#all that effort. simply for my own bookkeeping

[hjbender]

tagging your hate in a reblog won't make it show up in the tag, only if it's tagged in the main post

I feel (in addition to stupid, I mean) like I should have known this sooner. I’ve been on Tumblr since 2011 and never noticed 😆💀

Now I wonder why I spent all these years bothering to tag my reblogs if it never really mattered

[leiawritesstories]

Burden

One of the first fics I ever wrote. Inspired by the Evanescence song “My Immortal.”

Nexta x Cassian, canonverse. Written waaaaaaay before ACOSF came along, so ignore canon divergence. 

TW: mentions of sexual assault

She is tired. Tired of the work, the long hours, the demanding pricks she must placate, the front she must show, tired of the façade she puts up, and so, so tired of locking away her heart. 

But locking away her heart is the only way to protect herself.

Never again can she let anyone, anyone, know the storm of emotion that rages within her soul. Never again can she allow herself to forge one-sided trust. Never again can she bare her inmost self, lest she be left cold, broken, and utterly alone. Never again can she watch the only person she thought  loved her dash her heart against the rocks of rejection. Never again. No one.

Not even him.

Him, the first male in this place to look at her like she was more than the silent, haughty, closed-off bitch the others considered her. Him, the only male to genuinely offer her what she needed during those horrible days after that bastard shoved her into his Cauldron-from-the- hells and cursed her with immortality: an outlet for her rage. Him, the male tied to her soul. Him, the male she cannot allow herself to love, no matter what her traitorous heart screams. 

Cassian.

The brash, cocky, fearless Illyrian. The only male in the world who sees her as she is and does not balk. The only person she knows who can face the raging inferno that is her and stand completely unfazed. 

Her mate.

A fact she must squelch. Never let it come to light. Never allow it to escape the steel cage around her volatile heart. 

No matter that every time her mate’s eyes fall upon hers, she reads his unspoken question.

Please. 

And no matter that every time she reads his heart written in his gaze, her own repressed heart leaps in response. Damn her heart for always feeling so deeply, so wholly. Damn her for not learning to rein in her emotions earlier. Damn her for turning into a pillar of steel, ice, and heartlessness when anyone so much as asks her a polite question. And damn her for being so godsdamn terrified of letting anyone even an infinitesimal step into her heart. 

Her warrior’s heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He watches her every moment she is present. And every moment, the pull on his soul grows stronger, ever stronger, drawing him towards the pillar of steel, flame, and unflinching willpower that is Nesta Archeron. He knows she feels the bond. He knows she refuses to let anyone know about the bond. He sees the faint flicker of fear in those glorious eyes of hers every time he speaks to her. A fear, not of him, but of what connects her soul to his. 

What horror happened to her to make her fear having a mate?

Not that he will ever know. But he wants to. Oh, how he wants to. How he longs for her to trust him, or if not him, then at least her sisters. He can sense that whatever she hides in her soul weighs heavily upon her, can see the burden she bears in the ramrod-straight line of her spine. And how he yearns to take some of that weight off of her shoulders. 

Every time he speaks to her, she pushes away his efforts to make her smile. He wonders if she has forgotten joy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She has not.

She has merely forgotten that her life can be joyful. She cannot see past the string of terrible events that made up the last months of her human life. And she cannot bring herself to share the pain that shattered her heart mere months before life went straight to hell. 

Not with anyone.

No matter how much her brain, her heart, her soul push her towards spilling the entire story to her mate. Months in the Illyrian Mountains spent by his side, learning Illyrian combat tactics, dissolved the hatred she once felt for everyone in the Night Court, save her sisters. During those months, she discovered what lay under the Commander’s armor: his impossibly soft, warm heart. During those months, she came the closest she had ever come to revealing the scars that mottled her heart. He’d already seen the ones on her forearms, exposed during training; why, then, should she hide the mental ones, the emotional ones? 

Because he would never understand, she thinks to herself. 

“Nesta.”

She jumps, not realizing that while she was lost in her thoughts, he crossed over to her.

“What.” A statement, not a question. 

“I…” To her shock, he trails off, self-consciously twisting the Siphons on the back of his hands. 

“Bryaxis got your tongue?”

He jerks. A ghost of a smirk flits across her face. Which he notices. “By the Mother, Nesta Archeron. Did you just…joke?”

“Maybe.” That smirk returns.

He gazes at her, his eyes scanning her face as if trying to peer into her soul. “Why the long face?”

“Memories. From before. Most of them best forgotten.” Despite her iron resolve, a flicker of pain crosses her face. 

“Nesta, please.” The word emerges a broken plea. “Locking away whatever your terrors are will only make them worse. Please. Tell someone. It doesn’t have to be me. It—”

“What if you’re the only one who will actually listen?”

He freezes. “What?”

Her eyes, silver collecting in the corners, stare directly into his. “What if you’re the only one I trust to listen, fully and completely?”

Red light flares, and she finds herself—and Cassian—in his familiar wood-paneled cabin at the edge of the Illyrian woods. “Then speak.”

She does.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not quite three months before Hybern kidnapped her and Elain, Nesta met a young man, new to the village. His parents were merchants, he said, and he had come to start a shop in an area where their commerce did not yet reach. He was passably handsome, and a sweeter talker than all the lecherous bastards in town. He also “happened to be around” whenever Nesta ventured into town. After his appearances became too frequent to be “chance,” Nesta allowed him to flirt with her, and despite her better sense, allowed herself to flirt back. Allowed herself to share her secrets, her hopes, her dreams.

A month after meeting him, he finally asked her to dinner, and she accepted. He came to her house that evening and charmed the hell out of her father, acting the perfect gentleman, even asking his assistance as a bookkeeper, considering his knowledge and experience as a trader. It was a pleasant enough dinner and conversation, a pleasant enough evening.

Until he escorted her home.

Or, more accurately, he escorted her into a secluded alley and pressed her against the wall. And clamped one greasy hand over her mouth. And ripped her skirt straight down the seam. Frozen with shock, all Nesta registered was his heavy breath, reeking of alcohol, and the lust-crazed sheen of his eyes. For one interminable moment, she could neither move nor think beyond the nasty, oily feeling of his other hand crawling up her thigh. 

The moment passed. Nesta bit down on his hand as hard as she could, earning a strangled grunt as he jerked back. Before he could manhandle her again, she drove her elbow into his ribs once, twice, thrice, and was rewarded with a satisfying crack and him doubling over. Then, she turned and fled into the night. 

She reached home in moments, burst through the side door, and barred it. Elain, who had come into the kitchen for some reason, gasped. 

“Nesta! Your dress! What happened?”

Nesta could only shake her head, the horror of the encounter crashing into her full force. Elain, seeing her sister’s obvious state of shock, helped her upstairs, into a bath, and into bed. When Nesta appeared the next day, bruising on her face from where she had been gripped, her sister again asked about the night before. Nesta refused to answer. She spent years stuffing the memory of that night as far back into her memory as she could. 

But the effects lasted. To this day, she fears opening her heart to any man, no matter how good, how sweet, how outwardly perfect he may seem. The scars from nearly being forcibly raped linger. And despite the years between then and now, there is simply too much that time cannot erase. Some scars run too deep. 

His name was Tomas Mandray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the silence following her story, Nesta realizes that she has slumped onto the worn wooden floor, unable to support herself against the flood of her memory. She realizes that the warmth on her face is her tears, falling freely. 

And that the one thing keeping her tethered to the earth is Cassian’s hand around hers. 

She lifts her head, drawing in a shaky breath, her heart…lighter. 

Ever so hesitantly, his thumb brushes her cheek, wiping away the tears tracked there. He feels her tense, and then, incredibly, she relaxes, allowing him to brush the tears from her face as if he could erase the pain she feels. 

Deep in a buried corner of her mind, a thread of golden light pierces the shadows. 

Thank you, Cassian.

Always, my Nesta.

[my-happy-little-bean]

The Bookkeeper – Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Epilogue

pairings: logan/patton (logicality), roman/virgil (prinxiety) words: 1540 chapter warnings: none :) chapter summary: ...and they all lived happily ever after.

[read on ao3] [masterlist]

< previous chapter

—

The sound of polite applause echoed throughout the room. The buzzing of young students faded with each step across the stage. 

Steady hands shuffled paper on the podium. A deep breath. 

Logan Fray looked up at his audience: a group of people whose minds and souls were only beginning to blossom into a compass.

He looked down at his speech, pushed his glasses up, and cleared his throat.

“Here is what I know...” 

—

Logan was never one for happy endings. Happy endings always seemed too close-minded for his taste. Though this, perhaps, was ironic given what he now knows. 

After visiting The Midnight Forest, Logan’s hand seemingly never left the paper. He wrote through the night and throughout the next day. Patton and Roman were admittedly concerned at first, but grew too understand what was happening — Logan wasn’t writing, but searching. 

As all artists tend to do. 

He finished his speech a bit more last-minute than he had hoped, but knew it was perfect the second he dotted the end of the last sentence. He went out to a bar the night he finished, Patton by his side and even Roman, hidden yet curiously peering out of his shirt pocket. Logan vaguely remembered the blurry lights cascading across his vision, the cheers, the laughter, and the warmth that filled his bed not too long after. 

The days that followed were filled with practicing his speech, revising it, and everything in between. Logan felt himself bouncing across the walls of Fray and Far Fables. Despite his efforts that he was fine— truly fine—Patton had convinced Logan to let him help out. And, of course, everything was better because of it. 

As for him and Roman, they grew as inseparable as Logan was to his own magic. Roman would give him notes each time he practiced and, in secret, Logan would take The Midnight Forest with him on another project he pursued. 

On the quiet days—the days when the rain would slowly fall onto the roads outside—Logan would sit down in the armchair next to his window with a cup of tea, and would always feel a small presence resting on his shoulder, watching alongside him. 

The shop was quiet, but it was home; something that Logan hadn’t felt in years. In every corner he’d turn to, there was someone he could live for; someone he found purpose in. 

And he glowed; oh, how he glowed. 

The night before his speech came before he knew it. Patton helped Logan close up as Roman departed for some “beauty sleep” before his trip out into the real world. Logan ran through his speech a bit more before Patton eventually pried it from his hands, leading him upstairs to the bedroom instead. Logan begrudgingly, but gratefully, followed. 

“And just like that, the day is done!” Patton flopped onto the bed with a sigh as Logan changed into his pajamas. “Time flies, huh?” 

“It does, perhaps too quickly.” He joined Patton in bed, letting himself melt into Patton’s embrace. “I can’t believe it’s tomorrow.”

“You’ll be amazing, Lo. You always are.” 

Logan smiled, curling up in Patton’s arms. They laid there in silence for a few moments, letting the moon float towards the peak of the sky. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and Logan quietly thanked each and every star for bringing him to where he now was. 

“Hey, Lo?” Patton’s sleepy voice buzzed against Logan’s chest. 

“Mhm?” 

“I...I love you. I love you so so much. And whatever happens out there and whatever’s beyond it, I...I’m going to keep loving you.” 

A beat of silence. Logan cleared his throat.

“There is simultaneously everything and nothing in life, dear. There is pandemonium and solace in every corner, all at once. And...and there was a time where I had to navigate those truths alone. But now, there is a light guiding me in my pursuit, regardless of where I turn.” 

Logan held Patton a bit tighter as sleep closed in on him. 

“You make me stronger and more resilient each day, Patton,” he murmured in the crook of Patton’s neck, “which is to say, I love you too.” 

…

Early next morning, just as Patton left the shop with Roman on his shoulder, Logan placed a few papers besides the copy of The Midnight Forest on the front counter with a smile. 

— 

“So all this being said, I present to you, once more, my question: If life has no inherent meaning under the lens of nihilism, why are humans so eager to escape and create art if they are simply creating something out of nothing? What, then, do you suppose is the answer?”

Logan looked up at the hungry and curious eyes that met him, and smiled. 

“The answer lies beneath the former of the statement, ‘creating something out of nothing’. With every bit of nothing that could ever follow us in this life, there is something. There will always be something.

“Art is, hence, cyclic in nature. It takes the nothing and creates within it, something. And within that something are arms that will always reach out and beg others to do the same. There is a hidden fascination within us all to fill the void with purpose, with passion.

“Someone once told me that in a life with very little meaning, art worms its way into the spaces that it can fit. And with the help of others, art– and everything it represents– is made bigger than the spaces of life they initially occupy. Within those spaces is the possibility to grow, to foster bonds — to know, truly know, every corner of this life. 

“You are young and are now bouldered with a responsibility that may seem unshakeable. But you are also artists, searching for answers you may need to make yourselves.” 

Logan caught sight of Patton in the audience with a teary smile. And, hidden in his shirt pocket, a warm glow of red. Logan’s smile grew. 

“So continue searching,” Logan finished. Behind the podium, his hands glowed a reassuring blue. “Continue your pursuit of creation, of knowledge, of growth; for your questions will spark answers that spark questions again. And I promise you, such a cycle will allow yourself to grow bigger than the spaces of life you initially occupy.”

 —

Later that night, Roman found himself alone in the shop. Logan had met some important scholars (Roman had scoffed when he told him) who dragged him out for drinks to talk about prospective research. Patton had tagged along after some gentle reassurance from Roman that he would alright on his own. 

So Roman took it upon himself to clean each shelf and each book of Fray and Far Fables, weaving himself through stories and letting each one breathe, if for a little while longer. 

He eventually found his way to the shelves behind the front counter, frowning at a small gap between one of the books. He narrowed his eyes. There was a book missing. 

He descended onto the front counter, pursuing his lips and trying to figure out where the book could have gone, until he nearly tripped on his answer. 

Roman looked down. His face softened. Right at his feet was a copy of The Midnight Forest , resting neatly and soaking in moonlight from outside. 

He carefully walked onto the cover and laid down on it, trailing his hand across the title. 

Suddenly, he caught sight of a few papers next to the book. Roman frowned, standing back up and floating up to read the whole papers. His eyes widened at a few selected words. 

‘Riptide Publishing Co.’

‘Upcoming dates...sign here…’ 

‘Possible release date for…’

Roman saw an image plastered on one of the papers. 

‘The Midnight Forest by Virgil Aries: With a new foreword by: Dr. Logan Fray’

Roman felt himself glow brighter than he had ever had before. His glow illuminated a small sticky note on the paper. 

‘To my dearest friend,

Here’s to the new stories the world will finally get to hear. Here’s to light, here’s to love, and here’s to hope.’

Roman grinned. He immediately flew onto the cover of The Midnight Forest and placed his hand on it. Red rippled across the whole shop as Roman tumbled through the front cover.

As soon as he opened his eyes, Roman dove into the forest, weaving through trees, searching and searching and hoping…

And then, everything around him froze.

Hovering in the centre of the forest clearing was a faint outline of a small silhouette, only a little taller than Roman, basked in moonlight. It stood still for a moment, as if looking right back at Roman. 

The silhouette then pulsed with a soft, familiar, purple glow. 

Roman grinned, tears running down his face as he flew towards the silhouette. He reached a careful hand towards it, worried that if he moved too fast, it’d all disappear. 

But when the purple silhouette just outstretched a hand, Roman knew it was going to stay; after years of waiting, Virgil would finally stay. 

Roman took the silhouette’s hand and swept him into a waltz; one that took them high above the forest clearing; one that brought them even just a bit closer to the stars.

—

a/n — thank you for reading <3

[read more of my works here!]

[contentmarketing01]

Online Schooling

istory How It Started: Slide projectors and TV based classes have been being used since the 1950s. Nonetheless, one of the primary occurrences of web based learning on the planet can be followed back to 1960, at the College of Illinois, USA. The primary ever totally online course was offered in 1984 by the College of Toronto. In 1986, the Electronic College Organization was set up for being utilized in DOS and Commodore 64 PCs. After three years, the College of Phoenix turned into the principal instructive establishment on the planet to dispatch an entirely online university organization, offering the two lone rangers and graduate degrees.

Online training is an adaptable informative conveyance framework that includes any sort of discovering that happens through the Web. {This line is taken from : " https://www.encyclopedia.com/finance/money and-bookkeeping magazines/online-schooling "}

While nations are at various focuses in their Coronavirus disease rates, overall there are right now more than 1.2 billion youngsters in 186 nations influenced by school terminations because of the pandemic. For tackling this issue and give appropriate training to the Children's, all nations chose to run Online Instruction and begin taking class On the web.

Online training exists from one side of the planet to the other and is utilized for all degrees of instruction including Higher Graduation. Albeit online training is frequently like nearby guidance, it tends to be conveyed in various manners. Distance learning is typically offered utilizing one of these strategies. In years past, educators needed to make their "virtual homerooms" without any preparation which was troublesome and frequently prompted helpless outcomes. Today, a whole industry has arisen to do this for us. Course The board Framework (CMS) programming is used by pretty much all schools today. CMS permit teachers to plan and convey their courses inside an adaptable structure that incorporates various instruments to empower learning and correspondence to happen.

Mainstream revenue driven CMS include:

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Online Courses - Online courses are the advanced rendition of courses: you can make and share learning content in a coordinated manner that permits clients to advance in their comprehension of a specific point. Online courses can incorporate recordings, pictures, text and hyperlinks.

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Perspectives on online training: it's less expensive. Understudies can fit them around their current duties and responsibilities, and can draw in with interactive media content and learning materials at whatever time is generally helpful to them. Cost can regularly be a restrictive factor in why singular understudies don't take a crack at courses they're keen on.

Advantages of online Schooling

"The essential advantage of an online program is adaptability," notes Monroe. "In a very much planned online program, understudies are not restricted to programs actually situated close to their home."

Different advantages are:

a. Better Using time productively.

b. Demonstrated Self-Inspiration.

c. Improve Virtual Correspondence and Cooperation.

d. Improve Basic reasoning Abilities.

What is Better Using time effectively?

Answer: Better Using time productively is the way toward getting sorted out and arranging how to split your time between explicit exercises.

What is Self-inspiration?

Answer: Acting naturally inspired is tied in with taking care of your work competently on the grounds that you need to, and not just in light of the fact that it pays your wages.

How to Work on Virtual Correspondence and Joint effort?

Answer:

 By listening each guidance of the Educator.

 Give intensive criticism

 By including on the conversation gatherings.

How to Further develop Basic reasoning Abilities?

Answer: When the educator is giving you an assignment on online class which you had never known about or never had done same sort of errand previously. That is the basic undertaking for you. In online class the instructor give guidance about how to do the assignment. Yet, you need to finish your own job and nobody is here to help you.

Exactly when you are chipping away at that basic undertaking, you will consequently acquire basic reasoning expertise and that will assist you with further developing your ability particularly in future.

Conceivable Adverse consequences of Learning On the web

 Remote learning can lessen commitment, connection, and lead to an absence of socialization, which can conceivably diminish an understudy's social capability or abilities like their capacity to help out others.

 Cheating on the web might be simpler or more enticing since online assets might be more open and limitations or outcomes might be more permissive.

 Organizing an online school might be more costly and more convoluted to arrange or lead.

Eventual fate of Online Training

There are a few reasons why online instructions are the fate of Training.

 It's more affordable than conventional training.

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Numerous understudies lean toward the online homeroom since it offers adaptability in their bustling timetables. Online instruction empowers the instructor and the understudy to set their own learning speed, and there's the additional adaptability of setting a timetable that accommodates everybody's plan. Adaptability in learning is the catchphrase that oversees the approaching propensity of conferring quality training to understudies. Subsequently, utilizing an online instructive stage considers a superior equilibrium of work and studies, so there's no compelling reason to surrender anything. With the expansion of data and information, understudies should become long lasting students in this day and age, and online training assumes a significant part in assisting people with getting to the student focused and self-coordinated guidance.

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[noafterparties]

Hey it’s 1am who wants taz angst(?)

Taz Balance Spoilers!

It’s that feeling again. The bone aching tiredness mixed with treacherous loneliness. —————-

Barry Bluejeans has had a long night. The IPRE is buzzing with life, even as Barry trecks back to his apartment on the shitter side of town. Since the announcement of The Mission, every department has been working around the clock, trying to show it’s prowess and dedication, all in the name of being represented on this mission. 

Barry himself has been spearheading the scientific department’s efforts, revamping and revising every calculation, specification, and project under the suns. Gods he wants to be chosen. To see what’s out there, explore what has never been seen. To travel. 

So long days were the norm, falling and fading into a pattern of stress, work, and fitful sleep. Considering the sky above him, a deep amethyst, pinpricked with light, he’d wager it was about three in the morning. A smile drapes across his face as he considered the universe stretched around him, and then-

“Watch it!” A pair of elves brush past him, sparking him from his daze. He continues on his way home, alone.

———————

Taako and Lup have just left their apartment, barely taking notice of the human that stopped dead in their path. It’s been a busy few months for them too, and they finally, finally, have a corresponding night off from the IPRE. Naturally, they head downtown, dressed out in coordinating outfits.

Taako is sporting an off-the-shoulder tank that is a stark blue, with white pants, knee-high black boots, and wicked eyeliner, applied by Lup’s steady hand. He’s got a ludicrously tall hat on, one that Lup mocked right up until Taako actually put it on, then conceded to it actually completing the outfit, rather than just throwing the whole thing off. Lup is in tall stilettoes, fishnet leggings, a white overcoat, barely covering her favorite clubbing dress: a similarly-stark blue dress with a dipping neckline, and a collar to accentuate her cheekbones. Her hair is intricately done into a braided bun, courtesy of Taako’s deft hands.

They were going Out. They had already agreed that this night was about the two of them, and nothing would stop the two of them from seeing the first sunrise from their favorite rooftop bar. They’d figure out what to do after that. With the sheer amount of alcohol they were planning on drinking, it wouldn’t be too hard.

As they chatted about which of their favorite haunts to hit- they still had at least a few hours ‘til the first sunrise- they passed a dimly lit shop with only one patron inside. They aren’t lonely, but maybe they rejoice a little deeper that night because they know this life won’t always hold.

————————

Lucretia hadn’t meant to come out this late. She barely ever left the house after the suns set normally, but she simply couldn’t wait ‘til morning. 

She had woken up in a cold sweat, new thoughts and ideas running through her head like a song. Immediately awake, knowing she shouldn’t (and indeed wouldn’t) waste a creative jolt like this, Lucretia reached for her bedside journal. She’d planned to just jot something promising down, and then let her mind rest after such a busy day at the IRPE, but she knocked into her ink well before she reached her journal.

Grumpy, partially sleep-deprived, and definitely underdressed compared to the elves she’d seen on the street, Lucretia found herself in one of the only all-night writing stores within a sketchy ten-minute walk to her apartment. It was small, dimly lit, and smelt of parchment, and even as grumpy as Lucretia was, she appreciated the place. Without it, she’d be out of luck, ink, and the creative spark that had oh-so-wonderfully awoken her at three in the morning.

She bought three wells- they’d empty so fast- and then watched as the storekeeper carefully packaged them. Taking her parcel, she turned towards home...and then shook her head. No, clearly she wasn’t going to get any more sleep tonight. She turned towards the IPRE instead, and began her walk.

When she reached her department of the IPRE, she wasn’t surprised to see several people still working. There were the usual: Ingran, the elf from accounting, Cyas, the library keeper, and Johnston, the compiler. She nodded hellos to them, walking past them in favor of the sanctum that was her office.

Lucretia was clinging desperately to the creativity that had woken her up, determined to get it down on paper. She knows her muse is fleeting and will leave her bare the minute ink touches paper. She barely noticed the small form of a gnome, chatting with Cyas.

————————

Davenport knew he was an outlier at the IRPE. His clan had mostly been nocturnal, and growing up, so had he. Even moving to Brillow, the city where the IRPE was based, didn’t really change this. He got up a little earlier, usually an hour or so before the first sunset, to overlap with regular day staff, and then stayed a little later in order to coordinate with the day staff again in their ‘morning’.

He had been a little surprised when the day staff started to stretch that system, staying longer and longer, showing up at less reasonable times of their ‘night’, but he supposed that he should have expected it. When The Mission was announced, he wasn’t particularly concerned with showing off for the bosses. As lead astrologer at the IRPE, a trained head captain of interplanar ships, and already possessing an advanced knowledge of physics and mechanics, the IPRE Board would have to be deaf or blind not to pick him for the mission.

This was simply a state of fact: Davenport was qualified for the position. But that didn’t stop him from working a little harder when everyone else did too. A human woman passed by him, reinforcing how important The Mission was, if she was up at this hour. He was currently working with Cyas, the bookkeeper for the IPRE library, to expand the literary material regarding manipulations of electron fields. They’d been petitioning for weeks to coordinate with their co-facility the Materials Research Society and it looked like they were getting somewhere. The head of the IPRE had okayed them to link frequencies and discuss sharing equipment between the organizations.

Making their way back towards the library communications hub, they pass through the windowed hall facing the IPRE courtyard. The windowed hall distorts his short reflection, and even as he walks he is towered and overshadowed by his coworker. Outside of the window, which is much easier to focus on, the courtyard only has one silhouette on it: a tall figure with broad shoulders and bushy sideburns.

————————-

Magnus doesn’t even know what he’s doing here. Insomnia had struck him earlier that night (morning?) and he had just...wandered.

He’d always been skilled at pushing off feelings he didn’t want to contemplate during the day. During the day there were things to do, people to talk to, boxes to fill and move, data to check, activities to get to, obligations, life. At night everything felt...still. Magnus knew that was an illusion, sure there were parties and clubs and people, but it wasn’t his. He felt disconnected from it all.

When he got that way, the only workable solution was to walk. Feet to pavement, night air moving, living, around him. His feet would take him across town, up random alleys, across bridges, through crowds just to feel that life, that purpose. And then they would bring him back. Whether the walk had been an hour or all night, Magnus always felt ready to go to bed or disconnect in the way of his own choice.

So he was at a loss as to why his feet brought him to the IRPE and then left him there. He felt rooted to the courtyard, deeply connected to what was happening around him. Except. Nothing was happening. Shadows were passing through the windows of the IRPE, but they did that at all hours. Magnus was intimately familiar with the life here because this is where he lived his.

Securing the discoveries and safeguarding the employees at the IRPE, Magnus spent hours watching the patterns and life at the IRPE. After The Mission was announced, maybe those patterns had sped up, gotten a little more frantic and dizzying, but that only made his work all the more crucial.

Magnus turned to head home, uncertain of whether he would be able to sleep or not. Insomnia really was a bitch.

———————

Merle hadn’t seen anyone in hours. He was currently sitting in a dark greenhouse, waiting. Yawning more like. He wanted to be in bed. He hadn’t been home in a day or two, too excited over the potential to see Portulaca grandiflora bloom for the first time this century.

The plant’s blossom structure had been perplexing him for days, refusing to open early, despite his many efforts. The only thing that remained was to wait. Merle wasn’t great with that, and offered up a silent prayer to Pan to hurry up. P. grandiflora belonged to genius that had developed the unique trait of neoteny, making it extremely difficult to tell juveniles from adults. As head botanist at the IPRE, Merle was hoping to be the first to witness a true first bloom of the plant. Generally speaking, it would be very cool and very pretty. Scientifically speaking, this plant could reveal how to prolong a life cycle by proxy of prolonging true sexual development, as well as a host of other uses in medicinal practices thanks to the pollen.

Merle isn’t a loner by nature, no dwarves are really. Merle comes from a huge clan of Highchurch hill dwarves, and born into a family so large leads to a support system unmatched by most. Striking out on his own to join the sciences, learning botany and scientific cataloging distanced him from his family in a way he isn’t particularly proud of.

He’s used to the crutch of a support system that is his greenhouse.

———————

We’ve met our crew. But they’ve yet to meet each other.

Authors Note: Hey! Its taz (I know, everyone’s shocked) but I had this idea spinning in my head for an hour or two about how weird it would be if none of the birds knew each other pre-mission announcement. Then that spiraled into, well, this? So idk if it’s angst in the traditional sense, but I did kinda like writing it since I’m in a similar mood. Hope you enjoyed

[madamslayyy]

Prisoner of Love (Erik “N’Jadaka” Killmonger x Black! Reader)

Pairing: Erik Killmonger x Black! Reader

A/N: IM 👏🏾 HORRIBLE 👏🏾WITH 👏🏾DEADLINES 👏🏾BUT 👏🏾I 👏🏾MADE 👏🏾IT 👏🏾✊🏿‼️ So this is my submission for @hoopshoney and @purple-apricots Valentines Day Fic Fest, With Love, From Wakanda . This is actually shorter than I intended but I ran out of time so one day a part two might pop up (but it won’t be anytime soon, I’m so sorry y’all). Anyways this is it, I didn’t know who to tag so I just tagged random ppl I thought might be interested.

Warning: Kidnapping??? Imprisonment. Loss of Will. Nothing triggering honestly but conceptually I could see this being a problem.

Prompt: 27. “Nothing was planned but it certainly worked out for me.”

~*~

“You could smile, y’know. I walked all the way down here to see your pretty ass and this the reception I get?” His dimples flaired more than usual when he was angry. And he was always angry.

He’d gotten into a sort of routine. He’d come see you every three days and if you behaved he’d give you a present. You never behaved the way he wanted, never disrespectful/ disruptive but not the lovestruck admirer he craved either. You might not have much entertainment in this glass cage he’d condemned you to but you had come to find a smidgen of pleasure in watching him burn the trinkets in front of you after he didn’t get what he wanted. There was something about seeing his effort go to waste that made you feel victorious, even if only for a millisecond.

“Some way to treat ya king. Gonna make sure we break you-out of that real soon.” He sank into the throne like chair he’d had installed in the room (on the other side of the glass) and so began the ritual. He’d sit in the other side of the glass for hours, telling you about his day, his Kingly duties, how he was going to ‘fix’ Wakanda and then the world. He would talk to you about any and everything and of course you’d sit there and listen silently, like a good prisoner does.

On days when he’d run out of things to say, he’d simply gaze at you as if you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. You hated every second of it.

The first day you’d been in-prisoned by N’Jadaka was the second day he’d been King. You worked for the crown as a bookkeeper, a boring paperwork filled job swarming with numbers, algorithms, expenses, and budgets. The newly instated King has stormed the Wakandan Department of Finance to let everyone know they were fired and could go home, he wasn’t about to let anyone ‘budget’ his revolution.

You’d been on your way out he door when he violently grabbed your arm, nearly breaking it. You turned your big doe-like eyes to him, fear instantly taking residence within you. It was public knowledge that this man had savagely murdered the former King T’Challa and Spiritual Leader Zuri in cold blood. If he could put an end to them so frivolously, then it would be nothing for him to kill a nobody such as yourself.

“What’s your name,” He asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Your face must have gave way to your confusion because his grip on your arm loosened, but only marginally.

“Your name, ma. I won’t ask again,” he commanded. Even with you blood running cold in your veins, you could recognize he was easily the most handsome man you’d ever come encounter with.

“Y-Y/N.... your highness,” you squeaked. You felt like you were about to pass out.

“The voice matches the face... and the body.” he murmured to himself. He continued staring at you for what felt like an eternity before he finally nodded to his second-in-comamnd. You knew immediately who he was. W’Kabi, leader of the border tribe, traitor to Wakanda and the crown.

“Take her into custody,” he barked and immediately you found yourself being dragged away by two of W’Kabi’s men. That was the last day of your freedom.

“Look at me y/n,” he said in a stern voice, breaking you from your train of thought.

“I am,” you said softly. Even if your mind was a million miles away, you always kept your eyes on him. It would take less than a second for him to press the button on his Kimoyo beads to make the glass between the two of you vanish. Though you were already completely at his mercy, it often felt as if the glass barrier that kept you locked in your cell was the only form of protection you had from him.

“No you’re not. Your eyes are on me but you’re not seeing me.” You knew he couldn’t bare when all of your attention wasn’t completely focused on him. In the abundance of free time being King N’Jadaka’s prisoner had granted you, you’d often taken to psychoanalyzing your captor. You wondered if he often felt as if no one saw him, perhaps he was often ignored in childhood, spurring such an insecurity in his later life.

The silence between you two lingered on, him gazing at you as if he were studying you. You were the same each and every day but he always watched you as if he were discovering something new.

Finally he stood from his chair, approaching the glass. He took off one of his kimoyo beads and entered it in the key pad to your right. The glass between you two vanished and your body instantly went rigid. He handed you a small box which you accepted with shaking fingers. He backed out of the cell before reigniting the glass.

“Open it,” he urged, his eyes more intense than ever. You opened the small velvet box to reveal a ring made of pure gold with a diamond bigger than any rock you’d ever seen nestled in the middle.

“Do you know what tomorrow is?” He asked softly, arms folded across his enormous chest.

“February 14th,” in the months since you’d been his prisoner, you actively kept up with the date. It helped keep you sane.

“Little something called Valentines Day where I’m from. A celebration of love,” you’d never heard of such a holiday so you remained silent.

“It only seemed fitting on such a day that I make you my wife.” Your eyes suddenly flew open in shock causing the King to grin wickedly.

“N-no. Your highness please I d-“

“Take a long look around Y/N. Tonight is your last night in this cell.” His voice boomed as he began to walk away.

“Was this all apart of your plan? Take over Wakanda, kidnap and marry the first girl you see?” You asked quietly. You almost thought he hadn’t heard you when he paused.

“None of this was planned but it certainly worked out for me.” And with that, he was gone.

You looked down at the ring. It was gorgeous. But you knew what it really stood for. It was more or less shackles that would bind you to him for all of eternity. You had to bring yourself to question was this a fate worst than death?

~*~

The next morning came and you were greeted by two Dora Milaje who came to retrieve you from your cell.

It felt like only hours since the king had left you with the velvet box in your hand. Maybe it had only been hours, there was no telling how long N’Jadaka was with you yesterday. The cell he kept you in was deep underground with no windows or clocks for you to tell time. Your eating schedule where a designated maid brought you breakfast, lunch, and dinner was your only way of keeping track of the days.

“It’s time,” one said in an unbelievably deep voice. She was beautiful of course but so were most of the Milaje.

You put up no fuss, allowing them to escort you out, the same way you allowed them to scrub your hair and skin until your brown skin glowed a slight red tinge, the same way you allowed them to dressed you in the most extravagant white American styled wedding dress you’d ever seen. One last look in the mirror before the wedding was supposed to begin and you hardly recognized yourself. The hair, the makeup, the jewelry; you looked beautiful but it wasn’t you. Or maybe it was. Maybe it was who you were about to become. After all, you were about to be a Queen.

The ceremony was surprisingly short, shorter than normal Wakandan royal weddings, thanks to N’Jadaka of course.

Except for the first day he’d seen you when he’d grabbed your arm, you hadn’t touched N’Jadaka since. So when he held your freshly manicured hands in his own enormous ones, you felt the heat rise in your cheeks. He held them gently, rubbing small circles in the back of your hand with his thumb.

“Through the power of Bast, I declare you bonded for life, King and Queen of Wakanda.” The new Spiritual Leader, Ghube, rang out. N’Jadaka allowed a small smile to grace his lips before he captured your lips in his own. They were softer than you expected, the hairs of his beard tickling your face. He grabbed you by the waist, deepening the kiss. The witnesses cheered loudly and you felt your cheeks heat up even more.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” he said breathily as he pressed his forehead against your own. He was so close to you. And so large. His body easily engulfed your own and you were suddenly filled with a feeling of dread. With his new role as your husband, he would expect you to perform certain wifely duties. Duties you weren’t sure you could handle. Your experience was limited to say the least and you’d never been with anyone who could hold a candle to the King’s flame. His incredible beauty aside, he was confident, strong, psychotic, always got what he wanted apparently and didn’t take no for an answer. How on earth did they expect you to bed a man like that? Or worst, give him an heir.

You were stoic the remainder of the ceremony, the impeding dread of your wedding night consuming you.

“Aye, you good?” N’Jadaka asked quietly in your ear. It was nothing for him to lean over because you two had been impossibly close since the moment the two of you were wed. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off you, only further perpetuating your unease.

“I’m not feeling well. It’s just a lot going on, I’m a little dizzy,” you said, trying to excuse your behavior.

“Aight,” N’Jadaka squeezed the side of your thigh his hand had previously been resting on as a form of comfort you supposed before standing up.

“Alright, weddings over! If you not staff or cleanup crew, get ya asses out!” N’Jadaka yelled abruptly, causing the room to still. Nobody seemed to really know what to do so they all stared at him awkwardly.

“Did I fucking stutter?!” That kicked them into high gear and everyone made a quick B-line for the door.

“C’mon, lets get you to the royal doctors,” N’Jadaka said going to help you up.

“No, really I’m fine. That won’t be necessa- AH” he picked you up bridal style as if you weighed nothing. You clung to his neck for dear life. Nobody had ever picked you up before and here he’d done it with such ease.

“I’m gonna have them take a look just in case.”

“I’m serious, my king. I’m fine, I just need to rest.” You said and he tensed.

“What did you just call me?” His eyes looked almost feral and you thought he might throw you down to the ground on purpose.

“M-my King? I’m sorry I di-” You squeaked when he cut you off by crashing your lips to his. He moaned into the kiss, a deep guttural sound that made your heart flutter for a moment. To think he’d get so worked up over someone like you?

“I could get used to that,” he chuckled, breaking the kiss. You bit your already slightly sore lips, N’Jadaka’s affections leaving them swollen. You couldn’t believe he was that enamored with the title, as if everyone didn’t call him that. As if you hadn’t called T’Challa that a hundred times during his short reign.

As he carried you off to what would be your shared bedroom, you couldn’t help thinking how peculiar this man was. You’d watched him through the glass of your cell for months as he’d come and pour himself out to you and yet you’d never seen this side of him until today. He was an enigma, for sure.

He opened the door and carried you inside what easily had to be the most extravagant room you’d ever seen in your life. Dripping with gold and vibranium, this single room was bigger than any place you’d ever lived in your entire life. The bed was unnecessarily huge with feather pillows larger than your whole body and sheets made of pure silk. Had this been where he slept every night? It seemed like an awfully big bed to sleep in alone. If he was alone, that is. No wonder he was in such a hurry to find a wife.

“Home sweet home,” he said, laying you down on the bed. He took your shoes off one by one and began to massage your delicate feet in his large hands. If a year ago, someone had told you you’d be here in the most beautiful room you’d ever seen, on the softest bed you’d ever felt, receiving a foot massage from the most gorgeous man you’d ever laid eyes of, all while wearing the title of Queen, well you’d have thought it was a delusional dream come true. And yet here you were.

“I know what you think about me... what they say...” N’Jadaka said bleakly, “but I’m letting you know now, that shit doesn’t matter. I’m gonna be a good husband to you. If you let me.”

Was he serious? He wanted to be a good husband? When he’d locked you in a glass cage like some doll for months?

“Okay,” you said, not really sure what response he was looking for. Apparently that did it for him because his hands started trailing up you leg under dress, stopping at your thigh.

“You’re still afraid of me,” he sighed, removing his hand.

“I-I um..”

“I can hear your heart palpitating, and you’re trembling Y/N.” He interjected. “I took the heart shaped herb, I’m the new Black Panther remember.” Shit, how could you have forgotten something as important as that.

“It’s... it’s not you I’m afraid of.... I’m just not any... good at that,” N’Jadaka nodded, licking his lips.

“I can help with that,” he cooed, unbuttoning his shirt.

Taglist: @queennanayaa @chaneajoyyy @erikkillmongerstan @macfizzle @chasingsunlight @softnani @thehomierobbstark @supersizemeplz @wakandas-vibranium @wawakanda-btch @loosewindmill @muse-of-mbaku @chefjessypooh @iamrheaspeaks @theunsweetenedtruth @cancerianprincess @laketaj24 @sugardaddytonystark @itsmarshalltime98 @blackpanthersmut @blackgirloneshots @lavitabella87 @wakanda-inspired @blackpinup22 @ayellepea

[spirallingshape]

I don’t often toot my own horn on here, but..... The Globe and Mail just published a glowing profile on my dad’s press! I’ve been doing editing and design work for him for almost 10 years, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the family business. 

This article is available in the print edition for today (February 29 2020). The above link is behind a paywall, but I’ve copied the article below the cut. 

By Naben Ruthnum

The Shirley Jackson Award is one of the most prestigious prizes in horror, with recipients ranging from genre legends Stephen King and Neil Gaiman to literary crossover writers such as Emma Cline. In 2018, a Canadian publisher of horror fiction claimed their second Jackson. But you may never have heard of Undertow Publications, which is based in the small Ontario city of Pickering.

There are as many types of horror fiction as there are ways to be scared. The particular subgenre of horror that Undertow specializes in is “weird fiction”: a style that tends toward the high literary, enfolding the supernatural, tales of malaise in urban, rural and wild settings, and a sense of discomfort and eeriness that has more to do with atmosphere than reddened fangs.

While Undertow isn’t purely a one-man show, publisher Michael Kelly is the guiding acquiring and editorial eye on all books. “I always liked the literary sort of horror, weird fiction, and I wasn’t seeing it published.” As his inspirations, he cites the writers he was reading in 2009, around the time he started the press, "things like Arthur Machen, Oliver Onions, Walter De la Mare, Violet Paget.” Kelly was also reading Britain-based magazines such as Black Static and Supernatural Tales, pages that would introduce him to the authors he would eventually publish.

The press’s business operations began in his basement, and remain there, although the initial one-book-a-year output has grown to seven scheduled for 2020 and six planned for 2021. The prestigious small publishers of supernatural fiction that dot Britain and Ireland quickly recognized a peer in Kelly. Brian J. Showers, who runs Dublin’s Swan River Press, points to Kelly’s specific vision as a defining strength: “Michael Kelly guides Undertow with both taste and style, and with a dedication characteristic of only the very best small presses.”

Kelly, who is now focusing on Undertow full-time after his recent retirement from a 30-year career at the Toronto Star that ranged from the darkroom to syndicated sales, knew that keeping an eye on scale would be a crucial part of Undertow’s continued existence.

“I was reading stuff that really intrigued me in the small press, niche stuff, but there were only a couple of venues. I did my first anthology in 2009, and it was called Apparitions. Really – copies of the book were terrible. It was on very white, photocopy paper, done at one of those Espresso Book Machines – I knew a guy at McMaster who ran one. It was a bound book, but poorly bound.”

Despite the humble appearance of this first offering from a press that would soon be known for their beautifully designed and printed trade paperbacks, overseen by art director Vince Haig, Apparitions was nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award. The prestigious American award is well known to genre fans, and Undertow was quickly noticed by both readers and writers eager for a new venue for their weird fiction interests. But Kelly continued to grow the press slowly, guided by his own tastes and reading. Short-story collections – anthologies or single-author collections – form almost the entirety of Undertow’s output. One anthology series, Shadows and Tall Trees, has been going since the second year of the press’s existence, with the latest edition garnering awards recognition and the eighth volume appearing as Undertow’s first 2020 publication.

For years, Kelly has been finding authors in small magazines, online and in print – and while Undertow is a Canadian small-press success story, Kelly isn’t willing to let borders dictate what he’s going to publish. “I have published Canadian authors – Simon Strantzas, and Helen Marshall, and this year I’m publishing Richard Gavin. But I don’t do enough to get grant money, and I sort of want to publish what I want to publish.” Strantzas is a Canadian weird-fiction fixture, and his contribution to Shadows and Tall Trees 8 is definitively weird: “The Somnambulists” is the story of a hotel constructed from collaborative dreams. It’s a fantastical concept anchored by banality – a Ministry hotel inspector is being taken on a tour of the hotel – but even the dullness of the inspector’s official function doesn’t protect him from the creeping atmosphere of the place, and the possibility that his own family may be deeply involved in the dream that he is touring.

In selecting individual stories and collections, Kelly lets excitement guide him, as it did in the case of Kay Chronister, a young American writer whose first collection emerges from Undertow in March.

“Kay published a story I read online in a magazine called Shimmer that’s not around anymore. It was called ‘The Fifth Gable,’ and it knocked me flat. Last year, she had a story appear in Black Static, called ‘Roiling and Without Form.’ So I reached out to her, and asked her if she had any others, and she did.” Chronister’s stories, wide-ranging as they are, often seat horror in patriarchal traps of marriage and domestic expectations, while other elements in the same stories draw on horror mainstays such as witchcraft and or hereditary curses. As with other Undertow books, it’s the prose – in Chronister’s case, rich, descriptive, clean and never-purple prose – that melds horror elements that could work in a Hammer film with thematic content that would be at home in a New Yorker short story.

Kelly’s patience in growing his publishing list from year to year has also helped him wait on authors he particularly wanted. Priya Sharma, a UK-based writer who also works as a doctor, had been publishing stories for almost a decade before Undertow Press put out her first collection, All the Fabulous Beasts. “I was bugging her for years, then I gave up,” Kelly says. “Then, eventually, she emailed me. That book did very well.” Sharma’s collection won both the British Fantasy Award and Shirley Jackson Award, and the book is Undertow’s best-selling single-author collection.Unable to offer the large advances of a trade publisher, Kelly is also emphatic about leaving all ancillary rights with his authors. “We don’t take any audio rights, film rights – some of these presses grab everything they can.” In an era where industries from podcasts to film are hungry for intellectual property, keeping these rights author-exclusive matters, and Undertow’s books have attracted the interest of scouts from Netflix, among other companies.

“I’ve never put any commercial thinking into the press. I don’t look at a writer and think I want to publish them because they’ll sell a lot of books. I publish books that I want to read.” In addition to Haig, the Undertow team is rounded out by two family members – Courtney Kelly, Michael’s publishing-program graduate daughter, who works on typesetting, interior layout and design, and Carolyn Macdonell-Kelly, Michael’s wife, who takes on proofreading and bookkeeping duties, in addition to joining him in the ever-important sales efforts of the press. Kelly is currently trying to buck the enforced reliance that many small presses have on a particular online behemoth.

“I have to sort of play ball with Amazon, which drives me crazy, but otherwise the books don’t get any distribution. As a small press, I’m sending out stuff to independent bookstores all the time, trying to get them to stock the books … percentage-wise, probably about 70 per cent of my sales are Amazon. I do have quite a few loyal customers – my e-mail list is close to 1,000 – and I have loyal readers who will buy all of my stuff directly.”

Kelly is excited to expand the range of horror subgenres Undertow publishes, moving beyond the subtle, literary weird that they are known for. Kelly describes a forthcoming collection by Steve Topes as “visceral, straight-out horror. Not really what I usually publish, but he does it so well. The writing is so descriptive, I liked it.” And Undertow is contributing to a longstanding horror subgenre with a coming collection of ghost stories from A.C. Wise, a Canadian who lives in the United States. Wise was excited at the chance to have a book with a press she’d long admired. “Simply put, Undertow publishes gorgeous books. When Michael approached me about doing a collection, I jumped at the chance, knowing the care that goes into everything he produces.”

Coinciding with Kelly’s full-time commitment to Undertow is a change in how the press sources its publications: They recently opened to submissions for the first time, and received hundreds of manuscripts. But Kelly’s efforts to move toward publishing novels instead of the short fiction that the press established itself with have not been altogether successful, yet. “We got hundreds of submissions, and only three of them were novels. We’re known for our short-story collections [and our anthologies], so that’s what we got. We were surprised, because we specifically asked for novels and novellas. Three novels, two novellas … and the rest were short-story collections.”

What hasn’t changed is Undertow’s selection process, as Kelly admits. “We ended up taking one novella and three short-story collections. We didn’t like any of the novels … and by ‘we,’ I mean me.”

[ourseopittsburgh]

A Guide to Hiring a SEO Provider

In the event that your business has any online segments, (for example, a site), at that point SEO is significant to the progressing accomplishment of your business. You may have the most costly site in your industry, yet without web traffic (guests) to that site, it is basically pointless. It isn't simply traffic that you need, however focused on traffic. A decent quality SEO administration can give applicable, steady web traffic to your website(s). This guide will permit you, as a non-master, to recognize great and awful SEO suppliers. There are a large number of the two sorts, this guide should assist you with finding the great ones.

Website optimization should be actualized in a manner that is compelling in accomplishing your SEO objectives and giving that immeasurably significant important nearness on the World Wide Web.browse this site seo pittsburgh pa

Quality SEO is a critical speculation with regards to creating fruitful extension and development methodologies. 

Ineffectual SEO usage, renders your SEO endeavors entirely incapable and a misuse of your cash.

6 things you have to know and comprehend before employing a SEO supplier:

1) Hiring a SEO supplier ought to be viewed as an interest in your business. You ought not see it as a cost of doing business, but instead a business methodology and a compelling method for improving your business nearness inside your business part. Make an effort not to start your inquiry with the aim of "getting some SEO". Contracting a SEO supplier ought to be seen rather as enlisting a worker that comprehends and thinks about your business and its online targets.

2) The main page of Google (or any web crawler) is everything. Barely any individuals ever go to the second page of the list items any longer. Google is so great at being a web index that individuals aimlessly trust Google's capacity to convey the most important outcomes on the primary page. Consider how regularly you navigate to the subsequent page. This implies if your business isn't on the primary page, it's nearly in the same class as no place. The top situations on page one get the most snaps, which lessening as you progress downwards on the page.

3) The 'enormous' watchwords are not all that matters. It is smarter to be on the main page for a couple of littler watchwords, than attempt to rank for greater catchphrases and not be on the principal page by any means. For instance, a bookkeeping business in Preston may not rank for the profoundly aggressive catchphrase 'bookkeeper' (except if they have a ton of SEO spending plan and time to sit tight for rankings); yet a similar business could possibly rank exceptionally for the watchword 'sanctioned bookkeeper Preston'. A decent SEO supplier should explore the watchwords that your business could reasonably rank on page one for and furthermore catchphrases that have enough look volume to be advantageous for your business to take a stab at positioning for.

4) SEO is tied in with beating your opposition. There is no assurance from the web indexes to state you will be on the main page of Google in the event that you do certain things. Put basically, SEO works this way:

The web search tools have their shows; sites that adjust by giving the web indexes what they need, will wind up accomplishing better web index rankings. The main thing remaining among you and the top spots in the hunt rankings is your opposition. Not your real business rivals, yet your online rivals. The sites that at present have the top spots in the web indexes for your ideal watchwords are your online challenge, and you have to beat them out of those top spots. A few catchphrases will be anything but difficult to rank for, others will be progressively troublesome. It is just your online challenge that directs which will be the situation for every individual watchword. A decent SEO supplier will explore the challenge for every one of your catchphrases. At that point, after the best catchphrases for your business part have been recognized they ought to be executed as per point number three above.

5) On-page and Off-page SEO.

Website streamlining is a complex and consistently developing science, however so as to astutely meet a forthcoming SEO supplier you have to comprehend that there are two primary kinds of SEO.

On-page SEO identifies with the elements on your site that influence your SEO (watchwords, ease of use, page headings, outbound connections, interior connections, and so on.).

Off-page SEO are the variables that relate straightforwardly to issues outside of your site that influence the SEO of the site, for example, back connections, references, social sharing, and so on.

Search engine optimization suppliers can deal with your off-page SEO reasonably effectively, however in the event that you are not willing to change on-page SEO, as indicated by their suggestions, you can't reprimand them for absence of results. A decent SEO supplier will audit your site and report back about your on-page SEO, and how it very well may be improved. You ought to have your website specialist make the adjustments.(Remember he is the master in this field)

6) An expansion in web crawler positioning isn't really an expansion in leads and deals. All your SEO supplier can do is get your site, recordings, Google Places, articles, blog entries, and so forth further up the web search tool results. They can't ensure an expansion in deals or leads, since that factor is dictated by your own business channel. It isn't the SEO supplier's business to ensure that the additional web traffic you get will change over to more leads or deals. Your site needs to change over those guests with great advertising, which is an issue for your promoting expert to manage.

The key contrasts among 'great' and 'awful' SEO suppliers:

Great SEO Providers

Great SEO suppliers know and comprehend the focuses referenced previously. You can pass judgment on this by their responses to the inquiries gave later in my next article.

Great SEO suppliers need to construct a strong establishment and a legitimate SEO plan for your business, with broad introductory watchword and market (contender) inquire about. They will frequently demand it, regardless of whether the planned customer doesn't see the need. Some of the time a decent SEO supplier will won't work with a customer that doesn't need the significant preparation to be done, on the grounds that they realize that without it they won't probably furnish the customer with the outcomes that they need. A decent SEO supplier will need to give their customer results as their first need. Frequently a customer will say "however I've officially done the catchphrase investigate myself". Numerous potential customers plunk down for 5 or 10 minutes to work out every one of the watchwords that they believe are significant to their business, and afterward imagine that they have now done all the catchphrase look into that is required. Genuine watchword research is a protracted, analytical procedure.

Great SEO suppliers utilize dependable SEO strategies, for example, giving more consideration to on-page SEO, verifying quality back connections, improving references, supporting social sharing, guaranteeing a decent client experience, and so forth.

Awful SEO Providers

Awful SEO suppliers will need to accept their customers' cash as their first need. They won't direct legitimate catchphrase and statistical surveying, however will say, for instance, "what are your three watchwords and your URL that you need to rank for". In the event that this occurs (as it frequently does) you can be certain they are essentially connecting your site to programming to get superfluous back connections everywhere throughout the web, utilizing spam blog remarks, interface ranches and different methods. As a rule this methodology is incapable in light of the fact that the URL, or space, may not coordinate the customer's ideal watchwords. This can likewise harm the notoriety and, incidentally, the long haul SEO and validity of the site.

Awful SEO suppliers utilize terrible quality SEO techniques (Sometimes alluded to as Black-cap strategies), Utilizing these strategies can have an incredibly negative impact on how your site is seen via web crawlers. This thus may bring about your site being (Sand boxed). Obviously this is amazingly unfortunate, as harm, for example, this is incredibly hard to turn around.

Guarantee you get the master SEO who realizes how best to feature the characteristics of your organization and can attract consideration regarding your items and your administrations in a manner that truly makes your business stand-apart on the overall web.

[thecoroutfitters]

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from Patriot Prepper Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. Are you ready for any situation? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[nahaskiosk]

Easy invoice for mac

#EASY INVOICE FOR MAC INSTALL#

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Double-click the app icon to open and use the Invoice2go Easy Invoice Maker in your favorite Windows PC or Mac.

Once the installation is over, you will find the Invoice2go Easy Invoice Maker app under the "Apps" menu of BlueStacks.

#EASY INVOICE FOR MAC DOWNLOAD#

Click "Install" to get it installed. Always make sure you download the official app only by verifying the developer's name.

Now you can search Google Play store for Invoice2go Easy Invoice Maker app using the search bar at the top.

On the home screen, double-click the Playstore icon to open it.

BlueStacks comes with Google play store pre-installed.

You will see the home screen of Bluestacks. Just be patient until it completely loads and available. It may take some time to load for the first time.

Once the installation is complete, open the BlueStacks software.

Installation is as simple and easy as any other software installation.

#EASY INVOICE FOR MAC INSTALL#

After the download is complete, please install it by double-clicking it.Click it and it will start the download based on your OS. Once you open the website, you will find a green color "Download BlueStacks" button.Open Blustacks website by clicking this link - Download BlueStacks Emulator.Until then, DO NOT PURCHASE THIS APP!!! I would be suspicious of ANY support that BLOCKS users. After writing another email to the company about my issue, I received the SAME reply. I continued the process to acitvate the account. I have a paid subscription!! So, I created a NEW account with a NEW email address with the company.

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We offer support to registered users with a trial account or a paid subscription." Please re-submit your question from your registered email address if you have one. "Sorry, this question will not be passed to our support team because we could not find an Easy Books Online Account with the email address. The email was sent back with the following message: I wrote to the company to inquire about this issue. Today, before the 6 month subscription was over, when trying to log on, the app would NOT recognize my email address. I have email and receipt documentation for proof. Terms of use Download for MacOS - server 1 -> Free You can sync between iOS or Mac devices running Easy Invoice or Easy Books, our double entry bookkeeping application. To restore it, just tap the attachment to open in Easy Invoice. However, should you want to take your own backup, simply tap the backup option, and send the data file to yourself in an email, or save it to your Mac or to another service such as Dropbox. This ensures that all devices you use are synchronized with each other, and the data is backed up. This is useful if you want to lend your phone or iPad to someone, but you don’t want them to use Easy Invoice.Īll data are backed up using our proprietary Sync process. Lock Easy Invoice using an optional four-digit pass-code. Reports can then be imported into other applications such as Excel or Numbers.

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Save effort at tax time by sending your accountant an All-Transactions Report.Īll reports can be exported from the app in either, CSV or ZIP format, or you can print to pdf. Keep track of which customer(s) make you the most money Chase late payers by sending them a Statement showing all transactions or just those that are owed.īest customer report. This shows a complete list of the amounts owed to you, broken down by the age of each debt. Keep track of your best and worst selling productsĬustomers' Aged Debt. You can use this to send yourself a test invoice to see how it looks.Ĭompare this month’s sales with last month, or this month last year. To get up and running quickly we’ve added your first customer. You can set each one up with its own logo, address, payment terms and email details. More than one business? No problem! Just create as many businesses as you like, there’s no extra cost. Invoices can be set up as tax inclusive or separated. Simple customization process lets all your invoices, estimates, receipts, credit notes, refunds and statements consistently incorporate your businesses look and feel. Save time by using your Apple Contacts file to load customer and supplier information. You can define products and services with associated cost and standard selling price, with volume discounts if appropriate. Powerful business analysis reports to help manage your small businessĮntering information into the app is quick and easy.Ěs many users as you require, on their iPhones, iPads, or MACs.No limits to the volume of customers, products, or services.If you don’t want to purchase a subscription after the 14-days or 60 transactions, you won’t be charged anything. Then you have 60 transactions, so you can try us out before purchasing a subscription. What does Easy Invoice (PDF generator) do? Download the app and enjoy a 14-day free trial.

[key-cms]

How to do Accounting for Startups?

Time, effort and money must be utilized well, right?

Likewise for any startups.

Being a founder of the company, you can take care of the time and effort but what about the money part?

Head stretching thing and different fears like of

misuse of fund,

wrong use

over spent and so

gives you head spin sometimes.

So today we’re going to show you how to do accounting for startups?

After you know this, you’ll be able to decide whether to do it by yourself or to outsource it?

Outsource it or get bookkeeping service with an accounting service in India when you have other important things to focus on and don’t know enough to do a proper accounting.

So let’s see.

Table of Content

Bookkeeper for Startups: Find out

Why is accounting vital to startups?

10 accounting essentials for startups

Conclusion

Congratulations on launching your own company!

Being an entrepreneur, you run your startup to bring a new product or service to market.

Ultimately to sell it, getting the money in.

For the most part, a start-up’s first funding comes from the company’s founders, that’s you.

You put a lot of effort and money into your product or service.

Why?

To have the result as wanted like sales, revenue and so.

And also the money utilization.

So how is it possible to do it effectively?

Bookkeeper for Startups: Find out

For startups, bookkeeping is critical because you might not have much experience in the early stages of operation.

Financial transactions, such as sales, purchases, receipts, and payments, are all recorded in daily bookkeeping.

Journal entries are used to document a company’s financial transactions as part of the accounting.

It’s simply a method of entering financial information into the accounting system.

But not simple when you take care of the aspects of your startup.

Solution?  

Never overlook the importance of accounting and bookkeeping services in the early stages of your operations to save money.

You might be thinking

Why is that important or why for my business?

I’m new in the market, why would I need it anyway?

My transactions are in small numbers?

Answer to that, look what we share.

Why is accounting vital to startups?

A business owner’s primary goal is to make money by selling their product or service.

How will you come to know if your customers pay?

Tracking.

For instance, if you don’t keep track of your expenditures, you won’t be able to deduct them from your income tax.

Ultimately you’ll pay more tax.

Thus, a proper Bookkeeping service and accounting cannot be overlooked, especially for new businesses or for any business.

There are a few things you must accomplish before you begin:

Decide on the structure of your company.

Set up a business checking account with a different bank.

Make sure you’re comfortable with the accounting software you’ve chosen.

Make sure your firm has a bookkeeping system in place.

You’re ready to begin managing the financial transactions completing these steps for your startup.

Now deeping dive into how to do accounting for your startup

10 accounting essentials for startups:

Even while a manual accounting system can keep track of your company’s finances, it’s far preferable to use an accounting software application.

In today’s market, most basic accounting and bookkeeping programs are geared toward people like you, a small business owner or entrepreneurs.

Additionally, they’re designed to make it simple to keep track of your finances, and most are affordable to fit any budget.

The following financial items must be carefully managed in all situations.

Bank statementsNow that we have online banking, we no longer have to carry along hefty bank statements.

It’s still vital to reconcile your bank account.

If you don’t reconcile your bank accounts regularly, you’ll miss any possible financial errors that might slip through the cracks if your general ledger is out of sync with your bank account.

Statements from credit cardsReconciling your credit card and bank statements is an essential step.

If you don’t keep an eye on your credit card statements, you could be a victim of credit card scams.

Every charge on your credit card statement should have a backup. When several employees are using a company credit card, it’s crucial to keep track of it.  

Payroll SystemThere is no payroll to worry about when you have no employees.

You’ll need to keep track of payroll even if you only have one employee. This covers it all, from keeping track of employee personnel files to tracking their work-related activities.

Subscribing to a payroll provider is the most efficient approach to handling your payroll.

Maintaining accurate payroll records is your responsibility whether you outsource the task.

InvoicesOne of the first things you should learn how to do is write an invoice.

What good is it to your business if you don’t get paid for the goods and services you deliver to your customers?

Any accounting software program you choose, invoicing component will also contain accounts receivable tracking.

Keeping track of your invoices and following up on them is essential if you want to be paid.

Proof of paymentYour supplier calls to let you know that they won’t be shipping any supplies until you settle your payment.

The problem is you mailed them a check three weeks ago.

If you don’t keep physical bills any longer, make sure to have a copy of your bank statements available to check if a check has cleared and provide it to your supplier if it has.

If you don’t use checks, preserve your payment record with the bill if the amount is lost.

Startup feesWhen your business becomes operational, you might be eligible to deduct up to $5,000 in startup and organizational costs, so keep track of all your expenses if you’re starting.

Amortization will be required for any charges that exceed the deductible.

PayoutsIt’s always a reason to celebrate when a consumer pays you.

You should ensure that your clients’ payments are correctly tracked, regardless of how they pay you or how much.

It’s essential to keep track of all payments made by customers and attach a record of that payments to their invoices.

You can enter the amount in their record if you’re using a paperless office.

BillsFrom the beginning, you must establish solid credit with your suppliers. Paying your bills on time is an integral part of this.

However, it would help if you verified the accuracy of each invoice that is received.

If you pay the wrong bill, you know you paid for no good reason.

Your bills should be tracked monthly to ensure they are paid on time after entering the information into your accounts payable.

Late fees or interest charges may be incurred if they aren’t paid on time.

More minor expenses like parking, postage, printing, and travel should also be recorded.

Keep meticulous records of all business expenses to ensure that your year-end deductions are correct and backed up by paperwork.

Tax returnsThere’s a good possibility that if your business is brand new, you haven’t filed any tax returns yet.

It’s good to keep them for at least three years, though it may be better to retain them for longer.

Financial statementsDepending on the size of your company, you should be printing financial statements on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Running financial statements takes less than a minute with accounting software, but the information contained in those reports can reveal a great deal about your company.

An accurate general ledger and bank account balance can only be achieved by performing monthly closing financial statements and bank reconciliation.

So these were 10 accounting essentials for startups.

But what if you don’t have enough time to do it all by yourself and want to invest your time on other important tasks?

We got your back to back your accounting.

About us:

Many of these services are provided by Key Carrier Management Service, which aids in the expansion and scalability of your company’s operations.

As a company with over a decade of experience in outsourcing services, we remain committed to providing you, our clients, with the most significant possible benefit for your buck.

That is evident in our diversified portfolio.

Conclusion:

Entrepreneurs must determine if they want to undertake the grunt work and hire an accountant themselves or hire outside support.

As a business owner, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of your company and forget about the mounting pile of paperwork on your desk.

However, neglecting that pile of documents could cost you more time and effort in the future.

So, all you need to track everything down is including book keeping in your strategy!

You’ll be better able to maintain track of your funds if you manage your bookkeeping and accounting.

This means that you’ll be able to tell if you’re overspending or if you need to raise your sales.

In other words, no matter how you choose to handle your Bookkeeping service, your company will be for success from the start whether you do it yourself or engage a professional bookkeeper or accountant

[offmen-scott]

Not every dream is worth remembering

Time spent asleep, as real in this moment as in any un-lived fantasy. Where I see my self I was walking a narrow path that ran through a meadow. My companions a small group of friends and a brown rabbit. Although none could provide a familiar face. We were Nevertheless a cheerful group.  All to happy to frolic in the warmth of a springlike morning.  We were bathed in a delightful sunny sunshine, and with us was our favorite fluffy bunny. As for him. He was about the size of an average dog and he walked on his hind legs. On the other hand, he was a normal brown bunny. But he did not speak, he was simply a quiet companion. Like I said, I did not recognize anyone in the group from my awake world. However, one person in the group was a witch. I was not attempting to label her, but she wore the cliché attire. Wide brimmed pointy black hat, black petticoat, striped leggings, etc. She was a confident young woman, although a bit bossy. As we all walked I fell behind. I was busy contemplating who this witch friend was. Unlike being awake I was unable to both walk and think in my dream land. Then suddenly I overheard the witch ordering everyone to brush our teeth with the saliva of the rabbit. This was disturbing. She went on to tell us the bunny had just eaten some mint leaves. Her explanation concluded that the fresh mint leaves made his spit good for you. I did not want to obey the witches repugnant command. Why would anyone want to use thumper drool to clean their mouth? Oh; but then wouldn’t you know it, she went and sang some singsong magical spell and POOF! 

And there he was, Peter Cottontail no longer on the bunny trail. He was now high above us in a dark storm cloud. Our sunny spring moment gone in a wif. It had been transformed into a terrifying storm. More alarming yet, Our fluffy friend now had an oversized head and was backlit in neon blue. There he was high In the sky, his giant bunny head surrounded by black storm clouds. It was definitely an unearthly vision to be sure. His adorable soft furry mouth opened wide. Out poured a shower of icy shards. A sleet of Minty bunny spit for us to brush with. I was mortified and now resolute to be insubordinate to this witch. Unfortunately all I could do is put my hand over my face and pray no bunny drool dripped into my mouth. 

Then everything went dark and the next thing I knew I had left the meadow. My person stolen away by a trick of the witch. It was there I found myself seated at a roll top desk in a quiet hallway of an old Victorian home. The witches home. Oh yay. I was there to do bookkeeping. And I was immediately disappointed that I was not there to catch-up on my own bookkeeping. No, as you might guess I was there to create pivot tables for the witch. Despite this new situation, I discovered I was enjoying the work, and above all, I did not have to brush my teeth with any bunny slobber. My reports were meticulous. I wondered if the witch would notice my eye for detail. Unfortunately she appeared too busy frightening her guests. I got up from the desk and walked to the door of the parlor to better see her. She was a pro. From my vantage point in the hall I watched as she jump scared the pants of each one. She was such a silly witch, both delightful and amusing to behold. And I thought to myself how I would love to join in on her fun little game. I bet myself I could jump scare the frock off her for sure. And so I prepared myself. 

In my mind I willed all the power and fury from within the depths of my soul. I was preparing for the pounce. However before I won the chance to see the entirety of those leggings, the witch spun a new spell and hid into a rectangle of smoky mist. She knew me. The shield she made had no corners but was a perfect foggy rectangle of gray pillowy clouds. I could see her face behind the misty mass (still not one I could recognize). Somehow this protective screen made her safe from my effort to jump scare. I began to doubt my confidence. Now it was fear that crept into the dream. Who was this acquaintance in the black hat? Was this witch more than a playful affliction? I may never know. The dream then evaporated and I awoke from my slumber. In the darkness of my room the witch and the bunny were gone. It was time, five am and I needed to get up. I was feeling old slightly hungover and much too jaded for any dream interpretation. I already knew I needed to go to work.

[continuations]

The Disposable Startup?

Many years ago I was debating whether or not to finish my PhD dissertation. One of the people I talked to about this decision was Prof. Thomas Malone, whose office was next to the oversized closet that I shared with one other graduate student. I brought up the sunk cost fallacy and Tom looked deeply at me before saying something to the following effect: “When evaluating life choices don’t treat them on the basis of financial principles. Your time and effort are something deeply personal and not like fungible dollars.” This really stuck with me (thank you, Tom).

Years later, I am reminded of this conversation as I watched a video on quitting that also mentions the sunk cost principle as if it should be applied to life decisions. What then is a better way to make these choices? One talk that I have referred a lot of people to is by the philosopher Ruth Chang and it is called “How to make hard choices.” I highly recommend watching it in its entirety but the upshot is that we should see ourselves as the authors of our lives and ask what do we want this chapter to read like. This turns out to be a powerful framing and one I have applied repeatedly myself.

Now more recently I have heard a lot of investors bring up the sunk cost fallacy when it comes to backing startups. There is of course an old adage in venture “Don’t throw good money after bad” which captures this idea. And in the current crazy hot market it seems more apt than ever. Why back something that isn’t working, if you can put that money into the next rocket ship? 100x and even larger returns seem to be everywhere and $1 million to back a struggling company could turn into a fund returner elsewhere instead.

And yes at USV too, we want each company or crypto project to have the potential to be a fund returner. But does that mean we shouldn’t support struggling companies?

I believe here too there is a responsibility that extends beyond the idea of making the most money for LPs (and by extension for oneself). Startups should not be treated as disposable. Especially ones that have been years in the making and have real products and real revenues.

Why is that? Because here too we are authoring lives and not just our own but also those of others. Anyone who has ever worked on a company is impacted when that company goes under. What they have in many cases worked on hard all of a sudden seizes to exist. A write-off isn’t just some bookkeeping entry. It is also the text at the end of a chapter of people’s lives.

Does that mean investors should never let a company die? Of course not. Some companies simply don’t work. And at that point it is better not just for investors but also for the current team to find more promising alternatives.

Treating startups as disposable though is callous at best and despicable at worst. It is part and parcel of the same thinking behind Milton Friedman’s awful NY Times piece from 1970 that so neatly excuses the excesses of financialized capitalism: The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits.

It the same impoverished view of responsibility that drives VCs who simply walk away from companies. True leaders and committed investors understand that their responsibility extends beyond profits. That it includes, among other things, care for all those humans who have contributed their time (the most valuable thing we all have) to the effort. 

Startups are not disposable. 

[talesfromicarium]

Death of the Warden

Story Starter

"Your protagonist is the warden of a library full of rare and expensive books."

The broken man collapses onto his knees, unheeding the small, jagged rocks that cut into his bony calf. Another wound will not make a difference, now. The sharp sting adds simply to a patchwork of pain that blankets him, wrapping him in its feverish embrace. A familiarity he learnt, long ago, to find some comfort in.

The fresh, crimson blood trickles lazily forward, running over old scabs and closed scars. He feels it leave him, it and the rest. With practiced effort he wills his head to lift, and turns his eyes to the ruins strewn lazily about him.

The small unblinking eye of the sun refuses to relinquish its light, perching defiantly between the two spires of Riverend Keep, far to the west. Yet its harsh glare is softened here by the glinting stars above, and if one was patient enough he could spot the early slivers of moonlight, their soft touch silhouetting the thinner clouds in silver and white. Soon theirs will be the only luminescence to be reflected int eh still, tranquil pools of rainwater, resting amongst the wreckage of what was once his library, his ward.

His home.

The Warden lays down his tattered, leather bag, nothing but strips and rags now, like those that hang loosely around his waist and shoulders, caked in dried blood, filthy with mud and the remains of a dead hero.

He shuffles back, finds a pillar and rests against it. He takes one, shaky breath. After a few slow, laboured heartbeats, he releases it. He closes his eyes. He remembers.

~

The sun’s rays hit the Library’s stained glass windows, spilling colours and warmth onto its clean, marble floors. The clear chiming of a bell signalled a visitor, and he placed Samwell’s Guide to the First World: Volume IX carefully—noting with some displeasure the leaning gap between Volumes III and V—and walked towards the front desk.

He stopped. A hand reached almost instinctively for the cold amulet, pulsing menacingly against his tightened chest.

He knew this day would come. He’d always known. The past did not stay buried forever. He of all people knew this to be the truth.

Still, he forced the gentle smile of a guileless bookkeeper. He took another step forward, and heard the pleasant, simple voice of a man who had never known strife. Who had never truly known fear. Who had never taken another life.

“Can I help you?”

The man shifted, azure cape fluttered silently as his broad shoulders turned. The golden hilt of his sheathed longsword glinted in the filtered light by his side, beneath the grip of one large scarred hand.

The Warden waited as Aniketos the Unbowed studied him with cold, grey eyes. They all said that the Saviour of Llyeria had his father’s looks. He could see that, now. He could see where the resemblance lay. Aratos had that same furious hardness in his gaze, when he looked up from the knife’s hilt protruding from his chest.

“I think you can, yes. I think you know what I am here for.”

He let his arm fall by his side. He stared, unseeing, at the marble by his feet. He had had a good life. He would accept retribution, and atone for his sins. He would face death with the ease and dignity of an honest man.

He heard the scraping of metal against wood as Aniketos unsheathed his blade.

“For the murder of my father, Aratos Snowborne, High King of Llyeria, I sentence you, Dolios, son of Hektor, to-“

“NO!”

He saw the blood before he heard the scream. His own, he realised, after a moment’s reflection. Curse the boy’s speed. Curse his son’s unruliness, his mischief, his stealth, his ever-curiosity. Curse him, curse him, curse him.

He looked up to meet the Saviour’s stunned eyes. He screamed, again, and sank onto his knees, clutching the limp body of his boy, his sticky, warm blood saturating his robe, his shirt, washing over him, paying for his crimes.

~

The Warden opens his eyes, once more. Watches as the sun is forced at last to surrender its glow, and disappears beneath the horizon. He draws another haggard breath.

He is tired.

He is so, very tired.

Vengeance is a cold, ugly path. It leads nowhere, and yields nothing but pain. He is tired of walking it.

Let it end, now. Let it end with him.

He closes his eyes. Lets out a breath.

The clouds part. The crescent moon shines upon the ruins of a library. The books are gone.

The Warden is dead.

Art

[aaubaseballexperience]

The Beauty and Business of AAU Baseball

A crack, a thump, and a ping. Those are some of the sounds you are guaranteed to hear upon walking into an AAU baseball facility. The crack of a wood bat striking the ball right in the sweet spot, the thump of a ball hitting the leather glove, and a ping for those who use metal bats when hitting the baseball. Along with those sounds, you will be embraced by the smell of baseball, which consists of turf, leather and sweat. However, what you do not smell, hear or even see for that matter, is what keeps an AAU baseball team operating, and what business goes on behind the scenes to even allow for a functional, profitable, successful AAU baseball team. Furthermore, those who are actually operating these AAU baseball organizations have dedicated their time and energy to not only make a profit, but to play a key role in the future success of participating athletes. But how? Let this article enlighten you.

        (A’s athletes practicing base running at the A’s Baseball Center)

Brian Blumsack is the co-owner of AAU baseball team and company, the “A’s” located in Woburn Massachusetts. The team has been operating for 11 years and has seen much success since its opening. The A’s offer group lessons, private lessons, batting cage time, position specific coaching, space rental, strength and conditioning sessions and of course an opportunity for kids ages nine through eighteen to play in tournaments, as part of an AAU team. Throughout the winter and seasons, the A’s typically have around 150 athletes within the system, consisting of individuals who have been playing baseball for a majority of their lives, as well as those who are just getting into a more competitive level of the game. Blumsack explains the AAU “experience” to be “a great opportunity for kids to enhance their baseball skills while learning about the game and life in general along the way.”

       (Brian Blumsack preparing to hit ground balls before a game)

From his extensive background in baseball, it is not difficult to see how Blumsack ended up in owning his own AAU team. Blumsack played division I baseball at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, only then to transfer to the College of Central Florida which is also division I, and then finally completing his college degree at Suffolk University where he captained the 2002 NCAA regional team. From there, he accepted his first assistant coaching job at Lake Community College in Florida, which then led to him becoming the head baseball coach at Framingham State University two years later. On the side, Blumsack was also a MLB scout for the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels.

It is safe to say that Blumsack holds quite the resume, but his idea to get involved within the AAU baseball industry actually started from watching his younger 11 year old cousin trying out for various AAU programs. He connected with a few people running the programs that his cousin was trying out for and learned more about how he could start running his own teams and make a business out of it. Blumsack said “starting a travel aau program was my next venture, for me it was a natural progression from being a high school, and college athlete into eventually coaching and teaching the game was the right move for me.”

                             (Brian Blumsack coaching A’s athletes)

Other than coaching and training youth athletes, there are plenty of tasks to be done as a business owner to keep the company operating successfully. For starters, Blumsack is responsible for all of the company's programming, managing, hiring, scheduling, day to day operations, payroll, bookkeeping as well as maximizing sales of course. Blumsack stated that “there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes when operating a business like this, most people don’t really realize that, but it is for sure no walk in the park.” On top of coaching young kids, which can prove to be a challenge all in itself, there is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to keeping a AAU baseball team operational. Blumsack views it to be “challenging at times, but always worth it in the end.”

While there is alot to consider and be mindful of within this business, Blumsack has done an outstanding job to say the least. The organization as a whole has won countless games and tournaments, but what really stands out is the success the organization has achieved as a business. Perhaps one of their more notable feats of success was the opportunity to work with the popular sports apparel brand Adidas, to shoot a commercial within their facility starring MLB player, Alex Bregman. Not many AAU organizations can say that they have had the opportunity to host such an event. Blumsack said “meeting Bregman was just an amazing experience, he was such a great and humble guy to be around, and he took time out of his day to just chat and hang out and talk baseball which was very cool.”

(Brian and Scott Blumsack with MLB World Series Winner Alex Bregman)

The success doesn’t stop there though. Through Blumsack’s connections and notability around the Woburn area, a very popular high end restaurant called Strega, partnered with the A’s to shoot a commercial featuring the one and only Red Sox legend David Ortiz hitting real meatballs with his bat to promote Strega’s food. The commercial was filmed within the A’s baseball facility and the whole staff got to meet Big Papi. Blumsack described this to be a “one in a lifetime experience,” and described Big Papi to be “funny and charismatic just like he is on TV.”  

(Brian and Scott Blumsack with MLB star David Ortiz, and Robby Blumsack, Brian’s Son) 

                             (Big Papi has left the building)

Other than succeeding by meeting high profile celebrity athletes, Blumsack views his real success to be within his players. He stated, “I always measured our success as a travel program by the progression of each individual player. Team accomplishments are great but having kids improve their overall skills, enjoy their experience, and having fun was always the way I measured success.” Blumsack definitely seems to hold a lot of value to that concept as he claimed “we have had players go on to play at every level of college baseball. I have never been one to promote that simply because I am just as proud of our guys who stuck with our program and gone on to successful careers.” It is clear to see that AAU baseball is not just a business venture for Blumsack, but something more meaningful, like the opportunity to teach kids the game of baseball and watch them further and further succeed.

              (Brian Blumsack analyzing a players swing with the athlete) 

As we now know, being in the AAU baseball business consists of a lot of hard work and dedication. The role of managing such an organization requires an individual who is not only knowledgeable about the game of baseball, but also knowledgeable about the professional side of running a successful business. On top of that, this individual needs to be passionate about teaching kids the lessons that they may not receive elsewhere through the sport. They must be determined to further succeed their players careers and set them up as best as possible for a bright future. From the other point of view of a player, AAU baseball can do wonderful things for one who is willing to learn. As Blumsack mentioned, “I think every athlete gets out of an organization what they put in. If they have the right attitude and really learn the game, that is the ultimate goal.”

                                  (Analyzing an A’s player’s pitching)  

AAU baseball may just seem like an opportunity to get more practice and playing time, which it is, but it is also something much more than that. It is an opportunity that can be extremely informational on and off the field, allowing many to learn valuable life lessons as well as the game of baseball. “The best athletes we have ever had have not just gone on to play college baseball but have also gone on to be regular working class young adults. I hope they can use some of the lessons they learned in our program in their everyday life and understand teamwork, sportsmanship, and hard work in whatever they chose to do,” said Blumsack.

                                              (A’s 13U team picture)

Individuals like Blumsack, who take on the task of running an AAU baseball team are truly special people who are completely dedicated to their youth athletes just as much as they are to their business, making the effort to give kids the opportunity to not only find success on the field but in life as well. They never take their eye off the ball and swing for a home run in everything they do. 

                              (18U playing at the BC High School Field)

[orbemnews]

In Minority Communities, Docs Are Altering Minds About Vaccination Like many Black and rural People, Denese Rankin, a 55-year-old retired bookkeeper and receptionist in Castleberry, Ala., didn’t need the Covid-19 vaccine. Ms. Rankin frightened about unintended effects — she had seen tales on social media about individuals creating Bell’s palsy, for instance, after they have been vaccinated. She thought the vaccines had come about too shortly to be protected. And she or he frightened that the vaccinations would possibly turn into one other instance within the authorities’s lengthy historical past of medical experimentation on Black individuals. Then, one current weekend, her niece, an infectious illness specialist at Emory College in Atlanta, got here to city. Dr. Zanthia Wiley mentioned one among her objectives in making the journey was to speak to family and friends again residence in Alabama, letting them hear the reality concerning the vaccines from somebody they knew, somebody who’s Black. Throughout the nation, Black and Hispanic physicians like Dr. Wiley are reaching out to People in minority communities who’re suspicious of Covid-19 vaccines and infrequently mistrustful of the officers they see on tv telling them to get vaccinated. Many are dismissive of public service bulletins, the medical doctors say, and of the federal authorities. Though acceptance of the vaccine is notching up, Black and Hispanic People — among the many teams hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic — stay among the many most reluctant to roll up their sleeves. Even well being care staff in some hospitals have declined the photographs. However the assurances of Black and Hispanic medical doctors could make an infinite distinction, specialists say. “I don’t need us to profit the least,” Dr. Wiley mentioned. “We must be first in line to get it.” Many physicians like her now discover themselves not simply urging associates and relations to get the vaccine, but in addition posting messages on social media and conducting group video calls, asking individuals to share their issues and providing dependable data. “I feel it makes an entire lot of distinction,” mentioned Dr. Valeria Daniela Lucio Cantos, an infectious illness specialist at Emory. She has been working on-line city halls and webinars with reference to vaccination, together with one with Black and Hispanic workers of the cleansing employees on the college. She believes they’re listening, not solely as a result of she is Hispanic and speaks Spanish, she mentioned, but in addition as a result of she is an immigrant — her household continues to be in Ecuador. “Culturally, they’ve somebody they’ll relate to,” Dr. Cantos mentioned. Most of the vaccine-hesitant are linchpins of well being in their very own households. Ms. Rankin, for instance, helps take care of Dr. Wiley’s grandmother, who’s blind, and her grandfather, who can’t stroll. Ms. Rankin appears to be like in on Dr. Wiley’s mom, whose well being is fragile. And she or he is the only mom of three ladies, together with a 14-year-old who nonetheless lives at residence. “If my aunt acquired contaminated, my household could be in robust form,” Dr. Wiley mentioned. Dr. Wiley met with Ms. Rankin, her daughter and her mom in the lounge of a brick ranch home on a quiet avenue — socially distanced and carrying masks. Dr. Wiley answered questions and defined the science behind the vaccine. No, she mentioned, the vaccine is just not manufactured from reside coronaviruses that may infect individuals. No, simply because somebody was vaccinated and have become sick, it doesn’t imply the vaccine made them ailing. And sure, the vaccine was examined on tens of 1000’s of individuals and the info fastidiously scrutinized by scientists with nothing to achieve and every little thing to lose by pushing it by way of prematurely. Covid-19 Vaccines › Solutions to Your Vaccine Questions With distribution of a coronavirus vaccine starting within the U.S., listed here are solutions to some questions you could be questioning about: If I reside within the U.S., when can I get the vaccine? Whereas the precise order of vaccine recipients might fluctuate by state, most will doubtless put medical staff and residents of long-term care services first. If you wish to perceive how this resolution is getting made, this text will assist. When can I return to regular life after being vaccinated? Life will return to regular solely when society as an entire beneficial properties sufficient safety towards the coronavirus. As soon as nations authorize a vaccine, they’ll solely be capable of vaccinate a couple of p.c of their residents at most within the first couple months. The unvaccinated majority will nonetheless stay weak to getting contaminated. A rising variety of coronavirus vaccines are displaying sturdy safety towards changing into sick. Nevertheless it’s additionally doable for individuals to unfold the virus with out even understanding they’re contaminated as a result of they expertise solely delicate signs or none in any respect. Scientists don’t but know if the vaccines additionally block the transmission of the coronavirus. So in the intervening time, even vaccinated individuals might want to put on masks, keep away from indoor crowds, and so forth. As soon as sufficient individuals get vaccinated, it’s going to change into very tough for the coronavirus to search out weak individuals to contaminate. Relying on how shortly we as a society obtain that aim, life would possibly begin approaching one thing like regular by the autumn 2021. If I’ve been vaccinated, do I nonetheless must put on a masks? Sure, however not ceaselessly. Right here’s why. The coronavirus vaccines are injected deep into the muscle mass and stimulate the immune system to provide antibodies. This seems to be sufficient safety to maintain the vaccinated individual from getting ailing. However what’s not clear is whether or not it’s doable for the virus to bloom within the nostril — and be sneezed or breathed out to contaminate others — at the same time as antibodies elsewhere within the physique have mobilized to forestall the vaccinated individual from getting sick. The vaccine scientific trials have been designed to find out whether or not vaccinated persons are protected against sickness — to not discover out whether or not they may nonetheless unfold the coronavirus. Primarily based on research of flu vaccine and even sufferers contaminated with Covid-19, researchers have cause to be hopeful that vaccinated individuals gained’t unfold the virus, however extra analysis is required. Within the meantime, everybody — even vaccinated individuals — might want to consider themselves as doable silent spreaders and hold carrying a masks. Learn extra right here. Will it harm? What are the unintended effects? The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is delivered as a shot within the arm, like different typical vaccines. The injection into your arm gained’t really feel totally different than some other vaccine, however the price of short-lived unintended effects does seem larger than a flu shot. Tens of 1000’s of individuals have already obtained the vaccines, and none of them have reported any severe well being issues. The unintended effects, which may resemble the signs of Covid-19, final a couple of day and seem extra doubtless after the second dose. Early studies from vaccine trials recommend some individuals would possibly must take a time off from work as a result of they really feel awful after receiving the second dose. Within the Pfizer research, about half developed fatigue. Different unintended effects occurred in no less than 25 to 33 p.c of sufferers, typically extra, together with complications, chills and muscle ache. Whereas these experiences aren’t nice, they’re a very good signal that your individual immune system is mounting a potent response to the vaccine that may present long-lasting immunity. Will mRNA vaccines change my genes? No. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer use a genetic molecule to prime the immune system. That molecule, generally known as mRNA, is ultimately destroyed by the physique. The mRNA is packaged in an oily bubble that may fuse to a cell, permitting the molecule to slide in. The cell makes use of the mRNA to make proteins from the coronavirus, which may stimulate the immune system. At any second, every of our cells might comprise tons of of 1000’s of mRNA molecules, which they produce in an effort to make proteins of their very own. As soon as these proteins are made, our cells then shred the mRNA with particular enzymes. The mRNA molecules our cells make can solely survive a matter of minutes. The mRNA in vaccines is engineered to face up to the cell’s enzymes a bit longer, in order that the cells could make additional virus proteins and immediate a stronger immune response. However the mRNA can solely final for a couple of days at most earlier than they’re destroyed. Dr. Wiley informed them she was wanting ahead to being vaccinated herself. Dr. Virginia Banks, an infectious illness specialist in Youngstown, Ohio, who’s Black, understands the neighborhood’s long-held mistrust within the medical institution. However she has seen too many individuals — and never all of them outdated — undergo and die within the pandemic, she mentioned. And Dr. Banks worries about her personal danger whereas caring for sufferers. “I really feel like I’m taking part in Russian roulette,” she mentioned. So she recites tales to those that are hesitant about getting inoculated, like one a couple of affected person she lately handled, gasping for breath. He requested her, “Am I going to come back out of this alive?” She informed him she didn’t know. “We now have to inform these tales” to Black People, she mentioned. “And it has to come back from somebody who appears to be like like them.” “My family and friends say, ‘Even when the danger is one in 1,000,000, I’m not taking it,’” she added. “I say, ‘I perceive your distrust, however that is past Tuskegee. That is past “The Immortal Lifetime of Henrietta Lacks.” We’re in a pandemic now. We now have to place our religion within the science.’” Dr. Banks stresses the ripple results of particular person selections: “In the event you don’t take that vaccine and it’s protected, we might be carrying masks for a while to come back. If you would like your life again, if you’d like normalcy again, it’s important to depend on trusted messengers like myself.” Dr. Leo Seoane, a vital care physician at Ochsner Well being in New Orleans who’s Hispanic, has already been vaccinated. When he started speaking to family and friends and others locally, just about all of them mentioned they’d not get the shot. They frightened that the vaccine was developed too shortly, that it was not protected, that it won’t be efficient or would possibly infect them with the coronavirus. Now, after mild persuasion, “to an individual, all of them modified their minds.” However few suppose all it’s going to take is a dialog or two with a trusted physician to transform vaccine skeptics into believers. “After they first began speaking about the opportunity of a vaccine in April, I mentioned, ‘No manner,’” mentioned Phelemon Reins, a 56-year-old federal authorities employee. He was leery of the pace of vaccine growth, and he knew too properly the historical past of mistreatment of Black individuals by the medical system. “The Trump Administration has not accomplished something to encourage anybody to believe in something popping out,” he added. “I dismiss every little thing they are saying.” However Dr. Banks, a pal, has made him rethink his reluctance. “In the long run, it will likely be individuals like her that I depend upon,” Mr. Reins mentioned. “I belief her.” “How do they persuade the African-American neighborhood?” he mentioned. “They could must have individuals who appear to be her.” Supply hyperlink #changing #communities #Doctors #Minds #minority #Vaccination