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[gremlingottoosilly]

The horror and the wild (Emperor!Konig x fem!Reader) Medieval Fantasy AU

You had a nice, simple life. Serve the princess, obey the princess, protect the princess with your life. You never thought that this nice, simple life would bring you to be kidnapped by the infamous Northern Emperor. Konig never thought that kidnapping a wife would be much easier than courting one. CHAPTER 1 Word count: 4906 Tags/Warnings: Medieval fantasy/Alternative European history AU, Age gap, Enemies(one-sided)to lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Forced marriage, Size difference(Konig is absolutely huge), Somewhat one-sided slow burn, Yandere Konig

This fic on AO3

— I do not wish to speak about politics before breakfast!

— Your Highness, I’m afraid, politics would not be waiting patiently until you’re finished with your sweet pastries. 

— What do you mean? 

— The Emperor’s army is on our doorstep. 

The look on the face of the Princess – your Princess – was priceless. First, it was a surprise, her adorable features all twisted in a very unladylike gasp. Then, it was terror – the first time you saw her ever express that emotion since the palace was always clear of anything that could scare her royal highness, from mice and snakes, and up to severely ugly people(poor, poor Elvin – he’d a good life if it weren’t for his pointy slabby jaw). Then, and it was the final emotion on her illustrious face – it was anger. To nobody’s surprise, the anger was mostly coming at you. 

You see – you’re a Princess's most loyal handmaiden. Raised under her crib, going to the same classes, doing everything in favor of your royal highness, from warming up her jewelry and to trying the food first to see if it’s poisoned – your whole life’s goal is to make sure that the Princess is as comfortable as possible. You’re her shadow, her servant, the closest to a friend she can have – and if you were the bearer of the bad news, it’s only natural that she would be angry at you in the first instance, and not at the imperial army clashing down at your tiny bordering kingdom. 

— Where are the guards?!

— Judging by the screams I am not sure if there are any left in the outer levels of the castle. And if the King didn’t come with a usual note after breakfast, it’s safe to assume that he is more busy. 

With a trained movement, you quickly duck under the table when the Princess, naturally, throws a plate in your direction. You knew she wasn’t meaning it – your poor, innocent darling Princess, she was just as scared as you were but had not learned of how to hide her emotions under sarcasm and false calmness. Your job is to keep her safe – and calm – even if there is no royal family to serve anymore. You don’t want to think of the possible outcomes – King took you in, a simple peasant girl with no talents whatsoever, and gave you an illustrious education, the most sought job in the whole kingdom, and an allowance that would allow you to study in the real collegium, were they to accept women. You don’t want this place to fall in Northern Empire clutches – and you especially don’t want the Princess to learn the harmful ways of two pretty young women trapped in a castle full of enemy soldiers. 

— How could this happen?!

— I’d have an answer for this question, Your Highness, but you ordered to urn any mail from the Northen Empire. Perhaps, they send us quite a bit of war declarations before finally going down. 

Your hand goes to the side of your skirt, clutching on the suicide dagger – if something happens, you’d have to kill the Princess first, take the sin of killing oneself from her innocent soul – and then go down after her, hoping that your dog-like loyalty would allow you to serve her in heaven. 

The Princess has many things that she’d like to take with her to the afterlife. You better start preparing her package soon – this castle wasn’t built to be protected from the army of beasts, hiding under human skin – your kingdom never provoked any wars, always trying to search for the opportunity of negotiations – and now this comes to bite you right in your soft rear, without a sufficient amount of guards or a suitable army to protect itself. 

You’d pray for the god, but your god wants you to die. 

— Princess, we need to…

Before you could say anything else, an explosion erupts somewhere in the southern tower – the closest place to enter the Princess chambers. You can hear screaming, you can hear laughing – a foreign language, the one you are proficient with, but it never made it less barbaric, less harsh. These people talk like swords clangs against each other – like a harsh metal against your skull. You’d give up anything to not understand what they are talking about. 

There is something to be done before the soldiers arrive, finding only a few guards and two pretty, terrified young things. You might not be afraid of death, but you sure are terrified of what will come before their blades would slit your throat. You do not wish to die with blood between your legs. You do not wish that fate for the Princess either. 

“The Princess should be here.”

“Did Lord say anything about trophies?”

“Don’t take anything now. Tiger said we were never here – he would pay us later”

“What about…”

“Don’t kill the Princess either. Emperor want her to himself, remember?”

“Come on, are we here for a whore?”

“A royal whore, dumbass. Now shut up before Emperor hears you.”

They laugh and you can hear the Princess whimpering, crying softly – all of the layers of harshness are washed away with every tear rolling down her perfect cheek. You move to them as fast as you can – these stupid clothes allow you at least some freedom of movement, saved from the excessive decorations and expensive, heavy fabrics – you are only as few levels higher than cleaning rags. you could probably rip away the lower levels of your skirt and run – the Princess wouldn’t even be able to move without your hand steadying herself. 

You need strength to not slap her right now – you know that the pain on her perfect puffy cheek would help get her to listen, but nothing in your body moves to ever hurt her, no matter the cause. You push yourself to the door, thinking – your castle isn’t the highest one in the whole world, if anything, the Princess would be able to escape either via the window or the secret tunnels – but they would search for her, they would never accept defeat like that. Even if you’d stall them for long enough, pulling every bit of luck you don’t have – they wouldn’t stop if they had the goal of catching the Princess. 

— Your radiance, we have to go!

— Where? The castle is going to crumble any second now, and Mama and Papa are…

You press your ear against the tough wood, listening to the soldier’s speaking – language is even harsher now when the adrenaline runs through your veins instead of blood. You would give up anything to be strong – to have your dancing and embroidering lessons switched to sword fighting, to archery, to read dark arcana books instead of romance novels that you and Her Preciousness liked so much. Your hands are soft and delicate, only a bit harsh from occasional cleaning and serving – you’re a shame to any servant in the castle, a house pet made to entertain and please, not to fight and work. 

The Princess is a cherished treasure for your kingdom. Protected and hidden away, the King was smart enough to know that a royal gem like her would make all the old rulers of kingdoms surrounding yours go into a frenzy – so Her Radiancy wasn’t ever allowed to any royal mingling and balls until she’d reach the age of at least 21. Her birthday was next month – a small mercy, knowing that there was a possibility of never getting of that age. 

“Is that a Princess?”

You hear a woman – probably one of the higher members of the court, considering her high-pitched accented whimpers with a familiar voice. God bless her soul and dedicate her a quick death – you don’t want to think what would come of her if not for this prayer.

“Princess should be in her quarters. This one definitely doesn’t speak like a royal meat”

“How do we even know which one is the Princess?”

“She should speak like one. Would be easier if her family ordered a fucking portrait.” 

But…you were with the Princess your whole life. You know how to act like her, you know how she talks, how all royals talk. You know how manners, you know how to sing, how to dance, you received the education that allowed her to copy your study work and give it to her personal teachers – her own reflection wouldn’t copy her better than you would. 

You’re young, like a Princess, you’re pretty, almost like a Princess – and you’re loyal like a dog, itching to pay your debt to the royal family. 

— Your Highness! You need to run, please, just take the secret route through the walls and…

It was the most horrible moment for her to put her foot down.

— I…I live to serve the royal family. Dying for you will be the greatest of honors. 

— I will not just leave you here!

— They’d defile and kill us both, Your Highness. But if I just pretend to be you, they won’t come looking for you, won’t they? They would have what they wanted and you will be free.

— What about you? 

You’d feel hurt for how quickly she ran to the secret tunnel – if such feelings were normal for a servant to have. You’d feel betrayed if it wasn’t the life or death situation – if you weren’t putting on her dress as swiftly as possible before the soldiers would come running for you. It’s funny, how you always wanted to try her dress – how you were jealous of everything she had, even if you were the closest to her – you pride yourself in not caring about such silly mortal possessions, and yet, you always wanted to try something as beautiful as her dress. 

You stare at yourself in the mirror – terrified, small, ready to die at any point or to be hauled back to the Northern Empire like a piece of meat. Dress suits you, the bright pink would tell about innocence and radiance – but not it smells of blood and betrayal. If the soldiers thought that the Princess killed herself in her room, they would surely not think about trying to find her. 

You push the tiny dagger against your wrist, praying to all of your knowledge of medicine that your death will be quick and as painless as possible. You left out a silent prayer – knowing that the god would only welcome you after your death. 

Not a war, Horangi corrects himself – a massacre. 

***

Tiger of the North was fucking tired.

This whole mission – declaring war that no one seen and no one wanted, marching through the street without an army behind him, felt more like a bandit’s doing than something that a general of the best army in the world would do. This whole operation is a stunt, an order from the Emperor that no one expected – seriously, sometimes he still felt like a child with new, exciting toys. For all he knew, König never saw a Princess – yet, he sent his best men to take her out, not caring that this would mean a war on the bordering kingdom.

Not his fault this shithole didn’t even bother to reply to any of the Emperor’s letters regarding the marital status of the Princess. Not his fault they don’t even have a proper army – the king died, gutted like a fucking pig, and the queen followed soon after. Their unit can count less than 20 people, with royal hounds and other animals to help – yet, no one was able to foresee them entering the castle and butchering it. It’s a hunt, not a war or even an assassination – a hunt for the Princess, the useless fucking thing. 

If they’d only bothered to get at least some portraits – something to tell what she looks like. Perhaps, she is ugly, a mix of a toad that fucked a pile of shit. Perhaps, she is crazy and eats pillows and keeps her handmaidens' heads like a trophy. Perhaps, she don’t fucking exist and the king just didn’t want to say out loud that his dick was never working enough to produce an heir. 

— Search the quarters! I don’t want them to have time to know that their precious king is dead. 

The low rumble of König beside his almost makes him dart from surprise. He wears a mask, of course, not even trusting his people to see how he looks like – perhaps, he is as ugly as a toad that…ah, shit, he is using the same comparison again. 

A faceless ruler and a faceless Princess – a match made in heaven. 

— You think other kingdoms would send their condolences? 

— I’m sure that Price is already aching to write a congratulatory letter for the expansion of the empire. A nice addition to the title, ja? 

The emperor laughs, a sword in his hand, dark from the king’s blood. Horangi still doesn’t understand why he would decide to go on such a dangerous operation – if anything, they could haul the Princess back to the capital, or at least the nearest Empire territories – but no, König decided to go here himself, searching for a Princess that would, surely, not be worthy his attention. If this man didn’t want to marry all the options other kingdoms offered him, he surely wouldn’t be satisfied with a girl from this shithole of a country. Their land is barely enough for a normal castle, let alone all of the riches that the Empire provided. 

Yet, König stumbles in every room, searching for something – for someone. Other soldiers don’t dare to take trophies in front of their emperor, knowing that this operation should be as secretive as possible – no other rulers would bat an eye for a mysterious royal passing and the quick marriage of the Princess of this kingdom, but Graves would be quite concerned and bitching about the Northern Empire coming close to his kingdom. God, if König could just bathe every last one of them in blood, he would have. 

— Sir, I believe the Princess should be here Unless she killed herself already. 

— Those people honor death more than they do life. Better be fast before I’d have to marry a corpse. 

— We could bring her back. 

— Nothing can wash off the dead smell even after resurrection. You think why Krueger can only have sex with common whores? 

They both have to suppress their laugh at the thought of the royal advisor. Poor, dead Krueger, serving a contract that even death would not be able to break – it’s a good thing to have it on their side. Provides a good amount of jokes just from being around him. 

König rushes to the door that looks the most guarded – judging only by the amount of dead servants around it. The Princess must be here and, knowing the traditions of your kingdom, he has about a minute before you’d kill yourself, yelling something ridiculous about finding solace in death and that they would never take you alive. The door comes crashing down ridiculously easy – or it’s his strength challenging in the form of barbaric savagery. When he pushed into the room, he didn’t see what he was expecting to see. 

He sees something better. 

You look divine in the moonlight, your form, draped in an expensive dress that you only managed to take on halfway through, getting stuck in that stupid corset and billions of tiny bows and cutting jewels. You look majestic, godlike, you look like something from a fairytale. He was anxious before this, thinking if it was worth it – overthinking every bit of the operations, evaluating if the enemy kingdoms would be fine with him just taking you. König wasn’t sleeping a good few nights before this – now he looks at you and wants to kneel in front of your perfect form. 

— No wonder they didn’t have portraits. They wouldn’t capture your beauty. 

He shook the knife – little thing, as dainty as you are – from your trembling hands. Poor thing terrified of him – he’d pick you up and haul you on your shoulder already, but he wants to take a moment and just admire the comparison between his huge, muscular arms and your fragile form. He knows he is big, imposing, threatening – but compared to you, he feels like a war god paying tribute to his newest sacrifice. 

You shake in his grasp, not fighting it – Princess wouldn’t fight, you remind yourself. If killing yourself is not possible, if your dignity is tarnished, the death and torture shall be met with silence – you put your lips together, as firmly as you can. Still, you can’t stop yourself from sobbing when his hand goes to cup your face – a faint trace of your makeup staining his dark gloves. 

— This is the declaration of war. You were…

— This is no war, meine Liebe. How could we fight the nation with a dead king? 

The Princess would cry, learning about the death of her parents. You try to force more tears, making yourself look as miserable as possible – it isn’t hard in this brute’s hands, with his soldiers surrounding you – but, for some reason, he doesn’t look surprised when you are not crying immediately at the mention of the death of your supposed parents. 

He laughs, cupping your face in a rough, crude gesture. He shouldn’t treat Princess like this – even you are not used to men being this vile, to speak of such lewd matters with his men. They surround you, laughing, not even bothering to pay the least bit of respect in front of their Emperor. 

He wears a hood and it makes him look like an executioner, not a ruler. But, perhaps, you would welcome a butcherer more than you would a husband. 

— Let me go! The guards shall rise to my abduction and they will not leave thou to…

You don’t even need to force yourself to speak like her – you’re royal by any means, other than blood and service. You can imitate her your whole life if needed, shadowing her your whole short existence – it only hurts you more when you are praying that the Princess, dressed up in your garments, would be able to escape. You know that someone will save her, and take care of her – it’s just like the plot of your favorite romance book. An abandoned Princess of the burned kingdom rises to be the wife of a mysterious, masked blood knight, saving him from pushing his soul into the darkness. You, in this story, would be just a minor victim for the author to kill.

— The guards would rise if they weren’t dead, Princess. Too late to call for them now. 

He sneers at this “Princess” like a snake, ready to sink her teeth into your soft, limp body. You whimper, finally trying to get your knife from his hand – as gracefully as you can, remembering that you are to stall the time for her to escape, not to actually save yourself. He laughs and lets you go suddenly – only to pick you up like you weigh nothing. Pick you up like a bride, not a pig for him to gut. 

The tip of your ears is burning – your whole face is burning, you feel ashamed, embarrassed, angry, every emotion swirls in your head as he doesn’t even try to be subtle about his affection. You thank god for the layers of skirt you are wearing – but the upper part of the dress is barely holding together, showing a scandalous amount of shoulder. You are tainted – a scandal in the court, if there was a court alive. 

— Put me down this instant. My kingdom will not just accept these levels of disrespect!

You say this weakly than you wanted to. He laughs – thunder and bear roar, ocean waves against the mountains – you whimper when his hand goes to rip the upper part of your dress entirely, leaving you barely covered, with only three layers of clothing and a corset between you and his horrible, dangerous hands. A lady should not be seen by men when she is in less than five layers of clothing – still, you feel much better when the heavy fabric lets go of your skin. Still, you feel mortified, knowing, what would happen when he started to take off your clothes. 

Well…you think you know what will happen. You and Her Highness read books with a scandalous amount of intimacy – touches, hugs, kisses even, the last book having record five instants of the main heroes being in close proximity with each other – you also know that whenever a male enemy soldier captures a woman, he is doing…something before killing them. Not quite sure what, but obviously torturous. 

— The only kingdom that is left for you, your Highness, is what lies between your legs. I’ll be sure to pay my regards later.

Before you could say something – anything for that matter, he already hauls you away, still stuck in his hands like a trophy. You thank god that he doesn’t see the difference between you and the Princess. You never knew your acting talents would be of this amount, but nonetheless, you feel complete, knowing that the Princess is safe and sound. 

— What is the purpose of your actions? 

You are weak, voice whimpering and quiet. You don’t want to touch him, but the hungry gazes of his soldiers make you weak and fragile – you cling to him, trying to cover your modesty. The corset is a part of the wardrobe that no fine lady should ever show to men – yet, this is the only thing now that is keeping your tits together, saving at least some of your dignity. The heavy skirt of the torn dress lingers on your legs, covering you as much as barely holding up fabric can. König’s chest rumbles with a laugh when he notices you clinging onto him like a helpless kitten. 

— I’m taking my bride as your parents were not kind enough to answer any of the proposals.

— Why didn’t you just visit? 

If it were for him, he would just sprawl you on the ground and take what he wants. He would, were he a simple soldier, not the North Emperor – he would if there weren’t any witnesses if there were no intentions of marrying you later. But alas, he needs your hands in marriage – he needs you whole in marriage, from head to toe, from your heart to your soul, from your pussy to that sweet mouth of yours – and he can’t have all that unless he is patient. 

— I did. Right now, for that matter.

— As the only heir to the throne, this would mean the death of my country. You can’t just…

— Who is there to stop me, little one? Your parents? Dead. Your army? They would kneel for my men were we at actual war. 

You close your mouth. He laughs again, this terrifying hood of his moving when he shakes his head. You sob, tears flowing freely down your cheeks – it’s a wonder you can still talk while crying like this, but you need to keep up the act and you need to stall the time as much as possible. His hand goes to wipe away your tears and, for a second, you almost want to bite him. But, Princesses don’t bite – they lay in the hands of their captors and wait for princes to save them. 

— The other kingdoms would protect us, we had war pacts!

— Were you loved enough to start a war with the Empire to protect you from getting married? 

— I shall…

— You’re too young to speak like a queen, Liebe. Leave that to me, ja? 

You open your mouth. 

You close your mouth. 

You open your mouth again. 

— Please, let me go. 

This is a quiet, soft sob – König stops for a second, looking at your fragile, vulnerable expression. You’re as weak as a kitten, as adorable as a bunny – and precious, his little treasure, tucked away nicely in the deepest corners of this kingdom. He almost feels bad for breaking you, for taking you away. He killed many men, the king included, and he captured more land than his father ever could dream of – the biggest empire lies at his hands and yet, he feels weak when you cry in his hands. 

It still suits you more – a pained expression, pure terror, all the emotions that a young woman like you should experience when she is captured by someone like him – he believes in terror through submission and the tears streaming down your face makes his cock twitch in his pants. 

— I have all the right for you, little one. It’s your father’s fault that you were not protected more. 

He laughs, his large, imposing hand goes to cup your ass – you don’t even understand how his touch manages to get through this many layers of clothing. Your skirt is in complete disarray when he touches your legs, squishing and destroying the crinoline parts and whale bones. So much went into creating this skirt, a horrifying construct that never allowed the Princess to move freely, stuck in one place like a glorified little dolly – now it becomes your grave, mortifying and freezing you in one place. 

— You can’t…no, please, don’t…

He grabs your hips with the ferocity of a warrior, not an emperor. Rulers shouldn’t kidnap Princesses from neighboring countries, and they shouldn’t lead their troops on an operation that would destroy any diplomatic relationships with them – but he stands here, no more than a normal soldier, and you were never this terrified in your life before. He is a monster, a beast, an anomaly that shouldn’t exist in this world – even your desire to protect the Princess isn’t stopping you from crying and shaking. You bite your lips and sob softly, quietly, hoping he won’t just throw you to his men. 

— This is what politics leads to, no? Your father decided to stop being diplomatic…and I did too. 

He isn’t my father, you want to scream. He did nothing but take you from the streets, and slums you were scrambling aimlessly like nothing more but a tiny critter under his boots – he gave you everything, any book you wanted, the best company in the whole kingdom. He isn’t your father, still, but you pay for his mistakes – mistakes that you had no idea of. Princess ordered you to ignore any mail that would come from “This Northern brute” and you didn’t know that it could come to this. 

If only you were to steal those letters and read them instead of throwing them away…but what would it come to? Princess wouldn’t marry someone like König, she had no like for the emperor twice her age, for the human who defiled the very laws of nature, sitting in his high castle, ordering the undead soldiers around. Monster with, probably, three heads and two faces, with four hands hiding under his magnificent armor. A beast who is…

A best who is cradling you in his arms like you were his lover, not his victim. 

— Put me down. Please. 

— I’m getting tired of listening to little Princesses wailing. Tell me, Liebling, do you wish to continue this journey quietly or unconsciously? 

His hand goes to your neck – no doubt, he would be able to squish the life out of you if he so wished. No doubt, you are fucked – utterly and completely, with his ability to do whatever he wants your inability to stop him in any way. Sobbing softly, not wanting for him to continue this humiliation, you simply nod – to whatever option he deems appropriate. Princess would be screaming, yelling for help, and she would stomp her adorable feet on the ground until she’d get what she wanted – but you are no Princess, and playing pretend already makes you miserable enough. 

— I do not wish to see the destruction of my kingdom. 

— It’s not destroyed, little Princess. Merely defiled, captured and burned down. 

— You didn’t…

— Of course not, kleine Hase. I wouldn’t dare to burn the newest addition to my empire…unless you would make me to. 

It’s not a threat – it’s a promise, poorly concealed by the obvious smile in his voice. You cling to his chest and hear the rumble of his laugh when he pushes his cape over your shivering form. It’s a small form of comfort, but an unwelcome one – you’d rather be shivering, naked, and exposed in front of his troops than find comfort in the way he treats you. His cloak is heavy, more suited for the harsh weather of the central parts of the Empire – not your kingdom, mostly warm and wet, with bountiful rains and plentiful soil. You understand why he would want this land – you don’t understand why he would want you. 

— Don’t hurt my people. 

— Be nice then. You can be nice to your husband, ja? 

If you weren’t a Princess, you’d claw his fucking eyes out – get your dainty hands under his hood and scrap the pulsating flesh, turn his face into a mush of blood and gore. If you were real Princess, you would declare war on the Empire and die the protector of your kingdom – not a terrified girl. 

But you’re neither a Princess nor a commoner. 

You push your lips together, allowing König to take you away. Accepting your fate not with dignity, but with quiet, fearful acceptance. 

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 21st:  Hellfire | Back in Black - AC/DC | Tenacious a/n: so, I've written about Eddie inheriting Hellfire. now, it's time to write about Eddie founding Hellfire! he's a little shit in this one, and I love him so much it's nearly clinical. wrote this in the car on the way to my in-law's family party so it'll go up on ao3 later 🦇 ao3 collection | tumblr masterlist

“Mr. Munson,” the principal starts, seated opposite Eddie across the desk. “You’re a freshman. Freshmen don’t start clubs here. Why don’t you look around a little, broaden your horizons. There are some wonderful sports and music opportu–”

Eddie’s arms are crossed over his chest and he sits with both legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. “It’s Eddie, and no. Why can’t I start a club? Why do only upperclassmen get to? Or is this just because it’s a Dungeons and Dragons club?” 

As if I’d wanna go and join the kids who look at me like the spawn of fucking Satan, he wants to say, but he needs to play it cool, hard as that may be. Or at least unless the principal, whose name he hasn’t bothered to commit to memory yet, doubles down on his refusal; then, all bets are off. 

“Of course not, we just encourage our youngest students to expand their interests. You might find that you’re good at something surprising or–”

Eddie knows that interrupting over and over again won’t help his case, but he can’t help himself. Hearing the same bullshit over and over again is infuriating and there’s no good reason that he can’t start a Dungeons and Dragons club for himself and the other kids with wild imaginations and nowhere else to go after that final school bell.

“Or, maybe starting a new club will let students try something new, something that’s been shit on for years that they otherwise may not get the chance to try?” 

The principal levels him with an exasperated look and a heavy sigh before leaning forward on his forearms over the clunky wooden desk. 

“Mr. Munson–”

“It’s Eddie,” Eddie insists for the second time. Mr. Munson is his dad and the name gives him a chill. He may carry a pocketknife and know how to hotwire a car, but he’s still no Al Munson. 

Another sigh. “Eddie. The day’s almost over, can we continue this discussion tomorrow? Buses will be lining up any minute.”

Now or never, he thinks to himself. 

“Well, then you have about a minute to make a decision. Can I start it or not? Maybe even on a, uh, a trial basis?” He shrugs and smiles with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow. 

Principal Whatever His Name Is drops his head for a second before looking back up at Eddie. “You’ve worn me down, Mr. Mun– Eddie. Trial basis only, and you need a faculty member to sponsor it. If you can do your due diligence, I’ll allow it.”

“Great!” Eddie claps once and stands. “Mr. Clarke already agreed, so I think we’re all set here. Good doing business with you.”  

“Wait–” 

The bell rings, saving Eddie like it has so many times in the past. He’s halfway out the door, stepping into the stampede of students running for buses, when he turns back around to see the principal shaking his head and rolling his eyes. 

“You know, my Uncle always says if you roll your eyes too much, they’ll get stuck like that.” 

Without another word, he slips into the tide and loads his bus, taking a seat in the back alone and whipping out his notebook and a black marker. Shades of black and red color the lined pages in the form of devils and demons and the words Hellfire Club hover above each sketch.

Good thing I didn’t tell him the name.

[botboots]

capture [megatron, cybertronian!reader]

hi! so sorry for the lack of activity, been super busy getting ready for finals! wanted to post something though, so heres a small draft i started a while ago to try and write more gore/angst stuff, trying to push myself a bit more :) might not be the best thing ive written, but i think its alright enough to post - lmk if you want a part 2!

warnings: blood, gore, torture, death word count: 1.1k (GN, cybertronian!reader) continued under the cut

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

The soft creaking of chains is the only sound that fills the barren room. You hang your helm, energon loss and a weary processor debilitating you, limbs heavy with thoughts clouded by fatigue. Lidded optics gaze down to the drying spilled fuel that covered both the floor and your frame. You take a ragged in-vent and close your optics, trying desperately to keep yourself from shaking.

Don’t make them think you’re weak. The others just need a little more time.

A faint mechanical fwoosh greets your audials, and a soft purple light is cast through the open door for a brief moment before being blocked out by a large, spiked shadow. You don’t even make an attempt to look up as heavy footsteps, followed by a lighter pair, make their way to the center of the room where you hang. The chains that secure your arms above you chime against one another as you shift, grimacing at the twinge under your shoulder plating.

“How is our prisoner today, Knockout?”

The cherry red medic slowly waves a scanner over your frame, clear disgust setting onto his faceplates at your state - or more so the state of your finish, ever the most important thing on his processor. Your gaze narrows at the mech while he waits for the scan to process. You had never known of a cybertronian who could be so unapologetically self-absorbed.

Knockout hums and skims over the data pad, tone annoyingly peppy when he answers, “Besides some minor energon loss, I believe they’re capable of taking another session or two before their… expiration, my liege.”

“Good.” Megatron replies lowly, “You’re dismissed.”

As soon as you hear the door close, sharp digits grab your chin. The servo lifts your helm so that you look straight into the warlords blazing red optics. “You only have so much time before my patience runs thin, Autobot.” he threatens, “Where is your base?”

You return his gaze with steeled optics, “Doesn’ matter how many times you beat me,” your voice is littered with faint static as you speak, “‘m never tellin’ you.” Megatron glares at you, opening his intake to disregard your words; but before he can speak you raise your helm and spit at him, a small glob of energon splattering onto his chassis. His optics widen, a hilarious mix of disgust and anger shaping his features - in any other situation, you would’ve laughed.

His narrow optics flit to you before raising a digit and swiping the blue substance from his frame. He flicks it away, and your vision suddenly spins when his fist slams into the side of your helm. Your frame shudders and you grit your denta, trying to let the sharp pain roll off you.

“If you’d like to play dirty,” Megatron snarls into your audial, “then I would be more than happy to accommodate.”

//

Energon drips from your intake. You feel as if you had been thrown into a spiked pit, scratches and dents littering your frame. Megatron circles you, running a clawed digit along your form. The sound of screeching metal-on-metal makes you cringe, and you try to ignore the flaring pain it leaves in its wake over your already battered plating.

He drops his servo from your frame, moving in front of you to raise your helm once more. He says nothing, only glaring. You return his gaze, exhaustion clear, but he doesn’t miss the glint of challenge in your optics. Megatron isn’t an idiot - he knows your type, and he knows you meant what you said.

The warlord snarls, “If you refuse to tell me the location of your base,” he raises his servo. “Then I will at least take the opportunity to thin your ranks!” Panic floods you right before he swings down, claws ripping through your chassis; bright, blue energon splattering onto both of your frames.

You wail - hot, white pain overtaking your thoughts. You thrash and kick out, sending Megatron stumbling away from you - but all of your attention is locked onto the excruciating pain taking hold of your body. Optics blown wide, you can’t help but stare as energon spills from the four, deep gashes carved into your chassis.

You barely feel his servo grab your helm and violently shove it upwards, trying to force the last of your attention on him.

“You should have taken your chance.” He sneers, sharp denta glinting as his gaze bore into yours.

You can’t look back. Not with any real meaning behind it. The only thing you can process is the pure, unfiltered agony taking over your frame. It was spark-splitting, and you can do nothing but wallow in it as Megatron makes his way towards the exit; leaving you heaving as you bleed onto the floor from the chains that suspend you.

Not moments later, you feel the ship rumble. Blaster fire can be heard behind the door, and you feel a sliver of hope grow in your spark. Even if they can’t save you, at least you won’t spend your last moments alone on a Decepticon warship. However an explosion jolts your frame, twisting you at a particularly painful angle; you cry out, venting labored as you try to re-focus on the sounds outside - anything but lingering on the torment of your wounds.

The gunfire dies down, and you hear a shout. Their voice wasn’t familiar, but you didn’t particularly care at this point - as long as you were given a chance at escape, you couldn’t give less of a scrap about what faction, or lack of, the bot saving you aligned with.

The door slides open. With strained effort, you lift your helm just enough to see who it is. You tense up in apprehension - this isn’t anyone you know. They were slightly blurred to you, but from what you can make out their frame is silver and blue with two red stripes on the top of their helm, and comparatively smaller than most of your comrades. Whoever it is, they seem to freeze as soon as they lay their optics on your mangled, energon covered form.

You probably looked dead.

The bot runs out, and for a moment fear seizes you at the prospect that they thought you were already gone, and decided that a sparkless Autobot wasn’t worth their while. You try to call out, but you only irritate your wounds - your chassis throbs as your voice fizzles out into static. All you can manage is a whine as you curl in on yourself; only managing to lift your knees a few inches upwards.

Your venting stutters. Tears well up in your optics. Your frame begins to shake. 

You were going to die here.

[allaboardthevespa]

60 Ways Ellie and Gabby Express Their Love for Each Other

Had a nap, and cooked up this idea in my head

Ellie towards Gabby:

Adjusting her hairbow if it’s out of place

Giving her hugs for no reason

Surprising her with bouquets of flowers

Ellie stopping whatever she’s in the middle of doing to run up to Gabby and give her a kiss on her cheek or nose

Putting an arm around her when they’re sat together

Petting her hair

Gently stroking her cheeks with a finger

Tilting her head up towards her so they make eye contact

Interlacing their fingers while they’re holding hands

Peppering her face with kisses with cute lil “mwah” sounds to get her giggling

Gently kissing her hand while they’re dancing together

Completely and totally accomodating and respecting her vegan diet

Singing to her to calm her down when she’s in full freakout mode

Gently wiping away her tears when she’s crying

Constantly. CONSTANTLY telling her she’s adorable

Kissing her cheeks when she blushes afterwards

Making her chai lattes for no reason other than to brighten her day

Cuddling with her DEEPLY when she’s sad or sick

Drawing her pictures of cute animals in her notebook

“Hey…remember that I love you, okay?”

Telling her about the amazing future they want her to have – and accomodating Gabby’s needs and desires perfectly (“We’ll have a cozy cottage in the forest, and all your animals will be given a comfy home, and we’ll fill the window boxes with hyacinths…”)

Booping her nose

Lighting her favorite scented candles, ready for her whenever she comes to their bedroom

Reading while Gabby rests her head on her shoulder, taking a pause and giving her gentle kisses on her face

Giving her big, warm, twirly hugs

Sharing her food with her and feeding her

Keeping her relaxed and happy when she’s scared during a thunderstorm

Letting her cry on her shoulder and whispering gentle “I love you”s to her

Tickling her once she’s done crying to get her laughing again

Writing her romantic poems

Gabby towards Ellie:

Playing with her hair

Counting her freckles while they’re cuddling

Telling her incredibly lame but adorable jokes

Listening to her vent out her frustrations with her job(s)

Taking her out for sorbet afterwards

Filling their bedroom with lilacs or lavender to soothe her every day

Always washing her sheets and blanket when she’s away

Baking some delicious desserts for her and bringing them to her while she’s busy drawing in her notebook

Giving her a back massage when she’s tense

Making coffee for her after she’s had a long night

Letting her rest when she used to have sleepless nights (and telling her job people who complain at her to fuck off)

Calling her increasingly sugary pet names to make her laugh (“Cuppy-cake! Smoochy-bear! Sweetie-weetie-heart!”)

Gushing over the smallest things she does

Initiating cuddle fights to cheer her up after a bad day (Ellie always wins)

Giving her lots of romantic “I love and miss you sweetie!!!” texts when one of them is busy at work

Telling her about all the amazing trips she’d like to take with her

Letting her play with her pets

Picking a pretty flower she sees and putting it in Ellie’s hair

Giving her kisses every few steps when they’re walking together

Giving her the warmest hugs whenever she’s cold

Taking photos of flowers she sees at her flower shop job, or cute animals at her animal shelter job, and texting them to Ellie to brighten her day

Carrying her to bed whenever she falls asleep on the couch or on her shoulder while they’re outside

Letting her hug some of her stuffed animals when she’s sad

Leaving her notes with messages of love every morning when she wakes up

Inviting her to lie under the sun with her on a warm day where they just simply talk

Gently tracing her finger along her back while they’re cuddling

Saying “you’re the best!” out of the blue with no reason for it, just to remind her how much she loves her

Asking “you want a hug?”. A LOT

Gently grasping her hand if she’s worried about something

Just finding any little opportunity she can to tell her, “I love you”

[wingsmombolo]

Hi Wing, and anyone who may read this. (?)

I have had this account for several years and I haven't really put it to good personal or creative use.

I realize now what a wonderful opportunity I haven't afforded myself by not accepting the Tumbler invite, to " write whatever you want."

My daughter is the writer. I have thoughts, opinions and memories in abundance, but I am not a writer.

Back in the day, I was a pretty good communicator, but seldom wrote of personal topics (for my own sake anyway). I dabbled in creative writing and more often wrote about things I felt strongly about or in response to an event or quotable quote that moved me and seldom from personal experiences.

It seemed indulgent and frivilous to write for my own sake, when life was always so busy and full. I never kept a diary nor could manage keeping up a journal, for any length of time anyway.

So, I plan to try using this space as my own little corner and experiment. I'm going to try being a bit adventurous and explore a bit. It seems like a safe and welcoming space.

I have hope enough to not just dream or reminisce, but plan!

I hope to write discoveries I find in current every day things (which is what makes up most of our lives), as well as reflect on matters long behind me.

Most of my energy and time, I will need to devote living in the present and matters still ahead of me, so I don't really know if I will be posting much of anything. (That is OK since there's no one to disappoint!)

It is just a wonderful thing to knowing I have this opportuity. Hoping for time, and most challenging the energy, to do this now; to express random thoughts and memories, or share other's creative contributions which have touched me and this old soul of mine.

I've been told since I was a young girl that I have an old soul. After passing my 69th birthday in August, I think it is fine that I have finally grown into it!

I have many things I wish to do which may be left undone, but I aim to have few regrets. Regret is a sad and useless emotion not deserving of my energy; better to not let it take hold and let it go so we can keep moving forward. Make things right or better than we found them. Thanking God for whom all blessings flow.

I am not only getting older, I have Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that affects bone marrow which produces the blood cells in your body. My cancer was diagnosed early and is not an aggressive type, but my treatment is difficult and complicated because I have other conditions which worsen with chemotherapy, making treatment difficult and limiting available options.

Since there is no cure for Myeloma, continuing treatment to slow its progression is necessary for my wellbeing and if possible extend my life. I had a stem cell ( bone marrow) trsnsplant in 2021, and acheived a partial remission, then followed my maintenece chemotherapy which was suspended after severely suppressing my already compromised immune system. The 20 months off treatment gave the opportunity for my nlood counts to improve enough to have a hip joint replacement (2022) and shoulder joint replaced (2023), both of which improved my quailty of life greatly. I've had some opportunities to visit family & friends and enjoy being in the community again for small periods of time here now and again, ( with precautions ) but mostly I'm pretty isolated most of the time. I'm so grateful to have good friends & family and church family who lift me up and never forget me.

Living with chronic or serious health conditions for most of my full and busy life has been good though. Like everyine, there are good times and difficult times. Like most people, most of my growth have been in difficult times. I thank God for my time and that I am still here by his Grace. I trust in His plan for me.

I'm just taking this bit of time and space for my own sake. To express myself in writing which I won't discard ( I hope), but save here. There might not be a reader, but they will still be here. I writer needs an audience, but since I'm not a writer, if no ones reads these offerings, that's OK.

It will be my collection of Inspirational quotes, images of art, devotions and other ranfom ramblings I've never saved or organized before.

I still have work I need and want to do, for my loving family, treasured friends, church family and adopted community, so I will still devote most of my time and energy toward living fully in the present, appreciating the blessings in my life and staying as healthy as possible. Life is fluid and always feels for me, but the invite to write "whatever I want" motivates me enough try adding this to my day whenver I can!

Prayers & hugs until next time!

[todaysdocument]

“In order to ration soap in a manner to cause the least inconvenience to the public and obtain the most satisfactory results, believe the program should be divided between toilet and laundry soaps . . . “ April 28, 1943.

Record Group 188: Records of the Office of Price Administration

Series: Records Relating to the Soap Rationing Program

File Unit: F. W. Woolworth Co.

Transcription: 

MEMORANDUM                                            April 28, 1943.

TO:            William A. Nielander

                    Assistant Director

                   Food Rationing Division

FROM:     A.Q.Smith

                 New York, N.Y.

SUBJECT:  Soap Rationing Plans

                In reply to your memorandum of April 17, 1943, we

give herewith our views:-

                 In order to ration soap in a manner to cause the

least inconvenience to the public and obtain the most satis-

factory results, believe the program should be divided

between toilet and laundry soaps for the reasons set forth

herewith.

                 The greater majority of variety chain and drug stores,

whether chain or not, handle toilet soaps in a considerable

variety but do not handle laundry soaps or powders.

                 The greater majority of grocery stores handle laundry

soaps and powders, but none, or a limited supply of toilet

soaps.

                Department stores usually carry toilet soaps in or

near their drug departments and laundry soaps and powders in

their houseware departments which are often on separate floors,

and it would be inconvenient for a customer to obtain both

kinds of soap on one coupon at one time.

               The super-markets carry extensive lines of laundry

soaps and powders, and extensive lines of the most widely used

toilet soaps.

              Unless provision were made for obtaining toilet and

laundry soaps separately, the greater part of the business

would tend to flow to the super-market stores.

             Further believe that medicinal soap should not be

rationed as it may happen that coupons for a period are used

up, and if a member of the family should become ill and a

medicinal soap is required, there would be difficulty in

obtaining same.

              Also believe shaving soaps should be dropped from the

program as such soaps are usually purchased by men, and if the

coupon for a period should be used up, no shaving soap could

be obtained. Grocery stores and super-markets do not carry

shaving soaps and a consumer purchasing soap in such stores

would not be able to obtain shaving soap.

              Considering the four systems so far under consideration

believe:

          1: The UNIT system may be eliminated as it does not

tend to be sufficiently flexible for this type of rationing.

[stamped at top right]

Apr 29 RECD

FOOD RATIONING DIVISION

[page 2]

Page 2                                                                              April 28, 1943.

                       2: The VALUE system would be the simplest and most

easy to administer and would cover the greatest number and

range of items. However, it would practically eliminate the

higher priced soaps, but as these higher priced soaps are a

luxury, their elimination will be no hardship except to the

manufacturers and the retailers who handle same, or consumers

used to such soaps.

                       3: The POINT system operated by assigning a number

of points to a coupon and arbitrarily placing a break-point

on a coupon could be operated in a simple manner. For example,

the coupon value of X points would be good for X ounces of

toilet or laundry soaps and one coupon could be used each week.

This would not limit the size or value of the cake of soap,

but would bring up the question of weight. It is believed that

each store could list the factory weight of the soap on hand

until such time as manufacturers could mark their soap with

factory weights. Such factory weights should be placed on

packages or bars of soap or packages of soap powders at the

earliest opportunity. This system would eliminate the objections

mentioned in the first five paragraphs of this letter.

           4: The BLOCK system would be inconvenient in that

it would be necessary for the consumer to anticipate her wants

for a set period of time ahead, unless she had a stock on hand

at the time of rationing. If the consumer did not accurately

gauge her requirements, it would mean that she might be short

in one item and over in another, which would be an unsatis-

factory situation. If, however, it is intended to permit the

consumer to accumulate a supply prior to the beginning of the

rationing period, and then use the BLOCK system to replenish

the supply used, the system would be recommended. This system,

however, would tend to draw practically all of the business into

super-market stores as customers would have to purchase all of

their supplies at one point where the various kinds of soaps or

powders were available.

            After considering the various systems, we believe

system No. 3., or the so-called POINT system would be preferable

as far as variety chain stores are concerned.

[sparxaf]

TSIME: Meet Bobby's Crew (part 2)

So we met the Russo-Bells, who apparently look nothing like how @longbobmckenzie imagined. So, I'm here to ruin your day again, with some more of Bobby's inner circle 😆

Meet Maitland (my favorite):

Interesting facts:

🗸 Grew up in an extremely happy, functional family that swore a lot. Has several siblings. Is especially close to her mam, who is a chain-smoking factory worker.

🗸 Smoker.

🗸 Is a bit of a musical genius. She plays the drums, bass guitar, piano, violin, and has a singing voice best described as, Annie Lennox after a shot of whiskey and a couple cigarettes.

🗸 Briefly attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland but dropped out after less than a semester. "Why'd I quit? Cuz, everyone has their heads up their arses, smellin' their own fuckin' farts, that's why."

🗸 She met Nivaan at RCS and they ended up friends. They have a shared love of old school punk music, so they started Paisley Cuddle together.

🗸 Never been in a relationship.

🗸 Had sex twice. Didn't care for it.

🗸 Makes extra money doing gig/session work, but the job she actually likes is teaching music classes for a local music shop. She's a very popular, sought-after instructor, especially for drums, as she's entertaining and foul-mouthed, but also surprisingly patient with the kids.

🗸 Has a fundamental disdain for labels of all kinds, and would never label herself as NB or demi-anything, despite likely being both. "Call me whatever you want. You don't need ta' know my fuckin' business, you arsebadger."

🗸 Once dreamed of being a football hooligan.

🗸 Secretly loves Hannah Montana. "What? No, not Miley, you fuckin' tube. Hannah. Montana. It's different. And if you wanna keep yer teeth, you won't be tellin' anyone."

Meet Jonno:

Interesting facts:

🗸 Was an abrasive and lonely child. He literally saw Bobby and said, "You're my best friend now." And Bobby just rolled with it.

🗸 Allegedly has the ability to be funny, though no one but Bobby claims to have seen it happen.

🗸 A bit of a shapeshifter. Worked in the hospital because Bobby did. Baked because Bobby did. Would never admit to anyone (not even himself) that Bobby is his hero.

🗸 Somehow manages to get tons of one-night stands. But there are ZERO repeat customers.

🗸 Despite being a pig, Jonno understands and respects consent. Because when he was 19, he he grabbed Maitland's arse at a pub, and still has the x-ray of his broken nose to prove it. Knowledge unlocked.

🗸 His mam bailed when he was four. He hasn't seen her since. He was raised by his dad (and his dad's long-term girlfriend who didn't like him very much). Has one older half-brother who bullied him pretty badly as a kid.

🗸 Besides being able to fart Scotland's national anthem, his only other notable skill is fixing up and reselling antiques. He has an eye for what can be spruced up. So he spends a lot of his free time sanding and staining old furniture and fixing lamps that don't switch on anymore. Then he sells them at flea markets and makes a tidy profit.

Meet Fenella:

Interesting facts:

🗸 Parents are incredibly wealthy. She is the youngest of three.

🗸 Was a competitive highland dancer as a kid. Is very embarassed about it.

🗸 Parents wanted her to go to university but she felt it was bourgeoisie and refused. So they made her get a job and she was pretty upset about it. So she used this as an opportuity to live as someone who wasn't rich and did this for years, working minimum wage jobs, living under bridges sometimes, and never telling anyone about her family.

🗸 Despite her distaste for the bourgeoisie, she made sure to return home when she was twenty to get her trust fund. Then she spent the whole thing on a coffee shop that she has absolutely no idea how to manage. She's done well because she had plenty of starting capital and actually does serve great coffee, but her trust fund is basically gone now, so she has no safety net and no idea how to budget.

🗸 Took a class on auras once, so she's pretty much an expert now.

🗸 Has been dating someone called Marti for many years. Marti is in a folk band and makes macrame. They were browbeat into veganism by Fen, but they secretly love bacon and eat it whenever Fenella isn't around.

🗸 The two have an open relationship, but that doesn't stop Fen from getting "choked by the ties of the pair bond," and breaking up with Marti every six months or so.

🗸 Very sensitive to criticism and has a strong fear of being disliked.

🗸 Donates coffee and tea to the Homeless Project Scotland, as well as to women's shelters, and several charitable organizations in her area. She also does volunteer work for HPS. She knows the names of many of the local homeless folx and once a week, she invites them to come for free baked goods and coffee.

Meet Nivaan:

Interesting facts:

🗸 Wealthy family. Born in Bangalore. Family moved to Scotland when he was six years old. His father, previously a holistic physician, was a stay-at-home dad. His mum is a highly-regarded physicist.

🗸 He has six sisters. He is the baby and the only boy in the entire expanded family. His uncles and aunts all have girls. So he was surrounded by women growing up and has an amazing rappaport with them.

🗸 Loves old school punk music.

🗸 Going back hundreds of years, no one in his family has ever eaten meat.

🗸 He graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with an MA in Musical Theater. But his theater career never really took off.

🗸 Talented guitarist and singer. Can dance his ass off. Makes a healthy income from TikTok thirst traps, much to his mother's dismay and his father's amusement.

🗸 Sings four octives. Has a resonant bass voice with an impressively clear, ringing falsetto. Think Avi Kaplan [previously of Pentatonix].

🗸 Met Maitland at RCS. One night they took a heroic dose of shrooms while listening to Hüsker Dü, and decided to start a punk band. The next morning , they stumbled up off the floor where they'd slept sprawled on top of a broken guitar for some reason, and found a note on his kitchen counter that read, "Paisley fookin' cuddle, wankstains!" in Maitland's scrawling handwriting. Neither of them can quite remember what the hell it meant, but they decided Paisley Cuddle was as good of a name as any for a punk band.

Meet Samantha:

Interesting facts:

🗸 Born in the highlands. Parents are traveling folk musicians. Moved around a lot as a young child. Home educated. Never went to traditional school.

🗸 Has an older brother with a relatively successful career making avante-gard pop folk. No one knows what that is, but dammit, they're all proud.

🗸 Loves gardening. Started a garden when she was ten years old and in just a year was growing all of the vegetables for her family.

🗸 Has published four popular and successful poetry books under a pen name.

🗸 Has a tattoo of a turnip crossed with an ink pen on her ribs.

🗸 Likes working lots of different kinds of jobs so she's never bored.

🗸 Has seen films, but has never watched television and doesn't own a tv.

🗸 Once went a whole month without weed. She's still recovering from the trauma.

Stay tuned for part 3 to meet Bobby's family!

#litg fanfic#litg bobby#bobby mckenzie#litg tsime#tsime#character introduction#character creation#litg the sun in my eyes

[dramioneasks]

Hi can you say your top ten pinning draco fics?

Not top 10 as this isn't a fav trope of mine, but here are some recs:

Title:All I Want Author: magical-mystery-girl Rating: T Genre(s): Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort Chapters: 5 Word Count: 39,480 Summary: For as long as she had known him, time always froze whenever Draco’s eyes connected with hers. Suddenly finding herself ostracized from the Weasleys as a result of an argument with Ron, Hermione might finally be able to give Draco something he has wanted for a long time, something he never thought he could have, and something she never thought he would want.

Spilt Tea by Katkatkittymeow - E, one-shot - In which a pining Draco realizes he is pining, as well as jealous. And an idiot. Pretty much porn without plot

Friendly Interference By: cleotheo - T, 5 Chapters - When Draco refuses to ask Hermione out his best friend, Blaise Zabini steps in and vows to bring the pair together. Will Blaise be successful in getting the couple together or will he ruin any chance they have of happiness with his interference? Short five part story.

Cyber Sex - sweetestsorrows (katschako) - E, 12 chapters - While some people might think Draco simps for a certain cam girl, it’s a label with which he wholeheartedly disagrees. Would a simp drop everything as soon as he receives a notification that she’s starting a live stream? Likely. Would a simp find himself getting an erection the moment she posts new photos or videos? Maybe. Would a simp leave tips that are larger than some people’s car note, several times a week? Not a chance. Honestly, simps could never dream of supporting their favourite content creator the way Draco does, and if he’s emptying one of his bank accounts in the process…Well, that’s his business. He can afford it and he’s perfectly content with investing into this online relationship, even if there’s no chance of it ever going anywhere. Then, the best and worst thing possible happens:He actually meets his dream girl, in real life.

Title:Forget Me Author: Emara88 Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Drama Chapters: 25 Word Count: 134,372 Summary: The war ended over two years ago, but Hermione still feels the echoes of strange memories from that time, as though something is missing or has been taken from her. When she sees Draco Malfoy at a Ministry ball and collapses, falling into a coma, the truth about their past together is revealed.

Remain Nameless - HeyJude19 - M, 51 chapters, Words: 312,316 - How did it feel? It felt like he was barely holding it together. She, of all people, should shun him. Or yell at him. Curse him. Spit at him. Take out her wand and blast him off the face of the earth. It was crushing guilt and relief and confusion all at once when he looked at Hermione Granger. The monotony of Draco’s daily routine had become both a lifeline and a noose. But this new habit of grabbing morning coffee with Hermione Granger is quickly becoming a reason to get out of bed and is unfortunately forcing him to re-evaluate his inconsequential existence. Hermione is living her life in fragments, separate pieces scattered about, and she can’t find a way to step back and let the full picture form. Why is morning coffee with Draco Malfoy the only thing that makes sense anymore?

Project Aphrodite - MrsRen - M, 22 chapters - When a decision from the British Ministry years after the war blindsides the public, Draco doesn’t think it can get much worse. However, when all the blame is placed on the shoulders of someone he’s not supposed to care about anymore, he can’t turn away. It would help if Hermione Granger wasn’t so fucking stubborn, but she’s exactly how he remembers.

5 am, waking up by mysterious_intentions - T, 14 chapters - He didn’t want this. Never did. Hermione Granger isn’t some stranger— she is his classmate, someone he spoke to regularly before, someone he saw every day, someone he wasn’t remotely friends with, but someone who wasn’t nothing either.But now, faced with the opportunity to lord his superiority, he finds himself wondering what the fuss is all about. Pureblood and mudblood is just…blood. Blood is blood, and blood is red.A coming-of-age Draco POV story as he returns to his eighth year of Hogwarts and struggles with living in the aftermath of the war.

-Lisa

[samgarciaa]

Heartbeat - Roger Taylor x oc

Mara is close to finishing her first year at Music University. She is alone in one of the practice rooms banging on her drums when a tall, skinny blonde walks in who has quite the attitude toward her. Both being excellent drummers creates a natural rivalry and tension between them… Will they ever beat each other's mind games or will this connection light a different spark between them?

warning: smut and violence/strong language

It's April 1969, two more months until it's summer break. Mara swings her ginger hair around as she hits her drums thinking about what she will do once her first-year ends. As she hits the drums she doesn't notice that she's banging louder and louder until...

The door of the isolated practice room opens. A tall blonde guy with drumsticks in his hands walks in abruptly. "Hey, do you mind? I'm not supposed to hear you through these foam walls that's what they're for carrot."

Mara looks up, who does this British cunt think he is?  She moves her drumstick to the other hand and looks up. The first thing she notices is his pink glitter converse, she looks up a bit more and is exposed to his blue bell-bottom jeans and red button-up chemise. Not to mention, long locks of blonde hair covering his shoulders.

"Well I'm sorry am I interrupting your drumming and your ego?"                                                              She looks him up and down, "Blondie."

His blue eyes look her up and down "whatever keep it down 'cause I'm this close to throwing these fucking drumsticks around" He slams the door.

I didn't even get his name, bro thinks he owns the building. Mara looks up at the clock 03:24, she grabs her backpack and says goodbye to her drums for the weekend.

The bell rings and halls start to fill themselves with students excited to go home and recharge for Monday.

She pushes herself through the crowd to get to her locker with Helter Skelter still fresh in her mind. She opens her locker and puts her drumsticks in there, one falls out and rolls all the way to the brown backpack at the end of the hallway.

She closes her locker door as she sees the backpack being picked up. you got to be kidding me. She looks back into her locker "pink glitter fucking converse, fuck me" Her locker door slams closed. It's him. "Hey I have a name and no thank you I'm not that kind of guy." 

merde, I said that out loud. "Well, what kinda guy are you then?" He spins her drumstick in his hands "The kind of guy who runs across the hallway to give someone's drumstick back, even tho they're very loud and kinda a shit drummer."  

Mara snatches the drumstick out of his hands. "Very funny goodbye see you Monday."

He calls after her: "Don't you wanna know the name of the guy who just saved your entire drum career?" 

She stops walking.

"It's Roger, Roger Taylor."

She thinks for a bit and turns around "Mara."

She turns around and starts walking again

"That's all I get, just Mara?"

"That's all you need to know."

She presses snooze and turns back around...

Mara's alarm clock rings.

Monday morning 6am.

RING RING

The phone by her nightstand rings, she turns around and looks at the phone not sure if she wants to answer it or not.

RING RING

It starts to get to her so she picks up the phone "Hello"

There's a pause

"Hello Carrot!"

She sits up "How the fuck did you get my number?!"

"Not important I was just wondering why you aren't here"

she rolls her eyes "Blondie I swear you could do this at school why would you-"

He interrupts her.

"Well let's just say I meant school and class started an hour ago so you missed your first period and maybe even your second"

She looks over at her alarm clock 9:30am.

FUCK. "Well I'm not coming today and I don't see how that's any of your business."

He laughs, "You might wanna be here cause I just put my name down for Battle of the drumbeat"

Her eyes widen, that's the reason she wanted to go to music school in the first place.

Battle of the drumbeat is epic and it's the first opportunity to give herself a name.

She's thinking so much that her mind has tuned out Roger's rambling.

"Well you know I've been playing like since forever in a band even called Smile you probably know about us-"

She hangs up.

I have to go to school and write myself in, I don't need a band to succeed. I can do this on my own.

She throws on a quik jumper, jeans and sneakers & heads out the door.

She runs into the building on her way to the announcement board, looking trough the endless flyers she sees a silver paper with stars on it.

I only have 2 weeks?!?

Battle of the drumbeat!

April 20th 1969, 7pm

JOIN US HERE ☟︎︎︎

She looks at the names, and there he was, taking up 3 lines of the fucking paper.

Roger Taylor.

She writes her name above his and starts running to her class.

She opens the door and sees a blonde dude with safety glasses sitting in her usual spot.

Why the fuck is he here he isn't even a freshman he's a junior.

She sighs, "I can't Mister there's a junior in my seat."

Her professor looks at her confused

"Mara everything alright? Please go sit down"

"Well go with next to him he isn't contagious and he doesn't bite."

He smirks to her while she walks over.

"Hi lab partner ready to do this project?"

You got to be kidding me.

"Hi. Blondie."

It was dead silent the rest of the class.

She opens up her locker when she hears someone whistling California Dreaming.

It's him.

"Carrot I saw you signed up for Battle of the drumbeat, good luck"

She rolls her eyes. Why does he care so much about what I do?

"Okey do you have like a crush on me or something?"

he laughs, "Yeah no not exactly my type unless I'm yours, then maybe you could be."

She shakes her head while closing her locker

"Keep dreaming Blondie"

She starts walking thinking about what he said. If she was honest he is her type. the long blonde hair the blue eyes & the clothing style, not to mention that British accent that makes everything sound lighter but also heavier when it's needed.

He was exactly her type.

Mara stares at her reflection in the window above her while she lies on her bed. She stares at her hair while her hands go through it. 

carrot, yeah right. she laughs and turns around when she hears the phone ring.

"Hello this is Mara"

"Hello, carrot! I was calling 'cause you forgot something I picked up for you recently."

she starts thinking, he picked up... for me? Also, i still don't know how he got my number.

"Roger I don't follow"

"Oh look at that you called me by my name, don't get your hopes up love, you're still carrot to me-"

"Blondie. get to the point. I have better stuff to do."

"Alright Jesus Christ is my timing inappropriate, is it the wrong time of the month or something?"

Mara rolls her eyes, why do men always have to, like- be like that?!

"Well find out for yourself 'cause if you don't tell me right now I'll shove this fucking telephone RIGHT UP YOUR ASSHOLE."

"Calm down carrot calm down no need to assault me, it's just that I noticed your drumsticks were still in your practice room, you know the ones in the little jar by the tiny balcony?"

How does he know that those are the drumsticks I take home with me-

Her thinking is disrupted by him calling her name, well you know what I mean by name.

"Carrot you still there?"

"Yeah, ehm, what about them?"

"Well since we only have two weeks until Battle of the Beat I thought you might need them, so..."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Can you come, and get them?"

Get them???? Does he mean like at his house?

"You mean like, come to your house?"

"mhm, now don't get it twisted a lot of ladies enter this cave but it's not like that"

"A cave? You call your house a cave?"

Of course, he does, he may look like a young adult man but I swear his IQ is that of a 10-year-old.

"Yeah, what? The first houses were literal caves so why would you find that-"

"Blondie, just give me the address."

"Alright alright, it's Winchester Street 375"

"Cool but two rules: one, I'm not coming in and two, you better not be standing outside already waiting like some old grandpa judging people from his veranda."

"Got it carrot, see you in 10!"

"See ya"

Mara jumps out her van and starts walking towards the blue door.

She knocks three times.

She waits in agony but after a solid 5 minutes of waiting, nobody opens.

She knocks again a bit louder this time.

She hears a voice from inside the house, it's a woman.

"Roger there's someone at the door?"

She hears someone running down the stairs.

"That must be Mara, just stay up there love it won't take long"

He calls me by my real name? She stares at the door hoping she can somehow open it with her staring.

The door opens,

"Hey carrot! Let me get your sticks!"

Mara looks him up and down with wide eyes.

Couldn't he atleast put a shirt on? Does he know I still have to see him after this?

As he turns around she notices his backmuscles.

He might be an little prick but I can see why he has got girls in his bed. It's not like IQ or speaking is involved in those activities.

Mara's thoughts don't let her hear Roger calling her name.

"Hey carrot?"

"Carrot your sticks?"

He pushes the sticks in her hands, "Mara."

She snaps back into reality.

"Oh thanks, see you at school."

She starts to walk back to her van when  a sudden thought stops her.

"You know, we're even now."

Roger laughs, "what do you mean?"

Mara turns around facing him.

"I stopped calling you Blondie once, you stopped calling me Carrot."

He smirks "and why is that- is that like relevant?"

Mara smirks "I'd say we drop the nicknames Blondie."

Roger goes trough his hair "Alright fine, Mara."

They hear someone coming down the stairs "Roger you alright?"

it's the girl Mara heard talking when she rang the doorbell.

"Roger who is this love?"

Roger looks down, almost embarrassed.

"Right, This is Mara, Mara this is Crystal."

"Cheryl."

"Right Cheryl my bad."

She looks Mara up and down

"Are you next hun?"

Mara looks at Roger and laughs

"Yeah no definitely not, I don't think i'l ever even be on the waiting list."

Roger covers his mouth to hide his smile "yeah no Cheryl, it's not like that."

Mara looks down to hide her laugh

"Anyways, thank you for the sticks see you at school. Bye Roger, nice to meet you Cheryl."

"Bye Mara" Roger closes the door.

Mara walks back to her van.

"I don't think I'd ever even be on the waiting list?" What the fuck Mara...

It sounds like you want to be but don't think you can be- Fucking idiot.

[phases--ofthemoon]

Lonely Harte (Damon x OC) CH.1

SUTTON'S POV

“Hey Sutton I need you on bar tonight!” Sam my Manager said as I walked through the back door of The Cellar. I had been hoping for a shot at bartender but had mostly been serving downstairs in the restaurant area since I started. Suddenly I was nervous I really didn’t want to screw anything up on my first bar shift. Sam could see my anxiety starting to spike and he smiled. “Don’t worry you’ll be with Eli, you’ll be fine. Really you’ll be his extra set of hands so he doesn’t get in the weeds if we get busy.”

I nodded and felt my anxiousness subside a little. Thank God I was working with Eli. The man had a true talent behind the bar plus I didn’t think he’d really need my help but at least I could watch him and hopefully learn a thing or two.

I headed up the stairs and pulled up my long wavy sandy blonde hair out of my face into a high pony tail. Once upstairs I headed straight to the bar, Eli was behind the large wooden bar talking to the few bodies scattered around it. He smiled brightly at two young woman across from him, his tall muscular frame leaning over them from the other side of the bar. They marveled at him which was the usual reaction from most woman. He was a great bartender but him being gorgeous definitely helped his tips.

I stepped behind the bar surveying the scene as I waited for him to step away from the girls. He glanced over noticing me and I smiled and waved. He quickly said something to the girls before turning and walking over to me. Eli was a very attractive man, he was in his mid twenties was very fit, his bright white teeth contrasted nicely against his dark skin and he had beautiful emerald eyes. If I was looking to date he would definitely be a contender but I wasn’t looking for anything like that right now. Plus he had plenty of options I doubted I was on his list anyways.

“So Sam sent you as help huh?” He asked amusement in his eyes and a smile pulling at his lips.

“Yeah, guess you’re stuck with me tonight. Sorry.” I shrugged and smiled back.

“What a bummer.” He said with light hearted sarcasm.

“I have to be honest I haven’t trained on bar much. So not sure how helpful I’ll be.” I laughed.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll show you the ropes.” He winked and I smiled and rolled my eyes. Eli was such a flirt.

True to his word Eli had been a great teacher, in his down time he showed me where everything was, went over the basic bartending rules, how to pour the draft beer correctly and even how to make a few popular drinks. Thankfully I was already familiar with the computer system so I was able to start and close tabs fairly easily which helped him out when more people came and went.

Around ten Eli told me I could go ahead and take the next customers he said he was right there if I had any questions but I knew he just wanted to go flirt with the same girls who hadn’t left their spot and were now on their fourth drink.

I smiled and went back to rinsing glasses and placing them in the dirty rack and restacking the clean glasses. When I finished my last glass a handsome man who looked to be in his mid thirties sat down, I glanced over at Eli who nodded at me to go ahead and take him.

“What can I get for you?” I asked. He looked up at me and gave a polite smile but his dark blue eyes looked a little sad.

“Bourbon please, neat.” He said.

“We have Wild Turkey, Jim Bean, Evan Williams, Makers?” Eli made it a point to tell me to try to upswell when possible. Don’t give them well Liqour unless they ask for it specifically.

“Wild turkey’s fine. Actually make that two.” He said looking off to his right. I nodded and grabbed two low ball glasses pouring the amber liquid in them making sure I measured correctly. I sat them in front of him at the bar and he handed me his credit card. “Just keep it open.” He smiled.

“Will do.” I said returning his smile.

I successfully opened his tab noticing the name on his card, Alaric Sultzman. What an interesting name. Since everyone was good for the moment I took the opportunity to check my phone. Carliegh texted me asking if I wanted to meet her and Mira at the Grill when I got off. They said they were playing pool with some cuties and were deep in some whiskey sours. I told them I’d let them know when I was off and would meet them if they were still there.

As I looked up a man was sitting down next to Alaric. I had to do a double take at him. He was about six foot, he had lean muscles I could see from under his black t-shirt and he had the strongest jawline I’d ever seen. He looked maybe early to mid twenties, it was hard to tell. His black hair was a little disheveled and he had a light skin tone. I swallowed and made sure my mouth was closed, this man didn’t need to see me gaping at him that would be extremely embarrassing.

I looked anywhere else, scanning the bar but eyes kept drifting back to him. This was new I had never been this instantly attracted to someone before. I kept myself busy around the bar hoping Eli would tell me he didn’t need me soon since it was emptying out a bit so I could meet up with the girls.

“Excuse me.” I heard and my head snapped in the direction it came from, Alaric was beckoning me and now the icy blue eyes of the insanely good looking stranger were also on me. I felt heat flush to my face and tried my best to hide it with a smile as I walked over to the men. I tried my best to focus solely on Alaric so I wouldn’t get too flustered.

“Yes sir.” I said stopping in front of them.

“Another round please.” Alaric said.

“You should just make it the whole bottle.” My eyes landed on the stranger next to Alaric as he spoke wearing a smirk while his eyes were looking into mine intently and for a moment I felt lost in them.

Eli appeared behind me his hands on my shoulders almost startling me. “Damon, Ric.” He said looking at the men. His name was Damon… “Good to see y’all, I got a bottle of something special for y’all.” He said and quickly disappeared and I politely smiled at the men.

“Guess Eli’s got y’all covered.” I said and stepped away trying to control my breathing. Jesus this was embarrassing. I took the opportunity to take the dirty rack of glasses downstairs to the dishwasher. I glanced back at the two men and Damon’s eyes were on me with an unreadable expression. I quickly hurried down the steps and toward the kitchen away from his gaze.

When I returned with a clean rack of glasses I kept my eyes straight ahead as I headed back behind the bar. Out of the corner of my eye I could tell Alaric and Damon were still there. Eli was chatting with them laughing about something. I felt eyes on me again as I sat the rack down I tentatively looked up seeing all three men looking my way. “Hey Sutton come here.” Eli called.

Sucking in a deep breath I walked over not sure what to expect of this encounter. “I wanted to formally introduce you to my two best customers.” Eli laughed. “Alaric Sultzman and Damon Salvatore.” I smiled at both of them politely trying to be normal. I was sure my cheeks were bright red at this point. “And this is my brightest trainee Sutton Harte.” Eli said grinning at me with his hand on the small of my back. I was surprised by the contact but wasn’t weirded out by it necessarily. It was probably just the way he was, naturally flirty and all.

“Hi, nice to meet you both.” I said. Alaric smiled back at me pleasantly. I saw something flash in Damon’s eyes as he glanced at Eli’s hand still resting on me. Quickly he recovered and he smiled.

“Pleasure to meet you Sutton.” Damon said with a sexy smirk. His eyes glanced to Eli like he was gaging his reaction. Weird.

“Eliiiiiii!“ One of the drunk girls shouted giving him her best pouty lips.

“Duty calls.” He said smirking and stepped away from us. I just rolled my eyes and smiled, typical Eli.

“So are you new to town?” Alaric casually asked sipping his drink.

“Not new new. I’m not really from here, but I go to the university here. I’m a junior. I transferred here last spring.” I said.

“How’re you liking it? I’ve been looking at potentially teaching there. I teach history over at the high school now.” Alaric responded.

“Oh I love it. It’s definitely smaller than my previous school but that was one of the reasons I came here.” They didn’t need to know it was because I didn’t have the money to stay at the larger university I had been at. “They have a lot of good programs too.” I finished and Alaric nodded and smiled.

“So what’re you studying?” Damon asked bringing my attention back to him and those insanely blue eyes of his.

“Right now Business.”

“Right now?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

I laughed nervously. “Yeah.. I’ve changed my major a few times. I know as a junior I should have more of an idea what I wanna do but I don’t.” Damon’s expression seemed intrigued and Alaric nodded understandingly.

“Don’t worry you still have plenty of time to figure it all out. It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do.” Alaric gave me a reassuring smile.

“Thanks.” I smiled back.

“Don’t worry I still haven’t figured out what I want to do either.” Damon smirked and Alaric rolled his eyes.

“Glad I’m not alone.” I smiled. Eli came back over checking the time on his phone.

“Hey Sutton you can go ahead and head out if you want. I think I’ll be good till close since it’s a week night.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah I’m good.”

“Okay awesome!” I chirped.

“That eager to leave huh? Please tell me I’m not that bad of a trainer..” Eli joked.

“No no, of course not.” I laughed. “My roommates are over at the Grill they wanted me to meet up with them if I got off in time.”

“Ahh Gotcha. Well have fun and thanks for tonight. You did great.” He said his eyes lingering on me longer than usual.

“Thanks for all your help & training me.” He nodded and smiled.

I turned back to Damon and Alaric. “Nice to meet y’all. I’m sure I’ll see you guys around. Have a good night..”

“Have a good night.” Alaric said back and Damon tipped his glass to me as I walked by and headed downstairs toward the exit.

I was especially thankful I had another shirt in my car. I quickly texted the girls and headed down the street toward the Grill.

DAMON’S POV

For whatever reason this tiny blonde bartender in front of me captured my attention. I hadn’t noticed her when I first sat down it wasn’t until Ric had called her over asking for another round that my eyes landed on the petite girl. She was pretty, not in an in your face kinda way but pretty none the less and her ass looked pretty good in the jeans she was wearing.

That wasn’t what caught my curiosity though. I had seen my fair share of attractive woman but it was something else about this girl that intrigued me. Her voice was soft and smooth with a hint of a southern accent, I had to admit it was kind of cute. Kind of. Her eyes were warm like honey and she seemed a little flustered by me which wasn’t a shock, a lot of woman felt that way but I was amused by her and her reactions to me.

I couldn’t put my finger on why when Eli’s hand had rested on the small of her back it annoyed me. She didn’t seem like the type of girl to be with someone as big of a play boy as Eli. The man was busier than I was. But that was also because of Elena…

When Sutton bounced out of the bar I felt a twinge of disappointment which was also very strange. Once she was gone I felt Ric’s eyes one me.

“What?” Said without looking at him.

“She’s cute.”

“I think she’s a little young for you Ric.” I said looking at him as I took another sip of my drink.

He rolled his eyes. “You know I didn’t mean for me.”

“You know I’ve sworn off woman at the moment.” I said casually.

“You mean woman not named Elena?” I glared at him now.

“Careful Ric.” I said narrowing my eyes at him. It was a totally fucked up situation. I was in love with my brother’s girl. He had left her here making a deal with Klaus to save my life and I spent my summer helping her track him down. Now Stefan was back, Elena still loved him and wanted to be with him, Klaus was around and I was somewhere in the middle of all this bullshit trying to keep my brother in check for the girl we both love.

I knew deep down Elena felt something for me I could feel it this summer, there were moments and glimpses but that’s all they were and she kept them buried especially now that Stefan was back. Being number two to Stefan was something I’d grown to be familiar with, to our father, to Katherine and now to Elena.

“I’m calling it a night.” Ric said after a little while signaling to Eli to close out his tab. I nodded and finished my drink as well. We both got up heading down the stairs and out of the building.

“Look Damon, I’m not trying to be dick here but maybe for now at least you should just give the whole Elena thing a rest. I know how much you care about her I do—“

“Ric.” I stopped him mid sentence, we weren’t doing this not tonight. I couldn’t do this and I wouldn’t. “You’re my best friend but if you don’t stop right there—“ he raised his hands and gave me a pointed look before turning around and heading to his car and I did the same.

I didn’t really want to go home but I didn’t want to go back The Cellar either since it was pretty deserted. Stefan would no doubt be brooding at home and I was avoiding Elena since she was in full put Stefan back together mode. I decided to head over to the Grill maybe a few more drinks might help me pass the time.

Going to finally start sharing this story I've been working on for a long time. Please let me know what you think! I have about 20k words already written for this so i'll be releasing chapters as I polish them up. Thanks for reading <;3

[ellanvedaherbals]

An Ayurvedic PCD Pharma Franchise provides you with the unique chance to distribute Ayurvedic products under an established brand’s name. This model ensures that you have access to a wide range of herbal products, marketing support, and monopoly rights in your region. Let’s explore how partnering with an Ayurvedic PCD Company in Panchkula can be your ticket to business success.

[talent4ucompany]

Exploring Digital Marketing Careers in Cambodia: Trends, Salaries, and Opportunities

As Cambodia’s digital landscape evolves, so does the demand for skilled digital marketing professionals. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, understanding the current trends and salary expectations in the field of digital marketing Cambodia is crucial for making informed career decisions. In this article, we’ll delve into the dynamic world of digital marketing careers, explore salary trends, and highlight the best opportunities available in Cambodia.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing encompasses a range of online strategies aimed at promoting products, services, or brands. This field includes various activities such as:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Content Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Email Marketing

Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

Affiliate Marketing

The goal of digital marketing is to engage potential customers through digital channels and drive conversions. Understanding the definition of digital marketing and its components can help you grasp its impact on modern business practices.

Digital Marketing Jobs in Cambodia

The rise of digital platforms has led to an increasing demand for digital marketing professionals in Cambodia. Here are some key roles within this field:

Digital Marketing Manager Oversees marketing campaigns, manages digital channels, and analyzes performance metrics to optimize strategies.

SEO Specialist Focuses on improving website visibility on search engines through keyword research, content optimization, and link-building strategies.

Social Media Manager Manages social media accounts, creates content, and engages with audiences to build brand presence online.

Content Marketer Develops and manages content strategies to attract and retain customers, including blog posts, videos, and infographics.

PPC Specialist Manages paid advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and social media, aiming to drive targeted traffic and conversions.

Digital Marketing Salary Trends in Cambodia

The salary for digital marketing jobs in Cambodia varies depending on the role, experience, and company. Here’s an overview of what you can expect:

Digital Marketing Manager: Typically earns between $1,500 and $3,000 per month, depending on experience and the scope of responsibilities.

SEO Specialist: Generally earns between $800 and $1,500 per month.

Social Media Manager: Can expect a salary range of $700 to $1,500 per month.

Content Marketer: Often makes between $600 and $1,200 per month.

PPC Specialist: Usually earns between $700 and $1,500 per month.

Digital marketing Cambodia salary can be competitive, especially for roles requiring specialized skills or those working with international companies. Salaries also reflect the growing importance of digital marketing in the Cambodian economy.

Trends and Opportunities in Digital Marketing

As we move into 2024, several trends are shaping the digital marketing landscape in Cambodia:

Increased Focus on Mobile Optimization: With the rise in mobile device usage, businesses are prioritizing mobile-friendly websites and ads.

Growth of E-Commerce: Online shopping continues to grow, leading to more opportunities for digital marketers in e-commerce.

Advancements in Digital Advertising: Technologies such as AI and machine learning are enhancing advertising strategies, making it essential for marketers to stay updated on the latest tools.

Emphasis on Data-Driven Marketing: Leveraging data analytics to personalize marketing efforts and measure campaign effectiveness is becoming more prevalent.

For those looking to break into the field, digital marketing job openings in Cambodia are plentiful, especially with companies seeking professionals who can drive their online growth.

Benefits of Digital Marketing Careers

Working in digital marketing offers numerous benefits, including:

Dynamic Work Environment: The field is always evolving, providing continuous learning opportunities.

Creativity and Innovation: Digital marketing allows professionals to experiment with new strategies and creative solutions.

High Demand: As businesses continue to invest in online marketing, the demand for skilled professionals remains strong.

Finding Digital Marketing Jobs in Cambodia

To find the best digital marketing Cambodia jobs, consider exploring job websites such as Talent4U, Khmer24, and CamHR. These platforms offer a range of listings for various roles, from entry-level positions to senior management roles.

Additionally, leveraging professional networks and recruitment agencies specializing in digital marketing can help you discover opportunities and gain insights into the job market.

Conclusion

[experion]

Buy Property in Gurgaon | Experion

Gurgaon has rapidly evolved into one of India’s premier real estate destinations. With its robust infrastructure, flourishing business environment, and modern lifestyle amenities, Gurgaon presents an attractive investment proposition. When considering buying property in Gurgaon, Experion stands out as a developer synonymous with quality, innovation, and trust. Here’s why investing in property in Gurgaon by Experion is a wise decision.

Strategic Location and Connectivity Gurgaon enjoys a strategic location adjacent to the national capital, Delhi. Its proximity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, coupled with excellent connectivity through major highways like the NH-8 and the Dwarka Expressway, makes it a prime location for both residential and commercial real estate. Experion properties are strategically located to leverage these connectivity advantages, ensuring that residents and businesses can easily access key destinations within the NCR.

Booming Commercial Hub Gurgaon is a thriving commercial hub, hosting numerous multinational corporations, IT giants, and Fortune 500 companies. This business-friendly environment not only drives economic growth but also creates a high demand for residential properties to accommodate the burgeoning workforce. Experion’s property in Gurgaon, like The Heartsong and The Windchants, caters to this demand by offering modern, well-planned residential spaces that appeal to professionals seeking a comfortable and convenient living experience.

High-Quality Infrastructure The real estate market in Gurgaon is characterized by high-quality infrastructure. Experion is renowned for its commitment to delivering projects that meet international standards. From state-of-the-art construction techniques to sustainable building practices, Experion ensures that its projects are built to last. This focus on quality infrastructure not only enhances the living experience but also ensures long-term value appreciation for investors.

Modern Lifestyle Amenities If you buy property in Gurgaon by Experion, it is designed to offer a luxurious lifestyle with a host of modern amenities. Residents can enjoy facilities such as swimming pools, well-equipped gyms, landscaped gardens, sports facilities, and clubhouses. These amenities are thoughtfully integrated into Experion’s projects to promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle, making them highly attractive to homebuyers and investors alike.

Strong Rental Demand Gurgaon’s status as a commercial powerhouse creates a strong demand for rental properties. Professionals working in the numerous corporate offices and tech parks prefer to live close to their workplaces. Experion’s properties, with their strategic locations and high-quality amenities, are in high demand among tenants. This translates to attractive rental yields for investors, ensuring a steady income stream.

Appreciation Potential Gurgaon’s real estate market has shown consistent appreciation over the years. The ongoing infrastructure developments, such as the expansion of metro connectivity and the construction of new expressways, are set to further boost property values. If you buy property in Gurgaon by Experion, it offers significant potential for capital appreciation, making it a sound long-term investment.

Community Living Experion’s property in Gurgaon is designed to foster a sense of community. With well-planned layouts, ample green spaces, and recreational facilities, these properties encourage social interactions and a sense of belonging among residents.

Buying property in Gurgaon by Experion is an investment in a bright future. The strategic location, high-quality infrastructure, and modern amenities make Experion properties highly desirable. Whether you are a homebuyer looking for a comfortable and luxurious living space or an investor seeking attractive returns, Experion’s properties in Gurgaon offer the perfect blend of value and quality. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of Gurgaon’s growth story with Experion.

[businessmarketplace]

Top Business Investment Opportunities for 2024: Emerging Trends and Sectors

As we enter 2024, the business landscape continues to evolve rapidly, presenting numerous investment opportunities across various sectors. Investors looking to capitalize on these trends must stay informed about the latest developments and emerging markets. Here are some top business investment opportunities 2024, highlighting the most promising trends and sectors.

Green Energy and Sustainability

The push towards sustainable practices and renewable energy continues to gain momentum. Governments and corporations worldwide are increasingly committed to reducing carbon emissions and embracing green technologies. Investment opportunities in this sector include:

Solar and wind energy projects.

Energy storage solutions.

Companies developing innovative sustainable technologies.

With the growing demand for clean energy, investing in green energy and sustainability can yield significant returns while contributing to a more sustainable future.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are transforming industries by enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and driving innovation. AI applications are becoming integral to business operations, from manufacturing and healthcare to finance and customer service. Investors can explore opportunities in AI startups, automation software, robotics, and machine learning. As these technologies evolve, businesses that harness AI and automation will likely gain a competitive edge, making this sector a lucrative investment choice.

Biotechnology and Healthcare

The biotechnology and healthcare sectors have been at the forefront of innovation, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Advances in personalized medicine, gene editing, telehealth, and medical devices are creating new investment avenues. Companies that develop novel therapies, vaccines, and healthcare technologies are desirable. Additionally, the aging global population drives demand for healthcare services and products, ensuring sustained growth in this sector.

Financial Technology (Fintech)

Fintech continues to revolutionize the financial services industry by offering innovative solutions that enhance convenience, security, and accessibility. Digital payments, blockchain technology, online lending platforms, and personal finance management apps are just a few areas within fintech that present exciting investment opportunities. As consumers and businesses increasingly adopt digital financial services, the fintech sector is poised for significant growth, making it a compelling choice for investors.

E-commerce and Digital Marketplaces

The e-commerce sector has experienced unprecedented growth, accelerated by the global pandemic. Online shopping, digital marketplaces, and direct-to-consumer brands thrive as consumer preferences shift towards convenience and digital engagement. Investing in e-commerce platforms, logistics solutions, and digital marketing technologies can yield substantial returns. Additionally, niche markets and subscription-based business models within e-commerce offer unique investment opportunities.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Autonomous Transportation

The automotive industry has been transformed by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous transportation technologies. Governments are implementing stricter emissions regulations, prompting automakers to accelerate the development and adoption of EVs. Investment opportunities abound in EV manufacturing, battery technology, charging infrastructure, and autonomous driving software. As the shift towards sustainable and autonomous transportation gains momentum, this sector offers significant growth potential.

Cybersecurity

With the increasing reliance on digital technologies and the rise in cyber threats, cybersecurity has become a critical concern for businesses and governments. The demand for robust cybersecurity solutions is growing, creating investment opportunities in companies that provide security software, threat detection, and data protection services. Investing in cybersecurity firms can offer substantial returns as cyber threats evolve while addressing a vital need in the digital age.

Real Estate Technology (PropTech)

The real estate industry is experiencing a digital transformation through PropTech, which encompasses innovative technologies that improve how real estate is bought, sold, managed, and utilized. From intelligent buildings and IoT-enabled property management to virtual reality tours and blockchain-based transactions, PropTech is reshaping the real estate landscape. Investing in PropTech startups and platforms can yield attractive returns as the real estate industry embraces digital innovation.

EdTech and Online Learning

The education sector is significantly shifting towards online learning and digital education tools. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote learning, and the demand for flexible, accessible, and engaging educational content continues to grow. EdTech companies that provide online courses, learning management systems, and educational software offer promising investment opportunities. As the education sector adapts to the digital age, EdTech is poised for sustained growth.

Consumer Goods and Wellness

The consumer goods and wellness sector is evolving to meet changing consumer preferences for health, wellness, and sustainability. Products that promote healthy lifestyles, organic foods, fitness technologies, and wellness apps are gaining popularity. Investing in companies that align with these trends can be highly profitable. Additionally, the increasing focus on mental health and well-being creates opportunities for businesses offering related products and services.

As we navigate through 2024, these emerging trends and sectors present some of the most promising business investment opportunities. By staying informed and strategically investing in these areas, investors can capitalize on the growth potential while contributing to advancing innovative and sustainable solutions. Whether green energy, AI, biotech, fintech, or other burgeoning sectors, the key to successful investing lies in understanding the market dynamics and aligning with forward-looking trends.

[dugrosleatherindia]

Challenges and Opportunities for Leather Goods Manufacturers in India

India has long been a global leader in leather production and leather goods manufacturing, supplying high-quality products to international markets. The leather industry in India holds a significant place in the economy, providing employment to millions and contributing substantially to the nation's exports. However, this industry is also grappling with numerous challenges that range from increased competition to ethical sourcing and environmental regulations. At the same time, there are abundant opportunities that manufacturers can tap into by embracing innovation, focusing on sustainability, and expanding into new markets. In this article, we’ll explore the main challenges and opportunities for leather goods manufacturers in India.

Importance of Leather Goods Manufacturing in India

The leather industry in India plays a vital role in the country's economic landscape. With a growing presence in both domestic and international markets, India is a key player in leather goods exports. Cities like Kolkata have emerged as major manufacturing hubs, with several leather goods manufacturer in Kolkata making a name for themselves globally. The industry also supports an extensive supply chain, with numerous leather goods suppliers spread across the nation.

Challenges Faced by Leather Goods Manufacturers in India

While the leather industry in India holds great promise, it faces several challenges that impede growth. From global competition to rising costs and sustainability concerns, manufacturers are under pressure to adapt to changing market dynamics.

High Competition in the Global Market

India faces stiff competition from countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Leather goods manufacturers in India need to constantly innovate to compete with these nations, which often offer lower-cost alternatives and faster production times. To stay competitive, Indian manufacturers must focus on superior quality, craftsmanship, and competitive pricing.

Environmental Concerns and Ethical Sourcing

In recent years, consumers have become more conscious of the ethical and environmental impact of the products they purchase. This has pushed many manufacturers to adopt practices that prioritize sustainability. The demand for ethically sourced leather goods is rising, and Indian manufacturers must comply with international standards to maintain their market position. Meeting stringent environmental regulations can be costly, but it's essential for long-term growth.

Fluctuating Raw Material Costs

Raw material prices, especially for leather, are prone to fluctuations due to various factors such as global demand, availability, and currency exchange rates. This unpredictability puts significant strain on manufacturers, making it difficult to maintain stable pricing. Both large-scale and small-scale leather goods manufacturer businesses are affected, and many struggle to absorb these costs without compromising on quality.

Skill Shortages and Labor Issues

One of the key challenges facing the industry is the shortage of skilled labor. While India has a rich history of leather craftsmanship, finding artisans with the expertise to meet modern demands is becoming increasingly difficult. Moreover, addressing labor rights and ensuring good working conditions are crucial for manufacturers who wish to maintain a positive reputation in international markets.

Lack of Advanced Technology and Innovation

The leather industry in India has traditionally relied on manual processes, but to remain competitive globally, manufacturers must embrace technological advancements. Modern machinery and automation can increase production efficiency and consistency while reducing costs. The integration of sustainable practices and eco-friendly production methods is also gaining traction among progressive leather goods manufacturers in India.

Opportunities for Growth

Despite these challenges, there are numerous opportunities for leather goods manufacturers to thrive in India’s dynamic marketplace. By focusing on product innovation, customization, and exploring new markets, manufacturers can turn challenges into opportunities.

Rising Demand for Custom Leather Products

One of the biggest opportunities for growth lies in the demand for custom leather goods. Many consumers today seek unique, personalized products, leading to increased demand for custom leather goods manufacturers. Offering customization options can set manufacturers apart from competitors and attract high-value customers.

Increasing Export Potential

India's leather goods industry has immense potential for export growth. Leather goods exporter companies are expanding their reach to new markets, including regions like the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The rise in demand for bulk exporters in fine leather goods opens up lucrative opportunities for manufacturers who can produce in large quantities while maintaining high standards of quality.

Opportunities for Innovation and Product Development

Innovation is key to maintaining relevance in the global market. Focusing on leather goods product development, such as eco-friendly leather alternatives or innovative designs, can help manufacturers appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Technological Advancements in Leather Manufacturing

Technology plays an increasingly important role in leather goods manufacturing. Automation and advanced production methods can streamline operations and reduce costs, while also improving product consistency. Moreover, eco-friendly innovations are paving the way for sustainable leather production, which is becoming a critical selling point in global markets.

Expansion Opportunities for Leather Goods Manufacturers in India

The expansion of e-commerce platforms and the growing popularity of online retail provide new avenues for leather goods manufacturers to reach a wider audience. Indian manufacturers, particularly those in Kolkata, have the potential to expand globally by capitalizing on this trend.

Growth in E-commerce and Online Retail

The rise of e-commerce platforms has significantly lowered entry barriers for manufacturers looking to sell their products globally. This trend provides leather goods manufacturer in Kolkata and other regions the opportunity to connect with a larger customer base and explore international markets.

Focus on Quality and Design

To thrive in today's market, manufacturers must place a strong emphasis on quality and unique design elements. In a market crowded with mass-produced goods, differentiation through design and craftsmanship can set manufacturers apart. Focusing on leather goods product development with an emphasis on innovation, design, and sustainability is essential for long-term success.

The Role of Leather Goods Manufacturers in Kolkata and Other Key Hubs

Kolkata, a prominent manufacturing hub for leather goods, plays a critical role in India's leather industry. The city is home to many leading leather goods manufacturers in Kolkata who contribute to both the domestic and export markets. With skilled artisans and well-established supply chains, Kolkata has become a key player in the global leather goods industry.

Export Potential for Indian Leather Goods

India's leather goods export market is poised for growth, with increasing demand from countries worldwide. Leather goods exporters in Kolkata and across India have the opportunity to expand into new markets, capitalizing on India's reputation for quality leather products.

Collaboration with Leather Goods Suppliers in India

Working with reliable leather goods suppliers is crucial for maintaining quality and meeting demand. Strong partnerships with leather goods suppliers in India can ensure that manufacturers have access to high-quality materials, helping them maintain their competitive edge.

Conclusion

The leather goods manufacturing industry in India faces significant challenges, but with these challenges come opportunities for growth and expansion. By focusing on innovation, sustainability, and maintaining high-quality standards, leather goods manufacturers in India can continue to thrive in the global market. As the industry evolves, there will be more opportunities for Indian manufacturers to expand their reach, improve their practices, and solidify their position as global leaders in leather goods production.

FAQs

What are the major challenges faced by leather goods manufacturers in India? The major challenges include global competition, fluctuating raw material costs, environmental and ethical concerns, and a shortage of skilled labor.

How is the Indian leather goods industry addressing environmental concerns? The industry is increasingly adopting sustainable practices and focusing on producing ethically sourced leather goods to meet environmental regulations and consumer demands.

What opportunities exist for leather goods manufacturers in India to expand? Opportunities include expanding into e-commerce, increasing exports, focusing on custom leather goods, and embracing technological advancements.

How does technology impact leather goods manufacturing in India? Technology enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and improves product consistency while supporting sustainable manufacturing practices.

What role does Kolkata play in India's leather goods industry? Kolkata is a significant hub for leather manufacturing, home to several leading leather goods manufacturers in Kolkata, contributing heavily to both domestic and export markets.