#cloud computing for hospitals

[tudipblog]

What is Cloud Computing in Healthcare?

Cloud computing for the healthcare industry is the way of implementing remote server access through the internet for storing, managing, and processing healthcare data. In this process,  on-site data centers aren’t established for hosting data on personal computers and hence provides a flexible solution for healthcare stakeholders to remotely access servers where the data is hosted.

Shifting to the cloud has two-fold benefits for both patients and providers. On the business side, virtualization in cloud computing has been beneficial to lower the operational spend while enabling healthcare providers to deliver high-quality and personalized care.

The patients, on the other hand, are getting accustomed with fast delivery of the healthcare services. Healthcare cloud computing increases involvement of patients by giving them access to their healthcare data, which ultimately results in better patient outcomes.

The remote accessibility of healthcare added with the democratization of data free the providers and patients which breaks down the location barriers to healthcare access.

What are the Benefits of Cloud Computing in the Healthcare Industry?

Cost-effective solution:The primary premise of healthcare cloud services is real time availability of computer resources such as data storage and computing power. Both healthcare providers and hospitals don’t need to buy data storage hardware and software. Moreover, there are no upfront charges linked with the cloud for healthcare, they will only have to pay for the resource they actually use. Applications of cloud computing in healthcare provides an optimum environment for scaling without paying much. With the patient’s data coming  from not only EMRs but also through healthcare apps and wearables, a cloud environment makes it possible to scale the storage while keeping the costs low.

Easy interoperability: Interoperability is establishing data integrations through the entire healthcare system, regardless of the origin or where the data is stored. Interoperability powered by healthcare cloud solutions, makes patients’ data available to easily distribute and get insights to aid healthcare delivery. Healthcare cloud computing enables healthcare providers in gaining access to patient data gathered from multiple sources, share it with key stakeholders and deliver timely protocols.

Ownership of data by patients:The combination of cloud computing and healthcare democratize data and give the patients control over their health. It increases participation of patients in decisions related to their health, working as a tool to better patient involvement and education. The importance of cloud computing in the industry can also be seen by the fact that the medical data can be archived and then retrieved easily when the data is stored on the cloud. With an increase in the system uptime, the redundant data reduces to a huge extent, and the data recovery also becomes easier.

Improved collaboration:The implementation of cloud for healthcare has a major role in boosting collaboration. By storing the Electronic Medical Records in the cloud, patients don’t need to have separate medical records for every doctor visit. The doctors can easily view the information, see the outcome of previous interactions with the specialists, and even share information with each other. This saves their time and enables them to provide more accurate treatment.

Enhanced patient experience:With the help of cloud for healthcare, doctors have now the power to increase the patient involvement by giving them anytime access anywhere to medical data, test results, and even doctors’ notes. This gives the patients control over their health as they become more educated regarding their medical conditions. In addition to this, cloud computing in healthcare provides a check for the patients from being overprescribed or dragged into unnecessary testing as doctors can find in the medical records.

Click the link below to learn more about the blog What is Cloud Computing in Healthcare? https://tudip.com/blog-post/what-is-cloud-computing-in-healthcare/

[phonesuite]

Explore the evolving diversification of telephone communication in hospitality. Let’s take a closer look at how modern telephony solutions can help you communicate better in a remote working world. Learn More...

[citrus-blade]

I hate being sick

All I wanna do it write my silly little dreamnoblade fanfiction while being wrapped in my silly little blanket and chatting with my silly little online friends but NAH

[ixloom819]

Snap Back to Reality (P4)

Here's the next part of the Yan!Sylus AU. Enjoy!

Sylus was a busy man, being the head of an operation such as Onychinus. There were endless meetings to attend and paperwork to do. He would spend hours clicking on his computer, eyes only occasionally glazed with boredom as they scanned pixelated words.

But now, his office wasn’t empty anymore.

When you first appeared in this world, Sylus gave you a harmless administrative job for Onychinus, so you could make yourself useful outside of your knowledge. While complaining about work was a fundamental human aspect, you did truly appreciate having something to do with your day. It helped give you some structure in the day and kept the calmer days from being boring.

Now, the two of you worked together in the same space, filling it with each other’s presence. You would talk occasionally, but there was no need for conversation. Existing in the same room felt like enough to soothe your souls.

Mid-afternoon, you stood from your chair and stretched. “I’m going to go get a snack from the kitchen,” you announced. “Do you want anything?”

Sylus glanced up at you and smiled. “I’m alright. Thank you, my love.”

It was ridiculous how easy it was for this man to make butterflies flutter in your stomach. Giving him a smile, you crossed the room and stepped out the door.

You had a second where you heard a panicked cry… Luke? “CRAP, WAIT-!”

A blinding pain struck your head, and blackness immediately engulfed you.

…

The first thing you saw was white. White with blurry lines.

You groaned and tried to sit up. Your body aches all over, but you only remember something hitting you in the head. Was it one of the twins’ pranks?

You caught someone out of the corner of your eye. Was that… a doctor?

You’re finally awake, he said. You’ve been in a coma for quite a while now. We were a bit worried.

You leaned back, stunned silent. A… coma…?

…Of course, that made sense. Being put into a fictional world? Somehow romancing a character meant for someone else? It had been one of your first theories when you ended up in that world.

And yet… it had lasted so long. Felt so real. Was it really all just a coma dream?

…Was it all fake?

…

You don’t remember leaving the hospital. But here you were, back in your ordinary life.

Familiar faces - coworkers, friends, family - welcomed you back. Told you how glad they were that you were okay and how worried they were.

You met them with smiles that didn’t quite reach your eyes, assurances that you were fine, and appreciation for their concern.

Life shifted back to how it was before the accident. Back to normal.

But it didn’t feel normal. Not when you had adopted a new normal, even if it was just in your head.

You found yourself squinting as you passed a window. It was too bright outside. You were used to seeing black clouds and a blood-red moon. Even when you first arrived, it was beautiful in its unnatural climate. You kept wishing for the weather to turn overcast.

There was busy noise around you, but it wasn’t the same as it was there. At the Onychinus base, it was either peaceful quiet or a huge racket from whatever mischief the twins were getting into. The noise here was a constant buzzing that grated on your nerves.

And the people…

It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with them. They were still the people you knew, people you cared about. But note they seemed… dull. Restrained. Compared to the unbridled chaos of Sylus, Luke, Kieran, and even Mephisto, they were all just… flat.

…

You don’t remember going home, yet here you were. You were curled up on your bed, looking at your phone. Looking at the Love and Deepspace app.

Do you dare open it?

You have to, you told yourself. If you were going to get over your coma-dream-world, you had to start going back to normal. And that meant playing Love and Deepspace and remembering that it was just a game.

You click on the icon. You went to Destiny Cafe.

There he was. Large stature, silver-white hair, and scarlet eyes, Sylus smirked at you in all his glory.

Except… it wasn’t the same. You internally marveled at your mind’s capacity to give Sylus features that couldn’t exist in his finite, pixelated form. The way his eyes wrinkled at the corners when he smiled. The line by his mouth that the twins swore up and down was a dimple.

He spoke. “Welcome back, kitten.”

You flinched. Without realizing it, you had exited the app and shut off your phone.

Kitten…

You remembered the one time Sylus had called you kitten in that world. You had reacted similarly. You had flinched away a bit and immediately said, “Don’t call me that.”

Sylus was surprised both by your protest and the speed with which you had done so. “And why’s that?” he’d asked teasingly yet genuinely.

You’d felt silly admitting it, but you answered, “…That’s your nickname for her. MC, Miss Hunter, your sorceress. That’s her name. Not mine.”

I’m not her is what you hadn’t said but meant.

Sylus didn’t soften or scorn you, nothing to show acknowledgement. But you hadn’t heard him call you kitten after that moment.

It was ridiculous, you told yourself. Kitten was just the voice line used. It was your name on the screen. The game didn’t have the capability to say each player’s individual name.

Yet, it was a reminder that he wasn’t talking to you anymore. He was talking to the protagonist, the one he was supposed to love.

You didn’t mean anything to Sylus anymore.

…

You don’t remember going to the store. You’ve been having trouble remembering going places. Maybe you should go back to the doctor, get some tests done.

Right now, you were in an aisle, trying to remember what you were there to get. You scanned the shelves of foodstuffs, wondering what it was you needed.

Someone called for your attention. You turned to look at them.

It was a guy, one you didn’t recognize. He wasn’t bad looking, but he didn’t catch your interest either.

He told you that you looked beautiful. A bit surprised to get a random compliment, you thanked him.

Then he asked if he could get your number, saying he’d like to take you out sometime.

You froze. What was happening? Was a random guy really asking you on a date literally out of nowhere? It didn’t feel real…

A face flashed through your mind. Silver-white hair. Red eyes.

Don’t be ridiculous, you scolded yourself. Sylus wasn’t real. It wasn’t like you’d be cheating on him.

Here was a nice guy asking you out. Maybe this is what you need. Probably not as a long-term relationship, but something to help bring you back to reality.

He wasn’t Sylus. It wasn’t fair to compare this guy to a fictional character; standards made to be unmet.

Yet the heart was hardly logical. And you couldn’t ignore the pit in your stomach as you considered it.

So you thanked him, informed him you weren’t interested in dating at the moment, and then left the aisle.

…

You don’t remember coming into a waiting room. The walls were all white. This must be the doctor’s office, right?

That must be why you’re here. These lapses in memory and purpose couldn’t be good for you. You needed to make sure nothing was wrong, that you were alright.

You passively scanned around the room. It was filled with chairs and side tables, and magazines were lying on the tables. There were other people in the room, presumably waiting their turn.

Finding nothing catching your attention and not interested enough to pick up a magazine, you sat back in your chair and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

How much time had passed? You looked at the clock on the wall. It looked a bit past… 

7:20? AM or PM, it was a weird time to meet with a doctor - either too early or too late.

Wait…

You looked around the room again, focusing on the people. There were people there, you were sure of that, yet…

You couldn’t make out any definitive information. You couldn’t tell how old anyone was, what their hair color was, what they looked like.

Was this…?

You grabbed a magazine. One last test. You opened it to a random page and tried to read it.

You couldn’t make out any words. You tried, but they came out as lines of black, squiggles in your vision with no meaning.

You were dreaming.

Your head started hurting.

That’s why things were so weird. That’s why you didn’t remember going places, because you just shifted to the next scene. That’s why you kept glancing over people, because they didn’t have semblance unless you actually knew them.

That’s why you felt disconnected from the world.

Because it wasn’t real.

Your head was pounding.

How did dreaming work? Weren’t you supposed to wake up soon when you figured out you were dreaming?

Wake up.

It hurts.

Wake up.

It hurts so much.

Wake up…

…

You felt the shift. Where you had felt awake and upright, now your body felt heavy with sleep, especially around your eyes. The headache persisted.

You forced yourself to open your eyes, blinking the blurriness away.

You recognize your surroundings. You were in the Onychinus medical wing.

You felt an enormous sense of relief. You were back…

The next thing you notice is the person by your side. It was Sylus. He was scrolling through his phone - probably some business-related stuff. His brows were furrowed in a way that indicated something was bothering him.

You marvelled at seeing him in his true glory. So many little details about him… how could your mind have come up with them? Your heart swelled at the sight of him.

You pushed yourself up, his name on your lips. “Sy-”

A splitting pain shot through your head, and you stopped in your tracks, hissing as you clutched your head. “Ow…!”

Large, steady hands grabbed you and settled you back down on the bed. You opened your eyes to see Sylus with his complete attention on you. He looked worried at the pain you were displaying, but you also saw relief, tangible in comparison to how you had seen him a moment before.

“Careful, darling,” he murmured. “You’ve got quite the concussion.”

“Yeah, figured it was something like that,” you said, trying to joke around the pain. “What happened?”

Sylus’ expression soured just a bit. “It would seem,” his voice was a bit chipped, “that the twins had forgotten that I’m not the only occupant in my office anymore.”

“Ah,” you said with comprehension. “A prank meant for you?”

“A prank meant for someone more durable,” Sylus agreed. “Trust me, they’re dealing with the consequences.”

You knew he wouldn’t hurt them. But you still winced inside at the idea of what Sylus would consider a suitable punishment for them.

You took a moment to steel yourself. Then you pushed yourself up again. Your head screamed in protest, but you didn’t stop until you had embraced Sylus, holding him in your arms.

You relished in being able to feel him. His body, his scent, his heat, his heartbeat. You didn’t realize how much he soothed you until you lost him.

You could tell you had taken him by surprise by the way he stiffened a bit. But he was quick to reciprocate, wrapping his arms around your shoulders while moving you closer to him to make you more comfortable.

“What’s this about, love?” Sylus asked in his teasing yet curious tone.

“I just… missed you,” you said softly.

“Did you go somewhere?” Again, said as a joke, but meant as a real question.

You had a moment’s doubt on whether to tell him. But you didn’t want to hide things from him either. “I dreamed that… well, this was all a dream. That I survived the accident and woke up.”

You felt the sliver of tension creep into his body. “Is that so?”

If you hadn’t felt the tenseness and learned his different tones, you’d think Sylus was merely conversational.

“Was it a good dream?” His tone was casual, but you could tell the hidden question behind it. Did you prefer being back in your world? Were you happier there?

And you knew your answer.

“It was nice to see everyone again,” you responded, because you wouldn’t lie to him. You moved back, wincing a bit, so you could meet his gaze. “But I missed it here.

“I missed you.”

It looked like your response brought back a year of life in Sylus. Any tension melted away, and he pulled you into another hug. “I’m glad,” he said softly. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear that…”

You smiled. “Sylus, you don’t have to worry,” you replied, rubbing his back soothingly.

“My home is with you.”

Hey everyone! I didn't say this in the last post so as to not spoil the twist, but I'm finished with the main story of this AU. I'm planning on doing a few more short stories like this, and I may take requests, but that's about it. Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement. I wouldn't have gone this far without you :)

[artemisadore]

hello!

here are some emojis for the drabble challenge if you're still doing it!

payneland with 💀 near death experience (and maybe some 💪 bridal carry as well 👀👀)

have a good day :)

I'm sorry it's taken so long, but I hope you enjoy Modern Payneland AU with a near death experience 🩷

rating: T

tw: mentions of abuse, homophobia (brief), description of car accident and resulting injuries, hospital setting, mentions of medical equipment/supplies

x

Edwin hates the hospital.

He's well aware that he is not unique in this hatred, but he hates it all the same. The fluorescent lights, the hoards of worried families, the overwhelming antiseptic smell, the too-familiar chorus of beeping — well, he just hates it.

But as Edwin bursts into the waiting area of the ICU, he spies something — someone — he hates even more.

He has his back to Edwin, but Edwin recognizes the venom in his shouting, something he used to overhear on the phone when Charles would unthinkingly answer in his presence early on. He’s aged since the few photographs Charles keeps in the drawer of his desk were taken, but the rest of him is largely the same — imposing frame, greasy hair, worn flannel jacket.

Unfortunately, if there is anything Edwin hates more than the hospital, it is Mr. Paul Rowland.

Edwin does not let the anger burning red-hot in his veins slow his stride. As he approaches the reception desk, he can hear Paul arguing with the young man perched behind the computer. “I said I want to see my son right now! Why can't you get that through that little bird brain of yours?”

It would make sense for the young man behind the counter — Monty, if his name tag is to be believed — to be intimidated by the older man, but his expression is simply apathetic, bordering on, well, bored.

“Yeah, he's in surgery, so good luck with that,” Monty rolls his eyes. When he finally looks up at Edwin, his expression changes — brightens, almost, as if Edwin is a welcome sight in the monotony. “Just one minute, sir.”

Before Paul can lash out again, Edwin interjects. “Actually, I'm here for Charles as well,” he says primly, despite the way his hands shake at his sides. He curls them into fists. “You said he's in surgery? What—is he alright?”

Paul turns on Edwin now, pinning him with an intense gaze Edwin hasn't seen since he backed out of Paul's driveway with Charles and his belongings in tow nearly five years ago, never once looking back. If the man recognizes Edwin from that day, it doesn't show on his face. “What are you, his little boyfriend or something? Get the fuck out of here.”

Edwin turns cooly to Monty, who watches them with raised brows. “There must have been a mistake in the system,” Edwin explains as evenly as he can. “I'm Charles’ emergency contact, not this arse.”

Paul's lips curl into a snarl. “Listen. That unappreciative brat is my son, and—”

“And Charles is my husband, so feel free to fuck right off.”

Stunned disbelief cleaves across Paul's face. He sputters for a moment, as if the idea is inconceivable.

“I see here. You must be Edwin Payne,” Monty pipes up. “The emergency contact for Mr. Charles Payne.”

Something ugly clouds Paul's eyes. “What did you just call—”

Monty continues, unphased and practically beaming up at Edwin, “I sincerely apologize for our mistake. I will personally make sure it never happens again.”

There's a small smirk tugging on the corner of Monty's lips, which Edwin clings to like a lifeboat.

“As his husband,” Monty adds pointedly, “you may speak to his wishes on his behalf. On visitors, for example.” He glances meaningfully at Paul.

Edwin wants to feel triumphant, but the worry that buried itself deep in his chest when he first got the call from the hospital less than an hour ago is now lodged in his throat. He tries to swallow around it, but tears spring to his eyes instead. “Out. Get him out.”

Paul probably argues with the security guard that comes to escort him away, if Edwin had to chance a guess. He may even hurl a few nasty words his way — it's not as though Edwin can really hear him anyway, not when he feels himself shutting down.

It takes a hand on his arm to pull him from his stupor. It's Monty, who is looking up at Edwin with an expression teetering on the edge of practiced customer-service neutrality and genuine kindness. “You alright?”

Edwin huffs a wet laugh, swiping at his eyes quickly. “No. I'm afraid I'm not.” His breath shakes on the inhale. “When can I see him? Is he—” Edwin swallows back a sob.

Monty drops his voice, “He's recovering in a room now. I can't, like, see much, but he's listed as stable.”

“What?” Edwin furrows his brows. “I thought—you said he was still in surgery?”

Monty tilts his head to the side. “Oh, that? I lied.” Edwin doesn't have a chance to respond or really even process that before Monty is motioning someone over. “Hey, Thomas, I need a favor!”

The man who strolls over — Thomas, apparently — looks less like the nurse his badge confirms that he is and more like someone off the set of a TV medical drama.

“What's in it for me, sweetcheeks?” Thomas asks, voice smooth as butter, his hair nearly as greasy. When his eyes land on Edwin, they widen curiously. “Oh, my, my. Why didn't you say your favor was so oddly handsome?"

Monty rolls his eyes, but reluctant fondness radiates off him in waves. “Easy, tiger. He's here for his husband. Charles Payne, room 221.”

Thomas hums, considering. “Is that the old geezer or the pretty little twink?”

Edwin scoffs.

“Pretty twink,” Monty confirms easily.

Edwin's face must reflect his displeasure, because Thomas puts up his hands defensively.

“Okay, okay, you don't have to do,” Thomas gestures vaguely, “all of that. Follow me, handsome.” He practically saunters down the hall, and Edwin has no choice but to follow him. He shouts back at Monty, “Don't forget, you owe me one, babes!”

Edwin doesn't turn to look, but from Thomas’ warm chuckle, he thinks Monty may be flipping him the bird.

Thomas prattles on as they make their way down the hall — something about it being perfectly reasonable to think that Edwin could be a gold-digging sugar baby — but Edwin is focused on keeping his eyes forward. The various beeps and moans from the rooms on either side of the hall already conjure images of what state in which he might find Charles, and he's not sure he can bear seeing it too.

When they reach the room, Edwin hesitates at the door. The desperation to see Charles and the dread of facing reality wars within him. Thomas, who has already slinked his way into the room, turns back to him. As he does, his expression shifts.

“No one's told you shit, have they?” Thomas asks, golden eyes softening. From the doorway, Edwin shakes his head mutely. “Tell you what, handsome. It's almost my lunch, so let me catch you up to speed on what's going on with your ol' ball and chain here.”

For the next half an hour, Thomas walks Edwin through everything — from Charles’ scans to the medications in his IV to the notes from his surgeries. He breaks down all of the tubes and bandaging and disorder into information Edwin can almost process, bit by bit.

Charles had been struck on his side of the car by a driver blowing through a red light. He had been immediately rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery on his back, as well as on his broken arm. He's still mildly sedated but no longer intubated, which Thomas assures him is a good sign.

Edwin isn't sure how much of the information he can actually retain at the moment, but the knowing of it all helps settle the worst of his nerves.

To Edwin’s surprise, Thomas procures a decently comfortable-looking chair for him along with a blanket and some snacks that turn Edwin's stomach at the sight. The nurse sets him up on the side of Charles’ body with the unbroken arm.

Before Thomas — in all of his foul-mouthed, good-natured glory — leaves, Edwin whispers a quiet, “Thank you.”

It takes a moment, but Thomas responds, his low timbre taking on a gentle quality. “Yeah, well, don't forget to invite me to the celebratory threesome once golden boy's back on his feet, ‘kay?”

Edwin shakes his head with a huff.

The silence he leaves behind is deafening.

The first thing Edwin does once alone with Charles is cradle his good hand between his palms gingerly, mindful of the IV placed there. He's not sure what he expects, really, but the warmth of Charles’ skin — alive, he's alive — opens the floodgates on the emotions Edwin has been keeping at bay.

Terror. Dread. Love. Fear. Loneliness. Confusion. Grief. Love. Relief. Guilt. Love.

Love.

Edwin allows himself to finally, finally look at Charles’ face, the one he would know in any age, in every universe. Bronze skin, angular planes, dark lashes laying almost peacefully on his cheeks. His bottom lip split open, but no less devastatingly beautiful for the way it parts from the top on a breath.

He looks like home.

Edwin holds Charles’ hand and watches his face and loves him with his whole heart until he's dragged down by exhaustion and joins Charles in sleep.

He doesn't stir until Charles does, waking with a start to Charles’ soft groan. Edwin is immediately alert, which means he's granted the chance to watch Charles’ eyes flutter open.

“Babe?” Charles croaks, voice barely audible. “What—where the bloody hell am I?”

Edwin swallows. “The hospital. You were in an accident.”

Charles blinks a few times before he manages to focus his gaze on Edwin. As soon as he does, his lips twitch into a weak but charming smile. “They must have me on some good shit then, huh? I don't feel a bloody thing.”

It's no wonder this man has his heart and soul, with the way he's able to dissuade Edwin's fears and make him chuckle at the same time.

“Good. Good,” Edwin murmurs, absently stroking Charles’ knuckles with his thumb. He can't bring himself to say more, but Charles understands anyway.

“I'm sorry to worry you, love,” Charles murmurs. “But I'll be alright, yeah? Always am.”

Edwin nods quickly. “Your nurse seems to think you're on the road to a full recovery.” After a moment, he adds, “Though that may just be wishful thinking on his part.”

Confused, Charles’ brows furrow. “What'd you mean?”

Edwin dips his head to press a gentle kiss to the top of his husband's hand. “Don't worry about it, darling.”

Charles nods absently, clearly drifting back to sleep. “M’kay. Just need a quick wink, and I'll be ready to bust outta here, yeah?”

Edwin’s smile is wistful when he says, “I'll be right here, my dear. Always.”

Charles is already snoring quietly, and Edwin would not change it for a thing.

[messylxve]

burned hearts | aaron hotchner x reader

part three

content warning : psychotic break, gun, gunshots, injured reader, hospital/ER setting, sad love confessions, happy endings ( I love happy endings)

pt 1 pt 2

If the silence before was sickening, you didn’t even know how to describe it now. You spared him no words as you got out the car and made your way to your apartment.

Aaron only took that as a sign to follow a far distance behind.

Your apartment felt so fitting. It was an amalgamation of everything that reminded him of you and Aaron couldn’t help but feel a sense of belonging in being there.

“I was forced to let go of three officers in the past year,” you uttered as you sat in front of your computer, typing away.

“Two moved away, one was let go for failure of a psych eval.”

Hotch frowned at that one. Placing a hand on the back of your chair, he leaned in close to get a good look at the screen.

“Pull up what you have on him.”

Your glance shifted over to him through your peripheral. He was close, his cheek nearly brushing against yours as his eyes stayed trained on the screen.

Catching yourself, you cleared your throat. “You’re breathing down my neck.”

Quicker than ever, Aaron backed away, clearing his throat as well.

You frowned, your attention now fully on him. “Martin Johnson, described as a family man, always talked about them in work when given the chance. But…”

Aaron looked over at you. “But?”

“They all recently passed. Car accident. Johnson was the only survivor.”

“How many people in his family?”

Your frowned deepened as the dot began to connect in your mind. “Four. His wife…two daughters…and a son.”

“Matches our victims.”

You looked up at Aaron. “He’s recreating his own family.”

Aaron fell silent in agreement. "Do you have an address?"

You nodded your head wordlessly. "Printing off his information now."

"Good, we need to get this back to the rest of my team as soon as possible."

He left your side as you waited by the printer and found himself lingering by the door to your office. His eyes trailed around the room, taking it in again. On a small side table, he saw a collection of pictures in frames of your family.

His face remained stoic, but he could feel the ghost of a smile creeping on his face seeing the pictures of you so happy.

However as his eyes dusted over each one, they snagged on something else: a slip of paper. It looked worn and old. Crumpled, folded, and possibly even cried on, multiple times over.

He would have passed it up had it not been for the pretty handwriting marking it.

'Aaron,' it read.

Instinctively, he grasped it. He held it with so much care, so much cautiousness as if it was to crumble in his hands.

He moved to open it, but it left his hands so quickly, snatched away by you.

"Don't touch my things," you grumbled, storming past him. "C'mon I have the information, we need to get back."

How could things have gone so wrong so quickly?

It was barely even half an hour ago that Aaron Hotchner decided to unturn the memories of a night you didn't ever want to touch again.

It seemed so major in those moments, but now, staring down the barrel of an unsub's gun, you found yourself rethinking every single decision you've ever made.

"Johnson." Your voice wavered as you released your gun from the holster, holding it in the air to show you meant no harm. "You don't want to do this."

"Don't tell me what I want!" His eyes were crazed and rimmed red. They shot all over the place, at the officers, the guns. At Aaron.

The fear clouding Aaron’s eyes squeezed at your heart. No one else could see it, but you did. You always did.

Finally, Martin looked back at you.

"All of you! Abandoned me! When I needed it most!"

"Johnson," an officer barked. "Back away fro—,"

"Get away," Martin screamed, stepping even closer to you, the gun pointed at the bridge of your nose. "Or I will shoot."

"No one is going to shoot, Martin," your words came out in a single breath. Despite the way your hands trembled so furiously, your voice never wavered. "I promise you, just put the gun down."

You saw the hesitation in his stance now. "My family was hurt," he cried. "No one helped me. I put them back together and no one helped me. And now! Now you just want to tear them away from me!"

"Martin."

Your eyes fell away from the man at the sound of a new voice. His voice.

"You didn't get the help you needed before, but we can help your family now. We can't do anything unless you put the gun down."

Everything slowed down in your eyes. You watched as Martin lowered the gun. No longer aimed between your eyes, you slowly let your arms fall to your side. Your attention fell to Aaron and you found a semblance of peace in the center of chaos.

It was calming.

You didn’t realize how much you yearned for that specific kind of peace. That kind of peace that only came from him.

But as quickly as that peace came, it washed away.

You saw the anger in Smith when he first heard the news of his pregnant wife's disappearance. You saw the anger in his eyes when you released him from the case. You saw the anger that burned away at his face when you threatened to withhold his gun.

Yet you never did. You should have taken it. Maybe that would have saved you.

You didn't know where or who the gunshots came from, but you know one of them hit you. You didn't know if you'd live or die, but you knew that between the stress of this case, the resurfaced emotions brought up from seeing Aaron again, and the impact of the gun, your body gave in.

The last thing you saw before it all went black was Aaron.

What a beautiful sight it was.

Aaron stayed by your side the entire time. He never left until he was absolutely forced to. Even then, he couldn’t find it in himself to be very far.

“How’s it looking,” Derek asked Rossi once he finally arrived to the hospital.

“l/n will be okay. Bullet only came in through the shoulder, so it’s a quick recovery.”

Morgan crossed his arms, leaning on the wall next to Rossi. “And Hotch?”

“What about him?”

Derek looked at the man further down the hall. His hands was clasped into each other and his knee bounced repeatedly as he recited unheard words to himself over and over.

“You’re kidding right?”

Rossi spared the man another glance, letting out a deep sigh. “I think he’ll be okay.”

“Are you Aaron Hotchner?”

Hotch doesn’t think he’s ever moved so fast, but he was on his feet quicker than he could even process his actions. “I- yes—that’s. That’s me.”

The nurse smiled softly. “She’s asking for you.”

Rossi could help but let out a chuckle watching Aaron hesitate before opening the door.

No words could sum up what Aaron felt. He supposed fear would be an appropriate word, but it wasn’t all fear. He felt as if an accumulation of all of his life choices waited behind that door.

In a way, it was.

With a final anxious breath, he pushed the door open.

On the other side, there he saw you. You looked oddly uncomfortable. You squirmed in your hospital bed and chewed on your fingernails as you waited for him. And when you saw him, you sat up straight and cleared your throat awkwardly, almost presenting yourself to him.

It reminded Aaron so much of when he first met you. That authoritative Chief of police personality had faded away into this. Something so vulnerable and fragile.

“Aaron…hi.” Your voice was so soft now.

“Hi.” His sigh died upon his lips when he saw you. “Can I…,” he motioned for the chair next to you.

“You don’t have to ask to sit Aaron.” You couldn’t help but breathe out a laugh, but that smile faded just as quick as it came, pain shooting up your arm.

“Don’t hurt yourself trying to make me laugh.”

You watched him as he pulled a chair up to your bed. You couldn’t help but notice the way your hand twitched, almost as if he was holding himself back from grasping your own. Well the one that wasn’t tied back by a sling.

The two of you sat in silence, the both waiting of the other to say something.

You invited him in with hope the words would magically come to you, but you felt the seconds tick by and all you did was get lost in his eyes.

His eyes were brown, but to you it never felt like just brown. It was that gentle shade that for a major portion of your life, you felt so much solace in.

Painfully, your eyes broke away from his saddening ones.

“I…I don’t know how to do this.”

You didn’t see it, but you could practically feel the way Aaron’s eyebrows dipped down in confusion.

“Do what?”

“This,” you tossed your free hand up in exasperation and glared at the fabric of your blanket. “I—, I had so many things I wanted to tell you, I need to tell you but…I don’t even know which words to start with.”

You didn’t know what to expect from him. Some part of him expected you to walk away like you did him, but instead, you found his warm grasp engulfing your own.

He held your hand with such a gentle hold, you couldn’t help but squeeze it to ensure it was really there. Your eyes moved up slowly, meeting his with hesitance and when you finally met his devastating browns, your heart broke for the thousandth time that day.

“I think you already know the words you need to say.”

He didn’t have to say its name for you to know what he was talking about. You bit the inside of your cheek and nodded to bag where your clothes would be.

Wordlessly, Aaron let his hand abandon yours to stand. You watched him sift through your things until he pulled out that infamous piece of notebook paper from your abandoned pant pocket.

He moved at an unbearable pace back to you, gave the note a once over, and passed the paper to you.

Back in your hands, you had this great urge to burn it, or throw it, or drown it away so you’d never have to face it. But you knew that it wouldn’t matter anyways.

“You know,” you breathed out. “You’d laugh but I think I’ve read this so many times, I think I memorized it. I-,” your voice cracked, tears found themselves fight their way to the surface. “I don’t think I even need this.” You waved the note in the air before letting it slap down onto your leg.

“I’m not forcing you to read this,” he reassured, placing a tentative hand on your knee. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Yes, I do.” Your words came quick. You weren’t sure about much anymore but you were sure about this at the very least. “You deserve an explanation for why I left. Why I really left.”

You didn’t open the note. You didn’t even touch it. Instead, you found a sense of fleeting comfort in staring into the empty space between Aaron and the door.

“Aaron,” you recited. “I feel like I need to preface this by telling you that I don’t expect some grand response out of this. I don’t expect you to feel obligated in reciprocating my feelings and I certainly don’t expect you to feel the need to choose anything.

I’m telling you this because I consider you my best friend and I believe, best friends do not and should not lie to each other. I can’t live with this weighing on me anymore and that is why I’m telling you this.

I…love you Aaron Hotchner.

I love you in a way a best friend shouldn’t love a best friend. And it hurts.”

You didn’t even notice the tears now streaming down your cheeks until a sob broke free from your breath. Your unopened letter laid free on your lap now as you moved to wipe your tears.

“It hurts so much, but I need you to know this because last night was a mistake. Not because I hated every moment of it, I didn’t.

It was a mistake because I’ve been lying to you. It was a mistake because I, as a best friend was supposed to help you grieve your breakup with Haley. Not throw myself at you in a moment of vulnerability.

I’m telling you this in hopes of moving past this because in the end, if I were to do something stupid, something I truly regret, I fear that I’d lose you and that…that would probably break me beyond repair.”

Through your own tears, you realized you had managed to successfully avoid Aaron’s eyes for the entirety of your monologue.

“How ironic of me,” you attempted to laugh off when the silence was just too much to bear.

“You’re doing it again,” Aaron noted.

You stopped yourself, looking down and then back at him. “I know.”

You watched as he process everything he heard. He blinked once. Then twice. Let out a breath of air and let his brows sink barely half an inch lower. “Do you know what I’ve always admired about you?”

This caught your attention.

“What?”

“You’ve always been so selfless. You worried so much about the happiness of others and it shined through in your best moments.”

It was now your turn to shake your head in confusion. “I don’t un—,”

“Please. Let me finish.”

“Sorry…”

You felt his hand leave your knee and find your hand once more. “But, it’s also always been your downfall. You’re so selfless, you forget to put yourself first. It always killed me to see you do it but I never said anything about it because I was young and stupid…”

You moved to disagree with that but he shot you a knowing look.

“I know things now that I wish I had half a brain to fathom then.”

He took your hand and joined it with his other do that now your hand fully disappeared into his own. “More than half of those things are how I feel about you. Us”

Your brows dipped down in vulnerability. “Us?”

“Yes. Us. I don’t know where we stand nor do I know where we go from here, but I know I’d rather figure it out with you in my life than acting like I never knew you at all. Because I love you.”

A final tear fell upon your smiling lips. “You love me?”

“Always.”

taglist: @mackannkees @gghostwriter @person-005

A/N: This is my first criminal minds fic so PLEASE leave criticism, I wanna know how I can improve

[incendiobrock]

Baby Girl {Matt Sturniolo}

Request: Linked here! (My requests are OPEN please send me some!!)

Prompt(s): failed cooking/baking attempt

Warnings: mentions of giving birth (cryptic pregnancy), language

A/N: I'm so bad at writing anything to do with pregnancy but I tried my best to do this imagine some justice LMAO

Chris and Nick sat at the kitchen table as you were at the stove top trying to fix some lunch for the three of you. Your boyfriend Matt was currently out of the house for a modeling campaign which left the three of you hungry and without a car. Everything had been irritating you as of lately. It was like any minor inconvenience felt like the end of the world, bringing you to tears.

You had already felt agitated when Matt had to leave for work, wanting nothing more than to spend the day cuddled up with him in bed. Now, you were on the verge of tears as you tried to pull together making this lunch. Nick and Chris were joking around and laughing oblivious to your stress as you huffed over the pan, realizing that you had burnt the chicken you had been searing.

"Fuck." You cussed under your breath, taking the pan off the heat and looking at the chicken that was burnt to a crisp on one side. You went to pick up the tongs that were sitting on the side of the kitchen counter but your hand accidentally bumped it wrong, causing them to drop to the ground. That was your last straw, tears fell from your eyes as you stared at the tongs that were now on the dirty kitchen floor.

"Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" Nick asked you, finally noticing that something was up. The kitchen chair screeched against the hardwood flooring as he stood up to come over to your side. Chris was getting up too, noticing the disaster you had created in the pan.

"No, I'm not alright! I burnt the fucking chicken and dropped the tongs on the ground!" You lashed out, covering your eyes with your hands out of frustration. "It's alright, it really isn't that burnt." Chris said, rubbing your upper back and trying to comfort you.

All of a sudden you felt sick to your stomach, becoming dizzy. You gripped onto the counter as you tried to steady yourself from swaying. There were stars clouding your vision and you instantly started to feel hot and sweaty. "I don't feel good..." You mumbled, dropping yourself down to your knees as you tried to steady your heavy breathing. Next thing you knew you felt the most intense pain in your lower abdomen, almost like a bad period cramp.

"Oh my god! What's happening?" Nick questioned, dropping down to your level so he could try to figure out what was wrong.

"I think I need to go to the hospital." You groaned, clutching at your stomach as the nausea continued to wash over you. "Call Matt!" Nick yelled, directing Chris to get ahold of your boyfriend. With shaky hands, Chris brought his phone up to his ear, listening to the dial tone.

"He's not answering!" Chris panicked, trying to figure out what to do next. Chris ended up calling Matt three more times, getting sent to voicemail every one of them. Eventually, Nick had resorted to calling an ambulance which had picked you all up within twenty minutes. Nick and Chris had to wait outside of your room as you were being examined.

The nurses were taking a look at you while asking you a bunch of questions about your symptoms.

"And are you sexually active?" One of the ladies asked, taking a look at her computer screen as she recorded all of your data. You shook your head yes as another wave of sharp pains hit your abdomen.

"Is there any chance you could be pregnant?" She asks, causing you to widen your eyes. Now that you thought about it, it was strange how emotional you had been feeling for the past few months. Not to mention the spurts of nausea you would feel throughout the day, especially when you would think about a specific food you didn't like. But you had never considered the fact that you could be pregnant, still experiencing your period every month. The nurse pulled out the ultrasound machine, taking a look at your belly and confirming that you were indeed pregnant. A cryptic pregnancy is what they called it and it was pretty rare.

You experienced some hormonal changes and sickness, but your period was always regular and you never had a baby belly so this was a complete shock to you. The nurse warned you that the baby would be coming within the next few hours and you went ahead and accepted the epidural.

After an hour and a half, dealing with contractions, the delivery was about to begin. Matt still hadn't made it there and you were starting to get nervous that he was going to miss the birth entirely. Neither of you had planned or even really talked about getting pregnant, so you also hoped that this wouldn't complete destroy your three year long relationship. Matt wanted to be a dad eventually, but right now you were both still young and he was fully invested in work.

---

"Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl who is completely healthy." The doctor said to you, passing you the newborn who was bundled up in a blanket. As you looked down at the baby, taking note of the fact that she had Matt's bright blue eyes, the door to your hospital room flung open. Startled, you glanced over at the doorway seeing Matt at the entrance, Chris and Nick standing timidly behind him.

"Baby... I'm so sorry I'm late!" Matt apologized, rushing to your side. The nerves rushed over you again as you waited for him to take a look at the baby you had brought into the world. He leaned over the bed, pressing a long, sweet kiss to your forehead. "I'm a dad?" He asked softly, smiling at the sleeping baby. You let out a laugh of relief as you nodded in response to his question. Chris and Nick were still frozen in the doorway until Matt ushered them over, "Guys, come look at my two beautiful girls."

All three of them looked at your baby girl with awe, any doubts you had now long gone. You knew from that moment forward this baby was going to be the most spoiled, and loved from three of the most amazing people in your life.

[juice-plums]

The Steamy Exchange

Marvin Milk x !Busty woman! reader

Warnings: The ‘Work’ wife, Pussy eating, Hot Missionary position, Doggy style, Seduced by him, Butcher this, Homelander that, you guys really need to take dick from a real man and start talking about HIM

His wife Monique was always suspicious about you from the start, You were just an overall caring person to everyone in the boys, especially to Marvin, since his marriage with Monique was failing he wanted to explore further with you, You were kind and warm to him, giving him uplifting support, even there when he was in the hospital, now it was late, you were still working on your computer for potential blackmail for The Boys, doing your part for the group gathering every nasty detail to blackmail The Seven, he had came in with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine, he cleared his throat to get your attention, you innocently looked up at him

“Oh hey, you”

You warmly greeted, your presence warm and inviting, he always liked that about you, No matter how brutal The boys and plus you wore a super hot office siren look to the hideout, a nice white button down that accentuated your ample bosom and a short, black pencil skirt, made you look professional and sexy, you were always smiles, he gave you a smile back, walking closer to you as you continued to sit in your chair

“Hey,..I thought you went home”

He says, his voice raspy and sexy, you didn’t want to admit it but you loved his voice, you could listen to him for hours if he talked that long, you giggled, adjusting your blouse slightly as he took a seat next to you

“I’m still here, Can never get enough of this”

You admit, smiling at him, he gave you a smile back, his buff body showed as he laid back in the chair, you smelled his cologne, he fogged up your senses slightly, making you lose focus, the atmosphere kind of romantic

“You know I worry about you, you’re like the first hardworking woman I ever met,..and you don’t rest

He replied, looking at you, setting the champagne on your desk, you adoringly smiled at him, playfully nudging your high heeled toe on his knee, giggling softly

“You shouldn’t worry about me”

You said, full of love and companionship, smiling at him, you liked how chill he was with his style, the gold chain was really what set if off, you couldn’t help but look at his buff arms,he poured you a glass of red wine, and handed you the cup, you took the glass and adoringly smiled at him

“what’s the occasion?”

You warmly asked, sipping the wine, you could never say no to a rich drink that made you look and feel expensive, Marvin had looked at you, his eyes roaming your face, he took a sip of his own wine e in his wine glass

“You’re beautiful”

He said, his eyes were a sexy stoic expression, you adoringly smile, playfully giggling softly, he gave you tons of compliments but he’s never commented on your looks, not like this, were we are both drinking wine

“whatever Marvin”

you warmly say, rolling your eyes, making him chuckle and sipped more wine, the thick, rich wine really letting the both of you let loose, you moved closer so that your knees are touching softly, he felt a zing as your bodies make contact, he stared at you and your figure

“We’ve been dancing around something, I mean we’ve been friends for a long time, I practically know everything about you”

He began, You sipped your wine, chuckling softly, you stare at him, your eyes half lidded with slight tipsy, making you bite your lower lip softly, he sipped his wine as he stared at you,

“That’s true, you’ve been there for me for as long as I could remember”

You warmly respond, adoringly smiling at him, he chuckled, his hand going in your knee, he softly rubbed making your breath hitch softly from his warm and inviting touch, you looked at his hand and looked at him, his touch invited

“what are you doing?”

You flirty ask, adoringly staring at him some more, he leaned in softly to you, his cologne mixed with your sweet perfume clouded around the both of you, his hand trailed up higher

“I was just wondering something,…why ain’t you ever try to kiss me?”

He asked, you sipped more wine, giggling, allowing his touch, you gaze at him, the atmosphere sexy and warm, his breath mingling with yours, you stare at each other

“they’re tons of reasons why I never tried”

You respond, smiling, he chuckled, that was so you, so modest, you had no idea how sexy and beautiful you are to him how breathtakingly gorgeous you are, you could basically get any man, you are his work wife, he definitely saw you like that,..he tryna make you his real wife, the way he was staring at you made your heart beat, before you could say anything, you passionately kissed his lips

his eyes widening from your surprise kiss, the taste of cheap, red wine on both your tongues, he groans, grabbing your ass softly and deeply kissed you back, his eyes shutting as you swirled your tongues around in the passionate kiss, the kiss making your head swirl and softly moan, your hands eagerly holding his neck, your combined breathless moans filled the room, the quiet room in the new hideout for The Boys

He seductively lays you down on the desk, you both never breaking eye contact, you passionately tongue kissed him as he pulled down your pencil skirt his thick fingers fondling your panty-clad clit making you gasp and spread your legs further for him, he grinned, dropping your panties in one swoop, he then unzipped his pants, revealing his 10 inch, thick, throbbing cock to you, he had a bush and a happy trail, you gasp, licking your lips at the delicious sight of his uncircumcised cock, you felt your walls flutter in arousal

“That’s,…gonna go in me?”

you asked him, biting your lower lip, God he was so hung, took your breath away slightly, he chuckled, giving his cock a few strokes in his fist, his cock drooled more for you, your legs trembled softly

“Yes,..but first”

He says, lowering himself so he facing forward your pussy, he intimately sucked and slurped your pussy making you softly moan, softly throwing your head back on the desk, he groped your breasts as he lapped his thick tongue against your folds

“Ahhh,..Ahh,..Aahhh~”

You softly moan, your eyes fluttered closed, you never been eaten out before, and he could tell, he could tell you were enjoying having you pussy ate up, he made a mental note to eat your pussy whenever he can, your breasts jiggled as you softly pant and moan, he spat on your pussy and continued to feast like a starving man his face practically buried into your folds, you mind in a hazy lust as you looked down at him eating your pussy, he made sexy eye contact with you, as his limber tongue flicked against your pussy folds

“Such a delicious pussy..it’s all mine”

He seductively murmured, he sucked your pearl before getting back up, you softly whine, your tingly pussy now nothing, he grinned looking down at you whine, his raging and thick cock twitched as he positioned his puffy cock tip at the entrance of your pussy, you gasp, covering your mouth, and he thrusted balls deep, all 10 inches in one thrust, you yelp, holding onto him, he held you, holding still so your pussy will adjust

You sharply gasp as his cock shaped your walls, he kissed along your neck to soothe you, then after a few moments you were softly moaning his name, your hands on his back

“Marvin,,..Marvin…You can move now”

You softly moaned, he grabbed your waist and slammed into your pussy with no hesitation, making you loudly moan in surprise and held onto him, the desk creaking hard as he thrusts, his cock hitting all the sweet spots that made your see stars, your felt him in your stomach, making your eyes clamp shut

“don’t stop, I’ll give crazy if you stop, fill me up, make me yours all fucking yours”

You babble, locking your legs around his waist, he loudly grunted, thrusting faster and deeper, slapping sounds filled the room, you passionately kissed his lips, clamping your pussy up as your tongues swirled around each other’s, the two of you at it like a pack of wolves at each other, your mind hazy and lustful, barely coming up with sentences or thoughts, only his cock stuffing your pretty pussy up

“This pussy is mine and you’re gonna fucking enjoy every inch of my cock”

he dominantly grunted, then harshly turning you onto you stomach, grabbing your ass in the air, and started to fuck you from behind, the new position hitting even more spots you didn’t know you had, you arched your spine, and he spanked your rump meanly and harshly, the spanks jolted through your body making the experience more pleasurable and downright addicting

He groaned and growled, fucking your pussy stupid without any restraint, only your pussy tightening around his cock, you held onto to edge of the table, you were straight up screaming in ecstasy

“yeah, fuck this pussy, fuck this pussy, oh god, I love you so much”

You whine babble, as he bottomed his big cock in and out, the desk straight up crying and bending, his eyes rolling back as his guides your ass up and down on his juicy cock

“Oh fuuuck, YEAH”

He breathlessly groaned, slamming into her pussy and cumming instantly into her pussy, his hot, scalding cum invaded her womb and walls, painting her insides, she blissfully screams, her pussy fluttering and creamed on his cumming cock, he breathlessly groaned and pants loudly, spanking your rump in appreciation, making you breathlessly giggle

Yes, you were his work wife, you were his lover, The lingering eye contact and soft secret kisses, In the night hard, rough sex in his bedroom in his home, You two just loved the thrill of sneaking around, besides,…Monique already signed the papers

A/n: As you guys can tell, I couldn’t stand Monique in the show

[phonesuite]

Implementing a Unified Communication System in a hotel phone system streamlines guest services, enhances staff efficiency, and improves the establishment of various communication services using a single interface. Learn More....

[jooillusion]

helloo~! This was a random 2am thought but what would ot6 reaction be to an unexpected/unplanned pregnancy? They could be married / only dating. Let your mind wander 💗

pregnancy ft. ot6 <3

warnings: unplanned pregnancy, brief mention of vomiting in jiseok’s, a little angsty in hyeongjun’s

lets say you and your boyfriend have been dating for a little over a year. condoms weren’t used after your one year anniversary.

now what did 99% of fic writers tell you about unprotected sex? yeah reader isn’t on birth control now you’re on the way home back from the hospital after feeling too sick. turns out you were completely unaware of being one month pregnant and you don’t even know how you’re going to break the news to your boyfriend. the urge to throw up was even more stronger when you heard your boyfriend walk through the door.

“what’s wrong babe?” he’d ask. his ability to automatically sense your anxious state almost brings you to tears. you bit your lip, avoiding eye contact and blinking once more before your eyes finally meet his.

“i’m not sick because of a stomach bug,” you’d start, eyes closing to avoid seeing his reaction. it was already far too late to abort, so you had no choice but to let him know. “i’m sick because i’m pregnant.”

꩜ G. GUNIL

you’re startled when you feel gunil’s arms wrapped around you, lifting you up off of the ground and spinning you around. elated doesn’t even describe him right now, he feels as if he’s on cloud nine. little did you know, he was ready to take the next step into your relationship and the thought of creating something so beautiful with you truly warms his heart. he can’t wait to be stuck to your side like glue, taking care of you every single second of the day.

꩜ K. JUNGSU

you hear the audible gasp leave jungsu’s lips, and you’re ready for the words of he’s not ready to be a father yet. instead, you’re met with a loud screech? jungsu can’t stop himself from moving, punching the air in excitement and jumping up and down a few times before gathering himself. he clears his throat, “oh, you’re pregnant? cool.” and you find yourself smiling at his actions. he’s already boasting about how excited he is for the upcoming months, hoping and praying for a son.

꩜ K. JISEOK

Jiseok’s mind fogs for a second. his warm palm on your cheek is the next thing you feel, leaning into it as he looks you in the eyes with a caring smile. the announcement doesn’t click until ten minutes later when you’re puking in a toilet again and he’s holding your hair back for you, cooing into your ear about how he’s ready to take care of you and your little one. once you’re done, he’s already discussing baby names and suggesting pregnancy food combinations that he tried and were good.

꩜ O. SEUNGMIN

just like gunil, seungmin is immediately holding you in his arms and spinning you around. he sets you on your two feet, “wait i’ll be right back.” and he disappears into your shared bedroom down the hall. a minute and a half later he comes back with a slightly worn out notebook. “i’ve had this since i was fifteen. i’ve always wanted to be a dad so…” the notebook is filled with baby names, both for boys and girls. you flip through it, not even noticing that he’s on his computer already shopping for a crib and clothes.

꩜ H. HYEONGJUN

hyeongjun’s words are caught in his throat. the uncomfortable silence lasts for too long, long enough to bring you to tears and storm off into your shared bedroom. hyeongjun follows behind you, seeing you crying in your hands which shatters his heart into pieces. he pulls you into a hug, kissing your forehead and trying to get you to calm down, whispering that he’s actually happy about it, just anxious about when the time comes to give birth and promises that he’ll be the best father for you guys’ baby. after you’ve calmed down, he’s preparing you your favorite meal while you’re laying in bed.

꩜ L. JOOYEON

“wait, really?!” you’re not sure if it’s out of annoyance, happiness, or if he was genuinely surprised due to his accent, but the tears that have welled up in your eyes finally slip out and jooyeon is panicking. his warm palms find your shoulders, “why’re you crying, babe? aren’t you excited to have a mini us running around?!” he says excitedly, wiping your tears. “maybe we could name he or she after Luke hyung.” you can’t help but smile, your tears of sadness shifting into tears of joy.

i giggled at the end LOLOL i’m sorry i saw an opportunity and TOOK IT 😭

please remember that this is a pure work of fiction.

[masa-yoshi-dan]

Ensemble Stars!! x Pokemon || Stramaker Production

Masterlist || Cosmic Production || Rhytm Link || New Dimension || Others

fine

Eichi: Togekiss. Blissey. Clefairy Wataru: Togetic. Pidove. Meowscarada. Mime Jr.  Tori: Togetic. Stufful. Teddiursa Yuzuru: Togetic. Indeedee. Minccino. Budew.

One of the Fine’s images are feathers. So I searched for elegant (white or ivory) flying-types. Decision for between Swanna and Altaria. Altaria felt more fitting with singing themes in it. But. It does not have feathers; its wings are clouds. But then I looked more and decided on Togekiss. It’s based on doves, snowy owls and angels. Also, it has the ability Serene grace. Y’know, like Angelic Grace.

Eichi did not have Pokemons until he got out of the hospital. Eichi has bad health, so I wanted to give him pokemon to help with this. Choice was between Blissey and Audino. Both are about health and partner for Nurse Joy. Even though Audino is more graceful and its mega evolution has some resemblance to angels. All its descriptions are about hearing. Blissey is all about health and care. Also, Blissey are rare, so a wealthy family would get one. Eichi has been compared to the constellation Orion, and it became a motif for FS1, so I wanted to give him a star-based pokemon. Staryu does not really fit him, so I decided on Clefairy.

Togekiss is the only white dove-based pokemon. Pidove, despite having “dove” in its name, is pigeon. But I have no other options. He does have multiple of them. For his theatrical side, I went with Mime Jr. and Meowscarada. Meowscarada is a talented magician. Mime jr. is more whimsical and looks more like a clown or a jester than Mr.Mime (and I just don't really like Mr.Mime).

Tori likes stuffed toys, so Stufful was an immediate choice. Also, it works perfectly with them both being cute but also pretty capable and talented. Tori has a brown Teddy Bear, so Teddiursa goes.

Yuzuru is a butler, so Indeedee was first thought. Yuzuru likes cleaning and tidying up, so Minccino was an opinion for this. Yuzuru picked up gardening and got Budew, which had not evolved yet.

Trickstar

Hokuto: Starmie. Staravia. Gallade. Subaru: Staryu. Growlithe. Murkrow. Luxio Makoto: Staryu. Porygon. Rotom. Mao: Staryu. Espeon. Lilligant (hisuian).

Trickstar’s symbols are trickster and stars. Closest to trickster in pokemon is ability “Prankster”, but no pokemon fits Trickstar. So the choice was among star-based pokemons. Staryu looked more fitting. 

Staravia is a gift by Seiya who has Staraptor. Hidaka means “ice” and “hawk, falcon” and might be referenced to “The Nighthawk Star”. Staraptor line is based on predator birds (mostly hawks and falcons) and has “star” in all their names. Gallade is for Hokuto being “prince”. I wanted to give him Ceruledge instead due to Gallade being reserved for another unit, but it's so not prince-like.

Growlithe = Daikichi. The only shiba-inu-based pokemon is Okidogi, which is not only legendary but also evil. “It has body count” type of evil. So I had to look for other dog pokemons. Growlithe looks similar and friendly enough to work instead. Murkrow loves shiny objects, just like Subaru. Subaru hates dark places, so I gave him Luxio, which can luminate dark places (can learn move Flash) and has a star on its tail. Luxio is not a dog, so I could not use it as Daikichi. Subaru likes shiny things, so he can have a full shiny team.

Makoto is all about gaming and technology, so Porygon and Rotom both were a choice for different reasons each. Porygon is a virtual pokemon who lives in virtual reality. So it’s mostly just in PCs. Rotom can possess appliances and electronic devices. So Rotom can be helpful for him in various occasions, like going into computer, phone or camera, etc.

Mao was kind of hard for me to pick. There’s not much to pick from. Mao is sometimes described as a magician, so I decided to give him Espeon. It's psychic-type and pretty simple. Mao likes dancing, so I went with Hisuian Lilligant. The only other dancing pokemon is Meloetta, which is mythical.

RUYSEITAI

Chiaki: Minior. Blaziken. Vulpix Kanata: Minior. Frillish. Squirtel. Lanturn. Palafin. Tetora: Minior. Incineroar. Sawk Midori: Minior. Leafeon. Bulbasaur. Chikorita. Shinobu: Minior. Ninjask. Croagunk. Greninja.

First I was looking for super sentai or power rangers—like pokemon. But then I remembered that another RUYSEITAI’s theme is meteors. And Minior became the perfect choice. It has multiple colors for each member. There’s no actual black one for Tetora, but shiny is black! Also, now there’s no single leader, so a no-evolution line with no super forms (mega or g-max) works best.

Chiaki is very passionate about the color red, so I had to make all of his red. His introduction as Ryusei Red has "The red flames are the proof of justice!” so it must’ve been red and/or fire type. Blaziken was an immediate choice. It can also mega evolve. In the anime Mega Blaziken was protector of Kalos in ownership by Meyer. Armarouge was another choice, but it’s more yellow, despite pokedex color being red. Vulpix became the second choice. I think super protective over juniors Chiaki, having a not-evolved little guy cute and kinda fitting.

Kanata likes blue and loves the ocean, so blue water-type it is! His FS2 is based on jellyfish, so Frillish. He likes stuffed turtles so Squirtle. His last name means “deep sea” so Lanturn, who lives deep underwater (also it has a hero-like face mask). And Palafin, who looks like a normal dolphin but actually a hero. Like Kanata being actually stupid strong.

Tetora is Ruysei Black but like the color red and his Ryusei introduction references black flames. So Incineroar was the first choice. Also it’s based on a tiger and pre-evo has “tora” in its name. It would be perfect if Inceneroar was karate based, not wrestler. For karate i chose Sawk.

Midori likes greenery and cute mascots where the species is unclear. So Leafeon it is! Eeveelutions are pokemon’s second mascots at this point and they’re designed to look like a dog/cat/fox/rabbit all at once. Surprisingly, there’s not many veggie-based pokemons. So I went with starter pokemons that looked plant -enough: Bulbasaur and Chikorita (pokedex classifies it as green). They also work with “species is unclear”. Is Bulbasaur a frog or turtle? What is Chikorita?

Shinobu is Ryusei yellow and ninja so I was looking among that. Ninjask is based on ninja technique and yellow. Croagunk is used by ninja trainers. Greninja is also based on ninja and its category is ninja pokemon. And with that I cover his two pet frogs. Accelgor is also based on ninja, but doesn't really feel like Shinobu’s pokemon. 

Alkaloid

Hiiro: Nidoqueen. Dragonair. Gyarados. Turogue. Aira: Nidorina. Sylveon. Luvdisc. Swoobat. Mayoi: Nidorina. Shuppet. Umbreon. Gastly. Tatsumi: Nidorina. Hatenna. Maushold.

Alkaloid has multiple themes to look into: medicine/toxin, cards and keys. There’s no card-based pokemons. Galarian Wheezing is the only poison-type who is not just poisonous/toxic. And Klefki is the only key pokemon. In the end I went with Nidiqueen. Queen like in cards, it's blue like a unit color, it’s defensive more than offensive, i have no other options, i am working on it for hours already…

Hiiro had only Dratini before MDM and Hiiro started learning more about the world. Dratini evolved after the main story. I picked Dragonair line as a “village ruler’s family has that pokemon”. Hiiro is good at martial arts so went with Tyrogue for him. Who knows what it evolved into. For Hiiro learning world around I thought about pokemon which can easily be found. So Magicarp which already evolved into Gyarados. He's a fast learner (It can also symbolize Hiiro being called dumb in the village and now blooming into a strong idol).

Aira had an Eevee which evolved into Sylveon. Sylveon was introduced in France-based region and evolves from affection/friendship. Aira’s catchphrase is “Love”/”Rabu” so I went with Lovedisc and Swoobat. There’s not much pokemon that symbolizes love, btw (why Luvdisc is not fairy-type?).

Mayoi has association with phantom and ghost and likes cute things. So I gave him Shuppet, Gastly and Umbreon. Shuppet is described to feed on negative emotions which helps people. Umbreon is dark and evolves with friendship. Gastly has been shown to be able to move through the walls and can help Mayoi to escape unwanted social interactions with gas.

Tatsumi was kinda hard. The only religion pokemon in-universe gods (god of sea, god of time etc) and THE God. So no pokemon for this. One of Tatsumi's specialties is sixth sense, and pokemon have the ability “anticipation”. Hattena prefers to be with calm people and can have that ability. Tatsumi likes to do house chores and Mausihold is the only pokemon that can learn move Tidy up through level up. And it's a family of four, like, y’know, Alkaloid.

[liaromancewriter]

The Glasses Effect

Premise: Cassie can’t get enough of seeing Ethan with his glasses on.

Fandom: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 610

A/N: I'm baaaccckkkk! I've been thinking of writing this fic for ages. Finally found the time.

Intern year. Somewhere over South Carolina, 30,000 feet up.

It really was unfair. No man should be that handsome. His smile—when he bothered to show one—was already dangerous; his amused smirk, downright lethal. But when he slipped on his glasses, her ovaries melted.

Was it possible to get kicked out of the residency program for lusting after her boss? And if so, could she plead her case on the grounds of Dr. Ramsey’s effortless charm and the undeniable, climax-inducing effect of his glasses?

Cassie Valentine could already picture Harper’s reaction if she tried to use that excuse to justify her inappropriate behavior. Then again, given that the other woman had been his on-again, off-again lover for years, maybe she’d sympathize with her plight.

Because really, could anyone ever fully recover from witnessing Ethan Ramsey in glasses?

The way his blue eyes looked larger, perhaps even more intense behind the lenses, the dark ring around his pupils standing out in sharp relief. And how, for those few fleeting seconds after he removed his glasses, his gaze was mouthwateringly unfocused before snapping back to its usual laser-sharp intensity.

She knew he only wore glasses when reading or working on the computer. And she’d been lucky enough to catch him doing both. Like now.

After the flight attendant cleared their breakfast trays, Ethan pulled out a thick book from his carry-on—a historical nonfiction tome with a staid cover—and slipped on his glasses. He was so engrossed in his reading that Cassie felt safe stealing glances at him.

She furtively studied his profile in the seat beside her, the hum of the plane’s engine masking the rat-a-tat of her heartbeat. They were halfway to Miami, and she really needed a new hobby — one that didn’t involve fantasizing about joining the Mile High Club with the unattainable man next to her.

“Something wrong, Rookie?”

Cassie jolted, shaking off the lustful thoughts clouding her brain. Caught staring, she felt the heat creep up her neck as she met Ethan’s puzzled gaze.

Omigodomigodomigod. This could not be fucking happening to her!

“No, Dr. Ramsey.” Cassie shook her head, her voice husky as she swallowed the lump in her throat. When he continued staring at her, she knew he didn’t believe her. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I was just wondering who’s looking after Dr. Banerji while you’re away.”

Peering over his lenses, Ethan looked amused, most likely at the nervous tremor she hadn’t been able to hide. He seemed to relish the effect he had on hapless interns.

“No one. He’s comfortably ensconced in his brownstone. Why? Did you think he was hidden away in the hospital’s unfinished wing twenty-four-seven?”

Cassie pursed her lips at his wry tone and shrugged. “He’s always there, so, yeah. What else was I supposed to think?”

“He’s been around more lately because we upped his dialysis treatment,” Ethan explained, using his index finger to hold his place in the book. “He needed a break for his body to recover, so this trip was well-timed.”

She nodded, but Ethan didn’t notice, already immersed in his book. Clearly, it was more interesting than talking to her.

Cassie haphazardly pressed buttons on the in-flight entertainment screen, anything to distract herself from him.

Then, suddenly, sunlight streaked across the screen, and there he was — his reflection, glasses and all, staring back at her as he read.

She fervently prayed that he’d keep those glasses off during the rest of their trip. Because if he didn’t, she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions.

Cassie had found her Kryptonite, and it wore glasses.

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

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @jerzwriter @kyra75 @lady-calypso @loreofyore @peonierose @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @snoopdogcone @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[cityzenshark]

Firsts to Grow Up | Humans in the Malto Family

Dorothy “Dot” Malto

The strict and loving matriarch of the Malto family. Dot was once a lieutenant in the U.S army during the Cybertronian war on Earth. Having fought alongside the Autobots and against the Decepticons, her opinions regarding the alien robots depend on them as individuals. But as for her general feelings towards them, she’d rather not be in their vicinity unless necessary. Dot lost a leg from knee down whilst defending civilians during a Decepticon attack. The one who rescued her and delivered her to medical assistance was none other than the now former leader of the Decepticons – Megatron. Fifteen years have passed since their last battle together, Dot and Megatron rarely see each other since. The conspiracies that follow Megatron wherever he goes is a burden that is his alone to bear. As his close friend, Dot will help him should he asks. As a mother and wife, her main priority is her family. The last thing she wants for her children is for them to be involved in the aliens’ politics that took Dot her entire life to get out of. The Terrans’ existence causes a mental war between Dot’s motherhood and her trauma.

.

Alex Malto

A dotting husband to Dot; father to Robby and Mo. Alex has a doctrine in Cybertronian culture and history. During the Cybertronian War on Earth, he was drafted into the Philippines military as a consultant in Cybertron-Earth relations. He and Dot first met during their services in the U.S. The two fell in love fast and got married. When news of Dot’s near fatal injury reached him, Alex left his station to visit her in a hospital at another state -- unbeknownst he would avoid a catastrophe that killed hundreds of his colleagues and refugees. While the catastrophe drastically shifted humanity’s views on Cybertronians, Alex’s boyish admiration of their kind remains. He kept the toys, the comics, and every physical media that promoted the Autobots when he was young. Despite that, he shares Dot’s wishes to stay away from their politics. His profession may force him back but right now, he is a historian teacher in Witwicky’s high school and to his adopted children – the Terrans.

.

Robby Malto

Fourteen-year-old son of Alex and Dot; twin brother to Morgan. Robby grew up in the city and the city life was where he wants his future to be. He had a great reputation at school, has many friends, and won several competitions in robotics and science. However, his dreams crumble when he and his family move to the small town Witwicky, surrounded by mountains, wildlife, and terribly weak internet signal. Robby doesn’t understand his mother. She was partners with Megatron of all Cybertronians, yet she doesn’t see him often nor wants to be around Cybertronians. He doesn’t understand his father. Since he knows so much about the alien robots’ culture, why did he agree with Dot’s decision to not have any involvement with them? He doesn’t understand his twin sister. Mo is at cloud nine since the move. The night crickets doesn’t disturb her sleep, the smell from cows doesn’t bother her, and very oddly, she’s excited about their new school. Robby wished he could wear his headphones and play games until he magically had his old city life back. After he gained the cybersleeves, Robby endures the pain coming from beneath it all while handling the Terrans’ emotional hive mind and his family distancing from him that he is very well aware is his own doing.

.

Morgan “Mo” Malto

Fourteen-year-old daughter of Alex and Dot; twin sister to Robby. While Robby would brood at his desk staring at his computer all day long in their new home, Mo would run free at the wild outdoors. The Malto’s new home in Witwicky is like haven to her. She gets her own room, no vehicles that might run over her, no nosy neighbours, and nature all around her! Mo’s life in the city was lonely. She was an odd one out at school and none appreciated her imaginative personality. Her new school in Witwicky gave her many good friends, and a chance for her to play role-playing board games. The Terrans are a great surprise addition to the new chapter in her life. Mo quickly grows into the role as big sister and learns to understand how the emotional hivemind functions quite fast, though she has no idea how to explain it. She spends most of her free time with the Terrans so whenever they have questions and their parents or their teachers aren’t around, they go to Mo. Despite this, however, Mo desperately wishes to keep her emotions private again. She doesn’t want her siblings to know how bad her period can be, she hates how the Terrans keep guessing her activities at every jolt of emotions, suggesting what she “should” do, and she doesn’t understand why her twin brother keeps pushing her away when she can literally feel him calling for help. Her new home is becoming more hurtful than joyful, but Mo keeps wearing a big smile on her face. For her family’s sake.

.

.

[gnomie-nyx]

So, there's this theory that Jax is an AI, mostly based on his fourth wall-breaking jokes and inexplicable access to room keys. I think that's more to do with his personality of “asshole bugs bunny” than him being a rogue computer program. However, what if all the player characters are AI?

To be clear, I'm not saying that circus residents are lying or that all their memories are fake. There would have been real humans that sat down to log into The Amazing Digital Circus, and Pomni even mentions wearing a headset in the first episode. But unlike current VR gaming, this game can simulate touch and possibly taste. Therefore, it is safe to assume that this game is also using some sort of brain scanning technology, which is typically for the “VR horror” sub-genre. This scan would make it so the player character can physically/emotionally react in real time to the game/other players without the delay of button inputs, thus improving the gameplay’s immersion. I’d imagine that this scan would initially occur when the player starts a new game and begins to design their avatar. Their memories and personality are just data points that this future tech can access and dismiss every time a player loads and saves their game. But what if something goes wrong before the player can save their game?

Here's my main theory: all the characters trapped in Caine’s digital circus are AI copies of real people left unattended by their players. Let's say that the game autosaves when a player spends significant time in character creation but there’s a rare chance that the game crashes before they can finalize their avatar. The aborted avatar’s data could still be saved to the cloud, but inaccessible to the human player as the game didn't technically start yet. This unpaired avatar then heys shoved into some background program with a beta verison of Caine, who gets increasingly frustrated that the “players” won’t log off when they stop having fun. Pomni and the rest are trapped simply because they don't have a physical body that can hit the escape button, let alone a headset to remove. The rarity of this scenario means that unattended avatars only generate sporadically, which is why the circus only has a handful of members instead of being flooded with the game's player base.

This would explain why none of circus residents knew their name; because choosing a name is usually the last step in character creation, and these copies were shunted to the cloud before their avatars were finalized. Not only that, but Caine has trouble differentiating the pcs from the npcs, as they all look like code to him. Now, that could just be a sign of the game master's wear and tear, but let’s not forget that Pomni had the exact same reaction that Gummigoo had when they launched back into the game in episode two, implying that they are on the same level of “realness.” With that said, abstraction may happen the instant a circus resident realizes that their a copy or just a result of their code becoming too muddled to function. I doubt that abstraction is connected to the death of their physical body, because if that was the case Kinger should have abstracted long before Pomni joined the circus. It won't take long for a human to die of thirst, and I don't think medical personnel would care to keep a patient's game system connected on their way to the hospital.

Speaking of which, this theory also explains the lack of response from the outside world. There are no signs of any investigation of some killer video game sending people into vegetative states, because in reality the human players were able to log off with only minor inconvenience. These people carried on with their lives, and maybe even started another game file successfully, unaware that their likeness is being tormented by a demented game master. No one has pulled the plug on Caine’s server because no humans have been harmed, and this glitch might be so infrequent that the programmers failed to notice anything amiss.

Now, what would this mean for the show going forward? Well, we're due for Gummigoo to validate Pomni’s existence like she did for him in episode 2. His appearance in episode 4 confirms that he's a recurring character, so it won't be a stretch for him to slowly regain awareness on his own and maybe figure some things out behind the scenes. If the truth doesn’t break Pomni, then maybe her next step to freedom is to find a way to contact the outside world. Maybe she'll ask the technicians to move them to a different program or just to shut down the server permanently, depending on how dark the story wants to go. There must be some type of internet access if players keep popping in randomly, so maybe if she screams loud enough into the void someone will hear her pleas. That, or the circus keep running unbeknownst to the outside world, its residents stuck in limbo for as long as C&A is still in business.

[mariacallous]

As the Trump administration executes an aggressive deportation campaign across the United States, a growing number of US companies warn that the crackdown could threaten their operations.

Since January, more than 40 companies have mentioned the impact of deportations in filings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, with many saying it could hurt the labor force, increase the risk of a recession, or create more economic uncertainty, according to 74 filings reviewed by WIRED. The impacted industries span a wide cross-section of the US economy, including food production, tech, and construction.

“Many farms employ hard-working, non-criminal employees who have not yet achieved legal citizenship,” reads one filing from ImmuCell, which develops and sells drugs for animals in the beef and dairy industries. “Significant deportations of these individuals could have a negative impact on the operations of our customers and of our source farms.”

It’s highly unusual for companies to mention deportations in filings to the SEC. Between June 2020 and January 2025, just six SEC filings mentioned deportations. From June 2015 to January 2025, that number rose to 22.

Since taking office, however, President Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a cornerstone of his policy agenda. White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work toward a minimum of 3,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants daily, and the agency has been orchestrating raids at workplaces, outside elementary schools, and even inside people’s homes.

The highly visible deportation campaign has sparked nationwide anti-ICE protests and helped energize the “No Kings” demonstrations that swept the country this past weekend. The Trump administration has reportedly told ICE to scale back its workplace raids, in part due to concerns over how they are affecting the agriculture, hospitality, and restaurant industries.

Zevin Asset Management, a “socially-responsible” investment firm that owns shares in Google’s parent company Alphabet, said in a proposal on behalf of two investors that mass deportations should prompt Alphabet to have a better “due diligence process” to determine whether its businesses "contributes to human rights harms in conflict-affected and high-risk areas.”

Google’s work as “one of the leading cloud computing providers” to ICE, US Customs and Border Protection, and the US government at large raised concerns of a “potential complicity in human rights harms” happening at the US Southern border, the proposal claims.

“These abuses include the separation of children from their parents, arbitrary arrests and detentions, poor detention conditions, and unlawful deportations to countries with poor human rights records,” the proposal claims.

Most of the other filings mention deportations in relation to risks to future business or net income.

Hawaiian Electric, the primary electricity provider of Hawaii, said in its SEC filing that “recession risks increase due to federal policies and actions, including trade policies, mass deportations, and spending cuts.” The filing cited an economic forecast from the University of Hawaii published in May that predicted “limited GDP growth for 2025 and a contraction in 2026, marking Hawaii’s first recession since the pandemic.”

Other filings suggested a recession could come even earlier. The community bank Hanmi Bank, under its holding company Hanmi Financial Corp., said in an SEC filing that “the combination of tariffs, rising inflation, deportations, global political unrest and tensions, and reduced credit availability” could cause “a mild recession in 2025.”

Some companies said that deportations could fuel labor shortages. Century Communities, a homebuilding company, said in its 2024 annual report that if it's unable to hire enough skilled tradesmen and contractors, it "may have a material adverse effect on our standards of service."

“Labor shortages may be caused by, among other factors, slowing rates of immigration and/or increased deportations since a substantial portion of the construction labor force is made up of immigrants,” the filing says.

A few companies mentioned deportations but said that they aren’t sure how the crackdown will impact their business. The holding companies for banks Bridgewater Bancshares, Heartland Bank and Trust Company, and Heritage Bank, for example, mention mass deportations in a list of factors that could affect their “forward looking statements,” which predict how well the banks may perform in the coming months. However, the companies stopped short of saying whether deportations would harm or help their businesses.

Other companies said that deportations present some risk to the economy but noted they do not expect it to cause widespread damage or hurt their business.

In a filing for Forum Investment Group’s real estate income fund, the firm said that “stricter immigration controls and deportations” could have mixed outcomes. The filing claims these policies could increase inflation, but possibly be a “boon for U.S. workers (higher wages)” or cool down “overheated housing markets.”

Some companies argued that their businesses could be at risk if their customers are affected by deportations. Pacific Airport Group, which operates through airports in Mexico and Jamaica, said that policies like mass deportations and restrictions on international travel would hugely impact airport traffic, and therefore the company’s bottom line.

“These measures could create uncertain economic conditions in Mexico, affecting leisure, visiting friends and relatives, and business travel, to and from the country,” the filing says.

Meanwhile, the cloud communications and financial services company IDT Corporation said that mass deportations could “negatively impact” its enterprise customers, like the remittance transfer service BOSS Money, and the money transfer and international call servicing company BOSS Revolution. Anything that disrupts people’s ability to work or travel outside their country of origin, IDT claimed, could hurt customers and therefore its business.

The discount store chain Pricesmart, which operates throughout Central America, said that mass deportations could have a devastating effect on an entire region. If there’s a major reduction in foreign workers sending money to their families in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras, those nations’ economies would suffer and so would Pricesmart stores, the filing said. Money from foreign workers, the company warns, is “a key source of income and poverty alleviation for millions of families.”

[bluewindfall]

deposition

Blue-tinted raindrops splatter against the window as he zips up his bag. Condensation climbed up the opposite side of the glass overnight, freezing into lacy strands of frost.

He pulls his coat over one shoulder, fumbling with the sling. Earlier, he could still see a crescent of the moon. He hadn’t thought it would rain, yet the sky has been blotted out by deep violet clouds. 

Someone knocks on the door to his hospital room, sliding it open. 

“Good morning. It’ll take a couple of hours to discharge you, just so you know.” 

“Oh. Thank you.” Yukio glances at his phone. He cleaned up most of his belongings last night since he was told he might be released today. Although Sir Pheles is his legal guardian, Yukio can’t imagine him coming to help. Calling the monastery this early in the morning would be bothersome, especially since he hadn’t told them he was injured on the mission to Aomori. 

The other option is to call Rin, but he’s already struggling in his classes. Pulling him away for something like this would be unreasonable. 

“Will your father be coming to pick you up?”

Yukio’s hands pause over the buttons of his coat. He swallows, lifting his head.

“Will your father come pick you up?” the woman typing at the computer repeats. 

“No,” Yukio finally manages to say. His hands clench in the heavy fabric of his winter coat as he tries to breathe through the familiar tightness in his chest. “No. I’m sorry. He won’t be. I’ll be fine on my own.”

The woman frowns. Yukio missed her name and role when she introduced herself yesterday. Inconveniently enough, her long, dark hair has covered the badge clipped to her scrubs.

“He signed your forms last night, but we haven’t been able to reach him since this morning.”

Yukio looks down at the form. Johann Faust V. The name is printed in dark ink. Of course. She must have assumed.

Rain strikes the window with a harsh cadence like hail. Outside, the sky has grown darker, laden with heavy storm clouds. It’ll be difficult to carry his belongings and an umbrella back to his dorm on his own. 

“I’ll be fine on my own,” Yukio says with a smile. “Thank you for trying to reach out to him.”

The woman nods and moves on with the remaining discharge paperwork. She must be busy, glancing at her watch repeatedly as Yukio reads and fills forms.

Yukio grips the cheap ballpoint pen carefully and signs his name beside the curled, elegant signature Sir Pheles penned as his legal guardian. Of course, he didn’t tell anyone at home he was injured. Rin has class at this time. It’d be too much of a hassle to bother any of them. 

No one will come pick him up, but he can manage on his own.

A low roll of thunder swells in the distance. He has a feeling this rain will continue for the rest of the day.

By the time he leaves the hospital, first period is over. He still needs to change, so he heads to the old male dormitory. At this point, he’s already missed several classes. Making up the work will take up time he doesn’t have. He needs to hurry before he misses all of second period too.

This broken arm is wearing on him, but it’s manageable. As he sets the bulging folder of discharge instructions aside, his phone vibrates.

This is the monastery’s number. Did Sir Pheles tell them he was being discharged? That seems unlikely. He grabs his bag, holding his phone with his shoulder as he reaches for the door. “Hello?”

“Yukio,” Nagatomo begins, somber and weary. “You should come home tonight.”

Fear climbs up Yukio’s throat. The window rattles with low tremors as a furious gust of rain splatters on the glass. Lightning cracks across the dark sky stained deep blue and grey. 

Months ago, Nagatomo called him as well, in this manner. His voice was harsher then, scarred by the touch of fire. 

Yukio. Come home as soon as you can. It’s Father Fujimoto. He’s—

Yukio clenches his jaw. “What happened?”

“Misumi-san passed away this morning.” Nagatomo draws a pained breath in and sighs. “It… was acute heart failure. With his age,” he whispers, “it couldn’t be helped.”

Misumi?

Yukio’s bag slips slowly from his grasp, slumping with a dull thump to the floor. He shuts his eyes, lowering his head. How long had it been since he spoke with Misumi? He hasn’t been home since starting school.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “Thank you for telling me.”

For a breath, neither of them speaks.

“The funeral,” Nagatomo says, “the funeral is tonight.” 

Yukio nods. “Then we’ll come back. I can let Nii-san know.”

Nagatomo hesitates. “No, I can call Rin. You shouldn’t have to…”

“It’s fine. I’ll see him during lunch.” He can barely recognize his own voice, pale with gentleness and asymmetric calm. “I’m sure he’d rather know sooner than later, and he won’t have his phone in class.”

“Yukio, if you’d rather take the day off…”

Yukio reaches down to pick up his bag. “I’ll be fine. Please don’t worry about me. I’m sure this is far more difficult for you and everyone else,” he says. “Please take good care of yourself, Nagatomo-san.”

Nagatomo sighs. “Of course. Thanks, Yukio,” he says with a tremulous breath, “for always being so reliable. You take care as well. Look out for Rin.”

The call ends abruptly.

Yukio adjusts the sling on his arm, swallowing as he takes a deep breath in and back out. As he gathers his composure, pattering rain taps the window with an impatient rhythm. 

He’ll tell Rin at lunch. It won’t be as difficult for him as it is for Nagatomo. 

He raises his umbrella and steps out into the rain. His thoughts are slow and blunt at the corners, submerged beneath still depths. If he goes back to the monastery tonight, he won’t have as much time to catch up on work. It can’t be helped, but he’s already behind. 

Yukio. Come home as soon as you can.

Home?

His breath fogs in short, scattered puffs as he stops across a bridge toward the academy. 

When his eyes throb, he rests his elbows on the rough stone ledge and takes a deep breath. Bits of moss and lichen cling in the thin cracks. He grits his teeth and shuts his eyes, waiting for the warm ache to subside. 

Wind trails through his uniform sweater, rippling across the tall bridge with a whispered promise of snow. 

What use is there in going home at this point? The one he misses is already gone. 

To read more on AO3 (: