#its so good and for mac and windows if you don't want to buy a drawing program i would highly suggest this one

[ms-demeanor]

Since some people might want a Mac, I'll offer a Mac equivalent of your laptop guide from the perspective of a Mac/Linux person.

Even the cheapest Macs cost more than Windows laptops, but part of that is Apple not making anything for the low end of the tech spectrum. There is no equivalent Mac to an Intel i3 with 4 gigabytes of RAM. This makes it a lot easier to find the laptop you need.

That said, it is possible to buy the wrong Mac for you, and the wrong Mac for you is the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar. Get literally anything else. If it has an M2 chip in it, it's the most recent model and will serve you well for several years. Any new MacBook Air is a good pick.

(You could wait for new Macs with M3, but I wouldn't bother. If you are reading these guides the M3 isn't going to do anything you need done that a M2 couldn't.)

Macs now have integrated storage and memory, so you should be aware that whatever internal storage and RAM you get, you'll be stuck with. But if you would be willing to get a 256 gig SSD in a Windows laptop, the Mac laptop with 256 gigs of storage will be just as good, and if you'd be willing to get 8 gigs of RAM in a Windows laptop the Mac will perform slightly better with the same amount of memory.

Buy a small external hard drive and hook it up so Time Machine can make daily backups of your laptop. Turn on iCloud Drive so your documents are available anywhere you can use a web browser. And get AppleCare because it will almost certainly be a waste of money but wooooooow will you be glad it's there if you need it.

I get that you are trying to help and I am not trying to be mean to you specifically, but people shouldn't buy apple computers. That's why I didn't provide specs for them. Apple is a company that is absolutely terrible to its customers and its customers deserve better than what apple is willing to offer.

Apple charges $800 to upgrade the onboard storage from a 256GB SSD to a 2TB SSD.

A 2TB SSD costs between $75-100.

I maintain that any company that would charge you more than half the cost of a new device to install a $100 part on day one is a company making the wrong computer for you.

The point of being willing to tolerate a 256GB SSD or 8GB RAM in a Windows laptop is that you're deferring some of the cost to save money at the time of purchase so that you can spend a little bit in three years instead of having to replace the entire computer. Because, you see, many people cannot afford to pay $1000 for a computer and need to buy a computer that costs $650 and will add $200 worth of hardware at a later date.

My minimum specs recommendations for a mac would be to configure one with the max possible RAM and SSD, look at the cost, and choose to go buy three i7 windows laptops with the same storage and RAM for less than the sticker price of the macs.

So let's say you want to get a 14" Macbook pro with the lowest-level processor. That's $2000. Now let's bump that from 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD to 32GB and 2TB. That gets you to $3000. (The SSD is $200 less than on the lower model, and they'll let you put in an 8TB SSD for $1800 on this model; that's not available on the 13" because apple's product development team is entirely staffed by assholes who think you deserve a shitty computer if you can't afford to pay the cost of two 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredos for a single laptop).

For $3000 you can get 3 Lenovo Workstation laptops with i7 processors, 32GB RAM, and a 2TB SSD.

And look, for just $200 more I could go up to 48GB RAM and get a 4TB SSD - it costs $600 to upgrade the 14" mac from a 2TB SSD to a 4TB SSD so you could still get three laptops with more ram and the same amount of storage for the cost of one macbook.

I get that some people need to use Final Cut and Logic Pro, but hoo boy they sure are charging you through the nose to use products that have become industry standard. The words "capture" and "monopoly" come to mind even though they don't quite apply here.

"Hostile" does, though, especially since Mac users end up locked into the ecosystem through software and cloud services and become uncertain how to leave it behind if they ever decide that a computer should cost less than a month's rent on a shitty studio apartment in LA.

There's a very good reason I didn't give mac advice and that's because my mac advice is "DON'T."

[kafus]

how to connect to wi-fi services in pokemon gen 4 (DPPT/HGSS)

it's still possible to access the wi-fi services of the gen 4 games after the official shutdown of nintendo's wii/ds wi-fi in 2013 due to fan efforts by changing your DNS settings in-game - this is called the DNS exploit. this is popularly used in gen 5 which really has no complications, but in gen 4 it's a bit more complicated because the games are So old that they can't connect to the internet through modern routers due to fancy modern internet encryption. the connection either needs to have no password, or have WEP encryption, which most modern routers do not support. i had some people asking me how to do this so here's a post lol

first, it should be noted i use the pkmnclassic service, and i think you should too. this gives you access to old mystery gifts as well as pretty much every other wi-fi feature. their website also allows you to view pokemon currently uploaded to either gen 4 or 5's GTS through your browser. once you get your wi-fi set up properly, connecting to the internet will be easy, but that setup comes first. below i am going to list all the options i am currently aware of and able to explain

option 1 - phone hotspot (easy/convenient, doesn't work for every type of phone)

some phone hotspots are able to use old WEP type encryption, or be password-less. if you have access to a phone hotspot, it's worth taking off the password if it lets you and trying to connect to the gen 4 wi-fi with it before trying any other method, since if it works it's super convenient, just turn on the hotspot any time you want to do something online in gen 4 and turn it back off when you're done. unfortunately this depends on the type of phone and what OS its on and i don't have a list of what phones or OSes are compatible, so good luck lol. mine personally is not, and i have a fully updated iphone

option 2 - guest wi-fi (a little less convenient but still easy if you have access to router settings)

in the same vein as phone hotspots, guest wi-fi hotspots can also work, and this is what i personally use myself. the catch is you have to have access to your router settings, so if you're a young person using a parents' router without access to those or some other situation like that, you may have to ask for assistance every time you want to turn this on/off, which could be a dealbreaker for some unfortunately. but if you're able to do that, simply make your guest wi-fi password-less and turn it on when you want to connect to gen 4 wi-fi and turn it back off when you're done. since these settings pages are so different per internet provider, i can't really give a guide on how to do that here, though mine through verizon fios is pretty straightforward. some guest wi-fi may not work for this but i think most should

option 3 - use an old router that supports WEP encryption (probably inaccessible for most, but only has to be set up once and then you're done)

i've done this in the past but i had my dad's help with the process, i cannot walk you through buying an old router lol. but yes if you purchase an old router and set that up you can have password protected gen 4 wi-fi permanently

option 4 - save backup + emulation through melonds (works pretty much 100% of the time if you have a hacked 3DS and some sort of PC)

MelonDS is a really great DS emulator that you can find here for windows/linux/mac: https://melonds.kuribo64.net/downloads.php

the basic idea is that you can backup your save file/game with a hacked 3DS using Checkpoint or TWLSaveTool (outside the scope of this guide but this is easy to do and you can walk through the steps here) and then run it through melonds, which can bypass all this WEP/encryption hell for you and simply connect to the internet. of course this is not very convenient if you have to constantly back up your saves to do wi-fi stuff but it's better than nothing if you have no other option.

unfortunately setting up the wi-fi can be a pain, and you also need DS BIOS files to run everything properly, which i cannot provide myself for legal reasons but they uh... aren't that hard to find lol, and you can back them up from an actual DS if you have access to the necessary tools for that.

if you use a windows PC, feel free to use my version of melonds which already has all the wifi shit set up, you'll just need to provide your own bios files under emu settings (it's a bit old but it works great for this purpose): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DQotaqFuBwXz1KYdQWiwxghtn3faLgj-/view?usp=sharing

edit: just found out right after posting this that the most recent version of melonds might work out the box without having to do any particular wi-fi setup? so feel free to try it instead of my version if you like

if you are using linux/mac or don't want to use my version, you'll have to use the melonDS FAQ/google to figure it out, i'm sorry!

by the way yes, this means even if you don't have a gen 4 cart and solely play over emulator, you can trade/battle/etc with people who are playing on DS - they connect to the same servers!

okay and NOW once you have one of those options set up, you can actually connect to wi-fi in game by doing the following:

(these screencaps are from my capture card, i am doing this on an actual DS, but you can also do this with melonds if you're using that option)

step 1: navigate to "NINTENDO WFC SETTINGS" in the menu where you press continue on your save file, in-game. in gen 4 you need to do it here and not in your DS settings.

step 2: tap "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Settings" and pick any of the three connections here to start the set-up. if you already have some here, i'd click "erase settings" underneath to start from scratch.

step 3: search for an access point and pick your desired access point from the list that comes up, and put in a password if needed (this assumes you have set up your wifi properly at this point)

step 4: it will attempt a connection to the internet, and may or may not throw an error. regardless, the error doesn't really matter, you can just hit "OK" whether it's successful or not

step 5: go back into your new connection (the box that previously said "None" should now say "Ready") and scroll down until you see the option "Auto-obtain DNS" - change this to "No"

step 6: change the primary DNS to pkmnclassic's DNS, which is 178.62.43.212 - in layman's terms this will essentially let you connect to their servers instead of nintendo's, which are obviously down. as for the secondary DNS, either leave it at 0.0.0.0 or change it to the same DNS as the primary

step 7: now would be a good time for a connection test. tap "Test Connection" in the top right. there should be a successful connection. assuming there is a successful connection, congrats! save your settings and enter your game as normal. you'll need to go to the basement of any pokemon center and pick up your pal pad, then try entering the wi-fi club (middle NPC at the counter) to test it in-game and get your friend code.

if there isn't, try a few more times or get closer to your access point - sometimes it's not you, the service can just occasionally be spotty. if you keep getting errors, you can use this site to look up what the error code might mean. if you still can't solve the issue, you may have to try a different method of connection as listed above.

sorry i couldn't be more in depth but frankly i'm not an expert on this stuff either, i'm just doing my best. there are a couple other options for doing this, like taking the password off your modern home wi-fi, or bridging your connection to an old laptop/computer, but the first is particularly dangerous so i didn't want to include it in the list and the second is completely out of my league, i just know people have done it before

good luck feel free to ask questions but no promises i'll have answers. if you need troubleshooting help i'd recommend pkmnclassic's discord over me, they have channels for that stuff (yes i hate troubleshooting stuff moving to discord and not forums as much as the rest of you but it can't be helped lol)

[compusever]

Hi there! Bit of a weird question, and I’m not sure if this is the right blog for this, but… best laptop for privacy? I’m going to go to uni in a year and my parents have said that they’re going to buy me a laptop, which is awesome, except— I don’t know which one to chose? I’ve never had a laptop before but I try to take being private online as seriously as I can, and so I don’t really care… well, like, I do care that the laptop has good storage and works and stuff, but I care mostly about how private it is. Which one supports adding privacy-related stuff the best? Which one steals your data the least? I… am actually not sure what kind of questions I should be asking, since… again, never had a laptop before, and I don’t know what about its make makes it private (other than like general online privacy practices across all devices), so I was just wondering if you had any recommendations for me? Tldr: don’t care about fancy features, just want a laptop that more or less works, but would love privacy to be the main focus. This can sort of come at the expense of convenience - I don’t care it if’s harder to set up, use, etc., so long as I can connect to the internet with it.

So the hardware is pretty agnostic on this, the place where privacy is going to become an issue is in the software.

Windows loves to track you and send your data back to homebase; Apple is a walled garden that doesn't let people get deep into configurations; linux is intimidating for a lot of people.

Your actual best bet on privacy would be to get a laptop with no OS and install a linux distro on it, but it sounds like that's probably not something that's terribly approachable for you. So in that case I'd recommend getting a Windows laptop (mac prices aren't worth it) and going through this list to change the settings to ensure better privacy.

HOWEVER please note that you should be getting a laptop with a full OS. Windows has an option for "windows 11s" or "windows 10s" and first off you should be going with 11 at this point but second that "s" means that there are pretty strict limitations on what you can do as a user in terms of configuration and installation.

If you are willing to pay a bit more for Windows 11 Pro instead of windows 11 Home, the pro license cuts off some of the more annoying tracking that Windows does automatically, but I'd say you're better off simply getting the home license and really digging into the settings and getting to know it and setting it up for yourself.

BUT if it's at all possible, honestly I'd say get a bare metal laptop (that means it's just the hardware, no software, you need to install an operating system before you do anything) and install linux. HOWEVER keep in mind that there are some significant downsides to using linux as a student, mostly that you'll likely run into software at some point that you won't be able to install. Also if you're not already pretty good with computers it can be difficult to keep a linux machine running (but very easy to make it private; that's the tradeoff - you can make it more secure more easily, but you really have to know how to fix your own computer if something goes wrong.)

For your situation, again, I think a Windows 11 Home laptop with the settings adjusted is your best bet.

Absolutely positively don't get a chromebook (you've got no control of the settings on a chromebook and the thing is made to feed information to google) and don't get a mac (you can get better specs on a PC at a lower cost).

For an idea of budget on this, I'd say you can probably get something from Dell, Lenovo, or HP for around $650-1000 dollars that's got decent specs (12th gen or newer i5 processor, 16gb RAM, 512GB SSD) and maybe something more like $500-800 from acer, asus, or samsung. Whatever computer you end up getting, you should get the added drop protection warranty because that means the manufacturer will fix your laptop if you drop it, something that is a bigger deal for college students than most people (because of your environment you're more likely to end up with drop damage than a lot of people AND because you're a college student you probably won't be able to afford to fix or replace the computer)

Good luck!

[ms-demeanor]

So I've been working in a customer support job with computers since before the end of XP support. I've seen XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 go out of support and we're already gearing up and trying to convince our customers to replace their Win10 systems before it goes out of support in October 2025.

Every single fucking time it is like pulling teeth.

When I started working at my current job (November 2011), I was a Mac user. I had only owned Macs and since high school I had mostly used Macs, though my parents had Windows PCs at home.

Getting a job at a Windows shop was jarring. I didn't like the way the file system worked, there were little functions in OSX that I'd come to rely on that just were not present in Windows (TBH I still miss the ability to go through a huge folder of photos and click on them one at a time and give them a color label with two clicks; it was SO MUCH more efficient for sorting photos).

It's a weird function of my ADHD and my job that I deal with emotional dysregulation with software more than with any other aspect of my life. There's nothing that will throw me into a rage faster than a program changing its menu layout. I *do not* do well learning new systems. I get really, really angry and I think the whole thing is stupid and I often end up sitting in front of the computer and silently crying in frustration.

So I get it when my customers don't want to say goodbye to their ten year old system and have to learn how to cope with a new OS that is scary and different (it is stunning to me that nobody at Microsoft seemed to understand this when Windows 8 was launched; the UX change was so drastic that people who would have otherwise been frustrated and grumpy about an update were instead *panicked*).

All of which is to say: if you are a non-computery type person, one of the better ways that you can future-proof *yourself* is to interact with as many types of software and as many operating systems as you can get your hands on.

If you've got an older, mostly-useless computer at home, don't e-waste it, install Linux on it. Install Linux on it and install a bunch of weird open source programs and just fuck around with it.

It's hard (and prohibitively expensive) to have three brand new computers with shiny new OSs, but it's cheap to install Linux on an old machine that was destined for the junk heap, and it's pretty easy as well. You'll get more life out of the old machine (reducing waste!), you'll get more experience with different systems (making updates less scary in the future!), and *just* spending some time with a different OS than you're used to will make you better and more competent at dealing with computers (it will help you to apply your troubleshooting skillset more broadly - you may not REALIZE you have a troubleshooting skillset, but you do, it's just that it's routine and specific to your system; applying it to other systems is good for you, it builds character).

And, at the very least, try to be an early adopter for new releases for your own system. If you try to cling to a particular release you're going to become reliant on it and you may end up being *forced* into an upgrade, which is catastrophic compared to upgrading over time.

I know so, so many people who put off updates for years only to finally concede when something vital stopped working and then discovered that their computer was completely incapable of functioning with the updated OS due to hardware limitations and had to very suddenly buy a new machine instead of planning for it and making a more comfortable transfer.

Please, please trust me when I say that you are going to have a much better time of things if you decide that you're just going to have to relearn how your computer works every few years than you are if you decide that you're learning how this one computer you have now works and try to hang onto it forever. And you will have an even BETTER time if you decide to figure out how totally different computers work just for the hell of it.

I'm sure I've said this before but while Linux does have some sharp edges and obtuse metaphors, the biggest reason why it's hard is that you've never used it and you're 20 or 30 years old and you have stuff you want to do and you have 10 or 20 years of experience with Windows where you already know how to do things. Computers don't naturally do anything.

[topvpnreviews4]

Snapchat Unblocked: Everything You Need to Know

Snapchat belongs to the most popular internet marketing apps globally, with throughout 300 huge number of daily activated users. Then again, not almost everyone can get Snapchat unreservedly. Some states, schools, jobs, and networking sites block and restrict Snapchat designed for various arguments. If you may be some who find it difficult to use Snapchat thanks to these disadvantage, don't be troubled. There is how to Snapchat unblocked and revel in its features without any subsequent hassle. Personal computer is a reliable VPN product like CoverMeVPN.

How to Snapchat unblocked with a VPN

The easiest ways of Snapchat unblocked is to use a VPN. A VPN encrypts ones own traffic and even routes it via the server internationally. This clarifies that it's looks as if you can be connecting with the internet as a result of that area, which will be able to bypass sections on Snapchat. Fridge VPN carriers available, so it is essential to choose a single is reliable and allows a sizeable network in servers. Some well known VPN carriers that accomodate Snapchat comprise of NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and even Surfshark. When you've chosen an important VPN vendor, you will be able to download and even install ones own software. As the software is without a doubt installed, it is easy to connect to somewhat of a server at a country at which Snapchat is simply not blocked. You should really then get to access Snapchat without any subsequent problems. To help you Snapchat unblocked through CoverMeVPN, all you should do is pursue these easy steps:

Download and even install CoverMeVPN onto your device. It will be compatible through Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and a lot more.

Launch CoverMeVPN and register with ones own account. Without one though, you may establish one absolutely free and acquire a 7-day sample.

Buy a server destination where Snapchat is accessible. For case study, you will be able to select the us ., Canada, or take pleasure in the.

Connect with the server and even wait for three seconds until the connection is made.

Open Snapchat and revel in its features without any subsequent restrictions.

How to Snapchat unblocked with a Proxy Server

Another way for you to Snapchat unblocked is to use a proxy server. A proxy server is known as a server which will acts being a intermediary involving the computer additionally, the internet. As you connect to somewhat of a proxy server, your website traffic is routed because of the proxy server well before it reaches cyberspace. This will be able to bypass sections on Snapchat, as that proxy server will are connecting with the internet on a different area. There are many proxy servers and cleaners available, but it is essential to choose a single is reliable and allows good uptime. Some well known proxy servers and cleaners that accomodate Snapchat comprise of HideMyAss, ProxFree, and even Hidester. When you've found an important proxy server which you want to implement, you will be able to configure ones own browser to utilise the proxy server. The suggestions for setting up your browser to employ a proxy server vary according to browser you may be using.

How to Snapchat unblocked on School or Work WiFi

When you're trying to help you Snapchat unblocked at school and work Wi-fi, you need to use a better method. Many academic institutions and jobs block Snapchat while they consider it as being a distraction. When you're unable to employ a VPN and proxy server, you can unblock Snapchat through a different software package. There is a few distinctive apps that can be used to unblock Snapchat at school and work Wi-fi. One well known app is addressed as SnapChat And. Snapchat Plus is known as a modified adaptation of Snapchat that helps you to bypass blocks in the app. Another well known app is addressed as UnblockNeteaseGames. UnblockNeteaseGames will be an app that can be used to circumvent blocks on an assortment of different programs, including Snapchat.

How to Snapchat Unblocked in Your Country

If Snapchat is without a doubt blocked ınside your country, you can unblock it through a VPN and proxy server. Then again, there also are several other methods which you could try. One method may be to contact your online service vendor (ISP) and keep these things unblock Snapchat. If you are ISP is willing to unblock Snapchat, you is able to access that app without any subsequent problems. Another method is to use a distinctive DNS server. A DNS server is known as a server which will translates domain names into IP communications information. If you receive a distinctive DNS server, you can bypass sections on Snapchat. There are numerous different DNS servers which you could try. You popular DNS server is without a doubt Google Court DNS. Google Court DNS is known as a free and even reliable DNS server that can be used to circumvent blocks at Snapchat.

Conclusion

There are numerous different ways of Snapchat unblocked. When you're unable access to Snapchat, you can try using an important VPN, proxy server, as well as a different software package. You are also able to try making contact with your ISP or getting a different DNS server.

To check ones own reviews, have a look at CoverMeVPN.

[exeking123]

What is the cheapest way to get Microsoft Office? Can you buy Microsoft Office permanently?

What is the cheapest way to get Microsoft Office? Can you buy Microsoft Office permanently? Use these tips to get Microsoft Office at a fraction of the price.

The Microsoft Office productivity suite is a valuable tool for both study and work, but it's not cheap. There are ways to get Microsoft Office at a fraction of its cost.

Rather than buying Microsoft Office at full price, here are some ways to get it cheaper.

1. Take advantage of Microsoft's Student Office Plans

Students may qualify for Office 365 for free if they're wincing at Microsoft Office's price. Despite the fact that not all students can benefit from this offer, your institute must be enrolled with Microsoft to take advantage of this plan. You may be able to get Office for free, so it's worth checking out.

Enter your school email address on the Office 365 Education page. You will receive a code for Office 365 if you're eligible. This isn't a lifetime gift. Microsoft may check in on you once you graduate from your current school.

However, you're still eligible for Microsoft's alumni deal at $12 for a year if you're not an alumnus.

With a student email account, you'll be able to take advantage of some amazing discounts.

2. Visit the Office Online website of Microsoft

You can use Microsoft Office online for free. It's not getting a license, but it's a great way to use Word for free.

The entire Office suite is available for free on Office.com. You simply need to sign in with a Microsoft account to get started using Office.

When you have a Word document that you want to read, but you don't have a word processor, you can upload it to Office Online to read.

What's the catch? Office Online lacks several useful features that Office 365 has.

While using Office Online, Microsoft will continuously remind you to purchase a subscription. For a free alternative to Microsoft Office, it is a good choice.

3. Utilize the Mobile Office Apps for Android and iOS

If you want to save money legally, you can also download each component of Office for free on mobile devices. Microsoft is developing a more comprehensive, all-encompassing Office app for release later in the year, which is available in both the Android and iOS app stores.

4. Hunt for sales through third-party retailers

There may be some great Microsoft Office 365 deals available from verified sellers, and some of them may even offer Office at a lower price than Microsoft itself.

Microsoft Office 2019 costs $149 in the Microsoft Store, but how much does Microsoft Office cost on Amazon?

Buying a digital download on Amazon for a lower price is a great way to save money on Office, while still using legitimate channels.

In addition, you can order Microsoft Office licenses from reputable sellers like soft4os for just $44.99, delivered digitally in seconds. Microsoft Office 2010 to Office 2021 Professional; there are a variety of options for students, businesses, and individuals.

Can you buy Microsoft Office permanently? 

Word and Excel are basically the bread and butter of the business world, so having them on your computer is a smart idea. 

Alternatively, you can subscribe to Office 365, which requires a monthly or annual fee — but most of us already pay too much for subscriptions. Fortunately, Microsoft offers another option: a lifetime license. 

The perpetual license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is available for the lowest price ever from now through July 14. It is a lifetime license, which means you only need to pay once to get the full suite of apps.

A lifetime license will give you access to the Office 2021 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote for both Windows and Mac. Instantly upon purchase, you'll obtain keys for each platform as well as download links for quick installation. 

To install on Windows you need a minimum of 1GB RAM and 4GB hard disk space; Mac requires 4GB RAM and 10GB hard disk space. Once it's ready, start creating documents, analyzing data, sharing files with your team, setting up video conferences - and beyond!

You'll get security updates every few months and free customer service assistance with a lifetime license, but there is a catch. 

Nevertheless, you won't be able to access all the features Microsoft offers subscribers each month, and a license only applies to one computer. However, if you don't want to deal with another subscription and just need the basics, it's still worth it.

FAQ's

Can you buy an office permanently?

Microsoft Store offers standalone versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Mac and PC. You can also purchase or subscribe to Visio or Project, which are available for PCs only.

Is it possible to buy Microsoft Office for life?

Since you'll keep the 2021 version of Microsoft Office rather than getting the latest updates, a lifetime license is usually more cost-effective than Microsoft 365.

What is the cost of Microsoft Office 2023?

On January 30, 2023, Microsoft 365 Basic will be available worldwide through Microsoft's website and in OneDrive and Outlook apps for just USD1. 99 per month or USD19. 99 per year.

Can I use Microsoft Office for free?

You can download Office 2021, 2019, and Office 2016 for free from Microsoft, but in order to use the programs, you'll need a license key or a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Is it possible to install MS Office for free on a laptop?

You can use Microsoft 365 free versions on the web or as mobile apps. You'll need a free Microsoft account. If you're a student or educator, your school may be able to provide you with a free Office. You may be able to use Microsoft 365 Family if someone you know has a subscription.

Do I have lifetime access to Microsoft Office?

When prompted, choose Sign in and enter your account email and password associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription. Review the details under the heading Services & Subscriptions.

[jujifish]

based on this lovely fake you out post by @bunny–draws quote from some reblog response of someone i can’t remember right now :(

[lonelycatsblog]

thanks for the tag @heartstopper-lover123 sorry i forgot to do this sooner

Coke or Pepsi? neither, i find them both kinda gross

Disney or dreamworks? both

Coffee or tea? hot tea and iced coffee

Books or movies? movies (i'm too busy for books rn)

Windows or mac? mac

Dc or marvel? i used to be a HUGE marvel fan (back in 2020) but now idek. both ig

Xbox or PlayStation? i don't play on my own but i like to play on my friends xbox

Dragon age or mass effect? i haven't played either of these

Night owl or early riser? either, i am a permanently exhausted pigeon

Cards or chess? cards (i don't know how to play chess)

Chocolate or vanilla? both

Vans or converse? converse but nick nelson is tempting me to buy a pair of vans ngl

Fluff or angst? angst

Beach or forest? FOREST!!!

Dogs or cats? both

Clear skies or rain? RAIN!!

Cooking or eating out? eating out (my cooking skills are pathetic)

Spicy or mild food? spicy

Halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/Christmas? i enjoy halloween more but christmas involves presents (in my family) so the choice is tough

Would you rather forever be a bit hot or a bit cold? a bit cold

What superpower? mind reading/control

Animation or live action? live action

Baths or showers? both take so much effort but usually showers

Fantasy or sci-fi? fantasy

Quotes? "people cry not because they are week. it's because they've been strong for too long." -jonny depp

Youtube or netflix? netflix

When do you feel accomplished? never

Star wars or star trek? star wars

Paperback or hardcover? i like the look of hardcover more but it's harder to read. prob hardcover overall

No literature or no music? no literature i would parish without music

Last person to make you laugh? my mum

City or countryside? city

Fav chips? barbecue flavour (chips/crisps)

Pants or dress? pants

Library or museum? library

Character or plot driven? both, you need both for it to be a good book!!

Bookmarks or folding pages? BOOKMARKS!! unfollow me if you fold your pages you savage

Dream job? a professional sleeper? maybe author? haven't figured it out yet

What you gives you comfort? rain and heavy blankets

What are you currently having brainrot levels of interest over? learning how to be a nail tech

Current fav song? trastevere -måneskin

Books read this year? 22 books so far (should I post which ones later???)

Fav scent? sweet vanilla?

Fav season? autumn

Current reads? the brothers hawthorne, red white and royal blue, radio silence, one of us is next (they've all been untouched on my nightstand for over a month)

Gold or silver? silver

Are you more like Nick or Charlie? probably more like charlie

Fav fictional character? tori spring

Have you ever dyed your hair? yes! when i was 12 my mum let me put a streak of purple in my hair, a few years ago i went completly bright red, then i did the under part of my hair purple after the red grew out. the purple eventually faded and i was left with blonde where the purple was and brown on the top, a few months ago i wanted the purple back so i dyed it but it turned out blue and that faded to green so i dyed it again and it faded to green. current day i am a ginger :) (i hope that made sense cause my grammar skills are non existant)

What's your favourite piece of clothing rn and why? i love this hoodie i got while i was on vacation in LA. it's a big maroon hoodie from the golds gym (venice beach) merch shop

What's your favourite place to be? in my bed while my room feels cold and its dark and raining outside

What's your favourite animal? dolphins, dogs, and cats

taggzzzz:

@veralinnn @theshyqueergirl @crowleybrekkers @a-bowl-of-soop @ali-da-demon @chronic-skeptic @toulouseradiosilence @v4nillaskies @charliethinks @skeelly @fairyghostgirlgaming @stewpid-soup @robinheaney12 @nine-frogs-in-a-trenchcoat @frogfairy444 @s0lit4ir3 @christmas-heartstopper-lover123

RULES: answer all questions, add one question of your own, and tag as many people as there are questions

thank you @good-enemy for the tag <3

coke or pepsi: coke

disney or dreamworks: sorry but i prefer disney i could name maybe like two dreamworks movies off the top of my head

coffee or tea: tea because coffee tastes burnt

books or movies: books

windows or mac: windows

dc or marvel: unfortunately i am a marvel fan

x-box or playstation: i havent used either of these in years

dragon age or mass effect: what

night owl or early riser: night owl

cards or chess: cards

chocolate or vanilla: depends on the food but usually vanilla

vans or converse: docs

lavellan, trevelyan, cadash, or adaar: ⁉️

fluff or angst: angst. hurt that blorbo you know you want to

beach or forest: beach

dogs or cats: dogs by default because im allergic to cats

clear skies or rain: clear skies but like the kind of clear skies when its sunny with no clouds in the sky but its chilly out

cooking or eating out: depends on the food

spicy food or mild food: mild food bc im a picky eater and also white

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: hanukkah

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too cold

if you could have a superpower what would it be: telekinesis but that might just be because im a jean grey girlie

animation or live action: live action

paragon or renegade: ⁉️

baths or showers: baths but unfortunately showers are more convenient

team cap or team iron man: i hate both of them

fantasy or sci-fi: anyone who knows me knows i am the biggest fantasy lover out there

do you have three or four favorite quotes, if so what are they: idk i have a lot but i couldnt name them off the top of my head

youtube or netflix: youtube

harry potter or percy jackson: percy jackson obviously. he'd also kick harry potter's ass but thats a whole other conversation

when do you feel accomplished: when i succeed

star wars or star trek: ive seen bits of star wars so that one

paperback books or hardcover books: hardcover books because they have built in bookmarks and also theyre pretty

live in a world without literature or music: nice try but no

who was the last person to make you laugh: i dont know probably my dad

city or countryside: city i love the city i am a big city person (i dont live in a big city)

favorite chips: baked lays

pants or dresses: pants

libraries or museums: museums we have no good libraries here

character driven stories or plot driven stories: oh thats hard. probably plot but i do love a good character driven story

bookmarks or folding pages: bookmarks

dream job: music therapist

what gives you comfort: my dog. also music

what are you currently having brain rot levels of interest over: the once upon a broken heart series by stephanie garber and also maisie peters's music

what is your current favorite song: coming of age by maisie peters

(added question) how many books have you read this year?

tagging @henwilsons @napollya @thegoosewitch and whoever else is interested

[ill-skillsgard]

Portraits of Henry Deaver

I wrote this short spooky story for @grandpa-sweaters 666 follower celebration! I usually try to write at least one spooky story around Halloween, and what better occasion than for a friend's writing challenge? If you don't already follow her, you probably should 'cause she's great! Title: Portraits of Henry Deaver Warning: Mentions of death, suicide, mentions of mental health issues, blood and horror imagery. Summary: Henry Deaver leaves his hometown to teach at Wolfeside Academy, a private school where his late father taught for decades and gained the love and respect of his peers. However, his welcome is ill-received by a woman who claims Henry is not the man he says he is, but the Devil incarnate. Note: This is just under 6.5K words and contains zero smut, so anyone who only has interest in reading that can probably skip over this. However, I'd love it if you gave it a shot any way because reading is fun and I worked on this for a while.

"...I know what demons smell like, and you reek of evil."

The academy was much smaller than I remembered. I was twelve the last I'd visited Wolfeside on a trip to see my father, who had been a teacher at the school for forty years. He taught English at Wolfeside Academy from the moment he graduated college until the day before his death. In the eyes of a young boy, the building seemed like a castle on a hill, bordered by Sycamore trees and memorial benches. I'd half expected a moat to surround the building when I first glimpsed the structure from the singular winding road. There was no moat, no armoured guards or anything resembling my medieval daydreams, but there was still an ancient prowess in its bones that fascinated a younger me.

Now, the academy resembled a nineteenth-century courthouse to me, enrobed in the mists carrying in from the northern shore. The pillars and arcing windows were no cover-up for the modern add-ons at the back of the school to accommodate a growing student body. It was a grand structure with nods to Grecian architecture but pocked and dull from years standing in the rain.

A stout woman with a mound of slate grey hair twisted at the base of her neck met me at the front entrance where the cobbled paths convened at an arrowhead. She had kind eyes and a comforting smile that widened when I approached.

"Hello. You must be Mrs. Kyne," I said, shaking her puffy hand.

"Yes, and you must be Henry Deaver the second. It's a pleasure to finally meet you again. Your father had only the nicest things to say about you."

"Ah, ol' Deaver saw the good in horseflies."

"The last time we met, you must have been less than half the size. I see height runs in the family," said Mrs. Kyne.

"Let's get it out of the way. No, the weather isn't nice up here. It's rather damp and grey."

"You'll get used to it, I promise," She said. "The dreary days only make you appreciate the sunshine that much more. Shall we go on inside? It is calling for rain."

The cold seeped in through my wool jacket. As I followed Mrs. Kyne up the stairs and through the double doors, I thought I'd better buy a thicker coat if the early Autumn cold was already this crisp.

We sat down in Mrs. Kyne's windowed office and discussed the formalities of my new position as teacher of communications. Wolfeside had recently gutted its basement level and hauled out rusted woodshop equipment to make way for a new wing. I supposed folks no longer wanted their children working with table saws and hammers. I had the luxury of setting up camp in a state-of-the-art computer lab complete with shiny new Macs and a circus of photography equipment. I was to teach graphic design and a supplementary photography course for the students who fancied themselves as modern-day shutterbugs.

Mrs. Kyne poured two cups of tea and served mine on a saucer. When she took her seat behind the desk, she affixed me with another motherly smile.

"We're thrilled to have you here, Henry. I think you'll fit in just fine. Your father was always a student favourite. He was much more than an English teacher to us. I thought him better suited for the theatre, but he insisted his love lay only in literature." The wistfulness behind Mrs. Kyne's words alluded to something other than appreciation. Her mouth retracted behind her teeth, and her eyes wandered far like a girl enraptured in a fantasy of her White Knight.

"He was always a ham. We couldn't bring that guy anywhere without him befriending the entire place or annoying the hell out of them."

She produced a laugh so blunt it startled me. "Yes, that sounds like our Henry."

To the left of Mrs. Kyne's office was another room where a man and a woman sat before each other at his desk. The man pinched the bridge of his nose while the woman, perhaps in her sixties, waved her arms and chopped at the air dramatically. I made brief eye contact with the woman through the wire mesh glass and quickly turned away. Her voice rose then, and the man behind his desk asked her to calm down—a textbook mistake when dealing with angry women.

"Oh, dear. This can't be good," said Mrs. Kyne.

"What's going on over there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's Miss Fletcher, our art teacher. She's been up in arms since we put in the communications lab. Says her applications for a budget increase are being purposefully ignored."

"Uh oh. Am I treading on some bad territory?"

Mrs. Kyne shook her head and clicked her tongue. "This is nothing new. Matilda has great disdain for anything she feels encroaches on her curriculum—which, according to her, is nearly everything from the drama room to the sports fields. Her father was the great Richmond Fletcher, a very famous painter. Are you familiar with his work?"

"Richie Fletcher? Of course. That's really his daughter?"

"I'm afraid her mind is taking the same downward spiral her father's took all those years ago. You know these artist types. Nothing pleases them. Nothing but making pictures that have no worth until their creators are long gone. We love our Miss Fletcher, but she can be a firecracker."

"I'll make it a point to stay out of her way," I said.

"Oh, she's harmless. Loud as a cicada, but harmless. Anyway, you must be tired from your trip. Your suite is in the Jane Pickering building. That's where the boarding staff live. It's close to the old theatre and dining hall, which most of us find quite convenient. The theatre was decommissioned years ago, but can't be touched due to its historical roots. However, that doesn't stop students from poking around and getting into mischief."

"Ah, gotta love the mischievous ones."

"If Pickering isn't to your liking, you can always rent an apartment in Wolfeside. Most faculty members choose to stay on campus, as the drive is rather troublesome in the winter months."

"Anything is better than my shoebox back in Maine. I'm sure I'll stay on the grounds."

"That's wonderful, Mr. Deaver. Welcome aboard," Mrs. Kyne said, leaning over and smothering the desk with her bosom. She shook my hand again and called for the man in the neighbouring office to show me to the Jane Pickering building. His name was Fred Sanders, and he was the assistant director at Wolfeside Academy. He came in looking flustered from his encounter with Miss Fletcher but grateful to be rid of the woman.

The next day, Fred showed me around Wolfeside, starting on the main floor science hall, then circling around to the language study classes, history room and math hall. On the top floor, shelved into neat square rooms, were the social sciences and humanities classrooms, and then the room where my father made his living teaching English and classic literature. The space was occupied by a hoard of students and their teacher, so I had no time to wander the perimeter like my father had. But I smelled the leaves of old books, that distinct mixture of yellowed paper and cracked leather, crusty spinal glue and coffee. It reminded me of his office where he'd sit every morning and work on his manuscript before he left to teach fulltime.

"We shouldn't interrupt any lessons, but if you want to see your dad's old classroom, Mrs. Dorfman has a free period after lunch. I'm sure she'll let you have a look around," said Fred.

"I'll get around to it. Thanks, Fred."

"You don't really look like him. The height, I can see, but your faces are totally different. Granted, I met Henry when he was much older than you."

"No, you're right. I look more like my mother. Thank God."

Fred laughed and clapped my back. "Never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Deaver."

"She passed away when I was young, and he never got involved with anyone else. Shortly after, he came here, where he stayed until the end."

"A rather gloomy story, junior," said Fred.

"That's just the way it is."

"Suppose you're right. How about we show you the dungeon now?"

"Ah, where all the bad kids go, I assume?"

My joke amused Fred, and he explained the dungeon was what the faculty and students called the basement level. The art department was downstairs, as well as my lab. We agreed to stop by the art room before Fred took me to my new classroom, and as we went, I held my breath.

The kids were at work blending out geometric shapes made in charcoal. Only a handful noticed us come into the room. Miss Fletcher had her back turned to the door, and I put on my most friendly smile, hoping it might charm away her distaste for the new communications lab responsible for the cut in her budget. She turned when Fred cleared his throat, and when she swung around, knit cardigan fluttering, her eyes fixed on me, then rolled to the back of her skull. Miss Fletcher's knees turned to rubber, and her body slumped to the tile floor. A flourish of gasps deafened me to the ensuing chaos. Fred darted around the desks and was at her side before half the students realized their teacher had gone down.

"Somebody call an ambulance," said Fred, shifting Miss Fletcher's head into his lap.

As Miss Fletcher was wheeled from the school entryway on a stretcher, the students stood with Mrs. Kyne and Fred Sanders. Clusters of crying students bundled together while some muttered theories. When the ambulance sped away, Mrs. Kyne dismissed the children to their dormitory for the remainder of the day. By evening, the entire school had heard of Miss Fletcher's fainting. Whispers echoed from floor to floor, and soon it was all the students talked about. And in the center of it all, I stood as the subject of their exaggerated speculation.

~*~

I had a good nose for the troublemakers; the kids who never pressed their uniforms, wore facial jewelry, and had the ghosts of hidden cigarettes wafting off their jackets. They were easy to spot and even easier to win over. I wasn't in the business of disciplining other people's children, but knowing which ones had mean streaks intrigued me. My first two were a pair of girls named Megan and Rachelle, who came into my class linked at the arm, skirts too high up their legs, and a red-eyed haze over their made-up faces. They sat together, whispering back and forth for the entirety of my introduction. A few other kids spaced out or doodled on their notebooks, and such disregard I didn't mind. I had done the same at their age.

Megan and Rachelle's only interest was talking about me behind cupped hands. Each time I glanced at the pair, their overlined eyes jumped away. Perhaps they didn't expect the new teacher to address them on the first day, for when I approached, they straightened in their seats and stared blankly at their computer screens, mouths clamped shut.

"You two are awfully chatty. Planning out your welcome for me?"

"No, Mr. Deaver."

"Please, I'd like you to share with me what's so funny about my face that you have to giggle about it?"

Megan, the braver of the two, straightened up and looked me dead on. "It's not that. We just heard about how you made Miss Fletcher faint yesterday."

"We'll chalk it up to a coincidence. Now, Megan, I'd like for you to switch seats with Adam. I get the feeling you and Rachelle will be counterproductive to each other's learning in this course. No more talking while I have the floor for the first thirty minutes of the class, please and thank you. I'll say it once. That goes for the rest of you," I said, taking a stand at the head of the computer tables. "I'm sure Miss Fletcher wouldn't appreciate the gossip. Out of respect for her, let's agree to drop the subject."

On my way to my desk, a girl with dyed black hair and a lip ring too big for her mouth raised her hand. I went to her corner, excited to answer my first question of the course.

"Mr. Deaver, I'm not sure if I should be saying this, but... If you want to know why Miss Fletcher fainted, you should talk to a girl named Justine in her class."

The utterance of the name threw the class into quietude like she had named the dead girl from Wolfeside's most prevalent ghost stories.

"Why do you say that, Tamara?"

She shifted her eyes away, clicked her mouse to bring her screen out of slumber. "You might want to see some of her artwork, is all. It'll explain a lot. Unlike the stupid rumours everyone keeps spreading."

"Alright, Tamara. That's quite enough of that."

She shrugged her shoulders and went to work. The rest of them followed suit, and the remainder of the period was more muted than I expected for my first class at Wolfeside.

~*~

Miss Fletcher's condition was reported to me over the following days, and none of the updates relieved me of any guilt. She had moved to the psychiatric ward, and a substitute teacher carried on her lessons until she was deemed fit for work. What started as an unfortunate episode now stretched beyond imagination, and the whispers only culminated like black clouds, following me from room to room, from the main building to the faculty apartment and dining hall, casting a shadow anywhere I went.

I thought about what Tamara said about Justine and gathered as much information about the student as I could before meeting her. Mrs. Kyne claimed she was a unique child, next in line to be featured in the same galleries as Miss Fletcher's late father. Justine did not attend many other classes. Her purpose at the school was to grow into her natural talents and become a stalwart example of what a student could become if they attended the private school (if their parents could afford such a prestigious avenue of education.) She was afforded certain privileges for which other students didn't come close to qualifying, and those were exemptions from required courses and a studio she shared with Miss Fletcher, attached to the art room by a set of rickety Japanese sliding doors.

I visited the studio with the permission of the substitute teacher, who was deeply over her head from work left by Miss Fletcher. The studio was half supply room, half gallery, where portraits of distorted faces hung on every square inch of wall. The subjects wore sombre expressions, their noses and cheekbones swirled together in muted green, taupe, and violet hues. Others were medleys of sickly features blended together like a kaleidoscope of faces eating faces and shitting out eyes, broken noses, blood and chipped teeth. Some paintings looked like buckets overflowing with grey matter, rotten veins and arteries leaking piss into landfills and lakes of gas. I recognized Miss Fletcher in one of the portraits, but her bones were hideously overgrown and out of place. Each one was signed with a letter J in the corner. Justine lived up to the knack Mrs. Kyne claimed she had.

I meandered through the studio, observing oil paintings of psychedelic trips, fractal faces that blossomed all over the canvas like geometric moss. Then, I stopped at a relatively tame portrait, but one that left my stomach feeling more sour and empty than ever. The likeness was me, or who I assumed to be me. She had my eyes right, my pointed nose in proportion to my mouth. I looked farther, and the subsequent framed work was yet another iteration of my face. This one was stoic, pale and unsettling. The eyes were haunted with a frigidity I hoped was inaccurate. Did I really look like that? Did I come off as some crooked mannequin with washed-out skin and an expression like a Halloween mask? I liked to think I carried myself with a little more pleasantry than that, but apparently, Justine didn't think so.

If those portraits had been the only two, I might have accepted her renditions as those of an artist with a distinct style, destined for greater feats than credits from Wolfeside Academy. However, they were not the only paintings. I counted seven more, each more macabre than the last. When I turned the corner, I saw the girl responsible for the creations in mid-brushstroke, her hair tied in a loose ponytail draping between bony shoulder blades. She was working on a portrait of a woman I didn't recognize.

"Excuse me, Justine?"

"Hello," Justine said without breaking her concentration.

"My name is Mr. Deaver. I hope I'm not interrupting your work."

"You are, but it's alright. I'm due for a break." Justine dropped her paintbrush in a glass of murky water. She turned, and her smock was smeared with the nightmare shades she used to create her pieces. Her wan face remained unchanged in my presence.

"I had a look at your pieces. Quite remarkable stuff, Justine. You should be proud."

"I know. I heard you walking around."

Her terse address bordered on amusing and characteristic of an eccentric painter. I thumbed behind me and chuckled.

"Where'd you find the time to paint all those portraits of me?"

Justine folded her hands in front of her, tilted her head off-center. "They aren't you, Mr. Deaver."

"Are you sure? The resemblance is uncanny."

"No, sir. This is the first time we've met," said Justine.

"Which is why I found them rather exceptional."

Justine went back to her paintbrush, slapped the bristles onto a square of stained cloth and dipped it into a blob of forest green meant for the cardigan her subject wore. She dabbed shadows into the creases of the material and hummed a music box tune.

"Are you sure those aren't portraits of me? I promise I won't think it's strange. I've been told I have a rather interesting face."

"No, Mr. Deaver. I see that man at night, and I think he might be the Devil."

My chest pulled like violin strings coiled too tightly, ready to snap from the first graze of a bow. Justine continued her work, pretending like I wasn't standing nearby grasping for a reason. I stepped away, went back to the paintings and noted the black dates etched in each bottom right corner underneath the letter J. They predated my arrival by weeks, months, and some of them were from the previous year. Miss Fletcher's shock must have come from her protege's premonitory series and the unexpected arrival of the subject. The spectre from the misery-laden canvases had shown up at her classroom door, grinning just like that.

I didn't tell Mrs. Kyne about what I found in the art studio, and I didn't sleep that night or more than a few hours the next. Instead, I planned my visit to the hospital to see Miss Fletcher and search for answers nobody else could give.

~*~

The drive into town was longer than I remembered. Raindrops beat down on the windshield faster than the wiper blades could swing. My breath turned to fog, and I longed for a cigarette. It had been three years since I quit, but my cravings had a reliable cycle, exacerbated by my nerves and the inexplicable occurrences at Wolfeside Academy. I considered buying a pack before entering the hospital and decided that would only worsen my guilt.

The hospital was a maze of lettered wings. I nearly gave up my search for the psychiatric ward before I turned the corner and found a reception desk. I asked for Matilda Fletcher and explained I was a colleague from Wolfeside, and the nurse showed me in after receiving a visitor's badge. Left to wait in a square of uncomfortable chairs, I tried not to lose my nerve.

I had to know about Justine's paintings, even if it meant upsetting Matilda even more.

A nurse brought her out, and when she spotted me, her eyes turned up, and she froze.

"Hey, Matilda. It's okay. I just came for a short visit."

"I don't want to see you. I've seen all I need to see."

The nurse, unamused and accustomed to such behaviour, left Matilda in my company. I turned up my palms and approached her like a stray dog, careful not to make sudden moves.

"Please, I just have some questions. I'm so sorry about coming into your class the other day unannounced. You must think me terribly rude."

"I don't think of you at all. I've banished those thoughts from my mind."

"Please, can you help me understand what I've done? I just want to make things right."

Matilda curled into her oversized hospital gown. At that moment, she resembled the woman in Justine's painting, bones protruding and eyes sunken and dark. "Your coming is an omen of the worst sort. I've seen your face, and if I were a stronger woman, I'd tear you apart where you stand."

The nurse who had shown me in heard Matilda's ravings and cocked an ear in our direction.

"Matilda, please. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Henry Deaver's son. You worked together for years."

"No, I know what demons smell like, and you reek of evil."

The nurse cut between us. "Alright, Matilda. No more visitors for today."

"Matilda, where did the paintings come from? How did Justine make them?"

"You leave my little girl alone. She's a good girl. Stay away from her!"

"Mr. Deaver, I think it's time for you to go," said the nurse.

"Keep your hands off of her. Please, God, in heaven, save my beautiful Justine from the dark messengers the Devil has sent into your world. Do not let this predator take her young soul. In the Lord's name, I beg of you!"

Matilda brought more attention from the orderlies, and I rushed away before anyone accused me of mischief.

The encounter left me drained, and I sat in my car until I talked myself out of the idea that I had done something wrong. Matilda Fletcher was unwell, and perhaps the mystery of Justine's haunting portraits would never come to light. I didn't want to think about the pictures. I drove home without the radio on and listened to the rhythm of the rain beating the roof of my Volvo, eyes on the black clouds crowning Wolfeside Academy in the distance.

~*~

The days following my visit with Matilda Fletcher grew darker, colder, and uglier. My students were restless from the commotion my arrival had seemingly kickstarted, and wrangling them for longer than ten minutes was impossible. They only wanted to talk about Miss Fletcher and the Wolfeside curse.

This was not how I pictured the start of my career, and I soon felt the effects of the dreary island weather turning my optimism to slush. Maybe I had made a mistake trying to follow my father's path, and this was the repercussion of my lack of creativity. But it still didn't explain Justine's portraits or why Miss Fletcher claimed I was the Antichrist. With my spirit stamped out, I could only do my best to blend in and deafen myself to the whisperings and speculation, hoping it would fade over time.

I went to class exhausted from a restless night. It had rained into the day, and the basement level of the school echoed like a damp cave. My students went to their tables and waited while I drained my coffee and gathered my notes. When I stood from my chair, Fred Sanders appeared in the doorway, a grave look on his face.

"Mr. Deaver, can I have a word?"

"Uh, sure. No problem."

"Mr. Varrati will keep an eye on the class."

Fred had the civility to ask the police to meet me in the office instead of allowing them to tail him through the halls. The last thing I needed was for the kids to see me with cops, and Fred understood that. He was a good man in that sense. It didn't make our meeting any less confounding, but I appreciated the discretion.

Mrs. Kyne sat behind her desk, eyes bloodshot and nose dripping into a handkerchief. Two police officers stood by her.

The female officer nodded at me. "Hello, Mr. Deaver. I'm officer Hall, and this is my partner, Wilkes."

"Hello. How can I help you today?"

"Well, there's no easy way to put this, Mr. Deaver, but there's been a rather unfortunate accident at Wolfeside General. One of your colleagues, Matilda Fletcher, was found dead this morning in her room and it looks to be a suicide."

The strings in my chest coiled once again. My skin went cold, and then so hot I began to sweat. I was the picture of guilt with my forehead glistening and my hands shaking.

"Matilda? She wasn't necessarily a friend of mine, more an acquaintance, but it's no less a tragedy. I can't believe that."

Mrs. Kyne sobbed, and Fred went to her side. The officers turned their backs on her entirely, sanctioning me in the other half of the office.

"Mrs. Kyne said she'd suffered a fainting episode recently, and it's created quite the stir," said Hall. "We don't like to chase rumours, but it was mentioned she fainted when you visited her classroom last week?"

I looked to Fred for backup, but he was too busy consoling Mrs. Kyne. "As I'm sure Mr. Sanders has already mentioned, yes. That's true. We went to her class, and that seemed to have startled her."

"Any idea why she reacted that way? You had never met before, correct?"

"No, never. It was our first encounter, and Fred was showing me around. We went in, she saw us, turned paperwhite and fainted."

"Can you tell us about your visit to Wolfeside General Hospital? The records show you signed in as a visitor."

"Yes, of course. I felt awful about the incident and wanted to apologize. It's not every day somebody faints upon seeing you for the first time. I didn't mean to frighten her."

"So, did you reconcile?"

"Not exactly," I said. "She didn't want me there. I tried to make peace, but... Well, she seemed unwell."

"In what way, Mr. Deaver?"

"She was talking about demons or the Devil or something. I didn't quite know how to respond. I was there maybe a total of five minutes. I swear, I didn't say anything to provoke her or have anything to do with her suicide."

Officer Hall looked up from her notepad, grimacing. "We understand this isn't easy to take, but can you recall anything you said that may have driven her to draw your portrait on the wall in her room?"

"Are you serious? I have no idea."

"No secret relationship?"

"I already told you, we'd never met, and I have people back home who can corroborate. Before I got here, I lived twelve hours up North. The last time I was in Wolfeside, I was a little kid."

"We're only trying to figure out what happened. The suicide wasn't the prettiest. But they never are, are they? But this one... Well, you must have left a strong impression, Mr. Deaver. The picture on the wall was highly detailed, and the note found mentions your name quite a few times."

Another twist of the tuning pegs, and I swore my heart was going to pop.

"This is absolutely backwards. The woman was ill. She thought I was the Devil. I swerve to avoid hitting squirrels on the road, ma'am. I am not a bad person."

"Nobody is saying you are, Henry."

"What did she say about me in the note?"

Officer Hall tucked her pen and pad away and glanced at her partner, who had been quiet up until then.

"It said she couldn't live in a world where the Devil roamed free. That Henry Deaver would only cause more pain and suffering."

"Have you spoken to her protege yet? Justine will tell you that the man she's talking about isn't me. It just so happens we have an eerie resemblance. She paints those portraits, too, and I saw them. Some are from last Winter. There's no way that little girl knew who I was then, and she couldn't have painted my face from memory so quickly. This is all just a coincidence, unfortunately for me."

"We're holding off on bringing Justine into this for now. From what Mrs. Kyne says, they were like mother and daughter."

"It's probably for the best Justine isn't exposed to her any longer. That kid needs to go out in the sunshine, for God's sake. Not sit around in a dark room painting fucked up pictures of people."

"Not much sunshine to be had in Wolfeside," said Wilkes.

"I came here to teach not even two weeks ago, and it's been a non-stop nightmare. Have you looked into Matilda's family history? You can't tell me this wasn't in the cards. Her father was Richmond Fletcher, the guy who painted pictures of disembowelled bodies for a living."

"The circumstances are bizarre, yes, but nobody is pointing fingers at you, Henry."

"There's nothing else I can say. Matilda obviously didn't like me because my lab put a stopper on her budget. Maybe she found out who I was once word got out of my coming to teach. She knew my father. I'd be easy to trace."

"I thought you said you had no prior connection?"

"Well, if you can say a distant association is a connection. My father taught here for years. There isn't a single person on staff who didn't know my dad."

The two officers exchanged thoughts with a glance, and Hall sighed.

"We'll take some statements from the folks on staff the day you visited Wolfeside general. I know you're not crazy about us talking to Justine, Mrs. Kyne, but we may have to sit down with her as well."

"And what about me?" I asked. "Am I supposed to just go about my day like normal?"

"If you can manage to, yes. We apologize for taking you away from your lesson, Mr. Deaver. Please take my card and contact me if you think of any other important details regarding your two interactions with Miss Fletcher."

I took the card, tucked it into my back pocket without reading it, and then turned to my colleagues.

"I think I'll need to sit today out. Tell Mr. Varrati I'm sorry for keeping him, but I need to process all of this."

Mrs. Kyne agreed, and I went to the Jane Pickering building to throw myself onto my bed, where I cried until I fell asleep.

Nightfall brought on another spell of rain. The surrounding fields released vapour into the chilly air, and the grounds were blanketed in a low-clinging fog by midnight. I woke up shivering, dry-eyed and stumbled to the window I'd left open to shut out the frosty air. Below, I saw a figure standing near the shrubs, looking up at me.

The person was tall—too tall to be a student. I didn't recognize them from their silhouette, and as my eyes adjusted to the dark, his face came partially into focus long enough for me to see he was pale. Whoever it was looked back at me as though I wasn't there. Like I was as transparent as the glass before me. I opened the window, and the man shifted away.

"Who's out there?" I shouted into the night.

I jammed my shoes on and raced outside with my jacket flapping behind me like a cape. The man was already halfway to the old theatre building by the time I hit the wet grass and bolted, my suede shoes soaking in the dew and skating over the overgrowth. A tower of faded grey flannel floated through the mist, and no matter how fast I ran, it was always a stone's throw from me. The shape approached the abandoned theatre, turned the corner and there I knew I had him. There was no entrance on that side of the building, yet when I skidded around the same corner, he was gone. The forest edge was too far for him to have taken cover, and this side of the theatre building too long to clear in five seconds. He had vanished into the mist like a wisp of smoke, and I thought maybe he was all around me, mocking me as I searched for a way inside the theatre.

The door had been boarded shut long ago, and the nails had lost their integrity to rust. The planks were brittle, and I broke through them with a couple body checks. Inside, there was no light at all, only the scent of rotten wood and stagnant air. My wet shoes crunched the exoskeletons of long-dead insects, and above, the unrest of small rodents who had claimed the theatre as their breeding ground knocked plaster loose. I soon felt carpet beneath my heels.

I flicked the wheel of a lighter I always kept in my jacket in case the day came when I ended my nicotine celibacy. The carpet was standard crimson, like most theatres. The playbill cases still displayed posters from the last production to have known the stage: The Phantom Of The Opera. How fitting, I thought as I padded through the doors into the auditorium, thumb burning from the proximity to the meagre flame. I let go of the trigger, and darkness swept in all around.

"Whoever's in here, you better come out. I'm not playing around. You're supposed to be in bed." My voice echoed off the high ceilings. The floors sloped downward towards the stage, and I flicked my lighter once more to illuminate my path. Yellowed cigarette butts littered the ground, evidence of students who had broken in to smoke, drink and fuck, no doubt.

"Listen, kid, I'm tired. If you come out, I won't give you any crap. My word. I just want to go back to sleep, but I can't with you running around outside. We both know you're not supposed to be in here, so give it up."

I took four steps up to the stage and looked over the rows. Then, a whisper grazed the back of my neck. "Turn off the light."

I dropped my lighter and kicked it across the stage as I whirled around and saw nothing.

"Who's that?"

"Don't hurt me, please."

"I'm not going to hurt you. Don't be dramatic, now. Come on out, and I'll take you back to the dormitory."

"I can't go in there."

The voice did not belong to a teenager. Not even one who'd hit puberty early on and developed an unsettling deepness. Whoever spoke had a torture victim's shredded rasp. I wasn't threatened by the voice, strangely enough. They sounded too pained to lash out.

"Who am I speaking to?"

"I don't know."

I chuckled at the absurdity and propped my hands on my hips. "Don't be cheeky. Tell me your name."

"I don't have a name."

"Everyone has a name," I said.

The wind outside stirred, shuddering over and under the loose shingles. I waited for the sigh to pass and addressed the voice again. "Who am I speaking to?"

"Henry Deaver."

"No, I'm Henry Deaver. You are?"

"H-Henry. I think."

The wind shaking the roof and the squelching in my sodden shoes slashed any merciful understanding I had left. I wanted to go back to bed, and even more so, wished I had never pursued this prankster, never thought of teaching at Wolfeside, never left my hometown. And if I'd had an ounce of originality, I wouldn't have catalyzed the terrible streak of luck that led me to the portraits. I struck out at the dark, wheeled around, then remembered my discarded lighter. I scrabbled for it on the stage but only found crooked nails and brittle leaves.

"Okay, I've lost my patience. You better come out now before there's real trouble to answer to. This is private property."

"I'll come out if you promise not to scream."

"Whatever. I promise. Just get out of here so I can go back to sleep."

Flint ground against metal, and I turned toward the resulting flame. My stomach inverted. I had never seen eyes embroiled in suffering the way his two mismatched eyes had until I realized that I had, in fact, witnessed those eyes before, painted in dismal shades of blue, grey, and sage. My hunched twin let the flame extinguish, and bright dots danced in my vision.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I already told you."

"You're the one who's been tormenting that little girl."

"No...Not tormenting. Never that far."

"This must be what happens when you don't sleep for days." I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it would all go away if I grounded myself in reality, found a real memory and held onto it until the person disappeared. A hand gripped my wrist, and I lurched backward, my heel falling through a rotted board. I fell on my ass and scrambled back. His mouldy scent followed me, sour like laundry left to congeal in muddy water.

"Stay away from me."

He did not obey. And why should he? I had no command behind my voice. He stepped closer, squatted, knees cracking like branches in a fire. Cold, waxy hands touched my face, gripped my chin and enclosed my jaw. I could not see, but I knew his face was close to mine. I got a taste of his rancid breath. And then, stiff lips sucked the air from my lungs, and my muscles deflated, leaving me palsied on the floor and unable to speak.

"I've been waiting for you for so long, Henry. I'm glad we finally found each other."

The desert in my throat produced nothing but dry coughs. What the fuck have you done to me? I tried screaming, but couldn't produce a sound.

"Now you can take my place, and I can go into the light again. But don't worry, I'll come back for you, brother. I'll take good care of you."

The figure's spine straightened, my own face peering down at me sympathetically. He dropped onto the floor from the stage and made his way between the rows of seats. He turned around once more and flicked the lighter close to his smiling face.

"Welcome home, Henry."

[andmyvape]

"Please tell me you're not wearing that."

Elayn looked down, then back up with a wide grin. She tugged at her bright rainbow suspenders with her thumbs. "What, not tacky enough?"

Serana gave the ensemble another slow scan. "No, it's… definitely tacky. The combat boots with the khaki shorts is a nice touch."

The grin got wider as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. "They're going to be throwing candy, and I wasn't anywhere near prepared enough last time."

Serana rolled her eyes, but softened it with a smile. "You're ridiculous."

"Isn't that why we're dating?" her girlfriend asked as they headed out the door.

She took a moment to lock up while Serana laughed. "'Careless Whisper' on a boom box outside my window. I can't believe my dad didn't kill you. I know you stole that, by the way. We both went to see that movie when it came out."

"They marketed it as a romcom!" Elayn protested.

They were in the car now. It would be a trick to find parking, but they were running early thanks to Serana's habit of scheduling everything. Elayn was more the type to go with the flow, but living together had her adapted enough that the flow she went with was largely dictated by Serana's schedule. As a research chemist, she worked interesting hours at times, but Elayn was a good roommate, she cooked and cleaned, mostly because she had the time. Lacrosse wasn't a well paying sport compared to something like soccer, but the off seasons gave her plenty of time to maintain their loft. 

"Five dollars an hour?" Elayn griped as the machine printed out their ticket. 

"Homophobia strikes again," Serana said with mock solemnity. 

She snorted and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's waste. "Which park did you say this thing started in again?" 

It was a little place surrounded by tall buildings, but it was a green patch in a city largely made out of grey. It being Pride Month, the grey was broken up by rainbows. The two wandered around as they waited for the parade to start. 

Well, at least, they started to wander when Elayn caught sight of a dog and all but dragged her girlfriend over to say hi. 

"What's his name?" she asked, so full of enthusiasm she practically floated. "Can I pet him?" 

The dog's owner, someone with a short haircut in a crop top that was orange, yellow, and white striped, nodded. "If he lets you. Sometimes he's not so-- oh gosh," they said, eyes wide as they watched Elayn kneel down and offer a hand to sniff that was immediately accepted. "You must have good vibes." 

"She's a dog person," Serana said with a laugh as the dog put its front paws on Elayn's shoulders so he could lick her face. 

"What's his name?" she asked through slobbery kisses. 

The butch grinned. "That's Duke, I'm Cas. It's nice to meet you!" 

The two introduced themselves just in time for a volunteer to come up with bottles of water. "Our city got voted best water in the state," she said cheerfully. "Take a few, it's gonna be a hot one." 

Before the march, there were speeches. The first was an introduction to the city's first pride parade since the 80s. The second was from a drag queen inviting everyone to the show later that night. Finally, the speeches were closed by an Episcopalian pastor trying to make up for the rest of Christianity's sins. 

"It's starting!" Elayn said excitedly when the crowd started to funnel out of the park. 

The march went down the sidewalk for a few blocks. Traffic was halted and the waiting cars honked while passengers waved. Elayn waved a lesbian flag, Serana had a bi flag, and the two of them dragged a rainbow striped cooler. 

"Mom! Mom!" Elayn heard behind her. "Look, it's two cicadas going at it!" 

She glanced behind her. There was a set of twins, about twelve years old, one of them draped in a trans flag and holding the cicadas that were indeed trying to reproduce. Elayn snorted and hit herself in the face trying to keep a laugh contained. "You like bugs, huh?" 

The girl in the trans flag beamed. "They're my favorite! Well, except for tarantulas, but Mom won't let me have one." 

"The rabbit gets out of its cage enough." The way the girl's mom said it, this was an age old argument. "I don't want to squash it when it ends up in my shoe."

"I had a snake when I was growing up," Serana chimed in. "A corn snake that never got out." 

The twins turned out to be part of a family unit. One twin was trans, and their older brother was too, and as Elayn found soon, was very excited to start HRT. "Get a Gc2b binder," she said. "When I'm feeling like a flat day, it works really well." 

The boy, a younger fourteen, practically floated with excitement. "I will!" 

Serana chatted with the parents while Elayn occupied the kids. "Have you folks been to Pride before?" 

Their mom, a woman named Chelsea, shook her head. "Nope, both kids came out last September and they've been talking about the festival ever since." 

"You seem like really supportive parents," Serana said. It carried the weight of one speaking who has not had contact with their parents since high school. 

Chelsea could tell, and she opened her arms for a hug that Serana was more than happy to accept. 

The march was only about a mile long, and it ended in another park. Elayn craned her neck and said, "I think I see the beer line, wait here?" 

"We will!" said the girl, who was very proud to be named Luna now. 

Serana and Chelsea shared a grin. "I guess we'll wait here," the mom said. 

It was a bit of a line, which was probably not a good thing, but apparently people were restricted on how many drinks they could buy, so at least there was that. While Elayn waited, she was joined by two people wearing pronoun pins that said "she/her". 

Elayn's jaw dropped at the sight of one of the girls' dress, which was a flowing, fae like ensemble. "Holy shit!" she said. "You look amazing!" 

She blushed and ducked her head as she smiled. "Thank you, I got it from Amazon." 

"It's her first Pride," her friend added.

That just amazed Elayn more. "With the sparkles and the green eyeshadow, I wouldn't have guessed. Everything you've got going on is just amazing."

"Thank you!" she squeaked. 

Elayn wasn't alone in thinking the dress was gorgeous. Another person came up to compliment it, and they had such dope tattoos that Elayn could not help but comment. 

"The guy that did them is great," they gushed. "He does blacklight work too!" 

So she got a website saved on her phone for the next time she really wanted to get a tattoo on top of the three she already had; scrollwork on her bicep, a wolf on her shoulder blade, and a small date on her wrist that was the day she met Serana. 

When she got back to her girlfriend and the others, an IPA in hand that was frankly piss, she told them about the girl in the fae dress. 

"I saw her!" Serana exclaimed. 

"Amazon." 

"No way." 

Next was food, especially if she was going to drink a beer. Assuming she actually drank it. "There's some food trucks," she pointed out. "I could go for a corndog." 

"I'm going to get some mac and cheese," Serana said. 

"Mom! Mom!" Luna's twin brother, Ian, tugged at his mom's sleeve. "Can we get pretzels?" 

Chelsea sighed good-naturedly. "I suppose. Do you two want to meet up after?" 

"Over by the stage?" Elayn suggested. 

The group separated. She found the line for corndogs and funnel cake. While she was waiting, the woman ahead of her glanced her way, so Elayn said, "Howdy!" 

"Hey there, hun!" She clapped her on the shoulder. "Having a good time?" 

"I am," she said with a grin. "Everyone here is so nice. There were some moms back there handing out hugs!" 

"Well, I'm a mom, would you like a hug?" 

"I would love that." 

It was a lovely hug, the woman was warm and smelled floral. When they separated, she said, "I'm Elayn! It's good to meet you. Can I get you a corndog?" 

As she pulled out her wallet, the woman waved her money away. "It's Nessa, and actually, I'd like to buy you a corndog." 

"You don't have to--" 

Nessa laughed. "I miss my daughters, you'd be doing me a favor." 

They chatted while the line went down, about lacrosse and about university. It turned out Nessa's two daughters went off to college in other cities, so it had been a while since she saw either. "I had a son," she said. "But now I have a very happy daughter, and I'm so proud of her." 

"I wish I had a mom like you," Elayn said, thinking about growing up foster care. 

Nessa grabbed her in another hug. "Now you do!" 

When she got back to Serana and the others, they were listening to the music booming from the speakers. She had to yell to tell the group about her new mom. 

Chelsea looked a little sad, because she could connect the dots, but Luna and Ian were too busy freaking out over the cotton candy Nessa had bought her too. 

Not long after, the stage was occupied. Elayn was chatting with Luna with her back turned, so she missed it until Serana tapped her shoulder and turned her around. 

"Holy shit!" She hollered and clapped at the sight of a gorgeous, sequin clad drag queen in four inch heels doing a backflip off the stage and onto grass. "Holy shit!" 

As it turned out, the drag queens took tips, and it was at that point that Elayn knew she was about to spend a lot of money. Each queen that performed, and there were many, got a five in exchange for the sheer joy Elayn got when the queen before her touched her hand. 

When there was a break in the performances, she went back to Serana, who had a smirk on her face. "Should I be jealous?" 

Elayn cupped her face, and in a fit of sheer enthusiasm, kissed her girlfriend soundly, to the delight of the twins who hooted. "Don't worry, babe," she teased. "You're the only queen for me." 

"Flatterer." Serana swatted at her chest, but the smile on her face was pleased regardless. 

It was all a blur from there. Fair food, loud music-- and Elayn found beer that wasn't piss! She taught the twins a new vocabulary of cuss words the moment she found out their mom was fine with foul language. They parted around five in the afternoon, when a voice through a megaphone warned attendants that the festival was about to start catering to adults. There was a concert with more drag queens, this time in much more risqué outfits that Elayn would have given a kidney to see on Serana. 

When she said something, her girlfriend got a light in her eye. "Really now?" she purred. "Maybe for your birthday." 

By 11pm, Elayn was high on the party atmosphere and a few beers. The festival was over, and the walk back to their car would be a trick. "Did you have fun?" she asked Serana as they walked hand in hand. 

She got a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad I have you. When are we getting married?"

"When I figure out how to surprise you with a ring." 

[uboat53]

All right, as someone who is of that tech literate generation ("geriatric" millennial) and who works in tech (network engineer) I need to say one thing, give the kids a bit of a break.

Look, my first computer was a Windows 3.1/DOS machine. In order to play a game, I first had to boot to the command prompt, go through a command line install, and then create a boot disk so I could play the game.

That's why kids these days don't know the tech stuff, they didn't have to. These days you can just press a button and a game installs itself. We didn't learn this stuff because we wanted to be computer gurus, we had to learn all these things in order to do fun stuff, they don't, that's as simple as it gets.

And, for the kids wondering where all that stuff we talk about is, it's all still there. Windows hasn't changed much in 40 years. The command line and folder structure that I used in DOS is still there, you just don't have to use it to run Windows anymore. Windows 11 still has all of the same stuff Windows 3.1 did, it just has a pretty interface layered on top of it.

If you want to understand tech stuff, I'd suggest starting small. Open the file explorer (search "file explorer" in the Windows search bar or press CTRL + E) and start exploring the folders. Every program you run is stored in either the Program Files or Program Files (x86) directory on the C: drive, find their folders and start looking at their files. See what other folders you have. Make new folders and start storing things like pictures and videos in them.

Notice that different types of files do different things. The .exe files run things, .dat and .config files contain data. You can open some of the files up in a text editor (I recommend Notepad++) and edit them yourself to change settings. If you're worried about breaking things, create a copy of the file and look at that. Breaking the copy won't affect anything.

Honestly, the main reason you should know tech these days is so that you can pirate software either because it's horrifically expensive or because it's no longer possible to buy legally at all. Download and install a torrent client (I recommend Tribler, but find one that works for you). When you open the client, go to its settings and change the folder that downloads go to. Then go to a torrent site like The Pirate Bay, search for what you want, and download the torrent file (I recommend finding one with a high SE value. This means a lot of people are "seeding" or providing it). Open the file with your torrent client and let the program or file download.

You don't have to do any of this stuff to use computers anymore, but you do have to know this kind of stuff to be good with computers. And all computers generally work this way, BTW, even Linux and Mac.

If you want to get more advanced than that, you can open up the Command Prompt (search "command prompt" in Windows) and Google some command line commands. This is power-user stuff, but you might find that it comes in handy more often than you'd think.

These days all work programs are still on PCs, it's very rare that you'll have a job that runs programs on tablets, chromebooks, or phones. Even just learning simple stuff like Excel functions can make you seem like a wizard to some people in the modern world.

Hope some of that helps and feel free to ping me with any other questions you might have.

this can't be true can it

[fandomdaydreamer]

The Lighthouse and The Ocean

Pt. 7

A Tiny Piece of Heaven

Pairing: Pedro Pascal/OFC

Warnings: alcohol consumption, mature content

Summary: Pedro has organised a surprise party for Nini's birthday. They laugh, they dance and they drink too much. Secrets are shared and pinky promises threatened.

Notes: Also find this fic on Ao3 -here- or the series' Masterlist -here-

Hey, sorry. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I can hardly find time to write these days due to finals and my job. Hope you understand. Thanks for sticking around! Enjoy! <3

Here are YouTube links for this chapter's soundtrack:

'Runaway' - Del Shannon

'I Don't Want To Know' - Fleetwood Mac

Length: 7.5k

~

A Tiny Piece of Heaven

The morning of her birthday, Pedro woke up startled by a chirping noise. When he opened his eyes, he saw a tiny songbird fluttering its wings right next to him. His mouth formed a little 'o'. It must have flown through his open window and it clamped its claws around his bedpost right beside his head, jumping up and down and singing to him.

Pedro realised he had slept turned onto the foot side of his hotel bed with a piece of paper glued to his cheek. He slowly began raising his upper body from the mattress so he wouldn't scare off the bird. He observed it just tilting its tiny head and looking at him with those black button eyes.

Pedro peeled the piece of paper off his beard and tried focusing on the tiny bird without the help of his glasses. How extraordinary, he couldn't believe this was happening. Had he turned into some kind of Disney prince or something?

It jumped up and down, singing beautifully and he smiled as he realised it reminded him of a different kind of soprano, he was sometimes lucky enough to hear.

His voice sounded rough and dry; unlike the sound a Disney prince would have made in this kind of situation. "Hello, little fella." he greeted the songbird and it chirped in return. "Oh, yeah. A good morning, indeed." he smiled.

When it finally flew out the same way it came in, he looked around his room in a confused and still sleepy state as he recalled the night before. It looked like a bunch of kindergartners had had a crafting party in his room last night. But it had been just him who had made a last-minute decision that he could not just give Nini nothing for her birthday. How could he?

She said she didn't want any gifts and she didn't want anyone to make a great fuss about her birthday. Yet he hadn't listened and asked everyone if they wanted to join a surprise party tonight. He had been too excited yesterday after work and almost told her but even though she might be expecting some kind of disobedience, she could still be pleasantly surprised, or at least, pranked. He even ordered a piñata.

Pedro felt like she deserved all the gifts in the world and so he had woken up earlier last night to find himself anxious about not being able to give her anything at all. He had spend days and weeks prior to this moment, thinking about what an appropriate gift would be and had looked for everything online until total frustration or exhaustion. So many advertisements, according to his recent search history, were flooding him with suggestions reaching from jewellery to fucking spa products and he still hated the idea. It was either too much or not personal enough and he had even debated the possibility of buying a mechanical dancing cactus.

So, he hadn't bought anything and he wasn't exactly happy about it. Until last night, he had accepted this unsatisfactory situation until he woke up at two in the morning to follow an impulse and find a poor member of the hotel staff who could help him find materials to start crafting something.

It was nothing- just... a little present, insignificant enough to pass as nothing. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and he didn't know if she would even like it.

Pedro peeled off the remnants of glue that had remained on his fingertips after he had passed out.

He looked about and eventually settled on wrapping Nini's gift in a piece of a local newspaper.... out of pure lack of other material. Though on his way out, he found a nice piece of lint, stolen from somebody else's fruit basket outside their hotel room. He was pretty content with the result.

He walked up to Tilda on his way out. "Desertion, mine." he quoted their character's first encounter as their standard greeting these days. "Justice, old friend." His supernatural counterpart answered, gracefully like always.

Pedro lowered his voice. "So, about tonight. I'm sure we could make it an even bigger surprise if we all downplayed her birthday for a while, act like we all got something to do later."

"Oh, poor girl," Tilda replied but Pedro knew he could count on her. "Alright. I'll tell Bill we have questions for Jim." "Perfect."

"What's that in your hand?" Tilda asked, glancing at his newspaper-wrapped gift. He stored it between his belt on his back like a gun and covered it with his jacket. He narrowed his eyes at the smirk forming on her lips. "A small token, nothing more. I plan to give it to her over breakfast."

"Oh, to be young and in love again-" she teased him but he interrupted her by giving her the stink eye. She grinned and he couldn't stay serious for too long. Still, he might want to wait somewhere else before someone could add any more weird comments. "Yeah, I'm going for a walk before she comes down for breakfast," he told her, already turning around to head towards the gardens. He could still hear Tilda's faint laugh.

It was still early in the morning and fresh dewdrops covered the grass beneath his feet and the leaves he brushed by. He wandered through the rose garden, flowers blooming in various colours from vibrant red roses growing on the otherwise bleak wall, to bright yellow ones reaching up to his knees or petals white and fresh as snow climbing up the tree above his head. He counted twenty-two different rose bushes. What a wonderful place.

Pedro’s eyes caught a particularly beautiful, thornless rose below. He cupped the petals of the delicate flower in his hand and thought about how tender they were, light pink and soft just like the lips he had kissed silly yesterday by messing up take after take. It hadn't exactly been on purpose; he had just lost self-control whenever Nini had pulled him down for a kiss. He chuckled to himself. Maybe it had absolutely been on purpose because he couldn't get enough of those kisses. He wasn't entirely sure himself.

He brought his nose down to inhale the most intoxicating scent and let out a low hum. This rose bush must have been created by the Gods, he thought as he appreciated the garden's general beauty and splendour.

A voice called out next to him. "Buenas, veo que estás admirando mis rosas." Pedro turned and saw two women looking at him. The one who had spoken leaned out of her window, the other, who had reached methusalem age sat on terribly dilapidated stairs.

He let go of the rose and stood upright again. "Buenas días, señoras. ¿Cómo están ustedes hoy?" he asked them.

"Ay, hijo. Tengo mucha hueva." The old woman replied in a tired voice but she smiled and let her eyes twinkle above her cup of steaming coffee.

"You must pick one for that special lady of yours." The other said in English and Pedro struggled for a reply. "Who?" he replied dumbly. "She's not... we're not... I mean... your roses are very beautiful but, I don't know what she would think if I gave her a rose. I'm not sure it's a good idea."

The elderly lady pointed a wrinkly finger up towards the sky. "Dios te dará una señal si el quiere que ganes el corazón de la chica." then she pointed at Pedro, like he should expect some obvious signs from God any minute. He thought about the bird earlier this morning. If he believed in them, had the little songbird been a sign? The woman certainly looked like she knew more than she let on.

Pedro grew uncertain. "¿Qué clase de señal, señora?" he asked what she meant but she shrugged her shoulders and ordered him to head back into the garden. "Pick one, pick one! You see." she replied with a heavy accent.

Pedro guessed there was no place to argue but he didn't know if there even was some kind of heavenly sign trying to tell him he should try to win her heart. Nevertheless, he thanked the women for letting him cut off the very same, beautiful rose before he headed back to the hotel.

In the morning light, he spotted Nini sitting at a table under a parasol behind a cup of coffee and a Spanish newspaper she tried to decipher.

Pedro ran his hand through his hair a couple of times before he strolled over to her. "Good morning." he greeted her with a smile, rose no longer hidden from sight.

"Pedro, good morni- oh," she gasped when he sat down at the table and presented her with the flower. She dropped her newspaper. "Happy birthday, little songbird." he wished her.

She accepted the rose like it was the most precious thing she had ever seen. "Oh, it's beautiful, thank you. How did you know pink roses are my favourite flowers?"

He almost stuttered at the coincidence. "I didn't," he replied truthfully, thinking about all the colours of the roses he could have picked but hadn't. Not a sign though. It definitely wasn’t.

He watched her eyes flutter shut when she sank her freckled nose into the flower. "Devine." was all she said and he observed her doing something curious. She looked at him as she kissed the petals and then she rolled the rose into her blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear.

When she flashed a bright smile at him, he swore he could feel his heart dance his chest. She was so beautiful he felt struck by lightning and his breath hitched in his throat. He wanted to touch her cheek, brush his fingertips over her creamy skin and initiate a kiss to her cupid bow lips to show her what no words were ever able to tell. He took her hand in his instead, lowered his head and placed a cautious kiss onto the back of her hand. Cheesy, maybe, but worth watching her smile spread across her face like a wildfire afterwards. She blushed the colour of that rose in her hair.

"Je bent prachtig," he said in her mother tongue and saw her eyes widen at him.

"Dank je wel." she thanked him at the compliment with awe in her voice. "Where... how do you know how to say that?" "Google translate," he replied in somewhat an anti-climax. She snorted out a laugh at his reply and God, he loved it when she made that little piglet sound in a moment she lost self-control. He loved it when every time, she stopped her eruption with her hand and kept laughing anyway. He loved the way she blushed even harder when she realised, he adored her for it.

He was pining after her harder and harder every day. "I uhm, I have something for you." he reached for the flat and poorly wrapped present and traded it for her croissant.

She looked delighted and ignored him stealing her breakfast. "You really didn't have to- Oh Pedro, you just are the sweetest man. What is it?" she asked with the warmest smile that could light up every room.

Pedro might not be good at keeping secrets but he could hold off for a couple of seconds longer. "Why don't you open it?" he sucked some air through his teeth. "I mean, maybe it's too sappy. You don't have to like it." he bit into the croissant, busying himself to hide that he might be a bit nervous himself.

She started tearing the newspaper off. "I like sappy," she said. When she had finally opened it, she let out a soft gasp and just stared at the photograph. Pedro was chewing slowly, watching her reaction.

Her fingers traced the picture frame Pedro had glued tiny shells and rocks onto. They were the very same souvenirs she had picked from Montauk Beach months ago and forgotten she had given to him. He had even glued a copy of their bill from the bakery on the backside. The only thing he decided against, was to include the tiny piece of dull green glass that reminded him of her eyes. That, he had kept for himself. It was the picture of the two of them, taken on the very same day. Their 'not' first date. The most personal gift he could think of.

When he looked back at her, he witnessed a weird expression on her face. His heart sank right into his stomach, suddenly realising that a toddler could have decorated this picture frame. "I'm sorry, I'm not really good at making presents."

"You kept all of this," she said in a thick voice. Her eyes glistened when she looked back up at him again. She licked her lips. "It's perfect, Pedro. Thank you. I will... cherish this forever."

Pedro found himself embraced in a tight hug that shouldn't even be possible coming from a petite woman like her. She had swung her arms around his neck and he heard a tiny sniffle behind him. After a while of hugging her back, he realised it became hard to breathe. "Need- oxygen." he choked. "Shh, just let it happen." she joked and made him laugh.

~~~

The rest of the day went by like normal. Pedro had just partly gotten out of his costume and stood watching Nini perform her opening scene together with Tilda. It was the last take of today's work.

Since Jim's movie was on a strict diet of music from the 1960s, with the era's rock 'n roll in its purest form, Nini's theme song fitted the character who walked through that door perfectly. The upbeat music coming from a scratchy vinyl record player was a stark contrast to the rest of Azazel's hotel lobby. The high organ melody of Del Shannon's 'Runaway' was comical and quirky.

While the other characters were mostly weirded out by their surroundings, Starling walked into the room like she owned the place. She lounged over the reception desk when nobody came to answer her calls and then rolled her eyes and fed the payphone on the wall with a few spare coins.

It was always so different, hearing her speak in a different pitch and American accent, Pedro thought as he watched closely behind the cameras. Jim observed the situation as well.

"Hi, it's me. Listen, I think it's gonna take me a little while. The bus driver kicked me out at this cockroach highway hotel and I- no, I'm in the middle of fucking nowhere, hello? Hello? Goddammit!"

"We don't take the Lord's name in vain here, traveller." Tilda, playing a demon who had forgotten that real humans blink from time to time said. She had magically appeared behind the reception desk and scared Starling.

Nini always said how nobody could match the Scottish actress, who played her role as the pale fallen angel with such an effortlessly honest and honeyed attitude like she was actually an immortal being pretending to be an actress, pretending to be an immortal. Nini on the other hand, was nothing short in skill or talent. She was a natural in front of the camera. While being Starling, she was mysterious and right on the balance of being borderline self-destructive and brave at the same time. All the while, there was her own hidden softness she could not quite get rid of but maybe it was also intentional.

They exchanged their cryptic dialogue until Starling was given a key to her room, just like the other guests.

"CUT!" Jim announced and a bell rang. "Thank you, we're gonna make it a wrap for today." Pedro watched him walk over to Nini as the crew began clearing the set. "I would like to have a word with you. Meet me back at the hotel later." Pedro heard him say.

"Is something wrong? We can try again right now," she replied, a bit anxious. Pedro turned around so she wouldn't be able to see him suppress a smile behind his hand. Of course, there wasn't an issue with her performance. They just needed a reason to get her to the surprise party.

"No." Jim just said gruffly and left it at that, not explaining anything so he wouldn't have to make up a lie. Wow, that's brutal, Pedro thought and looked back at her, maintaining his innocent expression. Brutal, but concerningly effective. Nini frowned and she stared ahead, clutching her other hand around her wrist in the absence of her bracelet. It didn't seem like she was processing any kind of motion around her when Pedro approached her.

"Hey, there. About that drink tonight-" he began, putting his hands into his pockets. "I'm afraid Chiwetel and I have to go fix an issue with our scene performance for tomorrow. Do you think we could maybe get a rain check?" she looked surprised and he started to doubt her skills as an actress when she smiled and nodded. "No, of course. No problem. Just hit me up whenever you like. I think I'm going to head to bed early today anyway." Her tone of voice almost broke his heart but he had to keep up his façade.

Pedro clapped his hand onto her shoulder and almost lost his act after this very atypical and bro-like gesture. He would do it like Jim and just leave her hanging without a second glance. He really had to offer his apologies later.

~~~

It was Tom who stalked into the bar sliding across the floor the fasted way Pedro had ever seen him move. The older man hunched in a goblin-like manner, chuckling lowly. "Hide." he crowed in an amused way and crouched behind the pool table, winking at Pedro, who was getting ready by fastening the string of a silly party cone under his chin. Bill was in hiding right behind him, preparing to pop a bottle of sparkling wine. "I'm too old for this shit." he joked, looking at him and Tom, who just nodded.

Pedro could hear her coming closer. "-improve my performance by not trying so hard to-" she spoke as she and Jim entered the bar.

"Surprise!" The whole group of actors, crew members and staff jumped out of their hiding spot and erupted into a cacophony of wild cheering, party horns, music blaring from the jukebox and confetti thrown into the air.

They had scared the living shit out of her, making her curse in words only the roughest Dutch sailors would have been able to comprehend. It even provoked a rare, full smile from Jim. Everyone around her offered their congratulations.

"You guys!" She screamed once she had collected herself. Her eyes found Pedro's and she suddenly looked like she would love to strangle him. "You tricked me!" she accused him, rightfully so.

"Guilty as charged." He walked over to her and wrapped her into a bear hug before she could physically harm him. She calmed down and giggled instead. "I'm so sorry about earlier, little songbird." he pouted but she washed the guilt away by first, punching his shoulder and then placing a chaste kiss onto his cheek. "I think I deserved that." he rubbed his shoulder with a grin. "You deserved both of that." she laughed, taking in her surroundings.

"Happy birthday, dear." Tilda had brought her a tall glass of beer and turned around to the crowd. "To Leonie. May your new year be full of joy and happiness."

Bill had finally managed to pop the bottle and filled the remaining empty flutes around him.

They all raised their glasses together. "To Leonie." they drank to her and the party continued as a lit cake was carried into the bar. People ate cake and shared the sweets she had beaten out of the piñata while being blindfolded. She looked so happy the entire time, past troubles long forgotten.

Everyone around them was enjoying the party, and Pedro was chatting with Chiwetel, his party hat long discarded. They were sitting in one of the booths but he looked up as a song by Fleetwood Mac started playing from the jukebox.

He and Nini instantly locked eyes across the room and grinned at each other. A song from the very same album they had listened to during their road trip played and while it was perhaps not a sign, it might have been a small indication that whatever happened could turn out to be just right.

He raised an eyebrow, ran his fingers over his moustache and as he pointed both hands to his chest, she took him up on his wordless suggestion. She sat down her glass and danced up to him. If Pedro had been able to look away, he might have seen Chiwetel glancing between them above his drink with eyes that were silently screaming.

Her hips swayed to the music and when she had reached their booth, she extended her hand to him. "I think our song is playing, angel," she told him with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. They had danced so many times before, usually in between their takes and he didn't know why the prospect of dancing with her now somehow felt more special.

Unlike most people, they seemed to be able to call an entire album 'theirs' instead of just one track but Pedro wasn't about to question why she thought that this particular, quite danceable song was their jam. Maybe it would be from now on.

"This calls for a dance," Pedro said, stood up from the booth and took her hand. He suddenly snatched her body close to his and he looked down at her with a playful smirk upon his lips. Nini laughed at his eagerness and her joy was buzzing off her spirit as he dropped the act and spun her around. She led him by the hand towards the dance floor.

Whether they danced good or not to the fun and happy song was up for debate but they didn't care for anything in the world. He just felt overjoyed to see the brightness of her inner light beam out to him as they spun around and around or rocked to the rhythm of the music.

Around them, more people started dancing, swaying around to the music, laughing and celebrating the feeling of being here and alive. Pedro thought about this as a golden moment he would always remember and would always look back at in a fond way no matter what the future held in store for them.

I don't want to know the reasons why

Love keeps right on walking down the line

I don't want to stand between you and love

Honey, I just want you to feel fine

Eventually, the night continued, bottles emptied, people went home and only their small group of actors who stayed in this hotel and their director sat in one booth together. They shared their laughter, drinks and party tricks and told stories and anecdotes. They should have done this way sooner.

As artists, everyone had their fair share to comment on various types of music and movies. Pedro gave Nini a quizzical look as he continued their conversation. "But you must have a favourite movie, everyone has this one movie they can't watch too many times." he couldn't believe that she couldn't quite name her favourite.

"I uhm... one of my favourite films is probably... The Breakfast Club?" Pedro gasped, so did some of the others. "I love that movie!" he gave back the same amount of enthusiasm.

Nini shrugged her shoulders. "I like everything with an iconic soundtrack. Like... Mr Tom Waits over here, you make fantastic music."

The man hugging his guitar close to him remained humble. "Ye, I may pass as descent. You play, don't you?" He asked her with his gravelly voice and always half-closed eyes. He tucked his second cigarette behind his ear and flicked his toothpick into an ashtray.

Nini turned her nearly empty glass of beer in her hand. "The guitar? Yes." "Long?" "Since I was fourteen, I think." "Were you ever in a band?" "No, not really. I was always busy getting my acting career started but who knows, maybe I could have been in a punk rock band instead. Turns out being a rock star wasn't my destiny. Good thing too 'cause I'm hanging out with you people." she finished her beer in one last gulp.

"Play for us, will you?" Chiwetel asked promptly and without waiting for an objection to happen, Tom's guitar was passed over their seats until it landed in Nini's lap. "Uhm," she made a nervous sound. "Oh sod it... I'm sure I can make something up. Hold on."

She nodded and played a few experimental notes of a slow blues on Tom's guitar. Pedro smiled at the sound it emitted and they all did not move a muscle amidst their silence when Nini found a steady groove. She hummed a tune, faintly at first which then grew into a melody that slowly began to tear at Pedro’s heart.

He began tapping his foot in the rhythm of the music and grinned when Nini started playing a more complex variation of the blues. Her fingers danced over the strings like playing came to her as effortlessly as breathing. She stopped the strings from ringing, then pulled at them again to make it sing and weep. It was a magnificent play and Pedro was a fascinated and impressed listener.

She continued a basic tune which fit the first words that come from her mouth and which were only spoken. "There is a hotel every lost soul is forced to stay in on their way down the road-" she played a few chords, acting like she was a weary blues singer beyond her years. It made them chuckle. "In this case, life didn't write the best stories." she stopped playing, testing their silence. "Death did." the group responded with an intrigued "Oooh."

Her play continued and this time, she began singing. "Sinners gather 'round in a dark hotel-" she dedicated her song to them, giving the group a meaningful look. She tugged at the strings and let out a laugh. She sang a slow and lazy tune she just made up on the spot.

Nini continued and played a blues solo before she went over to singing the next verse.

"Come black angel knock on my front door,

There's a demon judging over my soul.

Poor sinners gather 'round in a dark hotel

Where the walls listen to your lies but never tell."

She had been looking at Pedro as she sang the last part. He felt his chest rise, trying to contain the warm feeling spreading in his chest. He failed to ignore the tiny hidden meaning of her words.

"They said life would write my story

Oh, Angel, I'm not even sorry,

You have played the biggest part

And in the end-

You found my heart"

She had stopped the chords ringing before the last verse and hummed, repeating the chorus a couple of times until she ended the song in a fresh riff with the neck of an empty bottle.

"Believe me, angel, you saved my soul."

She sang at the end of her unrehearsed performance. A few of them clapped, the others joined in noises of approval. Tom let out a hoarse laugh, clearly impressed. "Christ, kid. You don't do half bad." he lifted his hat to show his respect. Tilda's eyes were wide and Chiwetel's eyebrows had shot up towards his hairline like they had all been underestimating her. Everyone but Jim and Pedro himself. Speechless, but not surprised.

Pedro finally managed to close his mouth by taking a swig from his bottle of beer. "That was fucking amazing. You just came up with that right now?" he asked, perfectly stunned. He would have loved to hear more but Nini passed the guitar back to Tom with finality and propped her chin onto his shoulder. "Thanks, well. The groove yes but I took inspiration from the notes I made in my copy of the script." she grinned.

"Shame nobody recorded it," Jim said in a regretful tone but Nini sighed. "Some things were meant to exist for only a moment."

"The girl is full of surprises." Bill threw in and pointed at Tom. "Hey, maybe you should hit a recording studio, what do you think, Tom? I can imagine the two of you playing together." Tilda excitedly opened her mouth. "Oh, please do!"

"Stop, you're just having a... bit of a laugh." Nini stuttered but before she could dismiss Bill's idea, Tom sat up straight for the first time. "Yeah, man. Absolutely."

She blinked. "Are you serious? Fuck, yes."

Tom was tugging the cigarette from behind his ears, lighting it up. He looked over to Jim. "I bet Jack would like her style too," he said, voice thin from the smoke he inhaled. Pedro wondered if he meant Jack White. Probably. He could feel Nini tense up beside him.

Jim seemed to think about it. "It may be worth a shot. Have you ever thought about a record deal?"

She looked back and forth between them. "You mean... a real record deal? I wouldn't dare dream of it."

"I mean, if a label is interested, they'll probably come to you but there's this energy inside of you that's specifically your signature." Jim leaned back into the leather seats. His monotone, deep voice made him sound somewhat more sincere than any indication of enthusiasm ever could. "I'm rolling with it in my movie. I wouldn't be surprised if you were to record a whole album one day."

"Sky's the limit, baby," Pedro added, tilting his head to look at her from a different angle and Nini just stared at them, jaw slacked. After a while, she grabbed the Tequila bottle. "Bloody hell." she poured another shot for everyone and they all raised their glass across the table. "To art." she proposed.

"To art," Pedro repeated and knocked the shot back together with the rest of them. He bit into his slice of lemon afterwards, grinning at the sour taste as he put his arm around her shoulders. He mustered the people around him, thinking he could get used to nights like these.

~~~

He found out she was not someone who could hold her liquor well, even though he hadn't counted the number of shots and glasses of beer they had already wiped off the face of the earth. Nini's makeup had smeared beneath her eyes and she sometimes failed to eat her hand full of peanuts. A drunk Nini laughed and joked a lot and a very drunk Nini made a radical change and fell silent and drowsy.

He didn't complain when she cuddled up against him, pulled her knees up to his chest and dropped her head onto his shoulder. Pedro was drunk himself and didn't mind being her pillow. She mumbled something he couldn't understand as he tucked a strand of dishevelled hair behind her ear.

"What's she saying? What's that... 'dudgee doon?' Sounds cute." Pedro asked the others, hoping they'd make sense of Dutch.

"I think it means she wants to sleep," Tilda suggested, which made sense. It must have been two in the morning already. Bill was snoring in his corner of the booth and everyone else had fallen into a low conversation.

Pedro felt quite intoxicated himself but he wasn't nearly as wasted as the poor, limp woman in his arms, who desperately tried to stay awake. His fingertips felt numb from the effect of alcohol as he tipped her chin up and gently brushed the fringe out of her face to feel her temperature. Even though her eyes remained closed, she felt otherwise normal. She even smiled at his touch. "I should see that she makes it to her room safely. I can't trust her to find her bed by herself." Pedro said to the others without letting go of her.

"Yeah, you do that," Chiwetel said in a suggestive tone, smirked and raised his glass one more time, Tom whistled and laughed. Tilda winked at him and Jim kept a poker face behind his sunglasses and the smoke of his cigarette. Their message was clear and Pedro tilted his head at their childish mockery. "Really! Look at her. You should be ashamed for even thinking such a thing. Shame." he repeated the word over and over as he pointed at each of them, even at Bill, who had nothing to do with it. They laughed, some drunker than others.

"Who are you calling incompetent?" Nini protested herself.

He pried her limbs off his lap. "C'mon birthday girl, party is over." She made a sound of complaint, making him chuckle too.

He pulled her up and supported her weight by holding tightly onto her waist. Surprisingly, she could walk. She even made a little bow to the remaining group and bid them goodnight in a strangely formal way. Before they walked out the door, she yelled back. "Best birthday ever." They cheered to answer her.

She held onto Pedro’s arm for support. "I know I keep-" she let out a tiny burp and giggled. "-saying that but I've never had so much fun in my entire life. Thank you for this wonderful party." she hugged him sideways and he pulled her closer, rubbing her arm. "You're so welcome, I knew you would like it."

Nini squinted around the place but they were the only people around. "I lied to you." she shared with him in confidence and a very drunk manner once she was sure they were alone. They were walking down the lobby. Pedro frowned, trying to find his latest memories through his clouded mind. "About what?"

"About my favourite movie. Don't get me wrong, I love The Breakfast Club but... I couldn't be-" she hiccupped. "-honest in front of the others, you're all too cool an' I'm not." she almost cried. "The first time I heard of Tom Waits was because he played Hook- the piano man in Shrek."

He laughed at her miserable tone of voice. "What do you mean, not cool?" he thought she was extremely cool.

They reached the lift and he leaned against the wall. She shut her eyes and pinched her index finger into his chest. "Because it's 'mbarrassing. Don't laugh, Pedro. You might be the least snobbish person I ever met but it still irks some people."

He grinned at her. "That bad?" he asked and she hummed a 'yes' with a sour expression.

"S' Mummy." she finally admitted.

He laughed out loud but for an entirely different reason. "Mummy like in... 'The' Mummy?" he inquired and she nodded. He raised his hand to his forehead. "What are you talking about? Those were great movies!"

"Right?" she squeaked, eyes wide but unfocused.

He eventually thought about actually punching in the correct button for the lift. "Yeah! Not one boring minute in it, best fucking-" his voice slowed down as he thought of adjectives to describe the movie. "-historically inaccurate comedy-horror adventure picture. Who says movies have to be thoughtful all the time?"

"I feel exactly the same, it's just so fun and perfectly timed. I like all kinds of zombie or mummy movies. I would love to play a character in one of them someday... Just-" she stepped back, crossed the air with her arms and defended herself against an army of imaginative zombies in a very lousy manner. "Whack'm, splash, splash!" Pedro got pummelled by her invisible baseball bat and they both made sounds of a filthy battle and ended up in drunk laughter. "Jim made a zombie movie once," she remarked after she had pretended to bite into his arm.

He caught his breath and posture as they heard the lift arrive. "Right! It was... eh, different." Pedro thought about how he might be balancing on thin ice here but the movie had been weird. Still, the good kind of weird but...

"Chardonnaaay!" They both referenced the movie and moaned out their best zombie impression and they would have woken up the entire hotel if the doors hadn't already closed behind them.

Nini leaned against the metal wall. "Why is the lift moving sideways?" she asked, frowning deeply. "S'um Chocolate Factory bullshit."

Pedro bumped his head onto her shoulder and he didn't recognise his own laugh. She could say the funniest things and only realise how hilarious her words were when someone else started laughing about it.

She laughed about her joke. "It's not, isn't it?" she squinted at him and he shook his head. "No." "Tequila, man. I'm just dizzy." the doors swished open and they stumbled out into the hallway. Nini was disorientated, looking left and right, seemingly not remembering where her own room was. She clung onto Pedro and he feared she would collapse any minute. They were still laughing and Pedro shushed the both of them with a finger raised to each of their lips.

She laughed so hard she must have woken up the entire floor.

Her knees started to buckle under her as she lost balance and he had to catch her. "Ok, watch out, here we go," Pedro warned her before he swept her off her feet and began to carry her bridal style down the hallway. She made a sound of surprise and barely managed to hold onto him. He had to adjust her and when she finally swung her arms around him, she smiled.

"So strong. Strong man," she mumbled like a true cavewoman. Pedro was considerably less drunk than she and yet he almost felt high on something else when he let himself nuzzle his nose into her hair and breathe in her intoxicating fragrance. A mixture of her fruity shampoo and something much, much sweeter he began longing for as soon as he stopped sensing it.

They finally made it to her door and Pedro set her down. Nini swayed when she was back on her own two feet and clung onto Pedro’s shoulders a bit more. She was still only inches away from him, cradling his face now, she almost kissed him as she placed an open-mouthed whisper to his lips. "Make love to me." she almost begged him.

He held his breath, world spinning a little more at the sight of her exposed throat, only waiting to be kissed.

Pedro only loosely held onto her bucking hips and couldn't help but bury his nose into the junction of her neck. He gently nipped at her pulse point and felt her rapid heartbeat below his lips as he breathed in her sweet scent. She let her head fall back against the door to give him better access and let out a faint whimper.

Pedro feared he'd gave in to the temptation right then and there. The alcohol was clouding his good judgement and he almost let out a sob when he realised that this was a bad idea.

Terrible idea, he corrected his thought when he looked up from her soft skin and let her claim his lips. Lips that were designed to replace a tiny piece of heaven.

Maybe it was the training he had gotten to stop himself from kissing her back, but he gently pried her arms off him and made her back her shoulders onto the door. "You're drunk. You need sleep, little songbird." "What I need is you," she argued with eyes half-open and needy for him.

"Where's your key, let's get you into bed." "Oh, yes!" "Not like that." "Aw, no." Pedro let out a husky laugh but prayed for the ability to keep a clear mind when she rolled her body up to meet his and dug her fingers into his hair.

He let out an involuntary hum and closed his eyes at the sensation. "What about the pinky promise?" He asked, breathlessly, feeling the blood rush down his body.

She tugged slightly and murmured into his ear. "Screw the pinky promise." "Nini-"

"You know you want me." She passed the untold secret between them. Pedro stared at her, feeling an insatiable desire for her touch and warmth. She was a vessel of fresh water waiting for him in this desert and he was a man close to dying of thirst. "Fuck." he cursed, Tequila loosening his tongue as he growled. "Of course, I want you. But I'm not taking advantage of you in your current state." he wasn't a savage.

Nini cupped his cheek with her palm and cooed. "You're not taking advantage of me, you could never."

He wanted to lean into her touch so badly. "Exactly. Where's your key?" he repeated his question instead.

She sighed. "Here." she fished the key out of her pocket and fumbled with it but before she could find the right end, she dropped it. "Where did it go?" she asked in confusion. Wow, she really was absolutely hammered.

"Let me take care of that." Pedro felt his own world spiral again when he bent down to pry her keys off the hotel floor and when he emerged, he stumbled into her as she hooked her leg around him and grabbed him by the collar, showing him what exactly she wanted. He stood entirely too close to her again, accidentally letting himself press his pelvis into her hips. Their breaths mixed as their bodies flushed together and the air felt thick and heavy when they stared into each other's eyes. He felt his already hardened cock ache for more friction. She wanted him just as much, heaven knew he wanted her before they had even made that stupid pinky promise.

Nini chewed on her bottom lip as she felt his erection pressing up against her and he couldn't stop the groan building up his throat. His fingers dug into her soft curves and his mouth grazed at the edge of her jaw when he thoughtlessly guided his thigh between her legs. Even the barest of all touches against her warm core made her drop more of her weight against his leg and emit a sweet, musical moan. Oh, how he would love to hear more of these mewling sounds, bury himself deep into her and feel her legs cling around him to hold on for dear life.

Pedro’s hand had snuck up past the hem of her shirt and he increased the pressure between them as he flattered his hand across the small of her back. He was still crowding her against the door, staring back into these lovely, impossibly dilated eyes when he lined the key up at the hole and heard it connect with the metal. He was well aware of the metaphor he created when he used the strength of his entire arm to push it forward in one rough motion. She gasped into his mouth. There was something about that first thrust, that beautiful first thrust.

Nini stifled her whimper by kissing him with new vigour. Their lips were sliding against each other and Pedro turned the key as their open-mouthed kiss turned into a heated duel. The door crashed into the wall and so did they. Her tongue lost the battle for dominance and she moaned into the kiss when he lifted her up against the wall. She pushed the door shut.

The more Pedro kissed and ground into her, the more he felt himself lose control.

'No', he thought, sudden alarms going off in his head. She's drunk, stop this. Stop this now, you have barely a second left before you would lose the ability to stop yourself from taking her right against this wall. He could simply hitch up her skirt and-

Pedro broke this kiss. "No." the tone of his response sounded like a curse. "You're drunk. We both are. I'm not gonna-" She would most likely not even remember it if they spend this night together. He couldn't do this to the both of them.

"Pedro," she hushed his name against his lips, hands clinging onto his neck.

"We have to stop," he said again, letting her slide down the wall. He tore himself away from her and rushed out of her room like a tornado.

Pedro slammed the door behind him and let out a silent curse against the ceiling once he realised he had isolated himself. Nini was on the other side of that door and he wanted nothing more than to tear it down again.

He bumped his skull against it instead with a loud thump, feeling lost and incomplete, even though he knew he was doing the right thing.

Pedro heard a stifled giggle from inside. "I can still see you." her dulled voice from inside her room mocked him. Pedro glared at the small peephole at eye level and he let out a sound of frustration.

He turned away to drag his feet across the hallway. "Fuuuck!" he cried out, clutching his hands over his eyes. He was simultaneously cursing and congratulating himself for this excellent move of not giving in to what he most desired. Could someone who made him feel so alive also be the death of him?

~

Part 8

Translation notes:

(sp): Buenas, veo que estás admirando mis rosas. - (eng): Hello, I see you are admiring my roses.

(sp): Buenas días, señoras. ¿Cómo están ustedes hoy? - (eng): Good morning, ladies. How are you today?

(sp): Ay, hijo. Tengo mucha hueva. - (eng): Oh, son. I'm feeling lazy.

(sp): Dios te dará una señal si el quiere que ganes el corazón de la chica. - (eng): God will give you a sign if he wants you to win the girl's heart.

(sp): ¿Qué clase de señal, señora? - (eng): What kind of sign, ma'am?

(dut): Je bent prachtig. - (eng): You are beautiful.

(dut): Dankjewel. - (eng): Thank you.

[the-firebird69]

Watch "Hummer Boat #BlackOps" on YouTube

We have a few of these no and we looked at his design it's not bad except the bottom is like a fiberglass piece attached and the sun said the building in his armor and over your gear the operating gear and we thought that was a really good idea cuz it's not only the directional armor but it's going to protect her gear and it's awesome turning into a boat which takes a funny looking makes sense so we don't have made a prototype or two and these are available now and we have the air intake and the output up high and the motor is designed for underwater use it can go underwater as well and it has a air supply it's not just oxygen which is dangerous. Now we're selling these and but we're making them for military use so you do the math

Frank Castle hardcastle

It needs to buy them at your own risk but this is so cool I had to have my own made I said it was fiberglass I didn't panic but I want one of these guys because it's made out of metal and the inside titanium and its armor and it's removable so you can access it so I'm going to go get one now it's awesome these guys make everything perfectly this is such a slick machine you said they are propeller retracts and disappears and you can't even tell it's a boat by looking at it much and it also goes underwater so you close the windows and you can go underwater with it with the motor running so I have to get one

Mac

[winportables]

Portable WidsMob Montage is used to create mosaic images. Using it, you can quickly convert different formats like JPEG and PNG into an interesting looking mosaic within a few minutes. It also allows you to customize the appearance of your work with options for column count, tile size, or color matching mode. The tool is simple and uses different mosaic modes to make your photos attractive. Portable WidsMob Montage is a program that allows you to create mosaics from digital photographs. Download it now and unleash your creativity.Discharge The program is a good option for those who want to create a personalized montage for their relatives or send it as a gift on special occasions. Other than that, this software will make you more productive as you learn new and different things. WidsMob has made sure that anyone can use it, so the interface is pretty straightforward and easy to use. Also, using it, you can select the background, add image titles, and much more. Below is the complete information about this app and how you can use it. This program is also the ideal choice for beginners and experts. If you want to give your images a new look, this software will help you. You can use its various features to control the mosaic pixels and add different columns to make the images look better. This tool also offers different templates that users can use to create attractive images. Besides, you can also customize Mosaic by combining colors and adding suitable tiles. Also, it provides good quality images and allows you to combine around 200 tiles. You can also create different collages for your loved ones and you can also send gifts to them. In case you are a beginner and don't know how to use it, you can refer to the tutorial included above. It is a short video where you can get an idea about how to use this program. The features of the WidsMob montage Simple and easy to use interface The developers have made sure that beginners can easily use this utility, so everything is simple and easy to manage. Those who are not familiar with the settings can watch the video and get an idea. Create custom montage It allows you to create a custom montage by providing tile and color selection options. You don't have to do much to add colors because this program will automatically adjust everything for you. Add different frames You can add unlimited frames but you have to buy the paid version for that. In addition, you can also decorate the images according to your preferences. Free and paid version Both free and paid version are available for Windows and Mac. In case you want to learn how to use the program, you can try the free version first and then opt for the paid ones.final verdict We recommend using this tool because it is easy to use and provides a step-by-step guide on how to use it. Also, it has no technical steps, so anyone can try it out. You can also adjust the frames and colors as per your wish. XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 [x64]English available33.48MB &#13;

[it1776]

The Best Nintendo Switch Controller Review

The Pro Controller is fine.

I still recommend it to most people

but if you play a lot of 2D games that the D-Pad placement

just isn't gonna cut it. 8BitDo is been making

fantastic Deepak controllers for a while now.

I originally recommended the old SN30

if you wanted to play a lot of 2D games.

Its biggest flaw was it's ergonomics, making it hard to play

3D games with its thumb sticks.

They fixed that with the release of the SN30 Pro+

a near-perfect controller that quickly became

my favorite controller for the Switch.

I used it so much that I ran it into the ground

and had to buy a new one recently. Almost two years later,

they finally released an updated version,

simply called the 8BitDo Pro 2.

Thank God that name was starting to be a mouthful.

This version adds a lot

to the already fantastic Pro Controller alternative.

If you are on the fence about getting one before,

this one will for sure give you

a couple of pretty good reasons to reconsider.

(upbeat music)

This video is sponsored by Aspyr, the guys who brought you,

the Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy Switch ports

are now bringing you Star Wars Republic Commando.

It's finally on Nintendo Switch

and PlayStation 4 for just 1499.

Check it out at the link in the description below.

Whoa! Whoa! Come on, dude.

Chaos has erupted throughout the galaxy.

As leader of an elite squad of Republic Commandos,

your mission is to infiltrate, dominate,

and ultimately annihilate the enemy. You will play as Boss,

leader of the special ops unit Delta Squad

together with Fixer, Scorch and Sev

working together as a team

instinctively, intelligently, instantly. You guys all right.

I was here first and then you guys just came.

Battle a variety of highly intelligent and deadly enemies

from brutal Trandoshan mercenaries, all right.

To the flying insectoid warriors of Geonosis.

This game was originally released in 2005

and I think is a crucial part of Star Wars history.

I love this era of Star Wars games and I love that Aspyr

is putting some games from this era on the Switch.

So again, you can try it for yourself for just 1499

at the link in the description below.

(water bubbling)

Sorry anybody got a USB-C charger.

(water bubbling).

So if you're new here

the biggest reason why I recommend this controller

is because of the D-pad. It's perfectly clicky.

It feels almost exactly like an original S.N.E.S controller

but you know, newer obviously. But it also has

all of the makings of a great modern controller.

It's thumb sticks feel almost exactly

like a DualShock 4 thumb sticks, making this a great option

for 3D games if you need something that could do both.

Here's something I often forget to mention.

It comes with a rechargeable battery, but it can be removed

and replaced with two double A's if you're in a bind,

something Microsoft should take note of.

It also has great motion controls and rumble.

The only thing that it's missing

that the Nintendo Pro Controller has is NFC.

But at the significantly lower price point,

are you really gonna be missing NFC that much?

The original SN30 Pro+ was and still is $45.

This new one bumps the price up to $50,

which is still a reasonable price

and some harsh competition for Nintendo's $70 controller.

It also works on Switch, Windows, Mac, Android,

and Raspberry Pi via Bluetooth, which is great

if you wanna play emulators or 2D games via Steam.

It's an all-around great controller

and I haven't even mentioned any of the new features yet.

Everything that I've said is also available

on the older $45 model.

The Pro 2 Sports 2 assignable back buttons.

This is a very welcome addition

and something I wish more controllers included.

My only gripe here is that

they're a little too easy to press. They're very large.

It's very difficult to grip the controller

without touching these buttons with your middle fingers.

In an intense game of Mario Maker

I accidentally press these buttons many times.

Luckily, by default they're assigned to nothing.

So pressing them did nothing at all.

You can assign functions to these buttons

using the brand new 8BitDo companion app.

In fact, you can remap all of the buttons

using the companion app.

And there are three different assignable profiles

that you can swap between on the fly.

Technically there's four because

there's just a baseline default one which is great

for when you don't wanna accidentally hit the back buttons.

Pressing this button right here switches between the modes.

There's off one, two and three.

In addition to remapping the buttons,

this software also allows you to fix the sticks dead zones.

It's also supposed to let you fix the trigger sensitivity,

but I couldn't figure out how to do that in the app.

I can only figure out how to do that on the desktop version.

But I like having my trigger sensitivity set really high

so they're like hair triggers because almost no Switch games

registered trigger sensitivity anyway.

Upon further review it seems that they disabled

the trigger sensitivity tab for the Switch.

So they got rid of trigger sensitivity

entirely for the Switch which is weird

'cause there are games that could still use it.

But if you go to Android or DInput or whatever,

it shows the trigger sensitivity, which is very strange.

You can also adjust vibration levels and of course,

macros, which go great with the new additional back buttons.

Previously, I used to assign macros to the share button.

Now I don't have to, unfortunately, the macro functionality

still, isn't very intuitive. You have to program it yourself

in the app, one button at a time. You can set the timings

between button presses but that's way harder to do

than just inputting a macro yourself on the controller

and having it record your inputs.

Something I've seen in a few other devices lately.

I hope that 8BitDo can eventually update

the Ultimate software and the Pro 2's firmware

to have this sort of functionality.

Because right now the macro function is pretty much

all only useful for like fighting games.

They did add the ability

to use thumb stick inputs for macros.

So if you have more patience than me

you can figure out some macros for Smash Brothers.

What might be more useful is assigning a turbo button

which is useful for many games, namely Animal Crossing.

I have a whole video on that if you're interested.

The old Pro+ had a turbo function but with this new Pro 2,

it might be worth it to assign one of the back buttons

to enable the turbo function. You can also have

the other back button assigned to hold.

So it will hold down a button forever.

So you can breeze through long menus or something.

Another useful feature that was recently added.

You can set the left stick to be swapped with the D-pad.

This is useful for games like Link's Awakening,

which should have D-pad support, but it doesn't.

There's also an option

to swap the right stick with the triggers.

I think that's some fighting games.

But my favorite part about this new mobile app

is that it allows you to change your settings on the fly.

You don't have to disconnect it from your Switch at all.

You can have it connected to your Switch

and the app at the same time.

This is something that you could not do

with the previous desktop app. This is huge for figuring out

the timing of macros or finding out the right button mapping

for yourself and immediately trying it out in the field.

One of my least favorite things

about wireless controllers like this

is connecting it to the Switch.

I often find myself just (indistinct) the button

till it finally comes up.

This controller alleviates some of that pain

by adding a mode switch on the back.

On the previous Pro+ you had to hold Start and Y

to enter switch mode. Windows, Android, and iOS,

all had different corresponding face buttons.

You expect me to remember all those.

There was also no indication

what mode you were currently in.

Now it's as easy as just flipping the switch.

You have Nintendo Switch, Apple DInput and XInput.

XInput is for Windows and Android.

DInput is for like old. I don't know it's

just probably don't worry about it. Other than all that

the only other real difference is it's enhanced grip

which is really just a textured back

similar to the textured back

of the new DualSense controller.

Other than that, this controller feels exactly the same

as the old SN30 Pro+ controller.

Switching between the two reveals that the face buttons

feel more responsive on the newer one.

Maybe it's because it's newer

and I used the shit out of my old one.

It's hard to tell.

- Oh no. - Hit the button, dude.

I think this controller.

(upbeat game music)

You know, I'll try, I'll try the top ones.

The buttons, the build quality, everything feels the same.

The Pro 2 comes in gray, black and GB edition.

I pre-ordered myself the Game Boy looking one

so I'll be getting that one when it eventually comes out.

But 8BitDo sent me their gray edition one, which looks like

it's attempting to resemble a PlayStation 1 controller.

It's an okay design. The A, B, X, Y buttons

colored like PlayStation buttons is like unsettling.

It's like a sin. The strongest design that they have

is definitely the Game Boy looking at one.

8BitDo used to have controllers that looked almost exactly

like Super Nintendo and N.E.S controllers,

but I'm sure they strayed away from that

so that they weren't bullied by Nintendo's lawyers.

It's also probably why they don't have

a Super Nintendo looking one at all anymore.

But I mean, the feel of the controller

is more important than anything else. And for 2D games,

there's nothing better than this,

until you find your Lord and Savior keyboard keys baby.

So if you haven't yet picked yourself up a 8BitDo controller

now might be the time to make the jump.

$5 extra for the back buttons,

the updated Ultimate software, the mode switch,

the custom profiles that can switch on the fly.

Yeah, I'd say it's worth it to get this version

over the original or Pro. Now is it worth upgrading to

if you already have an original SN30 Pro+.

That I'm not sure about.

Maybe if yours is starting to feel like shitty.

I know mine started to feel like

a little unresponsive, I guess.

I don't know how to describe it other than

it just got shitty and then I had to buy a new one.

But if you're perfectly content with your original SN30 Pro+

then it's probably not worth dropping an extra $50

on a brand new controller. It's like 90% the same controller

and about 10% new hotness. Or maybe I'm sure

you could find a way to justify it.

Maybe you could teach your grandma how to do Kaizo Mario.

What do you guys think about the brand new 8BitDo Pro 2?

It's a lot easier to say at this time.

Is this gonna make you finally make the jump

into getting an 8BitDo controller? Or it's something that

you would consider upgrading to from the original?

I don't think you really need to

unless like yours got like old crappy.

If you have a Nintendo Switch Pro controller already,

and you find yourself playing way more 2D games

this might be worth getting in addition to.

I mean it's like a second,

you get a second player with it to.

Leave in the comments below, add me on Twitter

and all this social media garbage.

As always we have new videos here all the time,

at least once a week.

This week, I think you're getting two, lucky you.

And we got streams over on twitch.tv/wulffden

where we can hang out and chat with each other

about stuff like this. Look at that.

Make sure you turn on notifications for all of that stuff

so you know, when we go live

'cause you can't rely on YouTube or Twitch to tell you.

But of course the most important thing right now

is just subscribe. Thank you.

I appreciate you for wanting to watch these videos.

And share this video with a friend.

A friend who maybe hasn't gotten

one of these controllers yet and it's still stuck

with the freaking regular role Pro controller.

Or maybe they're using the freaking split Joy-Cons

like a real, degenerate.

(gentle music)

Thank you. Have a good week.

[baosensteelcom]

Wooohooo, You Mean I Don't Have to Put on Makeup?One of the most powerful things about Video is that it gives you the ability to let people get to know you very quickly. What would normally take numerous emails will take virtually 10 seconds in a good Video. That's why I always recommend you have at least one Video on your website that features you. But relax, you don't have to get in front of the camera right away if you don't want to. There are other types of videos you can make without ever having to be onscreen yourself. The important thing is to choose the type of video you use based on what works for your objectives. The Inspirational or Video The Inspirational Video is quite simply a PowerPoint presentation or slide show that's been recorded as a video. It's made up of images and sound. The images can be stills or video clips, and you can add text over the images. The sound can be music only, or you can add narration and/or sound effects. If you're just starting out, I'd keep it simple with just a music track. The fantastic thing about this type of video is that once you get the hang of it, you can create something that potentially touches and moves a great number of people - sometimes even millions - with your message or branding attached. At the end of this article, I'll give you a the link to a great example of this kind of video. It's called "Don't Give Up"...despite typos (don't do that!)...so simple, yet powerful....an example of how simple they can be. The easy thing about these Videos is that you don't have to shoot any footage, and you can create them anytime you like, around any topic. And, if they're really good they can become viral and be forwarded around the globe (with your branding, of course!). Some Basics To Know About Inspirational Videos This type of Video should be not much more than about 3 minutes in length. You want to get your impactful emotional message across in a short but satisfying amount of time. If you use text on the screen, make sure it's large enough, and contrasts with the background enough to be read on a very small screen. Lots of people make the mistake of making the text too small or hard to read, and defeat the purpose of having it there. Also, be careful about the pacing of the text - give people enough time to "get" what it's saying, but keep the flow going at a natural pace. Using short bits of text helps, too, and reduces the amount of "reading" time. Remember, this is a little movie, not a book! When you're using music in your Video, always make sure you've got the music's volume set at the right level. If you're using narration and music, be sure the volume of your music is low enough that it doesn't interfere with the narration. Be sure to have your own branding at the end of the video - your business' name and url on its own screen after the last image of the video is done. You can put it over a background, or simply white lettering across a black screen. Be sure to have it large enough to read on a small screen. There are loads of great resources for "royalty free" images and music online. Here are a couple that I like and use. For a beautiful selection of still photos, graphic illustrations, and stock video try iStock Photo (www.iStockphoto.com). Using stock image sites like iStock assures that you're legally allowed to use the images you choose. The last thing you want is to make a fabulous Video but then realize you've used someone's copyrighted material! For music, there are quite a few sites which offer high quality "royalty-free" music clips. I highly recommend AudioJungle [link] - it's one I use and love - where you can search different types of music by keyword. I love it, because it's all original music that's super high-quality. Royalty-free doesn't mean it's free music, but that you'll just pay a one-time fee to the Artist, rather than ongoing royalties for its use. You set up a free account on AudioJungle (AudioJungle.net), then search and listen, bookmarking the clips you like. When you're ready to buy, you purchase Credits, which you use to purchase your music clip. I especially love this kind of site because the music is fantastic, and it supports freelance Composers all over the world. What You'll Need To Make Your Inspirational Video To create an Inspirational Video you'll need: 1. A slideshow software program such as PowerPoint, which comes with the Windows Office software (found on PCs and Windows for Mac), or Keynote, which is part of the iWork software suite on the Mac. 2. If you're using a PC, you'll need a software program to convert your slideshow into Video format. (tell them about the one I bought, with a caution). [WHAT ABOUT MAC?] 3. Video editing software. On your PC it's Windows MovieMaker; on your Mac it's iMovie, both of which should already be in your system's software if it's relatively new. They're very basic, fairly intuitive, and they'll allow you to add titles, and effects like Fading-In and Fading-Out. When you look at the samples, I'm sure you'll get your own ideas. Jot them down, and when you're ready to get started with your own Inspirational Video, you'll be ready. Getting Your Inspirational Video Out There When your Video is ready, upload it to your YouTube account. From there, have your Virtual Assistant post it to your website or blog. You'll want to craft an email sharing your Video with your list, with a screen shot of the Video that links to the Video on your website. Invite them to watch, comment, and share the Video with their community. * Here's the link to the Inspirational Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phL0RLKL8bc Enjoy! WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Award-winning online entrepreneur Barbara Holden publishes the "Video Mojo - Video Success Secrets" weekly eZine. If you're ready to give your marketing a kick in the pants, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at http://www.BoostBizWithVideo.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Barbara_Holden/641714 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4421715

Wooohooo, You Mean I Don’t Have to Put on Makeup?One of the most powerful things about Video is that it gives you the ability to let people get to know you very quickly. What would normally take numerous emails will take virtually 10 seconds in a good Video. That’s why I always recommend you have at least one Video on your website that features you. But relax, you don’t have to get in front of the camera right away if you don’t want to. There are other types of videos you can make without ever having to be onscreen yourself. The important thing is to choose the type of video you use based on what works for your objectives. The Inspirational or Video The Inspirational Video is quite simply a PowerPoint presentation or slide show that’s been recorded as a video. It’s made up of images and sound. The images can be stills or video clips, and you can add text over the images. The sound can be music only, or you can add narration and/or sound effects. If you’re just starting out, I’d keep it simple with just a music track. The fantastic thing about this type of video is that once you get the hang of it, you can create something that potentially touches and moves a great number of people – sometimes even millions – with your message or branding attached. At the end of this article, I’ll give you a the link to a great example of this kind of video. It’s called “Don’t Give Up”…despite typos (don’t do that!)…so simple, yet powerful….an example of how simple they can be. The easy thing about these Videos is that you don’t have to shoot any footage, and you can create them anytime you like, around any topic. And, if they’re really good they can become viral and be forwarded around the globe (with your branding, of course!). Some Basics To Know About Inspirational Videos This type of Video should be not much more than about 3 minutes in length. You want to get your impactful emotional message across in a short but satisfying amount of time. If you use text on the screen, make sure it’s large enough, and contrasts with the background enough to be read on a very small screen. Lots of people make the mistake of making the text too small or hard to read, and defeat the purpose of having it there. Also, be careful about the pacing of the text – give people enough time to “get” what it’s saying, but keep the flow going at a natural pace. Using short bits of text helps, too, and reduces the amount of “reading” time. Remember, this is a little movie, not a book! When you’re using music in your Video, always make sure you’ve got the music’s volume set at the right level. If you’re using narration and music, be sure the volume of your music is low enough that it doesn’t interfere with the narration. Be sure to have your own branding at the end of the video – your business’ name and url on its own screen after the last image of the video is done. You can put it over a background, or simply white lettering across a black screen. Be sure to have it large enough to read on a small screen. There are loads of great resources for “royalty free” images and music online. Here are a couple that I like and use. For a beautiful selection of still photos, graphic illustrations, and stock video try iStock Photo (www.iStockphoto.com). Using stock image sites like iStock assures that you’re legally allowed to use the images you choose. The last thing you want is to make a fabulous Video but then realize you’ve used someone’s copyrighted material! For music, there are quite a few sites which offer high quality “royalty-free” music clips. I highly recommend AudioJungle [link] – it’s one I use and love – where you can search different types of music by keyword. I love it, because it’s all original music that’s super high-quality. Royalty-free doesn’t mean it’s free music, but that you’ll just pay a one-time fee to the Artist, rather than ongoing royalties for its use. You set up a free account on AudioJungle (AudioJungle.net), then search and listen, bookmarking the clips you like. When you’re ready to buy, you purchase Credits, which you use to purchase your music clip. I especially love this kind of site because the music is fantastic, and it supports freelance Composers all over the world. What You’ll Need To Make Your Inspirational Video To create an Inspirational Video you’ll need: 1. A slideshow software program such as PowerPoint, which comes with the Windows Office software (found on PCs and Windows for Mac), or Keynote, which is part of the iWork software suite on the Mac. 2. If you’re using a PC, you’ll need a software program to convert your slideshow into Video format. (tell them about the one I bought, with a caution). [WHAT ABOUT MAC?] 3. Video editing software. On your PC it’s Windows MovieMaker; on your Mac it’s iMovie, both of which should already be in your system’s software if it’s relatively new. They’re very basic, fairly intuitive, and they’ll allow you to add titles, and effects like Fading-In and Fading-Out. When you look at the samples, I’m sure you’ll get your own ideas. Jot them down, and when you’re ready to get started with your own Inspirational Video, you’ll be ready. Getting Your Inspirational Video Out There When your Video is ready, upload it to your YouTube account. From there, have your Virtual Assistant post it to your website or blog. You’ll want to craft an email sharing your Video with your list, with a screen shot of the Video that links to the Video on your website. Invite them to watch, comment, and share the Video with their community. * Here’s the link to the Inspirational Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phL0RLKL8bc Enjoy! WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Award-winning online entrepreneur Barbara Holden publishes the “Video Mojo – Video Success Secrets” weekly eZine. If you’re ready to give your marketing a kick in the pants, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at http://www.BoostBizWithVideo.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Barbara_Holden/641714 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4421715

One of the most powerful things about Video is that it gives you the ability to let people get to know you very quickly. What would normally take numerous emails will take virtually 10 seconds in a good Video. That’s  3d bottom lashes 3d bottom lashes why I always recommend you have at least one Video on your website that features you.

But relax, you don’t have to get in front of the camera…