opened up again, several of his fingers moved like iced joints. A painful sneer enlarging his nostrils.

"Are you okay?" You asked him.

Clint fastened on his gloves, "Just cramps. How's lover boy?"

"Always with the deflecting,” You shook your head. “He's… been on edge about something lately. I just feel like something's not… right."

Clint sheathed his sword and pulled his mask out from under his seat, "Maybe it's because you chose not to go on your honeymoon. He is old fashioned after all. Probably all that pent up sexual tension turning into plain tension."

Clint laughed at his jab, you punched his midrib hard.

"Shut up," You looked over the mission brief one more time and then checked your guns. "If this really is the Iron-Maiden's hideout, Romanoff might be there..."

Clint turned stiff at the mention of Natasha's name. His fist-clenching so tight it strained against his leather gloves.

"Good," he said menacingly as he fastened on his mask.

The black SUV's rolled up in an old brick house neighbourhood. You placed your comms unit in your ear and unholstered your gun.

"Look alive people, time to storm a castle."

You and Clint exchanged a fist bump, the simple action triggered a searing pain to braze through your mind like a cheese grater. You gasped, ground your molars together and banged your head against the leather seats of the SUV. The memory wasn't clear, it was hazy like a half-forgotten dream. An image of a man with long hair, lips pulled in a reluctant smile, flickered in your mind like a loose light fixture. You couldn't see past his top lip, but the thought of him filled you with something you hadn't felt in a long time: safe.

The headache subsided almost as quickly as it came, you blinked several times.

"You good?" Clint asked once more, his serious tone lacerating through you.

You nodded, took a breath and hopped out of the car. Gun out of its holster, you took up tactical positions and stormed the old brick apartment complex in strategic waves of intimidating force. The sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air above drew your attention. Steve was seated inside, fully geared and ready to jump onto the roof.

Over the comms, you heard Clint say, "One with the least take down numbers buys the first round at McCredie’s."

"You're on!" You challenged.

“Easy there, Mrs Rogers,” Steve said cooly. “We know that if you lose this bet, you’re just gonna make me buy the round.”

“Better make sure to send all the stragglers my way then, honey.”

Clint grappled to a high floor, “Hey that’s cheating.”

The sound of Steve bursting through a window filled the comms, “No, that’s just a perk of being married to me.”

You chuckled as you fired off several shots at the enemy.

PART THREE: WHO THE FUCK IS BUCKY?

AFWHI tags: @fangirl-colo @dormousse @smallmarvel @ren-ni @sargentbucket @nikolett3 @wnygirl2012 @jentismyname @evilgeniuslabz-blog @myrabbitholetoneverland @sleepingspacedragon @500daysofbecky @reidreader

Permatags: @gruffle1 @thechickvic @notawarriorjustyet @savethehoneeybees

tags:@ladybugsfanfics

#steve rogers x reader #bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers imagine #bucky barnes imagine #steve x you #bucky x you x steve #bucky x you #counterpart fic #framework fic #marvel imagine #steve rogers #bucky barnes #sam wilson #wanda maximoff #sharon carter #clint barton

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the-canary · 6 years

Text

book (heart) worm - s.r

Summary: In which Steve realizes something through all the decades of literature he has lost. (Reader/Steve Rogers)

Word Count: 1.5K

Prompt: Admiration

Masterlist

A/N: This is for @redgillan‘s birthday challenge. this changed whole bunch of time when i was drafting it, but i really like the end result. i have an idea for a quick continuation, but idk.

Please enjoy and feedback is always welcomed.

It’s during those early morning runs when Steve takes a quick notice at something that usually doesn’t catch his attention. It might be the flower bed delicately placed in the front of the larger window or the outdated holiday lights above the door that lightly glow as the early morning sun gives them a faded light. He finds himself stopping for a moment to notice a shadow moving up and about. It takes him a few days to figure out that it’s a young woman moving across the shelves and putting books away, though he can never see her face within the large shadows of the store. He pauses longer and longer, trying to catch a glimpse. Then one day, he sees a small metal bookshelf with a note saying, “take a book, leave a book.” Blue eyes scan the books on display and one catches his attention, it’s familiar and he can remember all too well that Bucky complained about the ending, but they still went to the movie went it came out a year later, though it was a struggle to pay for the movie tickets at the time.

“Grapes of Wrath, huh?” he murmurs quietly to himself, as his steps are a bit more slower than before as he starts reading though unaware of someone watching quietly from inside the bookstore.

Steve Rogers tries his hardest to bring back a book the next week, though Tony doesn’t understand the need to bring back something or the audacity that Steve has of needing to use a paperback edition when he could use his latest Stark Tech pad. The billionaire lets him take a copy of Ayn Rand’s Altus Shrugged, that used to belong to Howard, which he is more than happy to give away.

It takes him three weeks between missions to get through the Steinbeck book and he can’t help but feel that Bucky was right about the ending all those decades back. He chooses to put the book back when he’s done with it on a chilly Wednesday morning. As he makes his right turn during his morning run the next day, Steve sees a young woman putting some books on the shelf before heading back inside, he stops mid run when a title catches his eye once more. It’s a blue hardcover shining lightly in the sun - A Farewell to Arms.

the old man and the sea - ernest hemingway.

Steve comes back to the bookstore after a mission and rereading through the book twice because he can’t fall asleep, the adrenaline and nightmares (he pictures his mother too much in his dreams that night) are too raw and fresh for him to forget. He knows the young woman is there at odd hours, so when it hits 6 am he is already knocking at the door. Steve sees a shadow jump in the darkness and he hears a light yelp. As she scurries to the glass door, it’s finally then that Steve gets a good look at her - large glasses, large sweater accompanied by a dark blanket on top of it. Her eyes widen for a moment before she opens the door.

“I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am” she keeps the door closed as he starts talking, “...but, I was wondering if you had any more Hemingway books.”

She blinks for a moment trying to process the question and stifling a yawn, “Yeah, just wait a sec.”

She opens the door and Steve steps in, fully taking in the the decor of the little store. Five large shelves full of various books. There are more potted plants near the countertop that stand between a smaller bookshelf and an area that holds a couch, loveseat, and small table. The sun is barely coming out and filters into the the sitting area. Blue eyes watched her disappear through the bookshelves, as he takes notice of the strong smell of coffee and old pages. Steve scans the whole area twice before taking a seat. She comes back a couple of minutes later with a stack of books and a cup of coffee. Steve quirks an eyebrow at this, as she gives him a small smile.

“Hemingway’s most popular books and a cup of joe,” She exclaims as Steve gets up for a moment and grabs both as she motions to the creamer and sugar on the table in case he wants any.

“Do you have any suggestions?” Steve asks, as he goes through the small stack of books. Some titles familiar to him and others not so much. It seemed that Hemingway had continued to write after Steve had sunk into the ocean.

“Old Man and the Sea is my personal fav,” she declares and smiles a little wider at her little joke while glancing at Steve, as she takes her place on the loveseat next to him, grabbing a large book from the table.

“Ya know, you could buy them online too,” she remarks without looking at him, though her remark makes Steve smile a little or maybe it’s because she welcomed him without a question or bothering on who he really was.

“I know,” Steve murmurs lightly, letting the peace of the store settle him in for a couple of hours of reading before it actually opened, “but I’m a bit old fashioned when it comes to a lot of things.”

the outsiders - s.e hinton

Steve settles himself into a pattern of going to the little bookstore at the begin of one week and sees if he can finish the book within the month, though sometimes he ends up waking up at odd hours and waiting until 6 am when he knows that you are awake to head over with his book for coffee and sometimes breakfast. You never question who he is or what he wants, and he finds a little calm in that, though he often questions why you are up so early and the various other quirks you have that he has seen in the months he has been visiting. Though, it’s after movie night with the rest of the Avengers that you really start opening up.

“I was wondering if ya had The Outsiders,” he questions as the lack of sleep pulls out his Brooklyn accents for a moment, as he puts his latest book down. You quirk an eyebrow at his choice of book, but the twinkle in your eyes tells him you’re smiling. It was one of the things he caught early on and one that he enjoyed the most.

“Did you watch the movie recently?” you ask, as he nods. You swirl your chair around and take the book from the shelf behind you.

“Yeah, last night actually,” he explains as you hand him the red and beige book. He scans it for a bit, as you take a seat on the opposite side of the couch,”Tony said I had to watch such a classic. Have you seen it?”

“Still cry every time Dally dies,” you remark sadly before turning to him and smiling once more, “ but, I hope you enjoy it.”

fear and loathing in las vegas - hunter s. thompson

Steve wakes up with a jolt, not not quite sure of where he is but remembering that he was dreaming of Bucky, of the endless cold, of them heading to Las Vegas, of Peggy and a forgotten white fence. He gets up and slowly comes to realize that he had fallen asleep on the couch within the bookstore with a large blanket on top of him. The backdoor bell rings as he gets up in alarm before noticing it's you with two large bags of takeout.

“No more reading before bed for you, Sleeping Beauty,” you remark, as you place the food on top of the table, and while he appreciates the subtle concern in your eye. Steve feels a lot safer when you don’t ask anything, that you let him ease into his own thought process before anything else - he really does appreciate that about you.

“I’m sorry,” he gets up into a sitting position, noticing the closed sign brightly lit as you start taking out the containers, “You probably didn’t open today because of me.”

“Look Steve,” you pause and look straight into his blue ones, “Everyone needs a day off, even Captain America. So we’re gonna eat and read some good books, maybe even watch a movie, if ya liked. What do you say?”

“That would be nice, thank you,” he remarks with a soft smile, as you hand him a paper plate and start showing him what food you had brought for lunch.

“But seriously, no more Thompson. Promise?”

“Promise.”

the alchemist - paulo coelho

Steve starts coming in whenever he can after that, be it morning, afternoon, or evening time and there are rare occasions when he ends falling asleep there as well. It gives him the chance to see completely different sides to you whether you’re sweeping while dancing to a little tune, talking to customers and giving them suggestions, or simply taking in the day while reading through whatever you liked at the time. He found himself enjoying it more than he would like to admit.

“Ok, who is she?” Natasha asks suddenly as Steve looks up from his latest book, “I’ve been trying to set you up with someone for months, and you already found a date on your own? I need to meet this woman.”

Steve shakes his head and denies having met anyone and deep down he begins to question whether he thought of you in that way. Yes, he admire your quite personality that always seem to have a comeback for everything he said, or could tease him in ways he only caught later on. He enjoyed early mornings watching you reread through those Greek tragedies you seemed so fond of, or making him dance when you’re supposed to be tidying up. Blue eyes widen, Natasha smirks at the sudden realization in his face that he quickly masks, but he knows the damage has been done, the Black Widow would be watching him very closely now.

As a result, Steve avoids the bookstore for nearly three weeks, blaming it on missions and being too tired within his own head, not to the potential that he might have fallen in love again. However, when he comes to accept that silently, he marches to the bookstore with everything he has, pausing for a moment to hear your laughter --something he isn’t used to-- as he sees you talking to a certain someone.

“Welcome back, Steve!” you exclaim before turning to Natasha, “You never told me you had such interesting friends. Nat really knows her classics.”

“Nat sure does,” is all he can say, as the redhead gives him a sly smirk before excusing herself out with a rare copy of a Russian title he can’t read. You look at him with bright eyes, clearly not angry or upset he has been gone for so long.

“How have you been? Enjoy the book?” you remark happily and with the smile that blooms on your face, Steve knows that he’s done for.

And like Santiago before him, Steve didn’t realize that the thing he was looking for was right in front of him all along.

#stevesemotionalbirthday #steve rogers x reader #steve x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fluff #fabiola trying to write #series: short stories

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lombax-lombardi · 6 years

Text

Distant Past~

Summary: A visit to a Tower. Past memories make themselves known, at least the ones she is willing to divulge.

Character: Direheart.

“Ah...I have been waiting for you for some time now” the drone of the old wizard sounded inside the small room as he noticed the spirit phased through his walls with no issues.

“How long?” she asked with raised brow, which earned a chuckle from the wizard. He motioned for her to sit in front of him, the spirit did so.

“...I sense you’ve had a heated argument with a friend of yours....” The old wizard rand a hand through his heard, the spirit noticed the heads of the Three Fairies peering around an open door.

“Master Yen Sid I-” he raised a hand, she instantly silenced herself.

“The power of your ruby is a mystery in itself my dear, I know only some things about it. As you are already aware it allows you to connect to others across worlds, dimensions even” he said, eyes ever focused on the transparent woman before him.

“However, when your heart left this world, in most cases a Heartless and Nobody is born. You in an essence fill in the Nobody role” Direheart slowly nods. This she knew so why was the old man telling her things she already knew?

“.....You gave birth to a Heartless my dear...and you’ve been keeping her existence a secret haven’t you?”

The spirit shakes her head. “Heartless? You are kidding right? And even if I knew about her I would tell someone about it!!!”

He raised his hand again. “I am aware. This...Heartless of yours, much like the Heartless of Ansem, the one posing as the man, can maintain a human form” The wizard speaks, allowing Direheart to come to grips with the fact that she may have added to the problem.

“Her whereabouts are unknown at this point. Perhaps she is waiting for the time to strike, however there is something you must know. Her human form is a facade, her true nature is the same as the other Heartless”

Direheart sighs. “Great.....”

“As for the Nobody role, most Nobodies have no memories of who they once were but you do. It is the ruby, which acts like a ‘heart’ for you. It allows you to see into the minds of others, allows you entrance into their dreams, see what people wish most” He pauses, noticing the spirit becoming more distressed.

“...I am assuming that is how you managed to locate Kairi when she was missing and get help...”

Cloudy blue eyes lifted upwards.

Direheart remembers that moment well.

The room around them slowly started shifting into something else.

Walls of white.

Cells.

A girl with blonde hair, dressed in white turned her attention to the space behind her. “Who are you?” she asked the floating spirit.

“Let’s just say I’m a friend. There is a girl in this castle, red hair and dressed in pink. You need to find her and take her away from here...”

Shadows in the floor rose to reveal Husks and other forms of Nobodies closing in on the pair. “How do you-?”

“I know Sora. Please just get the girl and yourself out of here. Now” With a motion of her arm, tendrils of blue light cut through the Nobodies like scissors through ribbon, allowing the blonde to escape to do her part.

More and more Nobodies started to appear as if from thin air, the spirit managed to hold them off when she sensed a presence. The sound of wind rushing startled her to the presence of a claymore heading straight for her, she moved slightly to the right, allowing the weapon to lodged itself into a wall.

Her eyes narrowed at the presence, a figure in a black robe with blue hair and a scar in the form of an x on his face. “Hmph. Another rat slips through the cracks.”

“I know you. Where is Sora and the others?”

“You are with them? More is the pity.”

“I have no time for games Nobody. You either tell me or I shall erase you from existence myself”

“I could say the same for you” the one in the black robe said with a scoff, the spirit smirked. “Unlike you, if I fall I come straight back. Unless you’d rather die to a Keyblade then I suggest you leave me be”

Silence.

“...Now I see what Xemnas was talking about. Fine.” In a swirl of darkness, he left her with those words, anger building up inside her. Alongside sadness.

Xemnas

The final remnants of one she cared for, before his possession. She wondered...if a Nobody can truly remember someone from their previous life, even if one is still duelling for control of the body?

She shakes her head. He was the enemy now and any hope that...he...remained.....

With a sigh she returned to her search.

........

“.....You said I had a Heartless Master Yen Sid....if I did wouldn’t have Sora run into her by now?” The memory had faded, the familiar walls of the Tower greeted them.

The wizard closed his eyes briefly. “I cannot tell you were she is, but she is looking for you”

“Do you think she would team up with Vanitas? Harm Rii or the others in someway?”

She was met with silence. “I know how you feel about Vanitas. Rii knows things that even most don’t know about him, however you are unwilling to hear her out”

Direheart was about to retort when he once again rose his hand. She pursed her lips tightly, fingers gripping the fabric of her dress tightly.

“I understand as to why. Vanitas, while a small contributor in the matter, allowed Xehanort to take everything you cared about from you. You have survived a long time my dear, from the Keyblade War to now....As for your Heartless, she may or may not go to places that friends of yours inhabit....”

Direheart narrowed her eyes at the former Master. How can he say such nonsense when she witnessed everything first hand?

“Whatever your Heartless says, she is not to be trusted. Even if she says things you wish to hear, she is your opposite for a reason my dear. As for Rii, given time I know she will forgive you-”

“But time is something she may not have!”

“I know. She has lasted this long. She is a strong young woman, there is no need to doubt her”

She frowned some more, it was as if her whole face was plastered with displeasure.

Cause it was.

“...you are hiding your memories from the others aren’t you?”

“A woman is allowed her privacy. What they don’t know won’t hurt them”

The wizard chuckled once more. “Still as defensive as ever. I need not keep you here longer. You will be ready to tell all soon enough”

Rising from her chair, she bowed before the former Master, phasing back through the wall slowly descending the tall tower, left alone with her thoughts.

Or so she thought when she swore she heard a voice call out to her.

But not by ‘Direheart’

Her true name.

Turning her head, she saw a shining light before here, the voice, beckoning her like a siren’s call. She turned her head, looking around to see if it was not a trick. The voice was warm, familiar to her, it make her heart sing.

Well, the jewel that was acting as her heart sing.

Could it be?

Raising a hand toward the light she fell through.

.............

The boy with the mask lifted his head at the sound of footsteps behind him, a frown etched on his face. “Whaddya want?”

“Oh please boy settle down” that voice ticked him off.

“Listen here ghost girl-” he froze when he saw who spoke to him.

This woman looked like her, except her hair was raven black, eyes flaky gold and that godforsaken ruby was embedded on her forehead.

“Ghost Girl? Oh you mean my good half? Please I am nothing like her~” the grin she gave him made him uncomfortable, taking note of her facial features and choice of garb.

While the true Direheart wore a long flowing dress which made his eyes sore looking at it, this runt was wearing a garb familiar to him.

It’s what Direheart wore when she was still human, only this time if was befitting a Dark Half.

“I suggest you back off before you get seriously hurt” Vanitas was not having any of this, the grin she wore grew wider, showing her sharp teeth. She raised her hand as if to summon a Keyblade....

However instead of a Keyblade it was a literal scythe. “I don’t know if you know this but I am all the hate and bile when that stupid girl shoved her Keyblade into her chest. Hmph, she is weak. But I think I’m going to take my anger out on you Vanitas”

He wasn’t scared, no of course not but this thing whatever she was, was dangerous. And he didn’t want her finding his guest, she could get hurt.

Hurt? Look at him! Worrying about something as insignificant as that dumb girl!

The female with gold eyes, sensing his slight hesitance groaned, rolling her eyes, dismissing her weapon. “Oh you are no fun. I can tell you aren’t in the mood to fight” she tapped her foot impatiently. “Listen here punk, you get in my way of finding Direheart...well let’s just say you’ll never find Ventus~”

The way she said that made his skin crawl.

Her whole face slowly started to shift, slightly, revealing the black creature underneath her human facade. “Because how can a Dark Half be WHOLE if they are dead huh?”

He pointed his Void Gear at her. “Get lost!”

“Fine I will. Just stay out of my way, loser” The creature melted into the ground like rain falling against the floor, slowly fading away as if she didn’t exist in the first place.

Vanitas lowered his blade. “........tch...”

...............

The group in Merlin’s house looked dumbfounded upon seeing someone...who looked human but clearly wasn’t, sitting in the middle of a broken table. “Ouch...Last time I use that...Oh!” The female stood up, dusting herself off.

“Hello my name is Seven and I am here to help protect your town!”

#Maddi writes #asdfgjhkul #OC: Direheart #and Seven is here too #she is a good girl ready to help #asdxfghjk #sorry if this is trash

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briangroth27 · 7 years

Text

Netflix MCU Wish List (as of 2017)

Since Marvel’s Defenders premiered, I’ve been thinking about how the Netflix corner of the MCU could evolve from here. I can’t wait to see Daredevil season 3 (still my favorite of these series), and Luke Cage & Jessica Jones’ second seasons are also highly anticipated. If Iron Fist learns from its missteps in Season 1—namely, decide whether he was supposed to stay in K’un-Lun or seek out & destroy the Hand and start writing him like he’s had 15 years of training & study instead of playing him like a novice who doesn’t know basic details about his enemies...or that they still exist—the more the merrier. I’ve never been a huge Punisher fan, but I really liked him as a foil for Daredevil and I’ll give his show a shot as well. Here are some things I’d like to see as the shows enter the post-Defenders landscape.

Full spoilers…

Embrace “Filler” Episodes While Defenders makes sense as a single serialized story, the Netflix solo series are feeling increasingly worn thin by forcing a limited number of plots to stretch over 13 episodes. I think these series could break up their seasons and include a few “cases of the week” instead of making 13-hour movies. All four characters have ready-made jobs to provide this structure: Matt’s law clients, anyone needing Jessica’s detective skills, and everyone needing to hire Luke and/or Danny as heroes can open doors to a wide variety of enemies and conflicts. I’m glad Jessica is opening up to the world around her, but I really wish Luke would finally start his own hero for hire agency to embrace his destiny as a helper for his community in an official capacity. Throwing in other, largely unconnected plots can help flesh out the elements of these characters’ worlds more fully than focusing on one group of villains or one plot over 13 hours. You can also explore minor villains’ thematic connections and parallels to the heroes without tying them directly into a season-long arc. “Filler” episodes let us live in the world created by big moments and twists instead of just rushing from twist to twist, and I’d much rather live with these characters as they grow by facing a wide variety of challenges than watch them solve one super-long plot.

One-off cases could also allow for easier connections between the heroes, allowing them to explore the bonds that were forged in Defenders. Matt and Jessica had fun banter and good chemistry I’d like to see explored, maybe even in a relationship. Luke made Danny likable to me and opened his eyes to some truths about the world. Mixing things up and teaming Matt with Luke and Danny with Jessica would also be fun: I’d love to see what wisdom Luke has for Matt (and any conversation between the two of them about the law) and Jessica not having any of Danny’s supernatural craziness will always be entertaining. I don’t need season-long team-ups, but interactions over an episode or two would be welcome. A wider variety of cases could also lend itself to a wider variety of tones, and I’d definitely like to see some Daredevil adventures in the vein of Mark Waid’s tenure on the comic. That optimistic Silver Age-style could make a lot of sense as Matt continues to work out how to be a good hero. A Silver Age-styled adventure could also drive Jessica bonkers, which would be a lot of fun.

Dive into the Marvel Universe While they don’t need to go as far as Agents of SHIELD did in its first season, where The Battle of New York was brought up all the time, the idea that the Netflix characters almost never refer to the Avengers by name has gotten ridiculous. Even moreso, there’s no reason Claire Temple couldn’t just say “Daredevil” when she told Danny Rand about her friend with experience fighting the Hand (or that she wouldn’t try calling him; his retirement explains that a bit but not enough that she wouldn’t ask him to help). Why bother creating a shared universe if proper names can’t even be invoked? On the other hand, I really like how elements of the MCU have touched the four series—the Battle of New York reverting Hell’s Kitchen to its pre-gentrification, crime-ridden identity and bootleg copies of the Chitauri Invasion being sold on the street, for example—but there’s still a palpable disconnect that doesn’t seem necessary and has gotten distracting.

One aspect that should definitely come into play is the Sokovia Accords. As I saw mentioned on IGN, Luke, Jessica, and Danny should’ve definitely been forced to sign them after the destruction of Midland Circle. The Accords’ absence not only feels strange but like a major missed opportunity to increase the pressure on the Defenders and to police what they can and can’t do to help people. Once Matt comes back, Daredevil being hunted by the government (since he’s violating the Accords) could be a perfect way to raise the stakes each time he goes out and to explore Matt’s view of the law when he’s flagrantly violating it for the right reasons.

Get the Villains Off the Ground! I get that the Defenders are designed as the street-level heroes of the MCU. That’s fine, but I’d love for them to face some street-level supervillains instead of just non-powered gangsters. We’ve seen all four heroes outmatch human gangs many times and it feels like it’s time to level-up the enemies, particularly now that they’ve taken down a supernatural ninja cult. Speaking of the Hand, if their agents are still implanted throughout the city, that’s a perfect opportunity for one of them to take control or to have Madame Gao return and attempt to maintain the status quo. And like I realized when writing my Defenders review, there’s no more perfect enemy for heroes who represent the downtrodden than the entire societal system. The hidden Hand agents would personify that perfectly.

Back to supervillains, the Purple Man and The Hand as they appeared in Daredevil are a good start (and Diamondback was a fun example of a villain with tech upgrades), but I’d love to see costumed super-villains. Villains like Bullseye, Mr. Fear (who is also a lawyer, so he’d be able to confront Matt everywhere), the Owl (Junior, here), Typhoid Mary, Echo, Lady Bullseye, Death-Stalker (maybe a former Hand agent with a deadly touch in this version…perhaps he’d be a better enemy for Luke), Ikari, Ox, and even Stilt-man would all provide unique challenges for Daredevil to overcome, necessitating a wide variety of action scenes. Kingpin can certainly try to get his revenge, but I don’t want all of Daredevil Season 3 consumed with just him and it’s time Matt started fighting enemies outside his weight class.

I’m not familiar with Luke, Jessica, or Danny’s rogues galleries, but I’m sure they’re extensive and I’d love to see what unique challenges each of them brings to the table. For example, Danny could and should dig into the supernatural side of the Marvel universe villains. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s superheroes aren’t a new phenomenon anymore, so there’s no reason not to embrace the proliferation of powers and technology in Netflix’s corner too. In fact, I’d love for the next Defenders miniseries to give us a supervillain team-up after introducing them in the heroes’ solo series!

Play Up the Powers I’d love more scenes from Matt’s point of view with his radar vision, for example (an area Ben Affleck’s Daredevil film outdoes the Netflix series). It’d also be great to really explore Matt’s unique relationship with the world around him due to both his blindness and his powers. How do those unique aspects shape his worldview? While we’re at it, Defenders was a good start, but I’d definitely like to see more of Matt’s acrobatics and parkour travel put to use!

Luke Cage’s potential vulnerabilities were brought up in his first season, but the villains never tried drowning him, electrocuting him, or hitting him with knock-out gas (though Stick successfully gassed him). As perfect and relevant a metaphor a bulletproof black man is nowadays, I’d like them to challenge his limits through other threats as well. Matt and Danny have distinctive fighting styles; can Luke and Jessica develop their own as well? I do see the connection with Luke’s unbreakable status with him just letting guys get tired hitting him or just barreling through legions of enemies, so perhaps that works for him as his style.

Jessica could stand to get a style of her own, however; maybe she could start tearing up the environment around her and using it against enemies. Furthermore, I’d love clarification on what Jessica’s limits are. Two seasons in, we should be beyond “vaguely strong and can kinda maybe fly.” Perhaps this stems from her disdain for her abilities, but with Jessica opening up and letting people in, perhaps she’ll also want to know just how much she can do.

Can Danny focus his chi to do anything besides punching hard and healing himself? Does he have villains that use supernatural forces in different ways than chi manipulation? Are there literal monsters he needs to vanquish?

Support the Supporting Characters Now that the Defenders have come together and her purpose as their foundation is fulfilled, what new role is Claire going to take on? Where does she go next? I’d like them to find something totally distinct for her instead of becoming a hub of information, since that seems like such a stock superhero position these days. I love that she’s always there to talk sense into these heroes and ground them, so something that incorporates that is a must.

I’m eager to explore the dark past Karen’s hinted at. Her reporter career could also open up interesting avenues; it might be cool if she hunted down the embedded Hand operatives throughout the city now that Matt can’t fight them. Maybe not the full-on Death’s-Head, but if Karen’s father appeared as a villain, he’d be a cool foil for Matt’s mom in Daredevil Season 3. I hope that Matt’s supposed death doesn’t drive her or Foggy—especially since he gave Matt the suit—into darkness. It might be cool if Kristen McDuffie from Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil appeared and somewhat replaced Matt as the defender of the downtrodden until Murdock gets back; maybe Foggy will go back to that style of law too to honor his friend.

Will Trish take up her Hellcat mantle as a superhero? Trish reporting on the earthquakes in New York felt like a classic superhero/journalist connection for Jessica and I’d like to see that played up in Jessica Jones Season 2 whether Trish becomes a superhero or not. I wonder if Malcolm will have a larger role at Jessica’s detective agency than her secretary too. It’ll be interesting to see how he and Jessica work together once she’s more open to the business.

How will Harlem react to a Luke who doesn’t have to look over his shoulder to watch for his past coming for him anymore? I love that he takes the time to get to know the people he helps; aside from a great character trait it’s an easy way to flesh out his neighborhood and I hope it continues. What have Mariah and Shades been up to in his absence? Even if they’re lying low, they’ve got to be planning something.

What hijinks are Misty and Colleen going to get into as Daughters of the Dragon? I like both of them a lot and I’d love for them to team up! I hope we get to see Misty getting used to her robotic arm instead of jumping to her being even somewhat experienced with it. Will Misty become a vigilante, and if so, how will she balance that with her job as a police officer? How extralegal can she let Colleen get without feeling she’s aiding and abetting her crimes? Will Colleen take down the Hand assets she helped to train? Does she feel responsible for putting them into the world where they can harm others?

New Series I’m sure the Netflix world will extend beyond The Punisher, and I’ve got a few ideas how. They don’t have to join the Defenders full-time and solo “one-shot” seasons would be fine too, though it’d be cool if they did get to interact with Matt, Jessica, Luke, and Danny.

Steve Rogers: Nomad The Captain America films are among my favorites of the MCU, but one thing I wish we’d seen was a deeper exploration of Steve as a man out of time. With Infinity War looming (and Kevin Feige saying endings are coming for the heroes), I’m a little worried we won’t get a chance to see Steve trying to make a life for himself in the present without some MCU-shattering event happening. I’d love a miniseries set between Civil War and Infinity War that explores Steve’s time on the run as a fugitive. Let’s see him really experience the differences in our era from his beyond pop culture. Would he help superheroes (and Inhumans?) escape the Sokovia Accords, like an Underground Railroad? What does he think of our current political climate (or one similar to it)? Does he struggle to reconcile the idea from Age of Ultron that he can’t live comfortably in peacetime with his generally peaceful and optimistic nature? I’d love to see a show where Steve just travels the country, getting reacquainted with the world and helping out whenever he comes across trouble. If he’s going to call himself Captain America, he should know what and who he’s standing for; do the people live up to—or even just aspire to—the ideals he embodies anymore? The movies have touched on several of Steve’s comic book villains, but they could be fleshed out—and the rest of his rogues gallery could come into play (Red Skull could finally return!)—in a miniseries like this. Perhaps Nuke shows up here and his pills are revealed as part of a modern super-soldier project. I’d design the plots as intentionally low-key, because Steve would be concerned with the people on the ground, not on the global implications. Maybe Sharon Carter comes with him to develop that relationship beyond what little we got in Winter Soldier and Civil War. Maybe Sam Wilson comes too, to give Steve an insight into the modern world and its problems that a white guy from the 40s simply can’t fully understand (Sharon can provide him with a woman’s perspective as well). Luke Cage could also add to any discussion about modern society, and I’d love to see these similarly good-natured heroes meet and bond! Captain America’s one of my favorite characters and I’d love to see what Chris Evans could do with him if given a broader, more personal canvas to play with.

Black Widow This is so far overdue it’s ridiculous, especially with Jennifer Lawrence seemingly playing a Black Widow character in Red Sparrow. If they won’t give Scarlett Johansson a movie, give Natasha a Jason Bourne-esque miniseries! Since all her information was released in Winter Soldier, let’s see all her enemies come after her at once, so we get to learn her past through flashbacks and see her clear her Red Ledger once and for all. There’s still so much story to her and I can see her leaving the Avengers to finally settle her past on her own terms, by herself. Maybe let Hawkeye come along, since they have a well-established friendship. Natasha had a significant partnership/relationship and eventually friendship with Daredevil in the comics, so getting to see her meet and interact with Matt would be excellent.

Elektra Elektra killed both her mentors in Defenders, clearing herself of her past and symbolically readying herself for a new future. I’d definitely like to see her forge this new path in a Netflix season (if not in Daredevil Season 3)! I suppose she still wanted to stay immortal and lead the Hand, but I’d like to see what her endgame was. Was she just out to maintain the status quo, only with herself in charge? If so, leading the Hand’s remaining hidden army within New York (if Gao doesn’t do that) would be a cool way to play the Defenders against the system in a literal way. Perhaps Elektra could reshape the way things work in a way none of the Hand’s leaders wanted or even thought of. On the other hand, she could become a full-fledged assassin like in the comics. She could even be employed by SHIELD to take out enemy combatants; making her a government-sanctioned killer could make her an interesting foil to Matt (and the law backing her immoral activities would give Matt a different ethical conundrum than Punisher’s vigilante vendetta). Maybe she could be an asset used to track down those who evade the Sokovia Accords. Whatever they decide to do with her, she’s very deliberately a blank slate and I can’t wait to see what she chooses now that no one is controlling her. Despite saying the fight with Matt and leadership of the Hand was what she wanted, if she saved him he wasn’t completely wrong about her. Perhaps there’s still hope for her after all.

She-Hulk Jennifer Walters deserves to be introduced into the MCU somewhere. There are precious few heroines who enjoy their power onscreen (usually that’s reserved for villains, though The CW has been working to counteract that trend), and Jen would be fantastic here. She’d also provide some levity to the Defenders’ world…though her legal career might be a little redundant with Matt’s in play as well; ditto her super strength with Luke, Jessica, and sorta Danny having that power. On the other hand, that’s just a reason to show how differently they approach their jobs and how she uses her brain as much as her brawn. Jen sees her power as a gift, and seeing your “damage” as an asset could be a perspective the Defenders sorely need. I once wanted Jen to deliver this message to her cousin Bruce in a Hulk movie, but it’d be just as meaningful if she and Jessica met and discussed their powers, which neither of them asked for. My dream casting would be Gina Torres. Play Jen as an Erin Brockovich type, called into a small town where people are getting sick and people are seeing monsters (“but that sort of thing only happens in New York, not the heartland”). I’m definitely thinking a modern take on a 50s/60s monster movie here. Jen’s kidnapped by The Leader and given Banner’s blood, like all the rest of the “sick” people he’s been experimenting on, which can provide not only her origin, but that of any number of Hulk foes. If She-Hulk is allowed to break the fourth wall (maybe explain it as a side-effect of Leader’s tests), it’d be a fun opportunity to put some Deadpool into the MCU and to comment on the restrictions behind the usage of the characters.

Peggy Carter and the Agents of Atlas I’d love to see more from Peggy in any form; she’s one of my favorite MCU characters and there are still lingering plot threads from her series that need to be wrapped up! What about exploring her time with SHIELD in the 1950s? The Agents of Atlas are a lesser-known government team composed of heroes representing classic sci-fi pulp tropes from that period (a Uranian alien, a robot, a siren, a gorilla-man, etc.). Maybe Peggy worked with them back then. This would obviously be a departure from the Netflix shows, both in terms of scope and subject matter (though the Agents do have a dragon advisor…), but a pulpy trip back to Marvel’s past could be a fun way to spend 8-13 episodes. Jimmy Woo—the Agents of Atlas’ leader—is going to be in Ant-Man and the Wasp, but this could be a prequel series. Perhaps Peggy’s seasons could function as an anthology series, with each season taking place in another era of her life. Maybe she met Namor, the robotic Human Torch, and any number of pulpy Marvel vigilantes in the 40s too! That would allow them to finish off Agent Carter’s story threads while fleshing out the MCU’s history.

Blade Daredevil, Spider-man, Punisher, and Ghost Rider have all reentered the MCU, so it’d be cool if Blade got a chance to bring a horror vibe to its Netflix segment. I’d definitely play up scares rather than superheroics with him and they could introduce all manner of monsters for him to protect people from (or begrudgingly team up with). Marvel’s got the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, a Living Mummy, the Werewolf by Night, and a trans-dimensional swamp monster in Man-Thing (who has been mentioned on Agents of SHIELD), among many, many other creepy creatures! I’d send Blade against all of them. With all the powers of a vampire (including their thirst for blood) and none of their weaknesses, he just might stand a chance against these Marvel monstrosities. Since the supernatural’s been introduced in Daredevil and Iron Fist, it wouldn’t be that big a leap to monsters, even if they are initially presented as more grounded than monsters generally are (to lay low in modern society, of course). Maybe they’d be the logical step up from supervillains in terms of raising the bar on adversaries.

What do you want to see from the Netflix corner of the MCU?

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euro3plast-fr · 7 years

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The 6 types of SEO you need to boost your site traffic

Explaining how you can use a range of SEO tactics to get your site ranking highly

When most people think about SEO (if they think about it at all), they think of a very specific kind of optimization: the kind that involves putting keywords on pages. And while that's an important part of SEO, there's a lot more to it, as well. In fact, that's just one part of a single type of SEO.

And if you want to get as much traffic to your site as you can, you're going to need more than just one kind of optimization.

Here are six SEO tactics that can help your site rank for the keywords you're targeting. You probably won't use all of them, but having a better understanding of how to improve your rank is always a good thing.

1. On-page SEO

This is the kind of SEO that you're probably familiar with. On-page optimization includes all of the things that your readers will see when they visit your website. For the most part, that means content.

Effective on-page SEO is built on high-quality, informative content. And not just slightly informative—content that's really going to rank well has to solve problems that no other pages are solving (or, at the least, solve those problems better than other available resources). The information you're sharing has to be top-notch. Rand Fishkin, of Moz fame, says that it should be ten times better than other content out there. And that's no joke—if your content is absolutely blowing everything else out of the water, it's going to rank very well.

The most important part of on-page SEO is making sure your content is awesome. But there are a lot of other factors that go into getting a page to rank well in search results. The example I gave earlier, keywords, is an important one. If you're writing a detailed piece on a topic, you're going to include a lot of relevant and related keywords. But making sure that those keywords are totally optimized to meet your goals can provide a big boost to your SEO.

For example, including your keyword in the title, URL, first paragraph, and at least one sub-heading in your page is a good idea. You also want your keywords to cover a single, specific topic. (If you’re familiar with the Yoast WordPress plug-in, pictured below, you’ll recognize many of the elements analyzed by the plug-in as on-page factors.)

But on-page SEO goes beyond keywords. Having a site that's easy for visitors to navigate is important, too—if your visitors want additional information, but it's hard to figure out where it is, they're not likely to stick around to figure it out. Good design is crucial as well. In short, you need to focus on providing a good user experience all around.

If it sounds like just about everything is included in on-page SEO, that's because it's a huge factor, and getting it right is super important. Much of this optimization is focused on the user, and that's who you're trying to attract, so it's really important to get it right.

2. Off-page SEO

Defining off-page SEO is a bit more difficult. The first—and arguably most important—part of off-page optimization is link-building. This is a huge part of SEO, and it's also one of the most difficult. Getting links to your site helps bring in visitors, and it shows Google that other people around the internet value your content, and that your site is authoritative.

That's a big deal.

Getting links from authoritative sites can make a huge difference in how your site is ranked—and while it's difficult to measure the effect of a single link, it's safe to say that getting a good one can provide a solid boost to your rankings. Getting links from those types of sites, however, is extremely difficult. Many people have built entire careers on building backlinks.

Social media is another off-page signal that can make a big difference in your SEO, as well. If people are talking about your content on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social networks, search engines take that to mean that it's worth talking about and help other people find it. Having a piece of content that's popular on social media gets you a lot of traffic, too, which can help your SEO as well.

It takes more than writing good content to get your post to succeed on social media, though—solid promotion to the channels where your audience spends time requires a lot of time and effort. The payoffs, however, can be huge.

Building positive relationships with bloggers, journalists, social media personalities, and the people behind websites similar to yours are all positive off-page SEO practices. Commenting on other blogs can be helpful. Guest blogging is still a popular off-page SEO method. Hanging out on Reddit and relevant forums can help, too.

A lot of this might not seem like SEO—but that's because you've been focusing on on-page signals. SEO really has a lot to do with your overall online presence, and off-page SEO focuses on that. It's often more about you as a content creator than your content itself.

3. Technical SEO

Some people classify technical SEO as a subset of on-page SEO, but we'll be treating it as a unique type here. Technical SEO, in short, is related to on-page factors but has to do with things that go on behind the scenes.

For example, search engines may give some preference to sites with a responsive design that scales well to mobile devices. Page speed is also an important factor; if your page loads slowly, you're going to lose visitors, and you might be penalized by ranking algorithms.

Optimizing images, using a secure HTTPS connection, caching information to speed load times, uploading detailed sitemaps, and other technical factors can help your SEO.

The HTML on each page should be optimized, too. Using schema markup to tell search engines exactly what's on your page, making it easy for crawlers to figure out what your page is about, and using the correct type of redirects are all SEO-related factors. Speaking of crawlers, making sure your robots.txt file is updated to help crawlers find the right information faster is crucial, too.

Technical SEO sounds intimidating, but most of it is guided by the same principles as on-page SEO: you need to provide a good user experience. If your site is fast and easy to use, you're halfway there. You just need to make sure now that it's easy for Google's crawlers to get around, too.

4. Local SEO

While many businesses only operate online, there are still thousands of companies that have a physical location where they need customers. If customers aren't coming through your door, you're not making money. So it's important to take that into account when doing your SEO.

There are a number of steps that are important for local SEO that you won't need to think about in a more traditional SEO campaign. For example, making sure that you've claimed your Google My Business page, which ensures that your name, address, phone number, opening hours, reviews, and other useful information is prominently displayed in search results and on Google Maps.

That listing itself needs to be optimized with good photos, descriptive information, and real reviews from customers.

You'll also need to make sure that your contact information is prominently displayed and highlighted with schema markup so search engines know where it is. The more effectively you present this information to search engines, the easier it will be for them to show that information to potential customers.

Other things like embedding a Google Maps marker in your homepage, adding a region or city to your page titles, descriptions, and keywords, and displaying awards and trust symbols can also make a big difference not only in being found by local leads but also in getting turning those leads into customers.

Effective local ranking isn’t easy, so local SEO should be a high priority for local businesses.

5. App store optimization

(If your first thought is that this should be called "ASO," and not a type of SEO, just bear with me.)

Google and Bing aren't the only search engines out there. App stores—especially Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store—get a phenomenal amount of searches every day. And if you have an app, you need to do what you can to make sure that those stores are showing it to people who might be looking for it.

App store optimization is very similar to on-page SEO. While it's not always clear which factors are used in app store search algorithms, there are fewer factors that you can influence, so you need to focus on those.

Your app title and icon are the first two things that anyone will see, so they have to be descriptive and attractive. The description needs to be accurate and include the keywords your users are likely to be searching for as well as related ones. The meta tags in your description should include those keywords as well.

You could argue that there's a case for off-page-style app store optimization as well. If you're able to build a lot of links to your app, it's possible that the app store will rank it higher in searches. This is likely to be part of a wider SEO effort for your entire business, but it's possible that this could be undertaken specifically for an app.

6. YouTube SEO

Much like app store optimization, YouTube SEO is a niche type of optimization, but it can make a big difference in how much traffic you're getting. Many people don't realize that YouTube is one of the world's most popular search engines, and that ranking for a popular search there is absolute gold.

And if you can also rank one of your videos for a standard Google search, you can get an even bigger boost. So how do you optimize content for YouTube?

In much the same way as you do for other search engines.

First of all, your video needs to be great. It needs to answer questions, solve problems, or be more entertaining than what's out there. If your video is great, it will keep people on the page longer, result in more comments and subscribes, and get more likes and favorites. All of these are ranking signals in YouTube.

Your video title and description should be descriptive, much like your page titles and introductions on text-based pages. A longer, keyword-rich description (without keyword stuffing) will help Google figure out what your video is about. Adding relevant keyword tags doesn't hurt, either.

When you're thinking about keywords, you should think about what are commonly called video keywords—these are the searches for which Google prominently displays video results at the top of a normal search page. They're hugely valuable.

What are common video keywords? How-tos, reviews, and tutorials are always good bets. Getting your videos ranked for these types of searches will have a huge effect on your views.

And, of course, there's the off-page stuff; getting links to your video, getting other people to embed it in their blog posts, encouraging comments and discussion, and so on.

A multi-faceted strategy works best

If you're just getting started with optimizing a site, you can get away with just doing on-page stuff for a while. But if you want to really boost your search rankings, you'll need to use multiple types of SEO. You may not need to use all six of these kinds of SEO, but you should at least be using the first three.

No matter what kind of site you're trying to rank, you need to use all of the methods at your disposal if you're going to get in the top rankings. And using multiple types of SEO will help you get there.

Guy Sheetrit is the CEO at Over the Top SEO, an accomplished senior executive with 14 years of success across the technology, marketing and software development industries. With extensive experience providing customized SEO marketing solutions for ecommerce, local SEO and Fortune 500 companies.

from Blog – Smart Insights http://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-strategy/the-6-types-of-seo-you-need-to-use-to-boost-your-site-traffic/

#Blog – Smart Insights

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