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thewritetofreespeech · 3 years

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hello!! i've made a request before but this idea came in my brain and i heard your requests were open. So ive seen a lot of fics of the brothers saving mc, but what about mc kinda of saving the brothers, i mean like badass sword fighting style. Just like a stereotypical disney prince saves a princess mc kinda saves the brothers from getting killed by a lesser demon with a sword and just being badass (and sword) and the bros find it hot (weak humans? never heard of them)

*spongebob narrator voice* 400 years lat’er..... So sorry this took so long! I genuinely don’t know why I couldn’t get it done. When I actually tried, I got it done in like 2 days. My only excuse is that I’m a horrible trash munny >.<

Obey me Boys + Power Princess MC

Lucifer

It offends him that this creature, this being not fit to lick the soles of his boots, would raise their hand to him. The attack was not even what upset him, but just the gall. The utter stupidity of this decision to throw one’s life away. The fact that they had attacked with you around only made him wish to end that pathetic life that much sooner.

“Step back [Y/N]. I’ll deal with this quic—” Lucifer cut himself off when you rushed forward. A bright shining sword in your hand as you lunged. Slashing through the demon, who wailed and instantly turned to dust & ash. “What on Earth was that?”

“Oh. It’s my sword.” You reply nonchalantly. Turning around to show it to him. “It’s a holy arc sword, or something. I can summon it from my bracelet whenever I need it. Cool to know it actually works in a pinch.”

“And where did you get such a magical artifact?” Lucifer asked. Perplexed beyond reason, but trying not to show it.

“Lord Diavolo gave it to me when I first got here.” The demon arched a brow. Lord Diavolo? “It would be really irresponsible of him to just let a human wander around hell without some kind of weapon.”

He paused for a moment. Trying to piece all of what you had just said together. Then he just chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it would be.” And here he thought that he had been the only one protecting you. When all along you could do it yourself.

His hand reached out to pat your head fondly. His breast swelling with pride. “I’ll have to thank him for giving you such a thoughtful, practical gift. We’ll also have to add sword play to your lesson plans. I’d be more than happy to be your tutor.

Mammon

‘Shit!’ Mammon mentally cursed as he was hit again.

This wasn’t the first time he’d been rough up outside a club. Given his lifestyle, and his gambling track record, he’d been pummeled by a few bouncers in his life. With his immense power, he could easily take them; if he tried. But then he would be banned from the club, and ever other, and that was something he couldn’t handle over the humiliation of being beat up by these clowns. He needed this. It was all he had.

So, he took his beatings from lesser demons when they came around. He’d only wished they’d picked a different night to get their ‘payment’ back since you were supposed to be here soon.

“Come on guys. Don’t ya think you’ve had enough?”

“We’ll tell you when we’ve had enough!” One demon sneered at him, before kicking a man while he was down. Classy. “You owe us. And we’re gonna get back every cent you owe out of your hide!”

The demon reared his foot back to kick him again, and Mammon mentally sighed. Preparing himself for the kick and really being over this since it began. But….no kick came.

The demon let out a loud grunt over the sound of a metal ‘wack’ before the two, even lesser goons beside him suffer the same fate and they all slump to the ground. “Mammon! Are you ok?!”

The silver haired demon looked up at you in shock. The light from the street lamp causing a halo to form around you, highlighting your worried face as you brandished a rusty pipe like some great sword. “Yeah…I’m fine….”

“You don’t look fine! You’re all beat up!” He just sat there as you dropped the pipe and dropped down to him. Fretting over him as you looked him over. He couldn’t hear what you were saying over the beating sound of his heart in his ears.

No one had ever tried to help him before.

Mammon lifted his arms and wrapped them around you. “Mammon? What—“Let’s get out of here.” He interrupted as he hugged you. Standing up, and helping you to your feet, after a moment to walk out of the alley. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I wanna go somewhere with you.”

“But….I thought you wanted to go out tonight. Play cards. You said you were feeling lucky?”

He couldn’t tell if that was a jab or not, but replied, “well clearly I was wrong.” Though despite his bumps and bruises, he did still feel pretty lucky right not. “I just want to get out of here. I don’t need this anymore.” You both decide to head home to help Mammon nurse his wounds. He never went back to that club, or really any club, after that night.

Levi

“Levi….I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“Nonsense!” Levi quipped in response to your perfectly reasonable, concerned feelings. “It’s just a little further. Besides, I want to see Henry 1! I’ve missed him a ton recently, and want to make sure he remembers me.” It had broken his heart to discover his poor, lost serpent had been down here, all alone, this whole time. So he made an effort to see him every now and then.

“Yeah but…isn’t this still like super-secret for Lord Diavolo’s family and stuff? What if there’s like booby traps and stuff?”

“Come on! There weren’t any booby traps or anything before. Why would he when he has Henry to keep it…..” Levi trailed off as both of you were ingulfed by a long, dark shadow. A low hissing sound growing louder as a gold, stripped serpent towered over you with a menacing glare. “That’s not Henry.”

The snake hissed loudly with bared fangs and an open mouth, and you both scream and run to get away from it.

The serpent of course chased you. Easily able to keep up, and only loosing you when the two of you duck into a narrow corridor. Levi turned around to say something to you, but you were gone. His immediate thought was that the stranger snake had gotten you, and it was all his fault, and he would never see you again!

When he came to the end of the corridor, walking out like a man on death row instead of running, he looked up to see the snake in front of him. Clearly angered by having to chase him. Levi didn’t care. He wanted to die if anything happened to you. He’d rather die than live one moment without you.

Prepared to accept his fate, the demon didn’t move when the snake unhinged his jaw to eat him in one gulp. Only for a sharp spike to thrust out from his mouth a moment later. A strange, hissing gasp escaping it before it slumped down in a lifeless heap on the floor. “[Y/N]!”

“Jesus! Not to put too fine a pin on it, but this place is literally a maze. One minute I’m next to you, and the next I’m in some armory on the other side of the hall 50 feet away. Are you alright Levi?”

The demon scrambled up the snake corpse to stand next to you and wrapped his arms tight around your being. “[Y/N]! I was so scared! I thought this Henry imposter got you, and you were dead, and I couldn’t think of anything!”

“I’m really ok Levi.” You assure him, as he wept into your shoulder. “Do you still want to see the real Henry? I think I spotted where he actually is when I was running back with the spear?” Levi nodded into your shoulder. Still not prepared to let you go.

Satan

Satan always tried to be a reasonable man.

He hated being referred to as ‘The Demon of Wrath’. It wasn’t his wrath that had caused him to be born. And he wasn’t any angrier than his brothers, so why did he have to be labeled the ‘bad seed’? So he always tried to be level headed. Calm. Patient. But there were somethings he just could not abide. Like the boorish behavior of someone talking loudly in the library.

“Excuse me,” the blonde said, attempting to remain calm, as he came over to the rude demon two tables over, “could you please keep it down? This is a library.”

“Yeah. I know what it is.” He quipped back rather snippily. “What are you? The librarian?”

“No. Just a fellow book lover.” Satan replied. Grinding his teeth now. “And one who can follow the rules and basic social decorum of keeping my conversations to myself in a place like this.”

“Are you calling me stupid?!”

“No. I’m calling you uncouth. A word meaning undignified, and without manners.”

“Why you!”

The demon rose to his feet, towering over Satan now that he was standing. Not that it mattered. Height was not an immediate representation of strength. Look at Belphie. His younger, shorter brother could level a whole city with a flick of his wrist. Satan could easily dispatch of his imbecile without even breaking a sweat.

He never got the chance though, as just after he stood the demon let out a grunt and slumped to the floor; with you standing behind him on his depleted chair with a book in your hand like you had just pulled it from The Stone. “Bet you’re glad I think Kindles are dumb now.”

Satan had to right himself on what he was seeing, and then frowned at you. “I never said that, and get down.” He insisted. Offering you his hand to get down. You hop down with ease and set your weapon book on the table. “Honestly, I could have handled him without resorting to violence or cheap theatrics.”

“Cheap?? This book was very expensive.” You insist, and Satan had to scoff.

“Be that as it may, please do not use books for more than their intended purpose. I appreciate the assist, but I can’t have you hurting yourself or fine literature in the future.”

“You’re such a buzz kill sometimes Satan…..”

Asmo

Asmo always loved going to the club. The dancing. The energy. The pulsing music. The people.

Well…usually the people. Some people, usually bro-dude demons, just couldn’t take a hint that ‘no’ meant ‘no’.

“Come on Asmo! Why are you being so stingy?!”

“I’m not being ‘stingy’,” Asmo replied with a frown marring his beautiful face. “I’m just not interested.”

“You were interested last time.” His pursuer replied. Like that somehow gave automatic permission that things would happen again.

“That was a long time ago.” The dusk haired blonde replied. Sipping his cocktail and looking thoughtful across the spacious VIP lounge over to you.

Yes, things had certainly changed. Once where it would take a whole room of people and attention to make him content, these days all he wanted was you. Just you sparing a moment to look at him made his heart feel incredibly full. He had come here to have a fun night out with you, but it seemed no matter where he went his beauty was always causing problems.

The lesser demon frowned, then looked towards the direction Asmo was looking to land on you. “Shoot, just bring them along with us.”

“Excuse me?” Asmo asked. Beautiful expression turning Ignatius as he sat down his drink.

“Bring them along. I’ve never had sex with a human. But there must be something to it if you’re willing to do them. Not that I suppose that takes much….”

At that, Asmo leapt from his chair and grabbing the brute by the collar. He wasn’t normally one for violence. He wasn’t like his dull brothers. But he couldn’t let a slight like that against you slide. “Take it back!”

The two demon’s scuffle. Clearing out the VIP lounge as everyone ran. Scared that they might transform at any moment and literally tear each other apart. Asmo somehow ended up on his back, a position that usually didn’t bother him, as the other reared back to punch him in the face.

Or, at least he would have if he didn’t start convulsing and fall on the ground a moment later.

“Asmo! Are you ok?!”

The Lust Demon looked at you for a moment. Then delicately covered his mouth with both hands. Returning to normal. “[Y/N]! You saved me!!”

“Yeah. This little thing packs a punch.” You replied. Holding out your little pink taser from She-Sword from your clutch. “I couldn’t let this jerk hurt your beautiful face.”

“No one is more beautiful than you my fierce warrior queen!” He praised. Basking in the moment for only a second before you both scamper off before security came.

You both might be beautiful, but you didn’t want to end up on the evening news.

Beel

“I want to take up kendo.” Beel announced to you one day. Out of the blue. “I’ve been looking for ways to add variety to my workout. I came across this video on kendo and thought it would be fun.”

Of course, Beel knew you had practiced kendo in the past at school. So he might have also been looking for fitness activities for you to do together. In any case, he really liked seeing you in your little workout outfit. It was super cute.

He also liked you showing him the basics of kendo; stance, footing, basic strike movement. When he felt he had gotten the hang of it, Beel jovially asked for a sparring match with you.

“I don’t know….”

“Come on [Y/N], sparring with someone is the best way to learn fighting.” He reasoned. “Besides, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“I’m not worried about that….” He heard you mutter under your breath, but thought that he must have imagined it as you squared off.

Standing across from you in the arena, something changed. The hair on the back of Beel’s neck stood up. Not in the excited way that it normally did when he saw you. But something more….primal. His grip tightened a little more as he realized he might have to get a little serious with you.

It was all for nothing though as the match was over just as soon as it started.

The shinai went flying out of his hands, landing across the room just as Beel landed on his butt. His backside throbbing as his bell was rung clear as day. He rubbed his head as he looked up at you. “I may have forgotten to mention that I was three-time national kendo champ all through school.”

The demon looked up at you with a shiny, sparkly gaze only until now reserved for delicious food. “Teach me sensei!”

Belphie

He hated being out. He wanted to go home.

Being outside in the sun, with all these…..people was hell to him. Belphie would rather be home, in actual hell, with his blanket and pillow and quiet, rather than ‘top side’ with you for the whole afternoon. Not that it was you or anything. You were the only bright star on this miserable day. He’d be damned if he’d let one of his brothers spend the day with you when he could.

“Belphie, do you want an ice cream? Maybe that will help with the heat?”

He wanted to say that the only thing that would help him was getting the hell out of here. But, he bit his tongue. The demon knew how important this was to you to come ‘home’ now & then and he didn’t want to ruin it for you. So he just nodded and asked, “strawberry please.”

He sat in the shade as he watched you go over to the ice cream truck alone. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he was just a hopeless shut in. Like Levi, only worse. He just wanted humans so much that being around them was making him crankier than normal today.

“Geez, get a look at that side show over there.”

Belphie looked up from his daze at the human who was a few yards away from him. Snickering and staring with his friends in a voice that a regular human wouldn’t be able to hear. “If you have something to say, then say it, you chicken shit fuck.” Again, he was very cranky.

The human was obviously taken aback at being heard and then called out like that. “What did you say to me?!” He yelled, once he got his bearings on the situation, and took a ‘threatening’ step forward to see if he would repeat it.

“I said ‘If you have something to say, then say it, you chicken shit fuck’.” Of course he repeated it. “Don’t mutter something under your breath like a coward. Say it like a man, or keep your gross mouth shut.” This was why he hated humans. No spine.

Well, metaphorical spine. If he kept this up, Belphie was gonna prove that he had a spine when he ripped it out and made him wear it as a neck tie.

“You little fuck--!” Belphie, of course, didn’t move when he stomped closer. Not that he needed to, because he was stopped in his tracks rather abruptly when you stepped between then. Holding a knife from your pocket.

“I suggest you get out of here, before the only ‘side show’ around here is your knife swallowing act pal.” The man seemed to frozen for a moment as he tried to process if you were serious. Then his flight instincts kicked in and he took off running with his friends across the park. “Gosh, I think I’ve been spending to much time with you guys. I never would have done anything like this before.” You said after a sigh, then turned back to Belphie.

“My hero.” He cheered softly, in his typical tired voice but still with a soft smile. Seeming extremely proud of the bad influence he was on you.

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growingingreenwood · 4 years

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Hey I start college this week any advice? Hope all is well you are amazing!

Omg good job!! That's so exciting!!!! Alrighty, I have a bachelor’s degree and now i'm working on my Rec Therapy Degree so I’ve had like 5 and a half years of college/university experience so hopefully at least something here will be helpful for you.

What are you going to collage to take?

One- Try to sit in the front of of the lecture hall

Classes will probably be a lot bigger than you’re used to and many people find this intimidating. I used to sit at the very back of lecture halls because I hated having to walk past rows of people, but you know what? My grades suffered for it. I’m an easily distracted human being with crippling ADHD and so being able to see everybody's computer screen was a nightmare for me. Half the class was watching movies or playing games or whatever so I didn't hear a damn word my teacher said. The closer I was to the front, the less distracting it was for me. Plus, I find that when I’m more familiar with being closer to my teachers it's easier and less intimidating for me to ask them for help or to re-explain things.

Two- Don’t be embarrassed, everybodys a mess and other people have your question.

The colleges I’ve been to have been nothing like highschool. We’re all in this together, we’re a suffering squad okay. So if you're too tired to ‘look good’ SICK half your class probably has not showered in like five days. Have a question that you think might make sound dumb? I can literally assure you that other people have the same question and pray somebody else will ask it. All of you are confused, it's okay.

Three - BUY YOUR TEXTBOOKS USED!!!!!

Oh my god I cannot stress this enough. For some reason professores and schools are out here hustling textbooks like starving soundcloud rappers. We don’t need that shit. Your school probably has a facebook group or two where students are selling their old textbooks much cheaper than you could get them in bookstores. And when I mean cheaper, I mean by like 100 - 200 dollars. If you're on a physical campus, lots of people put lists of what books they're selling on their lockers so keep an eye out for flyers as well.

Four - Join a club!

One of the things I really love about college is all the low pressure social situations. There's literally tons of clubs at most universities rankings from really open (First Year Social Club!!) to ridiuclously niche (We All Play Super Smash Brothers In Full Costume Once A Month) so its a great place to start when it comes to making new friends and finding some cool stuff to do!

Five - Don’t fall for the ‘too cool’ trap.

Lots of people have endless fun in college (like me) and some people really, really hate it. Personally, I think it has a lot to do with your attitude about being there. There's tons of pep rallies, carnivals, festivals and whatever else held by your school that can actually be super fun to attend but many people think they're ‘too cool’ for things like that. Don’t fall into this trap, I can assure you those that went to the events had like 9 billion times more fun.

Six - ASK FOR THE HELP THAT YOU NEED

This lesson took me so long to learn, but it was life changing once I did learn it. There's tons of resources available to you though most universities, and most of it was probably paid for through your tuition so it makes no sense to NOT access these things. See what your school offers for counseling services, stress reduction, learning activities held in the library, financial aid, make use of your teachers office hours, things like that. Crawl through your school’s website and see what they have to offer you, you can get some really really good life advice sometimes. If you’re falling behind in school work and need an extension, ask for it. Literally the worst thing that can happen is your teacher telling you ‘no.’ Which, honestly, in my near six years of schooling has literally only happened once and it was because the teacher personally didn’t like me.

Seven -- C’s Get Degrees

School Burnout Is REAL, she is sneaky, and she will hit you when you least expect it. I really struggle with having too high of expectations of myself when it comes to my work/life balance. This is the only year that I haven't worked at least 20 hours a week on top of full time university education and that only because of COVID and my immune issues, however for some reason I always expect myself to do like 3 - 4 hours of homework a day. Which is lunacy. At least it is for me. I literally cannot even count how many times I’ve put my grades before my physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental wellbeing. How many times I’ve forced myself to keep studying when I knew that I had already surpassed my limit hours ago because I thought that getting an A was more important than anything else. Especially myself. That’s not true.

You weren’t put on this earth to get straight A’s, you were put on this earth to be the best you that you can be.

So sometimes, you really do just gotta accept that ‘C’s get Degrees’ and you gotta close your textbook, go paint your nails, call your friend, and go to bed.

Eight -- Everything Can Be A Learning Experience

There are endless things to learn at college, and most of them aren't what the teachers are telling you. College is where I first learned that it really isn’t the end of the world to fail sometimes. It happens, it happens to everyone, but there's always something to learn from every ‘failure’ and part of it is how you can better handle failures in the future. It teaches you how to work with people, share ideas, and grow in your self-confidence. If you take the time to self-reflect when you find yourself struggling in aspects of your life in college, you can really learn a lot about yourself and how you present.

It was through self-reflecting on some of my peer interactions that I realized my vocabulary was creating a rift between me and them, as several people as it as a way of me purposefully trying to make myself seem ‘better’ or ‘more educated’ when in reality I just forget a lot of simple words and end up using some ridiculous monstrosity in casual sentences. The more I made that known about myself in interactions, and mentioning how much I read, helped my interactions because it helped people to better understand WHY I speak that way. This lesson has continued to help me throughout my life.

Nine -- Missing Lectures is a Slippery Slope

My attendance rate was already a lost cause by the time I got to University (my highschool almost didn't let me graduate because I had an 87% absentee rate and something like 300 missed detentions but I was 1 of 3 Full Honors Students and they wanted the funding so they ecentually let me lol) but I have watched many a student crawl into this 'Chronic Skipping' pit with me in my years. Im not really sure why it happens, but basically as soon as you miss 2 lectures for no concrete reason (like a dentist appointment or cause your sick or something) it's game over for you. You'll miss two classes, then three, then four, then 2 a week, then 3 a week. Then you start skipping other subjects too. Then you end up like me and suddenly its the end of the term and you realize you've only attended 4 entire classes, one of which was the first day and the other 3 were exams. (True story, that was my 8am Political Science Class in my second year)

I hope this helps somewhat!!!! Let me know if you have any specific questions!

And thank you lovely, I’m chugging along doing my best trying to get back into my creative bubble which for some reason seems to be rather elusive and hard to track down thus far.

#not tolkien #momma tolkien #tolkien mom things #collage tips #tips for collage #tips for university #answered asks #haleigh speaks

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busybby · 5 years

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Hey I’m gonna start at community college, would u have any tips for starting college in general? I come from being homeschooled in high school

hello! i’m gonna be real w you so some of these may be commonly said and others not so much but they’re truly just what i’ve discovered in my experience! also every school/person is different so ultimately the biggest thing is being open and willing to try things and then looking inside yourself to see if it’s truly serving you! if you can do that everything else will fall into place. other things tho!

eat what you want but be conscious of it! i’m not trying to say go vegan or only eat junk food, just notice how your body feels in response to food! i don’t think we realize how significantly what we eat impacts us. until about 2 months ago i’d been having horrible stomach aches for 2 ish years. this semester i cut out all dairy to see if that would help except for cheese (it’s my fav food and the pain is worth it for me lol) and i have only had 3 major stomach aches since! what you eat really impacts your energy so be willing to eat what makes you feel good but don’t be afraid to be flexible and still eat what u love! (drinking water goes w this!)

listen to music, podcasts, watch movies and tv! for a long time i didn’t think i had time for these while at the same time i was feeling so lonely. they can be great ways to feel less alone and let your mind rest.

have some go to outfits for different occasions (exams, spending a day in the library, etc.)

read for fun! i know it’s hard since you probably have tons of school reading anyways, but it has really become an amazing act of self care for me and i’ve read more books for my self this year than i have since middle school! audiobooks are great too and you can access them and ebooks for free using the app overdrive if u connect it to ur library

it’s never too late to try new things. i spent a lot of last year just adjusting to college life and now i’m finally ready to find my community. this semester i’ve joined 2 new clubs and 1 academic ish program

that being said, finding community is important imo but don’t rush it. it may take a while but that’s okay!

take classes that genuinely interest and excite you! this is the best way to stay engaged in courses and will help you stay up to date with your coursework. also pick your major this way (imo).

breaks from school work and from people are so important

keep an eye out for mentors!

just talk to people! there have been a few people this semester who i’ve wanted to befriend but i felt awkward because it didn’t feel as easy. during orientation/your first sem everyone is clearly looking and open to finding friends but as your time in school goes on it feels less and less like that. my roommate told me this isn’t the case tho and she’s so right! no one gets 7 friends and says okay i’ve reached the quota! no more friends for me! people are always looking for more friends. (compliments and questions are a good way to go about this)

college can be so lonely bc for a lot of people it’s their first time being really independent and far from their regular support system (it was for me). instead of seeing this as a negative, try to reframe it positively. this is an opportunity to learn what you like in classes, in a roommate/living space, in friends, in your spare time. you are not here for anyone else, you’re here for you!

i know it’s not always easy at all, esp due to mental health stuff, but even trying to reframe things in a positive way can be so helpful. i went thru a rough patch at the beginning of this semester, one of the symptoms being that i had zero motivation. slowly i’ve been working to get myself out of this state, and one thing i’ve been doing is repeating mantras/affirmations about how i love and value learning (which i truly do) and just reminding myself how much i used to love learning.

having less stuff can be nice bc the clutter won’t weigh on your mind, especially if you’re already living in a small space

self care is a lot more than just a face mask and it does not have to cost money. it may mean deciding to go to therapy, schedule a doctors appointment, set a boundary, go on a walk, cook yourself dinner, open up to a friend, etc.

journaling in particular has been so important for me. i love reflecting and being able to look back on things. it’s a great way to get everything off your mind in a positive, constructive way and learn about yourself and the world/people around you!

pls let me know if you have any more questions or wanna talk about literally anything!! i love connecting with people 💖 i hope this resonates w you in some way!! xoxo annie

#studyblr #studyspo #answered #annie talks #college advice #collegeblr

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lakecountylibrary · 5 years

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What degree does someone have to have in order to be called a librarian if they don't have the job title librarian? What is a typical day like for library employees of any position?

Good questions! Grab a snack, this got a little long.

What degree do you need to be calleda librarian:

Here at LCPL we require everyone withthe librarian job title to have their MLS (Master of LibraryScience). However, that’s not true of all libraries. Some librariesmay only require an MLS for the higher positions, like directors or admin, so someone with a bachelor’s could certainly be called alibrarian in some cases.

We also have Assistant Librarians.Assistant Librarians may not have an MLS. They might be working towardit, or not, but a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for this position.

We do require Assistant Librarians (andmany other positions) to be working toward their librarycertification, but that’s a state requirement - it may vary state tostate. (Here in Indiana, qualifying for your certification requiresearning a certain number of Library Education Units, which you getby going to classes, watching webinars, or attending training relatedto your job. The number of units you need depends on your position,but the state provides a LOT of opportunities to earn them and it’sgenerally pretty easy to end up with way more than you need.)

TL;DR: it depends on the library! But honestly, to most people, if you work in a library you’re a librarian ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What is a typical day like forlibrary employees in different positions:

I asked the whole Tumblr team to tossin their two cents since we’ve got people from lots of differentpositions contributing to this blog. Not everyone has gotten back to me yet since we’re all working different schedules, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging. If I hear back from more people, I’ll add on to this post.

As you might expect, librarystaff like words so it got a little long. We’ll add a Read More to save your dash. Here’s what we’ve got:

Chris (Librarian, Branch Head):My#1 tip - learn how to plunge an overflowing toilet without gettingyour shoes wet.

My actual advice -

A typical day is dealing with whateverthe library users throw at you. So, there’s a lot of variety and youhave to like working with people of all types.

Sarah (Programming & CollectionPerformance Librarian):Hmm…be prepared to take whatever isthrown at you on a daily basis. Whether that’s:

a patron who has nevertouched a computer before being told that they must apply for a jobonline (and they need a library card, e-mail address, resume, and alot of hands-on help for every step)

a patron with a referencequestion about how to burn up human bodies (no joke, thank goodness Iremembered this patron had a class on criminal forensics but didn’tknow how to phrase a question)

a teen program that you put yourheart and soul into where no one showed up (or the reverse, a teenprogram you put your heart and soul into - and far more people thanyou were able to handle showed up).

Patience is key.

You’re also often the first place aperson who has just gotten a diagnosis from a doctor, and needsresources on how to manage it, goes. Empathy and understanding isalso key, and a willingness to go the extra mile so that yourpatrons know that they’re getting the most up-to-date and verifiedinformation.

Your library is a place where peoplecan also find connection - young parents looking for support andunderstanding from other parents at storytime, that lonely teen atyour program finally finding another teen with the same enthusiasmfor manga, members of a book club who have kept attending for years -and not just for the books.

You’ve got to plan long-range and beable to handle spur-of-the-moment situations. You will deal withpeople who are the kindest souls and the most reverent readers ofbooks, and the person driving a new Mercedes-Benz who pitches aliteral tantrum over a ten-cent fine. You’ll evaluate databases,choose new materials for the library, plan programs, and connect withcommunity members who can introduce the rest of the community to newideas, music, art, discussion, etc.

You’ll help people find thecorrect legal documents, students find the resources they need,introduce local businesspersons to databases that can revolutionizetheir business plan. You’ll need to adapt to new forms of technology- because your patrons will have questions about it. You’ll also needto be able to smile and give a tactful response when you get thatfamiliar question, “Hasn’t the internet replaced libraries?”

Beth (Librarian, Branch Head):

The library works as a team–allpeople/positions are important. I started as a clerk with my MLS(librarian positions were few due to the recession and hiringfreezes) and I value that experience every day. To the patrons whovisit the library–everyone is a librarian. I think this helps keepany “egos” in check–they value the clerks, tech,paraprofessionals, pages and professionals the same.

As a Librarian/Branch Head, duties runthe gamut. Some days I work the desk with a clerk checking in/outmaterials, pulling items, answering calls, helping at the copymachine. Some days I’m in full program/event mode–planning programsthat people will enjoy and learn from. There are reports to be runand to write. Maintaining the collection is a regular task.

Of course, as a librarian, it is vitalto be there to get people the assistance they need and providevaluable and reliable resources. Some days I get yelled at. Yourealize the differences and similarities in humanity. Some days Ihave to plunge the toilet and wear protective shoe booties.

The only things I “read” onwork time are work-related (and our social media feed). Being amanager requires times where you have to have tough conversations.The times when you get a honest thank you or a great big smile from akid/patron–those make up for the grind of other tasks.

In my opinion, working in a publiclibrary is awesome. BUT–you must want to work with the public or youwill be helping no one. It can be as frustrating as rewarding somedays. There are some weird stories and some inspiring ones as well. Iwouldn’t trade in this experience for anything!

Robin (Technology MarketingSpecialist and friendly neighborhood Tumblr editor, not a librarian):

Confession:I’m not a “real” librarian at all. My master’s degree is in businessadministration and marketing, but I somehow convinced a library tohire me.

As a “Technology MarketingSpecialist” (basically, I’m the social media manager) most of mycontact with our patrons is through a computer screen - like whatwe’re doing right now! I spend most of my time creating posts for ourvarious social accounts, answering questions that come in throughthose accounts, making sure everyone is playing nice online, andgenerally making sure people know we exist.

I’m in the nifty position of getting towork with every single department in our library, because everysingle aspect of what we do needs promotion! There are a lot ofcommittees and I sit in on a lot of meetings because, well, marketingneeds to know what’s happening. There’s a ton of opportunity forcreativity and outside-the-box thinking, too, which I couldn’t livewithout.

My undergraduate degree was in creativeand professional writing, and I never thought I’d have a job whereI’d have to learn some graphic design, or video editing, or coding(oh yeah, I manage the website, too) but here I am - if you work in alibrary in any position you’ll learn a ridiculous amount of newthings without even trying.

Thanks for reading this far - that’s it for now. We hope it helped and feel free to ask us anything else!

#anon #lcpl reply #library life #how to librarian #tumblarians #public libraries #library certification #MLS #library jobs #long post

21 notes · View notes

aesjae · 6 years

Text

nct 2018 as high schoolers

Style/ Genre: Headcanon/ - Word Count: 2,944 Date Posted: 2 Nov 2018

*i wrote this with nct being in an asian senior high school in mind* (i’m asian so i’m not very sure about the western high school system :-( )

Taeil

the quiet high schooler

the one that you’ll always find in the music room practising after school

shy and quiet around those he doesn’t know well

but really weird with his friends

somebody you can always hear humming to some random tune when you pass by him in the hallways

but he only dares to sing as soulfully as he can when he’s alone or with his friends at karaoke

the one who will voluntarily and wordlessly share his food with you when you have no money at lunch

not in any extracurriculars as he dedicates his time to practising

doesn’t socialise much but still has a circle of good friends

works as hard as other students in class but doesn’t put too much pressure on himself

generally cheerful (in a quiet way)

takes weird ass selfies and photos with his friends cue the questionable poses

that high school friend you create embarrassing high school moments with

Johnny

s o c i a l b e e

knows almost everybody in the cohort, and a good number of seniors too

has at least 4 friends in each class that he personally knows

in several extracurriculars such as choir and basketball

he would sometimes be a guest player for his friends performing for showcases/ talent shows

playing on the piano or doing a duet

friendly to everyone

greets everybody that he knows in the hallways, including teachers

a literal sunflower

radiates sunshine everywhere and brightens up people’s days

that classmate who would go up to you and ask what’s wrong when you look down, even if you’re not close to him

hangs out with friends after school/ after school activities at the nearby fast food restaurant/ diner

when you don’t see him going around being social, you might find him in an empty, quiet corner in school listening to music on his earpiece

student DJ for prom and other in-school events

Taeyong

another quiet high schooler, though not as much as taeil

takes care of everyone

literally the mom of the class

friendly with everyone but has a small group of close knitted friends

shy baby when with classmates/ batch mates he doesn’t really know

cares about his grades, though does not overly pressurise himself to excel

the kind of classmate/ friend you would admire for his ability to juggle his time well, despite the hectic high school life

helps you out in homework whenever you ask

this kindness may sometimes get exploited by horrible classmates >:-(

can be rebellious and mischievous at times but generally a good student

you might find him sleeping at his desk during some lunch breaks

gets several love letters in his locker every week

probably never tried rapping before his friend introduced it to him, which he finds out he can rap fire

Yuta

that classmate/ friend who smiles radiantly at you whenever you see each other in and outside of school

likes to sling his bag on one shoulder

can hear him whistling to tunes along the hallway or at the field

in soccer club

quite well known within his cohort for his bright and outgoing nature

friends with a commendable number of people

that high schooler whose name you can hear people calling down the hallway

“Yuta-kun!!”

playful student

the kind that would crack in class jokes, making the class, and sometimes the teacher, laugh

but he may also get detention for such harmless jokes by stricter teachers

gets in trouble sometimes for not handing in his work on time

can find him on the soccer fields practising drills after school

Kun

model student

class president

the father among his friends

that student you can find going around class checking in on everybody and giving any help to those that need in

be it academics or just in need of company

attains good grades but always humble

teachers would really like him

brings his own cooked food for lunch and shares with his friends

you can also find him in the music room alone playing the piano during some breaks

the classmate who cooks the meat at class BBQ outings and barbecues the meat really well

occasionally goes for supplementary culinary classes during school holidays

probably can find him at the library more than at the beach during summer break

that friend that gives a very comforting vibe

that classmate that you count always count for a listening ear or shoulder

shows his classmates random magic tricks in class

Doyoung

that high schooler who’s full of s a s s

doesn’t rebut teachers but makes really smart comments that leave teachers unable to respond

but behind that sass he would be a very friendly schoolmate

his motherly side shows up with his really close friends

but takes care of his other classmates well too

would rather be playing mobile games than going out in the sun to play with his friends during breaks

would probably start singing randomly regardless of where he is, he doesn’t really care

strict and uptight teachers may give him detention for singing in the hallways

doyoung would probably fake a sorry and roll his eyes after turning around

starts studying only 2 weeks before exams but still fairs well

if he were to be in an extracurricular, he would start up a “sleep and do nothing” club in school

which proposal gets rejected, obviously

judges his friends for doing weird ass shits but laughs and joins in afterwards

Ten

another high schooler that is full of s a s s

in dance club

if you don’t find him in his rightful classrooms, he would probably be in the dance studio or somewhere in the school garden taking a nap

every time he excuses himself to the toilet it would be commemorated with mirror selfies

which are posted on instagram: “in school but not in class 🤪”

doesn’t pay attention to class a lot or very attentively as he gets bored easily (ten’s bored ass face when watching the couple dance on hit the stage)

doodles on his textbooks and notebooks instead

which turn out to be masterpieces btw

occasionally goes to the gymnasium to do gymnastics or play basketball when he’s bored

probably gets called by teachers a lot for his piercings

lowkey student rebel

very funny and entertaining classmate

would casually raise dirty jokes to his friends and laugh himself

would suddenly start laughing in class when he uses his phone secretly

many classmates may suspect he has a girlfriend but it would just be his sister

mischievously talks about being able to watch mature movies when they become of age

Jaehyun

f l o w e r b o y

popular, even among seniors and juniors

would probably receive tons of love and confession letters, especially during his birthday (aka valentine’s)

in basketball club

probably has a lot of admirers who come and watch him during basketball matches

performs for showcases

draws even more fans that swoon over not just his visuals, but also his vocals

cares about his grades and actually fairs better than average

would study on days without basketball practice and after practices

despite his popularity and good academics, he stays humble and easygoing

centre of envy of many people for being an all-rounder

doesn’t really gym but maintains quite a good body due to basketball

like johnny, he would be well-liked by many, including teachers

can find him at the library or bookstore on weekends

maybe sometimes at a nearby cafe reading a book with coffee

Winwin

quiet classmate

but not very shy

doesn’t speak much in class or to his friends but loves to roast his friends

writes nonsensical stuff on his friends’ books when he’s bored in class

“hahahaha lol i’m bored”

“你知道我是谁吗？我是董思成!!” ( “do you know who i am? i am dong si cheng!!” )

random doodles too

might whisper random jokes about the teacher or something into his tablemate’s ear, causing them to laugh out loud

resulting in both of them getting into trouble

not as popular as taeyong or jaehyun but still fairly known in school for his visuals

that classmate who is innocent but also knows sufficient information on certain topics

yet still pretends to be innocent and pure

in traditional dance club

performs frequently on stage for dance

subject of admiration among many schoolmates for his dance skills and awesome flexibility wtp

that classmate/ friend that you feel like always feel like taking care of

Jungwoo

fairly quiet classmate

but also very hype when he's high af!!

that classmate that supports and hype you up whenever you're feeling down or anxious before examinations/ competitions

that friend that makes you feel like smiling along with him whenever you see him in school, even if you were feeling terrible before

such a supportive friend that would even cry when he sees his friends doing well in school/ competitions

proud father maybe

has a small crush on the cute teacher

which you can catch staring dreamily at during their class (staring at mark)

and he would blush really badly

would agree to participate in weird and embarrassing stuff with you

that friend you talk to past midnight on a school night and go to school hella tired with no regrets

comes to school with bedhair sometimes when he’s running late

often entertains the class because of how blur and confused he is

tries his hardest in everything he does, including academics and non-academics

often participates in community involvement

Lucas

l o u d a f

definitely can hear him from across the school field

in volleyball/ baseball/ fencing maybe (?)

jock

but he would be nowhere arrogant

very very hyped all the time

not all that good of a student (but he still tries)

class clown!!

takes lots of pictures of himself and puts up on social media (those several half-naked pictures of teenage yukhei tho)

has fun on weekends instead of studying at home

easygoing and outgoing

likes to jokingly flirt with his friends

gets eye candied by several of his schoolmates

if you don’t hear his voice, it would be a big exception

he would probably be asleep on his table or jamming quietly to loud music on his headphones

might have a reputation among the student body to be a jerk or playboy but is actually a real softie and sweetie

P.S. would look great in school uniform

Mark

omg the king of mirror selfies since elementary school

look through his social media account and you would be able to witness the revolution of his mirror selfies from elementary to high school

continues to take mirror selfies with his friends on days that he is unusually extremely smiley and happy

likes to sit by the window seat in class and strum his guitar softly

sometimes accompanied with some of his soft vocals

well-liked by classmates and teachers

would start writing self-composed lyrics on his notebook when he’s bored in class

would be in an indie band with some of his friends

performs for school and town events

would also take study time off to perform for church events

probably cannot hear him as audibly as lucas but if you are lucky you might hear his laughter from down the corridor

might forget his whole pencil case to school sometimes smh

groans otw to science classes

knows education is important but groans otw to school, in school, after school anyways

excited to get out of school to get ice cream

Renjun

probably won’t really look like a high schooler cause s m o l

you would probably find a lot of moomin doodles in his books

a lot of moomin related stuff, though not excessive

maybe like moomin keychains, including a moomin plushie keychain on his bag, moomin phone case etc.

some mean classmates may tease him for it but a lot of others would think it’s completely fine and some may find it really cute too

an attentive student, as compared to the rest of the members (especially the dreamies)

probably takes one of the centre seats in class to get a good view of the board

doesn’t really answer questions in class but participates actively in class activities

people consult him for help in studies

roasts his friends a lot of the time

loves his friends but also want to strangle them and leave school to be away from them most of the time

video games at home/ friend’s home over high school parties

enjoys going to karaoke and dancing with friends

in art club

Jeno

another high school model

well-liked, not just cause of his looks but also his personality

teachers a d o r e him (so do every other student)

that student that always volunteers to help teachers out, even teachers he doesn’t know

low-key likes to embarrass his friends by correcting wrong stuff they say

good in Physical Education

plays sports with his classmates/ friends after school frequently

at the start of his first year in high school he would’ve been actively scouted by many extracurriculars

chooses to be in modelling club eventually

both a model and an assistant photographer

though he would prefer taking photos for leisure

also in volleyball club

possibly a spiker

juggles studies, extracurricular, family and social life well

commendable grades, slightly above average

tags along with his best friend and classmate jaemin everywhere

only has books and extra clothing in his locker

doesn’t really hang any keychains or anything on his bag; going to school style rather simple

dances for talent shows and does well despite not being in dance club

Haechan

giggly classmate

giggles at a lot of stuff that his teachers or classmates say

especially giggly during sexuality education lessons

likes to joke around with his classmates and teachers

thus making him quite close to his classmates overall and several teachers

very dramatic

exaggerates stuff in the textbooks/ the content being taught

making the class laugh a lot ofc

very outgoing, probably knows most of the people in his cohort

likes to use his phone secretly in class to text funny messages to his friends

looks forward to music class the most (apart from lunch)

random dance play with his friends during lunch, sometimes attracting a crowd

in choir

gets solos several times throughout his high school life

not a very attentive student but picks up and learns stuff realllyy quickly

his teachers and classmates would be shocked but how well he did despite not really studying

can’t wait to graduate but when he does, he gets super nostalgic

internally weeps over how he wouldn’t be able to see most of his friends again

Jaemin

wee u wee u

“nA NAAAAAAAA”

you will probably hear chen le’s voice calling jaemin eVery mOrning when he arrives in school

ryan plushie keychain on his bag, ryan phone case

comes to school with a cup of iced americano in hand

bag relatively light as he would have most of his books in the locker

locker would have pictures of him and his family and his friends

outgoing though not extremely social

in community service extracurricular

mainly visits children or elderly homes

and everybody in the homes would adore him, excited for his next arrival

average scoring student

does his weird random dances whenever he scores better than expected

accidentally flirts with everybody

female, male classmates, teachers, staff, the school cat

likes to squeeze onto one seat with his friends, especially those that sit beside the window, trapping them

usually goes to prom without a date; has fun at prom with his own friends

still dresses well for prom tho

takes the opportunity to confess to his crush during his final year prom

whom nobody actually really knew was his crush because i mean he flirts... with... almost everybody.......

Chen Le

wow this boy

even if he does not know everybody, everybody would know him

but for various reasons ofc

one is definitely because he is loud af

you can probably hear him from 20m away, 25m if he’s laughing

would always see him smiling or laughing whenever you pass by him in school

would have modest looking school supplies despite his well-off background

can probably see him playing basketball with his friends at least once or twice a week

maybe only him shooting hoops alone once in a while too

dramatic in class and everywhere else

teachers know him as the other half of dramatic brothers, along with haechan, despite being in different grades

looks forward to music classes and aces them

in choir

bass to soprano easy peasy

likes to watch horror movies with his friends on schools nights

scares them afterwards and leaves them insomniac the whole night while he sleeps soundly

sends his friends really hyped and encouraging messages before examinations/ competitions

has more gaming sessions than study sessions with classmates/ friends

Jisung

our youngest park jisunggggg

surprised by how old he already is when he first starts high school

an awkward child knowing new classmates

probably spends the first few days of the first year himself quietly, in a corner of the classroom ( big child sits at the back row )

sips on his packeted orange juice as he watches his classmates drink coffee

eventually warms to classmates but still remain relatively quiet

classmates would like to tease him but he would roast them back

in dance club

known to be one of the best dancers in dance

dances for many in and outside school events

quiet demeanour changes once he is on stage dancing

schoolmates go crazy and become his fans after seeing him dancing

shy puppy when he receives compliments from his schoolmates

respectful and friendly to everybody

bows to all the staff and teachers

blushes when juniors call him ‘oppa’

[unedited]

42 notes · View notes

daynamartinez22 · 3 years

Text

Weekly SEO Q&A – Hump Day Hangouts – Episode 324

youtube

Click on the video above to watch Episode 324 of the Semantic Mastery Hump Day Hangouts.

Full timestamps with topics and times can be found at the link above.

The latest upcoming free SEO Q&A Hump Day Hangout can be found at http://semanticmastery.com/humpday.

Announcement

We’re live. Oh, there we go. I see it now. So regardless, we’re live. Welcome to Hump Day Hangouts. Today’s the 27th of January 2021. And we’ve got some good stuff for you guys today. As usual, we got a few quick announcements and then we’re gonna jump into answering your questions. But real quick, just want to say hi, looks like we got most of the guys here today. Let’s see. I’m gonna start with her Nan today. How are you doing, man?

Dude, I’m good. I’m good.

I’m just melting down here. It’s really hot and humid, but it’s okay, man.

We’re supposed to have rain tomorrow. So gonna cool off. Happy to be here.

Nice. what’s the temperature there in Celsius?

And Celsius is like 36. I think so. 36. See, it’s pretty warm. Yeah.

Yeah, that’s 96 points, 97.

All right, that’s getting up. Yeah, that’s on like, maximum temperature scale. So I know you’re a hardware guy. But yeah, some rain on top of that. That sounds nice and humid. So you enjoy that. Yeah. Awesome. Marco. How are you doing today?

Um, I mean, what can I say? Groundhog Day. If you guys understand how it is that you can take $1 and change it into a million dollars. Give me one. Give me a hill. Yeah, let me see. Fuck. I hate those cheesy markers, man. Look, hard work. You gotta work. You gotta do the dude, you got to pay your dues. It’s very people who hit on that one idea with absolutely nothing. But sweat equity. Turn it into a billion-dollar idea. The rest of Us to get to anyone, whatever. I gotta work. I don’t just sit here and do nothing. I yeah, it’s beautiful. It’s a great place to work. I step outside. It’s sunny. It’s warm. It’s beautiful. Got the sun? Got him. Got this. When did my hair look, man? Come on, man. Very few things require no work as most people tell you to should is hard work. And it’s not easy. It’s not easy, but it’s not complicated. It can’t be simplified, which is what we’ve done for you. Alright. So if you want to know how, and you want to know why we’re in the middle of our charity webinars, Bradley killed it on Monday. With his ads for branding. And entity Monday, I’m gonna call it what it is entity manipulation. It was fantastic. A lot of great ideas, a lot of information that literally I’m telling you on Monday would have cost 1000s of dollars anywhere else. You got it for free. Next Monday. What’s the Dixon Jones, internet legend Dixon Jones is coming to show you how to do entities and content. And so this is going to be a recurring theme entities entities entities, brand new entities brand. I wonder why I wonder what’s working in SEO, what has been working, what’s working out what will be working. Anyway, I don’t want to take too much time. Thank you to those of you who donated if you haven’t, then I posted a how-to on the page. I know the information is there. Again, I don’t want to take too much time. And even if you did and you did not register, you won’t be able to access that page. Now. Because that page is gone. We moved it, you can still contact the email that I’ve set on there and you will get access. If you’re given the note no donation, you will get access to the replay. And if you haven’t donated, send proof of the other donation to the email and get access guys’ information. I’m telling you, you would end up paying I know barely one time paid nearly 20 K. And the information was nowhere near as good as the shit that we give away for the price of a donation. I can guarantee it. He told us what the information that he got not that it was useless. But the information that we’re giving away for a charitable donation. I’d be dead. There’s no comparison anywhere. Guaranteed.

Outstanding Marco, something you said at the beginning. I’m just gonna ask you and for those of you watching, I didn’t ask Marco this earlier or anything. But the something you said kind of tickled something in my head. I was wondering Have you read the book The Art of contrary thinking?

Of course.

Okay. I had never heard of it until a couple of weeks ago. And I just picked it up and started going through it. And anyway, I was like, You know what, I bet this is a book Marco would recommend. And just this is a total tangent, but would you recommend people to read it because I’m like 10 pages in and I’m like, I can tell this is gonna be a big one.

I mean, I recommend that you read period, right?

Yeah, read it.

And not just that it’s not just reading that one book but this other but Well, when everybody thinks, Oh, here we go, let me see if I get the quote, right. When everybody thinks the same when everybody thinks alike, everybody is likely to be wrong. Think about that. Think about that. All right. So the art of contrary thinking, Humphrey, was a Yo, yo,

yeah, Neil.

Yeah. Yeah, guys, read the book, read the book. Go read the art of war. Mandatory, mandatory. And then read the commentaries on the art of war. Don’t just read it. Try to figure it out while you’re like trying to read the Bible without the commentaries, right? Without going into the original text. But yeah, definitely, if you can, like a book a week, by all means, for those who can’t just listen to it, listen, listen to books, all the audiobooks are everywhere. But yeah, absolutely recommended.

Awesome. All right. The library tickled something else too. I just put the link down for anyone interested. We should probably we could update this year. We’ve got a recommended reading list which I don’t think the art of country thinking is on my add that on, but I just put it at semantic mastery comm slash books. So go check that out if you’re watching and interested in some of these we’re mentioning so. Okay, sorry, a little bit of a tangent there. But last but not least, Bradley, how are you doing today?

Doing great. Busy as all hell as usual, but doing well. Glad to be here.

Sounds good. All right. Well, I got a little thing to get through here. I wanted to let people know because we do have new people watching every week people coming in on YouTube are catching the replay. So first of all, thank you for watching. You’re in the right place.

Hold on a minute. Did we forget Chris, didn’t we?

Is Chris here. Chris is here. Oh, man. I’m sorry. Well,

I can go again as well. If you don’t like me here today. Chris snuck in the back door when Adam wasn’t looking.

That’s good. I feel bad because we got the little strip up at the top and zoom. So Chris, how are you doing? Man? My bad.

Yeah, doing well here. I didn’t know.

I was wondering because now I wish the most.

Sorry, what are you saying?

I don’t know. I’m shorting the markets, especially on the SEO niche. Not having anything else. Alright, well stay away from GameStop. So that’s already? Yeah. All right, well, let’s get into it. So like I was saying, if you’re here and you’re watching live, let us know how you’re doing. Even if you don’t have a comment, just say hello, get let us know where you’re at, or how you’re doing. And if you’re new to semantic mastery, you’re new to MGYB you’re new to heavy hitters club, the best place for you to start find out how to shield your sites don’t have to worry about algorithm updates again, and it’s a free training that’s available at the SEOshield.com. That’s the word, the SEOshield.com. And you’ll hear us talking about all the stuff that’s involved in that. So if you’re not familiar with words, like SEO shield, that’s a great place for you to get started. From there, definitely recommend picking up the Battle Plan. Alright, that’s step by step processes. So you can get SEO results. And it’s how we do things and the tools we use and the services we use. And you can get that at Battle Plan dot semantic mastery.com the next one after that we also get questions about right as consultants like myself, agency owners like Bradley, people who are, you know, wanting to get more clients who want to grow the revenue, they want to scale the team, they’re still you know, grow at still in growth mode. It’s hard to get that one out of the mouth. And you know, before they’re big enough, they’re thinking, How can I do this? How do I do these three really important things so Bradley and Hernan a little bit, they’ve put together this training last year, that is just amazing? It’s called 2xyouragency, 2xyouragency.com. Just head over there and you can find out more. And for those of you who are serious about growing your digital marketing business or the digital marketing side of your business, and you want to be part of the experienced community, then the mastermind is definitely for you. And that you can find out more at mastermind.semanticmastery.com. And now I mentioned MGYB if you’re not familiar with it, it’s mgyb.co. Alright, that’s done for you services, things like the SEO shield that I mentioned, syndication networks, link building press releases, and a ton more. I believe we’ve got an update coming soon. Right Marco we’ve got a kind of an overhaul on the system coming down the pipeline, right.

We have a complete overhaul of the system. But I mean, Bradley’s in there. So you can tell. He can tell me but I mean, we’re doing several things right. So it’s not just that syndication Academy. Right, that’s coming guys, that’d be an overhaul. And then, of course, we’re gonna have updates and is going to be a new person who just wants to be friendly more time, honestly, than what he could then want to get dedicated to it. It needs more time. So It can work the way that it should. Bradley couldn’t dedicate the time to it. So we just brought someone in. She learned the way. And she was here. I mean, you guys met her, you guys met SC, she’s the one that that’s redoing, syndication Academy, she was doing updates, she’s going to be going into a whole bunch of new profiles and websites that we can use to manipulate the entity. Remember, entity-based, worthless SEO. That’s what this is about the charity webinars are about that, how we’re winning today’s we’re manipulating the entity and showing Google what we want. And we’re getting Google to do what we want Google to do. That’s how we do the dope.

Outstanding. Well, like Marco was saying earlier, if you haven’t yet, you can still get access to the charity webinars highly recommend you do that that is on the page. If for some reason you’re watching this, you can’t find the link, you’re not sure what’s going on. But you know that you want to get in on that you can just send an email to support at semantic mastery comm we’ll get you sorted out and gets taken care of. So with that said, Guys, anything else before we dive into it?

All right, we’re good.

Right, grab the screen.

There it is. Alright,

so it looks like the first one is from mini min. Rob. Hey, guys, I’ve received my order from MGYB. But I don’t know how it works. Well, which order? Is he? Which order? Is he talking about? SEO SEO. But I don’t know.

Rob, if you’re here mini broad. I’m just gonna call it mini Rob. Sorry, man. This may be your actual name. But it makes me think of like a little tiny version of Rob. Yeah. If that’s the case, we need to know more information, right? We can’t tell you what’s going on. We don’t know if you ordered a press release or a link building order or keyword research. So we’re kind of stuck here. So if you let us know, we could probably help you. And then I would also say you probably want to talk to us first and come to Hump Day Hangouts. And if you’re like, maybe I should use this SEO shield thing or the press release thing. If you ask that first, we could definitely explain it. But since you’ve got it now, let us know exactly what you’re doing. And then that’s how we can help you I guess.

That’s good. Okay. All right. So yeah, we can try to answer a few. I’m sorry, I just got was looking at an email that just came in what’s the next question is what’s the best way before? Before you go to the next question, the SEO shield comm if you got an SEO shield, right, the seo.com is the place to go for the training. It’s free. And at the end of that, we even throw in a coupon for you to order whatever it is that you need.

How Do You Push The Link Juice To Power All PDFs In The Entire Amazon S3 Folders?

Beautiful. Okay, so the next one is what’s the best way to push link juice through entire Amazon s3 folders to power up all PDFs within? Also, is it possible, like Google Drive to embed folders to show all files inside the bucket? Thank you, um, the best way to power up an s3 folder? I’m not sure if you can power up a full folder. I’ve never tried that. Usually, I just extract the URLs from within the folder and then just hit those with backlinks. If there are URLs that I want to do that to Marco Do you know, can you make a public folder itself public? Like? I don’t know if the folder has its own URL or what?

Alright, guys, I have no idea. If the s3 folder itself, we know that the HTML documents that we place in their images or whatever it is that we placed in there can be made public. But I’ll tell you what, give me about I’m gonna say three months because we’re about to do some nasty stuff in s3, I was just talking about it with my team, or I shouldn’t call it my team partners. Just the SEO crew that I’m with where we’re going to go and just really look into s3 and how much power there actually is in there. So if you come back, I mean, if not just go in and do it yourself and see if it’ll if it can go public and then the best way to push power to that. The Darya Nuff said an embed gig or a link building gig or both from dedhia to that will push all the power you need. I’m not sure about the folder, but I can guarantee that in about three months. I’ll have all the answers you want about s3.

Is There A Way To Get More Branded GMBs In Different Locations To Boost The Footprint Of A Real Business With No Fixed Address?

Sweet. Next question. Is there a way to get more branded GMBs in different locations to boost the footprint of a real service business that doesn’t have a fixed address and works remotely? Yeah, I mean, if you can, I mean, there’s a couple of ways you can buy GMBs from places that will sell you verified GM bees we used to and MGYB. But I don’t think that’s available anymore. There are still some places that will do it. I even found somewhere that I placed an order but it was way back in November and it still hasn’t been delivered. So you know, I think it’s getting harder to do it. But there I know there are still some vendors out there that will sell verified GM B’s. I’m just not going to recommend any of them because again, the one that I just attempted to use in November, I still haven’t had one delivered yet. So I don’t recommend any of I don’t have any to recommend is what I’m saying but there are GMB verified. You know, you can purchase verified GMB, there are vendors out there that do sell them. The other way is the way that I’ve before people started selling them, I used to always just use Pio boxes, you can go to post offices, one thing you want to do is don’t you don’t want to get to GMBs too close to each other. Right. So if you’re going to do a service area business, which I understand doing that makes total sense, I would have them at least 15 or 20 miles apart. Depending on what your service area is, it could be even bigger, larger, you know further distance between locations. But what you can do is find a post office. And then you fill out a form, it’s free, but it’s to use the street address option. So in other words, like if you go you can do all this online, too, by the way, you can register a PO Box online. And they’ll give you they won’t issue you the box number and till you go to the post office like you have to physically go to the post office and show your IDs and sign the paperwork at the post office. But you can reserve it online and pay for it and everything else. But you do have to physically go to the post office to sign the paperwork and then they’ll assign you the box number at that point. So let’s just say it’s a box one on one. If if the post office is at 123, Main Street, whatever town right, then you can fill out an additional form, it’s free to do it doesn’t cost anything else. But you fill out an additional form to use the street address option. And then you would end up using the address for the GMB listing 123 Main Street number sign like the pound sign 101 right, and that that will work. You can’t add a p o box to GMB as the physical address. But you can do a street address with you know, basically a box number a suite number, but it’s just the pound sign and the post office is very particular about you only using the number sign the pound sign before the box number not sweet. Not box, none of that it’s just the number sign. And again, they’re very particular about that. But that’s the way that I had always done it prior to people selling GMB’s.

And it still works, you know. So that’s another alternative way to do it. And in fact, I actually still prefer that method after but over buying them except for the fact that you have to physically go to the post office that sucks. Because you know, especially if it’s far away, but if it’s within reason and you can drive to it, then I recommend going that route over purchasing GMB listings from vendors. And the reason I say that is because it’s still tied to a real physical address this way. And I feel like those are safer than using the spammed ones because of some of the spammed GMB listings that I have. They don’t have any physical location even referenced or tied to them, which I don’t even know how happens. But like there’s no physical address actually connected with it, and it causes problems with the proximity filter. So and what I’m saying is, even for service area business guys, you understand you have to clear the address like you’re not supposed to per Google’s Terms of Service, you’re not supposed to publish the street address for a service area business. Right. So in other words, if it’s a service area business where the customer or excuse me, the business serves the customer at the customer’s location, then you’re supposed to delete them or clear the physical location when you set your service areas then you’re supposed to clear the physical location from showing and when it does, it literally clears it from the GMB dashboard and it will not any longer show the physical address, the street address in the maps listing or anything. But what I’m saying is, some of the GMB is that I had purchased. They don’t have any street address associated with them at all and I don’t know how they even did it. But it causes issues to where it doesn’t show for like near me searches and stuff like that because there’s no physical location associated with it. And again, I don’t know how they do it because even when you register a new GMB, let’s say It’s a legit business and your service area business and it has a legit physical location where the office or you know the business owner lives or whatever, you have to add that address. When you set when you go to claim or create the GMB listing, you have to add the physical address and then wait for a postcard or a card to be delivered via us a mail to that location that has a pin number in it so that you can verify that that physical location that the business really resides at that physical location. So even when you clear the address to make sure that it’s not published, there is still a physical location associated with that GMB and you don’t see that on the GMB dashboard. But for example, I just recently started using local Viking to manage GMB posts and stuff because it integrates with some of my CRM and stuff. So anyway, I’m using that and when you import GMB listings into local Viking, it shows the street address, even if it’s an unpublished street address, and I’ve got a few listings in there that just no street address appears at all, there’s no physical location associated with it. And those are the ones that I’m having trouble getting to appear for proximity searches such as, like near me, keyword phrases, or search queries. And so again, I would recommend it, the spam listings, they can still work, but there are some drawbacks in them that I don’t like about them. Were the P o box way to get one with an actual physical address tends to work. Still, it still works. And I like that one better, except for the fact that you have to physically go to the post office. Does anybody want to comment on that?

Not me. Okay, moving on then.

But yeah, absolutely. That’s I mean, that’s a great way to do it for large, especially business with large service areas, if you can get multiple maps listings, that’s best. Another way to do it, by the way, just quickly, is you can go to Craigslist and post an ad for that I’ve done that I’ve been successful in the past where I’ve posted an ad and in the, you know, in the area that I want, and say, you know, tell them that I’ll pay him 50 bucks to receive a Google postcard. And, you know, tell me when they when they’ve received it and and and and, you know, call me or text me with the pin number inside the card. Most of the time what happens is you’ll find renters that do that instead of people that own homes because they don’t care if somebody registers a business to a rental property like the renters don’t care. The landlord might, but the renters don’t. So I found that I’ve done that in the past several times when it when they when I was trying to get a GMB in an area that I couldn’t that I just wasn’t you know, it wasn’t feasible to drive to and get a PO Box, then I will use Craigslist. So that’s another way to do it. Okay. Moving on.

Is It Possible To Get Wiki Links To An SEO Agency That Offers Other Services And Has A Blog On Non-Marketing Tech Resources?

Next question, given Wikipedia is a negative view of SEO, is it possible to get links from Wikipedia or wiki data to an SEO agency that also offers other services and has a blog with lots of non-marketing tech resources? Sure, but you can also purchase wiki links. Just like we were talking about spam, GMB listings you can buy. We sell [email protected], our store. And they work I mean, occasionally something will get edited out like, but I’ve actually had one recently that was edited out. And then I just submitted a support request, and I got it restored on another Wikipedia page. So you know, you can buy links, say is it possible? Yeah, cuz you can buy them. I don’t know how to do the edits myself, because I’m not a moderator for Wikipedia. But, you know, that’s one way you could do it is to hire, you know, a Wikipedia editor or moderator, I should say, those are generally really, really expensive. So the other way is just to find a service, like what we have in MGYB, where you can buy them there. I don’t know of any other way to get them to you, Marco.

I mean, there are other ways, but you got to pay for them, or you got to get yourself a Wikipedia page. And you have to be eligible, you have to be able to provide all the documentation that Wikipedia requires. That’s the best thing. The best thing is to get yourself a page on Wikipedia. And Dixon Jones is going to explain on Monday, that’s the most important Wikipedia link that you could possibly get that mentioned in Wikipedia. And then from that, I mean, the next best thing is getting a link on the top page and then getting a link on a page referring to another page as long as it’s relevant. Right. You got to maintain that relevance. But yeah, I mean, just go to MGYB to look for it. We offer it.

What Is A Good Way To Get Lots Of Footer Links Without Having Lots Of Clients?

Sweet Suraj is up he says what’s a good way to get lots of footer links without having lots of clients trying to rank in a competitive area for web design and all other competitors dominate with footer links someone’s exact text. So I’m assuming he means exact anchor text exact match anchor text was hacked footers. Yes. stuff I ever saw.

Yeah. Yeah, that’s funny. Do you say that? Because I, when I read this question earlier and asked what I was gonna suggest, was the only other way that I would know how to do it is the safe network. A lot of those links are hacked footer links, and that when I’m What I mean is like, they literally hack other people’s websites, put links in there for you. It’s so blackhat. But um, you know, it can work. I used to use a lot of safe links years ago when I was doing a lot more blackhat stuff. And I guess there’s really no hats. But when I was doing a lot of really spammy, like, you know, dark alley ship, I used a lot of safe links. I don’t do that anymore. But that’s one way to do it. I don’t recommend it. But that is one way to do it. Anyway, you got any suggestions, Margo?

For further length, Now, why? Alright, so here’s the deal. Um, and I’m gonna say this again. And we explained that I’m going to keep referring back to the webinars on Monday, we explain why we do things, the way that we do, why we create the entity, the way we the way that we do, I’m not gonna go through it here. But we become master mimics. We look at the big dogs. We do what the big dogs do, at the part level, at the algorithmic level, at the patent level, that’s how we do it. All right, if you want to learn how, and why make a donation. Go see our footer links the only way to compete or is there something more powerful than I am missing? Yeah, I mean, I, I don’t think I would go out use that strategy. I’m not I don’t think I know I would use that strategy. I would do other things. So the SEO shield? Yeah. Start there. And then there.

How Can You Run Ads For A Client If You Don’t Have Access To Their Website?

Fitz is up. He says, Hey, guys, hope everyone is well. How can you run ads for a client if you don’t have access to their website? Thanks. You don’t need access to some you can run ads to any URL. The problem is conversion tracking and remarketing and all that other stuff, you know, but you can run ads to any URL that you know. I mean, as far as I know, I don’t think if you have if, if you have a URL, you can run ads to it. The question is why, like if you don’t have access to their website, then you’re not going to be able to install, like the conversion link or code conversion tracking. You know, Google Tag Manager remarketing. You know the remarketing tag all of those things that you would need, but you don’t need them. But I would hate to piss money away on Google ads, or ads period if I couldn’t track conversions. And if I couldn’t build a remarketing list from anybody that visited the page or the site,

so I don’t know why you would want to do it without having access to the site. Go ahead.

Yeah, I’m just wondering if maybe it’s one of those where he’s saying he doesn’t have, edit access. But if somebody can, or if you can talk to the client be like, hey, you just need to take these two steps. You need to copy this code, you need to install it, tell them where to do it. Because Yeah, if you’re in that situation, where for whatever reason, you don’t have access, you need to maybe impress upon them the importance of, hey, you need to get this code on there. Otherwise, you’re gonna be losing money. You know, because you can’t retarget you’re not building retargeting lists, you won’t know about conversions.

Yeah, if you have, if you have, you know, if there’s a webmaster or somebody that is maintaining this site that you just don’t have access to yourself, then you can absolutely still do everything because what I would suggest you do at that point would be to set up Tag Manager. And then just contact, whoever’s managing the site. So the webmaster or the business owner, whoever’s managing the site, contact them and send them the container code for Tag Manager, one goes into the header, one goes into the footer, or right before the closing body tag, either one. And it’s just two snippets of code to get added to the site globally, right, so it’s site-wide code, and then you can add and subtract all the tags that you need inside of Tag Manager which you would have access to meaning you can add tags and triggers and all that stuff and then deploy it all through Tag Manager and will automatically update the website from a remote from tag managed from the Tag Manager dashboard. Once the container code is there, you can add or remove tags, remarketing tags, a conversion tracking all of that stuff. Jason, you can add structured data schema.org All kinds of stuff that you can use Tag Manager for. If you don’t have access to managing the site, the webmaster can install Tag Manager and you can use that.

Any other comments?

No, that’s fine. Okay,

Does It Make A Difference If You Already Added The Supporting Documents Prior To Getting The SEO Location Shield?

so the next one is from Landry. Now I get it, I couldn’t figure out how to pronounce your name. So I appreciate you spelling it out phonetically because Hooked on Phonics works for me. So thank you for that. So Lanre says, Hey, Bradley, I noticed you had problems pronouncing my name. It’s pronounced Landry as an rio. So I’ve got it this time. Now, my question is this, I bought my keyword research from you guys. I built my site, I added three categories with content, and five supporting articles per category, I now need to order my SEO location shield to establish my brand. Okay, I’m not sure that you want to order locations, you know, maybe you do, I don’t have the full context of your project. But let’s just assume that the SEO location showed us what you want to order? Does it make any difference? If I already added the supporting documents prior to getting the SEO location showed? I don’t quite understand the question. Does it matter that you’ve started to build out your site with categories and adding depth to the silos? No, it doesn’t matter at all. Because again, I don’t know that the location, I don’t have the full context, I don’t know what you’re doing. But just from this little bit of detail that I have. I don’t know that the location shield is really what you want and the SEO power shield should be for the brand. And then typically, for top-level silos, you want to do the are the expansion stack, right? Dry S Drive expansion, or drive stack expansion, excuse me? Not necessarily location shield. So if you go take a look at the SEO shield, and you take a look at the three different versions, what does it locate starter shield locations to power shield, right? Power shield is going to be for the brand, that’s what we recommend. But then our wireless expansions, which is a separate product in the store, it’s not on the SEO shield page, cry is drive stack expansion. Go in there. That’s what I would recommend that you buy an expansion for each top-level silo. Does that make sense? Does anybody want to comment on this Marco, do you?

Yeah, I mean, don’t look at it like that. Landry. Don’t look at it like that. You’re done with the website, you can continue working with the website. Yeah, you can have dummy content on the website, you shouldn’t. But you at least need that RSS feed. So yeah, you do need some supporting articles or posts. You have that already. Go in order and SEO shall not a location shield. Because you don’t want to pigeonhole yourself into a geographic location. All right, not if your branding, not if your branding, you can do you can take care of the locations through location-driven pages. On the inner part of the G site, in the beginning, you’re just trying to create I’m not gonna say the keyword, yet but it is its brand plus a keyword, relationships, how your brand relates to the keywords in whatever niche It is, it is that you’re in, especially the top-level keywords, we add it, we intersperse it, we go through all of the documents, everything gets filled with keywords, especially if you order our deep keyword research gig, which this is perfect for, it’s perfect for giving you all of the relevance necessary to really carry out a proper the proper content structure of your website will give you suggestions, you know your project better than we could ever hope to know it. So you have to follow what you know, with what our suggestions are. Once you have all that and once you get the SEO show delivered back, especially the G site that the following that as the ad ID and ordering an expansion won’t interfere with the ad ID. So what you see is okay, now I have a top-level category. So I’m going after gold. Now I want to do gold bars. Well, gold bars go on the inside. So let’s say you’re saying you’re in a city already, and you want the adjoining city. So gold bars add joining the city, however, it is that you choose to pursue that well, we build that for you we can build you an interface so that you don’t have to, and an intersect. So you’re expanding the power of your original branded stack, and G site. And the whole point of this is to keep expanding. So you’re adding depth and breadth to that T site and dry stack the same way that you’re doing it on your website as you find categories. And as you use supporting posts to boost that top-level category that you’re trying to rank eventually you should be pushing so much power. And I see this time and again, that even an empty folder is added. This is when true power will you push it to power and you’re building up that PageRank and ranking score. An empty folder will rank for the keyword that you’re assigning it. And it’s incredible when when when this thing happens, or you’ll pop in and like a new location, and a brand new GMB and you see all kinds of action in the GMB. And you’re wondering why? Well, it’s because you iframe it on the G site or you iframe that on your website, or it’s part of a really deep and wide drive second site. And that’s when the power really comes into play. That’s why I tell people, it’s hard work, you cannot expect to rank with one page for gold. It’s not gonna happen, you can’t ever hope to outrank Amazon with one page, and a couple of supporting posts. Not gonna happen. That’s, that’s a trillion-dollar company that you’re going after you can’t do it for a buck 50. All right, so all of this power and all of these things need to continue taking place, you need to do your press releases, you need to do the link building, you need to do the embeds plus link building. And you need to continue broadening your profile throughout the web, making that footprint bigger, wider, relating more profiles one to the other. This is what the big boys do. You see Apple everywhere you see Amazon, everywhere. So that’s what you have to do. And one of the ways that we do it is exactly the way I just described. Now that takes a lot of work. The way that I like to put this is it like people see it. And it’s really simple. I ordered the SEO shield, and then I just produce content. And magic happens. No, it doesn’t. I’ve been online for 18 years. This is 18 years in the making. Bradley has about a decade and I know her Nana’s around there. Chris has so many years and Adam, I think Well, I know. I’ve known him for six, seven years. So he has at least that long online. So you’re getting decade’s worth of thinking of strategizing of putting everything together into what you see as the SEO shoot. But that’s what it’s for. And that’s what you should order not the location shield, but the branded SEO power shield. Yeah.

Yeah, that’s why I just pulled up the pages on the store, just to demonstrate what Marco was talking about. The SEO power shield is what we recommend for the brand. For the main brand, right, and then from that, because it gives you the syndication network, the drive stack with the G site, and then the IDX page. So that’s for the main entity, right the brand itself, and then from there, you go from the store, go click into the Google RYS expansion stacks. And these are the expansion stacks of each top-level silo. Right? So each silo on the site. So top-level category, top-level keyword, you should have an RBS expansion stack. If you’re doing a local business and you’re you have location-based silos, however, you do that, I do it using the tag structure inside of WordPress, then I also order a separate expansion stack for each location, if that makes sense, but I don’t want to confuse you. As I said, if you’re doing it on just topical stuff, then you’d want a separate expansion stack for each one of your top-level silos. You don’t need additional ID pages and then additional g sites, which is what happens when you order location shield. So in fact, I would we would recommend against that.

Okay, so hopefully that clarifies that.

All right, moving on.

Does it make a difference in priority? No, no, it doesn’t, you can just as long as you have, all that you need is you need the web, the URLs, when that you’re going to push, you know uses your main target URL for your drive stack. And then for each one of your expansion stacks you’re going to get, you’re going to have a field that you have to submit your main target URL, it’s going to be one primary target URL per expansion. As long as those URLs are available, like on your site, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter whether there’s content there or anything, to begin with, you can order it with just the URL. The only thing that has to have content is the RSS feed for the SEO power shield order because the syndication network, if it’s an RSS driven syndication network as opposed to YouTube, then it needs the RSS feed has to have so the RSS Feed URL has to contain at least one item it can be the Hello World post for that matter, it doesn’t matter. As long as it has one item in the RSS feed, then they can set up the applets inside IFTTT but that’s it though the rest of the site doesn’t need to look at content on it. If it just has the URLs available in. That’s it. And for anybody watching this at this point watching the replay, enlarge the video so you can get the information about donating to the charity and accessing the webinar.

Do You Have Any Tips In Using Linktree Other Than Hammering It With Backlinks?

Okay, sweet. Let’s keep moving. Jim’s up. What’s up, Jim? He says, Hey, gang, I was curious if you guys have any tips or tricks to apply to link tree? That’s a good site. I just started playing with that a little bit more actually. Other than the usual hammer the shit out of it with backlinks. You can embed it. So yeah, it’s pretty much the same thing that we would always recommend hammer with backlinks. You can also embed link tree itself, the link tree page, which is just a collection of links, right. So that’s just you can also do embeds and backlinks to the embeds. Anything else?

Scorched earth Seo? hammer? I don’t know any other strategy. I don’t understand anything else other than if it can stand it, give it more. And if it takes that much, then try some more. Well, you know what it is man? Just go do the do.

How Would You Silo Structure A Website With Multiple Topics?

Alright, baby, what’s up, man? He says, Hey, guys, a better example for last weekend’s question how Google treat pages that are not related topically to the site, say you are a site about marketing. The silo is about software. Let’s say all the marketing software goes here. But what if we add non-marketing software pages to the silo to that silo-like employment software, or betting software, etc. So the new silo be opened to nonrelated marketing software? No. And in a case like that, BB, I would have subcategories. So I would use a complex silo structure for that type of site because the software would be the parent category, the top-level category, but then you would create subcategories for the different types of software marketing software is a subcategory. What were some of the other one’s employment software being another sub sub category, and then betting software or investing software? Right. forex software, like there’s a, you know, productivity software, like every one of those could be sub-categories. And then you would add supporting articles, which could be reviews of those types of different software in their appropriate subcategory. So in a situation like what you’re describing this time, in which you provided more context, this time than you usually do. So thank you for that, by the way, then then, yeah, I would use a complex silo structure for something like that. And I would add subcategories and appropriately place the articles and supporting articles and such within the correct cat subcategories. That is something that you could do.

Comments?

yeah, treated as a directory for marketing? And how would you build that directory then for marketing related categories and subcategories, and maybe some not so specific categories that do relate to marketing, but not in a direct manner, you could totally do that. Just be careful how far in the weeds you go, because you could end up somewhere totally not relevant to whatever it is that you’re doing. And then in that case, it’s not as if you’d be penalized or anything, it’s just that you’re not going to get any, well, you shouldn’t get any action, because the AI will know that there’s absolutely no relationship between that uncategorized or irrelevant category, and everything else that you’re doing, with the caveat that if you’re pushing enough power, it will rack it just takes monster power to do it.

Yeah. Yeah, and, and actually, you know, that’s, I, I prefer using simple silos as much as possible. But in the situation that you’re describing here, that’s perfect for a complex silo. And you can push a shit ton of power with the complex silo guys if you know how to how to set up your internal linking correctly. Complex silos can push a ton of power to the top-level keyword. So again, you know, you got to map that out before ever starting a complex silo site, spend some time mapping it out, like not just the immediate need, but your future needs as well, because that’s part of the problem with a complex silo structure is it’s real easy to get started and think that you have an idea of what you want your silo structure to look like when you’re starting off and you have, you know, a finite or a limited amount of content and ideas. But as the project grows, you’re probably going to figure like, Oh shit, I should have figured it. I should have structured the site in this way instead. And that’s part of the problem with complex silo structures is their complex just like the name? Just like, that’s why it’s in the name, excuse me. But if you do it correctly, if you map it out, right, then you can I mean, it’s just amazing. And how much power you can push with those. But again, it’s like I remember, that’s part of the reason I like to do those anymore at all is that I would spend literally hours upon hours a day to, you know, a day or two on just mapping out the site before starting the build. And even then even after doing all of that mapping work and trying to decide on how I was going to structure the site, a lot of the times, at some point in the future, I would end up kicking myself for structuring it that way, because I should have done something else, you know what I mean? So I prefer not to do that if needed. But if so, I mean, if that’s the route, that you’re going to go spend some time on the front end, you’ll, you’ll be glad that you did. And yeah, you can push a lot of power that way, for sure.

Well, that’s if you’re building a directory, this complexity in building a directory to start with. So try to keep it simple. And don’t spend hours trying to map out the site, just get to work on it, and try to work it out conceptually, as you go, you’re still gonna run into problems and having to 301 and having to redo your URL structure. But that’s a lot better, man.

Do Semantic Mastery’s Methods Only Work On Google Search Engines?

So the next question is, do your methods work only on Google search engines and YouTube? Or should they should it also work on search engines like Facebook or Pinterest search, etc. I mean, we optimize for Google? Because you know, that’s what 70 or 80% of all search traffic. I can’t speak for Facebook or Pinterest, those algorithms are totally different. But oftentimes, when we optimize for Google, then we end up ranking in Bing and Yahoo because many and Yahoo are one and the same anymore. But it’s only I think, they’ve got a little bit more market share than they used to, but it’s somewhere around 30%, I think. But I don’t optimize for Bing, or, I mean, I just optimize for Google. Because that’s, you know, that’s where the bulk of all traffic comes from. And usually, we end up ranking in Yahoo, and Bing also, comments on that?

Yeah, I mean, we want Google search. That’s what we’re after. In some places in some countries some areas, over 90% of the search market, is in Google. So if you have something that’s search-based, which is totally local business, or whatever, then it just stands to reason that you’re going to focus on Google. Now, if you’re going to go and work on the Pinterest algorithm that you have to learn the Pinterest algorithm. And some of the methods that we teach might not work in Pinterest, but I’m not gonna get into how Pinterest works here works differently. The same thing with Facebook, the Facebook algorithm works differently. It just does. They’re similar. So as the Bing algorithm, they’re all based on the same thing, right, trying to see how they rank for a certain query. At the end of the day, that’s what you’re trying to do. But you have to learn the requirements. So you mentioned Pinterest, and, and Facebook, you’d have to try those people want Amazon, we have to go in and figure that one out. Then Bing, Yahoo. Why when we can get 80 to 90%. In Google, and then the other ones, we can just run ads and get results. Yep,

I agree.

Have You Ever Ranked Something Using Citations Only?

All right. Ah, next question. Have you ever ranked something with citations only and without links? Let’s, let’s say you have a non-local site, say e-commerce does brand citations without backlinks. Will that work? First of all, I don’t know because all I do is local stuff. I’ve ranked local stuff with just citations like a local business directory or business directory citations like structured citations. Sometimes they’ll contain links, oftentimes, they’ll contain links. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried to rank any local business project with just citations. It’s probably possible still, but citations are just a part of an overall picture. Now that’s talking about, like, structured citations like business directory listings for local type business sites. I think what you’re talking about is like co-citation, right? where somebody is talking or a citation, I guess, in a broader sense, can be just a brand mention, right?

I’ve never tried that. I don’t know why you would mean, I’ve never tried it. So I can’t answer that. Can you know, because the citation is a backlink? So I don’t get it. I don’t get the question to start with. And let’s, let’s see, let’s say you have a non-local site. That’s e-commerce does do brand citations without backlinks work, or will they work? I have no clue because that’s not how we do. We actually use citations as part of the entity. It’s all part of entity-based. worry less SEO, especially local, like the broader you go The less necessary they can put your branded citations if you can get them in the big ones in the data aggregators, as a matter of fact, work really well because they’re links. They’re places where Google goes to see the data to pull data, but it. Alright, so this question I’m not gonna pick on you, I’m just saying is missing the point of the ranking score and PageRank algorithm, and of every other algorithm, because Google has to go through a link somewhere to get to the server, wherever this branded or number, enter the citation or wherever this other thing is, without that link, there’s absolutely no way that Google can go from one server to the other, it’s not magic, Google cannot teleport, it can’t jump into another server, right? It’s a, it’s HTTP or HTTPS. That’s the protocol. As well, there has to be something that connects them that connect, now you what you’re talking about. And, again, I’m gonna go back to our webinar Monday, it was killer, you have two nodes, is what you’re talking about. One is your brand, whatever. And you have another note somewhere that mentioned your brand, Google has to get that get to that, each of those and relate them some way. And the way it does that is through links. So the more links that are connected to your e-commerce site, and to wherever that brand citation is, right, the more power it will have, because that Google can start creating the relationship for the distance graph algorithm with again, I’m not going to get into any of that. What I’m just saying is, you need to start conceiving in this another way, because the things that you’re asking are a little bit conceptually off on this. I’m reading this incorrectly, in which case I’d like you to explain what it is that you mean, you did a really good job on the other one of explaining what it was. Yeah.

Yeah, I agree. So I said I was more contents context in that last question than what we’re used to from BB. So. Okay, so the next question is from is not really a question, as Jim says, He says, but rather a wiki experience, I have a site that has six wikilinks pointing to it from different or two different articles. I didn’t pay for them, they were added in a natural manner. So organic links. That’s awesome.

Those quotes, I’d like to know what those natural means is it’s in quotes. Well, that’s true. That’s true. But I think he means that it’s just he’s got good content, and somebody, you know, linked to it naturally from an article. That’s how I interpreted but you’re right, since it’s in quotes, it might be. Anyway, those links are very powerful. And I highly recommend trying to get one through whatever means necessary pro tip have the best, most thorough, most documented article on a subject and then cross your fingers. You know, that’s a great point, Jim, because here’s the thing. You can purchase wiki links, right? Like, we just talked about that from, or links from Wikipedia or links, you can get a link on Wikipedia by buying it from our service. But don’t just link to like something that, you know, if I recommend that you are linking to something that has some well-written content, not just like, you know, a spammy page or something like that on the site. I mean, you can try to get away with that. But the problem with that is it it’s likely going to get moderated out at some time. Like even if your link gets placed. At some point, somebody’s probably going to discover that it’s linking to something if it’s not linking to something that is resourceful, right? That is a resource that is relevant to the page that the Wikipedia that Wikipedia is linking from, then it’s going to end up being moderated out at some point, it’s almost guaranteed it’s just a matter of time. So I recommend that if you are going to buy Wikipedia links that you do link to a piece of content on the site that you’re linking to that is relevant, and has some useful information on there. Right. So that it’s less likely to get moderated out at some later date by some other Wikipedia moderator. Okay.

Comments, good?

No, no, I mean, fantastic if you can get them and I saw that later on. He said, organic. That’s fantastic. You can get organic links if you can become the source or a source for that Wikipedia page. That’s fantastic. Because now that now you have a relationship to that seed site. I’m going to talk seed sites and seed sets are I don’t want to confuse all y'all up. But that’s what happened. You related to trust to trusted and authoritative sources. Thereby you become a trusted and authoritative source. Which is why it’s working so well.

Adam, you on, you turn your camera on. So I’m assuming you got something to say?

Unknown Speaker 55:08 No, it was let’s say I’m going to reach out to Jim, I want to ask him a question because he’s had some interesting comments over the last couple of weeks. So talking about AI stuff. And then now with organic Wikipedia links, so Jim, I’m gonna track you down, are you if you can find me, so shoot me a message. But yeah, I just actually had a note on the kind of the last, or sorry, the last question of the day here.

Thoughts On The AWS Email About Allowing Public Access

Okay, cool. So, Jay says Amazon AWS sent out an email warning about allowing public access to an s3 bucket. Yeah, I’ve gotten dozens of those emails. Yeah, the wording was such that it sounds like they’re removing public access. And if you are in disagreement with that, I don’t think that’s the case. That’s not the way I read it. Yeah. And

I just pulled it up to double-check just did a quick read through. And they don’t say that they just say that. You should have some buckets configured that way, that may not be what you intended. So we suggest you fix it. And then, you know, talk to us if you have a question, but it doesn’t say that we’re gonna change it or anything like that.

Yeah. Thank you, Adam. Because that’s when I read his question. Or when I read this question, I thought about that. I was like, you know, I better go back and reread, because I mean, I’ve gotten dozens and dozens of those emails. And I’ve read through them a couple of times. And the way that I interpreted it was what Adam just said was, like, it’s telling you like, Hey, you probably didn’t mean for the bucket to have public access. But if you did, it’s not recommended. But I didn’t see anywhere where it said they were going to revert them to protect. A lot of problems.

Yeah, the only thing is one line. If you have a business need to maintain some level of public access, please see an overview of managing access, and they give references for more in-depth instructions on managing just to make sure you’ve done the correct level of access. Yeah.

Yeah, when I set up my buckets, I set them up to where objects can be public. But the folder itself, or the bucket itself isn’t entirely public, it just allows for individual items to be made public. That’s the way that I set up all my buckets so that I can pick and choose whether I want them to be public at the time that I upload the files. So hopefully, that makes sense. we’re about out of time, Jim says sorry, natural and organic. Yeah, we saw that. Thank you. Jim, by the way, reached out to Adam BB says I mean, so this is a guest clarification for his previous question. He says, I mean, you have an e-commerce site for dog food named SM doggy will a mentioned citation that way mentioned or a citation of that, and other sites will promote the site without a backlink? Again, I don’t know. I mean, for local businesses, having the name, address, and phone number published online, even without a backlink count as a citation, which is like a vote of confidence, right? It’s just because what is it doing? It’s just validating entity information. Does that make sense? That’s why it’s so important to have a name, address and phone number always published exactly the same. Because even having punctuation different or using the ampersand sign instead of A and D, or something like that, right are sometimes having IMC or LLC at the end. And other times not all of them. If you have variations of the name, address, and phone number published even with no backlink, then that can start to ambiguous. The data, right and that’s why local businesses have published mention of the name, address, and phone number, even without a backlink does count as a citation and can help to rank now, can it be can you purely rank on that? I don’t know. I’ve never tried it. But when you’re talking about that type of citation for a nonlocal site like an e-commerce site? I have zero experience with any of that whatsoever. I can’t imagine that it would but I can’t say whether it does or not. Because I’ve never done anything like that. comments.

It creates co-occurrence. It is a no co-citation or a citation. If it’s the full local citation, right? Name, Address phone number, the NA p other than that I don’t know I’d like depends on the competition. If there’s no competition, I see where it just mentioned, of your site on powerful sites would make a difference. But if like, like most places, that the competition is fierce, then no, you’re not going to get away with something like that.

Yeah, and I think it’s kind of interesting to backing this up a level away from purely the SEO benefit and saying, Well, if your name let’s say the SM dog food brand is mentioned on Huffington Post, like yeah, you know what, I bet Our website is gonna see some increased traffic and it’s not a direct link, right. It’s just by getting out there and building the brand. You know, that’s kind of what’s happening there as to how I see it without getting into the technical side.

Yeah. And you know, actually, just to follow up, Adam, that’s a really good point. And I know this to be true, because when I started my land investment, my land flipping business, I experienced it firsthand. And that is if you can get a name published online, right, and somebody but it’s not a backlink, but somebody reads the name and they’re curious, they’ll go Google that. And then it pulls up the brand. And then they click through that’s a navigational or brand search query, that then a click through. So that’s a huge SEO signal, when somebody reads a name, brand name somewhere and then goes in Google searches and then clicks through that’s a fantastic SEO signal. And I experienced that with alpha land Realty, my business, my real estate business because when I first started, I was just running ads, I didn’t do any SEO at all, nothing, I just have a single and it’s still to this day, just have a single landing page on click funnels. For you know, for that business, basically. And all I started I was sending I was running Google ads to that but no SEO and then I started sending a direct mail out to property owners with my brand name Alfa land realty on it. And what happened was I started seeing alpha land realty ranked number one for even like, my keywords like sell land fast Virginia and things like that. And I couldn’t figure out why because I hadn’t done any SEO work whatsoever. And then I started digging into it. And I realized that people were doing navigational search queries because they would get letters from me direct mail letters from me that would state you know, hey, alpha land realty wants to buy your property, if you’re interested, go here, blah, blah, blah. And they would go to Google and search alpha land Realty and then click through and because of that, I started to rank in a matter of like three weeks with zero SEO work. And it was because of those brand searches, which is why we talked about engagement signals are absolutely critical, are super powerful. You want to comment on that, guys before we wrap it up?

Yeah, I think that’s good.

Okay, thanks, everybody for being here. We’ll see you guys next week. See ya.

Source: Semantic Mastery Weekly SEO Q&A – Hump Day Hangouts – Episode 324 published first on your-t1-blog-url

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localwebmgmt · 3 years

Text

Weekly SEO Q&A – Hump Day Hangouts – Episode 324

youtube

Click on the video above to watch Episode 324 of the Semantic Mastery Hump Day Hangouts.

Full timestamps with topics and times can be found at the link above.

The latest upcoming free SEO Q&A Hump Day Hangout can be found at http://semanticmastery.com/humpday.

Announcement

Dude, I’m good. I’m good.

I’m just melting down here. It’s really hot and humid, but it’s okay, man.

We’re supposed to have rain tomorrow. So gonna cool off. Happy to be here.

Nice. what’s the temperature there in Celsius?

And Celsius is like 36. I think so. 36. See, it’s pretty warm. Yeah.

Yeah, that’s 96 points, 97.

Of course.

I mean, I recommend that you read period, right?

Yeah, read it.

yeah, Neil.

Doing great. Busy as all hell as usual, but doing well. Glad to be here.

Hold on a minute. Did we forget Chris, didn’t we?

Is Chris here. Chris is here. Oh, man. I’m sorry. Well,

I can go again as well. If you don’t like me here today. Chris snuck in the back door when Adam wasn’t looking.

That’s good. I feel bad because we got the little strip up at the top and zoom. So Chris, how are you doing? Man? My bad.

Yeah, doing well here. I didn’t know.

I was wondering because now I wish the most.

Sorry, what are you saying?

All right, we’re good.

Right, grab the screen.

There it is. Alright,

How Do You Push The Link Juice To Power All PDFs In The Entire Amazon S3 Folders?

Is There A Way To Get More Branded GMBs In Different Locations To Boost The Footprint Of A Real Business With No Fixed Address?

Not me. Okay, moving on then.

Is It Possible To Get Wiki Links To An SEO Agency That Offers Other Services And Has A Blog On Non-Marketing Tech Resources?

What Is A Good Way To Get Lots Of Footer Links Without Having Lots Of Clients?

How Can You Run Ads For A Client If You Don’t Have Access To Their Website?

so I don’t know why you would want to do it without having access to the site. Go ahead.

Any other comments?

No, that’s fine. Okay,

Does It Make A Difference If You Already Added The Supporting Documents Prior To Getting The SEO Location Shield?

Okay, so hopefully that clarifies that.

All right, moving on.

Do You Have Any Tips In Using Linktree Other Than Hammering It With Backlinks?

How Would You Silo Structure A Website With Multiple Topics?

Comments?

Do Semantic Mastery’s Methods Only Work On Google Search Engines?

I agree.

Have You Ever Ranked Something Using Citations Only?

Comments, good?

Adam, you on, you turn your camera on. So I’m assuming you got something to say?

Thoughts On The AWS Email About Allowing Public Access

Yeah, I think that’s good.

Okay, thanks, everybody for being here. We’ll see you guys next week. See ya.

Source: Semantic Mastery Weekly SEO Q&A – Hump Day Hangouts – Episode 324 published first on your-t1-blog-url

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key-ten · 7 years

Text

Symphysis

So haha here is my Colorful World entry. I can’t remember the last time I finished a long fic. Joining Colorful world was super fun and this is unfortunately my first and probably the last time I’ll do it. But I hope y’all enjoy it. Let me know what ya think

Pairing: Jongkey Word count: 10,947 Rating: PG-15 Warnings: N/A Summary: Forever isn't really as long as it seems. And love is for those naive enough to be redeemed.

“Wanna go on a date?” They’re sitting in the library studying when Jonghyun asks the question. Today he just couldn’t concentrate on his book, opting instead to watch Kibum as he buried his nose in his books. The younger guy was just intriguing to watch. From the way his furrowed brow accompanies a pout when he didn’t understand something to the way he beamed with pride when he got something correct. Really it was distracting and the only solution Jonghyun found to his problem was to ask Kibum out like he’d been itching to for months.

“Huh?” Kibum isn’t really paying attention to Jonghyun, calculus is kicking his ass. Partial differentiation can kiss his ass.

Jonghyun repeats himself, “A date. Want to go on one with me?”

“Huh?” This time Kibum actually does hear Jonghyun’s question, but he isn’t’ really sure if he heard Jonghyun correctly. A date? Them? Together? In the year and a few months, they’ve been friends, Jonghyun never hinted at the fact that he even had an inkling of a crush on Kibum. Where was this coming from? “Are you serious?”

“Wow, way to turn a guy down Kibum. Of course I’m serious!”

“I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it?” Ever since they met in the drama club during Kibum’s freshmen year, they’ve been an inseparable pair. Jonghyun was just one of those overly excited sophomores that wanted to meet and greet all the newbies. Never did Kibum expect anything romantic to come out of their friendship.

“Well now that it's all out there, what do you say?” Jonghyun doesn't even remember the last time his heart raced this much after asking someone out.

“Um sure?” Although Kibum sounded uncertain, he certainly wouldn't be after the date Jonghyun has planned. “Since when did you like me?”

Jonghyun can feel his cheeks heat up, “Really? You're going to ask this now?”

“When else would be a better time to ask?”

The older man rubs the back of his neck. “I don't know? A couple of months? One day I just started thinking about how nice it'd be if I could hold your hand and kiss you. I don't know, that just isn't a thought a friend should have.”

“Why didn't you say anything earlier? You should've just said something.”

“Oh, I'm sorry that I was so nervous that I felt like my heart could burst out of my chest.”

“That's adorable, Jong.” Kibum smiles. “Let's go on the date after my exam, okay?” Jonghyun quickly packs up his stuff, bubbling with excitement. “Where are you going?”

“I've gotta go tell Minho! He said I wouldn't ever have the balls to ask you out. Gotta go rub it in his face.”

“Wait, he knew about it?!”

“Everyone knew about it. I'll talk to you later.”

---

“So, you're telling me that literally everyone knew about your massive crush on me?” They're walking side by side down the street after part two of the perfect date. Or at least Jonghyun thought it would be perfect for Kibum.

They started off at a paint and sip, Kibum always talked about wanting to go to one; although he wouldn't be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage, a virgin piña colada would have to do. Next they headed to a market famous for its street food. It was easy to eat a lot for a little, and gave them something to consistently talk about.

“I wasn't exactly shy with my flirting.” Kibum was never receptive towards any of the advances Jonghyun made which was why he delayed this even more.

“So I was just being stupid?” Really he had never noticed. Kibum would like to think that he wasn't completely oblivious.

“I don't want to say yes, but definitely.”

“You're such an ass.” Kibum playfully punches his shoulder.

“Yeah, but this ass has taken you on the best first date you've ever been on.” Kibum couldn't debate that. He's only been in what? Three first dates in his entire life? This certainly was the best of them because Jonghyun actually cared that he was having a good time unlike those other fools he's been on dates with.

“Fine. I admit this has been a pretty good date.”

“Fear not, we have one more stop before this date comes to a close.”

“Oh really? How can this date get any better?”

“Just you wait and see.” It takes a bus ride to the neighboring city and a ten minute walk to get to the perfect destination. “We made it with just a couple of minutes to spare.”

“You're not trying to kill me are you?”

“That would be a terribly thought out murder don't you think? I told everyone on the planet that I was taking the Kim Kibum on a date.” Not to mention they passed by a crap ton a people in order to get to this spot.

“I guess you're right. So what are we doing here? Not that it's not nice or anything.” They stood overlooking a small lake, the moonlight bouncing off of the rippling water. It could even be described as romantic although Jonghyun has never brought someone here before.

“Just wait a little longer.” Were they running off schedule? He did not have this planned out in such detail for it to fall apart at the very end.

A sharp sound shoots through the air. The initial boom catches Kibum off guard, but after the colors dissipate into the night sky, Kibum’s mouth hangs open.

“You brought me to a fireworks show?” Kibum gasps. Fireworks held a special place in Kibum’s life. His grandparents used to take him all the time as a kid before they passed away. He hasn't been to see fireworks since they died a few years back. Jonghyun actually remembered this minor detail? Kibum couldn't have mentioned it anything more than in passing.

“I figured it'd be a good way to end the night.”

“It's perfect.” Kibum looks at him with gleaming eyes and a bright smile. “You're perfect.” Kibum leans in quickly, planting a peck upon Jonghyun’s lips. Jonghyun has been imagining this moment for months and it was over before he could even register that it was happening. Still he feels like he could explode alongside the fireworks into an array of colors.

Instead of squealing in excitement, Jonghyun takes the initiative to intertwine their fingers together. Kibum gives him a reassuring squeeze, too embarrassed to look Jonghyun in the eye.

Jonghyun thinks that Kibum is the perfect one.

----

“So you're the famous Kim Kibum?” He feels as if he's a specimen under a microscope. He takes Jonghyun’s hand under the table for a sense of security. Kibum never imagined that meeting Jonghyun’s college friends would be this intimidating. What they thought of Kibum didn't matter to him, but them liking the high schooler would definitely make the experience easier.

“I don't know about famous but yeah.” They've been planning Kibum’s visit for months, before Jonghyun even moved into the dorms. Jonghyun’s university wasn't even that far away but with a lack of a car and income, it made it difficult from Kibum to come up and visit the older man.

“Jonghyun talks about you a lot. Almost too much.” Hana, or at least he thinks her name is Hana, says. Kibum’s never realized how bad he was with names until seated at this table. He's sure Jonghyun has spoken about these people on more than one occasion and posted way too many selfies with them on Facebook, but the only name to face connection he's making is with Jonghyun’s roommate.

“If I was dating someone as cute as Kibum, I'd talk about them all the time too.” Jonghyun’s roommate, Seo Joon, comments.

“See, Seo Joon understands me. This is why we're the perfect roommates.”

“Are you sure it isn't because I'm letting you guys have the room to yourselves this weekend?” Seo Joon counters.

“If you ever get a girl, I'll let you have the room whenever you ask.”

“Stop it, you're killing the poor guy.” A girl, Nicole maybe, says in an attempt to save Kibum from embarrassment.

“Are you coming to the party tonight?” Party? Jonghyun never mentioned any party to Kibum.

“No. We're just going to spend the night in.” Jonghyun answers for them.

“Oh really? Who's going to be in who?” Seo Joon cracks a joke, soliciting a laugh from everyone at the table

“If really care to know, we're versatile.” Kibum speaks before really thinking about the words that fly out of his mouth.

Jonghyun’s friends erupt into laughter. “Can we keep him please?”

---

“Hey Key?” They're lying on Jonghyun’s bed, just staring at the ceiling. The twin extra-large bed isn't too comfortable but they make it work. It was easier to see each other now that Kibum went to the same college. He seemed to stay over at Jonghyun’s upperclassmen apartment more than his own dorm, not that either of their roommates minded much.

“Hm?” Kibum had to prepare himself for whatever pseudo-deep question was to follow.

“Have you ever thought about getting married?” Well that one was different.

“In general, yes?” He's always dreamed of the white picket fence with dogs, maybe without the kids. It wasn't a priority on his list though. “Have you?”

“All the time.”

“Really? You've never spoken about it before.” In the four years they've been dating, Kibum can't recall Jonghyun mentioning it once.

“You know how much of a hopeless romantic I am, of course marriage is on my list somewhere.” Kibum should’ve assumed after all of the moonlit dates they've been on.

“Alright so where is this conversation going?” Kibum sits up to be able to look at Jonghyun, Jonghyun always wore his emotions on his face, so Kibum could be able to tell what he was feeling easily. Jonghyun only looks pensive when he sits up to look back at Kibum.

“Well I was thinking, that I want to be married one day to you.”

“What!?” Kibum doesn't mean for the question to sound as harsh as it came out.

“Not now obviously!” Jonghyun panics a little, afraid that he scared Kibum a bit. “I bought us something.” Jonghyun digs into the nightstand drawer and pulls out a ring box. “Before you freak out, this isn't an engagement ring. More like a promise ring.”

Jonghyun opens the box to reveal two silver bands. His name is engraved into one of them, Jonghyun’s on the other. The names have one diamond on the left, one sapphire on the right. Jonghyun put a lot of work into designing these. “My name is engraved on the inside of yours and vice versa.”

“Oh my gosh, these are beautiful. How did you afford this?” Jonghyun only worked a couple of hours a week as a waiter and these must have cost a fortune.

“I saved all of my tips for months.” Not to mention that he was afraid to creep Kibum out. Despite how long they've been dating; they've never talked about where they envisioned their relationship going. “Obviously we can replace these with engagement rings later when we're ready for that but until then we can have these. If you want to of course.”

“Of course I want to!” Kibum throws his arms around Jonghyun, pulling back to plant a kiss on his lips. Kibum holds his hand out so that Jonghyun can easily slip the ring onto his finger. Jonghyun does the same. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Forever.”

---

“How is it down there?” Jonghyun finally got the chance to give Kibum a call after Kibum had been waiting days. A couple of months after being a fresh college graduate, Jonghyun was finally approached for a job. The only problem was that it was an hour and a half away from Seoul. After a few encouraging words from Kibum and his parents, he decided to accept the offer.

“It's really good! I'm settling in. And everyone seems so nice so far. I miss you though “

“I miss you too.” College wasn't the same without Jonghyun by his side.

“You have to come out here when you can. It's really nice.” Kibum’s internship has been eating up all of his time, he would've helped Jonghyun move in otherwise.

“I'll try my best.” Of course if he could, he'd be by Jonghyun’s side right now.

“Hey, Jonghyun you coming?” Kibum hears over the phone.

“You have friends over?”

“Ah they're my coworkers. We're going out for an office party because I'm a new hire.” Jonghyun explains over the phone. “I'm sorry guys. I'll be right there; I'm talking with my boyfriend.”

“You didn't tell us that you have a boyfriend.” It's a different voice this time, a woman.

“Really? I feel like I mention him within ten minutes of speaking to someone about my life. His name is Kibum and he's the love of my life.”

“Nice. Hopefully we get to meet this Kibum one day.”

“I don't want to hold you up if you have somewhere to go.”

“Alright, I love you.”

“Love you too. Don't drink too much! You know how you get when you're drunk.’ He gets almost too affectionate for his own good.

“No promises. I'll call you later.”

They carry on like that for months. Quick phone calls every day once as Jonghyun got settled. The weekly video chat just to see each other's faces. Jonghyun’s monthly visits back home to see Kibum and his family.

Until it all stopped.

There were always periods of time where one of them would be too busy to be in contact but never more than a few days at a time. Everything just went cold. Messages left unread. Calls left unanswered. Voicemail box full from how many messages Kibum has left him.

Kibum decides to go visit Jonghyun’s parents to see if they've heard from him. Surely they'd know what what going on.

He rolls up to the house only to be met with a for sale sign on the lot. What was going on? Kibum didn't want to get ahead of himself and worry but his mind was racing and his heart was pounding. They would've never moved without telling Kibum first, they loved him to pieces.

Kibum’s next option was to drive to Jonghyun’s work. Kibum never had the chance to go to Jonghyun’s apartment but he did know the name of the business he worked for. It was just as cute as Jonghyun described.

“Hello, I'm looking for information on someone who works here.” Kibum speaks to the receptionist.

The receptionist looks up at him, her eyes flashing of recognition. “Kibum? You're Kibum right? Jonghyun’s Kibum?”

“Yes that's me. Have you seen him?”

The receptionist shakes their head, “No. He hasn't come to work in weeks.”

“What?”

“I don't know. It was like he disappeared and never came back. Never formally quit either. Our boss was pissed.” Now Kibum had grounds to be worried. Jonghyun was never a flakey person. He would never miss work without reason

“Do you happen to have his address on file?”

“Really, I'm not allowed to give this to you because you're not legally family. But Jonghyun cared about you a lot so I'll make an exception.”

Kibum’s next stop was Jonghyun’s apartment. His heart and mind are racing uncontrollably, that he doesn't hesitate to bang at the door.

“Jonghyun!” The door opens to reveal a tall woman. “Where's Jonghyun?”

“Who's Jonghyun?” Confusion is painted across her face to match the confused thoughts in his head.

“The man that lived at this apartment.”

“I don't know, I moved in a few months ago. You can try asking the landlord.” Kibum runs down to the first floor, the elevator would take too much time. The landlord is easy to find, an older man.

“Excuse me, do you know what happened to the former tenant of 32D? Kim Jonghyun.”

“The kind man that loved to sing? Ah, yes. Of course I remember him.”

“Do you know why he moved out? I haven't heard from him in weeks.”

“He never officially moved out actually. A woman and a man came by to take his stuff weeks ago saying that something happened to him.” Kibum’s heart sinks through his chest.

“Do you know what happened?”

“No. The couple didn't elaborate. But it seemed bad. They looked like they hadn't slept in days.”

“Do you have any way to contact them?”

“No. They didn't leave a number or anything. They took everything out in a day and never came back.”

Kibum’s world turns black.

When he comes to again the blinding white lights of a hospital burns his eyes.

“I think he's waking up! Kibum!” His mom is to his left, grasping at his hand. His father is standing behind her, looking just as worried. Taemin, his best friend, is to his right. “Kibum what happened?”

Kibum had the same exact question. What happened? Where was Jonghyun? The man that promised to always be by his side was nowhere in sight. Jonghyun was even there where he got his appendix removed during his freshmen year of college. Tears welling at his eyes spill over.

“Kibum what's wrong?”

Everything was wrong. From the aching in his head to the hole in his heart everything was wrong. “Jonghyun. Something's wrong. I don't know where he is. His parents are gone. He's gone.”

“I'm so sorry.” His mom wraps her arms around him as best as she can in this position. Everything comes raging out of Kibum’s body, sobbing into his mother's shoulder, fingers gripping into the bed sheets. Why does everything hurt?

He spends winter break back at home with his parents. He couldn't bear to spend time in the apartment that he once shared with Jonghyun. The countless pictures of them together that littered the walls of their apartment were a cold reminder of what Kibum no longer had. Even looking at the wallpaper on his phone was painful, but Kibum didn't have the heart to change it; preferring instead to not touch his phone at all. He took an indefinite leave of absence from his internship, the job being more understanding than Kibum could've ever imagined.

Even daily activities became too hard for him. Getting out of bed was impossible the first few days back at home after collapsing. Not because his body was still reeling from fainting but because everything hurt. Everything reminded him of the things he and Jonghyun once did together.

The bed that he laid in reminded him of their first time together. Kibum’s parents had went to go visit some relatives for the weekend, so Kibum thought that it was the perfect opportunity to invite Jonghyun over for the weekend. In the 6 months that they'd been dating at the time, they never progressed further than making out and the occasional handjob when they found the time. Despite Jonghyun being much more experienced, he never pushed for anything, waiting for whenever Kibum felt he was ready.

It started out like it always did with them making out of Kibum’s bed. Kibum on top of Jonghyun, trailing kisses along his neck. Kibum pulled back to take a look at Jonghyun, his lips puffed up and his eyes blown wide.

“Want to have sex?” Kibum was sure that there was a sexier way to ask, but none could come to his mind.

“What?” Jonghyun sits up, shifting Kibum to be on his lap. “Are you sure?” Jonghyun had the most sincere eyes that Kibum had ever looked into. Big and brown, but clear.

“I've never been more sure of anything in my life.” Jonghyun lit up at his words. Not because he was finally going to get something that he was waiting for for months but because Kibum trusted him enough to even consider it.

“Have you considered whether you want to be on top or on bottom?”

“Not really?” It was a lie, Kibum has thought about this more than he would be willing to admit.

“We can try both and see which one you like?” Jonghyun suggested.

“Which are you normally?”

“I like either, but maybe like sixty percent of the time I've been on top?”

“We can do that then.”

“We can do whatever you want. You just have to tell me what you like and what you don't like when I do them okay?” Jonghyun was always so cautious with Kibum, more so than he's ever been with anyone prior to Kibum. Kibum nods.

“Do you have lube? Or condoms?” Kibum nods going to his dresser, rummaging through the bottom drawer to produce the items Jonghyun asked for. Jonghyun began to laugh hysterically.

“What? What's funny?”

“You lied. You have been thinking about this. You're cute. You might want to find a different hiding spot for it.”

Kibum moved to straddle his boyfriend again. “Are you going to keep poking fun at me or are we going to do this?”

Jonghyun shifted his weight so that he could flip them over, laying Kibum on his back. “Let's do it.”

His backyard reminded him of the first time he told Jonghyun that he was in love with him. Jonghyun already declared his love for Kibum months into their relationship, Kibum was more hesitant with the words. Really Kibum knew all along that he was in love with Jonghyun and Kibum was certain that Jonghyun knew all along which is why he never placed any emphasis on Kibum saying the words. His backyard had this cute hammock that they liked to lay in whenever the weather was nice enough.

“Jonghyun, I'm in love with you.” The declaration was random, while they were just looking at the clouds. He turned to look over at the older man, and a rush of emotions overtook him.

Jonghyun turned to look at him, eyes wide, blinking. “What? Do you want to repeat that again?”

“I think that I'm in love with you.”

“You think?”

“I am.”

Jonghyun jumped off of the hammock, running around the yard. “He’s in love with me! Kim Kibum is in love with me!” He screamed from the top of his lungs like a child.

“Shut up my neighbors are going to murder you!” Kibum moved to run after him.

“He loves me!” When Kibum finally caught up to the older man, he shut him up with his lips.

Everything Kibum looked at was just another painful reminder of what he no longer had.

Finishing up his last semester of college was rough. He wouldn't have been able to get through it without the help of his friends, especially Taemin. He always stopped by Kibum’s place before his classes to make sure that Kibum went. Making sure that Kibum was eating well.

Weeks turned to months, months turned to years. Pain turned to numbness. The feeling of nothing, was scariest. At least the pain reminded him that he was in fact alive. Eventually it became easier to smile, to laugh, to breathe.

---

“Yeah, I'll be right there. I'm just picking up my coffee down the block.” Kibum speaks into his phone, adding soy milk go his steaming hot cup of coffee. He should've anticipated the longer commute due to the heavy rain, monsoon season was the worse. It was during stormy weather like this that he is reminded on Jonghyun the most. He always loved the rain. It gave him the most inspiration.

If he leaves a minute later there is the slightest chance that he'd make it on time to the meeting, but the is no way he'd risk rushing and splashing water on his clothes. Sure a raincoat was made for the rain but Kibum’s was for fashion.

He steps out of the café, coffee clenched in one hand, his umbrella in the other. His walk should be quick and easy with how desolate the sidewalks are due to the rain, save for the obnoxious guy walking towards him with a bright blue umbrella in tow, head down buried in his phone- one of Kibum’s pet peeves.

When the umbrella rises, the only thing that Kibum can hear besides the pang in his heart is the clanging of his umbrella on the ground and the dull thud of the paper coffee cup. Kibum never knew that raindrops could feel like tiny daggers penetrating every part of his being.

Jonghyun? Kibum would never be able to forget that face. The face smiling so brightly despite the grey blooming skies. The face smiling even though Kibum feels as if being struck by lightning would be better than whatever he is feeling now. Kibum thought that he'd be relieved if he were to see Jonghyun again, but the tears streaming down his face mixing with the rain told him otherwise. Kibum couches down, hugging his knees.

A pair of shoes stop in front of him, the rain disappearing with it.

“Are you okay?” Jonghyun was always a knight in shining armour. He gets down to match Kibum’s eye level.

Kibum doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know what to think. Maybe this was just a cruel joke. Kibum’s imagination playing tricks on him.

“Jonghyun?” He stutters.

A pained expression flashes over his face. “Do I know you?” The air is suffocating but maybe death would be a better way out of this. “Would you like to have a talk over some coffee? I can buy you a new one.”

Work would have to wait.

Kibum can feel the barista burning holes into his back as he sits in a chair drenched from head to toe. Jonghyun comes back with two cups of coffee in hand, taking a seat across from him. “First off, I would like to apologize for making you cry.”

“For just today?” What about the nights Kibum cried himself to sleep? What about the days where breathing felt unbearable?

“I take it that you know me. Or well, that I knew you?” Jonghyun carefully brings his coffee cup up to his mouth. He was always so careful. “I’m sorry but I don't remember much.”

“What?”

“Almost two years ago, I got into a car accident with my parents and my memory is really spotty.” The rumors were true then. Warm tears roll down his face. “I'm sorry, please don't cry.”

“I'm just relieved.” Relieved that he hadn't been abandoned. Kibum buries his face in his hands.

“Kibum?” Kibum’s heart skips a beat, hearing his name again in that soft voice again. Kibum drops his hands from his face. “Your name is Kibum?” Jonghyun takes his left hand frantically to look at the ring still on Kibum’s finger. Jonghyun pulls at the chain tucked neatly underneath the collar of his shirt. Dangling at the end of the chain is the silver ring that Jonghyun bought years ago.

“You still have the ring?”

“It was one of the few things that survived the crash, albeit a bit dinged up. I didn't know who it was referring to when I woke up but clearly it was important to me. I take it that we meant something really special to each other.”

He still did. Kibum nods instead.

“I'm so sorry.” Jonghyun apologizes again, not finding the words to say. It wasn't Jonghyun’s fault but that certainly didn't make any of the pain he's felt over the last few years disappear. “I should've tried harder to find you. I should've done something. Anything.”

“It's not your fault.”

“That doesn't make me feel any less bad about it.” He says, looking Kibum directly in the eyes. “So we were dating?”

Kibum nods again. “You bought us these couple rings when you were in your junior year of college.”

“Fuck, how could I forget all of this? I'm sorry that you went through that.” Jonghyun had the memories stored in his head but the faces and names that went along with the memories were nowhere in sight.

“You're the one that got into an accident and got amnesia.”

“But it's easier to get through things when you don't remember what it is that you lost.” Kibum couldn't argue with that.

“So where do we go from here?” Kibum didn't expect anything from Jonghyun. How could he when they were virtually strangers?

Jonghyun extends a hand towards Kibum, “Hello my name is Jonghyun, nice to meet you.”

Received 9:54pm:

From Jonghyun

Do fireworks ring a bell?

Received 9:54pm From Jonghyun:

Like literal fireworks. Not emotional fireworks. Although idk, there may have been emotional ones too.

When Jonghyun suggested that they exchange numbers, Kibum thought it was just to be nice. He didn't think that Jonghyun would actually text him.

Sent 9:55pm To Jonghyun

To end off our first date, you brought me to see fireworks. You remember that?

Kibum could never forget it.

Received 9:55pm: From Jonghyun

I don't know. It's really hard to explain. I remember moments but not who they were done with. Some things trigger greater memories, but I had nothing to remind me of you except the ring. Which was a great mystery.

Sent 9:56pm: To Jonghyun

Oh… your uncle really didn't tell you anything huh?

Received 9:58pm: From Jonghyun

Nope… I wasn't really close with them to begin with so they didn't really know my life. They threw out a lot of my stuff because they just couldn't keep it all while paying for my treatment. Coupled with losing their relative, it was just really hard on them. I don't blame them much but there's a lot of people that I've hurt. people I can't remember.

Received 9:59pm: From Jonghyun If you don’t mind me asking, how did we start dating?

Sent 10:01pm: To Jonghyun You asked me out one day while we were studying. I didn’t think you were serious about it because you were a huge flirt. But you got really excited, so I knew that you were being legit.

Received 10:05om: From Jonghyun:

I don't think I've been flirt. I haven't been with anyone since the accident…

Sent 10:05pm To Jonghyun

Oh.

Received 10:06pm From Jonghyun

Have you been with anyone since?

Sent 10:05pm: To Jonghyun

No.

Not that he hasn't tried. He's been on several dates quickly realizing that he is in no way over Jonghyun. The fact that he's never taken the ring off should tell anyone that much.

Received 10:08pm: From Jonghyun

Oh...

Sent 10:08pm: To Jonghyun

Yeah…

Sent 10:10pm To Jonghyun

I should probably go to sleep. I kind of missed an important work meeting and have been ignoring my coworkers calls…

Received 10:10pm: From Jonghyun

Have a good night Kibum.

Kibum can hear keys jingle in the lock from the couch, Taemin must be home. A few seconds later Taemin walks through the door seconds later. “Why have your coworkers been calling me all day?” Taemin stops in front of the couch with a huff, a disappointed look on his face. Taemin has gotten really good at that face over the years. “Why are you wearing your sad outfit? Did something happen?” it was impossible to hide something from Taemin.

“I found him.”

“Found who? Lucky the Leprechaun? Because something magical must've happened for you to skip work and not even answer calls.”

“Jonghyun.”

Taemin’s face contorts into a look of confusion mixed with a little bit of anger. “What?”

“Jonghyun. I met him this morning.”

“Met him what? As a ghost?” Taemin always has some choice words about Jonghyun after the initial incident. Whereas Kibum reacted in tears, Taemin met it with anger.

“He has amnesia.”

“What?”

“He got into a car accident. His parents died in it and he got amnesia and he hardly even remembers me.”

Taemin’s face finally softens. “He what?”

“He didn't abandon me.” He breaks down again, Taemin quickly moving to wrap his arms around Kibum. Kibum had thought that he had cried enough tears over this, but it never failed to amaze him how much more tears he had to offer.

Always and forever. Kibum trusted those words when Jonghyun uttered them years ago. He always struggled with the idea that Jonghyun could have abandoned him after saying those words with such conviction, that was the hardest reality to face. There was supposed to be a sense of relief knowing that Jonghyun was well, but whatever was festering up within him was anything but relief.

---

“You look like shit.” That wasn't exactly the greeting that he expected walking into work this morning. He knew that he looked like shit. His eyes are puffy and his nose is red. The rain must've gotten him sick. Or maybe it was the shock.

“Trust me, I know.”

“Before I get angry at you for missing yesterday's meeting, and believe me I will, I'm going to give you the chance to explain yourself. So go on what fantastic reason do you have?”

“You've always asked me why I've avoided dating like the plague and I've only given you vague responses.”

“Yup. It makes no sense to me but yes I know.”

“I never told you the reason why before but I guess now would be a great time.”

“Spit it out then.”

“When I was in high school, I started dating this guy all the way to my fourth year of college. And one day he just disappeared without a trace. I didn't know where he was until yesterday. I saw him while I was walking here and I collapsed into tears. Come to find out he had gotten into a really bad car accident where his parents ended up dying and he got amnesia.”

“Whoa, I was not expecting that.” Kibum can see the pity all over his boss's face. “That is definitely a good enough reason but next time, try to answer your phone will you?’

“Sure. I'm sorry about that.”

“No worries. I hope it works out with that guy.”

“Thanks…”

Received 12:22pm

From Jonghyun:

I'm sorry for messaging you again… I just really have no one else to talk to about my life.

Received 12:24pm:

From Jonghyun:

You’d probably be at work right now right? I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble today for missing yesterday.

Received 12:30pm:

From Jonghyun:

I can only imagine how difficult this is for you…. You don’t have to reply to me. I just feel like I can’t apologize to you enough

Kibum has to turn off his phone after the third message. It was hard to focus on Jonghyun and his work at the same time. His boss may have forgiven him for missing work yesterday but he definitely wasn’t going to be okay with him shirking off today.

Kibum turns on his phone at the end of the day half expecting to find dozens of new messages from Jonghyun but only one new message comes through.

Received 5:11pm: From Jonghyun: I’m sorry. I understand if responding to me is too much to handle. I never meant to hurt you.

Sent 8:35pm To Jonghyun: For the past few years I’ve lived thinking that you were dead. I’m feeling so many things that I’d rather not feel at all. I’m sorry as relieved that I am that you’re alright, I feel like the pieces of me that I tried endlessly to tape back together have shattered again. I want to act like I’m completely grateful that you’re alive and well, because it’s so much better than so many alternatives it really is. But I just don’t know.

Sent 8:36pm To Jonghyun: Also I didn’t get in trouble with my boss. It’s easy to skate by when people pity you.

Received 8:41pm: From Jonghyun: Thank you for being honest with me. I guess it’s my turn to be honest with you. Meeting you has been like a whirlwind. Trying to piece together my life prior to the accident has been the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. Meeting you made me see a light at the end of the tunnel, that maybe just maybe I could recover my lost memories. We could stop talking right now if you want me to. We can both go on about our lives as if we had never met yesterday. But what does that solve? I don’t mean to sound rude because we just met again but maybe a little discomfort will help you figure things out. Get closure, if that’s what you want. If you don’t know, then I sure as hell don’t. But maybe we can figure that out together.

His phone vibrates again shortly after.

Received 8:42pm: From Jonghyun: I’m happy that you didn’t get in trouble. You seriously don’t need any more issues on your plate.

Sent 8:45pm To Jonghyun: Do you want to meet for coffee?

By the time Kibum gets there, Jonghyun is already waiting there. He must live somewhere close by. Kibum slips into the chair opposite Jonghyun.

“I bought you a chai latte again. Half the amount of sugar and soy milk right?” Kibum nods. “I have to be honest, I was really surprised that you asked to me to coffee.”

“You’ll come to find out that I’m full of surprises.” Kibum takes a sip of the cinnamon beverage. “You’re right.”

“What?”

“You’re right. I could live avoiding you the rest of my life, but how would that help me? It’s been hard for me because I didn’t know what had happened to you. And now that I do, I don’t have any more excuses to be miserable.”

“I want you to be anything but miserable.”

“And I want you to regain your memories as much as you can.”

“Then we can have a mutually beneficial relationship. We get you closure and we attempt to recover my memories.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Kibum takes another sip of his coffee. “Have you always lived here? I know that Seoul is kind of big but it's impossible that I never would've seen you.”

Jonghyun shakes his head. “I lived in the countryside since the accident. I just recently moved here. Country life just wasn't for me anymore. It was also a career choice.”

No wonder he'd never seen him. “What do you do now?”

“After my accident I figured that life was too short to be sitting behind a desk. I produce and write music mostly. I also host a radio show.” Jonghyun always loved music even back then but he thought that it’d be a viable career so he decided to be a financial analyst instead. “Writing really helped me with my recovery process.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. I'd love for you go hear them one day. A lot of my stuff was written before my accident, so you're the subject of a lot. Other than the ring, that's how I knew your name. It was written in my song journal like a billion times.”

“You never let me look through your journal when we were dating.” He’d sing songs from it from time to time but he’s never looked through it before.

“I wouldn’t show it to you now either.” He laughs. “It’s kind of a jumbled up, incoherent mess that no one but me will understand.”

“It’s nice to see that something has remained constant.”

“I’d like to think that I’ve remained pretty much the same, I just haven’t had anyone to verify that.” until now of course. “Maybe the only thing that’s changed is that I think much more before I speak.”

“And why is that?”

“I had some hemorrhaging in my brain after my accident that put pressure on my Wernicke’s area which is in charge of word understanding. So until the bleeding subsided words that made no sense would come out of my mouth and I hated that so I stopped talking for a little bit. And even afterwards, I just think before I speak.”

“You speak so easily about your accident.”

“The accident isn’t a source of pain for me. Trying to regain my memories is.”

“Then I guess this’ll be hard for the both of us, huh?”

“Nothing has been harder on me that sitting in countless therapy chairs trying to unlock my memories and coming to no conclusion. The key to unlocking my memories could be sitting right in front of me.” A bitter laugh escapes Kibum’s lips. “What’s the laugh for?”

“That’s what you used to call me. Key. Because I was the ‘key to your heart’. It kinda stuck with the rest of our friends though.”

“Oh…” Jonghyun shifts his gaze to his coffee cup. “I didn't know.”

“Let's make each other a promise. Let's try not to pity each other during this process. We're both essentially asking for torture, so let's just agree to be masochists.”

“Deal.”

“I brought the things you asked for.” The next time they meet is a week later at a park, Jonghyun’s choice of location. Kibum places the box in between them on the bench.

“Thanks.” Jonghyun uncovers the box, his eyes lighting up. Kibum hasn't looked in the box himself since Taemin packed his stuff up. Kibum looks off at the family playing frisbee instead of at Jonghyun, or the box. “What are these pictures from?”

“Thue one is from our third date. We went to go see a concert with some friends, hence the band tees.” The picture had terrible quality. It was pretty foggy because of the smoke and they were sweaty from jumping all night, but their smiles were bright.

“Gosh that blonde hair is atrocious. What was I thinking?”

“You hated darker hair on yourself for a while.” For years Jonghyun wore various shades of blonde because he thought it suited him better.

“Well clearly that has changed.” His hair now is black, it looked good. “What about this one?”

In the next picture they're dressed as a gender bent version of Harley Quinn and the Joker. It was for a costume party for his friend’s frat, and of course Jonghyun felt like they needed to show up everyone.

“It was for Halloween during my first year of college. It was your idea to do the gender bent thing. But everyone loved it and we won the costume contest and got a hundred bucks.”

“We look hot.”

“Clearly everyone else thought so too.”

Jonghyun digs further into the box, pulling out a selection of letters. “Am I allowed to read these?”

“Sure, you're the one who wrote most of them.” Jonghyun got into the habit of sending Kibum random letters in the mail after they'd been dating for about a year. There was never any rhyme to reason when it came to these letters, it was only for Jonghyun to express his thoughts about life, them, anything really.

Jonghyun takes his time reading through the letters, his facial expressions not changing. This Jonghyun was so much harder to read. These letters contained Jonghyun’s heart and soul and yet here he was emotionless.

“I was quite the romantic wasn't I? Especially this part right here where I talk about what I'd like to do to you in bed.” Jonghyun laughs and Kibum gets red in the face. There was a lot of that in the letters, Jonghyun wasn't shy about it at all.

“Don't read that!” Kibum takes the letter from Jonghyun, fearing anymore embarrassment.

“It's so weird knowing that I wrote that but not remembering any of them. Would you mind if I borrowed these for a while?”

“Go ahead, I have no use for them.” The box was just collecting dust at the back of the closet in the hallway. “Aren't you hot?” It was a grossly humid day but Jonghyun still wore black joggers with a black zip up hoodie to match.

“I have scars from the accident, big ones. I don't like showing them off.”

“I don't know if you've noticed but I have a scar in my eyebrow. I was just being a stupid kid and I face planted some pavement really hard and I had to get stitches. But I was left with this scar.” He looks at Jonghyun, really looks at the man he loved (loves?). “I used to fill in my brows because I hated the scat running through it. But then I met this guy would make me feel like the most beautiful person in the world and suddenly my scar didn't really mean much to me anymore. I hope that you're able to find someone that makes all of your scars seemingly disappear.”

A soft smile grows on Jonghyun’s face, “Thanks Kibum.” He furrows his brows before turning away from Kibum.

“You look happy.” Taemin says upon seeing Kibum walk into the kitchen.

“It was a nice day.”

“If you count outside being so humid that my sweat has sweat then yes it's a nice day. What have you been up to?” Kibum stays silent, any talk about Jonghyun enticed an argument. “You were with Jonghyun, weren't you?”

“Yes I was.”

“Kibum, what do you think you're doing?”

“Trying to help someone recover their lost memories.”

“With what purpose? In some sick hope that he'll come to realize that he's still in love with you?” Taemin could have slapped him in the face and it would've had the same effect on him.

“Yes, maybe some twisted little part of me wants him to still be in love with me! But more than anything else, I want to stop being sad. I want to stop living through life feeling hatred when other people feel happy. I want to feel happiness again. True happiness. And the only way that I can do that is if I face Jonghyun.”

“You can be happy without torturing yourself.”

“No, I can't!” Kibum shouts, surprising Taemin and himself. “I've tried! All of these months, all I've fucking done was try! Try to put on a smile on my face for my parents, for you! But it’s not working. I’m crumbling on the inside!”

“I—”

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m gonna go lay down.”

---

“I’m sorry for calling you in the middle of the day.” Kibum had thought that at some point over the last few months they've reconnected that Jonghyun would stop apologizing.

“It’s fine, I was just about to go for my lunch break. What’s up?”

“I just left my therapist’s office. I’ve made more progress in this one day than I have since I’ve started therapy.”

“How so?”

“I remembered something. Not some foggy memory by really remembered something.”

Kibum swallows, “You recovered some of your memories?”

“One. I was introducing you to my mom and we were sitting at the dinner table and you were gripping my hand to death because you were nervous.”

Kibum laughs into the phone, “I remember that day. Your mom was amazing.”

Jonghyun talked about formally meeting his mom early on in their relationship. They’d met before briefly during a theater club rehearsal but then they had just been friends, being introduced as a boyfriend was a much bigger thing in Kibum’s mind. Really he shouldn’t have been as nervous as he was in retrospect, but having the most important person in your boyfriend’s life like you was huge to him. He put way too much thought into what to wear and what to bring even though Jonghyun insisted that his mom would love him no matter what. Jonghyun couldn’t have been more right because his mom really did adore Kibum.

“I told you that I loved you for the first time on that day.”

Kibum clears his throat, “You remembered that much, huh?”

There’s a moment of silence before Jonghyun speaks again, “You cried after I said it.”

“I did.” Kibum confirms his recollection of events. “Happy tears of course, but nevertheless there were tears.”

“My therapist says that meeting you again was the best thing for my recovery “

“Well, I'm happy that my tears have been instrumental in assisting you.” Kibum jokes.

“Really, you've been amazing.”

“Thanks…” Kibum trails off. “I'm gonna go.”

“Uh yeah. Have a good break.”

---

Received 4:31pm From Jonghyun:

Do you want to visit my studio? I said that I’d show you some of my songs.

“Sorry, it’s a little small. Literally no more than five people have been in here at a time.” Jonghyun opens the door in his usual all black attire with the addition of a cap.

“Are you kidding me? This place is great.” There was a little lounge area with mod decor when he first enters, leading to the soundboard, followed by the sound booth. It was small but it had all of the necessities. “How can you even afford this place?”

He shrugs, “Inheritance, life insurance, song royalties.”

“You make enough off of royalties to afford this? Have I heard any of the songs you’ve written on the radio?”

“Maybe. Gloomy clock by IU. Playboy by EXO. Breathe by Lee Hi. You didn’t hear it from me but I’m actually working on a song for Lee Hyori’s comeback.” How could he be so nonchalant about his accomplishments?

“She’s making a comeback?! What?”

“You didn’t hear it from me!”

“Dude those songs were huge. How did I not know about you?”

“People care more about who is singing more than who actually wrote or composed it.” He states, heading over the mini-fridge in the corner. “Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got mostly water and a couple of beers.”

“I’ll take a water.” Jonghyun tosses a water bottle over to Kibum.

“Don’t just stand over there, come over to the soundboard. It’s where all the magic happens.” It was interesting to see Jonghyun in his element. The most Kibum had ever seen was some miscellaneous strumming and humming. “Welcome to my home, I have slept here on one too many occasions.”

“Wow, the cool badass producer could've slept right in the chair that I'm sitting in.”

“Such an honor right?” Jonghyun jokes. “Anything you're interested in hearing?”

“It really doesn't matter to me. Being here at all is amazing to me.”

“Wow, I'm so touched.” Jonghyun hums fiddling with his laptop. ‘This song is called Suit Up. It was actually written years before my accident, probably one of the first songs I’ve ever finished but I didn't compose the music until maybe a couple of months ago.”

An angelic beat floats in, pulling Kibum in instantly. It was a different sort of sensation from the first song. This song had the sort of beat that Kibum could rest peacefully to, not nearly as heavy sounding as the first. Jonghyun’s breathy voice filters in, singing the sensual lyrics. I’m craving for something sweet, I’ll put you in.

After the song ends Jonghyun looks at him with hopeful eyes. “That was beautiful. It wasn't about me was it? I never imagined wearing a veil in my wedding day.”

“I actually don't know. There were no notes about it in my notebook.” Jonghyun couldn't piece things together without the notes in the margins.

“Have you ever thought about becoming an artist yourself?”

Jonghyun hums, “I've thought about it, I've gotten offers. But I don't know, I don't really know if I see myself in the spotlight.”

“I think you'd do great. You're handsome, you've got an amazing voice, and a story to tell. What else could the people possibly want?”

“I suppose you're right.”

“I forgot to ask, how have the therapy sessions been going?” Jonghyun hadn't mentioned anything since the last time they've spoken about it.

“Good. She highly doubts that I'll be able to recover all of my trapped memories but she says it's going well.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

“Thanks for the support Kibum. It's been really helpful.”

Kibum smiles, “I'm happy to help.”

Jonghyun is looking into his eyes, and there's a flash of something in his eyes that Kibum can't out his finger on. But it's gone as soon as it appears, and Jonghyun’s back to looking at his laptop. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind for the rest of the night.

---

Received 9:54pm: From Jonghyun: Do you want to grab a drink?

Jonghyun is already sipping on a caramel colored beverage at the bar by the time Kibum arrives.

“Why the frown?” Kibum slips onto the bar stool next to him.

“I keep thinking about my parents.” Jonghyun replies not even looking up from his drink. “Do you want anything to drink? I've got an open tab going.”

“No. I don't really drink much anymore.” Jonghyun nods.

Jonghyun turns to look at him. “Did I ever tell you that the accident was my fault?” Kibum shakes his head. “We got T-boned by a truck while I was driving. My parents got hit straight on. I used to think about them more often.”

“What do you think about now?”

“A little bit about everything. These days I'm feeling regretful.” Jonghyun takes a final swig of his beverage. “But not towards my parents which makes me more perplexed.”

“Who are you feeling regretful towards?”

“I know we promised each other not to feel bad for each other, but lately towards you mostly. And myself.”

“Why?” Kibum feels like a therapist asking guided questions to try to get Jonghyun to his point.

“The more I regain my memories the more I feel bad, I'm not even sure if I know how I feel anymore. The idea of what my life, our life, would've been had the accident never happened is plaguing me.” Kibum had imagined it too, where they would've been. Would they have been married with some puppies running around? Would they not have been together at all?

“You’re not making any sense.”

“Not much has made sense lately.” Jonghyun swirls the empty glass around. Kibum had never seen Jonghyun this down before. Kibum was never all too great at consoling others, that was always Jonghyun’s thing. “I thought that this agreement would bring more clarity but I'm more confused than when we started.”

“Then we can just end this here.” He had nothing to lose anymore.

“That’s the thing, I don't want this to end.”

“I don't understand what it is that you want to do then.”

“I like you.” He confesses.

“What?”

“At first I thought that whatever I was feeling was because of my memories resurfacing, but I know what I felt then and I know what I feel for you now and they’re not the same.”

Kibum shakes his head in disbelief, “No, I can’t do this again.”

“I know that this doesn’t make any sense, but please hear me out.”

Kibum moves from his seat to back away from Jonghyun, “I’m sorry, I just can’t.”

Jonghyun latches onto Kibum’s wrist, looking at him with the most pitiful set of eyes Kibum has ever seen, “Kibum please.”

Kibum pulls his arm away from Jonghyun, turning to head for the door. “I’m sorry.” Jonghyun makes no other attempt to stop Kibum. It isn’t until Kibum is out the door that it registers that Jonghyun was wearing shorts.

“Can you come pick me up?”

“Where are you?” Their friendship hadn‘t been the same since their argument, but Taemin was always someone that Kibum could depend on.

“Thanks for coming to get me.” Kibum slips into the passenger seat.

“What happened? Trouble with your peculiar arrangement?”

“If you’re going to be a cynical asshole about it, I’ll just jump out of this moving car right now.” He really didn’t need Taemin to be an ass right now.

“That really wasn’t my intention. I’ve been meaning to apologize for our last argument.”

“Well it’s been fucking weeks, why haven’t you?”

“I didn’t know how to bring it up?” What a better place than a car? “I didn’t understand why you were still hung up on Jonghyun, honestly I still don’t really understand it, which is why I said some harsh things. And I’m sorry for saying those things.” Taemin glances at him, before turning his attention back to the road. “But one thing I do understand is the fact that you’ve been happier in the last few weeks than you have been in months, so who am I to take that away from you?”

“Well, I’m anything from happy right now.”

“What happened?”

“Jonghyun confessed to me.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I don't know what I want anymore.”

“What's holding you back?”

“Fear.”

“Since when have you let fear dictate what you do in life?”

“Since I experienced a pain that I didn't even know was possible to feel.”

“But you survived it and came out stronger, right?”

“Where are you driving?”

“I don't know; I was just driving straight.”

“We can go back home.”

“I'm not going to tell you what to do, but you know better than anyone what you want and deserve.”

Received 11:31pm: From Jonghyun: Please don’t ignore me. I’m sorry.

Kibum groans, sinking into the chair. “Please take my phone away from me before I do something stupid.”

---

“You look more miserable than when you found out that your dead ex-boyfriend was not as dead after all.” His boss comes over with a cup of coffee in hand, offering it to Kibum.

He gladly accepts the cup with a smile. “Thanks, it was almost as if I hadn't noticed when I walked out the door this morning.”

“Does this have to do with him again?”

“That obvious, huh?”

“Yeah, I take notice when my favorite employee is off his game. Can you tell that fucker to stop fucking up?”

“I haven't spoken to him in a few days, so I would gladly give you his number so that you could tell him yourself.”

“Damn, what did he do?”

“I'd rather not talk about it right now.”

“Fine, I won't pry. But if you ever need time off to take time for yourself, feel free to do so.”

“Thanks.”

Received 12:20pm:

From Taemin:

Do you want to grab lunch? There's a new place that opened a couple of blocks over from my job. I can swing by and pick you up.

“What kind of a restaurant is it?”

“I think I heard that it is an Asian Latin fusion sort of thing.”

“Sounds delicious, I'm starving.” All he had for breakfast this morning was the cup of coffee and a croissant, he was due for a meal. “What's with the crowd? There's no way all of these people are coming just for this restaurant.”

Taemin shrugs, “No clue. Wanna check it out before lunch?”

“Why not?” It's impossible to make it through the crowd, so instead they choose to stand where they have an amazing view of the broadcasting monitor. “I didn't even know they still did guerilla concerts.”

“Well considering how much this impedes on traffic and decreases foot traffic in this area, I can see how this would be outdated.”

“Wow thanks for raining on this parade.”

The crowd starts getting revved up, shouting for the incoming artist. He can barely discern the name of the artist through the frantic shouts, but he thinks that BACE makes the most sense from what he can hear. From backstage comes the famed artist, a fluff of pink hair hiding the face of the artist entering in in a bowed position. Kibum swears his world stops for a bit.

“Let’s go.” Kibum turns away quickly, Taemin grabs onto his arm.

“Stay for the first song.”

“You planned this with him?”

“Please just stay until the end of the first song.”

“Fine.”

“The popular producer BACE has made his transition from the background as a producer to a singer yourself, what prompted you to make that decision?” The MC asks.

“The offer of making my debut was always an option with my agency. I had songs that I didn’t have the heart to give to other artists, so I thought releasing an album with the collection of songs would be a good idea.”

“Your album will be released right after this event ends, what can we expect out of the album?”

“Love songs mostly.”

“Is there a source of inspiration behind these songs?”

“I was in a terrible accident almost three years ago and I hurt somebody because of my absence. I was able to find him again because I moved to Seoul. Recently, I’ve hurt him again and I don’t know where we stand now but a lot of the songs were written with him in mind.”

“Why don’t you perform one of the songs off of your album? The first song is called 1000?”

“This song was the last one to be added onto the album as I finished it about a month ago. I think the song lyrics speak for themselves, so I’ll just play it.”

Jonghyun’s handed an acoustic guitar and takes a seat center stage right in front of a mic. The song starts off with the soft strumming of his guitar. He looked serene, fiddling with the strings. His gentle voice filters in, saying the words to Kibum that he never thought that he’d be able to say.

1, 2, 3, another day quickly passes 1, 2, 3, tomorrow is already almost here Pressing down on my shoulders, pinning down the shadows I need a place to comfortably rest

You and I Even if it wasn’t back then You and I We would’ve definitely met some time A lot of time has passed But things aren’t different from the beginning It’s still the same, I’m a blessed person

Hug me, lean on my shoulder Have strong trust in me You know that saying I know even though you don’t say it That is very touching but Please tell me even if you know

The song ends as peacefully as the song trailed in with the guitar was the outro. His eyes blur with tears, but his pride swells more than the well of tears. Jonghyun rises from his stool, looking out in the crowd. “Kim Kibum, I don’t know if you’re still out there, but back then and even now you mean so much to me. I’m sorry for shocking you, but please don’t ignore me.”

Kibum flicks the tears from his eyes and turns to Taemin with a smile, “Let’s go grab food, I’ve got to be back at work.” Taemin doesn't protest this time.

“Did you plan this out with Taemin too?” Kibum finds Jonghyun waiting outside their apartment as he comes from work. Jonghyun looks up at him, his eyes lighting up. “You know he hates your guts right?”

He laughs, “He wasn't shy about mentioning it.”

“Then why are you here?” Besides the fact that they weren't talking at the moment, Kibum doubts that it's acceptable for a newly debuted artist to be out and about at night.

“Because I still itch to see you even if you're mad at me.” The words just flow out of his mouth so easily.

Kibum chooses to ignore the statement, “You didn't tell me that you were debuting when we were in your studio.”

“NDA’s are serious agreements.” He simply states. “What did you think of the song?”

“It was nice, any song that you could make would be nice.”

“Hopefully the general public would think so as well.”

“They'd be crazy not to.”

“Thanks.” Jonghyun’s eyes flicker from Kibum’s eyes back to the ground, “I'm sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“You know why.” He did.

“I thought we both agreed that we wouldn't feel sorry for each other. You have nothing to feel sorry for.”

“Then why do I feel like the only thing that I can say is sorry?” He asks.

“Because it's easier to say than what you're really thinking.”

“Do you want to know what I’m really thinking?”

“I would appreciate the transparency.”

“Fine. You know what I think?” His eyes are shaking but his voice is firm, “ I think that you’re scared, terrified even, to even think of the possibility of being with me again. And trust me I understand that, but I’m not the Jonghyun you knew before. I fucking hate the rain, it makes my joints ache. I’m not the bright person that sees the positives in everything in life. I can’t be that guy that you were in love with back then because I’m not, not anymore at least.” He rants but continues softly. “But what I know is that whenever I'm with you I feel like I'm floating on clouds. I know that the bubbling in the pit of my stomach isn’t because of nausea. You make me feel like I can brave any storm. And I can’t ignore that feeling.”

Kibum plainly responds, “You’re right, I am scared.” Jonghyun used to be the one person that Kibum felt invincible with.

“Really? That’s all you’ve got to say?” He couldn’t even hide the disappointment in his voice.

“What more do you want me to say?”

“How you feel about me? Us?”

“I don't know.”

“Okay. Well, I don't know if I can sit around and wait for you to decide that you do know.”

“Do you believe in soulmates?” Kibum changes the pace of the conversation with the question.

“Soulmates?” Jonghyun questions.

“When we were younger I didn't really believe in it but I thought that if they did exist that you would be mine.”

“And that has changed?”

“I don't think so.” Jonghyun turns to look at him.

“So what does that mean?”

“Wanna go on a date?”

#SHINee #Key #Jonghyun #Jongkey #fanfic #my writing #my fic #idk what tag i used for my writing rip

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