#like i recognize december is a crazy time for the post office

[youcanthandelthetruth]

Baby shoes, never worn

(I bought them for my kid and USPS has been busily shipping them back and forth across the whole of Texas for two weeks)

[golbrocklovely]

careful what you wish for // sam and colby (pt. 4)

A/N: first off, terribly sorry this came out so late. i've had a hectic last couple days, and didn't get to finish this fic up until tonight. and sadly, this the last thing i'm posting for my 13 nights of halloween. it's crazy to think that this is finally over. to anyone curious i will be getting back to answering asks by tomorrow. i'll also be writing up my review of hell week, and any other random things i had planned to write about/review before my 13 nights. also, i know so many of you have been waiting eagerly for this next installment, so sorry for the long awaited update. but hopefully it's made better by this fic. happy belated halloween, and happy haunting !

prompt: sam and colby have left you high and dry, so now you've resorted to possibly hooking up with a coworker at an event. but sam and colby will be having NONE of that. || vampire!sam and demon!colby x fem!reader

trigger warning: SO MUCH SMUT, manipulation via powers (surprise! it's not you this time), fucking in a public, fucking with a crowd watching, the crowd is also all of your coworkers, dumb business shit that i know nothing about bc i went to school for theater and work in retail lol, fourth wall break (spooky), cursing, degrading language, being bit but no blood drawn), mentions of: princess, baby girl, baby, slut, whore, called a fleshlight once, unprotected sex (but no fear of getting pregnant bc they're supernatural), gets a bit dark and possessive towards the end, heavy use of MINE and OURs, snc own you so…. if you don't like that don't read,

word count: 7077

~~~~~~~~~

It was Halloween night, and while you usually looked forward to Halloween, this night was a bit different. The company you worked at was having their annual 'Final Fiscal Quarter Party'. The higher ups agreed that it would be easier to throw it during October, rather than in December. Individual offices could throw their own then, but the main, big event was happening tonight.

Your company rented out a huge hotel ballroom. There was catering, a local DJ playing some family friendly tunes, and a stage where awards were going to be given out. You had been to a couple of these events over the years, but they were always very... boring. You would much rather be at home, snuggled up, watching a scary movie.

Or maybe getting fucked by your... boyfriends? It was hard to describe the relationship you had with Sam and Colby. They used you, but you used them. It was a very symbiotic relationship in that way. But currently, you weren't really too keen on them.

You considered hitting up your old friend, Jess. She was the one, after all, that magically brought Sam and Colby into your life. You hadn't talked to her in a long time. It could be because she still blamed you for the book permanently shutting and ruining her dating life forever.

She could bitch all she wanted, but she wasn't the one being stalked and fucked by a demon and a vampire.

You had grown a bit tired of Sam and Colby, their antics, and their overall ability to flip your world upside down. The sex was great, obviously. But at what cost?

Not to mention, they hadn't spoken to you, or showed up, in months. You were going through a bit of a dry spell, and hated the fact that they hadn't answered your calls. So, it did cross your mind to get rid of them. Permanently.

But that was an issue for another time. Right now, all you had to focus on was getting just drunk enough to enjoy this stuffy party, but not too drunk that you get messy.

And that came a bit easy for you. Across the bar, a handsome man smiled at you, giving you a nod as you accepted his drink. You could see his paper nametag said Brian, and you hadn't recognized him from your own office - so he was a safe bet. God knows you weren't the only one trying to hook up with someone tonight. Plenty of colleagues from different divisions were going to be getting crazy tonight. It was an inside joke amongst the company that this night was usually a fuckfest.

You gazed over at Brian, admiring his silky quaffed hair and great suit. He had a lovely smile; one he shot your way over the glass of whiskey he had in his hand.

A man like Brian seemed... dependable. A good choice for a significant other. Boring, basic, Brian. Maybe that's exactly what you needed. Something steady and settled. Not... supernatural.

Yeah, but could you ever fuck a man like Brian? A man like him could never fulfill your needs. You could hear Colby's voice in the back of your head.

You rolled your eyes, taking a long sip from your wine glass. No. Brian might seem a bit basic on the surface, but who knows? Deep down he could be a sex god. Maybe he was packing some serious heat, and just knew all the right ways to eat a woman out. Yeah, that's what's you would be focusing on. Not the imagine that Sam and Colby would surely try to paint in your head.

You were brought out of your thoughts as the lights dimmed up and down, signaling everyone to get to their seats, as the speeches and award ceremony was going to start soon. You shot a look at Brian one more time and found your seat quickly.

The head of the company sauntered up on stage as applause erupted throughout the room. He nodded his head, shooting a couple people smiles and finger guns. Eventually as the room quieted down, he stepped up to the podium, beginning his speech.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm so happy you all could make it here tonight. Happy Halloween by the way. Isn't this much better than a Christmas party?" He let out a solid laugh, swatting at the crowd jokingly. "But as I was saying, tonight we are all here to celebrate. This company might be big, but it's the little guys - the individuals - that deserve the praise the most. Sure, I'm the head and face of this place, but you guys are what make it possible."

Another round of claps came from the room. You glanced around and noticed that the chair next to you was empty. There was a name tag on the plate, designating this spot for a "Colson Brock".... whoever that was.

"Now before the awards begin, I would like to introduce you all to someone remarkable. This man has helped shape this company in many ways. And, he's incredibly sexy. So let's all give a round of applause for Samson Golbach." The CEO grinned brightly, gesturing to the side of the stage.

You raised an eyebrow, Sexy? That's a strange word to use at a business party. Not to mention, The CEO was married to a woman so... this was all a bit confusing. You awkwardly clapped as the light shined on a man with light blonde hair. He was in an all-black suit, his hair gelled in a sleek look. He waved at the crowd, smirking mischievously. He smiled once he got to the podium, his fangs glistening in the light.

Was that... Sam?

You gasped in your seat, staring up with wide eyes at the stage. It looked like him, but you had never seen him in a suit. Plus he wasn't exuding the same energy he usually would so, maybe this wasn't him. Maybe this was his doppelganger, or someone that looked extremely like him. You sat back in your chair, narrowing your eyes up at the man.

"Thank you all for having me here today. I know many of you don't know who I am, but that's by design. I purposefully like to stay in the shadows, remain almost anonymous. It's a system I built to keep this company running at breakneck speed, and so far... this has been our most successful year to date!" Samson cheered.

You could feel the room clap again, happy with Sam... Samson's words. You took a deep breath, your anger rising. This can't be Sam. Sure, it looked like him and even sounded like him. But Sam and Colby had never taken this... thing, with you outside of your own house. There was no way they would do this to you in front of all of your coworkers and colleagues.

"It's nice to finally be appreciated and received so well. I'm sure you've all had some crazy days and night working here. I usually work all hours of the night and barely get to see the sun. You would think I was some sort of a vampire or something." Samson chuckled, some members of the crowd following suit. He turned, catching your eye, and gave you a wink.

Did he just...

The chair next to you pulled back, a man sat down hastily. He cleared his throat, catching his breath. He unbuttoned his dark blue suit jacket, the silver pinstripes reflecting in the light. Your eyes traveled up the man's form, taking him in until finally stopping on his face. Everything about him was familiar, but his hair was pushed back, exposing his forehead. He took his glasses off, cleaning the lenses and sliding them back on.

“You've got to be fucking kidding me.” You growled.

The man, Colby, turned to look at you suddenly. “I'm... sorry?”

You crossed your arms tightly, sitting back in your chair. “I can't believe that you and Sam would do this.”

He gave a weary smile. “I'm so sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else.”

“Right, Colby.” You huffed.

“Colby? That's a silly name,” he chuckled. “My name is Colson.”

“Of course it is.” You turned to him sharply, “You know you two have a lot of audacity to do this.”

He shook his head awkwardly. “Again, I'm not sure what you're talking about, Miss.”

“You guys haven't spoken to me in months. I've called out to yall and got nothing back. And now you show up and want to play dress up?!” You whispered harshly. “You guys are sick.”

“I'm not entirely sure what to say. I'm not who you think I am,” he dissented. “I'm Colson Brock, not Colby, and I've never met that man on stage before in my life. But I am about to get an award from him so... if you could just stop talking to me, that would be for the best.”

You scoffed. “I swear to God, Colby-!”

You were cut off as Sam’s voice grew louder, “This award is given out to individuals that show inspiring traits and work countlessly day in and day out for us. The award for Best Dedication, Integrity, Creativity, and Knowledge goes to... Colson Brock!”

You scowled as Colby stood up, patting down his suit softly. He walked towards the stage, shooting you a smug look over his shoulder. He stepped on stage, shaking Sam's hand, and a photo was taken of the two of them holding the award.

You grabbed your purse, sneaking off to the bathroom quickly. You stumbled in, rushing to the sink and leaning against it. The bathroom was empty, just you alone. You breathed deeply, shaking your head.

That had to be Sam and Colby. There's no way that wasn't them.

But a part of you imagined, for just a moment, that maybe... it wasn't them. How could they have manipulated everyone into thinking they were real workers at this company? The CEO introduced Sam, or Samson. Colby's name, or Colson's name, was on the nametag and award.

You felt yourself flush at the thought. Oh my God, if that isn't Colby, that man out there thinks I'm absolutely insane. How the fuck am I supposed to go back to my table, sit there and eat an under seasoned chicken parm, and pretend I didn't just berate a man?

You groaned, bending down, and resting your head against the sink counter. Even when Sam and Colby weren't around, they still fucked with you.

You heard the bathroom door squeak open, your body jolting up. You didn't need another person thinking you were losing it.

Heavy footsteps crept into the bathroom, a man. A deep voice sighed, snickering lightly. You glanced up through the mirror, your eyes widening. Colby swayed in, leaning against the wall. His suit jacket was gone, now just in his button up and slacks. He rolled up his sleeves, running a hand through his hair.

“Surprise, Princess. Did ya miss us?” He teased.   

You glared, “What the fuck, Colby?”

“What?” He gestured outside the bathroom, “A bit too dramatic?”

“This is my livelihood! How dare you and Sam come and fuck this up for me!” You exclaimed, anger coursing through your veins.

“Relax, baby. We would never do anything too bad. No need to worry. Everyone will forget any of this happened. Honestly.” He put his hands up defensively. “This was all meant to be a bit of fun. We just wanted to get a rise out of you.”

“Well, you succeeded. Congratulations.” You retorted, crossing your arms.

“You should be congratulating me on my award. I have the best dedication, integrity, creativity, and knowledge.... D-I-C-K. Dick? Best dick, get it?” He bit his lip cockily, “Came up with it myself.”

“You're a fucking genius,” you deadpanned, rolling your eyes. “God, I knew I should have talked to Jess sooner.”

“Jess... why does that name sound familiar?” He questioned, feigning curiosity.

“She's the one that gave me the book that made the two of you.” You explained bitterly.

“Oh, she is? I'm gonna have write her a thank you card,” he winked. “But why exactly do you need to talk to her?”

“You two... I want you gone.” You admitted.

His face dropped, “What?”

You stepped up to Colby, getting in his face. “Aren't you tired of fucking around with me? Coming and going as you please? Why am I not allowed a normal life with a normal guy?!”

The lights flickered in the bathroom, Colby's eyes turning black for a split second, his horns visible. You shuttered, pressing yourself against the counter. The lights stopped flickering, and Colby was back to normal.

He cleared his throat, loosening his tie a bit. “Because... you're ours. You belong to us.”

“Fuck you.” You spat.

“You have... multiple times,” Colby pointed out in a snarky tone. “Even last year around this time, too.”

“Last Halloween?” You thought back, and a bunch of images started popping into your mind. Sam snapped Colby's neck but was also somehow terrorizing trick-or-treaters. Colby took control of your body but was also somehow dead while you and Sam fucked in your kitchen. It was all very confusing and didn't make quite sense.

“Wait, how the hell did you both fuck me and simultaneously not?” You puzzled, aggravated.

“I guess it just depends on what you picked.” Colby smirked, “Right, reader?”

“What are you talking about?” You replied.

“Don't worry about it.” He leaned against the counter next to you, “Back to what you were saying though. So, you want a normal guy so you can live a normal life... why? Isn't it more exciting to get fucked by a demon and a vampire?”

“Yeah, but there's more to life than sex.” You argued.

He feigned shock, “Take that back.”

You jeered, “You're extra fucking annoying, you know that?”

“And you clearly need the brattiness fucked out of you. But for some reason you don't want me or Sam to do it. Why? Did you have someone else in mind?” He took a couple steps, facing you again, “Like, say... Brian.”

You felt your heart skip a beat. “How do you-“

He interjected. “I'm a demon. I know a lot of things. Not to mention I saw him and you eye-fucking each other by the bar. You're lucky I saw it and not Sam. Because Brian would be drained dry by now. Still probably will be.”

You rolled your eyes, “Okay, fine. I was eye-fucking Brian. And why am I not allowed to? Yall have been gone for months.”

“But you've been putting that toy of yours to such good use,” Colby taunted.

“You're an asshole.” You shot back.

“Thank you. I appreciate the love,” he smiled genuinely. “But I gotta ask, do you really think a man named 'Brian' can make you come like we can? Be honest with yourself on that.”

“That's not the only reason I want him,” you responded sassily. “Plus, he could be really good at sex.”

“Okay then. Let's find out.” Colby stomped over to the door, yelling out, "Brian! Get in here!"

You furrowed your brow, confused as to what Colby had up his sleeve. What the hell was he bringing Brian in here for?

Brian stepped in, glancing between the two of you. He had a dazed look on his face, clearly entranced.

“Colby, don-“ You started.

He cut you off again, “Look, princess. You wanted to know if he's a good fuck. So, I'm giving you the chance to find out. See what a normal fucking will bring to your life.”

“You can't force him to fuck me!” You fumed.

“I mean, I definitely could, but I'm not going to.” He turned to Brian, patting his shoulder, “Brian, my guy, do you want to fuck Y/N?”

Brian nodded. “Yes.”

“That's why you were buying her drinks tonight, right?” Colby asked.

“Yeah.” Brian’s voice was dull, almost like there were no thoughts behind his eyes.

“Such an honest man,” Colby commented. “Do you find her attractive?”

“Of course.” Brian agreed.

“Would you sleep with her if she said yes?” He continued.

Brian blinked, “Yes.”

Colby looked at you, “There we go. Happy?”

“I'm not fucking him in here, or in front of you.” You retorted, leaning back against the counter.

“Don't you want to prove me wrong? Don't you want to wipe the smug look off my face when he makes you come with his tongue? Or his totally, not average sized, dick?” Colby stepped up to you, his voice low, “The moment I walked in here, you got wet.”

A rush of blood came to your cheeks, your breath hitching.

“No amount of blushing can hide that deep down, you're a slut that wants to be fucked - pretty much - anywhere. And you're only giving me lip because we left you cold and alone for a couple months. I'm sorry about that. I truly wished I listened to your pleads...” he leaned in, kissing your cheek. “And cries...” he moved to the other cheek, giving it a quick kiss. “And screams,” he kissed your forehead gently. “Begging me to come fuck you. But absence makes the heart grow fonder. And this, right here, is my apology to you.”

You stood still, unsure what to do. Part of you did want to fuck Brian, just because you did find him hot. But with Colby standing next to him... it was no contest.

“Here. I'll sweeten the deal,” Colby offered. “If he makes you come, we'll leave. Forever.”

You froze, “Really?”

“No, probably not. The whole magical book kinda forbids that. But we will leave here, and you and Brian can go on your merry way and you two can go have beautifully... vanilla, sex.” He smiled dryly.

“Lucky for Brian, I'm already wet.” You quipped, glaring.

“Perfect. Brian, give the lady what she wants.” He gasped, “Ooh, can I choose what he does? Pleaseeeee?”

You blinked, giving the slightest nod.

“You are so generous.” Colby spun to him, “Brian, do you want to eat her out?”

“I would... but I don't do that.” Brian spoke monotone.

Colby’s face dropped, almost mimicking yours. “You don't give head? Sloppy toppy? None of that?”

“No.” Brian replied.

“This is the man you want, huh? Absolute loser,” Colby pointed at him, rolling his eyes. “Well, Brian, now you do. So, go crazy.”

Brian turned to you, a lustful look overcoming him. He dropped to his knees, crawling towards you. Your heart raced, watching his every move. His hands wrapped around your ankle, slowly kissing up your leg gently. The sensation sent a shiver up your spine, your head falling back a bit.

Colby leaned against the wall, studying you. His face was blank, almost uninterested. You glared at him, trying to ignore his presence. He smiled, giving a little wave.

Brian nibbled on your inner thigh, his fingers stroking up and down the center of your underwear. He brushed against your clit, your knees almost buckling.

“You're wet, Y/N.” Brian hummed in awe.

“Yeah, that's what happens when you turn a woman on.” He leaned in, whispering to you, “Is he new around here or...?”

“Shut up, Colby!” You groaned. “Keep going Brian, please. I need you.”

“Don't take it too personally, Brian. She says that to everyone. Especially me.” Colby grinned.

“Drop dead.” You hissed.

He remarked, “I'm not really alive so...”

Brian pulled down your underwear, letting them fall down your legs and to the floor. The cool air hit your hot sex, making your body tense up. Brian leaned in, his mouth connecting with your clit.

You closed your eyes tightly, allowing the sensation of his tongue to arouse you more. It was a slow build, that was for sure. Nothing like Sam and Colby and the way they did things. But it was still nice.

But maybe not what you needed.

You placed your hand on the back of Brian's head, pushing him more into your heat. He grunted, the vibrations feeling fantastic against your clit. You amped up your moans, hoping it was believable to Colby.

He yawned, gazing at you bored. You shook your head, deciding to ignore Colby. You were determined to come, to make them leave. But Brian was not helping you, which was upsetting.

“Brian, baby... go a little faster please.” You begged, annoyed.

He nodded, moving his tongue hastily. You could feel the pleasure build more, but it was still a long way away from being close to an orgasm. He slid a finger in, pumping in and out sloppily. You groaned, feeling even less turned on suddenly.

“I guess I know why you don't give head.” Colby swatted at Brian, “Move.”

Your eyes widened, “What? No! Brian, st-”

“I know you want to come so we leave, but that ain't gonna happen with Brian over here.” Colby mentioned.

"Well, maybe he could fuck me!" You argued, gesturing to his dick.

“But I'm not hard.” Brian stated.

Colby raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“Eating pussy isn't really a turn on for me.” Brian informed.

“God, Y/N, you really know how to pick them.” Colby pulled him up by his arm, smiling sinisterly. “Brian, why don't you leave and go find Sam? I think he can teach you a valuable lesson on what happens to men that don't please their women.”

Brian turned and left, not saying another word. You huffed, glaring harshly at Colby. “Your little glares aren't going to do anything to me, sweetheart. If anything, they just make me hard.”

Colby's hand slid down and cupped your sex, palming your clit gingerly. You gasped, back arching as you pressed yourself against the counter. Colby barricaded you in, his hand beginning to make small circles on your clit.

“This is how a man fucks a woman like you.” He uttered, staring at you intensely.

“But you're not eating me out.” You challenged.

Colby cocked his head. “If you wanted my tongue, you could have just asked.”

You suddenly felt a tongue licking at your entrance, your body shuttering in ecstasy. “Fuck, h-how-?”

"Did you forget I have abilities? Is it because the horns aren't here?" The lights flickered, and when they turned back on, his horns were out. “How about now? Do you remember what I am now?”

"Yeaahhh, I remember." You whined, your head falling back in pleasure.

“You are so sexy when you get close to coming. God, it makes me hard just thinking about it.” Colby pushed his clothed, growing dick against your thigh, “Do you feel me?”

You nodded mindlessly, your hands gripping his forearms.

“Princess?” He asked innocently.

“Uh-huh?" You murmured.

“I think that's enough for you." All the sensations stopped, Colby pulling away from you.

“Wha-? No. No! Colby, please.” You grumbled.

He asserted, “It's time for you to be punished.”  

“What did I do?” You questioned, your mouth a gape.

"I'm sorry, was Brian that forgetful or do you like playing dumb?" Colby spun you around, making you face the mirror. He rolled your dress up a bit, pressing his bulge against your bare ass. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm gonna start fucking you, and you have to remain quiet. Just like you were with Brian."

You lowered your voice, “Why do I have to be silent?”

“Because otherwise, you'll get caught.” He whispered cheekily.

The door busted open, and a gaggle of women came in, chit chatting like there wasn't a demon about to fuck you right against the sink.

You gulped; your voice even quieter. “What the fuck, Colby?!”

"Don't worry, princess. If you remain silent, they won't see you. But once you make a single noise, they'll know. They'll know that you are a dirty slut that likes to get fucked in the bathroom. That you're so desperate for dick that you'd let a demon fuck you. And a vampire." He tsked sassily, "Double greedy."

Colby unbuttoned his pants, giving your ass a slap as his cock sprang free. You bit your lip, holding back a gasp.

"You ready for me, baby?" He lined himself up with your entrance, sliding along your lips. Then finally, he glided his cock in.

You trembled from the sensations, direly wanting to moan along with him. But you didn't want to get caught. Being fucked while others were around, whether they could see you or not, was embarrassing enough.

But also incredibly thrilling.

Colby thrusted deeply, his cock hitting the right spot over and over again. You felt overwhelmed, but in the best way. Your body already felt like it was building rapidly, your legs shaking under your weight. You felt like your skin was on fire, burning against the cool air.

A lady walked up to the sink next to you, washing her hands and looking at herself in the mirror. You shuttered out a breath, Colby picking up his pace.

“Don't look at her, Y/N. Look at yourself in the mirror. Watch yourself get fucked.” He commanded breathlessly.

You turned your head, staring straight. He smirked at you in the mirror, keeping his pace the same while lazily pulling off his tie.

"This is what you deserve, sweetheart. You're such a slut for me." He yanked your hands behind your back, tying them easily with his tie. He gripped your connected hands, bucking his hips harder and faster now.

Your body buzzed erotically, your hips gyrating in time with Colby's. You could feel your edge building; all you had to do was stay quiet.

Colby slid one hand down between your legs, finding your swollen clit instantly. He rubbed it faster than his thrusts, causing your whole body to jolt. You sucked in a harsh breath, knowing you shouldn't have. But God... the sensation was too much for you to stay quiet.

The women in the bathroom looked around, confused.

"Baby, do you want to get caught or something? Because you are being awfully loud. Maybe you need something in your mouth to quiet you down." He snaked his other hand up towards your face, his two fingers rubbing along your lips. You parted your mouth, allowing his fingers inside.

He cursed, “That's fucking it baby. Be a good girl and suck them for me.”

You sucked his fingers like your life depended on it. He finger-fucked your mouth in time with his dick, both speeding up as the minutes passed. You could feel yourself getting close, knowing that your orgasm was imminent.

“It's been too long since the last time you sucked my cock.” He chuckled darkly, “Maybe later you do that for me. Wouldn't you want that, princess?”

You nodded desperately, bucking your hips wildly against his cock and hands. You were about to explode, your edge hitting its peak. This is all you wanted for the last couple months: to be fucked hard and well. And that's what Colby was doing.

“You almost ready to come? Build up baby. Suck my fingers dry. Suck them like you would my dick.” You took his fingers deeper, gagging around them. You pumped yourself on his cock, whimpering. "There you go, baby. What a good girl." Colby leaned in, his horns grazing your cheek as he uttered, "My good girl... Come for me."

Your body spasmed around Colby's cock, bouncing on it helplessly. You moaned loudly around his fingers, not caring if anyone heard. You had been so focused on staring in the mirror at yourself getting fucked that didn't see that you and Colby were all alone in the bathroom once more. His eyes bore at you in the mirror, flashing to black.

Relaxing your hips, his cock pulled out of you for a moment, letting you relax. You felt your juices run down your inner thigh, your body still running high. You leaned down, placing your head against the counter as you took some deep breaths.

“Hi there, baby girl. “A familiar voice came from behind you, but it wasn't Colby's. You looked up quickly, Sam now behind you, and Colby was nowhere to be seen. Sam waved back at you in the mirror, smirking. "You ready for me now?"

“W-Where is Colby?” You stuttered, your pussy twitching at the thought of Sam's hard cock.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about him. He'll be back soon enough." Sam traced a finger along your sex, gasping. "God baby, you are so wet. Completely soaking yourself."

He took his finger into his mouth, tasting you. "Fuck, I missed that."

Your mouth hung open, watching him through lustful eyes. His hand snaked around to the front of your body, grabbing your neck firmly. He pulled you flush against his partially exposed body, his cock hard against your ass. "We give you everything you could ask for, and you still wanted someone like Brian? How pathetic."

He forced your head to look at yourself in the mirror, "You are a desperate slut just begging to be fucked. But we're the only ones that can make you feel this good."

Sam slammed his hips into yours, his cock taking you deeply. You grunted loudly, eyes rolling back into your head. He took advantage of your still tied up hands, holding them tightly. His other hand raced up your back, lowering you down to the sink. He placed you flat against the counter, fucking you harshly. You shook with each of his thrusts, mewling at every in and out.

“You think you get to choose who fucks you now? You think you can move on from us?” He fumed, his cocking hitting your spot repeatedly.

You panted, “Noooo.”

“There is no one other than us. Let me make that abundantly clear: you're ours.” Sam's fangs sunk into your skin, your eyes widening. He continued to bite you all over, barely drawing any blood, but marking you; letting everyone know you were taken.

Your second orgasm was close. You needed this second one badly, itching to come sooner rather than later. You could feel how desperate and hot and slutty it was turning you.

“Baby girl, do you deserve to come? Have you been good?” Sam questioned.

You nodded, your whole body shaking, “Yessss. Yes I have. Please Sam! Please!”

He pulled you up again, locking eyes with you in the mirror. His hand wrapped around your throat, squeezing tightly. “Ride my dick, baby. Make yourself come on my dick.”

You uncontrollably bucked your hips, whining on his cock. His hold on your neck tightened just enough, making it hard to breath and your vision blurring. The lack of oxygen made your orgasm hit twice as hard. You soaked his member, moving mindlessly on it until you finally finished. Your legs gave out a bit, Sam catching you. He snickered, his red eyes taking you in through the mirror.

The doors to the bathroom busted open again, a random lady coming in. She turned and looked at the two of you, not even acknowledging what she had to be seeing. "Y/N, you need to come out there quick."

You were taken aback by this woman, unsure of who she was or what the hell she wanted you for. "W-what are you talking about?" You rushed, shimmying your dress down, trying to cover yourself back up.

“They're calling your name. You won an award!” She exclaimed, leaving the bathroom happily.

You furrowed your brow, turning to Sam. But he was gone. Those powers of their really do come in handy for moments like these.

You shuffled out of the bathroom, even more confused as you glanced around at everyone from your company. They were all looking at you, smiling brightly and being congratulatory. You walked towards the stage, the people directing you, and as you got closer, you saw Sam and Colby on it, holding a plaque of some sort.

Sam pulled you on stage, kissing your cheek sweetly. Colby handed you the award, shaking your hand dramatically. You took the award in your hand, turning it to see what it said.

“Give it up for Y/N everyone. The biggest slut of the year!” Sam yelled into the microphone. “Congratulations baby, you deserve it.”  

You gawked at Sam and Colby, the reality of what they did hitting you. You threw the award on the ground, glaring at them harshly.

“Hey now, we worked really hard on that.” Sam pouted.

“Fuck you, how dare you make me a fool in front of everyone!” You ranted, getting in their faces.

"Princess, no one is gonna remember this. And luckily, no one will remember this either." Colby smiled devilishly.

Sam and Colby grabbed at your dress, tearing it off your body like it was made of cheap fabric. The crowd cheered, your body heating up immediately as you were suddenly naked in front of everyone.

“Now, don't argue with us, plaything. You can bitch and moan all you want to but being fucked in front of everyone... turns you on.” Colby wrapped his arms around you, whispering in your ear, “No matter how much you want to deny it, you can't deny how drenched you are right now.”

Your body quivered as Colby's fingers slipped easily into your cunt. You fell back against him; his suddenly naked body cool against your hot skin. Sam sauntered up to you, rubbing his hands up and down your torso. His hands kneaded your breasts, nipples aching to be touched.

Sam laughed, “Look at her, Colby. She can't even argue with us. She knows that we're right. She is the biggest slut of the year. She's our slut, our toy, our plaything. Ours. Forever.”

The room erupted in applause, some even screaming out your name.

“Let's give them a show, princess,” Colby gestured to the eager crowd. Let the people see the real slut you are. Isn’t that what you want? To be fucked in front of everyone.”

You couldn't think anymore. Every sensation was overpowering your thoughts. You knew deep down that Sam and Colby were right, and all you could think of was how badly you wanted to come again.

You nodded feverishly, your hands automatically pawing at both of their bodies. The air around you changed once you said yes, your body being positioned graphically. Forced down onto your knees, Colby stood in front of you, while Sam was behind you.

“Aww, baby. Look, it's your favorite positions: on your hands and knees, getting railed by us.” Sam jested playfully.

Your sex throbbed, direly needing them inside of you. You whined, looking up at Colby. “Please, just fuck me. No more teasing.”

Colby stared into your eyes, jerking himself off right in front of your face. “You want this, huh? You want me in your mouth. Say it.”

You nodded, biting your lip. “I want you in my mouth.”

“And what about me, toy?” Sam slapped your ass, making you look back at him.

“Fuck, I need it. I need the both of you so bad!” You cried, grinding your hips back against Sam.

Hoots and hollers sounded off around the room. You glanced at the crowd, their hungry eyes taking your desperate form in.

“Fine then, since you asked so nicely,” Colby cupped your face, turning your head back to his cock. The tip pushed against your mouth, sliding in easily. He moaned lowly, almost animalistically. Sam teased his cock along your entrance, slipping in effortlessly.

Once they were in you, you sighed deeply. It felt so good to be surrounded by Sam and Colby, to be filled by them. They had you right where they wanted you, and you loved every second of it.

And the crowd seemed to love it even more.

They started off slow, taking their time to build your pleasure up. There was nothing else on your mind. All you could think about was their cock and how much you wanted them to come deep inside of you.

Colby gaped, “Oh princess, you have the filthiest mind. Maybe even dirtier than ours.”

“That's why she's our slut. We are just innocent people being used by this whore of a woman,” Sam shuttered, lulling his head back as he fucked you. “And God, I love every second of it.”

“I could fuck this mouth for hours. How does that sound, sweetheart? You love that idea, don't you?” Colby breathed, biting his lip, staring down at you.

You nodded enthusiastically, taking his shaft deeper. He grunted, hips twitching. His hand rested on your head lightly, pulling your hair softly. His grip tightened, causing you to gag around him.

Sam cursed, “Fuuuuck, she clenched around me when gagged. Keep doing that, baby girl. That felt so good.”

“Y/N, how can you get all of this, all of us, and still want something else? Especially Brian. What a fucking loser.” Colby groaned, disgusted.

Sam agreed, grimacing. “Dude didn't even know how to eat pussy. He didn't even like eating pussy.”

The crowd booed, screaming expletives at the sound of Brian's name.

“See, everyone knows that Brian sucks. How could you ever settle for something like that when you have the best right here?” Sam inquired. “Two men willing to do anything to make you come.”

"Let me make this perfectly clear, darling," Colby pulled himself out of you, raising you up so you were eye level with him. He held your face firmly, his voice low and calm. “While I'm never the type to get jealous, and watching you get eaten out by that joke of a man was entertaining and kinda sexy, let me be honest with you.”

His face dropped, his eyes darkening with each word. "If you ever go after another man again, I will personally make sure to rip his heart out in front of you, and then I’ll breed your cunt so deeply you will feel me for days. Because there is no one else for you, princess. Just. Us. Forever. That means for eternity, you are ours. You are mine."

Sam yanked your hair, pulling you out of Colby's grip for a moment. He grunted harshly, "That goes for me too, baby girl. If you ever even breathe near another man again, I might have to drain your sexy little body dry and turn you into our immortal plaything for forever. And don't think for a second I'm bluffing."

Colby took you by the neck, pulling you back towards him, choking you lightly. All the while, Sam was still fucking you. "There is no escaping us, Y/N. We will never let you go. No matter what you do for the rest of your life, we will always be there, in the shadows, watching. We own you. And nothing will change that."

His face relaxed, going back into his casual, smug look. "So... in the meantime, enjoy yourself, princess. And open your mouth again."

He pushed you down, his cock still hard and leaking, ready to fuck your mouth. Their words sank deeply into your mind, arousing and frightening you all at the same time.

Colby thrusted himself back in, gagging you. “There you go, baby. But now, I think it's time we give the people what they want. Right, everybody?!”

The room screamed in approval, lustful energy shooting through you from the sound. Suddenly, Sam and Colby began fucking you passionately, the sheer brutal force alone bouncing you back and forth on their cocks. You whined around them, feeling yourself get lost in the feeling of being their toy.

Sam groaned a breathy sound, “God, you're basically just a fleshlight, Y/N. Don't you love being used by us?”

“You know she does, Sam. Just a set of holes for us to use.” Colby’s voice was husky and low, “God, her mouth feels incredible.”

“She's so pathetic, really. She squeezed around me so tightly when we called her names. Maybe we should do that more often.” Sam taunted.

“Of course. There are so many more names we could come up with for her. But right now, all I'm concerned about is coming down her throat and fucking her until she chokes.” Colby's hips sped up as he face-fucked you. You didn't even have time to react, your jaw becoming slack and just allowing him to take over and use it like a toy. Tears welled up and rolled down your cheeks and drool dribbled down your chin from his harsh actions.

Sam's hand went between your bodies, rubbing your clit in time with his thrusts. Your thighs shook from the feeling, the pleasure overwhelming.

“You're so close, aren't you, princess?” Colby panted.

Sam chimed in; his voice depraved. “Build up for us. Come with us, baby girl.”

They pounded into you in unison, almost taking the breath out of you with each thrust. The room began getting louder, chants of "Come for us" came from the crowd, building up in time with your orgasm.

Every part of this was spectacular and you couldn't get enough.

Your breathing hitched as your orgasm hit the edge, ready to fall over once they said you could. Sam and Colby kept going, kept using you, until they were ready. You begged them to let you come, your pleas muffled by Colby’s cock. Both thrusted with abandonment, needing to come just as badly as you.

Colby grunted, pulling your hair, “Fuck, fuck! Y/N, come! Come for us now!”

“Do it baby! That's fucking it, YES!” Sam growled, his fingers bruising your hips as he held them tightly.

All three of you exploded in euphoric pleasure, bellowing out in ecstasy. The crowd roared as Sam and Colby filled you up with their cum. You released around Sam's cock, soaking him. You swallowed as much of Colby's cum as you could, gagging as he hit the back of your throat repeatedly until finally slowing his hips down. Sam slammed inside of you once more, grunting out a strained cry. Your body was spent, exhausted from being fucked so many times. You felt yourself black out, unable to stay awake a moment longer.

When you came to, you were in your hotel room, inside the same hotel the event had taken place at. You felt sore everywhere, knowing that wasn’t a dream. You sighed happily, snuggling into bed. You noticed a note on the side of your pillow. You picked it up, reading it quickly.

Ours.

- Sam and Colby

<< Part 3B || Part 5 >>

[ive-always-been-a-pirate]

Malware & Misteltoe:  A CS-SS Fic Gift (1/2)

Happy holidays, @pirateprincessofpizza! I’m your CS-SS for the @cssecretsanta2020 event. It’s been fun picking your brain and creating this CS dynamic I’ve been thinking about since I finished reading the book Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Thank you so much for being patient with me and this crazy weather where I live. I apologize for the delay in posting, but I hope you’ll enjoy this little fic! This is part one (because @optomisticgirl is an awful, wonderful enabler) and I am hoping to post the second part by the end of the year. Happy reading!

Summary: Killian Jones never wanted to work in internet security, but he can’t deny that Emma Swan makes it more entertaining than he imagined possible. He first fell for her over an email that wasn’t meant for him and now that he’s totally in love with her, how is he ever supposed to admit it?

Rating: T

Word Count: 4.7K

Killian was probably the only person in the world who loved Monday mornings at the office. He quickly realized after the first snowfall in December that he was definitely the only one who could bear those early arrivals at work once winter struck. He’d determined that his preference was rare long before he’d taken his current tech job at The Daily Mirror, but rolling into the empty parking lot at seven and being one of the first to snag a hot cup of coffee were simple pleasures he’d truly started to appreciate since joining the company. Maybe it was because he was always an early riser or maybe it was because his job didn’t leave him with a whole lot of other enjoyment.

It was probably both. 

Sure, the conference room almost always had the bagels he liked and his job restrictions were minimal, but Killian dealt with his fair share of frustration at work. They were constantly running low on colored ink in the printers and very few of his co-workers ever seemed to read the weekly office memo he sent out courtesy of the human resources department. The sandwiches he packed for lunch would often disappear from the break room fridge and the woman one cubicle over - an eternal optimist named Mary Margaret - never stopped humming. 

Oh, and he got to deal with employees and their abrupt emails - including the one that popped up on his computer screen the instant the machine booted up the Monday after a lazy weekend.

Hey Jerk,

If you’re going to run software updates over the weekend, give me a heads up. My desktop icons are all out of order now and it’s super annoying. Don’t worry - I’ll let you fix it after our meeting today. Hope you brought bearclaws!

-Emma

He didn’t actually have to read the sender’s name to know it was from her. He’d learned to recognize that sarcastic, blunt wit a long time ago and though it was often prefaced with ‘you idiot’ or ‘dear dummy’, it never failed to bring a smile to his lips. Swan, he swooned silently as his fingertips hovered over the keyboard. Taking a quick sip of his now lukewarm coffee, Killian glanced at the clock on the wall to his left. He had forty two minutes until their regularly scheduled staff meeting - and as he began locating the number for Downtown Donuts and Pastries, he prayed to the workplace gods that they still delivered.

He’d first fallen for her over an email that wasn’t intended for him - well, at least that’s kind of how it went. Killian had wound up in Boston post divorce from Milah, his wife of five years, and had accepted a job at a local newspaper while broken-hearted and nearly broke. Working in office internet security and crashing on his best friend Robin’s couch wasn’t at all where he imagined he’d be at the ripe old age of twenty eight, but he had grown to accept it. He spent plenty of time convincing himself that there were worse things, though he wasn’t sure exactly how many jobs could possibly be less glamorous than being a professional tattletale.

The work was easy for the most part - debugging the network, keeping the company website up to date, and monitoring employee emails in reference to the compliance policy. That last part was the only task that really bothered him at times, but then again, it was the only way he’d managed to meet Emma Swan at a company that employed roughly two hundred people.

She was a writer, a fact he’d learned from the staff directory, and also a diehard Yelp subscriber - but she hadn’t told him that last bit. Her emails had. Well, at least one of them had - the first one he’d intercepted. He still remembered what it had said and he knew if he managed to forget, it was saved in the Favorites tab of his own inbox. He’d never seen someone be so professional yet so passionately threatening in a mere six sentences and while the firmly worded message had been meant for a nearby dive bar, a few flagged phrases had provided him with a copy for review.

Emma Swan calling Aesop’s Table ‘a pathetically poor excuse for a pub’ was the beginning for him - and since then, his job had become much more amusing.

It wasn’t totally his fault that he’d turned into such a skeezy online spy. It was his job to read her email - well, sort of. It was his job to send her a warning or a memo about proper use of her company inbox, but in an office that was all ink stains and deadlines that didn’t apply to him, Killian had found skimming her messages to be the most interesting part of his work day.

He had pieced her together through the words she typed and the dozens of times a day she hit the send button. He grinned at the back and forth banter she had with a workplace friend named Ruby and facepalmed his way through her exchange with some random buyer of a bike she once tried to sell on Craigslist. He tried not to get too excited that they might have things in common when she got ticket confirmations for movies he’d recently seen. He couldn’t help the way he swooned when she got personalized thank you messages from an animal shelter for her monthly donations. The whole thing prodded his guilt from time to time, but he reminded himself that she’d been briefed with the Mirror’s email rules and he was only doing what he’d been hired to do.

Okay, maybe a little more than what he’d been hired to do.

In all fairness, he didn’t read all of them. He made a conscious effort to skip over anything that looked too personal - though he had accidentally still learned that she’d yet to get her yearly flu shot via a reminder from the corner pharmacy. He’d also gathered that she had a rather overprotective brother named David who usually visited on holidays and liked to check in a few times a week by dropping a line or two. It was actually a message from that older sibling that had led to Emma finding out about his snooping.

Apparently, wishing her a ‘happy birthday’ in the breakroom after seeing it in an email from her overly excited brother had been an impulsive move. 

She’d been mad and maybe even a bit embarrassed at first which led to her taking every step possible to avoid him. She dodged him in the elevator an unfair number of times and her inbox went silent, not that he even had the courage to take on that part of his work after the way she’d glared him down post celebratory greeting. His job became bleakly boring overnight and after two weeks of battling his guilty conscience in the office, Killian decided he’d burned his bridge - or maybe saying he’d set flame to his firewall would have been more poetically proper. He helped craft a job listing to post for his replacement and had barely started packing up his cubicle when she showed up behind him, her beautiful reflection in his blank computer screen nearly startling him right out of his desk chair.

You can’t quit - that’s what she’d told him as he clumsily dropped his paper box full of minimal belongings on the floor. There was something about the way she said it too. It wasn’t quite a demand, but it definitely wasn’t just a suggestion. It was almost like she felt bad or maybe even a little bit responsible for his choice to seek employment elsewhere and she’d shown up to make sure he didn’t follow through. 

He decided he liked - like really liked - her in that moment and he was quite positive that his stupid smile had told her so. He knew he should have introduced himself long before the moment she tracked him down that day, but what would he have said - ‘hi, I’m the guy who monitors your email and I also might be in love with you’?

Not a chance in hell.

He pondered the idea of sticking around as he put up an offer to buy her a cup of coffee that she parlayed into a hot chocolate with a pastry after work instead. They’d chatted through rush hour, the cars outside the corner bakery’s glass door whizzing by as they made almost too comfortable conversation. It was - but shouldn’t have been - amazing to Killian how much easier it was to learn about her in person and it didn’t take long to fill in the blanks on a few remaining questions he had about her.

She was hoping to write a book one day, but didn’t mind her current job. She also took a few night classes at the small university up the street - which explained the sporadic messages he’d noticed from their tuition office - and she loathed celebrating her birthday, a fact she mentioned with a knowing smirk. He knew she wasn’t angry as he studied the curve of her mouth, but when she folded her arms casually, he realized she wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily.

There was something to be said for persistent investigative journalism and Killian learned quickly that Emma was a master of that craft. She interrogated him until closing time, asking him about everything from the scar beneath his eye to how the hell he’d ended up being an internet narc for a living. He’d been honest about all of it because yes, she definitely deserved that much, but also because he had never met someone as easy to talk to as Emma. That probably should have been his first clue - he’d violated her privacy and now, he was liable to fall for her.

Worst job ever, he’d thought to himself later that night as he deleted the ‘help wanted’ ad he’d posted on the company’s website only hours earlier. He really needed to find a new career path - okay, eventually.

_____________________________________

Of course, that was nearly three years earlier and leaving the Daily Mirror for something a little more dignified had yet to happen. Not much had really changed since the day she’d confronted him over the rim of her cocoa mug and the things that had��.well, he didn’t exactly mind those little details.

His work was the same and while he still didn’t find it to be the most wonderful way to make a paycheck, Emma had managed to make it even more bearable. She now forwarded him her more obnoxious junk mail like the store credit card offers and the funding inquiries from a variety of Nigerian princes. She constantly sent him bogus work orders requesting he adjust the volume on her computer speakers or delete the program virus she’d obviously contracted by clicking on those pop-ups he’d warned everyone about in his weekly memos. She had also clearly filled Ruby in on his ability to read their correspondences as the pair of them often ended their emails to one another with ‘have a nice weekend, Killian!’. It all should have irritated him, but it didn’t - and she certainly made him smile more than anything else did these days.

It wasn’t as if she was the only good part of his life though. Several pieces of his day to day world had changed for the better since he’d initially accepted the skeptical job at the semi-popular newspaper. He had finally managed to abandon his best friend’s couch for a modest apartment a few blocks from work and he’d recently joined a nearby gym that served as an outlet for his frequent stress. He’d made peace with his failed marriage and even gone on two dates, though neither had been with the woman who made his work hours more pleasant.

He’d been attempting to accept that - the likely truth that he would never strike that chord with her - and while it became trickier each day, perhaps one day he’d be okay with that too.

Killian was trying to avoid silently calling himself a liar by the time he strolled into the conference room for the morning meeting, his eyes finding hers after he briefly lingered in the doorway.

She grinned once, biting her lip as he rolled his eyes. They didn’t speak as he took the seat across from her and he settled with the knowledge that their battle of the workplace wits was carrying on without a second thought. Making a show of taking out her phone, she typed a few keys and he raised an eyebrow at the quiet alert sound from his own device.

Ignoring me then - I see how it is. Talk about unprofessional.

He shook his head subtly as he pondered a reply, trying to ignore the way she kicked him under the conference room table. She loved to taunt his attempts to keep their online conversation civil and this day’s bright and early quips were no different. Killian allowed his thumb to tap a response, barely hitting send as their boss entered the room.

Apologies, lass - as always. I promise I’ll stop by to sort out your technological woes once we’re out of here. Of course, assuming you truly can’t do so yourself.

She sighed in return, deciding not to shoot him a quick answer before stowing her phone face down on the table. Bad form, he thought as he pouted over the fact that they wouldn’t be exchanging any further messages until after the staff agenda was addressed. He tapped his phone’s screen the moment the meeting ended and tried not to be too excited about her name popping up on the screen.

I probably could, but someone’s got to make sure you do more than just sift through employee emails all day. There’s a mysterious looking announcement from some explicitly rated website for you sitting in my saved folder, by the way.

Bloody hell, he smirked as he watched her leave the room once they were dismissed. If this job wouldn’t eventually be the end of him, perhaps Emma Swan and her teasing ways might be.

With his luck, that would likely be it….stupid internet security be damned.

_____________________________________

She’d made sure to be away from her desk when he stopped in to fix her very minor computer issues. It wasn’t totally unlike her to take that route. They talked here and there, but digital correspondence was where most of their communication thrived. He’d actually grown to expect and enjoy her snarky emails and steady text messages since that day she had told him to stay at the Mirror. He sunk into her chair, changing the height and clearing his throat before beginning his work. The adjustment in seating settings would likely be something he’d hear about later that day, but he couldn’t resist - much like he couldn’t keep himself from changing her screensaver to a collection of Disney villains and deleting all of the junk mail they both knew violated several company policies.

If he couldn’t work up the courage to seek her out in their busy office building and tell her how he felt, the least he could do was continue this little daily war they kept engaging in. If it was anyone but Emma, he might even consider it to be flirting.

Keep dreaming, he thought as he clicked out of the program he was navigating on her computer.

It was only once he completed the virus scan and a detailed cleaning of her keyboard - because hey, he was a nice guy sometimes - that he caught sight of the flyer she had posted up on the bulletin board to the side of the monitor. He had the same one tucked away in the beat-up canvas messenger bag he kept his laptop stored in.

Office Holiday Party. December 22nd. Seven o’clock. Sign up for the yearly Secret Santa exchange when you RSVP. 

Killian felt his heart pound a little harder as he glanced over the red and green text for the hundredth time. He had been debating whether or not he was actually going to attend the office celebration since he’d first seen the invitation in the break room nearly two weeks earlier. His desire to interact with company employees outside of work hours was pretty minimal, but seeing the festive looking flyer displayed in her workspace courtesy of a red push pin suggested that Emma would be in attendance. His skin prickled slightly as his newly acquired motivation to put the party on his schedule grew. Of course, it was nothing like any of the dozen dates he’d imagined taking her on, but it wasn’t work - and maybe that was a start.

The concept of Secret Santa was one he had little personal experience with, but Killian tapped his fingers on the desk as he wondered who on the staff roster might have already selected her name. Sure, he had no idea what he could buy for her that would fall within the specified price limit, but the opportunity to give her something a little more thoughtful than the deep fried donut he’d brought her that morning was far too appealing.

Wait a tick, he thought with an amused smirk as he glanced down at the desk. His hand reached for the dark plastic frames, noticing the sporadic smudges on the glass lenses. He’d seen her wear them once before, her eyebrows furrowed over the rims as she’d been editing late one Friday night in the office. With her pen between her teeth and the blue light of the monitor illuminating her focused face, Killian had been quite distracted and nearly strolled right into the elevator doors on his way out. 

The glasses felt smooth between his fingertips as he slid them into the side pocket of his bag. The memory was a simple one, but he couldn’t help the warmth that spread over his cheeks as he searched her desktop for a post-it note.

See you at the festivities, Swan - and stop downloading Christmas songs on your work computer. Piracy won’t earn you any points with Santa.

Clicking the pen he’d been writing with and laying it by her desk phone, Killian pressed the sticky slip of paper to her monitor with a grin. Now he just had to figure out what the dress code might be for the party he hadn’t planned on attending.

______________________________________

Killian had been pleasantly surprised to learn Elsa Frost, the lovely lass with the iced coffee addiction in the corner office, had been given charge of the party guest list. She was typically frigid with others in the building, but Killian had helped her sort out the source of her computer freezing issue a few months earlier. That had led to a tentative comradery between them - one that had resulted in Elsa knitting him a blue and white striped beanie that he actually kind of loved. 

Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.

He’d barely mentioned the party while he stopped by to refill the paper in her printer when she had all but demanded he attend. It had taken a bit more sweet talking to get her to spill the Secret Santa details, but he’d eventually managed to switch things around so Emma was the name on his shopping list.

Of course, one of said compromises was promising his supervisor’s secretary Belle that he would fill in at her book club in January - but that would have to be future Killian’s problem.

Standing near the open bar just past the seven o’clock start time, it was quickly becoming apparent that Killian of the present had other issues. Glancing around the dimly lit, decked out office, he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d thought this Christmas party wouldn’t be full of work tasks in the making. The night janitors Leroy and Clark had decided to use a company computer to search for ‘seasonal striptease’ videos and the new copier had fallen victim to a few tipped over cocktails. It was pretty obvious that the alcohol that hadn’t been spilled was the driving force behind Ruby and the other graphic designers taking drunken selfies in a nearby cubicle. Killian could only pray the pictures wouldn’t end up online as he tried to block out the sound of Sinatra exclaiming ‘Let It Snow’ over the office speakers.

“Well look who decided to come down from Mount Crumpit for the night.”

The voice was full of surprise yet still smoothly sweet and Killian tried not to smirk as he turned to face its owner. Her blonde hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, contrasting with the knit emerald sweater that was keeping her warm. He tried not to feel underdressed in his blue button down and dark jeans, but Emma Swan was sure making holiday casual look stunning.

“Not sure what you mean, love,” he countered as suavely as he could manage. “You’re the one clad in green.”

“Fair enough,” Emma shrugged with an amused smile. “Just surprised to see you I guess. I thought you weren’t coming.”

Recollection prodded him as she handed him a fresh drink. He’d told her over email a couple weeks ago that he wasn’t planning on attending any holiday gatherings that weren’t held during the day. She’d teased him about being a Grinch, a taunt she was now referencing as she stood before him. It was one of the things he’d grown to like most about her - that smart, sassy sense of humor she possessed and used in nearly every exchange they had.

“For the record,” she chimed in, her lips curved yet cautious. “It’s good to see you outside of my inbox, Jones.”

“Ah, well,” he chuckled with a tip of his drink. “You know what they say about all work and no play.”

“Well, I do, but I’m surprised you know the expression. I figured cyber security never sleeps.”

“You aren’t wrong there, Swan,” Killian laughed, peering around the room. “But perhaps it should. The number of after hour policy violations going on in this place right now could keep a man busy until well after the new year.”

He couldn’t help but point over her shoulder at the inebriated group of their co-workers currently trying to hack into the new editor-in-chief’s Facebook account. Emma grinned at the display, waving to Ruby with a disbelieving shake of her head. It was the few interactions like this one they’d had that made Killian wonder why they didn’t do this more often. It felt so natural and easy to banter with her like this.

“I guess reprimands will be in order after the holiday,” Emma commented. “Is that why you’re standing over here by yourself? Because you’re hoping they won’t see you?”

“I suppose if that was my goal, you could say I’m not doing a very good job,” Killian returned. “After all, you found me.”

Her eyes sparkled with a multicolor pattern from some nearby Christmas lights as the muted red of her lips made her soft smile that much more breathtaking. Killian nearly forgot where they were as his eyes met hers, the connection between them suddenly thick with tender tension.

“Yeah,” she said after a pause, her voice breathy and gentle. “I guess I did.”

He wanted to kiss her in that moment. He wanted to tell her how much better she made his workdays and confess that she was his main reason for staying at the news office. He had so much to say, but Emma beat him to the punch.

“Let’s grab a cookie,” she suggested before clarifying. “The sugary kind, computer man.”

_____________________________________

“I’m just saying-“ Killian stated, brushing crumbs off his hands. “-that the Grinch never actually hated Christmas, Swan. He just disliked people and preferred the company of his dog, which is understandable.”

Emma covered her mouth with a giggle, leaning back on the rolling chair she’d pulled into the almost empty room. The party had dissolved into liquor laced karaoke and while Killian didn’t mind the occasional drink, he wasn’t about to belt out any Christmas carols.  Before he could share his desire to avoid the spotlight, Emma had commandeered a plate of gingerbread cookies from the snack table and nudged him toward the vacant office down the hall.  

“I’ve never thought of it that way,” she finally said. “It’s a decent point though I guess. Here I thought your issue with Christmas was just the repetitive music.”

“Ah, speaking of music,” Killian replied, pulling a small package tied with a red bow from behind his back. “Thought you could use some legally procured holiday tunes.”

Emma raised an eyebrow as she took the gift, her curiosity obviously piqued by the simple wrapping. Killian tried not to feel too foolish as she opened the square parcel. He was nearly positive that he wasn’t doing this whole Secret Santa wrong, but the adorable smirk spreading across her face made him wonder if that was okay.

“I guess this is you saying you’re my Secret Santa?”

“Well, no,” he smiled before handing her the pair of glasses he’d taken from her desk. “But this is.”

“Hey, I’ve been looking for these!”

“Swan, you are always looking for those.”

She rolled her gaze before slipping the frames over her nose, her cheeks pink with amusement. She immediately set to reading the track listing on the back of the case holding the gift he’d spent the afternoon creating.

“I have to say it’s been a while since I’ve been given a mixtape,” Emma offered, peering at him over her glasses. “You’re quite the traditionalist, aren’t you?”

“I figured I was merely doing a service by making sure you weren’t listening to that bloody Mariah Carey song anymore on company time,” he taunted with a waggling eyebrow.  “Besides, you can’t go wrong with Bing Crosby, love.”

“You’re just full of surprises,” she replied with a happiness he hadn’t seen before. “Is there more?”

More, Killian thought as the word echoed through his head. There would always be more when it came to Emma Swan and while he’d known that himself for a while now, he wasn’t sure how to admit that to her. The air around them seemed to still as he watched her tilt her head quizzically. He wasn’t sure when she’d slid her chair nearer, but as her knee bumped against his, Killian felt a comfort in the closeness that he hadn’t known in years.

This was it - his moment. After everything and nothing they’d been through, he’d been gifted this tiny instance to tell her the truth.  He’d imagined how this might go many times, but sitting in the building where he had fallen for her was strangely right.  He knew what he needed to do.

“Emma, I-“

“Emma! Come on!”

Killian felt his entire body freeze as he processed the loud, inviting command coming from the makeshift stage up the hallway.  Ruby, he realized as he watched Emma turn toward the beckoning call.  He couldn’t stop the labored sigh that escaped his lips as he watched her stand slowly.

“I guess I should see what that’s all about,” Emma said wearily, tucking her hair behind her ear. “She’s never had the best timing - or tolerance.”

Killian felt the seconds slip through his dexterous fingers as he smiled sadly, knowing that perhaps he’d missed his window.  Emma clutched the CD case loosely as she moved toward the small doorway.

“Killian,” her voice offered, a hint of nervousness in her tone.  “Have a Merry Christmas.”

The simple sentiment hung in the air as the office door shut behind her, leaving Killian to slump in the leather desk chair with a groan.  As he glanced toward the exit, he immediately noticed that something had fallen from the top of the doorway to the ground when she’d left.  It didn’t take long to piece together what it was or just how appropriate it was for his now lonely night.

Mistletoe.  Dammit, he thought as his forehead fell onto the cold desktop.

[just-my-fandom]

Fate (JJ Maybank x Routledge! Reader)

Date set to post; December 4th, 2020

Date posted; December 8th, 2020

Summary; JJ falls in love with his best friends sister.

Warning(s); Fighting.

. . .

“Take a picture,” You clear your throat as you toss the empty bag on the motel bed, glancing over your shoulder to the blonde across the room, “It’ll last longer,”

“Got a camera?” JJ smirks, watching you with pinched brows as you pull your phone from your back pocket, raising it before tossing it so he caught it, grinning,

“Lemme see,” You beckon him to hand you the gun in his hand, sitting on the bed before shifting, so you posed, “Now,”

“You can’t take a picture,” John B snatches your phone from JJs hands before grabbing your arm, pulling you off the bed, “And stop touching stuff. If the sheriff finds our fingerprints-,”

“Chill out, JB,” You huff, handing JJ the small pistol, “We’ll be fine. We’ll take a couple hundred bucks-,”

The sound of keys jingling causes John B to push his hand against your mouth in alert, looking at JJ who cursed underneath his breath, “Cops,”

“Window,” John B hisses, JJ rolling up said window where he sees Pope and Kiarra waving their arms, JJ turning to take your hand as John B follows, pushing down the window before twisting to press his back to the motel wall,

You inhale deeply as JJ pins you between the wall and his own body, your hands clutching at the sides of his tank top before you turn your head, watching as Deputy Shoupe and his officer looked around, the officer lifting the bag you once threw down,

You roll your eyes when watching Shoupe hand the officer “her check” of the investigation, glancing up at JJ who narrowly looked down at you, winking so you grinned and shook your head,

Your movement causes your foot to skid on the molded roof top, your eyes going wide in terror as JJs arms slid to tighten at your waist, the gun he kept a grip on releasing and clattering to the floor,

Your eyes pinch shut as JJ presses your body further against the wall, his breath falling short in hopes that Shoupe couldn’t see him from inside, John Bs eyes wide in warning,

“They’re gone,” John B finally breathes, your breath releasing as you allow JJ to slowly step back, jumping down from the roof as John B helped you on your feet,

“Holy shit!” You snort as you settle onto your brothers and your own boat, leaning back, “That was fun. Can we do that again?”

“Seriously, Y/N?” Pope questions, “You could have been caught!”

“But we weren’t,” You remind, nodding to JJ, “Besides, we got our fair share of the snoop, now shut up and let’s go,”

. . .

“Can you like, not stare at my sisters ass?”

JJ looks up to John Bs gaze to see his best friend glaring at him, a beer stuck out in JJs face as to distract him,

“Nah, man,” JJ winks, John B rolling his eyes as he watches you and Kiarra both pull of your shirts, “It’s too fine,”

“That’s gross, dude,” John B mutters, shaking his head,

“J!” You call, lifting a hand to beckon the blonde over, “You comin’ or what?”

“The heavens are calling,” JJ grins at John B, whose nose scrunches as he takes the beer back that JJ shoved into his hand, standing up with a rough tug of his tank top, tossing it to the side, “Bottoms up!”

Your eyes widen when JJs figure lunges forward, Kiarra covering her mouth to hide her grin when JJ jumps off the side of the HMS, twisting in time to tug you with him,

John B doesn’t see you come up- the boats ledge blocking his view, but he hears your loud laugh- similar to your fathers- before a wave of water is splashed,

“You’re a fucking dick, Maybank,” You shake your head, JJ grinning and grasping your hips, tugging you forward so you threw your arms around his shoulders,

“You love me, though,”

JJ stares as you slowly bite your lip, your head tilting as you smile, “Yeah, I do,”

JJ finds his free hand lifting out of the water and cupping the back of your head, but the sudden splash just meters from you have you jerking back in alert, JJ dropping his hand to glare at John B, irritably,

“Sorry, guys,” John B swims up, JJ releasing you so you swam backwards, “Did I ruin something?”

JJ catches you rolling your eyes, hands sending a sharp wave of water directly to his face, your brother stuttering against the water, “Kinda, yeah,”

You move to the edge of the HMS and reach up, pulling yoursef out of the water to take a sip of your beer. JJ watches, silently as you grin up at Kiarra, taking her hand before you tug her forward, laughing out loud when the girl yelps and stumbles into the water next to your brother.

. . .

“I knew I recognized that face,”

Your eyes shut in annoyance. Fixing the loose strap to your crop top, you turn, staring at Rafe Cameron who himself held a red solo cup- alcohol,

“This face has a name,” You remind, lifting your own cup you had just filled, “Nice to see you too, Rafe,”

“Whoa whoa,” Rafe is quick to catch your wrist, spinning you around so you glared at him, then where he held your wrist, “I wasn’t done talking to you,”

“Well I am done talking to you,” You spit, “Let go,”

“Don’t tell me what to fucking do,” With a swift tug, Rafe narrows his eyes at your own, “I’ll have your life a living hell. Think you’re ready to go into the system yet?”

“Cameron!” Your arm is released when JJ rams into Rafe, hands balled at his shirt and shoving him into the tree just beside you, so Rafe dropped his cup and stared at the blonde, “What the fuck are you doing, huh?”

“Just giving her the attention she needs,” Rafe grins, and you are forced to watch JJ turn and nearly body slam Rafe into the pull out table, your body moving forward in a rush,

“J!” You call, hands up in alert when he throws a punch down onto Rafe, “JJ!”

Rafe rolls so he is able to keep one hand on JJs neck, the other tossing three extra punches than what JJ had been able to pull, before Kelce and Topper are pulling him off, shoving him in the direction of the Kooks side of the beach,

“Shit,” You breathe, moving up to pull JJ into a seating position, “You okay, J?”

“I’m good,” JJ mutters, despite the blood dripping from his nose, “What about you?”

“I’m good,” You repeat, “Thanks to you,”

. . .

“You know, you didn’t have to do that,”

You gently bat the wet wash cloth to the dried blood at JJs nose. His eyes are steady on you, one hand subconsciously at your thigh, fingers drumming mindlessly on the skin,

“But I wanted to,” JJ answers, watching silently as you peel the bandage from its package, pressing it to where the skin split at the corner of his nose, “John B would have killed me if I didn’t step in,”

“Is my brother the only reason?” You raise an eyebrow, arm propped on the sinks counter as you stare down at him, “You got something to tell me, Maybank?”

“I thought it was obvious, Routledge,” JJ copies your expression, tugging at your thighs so you sat on his lap, “I’m in love with you,”

“What a shocker,” Your hands slide up to his jaw, pulling him forward to press your lips against his. JJs hand lifts from your hip and presses to your lower back, brushing at the bare skin that was revealed from your crop top,

“Dude, seriously?!” John Bs voice leads you to lean back and glance to the side, eyebrows raised to your twin, “I knew this would happen, but in the bathroom?”

“Just be glad it’s not on your bed,” You snip, sliding back onto your feet with your hands on your hips, “Gonna have to get used to this, bubs,”

John B rolls his eyes, jabbing a finger to JJs chest when he steps next to you, “Hurt her, and I’ll put that gun to use,”

“Since when did you become Big John?” JJ teases, raising his hand in a salute motion, “I swear, your honor,”

“Good,” John B nods, once, “Now get out of here, you crazy kids,”

[theunstuffedpepper]

I posted 304 times in 2021

240 posts created (79%)

64 posts reblogged (21%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.3 posts.

I added 602 tags in 2021

#ask - 137 posts

#anon - 130 posts

#momblr - 100 posts

#operationkay10 - 66 posts

#no reblogs please - 62 posts

#personal - 48 posts

#food - 19 posts

#postpartum - 16 posts

#fitblr - 13 posts

#personal fitblr - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 115 characters

#really starting to look forward to some point in time when i don’t have to worry ab how much caffeine i’m consuming

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

77 notes • Posted 2021-01-28 15:18:53 GMT

#4

I’ve been quiet over here, largely because I don’t know what to write and only writing about the good stuff seems insincere. I’ve been struggling, friends. I finally called to make an appointment with my OBGYN office to discuss PPD, because after questioning for months and months if this was bad enough to be considered PPD, I’m throwing my hands up in the air and saying whether it is or it’s not, I need some support and some help. They were able to get me in for an appointment tomorrow. So, I’m really nervous about it, but I’m hoping this is the first step in a better direction.

80 notes • Posted 2021-09-29 13:42:06 GMT

#3

What a crazy year my body has had so far, huh?

Photo 1: 1/4/21, ~240lbs (12 days pre-delivery)

Photo 2: 1/27/21, 216lbs (11 days post-delivery)

Photo 3: 4/16/21, 206lbs (3 months post-delivery)

Looking at the third photo that I took today, I almost don’t even recognize myself. The difference between the last two photos is only 10 pounds and yet I see such a difference. Granted, the angle is different, but still.. I was still so swollen from giving birth in the second photo.

If anything, putting this together has given me major motivation to keep going. This month I’ve gained and lost the same few pounds, and I’m still at the same weight as I was on April 1st. That aside, I’m feeling rejuvenated — like hey, I really have made some strides toward being healthier and more fit — and I definitely wanna keep that going.

114 notes • Posted 2021-04-16 19:45:33 GMT

#2

132 notes • Posted 2021-01-20 22:10:22 GMT

#1

What a whirlwind of craziness over here lately! Firstly, I’m sharing here because it’s IMPOSSIBLE to “journal” or talk about what’s going on with me lately here without mentioning that.. yep.. I’m pregnant! Again. 😁

I had my confirmation ultrasound yesterday and it turns out that I’m 8w5d along already — still super early, but everything measured great and the baby’s heart beat was nice and strong. Due date is set for June 18, which is extra fun, because that’s four days after my birthday!

So far, IRL, only my parents, my mother-in-law and @operationkay10 know, and @nycnomad too of course, and we’re gonna keep it that way until I hit the 12-week mark, I think. At that point it’ll be December, so we’re thinking of sharing the news with the rest of family and friends over the Christmas holiday.

I’m SO exhausted basically all the time — I wake up tired most days — and the morning sickness with this one is more significant than with pep. I got so lucky with not having much morning sickness with him at all. Because of the differences I’m noticing, I’m kinda (really) hoping this one’s a girl. More realistically, because it’s so early, I’m just taking it one day and one week at a time.

What else is going on? Right now in our house, everyone is sick. Pep has had congestion and a runny nose for the past two days - trouble sleeping big time. Luckily today he seems to be doing a bit better, just in time for B and I to catch it. For us it seems to be more of a cough and sore throat kinda thing. Fingers crossed this passes very soon. Either way, I’m so grateful that I have off today for Veterans Day so we can take it easy and take turns napping in shifts. 😅

143 notes • Posted 2021-11-11 14:05:28 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[yuzurk]

@rkevent

A staff member leads you down sphere’s winding hallways to Baek Jiyoung’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the ceo awaits, sitting at her desk. She looks up immediately when you enter, a sunny smile gracing her lovely features. Seated across from her desk, next to an empty chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; they had been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member directs you to take the empty chair next to the lawyer and then leaves. You hear the door close and the latch clicks back into place.

Baek Jiyoung claps her hands together, her eyes settling on yours. “When trainees first sign a contract with a company, they are devoting themselves to at least two years of training. They usually don’t expect the time to pass so quickly, but it does,” she says aloud thoughtfully. “Years of training and hopes lead to one dream usually: debut.”

“But, you’re no ordinary trainee. We chose you from a different company and brought you here with a specific goal. I’ve seen you grow these past few months in your training and the coaches have had plenty of praise and constructive advice for you.” She pauses and diverts her attention back to her desk, where she shuffles paperwork until she sets one singular sheet of paper in front of herself. “I’ve been proud of your growth here, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve, even after debut. This, here,” she says, motioning towards the document, “is a contract exclusive to HEARTZ and will tie you to this group, and to Sphere Entertainment, for the next six years.”

Baek Jiyoung’s eyes warm with pride as she hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision of making HEARTZ one of the top girl groups in all of Korea, and you wish to stay with us for the long journey, sign right here on the dotted line.”

when a staff member approaches yuzu this morning to lead her to baek jiyoung’s office, the female isn’t as nervous as she was back when the same thing happened in royal. this time there was no weird rumor going about and she hadn’t made any kind of inappropriate sns posts- after learning all about the do’s and don’t’s she’d like to think she’d become pretty good at judging that at least.

but no, this is making her nervous for a different kind of reason and it’s more so a feeling of dread that settles into her stomach than anything else. 

honestly despite jieun telling her how kind baek jiyoung was, she didn’t expect the female to end up this soft. just looking at her smile makes yuzu feel reassured and taken care of. almost like she can trust the woman to not fuck things up for her. it’s a little reassuring but her words make yuzu doubt that they have the same point of view. the ceo calls it a dream but this was never her dream. this had been a fun challenge for her to pick up and the speed at which she had made it through- less than a year of practice- was insane even for how good people told yuzu she was at about anything she decided to pick up and get great in.

she knows she’s a decent dancer, stable singer and neat rapper. she also knows she has the charisma and the variety potential to succeed in the idol world. yuzu knows she has the tools but does she have the heart? does she have the dedication and the loyalty? will she possess the patience, the understanding and the endurance this occupation will require of her?

she’s not so sure about any of that.

stuck on a classtrip with 11 other girls for six years, living in a dorm just barely big enough to house them without stumbling over each other. the lack of freedom, the constant monitoring, not much control over when she got to see her fans and how. would she truly be happy in this kind of lifestyle? would she be okay if they chose not to add gahyeon to the line up?

the ex-streamer flipped through the pages of the contract, reading the conditions carefully. the no-dating rule stares back at her as well but she swiftly reads past it. “thank you… sajangnim,” she speaks carefully. alone calling jiyoung that is probably enough indication about what she’s about to do but it wouldn’t be yuzu if she didn’t want to get a few things off her chest.

pen picked up she twirls it across her fingers, still reading while she continues to speak. “I honestly didn’t expect for my growth to take me this far this quickly. I know there are… other girls in the project who’ve been here for so much longer than me… be it royal or another company. I just… I trust you to do the best for them as well,” she says carefully, looking up with a tiny smile at last.

“working together with them has been great, even if just for two months. I doubt my words mean much but… they’re all such great performers. I’ve grown very fond of them,” it’s the last she says before she signs her name on the line, committing to six years of whatever plans this woman across the table has for her. “thank you for this opportunity. I’m placing my trust in you, sajangnim.”

OOC note: First of all, congratulations on arriving at the final step before debut! I know it’s been a long and crazy journey, and I’m so glad you’ve stuck through it. When you are ready, feel free to post this prompt with your muse’s response to it.

Should she choose to sign the convex contract, she will be employed by Sphere Entertainment without a need to renew a contract until the duration of this one has concluded. As a reward for making it this far, she will receive three weekends unpaid vacation time to use any time between now and the end of December, so long as it doesn’t clash with any special debut activities (such as music show appearances, meaning she can’t actually use his vacation time until after the music show performances have finished.)

Should she choose to reject this contract, she will leave the company effective immediately upon rejection. She will be able to keep all of her debut points, but will not be able to take any trainee workshops or earn any more debut points/workshop points until she becomes a trainee again. She will not have any special advantage over newer characters when she auditions for other companies in the future, and should she become a trainee at a new company she will be considered a junior trainee all over again, even though she will still have his debut points and would be eligible for debut right away. She will have the right to audition for sphere again, but the fact that he gave up a contract renewal, especially a debut one, will be taken into account in final casting decisions.

She will have up to one week to make her decision IC, meaning that if he does not make a decision by September 23rd, she will automatically be cut from the company. exceptions will be made for those on hiatus.

[rksevngah]

a starry road

A staff member leads you down sphere’s winding hallways to Baek Jiyoung’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the ceo awaits, sitting at her desk. She looks up immediately when you enter, a sunny smile gracing her lovely features. Seated across from her desk, next to an empty chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; they had been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member directs you to take the empty chair next to the lawyer and then leaves. You hear the door close and the latch clicks back into place.

Baek Jiyoung claps her hands together, her eyes settling on yours. “When trainees first sign a contract with a company, they are devoting themselves to at least two years of training. They usually don’t expect the time to pass so quickly, but it does,” she says aloud thoughtfully. “Years of training and hopes lead to one dream usually: debut.”

“But, you’re no ordinary trainee. We chose you from a different company and brought you here with a specific goal. I’ve seen you grow these past few months in your training and the coaches have had plenty of praise and constructive advice for you.” She pauses and diverts her attention back to her desk, where she shuffles paperwork until she sets one singular sheet of paper in front of herself. “I’ve been proud of your growth here, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve, even after debut. This, here,” she says, motioning towards the document, “is a contract exclusive to HEARTZ and will tie you to this group, and to Sphere Entertainment, for the next six years.”

Baek Jiyoung’s eyes warm with pride as she hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision of making HEARTZ one of the top girl groups in all of Korea, and you wish to stay with us for the long journey, sign right here on the dotted line.”

up until this this point it had all felt too surreal, like it wasn’t real. even after the music videos and teaser images. there was something incredibly satisfying about this experience that she had. even if she hadn’t been a trainee for that long it still felt like she had been one for years. maybe because she had been on the mgas, super nova project and now the heartz project. there were many thoughts floating around her head but she overall felt lucky.

so when she was lead down the sphere hallway, she couldn’t help but feel giddy -- entering the office she looks at baek jiyoung with a smile. she had looked up to the ceo for such a long time and sphere had originally been one of her preffered companies, but nova had sniped her.

she listened patiently and nodded her head but when the contract was presented her she didn’t even hesitate to sign her name at the dotted line.

“thank you for giving me this chance,” she says and bows her head at the female and the lawyer, “i will do my best for you and the company!”

OOC note: First of all, congratulations on arriving at the final step before debut! I know it’s been a long and crazy journey, and I’m so glad you’ve stuck through it. When you are ready, feel free to post this prompt with your muse’s response to it.

Should she choose to sign the convex contract, she will be employed by Sphere Entertainment without a need to renew a contract until the duration of this one has concluded. As a reward for making it this far, she will receive three weekends unpaid vacation time to use any time between now and the end of December, so long as it doesn’t clash with any special debut activities (such as music show appearances, meaning she can’t actually use his vacation time until after the music show performances have finished.)

Should she choose to reject this contract, she will leave the company effective immediately upon rejection. She will be able to keep all of her debut points, but will not be able to take any trainee workshops or earn any more debut points/workshop points until she becomes a trainee again. She will not have any special advantage over newer characters when she auditions for other companies in the future, and should she become a trainee at a new company she will be considered a junior trainee all over again, even though she will still have his debut points and would be eligible for debut right away. She will have the right to audition for sphere again, but the fact that he gave up a contract renewal, especially a debut one, will be taken into account in final casting decisions.

She will have up to one week to make her decision IC, meaning that if he does not make a decision by September 23rd, he will automatically be cut from the company. exceptions will be made for those on hiatus.

[rkxhyunjin]

September Decision

A staff member leads you down KT’s winding hallways to Katie Lee’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the CEO awaits, sitting at her desk. She observes you as you’re instructed by the staff member to take a seat. Next to your chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; he’d been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member then leaves the room. You hear the door close and the latch click back into place just as your CEO finally decides to speak up.

“I’m very glad you are here today because it means you have finally achieved our goal, haven’t you? Trainees come here and sign away their two-year contracts with hope of one day making to where you are right now, but not everybody makes it.” She says it all with a serene smile. “Your years of training are what got you here.”

“You stood out from the others, even if you also had your ups and downs. What’s important is that you managed to get yourself back on your in feet and kept on improving.” She pauses, and diverts her attention to her desk, where she shuffles paperwork until she sets one singular sheet of paper in front of her. “I’ve been proud of your growth here, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve, even after debut. This, here,” she says, motioning towards the document, “is a contract exclusive to NSG and will tie you to this group, and to KT Entertainment, for the next six years.”

There is no sign of regret on her features as she slides the contract toward you and hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision of making NSG the next boy group of the world, and you wish to be a part of this journey, you know what to do.”

Maybe it ought to concern Hyunjin, that he had signed himself over so easily as a trainee and that he was so willing to do it all over again. Of course, he had put thought into the decision, had internally expressed his doubts along the way. But in the end, it wouldn’t have mattered if he had spent an extra year trying to decide whether to sign the contract, or had simply walked in and been handed a pen. The decision was almost inevitable: Hyunjin would sign.

However precarious his place on stage may be (as this industry was far from the stability he had always strove to reach), it was still a place that he wanted. A place that a younger version of himself had kept hidden away, placed on a pedestal of hopes and dreams he secretly worried he would never truly reach with every passing day. Even as he pens his name in ink, there’s still the possibility that he won’t reach that dream.

Nothing guarantees success in this industry. Big companies such as KT give you a leg up, but even still tens or even hundreds of people just like him come and go from the stage every year. There is no true guarantee. But maybe it’s that bit of risk that secretly excites him.

Certainly, the risk scares Hyunjin right down to his bones. Leaves his fingers fidgeting and his senses far too sensitive to the stimulating environment around him as anxiety presses in close. Yet at the same time, risk is new for Hyunjin. Stepping down this new path, forging one that isn’t planned and planted with subtle misery until the day he passes away, is so freeing. 

So the decision to sign the contract was hardly a decision at all. It was his first step fully down a new path that included his own happiness for once. Hyunjin was done making choices that put his happiness second, and this was just the beginning.

mun note: sorry I completely lost track of time and didn’t even notice the deadline was coming up (and passed)! if he’s still allowed to accept even though it’s late, thank you for allowing the late submission (´；ω；`). but if not I understand since there was a specified deadline there!   

OOC NOTE: First of all, congratulations on arriving at the final step before debut! I know it’s been a long and crazy journey, and I’m so glad you’ve stuck through it. When you are ready, feel free to post this prompt with Hyunjin’s response to it.

Should Hyunjin choose to SIGN the NSG contract, he will be employed by KT Entertainment without a need to renew a contract until the duration of this one has concluded. As a reward for making it this far, he will receive THREE WEEKENDS unpaid vacation time to use any time between now and the end of December, so long as it doesn’t clash with any special debut activities (such as music show appearances, meaning he can’t actually use her vacation time until after her music show performances have finished.)

Should he choose to REJECT this contract with KT and NSG, he will leave the company, effective immediately upon rejection. He will be able to keep all of his debut points, but will not be able to take any trainee workshops or earn any more debut points/workshop points until he becomes a trainee again. He will not have any special advantage over newer characters when he auditions for other companies in the future, and should he become a trainee at a new company he will be considered a junior trainee all over again, even though he will still have his debut points and would be eligible for debut right away. He WILL have the right to audition for KT again, but the fact that he gave up a contract renewal, especially a debut one, WILL be taken into account in final casting decisions.

He will have up to one week to make his decision IC, meaning that if he does not make a decision by September 19th, he will automatically be cut from the company. Exceptions can be made for those on hiatus.

[thesesoftregrets]

The Following Of The Star

If I were wise, I would have brought frankincense to this horse pasture and stinking creek; it would have, at least, helped with the smell. As it is, I am roughly one hundred and twelve miles southeast of Bethlehem, Kentucky. It is the night of the great conjunction, but I’m in over my head. 

Last night fog took everything it left us guessing what was the moon and what was electric light in photographs. Tonight I have only one small picture, a screenshot on my phone of the place in the sky, but the roads leading into this place were all winding switchbacks, so I will spend half the night looking north to what I firmly believe to be the southwestern sky. Directions will not matter anyway. The conjunction will only be visible for a few hours after the sun has set, so wherever I do here at ten p.m. is irrelevant, I’m already late to the party. The saving grace of this night is the meteors; they are infrequent but huge, burning across the night sky. 

 My best friend's son (7) asks me to take photos of these for him. I say that I’ll try, even though I know that I won’t. Things get crazy in the night sky; it will all happen too quickly.

 Meteors

According to the America Meteor Society, the meteors I observed were the Ursid Meteors.  The Ursid meteors are the least observed major meteor shower, overshadowed by cold temperatures and the Christmas holiday. As I read on about the Ursids, the article highlights certain times when the shower might be more active. The increased activity will be due to the earth passing through areas of debris from past year's showers.  

 Trash has never looked so good; I am a collection of debris from past years.  

 Fog

When I moved inland from the Pacific northwest I became interested in fog, something I had taken for granted now provided loose lines of connectivity between my old life and my new one. I have only now come to learn that the weather service classifies fogs differently. Near the Great Lakes, we are more likely to see a Steam Fog, while someone in the mountains might encounter any number of fogs. After some consideration, I think that what I saw, out in the horse pasture the first night, was valley fog. 

The recipe for valley fog is a simple one; the ground gets wet, then the skies clear, this allows temperatures sink to near the dew point. This fog is sometimes so thick that it gets referred to as tule fog.  

Walking along the little country road it is hard to recognize my own hand in front of my face, hard to separate the scattered lights from cabins and barns from the distant lights of the stars and moon. Why have I become so obsessed with being lost in the fog? What is it that fog has come to represent for me? I think about it as I retreat back down the road to the pasture; fog does not make me feel lost. Fog does not make me feel lost because it reminds me of other places and other fogs, the specifics of this landscape fade away; I could be anywhere right now, you could be anyone. We are all fumbling around searching for clues here in the valley fog.

 Bethlehem

There are at least twenty-eight cities in the world named Bethlehem. If I were a Biblical Wiseman following this “star” and I was close to the end of my journey, I would likely be looking for Bethlehem, Kentucky, or Bethlehem, Indiana. The two are both unincorporated communities with few residents whose only claim to fame is the flood of traffic that their regional post offices both receive every Christmas from folks wanting a Bethlehem postmark on their Christmas cards. It makes sense, I guess. Bethlehem is arguably more synonymous with Christmas and more accessible than the North Pole. Still, the idea of naming a tiny town this way seems a little presumptuous. It feels a little bit like naming your child after a movie star in hopes they will get famous one day. When, the reality is, all you are doing is setting them up to get bullied in school.

       But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 

 But, I am not going on to Bethlehem; I will stay down here in the fog, down here in the debris. I will stay one more night and wait for the thing to happen.

           Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened

  Grand Conjunction

When it finally came to pass, I was worse for the wear, slightly hangover from red wine and s’mores and reeking of campfire from the half damp bundles of pine I had burned to stay warm. Tuesday, December 22 was bright and sunny in rural Kentucky. I was exhausted but full of renewed hope from having just made it through the longest night of the year.  I drove to the Shell station for crackers and Ale 8.  

While I was there my phone switched back on, I reconnected with the world. The conjunction would be visible in the southwest, near Aquarius, and directly under Capricornus. Also, the best time to view this thing was going to be right after sunset. So, with a new resolve, I set out on the third day to see this thing.

      And the evening and the morning were the third day

 By the end of the day, I was the last car at the last parking lot on Sky Bridge Road. From the car I continued on foot one-quarter mile to a photo viewpoint forgotten by time; here I would wait for it. By this time everything was dying, my phone was dying, my camera was dying, and I was in desperate need of a warm meal and a hot cup of coffee, but I waited. As the sun went down I pointed my camera to the southwest. “Is this it?” a friend asks across a weak connection “I don’t know, I think we’ll know it when we see it” I replied. As the sunset, the only thing I could see across the southwestern sky was the chemtrails from airplanes, all smoke, all fog, all debris.

Then it happened. 6:03 pm it became clear that the body of light in the southwestern sky was not messing around. The sun fell further and further below Pine Ridge, as the light weakened the light from the star, the thing, the conjunction, began to show itself. I had been right, I knew this was it when I saw it;  this was the thing.

 This was a loose line of connectivity through a thick tuel fog of history. This was something astronomers and wise men had seen and pondered on centuries before. As it came to be more prominent I stared at it with all the air knocked out of my body.  I began feeling the immense weight of something so much bigger than myself; this was it, this is what I came looking for.  

 The rest was just fog and debris.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

December 21, 2020

Heather Cox Richardson

In the past two days, stories in major papers have focused on the president’s deteriorating mental state. The Atlantic ran a story by Peter Wehner titled “Trump is Losing His Mind.” It describes “Trump’s descent into madness.” Politico ran Michael Kruse’s story titled “Is Trump Cracking Under the Weight of Losing?””[T]he actual fact of the matter,” it said, is that “Trump is a loser.” Kruse points to Trump’s uncharacteristic absence from the public eye to wonder if he is breaking down mentally.

“His fragile ego has never been tested to this extent,” Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen told Kruse. “While he’s creating a false pretense of strength and fortitude, internally he is angry, depressed and manic. As each day ends, Trump knows he’s one day closer to legal and financial troubles. Accordingly, we will all see his behavior deteriorate until it progresses into a full mental breakdown.”

CNN reported that senior White House officials are worried about what Trump might do in the next month as he spends more and more time with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who is under active investigation by federal prosecutors; conspiracy lawyer Sidney Powell; disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn; Steve Bannon, who has recently been indicted for fraud; Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser; and now Patrick Byrne, the founder of the Overstock retail website.

Trump is turning to this group of misfits rather than advisers like his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, or White House counsel Pat Cipollone. The new advisers are encouraging him to declare martial law or to seize state voting machines to examine them for fraud or to appoint a special counsel to investigate Joe Biden’s son Hunter. Trump has floated the idea of naming Powell as a special counsel inside the White House Counsel’s office to investigate the election. Meadows and Cipollone argue, correctly, that this is crazy.

Nonetheless, far right House lawmakers met with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Monday to strategize challenging Congress’s certification of the states’ electoral votes on January 6. While several House Republicans are on board with the scheme, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is trying to stop senators from signing on, since challenges in both the House and the Senate would force Republicans to vote against Trump, publicly. The challenges do not have the votes to stop the certification of Biden’s ballots.

Previous loyalists are opening up water between themselves and the president. Evangelical leader Pat Robertson, who famously said Trump was part of God’s plan for America, made the news today with his declaration that, for all the good he claims Trump has done, the president “lives in an alternate reality,” and has been “very erratic.” Robertson says it is time to recognize that Biden is the president-elect and it is time for Trump “to move on.”

Attorney General William Barr also broke with Trump today, saying that he saw no need to appoint a special counsel to investigate voter fraud or to investigate Hunter Biden, and that there was no evidence of voter fraud that would have changed the outcome of the 2020 election. Barr also confirmed that it was Russia, rather than any other country, that hacked the United States government and prominent companies over the course of the past year. Barr will leave office on Wednesday.

Yesterday, Erica Newland, a former lawyer for the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, published an op-ed in the New York Times saying she is “Haunted by What I Did as a Lawyer in the Trump Justice Department.” Lawyers like her, she said, hoped they were limiting the damage Trump could do but were instead, she concluded, finding ways to make his demands legal. Represented by the caliber of lawyers who are currently at his side—Giuliani and Powell, for example—Newland argues, he could never have made anything stick. Newland resigned from her post in 2018 and now says, “No matter our intentions, we were complicit.” They helped enable Trump’s assault on our democracy, and on reality. She offered her apology to the nation.

Meanwhile, right-wing media outlets Fox News Channel, Newsmax, and One America News are also concerned with the law. They are madly backpedaling as they face the consequences of their baseless accusations against election software company Smartmatic. Although that company was involved in the 2020 election only in Los Angeles County, right-wing media personalities have accused it of altering votes in several states in the 2020 presidential contest. The lawyer for the company’s founder, Antonio Mugica, has sent letters to the FNC, Newsmax, and OAN demanding that they retract their stories and warning them to keep documents for a forthcoming defamation suit. Voting machine manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems, also included in the news stories, has also hired legal counsel.

The threat of lawsuits has prompted the FNC and Newsmax to “clarify” at some length that they had no evidence of any of the improprieties they alleged. On Newsmax, John Tabacco also had to clarify that there was no relationship between Dominion Voting Systems and Dianne Feinstein, the Clintons, Nancy Pelosi, George Soros, Hugo Chavez, or the government of Venezuela.

As he descends into the fever swamps, Trump has largely given up any pretense of governing. His public schedule remains empty, and his private meetings appear to focus on how he can stay in office. Today we learned that Russian hackers broke into the email system used by the leadership of the Treasury Department, but the cyberattack from Russia has gone unaddressed except to the extent the president tried to blame the attack on China (although he has made no move to retaliate against China for the attack). He has made little attempt to shepherd any sort of an economic relief bill through Congress. And, most crucially, he is silent about the epidemic that is killing us. As of this evening, more than 18 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus, and at least 319,000 have died.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis that is investigating the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic today released documents showing that Trump appointees in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tried to “alter or block” at least 13 of the reports written by CDC scientists. Appointees messed around with the CDC’s traditional “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports” and edited reports on the use of masks, the dangers of Covid-19 in children, and the spread of the disease. They also tried to delete emails revealing political interference in scientific assessments. Some of the emails from science adviser Paul Alexander calling for the administration to speed the spread of coronavirus in order to achieve herd immunity have sparked outrage.

Chaired by Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the select subcommittee today issued subpoenas to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar and Director of the CDC Dr. Robert Redfield for all documents “relating to efforts by political appointees… to interfere with scientific work conducted by career officials.” It had requested the documents earlier this month, but HHS and the CDC declined either to cooperate or to permit Redfield to testify about political censorship to the committee.

Meanwhile President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris are preparing to take office in the midst of a pandemic, a sweeping computer systems hack, and a recession, while the outgoing president tries to undermine them by ordering his own officials not to tell them anything that could be used against him and by insisting that they were not legitimately elected.

Biden was inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine today on national television to illustrate that the shot is safe; incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden also got the shot today. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will be vaccinated next week.

—-

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[rkxluda]

.・.✭Heartz' Lee Luda

A staff member leads you down sphere’s winding hallways to Baek Jiyoung’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the ceo awaits, sitting at her desk. She looks up immediately when you enter, a sunny smile gracing her lovely features. Seated across from her desk, next to an empty chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; they had been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member directs you to take the empty chair next to the lawyer and then leaves. You hear the door close and the latch clicks back into place.

Baek Jiyoung claps her hands together, her eyes settling on yours. “When trainees first sign a contract with a company, they are devoting themselves to at least two years of training. They usually don’t expect the time to pass so quickly, but it does,” she says aloud thoughtfully. “Years of training and hopes lead to one dream usually: debut.”

“But, you’re no ordinary trainee. We chose you from a different company and brought you here with a specific goal. I’ve seen you grow these past few months in your training and the coaches have had plenty of praise and constructive advice for you.” She pauses and diverts her attention back to her desk, where she shuffles paperwork until she sets one singular sheet of paper in front of herself. “I’ve been proud of your growth here, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve, even after debut. This, here,” she says, motioning towards the document, “is a contract exclusive to HEARTZ and will tie you to this group, and to Sphere Entertainment, for the next six years.”

Baek Jiyoung’s eyes warm with pride as she hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision of making HEARTZ one of the top girl groups in all of Korea, and you wish to stay with us for the long journey, sign right here on the dotted line.”

As Luda was following along there was only one reason she could think of, really. That being signing a contract for Heartz. It made the most sense after she was now officially signed to Sphere, surely, there was no reason to completely kick her after a few weeks?

Of course, the girl still had that one fear.

She tried to stay as calm as she could and if one looked at her, wouldn't guess the doubts she carried around.

Once in the office, she bowed politely and smiled. She'd clenched her jaw to try and stop the smile, to look mature and serene as she thought was expected of her, but the joy for what she hoped and expected to come, was stronger.

And yet, soon after, she felt tears creeping up. Praise was something, the girl didn't give herself enough of and she still didn't expect to hear from others. So whenever someone said they were proud of her, she couldn't help but feel emotional.

Knowing better than to cry in front of the CEO, though, she sucked it up and continued smiling.

The girl accepted the pen with both hands, feeling, again, like she shouldn't waste the female's time, but couldn't help it. She read through the contract, as one was supposed to, before signing.

The dating ban caught her eyes. It was nothing Luda didn't expect and yet… at this point, would she ever be able to be with someone, or find her first love way beyond her 30s?

A thought for another day, she reprimanded herself and quickly finished. There was no hesitation, as the pen quickly flew over the paper, officiating the document.

After all, she'd thought this over and over for the past months and had long decided that she wanted this.

OOC note: First of all, congratulations on arriving at the final step before debut! I know it’s been a long and crazy journey, and I’m so glad you’ve stuck through it. When you are ready, feel free to post this prompt with your muse’s response to it.

Should she choose to sign the convex contract, she will be employed by Sphere Entertainment without a need to renew a contract until the duration of this one has concluded. As a reward for making it this far, she will receive three weekends unpaid vacation time to use any time between now and the end of December, so long as it doesn’t clash with any special debut activities (such as music show appearances, meaning she can’t actually use his vacation time until after the music show performances have finished.)

Should she choose to reject this contract, she will leave the company effective immediately upon rejection. She will be able to keep all of her debut points, but will not be able to take any trainee workshops or earn any more debut points/workshop points until she becomes a trainee again. She will not have any special advantage over newer characters when she auditions for other companies in the future, and should she become a trainee at a new company she will be considered a junior trainee all over again, even though she will still have his debut points and would be eligible for debut right away. She will have the right to audition for sphere again, but the fact that he gave up a contract renewal, especially a debut one, will be taken into account in final casting decisions.

She will have up to one week to make his decision ic, meaning that if he does not make a decision by September 23rd, he will automatically be cut from the company. exceptions will be made for those on hiatus.

[ecto-american]

Broken Ectoplasm C13

DannyMay themed story don’t bully me at it being DECEMBER i’m trying my best

Ectoplasm | Broken | Glass | Theory | Community | Eavesdropping | Worldbuilding | Accident | History | Shape shift | Puppet | Ink | Or Read on FFN or AO3. | 

The unspoken answer was very, very unlikely. But until it was spoken, the answer was always no, right? So fuck it.

"Hey, can I primarily question Phantom?" Agent G asked. His partner looked at him skeptically, and the officer with them said nothing.

"No," Agent K replied. "Can't afford for you to make rookie mistakes." Agent G frowned.

"How am I ever supposed to learn?" he asked. "You'll be right there with me. Come on, I'll even write up the whole report."

"Phantom is a serious and dangerous threat," the other replied. "We're not leaving the questions to a rookie."

The elevator doors opened, and the trio walked towards the room. A nurse was waiting at the door for them, only giving a polite hello before opening it for them. Agent K just gave a brief nod before slipping inside, and Officer Snowden offered a thanks.

Agent G walked into the room behind his fellow agent and the officer, and he immediately saw Phantom. He didn't look nearly as bad as he had expected, though he could see bruising that had begun to heal around his throat. He had plenty of bandaging covering what he assumed to be surgical scars, and Phantom was alert. He sat up in bed, watching them as the lawyer, Ohmer, from the day before, stood with him.

To his surprise, Phantom's eyes were locked onto him specifically the second he entered. Looking at him strangely, almost as if...he recognized him? Would Phantom really recognize him from years ago? When he kind of saved Agent G from the Guys in White shooting at him? Heh. Kinda ironic. But Agent G was skeptical that Phantom really had gotten that good of a look at him then. Or maybe Phantom was taken aback by seeing an unintentional doppelganger.

"His jaw's wired shut," Ohmer spoke up. She pointed to the whiteboard and markers in Phantom's lap. "So we've been using this to communicate." Agent K grumbled in disgust. Phantom not being able to talk would mean that the entire interview would take much, much longer, since Phantom had to write every word out. There would be less body language to dissect, less visual cues. It was more work than Agent K was willing to do. This was a good opportunity.

"Ugh, of course," he muttered, adjusting his suit a bit with a tired sigh. Agent G nudged him, giving a half smile. Agent K stared at him coldly before making an annoyed sigh. "Go for it, rookie. But if you fuck this up, it's on you. And you're writing the report."

"Noted," the younger agent agreed.

Agent G eagerly grabbed one of the chairs, pulling it up to sit next to Phantom. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Phantom continue to stare at him with a raised eyebrow and slight awe. Curious. Agent G shrugged it off best he could, taking his seat and pulling his notebook out to take notes. He couldn't help but notice that Agent K was not doing the same, instead scrolling through his phone. Probably on Facebook again.

"Hey," Agent G began, feeling suddenly…awkward. He didn't think he'd get this far. Phantom stared at him. "So, um, I'm Agent G. I'm from the Guys in White." Phantom blinked at him, head jerking a bit as if that surprised him. "What do you want me to call you?"

Phantom picked up the whiteboard, still staring at him. But he soon broke the staredown to scribble out on the whiteboard.

Phantom is fine.

"Cool, cool," Agent G nodded. He took a deep breath before flipping through his notebook. He had all of his questions written out on the first page, a number next to them. The rookie studied his questions before picking one to start with. Flipping to a new page, he wrote the number associated with the question before looking up to Phantom. "Do you remember when Amity Park was going through that overshadowing epidemic?"

Phantom cocked his head curiously. He seemed surprised by the question, but he nodded. Agent G took note of that before he continued.

"Do you know why they did that?" Agent G continued. "Why the ghosts were overshadowing people in such a mass wave?"

If he seemed surprised before, Phantom look drop dead shocked at this line of questioning. Agent G was sure that had his jaw not been wired shut, that Phantom would be staring open mouthed at him. His lips opened a bit, exposing the metal that was keeping him from being unable to properly say anything, and he made a noise, a clear "huh?" type of confused tone. Phantom stared at Agent G for a moment as he twirled the marker in his hand. He seemed hesitant and unsure.

"Please," Agent G spoke up. Phantom paused. "Just tell us what you know."

Phantom began to jot down on the whiteboard, and Agent G glanced at his companions. Officer Snowden had taken a free seat and was paying close mind. His coworker continued to stare at his phone, occasionally scrolling. He was sure that Agent K was still listening, but how much the man would pick up on the conversation was debatable.

Soon, Phantom turned the board around, and Agent G read it carefully.

It was Walker and his goons. He's basically ghost police. He claimed that me bringing a human world item into the Ghost Zone was illegal, and he arrested me. I escaped, and he began overshadowing people as a ploy to get the town to hate me in hopes that I'd turn myself in if people here hated me.

Agent G wrote down what Phantom said into his notebook, word for word. He was silent as he processed that information. So Phantom was admittedly a wanted criminal in the Ghost Zone? That law didn't sound very just. But yet again, Agent G truly had no idea why that law was even in effect, if it was harmful. And Phantom's statement brought on several questions.

"Why did you escape?" he asked. Phantom studied him for a moment as he turned the board back around. He erased it with his hand before writing. Agent G in turn, studied Phantom. His hands were writing very confidently, no constant erasing and with little pause. He was sure of what he had to say.

The entire sentencing is very unfair. No trial, no defense, nothing. It was just Walker telling me the law, which is bullshit btw, and him sentencing me to 1,000 years.

Holy fuck, that was a long time. Agent G nodded slowly as he, again, wrote down the statement word for word. Then again, ghosts were, sorta, immortal. Time meant nothing to them in that regard.

"What was the item?" Agent G asked. Phantom flipped the board around to write.

It was a wrapped anniversary present for my mom from my dad, a ghost themed checkers game.

That definitely didn't seem worth such a long sentence. Phantom mentioned his parents too, and his parents post his death. This was something Agent G had never read about Phantom doing, mentioning his family or interacting with people like that. Although admittedly, on some level, it was creepy to think about Phantom haunting his old family. But he'd get back to that.

Based on the speed of the responses, Phantom seemed to be telling the truth. But of course, Agent G had no clue how he'd even begin to try and verify this story. He'd figure it out. For now?

"Do you know who all was overshadowed?" he asked. Phantom paused to seemingly think, but only for a moment before his hands moved the marker over the whiteboard.

Some Casper High students, the mayor, several townspeople. Specific people: Mayor Montez, Paulina Sanchez, Dash Baxter, Lancer, Kwan Ishiyama, Star Thunder

Agent G knew almost every single one of those names. He went to high school with many of them briefly. Ugh, verifying these stories would be a trip down cringey memory lane, but he still wrote down the statement, like the others, word for word. He wrote the number two before asking his next question.

"Do you know why the overshadowing ended? Like the incident?"

The look Phantom gave him was so sorrowful. He looked tired and distressed, but he wrote his answer regardless.

He did what he set out to do. Everybody hates me. They want me dissected and gone.

"Oh honey," Ohmer spoke softly. The lawyer reached out to lovingly smooth the ghost's hair, and Phantom smiled at the touch. Agent G nearly forgot that he wasn't alone with Phantom in the room. Officer Snowden was watching on silent as a mouse, and Agent K was still looking at his phone.

Regardless, the answer was jotted down. He wrote the number three, and he glanced up at Phantom. The ghost was waiting for him expectantly.

"Do you know Frederich Isak Showenhower?"Agent G asked. Phantom looked a bit confused, staring at him with a bit of a frown. "He's more commonly known as Freakshow." Recognition lit up in his eyes, and he nodded. "Can you describe your relationship with him?"

He brainwashed me using his scepter.

This was starting to hit unintentional gold. Nobody outside of the GIW and police knew the details of Showenhower's wild story. The media, the public, none of them knew about this crazy brainwashing story. Nobody knew about the scepter being his self-reported means to commit all the crimes, that ghosts were involved. Publicly, the man kept a tight lip on his crime. Very unusual, the criminals normally were very vocal about their side of the story. But not Showenhower. He was silent. Agent G wrote it down.

"Can you elaborate?" he asked. Phantom stared at him blankly. Agent G rephrased, "What do you mean by brainwashed? Can you describe the scepter?"

Phantom's eyes lit up in understanding, and he began to write.

He had this red scepter with a crystal ball. He would hold it up to us, and give us orders. It was hard to fight. There was something to it that just made us obey him. I could break the spell sometimes, but he always knew where to find me. Bring me back. He said the scepter was this family heirloom, and that they used ghosts to entertain people in his circus. But that he found that using us to steal things was much more profitable, since he couldn't be connected to the crime.

Agent G nodded understandingly as he wrote down the answer. So far, this was very interesting. He was giving some confidential details.

"Can you tell me what happened to this scepter?" Agent G questioned. This was the one thing the ex-ringleader refused to tell them. It was information they had been trying to get from him for years now.

It broke.

Agent G hummed curiously. Broken? Wouldn't Showenhower admit that though?

"Do you know where it is?" Agent G asked. Phantom thought for a moment.

Map

Agent G stared at the message before it clicked. Phantom was asking for a map. The rookie jumped from his seat, pulling his phone out. He opened the map application, and he handed it to Phantom.

The ghost zoomed out, and Agent G watched his every move. He shifted to the train tracks, and he followed them. After traveling down the railroad for a bit, scrolling, Phantom stopped at a bridge. He studied it for a moment before making a circle with his finger.

"Around here?" Agent G asked. Phantom nodded, and he picked up his board.

Before the river, over the bridge. It fell somewhere in there.

Agent G nodded. He marked the spot made on his phone's map before tucking it back into his pocket. All of this was fitting into a new puzzle that he was theorizing.

"You mentioned your parents," Agent G began, but paused at the immediate shift in Phantom's entire demeanor. He stiffened and looked at him with that deer in the headlights stare. "What can you tell me about them?"

Unlike before, Phantom didn't make any movements to right anything. He stared at Agent G, his chest heaving a bit as if in a panic. Like a human suspect. This was interesting. Phantom really did mimic humans a lot, as his reports would often detail. Was this a defense mechanism? Possibly, given Phantom's self-reported age.

Agent G waited patiently, and the ghost finally bowed his head to stare at his whiteboard. His hand tapped the marker against his knee nervously.

"You don't have to answer anything you don't want to answer," Officer Snowden finally spoke up. Phantom glanced up at her, before turning to look to Ohmer. The hospital lawyer nodded in agreement.

"Yup. Don't have to answer anything," she confirmed.

Phantom looked a bit more relieved, and he jotted down on the whiteboard.

No comment.

Hm, this was the first question Phantom refused to answer. Was it too personal? Agent G's idea wracked for more theories. Likely to protect family, since he reportedly was interacting with them despite his death. Speaking of.

"Can you tell me when you passed away?" he asked.

Phantom's face scrunched up a bit, obviously hurt. He shook his head no. Agent G hummed lightly as he made that note. Fair enough. That was very personal. He made his final note and flipped through his notes. He had a lot of information to dissect now, and a lot more details to work with and compare and contrast.

"That's all I have for now, but I'll be returning soon," Agent G replied. Phantom stared at him curiously. The agent searched through his pocket to pull out a card. "If you have anything else to tell me, please feel free to call." He paused. "I'm sure a nurse can help you, or your lawyer."

Phantom nodded, turning the card over in his hand. The ghost quickly scribbled on his whiteboard.

No arrest?

"By law, you cannot be released into their custody until you're discharged from the hospital," Ohmer clarified. Agent G nodded to confirm.

"We'll be here to formally read you your charges and rights, the usual come your discharge day," Agent G explained. Phantom looked visibly deflated, but gave a short nod as he slumped over. Ohmer smoothed his hair out.

"Hey, Agent K. We're done here," Agent G announced. The other officer looked startled, standing. Agent G was already out the door, along with Officer Snowden. The officer said her goodbyes and was already walking away.

"Wait, already?" Agent K demanded to know as he followed the two out. Agent G was still re-reading his notes as he jotted down more extras before he forgot the details as he waited for his partner to catch up. The rookie shrugged.

"We'll be back," Agent G assured him. "But right now, I have some other folks that I want to talk to. Try to collaborate Phantom's claims." Agent K studied him curiously. "And question him based on that, see what kind of lies we can catch him in and what evidence we can truly confront him with."

"Sounds like a giant waste of time, doing all this back and forth," Agent K complained. Agent G shrugged.

"Then you can wait in the car," he offered, ignoring Agent K's frown. Agent G re-read the list of names Phantom gave him. "But right now, I have a few people I'd like to talk to." Agent K gave a begrudging sigh.

"Fine, let's go whatever you're going to go," Agent K finally agreed. "Long as you're writing the report."

Agent G grinned. Finally, a chance to get some real answers.

[xoruffitup]

The Report Screening (I Successfully did a Thing!)

So this idea sparked in my mind when I first saw The Report back at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Not only does my organization work on rule of law issues in international development, but our Executive Director is also known as a whistleblower figure against the CIA torture program while it was happening. When I heard Scott Burns mention my Director by name in an interview, I knew there were too many connections to ignore. My org should host a screening of the film. 

After Toronto, I took the next chance I found to speak to our Director about the film. Lo and behold, he consulted with Scott Burns on the screenplay and had major input into the film. Beyond that, he knew Dan Jones while Dan was working on the Senate report. My Director was wholly behind the idea of hosting a screening.

Then, fast forward to the AITAF show in November. I’m at the reception beforehand with my Dad and my friends, and who do I recognize across the room but none other than Dan Jones! He was just mingling and chatting, casual as could be, and I freaked out a bit at the sight of him because this had to be a sign?! Knowing this was the chance to make those connections to bring my idea to fruition, I went up to him during the reception and introduced myself. I told him where and who I work with, explained we’d like to host a screening, and he said he’d be more than happy to help us set it up!

I knew from the get-go that Dan would be the most important highlight of the event. Hearing him speak right after you’ve watched the film is simply staggering. So between many Twitter DMs and emails, I finally found the date that worked for both Dan and my Director - December 12th. 

Then came the logistics - To have the event on or off site? How to play the film? After deciding to keep costs down and planning simply by holding the screening in our office event space, the problem then became streaming over our unreliable internet connection. Dan had asked in an earlier email whether we “needed help with Amazon,” so when I explained that we do, he sent one email to some exec and by the end of the day someone from Amazon was on the phone with me promising to ship us a DVD! (They also offered to rent us a theatre??! But by that point the event was less than a week away so there wasn’t enough time to plan for that. Would have been insanely cool though if Amazon paid for our private theatre rental ;))

I set up the catering order; I had our Outreach team make up promo flyers and send an announcement out to our member networks; I hyped up the event to colleagues internally and friends externally. Then today came, and despite all my planning I was still nervous as all hell, with everything resting on my shoulders. 

The film arrived in the mail the morning of, and I called the Amazon contact again so they could give me the password to access the disc. (Some fancy stuff, here.) But then cue three hours of our IT people trying to get the disc to play in our event space. Several near-breakdowns later on my side, we finally get it working with sound and everything. By this point I’m extremely anxious, worrying about IT problems and having really no idea how many people will even be showing up.

The time arrived! The catering came on time, and sure enough the trickle of arriving people quickly became a definite crowd. By the time it came time to start the film, we needed extra chairs!! I said a short welcome, our Director spoke a bit about the film and the legacy of the use of torture, and then (miraculously!!) the film played without even a spot of trouble!! Literally THANK GOODNESS, because an event at our office without any sound or video issues is basically unheard of. But tonight, the impossible happened and the film played all the way through without a single hitch! :’D

When 7:30 rolled around, the film was nearing its end and it was time for me to head downstairs to meet Dan Jones in the lobby. He arrived right on time, I brought him upstairs, and here queue twenty minutes of us sitting outside the event room watching the film through the glass door and just chatting?? He’s literally so chill and friendly and great to talk to? We talked about Star Wars a little and other movies? And I got to ask him a bunch of random questions about The Report I’ve been wondering. (Does he have sneaky cameos in the movie? Yes, he does. Would he ever work in government again? They’d have to drag him back kicking and screaming).

Once the film ended, our Director introduced Dan and he came in to much deserved applause. Our Director started Dan off with a few questions, then we opened up to what quickly became an incredibly engaged, thoughtful, and lively Q&A! A few external attendees were lawyers currently representing Guantanamo detainees, and their questions were among the best. Dan seemed to enjoy the discussion too - appearing much more in his element, in comparison to the Q&A environment/topics at TIFF.

We wrapped up the Q&A after about 45 minutes and that, ladies and gentlemen, was a wrap! Without a single technical snafu or delay!!! The event was incredibly well attended and so many people expressed gratitude to me on their way out. One woman who’s worked at our org for 30 years said it was the best event she’s ever been to! T_T

I couldn’t be more pleased with the evening! Especially considering how near to a breakdown I was this afternoon ;’) But everything literally went completely smoothly and exceeded all my expectations. I’m so glad I managed to actually bring this crazy idea to fruition, albeit with a few months of finagling and organizing. Seriously, couldn’t be happier. :’DD

Me and Dan Jones afterwards and yes I cropped out other people from my org because A) Kinda weird to post them? and B) I totally maybe have a crush on accomplished well-spoken humble funny incredibly chill Dan Jones???

(And Dan with Adam just because)

NOW I FINISH PACKING TO GO TO LONDON FOR TROS PREMIERE! AHHHHH LET’S GO and continue the crazy awesome whirlwind my life has been lately!!!! :’’D

(There was definitely a moment when I joked with Dan about maybe getting Adam’s autograph at the TROS premiere. Dan was like “oh haha are you like a superfan?” and I was immediately like “oh no haha nothing like that hahahahahaha” you know, like a liar. He might get to go to the CA premiere though so I hope he does! Then we can welcome him to the dark side of obsession! >:))

[rkjisoo]

A staff member leads you down Royal’s winding hallways to Seo Jisub’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the CEO awaits, sitting at his desk. He doesn’t look up as you enter; he’s too preoccupied with paperwork in front of him. Seated across from his desk, next to an empty chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; she’d been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member directs you to take the empty chair next to the lawyer and then leaves. You hear the door close and the latch click back into place just as your CEO finally looks up and offers the tiniest hint of a smile.

“You know why I called you here, I presume?” he asks, clearly not expecting an answer back until he finishes talking. He folds his hands on the desk in front of him, eyes settling on yours as he continues to speak. “When trainees sign a two year contract, they usually don’t imagine the day when it will expire. They usually don’t expect the time to pass so quickly, either, but here we are.” As foreboding as the words may sound, another close-lipped smile appears on his face, gentle and reassuring.

“I’ve seen you grow a lot in these past two years, and you’ve had your ups and downs, plenty of both good and bad.” He pauses, and diverts his attention back to his desk, where he shuffles paperwork until he sets one singular sheet of paper in front of him. “I’ve been proud of your growth here so far, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve. In the end, the decision is yours, but I’d like you to continue to grow under the guidance of Royal Entertainment.”

He finally becomes a little less stoic, and shows the glimpse of a real smile as he slides the contract toward you and hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision, you already know what to do.“

it was a cold december day when she was lead to the ceo’s office; a cold december day she had been anticipating since the first and the only time she had ever been in that room.

two years ago, she signed her name under the premise that this is all she needs in order to start her future. for years, steadily idling by the sidelines with barely anything of impactful recognition under her name had led her somewhere she never considered before. the life of an idol in training is truly a challenging one filled with many doubts and apprehension than she had ever imagined. for the first few months, she was positive that two years was enough. that the moment her contract would come to an end would be the last time she would ever step foot in this place.

now, she knew that her words were just that—words. as she nods her head, itching to grab the pen, the decision was already made weeks before this day.

jisoo can say that so much has changed. in two years, she had never felt more alive, more hopeful. while it can be said that she still does not love this field wholeheartedly, she has learned how to be appreciative of it and the position that she is in. she can still admit to herself and to anyone around her that she will dislike this more days than she won’t, but she can never quite bring herself to hate it as she once had. two years is quite a short time to unlearn all of her previous prejudices and to learn new things such as the art of powerful dancing and graceful coordination but she will get there. she always does. 

“i have learned quite a lot while i’m here and i’m grateful for all the lessons that were provided my way.” she responds, a slight nod of head in respectable agreement. “thank you for this. i suppose i can now say with confidence and gratitude that i would like to stay for another two years.” with that, she grabs the pen and delicately signs her name. 

after all, what is another two years relative to the rest of her life vying and doing the one thing that she is most passionate about?

OOC NOTE: First of all, congratulations to two years as a trainee! I know it’s been a long and crazy journey, and I’m so glad you’ve stuck through it. When you are ready, feel free to post this prompt with Jisoo’s response to it.

Should Jisoo choose to RENEW her contract with Royal, she will sign on to the same agreement as before for another two years. As a reward for making it this far, she will receive ONE WEEK unpaid vacation time to use any time between now the end of March, so long as it doesn’t clash with any special trainee activities.

Should she choose to REJECT her contract with Royal, she will leave the company, effective immediately upon rejection. She will be able to keep all of her debut points, but will not be able to take any trainee workshops or earn any more debut points/workshop points until she becomes a trainee again. She will not have any special advantage over newer characters when she auditions for other companies in the future, and should she become a trainee at a new company she will be considered a junior trainee all over again, even though she will still have her debut points and would be eligible for debut right away. She WILL have the right to audition for Royal again, but the fact that she gave up a contract renewal WILL be taken into account in final casting decisions.

She will have up to one week to make her decision IC, meaning that if she does not make a decision by DECEMBER 23rd, she will automatically be cut from the company.  Exceptions can be made for those on hiatus.

[reading-writing-revolution]

Just not #DonaldTrump...

December 26, 2019 (Thursday) - Heather Cox Richardson

Today began and ended with Trump melting down. This morning, after a silence during the holidays, he came out swinging at the Democrats generally, and at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi specifically. Then this evening, apparently against the advice of his lawyer, he retweeted a story that named someone claimed to be the whistleblower, a person who currently has a security detail for protection, not in a foreign war zone, but in our own nation’s capital.

It seems clear that Trump cannot bear that Pelosi—whom he is calling “Crazy Nancy”-- is not rushing to send the articles of impeachment over to the Senate for a trial… a trial that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already promised will exonerate Trump. It is worth noting that it has been only a week since the House passed the articles of impeachment, and we have had major religious holidays in that time, and yet Trump is obviously angry and desperate for movement on impeachment. But he’s got to wait even longer. The House will not be in session again until January 7—twelve days from now—and the Senate calendar for January is still in flux.

In other impeachment news, you will recall that Noah Feldman, the Harvard Law Professor who testified before the House Judiciary Committee in favor of impeachment, wrote an op-ed last week saying that Trump was not officially impeached until the House sent the articles of impeachment over to the Senate. Trump jumped on this idea, and has been saying that he is not really impeached. Today one of the other law professors who testified, George Washington University’s Jonathan Turley, who was called by the Republicans and was opposed to impeachment, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post entitled “I testified against Trump’s impeachment. But let’s not pretend it didn’t happen.” The title pretty much sums it up. As Turley concluded: “The House speaks in its own voice and in its own time. It did so on Dec. 18, 2019.”

For all the drama of these two stories, I have been more interested in what feels to me like a changing trend: it appears that media is finally recognizing that it cannot simply report “both sides” of the news as if they are equally valid when one side is lying. On the evening of December 24, Rolling Stone magazine published a short interview with Chuck Todd, an NBC journalist who moderates Meet the Press and who is the Political Director for NBC NEWS. On December 29, Meet the Press is doing a show on disinformation and how it is weaponized, and this interview was a teaser.

It's really important to understand that “misinformation” and “disinformation” are different things. “Misinformation” is bad information caused by errors-- someone makes a mistake. “Disinformation,” though, is deliberately false information intended to manipulate public opinion. Another word for disinformation is propaganda.

In the interview, Todd laments that he has been “absurdly naïve.” Right up until he had Senator Cruz on his show recently and Cruz echoed Russian propaganda, Todd apparently believed that the Republicans were acting in good faith when they talked to the media. Todd says he was “stunned” by Cruz’s embrace of Russian disinformation, especially since he was the third senator to do exactly that on the show. Cruz had asked to come on, and Todd thought that since Cruz had always been a Russia hawk, he wanted to set the record straight. When, instead, he followed the party line, Todd finally got it: Trump Republicans are using the media to spread propaganda.

Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at New York University, responded to this revelation by pointing out that it was on Todd’s own show in January 2017 that Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway launched the concept of the administrations lies simply being based on “alternative facts.” But, Rosen writes, media leaders nonetheless treated officials�� lies as hyperbole, just Trump and his spokespeople being ridiculous.

The upshot is that, three years later, Trump’s base is divorced from reality, while other Americans are so tired from incessant gas lighting we have lost faith that we can still perceive reality. This is why gaslighting is effective propaganda: having lost confidence in their own perceptions, people are so eager for peace they are willing to accept a strong leader who will promise to create stability.

I’m with Rosen on this. There is no excuse for such “naivete” on Todd’s part. He’s the Political Director for NBC News, after all, and should have had a better handle on the well-known methods at play here.

Even more, it has been very clear that today’s Republican Party has risen to power by rejecting facts and creating its own reality. After World War Two, Republicans and Democrats both shared a belief that the government had a role to play in regulating the economy, providing a basic social safety net, and promoting infrastructure. Indeed, that belief about government was so widely embraced it became known as the “liberal consensus.”

In 1951, William F. Buckley, Jr., fresh out of college, wrote a book attacking that consensus by attacking fact-based argument. In God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of “Academic Freedom,” Buckley said that trying to reach the truth by constructing arguments out of facts—the premise of the Enlightenment-- was a worse superstition than the Dark Age traditions the Enlightenment tried to root out. When presented with fact-based arguments, voters kept choosing the liberal consensus. So far as Buckley was concerned, that consensus flew in the face of God’s laws. So, Buckley concluded, it was imperative to stop arguing based on facts, and simply promote a “Conservative” view of the world by whatever means necessary.

The construction of a narrative undercutting the popular liberal consensus took the modern Republican Party further and further away from a fact-based reality, until by 2002, journalist Ron Suskind had this extraordinary exchange with one of President George W. Bush’s aides.

"The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles…. He cut me off. 'That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued. '…When we act, we create our own reality…. We’re history’s actors… and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.'”

Ten years later, in 2012, Thomas E. Mann from the left-leaning Brookings Institution and Norm Ornstein from the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute warned that it was imperative to stop saying “both sides do it,” because the parties were not equally polarized. “The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics,” they wrote. “It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”

We now have a president who has made more than 15,000 false or misleading claims in fewer than three years in office, and it has become increasingly clear recently that those lies echo Russian propaganda. Senior officials repeat his claims to the media, creating their own reality.

It is my sense that Todd’s revelation is a sign that media figures are starting to see how they are being used to advance disinformation. There has been discussion emerging of how to report the news without providing a platform for lies. If it takes hold, there will be an important shift in media coverage of the administration and congressional supporters in the new year."

[andrea-c4c]

Week 26: Merry Week-Before-Christmas!

December 16 - 20, 2019

What a week to head into the holidays!

I think I summed it up pretty well with my tweet, but to give just a touch more detail-

On Monday, we had a few team meetings and sync-ups, and then in the afternoon Maddy and I headed over to the Old City Hall to volunteer to help set-up for the OneTeamGov Unconference. 

If you haven’t gleaned from some of our photos, Maddy has wonderful penmanship, so she was put to work on signage:

If you haven’t attended an UnConference before, there are no speakers or topics selected in advance. It’s generated by attendees on the day. After an initial collaborative activity, the agenda was populated with topics attendees wanted to discuss. This isn’t an event to sit back and doze off - I mean listen. Everyone is expected to participate. 

Tuesday started bright and early for me as I was also volunteering for registration. After that, I was free to attend sessions through the day. Maddy volunteered to facilitate and note-take at sessions, as did others in our NextGen family: Robyn, Ali and Giselle. 

It was pretty cool to see all the engaged, forward-thinking public servants at the event, and I was a bit surprised that I recognized so many of them! 

There were some common themes across several of the sessions, and sometimes it was difficult to choose what to attend. There were quite a few on remote and flexible work arrangements. I chose to attend the following:

All teams across gov communicate in the open about their successes and failures on a centralized platform

Keep humans at the centre of design + delivery (in and out of government)

Lego Serious Play

Increase opportunities for generating, testing, implementing solutions, coming from the ground up/grassroots

It was an inspiring, albeit tiring, day!

Then on Wednesday, we fellows met in the GCCoworking space to retro (our first in close to 6  weeks - sorry Maddy!) and talk about our work. 

I’ve been working on creating a service blueprint for a service that doesn’t have a centralized booking tool, so we talked through my design. This is in addition to the ux research and design we’re doing for our prototyping efforts, so I’ve been feeling some pressure of having a lot on my plate. As I was worried about it being refined enough for a group review later in the week, Mike gave me a helpful reminder. The purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback - I didn’t have to go crazy trying to make everything perfect and in a final state. Get things in a state to elicit feedback, and then spend more time refining it afterwards. Thanks, Mike! 

The time away from the office was a nice chance for the three of us to re-connect and just make sure we’re still feeling positive about our direction and what we hope to achieve through our fellowship. Time is ticking, and we need to be sure we’re working on what’s most critical. #constraintsBreedCreativity

I also got a giant copy of the existing Service blueprint of the travel journey, to post up in our work area. If anything, just the sheer length of this is a clear sign we have plenty of opportunities to improve this experience!

On Thursday Maddy and I spent the morning over at Courts Administration Service, shadowing some of their financial folks to get a better sense of their current financial processes related to travel.  It can be easy to think only of the traveller as we’re working on a solution, but we have to be sure that we are considering the other parties and processes involved. Getting a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes can really change how we approach a problem. 

Then we headed right to a Service Blueprint review with some members of the NextGen Travel team, as well as some other partners that are working on blueprints. It was a chance for us each to show our work, and some of the ideas we’re exploring. I wish we’d had more time to really dig in and poke at each others’ concepts, but there was just too much to go through! The meeting did help me feel like we have a solid concept and are on the right track. I’m glad I took Mike’s advice and didn’t worry about spending time making a perfectly polished deliverable. 

Also! I published a mammoth blog post on the Code for Canada blog about prototyping. I appreciate Luke’s patience in reviewing and editing it! 

Then came Friday..

We attended the Digital Services Branch Executive Committee to present our work. We talked about the design sprint that was held back in October, as well as some of the prototypes we’ve been working on. Despite the fact it was THREE O’CLOCK the FRIDAY before the HOLIDAYS, attendees were very engaged in our presentation. It helped that Chief Information Officer Tammy LaBelle framed our work and its importance, but I was pleasantly surprised at the thoughtful questions we received. It was a great wrap-up to lead us into the Christmas break.

But, we weren’t quite done - the bulk of the NextGen Travel team (who weren’t already off for the holidays) met for drinks at Queen St Fare to kick off the weekend and Christmas break. 

After a drink or two, Mike leaned over and said to Maddy and I “you know, I think if this were the end of our fellowship, and that was our final presentation of what we’d done, our fellowship would have been a success”. 

I still get goosebumps thinking of that a couple weeks later, and hope we can continue to feel that sense of accomplishment and impact through the remainder of our time. 

-Andrea, UX Design Fellow