#Print Mail Statements

[mailletterprint]

Print Statement Formatting

Print mail statement formatting is a major part of the power of print, as it allows you to control how your output will be formatted. For example, you can use the f pattern> to specify whether or not leading and trailing zeros should be printed, as well as many other special characters that would normally be difficult to type without using C escape sequences.

In this article, we’ll look at the different options available for print statement formatting, and how they affect what is printed. We’ll also take a look at the fill> and align> subcomponents of the format string, which control how an output value is padded and positioned within the specified field width.

A format string is a text block, which contains the format commands that tell printf how to display a certain kind of data. It starts with a %' character, which indicates that there is more text to come (you can even use %>, which inserts a newline). Throughout the rest of the text, you’ll find a series of format specifiers, which are matched in a particular order by the printf function. Each format specifier tells printf how to display one item in the output.

The width> and precision> subcomponents of a format string determine how an output is padded. For example, if the number of digits in a fixed-width numeric field exceeds the field width, the output is padded with a '0:.+', where '+' is used for positive values and '-' for negative values. In addition, the align> subcomponent determines where in the output the fixed-width field is displayed, for example, if it should be centered or aligned to the left of the decimal point.

SITES WE SUPPORT

Mail Letter Print – Blogger

[sendmaildocuments]

Benefits of Statement Printing Services

Statement printing services offer a comprehensive solution that eliminates the headaches associated with handling transactional communications in-house. By utilizing a print-and-mail service that’s flexible, easy to use and scalable to your business needs, you can streamline and print your statement processing and printing operations while improving customer engagement.

Using a third-party provider allows you to customize the design and format of your statements, ensuring they reflect your brand’s image. In addition, many third-party providers provide a library of templates for you to choose from so that you can get started quickly and easily with minimal upfront expense.

In addition, the use of a third-party platform can help to reduce error rates on your printed statements. This is because the system uses a unique barcode on each statement to track where it goes throughout the printing and mailing process. This enables it to identify and correct any issues before the statement is finalized for distribution.

Whether your company handles financial, medical or utility statement printing and mailing, PostGrid’s on-demand statement processing and print-and-mail services can free up time to focus on your core business. This means more focus on boosting client satisfaction and growing your business.

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Send Direct Mails – Blogger

[mailinvoiceprint]

How to Print Blank Invoice Templates

Whether you are a freelancer, consultant, small business or a large company, a professional-looking invoice is the key to getting paid on time. Creating a blank invoice template is easy with the right tool, and there are many different templates available online to suit your needs.

The most important elements of an invoice include the title and description, your company details, customer information, line items and a total amount due. Add a unique invoice number to each document, which will help you track them. Include a detailed list of products or services provided, including descriptions, quantities, rates and unit prices. Calculate the subtotal of each itemized product or service, then deduct any discounts or add taxes to the final total.

Include the payment terms and any notes or comments you want to make on the invoice. This will provide clarity for both you and the client, and avoid any miscommunication on either side. You can also use the comments section to include your company's tax identification number, if required.

The invoice form is sized for 8 1/2 x 11 paper and can be printed as either a one-part or two-part document. If you are working on a project that will span a long period of time, you can customize the template to charge a percentage of the total cost up front and then invoice monthly or at significant milestones in the project. You can also use FrameReady to create a multipart invoice, where the lower portion of the form is kept by you as proof of purchase and the upper part is given to the client.

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Mail Invoice Print – Blogger

[bestmailapi]

How to Choose the Best Direct Mail Companies for Your Business

Direct mail companies can help you plan and execute your lead generation, customer retention, and brand awareness campaigns with a variety of promotional products and mailing services. These companies can also provide a wide range of custom printing and design options to suit your unique marketing needs. Besides, many of them offer quick turnaround times and discounts for bulk orders. You can also get a free sample pack before you place your order to make sure that the items look and feel right.

The best direct mail company for your business should have a flexible online design tool that allows you to personalize and customize your mailers with different finishes, paper stocks, and templates. It should also offer industry-specific designs for different businesses like real estate agents, gyms, restaurants, etc. It should also provide a comprehensive array of print finishing services such as foil stamping, die cutting, and more.

Moreover, the best direct mail companies should offer affordable rates for their services. They should also have a high-performance addressing API that helps you verify and standardize addresses. Some of them can even offer call-tracking solutions to help you track the performance of your campaigns.

For example, VistaPrint offers a free postcard sample to its prospective customers so that they can see and feel the quality of their products before making a purchase. The company has a 24-hour support team to answer any questions you may have about their services.

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Best Mail Api – Blogger

[statementmailapi]

How to Find a Geocoding API Free

A geocoding api free is a useful tool for companies looking to save time and money. These APIs are designed to help developers quickly get their application up and running without having to build all the necessary features from scratch. Many of these APIs also offer other helpful features that can make a developer's life much easier. These include the ability to track an IP address, find phone number and more.

There are several options for a geocoding api free, but you will want to make sure you choose the best one for your needs. Some of the most popular choices are Positionstack, TrueWay Matrix and Bing Maps Geocoder API. These APIs can be used to convert street addresses into latitude and longitude coordinates. They are ideal for applications that require high accuracy and worldwide coverage.

These APIs also provide a real-time usage graph. The rate element of the API response body and X-Ratelimit HTTP headers provide a snapshot of current usage. These APIs can be scaled to meet your application's specific needs. For example, you can increase the number of requests per minute or adjust the rate limit on a per account basis.

If you need to geocode in bulk, you can use the MMQGIS plugin. This geocoding plugin lets you input a list of addresses and will automatically mark them on the map. The plugin uses open source data from the OpenStreetMap database. The plugin supports multiple formats including XML and JSON.

SITES WE SUPPORT

Statement Mail Api – Blogger

[lakecountylibrary]

🔥 The beacons are lit; the library calls for aid

UPDATES FROM APRIL 1 AND MAY 5: https://www.tumblr.com/lakecountylibrary/782730356592967680/federal-court-halts-dismantling-of-imls-in-ala

UPDATE FROM JUNE 16: Government Accountability Office finds withholding IMLS funds is illegal (Library Journal) It is still important to call Congress and ask them to fund libraries in the 2026 budget.

The Trump administration has issued an executive order aimed at dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services - the ONLY federal agency for America's libraries.

Using just 0.003% of the federal budget, the IMLS funds services at libraries across the country; services like Braille and talking books for the visually impaired, high-speed internet access, and early literacy programs.

Libraries are known for doing more with less, but even we can't work with nothing.

How You Can Help:

🔥 Call your congressperson!

Use the app of your choice or look 'em up here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Pro tip: If your phone anxiety is high, call at night and leave a voicemail. You can even write yourself a script in advance and read it off. Heck, read them this post if you want to.

Phones a total no-go? The American Library Association has a form for you: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=23577

🔥Tell your friends!

Tell strangers, for that matter. People in line at the check out, your elderly neighbor, the mail carrier - no one is safe from your library advocacy. Libraries are for everyone and we need all the help we can get.

...Wait, why do we need this IMLS thing again?

The ALA says it best in their official statement and lists some ways libraries across the country use IMLS funding:

But if you want a really specific answer, here at LCPL we use IMLS funding to provide our amazing interlibrary loan service. If we can't purchase an item you request (out of print books, for example) this service lets us borrow it from another library and check it out to you.

IMLS also funds the statewide Indiana Digital Library and Evergreen Indiana, which gives patrons of smaller Indiana libraries access to collections just as large and varied as the big libraries' collections.

As usual, cutting this funding will hurt rural communities the most - but every library user will feel it one way or another. Let's let Congress know that's unacceptable.

[roosterforme]

Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw Part 10 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: After just two days back home, Bradley takes you on a second date. He wants more, and you don't seem to mind when he can't keep his hands and lips to himself.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, language, Bradley being boyfriend material

Length: 5000 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female teacher!Reader

Check out my masterlist for more! Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw masterlist

"Shit."

It had been such a long time since Bradley wore anything other than a flight suit, a khaki uniform or gym clothes, he had no idea what he was supposed to wear to dinner tonight. You mentioned weeks ago you thought Italian food sounded nice for a second date, and he agreed wholeheartedly. He managed to snag a table for the two of you at Salvatore's, and he was absolutely prepared to drop over five hundred bucks, but his clothing was becoming a situation.

After spending the entire day with you yesterday, Saturday morning was a bit of a reality check. He was trying to work through three loads of laundry while he sorted through a box of mail. There was nothing sweet in there like the packages you and your class sent to him while he was deployed. It was mostly bills that had already been automatically paid online, mortgage statements, and junk. Then he started folding laundry, somehow expecting some articles of clothing that weren't threadbare tee shirts or tropical print button downs to jump out at him.

"Why don't you have normal clothing?" he asked himself as he picked up his phone now that it was late enough to text you. He wanted to make sure you were okay with grabbing a drink before the dinner reservation which wasn't until 7:45. But when he unlocked his phone, instead of zero new messages, he found a picture you sent seven minutes ago. 

"Oh my god," he groaned softly, dropping onto his bed next to some unfolded laundry. You were in your own bed wearing his favorite sweatshirt and a bright smile.

Good morning, Handsome. Last night felt like a dream, but your sweatshirt is real, so it must have happened.

He scrambled to write back, clothing crisis forgotten. God, he wanted to be in that bed in the worst way. Things would definitely get out of hand pretty quickly, but he knew those first few kisses would be the sweetest things. After last night at the beach, waiting for a few more dates was going to be the challenge of his life, but he wanted you to know he was in this for the long haul. Especially after you mentioned that you thought he may have ghosted you.

Hey, Gorgeous. My sweatshirt looks way better on you than it ever did on me. Did you sleep in it?

He hit send and then wished he hadn't asked that question. He sounded like a horny twenty year old. It was bad enough that he had to practically beg you to go inside your apartment last night while you were kissing his neck, but he didn't want to embarrass himself.

Of course I did. It smells like you. The only thing better would be having you in my bed, too...

How the hell was he supposed to wait until this evening to see you? He tossed his phone aside. His blood felt like it was on fire, and he was sweating. Never before had he wanted to move this fast from a first date to making things official. But he knew you. He'd been working up to this point for months. And the Thai dinner with Prosecco on the beach wasn't really a first date. That felt closer to a reunion with a girlfriend than anything else. The only thing missing for that to have been true was a sleepover instead of him taking you home for the night. 

He was too many steps ahead right now. You hadn't yet done the drive down to Coronado from Mira Mesa for yourself, but he already caught himself wondering if you'd consider moving in with him in the future. "You need to relax," he ground out through gritted teeth. "You'll scare her away." He cracked his neck and forced himself to fold a stack of underwear before picking up his phone to reply.

I don't want to rush things, but your bed does look very comfortable. I'm confident we could get cozy there... You're making me blush. I need to get this conversation back on track. Cocktails before dinner at Salvatore's? I'll pick you up at 5:30?

A few minutes later, you responded with a photo of you still all snuggled up in bed, smiling and giving him a thumbs up in his shirt.

--------------------------

"Just in case," you muttered, making sure your bedding was straightened and your room was tidy. You left Bradley's TOP GUN sweatshirt folded on your pillow, but you certainly wouldn't mind having the man himself in your bed tonight. Your fingers and toes tingled when you thought about it. You bit your lip and scooped up his shirt, inhaling his scent one more time before you realized he would be here any minute.

When he knocked on your door, you set it back on your pillow and glanced at yourself in the mirror as you bounced past it. Cocktails and dinner at Salvatore's would have been a major splurge for a night out for you, but Bradley selected the restaurant. All you did was mention Italian food, and he really ran with it. You'd have been happy with some pizza and breadsticks, simply excited he remembered you mentioned Italian food at all, but this called for your littlest black dress and your brightest red lipstick. 

"I'm coming!" you called, going as fast as you could in your black heels, giggling at the double meaning. You had to compose yourself before you could open the door, and when you did, you were met with the actual man of your dreams.

"Hey, Gorgeous." Bradley's crooked little smile faltered a bit as his gaze slid down from your eyes to your lips, but he didn't stop there. He was shamelessly checking you out as a pretty shade of pink crept up into his cheeks, and you did a slow turn for him. 

Your skin felt warm as you met his eyes after doing a full circle. His lips were parted as you whispered, "Hi," and reached for his hand. As soon as your skin met his, he pulled you closer to him. "Bradley." His lips were on yours as he backed you up into your apartment until you softly met the wall behind you. He was big and warm, and you were holding his left hand while his right one came up to your face.

He broke the kiss by tipping your chin up so you were looking at him. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he crooned softly. Your lipstick was smudged along his mouth, and his tongue darted out to taste it before he said, "I'm fucking crazy about you."

His rough thumb dragged along your bottom lip as you said, "And you've never even seen me dispose of a spider for you."

"Baby," he rasped. "I'd probably propose."

A shocked giggle escaped you, and his crooked grin was back as he kept you there against your wall with your door wide open. You reached up and ran your fingers along the collar of his oxford shirt before tugging on the fabric until his lips were on yours again. You let your head tip back against the wall as he devoured you, tasting your lips, tongue and teeth before his forehead came to rest gently on yours.

"You know," you gasped, trying to catch your breath, "I thought all your emails were sweet and romantic."

He chuckled as he pulled away from you. "I was hoping I was doing okay in person, too."

You shrugged playfully and tried to spin out of his grasp, but his hand was still wrapped up in yours. He followed you to your coffee table so you could grab your purse as you casually told him, "You're even better in person than I thought you'd be."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, pulling you close again. "You like my stupid looking clothes and how I can eat three meals for dinner?"

He was so endearing, you didn't know how to handle him. So you kissed him again and whispered, "I like all of it." You let your fingers trail along his shirt buttons as you said, "You look nice in this, but I can already tell you're more comfortable in your colorful Aloha shirts and jeans. And I love that you can eat three meals for dinner, because we ended up sharing everything last night."

"Let's go," he coaxed, leading you toward your door. "I'll let you pick whatever you want to try at Salvatore's. I don't usually like sharing my food, but there's just something about you, Gorgeous. You make me feel comfortable."

-------------------------

You tried to tell Bradley twice that he still had some of your lipstick smudged on his face, but he just shrugged and said, "Good," in response both times. If he didn't mind, then neither did you. It couldn't be any more obvious that he was with you when the exact color that was on your lips was also on his. You listened to him hum along to the retro oldies station as he merged onto the coastal highway while you took a minute to fix up your own smudged lipstick.

He grinned over at you as you put your makeup away and said, "Come on, Baby. If you didn't want it on my face, then you wouldn't be putting more on your lips."

Every time he made a bold statement like that, you wanted to cancel dinner altogether and take him to your bedroom. "I never said I didn't want it on your face. It looks good." 

He reached out blindly for your hand, and you grabbed his immediately. "You did tell me you wanted me to kiss you as soon as I saw you."

"Yeah," you muttered. "Don't stop doing that." You knew things with him were going to get physical pretty quickly, but you'd never been quite this attracted to someone before. You drew little shapes on his palm as you asked, "How was your first night back in your own bed after so many months away?"

He groaned softly. "Epic. Fantastic. I don't fit very well in an extra long twin bed."

"No, I would imagine you don't," you said with a laugh as you watched him drive his Bronco in the evening sunlight.

He licked his lips and grinned as he said, "Would have been better if you were there though."

The eruption of butterflies in your belly left you biting your lip. You wanted to respond, but you needed to be able to make it through dinner before you were hanging off of him again like you were last night. That's when he brought your hand up to his lips and kissed your knuckles, treating you to his mustache there. "Feel like getting a drink or two in the lounge first? Maybe a bottle of wine?"

"Mmhmm," you hummed, ready to go anywhere he took you. As soon as he parked, he jogged around to help you down, letting you slide against his body with your hands on his shoulders. You wobbled a bit in your shoes, but he kept you steady.

"You good?" he asked as he leaned in, his lips brushing the side of your neck as his arm wrapped around your waist.

"So good," you promised. "Never better."

Bradley kept his hand right there on your hip as he led you along the sidewalk toward the restaurant. The lounge was packed; this was definitely a popular weekend date night locale. Couples filled the space with noisy conversation, but you could hear Bradley perfectly as his lips found your ear when he said, "There's an empty stool at the far end of the bar." He gave your hip a little squeeze as you headed for it, and he leaned on the bar next to you. "Why don't you pick out a bottle of wine or whatever you want? I'll go let the hostess know we'll be hanging out in the lounge."

When you agreed, he kissed your lips like the two of you had been at this for years, not just since yesterday. You weren't the only one who watched him walk away in his snug pants and Oxford shirt that somehow showed off his biceps. He was just that good looking. When you saw him without a shirt on, you'd probably faint and need him to revive you. When the bartender came over, you were chuckling to yourself at the idea of having sex with Bradley while he kept his shirt on to save you from that fate.

"Can I get you a drink?"

You looked at him in a daze, realizing you meant to choose a bottle of wine. You blurted out what kind you liked best, and with a nod and a smile, he turned to fill your request. And that's when you finally looked at the menu and realized the bottle was more than a hundred and fifty dollars.

"Oh shit." But it was too late. He had already opened it and was heading your way with it. You scrambled in your purse for your wallet, cringing at the idea of Bradley seeing the bill when you could have simply ordered a cocktail instead. Just as the bartender was pouring out a bit of the wine for you to try, you found your credit card successfully. And that was also when Bradley came back.

"They'll come get us when our table's ready," he said. "I told them it would be easy to find me since my date is the most beautiful woman in the restaurant." He watched the bartender pick up a second glass and said, "Oh perfect, you found some wine that you like."

You nodded and tried your best to pass your credit card across the bar undetected with your hand covering it. "I sure did."

Bradley's eyes followed your hand as he took a sip of the wine. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," you told him, picking up your own glass with your other hand. You tasted the wine and nodded at the bartender, and then he filled up both glasses while Bradley reached for your credit card.

"That's not necessary, Gorgeous. You can put that away."

You waited until the bartender walked off before you shook your head. "Let me pay for the wine. I was distracted and just picked a random bottle before I looked at the price, and then it was too late because he already had it opened. It's expensive."

Bradley looked completely unfazed as he eased your card from your hand and tucked it back into your wallet. "I don't care about that."

"I do," you said softly in your embarrassment. "I don't want you to think that's what I expected."

Bradley laughed in response. "First of all, I would never think that. And second, I was on that aircraft carrier for so long, and this wine tastes so good, and you look so pretty... I don't even want to tell you how much I'd be willing to pay for that bottle of wine and our dinner."

You simultaneously felt better and a little warm. "Okay, fine. But next time we go out for dinner, we're getting burgers from In-N-Out, and I'm paying."

His smile grew as you sipped your wine which really was quite good. "So that means you want to go out again?"

You rolled your eyes up at him where he stood, his hand brushing your knee where it was crossed over your other leg. "I'm about to make an In-N-Out reservation right now."

"Perfect," he replied. "Which night? I have to work late a few days next week to get caught up on everything I missed while I was away."

"You're ridiculous," you told him with a laugh. "How about Wednesday?"

His fingers toyed with the hem of your dress as he said, "Wednesday's good. You also need to let me know when I can visit your classroom again." His words were so sweet, and his gaze was sincere, but the feel of his fingertips inching along your skin above your knee was something else. 

You set your glass down next to your purse and reached for his hand, letting his fingers slip underneath your dress as you met his brown eyes. When he teased your skin with his rough hands, you reached for his shirt, and Bradley came willingly. Salvatore's didn't provide the two of you with the same level of privacy as the beach last night had, but you didn't really care, and he didn't seem to either.

-----------------------------

You had the softest skin. How was he supposed to keep his hands off you? And that red lipstick made your little pout when he teased you even more delectable than he could have imagined. And he'd been doing plenty of imagining for the last few months. He'd imagined you in a variety of scenarios with him, but so far being with you in person surpassed everything his vivid thoughts came up with.

When he mentioned visiting you at work, you treated him to the silky soft feel of your skin, and then you literally grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged until he was kissing you. Oh god, he was never going to recover from this. He had to wrap his hand around the middle of your thigh to keep himself from going any further as you moaned softly into his mouth. He was absolutely starving and a little dizzy from the wine, but he was thinking about skipping dinner in favor of the solitude of the Bronco right now.

"Mr. Bradshaw?"

Your tongue was slowly tasting his when you jerked away from him as the hostess strolled over. Embarrassed, you turned toward the bar as Bradley grunted in response at the young woman who told him the table was ready for the two of you. And maybe that wasn't a bad thing, because feeling you up in the middle of the crowded lounge wasn't something he'd feel good about later. At least not on the second date. He'd bring you back here in a few months and see if the two of you even made it to dinner.

With a smile, he reached for your free hand after you picked up your glass. You halfway hid your face against his bicep as the hostess picked up the bottle and led the way through the lounge and into the restaurant. Bradley kissed your forehead and murmured, "If I could keep my hands off of you, this wouldn't be a problem."

You peered up at him through your lashes. "Hanging out on your couch alone is sounding better and better."

"Fuck," he groaned softly as you released his hand and took a seat at the table set for two which was overlooking the bay. Bradley pushed your chair in, and his thumbs met your bare arms. He took a few deep breaths before taking the seat opposite yours and accepted one of the menus as he listened to the specials while he looked at your face. He muttered some sort of response, and then the two of you were alone.

You emptied the remainder of the wine between his glass and yours, and then Bradley watched you lick a little droplet from your thumb as you smiled at him. "So which three dinners are you planning on ordering tonight?"

It took him a second to realize that he was holding an open menu even though he hadn't looked at it once. He cleared his throat and said, "Definitely some homemade spaghetti and meatballs. The last time I ate spaghetti, it was overcooked and sad, and I had to go back to my bunk and think about you to make myself feel better." You covered your mouth with one hand while you laughed, and it was the most charming thing he'd ever seen. "I'm so serious, Gorgeous. I got a plate of soggy noodles, and literally the only thing that made it better was imagining you teaching your class about military grade jets and aviation."

Your pretty eyes were glittering as you told him, "I keep extending my lessons on the topic, and you are completely to blame for that. After the first time you responded to us, my students asked about you every single day. They are completely enamored with you."

"Yeah? Just them? Or you too?" He knew his words were reminiscent of the way you'd tried to blame it on your kids when you asked him to send you a picture so you could see what he looked like.

"Hmm." You pretended to peruse your menu. "I'm thinking about the ravioli. Or maybe the penne with vodka sauce." Your foot tapped his leg beneath the table, and he had to fight the urge to reach under and touch your skin again. You were teasing him in every way right now, and he was absolutely loving it. When the waiter dropped off glasses of water and some freshly baked bread, he asked if you wanted anything else to drink.

"You want another bottle of wine, Gorgeous?" Bradley asked, deciding to tease you right back.

"Absolutely not," you told him, looking at him like he had two heads before kindly telling the waiter, "No, thank you."

He was still laughing when he picked up a piece of bread. "So we'll get spaghetti, penne and ravioli?"

"You don't have to order what I want," you told him, your foot still running along his calf while your expression dripped with innocence.

"No. I want to though." It was kind of fun spoiling you with something as simple as dinner. Vanessa would have made a comment by now about how much she hated the slightly kitschy, over the top restaurant, even if the food was supposed to be immaculate. You didn't seem to mind one bit that he ordered three massive entrees and intended to finish whatever you didn't. Vanessa always got embarrassed, but all you said was that you were excited to try all three.

There was never a lull in conversation. You actually listened to Bradley when he was talking, and he could have listened to you all night.

"So you know how last night I mentioned... that I'd never really thought about dating someone in the military who deploys for work?"

"Yeah," Bradley rasped, not sure he loved where the conversation was heading.

You looked a little apprehensive as you said, "I was thinking about it more last night after you dropped me off." 

"And?"

You kind of shrugged and said, "I think I'd actually be okay with it, as long as it's you. It almost feels like we got some big, scary thing out of the way already, you know? And I could always write to you, because I kind of loved doing that. And yes, Bradley, I am also completely enamored with you."

It was almost a shame that the food arrived then, because as you started to cut into an enormous ravioli, all he could think to say was, "I'm completely enamored with you, too."

-----------------------------

You were so full from dinner, you didn't know how Bradley could walk. He ate at least two times what you did, and then he insisted on ordering a piece of cheesecake. When you caught sight of the bill, you tried not to gasp, because it was more than you spend on groceries for a whole month. But he handed over his credit card and signed his name without even breaking conversation with you. And now you were discreetly grabbing a handful of mints on your way out of the restaurant as he held your hand.

It was late, and you knew he was still tired. He mentioned briefly that he had a lot of chores to do this week amidst some late nights at work, but you didn't know how you'd be able to wait until Wednesday to see him again. When he started up the Bronco and headed in the direction of your apartment, your mind flooded with questions, but he asked you one first.

"I already have plans tomorrow, but I don't think I can wait until Wednesday to see you again. What time do you usually get to school?"

"7:20."

"Okay. And what kind of coffee do you like?"

You couldn't stop smiling as you told him what you usually ordered on the rare occasion you had time to stop at Starbucks. You kind of already felt like he was spoiling you.

"Have you memorized everything I've ever told you?"

"Yep," he replied, his handsome smile evident in the street lights. "And I've gotta say, you're one of a kind, Gorgeous."

You honestly didn't want the ride to end. The fact that there was no buffer of traffic to add to the twenty minute drive made you pout a little bit. Bradley's deep voice layered over the music playing on the radio while he held your hand was intoxicating, but you made a disappointed sound as he parked in front of your building.

When he released your hand to kill the engine in the near darkness, all you could see was his handsome profile. "You thought the drive would be too much for me," you whispered. "But when I'm in the car with you, I don't want it to end."

He cleared his throat and softly said, "Well, we don't have to get out quite yet if you don't want to."

Your pout turned into a grin as you unbuckled your seatbelt. "I can tell you still need to catch up on some sleep. I don't want to keep you out too late, Bradley."

He chuckled and undid his own seatbelt. "Why don't you come a little closer and say my name again."

As you eased yourself onto your hands and knees, you scooted across the seat and whispered, "Bradley," with a little laugh.

"Closer?" he asked, and you crawled over to him until you were able to kiss his cheek.

"Bradley."

He turned his head so his lips met yours, and he whispered, "Closer," against your mouth.

You were immediately in his lap, your hands resting on his chest as the steering wheel met your lower back. Your lips found his scarred cheek just like last night, and you kissed your way along his mustache and the side of his nose. You let your hands drift slowly down over his abs until they met the leather of his belt, and you whispered his name one more time.

His big hands closed around your wrists as he groaned, "You really love teasing me."

You nodded and said, "I really do," as he guided your hands up to his shoulders and around his neck.

"You're really good at it, Baby. All those pictures of you in your bed are enough to get a man through a deployment and then promptly kill him once he's on dry land if he can't touch you immediately."

He kissed the inside of your arm, and you scooted your body a little closer to his. "You can touch me." Your words elicited a deep groan as he slid his big hands along your bare arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He kissed your lips, swiping his tongue against yours as his fingers trailed down your sides. You almost cried out when his thumbs grazed the sides of your breasts before he gently squeezed your waist and your hips.

You could invite him to stay over. You didn't think he'd turn you down if you did. But all you could manage to say was, "Bradley," between kisses.

He tipped his head back against the headrest and whispered, "I love the way that sounds." His eyes were glittering in the darkness as he looked at your face and your body, and you remembered his text message from earlier.

I don't want to rush things

It was hard for you to remember that yesterday in your classroom was the first time you touched him. The first time you heard his voice in person. As much as you wanted to lean in close and ask him to stay, instead you kissed his ear and said, "You promised me movie night on your couch. When?"

"Friday?" he asked, kissing along your neck. "Let me end the week with my Gorgeous girl?"

"Yes."

You were afraid you were going to melt right out onto the pavement when he opened his door, but he helped you down and kept his arm wrapped around you. Bradley walked a half step behind you in the darkness all the way to your apartment. While there was no expectation that he was going to join you inside, you ended up pinned against your door, because it didn't seem like he was quite ready to leave yet either. 

He was eager. You could feel it as his lips found your neck again. He smiled against you as he whispered your name in that deep raspy voice. "Since you don't like surprises, I'm telling you right now that you should expect to see me in the parking lot at your school on Monday morning. Sound okay?"

"Oh god, yes," you whined as he released you. There were so many things you wanted to tell him as he put a foot of space between your bodies, really giving you a chance to see his pink cheeks and the way he was breathing deeply. You blurted out, "I'm falling so hard for you."

His crooked little grin was back as he nodded at your door. "Lock it behind you. And when you get in bed, in my sweatshirt, send me another selfie."

"I will," you promised, and you did exactly what he said. A minute after you texted the photo, you got a message back from him.

I think I'm falling even harder.

-----------------------

I'm so obsessed with them. She was so concerned about that bottle of wine! And he really wasn't lol. Coffee and burgers and a couch date coming up. This story will be 18+ soon. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 11

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[aweina]

ᰔ. wrong package : mike schmidt — suggestive warning !! + ft. secondhand embarrassment.

next door neighbor mike who randomly appears in front of your doorstep, an unusual flushed look in his tired features. neither of you have been formally acquainted, if you don’t count the forced awkward exchanges when getting the mail outside.

although, mike was good looking despite his unkempt demeanor — the remnant memories of his stiff politeness and husk voice had you fawning over him for as long as you were made aware of his presence. but it seems like he’d rather get to work or rest at home than getting to know any of his neighbors.

but now, he stands in front of you shifting one foot over the other — his wavering eyes settling onto the torn box in his grasp rather than your face. there was a bob to his throat, swallowing down on his thickening saliva in anticipation.

“uh sorry to bother you, but i’ve actually gotten your package on accident and ummm … i opened it.” his fumbling words shot through his lips like he’s in a rush, but you still manage to make his statement coherent.

he directs your curious eyes over the beaten package and immediately, your polite smile turned into a silent scream. the rabbit vibrator that you ordered online was hastily covered in some old newspaper — what mike probably did beforehand out respect of your already invaded privacy. the hot pink color and obnoxious packaging taunting you. your name was bold and printed on the delivery sticker, sparing you no excuses for your erotic purchase.

your dilated pupils and now flushed complexion made mike feel apologetic, yet somewhat amused. his encounters with you were a rarity, but he made sure to remember those moments. like when you would focus on reading the mail beside the shared mailbox, the way your face looked so cute carefully squinting and mumbling each word. or even that time you mistaken his sister as his daughter, the same dust of pink settled onto your cheeks like it did now.

mike formed an impression that you’re put together and tooth achingly innocent, but after accidentally opening your package — his superficial thoughts about you has gone down south and into the depths of a more lustrous head space.

how would you look like using it? what would you sound like? crude and carnal ideas spilling over the mental image of your face, his senses clouded with this new epiphany.

he carefully hovers his hand over yours and guides them with a phantom touch, placing the package gently in your stiffened grasp. the furrow in your brows and lack of response made him worried you might pass out — but then you began to sputter a shy “thank you”, your quivering eyes never meeting his. it was a nice look, he couldn’t deny it.

“i won’t tell, promise.” his previous nervous manner completely melted away as he teases you for a bit, his pointer finger pressed against his friendly smile — like it could somehow permanently seal his lips from exposing your status on your sex life.

you nodded, not trusting yourself to speak — not when you heart feels like it’s about to explode while your body temperature is fighting between haunting chills or overwhelming heat. the gaze in his eyes was much more darker and relaxed than before. weirdly enough, you trust him like you’ve known him your whole life. mike gives you a friendly farewell before he makes his way back into his house.

slowly shutting the door with a solid click, you immediately pathetically fall to your knees and shriek in absolute horror — the box crashing down with you and revealing the one thing that made this rare exchange so humiliating, embarrassment settling so thick in your core. your hot neighbor knowing you’re sexually active? currently getting off to a dingy sex toy? you cannot go back outside again, not if you’re going to possibly see him. hell, you cannot even use the toy without thinking of mike. it’s like he cursed it with some spell, the whispers of his name draw closer each passing second whenever you gaze at the toy.

his ears perk at the bloodcurdling scream that pierced through your closed windows — one so loud and dramatic, it sounded like an active crime scene. he couldn’t help but helplessly laugh into his baggy sleeves, prickles of tears in the corners of his eyes. it’s been awhile since he’s laughed like that, it was needed. returning back home felt less eventful, your embarrassment still making him chuckle under his breath and somewhat eager to see it on you again.

of course, there’s no shame of getting yourself off, but if you needed a helping hand — mike would gladly come over and do his due diligence to be the perfect neighbor. with his new image of you carved into his mind and colorful second impression of you, maybe it’s time for him to make a more formal introduction of himself, once you actually start recovering from your eternal embarrassment.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Hi! I saw this comment and it feels like lots of nonsense, what do you think?

“Byline Times did an expose proving (with copies of bank statements) that Will and Kate’s private secretary’s partner had received two payments totalling £4000 from a bank account belonging to the Sun, in exchange for insider info about Harry and Meghan. Dan Wootton revealed he’d been given insider information and details of private conversations by his longtime best friend, Harry and Meghan’s former communications secretary Jason Knauf (the person who sneakily gave the Thomas Markle letter to the Daily Mail and who leaked the bullying allegations which he initiated to the press) and far from being fired for breaking his NDA and leaking private info about his employers to the tabloids, Will and Kate hugely rewarded him by appointing him CEO of their foundation. Obviously they knew and approved of the underhand smear campaign Knauf was engaged on. Otherwise why make someone proven to be untrustworthy and a backstabber head of your entire foundation?

Clearly someone on the Cambridge team leaked the private conversation and argument that occurred during the bridesmaids dress fitting.

Several of Harry and Meghan’s staff revealed they were in regular contact with tabloid journalists throughout their time working for the Sussex household, which is in direct breach of their NDAs, none of them got fired for something that would be a case for immediate dismissal unless it had been condoned by someone higher than Harry and Meghan.

Melissa Toubati was installed in a senior position despite never having done that job even at entry level a day in her life, and after she was fired for misconduct and faking her CV she somehow immediately walked into a plum position as nanny to a billionaire whose sister is a tabloid reporter, that tabloid reporter has an inside line on Meghan stories since Toubati started working for her brother.

The Times have published, then deleted and removed multiple articles critical of or negative towards the RF.

Several journalists have gone on the record as saying whenever they’ve approached the Palace for a comment on a negative story they’re planning to print about William, they’ve been offered a scandal about Harry to print in exchange for killing the William story.

Richard Palmer was publicly confronted with the fact he’d attended a private VIP reception which Buckingham Palace threw for tabloid editors and tabloid reporters, and his response was that he believed the event was strictly private and would be kept out of the public eye.

Piers Morgan claiming senior royals had personally thanked him for smearing Harry and Meghan and strongly implied on Instagram that one of them was William.

Are people really so naive they don’t realise the tabloids and the RF enjoy a quid pro quo relationship, and that ALL the senior royals (bar the Queen) leak stories about each other to the tabloids and have close personal relationships with favoured journalists who they use to get ‘their side of the story’ out? Harry and Meghan used Omid Scobie, Will and Kate use Dan Wootton, Charles has his own pet journalists too, even back in the day Charles and Diana both had their own rival reporters who they’d leak their ‘side’ to.”

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_royal_family/4214238-I-think-this-article-might-have-been-semi-authorised-by-KP?pg=3

It is a lot of nonsense, and a lot of it has been debunked over the years. Let's take it from the top, shall we?

Byline Times is a Sussex-affiliated publication. It's been a long time since I heard that name...they are linked to Bouzy and Sussex Squad, or they were back in 2020/2021.

Dan Wootton's real Megxit source hasn't been officially confirmed, but even speculatively, it's not Jason Knauf. It's Christian Jones, who was originally hired by KP to support the Sussexes but decided to stay with KP when the household split and the Sussexes were sent to Windsor/BP. Harry confirms that it was Jones in Spare, writing that he has/had proof and that William blew him off when Harry tried to discuss it with him in January 2020.

Jason Knauf didn't give Thomas Markle's letter to the DM. Thomas Markle himself did. This is on the record and a statement of fact from the court case.

I'm not sure about the allegation that Knauf leaked the bullying allegations to Valentine Low. I haven't heard this one before. What I do know about Knauf and the bullying allegations is that Knauf brought it up to William and wrote about it to Clarence House asking for assistance and from there, it was squashed. There is no official record of his part in leaking it to Low in February 2021.

It is plausible that Camilla's leak about the dress fittings came from someone close to the Cambridges. But it could also have come from a neutral third-person party who was witness to the incident or overheard others talking about the incident. (Do note that there is a rumor/speculation that Camilla allegedly overheard Meghan bragging about it while around KP and/or that Camilla is in receipt of text messages proving KP's version of the story.)

Reporters on the royal rota themselves have acknowledged being friendly with staff and principals (Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate) and often receiving information through conversations and observations.

Melissa Toubati used to work for Robbie Williams and Ayda Fields, and for years. She actually has done that kind of PA work before and was very familiar with the celeb world.

Piers Morgan's "senior royals" are Camilla and Fergie. William doesn't typically speak to the press like that.

Yes, most of the senior royals leak about each other. Wootton was not William and Kate's favorite. It was Camilla Tominey and/or Royah Nikkah.

Conclusion: You ran into a Sussex Squaddie in the wild, circa 2019. Only Sussex Squad was taking anything Byline Times printed seriously or legitimately.

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[tokiro07]

Ichi the Witch ch.22 thoughts

[Dess' Contract's Got Some Mighty Fine Print]

(Topics: speculation - worldbuilding/narrative progression, character analysis - Desscaras/Ichi, thematic analysis - Family)

Before I get into the extremely enticing character implications of this chapter, I have a quick worldbuilding question:

Where...did the spell for this contract come from?

We know that magical items exist such as the leg-booster boots, but it hasn't really been delved into yet how such things are made. Do they have a pre-existing Magik's spell applied to them, or is there a unique method of creating a spell from scratch and embuing it into an item?

If it's the latter then creating a magic contract should be easy enough, you just draft up paper that enforces the stipulations of the words written on it, easy peasy. If it's the former, though, what Magik has that ability? Can any given contract be created, or is it specific to the Mentor-Pupil Blood Contract?

It doesn't really matter, and I only just thought of this question while writing this review rather than agonizing over it since reading the chapter, but it's still the kind of minor inconsistency that just barely holds this series back from being everything I know it can be

As for what it is, though, this chapter's glimpse into the ongoing character study of Desscaras and her relationship with Ichi only further solidifies this as my current favorite in Jump's roster

The Mother Who Stepped Up

There is an incredible amount of nuance to Desscaras' motivations for making such a dangerous contract with Ichi

First and foremost, as she tells Ichi, it's her way of taking responsibility for his life being uprooted and threatened. If she had been able to find a way to circumvent Uroro's trial, if she'd actually kept Ichi a secret from Mantinel, if she'd taken any other path, Ichi might not be set to die, and she can't pretend that isn't the case

Normally, Desscaras comes off as laidback and irresponsible, but I think that's more about things like navigating bureaucratic red tape than it is about peoples' wellbeing. When push comes to shove, Desscaras does actively fulfill her duties without complaint, it's just that to her, her duties are about fighting monsters and protecting people, not answering work e-mails or filing reports

By putting Ichi in this situation, she has endangered him, going directly against her own principals. This contract is a way of making amends for that, a statement that she isn't trifling with his life and takes his safety extremely seriously. If he should die, then she will repay his loss in kind

This leads into the reason she gave to Monegold and Shirabedonna: that she doesn't want to have peace that requires someone else's sacrifice, least of all a child's

The One Who Walks Deeper into Omelas

This is Desscaras' direct answer to and rejection of the Omelas Child conundrum: if she can't stop the child's suffering, she won't just walk away either - she'll help support the peace. This way the child doesn't suffer alone, and has some kind of happiness to show for it, while also allowing her to take an active role in protecting everyone else

After all, it's not that Desscaras is choosing the child over everyone else. Everyone deserves peace and happiness, it's just that with the knowledge that the child is the only one who doesn't get it, she'd never be able to appreciate her own again. By voluntarily choosing to bear some of the world's weight, Desscaras can feel like she's earned whatever peace she manages to take from it, secure in the knowledge that she did what no one else would: gave some peace, no matter how small, to the suffering child

This also serves to act as an indictment of Monegold's leadership, as while she definitely objected to Jikishirone's prophecy, she still kind of just resigned herself to it. She heard the prophecy, got angry, and...didn't do anything else. She may have been trying to think of a way, but as I said last week, it's just generally accepted that Jiki's words will come to pass unless she gives an alternate path - since the only alternate was the destruction of the world, Monegold likely wouldn't have made a real effort to avert the fate ascribed to Ichi

Now, though, Monegold's greatest asset has just said two devastating things to her face: 1) "if he dies, I die;" and 2) "good luck sleeping at night." Desscaras' actions have put into perspective for Monegold what a post-Ichi world will look like for her, which hopefully will give her the kick in the pants she needs to actually do something about it

At the very least, it ensures that Monegold won't get in the way of Desscaras doing something about it

Blood of the Covenant

For all of the practical and philosophical reasons Desscaras has, there's really only one that truly matters, one statement that Desscaras wants to make above all others: that she cares about Ichi

She wants Ichi to stay in her life, to take care of himself, to live

And if he won't do any of those things for his own sake, then by god, he'll do it for hers

"If you die, then I die" is an excellent inversion of Ichi's Death for Death; whereas it usually means "a kill for a kill," it now means "you are no longer playing with your life alone." If Ichi is reckless and charges in without a second thought on the basis that his life is going to end sooner or later anyway, then he now runs the risk of getting Desscaras killed along with him, which by his own philosophy would make him a murderer

This pulls double duty both by incentivizing him to stay safe and by showing him that someone wants him to stay safe

When his parents left him in the woods with a knife, they wordlessly said to him "we want you to die, but we're too cowardly to kill you ourselves. Starve, get killed by a beast, or kill yourself, we don't care, just do it away from us"

Desscaras' contract, meanwhile, says just the opposite. "I want you to live, and I'll fight to make sure you do. Live how you like, go where you like, do what you like, but whatever you do, just promise to come back to me"

I don't know if Desscaras knows Ichi's past; they've certainly had the opportunity to discuss it off-screen, but it's never been stated that they've opened up to each other about that sort of thing. My instinct is that she has no idea what this means to him, only that it means everything to her

Ichi, meanwhile, certainly has no idea about Libro, and likely can't comprehend why Desscaras would want someone like him as family. But what it means to her isn't his concern right now, because it means everything to him

They have no idea what the other has lost, only what they themselves have, and what this contract represents to each of them is the chance to get it back. Ichi doesn't know why Desscaras wants to give it to him, and Desscaras doesn't know why Ichi accepted, but both of them now have someone who has implicitly told them that they are willing to fill the hole in their lives, and that's all that matters

This is also why the little matter of Ichi being unwittingly enslaved is so easy to sweep under the rug

Siblings, Siblings

Naturally, once Ichi learns that the contract has forcibly made him subservient to Desscaras, he becomes indignant and demands that it be undone. He was tricked, after all, and he doesn't want to follow unreasonable orders

However, once Desscaras is out of the room, Ichi doesn't ruminate on his indentured servitude, that's the furthest thing from his mind. Instead, it is Desscaras' original words that resound in his heart: "a home is a place you can come back to, no matter where in the world you are." Even if she threw in a major downside right at the end, Desscaras' true message has been received loud and clear

It also remains to be seen just how far Desscaras is going to go with her ability to lobby commands at Ichi. Honestly, her commands so far have been pretty standard fair for a mentor - "cook for me, clean for me, learn the more menial aspects of our trade." I don't see her extorting favors out of him or anything, just little things to make her own life less stressful or to teach him a good work ethic

Plus there's the fact that her gloating was sandwiched between her initial pitch and her justification to Monegold. While the reveal of the slavery clause may seem to invalidate the sentiment of what she told Ichi directly, her confrontation with Monegold and soulful assertion that she sees Ichi as family confirms that nothing she said was a lie

What this tells me is that she never intended to pull a fast one on Ichi, nor was she being opportunistic to use her newfound power as a bonus to all of her previous motivations. No, I think she was just...embarrassed

As I said last week, Desscaras isn't one to be vulnerable. She's the Strongest Witch, and that comes with the expectation that she has no weakness

Like I said, Ichi doesn't know about Libro. He doesn't know that he's filling a void for Desscaras the way she is for him, and she doesn't want him to know

She doesn't want him to know how much she cares, she just wants him to feel cared for. So to hide the truth, she turns around and laughs in his face. She presents it as transactional, the void in Ichi's life being filled in exchange for free labor, when in reality the emotional aspect is completely mutual

And I think on some level, Ichi already has that figured out. Like I said, he moves on from it pretty fast and is able to smile warmly at the thought of having a home despite Desscaras' nasty attitude. Whether Ichi has any direct experience with family relationships in the first place, I think Ichi understands already that this sort of teasing, capricious behavior is just how Desscaras is and was all part of what he was signing up anyway

He understands that being family means seeing more of each other, for better and worse. Everything he knows Desscaras to be, lazy and selfish, won't cease to be true just because they share blood now, and if anything will be amplified. But he'll also see the Desscaras who was honest with him, who offered to provide for him, who wants to be with him. I think Ichi has known Desscaras long enough already that he recognizes when she's being genuine and when she's being defensive, so he knows that when she calls him her "dog," it's to guard her heart rather than to put him down

With this in mind, I think it's quite likely that "Family" is going to become one of the running major themes across the story, and that the relationship between Ichi and Desscaras alone won't be the only angle we approach it from

The Desscaras Bunch

Though it's been a hot minute since she had any real dialogue, Kumugi is still a member of Team Desscaras, and one who will certainly be used to further the Family theme. Her backstory has already been established to center around her family's dismissal of her abilities, making her a perfect parallel to Ichi: where Ichi's family abandoned him physically, Kumugi's abandoned her emotionally

Ichi's acknowledgment of Kumugi already shows how he can fill her void, and Desscaras' forceful interjection into conversation with Kumugi shows how Kumugi can fill their voids in turn. Both of them have an established dynamic with her that is set to be explored as the story goes on, and the interplay between their dynamics when together and alone offers even more opportunities for depth and growth

Even Uroro is likely to be a part of this family. Right now he's antagonistic with Ichi and Desscaras, but he did once ask Kumugi to be friends. Sure, he definitely had some ulterior motive, but it shows that he has the capacity to interact with members of the group outside of just Ichi, and therefore won't be confined to only one or two dynamics

And of course, Nishi has no plans to stop with only four members of the group. As Jiki's newest prophecy foretells, they're about to add a fourth "stalwart companion" to the team

I'm not going to go too far into speculating on this character since we know so little, but we do know two things: 1) that they violently hunt Magiks, and 2) they're apparently a man

The Arc Where a Man--

Viz always cuts out the editors' notes, but as you may have seen other folks mention already, in the original Japanese, he's referred to as "'a man' who tramples on Magiks." The quotes are suspicious, but they could just be there to highlight his gender rather than call it into question

While it is possible that he's actually a woman, for the moment I'm going to operate under the assumption that he's a man solely because I think it presents a more interesting angle to explore the world from

Case in point: I do not think that this person is a Male Witch like Ichi. Rather, I think that he wants to be, and is hunting Magiks to see if he can find a spell that he can actually use

Remember, in ch.1, it was stated that there were a handful of prerequisites that Ichi had to meet to use Magic:

Facing a Magik that allowed a man to pass its trial

A body and mind well-trained enough to handle its usage

The capacity to acquire a Magik at all

The first criteria is actually pretty easy - most Magiks' trials don't actually disqualify men in the first place! It's just that no man would ever try because it's "widely believed" that men can't use Magic. So all that's really needed is for a man to make an attempt rather than for the Magik to allow it

The second is also a no-brainer - look at this guy's bod! He's not excessively jacked or anything, but he's definitely drawn to look like a trained fighter, and even if we ignore his design, he's standing in the viscera of a giant frog! He ripped that thing apart with his bare hands! He's clearly at least comparable to Ichi in physical strength if not more, and what a "trained mind" means is still unclear even for Ichi, so we won't worry about it

All that's left then is to actually acquire a Magik, and the only way to know if you can is to try. So, by shaking down Magiks and asking for their trials, this guy increases his odds of finding a Magik that he's capable of acquiring simply through quantity

However, I don't think it's a matter of compatibility. If it were as simple as the Witch and Magik being a match, Togeice probably wouldn't have been able to acquire Macilvaine who clashed with her persona and aesthetic. No, I think it's a lot more fundamental than that:

I think that men might literally lack a Magic Circle

The way it's portrayed, it seems like a...cavity within the soul, a hollowed-out portion of the self meant for housing Magiks. For whatever reason, whether it's biological or spiritual, most men simply don't have Magic Circles, while women inherently do. Or, perhaps, men simply have too small of Magic Circles to be able to fit Magiks in the first place

Maybe that's why Ichi was able to do it: because he was either born with or otherwise created a Magic Circle inside of himself. Maybe he accidentally stumbled across the method to do so. Maybe countless men have and have simply never tried to use it because they had no idea they had! Maybe Minakata somehow implanted one into him, who knows?

I don't expect to get the answers to this one anytime soon, but if this new recruit is a man, I think he'll be an important piece in the puzzle for us to understand this element of the worldbuilding. I think he'll also provide a unique fighting style among the cast, being solely physical as opposed to Desscaras' mostly magical and Ichi's mixed styles, plus parallels to everyone else's narratives. The one I'd be most excited to see is comparing his attempts to overcome a perceived limitation to Kumugi's resignation to being incapable, but I'm not going to hold my breath just in case

Buuut if they are a woman, I'm certainly not going to complain, especially with those cute freckles!

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

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[gardenwalrus]

The Beatles & Noël Coward

The songwriting ambitions of Wooler and the Lennon-McCartney team provided a rich topic of conversation. "I used to discuss this chiefly with Paul," said Wooler. "I did discuss songs with John, but he wasn't interested in my kind of songs. Whereas Paul McCartney was interested in what I had to say about songs, and Noël Coward, for instance. I talked to him about Noël Coward and how clever and how witty he was. And this is what I miss about rock'n'roll songs, the absence of wit. There's so very few of them have any wit about them. Which is very sad. They're all rather long-suffering, these songs. And all this pall rather appalled me. 'When I'm Sixty-Four' is really, I think, the only witty Beatles song, which is essentially a McCartney number. When I used to announce Paul at the Cavern, occasionally I'd say, 'Now Paul's going to sing a song of his own he's written; he's the Noël Coward of rock'n'roll!' I think he liked that appellation, that description."

- Gillian G. Gaar, 'I AM THE DJ: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CAVERN'S BOB WOOLER', Goldmine (8 November 1996)

John and Paul meet Noël Coward at Alma Cogan's party at her London apartment, 1-3 June 1964.*

[Coward] found them 'pleasant young men, quite well behaved and with an amusing way of speaking'. [...] Though [Coward's] background was not so very different from the Beatles' - his father was an impoverished piano salesman - he swiftly assimilated into high society, readily adopting the mannerisms and accents of the English upper classes. Small wonder, then, that the current rise of working-class culture held so little appeal for him. [...] Coward made the mistake of relaying his encounter with John and Paul, in derogatory terms, to David Lewin of the Daily Mail. It never occurred to him that Lewin would quote him in print complaining that the Beatles were 'totally devoid of talent. There is a great deal of noise. In my day, the young were taught to be seen but not heard - which is no bad thing.'

- Craig Brown, One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time (2020)

(*Craig Brown dates this meeting as 6 June, however the Beatles - minus Ringo - were in Amsterdam on this date, and the party was in London. Lewin's article is published on Friday 5 June 1964 and refers to Coward's 'last day' of his visit to Britain 'this week' - therefore more likely 1-3 June.)

A year later, Coward sees the Beatles in concert at the Teatro Adriano in Rome, 27 June 1965, and afterwards goes to meet them at their hotel.

PAUL: Brian came and said, 'Noel Coward would like to meet you boys.' We all said, 'Oh, fucking hell, no! No, no, no. I'm going to bed.' Nobody was really keen, we were better just casually interacting with people. Once you actually had to meet them, it became a bit official and our black humour would kick in and we'd try and counteract the fact that four of us were going to have to line up to meet the great man, so piss-takes would come fairly readily. No one was going to go, and Brian said, 'You can't, you just can't!' So I went down and met him. But then he said some not too pleasant things about us after that, so fuck him anyway.

- Paul in Barry Miles, Many Years From Now (1997)

...I was told that the Beatles refused to see me because that ass David Lewin had quoted me saying unflattering things about them months ago. I thought this graceless in the extreme, but decided to play it with firmness and dignity. I asked Wendy [Hanson, the Beatles' publicist] to go and fetch one of them and she finally reappeared with Paul McCartney and I explained gently but firmly that one did not pay much attention to the statements of newspaper reporters. The poor boy was quite amiable and I sent messages of congratulation to his colleagues, although the message I would have liked to send them was that they were bad-mannered little shits.

- Noël Coward's diary entry for 4 July 1965, referring to 27 June. (x)

[mitigatedchaos]

These binding arbitration agreements are getting out of hand.

I downloaded printer drivers to print an opt-out statement, and the printer drivers included an arbitration agreement requiring an opt-out statement.

I wonder if there is some way we can start billing these companies for forcing us to file opt-out statements in order to retain our rights.

The previous opt-outs used email, but the new ones I'm seeing are based on physical mail. That suggests manual handling, rather than an automated system that the company could claim "didn't parse the message" if it receives a non-standard input.

In that case, it might be possible to semi-automate the rejection process through some kind of form letter that automatically opts out of everything the company is doing.

It's not like they can complain about it. Normal people put a warranty in the box with the hardware, not a prohibition on being sued if it explodes.

[simgard]

🌱 GREENHOUSE HAVEN RELOADED PART I - RELEASE

🌿 It’s been a few days since the last update, but with good reason — I’ve been battling the final boss of real-life gardening. Between mowing tall grass, trimming towering hedges, and dragging what felt like a hundred bags of clippings, I’ve basically leveled up my green thumb the hard way. 💪🌾

Those are some wild beauties I saved from my bush cutter today!

Now that my IRL shears have had their moment of glory, I can finally unveil Part I of the Greenhouse Haven Reloaded collection — it is officially out and downloadable on my Patreon!

I've poured days and nights into learning and crafting this bundle so I hope you like it! All LODS and texture levels have been taken care of and I have tested, fixed AND tested! But let me know if you still encounter any problem.

Everything from the original kit will include the original Maxis swatches and has been made base game compatible unless otherwise noted – perfect for your rustic Sims and their plant-powered passions.

The images are really bright and lost some details, but I cannot bring myself to do it all over again. I'll do better next time :)

✨ What’s inside?

🛒 GARDENER STANDS (Each with 180 slots!)

🌿 The Gardener Stand * (Functional) – Clean | 16 swatches

🌾 The Gardener Stand* (Funcional) – Cluttered | 16 swatches

🌼 The Gardener Stand* (Functional) – Semi-Cluttered | 16 swatches

🪴 The Gardener Stand (Deco) – Clean | 16 swatches

🌻 The Gardener Stand (Deco) – Cluttered | 16 swatches

🌽The Gardener Stand (Deco) – Semi-Cluttered | 16 swatches

*REQUIRE SEASONS

🧺 SEPARATED GARDENER GOODIES

7. 🌸 Country Chic – Potted Plant | 16 swatches 8. 🧵 Farmhouse Twine – Ribbon | 5 swatches 9. 🌱 Seedlings Delight – Seeds (REQ. SEASONS) | 17 swatches 10. 💧 The Thirsty Gardener – Watering Can | 6 swatches 11. 🪴 Earthy Beginnings – Peat Pots | 6 swatches 12. 💩 Dung Dynasty – Fertilizer | 10 swatches 13. ✂️ The Cutwell – Scissors | 6 swatches

📢 GARDENING SIGNS

14. 🪧 Whispering Garden – all 67 harvestables from Base Game, Seasons, Eco Lifestyle, Cats & Dogs, Get to Work, Cottage Living | 2 recolors | 134 (!) swatches

📦 PARCELS & PRINTS

15. 📮 Botanical Mystery Mail – Gardening Parcel | 9 swatches 16. 🖼️ Garden Delights – Botanical Paintings | 30 swatches including Cowplant portraits!

🌾 EXTRA GOODIES

17. 📦 Packet Full of Promises – Custom Seeds (original mesh) | 21 swatches 18. 🛠️ Sickle’n’Destroy – Tools Rack (new edited mesh) | 20 swatches

🏛️ BUILD MODE BONUS

19. 🏰 Gazebo of Noble Intentions – Debug conversion | 4 swatches 20. 🌿 Wuthering Vines – Debug Ivy for Gazebo | 9 swatches 21. 🧚 The Moss Is Yet To Come – Whimsical Gazebo | 9 swatches

🪨 FLOORS

22. 🧱 Humble Foundation – Stone Floor (original texture) | 24 swatches | Found in Masonry 23. 🍃 Turf & Temper – Patio Floor | 42 swatches | Found in Masonry

✨ By combining the three modular items — Gazebo of Noble Intentions, Wuthering Vines, and The Moss Is Yet to Come — you can create up to 4 distinct garden moods:

Clean & Classic – Just the gazebo, in all its noble simplicity.

Ivy Touch – Add Wuthering Vines for a romantic overgrowth.

Whimsical Flair – Use The Moss Is Yet to Come for that fairy tale look.

Overgrown Fantasy – Combine all three for the full “abandoned by gardeners, claimed by time” effect.

Mix & match freely — all pieces snap into place and work great together!

🏗️ Pro tip: Want your Sims to actually enjoy the shade? Build a small platform under the Gazebo et voilà — it becomes fully functional! You’ll be able to place furniture and have your Sims sit and hang out underneath. A perfect way to turn a garden statement piece into a livable one.

🎯 NOTE:

⚠️Functional Gardener's Stand and Seedling's Delight require SEASONS⚠️

All deco benches and the rest of the objects are BGC and STANDALONE – no overrides!

Find the collection by searching for [Simgard] or "Greenhouse Haven" in the catalog!

🛠️ CREDITS & TOOLS OF THE TRADE

🎮 EA/Maxis

✍️ Simlish Font by the amazing gfvsims

🧰 Made with: • Sims4Studio • Blender 4.3 • Photoshop CS6

Big thanks to these tools and creators for making custom content magic possible 💚

🧾 Terms of Service:

🔸 Don’t re-upload or claim as your own 🔸 No paysites, ads, or behind paywalls 🔸 Feel free to recolor, but link back and don’t include my mesh/texture 🔸 Conversions or edits: ask first 🔸 Always give credit 🌼

💌 Stay tuned – this is just Part I! 3 more parts will be on the way, all custom-curated and expanded! Feel free to suggest any improvement you would like to have for the original kit (something something glass gable? :D)

Take care,

–Simgard 💚

💾 Download it now on Patreon! 🎁 Free access 🔗 👉 Click here to grab it 💚

[jabberwockypie]

When I was a kid learning to sew for dolls, I got irritated at some of the Twee Bullshit that older ladies would do, because I wanted what I was doing to look historically accurate and some of that shit was too lacy and ruffly by half. (Not that historical outfits weren't lacy and ruffled in various eras, but it was often The Wrong Kind. Or they'd do, like, BABY clothes rather than clothes a 9-10-year-old would wear.) And that also included a lot of the smocking I saw people doing.

Anyway, some 25 years later, it turns out smocking is pretty fun?

I want to do some more, but there's a dearth of patterns that don't require me to go on Ebay and physically order something someone had printed in the 90s and have it shipped to my house. (Which I can do, but holiday weekend with no mail delivery. :( )

I don't know that it's strictly period-accurate for my 1830s doll, but I know there are some smocked ladies' dresses in the 1840s, and it looks nice on her so I'm going to roll with it. (<- I know that nobody believes me when I say "I've lightened up significantly since I was like 10", but this statement is an example of that.)

I do wish there were more patterns that reflected the shit I want to do. It's not that I COULDN'T draft patterns if I really needed to, but ugh. No draft, only sew.