#trucking bookkeeping

[sparklingcid3r]

can u hc darrel dropping pony off at college? like the driver there? and then darry having to drive back alone and all the emotions/thoughts tht come w it?

Jfc yall are brutal…. gimme more🙏 It’s so “Slipping Through My Fingers” coded somebody needs to hit me with their car

- Soda and Darry helping Pony pack was definitely an affair. Soda’s trying to give Pony hand-me-downs and Darry’s saying he’s not gonna need all those clothes, and besides, Soda needs those anyway

- Pony defers to Darry for the most part, seeing as he spent at least some time in college, even though he never finished the first semester

- Pony says bye to Soda and he gives Pony the most soul-crushing hug, messes up his hair and gushes about how proud they are of him. Darry just grins and leads Pony to the truck, all their bags in hand, which isn’t a lot, so move-in will be easy

- Pony’s a nervous wreck on the car ride there. He’s fidgeting with the windows, turning the radio on and off, biting his nails, shifting in his seat. The farther they get from home the less ready he feels

- Darry is quiet, but he’s trying to give Pony a good pep talk the way their dad did for him. He tells Pony that he’s doing a great thing, they’re all so proud of him back home, he’s got amazing things ahead of him. Opportunities will come that he didn’t think were possible, so long as he keeps on top of his studies and goes to class.

- He doesn’t think he did a very good job at getting that across, though

- Once they get into a comfortable rhythm, they start talking about all the memories they have of their parents and each other: Pony tells Darry about the first time he kissed a girl and Darry tells Pony about the first time he got drunk. How Pony used to toddle behind Soda when he had just learned how to walk, and how Soda loved it until two hours later he was still following him. Then he locked Pony in his room with a chair under the doorknob

- They’re just dudes being bros for the most part, trying not to think about how all of their childhoods are finally over

- When the silence grows again, all Pony can think about is how young Darry really was when all of it went down and he had to take care of them, plus the gang. Pony doesn’t think he could have done it. He thinks he would have given up if he was in Darry’s spot. He looks at his brother, then back down at his hands

- When they get there, Pony finally tells him that. And that he’s sorry for making it more difficult than it had to be

- But Darry says he’d do it all again in a heart beat, if it meant he got to keep his brothers under his roof

- Pony gives him one last hug, but Darry hugs him harder. He can’t stop himself from messing up Pony’s hair one last time, for old time’s sake

- And then they realize that Pony’s really going to be away from home for a while, until fall break, and that’s a few months away. So this is it

- Pony says he’ll call, and Darry and Soda will call, and that’s all they can really do now

- Darry leaves Pony in the dorms, gets in the car, and is alone with himself, without anyone to look after, for the first time in four years

- He doesn’t have any direction in life anymore. Is he going to spend the rest of his life and health roofing houses and bookkeeping? Even Soda is getting ready to pack up and move out, granted he’s sticking around, but Darry knows about his grand plans of moving to Texas eventually

- Is Darry going to be the only one left in Tulsa? He was so close, too. But those chances are over. He doesn’t think he could ever go back to school. Maybe if he hadn’t spent the last five years breaking his body and wearing himself down. He can still lay someone out with one punch, don’t get him wrong, but being useful is ingrained into him. Is a college degree enough for him to work towards if it’s not helping his brothers?

- God, when was the last time he did anything for himself?

- His thoughts wander off to his brothers, and now that it’s over, he’s wondering if he did enough for them. Sure, they weren’t always living comfortably—they didn’t have any lights for two weeks at one point, near the beginning, and Darry was up to his neck in stress and grief and frustration—but they were happy. Darry thinks they were happy. Were they? He doesn’t think he’s ever asked

- He’s not sure what their parents would think of him if they saw what he did to their family. He got them both to eighteen, even if he couldn’t do the same for Johnny or Dally. He’s getting them out of Tulsa, watching them go farther than he ever would, so maybe he didn’t disappoint them completely

- Darry grips the wheel just a little harder. No, he wasn’t lying. He would do it all again in a heart beat, if Pony and Soda needed him to. They’d know where to find him

Starting to wonder if we even like Darry w the amount of misery yall want me to put him thru🙏 i like my men in constant turmoil tho what can i say 🤷‍♀️

[lewinblue]

The Bookkeeper and The Cowboy || Pt 1

WC: 1.6k

Summary: A new bookstore is making its way into Wabang and has everyone gossiping. Some are excited, the kids are happy, some are grumpy and Rhett, well he’s just a little bit curious.

A/N: This was originally going to be one part. I have no self control, though, so it’ll probably 2 or 3

Wabang, Wyoming is a small town with people who knew each other, and parents and grandparents who likely knew each other. If you lived there you likely never thought of leaving. If you grew up in the dusty old town it likely never occurred to you to leave.

Everyone knew each other, every building was known and every person who ran it was known by name. Everyone knew that Maren at ‘Maren’s Marvelous Hair Salon’ was a gossip and that Joe who worked at the butcher's was vulgar but still kind and would likely give you an extra slice of your favorite place of meat. Everyone knew the teachers. Ms. Kay, who was secretly seeing Luke Tillerson, and was teaching second grade. Everyone adored her. She was kind, sweet, and gentle with her students. She waved and smiled at the parents of her students. Unlike the high school teacher Mr. Daughtery. The older man never smiled and was always found with a cup of coffee in his hand. When someone addressed him he only grunted and turned away. Some wondered why he hadn’t retired yet or found another job but most of the time, people just ignored him.

It was no wonder that Rhett Abbott didn’t notice that new building being put up right away. No one had bothered to mention it to him. His dad was working him to the bone and when Maren caught him running errands for his dad for the ranch she never mentioned it.

Rhett only became aware of the new building when he went into the tractor supply store to pick up feed for the animals on the ranch. Old man Waters (no one knew his first name anymore, he could have been the first one in the town for all anyone knows) mentioned a new bookstore that was in the works down the street. He didn’t say it in a grumble or in a way he detested a new business. No, he seemed rather…happy about it? Supposedly his granddaughter loved spending time over there after school even though it wasn’t completely finished. Every time he saw her she chatted nonstop about the new owner and the books and even how the building was coming along.

Rhett nodded and tipped his hat, making sure to say thank you because if there was one thing Cecilia Abbott did right it was to raise her sons with manners. After he stocked the bed of his truck full of feed for the animals and some other things for the ranch, Rhett sat in the truck for a minute longer than usual. He could see the budding store from here and he couldn’t deny that the curiosity got the better of him.

If he took a bit longer to get home than usual it definitely wasn’t to see the new bookstore. It was cream and green and on a hanging green wooden poster it read ‘Cover to Cover’. It was clever and left a small smile on his face for no one to see but himself.

When Rhett finally arrived home it was dark and his mom was just about to finish cooking dinner. Mashed potatoes and pork chops it looked like again. He knew better than to complain, it was Perry and his dad’s favorite meal.

As the plates were being served Rhett reached over to playfully mess with Amy’s hair which made the young girl giggle and her father grumble which only added to the satisfaction Rhett felt. He and Perry could argue from sun up to sun down, never agreeing on anything. Mostly on Rhett’s life choices but he couldn’t deny that Perry did one thing right at that was to make Amy. He adored his niece, her laugh, her adventurous spirit, and her no-nonsense attitude that developed before she could talk.

“Did you pick up the feed for the horse?” His dad grumbled in a question.

Rhett knew not to take it personally. It was just how his dad spoke. He was all hard edges and no soft-spoken words. Those were saved for his wife his his granddaughter. Sometimes, when he was younger, Rhett, wondered if Royal even saw him and Perry as sons and just as extra hands to help around the ranch.

“Yeah,” he said, just as gruffly after swallowing a dry pork chop. “It’s all in the bed of my truck.”

“It took you so long. Thought you might be visiting one of your little bunnies.” Perry smirked and Rhett bit his tongue.

“I was catching with Old Man Waters, while I was there,” Rhett said, despite not owing his brother a reply. His mom was still at the table and didn’t want the conversation to turn into something inappropriate.

“I wanna see a bunny,” Amy said innocently.

Rhett looked at Perry and raised an eyebrow. Once he saw his brother's cheeks turn pink he knew he won.

“It’s not those kind of bunnies, darling.” His mom said and pointedly looked at Rhett for the next bit, “I wouldn’t want you catching anything from those bunnies. Who knows where they’ve been.”

Clear to change the subject Royal jumped in, “What did you and Old Man Waters talk about?”

“Not much,” Rhett tried for nonchalance. He didn’t want his dad to see how much this particular subject interested him. “He said that someone is building a bookstore, it’s not fully done, but he said that his granddaughter loves it already.”

Royal hurmphed at the idea. He stabbed his food before saying in a grumpier tone than usual. “What happened to kids reading at school or their parents reading to them? If you ask me it sounds like some yuppie bullshit.”

“I think it’s nice that there’s a place for people to get books and hang out when they're not working.” His mom said placatingly.

“That’s until more people move to Wabang and new houses and apartments are built and we’ll even have a Starbucks.”

“I only said Old Man Waters said it, doesn’t mean it’s true. It could go under in a month.”

Nothing else was said for the rest of the meal. Everyone could tell that the tonal shift had changed and even young Amy didn’t look up from her plate.

When all the plates were in the sink Rhett offered to help his mom clean them. As if his dad and brother ever would, Cecelia shooed Jim off knowing that he would have to be awake before the sun came up to help his dad with the ranch.

He kissed his mom good night, skipped his after-dinner beer, and took the stairs two at a time. It was quiet except for the quiet noises coming from the bedrooms. His dad was talking nonsense, nothing unusual there, Perry was already snoring. From what? Rhett had no idea he wasn’t the one running around town and as far as he knew their dad had been taking it easy on Perry when it came to the Ranch.

When he passed by Amy’s room it was dead silent. Amy was never silent. Before he could think about it he gently tapped on her bedroom door and moments later Amy stood looking up at him.

“Hi. Uncle Rhett,” she smiled.

The end of his lip quirked and he asked. “How did you know it wasn't your dad or grandpa?”

She rolled her eyes and he realized fast then he liked that Mentions that Amy might like that his sweet little niece Amy was growing up.

“Grandpa pounds on the door like I can’t hear him. Dad just barges in. You and Grandma are the only ones who knock like normal people.”

Rhett nodded at that. It seemed about right the two of them had been doing it his whole life. Maybe for her birthday he’ll get her a lock and install it for her.

“You were quiet at dinner. I wanted to know what was up.”

The girl was quiet for a moment. Long enough for Rhett to start to worry. Amy was never quiet for too long around her uncle.

“I wanna see the bookstore.” She mumbles, nearly whispers. As though she’s afraid Royal will hear her from down the hall.

Rhett made an inquisitive noise, leaned on the doorframe, and crossed his arms. He waited for Amy to continue and after a moment she did.

“A few of my friends have been over to see it and all of grandma and grandpa’s books are boring. The school library’s books are falling apart.” She said this all in one gust of air. “I want to see what it’s all about but Grandpa knows everyone in town and they’ll tell him.”

“Your grandpa doesn’t know everything,” Rhett said with a smirk, thinking back to his childhood and teenage days when he managed to get with a lot more than his parents realized.

At her still-present frown that tugged on his heartstrings, Rhett said without thinking, “I’ll take you there. I drove past it on the way back home and maybe I could pick you up after school and bring you to the s bookstore.”

“Really?” Amy exclaimed and shy he’d herself so as not to wake anyone. She looked around to check that no one else moved around and then looked up at her uncle. “You would do that?

“If you get some sleep tonight and are good in school tomorrow, I’ll be right outside waiting for you.” He swore.

Of course, he wanted Amy to be happy and his father's disdain for any new business from outsiders was irksome. However, when he drove by the cream and green cozy-looking shop he couldn’t help but feel his curiosity peek. His niece wasn’t the only one who wanted to go, he wanted to go into the bookstore too.

[hauntedhowlett-writes]

title: miss me in your bones | chapter one

pairing: dad’s best friend!joel miller/female reader

chapter rating: PG13

chapters: 1/?

read on AO3 | masterlist

summary:

When Joel Miller started his own contracting business, he didn’t expect all the administrative tasks that came with it. As a result, his budding business is in desperate need of help.

Good thing his best friend’s daughter is home for the summer from college. And sure, he’s always been attracted to you, but he can keep that under control.

It’s just one summer, right?

author’s note: oh look, another multi-chapter joel miller au. this one will be a slower(er) burn than “cruel summer”, with more angst. i’m in my folklore era, sorry y’all. please consider leaving a comment if you liked the chapter! 💕

content warnings/additional tags: au - no outbreak, age difference (21f and 36m), mutual pining, dad’s best friend!joel, college student!reader, no sarah, brief mention of joel’s attraction to the reader when she’s 17.

“You still need help with your bookkeeping?” Joel’s best friend asks as they sip their beers, basketball game playing on the TV.

Joel has recently branched out and started his own contracting business, a dream he’s had since he started working fresh out of high school. He’s taken a few night classes and earned himself an associates degree in business administration from the community college, in the hopes that it might help him not drive his budding business venture straight into the dirt.

What he wasn’t prepared for was the volume of administrative tasks he’d have to take on. Invoicing, pricing, scheduling, negotiating, and the list keeps growing. Joel just wants to bring a vision to life with his hands. He doesn’t want to have to sit at a computer for hours a day before getting to the fun stuff.

He sighs. “Yeah, I’m drownin’ in all that stuff. Seems like there’s not enough hours in the day to be doin’ the dirty work and get all that shit done, too.”

“Well, my daughter’s comin’ home for the summer. She said she was lookin’ for a job so that she can save up some money before goin’ back to school in the fall. She could help you out. She’s good with computers,” his friend says. Joel swallows.

Joel’s lived next door to you and your dad for four years now. When he first moved in next to the single dad, you were seventeen, getting ready to finish up high school and head off to college. You were your dad’s pride and joy, a sweet girl with brains and beauty that he bragged about constantly. You’d gotten a full academic scholarship to UCLA, no small feat, but you’d been required to spend your first two summers on campus fulfilling a certain number of credits, which meant you hadn't visited home in some time due to the cost.

This also meant Joel got a reprieve from the inappropriate thoughts he’s had about you since the first time he met you. When you’d stood by the door with your dad, welcoming him to the neighborhood, but all he could think about was the curve of your lips as you smiled at him or the way you looked up at him through your lashes when he spoke, hanging on his every word like he was spilling the secrets of the universe.

For his first year in his new house, you were there when he came over on the weekends, watching football with your dad or doing homework at the kitchen table. Joel was there for your graduation party, and sang Happy Birthday as you blew out the candles for your eighteenth year. He helped your dad pack up his truck with your boxes of stuff and waved goodbye from the driveway as you set off to college.

And the whole time he had to beat the thoughts of pressing a hand to your thigh beneath the dining table or pulling you to the side to kiss you senseless. He was equal parts relieved and disappointed when your dad drove you over a thousand miles away.

Your dad is still waiting for an answer, and Joel can’t come up with a good enough reason to say no to his offer of your help. He needs it.

He can keep himself under control for one summer.

“Sure, that would be great,” Joel replies with a strained smile unnoticed by your dad.

“Great! I’ll let her know.”

________

You’re so excited to be home for a whole summer. Between your rigorous course load over the last two years and the cost of housing and travel, you haven’t been able to visit home. Your dad pays for half your housing on top of his own expenses, so you didn’t want to burden him more with travel costs.

“How was your flight, kiddo,” your dad asks as he wraps you in a tight hug.

“Went well enough. Definitely better than driving for two days with some stinky old man,” you tease. He pushes at your shoulder.

Your relationship with your dad is a close one, the result of being the only child to a single parent and all his efforts over the years to make sure he does the best job he can. And while he often had to work overtime, he was always there for you when it mattered and never made you feel like you weren’t loved.

“I’m happy you’re back, squirt. House is too quiet without you,” he says as he pulls away from the pick-up area and rejoins Austin traffic. His words make your heart clench.

“Just another year and I’ll hopefully be able to get a job closer to home,” you tell him.

“With that fancy degree, I’m sure you’ll be able to get any job you want.”

The fancy degree in question is in aerospace engineering. Ever since your dad took you to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a rare vacation out of the state, you’d been hooked on the idea of helping get rockets to space.

“Hopefully. With all the private space exploration initiatives, should be plenty of jobs to go around. California is fun, but Texas is home.”

He smiles at you, a big wide grin that you’d missed in your time away.

“Listen, you know how you said you wanted to find a job for the summer while you’re home?” He asks. You nod. “Well, Joel started up his own contracting business and is hopin’ to get some help with the administrative work. Schedulin’, contracts, bookkeepin’. I know it’s not what you’re studyin’ or anythin’ but it might be nice to give your brain a break from all that fancy math you do.”

Your stomach erupts in butterflies at just the mention of your dad’s best friend and neighbor, Joel Miller. Ever since you first met when he moved in next door, you’ve been smitten. He’s a bit younger than your dad, somewhere in his mid-thirties while your dad has crossed the threshold to his forties. He’s tall and broad with muscles defined from hard labor, dark curly hair that’s almost always unruly, and kind brown eyes that have started to crinkle in the corners with a life well lived.

He’s so gorgeous it actually hurts.

You’ve spent a fair share of your nights away from home thinking about Joel Miller as you slid a hand into your pajama pants. Did he ever think about you? You doubt it, but a girl could dream.

In your daydreaming, you almost forget to answer your dad. “Oh, uh, sure. I can help out Mr. Miller,” you reply, clearing your throat.

“Thanks, sweetie. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the help.”

________

Joel is cursing up a storm as he tries to clean up the spare room he uses as an office and storage area these days. There’s papers everywhere, supply quotes and contracts and instruction manuals across every surface to the point where the old laptop he uses for work sits buried, battery dead from neglect. He tries to sort everything into a neat pile, but the pile is too big and scatters everywhere once more.

You’re supposed to start working with him at nine this morning. He’s got a consultation scheduled after lunch, giving him plenty of time to show you the nightmare you’re walking into.

There’s a knock at the door and Joel rushes from the back of the house to answer.

You’re standing on his porch, as you have hundreds of times, but after two and a half years away at school, the girl he’d waved goodbye to one August morning has disappeared. Your hair is drastically different and your face has lost the roundness of your teen years, but the smile that stretches your lips is all too familiar.

“Hi, Mr. Miller.”

________

You shift your weight from foot to foot as Joel’s gaze drifts over you, the feel of it hot over your skin. His forehead and neck are dappled with sweat, shirt sticking to his chest in a way that’s so inviting you have to clench your hands into fists at your side to keep from reaching out.

How is it possible he’s gotten more attractive?

“Hey! Welcome home!” Joel finally says, stepping aside and allowing you to cross the threshold.

His house has changed, yet feels overwhelmingly familiar all the same. He’s updated the flooring since you’d left, and you see the gleam of shiny stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.

“You renovated the kitchen?” You ask, stepping down the hall and into the living area to have a closer look. “The counters are pretty.”

He’s replaced the old dark cabinets with natural wood and the laminate counters are now a sparkling white quartz. He stands in the doorway, arms crossed over his broad chest.

“Yep. First project for my portfolio,” he says proudly. “Did the whole thing myself.”

“Impressive.”

You stare at each other for a beat before Joel clears his throat.

“You, uh, you wanna see the office?” He asks.

“Sure.”

He leads you to the back bedroom and pushes the door open. “It’s…kinda a mess.”

“Kinda?” You step inside, eyeing the haphazard piles of paper dubiously. “Mr. Miller, this is a war zone.”

He cringes. “Yeah. S’why I need help,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Got so caught up with the networkin’ and job bids that I just let all this suffer for it.”

You huff a laugh, dropping your bag to the ground. There’s a desk in the middle of the room, covered in stacks of paper. A laptop sits open, screen dark, amongst the files. A bookshelf along one wall holds a printer and a number of large hardback books pertaining to business administration and general contracting guidelines. Along another wall are stacked boxes. You peek into one and find an array of tile samples.

“Think you can manage?” Joel asks.

You smile at him. “You know me, Mr. Miller. I’ve never backed down from a challenge.”

“Joel. Just…call me Joel.”

“Okay…Joel.”

He smiles, and the way it reaches his eyes makes your heart flutter. You swallow nervously.

This will be fine.

It’s just one summer.

Joel Miller tag list:

@huffle-punk punk @johnwatsn @hopelessromantic727 @whereasport @pedr0swh0r3 @yellingloudly @dragon-of-winterfell @thedeadsingwithdirtintheirmouths @mydailyhyperfixations @liati2000 @ghostofjoharvelle @cutesyscreenname @morgaussy @letsgroovetonighttt @endlessthxxghts @fake-bleach @brilliantopposite187 @mattmurdock1021 @str84pedro @justsomeoneovertherainbow @loquaciousferret @milly-louise @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @kirsteng42 @caatheeriinee07 @eternallyvenus @midnightswithdearkatytspb

Join a tag list

[itsthestutterforme]

A Night in Charlotte 2/3 (Rafe Cameron x black!reader)

Summary: After that night in Charlotte, you start to adjust to life in OBX

Notes: GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, this will be a three part series, requests are open for OBX, Rafe being an absolute simp for reader, implied sex

**

The thought of you had been rattling around in Rafe’s head since he left Charlotte. The morning after, he found himself admiring your sleeping form. He’d never met anyone who slept so pretty. And what kind of man would he be if he didn’t admire such beauty by giving you some morning head.

You didn’t know what to do with yourself when you looked down to meet his deep gaze, his perfect lips suctioning your clit until your back was arching off the bed. He was all over you and you loved every second of it. Loved it a little too much. You had to remind yourself that it was just sex and you would probably never see him again.

You waited until he hopped into the shower to leave as quietly as possible. You grabbed some of the included breakfast his hotel offered before calling a taxi to bring you back to the hotel room.

Later that day Bobby picked you up, apologizing to you nearly to entire ride back to OBX. You tugged at the itchiness of the turtleneck you wore to cover Rafe’s hickeys he littered your neck and chest with. Bobby gave you the rundown about who to avoid and how to stay out of trouble.

You followed his advice for the most part and somehow to managed to land a job as bookkeeper for a local bait and tackle shop that Bobby is business partners with. You liked the job. It didn’t take a lot of brain power and you got paid on the higher end for just having experience. The only bad part about it was having the time to think back on your time with Rafe.

It was harder during the first two weeks but soon your time with Rafe faded into the past. Now it’s a month and you’ve moved on to bigger, better things. There was an annual drive in theater showing The Outsiders. One of your coworkers, Derek, invited you out on a date and you said yes, why not.

Little did you know what was going to happen at the drive in. Derek laid out a picnic blanket in the back of his truck, offering his jacket to you the first few minutes of the movie. You were about half way in when you had to use the bathroom. He asked if you wanted him to keep you company but you convinced him that you would be fine.

You walked towards the portapotties near the food counter when you heard a series of grunts. Following the sound of pained grunts and solid blows, you saw a familiar fro belonging to Pope. He was being held down by a shorter man with black buzzed hair while another man fought two boys you recognized were Pope’s friends, John B and JJ. “The cross belongs to me,” Pope says weakly.

“You’re too little too late, young blood. It’s already melted down to tiny bits.” The man taunts. Picking up the thickest branch you could find, you hit the man holding Pope, directly at the base of his head. The man let Pope go so he could turn around and you sent a solid punch to his face before he had the chance to fully turn around. “Shit! Rafe, get that bitch!” The man starts.

You froze at the mention of his name. Rafe looked to you and immediately let go of his hold on John B. Pope looked at you with wide eyes. “Get behind me. All of you,” you tell them, thankful that they listened. “What..” Rafe starts. “I can handle this. Go get to safety.” You tell Pope.

“I’m not leaving you with them. They’re crazy,” he defies. “I’ll meet you guys at the house… Now, Pope. Let the adults handle this.” They hesitantly leave and disappear into the woods. “Bad idea. Who else is going to defend you, huh?” Barry says, wiping away the blood from his nose.

“Me,” Rafe says from behind him, slowly walking towards you. “The fuck you mean ‘you’? She busted my nose, bro.” “Just leave, man. Go get that checked out.” “What the fuck just happened?” Rafe’s eyes never left yours except to look at the rest of you.

You did something different with your hair. Instead of the box braids he initially saw you with, you wore short passion twists that ended about shoulder length. You dyed your hair light brown and he was loving every second of it. You weren’t the only one who made changes. Rafe had a buzz cut like his partner in crime.

“I’ll explain everything later. Just go, Barry.” He commanded and Barry mumbled something under his breath before walking to his dirt bike. “What the hell are you doing here, Y/N?” Rafe asks once the two of you were alone. “I could ask you the same thing,” you answer, crossing your arms. “I was born and raised here,” “As of now, I live here.”

“You’ve been here the whole time since Charlotte?” He asks, scratching the back of his neck anxiously. “Yes, I have.” “Where have you been? Haven’t seen you around here.” “I’ve been busy with work,” you explained shortly. You must admit, he was asking you tons of questions like he’s your boyfriend or something. “Hm. Where have you been working?” He asks, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“None of your business. It’s time for me to start asking the questions now. What are you doing fighting with sixteen year old boys?” “They don’t know how to mind they’re own fucking business.” “Watch it,” you warn. “Sorry, momma bear.” He taunts with his hands up in surrender. “Is all of this fighting about a cross? What cross was he talking about? I never took you as the Christian type.” You asked, genuinely confused.

“Listen sweetheart, the less you know, the better. I mean it. I just got back from being held hostage because of this shit. It’s best if you stay out of it.” Rafe suggests. “I can’t stay out of it if my cousin can get hurt.” “Loyalty. Makes you ten times better.” He flirts, closing the gap between you. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a Heyward?” “I’m actually a Tanny. And the last I checked, there wasn’t much talking,” You correct, holding his gaze.

His eyes fell to your lips, licking his own in restraint so he wouldn’t kiss you. Even though he desperately wanted to. He noticed a strong scent the longer he was close to you. His face twisted when he smelled another man’s cologne on you. “You’re on a date?”

“I was. Yeah.” He remained silent for a moment, examining your delicate features. The two of you got lost in the moment, listening to the audio of Outsiders and the cicadas screeching from the woods, your breaths falling into sync. “Let me take you home.” He offers in a low voice, twirling a twist between his fingers.

Before you could formulate a response, Derek calls your name. Turning to face him, your shoulder brushed against Rafe’s chest as you subconsciously leaned into him. “Derek, hi. I was just about to head home.”Hey, Derek. I’m going to head home. “Is everything alright? Are you not feeling well?” Derek asks, trying to make sense of the situation. He steps closer to you and Rafe instinctively stood in front you.

“Nah bro, she just likes me better. And she won’t be needing this.” Rafe removes the jacket draped over your shoulders, balled it up and threw it at him. Derek catches it against his chest. “And if you’re going on a date, at least have the decency to buy genuine cologne. Not the cheap, watered down shit, Derek.” Rafe jabs.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Y/N.” “She doesn’t have to explain shit to you. Now piss off.” Guilt weighed on your chest when you saw Derek’s shoulder sag as he walked back to where he came. Your jaw dropped at the way he was speaking to people. “What the hell was that?” You pushed at his chest, barely making him move an inch.

“I was defending you. You dodged a bullet on that one, trust me.” “I’m not yours, you know.” You rolled your eyes in annoyance, his hand gently gripping your chin as he turn your face to look at him. “Not yet,” a breath hitched in your throat, scared to move an inch. You can’t close the Pandora’s box once it’s been opened.

“Are you taking me home or not?” “Right. You don’t have to tell me the address. I already know.” He lets go of your chin softly and starts walking to the array of cars. You walked next to him, your hand occasionally grazing his, making your heart skip a beat. “Well that’s not comforting. You’re definitely not knowing where I work. I can’t let the fact that you’re hot distract me from being logical.” “Awe, you think I’m hot? Thank you.” “Oh for the love of God,”

“I’m telling you, they know each other.” John B starts. “How? She’s literally from Atlanta, Georgia. Where would they have met each other?” Pope defends. “I don’t know. But they have a history. You see the way Rafe forgot about what he was doing when she showed up?” John B explains

“Forget that. Did you guys see the way they were looking at each other? They totally fucked,” JJ intercepts and John B nodded in agreement. Pope, Sarah and Kiara made noises of disgust. “Ew, I do not want to hear about my brother’s sex life, guys.” Sarah complains. “I don’t need to know that about my cousin either,” Pope explains. “You’ve only known her a month, Pope. She could be working with him for all we know.” JJ reasons.

“She’s my family and she saved our asses back there. Give her some credit.” “Credit revoked,” John B says once he spies Rafe’s truck pulling into the driveway. After throwing the car in park, Rafe hops out of the car to open the door for you- against your wishes if you might add. He took your hand and guided you down from the truck.

“What the hell is he doing?” Kiara asks. “He has feelings for her,” Sarah answers in disbelief. “If she’s on our side, we can use that. We can definitely use that.” JJ suggests. They watched as Rafe walked you to the front door and said something to you before watching you go into the house safely. You stopped in your tracks once you saw the group looking at you skeptically.

“How the hell do you know Rafe?” Pope prompts you after a moment of silence.

[solcorvidae]

Modern Witcher AU: My Headcanons (part 1??)

This is exclusively for my own Trucker AU/my fic called Hypothermic on AO3! I have other headcanons for other Modern AU's, but I just love them so much and there are so many things that I cannot possibly include into my fic but still want to share (at least right away/in a way that is plot-relevant). -- also, these are in no particular order.

Jaskier lives in a big city and his parents have a ton of money. They are very big on being a "proper and well mannered" family which Jaskier has had a lot of trouble with. He loves his family and they love him, but they butt heads pretty frequently over small and avoidable things.

Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert are not related to one another by blood at all. The boys met in foster care, Geralt becoming attached to Eskel very quickly, and Eskel bonding with both Geralt and Lambert. He felt responsible for the others and they became inseparable. They bounced around together and were between a lot of different homes/placements before they wound up with Vesemir. Eventually the boys officially asked if Vesemir would be their dad, spurring the legal adoption process into motion.

It took a long time for Eskel to trust Vesemir fully, isolating himself almost consistently for months after he had settled in. He trusted him enough to feel safe and relatively at home, but not enough to come out of his shell. He ate an overwhelming amount of dinners alone in their bedroom, not with the rest of the household.

Geralt was teased for his white hair as a kid and decided that he wanted to dye it dark brown like Eskel's when he was in middle school. It turned out horribly and the dye did not take due to the colour/texture. Eskel helped him and felt bad for ruining the poor kids hair even though there was no way to really know (since they didn't do a test strip).

Lambert often forgets momentarily that his family is not by blood due to his young age when they arrived at Vesemir's house for the first time.

Eskel doesn't have any baby pictures that are still intact/in his possession

Eskel and Geralt both had grey eyes as little kids

Eskel's eyes slowly changed from grey to bright green as he got older. Geralt kept his grey eyes for a lot longer than most kids do before they changed.

Lambert had red hair as a little kid and slowly grew out of it. It eventually shifted to an extremely dark brown with red undertones.

Lambert kept his hair somewhat long as a kid/through highschool and cut it short after graduation. He got Eskel and Geralt to help and they did it in their shared bathroom together. It went shockingly well but the bathroom was a disaster. There are candid photos of the whole affair somewhere on Vesemir’s camera.

Geralt on the other hand, had short hair until the Hair Dye IncidentTM and then refused to touch the length after that, letting it grow long. He only went to get haircuts for maintenance and trimming off split ends, never to cut off any significant length. He still has long hair to this day.

Geralt cannot stand facial hair. He will scratch his face raw if he cannot get rid of it fast enough (or if he can’t use a razor that gives him a close enough shave). Vesemir gets Geralt a straight razor for his 17th birthday to help with this. Geralt is determined to keep this razor forever.

Geralt was the youngest out of all of them to go into the family business and start trucking. He knew since he was young that he wanted to work for his father and was determined to do so as soon as he possibly could. He took Data Management and Business 101 in highschool so he could be of help with bookkeeping despite being notably awful with advanced math. He completed driving school and got his full licence at 19 and started work only a few months later.

Unlike Geralt, Eskel was insanely good at advanced maths and took Advanced Calculus and upper year Physics courses for fun.

Lambert lived in the weight room and shop classes in highschool. Everyone tended to write him off as not being “book smart” but he did super well in the sciences—particularly biology. He took it all the way through until graduation, making honour roll several times.

Geralt is crazy sentimental. Jaskier gifts him trinkets, photos, pop can tabs, flowers... you name it and he keeps every single one. He has a charm pinned to his felt cowboy hat; a gift from Jaskier. It’s on the left side not only because it’s proper,but it is also because it’s closer to the wearer's heart. He has polaroids in his sun visor and in his wallet. He lets Jaskier start a pin collection on the ceiling of his work truck, only complaining minimally about the puncture holes they’ll leave behind.

Geralt and his brothers bar off several weeks each winter where they won't take any contracts so they can come home for the holidays. They spend every Christmas and New Years together in their childhood home.

Vesemir has banned the boys from betting cash. Anything under 5 dollars is negotiable, but he enforces the rule with anything of higher value. Too many fights had occurred over the years due to (intentional?) miscommunication and brotherly stubbornness.

[Modern AU Headcanon Masterpost]

[mademoiselle-red]

The Inheritance

Once upon a time, sometime around 1948 to be precise, in a place far far away, in a small wine town in a place called Sichuan, in the middle of a civil war, a man said to his wife and baby son: “I have to leave with the army for a while. I’ll be back before Chinese new year.”

The wife said: “Then we’ll try to survive long enough until you return.”

The new year came and went. There was no trace of the man. No letters, no messages, nothing. Where did he go? Did he die on the road? She didn’t know. And when the new government set up shop in her town, she decided it was better to assume he died in the war.

The wife kept her promise and survived. She went to live with her brother’s family.

“Auntie, where is uncle?” My young grandmother would ask.

“We lost him during the war,” her auntie would explain.

Several new years came and went. The young son grew up in his uncle’s house, knowing only that his father had been a simple bookkeeper who’d perished in the war, and the adults did not like to speak of him.

According to my grandmother, her cousin lived a good life, but died young from a sudden illness, unmarried and childless.

After her son passed away, the mother continued to live in the house he bought for her, just a few streets away from her niece, until she passed away too. She went peacefully, my grandmother said, after a long battle with cancer.

My grandmother buried her aunt next to her cousin, and then moved on with her life. Over the next few decades, she met and married my grandfather, raised three daughters with him, and retired in her late-fifties after a long career as a school teacher.

And when all her daughters left home one after the other to pursue their own careers and start their families, she and my grandfather sold their old house and moved to a more spacious one across town.

And then one day, some time in the 90s, a man from a place far far away showed up in a suit in this little wine town, looking for an address written on an old crinkled piece of paper to a house that was torn down decades ago.

The old neighbors on the street didn’t remember where that family —a single mother and her young son —had moved to.

But he still had a few days left on his visa so he kept asking around town. And on the last day of his trip, he found an old lady who remembered that the young mother’s brother had a daughter who had been a school teacher at her local elementary school.

And with the help of a retired teacher from the same school, the man found himself knocking on the door of a house on the other side of town.

“Hello, my name is ——, I come from Kaohsiung, and I’m looking for the niece of ——. He left this town in 1948 during the war. He was my father’s best friend.”

~

In 1948, a bookkeeper for the army left his mountainous hometown on a truck, got on a train, and then on a ship, and sailed to a foreign place called Kaohsiung. There, he was given a room to sleep in, and told he would be back home before the new year.

Several new years came and went, and the army discharged him, gave him some money, and told him he was free to do what he wanted. But he was not allowed to return home.

And so he bought a truck with the money and started a delivery business with a buddy from the army.

The decades went by, the buddy started a new family in their newfound home, but the man remained alone. His buddy’s children called him “uncle” and he doted on them like they were his own. And when the children were all grown up, they looked after him like he was indeed their uncle. On his deathbed, the man said to one of the children who called him uncle: “I have a wife and son in a small town in a place called Sichuan. I saved up some money for them over the years, but could not find a way to contact them. Please find them for me and give my son his inheritance.”

And so this is the story of how my grandmother was visited by a stranger one day out of the blue, who sat down for tea, told her a story, paid his respects at a grave, and left her with a rather hefty bundle of cash and gold, all within the span of one afternoon.

The end.

[clown-friend-gt]

Octomer Chapter Four

We're close to the end now! Thank you so much to everyone who's been following this story. I really appreciate it.

I've also been doing some sketches of Spots, so check out my blog if you want to see that. I've only posted one so far, but who knows!

Enjoy!

************************************************************************

Back in the present day, I marveled at the sight before me. Not only was Spots alive, but he now towered over me. Was this what Grandpa was so worried about all those years ago?

I approached him cautiously. From above, I could see him following me with those eyes the size of dinner plates. There was nothing menacing in his gaze, but it still sent shivers down my spine.

I tried to ignore the feeling and continued my approach, laying a hand on his arm.

“How did you survive?” I whispered. “All those years, I thought…”

My eyes stung as I began to tear up again.

He started to move, and I drew my hand back, freezing in place. I didn’t want to be afraid of him, but I couldn’t help it. Even if he was the same person I’d known, he was just so big. I wasn’t always so careful with him when he was in my situation, so who knows how he’d act now that our roles were reversed.

 He removed one of his arms from where he rested it on the cliff. He brought his hand before me. I flinched and took a step back, but he stopped short of touching me. Even his hand was nearly three times my height.

He kept his hand a few feet from me and looked at me expectantly. It took me a moment to understand what he wanted. Hesitantly, I brought my hand to the center of his. I felt a shudder go through him as I made contact.

Then he started purring. The sound was halfway between that of a cat’s purr and a whale’s song. It was a loud, rumbling noise, and it startled me.

I smiled sheepishly. “I forgot you could do that.”

Slowly, he began to drop his camouflage. The natural color of his skin blossomed out from his chest and spread outwards, replacing the color of his surroundings, the rocky cliff and the starry sky. It seemed like he was dropping his guard as we spent more time together.

Then he pulled his hand away from mine. His fingers curled up, though his pointer finger remained extended. He brought it to my head and ruffled my hair. It wasn’t as gentle as I was expecting. My head jerked back and forth with the motion of his finger.

“Careful,” I complained.

He chuckled at my protest, his shoulders shaking as he did. Soon enough, I joined in.

He pulled away and laid his head on his arms again with a contented sigh, just staring at me. I sat down and tried to get comfortable, though it was hard to relax between the hard surface and the absurdity of the situation.

“There’s so much I could tell you about,” I said eventually. “So much has happened since we’ve seen each other.

“I moved out of my parents’ house. Went to college. Tried to get a degree in music, but the professor in charge of the department told me my voice wasn’t good enough.” I scowled at the memory. “Asshole.”

I looked at Spots for some kind of reaction. Clearly, there was no way he could understand what I was saying, but he seemed to be happy just to listen to me ramble. He blinked slowly and smiled at me.

I took that as an invitation to keep talking. “So I got a degree in bookkeeping instead. Moved to the city for a job. Did some singing gigs in my free time. Mostly weddings and open mics, but you know.

“Those died off after a while, though. Or maybe I just stopped looking. Life just got so hectic, and it was like I didn’t have time for me anymore.”

I sighed deeply before the next part. “Then I got the news from my dad. About Grandpa. I was still so mad at him for what he did to you, but the news still hit me like a truck."

I’d been staring off into space while I was talking, so I didn’t notice Spots leaning in closer as I spoke. I jolted in place when I looked back and his head was suddenly a few feet from me.

“Hey Spots…?” I said nervously as he inched closer.

Then he nudged me with his nose and began nuzzling me, like he was trying to comfort me. The gesture was appreciated, even if he nearly knocked me over doing it. When I regained my balance, I patted him on the nose.

“Thanks bud,” I chuckled. He gave a satisfied chuff and pulled away again, giving me some space.

“Anyways, even if we hadn’t spoken in years, it didn’t feel right for me to skip my own Grandpa’s funeral. It was…” I exhaled slowly, puffing up my cheeks as I did so. “…yeah.”

“Then I found out I’d inherited this place, and now here I am,” I finished.

I looked up at him again. I was starting to feel a little more comfortable in his presence, even if that presence was sort of overwhelming.

“I wonder what you’ve been up to?” I asked him. “If only you could tell me.”

Without really thinking about it, I reached out and rubbed him on the cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch.

“You certainly have more scars than the last time I saw you. I’m sure you have plenty of stories you could tell me about those.

“And is that—” I tried to get a look at the back of his head. “—what is in your hair?”

He gave me a questioning look and I pointed to what I was talking about. He leaned back and touched his hair, which was tied back in a bun with what looked like a fishing net.

“Did you get caught in that or did you tie that yourself?” I asked him. “If so, that’s kind of impressive.”

He tilted his head at me and gave a confused chirp. I laughed at his response.

We settled into a comfortable silence soon after that. After a while, he opened his mouth wide and squeezed his eyes shut. My eyes locked onto his needle-like teeth. I was unnerved for a moment, before I realized he was only yawning.

“Tired?” I asked, stifling a yawn myself.

I looked at my phone to check the time. Instead of lighting up with my lockscreen, it flickered with a strange teal light.

I groaned. “Please tell me I didn’t break my phone."

Spots gave me a half-curious, half-sleepy look

“Whatever,” I sighed. “I’ll check it out again in the morning.”

I stood and stretched, saying, “I better head to bed, it’s getting late.”

Spots leaned in close. I had just enough time to brace myself before he started nuzzling me again. I wrapped my arms around his face, giving him a hug and also preventing myself from falling over.

He chirped and pulled back slightly, looking at me with a fond look in his eyes. Then he gave me one last nudge and began retreating from the cliff.

“You’re leaving?” I asked him. Of course, he had no answer for me, but he did give a cheerful wave as he began to lower himself back into the water.

“Wait!” I called to him, running to the edge. He stopped and looked up at me again, half-submerged in the water.

“Will I see you again?” I shouted over the edge of the cliff.

He only smiled at me before finally dropping beneath the waves.

And then he was gone.

[belle--ofthebrawl]

Belle you keep teasing us with the hell on wheels au and I am here to beg most politely for some tiny crumbs. What is this treat you have cooking up for us in your big big brain????

Well...the explanation is very long but basically Augh Motorcycle Helmets Big Sexy.

So it's just Vibes at this point but grew into something more, especially after @miasmaghoul posted about mechanic Cirrus fucking Swiss. I adopted that immediately into what is now known as the Hell On Wheels Au, the barebones of which have been rattling around in my brain for about a year but exploded with thoughts quite recently.

The Ghouls are a Satanist Biker Gang that fully leans into the aesthetic, party at bars and get into fights but during the daytime? They rev their motorcycles and stand in court rooms as kids testify against their abusers. They work in partnership with local community support groups, have domestic violence flyers up in bathrooms, even have their own local version of an Angel Shot called a Devil Shot where one will pick you up from the bar if you've been roofied and takes you to the hospital while another hunts down the lowlife who did it and gives them a little talking to. Violence isn't usually involved since they have a reputation but they're fond of saying they never forget a face. Interpret that how you will.

This all evolved from a Vibes Based Daydream I had where Dew's bike broke down so he had to be Ifrit's backpack. And when they pull up at a red light, Ifrit's old chapter leader Alpha is there and he tells Dew "Killswitch him, it'll be payback for (something completely fucking made up)" EXCEPT when Dew hops off and turns the key to shut down the bike, the light turns green and Ifrit hollers something at Dew before popping a wheelie and racing away, leaving Dew to sweat nervously in the fish bowl distortion of his own reflection in the helmet glaring down at him.

"Get on." Alpha says gruffly and Dew seriously contemplates running before Alpha revs his bike again and growls "you run and you're fucking out." Because their whole thing is facing consequences, right?? So Dew's his passenger princess and Alpha takes him out of town on a backroad to a tall grassy knoll where Dew thinks he's going to be buried and parks his bike.

He meets the bookkeeper, a hulking retired boxer known in his glory days as Omega and they chat as Alpha looms threateningly in the background.

Notes: Swiss and Ifrit ride 1000cc sports bikes whereas I'm going for a more classical, solid build for Alpha. Or a chopper. Can't decide.

"This is all I have." I said to Miasma, but it proved to be a lie as my brain is forever a hamster running desperately on a wheel.

Swiss harasses the corrupt police force (defroque is the sheriff's son??) with Ifrit and Sunny, they do a lot of night rides with no plates and lead them in goose chases after triggering speed traps. Drop a gear and disappear, baby.

Aether does a lot of charity stuff and mostly works with local food banks to be a one man Meal on Wheels (ok...yup. get it out) for elderly and disabled folks. He dreams of owning a food truck with his buddy Mountain but right now he's happy to show up to court with a saddlebag of whatever he thinks that little tyke might appreciate or need.

Mountain is the son of a local cafe owner Terra, who was quite the hell raiser in her heyday but now is content to enjoy her retirement with her partners, Ivy (agoraphobic landscaper) and Pebble (weed dealer). He has a sidecar he brings Rain and Zephyr to work in. Rain's got a fruity little scarf.

Aeon as the new kid in town working two jobs to afford a bike of his own, Imperator as a lawyer/ex pinup model because learning is expensive. Copia is her assistant/son determined to make his mother proud but also can't help but wonder why exactly she chose to work in this distant town and what her relationship is to that decrepit old man sitting in the park, feeding the birds from his wheelchair and seems to know an odd amount of detail about a certain tricycle, hidden away in the depths of the shed. Copia doesn't like talking to him. Nihil knows too much and yet, can't remember anything at all.

Aurora is someone who prefers to pedal around town on her old mountain bike, vlogging her downright dangerous escapades that make seasoned motorcyclists sweat (motocross? BMX? She just likes her old bike. She does delivery for local restaurants and is a living legend in delivery times. Aeon's also into free running/parkour/skateboarding and they have a friendly...? competition over completion times.

Cirrus restores cars as a hobby and is a mechanic with Cumulus, who specializes in paint jobs on top handling the books and stock. Swiss loves it when she fucks him Amazon style on her prize restoration car (model make and year TBD) and he tells her about this little delivery biker who popped a forward wheelie on the other side of a red light, did something complicated that involved walking on her front wheel and stepping on the pedals before setting the bike frame easily back down and pedalling calmly past Swiss. Cirrus knows her of course, but Swiss hasn't earned that knowledge yet. Or his orgasm.

Sunny works in the shop too as an apprentice.

Cumulus likes to flirt with Mist, who owns the local dirt track. "As much as anyone can own a dirt field." Mist says. She's a water-skier, wheels aren't her preferred mode of speed.

The Emeritus family crossed over from Italy sometime in the last couple centuries. Ask anyone and they'll tell you where the real power in the city lies, with the unholy Trinity of the three offspring. But here, see, that's on the down low, see? One of them has to be Papa Emeritus, that enigmatic and rarely seen figure, who takes care of people who put their faith in him and that's more than the local priest ever does. Funny how that church building gets fancier and fancier every year while Mrs. Abernathy down the street can't even afford her medical bills. You know they're holding a fundraiser to build a heated hallway from the rectory to the church because Defroque slipped and fell on the ice last winter and now he's whining about needing a safe path to the building?

Be a real shame if something happened to all that money. Can you imagine Father Jim slipping every Sunday? Not that he's stable any other day of the week, mind you. I get the feeling, those prayers retreats of his....Mmm. but that's just gossip.

Ah well. You know, this is a quiet little town when all those bikers aren't revving their engines. But there's stories to be found in it, if you're willing to wait and be patient. Good things, and all that.

[finalmileniece]

This is an opportunity where you can join an academy and earn your CDL's.

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[beachwavesandsunnydayz]

How To Start A Junk Removal Company

Starting your own junk removal company is by all accounts a ridiculous fantasy for by far most of the populace. Putting your hands on others' waste is honestly disgusting in their eyes. Although the economy is going in reverse at a disturbing rate, this is as yet a country that rewards hard work and resourcefulness. Junk removal may not be your #1 subject however owning a waste removal company is extremely pioneering and may net you a shockingly big time salary. Consider it, hardly any individuals appreciate being around garbage so this is your opportunity to make the most of others' wasteful way of behaving.

Profits There is an astonishing measure of money to be made from a junk removal company. You could make in overabundance of $400 a day after derivations are made for various charges paid for disposal as well as money spent on support and fuel for the truck(s). Basically, your hard working attitude will conclude how much money you make. The more houses you visit, the more customers you get which possibly approaches enormous income.

Contest And Request Before starting your junk removal company, doing some research is significant. Figure out more about the current garbage removal services in your space. There will obviously be a state/locally run business in presence however do they cover all areas? Additionally, are customers happy with the service they are getting? Look at the opposition before subscribing to the task. It is likewise really smart to learn about dispossessions in your space as these are a goldmine with regards to junk removal.

Charge As you will be starting a business, there are various legitimate and burden gives that need to be settled. You, most importantly, need to figure out additional about your state's guidelines and guidelines relating to junk removal. You will likewise need a duty identification number which is given to you by the IRS. The status of your company (sole ownership, organization and so on) likewise needs to be found out for charge purposes. You will be responsible for your own duties so hiring a bookkeeper likely could be a need.

Protection There are a few different types of protection inclusion that you might well need to be completely covered. For instance, you will most likely need a specific type of collision protection intended for business vehicles. Then there are various types of business responsibility protection. It is smart to contact a protection specialist that spends significant time in junk removal companies or tasks that need comparative types of protection.

[alittlebitofmythoughtss]

10 Reasons to Choose WooCommerce

There are numerous internet business trucks out there. Some are feature packed however too extreme to even consider using, while others are costly to run. As an entrepreneur if you need a shopping basket that you can easily oversee all alone and simultaneously profit the vital features available to be purchased and change enhancement, nothing can be a preferred choice over WooCommerce.

The WooCommerce shopping basket plugin can help you send off a self-facilitated, WordPress-based online store in a matter of moments. The following are 10 reasons why Woocommerce is viewed as ideal for private companies.

1. It is Free

It is a free open source plugin. Its extra expansions and support likewise cost less contrasted with different trucks. Thusly, it decreases your general financial plan making this plugin ideal for private ventures and start-ups.

2. Enormous Adaptability

This is maybe the main advantage of this online business plugin where traders, using this stage, can partake in a ton of adaptability with their items even without having legitimate information about its specialized tasks.

3. A greater number of Features than Internet business

WooCommerce doesn't drive its users to go past their usual range of familiarity while building an online store. For instance, the users can construct a completely practical store inside an expert website alongside an incorporated blog page. This large number of aspects of a business are outfit in one spot and introduced together flawlessly in this stage, which isn't generally imaginable with other online business advances or plugins.

4. Likeness with WordPress

Discussing WordPress, a broadly famous CMS stage that supports in excess of 61% of the main million websites, the users of WooCommerce can recognize the user-accommodating WordPress interface. Comparability it adds a ton of significant worth and saves a lot of your time.

5. Enormous Customization Choices

Being free doesn't make WooCommerce an unbending stage. If truth, users get a ton of space to customize and change their online stores to oblige remarkable features as per the need of the business.

6. Proficient yet basic

Despite the fact that it's a free and user-accommodating stage, you shouldn't believe that it isn't sufficiently proficient. Inbuilt with the stage is a nitty gritty request following office with customer commitment instruments that permit purchasers to see past and open requests.

7. Easy Examination

The implicit examination framework in WooCommerce gives you careful knowledge into the everyday investigation the traffic, user conduct and that's just the beginning. Figures like complete deals, normal request deals, individual customer insights, these are flawlessly introduced by means of diagrams, without the users truly leaving their administrator board.

8. Applications Store

There are many Woocommerce augmentations accessible in its application store. From these augmentations, one can find applications connecting with installment, bookkeeping, promoting and announcing.

9. Scope for development

Like other ecommerce plugins or augmentations, it additionally permits its users to practice development and extension as far as how you deal with your items, store and customers.

10. Charm themes

With these Charm themes users can profit from local area discussions, video instructional exercises and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

[lawcrustglobal]

What are some of the most common legal issues that small businesses may encounter?

Legal Challenges Faced by Small Businesses: How to Address Them Effectively

Small businesses often encounter a range of legal challenges that can affect their operations, reputation, and financial well-being. Recognizing and addressing these issues proactively is key to ensuring long-term success. Below are some of the most common legal obstacles that small businesses face:

1. Employment and Labor Law Compliance

Issue: Misclassification of employees as contractors, unpaid overtime, discrimination claims, and failure to meet minimum wage laws. Example: A small restaurant was sued for not paying overtime to staff classified as contractors. The issue was resolved by reclassifying the workers and paying back wages. Stat: The U.S. Department of Labor recovers millions in unpaid wages each year. In 2021, $230 million was recovered.

2. Intellectual Property (IP) Disputes

Issue: Failing to protect trademarks, copyrights, or patents, or unknowingly infringing on others' intellectual property rights. Example: A bakery used a logo that resembled a competitor's trademark, resulting in a costly rebranding and settlement. Stat: The USPTO receives over 600,000 trademark applications annually, highlighting the importance of unique branding.

3. Contract Disputes

Issue: Breaches in supplier agreements, lease disputes, or vague terms in client contracts. Example: A tech startup faced litigation after failing to meet project deadlines due to unclear terms in the client agreement. Solution: Use well-written contracts that are reviewed by legal experts to avoid such issues.

4. Taxation and Financial Compliance

Issue: Misunderstanding tax responsibilities, failing to remit sales tax, or underreporting income. Example: A boutique owner faced penalties for underreporting sales tax due to poor bookkeeping. Stat: In 2023, the IRS imposed over $12 billion in penalties for late payments and underreporting.

5. Licensing and Regulatory Compliance

Issue: Operating without the necessary licenses or permits, or failing to comply with industry-specific regulations. Example: A food truck was temporarily shut down for lacking a health permit. Futuristic Trend: Governments are increasingly digitizing permit processes to simplify compliance for small businesses.

6. Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Issue: Mishandling customer data or falling victim to data breaches. Example: A small e-commerce business suffered a data breach, exposing customer information, resulting in reputational damage and fines under GDPR. Stat: Small businesses make up 43% of cyberattack targets, yet only 14% are adequately prepared.

7. Disputes Among Founders or Partners

Issue: Lack of clear partnership agreements or conflicts over profit-sharing and responsibilities. Example: A co-owned clothing brand dissolved after disagreements about equity allocation due to the absence of a formal partnership agreement.

Future Steps:

Technology Integration: Use AI-powered tools to streamline legal document reviews, compliance tracking, and intellectual property monitoring.

Simplified Regulations: Advocate for simplified compliance requirements tailored for small businesses, especially for startups.

Cybersecurity Investments: Small businesses should invest in affordable cybersecurity solutions to safeguard customer and business data.

By addressing these legal challenges proactively with expert advice and robust systems, small businesses can avoid common pitfalls and build a strong foundation for growth and success.

For expert legal advice on how to navigate these challenges and ensure smooth operations for your small business, LawCrust Legal Consulting is here to assist. From employment law to intellectual property protection and regulatory compliance, LawCrust offers tailored legal services to meet your business’s needs. For premium legal assistance in India, visit LawCrust or call +91 8097842911 today.

[aicerts0]

The Future of Work: LLMs and AI Shaping Job Roles

AI shaping job roles is good news for anyone in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning or curious to know what it is. Earlier, AI was looked upon as a disruption, sadly. But honestly speaking, it is a choreographer deciding how the future of work with AI would look, and we all must dance to its rhythm.

In entertainment, healthcare, IT, finance, marketing, customer service, and whatnot, AI can be seen birthing significant collaborations fueling the job ballet. From the perspective of skill shuffle, human-AI collaboration, or innovation, the transformative impact could be seen on a holistic level.

This article focuses on how AI is shaping job roles, emerging career opportunities and what can be done to prepare oneself. 

Let’s get started!

AI Shaping Job Roles in Major Industries

As businesses focus on productivity, quality, efficiency, and security, AI is the hero that’s winning on all grounds. Here are some specific examples of how AI and LLMs are shaping job roles:

Healthcare

Healthcare is already a challenging work with a blend of humanity and science contributing to the business of delivering care. With a growth rate of 48.1%, the use of AI is expected to reach USD 148.4 billion by 2029. You will see AI-powered robotic surgeries at large, which would require physicians and doctors to adapt to new AI and ML skills for a fruitful collaboration with AI systems.

Finance

With 30% of financial services companies using AI in product development, AI will be deployed at a large scale. The biggest reason behind this massive adaptation is the automation of financial transactions and easy fraud detection. And LLMs enable personalized financial advice like retirement plans, investment decisions, SIPs, and more.

Customer Service

23% of customer service organizations already use AI to resolve and respond to queries quickly. This indicates that AI and LLM-powered Chatbots can easily handle basic customer inquiries, improving efficiency. This will help such organizations position themselves as a trusted brand and free up agents’ time for resolving complex issues.

Media and Marketing

AI and LLMs will rise due to their ability to automate content creation and personalization. According to a report by IMARC Group, AI in the media and entertainment industry is expected to reach US$ 107.1 Billion at a market growth rate of 23.5. This indicates the increasing demand for new skills, especially in data analysis and creative direction. 

AI and ML Impact on Careers

As discussed above, the transformative impact of AI and ML on different industries will bring in massive changes in how we do our daily work, putting a few job roles at risk. Below are a few job roles that will soon be replaced.

Data Entry: Data entry jobs are categorized as routine tasks, primarily feeding data to different platforms to facilitate organizing. These are obviously to be replaced by AI-powered machines because they can perform data entry tasks efficiently and with better accuracy than humans.

Customer Service: Due to faster customer query resolution, businesses have already moved to AI chatbots and voice assistants. It is observed that AI-powered chatbots can handle routine queries, leading to a reduction of human interaction in petty issues.  

Bookkeeping and Record-Keeping: Bookkeeping and record-keeping is another area where AI has completely changed the scene. AI-powered applications and platforms are better at managing financial and administrative data, which is the primary function of record-keeping. AI can do it efficiently without errors.

Transportation and logistics: AI has transformed transportation and logistics, too, with revolutionary innovations, including self-driving cars and delivery drones. We can imagine a future where we no longer need humans to drive cars or trucks for transportation or delivery purposes.  

Agriculture: Agriculture is another segment that is already using machines and software to streamline agricultural jobs. There’s much more to be unfolded soon, including automated machines that can be used to manage crop production and harvesting more efficiently than humans.

Emerging AI Job Roles – What’s in Store for the Future?

AI’s dominance has resulted in a paradoxical situation where it displaces a few job roles; it also creates unique roles in the job market. Here are a few emerging AI job roles and responsibilities we will likely see soon.

LLM Developers and Trainers

If we closely look at LLMs, you need specific input to get the desired output, which brings the need for customization and fine-tuning. Developing expertise in creating LLMs, training employees, and fine-tuning LLMs will make you eligible for many opportunities one year down the line.

AI Ethicists and Bias Mitigation Specialists

AI and LLM models sometimes seem to be biased, giving rise to ethical considerations. Businesses would need specialists who can ensure fair practices for unbiased AI development. Seeing the potential, you must develop these skills to tackle ethical issues better.

LLM-powered Content Creators

Creative jobs were the first ones hit by generative AI models like ChatGPT. This has posed a challenge for writers, marketers, and translators, but now the notion has changed. Businesses do need creative professionals but with better efficiency. So, now, professionals using AI will be in demand and will replace those not using it. 

AI-Assisted Journalists

AI-assisted journalists and correspondents have a special place when we look at the future of jobs with AI. LLMs can be used as a tool to research, fact check, and analyze data, where journalists can focus on demanding tasks like investigative reporting and crafting emotional stories that relate to humans.

LLM Powered Communication Specialists

LLMs lack nuances of human communication; here, LLM-powered communication specialists can bridge this gap. Media houses, businesses, and government officials would require communication professionals and experts who can give personalized briefs in minutes. Developing skills to fine-tune LLMs to relate to targeted audiences, maintain contextual accuracy, and fulfill goals will open doors of opportunities for you.

AI Integration Specialists

When we look at the AI landscape, implementing AI is a heavy task that requires a deep understanding of the company’s workflows, available data, and business goals. Organizations need AI integration specialists who can customize and integrate LLMs and AI seamlessly into existing workflows. Focus on developing domain expertise with problem-solving skills and business acumen to join the bandwagon.

Human-Centered AI Designers

If AI takes over everything, the human experience will remain supreme. Believe it or not, technology will always need humans to understand their evolving needs, emotions, and ethical considerations. AI systems built with people in mind, prioritizing inclusivity and human emotions will rule. Human-centered AI designers will bridge the gap by prioritizing empathy, trust, and emotional intelligence. Develop these skills to be the future architect of interactions.      

Popular Companies Creating New AI Roles

OpenAI: Hitting the job market with a sensational generative AI model, open AI is here with unique roles. It offers research opportunities in LLM development and ethical AI implementation.

Google AI: Google AI is exploring creative applications like music generation and code writing. It is inviting professionals to be a part of their research and development initiative in AI.

IBM Watson: This company is a consulting giant that offers AI solutions and consulting services. It is inviting experts and professionals in data science, communication, and ethical AI practices.

DeepMind: This is another company that develops general-purpose AI applications and is seeking researchers, engineers, and ethical AI specialists.

Key Takeaways

AI is not just replacing jobs, but creating unique roles that require humans-AI collaboration.

Emerging AI job roles focus more on data, ethics, and creativity to fine-tune AI outputs that include LLM developers, AI ethicists, AI-powered content creators and LLM powered communication specialists.

Major industry segments like healthcare, finance, customer service, media, and marketing moved to AI owing to automation and personalization.

Human-centered design for AI systems remains crucial with a focus on human needs, emotions, and ethics.

Top companies like OpenAI, Google AI, IBM Watson, and DeepMind are seeking talented professionals in LLM development, ethical AI, and data science.

AI in Professional Development – A Transformative Touch

The future of work with AI is exciting, but embracing the change will require continuous learning and development. You will thrive in an AI-driven job market if you already possess strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. You need to upskill so you learn to augment technology with human potential to create a fulfilling work environment.

If you are looking for a way to amplify your professional development journey, consider checking AI CERTs™. We offer personalized courses in AI and blockchain to equip professionals with technical expertise and a growth mindset.

[northiowatoday]

Former Iowa bookkeeper sentenced to federal prison for stealing over $450,000

Former Iowa bookkeeper sentenced to federal prison for stealing over $450,000

CEDAR RAPIDS – An Iowa woman who stole over $450,000 from a family‑owned business was sentenced October 30, 2024, to two years in federal prison. Leann Marie Rouse, age 51, from Toledo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 31, 2024 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. Evidence disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that Rouse was hired as a bookkeeper in July 2011 for a trucking…