#you are allowed one (1) dispute in the tags. any more make your own post

[mftm1987]

for your consideration

[silviakundera]

Kinnporsche Fanfic Recs

In celebration of the 2 year anniversary, here is an avalanche of Kinn/Porsche fics that I've enjoyed. Painfully incomplete & posted in no particular order. My shipping interests are 100% focused on the K/P couple and that will be reflected in my list, sorry 😘.

Deep Like a Coastal Shelf by Lilla_Torg

(79,000 words) Green Arrow inspired AU. "After five years abroad, Kinn Theerapanyakul returns to find his city under siege by a vigilante known as the Phoenix."

Stain of Sun by Lilla_Torg

(78,000 words) Omega brothers Porsche (hacker) and Chay (grifter) team up to take down the Theerapanyakul crime family. Things do not go as planned. // This marries A/B/O with mutant powers. As long as you're not wholly opposed to Omegaverse, give it a chance. Every one of this author's long KPtS fics is a banger.

Pouring Down Crimson Fire by Lilla_Torg

(119,000 words) Sort of a mutant AU but honestly that underplays how fucking cool this fic is. “I think you know something about keeping secrets,” said Kinn. He flashed Porsche a pocket-ace smirk. “You’re mine. Say it.”

The boy he’d been fourteen years ago would have told him where to shove it. But Porsche had been around long enough to know that the mafia always won. Still, he looked around, searching for a way out, before giving up and turning back to Kinn, those black eyes awaiting his surrender.

“I’m yours,” he said.

a perpetual unscattering by concernedlily

(31,000 words) Canon-divergence AU. “Pissing in bottles behind a cocktail bar,” Kinn said. “But Pa gave him to me, so I’m stuck with him.” To a visibly furious Porsche he said, “You don’t know the minor family? Never come across any of them before?”

“How would I know the fucking minor family?” Porsche snapped.

what a tangled web we weave by fortunehasgivenup

(80,000 words) 1000 Nights inspired alternate universe, fantasy-historical Thailand. // After the betrayal of his first husband, King Anakinn Theerapanyakul vows to never love again. Once a week, he takes a new husband, a young man who will not live to see another dawn.

When a nobleman comes to find a young man to adopt and marry off to the king in place of his own son, Thee chooses Chay.

Faced with an outcome that he refuses to contemplate, Porsche steps in and takes Chay's place. He only has one request for the king - to be allowed to tell his brother one last bedtime story.

Burn Your Name Into My Skin by Everyforkedroad

(72,000 words) In which Kinn visits a high-end sex club and he & Porsche meet under the guise of anonymity for what should be a 1 night encounter. Except not only are they intensely drawn together... things are not what they seem.

Salt by ronandhermy

(49,000 words) Sweat stings because the salt is purifying. Porsche may be in high school but he is still a National Champion in Taekwondo and he catches the eye of the national team's newest sponsor: The Theerapanyakun Family. Alternate first meeting. Leans into the darkness of canon, read the tags and proceed w caution.

how do you like it, daddy by Baby_Droll

(28,000 words) "and ain't shit 'bout me cheap and ain't shit 'bout me free" - our lord and savior, florence millicent. kinn & porsche, and all the other pieces on their fucked up chess board. a sugar baby/daddy au with an omegaverse twist. // This is a dark reimagining alternate universe. Iconic toxic K/P fic.

two shots by Martynax

(81,000 words) AU, different first meeting. Porsche joined the armed forces & became a hired gun. // “So I’m supposed to end a mafia dispute?”

“Something like that,” he mutters, wondering if he’s making a mistake, revealing it to Porsche so soon. Nothing is set in stone, after all. But he has a gut feeling that the man appreciates honesty and simplicity much more than intrigue and schemes.

be the best you ever tasted by Martynax

(90,000 words) an AU where Porsche's life is shit so he shakes his perky little bum for strangers at a strip club and Kinn books him for a private show. Porsche doesn't fuck customers and shouldn't get associated with whatever grey business his boss is trying to run out of the club. But... you know how this is gonna go.

between the sheets by DasWarSchonKaputt

(70,000 words) “And who’s that?”

“Oh. That’s Porsche. He’s Khun Kinn’s live-in boytoy. He’s harmless, mostly. Just a pretty face.”

A boyfriend can go so many places a bodyguard can’t. As the threat of a potential leak in their security forces looms large, Khun Korn hatches a plot to place an added layer of protection around his heir presumptive. Enter Porsche, former bartender, current bodyguard, and reluctant fake boyfriend of Kinn Theerapanyakul.

Stumbling to the Edge by FireRisingOverTheHills

(51,000 words) Of the genre of KP fics where Kinn and Porsche meet-cute in a random bar encounter, instead of a meet-ugly, this one is my fav. I just really enjoy the Kinn PoV with his what?! is?! happening??? vibes as he finds himself irresistibly drawn to someone who doesn't fit neatly into defined roles.

"He makes this all seem like it’s perfectly normal and Kinn is helpless to do anything but go along with it."

Whatever Else that Touches You by technicallyverycowboy

(9,330 words) Tender established relationship and bisexual self discovery, post canon. // "No, it's fine." Porsche shifts to be a little less plastered against Kinn's side, straightens his shoulders and smooths out his jacket with great dignity. "The answer to your question is yes, I have really never been with any other men."  Porsche answers questions, asks some of his own, tries new things, and fills in the knowledge gaps of his own sexuality.

An Elegant Mechanism by Laughsalot3412

(87,000 words) A/B/O AU, Kim centric with some background K/P and dysfunctional brothers & cousin bonding. The only fic on this list that isn't K/P primary. //  "Kim was only an omega when he was luring people closer to his gun. No one had to give Kim a weapon. He was one.  (Kim's mission is to get close to Porchay Kittisawat. Chay is not a typical alpha. Kim is not a typical omega. Kim isn't having feelings and Chay is going to be so normal about all of this.)"

Love and Violence by thewayside

(9,500 words) Beautifully written, post ep 14. // "Love and violence have always been bedfellows for Kinn. Down to how his first proper relationship ended in a pool of blood. Porsche’s beauty might have drawn him in, but he knows in his gut that he met someone in kind that first night, blood coursing through their veins as the fight ended and Porsche led him onto a bike to a road he barely knew."

Burnished night, blood-soaked stars by The_Old_Astronomer

(13,000 words) Missing scene set between the end of episode 6 and the side story (pre-ep 7). Porsche fights to keep Kinn alive after the attack, and gradually realises how much the other man means to him.

Night Call by vesna (mrsronweasley)

(34,500 words) "On Kinn's birthday, Kinn is dragged by Tae and Time to a strip club, where he gets a private dance from a man who calls himself Jom. Kinn is smitten. Things spin out from there." Canon AU, where Porsche became a stripper because bartending wasn't paying enough.

NFWMB by vesna (mrsronweasley)

(18,700 words) There's a rushing in Kinn's ears, a noise he can't shake. It almost makes him miss the next thing Arm tells him. "He was supposed to check in, as per protocol, but—"  "But what," Kinn snaps. A headache is building behind one of his eyes.  Arm's eyes are wide right before he lowers them and says, "He hasn't been heard from in two and a half hours."  Or, post-canon Porsche is kidnapped. Kinn goes through it.

Caught Off Guard by Altered_Ego

(23,000 words) The one where Porsche is one of his escort's bodyguard. Alternate first meeting; Porsche took another path to support his brother.

the less i know the better by mslunita

(45,000 words) Bored Kinn joins Tinder in hopes of getting his rocks off with a different kind of guy, instead of the standard escorts. Porsche challenges him in just the right way. // Alternate first meeting. Basically their canon selves, but this is after Porsche has already had his bi awakening.

XXX curious STRAIGHT boy BEGS for COCK for the FIRST TIME XXX by mirrorofprinces

(35,000 words ) Porn industry AU. “Porsche is extremely close to signing. In fact, he has a final meeting with the execs on Monday morning. The only condition is that he wants to request his first partner, and it’s you.”  Kinn takes a long drink of his whiskey, sets the glass down, and runs his tongue over his teeth. “So you had to meet with me, urgently, to tell me that a beautiful boy wants me to fuck him, thinking I’d say no.” He drums his fingers on the bartop. “Which means there’s a catch.”

paint my kiss across your chest (your touch is like a happy pill) by darkknight

(16,000 words) Episode 8 era. "Porsche discovers different new ways of how good sex can feel, ways that would never even have crossed his mind before meeting Kinn."

quis custodiet ipsos custode by concernedlily

(8,600 words) Porsche being on dangerous missions and Kinn discovering he has Feelings About That. Missing scenes and Post Ep 14.

Wing of a Butterfly by Kalere

(320,000 words) Some years before the canon storyline, two young men have a random encounter at a bar. Their friendship changes everything. // The epic Porsche & Vegas friendship fic.

[ehwesson]

What To Know Before You Start Using Poshmark

Disclaimer: This isn’t a plug for Poshmark but Im seeing more and more ads and posts about it so I wanted to share my experience to help other people make more money from it and not fall into any scams.

Poshmark is an app meant to let you sell your old clothes with very little hassle. I started using Poshmark this month (1/30/2023) and have made 6 sales (about $100) at the time of this post. So here’s my advice and experience. This isn’t a complete guide and I’ll update as I go. If you have any questions or think something should be added let me know.

Poshmark has a lot of girlboss mlm energy. It’s not an mlm but a lot of people grind on this app like it is. There are a lot of features and notifications and can be overwhelming but if you keep your head down and just list your stuff, you’ll make some spare change. And if you’re like me $100 helps alot.

Making an Account:

USE A FRIEND CODE TO GET AN ACCOUNT. This gives you a $10 credit and free 2 day shipping. Most clothes aren’t over $10. So you get a free piece of clothing. I gave my wife my friend code and she was able to get a tomboyx compression bra for FREE. If you don’t have a friend code, you can use mine: EHWESSON. You can share your own friend code after you make an account to help out another person.

Use your email to make an account. DONT use google connect or link your social media UNLESS you plan on advertising on those platforms. Otherwise using a stand alone email is the safest way to not get locked out of your account.

The First 24 Hours of Making an Account:

The app is going to automatically make a post for you. It will show up on your “closet” titled: “meet the posher”. You can delete this but you cant opt out if it. It’s basically an introduction and uses your profile picture as the cover.

You are going to be flooded with follows, shares and comments by middle aged women and bots. When you share a new comers posts, you get share credits so a lot of people sit around and wait for new people to bombard them. This isn’t a bad thing, you get free followers and shares. I got 400 followers in the first hour. But it’s best you turn off your notifications for the first day or two.

The app automatically makes you follow 150 ish ambassadors. You can unfollow these people but you can’t opt out of it at first.

Poshmark notifications is all or nothing (at least for android). On my other selling apps I only have notifications for sales and messages but Poshmark only allows you see all of it or none of it. So I choose none and just check my email occasionally to see if I made a sale.

Make sure your shipping address and payment method are correct. There are a lot of one click buys (like when you accept an offer) and automated processes (like the shipping label being generated for your sales)

Listing Your First Item:

Take pictures of your clothes with the measurements. I lay my clothes on a plain background and lay a measuring tape on the waist and one from top to bottom to show the measurement in inches. I also take a picture of the tag with the size visible. Poshmark doesn’t allow returns for sizing. So if you can prove you had the measurements available, you’ll win the dispute.

Bundles. Shipping is $8 two day express usps shipping on every item. Thats mandatory for Poshmark purchasing. The seller is not responsible for the shipping cost, the buyer is. But that’s really expensive. So people usually opt in to do bundles. Where they can buy several items from your closet and only pay one shipping fee. When people make a bundle on your shop, you can offer them discounts to encourage buying. Bundling is a way poshmark tries to encourage sellers to list as much as possible to get more bundle sales.

Offering discounts. When someone likes your listing you have the option to offer a discount that expires in 24 hours. Poshmark takes a cut of all your earnings so plan accordingly while pricing. Discounts are a minimum of 10% and shipping is a minimum $2 discount. You have to discount both the price and shipping when you offer a discount.

Decline or counter all offers that have you losing or making very little money. If you accept an offer, it’s binding

First Sale What To Do:

Poshmark automatically sends you a pre made shipping label to your email after 3 hours. The 3 hours is a grace period for the buyer to cancel the order.

You don’t get your money released to you until the buyer rates you or it’s been four days after delivery. You have the option to message the buyer to please rate you but I just avoid it.

General Things To Note:

Redeemable balance is money you can withdrawal

Poshmark balance can only be spent on poshmark

Poshmark will encourage you to immediately spend your earnings back into the app, don’t fall for it unless you really need new clothes

Your closet is where it’s free to list your old clothes, a boutique is a paid service similar to Mercari. You pay to list items and have them advertised. Don’t sign up for a boutique.

Things To Avoid (As a Buyer and a Seller)

Lots (multiple pieces of clothing in one listing) of clothing for very cheap

Clothing that has been listed for long periods of time or has a ton of unanswered comments

Auctions, lives, comments from others begging you for shares

Avoid/block messages of people asking you specifically for photos of you in the clothing or asking for specifically used clothing (like underwear)

Posh Parties. You will get a notification for a new posh party every time you log on. These are great ways to get overwhelmed and buy things you don’t need.

Poshmark ambassadors. The people who grind on this app as a job. They will pull you under.

Thrift store lurkers. People with a ton of expensive nice vintage clothes listed that are all very different styles and sizes. These people will drive up prices like crazy and will just keep doing this.

I do NOT recommend this app for people with gambling or shopping addictions. It all can be very overwhelming and you can be easily swept away by the constant posting, notifications, “price drops”, sales, etc.

[kaibutsushidousha]

Tribe Nine progress report #00 (part 1)

Translations from the official Tribe Nine website, supplemented with things that were said on stream.

Character names are in Japanese order because that's how they're officially romanized.

Also, I'll be posting this in multiple parts because I reached the image limit on this post.

World

In the country of Neotokyo, year 20XX, youth with no hope for society's future form Tribes to find a place to call home.

With time, the disputes between Tribes continued to grow more and more violent. The situation was very intense in the eyes of the Neotokyo government, so they enforced the XB Law, which limited the quarrels between Tribes to only Extreme Baseball.

Pitch, bat, and trade blows. The youths were crazy over this radical pride-staking game.

XB (Extreme Baseball)

A duel method similar to baseball, designed to settle conflicts between Tribes. As determined by the XB Law, the loser must obey the winner's order(s).

Runners and the fielder with the ball can initiate battles with each other for the right to reach a base. The slugfests between players equipped with body-enhancing gear are XB's greatest trademark.

Rules

The games must be played late at night when there are no longer any onlookers.

The games will use the entire City as its field.

Batters are only out by tag out or by strike out.

There is no home run. In case of an extra-base hit, the runner(s) can run through the bases until they initiate a battle against the fielder with the ball.

A fielder with the ball is allowed to initiate a battle against a runner, staking the runner's right to reach a base.

Players can equip XB Gear to enhance their physical abilities.

Anything can be used as XB Gear, as long as it's approved by the Judge Robot acting as the umpire for the game.

The win condition is either scoring more points than the opposing team or knocking out the opponents in battle.

The winner can give any order to the loser.

Characters

[This section will have some character profiles for a few Tribes, but before that, I'll have to go over some elements that were only explained in a previous interview and in the stream. The game will contain 23 Tribes, each themed after one of the 23 wards of Tokyo. The names of the Tribes here all match the names of the wards they represent. Their base concepts will be all about local stereotypes, of course, but in the stream, Kodaka compared them to One Piece pirate crews in terms of how much individuality the characters will get within the team.]

Minato Tribe

A Tribe famed as the strongest in Neotokyo. They value the bonds between teammates and genuinely enjoy XB.

[The Minato ward is the ward where the Tokyo Tower (also called Minato Tower) is. Due to holding the symbol of the city, Kodaka chose it to be the ward of the anime's protagonist Tribe.]

Kamiya Shun (Leader)

CV: Akira Ishida

Birthday: February 22nd

Height: 179 cm

Weight: 65 kg

Voice sample 1: Let's enjoy one more game.

Voice sample 2: I'll show you how to topple the Minato Tower.

"What could be more exciting than XB?"

The founder and leader of the Minato Tribe, as well as the main reason why they're considered the strongest. He is one of the very few Beam Bat users. He's as top tier as you'd expect as a pitcher and batter, not to mention he's unmatched at a fistfight.

He enjoys unchallenged popularity on the XB field, but he also has a more goofy side. His antics include giving his teammate incomprehensible nicknames and getting hungover on coffee, among others.

Shirokane Haru

CV: Shun Horie

Birthday: January 20th

Height: 160 cm

Weight: 47 kg

Voice sample 1: My name is Haru. Shirokane Haru.

Voice sample 2: If I can really hit this swing...

"If I really have potential... I wanna give it a try!"

A timid bullied boy. He was getting into trouble with the town's delinquents as usual when Kamiya and Taiga saved him. He was bound by his own perceived uselessness, but Kamiya noticed his natural agility, wits, and keen eyes and he was invited to use these "weapons" of him for the Minato Tribe.

Taiga

CV: Chiharu Sawashiro

Birthday: October 10th

Height: 182 cm

Weight: 76 kg

Voice sample 1: I'll beat Kamiya Shun and become the best player!

Voice sample 2: The match only starts when you get to the batter's box.

You got nothing to worry about, you got me as the captain on this ride aboard the S.S. Big Ship Taiga, where S.S. stands for "safe and sound"!

A hot-blooded boy who came to Neotokyo from the other side of the ocean in pursuit of one dream: winning against the strongest man, Kamiya Shun! He joins the Minato Tribe along with Haru. He's a novice in XB and struggles to memorize the rules, but he keeps challenging his opponents with his dauntless courage and the brute strength he's so proud of.

Arisugawa Saori (Vice-Leader)

CV: Mai Fuchigami

Birthday: November 22nd

Height: 162 cm

Weight: 43 kg

Voice sample 1: The Minato Tribe never says no to anyone wanting to join or leave. You can stay as long as you want.

Voice sample 2: Raise your arm higher and put more strength into your swing.

There's no ball I can't catch!

The Minato Tribe's vice-leader. Despite her frail looks, she's an outstanding catcher, capable of stopping even Kamiya's blazing fastballs. She takes charge, commanding Minato's ensemble of oddballs since Kamiya is too careless to be a real leader.

No one values the members of Minato's team more than her, but she is extremely strict about rules and morals, never hesitating to unload a cartridge of her favorite airsoft gun on a transgressing teammate.

Mita Santarou

CV: Mutsumi Tamura

Birthday: March 30th

Height: 150 cm

Weight: 44 kg

Voice sample 1: I know talent when I see it.

Voice sample 2: The first thing rookies do is carry my stuff. That's the law of Minato.

T-those dudes are no match for me...! Ok, you guys go take them on!

A member of the Minato Tribe. He claims to be the ace of the team but is actually just a reserve pitcher. He's a pervert and a sleazeball and often gets punished by Arisugawa for it, but he shows no signs of wanting to fix his flaws.

He tends to abuse his seniority over the new members, but he's as caring and friendly as he is unreasonably bossy.

Daimon Manami

CV: Fukushi Ochiai

Birthday: July 20th

Height: 191 cm

Weight: 180 kg

Voice sample 1: I accept all forms of gratitude and cake.

Voice sample 2: You gotta swing hard but without straining yourself.

Don't forget to eat well before a game of XB.

A member of the Minato Tribe. He's always supporting the other members with his gentle personality and great cooking. Minato's base of operation is Lovely Ocean, a restaurant he runs.

Despite his usual calm, no one can stop him when he snaps.

[Translation note: Manami means "lovely ocean"]

Aoyama Kazuki

CV: Shouya Chiba

Birthday: May 18th

Height: 174 cm

Weight: 57 kg

Voice sample 1: Huhu, even if I can't use my left arm anymore, my brain is still much better than yours, stupid people.

Voice sample 2: Timing is essential in our next strategy, I'll be giving the commands. It'd be easier for all of you since you won't have to think.

"You'll be my pawns."

A mysterious boy who suddenly appeared asking to join the Minato Tribe. He can't properly play XB because his left hand is injured. But for unknown reasons, he's very knowledgeable about XB tactics and how to handle a Beam Bat and makes full use of his ingenuity to bring victory to Minato.

He seems to have some kind of goal in approaching the Minato Tribe, but what could it be?

Chiyoda Tribe

A tribe under the patronage of the king of Neotokyo. They have been suppressing many other Tribes all over the country to ostentate their power.

[Chiyoda is the ward where the Palace is, so the Chiyoda Tribe are the guys with political power]

Ootori Oujirou (Leader)

CV: Jun'ichi Suwabe

Birthday: September 26th

Height: 192 cm

Weight: 78 kg

Voice sample 1: Can you entertain me, even a little?

Voice sample 2: A game needs blood. In eras where giants clash, the people are waiting for battles that spray blood and shatter bone.

"Winning is everything. There is nothing else I need."

The leader of the Chiyoda Tribe, and heir to Ootori Tenshin, the king of Neotokyo. Tenshin trained him since he was a child to be the strongest XB player.

He challenges teams all over Neotokyo to prove he is the best.

Ootori Tenshin (King of Neotokyo)

CV: Hiroshi Naka

Birthday: January 31st

Height: 177 cm

Weight: 51 kg

Voice sample 1: None is allowed to disobey the Ootori family! It's the masses to duty to kneel before me. Am I wrong?

Voice sample 2: Every single one of those so-called big shots sullying my Chiyoda must be exterminated! Go show them the power of the Ootori family!

"Through XB, you must show that that the power of the Ootori family is absolute!"

The king of Neotokyo. He's strongly obsessed with XB, to the point he trained his heir Oujirou since childhood to be the best player.

After that, he founded the Chiyoda Tribe with Oujirou as the leader.

He aims to trample all Tribes in the country in XB to ostentate the strength of the Ootori family.

CV: Mikako Komatsu

Birthday: March 15th

Height: 170 cm

Weight: 46 kg

Voice sample 1: As you wish.

Voice sample 2: I honestly and absolutely believe you will get the result you desire.

"Only death awaits the enemies of the Ootori family."

Ootori Tenshin's secretary. To the public, she's nothing more than a modest secretary, but her secret is that she's a cold-blooded agent, capable of doing anything for the sake of the Ootori family.

Countless people who criticized or plotted to opposed the Ootori family's plans may or may not have been to their grave by her hand.

[jo-the-schmo]

Red, Dead, Reflections Ch. 1

A/N: Alright so... I started writing this fic over a year ago, and was posting it as I wrote it. I fell out of it for a few reasons but I’ve missed it. So I decided to start writing it again. The original versions of the first 5 chapters already exist on my blog but I want to repost them and do some editing. This way I can make the series more polished. I also want to try and do a once a week maybe schedule to give me some time in between writing chapters and so I can take some feedback into consideration.I hope some of the people who originally wanted to keep up with my series see this and I want to apologize for falling back on this. I feel really bad about it. I’ll try harder to commit to this. Thank you so much for being interested in my work. If anyone would like to be tagged just let me know, I don’t wanna assume the people who did before want to now. 

Summary: At the age of 23, you and your pseudo-family perform a heist gone wrong, leading you into a dangerous and seemingly impossible position. Discover your own history, the story of those around you, and gain new relationships along the way in this (sorta) choose your own adventure.

Warnings: Explicit language, blood, death, violence

Word count: 5,988

From Out West

“This is a little too ballsy for my liking, Austin.” You warned as you carefully adjusted the colored contact lenses in your eyes.

“Since when did you turn into a little pussy-willow?” He smirked at you while he turned a corner. 

“This is a bank, not a home robbery, so forgive me if I’m a tad nervous about this! We’re robbing a god damn bank in the 21st century, in a busy city that we aren’t necessarily familiar with!”

“Maybe you aren’t familiar, you know I’m a regular ol’LA boy.” You turned your head to look at the two in the backseat.

“Miguel, you can’t seriously be okay with this.” You questioned but were confident in it enough to make it a statement. He shrugged his shoulders, making that confidence literally evaporate. 

“We gotta trust Austin, as crazy as this plan is. We haven’t gotten caught yet.” You crossed you arms and made sure your wig was pinned right.

“Doesn’t mean we won’t be startin’ now.” You grumbled. 

“Come on, sissy! This plan is fool-proof! They’ll never even know it was us!” Eli chirped. 

“Oh yeah, except for the fact that this is a fucking bank and the FBI CAN get on our asses for this!” You swore it was exhausting being the only realistic one sometimes. “On top of that, there’s only 5 of us! We’re insane!” 

“6.” Austin corrected. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Your girlfriend won’t be in the damn room with us.” 

“She’s the ace up our sleeves, it would be silly for her to be in there with us.” The car smelled like old cigarettes, it made you sick. The band around your chest dug into your ribs. You opted to stay silent and relent for the time being, instead focusing on your disguise. The wig was carefully pinned to your real hair, it was short enough to be confused for a men’s haircut but had enough length to not require any glue. Dark brown hair, abnormally vibrant green eyes. And with the mask covering your face, that would be their only descriptions they could give to the police. Flat chest, boyish haircut, baggy black hoodie, just your average deviant. The destination was in view. 

“Alright,” Austin started. “everyone knows the plan, yeah? Gina is inside, she’ll send us the signal. We go in quick and make our presence known. I go behind the counter to make sure the tellers ain’t up to no funny shit. Miguel, you round up the lovely citizens into a corner, hit Gina a little to make it convincing. Eli, you take care of the money. And Y/N, I need you to stay in character, be loud and intimidating, keep the tellers in check when I’m helpin’ Eli, and the civils with Miguel, got it?” You all nodded. He looked back at Miguel. “You got the fake bomb ready?”

“Yes’ir.” 

“I’ll pass the big boss to you once I pick him out. Zoe is waiting for us in the alleyway between the bank and the office building. We get in, make some noise, scare them shitless, get the money, and go.” He parked up front of the white walls, you saw a mother walk through the glass doors with her toddler in a stroller. You immediately felt bad. 

“You promise this is the last job, right?” You looked at him seriously. “At least the last of something this big, I don’t think I could handle with again.”

“Of course! This is just to get us enough money to get us all out. The economy is garbage, think of it as taking what should already be ours.” You heard the crackle of the walkie on Austin’s lap. He threw it into his bag. “That’s the signal, masks on everyone.” Austin’s was a fox, long, fake salt and pepper hair rolled form under his hood. Eli’s was a raccoon, convincing copper bangs swooped between the ears. Miguel had an owl; disturbing blue eyes pierced your being. You strapped on your black dove and joined with group as they exited the stolen vehicle. You kept both your hands in the front pocket of your hoodie, trying to be discrete about the two handguns inside. Only one was loaded with real bullets, that was the backup, You preferred to use the blanks. Unable to trace, and when used properly, won’t hurt anyone. Austin and Eli took the leads. 

The doors were kicked in. 

“EVERYONE GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND RIGHT NOW! HANDS UP, ALL YOU! THIS IS A ROBBERY!” He screamed, pointing his gun at a man behind the counter about 3 yards away. Miguel was quick to shout at the people in line to get into the corner of the room. Gina pretended to try and defy, he slaps her, needless to say it’s convincing. 

“Dove, handle the worms.” You traded spots as Austin grabbed one of the men behind the counter. Your eyes locked with the poor woman, she was covering the stroller with her torso. You pointed your blank gun at some random person. 

“Stay on the ground or I’ll fucking shoot, ya hear me?” You lowered your voice, made it coarser, time to be a ‘man’. They nodded hysterically. The woman was crying. You could hear Eli screaming his demands in a fake accent. “Everyone hand over your phones. If any of you give me a reason to even SUSPECT you’re up to anything, I will shoot.” Everyone put their phones on the ground and slid them over toward you. You turned your attention to the back. “What’s the hold up, owl?” 

“I’m handling it.” He strapped the fake bomb to the teller’s chest, making him kneel down in the middle of the bank. “Listen up, everyone! This man has a bomb attached to his body. We have someone hacked into the security cameras. If you don’t follow our instructions to the T, they will blow a hole in this lot.” He paused to let the cries and gasps die out. “Now, for those said instructions, listen close. We will exit the building soon, you will stay down for 5 minutes.” He pointed at a clock on the wall. “Do not touch anything or move a muscle. When 5 minutes have passed, the big guy here-“ He patted the man’s shoulders and dropped a key wrapped in tissue in his lap. “will take a little drive off the premises. He will keep going until he reaches the designated location written on that tissue. If any of you contact the police before the end of the day, he will die, along with any other drivers in his vicinity. So, unless you want a substantial amount of blood on your hands, I’d suggest you keep quiet until midnight. As for the rest of you, you have permission to leave the building once that 5 minutes are up. But I would suggest keeping a low profile, for your safety and others’.” There was a loud crack. 

“I got it!” The phony Australian accent rang. Austin led the rest of the bank tellers to you, making them sit in the flood of civils. 

“Staying alert, Dove?”

“Don’t patronize me, stupid Fox.” This whole situation pissed you off. The baby was crying, mom was too, trying to hush the whines. 

“Fire a shot, Dove!” What? “Don’t let their insubordination stand.” He demanded. This was a fear tactic. He was trying to teach a lesson to the others. 

“I’m not firing a warning shot over a fucking baby, you psycho!” Your blood was boiling, this was overkill, he was way out of line with this. Of course, he wasn’t telling you to shoot the baby or the mother, but you weren’t going to cause more grief where it didn’t need to be. 

“Take the shot!”

“Fuck you!” 

“Why are you going against me?” Was he seriously doing this now? You felt like your head was going to explode. She was the only person with a child present. You put both of your pieces back in your hoodie and knelt next to her. She flinched as you approached, but that was to be expected. 

“Ma’am, I’m making an exception for you because you have a child with you, and that prick is really getting on my last nerve. You’re allowed to exit the building now, but the other rules still apply. People will die if you talk, maybe not you, but other people who have children like you do, most certainly. Take your kid and get out, don’t do anything out of the ordinary, and get out.” Her red eyes shook you to your core, familiarity. She nodded in both fear and appreciation. 

“Than-than-thank y-“ She was choking on her own misfortune, you decided to spare her. 

“Yeah, yeah, just get out.” She got up and collected herself, checking around the room as she walked out of the building. You could only see his eyes, but you could tell Austin was reaching his limit fast. An older gentleman stared at you. 

“At least one of you has a heart.” You were glad Austin was too focused on being pissed to hear that. You got up, kicking the phones toward the door as you walked. Austin grabbed you arm. 

“You’re lucky I didn’t kill her for that.” By letting that woman go, you showed weakness. It was a hint at your identities, but you didn’t care. 

“And you’re lucky I’m not shooting you for saying that. I’m not a killer like you, Fox.” Your voice was laced with venom. Eli had interrupted your dispute. 

“Alright lovebirds, time to play nice, we’ve got precious cargo.” He gave both of you a duffle bag, they were pretty hefty. Austin took a deep breath, putting on his best showman voice. 

“Alright folks! That right there is our cue to hit the road. Remember, 5 minutes on the clock. No one likes a-“ The doors were filled with red and blue, sirens. The police were here. “Shit!” Shit was right. “How the hell are they here?” Austin screamed. He gave you a shove. “It’s probably because of that god damn woman!” 

“There’s no way she would’ve had enough time for that.”

“And no one had a phone out, I was watching the whole time.” Miguel chimed. 

“We have bigger fish to fry right now! We gotta go.” You all dashed over to the back door, all you had to do was move towards the alley, if you could just get to the dump van, everything would be fine. Drive up to get the real car, leave that one with no prints or hair, and you’d be home free. The 4 of you booked it out the door. But the van was no where to be seen, instead, there were about 3 cops on either side which was 6 in total, trapping you in. 

“They must’ve got Zoe!” Yeah, no shit. 

“Put your hands up!” You all raised your arms, except of course for Austin. You kicked his calf. He didn’t budge. “I said put your god damn hands up!”

“In case you didn’t notice, pal, there’s a bomb in that building. If you don’t let us pass, I’ll blow that building out of existence, along with the man attached to it.” He pointed his gun to one of the cops to your left. “So, I suggest you let us through, or else you’re gonna piss me off more than I already am.” 

“We know the bomb is fake, drop to your knees or we will shoot!” Another one barked. Someone had ratted you out. You looked at Miguel and Eli, you weren’t letting this go down, not by a long shot. You tuned out Austin’s ramblings and whispered to the other two. 

“Be ready to run. I’m gonna buy you guys some time. Don’t kill any of them, disarm them.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Y/N?” Miguel questioned with panic. You took a deep breath. 

“Thank you for being my family.” You swept your leg behind Austin’s knees, and he collapsed to the ground as you stood. 

The world slowed to a crawl, pulling a gun out of your pocket, these were real bullets. You’ve never missed a target. You drew the attention of all 6 police officers, but no amount of training could prepare them. You fired 3 shots, each one hitting the hands of the officers Austin had been talking to. Their weapons fell from their hands. You felt bodies push past your legs, down the alley way away from the bank. You were glad the streets of LA were confusing. Now was the time. You whipped your body around to face the rest of the officers, firing rapidly at their shins. You weren’t gonna put blood on your hands. 

But deep down you knew, there was no making out of this one. You would buy them a few minutes while trying to subdue you. Just as your haphazard shots began, they fired precise ones of their own. Two passed through your skull, three in your chest, and one got a through almost half of your jugular. Both pieces fell away from you as gravity swaddled you. Bits of your wooden mask, blood, head pushing back unnaturally, seeing the backs of your made family run, they were almost home free. There was no pain after that point, you waited patiently for your back to hit the ground beneath you, but it never did. You kept falling. 

And falling. 

The midday light felt like it was slipping away, there were leather walls encompassing your lifeless form. No sound, no sense of texture, just the smell of dirt and decay. Then there was nothing but darkness, but that void that beckoned you, that pulled at your very being, was gone just as quick as it appeared. 

Your body shot forward with a violent intake for air. The gasps filled your lungs to the brim, your chest and head ached, throat tight. The coughing erupted from deep in your chest, which also held a different pain from the ever-tightening band around it. You threw you hoodie away and made quick work of loosening it just a bit, and in doing so noticed that your body was free of any physical wounds. There was still a soreness, and blood wiped off your skin, but there were no open wounds. You were incredibly cold, and at first you assumed that to be attributed to your near-death experience, until you looked up high to see to see an open window with snow falling outside. 

“I don’t think we’re in California anymore.” You muttered to yourself. You shivered, the place was covered in hay and in low light, that’s when the smell hit you. It reeked of animals, that would probably have something to do with the fact that you’re in a barn. Shakily, you got to your feet. Knees wobbling, your eyes adjusted, there were horses. That certainly explained the stench. A chill ran up your spine, the cold tickling at your vertebrae. You scanned the room for where you had tossed your hoodie, only to find it in a horse’s mouth. Your eyes widened in fear. “No, no, no, no, no, no!” You exclaimed. You rushed forward and grasped at the hanging sleeve, tugging on it with all your strength. “Drop it! Drop it right now!” 

The horse did not listen, in fact, now it seemed more hellbent on consuming the thick material. After hurtling a few curses at the horse, you heard a distinct rip. You fell back, the remnants of black cloth now in tatters. You let out a muffled scream of frustration. Even with the long sleeves of your cotton shirt, you were still freezing. It suddenly struck you how odd it is for it to be snowing at all. You figured you weren’t in California anymore, but you were somewhere that snows in the middle of May? How far were you? You couldn’t think of any states that snowed this late in the year. Were you in Maine? Up north, Canada? How did you even get here? 

“Did those idiots come back to get me? I could’ve sworn…” You could’ve sworn they ran like you told them to, and that you had experienced several fatal injuries. Is this hell? Purgatory? The other side? It was cold enough to be Hell that’s for sure. Nothing made sense. You found your mask on the ground, chunks of the painted wood were replaced with vacant space, splintered bullet holes. You fastened it to the first belt loop, it rested against your left pant leg. Pins dug into your scalp, wigs still surprisingly attached to your head. Your eyes watered, your contacts were drying out. You opted take them out now rather than waste your time trying to find drops in a barn. You flicked them away once they were out. “Now, if there’s a barn with animals, there’s gotta be a house with people.” You walked over to the large wooden doors as your talked to yourself, but today just had to be the worst day of your life. Something landed on top of you, or more accurately someone. 

You were surprised you didn’t feel any cracks as the weight crashed on you. Shifting your weight over, you elbowed the man in the jaw. He rolled off of you with a grunt of pain. You were quick to jab him in the stomach with the toe of your boot. Sputtering a cough with saliva dripping out the mouth, the man rushed to stand. He was trying to fight. 

“You’re on the wrong side of the mountains, partn’r.” He slurred. “This here is O’Driscoll territory, Which you don’t got no business bein’ in.” I’m in the mountains? Where the hell- He didn’t give you enough time to finish that thought before he was throwing a punch at you. If this basic boy thinks he can step in my personal space, he’s got another thing coming. You blocked the fist with your forearm and redirected the force toward the ground. With the base of your wrist, you hit his throat. The force of your own strength and the ever so impeccable sense of gravity caused him to wheeze, choke, and writhe on the ground. 

“Listen here, buddy,” you pressed your boot down on his chest “I have no idea where the hell I am right now. I don’t give a single shit about territory or whatever the fuck you’re going on about, but if you put your hands on me again, I’m gonna mangle your entire lower half with a rake.” You applied more weight. “I didn’t come here of my own volition, someone put me here. Which means, you’re little punk ass better tell me what’s going on or get out of my way so I can-“ Gunshots. Mystery man took your distraction as an opportunity to wriggle out form under you. They were ceaseless, did someone drop you off in the middle of a gang war, what the hell is going on? You were about to duck behind whatever cover was around you if the idiot of the room had decided he didn’t learn his lesson. 

“Are you with those crazies?” He yelled, peeking out the barn doors for only a second. “I should’ve known.” His voice was cold and malicious. “You’re with that son of a bitch, Dutch!”

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, pretty boy, they must’ve sent you up to spy on us! I’m gonna kill you for-“

“I literally have no idea what’s going on!” But he wasn’t listening to reason, clocked you in the ribs before you got the chance to block, then using your surprise to his advantage, hit you on the nose. There was a familiar crack and blood rush. “Did you just fucking break my nose, you ass?” You screeched toward the ground, wiping away the blood. 

You took him off guard by doing that, so you were quick to knock him in the jaw. The shooting stopped but you were a little preoccupied and decided not to waste anymore time. His arm bent to caress the side of his face. You rushed forward, lacing your arm between the gap his made. Using all your weight, you swung your legs out and forced him to drop to the ground. His back slammed forcefully and with a swift adjustment, your shins trapped his neck, locking him in place. You squeezed his neck enough to make him gasp. He tried to push away from you, but with the position you left him in, there’s no way he’d be able to without some sort of outside assistance. 

“Who are you calling pretty boy now? Huh? Who, bitch boy?” You heard the door start to open, you let lose and pulled the man up to shield you, locking his head so that you peek between a gap in your arm and his head. A man wearing a blue coat and hat walked in, his hands resting on his belt. 

“Well, well, what have we got ourselves here?” You couldn’t quite place his accent. You noticed he had a holster. 

“Don’t fuck with me, dude. I’ve got your friend trapped between me and you. No need to make this get crazy.” You warned, tightening your grip to enunciate your point. What sounded almost like a chuckle escaped his throat. 

“You must not be an O’Driscoll if you think he’s my friend.” You panicked, you tried to think of your next move, but he had plans of his own. “What’s your name, son?” Your suspicions were correct, it seems. This isn’t the first time someone’s confused you for a man, especially when you were trying so hard to not look like yourself. But maybe, you could use this to your advantage. 

“James West.” That was Austin’s code name for danger. If someone introduced you or called any of you James, it meant they weren’t trust worthy. You and Gina would usually use Jamie, but now James felt like the safer option. 

“Now how in the hell did you get involved in this, West?” He rested his hip against one of the stable posts.  

“I have no idea.” You threw the man away from you, there was no point holding him anymore. “I woke up here, and this guy just started attacking me.” You thought for a moment. “Are you Dutch?” You asked. This time, it was a single, hearty-

“HA!” He had a spark in his eye. “Me? Dutch? I ain’t that old yet, kid.” You rolled your eyes and pulled yourself up. 

“Well, my nose is broken because this little shit thought I was with you, so I have some choice words for this ‘Dutch’.” You huffed. “And don’t call me ‘kid’.” You brushed your fingers across the bridge of your nose, preparing yourself for what you were about to do. One deep breath in, out, pop. You pushed your nose back into place and winced. A wad of blood shot out. “Jesus shit!” You coughed, you never get used to having to do that. The blue coat cowboy looking mother-fucker looked semi-impressed. 

“Well, I’m not Dutch, but you could sure meet him if it pleases.” Something caught his attention. “Speak of the devil…” The door opened again. A man walked in with very distinct black hair. He was also a cowboy looking mother-fucker. Oh god, am I in yeeyee country? His eyes immediately locked on you. 

“Did you cause this mess, Arthur? Or have we just met a new friend?” The man who you presumed to be Dutch, had a deeper voice than the man apparently called Arthur, but their accents were similar. That was not promising for you. 

“That depends, his name is West, James West. I walked in a right fine mess between him and that there O’Driscoll.” Arthur pointed to the man still struggling to steady himself. Dutch choked a deep laugh, he seemed more amused than Arthur was. 

“Right fine is right, Arthur. You did this?” He asked. You nodded reluctantly. “You’re a good fighter, boy. Real good, it seems.” He strode over to the guy on the floor and picked him up by the collar, tossing him over to Arthur. “Morgan, you deal with this trash while I talk to our new pal.” Dutch walked over to you, confidence in his step, while Arthur threw the man back on the ground. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and shook you around a bit. “James West, huh?”

“Yeah, what’s it to ya?” 

“Oh, this boy’s got spunk, Morgan!” You looked over and saw Arthur yanking the man around by the shirt. Dutch forced your attention back to him. “Now West, you’ve gotta understand our position here. We can tell clear as day you ain’t involved in a lick of this mess. But we don’t have a single clue as to what your business is up here. Now, you seem like a considerate young man, but I got worried folks on this mountain, and I can’t have no scamps running around and hellraising” He squeezed your shoulder. “So, don’t take any offense to what I’m about to ask, but what are you doing up here?” He looked you dead in the eyes. In your opinion, the question was fair. You couldn’t fully let your guard down, but they appeared to not be whoever put you here. Then again, these O’Driscoll’s didn’t seem to be either. 

“I can’t give you an answer to that one, Mr. …?” 

“Van Der Linde.” That’s one hell of a name. 

“Mr. Van Der Linde. Frankly, I have no damn clue why I’m here. One minute, I’m getting shot down in the middle of the day, and then I wake up trapped in some barn in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, in what looks like the ass end of winter. So, I’m a little confused right now to say the least.” You were clearly frustrated with your situation, he wasn’t oblivious to it. 

“Where are you from, son?”

“California.” That was a safe enough answer. 

“James West from out West. That’s certainly an opener.” He scratched his chin. “I’m gonna put you to a test young man.” He turned you around and lead you over to where Arthur had just gotten off the now bloody man. He was whimpering, begging under his breath for mercy. 

“I don’t think he’s got much to say, Dutch. They apparently happened upon this place and took it over. That’s all I’m getting’” 

“I’m going to give our new young friend a choice.” He pulled a revolver out of his holster and held the handle out to you. “In normal circumstances, I’d let Arthur handle this situation himself. But I’ve got an itching curiosity with you, kid.” You felt obligated to hold it in your hand. Looking down at the man, pity flared in your chest. “Should we kill him, or let him go? I’m letting you make the call.” What kind of question was this? Who were these guys? The choice wasn’t very difficult, you’d be a hypocrite if you did otherwise, and you weren’t compromising your promise on the off chance these guys might not like your opinion. 

You handed the gun back to Dutch. 

“Just because he’s an asshole, doesn’t mean he deserves to die. Let him go.” Dutch was intrigued by your answer. He looked over to Arthur with a smirk.

“I think I like kid!” 

“Please don’t call me ‘kid.” You requested. Arthur pulled the man to his feet and threw him outside.

“Get outta here before he regrets it.” The man darted into the snow, leaving a trail behind him. 

“Grab the horse, Arthur. We gotta get something out of this.”  You were lead outside to find a horrific scene, bodies were strewn about the snowy landscape. Whoever these guys were, they were not to be trifled with. You should play this safe. 

There was a house not too far away, the snow was dense. It was more than freezing. You sent a glare to the horse Arthur led past you. You’ll pay for this, you dumb fucking horse. With your adrenaline dying down, your whole being felt frozen. 

“Normally, I wouldn’t be one for disrupting dead for anything other than money, but you’ll die out here without something warm, Mr. West.” Dutch gestured to one of the several bodies riddled through the snow. You swallowed the lump in your throat, trying your best not to think about how you were robbing from dead people. It wouldn’t be the first time, but you still didn’t feel good about it. You separated from him and carefully stepped around the bodies littered in the snow. You found a man with his face in the snow, you pretty much picked him so you wouldn’t have to see his face as you stripped him of his coat. It didn’t look particularly warm initially, but anything would be better than this. The arms bent limply back as you peeled the sleeves away. Luckily upon further inspection, you were happy to learn there was a sort of wool lining inside, that would at least help insulate your own body heat. A sudden commotion broke out from inside the rustic home. A man yelling for Dutch and a woman screaming. Your instincts made you spring into action, you lept through large portions of the snow to make it to the steps faster and before you knew it you were bursting through the door. A blonde man wearing another cowboy-looking hat was chasing a woman around a table. 

“What the hell are you doing, Micah?” Arthur questioned as him and Dutch followed you in. 

“We got a feisty one over here, boys!” He hollered. Oh, you were not comfortable with this type of language.

“Stop chasing the poor woman, ya moron!” He warned with more intensity. You weren’t gonna see this go down, that’s for sure. You ran up behind the man called Micah, grabbed his collar, and used his weight to pull his back towards you, and then to the ground. His body slammed, he let out a surprised yelp, followed by a pained groan.

“Fucking sicko! Stop chasing her around, she’s scared!” 

“Get out of my house!” The woman bellowed. Admittedly, you had no idea what was going on, but you knew you could at least try and defuse the situation. You put your hands up to appear less threatening. 

“Miss, I don’t know who you are or what in God’s name is going on, but I promise I am not here to hurt you.” You spoke to her in a calm voice. Whatever was going on, it clearly had her frazzled. “I don’t have any weapons, and I don’t make it habit of hurting people who don’t need hurting. You clearly have been hurting for no reason. Can you explain to me what’s happened so that I can help you with this situation?” You took a cautious step around the table to make sure she wouldn’t dart away from you, you kept steady eye contact. 

“They…they killed my husband a few days ago! They took over my home and locked me in the basement!” She wept. Maybe these O’Driscolls were the ones to stow you in the barn, they sure seemed like the type with this new information. 

“I’m so sorry for your loss, ma’am. I can assure you that those men won’t be bothering you anytime soon. Can you-“ You heard glass shatter, looking over, you found Micah scattering to his feet, fire was spreading from the floor to the wall at an incredible rate. It was already crawling up the right-side wall before you had a chance to react. There was no way you could put that out by yourself, and the others weren’t exactly jumping at the chance to help you. You settled on running to grab some blankets from the bed across the room. The boys were leading the woman out of the house and she reluctantly followed. Micah sent you a glare as you passed him out of the house. “Oh, don’t you look at me like that, you weren’t any help!” You knew you should keep your mouth shut, but you knew you were right on this one. The group was walking toward some horses, you followed behind. 

“Micah, lead the horse back to camp.” You handed the blankets to the woman. 

“Thank you.” She seemed genuine but was also hurt by your sentiments.

“It’s no problem, ma’am.”

“Adler, Sadie Adler is my name.” She wrapped herself in the blankets.

“Well, it’s no problem, Mrs. Adler. It’s the bare minimum to what I could’ve done.” You hoped whatever camp Dutch mentioned was close by. This cold was blistering. 

“Mrs. Adler, you may ride with me, we’ll get you back to people who can help.” Dutch hopped up onto a white horse, lending a hand for Sadie to pull herself up. “Arthur, please take our new friend with you. I don’t think he’s in any shape to be riding.” Arthur nodded, heaving himself with ease onto a spotted mare? You couldn’t tell if it was a girl, but you just got that vibe. He did not give you a hand. Oh yeah, I’m a dude. A manly man. You gripped the back of the saddle and used all the arm strength you had to get onto the bare back on the horse. You hoped this ride wasn’t going to be too bumpy because you were not about to get punched because you had to grab onto this man and couldn’t tell if someone was a homophobe or not. You sure hoped these people weren’t, but you weren’t exactly in the position to be picky. 

“Pearson’s not gonna happy about this.” Arthur mentioned as the horses pushed forward.

“Mr. Pearson isn’t happy about anything except his drink. He’ll be alright.” Now seemed like a good a time as any to start asking questions. They couldn’t go anywhere away from you at the moment. 

“Not to interrupt or anything, but could someone tell me where I am, or what day it is. Could someone please tell me what the deal is?”

“We’re north of New Hanover if the maps are correct. We’re planning to head down there as soon as this winter passes. God knows how long that’s gonna take.” Dutch complained. You had never heard of New Hanover, but apparently it was winter. Maybe you really did get shot, put into a hospital maybe? Then these guys… You panicked for a second. O’Driscoll wasn’t another name for them was it? It didn’t make much sense but no one else would put this much effort into stealing you away. “As for the day, I couldn’t tell ya exactly. It’s winter in the year of our Lord 1899.” He laughed. What?

“What?”

“Ah, just bit of a joke, son. We live in dark times. We’re hurtling straight into a new century.” Wait was he joking or not joking?

“It’s 1899?” You tried to keep your voice neutral, but he seemed to pick up on your worry.

“Yes, it is, son.” He paused. “Are you alright?” You were anything but alright. These people are crazy, I’m trapped on a mountain with some insane cultists who think they’re in the 19th century, I’m fucked. “Arthur, we need to hurry, the boy’s looking pale.” 

Your head felt fuzzy, colors were blurring together. I am not stuck on a god damn mountain in 1899, I’m not, that’s physically impossible. This is all a dream, or some weird set up. You felt like you were 19 again, disconnected, afraid, losing it. You weren’t gonna go back there again, you wouldn’t! You didn’t know you had stopped breathing. You didn’t feel Arthur’s arm catching you so you wouldn’t get trampled. Everything was black. 

[philliamwrites]

i could make it holy, make it fine (pt.1)

Fandom: Persona 5

Pairing: Akira/Akechi

Tags: #domestic fluff, #kissing, #wedding, #persona 5 royal spoilers

Words: 1.7k

Summary: Goro can't believe his first marrital dispute will be about the plastic cat dolls in front of their café whereas Akira is a simple man with simple needs like laying out black napkins and wearing a dress. 

Note: Part 2 (work in progress) | Inspired by ‘Make it Holy’ by The Staves.

i could make it holy, make it fine

    “Quick, don’t think. Black or red?”

    “The napkins stay blue. Now shut up and don’t move.”

    Black curls fall to the ground with each snip snip of Goro’s scissors. He tips Akira’s head back with a knuckle to check that his hair is the same length. Not that anyone could tell if it wasn’t once his hair dries into its usual curly mess. Goro assumes Akira gave him this task just to have an excuse to stare at his face from close-up—as if he doesn’t do it at any given chance anyway regardless of day or time.

    That is the luxury of living in a place they feel comfortable enough to lower their defences. Goro is still trying to learn calling such a place home.

    Warm hands roam over his legs, demanding his attention. “What are you thinking about?” Akira asks and presses his chin into his belly, looking up. After seven years, his features have grown sharper and more elegant like the dagger he used to wield. Sometimes Goro looks at him and the sight of beautiful, beautiful Akira Kurusu steals his breath.

    “That you look like a twelve-year-old after shaving.” He pushes Akira’s wet hair out of his face and flicks his forehead, then steps out of his grasp. He crosses their bathroom to take the broom leaning against the wall in the corner, only to unceremoniously drop it in Akira’s lap. “Now clean your mess. I’m done.”

    He leaves the room before hearing a response, brushing off stray black hair from his shirt and pants. Now he has to vacuum again. Why Akira asked him to cut his hair instead of booking an appointment with a professional is beyond him, but it does remind Goro, as he tugs at the end of his ponytail tickling the nape of his neck, that he might need a cut as well. The shop stays closed anyway during their preparations, so now seems the best time to get things done they usually can’t while tending to the café. Repairing the creaking floorboard behind the counter, washing the dark, vintage curtains hanging in their back office. Even though Akira is against it, they need to sort out which maneki-neko lining the front of their entrance they want to keep and which to throw away. He can’t believe his first marital dispute will be about dusty plastic cats.

    The blow drier starts in the bathroom. Akira’s head peeks around the corner, the hot air whipping his hair left and right. “Goro, can you check the mail? Ann’s postcard might have arrived.”

    Goro shoos him away like a fly. On his way to the stairs leading down to the café—a feature Akira insisted on during their apartment hunting to pay homage to his old home—he passes their kitchen where he puts a kettle on the stove for another round of coffee. So far, he’s only had benefits to be engaged to one of Tokyo’s most popular barista.

    Leblanc is abandoned and quiet. He won’t ever admit it oud loud, but he’s glad Akira didn’t change the name after inheriting the business from Sojiro. Anything different would have been blasphemous. But while it is the same name, Leblanc’s replica lives with touches that scream Akira’s name. Bookshelves line one wall opposite the entrance, filled with every book he’s read during Highschool. Customers come and pick one and in return leave a book they have at hand, constantly switching up the collection. Then there’s people complimenting the amazing replicas of famous contemporary artist Yusuke Kitagawa on the walls, asking Akira where he bought them. But if Akira is known for his delicious coffee, he’s famous for his secrets.

    Opening their post box, bills and two cards fall out. The first shows The Louvre lit at night. Ann’s curly handwriting is unmistakable, leaving a short message that she’ll arrive a day before the ceremony. The other card has a simple flower design and one word on its back.

    Congratulations. — M.

    Goro stares at it for a solid minute. It’s been long since he’s seen this handwriting, but he does remember it from torn-out diary pages inside a place that had blindingly white walls and tasted of despair and bitter endings. He takes everything upstairs where he finds Akira with dried, adorably messy hair.

    “I didn’t know you still hang out with Dr. Maruki,” he says, voice neutral as he drops the cards and bills on the table where Akira has already spread out coffee and biscuits from Haru’s shop. He considers the card, absentmindedly stirring his cup. “I don’t. Sumire might have told him.”

    “Not that I really care.” Goro drinks from his cup, eyeing Akira from the side. He’s draped over his chair like a Pre-Raphaelite painting. “He’s not invited.”

    “I doubt he’ll come. Wouldn’t be too much fun if you stabbed him with the cake knife.”

    Goro snorts, but the image does bring a faint grin out of him. It is a time though he doesn’t think too fondly of; a time when he’d felt too much at once and too little words managed to express that. He remembers when Loki and Robin merged into Hereward and the surprise that Robin never really left his side, always with him; the light, the good, the innocent and childlike fantasy to become a hero one day. The night he spent under Akira’s covers; limbs entangled, secrets and fears shared in quiet whispers, thumbs wet from drying tears both pretended were never shed.

    After they defeated Maruki and destroyed the Happy World, Goro woke up in his bed, dizzy and disoriented, still sore from the fight. While staring at his white ceiling, he counted his heartbeat. Every thud in his chest was like a bird trying to take flight out of an ebony cage no one built a door into. He’d only have to tear his chest open and it would be free. It would return to where it longed to be, a little café tucked away in Yongen-Jaya.

    Instead, Goro got out of bed, donned his winter uniform and went to meet Sae Nijima to discuss the terms of proving Shido’s guilt and his arrest. Again. He spent half a year in juvenile hall until Akira paid his bail with the remaining savings from their Mementos ventures.

    “You’re crazy,” Goro had said when he met Akira outside, everything he used and owned during those six months shoved into a single plastic back.

    “I missed you,” Akira had replied and now, seven years later, they’re doing what Goro never allowed himself to dream of; never showed interest in until meeting Akira Kurusu.

    “Will our suits be ready?” he asks now, downing the rest of this coffee. He usually hates when it gets cold, but Akira’s blend is still enjoyable.

    “I’ll check my e-mails later. They should have replied by now.” Akira watches him, tapping a slender finger against the kitchen desk. “I still think one of us should wear a dress.”

    “You also think we need a champagne pyramid which we can’t afford.”

    “Okay, perhaps not that,” says Akira. “But I would make a radiant bride.”

    Goro doesn’t doubt that. If he takes an afternoon off and searches long enough, he’ll surely find the drag cop outfit somewhere in the attic—a real attic, this one—from all those years back. Maybe he can ask Akira to wear lipstick again when it’s time to seal the deal during the ceremony. He can’t think of anyone who would object to that.

    “That’s your cue to say ‘Truly’.” Akira carries both empty mugs to the sink, a slight pout adorning his face. Goro rolls his eyes. He waits until he passes him on his way out to hook a finger through a belt buckle and pulls Akira with a sharp tug on his lap. He blinks in fake innocence. “Oh?”

    “I prefer you looking good in a dress stays between us,” Goro says, shimmying his hands under Akira’s shirt—wrong, Goro’s shirt—where they rest on warm, soft skin.

    Akira thinks about it. “What do I get in return?”

    “No divorce papers.”

    Generous as always.”

    “It’s a deal then.”

    On cue, Akira’s head bends and finds Goro’s mouth. Kissing Akira is still the same as seven years ago: hot, addicting. Like breathing air for the first time after staying underwater for hours. His hands roam over spots he knows where bruised long, long ago and Akira reacts like they never disappeared. Like they never left the Metaverse. Still sixteen and eighteen and too busy bruising their knuckles and knees fighting for their own justice instead of settling down and taking their time unravelling each other. It still manages to untie a tight knot within his chest. He could spend all day kissing Akira. He should spend all day kissing Akira.

    One, two, three tugs on his ponytail and Goro reluctantly relents to free Akira’s bottom lip from between his teeth.

    “We should give you a cut as well,” Akira says, curling the end around a finger. Goro shows his surprise by raising one eyebrow.

    “You’d be okay with that?” he asks. He’s started to believe Akira’s fixation on his hair—drying it after a shower, braiding it when he’s bored, burrowing his hands in them when he cums—is a religious thing, though the prospect of it being short, feeling the cool breeze on the back of his neck during summer and not bothering to brush it every hour to untangle any knots, is appealing.

    Akira wears a dreamy sort of look—though, no. That’s just him being horny, probably imagining Goro with shorter hair and all new discoveries it might bring as he gently scrapes his scalp. It’s as good as any answer. He pushes Akira off his lap and rises as well, turning left and right to stretch and make his joints pop.

    “Fine, but if you mess it up, I’m going to shave you bald.”

    They share a single look, thinking of the only person they know with a bald head and Goro regrets his words already, hates the face of the man he never wants to remember flashing before his eyes.

    Akira takes his hand and squeezes. “I’m going to make you the most handsome man alive, promise.”

    He allows Akira to lead him to the bathroom, the objection that his task will be hard so long as he breathes on his lips.

    Five more days. Five more days and the most handsome man alive will be his.

[hd-wireless]

🎵 RULES AND GUIDELINES WIRELESS 2020 🎵

🎼 Prompting:

Prompting opens January 1st. You may submit as many prompts as you want. You do not have to be creating a work for the fest in order to post a prompt. Anyone can prompt!

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[carewyncromwell]

Hey guys! Normally I just jump right into my gameplay posts and then put in additional notes at the end, but for this particular set of gameplay posts I plan to do, I think I’ll need to do the notes first.

This upcoming series will be based on the Quidditch sidequest “Quest for the Quidditch Cup.” (And will be tagged thusly!) Normally the game HPHM sets this in our first year playing Quidditch, circa year 2...but not only am I well past year 2, but I’ve written some lore about Carewyn and her relationship with the Slytherin Quidditch team that goes against this particular side quest’s plot line. Here are bullet points!

Carewyn was introduced to Quidditch Friendlies in third year through Penny, and also received training from Skye. She even played as a substitute Chaser in Slytherin’s match against Hufflepuff in her third year.

After Skye made up rumors about Erika Rath, however, Carewyn and Skye had a pretty substantive falling-out, given Carewyn’s over-sensitivity to bullying. Not wanting to cause further drama for Orion’s team but not wanting to stand by Skye’s behavior, Carewyn quietly withdrew from the Slytherin Quidditch team, allowing the original Chaser to take back their spot for the last two matches of the season.

Carewyn has continued to play in Quidditch friendlies as a Chaser (often against or alongside Ravenclaw Keeper Andre and Gryffindor Seeker Charlie), but has not tried to take back a spot on the Slytherin Quidditch team again.

Orion -- who Carewyn is incredibly fond of, partially because of how much he reminds her of her brother Jacob -- has every-so-often tried to bring Carewyn back into the fold, but Carewyn has been reluctant to commit, partly because of her hyper-focus on the Vaults and partly because of her strained relationship with Skye.

Age-wise, I have written Murphy, Skye, and Orion as all being a year older than Carewyn (hence why we don’t see them in any of her classes). These gameplays will take place toward the end of year 6 well after that certain Redacted event, even though I haven’t reached that point in the game yet, because Carewyn is currently in year 6, but the last game of the Quidditch season would have to take place in the spring. This is also why Orion isn’t two years ahead of Carewyn -- if he were, he’d be graduated already! I do see him being born toward the end of the year, though, so he would still be the eldest of the three Quidditch characters. XD; Because of the timing, Carewyn will have just completed her character arc where she’s learned to open up a bit more to her friends at this point too and is no longer shutting her friends out of what’s going on with R or the Cursed Vaults. I also fortunately don’t have much interest in writing any further Quidditch plotlines with Carewyn, so I won’t have to worry about writing any contradictory season 2 gameplays. (If nothing else, Carewyn would be a GOD-AWFUL Beater.)

With all this out of the way...let the games begin!

~x~x~x~x~

[Carewyn had had to deal with a lot of unexpected things that year, but one thing she certainly had not been expecting was receiving an owl from Orion Amari. The Slytherin Quidditch Captain would reach out to her sometimes when she was playing in Quidditch friendlies or otherwise visiting the Quidditch Pitch, but they almost never collided in the hallways of Hogwarts themselves, partly because Orion was a year older than her, but also because Orion just seemed to operate on his own schedule. Carewyn sometimes wondered if he Broom-Surfed through life, rather than walking like ordinary people did.

Regardless, when Carewyn arrived in the Great Hall to meet Orion, she found him already there, sitting at the end of the Slytherin table with Quidditch commentator Murphy McNully.]

Murphy: “Been a long time! I haven’t seen you since the final Quidditch friendly last year -- reckon your team would’ve had only a 0.5% chance of victory, if you hadn’t been able to hit the Quaffle past the Keeper with your broom just before the opposing Seeker caught the Snitch...1% at the most...”

“(politely) It’s good to see you too, McNully.”

[Carewyn turned to Orion, looking a bit more serious.]

“I heard about Skye’s injury. What happened? I heard some people say Rath hit Skye with a Bludger...but I just can’t see Rath doing something like that on purpose: she could get banned from Quidditch for actively trying to target an opposing team’s player like that.”

[Orion nodded solemnly, his gaze very pensive.]

Orion: “Your thought process has some merit, Carewyn...but I’m afraid we really can’t know for sure. We have only two witnesses to the event -- Rath and Skye -- with two versions of the truth. One says it was an accident, the other purposeful.”

“(frowns) But those two things contradict each other. They can’t both be the truth.”

Orion: “They are both their truths. In any case, the result is the same, and our Chaser was injured.”

[Carewyn couldn’t entirely agree with this -- she would feel a lot better knowing it was an accident rather than Rath getting away scot-free with hurting one of Slytherin’s players...but really, such a sentiment was pretty typical for Orion, and there was a lot more to discuss.

Her gaze drifted down to the table in front of her absently as she leaned her arms against the wood.]

“...Is Skye all right?”

Orion: “Physically, yes -- Madame Pomfrey says she’ll make a full recovery. Emotionally, however, I would not say so, given that Madame Pomfrey also has said she will not be well enough to play in the match.”

[Carewyn’s heart clenched.]

“So she’ll miss the Quidditch final. Your last Quidditch final, ever.”

Murphy: “(grimly) The math would seem to suggest it. At present I’d say there’s only a 23% chance Skye would be able to play, and about 19.9% of that factors in Skye actively ignoring Madame Pomfey’s instructions. And if she did that, I’d say Slytherin would only have a 3% chance of victory.”

[Carewyn felt a wave of empathy wash over her. She may have had her differences with Skye, and she didn’t regret distancing herself from her...but at the same time, she knew how much Quidditch and especially the Quidditch Cup meant to her. Slytherin had been knocked out of the running for the Quidditch Final several times the last few years, largely by Gryffindor, since their team had Quidditch prodigy Charlie as their Seeker. But this year, Charlie had not had his head in the game (for rather obvious reasons), and so Slytherin had finally gotten the opening they needed. But facing Ravenclaw in the Quidditch Final would be no easy task...and, Carewyn thought, Skye had to be absolutely miserable, being stuck on the sidelines at the exact moment when Slytherin finally had a chance to earn the Cup they’d fought so hard for.

Murphy glanced at Orion out the side of his eye critically.]

[Orion gave a single, slow nod.]

[He turned to Carewyn with a wry smile.]

Orion: “...And she is sitting with us at this moment.”

[Carewyn blinked in surprise. Murphy brightened up instantly, looking at Carewyn with a large smile.]

Murphy: “Yes! That’d be brilliant! With your high record of goal scoring and your overall speed, Carewyn, you’d easily improve Slytherin’s odds by a good 31.6%!”

[Despite Murphy’s enthusiasm, Carewyn couldn’t make herself smile back.]

“I don’t know...”

Orion: “(seriously) Carewyn...you have dismissed me several times in the past, but I urge you to hear me out fully before you make your decision. You first left our team because of a personal dispute with Skye, and although I lament it, I also respect that you wanted our team to succeed, and you thought that withdrawing with grace would be the best way to do that. Now, however, we are in dire straits. We need someone who can fill Skye’s role on our team. You trained with Skye. You have consistently played well in every Quidditch friendly you have participated in. And you also more than embody the integrity needed both to lead and to follow -- to place the good of your team over glory for yourself. It’s the reason I asked you to choose our strategy in the match against Hufflepuff three years ago...and it’s the reason both Skye and I believe you should be our third Chaser, in this match against Ravenclaw.”

[This took Carewyn completely aback.]

“Skye said I should?”

[Orion smiled, his dark eyes twinkling with an oddly soft glint.]

Orion: “She urged me to try to convince you. Believe it or not...Skye has lamented the loss of you on our team even more than I have.”

[Carewyn’s narrowed blue eyes drifted off vaguely in the direction of the far wall as she took this in.]

If she felt that way, she should’ve made things right with Rath, then.

[Despite the stubborn irritation lashing at her insides, though, she couldn’t help but feel slightly touched, all the same. To think that Skye would’ve insisted Carewyn fill her spot -- Carewyn knew full well how much Quidditch meant to Skye...so her trusting Carewyn with her spot on the team, right before such an important match...]

I know how hard it is to trust others. It hasn’t been easy for me...even now...it’s not easy, for me. If Skye trusts me that much...if Orion and McNully trust me that much...

[Meeting the Circle of Khanna in the Three Broomsticks and feeling their expectant eyes all on her rippled over Carewyn’s mind. It brought the feeling of responsibility back down onto her shoulders -- that heavy weight that nonetheless made her want to stand even taller, so as to meet that burden.]

I can’t turn my back on them, when they need me.

[There was a new strength in her posture and shoulders as her gaze rose to meet Orion’s.]

“...All right. I’m in.”

[Orion’s dark eyes lit up like stars. His face broke into a large, bright smile and he reached across the table to take hold of Carewyn’s arm, squeezing it affectionately.]

Orion: “It will be a privilege to fly alongside you in my final match at Hogwarts, Carewyn.”

[Carewyn smiled in return, her blue eyes softening visibly. Murphy looked delighted as well.]

Murphy: “Not to mention how exciting it’ll be for my final match as a commentator! Carewyn Cromwell, swooping in just in time to nab Slytherin the Quidditch Cup for the first time in ten years!”

[His expression then turned a lot more business-like.]

Murphy: “We won’t get that great story, though, unless Slytherin wins.”

[Carewyn frowned deeply and nodded. She was well aware -- Gryffindor had opposed Ravenclaw in the Quidditch Cup Final just about every year she was at Hogwarts, and it was largely thanks to Rath smacking Bludgers at Charlie so hard that he was sent to the Hospital Wing that Ravenclaw had won.]

“Rath is not someone to be underestimated. But we have two days before the match -- I’m sure we can come up with a plan by then. In the meantime, I’ll set aside some extra time to practice with the rest of the team.”

[She glanced at Orion for approval. The Slytherin Quidditch Captain inclined his head in a single nod.]

Orion: “This is a time for celebration and hard work. Let us concentrate on coming together as a team and on supporting Skye.”

[Carewyn’s eyes drifted off, landing on the doorway out of the entrance hall.]

“...Maybe I should go see Skye, then...just for a talk.”

Ha! That’s a loaded question...

[She frankly didn’t want to even think about how uncomfortable the reunion between her and Skye would be like, given how they’d ended things and how little they’d subsequently spoken over the years...

Despite those feelings, Carewyn -- true to form -- put on her prettiest, most confident smile.]

[danyelle756games]

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With the price tag of video gaming currently considerably greater than mobile gaming in most aspects, from game cost to hardware, the mobile gaming industry looks stronger than ever. Not only do most folks currently personal a gaming-capable smartphone currently, but mobile applications are generally compatible on most devices. Combine this compatibility with the huge variety of mobile games on supply and you are certain to discover a game for you on any device, regardless of make or model.

They even host an RSS feed of the most up-to-date jobs from prominent gaming studios. Resources like Gamasutra are invaluable for maintaining your self abreast of the most recent happenings in the business, irrespective of whether that's disputes more than developer spend, the hottest reveals from gaming expos, or just the most current issue that EA has accomplished to annoy men and women.

These are some of the greatest internet websites to grab hot-promoting updates about your favored on the internet games. Now that you know your way to the gaming paradise, do not wait any longer to spend a pay a visit to to these gripping gaming content sites. Fextralife is an intriguing web page devoted to supplying articles and reviews on games, fan fiction, guides, tactics and much much more. Now you know which gaming forum to check out this weekend with your gaming pals.

Brought to you by the enterprise responsible for the Globe Electronic Sports Games, Globe Gaming is a great spot to get all your esports news. The World Electronic Sports Games is one of the most prestigious esports events in the world, and World Gaming brings that identical level of production worth to their blog. World Gaming has coverage of a wide range of esports outdoors the most well-liked games, as properly as general esports news. The forum is also a terrific location to engage and talk about esports with other gamers and fans.

When PUBG has discovered a organic household in Japan, it is also a global good results story. It has achieved high percentages of players in quite a few smaller territories, grabbing the focus of 22.five% of Pc gaming enthusiasts in Norway, 21.9% in Australia, and 17.1% in New Zealand. In April 2017, Green Man atashenda Pc gaming blog Gaming appointed former Take-Two CEO, 35 Paul Eibeler, to its Board as an Advisor and hired Sam Bennett, ex-Sony Entertainment, EA and Activision Community Manager and Buyer Engagement Head, as EVP to lead its newly formed Buyer Encounter and Communications team.

From Indie games to PlayStation, Video Chums have got all the testimonials of your preferred weekend picks. Read by way of their gaming articles, gaming console evaluations and participate in contests to win giveaways. Associated Posts: Allow the associated posts and they will appear at the bottom of each and every weblog post suggesting 3 (or more) connected articles to study next. Make certain the fairly layout is enabled in your web pages settings because this is a lot a lot more enticing for gaming blogs.

[fnewstoday]

Want To Apply For A Credit Card? Here Are WalletHub Founder Advices

One of the first services in the United States that offers full daily control over credit reporting, and available for free - WalletHub, conducted its next post-holiday study of consumer sentiments and impressions of Christmas and New Year shopping. Below we will dwell on the results of this study in order to better understand the question of when the most optimal time to apply for a credit card comes, which becomes especially relevant due to debts arising during the holiday shopping. The WalletHub project was created by Odysseas Papadimitriou to make it easy for all ordinary people to manage and control their financial and credit life without unnecessary effort and expense. This allows you to respond in a timely manner to negative changes in credit status and helps to quickly take measures to prevent such modification. Thanks to this, you will be able to improve and maintain at a high level your creditworthiness. Having successfully worked for more than a decade and a half in the field of finance, including as the marketing director of such a large financial company as Capital One, having earned more than half a billion dollars for it, the founder of WalletHub Odysseas Papadimitriou saw the pains and needs of ordinary people regarding personal finances. First, he decided to help Americans find the best credit card options for their needs by creating the CardHub service, which allows you to very clearly compare different credit cards by various parameters, after which, expanding functionality and transforming, the WalletHub website appeared.

WalletHub-project-was-created-by-Odysseas-Papadimitriou What does financial expert creator WalletHub Odyssey Papadimitriu say about this Before you find out the answers to our questions in brief about who Odysseus Papadimitriou is and why it is worth listening to his opinion when it comes to personal finances. His expertise was based on diplomas in civil engineering (Bachelor of Brown University), as well as business administration (Master's degree from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business), after which he gained many years of successful experience in the financial field. This made him such an authoritative and sought-after expert in this field that leading American publications often publish his opinions on various events and issues that concern finance in one way or another. If the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other reputable media trust the competence of the Odyssey, then I believe that we too can do it.

After the holiday shopping, there are a lot of regrets - why?

Many people in the festive bustle, wanting to buy everyone gifts or buy something home, succumb to the tricks of sellers and attractive price tags at Christmas sales. It is not surprising that in such a situation, you can easily buy what you really do not need or what does not meet your expectations. And all would be fine, but very often not own funds are spent on such additional acquisitions, but funds from a credit line. So after the end of the holidays at the beginning of each new year comes a shopping “hangover” when you begin to critically evaluate the expenses and purchases made earlier at holiday sales and calculate the debts formed after this.

Have Americans feel better since the last election?

Despite the fact that most consumers talk about improvements, one third of Americans have not felt the economic changes for the better for themselves. Compared to 2016, not everyone this year understood from their business that there was a record economic growth in their country. However, this is generally a normal state of affairs, since initially all consumers are in different conditions and it is never good or bad for everyone. If we talk about almost 70% of Americans, then despite the increased national debt and other nuances, they noticed the improvements taking place in the country's economy.

More study results

According to WalletHub consumer research data, at the end of 2019, about 50 million consumers in pre-holiday shopping fever bought what they did not need or of inadequate quality and almost 100 million Americans bought more than they intended or could actually afford. Now they will have to work out such unnecessary expenses in order to pay off the balance on their credit cards and pay lenders the interest rate for using the credit line. In this regard, after the New Year holidays 2019-2020, a third of Americans believe that it is now time to apply for a credit card for them right now to solve the debt problem that arose after Christmas shopping. A quarter more Americans than last year will try to register a new credit card in the near future. This roughly corresponds to the fact that after the new year 2/3 of consumers are going to intensively save in order to pay off their debts in December as quickly as possible. Compared to 2018, much more people of different generations stated that they had made extra purchases for Christmas 2019, which they did not intend to do or which they should not have made, so as not to go beyond their budget. Now they have to pay for succumbing to marketing tricks of sellers, while using a loan, increasing their balance on a credit card. Then consumers expressed their opinion on the best credit cards in their opinion in different categories. If an American is going to build or restore his credit, then in the new 2020 he is more likely to choose a card that does not charge an annual payment and has a reward system in the form of a cashback, namely Discover it Secured. This bank card option offers 1-2% rewards from purchases and the best conditions in the first year of use. If in 2020 the consumer is about to open a new credit card for debt consolidation or balance transfer, then thanks to a zero interest rate in the first 15-18 months, he or she will most likely choose one of Bank of America credit cards. Amex EveryDay offers 15 months with zero interest, the BankAmericard card will provide you with 18 months of a grace period when you do not have to pay the bank an annual interest rate when transferring the balance in the first months after registering this credit. In the event that you are aiming to receive rewards from the issuer for using your credit card, thanks to the initial bonus of three quarters of a thousand dollars for travel, most American consumers would advise you Chase Sapphire Preferred. In addition, users of this credit card for 1 dollar spent, get 2 points when they pay with a card for food or travel.

it-will-be-easier-for-you-to-manage-your-loans-and-debts-later

When is the best time to apply for a credit card?

Now, after the biggest expenses of the year, most people wonder about the time to apply for a credit card in order to deal with arising debts, but at the same time not to make even more new debts. Such thoughts arise for many consumers now for no reason, apparently intuition tells people that right now it is necessary to act in this direction. After the new year, the most suitable period begins in order to register a new credit card and transfer the balance to it from old cards or to consolidate your debts from different loans. Now it’s not only the highest level of motivation for people to pay off debts, but also offers from credit card issuers that best meet these consumer needs. Right now you can find the most attractive conditions to apply for a credit card and transferring your balance; right now, lenders offer the most favorable conditions for consolidating your debts. In addition, starting now, it will be easier for you to manage your loans and debts later, counting down from the first month of the year, especially if you combine them into one common one. One date, one amount, and it’s already much easier for you to manage your payments on time, avoiding late payments, penalties and other additional payments and unnecessary expenses. You can also use the WalletHub service for free to track changes in your credit rating and ultimately save not only your money in paying interest rates, but also time that could be used to resolve disputes and correct errors in your credit reports. Use the application form in one place to find out what different lenders can offer you. Just fill out your details once, the amount and term of the loan for which you are counting and get feedback from many credit companies. You no longer have to visit the offices of many companies to just find out what you can count on.

use-the-WalletHub-service-for-free-to-track-changes

How accurate is the information?

The service uses the latest information about the state of the market, as well as proposals from lenders, however it cannot be responsible for all changes at each lender's company. The website itself does not directly provide financing services, but in fact it is an information hub and only helps its users to choose the best option from the offers on the lending market. Our resource is ready to provide information and advice on which option will be most relevant to you in your circumstances, if you report them. At the same time, our site is not directly connected with any of the lenders, and is an independent information resource. Using this service you can get objective information about the financial product you are interested in, but we are not responsible for changes and decisions of the companies that provide financing. The company is constantly working to ensure that you receive the most up-to-date information on loans and credit cards, so you can count on the latest information and apply for a credit card, but we do not guarantee you any results or decisions from other companies, simply because it is not possible. If a credit company changes the requirements for borrowers or increases, for example, the interest rate, we will know about it as soon as it publishes this information, but not earlier. Of course, you can directly contact the resources of each credit company individually, but given their amount, you can spend a lot of time on this, especially if you try to figure out the features of each product that each of them offers. The main advantage that you can get when using our service is the elimination of errors that can be made on the website of each company, since we take information directly from the office of each lender. Use the application form on our page if you want to know what types of financing are available to you now and what you can really count on in the near future. Also learn more about personal finance and credit in our blog or ask questions to our personal finance specialists by leaving your comments below. Read the full article

[sanerontheinside]

Meta Post 1: Fool of a Sith

devilangel657 replied to your post “Revenge of the Fifth”

Question! If the trade feds were technically on sidious command and they killed qui gon originally by association, why does dooku join them if they killed his former padawan?

Solid question, 10/10

Confused me for a moment there, I wasn’t sure whether you were asking about canon or the fic or the au I currently live in. This isn’t 100% meta, even, just my interpretation, or character notes for future use.  @obaewankenope, @deadcatwithaflamethrower, @aidava, look at this mess. if you want. I meta’d again. Second meta post is on the Trade Federation, coming soon.  uuum. also tagging @kyberpunk, @poplitealqueen, @lilyrose225writes, @maawi, @eclipsemidnight, and @stonefreeak. 

(tl;dr: because he thought that would be the best way to destroy them.) 

Dooku trained the most accomplished lineage of diplomats the Jedi Order had. He was often assigned missions that kept him away from the Temple for long periods of time, the same way we later see the Jinn-Kenobi team frequently away from the Temple. That must have been incredibly isolating for Padawan Qui, but on the other hand he was also apprenticed to one of the most skilled diplomats in the Order—his training was without fault.

The Council did what it would do with any skilled team: it passed them the most difficult assignments. Now, consider: the Senate provides the Order with information about some planet or other needing help. That message is relayed through at least two stopping points: locally, to the planet’s representative, and from there to the sector’s Senator or one of their aides. Each person involved in this chain has their own political agenda, and the Council can never rely on them for accurate intel. Basically, some of the most difficult cases are the ones where the team is, effectively, going in blind.

Other cases include, but are not limited to: points of conflict, brewing revolutions, coups, etc. Some of these missions are better handled by at least three teams, but the Order doesn’t have the manpower to spare. Basically, it’s all a mess.

I could almost bet Dooku was jaded even before he took his first Padawan. Consider: we know him to be from a noble family, and that is often seen as the reasoning behind his focus on networking among the powerful. Personally, I imagine Qui-Gon’s easy friendships with local pirates and questionable types stood them in good stead very often; but Dooku believed that the way to create a lasting change was to convince the powerful that such a change would be in their interest.

This is double-edged, of course, because while Dooku is not necessarily wrong, he is relatively blind to the full extent of the strife of lower classes. Meanwhile Qui-Gon accidentally blunders into revolutions wherever he goes; it’s a byproduct of the Order being poorly-informed of the local sociopolitical climate, and Qui-Gon’s own curiosity and drive to see justice done.

Manipulating Dooku

Years later, Darth Plagueis—posing as Hego Damask II, Magister of the InterGalactic Banking Clan—is quietly pulling strings in the Outer-Rim territories and manipulating trade disputes and agreements. For instance: two worlds, Celanon and Serenno, were at a dispute over transit taxes for the use of the Hydian Way hyperspace lane. Celanon was building a hyperwave transceiver—basically, a transceiver that used hyperspace to connect to the HoloNet. Because of the amount of infrastructure required for the thing to work, they had to replan the local hyperspace lanes that ships could pass through. For this reason, they decided to charge transit taxes for ships entering their space—which included Serenno.

Damask’s (Plagueis’s) plan was fairly simple: he hoped that mediation between Serenno and Celanon would fail, and then Damask Holdings would withdraw funding for building the hyperwave transceiver. Said construction would have been of benefit to the less wealthy planets in that corner of space. The moment negotiations broke down, those worlds would blame the wealthy Serenno and Celanon for it.

Damask made the error of approaching Qui-Gon Jinn during a recess in the meeting. Jinn, ever one to call the situation exactly as he saw it, ‘accused Damask Holdings of fomenting discontent in the Outer Rim in the name of profit.’ [x - see subsection Serenno: Meeting Dooku and Sifo-Dyas] Not only was that a bit blunt, but it was also exactly right. You can imagine, no Sith Lord working on enacting his Grand Plan, the Return of the Line of Bane, would be particularly excited to have an opponent who could see right through all their careful smokescreens.

Damask also took the opportunity to chat with Dooku and Sifo-Dyas. Dooku was by then well aware of corruption in the Senate, and was quite vocal about it. Sifo-Dyas was more restrained. Unfortunately, talking to Sith is universally understood to be a bad idea. Plagueis walked away from that conversation knowing that to destroy the Jedi, he had to exploit their loyalty to the Republic, to make them appear the enemies of peace rather than guardians.

At the root of Damask’s interest was the fact that Dooku, while he might have thought himself one man working against the tide, had actually done a great deal of good in the Outer Rim territories, and even foiled a number of the Sith’s plans in the process. [x - see subsection Darth Tyranus is Born] 

Part of the tragedy of Dooku’s Fall is that he could see a glaring problem, and had no idea that he was already doing a great deal to fix it. That blindness, and a great deal of hubris, really. Hubris in thinking that he could build a utopia from scratch—rebuild the Republic without corruption, rebuild the Order without the faults he’d seen in it.

Dooku’s greatest disappointment was Galidraan, and Galidraan was a Sith-manipulated mess. [x]

The Governor of Galidraan rigged up a complicated scheme that was supposed to rid him both of an insurrection from his colonists and of the True Mandalorians—all of this while hiding a splinter group of the Death Watch (Viszla) on his world. The resulting scheme was designed by Sidious, of course.

So, step one: the Governor calls the True Mandalorians for help dealing with his minor insurrection, and offers to give them Pre Viszla’s location. The True Mandalorians agree and show up, setting up camp locally.

Step two: the Governor of Galidraan has the Death Watch pose as the True Mandalorians and attack the colonists.

Step three: the Governor calls the Senate in a panic begging for assistance from the Jedi Order—help, help, the Mandalorians are killing my people!

Step four: Dooku and a small team show up and surround the Mandalorian camp. Pressed for time (think of the dying colonists!), unable to verify, but possibly just the slightest bit suspicious (the Mandalorians are warriors, not butchers… surely?) the Jedi order the camp to surrender. The Mandalorians, having done nothing wrong up until this moment, open fire and resist.

Aftermath

Dooku had called for reinforcements. His hand was forced before they arrived. He and his small group were vastly outnumbered. What could have been resolved over a pot of tea instead ended in the slaughter of three hundred.

Now, on the one hand, the facts that Dooku had told him he didn’t have time for a pot of tea. On the other hand, even if we were to assume that he’d done everything right when making that decision, and still failed, that must have stung. It must have been, also, incredibly hard to face up to the fact that he’d done his best in a situation where he’d been set up for failure, and yet the Senate was forever going to use that horrible incident against the Order. The very same Senate that had sent him there without a real understanding of the situation, on the word of the Governor. The Order that had not been circumspect and simply said that Judicial would be manpower enough.

Even Chancellor Valorum would later refer to the Yinchorri Uprising as ‘another Galidraan’, and use it as an example for why the Jedi could not serve as the Republic ‘police force’. [x - see subsection Aftermath] On the one hand, it would’ve been nice if the Senate had allowed Valorum to actually declare, by law, that the Jedi were never to be sent out anywhere again for anything other than peaceful negotiations. On the other hand, a reminder of that kind of disastrous failure would have tailed Dooku for the rest of his time in the Order.

No matter whether Galidraan was his fault (an arguable point, and I’m not familiar with the book or comics), he would have still felt guilt over that disaster. He also never faced it: In Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Wyndham, Dooku—by then Darth Tyranus is quoted as saying,

"Even though I knew that the Senate was corrupt, the Council was fallible, and Jedi training methods far from perfect, I remained with the Jedi Order for twelve years after Galidraan. Why? Because I still believed that I could accomplish some good as a Jedi. I thought I could bring about some positive changes, right certain wrongs, and do better than maintain the status quo. In short, I was an utter fool."

Dooku is willing to blame everyone else—the Senate, the Council, down to Jedi training methods. Never himself. He Knows Best, after all. Proud man, and the mightier his fall for it.

Naboo

To Dooku, Qui-Gon’s death on Naboo was just another indication of the Senate’s and Order’s ineptitude. Palpatine was only too happy to tell him the story of how his brave Padawan fell during the Battle of Naboo (even going so far as to show him a recording of the generator’s security feed, according to the comics). [x - see subsection Darth Tyranus is Born] Dooku had publicly criticised the Order and the Senate already, but this was all Palpatine needed to lure him over to the Dark Side:

[Dooku] "I declined to be a member of the Council in order to devote myself to diplomacy, and look how that has turned out. The Republic is sliding deeper into chaos." [Palpatine] "You're one man against a galaxy full of scoundrels." [Dooku] "One man should be able to make a difference if he is powerful enough."

How kind, how understanding Palpatine always was.

I imagine, even knowing that he was dealing with Sith, Dooku would never once have doubted his ability to outwit, outmaneuver those who had given him power. He would use Palpatine as Palpatine had intended to use him, and then he would destroy the Sith. He would destroy the Trade Federation, and the Banking Clans, and the Commerce Guild, and all those pesky monopolies that had been so influential in the fall of the Republic.

Once Palpatine had given him power, he proceeded to strip away Dooku’s every last connection to the Order. Every last thing that had grounded him vanished. Sifo-Dyas was killed the moment his usefulness ran out, though Dooku preserved his body in cryostasis. [I’ve meta’d here before] Somewhere in the midst of ten years of running errands for Sidious, Dooku realised that he could not win without help. He tried, he really did try, to turn to Obi-Wan for help on Geonosis.

But Dooku would never have turned to him on his own. He would never have asked for help, because no one was quite as good as he. When Obi-Wan proved to be resourceful, clever, and exactly the sort of nutcase who’d get himself into trouble the way Jinn would have, caught, and still defiant—that’s when Dooku decided to take a chance. But, alas, he walked into the cell without a plan, and what should have been a delicate manipulation to get Obi-Wan to believe him and then help him—completely blew up in his face.*

They had no common ground. Dooku had never spoken to him. He’d barely maintained contact with Qui-Gon after his Knighting, apparently, and left the Order after Obi-Wan’s. Obi-Wan had no reason to trust him, no reason to believe a word that came out of Dooku’s mouth. Unfortunate, that: the moment Obi-Wan understood Darth Tyranus had not been lying, his Grandmaster was long dead, the Jedi had been slaughtered, and Sidious had made the Republic into an Empire.

*[By the way, Dooku’s scene with Obi-Wan in AotC doesn’t strike me as one artful diplomat manipulating another. It sounds desperate, and for someone who’s supposed to be so good with words, the segue into ‘Qui-Gon always spoke very highly of you’ was rather blunt. But, as @meabhair pointed out, Lucas wrote choppy dialogue, so I suppose we can’t entirely blame the Count.]

Also, as an aside: in Silent enim leges inter arma (the frankenau), Dooku’s Turn and shocked realisation that he’s in over his head happen earlier—before Naboo. Details are still a bit hazy, but as you can see, there’s plenty to work with.

[acuitilabslondon]

Role of SAP Billing / SAP BRIM in Transforming Tolling Business

Tolling is generally an amount, or a fee paid to access any road, bridge, or tunnel and the revenue generated by this is utilized for maintenance, construction, and/or other such operations

Toll Business can be simply understood as a way to deal with transportation challenges and provides positive impact on freight transport in several ways. The toll in many ways, has been benefiting the society without placing an excruciating financial burden on the entire transport system. The advantages the toll business offer include improved transport efficiency, increased revenue for the public budget and reduced external costs of road vehicles.

There is numerous research that have time and again proved that tolls can positively impact transportation in several ways. Below are the few examples –

Improved Transport Efficiency – With the road tolls being introduced, empty headings have been seen to decline. Additionally, tolls are also helping in reducing the vehicle km required for transportation as trucks are improving loading rates because of the pricing pressure.

Affordable choice, without impacting consumers prices – In most of the industries the range of transportation cost is between 1% to 5% of the total production cost which is comparatively low, and the accumulated statistics will not show any significant effect.

Significant contributions to transport sector funding comes from the toll revenue – This is true that money that comes from toll revenue is one of the major sources of funding that the transport sector earns.

How Tolling business can help in reducing the worldwide challenge of traffic Congestion

The increased number of vehicles on road are certainly the cause of massive traffic jams during the peak hours in many parts of the world.  Managing the traffic congestion problem on a high scale would not only be sign of relief to the economies of various countries across the globe but, this would also be helpful for sustained productivity and competitiveness.

A report by UK government suggests that congestion may cost the economy of England £22 B a year in lost time by in 2015. The U.S Transportation Institute said in 2011 that cost of congestion is more than $120 billion, nearly $820 for every commuter in the U.S. World’s record traffic jam in China, Hebei province, was 110 km long during 12 days in August 2010.

There are three main purposes of road pricing and tolling among these tolling is utilized to generate revenues. The other two important reasons include congestion or value pricing which helps in managing demand, and environmental pricing to reduce environmental impacts.

E-Tolling System – What is E-tolling and what are its advantages:

E-tolling or Electronic tolling collection (ETC) is a wireless means of automatically collecting the usage fee or toll charges from the vehicles using toll roads, HOV lanes, toll bridges, and toll tunnels etc. without requiring any action or stopping by the driver. This not only is time saving but also keeps the entire process of toll collection transparent. Electronic tolling is also cheaper when compared to staffed toll booth as it does not require manual processing and it helps in reducing transaction costs for both government and private road owners.

Advantages of E- Tolling –

No stopping of vehicles at a toll booth

Time saving

Reduced traffic congestion problem

Can save gallons of gasoline every year

Efficient, safe, and secure

Evolution of Business Models and Non-toll Revenue –

Toll pricing models have been evolved the most in the past few years. With the evolution and several new innovations, it has become more complex with customer demanding loyalty benefits, discounts, and vouchers. Specially the customers who own large number of vehicles, deal with a lot of such task forces and have to take similar journeys several times.

Tolling charges vary depending on what time of the day the trip was taken. How many travelers are there in a car, total distance covered or even customer’s residence. The payment itself could be prepaid (wallet based), postpaid (Bank settlement) or hybrid model. Also, taxes could depend on type of vehicles to subsidize electrical vehicles.

Besides the pricing and billing complexities in Toll itself, tolling companies have lot of avenues to grow non-toll business and get additional revenue. The same vehicle cards which are being used for Toll could be used for paying for fuel, parking, E-vehicle charging, hiring bikes and car wash services.

Challenges Faced by Tolling Business

Road transport accounts for around 16% of global man-made CO2 emissions. Also, the number of crashes subsequently increases due to congested roads.

Tolling business deals with a lot of administrative tasks and paperwork which becomes quite a headache if not managed with the help of proper dedicated solution

Juggling between too many transponders and navigating the customer service maze

Role of SAP BRIM Solution in Toll Collecting –

Billing and Revenue Innovation Management (BRIM) solution under the hood comprises of various different solution components which are pre-integrated in a suite. The Customer, Products Master and Order, Contract Management is handled in Subscription Order Management (SOM) component that allows new customers to register, along with their e-tag information. On the tolling plaza where the vehicle information is actually captured by tolling operational systems which will then pass that on to Convergent Mediation which allows data massaging and validation.

SAP BRIM Platform can orchestrate information to downstream systems or can couple separate events together like vehicle entry and exist events received from two different toll points on the same route. Convergent charging takes care of the complex rating and charging logic and find out whom to charge and how much to charge for the journey. Finally, Convergent Invoicing can handle billing, invoicing and settlements processes with banks and postings to subledgers.

Tolling Systems – Open versus Closed

In the closed tolling system, the vehicle is tracked both at entry and exit points. While in the open system toll plazas or charging booths are charging points for the applicable road section.

Customer Journey

The customer journey begins right from the moment when he/she either purchases a card or e-tag from the store and registers it along with the vehicle registration details. Customer can then top-up his card/e-tag using banking services like bank mobile app or ATM. Now when the customer makes a toll-applicable journey, based on closed or open toll system the toll plaza will record the details or his card/e-tag verifying them against the vehicle plate number to detect any fraud.

These details will then be fed through Convergent Mediation where there will be further validations like multiple journeys on the same path in very short amount of time or improbable time difference between entry and exit timestamps recorded. Once the event data is validated it is rated by the Charging system to create billing items (records) of transactions. These transaction records/items are aggregated to be shared with customer and the bank for any applicable settlements later. To minimize credit exposure it may very well happen that the entry point registers the vehicle entry and reserve or block some amount on customers e-tag account and at the exit point the charges are calculated and the e-tag balance is either deducted immediately or send to bank for settlements.

Advantages of Using SAP BRIM –

Simplified Customer interactions

Meeting real time expectations

Real time insight for true customer 360-degree view

Increase Transparency and efficiency

Real time Execution for context sensitive offerings

Improved Customer engagement

Innovative pricing and Bundles

Consolidated Billing to manage credit and collection efficiently

Handles hybrid payments

While now you already know what role SAP BRIM plays in managing toll business efficiently than ever, it also important to get a holistic view of some other advancements offered by SAP solutions to its customers and how Acuiti Labs could be the most suitable choice for you –

Business Responsiveness – SAP BRIM offers Innovative pricing model, charging and billing models and also opens up smart revenue stream that are personalized for your B2B offerings and you get a chance to know your customers better and thus can offer customized solutions to them.

Efficient Revenue Management – SAP Solutions could be the best choice when you are looking forward to increase customer satisfaction and improve financial performance with a converged view of customer account, receivables, payables, and disputes.

Flexibility of Deployment – Get a flexibility of deploying a complete, integrated customer care and next gen billing system with SAP Billing Solutions or choose to deploy in smaller implantable steps for targeted incremental value. You get the freedom of doing it the way you wish to choose!

How Acuiti Labs can help with the digital transformation of the tolling businesses?

Acuiti Labs’ SAP BRIM solution can efficiently handle the issues that toll businesses are currently facing.  We can manage the toll Industry pain points and also support potential future grow avenues. Contact us for the digital transformation of your tolling industry today!

[cryptosoftmalaysiakl-blog]

Decentralized MLM Software Development Company

Decentralization is the process of distributing and dispersing power away from a central authority. Most financial and governmental systems, which are currently in existence, are centralized, meaning that there is a single highest authority in charge of managing them, such as a central bank or state apparatus. There are several crucial disadvantages to this approach, stemming from the fact that any central authority also plays the role of a single point of failure in the system: any malfunction at the top of the hierarchy, whether unintentional or deliberate, inevitably has a negative effect on the entire system. Bitcoin was designed as a decentralized alternative to government money and therefore doesn’t have any single point of failure, making it more resilient, efficient and democratic. Its underlying technology, the Blockchain, is what allows for this decentralization, as it offers every single user an opportunity to become one of the network’s many payment processors. Since Bitcoin’s appearance, many other cryptocurrencies, or altcoins, have appeared, and most of the times they also use the Blockchain in order to achieve some degree of decentralization.

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Smart Contracts

A smart contract is a protocol that enforces the performance of a contract with adding the terms of the agreement into the code. Smart contracts are a great way to exclude any third party from the transaction and make transaction prices lower, as they need no validation. Smart contracts are implemented in a lot of cryptocurrencies to control the transfers of digital currency, establish a governance and a lot of other things. But smart contracts have a wider range of possible implementations. Smart contracts may be used in voting, management, machine-to-machine interactions in the internet-of-things, real estate and in the building of personal data storage with specific access policies, e.g., medical databases. Still, smart contracts are not perfect. They don’t exclude the possibility of bugs or fraud and have no way of changing post-factum, which may be necessary in some cases. The Smart Contract Process

Pre-defining the contract.Here the terms of engagement are established by all counterparties, e.g. currency to be used to make payments, the currency rates, and variable interest rate.The conditions for execution are also set; for example the time, date and even the variable interest rate at a given value.

Events — here events trigger the implementation of the contract.

The events can refer to; the information received and initiation of the transaction.

Execution and the transfer of value — here the terms of the contract will dictate the movement of value which is based on if the conditions have been met.

Settlement of the contact — this can happen in two ways;On-chain assets (digital)– in the case of virtual assets such as cryptocurrency, the accounts are automatically settled.Off-chain assets (physical) — for assets like stocks and fiat, the changes to accounts on the ledger will match the off-chain settlement instructions.

MLM Software in Smart contract Ethereum DApp

Benefits Of Smart Contracts

1. Transparency

Smart contracts allow for the terms and conditions of these contracts to be fully accessible and visible to all the relevant parties. Once the agreement has been established, there is no way to dispute it.

2. Accuracy

One of the main requirements of smart contracts is the need to record all the terms and conditions in precise details. The element is necessary since an omission can result in transaction errors. So, automated contracts try to avoid the pitfalls that are associated with manually filling out heaps of forms.

3. Security

Smart contracts employ the highest level of data encryption that is currently available, the same as what is used by cryptocurrencies. By doing this, their level of protection is among the best and the most secure on the world wide web.

4. Speed

Smart contracts live on the internet and run on software code. As a result, they can execute transactions very fast. This speed can save many hours when compared to traditional business processes.

5. Efficiency

This is the byproduct of accuracy and speed. The great thing is that higher efficiencies lead to more value-generating transactions that are processed per unit of time.

6. Clear Communication

When setting up smart contracts, there is a need to detail everything accurately. This means there is no room for miscommunication or misinterpretation. Therefore, they can cut down on efficiency that is lost to gaps in communication.

7. Storage and Backup

Smart contracts are used to record vital details of each transaction. Therefore, wherever an individual’s details are used in a contract, they are permanently stored for future reference. So, in case there is data loss then these attributes can be easily retrieved.

8. Trust

The good thing about smart contacts is that they inspire absolute confidence in their execution. The secure, autonomous and transparent nature of these agreements takes away the possibility of bias, manipulation or error.

9. Guaranteed Outcomes

This is another attractive feature of automated contracts. They have the potential to significantly reduce or even eliminate the need for litigation and going to courts. By employing self-executing contracts, these parties commit themselves to operate by the rules of the underlying code.

10. Savings

One of the primary benefits of a smart contract is that they eliminate the need for having a vast chain of middlemen. This means there is no need for lawyers, banks, witnesses and any other intermediaries.

Types of Smart Contracts

Smart contracts have the potential to disrupt many industries including the banking sector, insurance, telecommunication, art world, music and film, education and many more. They range from simple to complex.

An example of simple contracts includes time-stamping services like ascribe for art registry — also, governmental and semi-governmental records for land titles, birth certificates, school, and university degrees.

However, many regulatory aspects are made up of complex contracts. A good example is the Decentralized Autonomous Organization which represents the most complex form of smart contracts.

MLM Software With Smart Contract The Ethereum integrated Crypto MLM software is most preferred due to the following reasons: ·Highly secured data storage

·Reliable and trustworthy

·Decentralized with clear transparency

·Risk free, unhackable, immutable smart contract

·Peer to Peer automated transactions etc

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who provides all types of MLM business script with advanced and effective smart contract development solutions. As it have many advantages like devoid of fraudulent activities, east tracking, multiple payment options, less risk and low cost, huge ROI, there arise many MLM businesses to compete with. You can customize your own MLM system by choosing any of your desired MLM Clone Scripts. Herewith, the top smart contract MLM Clone Scripts and also you can develop your own MLM clone app based on your business requirements. ØMillion Money Clone Script

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Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, is overseeing a nearly $1 million renovation of his government-provided residence, paid for with taxpayer money, that current and former officials have criticized as extravagant and unnecessary. This isn't some fucking Trump Hotel. https://t.co/Ge6IVF8iHj

Gordon Sondland, Trump envoy and key figure in impeachment probe, faces criticism over $1 million taxpayer-funded home renovation

By Michael Birnbaum, Shane Harris and John Hudson | Published October 16 at 7:10 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 16, 2019 8:20 PM ET |

BRUSSELS — Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union and a central figure in the House impeachment inquiry of President Trump, is overseeing a nearly $1 million renovation of his government-provided residence, paid for with taxpayer money, that current and former officials have criticized as extravagant and unnecessary.

The work on the ambassador’s home on the outskirts of Brussels includes more than $400,000 in kitchen renovations, nearly $30,000 for a new sound system and $95,000 for an outdoor “living pod” with a pergola and electric heating, LED lighting strips and a remote-control system, government procurement records show.

The State Department also has allocated more than $100,000 for an “alternate” residence for Sondland for September and October, while work is performed.

Sondland, a hotel developer and major Trump fundraiser who had no diplomacy background before he was confirmed by the Senate in June 2018, was pivotal to the administration’s efforts to pressure the government of Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rivals, according to text messages and testimony from current and former officials.

He is scheduled to be deposed by impeachment investigators on Thursday and plans to say that a text message he sent Sept. 9 to the senior U.S. diplomat in Kyiv denying any quid pro quo with Ukraine, which was desperate for U.S. military aid and diplomatic support, was relayed to him directly by Trump, according to a person familiar with his testimony.

The renovations at the E.U. ambassador’s residence, which include $33,000 for handmade furniture from Italy, appeared driven by Sondland’s lavish tastes rather than practical needs, people familiar with the matter said. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the situation’s sensitivity and a desire to be candid with their insights.

The State Department defended the renovations, saying they were part of a “regular 17-year cycle of reviewing and refreshing furnishings and interior décor in representational residences.” The renovations were funded in April, after Sondland’s confirmation, a spokesman said. “Other minor renovations currently underway” were reviewed and approved by staff at the U.S. mission and funded in fiscal 2019, which began in October, after Sondland was confirmed.

Two former U.S. officials said Sondland delighted in the trappings of being an American ambassador in Brussels.

“He got addicted,” one former official said. “The way you’re treated as a senior U.S. official, there’s nothing like it in terms of adrenaline and ego boost.”

Some of Sondland’s colleagues said that, upon arriving in Brussels, he quickly became disappointed with his accommodations and, after unsuccessfully arguing to move to a new residence, began proposing renovations.

The residence, located in a leafy residential area in the Uccle section of Brussels, is not at the pinnacle of Brussels luxury standards, people who have spent time there said. But it was well-suited to its purpose — housing the ambassador and hosting working dinners and social affairs. Whitlock Hall, the residence for the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, is where American diplomats customarily hold major events.

A person who has spoken to Sondland about the upgrades said the residence was “deteriorated and nearly unusable for representational purposes.”

But others disputed this claim.

“Bull----,” said one person with extensive knowledge of the residence before Sondland arrived. “The house was in excellent condition.”

A former U.S. official also called claims of the home’s disrepair “false.”

“The problem with [the residence] is mainly the location, very far from the center and completely inaccessible by public transit,” the former official said. “But the physical state is fine.”

During the Obama administration, the house was used two to three nights a week for entertaining. “The gardens were superb, and it had a fantastic swimming pool. The facility is one of the most luxurious of any in Brussels,” one person said.

Guests often found themselves invited for dinner or receptions. Sondland’s predecessor, Obama appointee Anthony Gardner, held annual July 4 parties there as a brass band played and European bureaucrats, diplomats, business executives, academics and journalists chomped on hot dogs.

Sondland has called himself a “disruptive diplomat.” In public appearances and in private meetings, he has often echoed the rhetoric of his boss, Trump, another hotel developer. Sondland once said to American business representatives that unlike his predecessors he would “get s--- done,” according to people who were present. He called the E.U. “out of touch” and accused it of stalling on trade talks with the Trump administration.

Procurement records show that in the years before Sondland’s arrival, the biggest expenses were for regular maintenance of the swimming pool, which cost between $15,000 and $20,000 per year, and for general upkeep and landscaping, save for a $122,000 purchase in 2015 for refrigeration equipment, apparently for the house’s catering kitchen.

Under Sondland, however, the State Department has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on furniture, fabrics and what is described in documents as a “family kitchen,” at a cost of just under $223,000.

That project is distinct from another for a “professional kitchen,” costing about $209,000, the records show. Before Sondland’s arrival, the home did not have a personal kitchen, and ambassadors and their families would prepare their personal meals in the professional kitchen, according to people familiar with the residence.

The cost of the family kitchen was in line with high-end homes in Brussels, said Jorge Almada, a Brussels-based designer who has experience working on luxury projects.

“It’s like in [New York City],” Almada said in an email. “That price is within reason if it’s all decked out with appliances. It’s always the woodwork which is especially expensive.”

Some of the work at the residence seemed designed for the comfort of the occupant, not for making the house suitable for guests.

The records show $82,000 was spent on a bathroom renovation labeled “backside office.” Renovation of a restroom in a vestibule, a more public space, cost about $54,000, the records show.

Sondland has also tried to upgrade the offices where he and the staff of the U.S. mission to the E.U. work, former officials and colleagues said.

“He had a weird obsession with creating a snack room after he visited Uber headquarters in the Bay Area,” a former U.S. official said, referring to the ride-hail service headquartered in San Francisco.

“He was often trying to use his own money for renovations that weren’t allowed,” the former official said.

“He had separate meetings on these issues with administrative services and procurement people,” another former official said.

Sondland wouldn’t be the first wealthy donor-turned-diplomat to try to spruce up his accommodations.

“It’s unusual but not unheard of for ambassadors to pay for renovations with their own money,” said Ron Neumann, the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

The lifestyle of well-heeled donors can sometimes create sticker shock when the expenses become public.

“If you’re a multimillionaire used to doing these things for your own place, you might not look at the price tags the same way,” Neumann said.

While the work on the residence continues, a former official said, Sondland is staying at a hotel. The person described the hotel as “not the nicest in Brussels, but one of the nicer ones.”

Harris and Hudson reported from Washington. Aaron C. Davis contributed to this report.

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Trump tries to distance himself from chaos in Syria as tensions with lawmakers in both parties escalate

By Seung Min Kim and Mike DeBonis | Published October 16 at 7:41 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 16, 2019 8:25 PM ET |

President Trump on Wednesday attempted to distance himself from the escalating chaos in northern Syria following his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the region and lashed out at lawmakers critical of the decision, including during an extraordinary White House meeting that ended in acrimony.

In remarks in the Oval Office early in the day, Trump insisted that the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Kurds was “over land that has nothing to do with us” and that the Kurds, who served as a U.S. ally against the Islamic State, were “no angels.”

“There’s a lot of sand that they can play with,” Trump said as he sat alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella, whom the White House was hosting for a visit Wednesday. “. . . It’s possibly never going to be very stable.”

Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria earlier this month has led to a cascade of bipartisan criticism as worries grow that Turkey’s military offensive will lead to the slaughter of Kurds and the release of Islamic State fighters currently jailed in the region.

Trump has vigorously defended the decision, but he has sent mixed signals by downplaying the region’s importance to the United States while striking back at critics who charge he gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “green light” to invade, arguing he has been clear he will “destroy” Turkey’s economy if the Turkish president does not back off the offensive.

Trump cited a letter he said he sent to Erdogan last week as evidence of his tough approach, although it did not deter the Turkish president from launching his attack.

“History will look upon you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way,” he wrote in a letter dated Oct. 9 and first reported by Fox News and confirmed by the White House. “It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don’t happen. Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!” It concluded: “I will call you later.”

Tensions between the president and lawmakers in both parties continue to grow and Democratic leaders walked out of a White House meeting Wednesday after what they described as an insulting and “nasty diatribe” by Trump during which he called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a “third-rate politician.”

“He just couldn’t handle it, so he kind of engaged in a meltdown,” Pelosi told reporters, referring to the 354-60-4 bipartisan vote in the House earlier Wednesday that broadly condemned the troop withdrawal. Later, Pelosi added: “I think now we have to pray for his health, because this was a very serious meltdown on the part of the president.”

The White House shot back at Pelosi, as White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said that Trump remained “measured, factual and decisive” and that the speaker’s decision to leave the meeting was “baffling, but not surprising.”

“She had no intention of listening or contributing to an important meeting on national security issues,” Grisham said. “While Democratic leadership chose to storm out and get in front of the cameras to whine, everyone else in the meeting chose to stay in the room and work on behalf of this country.”

Later in the day, Trump tweeted a photo of the meeting taken shortly before Pelosi walked out, showing her standing with her finger pointed at Trump.

He accused her of having an “unhinged meltdown” of her own. Pelosi’s allies said it instead showed her standing up to Trump’s bullying, and the speaker posted it proudly on her own social media pages.

The Cabinet Room gathering become tense at multiple points, according to lawmakers and other officials briefed on the exchanges, as Trump fought with Democrats, lashed out against former members of his own administration and faced pushback even from Republicans.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) left the meeting with Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) followed shortly afterward.

According to Schumer and two other officials familiar with the remarks, Trump repeatedly downplayed the threat from the released Islamic State fighters, saying America didn’t need to worry about “terrorists 7,000 miles away.”

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the House Republican Conference chair, spoke up to remind Trump that the terrorists who killed more than 3,000 Americans in the 9/11 terrorist attacks “came from 7,000 miles away” themselves.

At another point, Schumer began making his case against Trump’s decision, reading to the president comments from former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on NBC’s “Meet the Press” earlier this week. 

Mattis, whose resignation late last year centered on his disagreement with Trump on Syria, said the United States needed to keep up the pressure in the region, arguing that if it didn’t, “then ISIS would resurge,” using another name for the Islamic State.

Trump then interjected, calling Mattis the “world’s most overrated general” and remarked that he wasn’t “tough enough” and that Trump himself “captured” the Islamic State, according to three officials familiar with the comments who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private exchange.

He boasted that his timeline for capturing the Islamic State was much faster than what Mattis predicted, exaggering that “I captured them in one month.”

Schumer and Pelosi also pressed Trump on his strategy for the region, and as Trump responded that his “plan is to keep the American people safe,” Pelosi retorted: “That’s not a plan. That’s a goal.”

As Democratic leaders walked out, Trump repeatedly called out, “See you at the polls,” according to the officials.

“It was a meeting on one of the most serious crises affecting America in a while,” Schumer said. “And instead of having a serious discussion, the president just threw out insults.”

 Earlier in the day, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), normally an ally of the president, continued his strong criticism of Trump’s decision to pull troops from northern Syria and said his comments Wednesday “completely undercut” Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who are heading to Turkey to urge Erdogan to embrace a cease-fire and negotiate with the Kurds, an idea he has already rejected.

“I worry we will not have allies in the future against radical Islam, ISIS will reemerge, & Iran’s rise in Syria will become a nightmare for Israel,” Graham tweeted. “I fear this is a complete and utter national security disaster in the making and I hope President Trump will adjust his thinking.”

At a later news conference with Mattarella, Trump dismissed Graham’s concerns.

“Lindsey Graham would like to stay in the Middle East for the next thousand years with thousands of soldiers and fighting other people’s wars,” he said. “I want to get out of the Middle East.”

At the news conference, Trump also said the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or the PKK — a militant group that has regularly launched attacks inside Turkey in the name of Kurdish nationalism — “is probably worse at terror and more of a terrorist threat in many ways” than the Islamic State.

“So it’s a very semi-complicated — not too complicated if you’re smart,” Trump said. “But it’s a semi-complicated problem, and I think it’s a problem that we have a very nicely under control.” 

Congressional Republicans and Democrats have strongly disputed that characterization. 

“Very clearly it was a decision by the administration which has led to what you’re seeing,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the party’s 2012 presidential nominee. “This is a bit like the farmer locking the barn door after the horses left.”

On Trump’s comments that the Kurds were “no angels,” Romney responded: “Oh, my goodness gracious. They are our friends, they have been our ally, and abandoning them was a very dark moment in American history.” 

In a significant show of disapproval for Trump’s decision, the House adopted a resolution rebuking the president’s move to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria that drew 129 members of Trump’s own party, including all members of the House GOP leadership team, against him. 

A few notable Republican lawmakers opposed it, including the leaders of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus; Rep. Tom Reed (N.Y.), co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus; and Rep. Greg Pence (Ind.), the vice president’s brother.

The House strategy is meant to force Trump to sign or veto legislation that scolded his own decision, although Senate Republican leaders have yet to publicly commit to taking up that bill.

“Alliances and values are important,” said Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) speaking out on the House floor. “Walking away from friends is a sad indication of policy that we don’t want to support, we don’t want to condone. Yes, we want America to be great, but we’re also great because of our friends and our allies. Coalitions are not bad. Coalitions strengthen our public policy around the world.” 

Felicia Sonmez and Josh Dawsey contributed to this report.

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The hasty U.S. pullback from Syria is a searing moment in America’s withdrawal from the Middle East

By Liz Sly | Published October 16 at 6:00 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 16, 2019 8:25 PM ET |

BEIRUT — The blow to America’s standing in the Middle East was sudden and unexpectedly swift. Within the space of a few hours, advances by Turkish troops in Syria this week had compelled the U.S. military’s Syrian Kurdish allies to switch sides, unraveled years of U.S. Syria policy and recalibrated the balance of power in the Middle East.

As Russia and Syrian troops roll into vacated towns and U.S. bases, the winners are counting the spoils.

The withdrawal delivered a huge victory to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who won back control of an area roughly amounting to a third of the country almost overnight. It affirmed Moscow as the arbiter of Syria’s fate and the rising power in the Middle East. It sent another signal to Iran that Washington has no appetite for the kind of confrontation that its rhetoric suggests and that Iran’s expanded influence in Syria is now likely to go unchallenged.

It sent a message to the wider world that the United States is in the process of a disengagement that could resonate beyond the Middle East, said Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

“There’s a sense that the long goodbye has begun and that the long goodbye from the Middle East could become a long goodbye from Asia and everywhere else,” he said.

Images shared on social media underscored the indignity of the retreat. Departing U.S. troops in sophisticated armored vehicles passed Syrian army soldiers riding in open-top trucks on a desert highway. An embedded Russian journalist took selfies on the abandoned U.S. base in Manbij, where U.S. forces had fought alongside their Kurdish allies to drive out the Islamic State in 2015. 

“Only yesterday they were here, and now we are here,” said the journalist, panning the camera around the intact infrastructure, including a radio tower and a button-powered traffic-control gate that he showed was still functioning. 

“Let’s see how they lived and what they ate,” he said, before ducking into one of the tents and filming the soldiers’ discarded snacks. 

On Arab news channels, coverage switched from footage of jubilant Syrian troops to scenes of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lavish receptions by the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Washington’s most vital Arab allies in the Persian Gulf. The visits had been long planned, but the timing gave them the feel of a victory lap.

“This has left a bad taste for all of America’s friends and allies in the region, not only among the Kurds,” said a former regional minister who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to not embarrass his government, an American ally. “Many will now be looking for new friends. The Russians don’t abandon their allies. They fight for them. And so do the Iranians.”

It was the manner of the withdrawal, hastily called amid chaos on the battlefield as Turkish forces pushed deep into Syria, that gave the event such impact in the region, analysts said. Few had anticipated that the most advanced military in the world would make such a scrambled and hasty departure, even after President Trump signaled he would not endorse a war on behalf of the Kurds against a U.S. NATO ally.

Less than 48 hours before the withdrawal announcement, U.S. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had given assurances that the troops would remain indefinitely, standing by their Kurdish partners to continue to hunt down the Islamic State.

 But the Turks’ capture Sunday of a key highway that served as the U.S. troops’ main supply line revealed the fragility of a mission that had narrowly focused on the Islamic State fight while neglecting regional dynamics, including the depth of Turkish animosity to the Kurdish militia with which the United States had teamed up.

For many in the region, Trump’s abandonment of Syria caps a long erosion of trust that began under the administration of President Barack Obama. His decision not to stand by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, is frequently contrasted with Russia’s unwavering support for Assad after he faced popular unrest just a few weeks later, Arab officials say. 

Obama’s retreat from his “red line” ultimatum on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, after hundreds died in an attack outside Damascus in 2013, further called into question Washington’s credibility, they say. His nuclear deal with Iran, which eased economic sanctions in return for restrictions on its nuclear activities, was seen by some as a capitulation to Iran and a betrayal of U.S. allies in the Middle East who were not consulted and were more concerned about Iran’s pursuit of ballistic missiles and regional expansionism.

Trump’s election to the presidency was welcomed by the United States’ closest allies as a chance to reset the clock, but he, too, has disappointed, with his unpredictability and seemingly erratic decision-making. His decision not to confront Iran after it shot down an American drone in June jolted Gulf Arab leaders, who began to wonder whether decades of U.S. security guarantees could be counted on in the event of a real crisis with Iran.

Americans cannot complain about any loss of influence in the region as a result of their actions, said Mohammed al-Sulami, writing in the Saudi Arabian Arab News outlet on Wednesday. 

“Washington actively opted for this policy, having chosen a strategy of withdrawal and retrenchment,” he wrote. “The U.S. has no right to condemn the region’s countries if they choose to forge relations with other powers to protect their interests.” 

The abrupt departure from northeastern Syria, Ibish said, has further shredded any U.S. credibility that had survived the disengagement of the Obama era and the capriciousness of the Trump one. The United States remains overwhelmingly the dominant military power in the Middle East, with around 50,000 troops deployed in the region and a level of technological superiority that will ensure allies covet American weapons and support for years.

But friends and enemies alike are starting to suspect that Trump’s unpredictability is less a cause than a consequence of a broader American reluctance to engage with the world, Ibish said. He dates that to the trauma of the bloody, costly and ultimately unsatisfying wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“People are asking: Could the United States not only be an unreliable power, but could it actually be a weak power as well?” he said. “Not because it lacks the capability but because it lacks the will.”

There was therefore a sense of inevitability to the sudden American departure from Syria, analysts said. Washington appears to have underestimated Turkey’s determination to prevent the emergence of a Kurdish statelet on its border and overestimated the limited leverage offered by the presence of 1,000 U.S. troops.

The small U.S. presence in Syria had big intentions but only limited means. The goal, as articulated by State Department officials, was for the troops to remain there to stamp out the remnants of the Islamic State and to provide leverage in seeking a Syrian peace settlement that would impose restraints on Assad’s power, safeguard Kurdish interests and limit Iran’s influence. 

The Kurds also had overestimated their clout with an American president who frequently asserts his determination to disentangle the United States from Middle East wars, said Hilal Khashan, professor of political science at the American University of Beirut.

“The Kurds got carried away with their expectations and believed the U.S. would behave differently to all the foreign powers over the past 150 years,” he said. “They discovered that the U.S. was no different.”

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[internetreputationexpert-blog]

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  If you’ve ever had a scathing review written about you or your business on ripoffreport.com, you know just how frustrating it can be to try and remove it. The website stubbornly refuses to take reviews down once they’ve been posted. In fact, most people think that once someone’s written a Ripoff Report about you it’s there for good. But that’s not entirely true.Let’s walk through six effective Ripoff Report removal options to help save your company’s reputation if you’ve received one of these dreaded complaints.Looking for a Ripoff Report removal service? Contact our team now if you want us to handle the situation for you.Below we’ll discuss the most common methods for dealing with ripoff reports, including removal, response, payment, lawsuits and burying a report using seo reputation managementtactics.1. Make amendsAs difficult as it might be, if the complaint brought against your business holds water, it’s in your best interest to swallow your pride and do what’s right. Express your regret, apologize to the customer in question, and offer to right your wrong. It’s always best to correct these situations before they become an online reputation management issue.Once you’ve verified that the customer’s negative experience is legitimate and made an attempt at reconciliation, you have the option of asking him or her directly to edit the report. Sadly, if the customer agrees, you’ll encounter another frustrating catch. The report itself can’t be edited or deleted; it can only be appended. Also, if the consumer does add a follow-up to the review, you run the risk of improving the report’s Bing and Google search result rankings by keeping it active.On the other hand, the customer could potentially paint you in a negative light by updating the post with details of your requests to edit or remove their Ripoff Report listing.2. Submit a rebuttalThis is another option that isn’t necessarily recommended because it may improve the complaint’s search ranking by keeping it relevant, increasing the page length, and providing fresh content for Google to index. But for the sake of exhausting all your options, you could click on the “Respond to this Report” button on the report’s page to make your voice heard and dispute the author’s claims. Again, this could serve to only further anger the customer and fuel him or her to speak ill of you and your business.There are a few more important factors to take into account if you choose to respond. First, even if you do rebut the claims made in the report, visitors to the page will need to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what you have to say, and there’s no telling how many users will even make it that far before leaving the page. Also, your rebuttal will have no effect on the page’s meta description tag, so users will still click on the page fully expecting a scathing review of your business.If you feel you must write a response, edit it thoroughly before posting. Like the original complaint, your comment cannot be removed or edited, so you don’t want to say anything you’ll later regret. Be careful not to include any keywords that could cause Google to grant the page more authority; instead, use vague terms like “the business” rather than your company’s name. Finally, when you visit the page, be sure to do so in incognito mode to minimize the amount of traction given to it by Google.Again, this option is rarely recommended. In fact, it will probably only stand to benefit you if you own a large company that receives a high volume of complaints such that it’s difficult to keep track of them all.3. Join the Ripoff Report “Corporate Advocacy Program” (CAP)This program allows you to petition Ripoff Report to investigate the claims made against your business for a hefty fee. And once again, even if they find any evidence of online defamation or other wrongdoing, the complaint won’t actually be removed. Instead, the results of the investigation will be posted above the offending report. In addition, Ripoff Report may still insinuate your guiltiness in their findings by saying that you’ve worked to resolve the issue.Ripoff Report has also developed a “VIP Arbitration Program” that gives you the opportunity to prove to a “neutral Arbitrator” that the claims made against your business are false. However, you’ll first have to hand over at least $2,000 to the website that posted defamatory information about you in the first place. While this will still likely cost you less than joining the Corporate Advocacy Program, you’ll also need to provide tangible evidence that the report contains false statements.If the arbitrator sides with you, there’s a chance that Ripoff Report might redact the falsehoods made in the negative report. However, the complaint itself will remain on the website under the same URL, and you will have also paid a large sum of money to the very website you’re fighting to mop up your online reputation. It goes without saying that this is another less-than-desirable course of action. Some businesses have accused the program of being a ripoff report scam, while others have even likened it to mugshot removal extortion for companies.4. File a Ripoff Report lawsuitIn general, lawsuits aren’t a good look for businesses of any size. But if you’re in a pinch, you can enlist the help of legal counsel and sue ripoff report in a last-ditch effort to save your company name. Sadly, Ripoff Report lawsuits tend to have low success rates because the company hides behind the Communications Decency Act and free speech rights. If you choose to sue, expect to spend an exorbitant amount of money (think: thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees alone) on a case that likely won’t turn out in your favor due to the general legal immunity Ripoff Report enjoys.5. Sue the original authorThis option is precarious for a number of reasons. It’s nearly impossible to track down the original author in the first place, because as we said before, each Ripoff Report is as anonymous as the author wants it to be. Even if you’re able to track him or her down, you then have to be armed with solid, palpable evidence that unequivocally proves the inaccuracy of the report and the credible threat it poses to your business. Therefore, if the complaint against you is valid, this won’t be a viable option for you.If you manage to gather enough proof to win your case, you could unintentionally create more negative online content about your litigation with Ripoff Report. It’s also unlikely that the author is financially equipped to pay you any amount of financial compensation. Even after all this trouble, Ripoff Report still won’t remove the review in question.The best outcome you can hope for in this situation is that Google will remove your negative review from its search results. To do so, you’ll have to present a court order specifically proving the false and defamatory nature of the report to Google. Obtaining this court order is far easier said than done, but if you can afford to jump through the legal hoops to acquire one, Google should comply by de-indexing your Ripoff Report. Note that this won’t remove the complaint from the Ripoff Report website, just delete it from Google’s search results. This means individuals can still find the report if they search for your business on ripoffreport.com. Also, if you want your report removed from the search indexes of other search engines, you’ll have go through the whole process again.The legal process is messy, unpredictable, time-consuming, and expensive. But if you’re persistent and willing to pay up the money and potentially weather some bad press, this could be your route to saving your business from permanent damage.6. Bury Ripoff Report in search resultsThis is probably the most time-consuming option of all those we’ve presented here. But it’s also the most ethical and thorough way to not only reclaim your good name, but to put you on the road to maintaining a healthy online reputation for years to come.Reputation management companies such as ourselves are dedicated to generating original content in various media (articles, videos, social media profiles, websites, etc.). We’re also seo experts, so we can help you interlink and optimize your own content to clean up your search landscape and keep it that way. Taking this approach means outranking harmful material like Ripoff Reports so they stay off the first page of your search engine results. This is a huge undertaking that can take months or years and may require constant upkeep, but the results are well worth the time and effort.Business owners will be involved in every step of the process, so you won’t have to worry about placing things solely in the hands of a third party like, for instance, a court of law. Once the Ripoff Report has been buried, you will also be able to enjoy the benefits that come with having a strong online presence teeming with unique, positive content.The best way to avoid any run-ins with Ripoff Report is, of course, to not do anything that leaves your customers feeling ripped off in the first place. Conducting your business well and encouraging open communication with your customers so they know they can come to you before airing their grievances on an anonymous consumer complaint website are great methods of prevention. But accidents, mistakes, and misunderstandings happen, so it’s important to know your options should you ever find yourself facing with a dilemma such as this.We hope you never find yourself looking down the barrel of a Ripoff Report, but if you do, contact us to begin the process of cleaning up and maintaining your online reputation

https://internetreputationexpert.com

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10 Online Reputation Management Rules for Physicians

With the rise of the Internet, medical practices have to change the way they manage their online reputation. A massive amount of information gets shared on the Internet every day, which makes it very difficult to monitor what is being said about your practice. How can medical practitioners sort through the social noise and identify relevant discussions about their practice, products or services?

  It is no wonder that so many practices are looking for innovative ways to establish, improve and protect their online reputation.

Before potential patients call your office to book an appointment, they often go online to gather all the information they can about your practice. According to a study from Digital Assent, 85 per cent of patients are not comfortable choosing a healthcare provider with a one-star rating of more than 10 per cent of the reviews.

Patients now are conscious, make informed decisions and have more choices now than ever. It is essential, therefore, that practices act in a way that gives them the best possible online reputation.

  Managing your practice’s online reputation is an ongoing process. In order to establish and protect your reputation, there are a few rules you should follow to ensure you are not sabotaging your brand image or letting a tainted reputation go unchecked

  While a physician’s primary concern should be the quality of his or her work, it would be a blunder to turn a blind eye to one’s online reputation. As a healthcare provider, it is your responsibility to make sure that online information about you and your practice is accurate and informative.

Follow these ten basic rules to establish, maintain and protect your online reputation:

  Rule #1: Everyone has an online reputation. Every healthcare provider has an online reputation to maintain and protect. Your online reputation is an extension of your medical practice. In order to understand what you need to focus on, you must know what is being said online about your practice. Put your name in the major search engines and see what comes up. Is the information that you find about your practice accurate and useful? You can also set up a Google Alert on your name in order to keep track of any new mentions.

  Rule #2: Be proactive, not reactive. It is essential to own your reputation, and do not allow it to own you. A spark is far easier to manage than a firestorm. It is much easier and safer to be proactive than reactive when handling matters that concern your online reputation. You must effectively communicate with your team and those involved with your practice’s brand image. Keep all stakeholders on the same page in order to avoid sending out mixed messages.

  Rule #3: Listen to what your patients are saying. Social media is one the most popular and effective ways to hear the unedited voice of your patients, especially the unhappy ones. But how can you find all those posts, sift through the relevant ones and address those that need your attention? You can achieve this by using a social listening tool that searches for mentions of your practice, services and related keywords. These tools search the usual social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and use crawlers to discover new sites and online forums. The idea is to listen to the feedback you are collecting about your reputation. Try to listen for trends, opportunities or even complaints. When you actually listen to what your patients are saying about your medical practice, you do more than just fix a problem. You will try to fix the underlying issue that created the problem in the first place.

  Rule #4: Always respond to reviews, and be prompt. Nearly 70 per cent of patients who post negative feedback tend to feel positive if their concerns get noticed and resolved. Your patients want to hear from you, and they may not wait patiently for days and weeks at a stretch. Almost 42 per cent of users who post online reviews expect a reply within an hour, and 57 per cent of users expect a response even outside of normal business hours. Even if you do not immediately have information to share or to resolve their concerns, do not ignore the reviews. Acknowledge the complaint, let patients know you are looking into the issue, and assure them that you will get back to them.

  Rule #5: Spread the positive word. Negative publicity is bound to happen. The majority of healthcare providers end up with a negative online reputation because they made it that way. They either posted the inappropriate content or they allowed things to get out of control. If you want a positive online reputation, then you have to work hard to build it. You will have to consistently post relevant and positive content. The more wisely you share content online, the more stellar reputation you build.

  Rule #6: Apologize genuinely and refrain from arguments. If you or your staff make a mistake, it is critical to own up to it and make a genuine apology. A sincere apology can work wonders in diffusing a delicate situation and can help toward fixing the relationship. Try to make amends unconditionally. Regardless of who is right or who started it, you will be tagged as unprofessional if you engage in mudslinging. Do not allow your emotions to take control as you may end up saying and doing things that damage your reputation. The best approach is to remain calm and polite at all times and to try to take the conversation offline. Staying professional may win more patients than being “right” in an online dispute.

  Rule #7: Encourage and train your staff to provide unmatched service. Often, dissatisfied patients will not complain but will stop coming to your practice in the future. Such patients, in addition to not returning to your practice, will tell their family and friends about their bad experience. The ripple effect of one dissatisfied patient can be detrimental to your online reputation. Make sure your employees are trained in providing outstanding patient care. Not only can your employees help improve your online reputation, but their strategic presence on relevant social media platforms will also help position your practice as an active member. This activity can deflect negative feedback and drive more traffic and leads to your website.

  Rule #8: Build a strong social media presence. Social media is vital to your reputation management as it gives you a quick and effective way to stay in touch with current as well as potential patients. It is critical to create social media accounts and keep them updated. If you already have social media pages for your practice, be sure to update them with positive content. These profiles are a reflection of your practice and your reputation, and you must make sure they show you in a positive light.

  Rule #9: Encourage and monitor online reviews. The best way to protect and enhance your online reputation is to take an aggressive approach. It is important to encourage your patients and employees to write reviews online. The goal is to have more positive reviews than negative ones so that the bad feedback will be diluted by the happy experiences. You can easily monitor online conversations about your practice by using tools like Google Alerts and Social Mention. By monitoring your online reviews, you will be better equipped to turn any negative feedback into a positive comment by responding quickly and professionally. In addition, reading and responding to reviews will help you understand gaps or improvement areas in your service. Online reviews are the most important way to improve your online reputation. It is sad, but happy patients rarely write positive reviews, but a disgruntled patient will smear your brand name any opportunity he or she can get.

  Rule #10: Claim your online listings. Managing your online reputation starts by claiming your listings on key online directories and social networks. These directories and networks allow you to share information that presents your practice in the best light. You must control the official voice of your practice on public platforms. One of the best things about online directories is that they occupy a lot of search results and tend to push negative reviews off the first page of search results. You can claim your online business listings by maintaining active, up-to-date profiles on popular websites and interacting with patients who post to those sites. Responding to both negative and positive reviews is an excellent way to stay engaged with patients.

Conclusion

In order to keep your online reputation intact, you must be upfront with your patients. If you happen to make a mistake, admit it, apologize and try to fix it. Never try to cover up your errors, and always be honest about what happened. Being transparent also requires direct communication with patients, which means allowing them to complain about your products, services or even staff. Unless the feedback is offensive, let it stay online. You should respond to negative feedback with an apology and explanation. Deleting online reviews will only add to the damage to your online reputation.

  As a healthcare provider, your online reputation can position you as an expert, determine the success of your practice and help you connect with patients, peers and leaders in your field. Take full advantage of various tools and strategies while protecting your online reputation from potentially damaging information online that you cannot control. Online reputation management for physicians is a worthwhile investment that will pay off professionally and personally. This is why most healthcare providers choose to hire professionals to help them build and improve the online reputation of their medical practice.

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