#7650 is a little much

[dovebree]

Rest in peace y’all, bout to start going thru my drafts.. 🫡

[rebel-walnut]

I recently found a draft of a little Kas!Eddie ish thing I wrote that's mainly exposition but whatever, I was going to expand on it but never did so I guess I'll post it here. Steve POV, ~7650 words.

Anyways, here's Sweet Leaf.

_____

Steve Harrington didn’t know Eddie Munson. They tried to save the world together, failed, he died, and that was that. And yet, there was a surprising amount of guilt that lingered in his chest at the thought of his last words to Steve. “Make him pay,” Eddie had said. And then Dustin was yelling over the walkie, a strangled “They got Eddie,” between muffled sobs. Steve remembers the ringing of his ears at Dustin’s choked cries before the chimes of a clock and a world splitting in two stole his attention away. Dustin knew Eddie better than Steve, maybe that was where the guilt was coming from. That he let one of his best friends cradle someone they thought of as their brother in their arms as the latter bled out. Just another failed attempt at saving someone right out of Steve’s reach. He couldn’t save Barb, he couldn’t save Max, and he couldn’t save Eddie. So he tried to make up for it after the fact and hoped the guilt would eventually stop eating away at him.

He volunteered at the school, rationing out supplies and sorting boxes of donations for families whose homes were destroyed in the ‘earthquake.’ It was good to keep busy, he found himself thinking idly after the third day of volunteering. Gave his hands something to do other than shake, his mind something to do other than replay the four chimes of a clock, and a choked “They got Eddie.” He saw Dustin and the rest of the kids around the school occasionally, the weight of Eddie’s loss and Max’s state evident in the way all of them carried themselves, but mainly in Dustin and Lucas. Lucas spent most of his time in the hospital, Steve driving him when he could and trying to make lighthearted conversation along the way just to distract Lucas for a moment despite it rarely working to get conversation out of him.

The second time he picked Lucas up from the hospital Steve had asked how Max was doing. Lucas simply sat still in the passenger seat before giving a small shake of his head, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. He had a melancholic ten-yard stare directed out the windshield, blinking heavy before collapsing into Steve’s side with body-wracking sobs that echoed off the windows. He heaved into Steve’s shoulder, Steve turning in his seat to curl an arm around Lucas and tuck his chin on top of his head. Another pang of guilt struck through Steve’s chest with each one of Lucas’s tears that dampened his shirt.

“I miss her so much and it’s all my fault-” Lucas had whispered into the side of Steve’s neck, his words cutting out with a cry just as Steve felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He held onto Lucas tighter as he whispered back, “None of this is on you. She’ll wake up soon, it’ll all be okay,” his voice cracking on the final word as if calling his bluff. He continued to try to reassure Lucas as he cried into Steve’s shoulder, unsure if the words were landing but feeling the need to try nonetheless. Maybe if he said them enough times it would ring true, just as Steve hoped he could do the same for himself.

Eventually Lucas’s heaves slowed to gentle cries, Steve and Lucas staying latched together sitting in the hospital parking lot with Queen playing softly in the background but neither of them bothering to listen to the words. “It’ll be okay Sinclair, I promise.” Steve’s voice held stronger that time, willing the words into action. Lucas gave a weak cough into Steve’s shoulder before releasing him, brushing away stray tears and straightening in his seat. Steve found the prickling in the corners of his eyes subsided as Lucas stared out the windshield again, this time with a more resolved look to himself. “Fuck Vecna,” Lucas had said with a weak laugh, Steve giving a similar sad laugh in return that both of them could tell was humorless before twisting the key in the ignition, the previous moment decidedly passed. Steve kept the conversation light after that day, although he kept watching for the same forlorn look Lucas wore after picking him up.

If he’s being completely honest with himself -which he usually tries to be- Steve has been looking out for Dustin more than the others, except for maybe Lucas. It’s not that he doesn’t care for the others, he’d die for each and every one of them without a second thought, and has probably come too close for comfort many times. It’s just that he sees himself in both of them, albeit in very different ways, but it’s there nonetheless. He can’t help but notice the tired tension that lingers in Lucas’s shoulders at the mention of Max, the downturn in the edges of his eyes that mimics Dustin’s dry stare that happens more often than not. He tries not to see the way neither of them smile anymore.

In the aftermath of ringing chimes of a bell that haunts them all, Dustin was forged to Steve’s side. He didn’t know which one of them initiated it, but neither of them could stop the fear that shook their fingers, both needing something solid to dig into.

The shriek of “They got Eddie” rang in Steve’s ears on a loop for days, relentlessly loud in his skull the moment it crackled through the walkie. It pounded against the soles of his boots in time as he threw himself out of the Creel house and towards the trailer park where the inevitable was waiting for him.

They got Eddie They got Eddie They got Eddie They got Eddie They got Eddie-

It rattled behind his eyes as his fingers gripped onto the shaggy fabric covering Dustin’s shoulders, pulling him into a crushing grip against Steve’s chest. They got Eddie. A tinny sound rang through his ears and covered the pulsating They got Eddie They got Eddie They got Eddie along with Dustin’s cry-screaming, and whether the ringing was from shock or from head injuries Steve couldn’t be sure. Regardless, it was a welcome distraction from the sight of his mutilated almost-friend-slash-co-parent-slash-armageddon-partner.

Dustin was scrambling at Eddie’s jacket, willing him back to life with half-eaten screams and the warmth of his hands against skin. Everything Steve tried to say got caught in his throat. What could he even say to this? To arguably his best friend and someone who should never have to cradle their dying mentor in their arms at the ripe age of fourteen? So Steve didn’t say anything. Just held Dustin the same as he would hold Lucas in a few days. All desperation and grief, all I’m here for you, and please take comfort in that small fact, and I don’t know how to make this better because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and I’m sorry. They could have stayed like that forever, Steve thought. Curled into one another, an endless cycle of grief and comfort while leaning over someone who didn’t deserve what they got. The ground might have shook. It might have torn apart. Steve wouldn’t know. There were more pressing matters, like the guitar pick that was pressed into Dustin’s thumb so hard Steve thought it might break skin. Like how the mingling of tears and blood over cold skin was something Steve didn’t ever want to have to feel again. Like the ache that continuously grew in his chest since the day Barb disappeared from his pool and was sure couldn’t possibly pulse any harder than it was right then, Dustin held close and both of their hands tangled in each other, in Eddie’s sleeves and shirt and hair.

Nancy’s cutting tone over the walkie did nothing to shake him out of his grief-stricken trance, his attention too locked onto the boy in front of him and the corpse of their friend to pay attention to Nancy’s words or bring himself to care. It was the third time that her voice rang out around them, louder and sharper than it was before that Steve snapped back into survival mode.

“STEVE! WE NEED TO GO, NOW!” Nancy barrelled out from behind a few sparse trees and into the clearing, Robin in short tow behind her. Steve had noticed the flash of shock pass over her face before resolving into something cold and unmoving. He knew that expression well, became familiar with it back in ‘83 when this all started. The look that said I have to deal with life threatening problems, and therefore must compartmentalize at least 90 percent of what’s happening around me and will panic about it later. She moved with fervor and intention, stopping next to Eddie’s body and pressing the back of her hand to his cold cheek before whispering a small, “Fuck,” with a light grimace and eyes slightly glassy that if you didn’t know to look for, you would miss.

Robin’s reaction was expectedly harder, a strangled noise not entirely unlike a dying animal pulled from her lungs and her hands flying to cover her mouth the moment she saw them. She was all manic energy, an exact opposite to Nancy’s reaction as she crumpled to the ground beside Nancy and cupped Eddie’s face with her hands. Robin’s words were fast and slurried, mimicking a similar cadence of “No no no, please no,” and “Eddie, no, please,” and “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry,” that Dustin had cried into Steve’s arms when Steve found him earlier.

They sat for a moment or a hundred with everyone holding onto some piece of Eddie. Steve’s tears had dried into his cheeks and Dustin’s hair, Dustin and Robin’s tears still streaming down their faces and dampening Eddie’s shirt where blood hadn’t already. Nancy’s eyes remained glassy, but her stony expression changed into something even harder as the earth shook around them once again. Right. There was still the end of the world to deal with.

They had all collectively looked to Nancy as cracks started shifting in the ground around them, making way for more vines and glowing red substances. Nancy glanced behind them, watching the tree line, before looking back at the group and stating, “Trailer,” clear and concise as always.

Between sniffles, Robin had gathered the strength to move to Dustin’s side, trying to lift him from the ground and remove his grip on Eddie's sleeve. Dustin flinched at the touch, eyes unmoving from Eddie’s own. Steve shuddered with him, feeling a pang in his chest but trying to push him into Robin’s grasp regardless as the cracks around them grew deeper.

“No, nonono, no, we can’t leave him like this, Steve, please!” Dustin’s shrill cries cut through the ringing in Steve’s ears immediately, his own strangled sound escaping him at the boy’s words. Nancy looked at him, eyes sympathetic but saying what they both knew to be true. They couldn’t bring him through. They didn’t have the time.

Steve lifted Dustin to his feet before helping him onto Robin’s back after noticing his limp, Dustin too bereaved to fight it despite his pleas with them to take Eddie. Steve squeezed the back of Dustin’s neck and choked an, ‘I’m sorry,’ into his ear before he told Robin to get to the trailer now, watched her leave with a resolute nod and red-rimmed eyes. Dustin tightened his hold around her neck and sobbed into her shoulder as they turned their back on the scene, Nancy turned instead to face Steve. She looked sympathetic as she tracked his gaze from herself to Eddie, a grieving frown tugging down the corner of her mouth.

“Steve, we can’t-”

“I know,” Steve cut her off with a likely too-sharp tone. He’d apologize for it later. “Get to the trailer, get Dustin and Robin through. I’ll be there in a second.”

Nancy’s sad nod and tight pressed lips said enough as she ran to join the others in the trailer. Once she was gone, Steve let himself sink to his knees next to Eddie again.

“I fucking told you not to be a hero,” He bit out, a weird sort of sad anger behind it. He’ll deal with the anger later in the coming days. The anger of him leaving Dustin, of Dustin having to see him like that at all, of Eddie doing the one thing Steve told him not to do. It’s misplaced anger, he knew. Maybe there was no other way for him to keep Dustin safe. He didn’t care right then. Steve only felt the gnawing empty anger and grief that he knew all of them were holding.

Steve hovered his hand over Eddie’s eyes with trembling fingers before he pressed them to his pale skin and let Eddie’s eyelids slide closed. With a sort of detachment, Steve cradled Eddie’s head in his hands before readjusting it so it laid flat against the ground and curling his hair around his shoulders (it’s softer than he thought even though it’s caked with blood and upside down goop). He straightened Eddie’s legs with a soft touch, and folded his palms over his heart. It felt terribly wrong to leave him here, it was a decision that would likely haunt Steve just as he was haunted by Barbara Holland. And yet, Steve knelt back onto his feet and looked at a man who had been so incredibly alive less than an hour ago. It made him sick.

Steve still doesn’t know why he did this last part, but it felt wrong to leave Eddie with nothing. He leaned forward, pressing the back of his hand to Eddie’s once warm forehead and pushed back the tendrils of hair that poked out from under his bandanna. He brushed his lips over a freckle near the center of Eddie’s forehead in a gentle kiss, let the cold flood over his skin before pulling back and mustering out, “I’m so sorry,” taking his last look at Eddie Munson and turning towards the others already waiting in the right-side up.

At the two-week mark after Eddie’s death, Steve takes Dustin to Eddie’s makeshift grave. It’s a hastily made wooden cross plunged into the ground at the spot where he died in the upside down, with ‘Eddie Munson’ carved across the tee, done by Steve’s pocket knife as cleanly as he could muster (which really wasn’t very clean at all). Dustin had assured him with a tear-muffled voice that Eddie would think the scratchy font was ‘metal.’ They had planted the cross four days after everything, the same day as Eddie’s official funeral that was put on by a bunch of government suits and more of a legal affair than an occasion for mourning.

Steve tries to forget the look on Wayne Munson’s face and the tattered way he stared out into a sea of unknown faces gathering around a cheaply printed photo of Eddie from the yearbook with not even a body to bury, reciting vague statements surrounding Eddie’s death that to the rest of them were clearly a coverup ploy, but to Wayne it was all detached, cold judgement. By that point, Wayne was already moved to another trailer set up by aforementioned government suits due to the damage that was done to his home from the portal and the earthquake.

It was Dustin’s idea -naturally- to have a proper funeral for Eddie. Steve scrounged around for some scrap wood (which was incredibly easy to find given the recent damage done to Hawkins) while Robin had taken Dustin and the rest of the kids to pick out flowers. Steve tried to stay detached as he assembled the cross, needing to be there to comfort the kids more than himself, but he couldn’t help the prickling in his eyes and the ache in his chest as he finished carving out the letters of Eddie’s name. Losing never got any easier.

Dustin, Lucas, and Mike had left a small collection of what looked like ten and twenty sided dice at the base of the cross, along with folded pieces of paper that had what Steve gathered to be character information for their fantasy game on it. Robin arranged the assortment of flowers (astrantias for bravery and strength, purple hyacinths for remorse and sorrow, and white gardenias for family. Steve isn’t sure if Robin made those meanings up or not, but he’ll believe them nonetheless) around the base of the cross with a small tremor in her hands, surrounding the dice and sheets of paper before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his cross and a murmured sentiment that was too quiet to hear. They stood unmoving around his cross for what could have been an eternity, Steve tucking Dustin and Lucas under his arms with wet eyes and a heavy heart. Shoulders trembled and tears fell. Occasionally a laugh over a memory of Eddie’s outlandish and dramatic behavior. The sun might have set. The moon might have come out. Eddie’s cross stayed unmoving with the rest of them.

Today, it was just Dustin and Steve that visited Eddie’s grave. Lucas was at the hospital again, as he was most of the time, while Mike was in the process of moving like the rest of the Wheelers. Most days it ended up being Steve and Dustin visiting alone anyways. Steve would stand a little ways away from the cross to give Dustin space but close enough for comfort as he told Eddie about all the current news in Hawkins. Dustin would tell Eddie’s grave stories about Will and El, how he would have loved to meet them, how Hopper came back (Steve was still adjusting to that one, but honestly there was too much going on for it to fully shock him) and how they’re both the heroes of Hawkins. With every word, Steve’s chest would ache a little more, and by the end of their visit he’d end up sitting next to Dustin on the ground by Eddie’s cross, an arm thrown around the boy’s shoulder in a touch that both of them needed.

This time as they pulled up to the cross in standard routine, Steve walked with Dustin right up to Eddie’s cross and sat down next to him, abandoning his usual spot by his car. Dustin held a crate of tapes and various items of Eddie’s that Wayne had given him tight to his chest, carefully setting them down in his lap as he sat.

“Hey, Eddie,” Dustin started in his always somber tone that he couldn’t seem to shake these days. None of them could. “I brought some of your tapes and my player, Steve and I thought we could listen to them with you…”

Dustin trails off at the end of his sentence, Steve giving him a small bump of his shoulder and a weak smile. Dustin attempts to return the gesture, then digs through his crate before pulling out a tape that says Black Sabbath: Master of Reality in a swirly purple and green font. Steve idly remembers being compared to a member of the band back in the upside down by a very-much-alive-Eddie that seemed like years ago. Steve tries to remember the expression on Eddie’s face when he called Steve ‘metal.’

Dustin takes the tape out of its case and pops it into the player, cranking up the volume before a track that Steve reads called Sweet Leaf starts blasting through the clearing. He isn’t expecting to like it. He’s expecting loud, blaring drums and screeching guitar. What he isn’t expecting is something low and heady with lyrics that seemingly resemble a love song, and a punchy yet soft guitar riff that Steve can really get behind.

He nudges Dustin with his elbow. “This is metal? Really? There’s a lot less…”

“Screaming?” Dustin supplies with a teasing lilt to his voice and a slight upturn to his mouth. It’s a sight Steve has sorely missed.

“Yeah, screaming. I was expecting to be scared, Henderson.”

“I think he has Slayer in here somewhere if you’d prefer that? Definitely Metallica and Megadeth,” Dustin elbows him in the side a bit too hard for comfort, but he’s fully smiling so Steve can’t argue with that.

“And that’s where the screaming comes in?”

“Sometimes. Still way too hard core and cool for Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington to be listening to.”

“Since when did you become the authority on metal, you little shit? Last time I checked you were listening to Weird Al so loud your mom had to call me to get you turn it down cause you wouldn’t listen-” Steve lets out a grunt as Dustin tackles him to the ground, covering Steve’s mouth with his hands as if anyone’s around to hear his music taste being slandered. Dustin shrieks as Steve pulls him into a nuggie, screaming about ‘his curls! His beautiful curls!’ Steve pulls back with a laugh as Sweet leaf fades into the next track, starting with a more energetic riff than the last song.

“You know, I think I could like metal,” Steve says to Dustin’s raised eyebrows. “What? Don’t look at me all accusatory! I mean, it’s no Tears for Fears or Springsteen, but it’s alright.”

Dustin stares at him incredulously. “You. Steve Harrington. Wham!’s number one superfan, is suddenly going to be into metal,” Dustin scoffs.

“People are allowed to like different things Henderson, God. I thought I raised you better than that,” Steve ruffles the boy’s hair again despite Dustin’s squawks of protest and his flurry of frantic hands. They dissolve into laughter after another one of Dustin’s cries about his curls.

They finish listening to Master of Reality, and Dustin listens to the first few tracks of Metallica’s Master of Puppets before they load everything back into the beemer, Dustin pressing his fingers to the top of Eddie’s cross then to the guitar pick that hangs off of the tee. His mood returns to its usual melancholic state, but if Steve had to wager a guess, he’d say it’s at least five percent lighter, which counts as a win.

When he pulls up at the Henderson residence, Dustin hesitates in the passenger seat, staring at the crate of tapes in his hands and fiddling with the cut-outs in the plastic. Steve gently claps a hand on his shoulder in something that he hopes is half-comfort half-wake-up-call.

“Henderson, man, you okay?” Dustin furrows his eyebrows before meeting Steve’s concerned stare.

“I’ve already listened to all of them,” His stare is saying more than that, but Steve can’t pinpoint it.

“Okay?”

“I mean- I’ve already listened to all of the tapes in this box. You haven’t,” Dustin’s expression twists even farther into something unreadable before he thrusts the crate into Steve’s hands.

“If you think you’ll like them, you should listen to them. He’d want you to have them. It’s nice to…” Dustin averts his gaze down and rubs at the back of his neck. “…Remember him even if you think you didn’t know him. You did. Know him.”

Dustin gives him a quick once-over like he’ll react poorly to the heartfelt sentiment that is the entirety of Dustin Henderson. Steve’s not sure why he’s worried, or why he thinks Eddie would want Steve of all people to have his metal tapes, but he’s learned not to question Dustin when he gets this way. Instead, Steve pulls Dustin into a crushing hug around the crate and ruffles the back of his hair.

“I’ll listen to them, kid.”

He feels Dustin’s teary smile against his shoulder before pulling away and popping open the door.

“You have to tell me your favourites, because I’ve already made whole lists, Harrington!” Dustin yells as he scurries up the driveway. Steve stares at the jumbled tapes inside the crate for likely a moment too long before grabbing one at random and popping it into the beemer’s player. The case reads ‘Led Zeppelin III,’ and Steve vaguely recognizes the thrumming bass and the screeching of the vocals as the first track kicks into gear. Zeppelin isn’t metal, but he’s not surprised he found it in Eddie’s tapes. Maybe this is how he’ll get fully acquainted with metal- start with rock and see if he makes it past that. Steve cranks up the volume dial on the dashboard and peels out of the Henderson’s with rock’n’roll in his ears and Eddie in a crate in his passenger seat.

Steve decides to make a list. A very methodical mixtape, if you will. He’s not sure why he does it, but Henderson gave him the tapes and it feels wrong to not put them to use. He thumbs through them, pulling out Master of Reality again and popping it into his player. The coughing startles him like it did the first time he listened to the album hours ago with Dustin, but this time he lets the heavy guitar wash over him fully. Flopping down onto his bed, Steve lets his eyes fall shut and if he concentrates hard enough, he swears he can find the scent of leather and weed lingering between every word.

Sweet Leaf is way out of what Steve would consider his taste, is the thing. There’s absolutely no reason for him to find thrumming bass and heavy drums appealing, and yet here he is, listening to metal and finding it interesting for the sake of a dead man. The last thought churns his stomach.

Regardless, he makes a mental note to add Sweet Leaf to the mix.

The next song that gets him, Steve checks the case, is called Orchid. He must have missed it when they visited Eddie, likely too busy bothering Dustin, because Steve swears he will never be able to forget this song for as long as he lives. How a song like this could be considered metal, Steve didn't know. But he also didn’t care because a song as gorgeous as this could be whatever genre it wanted.

It’s light and melancholy all at once. Nothing but gentle yet intricate guitar for maybe a minute or two, soft the entire way through. Steve imagines Eddie learning to play it in the quiet confines of his trailer, gentle hands working along the strings of an acoustic guitar with bold white letters across it (the same guitar now sits in the corner of Dustin’s room) that spell out something about slaying dragons. Eddie’s hair would be fanned out behind him, maybe he would be on his back as he listened to the track over and over, trying to get the rhythm just right. Maybe he took his rings off to play (Steve liked to think he would keep them on. He didn’t know why he would think that) and maybe he would extend the song once he learned it, deciding that only a minute and a half of such a beautiful song was a waste. Maybe as he played only lit by the moonlight streaming through his window he would feel his eyes prickle as Steve’s were now. Maybe he would turn his face into his pillow and mourn the loss of a man’s life cut too short just like the wilting flower of the namesake of the song. Maybe he would yearn for the scent of leather and weed and feel guilty for yearning more than he should.

Maybe he didn’t ever learn the song at all.

The chilly dampness of Steve’s pillow seeps into his cheek. He adds Orchid to the list.

The next tape he pops in is called Ride The Lightning, Metallica. He gets a couple tracks in before the intro to the third song is sending chills down his spine. Eerie chimes ring throughout Steve’s room, echoing off the walls and reverberating in his bones. The ringing is cruel and all too familiar, the sounds of the bell settling deep into his skull and making his fingers tremble. Steve half-expects vines to burst through his floorboards and tangle around his ankles, splitting his room in half and pulling him into the hell realm of thick black poison and people they used to know.

He lunges for the player and ejects the tape as his lungs go into overdrive, back hitting the wall and sliding down towards the floor in a heap, head in his hands. Steve stays on the floor cradling his head until the ringing in his ears is back to a normal amount. When his breathing is considerably more even, he reaches for the case that clattered to the floor in the midst of his panic and reads off the third title. For Whom The Bell Tolls. Figures.

He finishes his list a couple hours and a phone call to Robin later (“Are you sure you’re okay?” “I promise Rob, I’m fine. Just needed to hear your voice.”) after making it through maybe a quarter of the tapes in the box. It goes as follows:

Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath (He thinks this one is his favourite)

Orchid - Black Sabbath (The most beautiful one on the tape)

Solitude - Black Sabbath (Made him cry)

Master of Puppets - Metallica (He remembers hearing this one distantly in the upside down)

Nothing Else Matters - Metallica (Also made him cry)

See You on the Other Side - Ozzy Osbourne (Just assume all of these made him cry. Metal is emotional, okay?)

Changes - Black Sabbath (Guess what effect this one had on him)

The Trooper - Iron Maiden (He likes this one a little, it’s a bit much. But he’s determined to like it more)

The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden (Reminds him of Eddie for obvious reasons)

Who Are You? - Black Sabbath (Steve is nothing if not a man who appreciates a good synth riff)

Sabbra Cadabra - Black Sabbath (Who doesn’t love a good love song?)

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin (Only fitting to end with the one he first picked himself)

Steve doesn’t include For Whom The Bell Tolls. In fact, he never even finished listening to that album. Fuck Ride The Lightning in particular. That’s what he’s tempted to call the mix, but thinks better of it. Instead, he mindlessly traces out an ‘E’ onto the blank line of the cassette and before he can catch himself, he writes out “Eddie’s mix” across the top. There’s a confused gasp sitting on his lips as he rushes to swipe at it with his thumb before the ink dries. It smudges blue all over the label, but erases the words nonetheless. Steve silently (and confusedly) chides himself for writing it, before hesitating and landing on simply calling the mix “Sweet Leaf.” The writing is only partially legible over the smear of his previous attempt, but it’ll do. On the backside he quickly scrawls the tracks and timestamps before shutting his newly made tape into his bedside drawer.

Steve piles the rest of the tapes back into the crate (Ride The Lightning finds its rightful place at the very bottom) and tucks them safely into the back of his closet, along with other trinkets and posters that were never allowed on display. Hanging directly above the crate is another item that Eddie shouldn’t have had to part with; his vest. Steve couldn’t bring himself to wash it after everything, even to get the likely-biohazardous-goop out of it. He meant to give it to Dustin or to Wayne, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with it. Having it across the back of his desk chair filled him with a deep guilt every time he caught a glimpse of it, so last week he had moved it into his closet. Still not parting with it, but not being able to stand the sight of it either.

Steve brought his fingers up to the hem of the fabric, feeling the seam along the edge of the denim and the large panel across the back. He tightened his grip when he got to the collar, as if the sheer force would make Eddie materialize into the vest itself. The thought shocked him a little, the sudden contact of the denim burning into his palm. Steve quickly shut the closet door and backed away until his knees buckled on the edge of his bed.

He didn’t know why he felt such a guilt surrounding Eddie, this endless dread and grief. Didn’t know if he was allowed to feel it. Steve hardly knew him. Sure, you get close with people when they’re your dread companions at the end of the world, but he didn’t know if that warranted the comfort that Steve needed to feel so badly after Eddie’s loss. Dustin had it worse. So did Lucas, Mike, Max, the whole goddamn party had been through so much more than Steve could ever put into words.

Steve finds himself thinking that he should give the vest to Dustin as he leans back and feels the burning of his eyes for not the first time today. Maybe then the image of Eddie playing Orchid won’t haunt his dreams.

Steve drives to Eddie’s grave alone the next morning. It’s not one of their usually scheduled visits and Dustin isn’t even with him, so Steve doesn’t know why he feels so compelled to go by himself. He brings his Sweet leaf mix with him and his player, again not sure why he felt the need to, just knew that he did.

The beemer rests in its usual spot on the hill as Steve steps towards Eddie’s cross, the flowers from their last visit just barely wilting in the sun. He gently sets down the player and the tape at the base of the cross, just as they had yesterday with Dustin’s crate of tapes. He settles into an awkward seated position and fiddles with the case of the cassette.

“Um, hi Eddie,” Steve starts as he clears his throat, not quite being able to dispel the air of awkwardness around him. “God, this was a stupid idea,” He mumbles and tugs at the hair around the nape of his neck, clearing his throat again for good measure.

“Look, I’ve been- I’ve been missing you, I guess is the best way to put it. And I-” He stops again, raking a hand through his hair again and tugging hard this time, trying to push down the tears pricking in the corners of his eyes.

“I listened to your music. I made a list, like Henderson said.” Steve lets out a sad chuckle. “He said you’d want me to listen to your tapes, if you can believe it. And I- I did. I listened to some of them.” Steve finds himself involuntarily waiting for a response from the empty cross and feels his heart sink at the gesture.

“You’d probably say something about ‘King Steve finally coming around to real music,’ or I dunno, maybe you’d just be surprised,” He chokes around the words. “I wish I knew you long enough to know for sure what you would have said.”

It feels like a confession as the words leave his lips. He doesn’t know why, doesn’t think he could pinpoint it if he tried. Instead of trying, he reaches for the tape.

“I made a mix of my favourites that I’ve listened to so far, honestly there's a lot of Black Sabbath on there. Maybe I like that Ozzy guy more than I previously thought,” It’s the sad laugh at the end of his sentence that sends a stray tear falling from his eye, and Steve doesn’t bother wiping it away as it trails down his cheek and clings to his jaw. He just presses the play button and ignores it as a second tear falls.

“I called it ‘Sweet Leaf,’ that’s my favourite I think. I didn’t peg you as the type for love songs, even if they’re mostly about drugs,” Steve falls silent after another little morose laugh, content to let the tears dry on his skin and turn the dial just a little bit louder.

You introduced me to my mind

And left me wanting you and your kind

Oh, yeah

Steve lets his eyes fall shut to the sound of the guitar riff he’s become so familiar with, letting one hand fist in the grass beside him and the other tangle around the base of the cross. There’s a small rumbling in his chest that forms in time to the music. He’s not sure if it’s his own crying or the bass.

The rumbling grows steadier still, pulsing from beneath him and in his chest all at once. It becomes all encompassing, growing faster than the heady thrum of the guitar. Steve’s not sure if it’s still coming from himself anymore.

His eyes snap open as another ‘Oh, Yeah!’ rings out around him, pressing his hands deeper into the ground. The earth shakes clumps of dirt free between his fingers, vibrating faster and faster as the song continues. Steve is on his feet in an instant, head whipping around in all directions.

No other signs of earthquake. No other people around. No darkened sky. No sign of the supernatural.

The ground continues to shake beneath Steve’s feet in time to his rising pulse. He drops a hand back to the ground and feels the shaking come to an abrupt stop the moment his fingers make contact with the grass. Steve stays deathly still, willing the ground to stay put. After a few moments, he lets himself breathe a sigh of relief, the sounds of Sweet Leaf still going strong around him.

“What the fuck was that, Eddie,” Steve mumbles to the cross in front of him. He would later regard this as a bad call.

Without the warning this time, a burst of something slimy and fleshy that seems all too familiar to Steve shoves through the ground, tearing up the spot between Steve and the cross. It writhes in the grass in front of him before wrapping around Eddie’s grave tightly enough to splinter the wood. Steve makes an aborted noise somewhere between a scream and a cry at the sight, just in time for another tentacle-like mass to jut upwards from the new portal in the earth. Steve has approximately half a second to scramble backwards as another one emerges and slithers towards him. The edges of the hole they burst through begin to crack at the edges and expand, letting an ominous red glow seep into the grass.

Black goo begins to ooze from the portal as multiple tentacles push their way through it, wrapping around each other and expanding across the field in front of them at an off puttingly languid pace. Steve feels his fingers tremble and forces himself into survival mode, pushing himself back to his feet and ready to get the nail-bat from his trunk.

Even without eyes, the tentacles make him feel watched. He only gets half a step back before the mass of them tower into the sky at jet speed, all of their ends pointed towards Steve.

There’s no time to react.

He feels more than sees the tentacles crash down over his limbs, crushing him back into the ground. They grip around his arms tight enough to bruise, one of them writhing around his neck with slick tension. Steve thinks of being pinned against the walls of the Creel house by the same masses of flesh and dark magic, praying for a miracle that managed to come, and feels no such hope this time. Everything in him sinks as the tentacles grip him tighter and drag him towards the portal they ripped in front of Eddie’s cross. He feels himself go dizzy with the effort to scream around the tightness against his throat, feels the slippery creatures pull him feet first into hell. He tries not to think of the gate at the bottom of lovers lake, tries not to think about how he would have died if Nancy, Robin, and Eddie hadn’t come in after him. Tries not to think about how no one is here for him now.

He makes one last attempt to claw out at Eddie’s cross to give him enough leverage to hang on, but the tentacles are too tight and far too strong. He feels the familiar sucking change of air pressure and the bone chilling slime of the upside down as he’s fully forced through the portal. The tentacles become slightly more slack once Steve is fully back into hell, but even Steve’s jock reflexes couldn’t stop the portal from closing where he once stood. The vines writhe around the hole in the ground, patching it up he realizes, and the sound of Sweet Leaf’s guitar solo is shut out completely.

All that’s left is black goo and stringy red masses that cling together over the spot where Steve was sitting seconds ago. He feels his breathing pick up at the same time that the prickling begins in his fingertips, trembling in the darkened air. The soft ringing that rattles between Steve’s ears is back, but he can’t bring himself to care enough to try and fix it right now. There are bigger problems.

For example, why the fuck was Steve back in the upside down?

The air is oddly still, lacking the screeching of bats and thundering sky that had plagued the place last time he was here. The vines around his feet slithered away from him and hid under trees and goo, disappearing just as fast as they came.

Steve’s chest tightened, ribs aching with the effort of breath from that past thirty seconds. Dropping to his knees, he dug into the goo and vines that remained near his feet, desperation under his nails to open up the portal that sucked him back into his nightmares for seemingly no reason.

“Come on, you motherfucker just let me OUT!” His voice cracked at the end and Steve had to choke down a sob as goo splattered onto his cheek. “Please-”

“Steve.”

Recognition was a funny thing. Currently it was filling his lungs with ice.

Steve froze with one hand beneath the vines he was digging at to turn his head slightly over his shoulder. To where he heard (there’s no way-) the voice.

Under a mass of black and red slithering matter stood a vague shape that Steve didn’t want to recognize. It took a step forward as an arm came up towards Steve’s face. Its fingers extended all the way into claws, stained black at the tips, and swiped the smudge of goo off of Steve’s cheek. Steve’s breath caught in his throat, his trembling fingers stilling at the action. The claw rounded from his cheek to under his chin, pulling up slightly.

Stand, it seemed to command. On unsteady feet, Steve followed the guide of the claw until he was level with the figure. At eye level, he couldn’t help but recognize the figure’s face that stared back at him. Familiar deep eyes (even though the edges were more red tinged than Steve remembered), soft face, and wild hair. Looking down, Steve could make out the vague image of a demon on the figure’s shirt, with Hellfire Club written across the top.

Eddie.

“Eddie, what-” Steve is cut off by Eddie’s hand gripping him hard across both cheeks, clamping over his mouth. He seems only half lucid, eyes flitting between far away stares and then snapping into focus with his eyebrows strewn up.

“Steve,” Eddie whispers, his other hand coming up sharply to cup the back of Steve’s neck, and then quickly moving down to his shoulder, his chest, his arm. His eyes are frantic again, everything searching Steve for something unreachable. “Are you- are you real?”

Steve’s heart breaks. Shatters, actually. Everything in him combusts and falters because he left Eddie down here the entire time and who knows what he’s had to deal with and he just asked Steve if he’s real it’s all his fault it’s all his-

Eddie grips harder on both sides of his neck, snapping Steve back to reality. Steve notices a tentacle sliding over Eddie’s shoulder, working its way towards his neck. It sends a jolt down Steve’s spine as he notices more emerging from over Eddie’s back and slithering down his arms and up the back of his head. Eddie’s nails dig impossibly tighter into Steve.

“Steve, he- he has me,” One of the tentacles slides out from under Eddie’s bandana and across his forehead, sending Steve shuddering backwards but not out of Eddie’s reach. The tentacle continues moving until it reaches the edge of Eddie’s eye, beginning to slide across the whites of his eyes. More appear from under and around his hair, targeting the corners of his eyes until they dig in around the edges. Steve’s stomach drops as the last of Eddie’s eyes are covered in the slippery vines, still moving and writhing into his skin.

Steve tries to pull back out of Eddie’s grasp, but a vine shoots down over his arm and latches around Steve’s shoulder, wet sludge soaking through his shirt and into his skin.

“Eddie, please-”

“He sees me, Steve. He sees you.”

The tentacles around Eddie’s eyes part through the center, revealing nothing but dead milky white. Steve shudders as the trembling chill travels down from the crown of his head. He throws his shoulder back in an attempt to get free, but the vine’s grip stays strong.

“Eddie-” Steve gasps as the vine holding his left shoulder plunges into his skin, searing pain shooting through Steve’s arm. The pain is a burning cold in the back of his mind as he feels his vision black out from the edges. Tentacles reach for his feet once more and Eddie continues to stare at him with blank eyes while the blackness fizzles into the center of Steve’s vision and his mind goes blank save for one thought.

Eddie's alive.

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part twenty two) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±7650 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part twenty two: Y/N is about to take the stage together with her horse Meadow, but stage fright is making it very difficult to bring the evening to a successful end. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: Opening scene: First Defeat - Noah Gundersen, Meadow’s freestyle: Stairway To Heaven, Immigrant Song, Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin. Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Thank you @atc74​​, and @winchest09​​ for helping me. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999​​, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these, and @squirrelnotsam​​, who knows Arizona like the back of her hand.

Ride With Me Masterlist

     Y/N dips the sponge foaming with leather soap in a small bucket of water, and softly moves it in circles over the gullet of Meadow’s cognac colored saddle. Making sure to get into the little curves and edges of the beautifully decorated piece of craftsmanship, she picks up an old toothbrush and gently sweeps the dirt out of the grooves; it’s one of the older tricks in the book. 

     The maintenance does a lot of things besides calm the mind. It keeps the material supple, stops it from tearing, therefore saddles and bridles last longer. The leather will be soft on the horse’s coat and prevent sores and irritation of the skin. Clean and shiny tack says a lot about a person. They are usually precise, provident, and have a keen eye for detail. Often perfectionists who leave nothing to chance. Y/N is such a person.

     Dean watches her, adoration on his features. She hasn’t spotted him yet, too focused on the chore. His hands are buried in the front pockets of his jeans while he leans against the door of the makeshift tack room, where she’s working in silence. He notices how loose hairs have escaped her french braid, how she bites her lip while concentrating. He notices the black smear on her cheek, her hands grimy from the mixture of soap and dirt coming from the saddle. He notices all those little things, and all else he loves about her.

     There might be a soft smile on his lips, but his eyes give away how much his heart is hurting. He hasn’t been able to ban the haunting words from his thoughts, nor the realization that came with it; no matter how much time he puts between the past and present, he can’t outrun those dark days.      The troubled cowboy wishes he could tell her, but he doesn’t want to drag his girl into this. She would pity him, be disgusted. She would run as far away as she could, and he wouldn’t even blame her if she does just that. The fact that he is unable to be truthful, has him doubt everything they have accomplished. How can he ask her to trust him, when he can’t be honest with her? When he doesn’t even trust himself?

     Y/N rises from the small stool to get a cloth from her tack box in order to polish the saddle, when she notices a figure from the corner of her eye. For a second she startles, but then realizes it’s her boyfriend.      “How long have you been standing there?” she chuckles.      “For a little while,” he admits, the corner of his mouth pulling into a slightly bigger smile. “Didn’t mean to creep you out.”      “Don’t worry, you didn’t. Fergus MacLeod on the other hand…” Y/N comments, squirting some shine cream on the cloth. 

     Before she returns to her stool again to finish the dirty job, Dean steps closer and takes her hand. Desperate for her to ground him, he lets his fingers trace her stained knuckles, taking the cleaning product from her and putting it aside. He focuses on their hold and keeps quiet, being more tentative than conversational.      “Dean?”      Her voice is laced with confusion and worry, and when he looks up, he sees that her eyes match the warm sound. Willing to do anything to take those concerns away, he cups her face and gently pulls Y/N closer. His lips catch hers, sweetly at first. Dean cherishes the moment when she melts into his touch, deepening the kiss. It doesn’t unsettle him when she unwinds her fingers from his, because he can feel his cowboy hat leave his head, those same fingers now running through his short hair.

     Dean takes his time, eyes closed and his long lashes brushing against her cheek. He draws her in, moving his hand up her side as if he’s afraid she might slip away at any moment. There’s a hint of distress in the way he is kissing her, even though she can tell he is trying to hide it. Knowing that now is not the time to question his reasoning, she gives him what he needs so hopelessly. After a long, intimate minute, in the shelter of the small tack room, Dean parts from her. Y/N hopes to see a smile, but his eyes remain closed as he presses his forehead against hers.

     “What’s going on?” she encourages, gently.      “Nothin’. I’m alright,” he claims, but when she raises her eyebrows at him knowingly, he gives her an explanation, even though it’s not the whole truth. “Fergus MacLeod got under my skin with the way he spoke to you, is all.”      “Oh, you mean the pet names?” She scoffs, shaking her head at the memory. “I wouldn’t read into it. He’s an Englishman; they address women like that.”      “Still…” Dean rubs the pad of his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the grease. He is beginning to find his footing again. “I’m the only one who gets to call you that.”      “And you think I’m the jealous one,” Y/N jokes. “You never call me ‘darling’ or ‘love’ anyway.”      He grins at her mockery, especially when she overdoes the accent. His eyes are still sincere as ever.       “Because you’re my Yankee,” he says softly.

     Her smile becomes brighter, her nickname rolling from his tongue usually having that effect. And for just a second, Dean forgets about all the worry in the world. He kisses her once more, short and sweet this time, daring to take a hold of her gaze now that his mask fits again.      “You stood your ground when that stuck up made that offer on Meadow,” he compliments. “You basically told him to go fuck himself. That was pretty badass.”

     Shyly, Y/N shrugs. To her it didn’t cost her an ounce of bravery or willpower. She has gotten offers on her horse before, although never one this high. But Fergus could offer a billion, there is no way in hell she will ever let Meadow go.      “She’s priceless, Dean,” the cowgirl explains, simply. “I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”      “I know,” her boyfriend acknowledges. “All I’m saying is that many would have considered it. The fact that it’s not even an option for you, just shows how much she means to you.” He pauses, admiring the strong minded woman before him. “She’s your soul horse.”      “My what?” Y/N recalls, curiously.

     Dean chuckles, realizing that it’s not a widely known term. It was Ellen who told him about the special bond between human and horse, when he was younger. It became something that always stuck with him, words he never forgot.      “Every equestrian comes across that one horse in their life. The one that stands out from all the others, that captures you, takes up a huge space in here.” He taps two fingers on his chest, right where his heart is. “The one you have this unbreakable bond with, who you trust and trusts you. The one you will never forget,” he explains. “That’s your soul horse.”

     Y/N begins to glow, because every word he spoke sounds familiar. Dean is right; Meadow is her soul horse.      “I like that,” she says, thinking about his words for a second. 

     Content, she moves past Dean to pick up the polish, in order for her to return to the task she needs to finish.       “What else did the snobby Brit have to say?” she wonders, sitting back down on her stool, beginning to rub the cream onto the horn and the pommel of the saddle.      “He bought Jovi and Ringo, actually,” the cowboy elaborates, turning to the side to check out the perfectly clean bridle hanging from the tack box door. He’s giving himself something to focus on, feeling the soft leather under his fingers.      “Did he! That’s great, right?” she checks, noticing that her boyfriend isn’t exactly thrilled about the matter.      Dean glances at her, forcing a smile. “Yeah, the money is certainly welcome.”      “I bet Bobby is pleased,” Y/N assumes, wiping down the saddle one last time before she puts the cover back on. “Did he say anything about our dance last night?”      “He didn’t. I think he’s lettin’ it slide.” Dean shrugs. “He’s not someone to discuss this kinda stuff anyway, so I’m guessin’ no word about it is good.”      Y/N is willing to accept his reasoning. “Well, alright. If you’re sure it won’t get you into trouble.”      “I doubt it, and even if he’d give me a hard time, it’s worth the lecture.” Dean chuckles, glancing down at his boots. “Fergus made another business proposition, too.”      The cowgirl gets up and lifts the heavy saddle from its stand, carrying it to the tack box and storing it away. “What’s that?”      “He wants me to train one of his horses,” he tells her.      Her eyes grow wide as she shuts the door. “A stallion? Dean, that’s huge!”      The wrangler chuckles at her enthusiasm. “It’s just the one.” 

     “Do you realize that this could be the start of something very rewarding? He owns stables full of licensed stallions. It might be a great stepping stone. I mean, look at Jovi and Ringo; they were sold from under you before you could really shine with them,” Y/N brings to mind. “Riding a talented horse for an owner who has no desire to sell because of the money already coming in with stud fees, is really good for you. This could become your big break.”

     Dean hasn’t even looked at it that way, but he guesses it’s why his girlfriend is so good in her field. She always thinks five steps ahead, seeing opportunities where another person would just see a lot of work.      He remains realistic, though, not wanting to celebrate too quickly. “Well, apparently Cain is a handful, so we’ll see how it goes.”      “Wait… Cain?” She was already staring at him in astonishment, but now her jaw almost drops to the floor. “As in the Quarter sired by Dual Ray. The one that went for 1.2 million at the Derby auction?! Shut up!”

     “Someone watched the news.” Dean grins, the sight of her girlfriend so perplexed being quite amusing. “But, yeah. He’s arriving at the ranch next week. Depending on how bad his behavioral problems are, he’s staying or leaving. I have a feeling MacLeod isn’t telling the whole story.”      “Well, even if Cain’s issues are worse than Fergus let on--” She steps closer, slipping her arms around his neck. “- if anyone can fix him, it’s you.”

     The confidence she has in him astonishes the cowboy. He doesn’t deserve it, her never ending support, her faith. Even now, all he’s doing is bullshitting his way through this exchange. He hopes to God Y/N doesn’t pick up on his insecurities, because maybe if she doesn’t, they can stay in this bubble for a little while longer. 

     Another kiss is pressed on his lips and for just that moment, Dean forgets about the demons that so often torment his mind. Unable to resist her even if he tries, the cowboy reels her in. He can sense his Yankee smile against his mouth and he can’t help to copy her expression. When he can feel her weaken in his hold, however, it is quickly replaced with a look of concern.      “You okay?” he asks apprehensively, his grip on her firmer to make sure she doesn’t go down, but thankfully she steadies.      “Yeah, just a little lightheaded.” Y/N takes a breath. “I’m fine.”      “Did you eat today?” Dean requires, both stern and worried.      “No,” she admits. “I can’t eat before a competition. Nerves and all.”      “Are you kiddin’ me? You’re not up until 8 PM!” he returns, not having any of it. “Yankee, You gotta eat. I’ll buy you somethin’.”      “I wouldn’t be able to take even one bite, Dean. Don’t bother. I’ll have an energy drink before I get on Meadow.”      “Oh, hell no. You can’t do your run while low on fuel,” her boyfriend decides, carefully letting her go when he’s sure she has found her balance again. “How about yoghurt? Or some fruit? Did that really just come out of my mouth?”      Y/N snorts when she notices the double take at his own suggestions, his nose wrinkling in revulsion, as if he just said something vile and doesn’t even know himself anymore.      “Would a smoothie work? I saw a stand by the arena,” Dean offers.      She shrugs, appreciating his efforts and not wanting to deny him. “I could try.”      “Alright.” He leaves a quick kiss on her mouth and picks up his hat, before he intends to leave the tack room. In the doorway he turns around, his body language showing confusion, yet his eyes sparkle.      “I never in my life thought I was gonna say this, but I’m gonna buy a smoothie,” he announces, before shooting her a wink and disappearing.      Y/N laughs now, shaking her head at his comical ways. Bless him, at least he’s trying.

     7.00 PM. Y/N is back in the tack room where she spent most of her morning cleaning her gear. When there was absolutely nothing left to polish, every bit of brass on her saddle and bridle shining so bright it could quite possibly blind the judges once in the arena, she tried to distract herself another way. She did manage to consume the smoothie her boyfriend brought her, though, much to his delight. It helped, because the dizziness has passed, but a stress headache remains. She sat down for lunch with Benny, Jo and Dean, although she didn’t eat anything. Conversation moved past her like the Arizona autumn breeze that’s blowing across the show grounds. 

     Afterwards, she assisted Dean with his last ride of the day, this time in the ‘working cow horse’ class, which is a fun combination between reining and managing cattle. After feeding the horses and providing them with water, the crew went to the arena to watch some runs. It only triggered restlessness in her heart that seemed impossible to calm, and it didn’t take long before she returned to the stable. She spent some time with Meadow, her dance partner tonight, simply sitting in the corner of her box, watching the beautiful animal chew on her hay, completely at ease with her owner’s presence. 

     Now, it’s time to prepare herself. Meadow is already tacked up, waiting in her stall until Y/N is ready, one hind hoof resting on its toe, preserving energy. It’s like the animal knows, since she normally is quite impatient, but right before a competition, she prefers to nap on her feet.      It’s a huge contrast to her human, who has trouble controlling her anxiety. The smoothie she had earlier is bubbling inside Y/N, her stomach unsettled. Trying to calm herself by making sure that everything is perfect, she goes through the familiar checklist in her head while the soundtrack of her freestyle plays on her phone. 

     Dean helped her work out the new routine, thankfully. After setting the bar way too high in her first draft, almost making herself cry when she realized just how impossible it was, he suggested more simple lines, but combinations of the patterns. This is supposed to kick up the degree of difficulty without the floorplan being a tangled mess, and highlights Meadow’s strengths. What she had to figure out next, was what kind of music she wanted to ride to.

     Her boyfriend contacted Ash, who was more than willing to edit the tunes for the intern. When she offered Dean the idea, she knew it was a hit when she saw his eyes twinkle. They took the request to the former ranch hand, who went to work and knocked it out of the park. Honestly, a part of Y/N cannot wait to ride her new freestyle, but she’s also downright petrified. What if she screws up? What if she forgets her routine? What if she doesn’t nail it, with Congress only two weeks away? What if she fails?

     Everything is ready, all she needs to do is change into her show outfit. Y/N strips down, switching her blue jeans and plaid shirt for black. The back of her button up is decorated with golden studs in the shape of a guitar, and so are the cuffs and shoulders. During a freestyle the rider is allowed to ‘dress up’ and add elements in the arena, make a show of it. Although she’s not a fan of the whole circus act, and much rather prefers to let her performance do the talking and convincing, she wasn’t resenting the idea Ash offered when they listened to the soundtrack. Ellen helped her sow on the miniature pyramid-shaped beads, and the end result is better than Y/N could have hoped for.

     The focused competitor slips into her onyx chaps which she just took out, and laces the leather strap through the belt loop of her jeans. She then continues to unpack her cowboy boots, which are the same color as Meadow’s fiery brown tack, shining just as bright. Her brass spurs follow, the rowel jingling when she turns to take a round box from the top, unzipping the lid. The beautiful Milano hat inside has her smile down on the crafted head piece; it was a Christmas gift from her parents. One she received right before her first show with the Quarter mare, the horse who gives her so much more than she could ever hope for.      She picks it up by the crown and places it on her smooth hair which Jo braided earlier, the action raising a sense of pride in her chest. The hat makes the outfit, but it comes along with so much more. It gives back some of the confidence her insecurities took away. She’s a cowgirl, in heart and soul.

     Last but not least, she takes an object from the same container that safeguarded the Milano. Reminiscing, Y/N draws her thumb over the gold plated metal, feeling the edges of the letters and symbols under her fingertip; it’s her State Championship belt buckle. She closes her eyes, the memories of that epic run flooding her thoughts welcomingly. The stadium spotlights, the roaring crowd, her name in bright letters on the scoreboard. And then that indescribable feeling of horse and rider becoming one, the thrill of coming down that centerline and just knowing that this was going to be their moment, the ride of their lives. She will be in seventh heaven if she manages to get even remotely close to the pinnacle they reached that day.

     Footsteps draw her back to reality, the dry ground crunching under heavy boots in the alleyway between the stables. Y/N doesn’t question who it is, Dean promised to help her with the warmup, and since she has stated in her very detailed schedule that she is going to get on her horse ten minutes from now, she is expecting his arrival. Turning around, she meets his astonished gaze in the doorway, his jaw slightly ajar.      “Do you think I’d be showing off if I wear this?” she wonders, offering him a look at the coveted buckle.

     But Dean only has eyes for a different prize. He needs a moment to recover from the sight of his girlfriend. She’s drop dead gorgeous after a morning muck out, with hay in her messy locks and dust sticking to her damp skin. But now, dressed in her black show outfit, her hair braided and her make-up bringing out the color of her eyes even more, he can’t help but stammer.      He chuckles warmly, a blush on his cheeks. “You look - you look amazing.”

     His reaction draws a smile on her lips, but she’s too anxious to really appreciate the compliment. There is a time schedule to be considered after all.      “My State Champion buckle, or a simple one?” she asks him again, not daring to make the call herself.      Dean takes the shiny object, tilting it to admire the award. ‘AQHA State Champion - Maine, 2008’ it says, the inscription curved around a horse’s head, edged in silver and gold.      “Wear it,” he decides. “You won that championship fair and square.”      “Yeah, I know, it’s just that--” She pauses, fiddling to close the buttons on her cuffs. “I don’t wanna fail to meet everyone's expectations.”      The cowboy looks up at her from under his lashes, his green eyes reading her for a second. “Everyone’s expectations? Or your own?”

     Dean has a solid point, but evaluating thought processes is not something she needs right now. She sighs and tries to bury her frustrations, very much aware that she snaps easily when she’s on edge like she is now. It wouldn’t be the first time that she loses her cool with someone who is actually there to support her, it usually being either her parents or her brothers. She doesn’t want her boyfriend to endure the same unreasonable behavior, and so she shrugs at that.      “I don’t know, really. I mean, yes, I expect a lot from myself, but the thought that people on the sideline, like Bobby, Jody, Donna… you, will judge my every move,” she pauses, letting an anxious sigh fall from her lips. “It honestly makes me feel sick.”

     “You shouldn’t let it get to you like that,” Dean suggests, handing her back the buckle.      “Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done,” she returns, the edge of her voice much sharper than she meant to come out. While pulling her belt through the loops, she briefly looks up, noticing his head cocked back slightly while his brows meet his hairline, which triggers her to mutter an apology. “Sorry.”

     He can see the embarrassment in her stance as she turns her gaze to the floor. The slight offense he took desolates, making room for sympathy. He can tell she’s struggling to cope with the nerves and the pressure she is under, pressure she shouldn’t even be experiencing. This competition is a practice run, an environment to test her new freestyle and get back into the rhythm of the shows after a long break. However, he understands that downgrading this event will not do her any good. What he needs to convince her of, is to believe in herself, like he believes in her.

     “Yankee, you’re never gonna fail my expectations. The way I see you doesn’t stand or fall with this performance, or any.” He takes her hands in his, squeezing them softly in order to prevent her from getting lost in that dark forest of negative thoughts. “I get that you want to prove yourself, but it ain’t necessary. The girls already love you, and the fact that Bobby didn’t rip me a new one for kissing you last night proves a point too. All that won’t change after today’s run.”

     Carefully, Y/N glances up, met by the sight of empathy swimming in mystic green eyes.      “I’m here to back you up, okay? I’ll help you with the warm up, and Jo will be there to assist. It’s gonna be fine. Your horse is awesome, your freestyle is awesome, you are awesome,” he reassures, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Now get your fine butt on that horse.”      She takes a slow breath, the smile that his words surface saying just how much that means to her. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

     With Meadow’s bridle in hand, she exits the tack room, feeling somewhat lighter than she did ten minutes ago. Dean’s kind words and endless support doesn’t take away the anxiety entirely, but it has enough of an effect to have her believe that maybe, just maybe, she is going to survive this evening. At least he is by her side, not just as her man, but as her trainer as well, and with the way he has been with her so far, she can already tell how different he is from her former instructor. No list of exercises she needs to go through during the warm up, no ‘do this’ or ‘don’t do that’ while she’s preparing to get on her horse. It’s a huge contrast, but one for the better. Maybe Dean is right, maybe it is going to be fine.

     Dean looks up when he notices someone approaching from the corner of his eye, the small framed silhouette with a dancing ponytail unmistakably Jo’s. She has a bucket half full with water in one hand with a sponge floating on the surface, a rag hanging from her back pocket and a groom bag over her shoulder.      “You ready, sis?” she asks, popping her head over the stable door.      “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Y/N sighs, tightening the sinch.      “You’re gonna do great. Especially with your lover whispering in your ear.” She hands them both a headset, one with a small microphone for Dean and one with an earpiece for her best friend. “Keep it clean, no heavy breathing. The poor girl needs to stay focused.”

     The cowboy glares at his cousin, but he bites his tongue, simply because the comment made his girl let out a laugh. Instead he turns on the small device and pushes it in his pocket, secures the mic to the collar of his shirt.      Y/N clips the headset behind her belt as well and pushes the bud into her ear. After holding the bit in front of Meadow’s mouth for her to accept, her owner pulls the crown piece of the bridle over her horse’s ears, securing the straps. Focused on her task at hand, she notices a crucial element missing.      “Crap, Grandpa’s pendant,” she realizes, pushing the reins into Jo’s hand before rushing back into the tack box. 

     A moment later, she returns with a small suede bag in her hand, from which she carefully allows a piece of jewelry to roll into her hand. Curious, Dean watches her pick it up between her delicate fingers, after which she attaches it to Meadow’s bridle. Two beads are laced onto a thin leather cord, and the way she handles the small yet precious object, he can tell it holds much value.      “Is that your good luck charm?” Jo wonders.      “Yeah,” the rider acknowledges, taking back the reins from her friend and leading Meadow out of the stable. “My grandfather gave it to me on my very first show when I was seven.” 

     Y/N has never ridden a test without the jewel, and she can’t picture doing so in the future. The top bead is made from her birthstone, the one dangling underneath represents a guardian angel. While taking her horse outside, she rubs Meadow’s neck, tracing the charm for a second as the setting sun catches the gem. Before she had to say goodbye to the most influential person in her life, she never really pictured anyone when she saw the little figure with wings dangling from Meadow’s browband, but now she likes to think it is him, watching over her.

     A couple of minutes later, Y/N has taken a seat on Meadow’s back, who excitedly walks towards the warm up area with Dean and Jo in tow. Flanked by her trainer on her right side and her groom on the left, a hint of relief hits the cowgirl unexpectedly; she has never been surrounded by a team this solid.  

     The horse and rider enter the side arena, where a dozen others are warming up in what seems to be a whirlwind of sensories. Music reaches Y/N’s hearing, coming from the competition ring and mixing with loud cheers of the spectators. Trainers shout at their pupils from the sideline, the steward calling for the next on the list. In her first loop in a simple walk, someone cuts her off and Meadow pins her ears back, clearly not at ease in the chaos.

     “Can you hear me?” Dean asks through the headset, leaning over the fence of the training field.      The familiar warm yet gruff sound in her ear silences the distractions that have her dizzy in an instance. She looks over her shoulder at the head wrangler, nodding in response.      “Okay, good. Warm her up like you would do so at home. Try to seek a space where it’s not too crowded, you don’t have to use the entire area,” Dean advises, calmly. “Just focus on my voice, alright? Take a deep breath and focus on me.”

     Y/N closes her eyes for a short second and collects herself, doing precisely what he tells her to do. Throughout the warm up he never underlines what she’s doing wrong, but praises her for every right move, building her confidence. For a short period of time it has her wondering if he’s sugarcoating and isn’t giving it to her straight, but minute by minute, she finds it easier to let go of that thought. His encouraging words manage to cast away the fear of screwing up, and before she knows it, she has forgotten about the other riders in the arena, nor does she notice her distracting surroundings. All she hears is his soothing vocals, all she feels is the large animal underneath her, who seems to respond well to their trainer too. Meadow might not be able to hear Dean, but apparently senses the tension oozing from her rider, and becomes more relaxed with every stride.

     It’s five minutes until her starting time, when Y/N halts by the fence, next to Jo and Dean. Her friend and groom for the day takes her cue and approaches her with the bucket, wiping down Meadow’s sweaty skin with the sponge, cleaning the mare up before it’s her time to shine. Y/N takes out her ear buds, since she’s not allowed to compete with them, and hands the headset to Jo, trading it for a water bottle.      “She feels good, doesn’t she?” Dean checks, smiling up at her while he takes the plastic flask from his student.      The woman in the saddle nods. “She does.” 

     “Y/N Y/L/N! Two minutes!”      The rider feels the nerves find their traction again when she glances at the steward who called out her name. She nods in acknowledgement at the man holding a clipboard, and when Jo is done toweling Meadow down, she steers the Quarter towards the entrance of the main arena. The applause that the previous competitor receives grows louder as they approach, meeting the rider on their way over. He seems very pleased with his horse, and the first thing that comes to her mind is that he must have had a good score, a score she needs to beat.  The serene mindset the wrangler got her in, is threatened to be disturbed by the stage fright that grips her by the throat. Suddenly, it hits her; this is it.

     “Hey…” Dean lays his hand on her knee when he detects that he’s losing her again. “Yankee?”      The cowgirl snaps her gaze from the intimidating competition ground to her trainer, who meets her with the most relaxed expression he can muster, despite his worry about her current mental state. He can tell she’s downright scared, not to fall off her horse or anything, but to make a mistake, drop the ball and to have to leave the boxing ring defeated. Right now, the illuminated soil that is about to be her stage isn’t a dance floor to Y/N. No, her eyes tell him a different story, the one of a gladiator in a colosseum, being thrown into the pit for the lions, destined to be defeated, destined to fail.

     “When you go in there, I need you to forget about everything,” he starts off, earning a confused look.      “What do you mean?” she wonders.      “Forget the judges, forget the audience, hell, forget what I’ve told you,” Dean continues, his thumb rubbing her leg soothingly. “The only one you need to listen to, is Meadow. Feel what she tells you and trust your gut when you answer. Let go of all the rest, alright?”

     Y/N nods, wetting her dry lips, shooting another glance at the arena before she looks down on the man who has been able to ground her like only one other person has. Dean seems to know who is on her mind, because he reaches for the pendant attached to her horse’s bridle.      “He’s with you, and I will be waiting right here, no matter what. You got this, Yankee.” 

     The encouraging words close off her throat much like the anxiety did earlier, but this time the sentiment is welcoming. Dean’s pep talk helped her see what is truly important, and that this moment is just a short clip of a larger motion picture. She has Meadow, she has Dean, and she has the memory of her grandfather, along with all the wise life lessons that he taught her. Whatever happens in the coming five minutes, that will not change. She trusts the beacon of support that is the man by her side. But in this very moment, most importantly, she trusts Meadow.

     Y/N breathes in through her nose and exhales slowly, rubbing her horse’s shoulder, more confident than she has felt all week. The gatekeeper opens the fence for the horse and rider, nothing standing between them and the brightly lit competition ring. 

     “The next contestant of the evening is Y/N Y/L/N, all the way from Freeport, Maine. This young lady rides Meadowsweet, a nine year old mare sired by Gunner, and these two have made a name for themselves already. Folks, you are going to be watching the current State Champion and this pair has qualified for the prestigious All American Quarter Horse Congress in three weeks. This will be the premiere of their brand new freestyle, so get ready for a rock ‘n roll ride, y’all.”

     Y/N peers into the grand arena, tilting her hat forward just enough to keep the spotlights from blinding her. She can feel Dean’s fingers slip from her knee, setting her free now that she has taken control. Focused and determined, the cowgirl makes eye contact with the sound technician, raising her hand. Showtime.

     The first tones of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven begins to play, and Y/N enters the arena slowly. The timid music silences the crowd, suspense hanging thick in the air. Meadow moves down the centerline and halts, her head low and submissive, waiting for her cue. The intro finishes, the acoustic notes dying down and leaving a second long silence. Knowing the music by heart, the woman in the saddle squeezes her fist holding the reins slightly, preparing Meadow for what is about to come. Then, right as Immigrant Song rings in her ears, she sends her Quarterhorse into a spin.

With high speed and great technique, the mare revolves on the spot like a helicopter rotor, and after going full circle four times stops dead in her tracks, before doing the exact same movement, only this time turning right. The crowd goes absolutely ballistic, and it’s then that Y/N feels a wide smile spreading on her face; she’s gonna nail this run.

     One small aid is enough to push Meadow forward, the horse shooting down the centerline like an arrow leaving its bow. With only a few yards between the cowgirl and the judges, she sits back in the saddle, signalling Meadow to dig her hind legs into the ground and progress into an impressive sliding stop. It’s bold, because if the maneuver isn’t spot on, the panel will easily detect the error. The execution is perfect, however, and gathering from the entertained and impressed expressions on the judges’ faces, Y/N’s game plan is working. 

     With attitude, Meadow rolls back and races around the arena on a large circle, her long strides evenly powerful and rhythmic, this time to the soundtrack of Whole Lotta Love. With her left hand forward between the bay horse’s ears, the cowgirl peers down the path that’s to come, and after having gone full circle, she switches to a left canter through a flying change and mirrors the previous pattern. 

     The buzz ignited by both the thrilling ride and the response of the audience only fuels her confidence. When she exits the last full speed circle, she transitions into a lope, a collected gate Meadow masters well. The horse and rider combination crosses the arena through a neat half pass. It’s a sideways movement right in front of the judges, the talented mare showing off her reach and finesse. 

     Not once does Y/N have to correct her dancing partner, every small cue effective. Meadow follows the instructions without question, unable to give a damn about the vibrant ambiance. It’s almost as if the animal can read her owner’s mind, a telepathic connection which can only be established when human and horse have that click and share an unique bond. This is what horse riding is all about, this is the ultimate goal. Two hearts beating as one. 

     The music builds up to its zenith and shifts to the finishing electric guitar solo in Stairway To Heaven, by the same famous rock band that has been the backing track to this epic performance. On the diagonal, Meadow picks up speed again, her strong muscles rippling under her copper colored coat. The thousand pound being reaches a speed of forty-five miles an hour, accelerating until the opposite corner, where she performs another perfect stop followed by a roll back. There is not a speck of hesitation or doubt, nor any sign of fatigue, despite a sequential series of maneuvers. 

     After a third stop, she has executed the mandatory patterns, and all that’s left is to go out with a bang. Y/N sends Meadow into one final spin, the tremendous momentum having her dizzy. The sheer power radiating from under her only heightens the high the cowgirl is experiencing, the adrenaline coursing through her veins with the same speed as her horse is turning. After the rapid pirouettes, Meadow breaks off the maneuver on cue in the dead center of the arena, facing the judges. The cheering and whistling crowd almost overrules the dying sound of the guitar strings that are the last notes of the freestyle. Unable to comprehend what just happened, Y/N drops the reins, spreads her arms and folds them around her horse’s neck. Overcome with emotion she hugs her four-legged friend, without words thanking her for the ride of her life.

      Only then the cowgirl realizes the roar coming from the spectators, many of them having risen to their feet. As the commentator praises her performance, she circles Meadow back toward the exit of the ring, waving at the enthusiastic kids on the first row. In that four minute run, Y/N and Meadow have stolen the hearts of everyone who is here to witness the definition of horsemanship. She can’t stop herself from smiling so widely that her cheeks hurt while her horse walks along the bleachers, the mare looking at the applauding audience, seeming to understand that it’s for her. 

     As they approach the gate, the rider hears one girl squeal above all others. Y/N hasn’t even looked in the direction of where the sound came from, but she already knows it’s Jo. Dancing on her feet in absolute delight, she meets her by the fence and high fives her best friend.      “God damn, Sis! You rocked out there!” she exclaims, patting Meadow on her neck as well.

     Y/N laughs full heartedly at her giddy friend, the ecstasy of her perfect run still in full effect. But when her gaze meets Dean’s, that happiness becomes overwhelming. The handsome cowboy is waiting for her, just like he promised. Gleaming eyes match his sly smirk, but there’s more to the expression, sentiment swimming in his emerald greens. The sight of him breaks something inside of her, and she’s unable to keep the tears at bay.

     It’s then that Meadow halts, and just outside of the main arena, Dean steps towards his girl and pulls her into a hug. With her left hand still holding the reins, Y/N embraces the man who she owes so much gratitude. After all, if it wasn’t for him, the freestyle wouldn’t have turned out remotely as good, not to mention that the stress would have done her in. Today he was more than just a trainer or her boyfriend. He was the anchor that kept her grounded, the rock that wouldn’t budge when the waves crashed against her, and the sign that she needed to get out of the maze of self-doubt.      She can feel Dean nuzzle his nose into her hair. “I’m so damn proud of you,” he whispers, words only meant for her to hear.      Moved by his words, she hugs him a little tighter before she lets him go and wipes away her happy tears. A smile that reaches his ears is still there when she pulls herself together again.      “She - she was absolutely amazing,” Y/N stammers, combing her fingers through Meadow’s mane. “The feeling she gave me… I can’t explain it. It was like we were flying.”      “That’s because you were, Amelia Earhart,” Jo quips, clearly over the moon for her friend. “Want me to cool Meadow down so you can wait here for your score?”

     Y/N nods, feeling her horse’s flanks expand rather rapidly every time the large animal inhales; she really gave it her everything. Once the cowgirl has both feet planted on solid ground, she scratches the mare’s favorite spot behind her ear, facing the beautiful Quarter. Meadow presses her large head against her owner’s chest, more to get rid of an itch than to return the love, making her human giggle. Then the rider hands over the reins to Jo, who takes the bay horse away from the commotion. 

     Still stunned, Y/N takes another breath, glancing back into the arena. “Did they call the points yet?”      Dean comes to stand next to her, gazing at the board in the corner, above the bleachers. “No, I didn’t hear anything.”      With her hands placed on her waist, she breathes in, trying to ignore her stomach, which begins to do backflips again. This time, there is not much she can do to influence the outcome, however. Meadow did the best she could and she didn’t make a single mistake; Y/N couldn’t have wished for more. But the new freestyle hasn’t been graded yet, so how the judges will reward the music and the degree of difficulty is still a mystery. The rider tries to tell herself that no matter what number will appear on the screen, she’s satisfied with today’s performance. But as seconds tick by, the suspense builds and eats at her composure.

     She can feel Dean’s hand on the small of her back, fingertips tracing soft, calming circles. The motion helps her to pull her gaze away from the digital board, and she glances at the man by her side. Focusing on him has worked so far, so as the tension rises, she tries that tactic again. The world around her stops, her own breathing the only sound she hears, Dean’s touch the only sensation she feels. For a moment, time slows down. But when her trainer’s eyes widen and his jaw falls slack in disbelief, she’s almost too afraid to look at the definite white numbers that can make or break her evening.

     It’s only when the crowd erupts that she dares to face the verdict, and what she witnesses, triggers her to clasp her hand over her mouth. Completely stunned, her eyes stay locked on the score, convinced that if she blinks, the numbers will change. She barely registers her boyfriend letting out a cheer, pumping his fists into the air and bouncing on his feet like a little kid. Her view is obstructed when strong arms wrap around her middle and lift her off the ground, but when her gaze locks on the display again, it still tells the same story of victory.

     220.5 points.

     Unknowingly, she holds her breath, her heart still beating against her chest so wildly, that her cowboy must be able to feel it too. It’s not just a personal best; it tops her old record by three whole points. She broke through the two-twenties, something she only ever dreamed of accomplishing, yet here she is. Shutting her eyes, her thoughts go out to her grandfather, realizing that she has done her guardian angel proud once more.

     Dean must have sensed that she got lost in her own head, because he brings her back down from the heavens to their world with a gentle touch upon her cheek. He wipes a stray tear away with the pad of his thumb and takes off her hat, looking at her with so much adoration. His hand slips to the nape of her neck, his forehead bowing to gently rest against hers. Radiant light touches everything in reach, leaving what’s behind them in darkness, together with all the worries and fears. The audience doesn’t seem to be applauding the high score anymore, the wolf whistles and bellows of encouragement instead directed at the couple in the spotlight. Dean didn’t need any more motivation, his lips encasing hers in a soft kiss. 

     Closing her eyes, she cherishes the moment and smiles against his mouth when Dean uses her cowboy hat to shield them away from all the extra attention. It is in this instance the equestrian realizes something; out of all the rides that she experienced, either in the saddle or in life, this is the one that will go down in memory.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part twenty-tree here

[ash-rabbit]

Abitc: Chapter 9 cuts

Before I go into why what's below was cut, I'm going to preface this by saying that due to how I write:

This is not beta read, I send the chapter their way when it's done. And I haven't given this my own layer of gratuitous edits. I edit as I write, usually tweaking lines and moments to better flow to where I want to go, sometimes this includes gouging out 2.5 pages of writing.

Anyway here's why I cut 2.5 pages.

It simply took too long, chapter 9 is already 15 pages (7650 words). This would come in around pg 9, and I don't think I could have concluded it in any satisfying or timely way. I'm not going to have a 10,000 word chapter unless it's the ending of an Arc, ala ch 6&7 which was split into something more easily digestible. And my intentions went off the rails by Elias electing to make an especially stupid decision. It halts the progression of events, and doesn't tell us anything that's pertinent. It feels like filler, especially if I followed this thread to it's end.

And most important of all I don't like it.

He skulks into his dark office, slips his throw over his head and tosses his blazer to his right. No use putting this off, but a harmless Leitner was a rarity in itself. Though, there was a copy of ‘Goodnight Moon’ that was liable to be harmless. So long as it didn’t blow up the moon it should be fine.

He walks back out and ignores their raised eyebrows as he tugs the blanket tighter. “A copy of ‘Goodnight Moon’ will be our choice of reading, I’d recommend that three of us should hold an artefact that can counter a theorised side effect of the book.” He pauses, waiting for any sort of reply.

“The children’s book?” Sarah exclaims, followed shortly by a yelp as someone, likely Rosie jabs her. Michael’s much too polite for assault.

“I don’t- I can handle a proper demonstration.” He can hear Michael’s frown, but Elias doesn’t care for any larger risks then necessary.

“It was at the top of my list for Rosie’s training.” Elias scans the shelf for the slim volume, it sits beside Jon’s ‘Mr. Spider’ which is as poor an omen as any. “Leitner’s are something of a different animal, and if any of you would like to guess what wild effects the book can have, please go ahead.”

“What is the Moon’s destruction?” Sarah’s amusement sits thick in her voice, coating her words in a playful lilt.

“We don’t have an artefact for that.” Elias laughs. Saying goodnight was a form of goodbye, that would be loneliness? Or maybe he was overthinking it and it would simply turn off all the lights. It’s been awhile, and he can’t just run off to a bookstore to check. “I’ll mark you down for the removal of light sources.” A ‘Hand of Glory’ or other objects that dealt with sight, Beholding as Mikaele and Jon preferred to call it, seemed an easy counter. Though would any fire starter suffice? Hm, best to pull one of those down as well in case they needed to dispose of the book. Reality warping was a possibility, the pseudo erasure of things could be untwisted? If anything it would act as an interesting third control, though perhaps, the reader would be a separate subject, and they’d need a pure control for the best observable results.

He grabs the book and doubles back to the table, scratching out his theories on a scrap of paper.

“Fine- um- it’s a children's book, and those are uh fantasies.” Michael starts, and while he’s on the right track, ‘Goodnight Moon’ is hardly a fantasy. “So I guess that if it does do something it would be drawing the fantasy out here?”

“Reality warping.” Elias nods, seems there’s a general consensus on this at least.

“There’s no guarantee that it’ll be anything like the original, we’ve had cases where whole sections were rewritten in a gruesome parody.” Rosie says, and that’s a fair point as well. “For all we know it could be a- I don’t know a way of disappearing someone.”

“I’ll mark that down as carnivorous literature.” Elias sighs, before holding the page out towards Rosie. “Do you think there are other types of artefacts that could counteract any of our theories?”

“What if the reader is stuck? Do we have a magical bucket of water, or do we just slap them in hopes of breaking the effect?” Rosie asks, though she knows the standard protocol, passing the paper to Sarah. Right of course, the Archives crew wouldn’t know.

“We remove the book while wearing gloves, or set it on fire.” Arson tended to solve most problems, not all of them unfortunately, but enough to be an easy fallback.

“And in the worst case scenario?” Rosie presses, slipping between the shelves, her movements are purposeful, her two weeks alone must have been productive.

“I suppose we can give Gertrude a warning, just a ‘If you don’t hear anything from us in, say twenty minutes, assume the worst.’” He shrugs, before frowning, right then. “Not it.” He’s had enough of management for one day, and if he’s lucky a large enough mess can be a tidy excuse to escape Wright later.

“Not it!” Michael and Sarah chime.

“I- how old are you people?” Rosie huffs, stepping back into the open research area, arms full of misc objects that Elias only vaguely remembers. Hng, he’ll probably just use the monocle in his office, it was dependable and the side effects weren’t any different then his normal brand of paranoia. Assumedly of course, it’s been a while since he was without a buffer, supernatural or otherwise.

Rosie grumbles as she kicks off her heels, pulling out another set of shoes, black and lowheeled with little bows on the toes. Another set of shoes? Where on Earth? Why?

“I’ll be back, don’t start without me.” And she flits off towards the Archives.

“Right then, we can parse out who does what.” He drags the blanket further over his head as they turn towards him. “I need to fetch something from the office but I’m sure you can decide between the two of you who’s better suited to reading or acting as an observer.”

He traces his eyes over the small office, now where did he put- Ah, there it is, wedged under his desk. He pulls out the damaged monocle and watches as it swings like a pendulum, the cracks catching the light with a peculiar shine.

He hasn’t tested the object since, hasn’t had the occasion or much cared to. Would the effects be amplified or would it be rendered completely null from damage and what he can only assume was something amounting to overuse? Only one way to find out. He wedges it into place, slipping his blazer back on so he can safely notch the chain through the lapel hole. Elias keeps the blanket on as he shuffles back out.

Michael and Sarah seem to have come to a conclusion and it would seem the power of the lens was only magnified by the incident. He sways under the sight of it all, there’s a sort of afterimage of thousands of eyes winking in and out of existence across the room. Bile rises in the acrid tangs of burnt coffee and curdled cream, this was unexpected.

He needs to sit down. Now.

So he does. Practically collapsing on the spot as he gathers himself beneath the throw, dragging it over his eyes. The world goes dark and he breathes, short and quick, a cold sharp breath that mingles with the burbling nausea.

He wraps his fingers around the chain, and tugs. Once, short and light, it doesn’t budge. Twice, more forcefully, a stern yank, nothing. His breath quickens. He grabs the frame of it and tries to pry it away with trembling hands.

It doesn’t budge.

Fuck.

Right then.

“Good news everyone,” he says, swallowing his tremors the best he can, hardly a waver apparent as he digs his nails into his thighs. “We don’t need to test the Leitner.”

“Are you, er alright?” Sarah asks.

“The bad news is, we have a different artefact issue.” he tugs the blanket down and regrets it immediately as a thousand eyes bore into him and find him wanting.

Don’t get sick, don’t get sick, don’t look them in the eye and- he fumbles for a cigarette.

The nicotine does nothing and he finds the sick rising faster.

[askroahmmythril]

Reference List for amiibo Fighter Names (Set 3)

25) Mario : Gonzales - This is a reference to Paper Mario : The Thousand Year Door.  While at the Glitzpit, Mario ends up taking up the role of a prize fighter, going under the stage name “The Great Gonzales.”  Admittedly, I’ve never played TTYD, so this name idea came from Neo I believe.  The baby Yoshi and the champion belt shown in the card are both, from what I gather, actual references to that area of TTYD.  So, uh... not much context I can provide from personal experience!

26) Mega Man : Retro Rock - Given the music theming a lot of Mega Man classic has, going with a music theme to this card just made sense.  Plus given his name is Rock, it just works.  Originally I was going to call him ClassicRock, but alas, that was too long.  The names for amiibo figures are limited to 10 characters.  I used the light panels from the background of Top Man’s stage for the setting, and kind of themed the stage itself as the blue field Robot Masters tend to show up in during their intro poses.  And of course, we have a Sniper Joe on keyboard, and Met on drums.  Neo added extra details of course, such as the name of the Mega Man composer on the keyboard, and a GutsMan.EXE symbol on the drum kit.

27) Meta Knight : Dueloscuro - This one’s just a play on how Meta Knight often seems to be given a Spanish sounding accent.  Dueloscuro is a portmanteau of “duelo oscuro,” Spanish for “dark duel.”  “Tomad la espada!” meanwhile is “Get the sword!”  Basically it’s all a reference to Meta Knight’s frequent sword duels with Kirby, with a Spanish flair.

28) Mewtwo : MasterMind - Given Mewtwo is the most famous of all Psychic types most likely, I’d say he qualifies as a mastermind.  Plus how many of us really DIDN’T just chuck a Master Ball at him...?  Anyway, the various codes in the background refer to various Pokémon mechanics, such as catch rates, damage calculation, and IV calculation.  In Neo’s version, he also had the calculation for shiny chances, and made the binary in the background (mine was just random 0 and 1 gibberish) actually mean something, it translates to a speech Mewtwo gives in the first Pokémon movie, if memory serves.

29) Mii Gunner : Coverfire - When trying to figure out what to do with the Mii Gunner, it came to mind that since she was wearing orange (at least the Smash 4 one did, the Ultimate Mii Gunner wears yellow), I could make it an Advance Wars reference and have her as a soldier for Orange Star.  Neo added some slogans to make it look a bit more like a recruitment poster or such.  I think it worked out rather nicely.

30) Mii Swordfighter : RentAHero - So.... I may have played a little too much Find Mii.  Thus the reference to go for with Mii Swordfighter seemed pretty straightforward.  I had the idea to fill out the cast with the summonable party members, the rabbit, dog, and cat knights.  The play coins in the nameplate refer to the two play coins you had to pay to indeed basically rent a hero.

31) Mr. Game & Watch : PRIMETIME - Mr. Game & Watch is basically the start of Nintendo’s venture into video games.  Thus, the prime point of the timeline.  I went with a bit of a timeline structure here, showing his position between Nintendo’s start of making Hanafuda cards and before Donkey Kong first showed up.  His Judge sign being 1980 is the year he actually debuted.  As for the sun in the upper part of the image, that’s actually a reference to Neo himself, who previously went by “MrGandWatch.”  The “Weird Sun” as it’s been dubbed was sort of a logo of his of sorts.

32) Ness : Psi Cadet - This one’s a reference to Psychonauts.  Man, I love that game.  Ness being a psychic kid would fit right in at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp.  The area shown here is the Collective Unconscious, basically the “world hub select” area where you can quickly get into the other stages of the game through various doors.  The nameplate is styled after the certificates you get each time you earn a merit badge in the game.

33) Olimar : Zen Garden - Pretty much a centralized reference, given how frantic Pikmin life can be, I just wanted to give the captain and his friends a little down time, relaxing in their own private zen garden.  While technically Olimar does not use Rock Pikmin anywhere in his Smash moveset, it just felt weird to not include them with everyone else.

34) Pac-Man : NOMCO7650 - Also a self contained reference, this parodies Namco, the company responsible for Pac-Man.  Of course, he likes to eat things, so NOM.  Here he’s sampling the various pixel bonus fruits from his home game.  It was kind of fun, trying to draw them all with pixely bites taken out of them.  The 7650 comes from an important number Namco places in a lot of their games.  The Japanese pronunciation of this series of numbers, na-mu-ko-o, sounds like their company name.

35) Palutena : TheLightFM - Of all things, this came from a Mystery Science Theater line.  At least the name itself.  During “This Island Earth,” there’s a scene where someone enters an empty aircraft, and a gentle sounding voice says “Welcome.  Please be seated!”  Mike then says “You’re being kidnapped by The Light FM!”  Basically like it’s an easy listening radio station.  Given Palutena is a light goddess, and she basically uses her telepathy like radio contact to guide Pit through his adventures, for some reason this just worked to me.  Neo again added some fun easter eggs, like a Hades styled mug on the desk, along with one of the actual Smash 4 soundtrack CDs.

36) Peach : Lady Luck - I went with a bit of Mario Party referencing here, which then turned to casino style.  Basically Peach in some of the earlier Mario Party games, for one reason or another tended to be one of the most difficult AI opponents to deal with.  When items became a thing, reasons for this became all the more apparent as she would prioritize grabbing the Plunder Chest, an item that let her steal items from other players.  She was always a thing to deal with.  I’m not sure if it’s viable for the numbers on a real die to be positioned as they are here, but I wanted to show a 6 and a 4 since Mario Party debuted on the N64.  Due to the Luck theme, I went with an overall casino motif as I just really like that style.  Like, I actually collect playing cards, and if I had more access to them, I’d probably collect poker chips too.  Just always liked how they looked and felt.

[cosmeticsurgicalservice]

Addicted to Plastic Surgery - The Facts

Wannabe actress as well as version Jenny Lee had actually suffered greater than 37 operations prior to her also reached her 30 birthday celebration, the majority of them extremely excruciating and requires a lengthy healing duration. While the initial lure may be to sympathize with the bad woman, that altruism starts to wind down a little bit once the blonde, long-legged Texas indigenous discloses that none of the ops were actually essential. Actually, they were all cosmetic. Korean-born Hang Miwok, 48, apparently injected cooking oil right into her own face in a proposal to make herself much more lovely.

I do not intend to grow old with dignity, Jenny told a television program just recently. And she hasn't. Amongst the aesthetic procedures, the Smith Cosmetic Surgical Center addict has gone through are three breast lifts, three nose surgery, a cheek implant, a chin implant, liposuction on various parts of her body, full teeth veneers, Botox shots and also, the coup de grace, a full-body lift.

My circumstance with cosmetic surgery is one that is really challenging for my family members and also several others to comprehend," Jenny has created on her blog, next to an image of her with substantially enhanced busts, an entirely flat stomach, and also a rather ridiculously thin nose. "There is a saying that goes, 'I can describe it to you, however, I cannot understand it for you.' That is the means I really feel concerning the scenario."

While Jenny could be a little bit extreme - she really intended to recreate Michael Jackson's nose on her own face, for example - it's not as difficult to come to be addicted to cosmetic surgery as you would picture. Some individuals have a number of frown lines erased with dermal fillers or a fast bust uplift as well as stop there.

Smith Plastic Surgery

7650 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117

+17028382455

[travelguy4444]

The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín

Posted: 04/19/2019 | April 19th, 2019

Once considered one of the deadliest cities in the world, Medellín has undergone a transformation over the last fifteen years that has made it one of the most modern places in all of Colombia.

The city has become a lot safer, there is a fantastic metro and cable car system that could rival the best in Europe, lots of parks, new buildings, libraries, restaurants, and a growing tech scene.

The city has changed a lot, and you can tell the residents are very proud of everything they’ve accomplished. There’s a palpable sense of possibility in Medellin. Optimism and excitement were always in the air.

Medellín is now one of “it” cities in the world. Tourists swarm it, and foreigners (especially young digital nomads) are settling and retiring here in droves. It was the most cosmopolitan and international city I visited in Colombia.

I spent close to a total of three weeks in Medellín.

If you’re looking to visit Medellín (and I don’t see why you wouldn’t be if you’re in Colombia), here is a list of my favorite things to do and see after spending so much time there:

1. Explore the Numerous Parks and Plazas

Medellín’s year-round temperate climate makes it a perfect place to spend a lot of time outdoors, where people are always lounging around and vendors are peddling food and drinks. Two must-visit parks are:

Plaza Botero – Botero was a famous artist from Medellin known for his drawing and statues of oversized people. This plaza is home to 23 Botero sculptures and is always packed with people taking photos, street performers, and artists. Located in the Old Quarter, you’ll find a couple of museums in the square too.

Parque Lleras – Located right in the center of Poblado, this park is full of people all day and night. There are street vendors, food sellers, musicians, and people drinking into the wee hours of the night. It’s a wonderful place to people-watch and one of the best places to have fun in the city!

2. Wander Parque Arvi

This park is worthy of its own entry. Located in the mountains near the city, you can take the gondola right from the subway to the park’s entrance. It’s a beautiful ride through the hills and offers some incredible views of the valley and city.

The park spans 16,000 hectares and includes trails that date back over 1,500 years. At the park entrance, you’ll find a small market as well as trails to hike. To visit, you now have to take a guided tour. It costs 5,000-7,000 COP ($1.50-2.25 USD) depending on the trail (most trails are 2-4km long). Bird-watching tours are also available.

3. Explore Jardín Botánico

The botanical gardens, a quiet retreat from the noise and chaos of the city, host numerous events, concerts, and festivals throughout the year. They cover over 14 hectares and are home to around 4,500 flowers and some 139 different bird species.

There’s also a nice (if not overpriced) restaurant in the center if you feel like spending more time here relaxing and taking in the scene.

4. See a Soccer Match

Soccer (futbol) here is religion and, if there are games when you’re here, you should really try to see one. Medellín has two local teams: Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. Supporters of each team occupy bleachers at opposing ends of the stadium since things tend to get rowdy and violent when they are near each other. Ticket prices are well under 40,000 COP (under $12.50 USD).

5. Take a Day Trip to Guatapé

Guatapé is the most popular day-trip destination from Medellín. It’s a colorful pueblo (village) situated on the edge of a lake about two hours from town, and it’s possible to take tours of the surrounding area by speedboat or party boat (which is very popular with backpackers who spend a night or two here).

The main attraction is El Peñol, a granite monolith with over 700 concrete stairs etched in its side. For a few thousand pesos, visitors can climb to the top for breathtaking 360-degree views of the region.

Guatapé is a long day trip from Medellín (hostels in the city organize trips throughout the week), so I recommend trying to spend at least a night here so you aren’t rushed and can enjoy the area little more.

6. Take a Free Walking Tour

One of my favorite things to do when I get to a new city is to take a free walking tour. They’re perfect for getting an overview of a place while giving you access to a local expert who can answer your questions.

Real City Walking Tours has a great free tour that will give you an informative introduction to the city. Don’t do any other tours; this is the only free walking tour you need, and it’s the best in town. You’ll get a lot of information, and the guides are wonderful. Be sure to tip at the end!

7. Tour Comuna 13

This area was once the most violent part of Medellín. Murder, drugs, and violent crime were rampant (it’s still not a safe area to visit at night). You used to have to go through guards to get into this area; if you didn’t live here, you weren’t let in.

However, thanks to its street art (which was a reaction to heavy-handed police raids) there has been a huge influx of tourists. That has made part of the area safer and led to a rise in business and commerce. It’s really changed the fabric of the community. Local residents are even coming here now, figuring that if the tourists are going, it must be good!

You can visit by yourself or go on a tour (where a guide will explain the history of the area and the artists). Some of the better tour companies are:

Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour

Zippy Tour

Medellín City Tours

8. Visit the Museo de Antioquia

Founded in 1881, this interesting museum is home to numerous pre-Colombian works as well as national and international works by famous artists (there are a bunch of Boteros here too) and a wide variety of photographs and sculptures.

Cl. 52 #43, +57 4-251-3636, museodeantioquia.co. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 10am-5:30pm and Sundays 10am-4:30pm. Admission is 18,000 COP ($6 USD) per person.

9. Wander the Cementerio Museo de San Pedro

Built in 1842, this cemetery is also a museum where you can see the monuments and graves of many famous Colombians while learning about their lives and contributions. There’s a lot of large marble mausoleums and statues here. Keep an eye out for special events such as midnight tours and movie nights. The cemetery is small but it’s also close to the botanical gardens so you can do both one after the other.

Cra. 51 #68-68, +57 4-516-7650, cementeriosanpedro.org.co. Open daily 7:30am-5:30pm. Admission is free.

10. See the Casa de la Memoria

This museum opened in 2012 and examines the history of armed conflict in Colombia. It sheds light on the struggles the people of Colombia have had to overcome to get where they are today.

It’s a very sobering and solemn place but it offers some important insights. Don’t miss it.

Parque Bicentenario, +57 4-520-2020, museocasadelamemoria.gov.co. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm and weekends 10am-4pm. Admission is free, and there is also a free audio guide you can download. Guided tours are available on Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact the museum for details.

11. Visit the Museo de Arte Moderno

The Museum of Modern Art, located in a refurbished industrial building, is an awesome work of art in itself. There’s a ton of exposed area, giving it a really charming feel. Many people have a love-hate relationship with modern art (it’s not my personal favorite, I admit) but even I enjoyed my visit here.

The collection is small, but there’s also a beautiful photography section on the bottom floor. Even if it’s not your thing, it’s worth spending a couple hours here to get a sense of the modern art scene in the city.

Cra. 44 #19a-100, +57 4-444-2622, elmamm.org. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm, on Saturdays 10am-6pm, and Sundays 10am-5pm. Admission is 12,000 COP ($4 USD) per person.

12. Take a Food Tour

If you’re looking to taste a sample of what Medellín™ has to offer, there are a couple of food tour companies that can help. It’s a great way to get a taste for the local cuisine while learning about the country’s traditions in the process. There are plenty of options, such as street food tours from Toucan Café or more traditional local restaurant tours from Medellín City Tours. Both are good options!

Expect to pay 143,000-286,00 COP ($45-90 USD) per person.

13. Visit a Microbrewery

If you find yourself parched after an afternoon of sampling the city’s delicious cuisine, consider taking a brewery or craft beer tour to quench your thirst. There is an up-and-coming craft beer scene in Colombia, and Medellín has over 30 breweries and microbreweries. These are some of the best places to try a local beer:

3 Cordilleras runs tours Thursday and Friday evenings, offering five samples for 25,000-30,000 COP ($8-10 USD) per person.

Cerveza Premium Apóstol has a tour every Thursday at 6:30pm where you can see the brewery, taste a few drinks, and enjoy a snack in the process. Advanced booking is required, and tickets are 35,000 COP ($11 USD) per person.

20 Mission Cerveza has great beer, great food, and it’s a fun place to hang out and meet people. They don’t offer tours, but they do host music events and DJs. It’s super popular and one of the best places in town to grab a beer.

Brew House is a family-owned-and-operated brewery where you can take a tour and sample the offerings alongside their full pub menu.

Medellín Beer Factory doesn’t offer tours, though it does brew its own beer, with over 50 kinds on the menu! It’s a great place to relax with friends.

14. Visit Comuna 8

Much like Comuna 13, this area was one of the poorest in Medellín — and it still is. This district was really isolated until the city built a gondola from downtown, allowing people to get to work a lot more easily.

La Sierra runs a tour to teach people about the history of the area, and, unlike Comuna 13, it’s not overrun with tourists. It’s a small district and the tour doesn’t last long, but you get a much more authentic look at the city and its people and history than you do in Comuna 13 (where the focus is more on street art). I highly recommend it; it was one of the most insightful experiences I had in Medellín.

Finally, Don’t Do the Escobar Tour!

The locals here are not fans of Pablo Escobar. His violent life and legacy caused untold amounts of harm to the city and its population, and while it’s always good to learn about the history of a destination, glorifying this is not something I want to support. You can learn about his life online in a way that doesn’t spit in the face of the locals, many of whom don’t even speak his name. Out of respect for them, I encourage you to skip the Escobar tour.

Where to Eat in Medellín

I ate a lot in this city — and it was amazing! Here are some highlights:

Mondongo – Traditional Colombian food in a relaxed atmosphere. Try the mondongo, a traditional tripe soup. It comes with a ton of side dishes (including giant avocados). Come early, as this place get packed. Try to avoid the weekend. (Cl. 10 #38-38)

Carmen – High-end gastronomy with some of the best food in all of Colombia. It’s expensive but worth it. It was the best splurge meal I had in the country. (Cra. 36 #10a-27)

Mercado del Rio – An awesome food court offering all sorts of delicious food from dozens of vendors. There’s something for everyone here. (Cl. 24 #48-28)

20 Mission – A great microbrewery with delicious food too! Try the IPA. (Cl. 16 #43f-66)

Pergamino Café – A chill café with some of the best coffee in town. I spent a lot of time working here. They make great breakfast food, BLTs, and empenadadas. (Cra. 37 #8A-37)

37 Park – Another great bar and restaurant with a rustic outdoor garden. (Cra. 37 #8A – 4)

Hatoviejo – This is one of the best places to get traditional Colombian food. It’s pricey when compared to some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants you’ll find throughout town. (Cl. 16 #28-60)

***

I was never bored in Medellín. In a country full of hype, this hyped-up city is all that it’s cracked up to be. It has enough activities to fill weeks on end. Combined with the low cost of travel and living, it’s no wonder more and more people are visiting the city.

This guide can help you plan your trip. And while it’s easy to get lost in Gringoland here, try to get out of Poblado or Laureles and see the locals’ side of town.

That’s where the magic of Medellín happens.

Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use it all the time. Here are suggested places to stay in Medellín:

Los Patios: This is an upscale hostel, but you get a lot of value. It’s in a great location and the staff are awesome. It’s always clean and the beds are comfy!

Happy Buddha Boutique Hostel – This is the biggest party hostel in Medellín, so if you’re looking to get crazy, this your best bet! The staff works hard to keep people happy (and drunk), including organizing drinking games, salsa classes, and pub crawls!

The Wandering Paisa – This hostel is located in the upscale area of Laureles, which is the up and coming touristy area of the city. All the dorms are covered in South American and Colombian cultural artwork by local students and each bed comes with a large locker and a privacy divider, which makes it easier to sleep.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!

Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Check out my in-depth destination guide to Colombia with more tips on what to see and do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more!

Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The post The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ultimate-list-medellin/

[melissagarcia8]

The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín

Posted: 04/19/2019 | April 19th, 2019

Once considered one of the deadliest cities in the world, Medellín has undergone a transformation over the last fifteen years that has made it one of the most modern places in all of Colombia.

The city has become a lot safer, there is a fantastic metro and cable car system that could rival the best in Europe, lots of parks, new buildings, libraries, restaurants, and a growing tech scene.

The city has changed a lot, and you can tell the residents are very proud of everything they’ve accomplished. There’s a palpable sense of possibility in Medellin. Optimism and excitement were always in the air.

Medellín is now one of “it” cities in the world. Tourists swarm it, and foreigners (especially young digital nomads) are settling and retiring here in droves. It was the most cosmopolitan and international city I visited in Colombia.

I spent close to a total of three weeks in Medellín.

If you’re looking to visit Medellín (and I don’t see why you wouldn’t be if you’re in Colombia), here is a list of my favorite things to do and see after spending so much time there:

1. Explore the Numerous Parks and Plazas

Medellín’s year-round temperate climate makes it a perfect place to spend a lot of time outdoors, where people are always lounging around and vendors are peddling food and drinks. Two must-visit parks are:

Plaza Botero – Botero was a famous artist from Medellin known for his drawing and statues of oversized people. This plaza is home to 23 Botero sculptures and is always packed with people taking photos, street performers, and artists. Located in the Old Quarter, you’ll find a couple of museums in the square too.

Parque Lleras – Located right in the center of Poblado, this park is full of people all day and night. There are street vendors, food sellers, musicians, and people drinking into the wee hours of the night. It’s a wonderful place to people-watch and one of the best places to have fun in the city!

2. Wander Parque Arvi

This park is worthy of its own entry. Located in the mountains near the city, you can take the gondola right from the subway to the park’s entrance. It’s a beautiful ride through the hills and offers some incredible views of the valley and city.

The park spans 16,000 hectares and includes trails that date back over 1,500 years. At the park entrance, you’ll find a small market as well as trails to hike. To visit, you now have to take a guided tour. It costs 5,000-7,000 COP ($1.50-2.25 USD) depending on the trail (most trails are 2-4km long). Bird-watching tours are also available.

3. Explore Jardín Botánico

The botanical gardens, a quiet retreat from the noise and chaos of the city, host numerous events, concerts, and festivals throughout the year. They cover over 14 hectares and are home to around 4,500 flowers and some 139 different bird species.

There’s also a nice (if not overpriced) restaurant in the center if you feel like spending more time here relaxing and taking in the scene.

4. See a Soccer Match

Soccer (futbol) here is religion and, if there are games when you’re here, you should really try to see one. Medellín has two local teams: Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. Supporters of each team occupy bleachers at opposing ends of the stadium since things tend to get rowdy and violent when they are near each other. Ticket prices are well under 40,000 COP (under $12.50 USD).

5. Take a Day Trip to Guatapé

Guatapé is the most popular day-trip destination from Medellín. It’s a colorful pueblo (village) situated on the edge of a lake about two hours from town, and it’s possible to take tours of the surrounding area by speedboat or party boat (which is very popular with backpackers who spend a night or two here).

The main attraction is El Peñol, a granite monolith with over 700 concrete stairs etched in its side. For a few thousand pesos, visitors can climb to the top for breathtaking 360-degree views of the region.

Guatapé is a long day trip from Medellín (hostels in the city organize trips throughout the week), so I recommend trying to spend at least a night here so you aren’t rushed and can enjoy the area little more.

6. Take a Free Walking Tour

One of my favorite things to do when I get to a new city is to take a free walking tour. They’re perfect for getting an overview of a place while giving you access to a local expert who can answer your questions.

Real City Walking Tours has a great free tour that will give you an informative introduction to the city. Don’t do any other tours; this is the only free walking tour you need, and it’s the best in town. You’ll get a lot of information, and the guides are wonderful. Be sure to tip at the end!

7. Tour Comuna 13

This area was once the most violent part of Medellín. Murder, drugs, and violent crime were rampant (it’s still not a safe area to visit at night). You used to have to go through guards to get into this area; if you didn’t live here, you weren’t let in.

However, thanks to its street art (which was a reaction to heavy-handed police raids) there has been a huge influx of tourists. That has made part of the area safer and led to a rise in business and commerce. It’s really changed the fabric of the community. Local residents are even coming here now, figuring that if the tourists are going, it must be good!

You can visit by yourself or go on a tour (where a guide will explain the history of the area and the artists). Some of the better tour companies are:

Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour

Zippy Tour

Medellín City Tours

8. Visit the Museo de Antioquia

Founded in 1881, this interesting museum is home to numerous pre-Colombian works as well as national and international works by famous artists (there are a bunch of Boteros here too) and a wide variety of photographs and sculptures.

Cl. 52 #43, +57 4-251-3636, museodeantioquia.co. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 10am-5:30pm and Sundays 10am-4:30pm. Admission is 18,000 COP ($6 USD) per person.

9. Wander the Cementerio Museo de San Pedro

Built in 1842, this cemetery is also a museum where you can see the monuments and graves of many famous Colombians while learning about their lives and contributions. There’s a lot of large marble mausoleums and statues here. Keep an eye out for special events such as midnight tours and movie nights. The cemetery is small but it’s also close to the botanical gardens so you can do both one after the other.

Cra. 51 #68-68, +57 4-516-7650, cementeriosanpedro.org.co. Open daily 7:30am-5:30pm. Admission is free.

10. See the Casa de la Memoria

This museum opened in 2012 and examines the history of armed conflict in Colombia. It sheds light on the struggles the people of Colombia have had to overcome to get where they are today.

It’s a very sobering and solemn place but it offers some important insights. Don’t miss it.

Parque Bicentenario, +57 4-520-2020, museocasadelamemoria.gov.co. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm and weekends 10am-4pm. Admission is free, and there is also a free audio guide you can download. Guided tours are available on Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact the museum for details.

11. Visit the Museo de Arte Moderno

The Museum of Modern Art, located in a refurbished industrial building, is an awesome work of art in itself. There’s a ton of exposed area, giving it a really charming feel. Many people have a love-hate relationship with modern art (it’s not my personal favorite, I admit) but even I enjoyed my visit here.

The collection is small, but there’s also a beautiful photography section on the bottom floor. Even if it’s not your thing, it’s worth spending a couple hours here to get a sense of the modern art scene in the city.

Cra. 44 #19a-100, +57 4-444-2622, elmamm.org. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm, on Saturdays 10am-6pm, and Sundays 10am-5pm. Admission is 12,000 COP ($4 USD) per person.

12. Take a Food Tour

If you’re looking to taste a sample of what Medellín™ has to offer, there are a couple of food tour companies that can help. It’s a great way to get a taste for the local cuisine while learning about the country’s traditions in the process. There are plenty of options, such as street food tours from Toucan Café or more traditional local restaurant tours from Medellín City Tours. Both are good options!

Expect to pay 143,000-286,00 COP ($45-90 USD) per person.

13. Visit a Microbrewery

If you find yourself parched after an afternoon of sampling the city’s delicious cuisine, consider taking a brewery or craft beer tour to quench your thirst. There is an up-and-coming craft beer scene in Colombia, and Medellín has over 30 breweries and microbreweries. These are some of the best places to try a local beer:

3 Cordilleras runs tours Thursday and Friday evenings, offering five samples for 25,000-30,000 COP ($8-10 USD) per person.

Cerveza Premium Apóstol has a tour every Thursday at 6:30pm where you can see the brewery, taste a few drinks, and enjoy a snack in the process. Advanced booking is required, and tickets are 35,000 COP ($11 USD) per person.

20 Mission Cerveza has great beer, great food, and it’s a fun place to hang out and meet people. They don’t offer tours, but they do host music events and DJs. It’s super popular and one of the best places in town to grab a beer.

Brew House is a family-owned-and-operated brewery where you can take a tour and sample the offerings alongside their full pub menu.

Medellín Beer Factory doesn’t offer tours, though it does brew its own beer, with over 50 kinds on the menu! It’s a great place to relax with friends.

14. Visit Comuna 8

Much like Comuna 13, this area was one of the poorest in Medellín — and it still is. This district was really isolated until the city built a gondola from downtown, allowing people to get to work a lot more easily.

La Sierra runs a tour to teach people about the history of the area, and, unlike Comuna 13, it’s not overrun with tourists. It’s a small district and the tour doesn’t last long, but you get a much more authentic look at the city and its people and history than you do in Comuna 13 (where the focus is more on street art). I highly recommend it; it was one of the most insightful experiences I had in Medellín.

Finally, Don’t Do the Escobar Tour!

The locals here are not fans of Pablo Escobar. His violent life and legacy caused untold amounts of harm to the city and its population, and while it’s always good to learn about the history of a destination, glorifying this is not something I want to support. You can learn about his life online in a way that doesn’t spit in the face of the locals, many of whom don’t even speak his name. Out of respect for them, I encourage you to skip the Escobar tour.

Where to Eat in Medellín

I ate a lot in this city — and it was amazing! Here are some highlights:

Mondongo – Traditional Colombian food in a relaxed atmosphere. Try the mondongo, a traditional tripe soup. It comes with a ton of side dishes (including giant avocados). Come early, as this place get packed. Try to avoid the weekend. (Cl. 10 #38-38)

Carmen – High-end gastronomy with some of the best food in all of Colombia. It’s expensive but worth it. It was the best splurge meal I had in the country. (Cra. 36 #10a-27)

Mercado del Rio – An awesome food court offering all sorts of delicious food from dozens of vendors. There’s something for everyone here. (Cl. 24 #48-28)

20 Mission – A great microbrewery with delicious food too! Try the IPA. (Cl. 16 #43f-66)

Pergamino Café – A chill café with some of the best coffee in town. I spent a lot of time working here. They make great breakfast food, BLTs, and empenadadas. (Cra. 37 #8A-37)

37 Park – Another great bar and restaurant with a rustic outdoor garden. (Cra. 37 #8A – 4)

Hatoviejo – This is one of the best places to get traditional Colombian food. It’s pricey when compared to some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants you’ll find throughout town. (Cl. 16 #28-60)

***

I was never bored in Medellín. In a country full of hype, this hyped-up city is all that it’s cracked up to be. It has enough activities to fill weeks on end. Combined with the low cost of travel and living, it’s no wonder more and more people are visiting the city.

This guide can help you plan your trip. And while it’s easy to get lost in Gringoland here, try to get out of Poblado or Laureles and see the locals’ side of town.

That’s where the magic of Medellín happens.

Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use it all the time. Here are suggested places to stay in Medellín:

Los Patios: This is an upscale hostel, but you get a lot of value. It’s in a great location and the staff are awesome. It’s always clean and the beds are comfy!

BlackPine: This hostel has a laid-back vibe and an amazing kitchen for anyone planning to do their own cooking. There are plenty of electrical outlets and some great hammocks for relaxing!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!

Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Check out my in-depth destination guide to Colombia with more tips on what to see and do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more!

Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The post The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ultimate-list-medellin/

[aurelliocheek]

20 Years HandyGames: The Interview

Happy Anniversary! German developer and publisher HandyGames exists now for 20 years. We talk to the founders, CEOs and brothers Markus and Christopher Kassulke.

HandyGames is one of the most traditional game developers in Germany. And one of the most successful: HandyGames has published more than 200 games to date, which together have resulted in hundreds of ­millions of downloads.

Founded 2000 by the brothers ­Markus and Christopher Kassulke and their business partner Udo Bausewein in north Bavarian university city of Würzburg, HandyGames was specialized in the ­early years – the company name suggests it – in games for mobile phones. In 2003 ­HandyGames had a big hit with the strategy game Townsmen. The series continues to thrill game fans worldwide to this day.

In 2015 HandyGames won three important awards at the DEP – „Best Studio“, „Best Mobile Game“ and „Best Social Engagement“.

Since 2018 HandyGames is part of the THQ Nordic and Embracer Group family and operates as an international publisher for mid-sized projects and developers for a worldwide audience.

HandyGames always strive for gameplay innovation. The company received the German Developer Award as “Best German Game Studio” in 2015, produced and published award-winning games of ­virtually every video gaming genre imaginable for a diverse range of audiences and gameplay styles. One example is “Townsmen VR” which was awarded with the German Games Award 2018 in the category “Best Game Design”. Now located in Giebelstadt, a tiny town close to Würzburg, ­HandyGames is a proud part of the ­German and European gaming scene.

How HandyGames started 20 years ago, how the two brothers get along with each other in everyday life, how it went with the takeover by THQ Nordic, which decisions they regret afterwards and much more we discuss in an interview with Markus and Christopher Kassulke. And we show a lot of cool photos from 20 years of HandyGames!

An idol and a close friend – “Lord British” Richard Garriott and Lars Janssen ­during their studio visit in 2018.

Making Games: Tell us how it all started 20 years ago with HandyGames? Markus Kassulke: Our history in the games industry begins a little before HandyGames. Christopher and I worked as freelancers developing cheat software and add-ons for games like Sim City or Age of Empires. At some point, we wanted to make our own games. We didn’t have a lot of money, so the mobile phone was a good platform. On Christophers old Nokia, which is still in the showcase here, you could only play Snake, and we thought we could do better. We had a buddy in Romania who wrote us an emulator and some minigame demos. We presented it to Siemens in Munich, and a few days later we got the confirmation. So we had to start the company because Siemens didn’t want to sign a contract with just a few freelancers for software that would be used on millions of mobile phones. We brought Udo Bausewein into the company so that we had someone with a business background – who looked a bit more serious than the two of us with long hair. At that time, it was tough to find programmers, so we looked for people at the University of Würzburg who were interested in programming games on beer benches and old chairs in a noisy office above the Norma supermarket. Startup at its best.

Christoper Kassulke: Unfortunately without venture capital, because back then there were no venture capitalists who believed in games. Especially when the dotcom ­bubble burst.

Markus: When we moved into our office in Giebelstadt in 2004, we already had 20-25 people. Then came the mobile internet, the first Ericssons with colour display and the Nokia 7650. The time came when our business partners were no longer mobile phone manufacturers, but the network operators who built portals for mobile games.

Christopher: We have always been globally positioned, and in some cases have worked with up to 250 network operators worldwide. Today, with the App Store and the Google Play Store being the only ones left, you can’t even imagine that.

With Townsmen VR the team enters new markets with a well known spin-off of its build-up strategy brand.

You must have done many things right in the last 20 years, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be here today. But are there any decisions you regret today? Markus: Not having bought Apple shares (laughs).

Christopher: Apple is the right keyword, because we were one of the few developers who didn’t jump on the Apple bandwagon immediately. We were used to working with T-Mobile, Vodafone and Co. and then a young wild man named Steve Jobs comes and says, I don’t give a shit about the network providers, I’m turning everything upside down. A lot of people laughed at that time, including the CEO of Nokia. In the end, we supported iOS too late, but you learn from it. Since then, we have always been very open to new platforms and technologies. What we also regret today is having relied on a single partner for too long. When Siemens was sold to BenQ and shortly afterwards closed its mobile department, this was, of course, a problem for us, since at that time about 60 percent of the workforce was working on games for ­Siemens devices.

Markus: You are always smarter afterwards. Who would have thought at that time that Nokia, with a market share of 64%, would disappear from the market a few years later because they started building smartphones much too late? I like the way you see supposed mistakes in the US. When you’ve failed your third company, you are still the hero when you try it for the fourth time. And here in Germany, it’s like “Oh God, he already went bankrupt with his company once.”

A milestone in mobile gaming history: the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson.

Over the years, you may come to a point where you ask yourself whether you want to do business as usual or change, take the next step. Have you ever had such situations?  Christopher: Such situations were and are permanent. I can’t remember a single time we said let’s just keep going.

Markus: The mobile market was and is simply too fast-moving for that. First, there were the embedded games on mobile phones, then came the download games via network operators, then the smartphones. Then people suddenly didn’t want to spend money on games anymore, so you had to be prepared for in-app purchases, which has since changed again. We had to constantly consider whether the current orientation was still up to date. The biggest step, of course, was to sell HandyGames to THQ Nordic in 2018.

Christopher: We always wanted to publish, not only for smartphones but also for PC and console. We could have afforded to make 3 or 4 games at the same time, but not nearly as many as we now have in our portfolio. For that, you need a completely different backing than what we were used to. You need access to the capital market. That is limited for a German publisher. That’s why we decided to sell ­HandyGames.

Markus: A major decision was to leave the mobile sector long before the takeover. At that time, the Ouya console was announced, which in retrospect was a huge flop. But when we saw the mobile games on the big TV for the first time, we thought “Gee, that doesn’t look too bad”. And if that looks good, why should HandyGames doesn’t make games for the big consoles?

Having fun even with lawyers like Kai Bodensiek during the shooting of „Talk in der Alm“.

You mentioned the takeover by THQ ­Nordic and the Embracer Group. How did they convince you? Markus: In the past 20 years, we had countless discussions with companies who wanted to buy us. But we were the stubborn Franconians and thought about it: What will they do with us?

Christopher: Is that an added value for us, also for our colleagues? When you have been working together for such a long time and watch the children grow up, you approach things differently than a CEO of a stock company. You think in the long term.

Markus: We were simply looking for a partner who fits in with us, and we don’t regret taking this step. The Embracer Group is worth 3 billion euros, the number 2 in the European market. We are now over 60 people and are financing even more people in external studios worldwide. That’s not a bad figure for a German publisher, and we feel a responsibility to the people.

Christopher: Finally, we want to celebrate a few more anniversaries.

Where do you see HandyGames in 5 to 10 years? Markus: Difficult question. What I can say: HandyGames will be bigger, have more projects. But we want to grow organically. We have no growth plan. We want to continue to be a courageous publisher, but there will be no kamikaze actions from us.

A nice place to work: the famous „Alm“.

How difficult is it to lure employees to ­Giebelstadt, in the Franconian province? Christopher: It is not very difficult. Of course, we can’t compete with a Berlin scene here, but we are a suburb of Würzburg, and the city offers everything you need. At the end of the day, you have to feel comfortable, and we want to achieve that by creating a familiar atmosphere.

Markus: We have no problems finding people, quite the opposite. We are very picky, the benchmark is high. Our team is getting better and better, and I’m not only talking about skills, but also human qualities. The team spirit, motivating each other, is ­essential to us. It’s certainly not easy to get someone from Berlin or Hamburg to the Franconian province. But for someone from France or Spain, Würzburg is perfect for studying, by far not as expensive as Munich. And we are a very cosmopolitan, international company.

Show responsibility! Donating PCs to local schools.

Brothers do not always get along. How harmonious is your cooperation? Christopher: We have a rule: We can argue – and sometimes the doors can fly – as long as the door opens the next day again and we are all about the good cause. It is helpful that our tasks are clearly separated: Markus takes care of production and publishing, I take care of sales and marketing.

Markus: It’s certainly not always easy, but we always come back on a common path. After all, we have responsibility for the team, their families and also for the developers we work with.

Women in Games – we support the „Girl’s Day“ initiative from the beginning.

Let’s talk about publishing. Which criteria are decisive for you to sign a title? Markus: I don’t know how many platformers I’ve looked at lately, but there were many. There are some things that have no USP at all. Of course, a game needs that certain something. But also the whole package has to fit. It’s important that the team stands behind their vision and that they don’t want to sell us the slimmed-down version of their idea in the hope to increase the chances to get the money. We want to see the big picture – and then it is up to us to decide whether we want to spend the money for it. The composition of the team is also important. Since we are developers ourselves and know all the platforms, we have a good sense of whether the team may have overestimated the human resources for the port, has too few programmers, etc. You should approach pitching with the necessary seriousness and also keep an eye on the economic aspect. Thinking beyond the first game, imagine the ­second and third game – and be prepared for the dry period in between. Many studios have their difficulties with that – not only in Germany. We also prefer when the ­developers themselves do the porting, so that they can build up the know-how. Of course, the human factor is very important. You have to be a good match.

Christopher: We don’t want to have a one-night-stand. We want to have long-term, sustainable relationships. You don’t build a publisher-developer relationship overnight. And just like in a love relationship, the strength of it is particularly evident in phases when things are not going so well.

King Christopher on his Throne of Games.

If you look at your lineup, it seems very un-German, very international, which surprises us. Markus: That’s a big compliment for us because that’s exactly our goal. We see our competition, not in Germany but worldwide. And I think, with the lineup we can take on the international competition. We have projects in Mexico City, Hungary, Sweden, Belarus, Spain – many international influences. I look forward to seeing how it works.

The competition with other publishers to discover the potential hits of tomorrow is tough, isn’t it? Markus: Yes, for sure. But you have to see it in a sportive way. I have already lost developers which had a contract ready to sign; other publishers experienced the same for sure. It’s important that when teams decide to be our partner, they believe, think, feel and live that way.

Christopher: But it’s not uncommon to experience friendly competition when a publisher calls you and says “Here’s an interesting game that I can’t sign right now, wouldn’t that be something for you? On the other hand, we are also happy when a title that doesn’t fit into our portfolio finds another publisher. The developers also talk to each other, and our current partners are the best publicity for us.

Enjoying the masses at ­gamescom 2019 with our international developers on the Indie Arena Booth.

Many events are cancelled because of ­Corona. What has changed the most for you? Markus: That I now have to do all the events online (laughs). So much has not changed at all. We meet developers, do pitchings, it goes on as usual.

Christopher: Although the effect of having a beer together in the evening should not be underestimated (laughs). The small talk between the door and the hinge or the typical chance conversations during the smoking break at a conference is something that I miss. Chicken Police, for example, we tracked down on Reboot. Or that you stroll over gamescom and wonder why there are 20 people standing at the small booth in front of it. That’s how we became aware of Spitlings. To see how end customers react to something would be important.

We love sports! From sponsorship …

What changed for you internally when you changed from developer to publisher? Was there a culture clash? That some people say “Things used to be better.” Markus: That went pretty smooth. We had already prepared the employees half a year before the takeover. Of course, we had to adapt the organisation, i.e. producer, QA, marketing, to the new circumstances and enlarge it. Especially in these areas, we are looking for experienced people from the industry, but also for newcomers.

Christopher: I think it is helpful for every company after a few years to bring people into the company who have a different point of view, who bring in experience and know-how from other companies. What I also like is that someone can now also get a taste of publishing if they want to, in order to develop themselves further. Especially in our QA we have many examples.

… to kick some ***** on the football field.

In conclusion: What do you want to give the studios out there, who are perhaps just starting out, to take along? Markus: I would like the games funding to contribute to the fact that we in Germany are approaching more ambitious products and fewer clones. With 200,000 Euros I can already move a lot as a small team, impress the big publishers with a cool demo. We have to become even more courageous in Germany. For me, there is no excuse anymore why you can’t develop games in Germany that are internationally successful. For AAA titles this may be true, but in the indie sector, as far as the general conditions are concerned, there are no more excuses why the next Dead Cells or Hollow Knight or Inside should not come from Germany.

Christopher: The situation for developers has never been so rosy. When we started, there was no funding, also no banks that gave loans with almost no interest. These are brillant conditions. Ok, if necessary, you have to move from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to Bavaria to get the local funding. But there is also federal funding, even EU funding. And there are as many publishers as never before. Even the big publishers sign indie games. Especially in the range of 500,000 to one million Euros there is a huge choice. Twenty years ago, games were hated by politicians. Now politics like us, we are in the mainstream press with Through the Darkest of Times. From young to old everyone feels like a gamer. Grab it, people!

Thanks a lot for the interesting interview and all the best for the next 20 years!

  El Hijo – A Wild West Tale: A spaghetti-western stealth game where you guide a 6-year old boy on his quest to find his mother. Developed by Honig Studios, published by HandyGames.

Triple I Games “Made in Germany”

In November 2019 Handy­Games announced that it intends to invest “a high single-digit million amount” in German indie titles over the next three years. HandyGames is thus supporting the foundation of new start-ups or securing jobs at existing studios. “The prerequisites for the cooperation are a strong team and a breathtaking product, which will be able to captivate gamers around the globe in addition to our publishing team,” says Markus Kassulke, CEO of HandyGames. “We are well aware that the development of the next big indie hit can have production costs of more than a million. Hence the clear signal: HandyGames is prepared to bear the own contribution required by the funding”.

A gripping story and atmosphere, innovative gameplay and a unique graphic style can be keys to success. HandyGames already supports the highly motivated German teams of Paintbucket Games (Berlin), Honig Studios (Berlin) and Massive Miniteam (Cologne) in the development of their current titles. Through the Darkest of Times, ­El Hijo – A Wild West Tale and Spitlings will convince gamers worldwide in 2020 that games “Made in Germany” can cause a stir on the international market.

Markus ­Kassulke Co-Founder & CEO

With over 25 years experience in the gaming industry, Markus Kassulke is responsible for managing HandyGames as a whole. He oversees all internal projects as well as Publishing team and is responsible to form the DNA of the unique games portfolio. As a member of the HR team, he is always looking for new team-players to join the family.

Christopher Kassulke Co-Founder & CEO

Christopher is responsible for the international Business Development and Sales of HandyGames. As the face of HandyGames ­Christopher regularly speaks at developer conferences and events around the globe.

The post 20 Years HandyGames: The Interview appeared first on Making Games.

20 Years HandyGames: The Interview published first on https://leolarsonblog.tumblr.com/

[mikemarko567-blog]

Having A Better Business Strategy | Quantum Lifestyle

Consistency Is The Key To Success

“Consistency Is The Key To Success”

AMWAY review has credibility for being a great business in the DSA or MLM sector due to the fact that they have actually been around for so long. If you personally have actually attempted the products and also believe they excel, after that this might be an excellent business for you to sign up with. Nevertheless, you must know that individuals making big money in the firm are the ones that grow their team.

If you plan to offer products just, this will only give some side cash money for you. If you prepare to hire individuals into the company, you require intent on the best ways to hire beyond your network of friends/family/coworkers because an organization must be able to depend on its very own– not reliant on your friends to buy your things!

AMWAY business has actually been undertaking modifications in a recent couple of years due to a claim. This has resulted in a lowered quantity of pressure for suppliers to buy items as well as training, in addition to much less buzz in their sales claims. I personally discover it except that the company is making these adjustments! I am really rough in my NETWORK MARKETING business reviews, as well as normally, 2 of my large complaints are that IBOs are needed to purchase items on autoship which the items they offer do not satisfy assumptions.

Mentioning items, the primary various other things I like about AMWAY is its items. The firm does use a wide range of items, as well as there is absolutely still a need for them. This company has been around because 1959, and also although it’s undergone modifications throughout the years, I don’t believe it could have endured this long on buzz alone.

Is AMWAY A Fraud?

Is AMWAY A Scam? AMWAY is not a fraud. AMWAY is a legit company and its organization design is around reference-based marketing (MLM/direct sales sector) rather than spending for marketing, signboards, television commercials, and so on. They pay their IBO’s or suppliers a little payment for helping them obtain the word out when somebody acquires a product from that IBO.

The factor you may be assuming that it’s a fraud or pyramid system is because you have actually heard of someone that really did not earn money with the company or that you don’t wish to lose money. The rip-off claims happen from IBO’s who do not find any kind of success with their organization. Now, remember.

The majority of AMWAY IBO’s have no abilities or knowledge of how you can run an effective business. So, they aren’t sure anything regarding recruiting, funding, shutting, destination marketing, generating leads, and constructing a successful business.

This brings about them thinking AMWAY is a scam or previous reps wind up giving the business a poor online reputation since they say the AMWAY rip-off holds true which it is not.

Can you really generate income with AMWAY though? The response is YES, but you require a game plan as well as advertising approach in order to generate web traffic, leads, close sales,

as well as grow your business/team of consumers as well as IBO’s. Click here!

Like a lot of Network marketing, there are 2 facets to constructing a service with AMWAY. There’s the product retailing and afterward, there is the recruiting of leads to build your downline as well as increase your earnings.

With AMWAY, you’re told to utilize the items and change everything you would normally purchase with stuff from AMWAY. It’s supposed to conserve you cash, boost your life and at the same time, make you some money.

Factors are awarded for items you market, and a compensation check is sent out to you based upon how many factors you make. This remains in enhancement to the revenue you make on products marketed. As you construct your network, you’re advertised to various degrees which assists raise the earnings you’re obtaining.

AMWAY has lots of various items for you to select from consisting of fat burning, residence items like their air cleaner and water purification system, Nutrilite nutritional supplements, charm products, cleaning products as well as several others.

You can likewise opt to retail items (just like affiliate advertising and marketing), from AMWAY companion stores like Sears, Barnes & Noble, Finest Buy, Office Depot, K-Mart as well as much more.

So, you could essentially offer anything that somebody might need through your AMWAY business and also make money.

If you resembled me when I was given this possibility at that time as well as you aimed to sell every as well as anything depending on the requirements of the person you were targeting.

Usually, I would hand them a catalog since I really did not truly understand exactly what they actually needed, or I would try to reveal them the strategy.

This result in an extremely frustrating experience for me and I wound up quitting. Like a lot of other individuals.

The trouble is that lots of people who sign up with AMWAY do unknown the key to marketing the items and their upline do not educate them

Judgment

Although it was economical to start an AMWAY organization, the expense in preserving it is fairly high up on a regular monthly basis about other business in the network marketing particular niche as a result of the inadequate point to dollar proportion. Expect to be in the red for quite a time due to this truth.

As a simple offline network marketing firm, AMWAY can be profitable from a retail sales standpoint, however, the actual money and also leverage comes from developing groups of leaders, not slinging item.

Source: Amway Review

Do You Have What You Need?

“Do You Have What You Need?”

In having to reach this side might program many reasons. Is it because of the reality that you have not truly comprehended specifically what Digital Altitude pertains to? Or maybe, you are not entirely met numerous other evaluations relating to Digital Altitude. These factors may be the motives why you are pushed to checked out extra regarding it.

You can be wondering about what Digital Altitude is. Is it an additional fraud? For you to get notified with points associating with the business, you have really found the perfect location.

This page will certainly inform you included realities as well as likewise proof pertaining to Digital Altitude scam. This is furthermore to state that these complying with straightforward suggestions are based upon trustworthy as well as full researches from enforcing sites and also evaluations as well as additionally not by stories which simply offered resistances as well as likewise wrong information.

It is affordable for many people at the here and now time are being cynical concerning internet marketing for the reason that online fraudsters are anywhere as well as are increasing. As an outcome of that, I am happy that you have actually been digging deep into a lot more on the internet in order just to search for the guarantee that this Digital Altitude assessment might assist you to progress your coworker worrying online marketing or home business as well as to increase your company if you stay in prep work to build one.

Quick Background Of Digital Altitude

Just what is Digital Altitude? Well, Digital Altitude is a network marketing firm that was created by Michael Force. He has actually been successful online. He is a former marine along with collaborated with high ticket affiliate programs in the past with fantastic success. He also coaches in addition to coaches’ students online and additionally has actually assisted generate countless 6 and also 7 number income earners.

There are six registration levels, they are based up off the mountain motif:

Aspire Subscription

The Aspire subscription has 3 kinds and these are:

Aspire Pedestrian which costs $37 per month

Aspire Walker which sets you back $67 monthly

Aspire Mountain climber which sets you back $127 regular monthly

Base Membership which costs $597

Boost Membership which sets you back $1997

Ascend Membership which sets you back $9,997

Elevation Membership which costs $16,997

Apex Membership which costs $27,997

In addition, there are 3 added add-on things that Michael tossed right into the Digital Altitude platform and additionally, these are:

Web traffic & Funnel products– These are 12 products and services (internet traffic bundles so you can build a listing of “depriving” subscribers).

Incoming items– These are content and add a blog which varies from $15 to $1500 monthly relying on your preference.

In addition to the “Master You Thing”– These are branding and additionally social media sites websites gadgets developed to assist you to set up specialist social networks websites accounts.

There are 60 compensation approaches, with 19 of them being returned; which recommends you will definitely be gaining month-to-month settlement provided that one more participant does not cancel his/her registration.

Aspire

You will make a 40% payment, 1 price payout at the $37 degree in addition to 60% settlement on 3 rates of pay at the $67 degree. That is $17 or $41 every Thirty Days for each and every individual you describe the Aspire Degree.

Base

You will certainly obtain 60% repayment over 3 rates which occur to be a good-looking $240 per sale. If you need assistance from among the life trainers, you make 40% payment, consequently, making you $160.

Rise

You will definitely make a 60% settlement over 3 rates, which equals $1200 per sale. Preferring to have a life trainer close the sale for you? You will make 40% repayment over three rates.

Ascend

You will absolutely gain 60% or 40%, (relies on the option you choose). The complete earning appears to $6000 per sale.

Top

You will certainly make 60% or 40% or $10,200 throughout three tiers– [Price 1: $7650, Price 2: $1,700, Price 3: $850]

Pinnacle

The Peak membership allows you to make 60% compensation throughout 3 tiers. This is $16,800 per sale throughout three prices [Rate 1: $12,600, Price 2: $2,800, Price 3: $1,400]

Bottom Line– Is It Legit?

Great deals of individuals are claiming that the Digital Altitude is fraudulence while others are stating that it is an official company.

Yet really, individuals that are declaring that the Digital Altitude is a rip-off are those individuals that have actually not gotten any money with the system or has really been scammed in the past by high ticket programs just like the Digital Altitude.

In the contrary, the people that are claiming that it is official are the ones that are making enormous settlements from individuals who they have the capacity to join Digital Altitude.

The bottom line is that the Digital Altitude will definitely not be the system for you if you do not have numerous bucks to spend on an organization.

Source: Digital Altitude review

Essentials In Marketing Production

“Essentials In Marketing Production”

Product recaps are exceptionally important when creating an existence for brand names together with the organization online. Consumers like superb item summaries, especially ones that are very easy to locate along with acknowledging when sneaking a Fabric by the yard website.

The key is to make up superb item summaries that your customers will such as is to take advantage of the best words while protecting against pointless terms as well as expressions.

The Difference In Between A Great In Addition To Additionally Negative Product Wrap-up

Simply what makes an item recap “poor?” It doesn’t, in fact, have as much to do with the dimension of the message or the terminology that you makes use of. A minimum of, those corporate branding elements aren’t as essential as you may presume.

The significant goal is just to clarify what the fabric printing product does and likewise why someone ought to buy it. When a product is self-explanatory, as an instance, you do not need to be expensive. It’s rather apparent what this thing is which it’s for.

The thing summary does not need to go right into excessive sequin fabric details. Truly, many people most likely will avoid doing a large amount greater than skim it. The advertising and marketing element for this t tee shirt revolves far more around points like photo high quality (it looks superb on the version), dimension, availability, color range, in addition to likewise price.

Each of those points exists, so the message is lower. Despite the fact that it does not consist of many details, it’s an outstanding thing summary.

As a service proprietor, you are normally delighted to share each of the top-notches of your products. You plan to disclose that your item has the most effective attributes as well as adding great deals of distinct specs. The purchaser, nonetheless, is not always curious pertaining to the normal attributes of the item. Rather, they would like to acknowledge specifically exactly how it can profit them.

An item feature is an exact statement concerning the item that gives technological details. An item advantage, on the other hand, educates exactly how the product can boost the customer’s life. A competitor is a subtle strategy to advertise your product without in fact marketing it. Running contests on socials media systems will certainly drive the target market’s interest rate towards your product. To appreciate take full advantage of benefit from the rivals, preserve it delightful, easy, and additionally offer completely complimentary presents to all participants.

Solutions with physical areas have actually consisted of a chance to promote brand-new services and product in-store. If you require recognizing just precisely just how to advertise your item in your workshop or store, the # 1 aspect you need to do is to offer individuals a variable to see your store.

Besides having to lure logo design formats as well as likewise indications, you can promote your new product and services in store with signs as well as also advertising and marketing products inside. Offer distinctive in-store price cuts, such as a buy-one-get-one-free or a part rate cut. You might similarly market your thing as being entirely conveniently used at your store. Whatever your coupon, make sure to emphasize that it will not last for life.

Consumers whose purchase power is restricted, either by time or inventory, really feel an even more important sensation of intensity to get when it involves your thing.

An additional indicates to promote new service or product is to present along with share this on social media sites networks. If you’re making use of the techniques pointed out over, ensure to share any type of sort of amongst them on social media networks, containing consumer unique events, open houses, trade-in or upgrade possibilities, giveaways, customer exams, along with photos. If you locate that customers are launching on social media sites like Facebook along with Instagram, make sure to share those pictures with your own followers to tempt people to try your brand-new product or service!

Just recently offered nevertheless verified to be a good way to promote products on social media networks websites are distributing bargains along with additional discount codes. Offer unique offers to your clients on social media networks routinely to ensure that they stay involved in all times. You can moreover do a little reasoning on specifically simply exactly how you can individualize the whole idea of using discount price prices & coupon codes to make your customers feel special.

As an instance, providing price cuts on birthday celebration occasions, the name of the cost cut credit card, etc. This will definitely help them transform devoted towards your trademark name in the long-term.

Wrap-up Worrying Ingenious Ways To Promote A Point

Customer assessment & examines job as an influencer that advertises your item to the consumer in a superior light. It is constantly much better than the consumer makes an informed choice by understanding various other customers’ experiences, rather than after being impacted by social media networks ads. That is why it is mindful to make client analyses or user-generated web content the face of your brand on social networks sites.

Signing up with social media sites websites groups/communities appropriate to your details niche can furthermore operate as a superior method to spread out understanding regarding your item. Your thing coupon initiatives in social networks teams will unconditionally bring much better outcomes thinking about that members are currently interested in an equivalent product. Nevertheless, it is actually important that you connect with group participant’s well, reverse in their rate of interests, together with be clear when filling out of your item.

Source: https://www.inweavefabric.com/

Importance Of Clear Product Details

“Importance Of Clear Product Details”

Point summaries are incredibly useful when producing a straight exposure for the brand and also additionally solutions online. Consumers take pleasure in superior product rugs near mesummaries, particularly ones that are very easy to a position along with additionally acknowledge when sliding a net website.

The technique is to create wonderful thing wrap-ups that your clients will definitely such as is to make use of one of one of the most relied on words while staying corporate branding without inadequate terms along with expressions.

The Distinction In Between A Sensational In Addition To Poor Point Wrap-up

Particularly what makes a product wrap-up “poor?” It does not absolutely have as much to do with the measurement of the message or the terms that you makes use of. At the very least, those braided rugs components aren’t as essential as you can think.

The primary objective is just to specify what the item does along with furthermore why a person must buy it. When a factor is evident, for instance, you do not need to be shag rug pricey. It’s rather evident what this factor is as well as likewise furthermore that it’s for.

The thing wrap-up does not require entering into methods way too many details. Actually, huge quantities of individuals possibly will abstain a lot greater than skim it. The advertising variable for this t tee t-shirt transforms a whole lot more around factors like image superb top quality (it looks superb on the design), measurement, get to, shade choice, together with cost.

Each of those points exists, so the message is limited. Although it does not consist of much info, it’s a great product summary.

As a place entrepreneur, you are normally thrilled to share each of the remarkable excellent quality of your things. You desire to disclose that your item has one of the most trustworthy attributes along with adding a lot of distinct specs. The customer, nonetheless, is not continually thinking about the ordinary functions of the item. Rather, they wish to identify particularly just exactly how it can profit them.

A point feature is a specific declaration regarding the thing that utilizes technological details. A factor advantage, on the other hand, informs merely especially just exactly how the thing can boost the buyer’s life. A rival is a smooth method to promote your point without in fact marketing and advertising it. Running rivals on social networks sites websites systems will drive the target market’s rate of interest in the direction of your item. To get a bang out of boost gain from the competitors, preserve it delightful, fundamental, in addition, to deal entirely free presents to all people.

Service with physical locations has in truth the included opportunity to market a brand-new product or service in-store. If you imply to recognize specifically just how to advertise your point in your workshop or shop, the # 1 factor you require doing is to supply individuals a variable to see your shop.

Besides having to lure logo design layout creates in addition to in a similar way indication, you can market your brand-new product or service in store with signs in addition to advertising materials inside. Deal special in-store rate cut-rate prices, such as a buy-one-get-one-free or a section cost cut. You might additionally market your product as being totally conveniently supplied at your shop. Whatever your promo, make certain to anxiety in addition to nervousness that it will certainly not last for life.

Clients whose procurement power is limited, either by time or supply, in fact really feel an additional crucial feeling of strength to get when it specifies your thing.

Another technique to promote brand-new product and services is to present along with moreover sharing this on social networks internet websites. If you’re making use of the strategies specified over, ensure to share any of them on social media sites internet websites, including customer unique occasions, open homes, trade-in or upgrade opportunities, completely free presents, client assessments, in addition to pictures. If you reveal that clients are sending on socials media web websites like Facebook along with Instagram, make certain to share those photos with your extremely own fans to reel in individuals to try your new product or services!

Just recently made use of nonetheless validated to be an exceptional means to market factors on social networks is giving out offers as well as likewise cost cut-rate codes. Deal special bargains to your consumers on socials media websites normally to make certain that they continue to be to be taken part in any way times. You can additionally do a little reasoning on simply precisely how you can decorate the whole principle of using price cut rates & discount rate voucher codes to make your clients truly really feel one-of-a-kind.

For example, giving expense cuts on birthday party parties, placing names of rate reduced charge card, and so on. This will absolutely help them change dedicated to your brand in lasting.

Wrap-up Relating To Innovative Ways To Promote A Point

Client assessment & testimonies function as an influencer that markets your point to the customer in a superior light. It is frequently better than the consumer makes an enlightened selection by acknowledging numerous different other customers’ experiences, rather than after being impacted by socials media price cut coupons. That is why it is conscious to make client testimonies or user-generated web product the face of your brand name on social media sites websites.

Joining social media sites websites groups/communities relevant to your specific particular niche can additionally function as an excellent method to expand understanding fretting your item. Your product price cut initiatives in social media networks teams will unconditionally bring much better results thought about those participants are presently considering a comparable product. Yet it continues to be as a matter of fact crucial that you connect with team person’s well, turn around in their rate of interests, in addition to in addition to that is clear when using info of your point.

Source: https://inweaverugs.com/

Your Business, Is Our Business

“Your Business, Is Our Business”

A lot of Multi-Level Marketing advertising and marketing is normally tailored to brand-new MLM start-ups. Companies that are either in pre-launch or have simply recently released need to get words available and develop brand name recognition quickly. This generally indicates they proactively take part in a wide range of advertising and marketing methods in the hope they go viral.

On the other side of that coin, you have the well-known ONLINE MARKETING business. These are heavyweights that have actually been around for years, are popular and have thus far stood the test of time.

Monavie review is among those companies. Monavie business retail a variety of juice products consisting of a ‘vast array of anti-oxidants, vitamins, as well as phytonutrients, along with various other advantageous components like Wellmune, plant-derived glucosamine, as well as plant sterols’.

You most likely have no idea what half that things are and neither do I. Despite that nevertheless Monavie have actually been around the ONLINE MARKETING scene for five as well as a half year which for an MLM firm goes over.

Joining an established company nonetheless isn’t always a guarantee or warranty of duplicating success.

What Are Monavie Products?

Monavie items count on the proceeded appeal of Acai berry juice. Individuals advocate these products for a full range of health and wellness benefits, from joint health and wellness as well as decreasing cholesterol to overall wellness. The joint health advantages come from the glucosamine in each bottle, et cetera stems from a mix of over a load of vegetables and fruit juices.

Various other wellness benefits stem from the anti-oxidants from polyphenols in the fruit juices. Customers and also prospective distributors need to be fully aware, nonetheless, that polyphenol anti-oxidants have not been discovered in laboratories to have any kind of importance to human health and wellness.

Lab results reveal good “artificial insemination” (in a petrie dish) outcomes of these anti-oxidants, but “in vivo” (in the human body) … not so much. Customers as well as advocates will certainly highlight the “promising” results, not the real results. But hello, that could be sufficient for the market. People buy all type of non-proven items each and every single day.

Now on Amazon, you could obtain 4 bottles of Monavie Juice (Active or Pulse) for around $144, a $5 discount rate of MSRP. A single container expenses around $50. Energy drinks playing around $72 for a case of 24 could. Core Build will establish you back around $33 to $65 for 28 portions, depending upon which version you choose … regular/Pro-bio or dual delicious chocolate.

Monavie suppliers are now Jeunesse distributors. The chance, consequently, is whatever Jeunesse is offering because the Monavie is dead. Click here!

Because very same vein, Monavie liked consumers become Jeunesse customers. Juices, energy beverages, and also CORE products will still be readily available to US customers/distributors.

Step 1– The first step to marketing your business online is obtaining setup with your own blog.

A blog is simply one of the absolute best means to market any kind of type of company online. Making use of Google, you could get your offer in front of countless people seeking just what you’re selling.

Action 2– Generating your personal web content to appear in the search engines.

You do not simply produce the content and then you’re coating. You have to market your article to get it to show up on top of the online search engine so potential clients will certainly see it.

This isn’t a tough procedure as well as I can educate you that.

Step 3– Getting webpage visitors to sign up for your e-newsletter.

Even for people that recognize the value of marketing their service online, the important point that individuals fail to do is accumulate visitor emails, so they might follow-up with individuals interested in their material and/or service.

Lots of people should see something at least 7 times just before determining to buy.

If you do not collect their e-mails with an email autoresponder you’re leaving lots of cash on the table.

Final Say To Monavie

Monavie jumped on the Acai bandwagon early, and also possibly as well enthusiastically pushed its products’ health benefits to the general public. That, incorporated with an evidently unfair compensation plan led them to spoil. Too bad, considering that from 2005 to 2010 they made over $2 billion in profits. Acai was big after that.

Individuals still love acai or there needs to in some way still be the advantage in their items along with their extensive distributor population for a business like Jeunesse to have purchased their huge car loan and also acquired them.

Jeunesse is DSA-approved, provided on the Inc. 500, and also on the DSN Global 100. They’re doing just great without the heavy baggage of Monavie, so it’s a secret why they ‘d take this on. Instant increase of representatives?

Things may look great for Monavie and also distributors, however, they’re still in limbo, and Monavie products are still nowhere to be found on the Jeunesse site.

Naturally, if they’re clever, Jeunesse will transform the line and include a line of items that are completely eliminated from its impure Monavie roots. However, in the long run, it’s the same sad tale of a Network Marketing company marketing the hype of a chance.

Source: Monavie Review

Effects Of Tough Treatment To Clients

“Effects Of Tough Treatment To Clients”

Making an effect on your brand is really helpful if you do it online. Making an outstanding material that clarifies your brand name can create outstanding leads that will absolutely make your company expand. What you are creating have to be influential especially in your It Works!Solutions.

Always establish your consumer’s demands, in addition, to also create well worth of services or things that will certainly provide their requirements. This short post strategy relates to merely exactly how to increase your online branding. It gives you some details regarding merely specifically just how to start, what you call for and furthermore specifically simply exactly how you can acquire you’re internet branding benefiting you. Click Here!

What To Think about Prior To You Start

It may stun you to find out that a bargain of the company and also It Works! Business owners think about knowing merely exactly just how to develop a brand as something of a reservation. That’s part of the element there are a lot of companies offered that have poor and also improper names, teased an impulse, or as part of a last-minute conference.

While it holds true that naming your service can be a tough treatment, it’s also a critical component in brand awareness along with something that requires to not be neglected. You require the very best method, support, and also resources to make certain that you’re choosing a name that will certainly last, outline your firm’s identifying qualities, as well as additionally make the regard of your audience.

Your firm is just one of amongst among one of the most critical points you’ll ever generate– so you call for to secure it. Producing a trademark name prevents selecting an outstanding domain, so you’ll need to ensure that you implement an internet search and also likewise situate any type of kind of circumstances of individuals in your market that could be benefiting from an equivalent term or expression for their very own name. Your brand can not be whatever to everybody, especially at the beginning.

It is needed to situate your emphasis together with allow that inform all the various other parts of your brand name as you construct it. The cutting-edge treatment will absolutely allow you to create originalities as well as additionally supplying the team freedom throughout this procedure is incredibly crucial, yet proceeding to the improvement therapy in order to apply those recommendations is similarly as essential. Create a clear honest upfront of what the ingenious group calls for to achieve, establish a time frame, along with making it possible for every person on the group has general imaginative flexibility.

Branding is a way of defining your firm to on your own, your team as well as additionally your exterior target markets. Probably called the business’ ‘identity’, yet just on the understanding that it externalizes the core of what business is and also its worth, not just what it looks as well as looks like. Consumers of all kind of organization’s are so smart today that you can translucent lots of initiatives by the organisation to gloss, rotate or appeal their means to sales.

You ought to identify the link between reliable firms along with strong branding, as well as wish construct a trademark name that creates similar success for them. In addition to you should acknowledge that branding is not simply a logo design or specifically how your organization is concerned on the surface. Nonetheless likewise a number of identifying that effective trademark name has this branding at the heart of service. A great deal to make certain that in great deals of strategies you might almost change the word brand name for the organisation.

A distinct brand name functions as a collection of guardrails for guiding an organization in the direction of what it needs to do as well as additionally what it should abstain. Consequently, great branding serves not just for differentiating on your own on the marketplace, however also for leading your options as an entrepreneur.

A name shouldn’t be something that limits your brand name. If you’re intending on discovering opportunities for development in the future, by expanding right into brand-new markets or having a look at brand-new client bases, after that your name requires leaving you a large amount of area to do simply that. The most efficient means to make certain that your name is “classic” is to assure that you develop something that reverberates with the feelings of your target audience, as opposed to limiting by yourself to a standard thorough term.

Wrap-up About Developing A Standard Advertising And Marketing Brand

Your brand method is simply exactly how, what, where, when together with to whom you plan on interacting along with giving on your trademark name messages. Where your market becomes part of your brand name approach. Your distribution networks are in addition part of your brand name technique. And furthermore what you link cosmetically and also vocally come from your brand strategy, also.

Consistent, tactical branding produces strong brand equity, which shows the contained worth utilized your firm’s product or services that allow you to bill even more for your brand name than what similar, unbranded items command. See to it that every information you have needs to correspond consistently to make better leads. Lastly, it is extremely essential to adhere to your strategy like it’s your bibles. Your business’s statement of principles in addition to what it implies will absolutely create a psychological connection with your consumers.

Source: It Works! Review

Advantage About Honest Business Marketing

“Advantage About Honest Business Marketing”

Beginning an online remedy begins with filling a requirement in addition to  Cincinnati SEO framework safety and security and also protection and also protection, nevertheless the Cincinnati website design variables that join making your internet organization a smashing success does not stop there. While the barriers for establishing local digital marketing a company are decreased, the majority of individuals starting a new organization strategy quit functioning considerably as a result of blunders that show up obvious in understanding– such as overemphasizing revenues or trying to be methods approach a great deal of suggesting clients at first. However, there is a good deal a whole lot added crashes your company experience.

Well in the future, what’s the distinction? Called for ecommerce websites are usually stores making it beneficial for a details market their factors. Markets, on the other hand, are numerous, making it viable for a big amount of individuals market their points together with. In this quick article, you’ll identify what the treatment along with in addition simply especially simply how to start in addition to layer the treatment efficiently.

Branding: An Information Focus VS Strength In Your Numbers

Taking advantage of typical shop front ecommerce options have the advantage of focusing on a specific brand or organization. This both trust fund funds together with help to advertise your client brand name commitment, developing high customer lifetime worth. Whereas in a market, all trademark name along with organization exists with each other.

This advantages your consumer thinking that you do not require too honest around absolutely cost-free or ending up items. This benefits you additionally as a result of the reality that you can obtain from the markets’ endurance along with the amount of your website site visitors. A market can enable its clients to utilize unwinded homes. These are individual valuables currently had yet not entirely utilized, which motivates markets can develop strong customer well worth with a good deal a large amount a bargain much less collection you back for the marketplace vehicle certified operator.

Unlike typical ecommerce website, electronic markets relocate the stress and anxiety as well as anxiousness as well as stress and anxiety in addition to tension and stress and anxiety of maintaining swiftly your products, logistics, images, aspect wrap-ups, along with costs to the company. There is more than one helpful variation for places, yet amongst among one of the most regular technique consists of markets offering a strategy for you to attach your suggest interested consumers.

Industries expose your points collect orders together with techniques, in advance orders to distributors, track blood moves, along with similarly release negotiation to the provider after deducting a rate. Considerable amounts of distributors on digital markets sell on their actual extremely own web site, in addition, nonetheless, web locations usually take advantage of far better net website internet website traffic than details organization net website might. For some smaller sized organizations, explaining on new markets is a technique to promote both details items in addition to the vital trademark name.

For little treatments, selling on digital markets can do away with the demand of having, in fact, a definitely dedicated internet site, holding, enhancement, settlement internet site, audit software program application, in addition to great deals of bargains of numerous other needs for providing online.

When you have in truth chose a market it is time to produce yours on the internet shop. As opposed to being surprised with possibilities, concentrate on 2 considerable locations. Initially, put on your very own in the approach of your target consumer. Below are some concerns to ask:

What would most certainly you request to recognize or see when obtaining your products?

What info is needed, i.e., element pictures, merely just specifically how to introductory, in addition to in a comparable methods item measurements?

What consisted of details, such as get in touch with information, social media websites website internet links, along with organization background, would absolutely the consumer demand to expose?

By establishing you’re on the web store in a manner that contains in customers, you make it remarkably typical for consumers to get things from your organization. The different various other location to concentrate on is efficiency. Whatever form the internet site layout of your web website to the pictures along with in addition to that point wrap-ups call for to certainly be appropriately created. Lighting, graphics, videography … each of this generates a basic atmosphere in addition to in a comparable technique experience that client’s need when they see your solution online.

One trouble entrepreneur have is that they require to be able to maintain documents securely. You have in fact a certified commitment to secure any type of sort of kind of kind of customer details obtained online. As a problem, you require to protect info on many gizmos in addition to in addition have a choice of safe together with secure as well as safe as well as safe and secure choices.

Any kind of sort of sort of type of sort of kind of kind of type of exceptional solution will certainly recognize its rivals. Your request to establish that you’re finishing versus making sure that you acknowledge why clients choose you over others or the other way around. No location is this much additional important than in the online world. You require comprehending social networks websites networks your opponents is utilizing. Along with your request to take a look at crucial expressions to maximize from all your resistances using the collection of gadgets Google points.

Your systems ask for to be kept updated together with controls need to certainly be applied together with normal demands to be restricted simply to inform employees. Your request to have a system ready to hurt elements like credit card info exceptionally when they vanish called for.

Summary On Guarding A Trustworthy Online Organization

Your organization is an advancement of you, no matter simply especially just exactly how significant or a little bit more than probably to the present mins time. It will absolutely flourish or stop working by simply precisely merely particularly just specifically simply exactly how others stress your brand, along with additionally at some point specifically just specifically merely how they as a matter of fact fear including with you. Safety is the technique.

You have in truth really got to be you, whether it’s the smooth, and creative kind or the distinct with serious sides together with furthermore a point of view to match. Simply you recognize what aid you along with in addition to your target market, nonetheless, the one component that can identify failing is not being authentic.

Source: Cincinnati SEO

Top Secrets You Must Find Out About Investing

“Top Secrets You Must Find Out About Investing”

When it pertains to purchasing cryptocurrencies, there is a lot of information concealed. And the info that can’t be revealed to the public. This OneCoin details can aid you to grow and scale your existing cryptocurrency portfolio. It could also lead you to financial OneCoin reviews failings and irritation.

There are lots of write-ups you can find on the Internet regarding cryptocurrencies on a daily basis. Nonetheless, finding the right one that can truly boost growth is difficult. In this article, we are mosting likely to cover the secrets of cryptocurrency marketinginvesting. Tricks that nobody else is talking about.

This blog post will leave you with the most updated information and also methods to make your investment a success. Click Here!

Cryptocurrencies and also tokens today can be split into 2 primary categories: currency-type and also business-type. Currency-type is a cryptocurrency or token that is developed to change standard cash or fiat currency. This loan is created to utilize for buying goods, solutions, or transfer wealth as well as value.

A lot of the existing cryptocurrency tasks that are active today are considered currency-type. Instances of these are bitcoin, Litecoin, Dash, Zcash, and also OneCoin. They are designed to be directly used as a way of payment.

For business-type money, they are existing to satisfy a market requirement utilizing blockchain technology. They a created marketplace that utilizes their currency to operate. So, in order to become effective in both categories. Below are the top secrets you must learn about cryptocurrency, keys that will certainly help you to ace the video game:

All over the web, you’re mosting likely to hear individuals claim to invest in numerous coins. A few of them stating, avoid committing on your own to one brand of cryptocurrency. Yep, this guidance is true as an additional type of financial investment, yet it’s not the situation with crypto.

The just good factor to expand your profile is if you intend to get more coins and to boost your quantity of coins for future gains. Dividing your profile may decrease your danger of losing it all. That’s why you ought to only invest in what you can shed, to begin with. Like all other methods, this set also has its warning.

You need to expect the adjustments in the crypto market. Coins can potentially lose as much 35% in a solitary day. So diversity is a good debate for this. As well as it can be tough to know what coins are mosting likely to give you the best ROI.

Extra idea: Do not concentrate on the ups and also downs, yet rather look at the bigger picture. Believe the fact that crypto market will certainly remain to rise.

There are just a couple of exemptions for you to be taking the cash you made from your crypto financial investments. One could be that the quantity of money you deserve has actually transformed, or you have risky cryptocurrencies.

You need to just invest 10-20% of your disposable earnings in these ventures, or otherwise, you’ll be dealing with a huge amount of financial obligation in the future. You can withdraw your revenues if you assume you have actually shed the faith in the future of cryptocurrencies. You might additionally pull out your profile if it will certainly improve your comfort.

This concept is excellent if you have earned a big amount of loan by investing intelligently.

Investor’s one blunder is they thought that making some short-term gains coincides as following a tested technique. Most of these relocations were made when coins were priced at under $1 and were bought as a result of low prices.

When acquiring a coin, you must take a look at the amount of are buying against its complete market cap. This will establish its scarcity, supply, and value. Cost is just based on the overall supply of tokens. It does not create a considerable financial investment metric. Always focus on coins that have low market capitalization when you buy your following Altcoin.

For instance, if the market cap for OneCoin were to boost by 20% and somebody spent $10,000. The coin would have made $2,000, similarly that a coin with a smaller cap has made in the same amount with a shift in its worth. What is OneCoin? You may read this blog post concerning OneCoin testimonial.

Having the best expertise is an advantage in every video game. Do not take too lightly exactly how vital it is to review details about the world of the cryptocurrencies. Make an analysis behavior in order for you to discover something new daily.

Maintaining to date with what’s taking place is very important, especially in such fast-moving globe of cryptocurrencies.

Final Thoughts on Top Tricks You Should Know about Cryptocurrency Investing

That sums up today’s post regarding secrets when investing in cryptocurrency. In the end, it’s constantly regarding us and just how can we adapt to the modifications in the crypto world. We all need to bear in mind to do our very own due persistence, as well as constantly to do your own research.

Last but not least, always pay attention to your gut feeling. If you feel any type of degree of uncertainty in the direction of a cryptocurrency project, it’s better to just leave it alone. As well as discover an additional to invest in, and also constantly remember the secrets that we discovered.

In the state like Ohio, they are the very first state in the US to permit taxes to be paid in cryptocurrencies. A lot of the well-engaged cities who joined this online financial investment are Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and also Akron.

You can likewise attempt making money with home business with the help of internet marketing. You can utilize that gaining as your additional revenue to make an investment in cryptocurrency. To know more regarding internet marketing, read this article.

Source: OneCoin Review

Ways to Avoid Gaining Excess Fats

“Ways to Avoid Gaining Excess Fats”

There is a large amount of bad weight-loss information online. Much of what is suggested is doubtful at best, along with moreover not based upon any type of sort of type of kind of kind of real scientific research study. Nevertheless, there are a variety of natural Jeunesse review methods that have in reality been verified to run.

Obtaining weight is routinely a whole lot simpler than removing Jeunesse instantly ageless the excess fat. At the minimum that’s what a mass of individuals made use of home businessassume. If you are concerned worrying those had extra pounds you have in fact overdid, noted right here is a remarkable exercise collection of alternatives that can help you eliminate them in as today as 2 weeks!

While they might not go down all the fat on their own, they will certainly most absolutely help you go down fat quicker, in addition, to also lowered weight generally. Keep discovering to expose what they remain in enhancement to additionally just particularly merely specifically just how they can assist.

What Sets Off Weight Gain?

Typically, you might unintentionally gain weight without increasing your food usage or lowering your exercises. This can either be regular, promptly or constant. Routine weight gain is defined by variations in your weight every now and then or regularly. This is typically observed throughout a lady’s menstrual cycle.

Quick together with in addition unanticipated weight gain is commonly a damaging result of a choice of drugs, as well as furthermore additionally in a good deal of scenarios, this is risk-free. Continuous weight gain is gaining weight gradually as a result of differing superstars like proceeding age or overindulging.

Among one of the most crucial suggest acknowledge is that good-for-you weight-loss isn’t around yo-yo diet plan regimen approach programs, which is both hazardous in addition to in addition poor. Instead, the method to lower weight as though benefits your body, in addition, to furnish you to get durable success. Plenty of women can exceptionally shed 1 or 2 consisted of extra pounds when a week. If you’re pregnant, nursing, or have an expert problem, routinely speak to your healthcare expert prior to beginning this or any type of kind of kind of sort of type of kind of weight-loss technique

If you are incapable of running or exercising, later on, we can have something less complicated for you. Try taking a ten-minute walk after your every recipe. This can help you go down a range of calories today together with furthermore aid in food digestion.

That 5-minute stroll taken promptly after each dish can increase day-to-day blood sugar level degree degrees to a much better level than a singular 45-minute stroll in the early morning. Researcher review that a post-meal stroll helps clear sugar from the bloodstream partially as a result of the fact that a huge quantity a lot a great deal even more of it is stayed in by the muscle mass. Following time launch your recipe quite the couch as well as chooses a rapid stroll.

Amongst the most effective weight-loss programs are the ones that integrate an exceptional meal strategy with amongst among one of the most effective kind in addition to the amount of workout. Yet meal preparation job can be made complex originally. Some people develop taking in just junk food in addition to in addition to that never ever before discover nourishment.

Food consists of 3 macronutrients:

Healthy and well balanced and also well balanced healthy protein

Carbohydrates

Fats

Foods have not continuously had nutrients panels on their tags; lots of people absolutely did not have an opportunity to expose specifically simply exactly how to contrast the macronutrients (macros) in the food they obtain. It had in fact not been that long ago that people never ever depended upon regards to healthy and balanced and also balanced in addition to in addition well maintained in addition to well-balanced healthy and balanced along with well-balanced healthy and well-balanced protein, carbs, or fats. It was simply “food.” We have actually come a long way given that.

Commit to regular workouts.

A mix of cardio along with endurance training will definitely help you drop included additional pounds along with moreover inches. The cardio burns fat along with additionally calories while endurance training constructs lean muscular tissue mast cells, which defrosts a great deal a lot of extra calories– furthermore at rest– than fat cells.

Consist of high-intensity duration training to your exercise program.

Supplement your finest exercise with HIIT workouts that take a look at muscles in enhancement to go down calories for around 24 personnel after the exercise in total.

Respect by yourself.

Enhancement requests time, yet it is so worth it! Possibly you cannot end up a workout the actually extremely very first time you try it– that’s alright. Complying with time, an initiative to consist of a number of a large amount a great deal a lot more associates or mins. Significantly, you’ll develop the sturdiness in addition to additionally self-worth to end up that exercise like a manager.

Wrap-up Highlighting Tips To Shed Fats For Beginners

Your finest unbiased call for to be a useful one. A couple of people will certainly never ever before in the past match that wedding celebration event occasion party celebration or senior prom garments once more. Our bodies change with time. Pick a weight that is healthy and balanced and also well balanced as well as likewise well balanced in addition to furthermore well balanced as well as well stabilized along with well-balanced for you at your existing stage in life. Some prominent diet plan programs approach typical techniques do not work. Weight decline programs that restrict entire food teams or restriction calories in addition substantially can set off unrestrainable yearnings along with furthermore binge consuming. Small amounts are the approach.

Your weight will definitely most absolutely differ daily. Tackle demand to have a look at by yourself each day. Weighing on your in fact very own on a regular basis can stop you. Take into account on your own at the same time of day when a week. Going down weight isn’t exceptionally basic. There is no magic tablet computer system or quick fix for long-term, healthy as well as balanced along with well-balanced weight-loss. It’s higher than most likely to take a bargain of strategy along with in addition task. Nonetheless, even if something is hard, it’s viable. The fact is … you can do it!

Source: https://www.mikemarko.com/jeunesse-global-review/

How To Have A Successful Email Organizing?

“How To Have A Successful Email Organizing?”

If you’re sending out emails to customers, you desire Aweber review your messages to look fantastic when they land in the inbox. Considered that when your emails look fantastic, your solution looks excellent additionally. This can produce added individuals definitely noticing your emails, trusting your organization, along with acting on the messages you send.

Email is a trustworthy Aweber vs Getresponse review service gadget. We have in fact come to be based upon it for connecting with consumers along with coworkers, utilizing it as an advertising and marketing gizmo in addition to in addition a consumer assistance network, and also adds even more. Generally, e-mail deals a fast web link to your customers. Consider the many marketing techniques email can be made use of.

Enlightening Your Clients

If you’re waiting on factor can be uncovered in with the significant budget plan and also in additional tasks that match your abilities easily, ignore it. It’s not probably to occur. Prior to sending your e-mails, you ask for to market your e-mail listing. Checking internet marketing into the clients’ demographics, psychographics, area, rates of interest and so on aid you in methodically organizing them right into appropriate locations.

When the target audience is defined successfully, you will absolutely have the ability to develop along with sending internet material that matters along with set off far better participation. You need to make informing clients a worry. Perfect consumers aren’t birthed; they’re created by exceptional professionals that disclose them. That’s why some people triple their consumer’s spending plan method while others are stuck supplying price cut costs.

The fact is, if you’re an expert, any type of type of sort of job write-up or inbound questions is an ask for your aid enlightening on what one of one of the most reliable services to trouble is. Among one of the most reliable professionals get this. As opposed to grumbling about reduced budget strategy, you need to divulge your consumers exactly simply how working together with them stays in their benefit.

Consider the emails you acquire in addition to similarly review without an appointment. They’re typically from loved ones with language in them that is entirely various from emails you do not like getting. Emails you constantly open address you by name; define promptly, in addition to additionally typically have actually no added fluff. They perform with a yes or no trouble or a common collection of guidelines.

Your subject line calls for to be so certain it can merely be sent to a bachelor. This will absolutely assure your e-mail obtains opened up given that frantic individuals intend to eliminate spam originally.

If you wish to develop trustworthy brand name individuality with e-mails, comply with the brand standards. Especially, focus on the locations on voice & tone. Send out constant e-mails that remain suitable your characters, service kind, along with also sector. Typical e-mail interaction will absolutely make sure that your brand name stays along with your client’s mind– yet uniformity will certainly maintain your brand name message solid.

Even if you have in fact currently gotten a substantial listing of emails for clients together with also leads, you call for to never ever before stop contributing to it. Particularly taken into consideration that it’s not virtually as tough as it shows up. As an instance, ensure your listing is continuously increasing passively with a signup feature on your web site. Registration kinds need to be on your website, blog site internet site along with practically anywhere else you can fit it without removing from more critical material.

Receptive emails that operate along with look great on smartphones have in fact wound up being practically crucial. If your email does not give effectively on different devices, your customer may eliminate the e-mail or mark it as spam. In addition worse, what occurs if they examine your email as well as likewise mean to act on it, nevertheless the design prevents them from doing so? Despite, you dropped your mobile target audience and also wind up blocking your e-mail reactions price.

Whether you’re creating drip jobs or an e-mail e-newsletter, Consistent Telephone call makes it simple to develop marvelous e-mails that drive real organization results. You can establish a master e-mail style with all the essential elements, and likewise afterward reproduce your format so you do not need to go back to square one each time you intend to email your customers or clients.

Wrap-up Concerning Making A Responsive Email Marketing And Advertising

I can mention e-mail advertising and marketing has an outstanding duty to any type of sort of sort of company because of the fact that it aids you to keep in contact with your target audience along with core consumers. It, in addition, enables you to shield both existing customers together with possible new consumers informed worrying what’s occurring with your company, brand-new promotions, and so on. Furthermore, most individuals on your listing will presently have in fact done some service with you in the past, so they’re currently inclined to have some interest rate in your updates. In addition to, in addition, it helps with consumer’s involvement generally.

Obtaining a lot included actions to your marketing and advertising emails is not a tough purpose. Yes, it’s not as long as you are really patient in addition to constant to what you are doing and also you desire to offer among one of the most trusted web product that will definitely get your consumers interest rate. With the optimal techniques, you can differ from the opponents, produce enduring anticipations of your brand name; along with developing partnerships with your visitors with their comments.

Source: https://www.mikemarko.com/aweber-vs-getresponse-autoresponder-review/

[doctortdesigns]

The latest collection from Simplicity is here, and it’s… and interesting mix of patterns.  I have to say I’m really excited by a lot of the brand name/licensed lines.  The DC Comics workout gear is totally fab, and there’s a Mimi G. pattern calling my name.  Otherwise, though, I’m not too excited by a lot in this release.  Which is fine, because I’ve got a huge stash of awesome already calling my name, but I had hoped to see a little more in this release to pique my interest.  In any case, there’s a lot of new stuff to look at, so let’s get to it:

8631 – I really like the superhero themed exercise clothes.  I feel like they’d be so fun and motivating to wear to a workout!  Especially if you happen to workout at Nerdstrong Gym (I don’t, but I really want to).  Even without the wonder woman theme, I really like how high the waist band is on all of these leggings – I hate when it feel like things are sliding down in the middle of a workout.

8632 – Again, I really like the leggings here.  Looking at the line drawings, it seems the basic leggings and sports bra are the same in each pattern, but a few of the style details and all of the tops have been changed to make the overall look more in character.

8633 – I think the oversized top here is probably the least favorite of the options, but the front cross on the bra is a cute detail.

8634 – I sort of love the back of this shirt top… if you were running I feel like it would flap like a cape!

8635 – The open back jumpsuit seems to be a popular trend with the pattern companies this spring/summer.  I think I prefer some of the earlier releases, but there is a very laid back summer vibe coming off of this spaghetti strap version.

8636 – Cynthia Rowley.  I’ve never been a fan of the super voluminous patterns on this blog and I’m… not changing my mind now.  There is so. Much. VOLUME!  Normally I buy quite a few of the Cynthia Rowley designs, but this one is going to be an easy pass for me.

8637 – I think I’ve got plenty of wrap dress options in my stash, but this dress is nice if you are looking for a wrap pattern.  The skirt ruffle isn’t too crazy, and it adds a nice summer vibe to the look.

8639 – Mimi G. Style.  I feel like I almost really like this dress.  The overall silhouette and front ruching are great; it’s the under-bust opening and front slit I’m not in love with.  Granted, these would be easy changes, but still something to consider when looking at this design.

8638 – Easy to Sew.  Another dress I almost really like.  I like the asymmetric neckline, but the overall look of the dress is sort of stiff and awkward.  I suppose it’s another look that could be used as a starting point to be altered, but I’m not sure if it is worth the trouble.

8640 – I’m not overly excited by this dress.  The shaped hem makes it interesting, but again it’s that super voluminous thing going on that I’m not such a fan of.  The red version looks a bit toned down compared to the cream colored view, so perhaps it isn’t terrible.  I’d be interested to hear opinions on this look – fab or fug?

8641 – The jumper (pinafore?) style seems to be coming back into vogue in recent years.  This version has some interesting pocket seams going on, and the model view is actually cuter than I’d have expected just from the line drawing.

8642 – I don’t think there’s much left to say about ruffly sleeved tops, except, look, another one!

8643 – I’m sort of torn on this top.  I think the asymmetry gathered hip thing is cool, but I also feel like it looks a bit messy on the model.  But I also wonder how it would look on someone with *ahem* a bit more up top to possible balance it out?  Might be worth using some Loft jersey to play with this pattern. And if view D doesn’t work out, view B looks like a safer bet for fall/winter.

8644 –  More Cuban Pete couture.

8645 – 1950s Vintage reprint pattern.  These tops are actually really cute.  They all seem to have a button up back (not my favorite detail), but I really like the front views.

8646 – Learn to Sew the Trends.  It’s a pretty simple pattern, but I think it’s a cool idea for a pattern line, to perhaps get younger, newer sewists into the hobby.

8647 – More boxy ruffly things.  Moving on.

8648 – I sort of like the top view on the the envelope, where this pattern is being worn as a type of duster.  I’m not sure I’m in love with the actual garment photo though.  Probably a pass for me, but I do think there are some nice design elements here.

8649 – Easy to Sew.  I’m not really that fond of the seaweed seam pants, but I do like the shape of the skirt.

8650 – Learn to Sew the Trends.  The skirts look pretty basic, but it is interesting to note that the belt pouch is back as a “trend.”

8651 – Learn to Sew the Trends.  I think these shorts, while not exciting, look great for summer.  Plus, pockets!

8652 – Very classic pencil skirts.  Love the look in a print.

8653 – The wide legged trouser and front tie top seem to have been a major theme in all the big summer collections this year.  The high-low hem on the top is an interesting interpretation here.

8654 – 1940s Vintage.  Really, this just proves that there is nothing new under the sun.  Also, I may have to get this pattern for those pleated shorts…  You know.  Cuz cosplay.  And stuff.  Just sayin’.

8655 – Mimi G. Style.  Ok, I love me a wide legged jean, so you know these are going on my wishlist.  I have, through the wearing of my Ginger Jeans, come to realize I maybe don’t love a high waist as much as I thought, but I might be willing to make an exception here.  Plus, I love that this top is clearly intended as a cover up… Perfect for participating in the trend without having to expose the midriff if that is an issue for you.

8656 – Easy to Sew.  Despite these being really simple looking patterns, I really like the top and the skirt, though perhaps not so much together?  They both look like quick ways to get super classy pieces though.

8657 – Pattern Hacking.  I’m not sure how much changing the length of something is a “hack,” but this does look super comfortable and oddly chic.

8658 – Pattern Hacking.  There looks to be more “hacking” going on here, but I’m less interested in the basic designs of this simple top.

8659 – 1950s Vintage men’s swimsuit.  Can I just say – with that hair he looks just like a Ken doll.

8660 – Kids clothes.  I feel like this looks like a super practical pattern.

8661 – More kids clothes.  Cute, I guess?  I always have a hard time evaluating kids patterns because I feel like, as a kid I was super bipolar towards clothing.  Some days I wanted to be a princess and other days I didn’t want to wear any of the awful, ruffly 80s s**t that I had available to me.  So, I have no real commentary here, except, look, a dress!

8662 – American Girl. I like the use of trims on the skirts.  The embellishment is a nice feature.

8663 – More kids clothes that are in the vein of the popular adult trends.  Again, no comment as to the overall aesthetic going on here.

8664 – Charlie’s Aunt bags in four styles.  I actually really like the size of the bags; they seem really practical in terms of scale.  The bow designs are perhaps a bit sweet for me, but, overall, I like it.

8665 – American Girl.  The modern day clothes are great, but I wish they’d offer some of the historical design patterns, because those would be more fun to make.

8666 – I feel like making a button down top on this scale would be super challenging.

8667 – And we have a fluffy cat/unicorn/pegasus/mermaid pillow… thing.  Yes, internet, you’ve made life real weird.

8668 – Dinosaur/mermaid sleeping bags.  Yup.  To be fair, if I was three I’d totally want one.

8669 – 1940s vintage apron pattern.  I like view A – it actually seems like a super practical kitchen cover-up.

8670 – Yay cosplay jumpsuits!  The seam lines on the body would be great either for color blocking (as shown) or for doing fit alterations.

8671 – Lolita costume.  I’m not really into the whole Lolita scene, but there are lots of interesting details on this pattern if that’s your jam.

5555 – Jiffy vintage reprint pattern.  This wrap top looks super simple to put together, but I’m wondering how stable it is once you’ve wrapped it on?  The fashion illustrations look fab though.

7650 – Vintage reprint.  I’m not too excited by this giant looking summer dress.  Again – that is just so much volume!

And that’s it!  What do we all think?  Is this a fabulous summer collection, or does it leave something to be desired?  Who else is super excited by the superhero workout gear?  What are your top picks from this release?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!

Summer 2018 Simplicity Patterns #sewing #Simplicity #SimplicityPatterns #patterns #summersewing The latest collection from Simplicity is here, and it's... and interesting mix of patterns.  I have to say I'm really excited by a lot of the brand name/licensed lines. 

[junker-town]

Travelers Championship 2017: Jordan Spieth is a magician and other things we learned in Hartford

Jordan Spieth’s win will be remembered for the final shot and celebratory scene at the 18th of the Travelers. But the magic of holding on to get there was just as impressive.

The 2017 Travelers Championship was the most hyped in its long history in the Hartford area. For the first time, it drew Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy and got Jason Day to make a return after a few years away. The field was loaded for the week following the U.S. Open, reputed as exhausting and the “toughest test in golf.” Before a shot was hit, the event was a success based on the group at TPC River Highlands.

The big name commitments had already become a low-key story of the season, and then one of them delivered arguably the best finish of the season. It’s rare for the golf to actually match the hype, but this exceeded it on Sunday. Some more on Jordan Spieth’s 10th victory, a mark that only Tiger Woods got to at a younger age, and what made us love this day so much.

“Jordan does Jordan things”

We’re going to take a minute to talk about intangibles, and I’m sorry for that. Every weekend, you're larded up with platitudes about mental toughness, and grit, and choking, and nerves, and pressure. These generally tend to overhype a player’s strengths and oversell a weak moment. Often, players just hit good shots and they hit bad shots, and these mystical empty calorie concepts that populate a broadcast have little to do with why it happened.

After the first two holes, the only birdie Spieth made for a good four hours in regulation was one that shocked him so much he stopped in his tracks and started laughing. The next one he’d get would be a sandy hole-out to end the tournament.

Spieth’s Sunday at the Travelers was the latest example of why he’s different from so many of his contemporary talents, especially from that loaded 2011 high school class. And there’s no one stat or swing breakdown I’d necessarily pin it to. He’s historically good at golf — from tee to green and on the green. But it’s a lot of this intangible stuff and maybe some #GoldenChild luck that distinguishes him (after the win, he said “It was certainly lucky” and “I guess I won it in style but not the proper way for competing against a buddy” after his playoff hole magic.)

He started the round with two straight birdies and then proceeded to play like garbage — now this is a relative term when we’re talking about Jordan Spieth, a 23-year-old who is already a lock for the Hall of Fame — think neatly packaged and gardenia-scented garbage.

Spieth did not have it, especially on the back nine as he hung on for dear life. He admitted as much after the round, saying he leaned on his caddie, Michael Greller, just to get through the day. There were moments where it wasn’t garbage, but he did not have it off the tee. He did not have his best distance control. He did not have it with the putter.

He was clearly frustrated with his ball-striking, often yelling at his club and walking off the tee in exasperation.

Been there. http://pic.twitter.com/LIhvHN2HMz

— Adam Sarson (@Adam_Sarson) June 25, 2017

He could have easily gone in the water on three different occasions: at 13, 15, and 17 and possibly out of bounds on the extra playoff hole after a yanked drive into a tree just off the tee box.

Spieth was incredibly fortunate his tee ball at the par-5 13th stayed dry, as he lost it to the left and caught a nice soft bounce on the bank of a pond. He put one in the drink there on Friday and made an inexcusable double bogey, one of his only big messes of the week. This looked the same and left most on the ground incredulous about how it didn’t get wet.

At the 14th, Spieth three-putted from 21 feet. The sequence included a 4-footer — 4 feet! — that completely missed and pulled him even with Daniel Berger. It was a little jarring to see the two-time major winner, who seemed in control all week, look like he was hanging off the side of a cliff and down to a three-finger grip.

The struggles continued on the 15th, where it looked like Spieth put yet another one in the water. But again his ball hit softly, coming up just short of the lake moments after he yelled at his caddie “Is that in the water!?” and almost tomahawked his club into the turf.

Spieth converted on the lucky break with what looked like another lucky break up on the green. He started walking after his birdie putt, the classic sign that he knew he missed it. Then it dropped in the side of the cup, and he stopped cold at the surprising fortune.

You might think that was it — the birdie that broke the momentary tie with Berger and would ignite him to clean up these final three holes and close it.

But that birdie did not exactly right the ship on the back nine. A good birdie chance at the 16th was not close off the putter. His approach shot at the 17th juuuust made it over the water and onto the green after Spieth yelled at it a bit to go. And he had a similar struggle on approach at the 18th, using a sand wedge from only 115 yards out and coming up some 20 yards short of the flag and in a bunker, one that would become famous about 20 minutes later.

His statistical profile emphasizes an outstanding week, especially approaching the green and around the green. Spieth, however, didn’t have it on Sunday on his final nine holes. The moment before every shot felt precarious. This seemed like a slow bleeding out to the charging Berger.

I don’t know what the appropriate platitude or cliche is to throw at you here for how to explain it. It was a grind — an example of how the greats can still pull something out with far less than their A-game. Two or three years from now, we may just remember that this was a wire-to-wire win with a hole-out highlight capped on the end of it. But that will disregard so much of what made this Sunday win one of the most implausible closes we’ve seen, and well before that all-time finishing stroke and celebration.

Buy up Berger stock

Saying Berger is a stud prospect is not exactly offering some unknown insight. He was PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and now has wins in each of his last two seasons, which is as many PGA Tour victories as last week’s winner and fellow ‘Nole, Brooks Koepka.

Looking over from across the lake, Berger saw Spieth hit that birdie putt on the 15th while he was walking up the 17th fairway. That broke the tie, but Berger immediately poured one in at 17 for birdie to pull it back even and gave a violent fist pump at the crowd lining this amphitheater on the lake. Spieth saw it all from back on the tee (more on this scene around this lake in a moment).

It’s not unfair to say the crowd was pulling for Spieth, the name guy to win in his debut at the Hartford event. But Berger was cool as the supporting character on the 18th, laughing when Spieth holed-out and giving him a high five as the two crossed paths before his final putt. He said after the round that “Jordan does Jordan things” and let it go. Then he fired off this tweet:

Hopefully the next time @JordanSpieth does that I'm on his team and I can chest bump him too !!

— Daniel Berger (@DanielBerger59) June 25, 2017

Which brings us to...

Have you seen the Presidents Cup standings?

My God, they are sexy as hell. Berger’s playoff second-place finish likely locked up his spot on the team for September and provided Golf Channel the occasion to show the latest standings in its postgame show. I stared giddily.

If there’s ever been a sign that we’ve transitioned to a new American era, that’s it. There is no Tiger. There is no Phil. But that is top to bottom one of the strongest groups I’ve ever seen for this event. Tiger would have been ecstatic with that kind of strength on some of the many failed Ryder Cup teams that he played for. The Presidents Cup can be a punchline and has not been competitive, and if that’s the group we have come September, it may be that again. But that will be an extremely fun team to watch.

Putter boy

McIlroy may have pulled off the most remarkable statistical feat of the day. He shot a 64 on Sunday, the low round of the day, with negative strokes-gained putting. That’s like winning a football game with more punts than passing yards.

Rory was, to put it mildly, a disaster on the greens this week. He was just so strong everywhere else that he made the cut and then charged up the board on Sunday into the top 20.

Rory’s Strokes Gained rankings for the week. 1st - SG: Tee to green (+9.960) 3rd - SG: Off the tee (+6.995) 69th - SG: Putting (-3.680)

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) June 26, 2017

Those first two numbers are the eyes emoji in action. If he does anything with his putter, even average, he’s probably going to win. Instead, he missed three inside 7 feet on Thursday and then spent the remaining three rounds using a different putter each day. And these were dramatic changes too, going from that TaylorMade Spider thing he tried at the U.S. Open, to a half-mallet style, to a blade on Sunday. It’s ... not ideal to see that much switching within a tournament. None worked all that well.

Rory is obviously not comfortable on the green right now and can’t seem to find a putter that will mitigate that discomfort. He should have carved up this course and tournament with the ball-striking he had. This is Week 2 of a busy summer stretch that now shifts across the pond. Here’s hoping he finds something with the putter over there and joins these battles at the last two majors of the season.

Length does not equal strength

Luke Donald put it best in the moments after Spieth’s exhilarating win:

Love that -12 won this week on a 6850 yard course, last week at Erin Hills 7650 yards & -16 wins. Making courses long isn't the answer!

— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) June 25, 2017

It’s not some 7,000-yard giant, but this course was so fun to watch, especially down the stretch. Whatever you might think of their architectural merits, the four finishing holes make for extraordinary viewing. A drivable par-4 that always plays under 300 yards and can be aced. A par-3 over water with a tricky green. A par-4 over the same water with enormous crowds lining the entire lake. And a par-4 up a chute at the 18th and into a jammed amphitheater. There are birdie chances at each spot — length doesn’t overwhelm you, and you can make a move if you’re precise. But there are also big numbers at all four, with water and challenging greens.

The par-4 15th is one of the coolest holes on the PGA Tour and it delivered all week. Big-hitting McIlroy had to scramble to make a couple of birdies. Short-hitting Brian Harman put his tee shot to 3 feet for an eagle. Big stars like Bubba Watson and Justin Thomas sprayed balls into the water. This hole has it all; the finishing four had it all.

Get TPC River Highlands in your must-watch category — whether it’s the first-ever 58 on the PGA Tour or the manic finish this Sunday, this setup usually yields a fun watch.

TPC River Vibes

Not only does the setup deliver fun golf, but it also creates one of the best environments on the PGA Tour. Spieth said after the round that it was this and the notorious Phoenix Open party for the two best finishing crowds on the Tour.

I mentioned above how Berger could look across the lake and see Spieth draining his putt at the 15th, and Spieth could look ahead from the 16th green and 17th tee and see Berger draining his putt to pull it back even. We weren’t getting that at Erin Hills, where you had to walk 200 yards to get to the next tee. The 15th through 17th all loop around the same lake and booming crowds line these slopes to watch shots at multiple holes.

Then there’s the 18th, which looked like a Ryder Cup crowd 20-deep all along the rope line for a final match:

Cool scene in Hartford http://pic.twitter.com/QjNWh9HxLf

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) June 25, 2017

Incredible @TravelersChamp #pgatour #golf http://pic.twitter.com/YUM7DD3m5n

— Jeremy Schilling (@jschil) June 25, 2017

This was the exact opposite of last week’s subdued finish and odd U.S. Open trophy presentation away from the crowd. Geoff Shackelford presented the dichotomy thusly:

There is little question that the scale of this week's venue vs. Erin Hills created more realistic golf, better spectating and more energy at the end when fans were on top of the action.

Of course, we have a little recent bias after watching that kind of conclusion, but this place has been generating wild finishes and drawing enormous crowds for years. Watching this Tour every weekend can become drudgery sometimes, but this was invigorating even before that absurd last shot from Spieth. So between the golf that the course yields, and the crowds that juice up this finish, we’re all in on the Travelers as being one of the top events on Tour. And the new champ, along with Rory, both said they’d be back.

Let’s do it again.

[aurelliocheek]

20 Years HandyGames: The Interview

Happy Anniversary! German developer and publisher HandyGames exists now for 20 years. We talk to the founders, CEOs and brothers Markus and Christopher Kassulke.

HandyGames is one of the most traditional game developers in Germany. And one of the most successful: HandyGames has published more than 200 games to date, which together have resulted in hundreds of ­millions of downloads.

Founded 2000 by the brothers ­Markus and Christopher Kassulke and their business partner Udo Bausewein in north Bavarian university city of Würzburg, HandyGames was specialized in the ­early years – the company name suggests it – in games for mobile phones. In 2003 ­HandyGames had a big hit with the strategy game Townsmen. The series continues to thrill game fans worldwide to this day.

In 2015 HandyGames won three important awards at the DEP – „Best Studio“, „Best Mobile Game“ and „Best Social Engagement“.

Since 2018 HandyGames is part of the THQ Nordic and Embracer Group family and operates as an international publisher for mid-sized projects and developers for a worldwide audience.

HandyGames always strive for gameplay innovation. The company received the German Developer Award as “Best German Game Studio” in 2015, produced and published award-winning games of ­virtually every video gaming genre imaginable for a diverse range of audiences and gameplay styles. One example is “Townsmen VR” which was awarded with the German Games Award 2018 in the category “Best Game Design”. Now located in Giebelstadt, a tiny town close to Würzburg, ­HandyGames is a proud part of the ­German and European gaming scene.

How HandyGames started 20 years ago, how the two brothers get along with each other in everyday life, how it went with the takeover by THQ Nordic, which decisions they regret afterwards and much more we discuss in an interview with Markus and Christopher Kassulke. And we show a lot of cool photos from 20 years of HandyGames!

An idol and a close friend – “Lord British” Richard Garriott and Lars Janssen ­during their studio visit in 2018.

Making Games: Tell us how it all started 20 years ago with HandyGames? Markus Kassulke: Our history in the games industry begins a little before HandyGames. Christopher and I worked as freelancers developing cheat software and add-ons for games like Sim City or Age of Empires. At some point, we wanted to make our own games. We didn’t have a lot of money, so the mobile phone was a good platform. On Christophers old Nokia, which is still in the showcase here, you could only play Snake, and we thought we could do better. We had a buddy in Romania who wrote us an emulator and some minigame demos. We presented it to Siemens in Munich, and a few days later we got the confirmation. So we had to start the company because Siemens didn’t want to sign a contract with just a few freelancers for software that would be used on millions of mobile phones. We brought Udo Bausewein into the company so that we had someone with a business background – who looked a bit more serious than the two of us with long hair. At that time, it was tough to find programmers, so we looked for people at the University of Würzburg who were interested in programming games on beer benches and old chairs in a noisy office above the Norma supermarket. Startup at its best.

Christoper Kassulke: Unfortunately without venture capital, because back then there were no venture capitalists who believed in games. Especially when the dotcom ­bubble burst.

Markus: When we moved into our office in Giebelstadt in 2004, we already had 20-25 people. Then came the mobile internet, the first Ericssons with colour display and the Nokia 7650. The time came when our business partners were no longer mobile phone manufacturers, but the network operators who built portals for mobile games.

Christopher: We have always been globally positioned, and in some cases have worked with up to 250 network operators worldwide. Today, with the App Store and the Google Play Store being the only ones left, you can’t even imagine that.

With Townsmen VR the team enters new markets with a well known spin-off of its build-up strategy brand.

You must have done many things right in the last 20 years, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be here today. But are there any decisions you regret today? Markus: Not having bought Apple shares (laughs).

Christopher: Apple is the right keyword, because we were one of the few developers who didn’t jump on the Apple bandwagon immediately. We were used to working with T-Mobile, Vodafone and Co. and then a young wild man named Steve Jobs comes and says, I don’t give a shit about the network providers, I’m turning everything upside down. A lot of people laughed at that time, including the CEO of Nokia. In the end, we supported iOS too late, but you learn from it. Since then, we have always been very open to new platforms and technologies. What we also regret today is having relied on a single partner for too long. When Siemens was sold to BenQ and shortly afterwards closed its mobile department, this was, of course, a problem for us, since at that time about 60 percent of the workforce was working on games for ­Siemens devices.

Markus: You are always smarter afterwards. Who would have thought at that time that Nokia, with a market share of 64%, would disappear from the market a few years later because they started building smartphones much too late? I like the way you see supposed mistakes in the US. When you’ve failed your third company, you are still the hero when you try it for the fourth time. And here in Germany, it’s like “Oh God, he already went bankrupt with his company once.”

A milestone in mobile gaming history: the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson.

Over the years, you may come to a point where you ask yourself whether you want to do business as usual or change, take the next step. Have you ever had such situations?  Christopher: Such situations were and are permanent. I can’t remember a single time we said let’s just keep going.

Markus: The mobile market was and is simply too fast-moving for that. First, there were the embedded games on mobile phones, then came the download games via network operators, then the smartphones. Then people suddenly didn’t want to spend money on games anymore, so you had to be prepared for in-app purchases, which has since changed again. We had to constantly consider whether the current orientation was still up to date. The biggest step, of course, was to sell HandyGames to THQ Nordic in 2018.

Christopher: We always wanted to publish, not only for smartphones but also for PC and console. We could have afforded to make 3 or 4 games at the same time, but not nearly as many as we now have in our portfolio. For that, you need a completely different backing than what we were used to. You need access to the capital market. That is limited for a German publisher. That’s why we decided to sell ­HandyGames.

Markus: A major decision was to leave the mobile sector long before the takeover. At that time, the Ouya console was announced, which in retrospect was a huge flop. But when we saw the mobile games on the big TV for the first time, we thought “Gee, that doesn’t look too bad”. And if that looks good, why should HandyGames doesn’t make games for the big consoles?

Having fun even with lawyers like Kai Bodensiek during the shooting of „Talk in der Alm“.

You mentioned the takeover by THQ ­Nordic and the Embracer Group. How did they convince you? Markus: In the past 20 years, we had countless discussions with companies who wanted to buy us. But we were the stubborn Franconians and thought about it: What will they do with us?

Christopher: Is that an added value for us, also for our colleagues? When you have been working together for such a long time and watch the children grow up, you approach things differently than a CEO of a stock company. You think in the long term.

Markus: We were simply looking for a partner who fits in with us, and we don’t regret taking this step. The Embracer Group is worth 3 billion euros, the number 2 in the European market. We are now over 60 people and are financing even more people in external studios worldwide. That’s not a bad figure for a German publisher, and we feel a responsibility to the people.

Christopher: Finally, we want to celebrate a few more anniversaries.

Where do you see HandyGames in 5 to 10 years? Markus: Difficult question. What I can say: HandyGames will be bigger, have more projects. But we want to grow organically. We have no growth plan. We want to continue to be a courageous publisher, but there will be no kamikaze actions from us.

A nice place to work: the famous „Alm“.

How difficult is it to lure employees to ­Giebelstadt, in the Franconian province? Christopher: It is not very difficult. Of course, we can’t compete with a Berlin scene here, but we are a suburb of Würzburg, and the city offers everything you need. At the end of the day, you have to feel comfortable, and we want to achieve that by creating a familiar atmosphere.

Markus: We have no problems finding people, quite the opposite. We are very picky, the benchmark is high. Our team is getting better and better, and I’m not only talking about skills, but also human qualities. The team spirit, motivating each other, is ­essential to us. It’s certainly not easy to get someone from Berlin or Hamburg to the Franconian province. But for someone from France or Spain, Würzburg is perfect for studying, by far not as expensive as Munich. And we are a very cosmopolitan, international company.

Show responsibility! Donating PCs to local schools.

Brothers do not always get along. How harmonious is your cooperation? Christopher: We have a rule: We can argue – and sometimes the doors can fly – as long as the door opens the next day again and we are all about the good cause. It is helpful that our tasks are clearly separated: Markus takes care of production and publishing, I take care of sales and marketing.

Markus: It’s certainly not always easy, but we always come back on a common path. After all, we have responsibility for the team, their families and also for the developers we work with.

Women in Games – we support the „Girl’s Day“ initiative from the beginning.

Let’s talk about publishing. Which criteria are decisive for you to sign a title? Markus: I don’t know how many platformers I’ve looked at lately, but there were many. There are some things that have no USP at all. Of course, a game needs that certain something. But also the whole package has to fit. It’s important that the team stands behind their vision and that they don’t want to sell us the slimmed-down version of their idea in the hope to increase the chances to get the money. We want to see the big picture – and then it is up to us to decide whether we want to spend the money for it. The composition of the team is also important. Since we are developers ourselves and know all the platforms, we have a good sense of whether the team may have overestimated the human resources for the port, has too few programmers, etc. You should approach pitching with the necessary seriousness and also keep an eye on the economic aspect. Thinking beyond the first game, imagine the ­second and third game – and be prepared for the dry period in between. Many studios have their difficulties with that – not only in Germany. We also prefer when the ­developers themselves do the porting, so that they can build up the know-how. Of course, the human factor is very important. You have to be a good match.

Christopher: We don’t want to have a one-night-stand. We want to have long-term, sustainable relationships. You don’t build a publisher-developer relationship overnight. And just like in a love relationship, the strength of it is particularly evident in phases when things are not going so well.

King Christopher on his Throne of Games.

If you look at your lineup, it seems very un-German, very international, which surprises us. Markus: That’s a big compliment for us because that’s exactly our goal. We see our competition, not in Germany but worldwide. And I think, with the lineup we can take on the international competition. We have projects in Mexico City, Hungary, Sweden, Belarus, Spain – many international influences. I look forward to seeing how it works.

The competition with other publishers to discover the potential hits of tomorrow is tough, isn’t it? Markus: Yes, for sure. But you have to see it in a sportive way. I have already lost developers which had a contract ready to sign; other publishers experienced the same for sure. It’s important that when teams decide to be our partner, they believe, think, feel and live that way.

Christopher: But it’s not uncommon to experience friendly competition when a publisher calls you and says “Here’s an interesting game that I can’t sign right now, wouldn’t that be something for you? On the other hand, we are also happy when a title that doesn’t fit into our portfolio finds another publisher. The developers also talk to each other, and our current partners are the best publicity for us.

Enjoying the masses at ­gamescom 2019 with our international developers on the Indie Arena Booth.

Many events are cancelled because of ­Corona. What has changed the most for you? Markus: That I now have to do all the events online (laughs). So much has not changed at all. We meet developers, do pitchings, it goes on as usual.

Christopher: Although the effect of having a beer together in the evening should not be underestimated (laughs). The small talk between the door and the hinge or the typical chance conversations during the smoking break at a conference is something that I miss. Chicken Police, for example, we tracked down on Reboot. Or that you stroll over gamescom and wonder why there are 20 people standing at the small booth in front of it. That’s how we became aware of Spitlings. To see how end customers react to something would be important.

We love sports! From sponsorship …

What changed for you internally when you changed from developer to publisher? Was there a culture clash? That some people say “Things used to be better.” Markus: That went pretty smooth. We had already prepared the employees half a year before the takeover. Of course, we had to adapt the organisation, i.e. producer, QA, marketing, to the new circumstances and enlarge it. Especially in these areas, we are looking for experienced people from the industry, but also for newcomers.

Christopher: I think it is helpful for every company after a few years to bring people into the company who have a different point of view, who bring in experience and know-how from other companies. What I also like is that someone can now also get a taste of publishing if they want to, in order to develop themselves further. Especially in our QA we have many examples.

… to kick some ***** on the football field.

In conclusion: What do you want to give the studios out there, who are perhaps just starting out, to take along? Markus: I would like the games funding to contribute to the fact that we in Germany are approaching more ambitious products and fewer clones. With 200,000 Euros I can already move a lot as a small team, impress the big publishers with a cool demo. We have to become even more courageous in Germany. For me, there is no excuse anymore why you can’t develop games in Germany that are internationally successful. For AAA titles this may be true, but in the indie sector, as far as the general conditions are concerned, there are no more excuses why the next Dead Cells or Hollow Knight or Inside should not come from Germany.

Christopher: The situation for developers has never been so rosy. When we started, there was no funding, also no banks that gave loans with almost no interest. These are brillant conditions. Ok, if necessary, you have to move from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to Bavaria to get the local funding. But there is also federal funding, even EU funding. And there are as many publishers as never before. Even the big publishers sign indie games. Especially in the range of 500,000 to one million Euros there is a huge choice. Twenty years ago, games were hated by politicians. Now politics like us, we are in the mainstream press with Through the Darkest of Times. From young to old everyone feels like a gamer. Grab it, people!

Thanks a lot for the interesting interview and all the best for the next 20 years!

  El Hijo – A Wild West Tale: A spaghetti-western stealth game where you guide a 6-year old boy on his quest to find his mother. Developed by Honig Studios, published by HandyGames.

Triple I Games “Made in Germany”

In November 2019 Handy­Games announced that it intends to invest “a high single-digit million amount” in German indie titles over the next three years. HandyGames is thus supporting the foundation of new start-ups or securing jobs at existing studios. “The prerequisites for the cooperation are a strong team and a breathtaking product, which will be able to captivate gamers around the globe in addition to our publishing team,” says Markus Kassulke, CEO of HandyGames. “We are well aware that the development of the next big indie hit can have production costs of more than a million. Hence the clear signal: HandyGames is prepared to bear the own contribution required by the funding”.

A gripping story and atmosphere, innovative gameplay and a unique graphic style can be keys to success. HandyGames already supports the highly motivated German teams of Paintbucket Games (Berlin), Honig Studios (Berlin) and Massive Miniteam (Cologne) in the development of their current titles. Through the Darkest of Times, ­El Hijo – A Wild West Tale and Spitlings will convince gamers worldwide in 2020 that games “Made in Germany” can cause a stir on the international market.

Markus ­Kassulke Co-Founder & CEO

With over 25 years experience in the gaming industry, Markus Kassulke is responsible for managing HandyGames as a whole. He oversees all internal projects as well as Publishing team and is responsible to form the DNA of the unique games portfolio. As a member of the HR team, he is always looking for new team-players to join the family.

Christopher Kassulke Co-Founder & CEO

Christopher is responsible for the international Business Development and Sales of HandyGames. As the face of HandyGames ­Christopher regularly speaks at developer conferences and events around the globe.

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