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brian-in-finance · 10 months ago

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•••••

WHAT THE STARS ARE SAYING

Check out why so many famed actors use Backstage

Trusted since 1960

Founded in 1960, Backstage has a storied history of serving the entertainment industry. For over 60 years Backstage has served as a casting resource and news source for actors, performers, directors, producers, agents, and casting directors.

Over that time, Backstage Magazine has also appeared on numerous TV shows, such as “Mad Men,” “Entourage,” “Glee,” “Oprah,” NBC's “Today” show, Comedy Central's “@Midnight”, NY1's “On Stage,” and “Saturday Night Live,” as well as multiple mentions on shows like “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” “Girls,” and appearances in films such as “13 Going on 30,” the Farrelly brothers' “Stuck on You” and Spike Lee's “Girl 6,” and even a mention in Woody Allen's short-story collection “Mere Anarchy” and Augusten Burroughs' novel “Sellevision” – and Backstage has received accolades from multiple Academy Award-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actors and directors. (Plus, the hit musical “The Last Five Years” even includes Backstage in its lyrics: “Here's a headshot guy and a new Backstage / Where you're right for something on every page.”)

CAITRÍONA BALFE

ACTRESS

"I still get Backstage emails 'cause I still subscribe to Backstage. [Backstage is) kind of the Bible in the beginning, which is amazing. Samuel French and Backstage go hand in hand, you know? You go there for your plays when you're in classes, and then you get your Backstage."

Backstage 1

•••••

Brian’s Note: The following story originally appeared in April 2015. Most recent update is December 2020.

The Gorgeous Determination of Caitríona Balfe

Caitríona Balfe is on the move. That's been true most of her adult life— especially the 10 years she was modeling for Victoria's Secret, Dolce & Gabbana, and others—but as she sits on the rooftop patio of a West Hollywood hotel in mid-March, she mentions that she's pulling up stakes from Los Angeles.

"It just feels silly to have an empty place for 10 months until I figure out what I'm doing with my life," the Irish-born actor says. "I've rented the same place for the last four years and now I have to give it up." Her apartment is being razed to put in condos, but her departure from L.A. is extra poignant considering this is the city where Balfe journeyed when she decided to put aside that successful modeling career and focus on the vocation she'd always wanted: acting.

Photo: Luc-Richard Elie

"I've moved so much since I was 18," she says. "I mean, l've lived so many places. New York, I lived in for almost eight years [while modeling], and that's been the longest of anywhere since I left Ireland. But L.A. is where I came and said, 'OK, this is what I wanna do with my life.' "

She refuses to think of her move as a permanent one, though. "I'll be back," she declares, "but it feels really sad. My little apartment, it's got so many memories."

Balfe's sadness is no doubt mitigated by the fact that part of her need to move is due to the precipitous rise in her fortunes. She'll soon be flying to Scotland to shoot the second season of "Outlander," which returns to Starz April 4 to conclude Season 1.

When last we saw Balfe's Claire, the resourceful British nurse who comes home after World War |I only to be inexplicably teleported into the 18th-century Highlands, she was half-naked with a knife to her breast. Don't worry: Claire will get out of that scrape, but more perils await-to say nothing of the emerging multi-era romantic triangle developing between her, the Scottish warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), and her 20th-century husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies), who wonders where she's gone.

Based on the much-beloved Diana Gabaldon novels and developed for television by "Battlestar Galactica" rebooter Ronald D. Moore, "Outlander" is an ostensibly lush period-piece-within-a-period-piece drama that's consistently richer and thornier than its romance-novel trappings suggest. And much of the credit goes to Balfe, who had managed small parts in films such as “Super 8” and “Now You See Me” before landing the central role in this adaptation.

In person, Balfe is far less imposing than the steely Claire, who has to weather the dangers of being a woman in sexist, violent Scotland in the 1740s. Cast late in the preproduction of “Outlander”—Moore has mentioned in interviews how hard it was to find the right Claire—she didn’t have time to consider what the role would do to her life. “I’m so bad on social media," she confesses on this warm afternoon, nestled underneath a cabana. "I had set up an account on Twitter maybe a year or so before I got this job and had, I thought, a lot of followers — 250 or something, and most of them are my friends. Within about a month or two, it was thousands of people — and my phone, I didn't know how to turn off the alerts, so it was just going all the time. That was the beginning of the awareness."

Growing up in the small Irish community of Monaghan, Balfe had considered acting from an early age. ("I was devastated that I wasn't a child actor," she says, smiling. But after traveling to Dublin to study theater, she changed course once she received an offer to model. It wasn't a secret passion of hers, but who turns down a trip to Paris? "My parents felt that I should finish college," Balfe recalls, "but l'm slightly headstrong, so l took their advice and I completely ignored it."

Over the next decade, she lived in France, Italy, Germany, and Japan, her modeling inexperience hardly a detriment. "You'd be amazed how little information or training goes into it," she says. "When I first arrived in Paris, I was told to take a bus to the office. I left my suitcase — I barely spoke any French — and someone took me across the street, helped me buy a Carte Orange. They printed out five addresses that I had to go to that day, and then they sent me off." She still remembers at 18 riding the subway alongside 16-year-old aspiring Russian models, who knew no French or English, homesick and sobbing their eyes out. "That was just the way it was," says Balfe. "You become pretty tough. When I went to Japan, it was similar: They would drive you to their castings, but the minute you got a job, it would be like, 'Here's an address, here's a map. Good luck.' They don't have signposts in English in Japan, so the map and the address are not always very helpful."

Hear Balfe recount her early misadventures in modeling and you can't help but think of Claire, who's equally thrown to the wolves once she arrives in the 18th century amid people wary of the English in general and assertive women in particular. "Honestly, l've been in so many situations in my life where you just are completely displaced," Balfe says. “You have to adapt very quickly and figure it out. I definitely think that informs Claire a lot. It helped me understand her."

Did moving to Paris at such a young age teach Balfe that she can cope in any circumstance? "I think I didn't really realize that until many years later," she replies. "I have a great knack of not thinking about things and just going for it. You learn the hard way sometimes that you're able to get through, but sometimes it's quite tough when you're in a situation where you don't know anyone and you're trying to find your way around cities. But if an opportunity presents itself and it seems like a good idea, l'm just like, 'OK, let's do it, then I'll figure it out.'”

The decision to reconnect with her acting ambitions was conducted just as boldly. Ready to quit modeling, she moved to Los Angeles because a writer she was dating lived there. He was the only person she knew, but she had read a Vanity Fair interview with Amy Adams in which she said she trained with Warner Loughlin. "I could walk to that place from my ex-boyfriend's house," she says, "so l was like, 'Well, I'm gonna go there because I can't really drive. I started from scratch. I didn't have any managers, I didn't know any agents, I hadn't acted in almost a decade." But she just kept taking classes, moving from Loughlin to the studios of Sanford Meisner and Judith Weston. "I think when I first got here, I had a nice little air of delusion: 'It's gonna work out,'" she says with a laugh. “You just don't know how."

And then came "Outlander." By email, Moore admits that he didn't know Balfe's work until her audition tape came unsolicited to his office from her agent. Once she was chosen for Claire, he made it clear how demanding the job would be. “I told her in our first meeting that this was going to be an even bigger responsibility and workload than the normal TV lead," he writes. "Because the story was being told from Claire's point of view, Cait was going to be in every scene, every day for months, which is an extraordinary amount of work, far beyond what most actors are ever asked to do."

Moore's warning didn't faze Balfe. Writes Moore, "After she met with the president of Starz... and it was clear that she was going to land the role, I walked her to the elevator and just before the doors closed on her, I said 'Your life is about to change forever,' and she gave me a grin that was both thrilled and slightly nervous. I never saw her hesitate after that."

She's never hesitated before. As Balfe prepares to say goodbye to L.A. (for now, she thinks back to her early days in the city, trying to convince casting directors that she was more than just a model. "I went on many, many, many, many auditions that were Hot Girl No. 2 — you wanna shoot yourself," she says, laughing. "But, you know, I'm very lucky that l was even getting those auditions in the beginning. And it toughens you up. At least for me, to have that fuel to prove people wrong—it definitely spurs me on and makes me wanna work harder." Then she smiles conspiratorially. "And shove it to them."

Backstage 2

Remember… I told her in our first meeting that this was going to be an even bigger responsibility and workload than the normal TV lead. — Ronald D Moore

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #National Actors Day #8 September 2024 #Backstage #April 2015 #Story last updated December 2020 #Instagram

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yourstrulynameless · 2 months ago

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A Four Star Visit to Edinburgh // AO3

Cypher x Omen

5,032 words // Hurt/Comfort // Fluff // Wine // Don’t worry, no one gets drunk // Constellations // Omen Needs A Hug // Calm Conversations

Omen had gone missing. His agent tracker had been removed and tampered with, his traces were hidden, and for all Protocol knew, he could have been on the other side of the world by now. Maybe worse.

Cypher saw this as a problem. He decided he was going to fix it.

//or//

Amir "I can fix him" El Amari hunts down a not-so-local ghost in Scotland.

Cypher was always the first to know things, even if it wasn't his discovery. He read reports that were sent to Brimstone far before the man could read them himself. He saw private emails, read texts in group chats he wasn't in, and listened to voice memos the moment they would be recorded. Not a single thing was kept secret from him, not even people's communication with their own families. It was his job, after all, to keep online security to a maximum. Though he couldn't deny he also just enjoyed snooping around. He was Protocol's somewhat beloved weirdo.

It was no surprise when he was the first to hear Omen's last message before going missing. No one had even realised he had managed to leave, not even Cypher before he listened to the memo. Yet, this didn't come as a surprise to him. He expected it ever since the last mission at a Scion base. It wasn't long before Cypher began to track him down, especially when word got to Viper, who commanded him to get to work.

At his desk, when he began to track down Omen, there was a subtle pride he took while searching. He realised Omen was covering up his tracks and with the methods he taught him, no less. He smirked under his mask, his lenses glued to his screen. While his tea was getting colder and colder, he was too entranced to take a moment to drink. He leaned back on his chair and stared at the display. Omen had done particularly well disappearing as Cypher had done many times before, but he lacked the most valuable part of it all. Experience.

Cypher leaned back towards his computer and continued his search. He was specifically looking for any 'ghost sightings' or reports of any strange radiants on the news. Omen was certainly a strange-looking figure that the public's eyes would be on. Perhaps in the Omega Earth he could move around just fine, but here? Omen had to stay a boogie man unless he wanted to be looked at with strange glares, or worse, a camera lens.

"Bingo."

A post from a random social media account contained a somewhat blurry photo of his missing friend. He managed to track down the location from there with a mix of scraping the data off the image itself and stalking the account owner. There was his start, and the account's end. Such a shame there was an error and the account had to be terminated. There were such beautiful pictures of Edinburgh there.

/ / /

The door dragged open, and as Cypher stepped out and onto the roof of a luxurious hotel in Scotland, he looked upon the golden sky. A breeze carried with it a sense of knowing. Cypher left the door to close on its own with the sounds of a light thud and mechanisms clicking in place behind him. His footsteps were light but only due to muscle memory and practice. He had nothing to hide from up here. Not from the sky, the sun, or the ground. Not from the breeze or the soon-to-be moon. Not from Omen.

A few steps closer had his eyes caught on the runaway with the tail of his purple hood swaying in the wind. He was looking towards the sun, arms crossed and rested on the railings. How beautiful he must have seemed, outlined in golden rays that contrasted his dark figure. Cypher breathed in the scene, then forced his gaze to part.

He looked down at the table he stood next to. It was made from a polished metal and was circular in shape. Its legs were decorative and curled out from the center. Two matching white padded chairs accompanied it, and placed on top was a bottle of wine, a journal, and an empty, unused wine glass. He picked up the journal, which was kindly left open on a page that explained Omen's solitude, and began to walk next to him. He skimmed the words "Target annihilated," "Paid generously by Hourglass," "New kill contract," "The usual scientist," "Target's name is Sabine Callas." Neither broke the silence.

He rested his elbows on the railing, leaning down just as Omen had been the whole time. He flipped through a few more pages, catching himself up to date on the findings of his colleague's past. Most of what was written down was concerning assassination work funded by the Scions of Hourglass, but there were pieces of the mundane mixed between target descriptions and mission notes. Book lists, grocery lists, movie lists, to-do lists, and many more. Recipes written down with steps, park names with small written reviews, and even a few coupons pinched in between a few pages and clipped on others. Yet, despite everything in its thickness, there was a distinct lack of information about personal matters such as friends or families. There wasn't even much information about the author. Not even a name. Cypher's lip twitched at that. He masked the disappointment with an easy-going voice.

"This must have been an interesting read for you."

He continued to flip through the pages, making sure not to miss anything important. It was only after Omen's lack of a response did he continue.

"Though, it shouldn't have been too shocking."

He glanced at how Omen's hands gripped the rails, or rather, the lack of aggression and tension in them. Omen sighed.

"I asked not to be followed, Cypher."

Cypher chuckled.

"Oh? Really? Then why bother buying some expensive Moroccan wine, hm? The last I recall, you don't have the ability to consume things."

Omen's gaze never left the bright sun. The streaks on his face glistened.

"I said I asked not to be followed, not that I didn't expect you to meddle with my plans."

Cypher huffed through his nose and shut the book with one hand. He brought it to his side and turned towards the table, placing the book back and grabbing the bottle. He recognised the brand as soon as he stepped close enough the first time. It was an expensive red wine, but one he was certain this hotel did not sell. The thought Omen went out of his way to find it for this moment warmed his heart.

"My thanks."

He carefully tore off the seal and popped the cork before pouring it into the glass. When he swirled the wine, he raised it against the sun and watched the deep red practically glow in its light. He hummed, satisfied with the authenticity of its quality, and once again faced the table. With his back towards Omen, half his mask was peeled above his nose, and unfiltered air filled his lungs. He brought the glass to his face, taking in the scent, allowing just for a moment to be brought back home.

Then he laughs at that idea. He was always too poor back then to afford such pleasures and too focused on not leaving a trace when he did. It was only after leaving could he experience the treasures of his homeland. Only when imported to him, only when he was no longer capable of being welcomed back with an unveiled face, only when he was a stranger to his nation, could he enjoy it. It went down his throat sweet, then left it dry.

"مزيان, Omen. It's good." I just wish I could have shared it with a few others.

Still, Omen faced the sky. Again and again, he failed to come up with what he wanted to say. Cypher did not try to push him to talk. The glass was eventually empty once more, and he pulled down his mask. His gaze again landed on the journal and its leather cover. He chuckled to himself.

"You know, if there's one thing that stayed consistent between your current and past life, well, besides working a killing job, it is that your handwriting is just as terrible."

Omen scoffed at this, but Cypher knew it was just his way of making a laugh. He felt rewarded, as if Omen making a noise was a prize. It made his shoulders raise childishly.

He turned to look at him. The sun had set at this point, and the stars were out just in time. The moon had yet to fully rise, but Cypher didn't need its light to see. What good were his lenses if not to aid his vision? And in his vision, Omen's figure took it up as if it were the only thing he could see. Again, he approached, held onto the railings, and leaned. He looked out at the stars, then pointed.

"Do you know what that constellation is?"

Omen tilted his head up to see where exactly Cypher had been pointing. He stared, slits squinting just to attempt to make out any shapes, but ultimately lowered his head and shook it.

"I'm afraid I don't know star patterns well."

Cypher hummed and lowered his arm.

"Well, don't worry. It's a lesser-known constellation to begin with. Most people are unfamiliar with it."

He rested his cheek on one hand, his elbow still on the rails.

"It has four main stars that make a 'Y' shape. 'Sagitta,' not to be confused with Sagittarius, a much more popular one."

Zodiac signs were a whole other topic Cypher had many feelings about, but he would not complain about them yet.

"It's meant to be an arrow. According to the ancient Greeks, it was the arrow that Heracles used to kill the eagle tormenting Prometheus."

Omen looked up again in another attempt to spot it, but he couldn't make it out in the vastness of the sky. It didn't help that the constellation was one of the smallest, and it wasn't very bright. Though, he was far more caught up in the story about it.

"You called yourself Prometheus… once."

Cypher was honoured he remembered, but was equally as embarrassed.

"I did, yes. A moment of weakness and self-indulgence."

He scratched the back of his neck over his mask.

"Why?"

His hand froze. Then it dropped to the rails.

"It's simply a joke to myself, and myself alone.”

Omen stiffened, and Cypher mouthed a swear under his mask. A trip up. He wasn't meant to make him shrink. Not now.

"You could say I look up to him in a way."

At this, Omen seemed to relax slightly. Cypher seemed to breathe easier because of it.

"He suffered greatly, didn't he?"

Cypher nodded.

"Yes, he did, but it was out of love."

Omen looked down at his hands and bandaged arms.

Do you do the same, Cypher? Do we do the same? "Do you think we'll be saved just as he was?"

Cypher turned his head to look at Omen. He watched as Omen finally returned his gaze, and all his words caught in his throat. The bright blue slits on his face looked at Cypher, and he felt as if it was trying to grab hold of his soul. They burned like fire.

He stumbled out a response after realising he had gone quiet for a bit too long, and it was about the most pathetic he'd felt in a while.

"Well- I… I think—"

Cypher looked forward and forced his hands still against the railings. He had to fight against the natural reaction to bury his face into his palms. His lenses were wide open, staring out at the sky in front of him.

Deep breaths, Amir. "I think perhaps that's what this is."

He blinked slowly and dragged his gaze back at Omen, only to see, without mistake, his body language hinting disbelief. Cypher felt like Raze painted a mustache on his mask.

"What?"

Omen looked like he was about to speak, but paused and took a deep breath. He tried again.

"It's just… I never expected to see you look so caught off guard."

Cypher's grip on the railings tightened a little. He prayed Omen didn’t notice, and forced his embarassed ass to respond with a chuckle.

"Well, my friend, you're filled with surprises. How could I ever be prepared for all of them?"

He tilted his head innocently. Omen shook his and traced back.

"What do you mean you think that's what this is?"

Slowly, Cypher rebuilt himself.

"You've just gotten yourself confirmation you were hired to kill our dear friend Viper, am I not wrong?"

Omen made a low snarl.

"You… are correct."

Cypher stood a bit straighter.

"And you clearly wanted to be left alone, far away from everyone."

"Yes…"

"Everyone, besides little old me."

Omen didn't respond. Cypher hummed, delighted knowing he was correct.

"You trust me, for better or for worse. So, my friend, what is it you need from me?"

Omen continued to stare at Cypher blankly before he tilted his head downward in thought. It wasn't long before he pushed himself away from the railings. Cypher watched as he sat down at the table, and he joined him not too long after. He sat down, hands clasped and fingers interwining atop the polished metal.

Omen took the glass and bottle. He removed the cork once more before pouring. He held the glass's thin stem between his thumb and index finger, carefully rolling it back and forth between them. He took in the scent, then placed it down on the table. Using two fingers against its base, he slid it slowly towards Cypher.

"I want you to drink."

Cypher laughed.

"Till I get drunk?"

Omen grew impatient.

"I want you to drink."

It clicked.

Cypher stared impassively at the liquor. Omen couldn't tell if he was breathing, given how still he was. The moon was rising behind its prince.

"You ask of me a lot."

He spoke slowly and his voice missed that cheeriness he always placed in it.

"You asked me what I wanted."

Cypher looked back up to meet his gaze.

"Omen, I…"

How many years had it been? How much effort did he put into concealing his identity? How hard did he fight tooth and nail to erase himself from this world? How long had his fears and paranoia crawled under his skin and forged him into the man he had become? How hard did he try to forget himself, only to snap back to Amir in this moment?

He pinched the stem of the glass near the base and took it. He stared down at the deep dark red. His mask did not betray him, impassive still.

It felt almost like waking up from a long slumber. As if all his life between the loss till now had been just a blur, everything suddenly felt too tight around his body. Too well fitted, too expensive, too much. Where had the simplicity of his days gone? The freedom to live as a poor man was exchanged for the duty of a cruel one. Even his name had almost completely disappeared from the world. He had been responsible for that, and now he wondered, was it worth it?

His free hand came over the bottom of his mask, his gloved fingers hovering mere centimeters above. His vision was no longer focused.

No one knew Cypher. No one managed to pry their way deep enough. Not even Fade, who scraped off the information of his real name and the locations of his safe houses, truly knew him. She knew Amir, but she didn't know Cypher.

Then, he looked back once more at Omen and realised. He knew him. He knew the sort of teas he liked, even if he couldn't make or drink them. He knew the type of instant noodles he liked to eat when he was sick. He knew his favourite colour. It was gold, not blue like many assumed.

He realised three more things. He wanted to know Omen more, but that would require his trust. He wanted to know himself more, but that would require healing. He wanted to know what vulnerability was like, but that would require risk. Lucky for him, he always played high stakes.

"Well, بالصحة."

His free hand came off his mask and firmly threw his hat at Omen's face. It was with enough force that it knocked him partially back and covered the gap in his hood completely. Omen grabbed it quickly, growling. He had been mocked and he was infuriated. He yelled out Cypher's name as his claws dug into the brim of his hat, pulling it away from his face to see—

As Cypher toasted, his mask rested on the table. The moon shined behind him, and the wind carried his curls unevenly. The corners of his brown eyes creased, his pale lips curled into a smile, and immediately Omen seemed lost in the patterns of his vitiligo. He drank, just as requested, and the wine stained his top lip. When he was done, the glass came down to the table empty. How beautiful he must have been, illuminated with a silver rim that complemented his tan figure. It was more than what Omen asked for.

Cypher scratched his beard. It was a goatee that only covered his chin and was paired with a moustache. Both seemed equally well kept, though a scar that spanned below his eye diagonally across his mouth kept hair from growing over those spots.

"I suppose I have been rude keeping you from this secret for all these years. After all, there are more important things than a pretty face, hm?"

Omen only continued to stare in dumbfounded disbelief.

"You…"

He started but then stopped. He didn’t want to point out the obvious of Cypher actually showing him his face, the entirety of it no less.

"Thank you."

Cypher's hand almost raised in muscle memory of tipping his hat, but his eyes fell on Omen's hands around it. He hummed instead and nodded.

"Of course."

Omen looked down at Cypher's hat, realising in his small fit of rage that there were now claw marks. Sheepishly, he returned it to Cypher, muttering an apology. Cypher assured him nothing was wrong, and he placed it back over his head. Omen liked the look of it on him rather than on his mask.

"So, Omen, what more do you need from me?"

Omen sighed. They were going back on topic. He wasn't the vocally emotional type usually, but there was something that had been bugging him ever since he learned more about his past.

"I need to know, Cypher, be honest. All these years, did you know just like Sabine what I was? The crimes I committed?—"

"No."

The answer was immediate.

"I kept looking in the wrong place. I was never going to find the truth."

Omen tilted his head in silence. Cypher continued.

"I thought you were a Kingdom experiment, or an old employee of theirs. Perhaps you worked alongside Vi…"

Cypher's eyes darted away from Omen for a moment.

"…Doctor Sabine. I thought you were their best-kept secret. I was wrong. You weren't theirs to begin with. You were part of the Scions."

Omen crossed his arms and looked down at the table. On one hand, it was nice seeing Cypher. It made connecting what he was seeing, what he was hearing, and what emotions he sensed off Cypher, easier. On the other hand, it felt weird. A face to an anonymous man. He focused and realised how little Cypher actually knew.

"You’re right and wrong."

"Hm?"

Cypher raised a brow. Omen noted he was even more expressive than his mask.

"I worked for Kingdom, partially. That was part of the plan to kill her. I… was her friend. For a short while, we did work together. She knew me as John. Then my deadline came closer. I didn’t hesitate. Not even a bit."

Cypher watched as Omen's grip around his bandaged arms grew tighter, nails digging into its fibers. He frowned. Omen looked up to see it. He loosened his grip and glanced away.

"She acted in self-defence. She threw a prototype of her snakebite at me, and I came stumbling backwards into a testing chamber. She activated it while I banged on the glass, trying to escape. It tore me apart, then half-hazardly put me back together."

He trailed off. The memories were foggy. Distant. Almost felt like they were not his own.

"I think. I don’t remember much from my 'rebirth' despite my best efforts and my memory being jogged."

He traced his bandages.

"She made me the monster I am, and I understand why. She had every right to, especially after all I’ve done."

He felt hollow in this ghostly body of his.

"Omen,"

Cypher started. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table and pushing the wine glasses aside.

"You aren’t John."

Omen looked back.

"You aren’t Fred, or Marcus, or Yohan, or Dimitri."

Omen's shoulders fell as he listened.

"You read Fade's dossier on me?"

Cypher scoffed.

"Are you surprised? Come now."

"Hmph."

Omen couldn't stay upset. Not when looking at the sincere smile on his face.

"But, you aren’t who Fade tried to find. You aren’t some hitman for the Scions. You aren't some cruel monster. You aren't just a John Doe. You are still Doctor Sabine's ally, and most of all, you're Omen."

Cypher rested his palm open to the sky. An offering. Omen stared down at it.

"What if I’m still the same man?"

He began to reach for it, but he hovered. Hesitant.

"What if you've changed?"

With courage, the hands meet. The touch is light. The touch is forgiving.

"What if it's not enough?"

They shift to meet straight against each other in the air, elbows rested on the table. Their fingers aligned with their respective partners. Cypher's hand was smaller, just by a joint.

"Then I’ll help."

Slowly, they intertwine. The hold isn't too tight, but enough to say I’ve got you. Both stare where they conjoin. Even with both hands gloved, Omen can feel Cypher's warmth. In turn, Cypher can feel his cold. It was the most intimate either had been in recent memory.

"If you want, I’ll even help you pick out a new name. I’ve made many for myself before."

Cypher's thumb stroked the side of Omen's. He seems fully entangled in the moment if his silence tells Cypher anything.

"I’ll… think about it."

Omen found himself longing for more than holding hands, but he did not act on it. He was already being given more than what he felt like he deserved. He couldn't allow himself to be selfish, not when he had already asked for and received too much. He wasn't even sure if he was ready for whatever more meant. He was sure even a hug might be enough to put him into shambles. Be still, Omen. His heart pounds against his chest. For once, he is reminded it exists at all.

"Whatever you'd like, my dear. I'm excited to watch you weave yourself into the person you wish to be."

Cypher smiled and tilted his head as he watched Omen. The man sure made it obvious when he was bashful.

"Thank you, Cypher."

Cypher tsked and shook his head.

"Ahh, don’t call me that when we're alone. You know my real name. I know you overheard Sova calling me it during an argument."

Omen froze. He did know. It was a piece of information he quite frankly tried to forget out of respect. Sadly, it seemed only when he tried to forget things did he remember them. Well, he doesn't think remembering it is as unfortunate anymore.

"Thank you, Amir."

Amir tried not to melt then and there, but the look in his eyes gave it away entirely. He was usually wonderful at hiding his emotions even without his mask, but he doesn't need to hide anything up here. Not from the sky, the stars, or the moon. Not from the wind or the sleeping sun. Not from Omen. Never again from Omen.

"You're welcome."

As all good things, the moment had to end. Slowly, their hands slipped away from one another, and that was that.

"I’ll teach you how to hide your tracks even better. The first thing you of all people will need is a disguise."

Omen kept his hands together and nodded.

"I suppose that’s how you found me then? On a camera?"

Cypher raised his hand and tilted it back and forth.

"More or less."

Omen sat up quickly, alerted.

"Wait. Cameras. Cypher your face!"

Cypher patted the air, trying to calm Omen down.

"The security cameras have been hacked into for a while, Omen. I took care of them. My tech hasn't alerted me that I’ve been kicked out of them yet. I’ll be fine."

Omen shrank back in his chair slowly.

"Good… I’m glad you’re safe."

Cypher set his hands down on his lap. He sighed, calming down from the small rush. He allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment. Here he was, alive and known. Nothing could make him happier. Well, nothing besides…

"Take me around Edinburgh, yes?"

He opened his eyes to see Omen's confused look.

"You went around there for this journal, didn't you?"

He leaned over the table and placed a finger over its leather cover. He tapped twice.

"Yes, I did."

"Then you must have seen some pretty sights. Take me to them."

He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on top of them.

"Wouldn't Brimstone be upset you're gone for longer without bringing me back?"

Cypher laughed.

"Fuck Brimstone."

Omen was visibly caught off guard.

"I would have come here regardless and without anyone's orders. They don’t know I’ve found you yet, so let's spend some time together, okay?"

Cypher smiled widely, eyes partially squinted. It was exactly how his mask's lenses looked when they were smiling, but infinitely warmer. Without his mask, Omen could see his story on his face. The skin that healed over stitchmarks from events previous to Protocol, the crows feet and other such wrinkles that proved he was a man who emoted, and his eyes. They didn't seem out of the ordinary at all. They weren't blue as Omen imagined. They looked like a dozen people's brown eyes he'd seen before, and yet, they were Cypher's eyes. That was enough to make them special.

Omen looked down, stripping himself away from the sight. He was given a request that he could never say no to. He could not disappoint. His hand came over one of the pouches attached to a belt and opened it. Digging around, he pulled out a small journal, similar in nature to the one on the table, and shut the pouch. It took a while for him to flip through, skimming and scanning for the things he wanted to remember.

"I think I know a few good places."

Cypher seemed intrigued.

"Oh?"

Omen placed a finger under something he wrote, then read it out loud.

"55° 55′ 6.27″ North, 3° 14′ 9.59″ West."

Silence. Cypher stared and blinked at Omen, lips slightly parted and brows lightly furrowed.

"…Did you write down coordinates instead of an address?"

Omen felt his shame welling up.

"…It's easier for me."

"Right. Well. That’s another thing for me to teach you, then. How to ask for and find out addresses."

Omen shut the small journal and placed it back in his pocket, refusing to look at Cypher in his embarrassment.

"I don't like talking to people."

"Alright, you antisocial butterfly,"

Cypher took off his hat and grabbed his mask.

"I'll help with that too. But for now, we can’t both stay up all night."

He bore the mask once more, concealing his curls and his eyes, vitiligo and scars, cheeks and smiles. No longer could Omen see his wine-stained lips. Cypher donned his hat and stood, pushing the chair back.

"Let's get to bed, shall we? I did notice you booked two rooms after all."

Omen followed suit and stood, pushing his chair back towards the table after. He looked at Cypher.

"That's not for you…"

Cypher kept his hands behind his back and tilted his head.

"Wait, then why did you book a second one?"

Omen took the journal from the table and grabbed the wine bottle by its neck.

"It's for someone new. Someone I'd like you to meet."

Cypher felt excited. Something had slipped past him and now there was a surprise waiting for him in the building. He couldn't remember the last time something like this had happened.

"Oh?"

Omen walked till he stood next to him.

"Their name is Clove. I'm sure Protocol would love to have them."

"What happened to you not enjoying talking to people?"

Omen looked to the side. He stared at the stars and began to recall the little adventures he had been on with Clove. The shenanigans they'd reel him into, the 'assistance' at the library, the jokes they'd make. He remembered how they first met. He looked back at Cypher.

"They approached me first. It just so happened our goals aligned."

The two began to walk towards the doors to the stairs.

"Well, now I'm excited to know more."

Cypher rested his fingers on the door handle.

"Soon, Amir."

He felt warmed once more. Amir basked in the moment, seeing the stars, the moon, and Omen one last time. He knew whatever this would lead to wouldn't be easy. He knew the pain that getting closer and closer to someone would bring. Yet, he found himself alright with that. He would love again. He would fall again. And when he would lose it all again? He would mourn. He would wait. Then he'd do it yet again. He pushed the door open.

"Say, you wouldn't have happened to book a room with only one bed, did you?"

Omen grumbled.

"Clove warned me about that…"

Cypher did a double-take.

"What?"

Omen looked just as surprised.

"What?"

Cypher went quiet. He was already piecing together the type of person Clove was. He closed his lenses and shook his head in disbelief. He huffed.

"Never mind. I'll just book myself a room."

Omen nodded.

"That would be for the best."

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shrinkrants · 4 months ago

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Trump's second term is only three and a half weeks old. The press, politicians, and many Americans seem to have forgotten what happened two weeks ago. Here is a quick refresher of what Trump or his minions have done in 25 days:

Pardoned 1,500 insurrectionists who assisted Trump in his first attempted coup.

Converted the DOJ into his political hit squad by opening investigations into members of the DOJ, FBI, Congress, and state prosecutors’ offices who attempted to hold Trump to account for his crimes.

Fired a dozen inspectors general, whose job it is to identify fraud and corruption and to serve as a check on abuses of power by the president.

Fired dozens of prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on criminal cases relating to Trump

Fired dozens of prosecutors who worked on criminal cases against January 6 insurrectionists

Opened investigations into thousands of FBI agents who worked on cases against January 6 insurrectionists

Disbanded the FBI the group of agents designed to prevent foreign election interference in the US

Disbanded the DOJ group of prosecutors targeting Russian oligarchs’ criminal activity affecting the US

Fired the chairs and members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, and the Federal Election Commission and refused to replace them, effectively shutting down those independent boards in violation of statute

Shut down and defunded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Shut down and defunded USAID by placing virtually the entire staff of the agency on leave

Impounded billions of dollars of grants appropriated by Congress to USAID, National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, and the EPA, all in violation of Article I of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to make appropriations

Allowed a group of hackers to seize control of large swaths of the federal government’s computer network by attaching unauthorized servers, changing and creating new computer code outside of federal security protocols, creating “backdoors” in secure systems, installing unsanctioned “AI” software to scrape federal data (including personal identification information), and installing “spyware” to monitor email of federal employees

Disobeyed multiple court orders to release frozen federal funds (an ongoing violation; see the NYTimes on Wednesday)

Granted a corrupt pardon to the Mayor of New York in exchange for his promise to cooperate in Trump's immigration crackdown

The above is a partial list, each item of which is illegal (at least) and unconstitutional (at worst). Taken together, they compel the conclusion that Trump has not only violated his oath in every conceivable way but that he is actively working to overthrow the Constitution. That is the very definition of a coup.

#coup #crisis #constitutional crisis #wake up america!

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larissa-the-scribe · 3 months ago

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The Dragon-Man Teaches Me a Lesson

Chapter 5 of A Four-Dimensional Plot now up on my website!

A laugh, like sticks bouncing off a tin pan, pushed its way through my window’s black-out curtains. “Hello, little one,” came the whisper, scraping along the glass. “It’s cold out here, so very very cold. The frost breaks my fingers so. Won’t you let me in, little one? You who are so warm, imagining yourself so safe under blankets of wool and felt.” It laughed again. As I have said, many of the illdýr feed off of things like emotions. Fear attracts them like fried chicken summons a starving man—and I’ve never not been terrified of them. Night after night after night, something will try to draw me outside, whisper to me, pound on my window, scream at me, drool over a meal it can’t reach but can’t stop smelling. I rarely slept well.

Check out the full chapter >>here!

This is the newest installment in my serial story, shared via email, about a washed-up agent trying to save a fugitive, a frightened teenager investigating the shape-shifting dragon that showed up at his house, and a secret research site in the woods. If that sounds interesting and you want to get the updates when they come out, you can sign up for free here. Alternatively, on Ko-Fi or Patreon.

#poor rhys #I seem to have trouble writing him so I guess time to crank up the angst meter #*rubs hands* this sad boi can fit so many monsters in his story #rhys vordur #a four dimensional plot #team wardens #ocs #writerblr #salt and light #my ocs #original characters #original fiction #serial story #original story

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registeredcaliforniaagent · 1 month ago

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aerodaltonimperial · 1 year ago

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Got some sads today.

I've written 12 books. I've been trying to be traditionally published since around 2008, give or take some spots of time where I wasn't writing. Book #10 is the only that finally got me a literary agent, and I got two offers on it. I chose wrong, but hindsight is 20/20.

During the time my ex-agent was actually doing much, which wasn't a lot, I almost got there. I got to second reads with an editor we had subbed to. Part of the rejection feedback that came back was that it "wasn't queer enough for readers looking for a queer romance." It was not a romance. My bisexual protagonist ended up in a M/F relationship. I'll never forget how it made me feel, as a bisexual woman. It was the closest to being trad published I've ever gotten, and it felt like I was being rejected as a person for not being "enough."

I left my agent last fall because they had stopped responding to emails or meeting deadlines or even doing anything with submissions. Once I left, that book was dead. My ex-agent had rejected book #11 I wrote and given me no feedback on what was wrong or how to change it. I had still not gotten feedback on book #12 when I terminated our contract.

I started querying with book #12 to try and find a new agent. One of the agents I reached out to was the agent who had offered rep on the other one, the agent whose offer I refused. They said to send it over so they could read. Today, they rejected it. The feedback was blunt. I guess I deserved that, for rejecting them two years ago. It was the last possibility for the book, as all the others have rejected it.

I think I'm a good writer, but trad publishing does not want anything that I write. I've spent so many years chasing this goal, and I've failed every time. Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe the industry just doesn't want my genre. Maybe I'm just unlucky. Maybe it's all three. In the end, this was the end for me. That should have been an easy offer, if the agent liked my writing to begin with, but it wasn't.

Part of me is relieved. I think I want to be done with this. I've spent a decade feeling like a huge failure. In truth, I just want to write fic, because at least people can read that. At least I feel like I can impact people with my words. Maybe I'm not good enough to be published. But I'm happy that people read my words here. I'm so grateful when people engage with me on my fics.

I put on one of my Hoodlum shirts today. I'm feeling scraped raw and flayed. It's hard to watch a life goal fizzle to a miserable end. But maybe, this was all I was ever meant to do: be in fandom. Maybe this is just all I was ever good enough to write. I still love writing fic. I want to create things for the people I care about, these silly, goofy, weird little people that I have parasocially attached myself to.

If you have read my fic, thank you. If you have left me feedback, thank you SO MUCH. I'm being serious when I say it is the only thing that has kept me writing. These were my only wins. Here, at least, I feel like my words mean something. Thank you for being here with me. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face. Thank you for flailing and capslocking and being full of excitement with me.

This is a hard day. I hope there is some sunshine on the horizon. I'm very grateful for you all.

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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Earlier this week, WIRED published a story about the AI-powered search startup Perplexity, which Forbes has accused of plagiarism. In it, my colleague Dhruv Mehrotra and I reported that the company was surreptitiously scraping, using crawlers to visit and download parts of websites from which developers had tried to block it, in violation of its own publicly stated policy of honoring the Robots Exclusion Protocol.

Our findings, as well as those of the developer Robb Knight, identified a specific IP address almost certainly linked to Perplexity and not listed in its public IP range, which we observed scraping test sites in apparent response to prompts given to the company’s public-facing chatbot. According to server logs, that same IP visited properties belonging to Condé Nast, the media company that owns WIRED, at least 822 times in the past three months—likely a significant undercount, because the company retains only a small portion of its records.

We also reported that the chatbot was bullshitting, in the technical sense. In one experiment, it generated text about a girl following a trail of mushrooms when asked to summarize the content of a website that its agent did not, according to server logs, attempt to access.

Perplexity and its CEO, Aravind Srinivas, did not substantively dispute the specifics of WIRED’s reporting. “The questions from WIRED reflect a deep and fundamental misunderstanding of how Perplexity and the Internet work,” Srinivas said in a statement. Backed by Jeff Bezos’ family office and by Nvidia, among others, Perplexity has said it is worth a billion dollars based on its most recent fundraising round, and The Information reported last month that it was in talks for a new round that would value it at $3 billion. (Bezos did not reply to an email; Nvidia declined to comment.)

After we published the story, I prompted three leading chatbots to tell me about the story. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude generated text offering hypotheses about the story’s subject but noted that they had no access to the article. The Perplexity chatbot produced a six-paragraph, 287-word text closely summarizing the conclusions of the story and the evidence used to reach them. (According to WIRED's server logs, the same bot observed in our and Knight’s findings, which is almost certainly linked to Perplexity but is not in its publicly listed IP range, attempted to access the article the day it was published, but was met with a 404 response. The company doesn't retain all its traffic logs, so this is not necessarily a complete picture of the bot's activity, or that of other Perplexity agents.) The original story is linked at the top of the generated text, and a small gray circle links out to the original following each of the last five paragraphs. The last third of the fifth paragraph exactly reproduces a sentence from the original: “Instead, it invented a story about a young girl named Amelia who follows a trail of glowing mushrooms in a magical forest called Whisper Woods.”

This struck me and my colleagues as plagiarism. It certainly appears to satisfy the criteria set out by Poynter Institute—including, perhaps most stringently, the seven-to-10 word test, which proposes that it’s “hard to incidentally replicate seven consecutive words that appear in another author’s work.” (Kelly McBride, a Poynter SVP who has described this test as being useful in identifying plagiarism, did not reply to an email.)

“If one of my students turned in a story like this, I would take them before the academic dishonesty committee for plagiarism,” said John Schwartz, professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin’s journalism school, after reading the original story and the summary. “I find this just too close. When I was reading the Perplexity version, I just thought, there’s an echo in here.”

Perplexity and Srinivas, the company’s CEO, did not respond to a detailed request for comment in which they were presented with the criticisms experts made of the company for this story.

Bill Grueskin, professor of professional practice at Columbia Journalism School, wrote in an email that the summary looked to be “pretty much ok” for a chatbot identified as such, but that it was hard to say because he hadn’t had time to read the original WIRED story. “Quoting a sentence verbatim without quote marks is bad, of course,” he wrote. “I'd be pretty mortified if a news org ran an AI summary like this without disclosing the source—or worse, pretending it came from a human.” (Perplexity, of course, isn’t claiming this material came from a human.)

Perhaps luckily for Perplexity and its backers, this is a literal academic debate. Plagiarism is a concept pertaining to professional ethics, important in contexts like journalism and academia where being able to identify the source of information is of fundamental importance but of no legal significance in itself. If a rival studio releases a film containing a reasonable chunk of footage from Inside Out 2, Disney would sue not for plagiarism but for copyright infringement; similarly, a letter Forbes reportedly sent Perplexity threatening legal action is said to mention “willful infringement” of Forbes’ copyrights. Here, legal experts say, Perplexity is on somewhat safer ground—probably.

“In terms of the copyright, this is a tough call,” says James Grimmelmann, professor of digital and information law at Cornell University. On one hand, he argues, the summary is reporting facts, which cannot be copyrighted; but on the other, it does partially duplicate the original and summarize the details found in it. “It’s not a slam dunk copyright case, but it’s not trivial, either. It’s not frivolous.”

Grimmelmann sees a host of potential issues for Perplexity, among them consumer protection, unfair advertising, or deceptive trade practices claims he believes could be made against a company that says it respects the Robots Exclusion Protocol but doesn’t follow it. (The standard is voluntary but widely adhered to.) He also thinks it could be vulnerable to a claim of misappropriation of hot news, in which a publisher argues that a competitor summarizing its material before it’s had a chance to commercially benefit from it, or in a way that undermines its value to paying subscribers, is infringing on its copyright. Perplexity’s evident ability to circumvent paywalls “is a bad fact for them,” he says, as is the fact that its system is automated.

Grimmelmann also says that Perplexity may be forfeiting the protection of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This is the law that, among other things, protects search engines like Google from liability for defamation when they link to defamatory content because they are services passing on information from other content providers; as he sees it, Perplexity is similarly shielded as long as it accurately summarizes material. (Whether AI-generated material enjoys 230 protection at all is a matter of debate.)

“They’d only get in trouble if they summarized the story incorrectly and made it defamatory when it wasn’t before. That’s something that they actually would be at legal risk for, especially if they don’t credit the original source clearly enough and people can’t easily go to that source to check,” he says. “If Perplexity’s edits are what make the story defamatory, 230 doesn’t cover that, under a bunch of case law interpreting it.”

In one case WIRED observed, Perplexity’s chatbot did falsely claim, albeit while prominently linking to the original source, that WIRED had reported that a specific police officer in California had committed a crime. (“We have been very upfront that answers will not be accurate 100% of the time and may hallucinate,” Srinivas said in response to questions for the story we ran earlier this week, “but a core aspect of our mission is to continue improving on accuracy and the user experience.”)

“If you want to be formal,” says Grimmelmann, “I think this is a set of claims that would get past a motion to dismiss on a bunch of theories. Not saying it will win in the end, but if the facts bear out what Forbes and WIRED, the police officer—a bunch of possible plaintiffs—allege, they are the kinds of things that, if proven and other facts were bad for Perplexity, could lead to liability.”

Not all experts agree with Grimmelmann. Pam Samuelson, professor of law and information at UC Berkeley, writes in an email that copyright infringement is “about use of another’s expression in a way that undercuts the author’s ability to get appropriate remuneration for the value of the unauthorized use. One sentence verbatim is probably not infringement.”

Bhamati Viswanathan, a faculty fellow at New England Law, says she’s skeptical the summary passes a threshold of substantial similarity usually necessary for a successful infringement claim, though she doesn’t think that’s the end of the matter. “It certainly should not pass the sniff test,” she wrote in an email. “I would argue that it should be enough to get your case past the motion to dismiss threshold—particularly given all the signs you had of actual stuff being copied.”

In all, though, she argues that focusing on the narrow technical merits of such claims may not be the right way to think about things, as tech companies can adjust their practices to honor the letter of dated copyright laws while still grossly violating their purpose. She believes an entirely new legal framework may be necessary to correct for market distortions and promote the underlying aims of US intellectual property law, among them to allow people to financially benefit from original creative work like journalism so that they’ll be incentivized to produce it—with, in theory, benefits to society.

“There are, in my opinion, strong arguments to support the intuition that generative AI is predicated upon large scale copyright infringement,” she writes. “The opening ante question is, where do we go from there? And the greater question in the long run is, how do we ensure that creators and creative economies survive? Ironically, AI is teaching us that creativity is more valuable and in demand than ever. But even as we recognize this, we see the potential for undermining, and ultimately eviscerating, the ecosystems that enable creators to make a living from their work. That’s the conundrum we need to solve—not eventually, but now.”

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datascraping001 · 20 days ago

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Email: [email protected]

#arizonarealtorsemaillist #arizonarealtorsdatabase #datascrapingservices #webscrapingexpert #websitedatascraping

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dronephotography56546465 · 1 month ago

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Unlock the Power of up2datedatabase: Your Ultimate Resource for Verified Data

In today's hyper-connected digital world, access to accurate, current, and well-structured data is more than a luxury—it's a necessity. Whether you're a marketer, business analyst, recruiter, or developer, the up2datedatabase is a game-changer in how you acquire and utilize structured data to gain a competitive edge.

What is up2datedatabase?

up2datedatabase is a leading online platform offering regularly updated, comprehensive datasets covering a wide range of industries, sectors, and professional fields. From verified email lists to B2B company contacts, decision-maker directories, and telemarketing data, this resource is curated to provide maximum utility and accuracy.

This data is especially valuable for:

Email marketing campaigns

Lead generation

Telemarketing

Market research

Business development

The emphasis is on real-time data accuracy, minimizing bounce rates, improving conversion, and enhancing ROI.

Why Businesses Trust up2datedatabase for Growth

1. Verified and Clean Data

One of the standout benefits of using up2datedatabase is its commitment to data quality. Each dataset undergoes thorough verification processes, including:

Email verification using SMTP

Duplicate removal

Consistency checks

Format standardization

These practices ensure that users receive clean, ready-to-use data that won’t get flagged for spam or cause deliverability issues.

2. Industry-Specific Databases

up2datedatabase provides niche-focused lists tailored to:

Healthcare professionals

Real estate agents

IT companies

E-commerce businesses

HR and recruitment agencies

Educational institutions

This level of segmentation empowers users to target their ideal customer profiles with pinpoint precision, leading to higher engagement rates and more qualified leads.

3. GDPR and CAN-SPAM Compliance

Data privacy regulations are a major concern, and up2datedatabase aligns its practices with global standards like:

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

CAN-SPAM Act

Each list includes only data that complies with these rules, ensuring that businesses can run ethical and legally sound marketing campaigns.

4. Custom Data Solutions

In addition to pre-built databases, users can request custom data extraction services. Whether you're targeting a specific geographic location, job role, or industry, up2datedatabase's expert team can deliver tailor-made datasets to meet your business objectives.

How to Use up2datedatabase for Maximum ROI

Step 1: Define Your Campaign Goals

Before purchasing or downloading data, clearly define your:

Target audience

Campaign objectives

Expected KPIs (open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate)

This ensures that the dataset you acquire aligns perfectly with your marketing or sales funnel.

Step 2: Segment and Personalize

Use CRM or email automation tools to segment your lists by:

Job title

Company size

Location

Industry

Then personalize your messages using dynamic tags to reflect the recipient’s real-world context, which significantly improves engagement rates.

Step 3: Monitor and Optimize

Don’t just send and forget. Analyze your campaign metrics:

Open rates

Bounce rates

Response rates

Conversion metrics

Then optimize your content and target segments based on real performance data to continuously improve ROI.

Advantages of up2datedatabase Over Other Platforms

Higher Accuracy and Reliability

Most data vendors offer one-time scrapes or outdated lists. In contrast, up2datedatabase is known for:

Frequent updates (weekly/monthly)

High data hygiene standards

Responsive support

Competitive Pricing

Compared to platforms like ZoomInfo or Apollo, up2datedatabase offers:

More affordable packages

Flexible pricing for small businesses

Lifetime access options

This makes it an ideal solution for startups, SMEs, and digital agencies.

No Recurring Subscription Needed

While many tools lock you into monthly contracts, up2datedatabase gives you the option of one-time purchases without hidden fees. That means you only pay for what you need—no ongoing financial commitment.

Real-World Applications of up2datedatabase

Email Marketing for Startups

Startups can acquire a list of decision-makers in a specific industry and launch an automated email campaign, saving weeks of manual lead generation and accelerating time-to-market.

Recruitment Firms Filling Roles Faster

HR agencies can tap into pre-verified candidate and employer lists, enabling faster outreach and placement without sifting through unreliable sources.

E-Commerce Growth Through Influencer Data

up2datedatabase also offers social media influencer data, helping e-commerce brands collaborate with niche influencers and build strong brand visibility.

Security and Ethical Considerations

up2datedatabase takes data security seriously. Their practices include:

Encrypted delivery systems

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for custom data projects

Data sourced from publicly available and permission-based channels

This ensures compliance while offering high usability and legal clarity.

How to Get Started with up2datedatabase

1. Visit the Official Website

Browse through available datasets by category, or request a custom quote based on your specific requirements.

2. Choose the Right Package

Select from single-use databases or bulk packages that suit your budget and scale. Many of their products come with instant download options for quick deployment.

3. Use with Your Favorite Tools

Whether you're using Mailchimp, HubSpot, Salesforce, or any custom CRM, the up2datedatabase formats (CSV, XLS, etc.) are fully compatible and easy to integrate.

Conclusion

The up2datedatabase platform is not just a data provider—it's a business enablement powerhouse. With precision-targeted datasets, rigorous data quality processes, and full compliance with international data laws, it offers everything you need to generate leads, grow sales, and drive ROI effectively.

If you're ready to stop wasting time on outdated, unverified, or overpriced data sources, it's time to switch to up2datedatabase—your most reliable partner in data-driven success.

#leadgeneration #leadership #female lead relationship

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annabelledarcie · 2 months ago

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What Makes an AI Agent for Business Sales a Smart Investment in 2025?

In today’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive digital marketplace, businesses are continuously seeking innovative solutions to streamline their sales processes, improve customer engagement, and drive higher conversions. Among the latest advancements reshaping the sales landscape is the AI Agent for Business Sales—an intelligent, automated system designed to handle a wide array of sales tasks with efficiency and precision. From lead generation and nurturing to personalized customer support and predictive analytics, AI agents are proving to be powerful tools that are revolutionizing how companies interact with prospects and close deals.

What Is an AI Agent?

An AI agent is a software entity powered by artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and robotic process automation (RPA). These agents can perceive their environment (usually digital), interpret incoming data, and take appropriate actions to achieve predefined goals. In the context of business sales, AI agents are designed to automate various aspects of the sales pipeline, enabling organizations to operate more effectively and at scale.

AI agents can engage with customers through chat interfaces, emails, and even voice calls, simulating human-like conversations while analyzing user intent. Unlike traditional chatbots with limited capabilities, modern AI agents can process vast amounts of customer data to make decisions, personalize interactions, and escalate complex issues to human sales representatives when needed.

Key Features of AI Agents for Business Sales

1. Intelligent Lead Generation

AI agents are capable of scraping websites, analyzing social media behavior, and evaluating CRM databases to identify high-quality leads. By analyzing customer behaviors, interests, and buying patterns, these agents can proactively reach out to prospects at the right time with the right message. This data-driven approach significantly improves lead conversion rates.

2. 24/7 Customer Engagement

Unlike human sales reps who have working hours, AI agents operate round the clock. Whether it's responding to customer inquiries at midnight or assisting in product comparisons on weekends, AI agents ensure that businesses are always available to address customer needs, thereby improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

3. Personalized Communication

Using NLP and machine learning algorithms, AI agents can tailor their communication based on the user’s preferences, past interactions, and current queries. This level of personalization enhances customer experience and increases the likelihood of a sale. For example, an AI agent can greet a returning customer by name, suggest products based on purchase history, and offer time-sensitive discounts.

4. Sales Forecasting and Analytics

AI agents are equipped with powerful data analytics capabilities that allow them to generate real-time sales insights and forecasts. By analyzing patterns in historical data, current market trends, and customer interactions, these agents can predict future sales opportunities and recommend optimal pricing strategies.

5. CRM Integration

Modern AI agents integrate seamlessly with popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho. This enables them to access and update customer data in real time, ensuring that all sales interactions are recorded and that sales reps have access to up-to-date information.

Use Cases of AI Agents in Business Sales

B2B Sales Automation

In B2B settings, sales cycles are often long and complex. AI agents help by automating repetitive tasks such as sending follow-up emails, scheduling meetings, and qualifying leads. This allows human sales reps to focus on building strategic relationships and closing high-value deals.

E-commerce Assistance

For e-commerce platforms, AI agents serve as virtual shopping assistants. They can guide customers through the product catalog, suggest complementary items, answer FAQs, and even handle payment queries—all in real time. This leads to improved customer experience and increased average order value.

Real Estate Sales

In real estate, AI agents can answer property-related inquiries, schedule viewings, and provide virtual tours. They analyze customer preferences to suggest relevant properties and keep prospects engaged throughout the decision-making process.

Financial Services

Financial institutions use AI agents to provide personalized product recommendations, such as loan offers or insurance plans, based on customer profiles and financial history. AI agents also help in compliance management by ensuring that customer interactions align with regulatory requirements.

Benefits of Implementing AI Agents for Sales

1. Enhanced Productivity

AI agents handle time-consuming tasks, freeing up the sales team to focus on relationship-building and strategy. This shift in workload dramatically improves team productivity and efficiency.

2. Cost Reduction

Hiring and training a large sales team is expensive. AI agents reduce the need for a massive workforce by handling multiple customer interactions simultaneously, cutting down labor costs without compromising quality.

3. Improved Conversion Rates

By engaging leads at the right time with relevant information and follow-ups, AI agents help move prospects down the sales funnel faster and more effectively.

4. Data-Driven Decision-Making

AI agents provide sales managers with rich analytics dashboards and performance insights, enabling informed decision-making and more effective sales strategies.

5. Scalability

Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, AI agents can scale with your business. As the volume of leads or customer queries increases, AI agents can handle the additional load effortlessly.

Challenges and Considerations

While AI agents offer numerous advantages, businesses should also consider certain challenges:

Initial Setup and Training: Developing a capable AI agent requires a solid understanding of sales processes and high-quality training data.

Data Privacy Compliance: AI agents must be compliant with data privacy laws such as GDPR or CCPA.

Over-reliance on Automation: It’s essential to strike a balance between automation and human interaction to ensure a personalized and empathetic customer experience.

Integration Complexity: Seamless integration with existing systems is crucial, and may require technical expertise.

Future of AI Agents in Business Sales

The future of AI Agent for Business Sales is incredibly promising. With advancements in conversational AI, sentiment analysis, and real-time language translation, AI agents are becoming more sophisticated and capable of handling nuanced conversations. Moreover, the integration of AI agents with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) may soon offer immersive sales experiences for customers.

As generative AI continues to evolve, AI agents will become even more proactive—creating sales content, writing custom proposals, and adapting sales pitches in real time based on customer responses. These advancements will redefine the traditional sales funnel, making it more agile, personalized, and intelligent.

Conclusion: Investing in AI Agent Development

Businesses that want to stay ahead in the digital age must embrace automation intelligently. Adopting an AI Agent for Business Sales is no longer a luxury but a strategic necessity. From streamlining sales processes to improving customer engagement and boosting revenue, AI agents offer unparalleled value across the sales spectrum.

To fully unlock these benefits, companies must invest in AI Agent Development—a process that involves not just the deployment of technology, but also strategic planning, customization, and continuous improvement. With the right approach, AI agents can become invaluable members of your sales team, driving growth, efficiency, and success in the modern business landscape.

#AI Agent Development

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