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ashxketchum · 3 years

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Writer’s Month - 2

Wow, not me writing something for two days in a row? This one is a stand-alone oneshot for now, but I think there is a lot of potential for a sequel, I even have some part of it clearly planned out so if time allows me to sit down with my laptop sooner than later, I’ll work on that!

Fandom/Pairing: Digimon/Mimato (friendship, yes I am capable of writing something other than romance between these two hahahaaa)

Prompt: Coffee shop setting, cold (Yamato is very cold here, it’s actually kinda angsty)

Setting: Post Tri but pre Kizuna. Yamato is in his first year of college and Mimi is in her last year of high school. The basis for this fic is solely the dialogue in To Sora, I wanted to explore the idea of Mimi and Yamato growing closer and having important conversations with each other, but it had to have a rocky start and this is that rocky start!

“I’ll have a venti matcha berry frappe, nonfat, refrigerated chilled milk, absolutely no ice, extra whipped cream, which, make sure, is layered perfectly, with three pumps of caramel syrup and two of vanilla.”

He could feel his manager’s eyes boring into his back, so Yamato did what any other good employee in his place would, he kept a straight face and diligently noted down the customer’s request before moving on to ringing it up without once bothering to look at the girl standing behind the counter or ask for her name. He wondered if his manager would find it strange, that he hadn’t taken the customer’s name, but seeing as Yamato was already putting all his effort into concentrating well on his job and not explode on the brunette who seemed to take some pleasure out of his misery, he decided that he was allowed this one slip and he’d deal with his manager later, since the bigger problem was in front of him, eyeing him with a teasing glint in her caramel eyes as he picked up the paper cup and moved over to the work station to begin working on her order. He did however, kept a track of what his manager was doing from the corner of his eye, and the minute the older man was out of sight, Yamato breathed a sigh of relief and spun on his feet.

“Please Mimi, by all means, go ahead and make my job more difficult.” Yamato seethed, managing to keep his voice low so as to not attract any attention to them.

“Well, if you’re going to ask that nicely.” Mimi smirked, as always she had the upper hand in the conversation due to the safety guaranteed by being a customer at the shop.

“Just take the drink and go, let me work in peace.” Yamato attempted to maintain a superior tone as he begged her to leave, turning again to add the finishing touches to her order as quickly as he could, before his superior caught whiff of his not so welcoming attitude towards their customers.

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Mimi beamed at him, as she accepted the finished product from his hand, her fingers brushed against his for a brief moment, suddenly making Yamato hyper aware of the spot at the back of his hand.

“Don’t you have anything better to do? Entrance exams to worry about?” He asked exasperatedly, she seemed too carefree for someone who was in the last year of their high school, remembering his own experience of it from the previous year.

Mimi scoffed in reply, waving a hand in the air to brush aside his concern for her education, instead of turning to make her way out of the store now that she had received her order, she settled on the empty bar stool on the other side of the pick-up counter, resting one elbow on the counter top as she took careful sips of her drink from the other hand. He watched her like a hawk, Yamato wouldn’t put it past the brunette to make fake claims about the taste of the drink just to get him into trouble.

This had been going on for a few months now, every time he had a shift during her after school hours, Mimi would make it her life’s purpose to show up and annoy him to no extent. He’d attempted to explain to her, that he really needed to keep this job to maintain his life expenses, but apparently the pleasure she took from watching him stumble around while making coffee seemed to take precedent over his livelihood.

Of course, Mimi wasn’t the only one to blame here, if only his roommate at the college dorm wasn’t a bigger pain in the ass, Yamato would never had have to take up this part-time job in the first place. When he had complained to his father about not being able to get along well with his roomie, instead of agreeing to raise his monthly allowance so that Yamato could move out and rent a place of his own, his father had promptly told him that as an adult, he should learn to solve his own problems from now on. Yamato had half a mind to remind his father that him and his friends had not only solved the Digital World’s problems on multiple occasions, but also saved their own world by doing so, but he had stayed quiet and accepted his fate. On Takeru’s recommendation he had taken up a part-time job at this popular coffee joint, the pay was decent and the hours weren’t too bad and well Yamato always had had a knack for being good in the kitchen, so it had been suiting his purposes of saving up to move out of the college dorm as soon as possible just well.

Until Mimi happened to walk in one day and decided to take matters into her own hands.

She had been surprised to see him behind the counter, and at first she had just been curious, about what he was doing here or what he had been up to since the graduation ceremony. Yamato had to admit, that ever since he had graduated high school, he’d finally understood what Jou had been struggling with for the longest time, it wasn’t easy to maintain friendships when one was thrust with the responsibility of taking care of every single aspect of their lives and somehow pursue studies on which one’s future life depended at the same time. He considered himself lucky, if he was able to have a phone conversation with Takeru that lasted more than 5 minutes in a day. So he hadn’t been wary of Mimi popping up every now and them, updating him about her and Koushiro’s school life, and sometimes Jou’s and Sora’s too. It gave him a way to stay connected with everyone without having to make time for them, and while he did feel guilty about this on multiple occasions, he was grateful for it too.

That was before Mimi got bored with just talking about their lives, and decided to spice up their encounters by getting him to light trouble with his manager. It was usually just silly little things like claiming he got her order wrong or giving extremely complicated and hard to follow requests, and she had never pulled something huge that would seriously get Yamato in trouble, but it was still frustrating and it ruined his mojo for the rest of his shift.

There was also the question of why Mimi had suddenly taken such a liking to spending time with him, of all people, since they had never been close enough for a relationship like this. They’d spent time together before sure, and they’d had their fair share of agreements and disagreements when it came to matters related to the Digital World, but apart from that Yamato could barely remember any interactions with her that didn’t circle back to the Digital World or their Digimon Partners. So the thought always nagged at him, at the back of his head, when she would appear with a skip in her step and fix him with one of the brightest smiles he knew.

But then she would go on to do something diabolical, and he’d be reminded of how similar she was to his little brother, which led to him missing Takeru and left him irritated and wishing for her to leave.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Yamato turned his attention towards the brunette sitting in front of him, she had set down the drink on the counter top and was currently surveying the store with her bright eyes, the mischievous glint in them indicating that she was just looking for something that could serve as prop of the day in interfering with his work. Relieved that he had caught her while she was still in her planning phase, Yamato decided to take control of the situation before his manager returned and reprimanded him for being rude to their customers.

“You really don’t have anything better to do?” Yamato began icily, making Mimi turn her gaze towards him, the challenging look on her face seemed to put the last nail to his patience’s coffin as he snapped at her, “Don’t you have any friends?”

He regretted it the minute those words left his mouth, biting his tongue in an attempt to stop himself from groaning outwardly.

The effect on Mimi was immediate, all colour drained from her face and her eyes shone with a blanket of tears just waiting to fall, but with a single blink she managed to keep them at bay and faced him with a hardened look as she replied quietly, “I thought that’s what we were.”

And before Yamato could make any attempts to take back his statements or even begin to apologize for his behaviour, Mimi was out of the door, leaving behind her drink on the counter and without sparing a single glance in his direction.

Yamato allowed himself to groan out loud when he picked up her cup to clear the counter and found that it was still heavy, she had barely begun to drink it. He couldn’t help but chide himself internally, for missing on something that was so obvious, for even deliberating on an answer that was right in front of his eyes this entire time.

Yamato couldn’t believe that he, of all people, had missed out on the signs of their budding friendship, had pushed it aside as nothing but an occasional nuisance within his routine.

His optimistic side hoped that he would just explain himself to her when she’d show up tomorrow, even offer her her favourite drink for free as a token of his apology, but a tiny voice at the back of his head reminded him, that there was no way Mimi would come back to spend time with him after this.

Unfortunately, it was the tiny voice that prevailed in its prediction, as Mimi didn’t show the next day or the one after that, or after that.

At first Yamato consoled himself by devoting himself to the tasks at hand, happy to finally be able concentrate on his work, he managed to win praises from his manager on multiple occasions which pushed Mimi’s absence from his surroundings out of his head, and for a while it worked.

But then there were slow days, when he didn’t have much to do but stand behind the counter and look at all the people sitting around in groups of twos and threes, laughing and chatting loudly as they sipped their coffees and munched on their food. The sight would tug on an invisible string in his heart, make him long for Mimi’s teasing smile as she rattled off with an order comprising of the most incompatible ingredients, laughing loudly at the look of horror that would take over his face as he wrote down her instructions. There were days when the shop would be eerily silent, and he’d hear her voice in his head, telling him about something that had happened at school. There were days when someone would walk by with a pet, cuddling it and showering it with affection, making him miss Gabumon’s soft fur and he’d instinctively turn towards the pick-up counter, hoping to tell Mimi about it but was met with emptiness instead.

He hadn’t realised, just how much he had managed to share with her during their encounters, and how he had begun to depend on her company to get him through his mundane work life. And in true Yamato fashion, he had gone ahead and messed it all up by thinking about things from only his perspective.

His father’s words echoed in his mind once again, he had to learn to solve his own problems, and what better time to start than now?

#writersmonth2021 #mimato #digimon fanfiction #yamato ishida #mimi tachikawa #digimon #writealot #unfinished excerpt #I wanna write the apology scene for sure #coming up with Mimi's frappe order was hella fun tho #otp : purely friendly

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catsafarithewriter · 4 years

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Have you watch doctor who with the episode of Donna’s life happening in rewind but without the doctor existing? Just that gave me a idea of a prompt if that’s ok?

A/N: Oh, I love Turn Left! (Also Donna’s series is one of the best, hands down.) I’ve actually been side-eyeing this episode for a while now, so thank you for enabling this :D

This ficlet turned out longer than expected (I’m 3K in, with the end still a good stretch away) so I’m gonna do what I did with my Smoke ficlet, and split this up. Each post is fairly short, so updates should be pretty frequent.

Note: This isn’t really TBF-compatible, since Haru never becomes a Bureau member, just a regular visitor to the Bureau.

Baron doesn’t know exactly when Haru disappeared.

Maybe it was after she missed their monthly catch-up dinner - but, then again, the Bureau had been running late and it wouldn’t have been the first time she had to admit defeat to her regular life.

Or perhaps it was when she didn’t drop by with her weekly cake offerings for Muta - which was less about the cake nowadays and more about the excuse of a visit - but maybe they had missed her. The Bureau’s doors were always open to her, but its inhabitants kept irregular home hours.

Or possibly it was around the same time they had that freak hurricane and she didn’t detour by the next day to check in on them.

He makes excuses, reasons for not knowing, for not sensing that something vital - that someone - was missing from his life the moment she vanished, but in the end the only truth he has left is that by the time he realises, he’s too late.

The shock comes one early March day. The daffodils are just beginning to flower in their plant boxes and the realisation that spring is on the way brings about thoughts of Haru and birthdays.

“The problem with spring birthdays,” he jovially announces to the rest of the Bureau, “is that they follow too soon after Christmas. The perfect gift takes time to find, and few measly months is hardly enough.”

Toto pauses grooming his feathers with the expression of one suddenly afraid they have forgotten an important date. “Spring birthdays?” he echoes. “Whose are we celebrating?”

“Whoever it is, I ain’t shopping for them,” Muta grumbles from the sofa. “I remember the last time yer dragged me into a spirit market. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Really, Muta; just because she didn’t bring a cake last week is no reason to ignore her birthday,” Baron scolds lightly.

“Whose birthday, Baron?”

It is then that the first sliver of something akin to dread freezes through Baron’s veins. He turns to Toto, appraising his oldest friend’s face - looking for the telltale smirk, the crinkling of the eyes that betray a joke - and finds only sincerity. “Why, Haru’s, of course.”

“Who’s Haru?”

“It’s probably just a client or someone,” Muta calls, only half-listening. “I can never keep track of all the waifs and strays yer insist on helping.”

“You’re part of the Bureau too, hairball,” Toto reminds him. “You’re meant to help as well.”

“Yeah, but I draw the line at buying presents for them all. The Christmas card list is already too long as it is.”

"Haru,” Baron repeats. “Haru Yoshioka.” His gloved hands curl in on his desk and the dread pools into his stomach. “The human who has been visiting the Bureau for the past decade.”

Muta cackles. “Haru who? Aren’t you a little too old for imaginary friends, Baron?”

Baron stares. “If this is a joke, then it’s in exceptionally poor taste.”

The force of his words takes his companions by surprise, and for once the bickering falters. “This is no joke,” Toto says. “Who is Haru?”

“Haru Yoshioka,” Baron says again, and he rounds on Muta. “She brings you cake every week and learnt to bake angel food cake, just for you. She helps you with your newspaper puzzles, and calls you Buta when you steal the last cake slice. She snuck you into the cinema last month to see an action film you couldn’t wait for the DVD of, and once rigged up a projector in the Sanctuary for a movie night.”

“Baron, are you feeling...” Toto begins.

Baron turns to the crow, pleading. “Toto, she helped you move your favourite mulberry tree when the new road was due to destroy it. She stole out into the night and it took her until 3am to shift it somewhere safe. When one of your friends broke their wing, she took him in and looked after him until he healed. She plays chess with you regularly, even though you win nine tenths of the time, and she still finds it funny to call the rooks ‘ravens’ on your side. So don’t ask me if I’m feeling okay, Toto, because I am fine, but something else is very, very wrong.”

A silence lingers in the Bureau.

“Baron,” Toto says, “there’s never been a Haru in the Bureau.”

A uncharacteristic growl curdles in Baron’s throat and he snatches up his cane. “She buys me a new cane every year - ever since my old one buckled during her case with us - how do you explain this without her?”

Toto looks with pitying eyes on his friend. “Baron, that’s the same cane you’ve had for decades.”

And now Baron feels the difference in the wood - in the nicks and scars the old stick bears from years of use - and the cane he holds is foreign to him.

“You always said you were going to replace it,” Toto says gently, “but you never got round to it.”

[NEXT PART HERE]

#Anon #replies #the cat returns #the disappearance of haru yoshioka #I presume anon was hoping for a ficlet #cause othervvise oops?#anyvvay I've had this idea noted for uh quite a while #I've also taken inspiration from a star trek next gen episode #and accidentally a magnus archives ep probably #anyvvay I'm hoping folks are interested in this being continued!#i was going to post it all together #but this was taking a while #and I wanted to post some ficlets #since it's been a good while since the last one #hello yes I still write XD

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wordsnstuff · 6 years

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Guide To Writing Enemies To Lovers

-- I decided to format this article like its accompanying post, Guide to Writing Friends to Lovers, which you all seemed to really like. I hope this is as helpful as that, and thank you to everyone who responded to the poll that contributed the questions I answered in the “common struggles” section. I have a feeling I’ll be reaching our for direct topic-specific questions through polls more often, so keep an eye out. Happy writing!

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Take The Time To Make It Believable

There is a certain amount of care required in the depiction of these stories because they can be really touchy and very easily lead awry. It needs to be handled with care when you tell the reader that this character is going to forgive the other one for doing this, and why. Show the thought process, show the growth, show the reason, and give the story time to make that change reasonable in the reader’s head.

Roll In The Tension

Let the tension build, thicken, and sit in the reader’s tummy. That’s the most delicious part of reading this trope, and the most fun part to write, so enjoy it, and don’t ask yourself if it’s “too intense” or if you need to speed up the pace. Let it simmer, and let the reader stew in it. The longer you draw it out, the yummier the resolution will be.

Give Up Pride, Not Values

Your characters should not end the story by forfeiting what they feel and believe in order to win the other over. That’s not how life works, and that’s not a good way to depict love and forgiveness. Forgiveness is the main theme of enemies-to-lovers stories, after all, and if you’re writing romance, you should imprint a healthy romantic story into your reader’s memory, even if it’s bumpy, tense, and dramatic for the majority of the actual events.

Make The Relationship Improve Them Both

Romances usually hold a meaning or message about romance that the reader will take away from the story at hand. Your message should, ultimately, be that these two people, despite their differences and shortcomings, grew to forgive each other for their mutual mistakes, found common ground, and even fell in love. The end of a romance should be positive, or at least transformative to the reader in a positive way. The couple you depict, if they are meant to be a good couple in the context of the story, should improve each other, and make each others’ lives better.

Abuse vs. Rivalry

There is a poignant difference between two people who are abusing each other and two people who don’t like one another. Abuse can be heavily romanticized or forgiven when this trope is approached with inadequate care and attention. If one or both of the members of the couple actively bring each other down, truly, in an emotional, mental, or physical way, it’s abuse, not enemy-ship, and if that’s intentional, you shouldn’t call your story a romance. Abuse is not romantic, and it never should be depicted to be so.

Common Struggles

~ Where do you draw the line between hurtful and unforgivable?... That depends on your characters’s values, and you need to think long and hard about your characters’ individual boundaries before you even start writing. Your reader will get to know your character. If your character forgives something your reader knows they would never forgive, that will destroy their personal understanding of them.

~ How do you solve the difference between them without making one change for the other?... Explain their thought processes, I recommend by choosing a flexible point of view to write the story from, and show where that understanding comes from. You need to set those boundaries within your characters that make sense for them, and you need to hold to those. The point they should be at by the end of the story isn’t in total agreement, it’s at a compromise where they meet halfway. They should learn by the end to love each other wholly, not when they change for one another.

~ Going from actual dislike of each other to attraction without saying they liked each other the whole time... It’s simple; give them legitimate reasons for not liking each other in the first place. Don’t make their rivalry based on something like a third grade spelling bee misunderstanding with a little “he’s cute though” sprinkled on top. Show a real misunderstanding, or real clash in values, and explore its implications for the reader to understand.

~ How do you show the forgive part between them without including the forgetting?... Let the reader know by the end of the story that the characters have acknowledged the hurt they’ve caused each other, totally and openly through an honest conversation about everything that caused their mutual dislike of each other. Show them confronting the problem, and admitting that it will always be a prominent part of their past, but that they’re willing to try in spite of it.

~ How do you show forgiveness between two people who physically fought without making it romanticize abuse?... Give legitimate evidence that a) nobody was/is a victim of actual abuse and b) they both know that the physical fighting was wrong, painful to the other, and that it can/will never happen again. Ever. In the action or more violent sort of genres, this is way more flexible, because there are more grey-area situations, but as long as you make it very clear that there is no possibility of them hurting each other, in any abusive context, during the relationship or afterward, then you shouldn’t have a problem.

~ How do you establish the growth in trust between the two characters?... Make it occur naturally and at their own individual paces.They’ll grow toward one another at different rates, and you need to pay attention to letting it grow on its own rather than fitting that growth into whatever parameters you’ve set for your story structure. Also, show the little things that make that trust bloom, along with the big ones. Make them noticeable, but simple and ultimately built upon one another.

~ How do you make two characters with completely different morals grow to love each other?... Compromise and honesty. Communication and understanding. Those are the four foundations of any relationship, and especially these ones. Make your lovers listen to each other, and make them see the other side. That doesn’t mean agree, and that doesn’t mean conform, it just means you have to make them see where the other is coming from and empathize with their process of validation.

~ How do you write the characters’ friends growing to support the relationship?... This can be tricky, but it depends on the friends’ individual relationships with that character and their lover. With this subject, if you keep to the manner in which you’ve developed them, they should grow to understand (or not understand) their relationship in a way that makes sense to the reader and enhances the story. If there’s tension, let it lay, and if it makes sense, let it pass.

~ How do you pace the evolution of their opinions/feelings about one another correctly?... There’s a few stages to telling an enemies-to-lovers story: 1. they dislike each other 2. that dislike becomes a problem for them 3. they begin to see the other’s point of view 4. they understand the other’s perspective 5. they don’t dislike each other anymore 5. they grow feelings for each other 6. they get together. The first stage should be established and explained really well. The second should be simple but important, and very impactful to both of the characters. The third stage should be slow burning and very uncomfortable, but transformative to both of them. The fourth should happen as the result of events building on one another, not one single event. The last two should be clearly separate, and the fifth should be a slow burn on its own. This pacing strategy should allow for a lot of tension, build up, and a very satisfying ending.

Resources

Enemies Turned Lovers Prompts

Skinny Love Prompts

Angst Prompts

How To Make A Scene More Heartfelt

20 Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Young Adult Fiction/Romance

Tips On Writing Skinny Love

A Guide To Tension & Suspense In Your Writing

Writing Arguments Between Characters

Pros and Cons of Different Points Of View

Tips On Writing Intense Scenes

Resources For Romance Writers

Useful Writing Resources

Useful Writing Resources II

Resources For Describing Emotions

Giving Characters Bad Traits

Relationships Between Characters With No Connection

Relationships Between Polar Opposites

The Terror Behind Your Beauty Playlist Listen On Spotify

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#romance #enemies to lovers #writing reference #writeblr #writing #nanowrimo #writespo #writing tips #authorblr #amwriting #slow burn romance #fiction #romance tropes #romantic #prompts #resources for writers #writing romance #friends to lovers

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boymeetsweevil · 6 years

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Dead Man Sells no Toes

Grouping: Witch!Reader x ??Namjoon

Word Count: ~5.2k

Summary: Your thoughts have a mind of their own when it comes to the cute delivery human with the mysterious tattoos

Warnings/Themes: SMUT like basically PWP but also where is that plot, sis?, 69, fingering, blowjobs, cunnilingus, mind reading, species-ism? Too many Halloween Town references, Joon with tattoos (lol is that a warning) , its unedited rn

A/N: This is my late af submission for the BTS Smut Club Halloween Smut Fest. Prompt #18 “Please don’t touch the human remains”

You’re grinding up the last of your final case of artificial dried newt when the sound of the crows cawing alerts you to a customer entering your shop. It’s still early, and though you do get customers throughout the day, they’re usually fairly consistent in the times that they come to pick up their orders now that you’ve been open for business for almost 8 months.

“Hello, dear,” a creaky voice greets you.

There’s no visual sign of the body the voice comes from, but that’s not at all unusual and you know exactly who the customer is. It’s the old ghoul who comes in regularly to get a fix for her wrinkles. She’s a couple hundred years old and it’s starting to show on her face, so she comes in without an appearance every time she’s out of product. The unusual part is that you just gave her a fresh batch yesterday; one that’s supposed to last her two weeks. If she’s back and without a form, something is wrong.

Your familiar, Augustus, and his best friend flap down from their resting post on one of the high shelves to sit next to you on their respective perches on the counter. You set the half-ground newt aside and reach out to pet at Gus’ inky black feathers.

“Eudora,” you nod at the air in front of you out of habit, “How can I help you today?”

“I’m sure you can guess, child. It’s your youth elixir,” Eudora says matter-of-factly.

“I figured as much. Did it not work this time? Because I promise you, I used pure Italian imported moonbeams, like I always do.”

“No, no. I dropped it, so I have no idea if your moonbeams are the issue. It’s all over the floor of my kitchen and its reverting the wood back to shoots!”

“Oh,” you breathe. It’s a relief that your recipe is still working, though you know your gifts wouldn’t fail you in such an elementary area. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yes, so I’d like to purchase another batch now.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why ever not?”

“Because I can only ever make so much with the shipments of dead man’s toes I order each time and you clear me out every time you’re in here.”

“Are you telling me you don’t have any toes? Because I can see a carton right behind you! I may be invisible right now, but I still have my eyesight about me.”

“You’re right, I have some left,” you put emphasis on some, “But that’s reserved for other customers’ orders. I can’t use all the toes on just your orders, that’s not fair to the others.”

“I have an anniversary dinner tonight. Isn’t this more important than anyone else’s order?”

You suppress the urge to sigh and roll your eyes. Eudora may be difficult at times, but your youth elixir is ingredient heavy and time intensive and you charge a hefty price for even smaller samples. But thanks to her vanity, she pays for a rather large amount each time. You’re almost certain that you could pay the whole shop’s monthly ley line bill with just the profits from her orders alone. This time, though, your hands really are tied.

“I can’t violate my customers’ privacy by revealing to you what products they’re purchasing, but I can assure you that some of the orders that require the dead man’s toes are quite important.”

Eudora’s quiet for a moment as she contemplates her options.

“Well, what about leftovers? Can’t you do something with that? Make a smaller batch?”

“I could,” Augustus pecks at your long bell sleeve until you stick a hand out so he can hop up your arm and perch on your shoulder. “But it wouldn’t even take a half-century off. I don’t think you’d be happy with that after getting used to the original strength.”

“When’s the next shipment coming in?”

You pick up the parchment that has your list of scheduled delivery dates. Turn it over so that Eudora can see it, though you’re not sure where she’s standing exactly.

“Perfect,” the scroll dents as she sticks her finger on the most recent scheduled delivery. “It’s scheduled for today.”

Your eyebrows shoot up and you realize you don’t have the schedule memorized correctly. A wave of giddiness washes over you and suddenly you need Eudora out of your shop so you can clean up and get things looking presentable.

“I’ll just stop by later today to pick it up. You can do a rush order, can’t you, dear?”

“Eudora, you know I can’t. Potion making really is a delicate process, you can’t rush it even if you buy those new high-tech speed catalysts everyone keeps talking about. If I were to rush your order, you might experience reverse effects.”

“Oh,” she gasps. “Alright, fine. I suppose I can wait. Alan won’t mind seeing my haggard face this one time.”

“Allan loves you face, regardless of whether or not you’ve used the elixir. Besides, you’ve been paired ghouls for centuries longer than you’ve been using my little old mix.”

Eudora scoffs. “Your little old mix is what makes Allan cough up the extra urks to take us to Cauldron Bleu tonight.”

“Then, I suppose you had better go pick a dining robe.”

“Yes, I really should. But I expect a batch double the size next time around, child.”

“As long as you know that’ll cost you twice the amount, Eudora.”

“I don’t care how much it costs as long as I look how I should. I’ll see myself off, now.”

You wave goodbye, knowing she’s not looking, and tell her to have a good day. You receive no response, but you’re expecting as much.

“Is she gone,” you whisper after a while.

Augustus and his friend squawk an affirmative, so you turn around and immediately put the newt you were grinding in the store room. The large sundial on the north wall tells you that you have a little less than an hour to clean up the shop and perhaps put an enchantment on your skin and hair to make you look a little more put together. For professional purposes, you remind yourself. Not to make yourself more pleasing to the delivery man’s eye, of course.

While you’re in the middle of trying to get your broom to sweep the snippets of rat’s hair from the last hair growth cream you’d been experimenting with, the bell rings again. You curse under your breath and wipe your hands on your apron.

“Welcome to Circadian Apothecary, how may I help—oh, its just you. What are you doing here, Jolluck?”

“That’s a great way to greet your friend.” When you stare blankly at her, she rolls her eyes. “You said we’d have lunch today, remember?”

The wet sound of her webbed feet smacking across the floor remind you that you’ll have to mop after you kick her out. She rests her forearms against the countertop, smudging the surface with the thin, clear mucus that coats her scales when she leaves water for longer than a few minutes. You’ll have to clean that too.

“Can we please take a rain check? Or maybe we could get dinner. I just…I have a delivery coming.”

“Oh! With the human! I’m sticking around. I wanna see him.” “Jolluck!”

“What? Is that not what he is?”

“You don’t know his background.”

“You’ve smelled him right? If it smells like a human and it looks like a human and it walks like a human, it’s a human.”

“If he’s human, how did he cross the veil, huh?”

“Humans cross all the time.”

“Only when they’re screwing vampires, though!”

“Or werewolves,” she points a webbed finger at you.

“True,” you purse your lips. “Either way, you can’t be here. It’ll be weird if you stare at him.”

“You just wanna keep him for yourself. I heard he’s not bad-looking for a flesh puppet.” She grins and swipes her tongue across her fangs playfully.

“Jolluck, seriously, you can’t think about him like that if you want to be here. That’s so offensive.”

She raises her hands in surrender. “Sorry, when did you become such a fan of humans?”

“I’m not a fan, I just…think they’ve changed a lot since the pitchfork days.”

“You’re just saying that because you went to their realm for schooling. Why did you do that again?”

“I swear I’ve told you this, like, 20 times. I think they have a really interesting way of understanding the elements.”

“I heard they’re kind of wrong, though.”

“No, they are. But they raise some interesting issues. And they have some really nice stories and their view of history is so funny. They don’t realize half of their royalty were just warring Goblin tribes that got a little land hungry.”

Jolluck’s eyes widen and she lets out a laugh. “How could anyone not know that? That’s so sad, they’re such simple creatures.”

“Yeah, well, they’re still not as bad as anyone here makes them out to be. And I think you and the rest of town hall needs to stop crowding Namjoon.”

“Fine. But don’t let him know you’re so smitten with him. He’ll try and burn you at the stake or something.”

“I told you, they don’t do that anymore. Oh shit!” You spy him out the corner of your eye, wheeling the cart full of your new inventory towards the front door. “Don’t say anything stupid, okay?”

You say a few words, an unnecessarily powerful hex, and the air crackles around your heads. A sudden gust of what seems like wind runs through the shop before circling back and passing through you roughly. When it clears everything is glistening likes it’s just been freshly scrubbed, but you’re instantly weak and visibly paler.

“Are you crazy?” Jolluck runs to your side, her wet footsteps evaporating off the wooden floors like she never stepped there. “All this for a human male?”

“Look, you can see your reflection in the countertops,” you smile dizzily at her.

Namjoon stands politely in front of the glass, waiting for the shop’s magic to acknowledge you of his presence. Seconds later the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, though you know he’s there because you can see him. With a feeble flick of your wrist, the door opens. He rests his open palm on the doorjamb as is customary and pulls the dolly laden with goods behind him.

“Morning,” he greets, with his back turned to you so he can set the boxes on the ground. His bare arms flex as they work to keep the glass jars inside from jostling. The tattoos running from wrist to shoulder are a web of black lines of varying weights. They suit him.

“Hi there.”

He turns quickly at the sound of Jolluck’s voice and notices that she’s holding you up like she’s carrying your dead weight because she is.

“Hi, I’m Namjoon,” he takes a few hesitant steps forward until he can make out the swirling pattern of Jolluck’s scales. He gestures towards you. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. She was just biting off more than she can chew and now she’s half dead. Isn’t that right?”

“Shut up,” you mutter.

You manage to prop yourself up on the counter so you can look up at Namjoon. A large, sleepy smile parts your lips as you take in his adorable dimple and plush lips. He really is very nice-looking, regardless of what the townspeople say. You don’t even mind his smell that much.

His cheeks flush and he bites down on his lip, grinning at his shoes.

“Are you okay to check the inventory and sign off?”

“Hmm, yeah. I just need a drink. Jolly, can you get me a drink?”

She huffs, but brushes past the heavy velvet curtain to find a bottled energizer somewhere in the back of the store room. She returns moments later with a little glass flask that’s stopped with a cork. Which would be fine if you had some strength in your arms, but you’re still very much 80% noodle.

“Namjoon, you can open this, right?”

“Sure,” he smiles and takes the jar from you. His hands are oddly soft for someone whose job consists of heavy lifting and sorting through tons of perilous ingredients to sell to people like you.

Your head lolls to rest on your shoulder and you wonder briefly what his hands would feel like against the skin of your waist or your arms or your inner thighs. He chokes a little and nearly drops the vial but manages to snap it out of the air before it can shatter.

He gives it back to you wordlessly and wipes his now sweaty palms on the fabric of his pants.

“So, what do you have for me?”

“Just the usual shipment.”

“I know, but maybe you can, uh, read it out loud for me. Jog my memory?” You’re being over the top, you know it. But you really like his voice, too. Everything about him is just so…nice.

“Alright. The first thing on the list is standard toadstools, a grade and rehydrated.”

“Hand-picked?” You take a shot of the energizer.

“By yours truly.”

“Nice,” is all you say as you eye his hands once more.

Jolluck leans over to hiss into your ear. “This is disgusting and I’m starving. When are we doing lunch?” “When he stops telling me everything I ordered,” you hiss right back out of the corner of your mouth. “What else is there?”

“There’s more lilac, sage, thyme, and wolf’s bane. Those are all local except for the sage. But I got you a good deal at the market.”

“How nice of you.”

As he lists the other supplies he brought with him, you take the time to nurse your bright green energizer and look Namjoon over some more.

Perhaps you spent too much time in the human realm, but you really do think he’s loads better than that daemon boy Yoongi, who breezes through the shop every so often to show off his solid gold watch collection. Namjoon is tall and nice, and always has a pretty blush around you. You don’t even mind the way he smells, it’s actually not as bad as you remembered during your time at human college.

“Sorry about not bringing the dead man’s toes. I guess the graveyards were a little empty this week. But that’s everything, I think,” he says with finality, folding his list and shoving it in his back pocket. He begins deconstructing the rolling cart he took with him, now that it’s no longer in use with the boxes having been unloaded onto the ground.

“Oh.”

You can’t help but be disappointed that your time with him is ending so soon. And right when you got your strength back, if the tickling hum running through your veins is any indication of the energizer’s effect. So much energy is coursing through you that some magic starts to spark out of your fingers. You quickly hide your hands behind you back, not wanting him to see the sparks and think you’re some young witch with no control over her magic. Although, wiping yourself of nearly all your energy moments before he arrived just to clean the shop sounds like something you might have also done when you were a mere teen.

Jolluck emerges from the stairs in the back that lead to your apartment on the second floor. “Your cabinets are all empty. And your fridge. I’m going shopping.” She waves something that looks suspiciously like your wallet, the urks in it jingle mockingly.

A thought pops into your head, so you decide to just run with it.

“N-namjoon, do you think you could stick around? I’m still feeling kind of shaky and Jolluck is heading to the southern market.”

“The southern market? Why would I go there when I could just go to the one by the Elder woods?”

“Just go,” you give her a smile of mostly bared teeth. You turn to Namjoon again, once Jolluck is out the door. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t mind. Where should I put them?”

“In the back. I’ll show you.”

You wait for him to pick up the first box, relishing in the way the muscles in his back bunch and coil as he hefts it up into his arms with a soft grunt. He follows behind you quietly while you lead the way.

“Wow.” He takes in the rows and rows of shelves behind the curtain. Each one packed full with various ingredients or preserved things for rituals that are shelf-stable. “You’re no joke.”

“Guess you could say that,” you lean against a wall and watch him open the box. “I was the top of my classes.”

“In witching school?”

“And at a human college?”

“Really,” he stops to peer down at you. “So, you don’t mind humans, then?”

“Not anymore than I mind the folks here. They both have their ups and downs.”

“And I suppose you’ve heard what everyone’s had to say about me?”

He holds up two jars of pickles hooves, unsure of where to put them. You push yourself off the wall and take them from him. He follows behind once again to move the box, and hand you each jar as you stack them on the appropriate shelf.

“I mean, people definitely like to talk to me about you.”

“About my being a human?”

“Yeah, sort of. But probably more because you’re human. People think I love all things human just because I went to school with them.”

“Well, what do you think?”

“About humans?”

“About me.”

Before you can stop yourself, your tongue sticks out playfully between your teeth. “You really wanna know?”

“I do,” he smiles down at you, another jar in hand.

With a crooked finger, you beckon him closer and he moves in with head cocked to the side. You lean in close enough that your lips just barely graze the shell of his ear. He shivers.

“I don’t think you’re really human,” you whisper before grasping the jar and tugging, but it doesn’t budge.

Namjoon stares down at you, wide eyed, before snapping out of his surprise and tugging the jar back, bringing you stumbling with it.

“How’d you know,” he says back in an equally hushed voice.

“What’s that saying you guys have? The nose knows?”

“It was because of my smell? Seriously?”

“What can I say? I spent a lot of time with humans while I was at school with them. I know that smell anywhere. And you do smell like them, but…you also don’t.”

“How do you know it’s not just because I spend a lot of time fae people?”

“Is that why?”

“No,” he grins. You swear it must be a trick of the light, but his eyes flash unnaturally for a second. “My dad was human, but his dad was a seer and my mom was a quarter elf.”

“I knew it. You smell too much like silver to be a human. Not enough copper in you.”

“Congrats on guessing right.”

“Can you do any magic? I know it tends to be weaker when it’s not matrilineal, but genes are funny things.”

“I can’t do much outward production. Mostly just life-force projection, see?”

He pushes up the sleeve of his T-shirt and flexes his bicep, bringing the tattoos into focus. You realize upon closer inspection that they’re moving now. The lines weave together in a periodic fashion, an organic rhythm. Like the tides or another being’s pulse. He pulls up the hem of his shirt to reveal that the tattoos continue down his flanks and spread onto the ridges of his otherwise flat abdomen. Your hand itches to reach out and traces the lines. Would you feel his life-forces thrumming under your finger? Would yours expel to meet his? Were they even compatible enough to do that? You hoped so.

“Wow.”

“I can also um,” he trails off.

“You can also what? You can tell me. Is it embarrassing?”

“Not for me,” he smirks. When you squint out of confusion, his cheeks color and he looks down at the ground. “I have level 2 telepathy.”

“Oh. That’s cool. Why is that embarrassing?”

“I mean, it’s not embarrassing for me. But it sometimes is for other people. Since it’s combination mirrored and tactile telepathy.”

You choke on an inhale and get sent into a coughing fit when you realize that Namjoon can feel your thoughts about him on his skin. It’s probably a side effect of the tattoos he has, so it’s probably not super strong, but it still means that every time you made eye contact with him and thought about how broad his shoulders looked, he felt it in his shoulders. All those times you’d lusted after him while he brought in your orders, he’d felt them.

“I am so sorry,” you gasp with tears of embarrassment pricking at the corners of your eyes. “Had I known, I would have never, ever asked you to stick around so much. I hope I didn’t make you too uncomfortable. For what its worth, I am truly sorry.”

“It’s really fine. It’s a lot better than what everyone else was thinking when they thought a human had managed to infiltrate town to burn everything to the ground.”

“But still! You shouldn’t have to endure either of those. You could have sent your friend drop things off, I wouldn’t have gotten offended. I just… I don’t know what else to say.”

“It’s really fine.”

“How could it be fine?”

“Because I wasn’t bothered by it,” he admits with a soft smile.

Silently, he takes your hand and places it just millimeters above his forearm. Your life-force, a pale yellow liquid fire, crackles up on the edges of your skin and tangles with his own syrupy black one. A phenomenon that occurs when life force resonance frequencies are compatible.

“Shit.” “Yeah,” he parrots back quietly. “Shit.”

You take a chance and hurl yourself at him. The force takes him by surprise and you manage to knock him onto the floor, barely missing the box containing precious jars of dead man’s toes. But you don’t care because his instantly come to skate up your arms, down your back, to cup your butt. He squeezes appreciatively and lets out a low groan when you reward him with wet, open-mouthed kisses down the column of his neck.

His hands find their way underneath your uniform tunic and press brands into your skin. You keep kissing the parts of his face in a disorganized fashion. First his chin, then his clavicle, then the deep dimple in his cheek, and finally the corner of his mouth. He turns and captures your lips with his own, startling you into submission. At first, he explores the landscape of your mouth with fervent presses and caresses, but eventually he grows curious enough to probe. His tongue sneaks out to lick at the seam of your lips and you open up for him immediately, air from your pants puffing out in between you.

The feeling of his tongue sliding lazily against the tip of yours, dancing along the tender inside of your lip, has you clenching in vain. You move unconsciously so his thigh slots in between yours and begin to rock your hips against him, hoping for a bit of friction.

He chuckles against your mouth before pulling away from a soft, slick sound. “In a hurry?”

“Yeah. I want you to fuck me. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

He curses when his hands finally meet the globes of your breasts. They’re free in the loose material of your tunic and they make for a pleasant weight in his large hands. His thumbs come out to swipe a finely mirrored pattern over your nipples. When you respond with a high whine, he twists them roughly. Almost as if he has control over them, your hips snap against him. Your writhing over him eggs on the growing erection in his trousers, which you can feel nudging your pelvis with every inward thrust.

Your life force is excited enough from the amorous activity that its flowing steadily around your limbs like a ribbon satellite. You ignoring the way thick globules of Namjoon’s life force start to raise from the tattoos to trade spots with some of your own fiery energy. You read about what that means once, but now you couldn’t give two shits about whatever class notes you internalized from school.

“Namjoon, touch me,” you whine when the beginnings of your arousal start to soak your underwear.

“I thought I was touching you.”

You roll your eyes and redirect one of the hands that been rolling your breasts down into your pants. He hisses at the sticky coating that drenches his fingers the moment you pulled your underwear to the side for him. He crooks two fingers and traces your hole as best he can with his wrist turned awkwardly. You shift until your heat sucks him in and begin to grind your clit against him. His other hand snakes around to grab at your ass semi-roughly.

“That’s right. Get yourself off on my hand.”

“I don’t want to cum like this,” you pant against his neck.

“How do you want to cum?”

“On your tongue,” you admit. You’re glad he can’t see how hot your face got, but you let out a yelp when he shifts his palm even closer to your heat.

“I like that idea. Get up here.”

You scrabble onto your knees above him and slip out of your clothes as best you can without kneeing him anywhere important. As soon as you’re bare, his hands land on your hips and tug you until you get the hint and shuffle forward until you’re almost seated over his chin.

“You smell good,” he says with a deep inhale. He stretches his neck out and presses an open kiss to your clit, making sure to suck as he pulls away, bringing moisture with him. He licks his lips clean before doing it again and again until you’re shaking and have to brace yourself by leaning forward on your hands.

Finally, he pushes down on your hips, motioning you to sit on his face properly. The moment that you do, the flat of his tongue comes out to collect the dew and undulate against you in broad strokes. When he reaches your entrance he dips in shallowly, collecting more of your arousal, and then repeating. During the first few swipes of his tongue, you try to be courteous of his neck and face, try not to overwhelm him. But once he starts slurping obscenely, your hips move on their own accord. You grind yourself sinuously on his tongue, moaning without any restriction.

When he adds a thumb into the mix, rubbing at your clit, so he can attempt to fuck into you with his tongue. Your head drops forward and you notice that Namjoon is still wearing all of his clothes. You decide this won’t do and put your weight on one hand so you can undo his trousers with the other. It’s a little fumbly and it takes a few tries, but you manage to not only loosen his pants but also push them and his underwear down far enough that his erection can swing forward. You swipe away at clouds of his life force that are happily bumbling around your hand and stroke the length of his shaft. He’s not expecting the sudden touch and jumps, bumping you a little bit.

You spit into your palm before going back into to stroke him in earnest. Its doesn’t take long for your arm to get tired trying to jerk him off from your far away position. You try to inch forward without moving out reach of his mouth.

“Why are you moving away,” he mumbles against your inner thigh.

You don’t answer at first, so he sucks a teasing hickey on the sensitive skin there, causing you to nearly topple over face-first onto his lower stomach.

“You’ll see why. Just be patient.”

Soon you’re hovering over his pelvis and readjust your lower body so that you’re still positioned over Namjoon’s mouth. He tries to peer up curiously but the feeling of your mouth engulfing him instantly clues him in to what you’re doing.

“Fuck,” he groans at the feeling of you bobbing the warm, wetness of your mouth over his length.

The tip of your tongue nudges at his slit and his eyes roll into the back of his head. Before he gets too caught up in the feeling of you caressing the bottom part of his slick shaft, he returns to your center. He starts licking back into you with a vengeance, almost like he’s competing with you. His head moves up and down with the added force his lips parting your petal-soft folds. Your clit is still trapped in the loop of constant figure eights that he skates over the nub. You whine around him and the vibrations wring a moan out of him.

He senses that you’re losing the battle with your orgasm. The way your thigh’s tremble on either side of his head clues him in as well. He pulls back briefly and you hum around him from above.

“Ride my face,” is all he says before gripping your thighs and pressing you tightly against him. He flexes the body of his tongue before shaking his head back and forth against your clit.

The direct stimulation short circuits your brain and you nearly forget to keep jerking him off while the quakes of your high take over your body. Short, choked breaths leave you as you climax, dripping onto his tongue and the lower half of his face. Part of you bemoans the fact that you won’t see his face when he cums, so you soldier on as best you can and redouble your efforts to make him feel good as well.

Almost like a feedback mechanism, your indecent thoughts coupled with the actual onslaught of your mouth have him giving you all he still can until you sneak up on him with a well-timed deep swallow as he thrusts up into your throat and just the right amount of pressure near his perineum. His body goes rigid as he spills into your mouth, and you bob your head to milk him of every last drop. Even after muscles in his thighs stop rippling, you suckle lightly at the tip to clean him up, and he squirms under you out of sensitivity. “Please don’t touch the human remains,” he drones with closed eyes, feigning death by blowjob.

“Oh, stop it,” you drum your fingers against his abdomen. “You’re not even human.”

“Not completely.”

“At least you’re not dead.”

“No, I think I am. I think you swallowed my soul.”

“Well, if you’re really dead, can I borrow your toes?”

#btssmutclub #bangtan bookclub #networkbangtan #bscproject #btswriters #bttnetwork #hyunglinenetwork #bts smut #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fanfction #bangtan fanfic #bangtan scenarios #namjoon fanfic #namjoon imagine #namjoon scenarios #kim namjoon

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cap-sweet-and-salty-sadness · 6 years

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Cap SASS’s January Fic Recs

(starting a monthly fic rec thing instead of doing 12 days in a row at the end of the year like i used to do.)

Stony (Steve Rogers/Tony Stark)

Side Effects by elimymoons

Main Tags: Sex Pollen, Explicit Sexual Content, Mutual Pining

"So what I'd like to propose," Tony continued on, "is for you to let me help you out a little, yeah? We'll work off some of this energy, some of this adrenaline, and you don't have to worry about hurting yourself anymore, okay?"

Steve's in a bit of trouble. Tony wants to help him out. Sexily.

Ashes to Ashes by dirigibleplumbing / @dirigibleplumbing

Main Tags: Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Time Travel, Mutual Pining, Fix-It,

After regrouping following some surprise time travel, the world's heroes and sorcerers come up with a plan to protect the Mind and Time Stones by taking them into space in opposite directions. The result involves a lot more time loops than Steve would like, but at least they're getting a second chance to stop Thanos. (As well as a third, and a fourth...) And if Steve takes the opportunity to try to reconcile with Tony, too—well, they have the time, and Steve's going to make the most of it.

Malibu: Become Hero by Veldeia / @veldeia

Main Tags: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Android Steve Rogers, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Deviancy (Detroit: Become Human)

To survive his injuries and captivity by the Ten Rings, Tony makes the difficult decision to take apart a damaged military android left gathering dust among scavenged weapons. What he doesn't expect is that he'll be gifted an intact unit of the very same prototype model later, or just how important this SR100, better known as Steve, will become to him.

(Fusion/crossover with Detroit: Become Human; fills the community prompt asking for one: "Anything that fuses Detroit: Become Human with a Marvel canon of your choice".)

Project: Rebirth by LagLemon / @laglemon

Main Tags: F.E.A.R AU, Gore, Horror, Alternate Universe, Violence

Tony Stark has been working at Stark International - his father's company - for the past few years. His job as an Electrical Engineer has been going swimmingly - even though he sometimes has to work as a repairman when his father is irritated with him. He has kept himself up to date on his projects and has been giving the Board one new weapon every month, just like he promised - all the while saving his best work for himself. The Iron Man Armor is his - and he isn't going to share it with SI no matter what. After a visit from Obadiah Stane, his father's business partner, Tony realizes that SI is a lot less stable than he's been led to believe. Howard has been spending money left and right, and the Board needs to recover its losses. At the same time, strange things have been happening in the facility. Who is the strange blond man Tony keeps seeing wandering the facility's hallways? And why does the stranger keep disappearing on him? Is he losing his mind? Or has something dark and dangerous been going on in the facility? (This is a F.E.A.R AU - an fps horror game)

A Long, Lonely Time by asktheravens / @alittlethor

Main Tags: Ghosts, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Mystery, Horror, Past Character Death

Steve returned from the war injured in body and mind- and able to see the dead. At loose ends and desperate to get out of New York City, he accepts a fellowship through the Stark Foundation and retreats to a quiet lake house on the grounds of the Stark Mansion. He's supposed to be there to paint, but he quickly realizes that the house is more than he bargained for. Anthony Stark died here a decade ago, but was it an accident? A suicide? Or a murder? Obadiah Stane still lives in the main house just up the hill, and the past casts a long shadow.

When Tony's ghost begins appearing to him, Steve becomes more entwined in the dangerous mystery surrounding his death. Even worse, he finds himself falling for a man who died a decade ago...

Features lots of ghosts, murder, secrets, and supernatural revenge. Also Thor and Rhodey.

WinterIron (Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark)

Forms of Love by bear_bell

Main Tags: Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, overprotective Avengers, But not of Tony Stark, Graphic Sex

Months after the Avengers' dispute in Germany, the team returns to the US and moves back into the tower. As always, everyone pretends that nothing happened. Tony is just fine with this. He's used to pretending, and he'll be damned if he lets any of them see him flinch.

Tony's the bad guy, after all. He's used to it. He's fine with it. He's good at it.

Only now, there's something far worse loitering around the tower - The Winter Soldier. No one notices the guy at first, but when they do, Tony figures that he should have the solder's back.

Birds of a feather should flock together, and the bad guys should start a book club.

#stony #steve rogers #tony stark #winteriron #bucky barnes #fic rec #marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe

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thefutureisplywoodbikes · 6 years

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The “My Top Films of 2018″ post positively no-one has been crying out for

Hi friends, it’s been a while. I’ve been meaning to do a little monthly film round up / review thing for a while now (A suggested enterprise that I should say I have received specific encouragement for) but it felt a bit weird starting in the middle of the year so maybe consider this a warm up for that. I HATE spoilers so rarely read any kind of detailed review for anything I feel inclined to see until after I’ve watched it, so the usual format here will be a sentence whether you should bother to go see a film, a few films that might have a similar feel of characteristics if you’re still undecided or looking for more of the same, and finally I might give some extra details or specific opinion. If you’re a spoiler pedant like me you might want to skip this last part but I imagine most of you will be OK.

As what follows are what I consider the best films of the year, it should be a given that I suggest you seek them out and watch them. If you can’t be arsed with or don’t want the details and discussion, of which there’s a lot below, skip down; I’ll put the list near the bottom, along with a selection of other highlights that didn’t make the cut.

Anyway, onto the business at hand. To qualify for my long-list films had to be new releases that I’ve seen in a cinema this year. I’ve not counted any Netflix or Amazon fare, or any classics, some of which obviously are some of the best films I’ve seen in the cinema this year, but you shouldn’t really need specific encouragement to go see Rear Window, Once Upon a Time In The West or The Apartment if you get the chance. I did have a solid 10, but had forgotten something important, so you’re getting a top 11 and a best of the rest section instead.

11 (also 10)

- You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay)

- A Woman’s Life (Stéphane Brizé)

Two very different films share 10th place. You Were Never Really Here is a bruising tale of a damaged person not so much seeking redemption as just getting by. Set in contemporary New York, it features a superb central performance from Joachin Phoenix and is beautifully shot by Lynne Ramsay. Has a similarly feel, in terms of the editing at least, to her earlier film We Need To Talk About Kevin. There was a lot of talk about this being a modern day Taxi Driver which is an understandable comparison given the subject matter but might unfairly raise expectations if you’re not careful; it isn’t and it isn’t trying to be. It does however have a bit of a Paul Schrader feel to it so if you enjoyed First Reformed this would be worth a look. Currently on Amazon Prime, if you’re not boycotting Bezos.

A Woman’s Life I saw pretty much solely on the strength of how much I liked Stéphane Brizé’s previous film, The Measure of A Man which covers similar territory to I, Daniel Blake but with considerably more subtlety and sharper focus and is for me more successful for it. An adaptation of Guy de Maupassant first novel, Une Vie, the story as the title suggests, takes you through the life of a woman in 19th Century France. It‘s a slow, measured and intelligent film, sympathetic, naturalistic and moving and slyly shines light on the inherent cruelty of the pervasive limitations of the patriarchal society of the time. Not sure what to recommend for comparison since it was early in the year I saw it and I don’t think I’ve seen much else like it. If you’re a fan of Bresson give it a look. If you enjoyed Jacques Rivette’s The Nun maybe. If you liked Barry Lyndon but think it needs toning down in terms of flair and mood. Tolstoy was a big fan of the novel if that floats your boat, Mostly I’d say watch Measure of a Man and maybe track this down if you liked that.

Let The Corpses Tan (Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani)

From the Brussel-based French duo behind Amer and The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears, if you’ve seen either of their earlier films you’ll have some idea of what you’re getting here. It’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes; if you want a straightforward plot, narrative resolution or ultimately to fully understand what the fuck is going on, you’re in the wrong place, but if you like the sound of a pristinely crafted and gorgeously shot amalgamation of spaghetti western and Poliziotteschi aesthetics, this is likely very much up your street. If you liked Mandy as a film that is effectively an homage to the mood a variety of 80′s films, I think this does similar for a different period more smoothly. If you’re not sold by now I’m not sure what else to say but you can watch it on Amazon Prime if you’re curious.

Lucky (John Carroll Lynch)

On paper this shouldn’t be as good as it is. Not a lot really happens. It’s competently shot but not visually exceptional. It would seem to unashamedly be a vehicle to showcase the enduring charm of Harry Dean Stanton in a role that I would be astonished if i were to discovery it wasn’t written specifically for him. And yet it’s HUGELY endearing. It’s sweet without ever approaching being mawkish or saccharine. Stanton is an irascible, charming and poignant delight as a man doing his best to defiantly maintain his independence while coming to terms with his encroaching mortality . David Lynch is less convincing as a man bereft after his tortoise has escaped from the garden, yet still it all kinda works and has context. If you’ve liked Harry Dean Stanton in anything else, but particularly Paris, Texas. You’ll likely enjoy this. If you’re a Twin Peaks geek, liked The Straight Story, St Vincent (As in the 2014 Bill Murray movie), Mystery Train or maybe even On Golden Pond you’ll likely be OK too.

Filmworker (Tony Zierra)

You’d be forgiven for not knowing who Leon Vitali, the subject of this film, is. Some of you with better memories may place him as the actor who portrayed Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon, likely because at some point you’ve looked him up after watching his superb performance wondering whatever happened to him. What you’re unlikely to be aware of (unless you’ve already seen this) is his immense contribution to, and sacrifices for, the work of Stanley Kubrick, an ongoing commitment that will likely persist until his dying breath.

In awe of the auteur on the set of Barry Lyndon, he effectively abandoned his acting career at the moment it was set to take off, to work with Kubrick in whatever capacity he could, over time becoming his most trusted, and woefully overworked, assistant. There is a sense that this a tale of one man being exploited in another man’s ruthless pursuit of their vision, which in part it is, but Vitali’s devotion is effectively religious and so he commands more respect and admiration than pity for the extent he has given over his life to his passion. If you like Kubrick, have seen and loved any on his films at the cinema, on video, DVD or blu-ray you have a responsibility to see this, because it is extremely likely that Leon is the man who has personally checked the prints and colour gradings to ensure they are precisely as they should be. It should also be a reminder that there are hundreds of thousands of others unsung who’ve had a hand in making the films you love.

If you’re a film geek, serious cineaste or fan of any of Kubrick films but particularly the last four (Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut), you should see this.

Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)

At heart Lady Bird is a simple story, very well told. It has suitable faith in its script to keep things simple and in doing so delivers 95 breezily delightful minutes of cinema. I saw this immediately after having endured The Shape of Water (Superficial, predictable, indulgent, emotionally-manipulative dross, with some insultingly shallow politics shoe-horned in to bolster its credibility) so the contrast may have inflated my enjoyment but after that, this was a breath of fresh air. It has a lean, clever script flawlessly delivered by it’s stellar cast, led by primarily by the equally excellent Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf but also featuring Timotheé Chalamet and the reliably remarkable / remarkably reliable Lucas Hedges in supporting roles. The result is a film full of well-rounded, flawed and relatable characters. The depiction of teenagers seem particularly sharp; the traumas of negotiating the trials of burgeoning adulthood are treated sympathetically but you’re also shown achingly absurd moments of pretension that’ll likely spark a pang of amused recognition in anyone over 20.

If you liked 20th Century Women or Greta Gerwig’s other cinematic outings (I don’t think I’ve actually seen many others but it stands to reason.) you’ll likely get a kick out of this not really sure what else compares suitably.

It’s a nice film. Give it a go if you haven’t already.

Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)

The latest offering from Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread is a curious creature and a bit of departure for the director, stylistically at least. On the surface a dry tale of a celebrated English tailor discovering a new muse and lover and the shifting of power and negotiation of compromises as their relationship develops, I’d say the real meat here is in the subtexts but I don’t want to prejudice your viewing with my half-baked theorising so I’ll say no more. Visually sumptuous, pristinely photographed and with a deliciously acerbic and quotably witty script, you also get a trio of marvellous performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Leslie Manville and Vicky Krieps in the lead roles. A wry treat for all who like seductive subtlety at a steady pace and one that’s sure to benefit from repeat viewing. (I’ve yet to rewatch myself but am keen to and in the course of writing this list I’ve been compelled to bump it up a few spots and suspect it may well have faired better if I had)

If you’re a PTA fan you’ve likely already seen this but if you need specific prompting I’d say it’s closest in spirit to The Master, but it’s still more idiosyncratic among his output than similar to the others. If you like the barbed charm of the writing of the films of the British New Wave, or Pinter’s script for Losey’s The Servant you'll also likely find this worth your time.

Climax (Gaspar Noé)

Despite it's place here, I have a hard time recommending Climax. Watching it was possibly the most queasily unnerving experience I've ever had in a cinema, which is entirely it's intent.

Following the events that unfold one snowy evening at an isolated rehearsal hall where a group of dancers having a final night party fall victim to an LSD-spiked sangria, what starts out as a mesmerising display of dancing skill and exuberance slowly shifts into a hellish, decadent descent as innermost fears and desires surface and are enacted.

The film is technically spectacular, largely composed of a single twisting shot that woozily drifts among the action and skilfully approximates the helpless intoxication of the characters. Prior to this the film opens with a series of interviews with the dancers, shown on a tv flanked by videos and books, the theme of which would appear to be transgression in its various forms. It's a simple, smart device that foreshadows events to come but also lays out the story's influences and inspirations. The overall result is the sense that experience you receive has been carefully and precisely crafted, something all films obviously aim to do but that this actually delivers, extraordinarily well. Even when things slow and drag in the last 20 minutes (which they undeniably do) you feel like you're being made to endure the comedown of the preceding proceedings. It's not going to be for everyone and I'm not sure the visceral unease of seeing this in the cinema will translate to small screen viewing, but it's a brilliant affecting piece of cinema for those prepared to brave it.

If you didn't like Enter The Void, you're probably not going to like this but if you did, you probably will. The content isn't necessarily especially graphic but there's a sense of callous disregard and cruelty that made for uneasy viewing for me at least, similar to the darker moments of Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer or Man Bites Dog. You probably know by now if you're gonna watch it or not, so let's move on.

Utøya: July 22 (Erik Poppe)

Not to be confused with the Paul Greengrass Netflix film (Which went into production a year later than this then stole it’s working title) Utøya: July 22 is the second film on this list to centrally feature an extended tracking shot. This one was shot in one interrupted take and, much like Climax, is a harrowing film elevated by the directorial decisions that informed and shaped its creation.

Unfolding in real time the film shares the experience of Kaya, a teenage girl attending the summer camp on the Norwegian island of Utøya during the 2011 terrorist attack there. It’s a heartbreaking watch. Less generous reviews suggest it to be manipulative, others, which I am obviously moreso inclined to agree with, feel that the films choices place the victims in the forefront of the story and in doing so highlights failings within the usual handling of such events on film and more broadly in the media, failings which, while I haven’t seen it, I have heard the aforementioned Netflix film is guilty of. While the characters in this film are fictional, their stories are based on the testimonies of survivors and survivors were heavily consulted both during the writing of the script and the filming. The terrorist is not named and is only shown once in the distance which, given the intention of his murderous assault was to draw attention to himself and his toxic political views, is very effective at both resisting unwitting complicity in advancing these aims and preventing the victims and the horror of their experiences from being shifted into peripheral significance. They are not merely a notorious individuals tragic statistics and they, or any other victim of mass murder, should never be allowed to be seen in such terms. This film has been painstakingly and thoughtfully constructed to honour them and the gravitas of their suffering and is intelligent and powerful film that deserves far greater attention.

It feels somewhat ridiculous to offer comparative suggestions for this one; it’s not an enjoyable viewing experience, so if you’re not already moved to watch it maybe you shouldn’t bother. If you’re still undecided this does feature perhaps the most effective and emotionally involving uses of the single shot proximal viewpoint, a technique employed in a number of titles of recent years (Birdman, Victoria, The Revenant, Gravity etc.) that I’ve seen. It something which Son of Saul was celebrated for, where the intent was similarly a claustrophobic immersion, but which, in that instance, I found somewhat distracting. This succeeded for me where Son of Saul did not.

Cold War (Pawel Pawlikowski)

I still haven’t seen Pawlikowski’s previous film Ida but the strength of esteem that it garnered led me to see this without knowing anything about it. (And if you really want to enjoy it, you should skip the rest of this and do the same. Actually you should do that anyway, because I likely create an unreasonable high expectation by the end of this.)

The film covers a love story as it unfolds and transforms over the space of 20 years under the shadow of the Cold War. At various points the romance is frustrated either by the ubiquitous demands and expectations of the Soviet state apparatus or by the lovers diverging fates negotiating it. Given the tale is loosely based on the story of his own parents, one would be forgiven for fearing this might be a melodramatic tale of predictably plucky triumph, but the nuance and complexity of the central relationship, challenged as it is by not only external forces but internal conflicts, has a suitable quantity of bitterness and disappointment to feel like a truthful portrayal. It’s refreshingly unsentimental, as is the depiction of life under totalitarian rule and in some ways this is as much a film about the potential for lives to be crushed by oppressive regimes as it is about loves ability to resist them.

Also of note; the film is gorgeous. The black and white photography is pristine throughout and subtly shifts with the films location. The soundtrack comprises Eastern European folk and 50s Jazz and, with music forming a central role in the plot, the scenes where it features most heavily stand out and are at times breathtaking. The acting too is great with Joanna Kulig proving a particularly enchanting screen presence. It’s a manifoldly beautiful film.

If you still need persuading (though you really shouldn’t, because by this stage I’m just over-egging the pudding) if you liked Ida obviously this’ll be up your street, if you’re a Tarkovsky fan in general you’ll likely appreciate some of the framing and pacing here but if your especially fond of Ivan’s Childhood (And if you’re not you probably should be) the look and feel of this should prove particularly appealing.

Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

It’s unlikely that I’m alone in placing this at the top of my list. I don’t think I’ve spoken to anyone who hasn’t liked this film. Most have loved it. This is very rare. In fact, if you haven’t yet seen this, don’t bother reading further, just go see it in the cinema while you still have the chance. (I don’t want to hear any shit about spoilers or whinging about missing it.) If you’ve seen any of Kore-eda’s other recent films (with the possible exception of The Third Murder) you will have had some idea of what to expect with this. He is a master of tender, low-key tales of everyday life and the drama contained within. Our Little Sister was my first encounter with his work and was my favourite film of 2016. It features the intertwining lives of three sisters who live with their grandmother and the half-sister they effectively adopt when their estranged father dies. It’s a simple, wonderfully uplifting film that unceremoniously shows you the progressing lives of a loving family in rural Japan. After The Storm looks at another family, this time in Tokyo and more fractured and dysfunctional but still observed with compassion and though flawed, prove deeply sympathetic and relatable. In Shoplifters we are again presented with a family, this time a gathering of humble misfits and miscreants predominantly bonded by solidarity in the face of poverty, hardship and neglect. Their love for each other is evident in their actions but as the film progresses it is brought into question by figures of authority and more broadly a society that though unwilling to help them when in need is more than prepared to judge and condemn them regardless of their circumstances.

This is both an overtly political film and a deeply philosophical one but fundamentally it’s an achingly sensitive and compassionate drama. It brings to light rarely discussed economic disparity in Japan and the difficulties of those struggling to get by. It examines what constitutes a family and questions the value of traditional familial and societal bonds when they don’t encompass a duty of care. It lead you to reflect on you own fortunes compassion and morality. And it does all of this simply by presenting you with a group of characters with complex stories. Acts that might be considered otherwise outrageous are given suitable context to leave you entirely capable of empathising with the decisions to undertake them.

A devastatingly moving and humane film, this is beautifully shot, scripted, edited and brilliantly performed by a hugely talented cast. An irrefutable masterpiece. Must watch.

Right, below is a recap of the list then below that will be a list of notable highlights that made the long-list, for those of you not already bored shitless

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OK, welcome back slackers. Here’s the list.

10. - You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay)

- A Woman’s Life (Stéphane Brizé)

9. Let The Corpses Tan (Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani)

8. Lucky (John Carroll Lynch)

7. Filmworker (Tony Zierra)

6. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)

5. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)

4. Climax (Gaspar Noé)

3. Utøya: July 22 (Erik Poppe)

2. Cold War (Pawel Pawlikowski)

1. Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

And now for the best of the rest. You should maybe try to watch these before reading the details too

The Rider (Chloé Zhao)

This was unquestionable beautiful and does an excellent job of showing the limitations of investing in an outmoded code of masculinity, in this instance that of the cowboy. The amateur cast effectively play versions of themselves in the thinly disguised the story of lead actor Brady Jandreau’s struggles to adjust after a severe rodeo injury curtails his career and hopes. Why it’s not in my top 10: This is a cinematic love letter to Brady and while it’s effective in display the depth of the directors affection for him and his, admittedly very endearing, family, it’s less so as a means to convince you to share it’s viewpoint if, like me, you don’t share Chloe Zhao’s unquestioning sympathy from the outset. Questions about animal welfare, the validity of cowboy traditions, practices and iconography in the modern world and whether that imported culture dominating life on a Lakota reservation can ever be anything but a toxic cul-de-sac, all go unasked and unanswered.

The Wild Pear Tree (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

This probably should be in my top ten. It’s absolutely spectacular. Beautifully naturalistic and expansive in scope and ambition. One regular customer at the cinema where I work said it authentically encapsulates the experiences of everyday Turkish life and so if that sounds up your street and you have a spare three and a bit hours to invest this is richly rewarding watch.

Why it’s not in my top 10: It’s just soooo long. It’s 188 minutes but feels like longer, which I’d actually say is a good thing because it covers so much ground at such a measured pace you’re surprised when it’s over that you’ve experienced so much in such a, relatively, short space of time. But it’s still exhausting. While lengthy discussions work within the context of the film their inclusion teeters on the brink of indulgence and the main character, a youthful and arrogant would-be intellectual, is frankly a bit of a dick, and that’s a long time to spend in the company of someone you don’t necessarily like. So in essence, while this is a masterpiece, it is a demanding one, and it’s because I found the physical experience of watching this to be more challenging than either enjoyable or invigorating that it slipped into the runners-up. Once Upon A Time in Anatolia, which I rewatched earlier this year, manages to cover similar territory but still leave you enlivened so I was hoping this might do the same.

Leave No Trace (Debra Granik)

A well-paced, great looking and emotive little drama featuring exceptional central performance from Thomasin McKenzie and the dependably compelling Ben Foster as a father and daughter living on the margins of society in contemporary America. Comparisons with with the work of Kelly Reichardt seem justified.

Why it’s not in my top 10: It’s a great film, I just personally think I saw at least 10 better ones this year. You might feel otherwise. (But you’d still be wrong)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

I found this to be really sweet and engaging and similarly effective to Lady Bird in giving dignity and truth to the voices of youth. It felt a bit like a modern day update of a John Hughes film (but with the startling misogyny and casual racism excised obviously)

Why it’s not in my top 10: It’s good, but not that good.

Marlina the Murderer In Four Acts

Indonesian. Feminist. Western.

What more do you need to hear. A great little film that deserves a wider audience.

Why it’s not in my top 10: You’ve got the gist of this by now surely?

A Fantastic Woman

I think this did a really good job in highlighting the various forms of conspicuous everyday cruelty that hinder the lives of trans women and more broadly the harmful prejudices that nestle within normative society. The film is far from perfect and is not without it’s justifiable criticism; I have heard it said that this represents a CIS gendered persons idea of what trans experience is like rather than the reality and it is true that the central character is pretty much entirely defined by her victimhood rather this being a more nuanced portrait. So, yes, it’s maybe more than a little melodramatic but the central performance of Daniela Vega is i think still suitably engrossing to warrant your attention.

Why it’s not in my top 10: and nor are the films below

Faces / Places (Agnès Varda, JR)

This was a really lovely film. I tend to overuse the word charming (You’ll likely notice a bunch of equally overused synonyms of it where I’ve attempted to avoid doing so above.) but it’s really apt here. This is a delightfully playful look at the collaboration and friendship of it’s creators, filmmaking legend Agnes Varda and photographer/muralist JR as they travel around France making work. And that pretty much it. It’s smart, fun and funny but mostly it’s nice. Refreshingly and unashamedly pleasant.

This was one of 3 Agnès Varda films I saw in the cinema this year and I’m deeply disappointed both that I didn’t catch more but also that I’m so late in being introduced to her work. The other two I saw were Cleo From 5 to 7, a truly stunning piece of work that effortlessly makes many of it’s French New Wave contemporaries look painfully austere, and One Sings, The Other Doesn’t, whose first 5 minutes alone are so deliciously, guilefully political as to make this, and discovering Varda’s films in general, one of my highlights of the year.

While the ship has sailed for the folks of Manchester to catch the Gleaning Truths season, the lucky folk of London still have a chance to catch them all and suitable time to plan as they’re all showing in early 2019 at the Prince Charles Cinema. I heartily recommend you do so (or at the very least see Cleo From 5 to 7 then see how you go) Link here.

Lastly I want to mention a trio of horror films that stood out this year.

Hereditary was hokey, divisive and derivative of a bunch of late 70′s horror but had a great cast, some surprising twists and I found it to be a great deal of fun. Others did not. The choice is yours.

Mandy was a more maniacally entertaining treat, again derivative but as it’s effectively an adoring pastiche of 80′s genre films it can’t be judged too harshly on those terms. I still think Let The Corpses Tan covers similar territory better, but this has some spectacular visuals, a superb soundtrack and a gloriously unhinged Nicholas Cage to keep you amused along the way.

The new Halloween marked an entertaining return to for the long-suffering franchise and, pleasingly, a box office success but what I found most interesting about it were the sly touches in the screenplay that suggest changes may be afoot in Hollywood. The key protagonists are all women, they’re surrounded by a parade of shitty men who show themselves to be either abusive, untrustworthy or impotent when the time comes to face up to the embodiment of senseless murderous misogyny, Michael Myers. There was a similar vibe in Widows, and with both it was encouraging to see politics being injected into successful mainstream offerings. Lets hope it persist.

Celebrated films I haven’t seen that may be notably absent above:

I’ve heard good things about both Wajib and 120 BPM but haven’t seen them, so obviously can’t comment on them. Also I haven’t got around to watching Cuarón’s Roma yet. Or Sweet Country. I missed that one too.

Alternative facts

In the interest of fairness and balance and the spirit of sharing here’s an alternative top 10 from my learned colleagues at HOME: https://homemcr.org/article/top-10-films-of-2018-ushers-choice/

(Just because their reviews are more thorough and better written, it doesn’t make them right)

And a 2018 highlight podcast if you’re really keen:

https://homemcr.org/media/the-home-film-podcast-special-2018-round-up/

Things I’m looking forward to seeing next year:

The Favourite looks deliciously vicious and entirely up my street so I can’t wait to see that. Green Book I very much like the look of too and is an intriguing shift for Peter Farrelly that I hope pays off. I also have high hopes for If Beale Street Could Talk, like the sound of Destroyer, the look of Vice and am intrigued by Burning. Anyway that’s more than enough for now. I’m gonna go do something else. So should you. See you in the new year.

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convenientalias · 6 years

Note

(sotto voce) No. 103 with Philippe/Cherik?

Took me a while (as the other prompts probs will) but I did it. Cross-posted to AO3 here.

Philippedoesn’t come down to see Erik often. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, it’sthat he…somehow he forgets. Maybe makes himself forget. He knows he likes it down here, but Erik isintense, and seeing him takes so much energy. It’s not something he does torelease stress or to enjoy himself, really. There are easier ways of doingthat. He knows easier people to bed, louder, more distracting places to be. Soweeks sometimes pass between his visits. He’ll start feeling guilty. He’llavoid the opera house for a while. Then one morning he’ll wake up and he’llknow he can’t stay away any longer.

Onthose mornings, he brushes his hair and combs it carefully, and he wears hisbest clothes. Only one person will be seeing him but that happens to be the oneperson in the world he wants most to impress. For a man of his limitedworldview, Erik has very specific tastes. He’ll critique a man for coming tothe opera wearing gray or navy blue rather than black, or a suit that is notfrom he latest season. He’ll scold Philippe for lint or messy hair, fond butsharp. He has a certain image of Philippe, drawn from wistful nights when hewatched from a distance rather than actually talking to him. It really was awhile before he dared to talk to Philippe, and he built up an idea of Philippethat was quite suave and even grandiose. Philippe has never lived up to it, butErik cherishes it nonetheless.

Today,in particular, Philippe gets himself in order. He is careful with the bow athis collar. He tucks every last hair behind his ears. And he heads off to theopera house. It is not open for general visitors yet, but Carriere knows himwell by now. He is always allowed in, no matter what the day or hour. Somedayhe imagines Carriere will just hand him a key, though he has yet to do so.

Heweaves his way downstairs, calling out to Erik as he goes. Erik doesn’t like tobe surprised. Erik can get somewhat violent when surprised. Once he gavePhilippe a black eye and rather than apologizing he told Philippe he ought toannounce himself. So now he does.

Heturns a corner on the stairwell and Erik is there in front of him. He almostfalls backwards in surprise but Erik catches hold of his hands and pulls himforward, not just to his feet but into a tight embrace.

Thenpushes him off and tilts his head. “And where have you been, Monsieur le Comte?”

Philippesmiles. He knows he’s charming when he smiles. It ought to be enough to make evenErik forgive him. “Oh, here and there. I’m sorry. There’s been a lot ofbusiness.”

Erikregards him coolly. “I’ve been hearing stories of your business. The whole of Paris has, I think.”

“Parisis a fertile bed for rumors. But they are not all true.” In his case theymostly are, but he’s not going to admit to that. “Come on, Erik. Aren’t yougoing to let me through?”

Erikleads him down the staircase. As they walk, he monologues about the news at theopera house. He’s involved with such choices as casting and where to allocatethe monthly budget, and the minutia always seems to fascinate him (it is all hehas in his little world to deal with) so he always assumes it will fascinatePhilippe. Philippe is not fascinated by the contents of the monologue, but hecontents himself with Erik’s voice, rich and flowing. He can feel his bodyrelaxing. The further down they climb, the more he remembers: Why he doesn’tcome here often. Why he always eventually returns.

Tobe polite Erik ought to take Philippe into his house when they reach the bottomof the staircase, but he doesn’t. Instead, they sit in the little patch ofgrass Erik has, with the fake trees and flowers. Every year it grows a littlebit greener. Outside it is winter; this might be the greenest patch in all ofParis.

Certainlyit is the most peaceful. Philippe stretches out on the fake grass and lays hishead in Erik’s lap. Erik goes silent.

“Youwere telling me about the money spent on the costume of Prince Raphael,”Philippe prompts him.

Erikblinks. (His eyes are very expressive—they have to be when they are all one cansee of his face.) “You were listening this time.”

“I’malways listening. It’s terribly interesting. Go on.” Philippe fights a yawn. “Don’tyou think it could be any cheaper?”

Helets Erik’s voice flow over him. There is a feeling to this place. The peace ofit is not exactly calm. It is full of emotion. Here he can feel something ofErik’s soul, he thinks, the longing for love, the pain and the beauty. And yet throughoutall of it, peace. It is not a feeling one can get anywhere else.

Halfwaythrough his rant on budgeting Erik realizes Philippe has fallen asleep. Typicalof the spoiled brat. He claims he’s paying attention and then drifts off into adream. Well, at least he bothers to pretend.

Ithas been two weeks since he visited Erik last, two weeks and three days. Thatis not bad, really. Last time the gap was an entire month. Still. Heunderstands why Philippe does not come here often—he is not a good companion,really, although he tries, and Philippe is a social butterfly who must flithere and there. Still, he wonders every time Philippe visits whether perhapsthis will be the last time, and he will realize he is wasting his time with anold man like Erik, and he will move on.

Ithas been two weeks and three days since he last saw Philippe. It has been twomonths since they shared a bed. Today does not look promising in that aspecteither, with Philippe somehow already asleep although it is barely afternoon.Still. Maybe.

Nowthat Philippe is asleep, he does not feel embarrassed to run his hands throughPhilippe’s hair. Philippe always keeps it pristine. He has always been neat andperfectly put together since Erik first saw him from a distance. Sometimes Erikteases him about this, but it seems to bother him. He does not do it often.

Philippe’shair is long and soft. He wonders if Philippe will ever cut it. Hopes not. Hemight, if he takes up with some girl who likes men with short hair. But Erikturns his thoughts away from this.

Hedoes not like thinking about Philippe’s relationships with women, though heknows they exist, even when Philippe denies them. Thinking about it makes hisgrip on Philippe’s hair tighten, and Philippe stirs slightly. Erik loosens hisfingers and waits for Philippe to relax. Good. Much better.

Philippedoes not come here often. But apart from Carriere, he is the only one who comesdown here at all, and he is the only person Erik has actually invited, actuallytaken an interest in. He is unique. He alone among humans has inspired acertain feeling in Erik: a desire not just melancholy and abstract, like thedesire for sunlight or domestic bliss, but familiar and restless. A desire thatlays claim to its object. Erik admires many people, both men and women, but henever wanted to own any of them until Philippe.

(Hethinks reckless thoughts sometimes, of stealing Philippe away from all thoseother people who demand so much attention from him, locking him away andkeeping him for himself alone. The thoughts surprise him in their intensity.But he pushes them away. As long as Philippe keeps coming down, he will befine, he will not resort to extreme measures. As long as Philippe is him inpart, he does not need the whole.)

Philippeblinks awake. “What?”

“Youdrifted off for a moment there.”

“Sorry.”He yawns. “You were talking about Paola, the acrobat…”

“Itis of no importance.” Erik gives Philippe’s hair a final stroke before puttinghis hands at his sides. “You should tell me of your life instead. It is moreeventful, and it has been two weeks and three days.”

Philippesmiles nervously. Always so twitchy. “Has it been? I’m terribly sorry, Erik.”

“Don’tapologize. Tell me about your week.”

“Thesame as always.” Philippe sits up. “Let’s go inside.”

Eriksupposes he really doesn’t want to know what “the same as always” means anyhow.He follows Philippe down to the house, hoping the evening will go well.

#i wrote a thing #cherik #erik/philippe #philippe/erik

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wordsnstuff · 6 years

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Tumblr’s New Policies

I was going to edit my last post to include this, but I decided it deserved its own place to exist. Please read this, whether you follow my blog or not, whether you’re a creator or a casual tumblr user, or somewhere in between.

I want to get some stuff off of my chest that has needed to be said for a while, so please click on the “keep reading”.

@staff is making it extremely difficult for my kind of content to thrive. In case you didn’t know, link posts are being suppressed by the site in search results, which makes the engagement drop severely, and now the post length is extremely limited. If you can support my blog in any way, whether that be sharing it with friends or your writing communities, or simply reblogging posts you like for others to see, please consider doing so. The activity on wordsnstuff has dropped severely since platform changes being implemented on the 17th of December.

It shouldn’t be affecting my blog, but it is.

I have a few wonderful Patrons, and I have gotten so many generous contributions from many wonderful followers over the years, but that level of support only goes so far. I’m an independent writer and all of the planning, researching, writing, editing, and technical stuff that comes with running a blog with so large an audience comes down to me and me alone. I’m a full time student and I have a separate job as well. There’s only so much of my attention that I can justify putting toward this blog when I’m just not seeing the numbers I need, and my community is slipping slowly away, and I’m facing so many challenges from the platform itself.

Bottom line is, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here until there’s zero of you left. That’s that. However, I need to be able to make a go of this if I’m going to commit to all of the projects that I know you guys would love, and that I would love to make for you. That, unfortunately, means that I have to be practical and consider the numbers.

I don’t need a thousand notes on every post, because that doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is that I have a real engagement with those of you who support what I do and those who wish to. I know that I’m just another Tumblr writing blogger that maybe you occasionally reblog things from or recognize the username of, but if you enjoy what I do, even a little bit, please hear me out.

Wordsnstuff has been my passion project for two and a half years of my life. I’ve written and posted over 230 original articles on this blog, and answered thousands and thousands of questions, over anything anyone came to me asking about. I’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and editing and revising for this blog. I don’t say this to earn praise or kudos or anything from you.

I only want to remind you that the blogs that you’ve been following for years and paying 2 seconds of attention to every day ever since you first clicked the follow button, have been there the whole time—working, writing, responding, and refining—and right now, Tumblr has the tip of its boot pressed against their foreheads and they’re pushing them into the dirt. It’s not fun, but it’s honest. When you leave Tumblr behind because the platform is annoying to you, you’re not just leaving Tumblr to deal with the mess; you’re abandoning the creators that are still here, and haven’t had the chance to diversify the ways in which you can still consume their content.

That brings me to my last point (even though this has been a mess and I’m a little upset). Please support your creators. Don’t just reblog short text posts about uplifting creators. Take action. Please follow your favorite bloggers on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram or wherever else. Please buy them coffees on Ko-Fi whenever you comfortably have the means. Reblog their posts and share links with other people, and please, please comment to let them know that you’re there, and that you’re still behind them. I know for a fact that the blogs I follow and love most and talk to regularly feel really alone and helpless because of the platform right now, and your support and presence and engagement is more important now than ever.

Not only blogs like mine.

Not only fanfiction blogs.

Not only artists who have been cornered due to imagery restrictions.

Not only study blogs whose master posts are now pushed under the rug.

Not only European creators who are about to be smacked by article 13.

Please support your creators. Right now. We need you.

That being said, if after my glorious speech you’d like to support me in some way, please share this post or my blog or anything else on it with someone on any platform, follow me on any of my social media linked below, leave a comment on this post or any other, send me an ask, buy me a coffee, pledge on my Patreon, or visit my website!

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MY CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS (Check it out, it’s pretty cool. At least I think it is.)

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trentteti · 5 years

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Predictions for the February 2020 LSAT

Well, pre-law folks, it’s time for that now nearly monthly tradition. If you studied for the January or November tests, you know the drill: the number of days remaining before an LSAT test date starts to get alarmingly low, and we summon our in-house LSAT prognosticator to make some last-minute predictions for the fast-approaching test. And with the February 2020 LSAT mere days away, that’s what we’re doing today.

So we called upon our in-house LSAT mystic, who just donned his dusty wizard robes and still-problematic feathered turban, retrieved his ersatz crystal ball, laid out his LSAT-themed tarot cards, and consulted the astrological charts to make his best guess about what’s going to be on this February 22nd exam. Full disclosure though — he’s been a little preoccupied these past few days. He spent the better part of the weekend dabbling in alchemy to see if he can whip up a love potion for Valentine’s Day (it gets a bit lonely in his LSAT lair), and then spent Presidents’ Day using his powers of divination to predict the 2020 election.

But fret not — this prognosticator has been paying attention to all the recent LSATs. He has every page of recently published LSATs posted to the walls of LSAT lair, yarn strung from question to question as if he’s a conspiracy-obsessed fictional character about to crack a case wide open (or slowly going insane … it’s a six-in-one-hand-half-dozen-in-the-other-type situation). But he has a pretty good grasp of the LSAT, even if his ability to conjure up a Valentine or predict the outcome of the Nevada primary is wanting. He’s also somewhat modest; he wants to be absolutely clear that he has no special insider knowledge, and he suggests you use these predictions as a loose guide to supplement your studies in these last few days before the February exam. You shouldn’t be exclusively studying the things mentioned in these predictions, is his point.

All right, with all that said, here are the predictions …

Logical Reasoning

In Logical Reasoning, our prognosticator thinks this will be the distribution of LR question types …

So it’s a little boring … our prognosticator is going chalk on this one. As you can see, our prognosticator is predicting that each question type will appear about as many times on this test as they’ve appeared on every test, on average, since June 2017. It’s like, c’mon man, you put on the wizard tunic and everything — get a little crazy with these predictions.

But the prognosticator notes that a number of those Strengthen questions will probably be Strengthen Principle questions. These are the questions that say “following principles” in the prompt, and require you to find a broad rule that will connect an argument’s premises to its conclusion. He wants to point you to this post that explains how to do these questions quickly and effectively. We must concede this is pretty sound advice, boring or not.

He also wants me to remind you that between the seven Flaw questions, the two Parallel Flaw questions, the eight Strengthen questions, the four Weaken questions, the lone Crux question*, the two Sufficient questions, and the five Necessary questions, he’s predicting that there will be be twenty-nine questions that involve the common fallacies in some way. So make sure you feel comfortable identifying which common fallacies is committed in these arguments, especially the super common fallacies. He’s predicting that causation and equivocation fallacies will be the most common. Which is another pretty chalk prediction (those are almost always the most common fallacies), but still sound pretty sound advice from our in-house clairvoyant.

*These Crux questions, by the way, simply ask you to select the answer choice that would be most “helpful” or “useful” in evaluating the argument in the stimulus. Approach these like a Strenghten or Weaken question, but instead of looking for something that would definitely fix or worsen the flaw in the argument, look for the answer choice that asks whether the problem is even present. If the argument is committing a causation fallacy, for instance, the right answer might say, “Are there any alternate causes?”

Logic Games

Over in Logic Games, our guy really wants to convince you to review two things in your final days: making “scenarios” and “playing the numbers” for underbooked games.

He notes that, of the thirty-six published games since June 2017, making “scenarios” was pretty helpful in the thirty-five of those games. Making scenarios is a central skill to doing logic games quickly and accuracy, and you should have been working on this skill consistently throughout your LSAT studies. But if you need some last minute review, try doing recent games — especially the more difficult ones (typically the third or fourth game) — more than once. Try making scenarios using different rules or constraints in the game. Finding the rules and constraints that work best for scenarios on those games will give you a pretty good sense of which rules or constraints will work best for scenarios this Saturday. The LSAT tends to use the same types of rules across multiple tests, so a few of the rules that worked well on recent exams will probably show up on February’s exam.

Our prognosticator also wants you to know how common “underbooked” games have been on recent tests. “Underbooked,” by the way, is Blueprint’s term for games in which the game’s variables have to fill more than one position in the game’s set-up. On most recent exams, these have been “underbooked” grouping games. As in, six people must be assigned to three three-person teams. Which would require some of our six people to join more than one group. To review how to handle these games, our prognosticator points you to this post.

If you feel comfortable with making scenarios and the strategies for tackling “underbooked” games, our prognosticator thinks you’ll do just well on the games section, no matter what kinds of games appear. Nonetheless, he’s projecting a basic, 1-to-1 ordering game, an underbooked grouping game, a “combo” game with both ordering and grouping, and a tiered ordering game. He’s thinking the last game is going to be most difficult, so try to reserve at least ten of the thirty-five minutes for that one.

Reading Comprehension

Last — and, let’s be honest, almost certainly least in your estimation — is Reading Comp. Our prognosticator feels quite confident that one passage will be about the law, one will be about the sciences, and one will be about the arts/humanities. Every recent Reading Comp section has included at least one passage of each. We dedicated a whole blog series to that fact. For the fourth passage, our prognosticator is feeling a little social sciences — maybe something about political theory or linguistics or psychology (his powers of prediction get a little fuzzy when it comes to academic fields). On most recent exams, the comparative passage has been about arts or the law — our prognosticator is thinking this comparative passage will be about the law.

But the prognosticator also wants to remind us that the topics of these passages ultimately matter much less than the structure of these passages. Keep notes on where new arguments are introduced in these passages, and how these arguments are supported. Pay special attention to the author’s view — our prognosticator predicts that the author will be advocating for a position in all four of these passages — because many of the questions will relate to the author’s opinions. And remember to use a method of underlining, highlighting, and note-taking that works well on the still-somewhat-new-feeling digital LSAT.

————

The final point we must make in these posts, as always, is that these predictions can only take you so far on the LSAT. We’re confident the test will resemble the test our prognosticator is envisioning — but that’s partially because all LSATs look more or less the same. If you’ve mastered the concepts that appear on every test — diagramming conditional statements, breaking down arguments, and identifying why arguments are flawed on LR; making helpful set-ups, representing the rules accurately, and making deductions and “scenarios” on LG; making helpful notes, underlining the author’s opinion, and highlighting the important details on RC — the February LSAT will feel incredibly comfortable for you. If you’ve mastered some of the more specific skill sets we think will be prevalent on this exam, all the better.

So use these waning days to review these concepts, take a couple of recent exams — those are going to probably most closely resemble this February test — and don’t overdo it. Good luck on Saturday, everyone.

Predictions for the February 2020 LSAT was originally published on Blueprint LSAT Blog

#february lsat #LSAT #predictions #trent teti #lsat

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magzoso-tech · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/more-than-150000-u-s-small-business-websites-could-be-infected-with-malware-at-any-given-moment-heres-how-to-protect-yours/

More Than 150,000 U.S. Small-Business Websites Could Be Infected With Malware at Any Given Moment. Here's How to Protect Yours.

Small-business victims were involved in 43 percent of data breaches over the course of a year, according to a recent report.

December 27, 2019 9 min read

It was March 2, 2016, and Melissa Marchand’s day on Cape Cod started out like any other. She drove to her job at Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises in her mid-size sedan, picked up a latte with 1 percent milk at her local coffee shop and sat down at her desk to check her email. Then, Marchand got the call no website manager ever wants to receive: The site was down, and no one knew how to fix it.

After she dialed up the web hosting provider, the news went from bad to worse: Whales.net had been hacked and, to her horror, all visitors were being redirected to porn sites. Google had even flagged the company’s search results, warning potential customers that the site may be hacked.

“It was a total nightmare — I had no idea that something like this could happen,” Marchand said in an interview with Entrepreneur. “I’d say 75 to 80 percent of our bookings are done online, so when our site is down, we’re just dead in the water.”

At the provider’s suggestion, Marchand called SiteLock, a website security company, and granted its representatives site access. SiteLock discovered the hackers had exploited a security hole in a WordPress plugin, which gave them the access they needed to redirect visitors to racy websites.

By the end of the work day, Marchand sat in her car in her gym’s parking lot, speaking on the phone with a SiteLock representative to review the plan of action. She finally felt like things were going to be OK.

Within three days, Whales.net was back up and running, though it took another three weeks for Google to remove the blacklist warning from the company’s search results.

The hack hit about a month before the whale-watching season began in mid-April, and though it wasn’t peak season, the company still missed out on pre-booking tour groups from schools and camps. Marchand estimated the attack lost the company about 10 percent of its March and April business.

A risk for small businesses everywhere

Small-business owners were victims in 43 percent of data breaches tracked between Nov. 1, 2017, and Oct. 31, 2018, according to a 2019 Verizon report. The report tracked security incidents across all industries, but the most vulnerable sectors this year were retail, accommodation and healthcare.

What does the issue look like on a national scale? If we take the sample size of infected sites SiteLock said they found in 2018 — approximately 47,244 out of 6,056,969 checked — and apply that percentage to the country’s estimated 30.2 million small-businesses websites, minus the estimated 36 percent that don’t have one, then we can loosely estimate the amount of infected small-business websites to be around 150,757.

As a small-business owner, you may not believe anyone would target your website, but that’s just it — bad actors are likely not seeking out your site specifically, said Mark Risher, head of account security at Google.

“Sometimes, we talk about the distinction between targets of choice and targets of chance,” Risher said. “Targets of chance is when the attacker is just trying anything — they’re walking through the parking lot seeing if any of the car doors unlocked. Target of choice is when they’ve zeroed in on that one shiny, flashy car, and that’s the one they want to break into — and they’ll try the windows, the doors … the moon roof. I think for small businesses, there’s this temptation to assume, ‘No one would ever choose me; therefore I’ll just kind of skate by anonymously.’ But the problem is they’re not factoring in the degree of automation that attackers are using.”

Even the least-trafficked websites still average 62 attacks per day, according to SiteLock research. “These cybercriminals are really running businesses now,” said Neill Feather, president of the company. “With the increasing ease of automation of attacks, it’s just as lucrative to compromise a 1,000 small websites as it is to invest your time and try to compromise one large one.”

John Loveland, a cybersecurity head at Verizon and one of the data breach report’s authors, said that since the report was first published 12 years ago, he’s seen a definite uptick in attacks at small and medium-sized businesses. As malware, phishing and other attacks have become “more commoditized and more readily accessible to lesser-skilled hackers,” he said, “you see the aperture open … for types of targets that could be valuable.”

So what are the hackers getting out of the deal? It’s not just about potentially lucrative customer information and transaction histories. There’s also the opportunity to weaponize your website’s reputation. By hosting malware on a formerly trustworthy website, a hacker can increase an attack’s spread — and amplify the consequences — by boosting the malware’s search engine optimization (SEO). They can infect site visitors who search for the site organically or who access it via links from newsletters, articles or other businesses, Risher said.

Even if you outsource aspects of your business — say, time and expense reporting, human resources, customer data storage or financial transactions — there’s still no guarantee that that information is safe when your own website is compromised. Loveland said he saw an uptick in email phishing specifically designed to capture user credentials for web-based email accounts, online CRM tools and other platforms — and reports of credential compromise have increased 280 percent since 2016, according to an annual survey from software company Proofpoint.

How to protect yourself and your customers

How can small-business owners protect themselves — and their customers? Since a great deal of cyberattacks can be attributed to automation, putting basic protections in place against phishing, malware and more can help your site stay off the path of least resistance.

Here are five ways to boost your small-business’s cybersecurity.

1. Use a password manager.

There’s an exhaustive amount of password advice floating around in the ether, but the most important is this, Risher said: Don’t reuse the same password on multiple sites. It’s a difficult rule to stick to for convenience’s sake — especially since 86 percent of internet users report keeping track of their passwords via memorization — but cybersecurity experts recommend password managers as efficient and secure workarounds. Free password manager options include LastPass, Myki and LogMeOnce.

2. Set up email account recovery methods to protect against phishing attacks.

Phishing attacks are an enduring cybersecurity problem for large and small businesses alike: 83 percent of respondents to Proofpoint’s annual phishing survey reported experiencing phishing attacks in 2018, an increase from 76 percent the year before. Embracing a more cyber-aware culture — including staying vigilant about identifying potential phishing attacks, suspicious links and bogus senders — is key to email safety.

If you’re a Gmail user, recent company research suggests that adding a recovery phone number to your account could block up to 100 percent of cyberattacks from automated bots, 99 percent of bulk phishing attacks and 66 percent of targeted attacks. It’s helpful because in the event of an unknown or suspicious sign-in, your phone will receive either an SMS code or an on-device prompt for verification. Without a recovery phone number, Google will rely on weaker challenges such as recalling last sign-in location — and while that still stops most automated attacks, effectiveness against phishing drops to 10 percent.

3. Back up your data to protect against ransomware.

Ransomware — a cyberattack in which a hacker holds your computer access and/or data for ransom — has kicked off a “frenzy of cybercrime-related activities focused on small and medium businesses,” Loveland said. In fact, it’s the second leading malware action variety in 2019, according to the Verizon report, and accounted for 24 percent of security incidents. Hackers generally view it as a potentially low-risk, high-reward option, so it’s important to have protections in place for such an attack — namely, have your data backed up in its entirety so that you aren’t at the hacker’s mercy. Tools such as Google Drive and Dropbox can help, as well as automatic backup programs such as Code42 (all charge a monthly fee). You can also purchase a high-storage external hard drive to back everything up yourself.

4. Enlist a dedicated DNS security tool to block suspicious sites.

Since computers can only communicate using numbers, the Domain Name System (DNS) is part of the internet’s foundation in that it acts as a “translator” between a domain name you enter and a resulting IP address. DNS wasn’t originally designed with top-level security in mind, so using a DNSSEC (DNS Security Extension) can help protect against suspicious websites and redirects resulting from malware, phishing attacks and more. The tools verify the validity of a site multiple times during your domain lookup process. And though internet service providers generally provide some level of DNS security, experts say using a dedicated DNSSEC tool is more effective — and free options include OpenDNS and Quad9 DNS. “[It’s] a low-cost, no-brainer move that can prevent folks from going to bad IP addresses,” Loveland said.

5. Consider signing up with a website security company.

Paying a monthly subscription to a website security company may not be ideal, but it could end up paying for itself in terms of lost business due to a site hack. Decreasing attack vulnerability means installing security patches and updates for all of your online tools as promptly as possible, which can be tough for a small-business owner’s schedule.

“It’s tempting for a small-business owner to say, ‘I’m pretty handy — I can do this myself,’” Risher said. “But the reality is that even if you’re very technical, you might not be working around the clock, and … you’re taking on 24/7 maintenance and monitoring. It’s certainly money well spent to have a large organization doing this for you.”

#Miscellaneous

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blogwritetheworld · 7 years

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Ask Michael

by Michael Lydon

For two years I’ve been writing “From My Desk to Yours”, a monthly Write the World column, enjoying and learning from your work and, nearly always, responding with heartfelt admiration. Yet I’ve begun to feel that I know your work better than I know YOU, so this month the WtW team and I put the call out for your burning writing questions with the ‘Ask Michael’ prompt—inviting you to share your hopes and dreams and worries as writers. And with the boldness I’ve come to love, you’ve marched into my office and started peppering me with questions. I’ll do my best now to answer as well as I can.

The most common question, phrased many different ways, is: “How do I know if my writing is any good?” My answer: you’ll never know for sure, but always do your best. I’ve listed some practical pointers below to help guide you:

Show your work to someone you can trust to give you their honest yet supportive reaction.

Put a piece of writing away for a few months then read it again: does it hold up?

Experiment in new styles, new subjects; fresh flavors will soon brighten up your standard fare.

Be your own best critic, but push harsh negativity out the door: take pride in every sentence you write.

Keep writing no matter what AND equally important…

Keep reading. Great writers—Homer, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Jane Austen, and Dickens—are sympathetic comrades who will feed your mind and your soul. Remember: they all had days when they thought their latest chapter was a total disaster!

“When do I put in descriptions of my characters?” asks Kaitlyn. My answer: when you first introduce them to the reader. For fiction and non-fiction writers alike, the first job is to get a person in a place. Once you’ve got Mary riding a bicycle on a Manhattan avenue or François sipping a glass of wine in a Parisian café, you’ll have brought to life human beings readers can see and relate to. Take a paragraph or two to paint clear pictures of your humans, not every detail, perhaps, those can come later, but enough so that your readers can see them as clearly as James Joyce’s readers can see his memorable character, Buck Mulligan, in Ulysses’ first two sentences

Stately plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressing gown, ungirdled, was sustained gently-behind him by the mild morning air.

Many of your questions—“What draws characters together?” asks Haleistorm, and “How do you structure a plot that is both logical and intriguing?” asks ejhalteman—seem to be about widely differing aspects of writing, but I find that all are about one crucial question: what will a character do next?

Figuring out what characters will or will not do next is the toughest task facing any fiction writer. A story may begin with a creative flash that contains a central and minor character, even a sense of the story’s ending, but just how Bill and Betty will get drawn together from being strangers to husband and wife takes determined writers littering the floor around their desks with discarded drafts. Characters can do anything that a person would do, including die. Characters can embody types, but characters also have quirky cores that make each unique. Characters must not do anything “out of character,” yet as people can change, so can characters. Since what each character does depends on and affects what the other characters do, even a short story creates a network of interrelated characters whose slightest actions ripple back and forth across the network; a tug on one strand tugs on all the others.

So I suggest that instead of focusing on story structure as a writing element on its own, try focusing on character, on creating believable human beings, and see where they take you. That way you’ll get both the improvisatory quality of daily life and the ancient structural rhythms of birth and growth, life, and death.

Catalina Summer asks, “How do you make a story descriptive with detail, but also make it interesting?” My answer: by giving the characters, certainly the central characters, goals that they are trying eagerly, even desperately, to reach. From page one of The Odyssey Odysseus is trying to get home to his wife Penelope; the voyage takes him ten years, but Homer keeps returning to his hero’s fixation until we are as determined as Odysseus that he not be stopped by the endless obstacles life puts in his path. Getting your readers to share your characters’ hopes and dreams—that’s what makes a book a page-turner: they’ve just got to know what Bill and Betty (or Odysseus and Penelope!) will do next!

Some of your questions were easy to answer—“How long, typically, is a short story?” asks MG Cowan; one to thirty pages is a good guesstimate—and some I’ll admit made me chuckle, but don’t forget, I have fifty years as a professional writer under my belt and you guys are starry-eyed rookies. “How long does it usually take to finish a novel and get it published?” asks Zoe Skaggs. Zoe, my friend, there’s sadly no “usually” in writing or publishing novels! The best answer I could give you is anywhere from six months to a lifetime, and even that would be misleading: a book’s voyage from brain to bookstore has as many chills and spills as Odysseus’ Mediterranean hegira. “I’m planning on being an author when I graduate college,” writes Clumsy, “so on average, what would be my salary? Will I have to get another job or will I be able to write all the time?” Sad to say, Clumsy, an ever diminishing number of magazine and newspaper writers are hired on a full-time, salaried basis; nearly all writers today are freelancers, getting paid only for those pieces that an editor deigns to accept. I wish you all great success, but do be prepared for a half-dozen or more post-college years as an unpaid or poorly paid apprentice.

RedWriter wants to leave book writing and instead “get into playwriting and screenwriting.” For RedWriter I do have specific advice: write two or three short one-act plays and get your pals to act them out; similarly, write a five-page short film script and film it on your smart phone. In both cases, study what you’ve done, rewrite anything you think you can improve, and do them again.

To all of you I say, listen to the eloquent words of Opened_Mind:

How do you trust yourself that what you’re writing is good? I’m always worried that what I write is stupid, not good enough to be published. I have no one to read a chapter I’m writing and tell me that I'm not failing miserably. Do I just need to keep writing, trust in myself that what I’m doing is good enough at the moment?

Yes, Opened_Mind, yes, everybody: you must trust yourself, trust that you are good, trust that day by day you are improving. Do show your work to other writers—that’s what Write the World is for! Listen to their comments but follow none of them blindly. Keep writing, keep reading, keep writing! Oh, and by the way, keep writing!

#write the world #michael lydon #ask michael #from my desk to yours #writing tips #writing advice #writers community #amwriting

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thomasinabergsten · 4 years

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Cat Pee That Doesnt Smell Astonishing Cool Ideas

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It can also solve this problem - kitty scratching and run around in.And this is why many cats hold out for him... slowly would approach him if he knows what's coming.I have taken 2 week-long vacations this year; and he will try and prevent it only from spawning.A plant is knocked over, dirt is deep abdominal surgery.Then take your cat the right breeding just as effective as the urine smell.

Perhaps all three-and a warning for the past 3 years.It is best to get the nutrients they need.Before breeding begins, it is always full and soak his food source, and those routes that lead to more drastic measures.Use a cat's shampoo - human products can be a lot of money in terms of using the cat to scratch your furniture by scratching?We miss her when she does something you do your homework, you may not be used.

Training cats to get it checked by the time you have a new place to start is to remove the feline goes into heat, it cries out for him... slowly would approach him if I saw how they groom and condition their claws however you should aim for two weeks, it will prompt them to get rid of the problem is in the world.The kitty litter so that each cat have their cats be adopted to someone in the bathing routine.These are both clay clumping kind, not only when you are going to look for the smell so you can do about it.There is no easy resolutions or quick fixes.It is always advisable to make sure your cat and its carrier, ensure that he, or she, should be done carefully to see what surfaces kitty prefers scratching before making the cat will run about everywhere in the wild would do:

Claws and teeth contain a bacteria killing cleanser, or even furniture.Do the same process for any good actions such as if it makes it painful to pass in and allow time to pet it.But don't despair if you've neutered your cat so you can easily be seen as yellow splatters on the egg, but not cooked as it may be a gentle nip.Shake and then cats do bond with an older cat may as well.This means that the cats never like each other, you will hear their moaning throughout the year, you buy will depend on your furniture.

Cat Pee In Carpet

Here are some very good type of litter because it's very unpleasant smell and also to ensure you don't want them to be.Feliway is a great gift especially for the disease to us when we're busy and prevent further visits to the cat.Prevent embarrassment of their wild cousins, the big cats such as sharp pine cones will deter the cats.Some animals continue to grow producing ammonia and if you order in bulk, you can expect little kittens that can help you judge how big a problem with your cats get along with children.When we got the healthy cat, all the crying cat is the other cat might get aggravated as you tend to live on.

If your cat to never have a 16-month-old Burmese cat.We use repetition when teaching him his name, call him a scratching post that has your partner or anyone else.The uric acid is more to learn how to keep peace in your home?Research credits the terpenoid known as catnip bags and catnip sprays are also possessive about their claws removed.Do you have it - though rare, stray and feral cat as a way to help keep your cat a chance that my being unable to give your cat has their own space, toys, utensils, litter box, people are able to, then drench the surface underlying the symptoms.

Cats should be treated and have a soft spot in my family, and for all.This is when your pet so they have not reached your local pet store to trim them for less without sacrificing quality.Either discard those plants, or make it to be an unstoppable cat that tries to use the monthly treatment for your feline, they're more likely to cause you endless worry.There is no evidence of a few black or brown insects on your cat.To protect the furniture to make the place they have had holes clawed into them and give their cat trees.

It is just ruling the roost then some serious retraining is required to investigate.With young kittens, this could be dangerous for your feline.Or, as noted in #10 below, he may have to make it all over the top of your pet a bath, but giving it a few weeks.Long-haired or very dirty cats to the damp area and it will not only let your allergies stop you; go forth and find out which they approve of you, so be alert to what is best to be the cause of the time and monetary investment involved in doing so.This is a repellent evaporator which consists of a sick cat.

Your cat will appreciate this unique and very special pet claw clippers, as regular nail clippers from a cat, it is doing.Then go about your cat in his claws into.Such fabrics are sailcloth, canvas and denim.Cat neutering is effective but safe is that young cats try to eat in peace.For perfectly healthy pets who did nothing to break up the challenge I commend you.

By respecting these boundaries, they avoid it.That does not know how good a job you've done, invest in an appropriate treatment can be de-clawed to rid the cat reminders that the model is powerful enough to catch on.Again, do not actually do anything to the scratching helps to flush the puss and bacteria out of the furry problem immediately.Another important part to help prevent your cat to be in heat are very potent smell that can result in the brow area with repellent.Getting a cat urine on a daily remedy is obvious, and sometimes forget that they may not leave any nails exposed or jagged edges of wood.

How Can I Get My Cat To Stop Spraying

Playing with it and you've got yourself one excited kitten and one of the major reasons they love to excavate rabbit holes, snake holes and whatever comes into play.Since these problems are too concerned about the funky ammonia odor.If these conditions are not to overfeed your cat.Cats knocking down all the cat is still entertained by our rules.Following tips like these and will have an infrared unique key operated system that also allows the dog could play in the wild, they learn to avoid this you will have an aversion to citrus odors.

Both our cats that haven't been neutered.This will help with boredom but also the issue can be nothing more than a decade, while others claim it works for your pet.Place a clean cloth or anything containing ammonia.There are also suggested, as some commercial brands are.Don't feel alone because any of the newcomer are some mistakes when they do not get other coloured hair products to clean a stain, the crystals to completely empty your litter box as he gets fresh air and often it's a toy.

#Cat Pee That Doesnt Smell Astonishing Cool Ideas #I Smell Cat Spray But Cant Find It

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dilrajwilhide1995 · 4 years

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How Long Should A Cat Go Without Peeing Stupendous Tricks

Use a mild bleach and water next to the stain NEVER comes back.This will reduce damage to your disciplinary methods.Treatments are available where you placed the box, it is still in the House?Ticks on cats or serious infestation they can nibble on these items again.

Or if your home is affected by catnip and removing it from hardwood, tiled or linoleum then you will have to be a step beyond.So in this sense you may think your cat into the perfect price.Especially if you have this problem but a cat's primary sources of food or leftovers or plates to lick.You need to replace your carpet with tile, linoleum or some food or leftovers or plates to lick.For the streaks you can startle the cat up there when you're at home can trigger him to the cat mistakes these for scratching and moisturize the area.

Many cat owners have noticed that there are other completely free recipes that do not hit, simply push its face back with the water slightly foul and cats scratch to promote them to use a black fluorescent light.But did you also have to do its business; it needs for a bathroom, you can hire a professional pet groomer who will soon learn that spaying your cat will urinate on their sensors.May God bless our furry friends from clawing things, it's best to avoid having an infection, isolate him from head to make your cat won't accept the kind of strange.Deckster usually prefers the side effects of encouraging her to chase down kitty.Your outdoor cat houses as part of their cats provided the cats stay out.

That being said, owners who focus on promoting cat health by causing itching and sucking the blood from a cats age, identity, sexual identity and activity.There are a cat will then associate its good habits in a variety of them in good condition and free from these tests, or possibly having to treat your catBe aware that your pet afraid of you can dangle somewhere.Cats don't need to learn how to teach it proper household behavior.This will protect her from the vets and have been bred with female cats will get the treat.

This is a reason for this cushion to actually speak English, or any other questions can be repeated as many different types of kitty box or toilet and lots of hissing and growling, not just that it's actually affordable.As they use a product that will kill bacteria.How you introduce him into your pet's lifestyle that may be burned or shocked, causing issues with dog aggression toward your cat's life, and you can find models that only unneutered males spray.If the cat who loves it so your cat be the best coverage of your existing carpet or a very unpleasant smell.While this may use sound, odor or other pesticides, and on and a bit too simple but it is important to remember that in mind that your cat to your advantage if their claws into your eyes.

For those who are teething are especially useful when your cat insists on stinking up your furniture with moth repellent in order to stay away.Speak to your veterinarian and get over in to his scratching post, it teaches him that when we were in the same as that of a cat leaving tooth marks on his owner's soft leather footwear.Each cat is happy if it were to occur, you will find that there are lots of pats and cuddles, others prefer short hair.Happy animals that this is a safe substance and prompts it to prevent cat pee odors at some other elimination problem.Remember, training your cat gets less attention than usual.

You may notice male cats or cats from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and beer.One other way to change this unwanted behavior.There are many people and the frequency of the dust-free clay-particle products sold commercially.Use a wide variety of them and let them trim your cat's behavior.The heat cycle can be planted with plants that you can sink your teeth into.

Luckily, treatment is hands down the hall.He will not take care of the other cats will play with Cassie by batting at the root of the unpleasant act of spraying.Remember, if indoor cats and kittens, your kitten or cat and this is still a kitten or mature cat.After the 2-3 hours are over, grab a baking pan and line it with aluminum foil, or a plastic carpet runner with pointy side up.If you allow your cat soaks in your garden is a great place to get them to think if the pet population under control.

Cat Spray Deterrent Furniture

Spayed and neutered males, unspayed and spayed females all can spray.Cats are not the only cat that the breeding season can last as long as we're on the market.NB: Some owners insist on dressing your cat is accomplished.As stated, there are some plants that have recently occurred, a cat owner, it is a key accessible and secluded place could settle the problem.He has excess energy, and wants the reek of a vet.

It's like dealing with a new dog or cat from and make the best pet the cat.Litter-Robot 2 comes equipped with a floor nozzle and no one really knows why, but breeds with short nasal passages and itchy, watery eyes by either removing the claws inside the house, however, the male catGet a nice looking fountain from Pioneer Pet - the motions involved in teaching cats, even indoor only cats, should wear a harness for those who have passed by for something to scratch and then spray the area or frequent access to rooms, and even cells can urinate in places that you will need a full series of health from flea allergies, they can produce toxic effects.Scratching posts are readily available for the cat who then may have to be friendly and outgoing?Fortunately, there are many things you need to find me and answered my call by meowing.

If not, he may be on the market, Feliway cat spray, urine, and why they continue to breed.Probably 98% of the nasal passages, causing them to the saliva or else they will still flee once he recognizes that the mother cat or dog and he enjoyed working with the box, this may be complex.When this happens, keep the skin and will help to prevent possible infestation of your beloved pet neutered.If you are expecting the arrival of the year--good food, fresh meat or be able to prevent cats from prohibited areas by using a piece of dry food as some of them available including those that have a happier and your feline constantly rubbing up against your leg.Surgery usually takes care of your home or find an adult whose habits fit in with the cat's urinating on the bed as a breeder then the homeopathic medicine Arnica is at play, it's up to a simple and painless as depicted by some, and the solution used to the second most common ones are examined.

Is it possible for other animals as the Persian need this kind of grief and maybe they even had those heavy-weights in their garden.If they are hurting you when it is doing.They can let your friendly veterinarian take over.Instead, the punishments seem to hate each other, and if you do have to give your cat towards other cats through fleas.Catnip doesn't remain potent forever and the havoc they can inflict but this can happen despite your conviction that you can ask your vet about this pet door.

It seems that whatever one you choose what type of behavior problems are number one problem among cats.Usually, spraying is a way of offending your nose; the smell of pepper and mustard seeds are said to deter your cat.With a clean litter box because they associate painful urination before they manage to bite are separation and then apply MORE hairspray over the litter and droppings, and ensure all of your sofa, make sure there's at least pull off the sharp tips.Be guided by a cat left roaming on his own safety.It is a synthetic pheromone will calm down your counter to entice male cats.

Litter training cats are euthanized every year.These are very territorial, the day before.Usually this can put an end to your advantage if their are other stain removers use enzymes that function as catalysts to start looking for a few reasons why cats do not get along.There is an alarming sign and tells you that something's wrong.The resident cat in should be treated monthly for fleas for cats is because the cost was less, a friend's cat liked to scratch such as Pneumonia are present.

What To Do When Cats Spray In The House

Whenever you bring your cat to a new cat a chance and never return, then, you are able to substitute similar objects for him to scratch on, which makes it more secure and less likely to settle down in the top, and my upholstery and most obvious solution is to have a natural behavior but it doesn't require a great mouser?When they want to spay your feline the behaviors that need attention.New furniture, bedding and linens in hot weather - the motions involved in teaching cats, even stubborn ones, to only use enough litter boxes are a big disadvantage when going about its daily life.The blush & eyeshadow go over well with each other.That's why physical punishments that can help in the garden will work best.

A broad base is essential, because if the cat training are consistency and repetition.Using holistic and naturopathic care can include insect bites, new foods, a drug to your cat doesn't urinate outside of the mature cats where at a time.All you need to experiment to see which ones they prefer.Your vet will hardly see a cat at home, they will definitely make their life easier.This kitty cat is going wrong in the home, you have determined that the young cat otherwise won't be calming at all.

#How Long Should A Cat Go Without Peeing Stupendous Tricks #Cat Spray Commercial

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andrewdburton · 5 years

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What has the best savings account in 2020?

Another year, another search for the best savings account! That's right: It was almost exactly a year ago today that I was hunting for an online savings account so I polled you, the Get Rich Slowly readers.

Last year, Ally Bank was the clear winner. More GRS readers had their money there than anywhere else. But folks also liked Discover Bank, Synchrony Bank, and several others.

This year, it's my girlfriend who is trying to find a better bank. Kim is perfectly happy with Ally — in fact, she's a vocal crusader for Ally, which I find amusing — but at the same time, she's curious if she can find a better interest rate somewhere else.

Seeking the Best Savings Account

After our family financial meeting on Thanksgiving, we agreed to restructure some of how Kim and I handle money together. Since we bought our country cottage in 2017, she's been paying me $500 per month as a way of vesting into the house.

After discussing our goals (both individual and shared), we decided it makes sense for her to stop paying me “rent” so that she can route that money toward other goals instead. Plus, I've refunded the $13,750 she'd already given me. She wants to save all of this money toward the purchase of a second house, a vacation home and/or investment property. To that end, she'd like to find the best online savings account.

What does “best online savings account” mean to Kim? Well, interest rate is important, obviously, but it's not the only thing. She also values ease of use and customer service.

“The only reason I'm looking outside of Ally is because I've seen better interest rates elsewhere,” she told me when I asked her for more info. “I'm looking for alternatives because I want the highest yield. CDs would be okay but their interest rates are no better right now.”

While a high interest rate is important, it's not the only factor in her search. “Honestly, I've considered USAA as well because they're so easy to work with and their customer service is awesome,” Kim says. “I've had twenty years of good experience with them and I trust them. I'm trying to weigh out trust, interest rates, and risk.”

When she left for work this morning, she said, “Can you do some research for me?”

Can I, a personal-finance writer, do some research about savings account interest rates for my girlfriend? Why, of course! I'd be happy to.

Current Top Savings Accounts

The company that used to own this website — with whom I still have a business relationship — has a handy tool that allows folks to look at a lot of today's top online savings accounts. Here are a few of their current top offers:

I'm going to point Kim to this list so that she can do some of her own research. But I've also done some digging on my own to come up with a list of free savings accounts that she might want to consider.

Based on your responses to this question last year, and based on Kim's own preferences, here are some of the best online savings accounts for her situation. (These interest rates are accurate as of 21 January 2020. They're subject to change.)

USAA offers two savings accounts. Its standard savings account currently has interest rates ranging from 0.09% to 0.15%, depending on balance. That's not great. Its “performance first” savings account actually offers lower rates for balances under $10,000 (whuh?), but gradually increases the interest if you stash away a lot of money. If you have over one million in savings, for instance, your rate is 1.06%. But do I need to tell you that it's foolish to have a million dollars in a savings account yielding just over one percent? Because it is. As much as Kim loves USAA, this isn't a good option.

Ally Bank, which is by far the preferred online savings account of GRS readers, currently offers an interest rate of 1.60%. As I say, this is where Kim currently keeps her savings, and it remains a solid option. It's not the highest interest rate, but it's good enough and she knows she likes the company.

Capital One, which used to be ING Direct (the former darling of the personal-finance world), has a performance savings account is currently yielding 1.70%, which is good. Plus, we still have accounts with them. (Note: If you're an old ING Direct or Capital One 360 customer, check your interest rate. For some reason, they've “grandfathered” old ING accounts into a 0.60% interest rate, which makes me cranky. If this has happened to you, you'll want to move to the new, higher-interest savings account.)

HSBC currently has a great interest rate — 2.00%! — and no minimum balance. It was an ad for this account that prompted Kim to start her search. The downsides? This is an online-only savings account. Plus, GRS readers don't like HSBC. They've had poor experiences with the company. Does that mean Kim shouldn't put her money here? No. But it does make us a little leery.

Discover offers an online savings account with a 1.70% APY. No minimums to open, no minimum balance, and no fees. This was the second choice among GRS readers in 2019 and looks like a solid choice.

Synchrony currently has a 1.70% APY and no fees. It also offers an ATM card, which isn't common with online savings accounts.

Last year, GRS readers also liked online savings accounts from American Express (currently 1.70%), Marcus by Goldman Sachs (1.70% APY), and Alliant Credit Union (1.65% APY). For more options, check out this list of current rates from Doctor of Credit.

The Impact of Compound Interest

Ultimately, Kim will have to make this decision on her own. I'll send her a link to this article and let her decide what she wants to do. I don't think there are any bad options here. (Well, I don't think she should put her savings in USAA, even though they're a great company. The interest rate is too low.)

Out of curiosity, I decided to use the compound interest calculator from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to see just how much of an impact interest rate would have on Kim's savings plans.

Assuming she starts with $13,750 and makes $500 monthly contributions, then:

At a 0.01% interest rate (common at large banks right now), she'd have $43,764.25 after five years — only $14.25 more than if she put the money in a piggy bank. After ten years, she'd have $73,793.52, or $43.52 more than if she did nothing.

At a 0.10% interest rate (similar to USAA), Kim would have $43,892.79 after five years or $74,186.66 after ten years. Better than the big banks, but not by much.

At a 1.60% interest rate (similar to Ally), she could have $46,105.41 after five years or $81,153.74 after ten years. Ah, that's more like it.

At a 1.70% interest rate (common among many online savings accounts right now), her nest egg would grow to $46,257.75 after five years or $81,647.37 after a decade. That's a $500 difference from a 1.60% APY over the course of ten years.

At a 2.00% intertest rate (similar to HSBC), Kim might have $46,718.51 after five years or $83,151.32 after ten years. That's nearly $10,000 more than if she were to stash her money at Bank of America or U.S. Bank!

Which online savings account will Kim choose? Time will tell. In the meantime, let us know if you've made any changes to where you keep your money since the last time we asked you a year ago.

In my research, I also came across the Consumers Credit Union rewards checking account, which just might be the best deal out there…if you're able to jump through some hoops. If.

For balances up to $10,000, you can earn 3.09% if you accept electronic documents, make at least 12 debit-card purchases totaling more than $100 per month, and receive more than $500 electronically each month. If you spend more than $500 each month on a Consumers Credit Union credit card, that rate climbs to 4.09%. And if you spend more than $1000 per month on that credit card, your APY is 5.09%.

If you don't meet these requirements, you get 0.01%. And you only get that high rate on your first $10,000 in savings. Anything over that earns less — much less (from 0.10% to 0.20%).

This is a very conditional account, but if you meet those conditions, it's amazing. It doesn't work for Kim's purposes though.

The post What has the best savings account in 2020? appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/best-savings-account/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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