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rubix-writings · 4 years ago

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Punisher Pt. 3

Third part of Punisher. I apologize it’s taking me so long to post these, but want to make sure they’re good for you all. Thank you for the support so far!! This is a Chicago PD/Fire imagine with an original character. I don’t own any of the plot points or characters from the show. Also, it doesn’t follow any particular season or sequence in the shows.

Series Summary: Josephine (Jo) never expected to find support and pure love when she left Los Angeles. She ran away to Chicago and was content with living an insignificant, hidden life. But everything changes when she walks into Molly’s to get a job.

Josephine (OC) x Jay Halstead

The italicized lines are internal thoughts of the character.

Warnings: language, mentions of drinking, long (!)

Things are going really well at Molly’s. It’s like falling into step during a choreographed dance. It feels odd to say that I’m comfortable and confident when it’s only my second shift. I’m working with Stella tonight, who to say the least had a lot of fun the night before. When she first walked into the bar she looked as if Casper made a stop in Chicago. At the start of opening she kept her jacket on and slammed down cups of black coffee. Her body seemed to stay in a permanent state hunched over the bar top while she only communicated through slow movements with her fingers. I couldn’t watch her pain any longer, so I used my break to grab a cheeseburger and fries so greasy the oil soaked the paper bag.

“You need to put something solid into your body,” I announce as I plop the white, greased bag on the bar top in front of Stella’s practically limp body. She slowly lifts her head with a deep groan and analyzes the bag.

“I’m a firefighter Jo, my body is a temple. I can’t eat this,” I can’t stop the laugh that escapes my lips.

“Are tequila shots a part of your ‘temple’s’ regimen?” she sniffs the bag and sighs.

“You see, the tequila actually kills all the bacteria in the stomach,” Stella examines the golden fry before taking a bite.

“Be sure to tell your theory to the doctors that come in later, I’m sure they’d love to hear that.”

“I will,” she says with a mouthful of cheeseburger.

Just like magic, Stella is back to her bouncy self. It amazes me how much like Hermann she is, she practically floats around Molly’s. She talks to everyone and makes sure they’re having a good time. Stella sets the tone of the entire bar, bringing life to every inch of the place. It’s nice to watch her interact with others, a part of me is envious of how natural it comes to her. A part of me is, also, envious of her relationship with Kelly. His eyes when he looks at her are filled with unconditional love and the way Stella looks at him when he’s not looking confirms that she feels the same. I’ve never had that… or will have it. The bar top serves its purpose as a closed door to the patrons on the other side, I open it as much as I want and they see what I want them to see. I’m in control.

It’s a busy Friday night, the bar filled quickly. The firemen I met last night stroll in with the same vigor as the night before, obviously hurting a lot less than Stella was a few hours ago. Stella plays it off as if she didn’t have a raging hangover, but Kelly quickly throws her under the bus. Cruz yells as he claims he’s known the truth all along, but Mouch steps in to deny it, leading to Cruz listing out facts about how he knew. I place a few beer bottles in front of the guys, trying not to get involved.

“I’m sorry about them,” Matt says.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. They’re funny,” I smile.

“You don’t have to hear it all day long,” Matt grumbles as he takes a long sip from his beer.

“This is true. I get them in concentrated doses,” I excuse myself to collect empties at the tables scattered around the room. With my hands full I turn to head back to the bar top, but crash into a hard body. I stumble back from the blow and the mystery man swiftly grabs my arms to keep me from falling. Once I get my footing back, he releases my arms.

“Sorry about that. Are you okay?” His voice is like velvet that draws my eyes up to look at his face. Wow. My mind fell into a haze barely registering his question.

“Um, yeah. Thanks,” he smirks at how long it took me to answer his question. Really smooth Jo. “I should get back to work, sorry about running into you,” I walk backwards a few steps, he immediately steps forward keeping the same amount of space between us as before.

“Let me at least help you with those, I’m heading to the bar anyway,” before I could object, his large hand cradles the numerous beer bottles that were once in my hand. Before my brain can spiral about his large hands, I spin and head back to the bar. I silently weave through the customer’s of Molly’s, I needed to get back to my safe zone to hopefully make his charm less effective. He gently places the bottles on the bar top for me to discard, I smile and thank him. Before I can ask for his order, the firemen and Stella welcome him to the bar.

“Hey Jay, haven’t seen you around here in awhile,” Stella mentions.

“Yeah I know. Um have you seen my brother anywhere?” Stella shakes her head no. Brother? I try to seem like I’m not listening while cleaning up behind the bar and get any excuse not to look at him again. One embarrassing moment for tonight is enough. Out of nowhere, Will pops up and slaps Jay on the back. They go in for a quick hug before Will says hi to everyone.

“Hey don’t kill me, but I invited Nat. I know it’s supposed to just be us, but she had a really rough day,” Will whispers, Jay shakes his head to let him know he’s totally fine with it. “Great, thanks man.”

I put two glasses of red wine on the bar top for two women that definitely want to take a firefighter home tonight. After how many women these men turned down the night before I highly doubt they’ll have any luck, but I’m kinda rooting for them.

“Hey Jo,” Will smiles.

“Hi Will,” I say in monotone to mess with him.

“Have you met my brother Jay?” Will slaps Jay’s chest which startles Jay a little, making me smile. Geez, these guys must have gorgeous parents. Will is handsome of course, but Jay...

“We kinda ran into each other actually.” I smirk.

“Oh that’s great, he’s a really good guy. He’s a cop, detective, sorry,” Will corrects himself, Jay is glaring at him.

“I’m not making you a manhattan,” he slaps his hand against the bar top.

“Worth a shot. Can I get a glass of chardonnay and a beer, oh and whatever Jay’s having,” I nod and grab Will his drinks. He slides me his credit card to open a tab then walks off to see Natalie at the table.

“I’m definitely missing something, why does my brother want a manhattan?” Jay finally asks.

“Oh Jay it was great!” Stella jumps in to tell a very colorful version of the events that happened between Will and I. As she finishes up she is swept to the end of the bar to take an order.

“She was drunk last night” I mumble under my breath. Jay smirks, knowing Stella’s retelling was probably fabricated. “What can I get you?” I try to change the subject.

“A beer please,” I nod. “You’re new here Jo?” He phrases it as a question, but it's definitely more of a statement.

“Yeah, started yesterday,” I hand him his beer.

“Thanks. Are you from Chicago?”

“No, LA actually, lived there my whole life,” I lean my forearms on the bar top in front of him.

“Wow, big change.” “Yeah, I don’t know if I thought it all the way through to be honest,” he smiles.

“Well let me tell you if you haven’t figured it out already, snow and winter are incredibly overrated.” “Ah yes, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. I can go back to LA now.” “Glad to be of service,” he shrugs. Jay stayed on the same stoll at the bar for the rest of the night. It was strange how easy it was to talk with him, he offered stories about his job and funny stories about him and Will growing up. It’s so beautiful to have those stories, that he’s gone through life with someone that deeply and come out the other side. I tell him that I don’t have siblings and mostly spent time with my mom when I was young. Jay was quick to offer up Will to fill the void.

“I’ll keep you updated on that,” I laugh.

“Are you and your mom still close?”

“Um no, she… she died about ten years ago,” even though her death happened so long ago it still felt so weird saying it out loud.

“I’m sorry Jo. I lost my mom to cancer a few years back.”

“So you get it,” he nods and offers a somber smile.

It wasn’t till Will and Natalie announced their departure, that Jay made any moves to leave Molly’s. The bar was slowly emptying out as last call was already declared.

“I should head out, it was really nice talking with you Jo,” Jay stands.

“It was really nice talking with you too Jay,” I say sincerely. He smiles wide before making a beeline for the front door. I can’t help but stare until he’s fully out of sight, my cheeks start to hurt from fighting the smile on my face. I tuck my loose hair behind my ear and start grabbing the empty glasses from the bar top.

“Have fun?” Stella questions, I jump slightly not realizing she was standing there.

“Another good night for tips, yeah,” she looks at Kelly who’s the last of the firefighters at the bar.

“Sure, doesn’t hurt that Officer Handsome was here all night either.” “I… I’m going to wash the glasses,” I pick up the large plastic crate with dirty drinking glasses and head to the back where Hermann showed me where the sink was. Stella didn’t mention Jay again, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done, Jay’s blue eyes and the way he got so passionate during a story were ingrained in my mind for the rest of the night.

***

Hermann asked if I could open Molly’s for him the next day as he was running late with paperwork at the firehouse. I had a short shift that night anyway and could use the extra money no matter how little. Hermann told me to meet him at the firehouse to give me the keys since they haven’t been able to cut me my own yet. The firehouse isn’t far from Molly’s, a couple blocks on foot. I prepared myself with my warmest coat for the trek since the wind chill makes Chicago brutally cold. I focus on the sound of my shoes against the wet pavement to take my mind off of how cold I really am.

The firehouse is a ball of color on this cold, dark Chicago day. The plain brick buildings surrounding it emphasize the reds and yellows. It somehow feels untouched by the rest of the city, a true sign of purity. As soon as I walk through the doors of the firehouse I’m met with the sweet smell of food cooking. It’s as if my feet have a mind of their own and take my body towards the magnificent smell’s source. The kitchen was buzzing with people cooking, talking, and playing card games.

“Jo!” Stella yells, “what are you doing here?” she walks over to me, leaving her conversation with Matt and Kelly, who both wave at me.

“I’m here to get the keys from Hermann, do you know where he is?”

“Yeah, he’s in the garage let me take you to him,” I try to argue that it could wait, but Stella insists. “Hermman!” she yells once we get into the garage.

“What?!” he snaps back. She giggles as we both walk towards the outburst. As we turn around the big fire engine, I see why Stella was so insistent about not waiting. “Oh hey, Jo,” he says calmer.

Jay is standing tall with a notepad in front of Hermann. Stella silently excuses herself from the conversation and makes her way back inside. Hermann pays no attention to his surroundings as he’s searching for the three keys I need to open Molly’s.

“Hey,” Jay smiles.

“Hi.”

“Here you go, I labeled them for you so you know what lock they go into. Once you get inside, lock the front door, just in case,” I nod and take the keys from him. The silver keys have thin pieces of masking tape on them with dark blue sharpie stating what they open.

“Thanks, I’ll see you there,” I back away from the men to head back to the bar. Hermann nods and waves.

“Hermann we’re done here right?” Jay asks.

“Yeah, let me know if you find anything,” Hermann states somewhat hopeless. Jay puts away the notepad in his back pocket of his jeans and jogs to catch up to me. The sound of Jay’s thick boots hitting the cement fills the sound of the garage. When he finally catches up to me, he moves ahead to open the door to outside for me.

“So you’re stalking me now?” He jokes.

“Um how did you get to that? Hermann asked me to come here,” Jay quickly fell into step with me, not that it was difficult as he’s much taller than me.

“I was here first,” he says plainly.

“Oh well, with that bulletproof logic…” he laughs.

“You headed to Molly’s?” we stop walking once we get to the sidewalk.

“Yeah, I’m opening today,” Jay slips the keys to his car from his jacket pocket.

“Let me drive you.” “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. It’s only a couple of blocks and you’re working,” I spew out trying to find an excuse that’ll stick.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m parked right here,” he brushes off quickly. I roll my eyes at his back and get into the car. Jay puts the car into gear and sets off towards Molly’s.

“So, is Hermann okay?” I ask since I couldn’t get his hopeless tone out of my head.

“His house was broken into, they didn’t get a lot, just some jewelry and a few Alexa’s. His wife came home which freaked them out and they bolted before they did any real damage.” “Jesus. Poor Hermann. Do you think you’ll find his stuff?” “Probably not, that sort of stuff is so small that they may keep it for themselves instead of pawning it, but we’ll try,” the car is silent for a little while till Jay pulls in front of Molly’s.

“Thanks for the ride.” “Course,” I get out of the car and make my way onto the sidewalk. “Hey Jo,” Jay says out of his rolled down window.

“Hey Jay,” I say while playing with the keys Hermann gave me.

“Are you working late tonight?”

“Not too late, I have a short shift.”

“How about I meet you here later and we get a drink?” Jay says casually. I bite my lip and look down the street in hopes to take my mind off of what he just asked.

“Maybe,” I say as I make eye contact with him again. “See yah Jay.”

“See yah Jo.”

I’m losing control.

#Chicago PD #Chicago Fire #chicago one #chicago fire x reader #chicago fire imagine #chicago pd x imagine #chicago pd imagine #chicago pd x reader #jay halstead #jay halstead x oc #jay halstead x reader #punisher

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marshmallow-phd · 5 years ago

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Watchful Eyes

Part of the EXO Mafia Universe

Genre: Mafia!AU

Pairing: Jongdae x Reader

A/N: I’m so sorry this took so long, Trish, I meant for this to be fluffy, but the story kind of took a turn of its own. I hope you still like it!! (warning: its... long)

If someone were to ask you what you thought the quiet man who came into your work nearly every day to order the same coffee, you would have answered something along the lines of corporate lawyer or director or anything else that came with a large paycheck. His suits were always perfectly tailored to fit his short but strong frame. He never wore the same expensive watch twice. And no, it wasn’t weird that you noticed that. You were always an overly observant person, it wasn’t your fault that your brain picked up on the most minute details. It did, however, take you a bit to understand the need to keep those details to yourself.

You were sure if Rich Man (you knew his name was Kim Jongdae from his debit card that he used to pay each time, but it made you feel less like a creepy stalker if you used a nickname in your head) was aware of how much you’d observed about him, he would never return. And that was the last thing you wanted. You liked seeing him every day, around the same time (approximately eight-thirty in the morning, right after the morning rush). He had become a part of your own routine, your own comfort zone. However, you were never brave enough to make any sort of real conversation with him, no matter how large your crush on him grew.

“If you keep sighing after him like that I’m going to leave your number on a napkin for him,” your co-worker threatened.

You nearly slipped as you were wiping down a table. You hadn’t realized the sound you thought was in your head had been verbalized as you watched him walk down the sidewalk through the big window in the front of the cafe.

“Don’t you dare,” you grumbled through clenched teeth as you straightened up.

Ignoring your co-worker’s cheeky snickers, you headed back to the counter to start cleaning the espresso machine. A shudder ran down your spine at the very thought of your co-worker actually embarrassing you like that. Because while Mr. Kim was Rich Man, you were very much Poor Woman. But this wasn’t a drama. This was real life and rarely did the successful businessman fall for the lowly coffee girl for no reason whatsoever. He’d probably laugh at any attempt you made to get his attention and then leave to never come back. So you stayed in the background. All you would do was continue to observe Rich Man from afar as life continued on its own mundane way.

Your eyes flickered over to the clock for the tenth time within the last minute as if the time would drastically change.

Rich Man hadn’t been by your shop for the past three days. Even though it was perfectly normal for regulars to move on and find new places, this didn’t feel right to you. This didn’t feel like the normal change-up. You couldn’t figure out what it was, but something felt wrong. The clock was ticking closer to his usual walk-in time and you were nervous that this might turn into day four.

As your eyes looked towards the clock for the eleventh time, the bell above the front entrance chimed. You turned to greet the new customer and stopped.

It was him.

But he was different.

The jacket of his suit was gone, leaving only the white button down, tie, and slacks. His black hair wasn’t quite gelled into its usual fashion, a few pieces left askew. What really caught your eye, however, was the still-healing bruise next to his right eye.

Slowly, he approached the counter, wallet already in his hands. He opened his mouth to give you his order, but before you could stop yourself-

“Are you alright?” Immediately, you slapped a hand over your mouth. Stupid, stupid. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.” Instead of scolding you, though, he smiled.

“I’m alright. Thank you for asking.” He handed over his card and you rang up his order without any prompting.

As you handed back the card, you realized what you’d done. “I’m sorry. Again. I should have asked-”

“What you should do is stop apologizing,” he smirked. It was evident that he was in some sort of pain, given the slight grimace behind each movement he made, but he was masking it well. “I wanted my usual anyway.” He looked around the shop. “Do you mind bringing me the order when it's done?”

You shook your head. “Of course not. Please, take a seat. I’ll have it right out for you.”

He smiled at you. Genuinely smiled. “Thank you.” With a slight limp, he made his way over to a table near the front entrance.

I wonder what happened to him... Your mind was racing with all the possibilities. And you were starting to think that maybe, just maybe your earlier assumptions that he worked high up in a legitimate business were incorrect.

Pushing the negative thoughts away, you got started on his simple coffee order. You tended to pride yourself on your observation of character and Rich Man - no, Jongdae, you’d already passed social graces and asked him a personal question, you might as well revert to his real name - always seemed like a good person. He was kind both to you, the other workers here and any other patrons he passed along the way. Could a man like that really be involved in anything malicious?

Everyone knew about the mafia, EXO, though the leaders who ran it were shrouded in mystery. No one knew their names, only that they existed and had considerable control both in the dark underworld and the legitimate businesses of the city. Could Jongdae be a part of that organization? You didn’t want to believe it, but the money combined with the recent injuries….

No. There was no way. You weren’t going to let your imagination run wild again. There were a hundred explanations for his absence and bruise.

Warm Americano in hand, you pushed away the negativity and went over to him, placing the cup in front of him. You were just about to walk away when he stopped you.

“Have you missed me?”

You whirled around. “W-what?”

Smirking to himself, he took off his golden watch of the day, placing it down on the table and rubbing his wrist as if the accessory had been bothering him. Perhaps it was too heavy? Or too tight? “I stopped coming for a few days, but you still remembered how I like my coffee.” He looked up at you with soft eyes that didn’t match the cocky twist of his mouth. “Did you miss me?”

“I noticed you hadn’t come around,” you admitted, although why you admitted it was lost on you. “I just figured you found somewhere else with better coffee.”

He shook his head. “No, I very much like the coffee here.”

Heat exploded in your cheeks. Please, don’t be visibly blushing, you thought. Of course he means the coffee and not the service. “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” you replied softly. “I should get back to the counter.”

With a nod of his head, you were dismissed.

He only hung around for maybe ten minutes more before going on with his day. When you went over to take care of the ceramic cup he’d left behind, however, you found that he’d left something else as well.

His watch.

Swiping it up, you ran outside, searching frantically for him, but it was too late, He’d already disappeared. You pocketed the watch, blowing air out your lips. Surely, he’d come back for it, right? Until then you’d hold on to it, for safekeeping.

The day was drawing to a close and Jongdae still hadn’t returned for his watch. Your co-worker made a joke about pawning it for cash, but one glare from you shut them up. After finishing the cleaning list and putting up all the chairs, you slipped on your jacket and headed out.

The sun was starting to disappear behind the buildings as you made your way to the subway. The wind was picking up so you pulled your jacket in closer to try and keep yourself warm. At the intersection right before your subway entrance, you were stopped by the orange hand saying not to cross. Even though no cars were zooming by, you decided it was better safe than sorry to obey the hand and stand there on the corner for the okay to cross. As you waited, you pulled the watch from your pocket to inspect the details.

It wasn’t a Rolex like you would have expected. The plate on the back said it was from Bvlgari. You didn’t know much about the brand, but you did know that it was a brand only for the rich. This particular product was simple, but that meant by no means was it cheap. It was solid gold, heavy, with black lines on the face, only the twelve and six printed out in actual numbers. A second, smaller version was seated in the bottom left to represent the second hand. It was pretty, elegant and luxurious. Just like its owner.

Flipping it over, you found that under the brand name, something else was etched into the surface.

Chen.

What did that mean?

“That’s a handsome watch you’ve got there.”

You jumped, not having realized that you were no longer alone. The walking man had come and gone. Now the hand was flashing, telling you it was too late to try and cross, too late to try and put distance between you and the creepy looking man leering over you. It wasn’t his face, necessarily that was creepy - in fact, it was quite average looking. It was the expression on his face that was setting off your alarm bells.

Replacing the watch in your packet, you stayed quiet, as if he hadn’t spoken at all.

“Where did you get it?” he asked, undeterred.

“It’s a friend’s,” you replied. Damn it, why did you have to acknowledge him?

“A friend, you say? What’s his name?”

You cleared your throat to give off a more confident sound than how you really felt. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe it’s any of your business.”

The man scoffed. “Now that’s not very nice.”

Rolling your eyes, you went to look at him to tell him off once and for all, but you were greeted with the barrel of a gun. You suddenly ran cold. Were you about to die because you couldn’t keep the stupid watch in your pocket?

“You can’t have it!” It was a bluff, sure, but you were hoping he would change his mind and walk away. If it really came down to it, you would give it to him. Jongdae had plenty, anyway. Right?

“Oh, I don’t want the watch,” the man snickered. Out of his own pocket, he grabbed a white cloth and held it up menacingly. “It’s you I want. The watch just pointed me in the right direction.”

“Wha- mph!”

Before you could run, the man snaked an arm around you, covering your nose and mouth with the cloth. The chemical smell you breathed in told you exactly what was happening. You lasted only a minute or so before you blacked out.

You woke up in the back of an SUV, hands tied behind your back and sandwiched between the man who’d kidnapped you and another thug with bulging muscles and a large rifle in his hand.

“About time you wake up,” the first man laughed.

You wanted oh so badly to spit some sort of comeback at him, but you’d seen enough movies to know that would end only with you getting a bloody lip - or worse.

“That’s the signal,” the other man said. He grabbed your upper arm and kicked open the door on his side of the SUV before dragging you out of it. What you saw from there made your jaw drop.

It was exactly like the movies. An old abandoned warehouse, two groups of men facing each other, twenty feet or so between them. You were apparently on the side of the “obvious bad guys” - they were the ones with large guns and… well you, the clueless victim.

On the other side of the warehouse was what you could only conclude was the mafia known as EXO. The nine men dressed much more elegantly than your captors, their own pistols holstered on their hips. Most of them were frowning, but one… one in particular actually seemed worried. And it was the one person you’d hoped wouldn’t be there.

“What are you doing with her?” Jongdae demanded. His fist was clenched at his side, mere centimeters away from his gun.

The man in the middle with the slicked back hair and dark blue suit - the one who looked like the obvious leader - laughed. “I thought I’d bring her along to help with negotiations, Chen.”

Chen? Your gaze landed steadily on Jongdae. Was that his real name? The one etched on the back of his watch? Was Jongdae just a cover for his true self? You felt like an idiot. There was no reason for you to, as you couldn’t say you ever really knew him beyond the customer/cafe girl relationship. But your observation skills had failed you and that within itself was humiliating enough.

“I don’t see how she matters, Thorn,” said one of the tall members of Jongdae’s group. His face was the most neutral of the lot, his build long and lean. He almost seemed bored, even though your life was very much in danger.

“What?” the leader named Thorn snorted. “You mean you don’t know about Chen’s little girlfriend? I thought you didn’t have secrets between the lot of you?”

You waited for Jongdae - er Chen (your head was beginning to hurt with all these different names) - to correct him, but to your surprise, he stayed silent.

One of the other members looked to Chen. “What’s going on?”

Chen shook his head, but not at his member. “I don’t know why you thought to involve her.”

“Weren’t you the one trying to protect her in the first place?” Thorn asked. “Isn’t that why after our last run-in you stayed away from her? But you couldn't do that for long, could you?”

“Just tell us what the hell you want!” Chen shouted.

Thorn looked like he was getting exactly what he wanted. “Hand over my money and the deeds to the river front property on the south end and I’ll let her go.”

“That’s all we get?” sneered the tanned member of Chen’s group.

“I think that’s a fair deal,” Thorn shrugged. One of the men behind you cocked their gun. One quick glance told you that it wasn’t just a threat. The barrel was pointed at the back of your head. They meant it: accept the deal or you were dead.

Without verbally agreeing, Chen turned around and headed for his car. The horrifying thought that he was going to let them kill you ran through your mind. But instead of driving off, he reached into the back seat and pulled out two large black duffel bags.

“You bring her to the middle at the same time,” he demanded.

Thorn gestured at his men with two fingers to bring you. You were dragged unceremoniously to the center as Chen also stepped forward. He threw down the bags. One of the men bent over and unzipped the contents. Bundles and bundles of cash filled the bags, almost bulging from the amount shoved inside. He turned to Thorn and nodded once. Then the other man cut the ropes that bound your wrists, freeing you. He shoved you into Chen, who caught you and held on.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “I’m fine.” Confused, disoriented, and scared, but fine nonetheless.

“Come on.” He escorted you over to the car and all but shoved you into the passenger's seat. Wordlessly, the others also jumped into their cars and drove off out of the warehouse.

Well. That was simple.

But the ride didn’t last long. The groups of cars stopped only a block away.

“What’s going on?” you asked frantically as you searched around. Were you being followed? Had something gone wrong?

“Shush.” He barely glanced at you as he stared out the windshield.

Several of the men got out of their cars and placed gas masks over their faces. They walked back towards the warehouse. You held your breath, waiting to see what would happen next. It may have seemed like forever, but according to the clock on the dash, only ten minutes had gone by before the group returned, duffel bags in hand.

“How did they-” You turned to Chen for an answer to your unfinished question.

“Gas canisters under the money,” he explained, still not looking at you. “Poisonous. They won’t harm you ever again.” And with that, he threw the car into drive and took off.

He sped through the city. He said no words to you, leaving you in the dark about what you’d been forced to endure.

Only when your apartment building came into view did he come to a stop. You stared down the block at your front door. Should you get out now? What would happen to you? Were the ones who’d kidnapped you dead? Would you be next now that you knew the secret identities of the mafia?

“Don’t tell anybody about tonight,” he told you in a warning voice.

“I won’t,” you promised. Who would believe you anyway?

Taking that as your signal to leave, you unbuckled your seatbelt and opened the car door. He didn’t stop you as your feet touched the concrete. This felt like goodbye forever. You had a feeling that after this moment, you would never see him again. And it was hurting your heart. Despite the fact that you’d be safer without him, it still hurt.

“Wait!”

You made it only halfway down the sidewalk when Chen came running after you. A frown pulled at your lips. What could he want now?

But you never got the chance to ask that question out loud when he suddenly grabbed your face and pushed you up against the building wall. His lips were on yours before you could comprehend what was happening. Shock kept you frozen, but only for a few seconds.

Soon, you were returning the kiss, hands reaching up and digging in his hair and gripping on tight. Red brick poked and prodded your shoulder blades, but you hardly noticed. Your mind was occupied with Jongdae, the feeling of his hands on you, the fire his touch created.

But Chen ended it almost as quickly as he’d started. He reached into your pocket and pulled out the watch that was still there. Taking ahold of your hand, he slipped it onto your wrist. “I’m sorry.” Then he spun on his heels and went back to his car.

You blinked after the vehicle, unsure of how to feel. The world was tilted, nothing was lining up.

Letting out a long sigh, you slid down to the ground. Everything felt numb. Not even the coldness of the concrete seemed to bother you. Perhaps you were in shock. Or maybe this was all a weird fever dream, your brain’s explanation for your customer’s long absence.

Yes… maybe it was all just a dream.

It wasn’t.

The evidence that it was real was hanging on your wrist when you woke up the next morning. For several minutes, you sat in bed, staring at the watch. None of the previous night’s event made any sense. You didn’t know what to do except to go on until the next time you saw the mafia man.

But he didn’t show up to the cafe that day. Okay. that was to be expected.

Then he didn’t show up for a week. Two weeks.

Well, into the third week, you were giving up on ever seeing him again. The chime of the doorbell made you jump, but the customer was never him. Perhaps when he said he was sorry, he really meant goodbye. Maybe your gut was right and you were never going to see him again.

Every day, you wore the watch, just in case. In case he showed back up. In case you were given the chance to see him again.

During the slower moments, you would take off the watch and read the strange name over and over. Chen. Chen. Chen. Who was he? And was he so different from the kind soul you’d observed over the months that he’d come to the cafe? You didn’t want to think so. You were sure that, at least deep down, they could be one in the same.

Closing time had come and you were just about finished with all your chores. The only thing that remained was to take out the trash. The bags were heavy, so you struggled to drag them into the back alley where the dumpsters were located. Grabbing one bag, you lifted it up and with a huff, pushed it into the dumpster. But when you turned to the other bag, someone else had already taken it.

You watched with a slacked jaw as Chen threw the garbage bag away with ease.

“Hi,” he greeted. He shoved his hands in his pockets, smiling shyly, crookedly at you. It was small and unsure, perhaps waiting for you to start shouting or become explosive in some way.

Instead, you stayed quiet. Chen shifted from foot to foot anxiously. The bruise had long ago healed, but he looked more unkempt than ever. His dress shirt was wrinkled and disheveled. No tie hung from his neck and his slacks looked about a day old. Your fingers ached to reach out and fix his hair, but you restrained.

“How are you?” he asked awkwardly in an attempt to break the tension.

“Fine.”

He nodded. “Good, good.”

Silence fell again.

You shook your head. “Who are you? Really?”

“You know who I am,” he said.

You scoffed. “No, I don’t. Americano with cream. Kim Jongdae. Chen. Mafia member. To me, it seems like you’re many different people.��

A sad sigh left his lips. He held out his hand to you. “Hi. My name is Kim Jongdae. I’m a member of the EXO mafia, codename Chen.”

Part of you wanted to be petty and not shake his hand. But you couldn’t entirely blame him for the secrecy and the disappearing act. You couldn’t even really blame him for your kidnapping. All he did was accidentally leave his watch behind. So, you grasped his hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Jongdae.”

Jongdae dropped your hand, his smile growing a fraction at your openness to him. “I think I should explain…,” he scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, everything, I guess.”

You snorted. “Yeah, I’ll say.”

To your surprise, he laughed. Soon, however, it faded out. “I neve meant for you to get involved. Suho told me months ago to stop coming to see you here at the cafe, but I couldn’t help myself. Something about you just kept bringing me back.”

Your cheeks burned at his somewhat confession, but you pressed your lips closed. Now was not the time to interrupt. Then you might not get all the answers.

“I didn’t know Thorn’s men were following me until about a month ago. They cornered me. I was able to kill one of them before the others ran away. Right before the man died, he made a comment about how I’d better keep an eye on my coffee girl, in case something should happen.” Jongdae winced at that, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. “I couldn’t see you right away. I was too beat up for that. I was relieved when I saw that you were fine. But… I was still worried. I left my watch behind that day on purpose, hoping you’d keep a hold of it.”

Now you had to intercede. “Why? What was the point of that?”

He looked down guiltily. “I had Baekhyun put a tracking device in the wrist band of it. I wanted to make sure you were safe. In the end, I just made things worse. The watch was the proof they were waiting for, to see if you were important enough to use against me.”

You wanted to be angry. You wanted to be annoyed, stomp away while screaming for him to never show his face in front of you again. If he’d come a few weeks ago, you might have. But those feelings had depleted over time. Logic had taken over. Certain things were just out of his control. And… well, you were a little happy that he hadn’t listened to this Suho person and kept coming to the cafe. Flattered, really, if a bit shy about it.

You didn’t even think about it. Your foot took that first step and the next thing you knew, your arms were wrapping around his torso and you were resting your cheek against his chest.

“Thank you,” you whispered. “For not letting them kill me.”

He was quick to return the embrace, holding you tight against him. “I never would have let that happen to you. One way or another, I would have gotten you out of there.”

Sighing, you leaned back to look at Jongdae. Your mind was still a bit scrambled at all of this. Your previous observations weren’t making any sense to the confession being laid out in front of you. Especially the one where you thought he hardly noticed you. “I must be out of my mind.”

He frowned at you. “Why do you say that?”

Shaking your head, you pressed your lips to his, surprising him like he did to you that night outside your apartment. But unlike you, he didn’t hesitate in the slightest. With one hand cupping your jaw and the other firmly planted on the small of your back, he pressed you even closer to him so no space remained between your bodies. He didn’t pull away until both of you needed to replenish the air in your lungs. Looking into his eyes, you couldn't help but be nervous. Because you knew the danger this man brought. You’d already lived it. But you were in too deep now. And you weren’t sure you wanted to pull yourself out of it, anyway.

You bounced from foot to foot, eager for the end of your shift to come. For months, Jongdae had been begging you to quit, to let him take care of you. But you liked having the schedule, having something to do all day while he was working with the others. You also preferred not to have your rent and other necessities paid for by, well, by money that wasn’t completely clean.

There were times where you wished Jongdae wasn’t living the life he was, but you couldn't change him. You wouldn’t even try. You’d accepted who he was since you first learned about his truth. That didn’t mean you had to be consumed by his world as well. You could still keep your life and have him, too. At least for now.

“Oh, just go already,” your co-worker grumbled as they rolled their eyes.

Not even arguing, you ripped off the apron and ran to the office to clock out. Your heart was racing at the simple thought of seeing Jongdae. It was date night for the two of you and you were especially excited since it’d been nearly a week since you last saw him.

You’d barely made it out the door before a pair of arms snatched you from behind. A scream erupted from your throat until you heard the tell-tale laughter in your ear.

“Jongdae!” You turned around in his arms and slapped his shoulder, but he kept laughing, enjoying your startled state.

He kissed your lips, still smiling. “I missed you.”

You tried not to smile. You really did. But you lost fairly quickly. “I missed you, too.”

Holding up your hand, he slid his fingers in between yours. It felt right, his hand in yours. Like you’d been cold all this time and he was the only thing that could keep you from dying of hyperthermia. His warmth was infectious and addicting. Even when the two of you argued and fought over his lifestyle choices, you always found yourself back in his presence. You just couldn’t let him go.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said.

You scrunched your face. “Another one?”

“This one isn’t jewelry,” he promised. Releasing your waist, he pulled you towards his car and helped you into the passenger’s seat. As soon as he was settled behind the wheel, he took ahold of your hand again, kissing your knuckles softly. Then he looked at you cheekily. “Ready?”

“With you?” You smiled broadly. “Always.”

Your answer made him grin so widely that he looked like a kid. It made your heart skip a beat, the innocence, the love behind it. And it was all for you. Always for you.

It was funny to you, where you were now versus only a few months ago. You went from being the background girl who looked a little too closely to person by Jongdae’s side, the man who felt out of reach. He wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t a knight in shining armor. But he was yours. And that was enough.

#exo #exo mafia au #exo mafia!au #jongdae x reader #kim jongdae #chen #exo scenarios #exo imagines #exo drabbles #exo gang au #exo gang!au #Watchful Eyes

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the-headbop-wraith · 4 years ago

Text

3_42 Carbon Dating

When the shutters went up, work began none stop until closing. For a full twelve hours customers came and went, leaving overworked and troublesome vehicles, whilst others departed with their serviced transportation fresh from the garage. The bell in the lobby chimed, announcing the imminent arrival of their next client from the open lot outside.

A large window was set in one wall, and allowed those within the office to see a portion of the garage itself as the crewmen toiled. The backdoor that led out of the office and into the work zone of the shop always remained open, vivid reverberations from within the garage seeped through on the low hanging perfume of the mechanics lair. Always the office smelled of fresh oil and plastic, crisp smoke curled from embers, mingled with the ozone dripping from scalded hydrogen of the pressurized pipes. Pumps wheezed, wrenches cranked, drills squealed with vivid passion; a symphony of metal, an unchallenged configuration that flowed throughout the blazing intensity of the shop lamps from dawn till dusk.

“Would someone get that hamster OUT OF HERE!” Somewhere a tool clattered on the floor, the unmistakable rhythm of feet hitting cement faded in the back room.

Lance heaved a sigh and sank down a little more in his shoes. “Look,” he grumbled, into the phone at his ear. “I’m sayin it. Not payin’. Not one cent. I’m not gunna argue this over like a broken record, get your facts straight on that customer report. Bottom line, you sent us the wrong parts.” He stepped a little past the corner of the doorway and checked the customers lined up at the counter. “Uh-huh. No. No, don’t go there. I promise, I can break you. Let‘s be civil about this.” Behind him, one of the crewmen raced by, bent far forward with his arms outstretched. Whatever he was chasing, it wasn’t close to getting caught.

The door parted by a fraction and two more customers entered behind a woman and child. “You can always tell what’s going on inside, by the way the different angles the cars are parked outside.” Mystery shuffled through the thin gap in the door, while casting dubious glances up at Arthur. “Uncle Lance! Yellow!” Arthur waved his arm, but turned away from the line of customers as he began another fit of hacking. “Is this a bad time?” Mystery barked twice, and looked to the lady that was staring at him. Them. The dog frowned behind his smart spectacles.

“I know you can’t close the transaction, and to be honest that ain’t my problem, is it?” Lance covered the mouth piece of the phone and stepped into the lobby. “I was wonderin’ when you’d be getting back ’round. Your trip go well?” The worker that had been racing around in the back now moved into the window, he began waving his arms high over his head and making wide sweeping gestures toward Arthur.

“About that,” Arthur hiccupped, eyes fixed on the dancing figure. He moved by the customer line and met Lance at the gap in the counter. “We made such good time—” He was cut off when Lance shoved the phone into his hand.

“Here. Talk to this guy, you’re good with the phone stuff.” That said, Lance turned and motioned the clerk at the counter assisting their next client. “When you’re done here, can you go check inventory for those new fangel fuel lines?”

Arthur put the phone to his ear. “Er, hello? Parts?” The worker that had been motioning to Arthur earlier, now came over with a clipboard and a thin page tethered to the front. The crewmate pulled the first page up as Arthur read the transcript over, the guy pointed to the distinctly varied numbers in orders and deliveries. Arthur pinned the phone under his chin and motioned to the guy with his fingers. The crewman gestured back and smirked.

Oh dear, they’re doing this again? Mystery rolled his eyes and sat.

“I’m good fixing phones, not talking people,” Arthur mouthed. The crewmate pantomimed talking with his hand.

“I’ll give you a bonus if you can save us a buck,” Lance grumbled. Once the clerk had finished with the customer, they darted back into the garage through the doorway. Lance moved over to a stepstool built against the counter, and made a rather graceful leap – for someone of his stature – onto the sturdy stoop. He pulled the keyboard over for the computer and began typing. “I’m sorry about the wait, Miss. Name?”

“Yes? Hello?” Arthur chirped. “You‘re the manager? Good-good.” He adjusted the phone at his ear, and leaned over the counter as he read over the provided page on the clipboard. “I’m looking at the order form right here. Yes. You don’t need to be snooty. The invoice says we ordered five cases of the model G, but we only use the model T. The serial number’s off.”

The crewmate made a series of gestures to Arthur, to which Arthur gave a sideways shrug. The crewmate plopped his hand back to his side when Mystery darted by, toward the back door the clerk left by.

“I’m just sayin,” Arthur went on. He paused and rubbed his palm to his brow. “Yes, totally. We can keep the parts, and we can sell them to another shop, and loose some money – that’d be about equivalent to the money we’re gonna lose in the shipping expenses. Hmm? Is that so?” Arthur pinned the phone to his ear with his shoulder, his hand reached up over his brow and began straightening up his darker hair tufts. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. Now listen, you’re about to lose a loyal, paying customer over a serial number typo, that’s in your invoice copy. I’m sure Ratchet N’ Clanks would— Whas’that? You will?” Arthur began nodding. “That is super-duper, you are such a wizard with bizz to bizz relations. Uh-huh, yeah, you have a good day too.”

Arthur groaned under his breath. He handed the phone back to the mechanic and smacked his forehead to the countertop. The crewmate gave Arthur’s back a light pat before returning to the garage. It took a little too long for Arthur to get his bearings together, he didn’t feel inclined to move too fast.

Lance finished assisting a figure in a maroon hoody. “I suppose you’ll want that bonus?” He snatched a piece of paper that slid out of the printer and handed it to the figure. “If you’ll step outside, someone will get you set up.” Lance pulled a small handheld communicator from his belt and spoke a brief message into it.

“Put it on my tab,” Arthur mumbled. “I need to commission some work on the van.” Without meaning to, Arthur dragged out the word ‘some’.

Lance nodded, his hand already directing the mouse on the screen to his nephew’s active account. The lobby was currently empty, the door slipped shut on their most recent customer. “The usual oil change? Check up?”

“Um,” Arthur grimaced. He shuffled a little closer to the computer Lance worked on and leaned on his bent arm. “I managed to get that done already. Er, what I was thinking….”

“Yes?” Lance narrowed his eyes minutely.

Arthur kneaded the edge of his vest with his fingers and took a breath. “Some inner restoration, new batteries, tires changed, and I need to schedule to get the side repainted.” The sentence was spoken in a hasty blur. When he finished, Arthur pressed his lips together tightly and leaned far-far back from the counter.

A slow blink was Lance’s response. “What?”

“I thought you were kidding!” Lance grated. “I thought!… you were…” Lance’s voice ceased and he shut his eyes. He took a deep breath and reevaluated the notary details of the van presented to him. Was this really the same vehicle? It was unfathomable that Arthur, of all people, would let - THE Van - come to be in this condition. “You know what? Never mind.”

“Hey Uncle Lance,” Vivi hailed from the back. The van was parked beside the furthest shutter of the garage, currently empty of customer automobiles, the passenger side and back doors left wide open. “I’d go over the details, but it looks like we’ll be sticking around for a while. So, no rush on work.” Vivi held up her hands and motioned Lance to keep it calm. Though no outer countenance gave away Lance’s inner turmoil, his face was beat red and his fists were clutched tightly at the sides of his belt. “And you can do whatever you need inside to get it ship shape, we’re gonna unpack everything, and I mean everything.” Vivi tucked her hands behind her back.

Lance hadn’t looked Vivi’s way, he was still staring at the once pristine yellow clad box of the Mystery Skull’s transport. “Do I want to know?” he grumbled, at last. “No! I don’t. But this’ll keep me up all night… No! I’ll regret’t if I ask.” Vivi stared as Lance pulled a hand up and tugged at his beard, he turned away continuing with his gruff mutterings. “I’m sure there is a safe, uneventful, tale attached to this happenin’? Isn’t there?” Vivi’s frown deepened, lips screwed tight. “Your usually both such careful drivers though.” He sighed.

“Uncle Lance?” Vivi ventured. “It was just an accident with the equipment. You know how the laptop always overheats?” Vivi stepped off the bumper and leaned on the inner side of one door, hands crossed behind her back. She moved a little more out of the way as Lance trudged forward.

“An accident. Right,” Lance mumbled. He heaved himself up onto the floorboard and stood. “This is the ceiling.” He stabbed at the flanking headliner with a finger, and looked back at Vivi. “The. Ceiling. Its ruined.”

Arthur leaned around the door opposite of Vivi, the corner of his mouth tugged back in a grim smirk. “It was an interesting experience.”

“Are these scorch marks on the seats!”

Vivi turned to Arthur wide eyed, and brought a hand to her mouth. “We… I don’t know if you’d understand.” To Arthur she mouthed, ‘When did that?’

Arthur sniffed and shrugged. He sipped at the cup of coffee he carried. In the garage slot they parked near, Mystery’s barks rang out as he dashed after the squeaking wheels of a certain orange fluff. The little ball zipped around basement boarders and across the yellow/black striped caution tape adhered to the floor, while Mystery kept in hot pursuit.

“Hey,” Arthur called. “Are you forgetting who your favorite person is?”

The orange fluff zigzagged out of Mystery’s path. Mystery kept running, even as Galahad made a beeline out of the garage. Arthur set his cup on the floor and held his hand down for the plump little rodent plush.

“Aw, look’t you,” Arthur cooed. “I swear you get bigger everyday. What’re you eating? Uncle Lance? What’re feeding Galy?” Arthur stood and ran his thumb over Galahad’s hair tufts. He ignored Vivi’s sly grin.

“Oh, y’know,” Lance grumbled, as he pulled some of the ruined ceiling away. “Crickets, pizza, fish crackers, eggs an’ bacon. The usual.”

Arthur and Vivi exchanged horrorstruck faces. “That’s not what I told you to do!” Arthur yelped.

The van creaked under Lance’s weight as he tromped out, and hopped onto the pavement. “Doesn’t seem to be hurtin’ the little fella.” Lance gave Galahad a pat on his head, then straightened out his belt and walked off. “We’ll need to get some pictures. For the website… What d’you feed him, anyway?”

“What? I feed him hamster pellets, like a normal, responsible pet owner!” Arthur bent his thumb under Galahad’s chin and scratched. Galahad didn’t care, he was a hamster getting scratchies.

Lance scoffed. “Yuk. No wonder he wouldn’t eat. I fixed that for you.”

Arthur groaned and turned to Vivi. “A little help?”

Vivi sniggered. “I’m the last person you should ask. Mystery won’t even look at dog food.”

Arthur swung his stump in the hound’s direction. Mystery walked by, nose upturned. He wasn’t getting involved. “He’s different!” Arthur winced back when Vivi began fixing his vest collar. He glanced at the flashlight Vivi carried, as she moved it behind her back.

“How do you know Galahad isn’t?” Vivi murmured. “We’ll start getting everything together. You have the keys?”

Arthur nodded, only partially getting what Vivi had said. He spun about and looked through the garage, the trucks and cars with hoods raised, the cough of a torch, the sparkle of embers and the buzz of electricity. His element. “It’ll be good goin’ back to what I know,” he spoke, softly. “People think our work is easy?” He chuckled. “This is what I know.” He looked down on his hand. Galahad was curling down into a relaxed puff, little by little the hamster’s eyes slipped shut.

“Really, Art?” Vivi posed. “Is that all?” She frowned at the flashlight when she tried the switch, but it wouldn’t turn on.

“Well, that’s hardly it,” Arthur admitted. “A change of pace, I’m looking forward to it. Huh Galy, you missed me? Tell her.” Galahad was fast asleep.

Off a ways inside the repair shop, Lance hoots back, “Did you remember to plug your arm in?”

Arthur groans, and realizes he’s unable to face palm effectively. “It’s not that kind of prosthetic!”

Some of the equipment needed retooling and inspection, following up the assortment and extended use they had taken throughout the course of the trip. They didn’t have the boxes or time at the hour to get the work done today, but Arthur did sift out some of the gear that got the heaviest wear, and took that on up along with a few personal bags. By a small marvel, Vivi managed to convince Arthur to cart up these items in smaller units, rather than the ‘superman’ trips Arthur was initially dedicated to.

One trip down, Lance managed to catch Arthur as he was bouncing down the steps from the top level. Lance stood by the doorway that opened into the main work room, as Arthur was slinking by, and said, “If you need a few off, to get your bearings. I’ll understand.” Lance raised his eyebrows when Arthur paused. “We’re busy, but what’s new?”

“No, no,” Arthur chocked out. “Vi and,” Arthur caught himself, and shook his train of thought off into a series of coughs. “Mystery and Viv-vi. They’ll unpack and stuff at her place, everything‘s cool. Trust me, I kinda, um…need some distraction.” Arthur reached a hand behind his neck and rubbed at the edge of his shirt collar.

Lance tugged his gloves a little tighter over his hands. It was no secret between uncle and nephew that Lance was deliberately avoiding the One question. “Rough case?”

Arthur moved his hand up to a rub at his hairline, and nodded. “Well, it was mostly— I mean, we did some other stuff along the way.” Galahad was suddenly on his shoulder. How he got there, Arthur was clueless to that rational. He scooped the Hamster off his shoulder and debated on whether Galahad could still fit in his pocket. “Vivi drove most the way back, but she’s not expected back at the Tome Tomb for another two days.”

Lance nodded, without dropping his eyes from Arthur’s face. “Don’t overwork yourself, lad. If you need, ask one of the crew to take over. But whatever you do,” and here, Lance’s voice got low. “Don’t make me drag you away from your work. Understood?”

Arthur made a little sound as he nodded. He clutched Galahad to his chest as Lance stepped forward and gave him a firm pat on his good shoulder.

“Now go do your thing.” With that, Lance spun on heel and returned to the garage. Arthur stood there for a moment, struggling to take that all in.

A question began to bubble within Vivi as she navigated the van, carefully, among the traffic of their hometown. She wasn’t wondering about the final verdict of their case, didn’t mull over the reasoning of the College’s quick decision; she didn’t even fret over the prospect of Lewis assisting in unpacking what gear remained in the van, though she did ponder a multitude of small, unrelated, aspects.

“You’ve been to my apartment? A couple times?”

Lewis, in the passenger seat, had looked from the window and stared at Vivi for a full minute. It didn’t bode well with her. “I think you… moved,” Lewis petered. He peered up through the windshield at the complex of building clusters, all set about the acreage of land that was undoubtedly property to the same host. “I don’t think, you never lived here. From what I remember.” Lewis didn’t want to say anymore. “It’s nice though.”

“Thank you,” Vivi mumbled. She guided the van through the entrance gate and rolled along the open asphalt parking lot. There are a lot of cars parked in their respective spaces at the building entrance doors, open yard plots and brush filled up the areas that weren’t road. “I… y’know, I think I moved in the first place.” She had a hard time putting it into words. The implications, the sorrow budding in her soul; the yearning and sensation of forgetfulness – she forgot something. The radio was sometimes left on, she always double checked the oven before she went out anywhere, nothing in her apartment had ever been misplaced, far as she knew – she had a bad habit of leaving small curious in inappropriate places, but never lost anything important. It was this nagging in the back of her head, but now she knew the source of it. “—Felt like I had to get some space,” she settled on saying. “This feels kind of open, and Mystery could get out and run like a normal dog.”

A subdued ‘oof’ bounced from the vans back.

The van was parked two spaces down from the entrance doors of the apartment cluster. A cool breeze ran between the neighboring building clusters, tumbling down through the bare branches of the trees and ruffling Vivi’s cushy scarf. The air around her was soaked in yellow with tinges of amber, or it could’ve just been the van she was standing beside. It took a bit more time than estimated to let Arthur get himself unpacked, and the sun was already winding its way downward with every tick of the minute. Soon it would be dark, but it would be dark in her own home.

Vivi shuddered and fixed up her scarf around her neck. She rounded the side of the van and popped open the back doors. Mystery was within, moving around the smaller bags that he could manage and some of the leftover groceries.

“Ugh, we should have left the ice chest with Arthur,” Vivi chided, aloud. Mystery pinned his paws to the top of the cooler and shoved the sloshing box out of the way. “It’s his anyway.” She looked up when the anticipated reassurance failed to drift her way. The purplish pompadour was still hovering by the headrest, the door remained shut. “You okay, Lewlew?”

Lewis raised his shaded eyes over the bench seat. “You sure no one’s gonna care? Seeing me around?” Lewis’ voice took on a soft warble, the echoing tone that had drenched his shaded self. “They might start asking around, getting nosy.” He had the door opened already and slid out, nearly slipped through the door itself.

“You’re kind of hard to miss,” Vivi muttered, as Lewis joined her. She reached out and patted Lewis on his vest’s front. “Really, nobodies’ gonna ask about you. Most the tenants are so clueless about what’s going on around them – I actually thought there was an unnatural reason for that. But! Trust me, it’ll be fine.” She returned to the vans interior and began heaping up what bags she could manage; she didn’t want Lewis to catch the little hint of a scowl she felt tugging at her lips. “Daylights awasting, better get a move on!” On second thought, she shoved the accumulated bags up into Lewis arms. “Got that? Never mind, dumb question.”

Mystery lead the way. He carried quite a bit for a dog, some of the backpacks and a sleeping bag were tied together and looped over his backside, an extra bag of groceries was clenched in his jaws. He had some difficulty elevating himself in such a way, that didn’t force the bags to topple off his shoulders and onto the floor. It took some coordination to get his paw up high enough to hit the elevators call button.

“I’m on the third floor,” Vivi mentioned. The buzzer chimed as the doors opened to the lift. As the three boarded, Vivi hits the number panel with her elbow and backs up to make room for Lewis in the tiny box. The doors grated shut and following a short intermission, a faint chime signaled the lifts begrudging ascent.

As the numbers morphed on the digital panel at the upper corner, Vivi bit at her lip in the stifling silence. “But we… the group,” she began. The elevator dinged, the number read two. “I don’t know why I moved in the first place.”

Lewis glanced her way. “Did Arthur help you?”

Vivi shook her head. Not all the time Arthur spent in the hospital was for recovering from his amputation. “Where would you stay? Normally?” she inquired. The lift chimed as the doors part, and Mystery led the way out. Vivi didn’t move. “You don’t have any place to hang out, is what I’m trying to say. But I don’t remember if you were once crashing at my place, if that’s how we did it, and it felt really awkward to ask.” She tilted her head sideways, a slight shrug. “You need someplace to… wait, how should I put this? A place… where you’re known about, and don’t have to hide all the time?”

Lewis kicked his foot into the sliding door when it began to close. He mulled over what Vivi was saying, though his thoughts had gone to another place. “Whoa, hold the phone!” he crowed. “Is that all that’s bothering you?”

Vivi squinted her eyes behind her glasses and nodded. “Sort of. Last time, we didn’t really do anything about it? You hung around the van, and even if it didn’t need to hit the shop, that wasn’t right.”

Lewis kicked the door again. The elevator didn’t like him. “That was fine? Best for me,” he admitted. “The van, it was a good place to start. I told you this.” Vivi marched by and Lewis followed, the elevator doors snapped at his rear. Lewis kicked a foot out backwards, the sound of his ‘heel’ hitting the door reverberated throughout the narrow corridor like a dish crashing on a tile floor.

Vivi whirled back. “You WANT me to get evicted?”

“It started it!” Lewis defended. He adjusted the bags in his arms and followed. The hall wasn’t very long, and at the furthest door Mystery stood unable to sit or anything. “De todos modos, como usted recordará? I wasn’t really presentable during that time.”

Vivi scoffed a little. “You hardly are now, but we manage.” She swayed over to Lewis and nudged his side with her elbow. “Mystery? Which bag had the keys?”

When the door of the apartment opened a crack, Mystery zipped inside and hurried to a couch situated near the kitchens bar and doorway. It was in the open living area, the sparse furniture there… felt empty. A few petite lamps camped at the corners of the room, and the end tables of the couch sported Vivi’s customary candles. There were pictures on the wall.

Mystery sprang onto the couch cushions and shrugged off the multitude of bags, then plopped down onto the carpeted floor and rolled on his back. His fur was a mess!

“Don’t be so melodramatic,” Vivi chided. She dumped her keys into a shallow basin on the kitchen counter, and added her collection of bags to those that Mystery had dumped. “I swear sometimes.” She sighed, and looked through some of the grocery bags. “If you want to,” she spoke, as she looked to Lewis shutting the door. “Wait, no, go back. Lemme try again.” Lewis stood and stared at her, baffled. “You should stay here. Would you?”

Lewis nodded. He placed the bags he had – equipment, sacks, a pillow – onto the largest countertop inside the kitchen doorway. The layout of the apartment was nice; it was sizable for the estimated square footage he reasoned the individual cells were spared on each floor. “If you don’t mind a… haunted apartment, I guess.” He couldn’t resist saying it, and the clear delight that bloomed on Vivi’s face made it all worth it.

“Oh my gods, that’s right!” she cheered. Vivi nearly bit into her knuckles when she clutched her fists against her chin. “But wait, what if stuff starts to act up with you hanging around? Should I be worried about that?” And a little under her breath, “Guess I could do some freelance documentation.”

Lewis grinned, and took his sunglasses off. “Take it easy, my blue. I’ll try and keep my influence to a minimum, if that eases your tension.”

“What tension? This is gonna be cool!” Vivi picked up two of her bags from the couch, and motioned over her shoulder. “Go ahead and make yourself comfy. I just gotta check the water closet right quick. Unless, you wanna start puttin’ things away? On second thought, I shouldn’t be asking that. Just relax for now. Settle in.”

Lewis moved over to the couch. “Unless you really don’t want me to, I can start organizing the gear. But it’s no problem.” He looked through the grocery bags; no doubt the kitchen is where he should start. Mystery poked his head up and began nosing at the bag closest to him.

“I’ll leave it up to you, then,” Viv replied, as she walked into a connecting hall. “Be out in a jiff.”

“Tome su tiempo,” Lewis responded. Most of Vivi’s cabinets were tucked tight with instant meals and Ramen packets. Lewis was in the process of putting away some of the chip bags he had picked up, when he picked up on the door click. This was as good time as any. “Mystery? Hey.”

Mystery had opened a package of pastry bear claws on an end table, and was lapping up the gooey icing stuck all over the wrapping. He glanced up when Lewis came over with a walkie-talkie from one of the bags. What? You can’t eat it. The dog turned his snout down to examine the communicator, a piece of twine wrapped around the speak toggle. Do you remember what happened last time we did that? Mystery crossed one paw over the other and gave Lewis a reproaching stare.

“Just let me know if she gets out, before I get back. Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Lewis hissed. “I have to… get something.” Mystery took a deep breath and sighed. “Do this for me, and I’ll cook you up a whole chicken.” At that, Mystery’s eyes popped open. “Rotisserie style, with bacon, butter, slow cooked. You’re not willing to forfeit a chicken, are you?”

Mystery tapped his claws on the table’s surface. Lewis set the communicator down and left with another walkie-talkie in hand.

The shower was going when Lewis returned. Pipes whistled within the walls, muffled by the depth of plaster and wood, the resonance’s depth lurched as Lewis seeped through the door. Mystery still wrestled with his gooey desert, and was working to get his paws clean in the kitchen sink. The dog glimpsed towards the kitchens entrance, upon hearing the apartment door shut delicately. At current, Mystery was scrambling to heft his body up by his elbows the last few inches, in order to shut the sinks faucet off.

“Okay, so,” Lewis began, as he edged around the corner. He watched Mystery sit and begin drying his paws on the dishrag tucked around the handle of the fridge door. “Will you help me hide this? She doesn’t know about it, right? I guess I could’ve left it with Arthur, is he the one that hid this stuff?”

Mystery scrubbed his fur until most of the moisture was gone (it was such a chore), he barely gave Lewis his focus until he realized what it was Lewis had brought up. Why do you have that! The fur on Mystery’s shoulders stood on end, his glasses nearly fell from his snout.

“I’m not risking someone poking around and finding it,” Lewis hissed, face dimming and skull winking through momentarily. “And you don’t have any better ideas.”

True. Mystery released the rag and lowered one paw to the linoleum floor, the other he curled under his chin in his ponder. His sharp ears twitched as he listened to the shower run, there were numerous areas in the apartment that Vivi flat out shut up and never revisited; any one might do, but it wouldn’t do to be rash about this.

Mystery made a decision. He padded to the entrance of the kitchen, his steps slowing as he approached Lewis. The hound turned his snout up and followed Lewis line of sight as he passed. Lewis broke his gaze and took a large step out of the dog’s general perimeter. Mystery gave his coat a hard shake, his dog tag rattled at his collar, but he kept walking. Lewis followed.

Parallel to the bathroom in the narrow hall was a door, and as Lewis suspected it opened up into a closet. Lewis held the dust brushed container in one arm, as he held the door open with the other. He listened to the shower running at his back and gauged how much time he ‘might’ have to work with. If he knew Vivi like he thought, she didn’t savor a shower unless it wasn’t optional. Unless, celebratory returning home shower? Well, Lewis didn’t need to get caught hanging around outside the door like this…. Ahem.

“She won’t look in here?” Lewis pressed.

For emphasis, Mystery sneezed. The shelves within were filled with old books and an Encyclopedia collection of tattered used notebooks – the notebooks retirement home and graveyard. Other shelves were stuffed with a few extra blankets, most in shades of blues and reds. The hound tilted his head far back on his shoulders and directed his snout to the topmost corner. He used the lowest shelf before him to balance, and stood up on his back legs. Mystery ambled sideways, nose and ears aimed at that shelf, he yapped, and clicked his jaws.

“I’m trustin’ you, then,” Lewis answered. Mystery shrugged his shoulders and dropped down to his four legs. He sauntered off to the living area, leaving Lewis to his personal business.

The highest shelf wasn’t too high for Lewis’ stature, but he did raise himself an extra foot to allow for some careful organization. He shuffled around some overburdened boxes filled with knickknacks and curios, some he recognized from a far ago time, from another adventure. Lewis concealed the box in the out of the way space, and packed in the other cartons that had been misplaced by its introduction. A blanket, a wall of notebooks, and more boxes – but Vivi was sharp when it came to ‘organization.’ Lewis kept going, and began reorganizing some of the souvenir containers. Actually, he recognized a lot of these things, but there were artifacts Lewis couldn’t bring himself to hardly look at. He couldn’t decide if it was for some vague reason he disassociated with, or if it was the item itself. Most of them were not typical charms, they were authentic but Lewis had never considered what that would mean until now. It couldn’t be good for Vivi to be hoarding all this stuff.

Lewis must’ve been caught up in the fleeting touch with nostalgia for some of time. He lost himself flipping through old journals, while looking at a large black cylinder of some sort of rock that might’ve been granite, but probably wasn’t. The door beside him swung open, and Vivi very nearly stepped and into him.

Freshly clothed, a towel tied around her head, Vivi brought her raised hands down to her face when she saw Lewis, but only for a splint second. A collection of papers scattered through a flash of embers, the black stone hit the carpet with a Thump! Vivi winced and shielded her eyes, more from the light than the wash of heat.

“Oh gosh, Lewis!” she gasped. Vivi looked around, squinting. The so named ghost was absent. “Lew. How’s it possible for a big guy like you, to get startled by someone like me?” She tried to stifle a giggle as she knelt and gathered up the torn pages. “Are you here, or did you vanish to Timbuctoo?” There was no answer, and Vivi worried. She postponed book retrieval and sat on her knees, staring about the thin slit of the hall. It felt smaller now, confined. “Lew?”

“I’m here,” the disembodied voice rang out, softly. From the hall, there was little of the living area itself that was visible, but that’s where the voice resonated from. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Vivi felt a little of the weight lift. “I was getting nervous. Do what you need.” She dithered, as she flipped a page less notebook open. “A-are you… okay?”

“Peachy,” Lewis answered. It tried to sound chipper, his speech, but remained a little off. “Yeah, I was a little startled. Even big guys like me get spooked if you, y’know, sneak up on them. You have a habit of doing that.”

Vivi sniggered, and resumed pulling the torn papers together – some of the edges were tinged yellow and black flacked off. As she tucked the pages together, she reviewed some of the presented files. “I don’t know why I keep all this old stuff. We put it all on the computer, eventually….” This was partially a lie, it was hard to sit down and do more writing than was absolutely necessary. “I should probably be more concerned with why you were poking around in my stuff.”

Lewis poked his head out around the halls end. “Mystery! He said it was fine!”

A bark of indignation shot from the living room.

“This is your stuff too, though.” Vivi rolled the weighty granite ball into the closet, beside a pair of red dog shoes. “But that doesn’t excuse you for being nosey.”

Lewis stepped over to Vivi and crouched down. He had not managed to slip out of his death suit, but a vibrant purple ascot was wrapped about his collar. “Lo siento, mi Estrella. I…” Lewis reframed from uttering a noise of mangled, broken static. Arthur had asked him about those ‘off noises’ he made occasionally, and Lewis was horrified to learn that the debative hums he thought he was making came across as the pop-crackle that faulty radio speakers were so eager to share. “I think I’ll be sleeping on the couch. Can I borrow some blankets?”

Vivi stuffed the pages into one of the stripped empty notebook, and gave Lewis a curious look. She was without her glasses and the corridor was dark, but the locket on Lewis’ suit front was very bright. Her eyes moved from it, to Lewis’ face. “It’s not no where near time for bed,” she said. “Besides, if you want a bed we’re bringing up the blankets too. These are,” she reached over and patted one blanket on the shelf, and coughed. “Not very hospitable, don’t you think?”

Lewis helped Vivi up when she began to rise; she stuffed the books back between their cousins and distant relations on the shelves. For a minute Vivi stood and stared at the cluttered shelves, possibly evaluating where she could stick the next new series of fresh documentations.

“I’ll just head on down and unload some more stuff, then,” Lewis offered. Vivi shut the door and walked with him to the living room. A tall shelf by the window held the stereo, its radio was on and the volume low while Mystery listened. Mystery let his head slump over the couches armrest, ears slanted comfortable as the dog dozed. “You should rest for a bit,” Lewis went on. He turned from the sight of Mystery, and indicated Vivi with a finger, lightly accusing. “And I know you didn’t let your guard down once, at all, on our way back.” He froze when Vivi threw her arms around his sides and hugged. “¿Qué, cariño? I’m comin’ right back.”

Vivi mumbled into his chest. “I know. I wanted… I need to try and appreciate you more.” She removed her hands from around Lewis and stepped back from him. “I sometimes wonder….” She shook her head and dabbed at her eyes with the end of her scarf. “No, it’ll be fine. Don’t get yourself lost, or I’ll come find you.” A wide grin alit on Lewis face, and he leaned down to give Vivi a little peck on her forehead. Vivi shivered, and Mystery gave one of his over-the-top dog sighs.

“You won’t even miss me.” Lewis left her by the couch and went straight to the door. He gave a small wave, before he pulled the door shut at his back.

Vivi had a hand to her face and was trying not to grin. She turned to Mystery when he grumbled noisily. The hound was facing her now and had his arms crossed over the armrest of the couch, head tilted and a curious smirk on his snout. Vivi was concerned for a moment, as Mystery’s bright eyes moved from her and over towards the door Lewis left by. Mystery’s grin only grew wider.

Then it hit Vivi like a tsunami. Vivi raced to the door, backpedaled and grabbed the sunglasses left on the countertop, then burst out the door screaming (as softly) as she could muster without alerting Kingsman Mechanics. “Lew! Wait! You’re not descent!”

#msa #mystery skulls animated #mystery skulls fanfic #msa fanfiction #fanfiction #msa lewis #msa vivi #msa mystery #msa arthur #mystery skulls ghost #mystery skulls fanfiction

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dvp95 · 5 years ago

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quiet on widow’s peak (11)

pairing: dan howell/phil lester, pj liguori/sophie newton/chris kendall rating: teen & up tags: paranormal investigator, mystery, online friendship, slow burn, strangers to lovers, nonbinary character, trans character, background poly, phil does some buzzfeed unsolved shit and dan is a fan word count: 3.1k (this chapter), 35.5k (total) summary: Phil’s got a list of paranormal experiences a mile long that he likes to share with the world. Abandoned buildings, cemeteries, and ghost stories have always called his name, and a particular fan of his has a really, really good ghost story.

read this chapter on ao3 or here!

Phil hates taking public transit anywhere that he hasn't memorized a route and the inevitable issues with it, but he's not about to ask his parents for a ride to the city. In fact, he ducks out of the house with nothing but a 'be back later' tossed over his shoulder. His stomach is making unhappy noises the entire ride to the Rusholme area, and he regrets not putting a cereal bar or something in his bag after his parents went to sleep. He supposes that he could have braved breakfast and his parents' disappointment, but he desperately did not want to deal with that so early in the morning.

He's grumpy from lack of caffeine and food by the time he tumbles into the coffee shop, but he can't help his mouth from curving upwards when he sees Dan behind the counter. They're handling a customer, but their face lights up when they make eye contact with him, like they thought he wouldn't show. Phil gives them a little wave and drops his stuff on an armchair by the cozy fireplace. He's planning on being here for a while, he might as well stake his claim on the good seat now.

The fact that the chair has an unobstructed view of the counter isn't on purpose, but Phil can't pretend he isn't happy about it. He takes his jacket and scarf off, waiting for the stranger to go away so he doesn't have to hem and haw over his breakfast choice with an audience.

Phil should probably be using this time to look at the drinks on the chalkboard menu or the fresh pastries in the case, but he's too distracted.

It's been a day. A single day. Less, even, since it hasn't been a full 24 hours. And yet his eyes keep drifting back to Dan like it's been ages since he's seen them. Their eyes are lined thickly with what looks like black ink and their lips are shiny, but their face is otherwise bare. Phil wouldn't be able to clock the lack of makeup at all if he hadn't woken up beside Dan's clean face and accidentally memorized it.

Finally, the customer leaves, and Phil is free to approach the bar without feeling like an idiot. He gives Dan a sheepish sort of grin as he sidles up, only now looking at his options.

"Morning," says Dan, in that vaguely cheerful customer service voice. They push their sleeves up to their elbows like they need to be doing something with their hands, and Phil gets distracted again by the new shade on their nails and the shape of their forearms. "What can I get you?"

"Uh," Phil says eloquently. "Coffee. And food?"

Dan's smile twists into a smirk and they look like they're barely holding back laughter. "Funnily enough, we do those things here. Do you know what kind of, uh, coffee and food you want?"

It takes all of Phil's self control not to flip Dan off or tease them right back. He wouldn't bother holding back, normally, but there's a man with a 'manager' nametag working the espresso machine and the last thing he wants is to get Dan in trouble. Phil turns his attention to the menu again. He's retaining just as much nothing as he was before. "Uh," he says again. After a moment of thought that lasts far too long, Phil ends up shrugging. "Surprise me?"

"Sure," says Dan. Their eyes are sparkling, and Phil finds that just as hard to look away from as the glitter that had been on their face before.

"I'm kinda lactose intolerant," Phil informs them, just for something to say that he doesn't have to think too hard about. "And I like sugar. Like a lot."

"I can work with that." Dan shoos him away with their big hands, still smirking. "Go on, go sit down. If we get busy back here I'll call for you, but I can probably just bring it over."

Phil glances at the manager. "You sure?"

Dan follows his gaze, brow furrowed in slight confusion, and then rolls their eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Gabe doesn't give a shit if we talk to our friends as long as we get our work done. Right, Gabe?"

"Whatever," Gabe says, almost monotone in how little he seems to care.

"It's fine," says Dan. "Go. Sit."

Phil doesn't have much of a choice but to go take up camp by the fireplace. He takes out his phone and checks in with his friends to make sure they got home alright and to subtly see if any of them are mad at him. He doesn't like the idea of them feeling like the whole weekend was a bust - even if it kind of was - and he likes the idea of them being irritated with him even less. He's having enough trouble with the reality of his parents being unhappy with his choices.

The last thing he needs is for the other important people in his life to be feeling the same way. He fields PJ's concern and Chris' flirting and Sophie's helpful links to sleep paralysis theories with relative ease. He doesn't care about his own problems with the Wilkins place or the situation he's put himself in as much as he cares about what his best friends think.

The fact of the matter is, Phil knows he can't do this forever. He doesn't need his parents telling him that. He likes what he does, more often than not, but it's getting harder and harder to keep pushing himself into a routine that he might have outgrown by now.

He has so many ideas. There are so many stories he wants to tell and far too many different ways he could be telling them. He wonders if he keeps going back to other peoples' ghost stories because it's easier, safer, than putting innermost parts of himself out there for public consumption. Luckily, his friends aren't pushing him yet. He imagines it's only a matter of time before they notice that he's just going through the motions.

Even so, he doesn't like hearing things from his parents about his wasted potential. He doesn't need them to say what he's already thinking about all the time.

"Hey, you still on Earth?"

Phil starts a bit and almost drops his phone. Dan is standing there, setting a steaming mug and a cinnamon roll on the rickety end table at Phil's elbow. They smile at him and he smiles back, just a little embarrassed about zoning out so drastically.

"Sorry," he says, immediately reaching for the mug. "Haven't had coffee yet."

"What a tragedy," says Dan.

"It is," Phil insists. He takes a big gulp of the drink, ignoring Dan's protests that it's too hot. The mix of chocolate and cocoa hit his tongue and probably scald it, but Phil isn't about to start waiting for his drinks to cool down now. He hums happily and fits both hands around the mug to leech its warmth. "Oh, this is good."

He doesn't think he's imagining how pleased Dan looks by the compliment, but he manages to half convince himself that they're just proud of their barista-ing skills.

"Thanks," Dan says happily. They shift their weight from one foot to the other and pull their sleeves back down. Phil wonders if they're actually getting warm and then cold again, or if they just don't know how to act when their hands aren't busy with something. Phil notices that the shop is more or less dead - there's a trio of students with earphones in and textbooks open by the window and Gabe obviously continues to exist behind the counter, but it's not at all the same vibe as spending a late morning in a Brighton Starbucks. Phil has done that many times, and all it ever manages to do is make his anxiety worse.

He doesn't feel like that here, like he's taking up space and not moving fast enough. He feels like he's allowed to loiter here as long as he wants to, as long as he keeps buying coffee and doesn't distract Dan too much. It's nice.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Phil asks.

Dan's cheeks flush a bit, more obvious without the glitter and skin-like paste - Sophie might have called it foundation, once, but Phil thinks that's probably a house term and not a face term and he hadn't actually been listening closely.

"Well, yeah," they say with a tiny shrug. "I can only sit down for a bit at a time until my breaks, but Gabe doesn't care if I hang out over here. I just gotta look busy."

"Okay," says Phil. He waits for another couple of seconds before he gently adds, "You don't look busy."

Something in Phil's stomach twists when Dan blushes deeper and starts pretending to organize the trinkets on the mantle. He wonders how much of Dan's insistence on moving around is because of where they are and how much of it is their inability to sit still. It's unfortunate how cute Phil finds them. He really shouldn't.

He decides to put off this line of thought, again, because he's got a cinnamon roll and an unfortunately-cute person to focus on. He's not going to think about how many times he's already procrastinated this budding crush. He eats and drinks and makes idle comments about where certain things should be and generally winds Dan up a bit. They only manage to sit still for a couple minutes at a time, even though they need to help a total of customers twice more before Phil needs a refill.

The drink Dan brings over this time is a different colour than the mocha, and Phil sniffs at it suspiciously before taking a sip. He was raised well, so he doesn't spit it out, but it's a close call. Dan seems to see something on his face, because they throw back their head and cackle a bit.

"Okay, not a dark roast guy," they tease, reaching for the mug like they intend to give Phil something else entirely. Phil pulls it out of their reach and shakes his head.

"No, hey, I'll drink it," he huffs. "Just point me to the sugar. I need a gallon of it."

Phil doesn't actually get much opportunity to talk to Dan in the handful of hours he sits around the coffee shop, but that doesn't surprise him very much. He gets comfortable with his laptop, legs tucked up under him in increasingly pretzel-like ways, and passes the time by editing the footage they do have. It isn't much, and that almost frustrates him enough to walk out and get the soonest train south, but every time he reaches that point, Dan is there with their big smile and another experimental drink in hand.

He's never really considered himself picky when it comes to hot drinks, since he likes his coffee instant and his tea weak, but Dan is quickly changing his mind about that. Most of the things Dan brings him are gross or just not something Phil would ever voluntarily order again, and Phil starts to think that he's probably the problem here.

"No more," Phil whines when he sees Dan making another mug of something indistinguishable.

The students in the corner have left, although Phil can't remember when, and Gabe is in the back doing... something, so he doesn't feel self-conscious talking across the small shop. At this point in the day, it's just him and Dan.

Dan laughs loudly and shakes their head. "This is for me, you big baby," they say. "My shift is done. I figured I could have a drink, if that's quite alright with you."

"I suppose that's fine," Phil grins. He saves all his work and shuts down his laptop, stretching his legs out for the first time in ages. He's gotten up to pee enough times that Dan probably thinks there's something wrong with him, but he's been in a bit of a research vortex. "Thanks. For, y'know, letting me come hang out here."

"Sure, anytime," Dan says. They sound sincere about it, not like they're just saying so.

"What do I owe you?" Phil asks, digging around in his bag for his wallet. He doesn't have all his equipment with him or anything, but his laptop bag is still cluttered with a bunch of nonsense he doesn't actually need to carry around.

Dan rattles off a number that doesn't sound correct at all, so Phil adds another bill to the pile before heading to the counter. Dan opens their mouth like they're going to protest. Phil isn't exactly in the mood to argue, so he just walks back to his chair without a word. He hears a loud, exasperated sort of sigh behind him, but then the sound of the cash drawer opening. Dan ducks into the back room for a couple of minutes and when they come back they're out of uniform and holding a travel mug with Pokémon all over it.

They're dressed more comfortably than Phil has seen them before. A dark hoodie that's clearly a couple sizes too big is hanging off their frame, falling somewhere around their thighs. It's a different shade of black than their leggings, but Phil doesn't think it matters to them. Their curls are a bit ruffled from being under a cap - still looking as soft as Phil remembers, though.

"Hi," Dan says, grinning a bit hesitantly as they sit in the armchair across from Phil. They hold their travel mug close to their face like it's a shield, but it's no use. Phil already saw the pink tinge of their cheeks and won't be fooled into thinking it's from the heat.

"Hey," Phil says, resisting the urge to hide his own smile behind his hand. "That hoodie looks so comfy."

Dan looks down, as if they'd already forgotten what they threw on. "Oh, yeah, it really is. I basically need pyjamas for this lecture or I'll be grouchy all day."

"What class was it?" Phil asks. He realises that he doesn't actually know what Dan is studying. Then his brain tumbles further down that rabbithole, because there's a lot he doesn't actually know about Dan. They've spent so much of their new friendship just talking about Phil's job and all the nonsense that comes with it.

"Human Impacts on the Biosphere," Dan says with a wry smile, like they know exactly how little Phil knows about the topic.

"You're studying biology?" Phil asks. Dan shakes their head, but they don't laugh or anything like Phil's question is a stupid one. He feels like it probably was.

"Environmental science," Dan corrects him. "But it's a biology class, so you're not far off."

"That's really cool," Phil says sincerely.

Dan blinks a few times in quick succession, and the fluttering of their long lashes is hypnotizing. They seem surprised that Phil is taking an interest, or maybe that Phil finds science cool. He doesn't know anything about it, really, but that's never stopped him from being interested in a topic. Especially when someone who actually knows what they're talking about is walking him through it - like Sophie with her experiments or PJ with his junkyard sculptures. Phil doesn't have to have a working knowledge of something to enjoy talking about it.

"Really?" Dan says, that familiar skepticism behind their sparkling eyes.

"Save the planet and all that, right?" Phil guesses. He must have guessed right, because Dan gives him a smile brighter than the fire beside them. "Yeah, I don't know much about it, but it sounds cool. What year are you in?"

"Third year, ready to be done with it."

Phil remembers what that was like. He also remembers all over again that Dan is twenty-one, like the fact had been simmering just under the surface until now. It isn't that Phil is drastically older than them or anything - more like he's nostalgic for an age he didn't even like all that much when he was experiencing it.

Things were their own kind of screwed up in Phil's third year of uni, but at least he still had... hope. Hope that his parents would come around to the hobby that was slowly starting to make him money, hope that he'd find a guy who liked his particular brand of weirdness, hope that he'd be able to do something with his life that he enjoyed. One by one, those hopes started to feel further and further away until he was here, turning twenty-six in two months and with nothing but a moderate-to-severe anxiety disorder and a couple thousand quid in his savings to show for it. He never even found a guy who'd put up with him for longer than two dates. He wonders what sort of hopes Dan has right now. He tries not to wonder how long it's going to be before they, too, start to feel like it's useless.

"Are you okay?"

Phil shakes himself out of his own thoughts, meeting Dan's eyes again. They're so warm and lovely that Phil feels a bit better just looking at them.

"Yeah," he lies, starting to pack up his stuff. "Just hungry, y'know. Teatime."

"Oh, right," says Dan. They look a bit startled, but whether that's from Phil's abruptness or the time of day, Phil has no way of knowing. "That makes sense. Want me to walk you to the bus stop?"

That sounds nice. Then Phil remembers what's waiting for him at the other end of the bus ride, and he shakes his head. "No, uh. I was thinking about getting dinner in town." He looks down so he doesn't have to see whatever Dan's expression does when he adds, "And I'd love company, if you... want."

"Do I want to have dinner with you?" Dan repeats, like they aren't quite sure if that's what Phil actually said. Before Phil can answer, though, they're already talking again. "Obviously, yes. There's a great sushi place down the street if you like sushi, and if you don't like sushi there's other good restaurants all over the place, like there's -"

"I love sushi," Phil interrupts before Dan settles into yet another ramble. He's too nervous to look Dan in the eye again, even with the positive reaction. "Let's go. My treat."

#it is wednesday my dudes #we're back on a schedule babeyyyyy #quiet on widow's peak #words words words

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sophia9276 · 4 years ago

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gnhpinn-notebook · 6 years ago

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Lion Lattes: Part 1

I decided to try my hand at writing a proper Klance fic, so I hope you like it!

“I hate everything.” Lance groaned as he banged his head against the table.

“No, you just hate homework.” Hunk sighed, patting his head reassuringly.

They were all sat in their flat kitchen, with an array of snacks spread out between them.

“I mean what I said.” Lance looked up at his laptop with distaste. He still had a thousand words to write on his WW2 essay, and he was no closer to finishing it than he was half-an-hour ago. “Pidge, you know you love me?”

“No, I don’t,” Pidge said, not even looking up from their laptop. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t do your homework for you. Serves you right for leaving it until the last minute.”

“I hate you,” Lance muttered.

“And you wonder why I don’t love you.” Pidge rolled their eyes. “Maybe you’ll learn your lesson this time and won’t go out until after you’ve done your homework.”

“Never.” Lance hissed. “When a pair of pretty girls ask if you want to go out with them, you don’t say no.”

“They only asked you because they wanted fuck boy repellent.” Pidge snorted.

“Your point? It was fun, I hardly ever get to spend time with Allura since she started her placement.”

“Lance, you’re getting distracted.” Hunk said and received a sharp glare in response.

They sat in silence, writing for what seemed to Lance like an eternity, but was probably only a couple hours. Lance wanted to put on some music, but Pidge quickly shut that idea down, claiming they couldn’t think properly when music is playing. Lance was pretty sure his brain was going to implode from essay overload when the silence was finally broken by an alarm on his phone.

Relieved, he removed if from his pocket, only to have his mood darken. Lion Lattés.

“From one soul sucking task to another.” He groaned and saved his work. “Pidge, will you at least proof read what I’ve got while I’m gone? You know how much of a grammar Nazi Professor Wright is.”

Pidge eyed him condescendingly over their glasses before nodding. “Only if you bring me back some of your brother’s red velvet cheesecake as payment.”

“Deal.” Lance grinned and messaged Pidge the link to his essay.

Lance ducked gratefully through the employee’s entrance of Lion Lattés, cursing himself for not bringing an umbrella. It had started chucking it down halfway there, and now he was soaked. He shrugged off his jacket, at least his under shirt was dry.

“Luke? I’m stealing one of the towels!” He called, plodding down the hall to the staff room. A familiar face popped around the doorway to the main shop.

“Didn’t you bring an umbrella?” His brother asked.

“Do I look like I brought an umbrella?” Lance snapped, running a hand through his damp hair for emphasis.

“Oh don’t be a drama queen, it’s just water.” Luke rolled his eyes as Lance closed the door to the staff room.

Relieved, Lance grabbed one of the fluffy towels from the corner and dried himself down before changing into his uniform. It wasn’t that he disliked working at his brother’s café, in fact, he was grateful for the work, and Luke paid well. It had a nice atmosphere, good food and plus Luke let him take the leftover cake home when he worked the closing shifts.

The only problem was that Lion Lattés wasn’t exactly a hotspot. He’d be lucky to get more than twelve customers in a three-hour shift. The place made most of its money from its Wednesday and Friday night book clubs. On those days, it was packed, but come there at any other time and it was a dead zone.

He grabbed his laptop from his bag, his brother usually let him do his homework behind the counter when it was quiet. Which it usually was.

“Right, I’ll be back around five,” Luke said, as Lance came through the doorway. “Thanks for taking the extra shift.”

“You can thank me by letting me take home some of the red velvet.” Lance grinned. “Now get going, you don’t wanna keep Mel waiting.”

Luke ruffled his hair affectionately before going to change. With a sigh, Lance sat down his usual stool and looked around the café. There was an old couple sat in one of the booths, but that was it. With a groan, he opened his essay to find a disturbing number of incorrect spellings highlighted by Pidge. Cracking his knuckles as though bracing himself, he got to work.

He was torn away from his collusion by the ringing of the café door.

“Welcome!” He called absently, finishing up his sentence before closing his laptop. He put on his best customer service smile and turned to the person approaching the counter. “What can I get for you?”

It took all his willpower to stop his jaw falling open. The guy who had just walked in was not one of the middle-aged or elderly customers who usually came to Lion Latté’s, no, this guy was about Lance’s age. And he was hot. Broad shouldered, a bit shorter than Lance, and his eyes, they were gorgeous. Even the scar on his right cheek added to his cool mystery.

“One medium latté please.” The boy said, lowering the hood of his raincoat to reveal shaggy black hair pulled into a ponytail, ok the mullet wasn’t great, but nobody’s perfect.

“Coming right up.” Lance grinned.

He turned to the coffee machine and began to make the order, while covertly sneaking glances at him. During his observations, he spotted a Harry Potter key-chain on the boy’s messenger bag. Hoping to impress the stranger, lance carefully drew the deathly hallows symbol in the latté foam before placing it on the counter.

“That’ll be £2.20.” He said, with what he hoped was a winning smile.

“Thanks.” The boy slid the money across the counter to him and then took his latté over to a table by the window.

Lance sat down with a sigh. Not even a change in expression. He watched the boy take a notebook out of his bag and open it. After several long moments of watching the boy – even the way he sat looked cool – Lance sighed again and returned to the dreaded WW2 essay.

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forgottenlibrary · 5 years ago

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National Library Week 2020 - Some Reading Recommendations

A Healthy Dose of Escapism – Reading in the Time of COVID-19

As the majority of us are now working remotely, you might find yourself with some extra time on your hands (or are trying to carve out a little niche for yourself between working and caring for family members). Crafting is a big thing right now, as is watching Netflix, but if you’re out of fabric and already watched Tiger King, perhaps you’d like to read a book. Below are some suggestions for a bit of escapism.

Since we’re already living in a bit of a dystopian nightmare, these recommendations do not include such pandemic gems as The Stand by Stephen King, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, or even the classic Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe; however, if those are more your style, feel free to take a look at this list from Fortune magazine.

Travel

Non-essential travel is discouraged right now, but taking a trip from the comfort of your armchair is always available . . . and what’s more, no wrestling with luggage or tickets!

Around the World in 80 Trains, by Monisha Rejesh. Monisha, a travel writer who previously embarked on 80 trains through India, takes a 45,000-mile journey riding the rails, from London to Russia and beyond. In addition to the amazing views, you’ll meet a cast of unforgettable travelers.

Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town, by Paul Theroux. The occasionally-curmudgeonly Paul Theroux (perhaps known to you as the author of The Mosquito Coast, adapted into a 1980s film with Harrison Ford) has done quite a bit of traveling in his lifetime. This particular book details his experiences by train, canoe, “chicken bus,” and cattle truck through Africa. As he himself writes, “I got sick, I got stranded, but I was never bored.”

Underground: a Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet, by Will Hunt. Will Hunt’s fascination with the places that live underground began as a teenager, when he discovered an abandoned subway tunnel beneath his house in Providence, Rhode Island. Underground spans continents and history, from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Australian outback.

Food and Drink

Some of these could also fit in the travel category, but if the focus was more on food, it’s included here. Live vicariously through some legitimate foodies, and learn more about some items in our pantries and kitchens that never required a second thought.

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat, by Bee Wilson. This witty, well-researched survey is a literal object lesson in many kitchen implements we might take for granted, such as the humble fork, but also passing fancies such as cider owls and turnspit dogs. If you’re not already a fan of food history or anthropology, you might be after reading this book.

Hungry: Eating, Road-Tripping, and Risking It All with the Greatest Chef in the World, by Jeff Gordinier. Gordinier, the food and drinks editor for Esquire magazine, takes off on a four-year, globe-trotting adventure with Danish chef René Redzepi in search of serious flavors. From the Yucatán peninsula to the Arctic Circle, this part travelogue, part memoir might cause you to devour it much like a meal – in one sitting.

A Cook’s Tour: in Search of the Perfect Meal, by Anthony Bourdain. The late chef and host of No Reservations and Parts Unknown ventures out of the kitchen once again in prose form, from Asia to Europe and back, in an attempt to discover what constitutes the “perfect” meal. Fans of Bourdain’s wit and sardonic attitude on television or his previous books (such as Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw) will find Cook’s Tour a satisfying delight.

Drive-Thru Dreams: a Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom, by Adam Chandler. For those of you more interested in the fast-food side of culinary delights, Chandler, a former staff writer for The Atlantic, reveals the story of America through its roadside institutions – from White Castle to Wendy’s.

Fiction

Daisy Jones and The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The tale of a group of rock stars on the rise in the tumultuous 1970s written as an oral history. It’s the quintessential “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” memoir, but without real people involved.

Summer of ’69, by Elin Hilderbrand. Touted as the perfect “beach read” when it was published last year, this historical novel follows the Levin quartet of siblings as they spend a not-quite-usual summer at their grandmother’s Nantucket home.

Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang. If you’re looking for something a little deeper, this book of nine short stories that weave together the big philosophical questions and science fiction might be a better fit.

For the Kids

And you, as well. No judgements here!

The Curse of the Werepenguin, by Allan Woodrow, illustrated by Scott Brown. Middle-grades fiction in the orphan-boy-becomes-hero vein, with a slightly different spin – the mythical creature this time is a were . . . penguin. Lots of puns and self-referential dialogue make this a quick treat.

The Last Last-Day-Of-Summer, by Lamar Giles, illustrated by Dapo Adeola. Otto and Sheed are the legendary Alston boys, known in their town for being the best detectives around. On their last day of summer vacation, they end up inadvertently freezing time, leading to the longest case (and day) of their lives as they attempt to solve the mystery and save their neighbors.

Arnie, the Doughnut, by Laurie Keller. An oldie-but-goodie, this adorable story of a not-so-ordinary doughnut will give you a smile. Perfect for read-alouds, or you can watch and listen to Chris O’Dowd (of IT Crowd and Bridesmaids, among other things) read it to you, courtesy of Storyline Online. [Captions are provided for the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing].

Want More?

Of course, this is just a brief selection of titles and genres, and purposefully avoiding anything too heavy or “dark” in the interest of more universal appeal.

For places to find more recommendations:

Book Concierge (NPR). This web app allows you to browse through seven years of books handpicked by NPR staff and critics, or narrow it down by categories. You can click on multiple categories at once and really find something to suit your tastes.

GoodReads. A website as well as a mobile app, you can keep track of what you’re currently reading, as well as view user-compiled lists, join virtual book clubs, and more. You can also make custom shelves and tags, especially useful if you have a large collection.

NoveList Plus. Read-alike and listen-alike recommendations for books and audiobooks. If you enjoy reading books in a series, NoveList will help you find out which one is next. In addition, reading reviews is very easy, as all the major publications (as well as GoodReads users) are found in one place. For access to this service, head to your local library’s website and check their virtual services page for more information!

#NationalLibraryWeek #LibrariesTransform

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airconditioning-london · 5 years ago

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netmetic · 6 years ago

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Is Loose Coupling a Downside of Event-Driven Architecture?

If you know anything about me or Solace, your jaw may drop when I say one of the biggest advantages of event-driven architecture – the loose coupling of applications – has a downside. In fact, I believe this downside is why request/reply interactions still dominate the application landscape, even in situations where using event-driven patterns would be advantageous.

Tight Coupling vs. Loose Coupling in Application Architecture

Request/reply interactions using RESTful APIs entail the tight coupling of applications, i.e. direct connections between them: app A asks app B for information, and app B sends app A the requested information.

In event-driven interactions, applications “publish” events to an event or message broker trusting that the broker will get them where they need to go, and systems that need information “subscribe” to topics indicating their needs, vs. seeking out and directly connecting with the sources it might come from.

That loose coupling of applications is great from a development and system perspective because it eliminates the need to develop, create and maintain direct connections between every pair of applications that need to interact. It’s especially advantageous in fan-in and fan-out scenarios, and in many modern uses cases within trends like big data, hybrid cloud, IoT, machine learning and mobile computing.

But that same loose coupling can make the deployment and management of an event mesh more difficult than it should be.

Why is it so difficult to develop event-driven applications today?

If you’re creating a “source” application that just publishes events, life is pretty dang easy: define the event schema and topic name, pick an API and protocol, and start sending. Things get way more complicated if you’re building a “sink” application that needs to receive events, because you need to find and subscribe to events that meet your needs and use case. The same logic applies to processor applications that receive events, do something of value with it, and publish new events and information of their own.

When I was building event-driven applications in support of the FAA’s transformational SWIM initiative, I came to recognize what I call the “Five W’s” that I found myself continually asking:

Where do you discover events/topics that meet your needs, let alone the schema definition that defines their payload?

What logical event address (topic) do you subscribe to in order to receive just the events you want to do something with?

Why does a given event exist, i.e. what is its context and purpose? And if you can’t figure that out… how do you know what to consume?

Who do you contact to learn more about events and their context/purpose?

When will a given event be available or deprecated? Where is it in its lifecycle?

These questions are usually easily answered in the RESTful API space since tooling (such as API Management) provides solutions, but the event-driven space is the wild west in this regard. Yes, this blog post is brought to you by the letter W!

Welcome to the Wild West of Event-Driven Architecture

I’ve spent much of my career building event-driven solutions. As I mentioned above, one was the FAA’s transformational System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) project. SWIM is effectively an API and eventing platform that lets national airspace systems exchange information in real-time. It’s an awesome program and one I am particularly proud of.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was giving consumers a way to discover events; at the time we were dealing with a few thousand distinct events including weather condition updates, flight tracking objects and arrival/departure scheduling. We tried all sorts of service registry products, but they were all geared for synchronous web service interface definitions, not asynchronous events and their associated data schemas, let alone at the volumes we were dealing with. We ended up building our own event catalog and portal, which obviously isn’t optimal, and isn’t even practical for most organizations.

Now, working for Solace, I spend my days talking with some seriously smart folks who are implementing all kinds of applications, event-driven and otherwise, for current and prospective customers. I can’t tell you how frequently they lament how the lack of event-centric tooling slows their progress along the path to being event-driven. Those who’ve already incorporated events into their organization have either spent considerable capital to build homegrown tooling, or get by with tools like Excel, Word or SharePoint to keep track of events across the enterprise. There are four problems with these “solutions”:

There’s no consistency between teams within the same organization, much less across organizational boundaries;

Artifacts become stale, out of date and there is no way to discover what’s actually happening;

Information is fragmented and partitioned into organizational silos; and,

Developers have no actionable event “contract” that they can use to generate code.

Essentially, they have captured and documented data that’s used by a few people, and not very effectively. And remember I’m talking about companies who’ve succeeded at becoming event-driven.

Now imagine (if you even need to at this point) that you’re just starting down the path to event-driven. You understand the transformational value it offers, appreciate the value of processing events as they occur, and want to use and reuse events in a variety of ways. As you dig deeper, you start to ask the same questions (the Five W’s) I rattled off earlier, and you don’t find easy answers either. Not good!

Replicating the Easy Implementation of REST in the Event-Driven Arena

For many, that lack of answers shrouds the path to event-driven success in enough mystery that they give up and go back to their comfort zone of creating synchronous, request/reply interactions between applications. Why? Because it’s easy to create request/reply interactions using RESTful HTTP thanks to sophisticated tools like API portals and service libraries that accelerate and automate the development, definition and discovery of services. Unfortunately, in doing so not only do they not meet their objectives, they’ve kicked a critical can down the road – and who could blame them!

Whether you are just starting down the road to event-driven or have been on it for years, the lack of event portals, catalogs and code generation is making life harder than it should be and impeding both adoption and success.

In my next post I’ll dig into that problem by breaking down the foundational tools that have made the development of RESTful applications so easy, and I’ll show how that model can be replicated to accelerate and simplify the migration to event-driven applications and interactions.

The post Is Loose Coupling a Downside of Event-Driven Architecture? appeared first on Solace.

Is Loose Coupling a Downside of Event-Driven Architecture? published first on https://jiohow.tumblr.com/

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testdrivehihello · 6 years ago

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Storytelling is a powerful narrative tool to influence a range of audiences and can be an effective supplement to presentations and data analysis. This expert tells you how.

Rob Biesenbach is the author of Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results (see my book review here). The book covers company origin stories, the use of stories during presentations, and personal brand stories.

Rob is a corporate communications consultant, and the author of books Act Like You Mean Business and 11 Deadly Presentation Sins. His clients have included AC Nielsen, Mars, MillerCoors, Motorola, Allstate, Deloitte and Lockheed Martin. Rob is a former vice president at Ogilvy PR Worldwide and has served in government as well.

Rob joins us in this chat on storytelling tactics during startup pitches, impacts of stories, the habits and achievements of successful storytellers, and the role of digital media.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

YourStory: What are the typical challenges entrepreneurs face as they scale up their company? How can storytelling help in the different stages of the journey?

Rob Biesenbach: Entrepreneurs are often driven by a fervent belief in what they are doing, which is important, of course. But that passion can also mean they lose their objectivity. They know so much about their company, product, or service that they find it difficult to distinguish the truly necessary information from the merely interesting.

That’s where storytelling comes in. By framing your idea or business in a narrative, you learn to keep the content tight and audience-focused. And that’s critical when pitching to investors, prospects, and recruits.

YS: How should innovators strike that delicate balance between ‘Stick to your vision’ and ‘Adapt to a changed world’? How should their story reflect the ups and downs of the journey?

RB: Change is all about conflict, and conflict is an essential ingredient for any story. A story where everything goes according to plan isn’t really a story. So revealing some of the ups and downs in the journey can be compelling.

But again, it’s important to focus. A story should not be a catalogue of every single twist and turn in the process, but only those essential to the narrative.

YS: What is your current field of research in storytelling?

RB: I state pretty clearly in the introduction of the book that I am not an academic. And that, I think, is part of what makes the book so readable. Other than where I cite some of the neuroscientific evidence behind the power of storytelling, it’s not dense with scholarly footnotes.

I stay current on the topic by reading whatever I can from other experts. Mostly, though, I learn through the consulting and workshops I do. That gives me an understanding of the challenges people face in telling stories, and I’m able to collect more real-life examples of successful storytelling.

YS: How big a role do academics play in storytelling? Can storytelling really be formally taught?

RB: Absolutely, storytelling can be taught. My book aims to simplify and demystify storytelling. In terms of simplicity, I’ve seen storytelling processes with as many as 19 steps! That’s unnecessarily complicated, especially for busy professionals. I break it down to its essential components.

As for the “mystery” of storytelling, I believe that with the right tools and structure anyone can learn to tell a good story. Too many business people psych themselves out. They watch TED Talks and think they have to tell the kind of stories that send people into fits of laughter or tears.

But not every story has to have that level of impact. Often it’s enough to simply trigger an acknowledgement of a shared perspective (“I’ve been there”) or a glimmer of understanding (“I know what you mean”). That helps lay the foundation for a relationship, a sale, or whatever your goal might be.

YS: In the time since your book was published, what are some notable new examples of storytelling you have come across?

RB: The beauty of storytelling is that there are so many ways to come at it, and one of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing people craft and deliver their own stories. They draw on their personal experience or movies they’ve seen, they inject humour and surprise, they use elaborate physical gestures to amplify their message and more.

One participant started telling a story about a giant and I thought, “We really should be focusing on business stories here, not fables.” But then she revealed that the giant is Amazon! It was an allegory designed to communicate a key threat to her business to others in her organisation. Stories that go in an unexpected direction can be especially captivating.

YS: How was your book received? What were some of the unusual responses and reactions you got?

RB: I was delighted that in its first year it exceeded sales for my first two books combined. And I don’t think it’s necessarily a better book — it just seems that the topic of storytelling is of high interest to a lot of people.

One unusual response was from a colleague who seemed surprised that the book offers a detailed, step-by-step process for storytelling — implying that I was giving away all my secrets. By contrast, I read customer reviews of another book expressing disappointment that it was short on detail and seemingly designed to “upsell” readers on premium products.

I prefer my approach. The whole point is to help people fuel their success through storytelling.

YS: Most of the case studies in your book feature big companies; can you cite some examples of effective storytelling by startups and entrepreneurs? How about storytelling in government?

RB: I live in a 100-year-old home, so we are constantly bringing in contractors for repairs and projects. I do my due diligence — checking out reviews, getting recommendations, gathering the data, etc.

But what often drives my final decision is how they present themselves on their website. Do they have an interesting story that is well told and presents an authentic face to customers? Like a family-owned business with a long history in the community, for instance.

It may sound like a crazy way to pick a roofer or electrician, but all other things being equal, I go with the company with a good story. It helps create trust and confidence.

In terms of government, I tell a story in the book about the National Park Service in the US, which told a poignant story about the death of a hiker to warn people about the very real threats they may face in the wilderness. It had far more impact than your typical list of “dos and don’ts.”

YS: Who are some of the storytellers you admire the most today, and why?

RB: Malcolm Gladwell is a great storyteller. He’s been criticised by others in his field for oversimplifying science, but there’s no question he has a talent for boiling down complex ideas into compelling narratives that inform and persuade. Other technical types — engineers, technologists, physicians, lawyers — could learn from his approach.

But most of my inspiration comes from the arts and literature. The whole basis of my teaching is that practically everything we need to know about business communication can be learned from the world of performance —from connecting with an audience to expressing ourselves creatively.

YS: What are the top three ways in which digital media is transforming the craft of storytelling – for the better and the worse?

RB: First, digital communication places a premium on brevity, and I always say when it comes to storytelling, shorter is better. Especially for amateur storytellers.

Second, having an HD camera in virtually everyone’s hands have democratised storytelling, making it far easier to collect stories from employees, customers, and other audiences. That way it’s not all “top-down” storytelling from corporates.

Finally, of course, digital has allowed widespread and easy sharing of stories which, one would hope, might create more empathy and understanding across cultures.

YS: How does storytelling culture differ in countries around the world, e.g. US vs. Europe and Asia?

RB: I am not an expert in international cultures and customs, but when I do speak internationally I always work with clients to ensure I know as much as possible about the audience I’ll be working with (which I do domestically, too, of course).

One important thing I’ve learned — and this goes back to my days working at an international PR firm — is that people in other countries are often not as “expressive” as people in the US might typically be, with our “Have a nice day” email signoffs and possible overuse of exclamation points.

Because emotion is critical to successful storytelling, people in some cultures may worry that they’re expected to create an “Oprah”-style moment that takes them far out of their comfort zone. So I work extra hard to take the fear out of storytelling and bring people along to a place that works for them.

YS: What is it like to make a living as a storytelling coach and consultant? What are the challenges you face, and how do you tackle them?

RB: The biggest challenge is overcoming people’s scepticism about storytelling. Some bottom line-oriented people or highly technical ones, like lawyers or engineers, discount storytelling as “soft” or lacking in substance.

It’s important to emphasise that stories are not a replacement for facts and data — they’re a supplement to it. Often a vital supplement. Studies show people respond better to a cohesive narrative than a data dump. And they want to get a better sense of the people behind the product or brand.

In order to change minds, you have to win hearts, and stories offer a path for doing that.

So I start by speaking their language — presenting the hard evidence for why stories work — then I lead them through the process of discovering and shaping their stories.

YS: What new projects or initiatives are you working on now? Where do you see yourself headed in the next 5-10 years?

RB: I am always working to expand my portfolio, developing new keynotes on communication topics, and adding new material to existing programs. In the next 5-10 years, I envision doing more and more virtual training and online coaching to meet clients’ needs.

YS: What is your next book going to be about?

RB: It will probably be about advanced presentation skills, which is my other major area of focus, and the subject of my second book, 11 Deadly Presentation Sins. A great presentation can help you close a sale, win over a sceptic, motivate a team or build your brand.

Much has been written on the subject, but the problem of Death by PowerPoint persists. Attend any conference or typical corporate meeting and you see the same thing: dull, ugly visuals, information overload, lacklustre delivery.

Presenters need to step up their game because audiences are more sophisticated than ever. They’re watching TED Talks and they expect more. So the new book will draw on many of the lessons I’ve taught — and learned — doing individual and group training for hundreds of leaders.

YS: What is your parting message to startups and aspiring entrepreneurs in our audience?

RB: Don’t let fear stop you from letting go of the data and opening up and telling your story. Companies often make similar-sounding claims, but nobody else has your specific story. That’s a competitive advantage that can distinguish you from others and ensure you’re remembered.

from YourStory RSS Feed Madanmohan Rao ( )http://bit.ly/2AETSWY

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technicallybluecollectionus-blog · 7 years ago

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The Hardcore Player's Vending machine.

The Town of Illumination is actually described through its own programmers as an emotional mystery, yet you will be actually forgiven for thinking it's but another jump-scare horror video game set in an ancient old asylum. I had the CEO from a popular internet site in 2006 involved me near splits about just how she couldn't take the stress and anxiety of operating her provider any more. The increase from social networks like social media web sites and blog sites has actually aided the headlines become a social expertise for consumers; folks utilize their socials media as well as social networking modern technology to filter, assess, as well as respond to headlines.

Individually, I believe it would be exciting to play as a broker of the Brucolac, my favorite from Armada's rulers, skulking about like Corvo Attano in the Dishonored activities. And this's most likely going to be the outliers, the rebels which truly check the units, which are heading to be very most interesting. If our team level to the method from discovering, receiving bears great wisdom that guides our company towards wisdom. The latest top-end version is actually $100 even more costly compared to the top-end styles from previous generations. And also there are actually a lot of low quality documents being published-in psychological science as well as in a great deal of various other industries as well. Different common prospects for initial prefabs are huge semi-static locations, at times as huge as 25x25 or perhaps 100x100, which play an essential duty on that particular map either for piece or even technicians objectives. 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Clearpath's OTTO robotics use LiDAR as well as other sensors to regard the course they have to take a trip and also stay away from accidents along with folks and also various other items in factory and also stockroom environments. I assume that the real complication for Apple along with an iTablet will be that, as holds true for all pcs, it will be a basic purpose devices, so the model for dispersing apps are going to must level, as this is actually for Macs. This type of living is actually a testament of an aggregate who use will definitely or inspiration to attain their ends in life. It is actually certainly not unusual for captives on death row to give up making beauties, and also coordinate as long as they could with the completion process. Our ultimate time on Cook was actually spent learning crevasse rescue systems, which are actually vital for climbing gatherings that journey on icebergs. Our experts yield that the future of the teaching profession will entail a lot of automaticed knowing tools as well as possibly also telepresence robots. When Scott reacted to the add on Twitter, he seemed to be rather spellbound by whole thing: although he has most certainly grown utilized to possessing his customer review remarks come to be blurbs" in such adds in the past, he said that watching his tweet acquire turned into ad straw was a little bit puzzling. Psychological science would most likely work if you would like to carry out Psy-Ops, mention like making disinformation brochures, doing significant EPW interrogation, or even whathaveyou. So where Apple TELEVISION does not have match a few other unit in functions, that is actually due to the fact that Steve Jobs personally assessed the experience functioned due to the set from features in Apple TELEVISION and also determined that the Apple TELEVISION that our team observe today delivers the most ideal adventure for the broadest number of customers. However, obtaining all of them in order to help may be a difficulty, as each god has an opportunity to end up being on call to mobilize depending upon other fight circumstances. Raising your instructor level is important: Higher-level coaches reap the benefits of possessing greater maximum-CP Pokémon. That deluxe doesn't exist in the enterprise where all type of political concerns and plan barriers elevate their head at other opportunities to intentionally as well as accidentally frustrate also the most well suggesting undertakings. Brad Bushman, teacher of communication and psychological science at Ohio Condition University was co-author of the research study, who said after the test, This is necessary to know the long-term original results of terrible computer game, because so many youths consistently participate in these activities. MindNode Pro likewise enables you to create various thoughts charts within a single record. There is also a freemium factor where downloaders could get a free of cost week-long test, admitting to a sub-set of the web content (featuring introductory programs and specific meditations for various opportunities of day, frame of minds as well as situations). Listed below's a company that's supremely proficient at handling the psychological science of the consumer, but it's competing with a brick wall structure when it pertains to taking on cable and also gps. We perform provide an all covering VA service where we keep an individual's necessities in thoughts. Innovative kinds understand the market value from a clear and also concentrated thoughts - given that their work depends on it. Numerous musicians, entrepreneurs, writers as well as various other creative workers, like David Lynch, have looked to mind-calming exercise as a device for tapping into their very most creative mindset. This was his concept to recreate a study done by Ulric Neisser, one of the pioneers of cognitive psychology. And also http://invaloaredecumparare.com have been related to improved recollection and also focus, much better mental well-being, decreased tension as well as stress and anxiety, as well as strengthened mental clearness - all of which could lead to much better creative thought. Incentive is actually an interior positive electricity, a mix from interest and also clear belief that permits our team to achieve an activity. The program keeps previous models from the chart that make this quick and easy to curtail to earlier variations.

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dimenzion3 · 7 years ago

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5 lessons about Diversity And Inclusion

Perceive the Shift in Global Understanding of D&I

Diversity today implies more than race and gender. There's developing importance put on making conditions where a wide range of voices are supported and heard. These voices originate from individuals who could possibly be of a similar gender, race, or ethnicity. Diversity in the work environment today can incorporate a portion of the accompanying:

• Race

• Ethnicity

• Gender

• Sexual introduction

• Religious association

• Generation

• Disability

• Personality sort

• Thinking style

This better approach for considering diversity and inclusion companies concentrates on addressing the necessities of the individual and less on a HR-focused activity. Today, it isn't just about including diversity inside an organization however utilizing that diversity to create better items and administrations.

It is pivotal to contract and keep up a different workforce, so gender and racial/ethnic activities will be propelled and kept up into the not so distant. There is much to gain from pioneers in diversity and inclusion, yet recollect that each organization's diversity and inclusion firms activities will appear to be unique. You should tailor your drives to address your particular industry and your organization's zones of shortcoming. Besides, worldwide systems ought to have the capacity to be embraced locally.

It is shrewd to recollect that diversity implies distinctive things to various individuals, and associations will apply those definitions to their organizations separately. For instance, the level of specialists of European family in the UK diminished by right around 10 rate focuses in the course of the most recent ten years. This exhibits a zone of center special to the UK workforce.

Another illustration is the attention on individuals with incapacities in India, where many individuals experience the ill effects of polio or different ailments since prescription was not accessible to treat them. Along these lines, Deutsche Bank works with a non-legislative association to prepare individuals with handicaps to work at the organization.

Assemble an Inclusive Environment

Studies demonstrate that diversity and inclusion companies endeavours are advantageous, particularly on a worldwide level. In the United Kingdom, senior official groups demonstrated a 3.5 percent expansion in profit before intrigue and duties with each 10 per cent increment in gender diversity.

This infers worldwide business pioneers should endeavour to make an air where different voices are heard, and their sentiments are esteemed and considered. This reality ought to be engrained in the organization culture. In the illustration situation, the significance of a comprehensive worldwide work environment, yet were baffled with the emphasis on a solitary gathering of labourers – and disappointed that the organization culture did not have an attention on worldwide ability.

Scarcely any senior officials have understood the significance of a various workforce fueled with voices of individuals from various foundations, identities and thinking styles over the worldwide working environment. It has turned out to be essential to make conditions where all individuals are urged to draw upon their novel encounters, points of view and foundations to propel business objectives. To accomplish this in a worldwide work setting, it's significant to utilize successful worldwide correspondence and preparing endeavors.

Human services supplier Johnson and Johnson, for instance, understood that to be effective in worldwide diversity, it required socially suitable endeavors propelled for each area. The organization was attempting to consolidate its diversity endeavors in the United States and Europe, so it led its first-since forever live video meeting on shared recognitions, diversity and regard. Customers and workers announced expanded efficiency, and more than 100 study members detailed the meeting was the most profitable preparing they had ever experienced.

Another case of a worldwide organization understanding the profundity and extent of comprehensive conditions is Deutsche Bank, a signatory and establishing individual from diversity inclusion sanctions in Germany, Spain and Luxembourg. Around 42 percent of its workers are female. Eileen Taylor of Deutsche clarified, "We are in 75 nations and we employ the best ability in every region. Different groups and organizations settle on better choices."

Considering these cases, plainly a portion of the best associations around the globe have set a case for differing and comprehensive worldwide workplaces. As these associations proceed with their endeavors and others take after, how would they persistently make strides? And, all the more significantly, what territories of diversity and inclusion training are organizations as yet missing the mark?

Utilize Multiple Practices and Measures

Diversity and inclusion consulting firms ought not be dealt with as a 'coincidental' activity. Numerous pioneers battle with how to oversee working environment diversity. Advancing diversity and inclusion in the work environment is a steady work in advance, and it ought to be kept up and supported to be powerful.

As per a 2014 HUDSON Research and Consulting study that met talked with six diversity and inclusion companies from driving non-U.S.- based organizations, there is a requirement for numerous activities and many wellsprings of input.

Rather than taking a gander at turnover rates and different numbers, there is a requirement for measuring ROI in view of various markers and granular data, for example, representative reactions and steady criticism about strategies.

The takeaway is that your worldwide organization ought to have arrangements set up to screen and hold a skilled and differing workforce, for example, any of the accompanying:

• Global tutoring programs

• Employee asset gatherings

• Multicultural ability administration

• Strategic organization advancement

• e-Learning modules

· Performance management programs

Guarantee Leaders Model Diversity and Inclusion

It is important that senior initiative model diversity and inclusion. At the point when senior pioneers claim Diversity and inclusion, and make themselves a piece of the diversity and inclusion administration process, it sets the tone for whatever remains of the association to take action accordingly. "I must be the champion of diversity and inclusion," said L'Oréal USA CEO Frédéric Rozé. "I must be a good example and show how essential this is to our organization."

BASF is a magnificent case of a worldwide organization that acquaints D&I preparing programs with senior officials to advance diversity consultant all through the association. BASF's Ambassador Network incorporates more than 500 workers worldwide and supports the production of an "open corporate culture that esteems each person."

Is there a mystery recipe to figuring out how to oversee working environment diversity, particularly considering the broadness of contrasts between worldwide organizations? Here are three stages basic to getting comprehensive administration.

Perceive the Connection Between Innovation and D&I

Maybe the most huge lesson is that diversity and inclusion start development. In AIG's 2014 corporate national report, for instance, it included utilizing intellectual diversity to drive advancement as a D&I rule. As indicated by the worldwide endeavor, diversity and inclusion in the workplace increment development and decrease business chance.

The venture concentrated its endeavors on three territories in 2014:

• Nomination programs. It facilitated preparing for 350 workers in nine nations speaking to the endeavor's each area. The endeavors concentrated on ladies and under-spoke to gatherings.

• Training programs. A worldwide activity was propelled in more than 20 nations to address general diversity and additionally prepare administrators in social ability, age diversity and oblivious predisposition.

• Employee asset gatherings. The venture's representative asset bunches encountered a development rate of 76 percent in one year. It expanded to 10 distinct measurements of diversity, added to 36 existing sections and propelled 37 new gatherings.

This new pattern among top worldwide organizations cultivating development in the work environment urges other worldwide organizations to do likewise.

#diversity and inclusion #diversity and inclusion at workplace #diversity and inclusion companies

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johnmauldin · 8 years ago

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Neil Howe: The Amazon-Walmart Rivalry Will Determine the Future of Retail

My good friend Neil Howe has reconsidered the escalating war between Amazon and Walmart for the future of retail. And in true Neil fashion, he has come up with some surprising insights.

One of the takeaways here is that market “duopolies” can save consumers money—so you and I had better hope the battle isn’t resolved anytime soon.

Did you know that one in five US consumers is now an Amazon Prime member? But don’t count Walmart out, Neil warns.

Amazon and Walmart Battle for Retail’s Future

By Neil Howe, Saeculum Research July 19, 2017

The two firms are aggressively scaling up and branching out: Who will rise as the rest of retail sinks?

Amazon turned heads last month when it acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. On the exact same day, Walmart announced its own $310 million purchase of clothing e-tailer Bonobos. The timing is no coincidence: As the de facto leaders of U.S. retail, Amazon and Walmart are each spending heavily in an attempt to unseat the other. Which company has the advantage? Amazon is a forward-thinking e-commerce heavyweight with many far-flung (if not profitable) business lines. Walmart is unmatched in brick-and-mortar retail, with a surging (if still small) e-commerce business. With the future headed online, investors are betting heavily on Amazon—but is this a mistake?

The two retail giants have been stepping on each other’s toes lately. Amazon’s Whole Foods deal has been widely interpreted as a defensive move against Walmart’s thriving grocery business. Amazon is also playing offense: The company is going after Walmart’s predominately lower-income customer base by offering a discounted Amazon Prime membership to U.S. consumers who rely on government assistance.

Walmart, meanwhile, has been even more aggressive. It all started when Walmart bought e-commerce firm Jet.com for $3.3 billion back in 2016. The company earlier this year rolled out free two-day shipping for all orders over $35, and is testing a pilot program that pays workers overtime for delivering packages on their commute home. Walmart is even barring some prospective tech vendors from building apps and services on top of Amazon’s cloud—and is telling its for-hire truck drivers that they cannot haul Amazon goods on the side.

Each company has scored some direct hits in this battle. But which one is positioned to win the war?

Amazon’s utter dominance of e-commerce sets it apart in an era when ever-more sales are moving online. As the leading e-tailer, Amazon has been the largest beneficiary of a massive shift online: Nearly half (43 percent) of all U.S. online retail sales take place on Amazon.com. One key ingredient to this success has been Prime, which now tallies 66 million subscribers—equal to roughly one in five U.S. consumers.

Arguably the company’s greatest strength is its ability to build successful tech-enabled businesses seemingly from scratch. Take cloud computing. In a few short years, Amazon has transformed from a cloud newcomer to the unquestioned market leader: Fully 57 percent of survey respondents say that their business is currently running applications in Amazon Web Services, 23 percentage points ahead of Microsoft Azure. Meanwhile, Amazon Home Services—a platform on which homeowners can find credentialed experts to carry out a rebuild—is now competing with the likes of Lowe’s and Home Depot. (See 77: “Home Services, At Your Service.”) In 2012, Amazon even began renting out excess warehouses to create yet another profit stream.

But for all of its success, Amazon has yet to generate much in the way of actual profits. Jeff Bezos is not interested in growing the company’s profit margin, but rather in keeping prices low in order to steadily gain market share—that is, grow faster than its competitors. With a lofty P/E ratio of 187.8, Amazon is clearly benefitting from investors who believe that the company will eventually focus on profitability. Such a huge bet on deferred earnings is fraught with downside risk.

So what’s the argument for Walmart? First, it is still a much larger company, with revenues of nearly half a trillion dollars—nearly four times Amazon’s. That scale alone enables it to put a much bigger squeeze on suppliers than Amazon. Second, Walmart generates a large profit—and generates it today. Walmart (P/E of 17.0) is a better value proposition than the majority of the S&P 500 (average P/E of 21.6). The company is also a reliable dividend machine: Walmart will pay out dividends of $2.04 per share in 2018, marking the 44th consecutive year of dividend growth.

Walmart’s main revenue driver is its brick-and-mortar retail business, which continues to gain steam amid a collapsing retail space. According to Credit Suisse, 2,800 U.S. brick-and-mortar retail stores closed up shop in Q1 2017, a record full-year pace. Commercial real estate firm CoStar reports that U.S. retailers must eliminate 1 million square feet of brick-and-mortar space just to grow their sales per square foot back to where it was a decade ago. In this low-margin environment, cost efficiency is key—and nobody does cost efficiency better than Walmart, a company that uses its clout to negotiate favorable deals with suppliers and finance its “Everyday Low Prices.” While mall anchors like Macy’s and JC Penney continue to announce store closures, Walmart plans to add 10,000 retail jobs and 59 new/renovated properties by the end of the fiscal year.

So what does the future hold? Amazon certainly has the look and feel of a winner in the digital age. The company epitomizes a blue-zone, mold-breaking, Silicon Valley mindset. Its leaders aren’t afraid to spend big today to solve tomorrow’s problems. Walmart, on the other hand, was founded in the deep-red, lower-middle class Bentonville, Arkansas (where it still keeps its headquarters) and built upon the paradigm of penny-pinching—hardly the type of company that inspires effusive praise as a forward-thinking leader.

But this line of thinking may be off the mark. For one, both companies acknowledge that tomorrow’s retail likely will be a blend of online and brick-and-mortar. As TechCrunch columnist Sarah Perez puts it, “Amazon wants to become Walmart before Walmart can become Amazon.” And the fact is that it may be easier—and cheaper—for Walmart to become Amazon. Walmart has already shown that it is willing to spend big on top tech talent. It would be a lot tougher, on the other hand, for Amazon to pour enough concrete to become a brick-and-mortar powerhouse while still maintaining the company’s culture.

The assumption that Amazon is far ahead in the court of public opinion is also untrue. Decades ago, Walmart was panned for decimating communities with bargain-bin consumerism. But today, Amazon is reviled by many consumer advocates who say that its e-commerce dominance—powered by its robot-filled warehouses—is killing retail jobs. In an era when consumers pride themselves on buying local to support their community (see SI: “The New Localism”), Amazon represents a faceless global entity without roots.

Even Millennials, who at first glance should be overwhelmingly pro-Amazon, show strong support for Walmart. According to YouGov BrandIndex, Walmart ranks as the fifth-favorite brand among Millennial consumers—just one spot behind Amazon and ahead of brands such as Netflix (#6) and Apple (#8). Why? Community-oriented Millennials likely realize the value of a company that creates 1.5 million U.S. jobs—and are won over by its ultra-low prices.

Both companies may very well outperform the broader market in the years to come. But don’t be surprised if Walmart eventually emerges on top. And even if the homely Bentonville retailer does no more than stick around, that makes it a big long-short winner relative to its Seattle-based rival.

TAKEAWAYS

Take notice: The Amazon-Walmart rivalry will determine the future of retail. Each firm is making moves in the other’s area of expertise: Amazon bought Whole Foods to scale up in the grocery business, while Walmart is ramping up its own e-commerce capabilities. Which company has the upper hand? Conventional wisdom points to Amazon, which has a dominant foothold in a surging e-commerce space and owns a reputation as a forward-thinking market leader. But the future of retail will likely be a blend of online and brick-and-mortar—which favors Walmart. Why? It may be easier to acquire tech capabilities (i.e., buying talent) than a physical footprint (i.e., building thousands of stores).

Keep in mind that market “duopolies” can save consumers money. Look at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, two companies that together control roughly three-quarters of the soda market. Their duopoly status has helped to keep prices lower: The CPI for carbonated beverages has risen less than half as quickly as the CPI for all food since the early 1980s. Similarly, it’s easy to see how the Amazon-Walmart price wars are already benefitting consumers. In February, shoppers had to buy $49 worth of Amazon goods to qualify for free shipping. Today, that same perk costs just $25. Walmart.com shoppers can now save up to 5 percent on more than 1 million items through in-store pickup.

Expect Amazon and Walmart to continue to play hardball with suppliers. All of these discounts come at a price—to vendors. Walmart recently told suppliers that it wants to offer the lowest price on 80 percent of the products that it sells—a feat that would require some suppliers to shave 15 percent off of their rates. Amazon is equally notorious for its tough negotiations. The company often threatens to boot unprofitable products (known as “CRaP,” short for “can’t realize a profit”) from its virtual store shelves if the vendor won’t budge on prices. Insiders suspect that this is why all Pampers products mysteriously disappeared from Amazon.com earlier this year.

Keep tabs on the hotly contested grocery market. Today, Walmart controls more than one-quarter of the U.S. grocery market—more than double the share of its closest competitor (Kroger). But an influx of competition, especially from abroad, threatens this market share. German discount chain Lidl recently opened its first U.S. outposts, and its fellow German competitor Aldi is planning a $5 billion, 900-store U.S. expansion. Amazon’s Whole Foods acquisition will further turn up the heat on Walmart—though the move may be far more damaging to Target, which has been trying to get into the fresh grocery game for ages.

Get Varying Expert Opinions in One Publication with John Mauldin’s Outside the Box

Every week, celebrated economic commentator John Mauldin highlights a well-researched, controversial essay from a fellow economic expert. Whether you find them inspiring, upsetting, or outrageous… they’ll all make you think Outside the Box. Get the newsletter free in your inbox every Wednesday.

#retail #amazon #walmart #ecommerce #economy #jobs

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pagedesignhub-blog · 8 years ago

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3 Professional Publications to help you Make Money as a Blogger

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3 Professional Publications to help you Make Money as a Blogger

The way to Begin a gap Blog (And Why You Have to) through Julie Neidlinger

If you go too wide-scale, you’ll have a hard time focusing on the right content and hitting your specific target audience. via zoning in for your specific audience and understanding what they’re looking for, you may create higher content, offer greater fee and in the end turn out to be the authority within your area.

7 Established Techniques to Increase Your Blog’s Visitors by means of 206 Percentage by way of Neil Patel Getting Visitors to a Blog is something many website owners and content material creators warfare with on an everyday basis. The overall concept of “Visitors” is quite misleading in itself because the fee of a traveler can range heavily based on their interest to your website and how they are going to use it. It’s vital to focus on your area of interest when looking to Boom Site visitors again in your Weblog.

while developing content for your website online, hold articles extraordinarily targeted and use long-tail keywords so you entice the particular target market searching for that answer in Google. It’s additionally crucial to make use of other Site visitors sources like guest blogging, social media, and infographics for pulling in traffic from different places.

How to Make Money blogging: Classes from 23 A success Bloggers by using Authority Hacker There are numerous specific methods to make Money with an internet site or Weblog, however knowing your actual target audience and their needs is crucial to maximizing your website’s earnings. by using preserving your website as niche-focused as feasible, not best will your content material provide more cost, but your site’s commercials will too. The maximum not unusual and effective ways to begin monetizing a Weblog are via Google AdSense, banner advertising, and associate advertising.

Once a Weblog has enough Site visitors and authority, it may also Start selling its very own CPM-based direct marketing, products and services at a premium charge. no longer only does this reference manual cover everything mentioned above, it additionally goes into a great element on how pinnacle bloggers are making a living with their websites through content material advent, custom offerings and trying out one-of-a-kind monetization methods.

As mentioned earlier, beginning a Weblog is one of the easiest things you can do online. All it takes is a site name, hosting and a quick installation of WordPress. Once all of this is in location, you can Start publishing content material proper for your web page. but that is where maximum website proprietors prevent. If you need to locate achievement with running a blog, you need to understand it’s not going to show up in a single day. Deal with your Weblog like a commercial enterprise, follow every of the Expert Courses above, and shortly enough, you may simply have an excessive-Traffic, sales-producing Weblog of your very own.

10 Powerful running a blog Secrets and techniques Revealed For new Bloggers Hi, there-there new bloggers pay interest – 10 Powerful blogging Secrets and techniques will be Discovered that will help you construct your website/Blog!

Are you new to running a blog? Are you deliberating starting a Blog? just don’t know what to do or in which to start? Questioning just what are the “Secrets and techniques” to A hit running a blog?

Coming this week I will be revealing 10 Powerful running a blog Secrets and techniques!

Some of the “Big Bloggers” or Experts don’t need to proportion their Secrets to their achievement, well stay tuned and I will share A number of their Secrets and techniques!

nicely I’m right here to percentage Some of the Powerful running a blog Secrets to you today! You too can discover ways to Blog just like the Professionals do!! So take be aware!

Powerful Secret #1 Create Effective Headlines

For new bloggers in addition to veteran bloggers, it’s miles important to put in writing a compelling headline. Having a compelling headline will draw your visitor to open up your article and examine it. Which means your visitor will live on your website/Weblog longer and possibly keep reading different articles. Using your key phrases as a part of your compelling headlines will even help with Seo, because of this getting your article indexed in Google and different search engines. You need to understand your target market and what kind of language that appeals to them. Get into the thoughts of your audience and you have the phrases so as to paintings for them. Consider there aren’t any shortcuts right here. You have to parent out your unique audience and write directly to the way the one’s humans sense.

Powerful Mystery #2 Put up Your Article to Directories

Ok, I recognize what you’re wondering, I actually do. you are wondering why could I Put up my articles to directories once I just published it to my website/Blog! proper…See I understand you have been. Submitting your articles to the pinnacle directories facilitates to brand YOU and to get you and your internet site/Weblog out within the search engines. The thing directories have a excessive page rank in the engines like google and your article gets listed in Google and other ships quicker. EzineArticles is where I first submitted my articles and they have a totally high rating with the search engines. I am now taken into consideration an “Expert Writer” that is superb. There are numerous other directories that you could Submit your submit to however Begin with ExinzeArticles first after which Put up to the others. Filing your articles will come up with returned links in your website/Blog.

Powerful Mystery #3 Make use of Social Media

The use of Social Media as a advertising strategy to your website/Weblog could be very critical to new bloggers. Social Media is all the buzz and could be very essential for viral advertising your website/Weblog. It enables to unfold the word about your website/Blog, posts and your business. it’s far on-line advertising and marketing at its best. When you have visitors to your website/Weblog and you deliver them a way to share your publish to others that is viral marketing. The usage of a Fb and/or Twitter plugin offers your site visitors an easy manner to help “advertise” your commercial enterprise. Using social networking is a like a Massive neon sign which speaks volumes approximately your internet site/Blog pronouncing test this out!

Effective Secret #4 Use Ping Strategies

Ping Techniques? What? As a new blogger, I, recognize that there are so many new ideas, phrases and things that have to be finished to building your website/Blog. Now don’t worry you’ll learn what you want when you want it. So, what is pinging and why Ought to you ping your website/Weblog? In a nutshell pinging your internet site/Weblog allows you to inform or inform Google, different engines like google and directories that your site has been updated. It’s like raising that pink flag telling engines like google that you have something new on your internet site/Blog, come and see! Now you only want to ping your website As soon as an afternoon and evening would be the first-class time. right here is just one website online that I’d advise, Singler It is free and clean.

Effective Secret #5 Use Powerful Plugins

There are numerous specific plugins and it may be complicated to new bloggers to decide which ones are the fine and just why you would use them. If you are The usage of WordPress and i pretty endorse which you use WordPress to build your internet site/Blog you could take advantage of some exceptional plugins like “relevant posts” or “most popular posts.” The names inform what they’re. Those are positioned at the stop of each submit helping your traffic to recognize of a few other first-rate posts you’ve got on your website. additionally social networking plugins consisting of Twitter and Fb are a couple of other extremely good plugins to feature for your internet site/Blog. Plugins will make your Blog greater interactive and also will permit your site visitors to locate matters easier!

Effective Mystery #6 Write For Low applicable Aggressive key phrases

YIKES! key phrases, low Aggressive key phrases what’s this you’ll be asking? For new bloggers this can be kind of horrifying, but do not worry it may be some thing to analyze and done. Sure, even with the aid of you! (ha!) Keyword studies is the most vital part of blogging and writing your posts. You want to do some research to your key phrases in your niche. Ensure they’re applicable to what your running a blog about. Key-word research wishes to be finished earlier than you do any writing due to the fact you do not need to waste your time on something that isn’t always going to paintings. You need to put in writing for the low Competitive key phrases because it will be simpler to get Google and other ships to index your article.

Effective Mystery #7 post Comments On Others Blogs

With this Effective Secret For brand new bloggers, it can’t be confused sufficient the importance to visit other blogs in your area of interest. First, you need to look what your opposition is doing. Second, you need to study their posts and make a remark. Ensure that your comment is applicable and significant not just thank you for sharing. give your cause why you like or did not just like the publish and be honest but not nasty. The third cause for making Comments is it offers you a back link to your website. The first-class backlink attempt comes from getting an outstanding blogger to position your URL into his Blogroll.

Effective Mystery #eight Use Images and Videos

The use of Photos and Movies in web sites/blogs is some other new blogger must do. The cause is Google and other search engines like google and yahoo actually choose The usage of Motion pictures and Images in website/blogs. Video marketing is a warm item now’s they are easy as a way to produce yourself. The excellent Motion pictures are comprised of your personal recording effort and putting in your very own keywords for awesome Seo. But, you could nevertheless use others Motion pictures for your posts If you need or want. There is nothing wrong with The usage of other human beings’ Films as long as the video works together with your niche.

Effective Secret #9 running a blog Equipment loose online Sources

Many Professional bloggers have several running a blog Tools of their arsenal to assist separate their Weblog from the rest. that is an area that the professionals don’t need new bloggers it recognise or to have in their device belts. Being a A success blogger requires paintings, know-how that fulfillment does now not take place in a single day and to learn how to The way to find exceptional Resources. Being observed about the Professional bloggers comes with willpower, funding of time, enhancing your competencies and to Don’t forget to remain at the reducing aspect. A couple incredible Sources to apply to your internet site/Blog is Google Analytics and some splendid Search engine optimization Tools. Multi-functional Search engine optimization is a extremely good one to apply with WordPress.

Effective Mystery #10 study From your Mistakes

To me, that is the maximum essential Secret For new bloggers to Don’t forget. I have been there and have made many Errors, However; I’ve found out from Those Mistakes and feature advanced my web sites/blogs due to These Errors. Each person makes Errors, keep in mind that! You could now not realize which you made or make Mistakes. You Begin running a blog and work difficult to get your website/Blog going and don’t get any effects. What you are doing is repeating some common Errors. In case you’re not making Mistakes for your internet site/Weblog then you definitely’s no longer running! You need to invest time for your internet site/Blog. If something isn’t operating, then change it, tweak it after which deliver it time to look if it works.

New bloggers need to remember that running a blog involves making plans and masses of work to achieve success. Studying the blogging Secrets from the Expert bloggers is essential to separating a terrific blogger from the thousands of different good bloggers. specialists do not want different bloggers to recognize Those Secrets and techniques for the only simple cause…you’re their competition. Their opposition will develop after which make their assignment greater hard to stay on the pinnacle.

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