#major demo steady

[scapegoated-if]

DEMO (128K) SOUNDTRACK PINTEREST BLUESKY Chapter 1 Release Date: 14th Mar 2025

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey.

18+ This interactive story includes graphic violence, sexual content, alcohol and drug use, profanity and more.

Disclaimer Gender and race-locked IF due to discussions of gender and racial politics throughout.

Take centre stage as a former-rockstar turned actress navigating your new career and the chilling grip of fan-obsession. Your once-famous band may be nothing short of a ghost of the past to you, but the rest of the world cannot seem to let go. The split in 1968 was scandalous, abrupt and mysterious. And although you’ve thrown yourself into acting and secured your first major role with a big time Hollywood director, whispers of blame have been on your tail ever since.

While most of Hollywood sees these rumours for what they are--empty gossip--a darker current takes precedence and poses a much more sinister threat to your life and the lives of those around you.

✼ Shape and mould into your truest ‘70s self. Perhaps you’re a mod-girl or a hippie? ✼ Interact with '60s and '70s icons on the Sunset Strip. ✼ Help uncover the identity of the 'Ampersand Killer' terrorising the West Coast. ✼ Decide which career path is more fitting for you. Are you made to live on the silver screen or stadium stages? ✼ Maintain and better your physical health and self-defence skills. ✼ Pick from a selection of love interests (including two gender-choice options). ✼ Includes an array of potential flings. ✼ A catalogue of original songs for fictional musicians.

Vincent "Vince" Buscemi, the ex-bandmate ⇢ You were part of one of the most renowned bands of the '60s together. Vince is a jaded soul, harbouring deep-seated reservations about many people--most notably the band's keyboardist--but he has always had a soft spot for you. Despite his guarded demeanour, he exudes effortless charm and impeccable manners, a testament to his healthy upbringing. Though widely celebrated as a pop-culture heartthrob, Vince defies superficial stereotypes. His truest passion lies in music, and it's clear that nothing in the world brings him greater joy.

Penn Hausler, the filmmaker ⇢ Though still considered an up-and-coming filmmaker, Penn has already made a name for himself as a creative force in the industry, thanks to his latest hit starring Faye Dunaway. He radiates charisma, with a shining personality and a sharp sense of humour. He's unmistakably a nerd--passionately devoted to his craft. He's also prone to being a bit of a square, often finding himself tangled in bouts of nervous awkwardness. Despite this, his unwavering commitment to his vision sets him apart, and he's not afraid to take bold creative risks. Case in point: he has cast you as a supporting actress in his next film.

Kai/Kaya Anahareo (m/f), the folksinger ⇢ Although they haven't yet broken into the mainstream, K is a highly skilled musician deeply respected by their peers. Their artistry intertwines seamlessly with their role as a political activist, with much of their protest powerfully conveyed through their music. K is the embodiment of levelheadedness, exuding an aura of calm and balance that draws people to them. Their presence is steady and reassuring, much like the songs they sing--thoughtful, impactful and unwavering.

Dorinda Fisher, the journalist ⇢ Dorinda is a sharp, driven and fiercely dedicated journalist. Relentless in her pursuit of a story or a hard-to-find answer, she doesn't back down easily. Hailing from a small town, she's well-read and possesses a no-nonsense approach to life. You first crossed paths through your bandmate, whom she dated earlier in your career. During the US leg of your tour, she joined the band on the road while freelancing, documenting the whirlwind of your band's journey during a fair few defining months in your rise to fame.

Please note: You will have the option to decide whether the two of you had a romantic connection in the past while you were on the road. If you choose not to follow through with this backstory, you can still romance her as a new connection.

Phillip/Phyllis Wright (m/f), the movie star ⇢ P is a Hollywood icon, a name already as timeless and celebrated as the likes of both Hepburns, Cary Grant and Sidney Poitier. An Academy Award-winning actor, they embody the pinnacle of cinematic stardom, capturing Penn's admiration and dream of collaboration. Known for their charm, striking good looks and effortless sophistication, P commands every room they enter.

Lesley Nielsen, the detective ⇢ Detective Inspector Nielsen is a man married to his work. His guarded and disciplined demeanour can often make him seem laborious, but beneath the tough exterior lies a dry wit and the ability to crack a well-timed joke. A strikingly handsome gentleman, he's adept with a handgun and keeps one at his side at all times. A seasoned veteran of the force, Nielsen only crosses paths with you once he's assigned as the lead detective on the high-profile Ampersand Killer case. Whether you share much in common is up in the air, but one thing is certain: your mutual determination to bring a cold-blooded murderer to justice.

[idiopathicsmile]

I sometimes get asked what will be my next major audio drama project after executive producing and creating The Strange Case of Starship Iris and Keep It Steady. Well, now that Iris is very safely in the post-production phase, I can reveal the next show I hope to create: Everyone Leaves Alive, a rock musical about a world in which playing music can be magical. Like, literally.

Everyone Leaves Alive follows a struggling indie rock band as they tour the American midwest together, secretly resolving monster-related problems through music. It's funny, it's heartfelt, it's very queer, and Chiron Star (who did the instrumentation and music production for the Starship Iris theme and Keep it Steady) is onboard, so I can safely say it's gonna rock.

However, I'm committed to paying people a reasonable wage, and that means I need your help to fund this baby. Check out the video (above) to learn a little more about the show and hear a demo of the first song of the pilot. (I can sometimes be self-deprecating, so let me be clear: the demo rules.) Check out the Kickstarter link (below) to see the rewards, and help back the project. There are some fun perks, including a one-page TTRPG set in the world, and a special EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT tier that is only available for a very limited time.

If the project sounds fun to you and you want it to exist, here are some ways you can help:

Back us on Kickstarter

Reblog this post

Share the Kickstarter link with other friends who enjoy music and/or stories

Post the video or the Kickstarter link on other social media sites

Thanks!

[shattered-eagle]

Shattered Eagle: Fall of an Empire

Demo (489k WIP, 06/01/2025) | Forum | Ko-Fi | Discord

You are an advisor in a declining empire, beset by unrest, barbarians, and forces beyond your comprehension. Can you save the empire from doom?

Explore a fictional world inspired by the late Roman Empire.

Be male or female, cisgender or transgender, straight, gay, bisexual or asexual.

Serve the imperial family dutifully, or secure your own rise to power.

Choose from up to five careers, from a veteran of the legion to a shadowy spymaster.

Learn the secrets of sorcery or untangle the ancient mysteries behind the Empire.

Navigate the viper’s nest of imperial politics to find allies or paramours, including the empress herself, a charismatic senator, a ruthless crime boss, a barbarian general, or a foreign prince.

SETTING SYNOPSIS

Through over five centuries of conquest, the Iudian Empire has come to rule the Inner Sea, becoming the most powerful realm in the known world.

From the western hills of Ezperia, the northern forests of Hevernica, the sophisticated cities of Attika, the eastern deserts of Midyan, and the southern rivers of Seyet, all fell before what the world calls the Iudian Sorceresses, the women who wield fire itself against their enemies. For it is indeed women who rule in Iudia, as ordained by the mother goddess Gaia herself.

Yet, the Empire is not without troubles, and her glory days seem past her. Crippling civil wars, endemic corruption and ceaseless invasion have all contributed to the woes of the once great Empire.

Threats old and new rear their heads in times such as these. A resurgent Pharia, the Empire’s old eastern rival, threatens to seize the eastern provinces. Civil unrest has escalated in the capital of the capital, the flames fanned by an increasingly bold criminal underground.

The greatest danger may come from the north, however. Beyond the cold barbarian lands comes a enemy you have only heard rumor of, the Witch King of the Ongi. It is said the warrior rides at the head of a massive host, wielding great magic that has united all the tribes of the far steppe together out of fear of his power. He has called a holy war against the Empire, claiming it as a nation of demons to be cleansed from the earth.

Will you hold the Empire steady in her time of crisis, claw your way to power, or seek to solve ancient mysteries? The fate of Iudia is in your hands.

MAJOR CHARACTERS

Empress Julia Vitallia Hevernica (48F)

A harsh woman who forced the Empire back together with blood and steel, Julia has reigned as Empress for a decade. She is a strong military leader and a pious woman, who frequently prays to the Goddess for guidance. She is cruel towards her enemies, but possesses a certain pragmatic streak, and has invested much of her authority in you so that you might govern the Empire while she wages war.

Consul Consentia Plinia Dorica (54F)

The leader of the now-sidelined Senate, the ancient legislature of grandiose aristocrats which once governed the Empire alone, Consentia is bent on advocating for what she sees as the fundamental rights of the public and restoring the power of the old Republic. She is a passionate orator and the wealthiest woman in the Empire, barring the Empress herself, and has struck a deal with the crime lord Ceto in order to gain the support of the masses for her reforms.

Tribune Ceto Vera (38F)

Coming up from the poorest slums of the capital, Ceto is the Empire’s most notorious crime lord, ruling the streets by both spreading out her ill-gotten gains to the people and making brutal examples out of those who refuse to acknowledge her authority. Lately, she has entered politics and become a staunch advocate for the rights of the common people, forming an uneasy alliance with the Consul to push back against the ever encroaching imperial autocracy.

Legate Antonius Lethungius/Amalrik Wulfhid (40M)

Born to an imperial mother who named him Antonius and a barbarian father who named him Amalrik, the Legate is a man caught between two bitterly opposed worlds. A skilled and charismatic general, he has won the steadfast loyalty of the Empire's barbarian auxiliaries with his victories on the field of battle, yet his true loyalties remain unknown. Is he a dutiful man of the Empire, or a proud, unbowed barbarian?

Prince Darius of Pharia (33M)

Darius, third son of the great King of Kings, serves in the imperial capital as the ambassador and hostage from the eastern realm of Pharia, the Empire’s oldest and most powerful rival. Over the past decade and half, however, Darius has become more than a mere captive, having established great wealth and influence in the capital with his charm and wit, and is now a major power player in his own right.

CONTENT WARNING

These themes and depictions are present in the current demo, or are planned to be present in the final product.

Depictions of warfare, gore (including eye, head, and burn trauma), violence (including violence against children), references to torture, sexual suggestions, references, and themes, drug & alcohol use (including by children), drug & alcohol abuse, physical & emotional abuse, sexism, suicide, slavery, homophobia, and transphobia.

UPDATE LOG

04/14/2024: Chapter I (50k Words | 18k Playthrough) 05/07/2024: Chapter II (105k Words | 39k Playthrough) 06/05/2024: Chapter III (156k Words | 59k Playthrough) 07/14/2024: Chapter IV (216k Words | 73k Playthrough) 12/28/2024: Chapter V (322k Words | 93k Playthrough) 02/10/2025: Act I Content Update (340k Words | 98k Playthrough) 06/01/2025: Chapter VI (489k Words | 125k Playthrough)

[taintedsoul-if]

I'm glad you're writing more IFs that you enjoy. It's much better to write something when you actually enjoy what you're writing than, when you don't. And I really like the way you write 🥹💓

(and also because I'm a little suspicious to speak, since my favorite genre is romance and fantasy Imao)

I just want to know how the updates will work. Tainted Soul will still be the main IF right? And will DG be something more sporadic? I'm very interested in both, but Tainted is more important to me, since any crumb of Cadmus, I'll be accepting.

I hope this doesn't come across as some kind of charge, as that's not my intention. In fact, one of the things that makes me happiest is that you are very active both in writing IF and in answering any questions people have about the lore. Which is one of the things that usually frustrates me about some IF writers. So when you post chapter snippets and progress updates, I'm very grateful. Since, you know, I don't have to worry about whether IF was abandoned or something like that.

So yes, any IF you write, I will be reading 💃✨

(And I don't know if you remember, but previously I said that I would draw Cadmus and my MC. I'm still going to do it and send it to you!)

Taking a step away from the writing scene these past few years wasn’t a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s not that we fall out of love with the stories we’re telling—it’s just that we need a change of pace. And that’s exactly what I needed. I’m glad my writing has improved to the point where readers can follow along more easily now. I still have a long way to go, though—lol.

Tainted Souls will always be at the forefront for me, but working on Dangerous Games has opened up a new horizon in how I approach writing TS. I even figured out a major plot point recently! And honestly, it was thanks to DG that I was able to break through a standstill in Chapter 3 of TS—I’d been stuck after T chased the MC outside and Yesenia interrupted them, unsure of how to proceed. Now, that chapter’s sitting at 8,000 words.

Surprisingly, I’ve made steady progress on both IFs. I completed the prologue for DG in just two days, along with setting up my ChoiceScript and startup file. Then out of nowhere, my mind kept nudging me to revisit Chapter 2—I ended up adding new scenes and dialogue that really brought it to life.

Lately, I’ve been writing from 6 AM to 6 PM, splitting my time evenly between both projects.

Anyway, I’m rambling now 😵‍💫.

Tainted Souls will always be my main IF—this story is my first love. I’m even a little reluctant to write certain scenes because once I do, it means we’re moving closer to the end… and that’s such a bittersweet feeling.

Dangerous Games will be more sporadic in terms of updates, while with Tainted Souls, I’m aiming—if all goes well—to update the public demo every eight weeks. If everything stays on track, we might even have an update ready by midmonth. I’ve also been toying with the idea of releasing the prologue for DS alongside that demo, but I haven’t fully decided yet 🥱.

As for spoilers—oh, love, you don’t even know the half of it. Any spoiler I share is just the icing on a very layered cake. For every one I drop, there are twists and turns you’d never expect… unless you’re breaking into my house and flipping through my notes while I sleep. Please don’t do that—I’m timid by nature.

But seriously, I love feeding my readers lore. Vathilia is such a beautiful, complex world, and the relationships—bittersweet, angsty, heart-wrenching—make it even richer. I’ll always share what I can… the only time I hold back is when the question asked feels like stepping on a minefield of spoilers that’ll explode into even more spoiler-heavy questions.

I’ll never abandon this IF, not even if it takes me a thousand years to finish. Tainted Souls means that much to me.

Today’s fully dedicated to TS. I just finished writing the original host’s backstory for Dangerous Games, and my brain is officially fried—so it’s back to my first love for the rest of the day.

Also, I’m really looking forward to that chibi drawing of yours! I’ll proudly add it to a master list I’m planning to create in the future. Even though I babbled a lot, don’t hold it against me 🥲. Thank you for the ask, anon.

I’ll be off now.

[omorimodreverie]

Reverie Dev Log - November and December

Side Note: This one is quite long, if you only want an important part, there is a TL;DR summary at the bottom.

New Year Note

Happy New Year! We have now reached 2024! Reverie has begun as a little project since April 2021, before it even has its name. The more modern variant began after the demo release in August 2021, with CH1 releasing in May 2022, so it’s been a long way.

Though to admit, considering CH2.5 update came in December 2022, this means CH3 has a gap of a year now (though there are some updates and patches on 2.5 for a few months. This makes it seem like progress has been in stagnation, especially with delayed dev log recently.

This one will be shorter in technical and progress details, and more about the general gist of development plans in general, the surrounding environmental change in modding and OMORI as a whole (as that bears a great effect currently), and finally explains the slow down a bit (though a TL;DR: basically the past few months is holidays).

Also, Development post will now rather be every 2 months as well.

(And also the time is better spent on actually development than just writing, lol)

Overview

November and December for its period of time wasn’t as much done compared to previous months, though it wasn’t as bad as the worst case scenario when factoring in multiple holidays coming in that could have easily killed the motivation entirely. So all things considered, it’s relatively steady going despite the circumstances

For a quick rundown:

More NPCs implemented in maps

Writing is a bit more organized and more steady in terms of work now (And also an additional writer member!)

Portraits started to be done for most main characters

Connected up some progression from separate disjointed cutscenes

Some new plans that reduces workload*

Some enemy sprites are done as well on the side**

A few changes and re-polish on some music tracks

*for example, sunset are done on same map with filter than whole new set of maps

**Which are low priority, more of optional content in CH3 context

Updates, Changes and Needs

There are multiple factors that affect development, here it will be listed from short term factor to long term factor and potential future.

Holiday and Breaks

Let’s start with easy stuff, the short term factor. The past few months contain multiple holidays and also school breaks for some people. There isn’t much to say here, people on holidays get busy therefore less people are doing mod work, especially Christmas and New Year holiday.

(I mean, reverie is a fan mod project, not a job, lol)

Though there is still at least some minimum baseline of trying to keep interest up with some check in, so the interest doesn’t die off entirely, as mentioned in previous Dev Log before large holidays tend to be in big risk for that.

CH3 and Real World Content

One major thing to think about is the length of the real world section and the amount of content it has. The real world content has a large upfront cost due to making an entire new asset for the majority of aspects, so any new things added more will take far longer time than usual other chapters in the dream world.

There are two major aspects to consider, the mandatory story aspect, and the optional side content aspect. 

Mandatory / Story Content

As of current the main story aspect of CH3 is quite short, unlike Dreamworld areas, the Real world main content mostly revolves around cutscenes and dialogues, if you speed through the dialogue and cutscenes, it could very well take only half an hour or less to go through (though that’s unlikely the way it’s played on first playthrough at least, ignoring reading time).

One conflict is that, Reverie as a mod is far more focused on Dreamworld sections and battle heavy, making real world sections a bit awkward to make, taking quite a large amount of development time compared to other dream world chapters. The question then is how much real world content should be made, factoring in development time?

Side / Optional Content

As for side content, like in base game it’s mostly NPCs giving fetch quests (which are simpler to make), or potentially jobs (which is a bit more complex).

One unique aspect of Reverie over the base game though, is some amount of gameplay battles to at least give something to do (think of Jackson poster in Hobbeez in base game, but more fleshed out).

The important question is, how much side content should there be in the real world section of reverie? While it is cool to have some side content in real world and is a common complaint on base game itself that the real world feels lackluster, making more things in real world also takes up a large amount of development time which is not ideal. It’s a balancing act between not too lackluster but also not too much content which would take too much time.

RPGMV Needs and Modding Community

And finally, the general community aspect. The OMORI fandom has aged quite a while now, and as time passes the amount of people interested is reduced as well. This project is ultimately a fan project so the amount of interest on the mod isn’t really a problem, but what does this mean is there are less people interested in OMORI and also modding in general,.

A fair amount of people who tend to do RPGMaker MV (RPGMV) works tend to now be out no longer modding, or new members who do would tend to be making own project anyways. This means there has been less people who are available with RPGMV side, which means aspects like cutscenes should be cut down smaller to avoid development hell.

What this means for development is the gears shift from previous usual development focused on efficiency (getting task as parallel as possible), to a slower but sustainable development, focusing more on sustaining interest, which is better than losing interest totally.

TL;DR

Basically, the key important points are:

Short term aspect of Holidays and New Year makes November and December slow period in general.

Real World content (and CH3 by extension) is more time consuming and harder to make than other chapters

Therefore, amount of Real World content needs to be discussed, both mandatory and optional content

There has been less people in Omori community in general meaning there is less people to go by, especially RPGMV sector

Therefore, development has switched to a more slow burn state, taking things slow but sustaining interest to avoid burn out or lost motivation

And for development posts, now will be posting every 2 months than every months instead to reduce writing.

And about Applications...

Applications are always open! RPGMV / Programmers are always appreciated!

Final Stuff

Well now that you read this far, here's some portrait of Daphne and Bowen! (and also probably the only few sprite that is showable related to CH3 now)

There isn't much detail, but when resized down it is enough as a sprite

[carriehobbs]

*running at vampire speeds into your inbox* future poly au? 👀

ok so i have actually talked about the future poly au and alina's relationship with adam briefly before, so some of this will be a rehash of what i've said in other posts (sorry!!). i'll link the posts when they come up 💕

boring stuff out of the way at the top: i want to clarify that when i talk about the future poly au with adam/nate/alina i don't mean it in a "it's an 'au' or a headcanon because it's not an option in canon, but if it was i would take it" kind of way. the future poly au is really firmly an au in my mind, and when i envision alina's future post-book 7 it's with a romantic relationship with nate and a platonic relationship with adam. i'm also not likely to ever write it (especially the how-they-get-together part), since i think doing it justice would require something far more expansive than i'm really prepared to tackle, so it mostly just exists in the form of little posts and jokes to myself here and there.

all that being said!

i'm going to start by talking about alina and adam's platonic relationship, which is part of their "canon" future relationship (the point of divergence between their "canon" futures and the future poly au is after alina becomes a vampire, so there's 10+ (ish, please don't ask me how old alina is when she becomes a vampire) years of relationship to expand upon first). their platonic relationship is the foundation of their relationship in the future poly au (and the future poly au actually originated when i was trying to understand their friendship better! i was thinking about how they felt about each other as they got closer and where that could go and then said "wait a minute!!" and the future poly au was born 🥰).

so to start: alina hates adam's guts in book 1. she really does not have a good word to say about him. for someone who generally tries to be a team player and collaborator as much as alina does, it says a lot that she takes just about every opportunity she can to fight with adam. over time (through working with him and through deliberate effort to get along with the guy she likes's best friend), her relationship with him starts to improve. in book 2, alina and adam mostly treat each other with begrudging (professional) respect and tolerance.

book 3 is where major shifts start happening. it's at this point that they start to really see each other differently. to bring up something i've said about their relationship before:

over the course of book 2 and into book 3 they developed this slow, learned respect for each other [...] these 2 people who are very different in their approaches to the world around them and their work who learn to appreciate and even rely on those very differences (adam's stubbornness becoming steadfastness, alina's naivety becoming compassion).

in book 1, alina saw adam as stubborn, callous, and generally unpleasant to be around. by book 3, she's able to appreciate the qualities that she had dismissed before: adam is persistent, direct, and precise. similarly, in book 1, adam thought alina was naive, irresponsibly optimistic, and unworldly. by book 3, he views her as compassionate, hopeful, and curious. he is steady and reliable, and she is loyal and kind, and in each other they find someone who they can always count on to show up for them (even if they disagree and argue the entire time). over the course of books 4-7 (i say, knowing that these books haven't been released yet and so i don't really know how their relationship will develop during those books), their friendship only grows stronger.

(by book 4, alina's starting to realize that adam is kind of actually her friend instead of just her work friend/her boyfriend's best friend. when he shows up to fetch nate in the first chapter of the demo, she's frustrated and annoyed that her day off with nate was ruined, but she's not frustrated or annoyed with adam. she's actually kind of amused by him being there and the way he tries to rush nate out, as it's so quintessentially him.)

not to talk about my own wips, BUT: the excerpt of the alina turning fic i shared the other day kind of displays how their friendship has grown over the years. there's familiarity and a kind of quiet ease to the way they interact with and understand each other. it says a lot about their friendship that alina goes to adam to complain and to seek reassurance when she's nervous.

(and, to go on about my own wips a bit longer: it's not explicit in this excerpt, and i don't think i explicitly state it anywhere else in the fic, but alina very specifically does not want to talk to nate about this problem. she doesn't talk to nate, or farah (her best friend), or morgan, or her mother. she specifically chooses to confide in adam because she knows that he will offer her the kind of support she wants in that moment. that line about how alina takes a big drink and then says nate is off with the kids? while what she says is true (he is with the kids and they have gone over things together already), that is alina buying herself time to come up with an excuse as to why she's talking to her friend and not her husband about her feelings.)

so after all those years, adam and alina have had the time to go from hating to respecting to appreciating to genuinely liking each other. only now do they have the unshakable foundation of their friendship off of which we can build the future poly au.

i view the future poly au as having multiple moving parts. the first part is adam/nate. in this au, adam and nate are kind of in love and have been for a while. for centuries, their relationship has been toeing the ambiguous line between romantic and platonic and is defined by a depth of devotion and understanding that only comes from lifetimes worth of companionship. crucially: they are not aware they are in love with each other. put a pin in this for later.

the second moving part is adam/alina. both adam and alina quietly (and secretly) have this moment that i described the last time i talked about the future poly au:

it would definitely be a slow creep of feelings for both of them [...], with a realization one day that you look at this person you know so well and the feelings you have for them haven't been solely platonic for a while. their love would be born out of a deep mutual appreciation and respect.

they both respond to this revelation (that they have feelings for their best friend's wife/their husband's best friend) by promptly deciding to try and distance themselves from each other and let the feelings go away without ever addressing it (which i described here, in what might be one of the first posts i ever made about the future poly au).

for alina, she's trying to avoid the realization that she has feelings for someone who isn't nate and, while she would never deliberately be unfaithful to him, she struggles with this attraction to adam even as she is determined to never act on it. i mean, she's been married to nate for 10+ years and they have 3-5 children (please don't ask me how many children alina and nate have. or their names. or their ages) and she's a vampire so they've been planning on living out the rest of their forevers together and suddenly she has feelings for the worst possible person she could ever have feelings for. she tries to manage keeping her distance from adam and hoping the feelings will die on their own without letting anyone (nate, adam, or farah) know that anything is going on with her.

for adam, i had to consider both how he acts on the lt route (or what i understand he acts like on the lt route - i've never actually played it) and how he acts on his own route. my understanding of a on the lt route is that (despite the fact that nate and the detective could be in a relationship, depending on player choices), adam is more expressive about his feelings for the detective than he is on his own route, where he constantly tries to push away the detective and deter them from pursuing a relationship with him. in the context of the future poly au, however, i think adam would behave more like he does on his own route than he does in the lt: in the lt route, even if the detective and nate are together, it's a (relatively) new relationship. it could still be ended (if it's even been started) and adam could, conceivably, end up with the detective. in the future poly au, nate and alina have been married for 10+ years and have 3-5 children. the ship has sailed on "getting with alina" (alina has already chosen and firmly committed to nate) and the betrayal of trying to steal his best friend's wife of over a decade is (arguably) much worse than trying to steal his girlfriend of a (few? by the end of book 7? who knows when you will have to choose in the lt) year(s).

the third part is how these feelings get revealed. on one hand, (based on my understanding of the lt) nate would eventually figure out on his own that something is going on between adam and alina. however, (also based on my understanding of the lt) nate seems pretty willing to deliberately ignore the signs he's seeing because he does not want to read them. what i think is actually more likely is that alina, upon finding out that her feelings for adam are not simply disappearing like she wants them to, would eventually confess to nate that she's been developing feelings for adam. she would not be pitching this as a "so maybe we should all date" thing. she would approach the conversation as a "i love you and would never be unfaithful to you, i don't know why i'm having these feelings for adam and i've tried to make them go away, what do we do about this problem in our marriage" thing.

the fourth part is how they bring adam into all this. the first option is that they go to adam together to try and talk about the situation. this will go poorly. there is no way on this earth that adam is going to admit to both of them that he has feelings for alina and risk interfering with their marriage. he will not be the reason that milton looks up at him with big brown eyes and asks "uncle adam? why don't mom and dad love each other anymore?". not happening.

the other option is that alina's confession prompts a brief awkward period in their marriage wherein alina feels guilty and nate tries to deal with this revelation and meanwhile realizes that, hey wait. he might be in love with adam too. in this version, nate and alina would talk for quite a while first about what they want to do about the situation they find themselves in. because they're both in love with adam, but does adam feel the same way? would they want to pursue something with adam? would adam want something with them? how do they maintain their friendships with adam if they bring up being together and he doesn't want to, or if they don't bring it up and just know that this is something between them? how do they make sure their marriage remains intact throughout all of this, and how do they minimize any (potential) fallout for their children (who all love adam and have known him their entire lives - adam is even milton's godfather!). they would ask all these questions and then (because this is the future poly au and not the future almost-poly au) decide to talk to adam.

if i can be honest, i have no idea how they convince adam to admit his own feelings for alina, or realize and then admit his feelings for nate, or then after that agree to be in a relationship with them both. i haven't gotten that far yet. i have to assume it involves a lot of initial denial, yearning, private conversations between nate and alina about how to handle the situation, and more yearning.

eventually they all kiss. and then everyone's happy forever and ever.

[eriquin]

Cat's in the Cradle, part 16

Hawkins is a war zone but they party carries on, and they have plans to help. While not everyone can be on the front line, there are things that they can each do. Including newly pre-teen Eddie.

(master post)(ao3 link - Updated concurrently)

Another few days of steady progress went by. Eddie still wasn’t as heavily involved in the planning as he wanted to be, but they’d settled into a good rhythm around the pop-up gates and dealing with the army. Dustin and Lucas were building traps that they wanted to set up in the woods, hoping that they’d give them advance warning about demo-beasts coming through. The adults had some kind of plan for dealing with the army and getting El close enough to close one of the major gates. Things were really looking up.

So, of course, that’s when it went to shit.

As the one adult that the government didn’t know was involved, Wayne stayed behind when the rest of them took a group to tackle another major gate. The older teens stayed back as well, though Jonathan went with them to keep an eye on Will. That meant that they were understaffed for the patrol of the woods, but Dustin took this as his cue to lay some traps. He and Lucas got the rest of the group to agree to let them start with two different groups deploying them.

Eddie wouldn’t be left behind this time. Originally, the two groups were Dustin, Robin, and Steve and Lucas, Argyle, and Nancy, but since Dustin was still going a little slow while his ankle healed, he convinced Wayne to let Eddie come with them. Wayne stayed with his truck, listening in on the walkie, so that he could assist either group if something went wrong.

They hiked out into the woods with Eddie acting like Dustin’s crutch and Steve carrying the heavy parts of the trap. Robin had a shotgun and looked completely spooked about the idea of using it. Steve had his nailbat strapped to his back. He’d warned Dustin that if they heard one weird noise, the trap was getting dropped in favor of him having a weapon in his hands. Dustin had waved him off, but now that they were out in the dying woods of Hawkins, he was quiet and serious. 

There was a clearing where Dustin wanted to start setting it up. Most of the complicated setup involved running tripwires, which Steve and Robin handled while Eddie and Dustin set up the main contraption. Eddie still didn’t understand how it was supposed to work, but he didn’t bother asking Dustin to explain it again. He just followed directions.

“Okay, I think that’s done,” Dustin said quietly. Eddie nodded at him and helped him up. He was walking a lot better now, and really only needed help for longer distances. “We should head back to the car.”

Steve and Robin were both coming back to the clearing. Steve had his bat out and was on high alert. He only half paid attention while Dustin explained that the trap was set and that all that was left was to bait it.

“Wait, it needs bait?” Eddie asked. “Did we bring any?”

Dustin shook his head. “No, it’s back in the trunk,” he said. 

“Yeah, Butthead here wanted to bring a bucket of raw meat out into the woods while we were taking our time setting everything up,” Steve said. He gently ruffled Dustin’s hair through his cap. “I overruled him on that.”

“Okay, so we bait it now... How?” Robin asked. 

“We go back to the car and you guys all wait by it while I bring a bucket of meat back here and pour it into the trap.” Steve sniffed a little behind the scarf over his face and shrugged. “I’ll be quick.”

Robin looked like she wanted to argue, but Dustin pointed out that they needed to get back to the car first. He radioed the other team and Wayne while they walked back, letting them know that phase one of deploying their trap was complete. The other team sent a message back that they were still setting theirs up, and a reminder to be careful. 

Steve and Robin did argue when they got to the car, since Robin didn’t want him to go alone. Steve argued that he was the fastest, and that Robin needed to stay with Dustin and Eddie and drive off if there was danger. There was some back-and-forth about her not only not having a license, but not really knowing how to drive. Eddie volunteered to drive instead, and Steve made a crack about his feet not reaching the pedals. At least the bucket of meat was sealed, so the smell wasn’t a danger.

“It was frozen. I’m pretty sure it’s started defrosting by now. Robin, I’m not arguing about this anymore.” Steve dug his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to her. “Look, just wait here. I promise I’ll be quick.”

“Dingus!” Robin shouted after him, but he was already jogging back into the woods, bucket in one hand and bat in the other. “Shit. This is a bad plan.” 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Dustin said. His voice wavered a little, like he was worried. He chuckled nervously. “I’m really more worried that he won’t remember how to load the trap, or that he’ll set it off accidentally.”   

Robin paced back and forth by the treeline. The woods were just dense enough that they’d lost sight of Steve. Robin still had her hands on the shotgun, but didn’t look any more comfortable with it than she had at the start of their trek. “Damn it,” she said as she put it into the holster on her back. She went to the trunk of the car and pulled out a hatchet. “This is taking too long.” 

“Are there more weapons?” Eddie asked. “Didn’t we have molotovs?” 

“And I’m not using them for the same reason I’m not charging in with a shotgun,” Robin said. “I don’t want to risk hitting Steve accidentally.” She passed the keys to Dustin. “Get Wayne to come back here and stay in the car.”

“He’s only been gone three minutes!” Dustin protested, but then there was a whistling noise. It was followed by a pop and a bang that echoed through the woods. “Shit. That was the trap.”

Robin charged into the woods, with Eddie and Dustin following after her. Dustin was on the radio to Nancy and Wayne as they ran. They must have seen or heard the flare from where they were, because they were both shouting questions. Eddie ran just a little bit faster and caught up to Robin first.

She had the axe in her hands, but frozen in place. Eddie stopped right behind her and saw why. He’d only heard descriptions of the monster that the kids called a demogorgon, but that was the only thing this could be. The trap had damaged it a little, or maybe that had been Steve’s bat. He had it out now, swinging it defensively in front of him, putting himself between the demogorgon and the path back to the car.

“Damn it, Robin,” he yelled. He kept facing the demogorgon, bat held in front of him. “Get back to the car.” 

“Not a chance, dingus,” Robin said. She took a step to the side and took out the shotgun. 

There was crackling in the distance, and Eddie thought he could see smoke through the trees. He couldn’t remember if the trap was supposed to light things on fire, but if they shot off a flare then maybe something had lit up from that. It would probably help with the demogorgon, if they could figure out a way to trap it in the fire, but it was more likely that they would get trapped by it, too. He glanced back at Dustin, who was nearly up to the clearing. If Steve was in danger, Dustin wasn’t going to stay back, but Eddie could try to keep them both out of the way.

Steve distracted the demogorgon long enough for Robin to take a shot. It staggered back a step. Eddie ran to Dustin’s side and pulled at his arm, trying to keep him back. Dustin turned and went with him, but just enough to push Eddie behind him. The fact that Dustin had assessed the situation and decided to shield Eddie stung a little bit, but it was understandable. He also had the radio out and was yelling over it that they were fighting a demogorgon. A static response came through, but Eddie couldn’t understand it. 

There was another loud bang from the shotgun as Robin fired at the demogorgon again. Steve circled around, just out of range of its claws. He looked ready to take a swing as soon as Robin let up. More static came through the radio. Dustin must’ve understood it, because he was yelling something back. Eddie could barely hear over the roar of the monster and the crackle of the flames in the distance.

Steve got his break, and he swung. He took a chunk out of the monster, knocking it back. It spun around and swiped at him with its claws, barely missing. Eddie was frozen in place, watching the fight. Even after all the bats they’d fought, this felt brand new. It was going by so much faster than he expected, too. He had to force himself to move, to do something. Robin put herself in front of him and Dustin, blocking his view, and cocked the gun again. Something clicked and stuck, and she swore as she tried to get unjammed. 

There was a scream, and a thud. A quick motion to his right caught his attention, and he saw the spiked bat land on the ground. Robin was shouting Steve’s name. Steve was screaming. Dustin was screaming. And Eddie—

He had his hands on the bat. It was only heavy for a second. Right in front of him was the demogorgon, with Steve on the ground under it. Under its claws. Only a second before it would drag him away. Eddie’s vision narrowed to just the demogorgon’s faceless head, the perfect target. He stopped, planted his foot, and swung. 

It connected. If only the gym teachers at Hawkins High could see him now, knocking that thing clear away from Steve. But it was still up. Everything was smaller and closer than it had been a second ago. He heard the seam of his shirt tear as he swung again. 

Eddie kept the demogorgon back, not pausing to look at his friends. He caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of his eye. Dustin was by Steve, doing something to bandage his legs. Robin had dropped the shotgun and was trying to drag them both back. Still, he kept his focus on the demogorgon. It was right in front of him, and it was all he could do to keep hitting it and pushing it away from his friends.

He knew that he’d shifted again. The ripped seams of his clothes and the easy way the bat fit into his hands was enough to tell him that. If he could do it once, he could do it again, so he wasn’t afraid to get close enough to beat the hell out of this monster. And beat the hell out of it, he did. He kept swinging until he drove it back towards the trees. 

It all seemed to be going well until one good swing got the bat stuck in the demogorgon’s side. Eddie stumbled as it twisted out of his hands, and he flailed and fell to the ground. The monster was still up, though, and Eddie heard Dustin screaming for him as it sunk its claws into his back and dragged him into the bushes. 

[hpowellsmith]

Hi! I played the Patreon demo of Honor Bound and left feedback on there, but I also have a public question that is not spoilery that I'd prefer to ask here. I recall you explaining how various couple models are perceived in the different countries present in the CdlC universe.

But considering my chosen RO in Honor Bound in combination with the age of my MC, I'm actually really interested to know how do people perceive couples with huge age gaps.

Thank you!

Thank you for asking and for your patience in waiting for this to be answered - it's been a while I know! In part, I've been mulling it over a bit because I've been considering it in more depth myself as I get into writing the romances and how the characters respond differently to PCs in different age categories...

Long post below:

People give major side-eyes to people who are in relationships across ranks in the military, which isn't necessarily age-related but will often be. A senior officer discovered romancing a direct report will be punished. A senior officer discovered romancing a lower-ranking officer in a different team or department will not necessarily be formally punished, but people will talk. (Korzha romancing someone in their 30s or late 20s would get the latter response; that, among other things, is why they have some early hesitance about dating the PC.)

In general age gaps become more socially-acceptable depending on the life stages and life experience of the people involved. If Savarel were to date Matia, say, people would gossip about Matia being older, but they would likely also consider that Savarel was in the military for almost ten years, has won a medal, is in a steady post-military job with a decent income, and is independent; with all that in mind they'd be less likely to cast judgement on Matia about it.

But if there was a bigger gap in power level, or if someone in their forties or older was dating someone in their early twenties, that would be met with distaste, especially if they haven't graduated from Teranese Service yet; still being in the Service would be seen as the equivalent as "young college age" and if someone's in the Service, they'd be generally expected to date around their own age or in their twenties at most. Someone in their thirties dating someone in their early twenties would still be eyebrow-raising in most quarters.

Thank you for the ask! This is something that may well evolve as I write more of the romances so it may shift over time.

Someone in their forties dating someone in their mid-to-late twenties, which is the configuration of Raffi plus the oldest a PC can be, or Matia or Korzha plus the youngest a PC can be, tends depending on the dynamic of the relationship and relative power/influence levels to be seen as less "creepy" and more "is someone having a mid-life crisis" / "is there gold-digging involved" / "what's everyone getting out of this" / "what are their long-term plans going to be" ... as in people will be more likely to have opinions about the fact that there's an age gap. People will not necessarily assume that something bad is happening, but they will assume that there's something gossip-worthy going on. Viola de Luca's parents have a 15-20 year age gap and people do gossip about it, making assumptions that Lorenz is gold-digging and such.

Matia and Korzha both treat a younger PC a little differently when it comes to flirting or getting started with romance, and Raffi references different ages too. Fiore and Savarel, being in the middle, haven't brought up ages much in what I've written so far, but it will likely come up when talking about future life plans and so on, or just naturally in conversation.

[ourpickwickclub]

The number of viewers this season has often been a bit higher than season 22, but the demo, which is the main thing advertisers look at, has been lower. I would assume even with the lower demo numbers, everyone involved is happy with this seasons numbers. I definitely think they have benefitted some from the strike, but I also never thought the show would suffer too much the first season without Blake. People claim they watched for him, but I think most just enjoyed him in particular. He was never the *only* reason to watch for the vast majority of people, so I never imagined people wouldn’t at least be curious enough to see what the show was like without him and I think this is a good group. I expect the numbers will continue to go down slightly each season going forward, as has been the case for awhile, and I still expect the show to go on for many seasons given it would be nearly impossible to replace it with something that gets those type of ratings. See the American Song Contest experiment. I also won’t be surprised to see Gwen back next fall.

I admit I was one who thought it would take a nosedive without Blake and was saying it would last two more seasons and then be cancelled. I think my opinion has changed, although I’ll wait to see what happens in s25 when there’s more competition after the strike. If numbers stay fairly steady, then maybe The Voice is one of those shows that can keep going indefinitely. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gwen back too.

— M

[nicoscheer]

Arctic Monkey frontman Alex Turner once made an appearance at one of his gigs. They met in the smoking area where the Sheffield legend sang Healey’s demos back to him. “It blows my mind,” he says. “To get recognition from someone who you look up to is a powerful thing.” Recognition is one thing, but supporting the band on tour is something else entirely. “If that had happened a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been ready for it,” says Healey. “Some things are just worth waiting for.”

A little birdie told us that you have got a fan in Alex Turner…

At first, it was a real shock to see him at one of my shows. I was really chuffed, and I didn’t know what to say to him. It is a huge compliment coming from someone like him, or from anyone of that calibre, Felix, Alex, Orlando Weeks… I really don’t take their support for granted. It makes me think, ‘what would 15-year-old me think of this?’ It would blow my mind. Also, when I met Alex outside of the venue after the show, and he started singing one of my new demos back to me, and he somehow knew all of the words! I stood there thinking, ‘this is so surreal’…

(He could be talking bout his 2020 album twin heavy)

“When I was sending demos through to my producer Loren [Humphrey], I’d get feedback and it’d be like, ‘Oh, Alex says maybe you could try this’. And for a while I was like, who’s this guy? Who’s Alex? And I realised it was Alex Turner,” chuckles the singer. “So he’s been around, friends of friends basically; he just gives little bits of advice - what could be a good single or something. He turned up to a show and I was trying my best not to fanboy, but it’s a massive compliment.”

Miles wore that shirt at some point as well

[anandtechverceseo]

Unlocking Excellence: Your Guide to the Best Software Development Company in Chennai

In today’s hyper-competitive digital landscape, choosing the right software development partner can make or break your business ambitions. Chennai—India’s burgeoning IT hub—boasts numerous firms vying for attention. Yet, when you search for the “best software development company in Chennai,” you’re looking for more than just capability; you want proven expertise, transparent processes, and a long-term ally committed to your success.

Below, we delve into what defines a top-tier software development company in Chennai, how to evaluate potential partners, and why Chennai remains a preferred destination for building world-class software solutions.

Why Chennai? India’s Software Powerhouse

Rich Talent Pool Chennai is home to premier engineering colleges and a vibrant tech ecosystem. This ensures a steady stream of skilled developers, QA engineers, UX/UI designers, and project managers who stay abreast of cutting-edge frameworks and methodologies.

Cost-Efficient Excellence Competitive salary structures in Chennai allow firms to deliver high-quality software at rates substantially lower than most Western markets—without compromising on quality or turnaround time.

Mature IT Infrastructure State-of-the-art technology parks, robust data-center facilities, and reliable connectivity underpin the city’s ability to support complex, large-scale software projects.

What Makes the “Best Software Development Company in Chennai”?

When scouring the market for “software development company in Chennai,” consider these critical attributes:

Diverse Technical Expertise

Full-Stack Development: Proficiency in JavaScript (React, Angular, Node.js), Python (Django, Flask), Java (Spring), PHP (Laravel), and more.

Mobile & Cloud: Native and cross-platform mobile apps (iOS, Android, Flutter), plus AWS/Azure/GCP cloud-native solutions.

Emerging Tech: AI/ML models, blockchain integrations, IoT platforms, and AR/VR experiences.

Proven Domain Knowledge

Vertical Specialization: Healthcare, finance, e-commerce, logistics, and enterprise resource planning.

Compliance & Security: HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS—ensuring your software meets global regulatory standards.

Agile & Transparent Processes

Scrum/Kanban Frameworks: Iterative development cycles, regular sprint reviews, and adaptive planning.

Dedicated Communication Channels: Real-time tools (Slack, Teams), weekly demos, and clear documentation repositories.

Quality Assurance & Testing

Automated Testing Suites: Unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to catch regressions early.

Performance & Security Audits: Load testing, vulnerability scanning, and code reviews to safeguard reliability.

Client Success & Support

Post-Launch Maintenance: 24/7 support, performance monitoring, and version upgrades.

Scalability Roadmaps: Guidance on scaling your software to handle growing user bases and feature sets.

Evaluating Potential Partners

When you narrow your search to “best software development company in Chennai,” use this checklist:

Portfolio & Case Studies

Look for real-world projects similar in scale and complexity to yours.

Check metrics: reduced time-to-market, performance gains, or business-impact statistics.

Client Testimonials & Reviews

Platforms like Clutch, GoodFirms, or Google Reviews can provide unbiased feedback.

Reach out to existing clients for first-hand insights on communication, delivery, and ROI.

Technical Interviews & Audits

Conduct a brief technical assessment or code audit to evaluate coding standards and architectural approach.

Interview key team members—ask about tech choices, decision-making processes, and risk mitigation strategies.

Cultural Fit & Collaboration Style

Ensure your partner’s working hours, language proficiency, and organizational culture align with yours.

Discuss preferred tools, reporting cadences, and escalation paths upfront.

Why Partner with a Chennai-Based Firm?

Proximity to Major Markets: Chennai’s time zone (IST) overlaps well with Asia, Europe, and even early United-States hours for real-time collaboration.

Government Support & Incentives: Federal and state-level IT policies encourage innovation, ensuring firms have access to grants, tax breaks, and infrastructure facilities.

Community & Networking: Regular tech meetups, hackathons, and developer conferences keep Chennai’s software ecosystem dynamic and forward-looking.

Getting Started: 5 Steps to Your Ideal Software Partner

Define Your Project Scope Document objectives, functional requirements, budget range, and desired timelines.

Shortlist 3–5 Firms Based on expertise, domain fit, and preliminary budgets.

Request Proposals & Quotes Ask for detailed technical approaches, resource allocations, and milestone breakdowns.

Engage in a Pilot or PoC A small proof-of-concept project helps establish trust and validates working relationships.

Formalize the Engagement Sign NDAs, SLA-backed contracts, and set up governance processes for smooth execution.

Conclusion

Finding the best software development company in Chennai is about more than price or proximity—it’s about partnering with a team that understands your vision, leverages the latest technologies, and stands by you through every sprint, pivot, and launch. By evaluating technical depth, process maturity, and cultural alignment, you can secure a Chennai-based partner poised to transform your digital aspirations into robust, scalable software solutions.

Ready to accelerate your next project? Start your search today and discover why Chennai’s software development maestros are the strategic choice for businesses worldwide.

[worthyenchanterinquisitor]

How much is the fee for TNPSC coaching in Coimbatore?

Preparing for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) exam is a wise move towards a stable and well-respected government job. Though numerous aspirants attempt to prepare independently, enrolling in a coaching center can really enhance your chances of success with systematic direction, practice tests, and professional guidance. But how much does TNPSC coaching actually cost in Coimbatore?

In this blog, we dissect TNPSC coaching charges in Coimbatore, compare top institutes, and provide tips on selecting the right institute without making a dent in your wallet.

Average Fee Structure for TNPSC Coaching in Coimbatore Average TNPSC coaching charges in Coimbatore fall between ₹15,000 and ₹60,000 based on the following factors:

Course duration (3 months, 6 months, or 1 year)

Type of batch (regular, weekend, crash course)

Mode of learning (offline, online, or hybrid)

Test series and study material inclusion

Coaching centers that also function as an IAS academy in Coimbatore tend to have bundled courses that include covering several exams such as TNPSC, UPSC, and Group exams in a single package.

Fee Comparison of Popular TNPSC Coaching Institutes Following are the top coaching centers in Coimbatore with a fee range at a glance:

Institute Name Course Type Fee Range (₹) Shanmugam IAS Academy TNPSC Foundation 25,000–45,000 Dexter Academy Group I & II Batches 18,000–35,000 Race Institute TNPSC + Bank Combo 30,000–55,000 We Shine Academy Crash Course 15,000–20,000

The majority of IAS academy in Coimbatore also offer EMI facilities or scholarships to deserving candidates, making coaching affordable.

What's Included in the Fee? Before you join, always check what's included in the fee. Here's what you should check for:

Study material in printed or digital format

Test series on a daily or weekly basis

Current affairs classes

Interview guidance (for Group I)

Access to taped classes (for online students)

Faculty doubt-clearing sessions

A top IAS academy in Coimbatore typically consists of all of the above and even offers career guidance and group discussions as part of their course.

Actual Insights: Is Costly Always Best? As per a survey conducted by TNPSC Aspirants Forum (2023):

65% of successful candidates spent less than ₹40,000 on coaching.

Students credited success more to steady preparation and frequent mock tests than to increased fees.

Institutes offering one-on-one mentorship had superior success rates.

So, don't make the mistake that higher fees = better outcomes. Look at faculty quality, previous results, and student support instead.

How to Select the Right Coaching for Your Pocket ✅ Request free demo classes prior to signing up

✅ Ask about installment plans or discounts

✅ Choose an IAS academy in Coimbatore that covers multiple exams if you’re targeting more than just TNPSC

✅ Look for centers with flexible batch timings if you’re a working professional

Final Thoughts: Invest Smart, Prepare Smart Selecting a TNPSC coaching center in Coimbatore need not be daunting—or costly. Be clear on your budget, do comparisons, and choose an institute that provides you with quality learning as well as the guidance you require to excel.

Being a regular student or an employee, joining a well-known IAS academy in Coimbatore can provide systematic preparation, which will save your precious time and effort.

Ready to Start Your TNPSC Career? Investigate highly-rated institutions, observe demo sessions, and discover a coaching plan that aligns with your goals and your budget. Remember—your success begins with the right choice!

[williamgodley87]

Top Forex Brokers with Low Minimum Deposit: A Comprehensive Guide for Smart Traders

For many aspiring traders, the high barriers to entry in the forex market can be a major hurdle. That’s why finding reputable brokers with low minimum deposit requirements is crucial for beginners and budget-conscious investors. Starting with a smaller capital investment allows traders to test strategies, understand risk management, and explore trading platforms without significant financial exposure. In this guide, we delve into the top forex brokers that offer accessible entry points without compromising on quality, regulation, and performance.

Why Choose Brokers with Low Minimum Deposit?

Trading forex with a low initial investment is not only practical but also strategic. It offers an opportunity to:

Gain hands-on trading experience with real market conditions

Minimize financial risk while learning

Test a broker's platform and customer service before committing more funds

Choosing brokers with low minimum deposit requirements helps you transition from a demo account to live trading with minimal financial stress.

Top 5 Forex Brokers with Low Minimum Deposit

Eightcap Eightcap is a well-regulated forex and CFD broker known for its strong trading infrastructure and user-friendly platform. With a minimum deposit of just $100, it offers access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, along with competitive spreads and fast execution. Eightcap is also recognized for its integration with TradingView and Capitalise.ai, providing powerful analytical tools for traders.

FP Markets FP Markets combines affordability with professional-grade trading services. With a minimum deposit of $100, this broker offers both ECN and standard accounts. Traders benefit from tight spreads, deep liquidity, and access to both MT4 and MT5 platforms. FP Markets is licensed by ASIC and CySEC, ensuring a high level of trust and security.

FBS FBS stands out for its ultra-low entry barrier, offering accounts with a minimum deposit as low as $1. This makes it an attractive option for beginners who want to explore live trading with minimal risk. The broker provides cent, standard, and zero-spread accounts, catering to a range of trading strategies. FBS also offers frequent bonuses and promotions to enhance user experience.

XM XM is a globally recognized broker offering flexible account types and a low minimum deposit starting at just $5. The platform supports both MT4 and MT5, along with robust educational resources for traders at all levels. XM’s execution speed, regulatory compliance, and diverse asset offerings make it a favorite among budget-conscious traders.

IC Markets IC Markets is a top choice for serious traders looking for institutional-grade conditions with a relatively low capital requirement. A minimum deposit of $200 gives access to ECN-style trading with raw spreads starting from 0.0 pips. IC Markets is well-known for its deep liquidity, ultra-fast execution, and regulatory reliability.

Real-Life Success Story: From Small Beginnings to Sustainable Profits

Michael L., a 29-year-old graphic designer from the Philippines, started his trading journey with just $50 in an FBS cent account. Initially curious about forex, Michael chose FBS for its low deposit requirement and wide range of educational materials. He practiced consistently, followed risk management principles, and gradually built up his trading capital. After a year, Michael transitioned to a standard account and began earning steady returns. Today, he trades part-time and uses his profits to supplement his freelance income. His story is a testament to how brokers with low minimum deposit requirements can empower individuals to achieve financial goals through disciplined trading.

How to Evaluate Website Security When Choosing a Forex Broker

Ensuring the safety of your funds and personal data is critical when selecting a broker. Here’s how to assess whether a broker’s platform is secure:

Look for HTTPS in the URL, indicating encryption

Check for regulatory licenses from authorities like ASIC, CySEC, or FCA

Review privacy policies and data protection protocols

Ensure two-factor authentication is available for account login

Investigate the broker’s track record and reputation in online forums and review sites

Trustworthy brokers invest in cybersecurity infrastructure to protect their clients. Always prioritize safety when choosing where to trade.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Forex Brokers and Trading

What is a minimum deposit in forex trading? A minimum deposit is the smallest amount of money required to open a trading account with a broker. It varies across brokers and account types.

Are brokers with low minimum deposit safe? Many low-deposit brokers are regulated and trustworthy. Always check for licenses and read user reviews to ensure credibility.

Can I make a profit with a small trading account? Yes, but it requires strict risk management and realistic expectations. Profits may be small initially but can grow with experience.

Is it better to start with a demo account? Yes, using a demo account helps you understand the trading platform and market dynamics without risking real money. Transition to a live account once you feel confident.

What platforms do low minimum deposit brokers offer? Most offer MetaTrader 4 or 5, with some also providing web-based or proprietary platforms. Ensure the platform suits your trading style.

Conclusion: The Smart Path to Trading Success

Starting your forex trading journey doesn’t have to be financially intimidating. By choosing reliable brokers with low minimum deposit, you gain the flexibility to learn, experiment, and grow with minimal risk. Whether it’s Eightcap’s professional tools, FP Markets’ competitive conditions, FBS’s ultra-low entry, XM’s global reach, or IC Markets’ superior execution, each broker offers unique advantages. Your trading success starts with informed choices, and a low minimum deposit could be the first smart step in building a profitable trading future.

[sophiejt1234]

How to Build Your Own AI Crypto Trading Bot: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

The idea of creating your own AI-powered trading bot might seem overwhelming at first. However, breaking it down into clear, manageable steps can simplify the process. Whether you are a developer looking to explore the world of automation or a trader wanting to leverage technology for smarter decision-making, this guide is designed to help you build a tool that can work alongside you in the fast-paced world of cryptocurrencies.

Building a Crypto AI Trading Bot is not just about writing code; it’s about understanding the market, setting clear objectives, and implementing strategies that help you navigate volatility while minimizing risks.

Step 1: Understanding the Crypto Market

Before diving into development, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of the cryptocurrency market. This market is unique in many ways compared to traditional financial markets:

Market Dynamics: Cryptocurrencies experience high volatility, with rapid price changes. Familiarize yourself with the behavior of major coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as emerging altcoins.

Market Forces: Supply and demand, regulatory news, technological developments, and market sentiment all play a significant role in shaping price movements.

Tools for Analysis: Platforms such as TradingView or CoinMarketCap offer charts and market data that can help you see trends and identify patterns.

Knowing these basics will provide a foundation for effective Crypto Trading Bot development and ensure your trading bot can adapt to the market’s ups and downs.

Step 2: Defining Your Trading Objectives

A clear set of trading objectives will guide the entire development process. Ask yourself what you want your bot to achieve:

Profit Goals: Determine whether your aim is to generate steady income or capture short-term gains.

Risk Tolerance: Establish how much loss you are willing to tolerate per trade and overall. This helps in deciding on the risk management features of your bot.

Trading Style: Consider whether you prefer day trading, swing trading, or long-term investments.

For instance, you might set objectives like:

Targeting a 5% profit per month

Limiting losses to 2% per trade

Executing a set number of trades per week

Clearly defined objectives are the backbone of the Best AI Trading Bot and help shape your trading strategies.

Step 3: Selecting a Programming Language for Bot Development

Choosing the right programming language is critical to the success of your bot. Common languages include Python, JavaScript, and even C++ for high-performance needs:

Python: Known for its simplicity and the vast ecosystem of libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and TensorFlow, Python is often the first choice for AI-related projects.

JavaScript: If you are more comfortable with web development, JavaScript combined with Node.js can also be an effective option.

Community and Support: Consider which language has more community support and available resources; this can be invaluable as you troubleshoot and expand your project.

The right choice will depend on your background and the specific requirements of your AI Crypto Trading Bot.

Step 4: Setting Up Exchange Accounts with API Access

For your bot to execute trades, you need to interact with cryptocurrency exchanges through their APIs. Follow these steps to set up your trading environment:

Choose Your Exchange: Popular exchanges like Binance, Coinbase Pro, and Kraken provide reliable API access.

Generate API Keys: Securely create and store your API keys. It’s best practice to use environment variables or a secure vault to protect these keys.

Use Sandbox Environments: Many exchanges offer demo or sandbox accounts to test your bot without risking real funds.

This step is essential whether you’re developing the bot as an individual or partnering with a Crypto AI Trading Bot Development Company.

Step 5: Collecting and Analyzing Data for Your Trading Strategies

Data is at the heart of any trading bot. Your bot will rely on historical and real-time data to make informed decisions:

Historical Data: Use historical price and volume data to identify trends and test your trading strategies.

Real-Time Data: Incorporate live data feeds from your chosen exchange’s API to ensure your bot can react to market changes immediately.

Data Analysis Tools: Utilize libraries such as Pandas for data manipulation and Matplotlib for visualization. These tools can help you spot patterns and optimize your strategies.

A well-informed bot can be the difference between a profitable strategy and one that falters under market pressure.

Step 6: Developing Trading Strategies Based on Market Analysis

With data in hand, it’s time to develop trading strategies that your bot will follow:

Technical Analysis: Use indicators like moving averages, Relative Strength Index (RSI), and Bollinger Bands to set clear entry and exit points.

Sentiment Analysis: Consider incorporating news feeds or social media sentiment analysis to gauge the market mood.

Machine Learning: For an AI Crypto Trading Bot, machine learning models can detect patterns that are less obvious to human traders.

Some bullet points for your strategy:

Define clear rules for entering and exiting trades.

Consider multiple indicators to confirm signals.

Always include a failsafe in case the market behaves unpredictably.

A well-crafted strategy is a cornerstone of both Best AI Trading Bot and successful Crypto Trading Bot development.

Step 7: Building Your Bot's Architecture and Implementing Risk Management Features

A robust architecture is essential for reliability and performance. Focus on modular design and risk management:

Modular Architecture: Separate your bot into distinct modules—data collection, strategy evaluation, order execution, and risk management.

Error Handling: Build in error-checking routines to handle API outages, data feed interruptions, or unexpected market conditions.

Risk Management: Implement stop-loss orders, position sizing, and portfolio diversification strategies to protect your investments.

Key risk management bullet points:

Set maximum loss thresholds for each trade.

Define a daily or weekly maximum exposure.

Integrate alerts for unusual market activity.

These features ensure your AI Crypto Trading Bot can handle adverse conditions while safeguarding your capital.

Step 8: Training Your AI Models Using Machine Learning Frameworks

Integrating AI elevates your bot from a simple automated script to an adaptive trading partner:

Select a Framework: Consider TensorFlow, Keras, or PyTorch for developing your models. These frameworks have strong communities and plenty of tutorials.

Prepare Your Data: Use your historical data to train your models, making sure to split the data into training and validation sets to avoid overfitting.

Test and Validate: Continuously test your model on new data to ensure it can adapt to market changes without losing accuracy.

This phase transforms your bot into a true AI Crypto Trading Bot capable of learning and improving over time.

Step 9: Backtesting, Optimizing, and Paper Trading Your Bot Before Live Deployment

Before putting real money on the line, thorough testing is crucial:

Backtesting: Run your bot through historical data to simulate its performance. This will help you understand how it would have behaved during various market conditions.

Optimization: Fine-tune your strategies based on the results of your backtests. Adjust parameters, indicators, and risk management rules as needed.

Paper Trading: Utilize demo accounts to see how your bot performs in real-time without financial risk. This step provides invaluable feedback before a full live launch.

Paper trading and backtesting are essential to ensure that your Crypto AI Trading Bot performs as expected under live conditions.

Conclusion

Building an AI crypto trading bot requires technical skills, market insight, and continuous learning. From setting clear objectives to implementing risk management, each step shapes a reliable trading tool.

By training your bot with AI and rigorously testing it, you ensure it’s ready to handle real market conditions. Stay adaptable—markets evolve, and so should your strategies. Happy coding, and may your trading journey be profitable!

[sharebazaar-intensifyresearch]

Castrol India share price jumps 30% in FY25, yields 7% dividend. Do you own?

Castrol India share price surged from ₹186 to ₹239 apiece during FY25

Despite the recent bloodbath in the Indian stock market, Castrol India share price remained under the radar of Dalal Street bulls. While most stocks have given zero returns to their shareholders in 2025, Castrol India shares have delivered over 17 per cent return to its positional investors. Castrol India share price has registered over 13 per cent return in one month after rising from 210.46 to ₹239.19 apiece on the NSE. Castrol India share price has remained on an uptrend throughout FY25. Castrol India's share price ended at around ₹186 at the end of FY24, and it ended at ₹239.19 on Friday last week, recording a nearly 30 per cent rise in the current financial year. However, long-term investors have one more advantage.

Castrol India was also one of the dividend stocks in FY25. It traded ex-dividend twice in FY25 — on 7th August 2024 for finalising the list of eligible shareholders for ₹3.50 per share interim dividend payment, and it would trade ex-dividend on 18th March 2025 for payment of ₹9.50 per share final dividend. So, Castrol India's dividend yield in FY25 stood at around 7 per cent ( ₹13 per share dividend against investment of ₹186 per share), which is higher than the bank fixed deposit return given by any bank in this period. However, stock market experts predict more upside in Castrol India's share price.

Trigger for Castrol India share price rally Speaking on the reasons that fuel Castrol India's share price, Avinash Gorakshkar, Head of Research at Profitmart Securities, said, "The major reason for the recent rise is a buzz about a possible acquisition by Saudi Aramco of the British Petroleum's lubricant's business. Castrol India, one of the promoter companies of BP, is expected to benefit from this possible acquisition; hence, the market is bullish on the stock. Besides this, in the recent few months, crude oil prices have remained steady, which enabled Castrol India to keep its balance sheet on the positive side. The company has improved its margins and delivered better than expected quarterly earnings, attracting Dalal Street bulls' attention." Gorakshkar said that the recent rally in the Castrol India share price could be attributed to the ease in crude oil prices on renewal of the trade war.

Castrol India share price target Expecting more upside in Castrol India share price, Anshul Jain, Head of Research at Lakshmishree Investment and Securities, said, “Castrol India share price has surged past the 66-day cup and handle breakout at ₹220, backed by strong volume. Currently consolidating around ₹240, forming an inside bar suggests a brief pause before the next move. A breakout above ₹242 could trigger a sharp rally, with the stock likely heading towards ₹295 soon. Investors should watch for sustained momentum above ₹242 to confirm further bullish action.”

Castrol India's dividend history As mentioned above, Castrol India's share price trade ex-date on 7th August 2024 for ₹3.50 per share interim dividend, and it will trade ex-date for ₹9.50 per share final dividend. So, the total dividend announced by Castrol India is ₹13 ( ₹3.50 + ₹9.50) in FY25. If an investor had invested in Castrol India shares at the end of FY24, buying one share at ₹186, its dividend yield would have been around 7 per cent [{( ₹3.50 + ₹9.50) / 186} x 100].

Castrol India's five-year average ROE stands at 43.8 per cent, while ROCE is much better at 59.5 per cent.

Intensify Research Services is a professional stock advisory firm in Indore in share market latest news. We provide expert investment advice and guidance to individuals and High Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs), offering valuable trading tips and strategies for maximum profit. 2-day demo and a 30% discount on all services. Visit us at Intensify Research Services to learn more.

[swyvel]

5 Signs Your Dance Studio Needs Better Management Software

Running a dance studio is a rewarding experience, but managing all the moving parts can quickly become overwhelming. From class scheduling to payment processing, student communication, and attendance tracking, keeping everything organized is a challenge. If you're struggling with inefficiencies, it may be time to upgrade to a more effective Dance Studio Management Software.

Here are five clear signs that your current system isn't working and that better management software could transform your studio operations.

You’re Struggling with Class Scheduling

Scheduling dance classes, private lessons, and workshops can be a logistical nightmare, especially if you're doing it manually or using outdated software. If you frequently deal with:

Double bookings or scheduling conflicts

Missed or forgotten class registrations

Difficulty updating schedules in real-time

Then, it's time to consider Dance Studio Management Software with automated scheduling features. A good system will allow students to register online, update class schedules instantly, and send automated reminders to both students and instructors.

Billing and Payments Are a Headache

Are you spending hours chasing down payments, manually sending invoices, or dealing with inconsistent cash flow? A lack of efficient payment processing can disrupt your business and frustrate students and parents.

Upgrading your Dance Studio Management Software can help by offering:

Automated invoicing and payment reminders

Online payment processing with multiple payment options

Recurring billing for memberships and class packages

With better software, you can streamline your finances and ensure steady revenue without the stress of manual tracking.

You’re Losing Track of Student Attendance and Progress

If attendance sheets are getting lost, student progress isn’t being monitored, or tracking absences is difficult, it's a major sign that your studio needs a digital upgrade.

A robust Dance Studio Management Software should include:

Digital attendance tracking

Performance and progress monitoring

Automated alerts for frequent absences

This makes it easier to keep students engaged, identify trends, and offer personalized feedback to help them improve.

Communication with Students and Parents is Inefficient

Do you find yourself constantly answering phone calls, responding to emails, or struggling to send out updates to students and parents? Communication is key in running a successful dance studio, but doing it manually can be time-consuming.

A better Dance Studio Management Software will allow you to:

Send automated emails and text messages

Notify students about schedule changes, payment due dates, or upcoming events

Maintain a centralized communication platform

With these features, you can reduce miscommunication, save time, and ensure everyone stays informed effortlessly.

You’re Spending Too Much Time on Administrative Tasks

If you're spending more time managing spreadsheets, updating records, and handling paperwork than actually focusing on teaching and growing your studio, it’s a major red flag.

Investing in Dance Studio Management Software can help by automating many of these tasks, allowing you to:

Generate reports on financials, attendance, and student progress

Manage staff schedules and payroll with ease

Focus more on student engagement and studio expansion

Final Thoughts

If any of these signs sound familiar, it's time to upgrade your Dance Studio Management Software. The right system will streamline operations, reduce stress, and give you more time to focus on what truly matters—helping your students grow and succeed in their dance journey.

Take advantage of free trials or demos to find the best solution for your studio. The right software can make all the difference in transforming how you manage your dance business.