#thank you to your feedback and positive remarks about the change

[irisintheafterglow]

End Game #4 (volleyball captain!gojo x you)

summary: your ex shows up as a captain at a training camp and your captain puts him in his place.

word count: 1.8k

cw/tags: language, jjk volleyball au, reader's ex sucks (allusions to cheating and crossing boundaries, but nothing descriptive)

note: i'm a sucker for protective satoru, that's it.

likes/reblogs/feedback are always appreciated <3

The last time you could recall Satoru taking his duty as captain seriously was during training camp several months earlier, and even then, his motivation was fueled by spite. 

“Fuck.” 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, it's fine. Can we just go around this way instead?” You pinch the sleeve of his track jacket, tugging him back the way you’d just entered. He follows, obediently but puzzled, sneaking a glance over his shoulder to see who you were avoiding. Your vision zeroes in on the doors, ears ringing in panic. Just a few more yards, you think. Just a bit further.

“It’s good to see you, sweetheart,” a sickening voice calls from the other side of the hallway, and your body tenses on its own, heart dropping into your stomach. Your jaw aches from how hard you’re clenching your mouth shut, and your feet are carrying you faster away from the asshole behind you. You don’t dare look at Satoru. “Aw, ignoring me? I see you haven’t changed.” Hold out. Ignore his remarks; they’re just words. Just get Satoru out of here–  

“Huh.” He makes an unamused, slightly disgusted noise. You can clearly imagine the scowl boring into the back of your head. “That's your new boy toy?” 

Immediately your captain digs his heels into the linoleum hallway, effectively screeching you both to a halt. You look back at him, eyes pleading with him to keep moving in the reflection of his round-rimmed sunglasses. But he’s stubborn, and cracks his neck from side to side like he’s ready for a fight. He turns, and his eyes narrow dangerously as he takes in the guy approaching him. You watch his body subtly drift in front of you, so easily and protectively that it makes your heart falter. 

“Satoru, wait–”

“It’s okay. Let me handle it,” he murmurs, flicking his eyes across the player standing right in front of him, tall enough for their eyes to meet. His voice drips fake chivalry and lethal venom. “From the countryside, hmm? You must be pretty good since there’s nothing else to do out there.” 

“How ‘bout you ask your little manager what we’d do out there?” Red-hot anger flares in your chest, but the cool calm of Satoru’s voice cuts you off. 

“I’m not gonna ask them anything regarding you.” His voice is even, but his fists open and close, a habit that only showed itself when he was on the brink of snapping. “Since they already deemed you unworthy of their time, you’re definitely not worth any more of mine. Toodles!” You cough, choking on your own oxygen at his childish goodbye.

“You fucking–”

Razor-sharp blue eyes stun him into silence. “See you on the court.” 

Satoru’s long, muscled arm snakes around your shoulders, pulling you into his side and steering you away from the prick in the hallway. He doesn’t let you go until you’re safely deposited by Yaga’s side, even as you take the long way around the school to the gym. You mumble out a thank you before he walks away to join the rest of the team warming up, shooting a lopsided grin over his shoulder. “Tell me about him later, yeah?” 

“Yeah.” You smile softly, chuckling as he dances around the trembling first-years in an attempt to ease their nerves. As much of an idiot Satoru was, he was a caring upperclassman when he wanted to be. The tender moment doesn’t last long, though, as the team you’re matched against first takes their positions on the other side of the court; there in the middle, wearing a repulsive leer and rolling a broad shoulder, is your ex. 

He was a summer fling from when you stayed with relatives for a month in a rural prefecture outside of Tokyo. His family was a friend of a friend of a friend, and you’d met at a neighborhood reunion when no one else your age was present. You’d bonded initially over volleyball, and you found yourself naively fascinated by his egotistical boasting. He asked you out shortly after, but rushed your relationship even when you were still new to having a partner. Nothing intimate occurred beside kissing, but you’d abruptly cut things off when he started wanting more physically than what you were comfortable with, not to mention the handful of other girls he kept on speed-dial when you weren’t available. Now he was here, captain of his school’s volleyball team, about to face off against the captain of your school’s volleyball team. It seemed that Fate had a cruel sense of humor. 

Yaga summons the team to huddle before the match starts, spouting his usual instructions to focus on offensive power and allow defense to flow organically. The players nod in assent, but you catch Satoru’s eye one too many times to be called merely an accident. 

“We haven’t played them before, but that doesn’t mean they should be underestimated. Be smart. Don’t die.” Yaga finishes his spiel, and the boys scoff at the usual melodrama of the ending, preparing their hands to break like clockwork. To them, it was just another practice match; you give them a pained smile when they ask you what lunch will be. You wring your hands unconsciously, sweating slightly from the unrelenting stare of your ex on the back of your neck. 

Carefree laughter dies back as Satoru’s stern voice cuts through the comfortable atmosphere of the team. “Oi, oi. Quiet, all of you.”  His expression is serious and unreadable, eyes dark with determination. “I’m going all out, this game.” You’re taken aback, and you catch Suguru blinking, dumbfounded. Even Yaga looked surprised. His face asked what you were all thinking: Why now? “I’m not saying you should go all out; that’s not what I mean.” His large hands quiet the team’s muttering. “This isn’t a command.” His gaze settles on you and your heart stops.

“It’s a warning.” 

The match starts, and it ends just as quickly. 

Satoru, Captain Satoru, leads your team to rack up fifteen points like he’d done it in his sleep. 

Most of the points were service aces from his own hands, to the point where Suguru and Nanami started grumbling that the match was just target practice. Even though he said he would go all out, you could tell he wasn’t wasting any extra energy; you bit your lip in an attempt to muffle laughter when you saw him yawn. The match wasn’t anything special, but you witnessed him act as captain in his own way, instructing players to do things that he knew would piss off the other team. Inumaki barely had to touch the floor as his upperclassmen formed an impenetrable wall over the net, much to the dismay of the other team’s hitters. He told Megumi to trial-run his setter dumps, Yuuji to try his jump serve at full power, and even pulled off a few good fakeouts with Panda that had you fistbumping Yaga. When the match concludes, you sneak a smug glance at the captain of the other team and are delighted to see his face bright red, practically steaming from the ears. He huffs out a muddled threat of a rematch before stomping away with his team to run the punishment lap around the school. 

You gravitate to Satoru, handing him a water bottle and a towel as he rests his head against the wall of the gym, cross-legged on the floor. You slide down next to him, and the corner of his mouth quirks up arrogantly. 

“You see me block that idiot’s cross shot?” 

“I did.” You look at him appreciatively, too happy to hide behind spunk or cynicism. “It was nice, seeing someone so effortlessly counter what he brags as his best attack.” 

“‘Best attack,’ my ass. He loves to act like he’s ambidextrous, but he’s–”

“More comfortable on his left than his right. I’m surprised you noticed.”

“He’s also shit at receiving and bullies that kid setter to give him the ball every other play. Their defense wouldn’t know a hole if they were the ones that drilled it.” 

“You really analyzed the hell out of them, Satoru.”

“Of course I did. Needed to know how to properly kick them to the curb.” You chuckle at the unfiltered malice in his voice and he beams back at you, bright as full moonlight. Your stomach turned, and you let yourself acknowledge how beautiful he looked, blue eyes glimmering and hair falling messily across his forehead. 

“Why can’t you be like this for every game?”

“Because I’m not defending your honor in every game,” he says nonchalantly, tilting the bottle toward you for emphasis. His tone is casual, but you both knew that he was taking a practice match more seriously than usual, more than it deserved. 

You can’t help feeling amused at him considering your ex a petty villain, like a rival knight from a neighboring kingdom. “Is that what that was, then?”

“Oh, loudly telling Suguru the match was a waste of time wasn’t obvious enough?” 

“Mmm, no. I think you should do it again,” you tease, bumping your shoulder gently against his. He mirrors your smile, alleviating any lingering worries pestering your mind. His voice softens, eyebrows dipping as he carefully chooses his words. 

“Were you with him for that month when you were in the countryside?” 

“Yeah.” 

“When you abandoned me?” He jokingly glares at you, and you roll your eyes. He was impossible. 

“Satoru.” 

“Sorry. Force of habit.” It’s silent for a moment, and then Satoru’s voice drops to a barely audible octave, low and cautious. “He didn’t do anything, did he?”  

Understanding washes over your face and you shake your head adamantly. “No, no. I cut him off before he could try anything stupid.” 

“Good. I knew you wouldn’t let him, but I wanted to be sure.” His eyes are still dark with something like suppressed wrath, mouth drawn into a tight line. 

“I don’t like that look on your face.”

The dangerous expression is gone in a blink, replaced by faux-indignancy. “This is just my face! Are you saying I’m ugly? I can’t believe you just called me ugly.” 

“No, I’m saying you look homicidal.” 

He snorts. “You’re not wrong.”

“Satoru!”

“Kidding! Partially.” Your face falls when he walks back into the gym, scowling and breathless from the punishment lap. Satoru catches you looking, and clicks his tongue disapprovingly. “You don’t need to worry about him anymore.” 

“You think I’m worried?” 

“I know you are, even if you won’t admit it. I’m just saying. I won’t let him bother you. I'm the strongest, after all.” You’re speechless at the earnestness of his statement, and settle for mumbling another thank you, avoiding his eyes. 

For the remaining days of the training camp, Satoru is attached to you at the hip, guarding you from the hungry stares and glares of other players. Though the rest of the team notices, he doesn’t explain his declaration of war against your ex’s team. In return, you feed him the meager information you had about his strategies, murmuring what ankle he seemed to be weaker on so Satoru could exploit it and enrage him further. The best part was that he did all of this subtly, never drawing extra attention to you or giving the impression that this was all to make you laugh. You find that he likes to look at you over his shoulder when he does something to piss your ex off, and his grin gets wider when you laugh. 

You find that you like it when he looks over his shoulder at you, too.

[writtenonreceipts]

Rowaelin Month Day Seven: All Dressed Up @rowaelinscourt

Month Masterlist // Part One // Part Two // AO3

Doesn’t fit in with today’s prompt, but, I did finish this story one year later so...I think that counts for something.

Warnings: nothing major, ~3.5k words

The Words We Share--Part Three

Rowan Whitethorn grew up on the stories of his homeland.  Little myths and legends that fueled his imagination since he was a child.  It hadn’t taken him long to learn how to create his own stories, how to twist tales and give a voice to his musings.  He just never thought it would get him to where he was now.

He stared at the projected numbers for his new release, already there had been two calls for reorders and the official publication date was still a month out.  It was set to be his biggest release yet.

And still he felt…unsettled.

If that was even the right word.  He could spin a villain’s origin story that could chill anyone’s blood.  He could paint the Scotland highlands with vivid accuracy and enchanting detail.  He’d won awards and been featured on dozens of sites and bestsellers lists.  He’d even been offered an adjunct professor position at the local state college to teach creative writing.  But he couldn’t put a name to this emotion roiling through his chest.

Nothing came.

His phone buzzed with an incoming text on the table beside him and Lorcan’s name flashed on the screen.

>>u see this?

A link to the comment section on a website followed.  Aelin’s website.

Rowan’s stomach dropped as his thumb hovered over the link.  He tried to imagine just what he was getting himself into.  He’d experienced his share of feedback in the form of book reviews and he’d seen plenty of other comments from other shows he’d been a part of.  But this…this felt different.

He clicked the link before he could second guess himself.  And he opened himself up to hell.

It ranged from the usual notes from his fans, those that kept up with his books and how he wrote.  And then he found the comments from Aelin’s fans.  Which was where he found the crazies.  The TikTokers, the influencers, the people who absolutely devoured any form of content with their theories, their headcanons, their passions.  Rowan never begrudged a person their hobby, in fact, he encouraged finding something that brought you joy.  But this…this…

xxgalaCREWfan99xx: ok but was no one going to tell me ROWAN WHITETHORN HAD A SEXY VOICE?? Do I have to change my reading habits now??

Readingbaebe: Does he write romance at all?? I refuse to read anything else.

TheMidnightBookClub: to much historyyyy YAWN

BOOKS4LIFE: but y wuz there banter so on point?? Talk about sxxxyy!

Letsreeeeead: @BOOKS4LIFE: I KNOW RIIIIGHT? Tlk abt meet cute??

Jdashbywriter: would love to hear more of your craft Rowan! Thanks for your books.

Some of the commentors were not as crazy as others.  There was a reason he refused to get a TikTok account no matter what Dorian tried to tell him it would do for his sales.  And there was a reason he’d hired an assistant so he didn’t have to deal with any of this.

He reached for his phone, fully prepared to call Aelin and see if she’d seen any of this.  He stopped himself.  He couldn’t let himself do that.  Not after everything that had happened.

Just as he pulled his hand back from his phone, the screen lit up.  His heart made an uncomfortable leap until he saw the name.

“What, Fen?” he demanded.

“Dude, I didn’t know you were dating Galathynius,” Fenrys said from the other line. “Congrats!”

Rowan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Stop reading random comments on the internet.”

“But they’re so entertaining!  Probably doing my job better than I can,” Fenrys replied.

Indeed, Rowan had made the remarkably stupid decision to let Fenrys be his media manager.  It wasn’t that Fenrys couldn’t do a job properly or was stupid himself (an idiot, sure, but that was different) he could.  It was only that Fenrys had a different vision for just about everything when it came to his books.

“Please don’t let the TikTok win,” Rowan said.

“It’s just TikTok,” Fenrys said.

Rowan cursed. “I hate you.”

“I’m just saying,” Fenrys continued, utterly unaffected by Rowan’s disdain, “you’re getting more hits on your recent Instagram reels and followers.  This whole thing will be good for you.”

Rowan wasn’t sure about that. “Is that the only reason you called?”

There was a pause from Fenrys and Rowan felt a distinct rise in dread.  Nothing good came from a silence like that.

“Remelle St. Moore wants you on her podcast,” Fenrys said, the words coming out in rapid fire.

“Oh for shits-sake,” Rowan muttered, “no.”

He remembered the last time he had interacted with the book influencer at a launch party for one of his fellow writers.  Between the alcohol and suggestive comments on her part, he’d barely made it out alive.  Really, it was because of that experience he preferred to keep to his own group of fans, or too himself.

“That’s what I thought you’d say, but she’s got a lot of viewers,” Fenrys said.

“Which is why I agreed to the podcast with Aelin,” Rowan groused, “at least she didn’t try and grope me at a party.”

“No, you just tried to play hero and save her from being stood up.” Rowan could practically hear the grin growing on his friend’s face. “Which must have worked out really good for you based on some of these comments.”

“I’m hanging up,” Rowan said, “no more podcasts.  Or interviews.”

“What if Aelin’s the one asking?”

He hung up before answering.

Leaning back in his office chair, he tried to ignore what Fenrys had said.  Especially the bits about him and Aelin.  He knew that nothing had happened between the two of them.  And nothing ever would.  He’d known it even before he stepped in to help Aelin save face after being stood up.  That hadn’t stopped him from stepping in though. 

He didn’t know what had come over him that night at the restaurant, only that he couldn’t believe someone had stood her up.  He hadn’t known it was her, at first.  Only that Lorcan and Fenrys were commenting on the fact a woman was dining alone and they were taking bets on what she would do.  When he had finally grown tired of their antics, he’d turned to find Aelin swirling a glass of water in her hand looking utterly dejected.

It was a far cry from the Aelin he’d gotten to know over the years.  Headstrong and stubborn, wild and untamed, charismatic and independent.  Something had shifted over the last eight months, though.  He’d been sure to keep his distance, relying on the illusion of finishing his book.  It was mostly a lie.  His book was going along well, remarkable even.  But then Aelin had gotten a boyfriend.  And from the sounds of it, it had been everything she’d wanted.

Pining after women had never been something Rowan did, but after Aelin and Sam had gotten together it felt like that was all anyone ever talked about at the office.  The only response Rowan could think was to take his work elsewhere.  He went back to Scotland to visit his mother, he travelled the continental U.S. He did everything in his power to put some much needed distance between him and Aelin Galathynius.

Which did absolutely nothing.

She had already wormed his way into his manuscript.  And like a fool, he’d insisted she read it.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised she never caught on to his rather blatant illusions.  She didn’t like him, made it clear.  Which was another reason his stepping in at the restaurant was psychotic. 

But she was Aelin and there was something about her that he couldn’t ignore or let go.  And seeing Sam stand her up?  Hell, it made him angry.  And Rowan didn’t even know Sam.

Rowan shook his head and shut down his computer.  He was being foolish.  On so many different levels.

He knew he wasn’t going to get any writing done.  Instead, he grabbed his jacket, keys, and wallet.  He needed to get out of his apartment even if he didn’t have a destination in mind.

.*.

The manuscript stared innocently up at her.  The Times New Roman font was evenly spaced, paper fresh and crisp from the office printer.  She’d used Dorian’s own code to print all these pages out so no one would trace the mass printing back to her.  Technically she shouldn’t have done this.  It was a lot of paper and she wasn’t even on the editorial team for this author.

But Aelin never did like listening to rules.

I thought it was obvious.

Rowan’s words from earlier that afternoon rang in her head.  They bounced around in a relentless beat and refused to be dismissed.  Because they meant one thing and one thing alone: she had missed something while reading his book.  And she didn’t miss things.

So, red pen in hand, fresh coffee on her desk, and a newly printed manuscript before her—Aelin set to work.

Just like with the first time reading Dead Man’s Game, she was drawn into the world immediately.  The setting, the characters, the subtle tones of magic all worked to create a plot that gripped her by the throat.

During this reread, Aelin focused more on Celaena.  Celaena who was reckless and selfish.  Celaena who put her life on the line too many times.  Celaena who loved fiercely and didn’t let anyone hold her back.  Celaena who killed witches and broke curses. 

She stopped reading somewhere around chapter five when something started to prick the back of her mind.  Something she’d tried desperately to stamp down all these years.  Even the past few months.

Though, it had been easier as of late because Rowan had disappeared into whatever writers’ nook he had.  That night at the restaurant had been one of the first times she’d seen him since learning about his new book.

She took a long drink of coffee before she fired a text off to Elide.  She needed someone to rant to about this because she had no idea what was going on or how to put into words what she was feeling.

When her phone rang a few minutes later, she picked it up on instinct. 

“Elide, did you see what I sent you?” she demanded, still staring at the cliff hanger of chapter five.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t her friend on the other line.  It was Sam.

“Aelin.”  He sounded relieved, which only made her blood pressure boil. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you, baby.”

Aelin glanced at the Caller ID.  He must have gotten a burner phone and she’d been too distracted to make sure she knew the number.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said.  “I broke up with you, end of story.”

“You didn’t even let me explain—”

“Explain what, Sam?” Aelin demanded.  All the pent-up anger she’d been trying to ignore and push aside rose too quickly to the surface. “That you stood me up again without bothering to try and call, hell, even text me?  Instead, I was left alone. Again.”

The anger burned away the tears she might have shed.  He didn’t deserve her tears; he didn’t deserve anything from her.

“You’re blaming me?” Sam scoffed. “I have a job, Aelin.  I’m a lawyer, I don’t get to sit around all day reading books—”

“Lose my number, Sam,” she said, eyes squeezed shut, “or I swear I’ll give your lawyer ass something to work over.”

She ended the call before flinging her phone across her office where it clattered against the wall.  The pain that ripped through her chest was more than just anger, but sorrow and pain.  She’d wasted so much time over Sam that coming out of it she felt like she was drowning.  She was barely treading water, she was—

“Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

Aelin nearly jumped out of her skin at the deep, careful voice coming from the doorway.  She spun in her chair, nearly careening out of it at the force, and found Rowan standing there.  How much had he heard?  How would he laud this over her head?  Did he judge her at all for the things she’d said?

“Rowan,” she said, far softer than she meant to.  Her skin was blazing over the phone call with Sam and she felt the flush deep in her cheeks, horrified that she was actually on the verge of crying now.

He jerked his chin over to where she’d tossed her phone. “Bad call?”

Aelin huffed a breath. “Sure, if you wanna call it that.”

Rowan stepped into her office, slow and careful as though he expected her to toss him back out.  He was dressed far more casual than Aelin had ever seen him.  With a pair of dark washed jeans and gray sweater, plain leather jacket—he seemed relaxed and at ease.  Not at all how she’d imagined him on a regular week day.

And then, because he seemed to know her so well, he made another comment. “Your boyfriend really seems like a keeper.”

“Not my boyfriend, not anymore.” Aelin didn’t look at him as she grabbed her coffee.  It was shocking how good it felt saying the words, like a weight was lifted off her chest. “Just doing some late-night reading, right now.”

Rowan frowned glancing at the manuscript.  The title page was tossed to the side so it was obvious what book it was.

“You already gave me your edits,” he said.

“Yeah, but I thought I was missing something.”  She shrugged and set the coffee aside.  “What about you?  Why bother coming here?”

Rowan ran a hand through his hair, messing the easy style it had settled into.  He didn’t answer her question immediately, choosing instead to fall into one of the chairs before her desk.  The movement was so easy, as though he’d practiced it a hundred times, as though he belonged right in that chair.

“Did you see those comments on the podcast?”

Aelin’s brow furrowed.  Then, startling not just him, but her too—she laughed. “Oh, Whitethorn, you don’t actually read those comments.  Those people are insane.”

“A warning might have been nice,” he grumbled.

Another laugh tore through her, dispelling the sick feeling roiling in her gut. “Oh, poor little buzzard.  Are you traumatized?”

“Yes.”

Dissolving into another fit of giggles, Aelin clutched her stomach.  She couldn’t catch her breath as she kept laughing.  It didn’t help how affronted Rowan look, how confused.  It was…it was actually cute.  Not that she’d tell him that.

“What’s the madhouse got to say this time?” she asked once she’d gotten a hold of herself.  She also reached for one of her desk drawers and pulled out a bag of chocolate she only saved for rainy days.  She popped a truffle in her mouth and shook the bag at him.

Rowan declined the chocolate.  “It doesn’t matter.”

“You’re blushing,” she said, leaning towards him. “Oh, I’ve got to see these.”

“I’m not—no—” he tried protesting but Aelin was already motivated to see what had gotten him so riled up.

It didn’t take long to get the gist of what he’d gotten so riled up over.

“Oh, these people need to touch some grass,” Aelin muttered.  Many of the insinuations and comments were…out there.  Far worse than when she’d interviewed an audiobook narrator known for his smut and spice scenes.  And that was saying something. 

“You deal with this a lot?” Rowan asked.

Aelin looked at him. “And you don’t?”

“Fenrys filters a lot of them,” Rowan said absently, he paused just a second. “You think I get a lot of these types of comments?”

“I—” Aelin only then realized what her comment sounded like. “You’re a famous author, the crazies exist everywhere.”

She fought down the heat rising in her cheeks while Rowan only smirked.

“That’s it?” she asked, tightly, “you wanted to compare notes on comments?  You could have called.”

“Seeing what you do to your phone, I don’t think the call would have gone through.”  He met her gaze, green eyes intent.

Hell.  He must have heard more of that phone call than she’d have liked.

“Yeah,” she said dryly, “I guess I don’t like phone calls.”

They sat in silence together for far longer than Aelin would have thought possible.  She couldn’t help but shake her head at the fact.  Drawing a finger over the last few lines she’d read of Rowan’s manuscript; she snatched another truffle.

“So,” she said, “can I ask you something?”

Rowan raised a brow. “As long as it’s not gonna make it on another podcast.”

She rolled her eyes. “No need to fear, buzzard.  This is off the record. It’s about Celaena.”

Rowan shifted in his chair. “Why?”

Was he annoyed?  She couldn’t quite tell.  He wore a frown, that charming shit-eating grin long gone.  It was replaced by something guarded.

Aelin drummed her fingers on the manuscript, wetting her dry lips. “She’s based on someone close to you.”

“Close enough,” he shrugged, but Aelin had long ago learned how to read people.  He was tense, worried. 

“Does she know?  The woman she’s based off of?” With far more bravado than she felt, Aelin rose from her chair and came around the table.  She leaned against the desk, facing him, and crossed her arms.

“Aelin—”

“Or is she just supposed to figure it out along the way?���

She wasn’t mad, really, she wasn’t.  More, shocked than anything.

“To whatever end,” Celaena said, pointing the sword to the horizon where the ship holding her captive lover could be seen retreating. “I will find you.”

And Aelin remembered the last time she’d reviewed Rowan’s book.  Where she’d told him to raise the stakes, to let his characters face the unspeakable, to let them be reckless, to let them love.  And here was Celaena.  It wasn’t just that, but Aelin had shared those exact words with Rowan. That had been eight months ago.

Romance, Whitethorn, should be consuming for a character.  Let them have a purpose, let them have a duty to fulfill, to whatever end.

“To whatever end, Rowan?” she asked.

“I’m not allowed to find inspiration in real things or people?” He was still sitting, looking up at her the almost perfect picture of innocence.

She nudged his foot with her own. “Rowan.”

“Why does it matter?” he insisted.  He rose from his chair and it struck Aelin then how big Rowan was.  He was practically a tree—broad shoulders, thick muscles, at least six feet, probably six-four.  Aelin had never really felt small before, delicate, or breakable.  But next to Rowan? 

She lifted her chin to meet his gaze.  She didn’t want to hedge around this question, this tension brewing between them anymore.  She would wait out his answer no matter how long it took.

Rowan leaned closer to her, close enough that Aelin could smell the pine and salt on his skin.  He was close enough that she could see the flecks of deeper green amid the light in his eyes.

Her heart rate picked up.  It would have been embarrassing if she thought about it a little more.  But now, all she wanted was for Rowan to answer her.

He shook his head, just barely, and muttered something under his breath.  It was something in Gaelic if she had to guess.

“You really don’t get it,” he said.

“I want to hear you say it,” she insisted.

“You really are impossible, you know?”

“So I’ve read.”

A small smile quirked his lips and before Aelin could say anything else, he reached out to run a thumb down her jaw.  A shiver ran down her spine with anticipation. 

“I like you, Aelin,” he said, thumb still tracing her skin, “and I have for a while.”

Something clicked in her mind at those words, an understanding of sorts and she furrowed her brow.

“Is that why you disappeared for seven months?  You were here practically every day and then you just weren’t—” she trailed off slowly as the pieces fit together. “Sam.”

Rowan shrugged as though her words had no effect on him, but she felt the barest hint of pressure as his fingers tightened along her jaw.

“I had a manuscript to finish,” he said, “didn’t help that you hated me and then you were happy with someone else.  So, yeah, I left.”

As if on instinct, Aelin reached out and fisted a hand in his sweater.  Somehow in the last twenty-four hours since the podcast, the last week since the pseudo-date—she’d gotten attached.  Which was both hilarious and terrifying.  But was she surprised?  No, no, she really wasn’t.

“I was going to tease you for writing romance into your book,” she began, head tilted to the side, “but I think being the brilliant inspiration behind Celaena will be a lot more fun to hold over you.”

Rowan cursed, shaking his head. “I’m never going to live it down, am I?”

“Nope.”

They moved at the same time, coming together in a kiss that Aelin would later describe as the best first kiss she’d ever had.  One of Rowan’s hands delved into her hair, the other dropping to her waist to pull her closer.  Aelin wrapped one hand around his neck, just as desperate to keep him close. 

His lips were hard, bruising against her own, but Aelin couldn't find it in herself to care. All she could think about was the fire burning within at the feel of him, the taste of him.

“You gonna take me on a date first, Whitethorn?” she gasped, breaking the kiss.  She shivered as on of his hands slid along the bare skin of her thigh. Wearing a skirt did seem to have its perks.

“Already did that,” he replied.

She gaped at him, ready to tell him off. He cut her off with another kiss, which Aelin supposed was just as well.

In the end, no one would get the real story about what really happened that night or how it happened.  But maybe, along the way, a future book would hold some of the details.

end.

[lamet00wn]

Liyue characters favorite cuddling positions headcanons <3

Tags: fluff, soft characters, cuddling, establishing relationships, pet names, nsfw talk if you squint really hard.

AN: this is my first time ever doing a post so if there’s any feedback or better ways to format please let me know!

Zhongli

Loves when you cuddle into him

His favorite is when you will lay slightly on top of him, listening to his heartbeat. He will get flustered, his chest rising and falling to keep up with his increasing heart beat. He won’t show how flustered he is but you know him.

“If you keep staring at me like that I might have to kiss you” he will tease just to watch you hurry your face into his chest

He will play with your hair, silently listening to your cute noises you whisper in your sleep. He can’t get enough of you. 

Ninguang

As much as she says she doesn’t have time for cuddles, she will purposefully put off work just to get a quick snuggle in. She loves facing you to cuddle, intentionally pushing your face into her chest just to fluster you. She will always giggle after and it never gets old. She loves seeing your face glow a dusty pink, ears burning.

“You really shouldn’t get so flustered over a simple hug. Makes you seem like a perv, hum” she teases, making your face burn hotter.

Xiao

He can’t get enough of you. He doesn’t care what position you guys are cuddling as long as he is close to you and can burry his face in your neck. Although he may be embarrassed when little spoon or when you make him lay on your chest instead of the other way around, he loves it no matter what. He won’t voice his feelings in the fear or rejection but he can’t thank you enough for loving him. The way your heart beats as he stares as your rested face when asleep. He doesn’t sleep much but loves to watch you relax. The pout on your face when you’re bunched up in a blanket, squished against the pillow drives his heart crazy. You have caught him staring a few times, wonderinf why he isn’t asleep yet

“It’s none of your concern. I just woke up because I heard a noise. Get some sleep, love. Im right here” he’ll pet your head until you drift back into slumber, where he eventually follows

Ganyu

She loves being tangled together like a pair of necklaces which were carelessly placed into a jewelry box. She will have her legs intertwined with yours, head in your chest, sideways while cradling you. Petting her horns gently will put her into s deep slumber. She definitely drools, she won’t stop apologizing when you guys wake. She will even go as far as to try and rip your shirt off your back to go wash it, not phased by your exposed chest afterwards which made your face melt red.

“I’m sorry, doll! I’ll clean it up right away then we can cuddle again! Promise! Oo! I can run by and get tea too! Im sorry again” she desperately tries to change the subject and make up for it in embarrassment

Tartaglia

He would kill just to spoon you for 10 minutes, 5 even. He will only be little spoon once in a blue moon. He has to cradle you, protect you, holding you so close and tight you can’t get away. He loves the way your ass sits perfectly into his hips like a puzzle piece. He says it’s easy access for when he gets too flustered by your Beauty. He will get a few smacks for that remark. Just hearing your soft and hushed snores and whimpers in your sleep melts his heart. He kisses your head like he hadn’t just 2 minutes ago

“I just can’t get enough of you! It’s not my fault everything about you is so tasty, sweetheart! My little sugar” he will tease while biting the outside of your cheek, earning another light smack.

Keqing

No matter how much she says she isn’t an intimate person, she can’t not be near you or touching you while sleeping. Even if she isn’t in the mood for cuddling, she will still hold your hand, facing you in case she wakes up so she can see your precious face. She will always scoot closer throughout the night until she’s wrapped entirely around you like if she lets go you’ll disappear. She will likely disappear in the morning before you wake up to make breakfast, she just feels embarrassed when you two are awake.

“You were snoring and sleep talking all night long, ya know? I didn’t know you dreamed about me so much, honey” she flirted with you to watch your face glow pink.

[samasmith23]

I always enjoy your write ups for every Eva episode, and I really liked your analysis of episode 13. I feel like the episode is quite underrated and under-discussed by the Eva fandom/community, and that’s a shame because I love this episode. It’s a very important episode for understanding Ritsukos character, and it’s just a fun change of pace of the usual angel fights we see at the beginning of the series.

Something I’d like to “add” onto your review that I personally found very interesting is Misatos presence inside Magi alongside Ritsuko. I think Misatos presence is intentional, especially on a subtextual level, as Misato realistically could have been cut from that entire scene if Anno didn’t want to expand on the relationship between Ritsuko and Misato. You mention the inside of Magi being like a womb, and to me it’s also like a private or almost sacred space to Ritsuko. For example, we see Maya looking inside the Magi to look at the sticky notes but she is never allowed inside MAGI. Yes Ritsuko relies on her, but it is quite literally from afar, she does not allow Maya to enter into this (very conflicting) but personal space. This is seen through the entire series witth Ritsuko and Mayas relationship. Misato on the other hand is seemingly allowed to not only enter Magi, but help Ritsuko, handing her tools and assisting her. Ironically, a sharp contrast to Misato a few scenes earlier when she told Ritusko that she never asks for help and wants to do everything on her own (side note it’s sort of funny how Misato drops that very personal remark in front of literally everyone). Regardless of the truth within that statement for Ritusko, she seems to take Misatos words to heart and allows her into Magi to help her, and by extension allowing Misato into this deeply personal, and likely painful space. I have no doubt that Ritsuko relied on Misatos presence mentally over the physical help Misato gave her. I also think inside Magi it is a showcase of their true selves, not beholden by rank or status. Misato drops titles and calls Ritsuko by her name while in Magi and Ritsuko shares likely very confidential information about MAGI at Misatos request and opens up more about her mother. Misatos school quip is sweet as well, and her VA nails a very soft voice for Misato during this scene. I don’t think it is quite accurate to say that inside the MAGI is like being inside Ritsukos heart, but I think there is heavy significance to Misato being the only person besides Ritsuko ever allowed inside MAGI.

I 99.99% know that there was never any intention by writers to ever imply that Misato and Ritsuko harbored any romantic feelings for each other, but it’s episodes like this where I wonder why there’s not more slightly delusional people out there like me haha! (The idea that Ritsuko could have a VERY repressed crush on Misato since college is so intriguing to me, but that’s a can of worms for another time.)

I hope you don’t mind my geeking out over this episode in your inbox, I just really enjoy episode 13 and I’m glad that other people view it in a similar way as I do. Looking forward to your next reviews.

Thank you very much for the positive feedback! I hadn't considered the interpretation of the MAGI as a "sacred place" for Ritsuko, but that does also make a lot of sense as does how Misato's presence helped provide some physical and emotional support for her best friend inside the tunnels of the supercomputer! Discussing this is a major reason why I love Evangelion so much! It's so multi-layered and nuanced that there's no universal interpretation for the show's plot and character developments!

[lorata]

Hello! I’m not certain that the ask box is the place for this(pretty new to tumblr), but I really wanted to let you know just how much I enjoy the writing you do. I found your a03 towards the end of 2021, and since then I’ve read through everything there and a lot of this blog. (I have tried and mostly failed to navigate live journal.) I absolutely adore your work. Like, it’s going to be hard for me to express just how much joy your writing brings me. But I know that positive feedback is important so I am going to try.

1) The world. Your stories from district two have some of the best worldbuilding that I have ever had the chance to see. It’s hard to explain, but you are very good at making stories that exist in time. The Centre and the Victor’s village have so much depth and weight to them. I can tell that choices were made for a reason, both in the story and outside of it. I feel like every background character could have an entire book written on them, and because of the scale of your writing, a whole lot of them do. District Two feels so real. I understand the career system and why District two didn’t rebel and how all of it adds to the themes that Suzanne Collins wrote THG to address. It’s really extraordinary. When I read hunger games fanfic by other people, I often find myself hoping district 2 will win.

2) The characters. Like above, you have an amazing sense of how characters age and grow over time. They all feel so real, and you are so good at giving each Victor a unique, changing philosophy. Lyme’s gradual path to rebellion, Ronan’s fight to protect his district, even the outlying victors have consistent characterizations. And to make things even more impressive, these characterizations stay consistent across AUs! Normal Alec and Victor Alec are so clearly the same character and it’s just really, really good. Your villains are also utterly despicable. Your version of Coin makes my skin crawl, especially in the ‘canon’ stories where only Enobaria lives. I think my favorite characters are Lyme and Claudius, but everyone is so well done.

3) Self indulgent stuff. As someone who spends too many hours in the day thinking about Marvel, I adore your Avengers Games fics from like 2012. The characters in that are also remarkably well written. The characters in that fic who were in the mcu at the time (the og avengers + loki) feel more in character than in most fan stuff that Ive read. (Is that story continued on the live journal? I really haven’t explored that site). Also, it’s been great to see another person online with similar opinions on TNG, especially on Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. So many fanfic writers forget that Katniss is a flawed girl trying her best, and they also ignore the real, serious issues that Collins wanted to explore with the series. You don’t do that. You don’t glorify the games, but you still manage to make your arena stories exciting and action packed. To quote a recurring theme from the series, you know who the real enemy is. Sorry if that sounded pretentious.

You have clearly put so much time and love into these fanfics over the last twelve years. I am honored that I have had the chance to read millions of words of your work, and I wanted to thank you for that. I hope you are doing well with whatever you do in your offline life!

WHOOPS ABOUT THE LIVEJOURNAL I have it set up as best I can with the tags and the masterlists but it was a different era and if you're not used to it I think it's probably a bit obtuse

the Avenger Games AU, I never did continue that first story, but there are various spin-offs here

the Victor Selene AU is here

the Canon Divergence AU continues here

but ahhhhhhhh thank you what a wonderful comment! :) that is lovely and makes me very happy and I'm going to save this for bad days, honestly. it is so weird to have such a huge cast of characters that can't go anywhere else (you really cannot file the serial numbers off this universe, it is intrinsically tied to canon and honestly, I think that's a good thing) but I like it! no pressure to do anything but stay here and have fun with other people having fun

[thewebcomicsreview]

The Secret Report is a webcomic I am doing. Could you please review it? Please note that the art is a little bit roughin the beginning.

Here's the link: https://secretreport.the-comic.org/comics/#comicimage

Keep in mind that despite the strip format, the comic is serialized (not gag a day) and the strip format was chosen purely to save on time (that's also why in the beginning it is partially in grayscale)

So, first thing jumps out immediately 

Which is that I literally can not read your comic because the “Support Me Financially” subscribestar link is on top of it. It looks like your header bar is set to position:fixed so it jumps down when I try to scroll to read the comic itself. I get the desire to make the link prominent but this crosses into obnoxious (It’s also very generic, but I’m not a marketer so I won’t comment on that further), and breaks the reading experience because I have to scroll up slightly every page load. Ignoring the site design and getting int-

Actually I’m not the biggest fan of these nav icons either. You sort of have to be used to Standard Webcomic Site Template to know what they do, or even that they’re buttons at all. That’s more nitpicky, though.

So, I spent like an hour and a half going through the strips one by one and making notes in the way I often do, but after way too long I realized it was useless, because

Strip 2

Strip 31

Strip 102

There’s a remarkably rabid improvement in the presentation, here. Not just the art, but the paneling and world balloons have shot up in quality. Like, the art is still fairly crude and I’m not going to pretend otherwise, but you’re getting way more out of it now that you were originally. For a comic that’s only been going a year and change there’s a pretty significant improvement! 

I wrote 225 words nitpicking this one panel, but really who cares. Your early comics aren’t indicative of your current work, to the point that “This dialogue from strip 7 makes no sense” isn’t actually useful feedback anymore. And that’s legitimately amazing for how short a time you’ve been working on this. 

I do think, though, that you’re still having some issues with the word balloons, and I think you should focus on that because it’s probably the highest ratio of “effort spent” vs “output improved” you can get right now. Panel 2 has fifty-six words in a single balloon. The rule of thumb is 25 words max in a single balloon, and 35 words in a single panel. I’d recommend that you, and anyone writing comics, get in the habit of counting your words, and either draw more panels to fit them all in an aesthetically pleasing way, or try to cut your dialogue down. (”Thank you Admiral. The calls for violence from the human religious leaders make it clear we’re not wanted here anymore” is 20 words and contains most of the key information)

I would also recommend giving a bit more flow to the logical flow of the conversation. Here, Birvoth says the problems of this world are “Inequality, Slavery, Lack of Social Mobility, and Arrogant Leaders” and Soria tells him not to generalize all humans. But....he didn’t. All four of humans problems he lists are social problems about how some groups of humans oppress others, not “humans are greedy”, so Soria’s objection doesn’t make any sense. 

He did generalize them in the previous strip, but then he walked it back to talk about social problems and Soria has this kind of delayed response

Shuffling the panels like this makes the conversation flow smoother, making Soria’s objection better time while having the interesting side effect that now Birvoth appears to be walking it back in response to her. Which you may or may not consider a positive, but that’s the kind of thing I’d encourage you to think about. (Strips 88 and 89 have a similar delayed response thing happening, where the woman says “you can’t help” and then Lemmy stands around for two panels before starting the next strip with “No I’m pretty sure I can help”).

This might be presumptuous, but I get the sense this kind of thing and the word balloon issues that you don’t write out your dialogue before drawing the strip. I think it might be a helpful exercise to try writing a movie-style “script” for your comic, and then putting it down for a bit, then coming back to give it a once-over with fresh eyes and try to edit it down. I think that might help you catch this kind of stuff and find your own solutions to it.

I look forward to seeing what your comic looks like next year. You’re improving at a pretty good pace! 

[k1ng-ej]

Eyeless Jack oneshot

Hi there! I worked on this oneshot project for a few days. Initially, it was meant to be a Slenderman oneshot, but I decided to change directions last minute. Since this is my first oneshot, I am open to feedback. Thank you!

edited

TW: contains blood, gunshot wound, stitches.

Although the bond between you and Jack was powerful, you both never took the leap to explore a romantic connection. Although both of you were unaware, deep down, there were underlying emotions. People around could feel the undeniable chemistry between you two, urging one of you to finally open up about your true feelings. However, both of you chose to dismiss and deny it. Jack is currently carrying you through the dense forest, desperately urging you to remain alert. Your head remains nestled on his chest, while his hoodie bears the marks of your blood. As Jack hurriedly took you back to the estate, the sound of his pounding heart and the warmth of his breath on top of your head enveloped you. You found yourself trapped in the midst of a violent altercation, enduring the unfortunate consequence of being shot. Jack was unsure if you would make it as blood poured heavily from your wound. He held you close, constantly ensuring that you were exerting sufficient pressure on your wound and remaining alert.

Although you reassured him that everything would be fine, Jack could detect the uncertainty in your voice. You were gripped with fear at the thought of departing this world and leaving Jack behind. You chose to disregard numerous warnings to stay away from Jack and his companions. His flawless nature captivated you, and you treasured every moment you spent in his company. You marveled at his reserved demeanor with others, yet appreciated how he opened up to you. Jack listened attentively as you passionately shared and poured out your thoughts for hours. You've recently come to terms with your emotions for Jack, yet you're uncertain whether you'll get the opportunity to express them. With remarkable speed, Jack ascended the front porch steps, forcefully swinging the door open as he made his way inside the grand mansion. Although not perfect, the house was quite neat. Jack keeps a tidy hospital-like room in the basement where he stores medical supplies and provides care for injuries. With lightning-fast speed, he descended the basement stairs and sprinted towards the imposing duo of colossal steel doors at the far end of the hallway.

With utmost care, he positioned you on the cot, nestled in the far left corner of the room, before skillfully retrieving his medical instruments. Luckily, the bullet had not struck any vital organs, although it was still embedded in your body, necessitating its removal by Jack. You let out a piercing cry of pain as he probed your side with a sharp instrument, causing your back to arch and your hands to tightly grab onto his hoodie. Apologizing profusely, he skillfully extracted the bullet and promptly stitched up the wound, preventing any additional bleeding. You suddenly felt a lightness in your head, and your vision gradually started to fade. When you called out to Jack, he immediately recognized the vulnerability in your voice, causing a wave of concern to wash over him internally. Whenever Jack felt stressed, he had a tendency to bite his lower lip, which often led to his sharp teeth causing bleeding. He kindly offered you a refreshing water bottle and pain relievers, assisting you in taking the pills. Due to the substantial blood loss, a blood transfusion is the preferred treatment. Unfortunately, Jack was unable to determine your blood type or acquire the necessary equipment. He hopes that you fully recover, without any complications. After hydrating yourself, you decided to take a short break while Jack prepared to continue with your treatment.

He handled your wounds with utmost care, delicately removing the dried blood and expertly applying a protective layer of gauze around your waist, ensuring your safety and well-being. You expressed gratitude repeatedly as he wiped the dirt and tears from your face. Every single time his fingers brushed against your skin, a delightful sensation would dance in your stomach. In just moments, you went from thinking you were about to die to experiencing a rapidly growing affection for Jack. His deep emotional connection was evident in the care, concern, and fear he expressed towards you, implying a strong bond between you. You noticed how Jack continued to treasure you, even after witnessing your vulnerability. He assisted you in putting on a clean shirt, then settled down beside you, tenderly stroking your face.  Despite your frailty, you still managed to smile and lovingly gaze into his eyes. You adored the charming way Jack's eyes would crinkle with every smile, and how he would ingeniously manage to always hold your hand, even in the darkest of moments. In your most difficult times, he served as a beacon of joy, providing solace whenever you shed tears. You always got goosebumps from his touch, leaving you craving more. You never saw Jack as a monster. He was constantly afraid that you would perceive him in that manner. You were the one person he trusted above all others, the person he felt most at ease with, the one he would reveal his face to, especially when it was just the two of you. To you, Jack was a saint.

As you professed your love to Jack, your hand gracefully found its place atop his. Even though you felt a fluttery sensation in your stomach and had worries about possibly risking your friendship, you were absolutely convinced that he felt the same way about you. Jack's silence only heightened your anxiety, leaving you on edge for a moment.

He moved closer, his face just a few inches away from yours. As his hand rested gently near your head, and his knee found its place between your legs, the soft brush of his breath against your cheek sent your heart into a rapid, exhilarating rhythm. You locked your gaze with him, getting lost in his mesmerizing eyes, just moments before he leaned in, closing the distance between you. In a fleeting instant, a myriad of thoughts converged into a gentle embrace, as his lips tenderly met yours in a magical kiss. The metallic taste lingering on his lips, a result of his earlier nibbling, and the accompanying scent wafting from his hoodie were unmistakable. Although you didn't want it to end, your efforts to keep your lips connected were in vain as he started to pull away. Your face turned red, and you noticed Jack's cheeks were also blushing. As he caressed your cheek, his hand left an enchanting touch, his thumb softly tracing delicate patterns. A smile spread across his face, and suddenly everything seemed like a perfect paradise. He cautiously eased himself down onto you, making sure not to apply any pressure to your injury. He gently embraced your waist with one arm, while the other slipped beneath your back, as his head found a comfortable resting place on your chest. Despite not being particularly fond of physical contact, Jack came to the realization that it was exactly what he needed in that very moment. He felt a sense of calm and ease wash over him. The overwhelming fear of losing you compelled him to finally recognize the immense depth of his emotions for you. Your mind was flooded with memories of the two of you. As your heart raced, you couldn't help but wonder if this was all just a dream. It felt too good to be real. Your excitement filled the air with joyful giggles, capturing Jack's attention as he lifted his head, his puzzled gaze fixed upon you. His puzzled expression was absolutely adorable to you, filling your heart with excitement. You replied, "Oh, it's nothing, just pure bliss," as your heart raced with joy. You then affectionately planted a gentle kiss on his forehead.

[morinassociates678]

Bluehub Unified Communications

But if your company uses the innovative Bluehub cloud-based solutions for internal communications, this might all change. Numerous other options are available to you as well. This plan can be put into action at the appropriate moment.

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If you want to master Bluehubcloud Suite, you must install updates and patches as soon as they are released.

We are grateful that you are interested in spreading the word about Bluehubcloud. Sure, we'd be happy to lend a hand. My objective is to achieve a chance. We would much appreciate your time to discuss. Your affirmation that I meet the requirements for this position would be tremendously appreciated. Your kindness and the time you've spent with me are greatly appreciated. Please allow me to introduce you to my organization and the many IT services we provide in this letter. To me, they appear to be the most optimal choice. This opportunity stands out as the most sensible given the seriousness of the circumstance. When it comes to cutting-edge software solutions, no one can compare to us. If you want to be famous, you should take advantage of opportunities like these. You can rely on our steadfast assistance and direction as you work to enhance company operations and customer service. We promise to support you through the good times and the bad. By offering these options, we can accomplish our objective. This allows us to achieve our objective. Thanks to their help, we were able to fix issues with our white-labeled software package Software Company Among my possessions is this. Our software bundles include this solution for our customers. This kind of thing happens when important departments like business, customer service, and sales don't work together. Numerous sectors depend on it, including those dealing with information technology, non-governmental organizations, and service providers. Some companies have taken notice of their self-assured demeanor. This is the opinion of many people. This area may be home to both mom-and-pop shops and national brands. Corporations are also a part of this category. It is now widely accepted.

A lot of thought obviously went into your statement. The need for more organized frameworks to increase the likelihood that discussions will result in positive conclusions stands out across all of their remarks. All of those who contributed to making the Bluehubcloud app suite a reality have our eternal gratitude. We can't build our entire system without this. The person in charge here is completely clueless. The correct operation of our system relies on it. We greatly improved our communication with our geographically dispersed staff, including some in Australia, by using VoIP services. After carefully considering all of the feedback, we have decided to implement this change. Thanks to technological advancements, you can maintain contact with them regardless of your location on this planet. In every game, we demand nothing less than our best from our players. This allowed us to get closer to our goal of developing a global communication system. We made this change so that everyone on the team could have their needs met more effectively. With this change, efficiency shot up a notch. Their installation and ongoing maintenance have been taken care of by Bluehub for some time now. Bluehub is handling this particular task. They may simply disappear without a trace. For their unwavering commitment to ensuring the solutions' dependability, the Bluehubcloud team has our deepest gratitude. Because of developments in technology, new opportunities have emerged. As time has progressed and new technologies have been available, these responses have evolved. The fact that these solutions are now available to everyone who wants them is another perk. Having connections that are understanding and encouraging will make it easier for you to adjust to these changes. We are able to achieve our objectives because of this.

When it comes to customer assistance, the Bluehubcloud Suite can totally change the game for your company. Let us focus on just one thing for the time being. We are fully confident in your capacity to successfully perform this task. It would be revolutionary, in our opinion.

To find out more about the options available to your company, schedule a consultation now. Time is of the essence when one is preparing for a major event. Following this procedure to the letter should make researching your topic a breeze. Consult a business advisor no later than the close of business the next day. Someone has proposed that this be carried out. You have complete control over the web with Bluehubcloud. Bluehubcloud could be beneficial to your business in multiple ways. Significant improvements have been made in operational efficiency as well as customer service quality. Bluehubcloud offers a wide variety of options. Your company will be affected in a multiplicative way by just one action.

[ruchirathor]

Walking the Talk: Leading by Example in Today's Competitive Landscape

Introduction

Remember the days when a fancy title and a corner office were the benchmarks of a good leader? Those days are gone. In today's fast-paced business environment, the most impactful leaders understand the power of leading by example. It's about more than just giving orders; it's about fostering a culture of shared purpose, inspiring peak performance, and ultimately, driving organizational success.

Why Leading by Example Matters

Imagine, you're on a team project, facing a tight deadline. Your leader, however, is constantly unreachable, setting unrealistic expectations, and micromanaging every step. Sound uninspiring, right? This is the converse of leading by example. Effective leaders understand that actions speak louder than words. When they embody the values and behaviors expected from their teams, they cultivate an environment of trust and credibility. Employees see their leader as someone invested in the company's success and genuinely interested in their well-being. This fosters a sense of shared responsibility, boosting employee engagement and propelling teams to achieve ambitious goals.

Beyond Trust:The Ripple Effect of Leading by Example

Leading by example extends far beyond establishing trust. It sets the tone for the entire organization. When leaders prioritize open communication, transparency, and respect, it creates a positive work environment where collaboration thrives. Employees feel empowered to make decisions, take initiative, and contribute their unique talents – a vital ingredient for innovation within any organization.

Putting Theory into Practice: How to Lead by Example

So, how do you translate this concept into actionable steps? Effective leadership by example begins with a foundation of clearly defined values. What core principles guide both your leadership style and the organization as a whole? Articulate these values effectively and consistently demonstrate them in your daily interactions.

Making Yourself Available: Fostering Open Communication

Accessibility and approachability are key characteristics of leaders who walk the talk. Break down barriers between yourself and your team. Make time for open communication, listen actively to concerns, and encourage honest feedback. This creates a safe space for dialogue and allows you to address challenges collaboratively.

Transparency: Building Trust Through Open Communication

Transparency fosters trust and fosters a culture of accountability. Be upfront with your team about challenges, goals, and even your own imperfections. Owning mistakes demonstrates integrity and sets a positive example for navigating setbacks.

Recognizing Achievements: The Power of Appreciation

A simple "thank you" can have a profound impact. Take the time to acknowledge the contributions of your team members, both big and small. Demonstrating sincere appreciation fosters a cycle of motivation and continued excellence.

Conclusion

Leading by example is a continuous journey of self-improvement. There will be setbacks, but the unwavering commitment to embodying your organization's values and inspiring others will position you as a leader who empowers your team to achieve remarkable things. By consistently walking the talk, you become a catalyst for positive change and propel your organization towards a future of success.

[passiveincomemoney]

Navigating the Exit: A Comprehensive Guide to Leaving Your Job

Leaving a job can be a significant turning point in one's career. Whether it's for personal growth, a new opportunity, or simply the need for change, the decision to exit a job should be approached with careful consideration and planning. Here are 15 fundamental steps to ensure a smooth transition from your current job.

Reflect on Your Decision: Before taking any action, ensure that leaving your job is truly what you want. Consider the reasons behind your decision and weigh them against the potential consequences of leaving.

Communicate with Your Manager: Once you've made your decision, schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss your resignation. It's professional courtesy to inform them first before announcing it to the wider team.

Resign in Person: Delivering your resignation in person (when possible) shows respect for your employer and the relationship you've built.

Provide Adequate Notice: Typically, two weeks' notice is the standard in most industries, but check your contract for any specific terms regarding notice periods.

Submit a Formal Resignation Letter: A written resignation letter serves as an official record of your intention to leave and should be concise and professional.

Plan for Your Transition: Document your responsibilities and any ongoing projects to assist whoever will be taking over your role. This helps ensure a seamless transition for the team.

Request a Reference: If you're leaving on good terms, ask your manager or a colleague for a reference. This can be invaluable for your future job applications.

Express Gratitude: Take the time to thank your colleagues and superiors for the opportunities and experiences you've had during your tenure.

Avoid Negative Comments: Refrain from making disparaging remarks about your employer or colleagues. Maintaining professionalism is crucial for your reputation.

Prepare for an Exit Interview: Some companies conduct exit interviews to understand your reasons for leaving and gather feedback. Be honest but diplomatic in your responses.

Update Your Resume: With your departure imminent, ensure your resume is updated with your latest skills and experiences to aid in your job search.

Secure Your Finances: Plan financially for the period between jobs. This may involve budgeting or ensuring you have savings to cover any gaps in employment.

Clean Your Workspace: Remove personal items and ensure that any company property is returned. Furthermore, clear personal data from company devices.

Network: Leverage your professional network as you seek new opportunities. Networking can open doors to jobs that may not be publicly advertised.

Reflect on Your Growth: Use this time to reflect on what you've learned and how you've grown professionally. This self-awareness can guide your career path moving forward.

Exiting a job isn't merely about walking away; it's about transitioning with purpose and grace. By adhering to these steps, you can facilitate a seamless departure, preserving avenues for future prospects and nurturing positive professional connections.

For more profound insights into each step, explore articles dissecting the intricacies of resigning professionally. Bear in mind, your departure approach holds significance akin to your performance during employment. Strategize thoughtfully, conduct yourself with respect, and anticipate the next phase of your career with optimism and assurance.

[jasonblack901]

Interview with Viplove Bhojwani: Mastering Lead Generation in IT

Jason Woods: Hello, dear readers. I'm Jason Woods, and today I have the privilege of speaking with Viplove Bhojwani, a sales expert whose strategies have revolutionized lead generation for numerous IT companies. Viplove, welcome, and thank you for joining us.

Viplove Bhojwani: Thank you, Jason. It's fantastic to be here and discuss my work.

Jason Woods: Your reputation in the IT sales community is quite remarkable. Can you give us a brief overview of how you got into this field?

Viplove Bhojwani: Certainly, Jason. My journey began about 15 years ago when I took a sales position at an emerging tech firm. I quickly realized that the ever-changing nature of IT sales was both challenging and exhilarating. Over the years, I've honed my expertise in lead generation, which has become my specialty and passion.

Jason Woods: Lead generation is a critical component of any business. In your view, what makes it especially important in IT?

Viplove Bhojwani: In IT, products and services can be highly technical and complex. Lead generation is about more than just capturing interest; it’s about educating potential clients and helping them understand how a particular IT solution can address their specific needs. It's about forming a connection between technology and the people who can benefit from it.

Jason Woods: What strategies have you found most successful for generating leads in this sector?

Viplove Bhojwani: A multifaceted approach tends to yield the best results. This includes creating high-quality, informative content that addresses common pain points, ensuring robust SEO practices to improve online visibility, and engaging in personalized outreach. A particularly successful strategy involves leveraging professional networks and platforms, like LinkedIn, to connect with decision-makers directly.

Jason Woods: That sounds like a comprehensive strategy. Could you share an example where your approach made a significant impact on an IT company's lead generation?

Viplove Bhojwani: Absolutely. One IT security company comes to mind. Their solutions were top-notch, but their lead generation was lagging. We developed a series of educational webinars and whitepapers that positioned them as thought leaders. We also optimized their sales funnel and introduced a CRM system to nurture leads more effectively. The result was a 150% increase in qualified leads within a year.

Jason Woods: That's a staggering increase. Quality over quantity is essential, though. How do you ensure the leads you generate are likely to convert?

Viplove Bhojwani: That's true, Jason. Quality is crucial. It’s essential to have a clear definition of your ideal customer profile. We use a combination of lead scoring and targeted content to ensure that we're engaging with the most promising prospects. Additionally, regular feedback from the sales team and data analysis helps us fine-tune our methods to maintain a high-quality lead pool.

Jason Woods: With technology advancing rapidly, how do you keep your lead generation strategies up to date?

Viplove Bhojwani: Keeping up with the pace of innovation in IT is a challenge. I dedicate a significant portion of my time to education—attending industry events, following thought leaders, and analyzing market trends. This ongoing education allows me to adapt my strategies to the current landscape.

Jason Woods: Lastly, for IT sales professionals looking to improve their lead generation, what advice would you give?

Viplove Bhojwani: My advice would be to never stop learning and experimenting. The landscape is always shifting, and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Always focus on the value you're providing to your prospects. Make your interactions meaningful, prioritize their needs, and demonstrate how your solution can make a difference for them.

Jason Woods: It's been enlightening talking with you, Viplove. Your expertise in lead generation is clearly a game-changer for IT companies. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

Viplove Bhojwani: The pleasure was mine, Jason. I'm glad to share, and I hope your readers find these insights helpful. Thank you for having me.

[top10withme]

The social media customer service statistics brands need to know in 2022

social media customer service statistics 2022

What does it mean to have exceptional customer service? Automated phone systems? Website chatbots? Help guides? These ease your customer support teams’ workload, but they don’t always cater to the needs of your customers—especially if they have a unique or urgent issue. When this happens, they don’t want to click through a series of irrelevant options or read through useless FAQs. They want to speak to a human as soon as possible, and guess where they go to achieve this? Social media. The number of US social media users is expected to surpass 308 million in 2023 (up over 6 million from 2022 projections). So brands—now’s the time to build a social customer care strategy (if you don’t already have one). Not sure where to start? In this piece, we’ll discuss leading social media customer service statistics and how to use them to build stronger relationships in 2023. social media customer service statistics 2022 Explore other latest social media stats that reflect the changing consumer behavior on social networks. How the Facebook algorithm works and ways your brand can outsmart it How do customers use social media for support? Brands have several options for delivering customer support, but the one that appeals most to consumers is social media. From 2020 to 2021 alone, the volume of consumers who preferred using social messaging for customer service jumped an impressive 110%. As customers continue to flock to social for their support needs, it will take more effort to maintain speedy social media response times. Be careful—if you fail to offer timely resolutions on social, almost half of consumers may unfollow your brand. Even worse, social media trends show that over a third will talk about the experience with their family and friends. So how are customers using social channels to receive support from brands? “About 70% of my customers reached out to me through social media channels, the other 30% by email,” says Zoila Streich, Co-Founder of Independent Fashion Bloggers and former fashion business owner. “Most questions are about product availability and payment methods, but a few are feedback about the products or the buying process.” You’ll also find customers using it to report service outages: Good afternoon lethal Energy, Thank you for contacting Mediacom with your concerns. We're sorry for any interruption of services that your power company caused and we are happy to help where we may. Can you DM us if you are experiencing any other issues currently? ^JJ https://t.co/oiNdqufxNq — Mediacom Cable (@MediacomCable) December 21, 2020 Or to point out issues with shipments and deliveries: @ReserveBar I have a problem with a recent order. I emailed Customer Help and waited, but no response. I then opened a ticket. Still no response. I know the holidays are busy. Still, I would like to have my issue resolved. Can you help? — jcbphd (@jcbphd) December 15, 2021 It’s disheartening to get negative feedback, but being respectful and helpful to each customer’s request will help in the long run. social media customer service statistics 2022 Combining a great product or service with excellent support sets you up for more positive remarks from customers: Hello @Lugo13M: Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to share your satisfaction and appreciation with us, kindness such as yours really does make a difference to our employees! Kind Regards, Tammi | Pottery Barn Social Media Team — Pottery Barn (@potterybarn) December 17, 2021 Make sure to prepare for the ebbs and flows of incoming customer support requests. New product launches or promotions lead to an influx of sales, which means more opportunities for inbound questions, so have your social media presence properly staffed. “The volume of customers using our social media customer support fluctuates between 40% to 60%, depending on promotions,” says Yuvi Alpert, Founder, Creative Director and CEO of jewelry brand Noémie. “Because we drive people to our social media profiles through other channels, such as our newsletter, many of the questions we receive come through those platforms.” How important is social media customer service to consumers? Social media has flipped the balance of power between brands and consumers. Only on social can people compare a brand’s support practices to its competitors in less than a few clicks. If a business providing similar products or services is offering better help, Sprout Social’s Index™ found that 30% of consumers say they’d choose the competitor. social media customer service statistics 2022 The public nature of social media support has influenced many brands to rethink their roster of standard support channels. More than half say that private/direct messaging plays a role in their customer care strategy. With social media customer service stats like these, there’s only one thing to do: improve your social media A-game, so you don’t fall into the trenches of negative reviews. Being consistent with your customer support builds trust and loyalty. Some will even go out of their way to show their praises in public (hello, social proof). @culvers too many times we hear nothing but negative, but I wanted to give a shout out to the Culver’s in Richland Center. The fries were perfect! Temperature, look everything! And that burger…I’m in heaven! Friendly people made my day! Good job RC Culver’s! — Tara Lynn (@Gigglegirls3) December 22, 2021 Having stellar customer support is essential to both customers and brands. But manually responding to every message—especially when you have multiple social media accounts and thousands of customers—is not sustainable. With a tool like Sprout Social, customer care teams can organize and filter incoming messages across platforms, triage responses and view critical customer information all in one place.

The social media customer service statistics in 2022 - social media customer service statistics 2022 Start your free Sprout trial How quickly do brands need to reply to customer service messages on social? Being present on social media is great. But having a fast response rate sets apart the “best in class” brands from the “I’m unfollowing you because your customer service is horrible” brands. How fast is fast enough? In many cases, it depends on the industry and the situation. For instance, Yuvi Alpert finds a day is fast enough during promotions. “It is critical that we answer those questions within 24 hours. We found that allowing more time to elapse lowers customer interest. By offering prompt responses, we see dramatic increases in sales of featured items.” But what do customers say the proper response time is for social media customer support? Our latest Sprout Social Index™ data found that 76% of consumers expect a reply within 24 hours on social.

social media customer service statistics 2022 At one time, taking a day or more to respond to a customer was acceptable. But now most demand instant access and gratification. And if you’re considered a high-priced product or service, then you definitely must respond quickly. Customers who pay more for a service expect a higher level of social customer care. When MeUndies set a goal of replying to all messages within a 60-minute window, they needed an alternative to responding natively through social platforms. They turned to Sprout’s Smart Inbox to get an all-encompassing view of their Instagram direct messages, mentions and comments in one stream.

social media customer service statistics 2022 Now, be mindful that a fast response isn’t the primary goal—it’s to resolve customers’ issues. Unfortunately, some brands are quick to reply but slow to resolve. And when that happens, unhappy customers will let you (and all their followers) know: Delta is replying, but the issue is lingering too long. Address customer problems fast or risk losing current and potential customers. Facebook customer service stats Facebook is the number one platform where consumers follow brands, so it’s easy to reach out whenever needed. Around 69% of Facebook Messenger users say communicating with brands here builds confidence in the company. If your customers are on Facebook, then you should be too. OLIPOP, a tonic brand, uses Facebook to offer direct customer support. “I’d estimate at least 50% of our customers will message us questions or comment directly on our posts across Facebook and Instagram,” says Melanie Bedwell, eCommerce Manager for OLIPOP. “Ideally, we try to reply instantly, but if that’s not possible, then at least during the same day.” Here are examples of their engagement with happy customers:

social media customer service statistics 2022

social media customer service statistics 2022 They also use opportunities to promote their in-store options (and their tool to locate one near you). Twitter customer service stats Twitter is where you’ll find most people headed to compliment or complain about a brand. About 64% of Twitter users even say they’d rather Tweet a brand than call them. We partnered with Twitter to learn more about how consumers are connecting with brands on the social network and found that: - 53% of Twitter users find it helpful to see how brands answer questions or solve issues publicly. - 51% of surveyed Twitter users report their experiences communicating with brands on Twitter makes them feel more favorable toward the brand. - 1 in 3 (34%) Twitter users purchased a product or service after a positive customer interaction on Twitter. Why do people reach out to brands on Twitter? All sorts of reasons, but the most popular reasons to seek out customer service on the network are product defectiveness (37%), order issues (29%) and bad in-person experiences (29%). While it’s great to have this two-way communication with customers, a customer service-filled feed can distract from other campaigns and promotions your brand is trying to highlight. This is why some brands stand up separate Twitter accounts dedicated to customer care. “Businesses use social media for a variety of purposes, including marketing, engaging with customers, interacting with influencers and more,” says Keenan Beavis, founder of Longhouse Media. “That’s why having a distinct social media account dedicated to customer support inquiries is so important. You don’t want your advertising, likes and shares to bury client demands and questions. ” We see companies like Belkin using this approach. The consumer electronics brand notifies users to ask questions using its dedicated Twitter customer service channel.

social media customer service statistics 2022 If you visit Belkin on Twitter, you’ll see they go over and beyond for their customers. They even offer multi-lingual support. Hola. We are very sorry to hear about your experience and would like to know more details. Please follow us here on Twitter and send us more details in a private message so we can attend to your case appropriately. We will gladly assist you. https://t.co/h2jYyfYdnu — BelkinCares (@BelkinCares) June 28, 2021 Explore other latest social media stats that reflect the changing consumer behavior on social networks. Improve customer experiences with social media customer service You created your business profiles on the social channels your customers frequent. But don’t just use them to promote your products and services. It’s a channel where today’s consumers expect customer support. Be ready to engage with both customers and prospects by creating separate handles and using Sprout’s social customer service tools to manage it all in one place. Timely alerts + quick responses = happy customers. It’s a win-win for everyone. Ready to build relationships with your customers? Sign up for Sprout’s free trial to get started. Source link #social #media #customer #service #statistics #brands Read the full article

[mark6f]

925 Sterling Silver Wedding Rings Classic Jewelry Round Cut Zirconia Engagement Ring Bridal Set REMARKABLE 925 STERLING SILVER WEDDING RINGS. AN EVEN BETTER DISCOUNT. Interested in our 925 Sterling Silver Wedding Rings? Well, great minds think alike, because our team is holding an exclusive 21% off on the 925 Sterling Silver Wedding Rings today! Choose from our popular sellers such as 925 Sterling Silver Wedding Rings Classic Jewelry Round Cut Zirconia Engagement Ring Bridal Set -- all priced at just $54.26! This offer won't last long, so ADD TO CART now to save $14.72! 925 STERLING SILVER WEDDING RINGS: LEARN MORE Item Weight: 4.8g Gender: Women In other words, this is one of our best selling products thanks to amazing quality and a handsome price. So, choose the Ring Size and Ships From you need, and we’ll take care of everything else. PRODUCT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Are the colors true? The colors of the 925 Sterling Silver Wedding Rings are true, but the screens of different devices may show a bit different shades. Can you offer more variations? We are showing all the available variations on the product page, so feel free to take a look at the description of the 925 Sterling Silver Wedding Rings! Is it the final price? Do I have to pay any additional fees? On the checkout page, you will see the total price. This is the final price, so no extra expenses will be necessary. What’s your price for this? We’re glad you’re interested. The price is $54.26. Is there some positive feedback about your Classic Jewelry Round Cut Zirconia Engagement Ring Bridal Set? Most of our customers were happy with their purchase. Furthermore, they mentioned impressive quality and affordability as the product’s most valued benefits. What if it doesn’t suit me? You can get in touch with us, explain your problem and we’ll solve it. In addition, we’ve got customer-friendly refund policy. ORDERING & STORE POLICIES What if I order several units of the same product? Will they arrive one by one or as a single delivery? All your packages should arrive simultaneously, so there's no need to visit your post office several times. If I receive the Classic Jewelry Round Cut Zirconia Engagement Ring Bridal Set damaged, or if I don't receive the package at all, can I get my refund? We're proud of our customer-friendly return policy. So if anything happens to your package before it’s delivered, we’ll offer you a full refund. What if I need to change the Ring Size and Ships From or cancel my order? You need to get in touch with our support team and explain your problem to them. They will fix it because they’re always ready to help you out. I got a few questions. Can I ask them somewhere? There are multiple ways to contact the support team in our store, so use any of the channels listed at the bottom of this page. Is it possible to buy the Classic Jewelry Round Cut Zirconia Engagement Ring Bridal Set offline? You might see similar items in regular stores, but the price will most likely be higher than ours. What makes you better than other stores? We cherish our reputation and want our clients to keep coming back. Therefore, we don’t deceive customers and cash in on them. We don’t inflate our prices and don’t sell items of poor quality. https://mark6f.com/925-sterling-silver-wedding-rings-classic-jewelry-round-cut-zirconia-engagement-ring-bridal-set/?feed_id=1494&_unique_id=63a3458571556

[myresellerhome]

Finding Reliable Reviews of Web Hosts: What to Look for in a Good Review Site

The days are long gone when consumers have only a select few neighborhood hosts from which to make their selections. Customers who use the internet in today's world have a wide array of choices available to them when it comes to selecting a web hosting company. Thanks to various systems such as email and Skype, customers now have the flexibility to select hosts located in any part of the country. These days, working with hosts is considerably easier, they are less difficult to set up, and they provide a significantly higher level of dependability. Because there are a great number of hosts available, we have the responsibility of choosing the one that is ideal for our needs.

There are a few things to think about before deciding on a purchase, so get those issues out of the way first.

It is impossible for us to know the actual value of web hosts or the level of quality they possess until we actually utilize their services, just like it is impossible for us to know the actual value of any other item of common usage.

The following are some essential benchmarks to consider:

• The on-going concerns and tendencies around the billing

• An examination during periods of inactivity

• Has the team had extensive training, and how quickly are they able to find solutions to any difficulties that may arise?

If your web hosts pass each and every test, it is safe to continue using them; otherwise, you should look into other options. Now, what steps should you take if it doesn't live up to the standards you set for it? In point of fact, even while some companies offer a month-to-month payment cycle, which is a virtual try-before-you-purchase situation as a result of low month-to-month charges, unsatisfied customers should still change their websites and begin short-term training with another host. Because of this, it is of the highest significance that customers carry out as much research as they possibly can before starting a working relationship with any web host.

There is a correlation between the quality of the food and drink that hosts give and the personality and level of excellence of their guests. If a customer does not have either prior positive experience with a hosting provider for the type of website they need or a friend who has criteria that are extremely similar to their own, then the customer is deemed to be a newbie when it comes to a web host.

Getting in touch with the company's clients or reading reviews is one of the most efficient ways to conduct research. This is because the company's clients are the only people who have had sufficient exposure to the quality of the web hosting service and are able to discuss their experiences.

Analyze Your Methods

These days, companies can manage their own publicity through a wide variety of diverse media, which is far more common than in the past. There are a number of different platforms, each of which has its own level and controls to navigate it. Several examples of them are as follows:

Observations and Remarks from the Host

On the homepage of their websites or on a separate page that is specifically designated as Testimonials, the majority of the hosts feature reviews that have been made by their customers. In the overwhelming majority of cases, none of them are seen to be in a negative light. The majority of the time, companies will collect these testimonials by reaching out to their existing customer base and soliciting feedback from those customers.

Forums for Open Discussion

Forums on the hosting website that are moderated by the host are an example of a source that is significantly more compelling. The sorts of issues that are discussed on the forum provide a window into the kinds of exchanges that members have had with the site's host.

Websites that have been examined and rated objectively by other organizations

These websites have a great deal more credibility than anything else that is affiliated with the company. These websites make the vast bulk of their cash and traffic through marketing strategies rather than through any of the hosts whose services they review. These websites do not include anything that might result in a conflict of interest for the user in any way.

Examine Websites Third Parties That Are Funded by the Hosts and Are Provided by Third Parties

There are certain third-party websites that give the idea that they are independent, but, in reality, they are managed in an indirect manner by hosts who pay them an affiliate fee. These websites create the impression that they are autonomous. There is a chance that their actions will result in a conflict of interest.

Social Media Sites

These days, practically all of the time that people use social media platforms, they are doing so for the purpose of advertising, and as a consequence, these platforms provide some validity in the shape of assessments.

How to Select a Review Website That Is Completely Trustworthy

The following are some of the tell-tale signs that a review website may not be trustworthy: These are the most recent additions to the trustworthy guidelines that I have compiled for myself.

There are no particularly crucial facts; rather, feelings are implied.

(For instance, "this web host is so amazing that I mistakenly threw away my jeans when I was talking with their representative about customer care.") A straightforward tactic with a high rate of success is to attempt to exert influence over another person by manipulating their feelings. This is the first and most significant topic that has to be thought about. You are not choosing a hosting web service for a short period of time or for the sake of a moment's amusement; therefore, you should resist the temptation to become energized by reviews that are excessively positive. The overwhelming majority of fake surveys about web hosting are created with the intention of manipulating your feelings in some way.

Rehashing components that have been promoted or misrepresented without performing an authentic analysis of functional experience (e.g., "100% uptime! Fast! Incredible support is offered to those who make purchases! ") Copying and pasting or otherwise modifying existing advertising materials is all that is required to produce low-paying fake web hosting reviews.

No Reliable experience. ("After four years, we haven't experienced any troubles with them!" is an example.) A commentator who is both serious and trustworthy wouldn't hyperventilate as much as they do (regardless of the possibility that it is a genuine review and he or she is truly fulfilled). Because four years is such a lengthy amount of time, it is quite unlikely that a shared hosting plan will keep a high degree of uptime or excellent performance over the duration of that time.

Insufficient Years of Life Experience There are web hosting providers out there that offer discounts to new customers as an incentive for writing positive testimonials on the company's website. The new customers do it despite the fact that they have had very little to no past experience with the host or even none at all.

It was difficult to locate noteworthy points of interest in the area. (One such example of this would be, "I just gave them a call, and they took care of it straight immediately!") It is essential to bear in mind that paid analysts might engage in some creative thinking, but they won't use highly specific technical specifics in their work.

Conclusion

These indicators do not provide a guarantee that you will avoid phony web hosting reviews one hundred percent of the time; however, they may help you in some way to detect bogus reviews and select the best web hosting for your small business.

Myresellerhome.com

We offer experienced Webhosting services that are customized to your specific requirements.

[thestarrynightslover]

I'll Make It Okay for You - Part 1

Pairing: Harvey Specter x Reader

Word count: 3,666

Warnings: Discussion, yelling, some angst, mentions of drugs, and drug abuse. 

Summary: What happens when (y/n) (y/l/n), Harvey’s secret crush and a junior partner at his firm, openly defies him in front of everyone?

You can find Part 2 here.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the show Suits, or its characters, also not associated with it in any way or know anyone involved with it.

A/N: So, this is my first Harvey Specter fic and I’m obviously quite unsure about it, lol. This might’ve ended up like one big mess, cause I tried to combine a bunch of Harveys I wanted to see. The perfect recipe for disaster, right? Anyways, I hope it doesn’t suck too bad and, please, feel free to give me feedback, cause I’m also here to learn!!

(y/n) = (your name) (y/l/n) = (your last name) (y/n/n) = (your nickname)

| masterlist |

You’d barely stepped out of the elevator when you were met by your secretary that morning. That couldn’t mean anything good.

“Morning, (y/n/n). You’ve got an emergency meeting with Jessica today. Gonna give you the schedule on the way there.” Lucy stated, leading you on the opposite way to Jessica’s office.

“Oh, I got the memo; company’s under attack again. She wants me on the frontlines this time. Louis is probably running around saying ‘We’re at war, people, war!!!’, or something like that. But why aren’t we headed towards the boss’ office?”

“Apparently, uh, she wants y’all to convey at Harvey’s office.” She said hesitantly, as if afraid of your reaction.

“Are you kidding me? It’s the first hour of the morning and she wants me to go see that smug face of his?” You pouted childishly.

“Smug and hot, you mean.” Lucy corrected you, getting an outraged look from you in response, as she usually would by saying anything positive about Specter.

“Shush,” You said, motioning for her to stop talking, “ one shall not praise Harvey Annoying Specter around me.” You stated full of obstination, but the younger woman just laughed you off and said:

“Well, here we are. I guess I’ll just have to send you an e-mail with your schedule, since, once again, we spent our schedule minutes of the day talking about “the enemy”.” She mocked with gestures and everything this time. That Lucy really was a piece of work, she timed the whole thing perfectly, in a way that you couldn’t even repudiate her insinuations because you were already standing in front of Specter’s office door.

Not long after you had entered and Jessica had officially started the strategy-meeting, though, all eyes in the room turned to you, as your phone started ringing in your back pocket. "Shit! I'm- I'm so sorry, guys, I guess I-"

"Can you please take your job seriously for once in your life, (y/l/n)?" You heard Harvey Pain-In-The-Ass Specter rudely remark, as you tried to swallow your embarrassment.

“Well, like I was trying to say, I’m sorry. Gonna turn it off right now, won’t happen again.” You said, directing your apologetic look to Jessica.

“You should just go ahead and answer it, could be something important.” She calmly told you.

“Especially now that you’ve already interrupted our work.” Specter chipped in again, which just gave you more fuel to answer the goddamn phone.

“Hello, yeah this is her.” You confirmed to the man on the phone, while taking a few steps towards the corner of the room. “What??? Are you sure? Oh my God! O- okay, just tell me which one and I’ll be there as soon as possible! Right, thank you.” Everyone’s eyes were on you, trying to understand what made you look so distressed. Except his, of course.

“Wait a second. Are you leaving right now?” He asked with a mix of annoyance and irritation in his voice.

“Yes, I am. I’m sorry, Jessica, but this is a family emergency. I have to go.”

“Well, I just hope you know that this doesn’t look good for you, (y/n).” She said, voice inexpressive.

“I do and, honestly? I couldn’t care less about that right now.” You firmly told her, while hoping your career wasn’t over by the next morning.

“I hope everything goes well for you and your family, (y/n). If you need anything, and I mean anything, just let me know.” Louis told you with that childish smile of his. Jesus, even in a moment like this, he tried to flirt with you.

“Thank you, Louis. That’s very kind.” You faked a tiny smile.

“Unbelievable.” 

“What?” You asked, turning back to face Harvey.

“Your firm is under attack and you’re leaving because of some stupid family crap?” Was he even serious?

“Precisely. And I don’t really care what your thoughts are on it. Our priorities are clearly very different.” Who the hell did he think he was to say anything about your family’s issues?

“Well, that shouldn’t matter because, the minute you walk in here, through those elevators out there, you’re supposed to leave all things personal behind.”

“Oh, right. I’m so sorry that I’m not some heartless lawyer like you, who’s just in it for the petty fights in the name of money-making.” Shit. You needed to get the hell out of there before you said something else to make Specter wanna kick you out himself. So you did. Stormed out like there was no tomorrow, leaving nothing but the very shocked Donna, Jessica, Louis, Mike, and Rachel behind. Oh, yeah, and a very pissed-off Harvey Specter.

Okay, maybe you were a little too harsh, but given the place you needed to go, to do what you needed to do, you didn't care about Harvey, your job, or anything else.

---

It was much later on that same day, around dinner time, that you heard a soft knock on your door. But how could someone be at your door, if the doorman downstairs hadn't announced any visitors? Were you dreaming? Well, the day had been so tiring that that wasn't exactly impossible… Nonetheless, you made your way to the door, whilst holding your very needy three-year-old nephew in your arms. Not that you could blame Henry after the day he’d had.

Since you weren’t expecting anyone, it was reasonable to believe that, whoever it was, was going to be a surprise. But not in a million years would have you ever guessed that Harvey Specter was the one knocking at your door. Especially considering what had happened at the firm earlier. How did he even know your address?

“Hi, (y/l/n). I didn’t know you had a kid.” He stated with a bit of surprise of his own, pointing to the little boy you were carrying.

“No, uh, I don’t have any.” You managed to say, trying to control your shocked expression. “This is my nephew.” You clarified again, a little more at ease this time.

“My name’s Henry. What’s yours?” You heard your nephew ask with his cute child-voice.

“Harvey. It’s, uh, it’s very nice to meet you, Henry.” Harvey told the boy, holding out his hand for him to shake, as a sweet smile came to his lips.

“Is he your friend, auntie (y/n/n)?” Henry asked you hesitantly, before making a move. The Don’t Talk to Strangers Rule must’ve kicked in his mind. 

Before answering him, you hesitated a little bit yourself, though. Was Harvey your friend? Obviously not, but if he came to your apartment in the middle of the night like this, it was probably because of something important. Work-related, of course. Which meant you’d have to let him in, so you settled for what would be the easiest classification for a three-year-old.

“Yeah, bud, he is my friend from work.” Hearing that, something in Specter’s eyes changed, you didn’t really know what, though.

“Well, then, can he come play with us?” He gave you such a cute look, that you almost said yes right on cue. But you obviously couldn’t. 

“You’d have to ask him, but I’m sure he has a lot of other, more important, things to do now.” You tried to explain to the little boy, giving Harvey a look. But you didn’t get too far, as the lawyer quickly said:

“Of course I wanna go play with you! That is if your auntie’s okay with that…” Now he was mocking you, that was the only explanation.

“Can we play with him, then, auntie (y/n/n)? Please, please, please?” God, what horrible thing could’ve you possibly done to deserve this particular punishment?

“Um, I guess... If he really has nothing better to do-” Harvey didn’t even let you finish your sentence.

“I really don’t.” He said, shooting you and Henry a bright smile that you’d never seen before.

“Okay, then, come in. Please disregard the mess, I got this stuff to make dinner, but someone just won’t detach, right, mister?” You asked your nephew with fake annoyance in your voice, as you tickled his sides a little bit. He just laughed at you. Though what really caught your attention was the fact that Harvey, too, was chuckling lightly at the scene, as he started picking up your groceries’ bags from the floor. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you, what else?” You gave him a weird look because, well, it was a weird situation. Maybe he noticed your discomfort because he added: “You look tired, so I’ll help you by making dinner and putting the rest of these away.”

“You’re kidding, right?” There was no way in hell that the All-Mighty Harvey Specter was gonna get domestic for you, of all people. Since he didn’t bother to answer, you went on: “First of all, what was it that you really came here to do, hum? And, second, I don’t need your help with anything.” Normally you tried to be kind to everyone, but, then again, Specter wasn’t exactly your normal kind of guy.

“Well, first of all,” he started in a tone of mockery, “that was rude! Look at the example you’re setting for little Henry!” Oh God, as much as you hated to admit it, he was kinda right, because you had completely forgotten about the little boy still cradled in your arms. “Second, we can talk about the reason why I came here later,” after your nephew’s asleep, was implicit in his speech, “third, it looks like you do need some help. And, for your luck, I happen to be a very good cook when I want to.”

“But-” You could barely begin your sentence, as Harvey sharply cut you off:

“You see, buddy,” he started, motioning to Henry this time, “the quicker we get your auntie on board with the game plan, the quicker we’ll get to eat and go play together!” Son of a bitch! Using a child to get to you…

“Can we please, auntie? Please?” How could you not crack after that pleading?

“Fine, but I swear I’ll make you pay if we wake up with food poisoning tomorrow, Specter.” You told him playfully, trying to lighten the mood after all of your bluntness.

“Oh, trust me, (y/l/n), you won’t. This will be the best meal you and the young man here will ever have in your entire lives.” He said cockily, but without the usual arrogance level, if that even makes sense.

A few hours and a really great dinner later, you and Henry couldn’t help but snicker shamelessly at Harvey’s ridiculous faces, as the three of you played a game on your living room’s floor. Trying to catch your breath from your giggles, you glanced up at the clock and realized that it was way too late for your nephew to be out of bed like that. So you broke up the game, announcing:

“It’s bedtime for you, Mr. Henry.” You watched the faces of the pair turn into ones of pure disappointment, as they prepared to pout.

“Just a little longer, auntie (y/n/n)! please!” The little boy started.

“Yeah, auntie, just a little longer! Please?” This time it was the grown man, one of the toughest Wall Street lawyers.

“As moved as I am by your synchrony, guys, the answer is a big no. C’mon, bud, let’s go brush your teeth. And then straight to bed. So say bye to Harvey, and thank him for being so nice to us tonight.” He looked between you and Specter as if still hoping for a hail Mary of some sort.

“Bye, Harvey.” He sounded so sad, but then he smiled brightly again, as he repeated what you’d told him to say word by word: “And thank you for being so nice to us tonight.” Hearing that, both you and Harvey chuckled lightly at the young boy, who quickly added: “Will you come see us tomorrow too?”

“Uh, we’ll, uh, we’ll see about that, okay, little man?” He tried to let Henry down slowly but, watching the boy’s expression become a sad one instantly, he added: “It’s just because both your auntie and I have a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow, but I’ll do my best, okay?” That was definitely a side of Harvey you’d never seen before, he had even bent down to be on your nephew’s level.

“Okay.” Henry said quietly, seeming to be a little happier, too.

“Okay, then let’s just go upstairs already.” You took the boy’s hand to guide him towards the spare bedroom’s bathroom, all the while shooting Specter a look that told him to wait for you a little longer.

“I’ll wait for you down here.” He said, proving he understood what your eyes tried to transmit.

So you headed upstairs with your nephew and, after a good fifteen minutes of brushing Henry’s teeth, helping him into his PJs, and tucking him in, you finally managed to come back to the living room, where you found Harvey looking through some of your photos displayed on the sideboard. For a minute or two, you just watched him. It wasn’t that you liked what you saw or anything. It wasn’t. It was more like postponing the weird conversation you two were bound to have, because, after all that had happened in those few hours, the atmosphere was, at very least, a strange one. But, almost as if he’d felt your gaze on his back, the lawyer in him was switched on, and he interrupted your thoughts by saying:

“Ah, you’re back. Good, because we need to talk.” You just motioned for him to follow you into your home office. But both you and Harvey looked so informal to be in that kind of environment, that you just indicated the small couch on the wall opposite to your desk for you to take your seats in.

“So, uh, before you even say anything, I wanna thank you for being so kind tonight,” a small smile came to your lips, as you remembered, not only the evening but how your nephew had used almost those exact same words, already imitating you, a little earlier. Specter smiled too, you noticed. “and I also wanna apologize. If you came here to talk to me… I must’ve made you waste a lot of time, huh?” You tried with a half-smile this time, as embarrassment started taking over you.

“What? No, of course not! I'm pretty sure that I told you I didn't have anything better to do, didn't I?" He calmly asked with a smile.

"Yeah, but I'm not buying it. You're Harvey Specter, isn't that what you're always saying? And Harvey Specter always has something better to do, isn't that right?" You shot back in a mockery tone, regaining your confidence.

"Well, maybe. But, not today. So don't apologize, and don't thank me. I'm the one who should be thanking you, I had a really good time tonight." Okay, now you were shocked. He had a good time?

"Uh, okay, um, so... What was so urgent that you had to come here in the middle of the night?" You nervously ranted, while tugging your hair behind your ears. He just stared at you, so much so that you almost repeated your question.

"Um, yeah, about this morning… That's why I came here…" You were already guessing that that would come up eventually, but it was the topic of your conversation? "I know that you and I always had our differences, and maybe even some rivalry-"

"Some rivalry? Dude, I'm just a junior partner, and ever since I started on that firm you've been persecuting me-"

"I wouldn't say persecuting…"

"Oh, you wouldn't?"

"Not since you made junior partner anyways. Now it's just a healthy rivalry between work friends…" He tried to use what you’d told your nephew earlier. 

"Oh, so you do admit you were persecuting me when I was an associate, huh?"

"Shit." He muttered quietly, as you watched him with a victory smile on your lips. "You know what? Hell yeah, I did persecute you when you were an associate." Hearing that blunt admission of guilt, you just couldn't find anything to say. “You wanna know why? I did that because, from the first time I saw you doing your job, I saw this very thing that I see now: you kicking ass, you think I wanted to admit this to you? I’ll answer it myself: no, I didn’t. The only reason why it happened is that you led me to it.” He blurted out, completely knocking you off your socks.

“So, um, you treated, you treat me like shit because, um, because I’m good?” You asked, still unsure of what to think about his confession.

“Well, that was part of it, sure. So, you see, I could understand it when you weren’t particularly thrilled at the perspective of working with me. But, this morning, you said that I’m a heartless guy who only cares about money… Is that really what you think of me?” This time he sounded genuinely sad? When Harvey said that he’d come to your apartment to talk about that morning, you thought he was gonna reprimand the shit out of you for disrespecting him ⎯ your sort of boss, a senior partner ⎯, but, apparently, he was asking about it on a more personal level. A level you’d never really thought played a part in your relationship with him.

“Oh, Harvey…”

“Be honest, please. I don’t want your pity. You don’t even know me all that well, so don’t try to minimize anything. I can take it.”

“That’s not what I was gonna do. And, trust me, you’re probably the last person in the world I’d pity.” You told him with a sly smile. “You’re right. I don’t know you all that well. Or, at least, I didn’t this morning. But I do know that you’re not heartless. Also, I was really out of line then, I’ve seen you fighting tooth and nail for a lot more than just money in that firm. You’re loyal to your firm and friends like no one else and, tonight, I watched you sitting on the floor and playing with a little boy. And, trust me, that meant more to him than you’d ever know, especially after today… Anyways, what I’m really trying to say is that I was so damn wrong and that I’m sorry. I’d gotten some pretty nerve-racking news beforehand, not that that’s an excuse but...” You told him, meaning every word and trying hard to show how much you regretted your previous actions.

“Wait, what news?”

“Ah, it’s nothing for you to worry about, really.” You tried to brush him off.

“Oh, c’mon! You said all those nice things about me, but when it comes to your life and your problems you still don’t trust me, isn’t that right?” His tone was sharply inexpressive, but his eyes showed he was actually hurt.

“What are you talking about? Oh my God, Harvey! I’ve relied on you for a number of cases that I really cared about! I let you in on my apartment! I let you spend an entire night around my nephew! Of course, I trust you!”

“Then what the hell is the problem? You think I’m not gonna give a damn about your family issues? Is that it? Because I am literally begging you to tell me about them!”

“I don’t wanna tell you because I don’t want you, or anyone else on the firm, to think that I’m some pathetic little girl who uses her family issues as an excuse to get out of a tough fight.” You confessed in a lower tone, slightly embarrassed, just hoping he would understand and stop poking. “Things are very different when you’re a woman, you know…”

“I would never think that about you. Family is important. Especially if it’s made of people like Henry…” He said, reassuring you, even though there was a hint of sadness in his voice. “Besides, you said you trust me, so you need to trust me when I say that I wouldn’t betray you by telling people about your problems. I’m not here as your boss, (y/n). I just wanna help you.” He sounded so sincere and, if you were being honest with yourself, you kinda really needed to vent.

“Okay, um, where to start? I have two sisters: Henry’s mother, Kat, and a fifteen-year-old, Lisa. I’m the older one of all three of us. Lisa’s sick, like very sick, so my parents, who are both retired, are with her at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, to try and get her better. In the meantime, Kat was supposed to go to college, as well as care for her son, between my parents and me, she wouldn’t even need to provide for them or anything. But, a while ago, she overdosed for the first time. That’s when we found out about her addiction. We’ve already tried a million different things but nothing works. So, my parents and I threatened to make her lose her parental rights over Henry, hoping that it’d be a wake-up call for her, but it backfired. She just took the boy and disappeared, then today I get that call, from the police department, saying that she was in custody for drug distribution and endangering the well-fare of a minor. They asked me to go pick my nephew and, maybe, get Kat a lawyer.” And, just like that, you’d told Harvey Specter, of all people, everything. Tears rolling down your cheeks and him pulling you into a hug.

If anyone had told you that that was how your night was gonna go, you would have definitely laughed them out of the room. But now, just sitting there, being held and caressed by Harvey, as you let your armor down, it was finally beginning to look like things were gonna be okay. 

[wind-becomes-lightning]

KICKS YOUR DOOR DOWN and puts it back up so carefully. nisi my love congrats on 400!! 💛💚🥳🎉 gonna be so supremely self indulgent here and request kabumino, with the prompt "hushed conversation between kisses" if that's ok 👀 ANYWAY I AM SENDING A SMOOCH ACROSS THE POND here's to 400 more!! followers, not smooches... haha jk... unless? 😳👉👈

des my lovely!! <3 <3 I always love to write those little idiots for you, they own me and my heart. I decided to go a bit into Minoru's self-exploration that I love so much and I hope that is alright with you!! <3 400 kisses for you.

Ikigai Au

Kabuto x OC

Thanks a bunch to @depressedhatakekakashi for doing a sensitivity read for me!! <3

2197 words.

While being a member of ANBU was seen as prestigious and an honour, especially the closer you worked with the Hokage, most squad members looked forward to their day of discharge. Working behind a mask that essentially was used to make you invisible, disappearing behind a nameless structure, took a toll on most of them eventually. So the day when they could finally lay down their mask and be themselves again was usually met with big relief. Often it came hand in hand with a big life change, a new daily mission schedule and a little more relaxing time. Everything an ex-anbu wanted.

Yamanaka Minoru was not one of these ANBU-members. He had found himself feeling at ease behind the mouse mask he was wearing, the first time people did not get the chance to judge him or ask him or even see him. Mouse was not either or. Mouse was not in transition. Mouse was just Mouse, nobody cared who Mouse was when he went to sleep at night. That soothed him and for the first time in a long time he felt good in his skin. 

And though he was much older now, and the teenage years with all their confusion and clarity right afterwards were now long behind him, he could not deny the fact that Mouse still was a place of refuge. Most people that knew him loved Minoru, the version he was now, he had rarely met unacceptance, but there was this fear in his mind nonetheless. 

Now there was an honourable discharge in his locker. He stared at it because he could barely believe it. It was a long time coming, his family had talked to him about it, but he hadn’t thought it might come so soon. His branch of the family was building a mental health facility in tandem with what Sarutobi-san was building up in private. Yamanka’s were specialists with the mind after all, and had no trouble finding and working through issues it might have. In these after-war years there were too many people that needed support and so it was only a matter of time until Minoru was asked to join in. There were enough ANBU to go around, there weren’t enough specialists for the mind.

Theoretically, that would be fine. Minoru liked his family's work and learning more about it. He had done test runs before and gotten positive feedback. This was definitely his future and he was looking forward to it, but now that it had knocked onto his door so early he suddenly felt anxious. What would it be like to put Mouse down for good and become Minoru? All out in the spotlight amongst the general population. He took the discharge and put it into his pocket and went on his next mission without telling his comrades about it. To be Mouse one last time at least.

In the evening he climbed through the window into Kabuto’s apartment. The other man was sitting at his desk reading or researching for whatever he was doing. The light of the candles around him was reflecting in his big round glasses and MInour allowed himself a moment of fondness when he saw how calm Kabuto’s face looked, before he went right back to his normal, teasing self. “What is up with the candle? You’re no longer in Orochimaru’s lair, you know.” He pointed at the candle that was flickering on the table.

Kabuto didn’t even look up and just waved with his hand and then changed the page. Clearly, he didn’t see how Minoru’s remark dignified an answer even. They were always like that, for several years at this point, back and forth, forth and back. It was like both of them could not believe the reality of how much they were actually attracted to one another, loved each other, and so they needed to poke holes in the other relentlessly. Minoru loved that about their relationship.

He sat down on the bed behind him and began unclipping his ANBU uniform. It was only a matter of time until Kabuto would come and throw himself down next to him. Kabuto probably already felt the urge to come hold him, kiss him, but he needed to be petty first. Not that Minoru would have wanted it any other way, after all, that was what made their relationship so very special.

For a while Minoru just watched Kabuto’s back, the way his shoulders ebbed and flowed with his breath. How different he had been back when they met, right towards the end of the war, disoriented and lost. Back then he’d been treated like the war criminal Minoru supposed he was, but no matter how many horrible stories he had heard about him, he could never hate Kabuto. Everytime Minoru thought of him his mind's eyes showed him the lost eyes of this young man, the deep grief and fear in them. Nobody that had eyes like that could be bad.

Their up and down relationship had started like a wildfire and taken over both of them almost instantly. Kabuto was smug, terrible and the best thing that had ever happened to Minoru. He was good and honest in that way too, he did not hold back opinions and wishes and when clearly stated how much he wanted Minoru there was no lie and cheating in it. It was just a need he wanted fulfilled. The mouse circled by the snake.

Finally, Kabuto blew the candle out and turned around to his partner. He took his glasses off, as he so often did when they were enjoying time together. “I see you well enough from close up” he would sneer, unable to just admit that it was much more comfortable to have faces close together when there weren’t glasses in the way. 

He got up and sat himself down beside Minoru, eyes squinting a little with his terrible eyesight. Minoru decided to help him out a little and moved in closer so their lips could touch easier. It was such a tradition for them in the evenings now that it was like a studied dance. They fell backwards onto the bed together, quickly a mess of hands and legs. Minoru wanted to let himself go, lose himself in the feeling like he so often did,  but when he briefly opened his eyes while drawing breath he could see the discharge  peek out from his clothes. He put his head back.

Kabuto whispered: “What?” and when Minoru  just shook his head they kissed again, just like before, hands roaming over the body of the other. Kabuto was definitely ready to do this fast, but Minoru still couldn’t get his mind off the discharge. What if his new position as a neurologist just wasn’t good enough? What if he would be a little too exposed and meet someone who would not accept him? What if his face looked too much… too much like the person he was before he knew who he was?

He stopped again and put his head back. Kabuto repeated: “What?” and while Minoru once again tried to get him to not mind it, he was insistent. “Tell me what is wrong with you, rat, otherwise this will lead nowhere.” He was like that, Minoru thought. He could not honestly express concern without being at least a little mean about it. The Yamanaka leaned forward to kiss him again, just lightly on the lips.

“I got a discharge from Anbu”, he whispered, his nose still pressed against Kabuto’s. “I think they want me to work for my father.” They kissed again, light and sweet.

Kabuto drew back this time, one eyebrow raised in a bow that mirrored his usual glasses perfectly: “So? You told me weeks ago that this might happen.” Minoru clawed his hands into Kabuto’s back. He didn’t know how to find the words to describe what worried him so and even so, he wasn’t sure if Kabuto would understand it.

He must have frowned while this went through his mind, as Kabuto took him out of his thoughts with another kiss to his cheek: “What is it? What about that makes you so nervous.” 

“I - I am alright being Mouse” Minoru said, still trying to find the words, “Mouse was who I was before I knew who Minoru was. I mean, I knew who Minoru was, who I was, but before I could… physically be who I am, I was Mouse and that was… that was good.”

Kabuto made a little “hmm” sound to indicate for his partner to continue. He kissed his jaw up and down with little butterfly kisses. Minoru let out a breath. “I have never met anyone or known many people that were against… me… this Minoru. But I felt safe changing behind the Mouse mask. When my body did not match the vision I had in my mind about myself, Mouse let me forget all of that. Mouse was always…. me and not me.”

It was so sweet to share this with him while their bodies were so close and their lips were touching over and over again. They could tease one another to the ends of the earth but in the end they trusted and loved each other dearly. Minoru had hesitated to talk about his worries, but now that he said it all out loud it felt right, it felt right telling Kabuto.

“And I- I guess while I am very happy where I am now and secure in my looks and personality, I .. subconsciously am still scared to give Mouse away. It’s leaving a safe harbour behind that my ship was docked in for many years. The sea can be calm and nurturing and beautiful, but it can also be rough.” 

Kabuto laughed a little into his lips: “Nice naval analogy.”  This made Minoru chuckle too. They continued kissing each other while Minoru waited for an answer. He didn’t know if his point had come across well enough for Kabuto to understand, especially after a few minutes passed and the other man still didn’t say anything. There was no sound audible other than the sound of lips touching.

Finally, Kabuto let out a sharp breath. It was as if he had waited for Minoru to say something else, maybe he had. “I think that is the stupidest thing you’ve ever been worried about, Rat,” he said while softly shaking his head.

“Do you not get what I mean?” Minoru felt a little desperate.

“Yes, I do get what you mean.” Kabuto replied. “I just think you are an idiot about this whole thing.” He bumped his head into Minoru’s and then pushed his hair out of his forehead to give him a kiss. “Mouse was a good mask to hide behind while you were finding yourself, defining yourself, that is what you said is it not?”

Minoru nodded. “Right so. That was years ago. You now very much know who Yamanaka Minoru is - and you didn’t even have to go through millions of versions of the same scenario to find it..” Minoru left a kiss on Kabutos nose. His time in the Izanagi still haunted him sometimes, at night when nightmares came without being invited. 

“Now you know who you are, you know who you want to be and your stupid ass did that under the Rat mask, but it never really stayed there. You introduced Minoru to your family, to most of your friends, you let me meet him…” Kabuto kept his eyes fixed on Minoru and they kissed again before he continued. “Do you think the rest of the world does not know who you are? That they don’t won’t love Minoru the way they loved Mouse? Well that makes you the dumbest person in this shit village.” 

Swearing usually meant Kabuto was serious about something. “I’m just scared that I won’t have a place to hide anymore”, Minoru said truthfully. 

“What about here? Right here?” Kabuto sneered in his usual tone. “In the Yamanka clan house? At your parents? You think if the world is just slightly unfair to you, we would not immediately be by your side to protect you, to harbour you, just because you are no longer Mouse? It is great that it helped you find yourself when you needed a lot of dark corners to hide, but now you very much deserve to live your life in the sun.”

Minoru held on to his partner, crawling his fingers into his back and hair, head buried in his chest. “And if someone just dares to harm my little Rat, then they will quickly learn what it means if someone is dating a known war criminal.” Kabuto tried to imitate an evil sounding laughter.

The Yamanka lifted his head and their lips found each other again. “Thank you,” he mumbled between the kisses and Kabuto just pushed him onto his back without saying anything else.

The next day Minoru walked right into the office of his squad leader and handed in his discharge. He was asked to put his Mouse mask back into storage, but he took it home instead.