#best travel website design company

[ijaitraviyo]

Important Features of Travel Website

When it comes to manage the travel business effectively, it is essential to provide the top quality of services to the target audience. But it is only half the battle, the real battle starts when it comes to make the travel business digitally active. Without the online presence, the travel brand can’t be reached to a greater audience and eventually get to the abyss. Every business should have a renowned online presence to acquire potential customers as long as the travel business is alive and still striving to stand out in the crowd. The first impression is the last impression, and the saying is now proven to be true to travel industry more than ever. There are several remarkable important features of travel website which are not just bounded to images and the standard booking system. Over the years the internet has changed dramatically and something engaging and exciting is needed to get engaged with the target audience.

Gone are the days when travelers and tourists used to be happily satisfied with the services offered by offline travel companies and group tours. In today’s world, millennial and digital natives, tourists have now become quite picky when it comes to plan their vacations. They want something unique in their trip. Nowadays, tourists are opting for highly curated and customized travel experiences that are perfectly made to suit their aura. According to the research, 36% of tourists tend to pay extra for the custom-made services. Around 57% of the travelers want that travel website to specialize their feed based on past bookings and personal experiences. However, it is good for travel professionals to have the best travel website design as they can offer the right information at right time and more likely to generate great business revenues.

Best Features of Travel Website

It’s easier said than done, how you make sure that the travel website is loaded with the right features and will tempt customers to the travel brand? Well, there is no magic formula that works for all but we can know about some of the commonyet best features of travel website that will help you to build the ideal travel website that will appeal and connect with the target audience in willful manner.

Responsive and Mobile Friendly Design

It is crucial to have a responsive and mobile-friendly design of the website if you want to gain more traffic in your travel business. If you don’t have a user-friendly travel website, then you are missing out on a large number of the potential leads. It has been said that 61% of users are unlikely to return to the website if they had trouble operating and loading the travel website on their mobiles and 40% of visitors are likely to jump into the competitors’ website if the mobile site takes too long to load. With these statistics in mind, contact the best travel website design company and make your mobile-friendly and responsive travel website which delivers the users an amazing booking experience.

Easy to Use Search Forms

Most travelers who use travel websites and research about the tourist attractions online don’t have any particular place in their mind. Instead, they are exploring all the possible criteria that will catch fancy. For this reason, a dynamic search engine is the topmost priority of any travel website and the travel agencies need to ensure that they understand it right. If we come to the basic, the travel search is simple and only need to answer “when” and “where”. The website design company for travel business also improves the search feature by involving other relatable features that your target audience more likely to use.

Be Transparent

According to a survey, around 53% of users abandon the website if the results of their travel services and offers are not clear enough and represented with the mismanaged and confusing total price, inclusive of all taxes, and other charges at the last stages of the search. It is advised to disclose all the taxes, additional fees, and assorted charges at every step of the search. It is essential to be transparent in the travel industry to attain the trust and loyalty of the potential customers. We here at TraviYo offer the best travel website design services which can help you to generate organic leads without any hassle. Be exhaustive and offer complete information about the package and activities, so that the client can know what they are getting into. In short, be transparent with all kinds of hidden costs and taxes, and don’t amaze your visitors with any additional fees at the time of checking out.

Include Social Media platforms and Reviews

Social Media also plays a considerate role in acquiring potential leads for any business and when it comes to travel, social media is the effective platform to promote your travel services to the wider audience. When you promote your travel agency on social media, you can make your travel business known more widely and encourage people to visit the website. Another important thing that is crucial for travel website design is positive client reviews. It has been estimated that nearly 96% of tourists read the client reviews and third-party reviews before opting for any travel agency. So, it is a wise idea to boast the testimonials and positive reviews of the clients on the website.

Easy Booking System

To offer real-time updates, make sure that your travel website has an easy and effective booking system. It will make things easier and help the travel companies to gain customers’ trust and loyalty. It will make things easier as the system will offer information like tourist places, check-in and check-out dates, contact details, and other travel-related data or information. Make sure that the payment webpage will havemultiple payment methods like credit card, debit card, PayPal, or net banking to make the process easy. The top travel website designcompany provides the best website for travel companies with all the necessary solutions organized in it.

In this digital world, even the travel company is taking new dimensions and considerablesteps to make their travel business widely known. These days, travelers use online travel portals to meet all their travel needs. The importantfeatures of travel website will let you understand the digital importance of the travel business and help you to generate more organic leads.

[epicglobal62]

Website Design Services: Elevate Your Online Presence with Epic Global

In today's digital era, a strong online presence is crucial for businesses to thrive. One of the fundamental elements of establishing your brand identity and attracting customers is a well-designed website. If you're looking to enhance your online visibility, Epic Global, the leading website designing company in Noida, offers a comprehensive range of website design services tailored to your unique requirements. With expertise in HTML code for website design, eCommerce website design, graphic design websites, and captivating website banner design, Epic Global is your one-stop destination for all your web design needs.

HTML Code for Website Design: Building a Solid Foundation

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the backbone of any website, determining its structure and content. Epic Global's skilled team of web designers excels in crafting HTML code that ensures your website's functionality, accessibility, and user-friendliness. 

With clean and semantic HTML code, your website will have a solid foundation, enabling smooth navigation, improved search engine rankings, and enhanced user experience.

eCommerce Website Design: Transforming Visitors into Customers

In the competitive world of online commerce, an attractive and user-friendly eCommerce website is vital to captivate visitors and convert them into loyal customers. Epic Global specializes in creating visually appealing and feature-rich eCommerce websites that seamlessly integrate product catalogues, shopping carts, secure payment gateways, and inventory management systems. 

Our expert designers ensure your eCommerce website reflects your brand's unique identity while providing an intuitive and convenient shopping experience for your customers.

Graphic Design Website: Unleashing Creativity and Visual Impact

A visually stunning website is often the key to capturing users' attention and leaving a lasting impression. At Epic Global, we understand the importance of graphic design in website development. 

Our team of creative designers possesses a deep understanding of colour theory, typography, and visual hierarchy. Leveraging their expertise, we create eye-catching graphic design websites that communicate your brand message effectively and engage your target audience.

Website Banner Design: Grabbing Attention from the Get-Go

When it comes to website design, first impressions matter. A professionally designed website banner serves as a virtual storefront, enticing visitors to explore further. Epic Global offers exceptional website banner design services, crafting captivating visuals that instantly grab attention and convey your brand's essence. 

Our designers blend artistic flair with strategic placement to create banners that drive engagement, promote your key offerings, and encourage visitors to delve deeper into your website.

Elevate Your Online Presence with Epic Global

Epic Global, the premier website designing company in Noida, is committed to providing top-notch website design services that align with your business objectives. With a dedicated team of experts proficient in HTML code for website design, eCommerce website design, graphic design websites, and compelling website banner design, we transform your vision into a captivating online reality. 

Contact Epic Global today and embark on a journey towards an impactful and successful online presence.

[epicglobal016]

Website Design & Development: The Path To Achieving Your Business Goals

Websites have become an integral part of any business today. It is essential to have a website that is well-designed, user-friendly, and search engine optimized in order to maximize your online presence and success. Website design and development is an important part of achieving your business goals. Here are 10 attractive points of website design and development that are worth taking into consideration.

User Experience – It is essential to create a website that is easy to navigate and understand. If the user can’t quickly locate the information they are looking for, they are likely to leave the site. Therefore, it is important to create user-friendly navigation and design elements that are easy to understand. 

Responsive Design – Responsive design ensures that your website looks great and functions properly on all devices. This is especially important in today’s world where people are more likely to access websites on mobile devices. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – SEO is an important part of website design and development as it helps to increase your website’s visibility in search engine results. This can help to drive more traffic to your website, which can lead to more conversions. 

Content – Content is king when it comes to website design and development. Quality content that is relevant and engaging will help to keep visitors on your website for longer and will help to increase the chances of conversions. 

Security – Security should always be a priority when designing and developing a website. Make sure to use secure hosting, SSL certificates, and other security measures to ensure your website is safe and secure. 

Speed – The speed at which a website load is important as it affects user experience. If a website takes too long to load, users will likely leave and look elsewhere. 

Social Media Integration – Social media is an important part of digital marketing. Integrating social media into your website design and development will help to increase your reach and engage more users. 

Analytics – Analytics can help you to understand how your website is performing and what changes can be made to improve the user experience. This information can be invaluable in understanding what works and what doesn’t. 

Branding – Branding is an important part of website design and development as it helps to create an identity for your business. Make sure to use consistent branding across all aspects of your website design and development. 

Professionalism – Professionalism is key when it comes to website design and development. It is important to ensure that the website is well-designed, user-friendly, and search engine optimized. 

Website design and development are essential for businesses that want to maximize their online presence and success. It is important to keep the above points in mind when website designing in order to achieve your business goals.

[hyuuukais]

-`♡´ - APARTMENT 143

pairing -> lee minho x fem reader

synopsis -> after a bad breakup, y/n needs to find a new place to live. although she's grateful for her best friend, up-and-coming model hwang hyunjin, for letting her stay at his, she can't keep living with him and his model roommates. so when an opening for somewhere nearby with cheap rent opens up, she jumps on it, despite knowing next to nothing about the 3 other tenants, only that one owns 3 cats. the three quickly learn of her breakup, determined to help get her back on her feet. but what happens when one of them begins to develop feelings?

warnings -> general

MASTERLIST | CHAPTER ONE

-> Y/N & CO.

Y/N -> graphic designer for @/this_just_in, a website dedicated to all things pop culture. she wants to go freelance some day, but knows that's not in the cards right now. recently broke up with her longtime boyfriend, park seonghwa, and is looking for a new place to live.

NINGNING -> y/n's oldest friend, other than hyunjin of course. a model, trained with hyunjin and felix, but now under a different company. travels a lot, but tries to stay close to home for y/n.

LILY -> y/n's work friend from overseas! y/n did a job that brought her illustrating all across australia and got lily out of it (although she was hoping for a long deserved promotion, friendship is better).

HYUNJIN -> the other longtime model bff. practically siblings at this point, dedicated to bringing the best and worst out of each other. only slightly judgemental of y/n's taste in men.

FELIX -> hyunjin's model roommate turned best friend. as soon as he met lily, they quickly became besties too, bonding over home. literal sunshine!

YEONJUN -> third model roommate, barely tolerates wooyoung. protective over y/n despite not knowing her very well. always gives her the best fashion advice when she needs it (or rather, when he thinks she does).

WOOYOUNG -> last of hyunjin's model roomies, currently on a work trip. y/n is using his room until he comes back at the end of the week. funny, knows how to get on people's nerves, babygirl.

SOOBIN -> new graphic designer training under y/n and a few other workers. very nice, kind of shy, but growing on y/n. like, a lot.

[cyberpunkonline]

The Internet: From Nuclear-Resistant to Vendor-Dependent Dumbassery

Back in the day, when the Internet was just a glint in DARPA's eye, it was designed with one crucial concept in mind: survival. Picture this—it's the Cold War, the threat of nuclear Armageddon looms large, and the military bigwigs are sweating bullets about communication breakdowns. They needed a network that could withstand a nuke dropping on a major hub and still keep the flow of information alive. Enter the ARPANET, the badass granddaddy of the modern Internet, built to have no single point of failure. If one part got nuked, the rest would carry on like nothing happened. Resilient as hell.

Fast forward to today, and what do we have? A digital house of cards. The once mighty and decentralized Internet has become a fragile mess where a single vendor bug can knock out entire swathes of the web. How did we go from a network that could shrug off nuclear bombs to one that craps its pants over a software glitch? Let's dive into this clusterfuck.

The Glory Days of Decentralization

The original ARPANET was all about redundancy and resilience. The network was designed so that if any one part failed—be it from a technical issue or a catastrophic event—data could still find another route. It was a web of interconnected nodes, a spider's web that kept spinning even if you tore a chunk out. It was pure genius.

This approach made perfect sense. The whole point was to ensure that critical military communications could continue even in the aftermath of a disaster. The Internet Protocol (IP), the backbone of how data travels on the Internet, was conceived to route around damage and keep on trucking. No single point of failure meant no single point of catastrophic breakdown. Brilliant, right?

The Rise of Centralized Stupidity

Then came the tech giants. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft built empires that depended on centralization. Cloud computing took off, and suddenly, everyone and their grandma was storing their data on a handful of massive servers owned by these big players. It was convenient, it was efficient, but it was also the beginning of the end for the Internet’s robust decentralization.

Today, we've got massive data centers dotted around the globe, each housing thousands of servers. These centers are like Fort Knox for data, but unlike Fort Knox, they’re not immune to problems. A single screw-up—a bug in a software update, a misconfiguration, or even a physical hardware failure—can take down huge chunks of the web. Remember that time when AWS went down and half the Internet went dark? Yeah, that was fun. Or more recently, Cloudstrike do something retarded and every single Windows machine running their shitware gets bricked. Fantastic.

The Single Vendor Blues

It gets worse. The consolidation of Internet services means that many critical applications and websites rely on the same vendors for infrastructure. If one of these vendors messes up, it's not just their services that go down—it's everyone who depends on them too. It’s like having a whole city’s power grid depending on one dodgy generator. One hiccup, and the lights go out for everyone.

Consider the infamous BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) hijacks and leaks. BGP is how routers figure out the best path for data to travel across the Internet. It's crucial, and it's also vulnerable. A single misconfiguration or malicious attack can reroute traffic, causing widespread outages and security breaches. And because so much of the Internet is funneled through a few major ISPs (Internet Service Providers), the impact can be catastrophic.

Why This Is So Fucking Stupid

So, why is it that we’ve allowed the Internet to become this fragile? It boils down to a mix of convenience, cost-cutting, and plain old shortsightedness. Centralized services are easier to manage and cheaper to run. But this efficiency comes at the cost of resilience. We’ve traded the robustness of a decentralized network for the convenience of cloud services and single-vendor solutions.

The result? A network that can be crippled by a single point of failure. This isn’t just stupid—it’s dangerous. It leaves us vulnerable to attacks, outages, and other disruptions that could have far-reaching consequences. It’s a stark reminder that in our quest for efficiency, we’ve neglected one of the core principles that the Internet was founded on: resilience.

The Way Forward

What’s the solution? We need to get back to basics. Decentralization should be a priority. More diversity in service providers, more redundancy in infrastructure, and more focus on designing systems that can withstand failures. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be cheap, but if we want an Internet that can survive the challenges of the future, it’s absolutely necessary.

So next time you hear about a massive outage caused by a single vendor’s screw-up, remember: it didn’t have to be this way. We built an Internet that could survive a nuclear war, and then we broke it because it was cheaper and easier. It’s time to fix that before the next big failure hits.

There you have it, folks. From invincible to idiotic, the Internet’s journey has been a wild ride. Let’s hope we can steer it back on course before it’s too late. - Raz.

[cartridgeconverter]

Don Giovanni characters as fountain pens

I have long postponed making this post as I was afraid it might convince me to spend more money. However, armed with a new sense of fiscal responsibility, I think I am prepared.

I've tried to have a range of prices that roughly correspond to the status of the characters, as well as many different brands. Honestly all of these are just vibes, but I've tried to give my justifications were I can.

Leporello - Sailor Profit Junior in Kohiru ($60 as part of a limited edition set, including other products)

I know I just said that I would try and match the lower-class characters to appropriately-priced pens, but look at it. It has a bunny on it. This is the best pen ever.

Don Giovanni - Visconti Opera Gold in Red ($348)

This is probably the only pen on this list that I would absolutely never buy, no matter how much opera-themed branding it has, because it is a ridiculous price and also looks stupid. But "ridiculous price" and "looks stupid" are both things I associate with Don G, and he would definitely be a Visconti whore -- it's a brand highly associated with luxury.

My other choice for him is also a Visconti model, this time the Divina Matte in Bordeaux. This is an even more ridiculous price, at $796. However, it is less obnoxiously red than the Opera Gold, so it is an alternate. He probably would have both anyway.

Donna Anna - Nahvalur Voyage in Shanghai ($130)

I have this one! She is beauty, she is grace. She is also very poorly designed but I forgive her for that. This pen is super elegant, albeit large, and is made from resin with real diamond flakes in it. I love the color also - black, with streaks of blue that show up under light. It reminds me a bit of Anna's costume in the Kasper Holten production. It's simply a very beautiful pen (with tons of design flaws and constitution issues, grr).

The Commendatore - Parker Jack-Knife with silver filigree ($5 in 1902, which is equivalent to $183 today)

This is a very lovely vintage pen from the Parker company, of which I scoured this ancient website for a picture (https://parkerpens.net/index.shtml). As an aside, this site is great; it's very well-kept and contains a detailed account of Parker models through time, with pictures. This pen, though gaudy, is exactly the type of thing that I think old men who do things like duels in the middle of the night would have. (Please work with me here, I don't exactly have a lot of content to go off of :P)

Don Ottavio - Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Shikiori Amaoto collection in Kirisame ($360)

Honestly, any purple Sailor will fit for Ottavio. They're generally on the smaller side, but the designs have an elegant simplicity to them. Also, purple. It's him! It's just him.

This will probably be the ultimate piece in my collection. It's such a lovely little thing, with a 21k gold nib. Unfortunately, I will not be purchasing it any time soon, due to my responsible spending habits.

Donna Elvira - LAMY Al-Star in Black Purple ($48)

Also another model I own -- I swear by Lamys as a great everyday pen. They're reliable and ergonomic, even if they're not as visually appealing as some other brands. The Al-Star, being made of aluminum, is a bit of an upgrade from their plastic model, the Safari with a slightly higher price. I think it's very fitting for Elvira, as a travelling woman.

Zerlina and Masetto - LAMY Safari in Savannah Green and Terra Red ($19)

The Lamy Safari is my favorite everyday pen to use, full stop. It's the same model as the Al-Star, but made from a lightweight plastic. They have a very practical and minimalist aesthetic, but it works, and it works well. They're super durable and apparently can survive being run over by warehouse equipment. I just think this model really suits these two, or maybe I'm biased since it's my favorite.

In particular, these are the two special edition colors made to celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the model, as they were the original colors to be manufactured. The green (which I own) matches Zerlina's dress in the IvH production, which is why I named it Zerlina to begin with. That seems to have been a good name - although filling the converter for the first time was a dramatic ordeal, it's been a reliable pen no matter how much wear and tear I put it through (the black paint on the clip has completely flaked off by now).

Hope you guys enjoyed this tenuous connection between my nerdy hobbies that was actually just a vessel for my rant about how much I love Lamy Safaris. I had fun putting it together, even if a few of these are out of my price point right now. Maybe I will do inks next, although I have put less thought into that.

Off of this list, I hope to eventually buy both Sailors (Leporello and Ottavio) as well as the other Safari (Masetto), although that's not a priority. I just like thinking about having nice things.

[myrunawaysweets]

♡TEDDY BEAR♡

I looked up at the tv, a commercial broadcasting across the country about building yourself a walking, talking, teddy bear! Of course with different models. Their supposed to be life sized, as you make your order on the website, your able to set customized designs. Of course these aren't actually teddy bears, but they're like humanoid robots, their structure and features supposed to resemble a humans exactly, not a flaw, all for comfort, they adore you, and would basically do anything for you.

"Get your own teddy bear and build a friend for yourself today! Hop on down to our website listed here! And if your not satisfied, send em back in in the first 30 days and you get a full refund!"

Everyone from my highschool had grown apart, some started working for hero companies, some traveled to different countries, and a few of us got married. All of us had our own lives, but me being quirkless, and a bad breakup with a certain duel quirked hero, had been cooped up in my apartment for almost a month.

I have no friends so I dont have a certain reason to go out, I work at home too, so I only leave the house for groceries and supplies.

'Hey, (y/n), I'm sending you a special package, think of it as a gift, considering I'm in America, as an apology' I questioned Mina's message, but I soon succumbed to sleep on my desk in no time.

"DELIVERY"

I jumped in my chair as pain flooded my back, neck and face.

"Oh jeez... I'm only 26..."

Walking over to the door i look through the peep hole to see a girl in a delivery outfit.

""Hello! I'm here to drop off a package to ms. 'Y/n) (l/n)" she smiled, her sharp white canines almost seemed scary if it weren't for her relaxed yet energetic demeanor.

"Thats me..."

I signed the papers as the girl before me made small talk.

"I heard these are quite popular, I hope to get one someday, but thats not going to be anytime soon, if we meet again, tell me how it is! Bye!" She slowly placed the box in my livingroom and walked outside, closing the door behind her with a mischievous smile.

I looked back at the giant rectangular box, a light grunt coming from it before it fell over.

"MINA?!" I opened the box and was met with a blonde boy with crimson eyes sitting crossed-legged and covered in clothes "Are-are you okay?"

Without a word he held out his hand. Confused, I took it and was pulled into the box.

"Hey..." his voice was gruff as he hugged me tightly, sending butterflies throughout my stomache.

"I...I... do I know you?" I pulled away.

In reply he gave me a questioned yet hurt look.

"One sec, let me call Mina"

I stood up smiling awkwardly, walking towards the hallway dialing Mina's number.

"Hey (y/n)!" Her chirpy voice through the phone.

"who the hell is this guy?!"

"Do you like him?? I ordered him specifically for you! His name is Katsuki bakugou!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ORDERED-... oh my gosh, is he a-"

"Teddy bear!"

"WHAT?!"

"Well ever since you and shoto broke up, I've been really worried about you, you never really leave your house, so I'm hoping Bakugou can help you get better, make you happy since I can't be there physically for you"

"Thanks Mina... it means a lot... your the best"

"Yeah I am! Also, take good care of him! I paid extra money for him to be the way how he is! See ya love ya" she didn't even let me reply before she hung up... well thats Mina for you.

"Is everything okay?" I snapped my head to the side to see katsuki leaning against the wall.

"Yeah... so... let's get your stuff unpacked!"

We were both finishing folding all his clothes up on the couch, it was around 12 now, its the weekend so I don't really have any work to do, since I never had anything to do since me and my ex broke up... I've just focused on working.

"Hey, im done getting dressed" warm hands slithered gently on the skin of my stomache as he hugged me from behind, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Hey" I hummed quietly, still getting used to receiving affection frequently every now and then, it didn't feel bad, it was actually quite comforting "so, I dont have anywhere for you to put your stuff, but we'll work that out, but I'm not too sure on where you'll be sleeping considering my place isn't big"

"Won't I be sleeping with you??" I turned around, my gaze immediately fixating on his crimson eyes.

"With me?"

"Well I am your teddy bear" his body language was that of a pouting child, but his figure was not childlike at all.

"I-I guess so?? Okay then.. first off, lets get some lunch"

I got up to go to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" I turned around to see katsuki already at the door.

"I was going to get started on the Ramen..."

"Lets go out, this place is stuffy as hell..."

I kinda got used to this so it didn't really bother me, I never thought it would make anyone else uncomfortable though.

"Okay, lets go" I had quickly grabbed my shoes, keys and was about to grab my wallet but my hand was slapped away.

"I'll pay"

"But you dont-!"

"Mina gave me some money to treat you" he lifted his hand to reveal a thick wad of cash.

My jaw dropped at the sight.

"Now let's go" he grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me outside.

The walk was quiet, but awkward, did he feel awkward? He didn't let go of my hand while we walked the streets, or seemed bothered at all.

I opened my mouth to break the silence but was interrupted.

"Pro hero Shoto has saved the day once again! With his duel quirks, he's prepared for anything!" I looked ahead and was greeted with the one person I wanted to see the least.

"You know him?" I looked up at katsukis words.

"Yeah... he's my ex boyfriend... we used to date, up until a rumor started circulating around saying him and another pro were a thing, and then he left me for her" I smiled lightly at the ground, a bitter taste in my mouth as I remembered the events.

"Tch, he looks like he's full of it" I stiffled a laugh as katsuki mocked my ex.

》3rd pov《

Katsuki noticed how your mood improved when he made a remark about the pro.

"That half and half bastard must have his head too far up his ass to ditch you" he smirked, looking at your face through the corner of his eye to watch your reaction.

Your smile was beautiful, like dazzling diamonds. Your laugh like the best masterpiece of music made by the gods. He wanted more.

"He must be messed up in the head or something" you laughter only fueled his behavior.

"Who must be messed up in the head?" Your giggles stopped when you two realized who spoke in front of you.

A tall man with white hair on one side of his head which opposed the red half, stood in front of the two.

"Sho- todoroki! We were just-"

"We were talking about you, dickwad" katsuki cut you off and glared at the guy.

You could feel a drop of sweat make itself down the side of your face as you felt the awkward tension rise.

Todoroki turned to you "Who is he?"

"He's... my... " you looked at katsuki and panicked "my boyfriend!"

Todoroki looked somewhat shocked, as did katsuki who quickly shrugged it off and played along.

"Your... boyfriend?" Todoroki couldn't grasp the situation properly.

"Yeah, whats it to you" katsuki slung his arm over your shoulder as your face heated up.

"I just... nothing... " Todoroki turned to you "I'd like to have a talk with you, privately"

You gave him a confused look "I'm not going anywhere with you, there's nothing to talk about between us" you grabbed katsuki's hand and started walking away.

Todoroki watched as you and the blonde walked away down the sidewalk, unable to tear his eyes off "there is a lot to talk about between us" he mumbled before turning his attention back at the paparazzi that had surrounded the 3.

"I swear, if he wasn't a pro, I would've punched him right then and there! Like- who does he think he is to just ask to 'talk'?! HE'S the one who broke up with ME" you were still pulling katsuki along by the hand as you ranted to no one in particular.

Katsuki stopped you and pulled you into a hug, gently combing his fingers through your hair "calm down, your blood pressure is rising, stress isn't good for the body or the mind, relax"

You were so angry you didn't even realize you were practically running, face red and hands balled in fists.

You took a moment to breathe, relaxing at the scent of burnt caramel "thanks" you looked up at katsuki and smiled.

"Thats... what I'm for" he replied, but it sounded more like a question.

"Come on! I know this great place!" You grabbed his hand again and walked down the streets to get something to eat, and a few groceries that weren't Ramen noodles.

You and katsuki had a lot of fun, the day went by fast and next thing you know, its time for bed.

"When are you coming to bed?" Katsuki huffed.

You were slouched at your computer, back towards him as you worked on a work assignment "I still have to finish a few more pages before Wednesday, I'll should be there in about an hour or so" you mumbled.

"Its already 12:40!" Katsuki pretty much screeched.

"Only 12:40? Wow, thats the first" you looked at the time and mumbled again.

Katsuki walked up to you, saved the papers and turned the computer off before picking you up bridal style, carrying you to the bedroom, plopping you down, before tucking you in.

"My work!" You thought of wiggling out, but the blankets were warm, and the air was cold, all the days you haven't had proper sleep, all the fatigue started catching up to you, and next thing you know, your passed out.

Your snores were heard beside katsuki in seconds.

"Boyfriend, huh?" He questioned, looking down at you, gently caressing your cheek "if thats what you want, then i have no objections"

》time skip a few months later《

"(Y/n)! Dinner is ready!" Katsuki called from the kitchen in his pink bunny apron.

You two have gotten a lot closer since then, he does the house work, and you earn the money, it really did feel like you two were a couple, but that had gone unspoken about since the incident with Todoroki.

You snuck up from behind him and hugged him, nuzzling your face into his back making him go stiff as he held back a laugh.

"What did you make?" You were getting ready for a business trip to hosu city, your coworkers voted you to go for it since they were all antisocial and you actually had someone to go with. You were exhausted, but the bags were packed.

"I made miso soup with yakimeshi and yakitori"

You looked down at the foods. Katsuki had always been great at cooking, you weren't sure how he knew or where he learned it from but you didn't mind it at all.

You set up the table and you both began to eat.

He always looked calm and peaceful as he ate, thank goodness the teddy bears run off of food instead of gas or something, otherwise you'd probably be broke.

Your eating was disrupted as a knock sounded from the door. Katsuki began to stand up but you waved him off as you were closer to the door anyways.

"Hello-" you were met with a pair of blue and grey heterochromic eyes.

"You haven't been replying to my text messages so I thought I'd finally come check if you still lived here" his words were a bit slurred as his cheeks were dusted pink. His suit was wrinkled and he wreaked of alcohol "I really missed you, (y/n)" he stumbled inside and draped his self on you, making you yelp at the sudden weight on you as he tried to kiss you.

"I blocked you months ago" you pushed his face away, but his hold on your waist didn't waver.

"(Y/n)? Is something wrong?" Katsuki walked in and froze in the hallway.

Todoroki glared at the blonde as he held you close "hes still here?"

"Well he IS my boyfriend!" You tried wiggling out as the two continued to glare at eachother.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Her. NOW" katsuki was pissed, and that was an understatement.

Katsuki walked towards you and tried to pry the duel quirked hero off of you.

"Let go! She loves me! We were just on a rough patch!" Todoroki growled, his grip tightening on you as his quirks started activating slowly, one arm starting to get lightly coated with ice while the other started heating up.

"Like hell you were! She was broken hearted! You left her, for some dumb bitch!" Katsuki growled, his hands creating little sparks from his mimic quirk.

You screamed as todoroki's quirk finally let loose, burning one arm and freezing the other.

Todoroki let go in a flash, pain evident in his eyes as katsuki caught you, your legs giving out as you sobbed in pain.

Katsuki cooed comforting words, his hands hovering over you, not wanting to put you in more pain. He looked up at the guy who caused this and growled "get the fuck out of our house" before pushing him out and locking the door.

Katsuki quickly started tending to your burns, one frost and one just a plain fire burn. Eventually you fell asleep after the pain subsided.

The next day katsuki tried talking you out of going to hosu with your fresh marks, but all you did was get your boss to postpone it, just until your arm was able to move more, knowing none of your coworkers would do anything.

"You need to rest" katsuki insisted, gently nudging you into the bedroom.

"I'm just getting a glass of water" you giggled.

"I could've gotten it for you" katsuki gently pushed you aside to fill the glass.

"Its been 3 days, come on" you laughed.

"3 days isn't enough, an average human takes weeks to recover properly from something like that"

You watched as katsuki worked lately "katsuki, thank you for taking care of me, I never knew how much I needed you"

As soon as you finished your sentence, katsuki stopped his movements.

"Us teddy bears, can develope different characteristics, and emotions, just like a human, to better understand the human population... we... I am always at your command no matter what" he looked at you, now fully faced towards you "I... am yours... yours alone"

What did he mean by this?

"I'm sorry to say this to you, but you can send me back to the company and scrap me, get replaced by a different one, but I love you, (y/n)"

You stood still.

"Like in the way, that you once loved that half and half bastard" he mumbled, handing you the glass.

"I don't know how to respond to this katsuki..."

"Then don't, im at ease now that you know, just being able to be beside you is enough" he cupped the side of your face "but I am just a robot after all in the end"

That night you couldn't sleep.

What did you feel towards katsuki? Lately you two had been living like a couple, every moment was blissful, almost like a dream.

Next thing you know, weeks had passed and you were on your way to hosu, the train had stopped at around 7pm, the meeting was tomorrow.

Katsuki never brought the topic up, or bugged for an answer... its like it never happened.

"I'm pretty sure the hotel is this way" you sighed, tired of walking already.

Katsuki was carrying both of the bags as you navigated through the empty streets.

"(Y/n)" you turned your head to see a figure approaching.

"What do you want, motherfucker" katsuki growled, his crimson eyes seemingly glowing.

When the man finally stepped into the street light, you recognized his heterochromic eyes immediately.

"Quiet, Dog" Todoroki snapped "the adults are talking"

"Dont you talk to katsuki like that!" You snapped, stepping in front of him, protectively.

"(Y/n), kitten, how much longer are we gonna fight? Its tearing me apart" Todoroki ignored your statement and started walking towards you, pain very evident in his eyes "cant you see how much you need me?"

"I don't need you, and I dont care what this is doing to you" you grimaced in disgust.

"Its because of him, isn't it?" Todoroki focused his eyes at katsuki who now had the bags on the ground "what do you think the media will think of you dating a villain?"

Your mind was struck with confusion. Just what was he getting at?

"What do you mean, asshole?" Katsuki now stood beside you.

"Pro hero Shoto, takes down villain and his lover, who was deceived so hurtfully" shoto got his stance ready "officer I just happened to be in the neighborhood when I seen this suspect of a recent murder walking down the street with this nice lady, and when I walked up to confront him, he attacked, inevitably leading to this poor souls death"

"Leave us alone Todoroki!" You almost cried from fear "this is illegal, I'll tell the police!"

"Darling, you forget about Stockholm syndrom"

"Get over here you bastard!" Katsuki barked, throwing his first punch at the pro.

Todoroki dodged, grabbing his wrist and burning it.

By the time the smoke had cleared, shoto had seen katsuki's circuits exposed, smoking ever so slightly.

"Your a-"

"A robot, yeah, I know, but at least I'm able to notice her worth before anything else, you scum" katsuki snarled, a smile on his face.

Todoroki sent a streak of ice aiming at the blonde.

"Shut your mouth!" He yelled, "you have no idea what your talking about!"

Katsuki barely managed to dodge the attack.

"Your just programed to love her!" Todoroki smiled crazily.

"No" katsuki stood up, the skin around his eye was ripped off as sparks flew off of him "I was programed to take care of her needs. Feed her. Keep her healthy. But I was never programed to love her... not like I do now"

"Your such a load of bullshit" Todoroki growled "Just come here (y/n)!" Todoroki reached for you.

Next thing you know he goes flying to the side by a blast.

You look where it came from and seen Katsuki with his hand outstretched, with his other hand in a circle.

"Protocol AP shot... leave. or i will call the police" Katsuki's voice never sounded more powerful.

"You think they'll listen to a robot? I'm a human, nonetheless the number 2 hero-"

"I have footage that is already downloaded onto the motherboard of you threatening to kill, someone who you thought was a human, without hesitation"

Todoroki glared at the busted open robot before fleeing the scene.

Katsuki smirked before falling to his knees.

"System failure. leakage of fluid and damaged parts are detected" Katsuki's voice sounded robotic as he spoke.

"Katsuki!" You ran to his side, getting onto your knees to examine what was wrong and how you could fix it "why would you do that?!"

Tears blurred your vision.

"You know why, (y/n)" he cupped your cheek, forcing you to look into his eyes.

His usually warm hands were now very cold and metallic against your skin.

"You... love me?" You managed to whisper.

He nodded "I'm sorry, but now you're sure to get a free replacement or something, or even money back"

You sobbed into his neck "dont go... please, your all i have"

"I'm sorry (y/n)-n)... but m-my body-y-y-y is t-too damaged" his voice malfunctioned.

"I cant say goodbye" you looked into his eyes, his face cold in your hands.

"You dont have to... I'm already-y gone" he smiled before his face fell limp and his red eyes turned grey.

You screamed in sadness, not knowing who to call.

》time skip, its now Christmas《

"Merry Christmas (y/n)!" Mina yelled, walking through the doorway of your house.

As soon as Mina opened her eyes she was met with a dark room, save for the computer screen. Clothes were piled on the floor, Ramen noodle cups were in heaps in your small waste bin.

"This place is a mess!" Mina sighed. Walking over to you.

"Its not that bad" you sighed, bags under your eyes.

"I know you've been very distraught since katsuki..." her voice trailed off before continuing "but you need to take better care of yourself!"

You looked up at the pink girl, tears in your eyes at the mention of his name "Whats the point?"

Mina sighed, placing a bag in the corner of your room before walking towards the door "I'll be back in a few days, I have patrol tonight, see you" Mina smiled before walking out the door.

You were alone again... no Mina... no katsuki... just you and and empty bed...

Why would this happen? He meant everything to you...

The sounds of knocking on your door brought you attention away from the blonde man.

"Delivery!" A familiar voice sounded from the front door.

"Coming..." you dragged your feet on the floor, cracking the door open.

"Delivery to (y/n) (l/n)" she handed you a small box.

You signed the papers and brang the box inside, placing it onto the table.

You started crying... she was the one who brang katsuki...

.

.

.

"(Y/n)! I placed your Christmas gift under the tree, I gotta go, a villain was spotted near xxxx, love ya!"

You opened your eyes after you heard the front door close.

Whats the point of Christmas? No ones here, no decorations accept the tree in the corner of your livingroom.

Under the tree were several gifts. Dozens of small ones, and a couple of big ones.

"Lets start with this one" you opened the box that was pretty small. Opening it to see a note and a ruby necklace.

'Dear (y/n), merry Christmas, I'm very happy that you accepted me as your teddy bear. Every day, you made life seem so amazing and I'm glad I can experience it with you.

-Katsuki

You put it on, smiled at it before continuing with the presents. Each gift from katsuki, making you smile, some were cute, some were edgy, and some were funny... he really knew you.

Time for the last one, it was the biggest but it wasn't nearly as tall as the tree.

You didn't need to check the tag to know it was from katsuki.

"What did you get me thats this big, you dummy?" You mumbled, slightly excited.

You opened the box.

You were barely able to comprehend anything.

There sitting on his knees, was katsuki bakugou, his eyes closed and posture straight.

"Katsuki?" Your voice came out as a whisper, tears stinging your eyes.

As soon as he heard your voice, he opened his eyes to see you.

"(Y/n)-"

Before he could finish the first word of his sentence, you tackled him with a hug, tears streaming down your face.

"I Love you too!"

He smiled, hugging you back ever so tightly "thank you".

[telomeke-bbs]

BAD BUDDY – THE BASEBALL MOM T-SHIRT HAS BEEN FOUND!!!

Breaking news – I've just found the maker of the Baseball Mom t-shirt, and best of all you can buy it from them on Amazon! 😍

Tagging @miscellar, @dribs-and-drabbles and @jammy-boy because I know you'll be interested. 😊💖

Pat's Baseball Mom t-shirt is made by a brand called Sports Mom T-Shirts and you can find them on Amazon at this link here. You can also Google "Baseball Mom Shirt for Women Sports Mother's Day Gift" + "Amazon", which should take you to a page with the Baseball Mom t-shirt.

I have no way of knowing if this is the original, but it certainly looks like it, and the seller also looks legit. This is because they also sell other t-shirts that are designed in much the same vein (e.g., Basketball Mom, Team Mom, Lacrosse Mom, Baseball Grammy and Softball Mom). So it looks like part of an ongoing collection, and not a one-time knockoff of Pat's iconic tee. 😍

The t-shirts aren't sleeveless though, so it looks like the sleeves were cut-off before use in Bad Buddy.

So here's how I tracked down Baseball Mom. I'm currently on holiday in Kyoto, and found out from @jammy-boy's post (ரொம்ப நன்றி நண்பரே!) that GMMTV was holding an exhibition in Osaka (I wasn't aware of it before). As Osaka is less than 30 minutes away from Kyoto by train, a little re-jiggling of the travel schedule allowed for a day-trip to Osaka and yes the Baseball Mom t-shirt was there in all her glory. 👀 I'll write up a bit more about the exhibition (and Bad Buddy's corner) in a separate post – for now I'll say that it was a modest affair, yet quite overwhelming for me. 💖

So here is my photo of the Baseball Mom t-shirt:

It's displayed in a glass case together with Pran's coloring set, one of Ink's friendship wristbands, Pran's smiley/frowny notepaper and assorted photos (the glass cover is reflecting the string of spherical lights hung on Pat's Ep.12 memory board just alongside at the right, which explains the orange blotches on the image).

Remembering @miscellar's comment about the shirt tag, I took a photo of it:

The brand is Anvil, and this lightweight t-shirt was made in Nicaragua 👀, suggesting an American origin.

On the train ride back to Kyoto I was all smiles, hoping the manufacturer's website would be where the BM t-shirt lives. But I was wrong.

It turns out that Anvil is one of several brands made by the company Gildan, and they are mostly plain t-shirts (like Hanes). Baseball Mom was nowhere to be seen on their website.

But what this did suggest was that the t-shirt could simply be a plain base that a company (or entrepreneur) was using as a canvas for their artwork. So I checked out Etsy, and there were a ton of similar t-shirts, but not the same one.

And then I checked Amazon. Hello Baseball Mom!

The Baseball Mom t-shirt has been found! 😍

‌

P.S. For an explanation as to why Pat was wearing Baseball Mom for the Ep.5 Kiss (a truly strange choice of attire for such a momentous scene) see this write-up linked here. 🤩

‌

[onlineshwe]

How to make money while traveling

Traveling the world can be an exciting adventure, but it can also be an expensive one. Fortunately, there are many ways to make money while traveling that can help fund your adventures and allow you to see more of the world without breaking the bank. In this article, we will explore some of the best ways to make money while traveling.

Freelancing

If you have a skill that you can offer online, freelancing is an excellent way to make money while traveling. Many companies and individuals are willing to pay for services such as writing, web design, social media management, and graphic design. You can find freelance work through various websites, such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer. Freelancing allows you to work from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a reliable internet connection.

Teaching English

Teaching English as a foreign language is another popular way to make money while traveling. Many countries, particularly in Asia, are always looking for native English speakers to teach English to their citizens. You can find teaching opportunities through various programs such as the Peace Corps, Teach for America, and private language schools. Teaching English can be a fulfilling experience, and it allows you to immerse yourself in a new culture while earning money.

Working in the Hospitality Industry

Working in the hospitality industry is another excellent way to make money while traveling. Hotels, hostels, and restaurants are always looking for seasonal workers to help them during their peak season. Many hospitality jobs come with free room and board, which can help you save money on accommodation while traveling. Working in the hospitality industry can also give you the opportunity to meet new people and experience the local culture.

Blogging

If you have a passion for writing and love to travel, starting a travel blog can be a great way to make money while exploring the world. Many travel bloggers make money through advertising, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing. While it can take time to build a successful travel blog, it can be a fulfilling way to share your adventures with the world and earn money in the process.

Photography

If you have a talent for photography, selling your photos online can be a great way to make money while traveling. You can sell your photos on websites such as Shutterstock, iStock, and Adobe Stock. Many travel companies and publications also purchase photos from freelance photographers. Selling your photos online can be a passive income stream that allows you to earn money while exploring the world.

In conclusion, there are many ways to make money while traveling, and the above methods are just a few of the most popular ones. Whether you decide to freelance, teach English, work in the hospitality industry, blog, or sell your photos online, remember that earning money while traveling requires dedication and hard work. With some effort and persistence, you can fund your travels while experiencing the world in a unique and fulfilling way.

Also, to learn more about click here

[accortechsolutions]

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[femmmie]

💛Smoshblr December Asks Final Day💙

We‘ve done it! We’ve finally reached the end of this lil ask game and also the end of 2023! 🥳 Thank you so much for joining in on this, I truly appreciate it so much 🫶! I wish you a wonderful start into the new year and that all your hopes and dreams for 2024 will come true! ✨💞

But, since the year isn’t quite over yet, I thought this might be a nice time to reminisce a little bit. Therefore, the final question of the Smoshblr December Asks Game:

What are your favourite smosh-related memories of 2023? 💖

(no specific amount required for this one; and you can ofc also include older smosh memories, if you want to 🤗)

Stella!! I'm so gonna miss getting your asks every day in my inbox T_T thank you so much for making this month extra special and festive, it was absolutely wonderful waking up knowing there would be a new one waiting!!! <3

My favorite Smosh-related memory? Well, idk, I read a really great fanfic, but it was a bit out there, a bit too sentimental and unrealistic... it goes like this:

Friendship always wins

The sun scorched the suburbs of Sacramento. The neighborhood looked like if a stock photo had a heroine problem. Bored out of their minds, two sixth graders got grouped together for a school project.

"Here, let me draw some turds on the trash pile."

"I'll add flies."

"Hehehe, yeah that looks better."

The two kids, Ian and Anthony, connected through their shared humor, which ranged from Beavis and Butthead to Home Alone to Southpark, and to whatever was on the internet in that godforsaken time pre-2005.

The oldest one, Anthony, came from a broken home. He had to grow up fast and take care of his siblings and mom. The only times he could really be a kid and fuck around, was with his best friend Ian. Feeling nurtured by Ian's mom and dad, and constantly laughing at Ian's jokes, his happiness was there, with Ian. He could get through working hard, as long as he had Ian to go back to and have fun.

Their nerdy friend group were all into internet humor and Anthony came up with the idea of having a forum for them all to shitpost on and share their creations and collaborate.

But then he got sick. Really sick. He couldn't go to school, had to stay home for six months. He felt so isolated, not seeing his friends, most of all Ian. But Ian showed up at his house with a get well soon card. It was signed by everyone from his class. He could cry, he was so happy with this symbol of friendship. It kept him going the rest of the months. He put his time and energy into coding and learning how to do graphic design.

Smosh was born and it took off. First the website was just for them; Ian, Anthony, and their friends. It had stuff like articles, memes and videos. But soon the whole school was frequenting the site. News traveled outside the school even, and before they knew it, Smosh was an internet phenomenon. After they graduated, Ian and Anthony chose to keep the website going. Just for fun. And they got some money from merch they would distribute themselves.

One day, they saw that one of their videos was pirated and hosted on some new platform: YouTube. That gave them an idea: why not host all their videos there? It was free after all. Being at the right place at the right time, with the right kind of humor and the right kind of raw talent, Smosh was propelled to be one of the biggest YouTube channels there were. They even became the biggest one. However, with success also comes vultures, ready to take everything from you...

A company introduced themselves to Ian and Anthony and promised them the world: give Smosh to us, and you will only have to worry about making videos. We will take care of everything else. It sounded too good to be true. And sadly, it was. For even though at first, Ian and Anthony had more fun than ever, coming up with bigger and funnier videos than ever, they soon found out they were not in control anymore.

Anthony, who had always fought to stay in control of things; his family, his health, his whole life... it was very hard to see his creation being contorted and mutilated into something he didn't want it to be. And he grew to hate it. That hate spread everywhere, even towards his best friend, who kept trying to tell him "man, let's take the losses and be happy we have this job, we could have still been in Sacramento with nowhere to go."

But Anthony had had it.

"Ian, come with me, let's start a new channel, just the two of us."

"Anthony... I can't. It doesn't make any sense business wise. I know it's not ideal, but please, Anthony, stay?"

After years and years of putting his all into the company, Anthony couldn't do it anymore. He quit Smosh, and a shockwave went through the entire fandom that had built around it.

Smosh was still going. But you see, money and power got involved, and Ian and Anthony had lost sight of each other... they tried to hold on, you could see it clear as day, but they were ripped apart by the greed of the soulless company, which is a tautology, if you think about it.

Both guys were heartbroken. Still sneaking glances at each other, but not able to speak. Too much had happened between them.

And then the company went bankrupt and Smosh was in mortal danger. Ian, who had fought to keep the brand alive ever since Anthony left, fought as hard as he could to find someone to buy it, who wouldn't just sell it off for parts like an old car. Luckily, a YouTuber duo who knew Smosh from afar, stepped in and saved the day. Thanks to them and to Ian, Smosh survived. But was it really still Smosh? What was Smosh if it wasn't Ian and Anthony?

In the meantime, Anthony had rebooted his personal YouTube channel and through trial and error found success. Nothing like Smosh, of course, but impressive nonetheless.

Apart from each other, Ian and Anthony persevered. But they were still heartbroken and in need of something. That something was each other of course. And finally, years later, they met again. And they were both surprised. They had both healed and grown enough to see each other and talk freely, like adults. And they were surprised to see how well they still clicked.

It was like they were the same friends they had been all those years ago, but eve better. The slogan they had come up with all those years, finally rang true again, more than it had ever done. Friendship always wins.

And as they reconnected more and more, one faithful day, one of them said..

"what if we bought Smosh?"

And at that moment, their family was no longer broken, they were reunited and Anthony suddenly had a lot more 'kids' to take care of. But he was so happy, so happy to be with Ian again. He was finally fulfilled.

[salvadorbonaparte]

About the courier thing. I looked at the Lufthansa website would you recommend it if someone had never flown before? Like I'd need to get a passport for this, only traveled by car/ ship so far.

About picking the deliveries up and delivering them, if I live in town A and the company is in City B do I have to go there to pick it up? Will it be at the airport? Bc the website made it look like you get the message that they need you, then you basically that instant jump in your car drive to the company drive to the airport and jump into the plane, land jump into a taxi and go to the place you need to be.

My concerns are that I'll only get reimbursed for things like the taxi bc they need me to have an international CreditCard... Could you describe how tight these times are? Like what happens if I don't have the time to catch the booked flight bc they booked it too tightly for it to be realistic?

When I land in other countries, what exactly is common place there? Will I be expected and picked up or will I have to find a taxi to the company myself?

If there isnt an instant flight back, do they pay/book or only reimburse you for finding a hotel/ hostel? What happens if you miss your flight back?

You can probably tell lol but I'd be interested but I'm pretty anxious about all the stuff they don't specify on their website. Like I'm not willing to risk having to pay for a flight back home from the US because there was a traffic jam and I missed my booked flight

Also, talking about safety lol, would you recommend this to a woman? The people that left glowing reviews about how great the job is only had masculine names afaik.

And do they give you the info you need for the countries you travel to? Like if I, as a woman, would travel to a country that requires me to wear something to hide my hair would they tell me that? Or would uncultured little ol' me have to frantically google what kinda clothes I would be able to wear? And what kinda attire would they expect at the companies you're supposed to deliver to? Like if I look like shit after a 10 hour flight and deliver a contract or a designer dress they aren't gonna kill me right?

Also the website said to always have a light bag ready which is fair but if I show up with a small case that I wouldn't be able to take with me to my seat are they gonna say I'm taking too much time while I wait for my baggage?

Hello! Thank you for reaching out. I am going to try and answer these questions to the best of my ability, but I've only flown two missions and both were the same company and destination, so I am not an expert on this.

You'd definitely have to get a passport. I don't know if I'd recommend it because I don't know you personally. I flew for the first time when I was two and flew alone for the first time when I was five. I lived abroad for a while and had to fly back and forth between semesters. I know my local airport like the back of my hand and feel pretty comfortable flying. OBC missions can be really stressful, and never having flown before could add to that stress. On the other hand, maybe you thrive under that stress. Maybe it can be an adventure.

The pickup location can differ afaik. I had to pick up the cargo both times at a company close to the airport but I've also heard of cases where the cargo is in a different city and you're supposed to pick it up or where it is picked up at the airport. Same for the drop off. Both of my missions were airplane parts so my drop off was outside the airport. I heard that occassionally you'd have to take a taxi to some company but they would tell you about the drop off location or at least whom to contact once you land. International airports always have taxis outside and usually public transport so you should be fine as long as you have an address. You have to be flexible. The timing is also different. I once had to cancel a request because they wanted me to be in Hamburg within an hour (the high-speed train alone takes longer than an hour). Yesterday I got the message in the early afternoon and the flight was in the evening so I had time to prepare. You don't have to answer requests if you don't have time or think you can't manage the pickup time. They usually message everyone on their list who lives in a certain radius and then whoever answers first and can do it gets the mission. If you're on a mission and something goes horribly wrong, I guess you have to contact the company and sort it out together with them. I have no idea how that works because that never happened to me luckily. I only accept missions that I think are realistic and I guess if I were to miss a plane or connection they'd have to rebook me since I am the one with the cargo and finding someone else that late in the process would be even more expensive? I don't know what happens if you miss your flight back and I assume it depends on if it is your fault or something unforseen.

About the money thing I think it depends on the company again. I flew with Wings Onboard the last two times and they book your flight and hotel so you only need to cover things like transport, roaming, excess baggage if it comes up. Having a visa card or similar is really important for this and also having a little money on it for emergencies. For example, I paid 80 Euro for taxis plus 130 for excess baggage this time that I will get reimbursed. Last time I only paid like 2 Euro for a parking ticket and that was it. You need to be prepared for emergencies but you should get everything but food reimbursed.

About the gender thing, I am seen as a woman and I am pretty short and I did not accept a mission last time because I felt uncomfortable flying to that country at night. In general, it can be dangerous as a woman everywhere so take the normal safety precautions and listen to your intuition if something seems dangerous. Other than safety, being a short female-perceived person has its upsides because my cargo was 30kg and men helped me carry it lol.

I received no cultural insights like that but I also flew to my neighbouring country so I don't know if they would tell you. I'd google just in case. What they will tell you however, at least Wings does, is if there is any visa or customs regulations you need to be aware of, which I think is even more vital. About clothes in general, since it is pretty spontaneous missions no one minded so far that I was wearing jeans and t shirts. Most of them never had to deal with OBCs so they are mostly just curious. You're not technically employed by them, you're just delivering something, and they care a lot more about the cargo than you.

I always have a little backpack packed, which is more practical than a case, because it can fit under your seat or in the overhead compartment. The important part is that it is small enough to be counted as hand luggage for most major airlines. If you have cargo that counts as hand luggage you can take it with you and maybe fit it in the bag. If the cargo is large enough for checked baggage you still have your essential things with you and can grab them quickly without having to wait for them too. The company will book your flight for you and will opt for the cheapest option, which is usually economy with either only hand luggage or hand luggage and one piece of checked luggage. As long as you have your phone, charger, money, passport, perhaps a pyjama and toothbrush and empty water bottle you should be fine.

In general, it can be stressful and you have to be flexible and spontaneous when things go wrong, but the past two missions I noticed that a courier is already so much cheaper and faster for them that small delays don't matter. I hurried so much to check out my cargo and go to the drop off point and when I called them they were like "both our cars are busy right now, it will take maybe 15 minutes" and then took over 30 minutes to arrive. As long as you make the flight and the cargo is safe they don't care if you took five minutes longer to find the exit or went to the bathroom. Five minutes longer still beats the time or money they'd have to put into other logistics solutions.

You can DM me for more questions and I can even send you some (censored) mission briefings if you want to know how much information you get. I hope this was helpful!

[demonfox38]

Completed: Okage: Shadow King

I think the game would prefer to speak for itself.

In my previous game evaluations, you may have seen me mention my best friend classified co-conspirator @jeannettegray. As of writing right now, her avatar on multiple services is this:

This would be an image of Rosalyn, one of the lead characters of today's evaluation. Having been given this knowledge, I bet you can put two and two together to figure out how I ended up playing "Okage: Shadow King." Because, let me tell you. I might be a nut for niche RPGs, but I definitely wouldn't have heard of this title without her influence. So, thanks again, JG!

"Okage: Shadow King" is a 2001 PlayStation 2 turn-based RPG developed by Zener Works. It (arguably) stars Ari, a young boy most known for…well. Nothing. Really! That's his schtick. Not that he doesn't have his own personality, but he's literally overshadowed by a bombastic set of characters hell-bent on taking over the world, reforming it to their desires, or stopping the chaos around them with their own tilted bents. To free his sister from a peculiar curse, Ari forms a pact with Stan, the titular Shadow (Evil) King, traveling around the world and defeating other Evil Kings to restore his power. Along the way, he picks up additional characters (including a handful of said Evil Kings, a dipshit scientist, and a mortified hero) and discovers the true nature of the world, all while finding a way to…well, step out of the shadows of others, I suppose.

Possibly by being the most sarcastic bitch in the world!

Now, if you read "2001", "PlayStation 2", and "RPG" above, you may pre-emptively have come to some conclusions about why this game is so damn niche. I checked the release dates just to confirm our mutual suspicions. This had a two months' head start on "Final Fantasy X" and was released in what appears to be the best month for it to come out (more on that in a bit.) So, I wouldn't say definitively that one game ate the other's supper. But, realistically, it only had a couple of months in the spotlight before went into…you know. Components of its own name.

There is definitely something weird to "Okage: Shadow King." I mean, weird beyond the intended vibes. I did some reading on Zener Works to see exactly what they are, as that's not a company familiar to me. It seems like they had a handful of titles in the late 2000s, as well as some mobile game properties (and a pending lawsuit against another company, if Google Translate was correct on their website.) This game is not only their only PS2 game, but seems to be the only RPG they ever built. Additionally, some general information on Wikipedia claims this was originally intended to be a PlayStation release but was then asked to be moved to the PlayStation 2 literally a day before the console's existence was revealed to the world at large.

I’m bringing up the development history because I don't want you to start playing this game and come to the conclusion that your PlayStation 2 is dying. (I mean, they are frailer than race horses, but it's not the console's fault exclusively that things are acting strangely.)

This isn't to say the game looks bad. Anything but! (Well, I guess there's some general distance fog, occasional camera issues, and Madril's kind of an ugly town, but stick with me here!) Honestly, given the character design for this game, I thought that perhaps there was some creative staff overlap with those that worked on stop-motion film/Hot Topic darling "Nightmare Before Christmas." This doesn't seem to be the case. Somebody in the design team was just a major nerd for that film. Like, blatantly stole the hill from that movie kind of nerd. The design team had their inspiration, and damned if they didn't nail it. So, if you're into the aesthetics of that film in particular, this game is a must play for that alone.

Also, one of the character modelers went on to work on "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night." You know you've got the charming spooky look nailed when the former design team for several "Castlevania" games wants you in their company!

Honestly, the music is pretty good, too. There's a couple of tracks that go a little too heavy on the use of chanting or bagpipes for my taste, but otherwise? Solid. Also? It reacts to you being inside/outside a building and whether or not you are about to die in battle. Responsive music programming! I love that!

The major attraction for this game is its writing, bar none. It's the world's most sarcastic RPG, and I say that with full affection. Like, all of your dialogue options can be boiled down to good/bad/sarcastic. There's no sane man in this universe. They've all been run down and driven to frothing vengeance by those in manic passion for power. Hell, the only thing that even remotely restores sanity in this game is giving up power.

Even with the game's bombastic nature, it can come out swinging with its plot twists. Like, you'll catch some. Obviously, there's a reason that the girl with demon horns and a pink miniskirt has aspirations for becoming a pop icon. Some seem obvious after the fact, like, "Of course, you can't trust butlers for anything. That's always how it goes!" Even the nature of the world itself will explain some issues you rub up against gameplay-wise. The one that really caught me off-guard was the opening for Chapter 5. Like…I don't want to spoil it for you, so I won't get into it too much. But, let's say the bit with Ari having to stand up for himself and regain some sense of personality and appearance was surprisingly resonant for me.

So, this makes a pretty good YouTube longplay video, especially if you're listening to one sans commentary. How about the game part?

Well…how much do you like "Quest 64?"

Not that the two games are all that alike. (Well, actually, maybe in the good music/character design bit.) But, I bring up my tolerance for "Quest 64" in that I love that game despite its online reputation as being the worst RPG on the Nintendo 64. (I mean, have people even seen the opening cutscene for "Aidyn Chronicles"? JFC.) I have a great deal of tolerance for funky RPGs is what I'm trying to say. For me to call an RPG bad, you'd literally have to present something like "Hoshi wo Miru Hito" to my face. Like, poorly functioning, poor audio, and having no final boss bad.

This is a novice RPG written relatively new into its console's library. It's got issues.

If you're gonna play it, you're going to need to have patience with it.

Looking at how it operates, I suspect the game designers were fans of "Megami Tensei" games (like "Shin Megami Tensei" or possibly the "Persona" series, although the timeline isn't quite the smoothest for the latter.)  At least, the occasional Stan chats prior to combat, the focus on supernatural entities, the enemy abuse of curses, buffing/debuffing importance, and HP consuming moves are screaming that to me. There are some tweaks to it that are odd. For example, characters share a special ability pool (LP) instead of having their own points to spend on special moves or magic. This seems to fluctuate based on who is in your party and how magically gifted they are. There may also be some "Chrono Trigger" influence? Maybe? Possibly? I mean, you've got a party of three that trails you and can join up with you to attack a single target. It feels familiar for a reason.

Also, it's one of those RPGs where you can't trade the main character out of the party. And, if he dies, it's an instant game over. Yep. Like, there's an implied plot reason for why this could be so, but damned if it isn't irritating as hell.

Some of the mechanic focus is strange to me as well. Like, there are several levels of curses (think poison/sleep/confusion/reward penalties), and some of these curses can be stacked multiple times to have more severe effects. Meanwhile, the elemental system is just a triangle. It is also a strange triangle if you think too long about it. It's better just to think blue > red, yellow > blue, red > yellow instead of wondering how exactly fire defeats lightning and how ice works almost opposite to every other RPG on the planet. It also has a distribution issue both within your party and the monster populace at large. Like, you only get one fire elemental guy. But, to compensate for this, most of your cast will learn spells to cover the elements that they aren't. And then, it seems like there's not the most even balance of enemies out there, anyway? Like, it seemed mostly blue/red early on, with yellow appearing towards the end to be a pain in the ass. I don't know. It was weird. Like, "Fire Emblem" handing you so many sword dudes when there are so few axes to grind and more spears to dodge. It could be personal bias, but you know that feeling, right? Not as rough as taking a fire starter in Pokémon, but maybe taking a water starter.

Pacing is also a weird issue in this game. Like, there are some dungeons where you step one foot into and can win instantly, and others that require grinding for 10 levels. Your party member pool is strapped to the same three people for almost half of the game. (Trust me when I say you want Kisling out ASAP. Dude's a creep and a dud.) Hell, in trying to get my party evened out to level 60 for use in the final dungeon, I accidentally ended up gaining, like, 37 levels for the main character. Also, Chapters 4 and 5 seem to be significantly bloated, with a great deal of fighting taking place in or around the second town. It's like, blink and Chapters 1 and 6 are gone. Very odd.

So, okay. I've got a few creative differences with the dev team. What I really don't get is how the loading issues, audio volume multiplier, and save erasing bug made it into the wild. Like, I know. Novice game made by inexperienced team on new hardware. But, c'mon. Sony had a QA team on this. They had to pick this up.  

What's frustrating about these items is that I could see both how to fix them and how they just weren't fixed. Like…

The game loads fine when it's one large horizontal map. The loading issues come into play with more multi-roomed environments like homes, dungeons, and towns. Other games work around this by having multiple chunks on one map, then teleporting the player around as they enter and exit spaces. Or, hell, implement a visibility flag and turn that on/off as needed. Could the maps not be congealed, for some reason? Couldn't someone at least give the player a loading screen so I’m not sitting there wondering if my PlayStation 2 is having optical drive issues?

The audio volume multiplier is a weird event where a single sound is being played many times, usually when multiple of the same attacks or spells land at once. All that requires to fix, theoretically, would be implementing a volume maximum to not be played over, then making that volume be whatever the default value for the base sound is.

I saw the save erasing bug happen a whopping 3 times over 40 hours of gameplay, and I had been rotating my saves like a good girl. So, it wasn't something I couldn't recover from. But, holy shit. No. Absolutely not. That could have been real bad. Like, I can only guess what's happening here, but it seems like a file is being purposefully deleted before some new file is written in its place (as opposed to some file updating process) and that the writing process subsequently screws up. This would prevent bad progress flags from being recorded, I suppose, but the opposing situation of losing an entire damn file isn't pleasant, either.  

Considering how much dicking around the publishers asked for in getting this game on the PlayStation 2, I'm going to assume that they're also to blame for these issues getting out. As in, "Well, we've got to ship this by October!" and wham! Bugs pressed.

Even with all of the quirks to the game, it's not the hardest RPG to get through. About the roughest time I had was with Big Bull, and the troubles there involved dealing with Ari dying in two hits and Kisling just generally being unhelpful. Honestly, most of the problems in the game can be solved by ganging up on weak enemies and having a dedicated healing item spammer. (Healing items are super cheap, so might as well cram as many as you can in your pockets!) The rest is just talking to as many people as you can and reading as many signs as possible.

Also, here. Just take this video guide on gear locations. Life is short; don't trouble yourself with something as silly as gear hunting blindly. (At least it's not as silly of a side quest as dodging lightning 100 times or learning a new sport!)

I feel a little bad for coming down on "Okage" as hard as I did at the end. It's funny, thought provoking, and respectful of the player's time. For as fresh and different as it is, I'd play this over several contemporary members of its library. But, for some of its quirks, it does require a little patience. You've just got to know whether or not you've got that on hand.  

Frankly, for its price, "Okage: Shadow King" is quite the bargain, too. Hell, it's even available on the PlayStation store! Can't argue with the fair distribution it has in a modern market.

And, hey! Now I know more about JG's icon! So, it's always nice to have some additional context, especially when characters and stories are important to your friends. But, I do have to wonder how Rosalyn won over Stan for that place of honor. I mean, other than by being classified as a hero.

Then again, it might be a little disturbing being followed by something like this online.