#project management office certification

[maryhilton07]

Pursue PMO Professional Certification From GSDC

The Certified PMO Professional certification, offered by the Global Skills Development Council (GSDC), is a globally recognized credential for PMO professionals. It validates expertise in PMO management, covering areas like strategic planning, portfolio management, resource optimization, stakeholder engagement, and performance measurement. This certification showcases dedication to career advancement and the ability to excel in PMO-related projects.

Employers worldwide highly value the GSDC Certified PMO Professional certification, as it signifies the holder's proficiency in aligning projects with strategic goals, optimizing resources, and improving project performance. Earning this certification enhances professional credibility, expands career opportunities, and enables individuals to effectively lead and manage PMOs, making a significant impact within their organizations.

GSDC's PMO Certification gains an understanding of the organizations around the world that are implementing best practices. Become a PMO Certified.

[cxlamarisalxmi]

Blue

[Platonic Headcanons]

c/w: suicidal thoughts and tendencies, angst, foul language, grief and loss

a/n: the trailer for modern warfare 3 was dropped and it’s due to release in November… obviously I had to do this <3 also.. totally not projecting my own feelings and struggles in here….. definitely not—

—

[Unedited]

• When you were younger you didn’t have much, your mother was absent your entire life after she had left you on your father’s doorstep after a one night stand and he didn’t have much before you were unceremoniously dumped into his life

• When he managed to bring himself to actually calm down he sat a moment to think things through, he wasn’t sure he was the father type and he wasn’t sure he could raise you properly— but he certainly tried

• And for you.. that was enough

• He did the best he could, you had no shame in admitting that, but in the eyes of an outsider it was never enough, he wasn’t making enough money for it to be enough.. now that you looked back on it there was only ever one thing you ever had to say about him—

“The bravest man I knew, he didn’t have a lot on his own.. had even less with me around but he made do. We made do. And he was more than enough for me.”

• He was murdered when you were sixteen, you remember in the trial regarding the case that it had something to do with being involved with the wrong people and those people had come to collect something he didn’t have

• His death tore you apart

• And because of it— you adopted a guarded and fiercely independent personality that made you seem cold to the outside world and the people surrounding you

• You joined up after that, with nothing to lose and a suffocating ache in your chest born of frustration and grief you had hoped this was you writing your death certificate and that the skeletal depicted, scythe wielding spirit would come for you sooner rather than later

• Driven to it by the desperation for a way out, anything to get rid of the searing ache in your chest, burning hot and angry like a smoldering fire that you didn’t see snuffing out anytime soon

• Only when you were gone from this world could you be freed from this pain, that’s how you saw it anyway, and that’s what you wanted… more than anything

• It was the loneliness of isolation that really drove you to your brink, you didn’t want to be alone… but you didn’t want to burden anyone with your issues that you couldn’t see resolving and you couldn’t bring yourself to believe you were deserving of it either— a vicious cycle

• After awhile with your team of marines you had gained the callsign; ‘Blue’ —for your rather glum outlook on life, and for the consistent and deep sadness you had that seemed to weigh so heavily upon you

• Things changed when you were put on a special ops team, having soared through your physical exams and grown to be a strong and capable individual it really came as no surprise your commanding officers sought to place you in a team that would strengthen and enrich your potential

• You struggled to find your place within the team at first, all of them having already been together long enough to form bonds stronger than anything, you felt like an outcast and maybe in the beginning you felt okay with that

• Because in the first months of your career within the team you still withheld any emotion other than indifference to a cold and bitter world that hadn’t done anything for you or in your favor

• So you didn’t make an effort to get close with any of them— not for lack of effort on their part, but for the self acknowledgment you had that you disregarded your life

• When Price had found out through Laswell that your mother was absent and your father passed three years ago he put the pieces together on why you outright refused to let yourself fall in line with them, input yourself into their tight knit family circle

• He learned that your father was your everything, how deeply you respected and admired him for everything he sacrificed for himself to give you more than what he had to offer, and everything made sense

• You didn’t want to involve yourself with them outside of work because you didn’t think your heart could handle any more loss of those close to you, but with the way you were going through life soullessly and reckless, he was sure you wouldn’t survive another damn day

• Another reason you didn’t want to get close to him and the rest of the team, because you didn’t plan to be alive for much longer

• And that bothered him, it twisted something in his chest and knotted up his stomach that someone so young couldn’t handle being alive anymore, didn’t want to stick around long enough to see just how much life had to offer if you opened yourself up to it

• It bothered him enough to corner you one night after a particularly harrowing mission in which you almost lost your life— he hated that you were irate you didn’t

• He didn’t want to force anything out of you that you weren’t ready to speak about, or make you uncomfortable in any way but he had to do this, else you’d deteriorate more and more until you were but a shell or worse— six feet in the ground (if you’d get lucky enough to be put in a coffin, but if he were to be honest and if he’d allow the reality to settle in his stomach you’d no doubt meet your inevitable end on the battlefield, another corpse at the feet of a government that didn’t care about you in the slightest)

• But he managed to get you to open up about it, managed to draw you out from within the thick and barbed barriers defending your broken and vulnerable heart and soul, and you wept everything to him, he just brought you in his arms and held you against his chest comfortingly and lovingly

• After that you had opened yourself up to the others too, and they were more than ready to accept your friendship and in the following months you had grown to love them and they you— you had fit well within their warmth and family

• In getting closer with them —Price most of all— you had developed a fiercely overprotective nature, refusing to let the world take them, take him who had shown you so much this life could offer to you, you wouldn’t lose Price or any of them like you lost your father

• It made you reckless with your life once more, only this time because you kept putting yours on the line for his sake, that made him angrier than when you were doing it just because you didn’t want to be alive anymore

• He shut that shit down real quick, and though you were certainly less inclined to be so quick to throw your life away, you didn’t quite quit being protective enough over your team to offer your life up instead of theirs

• Ghost hated to admit that you had quickly grown on him, past that prickly persona and cold indifference he had about him there was a hurt and broken shell of a man, a man named Simon that Ghost was built to protect and shelter

• You recognized the numb look in his eye, the fiercely guarded yearn for love from another— because you had been the exact same way, and you could easily see it through the barbed barriers he built around his broken and vulnerable heart

• It was easy for you to worm your way into said heart, because again— you knew that look, maybe you didn’t experience the same things but you both had been hurt by the world and the people within it enough to draw back into yourselves and construct a personality to protect the vulnerability you sheltered inside

• His was more aggressive sure.. but, that didn’t stop you from taking the initiative to chisel away at his thickly built concrete walls to access his center, the most tender part of him— Simon

• He was shocked by how quickly you managed to intricate yourself into his very short list of people he genuinely cares about, and maybe at first he fought it, fought how safe and comforted you made him feel, but after awhile he sort of just ran with it.. even grew to like it

• And you became the shoulder he could lean on, someone he could depend on you be there and have his back— he counted on you, and you were eager to show him he did not make a mistake in who he put his faith in

• And you hadn’t yet, missions were run a whole helluva lot easier now that you had fit yourself into their puzzle and connected yourself as an essential part of the well oiled machine their team turned out to be

• Gaz and Soap in their own ways had grown on you rather quick after Price managed to get you to let go of the suffering and pain you had weighing on your shoulders, and you surprised yourself by not really minding it

• They both were so unique in their own ways that made you fond of them, and they were both so eager to make you feel welcome and needed when you finally accepted the idea of family through bonds of blood and hardships

• You were an essential part of the team, they needed you just as you needed them.. and you’re really glad you had managed to find them when you needed it (not that you would ever say that to them, lest you wish to give Gaz and Soap egos the size of fucking Mars)

• Sometimes it was hard, there were some days that were tougher than others and some days where you wished you hadn’t woken up at all but your boys were always quick to help you through

• And you loved them more than anything, it took months after your first initial addition to the team for you to admit that to yourself— even longer to admit it to them.. but you did, well and truly loved them

• You would do anything for them, just as they would do anything and everything for you

• They couldn’t ever fill the ever prominent hole in your heart nor gaping pit in your soul but they overwhelmed your feelings of grief and sadness with home and warmth instead, so strong and comforting that you couldn’t even feel the lingering pain in your heart

• You’d go to Hell and back to protect that— go through anything and everything to protect your bond you shared with them

• Because they were worth it

—

a/n: this feels kinda meh and they’re short.. but, definitely expect to see Blue more often, and maybe some other characters (reader) I’ve got in mind hehe <3

[rainbowywitch]

Jabalia Rehabilitation Society is the only institution in the northern Gaza Strip that provides services to a large group of people with disabilities, especially those with hearing disabilities. It is considered a center for health, psychological and educational support in Jabalia camp that is no less important than government institutions. It is considered one of the contributing and supporting institutions alongside the government health and educational centers in the camp and shares the burden and community services with those centers.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, the institution has been a center for sheltering thousands of displaced civilians, especially those with disabilities and their families who benefit from the institution's services. However, after the Israeli occupation forces entered Jabalia camp for the second time in the war on May 12, they destroyed and burned all the buildings and facilities of the association after it had been a shelter for thousands of displaced people. https://gofund.me/6f974a1b

https://gofund.me/ea5370ab

Campaign to rebuild hope for people with disabilities by rebuilding and restoring their institution in the northern Gaza Strip :

Who are we? Jabalia Rehabilitation Society is a Palestinian non-governmental community organization that does not seek to achieve material profit, but rather seeks to achieve social justice among members of the same community and to defend persons with disabilities as the main beneficiaries of the society. It was established in the northern Gaza Strip governorate in Jabalia camp on August 1, 1991 with voluntary efforts and financial and in-kind assistance from UNRWA in Gaza - Disability Program. The society is the first community rehabilitation center established in partnership with UNRWA in Gaza. It is registered with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior and holds registration certificate number 4010. Jabalia Society is a member of (the Network of Civil Society Organizations, the Coordination Committee for Community Rehabilitation Centers, the Gathering of Rehabilitation Institutions in Northern Gaza), and it is also a member of (the Network of Arab Organizations) at the regional level. The association’s main headquarters contains three main buildings: 1- The association’s administration building, which includes the secretariat and reception, the association’s director’s office, the audiology and speech clinics, the project management department, the accounting department and the association’s executive management, and the community activities department. 2- Jabalia Joint School for the Education of the Deaf building, which provides educational services to more than 90 male and female students with hearing disabilities, distributed over three different age groups (kindergarten - primary stage - preparatory stage). 3- The third building includes the institution’s warehouses, the theater, and a number of offices. 4- External facilities, consisting of a sports field, a sandy yard, a green garden, a cafeteria, and a beneficiaries’ lounge. The association provides its services and activities to more than 40,000 beneficiaries annually from the North Gaza Strip Governorate, through its staff of about 80 employees, including (46) permanent basic employees, and the rest are distributed between temporary contracts and volunteers. Employees with disabilities constitute about 20% of the total number of employees in the association. The activities and services of Jabalia Rehabilitation Association revolve around (7) basic programs, 1- Audiology Program, 2- Speech and Language 3- Community Rehabilitation 4- Capacity Building 5- Teaching children with hearing impairment 6- Physiotherapy. 7- Relief Aid.

Why do we collect donations? Jabalia Rehabilitation Society is the only institution in the northern Gaza Strip that provides services to a large group of people with disabilities, especially those with hearing disabilities. It is considered a center for health, psychological and educational support in Jabalia camp that is no less important than government institutions. It is considered one of the contributing and supporting institutions alongside the government health and educational centers in the camp and shares the burden and community services with those centers. Since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, the institution has been a center for sheltering thousands of displaced civilians, especially those with disabilities and their families who benefit from the institution's services. However, after the Israeli occupation forces entered Jabalia camp for the second time in the war on May 12, they destroyed and burned all the buildings and facilities of the association after it had been a shelter for thousands of displaced people.

So, on behalf of the disabled and the beneficiaries of the Foundation’s services, I address you through this platform to convey their voice to you. They need your support and assistance in rebuilding and restoring the Foundation so that it can reopen its doors to carry out its societal mission by providing services to those in need and contributing to alleviating the suffering of displaced families, especially those with disabilities, and to be a safe haven for them during this war.

How will these donations be used? These donations will be collected to restore and rebuild the Association's buildings and facilities destroyed by the war and equip them with the necessary tools and equipment, which is estimated to cost approximately $300,000. 1- The cost of rebuilding and renovating the three buildings of the institution is estimated at $255,000, meaning that each building is estimated to cost $85,000 to rebuild and renovate. ( 3 × $85,000 = $255,000 ) 2- The cost of restoring and rebuilding the Association's external facilities is estimated at $45,000. In the first phase, the building that includes clinics and service offices for citizens will be equipped to ensure the continuation of providing services to those who deserve them during and after the war. In the second phase, if the appropriate conditions are available during the war to continue the restoration and reconstruction, the remaining buildings will be equipped, but if it is not possible to continue in the second phase, it will be postponed until after the war.

How does your donation and support make a difference?

Your support and donation to them is a noble humanitarian purpose that supports and enhances the resilience of civilians during this war and after the war. This contribution that you will provide, even if it is small, will make a big difference in the lives of these displaced families and families benefiting from the Foundation's services in the North Gaza Governorate.

Please help them restore and rebuild their institution and create a safe environment that will provide them with a bright future so that they can live in dignity, security and peace and start again to achieve their ambitions and dreams .

[yume-x-hanabi]

So, bit of a life update because it's been... almost two months? since I last properly logged here (I had some stuff in the queue, but I think it ran out after a while, woops). Getting a bit personal, so the rest is under cut.

Honestly the main reasons are simply, I'm busy, and exhausted. Not a good combination lol

I haven't had proper relaxing time for me since at least a year and a half. Summer holidays are supposed to be the time when I can finally relax responsibility-free for a month and a half to get over usually hectic second semesters. Except last July my grandma had a fall, and while she's fine, long story short she's now in a nursing home and we spent the whole summer and lots of free time during the following months clearing her house (which was. a mess).

On top of that I'd bought an apartment (yay) in a building that's still under construction, and while that's great because it means I could customize it the way I want, it also meant spending a lot of time going here and there to choose floorings, furniture, and lots appointments (bank, notary...) etc etc. And now that it's in the final stage we're running into issues because the notaries aren't agreeing about some conditions, so the deed signing date recently had to be postponed, which'll leave me very little time to schedule the actual move (I have to be out of my current place by the end of the month). Super stressful. And also busy--spent nearly two days last week playing telephone game with the developer, the notary's office, the bank... and we still haven't solved the issue as of now orz

On top of that, this past school year has been super intense, I took on more admin responsibilities, which, while fun, consume a lot of time and focus, which put me behind on my regular class prep and grading, which just generally added to the mental load. Also I had to take lessons on Saturday mornings for my teaching certificate, which is also something that ate into my time and energy this year.

This all kinda came crashing down on me in early June when I just... kinda shut down for about two weeks. I had 4 super important tasks/projects to do, and for those two weeks I made progress on none of them. I just kinda froze, not knowing where to start, and my focus was allllll over the place, could not keep it on one thing for the life of me (there may or may not be suspicion of adhd at play, I'll have to look into it more and see someone about it, but... no time atm orz)

I managed to pull through in the end (well, one of the things is postponed to August so I have more time to do it thankfully), but I'm completely mentally exhausted. So yeah, I kinda gave up checking tumblr for a while, bc I just didn't have the mental capacity for that.

In happier news Missy is still as silly as ever, my niece is the cutest, I got a baby blahaj yesterday to go with my big one, Dreamcatcher's new mini-album is wonderful, and once everything is solved and I can move in it'll be awesome to live in my own place. Also I went to TwoSetViolin's world tour show in Berlin last week-end and it was awesome :D (might make a separate post about it later)

And now I need to start packing. Gonna be a busy month again 😅

[usafphantom2]

In 1966 the SR 71 disintegrating ! The pilot, and the RSO’s did not eject they were thrown out.. I wrote this article a few years ago in aviationgeek club. Here it is.

In 1966 test Pilot Bill Weaver bailed out after his SR-71 disintegrated while flying at Mach 3.18 at 78,800 feet and by some sort of miracle he made it down to New Mexico alive and well. The RSO Jim Zwayer was not so lucky.

On Jul. 28, 2021 the aviation community lost another of its icons, Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver.

Weaver was born on Dec. 6, 1928 in the Hollywood Hospital in Los Angeles.

According to Roadrunners Internationale, he attended college at UCLA for a year before being accepted at Annapolis. Graduating June 1951, 25% of the graduates from Annapolis and West Point were offered the choice of joining the US Air Force formed in 1947. He chose the Air Force where he went through flight training at the Hondo Air Base near San Antonio, (South Texas Training Center & South Texas Regional Airport), built 4 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor in a record 90 days. Weaver graduated in class 52E and was sent to Williams AFB for advance training before deploying to Kaegu, Korea (T-2) in 1952 where he flew 89 missions in the F-89 Scorpion and F-86 Sabre. Leaving the USAF, he joined the Lockheed Skunk Works where his second cousin, Engineer Dorsey Kammerer worked for Kelly Johnson. During a span of 30 years at Lockheed, Bill flight tested all models of the Mach-2 F-104 Starfighter and the entire family of Mach 3+ Blackbirds–the A-12, YF-12 and SR-71. Weaver subsequently was assigned to Lockheed’s L-1011 project as an engineering test pilot, became the company’s chief pilot and retired as Division Manager of Commercial Flying Operations. He flew the Orbital Sciences Corp.’s L-1011, modified to carry a Pegasus satellite-launch vehicle. An FAA Designated Engineering Representative Flight Test Pilot, he was also involved in various aircraft-modification projects, conducting certification flight tests. According to Roadrunners Internationale Weaver once said,

“Among professional aviators, there’s a well-worn saying: Flying is simply hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror.”

And yet, I don’t recall too many periods of boredom during my 30-year career with Lockheed, most of which was spent as a test pilot.”We lost a brave patriotic American Bill Weaver. Our sincere condolences go to his family. Bill flew in test flight every member of the Blackbird family.

In 1966 he also bailed out after his SR-71 disintegrated while flying at Mach 3.18 at 78,800 feet and by some sort of miracle he made it down to New Mexico alive and well. The RSO Jim Zwayer was not so lucky. He [Weaver] had a long successful career as a test flight pilot. I was told he was still flying into his 80s. We salute you,’

Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) says on her Facebook Page Habubrats. Published by Dario Leone

@Habubrats71 via Twitter

[blade-liger-4ever]

Green Lantern: Episode 4 Outline.

When see the Jordan family household at night. Various lights are being put out, and Jessica is making certain that the two boys still living in her house - a seventeen year old Hal and thirteen year old Jim - are heading to bed. As Hal makes sure Jim brushes his teeth and puts on his pajamas, Jim asks how Hal feels that he's going to be eighteen and voting age tomorrow. Hal answers that he's going to be eighteen at midnight, and responds playfully that he'll be enjoying the "doors that that age opens" soon enough. Jessica cuts off their playing around and tells them to go to their rooms, the boys doing as they're told. Sparing a last look at Hal before he disappears around the hallway with notable concern, Jessica turns off the hallway lights and goes to bed herself.

We see the clock go from eight in the evening to nine-thirty, whereupon we see the door to Jim's room silently swing open. Glancing down both sides of the hall, he sneaks out and goes to a room clearly meant for wrapping packages and presents. Pulling out a brown box, he wraps it in paper and ties it up as quietly as possible before heading back down the hall. Stopping in front of Hal's door, he gets into a cross-legged position and stares at the door, smiling widely as he casts a glance at the clock. However, as the screen switches to Hal's room, we see his bed empty but with two square indentations on it. A wind blows some curtains, and we see the window open.

On the sidewalk, Hal walks briskly while wearing his father's jacket unzipped, a suitcase in each hand. He walks for hours before coming to the south end of Coast City, and stops right in front of the Air Force recruitment center. Leaning his suitcases against the wall, Hal sits down and waits. The first rays of daylight pokes over the horizon, and a dozing Hal screws his eyes closed before blinking them open. Standing up, he checks to see that he has both suitcases still with him before footsteps approach. Turning, he sees the man in charge of the recruitment center spy him, who asks, "What are you doing here, son?"

Noticeably twitching at the term, Hal nevertheless pulls himself up to his full height and answers, "I'm looking to join the Air Force. I turned eighteen this past midnight, and I won't be taking no for an answer."

"That so? I'll need to see some papers for confirmation, but you've got the right spirit," the man says.

"I've got my birth certificate and health files with me, sir. I'll show them to you inside," Hal responds immediately.

"All the papers? Damn, you did come prepared," the officer chuckles. Walking past him, he unlocks the center and ushers him inside, adding, "Somehow, I don't think you'll get turned away."

Smiling, Hal nods and enters, and we focus in on the door as it closes. The scene shifts, and we see a less impressive door that is mildly weathered before the present day Hal opens and closes it behind him. Locking it, he activates his ring and talks to holographic projections of Ganthet and the rest of the Guardian Council, with Sinestro present as well. Appa Ali Apsa is displeased with Hal's absence from his GL duties, and when he demands that Hal return to escort Princess Iolande of Betrassus to Thanagar for a political prisoner exchange, Hal, with no shortage of displeasure, insists that he can't manage it today. He explains that his apartment got ransacked the previous night, and that he has to pay for some of the lost equipment and bills he owes his landlord before the week is out, which also means he has to go to work at Ferris Aircraft and find other work to collect some money that he's been losing the past few months.

Ganthet interposes quickly that they have been overworking Hal, and points out that his planet's technology and people are further behind in terms of space travel and ignorance of the stars than most of those under the Guardians' protection, which leaves him unable to be honest with his employers about his GL duties. Although Appa and Guardian Scar don't agree with this, the other Guardians agree that Hal should get a reprieve to straighten out his personal struggles. When Sayd asks who will go in his place, Sinestro steps in and offers himself and Green Lantern Boodikka to take over for Hal. As the meeting ends, Ganthet wishes him luck while Sinestro nods, and Hal, relieved, privately messages Sinestro, "Thanks, Sinestro. I owe you one."

"That you may, Hal. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you once you're ready," he replies, smiling slightly before the transmission ends.

Hal's smile wavers slightly, but he nevertheless turns off the ring and heads back out into the main room. We then see it's Pie's house, his wife Tegra having just finished making breakfast as Pie himself comes down from the shower. Sitting down, the three eat and discuss the plans for the day, with Hal telling Pie that he has a lot of work at Ferris Aircraft and Kristen Limbo's curiosity shop for cash. Pie, realizing that it's code for "I've got a break from GL duties", smiles and wishes him luck.

Once finished, both men head out, though Hal glances away awkwardly as Pie gives his wife a hug and kiss before parting. Arriving at Ferris Aircraft, they check in and prepare for the day. However, Hal is momentarily thrown when he sees Gil is in charge, and becomes uneasy when Gil informs him that Carol is taking the week off, possibly the next as well. Swallowing his concerns and the urge to go find her, Hal spends the next few hours testing out flight pods and the jet from the previous week. It turns out that Pie's mechanical aptitude has not only fixed the bug in the jet, but also enhanced the performance. Hal does a few impressive aerial maneuvers, but quickly stops when Gil cuts in over the comm that he wasn't supposed to hotdog a twelve million dollar aircraft; Hal excuses it as testing out its capabilities, but doesn't push his luck when Gil grudgingly concedes, "Fine, but you do that again, and you're flying nothing but the pods til Miss Ferris returns."

"Understood sir," Hal answers flatly. Glancing at the sky, he thinks to himself, Dad used to do a few things like that. Wonder if he'd approve of my antics.

Meanwhile, we see Kari leaving for her work at the zoo. As she goes, we see a small white car trailing behind her from a distance; Kari notices this, and takes a few different turns to lose him. Inside the car, a man in casual clothes and wearing a baseball cap that covers his eyes, smirks and continues on past her before pulling into an alleyway. Pulling out a high-tech laptop, he opens it and watches a dot that represents Kari as she takes a shortcut to the zoo. Smiling openly now, the man - possessing the same voice as Deadline - says to himself, "You're a clever one, I'll give you that. But you gotta get up earlier than that if you wanna lose me."

On the underside of her car, we see a small tracking device flashing dimly as Kari pulls in. Turning off the engine, she gets out, locks the vehicle, and glances around before heading inside. Back in the alley, Deadline drives out and heads to the zoo from a separate route.

At Ferris Aircraft, Hal flies one last small jet for the company before his hours are done. He meets with Gil, and the two men have a civil, though frosty, exchange over his performance in the air before Gil gives him his pay - which is the same as what Hal got from Carol the previous week. However, as Hal leaves, Gil adds that he heard about the robbery, for which he is sorry. Hal's eyebrows raise slightly, but he nods and thanks him before leaving. Going out to his car, he starts it up and heads over to Kristen Limbo's shop.

At the zoo, we see Kari with the tigers, who are absolutely placid with her, while the cubs, once she's done feeding the adults, play with her. She laughs and plays along, clearly enjoying it, before getting called back by a coworker, asking her for to meet with a visiting zookeeper. Confused, she leaves and finds the zookeeper with her coworker; he introduces himself as James Distefano (still possessing Deadline's voice), and informs her that he's heard a lot about the good care the captive felines have been getting, and wants to see her work for himself.

They get to talking as they move back to the tigers, with James confessing he's more of a canine expert. Kari talks about explains how the tigers were given to their zoo by a retired English huntsman who had bequeathed the tigers from his failing sanctuary for Coast City, and that they had already been docile enough. James hedges for a clarification, implying that he'd heard some of the staff had been scared off by the tigers. Now Kari laughs, informing him that most of them were unfamiliar with the big cats, and that she had been able to tame them rather easily due to her experience with wild felines.

"That so?" James replies, stroking his chin. "You a big cat whisperer?"

"Not entirely," Kari answers, pausing as one of the males stares at James for a moment before lying down. Leaning back, she admits, "My family has connections, and my father always loved taking me on a safari when I was younger. One thing led to another, and I ended up spending time with the lions and lionesses near his hunting grounds. I think they just accepted me as one of them, and ever since, I've just loved the cats so much that I decided to make a career of it when I saw an opening here."

James nods, then apologizes for her father's loss. Kari swiftly corrects him, explaining that her father and mother are alive, but out of state. James laughs off the mistake, apologizing for it as Kari waves it off, asking if he wants to see the tigers up close. He declines, admitting he's only here to check on the tigers' well-being, and that, since they're clearly in good shape, he'll see to the wolves before he leaves. As he walks away, Kari notices one of the cubs hunch down as he passes by, causing the mother tigress to approach and growl lowly. Smile faltering, she glances back at James' disappearing form.

Hal arrives at Kristen's shop, shutting down the car and heading inside the building. Entering, he soon finds Kristen near the front, rearranging the Chinaware before he greets her. She turns to him with a smile, confidently stating, "I knew I'd see you here today! How'd the work at Ferris go?"

"Oh, it went well," Hal answers, picking up and moving a box that was close to the foot of the ladder she's on. It tinkles slightly, and returning it to the floor a short distance from her, he jests, "But my boss' CEO didn't approve of me pushing the limit a bit."

"Hmph. He must have no sense of adventure," Kristen declares. Stepping down from the ladder, she opens the box to rummage through the contents and continues, "Believe me, I knew a daredevil of a pilot in my day, and he got results because of his risk-taking nature. And you, young man, are just what that business needs, if the CEO is anything to go by."

Hal laughs in response, and taking some of the glassware from her hands, he notes teasingly, "I'd say he has a point due to the cost of the machinery, but my instincts tell me I'd get in trouble for that."

"Indeed you would, Harold," Kristen counters, smiling wickedly. Hal, still holding the glasses, raises his hands and laughs, "I surrender, I surrender!"

They both laugh and continue setting up the new acquisitions. Soon enough, Hal is also helping locate items that customers come to purchase, the entire atmosphere remarkably relaxing and peaceful, something that actually puts Hal at ease. When it's a quarter to five, Hal helps close up shop before Kristen gives him his pay. He thanks her, and after some joking between them, he leaves, giving her a salute before driving out.

Around this time, Kari sees that all is well with the tigers before collecting her paycheck and leaving. However, when she turns on the car, the "coolant low" sign dings. Confused, she turns it off and gets out; checking under the vehicle, she sees a pool of liquid underneath, with a slowing stream of it pouring down from under the engine.

Groaning, Kari mutters, "Oh, come on."

Getting back in, she turns on the car, seeing the coolant low sign still lit up. Backing out, she manages to get halfway through the city before the engine stalls and the car shuts down. Sighing, she pulls out her phone, exiting the vehicle and calling the local repair shop for a tow. Once done, she hangs up, then sees Hal's number on the screen. Hesitating, Kari clicks on the number; after two rings, Hal picks up, and she explains that her car broke down, and apologizes for calling him, but adding that there isn't anyone else she'd trust to get her home.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Where are you now?" he asks.

"I'm on Madison Avenue," she answers, then glances across the street. She blinks, then laughs and adds, "I'm right across from Hideo's Hibachi!"

"Really? That's great! I'll be there in less then ten minutes," Hal answers, and after a quick goodbye, they both hang up.

Soon, Hal arrives, just as the wrecker pulls up to tow Kari's car away. She explains that her car ran out of coolant, which she guesses is because she hit something sharp that cut the line when she was driving earlier. Hal ponders that, opening the side door for her before getting in himself, and they talk more as they drive. When they're about to pull into her driveway, Kari recalls that he lives on the opposite end of the city from her, and asks how he got there so quickly.

"I'm actually crashing at a friend's place for now," he answers, then admits, "My apartment got robbed last night."

"Oh Hal, I'm so sorry," she replies as he pulls into the driveway. "If I'd known, I never would have bothered you with this."

"Hey, hey," Hal interjects, gently taking her hand in his. Smiling warmly, he says, "You could never bother me, Kari. I'm here for you, no matter what."

Kari smiles, then says, "Thank you. If you need anything, too - someone to talk to, or a place to go - I'm here for you as well."

"Thanks, Kari," he responds.

They pause for a second, then lean over and kiss for a long moment. Afterwards, Hal once more gets the door for her, then offers her his arm as he leads her to the house.

Elsewhere, we see Star Sapphire pacing an apartment room, memories of Gil flashing through Carol's mind before a final image of Hal leaving the office at Ferris Aircraft appears and chains her back to the present. She stops as the door opens, and looking up, she sees Deadline enter. "You're late," she snaps, eyes glowing dangerously.

"Apologies for the delay. I had to do some final surveys of your targets," Deadline answers casually.

"Do explain what you mean by 'targets'. I assume Jordan was found with Limbo again?" Star Sapphire queries, her posture relaxing.

"He was, but before I get to that, here's some more info on Limbo," Deadline responds coolly. Tossing a file onto a nearby desk, he continues as Star Sapphire approaches it, "Her grandmother seems to have been an old adventurer from the late forties, going 'round the world and collecting a lot of cash from it. When she married and had Limbo's father, they spent lots of summers going on safari and hunting in India. Limbo got the same treatment from her old man, and is rather well off from the family's escapades. As for her and Jordan -"

Here, Deadline pulls out a tablet and passes it to Star Sapphire, two pictures briefly visible as he finishes, "I figured to do a test run for you, and it seems they're quite cozy with each other."

Star Sapphire looks at the screen, and we see it's two different pictures. The first one shows Hal giving Kari a ride home, and the other is when they're walking into the house together. Seeing them that close, the Zamarons start hissing in her head about how their plans are being disrupted. Soon though, the leader breaks in, "Silence! We will have our revenge, and we will kill the Guardians' strongest champion. And once that is done, we will kill the Guardians as well."

Handing back the tablet, eyes glowing again, Star Sapphire states, "Well done, Deadline. You carried out your job well. The rest of your pay will be given to you as we agreed. Your services will be remembered in the future."

Deadline nods, taking the suitcase of money that Star Sapphire had prepared for him. As he leaves, the camera pans up and out of the building, where two stars shine brighter than the rest. The scene warps, making the two stars resemble eyes, and dark, feminine laughter echoes as the screen goes dark.

@edgar-allan-possum Sorry this one got delayed. Hopefully, I can pick up the pace again for the remaining four episodes!

[kiranapassionategamer]

Top Work-from-Home Jobs for Housewives in 2024

Remote work has become more common because people understand that working from home using the Internet may be convenient. This change offers housewives a range of possibilities for organizing home chores and, at the same time, earning money. 

Here is a list of the best home-based activities housewives can do in 2024.

Best Jobs for Housewives 2024

Some women feel dependent if she not earning even she’s a housewives. However, the Ludo real cash game that offers an opportunity to win Rs10 lakh by playing games, these women feel mentally independent and stress-free. So, apart from paying games, here’s a list of some of the best jobs for housewives in 2024.

1. Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is flexible because one can write in any area of interest or specialization. Whether content writing, blogging, copywriting or technical writing, there is always a great demand for well-written content.

Types of Writing Jobs:

Content Writing: Writing web content such as articles, blog posts, and other types of text on the websites.

Blogging: Specialized in blogging about similar topics and making money through ads and affiliate marketing.

Copywriting: Developing copy for brochures and other forms of promotion.

Technical Writing: Writing manuals, guides and other technical writing work.

Tips for Getting Started:

Building a Portfolio: Gather notes and past works to prove your ability and advertise yourself to the clients.

Joining Freelancing Platforms: Freelance marketplace sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer avail clients to writers seeking to offer a plethora of writing services.

2. Virtual Assistance

Virtual assistants provide administrative support to businesses and entrepreneurs remotely. Their tasks can vary widely depending on the client's needs. 

Common Tasks and Responsibilities:

Email management entails replying to and organizing emails.

Organizing calendars and making appointments is called scheduling.

Taking care of questions and problems from customers is known as customer support.

How to Find Virtual Assistant Jobs:

Job boards: Virtual assistant jobs are listed on websites such as Indeed, FlexJobs, and Remote.co.

VA Agencies: These companies are experts at matching clients with virtual assistants.

Networking: Creating a network on social media and in business associations can help you get employment.

Necessary Skills and Tools Required:

Tech-savvyness, communication, and organizational abilities.

Working knowledge of Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and project management apps like Asana or Trello.

3. Online Tutoring and Teaching

With the increasing popularity of online learning, the demand for online tutors and teachers has surged. 

Subjects and Skills in High Demand:

Academic Subjects: Math, science, and languages.

Language Teaching: Teaching English or other languages to non-native speakers.

Music Lessons: Offering lessons in instruments or vocal training.

Platforms to Get Started:

VIPKid: Teaching English to students in China.

Chegg Tutors: Offering tutoring in various academic subjects.

Coursera: Teaching specialized courses to a global audience.

4. Social Media Management

Social media managers create and manage content for businesses and influencers on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Managing Social Media Accounts for Businesses and Influencers:

Content Creation: Developing posts, stories, and videos.

Analytics: Tracking engagement and performance metrics.

Engagement Strategies: Interacting with followers and responding to comments.

Essential Skills:

Content Creation: Writing, graphic design, and video editing.

Analytics: Understanding social media metrics.

Engagement Strategies: Knowing how to build and maintain a community.

Steps to Becoming a Social Media Manager:

Courses: Taking courses in social media marketing.

Certifications: Earning certifications from platforms like HubSpot or Hootsuite.

Networking: Joining social media groups and forums.

5. E-commerce and Online Selling

Online selling is one of the best work from home jobs for housewives that make them financially independent. Housewives can start their own online store or sell products on platforms like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay.

Popular Products to Sell:

Handmade Crafts: Jewelry, home decor, and personalized gifts.

Vintage Items: Clothing, accessories, and collectibles.

Digital Products: Printables, e-books, and courses.

Basics of Setting Up an Online Store:

Inventory Management: Keeping track of stock and supplies.

Marketing: Promoting products through social media and other channels.

Customer Service: Providing excellent service to retain customers.

6. Graphic Design

Graphic designers create visual content for businesses, including logos, websites, and marketing materials. 

Tools and Software Needed:

Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Canva: A user-friendly design tool.

Tips for Building a Portfolio and Finding Clients:

Portfolio: Showcase your best work on a personal website or portfolio site.

Finding Clients: Use freelancing platforms and networks within the design community.

7. Data Entry and Transcription Jobs

Data entry involves inputting data into systems, while transcription entails converting audio recordings into text. 

Necessary Skills:

Attention to Detail: Ensuring accuracy in data and transcripts.

Typing Speed: Fast and accurate typing.

Platforms to Find Work:

Upwork: A freelancing platform with data entry and transcription jobs.

Rev: Specializes in transcription services.

TranscribeMe: Offers transcription opportunities for beginners.

8. Online Surveys and Market Research

Participating in online surveys and market research studies can be an easy way to earn extra income.

Reputable Survey Sites and Research Panels:

Swagbucks: Offers surveys and other ways to earn points redeemable for gift cards.

Survey Junkie: Provides paid survey opportunities.

Vindale Research: Pays for participating in surveys and studies.

Tips for Maximizing Earnings and Avoiding Scams:

Maximizing Earnings: Sign up for multiple survey sites.

Avoiding Scams: Stick to reputable sites and never pay to join a survey site.

9. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services and earning a commission on sales made through your referral link.

Choosing a Niche and Promoting Products/Services:

Niche: Select a specific area of interest to focus on.

Promotion: Use a blog, social media, or a YouTube channel to promote products.

Creating a Blog or Website for Affiliate Marketing:

Blog: Write content related to your niche and include affiliate links.

Website: Build a dedicated site to promote affiliate products.

10. Customer Service Representative

Customer service representatives handle inquiries and issues from customers via phone, email, or chat.

Common Industries Hiring for Remote Customer Service:

Retail: Handling orders and returns.

Tech Support: Assisting with technical issues.

Finance: Managing account-related inquiries.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Communication: Clear and effective communication skills.

Problem-Solving: Ability to resolve customer issues efficiently.

Platforms to Find Customer Service Jobs:

Indeed: Lists various remote customer service positions.

Remote.co: Specializes in remote job listings.

FlexJobs: Offers a wide range of remote job opportunities.

Conclusion

Working from home offers housewives the flexibility to balance their personal and professional lives while earning an income. Whether through freelancing, virtual assistance, online tutoring, or any of the other opportunities listed, there are numerous ways to embark on a rewarding work-from-home career. With dedication and the right skills, housewives can find fulfilling jobs that fit seamlessly into their daily routines.

[willpapilio]

Punative Feast

Oh my god, he writes his own shit! Here's a little story I wrote, it's mostly just worldbuilding stuff from a project I was working on for a while. If it doesn't make sense, I didn't do a good job of explaining things. It focuses on a couple important people, one of which I already wrote about, and his secretary.

Ifrinn was walking around his office, aimlessly. In truth, there was much he could have been doing, but writing his signature on paper for most of the day rapidly gets dull. He had managed to get through most of the work, but of course, there's always more to be done. In theory, he should have been signing off on building permissions, birth certificates and crime reports. Instead, he was pacing around the office, putting dust lice down on shelves, in corners, and anywhere else they could get a good meal.

It was always quite relaxing, watching the scuttly little things doing their work, leaving shiny tracks through thin dust. Ifrinn was so entranced by the display he only just registered the sound of the elevator ascending up the shaft. Milis was coming up, and Ifrinn practically vaulted over his desk to maintain some illusion of dignity.

When the moth arrived at the top floor, Ifrinn was dutifully signing papers at his desk, as if he weren't slacking off mere seconds ago. In Milis' hands was another small stack of papers. When delivering messages to the Lord, many people rely on the employ of carrier bugs to deliver messages straight to Ifrinn, which he sends back from their roosts atop Erus Tower once he has signed off or replied. Owing to their refined sense of smell, they almost never get lost, and their flight makes them highly efficient couriers. However, most people, and anyone with a large stack of messages, hand-delivers them to Milis on the ground floor, who shortly brings them up to Ifrinn. The papers she held today were, no doubt, much the same, because the work is simply not allowed to end.

"What brings you up today, Milis?" Ifrinn asked, barely looking up from his work.

"Looks like..." She started flicking through the papers. "They'd like to open a library in the Coleopteran District," she offered.

"Well, that's pleasant."

"Buuut it looks like they want to build it over a cemetery."

"Oh."

“And it seems that an aqueduct in the Dipteran District has been repaired, they'd like you to have a look."

"Knowing full well that I trust them entirely and neither want nor need to go, of course."

"And..." Milis paused to read the letter. "You've been invited to dinner by the Mantitaean Tumarch!"

Ifrinn gagged upon hearing this, and quickly composed himself. "Does it say anything about an alternative menu?"

Milis skimmed through, looking for that phrase and nothing more. "Uhhhhhyes! Yes it does. Here, first page," she said, handing it to him, "Maybe you should have a look."

"Thank you." Ifrinn held the letter in front of him, trying his best to read the requisite Tumarch cursive. Ifrinn sighed, "Well, I suppose I ought to. I can't well refuse four times in a row, they might bother a fifth time," he moaned, throwing the letter to the side casually.

"What's so bad about dinner?" Milis asked, carefully adding the new papers to the stack on his desk. "Maybe I'm missing something, but free food is a good thing where I come from."

"I'm afraid you're missing something indeed," Ifrinn explained. "What do you know about the Mantidae?"

"Um... About as much as you might expect a moth to know."

"This isn't a regular dinner. It is a Punitive Feast."

"Punishment for dinner?"

"Dinner for punishment," he corrected. "The Mantidae, according to traditions dating back to before the creation of Insecta, when the species were still separate tribes, practice ritualistic cannibalism."

The room was silent for a moment.

"It's... People, they want you to eat people?" Milis snatched the letter from Ifrinn's unresisting hands.

"Well, only one person," he laughed.

"Oh yeah, that makes it entirely ok, sure." She set the letter down on Ifrinn's desk, somehow more pale in the face than usual.

"I get the distinct impression that it's not ok."

"There's probably a reason for that, yeah."

Ifrinn stood up from the desk and looked out of the circular window behind, arms clasped behind his back. The Erus Tower's most striking feature is that it slowly, ever so slowly, rotates. It takes a full eight days for the tower to finish its spin, and as luck would have it, Ifrinn's window was overlooking the Mandidae District.

"I'll probably go."

Milis walked up beside him, and leaned on the railing in front of the window.

"I know that the Lord should take great effort to understand his people, but I'm not sure how necessary it is to know how they taste," she laughed.

"I couldn't agree more, which is why I asked about the alternative menu. Macabre as it is, it's not a tradition that can easily be excised, hence I am obliged to abide by its existence. That doesn't mean I am obliged to partake, however."

"And it's not going to bother you that there's just gonna be a dead guy on the table?"

"It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a corpse," Ifrinn said, flatly.

"But for dinner? At the table?" Milis asked, head tilted knowingly.

"Point taken. On a related note, would you accompany me?"

"Eh?"

"For dinner," Ifrinn clarified. "The option to not partake of Mantidaean flesh extends to you, of course."

"Uh, sure?"

"You don't sound very certain."

"N-no, it's just surprising is all. I'd be happy to go with you," Milis smiled.

The feast wasn't for a few days, which gave the two plenty of time to get their affairs in order, of which there were few. Insectan clothing is more often than not limited to armour for venturing into the Underweb or outside of the wall, most Insectans live their entire lives without so much as touching a robe. Most Insectans have large wings, so it's rather challenging to create an article of clothing that isn't needlessly restrictive or uncomfortable, and the climate of the city is mostly mild, further removing the necessity of any covering besides one's own chitin. That said, both Ifrinn and Milis thought it best to at least put in some effort for the night.

Ifrinn did some digging in his seldom-used chambers, and managed to dig up a pair of pauldrons he hadn't worn since his first speech as Lord, having decided they were about as comfortable as they were practical: Not. They were, however, quite eye-catching; from two iridescent pads, made from the treated shell of an ancient earthlouse, curtains of black cloth that almost reached the floor flowed. The soft fabric was hemmed with gold thread, and woven with eight delicate tapestries depicting a small landscape of each District. The curtains covered his arms like a blanket, but didn't so much as touch his wings. Seeing himself in it, he thought he ought to wear it more than he did. It still wasn't particularly comfortable, but it certainly looked "lordly".

Milis, however, didn't possess any regal hand-me-downs. She brought up a letter to Ifrinn's office, asking for a day off so that she could buy something nice to wear. He brought the letter back down the same hour to remind her that she could more or less just go whenever she wanted. A relatively quick journey on a millipede cart took her home to the Lepidopteran District; she felt something nice and silken would be appropriate. Eventually, she managed to settle on a delicate waistcloth, cascading over her legs and almost entirely covering up her posterior abdomen, secured around her middle with an ornate silver pin. Milis admired the garment in the shop's mirror, how light and floaty the fabric was, until she realised that it looked a little bit like a lesser slug, at which she stopped looking in the mirror. She still bought it, though.

The last uneventful day passed, and the day of the Feast finally bothered to show up. Ifrinn had rented a millipede cart just for the two of them, after much confused back-and-forth about payment exemption. He didn't understand why people seemed so eager to refuse his money, but he did eventually walk away with an empty wallet. The carriage driver, an Odonatan, waited as patiently as a dragonfly could outside Erus Tower.

"Good morning sir!" He cheerily chirped to the Lord, "And good morning ma'am! Ready to hit the road?"

"At long last, yes," Ifrinn answered as he and his attaché approached the cart.

Normally, millipede carriages can hold a number of carts at once owing to the length of the beast, so that it might carry as many people as possible at once. However, being rented privately the carriage today only had the one cart, plus a segment for the driver, of course. The millipede runs underneath the carts, which are strapped to its back, and rest against the ground on wheels attached to legs on each corner of the cart, to bear the weight of the passengers. The cart was open-roofed, chosen for the price and for the good weather. The morning sun beaming down would lend itself nicely to a relaxing journey to the Feast.

Ifrinn hopped up onto the platform with a beat of his wings, with Milis following shortly behind. They sat on opposite sides on velvety benches, and with a blowing of a whistle the millipede started to run.

Insecta is believed to have originally been planned around the creation of the grand aqueducts, with the architecture of each district bending and moulding around them. Records have long since been lost of course, but the aqueducts cut through the city like a web, which is visible on most any map. This does, however, mean that fast, public and private transport was more of an afterthought. Around the pillars of the great aqueducts, and along the inside of newer roads, are the myriaways, sections of the pavements used specifically for carriages, which are driven on the left side, of course. The myriaways are crossed by pedestrians over bridges, and are embarked and disembarked on platforms, normally, save for private functions and the like. Today, naturally, the millipede will split off from the myriaway so that it can be safely disembarked at the Mantidean Tumarch's doorstep.

The unmistakable pitter-patter of millipede legs on the road drowned out most of the sounds of the city around them, muffled by a constant rhythm of not-quite-one-thousand footfalls. Shopfronts and houses were little more than smudges unless you focused, which Ifrinn had mastered the art of not doing, lest he strain his eyes. Milis, either less able to turn off her eyes or of a less delicate constitution was eagerly drinking in every ephemeral sight she could, the edges of the blurry tapestry sharpening and dulling in milliseconds as her eyes darted hither and thither.

"Bountiful Sun, I don't think I've ever been down this way before!" she said in awe.

"The Consociat District is too often overlooked, I feel," said Ifrinn, almost regretful. "Not long ago we passed the Thorn District, believe it or not."

"The who?"

"Never mind, a story for another time. We're almost out of the Consociat, now," he added, changing the subject quickly.

With one more turn down the myriaway, the busy wall-like streets gave way to an open circus, the internal walls of the Districts mocking the pedestrians and passengers with their monolithic stature. The great gates of the eight Districts remain more-or-less permanently open, but for most Insectans this does little to make them feel more welcome. The carriage continued its march toward the Mantidean district, through a set of giant doors tinted a dark, secretive green. Passing through the gates felt like travelling to another planet, as the architecture starkly changed from fungaltimber and plaster to sheer walls of giant brick and twisting spires. The carriage slowed down to a crawl, the driver making sure to respect the strictly enforced speed limit.

Prying eyes watched from every angle, monitoring the Lord's party and each other; in the Mantidean District, nobody was spared from following the social mores on which society balanced. This District was rather quiet, as one may imagine, keeping your voice down was paramount here. Only the sounds of the millipede's footfalls registered on Milis and Ifrinn's ears.

Milis took note of the relative silence immediately: Having lived within the busy Consociat District for the last few years had left her accustomed to the nigh constant talking and shouting of the outside world. Seeing Ifrinn, evidently unbothered by the drastic shift in mood, did little to ease her nerves. It felt as if one were visiting a new world upon entering the gates, sure, but it was upon hearing the silence that it became apparent how alien this District could feel.

With time-earned precision, the Dragonfly at the carriage's helm navigated the twisting paths of the ever-quiet District. It wouldn't be long until they arrived at the Tumarch's doorstep, now. The driver kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead, suppressing his natural instinct to make small-talk, lest he cause a scene and embarrass the very master of the city, not to mention draw the ire of the inhabitants of this District.

"Ifrinn," Milis whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Why is it so quiet?"

"The Mantidean culture is strict adherence to customs," he explained, no louder than a breeze, "It is unacceptable to be inappropriately loud, therefore the Mantidae are quiet. It follows that we must be, too."

"Merciful Moon, is there anything else I should know?" Milis asked, almost begging for guidance.

"Just be polite," Ifrinn said softly, "As polite as you can possibly be. They demand compliance, but they know that outsiders won't be so well versed."

The carriage stopped abruptly. "We're here," said the driver, being careful not to shout. Now that the cart had stopped, the millipede standing motionless, the air was now truly deathly still.

Ifrinn stood up, bowed to the driver, and hopped off of the platform onto the pavement below. Milis replicated his gesturing, following his example as gospel. While the driver explained to Ifrinn where he would be waiting for the two of them, Milis took in the spectacle that was the Tumarch's Palace. The cubiform bastion stood stalwart in the centre of the District, foreboding and mighty, towering well above the rest of the buildings and towers here. Four spires jutted out of each corner of the palace, topping it with a simple yet intimidating crown. It looked more like the head of a warhammer, or perhaps a cruel judge's gavel, than a castle.

She jumped a little when Ifrinn tapped her on the shoulder, utterly entranced by the fortress before her. "It's time, Milis," he said, walking ahead.

"Right! Right..."

The atmosphere around the building was heavy, like something was pulling down on the pair's shoulders as they approached the palace. Walking up the cold, stone steps, drawing nearer the doors, the feeling of dread grew heavier and heavier still. Milis was close to losing her nerve, and Ifrinn wasn't faring much better, gritting his chelicerae together to steel himself. Suddenly, the doors creaked open, and the two stopped dead in their tracks. A small mantis stood in the door frame, looking rather unintimidating.

"Welcome, Lord Ifrinn," she said, bowing deeply, "Your arrival was anticipated, and your punctuality is appreciated."

"The pleasure is mine. Thank you for opening the door for us."

Milis smiled, deciding to not risk talking.

"Please, follow me to the dining hall. The Tumarch is waiting for you there."

"Thank you. Please, lead on."

Ifrinn and Milis were ushered inside, but were suddenly stopped again by the mantis.

"Ah, my sincere apologies, I forgot to mention; it would be greatly appreciated if you were to sign the visitor's book, especially your companion," she explained.

"You are forgiven, we would be happy to sign in," said Ifrinn.

"Yeah, no worries!" Milis added with a smile.

Apparently, she failed to read the room correctly, as the mantis scowled at her. She disappeared to retrieve the visitor's book, allowing Ifrinn and Milis a second to appreciate the atrium of the Palace. It was, as one may expect, brutal in construction. Angular stone pillars held up the sky-light ceiling, and a staircase in front of the main entrance led up to the first floor. Even a simple rug would have brought a sense of warmth to the almost crypt-like castle, but the only creature comforts to be found within were the leafy potted plants in the corners, admittedly well cared-for.

The mantis returned with a large book, held in her double-jointed arms as if she were a living lecturn. Milis wondered for a second if she might have had help picking up the book.

"Sign in on this page, please: Full name, occupation, date and time, in that order," she ordered.

Ifrinn thought she was remarkably authoritative for such a small bug, and Milis had a similar idea in much less kind language. A small pen was attached to the spine of the book by a thin string, and Ifrinn signed in for the two of them:

Ifrinn Papil, Lord of Insecta, 32nd of Spider's March, Fifth Light's middle.

Milis Esole, Secretary to the Lord, 32nd of Spider’s March, Fifth Light’s middle.

The mantis shut the book, almost dropping it in the process. She bowed to Ifrinn, and walked away again. Once she returned bookless, she pointed up the stairs; “The dining hall is this way.” She marched up the stairs, Ifrinn and Milis in tow. Continuing down a similarly austere hallway, the trio eventually came to a large set of doors, which the mantis opened for them. Holding the door open, she took a deep bow, to signal them through.

The hall was surprisingly ornate, at least compared to the rest of the castle. The walls were still little more than pillared stone faces, however in the spaces between the pillars great tapestries were hung, depicting scenes of noble Mantideans from days gone by. The room was lit by a massive chandelier, covered in small, luminous crystals looted from Insecta’s Underweb. The floor was a chessboard pattern of large tiles, polished to a reflective sheen. At the centre of the dining hall was a large, U-shaped table, with a small, circular table contained within its cup. The smaller table was empty except for a white cloth, and the U-shaped table was set with typical Mantidean tableware at each of the twelve seats: Napkins, small bowls of water, cups, and pairs of meat shears. The Tumarch, Patriarch Beraht and Matriarch Linza, were sat at the bow of the table, furthest away from Ifrinn and Milis. Upon seeing their esteemed guests, the Tumarch stood up, and bowed respectfully.

“Lord Ifrinn, it is good to see you,” said Beraht, walking over to Ifrinn. “I trust you are keeping well?”

“As well as one may be,” he said with a smile and a shallow bow.

“And who might this be?” Linza asked, clearly half-interested.

Milis glanced at Ifrinn, expecting him to reply for her. He nudged her with his elbow, shocking her back to autonomy. “Ah! My name is Milis, I’m Ifrinn’s secretary.” Linza, Beraht and Ifrinn stared at her expectantly. Milis’ eyes widened in panic before she gave a small curtsey.

Linza huffed, then said; “Well, Ifrinn, I’m glad you invited a plus one to this occasion,” trying to distract herself from Milis’ appalling manners.

“Of course. If given the chance, why would one not bring their most trusted friend?”

Linza rolled her eyes and walked back to her seat.

“Ah, please, follow me, my Lord. And our guest,” Beraht said with a friendly smile. The Patriarch quickly paced to his wife, and Ifrinn and Milis followed behind at a leisurely pace.

“She’s a little…” Milis whispered, “Mean?”

“Don’t take it personally,” Ifrinn whispered back, “Linza is especially easily upset. Plus, it doesn’t help her mood that I killed her ex-husband.”

Milis stared wide-eyed in shock at the smugly-smiling Ifrinn, before they took their seats beside the Tumarch. Milis sat to Ifrinn’s left, Ifrinn to Beraht’s left, and Linza beside Beraht. Despite the table being set for twelve, only the four of them were present so far. Before anyone got too twitchy, another mantis, a servant, arrived with a large, green-glazed clay bottle.

“May I offer you and your guests some wine, venerable Tumarch?” he asked, offering the bottle label-first to the Tumarch.

“You may, and please, what can you tell us about this wine?” Beraht asked.

“This one was bottled fifty years ago,” the servant replied, “In the Odonatan District. It’s a full-bodied, dark wine, best paired with rich, fatty meat. The sommelier personally recommended it for tonight.”

“Perfect, by my reckoning,” Linza commented, “Thank you, deiner.”

The servant stepped back and after placing the bottle on the ground, carefully removed the plug with a resonant pop. One by one, the party leaned aside for the servant to fill their cups. The deep, brownish liquid filled Milis’ nostrils with a pungent, burning smell, and she wondered for a moment if there was perhaps a mixup between the wine cellar and the cleaning room.

The Patriarch raised his cup, and offered a “Cheers,” to the party, who all raised their glasses in kind. Milis took an experimental sip, and almost spat it right back up. She managed to restrain herself, and forced the ghastly fluid down her throat.

"S-sorry, just cho- *cough* choking a little," she managed to spit out with a cough and a sputter.

Beraht chuckled and Linza scoffed at Milis' attempts. Ifrinn patted her on the back. "It's an acquired taste," he muttered, knowingly.

The door across the room opened up, the same mantis who greeted them propping it open, bowing. One by one, more guests entered the hall. The first among them was the Arachnidaean Tumarch: Patriarch Prokhor 'Sekarik' and Matriarch Evpraksiya 'Kuruurk'. Ifrinn wasn't too surprised to see them, knowing their penchant for exotic dining. What was surprising was the sheer quantity of people he did not recognise. There was another Mantidean, who Ifrinn took to be Leutgar, the Patriarch's brother, but the remaining Insectans were a mystery to him. The Coleopteran, the Acri Hymenopteran and the other Mantideans remained nameless, which meant a slew of introductions for Ifrinn to stomach.

The Tumarch stood up, and Ifrinn shortly followed. "Ah, please, my Lord," Beraht said, while his wife left him in the dust, "Trouble not yourself with such pleasantries. Stay seated, they shall follow."

"Nonsense. My people are my equals: If they are to stand, so am I."

Milis stood up as well, trying her best to catch up on all the intricacies of Mantidean manners.

"We're saying hi?" she asked Ifrinn.

"We're saying hi, loath as I am to do so," he sighed.

Reluctantly, the two approached the small crowd of allegedly important Insectans. Almost dazed by the sight of so much silk and shiny metals, Milis turned to Ifrinn for social guidance, only to find he had been swept away in the sea of mingling, leaving her to swim alone.

Ifrinn, ever the socialite, went directly for the only people he recognised, the Arachnidan Tumarch.

"Patriarch, Matriarch, always a pleasure," he said with a bow.

"Please, my Lord, you know our names," Prokhor assured.

"And yet my linguistic talents fail me," replied Ifrinn, to an understanding chuckle.

"It's good to see you, my Lord, though I must admit I am surprised," Evpraksiya mentioned, "I haven't seen you at one of these dinners before, have I?"

"No, you've not, you're quite right. It took me some time to work up the stomach, I'm ashamed to admit," Ifrinn explained, shamelessly.

"Well, they're hardly for everyone, are they my love?" Evpraksiya asked Prokhor.

"No, one should think not. Prey's prey in my mind, though," the Patriarch laughed, "Whether a hunter catches it or a judge."

Milis, however, was left rather beside herself. That was, of course, until social obligations kicked in, and the unfamiliar beetle approached her.

"Greetings, noble one," she said, bowing deeply, "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

"Uh, hi!" Milis managed with a curtsey. "My name's Milis, I'm Ifrinn's secretary."

"A privilage to meet you, Milis. Gytha, Master Leutgar's... Assistant."

A quick glance at the beetle told Milis all she needed to know. She was an impassable wall of chipped, topaz carapace and powerful muscle, and she was, notably, the only person in attendance with a weapon; a flanged cudgel, tied to her hip. 'Assistant' was merely a soft way of saying bodyguard. Or enforcer.

"The privilege is mine, I'm sure."

"Gytha," a mantis, draped in blackened silk, called, "You were asked to leave your proclivities at home. You're here on business, remember?"

"Of course, Master. I was merely introducing myself to another guest," she said, winking conspicuously at Milis. "I didn't realise you had forbidden me from doing so."

Leutgar scoffed, and joined the conversation with the rest of the Mantises, who had congregated into a little circle.

"Ignore him," she said, "I always manage."

Gytha left Milis' side to return to Leutgar, being his guard forced certain expectations upon her, it seemed. Milis heard her name called, and looked around to see Ifrinn beckoning her over. She scurried over quickly to see what he needed.

"What's up?"

"The Tumarch was asking about the library. Given that it's your kingdom, I thought it best for you to explain."

"O-oh! I'd be happy to, your Highnesses."

As Milis began discussing her duties as Librarian of Erus tower to the curious Tumarch, Ifrinn quietly slipped off to poke his nose into another conversation. Leutgar and Gytha had left the conversation with the mantis and the wasp, which Ifrinn took as an invitation.

"Greetings, my lord," said the wasp.

"It is good to see you, Lord Ifrinn," the mantis offered, extending her hand to Ifrinn. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Of course." Ifrinn stared at the mantis' outstretched hand. "Apologies, I'm afraid contact is beyond me."

"Ah, of course, my Lord." The mantis retracted her hand.

"I must apologise again, I didn't see your names in the guest book. What might your names be?"

"My name is Noemi, Director of Gilthand Bank," the mantis said, half extending a hand before thinking better of it.

"Juste, Noemi's personal guard," the wasp grumbled.

"Pleasure to meet the two of you. Forgive me, but I must say that I'm surprised to see a Hymenopteran in your employ.

"You are forgiven. And yes, so I'm told," Noemi sighed, "But he was highly recommended."

Juste nodded, smiling a little.

"I mean no disrespect, of course. You must imagine my delight, seeing the tribes mingle."

"Of course, my Lord," Juste assured, "Not all Insectans are so reluctant to mix."

"And that, that is what brings me hope," Ifrinn said beaming.

Ifrinn allowed himself a moment of pride, before rescuing the conversation from certain death. "So, honourable Director, I take it you must be close to the Tumarch?"

"Oh yes, my Lord,  very close indeed. I've known Linza since we were just girls."

"Quite the time, I imagine."

Noemi hummed in agreement. "It's funny how things change. It feels like only a day ago we were in school, and now I run a bank and she runs a whole district!"

"Time does as time does, it seems," Ifrinn chuckled, bittersweet. He noticed that Juste was idly inspecting his fingers, and decided to invite him into the so far exclusive conversation: "How long have you been working for Noemi, Juste?"

"About a halo, now," he said, bluntly.

"I see, and what about before? What sort of work did you do then?"

"I was the personal guard of the Hymenopteran Tumarch."

"Truly?" Ifrinn asked, incredulous, "I can't for the life of me remember seeing you around, my apologies."

"No need to apologise. I was hardly a public figure, that I slipped your mind only means whatever meetings you attended were important."

Milis was just discussing a book, 'The Rolling City", with Evpraksiya, when two more guests, the mantises, joined the fold. These mantises wore white, embroidered scarfs, secured with an iron pin in the shape of weighing scales.

"Greetings, your highnesses," said one of the mantises, "And you, Ifrinn's… consort?"

"C-con-WHAT?" Milis sputtered, “I think you, you’re… Ifrinn and I, we’re not…”

“I think, honoured guest, that you have assumed incorrectly,” Evpraksiya interrupted, “And have rather put the good madam on the spot.”

“I meant no offense,” he pled, “I should not have guessed. Please accept my humble apologies, the good madam…?” His apology trailed off into a question.

“The good madam Milis,” she replied, still flustered, “And I accept your apology.”

“Thank you, Milis. Please, allow me to introduce myself and my comrade, as to move past my folly.”

Milis patiently waited for the mantis to continue, and stared in confusion when he did not. Prokhor nudged her and raised his brow, as if to tell her to continue.

“Oh! Yes, you may introduce yourself.”

“My name,” he said, as if he weren’t trapped in silent supplication for a solid ten seconds, “Is Hüter Guntram, and my comrade is Hüter Lamprecht.” The other mantis, who had kept perfectly silent, gave a respectful nod. “It is us who are responsible for today’s feast.”

Prokhor and Evpraksiya quietly excused themselves, having seen Beraht beckon them over, leaving Milis alone with the cannibal constables.

“Pleased to meet you, Hüter,” Milis lied, extending a hand. Guntram eagerly accepted, shaking her hand with a firm grip. She offered her hand to Lamprecht, who might have cut her hand off with the strength of his digits.

“So,” Milis began, dreading the answer to the question that had been brewing for days, “Who…” she gestured outward, confused hands struggling to compensate for words she couldn’t find.

“The main course?” Lamprecht asked, with a voice like heavy footsteps in a crypt.

“...Yeah.”

“The one awaiting punishment was named Burkhard Leva,” he Guntram answered, solemnly. “For the crime of murder, with blatant disregard for the sanctity of the law, he was sentenced to death; execution by evisceration.”

Milis’ haemolymph ran cold. “Oh.” The nature of today’s feast suddenly dawned on her. It was an event she was nervously anticipating for the last few days, but hearing the words spill like lymph out of his mouth tied her stomach into a slip knot.

“It was Lamprecht and I who managed to apprehend the one awaiting punishment, brought him to the guard house in shackles ourselves,” Guntram said, beaming with pride.

“M-my apologies, could you repeat that for me? The one awaiting…?”

“Awaiting punishment?”

“Yeah, so he’s…?”

“Alive?” Guntram and Lamprecht laughed, “Of course he’s alive, madam,” Guntram explained, “If he were executed when he was sentenced the meat would have gone bad by now!”

The guards chuckled at a party-appropriate volume at Burkhard’s misfortune, and only just heard Milis mutter out an excuse before she quickly walked away. Past the Mantidean Tumarch and the Patriarch’s brother, past Ifrinn and Noemi, and back out the way she came in. She disappeared in a matter of moments, and was out of the palace’s front door even faster. She skittered down the steep stone steps as fast as she could manage without stumbling over, and to her fortune found a convenient little alleyway opposite the palace.

Milis booked it to the alley, managing to keep her composure long enough to not vomit in the middle of the road. Doing so is generally frowned upon, of course. She took a minute to just stand there, leaning on the wall and catching her breath. The acrid stench of the inside of her stomach did little to distract her from the reality of the feast. With great effort she pushed herself back standing by herself, still hunched over in revulsion, exhaustion and fear. She managed to straighten up, and was met with the sight of the Lord of Insecta.

“AH! Damnable fucking Sun, Ifrinn!” she shouted, “Ho-ly… I-I’m sorry…” Milis leaned up against the wall, clutching at her heart.

“There’s no cause for apology,” Ifrinn said, softly.

“For running out like a coward?”

Ifrinn sighed and walked deeper into the alleyway, standing beside Milis against the wall. “I’m going to assume that you are fortunate enough to not have seen a corpse before.”

Milis winced, but managed to grumble out a “Yes”.

“It’s only natural, then, that you guided yourself away from such a grim event.”

“Ifrinn?”

“Yes?”

“You… you’d never-”

“No,” Ifrinn interrupted. “Not as long as I live.”

They stood in silence for a time, trying to figure out the words to say.

“Can’t you make them stop?” Milis pleaded, “You’re the Lord for crying out loud, surely you can put a stop to this?”

“Were it so easy, I would have done so long ago.” Ifrinn looked up, thinking deeply. “This kind of event is at the heart of Mantidean society. To take a stab at it would be to take a stab at their heart. As I told you before, it’s not something I can ablate, wish though I may.”

“Then why did we come, anyway? You’ve refused them before, haven’t you?”

“To the Tumarch’s increasing disappointment. If I had continued to refuse them, they might have started to believe, rightly so, that I find their traditions disgusting. My purpose is, ultimately, to improve Insecta for the better,” he explained, placing a hand on Milis’ shoulder, “But I can only do that if my people trust me.”

“How… how many bodies have you seen?” she asked, teary-eyed.

“By my count, more than zero is too many for one life. I murdered the last Lord with my own two hands, and watched those closest to me die myself.” Ifrinn looked away from Milis. “Too many. Far too many. If you meant to ask if the sight of death becomes more tolerable, it does not.”

Milis looked back at the palace. Without looking back, she asked; “Was that Linza’s husband? The old Lord?”

“Indeed. He was even less pleasant than Linza.” He chuckled quietly and Milis let out an amused huff, before her expression faded. “You don’t need to stay,” said Ifrinn. “I understand all of this is too much for you. Merciful Moon, it’s almost too much for me. You can take the carriage back home, and I’ll return later.”

“Why did you invite me, Ifrinn? You didn’t really think that I’d be able to stomach this, right?” she asked, half-laughing.

“Shortsighted selfishness.”

Milis tilted her head in confusion.

“I think the point is clear by now that this feast is an abomination to me. I felt as though a comforting presence would go some way to ease my nerves.”

Milis looked at Ifrinn wide-eyed; “O-oh.”

Ifrinn walked past her. “I’ll be expected back. Retreat is not an option for me, unfortunately. The offer stands, however.” He turned back around to Milis. “I appreciate your company, but you’re not obliged to stay.”

She stared for a moment at Ifrinn as he walked straight back into the wretched palace but something inside of her told her to follow, and within moments Milis’ legs were moving on their own.

“I might not be the Lord,” she said, “But I am his assistant. It would reflect badly on both of us, were I to abandon you.”

“Spoken like a politician,” he laughed. “Thank you, Milis. I told the Tumarch that you had gone to get some air, so don’t worry about explaining yourself.”

Soon, they found themselves back inside the dining hall. Guntram, Lamprecht, Noemi and Juste were already sitting at the table, and the other guests were walking to their seats. The Arachnidaean Tumarch were taking their seats at the end of the table, opposite the more impatient guests. Beraht and Linza were watching the door expectantly. The Mantidean Patriarch excitedly paced to Ifrinn and Milis, as the Matriarch made herself comfortable at the head of the table.

“Ah, you’re back. Just in time for the main event,” Beraht said, smiling, “And rest assured, my Lord, the alternative dish shall be just as exquisite as the centerpiece.”

“Thank you, Patriarch,” said Ifrinn, “We look forward to it.”

The remaining diners took their seats, patiently, impatiently and stressfully. Milis took a degree of comfort in noticing Ifrinn bouncing his leg. Suddenly, one of the doors behind them, opposite the way they came in, blew open. Beraht and Linza did not turn around, but that did nothing to stop the other morbidly curious guests. Four servants, wearing white clay masks, carried something under a pale cloth like pallbearers. Another mask-clad mantis, in front of them, led their march, and a sixth behind pushed a cart, stacked with plates and other assorted implements.

The grim parade circled around the U-shaped table, passing along counter-clockwise. The sweet, salty smell of perfectly braised meat filled the guests' noses, to a chorus of expectant ‘oo’s and ‘aa’s. The leader of the pack led the pallbearers to the central table, and signalled for his followers to lay down the mass onto it. The cart stopped just short of the table, and one by one the four pallbearers carried a plate to each guest.

The plates were stacked with an assortment of roasted dirt apples and pastinacas, and dauci braised in salty louse fat. All of the vegetables were served with gravy, made with the same juices the dauci were cooked in, and generously seasoned with subtle herbs. The scent was warm and inviting, and for a moment, it was enough to distract Milis from the knotted feeling in her guts.

Milis and Ifrinn’s plates were quickly tended to by the cart-pushed, who carried to them a serving tray, replete with seared catch-of-the-day belostoma, which was generously stacked onto their plates. The meat gave off a fresh, subtle smell, with a kind of meatiness to it that makes the back of your mouth water.

“Venerable Tumarch, honoured guests, the house would ask for your attention!” the parade’s leader cried.

The table fell silent.

“The punished one shall now atone for his crimes. In his death, we are blessed, in his absence we are bettered. Please raise your cups for the atonement of Burkhard Leva.”

The guests and hosts did as they were told, and raised their dark wine high in honour of the execution of the punished one, and the cloth was removed from the centerpiece.

The handless corpse of a mantis, emptied of life and organs and stuffed with bread and herbs, sprawled out on a silver dish. The green insect had toasted to a golden brown, fat and juices seeping out of his carapace. That carapace, barely clinging to his roasted flesh, had crispened up into a glistening, crunchy brittle, and the scent of his rich, savoury meat filled the air of the banquet hall. His eyes had shrivelled up and burst in the heat of the oven, yet he still seemed to stare blindly at all the guests at once. The beautiful scent and horrific sight played foul tricks on those guests of weaker constitution.

Applause. The sound of modest clapping rang out through the hall, and only Milis remained silent. Ifrinn slowly clapped his hands, unwilling to break his observation of Mantidean manners. The leader of the pallbearers retrieved a knife from the cart, and the cart pusher followed shortly with an empty serving tray. Milis shut her eyes tightly, so as to not see the knife gliding through Burkhard’s flank. Her eyes remained sealed shut as the meat was stripped from his side, from his leg, anywhere the knife could tear away chunks of him, and piled up high onto the serving plate. The servant passed the meat around to the guests, stacking their plates with the profane morsels. Two of the pallbearers reached into the seemingly bottomless cart and found a violin and a bow each. With practised ease and biological awkwardness, they began to play; a somber, mellow tune. Once the guests were adequately provided with guilty flesh, the cart pusher fell into line with the other pallbearers, and the leader spoke up; “Please, venerable Tumarch, honoured guests, enjoy.”

The guests excitedly began to eat, snipping the slices into bite-sized pieces with their shears. They ate with their fingers, dunking the meat into the gravy, scooping up vegetables, any combination their hungry hearts desired, chasing it down with the powerful wine. Milis stared at her plate, feeling a combination of hunger and emptiness. Ifrinn indulged himself in the safe meat they were provided, and gave Milis a subtle nudge.

“We’re almost done.” He spoke softly, so as to not draw unnecessary attention to himself, and to make himself more comforting. “You only need to hold on a little longer.”

She only now took stock of where the other guests were sitting, still trying to not look too closely at Burkhard. Leutgar had sat next to her, and Gytha next to him, though neither seemed to have any reservations about partaking of the mantis’ flesh. Noemi and Juste sat further down on the left side. Milis took comfort in seeing Juste abstain. Guntram and Lamprecht sat on the right side, taking the honoured seats beside their Tumarch, and Prokhor and Evpraksiya further down.

“Hey, that looks pretty good,” Gytha said, still chewing. “I’d ask for some, but Master Leutgar told me that’s bad manners.”

“I’d offer you some, happily,” Milis muttered.

Ifrinn was only slightly more content, munching down on the non-sapient dish he had been served.

“So Ifrinn,” Linza began, “You refused our traditional cuisine.”

“Yes, Matriarch, I did.” “Might I ask why?” she interrogated.

“Oh, I’m afraid medium-rare doesn’t sit well with me, I much prefer well-done,” Ifrinn lied.

“And you knew that we would be cooking this way from our invitation alone?” “What can I say, Matriarch, I’m good at guessing.”

Linza scowled at Ifrinn, who continued dining as happily as he could. The dauci and pastinacas were soft and tender, and the dirt apples were light and fluffy. When soaked in the heavy gravy, the roasted meat took on an intense, melt-in-the-mouth flavour, moreish indeed. The wine, although powerful, rinsed down the buttery, salty taste with a spiced, floral sweetness. If one ignored the corpse in the centre of the room, it might almost feel like a luxurious night out.

Ifrinn was no stranger to finger-food, though it was never normally so ornate. Nor so wet. The dishes of water proved an invaluable asset; slurping at one’s fingers is generally frowned upon at the dinner table. A serviette wouldn’t have gone amiss, though.

Milis was too busy staring at her food to eat any of it, the pit in her stomach feeling as full as it did empty. Instead she turned her focus to the beetle beside her, trying to take in anything other than the smell of meat. Gytha was happily chowing down of the food in front of her with no sign of stopping, so much so that one of the masked servants had already given her a few more slices of meat.

“Gytha,” Leutgar hissed, “Control yourself.”

“Sorry master, but I can’t help it! Have you even tried it yet?” Hearing Gytha call Burkhard ‘it’ turned her stomach.

“Of course I have, it’s delicious. However, you will not forget your manners in this company, do you understand?”

Gytha swallowed another mouthful before replying; “Yes, master.” To Gytha’s credit, she did slow down. A little.

Milis stared back at her food. Somehow, it seemed much less egregious now. Gytha’s display of wanton avarice and her own empty gut probably helped this in equal measure. She cautiously tried a daucus. It was soft and sweet, but not overly so, and the rich, salty gravy played along very nicely with the delicateness of the vegetable. It wasn’t that bad, actually. Knowing that the meat on her plate was much the same she had been eating her whole life definitely helped her digest it all.

“Your plate’s still lookin’ pretty full there,” Gytha said, snapping Milis out of her trance.

“Yeah, yeah it is.”

“Something wrong?”

“No no! No, nothing’s wrong,” Milis lied, “It’s just… I’m just not that hungry,” she said with a forced smile.

“Look,” Gytha said, knowingly, “I get it, I’ve been to a few of these. It’s weird.”

“That’s… one way to put it.”

“It’s fine if you don’t wanna eat a guy, I get it. Think about it like this:” Gytha scooched a little closer to Milis, and cautiously pointed around the table. “Look at everyone.”

She did. The guests were all joyfully eating away at the flesh of a dead man. The Arachnidan and Mantidean Tumarchs were chatting away, between slices of Burkhard’s flank.

“We’re all eating ‘im. ‘Cept you and the Lord. And that guy.”

Gytha was pointing at Juste, who, despite Noemi’s poking and prodding, was not eating anything.

“You and Ifrinn got the good-people plates. He’s not even bothered with a plate! Bet his mistress isn’t being rude about it though,” she grumbled.

Milis looked at Ifrinn, who was focused on savouring his food. Somehow, she saw a tinge of sadness in his eyes, even as he delighted in the exquisite flavours.

“So don’t worry so much. The cooks are careful to not get nothin’ mixed up, your food’s all clear.”

“Thank you, Gytha.”

The beetle gave Milis a wink and returned to her food. Whether she had meant a word of what she said or not, her pep-talk definitely helped ease Milis’ nerves, so much so that she tried some of the belostoma. She kicked herself a little for not trying it sooner.

“Merciful moon that’s good,” she muttered, covering her mouth with her clean hand.

To her embarrassment Ifrinn chuckled at her mumbling, and gave her a proud smile. He quickly returned to his own world, recentering himself on his plate. He had whittled through most of the meal by now, each bite more delicious than the last. His bastion of indulgence was broken by a familiar tone.

“How is your food, Ifrinn? To your standards?” Linza asked, her voice seeping with vitriol.

“It is quite delightful, thank you, Matriarch.”

“And yet you cannot be tempted to try the main dish.”

“Quite correct, Matriarch.”

“Why is that, Ifrinn?”

“Is a man not entitled to his preferences?”

“Of course he is,” Linza admitted, “But if one understands from where his entitlement stems, then such a man might be better accommodated next time.”

“I believe that I am perfectly well accommodated, Matriarch.”

“Linza,” Beraht whispered, “Please.”

The rise in Linza’s tone was enough to disturb the rest of the guests, breaking all conversation save for her and Ifrinn’s. The violinists continued playing. Milis assumed that this kind of thing must have happened before, either that or they were exceptionally well-versed in not caring. In any case, her distaste for this woman was mounting.

“Surely you are not, Ifrinn, if the main event itself is not to your liking? The meat isn’t well done enough, was it? We can have that fixed for you. Diener,” she snapped, pointing a claw at a servant who jumped to life. “Take a plate of meat to the kitchen, and have it cooked further.”

“At once, Matriarch. This will only take a moment.”

With clockwork precision, the servant grabbed a plate from the cart, and carved away at Burkhard, piling the plate high with meat. Too much, frankly. Milis reasoned this was either a better-safe-than-sorry thing, or that this was planned excess, just to be a pest.

“That’s quite unnecessary, Matriarch,” Ifrinn assured.

“And why is that, Ifrinn? Do you not wish to partake in our sacred traditions?”

“No, Matriarch, I do not.”

“You would balk at our heritage? At us?”

Ifrinn opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of a chair scraping along the ground. Milis’ feet led her of their own accord, walking past Ifrinn, past Linza and the other diners. She arrived beside the servant carving the meat, and by this point the music had stopped. Milis grabbed a slice of meat, turned around to face Linza, and stuffed it into her mouth. With apparent effort, she managed to choke it down.

“Thank you, Matriarch,” she sputtered, “The meal was delicious, however I for one am full. I imagine the Lord is too, which, I have no doubt, is why he refused.”

“Thank you, Milis. I could not have said it better myself.” Ifrinn stood up, finished off the wine in his cup, and walked away from the table toward the exit. “Thank you for your hospitality, most venerable Tumarch. We will be taking our leave.”

As one may imagine, vomiting in an alleyway is something of a taboo to the Mantidea. Doing it twice, however, is damn near unfathomable. Ifrinn gave Milis a reassuring pat on the back, apparently unbothered by the unacceptable display. Milis stood up slowly, head spinning.

“We’ve left earlier than I had told the driver,” said Ifrinn. “He’ll still be sticking around for a while yet. I suggest we find a drink for you, if only to remove the taste.”

“Yeah, I think that-” Milis covered her mouth with her hand, ready to be sick again. She managed to keep it down. “I think that would be good.”

“I must say,” Ifrinn started, helping keep Milis upright, “That was quite the display. Thank you, I might have exploded if you hadn’t acted.”

“What can I say, she was bothering me at that point too.”

Ifrinn turned his eyes to the road for a second, trying to coax himself back into speech.

“I shouldn’t ask, really, but… How was it?”

Milis looked as though she was staring at something behind the world ahead of her, eyes almost glased over with thought, finding the right words.

But what words were there? For something so completely, utterly, unrepentantly evil, and yet the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten? The rendered fat crispened the skin enough to give it a satisfying ‘crunch’, but not enough to mar the soft, almost cloud-like tenderness of the meat. Salty and oh-so-rich, with that kind of earthiness that lingers just a little on the roof of your mouth and behind your nose, tempting you to have another, and another. It was completely unlike anything Milis had eaten before, and much, much more delicious. So delicious, in fact, it almost distracted her from the reality that she had eaten somebody’s corpse.

“It was… Fine.”

Ifrinn looked a little dissappointed. “Fine?”

“Honestly? The belostoma was better.”

So yeah hope you liked that. I certainly like the fact that you chose to suffer through it.

[gurleen12]

Business Operations Plan

Sourcing Our Products

We’ve selected suppliers who provide non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products. Our initial order is placed, and we expect delivery in three weeks, allowing time for any unforeseen delays and ensuring we meet our quality standards.

Team Roles

(Project Manager): Coordinates tasks, schedules, and ensures everything stays on track.

(Supply Chain Manager): Manages relationships with suppliers and oversees inventory.

(Marketing Lead): Develops and implements our marketing strategies.

(Operations Manager): Organizes service schedules, manages customer interactions, and ensures high service standards.

(Finance Officer): Oversees budgeting, expenses, and financial planning.

Licenses and Permits

We’re in the process of securing necessary licenses and permits, including:

Business License

Professional Cleaning Service Permit

Health and Safety Certifications

Vision and Tools for Launch

Our vision is to offer top-notch cleaning services while promoting environmental sustainability. Key tools and items needed include:

Eco-friendly cleaning supplies

Reliable transportation for our cleaning teams

Scheduling software for efficient service management

Marketing tools like Mailchimp, Hootsuite, and Google Analytics to promote our service

Secure payment systems via PayPal and Stripe.

[paramouradrift]

Febuwhump Day 6 - "You Lied To Me"

Fandom: Avatar/Mirror's Edge crossover AU

Characters: Zuko, Azula

"You Lied To Me"

Zuko threw open Azula’s office doors. She spared him a glance from her seat at the desk.

“I’m going to have to call you back,” she said into her gridLink. “Something urgent has just come up.”

The two of them couldn’t be more different: her with her neat, pressed corporate suit, not a hair out of place; him with his enforcer civvies, messy hair, and bandaged eye. She was made for boardrooms and office work. He looked like a street thug.

“You lied to me,” he said.

“About what, specifically?” she asked.

“How is it that I learned I’ve been passed over from the company newsletter?” Zuko spat, storming up to her desk. “You said you were pursuing an independent project!”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” Azula rolled her eyes. “Look at your resume: disciplinary notices, two demotions, and your psych eval does not inspire confidence. Did you really think Father would choose you as heir to his business empire?”

“OSec is the backbone of this corporation,” Zuko sneered. “I worked my way up through the ranks and understand its workings better than you. Your summary of my resume left out my commendations for field work, and all my certifications.”

“Let’s call it a mixed bag,” Azula said with a dismissive wave. “So you’ve experience with our security divisions. While you were studying bending and crowd control, I was learning business, finance, and negotiation. You may be able to manage OSec, but I’m the one with the skills to govern Ozai Holdings.”

“I guess I should’ve expected this of you,” Zuko said. “You always went out of your way to get Father’s special treatment.”

“And how’s that burn?” Azula said, a slight edge to her tone. She stood. “I admit, I may have fibbed a little about your prospects in this company, but you’ve only yourself to blame for gaining Father’s disapproval. Will that be all?”

Zuko grunted and turned on his heel. His hand was on the door handle when Azula called out to him.

“I see you’ve been enrolled in the ShockSec Division.” She was checking her tablet idly. “You know, I’m friends with Commander Shin. If you’d like, I could invite you to join us for dinner next weekend. He has a daughter two years your senior, and she’s single.”

Zuko nearly snapped the door handle off. Azula raised an eyebrow at his thunderous expression, waiting a beat for him to respond. She smirked.

“A true leader doesn’t rise from the bottom,” she said. “He claws his way up to the top to stand above the rest.”

“Enjoy your promotion,” Zuko spat. He didn’t slam the door behind him—he was 18, he was a full adult in the eyes of the Conglomerate, he was above such childish displays of pique—but he did close the elevator door in the face of a hiCaste secretary. The punching bag in the training room was reduced to cinders.

Azula was now the sole heir to Ozai Holdings.

Zuko had been sidelined.

[almostjollyprince]

100ish Days of Productivity: The Second Week

Day 5/100 - Jan 6 2024 I ran my D&D campaign. First session in months (we took a break for the holidays around October). Went pretty well. I had planned for that part that they were getting into to take 2 sessions, but I've got a pretty clever group so we managed to wrap it up in 1 session. Spookiness awaits. After the session I started finalizing the details for the Wednesday campaign because that's also starting up again in a few days. Rewrote some ideas as a means of hopefully jump-starting character development for some PCs. We'll see how it turns out.

Rest Day - Jan 7 2024 I took it easy and played games all day. I was hoping to be a little more productive yesterday, but I'm already feeling a bit of the burnout from this 100 Days of Productivity thing. On a side note, I'm almost done with Year 1 of Coral Island, so that's kind of cool I guess. I still haven't decided who I want to romance but it could also be that 1) none of the bachelors/bachelorettes really stand out to me as husband/wife material or 2) I don't care about the romance aspect of the slice-of-life farm game genre. It was like that with Stardew Valley, it was like that with Rune Factory, and it was like that with Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons.

Day 6 - Jan 8 2024 Weather was pretty bad, so I worked from home and provided support for the other developers. I'm trying to study for the certification exam, but the body doesn't want to do what the mind wants it to do. Like there's some sort of disconnect between wants and needs. I hate this feeling. Part of me wonders if I ever fully recovered from the severe burnout I had from one of my previous jobs that ruined my physical and mental health. I finished wrapping up the stuff I needed for the Wednesday campaign, so that was the evening/night.

Day 7 - Jan 9 2024 Roads were clear so I went into the office. Work work work. My buddy for the day and I built a modal that appears for one of the buttons, but after looking at how the original handles that part, it turns out that it should be a page of its own instead of a modal. That's fine, the heavy lifting is done and it shouldn't take more than a day to rewire it as a page instead of a modal. After work, I double-checked my notes for the Wednesday campaign and then just played games. Oh, and swap out the filters for the HVAC. It's supposed to get really cold over the weekend and it's around the time to swap them out anyway, so might as well do it while I don't have anything major going on.

Day 8 - Jan 10 2024 I'm in charge of deciding pairs every week, but it's really hard to follow the whole 'paired programming' thing when we're working with such a small team for the rotation, I can't pair certain roles together (orders from higher up), and the mid/senior devs keep getting pulled away to handle responsibilities that aren't even theirs to begin with. Someone confided in me that they were considering looking elsewhere because the whole reason they joined was for this pairing system and it wasn't happening. I get it, I really do. We should be getting some new blood in the office in less than 2 weeks so hopefully that can help shake up this feeling of drudgery. Rewiring the modal to the page didn't take longer than a half a day. We haven't coded any functionality into it yet because it sounded like we might be getting some new guidance for the project that might make everything we've done not matter. After doing some research, it looked like we could still connect what we have with the original framework after overhauling the older version of .NET we have for it to a newer version. Cool. That information will probably be presented at the meeting on Friday with the customer, so that'll be resolved. After some last minute prepping (once I got home from work), I ran the Wednesday session for my players. Like the Saturday group, they haven't played since October. Session went pretty well, but I did get some complaints about some stuff that went on during the session so I'll have to address them (again). It's the first session in months so I get that some of the rules we established were broken. Just gotta... remind them of said rules.

Day 9 - Jan 11 2024 Got some mediocre news in the morning. The paperwork I submitted over a year ago still hadn't been processed, and I'm still the only person on the team lacking those permissions the paperwork is supposed to give me. I can't really do my job as a team lead on my own without those permissions, but there's nothing either of us can do about it. The ball's not in our court. Did a team building event with the team in the form of a group lunch. The distraction was nice. The project manager asked me to submit an overview of the work I did for one of the projects I lead so that he could send that to the customer of a particular project, even though all that information is on that project's Trello. It's late enough in the workday that I'll just make a note of it for tomorrow, but I get how the other leads feel about all this work that isn't our responsibility being passed on to us. I had to start putting some events in motion for the Wednesday campaign, so I started sharing some information of what's to come with select individuals. I also do this with the Saturday campaign for their stuff. Speaking of the Saturday campaign... since they're about to wrap up an arc I need to finish finalizing the next arc. They're free to go to any of the other regions, but the only one that makes any logical sense is the Republic. So for that I'll need...

Day 10 - Jan 12 2024 I made sure to let the project lead know that there's some merge requests for the Develop branch. We'll need to lock down the code so that we're not introducing potentially new issues in the stuff that's being demo'd today. The project lead was having some issues getting one of the branches to work on his machine, so after verifying that it worked on mine he just recloned the project and got it to work for him after doing that. I also took care of the overview I put off yesterday while he was getting set up for the demo. After demo, the team played some Jackbox. The team's small enough that everyone gets to play. I didn't win, but I'm just here to have a good time. After work I reached out to an acquaintance about a design for the Saturday campaign. I'm lucky and thankful that I know a bunch of different artists. This particular artist designed some eldritch horror concepts for a different campaign that I'm in, and since I'll be needing one soon they were the perfect pick. We brainstormed some ideas and they got to work, but it was only after they had gone to bed that I came up with an even better idea, and for that, they'll need my notes... I'll make sure to compensate them for their efforts. Treat your artists well, and they'll treat you well in return. Kind of applies to all relationships in life, really. I don't know why some people struggle with that philosophy, but it is what is it.

Day 11 - Jan 13 2024 Oh hey the weekend. Unfortunately there's one hellova cold snap hitting the region and other places so whatever plans I had of going out is... just not gonna happen. I'm just gonna buckle down and stay warm. The wife finally got Monster Hunter World working again on her computer, so we hunted some monsters. My file of Monster Hunter World that we have on the Playstation 4 is much further than where I'm at on PC, but we can't skip cutscenes so it was a bit of a slog getting through more of story. On the Playstation I think I left off around the Alatreon encounter (big dragon fight right before the final big dragon fight), but on the PC version I still hadn't made it to the Elder's Recess (one of the later zones of baseline story). The wife and I are both seasoned veteran hunters so the fights were pretty easy. It was just... the unskippable cutscenes. And before I get any flak for skipping cutscenes, I just wanna say that I've already seen all the cutscenes on the Playstation version. Also, when the fights take less time than the cutscene itself (and you gotta watch the cutscene before other hunters can join you on the fight), there's an issue. Maybe that's just me. I enjoyed Tri, 3U, 4U, and Generations from the old gen, and Rise from the new gen. Maybe it's just the story pacing from World that's making it unenjoyable to sit through a second time. Hopefully Monster Hunter Wilds has a good story (not that Monster Hunter is winning in the story category anytime soon), or at least an option to skip certain cutscenes. Aside from Mon Hun, I sent over my notes to the artist and wrapped up Year 1 of Coral Island. The artist liked what they were seeing in the notes so I've got high hopes they'll design something exceptional. I was also asked by a different artist to conceptualize my character's late wife in a different campaign, and they did an amazing job drawing her.

Rest Day - Jan 14 2024 It took a bit of effort to motivate myself to write this new update for the 100ish Days of Productivity. It definitely ties back to that disconnect I briefly wrote about earlier in the week. I need to get better about it. Otherwise it defeats the entire purpose of this journey of self-improvement. It's still really cold out (yesterday it was in the negatives, today wasn't much better). Bundled up and played some Final Fantasy 14. There's a new patch for the game coming up, so I wanted to spend some time and deal with some of the Challenge Log items, which are basically weekly goals that earn you some extra coin for completing a certain number of them. It was also a good time to decorate the inside of the medium house I won back in December. While I wasn't able to decorate the entirety of it, I did make some good progress on the upper and main levels. I've got vendors set up inside the house that have housing items I can buy, and what I can't buy from them I go out and gather myself. I think I've got some great lighting on the upper floor, but I'll need to add more light sources to the main floor. It's too dark on the eastern side pretty much any time it isn't between the in-game hours of 6am - 12pm. Same thing with the western side but anytime that isn't between 12pm - 6pm. I wonder if the ceiling light is just no good for how I have the marble walls set up? I have tomorrow off, so I'm hoping I can overcome the disconnect and get some studying done.

[loser-female]

How do I get into cybersecurity? It looks fascinating but I don’t even know where to begin (for context, I am 28, have a BA in a completely unrelated specialization, and live in the US) 💛

Hi! I wasn't ignoring you, I just had shit days at work. Keep in mind that I work in EU and the labour market is different. I've heard a lot of lay-offs in the last few months but I have no idea if this involved cybersecurity positions or not. Also I'm a SOC Analyst specialising in Threat Intelligence. There are a lot of more positions to look out for, like if you are a lawyer you could go on the cyberlaw, privacy or auditing route.

Languages skills are appreciated a lot of you work in Threat Intelligence (I speak 4, currently learning Mandarin and my country sign language), coding skills are useful too.

Now, the usual path is:

1. Degree in computer science or software engineering (or math or physics, I did two years at physics)

2. You take a specialising course of some sort.

Some universities offers cybersecurity degrees I think (in my country it's a master's for example), and sometimes they might prepare you for CompTIA certs too. If you are lucky sometimes companies hire interns for like 6 months and they too make them study. My company did this... For the last interns. I had to be start my shifts after a month of learning lol. Idk if my manager threw a dice to choose between me and the other guy or if he noticed my ability.

I didn't follow that path, for various reason. I did a bootcamp and I took my certifications. But:

1. I've volunteered in a similar field for years and years (information research, debunking);

2. I speak 4 languages;

3. I did two years of physics before my health declined.

I do not recommend that part, because while I'm stupid good at my job, frankly my previous experience as volunteering did much more than any bootcamp.

Two points I feel I need make:

1. Certs. There are like an hundred or more, and it's a mess to figure it out. Plus it all depends what kind of role you want. Good news: most likely the company that will hire you will provide you access to few courses and the possibility to gain some of them, but IMHO taking a Sec+ or a Net+ is not a bad idea before looking for a job. While EC-Council is what HR looks at... Frankly let your company pay for it. Sec+ is like 350$ while a Ceh is 900$.

2. Downsides of my job - these are not talked enough imho.

-I work insane hours, I have two weekends free every two months because I work in shifts. I get paid more in my country (like I have a base hour rate and I get paid from 25% to 75% more of that rate if I like work on Christmas or a Sunday, nights get paid more obviously)

-I spend a significant amount of time studying and looking at news sites, social media to catch "the last news".

-Male environment. When I go to a conference I'm one of the like 20 women out of 1000, of which like 5 have a technical role like I do. It does make it feel like you are a freak even if no one is mean to you. I work from home, and I have only a female colleague - when I go to the office I'm the only woman out of 20 men. I love my colleagues and my manager, mind you, but if you are not in a good environment it's going to be a mess.

- Every company has a different set of tools, standards, programs etc that they use, and of you want to change job it can be hard to adapt.

-A SOC is a fast-paced environment and can be very stressful by nature, because it's a 24/7 service, and in certain parts of the day you can be inundated with alerts and issues to solve. And sometimes you have empty hours because nothing happens and it's boring.

- it's very important also to have soft skills because (like I did it today) you will be in charge of explaining what's going on to clients in a way that a 5 yo will understand, you will be in charge of projects, need to set enough time to study...

- You will meet people 1000x better than you are - and if you don't have the right mentality it's hard to deal with them, because you (well at least I do lol) will feel like an idiot and no one likes feeling like an idiot.

-Long hiring process. It took me a month from the first interview to be confirmed and two months to actually start - and this could really be a problem.

-Networking and connecting with others while it didn't land me a job definitely improved my skills, my credibility in the environment and who knows what else will happen in the future. Take what you can from others, most will be happy to share and help.

BUT!

Before committing you can try it with popular games such as Tryhackme or Hack The Box. They have learning environments where you can "play" and learn some basics. A real SOC or pen-test is like doing 10 of these challenges together but I had a lot of fun.

I hope this is enough! I tried to explain everything that someone considering a career in cybersecurity. Again, consider that I'm in Europe so this info might not be 100% accurate in the US.

[flameturned]

Home Improvement Guide: How To Pick a Junk Or Rubbish Removal Company

Individuals will generally collect bunches of assets over the long haul. There comes a moment that items are as of now not useful of needed. However because of individuals' inclination to gather things over the long haul, it is sometimes too late when one understands that the gathered items have become dangerous.

At different times, broken apparatuses are likewise issues that any household needs to fight with. Or then again in times of unanticipated occasions, for example, climate and breakdown of household funneling, flotsam and jetsam can be made. Indeed, even in development, there will continuously be materials that need to be removed. What more if the development includes destruction or gutting? Clean out of garbage would be fundamental. For such issues, the best solution is contact junk and garbage hauling removal companies.

These types of businesses are specialists in migrating waste and garbage from houses, structures and even parcels. Most companies would convey specialists to look over the site and the materials that need to be removed before providing cost estimates. Beside the amount of materials, they additionally survey the type of materials that need to be removed. Remembered for the underlying appraisal would likewise be regardless of whether the materials are hazardous, for example, if there are environmental concerns included.

Things like office or business garbage, old and separated machines, toys, furniture, broken walls are some instances of materials/junk that removal companies dispose of. Different companies would try and dispose of yard junk, garden materials and even development materials from building projects around one's homes. Indeed, even flotsam and jetsam from developing or it isn't exclude to wreck pools.

On a bigger scale, when a structure is obliterated, fantastic measures of garbage result. There are removal businesses that represent considerable authority in hauling these sorts of rubbish. They tow away all the rubble to specified locations and dispose or recycle.

To determine that one's junk or waste is removed and disposed of productively, it is ideal to draw in the services of certified junk removal companies. Look at their qualifications and certifications. Ask questions and exploration on the types of junk the company manages. If hazardous materials are involved, ask how they plan to dispose of such. Discuss with the company's delegate what their techniques are and what types of precautions they take.

Contingent upon the size and measure of materials that need to be dealt with, look at companies and their mastery. Some companies are knowledgeable in a wide range of trash while others just arrangement with smaller or bigger items. Of course, if one has different items to dispose of, connecting with a company that is master on a wide range of junk removal would be ideal.

[marshallmaevik]

The Maeviks

Details about Marshall's immediate family: her fathers, and her three younger siblings. The page is also available to view on the wiki with photos here.

Oryo Maevik (Anupam Kher fc)

Oryo grew up in quite a large family of his own, but always had more in common with and spent more time with Siyan, the neighbor kid.

He had an affinity for building and repairing vehicles, and he always knew he wanted to do something big with his skills.  It wasn’t hard to convince Siyan, an excellent repairman in his own right.

Between him and his husband, Oryo is the more practical and serious one.  While they both have a large work ethic, it was him that made sure their goals had a way of lifting off the ground.

His other special interest is in dinosaurs, and he named his kids after his favorite dinosaur-centered television program.

Siyan Maevik (Erick Avari fc)

Siyan is the more soft-spoken of the two, but is also the more well-read, even somewhat-smarter of them.

He graduated with a series of certifications under his belt, and has been reading about one book every two days ever since he was a young boy.  Their home is overflowing with books.

He always knew he would want to have several kids and be a dad, and he set up the surrogacy for his children. 

Regularly enjoys the taste of black liquorice (He received a regular Mickey Mouse get well soon card as opposed to a Pluto one from Marshall, and it’s now framed in his office.  Even though they know they maybe shouldn't be, Siyan and Oryo are proud of their now-pirate daughter).

Holly Maevik (Aysha Kala fc)

The second-oldest in the Maevik family.

She has a positive and cheerful energy, is honest to the point of blunt-ness, and is very open.

Her extroverted personality, her knowledge of vehicle repair, and her passion for her work makes her the ideal CEO.

When asked by her parents or her younger siblings, she’ll say she’s married to her work and doesn’t have time for anything else like romantic partners, but really she’s never had a crush or even had an urge to date anyone.  Besides, being with someone means having to share her king-sized bed.

She and Marshall grew up very close and still consider each other great friends.

Will Maevik (Nik Dodani fc)

Third oldest. Next to youngest?

Even from a young kid, Will had been the erkuss equivalent of a squirrel, always fidgeting with something, bouncing off of walls, getting distracted in class.  He was given an official ADHD diagnosis to accompany this.

Chaotic neutral.

He has a very comfortable job managing the technical aspects of his parents’ company, and it gives him a lot of time for his many side projects.  Mainly website development.  His website creations range from either useful or very not-useful.  For example, he created a website that has one singular picture of Jeff from the Wiggles, and he refuses to sell off the jeff.com domain to a very adamant stranger named Jeff.

Will has had one girlfriend throughout high school and now, and they would like to get married, but they both keep putting it off.  Simply because they would both like a larger wedding, but don’t want to actually plan one.

Rick Maevik (Seerat Kapoor fc)

The baby of the family.

Rick has next to no memories of when they used to live on Kor’Sel’Koo, and only really knows the version of the dads that owned Maevik Motors.

She wasn’t favored by their parents, per se, but she did receive a lot more leniency on just about everything.  With responsibilities covered by her older siblings, Rick didn’t have to work much for the company, save for starring in the occasional commercial.  She had a lot of freedom to hang out with friends, date, and her free spirit meant she racked up many wild stories to share.

After she graduated school, Rick knew she wanted to act more, and so she auditioned and landed several more gigs in commercials, and had a small role in a tv drama series on Kraysha called Glass House.

She’s currently taking up a regular modeling gig for a soda company.

After a series of partners, Rick met her now wife on the set of Glass House, they had a huge wedding about two years ago, and the two live in Different City.