#that place and my boss offered to help me find a transfer to a branch here in van but bro

[kof-xiii]

infodumped to me mum abt my old line cook job and how clouded i am with nostalgia until i devolved to the more horrible experiences and i gradually felt my blood rise to my head now im woozy LMAO

[word-scribbless]

Belong

Summary: Y/N comes back after leaving when her and Gibbs ‘relationship’ ended. The team goes snooping

Masterlist

-I fudged the timeline a little because DiNozzo is still there but they know about Ellen. Also big thanks to @hopscotchandlemon and @gibbsandpridegirl for the encouragement and brainstorming!

——————-

“Hey Y/N” Ellie said a little too loudly. Alerting her that they were most certainly talking about her. Likely, her and Gibbs and what they think the nature of their relationship is or was or will be.

“Hey there!” She greeted and then smiled and added “go ahead keep whispering I’m just walking through.”

“We weren’t-“ Tony added

“Give it up DiNozzo you forget, she’s a human lie detector” Gibbs said walking through.

Y/N and Gibbs had worked together back when McGee was just starting out at NCIS. She was a profiler and had left to work with the FBI’s behavior analysis unit. The team all knew that. It was explained when came back at the beginning of this joint case. She had just moved back and was the lead profiler in the DC branch of the FBI.

What they didn’t know however, is why Y/N left in the first place. She was always getting offers, but never took them. Until she did and only Gibbs knew why, because he was the reason. Gibbs had broken his own rule, never date a coworker. Well he only sort of broke it because they never were officially dating.

They were unofficially together for well over 2 years when Gibbs ended it. He got scared, she was too close and he was going to get her hurt. He couldn’t make the commitment and break his rule but he couldn’t ask her to transfer, even though she already told him she was planning on it.

That ended up being the final straw. She had lined up a Job at FBI, the job she’s currently in in DC. She told Gibbs she was ready to be with him officially and she wanted to make this move so they could be with out breaking his rules. He panicked and called it off. She was hurt but told him she understood. And she did, she saw it coming if she were honest, but she couldn’t stay in the limbo they were in.

So she told him she’d always love him, kissed him one last time, and broke her lease the next day. She moved to Quantico, which no, wasn’t far but she was always away. It helped her cope with losing him. They stayed friends and would consult on cases but both could tell the other was still hurt by what happened.

The team could obviously tell that there was something more than old pals going on there but they knew better than to ask.

“That’s right, Y/N the mind reader, I did forget.” Tony joked.

“I mean a drunk monkey could tell with you guys... you’re not very sneaky.” Y/N quipped and before Gibbs laughed and guided her to the elevator to go question the whiteness.

“They’re gonna find out J” she sighed once they got in the elevator.

“Yeah I know sorry about that.”

“Rule six?”

“Something about you makes me forget the rules”

She smiled a bit sadly sadly at him as the elevator doors opened.

By the time they got back upstairs after questioning, Abby had joined the team. They had pulled up the Gibbs wives chart. Y/N winced when she noticed her picture in the line up and stopped in her tracks.

Gibbs noticed her tense and glared at his team, moving to head slap dinozzo’s. “Take it down” he growled.

“I don’t belong on there anyway.” Y/N murmured as she walked back to the elevator. God, she thought she could do this but right now she needed space.

Space she wasn’t going to get because Gibbs had run after her and was already flipping the switch sending them into darkness before the emergency light came on.

“J just let it go, please”

“Can’t”

“You can. It’s been years”

“Doesn’t matter Y/N”

She sighed and looked down.

“What’d you mean?” He asked quietly.

“Huh?” She asked looking up shyly

“You said you didn’t belong.”

She sighed and rubbed her hand over her face.

“Those pictures are women that you married or proposed to, women you love or loved. Not women you slept with for 2 years, J we didn’t even date.”

“Y/N” he sighed moving to take her hand.

“I- I didn’t mean it like that I just” she started and then huffed, shoulders deflating.

“I deserve it y/n I hurt you” He almost whispered.

She shrugged and looked away.

“Hurt myself too” he added

She looked up and he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You do belong there Y/N. Yes, that list has the woman I gave rings... but it also includes the only 3 woman I ever truly loved with all my heart now.”

She looked at him with question so he continued.

“I cared for my ex wives, but I never let myself fully love them the way I love you.”

“Love?” She breathed out.

He nodded and moved to hold her.

“I should have learned from Ellen that I’d regret letting you go.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“Y/N it wasn’t anything you did. I wasn’t ready to let you in. To be honest it still scares the shit out of me... but losing you again scares me more.”he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

“Wow” she whispered as she reached up to hold his cheek.

“Hmm”

“We were, whatever we were, for 2 years and I never heard you talk that much. It’s nice, you’re good at it.”

“Keep that too yourself, I like my functional mute title.” He laughed.

She nodded with a giggle and looked at him like she was about to ask a question.

“Hmm?” He asked, inching his lips closer to hers.

“Just wondering if my functional mute still kisses as good as he did 9 years ago.” She smirked as he closed the gap.

He captured her lips with his and her head spun with how much she missed him. She had never been held or kissed like that before him. she never understood how he could be so gentle and so passionate all at once. He pulled away and smiled as she leaned against him.

“Well?”

“Even better than I remember.”

He smiled and tucked her under his arm and flipped the switch for the elevator to move again.

He squeezed her hip before pulling away to exit the elevator.

“We’re really sorry Y/N we didn’t mean to upset you” Bishop told her with Tony and McGee agreeing behind her.

“That’s okay, just caught me off guard” Y/N explained

“Gibbs doesn’t share a lot we kinda have to piece together what we can through cases when he’s forced to tell us.” McGee said

“Well I wasn’t a wife or fiancé but I’m honored to be on that list if I’m being honest” she smiled and winked before moving to go to her meeting with Vance.

The whole team looked at Gibbs.

His smirk at Y/N turned into a scowl.

“Boss?”

“You’re lucky it ended well” he warned and they nodded and went to move back to their desks before he spoke again.

“McGee?”

“Yeah boss”

“Keep her on the list.” He said looking down and the team smiled before moving back to thier desks

@mac99martin @kittenlittle24 @viper-official @ilovemark1951 @theofficialzivadavid @averyhotchner @andreasworlsboring101 @diesinspanishbcimhispanic

[98shawns]

trusting you; trusting me. (t.c.)

dating in the workplace may be tough, but your new hopeless romantic of an assistant makes it worthwhile. 

(coworker au, boss x assistant au)

chapters: one, two

words: 2500

warnings: mentions of nsfw (none in this chapter unfortunately, but def in the next !!)

a/n: long time no post !! i wrote this such a long time ago and it’s collecting dust so i might as well post without worrying too much about how it will do, right? lol, hopefully i can get to writing more !!

Keeping a poker face is easy until the new employee transferring into your department was the guy you’d just spent the night with.

You keep your expression contained as you make a beeline towards your office. This wasn’t the plan. The plan was for you to let off some steam with some good looking guy at the bar and then leave without a trace the morning after. He was nice. Style, charisma, and a boyish charm all wrapped in one handsome package. Just your type. 

And you believe that you’d caught his fancy as well. He slipped his number written down on a napkin that sat wedged into your car’s sun blocker. (You’ve been pondering on whether or not you should shoot him a message all morning).

But as much as you enjoyed his company, he wasn’t supposed to be following you around.

‘I’m going crazy,’ You’re quick to frantically grab the file placed on your desk earlier this morning. Surely enough, Timothée Chalamet would be starting as your new assistant.

/////

“Fancy seeing you here,” is how Timothée greets you when you let him into your office. You bite your cheek as you frown at his words.

“Stop addressing me so casually. I’m your superior.” You lean back in your chair and offer Timothée a seat in front of your desk. His lips press into a straight line as he responds with a curt nod before eventually sitting down in front of you.

The atmosphere was heavy but you find yourself feeling somewhat relieved upon seeing the uneasiness in Timothée’s expression. It seemed like he wasn’t expecting an early reunion either.

“Let me get straight to the point,” you start, leaning forward and clasping your hands together as you rest your elbows on your desk. You see Timothée’s body visibly tense up.

“We’ll be spending a lot of time together from here on out. In regards to what happened last night, we can’t let it affect our practice here. While we’re in this building, we’re coworkers first. Got it?” Timothée nods in a silent agreement, and you try your best to not drown in how uncomfortable you had to make the situation for the both of you. It was protocol for situations like these, but you hated the thought of being professional to the man who sweet-talked you for the duration of all of last night. 

“That’s all. I know it’s a lot for your first day, but try your best. Most of our coworkers are all great people so hopefully they can help you adjust. If you need anything, just ask.” You end the conversation with a send-off you once read in a self-help book about excelling in management. It was just a standard between a manager and a worker; hopefully a standard the both of you will be able to upkeep.

You eventually stand up and extend your hand to give your new assistant a handshake. He stands with you and clasps your hand firmly.

‘He has a good handshake…’ You think about how odd it was that you held this very hand last night. It was cold and fragile yet still big and protective when he held you. He had long fingers and surprisingly soft skin; his hands were noticeably beautiful. You told him so as you dozed off in the wee hours of the morning.

Your touch lingers a few seconds longer than it should before you let go.

“Thank you.” Timothée breathes a sigh of relief as he bids you farewell and you let yourself fall back into your chair after he closed the door behind him.

/////

You were always the last to leave, especially on a weekend. Even a few years ago when you were stationed at the cubicle in the back of the office, one row of fluorescent lights would stay illuminating your space.

You were a hard worker with big plans. Everyone in your relatively new branch was around your age so you were well liked, admired, respected, or at least acknowledged by your coworkers by the time you eventually got promoted to a managerial position. The youngest manager in the company. You deserved it, and you would make sure that you’d aim higher. Nothing would come between you and your performance.

Well, maybe nothing but the new assistant you accidentally slept with a week ago.

“Can I talk to you?” You jump at the sound of Timothée’s voice. He looked up at you as he sat on the couch outside your office with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder and his briefcase resting beside him. Your hands grasp the door frame as you check the clock on your office wall. He’d been waiting for the last two hours for you to come out.

“Of course! You could have just knocked at 5:00–“

“It... isn’t about work.”

By the time you turned back to him he’d stood up. He fidgeted with his hands, putting them halfway into his pockets before eventually folding them in front of his body. You think of all the possibilities that would play out if you said yes and you consider telling him to wait until Monday when you’d see each other at work again. In a professional setting. You knew along the lines of what he was about to ask, and now wasn’t the time to get caught up in your emotions. Not when you’d only been promoted two years ago. 

But for some reason, something pulls at your heartstrings as you observe Timothée’s demeanour. He seemed so… innocent as he tried his best to be patient while he waited for a response.

You sigh and step outside your office, closing the door behind you. You stood still for a moment before caving.

“Have you eaten yet?”

When his face lights up, you realize that your new assistant may have you wrapped around his little finger. 

/////

You don’t know why you chose to come to Denny’s to have this conversation with Timothée, but it somehow felt right. Eating mediocre breakfast foods drowned in maple syrup helped to mask the fact that the two of you being together like this was, well, wrong.

“Are you adjusting well?” You break the silence. Well, silence other than the sounds of forks and knives clanking against each other. Timothée swallows a ball of nervousness down with his chocolate chip pancakes and nods.

“You’re right, everyone at our branch is really nice.” He smiles politely and it makes you feel uncomfortable. He seemed so free spirited when you first met him, but that was when you were just a person at a bar. Not his boss.

“That’s good.” You smile back. It’s not like you weren’t guilty either; he wasn’t just a charming boy approaching you with a cheesy one liner anymore. He was your employee.The two of you sit in each other’s silence for a moment longer.

“Thanks again,” He starts. Your eyes avert to his. 

“For what?”

“You’re not treating me any differently even though it must have been hard to stay professional for a whole week. You even let me keep my job.” 

“You thought I was going to fire you?” You ask, somewhat in disbelief. The more you think about it, firing him would make sense if you were heartless. He nods casually. “I was 100% positive when you called me into your office Monday morning.”

You try not to express your concern towards Timothée’s confession. It wasn’t your fault you accidentally slept with your new assistant but it obviously wasn’t his either. As long as you stayed professional during work hours, what was the problem? It’s not like he wouldn’t be able to redirect your calls or organize your schedule. The last thing you’d want was for him to feel uncomfortable towards you; he was your employee after all.

Yeah… your employee.

You wonder if that’s why you take the extra liberty of comforting him, and before you know it words of consolation becomes friendly conversation. It’s alright if you spend the next two or three hours chatting about nothing and everything at the same time … you weren’t at work, after all. There was no need to be so stiff around each other.

“We should get going,” You check the time: 11:30 p.m. You should have wrapped this up hours ago. You don’t notice Timothée’s smidgen of a smile as he watches you gather your belongings. He eventually stands up to grab your trench coat off the coat hanger beside your booth. You scoff as he holds it up for you, eventually helping you slip into it before he shrugs on his own jacket. 

“Together?” The monotonous waitress, who’d been taking care of you since you entered, punched a few buttons on the cash register. You noticed that she’d let her hair down and put on a sweater as you walk up to the counter to pay for your meal. She must be getting ready to go home as well.

“Actually–“

“Yes, please.” Timothée cuts you off by giving his card to the waitress, effectively stopping you from rummaging through your purse.

“What are you doing?” You whisper, watching Timothée’s face as he punches his card combination into the machine. He only smiles when he hears the beep of an approved transaction, and thanks the waitress before finally turning towards you.

“You paid last time.” He shrugs. You feel your heart flutter as he reminded you of the weekend you spent with him.

‘Oh no,’ You think, following him out into the parking lot and back to your car. This wasn’t going to lead to where you thought it was going to, would it…? He joined you for dinner, he listened to your mindless conversation, he helped you with your jacket, he paid for your food…

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

“Timothée,” As the two of you walked out onto the parking lot, he’d just opened the car door when you called his name. He stares up at you with a grin, his hand still resting on top of the car door. You swallow your nervousness. “what did you really want to talk about?”

The subtlety of Timothée’s faltering grin is hard to catch. He was well aware of it too, how tonight didn’t feel like a simple get together between two professionals… actually, it felt quite the opposite. Almost like a date. 

“I like you.” He says, completely serious. You bite your cheek. “A lot.”

“We’re coworkers.”

“Can we not be more than just coworkers?”

You frown at his question. Maybe it was because he was young, but Timothée’s aggressiveness and passion makes your heart squeeze in your chest. You wanted to ask that question too, why couldn’t you be anything more?

“I’ve only known you for a week. I see you every weekday because I’m your boss. It’d be too much for us,” You start, finally stepping into your car and slamming the door shut. Timothée follows, and you keep on chewing at your cheek. You shouldn’t be so defensive; you had to stay professional. “at least not while we’re so young.”

“But we’ve got our whole life ahead of us, shouldn’t we at least try? We’re at the age where we can’t just waste our chances while they’re running out.” You let out a scoff at his words as you start the car, but you don’t say anything in response. You didn’t want him to know that his words resonated deeper within you that they should have. 

You start the drive to his house in silence, and Timothée sighs as he lets his back collide with the seat of your car in frustration. Your relationship as coworkers was not coming to a very good start, but you suppose that it had to start somewhere. Plus if he was looking for a relationship with someone, there were plenty of great looking people at the office. He’d get over it and so would you.

“We’re here.” You say, pulling in the parking lot next to Timothée’s apartment building. Timothée turns to you one last time, and with a sigh, unbuckles his seatbelt.

“Thank you for the ride.” You nod and keep your eyes glued to your steering wheel, waiting for him to leave. You don’t see his gaze avert to your eyes, then to your lips. Timothée opens his mouth but says nothing, only pressing his lips together as he opens your car door to step out onto the pavement beneath you.

You feel yourself sigh in relief when he shuts the door. Don’t look back, you tell yourself. You wouldn’t be able to control yourself if you did. Instead you fiddle with your sun blocker to distract yourself.

Thoughts of Timothée swirled through your mind, especially what he had said before you drove him home. Don’t waste chances while they run out.

You let out a halfhearted scoff. You could only wish to think like that. To be impulsive and take chances as they arise but you can’t. Sure you were jealous, but you’ve got too much on the line… too much to risk.

You lower your sun blocker and notice a forgotten napkin slip out and onto your lap. Timothée’s number from last week. You frown.

You were just a coward.

Fuck it. 

“Timothée, wait!” You call, practically jumping out of your car before running towards your assistant. You get as far as the front entrance before you see that he’d already gone inside and stepped into the elevator.

He only notices you behind the glass doors when he turns and looks up, just as the elevator doors begin to close.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, just after he stops the elevator from closing with his arm and runs towards you. He opens the door for you and you slowly walk inside, panting from your run over.

“I have to tell you something,” Timothée nods expectedly, and you rub the back of your neck.

“I really don’t think it’ll work out.” You start, watching the hopefulness in Timothée’s eyes die out. Just a bit. 

“I barely know you– I liked you from when we slept together but that’s it. I was wondering where we were going to go afterwards as well, but when I saw you at the office last week, I thought I had my answer.” You step closer to him.

“But now I’m wondering… I really don’t know anymore. Maybe this isn’t going anywhere– I can’t be so sure. But when I’m looking back at the past seventy years, what’s the first week, really?” Timothée’s lips part as you look into his eyes, and you feel a warmth rising up to your cheeks. “Wanna go out?”

The corners of Timothée’s lips immediately upturn at the sound of your words, and his hand shoots up to his mouth to cover his smile. Though, you end up seeing it anyways as it travels to his eyes.

“If you’ll have me.”

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Hey hello, I have no idea who Eric and Alan are (from the musical I guess) and I know nothing about your oc, so could you please write something for them? I'm curious.

yes, Eric and Alan are from the second (second?? I think second) Kuroshitsuji musical, The Most Beautiful DEATH in the World! the musicals are honestly really good, I 1000% recommend them if you can find them on YouTube or something!

Eric and Alan are such good characters, I have the biggest crushes on both of ‘em, and I LOVE the idea of a poly ship with them, so I did a little thing with that concept here~

also I have a TON of OCs so I’m not sure which one you wanted to know more about? “them” makes me think you’re referring to my genderfluid Phantomhive servant Marlowe, but I’m not sure ;w; however I love to write about my OCs so when the askbox opens back up, if you’re still curious, please do let me know!!

for now, here’s some Eric x reader x Alan goodness! featuring a SMALL cameo by my newest OC Elysia Malla, the department head of the British Branch Reapers’ Medical Division :D

Just like most times you want to hang out at the Reaper Dispatch building, ERIC has to sneak you in.

And not so much sneak you in, as put a pair of glasses on you, tell you not to look anyone in the eye, pretend you’re “that new transfer from Sussex”, and under absolutely no circumstances let anyone tell his boss that you’re visiting. It’s a poor effort because like most supernatural creatures, Grim Reapers can sense humans. You’re pretty sure the whole office knows what’s up by now.

Of course, as long as you get to come visit ALAN, especially when he’s not doing very well, you’ll happily pretend the other Reapers are none the wiser.

Eric’s had his arm around your shoulder the whole time you walk, as usual. Not only is he protective of you, he also pretty obviously relishes any chance to give you affection that he can. Even though you’ve heard a few of the other Reapers say he’s intimidating or serious, that hasn’t been your experience. He’s big-hearted and friendly, and is forever sneaking kisses when he thinks nobody’s looking. You consider yourself incredibly lucky to have him as one of your lovers.

“So, he’s doing better now, right?” you ask as the two of you approach the door of the Medical Division.

“Mhm, doin’ a lot bet’er. He wouldn’t say it, bu’ I think he’d do good wit’ seein’ ye. Jus’ keep it down’, y’ knoo, ‘r ye migh’ get th’ stink-eye from ol’ Nurse Frightingale.” Eric winks before opening the door and gesturing you to walk through. “Aft’r ye, m’ darlin’.”

You push up on your tiptoes to press a kiss to his jaw. “What a gentleman.” With that you slip inside, Eric following so he can close the door behind the two of you.

The Medical Divisionis as quiet as most hospitals you’ve ever been in. It’s cool in temperature and you can hear the chip-choppy hum of an electric fan or two. That along with the sound of some machines are the only things you can hear, though. Everything is a soft white or pale blue shade, and more than anything, the air smells clean with soap and disinfectant. Despite Eric’s not-quite-incorrect observation of the department head, this is a relaxing place that perpetuates healing.

“Afternoon, Elysia,” he greets with a raised hand. “Jus’ brought (Name) by f’r a li’l bit, ‘f tha’s okay?”

The department head peers through her glasses at him with a very unimpressed look on her face. “Don’t get so casual, Mr. Slingby. It’s ‘Nurse Malla’ to you. Feel free to stay as long as you wish, provided you don’t get rowdy. The last thing Mr. Humphries needs is the two of you working him into a tizzy.”

He gives her a salute and mimes zipping his lips shut. “Aye, no w’rries, Nurse Malla. Ye go’ m’ word tha’ we won’t dare do nothin’ excitin’.”

You can’t help but smother a giggle as Elysia gives a long-suffering sigh. “Enjoy your visit.”

“’Preciate it, m’ lady!” Eric grins as he ushers you over to the bed Alan’s in right now.

Predictably, he looks to be attempting to review something in his ledger even though he’s clearly not feeling great. Behind his spectacles, his eyes look tired, and his shoulders are sagging like he wants nothing more than to sleep. Based on what Eric told you, however, he’s been asleep for an hour or so now.

You make sure Alan can see you before lowering yourself down onto the bed, leaning over and giving his forehead a gentle kiss. “Busy little bee, aren’t you?”

“Ah… (Name). Oh, dear, I didn’t expect Eric to bring you by.” He melts into the kiss anyway, and into the identical one that Eric gives him once he sits down. “Mm, you two. You didn’t have to come here… I’ll be leaving soon.”

You reach for his hand, and he doesn’t stop you, curling his fingers around yours. When you glance down, you’re not surprised to see thorny scars starting to twine around his wrist. “You need to relax,” you murmur. “That’s why this attack happened, isn’t it? Stress.”

“It could have been, or it could have just been from nothing. This disease doesn’t need a reason to flare up.” Alan lifts your hand and presses a reassuring kiss to your knuckles. “Don’t worry about me, darling. The attack only lasted a moment, and I’m feeling much better now.”

Eric chuckles, taking Alan’s other hand. “Aw, c’mon, d’ar. Ye cannae fault th’ poor thing f’r bein’ w’rried ‘bout ye. (Name)’s righ’ tha’ ye work tae hard.”

Alan offers an exhale through his nose, exasperated look obviously aimed at the both of you. “And you don’t work hard enough, dear. So it balances out. Anyway, I don’t fault them for being worried. I…” It seems the only reason he pauses is to glance at you with a vaguely guilty look. “… I’m just trying to reassure you, love.”

“I know.” You mirror the kiss he gave your hand on his, the same way Eric did with the kiss to Alan’s forehead. The one difference you make is that your kiss is pressed to the forming scars on his wrist. “I can’t help worrying when this happens, though. You and Eric are really important to me. I just want you to take care of yourself.” You bring his hand down, then give him a smirk. “Or you could just let us do it?”

Barely a second passes before Eric claps you on the shoulder. “Aye, darlin’, tha’s a grea’ idea!! Alrigh’, it’s settled then.”

Alan arches an eyebrow. It appears you’ve both lost him. “Oh, goodness. Dare I even ask what is settled, Eric?”

That grin on Eric’s face would definitely be trouble if he weren’t your partner in crime right at this moment. “Soon’s ye ge’ outta haur, we’re haulin’ y’r s’rry arse home early, an’ then it’s time f’r nothin’ bu’ a night’a us takin’ care’a ye! Coimhead air sin,good idea, (Name)!”

“Oh. Oh, no, the two of you can’t just—”

Alan’s halfway through his protest when a pair of heels clicks on the floor. “Slingby! (Surname)! I warned you not to work him up. So that’s it; get out!”

It takes just seconds for Eric to tug you toward the door. “Thanks f’r once, Elysia! I’ll ‘ave s’me biscuits ‘r summat on y’r desk taemarra’ mornin’!”

What follows the two of you out is a frustrated, “It’s Nurse Malla! Get it wrong one more time and you’ll find yourself here as a patient!”

[wickedobsessed101]

"Sewing It Up" Oneshot #2: Into The Gala

Villy hummed as she sifted through the dresses in her closet. She knew she should’ve planned her outfit for the charity gala ahead of time, but got caught up in custom orders in the shop.

“Mimsey?”

The dressmaker was so focused, she didn’t register the little girl’s presence until she felt a tap on her leg. “Yes, Honey?”

“Are you and Papa still going to the fancy event?”

“We are, if I can pick out something to wear.”

“And Elphie’s coming to play with me all night?”

“She should be here soon.”

“Can I help you get ready?” Nyris scrutinized her stepmother’s clothes, not waiting for an answer. “Wear this one.” She grabbed the skirt of a floor-length dress and pressed it into her hands. “It’s pretty.”

The seamstress examined the gown. Soft, crepe material, off-the-shoulder sleeves, ruched bodice, and a mermaid skirt. The braille color tag pinned to the sleeve identified it as wine, and she smiled with a nod. “Okay. Great choice, Nyris.”

“Thanks! Can I brush your hair?”

Villy nodded and grabbed her hairbrush before sitting on the edge of the bed. Nyris climbed up with a soft grunt and took the brush, gently running it through her wavy, copper hair.

“You can wear one of my tiaras, so you can be a pretty princess,” Nyris offered, bouncing behind her.

“Thank you, but I can’t be a princess tonight. It’s a non-princess party, so I can’t be the only princess in attendance. It wouldn't be fair to everyone else.”

“Oh. You’re right. That wouldn’t be fair. Perhaps next time.”

Nyris insisted on giving Villy’s hair one hundred brush strokes to ensure its shininess, but Villy stopped her at forty-three, claiming she was running out of time and thought her hair had sufficient shine.

“Elphie’s here!” Nyris squealed when the doorbell rang. She jumped off the bed and hurried out. Once she was alone, Villy took the time to braid her hair into an elegant crown braid and slipped into the dress.

“Almost ready, Dovey?”

She sprayed her face with the makeup setting spray. “Yes. I’ll trade your help: I’ll do your tie if you zip up the back of my dress.”

“I like that deal,” he chuckled, carefully doing the zipper, accepting his kiss of thanks.

“What color is your suit?” she asked as she tied his tie.

“Navy blue. My tie is black with small, white polka dots.”

Villy’s lips twitched. “Polka dots?”

“I almost wore the tie Nyris colored for Father’s Day.”

“I almost wore one of her princess tiaras.”

He took a clear bobby pin and pinned her final wisps of stray hair down. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She ran her hands over his jacket, and not just to smooth out the wrinkles. “You look handsome.”

“Thanks. Elphaba’s downstairs, the car’s coming to pick us up in ten minutes.”

“And it’s driving us back?”

“Yes. The venue has an open bar, and I know everyone’s going to take advantage of that… myself included.”

The two went downstairs, where Nyris was trying to convince Elphaba that ice cream was, in fact, a suitable dinner option.

“Try not to tire Elphaba out already, Jellybean,” Villy chuckled, walking towards their voices and stopping at Elphaba’s side, giving her hand a light squeeze. “Thanks again for this favor, Elphaba. We really appreciate it.”

Elphaba smiled. “Of course, Miss Villy. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. Our car will be here soon, and we should be back… probably early tomorrow morning. Nyris knows not to try and wait up for us.”

“I won’t let her climb the walls.”

The little girl snuggled next to the green girl. “Let’s play ‘Princesses and Ponies’!”

She turned back to her boss. “I’ll let you know if I’ll require a raise a work.”

Villy smirked, interrupted by a soft honk from outside.

“Time to go. Have fun, you two,” Geri said, lifting Nyris into his arms and kissing her cheek.

“Bye, Papa. Bye, Mimsey!” Nyris hummed, reaching for Villy.

The transfer of arms was flawless, and Villy gave her a squeeze. “Be gentle with Elphaba. We have a full week of orders coming up.”

The green girl made an indignant noise in the back of her throat.

Nyris giggled. “‘Kay, Mimsey!”

Villy returned her feet to the floor, grabbed her bag – filled with her business cards – fixing the strap over her shoulder, and cane, placing it in her bag as she headed out with Geri. The two settled in the large car, waving to Elphaba and Nyris as they drove away.

“Have you been to the gala before?” Villy asked.

“Once, with Taeal, before Nyris was born. I don’t remember most of it. There was a lot of standing and talking, and I think at least five people went home wearing someone else’s jackets.”

“Sounds like fun. Is it just the Tip Bank branches?”

“As well as Ozma Trust and First Emerald Bank branches. I might see some of my old colleagues.” He glanced at her. “Will you be alright?”

“Yes. You don’t have to worry.”

“Do I look worried?”

Villy gave him a look, but gave his arm a comforting squeeze. “I’ll be fine. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“It’s a gala.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just accept the saying. You know I’ll tell you if I need anything.” She took his hands. “I’m excited to share this fancy night out with you. The first of many. It’s only fair, since I’ll be dragging you to multiple fashion shows. I’m prepared.”

“For?”

“Repeating my life story multiple times and debunking myths. If I can give away half my business card stack, I’ll be satisfied.” She straightened. “On that note, you need to promise me something.”

“Yes?”

“That you’ll let me advocate for myself and won’t jump to my defense every time someone says something insensitive. I know how to play the game, and I play it very well. Please.”

He nodded. “Of course, Dovey. You know I’ll always support whatever you need.”

“Tonight, I’m supporting you.”

Forty minutes later, they reached the venue. Thanking the driver, they climbed out of the car, and Geri offered his wife his elbow. She paused to straighten his tie before taking it and walking in with him. Geri showed the security guard their invitations, and they were directed to follow everyone else inside.

Upon entering, they were immediately accosted with a mixture of music and indistinct conversations. A look of uncertainty flashed across Villy’s face for a moment, but it was gone before Geri could comment on it.

“It’s a large ballroom.”

She nodded. “It’s very echoey.” Her gaze traveled upward. “Large chandelier?”

“Uh-huh. And lots of small lamps along the walls.”

She hummed, following him through the crowd of people, her grip on his arm gently tightening.

“Dovey –“

“As long as they don’t crowd around me, I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “I promise. What hors d’œuvres do they have?”

“There’s crackers with various toppings: salmon, cream cheese, caviar...”

“Caviar sounds good.”

The couple made their rounds of taste tasting and small minglings. For the most part, no one made any comments on Villy’s visual impairment or how she did her job, which put Geri at ease more than his wife.

“Don’t get too comfortable. The flood's coming,” she warned.

“Oh. Oh.”

“What?”

“There’s an ice sculpture of Lurline. I wasn’t expecting this.”

“An ice sculpture? In summer?”

“Apparently. It manages to capture her long, flowing hair, folded wings, and sheath dress. She’s holding a long scepter and her other hand is stretched out in a calming gesture.”

“Gerium! It’s been too long!”

The banker turned and smiled. “Uiliu, it’s wonderful to see you again.”

Villy let go of his arm as he hugged whoever this acquaintance was.

“I hope they’re not too horrendible to you at Tip Bank.”

He laughed. “No. But they do think there are more than twenty-four hours in a day. Apparently, I’m so amazing, they think I can complete projects that normally take two weeks in two days. How’s Joanhn? Is he here?”

“He’s schmoozing with the CEO. He already made his rounds, collecting more potential clients, no doubt. He always does this. He collects business cards like they’re limited edition items. He has a binder full of them at home, always claiming to ‘know someone’ when we need a service and flip through the pages.”

He took his wife’s hand. “Uiliu, this is my wife, Villy. Villy, this is Uiliu Paraitez, a broker from First Emerald. I worked with both her and her husband.”

She gasped. “I had no idea you remarried. How long ago?”

“Three months.”

“Congratulations to both of you.”

“Thank you,” Villy smiled.

“What do you do, Mrs. Moxx?”

“I’m a seamstress. I own a dress shop, ‘Lilies and Lace’ on Overlained Street.”

“You own a shop?”

The well-hidden condescending tone was still obvious to the seamstress. “Yes.”

“Is it a franchise?”

“No, just a small business. It’s just me and my assistant, Elphaba, and we make all our clothes from scratch. Dresses, skirts, some blouses, and we also do custom orders and alterations.”

“How?”

“Um… sewing machines. Sometimes hand sewing, but the machines are faster.”

“No, I mean… you’re…”

She felt her husband move to defend her and dug her fingers into his arm, reminding him of his promise. “It’s a very tactile profession, and everything’s labeled and organized. The shop’s been successful for almost a decade. The Tarvey’s are regular customers, and I’ve also had Lady Longren buy a few dresses, as well as custom orders from the Governor of Munchkinland.” She felt a bit bad for flaunting that last one, giving Elphaba’s relationship with her family, but that was how to play the game.

She hummed. “Did you make the dress you’re wearing?”

“No. I rarely wear the clothes I make.”

“Except what you wore on our first date,” Gerium interjected softly.

“That was the exception to the rule.”

“It caught my eye.”

“Mine, too.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a business card. “It was wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Paraitez.”

She took the card. “You as well, Mrs. Moxx. Lovely to see you again, Gerium. I should probably go rescue the poor soul force to listen to one of Joanhn’s rants about priority investments.” She excused herself with a polite nod and hurried away.

“Are you hungry?”

Geri shrugged. “A bit. You?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. It’s a buffet, so we should find our table before getting food.” He led her across the room to the tables, searching the place cards for their names. “The place cards have the names in golden calligraphy. We’re over by the window.”

“Okay. Where’s the buffet?”

“There’s a lot of food, and it wraps along the walls. We’re near the desserts.”

She smirked. “Very convenient.”

“What are you in the mood for? Meat, fish, pasta, salad…”

“Um… fish.”

He led her over to the proper section, describing the variety and helping with her plate. Once they were both situated with their meal, they went back to the window table, and Geri glanced over at the other place cards.

“Silaen’s sitting with us.”

Villy brightened. “I didn’t know she would be here.”

“I’m the main event, so the party doesn’t start ‘til I take the first sip of alcohol.”

Villy resisted an eye roll as she and Geri turned towards their friend. “Have you improved since our college days?”

“I don’t think so, but I hired a driver for tonight, so does it really matter?”

“I’m not peeling you off the floor.”

“You’ll be peeling me off the ceiling if I get my way.” Silaen smiled as she looked the couple over. “You two look lovely. Did Villy dress you, Geri?”

“I can pick out my own clothes,” the banker huffed.

“He did, all by himself, except for his tie. Did you bring a plus-one?”

“I planned to, but unfortunately, Krescia had to work late at the hotel.”

Villy had heard very little of her friend’s girlfriend, and had been looking forward to meeting her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll use up most of my time mingling and trying to avoid upper management. They look like they’ve hit the open bar already.” Silaen excused herself to get some food, returning with multiple questions and shop inquiries. “Have you seen the silent auction items yet?” she asked as they finished and a passing server took their plates.

Villy shook her head. “Not yet. Are you gonna –“

“Geri, a bunch of us are going in the side room for a card game. Care to join us?” a fast voice asked from behind them.

The banker perked up slightly.

“Go, Geri,” the seamstress encouraged, giving his arm a nudge. “I’ll go to the auction table with Silaen.”

“I’ll make sure we don’t empty your bank account,” Silaen smirked, standing with her friend and linking their arms.

The couple parted ways, and Silaen and Villy went over to the table. Villy was the tamer one of the two, making sure Silaen didn’t touch the pens… or her checkbook. They got in a bit more networking, which soon turned into an hour of talking and business card exchanging.

When Geri returned, he found the two women coming away from the bar, both with small glasses of a bright red liquid.

“How much damage did you two do?” he chuckled, kissing his wife’s cheek.

“Money or alcohol?” Villy asked innocently.

“I felt like I should say ‘both’…”

Silaen shrugged. “Then the answer to ‘both’ is ‘not much’. Villy stole –“

“Protected,” the seamstress interjected.

“My checkbook, and this is only our third drink.”

“Third? In one hour?”

“Open bar, designated drivers. Need I say more?”

Geri rolled his eyes, his face softening as Villy looped her arms around his, finishing off her glass. “Dance with me,” he growled hungrily in her ear, taking the empty glass and handing it to a passing server.

She nodded eagerly, returning the checkbook to its proper owner, and headed to the dance floor with her husband. Slowly, the indistinct voices gave way to the music, which transported the couple to a world of their own. Villy relaxed and snuggled closer, enjoying feeling his strong arm around her waist and gentle hand on her shoulder. As the song ended, she wrapped her around his neck and pulled him into a gentle kiss.

“People are staring,” he whispered against her lips.

“There are other couples here.”

“None that are snogging on the dance floor.”

“Snogging?” She made a face. “That makes it sound like we’re teenagers caught on prom night.”

Before he could continue, he heard his old co-workers calling him and led his wife over. The couple spent the next two and a half hours making more rounds. Geri mostly threw names, titles, and occasional side stories at his wife, who did her best to juggle them, and the echoey atmosphere still wasn’t her friend.

“Geri,” she whispered after their most recent subject excused themselves to the dessert cart.

“Yes?”

“I need a quiet break.”

He noted her strained tone and expression. “Alright. There are small, private lounges in the back.” He led her through the crowd into the hallway, turning two corners before opening a door and leading her inside. “Are you alright?” he asked as they sat on the couch.

“I… headache. I have medicine in my bag, and I should have asked before we left…” She sighed. “Could you get me some water, please?”

“Of course.” When he returned with the water, Villy was squeezing her eyes shut, and squeezing the pillow in her arms even tighter. “Here, Dovey.”

She relaxed when he pressed the cold glass into her hands. “Thanks.” She fished the small bottle from her bag and popped two tablets into her mouth, chasing them down with three big gulps of water.

The banker wordlessly pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her forehead. He was about to ask if she wants to leave, but decided against it. He knew she’d tell him what she wanted.

“The lights,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. “That’s what was causing the headache. I held out for as long as I could, but it was becoming unbearable.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I was handing out twenty business cards, booking five appointments… I was on a roll. I didn’t wanna break my streak.”

“Are you having fun?”

She nodded. “I am. I do like social events like this. The overall atmosphere could be more ideal, but overall, I’m glad I’m here with you.”

“I am, too. Are you feeling better?”

“Getting there.”

“Let me know when you’re ready to head back.”

She nodded, staying in his arms for a few more moments, relaxing deeper into his embrace as the throbbing pain ebbed. “How do you think Elphaba and Nyris are faring?”

“‘Princesses and Ponies’ is an intense game that requires a lot of stamina. I don’t know how much of a workout you get at the shop, but it requires a lot of strength on the bigger person’s part.”

“Will I still have an assistant tomorrow?”

“She might be sore, bruised, and might not want to talk to either of us for the rest of her life, but she’ll be alive.”

“Good enough for me,” Villy smiled, and they lapsed into silence, only broken when Villy announced she wanted more chocolate cake.

By the time they returned to the ballroom, they were announcing the winners of the silent auction. Once they got their cake and returned to their table with Silaen, and politely applauded with the room as the winners were announced.

It was just past midnight when everyone started to disperse. The couple (not as drunk as they thought they’d be), found their car and relaxed for the ride home.

“I had a wonderful time,” she smiled, kissing his cheek.

“I’m glad you came with me.” He brushed stray whisps of hair, that had managed to free themselves from her braid, out of her face. “Have I told you I love this color on you?” He kissed her neck. “And this ravishing dress…”

“It was 70% off,” she reported proudly.

He lowered his voice. “I’d prefer it 100% off.”

“The store can’t be giving away free clothes.”

He blinked. “That’s not what I –“

“That’s a horrendible way to run a business, Geri,” she frowned. “If I did that, I’d run the shop straight into the ground.”

He wondered if the alcohol had made her thick, but when her frown gave way to a playful smirk, he rolled his eyes. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

“I’m hilarious. Didn’t you marry me for my humor?”

“I married you to save money on shirt buttons.”

“I married you to get a higher interest rate on my savings account. And for you to introduce me to new, potential customers.”

“You were getting very friendly with the CEO.”

“Rich wives may be pushy and ambitiously demanding, but they’re the best tippers.” Villy chuckled. “I have my eyes set on one man, anyway.”

By the time they returned home, they could barely keep their eyes open. They thanked and tipped the driver, and headed inside, Villy immediately inquiring if Elphaba was asleep on their sofa.

“She’s fast asleep. She left us a note.” He grabbed the folded paper with a scribbled ‘Miss Villy and Geri’ on the cover. “‘If you’re reading this rather than talking to me, that means Nyris wore me out. You didn’t warn me about ‘Princesses and Ponies’! At least she didn’t climb the walls, nor throw my back out. I accept tips in cups of coffee.'”

Villy chuckled softly. “I suppose she can spend the night, and we can spare a cup and invite her to breakfast in a few hours.”

~~~

Villy's Dress

[shaydeoffical]

Bright as a Diamond. Hitoshi Shinsou x Fem Reader: Chapter Four

Summary: When (Y/N)’s co-worker decided to send a picture of her making a diamond to the paper, her life was over. Gemstone based quirks weren’t all that rare, but being able to make a diamond put a target on her back. After years of hiding in the city, it’s time to hide in the countryside with her Uncle Shota Aizawa and his more than ‘roommate’ Hizashi Yamada. With the promise of training her to be self-sufficient, she’s ready to learn.

Chapter Three: 

https://ambershaydeoffical.tumblr.com/post/611141904327983104/bright-as-a-diamond-hitoshi-shinsou-x-fem-reader

Chapter Five: https://ambershaydeoffical.tumblr.com/post/612522066443436032/bright-as-a-diamond-hitoshi-shinsou-x-fem-reader

Monday

   My alarm was a few minutes from going off, so I sat in silence, waiting for it to cry out that I had to move. The new mattress was firm enough; I didn't sink but soft enough that it supported my curves. Still, I couldn't fight off the nightmares.

   With the first siren, I had shut down the machine. Grasping my compact, I dabbed concealer under my eyes and applied the thinnest layer of blush I could get by with. Pushing my hair up into a tight bun, I was happy with my minimal look.

   Grabbing my phone, I nearly dropped it to the floor—two thousand unread emails on my school account. My lips formed into an o, and I remembered that I had been the main topic of the Wednesday paper, of course, someone would leak my email.  

   As I scanned the emails, most were for charity auctions. Wanting me to demonstrate how my quirk works, then offer the highest bidder one of my perfect diamonds. Others were from geologists wishing to study how I create crystals from nothing but my body. A few were from people spilling their life story and asking for my help. The list went on and on and on.

   "Shota?" I called my uncle, stumbling, from my room. He was in his sleeping bag on the kitchen floor.

   "Hmm?" he glanced up.

   "Someone leaked my university email." I whimpered, pursing my lips together. "How am I supposed to see what my professors post. People know my school now. Like- I-"

   "Calm down." Shota sat up and took my phone. "Go finish getting ready, and I'll fix it."

   "Yes, sir." I went back to my room, pulled on my tighter pencil skirt, then I remembered. Then I put on a purple blouse and a cute blazer. Of course, the jewelry I wore mattered, so I put the necklace my dad made me under my shirt and placed a simple chain to be visible. Then I positioned some magnetic gold studs and put a gold anklet on over my pantyhose. Before leaving my room, I created ruby, emerald, and a diamond to top it off. With the gems in my hand, I crushed them into fine sand then added them to my jar.

   After that, I brushed my teeth, put on honey inspired perfume, and emptied my bladder. Nothing was going to hold me back from making a sale today. Of course, I preferred being in the background, but I could still rock the front line and make some sales.

   When I was back in the living room, Shota handed me my phone, and as he said, all the spam was gone. "Wow, thank you so much," I beamed, scrolling through my inbox, checking to see if my teachers had any important messages.

   "Breakfast," Hizashi yelled. When I entered the kitchen, there sat none other then Shinso. He was at one end of the table, and Shota took the other. With my nose upturned, I sat across from Hizashi and served myself.

   "Good morning," Shinso greeted me, offering me the dish filled with rice.

   "Hmph," I took the dish and plopped out a portion. "Thank you."  

   "So you were raised with manors," Shinso smirked, then raised a brow.

   "It's too early," I warned, popping my fingers and a rouge opal hitting the table. "Shit."

   "Does that happen often?" Hizashi picked up the dime-sized oval and held it to the light. "It's huge."

   "You're embarrassing me," I reached for the stone, but he kept it arms length. "Let me handle it."

   "This is beautiful, we need to have it made into something. Wow, Shota did you know-"

   "Please give it back." Tears were close to spilling over, but I held it back.  The heads of the table were silently watching. God, they were looking at me. I didn't want Shinso to know. I did-

   "This would look great on my guitar." Hizashi was still in his own mind. I couldn't breathe. Why?

   Trembling, I stood from the table and grabbed my phone. I couldn't glance at any of them, having looked like enough of a brat. "Ya know what, keep it. It will look super cool, just never tell anyone where it came from." I winced but kept walking to the door. I needed to change the wrap on my feet. "I'm going to be late."

   "I was going to drive you," Shota interjected, sitting up.

   "No, thank you. I'm leaving with enough time to make it. Thanks for breakfast." I hadn't eaten more than a few bites, but it didn't matter.

   Leaving like this meant I couldn't make lunch or pack a pocketbook for my money. I had a ten in my pocket and a hankie for the rest of the day. Picking up my bike, I hurdled off the porch getting a good first push. I hadn't gotten much taller since I was fourteen, so the seat was still in a decent position.

   Halfway to the main road, I was low on the breath but kept going. Tears had been free-flowing since I shut the door, but I refused to wipe them away. My quirk was dangerous, my quirk was valuable, my quirk was a double-edged sword. It's not that I cared that Hizashi loved my opal. I was ready to kill myself for losing control and making it. Putting myself in danger was the issue.  

   If that happened in public, I'd be in a huge mess. Hell, it already had happened and had been made public. Now I was in the same position as my father, but maybe even worse. Nothing was worse than the world, knowing my secret.

   I must have been a site when I hit the main road. Tears flowing thicker than sweat. Dressed to kill, while pleading a children's bicycle. As long as no one tried to talk to me, I'd calm down before I had to make a good first impression.

   The nice thing about the jewelry industry is they didn't want me to make jewels. Well, not my personal store, they were more interested in keeping the demand high and supply scarce.  In fact, the article published about me probably hurt some of our customers.  We specialized in ethically sourced gems and offering natures best. I was not nature, I was something else.

   When I finally got to the store, I had five minutes before I was to clock in. I ran into the bathroom and splashed water on my face. My phone buzzed, and a picture of my bike was sent to my phone.

   The number was unknown, so I ignored it. Preceding out of the bathroom with caution, I was meet with my coworker from my last job.  Kira Nara, the boy who blew my quirk out of the closet. He was older than me by around seven years, divorced, and easy enough to get along with.

   "What are you doing here?" I shuffled from one foot to the other, feeling a slight squish. If I could catch a break for even one moment, that would be nice…

   "I transferred too," he grabbed my hand and bowed. "I felt so bad over the whole picture thing, that I wanted to move in solidarity. We are in this together." I could see the black hair on his head was thinning, probably a mix of age and stress. "The shop back home was such a mess after you left. News reports kept dropping by, and all these companies asking for donations. The boss thought it would be good if I came with you."    

   "In other words, since you spilled the beans, everyone wanted to talk to you as well." Kicking the carpet slightly, I pulled my hand free. "Alright, let's make the best of this."

   "So you forgive me?" He lifted from his potion, hanging to every word I could utter.

   "Yes, you didn't know. Just don't do it again." I was too soft for my own good. Still, I couldn't cause a riot within the workplace. "So have you meet the boss yet?"

   "I am the manager," he gushed, gesturing to his name badge.

   "Oh. So will I get to meet the head manger?" I asked, stepping behind the counter and finding my case key taped on the side of the safe.

   "At some point, he mainly works the busy hours. Really they didn't need this position, but they felt loyal to our branch. It works in our favor." Kira pressed a hand against the case, and it took everything in me not to slap him upside the head. His large hands left an imprint that I would need to wipe down later, no doubt.

   "Okay, so it's going to be quiet. That's good, more time for homework." I walked over to the stool and started to pull up my e-books. Kira had already put the display out, and I knew that was all I needed to do till a customer strolled in.

   "So did you move somewhere around town?" Kira slid down to where I sat, adding more fingerprints.

   "Something like that," I nodded, scrolling to the next page of my book. "Did you relocate?"

   "I did. You should come by and see the place. It overlooks the ocean and has an indoor pool. You love to swim, don't you?" He pulled up a chair and sat across from me.  It never mattered when acted like this in the back, but now he was blocking the display. Sure there were no customers yet, but it didn't look very professional.

   What are you thinking, (Y/n), you're his only friend in this city? Of course, he's nervous and just trying to settle in. Not everyone is as familiar as yourself with running the front of the shop.

   "Yes, I love swimming. But it's hardly the season for that anymore." Pushing my phone back into my pocket, I smiled. "So do they allow pets. I'm sure you brought your puppy with you. A German Shepard mix, right?"

   "Of course, I brought Miso." He lit up with my full attention. "Did your mother come with you?"

   "Uh, no." I clamed up, trying to refocus the conversation. "I'm so much closer to the university through. It's exciting."

   "Oh yea, I'm sure you're doing well in your classes. You're so intelligent and dedicated, you must be at the top of the class."

   "Don't flatter me, I'm doing well but not that well. I'd be doing better if my mom wasn't so sick." I rolled my tongue over my teeth and started to think about my next training session.

   "It's a quirk related illness, right?" He pried.

   "Something like that. Oh, a customer," an older lady walked in. I cursed for not having the glass spotless. But tended to her needs regardless.

   True to my word, I made a sale on my first day. A fifty dollar glass bead bracelet with customizable charms. She was in love with the birthstone charms and got one for each of her grandchildren.  I was able to explain the properties of the birthstones and offer her a wide array of cuts for the gems.

   My body rushed with emotions, as the lady stepped outside. The simple sale reminding me how much I enjoyed sharing my passion for stones. That was the only customer for the rest of the shift. As I was part-time, and Kira had been promoted to manager, I was able to call it a day.

   Kira had talked my ear off all day, but I did find time to study when he took his lunch break. With so much left to read, I put the audio text reader on and listened to my lesson on the way home. Of course, their big hill that was a bitch to walk up this morning, but fun to glide down now. Using that momentum, to make it the side road to lead home.

   My tummy rumbled, and I was more than ready to eat a horse. I used my ten to buy a few snacks at the convince store that was now secured on the handlebars. I smiled, seeing the small ranch house, and pedaled down the driveway.  

   When I got my shoes off, I realized that I had opened my wounds, and now my blood was dried to my socks. Cursing under my breath, I decided to rip them off quickly. With the first one-off, I curled into my side and breathed through the pain.

   Hips bleeding. Bruises up and down. Sleeping on my back for relief. Neck cramps.

   Gritting my teeth, I pulled off the other and put on my house shoes. Scampering to the tub, I washed off all the sweat from my bike ride and the blood from my feet. Mixing in epsom salt to the water, I leaned back and enjoyed a moment alone. The water was hot as I could stand it, and I twirled in the water and imagined it like a hug.

   A knock on the door broke my train of thought. "(Y/n), can we talk?" It was Hizashi.

   "Can you hear me?" I asked, pulling the curtain back so my voice would travel further.

   "Yes. I wanted to apologize for this morning. Shota told me why it upset you. I'd never seen your quirk in action, and I was blindsided at how cool it was." I could imagine his frown from my position.

   "I'd make you a hundred opals, but I can't risk it. Even with my cover blown, I can't have people tracing them back to me." I popped a bubble as it drifted by. "No matter how awesome or cool, I have to pretend it doesn't exist. I forgive you, and I'm sorry I have made it such a big deal. I lost control of my quirk for a moment and made things awkward between us."

   "We're all good now?"

   "Yes, we're good. We get along too well not be on excellent terms," relief washed over me as I sunk back into the water.

   "Rock on." He cheered, taping the wall before heading' off.

   Once my bath was done, I changed into my pj's early and made a quick sandwich before I went for a nap. After eating, I curled into bed and stared at my phone. The center's number was preloaded, but I couldn't find it in my heart to press call. Instead, I covered my face and closed my eyes, it would be better tomorrow.  

[neo-culture-mafia]

NCT 2018 as Mafia Positions

LEE TAEYONG ~ Leader (GOD FATHER)

He was brought up in a Mafia family himself so once he came of age, he branched his own syndicate. His father was furious...using the word ‘furious’ was an understatement though. He broke the family branch and created his own: Neo Culture 

Leads the work day with an iron fist, yet doesn’t hesitate to unwind with his members during the night time. Always looks out for his members when they show weakness and fatigue with their day to day life. 

“Oh no honey, I’m an angel...I swear! The horns are just there to hold up the halo.”

______________

MOON TAEIL ~ UNDER BOSS 1

He was there to step in for Taeyong whenever he was needed outside of the country for business. He held a lot of power within himself and the younger and inexperienced members. He kept quiet until needed, yet he was always lurking in the shadows taking note of everything and everyone.

Once he was needed though, you sure as hell need to know that he will make his presence known and he will instruct fear into his victims when needed.

“At times I feel like giving up, but then I bite my tongue and realize I have a lot of mother fuckers to prove wrong.”

______________

SEO JOHNNY ~ UNDER BOSS 2

The under boss who made his presence known from the beginning. He would always remind the others when Taeyong was out who they needed to be listening to. He would be by Taeyong 24/7 - ready. Ready to make the calls to blow something up or simply to call everyone to dinner. 

He holds the older members together and makes sure everyone has someone to go to if they needed it. Wouldn’t be afraid to get his hands dirty for the ones he loved and held close to him.

“Keep your head high...but your middle finger higher.”

_____________

NAKAMOTO YUTA ~ FOREIGN BOSS OF AFFAIRS (JAPAN)

Lives up the Neo Culture branch located in Japan. Rules his own soldiers with an iron fist that has all of them shaking on the daily. Spends most of his time reporting tensions of the Yakuza and Neo Culture to Taeyong. He knows when to pick his men up and transfer them back to Seoul for safety. Makes his own plans for his branch yet will always have clear communication with his hierarchy.  

Isn’t afraid to ask for help from his higher-ups. Has his life on the line every day with being so far away from Headquarters...but you wouldn’t catch him talking about his problems to his men because he has an image to maintain.

“The hottest lives have the coldest ends.”

______________

QIAN KUN ~ MEDIC

He didn’t even mean to get caught up in the mafia. It was a fluke thing, really. He had met Taeyong at a coffee shop that he had been working to get through medical school. Taeyong had walked in late at night with a huge gash on his shoulder. Kun being the almost certified doctor he was, took Taeyong and got him fixed up and out the door in less than 10 minutes with a complimentary coffee. The next night at the same time, his shop was bombarded by men in fancy suits with Taeyong offering him a proposal: Leave college and this job for the Mafia and be guaranteed protection for him and his family in China.

As he thought about his family, he knew he couldn’t say no. He wanted a better life for not only himself but his mom and dad. He needed this even though he hated to admit it. When they come back from a mission or a run, he doesn't get nosy and ask questions...he just does what he was brought here to do.

“There is only one hell: The one we live in now.”

____________

KIM DOYOUNG ~ HEAD OF WEAPONRY

Always had a thing for guns and knives...seems to call him. He makes sure everyone who is going on a mission or run is fully equipped for anything that may be thrown at them...literally. He makes sure everyone not only has weapons but also, safety gear that could withstand anything from a gunshot to a cherry bomb (which he also makes himself)

He has a cold exterior but once you get him out of his office and surrounded by his fellow members, he is very lively and very blunt in getting his point across in the most loving way possible. 

“If the enemy is in range...so are you.”

______________

TEN ~ TRAINER FOR HAND TO HAND COMBAT

He takes everyone under his wings. He works alongside Doyoung but in the opposite form: Hand to Hand. Ten makes sure that he teaches EVERYONE apart of Neo Culture hand to hand so just in case that a weapon fails or they are in close range, they know how to easily take out an enemy. He also teaches fatal shots to pressure points, temple hits, and body twists. Makes it so it seems as if when they fight, they are boneless. 

He is always open with his members from the get-go. He makes sure he is always available for his members...his family. 

“Your body is a temple...don’t let me knock it down.” 

________________

JUNG JAEHYUN ~ INTERROGATOR / TORTURE SPECIALIST

Jaehyun uses mental tactics to get inside his victims’ heads. Makes it feel as if he already knows what they have done when in actual reality he doesn’t even know what he’s supposed to be getting out of them. Yet when he meets a tough cookie that doesn’t fall for his mental tricks, he doesn’t have a problem getting physical with different instruments. 

Once off the job, he couldn’t hurt a fly. He relies on the care of his members to rid his mind of the horrific things he has seen during the day. Warm smile yet killer eyes that makes even the toughest man weak in the knees. 

“Do not let too much thinking paralyze the doing.” 

DONG SICHENG (WINWIN) ~ FOREIGN BOSS OF AFFAIRS (CHINA)

This boy couldn’t hurt anyone from the get-go. He learned from pain and mistrust that he only has himself and his members. He joined Neo Culture when his family was murdered in a Triad hit and run. He tried to leave China after that so he went to South Korea. He lived paycheck to paycheck until he was taken under Taeyong’s wing. He was put as Foreign Boss of Affairs for the China branch. Like Yuta, he reports tensions of local gangs and Neo Culture to Taeyong. 

When it gets too much for him - being in China - he always welcomed back to Seoul along with his own men. His anger sits locked inside of him...just bubbling over in the pot labeled as his mind. He believes that he should treat his men with a kind hand at night and a firm fist during the day. Always welcomes his own into his office to talk about their feelings. He felt as if he had no one for the longest time and he doesn’t want others to feel as if they had no one either. He’s there.

“You can tell how dangerous a person is by how they hold their anger inside them quietly.”

______________

KIM JUNGWOO ~ SNIPER / MANIPULATOR

His steady hand comes in use when he is needed for roof-top duties. Always knows where everyone, why they’re there, and what they’re going to be doing 10 minutes from now. Yet, when he is needed on the ground, he is used to getting people to come with him. He is used to using people. Buys pretty ladies drinks just to get them back to headquarters to find out what their partner is planning, or he could become friends with another leader to get insights on what they are doing in cases of funds, attacks, or pop-ups. 

Is relatively hidden in the shadows for good reason. Once he’s recognized more than once then he has some explaining to do to the person he was trying to seduce. He isn’t afraid to aid the others on the smallest of missions just to make sure that they get out of their alive.

“Never start an argument with a man that can take you out from another zip-code.”

______________

WONG YUKHEI (LUCAS) ~ MANIPULATOR

He is ready to get into anything just to find out sought-after information. A car, a brawl, a bed - you name it. You name it, he’s probably been in it to get valued information that will put his team ahead of everyone else so no one can touch them.

During work, he doesn’t let his emotion get in the way of anything, yet when he’s around his members he lets all emotion go and unwinds. He is always changing himself so he doesn’t get recognized. 

“Keep yourself closed off for it won’t give me the opportunity to get what I wanted in the first place.”

___________

LEE MARK ~ HEAD OF JUNIOR FORCES

Mark...he’s the man that Taeyong goes to when he finds another kid that needs someplace to go. Mark usually goes on hits with the other members, yet when they’re at headquarters - you can find him training everyone younger than him. He is skilled in everything from explosives to money transfers in hacking. He’s paving the way for all the prospering youths to be prepared for when they become legal. Once they become legal, then Mark won’t have to teach them anything else and will expect them to prove their skills to all the other members.

Super caring and fun to be around with the members (to be) during training, yet when he’s out on a run - he’s as scary as Taeyong. He was a natural born leader so even though he’s younger than all the official members...he’s looked up to. He paved his own road that he’s traveling on so he can teach others to do the same for themselves.

“You better watch yourself, I did this all by myself.”

_______________

HUANG RENJUN ~ ASSASSIN 

He was the second child in his ethnic Chinese family. His parents were poor and couldn’t afford him. They left him outside an orphanage and he grew up there with his anger boiling inside of him. He had terrible anger issues so once so many homes wouldn’t take him...he was transferred to Korea where as soon as he arrived at the new home, he ran away. Taeyong caught him stealing random scrap supplies from their warehouse and decided to bring him in. 

He has a lot of anger so he makes sure to put everything into his actions as he trains and practices. He wanted vengeance at first but now he just wants a safe place where he knows people care for him. 

“When you get angry, count to ten...when you reach eight, throw the punch that no one expected.”

_____________

LEE JENO ~ POISON / HALLUCINATION  SPECIALIST

Even though he’s still younger than most members, the members come to him asking for anything to drug a victim, especially Jaehyun. He always had a knack for making people go crazy in their own minds. He was a troubled youth which made his parents roam and eventually disown him. He carries a chip on his shoulder even though he has a family now: Neo Culture

He used to use his own Hallucination tactics on himself to escape his painful reality of being unloved. After meeting Mark and all of the other boys though, his own happiness became his drug he just couldn’t get enough of. 

“It’s not called dreaming when you induce it on yourself...it’s called a hallucination.”

___________

LEE HAECHAN ~ DECOY 

He uses his slyness and trickery to throw off others while on hits. He is used by the higher-ups in missions. No one would expect an innocent looking boy to be deadly and involved in such hazardous tasks. Whether it’s using prosthetic to disguise himself in the line of enemies, or stealing identities to get into elite social and business gatherings for other syndicates, he does it all. 

He always had an issue of figuring out who he was as a little kid. With this work though...he could be anything or anyone. Yet, once he takes off the fake body features and makeup, he becomes the classy and funny boy his friends have all grown to know. 

“Why be ordinary when I have the chance to be anyone?”

_____________

NA JAEMIN ~ ARSONIST

Jaemin always loved the idea of fire. Anything that you created could be gone so quickly. He loved being in control of it though. He loved being able to manipulate it to the point where he figured out to burn a single space in a matter of 5 minutes. He works alongside Doyoung in the aspect of learning what it takes to makes bombs and do it safely. Yet, sometimes he doesn’t care and just lets it range free as he watches in awe of its power to destroy something it took so long to build. 

His family kicked him out at 13 once they found his stash of explosives and fire equipment. Taeyong found his ability and hobby a good use and asset to the team. He acts super badass and hard when in actual reality, he’s super soft and a huge nerd when he is surrounded by his friends. 

“The most powerful weapon on Earth is the human soul on fire.”

______

ZHONG CHENLE ~ ESCAPE ARTIST (IN TRAINING)

He was always put in sticky situations as a child. He came from the same situation as Renjun, yet he was never taken in by anyone. When he finally was, he escaped as quickly as he could from that ‘home’. He was tied down by the people who were supposed to look after him, yet he got out. He uses his abilities to be able to get out of any situation. Whether he is in the situation, or he’s telling another member what to do, he is relied on to get them out of there in a safe and timely manner.

He uses his abilities in his day to day life. Whether Kun wants him to help with washing some bloody towels or Jaehyun needs help to scrub blood off the floor, Chenle will quickly, effortlessly, and seamlessly slip out of the room unnoticed. Once he escapes, he runs to his friends to hang out and play games.

“It’s not that I want to escape my life in itself, I want to escape the harsh reality OF my life.”

____________

PARK JISUNG ~ ANTI - DOCTOR (IN TRAINING)

Basically goes against Kun. If an enemy is brought in and Kun already fixed them up, he would be the one to go back in and reverse everything that helped. He worked under Kun for a while and learned everything he needed to in order to save someone, and then reversed it. Kun didn’t approve but he would never let Jisung know that. If it’s still confusing, basically: an enemy comes in all beat up and injured (shot) - Kun fixes said victim - Jaehyun gets information out of said enemy - Jisung comes in and takes out the stitches that held all his wounds closed. Slowly and painfully. He knows how to keep the person alive while still bringing the most pain as possible. 

His family kicked him out at age 11 for being ‘psychotic’. He learned how to fend for himself through the waves of wanting vengeance. Yet, with being the youngest, he has all his hyungs to lead him on a better path with the exception of his trained work. 

“I’m not afraid of monsters thanks to the one that lives inside of me.”

[pookiethefrickinbunn]

Shaky Hands - Whumptober 2019 No.1

I’m trying to do Whumptober this year! We’ll see what happens. I know I’m trying to work on a lot of other things right now, so please be patient with me! 

I want to start a tag list, so If you want to be tagged send me an ask! 

@whumptober2019

Read on Ao3 Here

The last 164 hours had been hell for Tony. The inventor felt like he had been on a roller coaster that had an infinite amount of twists and turns and was fueled by pure panic. In that time the man had hardly slept, hardly eaten, and definitely hadn’t showered. But none of that mattered because his children were missing.

They had been taken nearly a week ago. Ambushed as Happy escorted them to Central Park. Morgan had been begging to go back to the city. The young girl had been a few weeks prior and had fallen in love with the large park. There were so many dogs for her to make friends with and she loved the wooded paths and quiet coves that could be found in the park. Not to mention the giant squirrels that would beg for snacks. Of course Tony and Pepper were too busy to make another trip back right away, so when Peter offered to take the girl after school, the family jumped at the opportunity.

Peter and Morgan had been almost inseparable since the events of the second snap. From the first time Peter came to the lake house, Morgan was glued to his hip. She had to spend as much time with her “big brother” as she possibly could.

“I know you can handle yourself Pete, but I’ll have Happy drive you guys there. Just in case anything happens,” Tony remembers saying to the teen. There had been an eye roll, but a smile as Peter reluctantly agreed. That was the night before everything went to shit.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, on a Friday, as the three were driving from Midtown High to Central Park, the car had been ambushed. The car was totaled, Happy incapacitated and the children taken. It was an unnamed group that Tony had no information about. They didn’t contact the billionaire about ransom or any sort of bargain. They were just gone.

Of course Tony tried to track Peter’s phone, watch, and suit. He was sure the kid had the suit in his backpack, and Peter never went anywhere without his technology. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that both the watch and the phone must have been destroyed.

Two days passed with no new information coming in. It honestly felt like the two kids had just fallen off the face of the earth, and Tony felt hopeless. And then suddenly, at three in the morning on the third day, Tony got a call.

“Boss, I have a call from an unknown number,” Friday called out, pulling Tony from his stupor. “It seems to be Mr. Parker,” she added. And oh hell did that wake Tony up.

“Answer it Friday,” Tony commanded, his heart jumping into his chest as he sat up from his desk. “Now.” The line was silent for a moment and Tony wondered if his AI had actually followed his directions before a voice sounded over the line.

“Mr. Stark?” A voice called out. It was unmistakably Peter.

“Kid,” Tony choked out. “Are you okay? Is Morgan with you?” He asked, his heart rate elevating as he spoke.

“I’m okay. I mean, we’re okay,” Peter corrected as he spoke. His voice was light, and slightly airy as he spoke. He seemed to be out of breath. “Morgan’s okay. She’s scared, but she’s fine,” Peter continued, trying to put the father’s mind at ease just a bit. But before Tony could respond, Peter was talking again. “Look Mr. Stark. I don’t have much time to talk. I stopped them, for now. But they’re going to get us again if Morgan and I don’t move. I don’t know where we are. I-I think they did something to my suit, because Karen says her signal is being blocked. All I know is that we’re somewhere west. Maybe Montana? I don’t know,” the teenager explained, his voice increasing in speed as he spoke.

“Peter listen,” Tony interrupted. “Just stay put and-”

“No Mr. Stark. I’m sorry but that’s not an option,” Peter quickly interjected. “Look, I was just calling to let you know we’re okay. We gotta’ go. Please hurry and find us,” Peter stammered, and before Tony knew it, the phone connection was lost.

That was four days ago. Tony had tracked down the signal from the phone Peter had used. It had come from a base in the middle of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho. A collection of small buildings in the middle of the wilderness is what Tony found, in addition to a helicopter landing pad. From there it was easy to track down the people that had taken Peter and Morgan, and even though he had them in custody, he still didn’t know where his children were.

Selway was a large area. With almost 1.3 million acres of land to search though, and an enhanced teenager with four days of travel time, the two could honestly be anywhere. Tony knew that Peter would do everything in his power to make sure that Morgan was safe and as comfortable as possible, but it still didn’t ease his worry. Because they had to go up against Mother Nature, and she was unforgiving.

There were massive search parties all throughout the wilderness. A local search comprised of Natasha, Bucky, May, police, rangers, and volunteers searched the ground while Tony, Pepper, Rhody and Sam searched from the skies. During that time, temperatures dropped below freezing and it rained. And as the hours ticked by, the more Tony was expecting to find bodies. Oh God if they could at least find bodies.

And then, nearly a week after the two had disappeared, Tony heard the words he had been desperate to hear.

“I found them,” Bucky’s voice cut through the coms, making Tony come to a halt mid-flight. All he could do was hover because...had he actually heard right? “Tony, Pepper I found them. They’re alive. I’m sending you and evac. my coordinates,” The soldier said, as a dot appeared in Tony’s Heads-Up Display.

“Is Morgan okay? Peter?” Pepper quickly asked.

“Morgan’s awake. She’s a little scratched up, and she seems to be sick, but she’s okay,” Bucky explained.

“And Peter?” Tony asked again as he changed his flight path to meet up with the soldier.

“He alive Tony, but he’s in a bad way,” Bucky said, his voice heavy as he spoke.

When Tony arrived on the scene, Pepper was already there. She was out of the rescue suit and holding their small daughter up against her chest as she cried into her hair. Morgan was audibly crying as well, and as Tony got closer, he realized that she was wearing Peter’s Spider-Man suit. It was too large for her. The over sized arms and legs swallowed her form and made her look even smaller than she actually was.

“Daddy,” Morgan wailed as the inventor got closer. Suddenly the girl was shifting in her mother’s grasp before she was transferred to Tony’s arms. Now that he was holding her, he realized that the suit she was wearing was stuffed with dead leaves and dried grass. “D-daddy. Petey. He won’t wake up,” the young girl stammered, her voice rough as she spoke. The signs of a cold.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. We’re here now baby. Peter’s going to be fine,” Tony soothed as he placed a kiss on the top of his daughter’s head. And while he said that, Tony just prayed that he wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t even seen the boy yet.

After scanning the area around him, Tony’s eyes landed on Bucky who was kneeling down next to the boy as he laid on the forest floor. He looked sick, that was for sure. His skin was pale and dark circles were underneath his eyes. He looked absolutely exhausted. After giving a single kiss to Morgan’s head, he gave the girl back to her mother before making his way towards the teen.

“He’s got a dangerously weak pulse,” Bucky muttered as he pulled away his flesh hand from Peter’s neck. All Tony could do was drop down beside the soldier, his hands ghosting over the boy’s body, but not daring to touch it.

“How did you find them?” Tony asked, his voice weak.

“I broke off from the group, going through some terrain that the other couldn’t do on their own. I heard Morgan crying though. I found them here, huddled under the tree,” Bucky said as he surveyed the space around him. “Peter had pulled  a bunch of branches and foliage over them. If It wouldn't have been for Morgan making noise, I probably would have walked right past them,” Bucky explained.

Once back in safe arms, the two children were taken to the nearest hospital. Morgan had a nasty cold and was suffering from an intestinal infection from drinking contaminated water. The Spider-Man suit she wore was completely ruined with her own mess, but when they peeled it off of here, Tony was shocked to see she was wearing another layer of Peter’s clothing underneath, and that the heater from the suit was still running. In fact, without the heater running, it was determined that Morgan probably wouldn't have survived the ordeal. Peter on the other hand was another story.

The boy was suffering from an intestinal infection as well and that had caused him to be severely dehydrated. To make matters worse, it was clear that the two had not eaten much. Morgan was showing signs of malnutrition while Peter looked like he had been severely starved. And Tony knew that Peter’s crazy metabolism did nothing to help the situation. So with dehydration, exhaustion, starvation, and no warm clothing, it was no surprise to find out that Peter had hypothermia.

It had been a few hours since the two had been brought back to civilization, and Tony found himself sitting at Peter’s bedside. The lights were off and the only thing illuminating the room was the glow from the monitors in Peter’s room, and Tony’s phone. The inventor knew that while Karen’s signal had been jammed, she had been functional the entire time. And that meant that she was recording, both audio and visually.

In all honesty, Tony didn’t want to listen to what happened while his children were out in the wilderness, fighting for their lives, but he had to know what happened. So that’s how he found himself slipping on a single earbud to listen and watch what had happened those missing seven days.

“Karen, baby monitor protocol. The first time stamp after they were taken,” Tony instructs, and the screen flickers to life.

---

Peter’s wearing the suit. It’s clear that he is swinging through the dense forest, but Tony can tell that the boy is struggling to keep his momentum up.

“Peter, I’m scared,” A small voice cries out, and after a moment Tony realizes that Peter is swinging with only one arm while carrying Morgan in the other.

“I know Momo, I know,” Peter soothes, his voice tight as he takes in a labored breath. “But we got to keep moving. We got to get as far away from those bad people as possible.” Peter explained.

“But where are we going?” the girl demanded.

“I don’t know Mo,” Peter says, and Tony swears he’s never heard Peter sound so sad. “But dad is going to find us okay? He knows where to look now.”

---

After forwarding through the footage, Tony watches as Peter approaches his daughter. The young girl is sitting on a log as rain soaks through their clothing. Her face is red as tears mix with the rain as it runs down her face.

“Here Mo,” Peter says as he lifts the mask from his face, and suddenly the camera angle is obscured. “This will keep your ears warm,” and in another moment the camera is fixed and Tony realizes that Peter had placed the mask on Morgan’s head.

For most of the video he has been able to see Morgan, but now he gets a good look at the teenager. He looks wrecked. It is so clear that the boy is sick and running on empty, and in these snippets alone, Tony has to wonder how the kid managed to last a few more days from this point.

“There’s a heater in this,” Peter explains to the girl and suddenly he is taking his Spider-Man suit off of his body and putting it on the small girl. “Don’t take this off, no matter what,” Peter says, helping the girl adjust the suit.

From there Tony watches the hours go by in fast forward. Peter has his backpack with him and  suddenly he pulls out a hoodie and sweats. Tony thinks that maybe the kid will put them on himself, only to remember that they had found Morgan wearing the clothing. About a day later Peter then stuffs the leaves and grass in between the suit and clothing to keep the young girl insulated.

Of course they continue to move. They don’t eat much, But with Morgan wearing the mask, Tony can see that Peter is doing is best to scavenge for some sort of meal for Morgan. It’s mostly berries and plants. And when they come along a stream, Peter somehow is able to catch fish. Of course the little girl opposes most of the sustenance Peter offers her, but after begging her to eat, Morgan gives in. She’s starving after all.

In one video Peter is kneeling in front of her, holding on to a piece of raw fish. It’s chunky and sloppily cleaned, with scales still stuck to the meat, but it’s obvious that Peter has worked hard to make it appetizing for Morgan. Tony can hear his daughter crying in the background as he watches Peter sitting in front of her. He can tell how spent Peter is based on how bad his hands are shaking. Maybe he’s shaking because he’s so cold, or maybe he’s hungry and tired. Tony can’t tell because each could be a possibility.

“Morgan, Please,” Peter begs, his own tears falling down his cheeks as he pleads with the child in front of him. “I know you’re hungry, and I know it doesn’t taste good, but you have to eat for me. Please,” Peter begs, tremors shaking through his hands and causing the piece of fish to vibrate. “If you want to see Mom and Dad again, you have to eat,” Peter instructs, only to get more shrieks of protest in return.

Tony continues to watch various videos that are similar to the ones he’s seen before. That, and the two just sitting in one place, waiting. By the time it gets close to the sixth day, the two hardly move. Morgan is uncharacteristically quiet as she huddles against Peter. At some point Peter takes Morgan underneath a tree and begins pulling in larger tree limbs with the leaves till on them and begins to make a cover for them. From there he pulls in nearby foliage until the two are completely covered. Peter then take’s Morgan and lays her down under their cover before wrapping his body around the girl to give her more warmth. And they just lay there, for hours.

“Mr. Sark’,” Peter slurs over the recording. Morgan still has the mask wrapped over the top of her head, so Tony can’t see much, but he’s surprised to hear the teen speak after so much silence. He’s slurring his speech though, and Tony’s heart only sinks because he knows that those are the symptoms of hypothermia that is taking over Peter.

“Mr. Sark’,” Peter stammered again as a sob wracks through Peter’s chest, and suddenly the boy is crying, yet still not waking the girl who sleeps next to him. Without any warning the mask his pulled from where it sits and the imagine begins to shake. Peter is holding the mask and now Tony can tell that he’s shaking violently. “M’ Sorry. I don’t think we’re going to make it. I-I tried so hard. I’m so sorry Morg’n got taken. It-it’s all my fault. An’ n-now we’re going to die here,” Peter sobbed. “I love you. Both you and Morgan and Pepper. And I’m so sorry this happened. It’s my fault Mr. Sark’. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” Peter began to chant. Slowly Peter just began to blubber nonsense and Tony’s heart broke as he listened to his kid fall apart.

“Oh Peter,” Tony muttered as he paused the video before his eyes flickered up to the boy who lay in front of him. He looked so fragile as he was hooked up to more machines than Tony liked. He looked like he would break by just looking at him, but Peter was here. He had been through hell and back, all to make sure that Tony’s daughter survived. Leaning forward, Tony took hold of Peter’s hand and squeezed gently. Tears began to build at the corners of Tony’s eyes and suddenly the man was breaking down.

“God. Peter I thought I had lost you. Both of you,” Tony whispered as he covered his face with his free hand. “I-I love you too bud,” Tony gasped, suddenly wishing that he had told the kid that more often. “You- You did so good Pete. I can’t thank you enough. You did so good. Thank you,” Tony cried, squeezing the boy’s hand one more time.

[rosalynbair]

Third Floor - The Office

PART ONE -The Office | Masterlist 

Pairing: Manager!Kylo x Reader Words: 2230 Summary: Kylo is your manager at First Order Paper Co. And you like him. A lot. But relationships in the office are forbidden, so, what can you do? A/N: Well, here’s my first mini-series for this blog! This is just part one, so it’s more to set up the storyline than anything else. I hope you enjoy it!

Mornings are horrible as an adult. Getting up early and making sure you look professional enough to go out in public and get to work, trying to remember to eat something while also making a mental list of everything that needed to get done that day. Dealing with traffic and raising gas prices, being on time for every single thing and planning for things that probably won’t even happen. Kylo Ren hated mornings. He hated getting up early and putting on a suit. He hated that he had to style his hair perfectly so that it was neat and professional, but also covered his overly large ears. He hated staring in the mirror each morning, tugging a comb through his hair and washing his face, trying desperately to rid himself of the beauty marks that littered his features. He stares at himself in the mirror one more time, hands reaching up to grasp a few strands of hair, adjusting them to cover the tips of his ears. He leaves his large apartment, grabbing the keys to his car off of a small little antique table in the front foyer that his mother had made him get when he had bought the apartment. His dress shoes make a dull clacking noise against the tile of the apartment building’s lobby as he walked, barely looking at the receptionist who greeted him happily with a ‘Hello Mr. Ren!’ which he promptly ignored. He made his way to his car, turning the radio up to blast the classic rock music throughout the car. Anyone walking by would only be able to hear the thud of the bass in the songs. Kylo drove to his office building. A small eight floor building that the company rented the third floor of. For a New York building, it wasn’t as elegant as he wishes it could be. But it held his fifteen employees. He didn’t like most of them, boring people they were. They had petty problems. He would have transferred to a better branch years ago, if it weren’t for one person on his payroll. “Good morning Mr. Ren.” The security guard says, nodding to him as he enters the building, rolling his eyes when he sees that the elevator is still out of service. He grabs the handle of the door to the stairwell, grumbling quietly as he stomps quickly up the stairs. His mood only worsens when he notices that his floor is still dark, no one moving about. He unlocks the door, allowing it to slam shut behind him as he flicks on the light, the office being illuminated by the horrible yellow-white lights. He moves to his office, closing the door and sitting at his desk, not bothering to open the blinds before turning on his computer. An hour passed quietly, nothing disturbing the peace of the third floor until he heard the door open. A few voices floated over to him, which he recognized easily as some of his workers. He doesn’t look up, doesn’t go out and say hello to them. He never did. He does look up however, when Maribeth knocks on his door, peeking her head in with a smile. “Y/N is running late this morning, she messaged our work group chat earlier to say that her car wasn’t starting. Her taxi is stuck in traffic right now but she shouldn’t be too late coming in.” “Thank you.” He says, dismissing her by looking back down to his computer screen. Maribeth closes his door quietly to leave him be with his work.   It’s about 45 minutes before you’re in the office, carrying three trays of coffees. You set them down on the reception desk, looking over everyone with a smile. “Good morning!” You say happily “Sorry for running so late!” You Start taking each coffee cup out of the trays, reading the small acronyms on the tops of them before giving them to their corresponding person. Each time you set one down on the desk, you’re greeted with a ‘thank you’. You tell each of them that it’s really no worry, and to enjoy it. You place your own coffee on your desk, turning on your monitor while glancing at the flashing red light on the phone to signal that you have messages that need to be listened to. You sigh, taking the final coffee – Large, dark roast, one sugar – Into your boss’ office. You knock before entering, making sure to be quiet just in case he was on the phone. When you step in, Kylo’s dark eyes move up to see you. “Good morning Y/N” “Good morning Mr. Ren.” You say with a smile, voice hitching up an octave. You would probably never get over how handsome he was. “I apologize for being so late, I would have messaged you, but I didn’t know how to get a hold of you.” You set the coffee down on a coaster on his desk, feeling his gaze on you the entire time. “It’s alright. I understand your morning. No phone calls have come th-“ The phone cuts him off, and you grab it quickly to answer it. “First Order Paper Co. Y/N speaking, how can I help you?” You say into the phone, keeping your voice steady as you spoke to one of your smaller clients. You put them on hold, dialing one of the extensions to the accounting department, asking them to pick up line one. You hang up the phone, looking to Kylo with a smile. He had been watching you throughout the conversation, seeing how even on a bad morning, you were still glowing with happiness. He was fairly sure that you weren’t real. Just a figment of his imagination for the last four years that you worked for him. But he knew he could never imagine such a beautiful and genuine human. “Buzz me if you need anything sir.” You tell him with your signature smile “And please be careful, the coffee is still hot!” You leave the office, closing the door quietly behind you as you go to your desk, sitting in the old office chair that creaked every time you moved. You set your coffee onto the coaster – you had emailed corporate last year asking for a set of coasters for the office after the custodian started complaining about coffee rings on the desks. You pick up the phone, dialling the number to the office’s voicemail. Each one, you wrote down on a memo pad of who had called, what it was regarding, and a call back number. For a few, you wrote who they were for. Two were for Kylo, three for sales, and one for HR. When the inbox was cleared of messages, you take each piece of paper that had been torn from the pad, walking around the office to give them to each department with a quick run down of what the messages had said. You knock on Kylo’s office door again, coming in and handing him the two pieces of paper. “Corporate wants to set up a meeting with you to have the annual progress report, and Senator Organa wants to know when you would like to go to lunch because you haven’t been returning your emails.” Kylo takes the memos from you, glancing over them with a sigh. “Call my mother back and tell her I’m busy this week. Tell corporate that I’m available for meetings next Tuesday.” He says, his voice echoing throughout the small office, throughout your bones. “Yes sir.” You say, smiling as you go to leave the office. “Y/N?” He asks, making you stop with your hand on the door handle. You turn to see him scribbling on a sticky note. “Yes sir?” You ask, taking your hand off the handle, turning to face him fully. “This is my cell phone number.” He tells you, holding the yellow paper out to you “I would like you to have it in case you need to contact me again.” Your cheeks slowly turn pink, your face warm. You step forward, taking it from him, forcing your hands not to shake. “Thank you sir.” You say, voice breathy. “Use it responsibly.” He tells you, his attention returning to his screen. He picks up the phone, dialling a number whole you turned to leave again. You return to your desk, spending the days answering the phone and replying to emails. Faxing out papers when needed, or printing off contacts to prepare for new clients coming in this week. As the work day comes to a close, you say goodbye to everyone who files out of the office with their bags and lunch boxes. When everyone was gone, you began your rounds around the office, checking that each monitor and computer were turned off for the night. You turn close the blinds in each room, flicking off the lights as you go. You close the safe in the back office and go to the thermostat, changing turning the heat off for the night so the office wouldn’t be charged with higher heating bills. You return to your desk, pulling on your light pea coat, tying the belt around your waist and grabbing your tote purse, pulling your phone out of the small pocket. You dial the number for the taxi company, putting the phone up to your ear as you listen to it ring. You go to voicemail, and you let out a sigh. You try to more taxi companies, one saying that they had no taxis available for at least another hour, the other saying that their bank machines in the cars weren’t working. You grumble as you begin to check bus routes on your phone, trying to plan out how long you would have to wait and which two transfers you would have to take and which train you would have to catch to get to your apartment. “Y/N?” Kylo asks as he comes out of his office with his coat on, a leather messenger bag resting on his shoulder. You look up, and he’s surprised to see a frustrated frown on your face for the first time since knowing you. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine sir.” You mumble, and he knows immediately that things are in fact, not fine. “Do you need a ride?” He asks you, his eyebrow raised slightly as he remembers that you took a taxi to work this morning. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. There has to be at least one taxi available in this damn city.” You say, scrolling through your contacts to find a company you hadn’t called yet. “Y/N, I’ll give you a ride home.” He tells you, not really giving you an option to decline his offer with the tone that he said it in. “Are you sure? I live a thirty minute drive away, and it’s rush hour.” You say, thinking about how long you would be in the car with your boss. “Yes, I’m sure. I don’t mind the drive as long as I know you get home safe.” He says, pulling his keys out of his pocket and walking towards the door, glancing over to you to see if you were following. You hold the strap of your purse tighter, following him out the door, making sure that the door was locked behind you while you follow him down the ugly linoleum tiled stairs. The night air was cold against your face when you stepped outside, waving goodbye to the security guard who was preparing for his final rounds before leaving to go home. Kylo tries not to look at you when the wind goes, blowing your hair wildly around your face while you jog to keep up with the tall man. He stops at a black Audi, unlocking the door and tossing his bag into the back seat before opening the drivers door to get in. You follow suit, setting your purse at your feet as you put on your seatbelt, turning slightly so your body was leaning towards him rather than being parallel to the front. You take in the man beside you, watching him put on his seatbelt and putting the keys in the ignition, turning them and letting the car hum to life. He has a strong profile, nose fairly straight despite how large it was. You could see a small bump on it, showing that it might have been broken once or twice in his life. His hair his most of his features from you, but you knew his face like you knew the back of your hand. He was handsome. You remembered having your job interview with him. You had been a stuttering, blushing mess while you answered his questions. He had been fairly quiet, taking notes about your answers before hiring you on the spot. You were sure you were going to relapse into that reaction during the time in the car with him. He looks over to you, his arm going out so he could put his hand on the back of your seat, his head turning so he could see properly and back out of the parking space. You look down, pretending you hadn’t just been staring at him like a love sick puppy. “So, where is your house?” He asks, stopping the car before he pulled out onto the street. “Go Left.” You instruct.

[projectsoleil]

The Final Problem | Oleander | Re: Celestial Revolution

Shougo wants to hear Pheo and Leo say they’ll help them now. They want to think there’s a chance, maybe not completely, but at least part way, for the two to be forgiven. They look at the genuine tears from both of them in anticipation.

They don’t have much time to process before the robots return to help, and before they can even question where he is, Nate charges in with a sword in hand. 

Shougo looks happier than they have in a while to see him, even though the ensuing confrontation stresses them out considerably with not wanting anyone to die. Nate’s too good to lose though, and he’s not gonna kill them either. With all of them at a stalemate they can work things out to challenge the boss with everyone. At this rate, everything will be fine—

Then the ground is ripped out from under them. Quite literally.

There’s an uncomfortable sense of helplessness floating at the mercy of another person. They hesitate to even reach into their pockets to find some plant life to anchor themself, on the chance that the woman arriving before them sees it as a threat and pushes them into the electric field around them.

Speaking of her, it looks like Abe and Shougo were right. 

Funny, someone who’d reminded them of a mentor figure, that they’d genuinely enjoyed the insight and company of, set up every other crime in this place. Do they just have some sixth sense that draws them to bad or criminal people?

Maybe in the recesses of Shougo’s heart there’s a sense of relief to see her again, but they’ve somewhat exhausted their goodwill at this point. That entire last trial is starting to look more like a farce specifically to spite them now that everyone they mourned has come back.

Besides, Leo and Pheo had meant some things, or at least the important ones they’d said like caring about them or calling them a good friend. Looking at Doctor Cella Huck, all they can see is a woman who’s been testing them and likely making fun of their earnest attempts to understand what was going on here and try to look like an equal to her. 

And if there’s one thing Shougo can’t stand, it’s being made fun of. 

“Kihihi…took you long enough, Doctor. I’ve been trying to uncover what your big plan was from the moment I heard of you…and turns out it was this! Complete with thematic decor and an edgy speech…’cosmic understanding?’ That’s what the murder mystery battle royale and the stolen parts were for? I see, I see…well, you’re right about one thing: I have plenty of questions that I want your perspective on. Like old times, huh, Cella?”

There’s a challenging sarcasm to their words as they speak despite the fact that they’re awkwardly suspended in the air and trying to keep themself balanced.

Are they intimidated? Yeah, but they also have a role to play. They’re a fucking detective. If Cella wants to play Professor Moriarty, Shougo has to step up their Sherlock Holmes game.

They adjust their goggles, the feeling offering an anchor despite their suspension, replacing the tactile sensation of tapping their fingers on the podium. The most important thing is that they remain calm–even if the opposing force considers them inferior, Shougo can’t show an inkling of considering the same.

“There’s that shutdown notice, for one…Ivo mentioned it being a shame the island wouldn’t be used anymore in his diary and experimenting on the plant life, so I’m guessing that was real...but I also think that some point down the line, you met Ivo and Project Soleil gained a new life–probably three years after the shutdown considering that update. So you probably stole all that equipment to bring it here…am I right?” 

“Of course, I’m curious how you even met that freak anyway: what, did he read your thesis and tell you about how right you are? That where the new note in your essay and the note on his power comes from? Speaking of…” 

Their voice becomes a bit more subdued: not sympathetic, but testing for a heart nonetheless.

“You said you didn’t completely agree with his methods. It seems that those children were experimented on before you came into the picture anyway…and we have proof that his power transfers accurately with the fact that you and your associates are standing here right now. How willing are you to try the same on the people killed in your experiment?” 

It’s the same question they asked Pheo. Shougo’s also not the best in violent situations, so reason is the main weapon they have. Besides, knowing whether Cella Huck is willing to accept an olive branch extended out towards her will tell Shougo how far they need to go from here: whether Cella needs to be gone for the chance to save everyone else or not.

“It’d be a nice bit of dramatic irony, right? A man who threw innocent lives away for his experimentation having his body used to save some of the very lives he played with…if you’re capable of that, perhaps I’ll consider giving your plan to go to space and show the aliens you’re worthy of being given the same cosmic power or whatever a little more credit.”

“Because right now, I don’t think getting several people killed for your own advancement is worth it. What ‘greater good’ gives you the right to take people’s lives from them? And if you dare say some shit about how they did it to themselves…well. I hope I don’t need to explain to you how wrong that is. You’re not an idiot, right, Doctor?”

Shougo manages to keep an even voice despite how angry the entire thing makes them. Best they focus on something else for now. 

“Oh! But there’s also one self-indulgent personal question I have: you knew for sure the loved ones motive was fake, and you didn’t realize I was there at first, so you didn’t have a reason to pretend for me right away. So what really had you so pissed off after Pheo and Min pressed those buttons? Just acting for the camera? Or was there something else going on?“

"You vented to me and tried to make me feel important with that whole ‘take my phone so I don’t press the button, Shougo’ thing…how often do you use that tactic on people? I’m curious how much you were lying to me as well.”

 They may be a bit hurt by the fact that it worked on them for a while. Not that they’re telling her that.

[knockmedownwithafeather]

The Grey - a short story

As a winter project for the South Somerset Creative Club, which I’m a part of, I chose to write a short story inspired by the theme we were given - ‘Grey’. This is what came to me...

The Grey, by Bobbie Killip

They came in the middle of the day, not even waiting for the cover of night to hide their distasteful deeds. No-one knew who or what they were – not even quarter of the town really believed they existed. Only those who were close to someone they’d come for, and, of course, those who’d been taken themselves.

Rumours and old wives tales abounded about them. There were three of them. There was more than three, but they always travelled in threes. They were just people in long, grey cloaks. They were skeletons in long grey cloaks. They were just long grey cloaks with darkness inside. They killed people. They ate people. They sucked the badness out of people. They ate the badness out of people. The only people who knew for sure were the ones who’d been done, and they never remembered anything.

Supplicants left their requests tied to a gnarled, ancient oak a mile outside of town. A name, and a reason, scrawled onto a piece of paper, rolled and tied to a branch with a piece of wool or string. Battered wives named their husbands, cuckolded husbands left their wives’ names, a handful of shy children left a bully’s name, a man unfairly dismissed left his boss’s name. Ordinary, every-day pieces of hatred. Sarah left her own name.

           Sarah Hartland.            I don’t deserve to live.

She wasn’t entirely sure she believed in them, but she had hope. It was the only thing she had hope in anymore. She’d heard the rumours around school – Emma Courtney’s brother’s friend had been done. Disappeared for 24 hours, then reappeared with no memory of what happened, but with a dark stain on the side of his face and a distinct lack of the arrogance and bluster he’d been known for. Sarah had overheard her foster mother and a friend talking one night, too. About some woman called Mary who’d been done. They said she used to be a right slapper, and didn’t care if the men she seduced into her bed were married or not. She disappeared for three days, before reappearing dressed conservatively and full of repentance.

Sarah was careful not to appear too interested or ask too many questions about them. She focussed on staying invisible, and wishing for them to come for her. If anyone deserved to be done, she did. After all, she was the reason her family were all dead. Her loving mother, gone. Her strict but caring father, gone. Her little brother, gone. All of them killed in a horrific car crash, all because of Sarah. If she hadn’t chosen to go to Alton Towers for her birthday treat, they wouldn’t have been on the motorway, and their old Ford Escort wouldn’t have been crushed by an out-of-control lorry. Sarah was convinced she shouldn’t be alive; that The Grey were just biding their time, making her suffer because it was what she deserved.

It was the middle of the summer, and Sarah had finally given up, when they eventually came. She didn’t know how they knew. Had one of the other kids in her foster home noticed her collection? She thought she’d hidden it well, but with six kids and two adults sharing three bedrooms there was never any privacy. Anyone who saw it would be left with no doubt as to its use. Razor blades, carefully wrapped in a piece of kitchen roll. Several part-used packets of paracetamol. A half-bottle of vodka. A postcard of a pretty village in Cornwall, blank on the back, and a pen. Sarah had found the postcard stuck at the back of a drawer one day, and kept it because it looked like the kind of place she’d like to visit one day. The kind of place where nothing bad could happen.

Sarah was fed up of waiting for them, and had made her decision. In three days she would be seventeen years old. Six years of commemorating the day of her birth alongside the day of her family’s deaths. She thought she was being careful. She found a place to go, where no-one would find her before it was too late. She had just transferred her collection to her secret place, made one last visit to be sure it was secure, when they came.

It turned out the rumours were true – some of them at least. There were three of them. They wore long, grey cloaks with hoods that cast their faces into shadow. But if you looked into their eyes, if you were brave or stupid enough, they reflected like those of a cat.

Sophie faced them without fear. She looked deep into the eyes of the front figure, curious to know what, or who, it was. She saw nothing she recognised.

           Sarah Hartland…

She heard the words, without hearing a sound. The voice was neither old nor young, male or female. It simply was.

           You have made your decision.

‘Yes.’

           You think you have no choice.

‘I don’t.’

           We offer you a choice.

Sarah tilted her head and waited for more. This wasn’t how she’d expected it to be. They weren’t how she’d expected them to be.

           You can continue with your plan. We won’t stop you, if it’s what you want. Or you can join us.

Sarah’s eyes opened wide in shock. The Grey stayed silent, but she felt a nudge inside her head. An affirmative, reinforcing what it had said. For the first time in a long time, she wavered. Could this possibly be an option? Instead of being… gone… she could be… something else.

           ‘Why?’ She asked, unsure if she actually wanted an answer.

           We have toiled for centuries, working to fix humankind. But as times have changed, we have not. We no longer understand humans as we used to. The supplicants make requests that make no sense to us. Maybe it is time that we three become four. You will help us to know what to do. How to fix things.

It was ridiculous. Preposterous. Sarah pinched her arm to see if she was dreaming, because surely this couldn’t be real.

           ‘Will I… be like you?’ she asked. Will I be inhuman, with glowing eyes and a grey cloak, is what she really wanted to ask. Will I have to kill people, or hurt them? How do you fix people? Why do you do it? She had a million questions, but self-preservation was finally starting to kick in and she was feeling more scared than she wanted to admit. Then she remembered. It didn’t matter. None of it did. In three days, she would be gone.

‘Will I be able to change my mind? If I say yes? If I join you, and I don’t like it, can I change my mind and… go back to my plan?’ Because if it said yes, then it really didn’t matter.

           The leader, for want of a better word, turned to its companions, and they appeared to be discussing her request, although she could hear nothing. After a few moments, it turned back.

           Yes. If you agree, you will commit to helping us three times. After that, you will make your choice. You may carry out your plan, or you may join us permanently. You may not return to your life here. You will not be given this choice again.

           Sarah held back a giggle. It was all so fantastical, so dream-like, and really, so perfect. She got the feeling that giggling wasn’t approved of by The Grey, but she also got the feeling that when she said yes, and became whatever they were, giggling wouldn’t be an option any more. So she let out the giggle. She let it grow into a laugh. She laughed aloud in delight, that fate, or God, or whatever was in charge of The Grey, had chosen her. And then she let the laugh fade away, and faced The Grey with perfect composure.

           ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I will join you.’

The End.

I hope you liked it, it’s quite dark, quite grey, some might say :)

[luckylq24-blog]

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[reesesxxpieces-blog]

Spencer James "Fourth of July /week/ got you thinking... is that fireworks I hear outside at 3 a.m. or are those gunshots...?"

Reiyas Kingston Fuck me, this is painfully true.

Spencer James "Right? My husband works nights and I've got two small children. Gotta turn off my cop instincts here and realize there is no threat!!"

Reiyas Kingston Ohhhh, woman of the law, eh? I work with the government, too. Special branch that li- fucking jesus christ, I did it again. Forget you heard that... and my cussing. Sorry.

Spencer James "You owe me no apology, I assure. And yeah, I'm a cop this week. I'll let you know if that rings true next week or not. But for now, yes. Philadelphia Homicide Detective. It seems your title is classified?"

Reiyas Kingston Ah, I've heard that tune a time or two. If you're anything like me, passion can put you in compromising positions in like fields. From what I've seen, anyway. Philly though? I'm in New York; just a hop, skip, and jump away. Hah, yes. It's supposed to be... not sure my brain can remember that part. Ahem, anyway. Name's Reiyas. Reiyas Kingston.

Spencer James "Yeah... I've come into a bit of a temper, I suppose you could say. Swear I've had more time on leave this year than clock days. Oh well. Is what it is. New York, huh? I haven't made my way that direction yet. I transferred into PPD from Dallas about two and a half years ago. I like the city, but I sure get homesick from time to time. People just are in such a hurry here. No one says hello. I'm glad you did, Mister Kingston. I'm Spencer James. It's nice to meet you."

Johnny William "Gunshots don't echo. Fireworks do..."

Spencer James “When I’m half asleep in bed, it’s hard to listen for the echo while I’m reaching for my piece and trying to get out of the room and into the boys’ rooms. Think you’re just going to have to take the rest of the week off with me.” Nods.

Johnny William "I'm home tonight anyway."

Spencer James “And tomorrow night and the one after that and the one after that and… well, the rest of the week?"

Johnny William "I'll have to take it up with the boss."

Spencer James “I’d just feel better if you were here is all. Especially after all the shit that went down a couple weeks ago. It’s just a lot and the boys are so little and… I’d just feel better if you were here. Or if we were all somewhere else."

Johnny William "I got you, hun." knowing he had been playing around with her, he did understand what she was saying. "You overwhelmed?"

Spencer James “I’m… worried. You’re gone at night and I know you have to be, but if something went down here, no matter what skillset I have under my belt, I… John, I'm scared," she confessed, words that didn't ever leave the woman’s lips, but there they were. Seeing what she’d seen there on their own front lawn while trying to comfort both boys and keep them safe, knowing there was nothing she could do for him or Judas outside enduring what they were, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if something like that should happen when he wasn’t there.

Johnny William "Our house is watched at night. When I'm not here...hell, when I am here." he stated simply, as she had to know he wouldn't just let her take it all on herself after what had happened. "The club is monitoring our street and the one behind it and the house itself. Our security system is updated but honestly...we might have to start making some other changes too."

Spencer James “I know this, I do. And it’s all great and I know there’s literally nothing more that could really be done there outside of posting snipers at the front porch. But there’s just something altogether better about it all when you’re here. Those guys out there will only do so much to protect your kids and wife. But you. I know what you’d do. I’m not saying I ever want that to happen, but there’s a safety in that.” She paused, second guessing her own vulnerability as it wasn’t something she often showed. “Ya know, it’s really just my head and there’s probably nothing you can do to fix that. I just worry. About you. About the boys. And what I’d do the day I ever had to protect them and do something at the same time."

Johnny William "Those guys aren't hired help. They're my brothers. I grew up with them, we've shed blood for one another. I put food on their table for their own kids and I don't doubt for a minute that they'd lay their lives down for mine and the club itself. It was a declaration of war." he reminded her as it was club politics and maybe not something she'd understand if she had not been brought up in it the way he had. A shake of his head as it wasn't just her head but an honest vulnerability. "Maybe it's time to move then."

Spencer James Hearing him out as he spoke about those men that would guard their home when John was away, as well as when he was home, she nodded her head. Understanding. Not having meant to discredit them. As he shook his head at her thinking it was just her head, she was shocked at the words that would leave his lips next. “No, John. No way,” she argued, her hand quick to find the side of his face, her touch soft and just as sincere as she was, her eyes meeting his. “This is our home. Our home that you did and sacrificed so much for. I don’t want to move. I don’t want to ever move."

Johnny William "and I'll do again and sacrifice for with a house out in the North East or something. It's not like it'll all be for nothing." he reminded her, as they'd get all his work back in property value by this point. "If you don't feel safe here then it doesn't leave much of an option. It's my only way to fix this and make you feel more comfortable."

Spencer James Hearing him out, she understood why he wanted to do this, but it wasn’t at all what she wanted. She didn’t want to move to the northeast and then them both have their commutes, if and when she got pulled from leave again. She didn’t want to move just because she was nervous at night. This was the home that held every incredible memory of them as a family and no amount of money could be placed on that in her mind. She shook her head again, her hand slipping to the back of his neck, drawing her forehead against his. “I don’t want to move, John."

Johnny William "Spence..." hearing her being a bit unreasonable on this one due to the attachment she found on those four walls. "We'd make a home of wherever we are. This house isn't what makes us." he'd remind her, as it was merely dry wall and some plaster and little else.

Spencer James She understood, but it wouldn’t be enough to change her mind at the same time. He nearly lost his life for this house. He surprised her with this house. She’d never forget how she felt walking through those halls for the first time, knowing what he’d put into that house. The tone of her name at his lips spoke loudly, yet she’d still dig her feet in on this. “I don’t want to move, John,” she repeated, feeling the conviction deep within her. “I want to live here with you and our boys until we outgrow it or until the roof falls in. I don’t want to go and leave all of this because your wife showed her chicken shit side. I’ve never felt unsafe here before and I know it’s just with all that’s happened recently and this holiday and what not. But no part of me is ready to leave our home to make another."

Johnny William "It ain't about bein' chicken shit. It's realistic after what just happened." hell, his ribs hadn't even healed yet. It was still current events but he saw that they would reach a stalemate here. Maybe even the potential for an argument and he just wasn't feeling it. Letting himself inject the seed and see if she'd take to it. "Alright."

Spencer James As he withdrew from the conversation, she wouldn’t realize the seed he would plant here, one that would surely take root in the coming days and weeks if she was left to think about it and weigh it on her own. With her hand to the back of his neck, she lowered her face into his chest, breathing him in as she had so many times over the last two years. “Just don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to any of you,” she offered, an honest sentiment that stood as the root of it all, though knowing all the while that John was no safer here than he was out at night, finding it all too uncertain for her liking.

Johnny William If she was thinking like that, there was an even bigger issue yet he didn't say it. God knows he was thinking it. Feeling her at his chest as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

Spencer James Feeling him there to the top of her head, her hands found his sides. Things hadn't been so terrifying to her when it was just the two of them. But now that there were two little boys there with the intent for more, she grew more nervous by the day. Paranoia was setting in and the voices in her head became louder and louder. There, with him home, was the only time she felt entirely secure and as though she could breathe.

Johnny William "So realistically speakin' what would help? You wanna start keeping Scrappy downstairs?" He asked curiously, as atleast the dog would startle to anything on that bottom level.

Spencer James As he spoke again, she remained there to his chest, hearing out his suggestion as she lifted her chin so that her eyes could meet his. "Yeah, that might help," she offered, willing to give it a try and see if it helped her sleep at night. Unsure if this was just a phase, she hated feeling so insecure, yet was beyond thankful that he didn't fault her for it and seemed to completely understand.

Johnny William "Okay. So just keep him on the other side of the baby gate before you go to sleep." He reasoned, as Scrappy wouldn't like it but he'd have the couch all to himself and that would have to suffice.

Spencer James Giving up a gentle nod, she would do that the next night, only able to hope the dog would understand and perhaps even feel as though he had a job to do. Her hands gripped at his sides, face finding his chest once more, realizing just how long it had been since she found herself in this position before him.

Johnny William Feeling her infront of him, his hands gently massaging her shoulders as the woman was stressed. Lips to the top of her head. "You want a back rub?" He asked curiously.

Spencer James Feeling his kiss to the top of her head, she would hear his question a moment later as his hands worked gently against her shoulders. A soft hum passed her lips at his offer before she was lifting her head again, meeting his eyes, and giving up a soft nod of her head. "That sounds incredible," she stated honestly, a small smile there to her features.

Johnny William Nodding as he'd take up the charge on this one as his hands remained to her shoulders. "Okay. You tell me when and where." He offered as he spotted her smile.

Spencer James The bed was dangerous and she knew it all too well. The sofa, however... wasn't quite as dangerous, but certainly wasn't unheard of for them. "How about... now? Upstairs?" She asked, deciding to live dangerously, knowing where this could lead should one of them take it there.

Johnny William "Alright." Chin jut for her up the stairs as he wasn't too concerned with it in all truth nor was he ever.

Spencer James Finding that gesture at his chin, she stepped back from him, her hands leaving his sides as she took a step towards the staircase.

Johnny William Following behind her so closely he might have run into her in the case of sudden stops. Hoping to irritate her as much as possible.

Spencer James Feeling him there behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to him. "You gonna take me in the ass right here?" She asked, teasingly.

Johnny William "You know it." Definitely close enough, he pressed his lips to her shoulder.

Spencer James Smirking as his lips found her shoulder, it was all too tempting. "I might hold you to that..."

Johnny William "Don't threaten me with a good time." He commented honestly, lips to the side of her neck.

Spencer James Feeling him to the side of her neck, her foot found the staircase, her hand taking to the railing as his kiss was entirely too distracting. "John..." she warned as he was starting something there that they both knew she wouldn't be able to draw away from.

Johnny William "I know, I know." He stated honestly, knowing what she was warning as he'd draw his lips back but not his body.

Spencer James Feeling him partially withdraw yet not entirely, she couldn't help but smirk. Taking one step at a time, always thinking those stairs took too long to get up in moments like these. "Should've chose the sofa," she whispered just under her breath.

Johnny William "Coulda' shoulda woulda.'" He reminded her as they got to the top of the steps and heading towards the bedroom.

Spencer James “Yeah, I hear you,” she teased back, her feet finding that top step where she’d promptly turn around even with his close proximity. Her hands instantly there to the back of his neck as her lips were seeking out his kiss, his actions being that which would turn this around from a massage to the potential for something so much more than that.

-July 3, 2017

[bossyadvice-blog]

Help!  No one will give me a job.

A librarian hopeful emails:

“I want to work for my local library.  I love to read, I volunteered in my school library as a kid, and I have customer service (retail) experience.  According to the job descriptions for the page positions at my local library, all I need is to be 16 years old to qualify.  I’m way older than that and have plenty of work experience, yet I haven’t even gotten a call after applying twice.  What’s the deal?  I don’t have a ton of overdue books or fines or anything, I seem like a strong candidate, but no dice.  What’s the secret to getting into the hallowed halls of the library?

Thanks in advance,

Reader Rabbit”

Dear Rabbit,

This is the easiest/hardest question to answer.  It’s easy to answer because I’m confident that libraries all over the country suffer from the same problem (?) as all the libraries where I’ve ever worked:  people want to work there!  Like, LOTS of people.  Like, so many people that every job opening is a huge, overwhelming ordeal for the hiring manager.  And it’s hard to answer because that’s the sort of thing that makes it really, really difficult for candidates to address or work around.

On the one hand, you’re right; you do sound like a decently strong candidate.  On the other hand, it’s possible the library is so inundated with candidates, no one’s even getting to your application.  If you get 100 applications and you find five strong candidates out of the first 20 you look at, there’s a decent chance you won’t bother with the remaining 80.  

If it’s any reassurance, I have hired several people who not only applied but interviewed with me more than once.  I can think of one candidate who I interviewed three times before extending an offer.  There wasn’t anything different about her on the third go-round; she simply wasn’t competing with any internal applications as she had been the first two times.  (Is that reassuring?  I know, as someone who has myself been a job-seeker many times, that the prospect of multiple unsuccessful interviews is perhaps not very comforting.)

There isn’t anything I can do to slim down the huge pile of applications that the hiring manager at your library is sorting through, but I can give you a few tidbits for yourself:

FOLLOW ALL THE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS.  Failure to do so may get your entire application tossed, because if you can’t follow those instructions, whose to say you could follow your boss’s instructions?  This means include all the documents and pieces they ask for, send or submit it the way they tell you to, format it according to their specifications (if any), and whatever you do, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT harass them about it.  IF the job posting lists an HR person or hiring manager, you can call or email them ONCE to confirm all your application materials were received.  Otherwise, be patient.  You may never hear from them.  That’s sad, sucky life for ya.  Try to remember that everyone involved in this hiring process is a human just like you.  They aren’t trying to ruin your life; they’re trying to get through the arduous task of reviewing 100 applications.  Unless you get an interview, assume you will hear absolutely nothing from them.

Make sure your résumé and cover letter are AMAZING.  The internet is your oyster for resources on these things, but I’m a fan of Ask a Manager for all things résumé, cover letter, and interview related.

 Emphasize your relevant experience.  Don’t just say you volunteered in your school library; detail which specific tasks you did (shelve books? Work the desk? Help run herd on kindergartners?), because the more you already know, the better it will look to the hiring manager.  Don’t just say you worked retail; detail what you did that you think may help you succeed at a library job (help customers find things?  Use a computer system to locate items in other stores? Make displays?  Organize inventory?)

WHETHER OR NOT YOU LOVE READING IS ONE OF THE LEAST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT YOU.  I cannot count how times I’ve asked an applicant why they applied or what interested them about the job and they answered with “well, I love to read.”  This is a terrible answer, because YOU ARE NOT INTERVIEWING FOR A READING JOB.  You are interviewing for a job where you will be surrounded by books and readers all day, and you yourself will be doing work... work that does not involve curling up with a book.  Specifically, as a page, you’d likely be organizing and shelving books, pulling requests for patrons, maybe even working the service desk.  But you definitely will NOT be sitting around reading.  It’s great to frame yourself as an enthusiast, but if you’re only applying for the job because you like to read, you’re going to hate the job anyway!  If you get such a question, approach it from a more utilitarian perspective.  “I’ve always enjoyed helping customers, and I thought the library would be a great place to combine that skill with my passion for books.”  See how now the hiring manager will hear “help customers” first and “books” second and “reading” never?  That’s a much better answer. 

Consider slightly-less-great positions.  Does a job at the brand new, state-of-the-art main branch sound more appealing to you than a job in one of the run-down, tiny branches in the ‘burbs?  Are you passing up part-time opportunities in hopes of scoring those sweet full-time benefits?  Are you skipping jobs that require weekend and evening hours?  If one of two similar positions looks better to you in terms of location, hours, or schedule, it likely looks better to everyone else, as well.  The reality is that “starting at the bottom” may not just mean “entry level,” it may also mean working less desirable schedules in less desirable locations.  BUT after you put in your time there, you’ll be exponentially stronger candidate when applying for promotions or transfers than you would have been as an external candidate.  So keep an open mind when considering which jobs you apply for!

If you’re really serious about a career in libraries, do what you can to beef up your resume. Volunteer at your school/house of worship/local library, work at a bookstore, take jobs that give you more experience working with customers, books, and technology.  Become a school-based reader tutor for kids or tutor adults who can’t read.  In the library field, it’s also especially useful to get experience working with REALLY diverse populations--the elderly, the homeless, immigrants, people of poverty, people with mental or physical challenges, non-native English speakers--these are all experiences that will benefit you as a library worker.  And of course, if you have the opportunity to learn a second language (specifically, whatever is most common in your area besides English), then DO IT and make sure that skill is clearly listed on your application materials.  

Keep your chin, keep applying, and let me know when you get the job!

[hottytoddynews]

Alumnus Turns Business Idea In College Into One Of Fastest Growing U.S. Companies

William Alias III. Photo by Kevin Bain.

This story was reprinted with permission from the Ole Miss Alumni Review.

Countless successful businesses began as ideas in the minds of college students in their apartments or dorm rooms, including such icons as Facebook, Yahoo and Google. William Alias III (95) of Oxford can count his business idea for Security Check, formulated in his apartment in 1995, among the successful. He collected insufficient-funds checks for local businesses and soon thereafter for businesses across the nation. The company grew to include 200 employees with 25,000 clients across the U.S., and earned Alias recognition by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of Mississippi’s “Top 40 Under 40.”

Security Card Services, with locations noted here, is one of the rapidly growing companies under the Security Holdings umbrella.

Alias grew up in Atlanta but spent much of his childhood visiting his grandparents in Clarksdale as well as attending Ole Miss football games. He credits his family’s entrepreneurial spirit for sparking his interest in starting a business.

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted to be in business for myself because I saw my dad and my uncle start businesses, so I think I was looking for something and probably wasn’t even aware I was looking for it,” Alias says.

Security Check grew to be the nation’s fourth-largest check collection company, and was purchased in 2008 by a private equity firm in Ohio after being recognized three times by Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America.

Alias has spoken to classes in the UM School of Business Administration for the past decade to offer advice to young people about becoming an entrepreneur.

“To me, there is no better time in life to start a business than when you are 23 or 24 years old,” Alias says. “There are so many obstacles that you don’t have [compared with] when you are 40 or 50 or 60. You usually don’t have a family, you don’t have kids, you don’t have all the expenses, you don’t have the stress of all the things that come later in life. You are at an age that if you fail, so what? It’s a great time in life to start a business.”

Peter Ward

Today, Security Holdings LLC is the umbrella for Security Credit Services, which handles debt purchasing, and Security Card Services, which handles credit card processing. They, too, were recognized by Inc. magazine in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Security Card Services has exclusive agreements with more than 100 banks and 1,200 bank branches in more than 30 states. William Alias Jr., CEO of Security Holdings, says the businesses’ growth can be attributed to the kinds of employees they hire.

“Our character trait has not changed, and it won’t change,” says Alias Jr. (BBA 63). “We look for employees with integrity, common sense, a great attitude, a strong work ethic and who are team players.”

Finding most of those employees is as easy as looking across town from their offices on West Oxford Loop to the University of Mississippi campus. The company has employed 29 Ole Miss alumni, most in the last three years.

Alias Jr. wants future graduates to be aware of the employment opportunities with Security Holdings.

“People always want to know the job description. I tell them, don’t worry about that; just get on the train. This is a fast-moving train. You get on the train, and we will find you a seat,” Alias Jr. says. “Originally, it’s not going to be the seat you want, but you just get in, and in 90 to 100 days, as fast as this company is growing, we are going to find you the seat you want.”

William Alias III, Joan Rasberry and William Alias Jr. all serve on the executive team of Security Holdings. Photo by Kevin Bain. 

Joan Rasberry, Security Holdings’ chief operating officer, echoes Alias’ sentiments.

“I think you can pretty much sit down and talk to [individuals], and you know if they are the right fit pretty quickly,” she says. “When you are talking with them and they start telling you about their family and where they came from, what their parents did, you get the sense of whether there is a work ethic there, and also if their parents were creative in the things they did with their life.”

Additionally, Alias Jr. has been a member of the School of Business Administration’s advisory board since 2006, which provides support for the school and keeps him in contact with students.

“I meet a lot of the students there, and I participate as much as I can,” he says. “What we are doing is finding the quality people who are willing to work. Ole Miss students have a lot of personality, they really do. They can get along anywhere. You can drop them off in Portland, Ore., or Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and they’ll do just fine if they are given an opportunity and someone to support them a little bit.”

Hattie Alton Steiner

The younger Alias says that communication is a key aspect to the educational component at the university.

“Ole Miss obviously has strong academic programs, but there are a lot of social skills learned at Ole Miss, and I believe that they are very valuable,” Alias III says. “What we do primarily in hiring Ole Miss students is place them in banks throughout the country. We have to place people who are sharp, who can interact with people, and who will represent us and the bank to that bank’s customers. I think Ole Miss students are perfect for that.”

One of the employees cultivated through the business school is Peter Ward (BBA 13), a marketing major from Birmingham, Ala.

Ward says he was originally thinking about entering the field of insurance, but he wasn’t necessarily sold on that idea.

“I had no clue about what Security Card was, I had never even heard of it, and I was knee-deep in interviews for insurance jobs, but I hated it,” Ward says. “I talked with Joan Rasberry and others there, and I ended up loving it. I really hit it off with them, and I had never felt that way in any other interview that I had, so I felt like this was where I needed to be.”

After getting hired, he and his wife transferred to Baltimore, Md., last August, where Ward is a regional account manager. He says he loves his job as well as the location, being 45 minutes from Washington and a train ride away from New York City.

“The beauty of this niche market is that we partner with banks around the country, so in my case we partner with Susquehanna Bank and [its] 265 branches up here, doing the credit card processing for Susquehanna’s businesses,” Ward says. “I think having a marketing degree was the most applicable degree for this job, but you have to be really outgoing and motivated because, in this job, it’s like you are your own boss.”

Rasberry points out that typical jobs with other companies come about because a person is replacing someone who is leaving.

“Almost [all] of our positions are growth positions. They are not replacement positions, because we are a growing company,” she says.

Alias Jr. and Rasberry realize that a company is only as strong as its employees.

“I think Joan and I try to mentor people who are going to be productive in life and help other people be productive,” says Alias Jr. “That’s what we do, and that takes time.”

An example of someone without a direct business background is Hattie Alton Steiner (BA 03). An Oxford native, she graduated from Ole Miss as an English major and decided to leave her home state of Mississippi to work at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. in Denver. She later took jobs closer to home as a pharmaceutical sales representative in Memphis and as development director for the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society.

Now in her fourth year as a regional account manager for Security Card Services in Denver, she handles the rates, equipment and day-to-day service for the Colorado Business Bank.

“It’s a great job, and I love that it is a company based out of Oxford,” Steiner says.“They offer great opportunities, and it’s wonderful that it’s allowed me to come back to Colorado.”

Lacking business experience wasn’t a problem for Steiner.

“I interact with bankers all day, and I did have to learn some things on my own, but as long as you take care of your customers and provide customer service, it’s fine,” she says. “I remember when I took this job, I knew I didn’t have any experience in the industry, but I knew I could take care of my customers and make them happy on the sales side of things. That is actually the advice I give to new people: building relationships is the most important part, and having people skills is key.”

Alias III says that he plans to continue living in Oxford and keeping up with the changing business trends. He is also focused on his family, the outdoors and Ole Miss football.

“We constantly look for new businesses to start, and so I believe that we will be here for many years to come,” he says. “We love what we are doing now, but we have also learned that you have to change as the businesses change, and I think we’ve been fairly proficient at adapting to the changes. I think we’ll be here for a long, long time, hopefully continuing to grow our businesses.”

Part of what is gratifying about the company’s growth is watching employees come through who progress as the years go by.

“Ole Miss and Oxford have been great to us, and it’s really fun hiring [people] and then watching them grow,” the younger Alias says. “We have had several people who have done amazing things.”

By Rebecca Lauck Cleary

This story was reprinted with permission from the Ole Miss Alumni Review. The Alumni Review is published quarterly for members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. Join or renew your membership with the Alumni Association today, and don’t miss a single issue.

For questions, email us at hottytoddynews@gmail.com.

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The post Ole Miss Alumni Review: Securing A Niche appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

[hottytoddynews]

Alumnus Turns Business Idea In College Into One Of Fastest Growing U.S. Companies

William Alias III. Photo by Kevin Bain.

This story was reprinted with permission from the Ole Miss Alumni Review.

Countless successful businesses began as ideas in the minds of college students in their apartments or dorm rooms, including such icons as Facebook, Yahoo and Google. William Alias III (95) of Oxford can count his business idea for Security Check, formulated in his apartment in 1995, among the successful. He collected insufficient-funds checks for local businesses and soon thereafter for businesses across the nation. The company grew to include 200 employees with 25,000 clients across the U.S., and earned Alias recognition by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of Mississippi’s “Top 40 Under 40.”

Security Card Services, with locations noted here, is one of the rapidly growing companies under the Security Holdings umbrella.

Alias grew up in Atlanta but spent much of his childhood visiting his grandparents in Clarksdale as well as attending Ole Miss football games. He credits his family’s entrepreneurial spirit for sparking his interest in starting a business.

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted to be in business for myself because I saw my dad and my uncle start businesses, so I think I was looking for something and probably wasn’t even aware I was looking for it,” Alias says.

Security Check grew to be the nation’s fourth-largest check collection company, and was purchased in 2008 by a private equity firm in Ohio after being recognized three times by Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America.

Alias has spoken to classes in the UM School of Business Administration for the past decade to offer advice to young people about becoming an entrepreneur.

“To me, there is no better time in life to start a business than when you are 23 or 24 years old,” Alias says. “There are so many obstacles that you don’t have [compared with] when you are 40 or 50 or 60. You usually don’t have a family, you don’t have kids, you don’t have all the expenses, you don’t have the stress of all the things that come later in life. You are at an age that if you fail, so what? It’s a great time in life to start a business.”

Peter Ward

Today, Security Holdings LLC is the umbrella for Security Credit Services, which handles debt purchasing, and Security Card Services, which handles credit card processing. They, too, were recognized by Inc. magazine in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Security Card Services has exclusive agreements with more than 100 banks and 1,200 bank branches in more than 30 states. William Alias Jr., CEO of Security Holdings, says the businesses’ growth can be attributed to the kinds of employees they hire.

“Our character trait has not changed, and it won’t change,” says Alias Jr. (BBA 63). “We look for employees with integrity, common sense, a great attitude, a strong work ethic and who are team players.”

Finding most of those employees is as easy as looking across town from their offices on West Oxford Loop to the University of Mississippi campus. The company has employed 29 Ole Miss alumni, most in the last three years.

Alias Jr. wants future graduates to be aware of the employment opportunities with Security Holdings.

“People always want to know the job description. I tell them, don’t worry about that; just get on the train. This is a fast-moving train. You get on the train, and we will find you a seat,” Alias Jr. says. “Originally, it’s not going to be the seat you want, but you just get in, and in 90 to 100 days, as fast as this company is growing, we are going to find you the seat you want.”

William Alias III, Joan Rasberry and William Alias Jr. all serve on the executive team of Security Holdings. Photo by Kevin Bain. 

Joan Rasberry, Security Holdings’ chief operating officer, echoes Alias’ sentiments.

“I think you can pretty much sit down and talk to [individuals], and you know if they are the right fit pretty quickly,” she says. “When you are talking with them and they start telling you about their family and where they came from, what their parents did, you get the sense of whether there is a work ethic there, and also if their parents were creative in the things they did with their life.”

Additionally, Alias Jr. has been a member of the School of Business Administration’s advisory board since 2006, which provides support for the school and keeps him in contact with students.

“I meet a lot of the students there, and I participate as much as I can,” he says. “What we are doing is finding the quality people who are willing to work. Ole Miss students have a lot of personality, they really do. They can get along anywhere. You can drop them off in Portland, Ore., or Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and they’ll do just fine if they are given an opportunity and someone to support them a little bit.”

Hattie Alton Steiner

The younger Alias says that communication is a key aspect to the educational component at the university.

“Ole Miss obviously has strong academic programs, but there are a lot of social skills learned at Ole Miss, and I believe that they are very valuable,” Alias III says. “What we do primarily in hiring Ole Miss students is place them in banks throughout the country. We have to place people who are sharp, who can interact with people, and who will represent us and the bank to that bank’s customers. I think Ole Miss students are perfect for that.”

One of the employees cultivated through the business school is Peter Ward (BBA 13), a marketing major from Birmingham, Ala.

Ward says he was originally thinking about entering the field of insurance, but he wasn’t necessarily sold on that idea.

“I had no clue about what Security Card was, I had never even heard of it, and I was knee-deep in interviews for insurance jobs, but I hated it,” Ward says. “I talked with Joan Rasberry and others there, and I ended up loving it. I really hit it off with them, and I had never felt that way in any other interview that I had, so I felt like this was where I needed to be.”

After getting hired, he and his wife transferred to Baltimore, Md., last August, where Ward is a regional account manager. He says he loves his job as well as the location, being 45 minutes from Washington and a train ride away from New York City.

“The beauty of this niche market is that we partner with banks around the country, so in my case we partner with Susquehanna Bank and [its] 265 branches up here, doing the credit card processing for Susquehanna’s businesses,” Ward says. “I think having a marketing degree was the most applicable degree for this job, but you have to be really outgoing and motivated because, in this job, it’s like you are your own boss.”

Rasberry points out that typical jobs with other companies come about because a person is replacing someone who is leaving.

“Almost [all] of our positions are growth positions. They are not replacement positions, because we are a growing company,” she says.

Alias Jr. and Rasberry realize that a company is only as strong as its employees.

“I think Joan and I try to mentor people who are going to be productive in life and help other people be productive,” says Alias Jr. “That’s what we do, and that takes time.”

An example of someone without a direct business background is Hattie Alton Steiner (BA 03). An Oxford native, she graduated from Ole Miss as an English major and decided to leave her home state of Mississippi to work at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. in Denver. She later took jobs closer to home as a pharmaceutical sales representative in Memphis and as development director for the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society.

Now in her fourth year as a regional account manager for Security Card Services in Denver, she handles the rates, equipment and day-to-day service for the Colorado Business Bank.

“It’s a great job, and I love that it is a company based out of Oxford,” Steiner says.“They offer great opportunities, and it’s wonderful that it’s allowed me to come back to Colorado.”

Lacking business experience wasn’t a problem for Steiner.

“I interact with bankers all day, and I did have to learn some things on my own, but as long as you take care of your customers and provide customer service, it’s fine,” she says. “I remember when I took this job, I knew I didn’t have any experience in the industry, but I knew I could take care of my customers and make them happy on the sales side of things. That is actually the advice I give to new people: building relationships is the most important part, and having people skills is key.”

Alias III says that he plans to continue living in Oxford and keeping up with the changing business trends. He is also focused on his family, the outdoors and Ole Miss football.

“We constantly look for new businesses to start, and so I believe that we will be here for many years to come,” he says. “We love what we are doing now, but we have also learned that you have to change as the businesses change, and I think we’ve been fairly proficient at adapting to the changes. I think we’ll be here for a long, long time, hopefully continuing to grow our businesses.”

Part of what is gratifying about the company’s growth is watching employees come through who progress as the years go by.

“Ole Miss and Oxford have been great to us, and it’s really fun hiring [people] and then watching them grow,” the younger Alias says. “We have had several people who have done amazing things.”

By Rebecca Lauck Cleary

This story was reprinted with permission from the Ole Miss Alumni Review. The Alumni Review is published quarterly for members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. Join or renew your membership with the Alumni Association today, and don’t miss a single issue.

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