#file under: starter: stan

[knotfodder]

name: Stanley Pines nicknames: Stan dob. age: June 15 (25-45) gender: Male pronouns: (he/him/his) secondary gender: Omega occupation: entrepreneur species: human (unless..?) younger fc: Tyler Hoechlin older fc: Jeffrey Dean Morgan

+resourceful, clever, street smart+ -greedy, self-serving, impulsive-

[icefang111]

I have created a new way of making a pokemon team that is so emotionally excruciating! 

Anyway whats your pokemon team and top Legendary/Mythic based SOLELY on how much you love them?

Specific Rules under the cut

Ok, so. The final six is important but this is a process. It will take time, and it will be emotionally draining.

But most importantly as you do it remember- this is about love. This is about favoritism. Fuck viability. Fuck team comp. Fuck cuteness. Fuck cool factor. Fuck better designs. None of that superficial stuff. 

Who do you LOVE with your WHOLE ENTIRE HEART? Who’s your buddy? Your friend? Your pokemon soulmate? Who lives in your heart rent free? Who do you stan beyond all reason? Who, when it gets down to brass tacks, you have no argument for liking them, other than you just LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

Its a subtle distinction but it’s important. Hold onto that, cause that’s the true decider.

For regular ‘mons  starters, alternate region types, and alternate forms are allowed (Like the two forms of wishiwashi, and mega evolutions). No shinies and shiny consideration isn’t a factor. No gigantamax forms. All forms must be considered separately, if you love all three evolutions in a line each fight for individual spots, if you love all alt forms of a pokemon all fight for their own spot. so a final six could have three forms from one pokemon line if you feel all three forms beat out all other pokemon for you. (It could be all deerling/sawsbuck if you so choose)

For Mythics/Legendaries/Ultra Beasts Same rules for forms and shinys apply here. Being a surprisingly divisive categorization I’m just gonna list what I’m counting as everyone has differing opinions on this:

Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, Mew, Mew Two, Togepi Togetic, Togekiss, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Celebi, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Latias, Latios, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Jirachi, Deoxys, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Dialga, Palkia, Heatran, Regigigas, Giratina, Cresselia, Phione, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shayman, Arceus, Larvesta, Volcarona, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Keldeo, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Diancie, Hoopa, Volcanion,  Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, Nihilego, Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Celesteela, Kartana, Guzzlord, Necrozma, Magearna, Poipole, Naganadel, Stakataka, Blacephalon, Zeraora, Meltan, Melmetal, Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, Zarude, Regieleki, Regidrago, Glastrier, Spectrier, Calyrex 

On the edge so make your own judgement:  Type: Null, Silvally, Genesect, Meloetta, Victini, Marshadow, Kubfu, Urshifu

On to the process! But please remember to take breaks, if your doing it right it’ll be agony.

So the first step: Go to bulbapedia and look through every pokemon ever released. Transfer the pic of each one that speaks to you (love it, it’s cool, you just think it’s neat etc.) onto an MS paint canvas or any other art program. Make it big! Bring ‘em all in! Though put the legends and mythics off to the side for their own bracket. Then save that puppy.

Step two: The filtering process begins. Start a new layer or MS paint file and copy over the higher tier mons from the previous page. Save when done with your new list. You will be doing this quite a few times, so don’t worry about keeping the bar low; general like to more specifically your favs, the good favs to the really good favs, etc.

Do this for the regular mons on one side, and the Mythics/Legendaries/Ultra Beast on the other

Step three: Keep repeating step two, raising the bar each time. Remember! Prioritise personal connection!

Step nine: Go cry w some ice cream and a blanket, I know this was hard. But hey! You have definitive favs now :)

Step four: As you get closer to the end, around the final 30, it’ll start getting harder and you will likely have to start ranking ‘mons for your own clarity. Seperate two from the pile and ask yourself, which of these two bois do I truly love more? 

Step five: Finalize the top six ‘mons and one Mythic/Legendary

Step six: Sit and stew in your guilt and regret for at least a day

Step seven: Change your top six and top mythic/legendary to it's true finalized form to elevate your regrets, thus creating your True final. You may need to do this a few times to achieve true peace with your choices, if you have any doubt, you're not done yet.

Step eight: once peace is achieved, post it (either w a screenshot of the team builder or lining up your mons pics, or type em out if your on mobile idk)

[mymarvelbunch]

Different Roads... Same Destination: Part One

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (established)

Summary: When the Avengers went back in time to get the Infinity Stones, new timelines were created. By not delivering them back to their exact same spots, you and Steve created major changes in those timelines. What happened? (Non-American!Reader)

This is a sequel to “Be Your Own Hero”. I highly recommend you read it first, since it features many major changes in canon that are addressed here.

Notes: Y/N = your (first) name; Y/Co = your home country; Y/Ci = your home city; Y/N/L = your native language (to be ignored in case you speak English).

Masterlist

Part One

New York, 2012

The Avengers were still trying to understand what happened when a loud ‘thud’ was heard. Tony turned to see the Scepter lying on the ground.

“Well, here is the thing Loki used to brainwash people”, he said. “But where is the Tesseract?”

“This isn’t the Mind Stone”, Loki said. “They placed the Tesseract in the Scepter.”

Everyone turned to him. He had already been right minutes prior, when he pointed out there were four Avengers from the future. Now the team was more inclined to believe him again, especially Thor.

“How do you know this, brother?”, he asked, frowning.

“The glow is different, for starters. And... I don’t know how to say this accurately, but I feel different when the Mind Stone is near me. Ever since those warriors came from the future and took it, I felt... lightweight, even if for brief moments. As if...”

Thor’s eyes widened. “As if the Mind Stone has some sort of power over you.” Loki nodded weakly. “Well, this is important information. Mother will certainly know to fix this. Stark, hand me the Scepter. It will be safer in Asgard.”

A SHIELD agent opened his mouth to protest, but there was little they could do as Tony gave Thor the Scepter. The Asgardian walked to the open balcony, his brother in his arm, and left, though not without asking his ‘brothers-in-arms’ to find the Mind Stone first.

“We’ll do surveillance around the Tower”, Runlow said, “with your permission, Mr. Stark.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I don’t want that thing near any of us.”

~~

“Wait”, Tony said. “Loki was under mind control back then?” 

You turned behind to face him, but a quick glance told you almost everyone was surprised. “You didn’t know? He told me back in 2014.”

Loki wasn’t there to defend himself, busy as he was being king, but Thor was. “Honestly, I didn’t know either, not until Asgard was destroyed. Loki told me on our way here that Mother chose to perform her purification spells out of everyone’s eye because... It would be better (or less worse) to have people believe Loki had turned evil than to have them know about Thanos. But yes, he was under Thanos’ influence through the Mind Stone. It wasn’t exactly like what he did to Barton and others, but close enough.”

That made an awful lot of sense. No one had a good answer for that, and they turned back to the ‘screen’.

~~

It took five years for the Mind Stone to be found. In the meantime, SHIELD was dismantled, the Winter Soldier was revealed to be a brainwashed Bucky Barnes and HYDRA was taken down piece by piece.

There was no Scarlet Witch, no Quicksilver, no Ultron, no Sokkovia Accords, no Zemo. Steve found Bucky in Bucarest in 2016 and, after weeks of talking and with Sam’s help, took him to New York. There, they faced another battle, as many people wanted him in jail for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier.

Surprisingly, their help came from Tony. “I know what he did to my parents, yeah. I read all those files Romanov leaked. But we all saw what brainwashing does to a person, huh?”

No, Tony and Bucky didn’t become friends. Despite his forgiveness, Tony was still wary of him; poor man had his own mental health issues to face already. But he was willing to pay the best lawyers to convince the public that Barnes had no control over himself for the past seven decades, and that the Winter Soldier was nothing but a weapon in HYDRA’s hands. It took time and money, but it was worth it, for Bucky was absolved and reclaimed his status as war hero.

Even so, he didn’t want to stay in US. “Too many memories”, he explained, and Steve understood. It all got worse when one of Tony’s employees found a glowing Stone in the elevator shaft. Thor wasn’t on Earth when it happened, so the Mind Stone stayed at the Tower for a while. Needless to say, Steve was worried, and Bucky was terrified.

“I found a place that might be good for you”, Maria Hill told him one day. “Y/Ci, in Y/Co. It’s a place untouched by HYDRA and with no evidence that the Winter Soldier ever stepped foot in there. No memories, no triggers.”

Bucky accepted the offer almost immediately, and Steve was happy to follow him. “I’ve had enough fights for a lifetime”, he said. “We should have retired from soldier duty decades ago, Bucky. We both deserve a normal life.”

It was early 2018 when they finally settled, and, upon Steve’s insistence, Bucky started looking for mental health care facilities.

~~

Your grip on Steve’s hand tightened when you recognized the mental health facility Bucky got inside. “I was an intern there at college”, you said. Steve’s eyes widened, and he grinned.

“Maybe Bucky will be the one to get you instead of me”, he teased.

Behind you, whispers could be heard.

“It’s weird to not see myself with you guys”, Wanda said. “I wish I could know if Pietro is alive.” Vision rested his hand on her shoulder, likely reflecting on how would his life be if he had stayed as a disembodied voice.

“Wakanda wasn’t even mentioned”, Shuri said. “I guess with father still alive, the borders remained closed.”

“Probably the reason why Bucky moved to Y/Co instead of Wakanda”, Sam added. “If people still think Wakanda is a poor country, no one would think of it as a mental health care reference.”

“I’m not mentioned either”, Scott said, “which is kind of weird, because I don’t see why I wouldn’t meet at least Sam.”

“Yeah, but there was no fight in Germany for you to take part of”, Hope replied. “They probably never contacted you again. Parker isn’t mentioned either.”

Someone shushed them.

~~

Even though he had scheduled it all by himself, Bucky didn’t want to go his first appointment alone. So, when Y/N called for Sebastian Stan (his new alias), he and Steve (who called himself Chris Evans) stood up together from their seats.

Inside, Bucky soon confessed his true identity. Your surprise was visible for five seconds, and then you smiled. “I’m glad you trusted me with such a delicate information, Mr. Barnes. But I wish you’d tell me your story with your own words, not just what was said about you on newspapers.”

Steve stayed inside the whole time, having also revealed who he was. Bucky didn’t tell his whole story at once, give there was a time limit for his appointment, but you asked him to come back in a week. “We can’t give you any concrete diagnosis for now, Mr. Barnes, though we have a few suspicions. But I assure you we’ll help you in every step of your recovery. You won’t be alone.”

After three more sessions, he was diagnosed primarily with PTSD, along with general anxiety disorder and memory problems (he had yet to remember key details of his past).

You were supposed to leave the facility at the end of the month, but your mentor offered you a prolonged stay. “You mentioned your next internship would be in surgery, and you don’t like it, right? I can pull some strings to keep you here. It’s not like you’ll need those skills to become a psychiatrist.”

You happily accepted his help. You’ve always been sure of what you wanted to do after finishing college; skipping surgery internship was honestly a dream come true, and you were eager to follow Barnes’ case. Your classmates didn’t know his true identity, but the case discussions made it clear you got one of the most complex cases at the facility, and some classmates envied you.

Your teacher was successful, and for the following three months you stayed, taking care not only of Barnes, but of other patients as well. It was a wonderful experience, and you were sure you had fallen into the staff’s good graces, which increased your chances at getting into residency program there after graduation.

As the weeks went by, though, you noticed something rather odd. Barnes had been getting inside the room alone since his fifth appointment, but Rogers still accompanied him, waiting for him outside. Eventually, you asked your patient why that was, assuming he’d say he still didn’t feel safe coming alone. Instead, he grinned.

“Oh, he pretends he comes for my sake, but he actually just wants to get a glimpse of you.”

You nearly choked on your own saliva.

~~

At your side, Steve laughed and hugged you tight.

“Guess I didn’t steal Y/N from you after all, punk”, Bucky said, grinning just like his alternate counterpart.

“Thank God”, you replied. “No offence, Bucky, but seeing us dating would have been way too awkward.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

---x---

It wasn’t easy for Steve to convince you to go on a date with him. You were hesitant, given he was her patient’s best friend and roommate, but eventually you conceded.

“We won’t talk about Barnes at all”, you said firmly. “And if I sense this will affect my relationship with my patient, it’ll be over.”

“Yes, ma’am”, he replied instantly, willing to do anything to see you more.

You had charmed him from day one, and his interest on you only grew as weeks went by. When the day of your date arrived, he was a nervous wreck.

“Haven’t seen you like this since Peggy”, Bucky mentioned.

“Shut up, jerk”, he retorted. “And go hide, I don’t want Y/N to see you and cancel our date.”

“She’s got you wrapped around her finger and you haven’t even kissed yet”, he teased, but left to his room anyway.

A date led to another, and another, and another... Steve waited for you to leave the facility and stop seeing Bucky to ask you to be his girlfriend, and she promptly agreed.

A year later, when you met the Avengers for the first time, Thor told the story of how he, Loki and others fought Thanos when he invaded Asgard to take the Space and Mind Stones. Your eyes widened as he gleefully detailed the purple alien’s demise.

“Glad you defeated him still in Asgard”, Tony said. “We just found out about another of these Stones here on Earth. A wizard here in New York is its guardian.”

“Really? Give me his address, I figure we have much to discuss.”

You didn’t really understand all those talks, but Steve’s visible relief was enough information for you.

~~

On the current timeline, that same relief was visible among everyone. “A peaceful timeline”, you commented. “I hope there are more of these.”

After Strange showed what happened to the Avengers who were not featured, Wong took his place to show another timeline. You straightened your back as the ‘screen’ showed you briefly kissing Steve in Morag.

~~

Did you like it? I was looking forward to write about the consequences of those changes. Butterfly effect is strong here.

For those who don’t remember, in ‘Be Your Own Hero’ Loki tells the Reader he was under the influence of the Mind Stone in the events of the first Avengers movie. This is a popular theory that explains some differences between his behavior in that movie and his behavior on... well, any other movie he’s in.

In this, I try to touch on how things would be different if this information was made known right away, instead of being kept a secret. Being seen as a victim instead of a villain changes a lot for Loki’s story, and therefore Thor’s arc as well (The Dark World and Ragnarok’s. It also helps Tony understand Bucky’s story and actions better, since he saw the effects of mind control on Clint and Loki.

Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Ultron and Vision are all products of the Mind Stone, meaning that, in its absence, they don’t exist. The events of Age of Ultron are what make Civil War happen, meaning one doesn’t exist without the other. With no Civil War, nobody reaches out to Scott, T’Challa doesn’t become king to open the borders, and Peter Parker’s role in Tony’s life is probably less significant (though I do believe he mentors the teenager anyway).

If you want to follow my crazy ideas on time travel and its consequences, taglist is open!

[seanhowe]

“We're going to introduce The Black Panther, the first Negro super-villain.” Once in a while, I still come across a Marvel-related artifact that I wasn’t aware of in time for the publication of Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. Sometimes I file them away for later, and sometimes they’re just to good not to share. This falls into the latter category. “Dr. Strange Wants You,” written by the perhaps-pseudonymous Irving Shushick, was published by the East Village Other in March 1966, which means it followed Sally Kempton’s 1965 Village Voice article on Spider-Man, a critical essay in Berkeley’s student paper The California Pelican, and Nat Freedland’s early 1966 Marvel profile in the New York Herald Tribune. But mimeographed fanzines aside, that was about it for the Marvel clip file. And what makes “Dr. Strange Wants You” especially valuable is that it includes quotes, however short, from then-staffer Denny O’Neil (who announces the upcoming introduction of the Black Panther!) and artist Bill Everett. Everett had just replaced the departed Steve Ditko on Dr. Strange; this article claims that he would also be taking over Spider-Man, which may or may not have ever been under consideration. (If you’d like more background on Marvel in 1965-66, there’s a relevant excerpt from my book online here.) There are a few more nice details in this article that I won’t spoil. If Irving Shushick is still alive, and would like to step forward, I’ll try to forgive him for nicknaming Black Panther “Blackie.” And no, I have never heard of a band called Seven Rings of Ragnador.   “Dr. Strange Wants You” Irving Shushick East Village Other March 15, 1966

THOM! The heavy metal doors of the elevator rolled shut as PAK! PAK! PAK! running footsteps reached the closing doors and ZAP! a gloved hand grabbed at the up button.

How surprised the silent clerks of this towering midtown office building would be to discover exactly what lay hidden within its innermost recesses.

High above New York's famed Madison Avenue is the mysterious office of Stan Lee, editor of Marvel Comics. On the office walls hung advance issues of Marvel for the coming months. Sitting in the room was Denny O'Neil, Marvel's newest writer. He zapped through some of the secrets of the comic book trade.

“We're different, you see. Unlike other comic publishers, where the writer supplies the artist with a written description of the story, panel for panel, at Marvel the artwork is done first, occasionally prompted by a brief story from a writer.

“First there are the fan letters,” and he shuffled through some. One fan designed a pornographic wardrobe for Millie, the Teenage Model, another asked to see Spider-Man nude. Fans are always writing in to inquire where Ditko (Dr. Strange) gets his mushrooms.

“And for the fanzines, or amateur fan-made magazines, we've recruited Roy Thomas, because of his beautifully produced fanzine, Alter Ego.”

Yet the comic book scene requires, if only occasionally, something new in its universe. So Marvel's “Old Master” Bill Everett (who is taking over the artwork of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange) revealed a source or two.

“Bad dreams come in handy as a starter,” Everett mused. And then O'Neil chimed in. “We're going to introduce The Black Panther, the first Negro super villain” (and also the name of SNNC's southern political party). To add to the Millie series is a zippy teenage Negro model. The upshot? Well, Blackie turns good guy by his second appearance. And who knows in the comic book world what turns the model will take.

In the early days (circa 1939-40) Marvel was mainly publishing horror comics. Today they are making a comeback with Marvel trying to resurrect some of their bygone heroes. Many have lost their copyrights, while others, like “Jap Buster Johnson,” are obsolete.

In 1947 there came the black days of comicdom. A consultant psychiatrist of New York City labeled comics "a seduction of the innocent,” and the Comics Code was established, requiring comic publishers to submit their books for inspection before printing. The books are then edited for content and changes suggested. Censors are watchful for too much violence, menacing characters, and above all degradation of police. There is a clause in the Comics Code which states that nothing is allowed in comics which would tend to lessen the status of authority in the eyes of kids, and so, of course, the villain must always lose.

With the Pop revival, Stan Lee began creating and perfecting his stable of Marvel superheroes. To facilitate reader identification he gave the heroes typical troubles such as sibling rivalry, anomie, alienation, and all sorts of sexual hang-ups. As the Berkley Pelican pointed out, "Citizens are more likely to tolerate the insidious villains than the super freak heroes. Think of the Hell's Angels with congenital defects and you've got the X-MEN.”

Recently Marvel has jumped to fame. Hanna Barbara animators have projected two Marvel TV series. The Journal of Existential Psychiatry is featuring an article on the early Fantastic Four. There are soon to be two Marvel-inspired rock and roll groups, The Seven Rings of Ragnador (after Thor's favorite cuss word) and the X-Men.

Federico Fellini recently closeted with Stan Lee for several hours. After the conversation, Stan inquired about the identity of his guest Fellini. Being totally involved in comicdom, Stan seldom goes to the movies.

Where is Marvel at this minute? To quote Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards, "Now I'm plunging through the resultant void which I've created in the space-time dimensional barrier. It's almost more than human eyes can bear! I'm actually witnessing a four-dimensional universe, but the effect of seeing it with three-dimensional vision is indescribable…everything is moving faster now! The universe has become a vast kaleidoscope of light and sound!! There's only one explanation!” …and we leave our hero drifting into a world of limitless dimension.

[mmoinstituteguru-blog]

How to Start an Online Store in 8 Simple Steps (Beginners Guide)

How to Start an Online Store in 8 Simple Steps - Starting an online store is a great business idea for those looking to create a strong online presence for their business, as well to extend their global reach. But, unfortunately, even with such a great idea, so many people find it "a long distance race", to start an online store.

Yes, I agree to that, it is "a long distance race". However, if you know the right steps to follow to start an online store, you will not only find it easy to start in just a few minutes but also get to grow your business in no time. It is my pleasure to guide you through all these steps to start an online store for your business. Here, I will be more practical guiding you through, with all the necessary information you need to start your online store and grow your business. I like to share this information, because, I know that you would likely want to get your business online, that notwithstanding, your business may be a kind that does not only target your geographic location but the world at large, and getting an online store will yield great benefits. Before we proceed to the next step, How to Start an Online Store. Let me quickly bring to your understanding, the importance of starting an online store.

Importance of Starting an Online Store.

1. Accessibility Today companies of all sizes and industries establish a successful online presence. This is an extremely important factor considering the fact that the Internet never sleeps and every portal you offer online gives your business a virtual showroom open 24 hours a day. This allows potential customers to search for your product or service after business hours and in the privacy of their home. If you sell products, an online store allows you to place an order 24 hours a day to enter a sale as soon as the customer is interested, instead of waiting for the opening of your physical store, by which time, the desire to buy may have passed. 2. Improving Your Brand Image If you do not have an online presence then you can't expect your prospects to take you seriously and you will lose business to competitors that do have an effective online presence. Providing online presence not only gives your customers or clients access to your product or service, but also allows them to "check" your business. Online reviews, your interactions with other customers, and the frequency and quality of your posts help create a positive impression of your business in the mind of a potential buyer, which increases the likelihood of future sales. 3. Target the Global Market With your physical store, you are limited to the number of people who can visit you at any time, not to mention finding you. With a good website, you can literally have thousands, if not tens of thousands even millions of people visiting your online store at once. Imagine the potential of your business if you could expose your products and services to a potentially unlimited number of interested people. This could open up a much-wider-customer-base than relying on face-to-face interactions would. 4. Easier and Extensive Marketing It's a well-known marketing fact that business minded people like to buy but do not like to be sold. A well-written copy of your products or services on your website allows buyers to make a more relaxed and informed buying decision, as opposed to the pressure of a potential aggressive seller. Marketing your business is also easier and more extensive because the electronic format allows for wider, more cost-effective distribution, as opposed to traditional marketing, which typically includes printing and mailing costs. 5. The Internet Was Made for Business Relationship with customers is really important for business success. The Internet helps companies connect with client communication channels and build strong networks. The beauty of the internet lies in the fact that your prospective customers or clients can literally be just a click away from your online store. Through the internet, you can now educate, instruct and solve their problems. You can accept orders and payments and receive them directly to your inbox. The more people who find you online the more leads and sales you will make. No doubt, with these reasons, we are sure you will agree with us that getting your business online that is, starting an online store, will reap great benefits. If this is so, let help you get started!

How to Start an Online Store.

The biggest mistake most users make is not choosing the right platform for their online store. Thankfully, you're here, and you will not be making that mistake If you are thinking about starting an e-commerce business, that is, having your own online store, there are two popular eCommerce platforms that we recommend: Shopify or WooCommerce. Shopify is a fully hosted eCommerce platform that usually starts at $29/ month. It's a powerful eCommerce solution that includes everything you need to create an online store. The downside to Shopify is that it gets quite expensive, and your payment options are limited unless you pay additional fees. This is why most users choose WooCommerce because of the flexibility it offers. WooCommerce is an e-commerce platform built on WordPress. It can be installed using a WordPress plugin or, even better, customize it directly from your web hosting providers, such as Bluehost, Siteground, Hostgator, Namecheap, A2Hosting, and any other provider of your choice. WordPress powers more than 28% of all websites in the world. This shows that creating your online store with WooCommerce is a brilliant idea because millions of entrepreneurs like you have been using this wonderful e-commerce platform, but still, they have never regretted it. With this comparison and points in mind, we are sure you will agree with us that WooCommerce is the best affordable platform to launch your products online. If this is so, let proceed to the next step of starting your online store.

Requirements to Start an Online Store

Below are the core requirements needed. Domain name and Hosting SSL Certificate Premium Theme Premium Plugins Contents (for pages, products' titles and descriptions) Images (for your products and logo) Now that you are aware of the few requirements to start an online store, it's time to set up your online store. Here we go; 1. Choose a Domain Name This is the first thing you need to do if you are intending to create your online store on Woo Commerce, choosing a domain name. A domain name is any name given to a website on the internet. (For example, when you type mmoinstitute.com into your browser to visit the site, that's the website's domain name). Now, it's time to pick a name for your website and make sure that your future readers out there are able to find it. Bluehost offers new customers a free domain name for the first year of their web hosting service. You can also choose the extension to use for your domain name, such as .com, .io, .ai or otherwise. While a .com is still the preferred domain extension, it's becoming less important as time goes on, so don't shy away from other less common domain extensions, especially if they're more affordable. For those of you who cannot claim your first choice of a domain name, take a few hours to exchange ideas with friends and family. Think aloud and experiment with different words and variations to find the most appropriate domain name for your new site. 2. Pick a reliable hosting service To make your website accessible to other people on the Internet, you need a "host." The host keeps all your website files safe, secure and makes sure that people can access your site when they click on a link or type in your URL. There are tons of web hosting providers to choose from. We recommend Bluehost to anyone wishing to start an online store on WooCommerce because it acts as a one-stop shop for great and affordable hosting, quick and easy registration of your domain name in one swoop. 3. Install WordPress By now, you should be in fantastic shape on your journey to building an online store on WooCommerce. If you still remember, WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, so it's time we set up WordPress There are several ways to install WordPress by Bluehost, Softaculous, FTP, Localhost, etc. But for this post, we will use Bluehost. After creating your profile on Bluehost, you can log in and start using all the features you have chosen. One of the unique features of Bluehost is that it comes with a one-click installer for WordPress. Instead of playing with files and databases, you can install WordPress and set up your website in minutes.

How to Install WordPress on Bluehost

Choose your preferred hosting page. We recommend the starter package. It offers a lot of speed, performance, features, and storage for your first website. You can move to a more advanced hosting plan as your website grows. You will be prompted to choose a domain name, choose your preferred domain. On the next page that appears, enter your personal information and credit card details. And make your payment. A green button indicating "install" on cPanel from Bluehost, click on the button to start the process. Although not necessary, you will be asked if you want to use your website with or without "www." Before the name of your website (www.YourWebsite.com or YourWebsite.com). If you are unable to decide, you can leave it as it is. It can be easily changed afterward. WordPress installation details such as email ID, username and password can be set. Read and accept all necessary terms and conditions under a license agreement. Then click on install! Once the installation is complete, you will see a clear message at the top stating "Your installation is complete!" And a button showing "View credentials". Clicking this button will take you to a page where you can find your newly installed WordPress login credentials. 4. Add SSL Certificates to your site (for Security) SSL stands for "security sockets layer". It adds a special security layer on your website, so you can accept sensitive information such as credit card numbers and other personal information. This is required for you to accept credit card payments on your website. The URL that appears as "https://" (and, often, also shows a green lock symbol). SSL is quite easy to set up with Bluehost since they offer it as a premium add-on during the payment process when signing up for the hosting. when signing up for the hosting. 5. Install WooCommerce Just log in to your WordPress dashboard. In the dashboard, you will see "Plugins" under "Appearance", click the Plugins item, and then click the Add New option. Search for "WooCommerce" and the WooCommerce plugin should appear as the first result. Click the Install Now button. This will automatically download and install the plugin files and should only take a minute. Once the plugin is installed, you must click the Activation link of the plugin to start using WooCommerce. (You can use the free or premium version). Then you should be prompted to start the setup. It's much easier to follow, so click on the Let's Go button to start. The installer will first ask you if you want WooCommerce to automatically create your key pages for you. These pages include your main store, your shopping cart, your order, and a default customer account page. You really want all these pages, so click Continue. The next step is to set up your store location, currency format, and units of measure. This is important so that your customers know how much you charge and what they get for their money. So make your selections and click Continue. When WooCommerce is activated for the first time, the WooCommerce Setup Wizard helps you set up your shop. Select "Let's go!" To begin. Or select "Not now" if you prefer to manually set up your online store. Set up your store. Now, choose your delivery address. Your next screen is the setup of your payments. If you still cannot afford credit cards, WooCommerce makes it easy to get two of the highest rated online payment services, Stripe and PayPal, by checking the appropriate box (es) yes, you can use both on this screen. When the Payments setup screen is complete, click Continue to access the 'Shipping' setup screen. Your WooCommerce installation is now complete. After the steps above, you can start installing your theme, product information, and additional plugins. 6. Choose a theme and design your online store By now you should be saying, hurray! But, hold on a minute, you know why? If you still remember, we promised you that we're going to help you get started. What we actually meant was that we're going to help you build an eye-catching (attractive) online store, for your business. It's our nature to help you get the best out of your business, so there is absolutely no need to thank us now, let finish it all well. After activating the WooCommerce plugin, you must start with the customization, which begins with the selection of the theme. You can think of a theme as a template for the visual layout of your store, having a good theme makes the design and organization of your site a snap. We do not recommend the use of free themes that have been downloaded on wordpress.org or that have been obtained elsewhere. Because free themes will lack some vital features that you need. You need a premium theme (paid theme). Paid themes are incredibly great and most of these themes are relatively inexpensive, like the one I most recommend, Happythemes. Once, you buy a theme, you will own it forever and get all the benefit of excellent support and customization options that come with premium WordPress themes.

How to Install your theme

After downloading your theme, go to your WordPress dashboard In the dashboard, you will see "Appearance", hover on it, sub-menus like theme etc. will appear. Click on theme >>> Add new >>> Upload file. Select the theme file you just downloaded and click Install. Wait a few minutes and the installation will be complete. Finally, "Activate" the theme!

Now let start customizing your theme.

When you uploaded your theme, there is a layout or drawing that you can easily re-edit to your liking. What we mean is that theme developers usually make it easier for users to edit these elements. (i) Name of the Site, Tagline, and Logo Go to your dashboard >>> Appearance >>> Theme >>>> Settings In the theme settings, you can change what you want, but it depends on the theme. Finally, click on "Publish" (ii) Homepage Setup This is very important. If you do not do it, you will not get the desired design. Go to your dashboard >>> Page >>> Add New page Create two new blank pages with the title "Home" and "Blog", publish the pages as they are (blank). Return to your dashboard Go to Settings >> Reading Under Reading Settings, choose "static page" A drop-down menu appears. The first is "Home Page". Under it, select the blank page you created with "home" as the title and proceed in the same way for the "Post page". Click on "save changes" (iii) The Slider Any versatile theme comes with an option for a slider. You can edit slider images by going to your dashboard, locating slider text (it can be Slider Revolution, Unison, etc.), change the images and texts to yours and save it. (iv) The Footer Go to your dashboard Hover on "Appearance" >>> "Widget" Choose the widget you want at the bottom of the page (3 is recommended, for example, "Pages", "Email Newsletter Subscribers", "Collection".) Then save! 7. Adding Products This is the real thing and that's why you're creating an online store. However, don't be intimidated. It is so simple, just follow the steps below. Go to your dashboard Click on Products >>> Add New If you get to the page, you will know the next step because it is self-explanatory. But be sure to use an attractive image as your "Featured image" because it will appear as the image (it will be visible to customers). Write a good title, description and make sure you use keywords in them. Do not forget the keywords in the ALT image title. Put the price etc. Preview it, if it's OK, then "Publish" 8. Market your online shop Hang in there – you've reached the last section of this bumper guide on how to start an online store. Now, you should be confident enough to shout, I did it! But, before you do that, there's one last piece of the puzzle that hardly anyone will openly talk about: Promotion. Building a successful business online takes more than selecting brands, writing product reviews, and starting selling products online. Even the best business ideas can fail if you do not drive enough traffic to your site (attracting visitors). Here is a list of four simple digital marketing (online marketing) strategies that any business owner can implement to help their business grow and make money. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SEO is a marketing discipline focused on increasing the visibility of the results of organic (unpaid) search engines. SEO covers the technical and creative elements needed to improve rankings, drive traffic and increase awareness in search engines. Making money with digital marketing (Online marketing) via SEO is very simple once you get to know the specifics. The main objective of SEO is to increase the visibility of your site in the search field. Each search engine gives a result based on certain keywords or key phrases of the search query typed in the box and the most relevant result arrives at the top. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the best partner for any business that wants to reach its target audience without spending a lot of money. In fact, most of today's business ventures such as Airbnb, Amazon, eBay and several others rely on SEO. Email Marketing Email marketing is an innovative way of marketing. This is a marketing tool in which an advertiser sends an email to the recipient detailing the products and offers available. It has the potential to reach millions of clients with a click, the best way to build a relationship with potential customers in an intimate way. It's a blend of graphical content and links that provide the customer with easy purchase and information. This is an easy way to measure customer response and marketing charts of products. A lot of email marketing tools come with the possibility of unsubscribing to eliminate unwanted customers and secure potential buyers. The best part of this type of digital marketing is, the product is advertised to a large audience and it has a far outreach than the traditional method of marketing. Social Media Marketing As an aspiring online entrepreneur, you cannot ignore the impending dominance of social commerce. As the name suggests, it is digital marketing (online marketing) that is performed in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Most social media networks have their own data analytics tools that make it easy to create and promote social media marketing campaigns. Due to the continuous dissemination of social media discussions and opinions, there would be an immediate notifiable product and it would also be shared on other platforms, which would help to publicize the product. You can post a marketing campaign on your social media account and make money for the number of campaigns published in your account, and the number of views you get from your friends and campaign performance will ensure you profitable online money making with Digital Marketing. You can also share a post on social media about how to monetize through digital marketing to attract more views and take advantage of them for product advertising. Content Marketing Content marketing refers to the creation and publication of free online content for the purpose of promoting a particular product or service. It is a bridge of information between the consumer and the seller. Content marketing is used in search engine searches. If you are creative and have a strong suit in writing, this is one of the ways to make money from online marketing. When writing content, you must be able to understand the dynamics of the product. Content must be presented in such a way that a layperson can understand and buy the product. So far, you've learned how to start an online store, without spending extra money on website designers. If you are looking to start your online store with WooCommerce, we suggest you follow this guide.

Good luck!

Read the full article

[jessicamonroe210]

'Down the road' reunion for Magic and Doc Rivers is subject of latest coaching chatter

New Post has been published on http://kennywadehiphop.com/2017/03/18/down-the-road-reunion-for-magic-and-doc-rivers-is-subject-of-latest-coaching-chatter/

'Down the road' reunion for Magic and Doc Rivers is subject of latest coaching chatter

11:00 AM ET

Chris Paul will become an unrestricted free agent in 106 days. Ditto for Blake Griffin.

The uncertain future of the two cornerstone players in Clipperland has been felt (and feared) by this franchise every single day since training camp commenced way back on Sept. 26.

So it goes when the widespread assumption in league circles holds that big changes are coming in the offseason if the Clippers fail to at least reach the Western Conference finals for the first time in CP3 and Griffin’s six seasons together.

Yet what if our focus is misplaced?

What if the ‎big change looming, in the event of another disappointing end to a Clippers season that began with such promise, occurs in the coaching box?

Doc Rivers is under contract to serve as Clippers coach and president of basketball operations through the 2018-19 season. This is Year 3 of the five-year deal Rivers landed with new Clippers owner Steve Ballmer — believed to be in excess of $50 million — after steering the club so admirably through the last days of Donald T. Sterling’s famously chaotic and controversial reign that spanned more than three decades.

That monster pact, however, hasn’t prevented Rivers’ name from popping up in one of the league’s more rampant recent conspiracy theories.

There has been persistent chatter for weeks over the NBA’s front-office grapevine that the Orlando Magic and Rivers will explore a reunion down the road.

Now, you’re certainly not alone if you’re wondering whether down the road in this case should be measured in months or years.

More clarity, though, might not be far off.

The Clippers, for starters, are bound to put their entire operation under the microscope if their season continues to unravel in its current manner. Injuries have undoubtedly played their part, with Paul and Griffin playing together in only 37 of L.A.’s 69 games to date, but a 5-8 funk heading into Saturday night’s home showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers has threatened to knock the Clips down to the West’s sixth or seventh seed.

Not what anyone expected, least of all Ballmer, when these same Clips jumped out to a 14-2 start.

The Magic, meanwhile, appear headed for their own sooner-rather-than-later shakeup. League sources say without hesitation that Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan finds himself on the hot seat and is increasingly likely to be dismissed at season’s end, with the Magic on course for a fifth successive losing season under Hennigan’s watch.

It might only be a matter of weeks, then, before the Magic have a vacancy for a new lead voice in the organization.

The simpler move for Orlando, of course, would be to hire an on-the-rise executive to take over basketball operations and work with first-year coach Frank Vogel. Ex-Magic forward Pat Garrity, presently in Detroit as part of Stan Van Gundy’s cabinet, has emerged as a potential target to come aboard in precisely those circustances and inherit Vogel, who appeared to be absolved from blame for Orlando’s 25-45 misery this season when Hennigan conceded that the roster was overloaded with big men and traded Serge Ibaka to Toronto just eight months after surrendering Victor Oladipo, No. 11 overall Domantas Sabonis and a first-round pick to bring Ibaka in.

Talk of an eventual Rivers return to the Magic Kingdom, where he launched his coaching career, is nonetheless too prevalent among league insiders to ignore.

File it away, if nothing else, as we await a number of related dramas to play out. Such as:

Is the prospect of a new voice via coaching change, on top of Ballmer’s vows to spend as much as it takes to keep his top two stars, something L.A. should consider as part of its pitch to re-sign Paul and Griffin in the event this upcoming postseason plays out like the previous five?

Does it even make sense for the Clippers to try to keep that starry twosome together if this latest slide proves irreversible and they stretch it to six consecutive seasons in the Paul-and-Griffin era without progressing beyond the second round of the playoffs?

Is the simpler solution for the Clippers asking Rivers to merely surrender one of his titles — meaning his GM hat — to bring in a new team-builder that keeps one of the six active championship coaches in the game on his current bench?

Do the rumblings about Ballmer’s close ties to former Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers executive Bob Whitsitt, as some league insiders believe, make Whitsitt destined to land in charge of the Clips in coming years?‎

Do this week’s complaints about the ‎Clippers’ approach and inconsistency coming from J.J. Redick hint at his free-agent departure this summer? Word is that some within the organization are concerned Redick is going to be too pricey to re-sign when the sharpshooter, like L.A.’s starting point guard and power forward, hits the open market in July.

Weave through all of the above, and there’s clearly plenty here, dare we say, to keep you tuned in well after the Clips and Cavs hook up.

‎We’re almost there.

The NBA, assuming it makes it through the next three-plus weeks with no coaching casualties, is about to record its first campaign since 1970-71 without a single in-season coaching change.

The league, for the record, only fielded 17 teams back then, compared to the current 30.

‎The next trick, of course, will be seeing how many teams change coaches in the offseason, since we can almost always bank on a surprise firing (or three) beyond those who find themselves fielding regular questions about job security as the regular season dribbles to a close (such as New Orleans’ Alvin Gentry, New York’s Jeff Hornacek and Chicago’s Fred Hoiberg).

The last season in which every NBA team began with the head coach who finished the previous season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was 1975-76 … just when your humble correspondent was falling in love with this league as an inquisitive 6-year-old.

There were 18 teams, for the record, in that NBA‎ season.

Jimmer Fredette is back from China — will he now take flight with an NBA team? VCG via Getty Images

Jimmer Fredette, fresh off an MVP season with the Yao Ming-owned Shanghai Sharks, is back in the United States and eagerly awaiting the phone call that affords him another NBA shot.

‎Carlos Boozer, meanwhile, remains in China but has also played his way back onto the NBA’s radar, having helped the Guangdong Southern Tigers, along with veteran guard Donald Sloan, advance to within one game of the Chinese Basketball Association finals.

After a bumpy adjustment period to the Chinese game, Boozer has joined Fredette as one of the CBA’s most influential imports over the past two months. One source plugged firmly into the Chinese scene says that the Miami Heat and the aforementioned Clippers are among the teams tracking the 34-year-old’s progress with Guangdong.

One potential problem for Boozer: If Guangdong indeed reaches the championship series in China, he might run out of time to make it back to the States in time to hook up with a playoff team. Boozer is eligible to play in the NBA postseason for anyone who signs him, since he hasn’t been on a roster all season, but the one requirement is that he’d have to be signed back home before the NBA regular season ends April 12.

FWIW: The best available free agent, on this scorecard, ‎is Omri Casspi, who endured the misfortune of suffering a broken right thumb in his New Orleans Pelicans debut on Feb. 23 but, according to league sources, was cleared this week to resume basketball activities ahead of schedule.

Given Casspi’s ability to play small forward and power forward and shoot the ball from the deep, you have to believe a playoff-bound team will try to sign him in the coming days.

The Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies, sources say, are among the teams that have expressed exploratory interest. The Grizzlies, in particular, appear to have an opening on the wing after Chandler Parsons was sadly ruled out for the rest of the season thanks to his own hard-luck meniscus tear in his left knee.

A few fun tidbits, via tireless ESPN research ace Micah Adams, about the Spurs’ ridiculous run of 18 straight 50-win seasons:

The closest call to falling short of 50 occurred during the 2011-12 season, which, as you surely remember, was shortened to 66 games thanks to a lengthy lockout. The Spurs needed to finish that season with a 10-game winning streak to get to the big Five-Oh … and naturally did.

‎The very first victory in this 18-season run came against Philadelphia on Nov. 2, 1999. Current ESPN analyst and longtime Spurs swingman Bruce Bowen played in that game … for the Sixers.

‎Kawhi Leonard was 8 years old when the streak began./p

‎The Clippers entered 2016-17 with the second-longest active streak of 50-win seasons … albeit with just four.

Gregg Popovich has employed 137 players over these 18 seasons. Tim Duncan holds the record with 1,260 games played during the streak; Alex Scales ‎appeared in the fewest … as in just one.

In yet another testament to the job R.C. Buford has done as Pop’s trusty personnel ace: More than half of the Spurs’ players over the past 18 seasons — 56 percent — were not first-round draft picks. Forty-three of them, furthermore, were undrafted.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

[moviesteem]

Woz Blog: Breaking down the trade deadline and what’s next for the Raptors

Woz Blog: Breaking down the trade deadline and what’s next for the Raptors

There isn’t much to say about Thursday’s one-sided Raptors win over New York. The Knicks are demoralized having lost franchise player Kristaps Porzingis and simply can’t compete with this strong Raptors side.

The bench is playing at a ridiculous level most nights now, to the point that the starters get all kinds of rest. That’s only 15 fourth quarter minutes each for Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and…

[knotfodder]

-

[wittystiles]

The Bluff || Part Two || Mitch Rapp

Author: wittystiles

Title: Chapter One

Word Count: 3.4K

Story Summary: go here

Chapter Summary: Stan, Irene and Reader arrive to Paris to begin their “mission” of sorts. The reader is completely shocked to find out what that entails, and mischief occurs.

Warnings: Cursing (expect it tbh). Violence (sorta). Mention of blood. 

A/N: I’m in the middle of a “break” rn, lol. Clearly its going smashingly, and I’m not doing anything. Can’t you tell? This story is just so addicting to me right now that I can hardly abandon it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, Mitch will be involved fully soon. Promise.

Stan held the door to the hotel room open for Irene and (Y/N), his other hand clutched tightly around the handle of his suitcase. The two women nodded their thanks as they entered the room, dropping their own bags onto the floor. The door shut loudly behind them, and Stan threw the lock in place. “Welcome to Paris,” Stan called after setting his suitcase down next to theirs.

(Y/N) gave a soft smile, taking a seat on the edge of the farthest mattress. Irene took a seat on the other, and Stan begrudgingly pulled a chair away from the small table in the corner of the room, moving it in front of the two beds before taking a seat.

“So,” (Y/N) spoke up, knotting her hands in her lap. “Are the two of you ready to tell me what we’re doing in Paris?”

Irene nodded, “you’re here to meet your assignment (Y/N).” Irene crossed her leg over the other, resting her hands on her knee. “You know you’re to be a handler, of sorts. Not exactly the conventional type, but a handler. And you know that your assignment is… difficult. Would that be a good word, Stan?”

“I’d choose ‘pain-in-the-fucking-ass’, but sure. Use difficult.” Stan said with a smile.

Irene took a deep breath. (Y/N) could tell that Stan and Irene should not be spending as much time together as they were. “Since your assignment is difficult, we know conventional methods will be useless. So, we’ve brought you to Paris. Where he will be on a fake assignment that Stan and I have created.”

(Y/N) took a deep breath, crossing her arms over her chest. “What am I supposed to do? Come in and be his partner or something?”

Stan shook his head, chuckling a bit. “Not exactly.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “You’re actually going to be performing some sort of.. act. A little, technically.” Stan shrugged his shoulders a little.

“An act?” (Y/N) asked for clarification, her brows knitting together. “What do you mean, an act?”

“Well, a performance. Think of this like. I don’t know - how should she think of this, Irene?” Stan leaned back against his chair, mimicking the way he’d sat the first time (Y/N) had met him.

“Like you’ve said, Stan. A performance. (Y/N), you’re going to be in charge of getting to Mitch. We want you developing a relationship with him, getting close to him, starting to keep him … level?”

“Level?” Stan repeated, looking confused. “We don’t need him level, Irene. We need him knocked under the ground and finally fucking sane.”

“Stan,” Irene sighed. (Y/N) could see the exhaustion written on her features. “Would you please dial back on your profanity?”

Stan stared at her blankly for a moment before beginning to mutter a string of curses underneath his breath, making an annoyed face, looking down at his hands.

“As I was saying. We need you to help us keep him level. He’s here -“ Irene raised her hand above her head, moving it back and forth a little to prove where Mitch ‘was’. “And with your help we’re hoping that we can get him here.” Irene lowered her hand to the middle of her stomach.

Stan scoffed at Irene’s hand placement. “There? Irene, are you out of your mind? That’s still too much. We need that kid six feet under, which I’m sure he’ll manage on his own eventually. However I’d like it sooner than later. And since you won’t let me kill him, I guess we’ll have to settle for you doing it, (Y/N).”

(Y/N) widened her eyes a bit. “I thought I was to act as a makeshift handler? Not kill this man.”

Irene nodded, “you are. Ignore Stan. He’s old, holds grudges and probably forgot to take his heart medicine today. He’s fired up when he doesn’t take those.”

Stan leaned forward in his chair, face hard and ready to give Irene a verbal lashing for her comments. She halted him, however, when she began speaking again. “You’re to gain Mitch’s trust, (Y/N). Stan and I have decided that the best option for you, as his handler, is to get close to him. We, however, do not feel like it will be beneficial in any way for him to know of you as an agent. We want him blind to that fact. Want him as out of the loop about what we are planning of him as possible.”

“So,” (Y/N) breathed. “What is it exactly that expect of me?”

“Well, for starters you’ve got to get the least trustworthy sonovabitch I’ve ever met to trust you. Piece of cake.” Stan shrugged like he didn’t really care what happened but looked forward to the shitshow playing out in front of him. (Y/N) almost wanted to be like him, seemingly uncaring in all aspects of life. Distantly, however, she suspected he cared more than he let on.

(Y/N) nodded her head slowly, pushing her lips together in a pout. “That sounds easy enough. Get an untrusting ‘sonovabitch’ to trust me. Got it. What else?”

Irene sighed, she was sure that by the end of her time with Stan either herself or (Y/N) would sound like a truck driver stuck in traffic. Cursing every other word.

“You’re also going to need to get close to him, like I’ve said.”

“How close?” (Y/N) asked, picking at her cuticle. She caught herself and stopped, knotting her fingers together.

Stan smirked, clearing his throat. “Well, sweetheart. Without risking Irene punching me for being ‘too crass’, you two will probably get close enough for him to know if you’ve got carpet or hardwood floors if you know what I mean. And that won’t even be you doing it for the mission. Probably. Mitch is a pretty bastard. Irene, you know.”

“Excuse me?” (Y/N) asked quietly, taken aback by Stan’s comment.

Stan sighed, and Irene gave him a warning look. “You’ve got to get so close to him, (Y/N), he’ll end up inside of you. You control a man’s dick, you control him.”

Irene gasped in shock, leaning forward to smack Stan across the mouth. Her movement was quicker than either Stan or (Y/N) thought she was capable of. “Say somethin’ like that again, and it’ll be my fist Stan.”

Stan, still in shock over being smacked, rubbed his cheek gently. “Director, I don’t think it’s appropriate to smack your agent.”

Irene gave him an icy glare. “Stanley, if you were my agent I’d have your ass canned worse than sardines.” She took a deep breath. “You’re making my head pound.”

(Y/N), having recovered from the abrupt smack that wasn’t even delivered to her but nearly felt, grasped what they were discussing. “I’m not going to sleep with him.” She declared, more to herself than to the others in the room.

Stan snorted a laugh. “That’s a fucking lie. You haven’t met him yet. Hell, even ol’ cobweb crotch Irene here wanted him at first.”

Thwack.

Irene’s fist connected with Stan’s jaw blindingly fast, causing his head to thrash to the other side. “You ever talk about my crotch again, Hurley, and you’ll lose your teeth. You got me?”

Stan nodded, though she could hear his low chuckle. “Back to the subject at hand, and not the subject of our agents sleeping together.”

“Though, you admit that you’re sure it will happen.”

“STAN!” Irene shouted in warning. He held his hands up in mock surrender.

“I think we could use a moment. Let me go call my other agent, he’s in route I would hope. Stanley, don’t do or say anything stupid or inappropriate.”

Irene pushed up from the bed she was sat on and walked away from the two of them, entering the room besides theirs through the adjoining door.

“She can put on a show and lie all she wants, she enjoyed my comments.” Stan mused, rubbing his jaw soothingly. “Anyway, (Y/N). As I was saying. You’re gonna have to get real close to Rapp. He’s not been vulnerable to anyone since that shit went down however long ago, and we want you to be that person he lets his guard down with.”

“And you think that by fucking him, I’ll accomplish that?”

Stan shrugged, “probably. Besides, like I definitely said earlier. You’ll want to anyway. Didn’t you see his picture in his file?”

(Y/N) nodded, “yes. I did, but-”

Stan waved his hand, not wanting to hear the rest of her sentence. “Doesn’t matter. I just want you to know that it’ll be something that will happen eventually. Not even a possibility, I guarantee it. And when it happens, if I hear about it, I’ll contemplate killing either of you. Just a warning.”

Stan took a breath and stood from his chair, walking over to the small fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“Aside from getting him to trust you and screw you, you’re gonna have to get him to listen to you. That’s important. That stupid sonovabitch doesn’t listen to a single Goddamn person, you’ve gotta change that, or so help me God he’s gonna find himself skinned.”

(Y/N) sighed heavily, “why do you have such contempt for him?”

Stan cracked the seal on the water bottle he’d grabbed and guzzled down half of it. “Cause I think of him as my son, (Y/N). And I don’t want his ass to get killed in the field.”

“I’m not going to get to be with him in the field though.” She pointed out, standing to get herself a water bottle. “How will I be able to prevent him from getting killed?”

Stan took a moment to answer her, slowly screwing the cap back onto his water. “You’re gonna give him a reason to want to come home.”

Irene returned shortly, shoving her phone into the pocket of her dark grey pants. “He is on his way here from there airport.” Irene declared, returning to her spot on the bed.

“Who?” (Y/N) asked, assuming it was going to be Mitch. “The other agent. He’s crucial to you getting to Mitch.”

(Y/N) furrowed her brows together. “Why don’t you just introduce me to him yourself?”

Stan laughed, shaking his head at her. “You can’t just be introduced to this kid, (Y/N). He’ll say ‘I don’t need a fucking handler’ in his annoying tone, and walk out in a huff.”

“So, like you would?” (Y/N) asked for clarification. Stan glared.

“Sort of,” Stan agreed.

Irene took a deep breath and then launched into explaining what would need to occur. “Stan called Mitch when we landed and told him there was a lead on an international, mid-level arms dealer here in Paris. Mitch was assigned to getting to the arms dealer and finding out what he knows. Currently, Mitch is somewhere over Europe headed here to join us. Or, rather, to find us. In a manner of speaking. The other agent, the one I just phoned, he’s going to be posing as the arms dealer.”

(Y/N) sighed, “where do I come in then? Am I supposed to be a housekeeper or something? Should I stumble upon Mitch?”

Stan shook his head, “not exactly.” “Then what?” (Y/N) leaned forward a bit looking rather confused.

“You’re going to be a victim of sorts…” Irene trailed off.

“How will I b-” (Y/N)s sentence was cut off by Stan’s fist connecting with her left temple, sending her crashing to the bed.

Irene jumped up from the bed, grabbing Stan’s arm. “Stan! What happened to telling her the plan first, and allowing her to consent to getting beaten?”

Stan sighed, looking at his fist and then at Irene. “She wasn’t going to agree. This way, she’s already been hit. She’ll have less of a reason to refuse.”

“Or more of one!” Irene pointed at (Y/N) who was clutching the side of her head.

“What the fuck?” (Y/N) screamed at Stan, standing up from the bed.

Stan cleared his throat. “Well, Irene did warn you that you’re playing the victim of sorts. This is the ‘of sorts’. Now, can we please finish this? I don’t want to do this to you, (Y/N). I really don’t, but it has to be done.”

“NO!” (Y/N) screamed again, pushing on him with the balls of both of her palms. She balled her fists at her sides, ready to strike him, when Irene spoke up. “(Y/N),” she rest her hands calmly on her thighs. “You’ve got to do this. You’re going to be the victim, and that entails looking like one. Stan is going to beat you, within reason, and you’re going to be rescued. Hopefully, if Mitch does what we want. He doesn’t know our plan, so maybe he’ll cooperate.”

(Y/N) stared at the two of them wide eyed, her temple throbbing. “Get fucked.”

She walked past the two of them, reaching down for her bag. “Told you she was gonna hate this.” Stan pointed out, cracking his knuckles behind (Y/N).

“(Y/N), please. This will be over soon, it will look worse than it will be.”

(Y/N) shook her head, dragging her bag to the door. She had her hand on the doorknob when she heard Stan whisper “bureau baby” under his breath. She narrowed her eyes in anger, whirling around to look at him.

“What?” She hissed, dropping the handle of her suitcase.

“You heard me,” Stan shrugged. “You’re nothing but a fuckin’ bureau baby.”

(Y/N) balled her fists again, returning to Stan and Irene. “Fine, you shriveled old crone. I’ll take your fucking beating,” (Y/N) snarled. “But if you break my fucking nose I’ll get full retribution for every single blow you land. ‘You got me’?” She asked, mimicking Irene.

Stan nodded, the smallest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It will be my pleasure.” He drew his right hand back and launched if forward, connecting with her jaw.

-

(Y/N) sat in the bathroom on the edge of the tub, holding a cloth to her bleeding lip. Her head was pounding, and her ribs hurt every time she took in a breath, but other than that she was faring better than she had anticipated. Stan had only assaulted her for a short time, and she was thankful he hadn’t broken anything. Though, if you asked her, she was pissed he hadn’t because she wanted to break his nose back.

“(Y/N),” Stan said from the door of the bathroom. She looked up at him and noticed a small knife in his hands. Her heart sped up in her chest. “What?” She said, dropping the cloth she held to the floor, standing up on weak knees. “What more could you possibly do?”

Stan looked from her to the knife and then back to her. “May I stab you?” He asked, looking a little sad to ask.

(Y/N) shook her head in astonishment. “No? No you can’t stab me, Hurley? Why would anyone allow you to do that?”

Stan shrugged, “cause if you don’t agree I’ll have to do it by force. And that’ll be even worse for you.”

(Y/N) scoffed, “or! You could just realize you don’t need to stab me at all.”

Stan shook his head at her and took a step into the bathroom. “I do, (Y/N).” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “It will be in your shoulder area. Right here.” He touched the spot he planned to stab her with the tip of the knife. “It will be less painful than you’d think it is. Trust me, I’ve been stabbed there more times than I care to count. It’s fine.”

Stans attempts to be reassuring were falling short. (Y/N) took a step back away from Stan. “No.” She repeated shaking her head. Her hand came up to rub the spot on her shoulder, thinking for a moment. “Wait,” she looked up at Stan, keeping her hand on her shoulder. “You can stab me, for whatever sick fucking purpose you have. If you let me punch you, dead on in the face.”

Stan took a deep breath before nodding in agreement, bracing himself for the impact of her fist. He figured getting punched in the face twice in one night wasn’t a bad average.

(Y/N) inhaled and, as she was exhaling, sailed her fist towards Stan’s face, colliding with his nose in a loud thud. 

Stan recoiled from her, clutching his nose in his hand. “Fuck, (Y/N).” He huffed, pulling his hand away to check for blood. “Yeah, definitely broken.” Stan pinched his nose firmly between his first finger and thumb, shaking his head a little. “You’re fucked up, kid.” He grunted.

(Y/N) gave a smug smile before pulling her shirt to the side, closing her eyes tightly. “Do it, get it over with now. Before I change my mi-” her voice was taken when she felt the blade plunge into the fleshy part of her chest below her shoulder. Stan retracted the blade quickly, tossing it into the sink.

(Y/N) let out a string of curses as she snatched the hand towel off of the hook on the wall, pressing it firmly against her bleeding shoulder. “You fucking cocksucker,” (Y/N) snarled at Stan. She pressed her hand harder against her shoulder. “I’ve never been stabbed before, and you bet your balls I never wanna be again.”

Stan shook his head, “sorry kid. I’m done now. You’re free to go.”

“Go where?” (Y/N) asked.

Stan pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. “Irene’s got some medicine for you, since you let me stab you and all.”

(Y/N) nodded her head and walked past Stan to the main room, seeing Irene on the phone with someone. She contemplated interrupting Irene’s phone call to ask her for the medicine that Stan had mentioned, seeing two little white pills spotted with red dots sitting on a napkin on the table.

She grabbed her water from earlier, washing the two pills down with it.

Irene got off of the phone as she was swallowing, looking from (Y/N) to the napkin to (Y/N) again. “Oh, I see you found the pills. Wonderful. How are you feeling, (Y/N)?” Irene asked, sounding genuinely concerned. (Y/N) felt a little put off by that, seeing as Irene was probably the one who suggested that Stan beat her up in the first place.

“I’m fine. I just want to know what the rest of this stupid little act is going to be. Am I just going to wander into Mitch’s path looking like this? That will surely get him to trust me, I’m sure. He won’t think I’m fucking deranged or anything.”

Irene shook her head, tapping on the glass screen of her cell phone. “No, (Y/N). You’re not just going to stumble into his path. You’re going to be placed in the room where he will be confronting the fake arms dealer. You’re going to be a hostage, so to speak. Start thinking of the story you’re going to tell Mitch now, so you’ve got it completely figured out by the time you have to tell it. Would you?”

(Y/N) nodded, taking a seat in the chair that Stan had been sitting in earlier.

There was a knock at the door which caught Irene and (Y/N)’s attention. Irene was about to make for the door when she heard Stan shout ‘I’ve got it’ from the bathroom.

A moment later the two women were joined by Stan and a man who was taller and scruffier looking, with short brown hair that looked almost military. He had a hard glare to his features. (Y/N) could tell this was to be the arms dealer.

“(Y/N), meet your capture. International arms dealer Anton Checovich.” The man raised his hand in a half assed wave to (Y/N). She nodded her head in response, regretting the movement due to the pulse of pain that wrapped around her head.

“What’s your real name, agent?” (Y/N) asked, still holding the hand towel tightly against her chest.

“That isn’t important for you to know, (Y/N).” Irene interjected before the agent could respond. “Only concern yourself with your part of the act. Okay? You should probably lie down on one of the beds, you’re looking faint.”

(Y/N) went to nod but caught herself, laying down on the bed closest to her. The three others walked away from her to have a meeting in the hall near the bathroom.

(Y/N) felt her eyelids getting heavy.

~~~~~~~~

Tags: @ellie-bee242 , @redstringlovers , @lovefilledtragedy , @behind-my-hazeleyes27 , @skepticalstilinski , @rhyxn, @cat-obrien, @cuillere, @rebeccaannex3, @kaytlinr, @dadddyxraeken, @apollogirl13, @fuckwhateverfuck 

If you would like to be tagged, please let me know! (-: