#efficient cash flow

[moolamore]

How to Streamline Cash Flow Management with Moolamore vs. Spreadsheet

It's time to break free from the clutches of spreadsheet nightmare and put an end to the frustration and anxiety that comes with managing your ins and outs! In this blog post, we'll look at how the revolutionary platform Moolamore, as opposed to cumbersome spreadsheets, can streamline cash flow management in your SME business. Let's get started!

Do you spend countless hours manually entering data and cross-referencing numbers, only to end up with inaccurate and out-of-date financial projections? Your company deserves the best, and Moolamore delivers. Accept this tool now and watch your cash flow management problems fade away!

[artisticdivasworld]

The Cost of Ignoring Professional Advice in the Trucking Industry

Running a trucking business isn’t just about owning a bunch of trucks and hiring drivers. It’s a tough industry filled with rules, rising expenses, and new technologies popping up all the time. To keep up, you need more than just hard work—you need expert advice. Unfortunately, many trucking companies skip out on this, thinking they can handle it on their own. The truth is, that decision can cost…

[ifindtaxpro]

Unlock the power of corporate credit cards to streamline expense management and optimize cash flow for your business. Learn how these versatile tools can enhance financial efficiency and control. #CorporateCreditCards #CashFlow #ExpenseManagement

[bizzview]

Navigating tax equity in the US presents its fair share of challenges. However, by skillfully leveraging tax incentives and mastering the system's intricacies, one can unlock the full potential of renewables. It's a clever way not only to drive economic success but also to make a significant positive impact on the environment. 💚💼 Making Green by Going Green! ✨ What sets this model apart? ✨  🔹 Tailored financial analysis that precisely addresses the needs of PV farm projects.  🔹 Efficient management of capital accounts and careful consideration of tax basis.  🔹 Flexibility to explore back leverage loan options for optimized financing.  🔹 Seamless allocation of income and cash flow/waterfall among partners.  🔹 Reliable projections to empower confident decision-making.  🔹 Robust reporting and analysis capabilities.

👉 Access the model now to unlock the full potential of your PV farm partnerships. Let's propel the renewable energy revolution forward! 

[treason-and-plot]

At the other end of the table Helene gives a gentle laugh and spears a glistening piece of steak with her fork. Tom takes a long drink from his beer glass, as if toasting his own wit. Connor sets his fork down on his plate. Saffron tries to make eye contact with him but he is staring at the wooden salt and pepper shakers, his jaw clenched.

“That's not true at all,” Saffron says to Tom. "Why would you even say that?"

“Saff, it's okay," says Connor. “Dad just thinks he's being funny. Don't worry about it."

“All I'm trying to say is that Helene and I are exceedingly grateful to you for all you've done for Connor this term," says Tom. He bestows his shark-like smile upon her once again, but she doesn't smile back. “I meant academically, but I’m sure you’ve helped him in myriad other ways as well. We’ve noticed a lot of positive changes, haven’t we Helene?"

“Oh, definitely,” says Helene.

“What are you talking about? You wouldn't notice if I grew two heads,” says Connor.

“Watch the attitude, son,” says Tom. His tone is pleasant, and sends a small shiver down Saffron's spine.  

“I'm glad to hear that you think I'm a positive influence, because I was paranoid you'd think I was a bad influence after I made Connor skip school with me the other day," says Saffron. Tom looks at her blankly, his eyebrows raised.

“I didn’t hear anything about this,” says Tom. “Did you, Hel?”

“I think I may have received a voicemail or an email from the school, now that you mention it,” Helene says. “I probably just assumed it was a message asking me to donate to the second-hand uniform sale or something.”

“Wow," says Saffron. “My mother went off her head.”  

“Saffron’s mother is a police officer,” Helene tells Tom, as if this is the sole explanation for her reaction.

“Ah,” says Tom. “And what does your father do, Saffron?”

“Here we go,” mutters Connor.

“He operates a chain of childcare centres,” says Saffron.

“Really,” says Helene. “What's the name of his business?”

“Little Sprouts,” says Saffron. Both Helene and Tom make noises signifying their recognition and approval. 

“Oh, I’ve heard they’re doing very well!” Helene says. “Didn’t he just open several more centres?”

“Yeah, he’s got five now,” says Saffron.

“Does he use an accountancy firm?” says Tom. Connor mutters something under his breath.

“I think Mireille- his girlfriend- does all the accounting,” says Saffron.

“There’s a wise saying that I like to tell my clients, Saffron,” says Tom. “And that saying is: 'It’s not the money that matters, it’s how you use it that determines its true value'.”

He pauses for effect.

“Woah. Interesting,” Saffron deadpans while Connor stifles a loud yawn. Helene narrows her eyes at him.

“Now, I’m sure your Dad’s girlfriend is more than competent in the area of bookkeeping and handling the payroll and the rest of the basics, but how up to date is she with the latest tax laws?” says Tom. “Does she know how to forecast cash flow? Does she realise the importance of accurate record keeping? Does she have access to the most up-to-date accounting software, which will enable she and your father to maximise business efficiency and productivity?” 

"I have no idea," says Saffron sweetly. "But I'm guessing you do, right?"

[megaerakles]

To Whom It May Concern

Tim couldn’t stay. 

No matter what Bruce had said when he caught Tim in the act of laying the paper trail to establish his Fake Uncle, no matter how long Dick had sobbed into the phone at him during an inordinately expensive long distance (read: off planet) phone call, no matter how much Alfred had been fussing over him and insisting it was no trouble at all to care for him since Tim’s scheme had been revealed and promptly foiled, it just didn’t change the fact that Tim couldn’t stay. Truthfully, the Wayne family’s apparent sudden burst of affection for him actually made this whole thing worse because somewhere along the way, without even trying, Tim had failed to keep things wholly professional between them and somehow tricked them into thinking he belonged in their family! 

He couldn’t let it stand. For the sake of Jason’s memory, for the sake of preserving the sanctity of the true Wayne family, he had to stop this… this absurdity of pretending that Tim belonged with them from continuing! Tim had to run. Tim had to vanish. It was the only way to make things right again. Sure, the thought of never seeing any of them again, the thought of being done with Bruce and Alfred and Dick and Barbara and everyone in his life he currently held dear once and for all made it feel as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest only to be shoved back down his throat to stop the flow of air into his body—but it didn’t matter. He didn’t matter, not nearly as much as they did. This would be for their own good. 

Tim was leaving, and it turned out to be easier than he thought it would be in the end. Not emotionally easier, but logistically easier. Bruce had been extra attentive lately, so he thought he’d have to fake an injury and get ‘benched’ so that they would lower their guard long enough for him to slip away. But by some divine stroke of luck, a new player had waltzed onto Gotham’s criminal scene not too long after Tim’s Fake Uncle plan fell through and started making threats against Batman and Robin. They had apparently freaked B out enough to prompt him to send Tim off to Titan’s Tower to ‘focus on his team for awhile’. Tim had accepted the command with the requisite amount of complaint, planted some fake texts to make it look like he’d actually communicated to his Team that he would be there, shoved everything from his guest room in the Manor that he couldn’t bear to part with into a duffel bag underneath a spare uniform, gave Bruce what only he knew was a more emotionally charged nod goodbye than usual, and then poof. Tim Drake was zapped out of the Batcave for the last time ever. 

He let himself have one night in the Tower. Partly to catch a few hours of sleep in a familiar and secure environment, but mostly so he could clean up his room for its next occupant, sweep his belongings and his person for any extra trackers, and repack his bag more efficiently. He also took the time to grab a spare backpack and fill it up with emergency rations. While he was taking plenty of cash, he didn’t want to risk having to go into stores with security cameras for a while, at least until he’d cleared a suitable distance from San Francisco proper as well as implemented the first of his many planned disguises. He didn’t think a bottle of cheap hair dye and some colored contacts would be enough to fool Oracle indefinitely, but if he was appropriately cautious it might keep her from getting a confirmation of his location long enough for the Bats to either get bored looking for him or to actually realize they were better off without him around. 

When the early rays of dawn started to bathe the sides of Titan’s Tower in ember colored light, he was off. He left behind seven trackers pulled from his clothes and bag and one more from behind his ear; he’d kept the one he noticed in his favorite pair of sneakers because it was a type that wouldn’t start transmitting data until the Bats actively started tracking it and he was hoping to find someone who wore his size at the bus station he could pay to wear them so he could throw them off for even longer. If all else failed, he would just toss them in an out of the way trash can. He had also left a letter of resignation for Batman that he’d whipped up based off of an online template, signed and sealed and awaiting discovery atop the pillow in his nearly empty dorm room (he had tried for something more personal, a longer note of explanation for Bruce about why he couldn’t stay despite being asked, but—the words just wouldn’t come, and he’d been running out of time). His bag was heavy, courtesy of all of the extra supplies he’d grabbed in anticipation of having to evade not only Batman’s team but the rest of the Justice League. His heart was heavy, courtesy of emotional baggage that he wished was as easy to unpack as his actual bags would be when he finally found somewhere to settle. 

He boarded the first bus he saw after he’d gone a few blocks and took a seat towards the back, where he leaned against the window and stared back at the iconic giant T that he used to belong in, however briefly, until it disappeared from sight. And just like that, Tim Drake’s life as Robin was over. 

—

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to formally notify you that I’m resigning as Robin in Gotham City, effective immediately. 

Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you all for the past three years. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the team and appreciated the opportunity to learn about vigilantism and hone my detective skills. I’m excited to take these skills with me as I pursue the next step of my career.

During the past two weeks, I have done everything possible to wrap up any ongoing cases and leave no unfinished business. The Robin suit as well as my spare have been cleaned and placed in the armory of Titan’s Tower along with any gear I have been issued. 

I wish Batman and team the best, but am afraid I will be out of contact for the foreseeable future. 

Sincerely, 

T. J. Drake

—

Red Hood stalked into Titan’s Tower with all the grace of a wildcat closing in on its prey, his vicious smirk hidden by his helmet, his unauthorized entrance hidden by virtue of the heroes’ own stupidity in failing to remove his codes from the database. Seriously—he’d thought gaining entry into their so-called fortress would be the hardest part of this little trip, and had only tried his access codes for the sake of checking the most stupidly obvious Plan A off his list! For them to work, to realize that there was nothing truly separating the precious sidekicks from the wrath of a vengeance minded crime lord, well… it sure made the message he was about to send feel all the more poignant. 

He had come equipped to subdue an entire horde of Teeny Titans without hurting them (much), but to his surprise, the tower was empty of kid sidekicks despite Robin having been sent to work with his team yesterday afternoon, a fact Jason had gleaned last night from listening to the mind numbing chatter of Nightwing being bored on a stakeout and wanting to chat with anyone over the comms Jason had hacked into. Which he’d done in order to better plan his aggressive takeover of Crime Alley, not because he missed hearing his family’s voices. Nope. 

(Since coming back to Gotham, it had been more difficult than he anticipated to stick to the plan when some part of his mind still stubbornly clung to those foolish, childhood dreams of belonging and family and a father who gave a shit and things like that, and kept popping up with annoying questions like ‘what if he revealed his identity to Dick or Alfred or someone just to see if maybe Talia had been right and they’d want him back after all. Clearly, the existence of a new Robin meant that they’d never really given a damn about him, so he was going to go through with this thing, just watch him.)

Truly this had to be fate, because the path to Robin was practically unfolding before him with no barriers. All that was left to do was find where in this gigantic clubhouse the itty little birdie was nesting. Jason tried the common room first. Then the kitchen. Then the rec room. And then the training floor. And the med bay. And then the armory, where he found Robin’s suit, but no actual Robin. He supposed the next place to check would be Robin’s bedroom, because even though it was well past eleven, Drake was a teenager and could conceivably be sleeping in, especially since there was no Alfred around to rouse him at a reasonable hour. Luckily, the doors on the floor with sleeping quarters were all clearly marked with either the name or symbol of the person it belonged to, so it was easy enough to find the one with that all too familiar stylized ‘R’. Jason paused to take a steadying breath before gritting his teeth and deciding to really make an entrance by kicking down the door. 

…To an empty bedroom. Like, not just devoid of Tim Drake, but also devoid of books, trinkets, photos, decoration, clothes, dishes, mess, et cetera, et cetera. It looked as clean and sterile as a hotel room, and if Jason hadn’t literally just seen Robin’s insignia on the door he would think he’d entered an unassigned room by mistake. He frowned and yanked off his helmet, as if looking with his own two eyes would suddenly change the scene, but no. Nothing. He strode into the room and yanked open the closet—empty. He walked over to the desk and yanked open the top drawer—empty. He yanked open the bottom drawer, and mostly empty except for—wait, was that a pile of deactivated Bat trackers? Fucking bizarre. When he stood up, he glanced around again, and this time something on the bed caught his eye. It had been easy to miss against the white pillowcase, but there was an envelope tucked up against the pillow. With a scowl, he stalked over and grabbed it. 

When Jason flipped it over, he noted that it was addressed to Batman, but decided that since he was a crime lord now he didn’t have to care about something as trivial as opening someone else’s mail. He didn't want to take off his gloves and risk leaving prints on anything, so he pulled out a dagger and used it to slice open the envelope. As he flipped it over to dump its contents on the desk, he had the fleeting thought that he probably should have put back on his mask in case this had been some villain’s ploy to poison Batman, but luckily all that fell out was a single sheet of printer paper folded into thirds. 

This he was careful not to damage as he unfolded it. It wasn’t a long note, just a few small paragraphs, so it was quick enough to read: To whom it may concern. This letter is to formally notify you that I’m resigning as Robin in Gotham City, effective immediately… 

Jason dropped the letter and took a step back, staring at the innocuous piece of paper with wide eyes and racing thoughts. Robin had—Drake wasn’t—Timothy—the kid, he was quitting? Leaving? Gone? 

It could be a trap. It probably was a trap. Except Robin shouldn’t have had any way of knowing Red Hood would be able to track him all the way to Titan’s Tower so why would he have set a trap for him in the first place? A trap for someone else, then? If it was, it was really, really stupid of him because the kid had signed his resignation letter from Robin with his actual name, and surely he wouldn’t have made it this far if he were that careless with his identity. So, it was either a very bad trap, or not a trap at all. And if it was not a trap at all, then… 

Then Robin had… resigned. Which, ok, Jason’s stated goal coming into this thing was to get Tim Drake to stop being Robin. So he should be happy about this, right? Except he’d not gotten to toss the kid around and work out his aggression at all so there was no satisfaction in it. Also, the timing was fucking obnoxious. Go figure that the very day he decides to do something about his replacement, the kid decides to peace out of the Gotham vigilante scene and… and go… 

… Somewhere. Jason had no idea where Tim Drake would go if he were no longer Robin. Given how he’d waited until he was alone and then left the note to be found on the other side of the country, Jason had a sneaking suspicion that returning to Gotham was currently off the table. The letter had said he would be ‘out of contact’ for the foreseeable future; Jason could read between the lines enough to figure out that meant he was running away. 

—Which, fuck. Another Robin was running away from Batman because of… well, Jason didn’t know what this kid’s issue with B was, but there were plenty of potential flaws in the man to choose from so Jason was going to play it safe and assume it was something Bruce did. Clearly, the man could never learn. And now, this poor dumb Robin was going to pay the price! Jason was more than familiar with the number of horrors that awaited kids who ended up on their own. He could starve; he could freeze to death; he could catch some disease like the flu, or get cut on a rusty nail and get tetanus, and then die from it because he couldn’t access medical treatment. He could get mugged, or harassed by cops, or snatched up by traffickers, or—

And fine; Jason himself had meant to hurt him. But that had been for ideological purposes, to prove a point about putting children in danger and not taking good enough care of them and stuff. It wasn’t like he was going to hurt him that badly, just bad enough to freak out Bruce a bit. But Jason was also the Red Hood, and the Red Hood’s mission was to do what was necessary to stop awful shit from happening to vulnerable kids. And this stupid, stupid letter was apparently enough to abruptly transfer Timothy Drake into that category in his head. 

Everything Jason had heard about the kid said he was smart, and the timing of his disappearance pointed to some thoughtful planning on his part. Jason could imagine that the little shit had some sort of plan in place to evade Batman’s attempts to locate him, and he probably could manage to run without getting caught by Bruce and the Gotham team for a while. Heck, the kid probably had strategies to get away from most if not all of the Justice League members, since B was sure to call in favors once he got frantic enough about the little bird. But one thing the kid likely did not plan for was being pursued by him. Ex-Robin, currently a crime lord, League of Assassins connections, and a bone to pick with Timothy specifically? (He ran away from home and left a fucking resignation letter about it? Does he not realize what that would do to Dick, to Alfred, to Bruce—)

After stuffing the letter into his pocket, Jason put back on his helmet and stalked out of Titans Tower as silently as he’d arrived, this time with a new yet equally furious purpose sharpening his steps. Sucked to be Timothy Drake, he thought, because the Red Hood got his message and he was officially concerned. 

[horanghxnni]

coffee shop meet-cute. - j.w.w.

PAIRING: Jeon Wonwoo x Reader

WORD COUNT: 3.1k

TAGS: meet cute, strangers to lovers one-shot, barista!reader, non-idol!wonwoo; pure fluff, oblivious pining

WARNINGS: mentions of food/eating; i tried my best to write as gender neutral as possible, but i haven't proofread this more than once so pls let me know if it's not; other than that none (please let me know if i've missed anything)

NOTES: this is my first post here on tumblr omg. hi! i've been a big fan of work here and i've been writing for a while (i shall not discuss my cursed wattpad days when i was younger) and thought i'd start posting here for fun. i hope you enjoy! <3

You had started working at this local coffee shop when you were 16, at first as a way to earn cash on the weekends to fund your high school escapades, and now, 7 years later, you grew to love the feeling of crafting drinks and managing the shop you now felt was like a second home. You worked every day, and opening the quaint little shop meant that the first hour or so was a quiet peace to yourself, filled with the smell of brewing espresso and baking croissants. 

The morning rush came like clockwork, beginning at 7:15 am and finally reaching a calmer pace around 8 am. Just when the busy atmosphere began to subside and the day reached its first slump, a clearly anxious man made his way to the front counter, hurriedly ordering an iced americano and holding out his card before you could even tell him how much it would cost. You rang him up, and he left the counter to stand in a corner with a polite nod to wait for his coffee, glancing at the clock. You make his simple order as quickly as possible and set it on the pickup counter, calling his name. “Wonwoo, iced americano?” 

He grabs his cup and thanks you quietly, before hurriedly leaving the shop, not even bothering to grab a straw. You don’t think too much of it and get back to filling the pastry case as the curious stranger becomes a distant memory by the end of the day. 

That is, until you notice he comes in every day, always at the same time, just before 9 am. He enters with the same kind of energy, always as if he’s perpetually running late, and orders the same thing: iced americano, and if he was feeling peckish, a blueberry muffin. He never talked much, and the only thing you knew about him other than his coffee order was that his name was Wonwoo, he seemed to have a horrible concept of time, and he must work in some office to be dressed in business casual every day. This Groundhog Day feeling encounter with him remained as a growing routine for you, until 3 weeks later when you began to anticipate his arrival, and you had his order ready and waiting for him by the time he reached the counter. Your interaction grew more efficient as time passed, with a single swap of his debit card for his coffee, and his transaction down to 30 seconds, handing him back his card in record timing. You figured it was helping him, right? He was late to work, or something time-sensitive at least, and you made his caffeine pit-stop easier. It was a win-win: you gained another regular, and he got his coffee without hindering his morning. 

He ruined your flow one Wednesday afternoon. Once again, he arrived just before 9 am, but he walked in much slower this time, and he was wearing much more casual clothes, a faded gray t-shirt and jeans, a brown messenger bag slung on his shoulder. As usual, his coffee was already done, and you almost dropped a tray of apple tarts as he entered almost as an entirely different person. You set them in the pastry case with renewed care, and met him at the register. 

“Not in a rush this morning?” You asked, clearly confused but friendly, as you pushed his cup towards him. 

He chuckled, shaking his head as his eyes roved over the rows of pastries and sandwiches you had displayed. “Nope, we started a hybrid schedule so I’m working from home on Wednesdays.” He met your eyes for a moment before shifting back to the sweets, thinking. “I’m thinking about trying something new, what do you recommend?” 

It took you a moment before you adapted to the fact that you’d heard more than two words from him. His voice was smooth and deeper than you expected, and it seemed to sink into your bones. “Um, well the apple tarts are new, and we make pop tarts in house.” 

He nodded and took one more glance before meeting your eyes. “I’ll take one of each, for here.” He gave you a small smile and slid over his debit card, once again catching you off guard. For here? He was staying? You nodded silently and began to warm his sweets as you rang him up. He thanked you and took back his card, settling in a seat a few feet down the counter, pulling out his laptop and beginning to type quietly. You couldn’t help but steal glances at him as you made his little pastry plate, not used to his presence. You were so used to his rush of energy that seeing him so still and calm was confusing. You decided just before you gave him his plate that you’d slip a cake pop next to the tart, you had made extras today anyway. With a nod, you place it beside his laptop and don’t even wait for an acknowledgement, leaving the pretty stranger to his work and busying yourself with cleaning some dirty cups from earlier this morning and wiping down the counters. 

“The poptart is good. Do you make them yourself?” His voice cut through the quiet lo-fi music playing over the speakers as you paused from your cleaning. You turned to see him already looking at you, the half-eaten poptart in his hand. 

You nodded and put down the rag in your hand. “Yeah, every morning. The flavor changes depending on what fruit I can get my hands on.” You see him nod in approval, and he sets it down on his plate as he turns his full attention to you. 

“Thank you for the cake pop. And for making my coffee so quickly every day, it really helps me out.” He appears more bashful now, almost bordering embarrassed, as his cheeks flush an almost imperceptible pink. “I know I seem pretty pressed for time most mornings.” 

You laugh at his comment, thinking back to the quiet whirlwind of his stressed aura that appears in the shop every day. “Of course, I don’t want to make you any later than you already seem to be.” You pause for a moment before speaking again, wondering if you should ask the innocent question in your mind. He seems open to conversation, and it’s not like anyone else was demanding your attention at the moment. “Where do you work anyway?” 

“Oh, I work at the Pledis building, I’m a writer there for content creation. I’m not technically late ever, but I like to get there at a certain time and I definitely overestimate the time I need to commute.” He answers sheepishly, and you smile. A writer for such a big company? Impressive. 

You spoke for a little bit longer before another rush began, learning he’d been working at Pledis for a few years now, and his friend Joshua had recommended this coffee shop to him a few months ago, but he hadn’t had the chance to come until a few weeks ago. Of course your favorite regular would have pushed him here, and little details seemed to fit into place as your small chats throughout the few hours he remained at the bar revealed more and more about each other. Around 4 pm, he left with a wave, trying his best not to distract you too much. You waved back, and with an offhanded, “See you tomorrow!”, he left the cafe, the door jingling behind him. 

_____________ 

The next morning, Wonwoo surprised you again. He came in at 8:30, standing at the register while you finished the last of the morning rush orders, you hadn’t even seen him walk in. You turned to take the order only to see a face that wasn’t supposed to be here for another 20 minutes. 

“Oh, you’re here early! I’m sorry, I haven't made your coffee yet.” Of course you hadn’t. You had timed your routine almost down to the second, and he had thrown off your entire groove. He simply smiled and shook his head. 

“It’s okay, I have some time this morning. I’ll get my usual and another poptart, it doesn't matter the flavor.” He points to the plate and pulls out some cash. “You can keep the change.” Wonwoo, without another word, moves to where he sat the day before, settling in and pulling out his phone. 

You make his coffee and warm his poptart, placing it in a to-go sleeve, placing both in front of him. “So, I finally get my routine down with you and you all of a sudden decide you want to switch it up?” You raise an eyebrow at him. 

He looks up from his phone, a small smile growing on his lips. “Figured if I got here a little earlier, I’d relieve you of the time constraint.” His smile shifts into a frown after a moment. “I’m sorry if it threw you off that bad, I didn’t-”

You wave a hand at him, shaking your head. “Don’t worry about it, I was just messing with you.” 

His body visibly relaxes as he reaches for his coffee. “Thanks, Y/N.” You couldn’t help but grin as you hear your name in his voice, and you nod and turn before he can see just how wide your smile could get. You make small talk as he finishes his coffee and pastry, asking about his work and new recipes brewing in your head for the next 20 or so minutes before he declares he is leaving to head to work. 

“This was nice, actually sitting down before work. Maybe I’ll do this more often.” He hands you his plate as you agree, placing it in the sink to deal with later. 

“Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. You’re welcome anytime, obviously.” You say your goodbyes, and with another small smile, he leaves, and you’re left thinking of the way his smile lights up his face for the rest of the day. 

_____________ 

For the next few weeks, Wonwoo arrives around 20-30 minutes early. Your new routine involves pleasant conversation as you work, and him becoming a taste tester for new recipes before they hit the pastry case. You become used to each other’s presence, and with every new interaction, he grows more and more talkative. He tells you about frustrations from work from the day before, or a movie he had just watched over the weekend. You tell him about your roommate endeavors and outings you’d gone on recently. You consider yourselves friends at this point, and it was nice to have someone like him around when the morning felt like too much to handle. 

You had offhandedly mentioned taking a few days off one day and Wonwoo encouraged rest, but through all the chaos of pushed forward deadlines at work, he had completely forgotten until he arrived at the cafe one morning to see someone completely different behind the counter. He was confused to see his usual coffee was still sitting waiting for him in its normal place with his name on it, set aside on the counter, yet he did not recognize the barista currently finishing up a latte. As he slowly stepped up to the pickup counter and grabbed his drink, the employee looked up and met his gaze. 

“Oh, you must be Wonwoo. There’s your iced americano, there’s a muffin in the bag beside it.” His demeanor was nonchalant, as he placed the other drink on the counter and called out the order. 

“Is Y/N not in today?” It was the first thing he could think of, despite the answer being obvious. 

The younger boy looked up from his work. “No, they're off all week. They left me a note saying a guy named Wonwoo would come in at 8:30 and that was your usual.” He shrugged and looked down again at his brewing espresso shots. “I guess that’s you. I’m Chan, I usually work afternoons but I’m covering for Y/N this week.” 

Wonwoo nods, still processing what he had just heard. Y/N’s gone all week? Why hadn’t they said anything? He suddenly felt stupid as he remembered a conversation from two weeks ago, where Y/N finally decided the week they would take a solo trip to Jeju to visit their grandmother: this week. “Right. Thanks, Chan.” 

Chan nods back at him and Wonwoo leaves the cafe still in a semi-daze after setting down some cash, suddenly feeling as if he was thrown off balance, an unfamiliar budding feeling of disappointment settling deep in his chest. He makes his way to work, suddenly feeling like his predictable coffee didn’t taste the same. 

The rest of his work day was surprisingly only getting worse: he had printed the wrong files, was late to a meeting he was supposed to lead, and currently Joshua was trying (and failing) to speak to him about a conference they were attending the following month as Wonwoo unintentionally tuned him out. Suddenly, he felt a light shove of his shoulder pull him out of his trance.

“Dude, what is wrong with you? Have you heard anything I said?” Joshua raised an accusatory eyebrow at his friend and coworker. Wonwoo’s eyes suddenly gained focus as he looked up to see Joshua leaning against his desk. 

“I-” he attempted to think of an excuse, “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little distracted, my whole day feels thrown off.” He frowned and turned his chair toward the other man. “What were you saying?” 

Joshua’s mouth crept into an almost dangerous smirk as he took a glance at Wonwoo’s still full coffee cup, an unfamiliar handwriting scrawling his name on the top. “You didn’t see Y/N this morning.” 

Wonwoo almost choked on his own spit. “What? How- how do you know that?” 

The older boy rolled his eyes and pointed to the cup. “That’s not Y/N’s handwriting. I see them before you do most mornings, and they're not in town. They told me last week. I thought you knew.” 

“I did know, I just forgot, with everything going on at work.” Wonwoo couldn’t help but frown. Had not seeing them really thrown him off that much? “What does not seeing them have to do with anything though?” 

Joshua scoffed. “Dude, every time you come from that cafe, you walk in like you just won the lottery, and you see them every day. You like them, don’t you?” 

It was the last part that struck Wonwoo to his very core. He’d never even considered that to be an option before. Sure, Y/N was stunning, and kind, and he’d found great company in the barista, but like them? Romantically? Maybe it was more possible than he imagined. His face seemed to drop, as Joshua laughed at his rapid change in expression. 

“It’s okay if you do. They seem to make you happy. I think you should go for it.” With a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat, Joshua claps his friend on the shoulder before leaving his desk to return to his own, as Wonwoo’s brain settles on entertaining this thought that seems to bloom an unfamiliar feeling in his chest, replacing the heavy stone of disappointment from earlier. 

_____________

You were back after a relaxing few days with your grandmother, spending time in the sun and looking out on the ocean. Although the time off was needed, you couldn’t help but think about not only your cafe, but a specific regular you hadn’t seen since last week. You hoped Chan had made his usual for him as she said on the note, and you were excited to catch up with Wonwoo about the last week, and honestly, just to see him again. Spending the last few days without seeing each other triggered the realization that he was more special to you than you had initially thought, and though he may not feel the same, you were content with the friendship you had formed already. 

You opened the cafe without issue, and a sense of calm washed over you as you fell back into your routine. The morning rush felt like a breeze as you fell into a groove and before you knew it, 8:30 rolled around and the man you’d been thinking of walked through the door. He was early, as he now often was, but his anxious energy was back. He stepped up to the counter as you handed him his coffee, a fresh pop tart on a plate sliding his way as well. 

“It’s on the house today. I’m sure you missed my magic touch last week.” You joked, your smile widening. His mouth opened before it shut once more, mirroring your grin as he said a quiet thank you as he took his seat. You caught up on missed stories, with mostly you telling stories of your vacation as he sat quietly and listened as you multitasked. It wasn’t until you asked him a question and received no answer that you looked up at him from the espresso machine to see him simply staring at you. “Wonwoo?” 

You saw his eyes clear as his face rapidly turned a deep shade of red. “I’m sorry, I was listening. I just-” He paused, and your brows furrowed. 

“Are you alright?” You asked, putting down the espresso shot and giving him your full focus. 

“Do you want to, maybe, go to dinner sometime?” His eyes couldn’t meet yours at first, until suddenly the dark brown of his irises met yours and you melted at the adoration you felt behind his gaze. 

“Wonwoo, are you asking me on a date?” You couldn’t believe this was happening. You watched his cheeks redden further as he nodded and you couldn’t help the way you seemed to beam at him. “I’d like that very much. Maybe this Saturday, if you’re free?” 

You watched the anxiety leave his body in an instant as he agreed. He handed you his phone as he stood up, coffee cup and plate now empty. “Put your number in and I’ll call you?” 

You punched your contact information in and handed him the phone in exchange for his dishes, and watched as he clumsily pushed in his seat and grabbed his things. “Have a good day at work, Wonwoo. It was nice to see you.” 

“It was good to see you. I’ll call you later tonight, if that’s okay.” You nodded and if he smiled any wider, he thought his lips might start to crack. With one last goodbye, he left out the door, and his eyes didn’t leave your beautiful face through the window until he lost line of sight.

[netherworldpost]

Hi! I followed you for a long time with alot of "jeez someday I hope that can be me some day" fervor and now I am starting my own small goth shop. Do you have any tips on reaching the alternative audience? or tips on general about running a shop I'm nervous.

1a. Protect your cash flow

This is to say constantly question "does this shiny envelope packaging pack in make people love my shop more or is it a money drain?" This is not a simple answer.

It is an answer you'll ask yourself all the time.

The answer is going to shift. Fun unboxing videos? Great for social media posts. Great to get attention. Great fun. Expensive to produce. Worth it? Constantly check.

I really want to stress this: I am not saying "do not do it" -- I am saying "do what makes sense."

In the business-to-business world (you're a business, other businesses are going to sell to you), one of the most effective/common sales tactics is "take this thing you do and make it fun."

Your product is fun.

Your product is quality.

Your packaging etc.'s primary task is to get your product to your customer efficiently (easy to read address labels) and safely (stuff does not break).

1b. Protect your cash flow part two

Evil Supply Co. was the original shop. It experimented with everything -- color changing cereal spoons (launched), temporary tattoos (launched), umbrellas (did not launch), plates and bowls and towels and toothbrushes and shower curtains (did not launch). So much more.

It was primarily a stationery company.

The experimenting was incredibly fun, I regret nothing, and it cost me giant truck loads of cash. That's why Netherworld Post is focusing far more tightly.

2. Can't meet budget? Reduce scope.

When you're talking to designers or web hosts or whatever, and they say "We want $$$" and you say "I have $," reduce your scope down. This fits into the above, you're noticing a theme maybe.

This is a business. It has to make money to continue, it has to make profit to pay you to continue, it has to compensate you for your time to continue.

OR

It is a hobby.

And it doesn't have to do any of those things, it just has to scratch that itch that made you pursue it. It can still sell stuff, it can be a shop, it can be open when you want and closed when you want.

There is no moral, ethical, social value difference between a business and a hobby.

Do what fits into your goals, and if your goals shift, change your shop to accommodate.

3. Have fun

Your biggest competitor by a factor of 1:100 is other shops:folks posting your work without attribution or links.

You've seen the videos where someone is saying "Oh you're so pretty, you're so cute? No, YOU are so pretty, YOU are so cute." That's small business life.

There is enough for us all. Just have fun.

4a. Reaching people

Post stuff. Works in progress, memes, rambles, whatever makes you "you". Pepper in shop links and email sign up links occasionally.

Just be you.

If you don't know who you are, well, that's what you should post.

There is this idea that there is a "brand" that you have to build, and you're going to get (if you aren't getting them already) a million targeted ads to help you build this brand.

"I sell stuff. It has a price range of $X. It is high quality! Or it is cheap quality and priced accordingly! It can be found at xyz dot com. It will get to you in Z days/weeks." = 99% of branding.

The other 1% is "when you think of me, you think of X." Such as, when you think of Netherworld Post, you think of atty's antics and Fang's amused exasperation and Halloween and spooky things and mail and ghosts and mermaids, etc.

4b. Decide your social media bandwith and stick to it

There are ten billion social networks.

It's common to feel like you have to be on them all 24/7. Attempting to reach this is going to burn you out and use up limited resources, it is far more effective to have an email list (this is independent of all networks) + the networks you, as a person, enjoy using and focusing there.

See #3 above. Fits here too.

5. Keep going when things are hard or convert this into a hobby You're making this shop for a reason.

That reason is more important than money, otherwise you wouldn't be doing it.

Building a shop is infinitely harder than playing video games and reading books and watching movies and dancing -- every hour you are working on your shop is an hour you're not playing video games about dancing books.

If you say "this sucks," convert it to a hobby. See #2.

The reason I'm building Netherworld Post instead of doing other business things that would make much more money is because I love it. It feeds a part of me. It makes me more "me" to run this shop than to not run this shop.

The minute that changes, I'm converting it to a hobby. Keep the door open when I want to play, close the door it when I'm tired, re-open after I rest.

If you want more money in your life, get a second job.

If you want money doing THIS -- take every problem as it lunges at your heart, take that tender in your black painted talons, look at the problem carefully, then tear it apart until you have the answers.

You are going to be doing this constantly.

It should be part of the fun.

If it's not, make this a hobby.

There is no inherent value in having it as a business.

The value is this project is it should make you more you.

Every single problem you are going to face -- every single question you are going to ask -- every single opportunity, every issue -- listen to me, everything -- has at LEAST one industry built on solving it.

Not company. Industry.

Keep going until you find someone or something that fixes it for your budget and scope.

6. You do not work for other people

You mention you've been around for awhile following me, so maybe you've seen my...

...occasional ...lack... of delicacy...

...when dealing with people who have a confusion about who is running this blog (them vs. me)

People are going to say "you should lower your prices, you should post more X, you should post less Y, you shouldn't post about Z person/ business/ entity/ thing because of Reasons."

Critiques and criticism can be valid.

They are not directives that need be followed.

There are consequences for not following them (people may leave).

There are consequences for following them when you disagree with them (your shop may feel less like your shop and more like someone else's).

This is not license to be a jerk.

It means that this is your shop and it has to make you more "you" and if it doesn't then it isn't your shop it is a pain in the ass job that pays you far less than you should be paid.

It's like dating as the most confident person in the world.

"This is who I am. Am I compatible with you? IF SO we will drink root beer and dance badly to old cartoons and dress up in silly costumes and be absurd. IF NOT then I wish you well, and the instant you are gone, I will never think of you again."

I ask no one to change who they are when they follow my blog or read my rambles or shop in my stores.

I do not change who I am for the people who follow my blog or read my rambles or shop in my stores.

You must adopt this attitude too.

Or it's not your shop.

It belongs to people you don't know who make you uncomfortable.

Which is the exact description of the world's worst paying job or second job. Which is the exact opposite of why you are building your shop.

[lol-jackles]

https://www.tumblr.com/walker-girl/750007869557129216/hahaha-this-is-so-funny-love-when-vinnie-pisses

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6tx5zCOUTd/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I may not have much business experience but I don’t think this is good news no matter how hard AAs try to spin it.

Based on what the ex-master brewer said after a bunch of people were let go over the holidays, that only Gino and one other taproom employee were left. Now with the taproom closed, guess it’s just Gino managing everything with the contract brewing relationship, distribution, sales and marketing.

Seems like the taproom closing is just a first step before FBBC quietly disappears from the marketplace.

Unless the AAs are right and this IS a good thing for FBBC because they outgrew the facility and outsourcing its brewing operations made it a more efficient business.

What is your opinion?

Link. Link. *rub forehead* AAs clearly never had lemonade stands when they were kids.

We used to joke that AAs don't have jobs because the message board threads' timestamps showed they were always online from mornign to night.

Uh huh, FBBC's DS location is temporarily closing down. That's like saying you're temporarily burning down a building. No the building is on fire you donut hole.

Anybody remember when the Ackles were supposed to open a second location in South Austin (X) six years ago? That didn't appear to happen and now they're supposedly looking for 2nd taproom location. Back then I said the Ackles may go the contract brewing route because it cost much less to rent out another brewer’s facility and brew the beer themselves with the FBBC recipes.  But the Ackles end up doing the contract brewing when they stopped brewing at Dripping Springs, laid off employees, closed for 3 days of the week because it cost more to stay open, while most breweries in DP are are open 6 or 7 days a week.

That's not expansion, that's contraction. In other words, they're downsizing because FBBC is struggling because they don't have enough cash flow.

Remember kids, in business, cash flow is king and more important than your mother. Because you can run a non-profitable company indefinitely with positive cash flow. But without cash flow, a profitable company will quickly run into the ground. 

Part of me thinks the search for the 2nd taproom is give Gino something to do as a glorified bartender.

[jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka]

Pairings: Jake Kiszka X Danny Wagner *slash pairing

Summary: Jake is a busy man running the kitchen at the restaurant he, his younger brother Sam, and his brother’s best friend Danny all work at. He doesn’t have the time to meet new people let alone date, but that doesn’t mean he’ll let his needs go unmet.

Warnings and tags: you should know me by now only 18+!!!, sexual content, M/M sex, slash of course (future SamXDanny so if that will freak you out in later chapters maybe just skip this all together), unrequited love, angst, drinking, third person POV Jake and Danny, restaurant AU, I probably missed something so if I did let me know

The title is taken from a Sleep Token song so if you’re interested you can give it a listen while you read

Word count: 6.4k

“Someone please for the love of fucksake get me a dry towel!” Jake yelled after nearly burning his hand from picking up the heated handle of a pan some dumbass had positioned towards a burner instead of away. Everyone knew you weren’t supposed to move hot pans with wet towels. He didn’t expect the towel on the counter next to it to be saturated in whatever liquid it had been used to clean up then carelessly discarded right next to the stove.

Fucking amateurs, he worked with a bunch of fucking amateurs.

Jake was the sous-chef now, having just recently risen in the ranks of the kitchen after proving himself a worthy prospect the fateful weekend the previous sous walked out and abandoned them in the middle of a rush.

The majority of the staff were frozen in place, unsure of how to regroup and delegate without a leader telling them what to do. Not that the previous was ever very organized and leaderly to begin with.

He hadn’t been trying or expecting to earn a promotion. More like after working so many years in the kitchen of his family’s restaurant back at home had just made him naturally good at understanding what to do to make the line flow seamlessly and efficiently.

So he took control for the night, then the next night, and before he could say otherwise the kitchen manager was announcing him as the new sous by the end of the weekend.

Some of his coworkers were not happy about the news since Jake was young and hadn't been there as long as a few others who would have been in the running had they taken any initiative when it really mattered. Jake didn’t care though, sous-chef or not he was all or nothing in the kitchen. A real force to be reckoned with, and despite the couple that doubted him he had just as many if not turned more into his corner after showing his chops and getting things back in order. Maybe even better than before if he did say so himself.

It was just past midnight, 1am creeping up quickly when Jake was finally finishing up cleaning after the dinner rush. He was always the first to arrive at the kitchen, managing the prep for the night's menu and making sure all his kitchen staff showed up to work on time and sober. Well at least sober enough to not lose any appendages while wielding a knife.

He was also always the last to leave, taking a moment to himself to eat something while he waited for the restaurant manager to close since someone had to witness the cash being deposited into the safe.

“The fuck are you still doing here?” Jake’s bones nearly jumped out of his body at the sight of a tall and lanky figure stepping out of the shadows after he locked up the back door.

“Waiting for you” Sam replied with an amused laugh at the sight of startling his older brother.

Jake pressed past him, gripping the strap of his bag that held his notebook and his food-stained dirty jacket to be tossed in the wash when he got home. “Why?” He called backwards when Sam kept following him.

“I told Josh I’d help him set up for the party tomorrow night. Savanna ordered a few extra bottles at distributor price and they got delivered today so I’m going to drop them off at your place”.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me Sam. She can get in trouble for that!” He scolded him. He wasn’t necessarily mad at Sam, because that sounded exactly like something he would do without thinking about the repercussions, but Savanna, he expected her to know better and not let Sam’s bad influence rub off on her so easily.

“Don’t worry” Sam sighed, annoyed already by Jake's tone. “I paid her for them, it’s not like they’re losing any money”.

“Yeah, only the taxes they have to pay on those extra bottles” he quipped back actually pissing Sam off because well he didn’t think about that and he didn’t like being proven wrong.

“Yeah, whatever, it was a one time deal. Won’t happen again, sir” he drew the last word out, picking fun at the way Jake’s head chef had come in and demanded everyone start referring to him as Sir now. He wouldn’t admit it outloud, especially to his brother, but he quite liked it.

Jake started working at the restaurant straight out of culinary school. A little over two years ago now whether he believed it or not.

He was the first to graduate, having chosen an easier academic path than his brothers. Josh had just graduated next, having taken him one year longer to receive his bachelor's degree in fine arts and filmmaking.

It was a tedious search to find an area that benefited both Jake and Josh's dreams, culinary arts and film. Neither of them were ready to part after highschool, but eventually they found what they were looking for in Nashville. They made the move expecting to grow used to being out on their own but only a couple years later Sam and his best friend followed them out here.

After Sam’s first year of college Jake decided he had gotten enough partying in and got him a job at the restaurant so he could keep an eye on him.

At first Sam was just a waiter, but he hated that. Being quick to an attitude and having a loose tongue were not favorable attributes for the position. He was constantly getting in arguments with the guests.

Just when Jake thought Sam would be fired he got moved into the position as bartender. The role fit Sam’s set of skills far better, Sam being a genius mixologist since before he was even legal to consume.

Then Jake found out that Sam and the bar manager were hooking up. Savanna didn’t strike him as Sam’s usual type, but who was he to get in the way of his brother’s needs.

“You got tomorrow night off right?” Sam questioned as he followed Jake to his car, helping himself to placing his bags and bottles into the backseat before climbing in up front.

Jake didn’t reply. Of course he’d gotten the night off, Josh would literally kill him if he missed it, but he was dreading it nonetheless.

It was Josh’s going away party. Now that he’d graduated he was moving to New York to start working on a few sets. He had impressed one of his professors that was still in touch with a few influential people on Broadway, giving Josh a recommendation and ultimately a test run at a job the summer right after graduation. It wasn’t film, Josh was excited to be getting started somewhere.

Although Jake was more than proud of his twin, the idea of living alone for the first time half way across the US from his other half made him sick to his stomach.

Before leaving Josh decided he wanted to host a party. He convinced Jake to agree to have it at their place since it was a central location. He had invited quite a few friends from school and Sam turned around and invited people from the restaurant against Jake's wishes.

When Sam asked him why he was so pissed off he had invited their ‘friends’ Jake merely rolled his eyes. He saw those people nearly six days a week. Home was his escape from work and he did not want to see any of them there. Well, all but one.

Then there was Danny.

Jake was very familiar with Danny. Having also grown up with him in Michigan. He was Sam’s childhood and still best friend who followed Sam follow his brothers to Nashville.

When he first heard that Danny was coming with Sam Jake was shocked. He knew the two of them had been close in highschool, but to leave home together, there had to be a deeper reason.

Then the pieces started to fit the more Jake observed him. Sam got Danny his old waiter position when he became a bartender. Stating it was just easier for them to work together than separately since they were coming from the same school and to the same apartment.

Danny and Jake were a lot alike compared to their counterparts. Sam and Josh were both chaotic and high energy. While Danny and Jake were overall more reserved and soft spoken.

The four of them were like chess pieces on opposite sides of the board. Josh was the king. The most protected piece, able to take a step in any direction, but always having to watch where he went. He was the oldest, by five minutes mind you, but he still took that very seriously. Always striving to be one worth looking up to.

Sam, whether he liked it or not, was the queen. Also able to move very freely. Being the youngest he had the world in the palm of his hand.

Jake and Danny were both knights, the king's knight and the queen's knight. They were restricted in their movements, constantly fighting and sacrificing themselves for the benefit of those most important to them.

Jake was bound by his dream, wanting to follow in his fathers footsteps. Although their dad never went through culinary school, he managed to open and run a successful restaurant back in their hometown, all while juggling raising three boys.

The three of them grew up in that restaurant, feeling obligated to put in some work when they were able to give back to their parents. It was never a chore for Jake though. He loved cooking, and just about the time he realized he was good at it, so did his father, having been the one to convince him to go to school.

The plan had always been to go back home and take over, but after graduating he realized he had developed a taste for the finer variety of the culinary world. The restaurant he worked in was much nicer than the family restaurant. Not that he wasn’t proud of where he came from. The demographic for restaurants in Michigan and the ever growing Nashville just called for different atmospheres.

Danny was bound by love. Jake knew Danny was in love with his younger brother. It was written all over the boy's face the way he stared longingly at his best friend when he thought no one was paying attention. He didn’t know if Sam knew Danny was in love with him. He hadn’t figured that one out for sure yet, but if he had to guess the way Sam heedlessly brought Savanna over to their shared apartment, the answer would be no.

Jake pulled into his parking spot in front of his apartment, waiting for Sam to gather all his things before locking the car.

Sam had a key, but his hands were too full to dig it out so Jake let them in instead.

“You crashing here tonight then?” Jake grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge to take back to his room with him, tossing one in his brother's direction. If the party was going to be anything like what Sam had been hyping up, then they both needed to start hydrating now.

“Yeah, Danny will be over tomorrow afternoon to help” Sam opened his water and downed about half of it before jumping onto the couch where he planned to make himself comfy for the rest of the night.

“Great, can’t wait”.

“Are we already out of the booze?” Jake groaned while shifting through the empty glass bottles on their counter top.

“Not by a long shot brother” Josh called him out of the kitchen and into the small laundry room. He lifted the lid to the washer and revealed it had been filled to the brim with ice, multiple cans of beer and more liquor stashed inside. “Didn’t have enough counter space” he grinned.

“Clever” Jake shook his head in disbelief but also thoroughly entertained by his brothers’ resourcefulness.

After retrieving a bottle he mixed a strong drink before braving returning to the living room.

Jake had been buzzed since before people started showing up, holding out on getting completely shit faced for his brother’s sake.

Josh introduced him to a few of his close classmates, each one being shocked to find out that Josh was indeed a twin. Jake put up an easy going front, but he was getting burnt out quickly. Tonight was his first night off in over a week and it was going to be his only night off this one. It was a bitch to get this night specifically off, having traded a few days and come in extra to make up for it. Of course Danny, Sam, and Savanna had also worked it out to come, so Jake couldn’t help but wonder how the place was doing without all of them.

“Think the dinner rush is going smoothly?” Someone who was reading his mind muttered from closely behind him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Don’t sneak up on me, you know I scare easily” Jake spoke quietly back to Danny. He didn’t know why he felt the need to converse with him in a hushed tone when everyone else in the house was practically yelling at each other over the music. “Result of growing up with brothers who constantly played pranks on each other”.

“I remember,” Danny chucked, stepping up to stand next to Jake now instead of behind him “sorry”. he didn’t need to apologize, but the effort was still nice. “Are you enjoying the party?”

Jake sighed, letting his facade drop for the first time tonight. For Josh he had to be strong, Sam had done well in steering clear of him, but this was just Danny. “Honestly? I’m exhausted. There’s a dozen things I’d rather be doing with my day off”.

“I understand” Danny so easily responded. Although Jake knew Danny could get wild especially when getting into a mess with Sam, he retreated into a shell in big crowds of people he didn’t know as well as he did Jake and his brothers. He’d likely been masking all night too and was also relieved to be talking to just Jake.

Jake’s eyes kept scanning the room, watching Josh bounce around from group to group constantly making sure his guests were being entertained. If anyone was going to be exhausted by the end of the night it was going to be him, but for now he was feeding off the energy. Then his gaze found Sam, hand propped up against the wall as he leaned in towards his date, a pink flush in his face from his drink signifying he’d already had too much. He leaned over and whispered something into Savanna’s ear, making her blush even darker and giggle. In his peripheral he could see that Danny was also watching the exchange between Sam and his girl.

An idea hatched in his fuzzy brain, taking a large gulp of his cup for the courage to follow through with it. “Like I’d much rather be getting laid right now. Too bad the only one who looks like they're getting any around here is Sam”.

Jake knew he would get a rise out of Danny, he could see it in the way his grip was tightening around his cup. He did not expect Danny to say what he did though, and it was very intriguing.

“Jake, you could sleep with anyone you wanted to in this room” Danny nearly scoffed. He was getting riled up as Sam was now openly planting kisses down Savanna’s neck. He tore his eyes from them and looked down at Jake intently watching him in return.

“Like you?” Jake pressed, smirking when Danny’s jaw fell.

Jake had dabbled with both sex, never bothering labeling himself rather just letting himself experience every beautiful corner of sexuality his heart desired without too much thought. Some people, however, were off limits. On any other night his younger brother's best friend was definitely off limits.

As soon as he poured that last drink Jake knew he could kiss being sober goodbye, but what his drunken state was allowing him to do was none of his sober self’s business. It wasn’t a lie when he said he’d much rather be getting laid right now. The joke was that ever since he’d become aware of Danny’s secret little crush, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him.

“Jake, I-” Danny was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, not able to form a coherent sentence for everything that was running through his head right now.

“I’m going to make up an excuse to say goodnight to Josh so he’s not looking for me. You remember which one is my room right?”

Danny stayed silent, eyes flickering around to see if anyone was watching them have this shameful conversation, which no one was, then simply nodded his head.

Jake did just as he said, finishing his drink and pretending to be absolutely plastered as he approached his twin.

Danny watched, a smile fighting its way onto his face as Josh attempted offering to help Jake up the stairs, but Jake managed to convince him he could do it. With success, he turned around to send Danny a wink before trekking up and disappearing onto the second floor.

Danny made a stop by the kitchen, grabbing another plastic cup from the open package and filling it along with his before slipping away from the party.

He thought about knocking, but he had a cup in each hand now. His heart was pounding as he stood at the door, debating if he should just turn around and go back downstairs and deal with Jake being upset with him later.

Before he had too much time to think about it, the door opened and Jake was standing there having stripped down to only his boxers.

“Were you just going to stand there like a big idiot all night?” Jake had a permanent smirk on his face, making Danny question even further if this was a good idea or not.

Despite his better judgment he stepped inside, Jake shutting and locking the door behind him.

Danny’s eyes immediately went to his bed. It was large and dressed in deep red sheets with a matching duvet, taking up most of the room centered on the far wall. The headboard had built-in shallow shelves, just enough to fit a few books and some other various nicknacks.

He turned around to face Jake now, thrusting the extra cup into his chest until he took it from him.

“Thanks” Jake chuckled, making Danny’s blood rush at the sound mixed with the sight of his smooth chest barely rising and falling with the breaths it took to do so. He took a sip of the drink, actually wincing at the taste. “Damn Danny, you trying to actually get me plastered? Or do you just have to be that drunk to sleep with me?”

“Hmm?” Danny still hadn’t found his words yet, taking a drink of his cup as well to see he had mixed them really strong, but by complete accident. “No, it’s just-”

Jake cut him off again, his nerves making him talkative whereas it made Danny speechless. “Look, you don’t have to do this. It’s just I haven’t gotten any in a long time. You know what it’s like at work, I don’t have time to be trying to meet people. We know and trust each other, so it’s just convenient if we can help each other out with this”.

Jake took Danny’s cup from him and placed the both of them down onto the desk in the corner, moving slowly so Danny could think about what he’d said.

“How did you know?” Danny finally managed to speak up, but Jake didn’t understand exactly what he was trying to get at. “How did you know I’m into guys?”

If Jake was in his right mind then maybe he could have come up with something to say, but instead the truth came sliding out. “Because I know you’re in love with Sam”.

Well if that wasn’t a mood killer then he didn’t know what was.

Again, Danny was shocked into silence. He wanted to deny it, but knowing Jake as long as he had he actually felt a little relieved that someone knew his secret. Someone who he was also close with and knew would keep it quiet until he was finally ready to tell. If he was ever ready to tell.

“Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to mean anything” Jake tried to salvage this energy between them. He’d gone as far as to get Danny up into his room, and he would be damned if they backed out now. (Well actually if Danny said he felt uncomfortable or decided he actually didn’t want to then of course Jake would back off, but until then he was going to try to keep pressing forward).

“We’re both adults now, with needs” Jake started back over towards Danny, maintaining an intense eye contact as he carefully approached. “Needs that can easily be satiated tonight”. He reached over and placed his hands on either side of Danny’s waist, putting solid pressure in each of his fingertips.

Danny’s form was stiff underneath his touch, but was quickly softening as Jake tugged at him to move forward. Once he broke free of the imaginary roots holding his legs in place, Danny stepped forward, letting their lower bodies press together. Jake slid one hand up his still clothed torso, trailing it around his shoulder and burying it into the hair at the nape of his neck. “You have needs don’t you Danny?”

Danny shuddered at the feeling of Jake's fingers massaging his scalp, allowing himself to reach over and cup Jake's flushed face in his large hands. “Yes, I do” he sighed heavily, his warm sweet breath tickling Jake's cheeks with how close they were, but something was still holding him back.

“Besides, I do look somewhat like Sam. You can pretend I’m him, I don’t mind. Just for tonight”. With that Jake pulled Danny down into a heated kiss.

All of the force was in Jake's lips, but Danny reciprocated the kiss just with more hesitancy.

He already felt himself slipping away, the allure of Danny becoming stronger the closer he allowed himself to get. His lips parted ever so slightly, not enough for Jake to get his tongue inside, but enough for him to slit his lips in between. He took Danny’s bottom lip between his, now able to taste him, the warmth and bitterness of his drink still so fresh. Jake nibbled on Danny’s bottom lip before letting him go to take a step back and gauge his reaction.

“If we are going to do this then I need to know you want to. There can’t be any weirdness between us after this. We still have to work together, be around each other, and act like nothing has changed between us”.

Jake spoke with certainty, or at least he was doing a very good job at reassuring him that he was. In reality he was just as hesitant and nervous as Danny was. He did hope this would change something between them. Jake was determined to rock Danny’s world tonight. To treat him both as gently and as rough as a man like Danny deserved so he’d have no choice but to come crawling back to Jake for more.

Even if Danny couldn’t love Jake the way he loved Sam, at least Jake would have this. At the end of the night, he hoped that it would be enough.

Danny pulled Jake back against him, letting his head fall onto his shoulder, his curly hair tickling Jake's jaw, and just held him there for a moment.

Jake had to concentrate on standing still. Sure he had been this close to him before, they’d had their fair share of friendly hugs over the years. He’d never given him a hug with a half hard-on though.

Their hugs usually only lasted a short while, but Danny wasn’t breaking contact as he fought to think of a reason not to indulge. A real reason besides the obvious one. That if Sam ever found out he’d be furious with the both of them.

Danny turned his face in towards Jake's neck and let his lips brush over the sensitive raised skin there, finally admitting “I want to”.

He placed a kiss there, then higher up on his neck, his jaw, his cheek, until his lips landed back on Jake’s to seal the deal.

Something seemed to snap inside Danny, he let go of whatever last bit of reservations he had and really let himself succumb to the darkness within himself.

He’d always noticed this siren-like allure Jake had. He was appealing to put it simply, the way he played to his strengths without boasting about his accomplishments. Not very many men could keep themselves humble, but Jake never even wavered in his standards even as he took control.

Without letting his lips leave Danny’s again Jake mumbled “let’s go to the bed then. Unless you want me to tackle you to the floor?”

He felt Danny’s lips curl into a smile just before he gripped Jake's hips and spun them around. Backing him up through his room until Jake's legs hit the edge of his bed. Jake fell backwards into its embrace, curling his fingers around the collar of Danny’s sweater and pulling him down on top of him in the same motion.

With his feet still on the ground in front of the bed, Danny was bent over above him. One hand firmly planted on the bed next to his head and the other was roaming the expanse of bare skin on Jake's side, stopping every few inches to grip and squeeze then moving on as he deepened the kiss. Jake wasn’t expecting this position so soon, but it wasn’t a bother, he knew he could still take back control even from this angle.

Jake parted his lips now, a wide invitation that Danny graciously accepted, diving his tongue inside for his own taste.

With Danny distracted in exploring his mouth, Jake took the initiative to test taking it to the next step by wrapping one of his legs around Danny’s hips. His calf came to settle on the swell of Danny’s ass, and he leveraged himself up so that their fronts could grind together.

Danny let out a sound that wasn’t quite a moan yet, more like a stifled plea for more. Then his hand left Jake’s side, moving lower to gather his other leg and pull it around his hip as well before bucking back harder into Jake.

They were both fully hard now, rutting their erections on each other through their clothes like a couple of horny teenagers just trying to prove how turned on they were right now.

Jake was trying to remain patient, but now that Danny had reciprocated his desire, it was becoming harder (literally harder) to not lose his cool.

Despite how badly he wanted Danny right now, whatever way and in whatever position he would give it to him, Jake didn’t know the extent of Danny’s sexual history or if he’d ever been with another guy before.

He’d already accepted coming into this that he’d have to be the one to keep them focused and make sure enough prep had been done before things got too far.

They both needed a breath, so Jake pulled away first. “I sure hope your idea of getting laid doesn’t include staying completely dressed” he teased.

Danny stood back up, letting Jake's knees fall to the side onto the bed and worked at his belt buckle. As soon as he got the belt undone the button and zipper was next, undoing the both to allow a little more room for himself.

Jake wanted to complain when Danny abandoned what he was doing at his hips but quickly became appeased again when he reached up to instead lift his sweater off revealing a more toned torso than he remembered.

He had to bite his lips to keep himself from the subjective commentary that was flooding his brain since Danny seemed somewhat unsure of himself.

He wanted Danny to feel comfortable around him otherwise he wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy himself and Jake couldn’t have that.

Sitting up, Jake took over for him, digging his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans and helping slide them down, his boxers getting caught and pulled off with them.

Jake held eye contact with Danny as he felt him spring free between them. Starting with one hand, but without looking away, Jake reached down and felt him.

He could already tell he was larger than he’d even expected, not too big, but so hard that he almost pulled back from his touch. “Fuck, Danny” Jake breathed out as he slowly tightened his grip and offered some relief.

Danny put his hands on both of Jake's shoulders to steady himself and he sighed and leaned his head back. “Yeah, that’s the hope” he chuckled once he’d gotten over the initial sensitivity of being touched by someone else for the first time in a while.

Now that Danny wasn’t watching, Jake took the opportunity to look down. He looked even bigger with Jake's hand wrapped around him. Jake had seen Danny naked before, plenty of fourth of Julys were spent at home changing together in the back of a van at the lake. Back then though Jake hadn’t dared look too far nor did he know at the time that he would someday be excited by seeing Danny.

Excited he was indeed, having to palm himself over his boxers for a second just to ease himself a little bit before moving onto his next course of action.

Danny felt Jake disappear as he lowered himself onto his elbows and knees on the bed in front of him. He took Danny by surprise as he traded his hand for his mouth, his plump lips stretched out as they wrapped around the tip.

“Fuck” Danny hissed, tangling his fingers in Jake’s hair as he started to bob his head.

Jake reached up again, stroking the base of his shaft now that he’d gotten it nice and slippery. “Yeah, that’s the hope” he pulled off just to repeat Danny’s smart aleck comment then went back in with even more vigor than before, sucking and twisting all at the same time.

The fingers in his hair tightened and he knew what that meant. Removing his hand, he let Danny rock his hips further into Jake's mouth until he was brushing up against the back of his throat.

“I’m close” Danny groaned, warning Jake since he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from continuing until he’d released.

With that Jake gave him one last cheek hollowed suck before popping off and backing further onto the bed.

Danny whimpered at the feeling of the cool air hitting his wet cock. Wishing now he hadn’t said anything so he could have stayed in the warmth of his mouth for even just a minute longer. A minute longer was about all he was going to last though, and he didn’t want to be finished yet.

“My turn” Jake called for Danny to join him, laying back and lifting his hips to slide off his boxers.

Danny looked anxious, maybe he had never done this before, but followed Jake's command, crawling over to him on the bed with determination in his eyes.

“You don’t have to blow me. Another time perhaps” Jake reminded him that they didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to, but only wished Danny would be willing to try a few things.

“I need you to help me with something else, you see a blue book up there?” He nodded to the headboard above him. Danny’s eyes scanned the few books, quickly finding the one Jake was referring to and reaching to pick it up. Something about it felt off, it was light compared to its size, but the weight distribution was also moving as he brought it down and handed it over.

Jake pulled the cover back to reveal the book was actually hollow, containing a stack of condoms and a small bottle of lube.

“Often jerk off while reading in bed?” Danny questioned his stash as Jake retrieved the bottle and tore off one of the foil squares before handing him the book to put back.

“Wouldn’t you like to know” Jake smugly replied, opening the bottle and squeezing the tiniest amount since he knew a little went a long way onto his hand then coating his member with the slick gel.

Danny watched Jake work himself with wide eyes. The way Jake laid there seemingly without any fear and let Danny see him in such an intimate state, it was breathtaking.

“Have you ever fingered someone before?” Jake questioned. All teasing and jokes had left his tone, instead he was completely serious and trying to keep his breathing steady.

“I’m not a virgin” Danny replied, slightly chagrin about Jake's doubting of his skills.

“Noted. Good to know, but what I asked is have you ever fin-” it was Jake's turn to be cut off when Danny quickly snatched up the bottle and squeezed some onto his fingers before positioning them at his backside.

“Woah! Ok! Easy! You have to go easy”. Jake tried to scoot away, but Danny placed his free hand on his hip and pulled him back down until his inner thighs came in contact with Danny’s knees.

“Relax, you have to relax” he copied the same pattern of speech, but with a soothing voice as he leaned down and connected their lips once again before slowly easing a finger inside. “See, I do know what I’m doing”.

Trusting in his friend, Jake did relax, moving his hand that had gone steady against himself to grip Danny’s thigh letting all his tension reside there instead of other places.

“Does it feel good?” Danny questioned after a few moments of working another in.

Jake let a long breath out through his nose, “actually, you can go a little harder, if you want”.

“You don’t have to tell me twice” he gave Jake one more peck on the lips then twisted his fingers upwards before pressing further inside, as far as his knuckles would let him go.

“Oh!” Jake felt his voice nearly squeak when Danny managed to brush up against the spot no one else had managed to reach with just their fingers before. Jake never minded being fingered, but it was usually just a means to reach a better goal. The way Danny was handling him though, it was different than anyone else he’d ever been with before. It was like Danny was trying to make him enjoy it.

“How about now?”

“Oh god Danny, enough, I’m ready for you now”. Jake moved his grip from Danny’s thigh to his forearm, desperately trying to pull him away. “Would you lay down? I like to start out on top”.

The sound of that was appealing enough to get Danny to retreat, removing himself from between Jake's legs and flopping onto his back next to him.

Jake found the condom he’d left at his side, tearing it open before lifting himself up and mounting Danny.

He was situated just above his knees so he could roll the condom on before inching forward. A pair of big tanned hands caressed his thighs as he got into position.

Jake paused, allowing himself to study Danny’s face as he lowered himself onto him, slowly letting out the breath he was holding in as he did so.

Danny closed his eyes, letting his fingers dig into Jake's skin just as Jake had into his. “You’re really tight” he groaned, wiggling his hips trying to get comfortable.

“I know, I might have gotten a little ahead of myself, I forgot how big you are. Just give me a second” he placed his hands on the chest of the man below him. Then letting his legs do the work he began to move, the leftover lube inside of him from Danny’s fingers just enough to help him glide up and down.

“Forgot?” Danny panted, his hands traveling from Jake's thighs to his rocking hips. “I guess I’ll just have to make sure you don’t forget again”.

It felt like the earth turned on its axis, and suddenly Jake felt the bed beneath him again. Danny managed to stay tucked inside during the move, lifting Jake's leg onto his hip like the position they’d been in earlier.

He lifted Jake’s lower half barely off the mattress and began thrusting, making Jake cry out at the sudden deepness and shocking sensation he was driving through his body.

This was not how he imagined the night playing out. He meant to work up to it, build some pressure, make it last long. The way Danny was man handling him right now sent the plans of all the dirty things he wanted to do to him flying out the window.

Jake was glad the party still seemed to be going strong downstairs, the music a cover for his moans. In hindsight he had probably been a little ambitious in the way he egged Danny on. It really had been a while since he had gotten any, and Danny was giving it to him so good now that he was already dangerously close to the edge.

He reached in between their sweating bodies, stroking himself to his limit. “I’m going to cum,” he staggered out, “just don’t stop what you’re doing”.

Danny’s moves were faltering, he was close too, but he managed to keep it up just long enough for Jake to finish, clenching around him as his body quaked with pleasure.

Since he came so quickly, he’d expected to have to finish Danny off, but as soon as his body settled Danny dropped to his elbows, burying his hands into Jake's long hair.

If it had been anyone else Jake would have pushed him off. The overstimulation was getting to be too much especially now that his spent cock was caught pressed against their bodies, but Danny seemed so close he just bore down and let him have it.

With one more heavy thrust Danny was coming undone, his brows furrowed and his eyes clenched closed. Jake watched again as the smallest bead of sweat rolled down the tip of his nose and dripped onto his lips. His tongue darted out to lick it away, then he pulled his lips between his teeth, one silent word leaving his mouth.

It didn’t matter if Danny didn’t say it aloud, Jake had seen him say it a thousand times, he’d recognized it on Danny’s lips anyway.

Sam

Part 2

[artisticdivasworld]

Navigating the Financial Impact of EPA Emission Standards: Strategic Insights for Trucking Companies

Renee Williams, CEO & PresidentFreightRevCon, a Freight Revenue Consultants, LLC. company The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new emission standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks represent a landmark move toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving public health. With these standards set to roll out from 2027 through 2032, they are projected to cut greenhouse gas…

[oldfuckeditor]

“=⌕ INFORMATION //﹫

name:  Charles Munroe  alias:  Charlie, Chief   age / d.o.b.:  58; February 5th  gender, pronouns & sexuality:  Cis Male, He/Him, Pansexual  hometown:  Yonkers, New York  affiliation:  Media  job position:  Editor-in-Chief at the New York Times  education:  2 years of community college, no further education as he started interning for the Times  relationship status:  Single   children:  Mary/Marie, his daughter

— personality  🖋

personality type: ENTJ  moral alignment: True Neutral   positive traits:  Adaptable, Supportive, Confident, Efficient, Honest  negative traits: Workaholic, Avoidant, Confrontational, Arrogant, Inflexible  religion:  Agnostic  

— appearance  🖋

faceclaim: William Fichtner  hair colour: Grey  eye colour: Deep Blue   scars: He sliced the top of his hand working with a paper guillotine in the 80s, Old and healed over cigarette burns that he won’t talk about  tattoos: Charlie has a few tattoos, “all on his ass” but the location of them is unknown to anyone but his dead wife.  piercings:  None 

— skills  🖋

languages:  English  technical:  Knows how to bind a book, Can read up to 600 words per minute, types up to 50 words per minute.  

— other  🖋

smokes: A pack a day, used to be worse  drinks: Almost every evening, keeps scotch under his desk  drugs: Used to, not anymore  injuries/medical: Not Yet 

— biography  🖋 TW: drugs, gang violence, media bribery, character death 

Growing up in the 70s with a typical Air Force pilot for a father and a neater than scotch whiskey no ice housewife for a mother, it wasn't exactly the worst thing in the world, but it wasn't entirely mundane, either. Charles Munroe grew up in the All-American home, meaning no drugs, no girls, no rock and roll, and no stepping out of line. The family went to church every Sunday, and by the evening he was getting high and hanging out with his group of friends. He was never about the American pie life, he wanted more substance, and more intrigue. Charlie ran with a more adventurous and wild crowd than his parents might have liked. This caused a great rift between them and he left home as soon as he was able.

Which he found, upon entering college, that was exactly what college was for. Escaping the dichotomy of regular life, finding your home away from home, and partying without the parents around. For him, college was just an excuse and a means to leave, he was never one for classrooms, curriculums, and teachers, they were just old folks 2.0 and he wanted nothing to do with it. The first time his buddies mentioned a road trip around the country, he bought a van and never looked back. He partied at the biggest bashes of the century, he tried most of the drugs in that day and age, and most importantly, he WROTE about his adventures. Sold them to some publishing company and lived off the checks for a while.

Until one day, he lands back in New York. No cash, no place to go, no education to speak of, and an itch to write. The Times Editor in Chief at the time found him about a week into searching for a writing gig, having read his articles on East to West Coast and Desert bonfires gone horribly wrong when drinking and copious amounts of drugs were involved, it was the late 80s and no one tended to blink at that sort of thing. Charlie started at the very bottom of the company, but his impressive writing skills and ties with the boss made his climb to the top more like a rocket. Within a few years, he was writing articles for page one and on the Chief's close personal circle of editors.

That's when he learned about shady ties to the Times and some underhanded cash flowing in, an incentive to write nothing on certain goings on in the city or a personal smear campaign against those the "donators" didn't like. Charles wasn't a prude; he liked money and didn't mind avoiding topics whenever he was paid handsomely and not told where the money came from; it only bothered him when he put in the work, and it would end up in the shredder. On one fateful evening, he had done just that, he wasn't happy about it, his "magnum opus" he called it, spat in the Chief's face about how he was jealous of the younger's talents and how he just wanted Charlie to be smothered, a dim candle at his side.

He'd regret those words for the rest of his days. The next morning, his Chief was all over the pages, shot in the head right in front of his condo, no suspect for his murder, and he was buried in the ground a week later. Charlie was handed the reigns of Editor in Chief the next day. He had been high or drunk when he got the call, because all he had to gumption to do was curse and tell them to call him back on Monday. Whatever this would entail for him, he would meet it with a stiff lip and an aggressive disposition. Landing himself to be one of the harshest and more dedicated Editors the Times had ever seen.

— wanted connections 🖋

His daughter, Mary/Marie!!! A girl of 30, you can decide on how she feels about him, but his wife/her mother died around ten years ago, and they’ve been on short terms since then. He’s a workaholic and often prioritized work over his family. He loved his girls though, kept a roof over their heads, bought them both gifts, almost never forgot a birthday or anniversary, tried his best in the beginning but the promotions kept taking him away and journalism was always his passion above all else. He calls his daughter almost every week, just to check in, whether she likes this, or even answers, is completely up to you. He’s trying to bridge the relationship, though.  

[acceptccnow]

Discussing Customer Experience, GRUBBRR Self-Service Kiosks, and The Covid Effect

In today's ever-changing food service industry, keeping up with the times is essential for success. Self-service kiosks have gained traction as a means to enhance the dining experience. With the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as GRUBBRR's self-service kiosks, which seamlessly accept credit cards and streamline payment processing, became vital for both businesses and customers.

The Transformation of the Customer Experience At the heart of any thriving business, particularly in the food service sector, is the customer experience. GRUBBRR, a prominent provider of self-service kiosks, has been a pioneer in reshaping this experience. Their kiosks are thoughtfully designed to boost efficiency, precision, and overall satisfaction.

Before the pandemic, self-service kiosks were seen as a convenient addition to the dining experience. They empowered customers to leisurely browse menus, customize their orders, and make payments using these user-friendly kiosks, creating a more personalized experience. However, with the arrival of Covid-19, the role of these kiosks transcended mere convenience.

The Pandemic's Influence on Dining The Covid-19 pandemic caused a seismic shift in how we approach dining out. Restaurants had to pivot their operations to ensure safety and compliance with social distancing guidelines. The demand for contactless solutions, including self-service kiosks that accept credit cards and streamline payment processing, surged.

Customer preferences underwent a significant shift during this period. Customers sought minimal physical contact with surfaces and staff. Businesses had to adapt to these evolving expectations. Self-service kiosks, like those offered by GRUBBRR, provided customers with a way to place orders without physically handling menus or engaging closely with waitstaff.

Enhancing Safety and Efficiency with Self-Service Kiosks For restaurants striving to provide a safe and efficient dining experience, GRUBBRR's self-service kiosks emerged as a savior. Customers gained access to full menus, the ability to customize orders, and an option to pay through these kiosks. This eliminated the need for physical menus and reduced direct interaction with staff. By accepting credit cards and optimizing payment processing, these kiosks ensured swift, secure, and contactless transactions.

The merits of self-service kiosks stretched beyond safety considerations. They elevated operational efficiency by minimizing order errors and wait times. With self-service kiosks, customers could carefully peruse menu options, ultimately leading to heightened satisfaction and improved order accuracy.

Merchant Account Processing: A Streamlined Solution An indispensable component of the self-service kiosk ecosystem is merchant account processing. GRUBBRR's kiosks are intricately linked with payment processing systems to guarantee secure, reliable, and swift transactions. This integration empowers businesses to seamlessly accept credit cards, delivering a hassle-free payment experience to customers.

By facilitating seamless payment processing, self-service kiosks ensure that customers can wrap up transactions without any glitches. This heightened level of convenience not only enriches the customer experience but also aids businesses in streamlined operations and the maintenance of a consistent cash flow.

[pocketramblr]

For the ask game: Inko was a villain, which is how she met AFO? The question of whether she keeps being a villain while having Izuku is up to you.

You're really walking into some of these loopholes here...

1- Inko shoplifts using her quirk, then pawns off what she gets, and uses her quirk to disarm those who try to follow or fight her as well. She's quick and efficient and blends easily back into the crowd.

2- Inko happens to lift from a store, accidentally bumping into a tall man as she leaves. Worse yet, he's at her home when she gets back that night, casually explaining that he'd been to that store in order to offer his protection to the owner- shame they didn't take his offer, so he isn't going to make her give anything back. Instead he offers her a job, stealing from stores he directed her to, in exchange for making the flow of cash look more legit. Inko accepts

3- Inko meets Hisashi at a pawn shop where he works part time during college. They hit it off, she tells him she's a contractor, he graduates and becomes a salaryman, they marry and have Izuku, Hisashi takes a job abroad. All the while Inko still works for AfO, not knowing all the details on him, until Izuku is about 9 years old, when the directions and offers stop coming. (They'd been slowing down a while, but then they just stop. Inko assumes the guy got caught and doesn't say anything, not really going out on her own anymore anyway, as they don't need the money.)

4- Inko doesn't realize who AfO was until hearing his voice on the Kamino broadcast and recognizing it, which is terrifying. She was planning on pulling Izuku from UA and moving to Hisashi together, but then Izuku and All Might convinced her otherwise.

5- Inko was planning on using her quirk to steal what she needed from the UA shelter and run with Izuku if he wasn't going to be allowed back in after the little my hero dropout arc

[masllp]

Bookkeeping in India by MASLLP: Streamlining Your Financial Processes

Bookkeeping is a crucial aspect of any business, ensuring that financial records are accurate and up to date. In India, businesses of all sizes are increasingly recognizing the importance of professional bookkeeping services. MASLLP, a leading firm in the financial sector, offers comprehensive bookkeeping services tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses in India.

Why Bookkeeping Matters for Your Business Effective bookkeeping is the foundation of good financial management. It involves recording daily financial transactions, such as sales, purchases, payments, and receipts. Accurate bookkeeping helps businesses:

*Monitor Financial Health: By maintaining organized records, businesses can track income and expenses to assess their financial performance. *Ensure Compliance: Staying compliant with Indian tax laws is crucial. Proper bookkeeping ensures that businesses meet legal requirements and avoid penalties. *Facilitate Decision-Making: Well-maintained financial records help business owners make informed decisions about expansion, investment, and other key areas. *Prepare for Audits: Bookkeeping simplifies the auditing process, ensuring all financial documents are readily available and accurate.

Challenges of Bookkeeping in India Bookkeeping can be time-consuming and complex, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India. Some common challenges include:

*Regulatory Compliance: Businesses must adhere to constantly changing tax regulations, including GST and income tax laws. *Managing Multiple Transactions: For businesses with high volumes of daily transactions, keeping track of every detail can be overwhelming. *Handling Multiple Currencies: Many businesses in India deal with international clients, making currency conversion and documentation more complicated.

Why Choose MASLLP for Bookkeeping in India MASLLP understands the specific challenges businesses face in maintaining accurate financial records. With years of expertise in accounting and bookkeeping, MASLLP offers solutions that are both efficient and cost-effective.

Expertise in Indian Regulations MASLLP’s team is well-versed in Indian tax laws and accounting standards. They ensure that your business complies with all regulatory requirements, including GST filings, tax payments, and financial reporting.

Tailored Services for All Industries No matter your industry or the size of your business, MASLLP provides personalized bookkeeping services to meet your specific needs. Whether you run a manufacturing firm, a tech startup, or a retail business, MASLLP can help.

Use of Cutting-Edge Technology MASLLP utilizes the latest accounting software and tools to streamline the bookkeeping process. This technology minimizes errors and maximizes efficiency, giving you more time to focus on growing your business.

Comprehensive Financial Reporting MASLLP delivers detailed financial reports that give you a clear picture of your business’s financial health. These reports can be customized to provide insights into key areas such as profitability, cash flow, and tax obligations.

The Benefits of Outsourcing Bookkeeping to MASLLP Outsourcing bookkeeping to MASLLP offers several advantages:

*Cost Savings: Hiring a full-time in-house bookkeeper can be expensive. Outsourcing allows you to save on salary, benefits, and training costs. *Increased Accuracy: With a team of experts handling your books, the chances of errors are minimized. *Focus on Core Activities: By outsourcing bookkeeping, you can focus on your core business activities without worrying about managing financial records. *Timely Services: MASLLP ensures that all bookkeeping tasks are completed on time, from tax filings to financial reports.

Conclusion Bookkeeping in India is essential for maintaining a healthy business. With MASLLP’s expert services, you can rest assured that your financial records are accurate, up to date, and fully compliant with Indian laws. By outsourcing your bookkeeping needs to MASLLP, you’ll not only save time and money but also gain valuable insights into your business’s financial health. Contact MASLLP today to learn more about how our bookkeeping services can help your business thrive.