#*3 mr president sets 4 m | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

owliellder · 8 months

Text

The Finer Details

Post DI! Leon Kennedy x f! Painter Reader

MDNI 18+

(Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4, Session 5, The Reveal)

Description: Leon realizes that retirement is in his best interest now that he's getting older. All of his accomplishments as an agent mean he's truly earned a painting to commemorate..

Warnings: Not Proofread, Age gap! (reader is anywhere between mid-late 20's and Leon is 40), Porn w/ Plot, Use of she/her pronouns, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Alcoholism, mentions of trauma/PTSD/depression, P in V smut (wrap it NEOW), Leon cries during sex 💔

Tags: Older Leon Kennedy, Younger afab!Reader, Leon is SAD but he is your muse, Crying, mentions of Leon masturbating, starts off with Dom! Leon and Sub! Reader, falls into switch territory because that man needs some serious TLC, Praise kink, Hickeys, Handjob, Nipple play, Oral sex (m! and f! receiving), and a heavy dose of Aftercare

Final Word Count: 22.6k

Author's Note: Ta-da! I put a lot of work into this last chapter, like actually becoming the president for a couple hours, but I really wanted to make it worth everyone's time for sticking around and reading all the way through.

Thank you so much for following along! All the sweet comments from you guys never fails to make my day!

^//v//^

Cross posted on AO3

The Reveal

Almost three months.

It took almost three months for Leon's portrait to fully dry after it had been varnished. You'd checked it almost daily after the two month mark due to Leon's constant pestering. He was understandably antsy, and admittedly, you were too.

There was a lot of convincing involved, but you managed to keep the man at home while you transported the painting to the White House. He worried it would be damaged en-route. Such a little worry wart.

Setting up the painting's respective spot a column away from Chris and Claire's seemed very appropriate; tall, fake bushes sitting on either side of where it would be placed, a warm yellow bulb lighting up the inside of the decorative archway, and the patterned golden frame where the canvas would forever be now hung empty in that portrait hallway, waiting to be pieced together and completed.

The shiny gold placard had already been screwed onto the frame, words zapped on it via laser:

Leon S. Kennedy

USSTRATCOM Agent from 1998 - 2011

D.S.O. Agent from 2011 - 2017

You knew how long he'd been working as an agent, but it was still baffling nonetheless. Nearly 20 years of non-stop intense and usually very traumatizing work, what a feat.

Moving on, you'd worked out the plans for Leon's farewell party with the President and a few coordinators over the span of a few days, making sure to store the painting in a secure room for the time being. It was to stay covered with a violet piece of velvet cloth up until the reveal at the party, no one was allowed to see it besides you, the President, and the various security guards working the grounds.

After another two extra months of waiting, the farewell party was drawing near. There had to be enough time given for invitations to be sent out to people, wait for said people to RSVP, and allow travel time. And at this point, Leon was busting at the seams; extremely nervous, excited, and even a little scared at the prospect of it all.

Your words from that second painting session all those months ago never left his mind: "Seeing the portrait once it's finished is going to be an incredibly emotional ordeal. It's a reminder that this is truly the end of an era for you, Mr. Kennedy..."

The man clung to that, doing his best to internalize it and mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He was hoping you were exaggerating, but from what Chris, Claire, and even Jill have told him about their experience after the fact, he knew deep down that you'd seen it all too well before.

What Leon failed to realize was that he wasn't alone anymore. Sure he had his friends to help, but he'd never had someone to come home to everyday.

During the last few sessions, he had asked to stay with you at your apartment, citing the potential aftermath of the party as reasoning. However, you really didn't need him to explain his reasoning, you would've let him. Even if he just felt like it, you would've welcomed him with opened arms.

Besides, he'd already been staying at your place for longer periods of time over the months. You'd visited his house a few times, but he made sure to whine and complain about how bare and boring it was. If you remember correctly, Leon had said, word for word, that your apartment "felt like a warm hug". With that, he shelled up with you in only a couple weeks before the painting had dried. He made special effort to learn your routine, wanting to give you the space that you needed while also maximizing his time spent with you.

Leon was an actual angel, you were wholeheartedly convinced. Some days you would come home after working on another painting to the man cooking dinner, having bought an expensive wine to share with you. When your hands would start to ache and your back and shoulders were sore from the long hours spent holding a paintbrush in an awkward hunched position, he would set aside anything he had going on just to give you all the massages, kisses, and love that you could ever want.

Nothing was ignored when it came to you and your wants and needs. Leon admitted awhile back that he felt guilty for intruding on your space, though you were very quick to shut that down. He was far from a burden, actually lining up more with a dream come true.

And just like he did with you, you spared nothing while getting to know the in's and out's of the man that occupied your mind, heart, and home. You learned his favorite meals, watched his favorite shows and movies with him, returning the massages when he would return from the gym, and paid extra attention to how he liked to be held at night. Who would've guessed that the Leon Kennedy loved to be the little spoon?

What you spent the most time on was making sure to listen when he suddenly went on tangents about his past. They really did haunt him. You would wake up in the middle of the night to him huddled at the top of the bed, arms wrapped around his legs and head between his knees as he did his best to cry quietly. All you could do for him in those moments was pull him against your chest, gently rocking him back and forth while whispering sweet nothings, just until he felt either ready to talk or ready to fall back asleep. If he just wanted more comfort, then that's what he got, obviously.

He was only recently put on a couple medications to help him better manage his PTSD and anxiety since he really had to cut back on the alcohol in order to take them the way he needed. Definitely worth it to both you and him seeing as his nightmares lessened in intensity and frequency.

Now here you were, straightening out Leon's tie for him since his hands were failing him, nerves getting the better of him. He had taken his meds a few minutes ago, wanting to have the full effect during the party to combat any destructive behaviors during it, so it was no wonder his hands were still trembling.

"You're going to do so well, Leon." You smiled, giving him a gentle pat between his pecs after tucking his tie into his suit jacket. He was staring straight ahead, eyebrows furrowed with worry as he stared at himself in the mirror. "You've made so much progress and I couldn't be any prouder."

He licked his dry lips before slowly looking down at you, giving you the best smile he could, which was really just him pulling his lips back tight. If it weren't for you constantly being around to encourage him and push him to get better, he would not be able to attend his own farewell party.

How had he managed to get so far without this level of love and care? Where would he even be without you? Hopefully later when his mind isn't racing a million miles per minute, Leon will be able to tell you just how lucky he is to have you in his life.

Leon watched you in the mirror as you walked around to stand behind him, straightening out his suit jacket in random spots until deciding to just wrap your arms around his midriff, pressing the side of your face against his back with a content sigh. He brought his still-trembling hands up to hold onto your arms, rubbing his thumbs up and down across your soft skin.

His eyes settled back on his own face after staring at your arms linked around him, letting out a shaky sigh of his own as he attempted to just focus on this moment. You were perfect, ethereal, a true work of art. He wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

It took some time, about an hour, before Leon's medication was starting to kick in. You were definitely a big help, he couldn't give all the credit to his meds.

His relaxed demeanor wasn't easy to spot, the man was just naturally rigid, but you waited until he let you know that he was ready; ready to go to his farewell party, ready to see the portrait you painted for him, ready to put in the effort into accepting the next chapter in his life.

The drive to the White House was seamless, having been picked up in a blacked out SUV that held four personal guards, courtesy of the President. Leon wasn't going to complain, he actually kind of liked the pampering effect that came with being driven around by a dedicated entourage.

Almost all good feelings were drained from Leon when the car finally pulled up to the front of the White House where more guards stood waiting to escort the two of you inside. It was still early in the night, but the sun had set long ago, making for quite the beautiful atmosphere.

He could see numerous party attendees walking up the stairs, dressed up in their fanciest outfits for him. He held your hand the entire way up the stairs and into the entrance hall with a grip that was sure to leave your hand hurting. No matter, you could tell he needed you. That vice grip he had was well worth it for his comfort.

There were quite a few more people than either you or Leon expected. It seems as if all available agents, young, old, and retired, had been sent an invitation for tonight, along with quite a few high-ranking government workers. Luckily, this was a private event; no reporters, no news, only those who had been fortunate enough to be invited.

The first to spot you two was Chris who quickly made his way over to pull Leon into a bone-crushing hug, giving him a few solid pats on the back before letting go. Leon only reciprocated the hug with one hand, the other refusing to let go of yours, though his grip had loosened by now.

"Where's Claire?" Leon muttered, leaning to the side to scan over the sizeable crowd. "She's.." Chris turned around to also scan the crowd, squinting a bit as he looked. "She's somewhere. My wife is with her, her family, and Jill."

Leon pursed his lips with a curt nod, humming quietly in acknowledgement before standing straight again. He glanced down at where his hand held yours, squeezing it again for just a second as if to remind himself that you haven't gone anywhere.

Chris had turned back around to see the small gesture Leon gave to you, a coy smirk on his face. "What uhh... what's all this, huh?" He subtly pointed between you and the other man, voice lowered.

Leon cleared his throat and looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear despite the volume in the hall. "... M'gonna save that for the-.. the speech." Chris just nodded, crossing his arms before slowly turning to look through the crowd again. "Alright, well, let me go find the family and bring them over before you're swarmed." And with that, Chris made his way back into the crowd.

Unfortunately, Leon had been spotted by the rest of the partygoers before Chris could return with everyone. Many pleasantries were repeated while also returning small talk with the people he recognized, which was a lot. You managed to avoid most of it, only being questioned a few times due to the rather obvious hold the man had on you. Despite having attended the last few parties like this, most people unable to recognize you as the artist. A blessing and a curse.

The next couple hours were spent eating finger foods, conversing with whoever, and enjoying the way Leon started to flow with the event. He soon found his way to Chris, Claire, their partners and kids, and Jill which really helped him loosen up. He needed the more familiar faces, having now let go of your hand fully to talk more animatedly with them. You made sure to stick by his side as long as you could, letting out a soft laugh every time you noticed his quick glances over to you to check if you're still there.

The time eventually did come for you to part with Leon, signaling a couple guards to follow you down a few hallways until reaching the room where the portrait sat, still covered with the violet cloth. The decision to keep it back here for so long was made by the President, wanting less of a sudden reveal and more of a build up.

Normally it would already be hanging in the entrance hall, covered and ready to be revealed, but not wanting to risk any potential damage, you were asked to hold off bringing it in until the President was ready to give the speech leading up to Leon's.

It'd been set in the golden frame rather quickly with the help from one of the guards that walked down with you. You had the guard to hold it up for you so you could give it one final good look before he was instructed to lead you back. After recovering, you took the portrait in both hands, holding it close as you were escorted back through the halls and into the main entrance hall.

By now everyone had directed their focus closer to the center of the back wall. Next to where the President stood, your own art easel was now set up. That was mostly as homage to you and it wasn't like anyone besides you would understand that it's yours, though Leon did pick up on that little feature. He'd been staring at the back of that thing for months, counted the various old streaks of paint on the pale wood over and over.

It made his farewell all the more personal, struggling to mask the feeling of the ever-growing pit in his stomach from the friends he was still standing next to.

The sound of a mic being tapped drew everyone's attention in to the President, the volume in the hall quieting to a whisper, soon completely silent as he began to speak into the mic;

"Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you to honor and pay tribute to a true hero, a dedicated public servant, and a loyal friend who has served our nation with unwavering dedication for the past 19 years. It is with great respect and admiration that I address you on this occasion, as we bid farewell to a remarkable agent who has exemplified the very best qualities of service and sacrifice." As the President spoke, Leon held his breath, hands gripping onto his suit jacket to keep from trembling again.

At this point, you'd silently walked along the side with the guards from before, bringing the covered portrait up to the front before carefully placing it on your easel. "Throughout this nation's history, these agents have played an essential role in ensuring the safety and security of our nation's people and have consistently placed their lives on the line to protect the sanctity of our democracy. And today, we acknowledge one agent who has done so with unparalleled devotion."

"This retiring agent has been a silent sentinel, ensuring the continuity of our democratic ideals. Through countless hours of training, vigilance, and selflessness, they have demonstrated a level of commitment that is nothing short of extraordinary. But beyond their exceptional professional duties, this agent has been a friend and a confidant to those of us privileged to work alongside them. They have been a source of strength, a steady hand in turbulent times, and a symbol of the unbreakable bond that can form within the ranks of those who dedicate their lives to service."

You positioned yourself opposite of the President, placing your hands behind your back to keep your posture tall as you now smiled at the crowd, subtly scanning for Leon. His eyes were already on you when you found him, and your smile only widened further.

It prompted his own nervous smile, toying with the buttons on his jacket while turning his attention back to the President, wanting to remain respectful to his, honestly, very flattering speech so far. You followed Leon's eyes, seemingly having the same idea to just watch and listen.

"The sacrifices made by our agents often go unnoticed by the public, and that is by design. Their commitment to duty is matched only by their humility. But today, we pause to recognize and celebrate this retiring agent's dedication, valor, and sacrifice." The President continued to address the attendees in the room, giving you a quick nod before returning his focus to everyone in the entrance hall.

The President outstretched his hand towards Leon standing in the crowd, now staring at him with a prideful yet relaxed look. "To Mr. Leon S. Kennedy, our retiring agent and loyal friend, thank you for your 19 years of dedicated service to our nation. May your retirement be filled with the peace and contentment that you so richly deserve. You leave behind a legacy of honor and courage that will never be forgotten." The crowd of attendees clapped and cheered briefly, causing Leon to reach his hand up to wipe across his face. A poor way to hide his red face. He's done that before, hasn't he?

Once the crowd quieted back down, the President finished his speech with a classic, "May God bless you, your family, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you" before the crowd picked back up cheering and clapping. You clapped along with them, laughing at Leon's flustered expression. He could barely hold back his smile, not really have expecting to be so well recognized for his service.

Leon's queue to make his way to the front was when the President walked over to stand next to you, making sure not to block the covered portrait from anyone's view. He'd recited this speech to you countless times, even more to himself when he was alone, but all those eyes staring at him were causing him to fumble. He messed around with the mic once he was standing in front of it, and that was your queue to walk over and stand next to him, placing a loving hand on his forearm.

That's all he needed, just a little extra encouragement from the person he relied on the most. His speech was short and straight to the point, never having been a man of professional word, yet he still managed to slip in some words of praise for you and all the help you provided him during his rough patch earlier in the year.

Neither you or Leon had outright said it to each other, let alone to anyone else, but hearing him announce to the entire hall of people that you were his girlfriend made your heart soar. Speaking about you calmed his nerves, and he wanted everyone to know just how lucky he felt, like he'd hoped for earlier.

He bent over slightly to whisper in your ear, covering the mic with his hand to make sure it didn't pick up his voice. "Now, why don't you go ahead and show us all that masterpiece you spent months working on?" Oh, now you were the flustered one, giggling nervously as you gave his arm a gentle squeeze before walking over to where the painting sat on the easel.

"Ladies and gentleman," Leon's eyes followed you as he straightened his posture out, speaking into the mic once more with a wide smile gracing his features, "I'm honored to have the wonderful artist herself present my very own portrait to you." As he spoke, you carefully lifted the cloth from where it was draped over the painting, finally revealing the ever-awaited portrait to everyone.

Just like with Chris and Claire's, Leon was sat in that soft maroon chair, slightly off center, but his position was different with his right ankle rested atop his left knee, elbows on the arms of the chair while his hands rested in his lap, fingers interlaced. His smile was soft and partially crooked while he looked forward with relaxed eyes, a few strands of hair painted to sit in front of his brow. And to tie it all together, it had a lovely green background, a dark forest green as the base while a sage green was used to add texture. The vintage look had always been your favorite, and Leon fit it so perfectly. He was nearly timeless.

Many "ooo's" and "ahh's" were heard amongst the clapping from the crowd, along with a handshake from the President. Before you could turn to face Leon, you felt his arms slowly slink around you from underneath your arms, the weight of his head now pressing down on your shoulder. You could feel his grin when he tilted his head to kiss your jawline, beginning to gently rock you side to side. Getting to show off your work was always so rewarding, but just knowing Leon was handling everything so well was a feeling you'll truly never forget.

He was happy. That's all you ever wanted for him. The man has truly earned his portrait in that agent hall of fame.

The portrait was soon brought down to the aforementioned hall to be hung up and displayed for good, a few small groups trailing down to get a better look at it. Chris was the noisiest about it, telling Leon it looked like it belonged above a grand fireplace, to which said man agreed with.

Chris, Claire, Jill, and their respective families stared at it for quite some time alongside Leon and you. They all chatted while Leon stared quietly, taking in every little fine detail you'd added. You changed his position some, and did he really smile at you like that? He really did look lovestruck. Of course only he could tell that. Hopefully.

He surprised himself with how okay he felt after seeing the painting. You warned him multiple times that it would most likely be overwhelming and emotional, and while it was, it wasn't in a bad way. The most compelling thought he had right now was to just sweep you off your feet and smother you with love.

Leon asked one of the guards to take a picture of him with everyone, including you, in front of his portrait. Then, just a picture of you and him standing in front of it, easily becoming the background on his phone.

The party went on for only an hour or so more before people started to trickle out. You and Leon were some of the first to leave, saying all your thanks and goodbye's with hugs and handshakes.

The moment the two of you walked into your apartment he practically pounced on you before the door had shut, large hands gripping tight on your hips as he sloppily made out with you. He just had to show his gratitude for all your hard work.

Your lips tasted so sweet and your soft little moans were driving him wild, he couldn't help the groan that rumbled from his chest. Full blown sex had been held off by you, not wanting to rush him into anything while you helped him manage his problems. Honestly, he was glad you'd held off on him, because now that he was feeling like his own person again, it made waiting all the more fulfilling.

Leon hoisted you up into his arms after you'd kicked your heels off, holding onto the back of your thighs as he carried you to the bedroom. You wrapped your arms around his neck, giggling against his lips as he carefully navigated around the short hallway and into the bedroom.

You looked so good splayed out on the bed for him, that beautiful dress you chose was insanely flattering on you. It had to go though, so after yanking off his jacket he made quick work of your dress, fumbling with the zipper for a moment before pulling it up and over your head. Your bra and panties didn't last either. He'd only gotten to see you naked a couple times before, but god, he'll never get tired of seeing you this way, acting all shy like you weren't his favorite view.

Leon was so eager to get his hands on you that he neglected to take off his suit, opting instead to hover over you and bury his face into your neck. He wasn't a good artist, but he loved to cover your neck in shades of red and purple like you were his own little painting, akin to leaving his signature all over you.

He only pulled away once you tugged on his hair, listening to your begs and pleas for him to get his clothes off. As much as he wanted to prolong this night and tease you, he couldn't hold himself back. He needed to feel your soft skin against his.

"So perfect." Leon mumbled against your skin, licking and kissing his way up your stomach and to your breasts after practically ripping off his clothes. His hands found their way back to your hips, pressing them firm against the bed to keep you from squirming away as he nipped at one of your nipples, pulling it into his mouth.

He moaned as he sucked and circled his tongue around your nipple, his eyes falling closed. The other couldn't stay neglected, so he brought one hand up to pinch and tug at your other nipple, sighing when he felt your body press against his as you arched at the sensation. He loved when your moans would pitch, so cute.

His cock was pressed against the inside of your thigh, rutting against it when you would tug at his hair. Once he decided your nipples had enough attention, he sat up and grabbed the backs of your knees to place around his waist. The new position offered Leon the perfect opportunity to drag his leaking cock through your folds, pressing it down with his thumb so the tip would nudge your clit with every slow thrust forward.

You were so wet, so delicate. He could've fucked you right then, slid right into that juicy little pussy, but he needed to take care of you first. He would never forgive himself if he hurt you.

Reluctantly, the man pulled his dick away from you, letting out a poorly concealed whine at the loss. He ran his hands up your thighs before moving one hand so he could circle your clit with his thumb, the other hand back on your hip to keep you steady.

"L-eon~!" You brokenly moaned out, pleading to him with your watery eyes. You needed more; his fingers, his cock, anything. He couldn't say no to that, stopping his assault on your clit to drag his middle and ring finger through your drenched folds to wet them properly. He brought your right leg to sit over his shoulder, hand gripping the top of your thigh as he leaned forward, studying your face closely as he gently teased the outside of your slit with his middle finger.

He moaned with you as he slid his finger in, keeping his eyes trained on you as he started to tentatively thrust his finger in and out. "Yeah?" Leon whispered, licking his lips as you barely managed to nod. "Yeeeaah, there's my girl..." The rumble in his voice was music to your ears.

His ring finger was soon slid in next to his middle finger, switching between scissoring you and making a partial 'come here' motion with them. After only a couple minutes you were leaking all over his hand and the bed, the wet sounds of your pussy mixed with your moans making his cock jerk and drip with precum. Leon clenched his teeth as he slowly pulled his fingers from you, immediately bringing them to his mouth to suck off your juices. He let out an audible sigh after swallowing, repositioning his dick to slide through your folds a couple more times before nudging your hole with the tip.

"Look at me, baby..." Leon's hushed demand brought you to open your eyes, if only half way. He made eye contact with you before leaning forward further to kiss you, all the while finally pushing into you. He soaked in your gasp, his eyebrows furrowing as you tensed up. "Relax.. let me in~..."

"It's only me.." He panted, tilting his head to kiss the corner of your mouth as your eyes shut again. "It's only me, baby..." he repeated this a few more times as he eased his cock inside of you, the stretch only stinging for a moment before it turned to pleasure. He filled you perfectly, you could feel every bit of him, especially with his right hand adding a bit of pressure to your stomach.

Leon sat still for a minute to give you time to adjust, taking the way you moved your hips as a sign to move. He pulled out, all the way to the tip, before slowly thrusting back in. He managed to choke out a quiet "Fuck-.." when you clenched around him. "Taking me so well.. such a big girl~.."

He always knew just how to talk to you, making sure to take his time buttering you up. You were putty in his hands, and between his words and the feeling of him reaching so deep inside of you, you could barely think.

It didn't take long for him to start to lose his composure, the sound of wet skin slapping together filling the room as his thrusts intensified. "All mine. All for me." The grip he had on your thigh was sure to leave a bruise, but that was the last thing on your mind.

The hand he had pressing on your stomach moved further down so he could circle your clit with his thumb again, jaw tight as he looked from your blissed out expression to where his hand was playing with you. "Oh fuck! That's it!" Leon growled, eyes glued to your cunt as he plunged in and out of it. "Cream this dick, mamas~... Cum on my cock so I can fill this pretty pussy up.."

The way you gasped and moaned when you came was enough to warrant a noise complaint, but screw your neighbors. You needed this just as much Leon did.

"Oohhh fuck yeah.. Milk me, baby~... shit-" Leon's thrusts stuttered to a stop while pressed flush against you, abs flexing as he pumped ropes of cum into you. Once you managed to open your eyes, all you could do was stare at the man, flushed pink and sweaty, sitting between your legs. Both of you moaned in tandem as he pulled out, Leon groaning to himself as he watched his cum drip from your pussy. Truly a work of art meant for his eyes only.

He leaned over you again to plant a quick kiss on your lips, chuckling when he felt you smile. "Let me go grab something to clean you up, okay?" You could only nod in response, reaching your hand up to caress the side of his face before he stood up from the bed. He walked across the hall into the bathroom, wetting a soft rag with warm water before making his way back over to you.

Leon made sure to be gentle when cleaning you, the warmth from the rag soothing your tender skin. You were able to sit up on your elbows and watch him, using his gentle touches as a way to calm your still racing heart.

After wiping himself off with the rag, he tossed it over in the general direction of your laundry basket. It was a problem for later. Right now, he wanted lay back on the bed and pull you up so you could lay on top of him. Along with just how nice it felt to hold you, he loved the weight of you on him. So that's what he did, pulling you onto him after laying on the bed, running his fingers though your hair on the back of your head.

"Leon." You muttered against his collarbone. His eyebrows raised, yet his eyes were closed. "Mm?" His right eye peaked open when he felt you giggle. "What?"

"I love you." His fingers paused their ministrations at your words. You lifted your head up to look at him, growing worried with his shocked expression. "Sorry, is that too-" you choked on your words, stopped mid-sentence by Leon's arms suddenly squeezing the breath out of you with a very tight hug. He pulled you up just a little further so he could smush his lips against yours.

"I love you too!" He breathed out excitedly. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to tell you!" You tapped his arm and he immediately relaxed his grip, mumbling a small, "Sorry, my bad.." when you took in a deep breath.

"You're adorable, Leon." You shook your head with a smile, brushing the hair from his face to give him a much gentler kiss before settling you head back against his chest with a quiet sigh.

Leon was still a tough man, but you made him soft. Only ever soft for you.

Side note: I totally forgot to add in the pussy eating i am so sorry. i thought i did but it was literally just a thought that never manifested 😭

tags!: @greywardensaywhat @xkittiecatx @httpsuguru @httpsuguru @k-fallingstar @lysa1201 @bobastayhigh @pocketstoriesstore @agent-dessis-posts @klee-iii @missjoenowhere @mi-zer-y @bigtiddiesimp @finsternisle @sweets3rial @sodacolablast (there's a few of you that tumblr wouldn't let me tag for some reason)

689 notes · View notes

twwpress · 9 months

Text

Weekly Press Briefing #58: July 30th - August 5th, 2023

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from July 30 - August 5, 2023! Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

No current open challenges/prompts that we are aware of. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote or know of one we are missing? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from July 30 - August 5.

Allison Janney posted in memory of the late Paul Reubens.

Amy Landecker posted a photo of herself with Brad, her mom, and her stepdad Charles Rudell in honor of his birthday.

Dule Hill posted photos from the Tears for Fears concert.

Marlee Matlin posted a photo of herself and her late mother in honor of her mom’s birthday.

Marlee Matlin posted a photo of herself reuniting with several of her childhood friends.

Peter James Smith posted a photo of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike pickets.

Rob Lowe posted photos of his puppy.

Edits/Artwork:

#AMYGARDNER: “i beg your pardon, ma’am?” by @kennysroys [VIDEO EDIT]

Miscellaneous:

Happy birthday (on August 3) to Martin Sheen! Twitter users @dmosslyman and @mossxlyman also celebrated their birthdays this week!

Editors’ Choice:

In honor of Martin Sheen’s birthday earlier this week, we’re serving up some fics about our favorite President, President Dad himself, Jed Bartlet.

Dear Abbey by gutsandglitter | Not Rated | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | Complete | Set during 1.4 when Jed is high on painkillers. Charlie drags him back to the residence to place him under Abbey's care. Wait For Me by imperfectirises | Rated M | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress | In the summer of 1965, Abbey Barrington meets a young man who changes the course of her life. A prequel story about Jed and Abbey Bartlet. How Do You Like Your Blue-Eyed Boy, Mr. Death? by Nomad (nomadicwriter) for imperfectcircle | Rated G | Gen Fic (No Pairings LIsted) | Complete | Death comes for Josiah Bartlet. No One Will Hit You (And You'll Never Learn) by althusserarien (ArmchairElvis) | Rated T | Jed Bartlet/Leo McGarry | Complete | Leo and Jed are both the children of cowards. Bartlet's relationship with Leo, his father and Mrs. Landingham. Set pre-series and during Two Cathedrals. northern downpour sends its love by rearviewmirror for crossingdelancey | Rated T | Jed Bartlet/Leo McGarry | Complete | football games, sharing cigarettes, and torrential rainstorms So It Goes by Nomad (nomadicwriter) | Rated G | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | Complete | Jed Bartlet. Abigail Barrington. 1967.

Stay tuned for a reblog with this week's fics!!

4 notes · View notes

187days · 11 months

Text

Bonus Day

Really, this is an entry for two days because I have to start with graduation yesterday morning. It was the wildest weather we’ve ever had- sunny, rainy, hot, cold, breezy, flat, all in the span of about two hours. But I think it was rather fitting for this wild, unique class.

And it was a terrific ceremony. The students who spoke (valedictorian, salutatorian, student body president) were all excellent. It was a special graduation for The Principal, as well, because it’s the class he came in with (his first year as principal was their freshman year) and it’s his daughter’s class. She provided the best moment of the ceremony by giving him a flying hug after getting her diploma.

After the graduates processed out, Mrs. T, Mr. W (who joined us even though he’s no longer teaching because this was his last class), and I said goodbyes to our former students, gave lots of hugs, took pictures. And I, a West Pointers kid, told one of my APGOV graduates who is headed to the Naval Academy, “Go Navy, Beat Army” for the only time in my life, haha.

Mrs. T, Mr. W, and I all went out for lunch, split a bunch of apps at our favorite restaurant as is out tradition, and then Mr. W and I changed into casual clothes and returned to the high school to join Mr. M (Mr. N was supposed to come, too, but he got a stomach bug) and several parents as chaperons for Project Grad.

Now, in past years, our Project Grad trips have been super-secret, multi-stop adventures. This one was still super-secret, but totally unique. We went waaaaay up in Maine to this camp with a bunch of clamping cabins. There was a huge tent set up where we all had dinner (pizza, fries, chicken fingers, salad, cake...), and there were fields to run around a play sports, but also laser tag, a few giant inflatables, a virtual rollercoaster, and a fire pit for roasting s’mores. A hilarious magic show was followed by fireworks, and a dance with a DJ.

We all went to bed sometime after midnight, then got up early to eat breakfast and go whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River (mostly category 2 and 3 rapids, one category 4). Now, I’d never been whitewater rafting before, and neither had a lot of the kids, so there was a ton of nervous excitement. And, wow, it was SO FUN. The weather was stunning, the scenery was gorgeous, and the rapids- while sometimes scary- were a blast to conquer. The last half hour was a pretty calm paddle, people could actually get out of the rafts and swim, good stuff.

We returned to our base camp, had a delicious lunch, hung out a while and then came home! The graduates were all super happy, and gave a big cheer for the parents who’d planned the trip, the bus drivers who took us to Maine and back, and for a great adventure.

And that’s it. The Class of 2023 is moving on!

#teaching #teacher #teachblr #edublr #educhums #education #graduation day #project grad #so much fun #so much joy #The Principal #Mr. M #Mr. N #mr. w #Mrs. T #bonus day

2 notes · View notes

msclaritea · 4 months

Text

Patrick Stewart Calls Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Filming 'Frustrating and Disappointing' - IGN

Ryan Dinsdale

BY RYAN DINSDALE

UPDATED: JAN 4, 2024 9:50 AM

POSTED: JAN 4, 2024 9:42 AM

Professor X actor Patrick Stewart has called his experience filming for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness "frustrating and disappointing", though may still return to the character for the upcoming Deadpool 3.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stewart was asked to confirm if he, like some other actors filming for the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, were actually interacting with their colleagues or just playing the part solo.

"It was alone," Stewart said, shaking his head. "I think the big scene, each one of the leading actors had the same experience. They were shot on their own. It was a frustrating and disappointing but that's how it has been. The last few years have been challenging."

The "big scene" Stewart references saw Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange appeal to the Illuminati for help, which in this multiverse was made up from the likes of Stewart's Professor X, John Krasinski's Mr Fantastic, Lashana Lynch's Captain Marvel, Hayley Atwell's Captain Britain, and more. Each member of the Illuminati was then cut down by a savage Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen.

Despite the poor experience, Stewart admitted conversations were happening surrounding Deadpool 3, the upcoming Marvel entry starring Ryan Reynold's Deadpool, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, and seemingly a lot more of the characters from the X-Men films.

Stewart was first asked if he knew how many times Professor X had died in his eight film appearances before laughing at the answer: four, meaning a 50% death rate. "I don't know [what that implies]," he laughed. "But I do now have every confidence that he's still around."

Deadpool himself wasn't around for the Mutant Massacre crossover, but it's a story that would make for good fodder for the next movie. In this story, the X-Men join forces with several other Marvel heroes to prevent Mister Sinister's mercenary squad the Marauders from slaughtering the sewer-dwelling Morlocks. It's a conflict that would pair well with Wade's habit of protecting mutant underdogs. Given how Deadpool 2 and X-Men: Apocalypse have both teased the arrival of Sinister, it's about time we see this twisted geneticist pop up somewhere in the X-Men cinematic universe.

The first storyline on Deadpool's relaunched 2012 comic started the series off on a bizarre note, as Wade had to deal with the reanimated corpses of America's past presidents, not to mention the pesky ghost of Benjamin Franklin. Somehow, the franchise just doesn't seem complete until we get to see Deadpool and Abraham Lincoln go head-to-head in the boxing ring.

When neither Cable nor Deadpool's comics were selling particularly well in the early 2000s, Marvel combined them together and instantly reinvigorated both characters. The opening storyline in Cable & Deadpool set a strong example for the series, pitting the two unlikely friends against one another over possession of a virus that can remake the physical appearance of anyone exposed to it. If Cable is going to stick around this franchise, there are far worse places to look for inspiration.

Deadpool 2 featured a tease for "M-Day," a disastrous event in Marvel's comics where Scarlet Witch all but wiped out the mutant race. Why not lean into that tease and give us a full-blown adaptation of House of M, the story that culminated in M-Day? The bulk of this story explores an alternate reality where Magneto and his family reign supreme. We'd like to see how Deadpool fares in a world like that. That's not to mention the long-term consequences House of M could have on the larger X-Men universe..."

BIG MISTAKE. HUGE, COS.

Why? Because I discovered months ago that the entire Star Trek franchise has been under the thumb of the Cult of Scientology for years. Not sure about the original, but for those who don't know, it had some very subtle Queering, so I'm pretty sure they wanted to fully queer Kirk and Spock in the reboots, but ended up just doing a side character. In addition:

David Birkin, having not one, but two appearances, playing Captain Picard as a child.

Bryan Singer, a known Pedo and serial assaulter, remaining attached to the X Men franchise for years (and they are linked)

Majority of the actors being British, where Scientology and it's Satanic roots come from

Ian McKellen joined in promoting the actress, Ellen Page, as Transgender

IGN, a COS partner, actively engaged in harassment of Benedict Cumberbatch, through negative articles and by repeatedly tweeting a short video, detailing one of the most traumatic events in his life (the kidnapping in Africa)

A character in Strange New Worlds (note, the piggybacking of his mcu character) La'an Noonien Singh, who it seems 'whined' about being bullied because of her 'infamous' last name. Pre-Programming. If they bullied the actor once, they did it a 100,000 times on social media, because of his name

One of the Strange New Worlds writers, also wrote the last project that Tom Holland did, which gave him so much trauma, he decided to take a year off, for which the Cult tried to threaten him using social media

His tormenters also used trolls to accuse the British actor, again repeatedly, of stealing a role, Khan, from BOTH East Indians and Mexicans. After years of this we finally realized that if anyone was guilty of that, it has been Richardo Montalban. He is European Spanish...white European. So, it was another lie

Picard also engaged in that new, strange, activist writing that Hollywood has been into, whereby they ruin an iconic, white male character

They even try AGAIN, to promote Elizabeth Olsen, in this article. Let me make it plain, so that there's no mistake about this, because our group IS privy to info, sometimes and so far, it's usually correct. Elizabeth Olsen wasn't just acting as a meme thirsty actress on DS2. She acted as a SPY for Disney competitors. Now, if any of the COS partners, like Universal or WB want a piece of that chick, they can go ahead.

And ALL THIS, I actually just kept to myself, specifically out of respect for SIR Patrick Stewart. I should know better and if Hollywood doesn't stop pushing these actors to do and say stupid shit in public, they won't have anyone left, worth having any respect for. Good God, he even uses the same narrative that Olsen used during DS2 promotions, where she complained about the Green Screen. What's so ironic is that for an actor to show they can stay in character and work, using a Green Screen is to show real skill in your craft. These two say they can't hack it.

Deeply disappointed in this man.

#BIG MISTAKE #CULT OF SCIENTOLOGY.#Sir Patrick Stewart #Jonathan Frakes #Levar Burton #Hugh Jackman #Ruan Reynolds #IGN THE COS MOUTHPIECE #Doctor Strange #Multiverse of Madness #Shari Redstone #Paramount the house of Scientology #Strange New Worlds #Christina Chong #La'an Noonien Singh #Khan #Ian McKellen #Bryan Singer

1 note · View note

josefavomjaaga · 3 years

Text

Letter from Naples, October 1812

This is a pretty long one, so I’ll give it its own post. It dates still from the time before people realized what horrible disaster had struck the “Grande Armée” in Russia.

Mier to Metternich [all in French].

Naples, October 11, 1812.

My Lord Count!

1) In acquitting myself of your commission to Mr Marquis de Gallo I learned that the dispatches from your Excellency dated August 5 and 18, the receipt of which I had the honor of announcing to Him in my report of October 2, had been entrusted to a traveler, and not to a courier, which has caused their delay.

2) The departure of a Neapolitan courier for the Grand Army gives me the opportunity to confirm to your Excellency the receipt of the dispatches with which Your Excellency honored me on September 26, and of the geographical map. I ask Her to accept all my thanks for this dispatch, and the interesting news which Your Excellency has been kind enough to transmit to me.

3) The immense means assembled and set in motion by Emperor Napoleon against Russia in the present war, his genius and his good fortune which always preside over the execution of his plans, must necessarily lead to great results; but it must be admitted that they have surpassed all expectations. The news of the great victory won by the French at Mozaisk, their entry into Moscow, and especially the glorious part played by the King of Naples in all these brilliant successes having decided the victory of the battle of the 7th by his personal bravery and the skill of his manoeuvres, produced a universal joy here that was only increased by the hope of a rapid return of His Majesty to his capital. The letters which the Regent received the day before yesterday from Her august husband lead us to believe that his arrival in Naples is very near. It is even said that H. M. will pass through Vienna on his way to his states.

4) The latest letters from headquarters say that the Emperor Napoleon will go to Paris, as soon as the Army has taken up its winter quarters, and that Marshal Davout will be in general command of all the troops. The same letters announce as a positive thing that the Emperor Napoleon would be proclaimed King of Poland, and Marshal Davout viceroy.

[From here on in cyphers].

I cannot believe the reason that the Marquis de Gallo wanted me to accept for the delay of the dispatches of 5 and 18 August; the Duke St Angelo having given the two annexes to a courier had not charged a traveller with the two principal ones.

It appears that the disputes which arose between their Majesties and the subsequent disunity which was understood to have been settled during their last stay in Paris, are still going on even when they are no longer together; for it is enough for the Queen to want something for the King to refuse it, for her to protect someone for him to take offense. Most of the things which the queen has submitted for his approval since he has been away, and discussed in the August Council in 13 (?) of Ministers, have been rejected or their decision postponed until his return; this places her and her ministers in great embarrassment; so that affairs are in a state of complete stagnation. He has ultimately forbidden the payment of the sums due or requested by France, on the pretext of lack of money, and has at the same time assigned very considerable funds for such useless buildings as the restoration and completion of the immense palace of Caserta, begun on such a large scale by Charles III that his successors have not dared or been able to complete it. The Emperor Napoleon is aware of all this and takes note of it. In order to alienate more and more the affection of the Neapolitans from his wife, the King takes advantage of his absence and of the moment when the reins of government seem to be in the hands of the queen to create new taxes and to put into execution certain onerous measures, odious to the country, which are known in public to have already been rejected by the King when they were proposed to him by his ministers (the queen chose not to order the implementation of several similar measures). All this, together with the perception already held by the Neapolitans that the queen was only protecting the French, does her a great deal of harm in public opinion and gives rise to a strong desire for the king's return. Also one can expect that it will be received with enthusiasm by the Neapolitans who at the same time are very flattered that their king contributed so much to the brilliant successes of the French army in the North and to the gain of the battle of September 7.

Shortly after his departure from Naples, he had appointed General Parisi to the position of Grand Marshal of the Palace. This choice, unfortunate in every respect, was disapproved of by the queen and the people who knew about it; the regent postponed the publication of the royal decree until the return of the king, which greatly annoyed His Majesty. In addition to all that I have just had the honour of notifying your Excellency of, the amount of gossip which is circulating in town and which is nonetheless reported to Their Majesties by individuals who claim to be attached to them, allows us to foresee, on the King's return, storms and new quarrels in his household. Napoleon, according to his known system of maintaining misunderstanding and disunity in his family, gives reason to both.

He wants to bring things to a head, to disorganise the government, and then to seize this pretext to reunite this country with the great Empire, as he has done with Holland.

Please accept, Count, the assurance of my highest consideration, etc.

(translated from “Helfert: Joachim Murat. Seine letzten Kämpfe und sein Ende”)

I find the continued references to the fate of Holland really fascinating. The fact Napoleon would disinherit his own family seems to have shocked Austria a lot. (If I remember correctly, Louis Bonaparte also had exiled himself to Austria.)

Also, nice insight into the Murat marriage troubles. Poor them.

The next letters will already be from spring 1813, when the negotiations between Naples and Austria already had started.

#joachim murat #caroline murat #naples #austria #helfert murat #holland

13 notes · View notes

silver-embersss · 3 years

Text

Broken Horns and Broken Hearts Chapter 8

Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Tubbo had collapsed into bed only a few moments before, but the next the boy knew, he was sitting in yet another meeting, with the rest of the cabinet casting him slightly strange looks as they argued.

He internally panicked, scouring his brain for any memories of getting up, or even walking to the meeting - but there was nothing. A quick check of his timetable confirmed that he’d only lost a few hours this time, instead of two whole days, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. Where were these sudden gaps in his memory coming from? And why was Quackity staring at him like he’d grown a second head? He shook it off as nothing, perhaps their confrontation last night.

The meeting was followed by another speech, where Schlatt announced a festival to be held in a week, the organising of which was probably going to be delegated to Tubbo on top of the rest. The teen scanned the cityline in boredom, and he was pleasantly surprised to see Wilbur duck behind a parapet. Thankfully, the ex-president couldn’t see him - specifically his horns - from where he stood next to Quackity, but he took a small step back anyway to make sure. Remembering the conversation he had with Tommy yesterday, Tubbo made a mental note to write down the ambush plans they’d discussed earlier and deliver it to the hidden chest.

The gaps in his memory became more frequent as the festival drew near, but Tubbo somehow managed to keep his act together, ignoring the strange looks he got as his horns grew and his patience diminished. The teen also ignored the way his friends talked about him behind his back, denouncing him just because of Schlatt. He simply pretended not to hear the hurt remarks about his grumpiness.

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

Tommy slashed wildly with a stone blade, shards of granite screeching off the wall, and he heard Techno chuckle condescendingly from behind. The teen spun around in irritated tiredness to snap at his older brother.

“At least I’m preparing and not just farming fuckin’ potatoes for three hours straight, dipshit!”

The mocking smile on Techno’s face widened.

“The thing is, Tommy, I don’t need the training - you clearly do.”

“Oh, shut up. Stupid pig bastard.”

Tommy glanced worriedly upwards towards the ravine entrance, where Wilbur stood, currently fucking up his sleep schedule even more. The pig followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow, silently judging his hypocrisy, but Tommy ignored the hint and went back to attempting to massacre the granite wall. L’Mandog could look after Wilbur. They had a war to fight, and if The Blade was going to slack off, well. Then it was down to Tommy to carry their rebellion, wasn’t it?

3 bites of a baked potato later, Techno was back in his farm, both him and Tommy trying their best to pretend each other didn’t exist.

Strangely, it didn’t work.

Eventually, Tommy gave the wall a break and swapped his stone sword out for iron, strapping the bare blade to his hip.

“I’m gonna go check the notebook chest!”

The teen called to Techno, trying not to disturb Wilbur in his moonstruck reverie as he left. Despite his efforts, Tommy felt his brother’s eyes on his back as he crept through the undergrowth.

A few hasty ducks and desperate, pleading headshakes at Niki later, the teen made it to the hillside underneath the prime path that hid the chest. For a split second, he thought he saw a flash of black - Tubbo, maybe? - dash around the corner, but it was gone before he could call out to whoever it was.

A quick glance in ‘the mailbox’ (as Techno called it) revealed the notebook they'd been writing correspondences in, but thrown hastily down on its front, bending the spine. The messy placement was at odds with how it normally lay when it was Tubbo’s turn, but the teen didn’t think much of it other than a muttered curse at the dictator who was keeping his best friend busy doing everything that Schlatt should have been doing.

Tommy skimmed through the rushed explanation of the festival’s weaknesses and snapped a picture of the map Tubbo had painstakingly sketched of the proposed layout. They’d agreed not to use names in the book in case one of them was caught with it, so Tommy just scribbled ‘Thx bitch, hang in there’ on the next page and replaced the book.

For a moment, he entertained the crazy idea of abducting Tubbo so he wouldn’t have to deal with the drunken tyrant, but the thought was soon brushed off due to its impossible nature. Plus, who would be their spy then? Will tried to get in contact with Fundy, but was left on read - the fox was still seemingly bitter about losing the election, even if he did cheat.

After a wistful glance at the half-broken walls, Tommy shoved his communicator back in his pocket, took a step back and fell into a creeper hole.

“Fuck!”

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

It wasn’t long until Tommy came back from the mailbox, but it was 11:30 at night, so Techno once again tried to convince Wilbur to come into the relatively warmer Pogtopia. The ex-president was mumbling a steady stream of nonsense (which was slightly concerning, to say the least) but it wasn’t exactly a strange occurrence.

“Wilbur? Will?”

No response.

“I’ll make you stew if you come in.”

Food usually got the attention of his siblings, especially Tommy, but still Wilbur ignored him. With a sigh, Techno gave up and went back to his farm, giving L’Mandog a pat on the head as he turned away. It wasn’t the best result, but at least he tried, right?

Casting his memory back, the piglin couldn’t remember Tommy eating that day either, so he pulled a cauldron on top of the campfire anyway, letting the water boil while he rummaged in the chests for some steak. Cutting the meat into small cubes, he threw it into the pot alongside some salt and half a clove of chopped garlic. While the pot simmered, Techno sat cross-legged on the ground next to it and got to peeling and chopping some of the potatoes he’d farmed, throwing the peel in a nearby bucket. It didn’t take long for Tommy to come barreling down the narrow stairs, an ecstatic look on his face as he sniffed the air.

“It’ll be ready in a bit.” Techno grunted at him, ignoring his excited yell.

“Do me a favour and get Wilbur.”

The teen raised an eyebrow at him.

“Bet you already tried.”

The piglin glared at him, and Tommy raised his hands in surrender.

“Okay okay, I’m going!”

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

The festival date was set. Planning was under way. All the information had been leaked to the rebels - and yet Tubbo couldn’t help but feel he was missing something important. The feeling was so urgent, he’d checked off lists a million times and gone over everything with Quackity a million-and-one, and it still hadn’t gone away. That, combined with the memory gaps, bleeding horns, and the alcoholic president, weighed on him more heavily than he’d admit. Sleep was a rare luxury, not a necessity. Fundy took every opportunity he had to glare menacingly at him, and even the recently-released Niki kept her distance. It hurt, to be so isolated from these people he’d fought beside for months, but there was no time for moping. There was barely even time for breathing.

“Tubbo! Get me a coffee!”

“Yes, Mr. Schlatt!”

As he sped down the hall, clipboard and a stack of papers in hand, Quackity called him from outside. He set the papers down on the hallway table and stuck his head out the door.

“What?!”

Big Q motioned towards the square, where a large hole sat in the centre of the seating.

“A creeper blew up the square, can you fix it?”

“Yeah, just-” “TUBBO! COFFEE!”

The teen bit his lip and gestured awkwardly over his shoulder.

“I gotta go-”

Without waiting for a response, he dashed back to the small break area where the coffee maker was kept. He set it going before rushing to collect the stack of forms left on the table. While the coffee brewed, he read through as many as he could. This was the usual routine - multitasking, never taking more than a second’s break, trying to stay on Schlatt’s good side - and he’d gotten used to it. As Tubbo grabbed a stack of cobble from his chest, a message buzzed through his communicator. Cobble in one hand, communicator in the other, he typed a reply in snatches, mostly looking forward as he hurried towards the creeper hole.

TommyInnit whispered to you: Tubso

You whispered to TommyInnit: What?

TommyInnit whispered to you: I need you

He sighed angrily.

You whispered to TommyInnit: tf do you want???? m busy!!!!!

TommyInnit whispered to you: is schlatt being a dick again? We need more info on the festical

You whispered to TommyInnit: well im actually doing stuf unlike some ppl!!!!! TommyInnit whispered to you: ???? u good?

You whispered to TommyInnit: lok i dont have the time!! get yor own fuckin informton!

Another message pinged through but Tubbo ignored it, shoving the little black box back in his pocket and continuing with his tasks. The next thing he knew, it was the middle of the night, moonlight streaming through the window of his room. A slight jolt of nausea accompanied the sudden change in his surroundings, but the teen shrugged it off. It was routine, after all. It was a struggle to pull his pyjama top over his head, as his horns grew bigger every day. Surely they’ll stop growing at some point. The sharp points protruded about a centimetre past his chin, and were a lot thicker than before. Succumbing to his exhaustion, Tubbo let out an ear-shattering yawn and fell into bed, digging his nails into the itchy skin around the base of the horns. A jolt of pain made him yelp, and something warm trickled down his hand.

Blood.

Note to self: Invest in bandages for these things!

5 notes · View notes

soobiniebaby · 3 years

Text

Angels & Devils Part XVI : Time’s Up

Tomorrow x Together Fanfiction

~ p a r t s : main post || prologue || part 1 || part 2 || part 3 || part 4 || part 5 || part 6 || part 7 || part 8 || part 9 || part 10 || part 11 || part 12 || part 13 || part 14 || part 15 || part 16 || part 17 ~ p a i r i n g : love triangle involving choi soobin and choi yeonjun ~ g e n r e : high school au | some social media au | some fluff & angst | childhood friends | love triangle ~ l a n g u a g e : English ~ w a r n i n g : contains swearing, alcohol, kissing (?) and may contain mature themes (angst, etc.) ~ a / n : This will be my first fanfic (go easy on me pls) and i’m just writing this as I go along, so bear with me juseyo The setting (place/country) of the story is up to the reader’s interpretation ~ s u m m a r y : What should she choose? Han Baby: the new girl with a troubled past MO Academy: her new high school Choi Soobin: student council president, member of the Ecosave club, volunteer at the Humane Treatment of Animals, member of the Honor Society, a vocalist in the Jazzed club, the school’s all around golden boy Choi Yeonjun: leader of the Dance club, star of the Jazzed club, the school’s it boy with a bad rep 5 best friends, 1 new girl, 1 childhood friendship, 1 epic love triangle? What will this school year bring?

Yeonjun’s night wasn’t going so well.

All he wanted was to take his girlfriend to one of the biggest school dances of the year, to pick her up from apartment and have his breath taken away but how undoubtedly gorgeous she’d look, to hold her hand in the backseat of his car and maybe toast with a glass of white wine as his driver takes them to the dance, to take silly and sweet photographs as they enter the venue, to watch every guy’s drop as he walks in with her drop-dead gorgeous self into the hall, to hold her close and whisper sweet nothings in her ear while they slow dance under the twinkling lights and fall petals floating down, and to make it a night they’ll never forget as they make their way back to her place after the dance for their own private “afterparty.”

Yet, he found himself in a throng of kids around his age who he knew would be able to live as lavishly and extravagantly as they wanted to without having to work a single day in their lives, striving to make dull conversations about who threw the latest reckless parties and who hooked up with who and who did this that and so on and so forth. For a “business” party, and it was less on networking and more on gossiping and hooking up for these kids. When his father sprung his mandatory attendance at this event, Yeonjun had initially thought of asking B to come with him so that they’d at least be able to spend the evening together, whether it be at the Fall Ball or not, and he knew that her presence would make it so much more bearable. But as soon as he heard who was hosting the event, he knew inviting B would be a bad idea. Because the event was being hosted by none other than Kim Jisoo, successor to the biggest Technology Firm in the country.

And Yeonjun was quick to learn that wherever Kim Jisoo went, Park Rose was sure to follow.

And right on cue, he spots her.

Her long red hair fell down her shoulders like a velvet curtain, her figure flaunted by the blue slip dress that hung off her body elegantly. She spots him at the same time and gives him a wave. Again, he feels as if he were transported 2 years back to the past, feeling tongue-tied and breathless in her presence. He shakes it off before waving back to her, and she makes his way towards him.

“Hey babe, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.” Rose says, instinctively leaning in to kiss his cheek.

“It’s a party hosted by Kim Jisoo, so my father forced me to come tonight. And I’m not your babe.” he says, though he makes no move to avoid her kiss on his cheek.

“Sorry, I guess it feels a bit weird seeing you again after we’ve broken up. It’s a habit, I guess.” she says, giggling. “Did you come here alone tonight? No friends? Where’s your girlfriend?”

“Yeah, my friends and girlfriend are actually at MO Academy for the Fall Ball. I’m actually gonna ditch this party as soon as I can then head on over to the school dance, but don’t tell Jisoo cause she might not let me go so easily.” he says, taking a sip out of the champagne in his glass.

“Ah, the Fall Ball. I remember how beautiful the last one was. Remember, they covered the whole dance floor with autumn leaves? Then I sprained my ankle when that song by Twice came on and I couldn’t help but dance along.” Rose laughs, fondly remembering the evening. “A swollen ankle wasn’t enough to spoil our little afterparty at The Eastwood though.” she says, referring to the hotel they had booked that night and the hours they spent tangled in the sheets.

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be even better this year since the guys and I are the student council leaders now.” Yeonjun says, brushing off her comments about the past.

Rose pouts. “Come on, lighten up Junnie! No need to pretend that you and I are strangers. We’re friends, right?”

Yeonjun raises a brow. “Yeah, sure, friends.” It was something he never thought of Rose as, but given their situation, it felt like an appropriate label. “As a friend, do you want to go around and do that thing we used to do at lame parties like these?” he says, another memory of them popping up.

Rose giggles, remembering how they used to go around the party, pick a couple or group to watch, and make up dialogue for them. It was a fun and entertaining way to get it through a night like this, surrounded by shallow and stuck up trust fund kids. “Ah, now that’s what a friend at a party like this is for.” she says, her eyes quickly scanning the room before landing on a group of people. “Okay, look over there, let’s call the man Mr. Bass, and let’s say he’s got his arm wrapped around his girlfriend yet he’s so obviously flirting with their companion Mr. Archibald…”

The rest of Yeonjun’s time at the party was spent that way, with him and Rose going around the room, people-watching, dialogue-making, story-telling, sipping on Chardonnay and laughing together just like the good old days. The best dialogue they made up was one between Rose’s own friend group, Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa, wherein the pair of them made up a story about how Jisoo and Lisa were trying to outshine each other for Jennie’s affection.

“Wow, Rose, I have to admit that when I stepped foot into this place, I never would have thought I’d actually have fun tonight.” Yeonjun says after they sneak away in a fit of giggles. “Our dialogues tonight weren’t the best, but I’ve gotta say, the one with Lisa, Jennie and Jisoo was genius. Is there any truth to it, or is it purely fiction?”

“Well I made up the scenario, but honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a bit of it ended up being true.” Rose says, nursing the wine glass in her hand. “I have to say, I thought tonight would be just another night of me glued to the same 3 girls I’ve been stuck with the past year, so thank you. I had fun with you tonight.”

Yeonjun smiles at her. “Speaking of Jisoo, do you think it would be safe for me to leave now? The dance will be ending in about an hour, and I’d really like to catch at least a bit of it before the night ends.”

“Oh, you can’t just slip out cause that might get you on her bad side. You have to come and say goodbye to her, but don’t worry, I’ve got a fullproof plan to ensure that she’ll let you go.” Rose says, giving him a smile before taking a sip of wine.

“Follow my lead.” Rose whispers to Yeonjun, linking their arms together before approaching Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa.

“Hey girls, where have you been all night? I feel like I haven’t seen you around.” Rose says, greeting the 3.

“We could say the same about you. I was starting to worry about you, I feel like I haven’t seen you all night!” Jisoo exclaims, before her eyes settle on the man Rose had on her arm. “But I guess I had no reason to worry after all, looks like you found yourself some company.” she says, smiling knowingly at the pair. “Hello Yeonjun, I’m glad to see you were able to make it to my party tonight.”

“It’s my pleasure, Jisoo.” Yeonjun says politely. “I really had fun.”

“Yes, tonight was fun, but I hope you don’t mind if I leave and take Junnie here with me?” Rose says, giving a pout. “I think I’ve had a little too much to drink and I’m not feeling well. Yeonjun has offered to drive me home.”

Yeonjun subtly raises a brow at her, but she throws him a quick wink.

“Oh no, are you okay? You look like you should lie down.” Lisa says, her brows furrowed with concern.

“Don’t worry about her, ladies. I’d be glad to give her a ride home and make sure she’s okay.” Yeonjun says, quickly catching on to Rose’s plan.

“Oh, Yeonjun dear, thank you so much!” Jisoo squeals, quickly leaning forward and giving him a peck on the cheek. “You’re such a darling. Thank you for looking out for our dear Rose.”

“No problem at all.” Yeonjun says. “We’ll be on our way now, I think Rose really needs to lie down.” he says to Rose, who dramatically puts a hand over her forehead.

“Yes, I think I really do. Thanks again, Yeonjun. Girls, I’ll see you all soon. And Jisoo, I’m sorry I have to leave early, I promise I’ll make it up to you.” she says, batting her eyelashes at the girls.

Jisoo waves a hand in the air. “Nonsense, your presence here tonight was more than enough. You too, Yeonjun! Thank you for coming tonight.”

The pair waves at the 3 girls one more time before they walk away, snickering and giggling.

“Wow, that was genius. Thanks, Rose.” Yeonjun says. “I guess I’m free to go now. Do you, uh, do you really feel sick? Do you want me to give you a ride home?”

Rose laughs. “Am I that good of an actress? No, I feel perfectly fine, that was just an excuse so Jisoo would let us go. But I wouldn’t mind a ride home, thanks.” she says, smiling at him sweetly. “I mean, you owe me now so it’s only fair that I get a free ride home.”

Yeonjun shakes his head, smiling as he pulls out his phone and texts his driver to pick him up at the front entrance. “Alright, let’s go then.”

Yeonjun had to admit that his evening wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to escape from the party, but here he was in his car with his driver driving away from it. He was dreading having to see his ex again, but he was pleasantly surprised by how her company had made the night tolerable, or fun even. The ride to her house wasn’t a very long one seeing as she lived in the same neighborhood as Jisoo did, but the whole time was spent with the 2 of them laughing and reminiscing, just like the good old days.

“Ah, here we are.” Rose says as the car stops in front of her house. “Junnie, I just wanted to say thank you for tonight.”

Yeonjun smiles at her as his driver gets out of the car and opens the door open for her. “No problem, Rose. I had fun too, thanks to you.”

Rose gives him a smile back, and before he knew it, she was leaning in and he was closing his eyes as her lips met his, melding together like 2 pieces of a puzzle. She tries to deepen the kiss by tangling her hands in his hair, but he pulls away, drawn back to the present-day reality.

“Rose, sorry, I can’t do this. I’m in love with someone else.” he says, his lips stinging as the guilt starts to hit him. “And I’m leaving to go meet up with her right now. Look, I had fun tonight, but like you said, we’re friends. Nothing more.”

Rose sighs, retracting her hands from his shoulders. She sits up, straightening out her dress before she says “Friends. Right, thanks again for tonight Junnie.”

As she stands up and exits the car, she takes one look back at him. “Whoever you love now, I hope they know how lucky they are. But I also hope you know that I don’t think you and I will ever be just friends, and tonight was proof of that. I’ll always love you, Junnie.” she says, giving him a small wave before she walks away, slamming the car door shut behind her.

Yeonjun watches her walk up to the front door, wanting to make sure that she’d make it into her house safely. Once she was out of his sight, he lets out a deep breath, one he didn’t realize he was holding in his chest. He leans back against the car seat, running a hand through his hair. His night wasn’t going the way he thought it would, but hopefully meeting B at the Fall Ball would set things back on track.

Or so he thought.

•°•

He wasn’t expecting the pang of jealousy that hit him when he finally saw B at the Fall Ball.

She was right when she said that his jaw would drop when he saw her dress. She looked breathtaking, and he smiled to himself when he noticed that her blue dress matched his blue hair perfectly. But when he noticed that she was on the dance floor with her face buried in some other guy’s chest and this guy’s hands around her waist, he felt his blood boil.

How dare someone else hold his girlfriend like that.

But as they sway to the music and they shift their positions, Yeonjun finds himself surprised when he finally gets a look at the guy’s face.

It was Soobin. Yeonjun should’ve known by the way he towered over B, and because of the fact that he had asked Soobin to step in for him until he could make it to the dance, but the feeling of seeing him hold B that way shocked Yeonjun.

He felt betrayed.

He trusted Soobin enough to know that he would never make a move on his girlfriend behind his back, but he couldn’t deny the sparks he saw whenever Soobin and B were together. All the way back from the first day of school when Soobin caught her from falling down the front steps of MO Academy, to Hueningkai’s birthday party when Yeonjun was people-watching and he noticed how Soobin had his eyes fixed on B the whole night, to the night of his birthday party when he noticed how flustered Soobin got when he had to kiss B, to tonight when he saw how intimate Soobin and B looked locked in each other arms on the dance floor.

He knew he wasn’t the best boyfriend, especially given the fact that he had kissed his ex girlfriend a total of 2 times now behind his current girlfriend’s back, but he couldn’t help the jealousy that was starting to pound into his ears. He knew that B got jealous too, and maybe she had good reason to given his history with Rose, but those were both mistakes. Those kisses weren’t his fault, and it was only normal for him to feel a little jealous too, seeing her with another guy.

Before he knew what he was doing, his feet were guiding him towards the pair on the dance floor and he finds himself tapping Soobin on the shoulder.

He sees a flash of something in Soobin’s face when he turns and sees Yeonjun standing there, but he ignores it. Instead, he smiles and says “Excuse me, but may I interrupt?”

B’s head snaps out of Soobin’s chest then, her eyes meeting his now, wide with surprise.

“Yeonjun! Y—you’re here.” she exclaims, jumping out of Soobin’s arms and towards Yeonjun.

He smiles at her endearingly. “Hey, Baby. I made it right on time.”

He watches as her eyes shift between him and Soobin before she smiles and gives Yeonjun a hug. He engulfs her in his arms, kissing the top of her head, his nose scrunching up when he realizes that her smell was tainted with hints of baby powder and vanilla. Soobin’s scent.

Soobin gives him a pat on the back then. “Glad you could make it. Cleaned up pretty nicely, too.” Yeonjun smirks. Of course he made sure to look his best. He had an extra shirt, tie and coat tucked away in his car and he changed on the way to MO Academy.

“Are you flirting with me?” he says jokingly. “Thanks for taking care of my Baby for tonight, Soob.” he says, purposely wrapping an arm around B’s shoulders and pulling her to his side.

“Don’t mention it. You 2 enjoy the rest of the night now, I’ll see you back at the table.” Soobin says, flashing a warm smile before he retreats, turning his back to them.

Yeonjun nods at him and watches as he walks away, but before he can get very far, B suddenly takes a step forward and reaches for his arm.

“Soobin, wait.” she says, causing both of the boys to freeze. Yeonjun stares at her hand clutched onto the ends of Soobin’s sleeve as Soobin looks back at her.

“Yes, B?” he asks tentatively. Cautiously.

B’s silent for a moment, and although her back was turned to Yeonjun, he could tell that she was struggling to say whatever it was she wanted to.

“I just wanted to say, um, thank you. For tonight.” she finally says, and Yeonjun feels a pang of guilt in his chest as he recalls how Rose had sad the exact same thing to him earlier that night before they shared a kiss.

“No problem, B. The pleasure was all mine.” Soobin says, smiling warmly at B and giving Yeonjun a small nod before turns and disappears into the crowd.

As Soobin walks away, Yeonjun wraps his arms around B’s waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, mildly disturbed to once again catch a whiff of baby powder and vanilla. He leans in close, close enough so that his lips would brush against her ear as he whispers “You wanna dance, Baby?”

She turns to face him, a bright smile on her face. “I’d love to.” she says.

Yeonjun grins, subtly rubbing his face in the crook of her neck, hoping that some of his scent would rub off on her skin to get rid of Soobin’s smell, before he grabs her hand and spins her around on the dance floor, causing her to squeal and giggle.

Back at table 21, Soobin watches as B lays her head on Yeonjun’s chest, her hands laid on his shoulders as his arms circled around his waist, and he tries to put himself in Yeonjun’s place, which he was in up until a few moments ago. He watches as the 2 of them slowly move to the rhythm of the mellow music, and he watches as Yeonjun plants a gentle kiss on B’s forehead as the song ends, until a new one starts and they start dancing again.

And again.

He watches until Taehyun finally announces that the Jazzed club had already performed their final song for the night, and that the DJ will be accepting song requests.

He watches until Taehyun, Beomgyu and Kai finally get off stage and join him at their table, Yuna eventually joining them too, taking her place beside Kai.

“Soobin?” Taehyun asks, noticing how spaced out Soobin looked.

“Hm?” he responds, his eyes still absentmindedly watching the couples still dancing in the ballroom, or at least, on one couple in particular.

“Are you okay?” Taehyun asks, nudging him until Soobin’s eyes meet his.

Soobin forces a smile. “I’m good, yeah.” he says, leaving Taehyun unconvinced.

Taehyun takes a quick look around their table, making sure that Kai and Yuna wouldn’t hear him, before he leans in a bit closer and says “I saw you dancing with B earlier, and it looked like things were going well. What happened? Where is she?”

Soobin hesitates, chewing on his bottom lip before he tries to subtly tilt his head in the direction of the dance floor. Taehyun follows the direction, confused at first, until he spots a familiar head of blue hair in the crowd and the girl he had his arms around.

“Ah.” Taehyun quietly says, looking back at Soobin with a regretful look in his eyes. He gently pats his hand over his on the table. “So he came.”

Soobin smiles at him again, a little more genuine this time. “Yes, and I’m glad he did. Look how happy she is now that he’s here.”

“Mm-hm, I mean she looked pretty happy when I spotted you 2 on the dance floor earlier, but if it means anything, at least Yeonjun kept his promise. I was worried he wouldn’t make it, knowing how strict his dad is when it comes to business endeavors.” Taehyun says. “When did he get here?”

“Um, about 30 minutes ago?” Soobin says, trying to count the number of times he watched Yeonjun kiss the top of B’s head with every song that ended. “They’ve been dancing since he got here.”

Taehyun raises a brow. “Well, we all know how much Yeonjun loves to dance. I’m sure they’ll stop by the table to rest for a bit though. Are you sure you wanna be sitting here for the rest of the night? You could ask someone to dance with you, or go for some refreshments.” Taehyun offers. “Gyu and I will just resting for a bit before we hit the dance floor.”

“Yeah, my date’s been too busy dealing with last minute crisises all evening, we haven’t danced to a single song.” Beomgyu suddenly butts in, whining.

“It’s crises, not crisises.” Taehyun corrects him, grimacing yet inwardly wondering how he ended up falling for someone who could make such an adorably simple grammatical error. “And I promise we’ll dance soon. I’m just checking on Soobin.”

“Oh no, please, go ahead and dance. You guys should enjoy your evening.” Soobin says, feeling embarrassed now. “You don’t have to worry about me, I’m perfectly fine. I’ll be heading out and making rounds in a bit to check if everything is going smoothly anyway.”

“You heard him, c’mon Tyun, Soobin’s a big boy who can handle himself perfectly fine.” Beomgyu says, tugging on his date’s arm.

Taehyun looks around the table, noticing that Kai and Yuna had already left and were probably somewhere on the dance floor. He gives Soobin one last look before he sighs. “Alright, whatever you say. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know, okay? I’m here for you.” he says, gently squeezing Soobin’s shoulder before letting himself be dragged away by a very persistent Beomgyu.

Soobin watches as Beomgyu drags him right to the middle of the dance floor, the crowd magically parting to let them through. All eyes seem to be following them as Beomgyu flamboyantly wave an arm in the air before holding his hand out to Taehyun, who rolls eyes before taking his hand, letting out a squeal in surprise as Beomgyu suddenly twirls him around before pulling him towards him, the 2 boys chest to chest with Beomgyu’s hands on Taehyun’s waist as they start to sway to the music.

“Wow, look at that. Who knew Gyu and Tyun would be so freaking adorable together?” B says, watching in awe as all eyes lock on the 2 boys in the middle of the dance floor.

“I have to admit, they are pretty cute together.” Yeonjun says, leaning down to whisper in B’s ear. “But I think we’re cuter.”

She giggles as his breath tickles her neck. “Oh, hush. Look at them! They look amazing together.” she says, and right on cue she sees Beomgyu say something in Taehyun’s ear and the younger boy rolls his eyes but then suddenly smiles at the former, unable to stop himself. “They’re definitely cuter than us.”

“Stop saying that, we’re adorable!” Yeonjun huffs. “I even ducked out of that stupid business party and rushed over here just so I could see you tonight.” he pouts playfully. “If that’s not adorable, then I don’t know what that is.”

“Sweet, that’s what it is.” B says, reaching up to cup his face in her hand. “The sweetest, actually. Thanks for being here, Junnie. It means a lot to me.”

He smiles easily, his cheeks warming up as she looks up at him. “It’s my pleasure. Anything for you, Baby.” he says, pulling her closer. “Because I love you.”

Now it was her turn to have her cheeks heat up. She lets out an awkward laugh, flustered. “Thanks again.” she says, not sure if she was ready to tell him she loved him back yet. “How was your evening, by the way? Was the party boring? Are you tired?” she asks, wanting to change the topic.

He laughs, knowing she was shy. “Ah, it wasn’t much of a party. It was more like a gathering of boring rich people trying to out-talk each other about who’s richer and who’s business is doing better and whatnot. It was physically and mentally draining to be there, but I feel so much better now that I’m here with you.” he says, as smooth as ever.

B raises a brow. “You always know what to say, don’t you?” she says. “My feet are starting to kill me in these heels. Do you think we can take a little break and sit at the table?”

Yeonjun nods, easily accepting her suggestion. “Whatever you want, Baby.” he says, leading her away from the dance floor and back to table 21, surprised to see that it was empty.

“Wow, I guess all the guys are busy with their dates.” Yeonjun says, sitting down after pulling a chair for B. “I wonder if Soobin has found someone to keep him company tonight, too.”

B’s eyes search the crowd, spotting their friends one by one, save for the said boy. “Ah, if Soobin’s not at the table he’s either getting some refreshments or dealing with behind the scenes stuff to check if things are running smoothly.”

“How are you so sure he’s not dancing with anyone?” Yeonjun asks, raising a brow.

“I’ve been trying to convince him to ask a girl to dance all night, but I guess he’s just taking his duty as Student Council President too seriously to relax and enjoy himself.” B says, shaking her head.

“That sounds like Soobin.” Yeonjun says, taking a quick peek at his phone before setting it down on the table. “Speaking of refreshments, want anything? I could get you a drink or maybe some snacks?” he offers.

B nods. “Oh, yes please! I mean, I knew you love to dance, but I don’t think I can keep up. I need to rehydrate before I step foot on the dance floor again.”

Yeonjun laughs. “My body’s used to it from all the hours I’ve spent training and practicing.” he says. “Okay, you sit tight and I’ll be right back with a couple of drinks, alright?” he says, planting a quick peck on her forehead before making his way to the refreshments table on the other side of the event hall.

B takes the time alone to marvel at the evening, from the beauty of the event hall to the performances by the Jazzed club to Yeonjun appearing right on time. She crosses her legs under the table, absentmindedly tapping her foot to the beat of the music, counting the number of couples dancing past their table, until she feels a buzz on the table and hears the ring of a message alert tone.

Her eyes instinctively move towards the direction of the sound, moving down leading towards Yeonjun’s phone on the table.

Upon seeing what the notification was for, she wishes that she didn’t follow her instincts.

She feels her entire body go cold, her eyes repeatedly reading the message until the screen goes black, the words etched in her mind. Surely, there must have been some mistake. Maybe she just was just seeing things. Before she can convince herself that her eyes must’ve been playing tricks on her, Yeonjun’s phone rings, the screen lighting up with a new message, the messages displayed on his lock screen clear as day.

Before she could fully stomach what she was seeing, Yeonjun returns to the table with 2 wine glasses in hand, taking his seat next to her. He was saying something about how he spotted a few couples getting a little too intimate on the dance floor, but his voice just sounded garbled to her. All she could do at the moment was try to absorb and make sense of what she saw and figure what she would do about it.

Yeonjun grabs her hand on the table then, snapping her out of her thoughts as he notices that she hadn’t been paying attention to a word he was saying. He turns her palm face up and lightly traces along the lines and creases, knowing how much she liked it when he did that.

“Baby? You okay?” he asks, concern plastered on his face.

She wanted to say ‘Yeah, it’s nothing’ or maybe something like ‘No, but let’s talk about it later.’ But before she could collect her thoughts and compose herself, her mouth spoke out the words without her consent.

“Were you with Rose tonight?”

Yeonjun freezes, his hand going still over hers, and her heart sinks as she realizes that it was true.

“Why would you think that, Baby?” he asks carefully, and her heart sinks further, lurching somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

“Yeonjun. Were you with her tonight, and did you give her a ride home?” she asks, and when he doesn’t respond, she continues. “You left your phone face up on the table when you left to get drinks. And while you were away, the screen lit up with a text message from her. I wasn’t trying to snoop or anything, I never had any reason to doubt you or feel the need to worry about you hiding anything from me. Until now, that is. All I did was look down and I saw it without even meaning to, so if you were gonna hide it from me, you should have tried harder. Heck, it’s like you didn’t even try to hide it at all.”

“Baby, no—” he begins, but B’s eyes widen as another thought comes into her mind and she interrupts him, the words pouring out of her mouth as the thoughts enter her mind.

“Oh god, you didn’t even try, did you? You were with her and you didn’t even try to hide it. Is it cause you wanted me to find out? Is this your way of saying that you don’t wanna be with me anymore? Is this your messed up way of letting me know that you’ve been seeing her and maybe you didn’t know how to tell me so you leave your phone here on purpose so I’ll see it and get the hint?”

“It’s not like that.” Yeonjun says, his eyes trying hard to relay what he was feeling.

“I get it. You wanted to be with her tonight so you go to that stupid business party but then come here to break things off with me? Or heck, maybe you wanted to get lucky with me tonight before breaking things off with me to be with her, is that it? That’s what Choi Yeonjun does, love ‘em and leave ‘em, right?” she says, her tone becoming less shocked and confused and more frantic and spiteful.

Yeonjun looks at her, the hurt in his eyes apparent in his face. She was spiraling, the thoughts swirling around in her head growing more twisted and mixed up the more she thought about it, but she couldn’t help it. Her thoughts were coming out unbidden, as if her mind was flooded and her mouth was a stream just letting it all out

“Baby, Baby please, listen to me. Let’s go outside, someplace quiet.” Yeonjun says, standing up and begging her with his eyes to follow him. “Baby please, come on.” he pleads, lightly tugging on her hand.

She takes a deep breath and nods almost mechanically, standing up and following his lead. As he guides her through the crowded event hall and out into the hallway, he keeps looking back at her to see if she was still following, but whenever his eyes met hers, it felt like she wasn’t even there. They pass by Soobin on their way out, speaking to the security team at the entrance about the guest list and the tickets. When Soobin catches sight of Yeonjun looking tense and B following behind him, he’s confused. When his eyes meet Yeonjun’s, they’re full of nothing but concern, but Yeonjun just shakes his head at him without stopping.

He only stops when they reach the parking lot, the sound of music playing from the event hall almost inaudible outside in the chill of the night. As a gust of cold wind blows between them, he attempts to offer her his coat to keep her warm, but she holds her hand up, unbothered by the cold.

“Yeonjun. I need you to tell me what’s going on right now, because I swear, I’m going out of my mind trying to comprehend what I saw.” B says, her voice oddly calm and detached.

Yeonjun takes a deep breath before he begins, saying a little prayer that things would go well. “Okay, yes, I was with Rose tonight. The business party I attended was hosted by Kim Jisoo, and if my birthday party was any indication, where Kim Jisoo is, Rose naturally would be there too.” Yeonjun admits. “I wanted to invite you to come to the party with me, but I knew how excited you were for the Fall Ball and I didn’t want to ruin your night by forcing you to come to this stupid party with my ex present, so I thought it would be better if I simply stopped by the party for a bit and then spend the rest of my night here with you.”

“So is that supposed to make me feel better? And what makes you so sure I would’ve preferred going to the dance without you over going to some stupid party with you?” B asks, her frustration growing. “Why did you make that decision for me? And if you felt so forced to attend this stupid party, why did you have to spend the evening with her? Why did she feel the need to text you then? Were you hanging out with her the whole time? Did you even try to keep your distance from her after I’ve told you how uncomfortable I feel about you with her?”

“Baby, that’s not fair, I was just—”

“You know what’s not fair? You attending a party knowing fully well that your ex would be there. No, wait, I know your attendance at the party and the attendance of your ex at the party is something beyond your control, but Yeonjun, you could’ve at least told me about it! You could’ve given me a heads up, you could’ve simply let me know instead of doing it behind my back.”

“Baby, the only reason I didn’t tell you is because I didn’t want to ruin your night and I didn’t want you to feel bad. I was just trying to protect you!” Yeonjun says, his voice raising slightly when hers did.

B looks at him incredulously. “Wow, protect me? By lying to me? Yeonjun, I’d rather live with the hard cold shitty truth than live in blissful ignorance with a lie. And can you honestly say that the only reason you hid this from me was to protect me? There’s no other reason why you didn’t tell me?”

Yeonjun hesitates, only for a moment, but seeing it made B flinch. Over the course of their relationship, there were a few things that she had taken notice of about Choi Yeonjun. When he was excited about something, his voice would go a few octaves higher. When he was nervous about something, he would bounce on the balls of his feet nonstop. And when he was lying about something? He would take a deep breath and his eyes would fall to the ground, which is exactly what he did just now.

Upon seeing her flinch, Yeonjun starts to panic, feeling a sense of alarm, as if he could either make or break the situation depending on how the next few moments play out, as if there were a ticking time bomb and he only had a few minutes to defuse it before it exploded.

“Baby, look, Rose means nothing to me. Seeing her tonight was just a chore, and I only hung around her cause my father wants me to stay on Kim Jisoo’s good side, and you know she and Rose are close friends—” he reaches for her, hoping that his touch would break down her walls, but she steps away from him.

“Okay, let’s just cut the crap. I am willing to let this go, to forget all about this and merrily move on and dance the night away with you if you honestly tell me one thing.” B says.

Yeonjun looks at her hopefully, nodding eagerly. “Yes, yes, alright, what is it?”

B takes a deep breath. “Has anything ever happened between you and Rose since we started dating?”

She watches as the hopeful light in Yeonjun’s eyes dies, his face dropping and his shoulders sagging, and she feels her heart break into a million pieces.

“Thanks. That’s all I needed to know.” she says, her voice cracking as her hands start to shake.

“I’m sorry. Baby, I’m sorry, but I promise, it wasn’t that bad, it was barely even—” he begins again, but she couldn’t handle it anymore. All she could feel was her heart being torn out of her chest and bleeding out on the pavement. She squeezes her eyes shut.

“Yeonjun.”

B could feel the heat behind her eyes, knowing that tears were threatening to fall. She could feel heart pounding out of her chest, her hands shaking as she bunches them into fists at her side, clenching them together to stop herself from falling apart right then and there. “I don’t think I can do this anymore.” she continues, knowing that it was true.

“Baby, please, wait.” Yeonjun pleads, taking a step forward and reaching a hand out towards her. She closes her eyes and takes a small step back, keeping the distance between them. He visibly flinches, hurt by her aversion, but he continues to speak. “Please, take 3 deep breaths and try to calm down. Hear me out. Please.”

B keeps her eyes shut, shaking her head. “Yeonjun, no. I can’t do this. I don’t know how I can possibly get past this. I don’t think I could ever let this go.” How did her night go so horribly wrong? She was wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever laid her eyes on, she was having a blast at the Fall Ball, dancing her heart out letting go of all the worries she had, and she had been surrounded by people who she knew loved and cared for her.

So how the hell did she get here?

Yeonjun feels his heart drop. “So what do you want to happen now? What do you want me to do? Tell me anything, and I’ll do it. Baby, I’ll do anything for you. Just please tell me how I can make this right.” he starts, pleading helplessly as he feels her pulling away.

“You want to know what I want to happen?” B asks, gathering up the strength to look him right in his eyes, tears falling down from her own as she says, “I want this to stop. This, us, this evening, this pain, this nightmare, I just want this all to stop. I think the best thing you could do for me now is just let me go, don’t make this hurt any more than it already does. Just let me go.” she says, now pleading as well, tears now spilling uncontrollably down her face. “Yeonjun, please, just let me go.”

“Baby, please, don’t.” Yeonjun says, his voice cracking as what she was saying hits him, knocking the air out of his lungs as his breaths start to come out in sharp gasps, his eyes damp with tears that threatened to fall.

B shakes her head, taking a shaky breath and biting her lip to stop it from quivering. She takes one last look at him looking painfully beautiful with is blue hair blowing in the wind, his soft eyes looking at her like a lost child, his plump lips shaking as he tries not to cry. She takes one last moment to look at the boy she loved before she says

“This is goodbye, Yeonjun. I’m breaking up with you.” •°• Author’s note: Thank you so much for your patience!! The past few weeks have been very hectic. The typhoon that hit my country a few days ago and the 2 days I spent without electricity definitely didn’t help, but alas, here’s chapter 16!! Please let me know what you think, don’t be afraid to leave a message, anonymous or not, cause my asks are open!! I’m still trying to figure out how to make my Tumblr more easy to navigate, but don’t be afraid to reach out to me!! Don’t forget to stream We Lost The Summer MV!!

25 notes · View notes

asfaltics · 3 years

Text

and yet we went on reading

Flim, sb. Obs. Sc[otch]. A whim; an illusion. 1 in the manufactory of these flimsy things 2 had hung a basket of fodder underneath for these flimsy things 3 Poor indeed are their prospects of continued protection, if they rest upon these flimsy things alone. 4 will you never learn to choose good, useful, lasting articles, instead of these flimsy things that do good to no one, and that a breath 5 took hold of these flimsy things, Oh! 6 the discomfort, the positive misery of these flimsy things 7 wretchedly printed on bad paper, with few or no literary expenses, these flimsy things drag on 8 “These flimsy things don’t last long, they soon break,” said he. “Of course they do!” declared Madame Guibal, with an air of indifference. “I’m tired of having mine mended.” 9 In all her looks the words we see, These flimsy things are not for me And I with them do not agree. 10 of these flimsy things 11 the ice floes ran in under and cut out these flimsy things. 12 about 12 inch in being evident that these flimsy things are depth, which projects over the top of the difficult 13 He knew “Well, it’s a good deal warmer than when to leave a man unhindered and to these flimsy things” he said, lifting the 14 attempt to hit some of these flimsy things, you will put your screwdriver through them. 15 You undertake to fix some of these flimsy things and you put a screw driver into them and they go to pieces. 16 You undertake to fix some of these flimsy things and you put a it in the same condition although I know 17 Lucy gave her skirts a toss “I am getting tired of these flimsy things, and am trying to wear them out” 18 “I must get some more,” he said, “stronger than these flimsy things.” 19 First of all, I know now what it means to travel “light.” These flimsy things 20 These letters, these unintelligible flowers, these bits of lace and of paper, what are they? Around these flimsy things what is there left ? And yet we went on reading. But something strange is growing gradually greater... 21 “Why, if I put these flimsy things on now they’d be in holes before I ...” Thorough Young Lady enters. Thorough Young Lady — “Good morning... I’d like a dozen” 22 They had seen it as a whim, Agnes knew; a flimsy, floating thing which scientists might examine under a microscope. But if that were what it was she was full of them. 23

sources (all but the last pre-1923)

1 Joseph Wright (1855-1930), The English dialect dictionary (London, 1898) vol. 2 : 405 2 OCR cross-column misread (on forged bank notes, and banks), at The Black Dwarf (“A London weekly publication, edited, printed, and published by T.J. Wooler”; January 13, 1819) : columns 21-22 “The Black Dwarf (1817–1824) was a satirical radical journal... published by Thomas Jonathan Wooler, starting in January 1817 as an eight-page newspaper, then later becoming a 32-page pamphlet. It was priced at 4d a week until the Six Acts brought in by the Government in 1819 to suppress radical unrest forced a price increase to 6d. In 1819 it was selling in issues of roughly 12,000 to working people such as James Wilson at a time when the reputable upper-middle class journal Blackwood’s Magazine sold in issues of roughly 4,000 copies.” wikipedia on Thomas Jonathan Wooler (1786-1853), also see wikipedia 3 OCR cross-column misread, at “Mrs. Perewinkle’s Visit to Boston,” by “Muhitable Holyoke,” in Frank Leslie’s New Family Magazine 3:2 (August 1858) : 161-167 (162) 4 ex The Chronicle (“An insurance journal”) 10:18 (October 31, 1872) : 274 on the mismanagement of The Globe Mutual Life Insurance Company under Frederick A. Freeman, its president, and/or other members of the Freeman family (including Pliny Freeman). 5 ex Out of the world, by M. Healy vol. 2 (of 3; London, 1875) : 27 asides — this would be Mary Healy Bigot (1843-1936), daughter of the painter George P. A Healy (1813-94 *) A brief entry on Mary Healy is found at A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837-1901; rather more, including an extensive list of her publications (journalism, fiction, translations, &c.) is found at her French wikipedia page — “Mary Healy utilisa le pseudonyme de Jeanne Mairet, mais aussi celui de « Madame Charles Bigot » et de « Mary Healy-Bigot ». On trouve des écrits non seulement publiés en français (souvent par Paul Ollendorff), mais aussi en anglais et en allemand. Elle produisit aussi de nombreuses traductions avec parfois l'aide de sa soeur Edith Healy.” in his autobiography is to be found the reason he (and later his daughter after the death of her husband Charles Bigot (1840-93 *)) would move to Chicago — George P. A. Healy, his Reminiscences of a Portrait Painter (Chicago, 1894) : 57 6 ex Alex(ander). Mackenzie, The Life and Speeches of Hon. George Brown (Toronto, 1882), in Chapter 19, The reform convention of 1867. Resolution of thanks to Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown’s reply : 113 7 ex correspondence to the editor (on the subject of “new restrictions in dress”), by “Freedom,” in The Meteor (“Ed. by members of Rugby School”) 175 (May 18, 1882) : 60 8 ex John Bull’s Neighbor in Her True Light : Being an Answer to some recent French criticisms. By a “Brutal Saxon.” Veluti in Speculum. (Third edition. London, 1884), in Chapter 11, The French Press: its Vanity—Le Temps and London Telegraph contrasted—Des Debats—Le Figaro—Le Clairon—Press Laws—Fear of Actions for Libel—Want of Freedom : 87 9 ex conversation about a fan, in Émile Zola (1840-1902 *), The Ladies’ Paradise : A Realistic Novel (London, 1886) : 74 aside — The novel is set in the world of the department store... (wikipedia) 10 “The Village Wedding,” in Poems by Chas. F(rederick). Forshaw, LL.D. (Bradford, 1889) : 28-33 (30) 11 from Act 2, Scene 4 of John Lesslie Hall (1856-1928) his Judas : A Drama in Five Acts (Williamsburg, Virginia; 1894) : 73 aside — “also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf” (wikipedia); (some) papers at the College of William and Mary 12 ex “He saved others” (from Brotherhood Star), at Herald and Presbyter (“A Presbyterian family paper”) 68:46 (Cincinnati and St. Louis, November 17, 1897) : 15 in full — “When ice was running in the North River at New York, a ferryboat was crushed in, under the water line. An employe was sent down to stop the leak, or hold it until the boat could be run into the slip. Bedding, clothing and anything available were passed to him, but the ice floes ran in under and cut out these flimsy things. The boat reached the dock. Passengers were all hastened ashore. The boat was raised up by chains, so that the break was above the water, but the man did not come up on deck. They hastened below and found a bruised body of an unconscious man, pressed close against the opening. Careful nursing brought back life, but broken health and a disfigured body were his. ‘Even Christ pleased not himself.’” 13 OCR cross-column misread at J. B. Fulton, “Faulty Concrete Construction,” in Fireproof 3:6 (December 1903) : 31-33 (32) 14 ex OCR cross-column misread, at Francis Prevost (H. F. P. Battersby, 1862-1949 *), “The Siege of Sar,” in Ainslee’s (“A magazine of clever fiction”) vol. 12 (January 1904) : 1-44 (22) 15 ex Arthur H. Elliott, “The Gas Range in the Kitchen” In Light, Heat and Power 5:12 (February 1906) : 942-946 (944) self-described as “A monthly magazine devoted to the fields of illumination, and also combustion for producing heat and power, wherein the elements employed are natural, artificial, acetylene, gasolene, or petroleum gases.” 16 ex “The Gas Range in the Kitchen," in report of Elliott paper, in The Metal Worker, Plumber and Steam Fitter (March 3, 1906) : 52 17 same as no.s 14 and 15 above, but OCR cross-column misread, at Arthur H. Elliott, “The Gas Range in the Kitchen,” Progressive Age (Gas-Electricity-Water), 24:4 (February 15, 1906) : 96-99 (97) 97 Paper delivered at the First Annual Convention of the National Commercial Gas Association, held at the Cadillac Hotel, New York City, January 24th and 25th, 1906. 18 ex Mrs. Mary Dudeney. All Times Pass Over (London, 1909) : 75 (snippet view only, but entire at hathitrust) aside — little is found, biographically; author of poems, stories, even songs as Mary Du Deney (BL catalogue); are these of the same Mary? — “A novelty appeared in Judge Allen’s court in the shape of a woman, Mrs. Mary du Deney, who sought solace and mental refreshment in a book while her fate was being decided in a divorce proceeding. After reciting the grounds upon which she sought the divorce, the lady was lost to the world until the Judge cut the knot and she again felt the thrill of single blessedness.” (Los Angeles Herald (23 December 1900) : here); and ◾ “...Old Lady Was Swaying, Fatal Collision with Cyclist At Bridgwater. Returning a verdict of Accidental Death at the inquest on Thursday on Mrg. Mary Du Deney. aged 85, of 2. Holmes Buildings. St. Mary-street, Bridgwater, who died in the hospital on Tuesday...” (Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser (20 September 1947) : here) 19 ex William Caine (1873-1925 *), The Devil in Solution, (nicely) Illustrated by George Morrow (London, 1911) : 68 (snippet view only, but opens to same page at hathitrust 20 from this longer passage — “First of all, I know now what it means to travel ‘light.’ These flimsy things which the Japanese make are wonderfully serviceable. For instance, I purchased a silk Japanese raincoat which sheds rain perfectly, and yet when not in use I carry it in the pocket of my light overcoat.” ex “Japanese Milling, and Weather,” in Rosenbaum Review 2:39 (Chicago; September 15, 1917) : 8-10 asides — devoted to grain trade; at some point title changes to The Round-Up; published by the J. Rosenbaum Grain Company; this would be Joseph Rosenbaum (1838-1919), whose interesting life is sketched by Arba Nelson Waterman, in “Historical Review of Chicago and Cook County and Selected Biography," found here ◾ perhaps more interesting is the editor of Rosenbaum Review (and its successor Round-Up), J. Ralph Pickell (1881-1939? *). ◾ see, for example — “Senate Asks Jardine of Chicago ‘College’” ¶ Secretary Jarine was asked Friday, June 25, by the Senate to explain his connection with the Roundup College of Scientific Price Forecasting of Chicago. ¶ A resolution making the request was offered by Senator Caraway (Dem. Ark.), and adopted. Caraway said the secretary had accepted appoitment as a member of the faculty of the college to teach students “how to speculate and get around the rules of the grain futures act which he administers.” ¶ The resolution asked the Secretary to state whether his information on grain futures markets was obtained as a result of his official connection with the department of agriculture, and what compensation he has received from the college. ¶ The Roundup College school for price broadcasting [sic, should be “forecasting” ?] was held at the Congress Hotel four weeks ago. Secretary Jardine was announced in publicity as the principal speaker. The school is run by J. Ralph Pickell, listed in the telephone book with offices at 1848 West Washington Boulevard and 328 Ashland Boulevard. It is said, however, that the offices have moved to Western Springs, Ill., near Chicago. ¶ Pickell at the time the school was held, said about 500 students would be in attendance. Each student, he said would pay $50 for the course. ex The Illinois Agricultural Association Record (July 1, 1926) : 3 21 ex chapter 23 (the last) in Henri Barbusse (1873-1935 *), Light (Fitzwater Wray, trans.; 1919) : 301 several scans of the same at hathitrust 22 ex Fashions for Men (this passage) and The Swan (in one volume, subtitled Two Plays by Franz Molnar (both comedies in three acts; English texts by Benjamin Glazer); (Liveright, 1922) : 117 Ferenc Molnár (1878-1952), at wikipedia 23 ex Rachel Cusk, Saving Agnes (1993; Picador 1995) : 2

—

subject to change, corrections, &c.

#cento #flim #flimsy #tercet #Mary Healy Bigot #The Black Dwarf #Rachel Cusk #Mary Du Deney #J. Ralph Pickell

5 notes · View notes

everlarkficexchange · 4 years

Text

Everlark Fic Exchange: Masterlist

Springtime Edition (2020).

The King's Mistress by @eiramrelyat

Prompt 9: Katniss is a commoner and peeta is a cruel king. He wants katniss to be his mistress. How will they fall in love is up to you. [submitted by anonymous]

Stay with Me Just for Now by @booksrockmyface

Prompt 10: katniss and peeta are best friends who were in a friends w benefits arrangement in the past. now the hunger for each other is coming back. [submitted by anonymous]

A Quiet Announcement by @albinokittens300

Prompt 11: in panem au where everlark isn’t reaped and peeta knocks up katniss. [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt #12: by @endlessnightlock

Prompt 12: katniss walks out of the fitting room wearing only a bikini to ask her friend if it suits her but it isnt her friend at the other side of the door but peeta. [submitted by anonymous]

When You Were Mine by @pitualba2015

Prompt 20: Peeta is the CEO and katniss is his secretary. They have an affair and katniss gets pregnant but when she tells peeta he doesn’t believe her and accuse her of trying to trap him. What will he do when he realize his mistake and how will he win katniss back. [submitted by anonymous]

Two Households by @everlarkandhistory

Prompt 22: Set in early 20th century. Katniss and Peeta are from two rival families who have been enemies since forever. They have a chance meeting which led to them falling in love. They are completely unaware of their identity. Will their love survive or will their relationship crumble. [submitted by @mysteriouslycraftyreview]

Operation: BREAD (Bring Revenge on Everdeen to Avenge Dad) by @alliswell21

Prompt 23: Rumor: MrEverdeen crossed fence dividing Town and Seam, kidnapped Mrs Everdeen making her his commonlaw wife. Years later, Mellark sons plan to avenge their father by raiding Seam and kidnapping one of Everdeens daughters for one of them to take as a wife! Does Katniss “volunteer,” does she escape, how do the 3 brothers decide what to do with her since they didn’t plan it all out well? [submitted by @567inpanem]

lying in the bed we made (if it wasn't us) by @archersandsunsets

Prompt 26: the night before the Quarter Quell, in the sleepless dark, Katniss and Peeta allow themselves to indulge in the bittersweet dream of a future they’ll never have together (“if it wasn’t us, what would you do?” “I’d want to marry you” “tell me”) [submitted by @rosegardeninwinter]

The Proper Response by @madetofly

Prompt 29: Post-MJ, Growing Together. Peeta is finally showing his affection and love for Katniss as they heal and reconnect. Katniss, being Katniss, seems to act like she doesn’t appreciate this, and is less than enthused. Peeta, taking this like an adult, stops showing her with the affection and tries to show her his love in other ways. Katniss, however, does not appreciate him stopping those things and set out to try and get him to continue it again because she misses it. [submitted by @albinokittens300]

All the World's a Stage by @katnissdoesnotfollowback

Prompt 31: “We never see you two so much as kiss in public but last night we all heard you having sex.” Submitted by Buttercupbadass

Misconceptions by @awkwardeverlark

Prompt 35: No reaping AU. At 19, Katniss considers marrying Gale for practical reasons; the fact she just heard the baker’s son toasted and was assigned a house at the edge of town has nothing to do with it... maybe. What happens next? (was Peeta really married or was it his brother? Does she marry Gale? Does Everlark ever talk? Will Peeta cheat if he’s actually married? Can Katniss admit she loves the Boy with the Bread? Is this forbidden love?) is up to you. [submitted by anonymous]

No One's Gonna Need You More by @ambpersand

Prompt 36: Frustrated and stressed out Single dad!Peeta needs a fuck desperately. His best friend, Katniss, unwittingly offers to help him out. Things get murky with repressed feelings, but one thing’s certain, Peeta can’t keep his hands to himself anymore and Katniss is all too willing to oblige at the drop of a hat, regardless of place, time and her own emotions, as long as he keeps whispering all his sexy, filthy thoughts into her ear. [submitted by anonymous]

Vidua by @darkhorse-javert

Prompt 44: Believing that taking a new young bride every 5 years will keep him youthful, Snow arranges to marry wife #12 from D12. In the hours between the ceremony and the wedding night, he drops dead. 16-yr-old Katniss returns to 12 but now she’s “Widow Snow.” Can she ever be Katniss, district huntress again? With all that $, wedding gifts, etc that were sent on the train with her? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Fortune Favors the Brave by @ambpersand

Prompt 46: Pacific Rim inspired AU with drift compatible Everlark (or not if you’re inspired by angst). I really just want to see more of that aspect of Pacific Rim explored than what they did in the movie and what better way to do it than with Everlark! [submitted by @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Fate Takes a Break by @ally147writes

Prompt 50: everlark discovering on their date that they've missed each other their whole lives (living in the same city, went to the same high school, going to the same halloween and nye parties, were set up before by different friends but stood each other up, shopping at the same store, etc.) [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

I Choose You by @wendywobbles

Prompt 51: Katniss E, the Valedictorian of Panem High school, is perfect in all fields of life. And that is the crush of awkward, average in studies, not so popular, never had a girlfriend, often bullied Peeta M. Not only does she have a very popular friend circle but also a handsome, popular boyfriend Gale H. Will she even want to be his friend? Is his crush doomed to fail? Eventual Everlark. [submitted by @white-dandelion-seeds]

The Change by @alliswell21

Prompt 59: Growing up Peeta started loving her. It was a gradual thing that happened throughout his childhood and into his teens. But something changes when he hits puberty. Her scent has heightened, he can spot her from miles away. He gets a bit possessive. But the biggest thing is when his body starts to heat up and even just the thought of you gets him hard for days. He finds out the family secret of his werewolf genes, something his parents thought passed him. How can he go by with his day and be with her without scaring her away by humping her because of his heat. [submitted by @animekpopxx]

By The Moonlight Side by @endlessnightlock

Chapter 2

Prompt 61: Peeta knew better, but he did stupid things when he got drunk. Now he’s caged at the animal shelter in his wolf form. And, omg, Katniss Everdeen let her little sister drag her in to see the dogs?! He knows he shouldn’t, but teen hormones. He just wants to lick her hand. Get a tummy rub. Hump her leg. Sleep on her bed. Omg, they take him home!!!! He needs to let his dad know where he is. Omg. He needs to figure out his bakery shift. “God, don’t let Katniss catch me licking my balls.” [submitted by @567inpanem]

Maybe Tomorrow by @katnissdoesnotfollowback

Prompt 62: one night stand!everlark sleeping together the same night a terrible snowstorm hits the city and everything gets shut down with no way to get home. perhaps a two night stand? [submitted by anonymous]

Genesis by @rosegardeninwinter

Prompt 66: Everlark post apocalypse, katniss and peeta are neighbors and the only two that make it to katniss's father's bunker in time. Over the course of several years the two have grown quite close having no one else, but now provisions are running low. Do they face the unknown outside or stay put, knowing they only have food to last another week? [sent by anonymous]

Sunset on Grass by @alliswell21

Prompt 67: Her parents said that it was just a childhood crush and that she will outgrow it. But why does her heart flutters. When she’s finally old enough to get a job, she immediately gets a part time job to be close to him. Will is pursue her love against people’s negative views because he’s so much older than her. Or go for it and make him fall in love with her. Age Gap Older!Peeta. [submitted by @animekpopxx]

A Taste of Rebellion by @acpoe82

Prompt 68: Dark Coffee Shop AU - Capitol Peeta runs a Coffee/Pastry shop in the poshest part of the Capitol. Near by President Snow’s Mansion. Capitol!Katniss is a frequent customer. Things in the Capitol begin to deteriorate as the rebellion drags on. Are they sympathetic to the rebel cause? [submitted by @oakfarmer12]

You're Not Alone by @sunsetsrmydreams

Prompt 70: Peeta picks up a hitchhiker in the mountains one night, only to find it's his childhood best friend and now escaped convict Katniss Everdeen. In a panic he calls police but after hearing her side of the story comes to believe she didn't actually murder anyone. Everlark on the run. [submitted by anonymous]

Forever and a day... by @thegirlfromoverthepond

Prompt 73: I am a simple woman: I just want Katniss Everdeen content and loved and washed in moonlight I don’t care how you do it. [submitted by @rosegardeninwinter]

The Most Unlikely Serendipity by @albinokittens300

PART 2, PART 3, PART 4

Prompt 75: An in-Panem arranged marriage a/u where Katniss is slightly older than Peeta. [submitted by @endlessnightlock]

Shots Make Me Sing by @sunsetsrmydreams

Prompt 81: Katniss finds her soulmate at her bachelorette party (aka Peeta)(Happy ending please) [submitted by anonymous]

when we’re underneath the lights my heart’s no longer broken by @omercilessmoon

Prompt 92: High school musical au: katniss and peeta as troy and Gabriella. [submitted by anonymous]

December nights in June by @viloula

Prompt 110: AU. Everlark live across from each other in fancy New York (or the like) penthouses. With all those large windows, they see each other daily and know the other's routine and all he/she does, but they've never met. A chance meeting occurs. What will happen? The circumstances of their living arrangements/any backstory and what happens between them is up to you. [submitted by @acpoe82]

High Heels at Midnight by @hutchhitched

Prompt 134: Visual Prompt. To see it go HERE [submitted by @javistg]

must work hard, tolerate cats by @mendontprotectyou

Prompt 140: In Panem AU where Peeta is a Mail Order Husband. As the youngest son of a merchant class Capitol family, he has accepted he will never inherit the family bakery. But when his family contract him to an arranged marriage to further the business he will never own, he escapes by signing up to a programme to relocate and marry a district woman. Why Katniss needs a husband, is up to the author. Everlark endgame :) [submitted by @louezem]

Notes:

Fics organized by prompt number.

Masterlist compiled on May 11, 2020. Subject to change. New works will be added as they’re posted to the @everlarkficexchange.

Looking for updated versions of the multi-chapter fics? Try our AO3 Collection

#springtime edition 2020 #masterlist #our fics

116 notes · View notes

loversmore · 1 year

Text

smiley gun for @hyunsung ♡

296 notes · View notes

damnrightshow · 3 years

Text

Thursday show is only live. No YouTube sorry.

I want to see at club, hope to see you soon !

Check today’s playlist. And imagine.

I’ll do the show again on Monday, feel free to access Mixcloud live.

And have a fabulous weekend all !

1. "Dancing Close" RITA JOYCE (Ren-Cen)

2. "Why She Had To Go" BURNING DESIRE (Charisma)

3. "I Don't Know Nothing Else To Tell You, But I Love" MONICA (Toxsan)

4. "Gonna Find A Way (To Get You Back)" NEIL REED (Music-Now)

5. "Hey Lancelot" JO ANN KING (Phil La Of Soul)

6. "Everybody Walking Together" PROPHECY (All Platinum)

7. "Fast Man" THE PC'S LTD (Fran)

8. "Party Time" THE MASTERS (Masters)

9. "Our Thing Is Through" LEE SHOT WILLIAMS (Shama)

10. "Clap Your Hands" REGINALD MILTON & THE SOUL JETS (Milton)

11. "Where Do You Go" JBC BAND (Jeree)

12. "Since I Was A Little Girl" HARD DRIVERS feat VIVIAN LEE (Hawes)

13. "Peace Still Is With Us" APOLLOS SHOW BAND (Johnlewis)

14. "Fell Into A Bag" RIVER CITY FUNK BAND (R.D.M.)

15. "Butter Nut Part 2" BLACK TRUTH BAND (Black Truth)

16. "Funky Thing" LARRY ELLIS AND THE BLACK HAMMER (Al King)

17. "Investigation" SHERLOCK HOLMES INVESTIGATION (Tramp)

18. "Egg Roll" THE M&S BAND (Funk 45)

19. "Deep South" THE FOURTH LEVEL (MD)

20. "My Mind Set Me Free" HOUSE GUESTS (House Guests)

21. "You Blew My Mind" VERNON GARRETT (Kapp)

22. "Life In The City" FRANKIE (North Broad St)

23. "Don't Fight The Feeling" MASTER FORCE (Rain Forest)

24. "Just Want You To Know" GANGBUSTERS (North Countrty)

25. "Forever" JOHN SIMEONE (TNT)

26. "Gold Of My Life" MIXED EMOTIONS (Rock-Way)

27. "Party On The Moon" ODELL KNIGHT (Valiant)

28. "Here I Stand" THE GETTO CHILDREN (So-Char)

29. "Funky Chick" THE MAJESTICS (Morsound)

30. "I Can't Find Another" THE SPECIALS (Satch)

31. "What About Child" GOLD (Soul 7)

32. "Modernization" SONS OF THE KINGDOM (K.O.G.)

33. "Need Your Love" THE UNION PACIFIC (UP)

34. "Be My Friend" RIPPLE (GRC)

35. "You're The One" KINGS GO FORTH (Mr. C)

36. "The Best Is Yet To Come" MR. PRESIDENT (Favorite)

37. "Good Good Good" MICHELLE DAVID & THE TRUE-TONES (One World)

38. "Hey Girl" JO STANCE (Ricky Tick)

39. "10000 Miles" AMERICAN GYPSY (Chess)

#soul #damnrightshow #playlist #mixcloud live #vinyl #45s #deepfunk

1 note · View note

odettehavesword · 3 years

Text

STRAMA PAPER - GROUP 4

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)

Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of us in Group 4, for the hard work and cooperation in completing this paper.

To our Professor, Mr. Sofronio “Toti” Dulay, for giving us the opportunity to experience this kind of activity that can help us enhance our skills and ability, for sharing his knowledge about strategic management, and for guiding us all throughout the semester.

To our families, for always motivating us and supporting us when we feel stressed and pressured. To our chosen company, PLDT Inc. and to all the author of the websites that we used, for giving us the information that we need in order for us to finish this paper.

Most of all, to our Almighty God, for guiding us and giving us strength. This paper would not be possible without the help of the people who were gratuitously sharing their time for us and who were always there for us.

1 Executive Summary

This strategic management paper shrouded the first largest and only integrated telecommunication company, The Philippine Long Distance Telephone, Inc. (PLDT) within the Philippines. PLDT, Inc. has been awarded Ph's first global MEF 3.0 certification for carrier ethernet services. The company is the leader in providing a wide extend of media transmission services, counting settled line, cellular, and broadband services in the country.

This paper provides PLDT’s corporate vision and mission. The vision statement is brief and comprehensive, it identifies the company’s goals and defines where and what PLDT Inc. wants to be in the future. The mission statement is realistic and clear, PLDT Inc. has recognized its target client bunches, and also distinguished their needs and requests, audibly it focuses on tending to issues of client fulfillment. It also implicated the corporate officers of the company. Provide some examples of the product and services they offered. In external assessment, the sector includes different kinds of forces, key external factors, and the Porter’s Model Analysis. It also evaluates the internal and external matrices that show the strong internal status and how successful PLDT Inc. in its field. After calculating the total weighted score of the matrices, they were translated into a formulation of business strategies.

The biggest competitor of the company in the telecommunication sector is Globe Telecom. In the fixed-line telephone market, PLDT with its subsidiary is Globe’s main rival. PLDT was consistently increasing in revenues against Globe Telecoms. In general market development in terms of subscriber’s base within the year is still at 7.3% and the market value is still at 8.1% making the company drop into quick advertise development. Based on the increment of subscriptions and the overpowering volume of information usage tied down with the rising modern technologies.

2 Internal Assessment

2.1. Corporate Profile

PLDT

Headquarters:

Ramon Cojuangco Building, Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa Street, Legazpi Village, Makati, Philippines.

PLDT is the Philippines' largest and only integrated telco company. Founded on November 28, 1928, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is the leading telecommunications and internet service provider in the Philippines. Through its three principal business groups—fixed line, wireless and information and communication technology, PLDT offers the largest and most diverse range of telecommunications services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiber optic backbone and fixed line, cellular and satellite networks.

The company's core businesses are fixed-line telecommunications, mobile telephony services, broadband, and internet of things services under various brands. It also has investments in broadcasting, print media, utilities, and direct to home satellite services, among others. As of 2019, PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and its American Depositary Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI). PLDT has one of the largest market capitalizations among Philippine-listed companies.

The first president of PLDT was Theodore Vail Halsey while Major J.E. Hamilton Stevenot, who represented the American firm General Telephone and Electronics Corp. (GTE), was elected executive vice president and general manager.

When PLDT was incorporated and given the franchise to establish and operate telephone services in the country on November 28, 1928, a typhoon had just ravaged Eastern Visayas, Bicol Peninsula, and Samar. The ability to communicate amongst loved ones and across the country became crucial. Sadly, phone networks then were like disconnected intercom systems and you could only call people within your own small city. Filipinos were disconnected from neighboring towns, disconnected from friends in the other island and, needless to say, disconnected from the rest of the world. It was under this scenario that the law was signed giving birth to PLDT.

What the new law hoped to achieve was to interconnect these "intercom" systems into a seamless nationwide network that would facilitate communication and delivery of services to the people, as well as spur economic development in the countryside.

Under the American owners of PLDT, many small phone companies in the provinces were acquired by the Company to help speed up the rollout and connection of these different phone systems all over the country. The management of PLDT was then set to lay the groundwork towards linking Filipinos to each other and, more importantly, to the world.

2.2. Company Vision and Mission

VISION

“Lead and inspire Filipinos to create a better tomorrow.”

MISSION

“Empower Filipinos everywhere with customer-focused digital innovations that unlock and share their infinite potential.”

2.3. Corporate Officers

Table 1

The table above is showing the positions of every officers in PLDT Corporation. We also provided a list of the name and positional official officers of the company that we choose.

Manuel V. Pangilinan

President and Chief Executive Officer

Anabelle L. Chua

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Management Officer

Alfredo S. Panlilio

Chief Revenue Officer

Victorico P. Vargas

Business Transformation Office Head

Ma. Lourdes C. Rausa-Chan

Corporate Secretary and Chief Governance Officer

Marilyn A. Victorio-Aquino

Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel

Gina Marina P. Ordoñez

Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer

Alejandro O. Caeg

Senior Vice President

Mary Rose L. Dela Paz

Senior Vice President

Juan Victor I. Hernandez

Senior Vice President

Menardo G. Jimenez Jr.

Senior Vice President

Mario G. Tamayo

Senior Vice President

Florentino D. Mabasa, Jr.

Assistant Corporate Secretary

Leo I. Posadas

First Vice President and Treasurer

Katrina L. Abelarde

First Vice President

Marco Alejandro T. Borlongan

First Vice President

Mary Julie C. Carceller

First Vice President

Bernard H. Castro

First Vice President

Joan A. De Venecia-Fabul

First Vice President

Gil Samson D. Garcia

First Vice President

Joseph Ian G. Gendrano

First Vice President

Victor Emmanuel S. Genuino II1

First Vice President

Ma Criselda B. Guhit

First Vice President

Leah Camilla R. Besa-Jimenez

First Vice President

Princesita P. Katigbak

First Vice President

Albert Mitchell L. Locsin

First Vice President

Dale M. Ramos

First Vice President

Angel T. Redoble

First Vice President

Aileen D. Regio

First Vice President

Luis S. Reñon

First Vice President

Bernadette C. Salinas

First Vice President

Victor Y. Tria

First Vice President

Jude Michael H. Turcuato

First Vice President

Melissa V. Vergel De Dios

First Vice President

Catherine Y. Yang

First Vice President

John Henri C. Yanez

First Vice President

Maria Cecilia H. Abad

Vice President

Minerva M. Agas

Vice President

Benedict Patrick V. Alcoseba

Vice President

Cecille M. Alzona

Vice President

Elizabeth S. Andojar

Vice President

Roy Victor E. Añonuevo

Vice President

Tito Rodolfo B. Aquino, Jr.

Vice President

Mitchie M. Arcaina

Vice President

2.4. Product Line

The PDLT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company) provided an internet service in the country of the Philippines. PLDT has many bundles that they offer to people who wanted to have an internet connection. We gathered some image that shows the bundles and promos they offer. These we presented below is from their official Facebook page.

Figure 1. Pldt, Inc. Fiber Enterprises

2.5. Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix

Table 2

Note:

*Weight- 0-1 (important)

*Rating 1 (Major Weakness), Rating 2 (Minor Weakness), Rating 3(Minor Strength), Rating 4(major strength)

*Weighted score- Weight x Rate = Average score

The total weighted score of 2.68 in the table above indicates that PLDT has a strong internal status, with its strengths outnumbering its weaknesses.

Strengths

PLDT’s three main business groups, Fixed Line, Wireless, and Information and Communication Technology, provide the country’s most comprehensive and diverse range of telecommunications services. To offer the best services to their customers, the company uses the most comprehensive fiber optic backbone as well as fixed line, cellular, and satellite networks.

Weaknesses

On the other hand, one of PLDT’s flaws is its sluggish link speed. When PLDT introduced its Vibe and DSL products, which enabled customers to connect to the internet faster via broadband, there were numerous complaints about the service. The slow internet was the one of the top complaints as it failed to meet the customer’s needs. And those issues were not addressed or published in a timely manner. Customers may decide to switch providers if they believe that they find a better offer for the service they need.

3 External Assessment

a. Economic Forces

i) Economic/Business Cycle Stage

High political stability provides a stable and friendly business environment with predictable market growth trends. However, when there is political chaos, it deters the investors and harms the stakeholders’ trust in economic and consequent organizational performance. Currently, PLDT Inc. is present in different countries, each having own political tensions.

ii) Inflation/Employment/Interest/Exchange Rates

The GDP growth rate will determine the PLDT Inc.’s ability to pursue its long-term growth strategies. High GDP also signals the consumers’ ability to spend more on offered products. High unemployment signals the availability of surplus labor at comparatively lower wages. Operating in such a market can lower the production cost of PLDT Inc. The organization should also carefully consider the interest rate and its influence on borrowing ability and attitude towards investment. The high interest rate will encourage the attitude towards investment and increase growth opportunities for PLDT Inc. Finally, the exchange rate fluctuation can also influence the profitability and international trade. The high fluctuation on local currency can be a cause of serious concern for PLDT Inc.

iii) Labor Market Conditions

PLDT Inc. must study and predict the labor market conditions to understand how it can attract talented workers and leverage their skills to improve business performance. When labor markets are flexible, PLDT Inc. can take advantage of higher labor productivity. Whereas, operating in rigid labor markets may cause labor wage and other issues raised by powerful labor unions. PLDT Inc. should also carefully analyze the availability of skilled human capital as a shortage of skilled labor can affect business efficiency and make talent attraction and retention more challenging.

iv) Financial Markets Efficiency

The global expansion strategies of the PLDT Inc. are influenced by the financial market efficiency as operating in highly efficient financial markets leads towards improved liquidity position and strengthened ability to enter new markets. The health and efficiency of financial markets will determine PLDT Inc.’s ability to raise the capital at fair prices.

v) Economic Structure

The business practices of the PLDT Inc. are influenced by the prevailing economic structure. The economic and regulatory environment in a monopolistic or oligopolistic structure will be different from the monopolistic competition and perfect competition.

b. Social, Cultural, Demographic, and Natural Environment Forces

i) Demographic Trends

Studying the demographic characteristics can help PLDT Inc. in choosing the right market segment/segments with high growth potential. The business and marketing strategies are also influenced by migration. It is important for PLDT Inc. to understand the people’s general attitude towards migration as it can influence firms’ ability to bring international managers to host country.

ii) Equality and Power Distance

PLDT Inc. must adjust its business management practices while entering in markets with high or low power distance. The growing inequality in many countries is altering the power structure, which has serious implications for international business organizations like PLDT Inc.

iii) Gender Roles

PLDT Inc. need to study the traditionally assigned gender roles to align its marketing and communication practices accordingly. Marketing and human resource strategies in a traditional, patriarchal society with clearly distinguished gender roles will be different from societies with low gender stereotypes.

iv) Societal Norms and Class Distribution

PLDT Inc. should develop local teams and develop local partnerships for understanding the societal attitudes and norms to tailor marketing strategies according to unique cultural context. The observation of social class stratification is also important for PLDT Inc. Offering luxury products at premium prices to a market where the high-end market is considerably small in number will require PLDT Inc. to adopt the niche marketing strategies.

v) Online Shopping

PLDT Inc. needs to understand the online shopping behavior by considering the generational differences as younger consumers are more inclined to shop online than older customers. The growing use of mobile phones and social networking sites must be considered when developing marketing and communication strategies.

vi) Spending Patterns and Behavior

PLDT Inc. should invest time on understanding the consumption motivations and social trends that define the consumption behavior. PLDT Inc. should also attempt to understand the degree of consumer ethnocentrism and consider the country of origin effect to determine local consumers’ evaluation of foreign products. Lastly, PLDT Inc. should study the consumers’ leisure interests and should focus more on enhancing the customer experience if customers prefer experiential products over traditional product offerings.

c. Political, Governmental, and Legal Forces

i) Political Stability

PLDT Inc. is present in different countries, each having own political tensions. Growing tensions and instabilities in the global political environment can affect the Gold industry growth and limit the growth opportunities available to PLDT Inc.

ii) Changing Policies

It is important for PLDT Inc. to study the current trends in the country’s political scenario as changes in government may alter the government’s priorities towards the development of different industries.

iii) Protests/Pressure Groups and Governance System

PLDT Inc. should carefully analyze the protests by pressure groups, social/environment activists and worker unions as such protests play an important role in the policy making process. Close collaboration with such groups may enhance the PLDT Inc.’s ability to collaborate with community and achieve long-term corporate goals.

iv) Bureaucracy and Corruption

Operating in countries with high corruption level and weak law enforcement makes the business environment increasingly unpredictable for PLDT Inc. due to jeopardized public trust on business organizations and overall political and economic structure. The corruption can influence various business operations, ranging from licensing, contracting, fraudulent deals to frequent lawsuits. It will also threaten the organization’s sustainable development by destabilizing the society, harming justice system and endangering the rule of law.

v) Taxation, Trade Restrictions, and Intellectual Property Protection

High taxation affects international trade and prevents exports. PLDT Inc. can enter in low taxation markets and benefit from high profits that can be invested in research and development activities. PLDT Inc. should know the specific taxation policies to understand the host government’s priorities and interest in developing industries and how intellectual property rights are protected in the host country and make the business strategies accordingly.

a. Technological Forces

i) Social Media Marketing

Use of social media has become common in a modern business environment. PLDT Inc. can leverage the opportunities offered by social media marketing to improve business performance. Technological trends can be used to start the creative social media campaigns for developing online brand communities.

ii) Technological Innovations and Development Level

PLDT Inc. should carefully consider the on-going technological innovations to stay ahead of the competition. Entering in markets where technological advancement has not reached the maturity means PLDT Inc. can increase the market share by focusing on emerging technological innovations.

iii) Research and Development on Technology and Impact on Cost Structure/Value Chain

PLDT Inc. needs to consider the investments made by competitors on a micro and macro level to understand how new technologies influence the firm’s value chain and prevailing cost structure. Research and development activities are highly important in an environment characterized by creative disruption.

iv) Shortened Product Life Cycles

The adoption of new technologies has shortened the lifecycle of new product development. Today, new products are developed quickly, and supply chain partners have also gained more power. It pressurizes PLDT Inc. to develop new products quickly, increase product range diversity, integrate flexibility into the value chain and develop healthy business relationships with value chain partners.

3.1. Porter’s Model Analysis

Figure 2. Porter’s Model Analysis

• Rivalry Among Competing Firms = Strong

There are only few competitors that PLDT have in the Philippines such as Globe Telecom, Sky Cable Corporation, and Converge ICT Solutions. Globe Telecom is one of the leading telecommunications companies in the Philippines. It operates mobile, fixed line, and broadband networks and provides communications services to individual customers, small and medium-sized businesses, and corporate and enterprise clients. Next is Sky Cable Corporation which is known as the first internet service provider and the leading cable and broadband technology provider in the Philippines. It offers broadband, cable and satellite television services. And lastly, Converge ICT Solutions which is the leading player in all-optical broadband access industry in the Philippines. It operates fixed networks, fiber optics, cable TV, enterprise private lines, fixed broadband, and wireless broadband services for home, businesses and in the corporate world. These are the top competitors of PLDT for having almost the same services in the market. In that case, PLDT should step up their game since they offer almost the same services with these competitors. They should try differentiating their services or add something unique by providing new services. In that way, PLDT can get new customers and gain more loyal customers.

• Potential Entry of New Competitors = Moderate

There are also new entries of competitors of PLDT such as Dito Telecommunity Corporation. Dito Telecommunity Corporation is formerly known as Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc., or Mislatel. It is considered as the newest major telecommunications company in the Philippines. It offers connectivity with secure, fast, and high value 4G and 5G technologies that enable the customers to be connected, anytime, anywhere, any way they prefer. PLDT should focus on innovating their services from this new competitor. In that way, it can build a strong brand identity in the market.

• Bargaining Power of Suppliers = Strong

These suppliers can influence in raising the prices as well as reducing the goods and services of PLDT. It includes foreign investors, international and local contractors, and stakeholders. Foreign investors such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) where they issued with American Depositary Share (ADS) which represented one PLDT common share. This means that ADSs are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pacific Exchange in the US where PLDT (as one of the largest market capitalizations) is in listed companies. International and local contractors such as Chinese telecom suppliers Huawei Technologies, FiberHome, Sunsea Telecom Ltd., and Tyco Electronics, Singapore-based Fujikura Asia Ltd., Sweden’s Ericsson Telecommunications, and Fibercom Telecom Philippines which helps in the first phase of its P1.8-billion fixed-line fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network rollout program. And lastly, stakeholders which have a say in nominating directors as well as independent directors. Having these suppliers can help PLDT develop a close relationship where all of them can benefit from each other.

• Bargaining Power of Consumers = Strong

These consumers help in determining the quality of the goods and services offered by PLDT. It includes businessmen who are in charge in generating revenue from business activities, changing network services who are in charge of satisfying the customers' expectations and concerns regarding quality of service, pricing, application process, service provisioning process, repair and restoration service and the billing process, government sectors wherein having a partnerships with them can help the society, and lastly, small entrepreneurs such as PLDT Load / Smart Load from over 1 Million retailers nationwide and sari-sari stores or any PLDT Sales and Service Centers. These consumers can reduce the prices and improve the quality of the goods and services offered by PLDT.

• Potential Development of Substitute Products = Strong

These substitute products offer the same benefits of PLDT but in a different way. It includes mobile data and portable or pocket WIFI. Mobile data is an ability to use your cellular data in online browsing. It can also replace your internet at home especially if you are a light data user by activating your hotspot. Light data users use internet at home just to check the email, shop occasionally, or browse the websites. This can also save you from paying too much for an internet. Another substitute is Portable or pocket WIFI. Portable or pocket WIFI is a small wireless modem that connects any Wi-Fi enabled device (smartphones, laptops, and tablets) to the internet using load. It is small and light which makes it very comfortable to carry. These substitute products are considered as a threat for PLDT.

3.2. External Factor Evaluation Matrix

Table 3

Note:

*Weight ranges from 0.0 (Low Interest) to 1.0 (High Interest)

*Rating ranges from 1 to 4, 1 (Poor Rating), 2 (Average), 3 (Above Average), 4 (Superior Rating)

The External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix shows the evaluation of external factors according to its weight, rating, and weighted score. The Key External Factors are based on the opportunities and threats of PLDT. Based on the gathered data, the total weighted score of weight is 1.0, while the weighted score is 3. This means that PLDT’s strategies are effective in taking advantage of the opportunities and preventing threats in the company.

3.3. Competitive Profile Matrix

Table 4

Note:

*Weight ranges from 0.0 (Low Interest) to 1.0 (High Interest)

*Rating ranges from 1 to 4, 1 (Poor Rating), 2 (Average), 3 (Above Average), 4 (Superior Rating)

The three companies had met the average standard of how performance of the industry should be in terms of what kind of service that this company is giving to their customers. As you can see from the table in terms of the scoring and with the comparison of various strengths and weakness that has been computed and being scored, we can tell that in terms of the final result, the PLDT has more advantage on attaining and being successful at their field because of how they cater the demands of their customers which is their strong point. It is mostly in terms of the PLDT’s breath of service offered and its availability and accessibility to the whole various people and to their customers which makes them attain and preserve the excellency they are known of in their line work as it is. The reason why the other major strengths of the other two companies of its competition had been seemed as not sufficient or effective is because of the availability and quality of the products that is being produced is mostly not covered by most demand of the customers all across the country.

3.4. Key External Factor

Political Forces

Since PLDT is a major telecommunications firms the exert a specified services to masses as its own advantages and disadvantages that could lead as its weakness in the long run. Such major companies such as PLDT must have or initiate a long term plan on how they will organize and solve such incoming or futuristic issues that will provided on them in terms on their connection in the political environment

According to Fern Fort University, this are some political factors that could affect the company and some investors or shareholders must be wary before they enter this type of huge company by determining PLDT’s:

· Political stability and importance of Telecom Services – Foreign sector in the country’s economy.

· Risk of military invasion

· Level of corruption – especially levels of regulation in Technology sector.

· Bureaucracy and interference in Telecom Services – Foreign industry by government.

· Legal framework for contract enforcement

· Intellectual property protection

· Trade regulations & tariffs related to Technology

· Favored trading partners

· Anti-trust laws related to Telecom Services – Foreign

· Pricing regulations – Are there any pricing regulatory mechanism for Technology

· Taxation – tax rates and incentives

· Wage legislation – minimum wage and overtime

· Work week regulations in Telecom Services – Foreign

· Mandatory employee benefits

· Industrial safety regulations in the Technology sector.

· Product labeling and other requirements in Telecom Services – Foreign

Economic Factors

PLDT is one of the huge companies in the Philippines where they hold a certain amount of power to keep the market going and to satisfy the needs of their customers through internet communications and digital services through their servers. And such economic factors of the Philippines could work in their favor in terms of growth rate of the industry, inflation & industry’s economic indicators as digital service provider will be determined on how they’re daily goals of assets and profits will be in the next several years. PESTEL analysis is also a great way to examine and to enlist such several major factors that could identify future advantages and disadvantage of a major company when dealing itself in the macro perspective of its environment. In terms of the economic factors, according to the Fern Fort University of Ferndale State of Michigan, such economic factors that could impact the economic environment of PLDT are:

· Type of economic system in countries of operation – what type of economic system there is and how stable it is.

· Government intervention in the free market and related Technology

· Exchange rates & stability of host country currency.

· Efficiency of financial markets – Does PLDT Inc. needs to raise capital in local market?

· Infrastructure quality in Telecom Services – Foreign industry

· Comparative advantages of host country and Technology sector in the particular country.

· Skill level of workforce in Telecom Services – Foreign industry.

· Education level in the economy

· Labor costs and productivity in the economy

· Business cycle stage (e.g. prosperity, recession, recovery)

· Economic growth rate

· Discretionary income

· Unemployment rate

· Inflation rate

· Interest rates

Social Factors

As major company that scope a wider variety of its audience and customers has its advantage and disadvantage that could compare to the various strength and weaknesses of the company which could depend from the social community’s way of life and its cultural outlook towards on doing things which could involve such particular company where in this case the PLDT is serving its customers as a digital and technological services which is a need to be catered to the needs of its customers as such daily activities are mostly involve in this company. PLDT should always need to understand the well-being and the needs of their clients as their generated profit and income surrounds from its users. Social customer leadership is a potent factor to lead and to know what factors that could impact the social status of the company in the eyes of its wider audience, According to the (Fern Fort University, n.d.), using such PESTEL analysis could determine the:

● Demographics and skill level of the population

● Class structure, hierarchy and power structure in the society.

● Education level as well as education standard in the PLDT Inc. ’s industry

● Culture (gender roles, social conventions etc.)

● Entrepreneurial spirit and broader nature of the society. Some societies encourage entrepreneurship while some don’t.

● Attitudes (health, environmental consciousness, etc.)

● Leisure interests

Technological Factors

In this time of digital age we need to remember in all the things that surrounds us may not seem as they used to be. It is far more competitive and we grab the innovative approach towards success and improving our ways of life This could set as an example of the technological services and devices that is being distributed into this globalized economy. We should always remember that every industry has its impacts to any other types of other industry or services that comes along the way and if we disrupt this process we may face such difficulties in coping up or slowing down to give opportunities to the key players of any specific industry into this globalized age. In the last recent years technological services has been improving and it is fast approaching and sometimes there are such instances that it is hard to cope with and with the best possible social is to determine whether on how we keep on track on the playing field which will not only make a greater impact to the company or in the PLDT company in this case but also to the competitive companies on it who struggle to make a difference and to improve the ways how economy is distributed in the globalization. According to the (Fern Fort University, n.d.), such technological factors that could impact and shall be determined and to determine its outlook in the future is in terms of the:

● Recent technological developments by PLDT Inc. competitors

● Technology’s impact on product offering

● Impact on cost structure in Telecom Services – Foreign industry

● Impact on value chain structure in Technology sector

● Rate of technological diffusion

Environmental Factors

Being technological service provider we must look into the various effects of the environmental situations that we deal every day because it should always remember that technology can have a various effects from which condition of the weather occurs in our day to day environment as it is the most vulnerable type of industry that is very much exposed and that could also depend on the environmental factors where it could impact the PLDT conditions of its services to the users as it is. And it is very crucial as every day we are losing money and generating profits on it from time to time. Using the PESTEL analysis, PLDT could determine its adverse impact to their operations in terms of:

● Weather

● Climate change

● Laws regulating environment pollution

● Air and water pollution regulations in Telecom Services – Foreign industry

● Recycling

● Waste management in Technology sector

● Attitudes toward “green” or ecological products

● Endangered species

● Attitudes toward and support for renewable energy

Legal Factors

Having a well establish legal framework is very important for the major business in the macro environment to thrive as this will be the bases on how they’re going to protect their organizations and the well-being of their company without its legal documents being a possible impact whether it could be a positive or a negative effects to its company. I case of the PLDT, they should always remember to determine and to not only protect the authenticity and quality of their services and as a whole company but also to the one who will be affected to the way they handle things in terms of the legal reasons, which in the best interest of their investors, shareholders, employees and most of all their customers. According to the Fern Fort University, PLDT should identify the legal factors that could impact their social status in the economy in terms of the:

● Anti-trust law in Telecom Services – Foreign industry and overall in the country.

● Discrimination law

● Copyright, patents / Intellectual property law

● Consumer protection and e-commerce

● Employment law

● Health and safety law

● Data Protection

4 Strategy Formulation

In order to provide the continuously of success and the progress development of the PLDT, they believe in creating the wider broad of services and distributing the positive effects in the industry of the company not only covers the communities but with the whole globalization that is in place in the country as it can also make a positively approach or an any outlook that set as a responsibility towards influencing to other countries as well. According to the press released of Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, “The PLDT Group is in a unique position in the industry – we have the scale and ability to continue investing significantly in infrastructure and services which can impact positively on our country’s development. We have been always mindful however that this strength begets much responsibility. We have therefore seen to it that our subscribers derive commensurate benefits in terms of value and innovation”. In order to formulate a strategy within the company, expectations is a valid statement that must’ be acknowledge within the company. It doesn’t mean that it can or cannot have an adverse effects in the company but just think the possible potential of the company in the long run where there will be on some point that they can improve their services not only to the people but also in the business as well. And its expectation is the representative of how valid and consistent their work as it is.

It was therefore concluded by Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan that “Over the medium term, our goals are to continue achieving growth in our core businesses while establishing new revenue streams from recent investments, principally Spi. Our strong cash flows provide us with this “triple play” ability – new investments, sustained capital expenditures and increasing dividend yields. In this way, we address shareholder needs both for the present and for the longer term,” And it is a valid point to which the reputation is continuously uphold by their excellent services which actually reveals better result from the expectation of the masses and had actually generated revenue and more profit coming from the customers, investments and its shareholders.

“Our core earnings for the first quarter this year have been more encouraging than anticipated. We envisage revenues to continue growing whilst we manage down our cash costs, including interest expense. Cash flows will be healthy; debts will continue to reduce across the board – including prepayment of most of Piltel’s debts. In that light, our dividend payment policy is currently being considered with the view of raising our payout ratio to shareholders to 60%. This reflects our improved assessment of prospects for 2006 as a whole,” - Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan

4.1. Boston Consulting Group Matrix

The major products of PLDT are Fixed Line telephony or communication, Mobile, broadband or wireless connection. The Market share that will show below is compared with the largest competitor of the company which is GLOBE.

Table 5

Figure 3. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix

The resulting figure indicates that the broadband and mobile are in the star quadrant with high market share and high market growth. It can be forecasted that with the maintenance of quality of product and service, it will remain and can keep its good position. Fixed line is in the cash cow quadrant which means it has high market share and lower market growth and could move into the dog’s territory if a decline of services will occur.

4.2. Strategic Position and Action Evaluation Matrix

Table 6

RATING SYSTEM

(CA) And **(SP) => **Rating Scale from -6 (worst) to -1 (best)

**(IS) **and **(FS) => **Rating Scale from 1 (worst) to 6 (best)

CONCLUSION

X – Axis (CA AVERAGE + IS AVERAGE) 3.8

Y – Axis (FS AVERAGE + SP AVERAGE) 0.5

Figure 4. Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix

The results of the 4 strategic positions which are the Competitive, Industry, Stability and Financial Position was marked in the upper right side of the graph or in the Aggressive Quadrant which simply means that the strategies that should be given priority in the implementation process are as follows: Horizontal, Backward, and Forward Integration, Market Development, Product Development, Market Penetration, Technological Development and other Diversification.

4.3. Grand Strategy Matrix

Table 7

The overall market growth in terms of subscriber’s base in the year 2017 of PLDT remains the same until this present year. Market Growth is still at 7.3% and the market value is still at 8.1% making the company fall into a rapid market growth. As reported, the rapid market growth is based on the increase of subscriptions and the overwhelming volume of data usage anchored with the emerging new technologies.

Globe is the major competitor of PLDT, making the company be in a competitive position. It prioritizes the development of its network and customer service in order to dominate the postpaid segment.

The vector results emphasizes that PLDT is in the Strong Competitive Position and Rapid Market Growth which means they should craft strategies targeting the Horizontal, Backward, Forward Integration, Market Development, Product Development, Technological Development and Market Penetration.

4.4. Internal – External Matrix

Table 8

4.5. Strength – Weaknesses- Opportunities – Threats Analysis

SWOT analysis is an imperative strategic planning apparatus that can be used by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Inc. supervisors to do a situational examination of the whole company. It is a critical method to analyze the present Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O), & Threats (T) PLDT Inc. is confronting in its current commerce environment.

Table 9

The table above shows SWOT analysis/matrix of PLDT Inc. and it empowers the managers of the company to creates four types of strategies, the Strengths-Opportunities (SO), Weakness-Opportunities (WO), Strengths-Threats (ST), & Weakness-Threats (WT) strategies. PLDT Inc. is one of the driving firms in its industry. PLDT Inc. keeps up its prevailing position in the market by carefully analyzing and investigating the SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis immensely intuitively prepares and requires successful coordination among different divisions within the company such as – marketing, finance, management data systems, operations, and strategic planning.

Strengths of PLDT Inc. – Internal Strategic Factors

Diversified business operations.

Across the telecommunication domain PLDT Inc. has a well-built free cash flow that makes the company fast moving into expansion of new projects.

Advanced integrated network.

PLDT has a large social media presence, with millions of followers across the three most popular platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On these channels, it has a high degree of customer engagement and a quick response time.

One of the top positions in the Philippines.

PLDT Inc. is the leading telecommunications and digital services provider in the Philippines.

One of the top providers of wireless phones.

PLDT Inc is a well-known company that has been in the industry for many years. As a result, the name is well-known.

Has creative marketing strategies.

PLDT Inc reached more than millions of followers in Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram which these three social media is one of the famous platforms and this makes them for having a strong presence on social media.

Has a wide range of products.

PLDT Inc has a large number of locations in almost every state, backed by a robust distribution network that ensures that its goods are easily accessible to a large number of customers in a timely manner.

Industry Specialists.

PLDT Inc has invested heavily in workforce preparation, resulting in a large number of highly trained and motivated workers. PLDT Inc has a diverse workforce, with people from various regional, ethnic, cultural, and educational backgrounds contributing to the company's success by bringing in new ideas and methodologies.

National coverage.

In the year 1928 PLDT Inc was founded and up to this year was still working and they have created up to 151 branches nationwide.

Foreign investment.

PLDT Inc forms strategic relationships with its manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and other stakeholders. This enables it to use them in the future if necessary.

Strong sales team.

PLDT Inc. Aspire to be the service provider and be the strongest and advance connection for the family are at home.

Weaknesses of PLDT Inc. – Internal Strategic Factors

Slow internet connection.

The performance evaluation is not done in a systematic way. People are often unappreciated for their work. Employee morale suffers as a result, and promotion prospects are limited.

Half of the company’s total dept are coverage by US dollars.

The company's current assets are poor in comparison to its current liabilities, which could trigger liquidity issues in its operations. At PLDT Inc, there is a lack of proper cash flow planning, resulting in situations where there isn't enough cash flow as needed, resulting in needless unplanned borrowing.

Venture for new technologies.

Even though PLDT Inc spends more on research and development than the industry average, it spends much less than a few players who have gained a major competitive edge as a result of their creative products.

Intermittent assistants.

In comparison to rivals, PLDT Inc has a higher rate of employee turnover. As a result of the increased turnover, the company is investing more on training and growth.

Low signal strength.

Due to the area of their costumers, there is an interruption on the signal that the company did not consider when they are offering their services and product.

Intense competition.

In comparison to its rivals, it is not very good at predicting product demand, resulting in a higher rate of missed opportunities. One of the reasons why PLDT Inc.'s days inventory is so high in comparison to its rivals is that the company isn't very good at predicting demand, so it ends up having more inventory in-house and in the channel.

Corroded cable lines.

Multiple families are availing the item and did not consider the number of valuable costumers within the area.

Company’s liability and obligations.

In recent years, competition has increased, and skilled workers have left the organization, potentially resulting in a talent shortage in the coming years.

Increase number of competitors in the market.

Growing strengths of local distributors also presents a threat in some markets as the competition is paying higher margins to the local distributors.

Public perception.

The product's marketing left a lot to be desired. Even though the product is a sales success, its positioning and unique selling proposition are not clearly established, which could lead to competitor attacks in this market.

Opportunities of PLDT Inc. – External Strategic Factors

Online Market.

Opening up of new markets because of government agreement – the adoption of new technology standard and government free trade agreement has provided PLDT Inc. an opportunity to enter a new emerging market. Expansion of network that serves large number of customers.

Expansion of network that serves large number of customers.

New consumer behavior patterns may open up new market opportunities for PLDT Inc. It gives the company a great chance to diversify into new product segments while also generating new revenue streams.

Decreasing the prices of computers and laptops.

Reduced freight costs as a result of lower shipping costs will lower the cost of PLDT Inc.'s goods, giving the company the option of either increasing profitability or passing on the savings to consumers to gain market share.

Taking risk for new technologies.

Opening up new markets as a result of a government agreement – PLDT Inc. has been given the ability to reach a new emerging market as a result of the introduction of a new technology standard and a government free trade agreement.

Collaboration with other establishments.

As the market develops, competitor advantages will dwindle, allowing PLDT Inc. to improve its competitiveness in comparison to its rivals. In similar other product fields, an organization's core competencies may be a success. For example, GE healthcare research aided in the development of better oil drilling machines.

Threats of PLDT Inc. – External Strategic Factors

Extreme competition that causes margin pressure.

New technologies developed by the competitor or market disruptor could be a serious threat to the industry in medium to long term future.

Fixed line market drop.

An increasing trend toward isolationism in the American economy can prompt a similar response from other governments, reducing foreign sales.

Changes in currency that impacted foreign revenues.

Since the company operates in a variety of countries, it is subject to currency fluctuations, which are exacerbated by the uncertain political situation in a number of markets around the world.

New competitors.

Intense competition with other companies for having the same telecommunication business.  

Unpredictable cost.

Local distributors' the strength poses a challenge in some markets, as the rivalry pays local distributors higher margins.

S-O Strategies

Maintain the strong presence of PLDT Inc on social media and continue to increase the number of followers in Famous social media to keep the customer engagement. (S2, S5, O1)

The company with its dedicated followers in social media is those customers who had a satisfaction on the services that the PLDT provided with them. It indicates high good brand quality that made the customers to share and recommend PLDT to other people.

A strong financial perspective with successive profits along with concentrated profit reserves that can be used to support future capital expenditures and expansion. (S1, S9, S7, O2, O5,)

The increased number of internet users all over the world is an opportunity for PLDT to maintain the financial cash flow for the company to expand more of their presence not just only in the Philippines but in other country in the world. It also resulted a growth in sale meaning, there are a lot of people purchasing the services that can be led to an online stores connection to make the sales expand.

Keep the quality of product and services over the years and are still valued by households, who find it as excellent value and worth it for the finances they pay. (S3, S4, O2, O4)

There has been an increase of household in purchasing the product and services of PLDT as their internet provider. The income along with an increase in consumer spending following the financial condition that leads to the growth of target market and having new customers that can be attracted to purchase the item.

A dedicated customer relationship with the PLDT Inc. has able to attain an elevated level of customer contentment among valued and new customers and good brand equity among the potential clients. (S6, S10, O1, O2)

Valued customer who also recommend and market the services and product help the company to maintain the number of customer satisfaction population they had. The Company provide good services and achieve the needs of the households that made the PLDT company to be the number 1 internet provider in the Philippines.

W-O Strategies

Innovation of strategies and plan to meet the challenge that the new entrants given to the company to not gain any lost. (W1, W2, O2, O5)

The company needs to plan and design an idea that make the company overcome the challenges that encountered on the new entrants. Even though the product and services are a success in terms of sales, but it is needed to innovate strategies that strengthen and cannot be attack by the competitors.

Strengthen the online sale services, websites, and social media presence for better engagement through brand ambassadors, campaigns, advertisement, testimonies, branding, and better customer service experience. (W8, O1)

Nowadays, People are using online platforms in all their transactions. Most of them are addictive in online shopping, bills payments, and delivery mode since it is the most convenient to them. Strengthen the online sale services and website is one of the keys to maintain the record of high sales. As much as possible make the online services and website easier to understand and manipulate. Provide good customer entertainment and ethics for the customer maintain its impression and good feedbacks. Social media is the most powerful online platform since everybody has its social media life. Using famous celebrities or popular local celebrities added the connection and trust of people on purchasing the product and services because of the appeal given by those people. Make a new tagline and had a unique TV and media advertisement so that it will be added to the strength of gaining new customers.

Develop financial planning and come up on a plan that make the financial stable to sustain the good services and employment of the employees. (W2, W3, O2, O3, O4)

Even though the company offers discounts and voucher it must maintain the financial stability of the company. Using discount and vouchers can help to encourage new clients on availing the products and services. It added the clients so that the financial will continue to be stable. The competition is always there with the new entrants, but it needs to have a concrete plan to beat the challenge on the market by upgrading the product and services and honest feedback coming from the customers. Broaden partnership and encourage investors to invest to the company it also helps to maintain financial stability.

S-T Strategies

Focus on the development of data and upgrade websites by putting some features for easy transactions for the customer will not find it difficult to manipulate when purchasing an item or internet plans online. (S6, S8, T5)

With the advance technology offered in this present time, the company must go with the trends online. The website must up to date and well-monitored for online transactions. As much as possible, developed the website by putting features that make the manipulation of online purchases and fill ups will be easy to the customers.

Strengthen social media connections by putting some entertaining advertisement and improve engagement through customer service supports brand ambassadors, campaigns, and testimonies. (S5, S10, T1, T2)

Make a campaign that fits to the bracket age of the valued customers. Putting unique advertisement that catches the attention of future customer is an advantage to maintain the market finance of the company. Brand ambassador must be well-known by the society since it is effective as those personalities uses appeal to authority to encourage viewers to avail the product and services. In social medias, we can put short testimonies as one of the strategies to prove the effectiveness of the product and services. For customer service, a well-trained employee and providing the customer to give feedback to the services for better improvement and to answer all the queries without any delay.

Offering Promos and discounts to the customer, provide low-cost product and services and raffle draws. (S7, S8, T1)

Chances of winning, discounts and affordable but in excellent quality of product and services are one of the keys to maintain the balance within the competitors. Giving discount vouchers online, Bundle promos, and low-cost options of plan can encourage the customer to avail the items and services. Filipinos are into luck, so offering them a raffle draw wherein the price is catchy for the viewers will also add the cash flow of the company. It will make the customers to be excited and will purchase the offered product and services to them since it will be affordable to them.

Expand the connection, partnership and make the branches more productive and visible by giving training to the employees to maintain the good services, record breaking ranking and impression of the valued customers and investors. (S9, T3, T4)

The company need a skilled worker to provide quality services to the customers. To maintain the Top leading telecommunications and digital services provider in the Philippines, giving workshops and training to the employee should be given so that it will avoid poor services and lessen the complaints on now providing the right solution on the customer support. Expanding connection and partnership is advisable since it bring small and big connection and elaborate new strategy to beaten up the growing competitor.

W-T Strategies

Continue to create partnerships and invite investors to sustain the needs and maintain financial stability to maintain the profit and afford salary maintenance for the employees. (W2, T3)

Partnerships and investors help the company to survive. To maintain stability, the company needs stable impression and strong partnership to their partners and investors. It is an opportunity to open good relationship and employees will stay on the company.

Maintain offering low-cost product and services and giving promo discounts and voucher to encourage more customers and maintain valued customers. (W10, T2).

One of the strategies of new entrants is giving their clients extravagant promos and discounts. It is effective though there will be a possibility of monetary loss. Balance the opportunity of giving promos and discount and have a fix policy and guidelines on how to purchase such opportunities so that it will be balance to the company sake and customer's sake.

Proper planning and strategies to meet the demand and conquer challenges that the new entrants offer (W1, W3, T2, T3).

Meeting the leaders of the company and plan innovation and strategies to cope up with the high technology and competitors to sustain the strength of the company demands and needs. The company need to improve plans and strategy and come up on a concrete solution to deal with the new entrants deals and offer to the market most especially to the consumers. A wide connection and broad development needed to not lessen and maintain the valued customer of the company. Strengthen the goal and products and services to maintain the high quality of services of the company.

4.6. Quantitative Strategies Planning Matrix

Table 10

SUM WEIGHTS 100% 100%

The PLDT Company is the Philippines' largest telecommunications provider, offering fixed line, cellular, and internet services. The telecommunications industry has undergone a transformation in recent years, and PLDT's position in the industry has been challenged by new entrants. These strategies were developed, implemented, and evaluated in order to come up with a better decision that would allow them to continue achieving their goals. The PLDT company has rates to compile some of the methods that were developed and evaluated based on an analysis of external and internal variables as well as a SWOT Analysis.

Based on the SWOT analysis, PLDT holds the top spot in the telecoms industry. They began by providing fixed lines to the Philippines market and have since expanded their market to include wireless technology. They became the number one cell phone provider after acquiring SMART as a wireless partner. When technology progressed, the DSL became widely established. Then came PLDT, which served as the company's technology arm. PLDT provided solutions to internet issues and even rose to the top of the rankings.

Based on the Internal and external factors, Customer experience- When PLDT introduced a product that enabled customers to connect to the internet faster using Broadband and WIFI, there were many complaints about the quality of the service. Many of the grievances stemmed from the sluggish link, which failed to meet the customer's expectations, as well as the fact that complaints were not addressed in a timely manner. Customers may decide to switch providers because they believe they are much better at providing the service required in this situation.

In our overall analysis, to avoid financial loss and losing to the fierce competition offered by new entrants, PLDT must improve their marketing strategy. One of the keys is to increase the online presence on various social networking platforms and to take advantage of opportunities provided by emerging local brands and newcomers. As much as possible, the company should generate a long-term strategy to maintain the market sales and to avoid losing finances and employees.

5 Strategy Recommendation

It is suggested that the organization ought to harp on making concentrated procedures. This includes product development, market development, and related diversification. These techniques require concentrated endeavors for PLDT’s cutthroat situation with existing items to improve.

Related Diversification

Giving all the users different options and more enhancement makes a strategy improvement, because people or the users can see that there are new activities and improved varieties that can help them have an internet connection more flexible and compact.

Product Development

Improve operation and service

Liable for item improvement guide and dispatch dates. Plan financial plans and earn back the original investment examination for new activities. Also, Distinguish and suggest new item ideas. PLDT is one of the well-known internet service providers in the country Philippines, enhancing their operation and service can help them to broaden their internet service and executing this could improve to accomplish the procedure. It tends to include a plan that can make and put together plans.

Market Development

Keep up exceptional contender information with center around its innovative abilities. Furthermore, screen contenders, make and update cross-references, perform continuous exploration of contender item highlights, blend and item advancement procedure. Should have careful information and comprehension of contender items to the segment level and innovation arrangement sources.

6 Action Plan

Related Diversification

Setting up standards and providing different kinds and flexible options to the user of PLDT internet connection can make a customer’s loyalty and giving them the standards that they will need in future circumstances and can last their stay in the internet provider since they experience value.

Product Development

This can build deals by improving and developing present assistance, upgrading and preparing legitimate client relationships. Indeed, even items and administrations are practically the comparative contrasts with different contenders. This is one of the components one bank can keep up the dedication of its clients and make a decent client connection.

Market Development

This activity includes expanding in working hours and days and advancement. This can keep up and serve more clients in whenever of the day and would be effective in the event that it will be following on additional time the executives during the initial time.

7 Conclusion

Based on the statistical results of the diverse matrices, the following conclusions have been made:

In Internal Factor Evaluation matrix (IFE matrix), the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) garnered a total weighted score of 2.68% which means they are having above average responsiveness rating in telecommunication service provider industry. It also prompts that the firm has a solid position in terms of its internal issues, maintain its strengths, be mindful in balancing and improve its weaknesses.

With an overall score of 3% in External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE matrix), PLDT has a strong position in their field as telecommunication service provider industry. The company is responding above average by exploiting opportunities in overpowering threats in its external domain.

In accordance with the Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM), the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company has the first position in the comparative analysis with the total weighted score 3.08% and followed by the Globe Telecom with the total weighted score 2.87% and Smart Communication with 3.01%. Among its competitors, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company is on the lead in providing good service and the most advantaged in their field.

In the Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG matrix), the ensuing figure demonstrate that the broadband/wireless and mobile are in star quadrant which indicates that sector has high market share and high market growth. While the fixed line is in the cash cow quadrant with a high market share and lower market growth.

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone’s Strategic Position and Action Evaluation Matrix (SPACE matrix) shows Competitive Advantage (CA) with an average of -1.75, Financial Strength (FS) with an average of 3.5, Industry Strength (IS) with an average of 5.55 and Stability Position (SP) with an average of 3.0 which leads to a conclusion of 3.8 in the X-Axis and 0.5 in the Y-Axis. In overall, it was concluded that PLDT positioned in Quadrant 1 which Competitive, Financial, Industry, Stability Position pointed in Aggressive Strategy. This alludes that the Philippine Long Distance Telephone has a strong competitive position in the market growth. Therefore, the company must develop a market penetration and development strategy.

8 Financial Projection

9 References

About PLDT - PLDT Inc. (n.d.). PLDT. Retrieved from http://pldt.com/about-us

Annual and Sustainability reports. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pldt.com/investor-relations/annual-and-sustainability-reports

Chris. (2017). Competitive Profil Matrix. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/document/346990601/Competitive-Profil-Matrix

Company Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pldt.com/about-us/company-leadership

Company Timeline - Enabling the Nation | Official PLDT Website. (n.d.). PLDT. Retrieved from http://pldt.com/about-us/company-timeline

Converge ICT Builds ISP Network to Promote Philippines Digital Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://e.huawei.com/topic/leading-new-ict-en/converge-ict-case.html

David, F., & David, F. (2016). Strategic Management: A Competitive Advantage Approach, Concepts and Cases, 16th Edition Chapter 7: External Audit, p. 218 – 219, 229, 235.

David, F, & David F. (2016). Strategic Management Concepts and Cases, 16th Edition Chapter 4: Levels of Strategist (pp. 124 – 133).

David, F., & David, F. (2016). Strategic Management: A Competitive Advantage Approach,

Concepts and Cases, 16th Edition Chapter 10: Strategy Execution, p.

David, F., & David, F. (2016). Strategic Management: A Competitive Advantage Approach, Concepts and Cases, 16th Edition Chapter 8: Strategy Generation and Selection, p. 251, 254, 258.

David, F., & David, F. (2016). Strategic Management: A Competitive Advantage Approach, Concepts and Cases, 16th Edition Chapter 5: Vision and Mission Analysis, p. 158 – 162

Department, S. M. (n.d.). PLDT Inc. Pestel analysis & Environment Analysis. Retrieved

from http://fernfortuniversity.com/term-papers/pestel/nyse4/3820-pldt-inc-.php

Dito Telecommunity Corporation. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.gsma.com/membership/m/dito-telecommunity-corporation/

EFE / IFE Matrix (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.toolshero.com/strategy/efe-ife-matrix/

Financial results. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pldt.com/investor-relations/financial-results

Fripp, G. (n.d.). BCG matrix formulas and calculations. Retrieved from https://www.marketingstudyguide.com/bcg-matrix-formulas-and-calculations/

Garcia, D. (n.d.). Pldt. Retrieved from https://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Pldt/193056

Juneja, P. (n.d.). MSG management study guide. Retrieved from https://www.managementstudyguide.com/bcg-matrix.htm

Leigh, H. (2020). CBA FIN 1A Retrieved from https://www.coursehero.com/file/p9pmh9f/%09Strengths-22-PLDT-offers-the-largest-and-most-diversified-range-of/

Market positioning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/strategy/market-positioning/

MBA Skool Team. (2020). PLDT SWOT ANALYSIS: Top pldt Competitors, STP & USP. Retrieved https://www.mbaskool.com/brandguide/telecom-service-providers/2525-pldt.html

MEFaward. (2020). PLDT secures PH'S first global MEF 3.0 certification. Retrieved from https://www.pldtenterprise.com/news-and-events/mefaward/pldt-secures-phs-first-global-mef-30-certification?fbclid=IwAR3gRITfg_J8sj09LuRnznN2trR6Kgngkqhkh4PJyWmeINjmJDTB2n7uH9A

Mission Vision | Official PLDT Website. (n.d.). PLDT. Retrieved from http://pldt.com/about-us/what-drives-us/mission-vision?fbclid=iwar3o6k612cvo6chl1297obaobx8xwt8gs5fchzylbfb-dbx6rilgyy8rig4

MPlus. (2020). PLDT, Smart partner with Grab for rapid, convenient delivery of internet products. Retrieved from https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/06/06/pldt-smart-%20partner-with-grab-for-rapid-convenient-delivery-of-internet-products/

PLDT FIBER Enterprise. Facebook. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/PLDT-FIBER-Enterprise-101541981650705/.

PLDT full year revenues, profits rise on higher fixed and mobile data. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2020/03/09/pldt-full-year-revenues-profits-rise-on-higher-fixed-and-mobile-data/

PLDT. (2020). Nine Months 2020 Financial and Operating Results Presentation. Retrieved fromhttp://pldt.com/docs/default-source/presentations/2020/download_9m2020.pdf?sfvrsn=0

PLDT Inc PESTEL Analysis (2018). Retrieved from https://www.case48.com/pestel-analysis/6034-PLDT-Inc

PLDT Inc. SWOT Analysis / Matrix. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fernfortuniversity.com/term-papers/swot/nyse/3820-pldt-inc-.php

Strategy Analysis Of Pldt. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Strategy-Analysis-of-Pldt-F3HS9ZEKRYZA

WayKurat. (2021, April). Sky Cable. Retrieved from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Cable

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). PLDT. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLDT#History

#stramapaper #totidulay #pldt

4 notes · View notes

watch-streaming · 3 years

Text

[REGARDER]!~AFTER CHAPITRE 3 (2021) FILM COmplet! en Streaming VF en Ligne HD France

"M-TV-4K-Streaming VF REGARDER] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 (2021) Film Streaming Online VF Complet HD, Regarder Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 (2021) film complet en ligne MOVIES gratuit,Télécharger AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Torrent Film Françaais, REGARDER AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 streaming vF(2021) film complet HD , Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 (2021) film complet en ligne,.

TELECHARGER◉ 🎬 ➥ https://imax-21.com/fr/movie/744275/after-we-fell

REGARDER| AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Streaming VF (2021) en Film Complet en VOSTFR

VOIR=Film]] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 || 2021 || Streaming VF'

### Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 en streaming vf 100% gratuit, voir le film complet en français et en bonne qualité.

Regarder {AFTER - CHAPITRE 3} 2021 Streaming VF Complet en Film FR

AFTER Et de cette façon, j’aime tout. {~ HD] 1Film>Streaming vf ## Voir11 AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 streaming vf :: 2021 }}

Regarder un film ~ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 “”” Film Complet”” 2021 [STREAMING VF] ~ Gratuitement

####Voir film complet sous-titre français@@@ 2021

Sortie: 2021-09-01

Durée: 108 minutes

Genre: Romance, Drame

Etoiles: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Chance Perdomo, Carter Jenkins, Kiana Madeira

Directeur: Jennifer Gibgot, Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Iñigo Navarro, Castille Landon

Lorsque les plus grands champions de la Terre sont appelés à combattre les ennemis de l'Autre Monde, ils doivent découvrir leurs véritables pouvoirs pour sauver notre planète de l'annihilation totale.

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 film complet

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet en français

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 streaming vostfr

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film streaming

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 streaming vf

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet en ligne

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet en ligne gratuit

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet en ligne gratuitement

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet télécharger

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film complet sous-titre

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 film 2021 streaming vf

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 bande annonce vf

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 film complet en francais

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Complet Streaming VF Entier Français,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Regarder Film en Streaming en Français,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Stream Film Complet Entier VF en Français,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 streaming VF film en entier gratuit,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 film complet streaming Vk gratuit,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Regarder Film en Streaming,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film télécharger Torrent,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 film complet en Français,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 regarder en streaming,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 youtube film entier,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 streaming vf youwacth,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 streaming en entier,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Regarder Gratuitment,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 regarder film streaming,

Regardez AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Qualité 4K en ligne

Regarder la vidéo AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] StreamiNG HD

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Films complets

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] sorties du film

Regardez des films en ligne gratuitement en 2021

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] FullMovie en ligne

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet regarder en ligne

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet en anglais

Regarder le film anglais complet de AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021]

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet sous France

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet en anglais,

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Full Movie Eng Sub

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] sous-titre complet du film

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet spoiler

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet en ligne

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Stream complet du film gratuit

Regardez le film complet de AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021]

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet telugu

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film complet tamoul

Téléchargement complet du film tamoul AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] English complet

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Subtítulos en español

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Fuld norsk film

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] Nederlandse versie

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 [2021] film volledige België Versie

Synopsis et détails : Après l’effondrement économique de la cité ouvrière du Nevada où elle vivait, Fern décide de prendre la route à bord de son van aménagé et d’adopter une vie de nomade des temps modernes, en rupture avec les standards de la société actuelle. De vrais nomades incarnent les camarades et mentors de Fern et l’accompagnent dans sa découverte des vastes étendues de l’Ouest américain.

C’était compter sans Darius Kincaid, le tueur à gages qui a dynamité sa vie, et Sonia, sa délicieuse épouse lourdement armée, qui vont l’entraîner dans un nouveau plan foireux peuplé de mafieux, de tueurs, d’explosions, de bagarres et de complots, avec en prime un redoutable virus informatique et un milliardaire ivre de vengeance. Bonnes vacances, Michael !

Dans les Pyrénées, un loup attise la colère des villageois.Streaming VF, 19 ans, sans diplôme, vit avec son oncle adoptif et travaille dans un salon de massage. Sa petite amie Rebecca passe bientôt son bac, promise à un avenir radieux. Pour eux, c’est un été ordinaire qui s’annonce. Mais un soir de pleine lune, .Streaming VF est griffé par une bête inconnue. Les semaines qui suivent, il est pris de curieuses pulsions animales

❍❍❍ TV MOVIE ❍❍❍

The first television shows were experimental, sporadic broadcasts viewable only within a very short range from the broadcast tower starting in the 1930s. Televised events such as the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, the 19340 coronation of King George VI in the UK, and David Sarnoff’s famous introduction at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in the US spurred a growth in the medium, but World War II put a halt to development until after the war. The 19440 World MOVIE inspired many Americans to buy their first television set and then in 1948, the popular radio show Texaco Star Theater made the move and became the first weekly televised variety show, earning host Milton Berle the name “Mr Television” and demonstrating that the medium was a stable, modern form of entertainment which could attract advertisers. The first national live television broadcast in the US took place on September 4, 1951 when President Harry Truman’s speech at the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco was transmitted over AT&T’s transcontinental cable and microwave radio relay system to broadcast stations in local markets. The first national color broadcast (the 1954 Tournament of Roses Parade) in the US occurred on January 1, 1954. During the following ten years most network broadcasts, and nearly all local programming, continued to be in black-and-white. A color transition was announced for the fall of 1965, during which over half of all network prime-time programming would be broadcast in color. The first all-color prime-time season came just one year later. In 19402, the last holdout among daytime network shows converted to color, resulting in the first completely all-color network season.

❍❍❍ Formats and Genres ❍❍❍

See also: List of genres § Film and television formats and genres Television shows are more varied than most other forms of media due to the wide variety of formats and genres that can be presented. A show may be fictional (as in comedies and dramas), or non-fictional (as in documentary, news, and reality television). It may be topical (as in the case of a local newscast and some made-for-television films), or historical (as in the case of many documentaries and fictional MOVIE). They could be primarily instructional or educational, or entertaining as is the case in situation comedy and game shows.[citation needed] A drama program usually features a set of actors playing characters in a historical or contemporary setting. The program follows their lives and adventures. Before the 1980s, shows (except for soap opera-type serials) typically remained static without story arcs, and the main characters and premise changed little.[citation needed] If some change happened to the characters’ lives during the episode, it was usually undone by the end. Because of this, the episodes could be broadcast in any order.[citation needed] Since the 1980s, many MOVIE feature progressive change in the plot, the characters, or both. For instance, Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere were two of the first American prime time drama television MOVIE to have this kind of dramatic structure,[4][better source needed] while the later MOVIE Babylon 5 further exemplifies such structure in that it had a predetermined story running over its intended five-season run.[citation needed] In 2012, it was reported that television was growing into a larger component of major media companies’ revenues than film.[5] Some also noted the increase in quality of some television programs. In 2012, Academy-Award-winning film director Steven Soderbergh, commenting on ambiguity and complexity of character and narrative, stated: “I think those qualities are now being seen on television and that people who want to see stories that have those kinds of qualities are watching television.

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Film Complet Streaming VF En Français - HD 2021

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Complet En Français, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Entier En Français, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film En Français, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Complet, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Complet VF, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Complet Streaming, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Entier, Voir AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Entier VF, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Entier Streaming, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Streaming VF, Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 voir en streaming gratuit

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Film complet Streaming VF en francais

AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2021 Film Complet STREAMING VF en Français -HD

[1Film]™ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 « FILM COMPLET en STREAMING VF en FRANCAIS,

[REGARDER]™ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 STREAMING VF GRATUIT | FILM COMPLET En Français~[2021],

*Regarder]] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 (2021) HD en ligne Film complet en streaming gratuit,

Regarder Le Film - AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 En Streaming HD ＦＩＬＭＣＯＭＰＬＥＴ

*AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 « FILM COMPLET en Streaming VF (2021) Gratuit En ligne

[[Regarder]] ~ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 ~ (2021) « FILM COMPLET en Streaming VF - HD

Regarder~ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Streaming VF - 2021)* ＦＩＬＭＣＯＭＰＬＥＴ HD

[11HD] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Volledige Film (België Versie) Gratis Online België Films

[VOSTFR] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Film complet Streaming VF En Français ~ HD

[[Télécharger]]~AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Film-Complet Streaming VF Entier Français 1080px,720px, BrRip, DvdRip, CamRip

Regarder ~ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Streaming VF - 2021)* Film Complet HD

[Regarder] ~ AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 (2021) Film Complet HD-1080p

Regarder AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 2020 Film Complet en Français

Regarder : AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Film 2021 Complet en Streaming VF Français

[VOSTFR] AFTER - CHAPITRE 3 Film Complet Streaming VF En Français,"

#watch-streaming #[REGARDER]!~AFTER CHAPITRE 3 (2021) FILM COmplet! en Streaming VF en Ligne HD France

1 note · View note

queentargary3n · 4 years

Text

unfaithful

Summary: Sakura is surprised to see Sasuke is the senior associate of the firm she is supposed to start working for. All of her feelings start to come back 10 years after he abandoned her. Sasuke finds out somethings are truly never behind you, and when he starts falling back in love with her, his past comes to hunt him. Her biggest issue? He is already married

Sasusaku Fanfic AU Lawyers. M

Chap 3

Sasuke was angry. Angry at Naruto for putting him down like that in front of their whole firm, for being forced to work with his mistress! For accommodating her in the office right across from his, where he couldn't help but to stare at her all throughout the day; He was also angry at himself for choosing glass panels when decorating the firm, making said visibility possible, and perhaps at his own inability (or reluctance) to close his curtains to stop it.

He was exhausted, he barely had any sleep the night before. Her teary face came to him every time he attempted to close his eyes, saying please don't leave over and over. Images of the nights they spent together in their youth, fumbling around each other, full of inexperience and desire came to him, causing him bodily reactions he didn't really want to have, and making the couch where he slept incredibly uncomfortable. Other images started to fill his mind after, images of his friend fisting a handful of pink locks from behind while be grunted against her. It was nauseating really.

He remembered Sakura as a pure little thing, who didn't even dare to make excuses to her parents to be able to spend more time with her boyfriend because it was dishonest, and liars were the worst kind of people. And now there she was, having an affair, ruining a marriage between two of the best people Sasuke had ever met.

And really what other explanation could there be for all the special treatment? Naruto was that kind of person, he knew. Overly friendly and generous, but he'd never seen him been so extremely affectionate with anyone other than his wife.

He would have to go speak to her soon enough, if there were going to be working on the case. It was almost 5pm and there she was seated on top of her desk, her short dressed rising even higher showing up her creamy long legs, gossiping away with Yamanaka as she had done the entire day. Sasuke decided he couldn't waste more time in other people's indiscretions, he had work to do, so he walked to her office, briefcase in hand and said "Sakura with me now, Yamanaka I need the prosecutors list of witness for the case before you leave for the day" and continued walking toward the elevator without looking back to see if she'd followed.

Sakura grabbed her purse and hurried to him. "Where are we going, boss?" She asked squeezing in between the closing elevator doors he hadn't bothered to hold for her.

"Coffee" he answered coldly.

Once the doors closed, she leaned her back against the wall, crossing her arms in front of her chest and said "Listen Sasuke... I ... I don't know if you remember, but... back in high school I was..."

"Why wouldn't I remember?" He interrupted. Of course, anyone would be perfectly able to remember their teenage sweetheart of 4 years, even if it was a whole decade later, barring an aneurysm or something.

"I just... thought... you didn't seem to recognize..."

"Do you always stutter this much now? It's annoying" Sasuke said rudely. Looking to his phone to avoid looking at what he knew would be a blushed, indignant, Sakura. He stepped outside right as the doors opened.

Instead of taking a place in line to order, Sasuke sat down at a table, pulling out documents from his briefcase and organizing them into piles. I thought we came for coffee... Sakura thought, standing in front of him, fidgeting with her bag.

"I'm going to get a latte; would you like anything?" She asked.

The raven-haired man didn't even look up as he said. "Coffee, black"

Okay Mr Arrogant. She thought, dragging herself to the task on hand.

Sakura returned quickly with two coffee cups, and a cupcake in a small paper bag, which for lack additional hands, she had to carry with her teeth.

The table was completely covered in piles of documents by then, no space so that she could set down the cups.

Ignoring her predicament, he started. "Court starts tomorrow at 8am sharp, be there early, judge Hatake is presiding, he has a hatred for unpunctuality that rivals my own, so don't be trying to pull things like this morning" which was a lie, of course, judge Hatake was notorious for his constant tardiness.

And just how did he know I was late? She thought. He wasn't there was he? The small paper bag was starting to slip past her teeth by then, still not able to put the cups down.

"I need 4 chronologically organized sets of copies of every document in this table, bound in different folders with cover sheets" He could've easily have asked his assistant to do the work, maybe if he'd been able to concentrate at all that day he would have, but he was forced to take a second chair and he wasn't going to give her an important task just because she was hooking up with his friend. If anything, he'd do the opposite. Give her the most menial task he can think of, to keep her occupied enough to stay out of his case.

She noodled quickly in response, forgetting for a second about the bag she was biting down on. It only took that one second, the cupcake bag slipped past her lips, she instinctively tried to stop, swinging her entire arm to the side to prevent it from hitting the table, she didn't want the original documents covered in frosting, but of course, her hand was already occupied, the sudden movement causing the cup to spill piping hot coffee right on Sasuke's chest.

"What the F... arrrg " he gritted his teeth as the scalding liquid hurt like hell. He stood up quickly trying to separate his drenched shirt from making contact with his skin.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun!" Pulling out a handkerchief from her purse and pressing it to his chest and stomach, trying to at least soak up some of the offending liquid. "I was just trying to..."

He glared at her, taking the handkerchief from her hand abruptly. "Save it" Sasuke said between his gritted teeth. He grabbed his suitcase and walked away, leaving a mortified Sakura behind.

He didn't return. After an hour passed it became evident, he wasn't coming back, so she went back to offices to complete the work he had ordered her to do. The lights were out and the offices completely empty. Sakura couldn't help but to cuss at herself internally for what a terrible first day she just had.

Sasuke walked into his apartment to his wife and Suigetsu, one of the paralegals of the office, sharing a drink on the kitchen table. A common event at the residence.

"Hey Sasuke, looking terrible today, what happened to ya?" Said the white-haired man, grinning like an idiot at the sight of the usually immaculate Sasuke, stained in coffee.

"Spilled coffee" he offered no more explanations in return. He simply walked into the bedroom grabbed a fresh shirt and went toward his home office.

He paid no attention to his wife, who did not acknowledge his entry either. She was dress in boxers and a thin white tank top, and Suigetsu thought that any other man would be angered at the scene of his wife scantily dressed in such company, no matter what the state of the relationship.

He couldn't even begin to feel guilty for ogling at his friends wife.

It should be pointed out that Karin was an attractive woman, red fiery hair, voluptuous, he noted how thin the material of her shirt was, leaving nothing to the imagination. It was no secret Suigetsu had a thing for her, and the fact that she only had eyes for Sasuke, at least in the past, only made him want her more.

Karin said nothing as she prepared some tea and offered Suigetsu a cup with a gentle smile on her face. He knew her very well, from before and after Sasuke, and gentle smiles where not exactly Karin's thing. And from her attitude towards him, the way she carried herself, and the blankets and pillows in the couch inside Sasuke's office, he determined with certainty that Karin hadn't had sex in a very long time. That thought definitely made him smile.

Sasuke walked confidently inside court room number 10, exactly 30 minutes before the scheduled trial, which meant he should still have about an hour before Judge Kakashi deigned to show up, he was expecting to find it empty. He almost twisted his neck when a light shade of pink caught his eye.

She was seated on what was supposed to be his chair, leaned back as fair as the chair would go with her legs rested on the table. She smiled enthusiastically at him upon seeing him, said. "Morning boss" and handed him a cup.

"I'm not your boss" he said taking the offered cup with distrust and standing next her and waiting for her to move.

"Sure... listen Sasuke, I'm sorry about yesterday" she said lowering her legs at the same time and moving to the adjacent chair.

"Hn" he sat next to her. "Where are folders I requested"

"Here" Sakura answered, handing him one folder instead of the four he'd requested. "I did you one better and figured you were asking for them to submit to the plaintiff, the judge and records, so I sent them this morning, this is your copy, please note the index and numbered pages I created for accessibility"

"Hn... how obsequious of you" He answered unimpressed.

Sakura knew what he was trying to pull. She figured he would try to give her tasks, that one would consider to be beneath her, until she decided to give up being second chair to his case. He wasn't happy about her presence, and made no secret of it at the meeting, and she wasn't exactly thrilled to be working with him. But she'd be damned if she walked away from a case because of a man.

"Also... I was studying up on your strategy, and I think it's very good, but I think we should focus I but more on the ..."

He didn't allow her to finish. "I don't need advice from beginners"

Jerk. She thought but she held her tongue. She didn't know how long Sasuke had been working on this case, but he must know what he is doing, he was always the most competent person she knew.

The trail started, and Sasuke seemed to be dominating, exuding confidence as he walked in front of the jury. Everything about him screamed I know what I'm doing. From his exemplary posture, to his perfectly tailored dark suit, to his eloquence in questioning the witness. He ended his questioning and gave a little smile to the jury, half of which was already smitten with the handsome raven-haired attorney.

Taking full advantage of his looks huh. He never used to do that when younger, he always seemed to consider the attention his looks attracted unwanted and annoying. I guess whatever helps you win the case, right?

Even the plaintiff's attorney seemed to be infatuated with the dark-haired man, she blushed when he looked at her on the way back to his seat.

"No more questions for this witness your honor" Sasuke said as he sat down. Fully confident that his line of questioning went exactly on the direction he planned for the case.

"Ammm actually I have a couple of questions for the witness, if I may..." Sakura announced for the judge.

"You May... Miss?" Judge Hakate said, eying the pinkette attorney, who stood up nervously.

Sasuke's eyes were wide. He looked at her menacingly and said. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" His voice almost a whisper, his arm moved to stop her.

"Trust me okay?" Sakura answered to him.

"No!" he whispered. But she roughly shook off his hand that had grabbed her by her blazer. And then to the judge, "Haruno Sakura, your honor"

Sasuke was pissed, she looked back at him after walking passed him and towards the podium, his eyes almost had a tint of red, he was so angry.

"Doctor... please explain one more time, why is it that Doctor Senju's procedure to restart the patient's heart once it had stopped is out of the norm" Sakura asked, addressing the Hospital Board director that Sasuke had questioned mere seconds before.

"Well the standard procedure is to use a defibrillator, continuing CPR and oxygen intubation, until either the patient is either stable or irreversible cessation of the heartbeat is determined. Senju ceased CPR after less than 2 minutes, and proceeded use a scalpel to open the patient's chest cavity, inserting her entire hand, and pumped the patient's heart by hand"

The jury and the crowd gasped at his crude explanation.

"But it saved the patient's life did it not?"

Sakura said, eyeing the plaintiff seated next to her attorney.

"Technically yes, but it's a highly risky technique, less than 5% survival rate, and in this case unnecessary, as I covered at length with your colleague just a few seconds ago, I think it was Tsunade's ego wanting to prove herself a better doctor"

"Yes, thank you I heard" She gave him a kind smile, and looked over to Sasuke, who was still scowling at her. Obviously working as a team was something new to him.

"So, let's go back to the beginning, Ms. Terumi wanted the surgery to enhance her breasts, something went wrong with the anesthesia, and she entered into cardiac arrest" Sakura said addressing the jury in a light tone, and then turned to the witness one more time. "Of course, any procedure that requires general anesthesia comes with its risks, it's common knowledge and disclosed in advance with the patient before the surgery. And rather than let her patient, and may I say friend, die, Doctor Tsunade determined it would be best to save her life even if it left Ms. Tekumi with an unsightly scar, I mean, if this is not a frivolous lawsuit I don't know what is, wouldn't you agree doctor?"

Sasuke was impressed, even if he tried to push the thought to the back of his head, she had deviated from his strategy, taken over his case! but the regality to which she seemed to be handling the questioning was... hot.

"I would not. Doctor Senju knew the proper procedures and chose to ignore them! She knew how important her appearance was to Mis Terumi! As an underwear model, the scar could seriously hinder her career, she derailed her whole life, and for what, for her ego or perhaps envy?" The expert witness said, he was vicious, he knew just how to surprise the jury with scandalous accusations.

"Doctor do you know why doctors' advice not to use illicit drugs before a surgery, in fact they require that a patient needs to been "clean" for a least 6 months before preparing for any surgery? of course you do, but I'm going to tell our jury, the risk, in this case for cocaine abuse and undergoing general anesthesia is that it can cause tissue compression, compartment syndrome, and neuropraxia. Did Ms. Terumi mentioned that she used to have a big cocaine problem?"

"Well... it was not... in her medical record" the doctor was stuttering now.

"Well it is here, medical record from last year, hospitalization due to cocaine overdose. Of course, she didn't disclose that to our Doctor Senju, but is it unreasonable to think she would still be using and that Doctor Senju noticed the side effects of the drug abuse after going under anesthesia? And that with the risk of using a defibrillator and causing pulmonary and cardiac necrosis, she decided the best course of action was to take an unorthodox but less damaging approach?"

"I... would need to see.."

"So, isn't it a bit narcissistic of your part to project your egomaniac tendencies to a kind doctor who was trying to do her best to save her friend!?"

"Aaam objection... she is badgering the witness..." the opposite attorney interfered, trying to save a bit of face in a case she knew she'd already lost.

"I'll allow it... Answer the question doctor"

"Ahem... perhaps"

"Thank you, nothing further your honor" Sakura said, walking back to her seat practically bouncing with adrenaline. It almost didn't matter that Sasuke was still giving her his look of doom. Because from where she was seated Tsunade was giving her a proud-knowingly smirk, and Judge Kakashi was smiling at her. She was so giddy.

"The court will call for the evidence of Ms. Terumi hospitalization for drug overdose, and perhaps even a drug test to confirm accusations. We will reconvene tomorrow 9am, for closing statements and delivering of verdict if the testing is ready by then, meeting adjourned" Said Judge Kakashi, taking a stand to leave, but not before looking over his shoulder to the attractive pink haired attorney, and gave her a little smile. It wasn't very often Hatake Kakashi was surprised.

Sakura saw him, and in return offered him, what she knew to be the most dashing smile at her disposal.

Moving up to a judge I see. Sasuke thought.

Tsunade Senju, took a stand to shake Sakura's hand. "That was very impressive. I don't remember that information being on the packet I presented to your firm"

"Hehe thank you" Said Sakura, shaking her hand enthusiastically, even before college, she had heard how legendary Doctor Senju was, she deserved the best defense possible.

"I recognize your type anywhere Miss Haruno." Said the blonde woman, squinting to her as if trying to see her more clearly. "I'll be getting in touch with you, maybe we can get a drink something"

To say that Sasuke was annoyed would be underestimating the ordeal. He was used to getting the congratulating elations, not having to share into the spotlight with anyone else. He took special notice in the looks judge Hatake gave the tiny pink haired girl. It literally made him groan. Why am I so worked up about this whole thing? So, what if she was having an affair? Or two? What was it about that, that makes me so... angry? He thought.

With everyone waking out of the court room, he took his leave as well, gathering his paperwork into his briefcase, not even glancing over to Sakura, she was at least expecting some snarky comment or something about her bold actions.

She caught up to him in the parking lot. About to get into his luxurious but understated black car.

"Sasuke! Listen I know I might have crossed some boundaries, but I think..."

As usual, he didn't let her finish. "You think?! You derailed my case!"

"You're going to win the case thanks to my argument, what do you mean derailed!?"

"I just... I don't know who you think you are to just waltz in here and do as you please! Flirting with judge Kakashi to get an advantage! Cheap!"

She was officially offended. "Didn't I just see you flirting with the jury a few moments ago?! What the hell is your problem with me? Is because we used to..." Hypocrite

"You just think you can come here, to my firm, take my case, and I'll say nothing, just because you're Naruto's whore!"

She tensed at the insult. Looked down and tried but failed to remember her anger management techniques.

"Asshole..." she exhaled, the word almost a whisper. And then she moved, too much in close proximity to Sasuke for him to react.

Her fist made contact with his cheek. Hard. Sending him stumbling back against his car. She felt the bones of his cheek bone crack a little.

But couldn't feel concerned about his wellbeing. What kind a person says that!? She thought and simply walked away to her own car.

Sasuke heard the delicate clacking of her high heels as she walked away. And thought, for what would be only the second time in his entire life. I might have fucked up.

Thank you for reading. Please don't forget to leave your thoughts in a comment. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!

Story is unbeta'd

#sasusaku #sasusaku fanfiction #sasusaku fanfic #sasusaku fic #sasusaku smut #forbidden love #sasusaku au #Sakura Haruno #sakura uchiha

107 notes · View notes