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inspiringimarah · 11 months

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update** all mods should be good now 🥰

I am keeping an eye on the Scarlet's Realm list so I will continue to update the list and with any new mods I add to my game 💕💕

overrides

Refreshed Main Menu - mine is Glade

Urban Erotica (functional books)

No Tune After Loading

Nap Replacement Mod

Restaurant Default Menu

MyxDoll Fenty Beauty Override

HighSchool Years Textbook Override

Toothbrush override by dsco

Paintbrush Override

The Ultimate Default Underwear Collection by vixonspixels

Paired Selfie (in game photo overrides)

iPhone 12 Override OR H&B Smartphone Override (ONLY CHOOSE ONE)

UNO Card Replacement

Photo replacements (in game)

Pink Build Buy UI

Black Sitcom TV Overrides

San Sequoia Bridge Override

Realistic TV Mod (Reality TV)

Realistic Phone Icons (multiple available on CoCo Games patreon)

Phone Wallpaper Kit OR Phone Wallpaper Override (only pick one)

Control Any Sim

San Myshuno Billboards

PC Game Overrides

CocoGames Video Game Bundle

Starbucks on Campus

My Wedding Stories Engagement Ring Recolours

Stand Still in CAS Poses

Hidden Highlight

Functional Airpods

Hello Kitty Infant Seat

The Missing Plumbob

No zzz (when sim is sleeping)

Towel After Shower

Functional PS5

Black Art Painting Mod

The Sims 2 Font or Life is Strange Font (only pick one)

Gallery Poses (female)

Gallery Poses (male)

Gallery Poses (couple or duo)

Take Off Shoes With Animation

Stop Random Accessories on Townies

Parenthood Recolour - link is at the bottom of the thread

lighting

check my updated lighting mod list here

cas & loading screen

CAS background

Loading Screen Plumbob Replacement OR by pinkishwrld

Minimalist CC Wrench Override

More CAS Columns (I use 5)

Map Replacements Overhaul

I alternate my CAS backgrounds so see below for my fave creators:

- MeekGames

- Ellcrze

- LadySimmer

- SlimmazSimz

- Essemelle

- BougieChloe

- SierraTheSimmer

- Xurelia

- DonavinGames

- NeriSims

food

Somik & Severinka (I use the Realistic Cooking Mod & all others they have)

ONI Custom Food

QMBIBI Stirring the Pot

QMBIBI Thee Kitchen Tablet

Functional Breakfast Cereals

Airfryer

Waffle Maker

Pressure Cooker

gameplay

misc

Computer Side Gigs

Kuttoe Mini Mods: Small Additions

Bed Cuddle

Carry & Kiss

Longer Parties & More Guests

Functional Magazines

Better Social Media Sponsorships

Higher Lifestyle Brand Payouts

QMBIBI Skincare Mod

QMBIBI Express Delivery

QMBIBI BabyCare Overhaul

Online Skills

It’s Movie Time

BabyCare Mod

Basemental Drugs

Basemental Gangs

Celebrate Adoption

Sip & Paint Event

Luxury Real Estate Career

Recipe Notebook

Functional Selfcare Set

Sulani Events Calendar and Flyer

Functional Personal Care Products

Go For A Jog... Together

Morning Routine

Everyone Can Sleep Together

Spa Day Face Masks From Mirrors

Pole Dance Mod

Online Apprenticeships

Turn the TV on

Ask For Money

UI Cheats

MC Command Center

Self Manicure & Pedicure

Make Functional Perfumes

Shear Brilliance - Active Hairstylist Career

Cute Romance

LOT 51

- Ring Doorbell

- Dust Buster

- Plumbros (heating, plumbing & cooling)

- Alarm Clock

- Simlink (wifi)

High School Years

Fashion Authority KimbaSprite has a tutorial on this mod here

More Classmates

Adeepinigo

I have many mods by this creator, check out their website here

Lumpinou

There is an index on Lumpinou’s Patreon with all the below mods listed, see here

- LGBTQIA+

- Memory Panel Mod

- Open Love Life

- RPO Collection “Realistic & Pregancy Overhaul”

- Science Baby Tweak

PandaSama Childbirth

SimRealist

- Mortem

- Real Estate

- Private Practice

- Sim National Bank

- Sim National Bank Bills

- Sim National Bank Financial Center

SimWithShan

- Cyber Teacher Career

- Homebody Prefences

- Housewife Aspiration

pose player mods (for in game photos)

- Andrew Poseplayer

- Teleport Any Sim

Go to creators for poses & animations:

- KatVerse

- King Black Cinema

- Frxsk0sims

- helgatisha

- AfroSimtricSims

- Gawdly Games

- Hardswae

- Maysbat

- TS4 Poses (tumblr blog)

♡

#the sims 4 #the sims 4 mods #sims 4 mods #ts4 #ts4mods

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psuedosugu · 3 months

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I definitely would love some more Vox x Singer!reader headcannons the concept is hella cool!!

omg yess ty i have so many thoughts about this

cw: themes of stalking, manipulation, harassment

gender neutral

pt 1 here

⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅

˚୨୧₊♱ || yk how i mention how he takes you on “dates”?

˚୨୧₊♱ || he usually takes you to fancy restaurants for lunch so that you 2 can discuss potential brand deals. (definitely not so he has an extra hour and a half to stare at you and take in every feature you have)

˚୨୧₊♱ || you’re practically a walking billboard for voxtech with all of the sponsorships you get from him.

˚୨୧₊♱ || its not like you’re complaining, though, because he does pay well.

˚୨୧₊♱ || while he was looking after (stalking) you through your tv screen, he found out that you have sleeping problems!

˚୨୧₊♱ || he immediately started working on a tempur-pedic type mattress (these), and all because of you!

˚୨୧₊♱ || it was a win-win really, you get better sleep and he gets more sales (and more ways to stalk and get info about you)

˚୨୧₊♱ || if you were to get a significant other who’s also a celebrity, vox would plant false claims and rumors about them, forcing you to have to break up with them to save face.

˚୨୧₊♱ || if you were to enter an official relationship with him, wether it be on your own accord or due to his hypnosis, vox would definitely show you off and tell everyone that you were his.

˚୨୧₊♱ || you two were a power couple, star crossed lovers, he was the king and you were the queen, he was the president and you were the first lady.

˚୨୧₊♱ || or perhaps thats just what he thought, what he wanted others to think, what he really wanted you to think.

˚୨୧₊♱ || vox loved the feeling of calling you his, the thrill.

˚୨୧₊♱ || you were beautiful, an absolute doll, and just the right accessory for him.

˚୨୧₊♱ || vox really did care for you, albeit more like a trophy prize than a lover.

˚୨୧₊♱ || if you were to somehow escape from his grasp, he would be up in arms.

˚୨୧₊♱ || hed try to convince himself that its because you need him! what if someone came after you, knowing your value? what if you were hurt by someone?

˚୨୧₊♱ || but deep down he knew that its because he needs you.

˚୨୧₊♱ || you? you were independent, you were fine. but him? he wouldn’t know what to do without his favorite little thing, without your voice to calm him down, without your smile to brighten the whole room.

˚୨୧₊♱ || he started to be vulnerable with you, something he wasn’t with many people, and something he would grow to regret.

˚୨୧₊♱ || hed become desperate, projecting himself onto all of your electronics, begging you to just please, give him one more chance. hed learn, he’d grow, just please come back to him! dont you see how badly you’re hurting him?

˚୨୧₊♱ || after a while he would grow spiteful, kind of how he did with alastor (“he asked me to join his team, i said no and now he’s pissy….)

˚୨୧₊♱ || he might spread some secrets around about you, and maybe a few nasty lies too.

˚୨୧₊♱ || this was what you deserved, he thought. you had everything, everything he had to offer to you on a silver embellished spoon and you still threw it away!

˚୨୧₊♱ || so just stay with him okay? you’ll be happier that way, he promises.

̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅

i do requests!

check out my masterlist!

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel #vox #vox x reader #vox x you #yandere!vox x reader #hazbin hotel vox

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absolutebl · 15 days

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Hi ABL! Can I be what I'm assuming is the 80th person to ask for your analysis about the move of Prem and Boun to GMMTV? Particularly, any thoughts on:

Why did the move happen and does it mean anything that they moved together?

What might this mean for new series with them as a pair and the potential to break up their pairing?

Are there any GMMTV talents that you'd love to see Boun or Prem paired with?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

BounPrem move to GMMTV

DISCUSS!

AKA Thai BL industry speculation, my favorite game!!

I am actually cautiously optimistic about this.

They're an ideal pair for GMMTV to get. Especially if GMMTV continues optioning Japanese IP. These two are beautifully suited to A LOT of yaoi. Just imagine them in a Thai version of Takumi-kun? !

Rise up Broccoli Nation... let's talk kabedons!

Why did the move happened?

From BounPrem's perspective:

I think they've been pretty underserved by their current home and that home is pushing them towards pulps (I refuse to talk about Even Sun and I found Between Us pretty darn disappointing too.) If they want higher quality narratives and content, GMMTV is a better home for them.

Also it will handle their brand better for sponsorship and longevity. I was shocked not to see them on more stuff in Bangkok. Most sponsor gigs and major promos and billboards and such were GMMTV pairs and... ZeeNunew

Right now there are good indication for pairs who WANT to stick together (even while aging up) that GMMTV can handle it - because of what they've done with OffGun and TayNew recently.

It's clear that GMMTV will throw a good pair at decent content (or at least popular stuff) pretty regularly. With GMMTV, BounPrem stand an even better chance at landing a prestige piece, since they have an established fan base.

From the pair's perspective, this is a good career move.

Now, from GMMTV's perspective, let's talk...

Does it mean anything that they moved together?

Yes, it most likely means GMMTV signed them as a BL pair. Some of GMMTV's other hot properties like EarttMix, OffGun, and TayNew clearly want to do (and have done) more than just BL for GMMTV. Even "second levels" like JimmySea are being split for het dramas. It means they lose their BL talent for a good potion of filming season, while they film some other property.

If GMMTV can sign a high value pair that's happy to stay doing BL regularly, that will work very well for them.

ALSO they've add a hot property pair into their stable that's on the EarthMix (highly commercial) level AND willing to do high heat. I think this is key. GMMTV has shown they want to move into sexier stuff (NC-GMMTV?) with things like Moonlight Chicken and Only Friends. VERY few of their existing pairs are willing to go there, and can do it as well as, BounPrem. These 2 do lust and thirst in a way that most GMMTV pairs can't (they are just too brotherly with each other).

I think this is a sign GMMTV want's to enter the after dark market, and move international markets too. (The higher heat stuff tends to be particularly popular outside of Thailand.)

Also, I think it's pretty clear some of GMMTV's hoped for heavy hitters last year (like PerthChimon) aren't working out for them, so it makes sense to onboard a solid bankable pair whole cloth at this juncture.

I said a while ago I thought GMMTV would make a play for ZeeNunew. I didn't have BounPrem on the list as a backup option, but these pairs are kinda similar, and fill the same niche.

Anyway, smart move all 'round, IMHO.

What might this mean for new series with them as a pair and the potential to break up their pairing?

I think the pairing is now less likely to break up than ever.

I think they've possibly been tempted to sign BY a prestige new series carrot. We could get something historical with them in it. Or, like I said, something Japanese IP. Probably higher heat than GMMTV has given us in a full BL.

Eyes Target the Finder thoughtfully. (It was VERY popular when I was over there.)

Are there any GMMTV talents that you'd love to see Boun or Prem paired with?

Like I said, I think GMMTV's objective in signing them would actually be the opposite - NOT to split the pair.

But if you just want me to speculate for fun (and piss stadn off), I'm always happy to do so.

First is great with anyone, so First with either... or both. First is like the MSG of GMMTV, always improves the taste of any dish.

It might be fun to see Jimmy paired with Prem. But in all honestly I really want a Jimmy + Khaotung thing to happen.

I think Mix has some BDE too, so I think he should play the seme for a change, why not him and Prem?

As for Boun, I think he's a little more dependent on the pairing. It's hard for me to imagine him with someone else. Lemme think. Someone with a very soft screen presence, maybe? How about Gun?

Heh he, now I'm just winding ya'll up.

Let me have my foibles.

#fun fun speculation #thai bl #bl industry chat #BounPrem #gmmtv #thai bl branded pairs #smart move gmmtv very smart

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returnofthelightt · 2 months

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Ashlesha, Bad Contract, and Future Success

Hi everyone! just back with a quick observation. Many celebrities unfortunately get into bad contract deals in the music industry. But, I have noticed that contracts widely discussed at the forefront careers have mostly been those with Ashlesha placements. Specifically with Ashlesha natives, they will lose success but gain even more success than ever after leaving. I have a compiled 3 examples to discuss.

Tinashe (Ashlesha Moon)

Tinashe was previously signed to RCA records. She is known for having highly related Mixtapes such as Amethyst, Black Water and Reverie. Tinashe's most popular song is "2 On". It seems that there was a lack to push and support with having Tinashe release new music and spread her popularity. She is now independent.

Many people have commented negative things about her career such as how she has "flopped" and that no one has listened to her since. But she has flourished independently, especially with her album Songs For You. She continues to be a big force in the indie scene, and is currently touring.

Megan Thee Stallion (Ashlesha Mars)

Megan is an amazing rapper. With her career, she has had a widely known case with her previous label 1501 Certified Entertainment. Megan claims her label did not allow her to release "Something For Thee Hotties" album, did not promote her music and was not allowed to record with other artists. Megan has won her case and is now producing music from her own wallet. Megan has released a new song called Hiss which had gone #1 on US Billboard Hot 100. She also gained multiple sponsorship deals. You can see the Ashlesha symbolism in her new music video for Hiss.

Raye (Ashlesha Moon)

Raye has gained immense popularity after her hit song Escapism. Previously though, Raye had to leave her ex label, Polydor. She had a deal to release four albums with the music company but hasn't been able to. Raye left her label and became indepdent. She collaborated with 070 Shake for the hit song and has received a lot of praise since. The UK Brit Awards 2024 just occurred, where she took home 6 awards.

What about the others?

Note: Another Nakshatra I found pop up a lot actually during my research was Shatabhisha and Dhanishta (Prince, Kesha, Jessi (K-hiphop, etc). But I found that unlike Ashlesha's ability to regain their success, Shatabhisha and Dhanishta have difficultly re-establishing themselves. Their disputes are also public where they have to reach the point of obtaining public support to help push their cases forward. Even then, sometimes they dont fully recover and are criticized.

But that's it for now! Hopefully I can obtain more examples and possibly do another thread on it. Thanks everyone!

#vedic astro observations #vedic astro notes #vedic astrology #astrology #astro observations #ashlesha

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mortalityplays · 3 months

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I have to stress, this is not a sponsorship. they are not getting any money for this. astroglide did not donate for their billboard or whatever, and they have no formal relationship with the show. people are voluntarily making their own fan merch with this brand name on it and selling/giving it away to each other. they're using the brand's hashtags and promoting it to their friends, entirely because the social media person is paying attention to them.

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prettycottonmouthlamia · 7 months

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"What's the issue, it's just an ad?" Oh how you've become dull. Where is your anger? Where is your rage?

I get on the most basic of basic of levels why we've become like this. Advertising has literally been a part of our lives for as long as I've been alive, and honestly let's just put "the Reagan era" as a convenient turning point because if there is anything unnatural and unholy that's a part of our society at this point it comes from that demonic spawn.

I cannot personally tell you how much I am sick of all of it. I am so sick and fucking tired of having every minute of every day being a constant battle against the endless cavalcade of advertisements. You couldn't escape it on TV, you couldn't escape it in magazines, you couldn't go to the store without having things shoved in your fucking face by billboards and fliers and signage. But even that, on some fucking level, was bearable. How little we knew as we grumbled about how magazines were becoming 65% ads by volume how much worse it would get.

Advertisement on the modern internet has become a sprawling web of massive privacy violations as every bit of your online existence is wrapped up, bundled, and sold to some morally bankrupt corporation so that the CEO of Google can fucking jack off in a bathtub made of whatever ephemeral tech fratboy abomination has come out of Silicon Valley this week. You cannot escape the targeted ads, you cannot escape the ads that fucking jumpscare you, you cannot escape the ads that are 15 minutes long because they're designed to ambush people who are too busy to quickly skip the ad, you cannot avoid the constant deluge of sponsorships and paid promotions. Everyone is trying to fucking sell you something, whether its a shitty product or a shitty subscription service or a nightmare mental health service designed in the cenobite dimension or even worse than all of that, Prager fucking U.

The fact that adblocks exist is the only saving grace of the internet period. Adblocks literally keep the internet from falling apart in the same way TV and magazines did. They are the only way the average person can survived being seen as an endless fucking consumer, because having the ability to say "No, you cannot beam advertisements into my fucking brain 24/7" is basically our one big act of resistance at this point. So when Google tries to give me shit for it, when Amazon throws a hissyfit because you don't want ads interrupting a stream for two and a half minutes at a time, when websites guilt you over having an ad blocker? When they tell you that you should just accept being a good little shit?

Yeah that just inspires a lot of fucking rage in me. I hope one day we all collectively decide this is inhumane and abhorrent and fucking rip the tendons out of the knees of the advertising industry.

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helloavocadooo · 2 years

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Where is Lunafox?

If you ask any of the three members (Serena Knight, Leaf Bailey-Moon, and Lily Hecking for those not in the know) of this chart-topping band, you’ll get an assortment of cheeky answers. “Right here,” “In the moment,” “Hell if I know.”

Truth is, despite not releasing any music in over a year, it’s not like the trio hasn’t been busy with their own pursuits. The trio’s hiatus began when bassist Lily announced she was expecting a baby with her superstar beau Chris Bevins. She gave birth to a daughter named Juliana earlier this year.

Pianist Leaf has mostly worked behind the scenes. She participated in the production of her mother Octavia Moon’s first album in 10 years, and has songwriting credits on multiple albums in the top 100 on Billboard. Never forgetting about her fans, she connects with them often via livestreams.

Lead singer Serena won a Starlight Accolade for featuring on Lil Raz B’s chart topping hit “Simdustry Baby.” She also began an on and off relationship with rapper Emoja Bat. The pair are currently off, but when they’re on the paparazzi follows their every move. Serena’s social media following has eclipsed her bandmates and she’s nabbed many lucrative sponsorships. Sources to say she’s made more as an influencer than she has as a singer.

Fans worried that the band would never reunite, but they need not worry anymore. The trio is currently holed up in Oasis Springs working on new material.

When I ask if they’re releasing a new album, Leaf says, “Perhaps.” But while they are tight lipped on exactly what the project is, they all have thoughts on what drove them back into the studio.

“It’s wild,” Serena says, “’living the life we’re living while also waking up to more bad news everyday. We have to write, to get everything out of heads and try to make sense of it.”

“I stay up late after Juli’s in bed coming up with melodies,” Lily adds. “It’s like a compulsion. If I don’t go to my home studio, I can’t sleep.”

Without even telling their management the girls planned this trip to Oasis Springs in their group chat. It began as a getaway, but it quickly became a long slumber party/recording session.

“Sitting right here in this studio with these girls is what makes me happiest,” Leaf says. “We’ve written so many songs at 3AM eating gummi bears and drinking way too much Diet Coke. Everything from ballads to dance songs. Being together, it just makes sense.”

The band is truly back together.

When can we expect to hear these songs? “Obviously soon,” Serena says. “You’re here interviewing us for a cover story.”

And that’s all I get. Soon. I can’t wait. Can you?

story by: Penny Pizzazz photography by: Lucas Kim

#black simmer #black simblr #sims of color #lunafox #ts4 edit

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xyzd3c0 · 3 months

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Pepsi (2014)

#pepsi #2014 #2014 tv #2010s tv #2010s #brazilian tv #sponsorship billboard #sponsor billboard

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0alanasworld0 · 1 year

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Grand Piano (Yassine Bounou x reader)

Description: Yassine meets the reader for the first time as they both happen to be hiding away from an event

Warnings: none

Yassine didn’t care for fancy events in general. When he became a footballer, he thought that maybe he’d be going to the odd celebration dinner. Y’know… shake a few hands, take a couple photos etc. Poor Yassine couldn’t fully grasp the popularity of the sport, nor did he realise the true significance of what he achieved in it.

Regardless of his general lack of awareness, he was regularly sought out at a lot of events and was encouraged to attend them with one of his coaches or managers or if he was lucky, one of teammates joined him. Who’d have thought that a glowing clean sheet record and loyalty to his team would make him such a hot shot?

At the very least, the man liked to hover near the snack bar where he wouldn't be disturbed from his thoughts as often. But there was also no doubt he had a friendly face and pleasant demeanour that naturally attracted people to him, much to his dismay. He was likeable and also didn’t have it in him to make his disdain for these events visible, a people pleaser at heart.

This was one of those events. He didn’t quite understand why Gillette decided to hold an event in such a lavish ballroom but the beauty of it does slightly ease his distaste. At the very least he didn't have to look down and twiddle his thumbs or look through the settings on his phone but could now admire the venue. The painted ceiling, hand-carved gold accents lined the walls and glinted softly in the chandelier and candle light. The windows were adorned by blue silk curtains that matched the walls and were streaked with delicate gold threads. They were draped in the most melodramatic way possible with each fold in the curtains flowing perfectly across the windows. He felt like he was in a painting and he loved it. The music brought it all together, the melody was soft and cushions the little bubble he’s created for himself. It's so vivid that he thinks he sees a princess float across the room for a second but is quickly brought out of his little fantasy by one of his coaches, introducing him to some hot-shot business exec that's interested in a sponsor. To be quite frank, he didn't care. He’d do the commercial so long as he didn’t have to take any risky photos and his face wasn't plastered on a billboard.

He’d just about tuned into the conversation but there was enough space in his mind to push forward with that little fantasy. He sees her again: the dress was a rich cream colour, embossed with pretty patterns throughout and the skirt flowed elegantly from the embroidered bodice to reach at her ankles. She wore a pair of simple heels that matched her dress. Her hair was in a bun that framed her pretty little face perfectly. She held onto her bag tightly and had an innocent, lost look on her face as she continued to float around the room. She was certainly on theme. More so than most of the guests.

He loses the girl as his coach delivers a firm smack to his back, shocking him back into the conversation.

“So what do you think, Yassine?” giving him a pointed look, he knew that he probably digested none of the past 10 minutes of conversation.

He winced slightly under the sharp gaze and nodded semi-enthusiastically at the man, still not entirely sure what he was doing or what was going on but shook his hand anyway. The guy smiles back so he must have responded appropriately at the very least. His coach leaves with the man to further discuss the sponsorship and Yassine is once again left to his own devices.

He scanned the room in search of the girl but to no avail. He was disappointed at that and decided to explore the rest of the venue instead. Various rooms were left open and each contained a few people: some admiring the beauty of the place, others just enjoying each other's company, engaged in quiet chatter. Once again, the idea that this is a Gillette event makes him laugh on the inside. He was actually having a pleasant time, wandering aimlessly through the corridors of the hall. He is brought out of his little haze when he hears soft piano music from the room ahead. He recognises this one: The Merry-go-round of Life. One of his guilty pleasures is those studio ghibli movies that gave his childhood that little bit of magic and hearing that familiar melody again gave him peace. He peers carefully into the room to see you. His princess. Sat at a grand piano, totally lost in your own world. He leans on the doorframe with a soft smile on his face, focussing solely on you and the beautiful tune you’re playing and looking like an angel as you went about it.

A long intertwining web of friends of friends of friends landed you with this invite. You searched up the venue as the final decider for the event. your university course left you with very few free nights and you need to know whether this event is worth one of them. You were shocked as the results bear photos of the most stunning hall you have ever seen. Straight out of a fairytale. The lavish fountain outside with luscious gardens surrounding it. The rolling hills and expansive bluebell forest surrounding it. The Edwardian architecture and extravagant interior.

You prayed with all your might that they would allow for the whole place to open up as your eyes lingered over one specific photo: a piano room. You dreamed of places like this when you played your keyboard, imagining the pressure of your fingers against porcelain piano keys as opposed to the plastic buttons. You quickly fished out the dress you wore to prom. You loved it so much that you wore it around the apartment from time to time to live out your little fantasy for just a few moments. You would delicately prance around the house, practising those ballet steps you were still familiar with and soft classical music playing from your phone. You may not have taken those classes for years now but it still brought you that little bit closer to your dreams so you strived to remember them.

It had been a month now. A month of telling all your friends at the university. A month of sketching some of the photos of the venue. A month of meticulously checking over the embroidery of your dress and fixing any little breaks in the stitching. A month and the day of the event finally comes, you now count down the hours until your scheduled revision period in the library is over and you can finally leave to get ready. You put on your dress, smooth it down and do a little twirl. It's stunning and you finally had an excuse to wear it out again, you pat yourself on the shoulder for spending months hand-embroidering the bodice. You put on your jewellery: a pair of simple pearl earrings and a gold necklace with a pearl pendant. You were quick with the hair and makeup because you simply can't wait any longer. Once you were satisfied, you quickly pad along to the door where you put on your shoes and grab your bag and head to the taxi.

When you finally arrive, you are in awe. It's so much prettier in person and the sunset just makes everything feel so much more romantic. The air was cool and crisp against your exposed arms and the gravel crunches under your heels as you excitedly walk over to the main doors.

It was a shame that your time in the venue wasn't as joyful as the entrance. It was still gorgeous but so crowded and loud and you just don’t know how to cope. You spend a good portion of your time just getting through the crowd to try and look for anywhere else to go. Not even a snack bar?! This is not worth risking your best dress over.

Finally, you see an open doorway which looked familiar and you suspected it lead to that piano room you’d been dreaming about for the past month. You walked through the corridors, stopping every once in a while to admire the hand-painted portraits on the wall until you finally reached a familiar door. Seeing people within the other rooms of the hall grants you a bit of relief regarding your little escapade.

Sitting down, you place your hands on the familiar keys, relishing the feel of the cool porcelain against your fingertips and start playing your favourite tune, losing yourself to the fantasy world you finally get to bring to life.

A soft clap of hands brings you out of your daze and you look up to one of the most gorgeous men you have ever seen. Tall with dark hair, an adorable freckle on his cheek. He had the most dazzling smile that fills you with warmth and there was a small dimple that appeared on the apple of his cheek as he did so. And that suit fit him well too.

“You play beautifully.” he spoke in a baritone voice and slight drawl that somehow had your heart beating even faster than it already was.

“Thanks! Any more requests from my wonderful audience?” you cringed at the joke as it came out. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. How could you mess up on the very first sente-

He laughs. A proper laugh that has you relieved that your awkward disposition and corny jokes haven’t turned him away from you.

“Y’know, Howl’s Moving Castle has to be one of my favourite films of all time. I’m Yassine by the way.” he commented and you thank him internally for steering the conversation away from the dumb joke and not running for the hills.

“It’s a solid choice, I’m more of a Castle in the Sky girl myself, honestly.” he hums and shrugs in understanding as he begins to walk over to you. You encourage him to sit with you by making space on the stool for him. To your relief, he picks up on the hint and takes a seat. Managing to tower over you still.

“Play something for me,” he said, teasingly nudging your shoulder a little. He was so warm and smelled like sandalwood and pine and it all made you feel a bit dizzy.

“Any preferences?” you asked, hoping to impress him a little bit.

“I’m sure anything from you will be perfect.” he quipped, looking down at you while you looked at the keys, blushing furiously at the compliment. Eye contact is already a struggle for you. You weren’t built for socialising, You tried your best but conversations with new people just had alarm bells ringing throughout your entire body. And when they were as attractive as yassine? You simply struggled to function. He smiles at your shyness although you’re too busy trying to think of a piece to notice.

You finally have your chosen piece in mind and place your hands, beginning to play. He’s struggling to choose between looking at your adorable concentrated face or your pretty hands that gracefully dance along the keys. He sees you mouthing some of the notes and your eyes close as you reach your favourite part of the piece. He rests his head on top of yours and closes his eyes. He wished that this moment with his the princess would last forever. He was intoxicated by everything about you and he was so glad he managed to find you.

“Would you like me to play another one?” you asked as you finished the piece. Enjoying having him so close.

He desperately wanted to say yes but knew that his coach needed to speak with him again. It pained him to have to leave.

“I’m sorry, beautiful but I have to get back before coach throws a tantrum.” he notices your features drop marginally and feels awful but remembers:

“How about you give me your number and maybe we can continue this another time? over some dinner?” he feels a bit of reprieve in seeing your eyes light up. He wants to see that more often, that's for sure.

You both exchange numbers and he gives you a quick peck on the cheek, taking one more glance at you before leaving to talk to his coach. You remain in the music room to continue playing by yourself. Now with a permanent smile on your face as you think about Yassine, gushing over the interaction.

Yassine finally finishes talking to the coach and the event calms down considerably with people beginning to make their exits and for some reason, he returns to the music room. You surely would have left now but he follows his instinct and goes anyway. He doesn’t even hear the music but peers in anyway to see you pacing. Your taxi had cancelled, the venue was in the middle of nowhere and you were going to have to walk at least a mile for the next bus stop.

“Everything okay, pretty?” he asks softly. As you look up, he can see the panic in your eyes but they soften just slightly at the sight of him.

“My taxi cancelled so I’m just preparing myself to walk to the bus stop” you smile sadly, too stressed to care about dumb joke number 2. He walks over to give you a hug, enveloping you with his warmth, rubbing your back soothingly as you bury your head in his chest.

“If you’re comfortable with it, I’d be happy to drive you home.” he offers, smiling at the fact he could feel you relax against him with that. You nod against his chest and he guides you back to the main hall and then his car with a warm hand on your back. Being the gentleman he is, he opens the door for you before getting in the driver’s seat. You give him your address and you spend the journey in a comfortable silence until you reach home. He rushes out of his door to open yours and the second you’re out, you give him the biggest hug you can manage.

“Thank you so much for this, Yassine. I’ve loved talking with you today.” and he gives that signature smile, shaking his head as he bends down to give you a peck on the cheek.

“The pleasure was all mine, princess.” you blush profusely and you walk to your apartment door. You turn around one last time to give him a wave as you walk into the comfort of your apartment. Sighing wistfully, you flop onto the couch and smile, thinking about the handsome man who helped you out today. You sure hoped he meant it when he mentioned going out for dinner.

The pair of you have been going strong in your relationship for about 4 months now. His comments still never failed to make you blush but you’ve recently been learning to do the same. You learn that he is just as shy over compliments as you. With every match, you made sure to let him know how proud you were. You’re always telling him how pretty he is and he revels in the affection you shower him with.

His place was basically a second home to you at this point. He’s organised your clothes into designated drawers and wardrobe spaces. Your toothbrush, skincare, make-up and shower stuff in the bathroom. One of your spare coats hung on the coat rack by the front door along with a couple of pairs of shoes. Your presence had even started showing through the decor as he actively sought out art works, duvets, cushions and throws that he thought you would like.

As you arrived at his place for movie night, you noticed that he looked especially excited. You couldn't pinpoint it exactly but there was a glint of mischief in those dark, brown eyes. You walked over to the door slowly, your eyes narrowed in suspense.

“Yassine?” you ask hesitantly while he’s bouncing up and down quickly on his feet. He only has one thing on his mind. And you were completely clueless to it.

Growing sick of your slow pace, he runs over to you, immediately grabbing your hand and pulling you towards the house, couldn’t even wait a second longer to acknowledge your words. As you reach the door he slows, standing behind you and holding his hand over your eyes while the other softly grips your waist, continuing to guide you into the living room.

Once he finally has you where he wants you, he slowly removes his hand from your eyes and rests it on your waist. Your eyes take a second to adjust to the light but your heart just about stops when you see it. It's beautiful, like it came out of one of your dreams. You don’t know what else to expect from him. In all fairness, this is very on-brand for him. Really, you shouldnt be surprised.

Eyes tearing up a little, you whisper,

“Yassine I-”

You don't have time to say another word as he’s still dragging you to the stool, excited for you to play again but on a proper grand piano rather than your dinky little keyboard set.

“Wait! I have an idea!” as you push him to sit down first. You sit in his lap, placing your hands on the keys, playing a few notes to gain some familiarity. He rests his head in the crook of your neck, wrapping his arms around your waist and closing his eyes as he prepares for you to play again. But he’s momentarily confused as he instead feels your hands grabbing his much larger ones and placing them on top of your own. He quickly gets the idea and follows with the other hand, himself. He’s paying attention now, watching as you play together. He closes his eyes and returns to the crook of your neck, smiling at the feeling. He presses soft kisses into your shoulders, the back of your neck, behind your ears as he relishes your company.

“I love you, my princess” he confessed, she tenses for a moment and relaxes again into his warm body. He didn't need to see her smile to feel it, relieved that he didn’t push her away with the confession.

“I love you too, my prince” she replied as she pulled one of his hands up to her mouth and kissed the bandages that adorned them.

i really hope you guys like it! it is a first attempt so i would love to hear any feedback too! sorry again about the account troubles, please do resend those asks! xxx

#footballer imagine #footballer fic #yassine bounou #yassine bono #yassine bounou x reader #yassine bounou imagine #Spotify

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mariacallous · 7 months

Text

Five months ago, software engineer Shikhar Sachdev adopted a peculiar hobby. While his friends met for drinks or played FIFA 23 to unwind after work, he would come home, boot up his laptop, and spend hours filling out job applications, for sport.

Sachdev is content with his job at a San Francisco fintech company, but he writes a career blog in his spare time and had noticed a recurring sentiment: Job hunting these days is the worst. Friends described returning home from an exhausting day of work they hated, applying for new positions, and quickly growing discouraged by clunky application software and a low response rate. Research suggests the frustration is widespread: 92 percent of candidates abandon online job applications before completing them, according to the recruitment platform Appcast.

“You might hate your boss. But if you think that searching for jobs is worse, you're never going to change,” Sachdev says. “I wanted to try to put some data behind the claim that job hunting sucks.”

Sachdev set himself the challenge of applying to 500 software engineering jobs to observe exactly what made the endeavor more or less frustrating. Halfway through, however, he hit a snag. “I wanted to chop my head off,” Sachdev says. He scaled back his target to a still brain-melting 250 jobs across a range of industries and company sizes, chosen largely at random—companies he’d seen on billboards, for instance, or friends’ employers.

Sachdev timed each application from start to finish and for consistency always applied directly through a company’s career page—he ended up spending about 11 hours total filling applications. Since he wasn’t looking for a new position, he always stopped short of clicking “Submit” on a completed application, except for a few choice roles that piqued his interest. (He landed three interviews, but didn’t pursue the jobs.) He aimed to make each application serviceable, but wasn't as thorough as a truly ambitious or desperate job seeker would be, so he figures the times he logged are underestimates.

Sachdev found it took an average of 2 minutes and 42 seconds to fill out a job application—but that doesn’t include time spent identifying suitable roles, and the time could vary widely from job to job. The longest took more than 10 minutes, the shortest less than 20 seconds. Much of this variation sprang from the particularities of applicant tracking software.

Applying to work at a company that used Workday, for instance, took 128 percent longer than average for similarly sized companies in the same industry. Workday spokesperson Nina Oestlien called customer service a “core value” at the company and says that application timing is determined by how customers configure their applications. (Disclosure: WIRED owner Condé Nast uses Workday. Also, we’re hiring!)

Starting Over

Sachdev’s job hunting obsession was born partly from rejection. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, he graduated from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a degree in environmental economics and philosophy. Most of his friends lived in the Bay Area, and career opportunities in the region abounded, so he resolved to stay.

As Sachdev’s senior year wound down, he began furiously applying for local jobs. But his heart sank each time he reached the portion of an application that asked if he needed visa sponsorship. Since he lacked US citizenship, he needed an employer to sponsor him, likely with a specialty H-1B worker visa. “When I would click the H-1B box, my application would go straight into the garbage,” he says. “I was getting rejections four minutes after I applied.”

But Sachdev has the tenacity to power through the uttermost tedium for months on end. And he discovered what looked like a loophole. Foreigners who earn STEM degrees from certain US institutions can work in the country for up to three years without a visa under a federal program called Optional Practical Training. “Who stays at their first job for more than three years?” he rationalized. So when the visa sponsorship question popped up in an application for a product manager role at a major tech company he wanted to work for, he clicked “no.”

After he landed an interview, Sachdev spent 40 hours scouring job sites for tips, cramming his notebook full of hypothetical questions and their responses, compiling a presentation the company required—and totally neglecting his coursework. Half a dozen interviews later, he got the job. His heart soared, but not for long. When he explained his immigration status to the recruiter, she rescinded the offer. Sachdev started over, eventually landing a job with a startup willing to sponsor his H-1B visa, and decided to parlay his experience into a career blog offering help to other hapless job questers.

Job hunters have long complained about the process, but it developed fresh annoyances after moving online starting in the mid-’90s, says Chris Russell, managing director of the recruitment consultancy RecTech Media. Online job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder flooded companies with candidates, giving rise to applicant tracking systems built to help recruiters manage the deluge.

These systems promised to save recruiters time by automatically ranking and filtering applicants based on keywords. From the perspective of applicants required to laboriously enter their information into the software, they felt like a new barrier. “These systems were built with the companies in mind,” says Russell. “They never really considered the user experience from the job seeker’s point of view.” A cottage industry sprang up of tools and résumé whisperers promising to help job seekers get past the automated scanners.

In recent years, new features like psychological assessments and “digital interviews,” in which applicants answer prepared questions into their webcams, only placed more barriers between candidates and human decisionmakers. Meanwhile, the fundamentals of hiring remain stuck in the past, says Scott Dobroski, a career trends expert at jobs platform Indeed. It takes three and a half months for most Indeed users to find a job, he says. “All the other parts of our lives have sped up. The hiring process has not caught up.”

Time Wasters

While job hunters have much to gripe about, from “ghost jobs” to the dreaded “résumé black hole,” Sachdev decided to focus his efforts on the initial application process. He identified three main factors that affected the time it took to apply: the size of a company, the industry it was part of, and the applicant tracking software it used.

Applicant tracking software was a major source of Sachdev’s frustration. The most common systems he encountered were Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, Lever, and Phenom, which adds AI-powered features on top of systems like Workday. More established systems such as Workday and Taleo redirected him away from the careers page and made him create a separate account for each application, adding significant time and vexation. By the end of his 250 applications, he had 83 separate accounts.

Newer offerings such as Greenhouse and Lever spared him some of these frustrations. Applications through Lever, for instance, took 42 percent less time to complete than the average for similarly sized companies in the same industry.

Sachdev also spent many excruciating minutes retyping information he’d already uploaded on his résumé because software would misread it. Workday, for instance, would routinely populate the education field with “Munich Business School” even though Sachdev’s résumé clearly says he graduated from non-soundalike UC Berkeley. “Sometimes it's not even the time,” he says. “It's the mental fatigue of having to do it every single time.”

The longest application to fill out was for the US Postal Service, clocking in at 10 minutes and 12 seconds, while the shortest was that of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, which requested only his name and résumé and consumed a mere 17 seconds. In general, Sachdev found that government applications took the longest—a trend that Indeed’s data backs up—followed by aerospace and consulting jobs. Younger industries such as online banks, AI firms, and crypto companies were amongst the least time-consuming. Legacy banks, for instance, took about four times longer to apply to than their newer online counterparts.

Sachdev also found applications to large companies more time-consuming than for smaller firms. In general, a doubling of company size added 5 percent to the average application time.

While the process was largely an exercise in repetition, Sachdev encountered a few creative takes on a musty old format. Plaid, a fintech company that provides APIs to connect software with bank accounts, invited applicants to apply via API. (Sachdev opted for the old-fashioned route, for consistency.) The gaming company Roblox let candidates apply in-game.

While hiring software has historically been stacked in employers’ favor, more job seekers are using their own forms of automation. Bots and tools like LazyApply use text-generation technology like that behind ChatGPT to automatically mass apply to jobs, to the likely chagrin of overwhelmed recruiters. When Sachdev posted his results on discussion site Hacker News, one commenter claimed to use bots to fill out job applications and ChatGPT to write cover letters and correspond with recruiters, fully taking over only at the interview stage. “Can you blame him?” Sachdev says. “Because the companies are doing it too. Their résumé parsers, their application tracking software, and their tools are also using AI. So it's almost as if the applicant now has this weapon they can use against the companies.”

An AI arms race that floods the job market with unserious applicants and insurmountable filtering tools is in nobody’s interest, however. Indeed’s Dobroski says some platforms, including his own, have begun rolling out a new approach that aims to save time on both sides, albeit also by leaning on algorithms. Instead of sending hundreds of résumés into the void and hoping for the best—“spray and pray” he calls it—candidates can list their skills, qualifications, and preferences and let AI suggest suitable jobs to apply for. “The matching really speeds up the hiring process, and it connects the candidate with employers that they otherwise may not even have considered,” he says.

Sachdev has his own ideas for what would make job applications more productive for both seekers and recruiters. First off, he advises applicants to save time and mental anguish by prioritizing employers that use simpler software like Lever and Greenhouse. For jobs he’s really serious about, he’ll try to make a human connection with the hiring manager on LinkedIn.

There’s a saying Sachdev likes, from computer science professor Randy Pausch: The brick walls are there for a reason. Facing and surmounting hurdles can help a person discover how much they want something. But if an employer erects too many barriers, “is an applicant really going to think, ‘That brick wall is there for a reason?’ Or is the applicant going to exit out of your website and go apply somewhere else?” Sachdev says. “I think it's the latter.”

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