#i really like weekly :( the first (out of two besides) is very lackluster too

[dustofbrokenheart]

The Covenant: Top Anon

Pogue Parry x Reader

Word Count: 2,288

Summary: You have a loyal follower who comments on every post under your food blog. Just who is your favorite follower and why is the new grocery boy kinda cute too?

It was a new year and the start of a new you. Well, that is, a you who was trying new things.

In the past, you always made resolutions, but that spirit ran out before the month of January was even done. But after the particularly rough time of the past year, you swore that this time would be different, that you would make a serious effort to do something new.

It was that determination that led your current situation—your kitchen countertops were covered with ingredients and cooking utensils, your cell phone resting on a near by tripod for filming purposes.

The goal for this year was to try running a blog, and since you were a bit of a foodie, it made a lot of sense to center the blog around cooking and food. The idea came to you quickly; the hard part was deciding on a name, which took a while.

Eventually, you settled on The Foodiest. Naming was not one of your strong suits, but it was enough to get the point clearly across to potential viewers.

Choosing the layout design was on the same level of easy as deciding and didn’t take more than a day or two to implement on your site. Thank goodness for the existence of pre-made layout templates that saved you the effort of having to code everything yourself.  

With of the work on that end finished, the day had finally come for you to actually cook something to post about. Seeing as how January was a cold, winter month, you chose to make mashed sweet potatoes. Not only was it one of your favorite winter side dishes, it wasn’t hard to make either, giving you the confidence that even if your writing was lackluster, at least the food would look good.

Most of the blogs you were familiar with used a combination of text and photos for readers to follow along with, but you were going to try video in place of images. You sometimes struggled to copy based on what was shown in the photo, especially when you first started cooking, so you hoped video would make it easier on budding chefs who came across your content.

Luckily, the video would be sped up and lapsed for the final post to spare people from having to watch the monotonous parts in full length.

Hands on your hips, you surveyed everything one last time to make sure it was all ready. With a satisfied nod you reached forward to tap the large, red record button on the phone.  

You debated whether or not to talk while filming but decided against it. You were nervous enough posting to the blog without having the added stress of talking.

Everything happened in its regular order: you started by peeling and chopping the potatoes, a basic step, but you took your time doing it, paranoid as ever that you would cut yourself with the knife. Next you boiled the bright orange chunks in a pot of water; then put them in a mixing bowl once they were cooked. And finally used an electric mixer to blend it all nice and smooth, adding in milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  

Swiping your pointer finger through the finished product, you hummed with delight at the delicious, sweet taste. You pulled out a presentable bowl from the cupboard and spooned some orange fluff into it for the final reveal. Reaching blindly towards the far end of the counter you grabbed a bag of pecans to top off the mashed sweet potatoes. You scrutinized it and added more pecans for good measure.

Doing something in front of a camera was very different than doing the same thing on a normal day. Tension leeched out of your shoulders and you exhaled loudly with your head leaned back. A sense of pride warmed your chest, especially as you returned your gaze to the picturesque bowl. It looked great and tasted even better.

There was a large portion of leftovers because the recipes you used were collected from family and meant to feed small armies of people. You did your best to eat what you could and made plans sharing the rest with friends and coworkers later.

A few days after you published the post, you decided to check the stats on your account dashboard to see what the public response to it was, if there was any at all. Google analytics was useful for counting the total number of views it received while the blog site itself tracked the likes and… a comment?

Initial shock gave way to a bolt of excitement that had your fingers tingling with energy. You clicked to read it, wondering what it may say. Fingers crossed it was something good, whether it came in the form of a compliment or some constructive criticism.

Anonymous: wow good job

The chair creaked as you sat back slowly. You didn’t know how to read that, there wasn’t a whole lot to go on. Wow good job, said sarcastically? Wow good job, said excitedly? It didn’t help that the commenter didn’t believe in using punctuation either. And since it was submitted anonymously, there was no easy way to track down who sent it.

But maybe you were being too paranoid about it. You decided to take it as a compliment and cracked your fingers before firing off a response.

Foodiest: Thanks anon! I had a lot of fun with this dish. Hope you tune in for the next one :)

Anonymous never followed up with that particular exchange but they commented on every post without fail for the next two months.

Anonymous: nevr had white chili before it was good

Anonymous: the stuffed pepper were good

Anonymous: good call with the shrimp

Of course, all of the messages were sent as anonymous, so there was no 100% guarantee that it was the same person, but your gut feeling told you that it was. Who else had no respect for grammar rules and religiously used ‘good’ as their only descriptor?

You grew to expect, and enjoy, the weekly comment left by anon and made sure to leave a nice response in return. It was hard not to feel a connection to someone who took the time to try your recipes and leave a nice message. If only you could figure out who it was or at least have a name for them besides anonymous.

Foodiest: I’m glad you liked the recipe! My gramma swore by mayo when making grilled cheese. Thanks for always liking my stuff, if you ever want to talk more feel free to message me!

There. Maybe that would make them feel comfortable to give you their name you thought as you powered down your laptop for the night.

You spent the next couple of days leading up to the new post planning on what recipe to cook. Yep. Definitely not hoping for more information about anon.

For this newest post you decided to make some Indian curry, one of your favorites. Even long after you finished cooking, taping, and cleaning, the potent scent of spices was still heavy in the air, like aromatic nirvana that had your mouth watering even with a full stomach.

You tried your best not to refresh the post every few minutes to see if anon commented but it was tough. It turned out that you didn’t have to wait long as they left a comment within twenty minutes.

Anonymous: havent cooked this yet but looks good. Never really had indian before so have to go buy the stufff first – po

Anon finally gave up a name! You let out a happy noise and read it again. Po… short and to the point, just like all of the previous responses had led you to think about them. There was no time to waste, you hurried to write back, initial typos all over the place as the words out-paced your fingers.

Foodiest: Hi Po! It’s nice to have a name to put with your words. I would recommend going to an Asian Market for the spices, they’re more likely to carry them. Let me know how it goes for you :)

Since that conversation, Po and you chatted frequently about the weekly recipe choice, whether or not it looked good and if Po had plans to make it themselves, which they often did. Po seemed to like all types of food; vegetarian, meats, drinks, desserts, even ethnic dishes from places as far off as Bolivia and Morocco.

And the longer you two talked, the more frequent the messaging became. Whereas in the beginning Po would only submit a compliment that you would follow up with a ‘thank you’, it had turned into lengthy back and forths that took up a majority of the comment section for each post. More followers joined as the months went by and you hoped that they weren’t intimidated by your blatant favoritism but it was just so easy to talk with Po. If you were being honest with yourself though, it wasn’t only that it was easy… you genuinely liked talking to them.

Every time you made a new post it was difficult to not refresh the page every few minutes to see if they had left a message. And when they did, it was like a shot of electricity straight into the system where your heart would jolt and your face would flood with heat. You were hesitant to say it was a crush given that you didn’t know what they actually looked like and the computer screen barrier made it so you were content to define it as friendship.

Pushing those thoughts aside, you grabbed your wallet and keys while putting on shoes so you could make a quick run to the store. You had big plans to make some buffalo chicken wings for the blog this week and you needed to stop by the store to pick up some ingredients that you didn’t have, namely Frank’s Original Red for the buffalo sauce and blue cheese for the dip. Being an adult and responsible for your own grocery shopping was a chore at times. 

Luckily, Winter had thawed out into Spring so there was no need for you to warm up or car or scrape your windows. You just hopped in and drove the four blocks it took to get to the store. The plan was to cross the stuff for the wings off of your list first and then browse around for some good snacks to tide you over for the next week or so. Things were going according to plan until you saw him.

A tall boy wearing an employee apron stood in front of the cracker section, his jaw line and soft looking long hair catching your eye. Then he reached up to the tallest shelf to restock some boxes his arms flexing slightly to show off his heavy biceps and his shirt rode up, exposing deep cut ridges in his lower abdomen. To put it simply, you were starstruck.

He finished with the boxes he had in-hand and went to grab more from the cart at his side when you noticed your blatant ogling. Rather than confront you about it he merely smiled and moved out of the way so that you could get to the brand that you wanted. Choking from embarrassment, you kept your head down and threw a box of Goldfish into your shopping cart, speeding to get out of the aisle and his presence.

The store was a small local business and you frequented enough to know most of the workers there but you didn’t recognize this one, meaning that he must be new. What a way to make a first impression on him. Clearly your constitution was no match for his rugged, good looks. Then he was polite enough not to comment on you objectifying him which somehow made you feel even worse about it.

You decided to end the shopping trip almost immediately knowing that you were too spooked to continue shopping lest you run into him again.

You rolled the shopping cart into an open check-out lane and started putting your things on the conveyor for the cashier to scan. It just so happened that you knew the cashier—she was a middle-aged lady who’d been at the store for nearly two years. “Hi, Y/N. Find everything you needed?”

“Hey, Eva. Yes, I did.” You tried to steady yourself. Eva had a notoriously sharp eye and wouldn’t hesitate to question you if you looked off.

She left you alone today, engaging in normal chit chat, until she had trouble scanning the bottle of Frank’s hot sauce. Eva frowned when it didn’t want to scan and tried again but the bottle slipped from her hands and the neck of it shattered. Eva cursed and huffed, hurrying to throw the bottle into the trash before more leaked onto the register.

“I am so sorry, hun! I’ll get you another.”

“It was an accident,” you assured. “I can get it myself—"

“Not a problem,” she assured you with a wink. She pulled a walkie from her hip and spoke into it. “Hey, bring me a bottle of Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce. Quick.”

You barely had time to don your awkward smile as she talked about how her neighbor’s dog kept pooping in her yard when the guy from the cracker aisle walked up behind Eva and handed a bottle of hot sauce to her. She took it and patted his back to get him to move forward.

“Thanks, hun. Y/N this is the new grocery boy—”

“Pogue,” he interrupted. “My name is Pogue.”

_______________

Another fic where they know each other but don’t know that they do. This time featuring Pogue and his fandom accepted interest in food. I picture him to have bad messaging skills — his fingers struggle with those tiny phone buttons. 

[venus-says]

Futari wa Precure Episodes 01-26

Am I rewatching precure? I can't believe this!

Yes, this is not a fever dream, I'm really rewatching precure, and not just Futari wa but THE WHOLE FRANCHISE. Am I crazy? Yes, because I'm already watching too much stuff at the same time and I barely have time for that as of right now, but I love screwing myself over so here we are!

I can't really remember the exact thing that sprung this desire of rewatching precure on me, but I've been thinking about it for quite some time now, at least since I wrapped up on the Aikatsu marathon before On Parade started, in fact, one of the reasons I started doing the old Kamen Rider reviews was because of this. I just didn't start it earlier because I'm the kind of crazy that picked a calendar, looked at the dates, and made the calcs, and realized I could watch pretty much everything in one year so I decided to keep this "project" for 2020 and start the new decade with a bang.

So this is how it'll go: I'll be dividing each season into quarters and pretty much covering one season per month with posts coming out weekly every Wednesday, the only exceptions for this rule are Futari wa and Yes! since these are the only seasons with sequels so instead of dividing into quarters I'll divide them in half and watch two seasons in a month rather than just one. Also, different from Kamen Rider's case, since I'm more familiar with the franchise and I know how the movies go I'll also be watching the movies and posting about them as I go along (All stars movies will come out usually in between the first and the second week, while solo movies will be in between the third and the forth). I really hope I don't go nuts and that this can go as smoothly as possible. XD In any case, it's precure time!

I promised myself I'd keep nostalgia out of these rewatches and do them like if it was my first time watching the series so that I can be less biased on certain aspects, but when it comes to the OGs is really difficult to not have my thoughts clouded by it. I may not have been around since Precure first aired, but Futari wa was effectively my first precure season too, I joined this bandwagon when Heartcatch was airing and I was so in love that I wanted to watch the past seasons and Futari was was my first choice and it holds a very special place in my heart because of that. I tried my best to keep those feelings out of this review and in some cases I was able to it effectively while on others not so much so, I apologize for that. XD

I usually try to separate these reviews on blocks of Plot, Characters, Designs, and commentary on specific episodes and I'm gonna try to apply this structure here more or less.

Talking about the plot... there's not a lot of it. XD

Like yeah, there's the whole Dark Kingdom attacking the Garden of Light thing, and the sort of scavenger hunt for the Prism Stones (not the Pretty Rhythm ones, just to be clear) and all of that, but there's not a whole lot going on beside it, is just Nagisa and Honoka goofing around while their friendship solidifies, they sometimes bump heads but that's pretty much it. And honestly, that's not bad, as while isn't a story about Nagisa and Fujipi the more slice-of-life portions are amazing.

The cure portion that is the problem, to start the action in these 26 episodes isn't the greatest, most of the time is just the cures being thrown away until they get fed up, say "I'll never forgive you!", hold hands, and they throw either a Marble Screw or, in rare occasions, a Rainbow Therapy. Of course, special fights with generals sometimes get a little more flare, but in general, they're pretty lackluster. Also, it feels like things weren't paced properly with the beginning and the end happening very fast and the middle being overly long in comparison. And of course, there's the element of defeating a villain or a set villains while there's still half a season ahead which means change of villains for people who we never knew existed before and apparently were a big deal, and if you read my Kamen Rider review you know how I feel about huge changes affecting the antagonists...

But oh well, I have lots of things to get through so I won't hammer on this for too long. MOVING ON.

Futari wa's biggest strength, at least for this first half, is CHARACTERS. The side cast has many hits or misses, but the protagonists Nagisa and Honoka more than compensate for it. One fun thing of this whole experience was kinda re-discovering them? Because I never watched the OG precure and Max Heart again after my first time watching like 10 years ago and I also don't have the best memory so I forgot a lot of minor things, like how Nagisa is such a downer in regards to their mission, and how positive and bright Honoka is and these are traits that are kinda opposites to their personalities with Nagisa being more outgoing and energetic and Honoka being more calm and polite, and this is so perfect and so much fun, I love it to that. Speaking of surprises I forgot how much of a savage Honoka was, like, the girl put a group of thieves on the line by just yelling at them. THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF POWER.

Unfortunately, they don't come alone. Their fairy partners, Mepple and Mipple, are... annoying. Mipple not so much, she has moments where I go "Really queen?" but for the most part she doesn't bother me, in fact, I'm sympathetic towards her who has to be partnered romantically with such a piece of crap of a male that Mepple is. I don't know why but I completely forgot the jerk that Mepple actually is and let me tell you, it wasn't fun seeing him being misogynist, selfish, and just plain rude, not just to Nagisa regularly but also with Mepple, it's actually very sad. I don't remember if he gets any better in the future, but for now, I'm hating him.

The side characters aren't very special, the girls in the Lacrosse Team and the Science Club are more or less just extensions and supporters or Nagisa and Honoka but I overall like them. The major highlights in terms of side characters are Akane and Fujipi. Akane is a huge positive because she has great energy, she's very fun, and he not only provides a meeting point for the girls but also has a mentor role, though its a very little one, that is great to see. Fujimura on the other hand... I admit, the dude is okay, he never really did anything relevant so there's nothing to hate on him per se, but he's a love interest and his situation with Nagisa never develops on any sort of way is just a very flat experience which makes his relevance even smaller so I can't help but think "what is he still doing here, just disappear with him already" every time he's up on the screen.

There's no other way to put this, the villains are plane as hell. Some of them have good designs but overall, they're very band. Pissard seems like it could've been a cool dude but we spent only 5 episodes with him, that's not enough time with him to make him interesting. Gekidrago is the boring and stereotypical "dumb villain", I think I don't need to write anything else after that. Irukubo is the stoic powerful villain, but much like in Pissard's case, we barely see him in action so it's not enough to make me care for him, and the Dark King is just a horrible CGI blob of darkness. The best villains of this first half are the siblings Poisony and Kiriya, Poisony is actually the best one of the generals seeing that she's a strategist and most of her plans were all pretty good so she was always able to get the cures corned in some way, she may have flunked her cover in that episode where she disguises as Honoka for not doing her research well before assuming the role, but overall she's amazing. Kiriya is the villain that never attacked the cures directly, as far as I remember he never summoned a Zakkenna, and putting it like this may sound like a bad thing, but trust me, it's not. He's the first precure villain to get a "redemption" and as rushed as it was his presence in the story and his arc as a character was also pretty well done so he deserves to share the podium with his sister as best villains.

Since we're talking about villains let's talk about the cures now. Black and White have a very simple design and that's not a bad thing, they're simple but they're still pretty different from each other and it's not a difference that screams to the eyes like id there was something wrong, they complement each other perfectly which only helps in making them this iconic duo that they are. The transformation items, as well as the Prism Hopeish and that notepad thingy, are very 2000's but they have their charm. I think the thing that didn't age very well were the effects for the transformations and the attacks, don't get me wrong I love their original transformation, there's a frame on it that is just marvelous, but watching with 2020's eyes there are parts that feel very wonky. Following the theme, the attacks have a very simple animation but in this case, it works because they can make some very interesting stuff with it, like launching a Marble Screw through Poisony's Umbra Witch hair.

Going into more detail on the episodes, these 26 ones feel like a normal seasonal anime, despite the pacing problems if these 26 episodes were a single season it would've worked well because there was no loose end lost in the mix, maybe the Fujipi stuff would be the only thing that would end with no proper closure, but then again that's not important so it would be a satisfying end. There were four major arcs inside this mini-season so I'll comment on them separately.

The first and shortest arc is the introductory arc that goes from Episodes 1 to 5. And there's not a lot to say here, they introduce the characters, the mission, and the character relations on a good way, there was nothing stellar but it's a good introduction to the series, the only let down is the fighting portion that is very lackluster, in special the final fight against Pissard that was supposed to be a big important moment but that in the end was just very not impressive at all.

The second arc goes from Episode 6 to 11. This is probably the most boring arc of all despite some interesting happening here, we have the introduction to the Prism Stones and the Prism Hopeish, they first use the Rainbow Therapy here, and we also have the famous arc where Nagisa and Honoka fight for the first time and tighten their bonds. These are all interesting points but the set-up for these things to happen weren't the best, like for example Nagisa and Honoka's fight, I always remembered this as a very important moment, AND IT IS, the lesson learned at the end is pretty good and it results on them calling each other for their first name which is a key moment, but all of that happened because of Nagisa's feelings for Fujipi and all that misunderstanding and ughhh that's such a boring reason to make them fight, it was really a letdown. I think after everything the thing that stroke me the most was Honoka's birthday episode and how badass she was for putting some sense into the head of three adult men, which was really magnificent. Also, the first proper fight happened in this arc in the final battle against Gekidrago, it was short but it was good nonetheless.

The biggest arc is the third one that goes from Episodes 12 to 21. This is my favorite arc and a big part of it is because Poisony and Kiriya start to get active here. I don't know how to explain but their addition to the cast made things more dynamic and interesting to watch. Poisony's plans always led to interesting situations like when she hypnotized their classmates that were playing dress-up as the cures, or when she trapped them inside that mirror dimension, or even her last moments in the show where she used that old trick of impersonating someone and making the protagonist having to choose who's the real and who's the fake one, you know even if the precure portions weren't the best, they were put in the most interesting situations in this arc. Together with that, we have Kiriya that goes through a very interesting arc, until now I don't really know why he infiltrated in the school since, as I mentioned, he never acted directly as a villain against the precure (not as far as I can remember) but his interactions with the crew and especially his relationship with Honoka was quite interesting to see it develop. My high points from this arc were episode 18, the one where a girl confesses her feelings for Kiriya - there's a lot of interesting stuff happening here, and episode 20, Poisony's defeat and one of the best fights of this portion of the season. My low point would be episode 19 more because Mepple is being a jerk here than anything else, but I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I did to the other in this arc.

The final arc of this portion is another small one, it covers episodes 22 to 26, and this one is very odd. We start with a filler centered around Honoka's dog of all things that are followed by two two-parters that wrap-up this first half. I'm gonna be honest I don't like this arc, one because it introduces Pollun and two because the "final" fight is very unimpressive, yeah Shining Star debuts here and is a big moment but overall isn't the best, which is understandable after all are two girls launching a beam at a giant dark blob of CGI and there's not a whole lot there, but its fun to see a preview of what will become the Extreme Luminario in the next season. I also don't like how they didn't let the episode finish on a downer note with both of the girls missing their partners and such. But oh well, at least we had Episodes 23 and 24 here there were very interesting, they had this mystery/horror film vibe to it and I loved it.

And that's pretty much all I had to say! Thank you for reading all of this mess, I really appreciate it, I'm very excited to be doing this and I hope I can count with your support through this year. What are your thoughts on Futari wa? Let me know in the comments. I'll see you, folks, on a next time, and don't forget, if you ever see a shooting star be careful with what you wish for, a cellphone thing may fall from the sky right on your head and unless if you're an anime girl you will be in risk of having a concussion. XD In any case, see you around. o/

[snowbellewells]

Self-Promo Sunday: “Find My Way Back to You”

(I started this one shot before the episode "A Wondrous Place" aired, and therefore it picks up right where "Page 23" (6x14) ended. It allows for Snow to do more what I would have loved to have seen from her in 6x15 – encourage Emma that there is no way her True Love would leave her, and take action to help her daughter find out what is wrong. In general, I wanted the Charmings to be more concerned about Killian and know that his just vanishing after a fight didn't add up, so I wrote it. Also, my first thought at Gideon not wanting Killian around was that he had a curse planned for Emma. I still wanted them have an actual, magical whoosh of air, rainbow-tinged TLK as well, so needless to say, this is what happened in response to all of that going on in my mind. When I saw the post about reviving Self-Promo Sunday going around, I went back through my old stories, looking for one I hadn’t enjoyed in a while or that I thought folks might have missed, and this is the one that grabbed me. Hope you enjoy and I’d love to know what you think!)

“Find My Way Back to You”

By: @snowbellewells (or TutorGirlml on ff.net)

Three a.m. and still no sign of her pirate. Their huge two story house feels as cold and empty in the silent dark of late night turned early morning as it had during those nightmarish days when she had ensconced herself in it as the Dark One in her solitary lair. Just as those ghastly memories have begun to vanish for good, the foreboding tendrils wind their way back in Killian's absence. She did this; her eyes close as she once more stares out the window into the dark, deserted yard, forehead resting against the frigid glass, chilling her skin along with the cold she feels spreading through her chest. Unbidden, Killian's pointed, angry words as the Dark One himself ring in her mind – cutting like tiny knives – "you push away anyone who gets close to you…that's why you'll always be an orphan…"

Knowing now that he does not truly feel that way, that he hates she had ever heard those words from his lips, does little to comfort her alone in the still watch of the night. The remembrance of cold winter nights curled up together under heaps of cozy blankets as he whispered and kissed the very opposite into her skin – how bloody brilliant she is, how she is his match, his other half, how they will always have each other and never be alone again, how he will never leave her – is cold comfort now that she fears she has driven him away.

Listlessness overtakes the Savior as she paces a sleepless route from window to sink to the living room couch and back again, peace and rest as far from her as they have ever been. At last, she curls into the oversized armchair in the corner, the one which has become Killian's favorite place to read the piles of books that both Belle and Henry recommend and loan him, her eyes glazing over until she barely notices the dark lightening to grey, then streaking the sky with pinks and golds as the sun rises again. The new day dawns with her True Love missing, and though she still believes in him and clings to her faith that he wouldn't desert her, he isn't here. She had been justified in what she'd said to him – he does have to trust her, just as she must have faith in him – but the fact that he is out there alone somewhere hurting and drowning in self-hatred, that he didn't feel welcome in their home, makes the words, warranted or not, feel hollow.

When the door creaks open and her mother enters, there to pick Emma up for their near-weekly breakfast at Granny's, Emma barely flinches or even looks up at Snow's chipper greeting. It doesn't take long for her mother to gather that something isn't right when Emma gives no answer, and when she rounds the corner into the living room to find her grown daughter curled up as small as she can make herself in the chair, arms around her legs and chin resting on her knees, Snow's happily excited face falls rapidly.

She comes to kneel in front of her child, resting her hands over Emma's clenched ones soothingly, and looking up into her blank, unfocused face. "Honey?... Emma?" She chafes her hands up and down her daughter's forearms until Emma finally startles slightly and seems to register her mother's presence. "What is it? Are you alright? …Where's Killian?"

It is this last question which finally seems to snap her daughter back into the present, and as she turns to really focus on Snow, her stoic façade truly crumbles. Shaking her head, she finally clasps her mother's hand in return, and whispers in as fragile a voice as her mother has ever heard her use, "I don't know, Mom… I don't know."

"Well, come then," Snow soothes, pulling Emma to her in a hug, and holding her as she rocks back and forth slightly, comforting her princess as she aches to have done all those missed years Emma had been growing up. When she sits back slightly, gently brushing back the loose strands of hair that have escaped Emma's braid with maternal tenderness, "We need to go find him," she urges. "The way that man loves you? Whatever happened with the two of you, you'll work it out. He's probably on his way to you as we speak."

Emma knows her mother doesn't have the whole story, but despite all that, Snow's patent hope and optimism bolster her spirits enough to urge her to her feet as her mother pulls her up and for her to soon be leading the way down to the docks in search of her pirate.

So it is a sleep-deprived, fuzzy and anxiety-distracted version of herself who stands on the wooden planks, frozen in unprepared surprise and vulnerability when Gideon materializes behind them, malicious grin on his face and a taunt on his cruelly curved lips. "Looking for someone, 'Savior'?"

Emma scowls, feeling the heat in her blood rising angrily at the look on his face – just knowing without a doubt that this freak has done something to keep Killian from her, to keep him from coming back home. "You know that I am. What have you done with him?" she growls.

"Nothing really," Gideon shrugs nonchalantly, gloating at his power over the situation, much in the way his father always has. "He'll be quite alright, I'm sure. He's just several thousand leagues under the sea – well away from here and unable to disrupt my plans."

"Your plans?!" Emma spits. "Just what are you planning anyway, you sick little – "

But before she can finish, Gideon flings out a glowing hand, magic shooting toward her from it at top speed. Emma is quick and reacts to throw up a defensive shield, but not quick enough. She has been fighting nonstop for so long, one villain, realm, and catastrophe after another, to save everyone but herself, and she is just too tired. Her sleepless night, distress, and the lackluster concern for her own safety all work against her to let Gideon gain the edge, and she freezes for a second as what he has thrown at her makes impact. Then, her eyes glass over, fall closed, and she crumples senseless to the wooden surface of the pier.

Snow is stock-still and speechless at her side, too shocked to move at their robed attacker's sudden appearance, until Emma falls. On her knees beside her daughter instantly, a cry of distress escapes the Enchanted Forest's monarch as she shakes Emma's shoulder in futile hope of rousing her.

"That won't work," Gideon intones confidently as he watches her efforts. "You of all people ought to recognize the spell, Snow White. But I've tweaked it a bit for my own purposes. Take it from someone who – like your daughter – grew up painfully without a mother, whatever the reasons, I'm not sure you could waken her, even without my refinements. All the same, I've guarded against it, just in case. You will keep her safe though, until I decide what to do with her, won't you?" And with a sickeningly self-satisfied smile, he vanishes in a red column of magical smoke.

~ CS ~ CS ~ CS ~

Killian Jones is beside himself as the Nautilus finally resurfaces in Storybrooke's harbor once more. If it weren't for Nemo, Liam, and the once again fortuitously met Ariel, he would probably have pulled all his hair out or maimed his one good hand from punching walls in frustration. As is, it has been nearly a week since their ship had been sent forcibly from the Land Without Magic. In every waking moment since – and they've all been waking; he cannot sleep, only pace his quarters, stomach churning at the thought that he will have appeared to abandon Emma like so many before him – he has been struggling, racing against time, desperate to get back to his Love. Not only can he not bear the thought of her hurting because of him, of it seeming for even a second that he would desert her, but the more time passes and the more complicated it has proved to get back home, the more frighteningly sure Killian has become that Gideon needed him specifically out of the picture. Whatever the Dark One's spawn has in mind, it means danger for Emma, and he isn't there to fight at her side.

With hardly a backward glance, he tears from the hold and clamors up onto the docks. Running toward their shared home as if that wretched hell hound from the Underworld is on his heels once more, Killian barely calls a 'thank you' over his shoulder to his comrades before he is halfway up the street.

Bursting through the front door after clattering up the steps of their porch, Killian calls out Emma's name, hoarse with panic, even as he can clearly see that the lights are dim and the place is eerily still. When searching every room on the first floor in rapid succession yields nothing, he bounds up the stairs to their bedroom, still crying out for his Swan; still hoping against hope that she will rise from their bed to welcome him, arms outstretched and both of their sins ready to be forgiven with love.

Finding that room empty and cold as well is the battering ram which almost breaks him. 'Where is she?' 'What's happened to her?' repeats round and round in his head, as his adrenaline flees and he sinks on suddenly weak, shaking legs to the edge of the bed, praying she is alright, that she hasn't given up on him and left this home they dreamed of for so long – that he isn't too late. For a moment, he buries his face in his hand, a few tears leaking from his eyes here in this dusky quiet where no one else can see.

His despair does not last though – whether it is the small kernel of undefeatable hope, purpose, love for Emma – for his family – or just plain stubbornness; whatever it is that has kept him pressing on throughout lonely centuries, it pulls Killian Jones to his feet again. Soon he is back down the stairs, across the porch and moving down the street, instinct and his heart guiding him where he needs to go, and urging him forward as quickly as he can get there.

At Emma's parents' loft apartment, he hesitates only briefly, steeling himself with a deep breath for the anger and betrayal he may face, and the fist to the nose Dave may greet him with. But he doesn't have time to waste; he has already been gone too long. With every moment he is apart from his Swan, his desperation and fear for her grows, and he cannot help imagining worse and worse reasons why Gideon might have wanted him far away.

Knocking on the door, mouth dry, heart pounding, Killian only has moments to contemplate what to say, if he will have to push them aside to gain entrance, if he will be able to stand the harsh words he is bound to hear and the disappointment in eyes that had finally begun to regard him as a part of their family, when he hears the lock turn and then it swings open to reveal a rumpled-looking and red-eyed Snow White. To his shock, and throwing him completely off balance, Snow reaches for his arm and pulls him into the apartment, hugging him tightly with her voice muffled against his jacket as she says, "Thank goodness you're here, Killian! It was starting to look like something awful had happened to you…"

Killian sputters disbelievingly even as Snow pulls away, wiping her cheeks and sniffling a bit, and allows her to drag him further into the main room, even as he stumbles over his own feet. "But…I…You are? Did Emma not tell you what I've done?"

Snow shakes her head, dithering and waving her hand as if to bat his qualms away. "She didn't explain…just that she didn't know where you were." And here the rightful ruler of the Enchanted Forest gives him the smallest of sad little smiles, "None of that matters right now. We need you… Emma needs you."

"Doesn't matter?" Killian repeats, blinking and completely nonplussed.

Snow dips her head, hiding her expression from him as she leads him on by the hand, up the steps to the room Killian knows was Emma's for a short time.

However, if he had thought himself confused and troubled already, it is nothing compared to the sight which overwhelms him upon entering Emma's small boudoir. There, lying as if in peaceful, permanent slumber, is his Emma, stretched out upon the bed, eyes closed in seeming rest with her golden hair arrayed across the pillow in a spill of light and hands folded over each other on her stomach. Yet, having felt her curled against him many times in the tiniest possible ball, as if protecting herself even in sleep, and knowing how often she tosses and turns tangling her long legs in the sheets, Killian realizes immediately something is not right – Emma is never so still.

Even if that had not alerted him, the appearance of David, Henry, and Belle around the bed would have, Dave slumped in a chair by the nightstand, looking devastated and lost as he watches over his daughter, and Henry, head bowed and silent, seated on the bed by his mother's feet, while Belle stands near him, worried and torn, her hand on her grandson's shoulder. It flashes through his head that they resemble the mournful tableau around a glass coffin in the cartoon Emma and Henry had gleefully shown him some weeks ago, the one that supposedly told her parents' story. Except these were not somewhat cutesy hand drawn dwarves; these were the members of his family, and he had no such illusions that things could be righted as instantaneously. Surely if the immediately obvious solution could work, they would have done it already?

Slow, hesitant steps bring him closer to the bed where his princess, his True Love, lies. And though he wants to fall to his knees, rail and scream at the universe and the unfairness of her loss, he finds that he can only stare dazedly until he finally reaches her other side, and runs a tender, aching finger along a strand of her hair.

David looks up at his entrance, and though his mouth tightens in a hard, thin line, he says nothing, spews none of the accusations Killian had expected from him, nor does he order the pirate from his home.

"Dave…I…" Killian starts, swallowing hard and trying to offer any kind of apology that could possibly seem like enough. Even if the other man doesn't know the horrible discovery about his father's long ago murder, Prince Charming may well believe that Killian left his daughter without a word when she was in grave danger and needing his support.

But the prince shakes his head slowly, dismissing the need. "All of that can wait for later," he sighs, voice low and ragged. "I know something wasn't right with your disappearance anyway. Just… please … wake my daughter."

Killian is taken aback, jerking upright in surprise. "How can I?" he asks, reaching to twine his fingers with Emma's limp, cool ones, needing the contact whether she can press his in return or no. "If you or Henry couldn't wake her, why would I be able to, after how I've ruined what was between us?'

Belle speaks up then, her voice shaky with a clear mix of concern and guilt. "The best we can figure is that G-Gideon altered the Sleeping Curse. Possibly because Henry has shared a True Love's Kiss with her before, he is unable to repeat the action? And…" she trails off hesitantly, and David picks up the explanation.

"…And because Snow and I weren't there for her all those years, despite my best intentions, in some way I did fail her. At any rate, what we have with our own daughter must not be strong enough to be True Love either." His head bows again to rest on Emma's shoulder, the agonized emotion in her father's voice and the defeated curve of his strong shoulders unravels Killian that much more.

Then Snow speaks up just behind him, her voice soft yet full of hope as she prods him with a hand at his back. "You're the only one who can bring her back, Killian. I know it! I've never seen her look at anyone else the way she does at you. She wasn't herself without you, even before Gideon did this, and she needs to know you're here."

Shaking his head, Killian licks his lips nervously, going down on one knees at Emma's side, pulling her hand to his chest and looking at her son. Henry meets his gaze and gives his mom's other True Love a nod of urging encouragement, a tiny, watery grin lifting one corner of his mouth.

Bending his head to the pillow beside hers, Killian closes his eyes for a moment, gathering his courage and praying that the bond they have shared is still alive; for she does not deserve this fate. "Swan, I love you… more than I can ever express, despite how I must have hurt you unwillingly. Please… come back to us. Come back to me."

Then, with infinite adoration he leans forward, pressing his lips to hers once more in a sweet kiss. He has missed her so much in the past day and night that it feels instantly as if he is once more whole – like he has finally, truly come home. In the following second, a whoosh of air and light sweeps through the room, ruffling their hair and clothes, sweeping up and invigorating them all. Rainbow color seems to radiate out in a wave of electric power from where their lips meet, and it steals Killian's breath. His heart near ceases to beat as he stares in awe at his princess' face.

Emma's lashes flutter, then she blinks rapidly, sucking in a huge gasp of air as she stirs, and finally Killian feels as if he can breathe again. She sits up quickly, a smile lighting her face as she reaches out for him and pulls him close desperately. "Killian," she exclaims, "you came back!"

Tears threaten, and he has to swallow several times to answer in a rough murmur, "Emma…Love…of course, I did. I never wanted to leave you."

She nods against his shoulder, burrowing closer in his embrace, and neither of them even budge when first Henry, and then the rest pile on in relief and joy, making it a chaotic, clumsy six-person hug. The warmth and belonging spread through his veins and push out the chill loneliness Killian had feared taking over him once more. Laughing and breathing in the warm cinnamon scent of her, he buries his nose in Emma's hair, feels Henry and Belle at his back, and lets Snow's hope fill the last empty cracks hidden away in his soul. No more fear of being lost at sea. He has his harbor, and he means to stay.

Tagging a few who may enjoy: @kmomof4 @laschatzi @therooksshiningknight @spartanguard @let-it-raines @hollyethecurious @resident-of-storybrooke @aloha-4-ever @whimsicallyenchantedrose @searchingwardrobes @gingerchangeling @blackwidownat2814 @linda8084 @branlovestowrite @effulgentcolors @kymbersmith-90 @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @hookedonapirate @bmbbcs4evr

[stuff-of-pi]

18 Jeddy Fics I Read In 2018

Disclaimer: I have never done a fic rec before and hope I’m doing it right :) I will be linking to every author’s AO3 profile as well as the fic. If you know of a tumblr that is not included with the corresponding author, please lmk. Unless otherwise stated, all fics are one shots.

The Hidden SIde by gracerene // @gracerene09

Summary: Twenty years ago today, James Sirius Potter was born into this world. Four years, two months, and six days later, somebody took him.

Words: 38,353; 9/9 chapters

Rating: Explicit

A/N: I can’t really explain why I loved this fic so much but I loved it so so so much. I literally bookmarked it and my note said “um, holy shit, so good???”. I wrote a two paragraph comment at the end of it because I loved it so much

my youth is yours by GoldenTruth813 // @goldentruth813

Summary: At twenty-eight years old James is a respected Auror with a comfortable life. And alright, perhaps his love life is a bit lackluster and something has always seemed like it was missing. But he’s got a job he loves and Teddy as his Auror partner and best mate. That's more than enough for James. At least until an Auror raid gone wrong leaves James in his eighteen-year-old body grappling with feelings he thought he’d left in the past.

Words: 40,953

Rating: Explicit

A/N: This was absolutely amazing. I loved reading this. 100,000% worth every minute

This Must Be the Place by aibidil // @aibidil

Summary: When your dad is Harry Potter, your face shows up in Teen Witch, your social media videos go viral, and sometimes your life depends on pretending to date your metamorph godbrother, whom you've been over for years, thank you very much. Or, the one where James and Teddy do animal yoga and risqué karaoke and their families could do with seeing fewer videos of them snogging.

Words: 28,959

Rating: Explicit

Everyone's a Winner by gracerene // @gracerene09

Summary: Teddy loved when James won, but he couldn't deny it; he loved it when James lost, too.

Words: 2,667

Rating: Explicit

Benediction by thecouchsofa (Jeddy, Scorbus, and Teddy/Scorpius)

Summary: “Seems a shame to waste the opportunity when they’re just there,” Teddy said, glancing over his shoulder at the other bed. “What did you have in mind?” Scorpius asked. Scorpius supposed he should have expected something like this would occur, given the circumstances. Teddy smirked and slid off the bed, waiting for Scorpius to follow.

Words: 5,807

Rating: Explicit

Sardines by shiftylinguini // @shiftylinguini (Scorbus, Jeddy)

Summary: It’s bad enough his cock is hard from listening to the impromptu midnight pornography of his brother getting off; Albus is not going to add seeing it to the list of reasons why he lost his mind, and presumably his eyesight, on the eve of his grandmother's seventieth. Scorpius, though, doesn’t appear to have any such qualms.

Words: 4,060

Rating: Explicit

Relationship Status: It’s Complicated by heyitsamorette (Amorette HD)

Summary: We always want what we can't have. And Teddy knows he shouldn't have James... yet he keeps having him over and over again.

Words: 3,833

Rating: Explicit

Show Me Where Your Love Lies by restlessandordinary // @restlessandordinary

Summary: At 23 James is one of the top Seekers in the world, Witch Weekly's most eligible bachelor 4 years running and never far from the front pages of the paper. Oh, and he just so happens to be a virgin desperately in love with Teddy, both facts he plans to take to his grave. But when the Daily Prophet runs a story on "England's Most Eligible Virgin" all the secrets James has worked so hard to conceal begin to come out.

Words: 9,298

Rating: Explicit

An Unusual Request and One Hell of a Deal by restlessandordinary // @restlessandordinary

Summary: Teddy and James have always been close, but more like best friends since James graduated from Hogwarts. In which James has an unusual request and Teddy thinks he's just being a great wing man. Until he has to face the feelings he's barely begun to understand himself.

Words: 7,461

Rating: Explicit

The Boyfriend Look™ by thenewlondoner //  @faeheyjesper

Summary: General reviews for Teddy Lupin's taste in clothes include: a sartorial travesty (Albus Potter), absolutely painful (Lily Potter), very 80s (Hugo Granger-Weasley). James just sees Teddy. 

Words: 11,231

Rating: General Audiences

Dreams Do Come True by randowskie

Summary: Teddy has it bad for James, but he knows that James is completely off limits and not interested. When a date with James is being auctioned off for charity, Teddy realizes he may not be able to keep his feelings quiet.

Words: 3,050

Rating: Mature

ils se demandent pourquoi je t’aime by violetclarity

Summary: No one -- friends, family, or coworkers -- understands why Teddy and James are together. It doesn’t bother Teddy. It does bother James.

Words: 7,524

Rating: Explicit

Struck by gryffindorJ

Summary: Sometimes you don't see what's right in front of your face until you catch it in just the right light.

Words: 12,894

Rating: Explicit

Lady of the Evening by gryffindorJ

Summary: Albus and James run a whorehouse. Sort of. They needed the money, it couldn't be helped. But it's completely on the up and up. Or at least James has no reason to think otherwise. Besides he's too busy with this Teddy thing to really care.

Words: 28,472

Rating: Explicit

A/N: They rent out a room to a woman who happens to be a prostitute. Basically, the fic focuses on James renovating.

About Time by gryffindorJ

Summary: Teddy and James know exactly who to blame for all of this.

Words: 9,291

Rating: Explicit

Muckraker by gryffindorJ

Summary: After a preview of James' latest article appears The Daily Prophet Teddy is aware that his squad of elite Aurors was secretly infiltrated by James. To make matters worse the preview foreshadows a less than flattering article. Teddy has to find out how James got this information before the article goes to print. Not Teddy's idea of a good time because things between him and James have been less than congenial since they broke up.

Words: 9,957

Rating: Explicit

A/N: There is a happy ending :)

Away by gryffindorJ

Summary: Teddy is sent on a dangerous rescue mission. He has some doubts about his partner but learns what the true mission is about.

Words: 17,720

Rating: Explicit

In For A Pound by gryffindorJ

Summary: "You may go now. I don't want to see you back in detention again." James mutely picked up his bag, heeding Teddy's instructions. "Walk back to Gryffindor Tower, no stopping anywhere. I want to imagine you with come dripping down your legs."

Words: 29,916

Rating: Explicit

BONUS:

Let Me Call You Jamie by GoldenTruth813 // @goldentruth813

Summary: Teddy knows he and James love each other, he just isn’t ready to let everyone else know about their relationship — they have forever to handle that little hurdle. Until a freak Quidditch accident leaves James without his memory and Teddy finds himself examining the choices he’s made and wondering what forever really means.

Words: 22,085

Rating: Mature

A/N: The very first Jeddy fic I ever read. It’s absolutely amazing and I just loved it. I felt many many things while reading this and I still think about it from time to time. So very extremely interesting. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before.

[hp-nextgen-fest]

2018 HP Next Gen Fest Anonymous Masterlist

Here is the complete Anonymous Masterlist for the 2018 @hp-nextgen-fest​!

Reveals will be going up this Friday on November 30, so there are still a few days left to make your way through any entries you might have missed. Don't forget to leave some comments on these amazing creations to let the authors and artists know how much you've enjoyed their hard work! :D

ART

Sick Day [James Sirius/Teddy & Albus | General] Albus insists he’s not sick, James and Teddy say otherwise.

Every Christmas From Now On [Albus Severus/Scorpius | General] While decorating their flat for the holidays, the new couple discusses where they should spend Christmas day.

Deep Roots, New Growth [Draco & Teddy Gen | General] With Draco’s help, Teddy learns about his Black Family ancestry and helps to restore the damaged tapestry.

Ebb Tide [Rose/Padma | Explicit] Rose, normally very shy, finds the courage to get what she wants at a masquerade ball.

SHE ROCKS!!! [Dominique & Roxanne | General] Summer 2016. Roxanne and Dominique never get tired of playing Quidditch together. The rest of the family does get a little tired of hearing Dominique yell "SHE ROCKS!!!" everytime Roxanne scores a goal, but they don't say a thing.

On Holiday [James Sirius/Teddy | General] It's their first holiday together without the family, but they haven't done much sightseeing. Correction: they haven't done any sightseeing.

Pining [Lily Luna/Rose | General] It's a wonder no one besides Hugo has noticed that Lily Luna is pining for Rose.

ART + FIC

Swim To Me [James Sirius/Teddy | Teen] Nestled within the Lake District, among rolling green hills, spindly birch trees and tall pine trees, lay Teddy’s cottage, just a stone's throw from a serene lake; the perfect place to swim in the warm late-summer sun. There was just one problem: James’s fear of swimming. "I’ll teach you", Teddy said. "I’ll make it fun." James was sold on the idea pretty quick. Being in close contact with the half-naked object of his crush? It was a no brainer.

FIC

Drink Me [James Sirius/Teddy; Albus Severus/James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit] Before going to bed on his 18th birthday, Albus drinks one of Weasley Wizard Wheezes' newest wish-fulfillment potions, his gift from Lily.

Lavender's Iris [Lily Luna/Lavender | Teen] Lily does some hard thinking before her upcoming wedding. What she discovers is a bit of a surprise to her.

Close To Me [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit] “I can’t believe you want to suck your own cock.” “No, the other way around. I wanna see me suck my cock. It’s a world of difference, Tedward. Keep up!”

Activate [Draco/James Sirius | Explicit] Draco always figured he was a common Beta, and though he may have had childhood dreams of presenting as an Alpha, after forty years of living he's made his peace with his lot in life. He had a loving relationship with his late Beta wife, has an amazing son, and his work at his Apothecary and Potions shop keeps him occupied. Draco has a very pleasant life indeed, until one day his son drags James Sirius Potter into his life and everything gets turned on its head.

Waiting for You [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit] When James was sixteen, Teddy agreed to take his virginity if he made it to eighteen without losing it. He never thought James would make it the two years without shagging anyone, but now James is eighteen and asking Teddy to fulfill his promise.

My Potter Boyfriend [James Sirius/Scorpius | R] Scorpius has a Potter boyfriend, it’s just not the one everyone thinks.

On the Same Side [Charlie/Teddy | R] Teddy is heading to Romania to protest a proposed anti-dragon law. He finds an interesting ally there.

It's Just A Little Bond. Bond. [James Sirius/Teddy | R] When James and Teddy are pushed to the limits of their relationship, which include a bonding charm and several secrets, will they feel as strongly when everything is out in the open?

Where The Apples Grow In Winter [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Teen] Albus was determined not to join in with the Owl Exchange at first, but he didn't count on the awkward charms of a sweet, lonely boy who, by history's reckoning, he was definitely supposed to hate.

Mile Markers and Wizarding Wonders [James Sirius/Teddy | Teen] James plans a road trip to see the Seven Wizarding Wonders and Teddy ends up coming along. Cue weeks and weeks of bed sharing, accidental cuddling, Teddy's musical selections, a bit of stargazing and lots and lots of figuring each other out during long drives across Europe.

Neapolitan [James Sirius/Scorpius/Teddy | Explicit] Scorpius never felt bad about fancying both James and Teddy, because he never thought he had a chance with either of them. So when it turns out that they both like him back, what’s a bloke to do? (Take advantage of the situation. Obviously.)

Alt Er Love (Everything Is Love) [James Sirius/Teddy | Teen] There are sparks flying between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Albus and Scorpius are sure of it. So they do the most logical thing everyone would do in their situation: They ask James and Teddy for their help playing matchmaker. Thinking about love 24/7 comes easy for Albus and Scorpius, but for James and Teddy, it makes it harder and harder to pretend the feelings they hold for each other are strictly platonic... This is the one where the boys try to set Draco and Harry up five times and one time they don't.

Love Our Way [Albus Severus/Blaise | Explicit] Blaise loves Albus. He also loves Albus' pale skin and how it contrasts so well with his own rich colour. Fortunate for him, it is just the same for Albus.

These Hearts They Race... [Albus Severus/Scorpius | R] Albus thought that three weeks without his secret boyfriend had been hard enough, but now that Scorpius has arrived the lack of privacy in the Potter house may actually kill him.

Show Me Where Your Love Lies [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit] At 23 James is one of the top Seekers in the world, Witch Weekly's most eligible bachelor 4 years running and never far from the front pages of the paper. Oh, and he just so happens to be a virgin desperately in love with Teddy, both facts he plans to take to his grave. But when the Daily Prophet runs a story on "England's Most Eligible Virgin" all the secrets James has worked so hard to conceal begin to come out.

Can You See Me? [Albus Severus/Teddy | Teen] Albus has been watching Teddy since he was fifteen.

Dreams Do Come True [James Sirius/Teddy | R] Teddy has it bad for James, but he knows that James is completely off limits and not interested. When a date with James is being auctioned off for charity, Teddy realizes he may not be able to keep his feelings quiet.

The Clock That Changed Life [Draco/James Sirius | General] James is reluctant to come out, but when Draco gets cursed, he realises what's truly important to him.

my youth is yours [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit] At twenty-eight years old James is a respected Auror with a comfortable life. And alright, perhaps his love life is a bit lackluster and something has always seemed like it was missing. But he’s got a job he loves and Teddy as his Auror partner and best mate. That's more than enough for James. At least until an Auror raid gone wrong leaves James in his eighteen-year-old body grappling with feelings he thought he’d left in the past.

Chess and Gobstones [Albus Severus/Scorpius | R] James sighed and shook his head. “You want to run with me because you have something you want to ask me. You’re not asking Scorpius, which means it’s about Scorpius. I’m right, aren’t I?” Albus scowled at his brother’s smug expression and muttered the most unenthusiastic confirmation he could. James’ grin grew wider as he started gesticulating with both hands. “So it’s about your boyfriend, and you’re not asking Mum, like you did when you needed help with his Christmas present, which means it’s about sex.”

Let it Bloom [Lily Luna/Pansy | Explicit] After their one-night stand, Lily had thought she wouldn’t be seeing more of Pansy. She’d never been so happy to be wrong. 

They would have told me, right? [James Sirius/Scorpius | Teen] Albus had heard the rumours. It was hard not to when his best mates were the subject. He loved them. Scorp and James. He really did. But he wouldn't complain if they decided to take it down a notch, though. Snaps with the people they presumably actually dated. Maybe a statement to the press. But Scorpius would just laugh in that disarming way he had from years of PR witches' work to smooth out the awkward. We're just mates. And then turn around and he would have Jamie on his lap, handsy as only two boys living out of suitcases and Quidditch locker rooms could be. They were up in each other's pockets so long now, it was impossible to think of one without the other. The press had a name for that: Scames.

The Boyfriend Look™ [James Sirius/Teddy | General] General reviews for Teddy’s taste in clothes include: a sartorial travesty (Albus Potter), absolutely painful (Lily Potter), very 80s (Hugo Granger-Weasley). James just sees Teddy.

Love and Letters [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Teen] A series of letters between Unspeakable Scorpius Malfoy and Professor Albus Potter.

Rarely Pure and Never Simple [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit] James really enjoys his life. He likes sharing a flat with his best mate, Teddy. He likes being work-partners with said best mate. He likes going out at the weekends and shagging random girls. At least, that’s what he tells people. The truth isn’t that simple, and when James accidentally manages to get hit by a curse that makes him unable to lie he learns that hiding the fact that he’s completely and utterly arse over tit in love with Teddy is more complicated than expected. 

I Have To Tell You Something [Lily Luna Gen | General] Lily used to love family dinners until divorce, Quidditch contracts and one too many arguments ruined the atmosphere. Now that things were finally getting better, she's forced to bring her own problems to the table. Because even her tough-woman act isn't strong enough to hide the demons in her mind anymore.

Everything He Ever Wanted [James Sirius/Teddy | Teen] James has had a lot of favorite things in his life...or has he?

Out of Hand [Albus Severus/Harry | Explicit] Al gets into constant trouble at school and Harry is at his wit's end. Maybe a firm hand will set him right.

Hallo Spaceboy [James Sirius/Teddy | Teen] “If this mirror could talk,” James remembers declaring, already one drink down and trying to tidy up his ridiculous costume eyeliner, “it would say we look bloody amazing.” Teddy’s arm was warm when he wrapped it around James’s shoulder, pulling him closer. “We always do, love.” Teddy tugged on a long curl of James’s hair before tucking it behind his ear, then smoothing the whole lot of it back. “We’re the fittest blokes at the party, us.” James’d had to give up on the eyeliner after that; he was grinning too hard, flushed and happy and basking in Teddy’s attention (fit blokes, we’re fit blokes, that’s us), and he couldn't bloody stop.

the salacious ideas of peculiar boys [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Explicit] Albus and Scorpius have never been lacking on the idea front, but this time, rather than trying to change time and consequentially resurrecting a great darkness and eternal gloom, they've decided to try out something a little more... sexually experimental. alternatively titled: fellas, is it gay to jerk off your best friend?

The Frame [James Sirius/Sirius| Explicit] What are the ethical complications of falling for a person you're named after? How about the logistical complications of falling for someone who shouldn’t be alive? James would rather, he finds, not look too closely at either, not when Sirius makes him forget anyone else exists.

[beingallelite]

On January 1, 2019, the rumors and rumblings that had been seizing wrestling fandom for months were confirmed. The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes had teamed with investor Tony Khan to found All Elite Wrestling. The new organization was designed to be the first major professional wrestling league to take on the monster monopoly that is WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Hype for the new organization soon took the wrestling world by storm and “AEW!” became a preferred chant for WWE fans disgruntled by lackluster matches.

But in a landscape that’s been dominated for decades by the leviathan nature of WWE, can All Elite Wrestling make any sort of impact on the sport? Where does the team behind the venture — President and CEO Tony Khan and EVPs Matt and Nick Jackson (aka the Young Bucks), Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega — see the core audience? And will AEW be able to truly allot wrestlers the creative freedom and professional support they’ve been craving?

So far, AEW has been testing the waters with a number of pay-per-view events like Double or Nothing, Fyter Fest, and Fight for the Fallen. While Double or Nothing sold out all of its approximately 11,000 tickets in about 30 minutes, the company decided to stream the latter two for free on B/R Live. It was a risky choice, but one AEW President and CEO Tony Khan stands by.

“In terms of putting shows out there for free, we took a bath financially on that and I took a big hit, and I was willing to do it as a company because I believed in our brand of wrestling,” Khan told Decider during a sit-down interview following All Elite Wrestling’s very first presentation at TCA press tour. Cody Rhodes, Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes, and a number of in-ring talent were on hand that day to treat journalists to their first look at AEW’s upcoming weekly TNT show. Khan explained that his “dream” was to get AEW to the level “where WCW was.”

“There hasn’t been a legitimate other company [besides WWE] presenting weekly, high quality wrestling, and never before was HD available,” Khan said, explaining he had every confidence that once AEW’s weekly show premieres on TNT on October 2, “the revenue streams are going to be huge.”

Right now WWE produces two weekly live primetime shows, RAW and Smackdown, that combined amount to five hours of wrestling per week. That’s not counting other WWE weekly offerings such as NXT, 205 Live, off-screen house shows, or their near-monthly pay-per-view events. In contrast, AEW is only going to be crafting one two-hour-long show a week for TNT, and Khan said this is by design.

“We’re basing the company to be way more wrestler-friendly and in terms of the scheduling, because we’re not going to have a constant touring of five nights a week or anything like that, six nights a week never,” Khan said. “And really focusing on that and building the big events, big pay-per-views and streaming specials.”

In addition to allowing wrestlers time to physically rest up and mentally relax, The Young Bucks (aka Nick and Matt Jackson) argued that this far-less grueling schedule gives AEW a creative edge.

“Our characters won’t be over-saturated. That’s a problem for the current product for mainstream wrestling right now. You see wrestlers way too often, way too many times, and you become fatigued with that character and that superstar, and they lose that superstardom,” Nick Jackson said.

“[There’s] just time for things to breathe,” Matt Jackson said. “Everything is so overexposed right now.”

“It’s not about forcing everybody into the show to do one dumb segment just to show them in the show. We’re not going to drag people in and make them travel,” Khan said.

Matt Jackson concurred. “I don’t think everybody has to be on the show every week, necessarily. Like if they’re not needed like Tony said, maybe they stay home that week. Or we just give them a little bit in the back. Sometimes it’s just too much. But if we give them a little bit of flavor every week or every other week I think it would be fine. I really do.”

“We already have a lot of wrestlers in our contracts, so we don’t need to have them weekly. So some wrestlers might not even be on them every single week of the year,” Nick Jackson said. “So a lot of people are going to have great schedules that are way better than any wrestling company in the world.”

During AEW’s panel that day, Brandi Rhodes touted the diversity of talent on the roster, noting that more than half of the panelists they’d assembled that day were women. Khan wouldn’t confirm that AEW’s female roster would be given equal air-time to their male counterparts — “It depends on the week” — but he did say he thought AEW had some of the best female wrestlers in the world. In particular, he touted New Japan Pro-Wrestling alum Kenny Omega’s talent in scouting new joshi talent for AEW.

“It’s a different style,” Omega said, of joshi, a type of women’s wrestling from Japan. “It’s more artistic. It’s more beautiful, but yet it’s still strong, and yet it’s still very diverse.”

“I really think the joshi that Kenny scouted out could our be our generation’s luchadores because the luchadores and the lucha style became very prevalent through wrestling on TNT weekly in the 90s,” Khan said. “And now, almost twenty-five years later, the joshi could come in and just blow people away. I mean they have on our shows and it’s happening.”

Already AEW has begun pushing joshi talent like Aja Kong and Hikaru Shida. The two star were featured a six-woman tag team match on Double or Nothing. While Shida is officially signed to the AEW roster, Omega teased that there were still some stars he hadn’t introduced yet. “I haven’t shown all my cards yet,” he said with a smile.

“Person-by-person we’re developing a roster that can do everything the guys can do, and in a lot of cases, they’re doing a lot of things that the guys can’t do, or aren’t doing,” Omega said. “That’s why, for me, even though I’m proud of my own career and I’m still looking to do big things in my own career, but I’m most proud of that division and I’m most prideful.”

Khan, Omega, and the Young Bucks told Decider that they’re also committed to making sure that all the wrestlers have the opportunity to perform their best, while also being as safe as possible. When asked if wrestlers would be told that specific moves would be reserved for stars, Khan said that the bigger concern was safety.

“I feel very strongly that I want to take care of the talent and I want to protect these guys and girls and everybody,” Khan said.

“That being said, we’re not going to tell the talent like, ‘Don’t do this cool dive just because we don’t want you to do it.’ We’re going to say, ‘Hey, do the coolest things you can do.’ You’re very limited in other places,” Nick Jackson said. “All of our wrestlers are going to do a ton of stuff and we’re not going to limit them for what they can do and their abilities to do.”

Omega even added that they’ve been also studying their pay-per-views to make sure the talent isn’t leaning too hard on the same moves again and again. “For the first three shows or whatever, we had a couple of oversights where guys were doing too much of one thing or another or whatever, but now after the show we’ll always sit down and watch the show back and we’ll see, ‘Ah, I got to catch that next time. And oh, I got to catch that this time,'” Omega said. “Even last time, the Fight for the Fallen, we were more on top of our game.”

Fight for the Fallen was the last pay-per-view event AEW produced and it was one of the two events fans can still stream for free on B/R Live. So far, Khan couldn’t confirm if the weekly TNT shows would be available to stream for free, nor could he comment on the possibility that TNT’s parent company WarnerMedia might fold AEW content into its upcoming streaming service HBO Max. However, everyone could confirm that they see the Young Bucks’ YouTube channel, Being the Elite, as a key pillar of the company.

“What Nick does putting Being the Elite together every week and what Matt does both on and off the camera it’s so huge,” Khan said. “With Being the Elite you’ll see some of the most innovative stuff, but it’s going to be very different then the weekly TV show. But that’s by design and I want to keep it that way so you’ll have outlets to see different things.”

“I think the reason why Nick and I have had big successes is because we’re very self aware and we have that meta style. We’re in on the joke, right? If someone’s talking about us, we know they’re talking about it. We survey everything. We know everything. If people are talking, we’ve heard the talk. We’ve heard the chatter. And it’s better not to ignore the things. It’s better to at least address the elephant in the room and talk about it,” Matt Jackson said, adding he prefers to address fans via Being the Elite rather than Twitter.

“I think that’s the best way to comment on something like that is to do it through art like that, though,” he said. “Whereas so many people just take to a tweet. You could just look at a tweet and you could turn it and twist it ten different ways, right?”

The next two big dates for AEW will be August 31 and October 2. At the end of the month, the organization will put on All Out, its last pay-per-view event before they begin airing nationally.  “I know we are committed to doing pay-per-views, but not doing too many, doing the right amount,” Khan said. “Again we’re trying to follow up Double or Nothing with a great show on August 31st and live up to our pay-per-views being worth the money.” Then October 2, 2019 marks AEW’s big debut on TNT. Details about that inaugural show are still being hashed out, but it’s already been announced that the very first AEW Women’s Worlds Championship will be crowned then, confirming that AEW’s team are indeed betting big on their ladies. In fact, All Elite Wrestling is betting big all around and hoping that there’s space in the market for a weekly wrestling show that’s designed to be wrestler-friendly and wrestling fan-worthy.

[minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong]

Arranged Chapter One

Description: Y/N is a struggling student in Seoul: working multiple jobs, living in a broom closet apartment, and often sacrificing her dignity for the sake of her livelihood. What happens when a handsome stranger presents her with an offer she cannot refuse at the moment she needs it most?

Pairing: Min Yoongi x (f) Reader

Word Count: 5,142

Tags: Non-Idol!Au, Chaebol!Au, Company!Au, Arranged Marriage!Au

Warnings: Coarse language, although not frequently

A/N: Hey there! This has been sitting on my computer for ages and I’m just now finding the courage to post it. I’m already a few chapters in, so if you guys (whoever you are) enjoy it, then by all means let me know and I’ll post more! I really love writing, and I’m working on multiple things at once, but if this is something you guys want to see more of then I’ll prioritize it. Hope you enjoy! 

--Mercury

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eleven, Chapter Twelve, Chapter Thirteen, Chapter Fourteen, Chapter Fifteen, Chapter Sixteen (END)

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“He’s been here for two hours…”

“He’s been here longer than that.”

Hana sent Bongki a glance that told him to shut up, but the latter only chuckled and continued polishing the violin he’d been working on for an hour. The three of us stood in a huddle behind the counter, looking more like a group of gossips than a group of employees. I took a look at what the two were talking about, or rather who. He was a reasonably tall man with only his broad back on display as he took slow, thoughtful steps across the carpet, eyeing the guitar display on the south wall. He pivoted on his heel when the wall ended, only to be met wth the violin display right beside it, which he then began to peruse.

“I asked if he wanted help, like, an hour ago and he said no,” said Hana, pulling her lower lip between her teeth.

Bongki didn’t look up from his violin when he murmured, “Should’ve asked again.”

“I don’t wanna bother him!” she exclaimed, then quieted herself and pushed her dark hair behind her ear. “Besides, what if he doesn’t have money?” 

I furrowed my brow as I clipped my name tag onto the too-loose shirt I’d been assigned upon starting this job. “He might be too shy to ask for help,” I said, mostly to myself as I tidied my collar and dusted off the front of my jeans. 

“He didn’t seem like he needed help,” said Hana.

Bongki chuckled. “You seem pretty interested,” he said lowly with a wink her way.

Hana visibly flushed and stuttered out an unconvincing, “I’m not!”

“I’m gonna go. Since Y/N’s here now,” said Bongki, finally dragging his eyes from the warm brown of the violin, although unwillingly. He met my gaze and smiled gently. “Will you finish this? It’s the used rosewood that got donated yesterday.”

I took the instrument from his fingers and tried to grab the rag, but was too slow as he had already placed it atop my head. Disgusted, I shook it off and patted down my hair. 

“Why are you such a dick?” asked Hana as she grabbed the rag from the floor and handed it gingerly to me with a soft smile.

“It’s a gift,” said Bongki before offering a grin that read as sadistic and bounding out the door after tossing his name tag over his shoulder onto the glass countertop.

Hana fumed after him. “He’s seriously the worst!” she exclaimed.

I chuckled. It seemed to be a pretty slow day at the shop if Bongki had really spent an hour polishing an old violin. I glanced down at it and picked up where he’d left off, only to groan when I noticed he hadn’t been careful around the F-holes and the polish had begun to gather in their narrower curves. 

“Can you hold onto this? I gotta go to the back and grab a clean rag,” I said to Hana with a disgruntled sigh.

Her expression slackened and she raised an eyebrow. “He managed to mess up polishing a violin?” she asked in disbelief.

I nodded. “Seems so,” I said, laughing. “I need to clean it up. Think you can hold down the fort while I’m gone?” 

She smiled at me and swept her gaze around the empty shop. Well, mostly empty. “Don’t worry. I think I’ll be okay,” she said, then sighed down at the violin. “Working with Bongki is like working alone anyway.”

I chuckled and stepped out from behind the counter, casting a brief look at our customer. To be fair, had he come in at any other time, or any other day of the week, we wouldn’t have noticed him at all. People browsed the store often, but he was here on a Wednesday afternoon, at 3:08 exactly. It was a slow time. In fact, the owner of the instrument store, Mr. Kim, had considered limiting the hours we were open during weekdays for that very reason. 

But there he stood, studying the cellos now, occasionally running a finger across their spines or touching a string. I wondered what exactly he was doing. I stared at him for a long moment, stopped in my tracks as he ran his hand through his dark, smooth hair. Perhaps he felt me looking, because he turned to face me suddenly. I stiffened and thought about turning away, thought about going into the back room and continuing my task, but seeing his face rendered me immobile. His black locks framed his face is soft bangs, with an undercut so sharp I was sure he had weekly appointments at the barber shop. His skin was milky white, like sugar. His eyes were deep and dark, entrancing as they settled on my form. He had lips that I, briefly, wondered about kissing, and an uncharacteristically cute nose. 

And then he cocked his head to the side.

And my heart rate doubled.

A flush kissed my cheeks and I wanted to splash my face with water. I wasn’t this sort of person. I didn’t get flustered like this. I was Y/N, I was a stark realist. But his gaze was disarming, weaving up and down my body, touching my blushing cheeks, brushing through my messy hair, tracing my parted lips. His eyes told me that he knew I’d been looking at him, and that he would take his time as he took me in. We locked eyes. It was almost like a dare, like he was challenging me to come closer.

And, even though I shouldn’t have, I took the challenge.

Slowly, I approached and cleared my throat as I neared. “Are you a cellist?” I asked. I’d almost asked if he wanted help, but I remembered Hana’s luck with that and decided to try something else.

He kept his eyes trained on me for a moment before looking back at the cellos. “No. Not at all.” His voice was deep and rumbled low in his chest, and the words came out almost connected. A heavy mumble.

I nodded. “Is there an instrument in particular that you do play?” I asked.

He pursed his lips and from below he looked awfully innocent for a moment. “Piano.”

He seemed contemplative, maybe a bit quiet. I tried to keep that in mind as I asked another question. “Would you like to look at them?” 

His eyes widened and he looked down at me once again. “Can we?” he asked.

I couldn’t help the smile that tugged my lips and nodded. “Sure. We have one grand piano on the floor and a few uprights. But you saw those already, didn’t you?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been here for a while,” he said with a chuckle.

I found myself wanting to hear that sound more. “Mm,” I said, then nodded my head towards the door I was about to enter before he’d distracted me. “I don’t normally do this, but we have more in the back of the shop,” I said.

His face lit up at the idea and I felt, again, the overwhelming urge to please him. “Is that okay?” 

I nodded. “Mhm,” I said. “My boss is usually the one who shows these pianos, since they’re too nice to be on the floor where kids could touch them. But he told me that if I needed to I could take a customer back there on my own.”

He nodded and I smiled as I turned and led the way. “So…,” he said. Perhaps an attempt at keeping the conversation from going stagnant?

I smiled to myself as I pushed open the large door to the expansive back of the store, more of a small warehouse. “We have a few nice pianos back here, but,” I started, then gestured towards the far south side of the open space where one particular piano was glistening, begging to be played. “The best one is back here,” I said.

He followed me quietly through the rows of stringed instruments but once we got to the far end of the windowless room, his breath escaped in a quiet, “Oh.”

“It’s a Steinway,” I said, lowering my voice in the impossibly silent space.

He looked down at me with wide eyes. “It’s really something,” he said.

I smiled. “It’s used, so its value has gone down quite a lot. But it seems like it was only used lightly. Maybe by a chaebol or something,” I joked with a laugh.

He returned it, but it was clear he was still in awe of the thing as he sat down at the bench. I rested my hip against the side of the piano, running the palm of my hand over its glossy surface. 

“May I?” he asked, poising his fingers over the ivory keys.

I nodded. “Of course.”

Gently, tenderly, his hands moved across the keyboard, slowly at first and then with more enthusiasm. The sound was remarkably clear, and his playing was oddly warm for someone who seemed a bit reserved. The melody was soothing and I found myself shutting my eyes and swaying with the music as it wrapped around me like a blanket. I was sure I’d never heard the song before, which made me wonder if it was an original. 

Silence settled around us as he finished. The song was beautiful and at times dissonant, leaving me waiting for the next dramatic rise or fall. But when it ended I felt its absence.

“That was really nice,” I said, and felt betrayed by my lackluster vocabulary. Of course, it had been more than just nice.

Lucky for me, the quiet man seemed gracious enough to understand what I’d meant as he offered me a small smile. “Thank you for showing me.”

I nodded. “Of course. To be honest, I’ve been wanting to hear how it sounded since we got it last week. But I didn’t feel confident enough to play it myself.”

“Nonsense,” he said. “If you like it then play it.”

I shook my head and chuckled. “No, really. I’m  not that good.”

He smiled, and I caught a glimmer of mischief in the deep brown of his eyes. Quickly, he captured my wrist in his big hand and pulled me to sit beside him on the bench. Startled, I gasped as my bottom made contact with the cool wood and I turned to face him wide-eyed.

“Play me something,” he said.

I shook my head. It felt disrespectful to use my mediocre skills on such a pristine piano. But that wasn’t the only reason I had reservations. Truthfully, I would get in big trouble for playing that particular piano. Any of the other ones were pretty much free game, but the Steinway? Of course, an employee shouldn’t play it. Mr. Kim was a kind man, but he was economical above all else. If I were to put his goods in danger, I would be out a job. And I really couldn’t afford that…

But to explain all of that to this handsome stranger felt a little difficult. He was looking at me expectantly, he was smiling just a little, he was waiting. So I did the only thing I could think to do in that situation.

I began playing Liebestraum.

It was a lovely song that I’d liked since I was young. Quiet and full of longing, the notes always felt so rich with emotion, while my notes flitted through the air with uncertainty and worry. I never felt like I played it well enough. Even when I took lessons, my teacher had recommended that I didn’t try to play Liebestraum until I’d mastered easier, less emotional pieces. But I was lucky that day, since my concerto was cut short.

I was unlucky that day too, since my concerto was cut short by my boss.

I leapt from the bench and stood to my feet as Mr. Kim and his son Namjoon entered the back room, side by side. Upon seeing me at the piano with this stranger, Mr. Kim’s eyes went wide and he crossed his arms.

“Y/N,” said Namjoon, clearly concerned for me.

Of course, why wouldn’t he be? I was breaking a rule.

I shook my head and gestured towards the man on the bench who, following my lead, had stood to his feet. “I was just showing this customer our Steinway,” I said, but the excuse came out flat.

Mr. Kim’s eyes flared just a little and so did his nostrils as he kept his anger at bay. He was a kind man, but his instruments were his livelihood. If I’d put them in jeopardy…

“You are strictly prohibited from playing that piano,” he said.

I nodded. “I know, Sir,” I said, unable to even so much as defend myself.

But the man beside me seemed to have more to say than I did. “Excuse me, but I asked her to play,” said the man.

Mr. Kim gave him a glance before his expression cooled slightly and he took a steadying breath. Namjoon approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder, looking me closely in the eye. If my expression revealed even a fraction of my fear, then he would certainly have seen it. “It’s fine,” he whispered.

I nodded, but I couldn’t let myself believe it. I was already writing my farewell to the instrument store. “I’m very sorry, but our employees are really not supposed to be playing the more…er…expensive instruments,” said Mr. Kim with a soft smile.

I bit the inside of my cheek and felt my brow furrow as I looked up at the stranger while he offered Mr. Kim a smile. “I see. Well, excuse me, but I really did force her. She was just showing me the piano.”

Mr. Kim nodded and glanced at me only to shoot me a loaded look. I stiffened. “Well, I apologize for my employee. She knows better,” he said, once again giving me a look that rooted me to the spot.

I felt my chest tighten with tears. I’d done something wrong, so of course I should be reprimanded. But I’d built myself up to be a capable person, a reliable person. I hated that I’d let him down. “Y/N, don’t you need to get out on the floor? Some customers came in behind us,” said Namjoon.

I raised my brows at him and nodded. He was giving me an out. I had to thank him for that later. “Ah, uh…yes. I’m very sorry, Mr. Kim,” I said, giving him a curt bow before exiting the backroom as quickly as I could, casting an apologetic glance at the stranger before scurrying out. 

I didn’t miss the way his eyes looked…almost worried for me.

The stranger never emerged from the backroom, and I assumed he’d been let out through the back after having been given a discount on his next purchase, or some equivalent token of apology. Not only had I broken a rule, I was sure I was costing Mr. Kim money. He was indeed an economical man…

“Y/N!” called the very man I’d been fearing for fifteen minutes.

Hana had asked what had happened, but I couldn’t give her an answer. I’d been too nervous to even really speak. If I lost this job, I was well and truly cooked. My body snapped to attention and I turned to watch him as he and his tall son walked toward me, the younger with his brows knit in worry. That was certainly a bad sign. I braced myself for a swift firing. It had to be coming.

“You’re very lucky,” he said.

I flushed and looked at him from across the counter. “Excuse me, Sir?”

“That customer spoke very highly of you. It’s because of him that you have a job,” he said.

It’s because of him that I almost lost my job…, I thought to myself. But I only nodded and bowed my head while he rattled off his scoldings. For a few minutes I stayed that way, head low and eyes on my dirty sneakers, until abruptly Mr. Kim stopped talking altogether and his attention seemed to be seized.

“Thank you for your help today,” said a deep, rumbling voice.

I blushed and raised my gaze to meet his. That man. He was looking down at me with a mixture of kindness and pity. It made me equal parts happy and frustrated.

I nodded. “Of course,” I said softly.

He stared at me, standing there submissive to my boss, terrified of losing my job, and my pride was shaken. He looked at me the way someone would look at a cold dog on the street. I would have liked to have faced him as a person of stronger character, a person who could explain myself rather than just accept a punishment. 

But I wasn’t just living for myself.

“Have a wonderful day,” he said gently before turning towards the exit.

Mr. Kim gave him a broad smile and waved after him. “You as well, Mr. Min!” he called.

The name sounded so familiar. Before I could think about it any longer, Mr. Kim was back to scolding me, all while Namjoon offered me quiet, sorry looks from over his shoulder. Mr. Min…?

My eyelids became heavy and drifted shut as I stood. The fluorescent lights above me did little to help ease me into sleep, but nonetheless I felt like I could nap right then and there. 

“Excuse me?”

I snapped my eyes open and looked down at the customer that was waiting for me to scan their items. It was about midnight, and the interaction I’d had with Mr. Kim at my last job was still weighing on me. Perhaps I wasn’t as capable as I tried to be. The way this customer, a young girl with meticulous hair and nails, was looking at me seemed to prove that.

I scanned her items: a bowl of instant ramen, some triangle kimbap, and a hardboiled egg. I wondered what a clean girl like her would do with something like that, but then I remembered where this convenience store was located. Gangnam was not only wealthy and glitzy, but also brimming with young rich kids trying to escape. She gave me a smile and a thank you before exiting the corner store and bracing the warm evening, tying her plastic bag handles in a tidy bow before walking down the street alone.

I briefly worried for her, being out so late, then I remembered I was in Gangnam and settled down a little.

I watched the navy blue night outside the windows with my head in my hand and my elbow on the counter. I’d been working all day, but that wasn’t all that new. I supposed I was more exhausted than usual because I’d spent the last night at my Mom’s place in Sillim. I never slept well there.

But the night was deceptively calm, and from my vantage point in the convenience store it was deceptively beautiful. I wanted nothing more than to clock out and go home, maybe take my time walking to the bus station so I could stroll in the nighttime air. But I still had an hour of work before my coworker, another college student named Jungkook, came to take over the shift. Because we were both on summer break, we had been given the gift of extra free time which really meant extra work time.

A small yipping noise interrupted my melancholy thoughts and I stood up straighter, squinting my eyes to peer out into the night. The convenience store was located on the corner of a busy block, with cars rushing at all hours of the night and customers coming in no matter the weather. The city seemed never to sleep.

But the yipping made me nervous. It sounded like a dog.

I glanced around the convenience store and furrowed my brow. I was the only worker there, and I wasn’t supposed to leave the counter unless I was stocking or cleaning. Who would know, though, if I took a little peak out the window onto the busy street?

So I did, but even though I was alone I still crept like a bandit, like someone who knew they were doing something wrong. Stealthily I stepped forward, keeping to the balls of my feet so my footfalls didn’t make too much noise. After a moment, I realized this was silly and instead chose to walk normally, albeit cautiously, to the window. 

I couldn’t see the source of the yipping, only the clamor of Gangnam at night. But as I neared the window, the sound got louder and louder. I was certain whatever creature was making that noise was nearby. I just couldn’t see it from the window.

If I wasn’t supposed to leave the counter, then I definitely wasn’t supposed to leave the store. But after my hellish day with Mr. Kim I figured I’d done enough rule-breaking for the day to warrant just one more.

And as I opened the door I was glad I did.

Sitting beneath the tall awning with a blue collar around its neck was a small dog, about to the middle of my calf, with curly brownish hair and perfectly shaved feet. I cocked my head to the side at the dog, trying to figure out its breed, when it suddenly turned its sweet face towards me and let out another yip. I crouched down beside it and read the name on its collar. We were now sitting just off the sidewalk together, this dog and me. Its name was, apparently, Holly. And as I examined it, I realized that it was a he. I pet his sides and gave him a good scratching, smiling down at the little guy. It seemed much too dangerous to leave him sitting out there near that busy street. Nobody drove well in Seoul, and between the delivery guys and their motorbikes and the business executives and their private drivers, it was unsafe for a small dog to be without a leash and without an owner.

“Holly,” I cooed gently, scratching behind his fluffy ear. “Let’s go inside, okay?” I asked. 

He offered no response, but simply licked my hand which I took to be consent. I picked him up carefully and carried him into the convenience store. I placed him on the linoleum floor where he promptly peed. Sighing, I grabbed the mop from behind the counter and scrubbed away the mess while Holly explored the aisles. 

“You had the whole outside world to pee in, and you choose my store?” I asked him.

I heard him pushing things off shelves and followed after him to place the items back in their proper spots. As I walked behind him in a crouch I snagged a can of dog food and, in one quick swoop, snatched the dog off its feet and carried him to the bar counter by the window. I set him atop the counter and sat down in front of him, blocking his escape route. He sat, surprisingly obedient, and I pried the can open, presenting it to him with a cocked eyebrow.

Not a picky one, Holly began to eat. He was a clean eater, and once again I found myself admiring his owner for training him so well.

“Hey!” called a frantic, panting voice from the doorway of the store.

Worried I’d get into more trouble, I launched to my feet and set Holly and his food onto the floor where he resumed his feast without complaint. I turned to the source of the call and made an effort to push the hair that had fallen from my hastily-made bun behind my ears. But as my eyes came upon the person who’d called out for me, I could only stare slack-jawed.

“You…,” I started, then shook my head. How could he be here?

The stranger from before, Mr. Min stared down at me with sweat beading along his exposed forehead and hairline, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. “You…,” he mimicked.

I stared at him as he stared at me, then we both stared at Holly. “Is he your-,” I began.

“Yeah,” said the man before I could finish.

I blinked down at the dog that had brought us back together and furrowed my brow. “I…he was outside crying so I…,” I said. I wasn’t sure where I was going with that thought, but I was sure it wasn’t important.

“Thank you,” he said, shutting the door and coming inside the store to crouch in front of Holly as he ate. “How much did the food cost?” he asked, peeking up at me.

I blushed. He looked different than before. His hair was pushed off his forehead and he was dressed smartly, a pretty watch decorating his slender wrist. He looked like a Gangnam man. And I looked like…well, I looked like someone working at a convenience store.

“No, don’t worry about it. It’s fine,” I said, walking to the register to put my own money inside, just the right amount for the cheap food. “He seems to like that,” I remarked as Holly polished the tin.

The man chuckled and nodded, patting his dog on the head. “Yeah. He’s not picky.”

I looked down at him as he examined his dog with such tender eyes. I wondered what he was thinking about, but mostly I wondered what he was doing here of all places. 

“Were you out tonight?” I asked.

He looked at me, seemingly startled, before he glanced at his clothes and a chuckle escaped his lips. “Yes. A marriage meeting.”

“M-marriage?” I asked, my body tensing. “You’re so young!”

He smirked and stood to his full height, now towering over me. “Never too young, I suppose.”

“No, I’m pretty certain there is too young,” I mumbled, scratching my exposed forearm.

He laughed lightly and nodded. “Maybe you’re right,” he said, sitting down on one of the barstools so he could watch Holly eat his meal. 

“Well…how did it go?” I asked, feeling bolder. Maybe it was because it was nighttime, or because this was our second time meeting, but I felt comfortable asking.

He shrugged, and a certain sadness overcame him, perhaps a little worry. “About as well as I figured it would,” he said.

I nodded and timidly joined him on the stools, sitting one stool away from him. “You don’t want to get married?” I asked gently.

He smiled at me, and there was something soft about it. “Not like this, no.”

“Hm,” I said, trying to think of a way to console him. “Ah! How did Holly get out?” I asked.

He glanced at me, smiling his gratitude at my changing the subject. “My assistant was supposed to take him on a walk while I had my meeting, but Holly doesn’t like him very much. So he got away. I left the meeting because I wanted to find him.”

I nodded. “That sounds troubling.”

“Yeah. The potential fiancé wasn’t too pleased that I left her to find my dog,” he said, breathing out a laugh.

He seemed now to be someone that was very far out of my reach. Marriage meetings and assistants and fancy watches…he wasn’t someone in my league. It made me feel slightly inadequate, and without realizing I covered part of my smock with my arms, embarrassed of the way it sat, dingy on my lap.

I’d never liked rich people, even when I was one.

“It’s good though, don’t you think?” I asked, musing out loud. “You should marry someone whose lifestyle is compatible with your own. If she couldn’t accept the part of your life that belongs to Holly, then maybe it’s for the best that things didn’t go well.”

He pondered this for a moment, then chuckled. “I suppose.”

“Ah!” I said as Holly began licking the jagged edges of the now empty can of food. 

I jumped from my perch and grabbed the can before he could cut his tongue and, in the process nicked my own finger. Before the blood could drop from my new cut, I hurried and threw the can into the trash with a sigh. I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand, swiping away the sweat that was budding there, and rifled around in the cabinets behind the counter for some bandaids. 

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, suddenly on his feet and walking close.

I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Better me than Holly,” I said, snatching the first aid kit and pulling a bandaid from its depths.

“Let me help,” he said, reaching out across the counter to assist me.

I shook my head and smiled. “I can handle it myself,” I said, wrapping the bandaid around my cut and shutting the first aid kit.

He stared at me curiously for a long moment, his brow furrowed like he was deep in thought. “You know, you managed to appeal to the two things I care about most in the world today,” he said, still examining me with that perplexed expression.

I flushed. “Excuse me?”

“Music and Holly.”

I blinked a few times to think about what he’d said. He was definitely strange, but he didn’t seem like a bad person. Perhaps he was only caught up in his own thoughts and didn’t realize that what he was saying was odd. 

“Ah,” I said, then smiled as Holly approached me, licking my pant leg. “Well, I think both of those things are very worthy things to care about,” I said, rubbing Holly’s head as the force his his tail wagging behind him caused his whole body to wiggle.

A moment of silence passed as the two of us stared at Holly behind the counter, now on his back and rolling around in an effort to get a belly rub, both of us examining him fondly. After a long minute, I began to feel the sensation of eyes on me and raised my own to look at the stranger across from me. Handsome as ever, he watched me curiously, dark eyes never leaving my face. I felt my skin grow hot and wanted nothing more than for him to either stop looking or start speaking. Whichever one made the situation less tense.

But when he did speak, I wished we could go back to silence.

“Wanna marry me?”

[frontierdispatches]

Want Better Employee Engagement? Publish a Magazine.

Airline magazines used to be bad—really bad. You’d pick up a copy while sitting on the tarmac, leaf through a couple stories, lose interest immediately, and then shove the whole thing back inside the seat pocket in front of you.

But something is different now. Thumb through a copy of American Way, and you’ll fall into a number of well-written, captivating stories that are surprisingly good. (In a recent issue, for instance: an engrossing profile on Andy Hayler, who’s dined at every three-star Michelin restaurant, plus a nuanced travel piece on the Brazilian city of Manaus, with striking photography of the black-hued Rio Negro and tan-colored Solimoes River converging.)

And it’s not just airlines that are upping their game. Brands across the globe have taken on a new publishing role with gusto—and they’re doing it well. A flour company’s glossy spreads rival that of any other cooking magazine. An energy drink producer reinforces its thrill-seeking, boundary-busting brand with a newsstand-quality magazine. A double punch—the breakdown of traditional magazine channels and the rise of affordable desktop publishing tools—has opened the doors for brands to become publishers, targeting audiences in highly specific ways, positioning their experts as the experts on a given topic, and building immense brand loyalty along the way.

Jason, who heads up Frontier Press, has been at the forefront of this shift from traditional to brand publishing, and he’s gearing up for another major inflection point. Those same approaches that companies have co-opted to build massive crowds of highly engaged, loyal customers? 

They’re now trickling into companies, turning inward toward employees.

“The next evolutionary step in niche publishing is internal corporate magazines,” says Jason. “Your employee base is just as valuable as your customers. They’re your front line, the people making your product or service viable and available in the first place. Tapping into their loyalty and engagement is just as crucial as connecting with your customers.”

COMPETING FOR ATTENTION Until recently, internal corporation communications strategies have been (almost too literally) an inside joke, he says. There might be a clunky intranet that serves as more of an HR tool than anything else. Or a printed newsletter that’s crammed with photos from a recent golf fundraiser, bad fonts, and silly Clip Art.

If you’re not elevating your internal communications, you’re missing a huge opportunity, says Jason. “Many of the companies that Frontier works with have employees in the thousands. That’s an awful lot of people they could be connecting with in a meaningful way.”

Organizations do a lot of things well, he offers, but one of the worst things they do is force employees to subsume their identities to the organization.

“We assume that people become someone different when they step into the workplace, that they walk through a magic veil that automatically transforms them into an employee as they enter the corporate campus every morning,” Jason says. “Then at the end of the day, they pass through the veil once more, become human, go home, and have lives.”

This assumption leads us to believe people consume content—jokes, books, TV shows, internet videos—differently at work than they do at home, and that’s just not true. Their tastes don’t change.

“You can’t forget that you as an employer are also competing for the attention of our employees. If they’re drawn to People or US Weekly in their personal lives, why would they be drawn to your lackluster office publication on a Thursday afternoon?”

If we remember that the end users of our corporate magazines are real people, we’ll start building better platforms—ones that are playful, authentic, and alive.

WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE, THERE ARE GREAT STORIES “I think the reason so many companies don’t seriously publish for themselves is because they don’t think they have interesting stories to tell. That’s a deep fallacy,” Jason says. “They assume because they work in, say, an industrial commodities business or an EPC company, their work isn’t sexy. They don’t think about their teams, whether it’s procurement or compliance, as interesting.”

But every company is made up of people, and people are drawn to stories about other people. So when you start telling the stories of your people, you’re showing employees that you see them and recognize they are important. That demonstrates something powerful: trust, respect, and, most importantly, care. When employees feel valued, they are more loyal to their company.

Besides fomenting employee loyalty, there’s another major perk to launching an internal company magazine: it sets the stage for more authentic engagement.

“I hear leaders wonder aloud why their entire employee base isn’t excited about their company’s new direction, initiative, or product,” Jason says. “But the truth is, your employees have no idea what initiatives are taking place unless you tell them. Most companies don’t.”

The native stories that companies would think are interesting, he says, tend to percolate near the top of the chain at the leadership or director level, usually in the worlds of research and development or innovation. But that’s maybe 10% of the entire company. The rest of the company is in the dark. By providing your employees with relevant information that will inform their work, says Jason, you’re welcoming your team into your vision and showing them the way forward, which naturally leads to an employee base that is more loyal to your company’s overall purpose.  

This is what publishing, especially internal publishing, can solve, and that’s what we do at Frontier Press. We borrow the best practices from the publishing world and put them to use inside organizations just like yours. We seek out interesting stories—of individuals and teams, passion projects and company-wide initiatives, projects and best practices—collate them in beautiful packages, then share them with your people.

The end product is a surprising, elegant, state-of-the art publication, but what we create isn’t revolutionary. Those best practices already exist. What we do is mobilize our team’s collective expertise around your company, and then transfer our know-how to your team.

“Our mission is to transform corporations into publishers,” Jason says. “At first, that does look like us becoming your guerilla publishing unit. But in the long term, we’ll help you develop the internal ability to do this on your own.”

In the coming year, the Press team will produce two internal corporate magazines for two very different companies. Each magazine has a different intention, but the basics are the same: talk to employees, learn their stories, then share them far and wide. See how we’re making it happen here.

***

If you’re ready to start a conversation about how an internal magazine can work for you, here’s what you need to know now:

> Your Guide // Jason, CEO of Frontier Press > Contact // jason@thefrontierproject.com