#for the low low price of free I’ll publish it when it’s done

[whoopsiesnodaisies]

When you’re trying to sleep but your brain won’t let you until you write a Jegulus Royalty AU

[adenei]

Always A Bridesmaid, Never a Bride - Ch. 2

so much for only posting one chapter a week...oh well. You’re welcome for those of you who are into this!

AO3 || FFN

---RON---

“Ron, hey! Have a good weekend?” Neville Longbottom approached me as I walked into my office at The Telegraph.

“Hey, Nev. Yeah, I guess. You?”

“It was great! You missed out on Saturday night. The film festival was spectacular!”

“Yeah, well, in case you’ve forgotten, I work Saturday nights. I call it the curse of the commitments.”

I knew Neville meant well and he was a good friend, but he seemed to forget that I’m stuck in this hell hole having to attend weddings and then portray them as these beautiful, fairy tale level events. This was not what I anticipated my writing career to look like, yet here I was.

“Right. Sorry. It must be a truly despicable life. Dining on free food and red velvet cake. Was it a good wedding, at least? Find anyone to shack up with?” Neville asked.

I almost snorted out the sip of coffee I’d just taken. Nevile knew that I wasn’t on the pull, right? Let alone looking for someone to move in with. “Hardly. How many times do I have to tell you, one night stands and weddings are not a good mix, no matter how many people say otherwise.”

“But there has to be single bridesmaids looking for a fun night with no commitments,” Neville pressed.

“Maybe there are, but I’m not going for it. It’s not worth it.” I waved Neville off as I set my stuff at my desk and made my way over to my boss’s office. 

I’d been waiting the rest of the weekend to unveil my brilliant story idea. I was convinced this would finally promote me out of the commitments section. Not bothering to knock, I strode in and dropped the overflowing Filofax on my editor’s desk.

“This better be important, Weasley,” Rita Skeeter said.

“Er, yeah. I’ve got a story idea I wanted to run by you,” I said. All the confidence I was feeling before somehow disappeared as soon as I stepped into her office.

Rita kept on working as she said, “We’ve been through this before. I hired you to write wedding announcements, not investigative pieces.” I could tell she was not in the mood, but I’d given this far too much thought to give up.

“All I'm asking for is a chance to prove to you that I can offer my writing skills to other sections of the paper—”

“If this is another story proposition about exposing some minute detail of how the wedding industry is ripping people off, you can walk right out of this office. I don’t have any interest in hearing it.”

“But those were meaningful stories! People deserve to know that bakeries are overcharging for cakes. You could ask for an elaborate birthday cake design and the price would be significantly less because it’s not for a wedding! They’re conning innocent people just because they’re in love!”

“Readers don’t want stories on the price gouging, Ron! They want happy, feel good stories that give them hope, and you do that quite well. Your articles make most of our money, and I’d be insane to switch you to a different section!” Rita said with a tone of finality.

“Just hear me out. Please? I promise this is a good one.” I opened the Filofax. “This girl’s been in seven weddings—”

“So?” Rita responded. She sounded unimpressed.

“—This year. She was in two this past weekend alone. On the same night! There’s a story here, and I can sense it. She’s like a perpetual bridesmaid. There has to be a reason for it. She doesn’t strike me as the type that has that many friends.”

Rita finally looked up at me. I couldn’t read what she was thinking, but I was mentally preparing to be shot down again. Not this time, though. I needed to fight back for this one. It might be the only way I can get close to Hermione again.

“Fine.”

“Seriously, Rita I can make this—wait, what?”

“I said, ‘fine.’ I’m giving you a chance. Two weeks to find something out of this, and we’ll see what happens.”

“Four,” I said. Two was nowhere near enough time.

“Three, and that’s it.”

“Okay. And if you like it, I move out of commitments for good,” I said firmly.

“Ron—”

“I’m serious. I’ll quit. I can’t spend the rest of my career finding creative ways to highlight baby’s breath and sugar roses.”

“Fine. But you won’t quit. I know you better than that.” Rita picked up the Filofax and handed it to me before ushering me out of her office. “Now, get that adorably cute face out of here before I change my mind.”

I flashed a grin at her. “You won’t be disappointed.”

If the indication from our conversation in the taxi told me anything, it was that I had my work cut out for me. I opened her Filofax and set to work. A plan was already formulating, and I was eager to set it in motion.

This was my chance. My ticket out. Now, I just had to get close to the woman who drove me insane two nights ago. The woman I was unable to get out of my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was just because of the bridesmaid thing, I kept telling myself. That was it. 

---- HERMIONE ----

Monday rolled around far too quickly, but I was okay with it. Harry was coming back from a conference after being out of the office last week. I made sure things ran smoothly while he was gone since that was my job. You could call me his assistant, but I was also second in command of the company he’d started from scratch: Second Chance Publishers. 

Harry Potter was the ultimate entrepreneur, and I was lucky to work for him. He was everything you could wish for in a boss. Kind and understanding, yet firm and determined in his vision. He was always one who wanted to help the underdog, hence the company’s name. We read author’s manuscripts that had been tossed aside from leading publishing agencies, and gave the promising ones a chance. It’d been eight years and the company was still going strong.

Harry had taken a chance when he hired me fresh out of university, and I like to think I’ve proved indispensable since then. I was incredibly lucky to work in a position where my opinion mattered and I felt needed, like I belonged. Not to mention my boss was unequivocally sexy, and somehow still single.

Single was a good thing. That meant I may still have a chance. He had to notice me eventually, right? Okay, yes, I’ll admit it; I fancy my boss, but it’s innocent! I swear.

I needed to stop thinking about him. The anticipatory butterflies were already fluttering in my stomach, and I needed to get them under control. Coffee in hand, I walked the remainder of the two blocks to the office, and met Lavender on her way in.

“Never made it home this weekend, I see,” I said with a smile as I handed her coffee over. I was totally judging her and she knew it. I was never one to engage in one night stands and she knew it.

Lavender gave me a smug smile and ignored my question. “Maybe. Not that I could find you to stop me. What happened to you the other night? You were hardly there and then you left with that guy. Did you get lucky?”

“What? No! Of course not.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot. You’re holding out for Mr. Right,” Lavender scoffed.

I ignored her comment as we meandered through the main doors into the office. Luna Lovegood, the receptionist, was sitting at the front desk. “Morning, Luna!”

“Hi!” she said brightly.

“Question for you: have you seen my Filofax around anywhere by chance?”

“No,” she answered simply.

“Oh, okay then. It’s probably in my office. No problem. I’ll keep looking. Did you happen to send out the order I left on your desk Friday afternoon for the manufacturer?”

She looked nonplussed. “No.”

“Alright. No big deal, I’ll take care of it,” I said as we continued on down the hall.

“Wow, Hermione, you really told her,” Lavender said.

I sighed. “It’s fine, Lav, I should have done it myself anyway..”

“But you’re the boss, you’re allowed to tell people what to do.”

“I’m not the boss, and you know that. I’m the boss’s assistant. There’s a difference.”

“Correction, there would be a difference if the boss didn’t rely on you so much as well.”

I rolled my eyes. “Maybe I just like my job.”

“Or maybe, it’s not the job you like, but the boss,” she raised her eyes knowingly at me.

 “Get to accounting, Lavender,” I told her, since I wasn’t willing to admit that she was right.

“Oh, sure, now you get bossy,” she said as she meandered off.

I chuckled to myself as I walked into my office and got settled for the day. My first point of business was to find my Filofax. That held my life. Every appointment and event was written in there. Not to mention all my cut outs of details I loved and wanted to incorporate for my own dream wedding. I searched high and low and it was absolutely nowhere to be found.

Giving up, I turned to my computer and attempted to get some work done. My productivity didn’t last very long, though. I looked up a half hour later to see a flower delivery at the front desk. Did Luna just point to me? My heart beat a little faster in my chest. I think she did. The man was walking towards me and stopped just outside my office. 

“Hermione Granger?” he asked.

“That’s me,” I said in a hushed voice.

“These are for you,” he said as he handed them to me and turned to leave.

I was dumbstruck. I never received flowers, let alone at work! Setting them on my desk, I began searching for the note card that should have accompanied the beautiful bouquet, but nothing was there to reveal the mystery sender.

“Oh, sure, I spend all weekend in bed with a guy and you’re the one who’s sent flowers!”* Lavender sounded annoyed as she strolled into my office. “Who are they from?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t say.” My voice still sounded shocked.

When I turned to look at Lav, I watched as her face went from annoyed, to understanding, and then it finally settled on pity. “Hermione, no, you can’t possibly think it’s from him.”

“Well, who else could it be?” I asked indignantly.

“I don’t know, but you’ve got to stop this! You’re in love with a man who doesn’t even know you exist.”

“I am not in love with him,” I lied. “And he does too know I exist.”

“Yeah, in a ‘she’s my assistant’ kind of way, not in a ‘she’s so sexy I want to rip her clothes off and have mind blowing sex with her’ way.”*

“You don’t know that,” I said weakly.

“I do too know that! Honestly, at least get it under control, will you? The whole office knows,” Lavender argued.

“They do not!” I said incredulously.

Luna, who was passing by my door at that exact moment, must have heard Lavender and chimed in. “Yes, we do.” She smiled at both of us and kept right going before I could stop her.

“See?” Lavender pressed. “I’m telling you—” she was cut off by a dog barking, which could only mean one thing.

“Pads!” I cried as the large black dog darted towards me.

“Hey, Padfoot, easy there. Hermione doesn’t want a face full of slobber this morning,” came Harry’s sultry, baritone voice.

“No, no, it’s okay!” I said quickly as I stood back up. “Hi. How was the conference?”

“Brilliant! If things went as well as I hope they did, we may be expanding into the American and Canadian markets.”

“That’s wonderful!” I noticed Lavender pretend to gag from over Harry’s shoulder. 

“How are things here? Have we met our quota for the end of the month?” Harry immediately began business talk. I liked a boss who was no nonsense and wanted to make sure things stayed on track.

“Almost. There’s a few manuscripts to get through, and we’re waiting on approval from Hopkirk on the illustrations. If we can get that soon, the art department can move forward, and we should have the new publication out by the middle of next month.

“Great. I’ll make a point to call her personally to see if we can get the process moving more quickly.”

I nodded. “Just so you know, you’ve got an 11:00 meeting with marketing. Oh, and the Boys and Girls Club has an event coming up that they’d like you to speak at. Nothing too intensive, just a few words on the impact that reading has had on their kids, and how you’ve seen the program grow since you’ve become involved. But it will be a formal affair,” I added.

“Ah, so I suppose that means I’ll need to bring a date,” Harry acknowledged.

“Yes, probably,” I said with a small smile. I was trying to hide the hope that he might ask me. It was a work event. Sort of…

“Well, I guess that’s one aspect of my life that I shouldn’t need your help with, right?” he said with a chuckle.

“Er, yeah, right,” I said regretfully.  

I watched as he turned and left my office. Lavender looked like she wanted to say something. “Don’t even start.”

“Fine. Hey, what are you doing before Luna’s sten party tonight? I’m meeting some friends for pre-drinks. You could use the distraction!”

I laughed at her brazenness. “My neighbor is coming back into town. I promised I’d pick her up at the train station

 and we’d grab a bite before the party.” I lowered my voice for what I was about to say next. “Who schedules a sten party on a Monday anyways?”

“Are you just starting to question Luna’s decisions now? And is that the neighbor you’ve been friends with since you moved in, but know nothing about? The one who disappears for months on end?”

“Yeah, Jenny. But she’s really nice, and fun to hang out with when she’s in town. There’s only so much I can take of you,” I joked.

“You wouldn’t know what to do without me,” Lavender scoffed.

Just then, Harry popped his head back in my office. “Hey, Hermione, did you leave the coffee on my desk?”

“What? Oh, yes. It was nothing. I, er—I figured you might want it,” I said with a nonchalant shrug.

“Thanks! You were right, just like always,” he smiled and I thought my legs were turning to jelly. “That’s why I love ya,” he added as he disappeared from my doorway.*

I was awestruck. “I love you, too,” I said quietly under my breath as I watched him walk away*. 

Slap! Lavender smacked me hard across the face. “Get it together!” she snapped.

I shook my head as I cleared my head from the haze. “Y-yeah. Yup. Thanks. I needed that.”

Lavender had no words for me. I always appreciated her realistic view on things, even if it was a bit crass. The fact that she was speechless over what had just happened was like someone dumping ice water down my back, and the cold realization creeped through my veins. I had it bad for my boss, and I was stuck.

~o~

I was right on time when I arrived at the train station to pick up Jenny. She’d been away for six months, which was longer than normal, but I was excited that she was coming home for a while. I loved Lavender and her friendship, but sometimes she was a bit much. Jenny was way more relaxed, and didn’t press me as much about my personal life. Soon enough I saw her flaming red hair in the crowd. I waved and it didn’t take long for her to spot me. 

“Hermione!” I heard her cry as she made her way over to me. She wrapped me in a hug. “It’s so good to see you! I’m sorry you had to pick me up. My brother bailed on me last minute.”

“Ah, yes, this mysterious brother you insist exists, yet I’ve never met in our five years of sharing the same building,” I joked. “Come on, I’ve already called for takeaway.”

“Brilliant! I’m starved. Fish and chips, I hope? I can’t tell you the last time I’ve had a good English classic,” she said eagerly.

“Of course, would you expect anything less?”

Jenny threw her arm around my shoulder as I took one of her bags and we made our way to the taxis. The ride took a bit longer than usual since it was rush hour, but our takeaway was still warm by the time we got to the flat. Jenny dropped her bags off in her flat next door to mine, and then met me a few minutes later.

“Finally! I was drooling in the taxi,” she said. 

“So, how were your travels this time around?” I asked between bites.

“Eh, same old, same old. It’s a rough schedule being on the job for six months and then off, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“You’re an athletic trainer for one of the female football teams, right?” I attempted to verify. 

“Something like that, yeah. It’s hard to believe I’ve finished my sixth season already.”

I nodded, storing that information in the file I had in my brain for her. I’d learned a good deal about Jenny over the past few years, even if it was nothing terribly close to her personal life. I knew she wasn’t overly fond of animals, hated cleaning, and could drink anyone into the ground and be completely fine the next day. She was strikingly beautiful with chocolate brown eyes that possessed a hardness to them when she showed the world her ‘no nonsense’ attitude. I was sure she had no trouble finding men even with her crazy work schedule getting in the way.

“Soooo,” Jenny said, interrupting my thoughts. “What’s been going on with you? Have you met a man yet?”

Maybe I’d spoken too soon when I said I appreciated her friendship more than Lav’s. “No, still single, but I received flowers from some anonymous person at work today,” I mentioned with a chuckle.

“Oh? Tell me more!”

“It was nothing, really. Just a delivery with no note. I have an idea who may have sent them, but they never came forward.”

“Do you think it’s from your mysterious workplace crush? Have they finally noticed what they’ve been missing out on?”

“One can only hope,” I said as I shrugged. “What are your plans for tonight?”

“Probably dumping the contents of my luggage on the floor of my bedroom and crashing, if I’m being honest. Why? Do you have anything planned?”

“Luna, the receptionist at work is having her sten party at XOXO,” I told her. “You’re more than welcome to join if you’d like. Meet new people, reacquaint yourself with London’s nightlife…”

“At an Indie bar? We’ll see how I’m feeling after this food digests. I’m way too full to think about going anywhere,” she said. 

“Well, the offer stands if you decide you want to meet me there later on, though I don’t blame you for wanting to make a date with your sofa instead.”

We got up and took care of the containers. As Jenny was getting ready to leave, I saw her pause by the counter. “What are these?” she asked as she picked up several newspaper clippings.

“Nothing!” I said quickly, snatching them out of her hand.

“Do you really save wedding announcements?” Jenny asked me.

“Not all of them! Just the ones written by Billy Weston. He’s the best!” I insisted.

Jenny was looking at me quizzically before she headed for the door. “Well, you do you, I guess. Thanks for picking me up again! And for dinner. I owe you one.”

“No problem! It’s good to have you back.” Jenny flashed me a smile before she left. 

I hoped that maybe someday she’d trust me enough to let me in on the parts of her life she kept locked up tight. The least I could do in the meantime was be a good friend. For now, I needed to get ready for the sten party.

~o~

Lavender and I were walking away from the bar in the club when I heard someone say Harry’s name. He was here! I turned in time to see him making his way over to us. 

“You got them annual passes to the London Zoo and Aquarium,” I said, noticing the worried look on his face.

“Great! Thanks, Hermione. Any chance she’ll believe it’s from me?” Harry asked.

“Maybe. You do an okay job of getting to know your employees, so I’d say there’s a fifty-fifty shot,” I quipped.

He gave a look of approval. “Excellent. I’m going to head to the bar and get a drink. Do you guys need anything?”

I chuckled as I said, “No, thanks. I’m set.” I held up my own drink as Lavender also shook her head no.

Harry nodded and walked away as Lavender looked at me incredulously. “Are you kidding me?” she shot me a look.

“What?”

“When a guy asks to buy you a drink, you always say yes! Even if you already have one. If you ask for a sex on the beach, it’s a subtle hint to indicate what you’re hoping for later.” 

I shook my head. “Honestly, Lav, do you ever not have sex on your mind?”

“What’s wrong with that? It might finally get you what you’re hoping for. He buys you a drink, you talk about something other than work, he sees you more than just his assistant and voila! Happily ever after!” She lifted her drink in a cheers motion.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her ridiculous statement. “We already do talk about things other than work. I’m not going to rush him into anything.’

Lavender rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“No, I’m responsible.”

“What guy wants responsible?” Lavender was clearly getting flustered now.

“Harry! He loves my responsibility and appreciates me for who I am,” I insisted.

“Well, yeah, but he might appreciate you more if he knew what you wanted,” Lavender said just before clamping her mouth down on her straw and taking a big swig of her drink.

I gave her a look as Harry made his way back over to us. “Hey, Hermione, I hope that thing I left on your desk this morning was okay…” he said quietly.

“That...thing?” I said breathlessly, immediately thinking of the flowers.

“Yeah. I mean, I know it’s kind of a new level for us and I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it.”

‘Y-yeah! Yes! Totally fine with it! Definitely,” I said as a grin broke out on my face.

“Great. Er, thanks,” Harry said as he nodded to me and took off to mingle.

I turned to Lavender. “It was him. He sent me the flowers. Oh my God! Lavender, he sent me the flowers!”

“Holy shit, he really did!” I could tell by the shocked look on her face she couldn’t believe it either. “What are you waiting for?!” she asked.

“W-what?” I asked, confused.

“What are you waiting for? Go over there and tell him how you feel! He made the first move with the flowers! It’s now or never! Go declare your love! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s your fairy tale moment.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Go. Yes, I’ll go,” I said awkwardly.

Lavender pushed me in his direction and I began walking slowly his way. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for years to come face to face with! My heart was beating faster with each step.

I was only a few paces away when I saw him notice something. I followed his gaze across the dance floor and saw Jenny looking around, probably for me. I was used to seeing her dressed down in a pair of jeans or sweats, but she was actually done up nicely. Her makeup was done, and her straight red hair fell over her shoulders. She was wearing a shimmery emerald green dress that showed off a bit more than I would have ever expected from her. 

I saw her notice Harry, giving him a small smile. I should have stopped and turned around when they were clearly making their way toward each other, but I couldn’t stop my feet. They just kept propelling me forward. Ironically, I met up with them just as they stopped in front of each other.

Jenny noticed me out of the corner of her eye and muttered, “Hermione.”

“Oh, er, right. Harry, this is my friend Jenny, Jenny this is my Harry—no! I mean, this is my boss, Harry,” I clarified. How humiliating!*

“Yeah, Hermione’s the best assistant anyone could possibly have. Half the time she knows what I need even before I do, and she’s always willing to help,” he said nervously. Since when did Harry get nervous? “Just this morning I left Padfoot’s groomer appointment slip on her desk. It was last minute and I had a meeting, so I asked Hermione to drop him off for me.”

I felt like I’d been sucker punched in the gut. The flowers weren’t from him after all. How stupid was I to get my hopes up? 

“Ah, Pads’ appointment. Right,” I tried to say as lightly as I could. 

“Well, a clean dog is rather important,” Jenny agreed in a sweet voice.

“Would you like to get a drink?” Harry asked. He only had eyes for her.

“Well, I came to get a drink with my friend, but I couldn’t possibly say no,” Jenny giggled. Since when was Jenny a giggler?

My worst nightmare was coming true. Harry was clearly smitten with my neighbor. This wouldn’t be happening if I’d never invited her to come along, and now I’m watching them get a drink together. 

Before I could turn and leave, there was a tap on my shoulder. It was Ron. “What are you doing here?” I asked. I was totally shocked to run into him again.

“Fancy meeting you here! Did you like the flowers?” he asked me.

“What? Those were from you?” I asked. My voice definitely sounded rude.

He nodded with the lopsided grin flashing across his face. “Er, yeah. Did you like them?”

“Oh great, the marriage hating cynic left me romantic mystery flowers this morning. How ironic!” Could this day get any worse?

“Yeah, I guess you could put it that way. Oh, also, I have something for you.” He paused, and I watched him dig around in his satchel. “Here you go!”

It was my Filofax. “Oh, thank God! You found it!”

“Yeah, it was in the back of the cab. You should be more careful where you leave stuff like this. It was either I meet you here tonight or Thursday at your dad’s birthday party.” He laughed like it was a joke, but I was deeply offended and creeped out.

“You read it?”

He shrugged. “I tried to. I didn’t know anyone could fill up every possible centimeter on the page,” he joked again. 

I didn’t find it funny, and what made matters worse was I now saw Harry leaning in and whispering into Jenny’s ear. She was smiling and flirting and it felt like my life was falling apart.

 “Hey, Ron, could you hold this for a sec?” I asked as I shoved my drink in his hand.

He never got a chance to respond as I made my way to the nearest exit to get some air. Luckily the club was loud enough so no one inside could hear the scream of fury that was escaping my lips. I wasn’t proud of the vulgar language I let out, but tonight called for it. I stopped abruptly when I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and realized the door I’d left didn’t actually lead outside, but to another room where a child’s birthday party was taking place. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t—5 years old, wow. Congratulations!” 

I knew my face was red as I swiftly turned around and made my way back into the club. I reluctantly walked back over to Ron. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” he said, handing my drink back to me. “Do you want to get a drink?” he asked hopefully.

“I don’t know…” I said. I suddenly wasn’t in the mood. 

“Come on, it’s just one drink,” he said. “Let me prove to you I’m not some creep.”

“It’s not that. I just—I won’t be any fun tonight,” I admitted.

“Oh, er, alright then. Well, maybe I’ll see you around? Thursday?” he joked again. 

I glared at him. “Goodnight, Ron.”

He gave me an awkward wave as he turned to leave. Lavender had suddenly appeared behind me. “Ooooh, who was he and where can I get one?”*

“He’s no one, Lav,” I said. I wasn’t in the mood anymore, and I just wanted to go home.

“What happened?” She asked, concerned.

“It’s a long story. I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.

I found myself walking over to the bar, approaching Harry and Jenny in a last ditch effort before giving up. “Hey,” I said to them. “Jenny, you must be tired from all that traveling today. Do you want to share a taxi?”

“What? Oh, no Hermione, I’m fine,” she said dismissively. “Harry, do you want to go somewhere more quiet?”

“Sure, I know a place a few blocks from here.”

“What? No—Jenny, it’s getting—” I tried to interject, but nothing could break their attention from each other.

“Brilliant! I hardly ever explore this side of town,” Jenny said to him.

“Do you want to join, Hermione?” Harry asked.

I looked between Harry and Jenny, and she was giving me a frown and a slight shake of her head, willing me to say no. Of course, I couldn’t let her down, so I said, “Oh, no. You two go. I need to get back.” That was it. My chance was officially blown.

“Maybe next time,” Jenny said convincingly. “Let’s get coffee in the morning, yeah? I’ll text you!”

I nodded weakly as I watched them get up and head for the door. Jenny turned around mouthed ‘Thank you! You’re the best,’ before taking the arm Harry held out for her. My heart felt like it was shattering to pieces.

I caught a taxi and made my way home, resisting the urge to cry. There was no way I was going to sleep tonight. I tried to do a few things to tire myself out, like clean the kitchen and doing a home workout, but I found myself obsessively checking the peep hole in my door, and listening intently to hear whether Jenny had come home and whether or not Harry had joined her. 

Just the mere thought sent needles through my heart. At around two in the morning, I gave up and forced myself to go to bed. It was everything I could do to avoid getting up. Eventually, after a lot of tossing and turning, I managed to fall asleep.

[aal-archaeology]

Words from a so-far successful archaeologist (25 years old/recent Ph.D. admit)

Hello Everyone!  I have revived my Tumblr to find many messages asking “what do I do next” when it comes to Archaeology/Anthropology. So I thought I’d create a post explaining what I went through to get to where I am now, and hopefully give some information to those who are pondering on the next steps to take in this truly wonderful field of study.  Quick academic about me: 

Undergrad: Ivy League, Major: Anthropology-Geography, Minor: Religion

After Undergrad: 1 year of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) & Substitute teaching

Graduate School: England MSc in Archaeological Information Systems

After Graduate: 10-month long research grant in Cambodia

Now: (USA)  Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology, Archaeology Track

I come from a low-middle class family, all of my academics have been funded through financial aid or through grants that I’ve applied for. A lot of the time school and research can get expensive, but that doesn’t mean you have to be wealthy to pursue it!

Per usual, please feel free to DM me at any point with questions (here or IG @ aal.archaeology), I’m always happy to help to the best of my ability. Success in this field is really dependent on networking!

I’ll set this up based on the various landmarks of my academic career: 

1. Undergrad

Themes: Ask for help, build your resume, write down everything

No matter where you are going to school, it is so so so important to use the resources around you. Becoming a professor is HARD work, and each one of your professors went through a lot to be able to stand in front of you and teach you. They’ve likely had years and years of research experience, which is probably still happening behind the scenes of teaching and grading papers. More often than not, professors want to help you, they want students to be excited about the research they’ve worked so hard on, and they want to do what they can to help you achieve your career goals.  Therefore, if there’s a class you’ve taken or a professor whose research you’re interested in, tell them. This is how I got my first experience with archaeology (before I even knew that I wanted to do archaeology). I randomly took an Anthropology class that sounded cool, and after the first class, I was like WOW I love this topic so much and I really want to know more about it. I went up to the professor that was teaching it, told her I was really interested and asked if she knew of any research opportunities available. She then hired me as a student researcher in her lab to do data entry for one of her archaeological projects in Mesoamerica, and after working for her for a few months, she asked me if I wanted to go with her and her team to Mexico for fieldwork. 

         (my timeline at this point: 19 years old, end of Sophomore year)

From this experience, I learned how to apply to grants within the University and funding outside of the University, and was able to FULLY fund my research experience in Mexico. During this fieldwork, I got to work with 3000-year-old artifacts, do archaeoillustration, and eventually got my own chapter published in the book that my professor wrote about the research that was done.

After I got back from Mexico, I started exploring archaeology further. A new professor entered the department who specialized in “digital archaeology,” and his research involved tracking looting patters in Syria using satellite imagery. I thought this was crazy so I then went up to him and asked if I could help him with his research. (the common theme throughout this entire process is just asking for help). From this experience, I learned that I loved the possibilities that technology brought to the study of archaeology, everything from 3D modeling to identification of sites in satellite imagery to spatial mapping in GIS. With this professor, I was able to form an “internship” with him, and continued doing that and other minor projects within the department. I ended up modifying my major to incorporate coursework from the Geography department and created my own “Digital Archaeology” major.

        (my timeline at this point: 22 years old, Senior year)

As graduation began to creep closer, I had been able to get a good amount of lines on my resume. I had:

research assistant/ data entry

fieldwork in mesoamerica

x2 internships with digital archaeology prof

multiple “small” projects around the department i.e. making posters, painting 3D prints of bones,

all of the coursework I had done on GIS/ relevant digital experience

started a drone club at my school (it flopped, but it still counts as a line on the resume!)

All of these lines became useful when starting to think of jobs and the “next step”

UNDERGRAD HIGHLIGHTS & TAKEAWAYS:

Ask for help, your professors are there for a reason, it will almost always lead you to new opportunities. These relationships last well beyond your graduation and definitely come in handy later, make it count!

Write down EVERYTHING that you do. Did you help out with a conference? Write it down. Did you do a couple hours of data entry? Write it down.

Follow your leads! I started my anth journey in Mesoamerica and ended my undergrad in Near Easter digital archaeology (and I entered college wanting to do astronomy?). Change is natural, let it happen.  

2. Gap Year Between Undergrad and Grad School

Highlights: Job applications, field school, CRM, uncertainty

Something that I was always told during my undergrad was that you really need to do a field school and some CRM to be taken seriously post-grad. This shows that you actually want to be an archaeologist outside of the classroom environment. Field Schools and CRM give you valuable experience such as: excavation methodology, report writing, grant applications, teamwork, leadership, etc. 

I started applying for jobs probably about 5 months before I graduated and ended up securing a job at a CRM company in LA. They liked how much I had done during my undergrad, but they really wanted me to have a field school under my belt before I started working for them. Because I had already graduated and didn’t need course credit, I was able to do my field school at a discounted price (these things really do get expensive, and this was a difference of about $2k). I think this worked out in my favor waiting until the summer after I graduated because it saved me a lot of money in the end. 

After my field school was done, I started work that September in CRM. This job ended up being nothing like what I thought it would be, to be honest. I was an Archaeological Field Technician that was part-time/on-call, meaning I only got work when they needed someone to go monitor a construction site. I only got work once every month, sometimes every couple of months, so I was making hardly any money. I realized this quickly and decided to become a substitute teacher to supplement the CRM job. I HIGHLY recommend doing this if you end up in the same situation. Not only does subbing fill up all of your non-working days, but it also gives you the flexibility to choose when you can work and gives you teaching experience that you can put on your resume. That CRM experience can be really important, so it’s good to stick it out long enough to quit.

      Why didn’t I like CRM? For me, my job was very sparse, included driving long hours to a construction site, sitting there all day in case archaeological material popped up, and then driving home. Sometimes it was just walking back and forth across a massive field full of cow poop looking for arrowheads, and often it felt like I was just clearing land so that a big building could be erected. I was really missing the research component to all of it. The pay was also not great. 

GAP YEAR HIGHLIGHTS AND TAKEAWAYS:

What I got from this year was very valuable, even though it wasn’t necessarily that fun, however. 

I got the experience I needed in CRM

I got some teaching experience (also volunteered to mentor clubs and research at local high schools during this time)

I started doing some networking (I found some alumni that were doing work that I wanted to be doing and reached out to them)

and most importantly, I realized that I really do love school and wanted to go back for my Masters

So I started looking into Masters's programs. This is kind of a scary thing especially in the US because school is expensive. I still really wanted to do Digital Archaeology, and I couldn’t find a single program in the US had a focus in this topic, and especially couldn’t find one that I was willing to pay for. 

The UK, however, had plenty of Digital Archaeology programs, and the programs were only a year long and a fraction of the price in the US. I decided to take a chance and apply, got in, and then suddenly I was moving to England. (in hindsight I really didn’t spend much time at all making this decision, but it worked out in the end). 

3. Masters Program

         (my timeline at this point: 23-24 years old)

I chose the program I applied to based on its focus on the techniques that I wanted to use, namely, remote sensing, GIS, and 3D modeling. I really wanted a degree qualification that spoke for itself, and therefore applied for an MSc in “Archaeological Information Systems.” 

I had done some networking during my gap year and connected with an alumnus who was doing research in Cambodia using digital methods, and she offered me the opportunity to join her fieldwork. I agreed to join her in Cambodia during my degree, and also applied for a research grant for the year following my master's degree to continue fieldwork in Cambodia. 

I used this opportunity to fuel my dissertation topic and focused all of my writing and coursework throughout my grad school experience around Cambodia. While I was surrounded by people studying Roman architecture and Medieval Studies, I spent my time doing independent work and building a network in Cambodia. 

This program was a great experience for the most part, I was surrounded by beautiful medieval architecture and had a great community throughout. I personally didn’t really like the UK school system compared to what I had received in the US, however. This was largely because of the way coursework was set up. (If you want to know more just DM me).

MASTERS HIGHLIGHTS AND TAKEAWAYS:

Follow networking opportunities, and find someone doing what you want to do (or close to it) and let them help you take the steps to get there

If you’re going to do grad school, do it in something you know you love. Don’t waste money on a program that isn’t right for you.

Make sure that the program you apply to allows for flexibility so that you can do research on what YOU want, not what THEY want.

Halfway through my Master's degree, I received word that I had been accepted for the research grant (Fulbright) and would spend the next year living in Cambodia doing independent research.

4. Gap Year Between Masters Program and PhD

If you’re planning on a Ph.D., I think its a really good idea to do something before applying that relates to what you want to be studying. This shows that you’re dedicated to your research and to a life in academia, and have the ability to produce something from your work. 

My master's degree was nice because 1) it was short, only a year-long, and 2) allowed me to focus research on what I was interested in. This gave me the experience I needed to lead into a year of independent research.

This year of independent research was definitely contingent on receiving the grant in the first place, and I think that I would have started job searching again had I not received it. However, the small things I did leading up to applying for it really helped in qualifying me to receive it. 

     I had:

All of the undergraduate research experience

CRM experience

teaching experience

fieldwork experience

a master’s degree that focused on the region 

established a network of people in the country beforehand

a couple “publications” from fieldwork 

This grant fully funds me living in Cambodia, and has allowed me to participate in cultural exchange with some amazing people here in addition to allowing me to partake in archaeological fieldwork across the country. 

Again, I cannot stress enough how important it is to network. If you like something, find someone else who likes the same thing, send them an email.

Networking got me my experience in Mesoamerica, Digital Archaeology, my CRM job, my research experience in Cambodia, and so so much more. All because I sent that first email.

5. PhD Applications

I applied to 1 school. I got in. Its a really good school. I’m still in shock. 

However, I think I really did set myself up for success in this one. 

The biggest advice I can give in the world of Academia is:

NETWORK

Talking to people who have gone through what you’re going through are the BEST help. They can mentor you through these experiences, offer you new opportunities, or lead you in the direction of someone else who can help.

PLAN AHEAD (but be open to change)

Okay, so you’re applying to grad school. What do you want to focus on while you’re there? What do you want to do with the degree when you’re done? Do you want to start working? Do you want to do more research? What opportunities are out there for research funding? What is the job market looking for? Is there anyone in my network that can help me get there?

None of these have to be concrete plans, they just have to exist in some shape or form so that you have the ability to latch on to one when the opportunity arises.

If you’re doing something that you love doing, you’ll find a way to make it happen. All opportunity comes from the amount of effort you put into getting it! Thanks for reading and best of luck on your studies! Also Happy Anthropology Day! :)  -Lyss 

[bridger-2021]

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[rustbeltjessie]

Five years ago, I began putting a book together—a collection of my writings themed around punk music/punk subculture. They were all written between ‘99 and 2014, and had previously appeared in my own zines that had since gone out of print, or other zines or online magazines that had gone out of print/gone dark; style-wise, they ran the gamut from CNF to lyric essay to music criticism. I decided to crowdfund and self-publish the book, but at that point I didn’t really know what I was doing in regards to either crowdfunding or publishing full books. The book was almost ready to go but the artist I’d commissioned never finished the cover art, and my crowdfunding campaign hadn’t been entirely successful, and I wound up not having enough money to publish it.

About a year after I realized I couldn’t do it the way I’d initially planned, the book was picked up by a small press. My plan was to buy enough author copies to fulfill the initial crowdfunded preorders, and hopefully sell even more than that. With the help of an editor, I partially rewrote some older pieces and wrote some new ones to flesh it out a bit more. They found someone to do the cover and interior art, and put up a preorder page; I got blurbs from some of my favorite writers. It was all basically ready to go. But shit happened, and the press folded, and the book was once again dead in the water. (I’m not naming the press here, because my intention here is not to call anyone out. The people involved in all that are friends of mine, and as a small press owner myself I understand that shit happens. The saddest part about that whole thing is that I don’t get to use the cover and interior art we had, because it was amazing.)

I’ve recently realized that I need to get the book out in some way, because I need to put it behind me. For one thing, I feel badly that the people who crowdfunded or preordered never received anything. For another, I just need to move on, and I can’t fully move on until I get it out into the world. So I’ve decided to self-release it. For right now, I’m only making a digital version. I know, I know, print is way better, but I don’t have the funds to print it right now, and I’m certainly not going to ask people to pre-pay for it a third time. I’ve redone it somewhat—took out some of the weaker pieces, added in some others I’ve written in the past three years—and I’ve used my own artwork for the interior and done the cover in a zine-y/Xerox art style. I’ve uploaded it to Payhip, for a sliding-scale, pay-what-you-want price. This way, people who already paid for it (or just can’t afford it otherwise) can download it for free, and other people who can/want to throw a few $$ my way can do that. Most importantly: finally, finally, five years later, What We Talk About When We Talk About Punk will be released unto the world. — Here’s what some rad people had to say about WWTAWWTAP in its original incarnation: Love letters to way-too-late whiskey-drunk nights, stolen hearts and stolen kisses, small- town parking lots and bad decisions and even badder girls, WWTAWWTAP is a gritty and gorgeous series of riffs on living and loving punk. Like your very first show all over again, it'll set your blood on fire. —Sarah McCarry, author of the Metamorphoses trilogy and editor/publisher of the Guillotine series What We Talk About When We Talk about Punk distills wild nights of loud music, cheap whisky, and fugitive romance into a pure tonic. Jessie Lynn McMains’s voice is as indelible as a stick-and-poke tattoo and her autobiographical stories vividly capture the highs and lows of punk-rock youth. Pull on your leather jacket, grab a bottle of something, climb up onto the roof, and read this book. —Jeff Miller, author of Ghost Pine: All Stories True Wearing music like a jacket, that’s one of the things Jessie says about herself in these pages. I find that very admirable and inspiring. It gives a wonderful perspective to not only observe oneself in the moment, and in the past, but to feel the effect of that topic of study and passion on you, pressed against your skin. Jessie’s very subjective approach succeeds, and doesn’t fall into, impenetrable in-crowd self absorption, because she is smart enough to allow an adequate amount of objectivity and analysis to let her audience vibrantly see and feel her own experiences as if we are there with her. Music is a good reference point because lyrics, rhythm, and melody hit deep beyond the intellect into the emotions. You can always put on a CD, or vinyl record, or cassette and be transported to other places and times. These personal essays did this very thing to me, like listening to music. She becomes the jacket that we put on as we hear the lyricism of her stories. We are always with Jessie in her writings. The hyper-awareness that she uses to capture her memories to be pondered again and again, as we read on, immersing ourselves in her writing, is crucial. We are reading something that is alive and learning it’s own lessons. We can picture her being transformed by her own documenting of her experiences, becoming a complex being, a well informed member of humankind. She is infused with the playfulness and philosophy found in music and she demonstrates the frightening willingness to view oneself through a microscope. I find this fascinating. Therefore, because of this heart-on-her-sleeve writing style, when we allow ourselves to engage with her words on the page, to be as vulnerable as she has allowed herself to be, we too are transformed. Her words have gone from jacket to skin. We are there feeling her sexually charged reaction to Rock and Roll. We experience the sensual allure of the human body. With her we dive head first into decadence, decay, nostalgia, and hope. Her bouts of loneliness and need for community are palpable. We are bruised by the violence, the drugs, the suffering. We are stifled and also warmed by the dying and the regenerating of a constantly changing musical style. We witness the passing of friends and idols. We share in her understanding of what it means to be an outcast, and more specifically, how it feels to be a female outcast, to be a mother and a rebel. Through the willingness to wear this book like a jacket, like a skin, we not only see who Jessie is but we learn about the daily life behind the music, of people, inspired by their own creativity and the creativity of others, trying to simply be, to live a life worth living. This isn’t just a collection of diary entries, a memoir, it is an opportunity to look at oneself. Why are you a punk? Or perhaps even more importantly, why aren’t you a punk? —John “Jughead” Pierson, podcaster (“Jughead’s Basement”), musician (Even in Blackouts, founding member of Screeching Weasel), author Jessie Lynn McMains weaves the threads of her own life with a typewriter ribbon on a loom fashioned from melted records and empty 40's. The end result is fascinating, an ultrapersonal look at a life shaped by punk, forged by punk, fired by punk. What We Talk About When We Talk About Punk has music at its core and surrounding it on all sides, but its main muscle is the reaction to that, the response. Thoughts thought while listening to a perfect mixtape that takes you far away from the blah street you've found yourself living on (and a secret peek at the science behind that perfect tape), the thrill when a cute girl comes into your crappy job and gets why the 1" button on your jacket is so important. Notes scrawled on diner napkins and on the back of show flyers, now compiled into book form! —Ocean Capewell, author of The Most Beautiful Rot and High On Burning Photographs zine At 16 I cut my hair with a razor and dyed it black, looking at my reflection in the mirror that night I was convinced I was the spit of Richard Hell. When I think back through my own punk history, the bands, the friendships and the crushes; the obsessions that took over my life, led me to zines and the community I was desperately searching for, I can see with perfect clarity how I arrived at this point. As an adult woman these things are intrinsic parts of me. And that’s what Jessie’s writing does, it kicks you in the gut then hands you a cold beer. She knows. Jessie is the real deal; she is the girl Cometbus, one of the great zinesters of our time. If you want me, I’ll be in my room listening to my tapes. —Cherry Styles, writer, editor/publisher of The Chapess — You can download it here. Then listen to the official soundtrack here. (Pretend it’s on a tape, okay?) xoxo, the writer formerly known as Jessica Disobedience

[what2finish]

Creators & Bidders Information

If you do not find the answer to your question here, send an ask or email us as what2finish@gmail.com

____

Creators:

What counts as a WIPs?

The short answer is anything. It can be a work you’ve started or a prompt you thought was neat. It can be an idea of an alternative universe you want to work your fandom into. You can offer anything you wanted to try, but maybe have no concrete ideas for, as well (ie: a pairing you’re intrigued by, but have no WIP/HC for).

This event is to encourage you to make something you have wanted to do as a priority.

How many WIPs/prompts can I have?

There is no limit to how many WIPs and/or prompts you can list. We do ask that if you have a good chunk, around 5 or 6 longer ones, that you provide a link to a folder of them on your GDrive. You can always go into details or summaries of some of your favorites in the WIPs/prompt section of your creator post.

Can we include published WIPs as well - or is just stuff that hasn’t yet been shared for public consumption the only WIPs?

Sure can! Anything you want that little boost to help you cross a goal off your bucket list is welcomed!

Can I just have my bidders tell me what they want me to do?

Yes! You could just put your likes and dislikes/do not wants and ask potential bidders to contact you about their ideas or say you’re open to whatever bidders want (with exceptions of your DNWs).

Does the creator-winner relationship work like a commission?

No. You are under no obligation to give anything for credit anything to your winner, although we ask that you do notify your winner of the posting at least. However you want to work with your winner is up to you. If you would like to use this as a way to motivate you to finish something or as a way for someone else to decide what you work on next, and nothing else, that is up to you. As a kindness, we recommend putting your feelings of collabing/working in your winners like/etc. into your creator's notes.

What if I decide to add, drop, or change an auction?

If you decide to add or change anything in your auctions, please DM an admin or send us an email (what2finish@gmail.com). This also needs to be done if you change something on the Sign Up form. Just as long as you have contacted us to let us know if you’re redoing the form or doing a second add-on auction form, we will accept it.

If you do not contact us to tell us you are doing a redo form or doing an add-on form, your current information may not get updated.

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What should I do for the starting bid?

We suggest starting your bid off low as it encourages bidders to bid.

Please feel free to do tiers for your bids. For example for fanfiction:

“If bidding reaches $20, I will write two of my smaller WIPs for the auction and at $30, two of my longer WIPs. If it goes pass $50, I’ll do two WIPs of bidder’s choice and one small fic that’s under 5k of the winner’s prompt.”

Also, consider your own commission prices or what others’ commission prices are. Your Art Path has a great section of advise for commission prices here.

Still uncertain of your starting bid? Talk to friends in your discord, tumblr, and/or fandom who participated as creators in other fandom charity auctions to ask if they can help you with your starting bid/bid increment. You can also check out Marvel Trumps Hate or Fandom Trumps Hate FAQs for their recommendations.  

Keep in mind, all of the winning bid will be going towards charity.

What should I put for my second auction if both will be for the same creation?

We recommend separating your auctions by fandoms so that your lesser known fandom has it’s own auction to shine in.

If you have multiple fandoms we want to work with, you might separate your auctions by more popular ships in one auction and less popular ships in another.

In reality, you don’t need to have two unique auctions.

What should I put in my “Creator Notes” section?

You can put your tiers here. You can put your limitations on how big or how many of your auction you will do. Be aware if you have something that states “For every $10 past $30 I will write 2k” and the final bid gets to $100, you have now promised at least 14,000 more words to what you initially offered.

What is the deadline for completing my winner(s) works?

The soft deadline for completed works is going to be December 1st, 2021. If you do not think you will be able to meet this deadline, please just keep us at WTF informed.

There is no hard rule for finishing. ‘Finished’ can just mean moving the ball down the court. If it’s another chapter or comic page, etc is up for bid, that’s fine. This event is to encourage you to work on things sitting in your WIP/prompt piles.

We recommend putting the information in your Creator Notes for your auction.

Can I bid as well as be a creator?

Yes! Please feel free to do both. We would love to have you bid to your heart’s (or wallet’s) desire. Join a podbid! Or Seven! Hype up other creators! Ask one of your favorite fandom creators if they’re interested in joining the fun too!

Where and how do I post my completed Auction work?

You can complete it however you prefer! You can post it on tumblr and link the @what2finish blog if it’s a shorter story. You can post on Ao3 in the collection WTF Philippines Relief 2020. If you are posting anywhere else that we ask that you make a tumblr post with a link to the story so we can reblog your story on our blog and mark your Auction work completed.

There are no posting rules to your completed work besides to tag for anything nsfw or possible triggers. You can post it all together or one chapter at a time. You can post multiple series, it’s all up to you.

____

Bidders:

Do I need to sign up to bid?

No. You will need a working email address so we can contact you if you win an auction. Just fill out the bid form during Auction week; November 22nd to November 28th, 11:59:00pm CST.

What name do I use for bidding?

You can use a fandom name or a nickname, whatever name you are comfortable with.

What is Preview Week?

Preview week is the week when all the creator posts will be upload and the Masterpost of creators will be released on the tumblr. It will give bidders the chance to browse all the auctions before Auction Week to find creators and auctions they want to bid on. This will also give last minute creator sign ups and the mods a chance to make sure everything is spick and span for Auction Week.

Can I contact creators before Auction Week?

Please do! Ask after their auctions! Ask about their WIPs or ideas! Ask about pairings! Clarify their wants and do not wants with them!

In fact, if you have a creator in mind for this charity event, ask them to consider joining!

The Auction ends when I’m unavailable, what do I do?

We understand that with the time difference all around that world, there are bound to be some who are in a time zone that doesn’t align nicely with Central Standard Time. In this case we suggest getting a proxy bidder to help you out. If you cannot find your own, you are more than welcomed to contact us (ask or email) and we will put out a call to our followers for someone who is willing to be a proxy for you.

When will I get my confirmation email I won?

The mod team will be working to get the winner’s emails out to them as soon as the auction ends. Please keep in mind that gmail only allows a certain number of emails to be send out at a time. This means the emails will be sent out in batches and depending on the auction, it might take a few days to get your winning confirmation email.

Please do not get in contact with the creator or donate until you get your confirmation email you have won the auction.

What do I do if I win an auction?

You will get an email within the next two to three days after the auction closes confirming your win and asking you to donate to one of the charities listed. As stated in the last answer above, please do not donate or contact your creator for the auction until after you have received your confirmation email and you have donated.

But, once your have gotten your confirmation email and you have donated, the mods will send an email with both you and your creator. From there, it will be up to you guys to figure out the auction win from there.

Can I donate more than my winning bid?

Yes! The more the merrier. There is no limit to the donations you can make. 

I would like to have the craft/artwork or be part of the creation process as the winner, can I?

That will be between you and the creator you won. If they do not specifically state they will give you their work, they are under no obligation to give it. If you are unsure of their stance, or it is not listed that they are looking to work with the bidder, please reach out to the creator to ask them. 

[sinsbymanka]

The Viscount’s Muse (NSFW, Smut Ahoy)

Post DAI - Maria Cadash finds the Viscount’s smut and gets... inspired. This can also be found at AO3! Smut is under the cut. Thank you @tuffypelly for the inspiration!

“Sod it all.” Maria mumbled under her breath, collapsing in Varric’s desk chair. It groaned as if it too thought the situation hopeless. 

“My lady?” The steward asked blandly, stopping his long recitation of matters needing her attention. 

“Sorry, keep going.” She waved him on, glaring at her husband’s desk. “The Comte de Launcet wants what again?” 

The steward continued his droning and Maria listened with only half an ear. Varric’s latest serial, The Murderous Magpie, had been more of a hit that anyone could have dreamed. His next Hard in Hightown, according to all the critics and a rabid fan base. Who couldn’t love a daring, rakish heroine from the streets framed for countless murders of mighty nobles by a shadowy faction with nefarious motives? 

It was transparently based on Bea Cadash of course, but beyond their little circle, nobody else had made the connection. Bea herself actually picked up a copy, read the whole damn thing,  then wrote a real honest-to-goodness letter critiquing it in detail. Maria herself usually got mere notes, laced with profanity, from Bea. A letter was nearly unheard of. 

So, of course, both Varric’s editor and publisher were breathing down his damn neck for the next chapter. Because her husband, of course, didn’t have enough things spinning on his many plates. Ruling the city, managing both their affairs with the guild, raising their daughter, making sure the little operation trying to track Solas down at the Gallows didn’t collapse while Maria vanished into the crossroads for months…

She’d been gone too long the last time she left. Poor Varric must have been drowning in it all. She swallowed the thought guiltily and brushed aside the neat stacks of papers on his desk impatiently. She promised she’d read it before he sent it off but she couldn’t sodding find it. She was about ready to push it to tomorrow when she seized upon a neat stack of Varric’s handwritten notes in a drawer.

She lifted them triumphantly and let her eyes scan the page. 

Mariele’s plump lips opened in greedy anticipation, silver eyes flashing dangerously beneath the black lace of her mask. Viktor already felt himself swelling to attention under her hungry, predatory gaze. She looked as if she’d swallow him whole. A lesser man would fall to her whims immediately… 

Oh for the love of Andraste and all their bleeding ancestors, Varric must have finally given into Cassandra’s urging to write the next chapter of Swords and Shields. Set in Orlais, by the sound of it. Amused, Maria flipped to the next page. 

Her nimble fingers undid his trousers before he could even protest and the bard dropped to her knees in a rustle of pale silk. The moonlight in the garden turned her skin to pearl and marble, turned her hair to flickering crimson flame. She released his heavy manhood into the night, wrapping slender fingers around it and letting her pink tongue dart out over those tempting, kiss swollen lips. 

Viktor couldn’t help himself. He dropped his hand to the bare shoulders exposed by the wispy gown, traced his thumb up the pale, white scars accenting her silken skin. 

“Mariele…” He shuddered under her expert fingers. “Sweet Andraste…” 

“Oh,” The beautiful creature purred. “But I’m so much sweeter.” 

Crimson hair. Silver eyes. Scars climbing up her shoulder. Mariele and Viktor. She wondered if she’d make it through the rest of the draft to find out Mariele only had one blighted arm after losing the other to freak elven magic shenanigans. 

“My lady?” The steward asked, taking in her sudden, frozen posture. “Is everything quite alright?” 

“Of course.” She answered mechanically. “Tell the Comte we can’t assist him at this time. Where is the Viscount at the moment?”

“Meeting with the shipbuilders guild, my lady. Then luncheon with some merchants from Antiva, contract negotiations with the city of Markham, and then you’ve both accepted an invitation to a dinner hosted by one of the Merchant Guild’s…” 

Perfect. She’d been considering cheerfully murdering him, witnesses be damned, but a Merchant’s Guild dinner would be far, far worse than death. “We haven’t sent our regrets about not attending yet?” 

“I believe your plan was to feign an emergency.” The steward remarked wryly. “Fire in the kitchens was next in your rotation of excuses.” 

“We’ll save that for the next one. Please send a note to my husband stating we’ll be attending the guild dinner. I’ll meet him there.”

“Are… are you certain?” The steward asked, agog. Maria shuffled all the papers in the drawer into a neat stack and leaned back in Varric’s chair. She lifted her eyes to the steward and raised one eyebrow. 

“Did I stutter?” She asked sweetly, the tone dripping honey and venom. 

“No! No, ma’am.” He added, gulping nervously. 

“And can you ask the Hawkes if they’ll keep my daughter for the evening? I think we’ll be returning late.” Maria lifted the first paper to her eyes in clear dismissal and watched with a rather large amount of amusement as the steward scuttled away. 

Varric, Varric, Varric… she thought with no small degree of hidden fondness. If this had made it to his publisher, she’d shave his chest hair off herself, but deep down she knew it hadn’t. He’d been naughty, though. That wasn’t in doubt. 

He’d missed her. So he’d written smutty literature starring them. She could already tell it was absolutely awful. And glorious. She couldn’t wait to tell Cass. 

xx

At first, Varric thought his wife had been kidnapped and the note sent under duress. After all, the only person who hated guild dinners as much as he did had to be Maria. After he’d managed to ascertain that, yes, she did indeed order the steward to send it, he’d assumed it was a joke.

Until he went searching for her and saw his finery laid out neatly on the bedspread, a command if he ever saw one. After that, he desperately tried to track her down, but as usual if Maria didn’t want to be found, nobody could find her. The only one who could, their precocious daughter, had already been shuffled to Hawke’s to spend the night. That, of course, meant Maria was indeed deadly serious about attending the guild dinner. 

With absolutely no other explanation offered, of course, because she was the most maddening woman he’d ever met. 

He took his time making it over to the quarter, showing up rather later than fashionable. Shocked, skeptical expressions latched onto him as soon as he entered the hall. Followed, immediately, by a bronto’s charge of dwarves in his direction. Complaints. Flattery. Threats. Varric reached for a glass of wine, immediately wished it was something stronger. He was going to absolutely murder Maria for putting him through this. Particularly since she was nowhere to be found. Clearly, she needed a distraction for something and decided this was the best one she could offer up. 

“The price of parchment is outrageous!” A dwarf growled, spittle catching at his beard as he worked himself into a proper frothing rage. “The tariffs at the harbor are bleeding us all dry. If you can’t allow free trade, I’ll…” 

“Surely the young mistress is getting a bit old to be unbetrothed.” A woman with elaborate, heavy braids sighed. “It isn’t good for a girl’s reputation to…” 

Their Sunshine was barely five and not for sale regardless. For the love of…

“There you are.” 

Oh thank fucking Andraste. Maria’s good arm slipped into the crook of his easily, her lips curved up in wicked, sinful amusement. “Having fun?” She asked, far too sweetly. 

He shot her a pained glare even as her mere presence caused everyone to wisely take one step back. Despite the elegant gown and the pretty braids in her hair, Maria’s every move screamed lethal grace. No guild seat or crown could ever quite make her reputable in the eyes of the very worst of Kirkwall. 

And tonight, apparently, Maria had no plans for appearing even slightly respectable. Her gown was nearly the same color as her hair, blazing ruby red among the dull, drab colors of the guild. It dipped scandalously low, displaying her cleavage with delicious perfection. The thin straps fell off her slender shoulders in wisps of chiffon. The silk bodice curved and clung to her wicked figure like a glove. 

Varric’s mouth went dry as he took her in and he nearly forgot how annoyed he was. Nearly. 

He dropped his lips to her ear and bit back the smug satsifaction at the nearly imperceptible shiver his breath sent through her. “This is not my idea of a good time, Princess.” 

She laughed, low and soft, the ripples sending heat right into his belly. “Come dance with me then.” She challenged, tossing her head back proudly. 

Anything to get away from this crowd of vultures, besides, he never could tell her no. “As my lady demands.” He smoothly slipped his other arm around her waist, admiring the way the silk warmed with the heat of her skin underneath it. The crowd around them parted with muttered, muted disappointment pierced with disapproving glares. 

The ballroom floor itself was full of nothing but awkward, gawking teenagers. After all, dancing was for the young. And humans, of course. Certainly not for respected members of the guild and their stolid, unimpressed wives. The ones Maria outshone without any effort. 

The youths scattered before them, ducklings before swans. Varric took Maria’s hand and stepped back, bowed over it, then placed a searing kiss on the back of her palm. Because he wanted to, (dammit he never could resist that red dress) he pressed another even more desperate one on her fingertips. 

Her lips tipped up, amused in spite of herself, and then she slipped into the space between his arms like she was meant to be there, like it was made only for her. Her hand rested lightly within his and she pressed her delectable breasts against the silk of his tunic. “There’s a disappointing number of buttons done up on this shirt, Varric.” She whined quietly. 

“Hey, you picked it. Thought you were trying to tell me to show some decorum.”

“Never.” She sighed happily. “How can I possibly flaunt you when you’re hiding your best assets?” 

He chuckled, squeezed her fingers within his and dropped his voice low. “For fucks sake, Maria, why are we here?” 

“We were invited.” She replied, gray eyes widening innocently in her face. “Ages ago, remember?” 

“I tend to block out those invitations. Makes them easier to ignore.” Varric’s fingers traced the stiff boning of the gown at the flare of her waist. “You’re not going native on me, are you?” 

“Dressed like this?” Maria asked, laughing as Varric spun her under his arm. He caught her securely and she pressed even more firmly against him, a predatory smile dancing on her lips. “The Guild wouldn’t even know what to do with me.” 

They never did. Fools, every single one of them. “You were awfully late arriving. Suspiciously late.” He pointed out.

“I was on time, actually.” She purred, delighted with herself. “You were the late one, serah. I took advantage of your appearance to extricate myself from a rather lascivious Master Dace and explore all the hidden little nooks and crannies in the garden.”

He groaned and dropped his face into the coiled braids framing her face. She smelled like honey, cloves, cinnamon. A unique and beguiling scent that clung to her no matter what. “So you sacrificed me to snoop around for something.” 

“In a manner of speaking.” She agreed, nuzzling into his neck, her breath warm against his jaw. “I read something very interesting today and this was the only way to get to the bottom of it while ensuring the guilty party squirmed a little.” 

“Nobody’s listening, Princess.” He chuckled and jabbed his chin at the empty dance floor and the disapproving crowd miles away. “Don’t spare the salacious details. I demand to be entertained if I’ve got to be shoved into this bucket of rats.” 

Maria hummed lightly under her breath, her smile wicked and sharp as diamonds out of the corner of his eye. The music stopped, but he tugged her more tightly to his form and waited for the next song to strum up. As soon as it, Maria lifted her lips to his ear. “I’ll try to remember what I read. You’ll have to make allowances if it’s not verbatim. It got me rather… hot under the collar.” 

Was it his imagination, or was there a slight, breathy undertone to that statement? It of course could mean that she’d been furious by whatever she’d discovered, some nasty little guild secret. Maria’s temper meant there was a pretty good chance he’d be needing to have blood cleaned up off of some surface… 

But when she purred the words, he pictured a rather different kind of heat. One well suited to the red dress she wore. 

“I was in the study upstairs.” Maria recounted quietly, little puffs of air against his overheated skin. “Looking for that next chapter of your serial, the one that definitely isn’t based on my sister. I never did find it.” 

“That’s because it’s on the desk in the library.” He supplied less than helpfully. 

“Good to know.” She laughed. “Instead… well, I’ll just tell you what I found at your desk.” 

He made a mental note that he needed to remind the messengers, again, that guild correspondence went right into the rubbish bin. “All ears, Princess.” 

“Let me think…” Maria trailed off, her thumb lightly tracing his palm as they glided smoothly, thoughtlessly, together. Easily in tune with each other, just the way they always were. “It started…”

He waited, eager and amused at her drawing it out. It had to be damn good if she was taking such care to tell the story. 

His amusement vanished almost instantly as the words began to pour from her lips, hot and filthy in her sultry, smoky voice. 

“Mariele had many a man in her time as a bard, surely. A woman of her exquisite beauty didn’t lack for lovers on cold, lonely nights. But Viktor was no fumbling knight. It had been years since he left his sinful, boisterous exploits behind him, but his deft, practiced fingers remembered exactly how to turn a beautiful woman into a puddle of pure, uncomplicated need…” 

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. 

“Forget the steps, Varric?” His wife teased dangerously as Varric very nearly stumbled to a stop in the middle of their dance. She took over leading, eyes sparkling with danger. “Your sinful, boisterous exploits a thing of the past?” 

He was a dead man walking. She’d brought him here to torture him before she shot him. Probably with his own crossbow. “I can explain.” He protested weakly. 

“I’m not done.” Maria’s imperious voice brooked no argument. “I forget the next part. But I clearly remember this bit…” 

He groaned, tried to beg her to stop, but she didn’t heed him at all. “Viktor nearly forgot what it felt like to have a nubile young lady on her knees, but Mariele could hardly be called a lady, particularly with his steel between her perfect, plump lips. ‘Is this what you wanted?’ Viktor asked, twisting his fingers in the crimson braids she wore. The only answer was Mariele’s pleased, throaty moan…” 

Maria twitched her hips to the side threateningly and Varric pressed hard up against her to hide the effect her words were having on his own cock. His filth spilling from her lips was… sweet Maker, he hadn’t known he could want her more than he usually did. “Maria…” 

“My favorite part went…” Maria paused and brought her lips closer to his ear until he could feel their feather light touch as she whispered. “Viktor ripped the delicate silk covering her glistening mound, too crazed by her teasing grin and wicked silver eyes to do anything but plunge his sword into her snug sheathe and…” 

His breath whooshed out, leaving him dizzy. His hands dug into the silk covering her hips and he struggled to think past the liquid arousal running through his blood. “How dead am I?” He asked weakly. He could feel her wicked grin against his neck. 

“What happened to no kissing and telling, Varric?” She asked lightly. “Does Cassandra really need to know about the birthmark on my…” 

“Fuck, it wasn’t for…” Varric couldn’t think. Her perfume was too heady, her eyes sparking, mouth curled up dangerously just the way he loved best, and he couldn’t stop thinking about his cock in her mouth, her warm wet heat… 

“It was just for you?” Maria’s words sent shivers up his spine and she untangled her hand from his to twist her fingers through his loose hair. “Your dirty little secret when I’m gone? Dreaming up what Mariele and Viktor get up to in elaborate Orlesian gardens…” 

“Yes.” He confessed as she rolled shamelessly against him. He could barely hear the music over the pure, screeching need thrumming in his veins. He missed her, Maker he missed her when she was gone. All he could do was spill out the things he wanted to do to her while he waited for her to come back and warm his heart, share their bed, send his entire life into chaos and…

She pulled away and beamed into his face, flushing prettily pink under her freckles. She traced her fingers from his neck, over his jaw, down his chest and hummed thoughtfully under her breath while her eyes sparkled with mirth and… 

Lust. An inferno of roaring lust. 

Maybe she’d kill him, but it would be the best kind of death. 

She twisted her fingers with his again and turned, hiding his bulging cock strategically with her skirts while she dragged him off the wooden dance floor. Varric chuckled breathlessly as he followed her right through the crowd. Several guild members attempted to approach, but thought better of it as the Viscount and his wife slipped into the evening air of the gardens. He couldn’t see her face, but he’d seen Maria march into enough battles to know exactly what it looked like. 

He wouldn’t get in her damn way either when she was a woman with one thing on her mind. 

Thank the damn Maker that one thing was him. 

She shoved him into a dark nook, one she’d clearly scoped out for this purpose alone. It was hidden by a tall hedge and the soaring walls of the mansion behind them. As soon as the shadows enveloped them, Varric reached for her like a man starving, pressed her hard against the stones looming above them. “Minx.” He growled against her lips. “You’re a menace, Maria. You brought me here just to…” 

She brought her one arm up to her generous bosom and pulled something from the bodice, something dark and…

Lace. A lace mask just like the one in his filthy smut. Varric’s cock doubled in size and he reached out with unsteady fingers to pluck it from hers. Her grin was as smug and self-satisfied as a cat who’d eaten a canary, but his imagination was already on fire. “Turn around, baby.” He directed softly. 

“Is Viktor rather bossy, then?” She asked, but she turned and he gently fit the mask over her eyes, tying it with a simple knot over her braids. He dropped his hand to gently run his knuckles down the line of her neck, lower over the dip of her spine. He dropped his mouth to kiss down her right shoulder, tracing the scars that were left there, the remaining marks of the anchor that nearly…

Nearly, he reminded himself. But she survived, she was here, and she was warm, willing, pliant under his large hands when they settled over her waist. She tipped her head to the side to look over her shoulder at him, silver eyes shining in the moonlight, framed to the best effect by the black lace just like he knew they would be. 

She fluttered her lashes, the perfect imitation of an Orlesian coquette, and smoothly turned, dropping to her knees in one sinuous motion. His stomach knotted itself as her fingers reached to undo his laces with one efficient tug. 

“And what information am I trying to seduce out of you, my lord?” She asked in an almost flawless Orlesian accent, ruined only by the hint of her reckless laugh under the surface. “I couldn’t quite glean…”

“I’ve got to admit, Princess.” He saw stars, fought to keep his voice even, as her nimble fingers circled his cock. “The plot was secondary.” 

“Oh really?” She stroked him with her one hand, nothing but a light, teasing touch. “You know, some people read for the plot and skip these steamy scenes.” 

Those people must not have a damn pulse, but before he could retort, her lips opened and the sheer anticipation made him groan, thoughts fleeing as his mind was erased by warm, wet, sweet, sweet bliss and…

“Shit.” He swore, one hand steadying himself on the stone above her, the other twisting in her elaborate braids. He watched her mouth stretch around his girth obscenely, her eyes flicking from the task at hand to meet his and hold them as she worked to take his cock into her mouth inch by torturously slow inch. 

The sight alone was almost enough to make him cum. He ran his thumb over her cheek, voice unsteady, praise falling from it effortlessly. “You’re so beautiful. I love my cock in your mouth, baby. Sweet Andraste, Maria…” 

She laughed, a little bubble of it that brought something warm and bright to life in his chest. She pulled back, cock slipping from her swollen lips, eyes wicked and teasing. “She may be sweet.” She answered pertly. “But I’m sweeter.” 

His cheesy line from his smutty story. He laughed as well, but it tapered off into another long moan as she resumed her work. She slid him almost to the hilt inside her mouth, fingers wrapping around the last inch or so she couldn’t quite fit, slicking him with her saliva as she began to bob her head. 

“Maker I miss this when you’re away.” He continued, watching with worshipful zeal as she licked and sucked. His voice trembled with lust and awe. “It’s all I can think about at night. All I want. It isn’t enough to imagine your lips around me, isn’t enough to think of warm and wet your sweet cunt gets…”

She moaned around his length and the vibrations had him seeing stars. He curled his hand against the stone into a fist and watched her, the great rise and fall of her chest, her shining eyes on his framed by the sexy black lace. She sucked eagerly and his heart thumped unsteadily, liquid heat pooling in his groin. He tugged gently at her braids. “I want you. I want all of you, Maria baby please…” 

The wicked glint in her eyes resurfaced and she hummed around his length. Varric’s hips bucked in spite of himself and he tried, valiantly, to fight the urge to do it again and again until he spilled down her throat. She was ruthlessly driving him insane, playing into his fantasies, his desires, and he couldn’t…

She squirmed, shifting on her knees, and Varric knew she had to be as affected as he was, knew she had to be as needy and desperate. Perhaps more, in fact, since she’d been planning this little encounter all damn day without his knowledge. If Varric thought this would happen every time they came to one of these dinners… 

“Did you touch yourself?” He asked in a low growl. “Reading all that smut, knowing how bad I wanted you, what I wanted to do to you? How hot under the collar did it make you, Princess?” 

He could just picture her on their bed, legs spread, ass in the air and fingers dancing between her legs while she brought herself off to his words. 

She pulled off of him with an obscene plop, her lips shimmering with saliva, his cock shining the same way. She smirked up at him, that crooked little smile that belonged only to him. “Maybe a little.” 

Too far gone to be gentle, he grabbed her by the upper arms and hauled her to her feet, shoving her roughly back against the hard stone. Her fingers grabbed for the fasteners of his tunic, undoing them, sending at least one of them snapping, a button falling to the ground as she whimpered, his mouth devouring hers. She nipped his lip in sweet revenge and he began to pull up her skirts, rucking them around her hips and lifting her by her spread thighs. 

“Yes.” She keened, nails gouging his shoulder as she arched her back, pressing the creamy tops of her breasts to his greedy mouth. He wanted them out of the bodice, wanted her naked and in their bed begging for him as a fair turnabout for this little trick, but first…

First, he was going to fuck her thoroughly against this wall. 

His fingers felt the sopping wet lace of her smalls and tore through them in a moment, the shredded fabric falling in pieces to the grass. She laughed again, but he captured it with his mouth and her arm twisted around his neck, holding him to her as he thrust smoothly inside her. 

Her cunt clenched down on him, muscles rippling with his sudden entrance, but her thighs curved around his waist, scrabbling for purchase, the hard heels of her boots urging him on as they pressed against the small of his back. 

“Tease.” He growled, moving from her lips to nip lightly at her exposed throat as he started a bruising pace, making sure to thrust right into the spot he knew she loved so much. “Wanton little…” 

“You love it.” She bit the lobe of his ear. “And you deserve it. Writing that terrible, amazing smutty…” 

One particularly brutal thrust made her words drop away into a pure, animal moan of need, one that changed into his name as he tightened his grip on her ass. “Strong criticism from someone who wanted to reenact it.” 

She giggled, caught out, pressing an almost sugary kiss to his jaw. “I had a thing for Viktor.” 

Be still his heart. This woman. This amazing, wonderful, insane woman of his. He captured her lips with his own again, tenderly this time, even as his furious pace continued and Maria shuddered in his arms, muscles tightening, body going rigid. 

“Wait.” He muttered against her lips, liquid heat pooling in his spine. “Wait, baby. Wait for me, please Maria…” 

“Varric…” She half sobbed his name in desperation, but that was all it took. His movements became stiff, wooden, his cock swelling inside her. This tipped her over the edge and she half wailed her approval, milking him of his seed and burying her head into his shoulders, trembling against him. He thrust deep one final time and pressed his lips against her temple, mind going hazy at the edges as he spent inside her welcoming body. 

He lowered Maria back to the ground, both of them leaning against each other, too drained to stand. The garden was quiet. No sound but their ragged breathing. Varric wondered exactly how many of the Merchant’s Guild illustrious members had heard them. At least, he thought smugly, it had been a fine performance. 

And since they’d made a brief appearance at an event, they were free and clear of the guild for months.

“Do you think they’ll finally kick us both out?” Maria asked quietly with a satisfied giggle. 

Varric huffed weakly in return. “Doubtful. They’d never risk making us so damn happy. Poor Sunshine’s gonna inherit both those seats and spend the rest of her days cursing us both.” 

Varric bent to retrieve the scraps of lace on the ground, but she stopped him. “Don’t.” She ordered, eyes shimmering with mischief. “Leave them. I want to hear about their reaction tomorrow.” 

He laughed and settled on doing his trousers back up while she leaned against him, unsteady as a drunk. He kissed her forehead sweetly and wrapped his arm around her waist. 

“I unlocked the gate back here.” Maria snuggled into his shoulder. “And I told the kitchen staff to leave the side entrance open.” 

“You think of everything.” Varric murmured, smoothing her gown back over her hips. 

“Not everything.” Maria smirked in the moonlight, rightfully smug. “This was, after all, your idea.” 

Varric softened, pulling her tightly to his side as they wandered down the pristine garden paths in the darkness.  “But you, as always, are my muse.”

[dhruvdhingra02]

9 Highest Paying Freelance Jobs In 2020

Today I will tell the highest paying freelance jobs in the world.

Do you want to earn some extra money by doing any past time business online?

Making money through a business nowadays has become very challenging than it was in the 20th century.

So, in this situation, many entrepreneurs are hiring freelancers in order to help them out.

And because of this reason, why freelancing has become the second main source of income. It has become one of the quickest ways to make money online.

Freelancing is a place where clients can hire you to work on different jobs for a small period of time instead of hiring you as a permanent employer.

Many freelancers are earning a good amount of money through freelancing.

Basically, a freelancer makes money depending upon the number of hours he is investing. Freelancers are paid per hour depending upon the work they are doing.

There are some freelancing websites where you can work as a freelancer such as Upwork, Fiverr, and many more.

There are over 70 million freelancers all over the world but over 50% of them are not making a sufficient amount of money.

The reason is that they might not be having any particular skill or they don’t work seriously.

In this article, I’ll walk you through with some of the best paying freelance jobs you can do in 2020.

9 Highest Paying Freelance Jobs

So, below you’ll see a list of 9 highest paying freelance jobs which you can choose according to your skills and passion.

1. Content Writing

Content writing is one of the highest paying freelancing jobs of all time and it is growing rapidly day by day. As you all know content is the king therefore freelance writing is the best business for those who have the capability to create high-quality content.

There is a huge demand for content writers in any field whether you write a blog, book, newsletter, sponsored post, magazine or any other article.

So, in order to become a content writer, all you need to do is to polish your writing skills, improve your grammar and learn to write high-quality content.

There are different types of freelance writing such as content writing, SEO writing, copywriting, B2B writing, etc. which are in demand.

According to a money perspective, you can charge between $50-$500 per hour depending upon the length of your content, skills, and experience you have and also the site at which you are working as a freelancer.

It is a good source to make money for those who know how to play around the words.

Average monthly income – $5000

2. Graphic Design

Graphic design is another most popular skill which will be in huge demand in the upcoming years. Many digital marketing companies, bloggers, newspaper and magazine publishers want to create beautiful graphics in a short period of time. So, in this case, they hire a freelance graphic designer.

There are various free software companies providing these services where you can easily start making designs on platforms like Canva, Piktochart, Inkscape, and many more.

So, even if you are not a graphic designer you’ll still be able to create beautiful graphics and make a bunch of money

Make sure that when you are a beginner, you must offer a little amount of money because you won’t be having any rating and reviews on it.

Setting at a low price will really help you to attract more clients; more offers, and thus you’ll to make a living from freelancing.

You can charge up to $50-$100 per hour depending upon your skills and experience in it.

3. Social Media Manager

Every business owner wants to interact with their potential customers to promote their products and services online but due to lack of time, they need to hire a social media manager.

As a social media manager, your job is to help business owners to promote their products and services on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and a lot more.

In simple words, the job of a freelance social media manager is to manage social media partnerships with other brands, execute and analyze the campaigns, promote products by sharing it on social media in order to increase the number of sales, leads and brand awareness.

The best part is that you don’t need any expertise skill as long as you are good at building good relationships with people.

If you are a newbie, you will able to make around $20-$40 per hour.

But on average, a social media manager makes around $100-$150 per hour.

You can use Hootsuite tool that will help you to manage social media in a short period of time.

Average monthly salary – $4000-$6000

4. Web and Software Developer

Software and mobile app developers are the highest paying freelancing jobs.

There are many big organizations and associations looking for the best developers to handle the backend process for their website.

You need to have good technical skills in order to make money as a web developer freelancer.

If you are good at any programming language such as c++, Java, Python, HTML, etc. then you can easily charge up to $200 per hour.

You can learn these languages through various online educational platforms such as Codecademy, Codewars, Coursera, etc.

Toptal is the best freelancing website for those who are professional and experienced web developers. Toptal hires only 3% of talented people and most of them are expert programmers. Once you got selected in Toptal, you will easily make up to $250 per hour.

5. Translator

It is another one of the best freelancing jobs. Translating jobs are the ones where people have the ability to translate audios, documents into various languages.

You need to have a comprehensive and deep understanding of any language; you have to be able to show that you use that language almost at a native level.

Many companies hire freelance translators to work for them as they want to connect with people from other countries where they may require written translations.

It is one of the high paying jobs for freelancers.

On average, a translator can make up to $20-$25 per hour. An experienced freelance translator can also make more than $100 per hour.

If you want to make more money as a translator, you should learn at least 1-2 languages that are in demand such as Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, etc.

You can learn these languages from online websites like FluentU, Rype, Babbel, etc.

6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist

Every website needs traffic to grow business and make money online. A freelance SEO specialist helps companies, bloggers to rank their websites higher on various search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. which are the major source to generate traffic.

It is one of the best freelancing jobs in the world.

The job of a freelance SEO specialist is to work on both on-page and off-page SEO.

On-page SEO involves technical work such as setting up HTML codes, meta tags, meta descriptions, reducing on-page time, etc.

Off-page SEO is the work that is done behind the website such as building backlinks, getting traffic, etc.

To work as an SEO specialist, you need to have analytical skills, mathematical skills, and also some basic knowledge of HTML. This will help to gain more visitors to your client’s website.

On average, you can earn up to $50-$60 per hour as a freelance SEO specialist.

You can start learning SEO for free on websites like SEO 101, Moz, Webmaster World, etc. There are also some YouTube channels that are providing complete free tutorials to learn SEO.

It is one of the best freelance jobs from home.

7. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is someone who helps to manage the everyday task of an online business. It is similar to a personal assistant or secretary.

Many company owners hire a virtual assistant because they don’t have enough time to handle work on emails, social media, blogs, podcasts, etc.

Almost every business needs a virtual assistant, therefore, it will always be in huge demand.

It is one of the best freelancing jobs to start your career as a freelancer where you don’t require any strong skills to make money. Also, it is a high-paying job.

On average, a freelance virtual assistant can make up to $20-$30 per hour.

To become a virtual assistant, you need to have a basic knowledge of computer and communication skills.

You can offer various services as a virtual assistant such as Pinterest manager, Facebook ads manager, YouTube editing and management, etc.

8. Copywriter

It is a way of convincing someone to take action by writing words. It is in the form of advertising or promoting a product or services that make people buy instantly.

Copywriters basically motivate people to take some type of action on it.

Copywriters are different from content writers. They don’t have to write articles, blogs, newsletters, ebooks, etc. instead they need to text on emails, catalogs, billboards, etc.

Many business owners and publishing companies hire freelance copywriters to work with them.

An average freelance copywriter can charge up to $40-$50 per hour. An experienced freelance copywriter can also reach up to $250 per hour.

To make a plethora of money as a copywriter, you need to work on your writing skills, listening skills, and research skills.

Before working as a copywriter you must be having some knowledge of sales and marketing otherwise it will get hard for you to grow your career as a freelance copywriter.

9. Transcriptionist

Transcription is the process of converting speech into text format. A transcriptionist is basically a typist who needs to listen to the recordings or audio and type what they have heard into a document.

You need to type the text as accurately as possible.

Transcription is a freelance job which you can do while sitting at your home and make money online.

A transcriptionist can earn up to $0.40-$0.80 per audio minute transcribed.

It usually takes 1 hour of transcription time for 15-minute long audio.

The pay is low as compared to other jobs because you don’t require any tough skill to work as a freelance transcriptionist; you just need a headphone, a computer with an internet connection and good listening skills.

The most common mistakes that a transcriptionist makes during transcription are spelling and grammatical mistakes. So, make sure you work on this.

Conclusion

So, in this article, we have discussed 9 highest paying freelance jobs that you can try working at home.

You can easily make an account on the best freelancing websites and start making money online as a freelancer.

Although you will find it difficult to attract clients at the beginning of your freelancing career but with time, you will be able to find and work with clients that may convert into your customers.

Make sure you work consistently and build relationships with the clients. There are many people who are making a ton of money from freelancing by just working for a few hours a day.

Freelancing has now become a full-time job for most of them and if you have these types of skills, you must look after it.

I will upload more articles related to this, and in the meantime if you find something good in our article, you can share your opinions with us in the comment section.

Also, tell which of the technique you find best in our article.

[thinkveganworld]

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it ...Iran-Contra

Here’s Part One of a four-part series on Iran-Contra I wrote a few years ago.  It was published at a number of online sites including Online Journal (now Intrepid Report), the Daily Kos, and several others.  Though Iran-Contra happened years ago, the history of this episode should be understood.  As the old saying goes,  “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

George H. W. Bush's many lies - Part One

By Carla Binion (”thinkveganworldtumblrcom”)

January 14, 2000 | George W. Bush is the Republican party's confident front-runner and a "pet" of certain mainstream TV journalists.  Chris Matthews of CNBC's "Hardball" said recently that Bush's father had a clean presidency, and commentator Cokie Roberts said on ABC's "Sunday Morning" that Bush comes from a nice family.  

Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and other members of the Reagan Administration participated in a cover-up of Iran-Contra during the 1980s, and the cover-up continues to this day.  In their glowing praise of the Bush family, Matthews and Roberts did not mention George Herbert Walker Bush's many lies to the American people regarding Iran-Contra.

During Iran-contra, Republicans undermined the Constitution in ways Democrats have never done.  Many people say Democrats and Republicans are both owned by large corporations.  They say there is little difference between the parties, and that neither represents the people.  That is true to an extent, but, on the whole, it is only Republicans who have aggressively threatened the Constitution.

Americans often either wince or yawn at the mention of Iran-Contra, a scandal lost to memory for most of us.  However, the story is important now because the son of one of the Iran-Contra participants is running for president.  The elder Bush lied to the public when he claimed he was "out of the loop" on Iran-Contra.  

People might find Iran-Contra interesting if it were more accurately named.  An apt name for Iran-Contra would be the"Republicans-Undermine-the-Constitution" scandal.  If the public fully understood that George W. Bush's father participated in a forceful assault on the Constitution, George-the-Younger would not likely be the GOP front-runner today.

One reason Iran-Contra is lost to the American memory is that television news commentators did not do a good job explaining it to the public.  The problem is not that mainstream media censored the story.  They did not.  Print journalists ran detailed accounts, and the Iran-Contra hearings were televised.  The problem is, many Americans get all their news from television.  Many people believe a news story is important only if TV journalists discuss it on news talk shows day after day.  

Television journalists did not repeatedly dissect Reagan's and Bush's behavior and explain the constitutional implications of Iran-Contra.  Journalists did manage to set aside enough air time to saturate the public with detailed explanations of the Clinton scandal.  If TV commentators had spent an equal amount of time sifting through and explaining Iran-Contra, most Americans would now fully understand why the scandal mattered and how it threatened our constitutional system.  If journalists understood Iran-Contra, they would not say George W. Bush's father had a "clean presidency."  

This week I replayed 1987 and 1990 broadcasts of  "PBS Frontline" with Bill Moyers on the subject of Iran-Contra.  I also re-read substantial portions of the "Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair" published by the New York Times (Times Books, 1988.)  The Moyers broadcast and the Congressional Report are the sources for all the information which follows, except where I specify other sources.        

Moyers says that Congress's report on the Iran-Contra affair shows "the common ingredients of the White House policies were secrecy, deception, and disdain for the law."  Moyers is right.  The Congressional Report does show the Reagan White House deceived the American people and expressed contempt for the Constitution and the law.  

The Congressional Report says:  "The President did know of the Iran arms sales, and he made a deliberate decision not to notify Congress. ... As a consequence of the President's decision not to notify Congress, the operation continued for over a year through failure after failure, and when Congress finally did learn, it was not through notification by the Administration, but from a story published in a Beirut weekly."  

President Ronald Reagan repeatedly told the American people he would not negotiate with terrorists.  That was a lie.  A November 3, 1986 report in a Lebanese magazine broke the story that Reagan was bargaining with the Ayatollah Khomeni for release of American hostages.  Moyers shows footage of Reagan looking straight into TV cameras denying it.  Reagan lied to the public again during a news conference the following week, claiming there were no U. S. sales of arms to Iran.

Reagan also lied to the American people about the nature of the Contras and the purpose of their operations.  Reagan and CIA director William Casey created the Contras.  Reagan portrayed them as democratic "freedom fighters," but the Contras' ultimate goal was the overthrow of the Nicaraguan government, a government legally recognized by the United States.

The Contras were not interested in promoting democracy, as Reagan claimed.  A March 1986 report by the human rights monitoring group America's Watch said:  "The testimony we obtained frequently showed gratuitous brutality:  the Contras not only murdered their victims; they also tortured and mutilated them.  In some cases they also killed members of the families of their targets." (William D. Hartung, AND WEAPONS FOR ALL.)

Around 70 percent of the American people disapproved of Reagan's Central American policy, but he zealously (and secretly) pursued it anyway.  When CIA agents under Reagan's CIA director Casey mined Nicaraguan harbors and blew up fuel tanks, Congress cut off Contra funds.  Reagan then secretly and illegally turned to foreign governments for money to keep the Contras going.  He lied about that to the American people, too.

The Reagan White House enlisted a group called the "Enterprise" to help get around the law.  General Richard Secord defined the Enterprise during the Iran-Contra hearings.  He said, "The Enterprise is the group of companies that Mr. Hakim formed to manage the Contra and the Iranian project. ... I exercise overall control."  Secord admitted to the Congressional Committee that he sold arms to the Contras for a profit.

The Enterprise included, in Moyer's words, "a shadowy network of arms dealers, fraudulent companies, and secret bank accounts."  Senator Daniel K. Inouye, chairman of the Senate Select Committee, described the Enterprise as a "shadowy government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fund-raising mechanism and the ability to pursue its own ideas of the national interest, free from all checks and balances, and free from the law itself."  

Enterprise leader Richard Secord purchased 1,000 missiles from the CIA for $3.7 million.  He sold them to an Iranian middle man for $10 million.  The Enterprise made millions of dollars of profits from sales to Iran, and most of the money did not reach the Contras.  Around $8 million remained in a private Swiss bank account at the time of the Moyers broadcasts.

During the Iran-Contra hearings, Senator Paul Sarbanes asked Secord, "If the purpose of the Enterprise was to help the Contras, why did you charge [Contra leader] Calero a mark-up that included a profit?"  Secord answered, "We were in business to make a living, Senator.  We had to make a living.  I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time."

Bill Moyers says, "While profits were being made, lives were being lost. ... In Nicaragua the Contras use weapons from the Enterprise against civilians.  It is a terrorist war they are fighting.  Old men, women, children are caught in the middle."  Lt. Col. Oliver North learned the Contra leaders were not noble "freedom fighters."  North's liaison with the Contras, Robert Owen, told North in a memo that the people surrounding Contra leader Adolfo Calero "are not first-rate people.  They are liars, greed and power motivated.  This war has become a business to many of them."  

Moyers interviewed a disillusioned former Contra officer. The officer said of Contra leaders, "They bought shoddy goods and sold them at hiked up prices.  They bought low-grade grains...and put them up for sale or billed them to themselves at the highest prices.  They did the same with ammunitions.  They did the same with rifles."

"All this," says Moyers, "the contempt for Congress, the defiance of law, the huge mark-ups and profits, the secret bank accounts, the shady characters, the shakedown of foreign governments, the complicity in death and destruction -- they did all this in the dark, because it would never stand the light of day.  Secrecy is the freedom zealots dream of.  No watchman to check the door.  No accountant to check the books.  No judge to check the law.  The secret government has no Constitution.  The rules it follows are the rules it makes up."

The Reagan Administration repeatedly lied to the American people throughout the Iran-Contra scandal.  In fact, Reagan, Bush, and the other Iran-Contra participants managed to get away with their wrongdoing precisely because they lied, stalled, stonewalled, and participated in a cover-up -- not because they were innocent, as many of their supporters still believe. 

-----------------------------------------------------------

Note:  I’ll post the other parts of this series later. 

[trustmommy]

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[smashingatsonicspeed]

FINAL BASE GAME DIRECT THOUGHTS

Well, we just had our last base game direct earlier this month for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It certainly was a doozy, and for most probably not nearly as hype as the August direct nor of course the Smash section at E3. But we still got some cool stuff. And I’m going to give my thoughts on much of what we got.

KEN MASTERS, RYU’S ECHO FIGHTER

Ken has practically been confirmed since September with the birth of the box theory. Regardless on what the fate was of many of the rumors/leaks it just looked like Ken was really the only true lock for the game. He looks neat, I won’t use him more then Ryu personally if I had to choose between the two to play as, But I get why he’s here, he’s pretty much the original echo fighter when it comes to fighting games. Sakurai even points this out later. Perfectly ok with Ken’s inclusion, but it is admittedly hard to get excited over someone you’ve practically known was already in the game since September. He does seem to at least to be the most different out of all the Echo fighters.

INCINEROAR, OUR FINAL BASE GAME UNIQUE CHARACTER

The other character nearly as expected as Ken though not quite as long. And not exactly as hinted since in terms of the unique fighter on the Box theory there’s no pattern hinting at who it could be. It could technically have been anyone. The character also got people to doubt it’s appearance after the “Grinch leak”, some people even saying Incineroar may have been Leaker bait sent by Nintendo. But nope, Incineroar was the real deal. And he looks fun! A pro wrestler type character I feel will endear him to fans who aren’t as into Pokemon anymore but can enjoy his personality in Smash. It’s also awesome to finally have a feline character in Smash.

BOX THEORY WAS CORRECT, GRINCH LEAK FOOLED A LOT OF PEOPLE

With Ken and Incineroar in we do need to mention how that it is confirmed in fact that Box theory was correct. The pattern was suspiciously there for Ken, and the Gen 7 Pokemon had not been known yet and while the Grinch leak may have put some doubt. It’s hard to see why the Pokemon Company would miss the chance to add a character. But yes, let’s just say everyone who had their hopes high after believing the Grinch leak just got their hopes crushed when the stuff being speculated about the box theory from September to early October came true. Heck, even though I was one who lowered expectations because of the Box theory, I admit at the very least the Grinch Leak fooled me in believing that some of the characters would become playable. I never believed the leak fully since my brain felt it was illogical for 7 characters to be announced with nearly only a month to go. But stuff like insider talk and that mysterious plant item shown at Wendy’s Tailgate had me thinking that at least say… Isaac made it or something. Props on a well done fake by the leaker, it’s not easy to make a leak that would cause the debates of the century in Smash discussions happen. Of course I do got to stop short of thanking the leaker because if it weren’t for the Grinch leak there were actually people who were bringing their expectations low and might of not taken this direct as bad as a result. There would of still been a meltdown sure, but the meltdown would of simmered over weeks of box discussion. it was only made worse with the Grinch leak.

SPIRITS

Spirits is kind of interesting. It’s kind of another sort of event mode kind of thing with images of characters that you’re able to level up like in gacha games (Just without needing to pay money like the ones on Mobile phones)

ONLINE MODE

I often only use online to play with friends. But some of the changes to Online are neat. Preferred rules letting you more likely find someone who likes the same sort of competition you do. But might not exactly be perfect. Feels like the friend lobbies will be most preferable for many.

ASSIST TROPHIES

And here comes the final painful deconfirmations. Even the first one came to a shock to many since it happened to be Shadow the Hedgehog. Who of course was seen ever since Richter’s inclusion as a lock as a new echo fighter. And then there was Isaac, who looked like he was doing so well in the Ballot back in the polling days since he was missing completely from Smash 4. But he’s back… once again as an Assist Trophy. Spring Man who was thought to be certain for DLC is just an assist as well. (Rex might have been deconfirmed as well with that Mii costume during the DLC section)

But it wasn’t all sad deconfirmations. There was also fun new additions that probably are just happy to be there. You have a Fatal Frame protagonist, the Black Knight from Fire Emblem (Can’t wait to get screenshots of him and Sonic just for the Sonic and the Black Knight jokes), a Thwomp, Dr. Wily, Guile, and Akira. All awesome additions to the assist trophy line-up.

DLC CONFIRMED

As expected, DLC will be happening. The question is if this Fighter pass will be the only season of it or not. Also interesting to note that each fighter+stage pack is the same price as Ryu, Cloud, and Bayonetta. Possibly meaning that all DLC characters in the pass will be 3rd parties. Might not be the case completely but until we get a Nintendo owned character from the pass itself I’ll speculate that.

Though uh… I gotta talk about the one Nintendo character they’re offering as a free bonus until the end of January…

PIRANHA PLANT IS THE FIRST DLC CHARACTER

This was basically the point the Smash Speculator has either been broken or completely left my brain. Because under no circumstances of any speculation question about characters getting into Smash does the Plant meet any standards. For the first time ever, this truly is a joke/WTF character given to us by Sakurai. Even the earlier characters that were seen as joke or WTF characters had reasons to say they deserved to be there. But this plant isn’t even the most iconic enemy. It’s very much like Sakurai chose a character that goes against all preconceptions of Smash inclusion. I can’t even be mad, I’m too broken to be mad. I was just confused and laughing when it happened. I just hope the rest of the DLC doesn’t fall-in-line with this. That this is just the one troll move Sakurai pulls on us and doesn’t try again.

One things for sure though, I will never complain about Dark Pit again after this.

WORLD OF LIGHT

And while it’s certainly not quite as robust as we’ve been told it’s mainly an overworld and more fights. But we have our closest thing to Subspace in a long while. That intro cutscene we got might very well end up being the only real cutscene (Though I wouldn’t put it past there at least being a final cutscene at the end after beating the final boss) but was still great to see. And man it was like they Thanos snapped nearly the entire Smash roster except for Kirby. Perhaps my favorite part is Sonic slowed down to try to save Pikachu before both were blasted. My current main since Brawl, and my former #1 Main in 64 and Melee are a canon Smash friendship! ^^

But anyway, yeah it looks plenty interesting. I wonder if this will be the “streamlined” way of unlocking characters that Sakurai mentioned? Which speaking of which I was kind of surprised that wasn’t really mentioned in terms of unlocking characters which is weird since you’d think that is important in a game where you start with only the original 8 and work your way to unlock the rest. There are still kind of some unanswered questions despite this being the final direct. But I guess that will have to be saved for news publishers to talk about as we get closer to release and the NDAs start disappearing. And then of course the launch of the game itself

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, while again the character reveals weren’t as hype as before. I am still very much excited for the game and in fact already have the game pre-loaded ready for me to play on the very first second once midnight strikes on December 7th. We still have 6 more characters to look forward to play as or at least find out about next year as well. So character speculation isn’t quite over yet. But it will be pretty tight with only 5 spots barring a 2nd season being announced at some point. But right now, the game itself is important. And it’s nearly just a month away! Can’t wait ^^

[sad-ch1ld]

via RSI Comm-Link

Writer’s Note: Phantom Bounty: Part Four was published originally in Jump Point 3.4. Read Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.

Mila was a traitor. She’d risked her career as a bounty hunter . . . had betrayed her partner, Rhys, to free Casey. Was it all worth it? Had Casey been telling the truth about her father developing bioweapons?

Mila snuck a glance at Casey as she returned to the co-pilot’s seat. The dark-haired woman offered her a small smile, then harnessed herself into her seat. Mila’s childhood friend. A terrorist.

The emptiness of space loomed before them, nothing but darkness beyond Devana’s forward screen. Mila gripped the controls so tightly her hands ached.

“I’ve managed to mask our signal,” Casey said, “but it’s a temporary fix only. We have a half hour. No more.”

“How . . . ?”

Casey explained the method, and Mila shook her head, partially in awe of the hacking skills required, partially in dismay over the length of the resulting prison sentence if she were caught at it.

“Could have used that trick myself a time or two,” Mila muttered.

“Not if you want to stay on the right side of the law.” Casey cleared her throat. “After this is over. Of course. Just picked up the signal on the scanner. Gotta be my contact. The ship’s waiting a few clicks from the jump point.”

Mila’s hands grew tighter on the controls as she glanced at the scanner screen. Space normally held the dual promises of endless possibility and endless danger . . . but today it held only danger for her.

“Any sign of the Advocacy?” Mila asked tightly.

“Not yet. But . . . they’ll follow. They always do. Get me to my contact, and we’ll execute the plan.”

Mila tried to calm her breathing, but her heart was racing, and she couldn’t make it stop. It was supposed to be simple. Mila would pull up next to the contact ship; Casey would knock her out, then transfer to the other ship. When Rhys and the Advocacy found Mila, she’d tell them Casey took her ship and ran with it. Then everything could go back to normal. Or almost normal. Would Rhys believe the lie? Could she lie to him?

This was stupid. So stupid. She’d acted rashly. There was no way she could lie well enough to convince the Advocacy and Rhys that Casey had somehow escaped the containment pod, overpowered her, and then locked her inside. But Mila didn’t have another solution.

“Straight ahead.” Casey plotted new coordinates, and Mila followed the trajectory.

A long, sleek yacht came into view in front of them. A few thin lights gleamed along the length of the 890’s hull. The owner of this ship had plenty of money; Casey’s contact was the real deal.

“Freelancer,” came a voice over the comm. “State your business.”

Casey replied, “Tell S Whispering Wind approaches.”

“Around which sun does the finest planet orbit?”

“Ilios.”

Mila’s heart skipped a beat and she slammed a hand over the comm, silencing it. “Ilios,” she hissed. “Like the project?”

Casey’s brows rose for a split second, then her expression smoothed. “Exactly like that.”

“I thought you destroyed all that data.”

“S has cleared you for docking,” the comm interrupted, “but we’ll need to scan you at close range.”

Casey pushed Mila’s hand out of the way and hit the comms. “Roger that.”

“Tell me what’s going on,” Mila hissed. “What is this about Ilios?”

Casey sighed. “I can’t tell you about S. Or Ilios. If I did, I’d have to kill you.”

Mila tensed in her seat. There was no hint of humor in Casey’s voice. None. She was serious.

“I risked everything for you!”

“Look . . . all I can say is that People First has friends in high places. They support the cause. But not all friends are created equal. Many do things . . . for their own reasons. And can be persuaded to help if you offer the right terms.”

Mila pulled the ship up beside the much longer 890. “This contact is connected with People First? And what were her terms for you, to get you out of here and betray PF?”

The 890 commed them before Casey could answer. “We detect two life signs in the Freelancer. S says you were supposed to come alone.”

“I needed help getting here,” Casey replied tersely.

“S says both of you must board. Or we leave.”

Casey glanced at Mila with a veiled expression, “I’m sorry to drag you into this. But we both have to go over there.”

“No.” Panic rushed through Mila, and she tightened her grip on the stick. “No way. That wasn’t the deal. You go over. I stay here. Or I’m leaving.”

“Evony.”

“Don’t call me that,” she said through gritted teeth. “My name is Mila now.”

“Mila,” Casey’s voice was low, soothing. “How do you think it’ll look if we fly away now? They’ll shoot us out of existence and jump without a glance back. You have to go over there. I’ll make sure S sends you back here.”

“How will you make sure?”

“I just will. Now suit up. We’re wasting too much time. S definitely won’t be happy if the Advocacy shows up at her door. But I’m pretty sure you understand that.” Casey left her seat and headed back to suit up herself.

Mila stared at the yacht, trying to decide if she could outmaneuver it and escape. But then what? She had to get rid of Casey, not keep her on board. She let out a frustrated sigh, unbuckled, and headed back to her gear. She ignored Casey, not meeting her gaze.

Her injured shoulder, shot by Casey, cried out in pain as she pulled her suit up. She slapped a new numbing patch on it and continued dressing. As she closed the suit up, her hand touched her necklace.

Mila’s heart twisted as she pulled the bronze token over her head. She stared down at it, at the infinity symbol, the special iridescent “good luck” stones dangling from it, and a new wave of regret washed over her.

Rhys had spent some of their last creds on this. To make her happy. Mila took the necklace and tucked it in the space between the bunk and the wall. She didn’t deserve it. And it hadn’t brought her good luck anyway, had it?

When Mila got back to the cargo hold, Casey was suited up, her helmet under one arm.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” Mila mumbled.

They both latched their helmets on, then Mila depressurized the cargo hold and opened the back ramp. She and Casey pushed off the ramp and drifted toward the 890’s rear lift. When they were inside the empty space, the cage lifted under them, and artificial gravity gently resumed. A light turned green above them, and Casey took off her helmet. Mila did the same.

They stared at the double doors before them, waiting in tense silence.

The doors finally slid open, revealing a broad-shouldered man in a dark grey flight suit. “S will see you now.”

The man stepped into the lift, one hand gripping a pistol, and gestured for Mila and Casey to enter the ship.

Mila squared her shoulders and met the man’s hard glare with one of her own. She wouldn’t be afraid of these thugs. She’d faced off against dozens of wanted criminals and come out on top. She could do it again.

Another pair of guards met them in the next corridor where it widened. One of them patted Casey and Mila down and removed their mobiGlas as the other kept his gun trained on them. When they were satisfied, they led them down the corridor and into a well decorated lounge.

Mila’s eyes darted around. The lounge was on two decks, and more guards looked down at them from behind the rail of the upper deck. By the taste displayed here, Casey’s contact was old money. It could have been owned by Mila’s parents or any of their friends on Terra. Silk panels from Rihlah, famous Terran brocade applied to the benches, a delicate glass and metallic table at the center, and a very impractical glass chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Iridescent stones decorated the chandelier, and Mila’s hand almost went to the spot where her good luck necklace used to be. They looked just like the stones on it.

Two more guards entered, bringing the total to five on the main deck. Mila’s lips parted as a woman, apparently the mysterious ‘S,’ walked in behind them.

It was the woman from the market stall where Rhys had purchased her necklace.

Mila did a double take. No . . . there were differences. This S was petite, with space-black hair and light blue eyes, just like the woman at the stall. But the woman before her wore a well-tailored suit and robe, not loose skirts. And her hair wasn’t done up in braids, and she didn’t have a nose ring. She looked more . . . well-preserved — her skin smooth, a product of youth treatments. This was not the same woman . . . but Mila would be willing to bet they had some relation to each other.

The woman walked up to them with a smile, and exchanged kisses on the cheek with Casey.

“Brought a friend?” she asked, raising a brow at Mila.

“Like I said. I needed a ride.”

“And who is this?”

Mila didn’t answer, just tried to keep her expression blank. She couldn’t let this woman know she knew anything about her.

“She’s just an old friend of mine,” Casey said, her voice light.

The woman’s eyes darkened, her polite demeanor fading a fraction. She gestured to one of the guards.

“Come with me, Elaine. Let us talk over here.”

Casey followed her to an ottoman near the center of the room, while the guard grabbed Mila’s arm and pulled her to the edge of the space and out of earshot of Casey and S’s quiet conversation. Did S know who Casey was originally? She’d called her Elaine, the name she’d used on Tevistal.

The two of them engaged in an intense, quiet talk for a few minutes and then Casey lifted the sleeve of her suit and peeled off a piece of her skin. False skin. Mila went cold at the sight of it. Casey hadn’t mentioned any hidden data . . . or details on the price for her passage. Casey scraped a chip from the skin and passed it to S.

Casey was selling data, probably Phan Pharmaceutical data. Had she lied about everything? Was she just stealing data to sell to competitors? Anger started to bloom in Mila’s chest, and she fought to keep her mouth shut. All that mattered now was that Mila get out of this alive and unscathed.

Casey finished her transaction and returned to Mila.

“What was that?” Mila hissed.

Casey’s expression was tight. “She’ll let you go back to your ship just as soon as she checks my payment.”

A new guard ran through the door. “Madame. The Advocacy was spotted by our scout. We need to jump. Now.”

“Wait — no.” Mila looked toward the door they’d come in. “Send me back. Send me back now.”

S shot them a glare and gestured to the guard behind Mila. “Take them each to a room until after the jumps.”

Jumps. This was starting to get a lot more complicated.

“Let me go back to my ship!” Mila’s voice rose.

Casey dug her nails into Mila’s hand and leaned close, whispering. “They won’t let you now. Keep it together if you want to survive this.”

Mila lurched to the side, trying to make a desperate run back out to her ship.

The guards closed in on her, grabbed both her arms, and dragged her the other way. She went limp, no longer fighting it as the realization of what had happened sunk in.

They took her up a flight of stairs and opened the first door they came to, pushing her inside.

“Harness up. We’ll be jumping soon,” one of the guards said.

The door slid closed and she heard the lock engage. Mila took a panicked look around the small room, and then sank down in the jump seat. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she buckled in. She’d messed up.

She’d always been able to get out of scraps before. Always. But not this time. She just kept sinking deeper into a pit that appeared to have no bottom.

The ship hummed softly as it powered up, and in mere minutes she felt the woozy sensation of the first jump. Another soon followed, and Mila’s hope died as they travelled further and further away from her ship.

When the Advocacy found the empty Devana . . . they’d know. They’d know she’d helped Casey escape. They’d think she was working with her.

And it would be true.

The stomach-lurching feeling of the third jump let Mila know her old life was over for good. Now she was a criminal . . . on the run. She could try to say Casey had kidnapped her, but why would she have? There was no good way out of this. And Rhys knew the truth; he’d known about their shared past. If the Advocacy pressed him . . .

Would Mila even get off this ship alive?

When the yacht powered down, Mila unharnessed herself and paced the small room.

Hours passed, and a guard brought Mila food and water. The reconstituted food tasted like death, like a last meal before the end, and a terrible one at that. She could barely wrap her mind around what she’d done — how much her life had changed in just a few hours. Then the locks disengaged on her door again, and she turned as it slid open.

Casey slipped through and quickly closed it. “The guards are busy . . . for the moment. This might be our only chance to talk.”

“You lied to me. You knew.”

“No. I didn’t. I’d hoped to get you back to the ship.”

“I can never go back now, Casey. Not ever.”

“Shh. I’m Elaine here.” Casey looked completely calm, unbothered by the fact that Mila’s entire life was hanging in the balance.

Mila rushed Casey and shoved her against the metal wall. “They’re not gonna let me walk out of here, are they? I’m an unknown entity. I was never supposed to be here.”

Casey winced with pain and her forehead creased with worry. “S — Sybil — will make sure she knows who you are before she lets you leave now. And when she finds out you’re a bounty hunter . . .”

“Well, I think I know something about her. There was this woman selling trinkets at the market—”

“A younger sister. You don’t say a word about knowing anything, understand? She’ll kill you if she thinks you know anything about her. She operates under the illusion that we don’t know anything.”

Mila backed away from Casey, feeling dizzy. “You lied to me. You’re selling data—”

“Not bioweapons! When we do jobs, we collect harmless, or even beneficial, research and sell it to fund our cause. But I’m funding my escape with it this time.”

“What is it? What did you just sell?” Mila’s voice rose as she spoke, and she tried to calm herself down, but her mind was racing.

“The formula for a medical treatment that hasn’t been patented yet.”

“How can I believe that?”

“Look, we don’t have time for this.” Casey placed her hands on Mila’s shoulders, forcing her to look her in the eyes. “You know about her family. She’s going to find out about you. There’s no way she’s letting you just go back to your regular life now. You have one choice.”

Mila shrugged off Casey’s hands. “What?”

“You come with me. I’m going to try to convince her to let us disappear together.”

“No!” Mila began to pace the room again. “I can’t just . . . leave the Empire.”

“If you stay — you just freed me and left your ship stranded next to a jump point. They’ll know you helped me. You have no other choice.”

“You think I don’t know what it looks like? You have to help me get off of here. Have them drop me off somewhere so I can . . . somehow make it right.”

“You know too much! About me — about PF — about Sybil.”

Red crowded around the edges of Mila’s vision, and it took everything she had not to wrap her hands around Casey’s neck and squeeze. “I helped you. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me. You have to help me fix this. Help me get out of here.”

Casey folded her arms across her chest and glanced back toward the door. “I can’t.”

“You. Will.”

“They’ll catch you—”

“And it won’t matter to you either way. You’ll be long gone, hiding in Xi’an territory.”

Casey met Mila’s eyes and sighed. “Fine. Get yourself killed if that’s what you want.” She reached into her suit pocket and pulled out a translucent swipe card.

“Stole it off a guard.” Casey smiled ruefully. “This should get you into the corridor at the end of this one. They have a little 85X there. I know we’re stopping at a planet soon. Backwater, but plenty of places to hide. I’ll distract the guards for you. When I knock twice on your door, wait five minutes, then it’s time for you to go.”

Mila stared down at the card in her hand.

“Thank you again, for helping me. I owe you my life.” Casey wrapped her in a quick hug that Mila didn’t return. “I really am sorry. Try to be safe.” Casey gave her one last sad smile. “If you change your mind . . .”

“No,” Mila said, her voice breaking. “I’m going to fix this.”

The knocks came after Mila had given up on Casey ever following through.

Two knocks.

Mila grabbed her helmet off the floor and hugged it to her chest.

Heart pumping a chaotic rhythm in her chest, Mila waited through five tense minutes, then swiped the card Casey had given her. The door slid open to reveal an empty corridor beyond. She barely breathed as she gingerly stepped into the corridor and looked both ways. She turned right, as Casey had directed her to, and hurried toward the end. It curved right, taking her to a new door.

She said a quick prayer to the Banu god of luck that the room beyond would be empty, then scanned the card.

The door opened into a hangar bay. The 85X sat at the center of it.

An alarm sounded, and red lights began to flash in the bay.

Mila was sweating freely as she latched her helmet on.

“Hey!”

Someone tackled her from behind, shoving her down on the floor. She fought back, twisting in the man’s grasp until she saw him face to face. A guard, the one who had warned Sybil about the Advocacy’s arrival.

Mila slammed a gloved fist into his unprotected face, and he stumbled backward. She desperately climbed forward, trying to get into the 85X cockpit, but the guard followed her.

Depressurize Bay. The small words flashed in the corner of the cockpit’s interface. As the guard grabbed her leg, she hit the button on the screen. A whole new set of alarms joined the ongoing din. The man’s eyes widened, and he scrambled away from her, toward the hangar door. He scanned his key card, trying to make it open, but it was sealed shut. He would die if she didn’t do something.

Mila paused the depressurization and lurched out of the ship. She crashed into the man, seeking the pistol he held in his grip. She slammed an elbow into his gut again, and he released the gun. She picked it up and trained it on him.

“Last chance to get out!” she yelled. He stared at her wild eyed and scanned his card again.

This time the door opened. Several guards waited beyond, but he yelled something to them and they didn’t try to enter.

The door slid shut, and Mila climbed back into the ship, tossing the pistol into the seat beside her.

She brought up the Starmap, her hands shaking with adrenaline, praying that it would display more than a void. They were in orbit over a settled world! She chose a landing site to the west of the closest city. She could abandon the ship there, hide in the wooded hills, wait it out until she was sure Sybil and her guards had given up waiting for her to emerge. She chose her destination, and then completed the prep sequence.

The countdown began. She harnessed herself into the seat as the hangar bay opened, revealing black space behind.

She throttled up and took off, leaving the 890 behind.

Mila headed directly planetside, sparing little attention for the ship at her back. If they shot up the runabout, she would have no more worries herself. There was nothing she could do but speed to her landing site.

She pictured Rhys. His handsome face, his reassuring words, the way he’d held her. That smirk she’d probably never see again unless she got caught or found a way to fix this impossible situation.

As she entered the planet’s atmosphere, she spared the time for a few tears.

A few days ago she’d been hunting the Phantom.

Now she needed to become one.

Five Months Later

Mila wove her way through dark alleyways, keeping her head down, a hood concealing her face. A lock of her newly short-cropped blonde hair fell into her eyes, and she blinked as it irritated them. The green colored contacts she wore felt dry, scratchy. But at least from afar she wouldn’t be recognized.

She glanced back at a huddle of transients gathered round a rusty heater, and turned down the next alley. She’d reached the hostel sector.

It was dangerous being back in Tevistal so soon after the Incident, but she’d run out of options and time. A dozen small-time jobs had funded her existence along the way, but now there were even more bounties on her head.

She’d been hunted for months, had been nearly caught, but so far she’d always gotten away. And this was the one place they’d probably never expect her to return.

Mila gritted her teeth and walked down the dark alley between two hostels. A cracked globe flickered, guiding her to a hostel entrance. She pushed open the door, and the scent of piss wafted over her. It barely registered. This place was only half as filthy as most of the places she’d slept the past few months.

Voices rang through the thin metal walls. Arguments. The sound of two people moaning and grunting. An old vid playing at full blast.

Mila found an unoccupied room and went inside. Dim sensor lights lit up the room. The place had a film of filth coating it, but it would do.

She shut the door behind her and activated the second-hand mobiGlas on her wrist. Her hacking program did a quick job of activating the RoomTab. The lights and power came on in response, and she pulled her mobi away. It would stay on until she ran her program again. No creds needed. Which was good, because she didn’t have many left.

A glance around the now well-lit room brought a flood of memories back. The pain came with it, weighing Mila down. She sank to the dirty mattress.

She and Rhys had tracked the Phantom to a room like this once.

Mila did something she hadn’t done for weeks. She brought up the news search she’d saved to her mobiGlas, to see if anything had changed since she’d last checked.

PHAN PHARMACEUTICAL CEO UNDER INVESTIGATION

She rewatched the vid of Casey’s father being arrested with the sound turned off. Owen Phan’s face was the same regal countenance she remembered from growing up. When Mila had first heard that the truth about the biological weapons had leaked, it had been a relief to learn that Casey had at least been telling the truth about that. And even more importantly, Mila’s mother had been kept completely clear of the breaking scandal. Knowing that Phan wouldn’t be making weapons anymore was the only glimmer of light in these recent dark days.

Almost without thinking, Mila accessed another archived news story.

An image of herself flashed in the air before her. Or at least what Mila used to look like. It was the photo the Advocacy had been using on her bounty.

EVONY SALINAS CHARGED WITH AIDING AND ABETTING “THE PHANTOM”

The article speculated on the nature of the terrorism, on the relationship between Mila’s parents and Phan Pharmaceuticals, and on Mila’s motives. Even with the revelation of the biological weapons it hadn’t changed the fact that the Phantom had wreaked havoc for months. Casey, and by association Mila, were still considered criminals.

The article had included a small photo of Rhys as well. He had been held for questioning, but with no proof of any wrongdoing on his part he had eventually been released.

Mila reread the final line.

Evony Mila Salinas is still at large, with several bounties on her head for crimes ranging from petty theft to terrorism.

She scanned back up to see Rhys’s face one more time, but it was like a knife through her heart. She turned off the mobi.

She needed to get to Xi’an territory fast, and she only knew of one woman who could get her there. Sybil.

But she’d been unable to dig up anything useful on the woman. All she knew was that she was related to that peddler who had sold trinkets in the Tevistal market square on Pilgrim’s Day. So that’s who Mila needed to find. Sybil might have her guards shoot Mila on sight after what she’d done . . . but Sybil had helped Casey — for a price.

And Mila was desperate enough to pay just about any price Sybil asked. She’d learned a few weeks ago that Rhys was hunting her down, trying to bring her in, that her time was running out.

Maybe . . . maybe if he did find her again in Xi’an territory, free of Advocacy influence, she could explain. She could hope for his forgiveness, if nothing more.

But until then, she’d be a Phantom. Doing what she needed to stay free.

THE END

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[clairekatswritingcorner]

(Banner art by my good friend Apex!!!)

Hey there! I’m CK and I’m opening writing commissions! 

5 slots is the max I’ll take at a time, although if I end up getting a couple of large commissions on the front end I’ll have to decrease that number until I manage to finish those up because I don’t want to leave people hanging (or overtax myself).

More details under the cut

Pricing:

For right now I’m only accepting commissions paid through Ko-Fi donations (Link here or in my blog description). 

Each ko-fi is ~300 word piece. (So $1 USD per ~100 words.) Once you’ve contacted me and we’ve discussed your commission you can make your payment through ko-fi.

Please don’t pay until we’ve spoken and I’ve confirmed your commission.

There is a word cap of ~5100 max length for any piece (or 17 ko-fis, $51 USD). Chances are the finished piece might fall a little over the word mark, but I don’t charge extra for anything included on my part. (Ten words here or there isn’t a make or break thing.)

Payment is required after the first check-in! At the halfway point of your piece (in terms of word count, when it’s half written) I will send you a sample to make sure that the piece is turning out the way you want. Once that’s agreed upon, I will ask you for payment of whatever price we’ve agreed upon. I will not send you the finished/full and edited product until I’ve received full payment.

5 slots = 5 individual pieces, i.e. if one person commissions me for 5 different pieces, that’s all my slots.

I try to keep my turn around time from ~2 weeks to a month. This can change depending on real life circumstances, the length of your piece, and how many other commissions I have in the queue before yours. I will give you updates such as the half written sample, and let you know when I’ve finished the first draft or started the editing stage if you’re interested. 

I do not work on commissions or check my email during the weekend. I’ve had to implement this policy for my own mental health, and may choose to forego it if I get immensely backed up, but considering the low number of commissions I’m accepting at a time that shouldn’t be a problem. Please keep this in mind in terms of both contacting me, and how much time that may add for me to finish your commission. 

Again, I’ll send you an update at the halfway point to ensure the piece reflects what you want – tell me any changes you want made AT THIS POINT, and if that means I have to rewrite a character or situation I will. Once you give me the go ahead I will finish the piece, and once the final draft is written and I start editing it, I won’t go back and make any major changes.

When I finish your piece I will send it to you through email as an attached word document, or in a google doc, or some other form of writing platform. (Although those are the only two I’m really familiar with.) 

You also have the option for me to just post it here on my writing blog, and I will make sure before I post any commissions if people are comfortable with them being shared here. 

Writing examples:

My Writing Blog (writing tag)

My Self Insert pieces (writing tag)

My Ao3

Previous commission work examples: ( x | x | x | x | x | x ), you can also feel free to browse through my commissions tag

Disclaimer: If you want a longer piece please have some sort of action or plot that you think could fit or be stretched to fit the word count. If you tell me you want a 5k fic and the only description is “two characters drinking coffee” or something, chances are I will not be able to work with that, and I will let you know. I have lots of writing examples of varying lengths (from short 500 word things to 5k+, all with the word counts included, so those can give you an idea of what you’d be getting!)

What I Will Write

Self Inserts/OCs (I really really really love to write these, so I’m always pretty eager to work with them)

OC x Canon

Various other types of fictional relationships (OC x OC, canon x canon, stuff with multiple characters, platonic/familial/romantic, etc. within reason; I don’t write anything that falls outside my personal boundaries; one example of this is writing real life people -- I’m not personally comfortable with this, but I will write actors’ characters)

Most genres/scenario types, i.e. I’ll write fluffy things (this is my strong suit) or angsty things or even things involving gore and character death, although some of the heavier stuff will need to be discussed. And again, I won’t write anything outside my personal boundaries.

Slightly suggestive/NSFW situations (i.e. making out, second base, things starting to get steamy or characters thirsting after each other; stuff along those lines.) I draw the line on where I’m willing to write with this, so if you suggest something and it’s just a little too far past my limit, I’ll suggest that I can write it toned down or you’ll need to find someone else.

Will write for any fandom (as of now, I don’t think there are any I have any personal aversions to), but I always do better working with series or characters I know. If you want me to write for something I have absolutely no experience with, you’ll have to give me a little extra time to research/get familiar with what I’ll be working with, and any information you can provide upfront is much appreciated, like art/other fics/moodboards/playlists/anything that could help me get a feel for the character(s). 

I’ll write in pretty much any perspective you want (i.e. first person, x reader) but my default is 3rd person narrator. (Most of my example pieces reflect that.)

If you have any questions or anything isn’t clear, feel free to message me!

What I Won’t Write

Explicit, Porn w/out Plot NSFW (I won’t budge on this)

Relationships I don’t personally agree with (such as incest or pedophilia) – This does not necessarily apply to aged up situations. Whether or not I feel comfortable writing certain characters aged up remains up to my discretion, but in general I have no issues with aging up characters.

Anything to do with drug abuse or situations concerning mental illness (i.e. someone being brutally abused/raped, etc.) – this does not include “This character has -insert mental illness- and wants some comfort for it in this situation” or something along those lines; in most cases that should be fine, however it’s an extremely touchy subject for me so I’ll take stuff like that on a case by case basis.

My Terms of Use

These terms are subject to change at any time for any reason at my discretion.

I reserve the right to decline any commission without defense or explanation.

All sales are final. If I send you the halfway sample of your piece and you decide to cancel it at that point, I will still require you to pay for at least half of the word count I have already written to compensate for the work I’ve already done. If you cancel your commission at any time before I start writing it, you won’t be required to pay anything.

All pieces of writing are for personal use only, i.e. share them on your blog or fanfic sites (do not claim as your own, you must link back to one of my blogs if you’re sharing it somewhere else.)

I retain full rights to the written piece, such as being able to use it as an example of my work in a portfolio or something similar. 

I do not grant permission for any form of publishing, professional or otherwise, of any written commission without my expressed consent. 

You can contact me through my professional email, ckatwrites@gmail.com, or send me a DM here on Tumblr, although I prefer to use email for the descriptions and larger commission details because it’s just easier to keep track of.

Thank you for checking out this post and please boost if you can!

(Status of how many commissions I currently have/if commissions are open/closed is in my blog description!)

[brothermouzongaming]

Your favorite pub/dev is shady

I spend a lot of time dragging Publishers like EA, Activision, Ubisoft, and others. As warranted and deserved as it is, we can’t become too dreamy-eyed even in the cases of our favorite faces in gaming. So with this post, I wanted to take a rock to the stained glass windows of your favorite companies and some of mine. In the words of Run the Jewels “Kill your masters”.

Bethesda

Creation Club is one of the biggest issues beyond the more notorious faults of the infamous Bethesda. Creation Club is paid mods. I don’t care what Pete Hines says, when you pay money to modify the game it’s paid fucking mods dude. This is a direct encroachment on one of the best and most pure aspects of PC gaming. Modding turns games into different experiencing, fixes the bugs that a lot of their games ship with and never get fixed because it’s “part of the charm” or “just works”. Which brings me to my next point: Bethesda is the only studio in gaming that gets away with this every single time. Ubisoft put out AC Unity and was grilled for months after release about facial texture issues and whatnot. Everyone gets railed while Bethesda gets a pass every time. Also, can we talk about how one year ago from this E3 Bethesda was waving the single player flag as high and hard as they can? Only to bring out Fallout76 and it’s an online shared world game. I have no problem with doing things differently or moving in a different direction for a non-main title game. Perhaps maybe you should’ve held off on this for another year or two? Made it less of a surprise? I think a lot of fans will come around to this title but the sharp pivot is understandably jarring and Bethesda maybe should’ve anticipated that.  Alongside the mighty shitty practice of pre-ordering for a beta code....what the fuck kind of “money now” bullshit is that. That literally defeats the purpose of a beta for a lot of people. Getting to test out this wildly different experience is important to people that care about the franchise but just aren’t willing to pay for something they aren’t sure they’re going to enjoy. A reasoning that is perfectly understandable in my opinion. I love Bethesda but holy god do they get away with murder without so much as a strange look from the majority of people. 

Microsoft

I’ll get the obvious issue of console exclusives out of the way. This is straight up disgraceful the way they do the loyal fans of Xbox. Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Forza Motorsport 7, Halo Wars 2, and Cuphead. Remove Cuphead from that list and it’s a little pathetic especially considering some big name exclusives they had for the 360 (Saints Row, DoA4, Fable 2, Lost Odyssey, N3). The Xbox One’s initial reveal and release state were woefully tone deaf. A sad attempt to pander to gimmicks that shouldn’t be the focus of a console: motion sensors and television streamlining. Yes, they eventually corrected that mistake but to even consider such a poor decision was clearly a poor attempt to reach everyone but gamers. This entire generation was a bit of a misstep, unfortunately, outside of the impressively powerful Xbox One X there is next to nothing for Microsoft to actually boast about outside of the new console benchmark. What games have they contributed to their fanbase and loyal customers? This aspect isn’t so much shady as it is dumb. From the release of the One X with no games. To the games they backed so fervently only for them to flop hard. It’s clear they’re working on it given the recent studio acquisitions and the shift in focus some studios are going to be making. Why they had to forsake an entire generation for this to happen is simply beyond me. 

Nintendo

Between their online service and the interesting terms/ conditions of said service. The shitty pre-orders they offer for said internet service which is one of the most insane requests of a company I’ve ever heard of. Can we talk about the vice grip on their content/IPs? Ever notice you don’t see much Nintendo content on YouTube? Seriously look up anything Nintendo and the new games many videos don’t feature unique gameplay. I’m not saying there aren’t any videos but it’s known that Nintendo can and will take down any video they see fit. Yes, it’s well within their rights as a company to do so. However, when Nintendo is doing it to fans, people who are trying to celebrate and appreciate what they’ve done, it comes across as wildly ungrateful. Especially when ya know, they wouldn’t be anything without the wildly enthusiastic customer base. Prime example: a YouTuber recreated the Bomb-omb Battlefield stage in Unity. It was nostalgic, beautiful, and kind of funny. What did Nintendo do? They order a DMC Takedown on the video. A harmless recreation video this wasn’t even any kind of playable game and wasn’t going to be. What was the point of this? Who benefits? They could’ve capitalized and got to work on a remake, tell me that wouldn’t sell. Instead, they insist on hurting fans for what boils down to free advertisement. I think Nintendo is so focused on being Nintendo that they’ve lost what it means to be...Nintendo. If that makes sense.

Sony

Sony has been hacked so many times I genuinely think Paul Blart runs their cyber security department. Sony needs to get their shit together in this area of their service ya know the cornerstone of the console in the modern era. Alongside that, Sony is very pressed on keeping their system and IP, and everything about it very isolated. Xbox and Nintendo are down for cross-play and Sony is sitting in the corner arms crossed not wanting to join in. When they know damn well that’s where all this is going anyway. Not to mention their strange aversion to modding on titles that lead to strangled communities in games like Skyrim and Fallout4. I’ve also already talked about PSNow v GamePass and how much better GamePass is despite it coming out years after PSNow. Yes this section is short but the problems are very big and potentially damaging to Sony and their reputation. They need to get on the ball or find themselves in Microsoft’s position come the next generation. 

Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar and 2k)

TTI as a publisher is deceptively devious. They lay low and in the background unlike EA making sure everyone knows when a subsidiary works on a game that it’s also theirs. Take-Two owns two very prominent developers in the industry (2k and Rockstar) and they know it because at every turn they are monetizing them. GTA 5 is amazing, GTA online is a pay to win crapshoot. Planes costing an upwards of 20 to 40 real-world dollars. The in-game currency is difficult to earn in massive quantities required to pay such exuberant price tags. The shark cards were so well implemented it made GTA the most lucrative entertainment franchise of all time. They were so successful that games like NBA 2k and Red Dead Redemption 2 will feature them. Games that do not need them at all and only make the games a lifeless money hole. RDD2 isn’t out but the publisher already stated that monetization was going to be a focus on their games from here on out. 

[atakportal]

Wake Up Lean - Wakeup Lean

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Description:

WARNING: If You Think Eating Less & Exercising More Is the Key to Flattening  Your Belly Fast Then You’ve Been LIED To! It’s Putting Deadly Pressure on Your Heart, Killing Your Metabolism, and Creates a Toxic Fat-Storing Environment Deep In Your Belly. More Below…

…No one thought this widespread epidemic would hit America.

Right now it’s living in your immune system…

Feeding off the fat around your belly as it grows bigger and bigger, becoming almost unstoppable…

In the last 10 years, it’s become a worldwide epidemic…

A key biochemical process inside EVERY one of us that keeps you healthy, and yet…

Unless you learn the secrets to managing it…

It may eventually kill you.

This normal chemical process acts as a measure of self-defense when you get a paper cut, sprain your ankle, or simply stub your toe…

Yet, sometimes it goes haywire and instead of PROTECTING your body and health…

It stages an all-out attack instead.

Time Magazine called this “The Secret Killer” on the cover of a 2004 issue, and….

It’s when your body’s own “Defense System” turns on you in an instant..

And now you’re the victim.

Perhaps the scariest thing is, you may never feel the effects of this all-out assault on your body until it’s too late.

Scientists and doctors have discovered it’s the #1 cause to nearly every disease in the modern world [1], including…

You may have never even realized your weight gain, fatigue, or food cravings may be a result of this chemical attack…

However, if you don’t do anything about it…

It’ll take over your body without you feeling a thing and make weight loss all but impossible.

It’s the last thing STOPPING you from living in the body you desire, and yet…

Most experts are clueless on how to fix it, however with the secrets in this informative article…

That’s how fast you can burn fat when your body is no longer working against you.

All you have to do is flip the switch…

This is a piece of corn…

In fact, most people think corn is a vegetable, when it fact…

And it may be adding fuel to the chemical fire in your body that’s making it so hard to lose weight.

See, your body is a complex system, and unfortunately, for decades we’ve been told the absolute WRONG foods to eat when it comes to losing weight.

Now, in just a minute I’m going to reveal why these so-called “healthy” foods are actually forcing your body to store more fat day after day…

And why you’re better off eating a Snickers bar over “low-fat” yogurt…

All because of a few hidden chemicals and sugars added to this “low-calorie” snack that sends hormonal signals directly to your brain telling you to store more fat.

You see, over the past 10 years, after helping thousands of women and men burn off frustrating fat and transform their bodies in just weeks…

I’ve discovered some amazing things about the human body.

And through it all, helping women and men in their 40’s 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s lose 20 pounds or more in just a few months…

There’s likely ONE thing holding you back…

And most people don’t even realize it’s happening inside their body right now as we speak.

Deep down, at the cellular level, this all-out attack on your body may be the reason you can never lose weight and keep it off for good…

No matter how hard you try.

So let’s get absolutely clear on this right here, right now…

Because once have this figured out, the weight will fall off week after week no matter how old you are, or how much weight you have to lose.

What does a stubbed toe or a splinter have to do with gaining weight, developing Alzheimer’s disease, suffering a heart attack, or even suffering from colon cancer?

As scientists dig deeper into the root causes of these dangerous, life-threatening diseases, they are starting to see links to an age-old defense mechanism in your immune system called inflammation [2]…

The same biological process that turns the tissue around a splinter red, and causes swelling around a sprained ankle…

If these scientists are right…

And the evidence is starting to look like they are…

It will radically shift the world of healthcare and doctors concepts of what makes us fat and sick.

Most of the time, inflammation is the defense system that keeps us healthy and safe. They help our bodies fend off various disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites.

The instant any of these potentially deadly microbes enters your body, inflammation brings out an all-out attack that ruthlessly kills these invaders before they have a chance to do any serious damage to your body.

It’s like your own personal bodyguard with you around the clock to make sure you’re healthy and safe.

That’s why I call it “Good Inflammation”…

You need it to live a long and healthy life, and you would be in some SERIOUS trouble if it wasn’t there to protect you.

However, over just the past few years…

Doctors and scientists have discovered a certain type of “Bad Inflammation” that’s like a rogue cop gone bad, turning fire onto his partners helping to serve and protect while letting the criminals run free to take over the world.

And it’s the spark that causes nearly every deadly disease in the world today.

You can go years or even decades without feeling a thing, while this chemical mix up deep down in your immune system begins to take over, rotting your body from the inside out.

By the time you realize you have it…

And if you’ve been trying to lose weight for a month or more without seeing or experiencing any positive results…

It may be because this “Bad Inflammation” has taken over your body without you knowing it.

Here’s exactly how it happens, and it all started when…

Hopefully by now you know that inflammation can be a good thing that protects your body against deadly diseases, viruses, and parasites…

And it even shows up when you stub your toe, get a splinter in your finger, or sprain your ankle…

To help protect you and dramatically speed up your recovery.

However, over the past few years…

Doctors have discovered thousands of instances where your body turns on you and starts ruining your immune system from the inside out, causing…

And this happens when your “Inflammation Enzymes” take over and starts attacking your own body…

It’s fighting a battle that doesn’t even exist, causing problems that aren’t even there…

All because of a chemical mix up in your body where your cells THINK they’re under attack when the truth is…

They’re causing more harm than good.

And when this “Bad Inflammation” starts taking over your body without you feeling a single thing…

It can ruin your metabolism…

Stop your body from burning fat for fuel…

And severely damage your health and lead to potentially life-threatening disease.

This happens in a bizarre twist of fate, when your body’s sophisticated self-defense team mistakenly directs an inflammatory attack against healthy cells in your joints, nerves, and connective tissue [2].

And by the time they realize what’s going on, the damage has already been done.

That’s why you can go months or even years trying to lose weight without making ANY progress…

It may be because your joints, heart, and other organs have been damaged by hidden inflammation that started decades ago…

And it’s prevented you from ever losing all the weight you desire while leaving you at higher risk for diseases you wouldn’t otherwise have.

What I found when reading notes from a few selective doctor’s around the world, is…

Your body is constantly storing fat, especially around your belly and thighs, because it’s fighting a battle that doesn’t even exist…

And I know that sounds crazy, but I’ll explain it to you in just a minute so it’s all crystal clear, but first…

I need you to answer a few questions to see if this MIGHT be the problem you’re suffering from that makes losing even a pound or two nearly impossible…

See, I know you’re busy and I don’t want to waste any of your time, so if these questions do NOT apply to you, then feel free to delete this article and move on with your day…

However, if you answer yes to even just ONE of the questions below, then you must read every last word of this article because this hidden condition has been building in your body for years and aside from it blocking your weight loss at all hours of the day…

It will get so severe and lead to major health issues down the road like:

I just want you to be warned, so you can address and even reverse these symptoms as quickly as possible to get a slimmer and lighter YOU while avoiding dozens of major health complications that could put a huge strain not only on your body…

But your bank account, personal relationships, and family as well.

If you answer yes to ANY of these, then you must take action now before it’s too late.

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you likely have elevated levels of hidden chronic inflammation in your chest and belly that makes losing weight nearly impossible…

I’m really stepping out on a limb here because everyone I’ve told this to said to just keep quiet and “not scare anyone” because of how serious this actually is, however…

If I keep sugarcoating the truth then obesity will become and even bigger problem in the world, and the number of overweight children that’s already about half of the population will only get BIGGER through no fault of their own….

You can turn on the TV at any time throughout the day and see dozens of commercials for Weight Watchers and the latest home workout system that confuses your muscles and leads to losing 20 pounds a week…

Or you can just log into Facebook and see the shady customer reps trying to peddle their latest “magic skin wrap” that instantly makes your belly AND your wrinkles disappear in just 30 minutes or less…

But if all these miracle diets, workouts, and pills actually worked…

Then why is over HALF the world still overweight?

And why is 1/3 of the world clinically obese when your lifespan is cut down by decades when there’s all these magical solutions out there?

See, none of this “pump you up motivation” or magic skin wraps solve the true problem at it’s core, which is….

Once you reach 40, your body has built up a coffin around your heart, lungs, and arteries filled with hidden “Inflammation Enzymes” that you’ve ingested through normal wear and tear on your body as you age.

Yes, “life” has done this to you even if you exercise regularly and “eat healthy”.

Your fat cells are really to blame here…

According to Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, chief of the Division of Biology of Aging at the University of Florida, your cells have a nasty habit of turning against you when they can no longer to their jobs efficiently…

“Fat cells are the real culprits,” Leeuwenburgh says. “Even before they become old, some fat cells will secrete hormones called adipokines, contributing to body-wide inflammation, and with age they only get crankier.

These adipokines can, for instance, push the body to store more fat.

This leads to weight gain and puts us on the path to Type 2 Diabetes.

In fact, many experts believe that as few as 5 extra pounds spell trouble, even for those who exercise regularly.”

Consider it a final “screw you” to your body, and…

Not only does this hidden chronic inflammation usually go unnoticed without warning and reprograms your body to store fat and never burn it off…

It also activates your “Hunger Hormones” that TRIPLES the likelihood that your body will be stuck storing fat instead of ever burning it off…

I’m sure you’ve been told that constantly snacking on healthy foods throughout the day “keeps your metabolism boosted”, but the truth is…

If you’re constantly eating and snacking all day long, you’ll turn into a “sugar burner” which means there’s always an endless supply of calories in your body to be burned for fuel.

While that sounds good, it really means that your body will NEVER burn off your stored fat, leaving it piled up around your belly, thighs and arms never to be burned off.

And constantly eating throughout the day turns up your Hunger Hormones and makes you crave MORE food even if you aren’t hungry.

The biggest myth in the world is that you need to do these long, slow cardio workouts in order to burn belly fat and that is completely WRONG.

These long slow, but high impact workouts ruin your knees, ankles, and joints and put too much pressure on your heart and organs, which slows down fat-burning and can even lead to injury.

What you really need is a simple solution that works with your body’s natural fat-burning cycles instead of busting your butt in the gym every week that puts YEARS of wear and tear on your body and ages you FASTER.

One little known reason that over 90% of diets fail is because they put extreme stress on your body and internal organs.

Your body was meant to be fueled and nourished, which is why cutting calories and eating extremely small portions ruins your metabolism and turns ON your Stress Sensors…

Which sends a signal to your brain and belly to hold on to every last pound of fat on your body and never burn it off.

That’s why stress is the secret killer keeping you fat and it’s NOT about how much you eat.

I know how frustrating it must be after being lied to by the media and fitness experts for years, but in order to finally strip away all the fat you desire, you must accept one thing…

The ONLY reason you don’t have the lean and toned body you desire is because you were never told about all these silent conditions working AGAINST your body and forcing it to store fat instead of burning it off for energy…

However, the good news is today you’ll finally discover…

After Jessica came to me in tears and let out years of frustration and anger, we finally peeled back the layers and discovered what was REALLY keeping her overweight and unhappy, after all…

Out of sheer desperation we tried one last thing.

See, I have a reputation as one of the leaders in inflammation related weight loss, and…

After working with countless of women and men in person, I quickly realized this hidden condition that no one seems to know about was the common link in each of them struggling to lose weight for years or even decades…

And over the years, I narrowed down one 13-second trick that ANYONE can do at ANY age in ANY condition to eliminate your “Inflammation Enzymes” for good and visibly SEE a flatter, more firm belly faster than you ever thought before…

You see, the key is Selenium…

Selenium is a trace mineral that helps prevent oxidative damage in your body.

Your organs become more stressed…

You begin to get tiny little cracks in your heart…

And your body fights against you every single day to store MORE fat because it’s been tricked to believe you need it as you get older…

However, in just 13-seconds you can get enough selenium that releases the breaks on fat-burning and begins to eliminate your “Inflammation Enzymes” so you can actually start to lose the weight you desire WITHOUT every struggling again.

While most “experts” will tell you that in order to get the flat and firm belly you desire, you need to count every single calorie that passes your lips and give up gluten, sugar, dairy, and everything else you enjoy, that’s no way to live…

And will NEVER work long term.

I mean, what’s the point of losing weight and looking great if you feel miserable all the time?

The truth is, you can turn OFF your “Inflammation Enzymes” and see the flat and firm belly you desire FASTER than you ever imagined possible with ONE simple trick that anyone can do.

“I’m still surprised at what just one week can do…

My jeans fit better and I even pulled out my tight dress!

My belly definitely became more defined, my face looked less “puffy”, my yoga pants weren’t suffocating my legs or belly, and my confidence level shot up.

And my energy level is higher than it’s ever been before in my life!”

Why is Metabolism Energy Eating the fastest and easiest way to slim your entire body once and for all so you never have to worry about dieting or busting your butt in the gym ever again?

It’s because you flood your body with “Metabolism Minerals” over a strategic 10-day sequence that works with your natural fat-burning cycles to strip away unwanted fat faster than ever.

And it’s not just the FASTEST way, it’s the ONLY way.

You see, by the time you reach 40, your body is flooded with “Inflammation Enzymes” that you can’t feel or see, and even worse…

Most doctors can’t even test for them.

It’s a hidden condition that gets worse as you age and most people don’t even know about it, and before long you’re struck out of nowhere with:

ANY Man or Woman At ANY Age Can Become Lighter and LEANER starting tomorrow

All You Need To Do is ONE Simple Trick to Feel Lighter & Look Leaner tomorrow morning That:

Hi, my name is Meredith…

But my friends know me as the Slim Down Savior…

Because I have a reputation of taking the most difficult men and women who are at their breaking point with their health and their weight, on the verge of giving up and accepting a life of frustration and hidden anger…

And completely turning them around into a lean and toned superstar that has endless amounts of energy to take on the world instead of letting it pass you by as you hide at home on another Saturday night afraid for the world to see you.

Still, because my secrets are so simple and easy to do, men and women who have struggled for decades to lose even a few pounds have the weight falling off in just a few short days…

Hopefully by now you realize that you don’t have to kill yourself on some extreme diet program to consistently lose A LOT of weight week after week. After all, Sarah is just like you…

“Meredith’s diet, nutrition, and healthy living program is fantastic.

It’s changed my body incredibly in just a month’s period.

Her program is amazing, you have to try it!”

-Sarah, Moorpark, California

A few years ago, I took a trip with my husband to the Jungles of Panama that would change my life forever…

See, as we were hiking through the jungle, we came across a tiny little house that was the home to Mike, Sandy and their 3 beautiful blonde hair, blue eyed children, who left the U.S. years ago in search of a “more natural” life…

And after chatting with Sandy for a few minutes, I saw two young men – probably in their 20’s – walk past with these HUGE buckets…

So I asked Sandy, “What are they picking?”

She laughed and said, “You mean Juan and his grandfather?”

GRANDFATHER? I could have swore he was in his mid 20’s, after all, he was leaner and looked younger than all my friends back home.

Sandy went on to tell me that the locals scour the jungle looking for plants that have medicinal and magical benefits…

And then she grabbed me by the hand and said…

“Follow me, I need to show you something.”

She led me through a covered canopy and we stopped at modest looking tree with deep evergreen leaves…

It’s what the lean “grandfather” has been living on for years that makes him look over 20 years younger with a youthful glow that the richest celebrities in the world couldn’t even buy…

That’s when I was hooked.

And after picking Sandy’s brain for hours about all the other magical plants and lifestyle tricks she picked up from the locals, it all started to make sense.

On the plane ride home, my husband and I couldn’t stop talking about this magical class of food that the locals in Panama were using to stay so lean without aging a day in their life.

When I got home, I started doing a little more research and then it happened…

I finally understood the secret combinations of minerals and nutrients found in these magical foods that flatten your belly, remove your wrinkles, and peel decades off your age.

And as soon as we started testing it out with a few select in-person clients, the results were simply amazing.

Tiffany has an auto-immune disease that affects her thyroid and in just 7 days completely cancelled her surgery AND lost 5 pounds and counting.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been frustrated for 10 years and am so happy to have found an easy fix. Your program is awesome :)”

And now, starting today you can use these same belly slimming secrets to obtain a leaner body and flatter belly that’s more firm to the touch.

I’m so extremely excited to get these lean body secrets into your hands because men and women over 40 are always neglected…

See, the big weight loss companies want to be “hip and cool” and always go after the younger crowd, which is why…

I specifically designed this belly slimming blueprint for ANYONE over 40 because the truth is…

It actually works BETTER the older you are all because of a few hidden advantages your body has as you age, which you can manipulate in just 13 seconds set the process in motion to melt fat straight off your belly in record time…

Wake Up Lean is a 10-day “fast-results” program that uses a combination of magical “Metabolism Minerals” from food families similar to those I discovered first hand in the Jungles of Panama…

To flatten your belly faster than you ever thought possible without having to ever count calories or “starve yourself skinny”…

So if you’re sick and tired of being frustrated, struggling to lose even a single measly pound because you’ve been burned too many times in the past by big, empty promises that never lead to ANY changes to your body, then…

It’s probably because you didn’t have these “Metabolism Mineral” secrets that work for ANYONE at ANY age in ANY physical condition to melt away up to 3-5 pounds while enjoying delicious foods that’ll never leave you hungry for a single second.

“Nothing Has Ever Worked For Me Before”

I completely understand. That’s because there isn’t another simple solution out there that focuses on turning OFF your Hunger Hormones, Inflammation Enzymes, and Stress Sensors.

The good news is, you can turn them OFF and wake up feeling lighter and leaner body starting tomorrow thanks to a handful of magical “Metabolism Minerals” that anyone can enjoy.

Look, it’s definitely not your fault. You were never given the right information that will work for YOU.

“I Don’t Have Enough Time”

After working with hundreds of men and women in person and online over the years, I know how busy you are and the BEST weight loss solution will NEVER work if you don’t have time to stick with it…

Which is why I spent months stripping down this program to the bare essentials you need to slim down and tighten your tummy in just minutes a day.

There are no page-long recipes that take an hour or more to make…

There are no long, exhaustive workouts that take over your evenings and force you spent even more time AWAY from your kids and family that you love so dearly, missing out on memories that would have lasted a lifetime.

“I Can Never Lose Weight No Matter What”

I’ve spent hundreds of hours talking with my personal clients on their struggles, fears, and what they tried in the past that didn’t work.

Most weight loss programs only focus on cutting calories, eating lots of veggies, and doing long, grueling workouts.

They treat your body like a punching bag, beating you down with low calorie diets and dangerous, joint-killing workouts.

Instead, you need to work with your natural fat-burning cycles and turn OFF your Inflammation Enzymes to FINALLY release the trapped fat that’s been covering your belly for years.

“I Can Never Stick To a Diet”

You and I have something in common, because I’ve never been able to stick to a diet either. In fact, I HATE the word “diet”.

And the fact that you can’t stick to them is great because I don’t want you to diet ever again.

Instead, you’ll be flooding your body with endless amounts of belly slimming super nutrients, metabolism minerals, and anti-aging antioxidants that taste delicious and satisfy your cravings for even the most sugar-filled foods.

This simple solution actually works BETTER if you can’t stick to a diet, because the variety of foods jumpstarts your metabolism and flattens your belly FASTER.

“I’m Too Old and Out Of Shape”

As long as you can eat, you’ll never be too old or out of shape to finally get the lean and sexy body you deserve, after all…

There are no joint killing workouts…

There are no complicated exercise plans that leave you so confused you have no idea where to start…

And there are definitely NOT any strict diets that have you eating 500 calories a day or something absurd that kills your metabolism and only flushes out water weight which comes right back once you start eating real food again.

Simply do a few simple tricks to wake up leaner than ever.

What truly makes this belly slimming system unique is I’ve personally spoke to men and women all across the world to discover the exact ancient flat belly secrets that go unnoticed by the mainstream media and stuffy doctors who spend all day secluded in their office…

This isn’t the same “eat less and exercise more” advice that’s the backbone behind every traditional weight loss program that’s never worked for you and never will.

See, doctor’s and fitness trainers don’t want you to know this because then you’ll stop paying their outrageous fees once you realize…

There are faster and easier ways to consistently lose weight week after week that have nothing to do with exercising for hours a day or relying on some doctor-created plan that’s boring and impossible to stick to…

They don’t know the lean body secrets you can only discover while traveling the world and that’s why this is truly the only way to get a lighter and leaner body as early as tomorrow while eliminating your “Inflammation Enzymes” for good.

You can probably imagine the secrets that’ll have you feeling lighter and leaner in just 24 hours would be pretty expensive, after all…

If you’ve been frustrated while struggling to lose weight for months or even years as the pounds continue to pile up around your belly where everything you try NEVER works and leaves you feeling more miserable and maybe even depressed day after day…

Then a solution that works this quickly can’t possibly be cheap.

Then, if you wanted to stick around and train with me… delivering  faster results than ANYONE in California, you’re looking at a couple thousand dollars per week…

Which would still be a bargain if you think about how much money you’d waste over the next 5, 10, even 20+ years chasing after solutions that promise you the world and never actually do a single thing to melt away the belly you’ve been trying to get rid of for so long.

However, for the first and only time ever, you can get the same rapid flat belly results at a FRACTION of the cost it would be to meet with me in person.

And the good news is, there’s absolutely ZERO risk on your part because…

As a small business owner, I know the importance of value and getting what you pay for.

That’s why I decided to make an unheard of guarantee to make sure you’re 100% happy with your results, otherwise you don’t pay a penny.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this easy to use system with flatten your belly in just minutes a day while adding YEARS onto your life…

That’s why I have no issue making a 100% TRIPLE money back guarantee so ALL of the risk is on me.

The only thing you need to focus on is results and having fun.

And if in the rare chance you aren’t completely satisfied, we’ll refund every last penny of your payment.

This belly-flattening program was specifically designed so ANYONE at ANY age in ANY condition can do it and get amazing results.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much weight you have to lose…

These flat belly secrets from the Jungles of Panama will unlock your natural fat-burning cycles that slowed down decades ago to revitalize your metabolism while rejuvenating your body to lose every last ounce of stubborn fat you desire.

You’ll feel lighter and leaner in just 24 hours and if you act now, you can wake up tomorrow morning looking and feeling like you have stripped dreadful fat from your belly. 

That’s why these lean body secrets are so powerful and will work for anyone.

Most weight loss programs are down right dreadful because you’re eating bland foods that you hate, working out like a maniac, and all you’re doing is counting down the days until the “diet” is over…

But imagine how much fun you’ll have as you wake up morning after morning with a leaner and leaner belly as your neighbors can’t help but stare when you walk down the driveway and barely recognize the new person that you’ve become.

Once you see firsthand how effortlessly and easy losing weight day after day is with these simple secrets, you’ll never have to waste money on another dreadful diet ever again.

If you pick up this flat belly blueprint today, you can try it out for the next 60 days on me. If for any reason you don’t feel like you got 10x the value for what you paid for, I will personally refund 100% of your money with no questions asked.

Today you can take advantage of our Unconditional Triple Guarantee and try out the program for 60 days. If you don’t get the results you desire, then you pay nothing.

After discovering these flat belly secrets from Central America, my husband and I partnered with a company to make snacks, health bars, and even chocolate that gets shipped right to your doorstep so you can slim down even faster.

And now that we’ve learned the ropes, we plan on doing the same with the Wake Up Lean program and publish it as a physical book.

However, our book publisher messed up on the original design… BUT they sent us thousands of digital copies to go along with it, so…

Our loss is your gain because we’ve decided to have a fire sale and get the digital copies out to you at a fraction of the price so you can start waking up leaner with a flatter belly starting tomorrow…

So today you can get instant access to the entire Wake Up Lean system for just 15 measly bucks, which simply covers the cost to keep this website up and running on a daily basis.

However, I can’t guarantee that this special deal will be available tomorrow, so you have to act now or risk missing out forever.

All you have to do is click the “Buy Now” button below and your VIP discount will instantly be applied to your order.

Forget all the information you learned about your hidden “Inflammation Enzymes” and how they’re scarring your heart and adding inches to your belly every single week…

And if you never address this issue at the source, you’ll be taking YEARS off your life even though you don’t feel and notice any changes in your body day in and day out.

You’ll go back to living your same life that’s left you desperately searching for answers to finally lose the weight and belly fat that you’ve been trying to hide under your baggy clothes for years.

And the truth is, if you do nothing…

Well, then…nothing will ever change.

You can spend thousands of dollars traveling to the Jungles of Panama in hopes of discovering the magical minerals and super-nutrients that have grandfathers being mistaken for 25 year olds because they’re so lean and trim…

And you can spend hundreds of hours online researching the exact secrets that eliminate your “Inflammation Enzymes” and flush out fat in just 24 hours so by the time you wake up tomorrow you’ll already feel lighter and leaner.

However, if you plan on doing this all on your own, then the question is…

Why haven’t you done it already?

And the truth is, life will get in the way like it always does…

Things will come up and you’ll end up more frustrated than ever because you had a once in a lifetime opportunity to banish your belly fat forever but you passed it up to save a few measly bucks that would have changed your life.

So in just a few short minutes you can have instant access to the exact flat belly secrets from deep in the Jungles of Panama, which make up a 10-day step-by-step blueprint that is so easy to follow, you’ll never be confused for a single second…

So you can wake up tomorrow morning with the energy of a 5 year old on Christmas morning, as you already start to see and feel the changes in your belly.

You deserve to be happy with the confidence of an A-list movie star walking the red carpet moments before their big movie premiere that they already know is going to be a huge hit…

And you can have it all without ever wasting a single penny ever again on bogus diet programs or expensive workout DVD’s that kill your knees and break your back only to discover those solutions never work for regular people like you and me.

All you have to do is click the Buy Now button below to receive instant access and have your VIP discount immediately applied to your order.

To waking up feeling lighter, leaner & more energetic…

P.S. – I would never ask you to do something that I haven’t already done, so here’s a picture of me enjoying the weather after discovering slogging through the Jungles of Panama and immediately applying these lean body secrets.

And I can say with complete certainty that the ONLY reason you don’t have a leaner body with a flat belly to match is because you were never told about the hidden “Inflammation Enzymes” that floods your body after the wear and tear kicks in when you reach 40.

No other program or solution has EVER addressed this and it’s why you’ve been struggling for so long.

P.P.S. Just Remember – The unwanted belly fat and jiggle hanging off your arms and butt will continue to plague you every single day because deep down you know that’s not who you really are. Your risk of heart hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even heart death is only going to increase as the days and weeks go by with your “Inflammation Enzymes” smothering your organs with every breath you take. Yet you can reverse this in just minutes a day by eating a few delicious foods that unlock your natural fat-burning cycles.

P.P.P.S. Don’t Forget – You don’t have to decide right now. You can try out the entire Wake Up Lean program for 60 days and if you don’t get the results you desire, you’ll get 100% of your money back with no questions asked.

The Wake Up Lean program is based on the secrets I discovered from the Jungles of Panama and through thousands of hours working with women and men over 40 in person.

And through it all, I discovered a simple 10-day system that:

Step #1- Turns OFF Your “Inflammation Enzymes”

Step #2 – Turn OFF Your Hunger Hormones & Stress Sensors

Step #3 – Activates Your Natural Fat-Burning Cycles with the magical “Metabolism Minerals” that no one else even knows about.

No other program out there addresses these 3 extremely important steps, which is why you haven’t been able to burn belly fat and lose weight consistently.  It’s not your fault, you simply didn’t have this breakthrough information until now.

You will see results as early as tomorrow morning when you wake up feeling refreshed and more energized than ever as your belly already feels flatter.

Some have lost up to a pound a day , however the average is 3-5 pounds of fat lost in the first 7-10 days.

Yes, this formula works so well because it turns OFF your hidden “Inflammation Enzymes” which start taking over your body when you reach 40 and beyond.

It aligns with your natural fat-burning cycles, which is why it works so well for women and men in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and even 70’s.

In fact, you’ll visibly SEE faster results in the mirror the older you are!

This is the most important questions because it’s where 99% of programs fail. They never tell you where to start. They just assume you’ll know, which is completely absurd.

Once you pick up your discounted copy of the Wake Up Lean program, you’ll receive instant access to our private website. The first document available to you on your screen will tell you EXACTLY where to start and what to do over the 10 days.

In order to keep the costs low for you, this program is 100% digital. You will not be shipped anything. You will receive instant access to the entire flat belly system so you can get started today.

Of course not. As I mentioned earlier, after discovering these flat belly secrets, I made it my ethical mission to get this in the hands of as many people as possible…

That’s why if you act now it’s only 15 measly bucks to transform your body, flatten your belly, and give you the supreme self-confidence that will make you unstoppable in everything you do.

If for whatever reason you’re not satisfied with the program, you can take advantage of our 60-Day No Questions Asked Triple Guarantee. You’ll receive 100% of your money back, so all the risk is on me.

Yes, once you start applying the magical “Metabolism Minerals” in your body, they’ll begin eliminating your “Inflammation Enzymes” which has BLOCKED fat-burning in your body for years.

Exercising more, eating less, and counting calories does NOT solve this problem, which is why nothing has ever worked for you long term before.

Through this simple and easy way of eating, you’ll quickly find your happiness and energy levels increasing, while the extra layers of fat covering your belly, hips, and thighs begins to melt away day after day thanks to these never before seen belly slimming secrets.

Questions? Email us at wakeuplean@gmail.com

ClickBank is the retailer of products on this site. CLICKBANK® is a registered trademark of Click Sales, Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 917 S. Lusk Street, Suite 200, Boise Idaho, 83706, USA and used by permission. ClickBank’s role as retailer does not constitute an endorsement, approval or review of these products or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of these products.

Due to recent statements from the FTC, it is required that we identify what a “typical” results. Although no one can guarantee results, multiple studies have shown the link between foods and their ability to help alleviate various conditions and diseases.  Your results depend on your commitment and diligence with the program, there is no such thing as a magic pill.

The Wake Up Lean Program is an educational service that provides generalized health information. Meredith is not a licensed physician, and her advice is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a physician before beginning any exercise or diet program.

Click here to get Wake Up Lean – Wakeup Lean at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Wake Up Lean – Wakeup Lean is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

[fossadeileonixv]

Mercato Madness: The Final Say

One thing is certain, you are not to soil this man’s name in this here house.

So the summer transfer marker of 2021 is over. 

Let’s take some time to rejoice.

Since banter officially began way back in the summer of 2012, I can recall few players, events, coaches, matches that have divided Milanisti quite like this market. We have some that are singing high praise for Maldini’s ability to capture eleven new players on an 80 million euro budget. Then we have others ridiculing a transfer strategy that culminated in Junior Messias as the answer to the right wing issue, hours before the window closed. The human condition is manifold, reason a flawed and subjective invention, and as such a definitive manichean yes or no, good or bad solution or explanation for nearly anything we can perceive and comprehend is inherently out of reach. The summer 2021 transfer market is no exception. It can be seen as both a failure and a success and it would be difficult for me to argue in favor or in opposition to either position, resolutely. 

To highlight this point, I’m publishing a Twitter DM convo between Mike and I, which I think also kind of covers how each of us feels not only about the players, but the strategy in general. Mike is more optimistic than I, but after re-reading this a few times, I can’t even disagree with him:

TR: I'm trying to just put my faith in Pioli and hope that Brahim lights shit up. Minus this, I'm not even mad at the moves per se, but more experienced or creative minds could have done more.

MIKE: We still desperately need an AM. To me that is the difference between a good window and not.

We replaced Donna, held onto Tomori and Diaz, added a LB, bolstered the midfield with Bakayoko and brought in what could be a 20+ goal scorer in Giroud. That's not bad.

TR: Ya I dunno. RW/AM were like the two areas I expected to be addressed with quality and early and here we are

MIKE: We also brought in Florenzi and Messias as band aids at RW. Not that I'm thrilled with either.

That all being said I think we are at a solid 7; get me an AM and we are at an 8.

I think people are really underestimating how much we needed another striker to go with Ibra and just how good Giroud is gonna be.

TR: It isn't a terrible market and the MF depth is huge, I just think we coulda done better.

Giroud is gonna be great, there is no doubt in my mind. I don't see how Zlatan regains his starting spot tbh, because I also don't see us playing with 2 strikers

MIKE: Also, Maignan for peanuts is a coup. Look at the keepers at the other top clubs in the league.... Ospina, Handanovic, Reina, Szcezny.....

We may very well have the best keeper in the league again

TR: We could. Oddly kind of a low bar which is weird when you think about how stacked the league was with keepers 3 or 4 years back

MIKE: I think he's levels above those guys.

TR: We’ll see.

MIKE: If Leao WOULD SHOW UP AND BE WORTH 40 MILLION we could live with whoever plays on the right. Amazing how he gets a free pass while folks run Castillejo out of town.

LW was trash last year yet the RW was the problem? We've but 10s of millions into that area and gotten fuck all. I don't get it. We paid 9 for Casti and 4 for Saelemaekers and they catch all the hate?

Sorry I'll climb off my soapbox.

TR: LW was at least productive, statistically. Samu was a net 0 and Saele is just not a good enough finisher to play that advanced. Also, we paid like 24m for Casti.

I get it. I gripe about players all the time, but there are certain ones like Saele and Samu where its like, this is as good as they can get. If you're unhappy with it, that's someone else's problem. I think the difference with Leao is that Leao's ceiling is literally world class so the patience is and should be a bit longer.

MIKE: What I don’t understand is people think these rumors m an we had a chance at these players or that somehow Maldini failed.We are a mid level team that made the CL for first time in years. We are barely relevant. Certainly not a destination.

The days of a guy like Sabitzer having a great euros and coming here are loooooong gone.

TR: My counterpoint top that is that mid-level teams playing for nothing are signing quality. Villa signed Emmy Buendia. Wolves signed Sanches. Roma signed Tammy. James/Bernardo, I never really expected but players the level of Vlasic were certainly within our reach.

But again, my issue is more the plan. Taking younger players that can't break into Chelsea and Madrid is fine here and there, but it isn't a transfer strategy. They pay a lot of lip service to the RB model but can't land the sort of players necessary to make that work.

MIKE: I’m sorry but there’s no comparison between us and even a mid level EPL team.

The spending power and attraction of those clubs is light years above us. All we can do is hope they are dumb enough to pay 25 million for Cutrone.

25 million is nothing to them

TR: Spending power sure, but there are a lot of players that don't care for the league or the country (weather/food/family/ etc.) otherwise these clubs would be thriving in tourneys like Europa and they don't. 

I've been telling my brother that the model is the right one, but the coach, owners, and directors aren't really qualified enough to make it work. They are however, good enough to finish top four in Italy if all goes right.

And we've sucked for a decade, but players generally hate leaving Milan barring some kind of real personal thing.

The attraction, I believe, is still there. They just don't really have a coherent plan.

And look, the situations were bad, and I hate to beat a dead horse, but arguably two of your three most valuable assets walked out for free. One to a rival. I can't think of a real-life business comparison but that is a reallllllyy bad screwup.

MIKE: I can. You let older workers go and hire replacements at a third of their wages. Happens all the time

TR: But if you could have sold those older workers....

Well, that's slavery, nm. but you get my point.

The four ounce glass has two ounces of water, this we can be sure of. On one hand, we are definitely half full. We’re undoubtedly good enough to compete at a high level as indicated by our second place finish last season and first two games this year. This is as complete a team as we have had since the beginning of banter, and the work that management has done so far is admirable considering the restrictions. Mike is correct in that we aren’t in a financial position to acquire world-class talent, so names like Bernardo, Sabitzer, or even James aren’t quite our reality yet. 

But we’re definitely half empty. Big Mike looks the part so far, but sorry Don-haters, he is not at good as PSG’s backup. In fact it would be difficult for me to say that we are substantially a better starting eleven than the one that huffed over the finish line last season, sans maybe Giroud. We’re good enough to finish top four, but it isn’t wild to think of scenarios where we finish anywhere between fifth and seventh. We have depth in almost everywhere, but we also accrued that depth at the expense of two positions that were burning for quality. And while we can’t flex and grab the names mentioned above, you do have to think that with a little more cunning, a bit more panache, and better negotiating skills, we could have done a bit more to make those odds of finishing 5th less likely.

But who is to say? It’s done, thankfully. And now it is time to enjoy the ride. So with our respective thesis’ laid out, let’s rate and speculate with a few questions and answers on the mercato by Mike and I!

MIKE LISI’S THOUGHTS

Biggest coup: Maignan for 14 million. He might already be the best keeper in the league and no one misses Donnarumma. On top of that, Maldini showed that he won't be bullied by the backup keeper for PSG.

The Biggest Surprise: Giroud. I bet he scores 20 goals.

The Biggest Oversight: The attacking midfield spot. Runner up is CB. Kjaer’s health worries me and we’re a little thin at that spot.

Overall Rating: 8/10; Maiagnan, Tomori, Torre, Bakayoko, Florenzi, Brahim, Adli, Pellegri, Giroud. All we lost was Hakan and Donnarumma and we have easily improved each of those spots. No complaints really. Also, we only spent 70 million. Between Hakan and Donnarumma we would have spent that much on their salaries alone.

Are we a better team than last year: Hell yeah we are better. Last year I think we greatly overachieved to finish where we did. This year I expect us to be top 3. Big difference in my mind.

TEEN ROCKETT’s TAKE

Biggest coup: Giroud. Unlike Mike, I won’t be surprised if he scores 20. I think for the price, the return is going to be higher than any other player we purchased this season.

The Biggest Surprise: Junior. I am letting my romanticism for his story cloud my judgement, but considering what he did with Crotone last year, I don’t think it is inconceivable we get five or six goals and a few assists platooning with Saele.

The Biggest Oversight: Not solidifying RW and AM. I just really don’t understand how we waited until the dying hours to address one and chose to take a considerable gamble putting the load all on Brahim for the other. Runner up will be not selling Kessie and or Romagnoli. But talk to me this time next year.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10; I am impressed with what we did for 80 million and I think we are a more rounded team, with depth in almost every position. We did a good job balancing youth and veterans. Additionally, moves like Pellegri, Traore and Clinton (the latter two being youths) are the kind of moves that get me excited for the future. But while I think we’re capable of about the same point total as last season I’m not sure we did enough to beat out Atalanta, Juve, Inter and to a lesser extent Napoli, and yes I’m saying it without really believing it, Roma. And from a strictly business standpoint, not capitalizing the Don and Hakan departures were massive mistakes. There’s no way around that.

Are we a better team than last year: We’re more complete. We will see what that translates to on the pitch. I’d have a tough time saying that we are out and out better, but if not, we didn’t take a step back.

Allright Leoni. That’s that. In the damn books. Sound off below and feel free to hit us with your own biggest coup, biggest surprise, major oversight, overall rating, and whether we are better or not.