#Improving customer service response time

[teamcrm]

Customer Experience with CRM: Unlocking Five Key Benefits

Customer experience (CX) has emerged as a critical differentiator. Companies that prioritize CX are reaping the rewards, enjoying increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, revenue. Customer relationship management (CRM) software plays a pivotal role in enhancing CX by providing a centralized platform to manage customer interactions, gather insights, and personalize experiences. 

Table of content

Gain a 360 Degree View of the Customer

Personalize Customer Interactions

Improve Customer Service Response Time

Proactively Identify and Address Customer Issues

Foster Customer Loyalty and Advocacy

1. Gain a 360-Degree View of the Customer

CRM systems consolidate customer data from various sources, including sales, marketing, and support interactions, into a single, unified view. This comprehensive overview provides businesses with a deep understanding of each customer's preferences, purchase history, and support needs. With this knowledge, companies can tailor their interactions to each individual, creating a more personalized and satisfying experience.

2. Personalize Customer Interactions

By leveraging the insights gained from a 360-degree customer view, businesses can personalize marketing campaigns, make product recommendations, and support interactions. For example, CRM data can be used to send targeted email campaigns based on past purchases or interests, or to recommend products that align with a customer's preferences. This personalized approach fosters stronger customer relationships and increases the likelihood of repeat purchases.

3. Improve Customer Service Response Times

CRM systems streamline communication and collaboration between departments, enabling businesses to respond to customer inquiries and requests more quickly and efficiently. With all customer information readily available, support agents can quickly access past interactions and provide accurate and personalized responses. This responsiveness demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and can help resolve issues promptly, preventing frustration and churn.

4. Proactively Identify and Address Customer Issues

CRM data can be analyzed to identify trends and patterns in customer behavior, enabling businesses to proactively identify potential issues and take steps to address them before they escalate. For instance, CRM data might reveal a spike in customer complaints related to a particular product or service. By analyzing this feedback, businesses can identify root causes and implement improvements before the issue becomes widespread.

5. Foster Customer Loyalty and Advocacy

By consistently delivering personalized and responsive customer experiences, businesses can cultivate loyal customers who become brand advocates. Satisfied customers are more likely to make repeat purchases, recommend the company to others, and provide positive feedback. This positive word-of-mouth can significantly impact a brand's reputation and attract new customers.

Conclusion,

Customer experience (CX) has emerged as a critical differentiator in today's competitive business landscape. Companies that prioritize CX are reaping the benefits of increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, revenue. CRM software plays a pivotal role in enhancing CX by providing a centralized platform to manage customer interactions, gather insights,

FAQ's

1: What is the role of CRM in enhancing CX?

CRM software provides a centralized platform to manage customer interactions, gather insights, and personalize experiences.

2: How does CRM help gain a 360-degree view of the customer?

CRM consolidates customer data from various sources into a single, unified view, providing a comprehensive understanding of each customer.

3: How does CRM enable personalized customer interactions?

By leveraging customer insights, CRM allows businesses to tailor marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and support interactions to each individual.

4: How does CRM improve customer service response times?

CRM streamlines communication and collaboration between departments, enabling faster and more efficient responses to customer inquiries and requests.

5: How does CRM foster customer loyalty and advocacy?

Consistent personalized and responsive customer experiences cultivate loyal customers who become brand advocates, driving repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth.

[supercantaloupe]

i had a meeting to discuss the grad fellowship job and while it was overwhelmingly positive and both myself and the professor/faculty are happy and excited for me to take the job my stupid fucking brain can't stop turning over the one (1) slightly negative comment i got regarding my candidacy/qualification like shawarma

[mollyjames]

Even in food service, there is the demand for exponential growth. Each store has a profit target you're expected to hit every quarter. Each quarter the target gets bigger and bigger. The only way to make sure you hit or exceed that target is to increase sales or cut costs. Sales can only go so far though, so at a certain point there is the understandable temptation (not justifiable, but understandable) for your manager to start cutting hours. Once they do, your location has entered a Death Spiral.

The thing about the Death Spiral is it is nearly impossible to escape. It starts innocuous enough, with a few hours getting shaved off every week. And true enough at first you probably didn't need those hours. They were the slack, the extra hands that helped distribute the work and made it easier on everyone. You might not even notice they're gone. Maybe the morning rush is a little harder to handle, maybe there isn't as much time to chat as there used to be. But on the whole nothing has changed. You're still hitting your sales quota and, hey, everyone seems to be working a little harder. That's good, right?

Then the next quarter rolls around. You exceeded your quota. Upper management is very excited. But now your new quota is even higher than it would have been if you had simply performed to expectations. You raise prices a bit, push more expensive drinks, and sure, cut a few more hours. Bit by bit the slack gets tighter. The fat gets trimmed. All because continual growth, continual improvement, is not just demanded, but expected.

The endgame of the Death Spiral is the expectation that every worker will operate at 100% efficacy 100% of of the time, and that nothing will go wrong ever. It never reaches this point, as any food service worker will tell you, shit goes wrong. Service gets worse, you lose a few customers, and you miss your quota. This is the point of no return, because the only way to solve the problem is to add more hours. But there's no way upper management will approve spending more money. On a failing store? Don't be ridiculous. Maybe get those numbers up and we'll consider adding hours back. But the only way to get those numbers up is with no hours. It's a Catch-22. You're trapped. Slowly, inevitably, the store fails, and then closes.

The Death Spiral is a doomed strategy, but it is the one corporations push in response to investor pressure. It tricks workers into more work for the promise of relief later, if they do well and succeed, not realizing they'll only be asked to do even more next time. So how do you fight it? Know your worth. Don't let anyone give you more work without some kind of kickback. Don't fool yourself into thinking that being indispensable will lead to a reward later.

But the best defense? Join a union.

[growing-business-blogs]

Enhancing Customer Experience with Cloud Solutions

In today’s competitive business landscape, enhancing customer experience is paramount. Cloud solutions have emerged as a pivotal technology in this arena, offering numerous benefits that help businesses improve customer satisfaction, streamline operations, and drive growth. This blog explores how leveraging cloud solutions can transform customer experience, making it more personalized, efficient, and responsive.

Personalized Customer Interactions

Cloud solutions enable businesses to gather and analyze vast amounts of customer data, providing insights that can be used to personalize interactions. By leveraging cloud-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, companies can track customer preferences, purchase history, and behavior patterns. This data-driven approach allows for tailored recommendations and personalized communication, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Example : E-commerce platforms use cloud-based analytics to suggest products based on a customer’s browsing and purchase history, creating a personalized shopping experience.

Improved Accessibility and Convenience

Cloud solutions offer enhanced accessibility, allowing customers to interact with businesses anytime, anywhere. Whether through cloud-based mobile apps or responsive web platforms, customers can access services and support at their convenience. This round-the-clock availability significantly improves customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Faster Response Times and Better Support

With cloud solutions, businesses can improve their response times and offer better support to their customers. Cloud-based customer service platforms enable support teams to access customer information quickly, collaborate in real-time, and resolve issues efficiently. Additionally, the use of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, hosted on the cloud, ensures that customers receive instant responses to their queries.

Example: Telecommunications companies use cloud-based customer service platforms to manage support tickets and provide quick resolutions, reducing wait times and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

Cloud solutions facilitate better collaboration and communication both within the business and with customers. By using cloud-based collaboration tools, teams can work together seamlessly, share information, and coordinate efforts to improve customer service. This collaborative approach ensures that customer issues are addressed promptly and effectively.

Example: Healthcare providers use cloud-based platforms to share patient information across departments, ensuring coordinated care and better patient outcomes.

Scalability and Flexibility

Cloud solutions offer scalability and flexibility, allowing businesses to adapt to changing customer demands quickly. Whether it’s scaling up resources during peak times or deploying new features and services, the cloud provides the infrastructure needed to meet customer expectations without significant delays.

Example: Retailers use cloud solutions to handle increased traffic during holiday seasons, ensuring that their e-commerce platforms remain responsive and efficient.

Data Security and Privacy

Ensuring data security and privacy is crucial for maintaining customer trust. Cloud service providers offer advanced security measures, including encryption, regular security updates, and compliance with industry standards, to protect sensitive customer information. This enhances customer confidence and fosters long-term relationships.

Example: Financial institutions rely on cloud providers that comply with stringent regulatory standards to protect customer data and ensure privacy.

Leveraging cloud solutions is a strategic move for businesses aiming to enhance their customer experience. From personalized interactions and improved accessibility to faster support and robust security, the benefits of cloud technology are manifold. By integrating cloud solutions into their operations, businesses can not only meet but exceed customer expectations, driving satisfaction, loyalty, and growth.Their Private Cloud solutions offer a combination of the security and control of single-tenancy cloud environment that you need for mission-critical systems while also delivering the economic viability and resiliency of public cloud. Their Private Cloud solutions are designed to meet the needs of different enterprise workloads, such as core banking, ERP, AI/ML, and Big Data, to name a few. For more insights on how cloud solutions can transform your business, Please visit here www.zeacloud.com.

[glancetelecom]

We don't just offer traditional communication solutions. We're at the forefront of innovation, leveraging the power of AI to take your interactions to the next level. Experience the difference with Crystal-clear VoIP calls, Effortless SMS solutions and AI-powered features. https://bit.ly/4cG4F2U #GlanceTelecom #AI #Communication #Results #VoIP #SMS #BusinessSuccess #CloudSolutions #CustomerSuccess Glance Telecom

[the-joy-of-knowledge]

How to answer tough interview questions.

Subscribing to the Harvard Business Review was one of the best decisions I made. I have learned so much about career development, personal branding, and job crafting. This article summarizes some of the questions you will get asked in a behavioral interview (courtesy of HBR) and I have included my responses to all of them. Assume I am seeking a HR role in a Fortune 500 company

Tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief?

How did you hear about this position?

What type of work environment do you prefer?

How do you deal with pressure or a stressful situation?

Do you prefer working independently or on a team?

How do you keep yourself organized when balancing multiple projects?

What did you do in the last year to improve your knowledge?

Tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief?

I grew up in small country in West Africa. I went to a great school through scholarship with the condition that I would pay it forward to the younger generation. So, after high-school I spent two years teaching math to elementary school kids. It was there I discovered my interest of people development. I enjoyed taking a kid from "I don't like math to can I get more homework? When I moved to the U.S for college I chose to study Psychology with a minor in Organizational Development. And my internship as a Human Capital Manager has allowed me to further develop my communication and leadership skills.

How did you hear about this position?

I learned about this position through Stacy Williams. She was one of the panelists on the fireside chat I convened in my school on the importance of women in leadership positions. I followed up with her through a coffee chat. She really enjoyed her job and the company culture. Her enthusiasm about her work encouraged me to apply and I am really excited to be going through the interview process.

What type of work environment do you prefer?

I thrive in environments where I am constantly learning. A place where each days brings a fresh set of challenges that I can solve. I also like working with teams where we can collaborate on tasks and brainstorm solution-oriented ideas. In my former internship I worked with an incredible team as a project manager in the human resources division and I worked on certain projects where I had full creative control on the outcome. I enjoyed the balance of both.

How do you deal with pressure or a stressful situation?

Stressful situations are inevitable and I learned to navigate them successful throughout my college career and my various internships. The first time I came across a stressful situation was in my Sophomore year. I worked as a customer service representative at a big department store and it was holiday season. You can imagine the amount of pressure - long lines of customers all waiting to get attended too. Instead of succumbing to the pressure I made sure to really understand the pain point of each customer which were long wait times and stock outs. If we were out of one brand of sparkling water, I would quickly recommend a different brand. If lines were long, I would go to the floor to help the bagging process. Customers left feeling satisfied with their shopping experience. Overtime, I have realized that the key to dealing with pressure is willingly choosing to complete the tasks with a positive mindset instead of worrying.

Do you prefer working independently or on a team?

I like a mix of both. I enjoy working on a team. The process of strategizing with my teammates on the best way to approach a problem allows for critical analysis and diverse points of view. Wh I also build camaraderie and trust with them while we tackle big problems. I enjoy working alone as well because I get to see how I approach different problems and compare my current performance to my previous ones. Working alone also gives me an opportunity to get feedback from my managers on my progress or areas of improvement. I like a balance of both.

How do you keep yourself organized when balancing multiple projects?

I am used to working on multiple projects. A typical semester for me is juggling between my classes, weekend job, extracurricular activities, and passion projects. So to stay on top of my deadlines and due dates I like to prioritize my tasks based on their level of urgency and importance. I use the time blocking method to schedule time for my projects. I take advantage of tools like Google calendar to keep track of due dates and appointments and Notion to manage big projects.

What did you do in the last year to improve your knowledge?

Last summer, I took some time off to really learn about veganism. It seemed intimidating at first because I did not know enough. So I turned to research to understand the facts. I began making home-cooked meals by following recipes from people I trusted and liked on YouTube. As I began noticing changes in my gut health and productivity levels, I started a blog to share my experiences. Now my blog has over 500 enthusiastic vegans who are on the same journey as I am. it was one of the best investment I made in myself.

The Big Pivot

[nocturniashifter]

BOOKING STATUS: CLOSED!

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Hello! Welcome to this space – if you're interested in booking a reading with me, you have come to the right place! Here, you will find all the information you need to order a reading with me, so read carefully. If you still have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments, dm or ask – I'll be happy to answer you.

If you still have doubts about whether or not you should order a paid reading with me, take a look at the reviews from people who have already ordered <3

ᯓ★ By purchasing from me, you acknowledge that tarot readings are intended for entertainment purposes only and shouldn't be used as substitute for professional advice, treatment, or any similar service. Please remember that the future is not set in stone, and you are responsible for any actions you take based on these readings.

𓈒 𝗜𝗜𝗫 ㅤ𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬

✦ Payment is accepted through Ko-fi or PayPal (I accept payments in euros, dollars, and reais). Please note that on Ko-fi, payment is only in dollars. If you prefer to pay in other currencies, send me a message, and I'll provide a payment link via PayPal.

✦ After receiving your reading, I kindly ask you to leave feedback to help improve my services.

✦ Minors are not permitted to purchase 18+ readings; if you misrepresent your age, you will be blacklisted.

✦ Deliveries can take up to one week. However, if you order multiple readings, the timeframe may extend, but I will keep you updated.

✦ I don't do readings with themes related to: health, pregnancy, death or deceased people, past lives, spirits/entities or related to time (example “when will I get married?”).

✦ I don't provide refunds in cases where the person only wants to ask for a refund because they didn't hear what they wanted – the cards don't say what we want to hear but rather what we need. I only refund if the reading really doesn't resonate with you and if I exceed the delivery deadline.

✦ If you're interested in a reading that isn't listed here, feel free to reach out for a custom reading or to create your own package.

𓈒 𝗜𝗜𝗫 ㅤ𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

✦ To order a reading, please fill out the form with the required information.

✦ Payment must be completed on Ko-fi or PayPal before the reading is delivered, and when filling out the form, please send a screenshot of your payment confirmation.

✦ As my readings are typically long and detailed, your reading will be delivered in PDF format, you can choose whether you prefer to receive it through Tumblr or email.

✦ I also offer a "loyalty card" program – for every reading you schedule and I deliver, you receive a sticker. Complete all the stickers, and you will earn a free reading of your choice.

𓈒 𝗜ㅤ𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥 (PROMOTION VALID UNTIL 03/11!)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭'𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 💌 ⊹ ꒱ Delve deep into the feelings and thoughts your partner has about you. What silent whispers do they carry in their hearts and how do they really feel when they think of you? 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐆𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 💌 ⊹ ꒱ Explore the depths of your relationship with your significant other. Discover the beautiful moments you’ve shared, explore how your s/o acts in everyday life with you, the challenges you face, and how you can overcome them together 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 💌 ⊹ ꒱ Uncover the tender and heartwarming moments you’ve shared with your s/o in your DR. What sweet gestures do they make, and how do they express love in their unique way? 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐑𝐞𝐝 & 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 💌 ⊹ ꒱ Learn about the red and green flags in your relationship with your s/o – what aspects of their personality you should be aware of and what makes them a great partner. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 💌 ⊹ ꒱ How does your s/o react when they feel jealous? Discover their subtle (or not-so-subtle) cues when they feel protective of you and how their jealousy reveals their deep affection. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 💌 ⊹ ꒱ How does your s/o comfort you when you are feeling down, sick, or just unwell? Discover the ways they show their care during difficult times.🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 💌 ⊹ ꒱ In quiet moments, your s/o daydreams about you. What hopes, fantasies, and visions do they have of your future together? Step into the dreams they weave when they think of you. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 💌 ⊹ ꒱ Your s/o is captivated by something uniquely you – whether it's your charm, your smile, or the way you carry yourself. Find out what makes you so irresistibly attractive in their eyes and why they can’t look away. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 📜 ⊹ ꒱ This is more than just a message – it’s a full channeled letter from your s/o. At least 2 pages of their most profound feelings, dreams, and thoughts, written as though they were speaking directly to you. You can choose to write a message to your s/o and receive a thoughtful response or leave it more general, focusing on what you need to hear. 🏷 $10 | €10

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒/𝐎 💌 ⊹ ꒱ An extensive and insightful reading that unveils everything about your s/o: their first impressions of you, their current feelings and thoughts about your relationship, how they comfort you when you're down, possible challenges you may face, and how to navigate them. Discover what makes you attractive in their eyes, their likes and dislikes, potential red flags, green flags, their vision for the future of your relationship, and a channeled letter. If you want to know it all, this is the reading for you. 🏷$10 | €10 (Delivery time for this package may take up to 1 month due to the extensive and detailed nature of the reading)

𓈒 𝗜𝗜ㅤ𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 (PROMOTION VALID UNTIL 03/11!)

𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 💋 ⊹ ꒱ Uncover your s/o’s deepest fantasies and kinks about you. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 💋 ⊹ ꒱ Discover what your s/o is like in bed with you. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 💋 ⊹ ꒱ How does your s/o take care of you after your intimate moments? Explore the tender and loving aftercare they offer to make you feel cherished and safe. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 💋 ⊹ ꒱ What about you turns your s/o on the most? Discover what excites them, what makes their heart race, and how you ignite their inner fire. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 💋 ⊹ ꒱ A deeply personal and explicit channeled letter from your s/o, revealing their rawest, most intimate desires and fantasies about you. This letter will dive into their sexual thoughts, how they feel in your most intimate moments, and what they dream of doing with you. Minimum 2 full pages. 🏷 $10 | €10

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒/𝐎 +18 💋 ⊹ ꒱ The ultimate NSFW package that combines all the above readings into one deeply detailed exploration of your s/o’s desires, fantasies, and intimate life with you. This includes everything: fantasies, kinks, what excites them, how they are in bed, aftercare, and a channeled letter. If you want to know it all, this is the reading for you. 🏷 $10 | €10 (Delivery time for this package may take up to 1 month due to the extensive and detailed nature of the reading.)

𓈒 𝗜𝗜𝗜ㅤ𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 (PROMOTION VALID UNTIL 03/11!)

𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝? 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ Dive into a world of possibilities with this yes/no reading. Get a detailed analysis of your questions with insights into the reasons behind the answers. You can ask up to 3 questions. 🏷 $4.00 | €4.75

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ An in-depth reading that explores your current state on your shifting journey. Discover what's "preventing" you from shifting, how to overcome these "blockages," your biggest strengths and weaknesses, plus detailed advice tailored for your journey. 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ Ask any question that’s on your mind, and receive a thoughtful, detailed response. Perfect for uncovering insights on various topics. 🏷 $5 | €4.75 (per question)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ Explore the dynamics of your friendships. What do your friends think and feel about you? How is your relationship with them, including any potential problems and how to resolve them? Discover the unique bond you share with 1-3 friends. ($3 for each additional friend) 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 📝 ⊹ ꒱ Receive a personalized channeled letter of at least two pages from one of your friends. You can choose to write a message to your friend and receive a thoughtful response or leave it more general, focusing on what you need to hear. 🏷 $10 | €10

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ Discover the initial impressions that others in your DR have of you. What do they notice first, and how do their perceptions shape their interactions with you 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ Uncover what your friends and acquaintances in your DR truly think and feel about you. What qualities do they admire? 🏷 $5 | €4,70

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 🌙 ⊹ ꒱ Explore the traits and attributes that make your DR self so irresistible. What draws people to you, and how does your presence impact those around you? 🏷 $5 | €4,70

[rideboomindia]

Based on the search results, here are some innovative technologies that RideBoom could implement to enhance the user experience and stay ahead of ONDC:

Enhanced Safety Measures: RideBoom has already implemented additional safety measures, including enhanced driver background checks, real-time trip monitoring, and improved emergency response protocols. [1] To stay ahead, they could further enhance safety by integrating advanced telematics and AI-powered driver monitoring systems to ensure safe driving behavior.

Personalized and Customizable Services: RideBoom could introduce a more personalized user experience by leveraging data analytics and machine learning to understand individual preferences and offer tailored services. This could include features like customizable ride preferences, personalized recommendations, and the ability to save preferred routes or driver profiles. [1]

Seamless Multimodal Integration: To provide a more comprehensive transportation solution, RideBoom could integrate with other modes of transportation, such as public transit, bike-sharing, or micro-mobility options. This would allow users to plan and book their entire journey seamlessly through the RideBoom app, enhancing the overall user experience. [1]

Sustainable and Eco-friendly Initiatives: RideBoom has already started introducing electric and hybrid vehicles to its fleet, but they could further expand their green initiatives. This could include offering incentives for eco-friendly ride choices, partnering with renewable energy providers, and implementing carbon offset programs to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. [1]

Innovative Payment and Loyalty Solutions: To stay competitive with ONDC's zero-commission model, RideBoom could explore innovative payment options, such as integrated digital wallets, subscription-based services, or loyalty programs that offer rewards and discounts to frequent users. This could help attract and retain customers by providing more value-added services. [2]

Robust Data Analytics and Predictive Capabilities: RideBoom could leverage advanced data analytics and predictive modeling to optimize their operations, anticipate demand patterns, and proactively address user needs. This could include features like dynamic pricing, intelligent routing, and personalized recommendations to enhance the overall user experience. [1]

By implementing these innovative technologies, RideBoom can differentiate itself from ONDC, provide a more seamless and personalized user experience, and stay ahead of the competition in the on-demand transportation market.

[fuck-customers]

I'm sorry this isn't exactly what this blog is for, but I was hoping it could slide. I have something at work that I'd like the opinions of mods and followers, if possible please.

I was wondering if I should ask for/pursue a promotion to store lead, as several people in my life, including friends, family, and a very persistent (annoying) coworker, have been pressuring me to do so. But I have several cons and pros about it. And since all the people in my life are blindly telling me to apply to be a lead, they won't listen to what my concerns are and say that I'm just being stubborn and difficult without listening to why I'm hesitating. So here's why

Pros:

•it would look good on my resume

•get paid $2 more per hour

•I'd get paid for training. Yay

•it may force me to get better at responsibility, as I'd be in charge of keys and codes

•I'd get slightly more hours per week (more on that below)

•I would get to freely move around the store as I'm doing my tasks vs. being trapped at the register area as I've currently been, which is great for me personally, because I hate being trapped at one station

•I may be able to fix some things around the store that have been driving me nuts as a result of being free to move around (such as changing the godawful music)

•it would probably be a needed confidence booster

•I have several ideas of things we could and should be doing that would greatly improve the store and maybe my manager would actually listen to a lead vs. a regular employee, as she currently refuses to listen to my suggestions (which, for the record, are things like "hey maybe we should put price tags on the products" not only does she refuse to listen, she actively goes out of her way to undo the work I do and tear down price tags/signs)

Cons:

•store leads ≠ full time and current leads get the same amount of hours that I do, give or take 3 hours or so (for example, this current week I have 9 hours, the lead who has been pressuring me to become a lead has 10 hours, and other leads have between 10-15 hours) I would already be a lead if it was a full-time position, but that will not happen. I'd even consider it if there was a significant increase in hours while still being part-time. 1-3 hours more is not an increase in my opinion

•the store is severely understaffed by design and leads have to do several tasks alone at once, such as: run the service department alone, unlock anything customers need throughout the store, fill online orders, backup the cashier when needed (the only other employee in the store) get yelled at by angry customers who demand a manager and do a daily checklist from the store manager that consists of 20 or so tasks to do in a 3 hour shift.

•store leads have nearly all of the responsibilities of the store manager, except they can't hire or fire anyone and they get paid less than half of what the store manager gets paid while having to do all of the same tasks, minus the fun ones (hiring/firing people)

•there are many signs that the company may shut down in the near future, but the company and my store manager are pretending like everything is fine and refuse to discuss it with employees

•leads are also expected to go to the bank for cash deposits for the store/to get change, etc. and I do not have my own car or license (which is not something I want to mention to my manager, as I'm required to have reliable transportation to work there, I just don't have to specify whose transportation it is) and that is a job requirement of a lead that I straight up cannot do. And the public transport in my city is lackluster and taking the bus to and from the bank would easily be an hour long trip or more, when it takes someone with their own car 15-20 minutes.

•I have a very bad memory and I am not confident that I could remember all of the procedures and passcodes that managers are required to remember. I could technically write it down, but I don't want to draw attention to my terrible memory, as I've been successfully hiding it for years. Nor am I confident that I could be responsible for keys and not lose them. And realistically, I'd lose the book/accidentally delete the notes app I made notes on.

•I've been able to hide it for now, since as a regular employee, I am not watched very closely, but I cut a LOT of corners and there are several store policies that I think are extremely stupid and I either straight up don't follow them or have workarounds for them. Obviously as a lead, I'd have to stop doing that, but some of these policies strongly go against my morals. This is just a whining bulletpoint lol

•I'm not great under pressure, and I'm even worse when someone is yelling/swearing at me or talking down to me. I've seen leads get talked to like they're trash by customers and they have been able to successfully stay calm and collected. In situations where I have been yelled at or talked down to, I call a manager to back me up, but that doesn't work if I am the manager. And I don't mean that I'll cry, because in some situations, that may help. No. I mean that my natural response to stress, especially someone yelling at me, is to fight back. I will cuss them out, yell back and I have been known to physically attack. Not at work, obviously, but that's because up until now, I've been able to push aggressive customers off onto my managers. I've also successfully hidden my anger issues from management and coworkers to the point where they think I am always happy and never get mad. It helps to have someone to back me up/deflect off of, but if I am the backup, no one can defend me.

•There are several things wrong with the store that are completely out of the control of any of us employees at the physical location and are the fault of corporate, but customers blame the employees personally and as a lead, I'd have to answer for the fuckups of corporate that I genuinely cannot answer for. (Such as return policies and inventory inaccuracies)

•My manager is very shitty at communicating with her team. I've personally witnessed several incidents that were caused by her not properly communicating with her leads and I don't want to wind up in a position where I'm responsible for resolving the conflict she caused by not communicating. Also

•I have nearly zero respect for my manager. I think she is an absolute moron, but I've been able to hide it as I don't have to work/interact with her very often. As a lead, I'd have to work with her more and it may slip.

•I don't wear a nametag. I very strongly believe that nametags are a great danger to the employees, especially employees like myself who have a very uncommon name with a very uncommon spelling. Yet as a manager, I'd have to "lead by example" and wear a nametag. I would ideally wear a fake name or have several fake nametags to rotate, but my coworkers obviously know my name and would call it out.

•I'd have to double-check on this one, but I think leads, as members of management, are required to watch potential shoplifters and confront/track them down. I'm not sure if this is a requirement of a lead or if the particular leads at my store are going way beyond their job requirements/have been coached incorrectly by the store manager. I know I, as a regular employee, am not required to chase after thieves and I actively refuse to confront/chase thieves for my own safety. But I am not sure if that would change with becoming a lead. My work does not have a security guard.

•I have several ideas of things we could and should do to improve the store, but my manager is very arrogant and refuses to listen to constructive criticism or constructive feedback in any form. It would drive me insane to have to keep doing things the wrong/difficult way just because she won't listen to suggestions. And this isn't just an assumption by me. I have personally suggested things that she blatantly ignored and so have other leads.

Posted by admin Rodney

[starsreality]

do u have some ways/explanations I could logically become rich and wealthy? I wanna be a billionaire but I just can’t imagine doing that without being unethical…

I was just thinking of this question a few days ago and consulted with ChatGPT, so I have the answers ready and loaded!

Ways to become super ultra rich without having to resort to unethical or immoral methods/practices:

› Entrepreneurship: Start your own business in a growing industry. Identify a gap in the market, create a product or service that meets a need, and scale it. Focus on innovation and customer satisfaction.

› Investing: Educate yourself on investing in stocks, real estate, or other assets. Consider long-term investment strategies, such as index funds or rental properties, which can compound wealth over time.

› Build a Personal Brand: Create a strong online presence in your field. Share knowledge through blogs, podcasts, or social media, and leverage your brand for consulting, speaking engagements, or product endorsements.

› Develop Valuable Skills: Acquire skills in high-demand fields like technology, finance, or healthcare. Expertise can lead to high-paying job opportunities or freelance work.

› Networking: Build relationships with influential people in your industry. Networking can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and opportunities that can significantly boost your wealth.

› Innovate and Create: Focus on research and development in emerging fields, such as renewable energy, biotechnology, or artificial intelligence. Invent new products or improve existing ones.

› Real Estate Development: Invest in real estate, starting with rental properties or flipping houses. Learn the market and focus on areas with potential growth.

› Passive Income Streams: Create sources of passive income, such as writing books, creating online courses, or investing in dividend-paying stocks.

› Franchise Ownership: Consider investing in a reputable franchise. This can provide a proven business model and brand recognition while allowing you to operate your own business.

› Philanthropy and Ethical Investing: Invest in socially responsible businesses or initiatives. This can lead to both financial returns and positive societal impact, enhancing your reputation and network.

Ways to “stumble” into wealth without (directly) hoarding wealth:

› Inheriting Wealth: Unexpectedly inheriting wealth from a distant unknown relative or family friend.

› Winning the Lottery: Not a very sustainable source of income but it works.

› Discovering Hidden Talents: Uncovering a unique skill or talent that becomes highly valued—like writing a bestselling book or creating viral content.

› Investing Early: Accidentally investing in a promising startup or stock that later skyrockets in value.

› Networking: Making a valuable connection at a social event that leads to a lucrative job or business opportunity.

› Crowdfunding Success: Launching a project that resonates with a broad audience, leading to substantial financial backing.

› Accidental Invention: Creating a product by chance that fills a market need, like a popular app or gadget.

[randy-inks-writing-blog]

Lonely (Lucifer x Hellborn! GN Reader)

—————————————

Just some fluff with sad boi Lucifer for fun. Tell me what you think and what I can improve on!

Edit: You can read the fanfic on Ao3

—————————————

Succubuses and incubuses are known for their sexual activities. You, however, choose a distinct career path. Instead, you use your skills to comfort people. Give them a little massage, or a talk too. Many people are surprised to find lots of sinners have parent issues. On rare occasions, customers just want to pretend that their partner is still with them. Your coworker walked up to you with a smug smile. She stops at your desk and says “Guess who just asked for your services, (y/n)” you till your head, surely must be someone important if she’s bothering you. “Who?” you ask softly. The coworker smiles wide and answers; “the king of hell, himself!” Shocked at what your coworker says, you stood up and said “Lucifer Morningstar? Do you know what he wants? Oh, dear Satan, I gotta look good for him!” Your coworker grabs your shoulders and holds you still. “(y/n) chill, he just wants someone to talk to. Just wear something comfy, your appointment is at 3 tomorrow, ok?” You nod your head. That’s enough time to calm your nerves, hopefully.

You walk up to the doors of Lucifer’s manor, quietly you knock on the door. A small old imp opens the door for you. He bows his head and tells you to follow him to Lucifer’s room. As the two of you walked, you looked at all the portraits of Lucifer’s family. Most of them were of the missing queen and their daughter, Charlie Morningstar. The butler stops right in front of Lucifer’s room. You stop right next to the imp as he knocks on Lucifer’s door. “Sire, your guest is here.” You heard a response but could barely make any words out. The butler opens the door for you, and you slowly walked in. The room is positively a mess, rubber ducks everywhere as far as you can see. You walked over to the king’s bed and gave a small bow to him. Looking at the fallen angel’s face, he like his room looks like a mess. Small tears fall down the king’s face, looks like he’s been crying for days. You sat next to the king, being mindful of your wings and tail. Lightly, you place a hand on the king’s check and softly rub it. With caution, you spoke to the king; “Your highness, is there anything specific you need?” the crying angel answers back “call me Lucifer please. And no, I just- I just need someone to hold me like Lilith once did.”

Well, that’s a bit awkward. How long has the queen been gone for again? Seven years, who knew the king of all of hell was just a lonely guy? Hey, you’re not going to judge you’re the one who took this job. You laid down next to the king and pulled him closer to you. Lucifer’s head laid right on your chest as you wrap your wings around the king. The king cried into your chest. Good thing this is a gender non-specific fanfic. “I miss my wife; I miss her a lot. Why? Why did she have to leave me? Was I not good enough?” he sobs, making the situation more awkward for you. You ran a hand through his blonde hair with a smile before you whispered. “I think you’re good enough, Lucifer. Maybe you should stop thinking about the past and think about your future.” Lucifer looks up at you with hopeful eyes quietly he ask, “Like my daughter?” You nod your head yes, but Lucifer just looks away from you. “If only it was that easy. All I can think about is the past. I’m the one of the doom of all of humanity. I’m the one who convinces Eve to eat that fruit.” You cup Lucifer’s face and make him look at you again. “While that is true, you also help make hell, and without hell there wouldn’t be imps, hellhounds, succubuses and incubuses. And those loan sharks that have those weird Italian accents yet don’t know a single word from that language.” Lucifer listens to your talk, feeling a little better. The king nuzzles into your chest once again, finding your body heat comforting. You snuggle closer to the king; this is something you’re going to brag about to your coworker. “I guess you’re right, in a way. Thank you for doing this for me. I’ll double your tip when this is over.” Lucifer softy spoke, now feeling a little sleepy. You nod your head and lightly pet Lucifer’s hair.

—————————————

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Chapter 15 - Tainted

Word count: 6,280. Read on AO3. Series Masterlist. <- Previous Chapter.

Summary: A new Overlord finds a way to hurt Alastor through Mina.

Seriously, mind the Trigger Warnings: betrayal, beating, kidnapping, torture, public humiliation, possession, racist language, religious trauma, cult brainwashing, mass suicide, abusive diet culture.

Chapter 15 - Tainted

1984

Mina had told Alastor her errand would take a minimum of an hour, but she realistically expected it to be much shorter than that. She just had to stop by, pick up the books that she had ordered, and maybe talk to Theodore for a few minutes before heading out.

Alastor had been pissy and sulking all morning about it, but his attitude quickly improved when she offered to indulge him one more time before she left. Overcome with the need to breed and claim her before she ventured out into the world, he had her bent over his workstation with her panties down and skirts hiked above her hips and had his way with her – more than once.

Before she had become thoroughly distracted by Alastor’s administrations, she had noticed the front page of the newspaper from a few days ago that he had tossed to the side of his work area. She had been able to read enough of the headline to know she really should make her trip as quick as possible.

“The Prophetess and Her Cult: Is She the Next Radio Demon?”

It was no wonder Alastor had been so quick to anger and distant before his rut had set in, if that was what he had been dealing with lately. Mina planned on returning home to him before his hormonal mind latched back onto those feelings and he acted out in some thoughtless way. Better to keep his mind on other things until he was clearheaded enough to face this new challenge intelligently.

She stepped into the bookshop and the bell above the door chimed her welcome. This place had been her first regular hangout in Hell and Theodore was one of her oldest friends.

It was charming and cozy, a very different atmosphere than many of the places Hell had to offer. Though it still had a certain demonic flare that could be seen in the furniture design and the artwork on the wall, the place felt comfortable.

It felt safe.

“Good morning,” Mina said cheerfully to the two new assistants that were manning the front desk, a rather young and harmless looking couple.

“’Morning,” the boy said, glancing up from whatever magazine he and the girl had been flipping through. He reached forward and banged the bell on the counter and Theodore popped out from a set of stacks at the back end of the shop’s front room.

“Mina!” he greeted with a smile, before giving a disapproving glare to his assistants who were lacking in customer service skills. His four arms were all full of books that he carried with him before setting them down on the front counter.

“I have your books in the backroom, if you wouldn’t mind just following me,” he said warmly to her then turned and gave a serious scowl to his cashiers. “Can you two handle things up here for just a sec?”

“Sure thing, boss,” the girl said.

Theordore sighed and looked at Mina over his spectacles and she could practically hear the phrase “kids these days” in his expression.

“Ah, if only I had been able convince you to work for me when you first arrived here,” he said wishfully and gestured towards the door to the back room. “Ladies first?”

Mina knew her way around the shop nearly as well as if she did work there and headed towards the back room, with Theodore following close behind.

She trusted him. He had been a kind and generous friend to her for the better part of a century. No part of her registered any danger or imminent threat, so when the door closed behind her, and Theodore reached for the iron bar propped against the wall next to the door, Mina didn’t notice.

And even her hyper-responsive feline reflexes couldn’t respond in time when he swung his arm high and then down, bringing the rod down on the back of her skull.

____

Alastor was lost in his notes, reviewing them to kill time while Mina was away.

Rosie had used her resources to gather as much intel on this Prophetess, their new mutual threat to their status as Overlords, and had shared the information with him for them to brainstorm and come up with a plan of attack once his rut was over.

Kassandra, as she called herself, was born Janet Perry, an unremarkable name if there ever was one. Raised in an incredibly strict Catholic household in rural Texas, she had made a name for herself as a non-denominational faith healer in her early twenties by combining religion and the rapidly growing diet culture of the mid to late 20th century in America. She preached that being overweight was a sign of idolizing food over God and that faith was the best source of nutrition. Even encouraging full blown starvation diets to her followers. It had taken her years to attain her wealth but by the time she was in her 50’s, she had become a full blown cult leader, telling her followers that she was the one true voice of God. Though at the end, she had brought the judgement of the world down on her congregation when allegations of child abuse within the cult began and nearly half of her members had left.

She had invited what was left of her most faithful followers to one large weekend getaway of worship and fasting. No one had eaten for over 48 hours when she supposedly ended it all with a twisted version of communion, giving everyone a glass of wine laced with cyanide and a drop of her own blood.

Over 200 people in the largest mass suicide ever documented in American history.

Rosie had a hypothesis that Kassandra was using a repeat of that communion ceremony to keep control of her followers that had all arrived in Hell with her. They all seemed beyond brainwashed, so hypnosis certainly had to be a part of Kassandra’s powers. The souls she owned were all gaunt, skinny to the point of looking starved, but they were wild and violent creatures, and all spoke as if the spirit of Kassandra was inside them.

It was creepy, even to Alastor.

He was actually relieved when Mina had admitted to not hearing about it. It meant she had been spared any run ins with the cult and he hated to think what kind of trouble her smart mouth might have gotten herself into, though she was usually savvy enough to know when to keep a low profile.

When his thoughts returned to Mina, he sat up. How long had she been gone?

A glance at the clock told him over two hours.

That couldn’t have been right.

She had said she was just getting a few books from Theodore’s. He may have put on a dramatic show of pouting and teasing her about leaving him in his hour of need but in reality, he trusted her to make quick work of it. There was no way she would willingly be gone for this long on a day like today.  

Alastor didn’t usually get feelings of anxiety or dread, but suddenly he had the feeling something was incredibly wrong.

He should have sent his shadow with her, just in case. Though he had never been that far apart from it, it would have been a safety net for her. Kassandra was an unknown threat and seemed very unstable. Any of Alastor’s other rivals wouldn’t dare go after Mina. Even Vox, who would love a chance to expose any of his weaknesses, would think of going after her as low. A cheap shot. Displays of power should be just that . . . impressive to behold.

Kassandra didn’t seem like the type to care about such things.

If Alastor hadn’t been in his damn rut, he wouldn’t have lost so much time obsessing over those notes all morning. He would have even gone with Mina. Hell, Mina only made the trip because she was preparing for the worst of his cycle to begin.

The thought that this was all his fault had just crossed his mind before he brushed it away.

He didn’t even know for certain that Mina was in danger. She was just gone for longer than he expected. He was probably overreacting-

The phone rang.

Alastor stared at it as the sound of its ringing filled the room. His shadow grew larger, detached itself from Alastor, and hovered over the phone mounted on the wall, pinning its two-dimensional ears back as the high-pitched ringing of the device assaulted its senses.

Very few people had the number of that phone. And it hadn’t rung in years.

Alastor walked over to it and wordlessly picked it up.

“Alastor?” a woman’s voice asked. He recognized it as one of Rosie’s favorite souls in Cannibal Town.

“Yes, dear,” he answered, his voice steady. Cheerful even.

“Alastor, you need to get here. Right now. Mina’s here and she’s . . . something is really, really wrong with her. Rosie has her subdued but . . . just get here.”

Alastor hung up the phone without replying. His shadow leaped towards him, and they joined together, speeding to Cannibal Town faster than they had ever moved before.

____

A short while earlier . . .

Mina was cold.

It was not a sensation that she had felt in a very long time. A lifetime, really.

Hell was warm on its best days, sweltering on most. Mina actually enjoyed the acid rain showers that often came in the winter and spring because at least one could open a window and let a cool breeze in.

But the floor beneath her was hard and cold. Her body felt much too stiff and sluggish, too slow to respond as she began to regain consciousness.  And there was something sticky beneath her.

Blood.

Lots of her own blood.

Her sweater and dress were gone, leaving most of her skin exposed to the air around her and the tile beneath her.

No wonder she was cold.

Mina tried to blink and could only open one eye.

A trio of ghouls were staring at her. That was the word she had come up with the first time they had come for her. Ghouls. Their skin was the bloodless gray color of corpses, their eyes sunken and jaundice yellow, their bodies lean to the point of exposing every joint and tendon. They weren’t much more than skeletons with tightly clinging dead flesh.

This last beating had been the worst of the four rounds she had been put through. She had felt her back break and had actually been relieved because at least half of the pain in her body had suddenly been gone as paralysis set in.

Mina rubbed her toes, grateful to her immortal body for its rapid healing abilities but worrying at the bit of numbness and weakness she still felt in one leg.

“Not very creative, are you lot?” she laughed, and spit up a bunch of blood. Oh, she had forgotten what it was like to have lungs full of that stuff. “I could teach you a few things if you wanted. The art of torture has so much to offer besides just blunt force trauma.”

The three demons continued to watch her silently.

Mina tried to pull herself up to stand but could only manage to sit up awkwardly if she leaned against the wall behind her. As much as she wanted to use her limbs to cover her exposed body, she made her arms hang limp at her sides. Acting modest right then would look like a sign of weakness so she tried to embody the spirit of the more modern souls in Hell and pretended to be perfectly comfortable sitting there in her bra and knickers.

“I don’t see any angelic steel, so you’re not trying to kill me,” she said through painful, wheezing breaths. Several of her ribs must have been broken or displaced. “But you haven’t asked me any questions either. Which, honestly, I get. Torture really is a terrible way to get information out of someone.” She paused, swallowing hard, fighting back a wave a vertigo. “So, you’re just doing this to make a point, right? And I’ve never seen your kind here in Hell, so you must be new. And you’ve managed to do something to me to keep me weak and unable to fight back. But this is getting boring.” Mina dropped the act of nonchalance and let her anger show, lowering her voice. “So, tell your Overlord to get her bloody damn arse in here and get this over with.”

“Well, aren’t you all piss and vinegar?” a woman’s voice rang out around her, followed by laughter. Her voice was an octave above what was required to be aggravating and she spoke in the kind of brainless Texas drawl one could expect from a conservative politician’s trophy wife.

But the woman that materialized in front of Mina did not look stupid or dull. Her blond hair may have been four times the size of her actual head, her make-up may have been a touch too severe, but her eyes were cold and intelligent as she stared down at Mina’s broken body, assessing her prize.

Mina read her for what she was immediately. Arrogant. Overconfident. Narcissistic. God-complex. The kind of pageant queen “pick me girls” of her time. She was smart, but not as smart as she thought she was, and not as powerful, either.

Mina had every intention of getting out of there and knew eventually the arsenal of Overlords and one particular fallen angel that she had at her back would find a way to save her. And when they did, she would tell them whatever she learned here.

And people like Kassandra always had to fill the silence.

“What? Cat got your tongue?” The Overlord smiled, showing off her row of sharp teeth, as if they were any more intimidating than the cannibals Mina regularly dined with.

“You know, you were on to something there,” Kassandra continued, after Mina had failed to respond again. “There was no point in beating you the way we did. Other than for fun. We already had you well and subdued thanks to your faithful little friend at the bookstore.”

So, Theordore really had betrayed her. That stung a little. She wondered what Kassandra had offered him that would make him turn against her.

“Funny how some people are so quick to crumble when threatened with just a little bit of violence around here, considering its Hell. I would have thought his skin was tougher than it was. Too bad . . . for you.”

Poor, stupid Theodore. Alastor would do much worse to him when he found out about what he’d done. If Mina didn’t get to him first.

Kassandra was glaring at her now, clearly getting frustrated with Mina’s stoic demeaner.

“Weren’t you curious as to what power of mine is keeping you from morphing into your stronger form? I mean, it’s one thing to keep you from singing when you’re being repeatedly punched in the face. But to keep you from fighting back? C’mon, darlin’, you can tell me. It’s impressive, isn’t it?”

Mina rolled her eyes.

Kassandra leaned down and backhanded her, her blow landing on the side of her face with the eye that was swollen completely shut.

“Say something!” Kassandra screamed but Mina almost couldn’t process the words, the other woman’s shouting being swallowed up in temporary darkness. Mina was sure her eye socket was shattered and God knew how severe of a concussion she had. She fought with consciousness for a few seconds, willing her mind and body to keep awake.

She was back to being facedown on the floor after the vicious slap. Her ears were ringing and the vision that was left in her one open eye was blurry and spinning. But Kassandra grabbed her by the hair at the back of her head and yanked her back up.

Mina couldn’t help the reflexive hiss that came from her or the ways her ears pinned back in fear and submission. But she made her one eye look right into Kassandra’s as she growled in defiance.

“You’re Irish, aren’t you? I heard your accent when you were spouting off your nonsense earlier,” Kassandra said, holding Mina up so that their faces were nearly touching. “I bet you’re fucking Catholic, too. You and that Louisiana mullato trash you’re shacked up with.”

Oh, she was fresh off the boat to Hell if she still gave a damn about that shit. Kassandra wasn’t wrong, her and Alastor had both been baptized as babies but had turned their backs on God long before they sinned enough to warrant their places in Pride Ring. And what did the religion of the living matter when they had all ended up here together anyway?

Mina chuckled. As much as she could before her laughter turned to coughs that made her want to double over in pain if Kassandra didn’t have such a tight hold on her hair.

“What the fuck is so funny?”

“I bet you don’t even see the irony of you ending up in Hell,” Mina said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Cult leaders, murderers, sexual deviants, greedy sweatshop owners, they’re all a dime a dozen here, love. We’re all Sinners, even you, although I know your type. You refuse to see that. But you know one thing I really do love about Hell?” Mina asked, bringing her smiling and bruised face even closer to Kassandra’s. “Racists are treated like the stupid fucks they are.”

Kassandra shoved her away and Mina landed hard on the floor again, her hands doing little to stop her fall.

“Bless you heart, little girl, but you’ve got me all wrong. I’m actually tickled pink to have landed where I did. Less competition,” Kassandra said and held up one arm, rolling her sleeve up to her elbow. “You see, there’s only room for one God in each afterlife, and that’s gonna be me. You wanna know how I got you so passive and behaved enough to take a few beatings without lashing out?”

She held up the index finger of one hand and used the long claw-like fingernail to slice a bloody line across her other wrist.

“My blood. Just a drop, while you were out cold in the back of the bookshop. Imagine what a good, nourishing amount will do to you. If there’s one thing the Catholics instilled in me, it’s the importance of communion with their God. Now, be a good girl, and drink of this, which is shed for you and for many.”

Mina saw where this was going and finally began to feel real fear. She began to struggle to get up again, but it was a futile attempt. She was too weak, too broken.

“Hit her again,” Kassandra said, and her ghouls obliged.

­­­____

A car had driven up to the main entrance of Cannibal Town.

It parked, the engine left idling, as two skeletal figures stepped out of the driver and front passenger seats.

One of them opened a back passenger door and dragged out a body, limp and barely dressed, and tossed it to the ground.

“A message for Rosie and The Radio Demon,” one of the figures said to the gathering crowd of cannibals that were quickly growing angry and beginning to drool. The ghoul ignored the looming, threatening mass of hungry cannibals and gestured at the woman who laid unresponsive at his feet. “Eat shit and die.”

They hopped in the car and sped away.

Rosie had come out of her Emporium to see what all the fuss was about and saw one of her people approaching the black-haired woman on the ground.

Though the woman’s face was hidden, Rosie could see the golden-tipped, black-furred ears peaking out from the crown of the woman’s head and the slender tail that lay limp on the ground.

“Mina?” she said, though she was still quite a distance away to be sure.

She hoped it wasn’t. Whoever it was, was left in just her bra and panties, and was visibly beaten. It was impossible to tell leopard pattern spots from bruises and lacerations across the skin of the woman’s back. If that was Mina, there was no telling what Alastor would do to their city to get his revenge.

The woman began to stir. She just barely pushed herself up on her arms and then tried to stand, but one of her legs gave out and she fell back down to all fours. Then she started to crawl.

Rosie had gotten closer, she was practically running now, and the woman looked up and it was definitely Mina but there was no look of recognition on the other woman’s face.

Mina began to morph, and Rosie screamed out the name of the cannibal closest to her dear friend, telling them to run, to get away, but it was too late.

Though the gigantic panther was limping badly, it’s hips swaying with injury and weakness as it tried to balance itself, the mad beast still managed to lash out with its massive jaw and rip out the guts of the closest body.

Normally, Rosie would command her people to fight back, to tear the monster to pieces and have a feast. Anyone that perished in the battle would respawn eventually; it would be worth the temporary loss in numbers. But this was Mina. If she wasn't in a relationship with Alastor, Rosie would have still done what was necessary, even if it meant the loss of a personal friend. But even the leader of Cannibal Town wasn’t willing to cross the Radio Demon.

Thinking quickly, she thought of the arsenal of contraband items she had at her disposal and summoned a pair of angelic chains and shackles. She and Franklin used to have such fun with them but that day, Rosie would use them for a very different purpose.

As Mina’s large, demonic form lunged at its next victim, Rosie threw the chains at her, the shackle closing tightly around the beast’s neck, and it began to scream.

Within seconds, it was reduced back to the form of a mostly human looking woman, but she was far from docile. Mina spit, hissed, and growled at anyone who came near her, though she could do little but a slow, pathetic crawl across the ground.

Rosie took a deep breath and began to drag the poor, beaten, and insane shell of her friend back to her Emporium.

“Call Alastor,” she told her assistant that was holding the door open for her, “and lock the door.”

____

Minutes after the phone call . . .

Alastor appeared within Rosie’s personal office, his shadow casted on the floor beneath him, following him dutifully as he looked around the room. He was sure it was where the call he had received had come from, but the room was now empty.

The door opened and a young-looking cannibal woman, Rosie’s main assistant, stood in the threshold, her hand still on the doorknob.

“Alastor, thank heavens. Come with me. Rosie’s got her in the back room.”

Alastor was uncharacteristically quiet as he followed the woman to the back of the Emporium. It was a dark, windowless room, far less inviting and comfortable than the rest of the building. Rosie often did her most violent, Hellish, and secretive work in that room. Alastor had been in there with her on more than one occasion.

He couldn’t fathom a reason as to why Rosie had taken Mina there.

And then the assistant opened the door for him, and he stepped through threshold and saw her.

Mina was chained to the back wall, the links pulled short and tight so that she could only move a foot or so in any direction. She was curled into a fetal position on the floor, shaking and shivering violently. Rosie had put a blanket over her, trying to give Mina a bit more modesty, but one shoulder had slipped out and Alastor could see the pale and spotted skin of her bare shoulder and the thin black strap of her bra.

Her hands were at the side of her head, where a set of human ears would normally be, and she was sobbing. Hysterical, guttural noises were coming from his love, the kind ones could hear in the distance whenever they visited The Pit. She screamed, and cried, and whimpered, all while laying there, holding her head as if she was trying to block something out.

It was clear to Alastor immediately that some invisible force was torturing her. Something inside of her was hurting her and turning her to madness.

He began to walk towards her and Rosie blocked his way.

“I’m sorry Al’, but I really wouldn’t do that. This is the calmest I’ve been able to get her but if anyone gets close, she lashes out.”

“She won’t hurt me,” he insisted, his smiling face making him look far calmer about the situation than he was. His permanent mask was something he usually relied heavily on to not show his true feelings but in this moment, if he could have chosen to look dangerously angry with anything more than his eyes, he would have.

“She will,” Rosie said with certainty. “Or she’ll try to, and it’ll only work her up more. She’s not herself right now.”

“I can see that,” he snapped, and Rosie put a reassuring hand on his arm. “What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know for sure yet, but my people told me a car pulled up and dumped her at the gates. A car driven by Kassandra’s followers. This,” she said, gesturing at the woman beneath the blanket, “was supposed to be a message for us. Mina went wild and she killed a few of my people. But I don’t know what they did to make her like this.”

Alastor had heard enough.

His shadow detached itself from him and slid across the floor to Mina, slipping beneath her body and coming up from behind her. Alastor watched as a dark, translucent hand and face came up behind her back and wrapped itself around her. It wasn’t often that his shadow put forth the effort to be so solid, to be more than just an essence cast upon a floor or wall. But as it held Mina, her shaking subsided just a little and she quieted a bit, though she didn’t stop crying or open her eyes. Some part of her must still be in there and recognized his essence.

“I’m taking her home,” he said, decidedly.

“You need to call Abaddon,” Rosie argued. “They might be able to help-“

“No.”

“Alastor, be reasonable,” she pleaded. “Mina needs healing. You and I alone aren’t capable of doing that for her.”

“I can figure this out on my own. Thank you, Rosie, for all that you’ve done here today.”

He brushed past her and went to Mina, setting his cane down on the floor and brushed her hair away from her face.

She was so badly beaten, her beautiful face a mess of bruises, blood, and swelling. But she didn’t lash out at him like Rosie said she would.

“Al’?” Mina asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She opened one eye and began shivering harder. Her face scrunched up in concentration, fighting some inner battle for control over her body. Alastor’s shadow made a low whining noise and pressed itself tighter against her back. “H-help . . . me,” she begged and then began growling, having used up her willpower to spit out those two words.

Alastor stood up, cane in hand, and stepped back in time for Mina to lunge at him, the chains pulled tight around her neck and wrists, as she snarled and snapped at him.

He was not a jealous man, not usually. Mina was free to live her own life and associate with whoever she wanted. Alastor may be an overly arrogant person at times, but that trait gave him the self-assurance to trust Mina completely. And he abhorred the kind of men who felt they had the right to control the romantic partners in their lives.

But he fucking hated Abaddon.

Alastor respected and was even grateful for the protection the angel’s power and position had given Mina, and he admired and adored the wicked side of her that made her good at her job as a torturer. But Abaddon could be such a shit.

However, Rosie was right. The angel was the only chance Mina had at healing whatever this infection was. If he hadn’t been in his rut and feeling extra territorial and possessive, he would have admitted it right away. Maybe.

Rosie, who was his best friend for a reason, could sense the change in him and headed for the door.

“Stay with her. I’ll go and call Abaddon.”

Alastor nodded, keeping his eyes on Mina as she collapsed again, his shadow reaching up to cushion her fall to the ground and holding her tight, fixed the blankets back around her as she succumbed to her exhaustion once more.

____

Abaddon appeared in the room before Rosie had even made the trip back from one end of her Emporium to the other. Alastor could travel fast via his shadow form but even he couldn’t compete with the speed of portals.

Angel and demon locked eyes, neither bothering to pretend to be pleasant like they usually did when Mina was around.

Alastor assumed correctly that Rosie had filled them in on everything they needed to know about Mina’s state, so he didn’t waste his breath trying to explain anything.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” he said impatiently. “Do whatever it is you have to do so I can take her home.”

“So you can hurry along and make a scene of putting Kassandra in her place?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Alastor said, and then turned and looked down at Mina. “I intend to keep her safe until she’s fully over whatever this is. And then her and I will deal with Kassandra.”

“Her and I?” Abaddon said, making a face as if the words were distasteful in their mouth. “You’re going to get her more involved in this than she already is?”

“I didn’t get her involved in this, but now that she is, she will want her revenge.” Alastor looked longingly at Mina for a heartbeat more then turned and faced the angel again. “You know her. If you or I take that from her, after this was done to her, she’ll never forgive either of us. So you’ll heal her and then you’ll stay out of our way.”

“Damn, Mina was right. You are cute when you try and take charge. Such a man.”

“And she’s dead wrong about you,” Alastor retorted, ignoring the insulting and sarcastic flirtation. “She really believes you actually give a damn about anyone other than yourself.”

Abaddon strode past Alastor and stood close enough to Mina that their shoes nearly touched the bare arm that was clutching at her blankets.

“Mina sees what I allow her to see but that doesn’t make it a lie,” they said and knelt on their knees beside her. “The same is true for you. I allow you to see a different side of me, but only because I want you Overlords to see how little I think of you.” They looked up at Alastor with a grin. “I could make you like me if I wanted you to.”

“Doubtful,” Alastor said, ready to start in with another retort but Rosie entered the room then and Abaddon turned their back on him to focus solely on Mina.

“Shoo,” the angel said, waving a hand at the shadow still clinging to her back and with a hiss, the shadow retreated to its owner.

Abaddon took the blanket and pulled it higher up onto Mina’s shoulder, covering up the exposed skin there. It was a gentle and respectful move on their part, and it bothered Alastor how genuine the small act seemed to be.

Then the angel placed a tender hand to her head, their palm covering her forehead and fingers spreading out over her hair, as golden light emanated from their body.

Mina struggled a bit at first, waking and trying to pull away but the light quickly engulfed her and seemed to force her to be still.

Only a few seconds went by, and her face was back to its natural state. The swelling and other visible damage was gone and she settled once more, now appearing to sleep soundly on the floor.

It seemed to have taken so little effort from Abaddon to heal her entire broken and mangled body and they stood, turning to face Alastor who was refusing to be impressed. Abaddon was one of the few beings in Hell that could wipe the floor with Alastor if they chose to. The logical side of his brain was screaming at him to remember that. But the part of him that was affected by his rut (that was now dangerously close to being in full swing) was telling him to reach out with a tentacle and rip off the hand that had just been touching his lover.

Despite the fact that it had been used to heal her.

Despite the fact that Abaddon clearly had a parental relationship with Mina rather than a sensual one.

Despite the fact that as much as Alastor despised everything about the fallen angel, he couldn’t unsee the care and worry in their face when they looked at Mina.

His rut induced hormones pulled and pushed against his sanity, telling him that Mina was his and this person was a threat to his territory. Alastor was sure his eyes had gone black, and it was taking every ounce of his frayed willpower to keep his breathing in check and his antlers at their rightful height.

“Why is she still sleeping?” Rosie asked, pulling Alastor from his thoughts.

“Healing physical wounds is nothing,” Abaddon replied, “but I must admit, Kassandra is powerful and possession is tricky. What she managed to do to Mina’s mind will take a while to heal. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for Mina to get her revenge,” they said pointedly at Alastor. “The affects won’t be lasting and she’ll likely have moments of clarity but these next couple of days will be difficult.”

Abaddon bent over and picked up the loose end of the angelic steel chain that was hanging from the wall that Mina was shackled to.

“You know these are illegal, right?” they asked, looking at Rosie, who just smiled.

“They came in quite handy today, though, didn’t they? Are you going to arrest me now?” she asked.

Abaddon let the chain drop.

“Just don’t let me find out where you got them from and don’t let me see them again. You’re going to need to keep these on her until she’s 100%.”

“I’m not keeping her in chains for days,” Alastor said, feeling his smile straining at the disturbing thought.

“You will, unless you want her tearing apart that tower of yours like she did those cannibals this morning,” Abaddon argued. “I don’t like the idea any more than you but when Mina comes to, she’ll be grateful you kept her from doing anymore damage.”

This could not be happening.

She and Alastor were supposed to be having their own private getaway right now, lost in the heat of their lust and love for each other and letting his rut take over. How was he supposed to manage being alone with her, her mental faculties compromised, her body chained up, and care for her in the way she would need him to . . . all while his body was screaming at him to breed her.

He had to. He didn’t have a choice.

Abaddon opened a portal and looking inside it, Alastor could see it led to the main room of his tower.

He gritted his sharp teeth through his grin, not giving Abaddon the satisfaction of asking how they had managed to get through his wards, as Rosie began unhooking the chains from the wall.

“I’ll figure out how this happened, Alastor, I promise,” Rosie said, handing him the ends of the chains once they were undone. “In the meantime, get her home safe and sound.”

He nodded at her, and she pulled him in for a hard hug, which he returned one handed, his cane and chains occupying his other arm.

His shadow once again reached out for Mina’s limp body and as its hands wrapped around her slender shoulders, they melted together, and the rest of them watched as a trail of darkness slithered through the portal.

Alastor went to follow them, but Abaddon’s voice stopped him.

“I know you love her,” they said, and Alastor recognized a malicious smile when he saw one. “I guess we’re all about to find out if that actually means anything, coming from someone like you.”

“Yes, well,” Alastor replied, bowing theatrically as he entered the portal backwards, keeping his eyes on the angel. “I do enjoy every opportunity I get to piss you off.”

The portal snapped shut, leaving Rosie and Abaddon alone in the room.

She sighed.

“You just had to say something, didn’t you,” she frowned, a hand on her hip.

They shrugged, “What can I say? I just hate the little prick.”

Next Chapter ->

@inuhalfdemon @saccharine-nectarine @whoknowswhoiamtoday

Author's Note: The Prophetess and her ghouls were inspired by a real life American cult named The Remnant Fellowship. Gwen Shamblin was a horrific woman who brainwashed her followers into starvation and encouraged child abuse. She didn't lead a mass suicide but if there is a Hell, there's no doubt that's where she went.

[enjoythesilentworld]

Simon's Month - Home (Improvement)

day 30 @youngroyals-events one more to go i could cry

Simon owns a home renovation business with his sister. Wille has recently purchased a fixer-upper.

read below or on ao3 (T, 1.3k)

“You have to be nice,” Sara says as they drive down the unassuming backroad, lined with thick vegetation.

Simon scoffs, staring out the window and peeking between the gaps in the trees to get a glimpse of the types of homes around here. That one needs a new roof, but that one's got some good landscaping.  

“I am nice.”

“You’re nice in a special Simon way. Once someone has had time to get to know you.” Sara puts on the blinker, turning up a gravel street. “There’s a reason I usually bring Ayub with me— Get out and open the gate for me, please.”

Rolling his eyes, Simon climbs out of the car and swings open the simple metal gate, which could really use some oil on the hinges. The fence has a few nearly broken posts, too. If this is what the entrance looks like, he can only imagine the actual house. It must be further up the hill, but it’s way too overgrown for Simon to be able to see anything yet.

Usually, Ayub went with Sara on these consultations, because, allegedly, he's the better at talking to the clients. Apparently it didn’t matter that, technically, Simon was in charge of the construction half of his and Sara’s business. Not that it really bothered Simon. At the end of the day, he trusted Ayub to do the initial walkthrough and markup, allowing Simon to focus on getting everything ready to start the actual construction. Today, though, Ayub is busy, so Simon’s been tagged in.

“I’m just honest,” he says, once back in the car. “You are, too, Sara. That’s why people like you as a designer. Because you'll tell them if their shit is ugly.”

She pulls further up the drive and the house comes into view. That is, if it can even be called a house. Simon barely hears Sara’s response, his mind already flitting through the long, long to-do list that will be required to get this pile of wood back to living standards.

“Yes, but I do it in a nice way. This is Felice’s very good friend, okay? She said he’s great. Don’t make him go back to Felice with a bad review.”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t,” Simon waves her off, stepping out of the car to get a better look at the building. “This place looks like a piece of shit.”

“Hey, that’s my piece of shit you’re talking about.”

Simon turns at the sound of the new voice. In the front doorway of said piece of shit, there’s a tall, handsome man with auburn hair and a crooked smile. It’s quite the paradoxical image, this pretty, clean-cut man walking down the porch steps of such a dirty, overgrown house.

Sara steps up to greet him, apologizing for her brother's snark, while Simon hangs back, still assessing the integrity of the columns holding up the overhang roof. Most of the shingles are in place, at least, and he doesn’t see any sagging that would indicate leakage. Not yet, at least.

“Good to see you again, Wille,” Sara smiles, using that sweet customer-service voice of hers.

“You, too, Sara. Thank you for agreeing to take on this project. I know it’s a bit of a mess.”

“Well,” Simon cuts in without introduction, “she’ll only be able to do her part once we make sure this place won’t blow away in the first storm.”

Wille turns to him and smiles brightly, somehow rivaling even the midmorning sun that shines above them. “You must be Simon.” He extends a hand. “I’m Wille. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Simon takes his hand and shakes it once. They’re bigger than Simon’s, but less calloused. He probably works for some stupid finance company and sits in a fancy ergonomic chair all day, drinking filtered water and fucking off to business lunches with Sweden’s elite.

“Yep. I’ve heard almost nothing about you. Shall we take a look inside?”

If Wille’s surprised by Simon’s attitude, he doesn’t show it. He just nods, still smiling like the sun.  

Sara hisses at him as Wille leads them inside, telling him to cool it. Simon nods distractedly, but he really can’t be bothered to be nice because he’s already annoyed with this rich kid who’s probably bought this house to fix up and turn into a 20,000kr per night rental.

It’s not as bad inside, thankfully. The remaining yellowed wallpaper is peeling, and there's random trash scattered around, but there are no cracks in the walls or water stains on the ceiling. Wille leads them through, pointing out which rooms are which. The whole tour doesn’t last more than ten minutes as it’s only a two-bed, two-bath. The windows are half-boarded, and there are a few unnecessary walls, and Simon is already itching to get started. 

“I want to keep as much of the original structure as possible,” Wille explains when they stop again in the kitchen. He runs a hand over the dusty countertop, looking lovingly around the small, cramped space. “I might want to add an extension in the future, but it’s just me here, so this is definitely plenty of space for now.”

“You’re going to live here?” Simon asks, surprised.

Wille tilts his head at him. “Yes?”

Simon hums, crossing his arms and leaning back on the archway that leads into the living room. “Damn. I would’ve thought you’re more of a city high-rise type. You seem too posh for country living. You know, I don't think take-out drivers come out here. And the nearest Michelin restaurant isn’t for, like, 100 kilometers.”

“Simon!” Sara glares at him.

“It’s okay,” Wille chuckles. “No, I’m not the high rise type. I prefer the quiet of the countryside, and I also prefer to cook my own food. Michelin restaurants are way too overhyped, anyway.”

He’s smirking through his smile and has met Simon’s challenge, and so Simon decides he can let up a bit.

He and Wille spend the next two hours walking through the space again, more slowly this time, while Sara steps outside to make a few calls. She can’t do anything yet, anyway. Not with the house in this state. This part is Simon’s job, his specialty.

“Knocking down this wall will open up the space a lot, especially if you still want to be able to host while in the kitchen. It’ll give you a good view out of the front of the house, too,” Simon rambles, marching through the space and gesturing as he goes. Wille is hot on his heels, nodding along. “I’d put a countertop bar here, though, for some extra seating and to break up the space a bit. We’ll have to rip out all of these cabinets, though. I’ll need to get my plumber out here, too, to check the piping. These old builds are a little iffy sometimes on how well things have held up.”

Simon continues to talk, and endless stream of consciousness and notes about electrical wiring and comments about the state of the hardwood floor. Wille follows him all the way, making notes in a little notebook and asking the occasional question.

They finish just as Sara’s car pulls back up the driveway. Simon hadn’t even realized she’d left.

“I brought lunch,” she tells them, holding up a brown bag. “You two were pretty distracted, so I figured I shouldn’t bother.”

Wille thanks her graciously, and they all sit on the porch together to eat. Simon starts to make notes in his phone, setting reminders to call certain inspectors and logging how many people he’ll need for demo-day.

After lunch, they take a loop around the outside of the house, inspecting the gutters and stonework. Now that the initial tension has faded, he and Wille get distracted a few times by other topics. Simon learns that Wille is actually not an insufferable spoiled brat. In fact, he’s quite nice and quite funny. He keeps up with Simon’s jokes, and when Simon pushes him, he pushes right back.

Simon tells Wille he’ll have to check with his team, but he’s pretty sure most everyone is in between jobs and will be able to start in the next few days. Wille agrees to meet them at the house for the first day of demolition, and Simon and Sara leave for the day.

“You like him,” Sara says once Simon’s back in the car after closing the front gate behind them.

He shrugs, refusing to give her the satisfaction, and casually admits, “He doesn’t totally suck.”

Perhaps, Simon thinks, this renovation job won’t be too bad.

[anon-e-miss]

Bearing the Brood

Being injured on the job had not been in Prowl’s long term plans. Even less had been the precincts refusal to take responsibility and to engage in training that would give Prowl the skills to take on different duties. Sensory blind in one doorwing, Prowl was a little more clumsy than a lot of Praxians and his career prospects were limited as well. Drones served the most menial roles in Praxus, there was little place for a disabled mech like Prowl. It was fortunate he had a good lineage and prior to his injury, a good job record. There was not a company in the city-state that did not have strict requirements for their brooders. Prowl had been fortunate to meet them.

Since he had entered his carrier as a professional broodcarrier, Prowl had carried six times. He kindled easily and suffered no complications which had only elevated his value to the company. His energon had come in with the first carrying and had not been allowed to dry up. For the bitlets that were going home to procreators who could not nurse, Prowl’s energon, and the energon of broodcarriers like him, could be ordered. When Prowl open, his wells’ energon supply kept him with an income. It was something. It was not the life he had planned for himself but he had shelter and fuel and respectability and that was all he wanted.

His frame was especially suited to carrying, according to the facilitators. His hips were wide allowing for an easy emergence and his thick thighs and belly belayed a frame that kept its stores ensuring the bitlet he carried never went without anything. Prowl had even gotten repeat customers by this point and his contracts were argued over, improving his standings even more. Most of the time he carried for couples who could not conceive together but who could both contribute to his ensparking and contributions, making them both procreators to the resulting bitlet. Sometimes they did so personally and sometimes it was all through artificial insemination. All in all, Prowl did not particularly care.

He was open now, and had been for a while, allowing his frame to rest. Prowl knew there were contract talks underway with a number of potential clients jockey for the right to fill his womb with their creation. Though he would be the one to carry, it was the facilitators who assigned the clients and Prowl only knew their personal situations if they chose to share it. No one paid the fees to use a broodcarrier if they had the ability to create without one. His services did not come cheap. It was a good and honest function to share his fertility with those who went without.

Knowing he would have a contract soon, Prowl was busy at work in his kitchen. He wore a frilly apron over his latex armour. Carrying made his sentio-metallico tender and he had gone without conventional armour for so long Prowl found it uncomfortable even when his forge was empty and he only wore it when he met with clients for the first time. It was not the same armour he had worn as an enforcer, that did not come close to fitting now, carrying six time had left him with a plumper middle than he had had during his enforcer service. That armour did not suit his current function anyways. Prowl working on the finally touches to his gift basket when the facilitators called to tell him they had connected him to a new client. New was good, Prowl liked new, a new mechanism or a new couple with an empty spot in their sparks that only a bitlet could fill. As he always did, Prowl brought the gift basket with him.

“And there he is!” The facilitator exclaimed as Prowl entered the office. He froze in the doorway. Sitting in the office with the facilitator was a giant of a mech. Was this his client? “Prowl’s service is very sought after, you must understand. He makes kindling and carrying look so easy.. You won’t be disappointed, Jazz.”

“Good to meet ya, Prowl,” the giant said.

“I brought a gift,” Prowl said. This mech was so big. They must have been planning invitro and a c-section. He could not imagine how anything else would make sense. “They are goodies to encourage transfluid quality and production to aid in smooth contributions.”

“That’s thoughtful o’ ya,” Jazz said.

“Given Jazz lives in Polyhex, the contract requires you reside with him during your confinement,” the facilitator explained. “Shipping contributions is just too hectic. If all goes well, he has reserved first refusal of your next contract as well.”

“I see,” Prowl replied. “I hope I do not disappoint.”

“‘M sure ya won’t,” Jazz replied.

It was not invitro they were after. Prowl was ushered into a large guest room with his newest client at his back. He had never resided with a client while carrying for them, though Prowl had known this sort of thing did occur. Praxus was the premier destination for reproductive tourism. None of his clients had been Praxian themselves and that was not uncommon from what Prowl had read. Seekers made up the highest number of broodcarrier clients in Praxus. Five out of the six clients Prowl had carried for had been Trines. It made no difference to him, the frametypes of his customers but he could not deny he was uneasy to be contracted overseas.

“How can I help ya relax?” Jazz asked. Prowl flushed. It was in poor form to offend a client so early.

“I...” he tried to come up with a denial, an excuse, and explanation.

“Ya got cause to be nervous, don’t ya think?” Jazz asked. “Yer supposed to go away wit me, a total strange, to the other side o’ the planet, away from everythin’ ‘n everyone ya know. That’s scary ‘nough. But then ya look at me ‘n ya feel so so small.”

“Yes,” Prowl said. He felt impossibly small. “I thought they might do invitro...”

“Don’t worry, Prowl,” Jazz told him. “Ain’t gonna hurt ya. Yer more flexible than ya know.”

Prowl could not imagine how he could be flexible enough but if his fears proved true, then they would move on to invitro. He would not leave with Jazz until he was confirmed to be carrying, that was guaranteed. Jazz pulled off Prowl armour and guided him to the berth. It was a bigger one that Prowl had ever served on. There was have been clients like Jazz before and he wondered how the broodcarriers had fared. Though Prowl’s wells were so large for his frame at this point, his supply bordering on unbelievable, Jazz’s servos covered them completely as he lounged in the berth, holding Prowl’s array against his mouth.

Jazz fragged him with his glossa as he had Prowl ride his face. It was enough to make Prowl’s legs feel weak. He mewled as Jazz held him around the waist and lifted him up and down, thrusting and wriggling his glossa so deep, it even broke into his tank. Prowl overloaded priming his spark to kindle. Digits as wide as spikes jointed Jazz’s glossa in preparing Prowl’s valve. His belly was so full and so tight as those digits pushed into him and he overloaded again. When Jazz laid him out on his back, Prowl was panting and his legs were like jelly. Jazz towered over him as he held Prowl’s legs up as he guided his spike to Prowl’s valve. It was so big, so incredibly big Prowl could not imagine how he could possibly take it.

He mewled as Jazz fragged his thighs with that monstrous spike, dragging it over his wet folds and glowing anterior node. It was so long and so thick it left a trail of pre-transfluid over his abdomen. Despite his anxieties at the sight of this spike, Prowl felt his internals clench. Jazz held the tip of his gargantuan spike to Prowl’s plump folds. All Prowl could do was stare. His folds thinned and strained as the broad tip of his giant client’s spike pushed against his opening. The strain was greater than any time he had given emergence. Prowl grunted as Jazz’s spike broke his entrance’s resistance and lodged in core. His jaw fell open as he saw the bulge in his belly and his own spike was forced out of his sheath like a canned jelly. He did not pressurize.

It burned more than it hurt. His biolights and nodes were brushed as Jazz pushed his spike deeper and deeper into his belly and they send bolts of pleasure up his spinal struts even as his valve’s casing strained beyond the schematics of his frame, his lining spread impossibly wide and taunt. Prowl grunted each time his client pushed deeper. Jazz slowly, leisurely fragged Prowl’s valve, pulling out, then thrusting back in, deeper each time. Lubricants gushed out around his spike each time Jazz pushed in. Prowl groaned loudly as he felt his client reformat his internals. There was pleasure in this, through the ache, the strain and the burn. His internal duct gave way as his client’s giant spike pressed against it and Prowl went limp as Jazz’s spike struck the top of his gestational tank. Prowl’s optics rolled back in his helm as Jazz leaned in close and the tip of his spike lodge in the funnel to his forge and overloaded with a surge so powerful Prowl fell offline.

“The client is thrilled with you,” the facilitator told Prowl as he made arrangements to travel to Polyhex.

“I am... gratified to hear that,” Prowl replied. He could hardly walk, Jazz had broken his frame without braking a strut or drawing a drop of energon. His belly was large as if he was well into carrying and it was only transfluids. No armour Prowl owned fit at all. He could only wear his apron. His limp spike dragged against his thigh as he waddled along.

“Our first royal patronage,” the facilitator exclaimed, gleefully. “Our business will soar!”

“Royal?” Prowl gasped.

“Oh yes,” the facilitator said. “Jazz is the heir apparent to Polyhex. None of our broodcarriers had carried for a duke, let alone a prince. This is so exciting.”

A prince?!

[glancetelecom]

Say goodbye to outdated systems and hello to a new era of efficiency and excellence in customer service. Join us in enhancing call centre performance and achieving higher customer satisfaction than ever before. https://bit.ly/4cG4F2U #AIPoweredVoIP #CallCenterPerformance #CustomerSatisfaction #TelecomInnovati #GlanceTelecom

[amirhamza74]

What are the advantages of digital marketing? Digital marketing offers numerous advantages over traditional marketing methods. Some of the key benefits include: 1. Cost-Effectiveness: Digital marketing is often more affordable than traditional marketing channels like TV, radio, and print. Campaigns can be tailored to fit any budget, allowing small businesses to compete with larger companies. 2. Measurability: Digital marketing provides detailed analytics and reporting, enabling marketers to track the performance of their campaigns in real time. Metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI) are easily measurable. 3. Targeted Reach: Digital marketing allows precise targeting based on demographics, interests, behavior, and location. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads enable marketers to reach specific audiences that are more likely to be interested in their products or services. 4. Flexibility and Agility: Digital marketing campaigns can be quickly adjusted based on performance data. Marketers can experiment with different strategies and tactics without significant delays or costs. 5. Global Reach: The Internet provides access to a global audience, enabling businesses to expand their market beyond local or regional boundaries. E-commerce platforms and international shipping options further support global expansion. 6. Enhanced Engagement: Digital marketing channels, such as social media, email, and content marketing, facilitate direct interaction with customers. Two-way communication allows for better customer relationships and improved customer satisfaction. 7. Personalization: Digital marketing tools allow for personalized marketing messages based on user behavior and preferences. Personalization can significantly improve the customer experience and increase conversion rates. 8. Higher Conversion Rates: Digital marketing strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media marketing can drive highly targeted traffic to websites. This targeted traffic is more likely to convert into leads or sales. 9. Better Customer Experience: Digital marketing enables businesses to provide a seamless and integrated customer experience across various online channels. Techniques such as remarketing and automated email responses can enhance the overall customer journey. hashtag#Overall, digital marketing offers a versatile, efficient, and effective way for businesses to reach and engage with their target audience, leading to increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and revenue growth.