#shippit

[worlds-worst-ships]

Do you ship it? (Game show extravaganza edition)

I have a question, and I want you all to discuss it with me in the comments... While I don't know too much about MrBeast, it always struck me as odd that he wouldn't go with a more Nickelodeon-esque, CITV-y style of game show (much like Scratch n' Sniff, Jungle Run, etc etc) when getting viewers involved, and has instead done... well, the style he's done instead. Would the novelty not have been more popular? Would it not only make great content for youtube, but even better content for TV? Would it not take away the aspect of preying on the desperate and impoverished for the sake of sitting atop a marble throne? With the money he has and the connections he's gained, it wouldn't be hard and would've been a much cleaner break into the world of TV/Netflix, no? I hope that makes sense. Lets talk about it.

Oh, and before I go, I do wonder if many of you remember Scratch n' Sniff's den of doom. I was going to watch the first few episodes with Shippit later. Why don't you watch it too? It scared the hell out of me as a child, two Hyenas that sound like they're voiced by the Mitchell brothers sending children to an untimely demise. Check it out;

[supportsofttechnologies-blog]

Sydney Software Development: A Hub for Innovation and Excellence

Sydney, Australia, has rapidly emerged as a major player in the global software development industry. The city's unique blend of a thriving tech ecosystem, skilled workforce, and supportive government policies has positioned it as a leading destination for software development companies and talent alike. This article explores the factors that make Sydney software development, the key players in the industry, and the future prospects for this dynamic sector.

The Tech Ecosystem in Sydney

Sydney's tech ecosystem is one of the most vibrant in the Asia-Pacific region. The city is home to numerous tech hubs, incubators, and coworking spaces that foster innovation and collaboration. Key areas like Pyrmont, Surry Hills, and the Sydney CBD are bustling with startups and established tech companies alike. These hubs offer a fertile ground for networking, knowledge exchange, and partnerships, essential elements for the growth of the software development industry.

Incubators and Accelerators

Sydney boasts a range of incubators and accelerators that support early-stage startups. These programs provide mentorship, funding, and resources to help startups scale their operations. Notable programs include Startmate, Stone & Chalk, and Fishburners, which have been instrumental in nurturing successful tech ventures. These incubators often focus on fostering innovation in software development, from mobile apps to enterprise solutions.

Universities and Research Institutions

The city's universities and research institutions, such as the University of Sydney, UNSW Sydney, and UTS, play a crucial role in driving the software development industry. These institutions produce a steady stream of highly skilled graduates in computer science, engineering, and related fields. Furthermore, they collaborate with industry partners on research projects, contributing to cutting-edge advancements in areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and blockchain technology.

Key Players in Sydney's Software Development Scene

Sydney is home to a diverse range of software development companies, from innovative startups to established enterprises. These companies span various sectors, including finance, healthcare, education, and entertainment, reflecting the city's broad economic base.

Leading Software Development Firms

Atlassian: One of Australia's most successful tech companies, Atlassian is a global leader in software development tools for teams. Its flagship products, Jira and Confluence, are widely used in project management and collaboration.

Canva: This design platform, known for its user-friendly interface, has revolutionized graphic design. Canva's innovative software development has made design accessible to millions of users worldwide.

Campaign Monitor: Specializing in email marketing software, Campaign Monitor provides powerful tools for businesses to engage with their audiences. Its Sydney-based development team focuses on creating intuitive and scalable solutions.

Emerging Startups

Sydney's startup scene is flourishing, with numerous companies developing innovative software solutions. Startups like SafetyCulture, which offers a platform for workplace safety and quality management, and Shippit, a logistics software provider, are making waves both locally and internationally.

Government Support and Investment

The New South Wales (NSW) government has been proactive in supporting the tech sector, recognizing its importance to the economy. Initiatives like the NSW Digital Restart Fund and the Jobs for NSW program provide funding and incentives for tech companies to set up and grow in Sydney. These programs aim to attract international investment and foster local talent development, further strengthening Sydney's position as a tech hub.

Infrastructure and Connectivity

Sydney's robust infrastructure and connectivity are significant assets for the software development industry. The city's advanced telecommunications network and data centers ensure reliable internet access and data storage capabilities, crucial for software development and deployment. Additionally, Sydney's time zone overlaps with major global markets, making it an attractive location for companies with international operations.

The Future of Software Development in Sydney

The future of software development in Sydney looks promising, with several trends poised to shape the industry. The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning, for example, is creating new opportunities for innovation. Companies are increasingly investing in these technologies to develop smarter, more efficient software solutions.

Another key trend is the growing focus on cybersecurity. As digital threats become more sophisticated, there is a rising demand for secure software solutions. Sydney's software developers are at the forefront of creating robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of digital systems.

Sustainability is also becoming a priority for the software development industry. Companies are exploring ways to reduce their environmental footprint, from energy-efficient data centers to sustainable coding practices. This shift towards sustainability aligns with Sydney's broader commitment to environmental stewardship.

Conclusion

Sydney software development industry is a dynamic and rapidly growing sector, driven by a combination of skilled talent, supportive infrastructure, and a vibrant tech ecosystem. The city's unique position as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, along with its strong government support, makes it an attractive destination for software development companies and professionals.

As the industry continues to evolve, Sydney is well-positioned to remain at the forefront of innovation and excellence in software development. Whether you're a startup looking to launch the next big app or an established company seeking to expand your digital capabilities, Sydney offers the resources, talent, and opportunities to succeed in the competitive world of software development.

[dezblanchfield]

De-risk your Operations and Reduce Shipping Delays this Peak Season

[gpsdoubleyourvalue]

How to Protect Your Equity When Your Business Is Thirsty for Cash

When it comes to financing the growth of your business, you may find yourself facing a difficult choice between the lesser of two evils. Selling shares in your business can provide an immediate cash injection, but it means giving up some of your valuable equity stake. Borrowing money from a bank, on the other hand, can be costly to repay, can limit your growth, and often requires that you provide a personal guarantee.

However, there is a third option: customer financing. This approach involves convincing your customers to prepay for some or all of your product or service, providing you with the necessary working capital to drive growth. This method can be a great alternative to selling equity or taking on bank debt and gives you access to cash without having to sacrifice ownership or pay interest.

How Brad Lorge Got His Customers to Fund the Growth of His Business

In 2015 Brad Lorge founded Premonition, a technology company that provides logistics software to streamline delivery operations for large enterprise companies. While working with big businesses brought in good revenue, large enterprise customers were slow to make purchasing decisions, and when they did decide to buy, getting them up and running was slow and costly. If an implementation failed, Premonition risked losing months’ worth of work for nothing.

Rather than the traditional approach of financing a software start-up (rounds of dilutive funding), Lorge asked his customers to prepay. Having customers pay in advance allowed Premonition to utilize the cash from their customers to fund its growth.

By March 2022 Premonition had grown to $3 million in Annual Contract Value (ACV) when Shippit acquired it for $20.5 million—an implied valuation of just under seven times ACV. Better yet, because they used customer financing, Lorge and his partners still owned 80% of the equity in the company when they sold it.

Customer financing can be a powerful tool for business owners looking to raise money without giving up equity in their businesses. If you’re considering getting your customers to prepay, like Lorge, start by understanding your customer’s needs and motivations. Consider what’s in it for your customer to prepay. Could you guarantee delivery times in return for a project deposit? Could you offer incentives or discounts that make sense for your business and your customers?

Productize Your Service

If you offer a service, another strategy for getting customer prepayments is to consider productizing it. A productized service is a type of service offering that has been standardized and packaged as a product with a defined scope, price, and deliverables. It is essentially a predefined service that is delivered repeatedly to multiple clients in a similar fashion, with a fixed set of deliverables, processes, and pricing. Examples of productized services include website design packages, social media management plans, and content creation bundles.

The goal of productizing a service is to simplify the sales process, increase efficiency, and provide a predictable customer experience. By creating a standardized offering, service providers can reduce the amount of time and effort required to close a sale as well as minimize the need for customization, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

Best of all, when it comes to products, we are accustomed to paying in advance (e.g., you expect to pay for that box of cereal at the grocery store before going home to dig in). Therefore, if you package your service offering into a product, your customers will be more inclined to pay up front for some or all of your offering.

Productizing your services or asking customers to prepay can be effective ways to obtain the cash your business needs to grow while keeping a tight grip on your equity and avoiding the obligations of a hefty bank loan.

[world-of-ryan]

not watching the show rn but.... (see pic)

IS IT REALLY HAPPENING?!? ♥♥♥ 

[little-bear-draws-blog]

"Mister Caleb" "Mister Clay" . . . . . . #watercoulor #art #ilustration #traditionalart #criticalrole #calebwidocast #caduceusclay #criticalrolefanart #liamobrian #taliesinjaffe #shippit #inkpen #ink #inkdrawing https://www.instagram.com/p/BytXd4Jpx5F/?igshid=1rk6bje54ityi

[christiewryte]

Aryll, Brekkie, and Waffles. <3

[scarletharlotdeangirl]

Prompt:

Prompt: at the end of season 12, we are made aware of an alternate reality via a portal created by Lucifer by which means individuals from that reality may cross over into the SPN verse. I want a badass Jo Harvelle from that reality coming over to ours, I do not care how you achieve this. Jo Harvelle is straight up an angel killing badass hunter and she and Dean will meet, please make it awesome and there is much smut.  By god, why haven’t the writers done this on the show itself I do not even comprehend.

[thepermanentrainpress]

EARLY WORK RELEASES NEW SINGLE

Early Work rebels against valley life in their newest single, “The Everyday.”

The Kelowna-based band has released a track full of energy and enthusiasm. It blends pop punk into B.C. life; a unique genre the band wants to help pioneer.

The guitars strum out sweeping, catchy melodies. Vocals are punchy and raw, and the drums inject crucial chaos. The music manages to feel light and heavy at the same time. You immediately find yourself headbanging to the sounds.

“The Everyday” seems to be an anthem for those who live in the valley and the love/hate relationship many seem to have with it.

The lyrics tell a story of frustration with an isolated community at the mercy of mother nature: “Boxed in all directions / Feels like a fortress, in the mountains.” They complain of the everyday “when the everyday is so pretentious.” There is a sense of disdain for the valley. A location often propped up as a superficial, picturesque set: “This was the land of peace and dreams, but now it’s all for show.”

But the song also describes the realization that what was previously seen as boring and insignificant, because of its normalcy, has come to be seen as beautiful and special. The contrast between two places makes you reflect on what you’ve surprisingly enjoyed all along. This can be heard in the chorus when the lyrics read, “It’s all I know / Ask me in a week, I’ll trade some rain clouds for this snow.”

Along with the single drop came an official video. It features a garage jam session—a classic punk scenario. Scattered throughout the video is psychedelic footage of a road trip, showcasing the valley’s epic scenery. Jumpy and fast-paced, the video adds a sense of urgency to the track.

The cameo of a certain stuffed bear was appreciated.

Striving to produce “thoughtful bangers,” Early Work hits the mark with “The Everyday.”

To hear more of the band, stay tuned for an EP set to release later this year.

Posted by: Jenna Keeble Photo credit to: Samuel Singleton

[worlds-worst-ships]

Do you ship it? (300 post special)

300 times, I have ruined your childhood. 300 times, we have looked at a post and said "wow, thats stupid". 300 times, we have explored corners of the human mind that should be left alone. And 300 times... we have succeeded at... whatever this is.

Also, since this is a special occasion, you're welcome to ask me questions in the comments and I'll give you an honest answer, be it about the lore of Maji Man, or anything, really.

(@do-you-ship-it-polls, this is your tier list, remember. We need to update it so I can do it over again on a stream ;) )

[perfectiontm]

💙

shippitity ship ! // accepting !!💙 - kinship ( blood or symbolic familial bond )

                          *whispers* best. twin. ever.

[vxlxrie]

i finished Wynonna Earp and now i feel empty. What’s my purpose in life ???

[smartfamilybudget]

Shippit acquires Singaporean logistics startup Luwjistik for $18 million

Australian logistics tech company Shippit is ramping up operations in Southeast Asia (SEA) after today announcing the acquisition of Singapore-based logistics SaaS platform Luwjistik for $18 million.

The move comes almost seven months after the company purchased last mile logistics tech platform Premonition for an undisclosed sum, and follows a $65 million Series B2 capital raise which helped bolster operations in SEA.

The buy-out will see Shippit co-founder and co-CEO William On relocate to Singapore to spearhead the new expansion and manage Luwjistik's existing team of 50 staff, building on two years of operations in the region for the Sydney-based firm.

Read More: https://www.businessnewsaustralia.com/articles/shippit-acquires-fast-growing-logistics-startup-luwjistik-for--18-million.html

[melbournenewsvine]

iTWire Lexicon merges with Endava

Digital acceleration and agile development specialist Endava and Melbourne-based consultancy Lexicon have merged. Endava CEO John Cotterell said “We see Lexicon as a high-performing business providing high-quality services in an attractive market with good clients, bringing a strong talent base across delivery, support and leadership. We are excited about our cultural alignment and therefore what we can achieve together.” Lexicon founder and managing director Chris Carydias said “High on our criteria for a merger partner were a strong alignment on capability, strategy and culture. With Endava we have found that. “We are very excited about the opportunities ahead for our people and our clients.” Lexicon’s clients include ANZ, Coles, Kmart, MYOB, Toyota, Lexus, youfoodz, and shippit. The company has 127 billable staff in Australia and Vietnam. The Lexicon team The merger extends Endava’s existing presence in Australia, while Lexicon gains operations in Singapore and Malaysia. Endava already has operations in Asia-Pacific, Middle East, The Americas and Western Europe, including Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Uruguay. GET READY FOR XCONF AUSTRALIA 2022 Thoughtworks presents XConf Australia, back in-person in three cities, bringing together people who care deeply about software and its impact on the world. In its fifth year, XConf is our annual technology event created by technologists for technologists. Participate in a robust agenda of talks as local thought leaders and Thoughtworks technologists share first-hand experiences and exchange new ways to empower teams, deliver quality software and drive innovation for responsible tech. Explore how at Thoughtworks, we are making tech better, together. Tickets are now available and all proceeds will be donated to Indigitek, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to create technology employment pathways for First Nations Peoples. Click the button below to register and get your ticket for the Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane event GET YOUR TICKET! PROMOTE YOUR WEBINAR ON ITWIRE It’s all about Webinars. Marketing budgets are now focused on Webinars combined with Lead Generation. If you wish to promote a Webinar we recommend at least a 3 to 4 week campaign prior to your event. The iTWire campaign will include extensive adverts on our News Site itwire.com and prominent Newsletter promotion https://itwire.com/itwire-update.html and Promotional News & Editorial. Plus a video interview of the key speaker on iTWire TV https://www.youtube.com/c/iTWireTV/videos which will be used in Promotional Posts on the iTWire Home Page. Now we are coming out of Lockdown iTWire will be focussed to assisting with your webinars and campaigns and assistance via part payments and extended terms, a Webinar Business Booster Pack and other supportive programs. We can also create your adverts and written content plus coordinate your video interview. We look forward to discussing your campaign goals with you. Please click the button below. MORE INFO HERE! Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

[greyslightning]

Shipit delivery

#Shipit delivery how to

#Shipit delivery pro

"By adding Shipt to that operation, we're now testing how we can reach guests even faster with efficient local deliveries. Our new sortation center builds on that model by helping us ship online orders with greater speed and lower costs, while making room for future growth," Mulligan said in a statement. "For years, Target has put our stores at the center of how we serve our guests. Target's attempts to make its delivery method more convenient may be to rival Walmart's two-hour service called Express Delivery and Amazon's one-day service called Prime Now. During the company's most recent earnings call, Mulligan said Target sales on Shipt grew 300% due to the convenient capabilities it offered. Since then, Shipt has become an important asset to Target as the pandemic continues to drive contactless fulfillment. Target said at that time of the deal with Shipt it was one of the largest acquisitions in the company's history. The big-box retailer acquired Shipt in 2017 for $550 million in cash just four months after buying same-day delivery company Grand Junction to expand same-day delivery for Target products. Sales through Target's digital channels grew by almost $10 billion in 2020 - a rise attributed to a 235% increase in its same-day services such as store pickup, curbside pickup and Shipt. Run a tight ship Whenever one of your shipments is overdue at its destination the shipit.to platform will create a live alert and send it to you with all the relevant information. The announcement came following tremendous digital sales growth throughout the 2020 fiscal year.

#Shipit delivery how to

Webinar Join Auspost, Shopify and Hero Packaging on how to ship and deliver more this peak season. Improving online fulfillment is part of Target's $4 billion annual investment to bolster its operations over the next few years, the company told analysts and investors last month. Cheap or Same day delivery couriers, get discounted shipping rates up to 45 off retail rates when you use Shippit to book a courier. The new method begins with store employees packaging items for delivery, and then a Target trailer will bring the packages to the nearby sortation center. Once the packages are at the sortation center, Target will use tools acquired from Grand Junction and Deliv to identify the best way to sort, route, deliver to local neighborhoods and subsequently to shoppers. If they do not answer, contact Shipt Shopper Support immediately - and return the order to the store's pickup area - getting the store associate's name in case of any additional questions.Target is ramping up its shipping game following a fiscal year that saw digital fulfillment services grow three-digit percentage points. If the order is a hand-off only order and the customer makes no Delivery notes as to Door Drop-off, call the customer.Thank the customer through text, if you had to drop it off at their door, after you send the picture-image of the delivery location.

#Shipit delivery pro

After several Delivery Only orders, you'll be a pro at lining up bags and conserving every last centimeter at the customer's door while still being efficient.

Some tricky situations to watch for at the Delivery address include: inside a building which has doors close together next to each other that you'll want to avoid crossing paths with.

But then send them a picture of the delivery through the text message stream - showing the nearby area a little bit.

Choose to put their order down on or near their doormats - if the customer asks you to set it outside their door.

Double-check to ensure the receipt has been handed off as well - if you didn't place it into their bags.

Watch for the Door Drop-Off designation - most stores are converting back to hand-off procedures meaning you must see your customer before marking as Delivered - unless they say it's okay in their "Delivery notes" to drop it at their door.

[christiewryte]

Something Beautiful

Aryll heaved the body of the unconscious goblin onto the bed with a groan, and resisted the urge to throw herself down next to her. It had been three days since the warband had attacked the little village of Groat, and Aryll, who by chance had been passing through, had rallied the villagers in the inn. She had spent the next three long, sleepless days and nights fending off attempts to break in, of listening to their worgs scratching at the doors, or trying her damnedest to keep up a smile and keep telling the survivors that it was all going to turn out alright. And by some miracle, it had. A group of adventurers had come along, and with their help, the goblins had been defeated. Some driven off, most killed. 

But not this one. Aryll knew the goblins had taken captives, so she’d stopped the adventurers from finishing off the unconscious one she’d found pinned under the body of her felled worg. She was their best chance of finding out where the villagers had been taken. 

This was the room Aryll had rented the night before the attack came, and her rucksack was still sitting in the corner. She dragged herself over to it, ignored the coil of rope that hung off the side, and dug down to the other one in the velvet bag at the bottom of the pack. Her fingers worked through her mental fatigue on sheer muscle memory to tie the knots from the goblin’s wrists and ankles to the bedposts, not helped by the fact that the bed was sized for humans. 

She groped at her waist until her fingers found her last healing potion. Boy, she’d had a lot more of these a few days ago. What quest had she even been on that had brought her through this little podunk town? It seemed like a lifetime ago. 

The thought swam aside like her vision as she climbed onto the bed and uncorked the bottle with her teeth. Cradling the unconscious goblin’s head upright, she parted the goblin’s lips with one hand and brought the potion to them with the other. Like this, it looked like the goblin was just sleeping peacefully, and maybe it was the sleep deprivation talking, but right up close and not trying to kill her, the goblin was actually pretty cute. Even when she sputtered on the potion and jerked awake in a panic. 

“Easy, easy,” Aryll said. She couldn’t understand the literal meaning of the gibberish coming from the goblin’s mouth, but she had more than enough experience to recognize, “Where am I? What happened?” in any language. “It’s okay, I’m hurt gonna not you,” she assured, paused, shook her head, and tried again. “Not gonna hurt you.” She swirled the rest of the potion around the bottle for emphasis. “D’you want the rest of this? I just wanna ask you some question. Questions.”

The goblin twisted her neck to look from the bottle, to Aryll, to her bonds, and grimaced in horror. “What are you gonna do to me?”

Aryll blinked a couple times, trying to focus her vision. Oh, yeah, huh, this probably looked pretty bad from the goblin’s perspective, didn’t it? “I’m not gonna do anythin’ to ya. I jus’ wan’ ya ta answer some questions, and then I’ll lecha go. Now d’you wan’ the resta this, or not?” She shook the bottle again. 

The goblin eyed it suspiciously. “Is this a trick?”

Aryll groaned, and took a swig of the potion herself, reducing both the small amount left in the bottle and a few more of her own lingering wounds. Her head even felt a little clearer for the moment; clear enough to recognize how close she was to falling asleep on the spot, at least. She offered the potion once again. 

The goblin still hesitated for a moment, but finally opened her mouth as if she was the one doing Aryll a favor. Aryll shook her head, and put the bottle to the goblin’s lips. A stray thought crossed her mind, and she couldn’t stop herself from vocalizing it. “Heh, indirect kiss.”

The goblin sputtered on the potion. Aryll couldn’t help but giggle. “Careful!” she said. “Don’t choke to death!”

“You can’t choke to death on healing potion, fool,” the goblin said, wiping her mouth on her shoulder and refusing to meet her eyes. So cute…

“Sure y’can, my uncle’s sister-in-law’s neighbor’s… niece? I think? Totally knew a guy once who died that way.” Aryll brought the bottle back to her own lips again. No point letting the last few drops go to waste. When she tilted her head back down, the goblin was blushing furiously. At least, Aryll thought that was blushing. Her cheeks were violet, but with green skin, maybe that was just how goblins did it? 

“What?” she said, wondering why the goblin was staring.

“You just said that was an indirect kiss.”

“I said wha?” Ayrll yawned, rubbing her eyes as her short term memory groped around its bedside table in the dark and found nothing. “Look, you’re cute, but you’re not seducing your way outta this,” she said, plowing right over the goblin’s sputtering protest. “I jus’ wanna know two things. Why’d’ja guys kidnap the villagers, and where’d’ja take ‘em?”

The goblin’s mouth worked up and down, as if chewing on words she couldn’t articulate in her flustered state. 

“Alright,” Aryll sighed, sliding off the bed. Leaning heavily on the corner post for support, she unbuckled her sword belt and tossed it into the corner, then started undoing the fly of her pants. 

“What are you doing?” the goblin asked in a panic.

“Gettin’ ready for bed,” Aryll grumbled. She had gotten her pants down to her knees and hit a brick wall in getting them off, and only now put it together that it was because her calf boots were still fully laced up. “If yer not gonna talk now, then I’m goin’a sleep and we can try this again in th’ mornin’.”

The goblin squeaked anxiously. “An… and what, leave me like this all night?”

Aryll got her first boot off. “Well I can’t exactly take yer word y’won’ run off, now can I?”

“Nyerrrrgh,” the goblin groaned, writhing against her restraints. “Okay, fine! You win!”

Aryll sighed as she finally got the second boot off and her pants along with it, and climbed back onto the bed. Sitting cross-legged with her chin in her hands, she pinched herself on the cheek for a quick booster shot of wakefulness, and tried to focus on the tale being spun. 

By the time the goblin was finished, Aryll’s face was stinging like a hornet’s nest from all the pinching and slapping she’d done to keep herself from simply toppling forward into unconsciousness. Her informant had rambled on and on about a lot of information that Aryll hoped was extraneous, because she’d only managed to absorb the jist of it, which was that a sorceress had recently seized control of her clan by blasting any opposition into cinders, and turned them on the local settlements in search of treasure, slaves, and, for some reason, a dwarf. 

“We’ve got them in a cave a couple miles northeast of here, following the river to a toppled snag, and with all the losses we took in this fight, they’ll probably abandon the prisoners and just retreat. Now let me go!” the goblin finished. 

“Uhkay,” Aryll groaned, teetering forward until she landed on her hands and knees, and crawled over to the bindings around the goblin’s left wrist. “Y’see? I’mma wommun of m’word. Y’r freeta go, but fair warnin’, those ‘venturers are pro’ly still up, an’ I hadta stoppem from killin’ y’ once already.” She reached for the rope and started fiddling with the knot. Crud. Either she’d been too far out of it when she tied it, or she was super far out of it now, because it should have come undone with a single tug. “Bu’ listen, if y’stay th’ night, I’ll gecha outta here in th’ mornin’, and even help y’with yer sorceress problem.” 

The goblin frowned. “Why would you do that?”

“‘cause tha’ witch sounds like a bad time f’r e’eryone ‘round here.” There. She had been tugging on the wrong part of the rope. The knot came undone, freeing the goblin’s wrist. “Y’got m’word. An’ as y’know, I’mma wommun of m’word.” 

That was as far as she could force her beleaguered state of consciousness to keep chugging, and as she collapsed toward the pillow, she was asleep before the end of her last sentence could stumble drunkenly past her lips. 

* * *

Aryll stirred late the next morning to a pounding on her door. One of the adventurers was checking up on her.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” she called back, rubbing her eyes with a groan. She felt like she could have slept another day and a half easily. As her lids creaked open, the unexpected feeling her brain had been lagging too hard to identify without visual aid suddenly made sense. The goblin was still there. Not only that, Aryll had apparently cuddled up to her in her sleep, and the goblin’s free hand had wrapped around her back. 

“You stayed,” she yawned happily, as the goblin also stirred awake, realized she’d been caught snuggling, and shyly jerked away. At least, as far as her remaining three bindings let her. 

“I didn’t have much choice, did I?” the goblin grumbled, but the way she blushed and wouldn’t look Aryll in the eye made her suspect that the goblin hadn’t made much attempt. “You fell asleep right on top of the only arm you untied.”

“Sorry,” Aryll chuckled. Yeah, that was definitely just an excuse. The goblin was absolutely strong enough to pull her own arm out from under Aryll’s scant 36 pound body. “Let me get those for you.” 

The remaining bonds each came loose with a single tug in the right spot, and the goblin sat up rubbing at her tender wrists and ankles, watching her warily. “So… you’re really gonna help me get rid of the sorceress?”

“Absolutely,” Aryll said, digging a fresh pair of leggings out of her pack while the fragments of last night’s conversation slotted themselves back into her brain. As she shimmied into them, her stomach rumbled, reminding her that while she’d been running the previous three days on no sleep, she’d also been running on only whatever food she could scarf between skirmishes with the raiders. Hopefully someone downstairs had made breakfast by now. “Hey, I’m gonna pop downstairs for a minute. You want some brekkie?”

The goblin frowned in confusion. “Do I want some of what?”

Aryll frowned back. “Brekkie.”

“Yeah, what?” the goblin snapped. 

Delight spread across Aryll’s face as understanding set in. “Wait, is your name, ‘Brekkie’?”

The goblin fidgeted and turned deep violet. “N-no! Of course not! What kind of name is that?”

“Then what is it?” Aryll was beaming.

“...Brekogba.”

By the gods, she was adorable, Aryll thought. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Brekogba.” Aryll knew she was never using that name again. This goblin was 100% Brekkie from now on. “I’m Aryll Flynn.” She offered her hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, Brekkie took it. 

“Nice to meet you, too, I guess,” Brekkie said, shyly looking toward the window. 

Aryll hummed happily as she left the room and skipped down the stairs. She had a feeling that this was the start of something beautiful.