#Bookkeeping in New York

[centelliltd]

The importance of Bookkeeping Services in New York

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Outsourcing bookkeeping allows entrepreneurs to reclaim time and focus on core business activities. For small businesses aiming to navigate the challenges and seize opportunities in the dynamic New York market, investing in bookkeeping services is a strategic move towards sustained success.

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[theadviso]

New York Bookkeeping Services: All You Need To Know

[trustyourbooksllc]

Remote Bookkeeping Services in New York

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[enlaivenacce]

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[empiretaxusa]

Hiring a professional bookkeeper or bookkeeping service provider is there to make the whole process convenient for your business. Handling sensitive data with proper privacy is important. So your professional bookkeeper ensures this aspect above everything else. So you are never required to worry about this aspect. The bookkeeper is compliant to follow all the terms and conditions regarding maintaining privacy

[morbidology]

On May 1, 1947, Evelyn McHale, a 23-year-old woman, leapt to her death from the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York City. Her death, immortalized by a haunting photograph, became one of the most iconic images of the 20th century and is often referred to as "the most beautiful suicide."

Evelyn McHale was born on September 20, 1923, in Berkeley, California. After her parents' divorce, she moved to Tuckahoe, New York, with her father and siblings. Evelyn joined the Women's Army Corps and was stationed in Jefferson City, Missouri, during World War II. After her service, she moved to New York City, where she worked as a bookkeeper at the Kitab Engraving Company.

Evelyn was engaged to Barry Rhodes, a college student and ex-GI who lived in Pennsylvania. The couple planned to marry, and by all accounts, their relationship appeared happy and stable. However, beneath the surface, Evelyn struggled with deep emotional turmoil.

On the morning of May 1, 1947, Evelyn visited Barry in Pennsylvania to celebrate his birthday. After returning to New York City, she went to the Empire State Building. She bought a ticket to the observation deck and, after spending a few moments there, climbed over the railing and jumped.

Evelyn's body landed on the roof of a United Nations limousine parked on 34th Street. Just minutes after her death, photography student Robert Wiles happened to be nearby and captured an eerily serene photograph of her body. In the image, Evelyn appears to be peacefully asleep, her legs crossed at the ankles, with one hand clutching her pearl necklace.

This photograph was published in Life magazine and quickly became famous. The haunting image, combined with the apparent calmness and beauty of Evelyn's repose, led to it being dubbed "the most beautiful suicide."

Evelyn left behind a suicide note, found in her purse at the observation deck. In it, she expressed her deep despair and requested that her body not be viewed or held in a public funeral. She wrote:

"I don’t want anyone in or out of my family to see any part of me. Could you destroy my body by cremation? I beg of you and my family – don’t have any service for me or remembrance for me. My fiancé asked me to marry him in June. I don’t think I would make a good wife for anybody. He is much better off without me. Tell my father, I have too many of my mother’s tendencies."

[lordofdestructionm]

Reading Mordecai Heller as a repressed gay man

The tragic attraction

This is a full post based on my response to a great analysis by @sedgewick-gayble

Let me start by saying that if you read Mordecai as being totally asexual/aromantic and any affection he has for other characters to be entirely platonic that is entirely valid and I respect that

However as this response by Tracy makes clear on the topic of fans reading Mordecai as gay there is an intentional ambiguity about it. Being 28 at the time of the main story his "lifestyle is certainly asexual" up to this point, yet "being ace and being gay are not mutually exclusive things" and people sometimes "don't know themselves or understand their own motivations all that well"

This leaves the possibility open that Mordecai is actively repressing his natural desires and feelings

Mordecai's early life didn't exactly provide much time or opportunity for "self discovery", even by the usual standards of the less than tolerant and understanding world of the early 20th century

Being born into an impoverished family and having his father die very early in his life leaving him and his Mother and two younger sisters in dire straits, Mordecai had to get to work and assume adult responsibilities pretty damn early.

As Tracy says "selling newspapers wasn't going to cut it" and so using his natural talent with numbers Mordecai starts bookkeeping for the mob. Is it any wonder someone with that background would develop such a serious and rigidly buttoned up demeanour?

Since being forced to abandon his mother and two sisters at the start of the 1920s and flee New York, being picked up by Atlas's due to his habit of collecting useful strays, Mordecai had very few people he was close to in St Louis. With his generally anti-social personality and not only lack of interest but discomfort with any sort of flirting or romantic entanglements, that would be unlikely to change

Side note: Probaby coincidence but

There are only two people who seem to make it onto that exclusive list of people that "count" for Mordecai, who he cares about and are able to bring things to the surface he would normally keep hidden

Atlas to Mordecai is not just an employer, he is the man who saved his life, the man who moulded a desperate fearful shabby young stray into the sharp professional he is today, who took him under his wing and made him his protege. Filling the empty space his father left in his life. His grief and desperate hunt for those responsible for his death are his big motivation (the strain of which is slowly tearing him apart)

That connection is undertsandable

Much more surprising on the surface is the bond with the partner Atlas teamed him up with soon after his arrival, Viktor Vasko.

The assumption at the start would have been that while their skill sets might compliment each other in the field there would have been no warmth in their dynamic.

Certainly not on Mordecai's part as Viktor appears to be a sum total of many things Mordecai hates. Viktor is unshaven, relatively casual in his attire, speaks a broken English, and hates people chattering or “noise, noise, noise” as he calls it. Clashing hard with his obsession with good grooming, high quality tailoring, correct grammar etc. Indeed Mordecai doesn't hesitate to nag/criticize Viktor for these things

Yet at the same time Mordecai has far better chemistry with Viktor than with anyone else, able to banter and bicker with him in a way you rarely if ever see with others

Its why when he gets tailored clothes for the first time Viktor is the first person he wants to show off too. Its why the one time he is intoxicated Viktor (and his large physique) are his chosen topic of converation. Its why at Christmas/Hanuhhah he gives him the gift of a tie while claiming its just because of the big guys poor fashion sense and that its "embarassing to be seen with him" (even that justification makes him sound like a nagging girlfriend)

A smaller detail is that during their iconic chess playing in the side content, set during their days staking out the remote town of Defiance, Viktor is shown very casually winning the game much to Mordecai's visible distress

This is hilarious but could also be taken as a metaphor for Viktor (possibly without even realizing it) breaking through his defensive emotional barriers

Something Mordecai doesn't know how to handle or respond to

The animated short only adds fuel to the fire

During their dispute over strategy Mordecai moves his face so close to Viktors that he almost knocks his cap off his head. His eyes at one point even dart down towards his mouth

Sharp eyed Vikdecai fans have also noted that Mordecai seems on some level to want the two of them to match

The tie being the same colour could simpy be Mordecai giving Viktor one of his own ties because its a joke gift and he just grabbed it on a whim to tease Viktor about his poor fashion choices

But think about the matching suits at the New Years party for 1926

I mean, seriously, not only is it the exact same style of suit in the same blue-grey colour distinct from everyone else, but they are standing in the perfect spots to be symmetrical to each other. Something that we all know means a lot to this compulsive man

Mordecai must have known there was going to be a big group photo ahead of time and then carefully planned this

Got matching suits made to his and Viktors measurements

Then most impressively convinced/nagged Viktor into cooperating (he may have taken off the tie and rolled up the sleeves but hey him playing along at all is quite a compromise from Viktor "I hate dressing up" Vasko)

Mordecai is intent on making Viktor retire and get out of danger, and avoid a situation where he gets sent to kill him by Marigold because he knows he could NOT do it, and his cover and investigation into Atlas's death would be over

He is horrified that Viktor is still working at Lackadaisy (though he again has to hide how much he cares) and that he has gotten not only hurt again but hurt by Mordecai again (albeit this time indirectly by stealing the guns)

Can this be read as simply platonic comradere? Absolutely

But there is something so *intense* in the fact he was willing to resort to kneecapping him. Its an extreme and desperate act that could only result from intense emotions, seemingly out of character for someone who tries very hard to appear logical and controlled.

While Vikdecai is a very fun ship when imagining them as an actual bickering married couple, I have often said that a tragic one-sided on Mordecai's part version of Vikdecai is the one that fits closest and surprisingly well into the canon.

His nagging and complaining about Viktor in that context take on a Tsundere aspect, both to protect himself from being found out and maybe even try and convince himself the uncomfortable alien feelings aren't there. He not only doesn't want others looking too hard at his feeling he doesn't want to examine them himself all that much

There is a heartbreaking but appealing angst to the idea of this extremely repressed man having such feelings for the first time in his life for his straight best friend and NOT knowing how to handle that. Having to perform the balancing act of being around him so much as his partner but being painfully aware that he can't let anyone catch on, especially not Viktor himself, as it would likely destroy his bond with the only person in town other than Atlas he is close to.

Though tragically he did that anyway later via the kneecapping, which while about trying to keep Viktor safe, he may now looking back try and tell himself its actually somehow "better" for Viktor to hate him for that

Because the big guy now wrongly thinks the feeling is mutual and that Mordecai never really cared about him, which may be better than (what Mordecai assumes would be) disgust at his partners doomed more than platonic feelings

Because he sees those feelings and his situation as a sad perfectly structured joke life has played on him

[noellawrites]

Baby Bear - Richie Jerimovich x Berzatto!reader

summary: as the youngest Berzatto sibling, you know you’re screwed when you find out you’re pregnant with Richie’s baby.

warnings: pregnancy, grooming mention & abortion mention.

Nothing, nothing could’ve prepared you for two pink lines on that goddamn test. Your hand trembled lightly as you placed the piece of plastic on the dirty bathroom counter.

Your stomach dropped. How the hell were you supposed to tell Richie? And what would you say to your siblings? You were screwed.

You showed up early for your shift at The Beef in order to take the test, which you’d nervously purchased earlier from the local bodega. You thought it was just a few missed periods due to stress, the restaurant, stuff with Mikey. You never actually thought you could be pregnant.

Carmy and Sugar would kill Richie. And all three of them would kill you. Mikey would probably crawl out of his grave next, just so he could beat Richie up for knocking up his kid sister.

As the youngest Berzatto, you’d worked in The Beef from the ripe age of twelve. You washed dishes and waited tables for Mikey, your favorite sibling and oldest brother. Now, in your early 20’s, you worked as The Beef’s primary bookkeeper and waitress.

There had always been something between you and Richie, and your friendship became more after you turned eighteen. You were attracted to him, but waited to make your move until you were old enough to consciously do so. You ate every meal together, treated his daughter like your own, laughed at his dumb jokes and never got bored of each other. Plus the sex was gentle, loving and passionate.

But more than that, you were each other’s shoulder to lean on. You cried in each other’s arms once you’d gotten the news about Mikey and you ran The Beef together until Carmy got back from New York.

You and Richie had managed to keep your relationship a secret for the four years since you’d started seeing each other, but you had a feeling that you wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret for much longer.

Because now, you were pregnant with Richie Jerimovich’s baby.

—

“Congratulations Miss Berzatto, you’re about eight weeks along. Here are the printed pictures for you to take home. Would you like to discuss your options?” the nurse chirped. She was young, not much older than you, with a short blonde bob and bright purple scrubs.

“How much does an abortion cost?” you asked, already knowing what Richie would tell you. He was already a deadbeat father to one kid, why make it two?

“It depends on your insurance, but—"

"I don't have insurance, I'm just a waitress," you interrupted.

"In that case, it'll be around five-hundred dollars for the abortion pill if you visit Planned Parenthood. They're the cheapest in the city. You can only take the pill up to ten weeks, though," she explained, handing over a bunch of pamphlets with the sonogram pictures on top.

You stared down at the pictures as tears formed in your eyes. That was inside you, right now, a little tiny baby made from you and Richie. You could hardly believe it.

—

"You're— what the fuck? I didn't even know you were seeing anyone (y/n), jesus christ! How could you be so irresponsible?" Carmy yelled.

You were sitting in the office, leaned back in the chair as you stared at your brother. You knew he wasn't going to take the news well, but he was in disbelief. He ran his hand through his hair while contemplating his next words.

"You keepin' it?"

"I don't know yet, I still have to talk to—"

"Who's the dad?" Carmy seethed.

You couldn't do it. You just couldn't tell your brother that you'd been fucking Richie. He'd kill him before you'd get the chance to tell him.

"I can't—“

"Yes you can, just—just tell me, okay? I'm your brother, we'll figure this out, it'll be fine," he promised, crouching down and meeting your eyes.

"It's Richie," you gulped.

Carmy's face twisted into an expression of pure rage. He stood up, unable to look you in the eye.

"Carmy wait—" you gasped, but he had already thrown the office door open.

"Where is that asshole? Where the fuck is Richie?" Carmy yelled, storming through the kitchen.

"Carmy wait, stop!" you begged, pulling on your brother's sleeve. It was no use, he was on a mission.

Sydney and Tina looked up with confusion as Carmy turned the corner with you right behind him.

"And I told him, 'that's what we're doing today!' But he didn't fuckin' listen, so we're stuck on the turnpike when— hey, 'cuz," Richie laughed, noticing Carmy while in the middle of telling Ebra a story.

He glanced at you quickly, noticing your wide eyes and nervous expression.

"What the fuck, Richie?!" Carmy screamed, lunging at your not-so-secret boyfriend.

"Carmy!" you yelled as the two of them fell to the ground and tussled.

"You knocked up my little sister, fuckin' asshole pervert!"

"What the fuck? I didn't knock (y/n) up!" Richie said, landing a slap across your brother's cheek.

"How long'd you spend groomin' her, huh? She could be your fucking daughter!" Carmy growled as he grabbed at Richie's neck.

Marcus and Sydney rushed over, attempting to pull them apart.

"Quit it, you two!" Sydney yelled, restraining Carmy.

In the midst of the chaos, you noticed Fak sliding a five-dollar bill into Ebra's palm. You rolled your eyes. They'd been betting on you and Richie? Figures.

"I, um, I have some news," you began. The room was silent and all eyes were turned to you.

"I'm pregnant, and it's Richie's. Richie, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean for you to find out this way. And Carmy, I know how this looks but I really, really love Richie. And everyone else, I'm really sorry for this disruption," you explained with a sympathetic expression.

You glanced hesitantly at Richie, who had his hand clamped over his mouth and eyes wide open. Everyone else returned to their stations quietly, and Carmy kicked the metal table leg before returning to the office.

"Congrats, mija!" Tina smiled, patting your shoulder.

"Thanks, T," you said, giving her a small smile.

"So?" Richie asked. He walked closer and pulled you into a hug.

"It's true, you knocked me up," you laughed.

"You wanna keep it?"

You pulled away. "That depends. You wanna step up and be a father?"

"I do, babe. I think we can do this, for real. I'll talk to Tiff, maybe we can have Eva over more. She'd love a little sister or brother," Richie said, giving you a reassuring smile.

"I'd really like that, Richie."

[growingstories]

The personal assistant

Paul, a 40-year-old man in good shape, had recently become the CEO of his wife Jackie's father's company. Paul had been working at the company as a manager since he and Jackie got married, and they had a life comfortable together. Jackie worked three days a week in the company's HR department, where she was in charge of hiring.

When Jackie's father retired, Paul took over as CEO. One of the first things Jackie did was fire the old personal assistant, who had been having an affair with her father. Now, she found herself trying to seduce Paul, her husband.

In an attempt to find new a personal assistant, Jackie put up a LinkedIn ad. She received 80 applicants, but only a few of them matched the desired profile. She decided to invite five of the applicants for interviews. Three of them were too pretty, which Jackie saw as a potential risk. One was a 50-year-old woman, who was nice but too expensive and only wanted to work three days a week. The last applicant was Thomas, a handsome gay man in his 30s from New York City. Thomas had recently moved back to Houston to help his sister, who had just a opened restaurant. He worked for her in the evenings, doing bookkeeping.

When Paul met Thomas, they clicked right away. Thomas was in amazing shape, typical for a 30-year-old gay man. His main tasks as Paul's personal assistant were to Paul's run agenda, take calls, screen emails and, handle all the logistics for Paul's meetings. The first few days were quiet as Paul was abroad, but soon Thomas found himself arranging and restaurants preparing for meetings.

On Thomas's first day at work, his sister brought some cupcakes from her restaurant to give to Paul's co-workers. The entire management team loved them, and Jackie started ordering cupcakes for client meetings every day. When Paul returned from his trip, he wanted lunch in the office. Thomas ordered an amazing chicken salad from his sister's restaurant. Thomas also brought cupcakes with Paul's coffee, and Paul was amazed. He wanted another one. Jackie told Thomas to keep Paul as busy as possible, with a tight schedule and home for dinner. Paul even requested gym time in his agenda, and Thomas made sure to reserve time for it during lunch, meaning there was no time for them to go out for lunch.

Thomas arranged with his sister to prepare an easy two-course lunch every day. She also catered for meetings and provided lunch for the staff if they desired it.

Paul was extremely happy with Thomas's work. They became friends, and Thomas accompanied Paul wherever he went. Jackie was thrilled because Paul had no stress, was home more often, and stayed in shape. She had no worries that he would cheat on her like her father had cheated on her mother.

When Paul had a conference in Hawaii, Thomas got to join him. They spent a week attending meetings and parties. Thomas made a schedule for everything, including gym sessions, meetings, lunches, and dinners. Thomas woke up every morning at 5:30 to hit the gym, have a swim, lounge at the beach, take a quick shower, and start the day at 9:00 am. Paul, on the other hand, wanted to sleep in and didn't join Thomas for his early morning routine. Paul got drunk the first night during dinner and made remarks to Thomas about his amazing chest. Thomas wondered if Paul was flirting with him. The second night, Paul got drunk again and made remarks about Thomas's ass. Thomas pretended to drink but wasn't actually consuming alcohol as he preferred to stick to his gym routine in the mornings. On the third night, Paul got even more drunk and started making explicit remarks about how horny he was and how he had no sex with Jackie unless she wanted something new, like a car, jewelry, or luxurious vacations.

The next morning, Paul woke up with a hangover and had a greasy breakfast. He asked Thomas how he got back to his room, and Thomas replied that he had brought him back. Paul was embarrassed. However, the same scenario repeated itself on the fourth night, and this time, when Thomas brought Paul to his room, Paul had a boner. Thomas was intrigued yet confused.

On the fifth night, Paul once again got extremely drunk and once again asked Thomas to perform a sexual act. Thomas thought to himself, "He won't remember any of this tomorrow anyway," and proceeded to give Paul a blowjob. Paul's body was amazing, and his endowment was impressive. Thomas felt guilty the next day but was relieved that Paul didn't seem to remember anything.

Paul was extremely cheerful despite his hangover the following morning and asked Thomas if he had said anything strange the previous night. Thomas assured him that he hadn't. They went about their day as usual and returned home. To Thomas's surprise, he found a Gucci gift certificate worth €500 on his desk from Paul, thanking him for his efforts. Thomas felt happy and appreciated.

When asked why he had given Thomas the gift certificate, Paul simply said, "It can be hard keeping up with me." Thomas was satisfied with the response and went home to ask his sister to prepare a special cake for Paul. He served the cake during lunch as a dessert, and Paul ate the entire cake that afternoon. This turned Thomas on.

In the following months, Paul and Thomas had another conference, this time in the Bahamas. Thomas prepared everything just like before. However, the pattern of heavy drinking and sexual requests continued. Thomas found himself making Paul eat in exchange for sexual. Every favors night, the same scenario played out, but their encounters became more passionate. Thomas loved every minute of it.

Another Monday came, and Thomas found a small box on his desk. Inside were the keys to a Range Rover. The note attached said, "Thank you for the ride." Only senior management had Range Rovers, and Thomas was beyond ecstatic.

Thomas's care for Paul continued to grow. He brought more sweets and desserts after lunch. Paul's agenda became busier, leaving him with no time for workouts. Frustration set in for Jackie as she noticed Paul's tailored shirts becoming tighter, but Thomas found him more attractive. Thomas started bringing more food, and Paul kept eating.

Jackie soon began to complain to Thomas about Paul's cranky behavior. Thomas promised to take care of him and started bringing even more food. As a result, Paul kept eating and gaining weight.

Their next conference was in Las Vegas. The events and meetings were all held in the same hotel. Greasy breakfasts, big lunches, lavish dinners, and snacks during meetings became the norm. Paul's weight continued to increase, and Paul and Thomas continued their secret office affairs. Paul's body transformed, with his abs turning into a belly, but Thomas found him more sexy than ever. The gifts to Thomas kept coming, and their sexual encounters in the office became more frequent, happening twice a day.

One night, Paul walked into Thomas's office and said, "Thomas, we need to talk." Thomas felt scared but listened to what Paul had to say. Paul revealed that he had fallen in love with Thomas and couldn't continue working together. When Thomas suggested they become a couple, admitted Paul that he wasn't ready to come out. This left Thomas heartbroken and he left out Paul's office in tears. 

A few days went by, and Paul was miserable without Thomas. He called Thomas and asked him to come to his house. When Thomas arrived, he found Paul surrounded by food containers and in a messy state. Paul cried and expressed how much he needed Thomas in his life. They started living together, and Paul continued to grow in size. They were both happy, and the company expanded just like Paul's waistline. They made a great couple and the company was flourishing. 

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 3: Admiring Power

The family goes on chatting while I ladle soup into more bowls and pass them out, earning compliments as they dig in. I’m glad to see that they’re starting to accept me, but it’s still limiting since I’m the only one here who’s not a Shelby. I clean up what I can and then sneak off to my room, knowing that I have no reason to invade their family dinner. First I go to do some reading, but remember my only book is still in Finn’s room. All I have left is my Bible and a small embroidery project-

Huff!

I freeze at the new noise coming from outside the window. Cautiously, I creep over and stick my head out. What on Earth…? Oh. There’s a horse outside. But not just any horse. One of the most beautiful horses I’ve ever seen. Tall, black, and sleek.

“Well hello there,” I greet the animal. “Are you alone too? Want some company?” The horse tosses its head. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Sneaking out the window on my first night of employment might not be my best call, but I have better chances of making friends with this horse right now than I do with my employers. The window’s big enough to slide through, and the alley’s empty so I don’t have to worry about being seen. After I’m out and standing next to the grand animal, I hold out my hand for him to smell. 

“You’re magnificent. I bet you’re one of the Shelby’s horses. But I’m a bit surprised to find a horse like you being kept in this dodgy place. You deserve a wide, green pasture.”

“He has one.”

I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear Thomas’ voice, spinning to find him standing by a door a few feet away.

“Having a midnight rendezvous, are we?”

“N-No, Mr. Shelby. I was settling into my room when this creature asked to chat.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow. “He said that?”

“Well, no… But he does seem awfully friendly. When you’ve grown up in the city your whole life you don’t really get to interact with horses. Is this your horse?”

“Yes,” he states plainly.

“He’s beautiful.”

Thomas looks to see if I’m joking, but is surprised when I’m not. “Thank you. His name is Monaghan Boy, races at Kempton next week. Yesterday I arranged a bit of a magic trick to help him win.”

This surprises me, considering that Thomas seems to be the most bland of the group. “I didn’t take you for a man who believes in magic,” I say as I lean against the alley wall.

“You call it magic, I call it a publicity stunt. When Monaghan Boy wins he’ll gain more popularity and then everyone will bet on ‘im.”

“All profiting towards your business, I’m sure. You seem awfully young to run a bookkeeping business.”

Thomas cocks his head. “And you seem awfully young to be alone. What’s your story, love?”

At first my mind warns me to keep things simple and not to go into detail. No one needs to know my deep family roots, so I’ll keep it simple.

“My name is Verena Nora Steenstra. My father’s Dutch, and my mother’s Irish. All my life I’ve lived in Brooklyn, New York, and of course with my luck the first time we decide to take a vacation is when I get left behind.”

This gives Thomas an intrigued look. “That’s different. I’m sorry to hear that. Will your family come looking for you?”

I chuckle and give a halfhearted shrug. “Who knows. I’m the youngest of five brothers, and they’re always lecturing about how I need to ‘toughen up’ and ‘see the world.’ Maybe they left me here on purpose.”

“Seems harsh.”

“They’re family, I still love them.” I give Thomas a grin. “You’ve very good at interrogating, Mr. Shelby. A real gentleman, letting a woman do all the talking. But if you’re looking for any vital information I can’t help you. My father runs his business water-tight.”

Once again Thomas is fazed by my reaction. “Are all Americans this sassy? You’re much more sophisticated than I pinned you for.”

“Well thank you! I do admit I’m more reserved than some but when the time comes I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. But enough of me. Could you tell me a bit about how your family business works?”

Thomas suddenly goes stiff and looks around to make sure we’re alone. I don’t know why, but I’m finding myself opening up more to this strange character. He seems lost. Almost as if he can’t seem to figure out what to do with his life. He beckons me closer and I notice he smells faintly of mint, ash, and cigarettes. 

“I’ll tell you the basics, but you need to keep this to yourself. No blabbing to the coppers, is that clear?” He warns.

I nod stiffly. “Crystal.” I’ve known my fair share of keeping family secrets.

“Good. Arthur and Nipper work the books. Nipper’s not as important, Aurthur runs the show.”

“He seems… Nice.”

Thomas chuckles. “If you think that’s nice just wait ‘till you see him drunk.”

“I don’t plan to. And what is it you do, Mr. Shelby?”

Thomas gets a cocky look and steps closer, towering over me as his icy blue eyes seem to peer straight through me. “I think, so they don’t have to. I’m the one who drums up new money and keeps things in order. Such as discovering if new pretty faces like you are a threat.”

I stifle a laugh. “The closest I’d ever get to a threat is if you forced me to. My suggestion: keep your own business out of mine.”

This seems to please Thomas, because he gets a satisfied smile and leans in to whisper: “Good, then we understand each other.” He leans away, leaving me slightly dazed from him being so close. “Someone else you need to stay away from is Freddie Thorne. He’s the BSA union covener, and a communist.”

My eyebrows rise. “Better for me not to even meet him. If my father hears I’ve been involved with a commie he’ll disown me.” 

“Yeah, well, he didn’t used to be like that. If we have anything in common, we both give false hope to the poor. Freddie with his speeches, me with my horses,” Thomas remarks as he strokes Monaghan Boy.

“I can tell you’re very proud of your horses, as you should be. Seeing that black beauty of a beast trot through the street is enough to chill your blood.”

Thomas turns to me with a devilish grin. “You admire my horse?”

“I admire many things, Mr. Shelby.” Such as your suave demeanor and effective use of authority.

Something in Thomas’ eyes seems to flicker, a quick sign of vulnerability. “You know, normally I require that all employees call me that. However, since you’ve been hired to specifically help my brother and not to run the business, you can call me Thomas.”

Alright, what is this man’s angle? Butter me up and get me to spill my family’s secrets? Because I won’t. But that doesn’t mean his charm is going unnoticed. Never once has a man made my heart this light before and I’m hoping it doesn’t show.

“Very well, Thomas. Thank you for trusting me. I know that’s very important coming from you.”

“Sure is, love. Now I think we’d better get back inside before people start looking for you.” Thomas puts a surprisingly gentle hand on my shoulder and guides me to the back door, where I give one last wave to Monaghan Boy before he leads me back to my room.

“My room’s directly next to yours, so keep that in mind the next time you plan on sneaking out,” he warns lightly.

“Believe me, Thomas, you have no fear of me running off in the night. I don’t know where I’d go and probably wouldn’t be able to last one night without getting beaten to a pulp.”

Thomas tips his hat just before he goes to shut my door. “Goodnight, Verena.”

“Goodnight, Thomas.”

Once I’m alone again I quickly dress into my nightgown and turn off the lights, climb into bed and say a grateful prayer for all the help I’ve received today. Just before my heavy eyelids close, my last thought is of the unexpected feelings that Thomas Shelby has awoken inside me…

[evilasiangenius]

The bell jingled as the door opened and somehow it always jingled a little more sweetly when Crowley walked in the bookshop, as if the bell knew that the angel would be pleased to see Crowley.

However, that didn’t extend to the humans.

In whatever state of interest or book reading each person was in, they found themselves setting books down very, very carefully or delicately placing volumes back where they belonged before rushing out the door in a calm and controlled panic. This happened about once every few months or so, usually no more than once a month and the regulars knew it as a time to soothe their strangely distressed souls with vanilla ice and cake, in that specific order. Though sometimes it was strawberry ice and just once, chocolate.

“Angel!” Crowley exclaimed as he strutted in, black shoes clicking snappy upon the parquet floor, humans scuttling out in his wake. The demon took off his hat with a flourish. With hat in one hand and something else conspicuously hidden behind his back with his other hand, he smiled from behind dark-lensed glasses. “I have something for you.”

“Hmm?” Aziraphale looked up from his books. Not the books that made up his shop, but the accounting specifically. His spectacles slipped down his nose and Aziraphale brought his hand up to adjust the little gold-framed reading glasses that had lenses with no discernible degree of magnification but nonetheless helped him read better, or so he thought.

“A record!” Crowley pulled the square cardboard slip out from behind his back, brandishing it triumphantly. “And not just any record, but ‘Hep Hep! The Jumpin' Jive!’!”

“That is a lot of exclamation points,” Aziraphale said drolly, taking the record and looking at the cover. “But my dear, I actually already have a copy of this.”

“...how did you-” Crowley laughed, a short raucous sound. “That’s...that’s impossible, it was just recorded in New York a few hours ago.”

“I would say then that it’s impossible for you to have this as well,” Aziraphale’s mouth was pursed in a tiny amused grin. “So we’re at an impasse.”

“Seriously, impossible,” Crowley muttered, “that every time you beat me to it...”

“Well! That being said, I already have a copy, but I don’t have one from you.” Aziraphale smiled and slipped the record out of the sleeve. “And I haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet, what with all the bookkeeping today, accounting and otherwise. Shall we listen to it together?”

x

[andrigyn]

🌀

Ok so this is going to be a thing for neris week, assuming all goes to plan. To get yourself in the right headspace put this on

The year is 1925. The Archeron sisters are disgraced socialites from a small city, who lost their fortune when their parents passed in the 1918 pandemic. It turns out that their business was struggling, and the sisters were left penniless.

Feyre convinces Nesta and Elain that a move to New York City could be a fresh start, and at the very least there was factory work. It isn't long until Feyre catches the eye of a wealthy man, Rhysand, who proposes quickly and vows to lift the family out of poverty.

Nesta doesn't take to Rhys and his inner circle, so he and Feyre end up cutting her off. Nesta then tries her hand at being an elementary school teacher, but is quickly demoralized by the low pay and poor treatment from her superiors. The pay is so low that she's barely scraping by, and one night decides she may as well try prostitution before she begs her sister and her new husband for help.

That night, at a speakeasy, she propositions the first man who catches her eye, Eris Vanserra. He is drawn to Nesta instantly, so instead he offers her a position as his bookkeeper. The Vanserra family owns a massive shipping company, but Nesta quickly figures out that she's meant to help with the smuggling of alcohol. The pay is too good to refuse though, and she can't tell if it's the money that keeps her around or if she's truly falling for Eris. There's also the fact that some of the Vanserra's bootleggers are going missing, and some keep turning up dead.

Now that Nesta is making a shit ton of money, and gallivanting around town and high society with Eris, Rhys and Feyre try to put a stop to it, since it really looks like she's having an improper relationship with Eris. Due to the nature of the work they end up being alone a lot, going on trips, etc. The IC tries to arrange a marriage between Nesta and Cassian to bring her back into the family.

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