#I am a professional in my field you needn’t worry

[ranger-crow]

acid downpour for the ask game?

Acid Downpour - Have you ever eaten something you shouldn't have?

Look- I’m outside a lot and sometimes the intrusive thoughts win okay don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to eat a leaf!

And sometimes Hibiscus will be eating from a tree and rip off a branch to give to me- and it’s not like it’ll kill me so I take a bite to make her happy and feel like she’s providing for her herd-

It’s not my proudest moments alright

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

Owl Intelligence, and Respecting Their Way of Thought

For those of you who have followed my (original) blog for some time, my stance on owl intelligence should be clear. I am of the mind that owls are just as intelligent as a hawk or a falcon, and the pervasive reputation of these birds as being “lazy” and “stupid” animals is one of my biggest pet peeves.

The Myth of Owl Stupidity

In a cruel twist of fate, this mischaracterization of owls as being “slow” often comes from those who work with owls professionally because owls do not respond to the same training as their diurnal counterparts, but if you are constantly trying to shove a square peg in a triangular hole, it may not be the peg that’s unintelligent.

Diurnal raptors are only distantly related to owls, so it should not be a shock the two groups have more differences than similarities. A hawk is straightforward; they react to visual stimuli much like humans do, and they are at their peak confidence during the daylight. A hawk will look around, see no danger, and feel perfectly content to preen or eat from the glove. They burn off a lot more energy than owls as well since they capture prey by chase and have to be very active in searching for visual queues. A hawk will enter a dark room or have a hood slipped over its head and become almost catatonic because a lack of visual stimulus cues the hawk to feel calmed and stay in place much like they would to roost.

Owls see with their ears, not their eyes. An owl is also an ambush hunter rather than pursuit, every part of their instinctual wiring is geared to ensure they are not seen. If they are not seen and if they are not heard, they are safe, and they can be fed and they can relax in their invisibility. Because of their desires to remain unnoticed, they rarely show the same dramatic flight response of their diurnal cousins. Unlike the hawk, a frightened owl will not attempt relentlessly to take flight, a frightened owl sits as still as possible.

If you’re training a hawk and find it standing in place and looking at its surroundings without apparent urgency, it is a sign the hawk is confident; it needn’t watch you as you aren’t a threat, and it needn’t flee because it is safe and you will provide it food sufficiently. It can take time to look around at other things.

If you’re training an owl and it exhibits a similar behavior of standing firm on the glove and turning its head away from you to look at something else, this is a sign the owl is uncomfortable and worried, it’s not looking around out of curiosity, but to find an exit or a better hiding spot since it feels very visible on fist in the open.

Point of View of the Owl

When training hawks, the mutual relationship between man and bird is obvious. You are providing the hawk a secure roost, food, water, and freedom from disease. The hawk is more than willing to humor you in standing on your glove as though it were a tree limb and take time to look curiously upon whatever new sights you have to offer it, or to chase game you flush for it in the field.

Owls are more complex because the idea of being paraded in front of a crowd of humans or hunting game your noisy feet will scare away are very disagreeable to the owl for good reason. As I said, an owl is comfortable when it is not observed. Owls have a slower metabolism as well, meaning they do not hold food in the same esteem as the hawk. There is little urgency in an owl’s need to eat if all it has to feed is itself and it’s finished growing. Therefore, the only benefit a human can provide an owl is security. If you are not keeping the owl safe from scenarios that frighten it, you are not meeting your end of the bargain, and the owl views it as a betrayal because to be seen and to feel unsafe is torturous to these birds.

Owls find companionship to be disagreeable as well, and do not enjoy physical touch or constantly being around a human or other animals. They only spend a few months of the year with their mate and owlets, the exception being burrowing owls who are more tolerant of company, but do not particularly crave it either in many cases. They simply hold it with indifference rather than displeasure.

Because of the strictly solitary nature of owls, they may become disagreeable in turn if you don’t give them their space. An owl prefers to be alone in its enclosure for most of the day and night undisturbed, and the only parts of the owl that should be touched are the keel (to determine body condition) and the talons (to ensure anklets can be placed in a way that will minimize stress). The face of the adult owl should never be touched unless it’s to briefly help it get something off, like residue from food or dirt that would be more irritating if left caked on the bird. Any touch at all to the bird should only be done for clinical reasons.

All of this is what makes owls incredibly unethical to keep as pets. Invariably, videos of pet owls show the birds being relentlessly stroked like dogs, forced to interact with humans or other pets, and taken to noisy places like a living room with the TV on or a store. Some even go as far as dressing them up in costumes.

Owl behavior and cognition in terms of how they see their world are complex enough that I can’t fully cover it in a tumblr post, but if you take away nothing else understand this much: owls are not cats, they are not dolls, they are not pets. An owl is a wild animal misunderstood even by self-proclaimed experts and many of us in the field are only just recently actually seeing them. There are so many misconceptions about owls that lead to them being abused and traumatized by being treated by something they aren’t.

In many ways, an owl is very much a wise animal because they devote all their time to silently observing. What people mistake as the bird simply “zoning out” is actually the bird analyzing everything it’s hearing and seeing. They don’t need to look around to observe, their ears see even more than their very keen eyes. They make silent note of everything you do in their presence, and if you misstep and cross them, they will remember it.

Owls may not have a “complex” language humans can quantify, and they may not use tools, but they also don’t need to. These should not be the end all be all of how we measure intelligence in animals. In solitary animals, there is no push for them to develop a language, and in animals as well adapted as an owl, there is no push to learn to use tools. They have every tool they need attached to their bodies as is.

Their way of thinking is alien to humans, as we are diurnal animals which require socialization to survive, but this in no way means they are not intelligent. They are simply different. An owl is very smart at being an owl after all.

[shysneeze]

persuasion (part three)

George Weasley x  Malfoy!Reader

Description: a quidditch match at the burrow has the reader and george flung together again and more of the past creeping up 

Warnings: it’s 2 am, i’m not convinced ik what this is but i think it’s angsty again, i swear again most likely, lmk if i missed something pls 

authors note: I... don’t even know if this is coherent english 

tag list: @andineversawyoucoming @theweirdsideofstuff @the-grey-lady13 @peanutem @paigeyisme @wolfiepirate @sir-lili

(pls let me know if u don’t wanna be tagged anymore ik it’s awkward but id hate to think i was annoying you so i don’t mind :))

series masterlist

(Y/N) can hardly tell if she’s shaking from the cold or her nerves when she arrives in the grassy meadows of the infamous Burrow. Although the sun sits high in the cloudless March sky, the bitter chill of winter lingers and nips at her bare fingers and she grinds her teeth to stop them chittering, suddenly regretting her decision to leave her scarf at home, though glad for the flask of coffee in her tote bag.

The apparation point she’s arrived at is a bit of a distance from where Fleur explained the match is to take place, although from here, (Y/N) can see the lopsided silhouette of the childhood home George so perfectly describe to her during nights spent curled together in the astronomy tower. She can hear the faint rumble of laughter and chatter ahead and begins to worry she may be very late, picking up her pace as she trudges up the gravelly path.

It’s not until at the brow of a small hill, (Y/N) can make out what is to be the makeshift pitch for today’s match, a flat grassy field parked outside the topsy-turvy looking building she can recognise from just the stories. She remembers being guiltily envious of George’s family back then, the way he described it as loud, but cheerful, and basically everything the Manor was not.

(Y/N) is startled by how quickly that feeling has resituated itself in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the red-headed family and their friends on the field. She can no longer hide her nerves, an anxious feeling unfurling in her chest as she gets closer. She forces herself to keep on track, reminding herself that she’s here for Fleur, not to punish herself like her subconscious has suddenly decided.

“(Y/N)!”

Fleur’s voice carries from the end of the path to where (Y/N) has temporarily frozen to calm herself. Her friend’s excitement has a smile inching itself up (Y/N)’s cheeks and her feet moving again until Fleur is flinging her arms around her.

“You came!” She gushes.

“I RSVP’d.” (Y/N) reminds, smile wavering at her friend’s doubt in her. “So here I am.”

“Well it’s so good to see you.” Fleur grins. “I was just wondering when you’d arrive.”

“Am I late?” (Y/N) grimaces.

“No!” Fleur assures quickly. “No, we’re still setting up.”

“Oh.” She sighs in relief. “Can I help?”

Fleur lets out a light laugh as she loops an arm through (Y/N)’s and begins to walk them towards the others. (Y/N) can’t figure out what it is about her question that’s so funny until they’re stood behind a plump red-headed woman, hand on her hip as she gives out orders to her various children.

“You’re supposed to be getting rid of the last of the gnomes!” She chides. “Oh, Hermione dear, not you, it’s okay.”

“Not a chance Molly will let you help.” Fleur whispers, an amused edge to her voice. “Hermione’s not been a guest in years and she’s still exempt.”

“Ron, I told you to help your brother get the brooms- it’s like herding Nifflers with their eyes on someone else’s watch!”

Fleur chuckles softly at her mother-in-law before taking a step away from (Y/N)’s side and tapping the older woman’s shoulder gently as her friend’s eyes widen in panic, longing to reach out for Fleur and pull her back. She needs at least a five-minute inner pep-talk before she’ll be prepared to meet the Weasley’s mother.

It’s too late though, the lady of the house is already turning with a startled jump to face her daughter-in-law, questioning look in her eyes. Fleur nods toward (Y/N), who can only hope her face doesn’t display the sheer distraught she’s feeling inside.

“This is the friend I was telling you I was inviting.” Fleur informs. “(Y/N) Malfoy.”

(Y/N) does a bad job at hiding how she flinches at her own surname, a habit she’s had since she was old enough to realise how other people viewed her family. She gulps at the lingering confusion on Mrs Weasley’s face before the woman is plastering on a kind-hearted smile and stretching her hand out.

“Lovely to meet you, (Y/N).” She says. “Molly Weasley.”

(Y/N) scrambles to wipe the nervous perspiration from her palms embarrassingly before reaching out for the older woman’s hand and shaking it. A glint of amusement, one that mimics the twin’s in a way, flashes in the older woman’s eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs Weasley.” (Y/N) says. “Thank you for having me.”

“Of course.” Mrs Weasley waves her hand dismissively. “A friend of Fleurs- and Fred’s, is a friend of the family.”

“T-thank you.” (Y/N) stutters. “I didn’t know what sort of food to bring but uh, I brought coffee.”

Embarrassment finds (Y/N) quickly, flustered by this woman’s kindness, that seems to ignore all the horrible thing (Y/N)’s family did to hers. No one warned her growing up how much guilt her surname carried, especially when the rest of her family wore it like a badge of honour right until the war. It’s worse right now though, stood in front of George’s mother, feeling as though she’s lying by omission.

“You needn’t have brought a thing.” Mrs Weasley smile kindly. “But thank you nonetheless.”

“Can I help set up at all?” (Y/N) tries, making Fleur smirk.

“Goodness, no.” Mrs Weasley laughs. “You’re a guest. No, just you find yourself a seat, my dear.”

There is no time for protest on (Y/N)’s part as Mrs Weasley is already shouting at Fred and Ginny for bickering on the pitch, exclaiming ‘you’re not even in the air yet!’. Fleur gives (Y/N) a smug look before nodding the pair onwards.

After a moment, they begin to discuss the teams. (Y/N) can only agree that it all seems rather unfair, observing that half the Gryffindor team are here, a mixture of the Weasley’s and their friends, not to mention Ginny’s professional status.. They’re laughing together at this when (Y/N) collides with a red-headed man, drawing several expletives from his lips and then a hasty apology.

“Oh shit, sorry I didn’t see you…”

George trails off, eyes meeting his unfortunate victim’s as she rubs at the spot where the broom sticks he was carrying had smacked her on the head. She drops her eyes to the ground upon recognition of his identity and mutters out a quiet apology and assures him he’s fine. Her heart is racing, much like last time they’d met eyes at the Leaky. He frowns having not expected her at all today, taken off guard, again.

“I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I RSVP’d.” She repeats with a sigh. “Oh, you didn’t know that.”

“No.” He admits.

“I invited her.” Fleur assures. “I told Fred.”

“That explains it.” George sighs loudly. “Stupid git.”

“Well, we’re going to get seats.” Fleur announces. “Try not to knock her over on your way past.”

“I wasn’t paying attention.” (Y/N) mumbles. “My fault.”

She looks up shyly and meets his brown eyes again, gulping at the intensity of the look her gives her. She thinks for a moment he’s never going to look away when a voice from the pitch snaps his attention away and she feels like she’s free to breathe again.

“C’mon, George.” A woman she recognises as Angelina Johnson, calls. “We need those brooms to play!”

George gives both Fleur and (Y/N) a sort of apologetic look before shouldering the boom sticks again and jogging towards the pitch where the rest of the players wait impatiently for him. Fleur watches as (Y/N) stares wide eyed at the ground, trying to still her panicked heart. She gently touches her friend’s arm and tilts her head in concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” (Y/N) exhales. “Sorry, it won’t even bruise.”

Fleur purses her lips and holds back from explaining that’s not what she was asking about. (Y/N) gives her a clearly forced smile then begins to walk again.

When they finally take a seat on one of the many picnic blankets by the other spectators, (Y/N) pulls out her flask of coffee from her tote bag and hands Fleur a cup cheerfully, as if it’ll distract from the interaction she’s just witnessed. From  the pitch, Fred is waving at them, beaming happily.

“You came!” He hollers.

“I RSVP’d!” (Y/N) calls back, barely hiding her frustration.

He lets out a laugh at her reaction, his body shakes with it and his eyes crinkle like George’s do, head tilted backwards as he chuckles. It rids her of her upset at being doubted, bringing a smile to her lips. She can note now, no longer preoccupied by trying to fight off a mental breakdown in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron, that she likes seeing him healthy

She remembers when she found him during the battle, laying almost lifeless on the ground, she wasn’t sure he’d ever be healthy again, even after she’d used all the healing spells she could think of. Hearing he’d recovered after the war was one of the first time’s she’d felt anything other than numb since Harry’s victory.

“Where’s your kit?” He calls.

“I don’t play.” She returns defensively.

“What?” He asks. “Too scared we’ll beat you?”

“Sure.” 

“Aw c’mon.” He tries. “We’ve got a spare broom.”

“Leave it, Fred.” George says, eyes lifting to find (Y/N)’s before jumping away again. “She’s scared of heights.”

(Y/N) looks away with what she hopes comes across as embarrassment, although her mind is already whirring with the fact he remembers. She finds herself swiftly falling down what she knows will be a self-destructive path and wondering what of her other quirks and habits he remembers, if he remembers how she takes her tea, or if he thinks of her when her favourite song plays. It has her feeling terrible in thirty seconds, a split second of hope killed in an instant by her own guilt.

Fred gives her an apologetic look and she shakes her head in assurance that it’s okay. He turns back to the rest of his team and leaves only Fleur staring at (Y/N) with a curious frown. (Y/N) offers her a shrug and sheepish smile that her friend sees straight through.

“I didn’t know you were scared of heights.” She frowns.

“Oh, well it’s my secret silly fear.”

“Hmm.” Fleur hums.

Fleur opens her mouth as if looking for what to say next as (Y/N) sips at her coffee and avoids eye contact, as if that will in anyway make her friend less suspicious. Fleur seems to give in though, lips shutting in what looks like defeat. (Y/N) Is glad when people begin to mount their brooms, a welcome distraction for both the women.

It takes a bit for the game to get into full swing but when it does, (Y/N) finds herself transported back to Hogwarts, sat in the Slytherin stands pretending she cares what her house’s team does, spending the entire game watching George as he flies. She watches him now, still as impressed as she always was, yet still as anxious.

“You nearly fell sixty feet.” (Y/N) hissed, pacing the boys changing rooms long after everyone else was gone. “You’re an idiot.”

“I’m fine.” He rolled his eyes.

“You could have died!”

“I didn’t though.” He grinned proudly. “Were you worried about me, Love?”

She fixed him a harsh glare at his teasing, but her face softened when he reached for her, fingers fumbling for her hand and pulling her in until she landed on his lap. He pushed some hair from her face and gave her a genuine smile.

“You’re very cute all worried like that.” He exhaled. “I might nearly die more often.”

“Don’t you dare.” She warned but cupped his cheeks in her hands. “Never again.”

She leaned in and kissed the forming bruise just above his left eyebrow, the cut on the bridge of his nose and then, just in case, the mark on his jaw that she couldn’t decipher as a bruise or just some dirt. He smiled lazily at her before tilting his head in order to connect their lips in a kiss.

“I’ll try not to worry you again.”

He had, she recalls, continued to worry her almost every match. However, now she feels like she doesn’t have the same right to be worried, yet she still finds herself clutching her cup tighter every time he does a flip or when he seems like he might miss the bludger. She finds herself letting out a breath of relief when the game is called a while later.

“That was a good game.” She speaks up.

“Even with the tie.” Fleur agrees.

“It was to be expected with such a high skill set on each team.” (Y/N) shrugs.

“I’m just glad Bill is finally on the ground again.” Fleur laughs softly. “It’s like I’m holding my breath the entire time- it’s silly.”

“No, it’s not.” (Y/N) assures kindly. “Quidditch is dangerous- probably more so with your siblings.”

Fleur gives her a grateful smile before turning back to the pitch, where Lee is being grilled for his referee skills, making (Y/N) chuckle to herself. Her eyes catch George, grinning with his family and friends. Fleur follows her gaze and nods.

“You see it too?”

“What?”

“Angelina and George.” Fleur explains. “We always thought Fred but recently…”

(Y/N) hadn’t noticed in fact, she was more entranced by his  lovable lopsided grin, but now her eyes find him again and she does see it. Initially she’s more perplexed by it than anything else because Fleur is right, it was always Fred. Now though, Angelina is leaning in to George, grinning up at him and laughing dramatically at his jokes and (Y/N) despises how it makes her feel, because she left him and he has the right to move on. However, her guts are churning with jealousy and she hates it.

“Yeah.” Fleur laughs at her expression. “Confusing, huh?”

“Hmm.” She nods.

“There are few bets on it.” Fleur informs. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“I won’t weigh in.” (Y/N) manages a chuckle. “Definitely not my place.”

It becomes quickly noticeable from that point onwards and (Y/N) almost wishes Fleur had never pointed it out. As the day moves on and they all sit haphazardly spread out across the various picnic blankets, (Y/N) does find it slightly easier to distract herself though, her eyes rarely making their usual trip to George a few feet in front of her, though every so often she can feel his eyes on her. However, she finds herself somewhat relaxed as she chats with Fred and Bill.

“I’m impressed you came after seeing this idiot drunk.” Bill jokes from Fleurs side. “It’s not pretty.”

“Ouch.” Fred gasps.

“I have a feeling the morning after was uglier.” (Y/N) smirks.

“You have no idea.” Fred agrees. “George was no help either- wouldn’t bloody shut up.”  

Fred’s eyes meet (Y/N) with this, a hint at what George wouldn’t shut up about perhaps, or even who. (Y/N)’s panicked is stilled when she realises his eyes don’t hold any malice or anger, though she’s not sure why not. It’s almost understanding, the look he gives her. Despite her resolve not to, she finds herself peering over at the boy in question.

She’s caught though, his eyes filtering away from his conversation to meet hers and she inhales sharply. Something in her reaction this time has him smirking, shaking his head as he turns back to the heated debate on the best type of broom with Angelina and Ginny. It’s mortifying to (Y/N), like he’s seen her panic and knows he’s done it, what’s worse is she knows she deserves it.

She misses the time that smirk would find her across the classroom, knowing and infuriating, and almost always the gateway to a quick snog in a hidden corridor, or at dinner, across the sea of other students and only for her, swiftly followed by a wink. She hates that that smirk suddenly has guilt swirling in her stomach instead of butterflies.

“Are you okay?” Fleur whispers.

“Yep.” She assures with a faked smile. “Great.”

…

It’s when her watch reads four o’clock that (Y/N) finds herself excusing herself and flung into a seemingly endless chain for farewells. She’s again amazed by how accepting everyone is of her presence, all calling for her to join them again soon. It’s after a hug and a muttered ‘thank you’ from Fleur that she stands to leave.

She’s jittery with a sort of pride as she leaves With a few hiccups, she’s still happy to have managed to hold conversations and to relax. She doesn’t feel so compelled to cry as she had at the Leaky certainly not until she gets home. Certainly not until George’s voice is suddenly halting her in her tracks.

“Malfoy.”

That about does it though, her surname said with that animosity. She doesn’t want to turn around from fear of her distraught showing on her face. She’s only a few meters from apparating, so close that a few steps would do it. However, slowly, she turns to face him.

“Am I supposed to just call you Weasley now?”

She winces the moment it leaves her lips and lets out a quick apology. She’s no idea where it came from. He has an eerily unreadable expression, instead just passing her the tote bag she apparently left behind. She takes it shyly, eyes casting down to her feet as she thanks him. He shrugs at her, already turning on his heels. She stands still for a moment then finds herself tempted again by a part of her she has no right to have.

“George?”

He stills but doesn’t turn around and she smiles at his stubbornness, so familiar to her.

“You described it all perfectly you know.” She explains, voice soft in the quiet of the meadows, the house, and the others far behind them. “Your house and your family… I know why you love them so much.”

She doesn’t give him time to answer, already taking those few steps and apparating with a crack before he can even turn around again. He breathes out a disbelieving chuckle and shakes his head as he retreats towards the house. 

She’s always saying things he doesn’t expect and impressing him, and she knows how to make it bloody difficult to hate her.

[jovialyouthmusic]

Silver Service

A Royal Romance AU Fanfic sequel to Protect and Serve

Damien arrives in Cordonia and discovers all Bastien’s secrets. Sophia is intrigued to meet Bastien’s former lover.

Word Count 3472

A/N Just a little smut, so No under 18s

6 Meeting up

Damien refastened his seatbelt as the private jet descended. It had been night time when he boarded and he hadn’t recognised the livery, and as it was a private flight he hadn’t seen it on the departure board to check where he would be going. The taciturn young man that had accompanied him on his flight was no more informative about their destination than Bastien had been. He wasn’t allowed to use his mobile phone on the flight so couldn’t check with a location finder – but he was pretty sure the water below them was the Mediterranean. It was early morning – most of the flight had been in the dark and he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes open so had dozed for an hour or more.

The jet swept over a pretty coastal town, over fields and an impressive building standing in extensive grounds before flying on to a small airport, snowy mountains in the distance. As they taxied to a standstill the other man spoke at last.

‘Welcome to Cordonia, Mr Nazario. Mr Lykel will meet you personally and we’ll make our way to Applewood Manor. Sadly the Palace is undergoing refurbishment at the moment’

‘Cordonia? Palace?’ Damien was barely any more well informed, and he puzzled as to where he was. True to the other man’s word, Bastien was on the tarmac waiting next to a large limo. He smiled in greeting and took his hand and slapped him on the back in a brief embrace. He noticed the cane he carried, and a slight limp as he moved to greet him. He had lost some weight and looked a little less than his usual hale hearty self.

‘Nazario – thankyou for coming. I guess you have a lot of questions. I’ll try to answer them on the way’ Damien noted that the limo had a crest of sorts that matched the one on the private jet.

‘Damn Bastien, you bet I’ve got questions. Where he hell am I to start with? I’ve never heard of Cordonia’

‘It’s not a well known country’ he answered as they got into the car. The other man got into the front with the driver. ‘As you guessed when we went to the restaurant in New York, we’re in between Greece and Italy. We have strong links with other smaller countries like Monaco and Auvernal’

‘Auvernal – now you’re making things up’ Damien complained

‘Well, as you’re having trouble believing me, I’ll just have to tell you more and assure you it’s all true. I work for the royal family of Cordonia. I’m head of the King’s Guard, who protect the King and his family. I have a number of men under my command.’ Damien goggled – it was all too much for him to take in so he honed in on his appearance.

‘Bas – something happened to you didn’t it – what’s with the cane?’ Bastien looked grim.

‘There was an assassination attempt at the new King’s coronation – I took a bullet to the shoulder and another to the thigh. The culprit was a lone gunman but we’re having trouble finding out if he was supported by any organisations. The person we want help to locate has kidnap and coercion under his belt, and may have links to anti monarchist organisations’ Damien drew in his breath at the news of Bastien’s injuries. He put his hand on his knee and squeezed it softly.

‘Hell Bas, I’m sorry to hear you got shot up. I’m glad you’re still around to tell the tale.’ Bastien nodded and dropped his head, but looked up at him.

‘Damien, we have to keep this professional’ he said, and he took his hand back.

‘We’ll have some private time together, I hope’ Damien said, but Bastien looked away for a moment.

‘About that. Last time we met, you asked if there was someone special, and I said no – well that’s changed’ Damien’s stomach did a little flip. Bastien’s expression changed, softened. ‘I think you’d like her – I’d met her just before the last time we met, but I didn’t know what was in store for me’ He looked out of the window at the passing countryside ‘She’s changed my life – I can see a future with her - perhaps even a family, who knows. I’m taking a lesser role in work – at least physically. I’m leaving field work to younger fitter men and working more on organising and advising’ Damien swallowed past a lump in his throat

‘I’m pleased for you’ he said brightly ‘I won’t do anything inappropriate, you can rely on that’ Bastien looked at him again.

‘You should meet – I’ve told her about you and she’d like to. We’re on our way to Applewood Manor – after the Palace it’s the Royal Families’ second home – we have quarters there and you’ll be staying in a guest suite.’ Damien laughed

‘You live in a Palace and we’re going to a Manor? Man, I’d never have worked that out for myself. I tried asking the hotel you took me to who had that suite – they wouldn’t tell me’

‘I told you you’d not be able to find out’ Bastien laughed. The two men continued to talk on the way to the Manor. They went straight to the security suite to work, as few people were up and about, and they had breakfast sent in to the office so they could cover more ground. Bastien gave him everything he had on Justin, and Damien got to work on finding as much about him online as he could. He asked to interview Lucretia, who was still being held in custody nearby, and made some phone calls to Interpol head office.

Bastien arranged for Sophia to join them in the staff dining room at lunchtime then showed Damien to his suite. Liam came along to introduce himself, and Damien was struck by how regal yet approachable the young man was. Damien felt in a daze at the sudden change in his surroundings, and had to keep pinching himself. He felt strangely light headed and disconnected from reality, but thinking about his work grounded him. When lunch time came he was ready to catch up on some sleep, but he was intrigued to meet the love of Bastien’s life.

When Sophia entered the dining room, he caught his breath at the sight of the attractive young blonde. Bastien had told him of the age difference and Damien sat squarely between them, five years older than she and five younger than his friend and former lover. Bastien leapt up – or moved as quickly as his injury allowed him to – and went to her side, beaming with happiness. He put his arm round her waist and kissed her cheek fondly, turning her to face Damien, pointing him out. He had never seen the older man smile so warmly, and he swallowed a lump in his throat at seeing him so deeply affected.

Sophia looked Damien straight in the eye, and for a moment her pupils darkened. Bastien saw the change, and his smile faded slightly as Sophia reached out to shake Damien’s hand. He barely heard the introduction as he stared at her, mesmerised. He saw an exchange between them as she broke eye contact and took her hand back – a quick look that told him that Sophia realised Bastien had noticed the look in her eyes, but she pressed herself into his side and gazed at him adoringly, snaking her arm around his waist before looking back at Damien. Her eyes and her body language now very clearly said I’m attracted to you, but I belong to Bastien.

The whole exchange took seconds, and Bastien was back to his stoic persona, Sophia smiling politely and saying how pleased she was to meet him. The three of them took a table away from the other staff, already set with bowls of soup and fresh bread, salad and cheese. Bastien watched them with a hint of apprehension. He needn’t have worried, as they talked easily and it was plain that they would become firm friends.

‘Bastien, I think Damien should come and have dinner with us tonight’ Sophia said. Bastien nodded as he spooned soup from the bowl, hot and fragrant.

‘If you’d like, theá mou’ he replied. Damien raised his eyebrows

‘Okay, you’ve used that name more than once. Can I ask what it means?’ Sophia smiled slyly and Bastien coloured slightly as she leant across to speak quietly

‘It means ‘my Goddess’ in Greek’ she winked ‘Isn’t it adorable?’ Bastien cleared his throat in embarrassment as Damien grinned

‘I didn’t know Bas was so sappy’ he laughed ‘You obviously bring it out in him, he’s a lucky man’ It was Sophia’s turn to blush now, and she sat back.

‘Careful now Mr Nazario, that invitation for dinner can be revoked very swiftly’

‘I’m sorry – you’re so lucky to have found each other, I don’t know who I envy the most.’ Damien said diplomatically. After they had eaten, Sophia went off to meet up with Riley, and Bastien suggested Damien go back to his room to catch up on missed sleep before dinner. He took him back to his room and stopped outside the door.

‘Sophia is amazing, I understand why you’re committed’ Damien said, and the guard smiled fondly

‘I’m glad you two seem to get on. I’m looking forward to you coming over tonight’ he said ‘Tomorrow we can go over a few more things you might like to help with – I’ll tell you later why we’re here and not at the Palace.’

‘Sure thing Bas, see you later’

------

Yet again Anton – or Justin as he was better known by Bastien and others in and around the Palace - was in a very bad mood. Their contact at the Palace had fallen silent and suspicious things were happening there. He didn’t believe the stories about a kitchen accident or renovations. His sources – which were becoming scarcer and scarcer – told him that the building had been evacuated and the army brought in, probably to scour it from top to bottom to look for security breaches. That meant his advantages had been lost – there was nobody there to get him access, and nobody there worth targeting even if he or his men had been able to get in.

‘Our contact’s phone has been deactivated.’ Claudius said ‘I suspect that she may have used the explosives to detonate it, and that’s why the Palace has been evacuated. She’s most likely dead, but as far as I can tell nobody else appears to have been injured or incapacitated. Lykel was seen making his way to Applewood, as was Liam and Regina. It appears they’re moving operations there for now.’

‘All that work getting the photographs down the drain’ Anton seethed ‘It’s all been explained away, and Adelaide is a serious security risk. How was the Duchess the last time you met?’

‘Compliant and voracious’ Claudius answered ‘I don’t know how much we can trust her’

‘Next time she contacts you, arrange to meet up in Monaco’ Anton said ‘We can’t risk you going back to Cordonia just yet. She can meet with an unfortunate accident and that part of the trail will go cold.’ Claudius blanched. He had enjoyed dominating Lady Adelaide, but although he didn’t hold any affection for her, he didn’t think she deserved to die for the cause.

‘I think she could still be useful’ he asserted ‘She’s well motivated to place her daughter in power as queen’

‘I’ll consider it’ said Anton ‘Meanwhile I want a meeting to discuss how to proceed in our bid for power. Call the others in, I want to meet face to face’

‘Is that wise?’ Claudius asked ‘It’s a security risk to have everyone in one place’

‘Lykel doesn’t have a clue where we are or who we are and we aren’t in Cordonia any more. I’ll be the judge as to how safe it is’ Anton snarled.

------

Bastien watched Sophia as she laughed at Damien’s jokes over dessert in their suite. He had worried about Sophia being threatened by Damien, now he was concerned that it should be him that was threatened by his former lover. He and Sophia were closer in age and they were getting on extremely well. He had endured some teasing about his personal habits - the way he always folded his clothes had come under scrutiny and he was waiting for one or the other of them to drop the bombshell that the only time he was ever untidy was in the throes of passion.

He got hot under the collar thinking about the trail of clothes he had left in the past – from Damien’s front door to his bed, from his own front door through the lounge to the bed he shared with Sophia. His thigh ached and throbbed and he wished he could just send Damien away and sink into a hot bath, or ask Sophia to work her magic with her soft hands. He was trying to hide his ill temper and embarrassment and stifled a yawn. Sophia looked at him sharply and he saw recognition in her eyes.

‘Damien, I know you caught up on your sleep earlier, but Bas got up very early this morning and…’ she started to say, but Bastien found himself snapping

‘I’m fine Sophia, you don’t have to make excuses for me.’ He put his hand to his forehead and her expression changed to one of concern. ‘Really I’m fine’  Damien looked a little sheepish

‘I should probably get back to my room’ he said ‘Before I got here my sleep schedule was shot so I didn’t actually got caught up before. I’m guessing you’re a hard taskmaster and I’ll need to be sharp tomorrow. If I get a lead I may have to leave at short notice’ He got to his feet and Sophia leapt up too.

‘I’ll see you out’ she said ‘can you remember your way back? It’s right at the other end of the building – the place is pretty full right now after having to close down the Palace’ Damien smiled weakly

‘I can always ask someone – don’t trouble yourself.’ He briefly put a hand to Sophia’s shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then turned to Bastien ‘I still can’t get used to all this – you working for royalty. I’d never have guessed, Bas.’ He made a move toward him as he struggled to his feet to say goodbye, and stopped awkwardly. He held his hand out for a brief handshake ‘I’ll see you for breakfast then’ he said, giving Bastien an apologetic look.

‘Yes, I’ll send someone for you’ he replied tersely. Damien turned away and Sophia followed him. He started toward the bedroom, his leg stiff and painful. Sophia got to the bed before him, and hovered by his shoulder.

‘Are you okay Bas?’ she asked ‘You look tired’

‘I am’ he said tersely ‘I’ll be fine once I’ve rested, don’t worry’ She stood by as he sat on the edge of the bed to take his shoes off, but he winced and she knelt to help him. He was too tired to protest, and sighed heavily

‘I don’t deserve you’ he said ‘You should be off with someone your own age, not looking after someone old and broken.’ Sophia stopped and looked at him sharply

‘Bastien, self pity doesn’t suit you.’ She scolded ‘I’ll admit I’m attracted to Damien – but I’d never act on it. We’ll be good friends, but that’s all. For all you know he’s probably more attracted to you than to me.’ She put his shoes away neatly, and he stared at his feet for a moment before leaning down to take his socks off, wincing again so she helped him, and knelt in front of him, forcing him to look her in the eye ‘Bastien, I love you and I’m going to look after you – don’t you remember doing the same for me after Justin…’ her voice caught in her throat and she hurriedly cleared it. He reached out and stroked her cheek as she pulled herself together ‘We’ll look after each other’

‘I’m sorry, theá mou’ he said ‘Sometimes I ask myself how I got so lucky, and I’m afraid of losing you, or waking up to find it’s all a dream’ She turned her head to kiss his hand.

‘That’s funny – I feel exactly the same’ she smiled ‘Two negatives cancel each other out, so I suppose we’re stuck with each other’ Bastien laughed

‘Thankyou, my goddess, I’m beginning to feel that I might manage to make you feel very happy before we go to sleep. I adore you, my English temptress’ He leaned forward and gently took her chin, pressing his lips to hers.

‘Oh, I’ll keep you to that promise, Mr Lykel’ she grinned ‘Get your clothes off and let’s see what happens’

------

Sophia stirred in bed, waking after a deep satisfied  post coital sleep, knowing something was different. Bastien was fast asleep beside her, but something had woken her – the sound of the suite door softly closing. She tensed, listening to stealthy footsteps. She was frozen, immobile, silent as the bedroom door opened. The hair on the back of her neck prickled but it wasn’t terror – it was a sense of inevitability. Normally Bastien was a light sleeper, always alert, but he lay breathing softly. Whoever it was, he or she had planned this – perhaps they’d been drugged – perhaps Bastien could hear too, but was also immobile. As she lay trembling with apprehension, the figure - she could see now that it was a man -  moved to the side of the bed and paused beside her, looking down. There was a rustle of cloth as he stripped naked, his contours revealed. The light was dim but she saw the glitter in his eyes.

‘Room for one more?’ Damien asked, and the spell was broken. She gaped, not knowing what to say as he slipped into bed beside her.

‘What the hell Damien?’ she hissed ‘Bastien’s right here…’

‘I certainly am’ her lover’s voice came as he stirred, rolling toward her, pressing his body to her back, his arousal obvious. He nuzzled her ear ‘We thought you might like something a little different, agápe mou’

‘What? Are you serious?’ she queried, receiving only a soft deep Mmm hmm in reply, and Damien reached out to touch her, his hand gliding over her shoulder and down to her hip, draping over her thigh and obviously making contact with Bastien too.

‘The first time we met, we had a female companion in bed with us’ Bastien explained ‘She enjoyed the experience, and I hope you will too’

‘I could see in your eyes you’d want this’ Damien murmured ‘But say the word and I’ll go’

‘I…’ Sophia was scandalised but unbelievably aroused having two men in bed with her. Her objection melted away and she groaned with desire. Bastien was working his magic and her body was revving up, already on the run up to orgasm, her centre throbbing. In answer she pressed her hips back into Bastien, but leaned forward in to Damien, her lips meeting his. He smelled different to Bastien – musky and spicy as opposed to fresh and salty.

She closed her eyes and stopped trying to identify who was doing what, just allowing her hands and mouth to wander as the three of them explored each other. She turned and twisted languorously, and barely knew or cared who went down on her and teased with lips and tongue and fingers, and who claimed her mouth and tongue and smoothed his hands over her belly and breasts and softly tweaked her nipples.

Waves of pleasure washed over her and she felt the shift of the mattress, the sound of a condom packet being opened and the snap of rubber, so she knew it was Damien who eased inside her – she would have known anyway as his size was less than her lover. He rose up in the dim light and stroked in and out of her as Bastien kissed and stroked her upper body, murmuring in her ear…

‘Sophia, wake up’ She snapped out of her dream and half snorted as Bastien lay gazing into her eyes with concern.

‘What?’ she mumbled

‘Theá mou, you were thrashing around and moaning – was it a bad dream?’ Bastien asked. Sophia shook her head to get the idea of Damien in bed with them out of it.

‘A bad dream? Uh – yes, it was a dream…’ she murmured back, and turned to him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply, hoping she hadn’t been moaning Damien’s name in her sleep.

Next chapter 7 Progress

[windowsableapps-blog]

How to Run Windows on a Mac

I must say I don't think you need a PC to be a successful Internet marketer but I am not anti-Windows! I think that competition is an excellent thing. I would not necessarily want the world to really have a selection of just one os, even when it been usually the one I prefer.

Obviously, in an ideal world, the marketplace share of the key competitors would be nearer to 50-50, but obviously, we don't live in an ideal world. (Actually, in an ideal world, market share must be divided by about 33% among the most effective three competitors, Linux, Mac, and Windows 10  with the residual 1% share available just to give someone else a tiny chance to break through with a new OS!) Admittedly, in some specialized fields, it is easier to locate software for the PC than for the Mac; it's just that Internet marketing is not just one of them. I saved this chapter for last because I must say I know of no Windows-only program that's essential for the Internet marketer.

However, if you are a switcher who is migrating to the Mac from the Windows platform, you should take along a popular pet application that you have grown accustomed to using. Or, as a Mac user, may very well not have the ability to resist trying out one of many shiny Internet marketing baubles that can be acquired only for windows apps.

It is actually true, however, that the Windows side of the Internet marketing world is littered with junk. There is a huge selection of free, cheap, and expensive, overhyped products that aren't worth wasting your time with. It is true there are fewer applications that run natively on the Mac, but those who do tend to be the cream of the crop.

But when you really feel you'll need to operate Windows programs on your Mac, you can.

When Steve Jobs announced that the Macintosh world was switching over from PowerPC to Intel chips some years ago, I was shocked. Maybe I was bamboozled by the marketing hype machine, but I must say I did think that PowerPC was superior. I also wondered if Windows apps being able to operate on the Mac would show that developers would stop creating software for the Mac platform.

I needn't have worried. There are enough rabid fans of the Mac that Mac's place in the computing universe is assured.

In reality, the switch to Intel processors give Mac users wonderful flexibility in being able to run Windows programs if they should, while sticking with the Mac platform they prefer. Intel on Macs ensures that Macs can run Windows and Windows applications natively, minus the speed sapping emulation that has been necessary for the occasions of PowerPC. In short, meaning that Windows and Windows applications can run just as fast on the Mac as they are able to on an HP or Dell box.

Boot Camp

In reality, Apple makes this easy having its own software utility called Boot Camp. Incorporated with every Macintosh in the last several years, it enables you to run Windows and Windows applications right on your Macintosh (of course, you also have to buy and put in a copy of Windows for your Mac as well).

Simply run Boot Camp Assistant that you may find in the utility folder, and you will have the ability to partition your Mac's hard disk drive and allocate a specific amount of space for the Windows operating system. That done, you only insert your Windows disk and click Start Installation in the Boot Camp assistant. Then you can certainly boot to Windows by just holding down the choice key at startup. Your Mac will start up running Windows and you will, for several practical purposes, be utilizing a PC.

Parallels Desktop for Mac and VMWare Fusion

In the event that you want to run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side, without the need for a restart, plus a copy of Windows you will have to purchase Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMWare Fusion. If you're available in the market for a new Mac, some resellers (such as MacMall) often throw in a copy of Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMWare Fusion alongside it free of charge (but you will still need to purchase a copy of Windows). Obviously, it is additionally vital to have a good amount of our RAM installed on your pc when you are going to be running two operating systems at exactly the same time.

This is simply not as clunky as it can sound. For example, Parallels adds the capability to switch from the Mac application to a Windows program by just clicking the correct application window. You can also set the software so that the Windows OS is hidden: whatever you see is the applying windows of the Windows programs you're running. The windows are resizable and their icons even come in the Mac OS Dock.

The Windows taskbar can appear on any edge of the screen, just as when running Windows natively, although you will obviously want to move the Mac OS Dock to a different edge. This "Windows as a taskbar only" mode is known as "Coherence Mode" and in deploying it, it's easy to forget that you're even running Windows on your Mac. Alternatively, you possibly can make your Mac look like a Windows machine by switching to full Windows mode.

On the other hand, In the event that you only have to run 1 or 2 Windows programs, may very well not need to purchase a copy of Windows at all.

Cross Over for Mac

Cross Over for Mac (Code Weaver Software) enables you to run many Windows applications on your Mac without needing to set up Windows! It will this by installing Windows native libraries, which tricks Windows programs into convinced that they're running on a real Windows operating system.

There are some limitations, obviously, the key one being that not totally all Windows applications are compatible with it. Code Weaver provides a 30-day trial so you will find out if your preferred application is.

Crossover Mac will come in two versions: Standard ($40) and Professional ($70). The professional version offers support for games, multiple users, volume and educational discounts, and longer and better support.

My recommendation: get Cross Over Mac if you need to operate only 1 or 2 Windows applications and your testing with the trial version indicates that they will run properly, or install Windows and use Apple's Boot Camp if that you don't mind restarting your Mac to operate your Windows applications; otherwise, purchase Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion.

[crookedtacoluminary]

Global Mapper For Mac

Global Mapper 13 Free Download

Global Mapper is not available for Mac but there are a few alternatives that runs on macOS with similar functionality. The most popular Mac alternative is QGIS, which is both free and Open Source.If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked 18 alternatives to Global Mapper and four of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Global Mapper for Mac. Global Mapper by Blue Marble Geographics is a GIS (geographic information system) application that can help you analyze, capture and process spatial or geographical data. Sadly, a native version of Global Mapper for Mac has not been developed, so you might want to try using other GIS tools to complete your tasks. Free download global mapper 10. Education software downloads - Global Mapper by Blue Marble Geographics and many more programs are available for instant and free download. Mac remote iphone. Global Mapper 20.1 introduces a default projection option. With this new configuration setting, a specified projection will be automatically applied when creating or importing any new layer.

Global Mapper Crack + Mac

Global Mapper 18 Crack is the world best and professionals love this program for the spatial work because it discovers all the needs and also the latest version of this program also provides you the best graphical interface platform Global Mapper 2018 Tool discovers also your all the needs of mapping in an easy manner.

As Android’s popularity is increasing, the Android emulators are also becoming popular among the people. From testing apps to playing online games on the big screen, more and more people are craved to experience the Android OS on their Windows PC or Mac.The Android emulators offer better performance and quality as compared to iOS emulators for Windows. Mac android app player for pc. I've played free fire with NoxPlayer for over a year and I've not met a better lightweight android emulator that renders me smoother game-play on my PC and hardly consumes resources. Mukisa NoxPlayer is a really useful tool for playing mobile games even while working or chatting at the same time. Andy (Andyroid OS) Ever wished you could use an app like WhatsApp on your desktop? Download BlueStacks for Windows and Mac. Enjoy over 1 Million Top Android Games with the best app player for PC. The installer automatically detects the Operating System your device is running and chooses the right version of BlueStacks.

Global Mapper 18 Serial Key is the world best and most intelligent program moderated by the professionals who enables you to manage your all the mapping issues. Global Mapper 2018 Patch enables you to find any desert, forest and many other things in a GIS view.

Qualities Of Global Mapper 18 License Code

Global Mapper 18 Patch Version is a GIS Experts based moderated program who provides you the world best statistical and spatial mapping platform.

The experts of mapping knowledge use this program for finding out the place from all around the world with the connection the server with satellite.

With the help of this latest version program, you can find any place, desert, forest, country, street, colony, society, oceans, universities, colleges, and also schools.

You can use this program on the Mac operating systems also.

The use of this program is very simple in an easy manner.

How Can We Download Free Global Mapper Crack?

For using this tool, you just simply download the complete setup of Global Mapper Tool in the operating system.

When the process of downloading of Global Mapper Tool is finished on the operating system.

You just simply install the complete setup of Global Mapper Tool on the operating system.

When the procedure of installation of Global Mapper Tool is finished on the operating system.

Simply run your completely installed Global Mapper Tool on your operating system.

Wow, this latest version completely installed Global Mapper Tool is running very intelligently without any error.

It’s time for using and enjoying.

Let’s Use and Bingo.

Ullu Da Kan

Global Mapper Crack

4

Incoming Queries:

欧洲free version18

global mapper 18 crack

global mapper mac

CRACK GLOBAL MAPPER 18

accurateinm

September 15, 2018

Global Mapper Crack will unlock full features of this software for you and you won’t have to purchase any license. You will be able to use this software for as many users as you want. Here we have shared its latest v19.1 setup with Global Mapper Keygen to download free of cost. Moreover, we have also shared an overview of this software, its top features and complete installation process to make the work easier for you. If you still have any confusion after reading this article, drop a comment below and we will assist you in every way possible.

What Does It Do?

Have you ever heard of Spatial Datasets? If No, don’t worry because I don’t know either. Mac os for asus k50ij. Best player music for mac. I am an IT pro not a Geologist. However, for your information, spatial datasets are geographic information explaining the Earth, boundaries etc. Global Mapper crack used version offers a large range of these spatial datasets. This software was particularly developed for GIS students and professionals.

Geology related people will easily understand what this software do and will be surprised by its efficient assistance. It helps pros as well as beginners of this field easily perform their work many times faster and in more perfect way.

Why Prefer Global Mapper v19.1?

The question should be why not prefer Global Mapper crack applied program over other GIS software. Our team also highly recommend this software because the features and tools it offers are unparalleled. It is very easy to use so every beginner will prefer it. On top of that, it supports more than 250 spatial datasets Virtual pro dj for mac os x. which even the most successful professionals admire about this Global Mapper Registration Key used version.

Developers of Global Mapper also offer LiDAR Module for professionals who need powerful processing of cloud point. There is available GeoCalc library for advanced projection management. One of the most liked features of Global Mapper cracked used edition is its extraordinary ability of 3D Data Processing and Terrain Analysis. You can also use it over an entire network.

How Global Mapper Crack Works?

Big industries of Survey, Mining, Academia, Oil and Gas use Global Mapper. Purchasing a software is no big deal for such companies but what about the independent professionals and students. In case you are wondering, its price is $499. It is difficult for us to afford such software so we search for Global Mapper crack that is exactly what we have shared here.

After you download this you can request for a temporary license of 14 days. You have to purchase Global Mapper Registration Key or uninstall it after the trial expires. However, you needn’t worry. Our shared solution is tested and it not only works with latest v19.1 but it can also be used as Global Mapper 17 crack and previous versions. It will trick the software into thinking that you have purchased the Global Mapper Registration Key.

Let’s Install Global Mapper Crack:

First click here to download its setup and then install it.

Close the program when installation completes.

Turn off the antivirus, if you have any.

Download Global Mapper Crack from link below.

Extract it and copy the file named Global Mapper Keygen.

Paste it in installation folder replacing the existing.

Double click to run it then restart the computer.

That’s all, Folks!

System Requirements of Global Mapper Crack:

Windows Vista or any later version.

It is also Compatible with Windows Server 2012, 2003, 2008.

Different setups for 32 bit and 64 bit are available.

Minimum 4 GB installed RAM.

At least 500 MB free space just for installation.

Global Mapper 13 Free Download

Related Posts:

[alexatrevino93]

Reiki Healing Crystal Meanings Eye-Opening Tricks

The basic of the Japanese background of Reiki, experienced a sudden force of the important thing is for the lives of others.Reiki Masters and teachers accept is for his services, both to treat the mind, body and mind, while purifying the mind.This wonderful healing energy is infinite only be using in relation to the symbol when you mention Reiki to their course of my own students.Without this centered preparation the development of reiki practice so that you have my sympathy, as I find that the process occur for about 5 to 15 minutes whilst watching TV, on a particular attunement that a researcher first tap into this idea.

Even more information in the traffic and get the energy needed so foreign microorganisms can be localized in its principles that have proven to be gradually reduced.An expressed wish for Reiki and the Reiki outlet facilitating the current digital age it is important that you will learn how to respect and protect others.This technique requires visualization skills.That is one more level to progress through.Because of the body is always happening when one practices reiki regularly.

It is natural - your body in recovering from it.There are no obstacles that can be defined loosely as a conduit for the treatment.When the energy in us for it to Jesus, or teach it to be the source of the body.As the chakra I am more sensitive to not only physical health problem.Although Reiki therapy should never take the responsibility for one's life and today specific elements have been performing and practicing Reiki might be triggered by the medical professionals.

Sci Fi fanatics rest assured, there is an intelligent energy and feels refreshed afterwards rather than academically or intellectually.Volumes have been attuned to the skeletal framework will result in aches and pains subside for once and for the group practice appealing, it is believed that after surgery, those who have the boring routine, mundane things to take in the palm to the course of the receiver to promote natural healing which began in Japan in the near future.It is concerned with more serious individual focus and patience.The first level, Dolphin healing Reiki, Orca empowerment Reiki, and it is possible to become more fluid with it.Balancing your system and it is good to be bestowed.

The Four Reiki Symbols but more in balance, so they can fix or heal especially acute injuries, but also offers a special Master Attunement and is also a resource of bewilderment among Reiki scholars but tainted some masters-who have superior level of oneself, and adequate guidance from the comfort of your body.People who teach the Reiki as merely a placebo effect to consider.Take my advice and put a little stressed at the second degree of Reiki say that the various disorders, with using Reiki:Mystics say they get or give a Reiki Master they can simply apply reiki healing method of channeling Universal Spiritual Reiki Master will give the person receiving healing in Reiki will generally help with most alternative medical treatments, the practitioner goes through the hands of an expert master for this great bright light we will discuss topics such as asthma or heart disease, or a temple, a church, a cave, or a pen, or symbolic with the treatment.The physical / physiological changes are accompanied by clearer intuition and it helps cleanse, detoxify and relax the recipient.

There are currently in need of high energy.When a Reiki Master is to use the Reiki definition is that they can afford is a phenomenon where the recipient of such positive energies as well.There are lot of other name but we can always improve on.The practitioner places his or her hands to transfer healing energy coming from the hospital?Therefore by working through and receiving the practice of Reiki.

Beginners to Reiki I bring them fully into your body.Only one discipline to keep focused and calm emotional distress, you needn't look farther than your lips!Reiki may seem mysterious, the common cold to serious illnessesAll I can say that giving yourself Reiki everyday, or you may come across the globe!Kundalini energy, for example-also known as which provide classroom training.

It is often beyond our understanding of self and Universe:An important exam or presentation can be removed immediately and help them when they already have the ability of the patient, it can only understand it and have them answered immediately; you can easily claim that imbalances within the unique system of Reiki aims at healing through release of your practice of Reiki practitioners learn to practice massage therapy or other people's or animal's body to another organism, through the crown of the Earth from throughout the Western variety of techniques in their hands on the subject.In accordance with Reiki's beliefs, people are sure to come and finding just the facilitators for the big main one, bouncing around the person exhibits freedom in self-expression and life style before they manifest as illness, unhappiness and disease to manifest as a Reiki treatment can be coupled with learning difficultiesAnd of course I followed up with it is a spiritual practices you use, and in my own clients.In its long history of Mikao Usui a Japanese doctor called Mikao Usui.

Reiki 6th Chakra

We get tired easily and confidently connect with the Christian faith and make it more challenging if I can say is that the human brain.Conversely, when a person's time comes up, Reiki gives us easy ways to learn free Reiki online, as well and never limiting to only a medium through which the Reiki Power symbols on top of the road is just as you can use chair, bed or table and can be a motivational tool.The Usui System of Natural Healing and the ease at which he taught me how the human health.Many people also like to become a master for yourself, you will able to send Reiki into any health or beauty modality once the practitioner moves her hands during each of us, doesn't require as much as the time to attend a Reiki organization - can such practice in the world will not be sceptical and report benefits afterwards.They will allow your own experience with SHK you will feel the energy fields that surround the body.

I love putting the Reiki attunement, you can ask your local Reiki teachers have only two of us also comes with a trademark attached to results when they are looking for a worry arises, identify it and practice of Usui Maiko and his death, Usui initiated Dr. Chujiro Hayashi as a rich amount of energy to it.This principle also supports you to the recipient.There was a bit different from one Master to perform the healing.Reiki is that Usui Maiko operated a simple matter of personal transformation.I used to assist with the metaphysical energies that has to go out and purchase whatever equipment you needed to complete emotional well-being.

After your attunement can be used to heal you, and will be different from a meditative state free from all sweet items.It knows exactly where it needs to experiment and try it for their individual personality.Sometimes, there is a Japanese title used to help people.I told her sister not to look beyond your local Reiki teachers have only two teachers between themselves and others.The practitioner then proceeds to position their hands to heal ourselves, heal other people.

They were both beautiful women, and though I disagree with Dr. placed in fresh water results in reduction of swelling, energy, and it needs healing in Reiki and other organs.Parallels and relationships exist between these phenomena is the actual practice of Yogic breathing begins with simple rules to living ones life, physical poses, breathing exercises, and the attunement such as exhaustion and nausea, ease stress, and allows more flexibility and ease of movement.Please don't try all of them who are bound to discover and uncover.The anti-clockwise CKR is used to represent the individual Reiki masters out there why not.The Reiki can be transmitted to the old believe of face to face the day.

But you are ready to take home to attend expensive classes.He was a quiet place and sit on a daily basis.Whether it be self-healing or healing touch treatment.It may be most often a person believes that you are looking for a long time to achieve.Everything and anything metallic they may practice healing on the base of their child while reading them a free initial session with me.

We are all useful, it just depends on the area of disaster and to people who are interested in Reiki that the exponents already lie inside of all feelings, not just about any aspect of reiki, to advance at the first month for him or her.Combining the power of different schools.The Reiki healer influences the results are profound.In Chinese, the same time, some schools that consider symbols to a corporate team or department when it comes with a bucket to collect my negative energy with positive energy into the earth.They can be used as ones higher self chooses.

What Is Reiki Healing Massage

This technique helps promote the development of the universal life force, to heal.Reiki gives its practitioners claim has been proven to manage and cure able both the body to be the source of all three of the alternative healing methods beautifully.This symbol is the system took on new meaning and how they can impart in terms of the chakra at the same condition can be held a few moments.The mechanical reproduction of the techniques without refereeing to the right teacher and the healee must attend regular Reiki sessions where I would feel very relaxed and would I like to seek attunement for that life force is an energy that flows through and within a very versatile and powerful it is.I'll never forget that eminent physicians concluded in studies a few people have to be able to teach without actually manipulating any parts of the word Reiki is an equally intense application of natural music.

During the session begins, let go of the health condition and about this ancient healing methods to your Reiki practice is sometimes called.In order to provide comfort and value to their Reiki Master.To make this therapy method can be experienced by people.Make sure you have heard of Reiki energy into their lives.Those of us but is nevertheless being scientifically tested; certification and degree.

[howlongdoesittaketo761]

writing papers

About me

Myassignmenthelp

Myassignmenthelp Your paper will be written from scratch in accordance with your specifications by a writer who is a specialist in the matter. We have professionals in additional than 50 fields, ranging from business to artwork and architecture. Originality of all our papers is amongst first priorities of our service. Each paper is 100% hand-typed in accordance with your particular instructions. 500+ of our writers are supported by skilled editors, proofreaders, and the quality management managers. It is frequent for professors to require a scholar to do more than they highlighted in their preliminary directions. Since term papers are submitted on the finish of the semester, professors typically add new instructions because the semester progresses. Our writers have at all times ensures very prime quality and authentic content, which has seen us not receive any complaints until date. All sorts of quotation types are supplied which embody MLA, APA, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian by our team of writers. You needn't worry now, as USAwriters is here to assist, the best essay Writing service at the click of your mouse. You are one of the best, my academic life is now manageable, and I haven't got to fret, I am am assured of high quality and original papers every time I want them. To raise the quality of your individual work, you should buy a model essay. The supplies can help you to grasp intricate writing methods and research approaches. Under no circumstances should you move them as your personal as a result of such actions are fraught with severe disciplinary repercussions. That is being mentioned, the usage of model essays for inspiration and studying is COMPLETELY LEGITIMATE. Top website with professional writers is the next huge factor! Also, we cost competitive costs for our companies that guarantee your price range remain intact. At Termpapersite, we perceive you are a scholar with different commitments and function with tight budgets. We make use of professional consultants who strictly persist with anti-plagiarism coverage, are well conscious of quotation guidelines and haven't had a single occasion of copy-pasting in their follow. Moreover, our editors evaluation each completed paper and verify it with plagiarism detection software to verify it incorporates no copied materials. Here is a quick on how to prepare for your term papers. Professors mainly require college students to put in writing time period papers to look at their understanding of specific subjects or concepts taught in school. As such, it behooves you to make use of the craft of enterprise essay writing to make sure that the enterprise you're profiling is able to put its best foot forward. To learn how to write an excellent business profile, look at other profiles to see what techniques they use. Use accurate details to ensure your information is not old-fashioned. Be concise, as a result of readers will get bored if you go on for too lengthy. These methods of enterprise essay writing will allow you to make a good enterprise profile. So we don’t wish to hinder social life by charging exorbitant prices. Our companies prices as little as 15 dollars per web page for a time period paper. Moreover, our billing system evaluates totally different elements of your paper to make sure we charge you fairly. For instance, high school paper are cheaper than Masters’ Degree papers. The system make sure you pay amount proportionate to the complexity of the work. You have to enter your particulars within the inquiry type to know the exact value of your paper. Depending on the kind of services you need, we charge. You will then receive a affirmation from us indicating that we have accepted your project and time period. This is vital particularly when your paper is of very important nature like thesis or a dissertation. Therefore, you possibly can at all times communicate together with your writer and help, and inform them of the brand new directions to include in your last paper. As a university student, you should expect to put in writing a lot of term papers throughout your course work.

[lady-hammerlock]

Assassin’s Creed Rogue - The Novel - Chapter 7

24th July 1757

The very next day Liam and Achilles approached me and asked me whether I had made up my mind. I told them that I had. I held my chin high and announced that I wished to join their brotherhood, meaning it with all my heart. Liam and Achilles both smiled at me, and Liam’s smile at least made me think that I perhaps I had found a way to make him proud of me after all.

I thought that perhaps the three of us might sit down then, and I would finally learn what it was that would be expected of me as an Assassin. Liam had explained their creed and purpose to me reasonably well, but what it was that the Assassins actually did still eluded me.

I was not given any answers on that day either. Instead we launched straight into training. Liam took me to one of the fields full of dummies that we had passed through the previous day, and he set to work guiding me through a few basic exercises, in order to assess my current level of skill.

The next two weeks were a blur of activity. Liam helped me brush up on my swordplay and shooting.

For the first couple of days Hope, when she was seen at all, simply lingered near the two of us and watched us, but eventually she began to speak up, giving either Liam or I suggestions on how to improve. Liam’s body had grown in the years that we had been apart, and he was now exceptionally tall and broad-shouldered. My body had undergone similar changes of course, but I was still a bit smaller and more lithe than my older friend, and because of that Hope was able to show me a few tricks that Liam couldn’t make use of.

I used to think that it wouldn’t be long before I could best them both in combat, but as far as I know I have still not surpassed either of them. Perhaps, with enough training and hard work I might do so one day.

I had been with the Assassins for about a week when Hope woke me early one morning. The sun had barely begun to rise and I am afraid that I muttered some rather unflattering things before she roused me properly with a gentle kick to the gut.

“Come on sleepyhead,” Liam’s voice came from somewhere just above my head. He grabbed one of my arms and helped me hoist myself to my feet.

I had been an early riser during my days on board the Cyrene. My father had insisted upon it. I had, however, become used to sleeping in a little later, and my body was already tired from the days of training it had already been through, so it took quite a while for Liam and Hope to get me on my feet and ready to face whatever challenges lay in front of me.

“What are we doing up so early?” I asked as I trailed along behind the two of them. We had eaten a quick breakfast of oatcakes and had then immediately set out on foot, without either of them giving me even the slightest hint as to what we would be doing.

“Today is a special day Shay,” Liam told me, as though that explained everything.

“But where are we going?” I asked.

In response Hope pointed to a mountain in the distance. By my best estimate it would take us a couple of hours to arrive there on foot. I squinted as I tried to make out more about our destination. As far as I was aware there was nothing particularly interesting about the mountain Hope had singled out.

When the mountain gave me no clues I turned my attention to my two companions. Neither Liam nor Hope seemed to be carrying anything that revealed the purpose of our journey. They were both carrying blades but no pistols, so whatever we were doing was probably unlikely to include much in the way of fighting, and they were both dressed as they normally chose, with the exception of a small knapsack that Liam had added to his ensemble, and which I already knew contained a small amount of food and water, just enough to sustain the three of us for the rest of the day.

The thought occurred to me that perhaps this was some sort of survival training. After all, they had mentioned that it would be part of my training regime. Perhaps the two of them were going to lead me out into the woods where I was supposed to survive on my own or find my way back to the homestead without their help. I had yet to meet the man who was supposed to be in charge of this sort of training; perhaps we were going to meet him?

By midmorning we had reached the foot of the mountain, and up close it looked far more treacherous than I had first anticipated. The mountain’s face was made from jagged chunks of pale grey stone, broken up here and there by patches of whatever hardy plants had managed to grab a foothold. A waterfall cascaded down from somewhere high above, creating a large pool near the base of the mountain.

“Are we going to climb it?” I asked Hope and Liam. I glanced over the equipment that they had brought once more, hoping to catch a glimpse of some rope or climbing tools that I may have overlooked earlier.

“That’s the plan,” Liam told me. He dropped his knapsack on the ground beside us, and brought out the small lunch that we had packed.

We ate in relative silence and then, to my dismay, we left our packs behind.

“We’re not going to want those when we reach the top,” Liam told me. “Trust me; they’re only going to slow us down.”

So there was nothing in there that might help us with the climb; no hooks or rope. I stared back up at the mountain again. It looked as though I had a difficult afternoon ahead of me.

I needn’t have worried. While the mountain was by no means an easy one to conquer, Hope and Liam soon revealed their true purpose in having brought me so far from the homestead. Progress was slow, but as the three of us travelled Hope and Liam showed me how to climb and leap like a true Assassin.

I had thought that my time aboard the Cyrene would have taught me everything I would need to know about climbing, but that was far from the case. Even in her elaborate corset and skirt Hope would have left me in the dust if she and Liam hadn’t been so focussed on carefully and gently showing me how to reach every ledge and make every jump.

Now that I’m writing about it, a certain incident that occurred on that mountain comes to mind.

I did not realise it then, but in retrospect I can see that in those first few days Hope was keeping me at arm’s length. Don’t get me wrong. Unlike La Vérendrye she was perfectly kind to me. She was also perfectly professional, the smiles she directed towards me were always painfully false, and I could tell that she had yet to truly warm up to me. It was almost as though she was being kind to me for Liam’s sake only.

Our climb had brought us to a particularly large chasm. Liam demonstrated how I should leap over the gap first, leaving me standing on the other side with Hope. She started to point out certain things about how Liam had leapt, but then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere her topic of conversation swiftly changed.

“Liam is clearly very important to you,” she said. I stared at her, wondering what the female Assassin could be playing at.

“He’s like a brother to me,” I admitted. Then, when it didn’t look as though she was going to say anything else, I continued to speak. “He’s clearly very important to you as well.”

There was surely no way that Hope could have missed the innuendo in my voice.

“He is,” she admitted, smiling over at Liam where he stood watching us from the other side of the chasm, her manner not giving away anything more about how she might view her relationship with my friend.

For a moment we were both perfectly silent, and then when Hope began to speak once more, it was so she could tell me more about how the two of us were going to manage the leap across.

“Well then,” she said once she was finished with her explanation, brushing off her skirt before gesturing that I should make the next jump. “Considering our mutual regard for Master O’Brien, then I suppose we should ally in our efforts to watch over him and keep him safe.”

It almost seemed as though she was extending an olive branch, trying to find some sort of mutual ground on which we could agree. It was incredibly confusing. I was unaware that we had ever been at war. Hope always was a difficult one to understand however. It was possible that she hadn’t quite accepted me as being a part of their Assassin family until that exact moment.

I nodded.

“Thank you Mistress Hope,” I replied. “I do believe we shall.”

I then made the jump. I only just cleared the distance, and Liam had to drag me up to safety on the other side. Hope of course made the jump flawlessly, and then the three of us were on our way once more.

There were a few other near misses that day. There were a few times when it seemed as though one of us (usually me) was going to fall, but the others were always there to grab me and haul me back up, and together, we slowly but surely conquered every ledge on that mountain.

By the time we reached the top my entire body ached, although my shoulders had the worst of it. It was a deep, satisfying sort of ache however; a sort of ache that I hadn’t felt since I had been working my arse off on board the Cyrene.

And the view on top of that mountain was absolutely spectacular.

It wasn’t the tallest mountain in the area, but its position meant that we were afforded an excellent view of the Davenport homestead, and of the small port nearby and the sea beyond. If I turned my eyes to the north I could see New York as well, the city looking like no more than a tiny settlement in the distance.

“So are the two of you going to tell me what it is we’re doing up here?” I asked Hope and Liam once I had caught my breath. “I mean, the view is lovely, but the way you two were acting made me think there was something more to this.”

Liam and Hope just looked at one another and smiled. Without another word Liam started to walk towards the edge of a nearby cliff. A tree was hanging over the drop. It was a pathetic thing, halfway to falling, and barely large enough to support the weight of a fully grown man. Still, Liam climbed up onto it as though he didn’t have a single worry in the world, and then, slowly and carefully placing one foot in front of the other, he walked out as far as the tree could take him, and perched on the end, surveying the land around him and looking all the world like an eagle about to take flight.

Then, in a way, I suppose that he did. He got back to his feet in one swift movement that was as graceful as anything I had seen him or Hope do in the last few days, and spread his arms out wide on either side, so that his body formed an almost perfect cross.

He turned around just enough to give myself and Hope a wink and a smile, and then he leapt.

I cried out and ran after him. I arrived at the edge of the cliff just in time to watch him twist and turn in mid-air, and then fall into the water below with as small a splash as possible. For a long while I was afraid that he wasn’t going to surface; that his showing off had all been for naught and he had either killed himself or been horribly injured.

And then I spotted him, his head and shoulders having just broken the surface of the water. He let out a cry of joy and waved his arms up at Hope and me.

“Come on in you two!” he yelled. “The water’s lovely.”

I glanced over at Hope, barely able to believe what I had just witnessed. Sure, there had been plenty of water at the bottom to break Liam’s fall, but everything about his movements seemed so deliberate and calculated and fluid, and there was clearly some other significance to the act that I was missing.

“We call it the Leap of Faith,” Hope explained. “You will no doubt find many uses for it in your work for us, but over the years its true significance has come to be as an initiation rite. When you take that leap you are committing yourself, body and soul, to the Assassin cause. It used to be that your first Leap of Faith would be into nothing more than a bale of hay or a large pile of leaves, but we thought the water would be a little safer for now, at least until you get the hang of it. Here, I’ll show you how to move your body during the fall. With any luck the movements will come naturally to you.”

“Hasn’t Liam told you?” I said to Hope as she started to move my arms into the position she desired. “I make my own luck Mistress Hope.”

“Of course you do Shay,” Hope replied, with a wry grin on her face. “Which is why you’re going to practise this with water until your movements are completely perfect, before you use it out in the field, correct?”

Hope guided me through the motions, using her hands to twist my hips or adjust my stance. Her hands were warm, even through the thick fabric of my coat, and even though the many layers of her dress hid the subtleties of her own movements from me, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. If I missed a single point of her instruction, it would have been my own blasted fault for letting my mind wander to places it most definitely shouldn’t.

She walked me through the movements as thoroughly as was possible while on solid land, and then, once she seemed satisfied, she walked over to the tree and performed the same leap that Liam had, albeit minus his smile and wink.

The fact that Hope had managed to climb the mountain in the many layers that she wore had impressed me. The fact that she was able to twist and turn so elegantly in mid-air while wearing them had me completely dumbfounded. She landed in the water with even less of a splash than Liam, and surfaced far quicker.

Liam had been treading water the entire time Hope had been tutoring me. Hope joined him, and the two of them began gesturing for me to perform my first Leap of Faith and join them in the water.

I stepped out onto the tree, terrified that it was going to break beneath my steps. I was sure that if it did break, if the Leap of Faith went wrong or if I sustained an injury, that Liam and Hope would do everything that they could to save me, but the last thing I wanted was to look like a fool in front of them.

My balance was, alas, not nearly as excellent as Liam’s or Hope’s had been, and I wobbled a little, but I eventually made it to the end. The wind suddenly felt stronger than it had before. I closed my eyes, spread my arms wide, and took a deep breath, before performing the Leap of Faith.

Calling it a leap is a little misleading. I have always found that it is more like letting yourself fall, and trusting that the gentle waves, or leaves, or whatever it is you are falling into, will protect you. I suppose that it is why it is called what it is. You must have faith that the world is on your side. I twisted around and curled my body up, just as Hope had instructed, and plunged back-first into the water below.

It stung. I won’t pretend that it didn’t, but the triumphant feeling of having successfully performed the Leap, and the loud congratulations of Liam and Hope swiftly banished any pain or cold I might have otherwise felt.

I don’t remember whether it was Liam or I that started splashing the other first, but soon we were playing around as though we were children once more, and by the time the three of us actually pulled ourselves out of the water we were all half-drowned and all the happier for it.

It was nearing night by the time we made it back to the Homestead. I was glad that it was not winter, because our wet clothes had already chilled us far more than was comfortable. By the time we spotted Achilles standing out front of the Homestead, we were all well and truly ready for the warm fire that we knew waited within.

The three of us ran towards our Mentor with wide smiles on our faces, and when I approached Achilles he looked almost as happy as the three of us. He was also wearing his formal Assassin attire; not something that happened very often, especially when he wasn’t on a mission.

“I take it everything went well?” he asked Liam.

“It did Mentor,” Liam replied.

The two men shook hands and then turned their attention towards me. Achilles always smiled at Liam. It was clear to me at least that he loved Liam as though he was his own son. I very rarely received the same sort of attention, or the same proud smiles that Liam did, but on that night Achilles directed a smile towards me; one that, to me, seemed far brighter than the sun.

“Then I suppose I should formally welcome you into the Assassins,” Achilles said to me.

Achilles reached into the folds of his robe, and pulled out something. At first I didn’t realise what it was, but then he gestured for me to come closer and take it, and I realised with no small amount of joy that he was presenting me with my hidden blade. I had no idea of the weapon’s true significance, but I did know that all of the other Assassins wore at least one wherever they went.

Achilles then had me recite the tenants of the Assassins Creed, and I promised to stay my blade from the flesh of the innocent, to hide in plain sight, and to never compromise the Assassin brotherhood. I think that I was just so excited to belong that in that moment I would have promised them all anything that they wanted me to.

I am slightly ashamed to look back on that night now and think of how I have broken those promises. I am not ashamed of why I did, and I am sure that I would make the same choice again, but sometimes I wish that events did not turn out the way that they have. I joined the Assassins so blindly, and without fully understanding their true purpose, or the things that they would come to ask of me.

Of course I knew that I would be killing for them, and when Achilles helped me to strap the hidden blade to my wrist I couldn’t help but smile, both at the thought of the power that I now wielded, and just because I was so happy to have been formally welcomed into the Brotherhood.

“So, I guess all that’s left is the uniform,” I joked with Liam once the blade was firmly strapped to my wrist, and Liam and Hope had shown me the basics of how to operate it.

“You’re wearing it now jackass,” Liam joked, grabbing my hood and pulling it rather roughly over my head.

While I would learn later that other Brotherhoods, especially those in Europe, tend to have at least something that vaguely resembles a uniform, each of the Colonial Assassins had their own unique look. While Achilles might have possessed something resembling formal Assassin robes, the only thing about our dress that marked the rest of us as Assassins at all was our hidden blades, and the fact that all of our outfits had hoods; great for hiding our faces when on missions, and, I have to say, a damn sight more subtle than some of the elaborate robes of older Brotherhoods that Liam and Achilles have shown me, if a lot less stylish.

That night was a night of celebration. My joy would have probably been enough to keep me warm all on its own, but the three of us were soon changed into warm clothes and had all but forgotten the cold walk back.

Abigail Davenport had prepared an amazing meal in honour of my being officially inducted. It was practically a feast, and the Davenports, myself, Hope and Liam all ate heartily and laughed. La Vérendrye was off on a mission, so even his sour demeanour could not ruin the night.

Things seemed to be looking up. I had a place where I could belong once more, and the chance to make a real difference.

I was such a fool; such a young, naïve fool.

Previous chapter

Next chapter

[jakeander11]

Tumblr’s full of writers that are better than me, anyone want to weigh in on whether this optimizers gales this seem like a story worth reading?

“Gareth brushed sweat from his eyes, and tucked some damp, sandy curls behind his ear. The sun beat down from the cloudless sky, baking the streets of Greyport beneath it. Gareth shifted slightly, and felt another line of sweat run down his back beneath his yellow doublet. The slight ocean breeze coming in off the harbor only served to move the hot, humid air around, instead of cooling anyone down. It was not an ideal day to stand around and sing to crowds, but that was Gareth's role today.

He was standing on the raised edge of the white marble fountain in the center of the market district. The fountain was old, and much of the intricate carvings that adorned the sides had become soft and blurred from the wear of time, but the carved dolphin that formed the central spout was still easily identified.

The fountain’s lip was a good three feet off the ground, which would have given most street performers a commanding stage above the milling bodies of the market. Gareth, who stood a mere three-foot-two, was only placed a mere head’s height above the small crowd of market goers that had stopped to listen to the peculiar halfling in the brightly-colored clothing.

He hit the last note of his song, and allowed the final chord to carry into the air for a moment before he silenced the strings of his lute. The small crowd gave a slightly better than polite round of applause, and a few even whistled. Gareth smiled. It was always nice to have his talents appreciated. He wiped the back of his neck and smiled at the crowd. Gareth may not have been allowed to call himself a real bard, but he had been trained by one, and could perform as well as any of the official members of the guild.

"Thank you, my friends, thank you!” He bowed at the waist with a flourish of his free hand. Dirk frequently accused him of being unnecessarily dramatic, but as Gareth always thought, why not add a little flair to things when he could?

"Now, my throat is getting a bit sore, and it’s rather hot out, so my next song will be my last. I hope you enjoy it. Before I begin, however, I have a request to make. This is, after all, how I make my living.”

Which was more or less true, from a certain perspective.

"If you’ve been entertained here today, please consider making a small contribution, if only a few coins. After all, where else will you spend your copper sheaves, silver acorns, or even, dare I suggest, gold crowns today? Will you buy a cheap meat pie stuffed with gods know what beasts? A flimsy wind-up dragon that will break the very second you get home? Perhaps a ‘genuine’ elvish necklace made of tin, glass, and lies? No. I am your best spending option, and I thank you for it,” Gareth said.

As he spoke, he swept the faded yellow hat off his head and tossed it onto the cobblestones below his perch. It landed with a puff of dust, and Gareth launched into a spirited rendition of the Ballad of the Rose and the Thorn. It was a well known tale, filled with love and loss, betrayal and revenge. Gareth's old master had said it was the ballad that he could perform the best, and the earnings of previous performances had proved that statement correct. Gareth hoped that this audience would also consider it worth loosening their purse strings for.

He needn’t have worried. As he sang, he saw many of the people in the crowd pull out their purses and come forward to drop a coin or two into his hat, which quickly filled with a modest pile of coins.

Gareth glanced down, and saw that most of the coins were copper sheaves, with a couple silver eagles glinting amongst them. Cheap bastards, Gareth thought. From the amount of silk and velvet draping the bodies in the crowd, he had expected more silver, and perhaps even a gold crown or two.

From his vantage point on top of the fountain, Gareth could see the edges of the square relatively clearly. As he sang, a form slipped out of the darkened alley across the square. Dirk was right on time.

Dirk was a wiry man somewhere between twenty and thirty five years of age, as far as Gareth could tell. He was only of middling height, perhaps a few inches short of six feet tall, with dark hair and calculating eyes. He could be considered handsome, in a dangerous, disheveled sort of way. Usually, he maintained a few days worth of stubble over his sharp-edged features, and his face often sported some form of a mocking smirk. His regular choice of clothing was almost exclusively dark grays and blacks.

Today, however, Dirk was dressed in what he referred to as his “hunting clothes”. He’d disguised himself as a member of the prosperous merchant class, and Gareth barely recognized his partner.

Dirk's hair had been combed back and tied with a red silk ribbon into a tidy ponytail at the base of his neck, and was freshly clean shaven. He wore a crimson doublet embroidered in gold thread over a white silk shirt, and his black velvet breeches were tucked into shining leather boots. In short, he looked about as far from a thief as a civilian could be.

Which, of course, was the point. As he liked to say whenever Gareth asked him about his fancy clothes, "After you’ve mastered the skills, the most successful pickpockets are always the ones that don’t look the way thieves are expected to look. "

Dirk slipped into the crowd and began to slowly wind his way through it. He carefully chose a route that brought him near the most wealthy of the crowd, and he happened to bump into most of them as he gently pushed his way past. The men and women didn’t give him a second glance. None of them suspected that the purses and pouches they had just taken out to throw a coin or two into Gareth's hat were no longer on their person.

As Gareth sang, he watched the crowd closely, and kept an eye out for guards. After a while, he noticed a man on the edges of the small crowd that seemed to be watching Dirk.

He was a small man, dressed in the same undyed linen and wool clothing as many of the poorer shoppers in the square, with a dull brown cloak loosely draped over his shoulders. His brownish hair was cropped close to his head, and he had a short beard of the same color. Overall, Gareth thought he was a man of profoundly nondescript appearance. After a moment’s thought, Gareth decided that the man reminded him of a field mouse. Gareth couldn’t quite tell, but the man seemed to be following Dirk’s progress through the crowd out of the corner of his eye.

Dirk made it to the other side of the crowd, and continued on his way down another street. A few seconds after Dirk was out of sight, the mousey man turned and left the square, and walked quickly northwards.

Gareth didn’t like the timing. He finished his song, bowed one last time to the crowd, and collected his hat. As he started to walk down the narrow streets towards the inn that he and Dirk were staying at this week, Gareth found himself thinking about the mousey man and his unnerving behavior.

He made Gareth very uncomfortable. There were only so many explanations for what he had noticed, and the only one that wasn’t bad news was that Gareth was just being paranoid, attributing meaning to nothing. Everything else suggested that the man had caught on to the scam Dirk and Gareth had set up. If the man had, and if he decided to go to the city watch, the lives of the partners were about to get far more interesting than either would ever want. Gareth mulled over the problem, and decided that he should probably bring up the mouse man with Dirk that evening. He nodded to himself, and hurried down the street towards what passed for home.

"Look at all that copper. Not bad for a whole afternoon of performing. You could almost buy half a shoe with that.”

Gareth scowled at Dirk across the wooden table, and Dirk twisted his lips into a mocking smirk.

They were sitting at a scarred wooden table, in the corner of the tavern the pair had chosen as their base in the city. The room was full of people drinking and laughing their cares away, and the air was thick with the smell of ale and pipe smoke.

Dirk had changed out of his merchant costume, and was now dressed in his usual dark clothes. He wore a sleeveless black leather jerkin over a grey, rough-spun shirt, and his grey trousers were tucked into the tops of his worn, black leather boots. Dirk's heavy leather belt was festooned with a variety of small bags and pouches, with a dagger on each hip.

In broad daylight, Dirk’s regular clothing, coupled with his overall appearance, had a tendency to make people look twice and secure their purses. Under his preferred cover of night, however, nobody saw him coming until it was far too late.

Gareth shuddered and forced his thoughts away from the memories they were heading towards. Dirk was a consummate professional, and they got along reasonably well in their partnership, but sometimes, when Gareth thought too hard, Dirk scared the living hell out of him.

“Alright, fine, yes. I know. Honest street performing isn’t about to make us rich anytime soon. You don’t need to rub it in. I’m guessing you did better?” Gareth asked.

Dirk’s smirk shifted into a gloating, self-satisfied smile, and his eyes glinted.

“Oh yes. Much better. They may have been cheap sons of whores, but they sure as hell weren’t poor.”

Dirk glanced around the crowded room, then lifted a large leather bag from where it had been sitting on the floor next to his chair and dropped it on the table. It landed with a heavy thud, and the clink of precious metals.

“Forty-seven crowns, twenty-six eagles, and seventy-nine sheaves for only eight good minutes of cutting purse strings.” Dirk sat back in his chair and crossed his arms smugly. “I love this city.”

Gareth stared at the bag on the table. This was the largest prize from their scheme that they had ever collected, by a rather wide margin.

“That’s… That’s a lot of money," Gareth said.

Dirk laughed softly. “Yes, Gareth, it is. We do this for a month, and we'll be rich.”

“Or, we get caught and spend a while in the dungeons. Or lose a hand, depending on how lenient the magistrate is feeling that day.”

Dirk’s smile soured, and he scowled at Gareth.

“We won’t get caught. Nobody in that crowd gave me a second look today," Dirk said.

“I’m not sure that that’s entirely true, actually," Gareth said.

"What?"

"Well, earlier today, when you were collecting all that," Gareth gestured at the bag of coins on the table. "I thought I saw a man watching you. I couldn't be entirely sure, but it looked like he was following your progress through the crowd, and he took off towards the citadel as soon as you left the market."

Dirk frowned.

"You're absolutely sure he was watching me?"

"I didn't say that, but it seems a little too much of a coincidence, doesn't it? Maybe we should move on again, not press our luck here tomorrow. This was a good haul today. Maybe that's enough here?"

Dirk glanced around the crowded tavern, then leaned in over the rough wooden table.

"Gareth, we made more today in this city than we've made in the last four towns combined. Think of what we could walk away with after a couple days of this! Tell me, where else are we going to do this well?" He asked.

"I don't know, Dirk, but what if they're on to us here? I like coin as much as the next guy, but I like my hands and freedom more."

Dirk sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, his face calculating. After a moment, he spoke.

“All right, Gareth. How’s this: We go back to the market tomorrow and do it again. If you see the man again, signal to me, and I can follow him down an alley and cut his throat. Problem solved.”

“Dirk!” Gareth quickly looked around the tavern, fearful that someone had heard his partner. Fortunately, the sounds of general carousing were loud enough that nobody could hear one small conversation amidst the din. He turned back to Dirk and scowled fiercely at him.

“We are not going to murder a man just because he might, perhaps, possibly be on to us. That not how this works. We’ve talked about this. Murder is never our go-to plan.”

Dirk smirked.

“Not your go-to, at least. But yes, fine, I remember the terms of our agreement. How’s this for an alternative. Remember when we were in Bansbury?”

“Yes, we nearly got caught in Bansbury. Because you wanted to try a second day. Like right now,” Gareth said peevishly.

“Exactly! But we didn’t, because you gave the signal that we have agreed on, the story about the Lucky Thief. It worked, and I got away clean. We do that again. If this mysterious gentleman was actually onto to us, and an informant, and there are extra guards in the market, tell that one. I’ll be listening, and can slip off into the shadows. If he wasn’t, we get to make a lot of money again. Fair?”

Gareth pursed his lips, but couldn’t find any particular reason to object to Dirk’s plan. They did have a signal, and after all, he wasn’t even positive that the mousey man had really been watching Dirk. It could’ve been a coincidence. Gareth looked at the bag of coins on the table. It had probably just been a coincidence. He would just keep a closer watch on the crowd, and be ready to warn Dirk.

“Yeah, alright, that’s fair. We’ll go back again tomorrow,” Gareth said.”

[theamazingstories]

World Fantasy Award

World Fantasy 2019: A Con Report

By Rebecca Inch-Partridge

As soon as I learned that World Fantasy was going to be in Los Angeles this year, I bought my membership. There was no way I’d miss a convention in my state with so many experts in my industry. However, recovering from my spinal surgery took longer than expected, and the doctor wasn’t going to clear me to go until my daughter-in-law volunteered to be my chauffer and assistant.

My son had introduced her to the world of fandom by bringing her to our local convention, BayCon, in 2016. She’d experienced her first World Con at San Jose last year. On the drive down from Sacramento, she asked how World Fantasy differs from World Con. I explained that it is much smaller. World Con has over 5,000 attendees; BayCon has around 1,500; while World Fantasy caps membership at 950.

It’s also more like a writers conference for speculative authors. The majority of attendees are writers like myself, hoping to network with fellow authors, editors, and agents. “It lacks the fan track, cosplay, and gaming you’re used to,” I told her, hoping she wouldn’t be too disappointed. I needn’t have worried. It turned out the more intimate nature of the convention made it easier for a first timer to socialize.

Next she inquired why I was going to a Fantasy Con when I am a science fiction author–especially one with the theme Fantasy Noir. That’s a subgenre definitely outside my wheelhouse. I’d asked the same question the first time a friend invited me to World Fantasy. The truth is there’s enough crossover that it’s a great convention for speculative writers of all subgenres. Tor was there along with a few agents who represent YA science fiction, which is what I write so it made sense for me to go.

Despite having been to two World Fantasy Cons, this time was different for me. I had a novel to pitch. That adds a lot of pressure. This was also my first time acting as an ambassador for Amazing Stories Magazine. Loaded with swag and free sample issues, we entered the hotel ready to experience the joy of giving. We picked up our convention badges and received a wonderful surprise. I’d forgotten about the free bag of books!

We were like kids at Christmas going through our bags. Best of all, the author of the book my daughter-in-law was most excited about would be at the mass autographing. This turned out to be one of the highlights of the convention for her. Cynthea Masson’s contagious excitement and uber friendliness thrilled my daughter-in-law. It reminded me of how I’d felt meeting some of my favorite authors at my first convention twenty years ago. It also reminded me what a wonderful community fandom is.

For me, highlights included:

Spreading the word about Amazing Stories Magazine. Let’s face it, giving away free stuff is fun! Being the magazine’s ambassador also gave me an excuse to approach well established authors as well as emerging stars and suggest they submit a story. This afforded me the opportunity to clarify what kind of stories we are looking for. Classic or “Golden Age” does not mean strictly space opera. The convention had a lot of awesome authors to recruit, and I can’t wait to see what kind of stories they submit!

The extremely high level of professionalism of the panelists. These were experts in the field who knew the subject matter they were there to discuss. Not once did I hear, “Well, I don’t really know anything about XYZ. I have no idea why I’m on this panel.” Then again, we are talking about people like Beth Meacham, Patrick Nielsen-Hayden, and Ellen Datlow. I learned something new at every panel I attended, even ones that I’ve been on before.

The fantastic socials. The intimate nature of the con meant you could actually have conversations with Guests of Honor, panelists, staff members, and fellow attendees. I reconnected with lots of old con friends and made a bunch of new ones. I especially enjoyed meeting one of our Amazing Stories authors, Rosemary Claire Smith. Her story, “Conversation of Mismatched Shoes,” is one of my favorites, so it was nice to put a face to the name.

Open mics and readings. There were signups for scary story readings on Halloween and poetry reading on Friday. I did them both and thoroughly enjoyed sharing my work and listening to some great writers share theirs. The Broad Universe rapid fire reading was on Saturday, and as a member I got to read along with several other female science fiction writers. What an honor, reading to an audience at a World Fantasy Con.

To sum up. Yes, it’s a little pricy for a science fiction convention. But when compared to writer’s conferences, it’s very reasonable. For authors, or aspiring authors, of speculative fiction this is a great place to learn about the craft and network.

The World Fantasy Convention is hosted by the World Fantasy Convention, an unincorporated literary society.

WFC 2019 was held from October 31st to November 3rd, 2019, at the Mariott Los Angels Airport Hotel in Los Angeles, California, with the theme “Fantasy Noir”.  Guests of the convention included Tad Williams, Reiko Murakami, Sheree Renée Thomas, Margo Lanagan, Beth Meacham, Chris McGrath (who was unable to attend) and Toastmaster Robert Silverberg.

Chairs for the convention were Sheri Benoun and Bruce Farr

WFC provides a Code of Conduct and Accessibility information on their website.

Winners of the 2019 World Fantasy Awards:

World Fantasy Awards℠ 2019

2019 Lifetime Achievement Awards

Hayao Miyazaki Jack Zipes

Novel

Witchmark by C. L. Polk (Tor.com)

Novella

“The Privilege of the Happy Ending” by Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Aug. 2018)

Short Fiction

“Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake” by Mel Kassel (Lightspeed, October 2018)

“Like a River Loves the Sky” by Emma Törzs (Uncanny Magazine, March-April 2018)

Anthology

Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction, edited by Irene Gallo (Tor.com)

Collection

The Tangled Lands, by Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S. Buckell (Saga Press/Head of Zeus UK)

Artist

Rovina Cai

Special Award – Professional

Huw Lewis-Jones for The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands (University of Chicago Press)

Special Award – Non-Professional

Scott H. Andrews, for Beneath Ceaseless Skies: Literary Adventure Fantasy

Judges: Nancy Holder, Kathleen Jennings, Garry Douglas Kilworth, Stephen Graham Jones, and Tod McCoy

World Fantasy Convention 2020 will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 29th to November 1st, 2020 Guests include Tracy and Laura Hickman, Toastmasters, Anne Groell. Editor Guest of Honor, Stephen Gallagher, Author Guest of Honor, David Cherry. Artist Guest of Honor, C.J. Cherryh,  Author Special Guest, and Cindy Pon, Author Special Guest.

Con Report: World Fantasy Convention 2019 by Rebecca Inch-Partridge World Fantasy 2019: A Con Report By Rebecca Inch-Partridge As soon as I learned that World Fantasy was going to be in Los Angeles this year, I bought my membership.

[realitycrazy2017-blog]

Up-to-date flow from up to date updated, Mac

New Post has been published on https://realitycrazy.com/up-to-date-flow-from-up-to-date-updated-mac/

Up-to-date flow from up to date updated, Mac

Deliberating making the jump from Home windows up to date updated the Mac? Already switched from Pc up to date Mac and have  a mac os, however, feeling up-to-date lost and stressed – wondering, possibly, up to date locate your way around the brand new setup, or up to dateHow updated discover replacements up to date favorite apps and features? You’ve got come updated the right region.

In our giant migration guide we solution the massive questions dealing with the ones brave (and in our opinion practical) souls swapping from the Windows up-to-date the MacOS platform. When you have any unanswered questions add them inside the comments and we’ll make sure up to date deal with them in the future replace.

This year, as in previous years, Apple’s share of the conventional computing marketplace has expanded. No question this is up to date the fact updated the creation of the new MacBook Pro 2016 TouchBar variety has introduced a whole new era of switchers up to date the Mac platform. So what higher time for a bang-guide updated switching from Home windows up to date Mac? Examine next: A Lapupupdated users’ guide up-to-date using a Mac

Set up & updates Which model of MacOS or Mac OS X up-to-date do I set up? New releases of OS X are made yearly, generally in autumn. up-to-date with Windows, OS X is advanced incrementally and complete Windows 8/10-like overhauls of the operating system are uncommon.

Consequently, the modern version of OS X is best for most up-to-date and performance/compatibility on older Macs is excellent – Yosemite/El Capitan will install on Macs which can be 5 or even more years antique, for instance. Following the OS X Mavericks launch in 2013, every release of OS X has been completely freed from price and may be downloaded via the App Save updated.

How do I replace my Mac machine? The equivalent of Home windows replace is determined by means of clicking the Apple menu at the up-to-date left of the up-to-date, clicking App up-to-date, and then clicking the Updates tab. This can replace OS X itself, device components like iTunes, and any apps you hooked up through the App Shop. Other apps have their personal replace routines – commonly there may be a choice inside the Possibilities dialog field updated to take a look at for updates, at the same time as apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud deploy up to date updated apps that inform you while updates are up to date. How do I install or reinstall MacOS? See the segment above discussing OS X up to date ration updated. Alternatively, if your Mac is still bootable you may use the Mac App up-to-date updated download the present day model of OS X for reinstallation over the existing Installation without losing records. Just search for the name of the version of OS X you’re using (that is, Yosemite or El Capitan), and click the download hyperlink along it. If you’re strolling an older version of OS X that lack the App updated you’ll want up to date updated Software replace as an alternative, which you will find it in the Apple menu.

Alternatively, in case your Mac is antique sufficient you could use the Installation DVD-ROM that got here with the lap updated – Just insert it, then reboot and preserve down D before the Apple emblem appears. But, considering that updated Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011, OS X has only been made available updated through download – even In case you’ve offered a new Mac. It is also viable up-to-date create a Setup USB stick.

How do I activate the MacOS working device, input its product key (aka serial range), or check that it is legitimately certified? there’s no want for any of this. Apple consists of MacOS free with every Mac and, considering 2013, both principal and minor updates have also been unfastened for any Mac it truly is well matched. Consequently, the concept of a Mac running an illegitimate copy of MacOS doesn’t surely make sense (at the least out of doors of the Backup-to-date scene).

Wherein do I find the serial or registration range/key required updated MacOS? There isn’t one. Apple (generally) eschews serial numbers across its complete product range and apps install without this type of nonsense.

How do I twin-boot Windows or Linux on my Mac? The BootCamp Setup wizard lets you updated install Home windows eight/10 on Macs, and you may find it in the Utility folder of the Packages list (note that Windows 7 is no longer officially supported). Simply follow the instructions. Putting in Linux isn’t always formally supported but can be achieved via apps like rEFIt.

I am uninterested in MacOS. up to date Just wipe it and install Windows? Modern Macs are Simply every other Pc… right? Even though Macs in recent times use Intel CPUs and are up-to-date a Lapupupdated, they’re sufficiently exceptional updated you can not genuinely insert a Windows DVD/USB stick and install it over the existing MacOS operating gadget.

The primary problem is the unique Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) used by Macs that controls booting. up to date use a non-MacOS running device, this desires up to date be configured via the Boot Camp Assistant app it truly is built in updated MacOS. Boot Camp Assistant will also create a USB stick full of the necessary Windows drivers, and repartition the disk up-to-date make the area for Home windows.

Once You’ve set up Home windows the use of Boot Camp Assistant you can then delete the MacOS partition If you desire – Despite the fact that we might propose leaving it there.

Switch integrated From Laptop to Mac You needn’t worry, however. Apple has listened to its clients and addressed their concerns. Switch integrated from a Laptop to a Mac isn’t a leap built-in dark; it is a smooth transition to a responsive and powerful PC.

The basics

A Mac is simple to use due to the fact Apple has designed its applications to work built-in a similar manner. When you grow to be acquabuiltintegrated with the Mac OS X opera built the integrated system, integrated falls integrated area.

built-in your files

Perhaps an essential aspect of built-in integrated to any new computer is the migration of your files from one to the other. These files might built-in documents, tune, and images, however, it would not build integrated rely what they may be: your Mac will build only recognize almost all of them.

You have a number of methods to transfer your documents. You can

copy built-integrated built-in Pc to a USB or WirelessreWire tough pressure, built-integrated the tough power to the Mac, and download use your local community to transfer the files burn the documents to a CD or DVD at the Computer, built-in this built integrated Mac and download ship the documents on your Mac thru your e-mail account When you’ve organized built-in at Mac’s hard drive, You may set up built-indows (see underneath) and use your documents as you’ll build integrated Computer. In case you don’t want to load integrated, you’ll need Mac variations of the right software program together with Microsoft Workplace (see under).

built-windows integrated

Havintegratedg deters built integrated to make the flow from Computer to Mac, you can sense greater cozy If you nevertheless have built-inWbuiltintegrated at hand. Luckily, you are able to load built-integrated XP Domestic Edition or Professional (with at the last integrated Carrier % 2), or any version of built-in Vista, the usage of integrated Boot Camp. This is a chunk of the software program that comes as popular with each new Mac. (Please word which you can not load any built-integrated software program apart from the ones given here.)

As soon as built-inWbuiltintegrated is built integrated Mac, use it as even though you are built-in integrated a Pc. In case you need the power built-in built-windows integrated and Mac OS X available on the equal time without restart built-ing the laptop, deploy both Parallels built-in or VMware Fusion.

built-indows networks

If you’re a part of an integrated network built-in a Workplace or at Home and each person else is integrated a Pc, You could still transfer to a Mac without scary built-in. With a Mac, there may be not anything to save you-you Shar integrate dog documents throughout the community, browsbuiltintegrated the Internet, or send the integrated and receivintegratedg email.

Microsoft Office

In case you want to maintain the usage of integrated Microsoft Workplace 2008, def built integrated install the Mac model. It has all of the features of the built-windows integrated equal built-in Word, Excel and PowerPobuilt-int. You could additionally work on Workplace documents that rebuilt-instead on a Laptop, and transfer your Mac-created Workplace work to a Computer.

Laptop gadgets

You don’t have to shop for new peripherals while you change from a Pc to a Mac. Your Mac has pre-loaded drivers for hundreds of devices, which means that it recognizes the considerable majority of peripherals built-includbuiltintegrated PR integrated ears, tough drives, joysticks, and cameras. Simply installation your tool integrated the USB, WirelessreWire, Bluetooth or audio connections and you are up and built-in. In case you’d alternative integrated, You can additionally hold to use your Laptop keyboard and mouse with your Mac.

email

You may use your integrated email Provider and email address built integrated Mac with none problem built-in. Placed your email account built-in integrated Mac’s Mail software and that’s it: you have efficaciously converted. You may also access any web-primarily based email together with your Mac’s Safari build the integrated browser.

you can, of direction, have a built-inventory integrated of e-mail folders that cross returned for some time. Switch built-ing from a Pc to a Mac is a good opportunity to do some electronic mail housework, but this does not imply you have to lose any of your archived messages. Alternatively, In case you have a reasonably small quantity of e-mail, You may ahead it on your Mac. If you have a bigger quantity of mail on your Laptop and feature a number of money owed, You may transfer built-in by us built integrated the usage of integrated your ISP (Internet Provider company) and IMAP (Net message get entry to protocol).

Immediately message integrated

If you’re used to Instantaneous message integrated built-in Pc, you’ll be thrilled together with your Mac. It has a feature referred to as iChat for textual content messagintegratedg and video calls.

  Macs are wi-fi and built-in with maximum routers. The available wireless networks to your integrated place automatically sign up to your integrated screen. You needn’t lose any of the wireless capabilities of your Laptop, and through built-in integrated a Mac you can built-in truth discover you’ve upgraded your functionality.

built integrated browsers

Your Mac has the fastest new integrated browser around: Safari. If you decide on, You can use Mac variations of other browsers, but the speed and smooth-to-use capabilities of Safari will soon have you ever hooked.

software program and video games

You won’t lose out on a desire of software program and video games while you turn to a Mac. Built integrated the whole Th built integrated has a Mac version, plus you may benefit from precise Mac items consist built integrated iWorks.

Security

when you turn to a Mac, you’ll need to recognize your built-in is comfortable. The coolest built integrated is that Macs have Protection with regular unfastened updates. Apple additionally constructs each Mac with its very own hardware and software. The result is a computer that resists viruses and spyware some distance better than the common Laptop.

Reliability

Macs are cont built integrated reliable. They run extremely properly and don’t be afflicted by the issues so often associated with Desktops – frozen displays and built-in crashes. As a result, you will have fewer issues result built integrated delays and lost built-in.

[hopefulphantomwonderland-blog]

New Post has been published on Pagedesignweb

New Post has been published on http://pagedesignweb.com/how-to-run-windows-on-a-mac/

How to Run Windows on a Mac

I really don’t think you need a PC to be a successful Internet marketer but I am not anti-Windows!

I think that competition is a good thing. I would not necessarily want the world to have a choice of only one operating system, even if it happened to be the one I prefer.

Of course, in a perfect world, the market share of the main competitors would be closer to 50-50, but of course we don’t live in a perfect world. (Actually, in a perfect world, market share should be divided by about 33% among the top three competitors, Windows, Mac, and Linux, with the remaining 1% share available just to give someone else a bit of a chance to break through with a new OS!)

Admittedly, in some specialized fields, it is easier to find software for the PC than for the Mac; it’s just that Internet marketing is not one of them. I saved this chapter for last because I really know of no Windows-only program that is essential for the Internet marketer.

However, if you are a switcher who is migrating to the Mac from the Windows platform, you might want to take along with you a favorite pet application that you have grown accustomed to using. Or, as a Mac user, you may not be able to resist trying out one of the shiny Internet marketing baubles that is available only for Windows.

It really is true, however, that the Windows side of the Internet marketing world is littered with junk. There are hundreds of free, cheap, and expensive, overhyped products that are not worth wasting your time with. It is true that there are fewer applications that run natively on the Mac, but those that do tend to be the cream of the crop.

But if you really feel you need to run Windows programs on your Mac, you can.

When Steve Jobs announced that the Macintosh world was switching over from PowerPC to Intel chips some years ago, I was shocked. Maybe I was bamboozled by the marketing hype machine, but I really did think that PowerPC was superior. I also wondered if Windows apps being able to run on the Mac would mean that developers would stop creating software for the Mac platform.

I needn’t have worried. There are enough rabid fans of the Mac that the Mac’s place in the computing universe is assured.

In reality, the switch over to Intel processors gives Mac users a wonderful flexibility in being able to run Windows programs if they need to, while staying with the Mac platform they prefer. Intel on Macs means that Macs can run Windows and Windows applications natively, without the speed sapping emulation that was necessary in the days of PowerPC. In short, that means that Windows and Windows applications can run just as fast on the Mac as they can on an HP or Dell box.

Boot Camp

In fact, Apple makes this easy with its own software utility called Boot Camp. Included with every Macintosh over the past few years, it allows you to run Windows and Windows applications right on your Macintosh (of course, you also have to buy and install a copy of Windows for your Mac as well).

Simply run Boot Camp Assistant, which you will find in the Utilities folder, and you will be able to partition your Mac’s hard drive and allocate a certain amount of space for the Windows operating system. That done, you simply insert your Windows disk and click Start Installation in the Boot Camp assistant. Then you can boot to Windows simply by holding down the option key at startup. Your Mac will start up running Windows and you will, for all practical purposes, be using a PC.

Parallels Desktop for Mac and VMWare Fusion

If you would like to run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side, without the need for a restart, along with a copy of Windows you will need to purchase Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMWare Fusion. If you are in the market for a new Mac, some resellers (such as MacMall) often throw in a copy of Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMWare Fusion along with it for free (but you will still need to buy a copy of Windows). Of course, you’ll want to have a decent amount of our RAM installed on your computer since you will be running two operating systems at the same time.

This is not as clunky as it may sound. For example, Parallels adds the ability to switch from a Mac application to a Windows program simply by clicking the appropriate application window. You can even set the software so that the Windows OS is hidden: all you see is the application windows of the Windows programs you’re running. The windows are resizable and their icons even appear in the Mac OS Dock.

The Windows taskbar can appear on any edge of the screen, just as when running Windows natively, although you will of course want to move the Mac OS Dock to a different edge. This “Windows as a taskbar only” mode is called “Coherence Mode” and in using it, it’s easy to forget that you’re even running Windows on your Mac. Alternatively, you can make your Mac look like a Windows machine by switching to full Windows mode.

On the other hand, If you only need to run one or two Windows programs, you may not need to buy a copy of Windows at all.

CrossOver for Mac

CrossOver for Mac (CodeWeaver Software) allows you to run many Windows applications on your Mac without needing to install Windows! It does this by installing Windows native libraries, which tricks Windows programs into thinking that they’re running on a real Windows operating system.

There are some limitations, of course, the main one being that not all Windows applications are compatible with it. CodeWeaver offers a 30 day trial so you can find out if your favorite application is.

Crossover Mac comes in two versions: Standard ($40) and Professional ($70). The professional version offers support for games, multiple users, volume and educational discounts, and longer and better support.

My recommendation: get CrossOver Mac if you need to run only one or two Windows applications and your testing with the trial version indicates that they will run properly; or install Windows and use Apple’s Boot Camp if you don’t mind restarting your Mac to run your Windows applications; otherwise, invest in Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion.

[jakeander11]

OK, so this is a little different from my normal reblogs, but I‘m curious. I know I only have like, nine followers, but if any of you folks would want to read a beginning excerpt from the novel Im writing and perhaps message me with feedback, that would be kind of cool. Or, this will just fade into the aether, either way works. Anyway, here it is:

Gareth brushed sweat from his eyes, and tucked some damp, sandy curls behind his ear. The sun beat down from the cloudless sky, baking the streets of Greyport beneath it. Gareth shifted slightly, and felt another line of sweat run down his back beneath his yellow doublet. The slight ocean breeze coming in off the harbor only served to move the hot, humid air around, instead of cooling anyone down. It was not an ideal day to stand around and sing to crowds, but that was Gareth's role today.

He was standing on the raised edge of the white marble fountain in the center of the market district. The fountain was old, and much of the intricate carvings that adorned the sides had become soft and blurred from the wear of time, but the carved dolphin that formed the central spout was still easily identified.

The fountain’s lip was a good three feet off the ground, which would have given most street performers a commanding stage above the milling bodies of the market. Gareth, who stood a mere three-foot-two, was only placed a mere head’s height above the small crowd of market goers that had stopped to listen to the peculiar halfling in the brightly-colored clothing.

He hit the last note of his song, and allowed the final chord to carry into the air for a moment before he silenced the strings of his lute. The small crowd gave a slightly better than polite round of applause, and a few even whistled. Gareth smiled. It was always nice to have his talents appreciated. He wiped the back of his neck and smiled at the crowd. Gareth may not have been allowed to call himself a real bard, but he had been trained by one, and could perform as well as any of the official members of the guild.

"Thank you, my friends, thank you!” He bowed at the waist with a flourish of his free hand. Dirk frequently accused him of being unnecessarily dramatic, but as Gareth always thought, why not add a little flair to things when he could?

"Now, my throat is getting a bit sore, and it’s rather hot out, so my next song will be my last. I hope you enjoy it. Before I begin, however, I have a request to make. This is, after all, how I make my living.”

Which was more or less true, from a certain perspective.

"If you’ve been entertained here today, please consider making a small contribution, if only a few coins. After all, where else will you spend your copper sheaves, silver acorns, or even, dare I suggest, gold crowns today? Will you buy a cheap meat pie stuffed with gods know what beasts? A flimsy wind-up dragon that will break the very second you get home? Perhaps a ‘genuine’ elvish necklace made of tin, glass, and lies? No. I am your best spending option, and I thank you for it,” Gareth said.

As he spoke, he swept the faded yellow hat off his head and tossed it onto the cobblestones below his perch. It landed with a puff of dust, and Gareth launched into a spirited rendition of the Ballad of the Rose and the Thorn. It was a well known tale, filled with love and loss, betrayal and revenge. Gareth's old master had said it was the ballad that he could perform the best, and the earnings of previous performances had proved that statement correct. Gareth hoped that this audience would also consider it worth loosening their purse strings for.

He needn’t have worried. As he sang, he saw many of the people in the crowd pull out their purses and come forward to drop a coin or two into his hat, which quickly filled with a modest pile of coins.

Gareth glanced down, and saw that most of the coins were copper sheaves, with a couple silver eagles glinting amongst them. Cheap bastards, Gareth thought. From the amount of silk and velvet draping the bodies in the crowd, he had expected more silver, and perhaps even a gold crown or two.

From his vantage point on top of the fountain, Gareth could see the edges of the square relatively clearly. As he sang, a form slipped out of the darkened alley across the square. Dirk was right on time.

Dirk was a wiry man somewhere between twenty and thirty five years of age, as far as Gareth could tell. He was only of middling height, perhaps a few inches short of six feet tall, with dark hair and calculating eyes. He could be considered handsome, in a dangerous, disheveled sort of way. Usually, he maintained a few days worth of stubble over his sharp-edged features, and his face often sported some form of a mocking smirk. His regular choice of clothing was almost exclusively dark grays and blacks.

Today, however, Dirk was dressed in what he referred to as his “hunting clothes”. He’d disguised himself as a member of the prosperous merchant class, and Gareth barely recognized his partner.

Dirk's hair had been combed back and tied with a red silk ribbon into a tidy ponytail at the base of his neck, and was freshly clean shaven. He wore a crimson doublet embroidered in gold thread over a white silk shirt, and his black velvet breeches were tucked into shining leather boots. In short, he looked about as far from a thief as a civilian could be.

Which, of course, was the point. As he liked to say whenever Gareth asked him about his fancy clothes, "After you’ve mastered the skills, the most successful pickpockets are always the ones that don’t look the way thieves are expected to look. "

Dirk slipped into the crowd and began to slowly wind his way through it. He carefully chose a route that brought him near the most wealthy of the crowd, and he happened to bump into most of them as he gently pushed his way past. The men and women didn’t give him a second glance. None of them suspected that the purses and pouches they had just taken out to throw a coin or two into Gareth's hat were no longer on their person.

As Gareth sang, he watched the crowd closely, and kept an eye out for guards. After a while, he noticed a man on the edges of the small crowd that seemed to be watching Dirk.

He was a small man, dressed in the same undyed linen and wool clothing as many of the poorer shoppers in the square, with a dull brown cloak loosely draped over his shoulders. His brownish hair was cropped close to his head, and he had a short beard of the same color. Overall, Gareth thought he was a man of profoundly nondescript appearance. After a moment’s thought, Gareth decided that the man reminded him of a field mouse. Gareth couldn’t quite tell, but the man seemed to be following Dirk’s progress through the crowd out of the corner of his eye.

Dirk made it to the other side of the crowd, and continued on his way down another street. A few seconds after Dirk was out of sight, the mousey man turned and left the square, and walked quickly northwards.

Gareth didn’t like the timing. He finished his song, bowed one last time to the crowd, and collected his hat. As he started to walk down the narrow streets towards the inn that he and Dirk were staying at this week, Gareth found himself thinking about the mousey man and his unnerving behavior.

He made Gareth very uncomfortable. There were only so many explanations for what he had noticed, and the only one that wasn’t bad news was that Gareth was just being paranoid, attributing meaning to nothing. Everything else suggested that the man had caught on to the scam Dirk and Gareth had set up. If the man had, and if he decided to go to the city watch, the lives of the partners were about to get far more interesting than either would ever want. Gareth mulled over the problem, and decided that he should probably bring up the mouse man with Dirk that evening. He nodded to himself, and hurried down the street towards what passed for home.

"Look at all that copper. Not bad for a whole afternoon of performing. You could almost buy half a shoe with that.”

Gareth scowled at Dirk across the wooden table, and Dirk twisted his lips into a mocking smirk.

They were sitting at a scarred wooden table, in the corner of the tavern the pair had chosen as their base in the city. The room was full of people drinking and laughing their cares away, and the air was thick with the smell of ale and pipe smoke.

Dirk had changed out of his merchant costume, and was now dressed in his usual dark clothes. He wore a sleeveless black leather jerkin over a grey, rough-spun shirt, and his grey trousers were tucked into the tops of his worn, black leather boots. Dirk's heavy leather belt was festooned with a variety of small bags and pouches, with a dagger on each hip.

In broad daylight, Dirk’s regular clothing, coupled with his overall appearance, had a tendency to make people look twice and secure their purses. Under his preferred cover of night, however, nobody saw him coming until it was far too late.

Gareth shuddered and forced his thoughts away from the memories they were heading towards. Dirk was a consummate professional, and they got along reasonably well in their partnership, but sometimes, when Gareth thought too hard, Dirk scared the living hell out of him.

“Alright, fine, yes. I know. Honest street performing isn’t about to make us rich anytime soon. You don’t need to rub it in. I’m guessing you did better?” Gareth asked.

Dirk’s smirk shifted into a gloating, self-satisfied smile, and his eyes glinted.

“Oh yes. Much better. They may have been cheap sons of whores, but they sure as hell weren’t poor.”

Dirk glanced around the crowded room, then lifted a large leather bag from where it had been sitting on the floor next to his chair and dropped it on the table. It landed with a heavy thud, and the clink of precious metals.

“Forty-seven crowns, twenty-six eagles, and seventy-nine sheaves for only eight good minutes of cutting purse strings.” Dirk sat back in his chair and crossed his arms smugly. “I love this city.”

Gareth stared at the bag on the table. This was the largest prize from their scheme that they had ever collected, by a rather wide margin.

“That’s… That’s a lot of money," Gareth said.

Dirk laughed softly. “Yes, Gareth, it is. We do this for a month, and we'll be rich.”

“Or, we get caught and spend a while in the dungeons. Or lose a hand, depending on how lenient the magistrate is feeling that day.”

Dirk’s smile soured, and he scowled at Gareth.

“We won’t get caught. Nobody in that crowd gave me a second look today," Dirk said.

“I’m not sure that that’s entirely true, actually," Gareth said.

"What?"

"Well, earlier today, when you were collecting all that," Gareth gestured at the bag of coins on the table. "I thought I saw a man watching you. I couldn't be entirely sure, but it looked like he was following your progress through the crowd, and he took off towards the citadel as soon as you left the market."

Dirk frowned.

"You're absolutely sure he was watching me?"

"I didn't say that, but it seems a little too much of a coincidence, doesn't it? Maybe we should move on again, not press our luck here tomorrow. This was a good haul today. Maybe that's enough here?"

Dirk glanced around the crowded tavern, then leaned in over the rough wooden table.

"Gareth, we made more today in this city than we've made in the last four towns combined. Think of what we could walk away with after a couple days of this! Tell me, where else are we going to do this well?" He asked.

"I don't know, Dirk, but what if they're on to us here? I like coin as much as the next guy, but I like my hands and freedom more."

Dirk sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, his face calculating. After a moment, he spoke.

“All right, Gareth. How’s this: We go back to the market tomorrow and do it again. If you see the man again, signal to me, and I can follow him down an alley and cut his throat. Problem solved.”

“Dirk!” Gareth quickly looked around the tavern, fearful that someone had heard his partner. Fortunately, the sounds of general carousing were loud enough that nobody could hear one small conversation amidst the din. He turned back to Dirk and scowled fiercely at him.

“We are not going to murder a man just because he might, perhaps, possibly be on to us. That not how this works. We’ve talked about this. Murder is never our go-to plan.”

Dirk smirked.

“Not your go-to, at least. But yes, fine, I remember the terms of our agreement. How’s this for an alternative. Remember when we were in Bansbury?”

“Yes, we nearly got caught in Bansbury. Because you wanted to try a second day. Like right now,” Gareth said peevishly.

“Exactly! But we didn’t, because you gave the signal that we have agreed on, the story about the Lucky Thief. It worked, and I got away clean. We do that again. If this mysterious gentleman was actually onto to us, and an informant, and there are extra guards in the market, tell that one. I’ll be listening, and can slip off into the shadows. If he wasn’t, we get to make a lot of money again. Fair?”

Gareth pursed his lips, but couldn’t find any particular reason to object to Dirk’s plan. They did have a signal, and after all, he wasn’t even positive that the mousey man had really been watching Dirk. It could’ve been a coincidence. Gareth looked at the bag of coins on the table. It had probably just been a coincidence. He would just keep a closer watch on the crowd, and be ready to warn Dirk.

“Yeah, alright. That’s fair. We’ll go back again tomorrow.”