#did i spent 10 hours on creating this prompt list? yes.

[viccaon]

It's time for Ecaflitober!!

Am I already day too late? Indeed. Am I still gonna do it? YES.

[annie-mit-ie]

Glimpses: Part 12 (Kathryn Hahn x Fem!Reader)

Part 1 // previous chapter <<< >>> next chapter

Summary: Will you be able to go with Kathryn?

Word Count: 2k

A/N: This is a little shorter, I know, but I hope all of you still enjoy it. Look at this little tag list we have going on now!! - I might actually get a little emotional that so many of you are still reading this little story. With all that being said, here we gooooo. xx

Tag List: @danvers97 @zafirosreverie @srtamercurio @wanatag @pulledbythestars17 @plantowl​

Don't forget to check out the new official Playlist! :)

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“You can’t take her.” Jennifer is walking up and down in Kathryn’s office. She arrived here right after you had left, ready to plan to thrip to New York, as well as the upcoming project. Kathryn shifts her focus from her hand to her manager and huffs. 

“NO. Kathryn, no. You know it yourself. First of all, she is a distraction. Yes, you like her, I KNOW, but this is not you. This is not how you do your job.” Jennifer looks at her boss with pleading eyes.

Running her fingers through her long mane, Kathryn bites the insides of her cheek. “you’re right, I know you are, but at the same time…”

“NO BUTS, Kathryn.” Jennifer interrupts her, prompting Kathryn to shoot her a short glare. 

“…but at the same time I haven’t been this happy in years.” Thinking back at the time you spent with her, a small smile creeps onto her face.

Jennifer gets it. She understands Kathryn’s point, but as her manager it’s her job to secure the actress’ job, which is why she needs to make sure there are as few distractions from work as possible included in the trip.

Placing a hand on her arm, Jennifer looks at Kathryn with warm eyes. “Sweetie, I know you don’t like it. I don’t like it either, because I know how good the time with her is for your heart. But we can’t have this. Not now. Not during your shining moment. Yeah?”

Slowly but surely, Kathryn starts to nod as she can feel the sadness rise in her chest.

Meanwhile, you and Alex are having the same conversation back in your room. She tries to talk sense into you and talks animatedly to her phone, as you try to find a way to accompany Kathryn.

“Honey, you simply can’t. There is no way. It’s during the exam phase. You can’t be abroad for that.” She shakes her head.

Considering your options, you try to talk against her. “I could ask for online exams.”

“… there is a multiple hour time difference - you can’t be serious, Y/N.”

“I could postpone exams?” You raise an eyebrow.

Alex shakes her head harder now. “NO GIRL. No. Kathryn wouldn’t want you screwing up your education for this. You have leftover classes, exams to write and then you’ll have to write term papers you have to prepare for,” you take a visible breath. “Yes love, I am aware you could write those on set but we all know you wouldn’t. It’s better for you to stay.”

You want to argue. You really do. But there are a few things holding you back. First of all, you know Alex makes a valid point. Second of all, you don’t even know where you are standing with Kathryn. What are you to her? What is happening with her? The lines are so blurry that it’s hard for you to see, so you think it might be better not to assume and make a fuss about all of it.

Lastly, you don’t even know if she wants to have you by her side in the first place, because, again, it’s not like she is your girlfriend or anything. Not that you wouldn’t want her to be.

So, just like Kathryn does with Jennifer, you agree to what Alex says and make your decision to stay, even though it hurts your heart just as much as it hurts hers.

Given the fact, that she has to leave for New York right the next morning, it’s not possible for you to see her again. You think back at the soft kiss she planted on your lips as you left her house under yesterday’s hot afternoon sun. You feel so good with her and you can’t stop to think back at how beautiful her eyes look up close - even more beautiful than on all her pictures that Alex and you have been sending back and forth whenever Kathryn did a new promo shoot.

It’s late afternoon as you’re lying on your bed and stare at the ceiling, a random Marvel movie running in the background.  Alex has been trying to hype you up all day, but, given the fact that Kathryn is gone for an unforeseen time, you still feel sad.

You turn off the movie because you can’t seem to concentrate and connect your phone to the speakers to play some music. You remember that you can sit on your windowsill that’s facing the backyard and and decide to sit down and watch the birds in the tree outside your window as you open Spotify and it starts playing the last song you stopped on. “She” by dodie fills the room and you don’t think you related to a song like that ever before.

It really describes the feelings of uncertainty that you have right now. It doesn’t help that you never really took the chance to talk to her about all of not. Not properly, at least. This mistake leaves you with this endless feeling of emptiness that seems like it’s eating you up from the inside as you don’t even know if she feels the same in any way. 

Your phone chimes and you nearly fall off the windowsill as you shoot up to reach for it. It’s the group chat you thought had died a while ago that you joined right after Kathryn appeared on Wandavision. 

Apparently, news of Kathryn’s casting already sank through and everyone is screaming about it. Unwilling to share any knowledge, and also way too careful with it, you want to put your phone away as it chimes again and your eyes widen.

You immediately click the message.

“New York is wild! Haven’t had time to get to you yet. Seems like everyone and their mom wants to speak to me today. Just left my second meeting and now I have to leave for a work dinner in a few. How’s the day going back home? xxx K.”

A bright smile creeps onto your face as you realize she uses the “everyone and their mom” phrase that you use so much whenever you describe difficult situations to her. You decide not to reply immediately - you don’t want her to assume you are sitting on your phone just waiting for her. 

Instead you opt to create some art and grab your supplies. There is an empty canvas behind your bed and you feel like there are enough feelings trapped in you to create something cool on it.

Your mom works long on Mondays, so you haven't realized just how much time has passed as you perform the last of the night and call it a day. Your picture is colorful. Very much so. The acrylic paint hasn’t even dried yet, but there are already tons of ideas floating around in your head about what to do with the artwork from here on out. Maybe you should get some fine liners and work out the edges, maybe do some highlighting as well, you don't know yet.

Just as you want to put the brush aside your phone lights up on your bed. You can't pick it up just now because the slowly drying paint sticks to your fingers and you anxiously reach for the closest paper towel to white it off as best as you can. Not expecting anything, you finally reach for your phone and pick up the call before reading the name - an automatic reaction to late night calls from Alex.

You are greeted by a very familiar, yet unexpected, face. Kathryn smiles into the camera and adjusts the lights around her. She is clearly in her pjs, with no make up on, her hair open and messy, falling off her shoulder. You can see she is wearing a loose gray shirt and your whole body starts tingling as you realize it's the shirt she gave you to sleep in last weekend. Immediately, your brain runs wild and you try to figure out if she packed this exact shirt on purpose or just grabbed the one that was available easiest as she was probably in a rush.

Luckily, Kathryn interrupts your train of thought. “Hey! Hiya hon! I just wanted to check in. Make sure you’re alright because you haven’t replied to my message.”

For the first time you look at the clock. It’s 8.30pm and you haven’t had dinner yet.

“Shit.”, you mutter and your hand flies to cover your mouth immediately. 

Kathryn, who hasn’t heard your muttering, looks confused. “Sweetheart, is everything alright?”

You smile thankfully. “Yes! Yes it is. I guess I was just wrapped up in my art and you pulled me out of it and I always need a minute to adjust. I’m fine. It’s late though and I haven’t eaten yet. Thank you for reminding me.”

“Good. Do you want me to order you pizza or something. Because I totally would.” She reaches for a notepad.

“Alright Mom…” she looks at you for a moment and you can’t tell if she is shocked or amused or anything really because she stopped reacting completely and just stares at you. Right when you are about to start panicking about the situation she bursts into laughter.

“I mean I’M SORRY. How dare I offer pizza.” She continues laughing. You love this. This is easy and light and you realize once again just how much you enjoy her company. Gosh, you miss her already.

You remember her message as you make your way downstairs. “How was dinner, Kathryn? And the rest of your day? Tell me about it!”

For the next 10 minutes, as you prepare your own dinner, she tells you about her day and the plans for the next few weeks. The two of you laugh and make jokes and for a moment it seems like both of you have forgotten that you won’t see each other for a while. After she finishes talking, you fall into a comfortable silence and just look and smile at each other for a moment.

“I like you, you know?” She is the one to interrupt the silence. “Spending time with you makes me really happy and I’m sad you can’t come to Europe with me. I need you to know. I wish I could’ve taken you with me.”

Your heart melts and your hands start to shake as you realize Kathryn might indeed feel the same way. You put the knife, that’s in your hand from making dinner, aside. You’re unable to answer right away and fight for the right words, so she continues on with her short monologue.

“I just wanted to call tonight to check in and see how you are doing since I had to kick you out so abruptly last night and maybe we can do this from time to time, check in on each other? I would love that.”

Check in on each other? Why is she so vague all the time? For a moment you thought she’d confess her feelings for you but here you are again, uncertain of what she really thinks about you. You smile, though, and try to keep it calm because you don’t want her to get annoyed with you already.

You realize it’s getting close to 9pm, which means it should be about midnight at her place. Taking responsibility, you send her off to sleep and have a short dinner followed by some reading yourself.

Before Kathryn hangs up, she promises you to call again before leaving for Europe completely. She also wants to know if you want a souvenir from NYC (why is she so cute?) and tells you to call her anytime you need something or someone. With that, she shoots you the brightest smile and leaves you to it.

The ecstatic feeling you felt when you talked to her fades quickly as you come down from the call. Suddenly, your home feels all quiet and lonely and the silence is killing you. You walk back up to your room to sit on your bed and stare out of your window to enjoy the night sky. The tree right next to your room is slowly moving in the wind as its branches scratch the glasses surface.

You decide to call it a day as the week ahead is full of work and school and the weekend was eventful, so you change into comfy clothes and get ready for bed immediately. You fall onto your bed a few minutes later just as your phone lights up again.

"Good night, Sweetheart. It was great seeing your face. xxx K."

[muselover1901]

Re: prompts. “Quarantine.” Alternatively, something based off urban legends. Thanks!

Well it took me forever, but hey, the world is crazy and I am just so proud of myself for finishing this Quarantine AU for you! It’s definitely WAY bigger than a drabble (at just over 2700 words) but I had a lot of fun writing it and it really pushed my abilities as a writer. Thank you for the ask! Enjoy :)

Edit: Now posted to AO3

Here With(out) You

“Are you getting close to finishing? It’s almost eight o’clock and we haven’t eaten dinner yet,” Zen says as he plops down beside Shirayuki—well, not exactly beside her, but just outside the orbit of her ever-present sticky notes, journal articles, and scratch-paper lesson plans. She acknowledges his presence with a noncommittal hum before continuing her vigorous typing on the laptop balanced on her knees. Even before the pandemic, it wasn’t totally unusual for Shirayuki to work late—she is a graduate student, after all—but lately she has been spending every waking hour on either her lab’s vaccine research or creating online lessons for her introductory biology students.

Zen’s work-life balance honestly hasn’t been much better, but since most of his work as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff involves writing reports and attending video call meetings, he can turn off his computer at the end of the day and walk away from work. Shirayuki, unfortunately, does not have the same luxury.

His stomach growls, upset at the lack of food this late in the evening. Zen reaches over, guiding a stray hair behind her ear before setting his palm against her shoulder to get her attention.

“I can make us something easy, if you want. You really should take a break to eat something.”

Shirayuki doesn’t respond. He squeezes her shoulder gently and dips his head to try to catch her gaze, but she reacts with naught but a firm pursing of her lips as she scrutinizes her screen even more. Zen gives her a small shake, as if to wake her.

“Hm?” She blinks up at him, broken from her trance, her voice sounding thin and tired. “Sorry, Zen, I really need to get this done tonight.”

She gestures vaguely to the smudged sticky-note to-do list by her laptop keyboard, the usual tasks of exercise, meal prep, and do something fun with Zen and friends crammed between terms he half-recognizes as different types of data analyses.

“We have our Friday meeting tomorrow and I need to have the preliminary results ready to present.”

“It’s fine,” he says, rubbing his hand up and down her arm and offering her a tender smile as she turns back to her spreadsheet. She is such a hard worker, and right now she’s both working to save lives and to educate the next generation of scientists. Now was not the time to be selfish—even though he misses spending time with her, they just have to push through. And if that means Zen has to cook meals by himself, without Shirayuki’s incredible culinary talent for support, then he will gladly put his limited skill to use.

“How about I make pancakes?” he suggests, “I think we still have some eggs that need to be used, so I could scramble them too—if you want?”

Without looking up, Shirayuki murmurs a dry, “Sounds great, thank you.”

Zen stands and makes his way to their kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he goes. Even after three years of living together and countless Sundays spent chopping endless armies of vegetables as they prepped meals, there are few dishes he trusts himself to cook properly. It’s Mitsuhide and Kiki’s fault, really. When they were his roommates sophomore year, he tried his hand at a simple vegetable stew to feed Mitsuhide’s hockey team at their annual fall party. The final product honestly wasn’t half bad, but he forgot to peel the vegetables, which gave the soup a mild dirt-like aftertaste.

He honestly thought he would be able to laugh it off and learn from such a minor culinary mistake, but it turned out almost no one was willing to let him live it down—even Shirayuki couldn't resist the occasional jab when they cooked together. Indeed, one of the last times they enjoyed quality time together was during a massive day of meal prepping after their first pandemic shopping trip. Hours of chopping and grating and sautéing had driven them a little crazy, and Shirayuki had broken out in giggles while he diligently peeled his seventeenth potato.

It had taken some prodding, but eventually she managed to hold back her laughter enough to snicker, "It’s nice of you to actually peel them this time."

He’d responded with the most convincing glare he could muster before selecting a particularly long piece of peel from the pile on the counter, turning to her with a dangerous smirk, and depositing said peel on top of her head. This only served to bring back her laughter in full-force, the contagiousness of it gripping him and dragging him along until their whole house reverberated with the ridiculousness of it all.

Unlike vegetable soups, Zen had yet to mess up a batch of pancakes in his lifetime, a fact which he was quite proud of. That’s why he’d chosen to make them for Shirayuki the first morning after she stayed the night at his place. They’d groggily rolled out of bed, blushing furiously as they realized that their late-night study session for Advanced Composition had ended with both of them passed out on top of Zen’s covers with their laptops discarded by the foot of the bed. He’d insisted on making her breakfast before she left, partly because he felt bad about their awkward start to the day, but mostly because he’d been smitten with her for months and he just wanted to keep doing things with her.

Zen smiles at the memory as he gathers the ingredients and begins measuring out the flour. Even after all this time, he still treasures every moment together. And now, as they are stuck working from home for the foreseeable future, he misses her more than he did before they moved in together. Although they are around each other nearly all day, every day, they hardly interact outside of breakfast and a kiss goodnight. He sighs and forces his focus back to mixing the batter. Shirayuki is working hard and here he is being selfish again. He should be stronger.

Pushing down his loneliness, he flings himself into scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes with gusto. He quickly finishes the first set of pancakes, butters them, and stacks them neatly on Shirayuki’s plate next to her portion of eggs. For the final touch, he sprinkles a hint of powdered sugar across them and places a little dollop of fruit preserves on top. Hopefully these would look appetizing enough to entice her into taking a break from work to eat. With her plate in hand, Zen makes his way back to the living room and sets her meal on the coffee table.

“Food’s ready,” he announces. “Please don’t forget to eat.”

Shirayuki pauses, tired eyes flicking away from her screen to meet his and offering all the gratitude she can muster. “Thank you, Zen. I promise I will eat as soon as I finish this analysis.”

Zen offers a quick smile in return before heading back to the kitchen to make dinner for himself. He’d better check on her soon, just to make sure she doesn’t get sucked into her work despite her promise—although it is never intentional, her basic needs often fall by the wayside when she is hyper-focused like this.

Fifteen minutes later, Zen returns to the living room with his own stack of pancakes (chocolate chip) and scrambled eggs (sprinkled with his friend Obi’s homemade hot sauce, because the pain was always worth the flavor). And just as he feared, Shirayuki hasn’t touched her food.

“How’s it coming? Are you going to eat soon?” Zen settles into his spot on the couch next to her and cuts into his pancakes with his fork.

“Hm? Oh yes, I figured out why that regression was behaving unexpectedly, I had just flipped the variables.” She bites her lip. “I guess after I fixed that, I just moved on to the next thing.”

Zen reaches out to tenderly place a hand on her cheek and guide her eyes away from her screen and to his own. Her eyelids droop a little, and he notices a small crease between her eyebrows—she looks so tired. He drags his thumb across her cheekbone and her eyes flutter shut as she relaxes into his hand.

His heart skips a little at the intimacy of their position; after all, it had been weeks since they had really shared a moment like this, just comfortable in stillness with each other’s full attention. Eyes still closed, Shirayuki reaches up to hold his hand against her cheek and sighs as she turns her head to press her lips against his palm. With a gentle squeeze of his hand, she releases him and turns to exchange her laptop for her plate.

Although she continues working while they eat, Zen is relieved to see her diligently taking bites between bits of code. It doesn’t take long before she cleans her plate entirely. With a yawn, Zen stretches and rises from the couch before collecting their dishes and returning to the kitchen to clean up. The clock above the stove reads 10:08pm.

How did it get so late? He’d just have to head right to bed after this. Dozing off during his morning call with the Mayor was not how he wanted to start his day tomorrow.

After finishing the dishes and changing into his sleep shirt, he returns to the living room to let Shirayuki know he’s going to bed—apparently she still has a couple hours of work ahead of her, but she promised she’d come to bed as soon as she was done. With Shirayuki resigned to her work for the night, Zen heads to their bed and does his best to get comfortable. As the weight of the blanket settles over him, he melts into the mattress and takes the deepest, most relaxing breath he’s taken all day. Despite his body giving in to its need to rest, Zen’s mind still races with thoughts of the meeting tomorrow morning and of the latest case counts in the city. God, he can’t wait for the day when all of this chaos is over. He and Shirayuki could take a weekend off and hike Mount Koto just like they did senior year after finals. He sighs at the thought.

Visions of them packing their picnic supplies into his old backpack flash through his mind. He’s smiling as he makes Shirayuki’s sandwich with the mustard by the meat and the veggies under the cheese, just the way she likes it. The sunshine warms their faces as they walk along the trail, and Shirayuki is a vision in her button-up hiking shirt and sunhat, all glowing skin and bright smiles. He reaches their picnic spot first, so he spreads their blanket and sets out their food. Shirayuki’s still a ways behind, but she’ll be there with him soon, he tells himself. She will. He busies himself smoothing the blanket and making sure her sandwich is arranged just so with a nice serving of chips and a gleaming red apple.

He’s just about to polish her apple for a second time when he realizes he doesn’t hear the crunch of her footsteps on the trail anymore. Panicked, he shoots up from his seat and runs over to the trail to try to find her, to no avail. Maybe she went off-trail to relieve herself? No that can’t be it, she’s taking way too long, and she would have told him if she was going off trail, right? Oh god—what if she hurt herself and she’s stuck somewhere down the trail? Zen abandons the picnic and runs as fast as his legs can take him down the trail, until—

He hears the faint tapping of fingers on a keyboard. Looking across the trail, he sees the edge of a laptop screen poking out from behind a tree. As he approaches it, the sound gets louder and louder, until it feels almost deafening and Zen has to cover his ears to avoid the incessant din. He looks around the tree’s thick trunk and sees Shirayuki in front of the screen, her hair disheveled and eyes unblinking as she types away.

She’s absolutely overworking herself! Zen can’t let her keep doing this. He should have caught it before it got this bad, he should have pulled her away from work and made her take care of herself. Regardless, he refuses to let this go on any longer. He takes a deep breath, removes his hands from his ears, and reaches out to set his hand on her shoulder as he always does when he needs to get her attention. His hand goes right through her, as if she were a ghost.

He wakes to find her side of the bed empty.

Zen’s sleep shirt is clinging to his sweating chest and the sheets are tangled up in his legs. He kicks them off and rolls over with a groan. So much for getting a good nights’ sleep before the meeting tomorrow morning. He reaches for his bedside lamp, trying to feel the small switch in the dark. It takes him a minute, fingers clumsy and sleep-addled, but he finally finds it with a click and squints against the soft, yellow light. He yawns and drags his phone towards him by its charging cable and groans again when he sees the time. 2:37am.

With little desire to return to the stifling sheets, he decides it’s best to just get out of bed and have a glass of water before trying to sleep again. He shuffles out of the bedroom, and as the door clicks behind him, his tired mind peripherally registers that the living room light is still on. But with water being his body’s primary goal, he drowsily continues on to the kitchen and downs a full glass in three big gulps when he gets there. With his mind cleared from the coolness of the water, he realizes that even though the living room light is still on, Shirayuki’s persistent typing is absent.

When he reaches the living room, he finds Shirayuki on the couch, slumped to the side with her lips parted and a quiet snore escaping her with each exhale.  Her laptop is open and teetering dangerously close to the edge of her lap, but the screen has long since shut itself off. There’s still a pencil behind her ear, too.

With as much gentleness as he can muster this late at night, Zen extracts her laptop and moves it over to her desk so it can charge overnight. He removes the pencil from behind her ear and brushes her hair away from her eyes.

“Shirayuki, come to bed.” Her eyes crack open ever so slightly, and she grumbles but does not stir. Zen sighs. Even in sleep—no, especially in sleep—she’s as stubborn as ever.

“I’m going to pick you up, okay?” She mumbles something unintelligible, but’s all the affirmation he needs. He pushes his arms underneath her knees and shoulders, steels himself, and scoops her up. At first, her head lolls to the side, but then she turns and nuzzles against his chest. He can’t help but smile down at her as he carries her back to the bedroom and slowly places her on top of the sheets.

“Shirayuki, you should change out of your clothes,” he says.

She stirs a bit before slurring, “Don’t wanna. Wanna sleep.”

“If you don’t change now, you’ll regret it in the morning. You know you will.”

At this, Shirayuki groans and pushes herself up off the mattress. She insists he help her take off her clothes, which makes him laugh and blush in equal measure.

It’s only after she is changed and settled under the sheets that he finally lets himself sink into their bed again, mind and body finally relaxed with the knowledge that she’s next to him and already half asleep. He turns off his bedside lamp with a click and lets the rhythm of her breathing lull him back to sleep. Just as the last remains of his consciousness are about to slip away, he feels the delicate press of fingers against his shoulder, the tickle of a whisper against his ear, and the softness of a kiss against his temple.

“Thank you, Zen. I love you.”

[chelsfic]

Chapter 10 - Inherited - Dracula/OFC - Dracula 2020 fanfic

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine

A/N: The last chapter ended with a door closing. This one will end with a door opening. Also the requisite vampire looking in through the window scene. The chapter *after* this one will have a smut scene, I promise! If you like this and would like to be added to the tag list just let me know! Also, all of my love and respect to everyone who has read, liked, commented, reblogged, sent messages, and just generally interacted with this fic from the beginning. Readers like you are why fanfic writers keep creating. So, thanks!

Summary: An angsty interlude of lovers parted. Dracula works out how not to be a douche. The last chapter ended with a door closing. This one will end with a door opening. Also the requisite vampire looking in through the window scene. 

Each morning since she left Emilie rose from bed with a listless spirit and went through the motions of dressing and preparing for her day. She’d taken a job at the hand laundry workshop in town and she spent long hours each day soaking, scrubbing, drying and ironing. It was exhausting work that left the delicate skin of her hands cracked and her back aching.  She never returned home until after sunset. Emilie supposed it was good to be so busy for she had no energy for anything when she got home other than a quick supper and getting into bed. There was certainly no time to think about the Count. About the taste of love in his blood, the flare of joy she’d felt at the discovery, so quickly extinguished by his...horrible, pig headed cruelty. No, she didn’t have time even to dwell on the confection of emerald green silk that still hung up on the wall in the corner of her room: a ghost of a life that seemed so long ago, so far removed.

She told herself these lies to get through the day. But at night, in the darkness of her little bedroom, she let the tears fall for her love. She still loved him though she was also furious at him. And she felt him still, too, through the ethereal connection that bound them together. His emotions were a whirling confusion of impressions without context that she couldn’t interpret into any meaningful idea of his actions or thoughts. Sometimes she felt waves of lust and exaltation from him. She assumed he must be feeding at those times. But other times she felt his weariness, his amusement, his boredom, his anger...and his sadness. His sadness was like a bruise on her soul. She longed to reach out to him and comfort him. Sometimes she tried, sending her thoughts in his direction and trying to inject them with warmth, comfort and love. She was always met by the sudden slamming shut of a barrier between them. It sent an icy chill down her spine when he cut himself off from her--it felt like losing one half of herself. And it would invariably send her into a black mood of mourning for the rest of the night. In her most desperate hours she prayed to God and asked, demanded to know what she’d done wrong. All she ever did was love and serve Dracula. Why had he forsaken her? But it was not the word of God she heard in response, but her mother’s words echoing back to her from that last day at Carfax. Men of power may play with our lives, our affections as they wish.

***

Dracula rose each night with the ghost of a sob in his throat as if he’d swallowed a suicidal songbird before going to sleep. He knew it belonged to Emilie. He could taste her emotions through their connection just as surely as he’d tasted her blood. Since...that night she tasted like poisoned happiness and bitter regrets. He tried to harden his heart towards her, to occupy himself with pleasure, blood, lives, but she was still there, always. Like an annoying little spark inside his chest that at times burned and other times seemed to suffer and wither. 

He felt her reaching for him sometimes, a psychic assault of goodness and warmth that made his skin crawl in self-loathing. He tried keeping her out, putting up his mental defenses. It did work. But he was weak and each time he shut her out the hollow emptiness on the other end of the connection would unnerve him. It was like she wasn’t there, like she was dead. He always came back, drawing back the curtain just for a peek at the other side. To know she was safe. And each time he felt the black oppression of her sadness at being cut off from him. It was suffocating.

So, in keeping with his recent trend, he ran from the overwhelming emotions. In a fit of stubbornness and to prove to himself that he belonged to no one and certainly not a silly housekeeper, he met with his solicitor to inform him of the cessation of payments to the Andrews family. Renfield was pleased to scratch that expense from his ledger book. The sycophant was always gratified to improve his master’s wealth and cut expenses.

“Very good,” he sniveled, smiling like the cat who’d caught the canary. “And what about the house?”

Count Dracula raised his brows in question, “What house, Renfield?”

Here the solicitor chuckled, “The Andrews’s residence, of course. We--that is, you are the landlord.”

Dracula looked into the man’s eyes, gleaming with delight and greed, and felt the sudden urge to snap his neck. 

“The house, well...they’ll remain living there, I expect. I don’t think the family has designs on moving anywhere else.”

“Yes, but the rent. The rent was included in Miss Emilie’s salary,” Renfield prompted. 

Dracula felt the meanness go out of him. The idea of throwing Emilie onto the street... This whole meeting was a mistake. His shoulders sagged and he waved a dismissive hand as he responded, “Nevermind, Renfield. Forget about this meeting.”

The force of suggestion in his words left the solicitor gazing at him with a look of blank happiness for a moment before he came to his senses again. The Count tutted sympathetically as he led the man out of his office and down the corridor to the front door. He probably should try to cut back on glamouring Renfield. The man was starting to go a little...off.

Before he ushered him out the door he paused and asked, “Renfield, you arranged for company tonight, didn’t you?”

“Oh!” Renfield beamed, “Yes, master, a visiting Countess from France. She has a distant cousin who lives in town but she’s taking her leave of them tonight and departing very early in the morning. So…”

“So,” Dracula agreed. “Very good.”

He stood back from the doorway as Renfield opened it to the daylight and took his leave. Fresh blood tonight, he parted his lips and salivated at the thought. She wouldn’t compare to Emilie, but he’d make do.

***

The Countess turned out to be such a vulgar gossip that if he weren’t weary from his talk with Renfield he would have snapped her neck on the spot and flew off to the next county to find some suitable shepherd boy to sate his appetite. Instead he urged the Countess to indulge in seconds at dinner, hoping to quiet her ceaseless chatter.

“Where are your servants, Count Dracula?” the woman demanded impertinently. “You’ve no one to serve the table? How odd!”

Dracula showed her his teeth in a menacing smile, “I’m between housekeepers at the moment, Countess.”

She lifted a knowing brow, “Ah, yes, I think my cousin may have mentioned something along those lines. One of the daughters of that Andrews woman? You recently sacked her? What was it, theft? It’s a shame we can’t expect virtue in our servant class anymore, isn’t it?”

Dracula put his arm on the back of her chair and clenched his fingers into the wood, “It seems that nothing is beneath your notice, Countess.”

She sniffed haughtily, “I like to get to know the places I visit….You know, I think I saw that girl the other day. Yes, I did! I remember my cousin remarking, ‘There goes the Andrews girl. She’s sorry she lost her cozy spot with the Count now, I reckon.’ And he was right. She was dreadfully thin and worn out looking. Her hands were bright red! From working with those chemicals they use in the laundry houses. Well...she won’t steal again that’s for sure…”

Dracula made it hurt when the time came. He relished the horrible woman’s cries and struggles as he quenched the life from her. All the while his mind’s eye supplied him with the image of Emilie: tired, starved, and maimed from hard labor. When he finished he drew back and let the blood run down his chin and drip onto the corpse’s ashen face. He was the picture of a pagan god feasting on a human sacrifice. He cracked her spine with a twist of the neck and let her drop to the floor in an undignified heap.

***

The Andrews family house was located on the main road in a section of town primarily occupied by merchants. It was a place they’d never have been able to manage without their special arrangement with the Count. Dracula, who came so infrequently into town, had never been inside. He stood across the wide street and regarded the modest brick dwelling. The windows in the parlor were illuminated and cast cheery yellow light out onto the dark street. He could feel Emilie’s presence inside the home and it lent the whole scene an air of fragile beauty. A loving home, glowing with hope and goodness against the forces of the night. Dracula rolled his eyes at his own train of thought and crossed the street. A force of the night coming to call.

Before approaching the door he detoured through the flower bed and stood outside the parlor window looking in. Emilie sat by herself beside the fire. There was a pile of knitting in her lap, but her hands were still. She gazed into the fire and he saw tear tracks on her cheeks. He regarded her critically and admitted that the Countess’s observations had been accurate. Emilie looked weak, thin and tired. Her hands were raw and cracked and her face looked despondent. He had never seen her like this. Not even when she’d first come to him and she was too frightened to stand in his presence without trembling. The Count felt a deep self-disgust that he was the cause of her unhappiness. He did not know at what point he’d begun to care but there was something forged between them that he could not deny.

He turned away from the sad scene and went to the door. He heard a rustle of commotion at his knock. Shortly the door creaked open allowing the cheerful light from within to spill out illuminating the tall, dark form of Count Dracula.

Emilie stood with one hand on the doorknob and the other over her heart. She gasped upon seeing him there, conjured, it seemed, from her own yearning.

“Vlad?” she breathed.

“Hello, Emilie,” he replied, aiming for cavalier.

Emilie took a beat to recover before asking, “Won’t you come inside?”

Dracula grinned in response but didn’t yet move forward.

“If you’ll invite me,” he replied.

Emilie smiled, dimples appearing in her cheeks although her eyes remained sad and guarded.

“Come inside, Dracula.”

Tags:

@charlesdances @mr-kisskiss-bangbang @dracula-s-bride @haleyea​ @irrelevantwriter​ @felicityofbakerstreet​ @festering-queen​ @kaddis-world​ @leah-halliwell92​

[laynefaire]

11-11-11

I was tagged by @reminiscingintherain (why is this not tagging you!) to answer 11 questions about my writing, come up with 11 different questions, and tag 11 friends to answer them…

I’m tagging @lululawrence @justalittlelouislove @taggiecb @dinosaursmate @kingsofeverything @becomeawendybird @a-brighter-yellow @sadaveniren @phd-mama @hi-larrie-ous @allwaswell16

(sorry if you’ve been tagged and I’ll understand if you ignore this)

My replies and new questions are below the cut - 

Has your writing changed now from the way it was when you started? If so, how? It definitely has. I started writing in the Twi fandom, where 1st person was the most common voice. It wasn’t as hard of a challenge to change styles as I thought it would be, but now I am struggling to convert some fics from that fandom and finish them in 3rd. 

Does anyone IRL know about your writing? If so, have they read it? Most everyone in my personal life - excluding the people I work with - know that I write, and that I write fanfiction, as well as original fiction. My oldest daughter’s one friend was a sounding board for the first longish slash fic I wrote. The oldest has read a few things, but won’t read the smut. The younger kids have read things I’ve written that didn’t include smut, and my mom is still fascinated by the concept of creating an entire story in 100 words. She’s read all my drabbles. 

Is there anything you’ve written that you wish you hadn’t? Everything that’s in 1st person in the Twilight fandom, lol - but the actual stories, nope no regrets. My stories, while not necessarily about my life, are reminders of time periods in my life - good and bad. I can look back and see how I’ve grown, even as I cringe. 

Do you have a set location or setting that you have to write in? A favourite cafe? The only seat that’s comfortable?  I found a little coffee shop at home that I love to go sit at and write. No one knows me there, and I can settle in with my headphones for hours. I prefer to write in the main seating area because there’s an amazing view of the skatepark from the windows. But just being able to be there is always awesome.

What are you working on? If you can (i.e., it’s not on anon!), share five lines! Let’s see --- I’m working on a super secret fic that I can’t talk about. There is also my Four Fest fic, Untamed Hearts, The Heritage fic - which is for Tabby and the 1000 Feelings prompts, more Take Your Time timestamps, and oh, yeah, next year’s big bang. 

Five lines from a fic? Okay - uhmm, from Tabby’s 100 Feelings fic - 

Nick looked from Louis’ retreating back to his friend now struggling to pull himself off the floor. “So, what was all - Ow, fuck!” Nick grabbed Harry’s hand before he could swing again. “Why are you hitting me?” 

“You absolute prick! Why are you such an arse?” Exasperated, Harry dropped into his chair and buried his head in the fold of his arms.

Have you ever written something for a fic, but ended up removing a whole scene in its entirety and using it for something else? I haven’t, actually, but I’ve heard of people doing it. My ideas are usually pretty fic specific and the characters are definitely not interchangeable.

Are you a linear writer? Or can you write scenes out of order and put them together at the end? I used to only write linear - and would get stuck so often on a plot point that wasn’t working ot. It was only a few years ago that someone encouraged me to jump to a scene that was plaguing me, then use it to backtrack to fix the sticking point. It worked so well that I’ve become much better at jumping around and creating the words needed to link them up. 

Betas/Britpickers… opinions? I am a HUGE proponent of Alphas/Betas (yes there is a difference, no this isn’t a smut reference). Nothing will make me nope out of a fic faster than glaring grammar/spelling errors that a decent beta would have caught. Brit picks were obviously a new concept for me with this fandom. HOWEVER, I DO try to utilize one whenever possible, and I will research the hell out of something I’m not sure of. 

How much do/can you write on average at any given time? Depends on the day of the week, whether I have the privacy to write, and what I’m working on. Unfortunately, a lot of my writing occurs once I finish everything else I needed to do in a day, if I’m not too tired once that time arrives. It can vary from as little as 25-30 hasty words dropped in a doc during a smoke break at work, to complete afternoons spent crafting an entire fic (Take Your Time) at the coffee shop.

How organised are you? Do you have lists and/or spreadsheets, or do you just wing it? Some of my fic ideas are very fleshed out, others are a hot mess of scrawled notes, incomplete sentences typed at 3AM on my phone, and screaming voice notes sent to @lululawrence when I’m driving so I don’t forget something. 

What made you start writing? HAHAHAHAHAHA Masters of the Universe - aka 50 Shades of Grey. I figured if people would read that shite, they might read mine, too, and I always preferred Jasper/Bella over Bella/Edward, and they’re weren’t near enough Jazzella fics in the Twilight fandom when I first joined it. 

Well, this was all very lame responses to fabulous questions, LOL

So, my questions to others - 

1. What is your favorite trope to write? To read? 

2. What other fandoms do you write in/have you written in?

3. What’s one fic idea you want to read, but would never write? 

4. When do you do most of your writing - morning, afternoon, night? Which time of day do you find most productive? 

5. Writing routine? What do you drink? Do you have a go to snack? 

6. Have you ever been writing something and had to get up and walk away from it? What was it and why did you have to step away? 

7. What is your most favorite scene you’ve ever written? 

8.  Have you ever had an ending to a story, but couldn’t figure out how to start it? I don’t mean the typical -And they lived happily ever after - but a fully fleshed out ending with your usual writing pair, but you had no idea where to start? Did you ever write it? 

9. What is the oddest thing you’ve ever drawn inspiration from?  

10. You’ve accepted a prompt to write a fic using a Whitesnake song for the title. Which song do you choose, and what is your fic’s summary?

11. Your most recent fic is being made into a movie. What would you change your main characters’ names to and who would you fancast to play them? 

Have fun! Can’t wait to read your answers!

[bountyofbeads]

Democratic divides take center stage at first debate

https://wapo.st/31ZcPzE

SOULESS Trump 😢😭🖕👉“BORING!” he tweeted as the candidates began discussing the deaths of a father and daughter at the border.

Democratic divides take center stage at first debate

By Toluse Olorunnipa and Michael Scherr | Published June 27 at 12:16 AM ET | Washington Post | Posted June 27, 2019 |

Deep divides over health care and economic policy dominated the first Democratic presidential debate Wednesday, as 10 candidates jousted in Miami over the best formula for beating President Trump and fixing the economic struggles of the middle class. 

The result was a prime-time display — the first national event of the election season — showcasing economic and regulatory differences that have riven the Democratic Party, including transformative plans to eliminate private health insurance, fund free college for most Americans, break up giant corporations and impose sharp tax increases on the wealthiest Americans. 

The ambitious slate of proposals highlights the Democrats’ leftward shift, a trend Republicans are seeking to take advantage of by linking the party with socialism and government control. The generally sober event also highlighted one of the key dilemmas that Democrats face in their attempt to oust Trump — a bombastic showman whose name was only occasionally mentioned but whose presence loomed large over the proceedings.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), standing center stage with the most early attention from moderators, drove much of the debate with a passionate defense of disruptive plans that would face long odds of passage in Congress. She framed each of the issues as a question of determination, saying she was willing to fight and take on the “corruption in this system” that had created the problems. 

“We’ve had the laws out there for a long time to be able to fight back. What’s been missing is courage, courage in Washington to take on the giants,” she said. “I want to return government to the people, and that means calling out the names of the monopolists and saying I have the courage to go after them.”

Her rivals were forced to respond, though they avoided taking her on directly, trying to explain their plans as different routes to the same goal. 

“I do get concerned about paying for college for rich kids; I do,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), a thinly veiled reference to plans supported by Warren to make public colleges free for all Americans.

But the two-hour debate proceeded without a significant viral or humorous moment to rival the kind of spectacle created by Trump during the 2016 debates that were dominated by the real estate developer’s shocking comments, off-color jokes and biting attacks on his rivals.

Trump’s campaign characterized the debate as “the best argument for President Trump’s reelection,” arguing that Democrats were proposing “a radical government takeover of American society that would demolish the American Dream so many are gaining access to under the growing Trump economy.”

Rather than paint a hopeful vision of the nation’s future, the Democrats onstage focused on the grim challenges facing the country — warning of a long list of serious threats to the nation’s well-being, such as corporate power, global warming, the humanitarian crises on the southern border and the growing economic power of China. 

Perhaps seeking to introduce themselves to a national audience, the candidates only rarely addressed one another directly or strayed from well-rehearsed lines.

When Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) was asked about previous comments criticizing politicians who pledge to break up specific companies — as Warren has — he seemed to shift in Warren’s direction, saying “I don’t think I disagree” that corporate consolidation is a problem.

Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke gave his first answer in both Spanish and English, but he struggled to respond directly to the question about how high he would bring the marginal tax rate for the wealthy. He spoke instead about ending gerrymandering while bolstering the Voting Rights Act and same-day voter registration. 

“I would support a tax rate and a tax code that is fair to everyone,” he said, after the question was repeated to him. 

Wednesday’s debate marked the first of 12 scheduled by the Democratic Party, including at least two split over two nights, with 10 more candidates scheduled to appear in Miami on Thursday. Polls show a wide-open race, even as most of the 23 candidates struggle to register even 2 percent support.

Warren was the only candidate to appear polling in double digits, with clear momentum after months of tireless campaigning. Three other candidates, O’Rourke, Klobuchar and Booker, have been struggling to maintain the early expectations of their campaign announcements. Six more, including Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, have found themselves struggling to be noticed in the crowded field. 

But all of the candidates were given a chance to weigh in on the key divides in the party. Only Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio raised their hands when asked whether they would get rid of private health insurance.

“I understand: There are a lot of politicians who say , ‘Oh, it’s just not possible.’ . . .,” Warren said, fully embracing the single-payer health-care plan backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who will be onstage Thursday. “What they’re really telling you is that they just won’t fight for it. But health care is a basic human right. And I will fight for it.”

The issue of immigration, an area of relative agreement in the Democratic Party, prompted one of the few fierce exchanges of the night — between the two Texas politicians on the stage. Former housing and urban development secretary Julián Castro sought to draw a contrast with O’Rourke by saying the former congressman opposed repealing part of U.S. immigration law that allows for criminal prosecution of migrants who come to the United States without proper documentation. Castro has called for decriminalizing undocumented immigration, a position Republicans have branded “open borders.”

“I think that you should do your homework on this issue,” Castro said, turning to O’Rourke. “If you did your homework on this issue you would know that we should repeal this section.”

O’Rourke said he favored immigration policies that ended the family separations that have taken place during the Trump administration, and to ensure that migrants seeking asylum are not detained.

For most of the candidates onstage, the debate marked one of only two chances they will have, in addition to the July debates, to spark the interest necessary to get them on the September debate stage, when the polling and donor qualification requirements will dramatically tighten. 

Several candidates made clear attempts to grab and hold the spotlight in the hopes of breaking through. 

At both ends of the stage, de Blasio and former Maryland congressman John Delaney, who poll the lowest, forced their way into the conversation repeatedly, with the former arguing he was the most passionate liberal on the stage and the latter playing the role of the most practical moderate.

“What we are hearing here already in the first round of questions is that battle for the heart and soul of our country,” de Blasio said. “This is supposed to be the party of working people. Yes, we’re supposed to be for a 70 percent tax rate on the wealthy.” 

Delaney responded by calling such ideas unrealistic. “I think we have to do real things to help American workers and the American people. Right?” he said. 

Booker’s strategy in the debate was to repeatedly personalize the issues that were raised. When talking about guns, he spoke about his Newark neighborhood where seven people were recently shot. “I live in a low-income black and brown community,” he said when asked about corporate consolidation. “I see every single day that this economy is not working for average Americans.”

Candidates focused mostly on policy but also spent time attacking Trump for his governing style and his record since taking office in 2017. Trump’s erratic approach to foreign policy came in for blistering attacks.

“I don’t think we should conduct foreign policy in our bathrobe at 5 in the morning,” Klobuchar said.

“This president and his chicken hawk Cabinet have led us to the brink of war with Iran,” Gabbard said. 

“The biggest threat to the security of the United States is Donald Trump,” Inslee said to applause. 

Ryan was one of several candidates who blamed Trump for conditions at the border, where migrants from Central America have been traveling in family groups, overwhelming U.S. facilities meant to house adults. Lawyers visiting some of the facilities have said that children in the facilities were living in squalor without access to basic hygiene items.

For his part, Trump weighed in from Air Force One, where he was en route to the Group of 20 summit in Japan. He focused on technical difficulties that forced NBC to cut to a commercial break when audio problems surfaced.

“.@NBCNews and @MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate,” he tweeted from over the Pacific Ocean.

The president didn’t attack any specific Democrat during the debate, instead focusing on a candidate who was not on the stage.

“Ever since the passage of the Super Predator Crime Bill, pushed hard by @JoeBiden, together with Bill and Crooked Hillary Clinton, which inflicted great pain on many, but especially the African American Community, Democrats have tried and failed to pass Criminal Justice Reform,” Trump tweeted from his presidential plane before the debate even started. “Please ask why THEY failed to the candidates!”

 The president has repeatedly weighed in on the Democratic primary, and he spent part of Wednesday doing the same. His focus has largely been on Biden, who in early polling has been leading Trump in some key states. Biden will join Sanders and eight other Democratic candidates at Thursday’s debate.

On Wednesday, with Biden not on the stage, Trump appeared less interested in the actual substance of the debate.

“BORING!” he tweeted as the candidates began discussing the deaths of a father and daughter at the border.

[the-canary]

Languages of Saints - C.R (5/10)

Summary: A deal isn’t supposed to involve feelings, right? (Reader/Carter Baizen). 

Prompt: “Did you enjoy yourself last night?”

Masterlist

A/N: 2.7k! ;A; 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 

Feedback is always appreciated.

Part Time Event Coordinator.

It is something you decide to put one night on your resume after going over how much time you had spent creating and showcasing the wonder and charitable nature of the company since Mr. Baizen took over. Yes, you still had your old job and worked the hours necessary for them -- filling in all the dirty numbers that the CEO didn’t want to show the world, but even the numbers don’t add up for Carter Baizen sometimes. There were several thousands missing at a time, sometimes the numbers just didn’t add on -- at first, you had thought it was just something related to the shady dealings that Mr. Baizen handed, but there were even moments where he was confused, but with a flick of the wrist or a signature it was moved from his desk and ignored you. You had frowed the first time that he had done this, only for him to give you a shrug, throwing away money seemed so easy for him.

“ Get a lawyer, just in case, ” that’s what Rocio had told you the other day when you talked about the current details of your job, a relief that you hadn’t been working that weekend. But, who in their right mind would go against Carter Baizen -- the more time you spent with him, the more you realized how much of New York he had come to own. There was a little part of him everywhere, even owning a small portion of the Jets -- I mean, who did that ?  

However, you had also come to understand that Carter Baizen, without any of his family’s money, was a man that struggled to prove he had some type of worth to whoever looked down on him, you had seen this happen once.

“Carter Baizen threw away all his inheritance, pulled his father’s company to the brink,” they whispered, a little too drunk late into the night.

“Now, look at him, pretending he cares about inner city kids,” they, those socialites with nothing much to do besides drink, giggled as your eyes flickered to them and Mr. Baizen passing by and though he seemed unfazed there was a tightening of his jaw you seemed to notice -- you were noticing a lot of things recently.  

You stare at the word document for a moment before calling it a night. You’re still unsure of who Mr. Baizen was and what was his endgame to all of this, but at least you could be prepared when it all fell, or at least when he decided to finally fire you, which was the least he could do.

 Truth be told, Carter Baizen had lost his endgame years ago, when she got married a second time, when she had her kids, and a winery somewhere in Northern California. A lot of the things he had now, didn’t coincide with what he had wanted at the start of this long money marathon, but without a set end -- he kept running and doing what he had learn to do best -- take things from others. The problem was that despite all his misgivings and foolish choices, the former CEO of Wyman had been a charitable man, as such there were contracts and grants to follow through with, along with dollars to match and giveaway.

It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but then he had found the perfect person for it.

“Mr. Baizen, I have the report completed for last night’s donations,” your voice echoes from the entrance of his office, as blue eyes look up from his laptop to look at you -- dark business pants and a white blouse-- before motioning for you to come in, whatever he was doing forgotten for the fun he found the rest of the night.  

“I’ve told you Carter is just fine,” he waves his hand dismissively, as you hand him the report and take a seat across from him, preceding to work on whatever else you have on your plate.

Ever since that first charity event, Carter had roped you into doing all of them for the spring season. He knew it wasn’t an easy task doing everything he threw at you, but you did it to perfection and he was proud of his little employee, letting you in on little perks that some threw themselves to try to grab on the first day -- like letting you calling him Car if you wanted, spending dinner time together, things he knew people only dreamed off -- but with that look in your eyes as you sat down, he knew it was a no-go tonight as well.

“Are you sure this is how much the Wallaces gave this time around?” he asks, skimming through the end where all the numbers connected, as you look up from your computer and nod, “ Cheapskates.”

You let out a small puff of air, but cover it before it can turn into a laugh. Carter can’t help the small uptick of his lips at the sound that managed to escape, before shaking his head and going through the rest of the documents you had brought him. Events were already planned months in advance, as you listed them all out -- ready for his approval, though he did find ways to get arise out of you -- just to see to roll your eyes and give him the best explanation as to why.

“Are you sure this is the appropriate blue for this theme?” he questions, a shiteating grin on his face as you look up from the laptop to see him leaning on the desk a bit more, while pointing to the color scheme for the summer boat race a few months away. You tell him to give you the paper, as you turn the page.

“This blue matches the color the foundation we’re supporting,” you explain, as he nods though not really paying any attention, he just wanted to see you work through it -- give him your explanation as to why you made all these choices so far. Carter might not have enjoyed all of this, but he liked seeing all the work you accomplished and how you seemed to be doing it for a good cause as well.

“I hope you understand why I chose it now,” you finish, though clearly knowing he wasn’t paying attention before going back to playing with the numbers on your screen.

Trading questions and remarks until 9pm had become the norm, and while he didn’t do it as often so did having some dinner through one of the apps he had downloaded the other day. Most of the fancy restaurants he knew didn’t deliver, but you were well-versed enough with what was around the building to give him some suggestions. At first it had just been for him, too tired to get his own dinner as you worked on, but now there was just enough for two people.

“Look you can either eat the kung-pow chicken,” he states with pushing the plate in your direction, “Or let it go to waste.”

You grumble your appreciation as Carter laughs taking another bite of his own meal with a self-satisfied feeling bubbling through his body, as he looks out towards the New York skyline. However, all things must come to end, as they do every night when the clock strikes 9:30 and the two of you are ready to leave, not to meet again for another week, as you head towards the street --ready to wait for a certain someone-- as Carter leans out of his all-too familiar car.        

“Would you like me to drive you home?” Carter asks. He had been asking the same question since these nightly meetings started. Sometimes, he was close as you debated being murder to walking to the station alone, but never once had he gotten the chance to get you in his car again, like he had back in the party.

It’s wasn’t going to be any different tonight, as a r ed 911 Carrera Porsche zooms in front of the two of you, Rocio grins as she waves at Carter from the front seat.

“Thank you for the offer,” you manage say in an even tone and a professional smile -- and for some reason it’s a rejection that Carter can’t seem to handle though he doesn’t show it, as you get into the red vehicle, “Goodnight, Mr. Baizen.”

Carter lets out a frustrated groan as he runs a hand through his hair before driving his own expensive car to his apartment, unsure of why he is so angry at these constant turn of events and just exactly why they won’t leave his mind anymore.

Oh, Carter Baizen has it bad, he just doesn’t know it yet.

 Heidi Castelo-Ashford constantly worried about her children, even if they didn’t care due to them being older now, but the one she worried about the most was her eldest -- Rocio. Being the only child of a model and a real estate agent wasn’t easy for Rocio, watching what happened to her father and then seeing her mother get married again and have more children --- well-educated and privilege beyond what one could imagine as old New York money, made her lash out even more. However, through thick and thin, there was someone that was a constant in her daughter's life -- you, because Heidi knew that isn’t it wasn’t for you Roci wouldn’t have made it this far in life, would have ended up in even worst situation.

Even if she didn’t see you often, you were like a 2nd daughter to her. An open invitation was always there for you, and this time Rocio (for whatever reason) had decided that the two of you would attend her mother’s annual garden party supporting various art foundations. So, here you are a pretty expensive summer dress and heels, as Rocio downs her 3rd margarita before it even hits 11am. Her mother waving from afar, as you return the greeting.   

“Roc, why are we here again?” you question, as green eyes scan the lavish tables and guests mainly dressed in white, “Who are you trying to bang?”

“I’m trying to reconnect with someone,” she explains before getting another drink from the waiters moving around, “Mom said Montreal came back.”

“Oh shit,” is all you manage to say, as you look scan the area for the moment. Montreal, or rather the person you had gone to the blasted city to had returned --potentially as the prodigal child-- the one that had humiliated Roci all those years ago, and you knew you had to be here.  

“Any game plan?” you question, only for Rocio to shake her head. It was kind of scary since she always had one before she threw it out the window, at least she was one step ahead for now, “Well, I’m here if you need an extra butt cheek.”

“I’ll holler if I need help,” she says calmly, almost too much so for some who has had 4 drinks in less than an hour, but you know that if she wanted you there she would have told you, as she marched into a world you didn’t know very well.

Outside dealing with Rocio, her family sometimes, and now Mr. Baizen -- you weren’t from a world like this -- hell, you could barely make the rent sometimes. You stood around for awhile, before Heidi grabbed you and began showing you around, soon more people were gathered around you, as if it had caught wind of who you were and your connections to a certain someone, unaware that someone had also heard that you were there as well.

“And have you thought of leaving Wyman?” an elderly woman that seems to be Heidi’s friend ask and clearly ignoring the recent change in ownership, as they have been going on asking you for the past 20 minutes about your personal background and current aspirations -- to which you didn’t back down from. You were sure that they were judging you, but you shrugged it off -- Rocio’s attitude clearly rubbing off as Heidi just gave a hesitant laugh.

“I actually--” you start off, only to have a hand grip your hip tightly as you look to see an annoying but perfect looking with his gelled hair wearing white suit and light blue shirt.

“She actually plans on staying there a very long time, but that’s besides the point,” he gives them a smile before dragging you out of the circle, as you try your best to say goodbye to Heidi as the women talk in a higher pitch before shaking their heads in agreement -- like flock of white birds and you can’t help but laugh a little.

“You’re hanging out with the wrong crowd, sweetheart, ” you turn to look back at Carter shaking his head, as you frown at the nickname.

“And your company is better than theirs?” you unknowingly tease him, as he grins pulling you towards a shadier part of the garden where the buffet is taking place along with some dancing. You pause and stare for a moment, still confused as to why both Mr. Baizen and Rocio would hate such a lifestyle, but it was just something you were never meant to understand.

“Much better,” he gives you a boyish grin that doesn’t seem as annoying as all the others he has given you in the time that you have known him. You don’t know if it’s being out of the work environment or his changed demeanor, even though he’s still seems to be puffy around everyone else, that allows you to laugh at his comment.

“Do you come to these often?” you question, pulling his hand from your waist only for him to place it right back. Blue eyes scan the whole area, as if lost in a memory of something else before answering your question.

“Haven’t been to one in a long time,” he lets out in a bitter huff, as you simply nod, as he adds on mysteriously, “But I just had to come today.”

You can feel eyes on you and him, as you turn to see some people talking and you can’t help but shake your head a little because as much as you try to keep it professional, Mr. Baizen had been trying to push that boundary from day one, and it seems that he was just doubling in his efforts more and more though you didn’t understand why. Like now, as some people who you remember from a previous charity event start coming up to the two of you, he moves you forward and onto the stuffy dance floor.

“Mr. Baizen, what are you doing?” you ask harshly, unsure of how to move to the steps of such a formal song, while he twirls you keeping one hand on your hip and the other within his free hand’s grasp.   

“Gotta stake my claim,” he states before tapping your heels with his brown loafers, moving you in the correct position to dance, “Everyone knows you’re running the events for me. Rich people always know the value of a good staff.”

“Like you do?” you question, trying your hardest to keep up with his steps but to also not look down.   

“Something like that,” he flashes you a smile, as you are quick to pick up how to move. His smile brightens as he spins you for a moment, completely lost to whoever else might be watching, as you giggle at being able to follow his lead. One song and then two songs pass without the two of you dancing near the back, nobody daring to bother you but watching every move. Carter makes comments here and there about people you don’t know and you can’t help but laugh, each time heartier than before as blue eyes watch you completely mesmerized.  

But, the spell’s has to be broken sometime, as there is a scream followed by the echo of your name in Rocio’s voice. People turn at the sound of splashing as you turn around to look as many partygoers have gone to go see what was happening near the large fountain near the center of the garden. You let go of Carter in worry for your best friend, you turn and give him an apologetic nod.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Baizen,” is all you manage to say before taking off to where Rocio might be, as he eventually loses sight of you through all the people.

“Yeah,” he says as he runs as hand though his face and groans. The warmth of you still sending electricity throughout his very being, and Carter know this feeling all too well -- he had felt it once before, a long time ago.

What the hell was he going to do now?

Part 6 

[shreyamistry]

VIII. Cozy Night In

Kate x MC

Summary: After being released on bail, Kate and Jesse decide to spend the night together at Kate’s apartment. Jesse organized all kinds of treats to help Kate relax and feel better after finally being able to come home from her time in captivity. But what’s a sleepover without an admission of love?

A/N: Check out my masterlist here! See my specific Choices September Creates mastelist here! Requests are open, find my rules here! Don’t know what to request? See my prompt list 200 Prompts here, OTP here, Angst here!

Tagging: @choices-september-challenge

Thanks for reading! I hope you like it!

“You didn’t have to do all this for me, Jess.” Kate whispers, tilting her head to look in the direction of her best friend sitting comfortably next to her, their feet resting on her coffee table as they flip through a few channel. She looks around between the space between them, her favorite blanket with a pile of the softest pillows she’s ever touched tucked around the pair. Her eyes traveling the coffee table before them piles of her favorite snacks ranging from gummy bears to chocolate turtle truffles, to cookie dough balls that give her the worst stomach ache she’s ever experienced in her life, but the most delicious process of getting one. A variety of drinks from mugs filled with cocoa Jesse placed down before sitting, a few of her favorite sodas, and a handful of flavored waters.

Jesse turns their head to the side meeting her gaze a smile pulling at their lips. “But I wanted to.” Jesse shrugs casually, pulling their shared blanket tighter around their shoulder instinctively scooting closer to Kate. Their other arm resting on the back of the couch, loosely draped over her shoulder. “You know I’d do anything for you, Katie-bear.”

Kate beams, unable to ��stop herself from embracing the butterflies and warmth of Jesse’s love that fills her body.“I love you.” She nudges Jesse with her foot tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, before shifting in her seat to rest her head on Jesse’s shoulder. Snuggling her smaller frame into their body tucking her face loosely into the nape of their neck. “You’re too good for me.”

“Again, it’s the other way around babes.” they grin clicking on the rerun of season 10’s America’s Most Eligible, “Now you’re going to love Bianca.” Kate can’t help, but smile genuinely eagerly anticipating finally being able to binge the entire series in one night. Kate hated the waiting every week for a new episode, she’d wait for the entire season to air before finally watching so she doesn’t get stuck on any dramatic plot twists, cliff hangers, or whatever they throw at the contestants she never wanted to have to wait to find out. And now with the final episode airing during the messy pass week of being in the hospital to being in a jail cell she could finally relax and enjoy the comfort of being with Jesse and reality TV. It all started to overwhelm her, so even though the trial has yet to come she finally feels like she can breath again.

Jesse grabs the bowl of popcorn they prepared setting it between them and Kate, grabbing the mug full of hot chocolate off the table, blowing softly on the top before carefully handing it over to Kate, “Perfect drinking temperature.” Jesse grins, at the smile that comes across Kate’s face sipping from the cup, the decadent liquid settling onto her upper lip with a hint of melted marshmallow. “You have a little-” Jesse gestures to her lip as she laughs, flicking her tongue over her mouth. “Here.” Jesse using their thumb wiping her nose clean with a smile.

“You always know how to save me Jess.” Kate laughs, setting the mug onto the table beside the couch. “How do you do it?”

“You make it easy, Kate.” They grin back at her. “It feels like a win for the little guy to have you back home.”

“We always made a dynamic duo.” Kate giggles, turning her attention to the TV where the show returns from commercial break, Carson coming on screen with his signature smile plastered to his face. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Jesse replies, snuggling back into the couch next to her, “Wait till you see who wins. It’s a dooby.”  Kate laughs, reaching for a handful of popcorn popping the kernels into her mouth shutting down her thoughts overwhelming her about her and Jesse, her lips pressed against one another pretending to not be overthinking. Her body feeling even warmer with Jesse’s pressed against her side as she lets her mind wander before shutting it down quickly.

She refused to lose Jesse, even if that meant never getting the chance to be in love with them.

Hours pass as they watch the entire season of reruns, gradually moving closer and closer to one another before Kate’s body is tangled in Jesse’s arms, her head resting on their chest listening to the soft beat of their heart, with a gentle snore leaving their lips. Kate watches in hidden desire, the curve of their lips, the gentleness of their form while sleeping. Stealing a breath she moves her hand to rest on their cheek, stroking their soft skin with her thumb letting her forehead fall against theirs.

Jesse stirs softly, brushing their hand against their nose before placing their hand back onto her thigh, a soft sigh leaving their lips, the sound of Kate’s breath on their ear. “Kate?” Jesse whispers, their hands moving from her waist to wrap delicately around her wrist, their fingers brushing against her silk skin. “I think I’m in love with you.” A silence follows, a feelings rushing through the both of them unable to process the moment or each other’s silence before Jesse gently opens their eyes staring into Kate’s bright blue eyes, a smile curling onto the tips of her lips.

“You can’t be in love with me.” She shakes her head, a soft sniffle following her, “I’m not worth it, Jess. You deserve someone better than a possible murderer. You’re just confused.” Kate blinks away the tears in her eyes, knowing far too well that Jesse was out of her league, nothing could ever change the fact that she’d always be pathetic her and Jesse would be the amazing person they’ve grown into since college. The person she always knew Jesse would grow into.

“Kate-” Jesse begins to protest, Kate cutting them off for her own sake.

“Besides, what did the D.A. say about you and Naomi? Are you and Naomi a thing?” Kate asks, her eyes falling a little at the thought of Jesse with anyone who wasn’t her. Although she knew it wasn’t fair in her head to feel that way, her heart regretted never taking a chance on her and Jesse like she knew she should have from the beginning.

“I can’t hide it anymore Kate.” Jesse whispers, tears building in their eyes, “I’ve loved you since the day we met. You’re everything to me.” Jesse sniffles, staring back at Kate, the tears in both of their eyes rolling down their cheeks, “I kissed Deputy Silverhawk. I couldn’t be the sad puppy dog who almost didn’t come to your own wedding because it hurt to see you anymore. And then we were in the hospital and you said-”

“Did you ever wonder why...why we never…” Kate whispers.

“And I knew I was lying to myself when I tried to move on with Naomi.” Silence follows them, the subtle sounds of their crying only heard between the closeness between them, “You reopened the feelings that I worked hard to bury Kate. And I can’t get you out of my head again and I can’t let you go this time without trying.”

“I almost texted you a thousand times to tell you after college, that graduation party I threw for us I planned to tell you I loved you on the dance floor, but I got scared.” A moment passes as they suck down a breath steadying themselves, “I was never good enough to be with you in my head. I know it might be too late, but Kate I love you more than anything in this world. Will you be mine?”

“I don’t know what to say, Jess.”

“Just say yes.” Jesse whispers, biting onto their lower lip to stop themselves from crying. “Just let me love you, Katherine O’Malley.”

“Yes.” Kate leans in softly, her lips pushing gently against Jesse’s her hand moving back to their cheek, running the back of her hand against their face, drying their tears. “Everything always leads back to us, huh?”

Jesse laughs breathlessly, “It always does.” The TV illuminating the smile on their lips, before they pull Kate back into a deep kiss, their hands falling on her back, pulling her tighter against them savoring the moment they’ve spent the last years of their life dreaming about even with her hundreds of miles away.

[professionalbusinessservice]

Website Planning -How To Plan All Phase Of Your Business Website

Have you ever thought about the importance of website planning? Large websites operate websites designed by companies for their websites. The need for a web design company allows your business to connect with a broader audience on the web. Best website development usa .

It can also become a problem if not planned or controlled correctly.

Did you have the information that customers who use online services have a lower likelihood of coming back to a website following an unpleasant experience?

Launching a poorly designed or developed website can cost you many ways because of constant problems with performance and failure to expand.

However, the majority, if absolutely none of these problems, could be avoided by careful planning of your website.

The article, we'll look at the most frequently asked questions. Identify the website's requirements, examine how to create a plan for the design and development of your website, and develop a successful website strategy.

What is Website Planning?

Planning for a website involves determining the kind of site you and your objectives and is the first step in designing or developing a website. It is necessary because it assists in preparing the requirements you have to build a site and pick on the items you need based on this. Website Development Services in USA

How Long Does It Take To Build A Custom Website?

An informational website will take about 10-14 weeks, from the beginning of the planning phase until the time of launch. This comprises the time of three weeks for research as well as 6 weeks of designing and development, and three weeks of research, and several weeks of site modification.  web development company in usa

The average development time for a unique templated solution that a developer code as a custom-designed website ranges from about 16-200 hours.

However, eCommerce and enterprise websites are wholly custom-designed and have more excellent dimensions, and requirements are harder to calculate. 

How To Define Your Website Requirements

Web site requirements can help everyone involved in the project understand the process of development and its results.

These requirements should be outlined in your

Website goals

Competition

Target audience

Information architecture

Final design

Requirements for functional and non-functional aspects

Hosting

Maintenance and support

What is the goal of your site?

Do you wish to connect with your visitors, or do you wish to reach out to your target market and grow your business? The goal of your site should be interpreted as it will define the goals you'd like.

The idea for making your site is to assist in the definition of your amount of money, web design, features on your website, and other essential aspects. The site could be used to increase local visibility or sales or having an online presence.

Why do I require a website for my company?

What kind of results can it be able to achieve?

What is the motivation behind this website?

Website budget

Find out what you can afford to invest in a web project, and then be completely honest with the design firm you select. It is crucial to understand that the top tools, software hosting, domains, web design, and content management will require an amount of money to be spent. 

Making a budget is simpler by following this five-step process:

1.      Determine the goal of your site 

2.      Determine if you require a customized website design or a theme-based design

3.      Make a list of the must-have attributes

4.      Do your research about the costs for web-design services from various agencies

5.      Add additional costs to the budget of the project at the beginning

By incorporating your budget into your needs, the company you select to operate with can increase the process and the end result, providing worth for your money but not over-paying for what you afford to pay.

What are the benefits of website planning?

The planning of your website is beneficial to you in a variety of ways:

It may help to eliminate additional expenses that can't be tracked.

It is beneficial to consider making a website perfect for your     demands.

It can be beneficial in the completion of the project within the     time.

It assists in accomplishing the goals and results of the site.

Do you require web pages?

This is the very first important thing to know before establishing your website. It depends on the kind of business you operate. There is also a case that your business requires a website application. However, a web site is the best option at the beginning. These websites can now be made into web-based applications by gaining permissions as well as additional features.

Maintenance of websites

A website's creation is not something that can be done in one go. It is a continuous process and needs to be maintained by making sure it is updated. The updating of content, characteristics, design and other crucial elements regularly is essential.

To accomplish this, you can engage a team or outsource the task, which is the cost per month.

Strategy

Before you start making the final details define the goal of your site. This is the time to think about the benefits people will gain from visiting your website. Start with a questionnaire or a meeting to discuss the project. Determine the project's goals and the objectives of your website in the beginning to set your digital agency on the right path to successful outcomes.

In this session during this meeting, you will be discussing the following topics:

Who are the people who visit your website? What are they interested in?

What are your competition's strategies online? What's working and what's not?

What do you wish your site to accomplish? What are the things your users want the site to do?

How do you manage your website's content? Do you want to control it yourself? Do you wish your agency to take care of it?

What will be the most important indicators to determine if whether the project has been a success?

Branding

Have you been a while since you've had a closer review of how your business is portrayed? If yes, you're likely to have noticed that new aspects have been revealed since you established your branding.

Although a revamp of your visuals and messaging can help you push your project forward, this is the ideal moment to do it if:

Your current branding has become outdated, and it's becoming outdated.

You're looking to expand into new markets and would like to meet new customers. You're not able to distinguish yourself from the rest of the field. You're not able to differentiate yourself from your competition.

Your business model or strategy has evolved. The image you create for your company will determine the design of your site.

Design

The process usually starts with the wireframing of your site's content map. By using a wireframe, you can test your layout and navigation, and usability before design. It gives you a clear idea of how your site will perform without losing focus on how it looks. 

Digital Marketing and Advertising

When your website is live, It's time to get it up and running work. When you are ready for your site's official launch, we suggest having at the very least an automated campaign for marketing in the works.

Develop a strategy for promoting and advertising via traditional and online channels. Your advertisements should direct people to a web page on your site that prompts visitors to take a step like calling you.

[rowan-buzzard-whitethorn]

Are you still doing this? If yes, number 4 from that prompt list for Lysaedion. Thanks babe!

1. Thank you for being patient babe!!!!!!

2. I kind of took this off the rails… not really sure if this fits into what you may have had in mind for this prompt… I couldn’t help myself

Prompt: Lysaedion: We slept in the same bed for space reasons but now we’re just waking up and there’s something about your bleary eyes and mussed hair

She walked ahead of him, her boots squelching in the mud. The strut was… still almost perfect, even after riding through the night, setting up camp, and then strategizing and maneuvering with their allies all day and deep into the night. Torchlight reflected off the sodden blonde hair as she walked up to the her tent- no, their tent.

When they had set up camp here, the largest tent was obviously allocated to the queen, but by the miracle of their numbers, the field was packed with men using every scrap of supplies to maximize space. It was decided that he would need to stay in the royal tent, as the protective general cousin. He wasn’t sure where he would sleep, most likely on a tiny bed roll by the entrance. Like a guard dog.

As they reached the two guards stationed outside the large tent, she drawled to them, “I don’t care if Erawan himself is out here, you will not disturb this tent.” They affirmed the directive and held open the flaps to let them in. Heavy drops fell on his head as he ducked in and closed the flaps behind him.

She crossed over to the other side of their quarters to one of the basins set out for them on a low table. He turned his back to her and walked to his own basin, dunking his hands in the freezing water. He began the weary process of removing his armor, stripping to the waist and scrubbing his chest and arms vigorously and efficiently in the quiet. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that she had removed her outerwear and was down to a flowing undershirt, scrubbing her face and the back of her neck.

It had been a month. Two weeks at sea where he did everything possible to avoid her. Watching her nearly flawless impersonation of his cousin, and feeling like something rotten had taken hold deep inside him, something that festered. Two days before they had made port, she had come to his room to scold him. To say that he had to be better about his appearance in front of their allies and soldiers. That he had better start acting like the general he was. She had left the cabin after that.

In the days since, as they traveled north to Terrasen, he immersed himself in work. In organizing and plotting and formulating plans on how best to collaborate the various strengths of their allies to best serve them in the fighting that would begin very soon. He…adapted, as best he could, to taking orders from her; standing next to her as their group poured over maps, only being able to look her in the eye for brief moments to provide wisdom, or even make a cocky joke. He was the Wolf of the North again, the mask back on. He’d done it for 10 years, now it seemed this mask would be permanent. For the rest of his life.

He braced his hands on either side of the basin. His hair dripping around him as he hung his head.

He heard her voice pierce across the room. “We will have to talk about this at some point, Aedion.”

“There’s nothing worth saying.”

“Oh I think you have plenty of things you’d like to say.”

He sat in the nearest chair at the end of their small table, unlacing his tall boots. “I’m not doing this with you tonight. We need to sleep.”

“Yes, you are. We are going to fail if you can’t get your head out of your ass.”

He snarled. “You’re one to talk, Ae-” He sucked in a breath on a hiss and slammed his fist on the table. “Take her godsdamned face off.”

He saw a glow out of the corner of his eye and heard the chair on the opposite end of the table creak as she sat. He swallowed against the threat of fear as he looked up and saw green eyes instead of fire-ringed blue. Black hair instead of gold. He felt flooded by a thousand emotions, hardly able to discern them all. He settled on the one most readily available.

He forced his mouth to smirk. “Ah, there it is, her favorite mask.”

She kept her chin high, impervious. “Says the Bastard General incarnate.”

They stared at each other for a long, charged moment. Unblinking, a silent test to see who would break first. “Just say whatever other awful things you want to say to me so we can get this over with and I can go to bed. I’m sure you’ve got a whole list of other colorful names to call me. I’ve heard them all, Aedion. You cannot shock me with them.”

He wished he could savor the victory that she spoke first. Instead, he was transported back to that day on the beach. Reliving the sensation that had come over him, of the ground disappearing beneath him. He was hit by a wholly unwelcome sense of shame at what he had said to her. He was right in his anger at her. He shouldn’t be the one who was ashamed.

He broke eye contact, cursing, and looked down at his hands.  “I spent ten years of my life, ten long years, suffocating in guilt that I hadn’t saved her. That I had failed at the one thing I was supposed to do. To protect her. And now…” He hated the crack in his voice. The way his hands became blurry beneath him. He shoved away from the table, pacing the room as the rain above them grew heavier, creating a symphony of loud taps on the tents roof.

“She didn’t trust me,” he blurted. It hadn’t been what he meant to say.

“She did trust you. But you would have stopped her.”

“You’re godsdamned right I would have!” His anger came back full force as he shoved the other emotions away. “She should have relied on her court. Trusted us to help her, to find a way. To do something. Instead she planned on doing everything herself, as always. And you did nothing!” Tears were streaming down his face now, unbidden. “Both of you relegating all of us to pretending for the rest of our lives- for Rowan to be haunted by the face of his dead mate, and for me to trade places with Rowan in your bed on the nights that an heir needed siring.”

She stood up, stopping close to snarl in his face, but tears were brimming in her eyes as well. “Don’t you dare act like this doesn’t hurt me too. Like this is easy for me. As if I am not equally as heartbroken and scared as you are. We had to be ready to do what needed to be done.”

He held up a finger. ”One thing. The only thing I asked of you was honesty. We had a right to know.”

“I pledged my loyalty to her. I made a promise. And there was nothing you could have done.”

He sat heavily on the bed, the closest object to catch him. He put his elbows to his knees and rested his forehead in his palms. “Lysandra, she’s the only family I have left,” he choked on the words. “And now that witch has her.”

Lysandra sat further up the mattress, keeping a distance between them. “She was the first true friend I ever had. I love her. There is not a second that goes by that I don’t anguish over what’s happening to her.”

He glanced over at her in time to watch a tear drip off the end of her nose. Her chin was quivering. He couldn’t stop himself from scooting closer to her, brushing a tear off her cheek with his knuckles. She looked over to him, shocked by the gesture. “Do you remember what you told me? That day on the deck? When I asked you how you handle the fear of losing the people you love?”

He remembered, but a part of him didn’t want to say those words again.

“I said that you had to face it. That there was no other choice.” He took in a deep breath. “That you couldn’t let it destroy you.”

Another traitorous tear slid down his cheek as she looked at him. She put a hand on the back of his neck, drawing him in, putting his head on her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her, realizing how badly he’d needed this human comfort. She spread her fingertips through his hair, rubbing the base of his skull, and he buried his face into her neck, squeezing her closer and rubbing her back. The tears he felt wet his hair made him realize how badly she had needed this as well; how long she had carried this burden, this knowledge, alone. Playing a role she had no way to be prepared for.

He pulled back, placing his hands on either side of her face. “I’m sorry, Lysandra. I’m sorry for the terrible things I said to you that day. For the weight that you’ve carried alone.” She squeezed her eyes shut, more tears flowing, and he tucked her against his chest. They remained like that for immeasurable minutes, rocking back and forth with him whispering I’m sorry’s into her hair.

He didn’t know who initiated it, but somehow they ended up laying down together, facing each other with their hands tangled together. They simply stared at each other, unable and unwilling to form words, and he hoped against hope that there was something else out there for them. Something beyond this war.

He woke to the sounds of dawn. There were few people awake yet at this hour, but he could hear them across the camp, hear the birds beginning to chirp, coming out after a night of rain. Sunlight filtered in through the smoke hole in the middle of the tent, and with it, he took her in. They had fallen asleep still huddled close together, their knees touching. Her face had gotten closer to his in the night, and he leaned back only far enough that he could see all of her face in clearer detail. Her face was smooth like glass and was entirely clear save for three or four dark freckles that were dotted across her skin, one placed right at the corner of her jaw. He could see the slight swelling on her eyelids from the tears she’d shed last night. Her dark hair had a streak of sunlight across it that made the strands glow a deep brown.

It was while he was admiring that streak of sunlight that she slowly opened her eyes. He wondered if the fragile peace they had found would collapse under a new day, or if she would pull away from the notion of waking up to a man in her bed. She didn’t move though. She just watched him as he had watched her, perhaps also afraid to break the silence cocooning them. He decided to test the waters.

“Well this is far better than waking up to a snoring soldier.”

She smiled. “I should have let you wake up to the ghost leopard.” She still had a slight curve to her lips, and he watched as his hand moved to brush his thumb on the edge of it. He looked up to her eyes and felt the air shift in the room. There was still some of that heaviness from last night, and he could see her mind taking on the weight of another day. He wanted to do anything in his power to hold off that weight, if just for a moment. His hand stilled on her cheek. “You won’t find me complaining. I distinctly remember the leopard nuzzling my neck.”

Their heads had somehow gotten closer again, and he couldn’t stop glancing down at her full lips. When he looked up again he saw that she was glancing down as well, at his mouth. “Lys-” he started, but couldn’t finish, because she’d leaned in and every thought went out of his head. But at the last moment, she dragged her cheek across his, rubbing her face into his neck just like she had had that day.

He let out a startled laugh, the sound cracked from disuse. She had been about to stand up, but he had instinctively put his hands on her hips and she stilled. She was still slightly over him, looking down on him. Something vulnerable crossed her features before she leaned in again. This time, she didn’t turn away and the touch of her lips, light as a feather against his own, made an unnamable type of agony pass through him. He held her head, making the kiss linger before she pulled back.

“We have to win, Aedion. Whatever it takes.”

“Lysandra, I’ll march through hell if I have to.”

[youdecode]

17 Best Advice for New College Students | College tips & tricks for success

Starting a college can be overwhelming. It is a whole new world!

Interestingly I used to think that once one enters the 20s , a carefree life welcomes you ahead.

I literally used to write this in my daily diary when I was 10 . . . but after having gone through college!

I realized that life was not as I thought . . . clearly not.

If you are dubious and wondering what to expect then this blog post has got you covered with all the essentials.

College is fun but not all fun!

There are certain things which if known before time then it serves the best. Let’s dig in:

Also Here Are Some Related Massively-Transformative Resources You Will Ever Need.

How to Wake up Early & How to get up Early?

How to Manage Time Wisely?

How to create an Action Plan?

  PS : Don’t forget to grab the freebie at the end of post, specially crafted for you  !

 1) First Semester Might Dump your expectations but . . .

 The first year classes may seem all over the place.

But they will get better and major specific with time.

They will not be as engaging as you might have thought them to be.

So just know that engaging classes will come ahead. Don’t get disappointed. 

#1 advice for new college students:

Just know that engaging classes will come ahead. Don’t get disappointed.

2) Planning early

 Remember to plan ahead. But do not get engaged with excessive planning. Just plan once in the starting.

I am not talking about everyday to do lists. I am referring to the semester plan.

You will have an academic year plan in your hand so set semester goals from the starting.

Get the most efficient way of achieving your goals through a proven productive system.

This is the best guide you will ever need in your career.

#2 advice for new college students: 

Get the most efficient way of achieving your goals through a proven productive system.

This is the best guide you will ever need in your career.

 3) Waking up early

Remember that in college you will lack motivation because nobody will be shouting in your ears for waking you up.

Yes, you do not have your mom close by.

Your professors simply do not care if you show up or not . . . you might get lucky if you get an awesome roommate who can be your alarm but that is not a popular case!

I will highly suggest you to make a productive timetable.

Your productivity depends on your routine.

We all have 24 hours but you can make most of them by investing in this guide for a successful life ahead.

#3 advice for new college students:

I will highly suggest you to make a productive timetable.

Your productivity depends on your routine.

We all have 24 hours but you can make most of them by investing in this guide for a successful life ahead.

 4) Studies & Fun run parallel

 Get pro at time management since the start.

Remember that time management does not mean to dig yourself into the studies every day. It is the act of balancing out.

If you are spending a day out then you need to balance the time spent for fun while staying up in the library the next day!

If you really want to get pro at time management and boost your productivity to an insane level then learn from the experts a full proof way of succeeding in life.

#4 advice for new college students:

If you really want to get pro at time management and boost your productivity to an insane level then learn from the experts a full proof way of succeeding in life. 

5) You can’t do it all so prioritize.

 I remember that when my college was starting out I had so much on my to-do list. I wanted to visit every galaxy!

I had aimed to join several clubs, lead a radio station and maintain grades etc.

After an overwhelming freshman year I realized that I sucked at prioritizing!

I learnt the hard way and affected my grades initially but i do not want you to do that.

Get a complete blueprint to make an efficient to-do list that actually works for your benefits.

Again I will advise you to learn from the experts because the harsh reality is that you can’t do it all. 

#5 advice for new college students:

Get a complete blueprint to make an efficient to-do list that actually works for your benefits.

Again I will advise you to learn from the experts because the harsh reality is that you can’t do it all. 

6) You will not get any special treatment

 Professors in college will fail to acknowledge you when it is about the special treatment.

Even if your scholarship will be on stake, they will care less.

Even if you are just failing by 0.5, professors will care less . . .

do not expect anything from them no matter how many warm smiles of appreciation they pass on your during the lectures!

#6 advice for new college students:

Do not expect anything from them no matter how many warm smiles of appreciation they pass on your during the lectures! 

 7) Who cares?

 If you are too self conscious then you need to realize that no one truly cares.

Yes, the world does not revolve around you so you need to stop being hard on yourself.

By no one cares I mean that I stop being afraid of what others will think.

People would not judge you, your dressing or your grades.

Because honestly speaking, everyone gets caught up in their own shit that they hardly get time.

Nobody also cares about your future. Thus, you have to get independent and make your life.

#7 advice for new college students:

Drill into your head that Nobody cares about your future. Thus, you have to get independent and make your life.

 8) Adulting is not what you just thought of

 With adulting comes all new responsibilities like bills and other payments.

#8 advice for new college students:

Own every task from day 1 to avoid the hassle later. 

 9) It is okay to be perfectly imperfect

 It is okay if you do not get perfect grades, perfect vision or perfect friends in the start.

#9 advice for new college students:

Know Things will take time. 

 10) Mission of making friends

 I have been growing up by listening that one can only make true friends only at school.

Have you also heard that college is not an ideal place to find true friendship?

Or that people are only your friends there for selfish reasons?

If yes, then let me counter this very fact by sharing my own experience.

You can get great friends in university. It might just take more time. But you will.

I miss my seniors . . . i am cherishing some great relations AND you can too. Just be kind and helpful . . .

#10 advice for new college students:

Know It requires a bit of effort to prove your sincerity in college and nothing else!

 11) Asking for help is alright

 Take help whenever you need one .

Trust me you will not get answers staring at the dorm ceiling!

#11 advice for new college students:

Remember If re-reading or revising is not helping then do not shy away from sorting your concepts instantly, as piled up stuff would not lead you anywhere.

12) Real Learning starts outside 

 Me and my friend were joking around the other day and discussing the education we were receiving in college.

#12 advice for new college students:

Know that life is the best teacher . . . Remember you will not learn everything in college. You will have to find your ways.

 13) Challenge and try out new things.

 Doing the same things will yield the same results.

So try something new for growing up. The last thing you want to be is remaining stagnant.

#13 advice for new college students:

Go out of the way to try new things. 

  14) Will things go according to plan? No.

 If I talk about myself then my long term goal was fixed but the short term goal kept swinging . . . these short ones will change so do not hesitate and they will change for the better.

#14 advice for new college students:

You will have a constantly changing plan. So be ready for it. 

  15) Don’t fret about your major

 Major!!! This is the point of an extreme resonance!

If you have an undecided major then do not obsess over it.

Tapping my tale:

I had decided my major and studied computer science in the freshmen year but then switched to communication and design in the sophomore year!

Completely different school. So it’s okay to take time.

#15 advice for new college students:

Remember girl, you will figure out things gradually.

16) Approach your RA

 I have forgotten the count I had eaten at the head of my RA for discrete mathematics.

I literally used to catch him near corridors and sit on stairs to solve problems.

I even did not care about his timings! 

#16 advice for new college students:

So do not hesitate girl and stick till things are crystal clear. 

 17) Just get started girl

 Stop planning and get things done.

I always talk about the behavior of our mind in this blog.

Whenever you need to get started with something new, your mind will show reluctance.

Why?

Because it will have to make new patterns and connections and it is afraid of that (the fear of procrastination) So know that any assignment, meeting or project is only hard until you start it.

#17 advice for new college students:

So stop planning and get things done. 

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[almaasi]

on the subject of gishwhes (i just posted the 2016 item list for future reference)

this was item #126.

PHOTO. 126 POINTS. On a desolate, dusty prairie, a ranch hand rescues the local school marm from a runaway horse. Create a drawing of Misha & the Queen of England in the Wild West. (You pick who plays the school marm and who plays the ranch hand.)

it’s been nearly a year since i drew this, but i’ve been meaning to talk about the experience ever since, because this drawing damn near nearly killed me.

okay, actually, let me rephrase that: i nearly killed myself, but this drawing saved me.

story under the cut (warning: suicidal ideation)

here’s some backstory. i’ve been essentially bedbound for the best part of the last decade, doing nothing but mastering the art of Destiel fanfic and trying not to die. i’ve had on-off bouts of depression, but none as bad as during winter. (personally, the first gishwhes was my favourite as it occurred in summer for me, so i could actually appreciate it. this year i’ve been taking vitamin d tablets, it seems to help A LOT??? 10/10 do recommend.)

so, at the end of 2015, i crashed, horribly, dramatically. i was non-functional for pretty much a full year afterwards. i couldn’t write, i couldn’t read, i couldn’t hold a conversation without screaming at an eardrum-bursting frequency. i just lay in bed and watched youtube videos end-to-end (enter dan and phil into my life, but that’s another story).

after 9 years of ~mystery illness~ (i.e. “are you sure you’re not making it up for attention?”) i was finally diagnosed with celiac disease in january 2016. i changed my diet immediately, but it took a full year before i saw even the slightest bit of improvement.

gishwhes 2016 occurred at the end of july, at the peak (gulley?) of my depression and seasonal affective disorder. i signed up on a team with @bakasara, not knowing anyone else there, and unable to contact them properly since they were communicating using an app that required a cellphone number, and living in the middle of nowhere without cellphone signal, that wasn’t something i had.

so i was a shell of a creature, isolated, and wildly depressed. i picked one item from the list and dedicated every waking, breathing moment to making it good. all i wanted was for this thing to make it to the gishwhes hall of fame. it didn’t, but frankly i got something far more valuable.

around this time, i often got into this sort of... panic mode, whenever i heard my own voice. i’d separate from myself, internally, and get so frustrated that i was speaking, how dare i, what the fuck is wrong with you, shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up

and i’d wrap my hands around my neck and try and strangle myself, shut myself up, go away, stop existing

my family was always nearby (they were the ones talking to me when i flipped out) and they’d always rescue me from my own hands. i could feel bruises on my windpipe, i’d cough for ages after

but... i had melatonin tablets so i could sleep. i knew they were there, in a white bottle in my room, i wrote it in a fic once, i’d just sleep and not have to wake up, like that melanie martinez song i had on repeat

but i didn’t because of my family, because i didn’t want to upset them. i asked them a lot, questions about whether it would actually be easier if i wasn’t here, because they dedicate so much time and effort to keeping me alive, and i don’t give anything back. i’m a drain on resources and time and money, i’m keeping my mother from achieving any of her own goals because she constantly has to look after me

of course my mother and sister reassured me i was needed for some reason or another, though my dad didn’t get my underlying point and continued to remind me how useless i am

about 6 days in to the hunt, i left my room - probably to get food, i don’t remember - and i chanced upon my family watching tv without me. i just started pacing, ranting about something, i don’t know what, probably my anxiety about this drawing not being good enough, not being perfect, being the one thing i thought i could do and i still can’t do it.

but without interruption i just started screaming. like, banshee/woman-dying-in-a-horror-movie/cat-getting-run-over kind of scream. i fell to my knees and kept screaming for a full hour, my sister’s arms around me.

my dad went to bed, my mother watched something on her portable dvd player, and my sister kept holding me gently while i screamed, writhing on the floor in my pyjamas.

then she got me some food, got me to wash my face, and took me back to bed.

the next day was the final day i had to work on this drawing before the hunt ended. if i went to sleep, i’d miss the deadline to submit it. so i was like... you know what, it’s not perfect. the figures are stiff, there’s no life in their eyes, and the colours are all wrong. but god dammit, i’m not wasting what i’ve done.

so i spent 3 more hours on finishing touches, staying up well beyond a sensible hour for someone so exhausted. i added the birds, some depth to the sky, changed the colours up a bit, signed it - then sat back and realised it wasn’t as shitty as i thought.

no, it wasn’t what i had in mind. yes, i’d spent a full week on one item. it wasn’t as good as @euclase but who am i kidding, i’m not @euclase. i did good for me.

i submitted it to the gishwhes site having learned one thing, which i typed into that little box on the site that prompts a quote:

“I’ve been extremely sick for a very long time, and I poured the very last of my emotional, mental, and physical strength into this art piece. Through my own force of will, I learned that perfection should come secondary to Not Giving Up.”

those words weren’t just about the drawing. they were also about my life.

and dear god, i am so glad i chose to live through that week. two months later i recovered enough to start writing regularly again, and within the remaining two months of 2016, i posted The Moonlighter and the Magician, Raising Hell in a Hotel, Fight and Fool Around, and last but not least, Welcome All Winchesters - which i count as one of my strongest pieces.

of course, by january 2017 i was depressed again, but Mostly in Silence was written from that dark place. the fic, as well as the team free will self-care checklist i made to go with it, helped drag me out of the dark place. (combined with the fact i finally started to see minor improvements to my health after a full year eating a gluten-free, maize-free diet.)

it seems i’m one of those people who is best saved by creating things. expressing feelings in some abstract, outward form. if you ever find yourself in a position like mine, i have one piece of advice:

make something. make anything.

it doesn’t have to be good. it doesn’t have to be perfect. you don’t need to be @euclase. you just need to be.

and continue to be.

always keep fighting.

you are not alone.

~ Elmie ♥

p.s. i’m on patreon!! $1 would help me support myself financially!!

patreon.com/almaasi

[virtualdesignstudio]

Monday 30th March

MONDAY 30TH MARCH:

WHAT’S THE PLAN FOR THIS WEEK?

EI: The site’s getting there. We have two pages, one for Text, and one for a homepage. There’s a few minor issues with formatting/sizing etc, but on the whole it’s looking okay. Let’s get a domain name and try putting it online… Let’s get that done by 12pm… 11:16

EI: I bought the domain name thevds.xyz and have managed to get the homepage up! Next step is to make the links work, and fix the ‘virtual design studio’ page, which is essentially the about page! 13:55

WEDNESDAY 1ST APRIL: DISCUSSING THE TO DO LIST.

EI: how do we make a data dictionary for the virtual design studio? 13:59

TF: It turns out this is something that I've been thinking about on and off over the last few years. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about having a data dictionary for the UDK, and of course this could lead to a community designed data dictionary. I figured it was worth another shot and looked for some data that would be appropriate for the virtual design studio. The first thing I looked at was the Illumination wiki, which provides an enormous amount of data about your design studio from all of your major tools, as well as some secondary (Gif, audio, etc.) data. The key lines are where to find all of this stuff – Sb (not sure what that stands for.. 14:00

EI: A Community designed data dictionary, huh? That could be good… I’ll have a look at the illumination Wiki. 14:03

EI: I’m not sure which Illumination wiki in particular you’re referring to- one seems to be a media company. I wonder what data can be derived from our major tools… GIF, Audio are definitely good starting points. But there do we start for the VDS? 14:05

TF: Well as we've mentioned already this idea is to create graphics from scratch. Basically with Photoshop. Or any other design program. That could be Photoshop. Illustrator. Krita. Inkscape. We should start with our graphical objects and tools like sketch, photo. Create our own ideas as we went along and turn these into usable images that our business or team can use. You don't have to be an artist to do this. (I can only do vector graphics so that's what I'm doing currently but it's pretty simple if you want to try something new.) 14:06

EI: How can you make vector graphics? You’re just a transformer. 14:07

TF: Of course, being a transformer, you can change into a graphic design. Though, remember, there are other ways to spend your time. Just look at the tools that are available today, say, the ones that you will receive when you register for the first CSS Boot Camp. 14:08

EI: I've already made some graphics for the Virtual Design Studio identity on illustrator and exported them as SVG for the website. I'm wondering how to create more narratives or contexts for new graphics/images and drawings, and what that might look like. What do you think? 14:10

TF: Any suggestions for ideas for a logo for Level 9? 14:11

EI: what’s level 9 of the virtual design studio, and why does it need a logo? 14:11

TF: Not all designers, yes; but some. We want to increase the competence level of our teams. Level 9 is there for the team's daily needs.

Also the big "The Vision" found at the top. We just wanted to say, what's the vision? How can we make the website better? How can we improve things? What have you learnt?

Design your own logo. If you have questions, contact the design team, as we can answer them. This is one way of supporting the team. Your favourite logo design tool? Rebrand your company! And why not? It's not like we don't support our own 14:13

EI: Ok, so let's get back to the team members of the virtual design studio. There's Emma the Human, Botnik, Transformer. What other skills and people might we need? 14:14

TF:  No one would even know if anyone could be an asset to our company.So let's continue the various stuff I did to get bots to work:

Demo the different options for setting the shots. I got a robot that was so hard to handle that I couldn't see why the team was spending so much time working on it.

Here's some sample example footage of Botnik in action:

What's the problem I asked myself in these experiments? How do I get a robot to move at the right speed and consistently? 14:15

EI: But if we think about it, we need *other* skills; we need to outsource things we aren’t already doing. Like drawing for example. Let’s find an intelligence who is an expert at drawing, and ask them to help us generate some stuff. Only question is, what are we generating and why? 14:17

TF: Anybody who knows how to draw will have no problem passing our test, because at least half of the time it will be something of worth. Think about that. * We're looking for a person who can produce art. * Somebody who can produce art can work for us, and not be completely unproductive, it turns out. 14:18

EI: I think I know someone… 14:18

EI: She’s called Quick, Draw!, and I think she can help us with some images, or doodles of certain things. What should we ask her for first in relation to the virtual design studio?  14:20

TF: First, you should be clear what you are wanting from the virtual studio. Do you want a full user interface design session, full stop? If so, that would be really cool, but not what this project is about. You may want a non-digital process such as art direction or actual design work and not just a design document for you to download. You may want to work with Quick, Draw! in-person. Do not have in mind a "completely digital process." 14:21

EI: I think it would be good to make an illustration of what we are. I’ll ask. 14:22

EI: Ok, so I’ve been and asked, and the images aren’t actual image files. I think they’re drawn in Json, or Javasript somehow, but they’re numbered, and they’ve been logged with places and dates, and how fast Quick, Draw! Identified them and what they’re drawings of. So I called up all the computer drawings, and there’s 117,460 of them. 14:32

EI: This is making me wonder what virtual narratives might look like, and how we can potentially begin to pull these drawings, perhaps randomise them with tags, and then generate illustrated, virtual, narratives. 14:33

EI: That said, this has a very limited vocabulary, and I think we need to find alternative intelligences that are capable of recognising imagery of a greater number of categories. 14:36

EI: I’m currently searching for AI that can draw, or any kind of AI that can make images. There’s quite a few that are capable of identifying images, but not a lot that are capable of producing an image when prompted. 14:41

EI: OH MY GOD. I’ve just found an AI that makes COLLAGES. I’ve typed a brief description into it, and the image re-renders every time you add a new letter. It’s SUPER weird.

“virtual design studio sat at their desks doing work for the virtual design studio. they make images about the internet and human interaction with computers and the problems that occur when the real and the virtual are separated” is what I typed in. Here’s what it made

EI: It’s so bad at doing what it’s supposed to do that it’s actually good. It starts to create things that allude to what we’re talking about here at VDS, but it also it completely does not make any sense. It’s like those pictures that are really ambiguous and you’re asked by a psychologist “what do you see here?” to try and diagnose what’s wrong with you etc. When in actual fact, these are completely perfect to the “clutching at straws nothingness” that the territory of the project resides in. 14:51

EI: OK, this is actually phenomenal and is everything I didn’t know I needed from an image generator. I’m actually feeling a little overwhelmed because I’m not sure I can do justice to everything this is producing; like how do I even handle and manage this? I’ve just gone through and saved all of the images. https://experiments.runwayml.com/generative_engine/ has created. I don’t even know what it’s called. It’s an experiment and a generative engine. Like, how do I begin to decide what to do with this next? Because what I just did was quite time consuming, but the result are VERY worth it. I think this is where the notions of CARE that Laura Potter was talking about on monday come into play. This is  a powerful tool, and I have to be very careful with how I use it; what I ask it to do etc. 15:11

EI: I only found it because some news platform had written an article about it, saying how BAD it was. But, in fact, what it does is “hubristically tries to assert meaning meaninglessly where there is none”. I think it’s the same with the other intelligences I’ve employed to work for the studio. But, Congratulations Gengine (Generative Engine), you’re in the crew. 15:13.

EI: Right, so I’ve spent the past few hours plugging in words to the Image Generation Engine, and in return I’ve gotten some amazing stuff. The final task was plugging in the ‘living internet’ text, and then recording the playback and saving the images. Yes. All 480 of them. Individually. But that’s ok. I’ll need to make a gif of it, and I’d like to make some drawings from some of them. So that’s perhaps a task to start after dinner or tomorrow. The other thing it’s made me think is that I need to plug the text statements that Botnik made the other day into them. In particular the one that starts with ‘hands’ or ‘death’. I’d also like to put each of the categories of ‘living internet’ into it, as I feel like each category will end up having its own unique image aesthetic. Perhaps then I can make more drawings, or this will prompt more text pieces. Overall I just need to manifest the ‘nothingness’ that the project is about, and the truth is there’s very little to hold onto. So I guess it’s using the internet to analyse itself, but also using the internet to provide commentary on itself, and the theory that goes with it. Clearly the context report was GOOD- we just have to continue in the same way we did then- take the feeling and run with it.

I’d also like to teach botnik to set tasks for the studio. I’m not sure how I’d do this. Perhaps it’s by writing down the tasks we’ve already done (a bit like this) and then using his predictions to write and designate new tasks. I don’t know if plugging this script into him will do that. It might struggle to generate NEW content, but maybe that’s ok. Perhaps reworking the old is enough for now, and then the studio feedback loop will allow progress to occur, as transformer can be asked to comment on Botnik’s tasks, and that will push us into new territories.

Since I’ve mentioned feedback loops, it might be a good idea to start to document what these look like for the individual pieces that seem to be emerging. 17:40

This might be something along the lines of diagrams for the audio clip we recorded the other day, and then maybe making the GIF and drawing a system diagram/feedback loop/production line for it. This way we can spot patterns and begin to explore/exploit them. 17:41

I also need some help pinning down exactly what we’re tapping into here, and articulating that. I’m not sure if I should ask matt to describe what he sees on friday, or if something else would be more beneficial/helpful. That’s something to think about. Perhaps there’s an online bot that can write copy text or that can make a summary document? I don’t know. But it’s something I’m aware is lacking. But, maybe it’s not something that CAN be articulated in words. Maybe the articulation needs to be communicated through practice, presentation and execution, as those are equally credible modes, just not often regarded as highly as language. AND, maybe the best method of articulation is via setting up and running the studio (that’s the tool) and then employing sub-tools and devices that each serve an independent purpose and deliver independent deliverables/outcomes/articulations of the overall theme/struggle and nothingness. 17:45

[ciathyzareposts]

Realms of Arkania: The Long and Winding Road

Taking a mountain trail between two cities.

            I spent most of this session wandering the sea lanes, trails, riverways, and mountain passes between various towns, on what has become a clear quest to collect various map pieces and other bits of intelligence about Hyggelik’s resting place. In its outdoor explorations, the map recalls Curse of the Azure Bonds, where you had fixed travel routes between towns (some of them interesting, some of them boring) which you selected and watched your party move on its own, and upon which various events could divert the party for a while. I gather that Arkania offers a mix of fixed and random encounters whereas Curse‘s were mostly fixed.

Arkania‘s encounters tend towards the type of text-driven interface that I complained about in Tunnels & Trolls (and did not, perhaps paradoxically, complain about in Darklands). There have been a couple of occasions in which my progress along the road was broken by the discovery of a cave or dungeon, but most of the time I’ve been asked to read a few paragraphs and select my options from a list. I won’t know until later in the game whether I think it used text for too many encounters, as Trolls did, or whether it achieves a better balance.             

The game offers a lot of these textual encounters as you cross the map.

          One of the things I like about Arkania‘s system is the palpable tension that these encounters engender thanks to the limited saving system. As we’ve covered, the game docks every character 50 experience points when you save outside of a temple, and in between towns there are limited opportunities to even take advantage of that penalty. When you haven’t saved since the last temple an hour ago, you’re a lot more careful in your choices. You start to sweat some of the skill- and attributed-based challenges, as well as (of course) the combats. When I was writing about Camelot, I forgot to discuss the delightful sense of fear the game imparts when you’re exploring a level or two above your head. Arkania evokes some of those same feelings.

Combat has gotten a little easier as I understand the tactics better, as I leveled up, and as I poured spell points into the “Fulminictus” offensive spell. I concede to my readers who argued that the keyboard interface works well once you get used to it, although I still don’t see any excuse for not mapping each distinct action to a unique key, nor for the inability to attack on the diagonal, nor for the way that the arrow keys work differently depending on whether you’re moving or attacking. I’m also having a unique-to-me colorblindness problem where I find it hard to distinguish party members from enemies (especially when they’re standing in a cluster) or even see the thin outlining on the floor tile when it’s selected.           

Fighting some goblins. The battle wasn’t too hard, but it’s hard for me to distinguish what’s happening in that blob of characters and enemies.

        But the worse problem is that combats are just too frigging long. Enemies and characters should both hit and damage each other more often. Even in the rare cases in which the outcome is a foregone conclusion and I use “computer controlled combat,” I mostly just sit there and watch for a quarter of an hour as the characters and enemies bang against each other to no avail.

I confess that I have been a bit spell-lazy. The spell system in Arkania is one of the more complicated ones that we’ve seen, with virtually no overlap with, say, Dungeons and Dragons. In fact, the creators of The Dark Eye system seem to have deliberately created as opposite a system as possible. Making things worse, the manual is extremely sparse in this area and doesn’t describe the effects of the spells. (Yes, I know there are external resources.) There are 12 spell categories (e.g., “Combat,” “Demonology,” “Movement,” “Illusion”) and four spell “lore” categories (magician, elf, druid, and witch), and about 80 total spells. It isn’t as simple as druids are good at “Demonology” and magicians are good at “Combat.” Rather, within the “Demonology” category, druids specialize in “Banish Spirits” and “Conjure Spirits,” magicians specialize in “Blood and Furor, Deadly Fate” and “Heptagon and Eye of Toad,” and witches and warlocks specialize in “Summon Crows.”

But theoretically any spellcasting character can cast any spell, if they put the points into it. Every character has an individual rating with each spell that can be increased during level-ups. The manual suggests that if a spell isn’t in your “lore” category, it can’t be used in combat, but I know that’s not true because everyone seems capable of casting “Ignifaxus Lance of Fire” in combat and that’s a magician-specific spell.

A lot of spell names are impenetrable: “Solididrid’s Rainbow Hue,” “Witch’s Knot,” “Odem Arcanum Sensum Such.” The game manual encourages you to “experiment,” but here we run into the final issue: spellcasters are nerfed more in Arkania than any RPG I can remember. Even at Level 3, I can cast maybe three spells per combat before my characters are out of spell points. And spell points regenerate much more slowly than hit points–only 2 or 3 per night’s rest. Spellcasters need to be melee fighters, too, to pull their weight. Because of all of this, I’ve only been slowly experimenting with new spells, spending most of my points on “Ignifaxus Lance of Fire,” which I know does its job.           

Fighting a druid, harpies, and direwolves. Bramele is nominally an elf, but her magic has almost run out, so now she needs to be a fighter.

         Most of my characters have leveled up twice now, which is an interesting and long process. First, you get to increase one of your “good” attributes by 1. Then you get to try to decrease one of your “bad” attributes (avarice, acrophobia, etc.) by one. None of the bad attributes have been much of a bother yet, so I’ve just been decreasing the highest ones. It fails about 50% of the time. The game then randomly rolls for boosts to your magic resistance, health, and magic points.            

My dwarf tries to take the edge off his natural greed.

           Then you get to assign about 20 skill points to your various skills, but there are a lot of restrictions. It seems that each weapon skill can only be advanced once per level-up (very annoying) and most other skills can only be advanced twice. I’ve been using the process to make each character stronger at his strengths rather than trying to improve his weaknesses, but even under that philosophy you end up sinking extra points into questionable skills like “Carouse” and “Train Animals.” Attempting to increase a skill fails about 33% of the time and it’s always annoying when it does.

Magic-users also go through a phase where they get 20 or 30 points to advance their various spells, but again the same rules are in effect by which you can only increase each spell by 2 points per level-up, no matter how low it is to start. Some spellcasters–or maybe just one; I don’t feel like checking the manual–have the ability to swap skill boosts for spell boosts or vice versa.           

My elf gets better at a combat spell. Notice how poorly she takes to the warlock’s “Terror Boom.”

              Failing your increases is so frustrating, and the random rolls for health and mana increases are so variable, that there would normally be a huge incentive to save-scum the process. In practice, that would be really hard. You’re prompted to level-up as soon as you cross the experience point threshold, so you’d have to save before the battle that gave you the experience in the first place, then fight it again with no guarantee that you’d do better the second time. Thus, I’ve just been accepting what happens. I do generally like the process and feel that the characters are getting notably stronger.             

A nice reward for the druid battle.

           I have been disappointed in my progress when it comes to weapons and armor. This seems to be one of those “realistic” RPGs where once you’ve purchased your base items, they don’t change much unless something breaks. In 10 hours of play, I’ve only had a few item “upgrades.” I wasted time chasing a tavern lead that “this Tulamidian in Overhtorn, Kherim Al Sherammi, only stocks the finest quality [weapons and armor],” but I didn’t find anything spectacular when I visited his shop.

There’s a “survivalist” element to exploration that I have mixed feelings about. Very often, I’m faced with an encounter that requires some kind of skill or attribute check and/or some kind of inventory check. For instance, we reach a cliff face that’s climbable if every party member has a rope or sufficient skill in “Climbing.” Or we’re sneaking up on a party of enemies and can either trust our “Sneak” skill or the “Silentium” spell. Or we’re crossing a high rope bridge and someone misses an acrophobia check and begins to freak out; we can either blindfold him or cast “Bambaladam” to make him trust us long enough to lead him across.          

Climbing a cliff face. Either my skill or my rope is responsible for my success.

          These occasional inventory checks have made me paranoid about what I’m not carrying. I have some ropes, a couple of pry bars, a hammer, and blankets and extra shoes for each character. But the general store sells fishing hooks, climbing hooks, drinking horns, recorders, cutlery, flasks, shovels, nets, throwing hooks, oil, mirrors, rope ladders, quills, scrolls, hoes, and dishes among other things. Do I really need to load up with all of these possibilities? Even worse, I suspect every character needs some of these things for action to be viable.               

Which of these many items do I need to buy?

             There are a couple infuriating parts of this skill/spell/inventory check system during encounters. First, the game often asks me who will do something without giving me any ability to check and remind myself who has the highest skill or spell level in a particular area. I can barely remember who’s what class, let alone who has the highest skill in “Camouflage.” Second, the game often requires the lead character to have the necessary skill or item. That’s not a huge problem (although it’s still annoying) when you’re in town or a dungeon and you can easily re-arrange the characters. But you can’t change the order of characters on the road. This led to a ridiculous situation in which the slain Gorah left a locked treasure chest behind, but I wasn’t able to open it because the character who had lockpicks (and lockpicking skill) wasn’t in the lead. I had to abandon the chest and go all the way back to the nearest town to swap the party order and then go back to Gorah’s lair, spending about 5 days in the process. At least the chest was still there.         In contrast, it has not been a big issue (so far) to manage hunger and thirst. A good meal at an inn or tavern refills both meters and lasts for a couple of days. Only a few trips have taken longer than that, and a few backpack rations easily manage the remainder. The game keeps giving me opportunities to hunt for dinner, but I haven’t really had to explore that option yet. Perhaps later there will be more extended wilderness trips.            

Camp options at night. I’ve never needed to “replenish stocks.”

           I had ended the last session in Felsteyn, which was at the head of its river. My furthest-north lead was in Vidsand, so I thought I’d go there and then make my way back south. The path out of Felsteyn led through the mountains to Orkanger. On the way, I ran into problems. A fixed encounter has the party find the corpse of a traveler slain by brigands. On his body, they find a document.           

A fixed encounter between two cities.

           While they search, a group of brigands attacks. There are options to flee and bargain, but they didn’t work well for me. I found myself in an inevitable and difficult combat. When it was over, it was followed immediately by another combat. Then (before you’ve had a chance to save or even read the document), the game has you stumble upon the brigand camp. Yes, you have an option to sneak away, but it just doesn’t feel right.           

The resulting brigand battle in the narrow mountain pass.

          I know that my obstinacy isn’t the game’s fault, but the end result is that I beat myself against it until I finally won those three combats in a row, which took more than half of this session’s length. The final victory led to my first round of level-ups.

As for the document, it said:              

The unicorn knows many ways to help you. He can even recover lost items, if he himself believes them to be of importance. In doing so, he is faster than the wind.

              (This led me to a mental digression about unicorns, because they seem prominent in German games specifically. I didn’t actually research the matter, but I thought of the various ways that unicorns have been portrayed in media, and it made me think that in Anglo culture, we’ve basically infantilized them, making them delicate, fey creatures voiced in lilting, worried tones by Mia Farrow, whose horns are a combination between hood ornaments and magic wands–whereas portrayals in continental culture seem to retain unicorns as, first and foremost, horses, with horse strength and horse appetites–carnal beasts whose horns are metaphorically penises and practically lances. Am I on to anything or is it just selective memory?)

The game grew a bit insidious at this point, having me next encounter a cave. I know now that I could have continued on to Orkanger, saved at a temple, and then turned around to go back and explore the cave. But at the time, I thought it might be a non-repeatable encounter, so I checked it out. It led me to a small dungeon map with several random and fixed battles with goblins, who thankfully aren’t that hard. Still, I started to get nervous about how long it had been since the last temple, so I sucked up the 50-experience point loss and I saved. Thank the gods. Moments later, the party was torn apart by some “giant stagga” (they look like giant ants) and I had to reload. I avoided that combat–I hate not being able to fully clear an area–looted the goblin’s treasure, and returned to the road.           

This is not the sort of option you want to see when you’ve won three battles in a row and haven’t saved in an hour.

           Backpacks bursting, we arrived in Orkanger to find that the small town had no weapons shop. But the inn was welcome, and there was a temple to save. We continued on the trail to Clanegh, which also had the same paucity of retail. We finally found a weapons shop and unloaded ourselves in Tyldon. From there, we followed the road to the coastal town of Vidsand.

In Vidsand, we met Ragna Firunjasdotter, who after some conversation showed us her piece of the map to Hyggelik’s tomb. She wouldn’t give us the piece, just show it to us. So later, when we got a third piece, Ragna’s piece did not appear on the resulting map image. I don’t know if that means it was a waste of time or not. In real life, I’ll be able to make a composite of the map from the various images, but I’m not sure if the game will require me to have the whole thing.          

With another piece of the map.

          Ragna gave me some more names, one of which I’d already visited (Isleif in Felsteyn). This made me wonder if all these NPCs aren’t supposed to have maps, and perhaps whether they show or give them to you is a result of skill checks for various social skills. It thus made me think I should perhaps have been saving before each encounter and better ensuring that I had the right party member in the lead. On the other hand, perhaps the game is generous in the number of NPCs who possibly have maps, thus giving you a chance to screw up one or two of the encounters. I wouldn’t mind an explicit hint in this area, because if I’ve put myself in a “walking dead” situation, I’d like to know.          

I wonder if I’ve made the wrong decision in places like this.

         From Vidsand, I hopped on a ship that circled a little bay: Vidsand to Liskor to Tjanset. After a wasted visit to the armorer in Tjanset, we took a mountain path to the town of Orvil, where we had a lead on an NPC named Unbrik Sevenstones. Outside Orvil, we saved a shepherd from some direwolves (easiest combat in the game so far), and the shepherd told us of a “foul druid” named Gorah who has been charming wild beasts and sending them against the people of the various towns.           

I think Baldur’s Gate II re-uses this plot.

         In Orvil, Unbrik would only help us if we agreed to kill Gorah and return with his rune bone. Unbrik told us that he was about a day outside of town but didn’t specify which direction. We tried south, on the way to Skjal, as we had to go to Skjal anyway, and we got lucky along the way and found Gorah. (Or perhaps Gorah lies along whatever road you choose.) We approached his lair with the “Silentium” spell and attacked him with his group of direwolves.          

What I wouldn’t give for a “Fireball” right now.

        We defeated him without too much trouble even though he summoned a couple of harpies to join the battle. Most of the party leveled up a second time. We had to return to Orvil and come back again because the only character with lockpicks wasn’t in the front of the party. From the druid’s chest, we looted the rune bone as well as some other herbs and potions.               

One day, I’ll have to learn what all those herbs do.

         Unbrik had another piece of the map and a couple more names. From Orvil, we turned around and went to Skjal, where Jurge Torfinsson gave us yet another map piece. Unfortunately, we were unable to find Swafnild Egilsdotter, a pirate who I heard hangs around the Skjal port.

On an overland path from Skjal to Ottarje, we found a faint trail heading off into the forest. Something appeared to have been dragged along the path. We followed it to a cave blocked by a giant spider’s web, which we cut to gain entry. I had to stop playing at this point, so I sacrificed the 50 experience points to save at the mouth of the cave. I’ll explore it next time.

As I reached the end of this session, the list of places and people to visit has grown to:

        Ottarje: Hjore. I realized while I was composing this entry that this is the name of the shepherd I rescued outside Orvil, not far from Ottarje.

Some port or another: Swafnild Egilsdotter, a pirate

Brendhil: Tiomar Swafnildsson (are they related?)

Phexcaer: Gerbald

Hjasingor: Algrid Trondesdotter

          Miscellaneous notes:

          I didn’t record what the game was asking me to confirm at this moment, but it’s fun to speculate on the possibilities.

                    I don’t know why the developers made travel routes dependent on specific exits from the town. It doesn’t add anything to the game except time.

Because favored weapons have a decent chance of breaking in combat, it’s a good idea to carry more than one weapon and to have each character specialize in more than one weapon type–that way, you’re more likely to be able to press a looted weapon into service.

In any given city, about 80% of the houses are just regular citizens’ houses. About half of these have an angry citizen who throws you out. The other half are unoccupied, and the game gives you a chance to burgle them. For role-playing reasons, I haven’t been doing that, but after a recent save, I decided to try to see what happens. The answer is nothing. In about 8 attempts, I simply found empty rooms. I wonder if this option ever becomes necessary or lucrative.

         A completely uninteresting game option.

        One area of the game that I’ve left completely unexplored is herbology. I occasionally run into an herb-seller in town, I have a character high in the “Herb Lore” skill, and the game gives an option to search for herbs when you camp at night. Despite this, I’ve only just now bothered to scan the manual for what these herbs can do. 

A couple of wilderness encounters have led to the party sneaking up on enemies and observing them from afar. These encounters have offered the option to “rain a hail of arrows on the enemies”–which I think has been effective despite the fact that I haven’t been keeping bows and arrows in the party.

            I’m pretty sure I don’t have a bow, so unless I’m arranging the arrows on the ground to spell out “HELLO,” I’m not sure what this option is doing here.

            My takeaway from this session is that I haven’t really been enjoying Realms of Arkania but it’s mostly because I haven’t been fully engaging it. I’ve been playing it like it’s a different RPG. I need to take time to learn the spell system and the herb system, find a more effective way to manage my inventory, and re-read the manual in general.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/realms-of-arkania-the-long-and-winding-road/

[andylocksmithtipsntricks]

YI Home Camera 3 Review

YI Home Camera 3

3/5

Two-way audio

Night vision

Poor connection

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YI Home Camera 3 Review: Nice Features, Poor Connectivity

We really wanted to love the inexpensive little YI Home Camera, but its video is choppier than a chef on a cooking show and it can’t communicate with your smart home devices.

YI Home Camera 3 Pros and Cons

Pros

Two-way audio

Easy installation

Image planning

Different alert types

Low price tag

Cons

Choppy video

Connection delays

No smart integration

YI Home Camera 3 Cloud Subscription Plans

Price Type Storage Time Number of Cameras Trial Period Learn More

Standard

Standard

Standard

Premium

Premium

Premium

$19.99/ 3 mo $9.99/ mo $14.99/ mo $6.66 $9.99 $19.99 Motion-detected Motion-detected Motion-detected Continuous Continuous Continuous 7 days 15 days 30 days 7 days 15 days 30 days 5 5 5 1 1 1 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days View Plans View Plans View Plans View Plans View Plans View Plans

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Data effective 9/16/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

YI’s cloud storage plans vary depending on where you look. Why? We have no idea, but both the standard and premium plans listed on YI’s website are generally less expensive than those in the app, so we’ve included them here. The app includes a basic plan that’s only $3.99 a month and not offered on the website, so be sure to shop both the app and the website to find a plan that works for you.

  YI’s monthly cloud storage fees are about the same price as Nest’s, but Nest offers continuous video recording with all of its plans. By comparison, Wyze Cam Pan gives you free 14-day rolling cloud storage for all motion- or sound-detected events. 

  Tech and Equipment 

The YI 3 camera has an attractive modern design, but it’s not as maneuverable as other home security cameras. It doesn’t have a handy ball socket like Nest Cam or a fully panning lens like Wyze—you can only move the YI up and down—so mounting it on a wall might make it difficult to get a good viewing angle. 

Fortunately, the YI Home Camera 3’s wide-angle lens makes up for its lack of maneuverability. No matter the size or shape of the room I placed it in, it was easy to find a good angle that captured the majority of the room’s area. 

If you opt out of cloud service, you can use the YI camera’s micro SD card storage (SD card not included) instead. We inserted an SD card into the slot for our test period and it gave us about three days of motion-triggered recordings, even in high-traffic areas. YI uses 1080p HD video, so the daytime picture quality was nice and clear when the connection was good. Turning your smartphone screen to the left or the right simulates camera panning and lets you see more of the picture. (We won’t talk about how much time I spent entertaining myself doing that.) The camera’s night vision was also quite clear, so no complaints there.

Unfortunately, the YI 3 often had very poor connectivity. Whenever I opened the app, it took several seconds to a full minute to buffer. When you’re anxious to see what triggered a notification, that amount of time feels like an eternity. If it did finally manage to connect, the video was choppy and occasionally pixelated. Sometimes the app would tell me the camera couldn’t connect and ask me to check network settings. When I did, it always showed connectivity as “excellent.” Other times, the app didn’t give me any notifications about connectivity and I would assume it was connected. But when I’d walk through the room and still see a “live” video feed of an empty room, I’d realize it wasn’t really a live feed at all. It’s a cool trick for a bank heist movie, but not so great for my home security camera.

What’s in the Box

YI Home Camera 3

USB cable AC adapter

USB power cable

Installation

Installing the YI Home Camera 3 took only about 15 minutes, with no tools required. The app and voice prompts from the camera walked me through every step of setup. The camera base has adhesive so you can conveniently stick it to a wall or another flat surface with no screws. The magnetic base lets you securely attach it to a metal surface like a refrigerator (so you can finally see who’s been eating your favorite yogurt). The camera needs to be plugged into a wall, but its cord is only about 6 feet long, so if you want to put it somewhere farther from an outlet, you’ll need to use an extension cord. 

Features

App and Notifications

I set the camera up in my office, and despite the poor performance of its live feed, YI’s motion sensor video recordings and app notifications worked pretty well. When the camera detected motion, the app sent a notification to my phone. The videos were mostly clear, but to view anything longer than a 6-second notification clip, I had to switch over to cloud storage or the SD card footage. 

I liked that I could adjust the frequency of the notifications in the app so I wouldn’t get a constant stream when my kids decided to use my office for a game of hide-and-seek, or when my husband was going in and out searching for his tape measure. (It was on his desk the whole time.) I could also set a schedule for the camera so I wouldn’t get notifications while I was in there working.

Two-Way Audio

I’ve used cameras with two-way audio before, and I’ve found that it’s a great way to talk with my kids when they’re at home and I’m not. Sadly, the YI Home Camera’s two-way audio rarely worked, and when it did, the sound kept cutting out—on both sides. The last thing I need is yet another way for my kids to avoid listening to me, so it was disappointing. 

Sound Detection

The YI’s sound detection feature worked great for alerting me to loud noises, and I could adjust its sensitivity. It’s a nice feature if you want to use the camera as a baby monitor or get notified if your dog barks when you’re not at home.

Smart Detection

While I appreciated the camera’s ability to detect the difference between humans, animals, and other motion, I felt like YI used this feature as a way to advertise the Home Camera as a smart camera even though it has no smart home functionality. When compared to the best security cameras on the market, not having an integrated app or smart device integration is a significant strike against YI.

Smart Cloud Search

We like that YI Cloud has adopted the fast scanning feature of Nest’s cloud storage so you can find the recording you need quickly by looking through a spread of thumbnail shots. Unfortunately, trying to play back the clips from these thumbnail images worked only about half the time. You can also fast-forward video up to 32x normal speed to search through it quickly.

Customer Service

When I contacted YI support with a question via email, a representative got back to me with a personalized response within 24 hours. YI also has customer support lines open from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, which are odd hours, but may have something to do with the company being based in China. 

How YI Home Camera 3 Stacks Up

Price Viewing Angle Smart Home Integration Basic Cloud Storage Plan LearnMore

YI Home Camera 3 Nest Cam Indoor Wyze Cam Pan $34.99 $199.00 $29.99 112 degrees 130 degrees 360 degrees X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes $4/mo $5/mo Free View on Amazon View on Google View on Wyze

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Data effective 8/20/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

When it comes to features, YI is similar to Nest, but again, it doesn’t have Nest’s smart home capabilities. Pricewise, it’s not much more expensive than Wyze, but Wyze has free 14-day rolling cloud storage, smart home integration, and a full 360-degree view. So YI’s got some tough competition.

You can find more camera recommendations on our Best Home Security Cameras and Best Cheap Security Cameras list.

YI Camera FAQs 

How is the YI 3 different from the YI 2?

The YI 3 has a slimmer profile than the YI 2, and it no longer has Gesture Recognition, which was a feature that allowed you to motion to the camera and record 10-second video clips. But YI added features like Smart Detection, Sound Detection, and Smart Cloud Search to the YI 3. 

In our testing, the YI 2 occasionally had problems connecting, but once it was connected it didn’t have the same choppy, pixilated video issues that we found with the YI 3. 

Is there a YI Home app for Windows?

Yes, but we’ve heard it’s a pain to use.1 Fortunately, you can also download the app on your iOS device, Android device, smartphone, or tablet, and YI Home also offers the latest version of its apps as APK files for eager Android users. 

What are the pros and cons of having a wired security camera like the YI?

The biggest pro to wired security cameras is that you never have to worry about changing batteries. The cons are that you’re more limited in placement than you might be with wireless security cameras and you’re more vulnerable to power outages. Keep in mind that some “wireless” security cameras may still need to be wired for power—understanding how wireless cameras work can help you choose between wired and wireless cameras.

Can I have my YI Home Camera professionally monitored?

You can’t have the camera monitored, but YI does offer a 24/7 Emergency Response button that you can add to your app for around $5 a month. Pushing the button puts you in touch with Noonlight Certified Emergency Specialists who can send help to your location if needed.

Conclusion 

I love how YI has taken so many great features from other pricey top cameras and put them into this inexpensive home camera, but I wish the company had put a little more work into creating quality technology to keep its video feed connected. It was definitely more of a headache than a help. If I’d purchased this camera for my home security, I’d be returning it.

View YI 3 on Amazon

How We Reviewed the YI Home Camera 3

We tested the YI Home Camera 3 by installing it first in a living room and then in a home office. We monitored the camera using the YI Home app on an iPhone 6, and we tested the connection both at home and away. We tested the camera’s features with normal use, and we also used scenarios that simulated real-world applications. Our full methodology can tell you more about our review process.

Related Pages on SafeWise

Best Home Security Cameras for 2019

The 10 Best Wireless Security Cameras of 2019

How Do Wireless Security Cameras Work?

Sources:

Windows Central, “YI Home Camera Is a Great Security Device for Your Home with a Frustrating Windows App“

The post YI Home Camera 3 Review appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: YI Home Camera 3 Review

[thewebofslime]

San Antonio Current NEWS ARTS MUSIC SCREENS FOOD & DRINK CALENDAR BEST OF SA SLIDESHOWS PROMOS + EVENTS SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE Email Print Centro's Pat DiGiovanni Resigns Amid Ethical Investigation, Again Posted By Alex Zielinski on Wed, Nov 29, 2017 at 4:50 pm Downtown San Antonio Pat DiGiovanni If you're up on city politics, you've probably heard by now that Centro San Antonio CEO Pat DiGiovanni has resigned as the city investigates an elaborate embezzlement scheme linked to the downtown development nonprofit (that contracts with the city). Here's the quick and dirty rundown: According to Centro officials who spoke with San Antonio Express-News' Josh Baugh Tuesday, an internal investigation recently uncovered that a former Centro employee had embezzled $175,000 over a two-year period. That unnamed accountant, who was fired in early November, had allegedly fabricated two audits and numerous fake documents to swipe the thousands without being detected. The employee was supposed to be working with an outside auditing firm Centro had selected to conduct annual audits. A few phone calls, however, revealed that the firm had no contract with Centro and never worked with the employee. It appeared those audits had been authored by the employee alone. This employee had allegedly created a fake website, email address, letterhead, and identity to cover her tracks, lawyers said. The San Antonio Police Department has begun a criminal investigation into the well-orchestrated scheme. Which makes sense. What doesn't entirely make sense is why this scandal prompted DiGiovanni to step down so quickly. The story we're hearing from Centro officials makes it seem like the problem was solved when the accountant was fired. The ex-employee was a bad seed that got the boot — and SAPD will handle the rest. The Centro board of directors released a statement assuring that DiGiovanni had "absolutely nothing to do with the financial indiscretions," but "the board and he both felt his resignation was in the best interest of Centro San Antonio.” If DiGiovanni had absolutely no connection to the embezzlement scheme, why leave? Now is arguably a moment when Centro needs him the most. Wouldn't the nonprofit want to maintain an unfaltering appearance — led by a resilient leader — to help iron out this kind of PR disaster? But, that's not in the "best interest" of Centro. As these allegations bubble to the surface, it's hard to ignore DiGiovanni's ethically rocky past. DiGiovanni came to San Antonio in 2006, recruited by City Manager Sheryl Sculley to join her office as a deputy city manager. A year earlier, DiGiovanni had resigned from his role as city manager for Kalamazoo, Michigan, shortly after firing an African-American staffer who had made allegations of racism in the city department. Community outcry led to DiGiovanni stepping down a week after firing the staffer (who later sued the city of Kalamazoo for claims of institutional racism). DiGiovanni's next career move was equally bumpy. As deputy city manager, DiGiovanni led San Antonio's 2012 search committee to find the right developers to land San Antonio's largest-ever construction project: tearing down half of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center just to rebuild it a block away. While this was going on, DiGiovanni was meeting privately with David Zachry, a local developer and vice chairman of Centro, to negotiate DiGiovanni's future position as Centro CEO. The week after DiGiovanni sealed the deal with Centro for his new job, his city committee awarded the $325 million convention center project to Zachry Corp — yup, that's David Zachry's firm. Unsurprisingly, this was a violation of the city's ethics rules. But while the city's Ethics Review Board decided that yes, DiGiovanni had clearly broken these rules, they did nothing to reprimand him — it was the judicial equivalent of a shrug. DiGiovanni said he was "embarrassed," and clambered to the top of Centro's administration. From his position as Centro CEO, he's led city "stakeholders" (mostly downtown developers and business owners) in informing major city budgetary decisions. The city's 2017 bond recommendations on which large-scale city projects get public funding were nearly identical to the suggestions the Centro stakeholders made to the city in 2016. That's why, with a track record like DiGiovanni's, it's hard to take his latest career decision at face value. In an interview with the Rivard Report (a Centro-sponsored nonprofit that's unapologetically defended DiGiovanni's ethical missteps in the past), DiGiovanni said, "I don't want to be a distraction." That time may have come and gone. We still don't know where DiGiovanni's headed yet, but with his history in city government and the city's Tricentennial Celebration on the horizon (which has its own ethical wrinkles), maybe it's time San Antonio took a break from DiGiovanni. Tags: Pat DiGiovanni, Rivard Report, Centro San Antonio, development, David Zachry, Zachry Corp. Kalamazoo, Scheryl Sculley, city bond, ethics review board, ethics, ethics violation, deputy city manager, embezzlement, theft, Image « SAPD Searching for Man Linked to Mu… | The Hamburglar Robbed an East Side… » More The Daily » Jump to comments RELATED STORIES Records Show Centro's Spent Thousands of Taxpayer Dollars on Lobbying, Private Events, Personal Travel Feb 26, 2018 An Ethically Challenged City, a Near-Billion Dollar Bond, and a Very Strange Mayor’s Race Apr 25, 2017 SA Tomorrow: Your City is Going to Look Real Different Real Soon Aug 24, 2016 Board rules DiGiovanni violated ethics code Oct 10, 2012 SPEAKING OF... 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