#boss: *forwards it on to solutions team*

[mynamesdrstuff]

need to suplex my boss

[madridfangirl]

Star crossed lovers (Jude Bellingham fic)

Chapter 7

(Series Link)

Jude * female reader. Mature Language in parts.

Synopsis: A chance encounter in a tiny Madrid cafe with the newest superstar of her fav club. The two couldn't be more different, yet both feel the pull toward the other. Would this girl be the one he finally falls for? Would she make him change his ways? Even though she resists him every step of the way, would he fight all odds (& her) to have her in his life? Or would life come in the way of these star-crossed lovers?

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

Wednesday morning started off on a foul note for Jude. The team landed after a red eye flight & below is what he saw at 6:30 am. 

Ananya: Heyy. Listen, I am so sorry but I can’t make it tonight. NY office just got back and we have tons more to do. All hands on deck. Will be MIA most of today & tmrw. Hope you put something on your bruises. Take care & see ya soon! 

He groaned in frustration. Yesterday had been horrible & he was really looking forward to seeing her tonight. It was his primary motivation to get through the day. But the universe seemed to be conspiring against him.

He stayed in a pissy mood for a bit but sanity prevailed some time later. 

Jude: Heyy, it’s fine. Work is work. Go kick some ass. Lemme know if you get done soon ya?

His message remained unseen till 10:30 pm. She hadn’t come online. He knew, since he had checked more than a few times.

He was about to crash when his phone buzzed.

Ananya: Still in office. Will be a long night. How was your day?

He perked up immediately & grabbed his phone. 

Jude: Talk for a few mins?

Ananya: In conference room with folks, can’t step out.

Deflated, he fell back on the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. All he needed was some attention from her tonight. For her to fuss over him like she had done yesterday. But alas. 

Jude: Day was ok I guess. Debriefed on the game, lads were being extra nice which was irritating but had a good chat with Boss. How was yours?

Ananya: Hectic, but this deal is so cool it’s blowing my mind.

Jude smiled for the first time today. Her ambition & drive was relatable. Admirable. And so so attractive. 

Ananya: Ok gotta go now. Ciao.

And just like that, his smile faded. 

Jude: Ciao. Eat something. C ya soon!

He twisted & turned in bed a few times. Finally, exhaustion took over and he drifted off to sleep.

Next day was worse, if that was even possible.

He again woke up irritated. The UK tabloids were going to run a trashy story about him & some girl. His team had been contacted for comments & the decision was to not entertain them at all. The story could drop any time now - that was the heads-up he had gotten.

Great, just what he needed.

The message that he wanted to see was not there. Not a single peep from Ananya. He scrolled through the previous messages, re-reading some. And then he froze.

She was going to see the article too. 

Such gossip pieces on him were not uncommon but he mostly ignored them earlier. As did his team. 

But this time, it was different. Because of her. 

He had to get ahead of the situation.

Jude: Morning dove. I know you are busy. Quick heads up - you may see a tabloid piece today about my ‘girlfriend’. It’s all bull ok? I will explain when we talk. 

Burying himself with work seemed like the best solution today. He went extra hard in the gym, pushing himself more, & then some. Letting his irritation be sucked out through sweat and sore muscles.

He was extra feisty in training, didn’t joke around & was super competitive in duels, earning all the applause of the coaching staff and some jeers from his teammates.

Cama and Vini teased him about his new girlfriend who he was apparently smitten by - the article was splashed all over social media by now. He evaded them after engaging in some superficial locker room banter.

Still no reply from her, even though she had seen the first message. 

Jude: (Link) - This is what I was referring to. Like I said, it’s bull. How’s your day going?

When the messages were still unread after 2 hours, he started getting jittery. And did something he wouldn’t have done had he been thinking with a clear head.

He called her, knowing fully well she was dying at work today.

The number was unreachable. He tried again. Same message.

The jitters got stronger. Of the zillion things he was capable of doing to mess this up, this shouldn’t have been it.

It was one of those moments when the house looked emptier. Felt lonelier. He missed his home in Birmingham. He wished his mom were here with him.

She had called him earlier today to check on him, & could tell something was off in his voice. She didn’t push, knowing that he wanted to be left to his own devices.

Boy, he could do with her hug right now.

It was 8:30 pm. He had done everything he could for the day. There was nothing else to busy himself with. His friends from the team were all otherwise occupied tonight. He had no other real, normal friends in the city - ones he trusted/liked enough to hang out with. 

He didn’t wanna talk to his Birmingham friends either - didn’t wanna bring up the article or the match. Wanted to block those out. Jobe was busy with his training too. 

So he gulped his dinner while watching some random episodes of The Great British Bake Off. Something that used to be a family ritual back home.

Still no word from her. It was 10 pm.

It wasn’t fair. He hated feeling this restless. That’s why he stayed away from the complications of attachments - too much fucking drama that he absolutely didn’t need in his life right now. As if the pressures on him weren’t enough already.

His treacherous messed up self didn’t comply with his brain though.

Jude: Don’t overthink this. Talk to me once.

10:30 pm. Still nothing. 

He was about to get up from his couch & drag himself to bed, when he saw the blue ticks started coming on her chat. She hadn’t blocked him then?

He grabbed his phone & dialled her number, shoving his pride aside. She picked up in two rings.

‘Heyyyy Judeyyy.’

She slurred on the line. Jude was stunned. Was this for real? 

He channelled all his inner calmness - wanting to get the facts first.

‘Ananya - are you drunk?’

‘Siiii. We just downed half a bottle of tequila in three sixty minutes. No thirty-six. I meant thirty-six mins.’

He took a few deep breaths, as she giggled on the line. 

‘Tell me where you are. I am picking you up.’

‘I am in a moving car - how will you pick me up from a moving car?’

‘What the fuck do you mean you are in a car? Who are you with? And why the fuck are you drinking in a car?’

He lost his patience despite his best efforts.

‘Yikes why the screaming? Hurting my ears Jude. So rude. Heyyy, that rhymed.’

He nearly pulled out a few of his flawlessly trimmed hair in frustration. When he spoke next, he broke up each word like he was talking to a child.

‘One step at a time yeah? Send me your live location.’

She managed to do that after a few failed attempts. Relief flooded over him when he saw she wasn’t too far from her home & on the right route.

‘Good girl. Now, are you alone, or is someone with you?’

‘I am in a limo. A black limo. Like in the movies. Can you believe it?’

‘That’s great. Not what I asked though. Is someone with you, Ananya?’

‘Roma. But she’s passed out. Wait let me see again? Yup - passed out.’

‘Was it such a smart thing to drink so much that you pass out in the back of a car? When you are alone?’

‘Hey, she passed out. Not me. Pls - my capacity is legendary. Ask me the square root of 1576 & I'll tell you.’

He was amused but had to remind himself that he was still mad. 

‘Where were you today?’

Somehow, from her broken sentences, he gathered that the MD of their team lived on the outskirts of Madrid and there was a presentation of the final work at his mansion today. It was his limos that were dropping the team home. And the girls found the tequila in the car & just went for it after the grueling last 48 hours of work.

He also understood that her phone was on airplane mode most of the day. So she hadn’t seen his messages. Hadn’t seen the article either. 

Suddenly, there was some commotion on the line.

‘Roma is hitting me to talk to you. Putting you on speaker.’

‘Heyyy lover boyyyy - finally.’

This time he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

‘Well hello to you too.’

‘You should know that you owe me. I convinced Ananya to go to the match. And, most importantly, I convinced her to GO WITH YOU after the match.’

‘Oh, I thought she came because of me. How sad.’

‘A little coz of you. But mostly it was me.’

‘I see. Then I definitely owe you one, Roma.’

‘Remember that when I ask for signed jerseys of the WHOLE TEAM. And Zidane. And of course our one true love Ronaldo.’

‘Ahh you too.’

‘Of course, we share a common love. But Ananya loves him more.’

‘Believe me, I know.’

The car swerved to their street soon after, stopping outside their apartment building.

‘Girls, focus now, ya? - watch your step, go inside, lock the door. Ananya - call me after. I am waiting.’

‘Sir yes sir.’

‘Byeee lover boyyyyy.’

Jude groaned as they hung up - staring at the phone for it to ring again. Praying that they don’t trip & fall on their assess. 

The wait was excruciating. He got to his room, changed into his sleeping shorts, paced around, still nothing. How fuckin irresponsible. Finally, after 13 long mins, she called.

‘What took you so long?’

‘Code wasn’t working. Had to call neighbors to buzz us in.’

‘Wasn’t working or you forgot it?’

‘Pretty sure it wasn’t working.’

He shook his head & let it go, understanding how it was a lost cause. 

Then he started blurting out some instructions to her like ‘re-check the door’, ‘grab some water’, ‘tell me you ate something before drinking’ etc.

Ananya followed them diligently, and the slurring reduced as the liqueur settled down. Still quite out of it, but he could hear the girl he knew in there.

Knowing she was safe now, his mood improved, and her antics even started looking cute. 

‘Facetime?’

It felt like forever since he had seen her last. Held her last. 

When he finally laid eyes on her, all his frustration & anxiety of last two days started to evaporate.

‘Hey you.’

She waved back happily, snuggled into her pillow, still in her work clothes. All dopey from the alcohol. 

‘If I fall asleep on you tonight, don’t take it personally. Haven’t slept in 2 days.’

‘But you kicked ass though didn’t ya? 

Her face brightened, despite the exhaustion.

‘Kinda did.’

‘Knew it. Proud of ya.’

He really was. She could tell. She was starting to learn how to read his bright, expressive, goofy eyes. Tonight, they were deep & sincere. And a little anxious.

‘How’s your mood now?’

20 minutes ago he would have had a very different answer. 

‘Now? All fine, dove.’

She was about to tease him, call him cheesy & sickly sweet but he doubled down with his big brown doe eyes.

‘Missed you.’

Again, the sincerity hit her square in her heart. Throwing her off guard. He seemed different tonight. Vulnerable. The trademark blend of cocky flair & casual nonchalance not at the forefront. 

‘Missed you too.’

She sighed, as her eyes fluttered shut. Not that she had had much time for any active thought the last few days. But seeing him like this just reminded her how much she was looking forward to meeting him last night.

As she gathered herself, he took in her surroundings. The baby pink pillows amused him the most; somehow he hadn’t associated that with her. 

‘Can’t believe this is how I get to see your bedroom. On FaceTime.’

He didn't realize he had said it out loud. She giggled at his groans, batting her eyelashes at him. The vixen.

‘Yeah? What else did you have in mind?’

Jude shifted uncomfortably in the sheets. 

‘Don’t tease. Not tonight.’

‘When’s a good time, then?’

‘When I am in touching distance of you, tease away, by all means.’

‘I am not stupid, Jude.’

‘Never thought you were, dove.’

Challenging each other was kind of becoming their thing. Neither liked backing down & both loved the dynamic.

But she was tired. Ready to drop dead anytime.

‘Gimme 2. Need to change out of these.’

‘Cool, I’ll stay here.’

She placed the phone on the bed. Then, on second thoughts, she covered the phone with her blanket. Suddenly, his screen was filled with baby pandas.

‘Seriously? I was facing the ceiling, what was I gonna see?’

‘Don’t trust you & your peripheral vision.’

Jude groaned audibly, facing the disorienting pandas, starting to seriously dislike the otherwise adorable creatures.

He could hear her bouncing around her room, humming something in a foreign tongue, heels clicking on the floor. Still quite buzzed, clearly.

And then, a loud thump.

‘What happened? You ok?’

‘Zipper got stuck in heels. Knocked over a carton. Am fine.’

Jude turned & buried his face in the pillow, trying very hard to drown out the thoughts of what she was doing right now.

He couldn’t afford to let himself wander, since they hadn’t yet discussed the matter at hand.

But it was hard, he nearly bit the pillow to rein himself in. 

That’s how she found him when she returned in her tank top. The same one she had on that night, when he kissed her. Great.

‘What’s with you?’

She eyed him curiously, and he recovered quickly, game face back on.

‘Need to talk about something.’

‘Go on.’

Something had shifted in the environment. In him. Putting her on the edge.

Ripping off the band-aid quickly seemed like the best strategy to him.

‘A tabloid piece came out today about me & a girl, saying she is my girlfriend and we have been dating for 2 months. Which is not true. Never dated her. No idea how they came up with this. Wanted to give you a heads-up. Sent you the link in chat earlier today.’

He got it all out quickly. Then zeroed in on her face to gauge her reaction.

Her face had hardened like she was preparing for something unpleasant. Expressions too neutral, too blank for his liking. Almost cold. A more agitated reaction would have been less unsettling.

Ananya had a feeling it was something like this. The shield was up. Plus she was too spent to give any kind of outward reaction. 

She replayed his words in her head, and read through the article, while he waited patiently.

Her insta feed was also full of this now. This was everywhere. She found the ID of the woman and clicked on her profile.

‘She is pretty.’

This was not the first thing he had expected to hear. But he had the good sense to know that no response was the best response. Both confirmation and denial would have been scoffed at. 

‘You say you didn’t date her, but you do know her, right? Didn’t hear you deny that.’

Her tone was matter-of-fact, business-like. As if she was slicing & dicing a work project.

‘Yes. I do.’

‘Elaborate.’

‘Met her through insta. Liked some pics of each other. Chatted on DM. Then, met in person. Once.’

‘When?’

‘Two months ago.’

So the article had gotten at least something right.

‘Slept with her?’

Both were surprised by her cutting to the chase like this. The alcohol had lowered her inhibitions significantly plus she wasn't in the mood to entertain any nonsense.

‘Yes.’

‘Why only once?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Why not again? She is pretty.’

‘Umm…she is not from here.’

That wasn’t a good answer, he knew it the moment he said it. It wasn’t the complete truth either. But the damage was done.

‘Any exchanges after?’

‘Not from me.’

The unsaid hung heavily in the air. She chose to not address it. 

Mindlessly, she kept scrolling through the girl’s profile and the details in the article, not wanting to say anything more immediately. Not wanting to look at him, while his eyes were glued to her face throughout. 

Eventually, he couldn’t handle the silence & spoke softly.

‘Remember, this was in the past. Nothing has happened since we met. Nothing will happen.’

The deep baritone was back, trying to lull her into a sense of security. 

She smiled wryly. If only it were that simple to believe. If only her mind was not filled with images of him frolicking at his home with this woman, as was so definitively stated in the article. 

He felt the chasm widening between them, pulling her further away.

Some core truths, albeit crude, needed to be said out loud now. 

‘Ananya - I’ve never lied to you. Never not answered anything you threw my way. Never painted a false picture of my lifestyle. We’ve discussed these encounters before. Yes this put a face to it & I get it’s hard. But that doesn’t change the fact that I was single, and both consenting adults always knew it was just sex, nothing more.’

Her eyes shot up at him at the last line, which he was expecting. But he stood his ground.

‘I can see you are judging me hard, and them too. Look…’

She cut him off sharply.

‘THEM? Who are they to me? Why should I judge women I don’t know anything about?’

‘And me?’

‘YOU? I am TRYING to understand you. Your DECISIONS. It is NOT EASY. Not something I ever imagined dealing with.’

‘I get it.’

He really did. She didn’t hear what he said though, still stuck on his previous words.

‘And THEM? Seriously how many are there? How many such GIRLFRIENDS should I be prepared for?’

He blanked & panicked simultaneously. How was he supposed to answer that? Thankfully, she intervened.

‘You know what? Scratch that. Don’t answer that, I don’t ever wanna know. I don’t care.’

She jerked her face away, trying to compose herself.

But he couldn’t stop staring at her. The usually calm, jovial features a picture of irritation & exhaustion right now. The need to hold her close & comfort her paralyzed him.

‘Can we do this in person? I can be there in 20-25 mins.’

‘NO.’

It was a firm, decisive no. Leaving no scope for discussion. He figured it was also her showing him he wasn’t just gonna get his way with her, that she wasn’t like the others. 

But he knew that already. That’s what had fascinated him so about her. She was unlike anyone he had been with before. How he wished she could see that too.

For the first time, the silence between them was not comfortable. Or comforting. 

The silence was interrupted by constant pings on her phone - two calls followed by a few messages. He saw her eyes go wide as she focused on the screen.

It was 12 am. Jude had a sinking feeling who it could be from. Last two days, he had really behaved himself. Despite knowing she would have spent every waking minute at work around that insufferable colleague of hers. Sticking to her like a leech. Pinging her at odd times. 

But, in a grand display of restraint, Jude hadn't uttered a word to her. It was her work after all. 

‘Jude I’m gonna need two mins.’

She muttered urgently, getting up from the bed.

‘I will stay online if that’s ok.’

‘Fine.’

She was already out the door, leaving the phone, leaving him behind.

Jude found himself facing the ceiling of her room again. Seriously, what the fuck just happened? Could this day get any more rotten?

She returned in a minute. He could hear her but not see her yet. Bile rose in his throat when he realised who she was talking to.

‘Hey Arjun, yes I found it. It’s with me now. Thank you so much for letting me know, this could have gone anywhere. You are a lifesaver.’

A pause for a few seconds, in which Jude plotted getting that cockroach permanently banned from the Bernabeu (Ananya had mentioned how big a fan he was), and then her voice again. Filled with genuine gratitude. Jude wanted to puke. 

‘Yeah all good, thanks again. Good night, see you tmrw.’

If her intent was to hurt Jude, then someone should hand her the Balon d’or immediately.

Ananya hung up, came back to the bed, and realized her phone was not on mute. She couldn’t find it in herself to care though, not right now.

‘All ok?’

Jude would have put monks to shame at the evenness he was able to muster in his voice.

‘Roma was drunk-texting on our work group. Some questionable stuff. Hv deleted the texts, will keep her phone tonight. Glad Arjun alerted me.’

And just like that, evenness went out the window. Replaced with sarcasm, laced with disdain.

‘How sweet of him, what a gentleman.’

Ananya turned the full force of her glare at Jude, which he met head on. Fire dancing in both their eyes. 

‘Would you GROW UP? Not everything is about you. And yes, he IS a gentleman. Your petulance will not change that.’

‘A FUCKIN TWAT is what he is. Always interrupting us. Always trying to cozy up to you. Even when he doesn’t have a shot. Classic small-dick energy. Quite fuckin LITERALLY in his case.’

Ananya could punch him through the screen. The insufferable, entitled, derisive prick that he was being. So full of himself. He needed to be put in his place. 

‘Yeah? Maybe I should verify that.’

The bodyblow landed as intended. Making him double over with pain.

Jude felt like someone had kicked him in the gut and in the nuts at the same time. His throat went dry and his hands turned clammy.

The numbness hitting his brain, then his body. The rage dissipated & he realised he didn’t have a leg to stand on, given how they had gotten here tonight.

Plus she would never do the thing she hates the most. She would never cheat, he was convinced.

His tone went down several notches, as did his attitude.

‘I know you are angry. I know you didn’t mean it.’

‘Oh no - I really do want..’

‘ANANYA PLEASE. Please. Slap me if you want to, smack me all that you like but NOT THIS. Please.’

The distress in his choked voice made her stop. Knocking the fight out of her. 

Her voice lost its edge, coming out in a whisper.

‘A hypothetical scenario broke you. Whereas….you…..you have actually..’

She didn’t finish the sentence. But the message was well understood.

‘I know it’s unfair. Even hypocritical of me. But I can’t help it. Can’t handle even the idea of you with anyone else. I want all of you. All for me. All the time. I’d go nuts otherwise I swear.’

This moment, she saw a young, sensitive, insecure boy in Jude, not the mature, articulate, sorted, in-control grown man known to the world. 

She found it strangely healing; a distinct warmth seeping into her skin and settling into the pit of her stomach. 

It was 12:30. Two emotionally charged hours they had spent on the phone. Dead tired from work. Yet, the idea of hanging up & calling it a night never occurred to either. 

Just then, her doorbell rang, making her jump.

‘Don’t be alarmed. Answer it.’

She eyed him curiously, checking his background again. He was still in his bed. 

‘What did you do now?’

‘Answer the door & you’ll see.’

Huffing, she got out of bed & walked out. Leaving him facing the ceiling again. Third time that night.

When she came back, he finally saw a ghost of a smile on her lips. And the light returned to her gorgeous soft eyes.

She was still gazing at the bouquet, stroking & smelling with contentment.

‘White Tulips for dove. Thought it’d be fitting.’

‘Jude.’

She sighed deeply, and buried her head in the flowers, letting the strong scent drown her senses.

This was never going to be easy, she knew that from the start. But every time she got wobbly, he steadied her. Every time doubts pulled her away, he clawed his way back to her. Lack of effort was definitely not something she could hold against him. 

Maybe he means what he says. Maybe it is different for him this time.

She turned to look at his smiling face, still leaning on the flowers.

‘How did you even find these in the middle of the night?’

‘To be fair I ordered them in the evening, when I thought you blocked me.’

‘Blocked you?’

He just shrugged in response. Slightly embarrassed but trying to not show it.

She laughed at the absurdity of it all, and he finally let go too, letting himself relax. The sound of his little giggles bounced on her ears, doing things to her.

‘You are such a loon.’

‘Wanna be your loon.’

She was starting to melt now and wanted to arrest the fall. So she switched gears.

‘Tell me - what was the plan if I had blocked you?’

There had to be a plan. He wasn’t the kind to take things lying down. 

‘Cheesecake & churros from our cafe tmrw morning. Along with a letter stating how a 20-year-old boy has the same psychological maturity as a 15-year-old girl. Therefore you should cut me some slack given women are far smarter biologically and also coz you are you. I’m not saying it, science is. Facts.’

‘Reallyyyyy? So a 20 yr old boy lacks psychological maturity, but somehow that’s not a problem when he fucks half the world with impunity? What does science say about that? No disadvantage there?’

Jude’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, still trying to process how his attempted humour had backfired in about 50,000 ways.

To his credit, he recovered fast.

‘See? A smart person would not have walked into that hole like I did. Exhibit A of how dumb I am. This just proves my point.’

‘How come the world fawns over your intelligence & maturity then?

‘They don’t know me. It’s a scam. Trent says I should still be in diapers. He said that to Jobe once & the little scoundrel agreed.'

He had done it again. Pacified her without her even realising. Yeah, she wasn’t buying the dumb act. This boy knew his power & used it unabashedly, to his full advantage.

It was 1 am. She yawned while checking the time & Jude suddenly got hit by pangs of guilt.

He would let her go soon, just needed to hear one thing.

‘We ok? 

He barely blinked till she responded.

‘I guess so.’

She shrugged, realising she wasn’t mad anymore.

He figured that’s the best he would get tonight. But soon, when they are together, he’ll make up for this mess.

It was time to let her get some well deserved rest.

Jude leaned in, eyes firmly locked into hers, and kissed his phone screen. He had never done that for another girl before. But this one, she made him do this twice in a span of 2 days.

She followed his movement closely, meeting his gaze. Somehow feeling his lips brush her skin. 

‘End my misery and meet me soon?’

She nodded, and he flashed her a trademark ear-to-ear Jude smile. Crinkling eyes n all. Making her heart leap in her chest. 

‘Now go, get some rest. And since you won’t let me come over, hug the flowers instead when you sleep tonight. You’ll feel me around.’

‘Bye Jude.’

‘Bye dove.’

Goes without saying, she did hug the flowers as she slept that night. 

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This chapter was very different in my head when I posted the previous one. But then, stuff happened the last few days & I felt like writing about it.

As always, would love to hear your thoughts / comments / feedback. Hope you are liking the story & these two, lots more to come :)

[rockingrobin69]

Honourable Defeat

Harry bumped his hip into the chest of drawers in the usual place he normally bumped it. The corridor was narrow, but that wasn’t the problem: from this spot you could see into the living room, and on the rug was a sight so fucking impossible Harry normally lost a bit of, er. Focus. No, he had to focus, because he was carrying two cups of very-very hot tea (Draco doesn’t take it unless it can seriously damage his tongue). Had to focus, because this would be happening a lot now, every day even. Grinning, buzzing with all this giddy—excitement—bumping into the cabinet too, whatever, breathlessly spilling into the room.

“Hello there,” said a voice so soft that Harry had to spit out, “Malfoy. Malfoys.”

To the lump on the rug, wrapped in blue, sticky-smile smeared all across his face and a tuft of blond hair in his fist.

“Darling,” Draco said, half a laugh and half a cry, and Harry didn’t know if he meant him or the baby before, “sweetheart, that rather hurts. Ow. Please, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Scorpius must have minded, because all he did was giggle. Looked up at Harry, sharing the incredulity, probably, the absolute gob-smacking heart-crushing delight at seeing Draco like this. Sprawled on the floor in his crisp trousers and vest still buttoned, his face soft with laughter. Harry—erm. Was, erm. Not invincible.

“What?” Draco cried, or demanded, looking up at Harry now with that terrible smile, “not you, too? I was looking forward to having a conversation with at least one intelligent adult today.”

“The meeting,” Harry groaned. “They didn’t approve your request?”

Draco sighed, rolled so he lay on his back, hair still caught in Scorp’s fist. “No. It seems that adding a nursery is simply not feasible for the company at this time. The board suggested I gave up my position.”

“And?”

He snorted. “And nothing. I spent the afternoon trying to teach Scorpius how to curse. Nothing severe, maybe just jelly-legs, or, calling our CEO a bloody wanker would be nice.”

“Draco!” dropping to his elbows, helplessly drawn closer, “is that the kind of language—”

“Oh come on, Potter, he’s not even one. He doesn’t know what the word means.”

He smelled like Scorp’s lavender shampoo. His eyes, when they landed on Harry, grey and warm. “What?” Harry asked, voice thick with a smile, and Draco shook his head, then winced.

“Ow—Merlin’s sake, Scorp, you have the grip of a giant. Hey, maybe he’d end up a Catcher.” Turning back to Harry, the tiniest movement, “I thought you went to make tea?”

The cups were cooling on the table. “Forget tea, we’re not rooting for our son ending up a Catcher.”

“Any position in a Quidditch team,” Draco said in his dry tone, but his whole face lit up like a spark, making Harry hear what he actually said, making him—choke on something in his throat. “It’s the game that matters, Harry.”

“The game,” he agreed nonsensically. “Draco—”

“We’ll have to find a solution, of course. For the nursery situation. Now that my bloody wanker of a boss made taking Scorp to work impossible.”

Scorpius made a bright sound, something like laughter, and both of them turned to him, this little lump of a smiling face. “Well done, my love,” Draco cooed, and Harry—erm—didn’t cry or anything, but he did make a sort of sniffling sound, “Smith is a bloody wanker, hmm?”

“Draco!” Harry squealed, and he looked back with a devilish grin.

“Apologies. I wouldn’t want to teach… our son such language.”

They lay just lay there for a moment. Draco’s chest going with Harry’s rhythm, up, down, and this thing on his face, uncertain and—happy. Harry took his hand.

“Exactly. I’d expect you on your best behaviour from now on, Malfoy.”

“Of course,” with a flutter of those endless lashes. Scooting a touch closer on the rug. It carried the table, the one with the tea, another possible future disaster: Harry didn’t care about this either.

“Come here,” hand behind Draco’s head, another hand coming to cup his cheek. “You gorgeous, silly thing.”

“Harry,” half a moan, half a whisper, and his eyes closing, delicate lashes on Harry’s face, mouth coming up for a kiss. “Ha—ow!” and then started laughing, hysterical waves of it, loud in Harry’s ear: “Scorp, love, you have to let go, ha ha, ow, that really does, ha, hurt, you scoundrel,” and Harry was laughing too, was weak, in fact, in the centre of his core was weak for this, was defeated.

“You two,” he mumbled, swallowed, are my whole heart, a little frightened and deliriously overjoyed. On the rug, Scorp continued making nonsensical sounds, and Harry and Draco kept laughing.

(Flufftober day 17. Find the soft AO3 collection here).

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Dog Days of BL but July is Incoming

June 2023 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 10 of 12 - I’m finding the time frames confusing. Still, a lovely crying kiss + a very high drama-lllama gay confession. Kitchen counter make out, my fav! The actor who plays Jeng kisses at MaxTul levels, which is to say = like a man who has actually done it before with genuine desire and is capable of portraying that on screen. (What makes MaxTul kings is that they BOTH do this.) Pat caught up, thank goodness. Also P’Jeng!!!! P’JENG!!! I love how intimate phi is when it’s been all khun prior. This is the Thai version of hyung slinging. Errotic linguistics, my fav. And ALL the work drama and homophobia fall out when you sleep with the boss. I really enjoy that the angst concerning their relationship has to do with the fact that this is an office romance. Lastly? I love Chot so much. Everyone needs a gay auntie. Also Bruce is SO DAMN GOOD. (I mean we knew he would be from Lovely Writer, but this... chef’s kiss.) 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - There are enough meta-analysis on this one for me not to have to weigh in. Suffice it to say that I like what it’s trying to do, and I certainly appreciate the levels of consent and so forth but I’m not sure I actually like it as much now that we are swimming in high concept. Too much lying. I’m not sure I want my BL to make me think this hard. Also poly, boys = final answer. (Anyone else getting Color Rush flashbacks?) 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 6 of 12 - I love Max now and forever, and I made some very bad puns in the Trash watch here. Otherwise I’m not super invested. 

Dinosaur Love (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 1 of 10 eps - from Ultimate Troop (The Yearbook people) so I shouldn’t watch this as it airs, after Remember Me? I swore never again. But there’s so little on right now, I’m falling on the pulp sword...  My initial thoughts? It’s an En of Love installment? What is going on? Why all this opening with the sides in a bar? Are we framing? Just move on to the 2 boys kissing! Don’t try to be clever, for fucks sake. Okay, good, the pulp has begun. I like soft wet-blanket Rak and his sad love life. I’m not wild about how aggressive Dino is plus insta-SINGING but I DO LIKE THAT HE’S OUT and knows what he wants which is refreshing. It’s trope filled nonsense (crash into me, instalove, sing feelings, floppy drunk, he’s in engineering, fast and bi-curious) also Dino used ter at first (how forward!) then he went to gu/mueng after rejection, while Rak uses khun & phi/pom. Love this for them. Despite my justified reservations with this production team imma stay watching. I need something on Sundays. * 

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 6fin - That’s it? Bullsheiit. No seriously. That’s my review. 3/10 I DON'T KNOW WHAT I JUST WATCHED AND NEITHER DOES IT AND I’M MAD ABOUT IT.

* I got to say, you have only yourselves to blame for Dinosaur Love’s ranking. Once upon a time, I lived happily in ignorance of the Thai film industry. And then you all kept asking me extremely intelligent questions about it. And because I am a nosy little shit, I had to figure out what was going on. And now a BL like this, which ordinarily I would just love unconditionally, is a really scary place for me, because I know too much about the production house. The evils of too much information are all true. Remain happily in ignorance, I advise you, especially where BL is concerned. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Love Tractor (Korea Weds iQIYI) eps 7-8fin - Yechan is such a frank character it confuses all who meet him, also a truly terrible flirt. This is such a puppy/cat relationship. It was cute but it went too far into cringe for a KBL (for me). I don’t think Kdramas are good at farce (sorry), better if they stick with more subtle humor. It was a sweet ending tho, not too cheesy. Nice kiss for KBL but pretty rather than sexy. Full review below.

Tokyo in April is... AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - Oh, it’s GREAT. Damn it. There is a lot of subtext and things not being said. This is going to be one of those shows where it’s endlessly frustrating that they don’t just talk to each other. The crying first time was gut-wrenching. Ren is complicated & scarred & closed off. Kazuma is earnest & empathetic & thinks he’s unworthy - so will take whatever crumbs are handed to him. They are both giving parts of themselves away in a desperate attempt to shape themselves to the expectations they have of each other. These 2 are gonna fuck each other up while they fuck and fuck with our hearts. Japan is giving us the Bed Friends that Thailand can never even imagine. There is absolutely no guarantee this will end happily (it’s from the Eternal Yesterday people) but it is guaranteed to be painful and beautiful along the way. Oh Japan, must you? I guess you must. 

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 4 of 6 - I’m mostly confused by the catfishing & tarot side plots. But the mains sure act like bfs. To the point of our tiny jock idiot getting gay panicked by how much bfs they are. Surprise kiss! For everyone, it turns out. Yes I laughed. What? It was pat but also… FUNNY.

Tie The Knot (Pinoy YouTube) ep 3 of 8 - The main couple is adorable, but I’m not wild about the gay bashing blackmail side story. Still, it’s the best we’ve had from the Philippines in a while so I am keeping my fingers crossed. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 9 of 12 - Seriously? Bah Vinh = chemistry with EVERYONE. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 12fin - So Souta just disappears off to Singapore and doesn’t say anything to his boyfriend about it? And then comes back with the perfect plan and life for both of them? Oh Japan, must you? Review below. 

It’s airing but ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly English & set in LA (shudder) so I’m not bothering.

Ever After (Pinoy YouTube) 12 eps - Spies reported that it's a real mess and not a hot one.

Stay With Me ... NO I WILL NOT! And you can’t make me. 

In case you missed it

BL Express reviewed The Egoest. Oh boy am I never going to watch that. 

One in a Hundred - Gaga dropped all 12 episodes (c.10 min ea) at once. This is a 2020 Chinese show. It’s not BL. And it has a laugh track. I watched the first & final eps and won’t bother with the rest. DNF

I finally watched the 2022 thing I should have. 

To Sir, With Love - REVIEW

This is a true lakorn with scenery chewing performances from an ensemble cast focused on family obligation and past sins, especially from the mother characters. It is a Thai tellenovella + Gone With the Wind but gay. That said? I loved it: A glorious central brother relationship (the best, made me cry), het romances, class divide + gay *gasp* main romance, the camp of it all! It’s like it was invented by drag queens. Arranged marriage, rebellion, cut sleeves, dramatic death with curses and regrets, beautiful if inaccurate costumes, secrets unraveling, cover ups, sparkle murder, sex herbs, coils within coils including snakes and death by glitter (is anything gayer on this earth?). It’s a WILD ride. It’s not BL. It’s not a romance, it’s a family drama Thorn Birds style but it does end happy for our gay boys. Like Manner of Death I’m struggling to rate something on a BL scale when it patently isn’t a BL. I think I have to give it exactly what I gave that show, 7/10 

I loved it, but not as a BL. 

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS (over its BLness) 

Zenra Meshi - REVIEW

AKA Naked Dinner 

I have to be honest, I didn’t really like much about this show. The central premise was too odd and the main character too clumsy & slow on the uptake. I like the food, but there have been food-set BLs before that failed to meet expectations. Too many of them. This one joined that throng. Good ending tho. 7/10 

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

Love Tractor - REVIEW

Most of this country-set BL had me feral for the beautiful broken city boy and his hot young farmer. Hyung romance, puppy/cat pairing, open frankness meets jaded reserve, language play, water hose frolicking, only one bed, all my favorite tropes. This show was basically a light-weight Restart After Come Back Home and I’m not even slightly mad about that. 

But (and you knew there was a “but” coming) something about the cringe of the final 2 eps and the impermanence of the ending (both of which highlight the fact that ultimately these 2 are I’ll-suited: too different & too far apart) left me with the feeling that they probably won’t last as a couple. However, in this case, rare for me, I forgive it this finale for my love of the rest. 

I did dither a lot though, it’s not an 8 but not a 9 either. Better than Love Mate (8/10) not as good as The New Employee (9/10) but in the end I’m value adding up for the premise and the cast, giving it a 9/10. 

RECOMMENDED 

(Gotta say, because this is rare for me, that this had a great OST. Not the credit music but the refrain, Rainbow.) 

Next Week Looks Like This:

July 2023 Supposedly... 

7/3 Be Mine SuperStar (Thai Mon Viki) 12 eps - JaFirst whipping boy/spoiled prince, obsession, celebrity/mundane. Third-year film student Punn (Ja) gets an internship on the set of a drama. He’s come to learn, but "what lights his passion even more than the work" is leading man Achi, Thailand's sweetheart. Adapted from the novel “The Superstar and the Puppy on Set” (พี่พระเอกกับเด็กหมาในกอง) by Orpheus, cast includes Benjamin Brasier (2moons2), Bosston Suphadach (UWMA), Jo Kavinpat (War of Y), Kokliang (TharnType). Directed by David Bigander (Bite Me) which makes me nervous. Maybe he'll do better with an adaptation?

7/6 Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu ????) 12 eps - The story is a continuation of Minato & Shin's love story, and it picks up 10 years after the events of season 1 but the characters don't seemed to have grown at all. Very Japan of you, Japan.

7/7 Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 10 eps -  Gu Bu-Xia has the ability to hear ghosts, except when he is around his new roommate Jiang Chi. So he starts to find ways to approach Jiang Chi. But is it  the ghosts or Jiang Chi’s charm?

7/8 Low Frequency (Thai Sat YouTube?) 8 eps - ghost boyfriend, celebrity/mundane - Mon's life as a spirit-seeing interior decorator is full of headaches. On good days, he helps settle problems for his relative, who is a star manager. But then he gets involved with the spirit of Thames, a famous young actor who is in a coma.

7/9 Hidden Agenda (Thai Sun GMMTV YouTube) 12 eps - JoonDunk are back. Zo, a college freshman whose never been in love, decides to change it by making the college’s star Nita as his gf. He approaches Joke, Nita’s ex, for dating advice. What he fails to realize is that Joke has had his eyes on him for a long time and uses this opportunity to approach Zo. TMS 2.0.

7/15 Laws of Attraction (Thai Sat ????)  Stars the pair from To Sir With Love and with the same production team, cryptic description, but it seems to be Manner of Death esk.

7/19 Wedding Plan (Thai Wed YouTube & iQIYI)  - It's Mame and she's coming for our GL. She's such a misogynist IMAGINE what we will get with a GL? It's going to be absolute carnage. To crane your neck as you drive by the car wreck or not... that is the question. Me? I'm wallowing in the guts.

7/20 Jun & Jun (Korea Thu Viki) - From 2022 (TutorYim rumored to cameo) this office romance features 2, yes 2! Bls. Seme looks aggressive, we in classic yaoi territory. There is an idol involved. Past failed flirts. I am very excited about this one.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

To Sir With Love

Best execution of the piggyback trope ever? I think so. 

Fucking GENIUS piece of acting. Bruce we LOVE you! 

All Step By Step 

It was stupid funny, okay? (Stupid Genius) 

Ridiculous man, you don’t have to eye fuck THAT hard. But we all appreciate it. (Vian) 

Dangerous thing to say in a show about identity in relationships. 

Brave boy.

I said this show was deep, not that I was. Although Patts seems to be going there. 

I’ll stop now.

All La Pluie. 

(Last week.)

[zoeykallus]

Hi :)

I'm just a totally mess on many ways because I've got a new apartment and it's the first with my boyfriend, first time moving together with someone.

So a reader moving together with the bad batch (or Fives and Rex, too) would feel so good against the stress and anxiety what came with it, too. If you could do that, that would be awesome :D

Aloha!

I'm so sorry! I know I'm really late with this! Hopefully, by now, the stress is over!

The Bad Batch/Rex/Fives x Reader HCs - Moving In

__________

Hunter

Moving in with him is actually relatively relaxed. Hunter thinks along with you, helps with the planning and logistics, he packs the suitcases and boxes with you, he is a team player and never leaves any of the tasks for you alone. And of course, he is a strong shoulder to lean on, in case you need to take a breather. His brothers are always willing to help too.

Even when things go wrong, he is adaptable, and has enough peace of mind to find a stress-free solution and calm you down if you get nervous.

There's no stress with decorating either, Hunter is adaptable and open to anything as long as you don't want everything pink and painted with flowers.

Take a deep breath, you can count on Hunter, he will catch you and unburden you, should things get too stressful for you. He may well carry a chair into the apartment/house first, so that you can sit down for a while and collect yourself before the real thing starts.

Echo

Your sweet man has everything under control, he is a great planner, and he's always at your side to calm you or give you a hand.

It's very likely that you won't get stressed at all, Echo is one of those people who seem to have everything under control even when everything goes wrong.

Apart from that, he has prepared food, snacks and drinks, refreshments for in between. His brothers are also there, of course, and all of them are helpful and kind. Crosshair may tease you a little now and then, but he only does that because he likes you and has accepted you into the "group".

Echo knows what to do, he has planned and researched everything in advance, he makes sure Wrecker doesn't make too much of a mess and doesn't spend all his time just eating snacks.

All in all, you can approach the matter relaxed, Echo has your back.

Wrecker

So that could get pretty messy. Wrecker wants to help you and not make it harder than it already is, but he needs a little guidance from you. He's a little overzealous and if you don't steer him a little bit, things might well get lost or not end up where they're supposed to.

But don't panic, Echo and Tech are quite willing to help with the planning. But no matter how chaotic Wrecker may be, he's your strong shoulder and has no problem with you bossing him around a bit. He knows it's important to you, and it's important to him, too.

He will patiently and lovingly tackle things with you. Wrecker is very much looking forward to living with you, in fact it has been his number one topic for a while, and he has been talking about nothing else for weeks now, getting on his brothers' nerves.

Don't worry, it may take a while, but you'll get it together.

Tech

He planned everything down to the smallest detail, when and how everything will be packed, the transport, the movers (his brothers). Tech plans, who has what tasks and how much time is needed for each step. This can be relieving, but also exhausting, depending on whether you want to give him full control. Because he will argue with you if you disagree, not at all aggressively, but stubborn.

"My method is more effective"

He doesn't mean to annoy you, and he doesn't mean it in a condescending way, not at all, it's just in his nature to think everything through and plan it out if you let him. Do both of you a favor, let him plan and do his thing, he knows what he is doing, and it is quite unlikely that anything will go wrong.

It could be that his brothers, especially Wrecker, will throw a wrench in his plans (not intentionally of course), but Tech is not easily rattled. He wants to impress you, so if you give him a free hand, he will try really hard to do everything to your satisfaction.

At the end of the day, you can sit back and relax. Praise him for his work, he will be immensely proud and at the same time melt under your words.

Crosshair

It took a while for you guys to agree on exactly when and where to move, but eventually you made a joint decision. Crosshair is actually quite adept at planning, you can give him some leeway on that, he won't let you down.

However, he doesn't have a lot of patience with your movers, his brothers. You'll have to keep mediating between him and the others, Crosshair doesn't mince words, especially he and Hunter often clash. The rest are not so easily impressed or upset by Crosshair's grumbling.

They behave a bit like little boys, but Echo helps you keep them in check. So in the meantime, the atmosphere is a little tense, but Crosshair is really trying hard to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

Food is also planned in advance and hidden from Wrecker, so he doesn't eat it all before the others have eaten.

Fives

He's actually pretty smart, but also very messy. It may feel like everything is going haywire, but Five's charm lowers any stress level. As soon as he notices that you're getting anxious about something in the process of moving or even on the verge of panicking, you feel his strong hands on your shoulders, his deep soft voice whispering sweet words close to your ear.

Fives knows how to push your buttons, so you can breathe easy and trust him. Echo, Hardcase, Tup and Rex are also there. When in doubt, Rex is the voice of reason that gets the boys back on track so everything gets done. They all like to help, and they all like you, it's important to them that everything works out, not only out of brotherhood towards Fives but also out of friendship towards you.

So don't worry too much, things will get done, maybe not exactly as planned, but you can stay on schedule and in the end it will all be done. Look forward to sitting back with Fives in your first home together and enjoying his irresistible charm.

Rex

Actually, he wanted to hire professional movers, however, your joint budget after all other expenses for the move, no longer allowed it. Rex looks with concern at his helpers, some of his brothers, among others Fives who, however, goes to work with verve.

Echo has brought snacks and drinks and gives you a knowing pat on the back.

"Relax, the guys mean well, we're all here to help and when in doubt, a stern word from Rex usually helps get everyone back on track."

You smile and take a deep breath, thankful for each one of them. In the end, it's you who has to calm Rex down a bit and massage his, strong, broad, but tense shoulders. He wants everything to work out and go well. Moving in with you is exciting for him, and he wants to do everything right, especially for you.

He'll be completely exhausted after the move, as if he's been on a tough combat mission, but Rex will be as happy as he is tired. Of course not all the furniture is set up yet, that will come little by little. That's why you'll lie on a mattress on the floor, snuggled together and very soon, very tired but happy, you'll fall asleep.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@allsystemsblue

@palliateclaws

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@hated-by-me

@hunterxcrosshair

@malicemercy

@bebopsworld

@starwarsnerd111

[ateezrecsandreviews]

Hongjoong Fic Recommendations

@ateezrecsandreviews Hongjoong fanfic recommendations :)

7 newly added fics at the bottom (2023.06.04)

Back to the Recs Masterlist

**<-NSFW

**Tell Me to Stop - @tenelkadjowrites (4.4k words)

Having been best friends with Hongjoong since childhood, you thought a camping trip might help breach the growing distance between the two of you. However, when a storm sweeps Hongjoong’s tent away, you find yourself in rather cramped quarters with him when he has to share your tent.

**Project Omen (feat. Wooyoung) - @mintsang (40.5k words)

you’ve never been close to your father, so when he passes it doesn’t affect, aside from the residual business that you have to take care of in his absence. exploring his basement uncovers a sealed chamber in a hidden room, a man with what looks like a tail staring back at you.

**I Missed You - @hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf (8.4k words)

You’ve been best friends with hongjoong since middle school but had limited contact when he became a trainee... But tonight’s movie night is different from any other.

**The Best Friend’s Code (feat. Seonghwa) - @tenelkadjowrites (11.3k words)

Hongjoong swears up and down that if you don’t touch each other, it won’t ruin the friendship…and what is the harm in blowing off some steam?

**Fire & Flames - @serendipityunho (5.9k words)

You never expected. tofall into the arms of the notorious bad boy of the campus, Hongjoong, after getting locked out. But yet again, he never expected you to end up into his arms either.

**under my skin (feat. Wooyoung) - @hongism (7.1k words)

Wooyoung should never have admitted that he liked Hongjoong bossing him around, and he most definitely shouldn't have done it so publicly. Aka Hongjoong knows how to get under his skin and god damn if he doesn't do it fucking well.

**For Your Entertainment (feat. San and Mingi) - @atiny-piratequeen (4.3k words)

Being the partner of a crime boss is hard sometimes. With Hongjoong hard at work, you feel neglected, so you’ve picked up the pastime of being particularly handsy with other close members of the mafia. Is it a bad idea? Probably. Does it catch the attention of Hongjoong? Definitely. Are you in a teeny tiny bit of trouble? Absolutely.

**Deal - @hongism (10.3k words)

Rule number one: do not under any circumstances sleep with a roommate.

**Man Spreading - @barnesbabee (2k words)

Hongjoog’s pictures made you a little shifty, and maybe drooling over them when he was still in the building wasn’t the smartest move.

**Seven O’Clock - @serendipityunho (3.1k words)

Somtimes, you just need a little more than just talking to forget about your cheating ex. Good thing your best friend had just the right solution.

**Attention (feat. Hwa) - @beginningofwonderland (6k words)

Your boyfriend Hongjoong is too busy with work for your and Seonghwa's liking so you decide to distract him with rather inappropriate means.

**Mistleblow (feat. Hwa) - @choijjongho (6.1k words)

You always look forward to the nights you spend with your boyfriends, Hongjoong & Seonghwa, at the BDSM club

**505 (001) Kim Hongjoong - @heterotragedies (11.5k words)

Intimacy, arousal, euphoria, and a concept of fantasies. the idea of skin on skin, breaths mixing into one, & hearts beating in sync

**[10:36 p.m] - K.Hj - @hyuckilstan (600 words)

What's better than mean dom Hongjoong? Note: @ateezrecsandreviews summary

**Night Shift (OT8, Hongjoong focus) - @atiny-piratequeen(2k words)

Kim Hongjoong is the new CEO at KQ. He forms a team of… Somewhat reliable men to help with a project to improve the company. Unfortunately, his workers seem to be focused on extracurricular activities.

**Kinktober Day 9 (Night Shift Universe^^) - @atiny-piratequeen (4k words)

**Punishment - @kitten4sannie (3.9k words)

What happens when you distract Hongjoong from his work? He loses his temper, obviously. Good thing that’s exactly what you were hoping for Note: @ateezrecsandreviews This is for the hard-core brats

**Cuckolding (feat. Seonghwa) - @hongism (6.9k words)

You and your husband, Hongjoong, invite one of his best friends over for dinner. Seems like a perfectly normal evening, as far as Seonghwa knows. But he can't help but salivate over the curve of your hips when he thinks you aren't looking. Luckily for him, you and Hongjoong have some... interesting plans prepared for the evening.

**Thursday, 5:38pm (feat. Mingi) - @abiaswreck (3.2k words)

Spending quality time with Hongjoong in the studio can be boring when he’s busy. Thankfully he knows how to keep you content and entertained. Note: A personal favorite of @ateezrecsandreviews

**Between Friends (feat. Seonghwa) - @anyamaris (3.4k words)

Three friends make the most of a late night together.

**Read for Me (feat. Seonghwa )- @pirateprincessblog (currently 13.4k words, unfinished)

Books, fanfictions, TV shows, and games took your excitement about real life away. Nothing has your heart beating fast, everything is pretty much the same and dull to you. Nobody could pull you out of your void of fantasy for a long time. Still, your best friend decides to try one last time. She does succeed, but not in the way she meant.

**Stress Relief - @cas-skz (3k words)

He’s been your best friend and fuck buddy for over a year now, but what happens when a box of letters is found.

**[13:00] - @kwanisms (1.3k words)

Your boyfriend invited you to his studio.

**Motivate Me - @hwaightme (10.2k words)

Every week, you met with your tutor, Kim Hongjoong. And every week, you told yourself to let go of your fantasies. But what if just a dive into self-determination was all that was needed to stop the hour from running out?

**Punishment - @kitten4sannie (3.9k words)

What happens when you distract Hongjoong from his work? He loses his temper, obviously. Good thing that’s exactly what you were hoping for.

**Thin Lines - @hongthoven (6.8k words)

“P-please--- m—m—more”

**Paper Planes - @hongthoven (5.2k words)

Hongjoong tried his best to solely focus on the helpless moans coming from the next room, perfectly conscious of how fucked-up he must have looked right now, jerking off to his roommate having sex with a girl he could only wish to ever touch, someday, given the opportunity of her seeing him as anything more than her boyfriend’s nerdy roommate.

[wheredidalltheusersgo]

Remember that one post I’ve made about putting Gwen, Trent, Owen, and Duncan in a band? Yeah it’s now an au called “Battle of the Bands!! 🎸”

For context: A number of the contestants from the show compete against each other in a large tournament to see which band holds the title of “the best band” and not to mention, the winners are rewarded $7 billion dollars and eternal fame. it’s obviously hosted by yours truly, Chris McLean, a retired singer whose the true mastermind behind all this. So get ready for the biggest, musically, rocking contest your young eyes had ever witnessed. Oh and lest I forget the tournament also shares similarities with the og total drama? With music-related obstacles and a band/team booted out the competition? Noooooo

Each band debuts from a certain music genre with our main stars, (Gwen, Trent, Owen, Duncan) being a rock n’ roll band; they’re called “The Final Steps” (*wink* *wink*)

Gwen - lead singer

Trent - guitarist/backup singer

Duncan - bassist

Owen - drummer

They’re a pretty niche rock band who’re only in the contest to get the recognition they deserve. Each have their own style and outfit reflecting a subgenre of rock.

Trent and Owen started out as childhood best friends who were later reunited in high school. They’d met Gwen, a social outcast who’d always had a burning passion for rock. And finally Duncan, a juvenile delinquent who wanted to escape from his notorious lifestyle into a world of fame.

Before the band was a band, they really didn’t have a nice agreement on what the genre should be since all four of them had their own unique tastes on rock music.

Trent - Emo rock/Alternative

Gwen - Goth rock/Heavy Metal

Owen - Christian rock/Hard rock

Duncan - Punk rock/Nu-Metal

It wasn’t really difficult to find the solution so they decided to combine all their favorite subgenres into one and that’s how The Final Steps were born.

Now this is a really intriguing concept I couldn’t believe I’d thought off the top of my head and I’ll be looking forward to develop this au more, introducing more characters into the story, making twists and turns along the way and revealing the final boss at the end, it’s gonna be amazing.

the world deserves more rock owen!

I can imagine them meeting up at each other's houses to write songs, practice, and brainstorm band names. (is their band name a reference to something?)

I'm also really interested in what challenges Chris has planned for the tounament. Also, FINAL BOSS?????

[chussyracing]

what's been happening in the world of motorsports?

(this is a long one since i had no time to write it down, so it will be hidden under the cut in relative chronological order)

Williams and Alpine were the last teams to do their shakedowns before pre season testing (Williams announced it was a strategic move to keep the real car concept a secret for as long as possible)

Helmut Marko has been saying a lot about Ferrari and 2025 Ferrari like that he thinks Lewis only came to Ferrari because Max earning more hurt his pride and Ferrari offered him a bigger pay check or that he considers Charles 2024 season's champion (ok grandpa, let's get you to bed)

after Alpha Tauri departed as title sponsor of current RB team, they became official clothing partner of FIA from 2024 to 2026

RBR was the last team to have their launch (although the livery looks just the same as it did before and although the car leaked a few hours before) and Horner was present just like he is at the pre season testing, he gave an interview during the launch where he denied any allegations, but Viaplay suggested he will be stepping away from the position of Red Bull team principal and it will be announced on 28th Feb which they promptly denied afterwards. Walls Street Journal speculated the victim is Horner's personal assistant and apparently people already spied who it is on Linked in and then made it big on Twitter. If you have names, please PLEASE do not publish them. And finally Craig Slate who followed the case from the start and spoke to related personnel said the investigation is now finished the report (close to 150 pages long) was delivered to the Red Bull Board and now we are awaiting the decision. In the meantime both F1 and FORD urged for prompt resolution of the case.

F1 also officially addressed the situation but only to say they hope RBR resolve it asap

McLaren boss Andrea Stella admitted they will be doing something similar to last year in terms of updates, because they wanted to add more to this year's concept before launch, so they will push the updates forward and expect early gains from them

F1 Academy announced more drivers and partnerships: they have partnered Charlotte Tilbury make up brand to have their own livery and Lola Lovinfosse as a driver (for Rodin), Jessica Edgar will drive for Rodin as well, Reema Juffali as wildcard driver for Prema for the first round in Jeddah and FDA driver Aurelia Nobels driving a Puma livery for ART. The grid is now complete and girls are training for first race.

Nico Rosberg broke his silence over the contract news and denied the rumours he would be coming back to Mercedes, because he now has great respect for the dangers of the sport (he also said that besides living close, Lewis gives his kids Chrismas presents every year

Fabio Quartararo claimed that Pierro Ferrari let him know about Lewis coming to Ferrari when he visited Maranello

it was Enzo Ferrari's birthday anniversary on 18th February (or was it?? nobody will ever know when he was actually born and how long it took his father to announce it to the authorities), then it was Niki Lauda's birthday anniversary on 22nd Feb and finally Alain Prost's birthday was on 24th Feb

three day long F1 pre season testing is over and RBR seems to be clear favorite, with almost no reliability issues (spare a few fuel pumps and Checo's brakes catching fire for a bit) but Red Flags still appeared because of loose drain covers [side note: I have detailed summary of each day if anyone is interested as well as some technical analysis and predictions]

fun fact about some changes in testing: Alpine seems to have added a bit more blue color onto the nose and Mercedes changed their suspension for the last day of testing, because their car features a clever solution which allows them to fine tune the suspension setting for each race

Jeff Dodds the CEO of Formula E believes that F1 title for 2024 is done and dusted after he saw the first day of testing and promised to donate 250k to charity of drivers choice if they win instead

We have an F1 group pic to look forward to which we already saw some glimpses from teams like McLaren

Aston Martin presented their new safety car (personal opinion it looks like a green zebra and I liked last year's so much more)

Sauber confirmed Zane Maloney and Theo Pourchaire as reserve drivers for 2024

4 teams complained about Mercedes front wing but FIA deemed it legal

Fred Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari didn't publish the lenght of Charles' and Lewis' contracts for strategic purposes, he also mentioned they are still waiting for compensation for Las Vegas drain cover damage on Carlos' car (and now they may try to ask for the same for floor damage from pre season testing), speaking of Lewis he said that Fred was the main push for him to come to Ferrari and he didn't have to think much about it and didn't even tell his parents until the day of announcement, one of the things he wants to focus on is the diversity of the team

Steve Nielsen who left FIA returned to F1 as a consultant, Guenther Steiner will return in the paddock as RTL presenter and Matia Binotto returns to the world of racing with E-Powertrain of TEXA

there are rumours of issues for Audi caused by two main figures of team possibly leaving

Este said he's like to try Le Mans

FIA warned fans there are two companies claiming to sell unauthorised F1 hospitality ticket packages

if you follow F1 on Sky Sports, David Croft will miss 3 races this year because of his wedding and a wish to spend more time with family among the expanding calendar

RacingNews365 estimated driver salaries for 2024 (Max 55m dollars, Lewis 45m, Charles 34m, Lando 20m and George 18m for the top 5 highest earning ones)

Ralph Schumacher tried to get into the headlines when he said he thinks that Sebastian Vettel wants to race again but Mercedes would be too big for him

F1 and Nascar might be infringing the IMS trademarked phrase "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" (because F1 uses "the greatest spectacle in motorsport"

after McLaren Reece partnership, Haas partnered with Palm Angels for luxury clothing and speaking of fashion, Ferrari introduced their fall/winter 24-25 collection this weekend

Google extended the partnership with McLaren to not just be primary partner for their F1 team but also Extreme E

FIA wants to close up a loophole in the costcap rules about part time and third party workers and include their full year salary into the budget (did teams use it to gain small advantage? perhaps yes. but we should have a talk about possible obstacle this makes for teams to find new workers among "undiscovered" talents)

from fan's point of view:

Guanyu did a photoshoot for Elle Men China (and slayed)

Charles was in Uzbekistan before pre season testing for an event with fans (and for skiing apparently)

Lewis posted a thirst trap from his work out session

Pierre apparently posted a pic (video?) of being stopped by police and performing an alcohol test and later deleted it

Charles with his boytoys made another ad during karting

Arthur Leclerc randomly came on Twitch to stream Fortnite (and mentioned he will say Hello everybody, because he can't pronounce Hello guys 😭)

Lewis hung out with Anna Wintour (for Baftas? I think)

multiple drivers played golf and padel together before the Bahrain gp

REMINDER: the first two gps will be held on Saturday, so don't miss out

[izicodes]

Improving Your Communication Skills

Hiya! This is a part 2 post of what I talked about in last Monday's post (LINK) where I talked about tips from my manager about 3 top skills to work on in the workplace, and I wanted to share them here! She mentioned; Work Ethic, Communication and Time Management.

Today, we will go over improving your communication skills in the workplace - but remember, her tips can be applied to any other environment!

What do 'communication skills' actually mean?

I believe we already know the definition but just in case: communication skills mean being able to express yourself clearly and listen carefully to others.

It's about sharing information, ideas, and thoughts with your coworkers, boss, and other important people at work, for example. The skills include how you talk and write, as well as how you use your body language and pay attention when others are speaking.

It's important to be able to understand what others are saying and respond appropriately.

Tips To Improving Your Communication Skills

Just like last time, it's a long list but worthwhile to think about! Here are all of the tips that my manager gave me and some extra notes I made afterwards:

Actively Participate In Team Discussions

Engage actively during team meetings and discussions. Share your thoughts, ideas, and ask relevant questions. I was very shy at the first ever meeting I attended and now I ramble on! It just takes time!

Seek Clarification

When assigned a task or receiving instructions, ask for clarification if anything is unclear. It's better to seek clarity upfront than to make assumptions and risk misunderstandings.

Offer Help And Support

Be proactive in offering assistance to your teammates when they need it. Collaboration and teamwork foster better communication.

Practice Effective Listening

Pay attention to what your colleagues are saying and show genuine interest. Avoid interrupting and allow others to express their thoughts fully.

Be Respectful And Considerate

Treat your teammates with respect and kindness. Be mindful of different perspectives and opinions, fostering a positive and inclusive team environment.

Be Responsive

Respond promptly to emails, messages, and requests from your teammates. Prompt communication helps maintain efficient workflows.

Use Appropriate Communication Channels

Utilize the right communication channels for different types of messages. For example, use email for formal requests and instant messaging for quick questions. At work, I use Microsoft Outlook for emails but we use Microsoft Teams for messaging people within the IT Department. I ask the Lead Developer lots of question via Teams!

Share Information And Knowledge

Share relevant information, insights, and resources with your team. Collaboration thrives on open communication and knowledge sharing. During my apprenticeship, one of the developers would always send me resources for C# for me to study on and I really appreciated that, it help build our relationship as well!

Communicate Progress And Challenges

Keep your team informed about your progress on tasks and projects. If you encounter challenges or roadblocks, communicate them early to seek support or find solutions together. This is something I do lack a bit, I didn’t want the Lead Developer to think I was ‘failing’, so I would wait until I understood and completed the task before telling him - but updating him frequently was something he wanted and appreciated, even if I was stuck!

Respect Deadlines

Stick to those agreed-upon deadlines for your deliverables. If you think there will be any delays, communicate proactively and discuss alternative solutions. Plenty of times the deadline has been pushed forward for some of my work tasks, sometimes months forward!

Use Professional And Concise Language

When communicating through written channels (documents, emails, etc), use professional and concise language. Plain and simple to read, no need to sound like a professor in the 50s just to sound "smart".

Foster A Culture Of Open Communication

Encourage open and transparent communication within your team. Be approachable and create an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns. You don’t want people to feel ‘scared’ to discuss things with you!

I hope you learnt something today and have some kind of good self-reflection on your own communication skills. Again this is part 2 of 3 posts I made on skills for the workplace, you can check out part 1 "Improving Your Work Ethic" here - LINK~!

[mr-entj]

Mr entj, i am an enfp 3w2 and have an entj boss. What do entjs look for in the people they lead and manage? How do entjs define capability and competency? I would like to maximize my chances of success. Ps: as a 3w2 i am more disciplined and organized than enfp stereotypes and am often mistaken for an enfj. Thanks in advance!!!!

Related to the following asks:

What do you think is required from a person to succeed ?

Do you have any experience with hiring or selecting people to be on your team? 

ENTJ: Leadership

can you talk about managing people + dealing with politics, especially in the workplace?

I define capability as the menu of skills a person has to drive outcomes. I define competence as a person's ability to correctly, consistently, and reliably apply those menu of skills to actually deliver said outcomes. You can have one but not the other. There are people who are capable but incompetent (poor application of skills, unreliable as shit) and there are competent people who have poor capabilities (consistent, but with a limited ranged of skills). In your career, MBTI aside, try to maximize both.

For the people I hire, I evaluate them on 3 dimensions:

Cognitive ability - your ability to solve complex problems

Execution skills - your ability to deliver outcomes

Emotional intelligence - your ability to play nice with other people

Thoughts on how to work with an ENTJ leader (applicable to INTJs):

Always keep the end goal in mind. Understand the outcomes the ENTJ is trying to drive and use that as a north star, don't just 'do the thing and get it done quickly'. Forget the details for a second, instead ask: What is the end state we're trying to achieve? Where are we trying to go? What do we need to do to get there? All actions should drive towards those outcomes. ENTJs are less concerned about the small details which gives you flexibility in the process (the 'how') as long as the outcomes (the 'what') are achieved. This also makes it easy to ruthlessly prioritize if you're overwhelmed. If it doesn't contribute to the end goal, then cut it. If it contributes to the end goal, then do it and measure the impact.

Exercise radical ownership. If the outcomes aren't achieved, you need to understand and explain why. It's okay to screw up because we all screw up. It's not okay to screw up, try to hide the fact you've screwed up, try to make excuses for screwing up, and then learn nothing from your mistakes (basically, don't be an ENTP). The best way to show an ENTJ that you've learned from your mistakes is pretty simple: bring solutions with every problem surfaced. It shows the ENTJ you've 1) identified the problem 2) accepted accountability and 3) taken actions to fix it. No need for exaggerated apologies, dramatics, and theatrics. Learn, fix, keep calm and carry on.

Be proactive. Related to the above. If you're going to ask a question, make sure you've already attempted to research the answer. If you're going to surface a problem, make sure you've thought through some solutions. If you have a fresh new idea, make sure you've drafted a rough draft of a plan. ENTJ leaders dislike handholding or coddling people because it distracts them from the actual things they should be focused on. Time is valuable.

Communicate clearly and fearlessly. Too much work? Not enough work? Want to try something new? Need time off? Unsure if you're performing well or poorly? Want a raise? Want a promotion? Say something. TJs (ENTJ, ESTJ, ISTJ, INTJ) are vocal if they have something to say so they have the tendency to assume other MBTI types will do the same. If you don't say anything, they may assume everything is fine when it's in fact not fine (basically, don't be an FJ). Don't be scared: advocate for yourself, speak up, and work together to build a path forward.

Push your potential. In the spirit of the above bullet point, be ambitious with your personal and professional goals. Ambition is respected, not feared. Self-improvement is welcomed, not discouraged. Articulate the skills and experience you want to build, take risks, and grow outside your comfort zone.

[pupil-of-law]

@waywardcollective

It was spitting with rain in the city centre, at one end of the war memorial mile, and an enormous crowd thronged the nexus of wide streets near parliament. A press conference was about to be held in a room upstairs, and a bad performance to the public today would mean slaughter at the ballot box. But Mr Maitland and his team needn’t have worried; the police could barely hold the crowd back from the railings, swaying forwards for handshakes and tokenistic waves, brandishing political hand signals, festooned with colourful rosettes. As Maitland’s car rolled up, eager hands had to be pushed away from it lest they were burned by the front grille in the effort to reach out and touch the little silver figurehead on the bonnet.

First Maitland emerged, lavishing handshakes and well-wishes and Scantex-sponsored leaflets on the crowd, followed by a stout woman in military uniform, and a young man - Maitland’s assistant and political prodigy, a talented, handsome parliamentary draughtsman called Sebastian Reed. These two joined their boss in the fanfare, smiling, waving, looking housewives in the eye with a sparkle of humanity and an expertly deployed compliment; and had nearly made their way through the furore to the open doors at the end of the barrier when suddenly Sebastian’s gloved hand connected with someone’s before he got a chance to look at their face. His smile faltered - only for a moment, only by a millimetre - before it was back in full force. He grasped the hand of the young man firmly, and looked into his eyes with the full force of all the humanity he had learned to mimic in perfect simulacrum over the years. He noticed the young man’s gaze draw towards the cufflinks at his wrist, faintly embossed with a set of initials and a university emblem. In return his own attention flickered to the pass hanging around the man’s neck - press or staff, he couldn’t identify - before he hurried on through the doors with his colleagues.

Upstairs, sitting behind Maitland at the press conference, Sebastian paid little attention to the proceedings. He sought an answer for that man’s presence here, he assessed the dangers he presented, the solutions that could be orchestrated against them. He did not register any surprise or disconcertedness. He did not indulge in little weaknesses such as this. But one thing was certain: he had just seen the face of his creator, living, in the flesh, for the first time since the old man had died five years ago. Once the panel discussion was over, Sebastian headed straight for the company car around the back of the building, briefcase under his arm, cufflinks already removed. He did not get far down the marble colonnade before he heard footsteps echoing sharply behind him.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] A massive benchmark set across the industry with 200M + impressions for the TVC  In line with the digital-first marketing strategy, the campaign ran across social media, TV and top news platforms tapping customers nationwide Further to Signify’s #BrighterLivesBetterWorld vision the TVC highlights Philips’ lighting propositions across segments   Signify, (Euronext: LIGHT) the world leader in lighting, is celebrating the resounding success of its recent television commercial 'Hum Raaton Mein Sooraj Ugaate Hain’ featuring the Indian cricket legend, Rahul Dravid. Power packed with an energetic anthem, the TVC, which was launched ahead of the festive season, has struck a chord with the customers, surpassing expectations as they continue to shower Signify with their trust, love, and appreciation.   Illuminating the future: Signify TVC 'Hum Raaton Mein Sooraj Ugaate Hain' reaches 200M+ viewers   Bringing in a health mix of digital and traditional marketing initiatives, the campaign garnered over 200 million impressions. Rolled out with a launch teaser on 22 news channels, followed by a high-impact, 60-day TV campaign across social media, leading news channels, outdoor advertisements and POSMs. It also had a prime-time presence on popular shows like KBC, Big Boss and during the India/NZ test series.   Commenting on the success of the campaign, Nikhil Gupta, Head of Marketing, Strategy, Govt. Affairs & CSR - Signify, Greater India, said, "We are immensely proud of the significant impact our campaign has created. The performance metrics speak volumes about the reach and engagement we have achieved. Our association with Rahul Dravid has indeed been a game-changer, helping us connect more with millions across the country. We have received incredibly positive feedback from our audience, which reaffirms our belief in the power of innovative lighting solutions to transform lives. This campaign has set a new benchmark for us, and we look forward to building on this momentum with more innovative and impactful campaigns in the future."   Commenting on the success of the campaign, Rahul Dravid, Former Captain and Coach of the Indian National Cricket Team, said, "The success of Hum Raaton Mein Sooraj Ugaate Hain campaign is a testament to Signify’s leadership, legacy and innovation. The campaign beautifully captures how light empowers us to overcome challenges. Just like in cricket, where consistent practice illuminates the path to victory, Signify's commitment to a better world inspires me. I'm proud to partner with them on this journey."   The campaign has received extremely positive feedback from audiences across India. The association with Rahul Dravid has helped amplify the brand's engagement with the Indian consumer leading to a measurable increase in brand awareness, consideration, and favourability. Building on the momentum of this successful campaign, Signify plans to roll out more innovative and impactful campaigns going ahead.   About Signify Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers, and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?

n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '311356416665414'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] A massive benchmark set across the industry with 200M + impressions for the TVC  In line with the digital-first marketing strategy, the campaign ran across social media, TV and top news platforms tapping customers nationwide Further to Signify’s #BrighterLivesBetterWorld vision the TVC highlights Philips’ lighting propositions across segments   Signify, (Euronext: LIGHT) the world leader in lighting, is celebrating the resounding success of its recent television commercial 'Hum Raaton Mein Sooraj Ugaate Hain’ featuring the Indian cricket legend, Rahul Dravid. Power packed with an energetic anthem, the TVC, which was launched ahead of the festive season, has struck a chord with the customers, surpassing expectations as they continue to shower Signify with their trust, love, and appreciation.   Illuminating the future: Signify TVC 'Hum Raaton Mein Sooraj Ugaate Hain' reaches 200M+ viewers   Bringing in a health mix of digital and traditional marketing initiatives, the campaign garnered over 200 million impressions. Rolled out with a launch teaser on 22 news channels, followed by a high-impact, 60-day TV campaign across social media, leading news channels, outdoor advertisements and POSMs. It also had a prime-time presence on popular shows like KBC, Big Boss and during the India/NZ test series.   Commenting on the success of the campaign, Nikhil Gupta, Head of Marketing, Strategy, Govt. Affairs & CSR - Signify, Greater India, said, "We are immensely proud of the significant impact our campaign has created. The performance metrics speak volumes about the reach and engagement we have achieved. Our association with Rahul Dravid has indeed been a game-changer, helping us connect more with millions across the country. We have received incredibly positive feedback from our audience, which reaffirms our belief in the power of innovative lighting solutions to transform lives. This campaign has set a new benchmark for us, and we look forward to building on this momentum with more innovative and impactful campaigns in the future."   Commenting on the success of the campaign, Rahul Dravid, Former Captain and Coach of the Indian National Cricket Team, said, "The success of Hum Raaton Mein Sooraj Ugaate Hain campaign is a testament to Signify’s leadership, legacy and innovation. The campaign beautifully captures how light empowers us to overcome challenges. Just like in cricket, where consistent practice illuminates the path to victory, Signify's commitment to a better world inspires me. I'm proud to partner with them on this journey."   The campaign has received extremely positive feedback from audiences across India. The association with Rahul Dravid has helped amplify the brand's engagement with the Indian consumer leading to a measurable increase in brand awareness, consideration, and favourability. Building on the momentum of this successful campaign, Signify plans to roll out more innovative and impactful campaigns going ahead.   About Signify Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers, and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?

n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '311356416665414'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); [ad_2] Source link

[exilederdrick]

Path of Exile 2 – Day 4: Noticing the Little Things

Platform: PC

Controls: X-Input Controller

Class: Titan

Level: 32

Skills:

Rolling Slam L8 with Overpower and Fist of War Boneshatter L8 with Execute and Impact Shockwave

Earthshatter L8 with Jagged Ground and Brutality

Shield Charge L8 with Stomping Ground and Second Wind

Armour Breaker L8 with Martial Tempo and Unbreakable

Infernal Cry L6 with Premeditation and Corrupting Cry

Magma Barrier L7 with Magnified Effect and Ignition

Perfect Strike L8 with Eternal Flame

Leap Slam L7

Content: Keth, Mastadon Badlands, and Deshar

It occurs to me that eventually these might start to sound very negative. After all, I'll be pointing out every error or point of friction I come across. But we're definitely not there yet I think! I've continued to notice many little things, and some big things, that make this an amazing experience.

What's Working:

You have put in a lot of work making the little details sing!

Today, while navigating the Mastadon Badlands, I had my map open and noticed the map “x” wasn't over my character. After a little experimentation I came to a realization. My character is offset slightly from the center of the screen. As I move, the camera gently pans forward so that more of the area in front of my character, which is usually what matters most, is in view. This is such a small but awesome detail and I love it!

There was also an interesting bit of animation I thought was great. While fighting a Carrion Reaper, I thought I'd killed it. I hit it with what would often be a finisher and brought it down to near zero life. My confidence also came from what looked like bones breaking off of it as it died. But with that little bit of life left, those bones magically started to knit back together as the creature stood back up. Kudos to the animation team!

While fighting on the Spires of Deshar, I quickly noticed that the Faridun warriors were not all the same enemy. There are different types of warriors, and they work in concert. In many engagements it felt like they were working intelligently and using tactics to fight against me. This seemed to go beyond warriors with shields in the front and warriors with spears in the back. Whether by lucky accident of animation or intentional scripting, as I brought enemies near stun to Boneshatter them, I often found they'd fall back in rank while fresh warriors came forward. The dynamism to these fights was incredible, and brought a lot of enjoyment to my night.

But the greatest moment by far was when I suffered a disconnect. Also while in Spires of Deshar, at some point I bumped the front of my controller against my mic. I'm not sure what happened, but my controller disconnected and before I could fix it the client logged me out. I was really bummed. I'd already died once in the zone, and wasn't looking forward to clearing my way through the enemies again. I'd completely forgotten that one of the new features was that instances pause when the client disconnects. I was overjoyed to log back in and find my character exactly where I left them! This feature is a real life saver!

What I'm Struggling With:

I'm back to feeling a little loot starved. It's obviously not horrible, as I'm still making progress. But I'm trying really hard to upgrade my gear, especially my weapons, and I'm struggling to do it. Gold isn't the issue now. I've run into a bottle neck with transmutes and regals, and useful upgrades aren't appearing at vendors. I'm starting to have issues dealing damage and sustaining my mana through boss fights. I'm not sure I have a good Passive Tree solution, and meaningful upgrades to my flasks don't seem to be on the menu either. Considering I'm thoroughly exploring these zones and cashing in a lot of the loot, I think this needs more tuning.

I think also that said zones might be a bit big. I'm in Act 2, and these zones are already huge. One of my biggest complaints with D4 is that the zones are massive and the enemies all feel the same. The enemies here are mostly great, and they're a joy to fight! But even fun and dynamic encounters start to get dull if you have to fight through a ton of the same ones in a row. I think maybe these zones need to be reworked to a slightly smaller size, with some boosts to loot and maybe XP to compensate.

But my greatest struggle is with Magma Barrier enemies. I'm really struggling to figure them out. While the barrier is up, I'm doing almost no damage. Repeatedly slam them with Armour Breaker until they're vulnerable, then Rolling Slam into Leap Slam into Boneshatter into Perfect Strike and . . . nothing. The entire combo, including Armour Breaker, eats the tiniest sliver of their health. The only time they take damage reliably is when the barrier breaks. But how do I break it? What's the trigger? If it's damage, it must be a ton of damage! If it's time based, it stay up for a very long time! If it is damage, is that before or after mitigation? Should I be focusing on my big attacks, or do I need to keep their armour broken? All I know is it's frustrating right now, and the fights take forever!

What's Not Working:

For outright bad or broken things, I don't have a lot to say tonight. I've already said my piece about X-Input, and I didn't run into any more problems to report there. Only three things outright broke tonight, and as usual those will be reported or confirmed where appropriate.

Let's see if I can finish Act 2 tomorrow!

[c-mccormick-svad-2022-2025]

(GD+I Internship) Reflection - My Experience Working for Fresh Water Systems and Rebranding NeoLogic Solutions to NeoSupply

I've completed my internship at Fresh Water Systems, and it's hard to believe how quickly the time flew by. This experience has been one of the best and most memorable of my college career. I had the opportunity to work with wonderful, creative, and passionate people who were incredibly supportive. The company went above and beyond to show their appreciation for the work I did on the rebranding project and other tasks. The environment was extremely supportive, and I had many incredible opportunities during my time there. Though my internship has ended, I hope to maintain a lasting partnership with the amazing people I met. I want to express my gratitude to the creative team at Fresh Water Systems for making me feel welcome and supported. I'm also thankful to Jamie Garriets for giving me this opportunity in graphic and branding design, and to Alayna Rolling for being an incredible boss and mentor. Thank you for making my first graphic design internship such a positive and supportive experience. I will cherish it for the rest of my life. This may be the end of my time at Fresh Water Systems, but it's just the beginning of my graphic design career, and I'm excited to see what the future holds.

Looking back on my time working for Fresh Water Systems, I completed a wide range of tasks, such as creating graphics for products on the website, designing brochures, making labels, and developing social media advertisements. I also led the rebranding efforts for the company's buyer, Neologic Solutions, which is now known as NeoSupply. This internship allowed me to explore different aspects of design for a corporation. While the work was different from my personal style, it was a valuable experience to translate the client's ideas into designs. One of the most challenging projects I undertook was the complete rebranding of the company within two months. I put together a comprehensive branding guidelines packet consisting of over 70 pages. It was a significant undertaking, involving extensive research, creating mood boards, sketches, branding concepts, and numerous meetings, totaling over 150 hours of work, including weekends. Although I didn't have time to create a quality check branding sheet, I included multiple quality checkers within the guidelines. Despite this, I am proud of the cohesive rebrand I created, which all team members agreed on. I look forward to seeing the rebranded Neologic Solution's website in late 2024 or early 2025.

[maharghaideovate]

Global Careers Unlocked: A DY Patil Distance MBA in International Business—Where It Will Take You

Want to will your career with a difference at the global level? Well, here's how a DY Patil Distance MBA in International Business can keep all doors open across the world. This isn't just any course that's going to bog one down by books and theories; it'll be your virtual ticket to some very interesting job opportunities right across borders.

Multinational Corporations: Your Playground

Looking forward to just that with a DY Patil Distance MBA, you stand literally prepared for roles spanning across the globe. The following will let you know more about where you might end up:

Global Strategy Expert: Help companies like Tata or Unilever plan their next big move.

International Marketing Manager: Design campaigns that evoke emotions from Delhi to New York.

Supply Chain Coordinator: Keep the products in motion seamlessly for e-commerce giants.

Cross-Border Finance Analyst: Know the ins and outs of international money matters.

Human Resources Director: Manage diverse teams across multiple countries

Business Development Manager: Identify and cultivate new market opportunities worldwide

International Trade and Finance: Where Money Meets Borders

If you have got a head for numbers and negotiation, your DY Patil Distance MBA opens up a world of opportunities for you:

Trade Specialist: Guide businesses through the maze of import/export rules

Forex Analyst: Become the go-to expert on currency trends.

Global Investment Advisor: Assist clients to make smart choices in international markets

Compliance Officer: Keeping companies on the right side of global regulations

International Tax Consultant: Avail the complex world of cross border taxation

Risk Management Specialist: Assess and reduce risks in global business operations

Entrepreneurship: Be Your Own Boss, Globally

Got a great idea? Your DY Patil Distance MBA in International Business gives you the tools to think big:

Headline Start a consulting firm for businesses going global.

Build an App that solves international business problems.

Build an import/export business connecting artisans to the global market.

Build a fintech solution for international money transfer.

Why Employers Love DY Patil Distance MBA Grads

The business world is going global, and companies need people who can keep up. Here is why you will stand out:

1. Cultural Intelligence: You will be able to work with teams of diverse backgrounds

2. Adaptability: Get ready to move into the ever-changing global markets

3. Strategic Thinking: You will learn how to discover opportunities that other people cannot see

4. Communication Skills: Multicultural bridges are built by a workforce that knows how

5. Tech Savvy: Tools and techniques of doing business globally

6. Ethical Decision Making: Management of complex dilemmas in international business

Beyond the Office: Personal Growth

A DY Patil distance MBA in International Business is not only about the office. It's about broadening your horizons:

Travel opportunities Business trips to cool places

Network across the globe

Opportunity to make a difference at the global level

Enhanced cross-cultural communication skills

More adaptability and resilience

Broader worldview and knowledge of current global issues

Skills You'll Gain

The DY Patil Distance MBA in International Business will equip you with the following:

Global market analysis

Cross-cultural management techniques

International finance knowhow

Strategic planning for different markets

Negotiation skills across cultures

Knowledge of global supply chain management

Global Trade Laws and Regulations

Digital Marketing Strategies Across Borders

Is This the Right Career Move for You?

Apply for a DY Patil distance MBA in International Business if you:

Want to work in multinational companies

Dream of starting a global businessYou enjoy challenging, cross-border complex issues

You seek a career that comes with travel and diverse experiences

You are passionate about understanding cultures.

Want to be on the leading edge of global economic trends?

Bottom Line

Want to take your career global? A DY Patil distance MBA in International Business could be the first step toward being a leader in the international business arena. Hopefully, maybe the next business trip also takes you to Tokyo, Sao Paulo, or even London. The world is waiting—are you ready to explore it?

Remember, in today's Fallen Human Nature world, thinking globally isn't just an advantage – it is a requirement. With DY Patil Distance MBA in the background in International Business, you are not preparing for any job but gearing up for a lifetime of exciting global opportunities.