#Auditors in London

[mmbaaccountants]

Audit Firms London - The audit approach of MMBA is similar to the one adopted by Big Four audit firms and involves a structured and systematic process for examining an organisation’s financial statements and internal controls to provide an independent assessment of their accuracy and compliance with accounting regulations and standards. 

[mmbaaccountantss]

Accounting Solutions for Travel Companies in London: Financial Efficiency

In the dynamic world of travel and hospitality, effective financial management is crucial for success. Travel companies face unique challenges in their accounting practices, requiring specialized expertise to navigate. This is where MMBA hospitality accountants step in, offering tailored accounting solutions designed to meet the specific needs of the industry. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the importance of accounting for hospitality, the role of hospitality accountants, and how travel companies can benefit from their expertise.

[ty-loves]

Briarwood Mortuary🕊️🪦

The Briarwood Mortuary is owned & operated by the Briar Family of Brindleton Bay. This longstanding mortuary & cemetery is the resting place of many of Brindleton Bay's most coveted citizens. This lot can be used to lay your sims to rest peacefully, host a funeral service, or even have a wedding in the cemetery.  

Gallery ID: ty_loves415 (✅include custom content to find builds)

Information: 

30x30 lot

$319,543

 Functions as: Generic, Wedding Venue, or Museum lot

CC Used:

Asabinsims | Real Trees for build mode (1) 

Alf-si | Birch Trees (1),

Magnoliidae | Leafy Ground Cover plant recolor (1)

TheJim07 | Gravestone & Mortuary ts3 (1), Mater Dolorosa (1), Winged Victory of Samothrace (1)

Felixandre | Estate (2), (1), (3), Paris (2), (1), Chateau (2), (5), (6), Berlin (2), (1), London (1), Gothic Revival (2), (1), Grove (4), Fayun (2), (1), Florence (2), (1), Soho (1)

Pinkbox AnYe | Venice (1), Summer Garden (1), (2), Bayfront Powder room (1),  Miranda (1), Cozy Corner (1), Magnolia (1), Ashwood Dining (1)

SYB | Ratatouille Kitchen (1), Hotel (1), Piano (1)

Valia | Mediterranean columns (1)

Lilis Palace | Folklore Skanzen (5), Intarsia Enfilade (1)

Plush Pixels | Parisian Apartment (1), Summer in the Hamptons (2)

Max20 | Garden at Home (1)

Pierisim | Domaine du Clos (2), (1), Auntie Vera’s Bathroom Toilet (1), Winter Garden (1), Woodland Ranch Old Rug (1)

Harrie | Coastal (2), (8), Copenhagen (1), Brutalist Bathroom Tiles (1)

PsychicPeanutKitty | Ghost w/ a Lantern (1)

KHD | Noor Set (1), Ghibli (2), Liberty (1), Countess Desk & Chair (1)

Severinka | Halloween 2018 (1)

Sims4Luxury | Fall 2023 Pumpkins (1)

Myshunosun | Herbalist Clutter (1)

Natalia-Auditore | Baron Samedi Coffins (1)

CWB | Anapolis Wall Light (1), October 2022 (1)

HYDRA | Heart Vanity (1)

Sooky88 | Vertical Oil Paintings (1)

PandoraSimBox | Get to Church Stuff Pack Pulpit (1) LittleDica | Countryside Cabin Roof Trim (1)

*Packs Used: Lovestruck (benches), Cottage Living, City Living, Get Together, Jungle Adventure GP, Romantic Garden Stuff, Paranormal Stuff Extras & TOU: 

Please do not reupload or claim my build as your own

Please do feel free to tag me if you use this build <3

Always use bb.moveobjects when placing

Reshade by YoursTrulySims

Leave a comment here if you have any issues

Thank you all cc creators <3

All trees used in this build are CC, not defaults.  

@asabinsims @felixandresims @pinkbox-anye @alf-si @sooky88 @pierisim @lilis-palace @myshunosun @kerriganhouse @harrie-cc @sims4luxury @psychicpeanutkitty @valiasims @maxsus @littledica @hydrangeachainsaw @nataliaauditore-blog @syboubou @thejim07 @magnoliidae @plushpixelssims

[teecupangel]

Inspired by the Patron Desmond sends his ancestors to earlier points in time and fucks over half a dozen timelines: Desmond wishes all his ancestors had someone to support them through their worst suffering without - you know, getting betrayed by them or watching them die.

So Bayek wakes up in the prime of his life in Altair's time and adopts this child who just watched his father die. When Altair dies, he and Bayek suddenly appear, both in the primes of their lives, in time to see the Auditore get arrested. Bayek, Altair, and Ezio are there when Edward's protecting the Assassins of Tulum and take the piss out of him. The crew plus Edward are there when Ratonhnhake:ton's village burns. They all sail to France on a whim and end up recruiting Arno. All of them appear in London to help out the Frye twins. And when Desmond gets kidnapped... the Assassins have an entire historical legion show up out of nowhere to help bust him out of Abstergo's clutches.

Kassandra keeps showing up, nobody's certain if she's with them all or not, but just... all of the main ancestors glomming together as one hugely dysfunctional murder family forged across time and space who all have the biggest soft spot for Desmond.

Desmond as their Patron has no power over this. This is happening solely based on his wish and he has no control who gets transported and gifted with immortality so even he does not know if Kassandra is also part of his immortality gang.

It’s Bayek who believes Desmond is a god and their patron, giving them this power to protect the world. Of course, there are times when he misses Aya and he wonders if this immortality is a curse. But then he hears the laughter of Darim and Sef before they run after him, grabbing his robes and asking him to tell them another story, grandfather tells the best stories! And Bayek’s lips curved into a smile. Perhaps the immortality is a curse but seeing the people he cares for and loves grow up and take the future for themselves will always be a joy that makes this curse worth it.

Altaïr would be the one to try and understand this immortality that they had. Would be the one to realize that they do die after their life runs its course but they will always be awaken in the same place together, back in their prime, with the memories up to their death. His first business would be to find his Apple and, after the long road he had to take to find the seals to open his library, he decided to set it up so that the next time he needed to find his Apple, it would be in the most convoluted way possible that only he would understand. It’s because of the Apple that they got to Firenze just as the Auditores were being arrested (they saved the day but it was a close call). Then Ezio’s Apple was placed on the vault and Altaïr felt a bit annoyed of how easy his Apple was secured so… he just plopped the Apple there as well.

It is Ezio who first thought of naming the glowing god that appears before them before they are resurrected once more Desmond. There’s something about the god with no discernible features other that his entire body glowing that made Ezio think of Desmond for some reason. Altaïr is the one who tries to search for this Desmond using both his and Ezio’s Apples.

Edward was the one man out. He wasn’t an Assassin yet but he had the makings of one. So they trained him. Bayek had done this three times already, he knows Edward Kenway is the key. Perhaps the next brother that will be given the curse of immortality. They stayed with him until he started to settle down in London, focusing on his family. They visited from time to time but they were not there to save Edward.

When they are resurrected once more, decades have passed and they could only try and save as many people as they could as the fires had already started. Including the mother of a young child by the name of Ratonhnhaké:ton. They stayed in the village for a few days, with the boy’s mother talking to Edward Kenway for a long time, ending with Edward learning of his son’s fate. So they leave the village to find him, to confront him. When Ratonhnhaké:ton was 13, he followed his mother out of the village and they meet once more. Haytham remains elusive and they suggested that they stay with the mother and son for a bit to ‘relax’, only for this to end with them teaching Ratonhnhaké:ton (and sometimes even giving tips to Kaniehtí:io.

And after everything was done, they sailed to France to support Ratonhnhaké:ton who received a letter requesting for aid from Lafayette. There, they met Arno Dorian and took him under their wings, helping him with his missions but only three of them at a time, for they have their own agenda for going to France. (And if this ends with Altaïr taking a Sword of Eden, well… that’s not really surprising).

Helping out the Frye twins had been second nature. Arno and Jacob met by accident when Arno had been buying one of the pubs in London (a financial focused habit he and Ezio had developed through the years) and Bayek thought they needed support (and guidance, so much guidance). By the end of it, they were sure that the twins would become like them as well. (And if this ends with Altaïr taking the Shroud of Eden… at this point, everyone already expects him to take custody over POEs)

It all ends with them moving into the modern day where they used their knowledge and experience to have a partnership with a group called Erudito. From there, it became easier to find the Assassins but their focus shifted when they heard of Desmond Miles.

And Ezio just knows… that this was the Desmond they were all searching for.

[josiph031]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Hello everyone! 😁 Here is final version of Ministry of Magic. ✨

👉 Quick story about it: The Ministry of Magic is the main governing body of the magical community of Great Britain and possibly also Ireland, with the intention of preservation of magical law. The Ministry connects the British government to the wizarding world. The headquarters of the Ministry are in Whitehall, in central London, deep underground. The Ministry of Magic was formed as a successor to the earlier Wizards' Council and came into being in 1707. It was involved, in some capacity before its actual formation, in the International Confederation of Wizards' decision to enact the Statute of Secrecy in 1692 and still today takes the responsibility of enforcing said Statute in the United Kingdom. The laws against magic-use by underage wizards and against wand use by non-wizard folk are also enforced by the Ministry, in part to maintain secrecy. 👈

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

When you enter here, you show up in London streets, but if you go down where is toilette, in the middle is door which is different and it's access to Ministry of Magic. ✨ This project/lot is mostly based on movies but I added some rooms with my taste since there are no photos of real ones. My version of Ministry of Magic is built under London, can be accesed through broken / restricted toilette. Fully furnished and accesable. There you can find big atrium with fireplaces, fountains, coffe / beverage stall, a lot hallways, elevator room, a lot offices, cantine, library, 2 courtrooms ,office of Minister of Magic, office of Dolores Umbridge, journalist's room, restricted: the brain room, the locked room (love room), the death chamber, the hall of prophecy. ✨

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Most of CC are used and made by me but there are also other CC creators whose helped me on way that I used their CC for my project , I would like to thank you: Belkasof, JPCope, Remysa, Nova Creates, Melonsloth, the de villiers, StarrySimsie, lazysimmies and Natalia Auditore. 💖 ✨

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

If you want to download it, here is link: https://www.mediafire.com/file/mkfx416obznwwu4/Ministry+of+Magic-London+by+JH.zip/file

Please do not re-upload or claim as your own, feel to free recolor it but mention credits! ✨

[whencyclopedia]

Henry VII of England

Henry VII of England ruled as king from 1485 to 1509 CE. Henry, representing the Lancaster cause during the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487 CE), defeated and killed his predecessor the Yorkist king Richard III of England (r. 1483-1485 CE) at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 CE. Known as Henry of Richmond or Henry Tudor before he was crowned, Henry VII was the first Tudor king. Despite having to deal with three pretenders to his throne and two minor rebellions, Henry's reign was largely peaceful and prosperous as, like a master auditor, he steadily increased the health of the state's finances. The king died of ill health in April 1509 CE and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE).

The Lancastrian Claim

Richard III was one of England's most unpopular kings, and he was accused of being involved in the murder of the two sons of his brother Edward IV of England (r. 1461-70 & 1471-83 CE) who disappeared from the Tower of London. Richard, having eliminated his nephews, made himself king in 1483 CE. His reign would be short and troubled; it was brought to an end by the rise of Henry Tudor, at the time better known as Henry, Earl of Richmond.

Henry was born on 28 January 1457 CE in Pembroke Castle, the son of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond (l. 1430-1456 CE). Henry was the grandson of the Welsh courtier Owen Tudor (c. 1400-1461 CE) and Catherine of Valois (l. 1401 - c. 1437 CE), the daughter of Charles VI of France (r. 1380-1422 CE), former wife of Henry V of England (r. 1413-1422 CE) and mother of Henry VI of England (r. 1422-61 & 1470-71 CE). Henry Tudor's mother was Margaret Beaufort (l. c. 1441-1509 CE), the great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and son of Edward III of England (r. 1312-1377 CE). It was not much of a royal connection, especially as some regarded the Beaufort's as illegitimate, but it was the best the Lancastrians could hope for as their dynastic dispute with the House of York, the Wars of the Roses, rumbled on. Thus, Henry Tudor, returning from exile in Brittany, became the figurehead of the Lancastrians who aimed to topple the Yorkist king Richard III.

Henry Tudor wisely allied himself with the alienated Woodvilles, family of Elizabeth Woodville (l. c. 1437-1492 CE), the wife of Edward IV. Other allies included such powerful lords as the Duke of Buckingham who were not happy with King Richard's distribution of estates, and anyone else keen to see Richard III receive his just deserts. These allies even included the new king across the Channel, Charles VIII of France (r. 1483-1498 CE). The first move by the rebels proved premature and poorly planned so that Henry's invasion fleet was put off by bad weather and Buckingham was captured and executed in November 1483 CE.

Continue reading...

[odinsblog]

For over two decades, President Vladimir Putin has squeezed dissent in Russia. Critics, journalists, and defectors have faced dire consequences after opposing him. From poisonings to shootings, mysterious falls from windows, and even plane crashes, there is a long trail of silenced voices.

Alexei Navalny, whose death in prison is as yet unexplained, had previously fallen ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow in 2020 after being poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent. Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who defected and was a prominent Putin critic, was murdered with polonium-210 in London in 2016.

Other deaths of opposition figures under Putin's rule also appear to follow a pattern. Boris Nemtsov, shot dead near the Kremlin, and Stanislav Markelov, assassinated in Moscow alongside journalist Anastasia Baburova, are just two examples. Natalia Estemirova, abducted and found dead in Chechnya, and Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist murdered in her Moscow apartment building, also paid the ultimate price following their dissent.

Here are 10 prominent Putin critics who have died in assassinations or mysterious circumstances.

Alexei Navalny

Date of death: February 16, 2024

Cause of Death: Alexei Navalny died in prison. The Russian prison service reported that he felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness.

Biography: Alexei Navalny was a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin. He gained global attention in 2020 when he survived a poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok. Navalny willingly returned to Russia from Germany in 2021, where he had received treatment for the previous poisoning. Upon his return, he was promptly arrested. Navalny was known for exposing corruption, investigating Putin's inner circle, and leading anti-Kremlin opposition movements. His death is likely to be seen by fellow opposition members as a political assassination attributable to Putin, but is as yet unexplained.

Mikhail Lesin

Age: 57

Date of Death: November 5, 2015

Cause of Death: Mikhail Lesin was a former Russian press minister and media executive. He fell out of favor with Putin and faced scrutiny for his wealth. Lesin was found dead in a Washington, D.C. hotel room. The official cause of death was ruled as accidental blunt force injuries, but questions persist about the circumstances.

Boris Nemtsov

Age: 55

Date of Death: February 27, 2015

Cause of Death: Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on a bridge near the Kremlin. His murder remains unsolved, but many believe it was politically motivated. Nemtsov was a vocal critic of Putin's government, advocating for democracy, human rights, and transparency. He served as a deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin and later became a prominent opposition figure.

Boris Berezovsky

Age: 67

Date of Death: March 23, 2013

Cause of Death: Boris Berezovsky was a wealthy businessman, oligarch, and former ally of Putin. However, he became a vocal critic and fled to the U.K. Berezovsky was found dead in his home in Berkshire, England. The official cause of death was ruled as suicide, but suspicions remain due to his high-profile opposition activities.

Sergei Magnitsky

Age: 37

Date of Death: November 16, 2009

Cause of Death: Sergei Magnitsky was a lawyer and auditor who exposed a massive tax fraud scheme involving Russian officials. He was arrested, imprisoned, and denied medical treatment. Magnitsky died in custody following severe beatings and medical neglect. His death led to the passing of the Magnitsky Act in the United States, which sanctions Russian officials involved in human rights abuses and corruption.

Stanislav Markelov

Age: 34

Date of Death: January 19, 2009

Cause of Death: Stanislav Markelov was a human rights lawyer and journalist. He was assassinated in Moscow by a gunman who also killed journalist Anastasia Baburova. Markelov had represented victims of human rights abuses and criticized the Russian government's actions in Chechnya. His death raised concerns about the safety of those opposing the regime.

Anastasia Baburova

Age: 25

Date of Death: January 19, 2009

Cause of Death: Anastasia Baburova, a journalist and activist, was shot dead alongside human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov in Moscow. She had reported on neo-Nazi groups and political violence. Her murder remains unsolved, but it is believed to be connected to her activism.

Natalia Estemirova

Age: 50

Date of Death: July 15, 2009

Cause of Death: Natalia Estemirova, a human rights activist and journalist, was abducted in Grozny, Chechnya, and found dead later that day. She had documented human rights violations in Chechnya and criticized the government. Her murder remains unsolved, but it is widely believed to be connected to her activism and criticism of the Chechen authorities.

Anna Politkovskaya

Age: 48

Date of Death: October 7, 2006

Cause of Death: Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist, was shot dead in her apartment building in Moscow. She had reported extensively on human rights abuses, corruption, and the war in Chechnya. Her work was critical of Putin's government, and her murder sparked international outrage. Despite investigations, the masterminds behind her killing have not been brought to justice.

Yuri Shchekochikhin

Age: 53

Date of Death: July 3, 2003

Cause of Death: Yuri Shchekochikhin was a journalist, writer, and member of the Russian State Duma. He investigated corruption, organized crime, and human rights abuses. Shchekochikhin suddenly fell ill and died from an unknown cause. Some suspect poisoning, but the circumstances remain unclear.

(continue reading)

List of journalists killed in Russia

The dangers to journalists in Russia have been known since the early 1990s but concern over the number of unsolved killings soared after Anna Politkovskaya's murder in Moscow on 7 October 2006. While international monitors mentioned a dozen deaths, some sources within Russia talked of over two hundred fatalities.

2009 reports on deaths of journalists in Russia: In June 2009, a wide-ranging investigation by the International Federation of Journalists into the deaths of journalists in Russia was published. At the same time, the IFJ launched an online database which documents over three hundred deaths and disappearances since 1993.

(continue reading)

[julianhuxley]

Baby giraffe born at Whipsnade Zoo, photo taken December 27, 1937. Named Boxer after her eponymous birthday, the Zoological Society reports that she grew twelve inches on her first day and two inches a week since then!

Source: Reports of the Council and Auditors of the Zoological Society of London for the Year 1937. Suffolk: Richard Clay and Sons, 1938.

[kiatheinsomniac]

Hello, when you can I’d like a little something for Altair, Connor, Edward, Jacob, Arno and Ezio. I was watching Harry Potter and when Hermione smells the potion which clarifies who/what shes attracted to. So that gave me an idea for an ask. What is each characters ^^ signature scent like do they smell like mangos random I know but an example. I don’t necessarily mean perfume though I mean by natural scents.

☾ ⋆ﾟ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 / 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: ooooo it's always interesting to get headcanon requests about the characters themselves and not ones that involve the reader. I feel like I could talk ab these boys for so long after how much time I've put into playing the games and reading the books lol

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: Altaïr, Ezio, Edward, Connor, Arno, Jacob

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: none

｡･:*˚:✧｡ altaïr ibn-la'ahad

♡ his own scent and frankincense.

♡ Altaïr's clothes have captured the labours of his occupation and the smoke of the incense burning in the bureau. It's a lingering but subtle smell.

｡･:*˚:✧｡ ezio auditore

♡ musk and amber.

♡ these were both popular scents during the renaissance and he smells quite strongly of it. During the renaissance, people believed that miasma carried disease and so they would try to ward off illness with more pleasant scents (think of the lyrics to Ring Around the Rosie). Though, he's still an assassin so it's not too string that you can smell it unless you're very, very close to him, that is.

｡･:*˚:✧｡ edward kenway

♡ the sea breeze.

♡ the salt in the air has made its way into nearly every part of Edward after so many years at sea, notably his clothes and sun-bleached hair. He always smells like the seas that have become like a second home to him.

｡･:*˚:✧｡ ratonhnhaké:ton | connor kenway

♡ fresh rainfall or sage.

♡ Connor spends a lot of his time outdoors so I think that would show in how his clothes and hair smell. He would smell of the fresh rainfall that he just got back from being caught in, of ferns and pine needles. Also, I think Connor would keep up with some of his cultural practices, even after what happened to his village. Perhaps burning white sage and inviting in better energy in the place of what it's cleared out is one of them? He would smell like the smoke after.

｡･:*˚:✧｡ arno dorian

♡ coffee and old books.

♡ the guy lives above a café and has stacks upon stacks of books and papers around him. They've permeated the air of his whole living space and, consequently, him. On worse days, he might smell more like the wine he downed to forget his troubles the night before but his entire wardrobe has been filled with the scent of coffee and he doesn't even realise at this point that his home smells like a library.

｡･:*˚:✧｡ jacob frye

♡ soot and violets.

♡ Victorian London had a definite issue with the smog everywhere as a consequence of industrialisation and he lives on a train so the smell of soot has, without a doubt, embedded itself in his clothes. Cologne wasn't a very big thing at the time and Victorians had moved on from believing in miasma, germ theory having been popularised. Perfume was no longer practical but aesthetic and wasn't very popular among men in the late 1860's. However, Evie once bought a violet perfume that she quickly grew sick of but Jacob quite liked. He doesn't wear a lot but it's enough for a few people to pick up on and he uses it as an opportunity to get close and flirt.

☾ ⋆ﾟlike my work? why not: 

∘ buy me a coffee? ∘ join my taglist ∘ consider following/reblogging

🏷️@gojohater101 @ayameiris4 @veryfancydoilies @asuni921  @writing-noah @danielle-marie@havatnah @aarnodoriann @asianbutnotjapanese @daddyadler @b3k1720

[quill-pen]

~Bess' recurring dream since childhood~

This is going to pan out in several different posts, as the dream changes as Bess grows older and I map out and navigate those changes. Probably bonus comfort fluff at the end from both George and Ebenezer, because Bess still suffers this nightmare as an adult. (Though the regularity does lessen drastically over time, thanks to Eb and the life Bess has found with him in London.)

Warnings: It's a nightmare involving loneliness, depression, fear, abandonment, mental, emotional, and verbal abuse, maybe some physical abuse. It's not pretty.

Theme:

How it originally started (and always starts):

Bess is in her favorite summer dress, the pretty, cotton, purple gingham one that Maud had made her. It's a bit too big, as the lady's maid had made it a size or two oversized so that she might wear it longer, but Bess doesn't care. It's soft, it's cool, it's purple, and with the way it billows around her as she runs, the little girl feels like she's flying.

She's running towards a group of children skipping around in a circle, singing and laughing. Bess can't wait to join them; she loves to skip, and she's very good at it. As she approaches the circle, it opens up for her and two children reach out on either side of her, pulling her into the fold. They lock hands and go skipping and giggling as they continue to chant: "All around the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel!"

Bess has never felt happier and she laughs out her joy. She's having fun; these children actually like her! They're not side-eyeing her and making snide remarks. They're not making fun of her or pushing her around or pulling her hair. They're not calling her nasty names or gossiping about her loud enough for her to overhear. They're just playing with her, including her, being nice. It feels so wonderful!

Without warning the sunny, cloudless sky above disappears in a brilliant flash of lightning and thunder peels out. When the sky returns, it is shrouded in dark, frightful storm clouds. A hurricane wind rips through, out of nowhere, and the children scream and cry as they scatter. They run in all opposite directions, leaving Bess alone.

Bess watches after them forlornly. She wants to call out to them and ask them to come back, despite the storm: As she opens her mouth to shout, a deafening noise so loud she can't even hear herself think rumbles across the grassy plain. Bess spins around to see a twister, dark, wide as a house, ripping up the earth as it speeds across it. Terrifying. Bess is frozen with horror.

Lightning flashes again, but this time, rather than thunder, there's a voice. A barking, biting, cruel voice; her mother's. "What makes you think those nice little boys and girls want to play with you?" the voice echoes out. "You're nothing but trouble--a rotten girl, bad, corrupting. You bring bad things everywhere you go!"

Bess feels tears in her eyes, on her cheeks. No! she wants to scream back. No, I'm not! I'm not bad--I'm good! I'm nice! "I just want friends!" she finally manages to voice.

"Nobody wants to be friends with you, stupid girl!"

The twister is closer, almost on top of her, and yet Bess remains frozen. She knows she should run--it's her one chance to save herself--but she literally cannot move! Not even a finger. The little girl opens her mouth to cry out for help, but no sound can be heard. And the next thing Bess knows, she's swallowed up by the spout and lifted into the sky, her mother's voice still howling around her about what a bad girl she is. Bess can only curl into a little ball to cry, her wails drowned out by the storm.

Taglist: @rom-e-o @oldmanlusting @the-house-of-auditore-frye @themostanonymousscribbler @christmasgaybusinessmen @purgratoriat @crimson-phantom-designs @beascrooge @darkflamingfire @vixx-ari @orangewierdo @nightmareg420 @sukiderola @simp2537 @witchypandamonium @amaya501st @b4bynikii @sparklesphobia @tenodai @girlbosseveyhammond @neonshoe

[the-ratronaut]

Today in Fallen London

The city's notable characters (the ones that are players at least) realize very quickly that London was not the tax free zone that they thought it was. London's most daring and dying auditor on their case about various unexploded naval mines, untariffed imports.

[mmbaaccountants]

Depending on the size of the firm and the size of the audit, the cost could vary. For example, audit firms in London in comparison small audit firms in London will usually cost more due to the fact that larger firms will tend to have more reliability, experience, quality and be able to hit deadlines due to their larger teams.

[crispyjenkins]

the savage price of piety (wipwed 1)

desmond rivals obi-wan for blorbo status, so you can perhaps imagine how insane i feel about him. here's my silly little (very large) au where he's sort of an auditore except not really except he absolutely is except the borgia had him for a while except he's killed SO MANY people. y'all get no more context than that. (mostly gen but with a surprise rarepair, time travel/reincarnation, found/created family, william miles’ a+ parenting, accidental subterfuge, desmond goes by miles mostly, inspired by study of flight by @esamastation but with a twist!, only somewhat historically accurate swears and none of them come from des. he WILL use his future knowledge to mutter things that would absolutely get him burned at the stake)

  Was it the failure or the death that chased Cesare away and stopped him from doing more than removing the bodies? Was leaving it empty a reminder from Rodrigo of Cesare’s embarrassment?

  There are still bloodstains in the corridors, visible to the naked eye. Some valuables have been taken, but not all; he supposes looters still fear the rumours of haunting that Desmond put out while newly with the Borgia. Or maybe it was the fake satanic ritual he’d set up in the front hall, complete with animal sacrifices?

  He’s quite proud of that, actually, especially when he finds it barely disturbed just before the main staircase. He’d had to sneak away from his handlers to do it, very soon after he’d been dragged to Castel Sant’Angelo, and Cesare had threatened to take his hand off for it, but clearly Desmond’s work had been convincing enough to keep people from ransacking his... childhood home.

  To keep people from finding anything about the Assassins, or Desmond, that he hadn’t managed to destroy.

  Maybe he’s even morally obligated to burn the place down, if leaving it standing is such a potential risk, but two things stop him: 1) most of renaissance Rome is made of wood, and one of the few historical events unrelated to his ancestors that Desmond remembers is the Great Fire of London, and he can’t exactly guarantee that setting fire to the castello won’t set fire to the whole rione as well. And 2) despite hating every single person that resided there with him, this had still been Desmond’s home, in ways even the Farm hadn’t been. The latent grief of Ezio losing the Palazzo Auditore won’t let him be the hand that destroys the Castello Tarazed.

  Christ, he’d even left his room intact.

-

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday, ex manager and partner of Elton John, John Reid, who was born September 9th, 1949 in Paisley.

The son of a welder and a shop worker, he reportedly attended Stow College in Glasgow for a short time before striking out for London in 1967. At age 18 Reid entered the music business as a promoter for EMI. Remarkably by age 19 he was managing the Tamla Motown label for the U.K., and it was at a company Christmas party that 21-year-old Reid met 23-year-old John.

Their professional partnership would last 28 years with Reid being present for John’s career hitting stratospheric heights, often as his personal life hit deep lows due to the performer’s alcohol and drug use, marriage and divorce to Renate Blauel the forging and continuation of his partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin lawsuits, and loves lost and found.

In an interview with The Daily Record Reid later said “When I met Elton, I didn’t even realize his potential, I’ve never claimed to have discovered him. In fact, when he suggested I should manage him, I wasn’t enthusiastic.” When Reid accepted the job of becoming John’s manager at Dick James Music, the couple were already living together.

In anther interview he says Elton was his first love and vice versa John also revealed he was “a virgin until then. I was desperate to be loved, desperate to have a tactile relationship.”

Their relationship as lovers lasted from 1970 until 1975. It was one of the most prolific music periods for John as he delivered numerous international hits including “Your Song,” “Daniel,” “Candle in the Wind,” and “Rocket Man.” His persona on- and off-stage grew and his outfits became more flamboyant. “The vast leaps in style were exhausting,” Reid has said of the period. “He would go out one day with brown hair and return the next with pink.”

According to Reid, the relationship ended because Elton had “never had a sexual adolescence. He needed to go off and play the field, which he did with gusto… There were no dramas.”

Reid would remain in John’s life – and as his business manager – until 1998. Over the decades the two became wealthy due to John’s recording and touring successes. Both men spent big on sports cars, yachts, jewellery, and property, with Reid reportedly owning multiple homes at one point. Reid managed Queen from 1975 to 1978, as well as other acts including Bros, Kiki Dee, Lionel Richie, Billy Connelly, and Michael Flatley.

Like John, Reid would struggle with drugs and alcohol and in 1991 checked into the same recovery clinic John had stayed at when he got sober in 1990. “Elton called me regularly. He was a tower of strength,” Reid told the Daily Record. But unlike John, Reid would relapse and continue to struggle with alcohol.

Professionally, their relationship ended in 1998, the same year John’s auditors discovered a reported £20 million gap in his accounts. Two years later they would be facing each other in court, this time on opposing sides with John suing accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Andrew Haydon, director of John Reid Enterprises, claiming negligence and breach of duty. “I trusted him,” John said of Reid in court. “I never thought he would betray me but he has betrayed me.” The singer had already been paid over 3 million pound by Reid in an out of court settlement by the time it reached court.

Reid continued in the music business until reportedly retiring in 1999, a year after divesting himself of an art collection allegedly worth £2 million. He was a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor in 2005 and has since lived a quiet life out of the public eye.

“I’m fond of Elton and proud of the work we did together,” Reid is reported to have said in the mid-2010s. “One day I’ll bump into him and there may be hugs and kisses. Or maybe not.”

There is no shortage of controversy in his life either and Reid has been known to have a violent side, one particularly powerful scene in Rocketman features an enraged Reid hitting John after the singer showed up late to a performance. While no evidence corroborates that this moment actually took place, Reid’s temper was a real-life problem. In a 1974 Rolling Stone magazine article, a former employee describes the manager as “diminutive, but he’s a killer. He’ll punch anyone.” The characterization seems reinforced by a long list of notable incidents.Reid once threw a glass of champagne at a man for not having enough liquor at a reception for John, he slapped a female journalist who reportedly called him a “poof," he was charged with assault in New Zealand after beating and kicking a journalist, he was arrested in San Francisco after hitting a hotel doorman with his cane while waiting for a car and he allegedly beat another journalist the day after John’s 1984 wedding to Renate Blauel in Sydney, where Reid was the best man. “They’re isolated incidents,” the manager once said of his outbursts. “I don’t make excuses, I’m not particularly proud of it, but any time anything like this has happened, it’s been in defence of Elton or Bernie’s not for personal reasons.”

To me an isolated incident is that, when there are several incidents it means he has a violent nature, Queen drummer Roger Taylor said of Reid in the 2011 Queen documentary Days of Our Lives. “He was very fiery and very feisty, but so were we.” However Veteran British singer-songwriter Mike Batt defended Reid in an interview after the release of Rocketman saying the depiction was especially callous, and that the "portrayal as an uncaring sex-god manipulator is weapons-grade character assassination.”

His current whereabouts are unknown, though reports list him as living in Australia or London.

Reid was portrayed by Irish actor Aidan Gillen in the Film Bohemian Rhapsody and in Rocketman by Scottish actor Richard Madden.

[teecupangel]

What if all of Desmond's ancestors find something similar to a phone and when they turn it on it instantly connects to Desmond's phone so they have this video call and there's confusion and scepticism on their side while Desmond is freaking out because this definitely did not happen in the animus

Clay is also in the phone because I won't get over his death-

It could be something inconspicuous like a mirror. Maybe a simple mirror that Altaïr saw in a marketplace while he was traveling with Maria and he bought it on a whim, could feel something about it that just attracted him so he was curious to know what it was.

Then Desmond’s phone starts vibrating while he’s in the Grand Temple, just looking around and stretching his legs and that’s weird, he was sure it was in silent mode. The others were busy setting up on the van so they could go to Manhattan to get the first power source so imagine his surprise when he just takes out his phone and it accepts the call immediately without him pressing anything.

Only to be greeted by Altaïr mirroring his surprised expression.

Oh shit.

His Bleed was getting worse.

Then Altaïr speaks to ask who he was and how was he appearing in his mirror and Desmond’s just like… what mirror?

Thankfully, Desmond got in touch with an Altaïr who was more receptible to his claims, although Desmond was already annoyed by the many ways Altaïr could say the phrase “prove it” and this was their 'first meeting'.

Altaïr become more like a call buddy that seemed to always call whenever Desmond is alone and away from the Animus. Altaïr explained that it was like he knew when to call Desmond and, any time he tried to force it, the mirror would just show his own reflection.

Then one day, Desmond gets another call while he’s on the call with Altaïr and it accepted it immediately, splitting his ‘videocall’ with Altaïr with a confused and startled Ezio.

They learned that Ezio has a similar mirror, might even be the actual same mirror as he received the mirror from a supposed descendant of Altaïr’s who visited Roma because there is a ‘prophecy’ about how the mirror must be given to the first man to be called Ezio Auditore.

A few days after Ezio started joining their videocalls (and sometimes, Desmond only gets one of them but they say they never get connected to one another, only Desmond), Desmond gets another call and he’s ready for this. He knows it was only a matter of time before Ratonhnhaké:ton joins the call.

Then the call is accepted and Desmond is surprised because…

“CLAY?!”

“Finally got thru to you, Seventeen! Goddamn, signal here in the Gray sucks as- … Is that Ezio and Altaïr? Why are you connecte-……… Oh. Oh. Seventeen… Desmond… I… might have fucked up.”

Unorganized Notes:

So turns out Clay trying to contact Desmond from the Gray caused Desmond’s ancestors to be able to contact Desmond. That was not intentional.

Ratonhnhaké:ton will also join the call. I was thinking he should get the mirror after he officially becomes the mentor, have an Italian Assassin who is a descendant of Ezio give it to him because of a prophecy that an Assassin named ‘Ratonhnhaké:ton’ must have the mirror.

Don’t know if we should include Edward. If we do, he gets the mirror after he becomes the mentor of the London Brotherhood and ‘settled down’. This does mean that the Ezio's descendant would give it to Edward and not Ratonhnhaké:ton. Ratonhnhaké:ton instead would get it from Jenny who found it in a secret compartment Edward had with the note that it should be given to his grandson.

The connection will definitely fuck the timeline though but it takes a while for Desmond to finally get them to believe his words. Of course, he thinks the only tragedy he can prevent is the death of Altaïr’s loved ones but Altaïr realized that he could use the information he gained from Desmond and the others to set up ‘plans’ to help Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton instead. He wasn’t sure if it would work so he didn’t tell anyone.

They only realized it worked when Ezio called Desmond and told him that his father and brothers are alive and he now has two completely different sets of memories.

Those who can contact Desmond are the only ones who can remember the previous past events that they had changed

[thepastisalreadywritten]

25 July 2024

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will see competitors parade on boats along the River Seine through central Paris on Friday.

An unprecedented security operation is in place, with organisers also facing challenges over the cleanliness of the Seine, costs and the environmental impact of the Games.

When are the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games?

The summer Olympics run from 26 July to 11 August, with 10,500 athletes competing in 329 events.

The Paralympics take place from 28 August to 8 September, featuring 4,400 athletes in 549 events.

There will be 206 countries represented at the Olympics, and 184 at the Paralympics.

Where will Olympic and Paralympic events take place?

The main athletics events will be at the Stade de France, on the northern outskirts of Paris.

There are also Olympic and Paralympic venues in the city centre.

The Pont d'Iena, for example, is hosting cycling events, while beach volleyball is at the Eiffel Tower and the marathon starts at the Hotel de Ville and ends at Les Invalides.

Is the Seine clean enough for swimming?

Open water swimming and triathlon events are due to take place in the Seine, more than 100 years after swimming in the river was banned.

Tests done in mid-June showed that levels of E. coli in the water were 10 times the acceptable level.

However, Games organisers hope July sunshine and measures like a rainwater storage basin will make it clean enough.

Ahead of the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip to try to prove the river was safe.

How are France's security forces preparing for the Games?

The Games will be protected by the largest peacetime deployment of security forces in French history

Up to 75,000 police, soldiers and hired guards will be on patrol in Paris at any one time to guard venues and events.

The use of the Seine for the opening ceremony, with crowds watching the parade from the banks, is a first for the modern Olympics.

The original plan was to give free tickets to 600,000 members of the public to watch from the river's banks.

However, the government was worried about potential threats such as a drone attack, and spectator numbers were scaled back to 326,000.

More than 220,000 of those will be invited guests and 104,000 will be members of the public who have bought tickets.

Some 44,000 barriers have been erected, with QR codes for residents and others seeking access to the river Seine and its islands.

Many of the barriers will be removed after the opening ceremony.

Intelligence services uncovered two plots against the country by suspected Islamic militants in early 2024.

In May, a man was detained on suspicion of planning an attack on the torch relay in Bordeaux, and another man was arrested in southern France over a plan to attack an Olympic football venue.

How much are the Games costing?

The cost of this year's Games is estimated to be about 9bn euros (£7.6bn), less than any of the previous four Games — in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Beijing.

Much of the funding is coming from private companies, as well as sales of tickets and broadcasting rights.

The government's official auditors have said it may have to pay between 3bn and 5bn euros (£2.5bn and £4.2bn) for costs such as policing.

Are the Games environmentally friendly?

The organising committee of Paris 2024 has promised to make it the greenest Games in Olympic history, with half the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The Games will be held in the same city where, in 2015, world leaders agreed to try to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5C.

About 95% of the Olympic and Paralympic sites are either existing structures or temporary ones.

The organisers say they are using as much recycled material as they can — including recycled cardboard beds for athletes — and trying to minimise carbon emissions.

However, it has been reported that thousands of air-conditioning units have been ordered for Olympic Village rooms by some national teams.

Are the Games pushing up prices in Paris?

Millions of visitors are expected in Paris during the Games, with ticket holders expected to spend an estimated 2.6bn euros (£2.2bn).

Hoteliers in Paris pushed up their rates, in many cases doubling them or more, in anticipation of a big rise in demand.

But there have been reports that many hotels have had unexpectedly low sales.

Bus and metro fares are also doubling in the capital during the Games.

In January, the Louvre art gallery put up its entrance fees by almost 30%.