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shrugst · 8 months

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Hotel Website Design

Hotel Website Design

The majority of online booking engines can be inserted into an existing hotel website to serve solely as the reservation processing mechanism. Using ready-to-use, customizable website templates, they can also act as the hotel website.

The key advantage of using a booking engine for hotels is that it allows them to capture new reservations without paying fees from third-party distribution networks such as OTAS, GDSS, travel agents, or online marketplaces. Guests can book online at any time and from any place, and if a payment gateway is integrated, their credit cards will be charged immediately.

What does Travelopro do in Hotel Website Design and Development?

Travelopro, is the best website designing company across the globe, focusing on different web portal development services. Our team of website development experts has a significant amount of knowledge and experience in hotel website development.

Travelopro is a leader in hotel website development and has gathered a sizable experience in the field through endless projects over the years. We provide comprehensive booking solutions for your hotel business so that your customers have a seamless experience and your business achieves notable sales.

Travelopro provides a platform by which a customer makes an online Hotel Booking unique. Our Hotel Booking System is directly connected to the APIs in which the data is fetched directly and the results are displayed in the form of an Invoice. After selecting the hotel segment, it will redirect to the payment gateway for payment. And then the customer can generate the invoice. We are providing the Travel Portal Services in India, the USA/UK Market, and many more countries.

Hotel Booking System is a one-stop solution that uses content from multiple suppliers that can meet the exact requirements of your customers, nowadays a wide range of accommodation choices is available at every location with different pricing and availability. So, navigating through multiple suppliers can be a tedious task. Hotel API is integrated to get access to the global Hotel Content and best deals. With Hotel API Integration, your customers get a wider choice of hotels with real-time availability and Confirmation.

Our hotel booking is directly connected to more than 7,00,000 inventories in which the data is fetched and the result is displayed. Through the Hotel Booking System, you can browse the huge hotel inventories at one place, book Room, Cancel Room, generate bookings report, generate Cancellation report very easily.

We help you increase your hotel's visibility on Google Search, attracting more people to your website. Our built web solution does not just maximize your online exposure and optimize your revenue opportunities but also reduces the time and cost spent on manual processes.

Due to the huge competition in the market, if you fail to bring your business online, then you end up losing customers. Our conversion-focused design team will turn your hotel website into a powerful customer-generating machine and encourage more customers to book directly.

We provide hotel and accommodation managers with a complete end-to-end software solution, with a highly esteemed app solution. We understand the world of online bookings, likewise, we know what makes an effective accommodation website and how to combine these elements to help turn visitors to your site into paying guests.

How is Hotel Booking Website Design works?

An online booking system operates by integrating a widget on your hotel's website, allowing it to accept secure online bookings. The data is then sent to your property management system, where workers can view and handle customer reservations, as well as notify other sales channels of changes to current availability.

The online booking engine has the advantage of being able to be incorporated into social media accounts to promote reservations. This ensures that visitors can book rooms without having to visit your website or any other travel website.

The online hotel booking engine shows the prices, allowing your potential guests to choose their dates, many people, process payments, and receive an automated confirmation email in real-time, resulting in a smooth booking experience.

Travelopro is a world-class website design and development company that offers amazing web solutions exclusively for the hotels and restaurant sectors. Our team has mastered the art of hotel web design and development by creating high-quality websites with features such as online booking, digital payment support, live chat-bot services, and more.

We closely analyze and research your hotel and restaurant to showcase your specialties on the website. Our end-to-end creative solutions will create a powerful web presence for your hotel and restaurant in the competitive online space. Kick-start your hotel website design and development journey together with our team!

We develop hotel booking websites that are interactive and provide your prospective clients with the best user experience. The hotel booking website provides a summary of all the available hotels in an area. A secure payment gateway will be integrated for secure payment. A hotel booking website ensures that your website is not just a marketing tool but can fetch revenue as well.

Our Hotel Booking System is directly connected to the APIs in which the data is fetched directly and the results are displayed for online booking. After selecting the hotel segment, it will redirect to the payment gateway for payment. And then the customer can generate the invoice. We are providing the Travel Portal Services globally.

We provide a platform where hotel bookings can be easily done in an efficient way. By integrating hotel API with the web Portal, you can browse a large number of hotels offers, book rooms, cancel rooms, generate reports for booking and cancellations, etc. very easily and efficiently.

Apart from Hotel Booking Website & App Development services, we also offer Travel Portal Development, eCommerce Website & App, Bus Booking Website & App, Travel Affiliate Website & App, Hotel Management System, Car Management System, Tour Management System, Hotel CMS, Car CMS, Tour CMS, Hire Bus Website & App, and more.

Features of Hotel Website Design

We understand that your hotel website is the core of your business as well as online marketing. We offer creative hotel website design by understanding architecture, navigation, conversion, and user experience. We endeavor to complete a digital solution for the hotel website so that it strives for direct bookings for hotels and resorts. Each and every web page of a website is dynamic, easy to navigate, and has features like robust design and content. We believe in building long-term relationships with our clients, so we see them as our partners, not customers.

Manage Bookings

Responsive and Mobile Friendly Website

Real-Time Availability

Real-Time Booking Confirmation

Multi-Language Access

Multi-Currency Options

Secure Payment Gateway

Social Media Integration

Reporting features

Review Management

Cloud-Based Services

Hotel Website Design Services

Travelopro is a premier hotel website design company with years of collective experience in building high-quality hotel booking and management websites for businesses in the hospitality industry.

Development

Travelopro is one of World's best digital agencies that have in-depth knowledge of hotel & restaurant website design and development.

We build your website with responsive layout design, smooth navigation, custom plugins, user-friendly interface, etc. to increase the engagement of your audience on your website.

The websites we design and develop will be an effective platform through which you can effectively communicate with your audience at the right time.

API

As a leading API development service provider, Travelopro can deliver amazing API solutions that will make life easier for your team.

Our expert developers have a wealth of experience in integrating APIs for payment, booking, reservation, etc. to your hotel website.

Further, if you like to integrate APIs that best match your business requirements, then we can deliver customized API solutions through which you can offer seamless services to your website visitors.

Branding

Travelopro is a renowned logo design company that aims to design memorable logos for your hotel and restaurant.

With our creative logo design services, creating a unique brand identity for your hotel and conveying the right message to your potential customers will become a piece of cake.

By choosing impressive color palettes, symbols, typography styles, and other design elements, we can design monogram logos, iconic logos, wordmark logos, and much more.

SEO

Being one of the top SEO solution providers, Travelopro ensures that your hotel website gets maximum visibility and organic traffic from search engines.

With our professional SEO experts, you can bring in more quality leads to your hotel website and expand the overall ROI of your business.

We understand the preferences of your target customers and implement smart SEO strategies that make you excel in the competition curve.

Social Media

Travelopro is a social media marketing company that offers specialized solutions for hotels and restaurants.

Our team has an extensive amount of experience in building a loyal following on all the top social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

With our consistent and strategic efforts, you can maintain a strong relationship with social media users and make your hotel business fly high in the social media space.

Digital Marketing

As a renowned hotel and restaurant digital marketing service provider, Travelopro offers amazing digital marketing solutions to gain maximum exposure for your hotel or restaurant.

We offer content marketing, social media marketing, PPC advertising, email marketing, and other digital marketing services at an affordable price.

By partnering with our digital marketing strategists, you will be able to establish a powerful presence for your hotel in the online space and obtain maximum ROI.

Why Choose Travelopro As A Top Hotel Website Development Company?

Methodology of Agile

We will create continuous versions to provide you with complete visibility of your online hotel booking engine creation project as it progresses. Our collaborative approach will allow you to provide feedback at the end of each sprint.

Stability

Working in test environments allows us to ensure effective and safe constructions during the development process. If an application is released, we closely monitor it using our integrated analyses in order to sustain and develop the product as it progresses through subsequent phases.

Industry-wide experience

We have vast experience partnering with agencies, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), and brands all over the world. We have experience working with many leading players in the mobile, internet, enterprise, charity, and agency industries, and we have expertise across the entire mobile ecosystem.

Experts in all aspects of mobile technology

We have a team of developers who specialize in the full range of hotel booking engine solutions. From native solutions to cross-platform solutions and web technologies, including server-side growth, we have you covered.

For more details, Pls visit our Website:

#Hotel Website Design #Online Reservation System for Hotels

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arriettyella · 9 months

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Hotel Website Design

Hotel Website Design:

The key advantage of using a booking engine for hotels is that it allows them to capture new reservations without paying fees from third-party distribution networks such as OTAs, GDSs, travel agents, or online marketplaces. Guests can book online at any time and from any place, and if a payment gateway is integrated, their credit cards will be charged immediately.

What does Travelopro do in Hotel Website Design and Development?

Hotel Booking System is a one-stop solution that uses content from multiple suppliers that can meet the exact requirements of your customers.

Nowadays a wide range of accommodation choices is available at every location with different pricing and availability. So, navigating through multiple suppliers can be a tedious task. Hotel API is integrated to get access to the global Hotel Content and best deals. With Hotel API Integration, your customers get a wider choice of hotels with real-time availability and Confirmation.

Our hotel booking is directly connected to more than inventories in which the data is fetched and the result is displayed. Through the Hotel Booking System, you can browse the huge hotel inventories at one place, book Room, Cancel Room, generate bookings report, generate Cancellation report very easily.

How is Hotel Booking Website Design works?

We develop hotel booking websites that are interactive and provide your prospective clients with the best user experience. The hotel booking website provides a summary of all the available hotels in an area. A secure payment gateway will be integrated for secure payment A hotel booking website ensures that your website is not just a marketing tool but can fetch revenue as well.

Our Hotel Booking System is directly connected to the APIs in which the data is fetched directly and the results are displayed for online booking.

After selecting the hotel segment, it will redirect to the payment gateway for payment And then the customer can generate the invoice. We are providing the Travel Portal Services globally.

Features Of Hotel Website Design:

Manage Bookings.

Responsive and Mobile Friendly Website.

Real-Time Availability.

Real-Time Booking Confirmation.

Multi-Language Access.

Multi-Currency Options.

Secure Payment Gateway.

Social Media Integration.

Reporting features.

Review Management.

Cloud-Based Services.

Hotel Website Design Services:

Travelopro is a premier hotel website design company with years of collective experience in building high-quality hotel booking and management websites for businesses in the hospitality industry.

Development:

Travelopro is one of World's best digital agencies that have in-depth knowledge of hotel & restaurant website design and development.

We build your website with responsive layout design, smooth navigation, custom plugins, user-friendly interface, etc- to increase the engagement of your audience on your website.

The websites we design and develop will be an effective platform through which you can effectively communicate with your audience at the right time.

API:

As a leading API development service provider, Travelopro can deliver amazing API solutions that will make life easier for your team.

Our expert developers have a wealth of experience in integrating APIs for payment, booking, reservation, etc. to your hotel website.

Further, if you like to integrate APIs that best match your business requirements, then we can deliver customized API solutions through which you can offer seamless services to your website visitors.

Branding:

Travelopro is a renowned logo design company that aims to design memorable logos for your hotel and restaurant.

With our creative logo design services, creating a unique brand identity for your hotel and conveying the right message to your potential customers will become a piece of cake.

By choosing impressive color palettes, symbols, typography styles, and other design elements, we can design monogram logos, iconic logos, wordmark logos, and much more.

Branding in Media:

SEO:

Being one of the top SEO solution providers, Travelopro ensures that your hotel website gets maximum visibility and organic traffic from search engines.

With our professional SEO experts, you can bring in more quality leads to your hotel website and expand the overall ROI of your business.

We understand the preferences of your target customers and implement smart SEO strategies that make you excel in the competition curve.

Social Media:

Travelopro is a social media marketing company that offers specialized solutions for hotels and restaurants.

Our team has an extensive amount of experience in building a loyal following on all the top social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, etc_

With our consistent and strategic efforts, you can maintain a strong relationship with social media users and make your hotel business fly high in the social media space.

Digital Marketing:

As a renowned hotel and restaurant digital marketing service provider, Travelopro offers amazing digital marketing solutions to gain maximum exposure for your hotel or restaurant.

We offer content marketing, social media marketing, PPC advertising, email marketing, and other digital marketing services at an affordable price.

By partnering with our digital marketing strategists, you will be able to establish a powerful presence for your hotel in the online space and obtain maximum ROI.

Why Choose Travelopro As A Top Hotel Website Development Company?

Methodology of Agile:

Stability:

Industry-wide experience:

Experts in all aspects of mobile technology:

Features of Online Reservation System:

Fast and Flexible booking engine.

Secure, scalable and robust reservation architecture.

Fully customized booking engine.

Cost-effective solutions.

User friendly interface.

Integrated Payment Gateway.

Multi-language support.

For more details, Pls visit our website:

#HotelWebDesign #WebsiteDesignForHotels #HotelOnlinePresence #UserFriendlyHotelWebsite #HotelDigitalExperience #ResponsiveHotelWebsite #HotelWebsiteOptimization #ModernHotelDesign #HotelWebsiteFunctionality #HotelOnlineBooking

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gmr2 · 1 year

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rapidhotelsupplie · 1 year

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Discover different types of OS&E Supplier in USA and their importance to make your hotel run smoothly

As the owner or manager of a hotel, it’s crucial to establish relationships with a variety of suppliers in order to ensure the smooth operation of your business. From linens and toiletries to food and beverages, there are numerous products and services you’ll need to keep your hotel running smoothly. The different types of suppliers you’ll need for your hotel are:

Linen Suppliers

One of the most essential types of suppliers for any hotel is a linen supplier. Your guests expect clean and fresh linens, towels, and other bedding, so it’s important to have a reliable supplier that can provide high-quality products on a regular basis. Linen suppliers can provide a variety of items, including bed sheets, pillowcases, duvets, bath towels, and bath mats. Some suppliers may also offer additional services such as laundry and dry cleaning, which can be a real time-saver for busy hotel managers.

Toiletry Suppliers

Another important type of OS&E Supplier in USA for your hotel is a toiletry supplier. Your guests will expect basic toiletries such as soap, shampoo, and conditioner, as well as other items like toothbrushes and razors. Some hotels also provide luxury toiletries as a way to pamper their guests and create a more memorable experience. Toiletry suppliers can offer a variety of products at different price points, so it’s important to choose a supplier that can meet your specific needs.

Food and Beverage Suppliers

A food and beverage one stop solution provider for hotels in USA are essential for hotels that offer dining options for their guests. Whether you have a full-service restaurant or simply offer a continental breakfast, you’ll need a reliable supplier to provide fresh ingredients and other food items. Beverage suppliers can provide everything from bottled water to alcoholic beverages. Make sure to choose a supplier that offers high-quality products that are in line with your hotel’s brand and image.

Cleaning and Janitorial Suppliers

Keeping your hotel clean and tidy is essential for maintaining a positive guest experience. That’s why it’s important to have a reliable supplier of cleaning and janitorial products. This can include everything from cleaning chemicals and equipment to trash bags and paper towels. An OS&E Supplier in USA may also offer additional services like floor waxing and carpet cleaning, which can help keep your hotel looking its best.

Technology Suppliers

In today’s world, technology is an important part of running a hotel. From booking systems and online reservations to in-room entertainment and Wi-Fi, you’ll need a variety of technology suppliers to keep your hotel up and running. A technology one stop solution provider for hotels in USA can provide everything from hardware like computers and televisions to software like property management systems and guest-facing apps.

Maintenance Suppliers

Maintaining your hotel’s physical infrastructure is crucial for ensuring the safety and comfort of your guests. That’s why it’s important to have a reliable supplier of maintenance products and services. This can include everything from light bulbs and HVAC filters to plumbing supplies and electrical equipment. Some suppliers may also offer maintenance and repair services, which can be a real lifesaver when unexpected issues arise.

Event Suppliers

If your hotel hosts events like weddings, conferences, and meetings, you’ll need an event one stop solution provider for hotels in USA to help make those events a success. This can include everything from audio-visual equipment and lighting to catering and decor. Some hotels may also work with event planners to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that guests have a memorable experience.

When selecting an OS&E Supplier in USA for your hotel, it's important to keep a few things in mind. First, make sure that the supplier offers high-quality products and services that are in line with your hotel's brand and image. You should also look for suppliers that are reliable, flexible, and able to meet your specific needs. Finally, make sure to negotiate favorable pricing and payment terms to help keep your costs under control.

Overall, the relationship you establish with your OS&E Supplier in USA is essential for the success of your hotel. By working closely with each supplier and maintaining open lines of communication, you can ensure that your hotel operates smoothly, and guests have a positive experience.

There are a wide variety of suppliers that are essential for the successful operation of a hotel. By establishing relationship with reliable one stop solution provider for hotels in USA in each of these areas, you can ensure that your guests have a positive experience and that your business runs smoothly. From linens and toiletries to food and beverage, cleaning and janitorial supplies, technology, maintenance, and event suppliers there are numerous suppliers that hotels need to establish and maintain relationships with. By doing so, you can ensure that your hotel operates smoothly, and guests have an enjoyable experience. To buy top quality cleansing bar (soap), click on https://rapidhotelsupplies.com/collections/hotel-amenities/products/15g-cleansing-bar-elan-organics-made-with-100-vegetable-oil

#one stop solution provider for hotels in USA

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marketwatchpune · 1 year

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Canada Gpu/ Tpu 3D Storage Technology Market Upcoming Trends, Segmented by Type, Application, End-Canadaer and Region – Freescale Semiconductor Inc, Texas Instruments Inc, TechPowerUp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, ARM Holdings Plc

https://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207054/Europe-PCB-Prototyping-Machines-Market-Segmented-by-Type-Application-Endhttps://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207056/Europe-Mining-Remanufacturing-Components-Market-Challenges-Opportunities-size-sharehttps://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207062/Europe-Meeting-Room-Booking-Systems-Market-2023-Booming-Across-Globehttps://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207063/USA-MicroBulk-Delivery-Systems-Market-Analysis-by-leading-manufacturers-2023https://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207064/Europe-Acoustical-Ceiling-Tiles-Market-2023-2029-Explained-Effective-movementshttps://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207068/USA-Level-Fillers-Market-Hitting-New-Heights-Between-2023-2029https://demo.sngine.com/blogs/207070/Europe-Cut-off-Concrete-Saw-Market-Outlines-the-Growth-Factorshttps://www.prosebox.net/entry/1592933/usa-web-to-print-solutions-market-2023-latest-trending-industry-is-booming-globally/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1592938/europe-electronic-films-market-outlook-2023-size-players-cost-structures/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593165/usa-industrial-pumps-market-report-pointing-to-capture-growth-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593166/europe-on-board-3d-laser-scanner-market-statistics-industry-planning-structure/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593168/usa-disposable-plastic-straw-market-2023-size-share-trends-growth/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593169/europe-underfill-dispensing-machines-market-future-scope-demands-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593170/usa-underfill-dispensing-machines-for-smt-application-market-to-witness-huge-growth-by-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593172/usa-correlative-light-electron-microscopy-clem-market-2029-growing-rapidly-with-latest-trend/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593174/europe-shiitake-mushroom-extract-market-2023-demand-amp-future-scope/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593176/usa-petitgrain-market-advancing-the-growth-globally-by-trends/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593178/europe-aquarium-chiller-market-2023-overview-forecast-study-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593179/europe-low-density-plumber-tape-market-segmented-by-type-application-end-user/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593181/europe-electrical-static-discharge-gloves-market-challenges-amp-opportunities-size-amp-share/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593183/europe-fabric-anti-static-electronics-gloves-market-2023-booming-across-globe-by-segments/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593184/usa-hand-pallet-trucks-market-analysis-by-leading-manufacturers-2023-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593186/europe-integrated-circuits-ics-market-2023-2029-explained-effective-movements/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593187/usa-cemetery-service-market-hitting-new-heights-between-2023-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593189/europe-power-entry-module-pem-market-outlines-the-growth-factors-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593191/usa-switch-knobs-market-2023-latest-trending-industry-is-booming-globally/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593193/europe-enterprise-session-border-controller-sbc-market-outlook-2023-size-players-cost-structures/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593194/usa-general-purpose-disk-arrays-market-report-pointing-to-capture-growth-2029/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593196/europe-higher-education-learning-management-systems-market-statistics-industry-planning-structure/https://www.prosebox.net/entry/1593198/usa-application-development-life-cycle-management-market-2023-size-share-trends-growth/

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dallasbusinessassociation · 2 years

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Top Three Libraries in Dallas

The city of Dallas is known to its amazing history, culture and heritage. It is also known as one of the largest cities in the US state of Texas. This city has been in existence since the 19th century and over the years, it has experienced growth in population and economy. Dallas is a part of the forth largest metro area in the state, that is, Dallas-FortWorth Metroplex. The city is also a great place to raise a family as it has features like schools, hospitals, libraries and many more. The libraries in the city are well equipped to aid study and research. The top three libraries in Dallas are:

J. Erik Jonsson Central Library

This is the main library of the Dallas public library located at 1515 Young St, Dallas, TX 75201, USA. This library has lots of books, computers and research materials. It also has study and meeting rooms. Literary events are also hosted by this library.

Hampton-Illinois Branch Library

This is a public library located at 2951 S Hampton Rd, Dallas, TX75224, USA. This library is well equipped with computers and study materials. It also has free WiFi, teen center and study rooms. The also organizes regular story time for kids.

Tycher Library

This library is located at Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas7800 Northaven Road Dallas, TX. It was established with the aim of promoting Jewish related studies. It houses a large collection of Jewish fiction and non fiction. It also has lots of movies available for the users.

Another feature that makes the city of Dallas perfect for raising a family is the ability for businesses to thrive. This is made possible with help from groups like Dallas Business Association. The aim of this group is to help local business owners heighten their profits. Also if you need of Drip Therapy can be used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, including dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, and infections. It can also be used to boost the immune system and enhance the efficacy of certain medications. To know more click here http://libertyiv.com.

Liberty IV Infusion Therapy

11837 Judd CT, STE 116, DALLAS, TX 75243 USA

Phone: 972-900-0096

Map Driving Directions

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hakesbros · 2 years

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Centennial Care Overview New Mexico Human Services Division

A typical Doña Ana County home listed for $337,000 in May, up 2.1% from a month earlier, an evaluation of information from Realtor.com reveals. Since it’s solely about an hour's drive to the US-Mexico border, Las Cruces undoubtedly has a powerful Mexican food scene. In the Old Mesilla Village, go to La Posta, a beloved casual Mexican restaurant based in 1939. Or strive Double Eagle, an elegant and vintage restaurant that showcases traditional Mexican delicacies and historical past — they even have their very own ghost stories to entertain you as you dine. Chope’s Bar & Café is another native favorite for delicious lunch and dinner within the southern New Mexico type. School service boundaries are meant for use as reference only.

Thesefrothy markets include places like Boise("overvalued" by 74%) and Austin ("overvalued" by 61%). So, now you are in all probability home builders in las cruces wondering, “How do I find an IKEA furniture retailer near me? ” Check out theIKEA Store Locatorand we hope to see you soon!

There are new building homes in Las Cruces of every variety, from small to giant and modest to majestic. Look for Pueblo Revival and cottage-style homes with a traditional really feel and a modern twist all through the city. No matter what type of new build in Las Cruces you select, you'll have the homes for sale las cruces ability to rest assured that they are all designed to meet the needs of the modern homebuyer. In discovering the typical price, all prices of homes listed are added after which divided by the number of homes bought.

Las Cruces hosts many cultural occasions, including the Border Book Festival, the Whole Enchilada Fiesta, the Southern New Mexico State Fair, wine festivals, and extra. You can go mountaineering on the Dripping Springs Natural Area or the Soledad Canyon, or watch a film at the Fountain Theatre, a nonprofit arthouse screening room. With its nice financial system and many employment alternatives, many homebuyers are searching homes for sale in las cruces nm for new building homes for sale in Las Cruces. The rent, worth, and other elements would differ between any two neighborhoods. For instance, the median actual property value for N Main Street properties is $161,223, with a median rent of $1,161. If you select City Center, the median price is $129,972, with a median hire of $984.

I will definitely be shopping for a home from Red Cliff this year. Trained craftsmen work together each step of the home building course of to verify we assemble homes sturdy enough to final a lifetime. From design and our constructing process to maximizing your price range and energy savings - see why our homes are the good selection. Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Jump, Inc. absolutely new homes las cruces supports the ideas of the Fair Housing Act and Equal Opportunity Act. Any providers or merchandise supplied by independently owned and operated franchises aren't provided by, affiliated with or related to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC nor any of its affiliated corporations. Are you planning a transfer to Las Cruces, NM and questioning if it is an costly place to reside in?

At the identical time, these beneath this threshold saw a 5.2% decline. Information on your native housing market is on the market through the USA TODAY Network, with more information from Realtor.com. The median record home worth in May was up about 22.6% from May 2021. Doña Ana County's median home was 2,044 square homes for sale in las cruces new mexico toes for a listed value of $167 per square foot. If you are looking to promote your personal home in the High Range space, our itemizing agents might help you get the most effective price.

#real estate

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furiousstarfishphilosopher · 4 years

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keanureevesisbae · 3 years

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But professor... - c.1

Summary: Penny Townsend is going to attend her first criminology class. What she didn’t expect was professor Walter Marshall.

Professor!Walter Marshall x Penny Townsend (Asian ofc)

Wordcount: 3.3k

Warnings: Mentions of murder and blood

A/N: I hope you enjoy this Professor!AU -- can you imagine? Walter Marshall as a professor? 🤤

Masterlist // But professor... masterlist // Next chapter

✎ ✎ ✎

My parents hoped that I would become a doctor. I get it—being friends with a lot of successful parents with equally successful children, must’ve raised their standard for me. They however must’ve known that medicine wasn’t it for me and going to law school isn’t my forte either. It must’ve been hard on them, knowing I wasn’t that intellectually gifted, though they tried their best for me to be.

They did a lot for me. At the ripe age of two to five hours, I was placed at the entrance of a church in Maryland. The pastor and his wife discovered me and brought me to the hospital, only to found out I wasn’t just a couple weeks premature, but also had a lot of heroin in my system.

My birth parents barely gave me a chance the second I was born (probably when I was conceived, but okay) and that is why I am so grateful that my adoptive parents care so much about me.

And that’s why I want to make them proud and studying psychology is my best chance at being the successful daughter they deserve, but man does it feel wrong to be here. I know there is another student out there who deserves to be here, who actually wants to do this, yet here I am taking their place.

Psychology wasn’t the greatest choice already, but having to take criminology was an even bigger mistake. I walk into the lecture hall for the first criminology class. My hands shake because of the nerves, they’re even clammy. I’m not good at making friends, so seeing those cliques that has formed after only two weeks of university, makes me slightly jealous and really alone.

I never really fitted in. My teachers would describe me as a sweet young girl, who is painfully shy.

That, of course, is if they even noticed me at all.

It can be hard to fit in, especially when you feel out of place the second you enter a room, like I have felt since I can remember.

‘Take a seat,’ I hear a deep voice say and I look up, to meet the eyes of the professor. He is unlike all of my other professors. He isn’t in a suit or at least some decent slacks. His denim jeans hugs his thick thighs, as he wears a sweater on top. His curls are disheveled and slightly frizzy and his beard is asymmetrical. A deep frown in between his brows.

‘Me?’ I ask in a soft tone.

He nods. ‘You,’ he confirms.

I walk passed him to choose a seat in the back. I take place and look around me, only to meet the eyes of the professor again. While I wonder what made him choose teaching, since he doesn’t look like someone who was born to teach, I also ponder about the fact he is looking at me again.

Why would he do that?

I grab my laptop and open it, opening a new document. I’ve been going to NYU for two weeks now, yet this is my first criminology class. I run my fingers through my hair, pushing up the glasses on my nose bridge.

‘Okay everyone,’ I hear the professor say, when it’s time for the class to start. ‘There is a sheet going around. Find the spot you’re sitting now and write down your name. If I find out you are messing with me, you have failed your class immediately.’

He is not beating around the bush.

‘I’m detective Walter Marshall. I have worked for the MPD, the Minneapolis Police Department. For this semester there are three subjects we’ll cover. Victimology, crime analysis and the psychology of criminal behavior.’

This is not at all what I want to learn. This is too gore for me. I should’ve stood up to my parents and go to cosmetology school like I originally wanted. It’s better for me anyways.

I’m so stupid.

The paper ends up on my table and I try to find my place on it. I write down ‘Penelope Townsend’ and slide it to the person two tables over. Professor Marshall explains how we have a weekly lecture of two hours and how he is available for questions every Friday, since he’ll be in his office.

‘Does anyone have any questions?’

A guy raises his hand. ‘Why aren’t you working for the MPD anymore, sir?’

Professor Marshall sits on the edge of his desk, crossing his muscular arms in front of his chest. ‘I was put on leave.’

‘Why?’

‘There were some issues,’ he says. ‘Between me and suspects.’

I have no idea what he is implying, but the silence in the classroom is so thick, that I have a clue what types of issues came with said suspects.

‘Really?’ the guy asks.

The professor only raises his eyebrows, which obviously means he isn’t joking. You don’t need to have studied Psychology to figure that out. ‘Any more questions?

‘Do we work in pairs for the assignment?’ a girl asks.

He shakes his head. ‘No, individual works only.’

I let out a sigh of relief. Thank the stars, I don’t want to work with others. Really, I don’t.

‘Okay, if that’s all, let me start right away. What do these women have in common?’ He presses a button on his presenter and the screen behind him changes. Three pictures of women appear on the screen. It’s their driver’s license photo.

‘They’re women,’ a guy says, causing a few to laugh.

Professor Marshall grabs the paper with names and says: ‘Does anyone have something less obvious to comment than mister Fitzgerald?’ He seems not amused at all by the words of Fitzgerald.

‘Brown hair, blue eyes,’ a girl says.

He nods. ‘And?’

‘They’re pretty,’ another girl says.

‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ he notes. His eyes scan the paper and he looks up. ‘Miss Townsend, do you have something to add?’

Our eyes meet again and I realize that I’m the only miss Townsend in the class. I clear my throat and look at the pictures. Say something smart, Penny. Say something intelligent. Really intelligent.

The obvious things have already been said, so I should stay away from those things.

I swallow hard, press my glasses better on my nose and say: ‘Their left eyelid is slightly droopy.’

I hear some people chuckle a bit, making me feel everything but intelligent.

‘Quiet,’ professor Marshall says and the chuckles die down instantly. ‘Their droopy left eyelid is what made them appealing to the killer.’ He looks up from the other side of class, right at me. His slightly annoyed gaze dissolves for a few moments into a soft one. ‘Miss Townsend made an excellent point here. It took an entire police department to come to that conclusion over the course of two months.’

Oh my goodness, I made an excellent point.

The slides change and I see another picture. This time it’s of a man. It’s a mugshot. I bet he is the killer.

‘Miss Townsend, since you are on a roll,’ the professor continues and I nearly groan. Really? He wants me to answer another questions? ‘What’s do you notice about this man?’

I scan his entire face. He has a crooked nose, blemishes on his forehead and thin lips. He looks like a killer. This would be the type of man I would avoid if I came across him.

‘His left eyelid is also droopy,’ I say.

Is that a tiny smirk on his lips? ‘Correct.’ While professor Marshall continues to explain about how his own appearance is unknowingly influencing his choice of victims, I can’t help but beam a little with pride. ‘Because,’ he continues, ‘if you understand your victims, you can understand your killer.’ The slideshow changes to one word. ‘Welcome to victimology.’

✎ ✎ ✎

Time spend in a lecture hall while professor Marshall teaches flies by. Though he is a bit grumpy and not very welcoming, he is interesting and smart. Much better than my other teachers. I put everything in my backpack, before I get up from my seat. I’m one of the last students to leave the place, mostly because I don’t want to be swarmed by the cliques.

‘Miss Townsend,’ professor Marshall says, causing me to stop misstep as I already passed him.

I turn around. ‘Yes?’ I ask.

He doesn’t look up from his notes. ‘You did well in class today.’

Is this man giving me a compliment? He might be the first one in a teacher like position to ever notice me, let alone give me a compliment. ‘I did?’

‘Yeah,’ he says, now looking up from his notes. ‘Don’t hesitate to say something in class next time. You have great insight.’

‘Or just luck,’ I say.

Professor Marshall shakes his head. ‘No, this isn’t about luck, this is good insight. So, can you promise me to raise your hand next class?’

I bite my lip, before shaking my head. ‘No, I can’t.’

‘Why can’t you?’

‘What I said: this was luck and it probably won’t happen again. I have to go. I reserved a spot at the library. If that is all, sir?’

He doesn’t say anything, simply looks at me. It takes a second, maybe two before he nods. ‘If you have questions,’ he says, ‘you know how to contact me.’

I nod, before I walk out of the hall. I see students gathering in front of the door and I quickly slip through them and make my way to the library. I’ve been going to classes for around two weeks now and I’m still up to date as we speak. I decide to at least make a beginning with the assignments of my criminology class, because the sooner I start, the less work and stress I’ll experience later on, because I most definitely will stress about it.

It’s been quite awhile since I opened a book for school for assignments or preparing for exams. After high school, I decided to take a gap year, which ended in two. I’ve traveled with all sorts of groups to different countries, worked at an international cafe in Japan for awhile. It did help me with my social skills. I was happy, social and totally in my element. Those wonderful skills were all forgotten the second I stepped foot back in the USA again.

It was my parents that pushed for going back to college and once they figured out that medicine or law wasn’t up my alley, they agreed psychology, though it wasn’t my thing either.

It’s okay, sure, but… Gosh, I miss the freedom I had during the gap years. I’m not stupid, but is the academical life for me? I have looked at cosmetology school and boy do I wish I was there at the moment.

And not here.

✎ ✎ ✎

I don’t know how long I have been at the library, but my eyes are tired by the time I close my laptop. Besides working on my assignment, I also texted my parents to tell them everything is going fine and checked out multiple cosmetology schools here in the area.

Originally I’m from Maryland, meaning it’s only a three hour drive to see my parents and for them to check in on me. I considered lying about my major, about attending NYU and just go to cosmetology school, but mom and dad are paying my tuition, which is another loophole in my plan.

I put the laptop in my backpack and walk out of the library. Every second my mind wasn’t occupied with university related things, it went straight back to my first criminology class, more specifically my professor. His words. It’s one thing he said those things to me, but another that he looked so handsome while saying it.

‘There she is,’ I hear from behind me as I walk through the hallways to the exit. I turn around to discover it’s Fitzgerald. I forgot his first name, which is weird since we share a lot of the same classes together. He isn’t easy to miss. Pleasant on the eyes, that’s for sure, but he is loud, thinks he is hilarious and that makes him kinda annoying. ‘Miss Townsend,’ he says in a mocking tone.

Okay, change kinda annoying to absolutely insufferable.

‘Hm?’

Fitzgerald walks next to me and he comes a lot closer than I prefer. ‘You’re already the teacher’s pet,’ he continues. ‘Bet the man has a thing for Asian chicks.’

I have no idea how to respond to that implication. My instinct says to get out of here, but the exit is right ahead of me and from the looks of it, Fitzgerald is going there as well. So there is no escape.

‘But let’s say it’s beginners luck,’ he says, ‘because it was actually the first time I heard you speak.’

‘You mind leaving me alone?’ I ask.

‘Why is that, sugar boo?’

Okay, now I’m gonna vomit. Goosebumps run over my spine and the hairs in my neck are standing straight up. I bet this guy’s dad is rich, therefore the only reason he is here. ‘I don’t want you here.’

‘You don’t want me here?’ He starts to chuckle. ‘Sweetheart, everyone wants me here.’

Not me.

‘Fitzgerald, are you deaf?’

It’s professor Marshall.

His eyes enlarge when he realizes that too. ‘No, sir,’ he quickly says.

‘She said she doesn’t want you here.’ He stands in front of the two of us, looking everything but amused. ‘You know, back when I was working, I encountered a lot of guys like you. Did you know they usually peak in high school, do okay in college, but the second they end up locked up in jail—and I promise you, they most often will—they aren’t so tough anymore. They usually end up as someone’s bitch.’

To hear this entire monologue and the word bitch from a professor, was not at all what I was expecting. Fitzgerald’s face is drained from all its color. While Fitzgerald looks like he shat himself, I am utterly amazed. I wish I was this intimidating, I think to myself.

Fitzgerald clears his throat, eyes darting around the hallway, almost as if he is trying to find the closest exit. He shoots out of this place very quickly, meaning I’m left with only our professor.

‘Thank you, sir,’ I say.

Professor Marshall simply nods. ‘You know, if you lowered your shoulders, you’d appear more confident.’

Why do I feel so offended? ‘Oh…’

‘It’s advice, miss Townsend, not criticism.’

‘Oh,’ I say again, this time in a whisper like tone. He could’ve brought it up a bit nicer though. No need to hurt my feelings like that.

Professor Marshall and I both walk towards the exit and I notice it’s raining. Great, guess who didn’t bring her umbrella and also isn’t wearing a jacket with a hood?

Absolutely fantastic.

‘Here,’ the professor says, holding out his umbrella for me.

Is this truly happening? ‘Oh, sir, that’s not necessary.’

‘I insist.’

With some hesitation I grab the umbrella from him and smile. ‘Thank you, professor.’

He politely nods and walks off, leaving me with the umbrella and a little bit confused. Though he looks so handsome and slightly intimidating, he still is nice to me. The only teacher ever. Maybe Fitzgerald is right and—

No, no, no, don’t think like that. It’s not that every man who is nice to me all of the sudden has this fetish. That can’t be it, right?

Maybe, despite my aversion, I am actually good at the whole criminology thing and isn’t it a one time thing. Luck. Maybe I do have something I am good at.

✎ ✎ ✎

That Friday I am still on campus after I spend my entire afternoon in the library. Since I have a question about the criminology assignment, I decide walk to the office of professor Marshall. To kill two birds with one stone, I brought his umbrella with me so I can give it back. I knock on the door and hear a low: ‘Come in.’

I open the door and am met with the professor, who is sitting behind is desk. ‘Sir, I have a question about the assignment.’

He leans back in his chair and gestures me to come in. I close the door behind me and expect to sit, until I notice there isn’t a chair anywhere for me to sit on. How unwelcome of him, I think to myself. Does that mean I have to remain standing?

‘What’s your question, miss Townsend?’

‘I didn’t know which format I had to use for the entire assignment. It’s not really that big of a deal, but I was here in the building and I thought that I could…’ Nice way of getting off track, Penny. As they said in high school musical: ‘Get’cha your head in the game’ and this is not the game. ‘Never mind. Which format should I use?’

‘That’s up to you,’ he says.

That’s it? That’s the answer he is gonna give me?

‘Right,’ I mumble.

‘Other questions, miss Townsend?’

Yes. I let out a deep sigh. ‘The assignment is just harder than I thought,’ I admit. ‘I don’t really understand it.’

Professor Marshall stands up and holds out his hand. ‘Sit, I’ll try to explain it.’

‘In your chair?’

He simply nods and I walk around the desk, to take a seat, while he leans against the windowsill. Oh, the leather is warm… What a body heat does this man produce. ‘Okay, the point of the assignment is to use some of the example files of—staged—murders. Based on the file you choose, you choose a format. You write out the victimology, try to narrate who the killer is, writing down all your findings and there are things I’m gonna talk about in next classes.’

I nod. ‘That makes it easier, thank you, sir.’

‘You’re already working on the assignment?’ he asks. Why does he sound genuinely surprised?

I nod again. ‘I am. I find it easier to work a bit every day, than to cram it all in one day.’ I realize how that sounds. ‘That sounds dorky.’

‘It doesn’t really. It’s a whole lot better than what I did back in the days,’ he says. ‘What did you think of the class?’

Is he asking for my opinion? ‘Your class was very interesting. Slightly morbid though, but fascinating.’

‘Morbid?’ the professor asks. ‘There was nothing morbid about my class.’

I scrunch up my nose. ‘It was kinda scary. With the blood patterns and all. The peek into the murderer’s mind?’ I shiver. ‘Don’t know, felt too personal and too much into the killer’s brain.’

‘The class you’re taking is criminology,’ he says, ‘you should’ve known.’

I shrug, not knowing what to say to him. He is right…

‘Miss Townsend—’

‘Penny,’ I say. ‘It’s Penny. Penelope officially, but people barely call me that.’ People barely call out for me ever, but that’s a different topic. Total different topic.

‘Penny,’ he says, ‘could’ve known.’

I don’t know what he is implying, but I realize I am totally overstaying. ‘I’m sorry, I should go. Thanks for helping me out. Oh, I brought you back your umbrella. I don’t need it anyways.’

Professor Marshall nods. ‘Okay.’

‘I should go. It’s getting kinda dark already.’

‘Let me guess, you don’t do well in the dark.’

I smile almost out of guilt. ‘That obvious?’

For a brief moment I spot a smirk on his face. ‘I’m a detective, I spot these things.’

Okay, not gonna lie, but that’s pretty funny. ‘See you next class, professor,’ I say, standing up from his chair and I walk towards the door.

‘See you next class, Penny.’

#henry cavill #henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill x oc #henry cavill x asian ofc #henry cavill x penny townsend #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fandom #walter marshall #walter marshall fanfic #walter marshall x ofc #walter marshall x oc #walter marshall x asian ofc #walter marshall x penny townsend #professor!walter marshall #but professor

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janeeyreofmanderley · 2 years

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I feel like Lucy is one of those people who get really enthusiastic when meeting someone new. She is a good listener, easily fascinated by people's lives and has ZERO FILTER on what is appropriate for introduction.

I imagine her introducing everyone in the books like this:

Mina: This is my friend Mina. She works as a teacher and is hugely respected by her pupils. She read all the works of Shakespeare by the age of 12 and has many of them memorised. Oh and at night she sneaks away in her nightgown, climbs the fire escape to the neuighbour's roof and counts the passing trains! She has a whole point system according the cleaniness of the steam engine!!!!!

Jonathan: He is Mina's fiancee. A protegee of the respected lawyer Mr Hawkins and also now a lawyer in his own right. He once thought of becoming a cook, but then he nearly burned down the house trying to make toast, because he didn't know you are supposed to hold the bread above the flames!

Quincey: He is from Texas USA. He is a self made man, who owns his own ranch. His survival skills rival that of the best ranger, he can shoot like a sniper! Oh and also he once dropped a knife on his foot while trying to juggle with knives for a bet and it nearly had to be amputated.

Arthur: This is Arthur, son of Lord Holmwood. He already runs his father's estates successfully, and is an accomplished huntsman. Oh and once he accidentally kissed his professor in Cambridge, because he was expecting the man's daughter for a rendezvous and didn't check WHO it was coming into the room and nearly got expelled!

#daily dracula #dracula daily #lucy westenra

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athenasbloodyspear · 3 years

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Don’t Make Me Beg Now Baby

CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS

Hello fellow Greta Van Freaks. This is my very first Greta fic! I hope you enjoy.

MASTERLIST

Note: This fic contains mature themes, discussions of past non-con (no members of GVF involved) and drug use. Minors DNI. 18+ only and please take care of yourselves. (See Ao3 for full tag list)

You can also read this fic on Ao3 if you prefer!

Jake Kiszka x Original Female Character

Picture this: The boys are in Northern Michigan to write the new album and they meet a wild young woman who works at a local record store who has a rough history with rock bands.

She doesn’t want to fall into the same traps she fell into before. He doesn’t want to hurt her.

The rest of them just want them to figure their shit out.

Note: While this fic is based on the members of Greta Van Fleet, I obviously do not know them personally (lol) and nearly 99% of this is a fever dream I decided to write down. Some tid bits are based on things said in interviews/photos/songs but please do not come for my neck if you dislike my portrayals as this is a STORY that I have entirely made up.

This will be a slow burn, overly dramatic, cliché fest of me missing my Mitten State and wishing more than anything I could move back home. Their music makes me homesick and for that I’ll never forgive them. ;)

Chapter Under the Cut

CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS

The tiny bell on the door to “The Edge” clanked as Jake pushed his way in, followed by Josh, Sam and Danny. The afternoon sun streamed through the slats in the windows at a harsh angle, illuminating the swirling dust. The boys all immediately took a deep breath. They all loved the smell of this place. A mix of dusty old vinyl's, incense and weed.

The Edge was the shop owned by an old friend, Levi, who had been a longtime family friend of the Kiszka’s. The boys had made the near three hour drive to the shop whenever they had a spare weekend in their younger years. They bought Levi out of his guitar strings and drumsticks and always looked through the boxes of vinyl's hoping to find treasures. Levi sold an eclectic mix of music equipment, records, books, home goods and comically horrific coffee.

The Edge is where they had each bought their very first instruments, had their first beers and even smoked their first joint. It was a special place for them.

The old wood floors creaked with every step, the wood walls were covered with old articles from Rolling Stone, photos Levi had taken and autographs from the artists who had cycled through the place over the years. There were stacks upon stacks of vinyl's. Shelves of old autobiographies and music theory books. There were speakers stacked from floor to ceiling, and the whole right side of the store was jam packed with basses and guitars. The back corner had a few keyboards and a drum set, but plenty of catalogues to pick even more instruments from. There were cases of drumsticks and guitar picks and strings. The middle of the store had tables full of incense, candles and interesting home goods. There were tables where local artists sold jewelry, art pieces and furniture. It was full to the brim, most shelves rising way up to the ceiling. Most needed a ladder to reach the top. The basement had a sound studio with even more equipment set up to be used to record, or to test out.

Levi had inherited the place from his father, who had built up quite a legendary roster of friends over his years. The shop was just off Front Street on the main drag of Traverse City. Levi’s father had made a name for himself as a great host to bands looking to escape to northern Michigan to hole up in cabins and write albums. Levi continued the tradition and took it a step further by buying the space next door and turning it into a club with live music on the weekends.

If you were lucky, you could catch some super huge bands playing for only about 100 people in the dark side room of The Edge.

“You bastards finally made it!” Levi called out as he came sauntering out of the back room. Levi looked the exact same as the last time the boys had seen him. Tanned skin from his days paddle boarding and hiking along the Lake Michigan shore, sandy blonde hair that was brighter in the summer, perpetual 5-o-clock shadow because he just couldn’t be bothered to shave, shell necklace around his neck, light wash jeans low on his hips with the same old cowboy boots he’d been wearing since the boys were 12.

“Is that grey hair I see Levi?” Josh leaned forward with an exaggerated squint. Levi laughed, snagging Josh’s head to give him a noogie.

“I may be older than you punks by a few years, but I’m not greying yet.” Levi released Josh from his headlock and gave him a shove.

“I’d say 37 is more than a few years older than us, grandpa.” Sam snarked.

“You’re makin me regret extending my hospitality, kid.”

Jake felt himself relax fully for the first time in a really long time. It was just like old times. Exactly what the boys needed.

“Welcome back dudes. I’m surprised I’m still cool enough for you Rockstar types.” Levi crossed his legs and leaned back against the front counter.

“We’ll never be too cool for The Edge. This place will always be way cooler than we could ever be.” Danny piped up, walking forward to wrap Levi in a hug.

“It’s been too long man.” Levi commented as he smacked Danny on the back.

“We know.” Sam said “Way too fuckin long.” He hugged Levi next. Josh and Jake followed up with hugs next. The room was heavy with a tinge of melancholy. Old friends who had missed each other finally reunited.

“Well, have you guys been to the house yet?” Levi stepped around the counter and started pouring four cups of the famous nasty coffee.

“Yeah we dropped our bags off before we headed into town.” Danny spoke up.

“Isn’t it sweet?” Levi asked enthusiastically.

“It’s wicked man. Thanks so much for getting that set up for us.” Josh grinned as he snagged a cup off the counter.

The house was a mid century modern cabin right on the east bay shore. It came equipped with a huge garage studio, front deck and a dock out into the bay. Levi had bought the house in foreclosure and along with help from a bunch of locals (in exchange for beer of course) they turned the house into a perfect getaway for any artists looking to come take a break up north. The place had five bedrooms and three bathrooms with a giant living room with overstuffed couches and velvet chairs. The walls were covered in art and the shelves were full to bursting with plants. It was a kaleidoscope of colors and textures, with mix matched rugs and lamps. It was Levi’s pride and joy.

“I’m so glad you guys like it.” Levi smiled even bigger as he passed coffees to the rest of the boys. “Once you’re a little more settled, feel free to send me a list of equipment you want me to set up downstairs and you can start coming in whenever to work. But also, I think you should probably take a week or two off first. You all look about two seconds away from collapsing.”

“Yeah we’re pretty fuckin beat dude. But we’ll send you a list ASAP.” Jake said, taking a burning sip of the coffee. It singed his nerve endings and he couldn’t have been happier about it.

Levi opened his mouth to speak again, when a voice filtered through the window to the loft above the store.

“Yo Levi!” the person shouted “Can you please get off your fuckin ass and pick music to play? I know Wednesdays are your day to pick but if you take forever I’m just gonna put on whatever I want and you can suck it.”

All four boys' heads snapped up to the window to the loft, but whoever was up there couldn’t be seen. All they could see was that the loft had clearly gotten a makeover. What used to be an upper level where Levi stored surplus supplies now looked like it had a plush velvet couch, lava lamps and plants in it.

“Alright alright! I’ll get on it.” Levi called back up, shaking his head and chuckling to himself as he walked toward the central sound system behind the counter to scroll through Spotify playlists.

“Who the fuck is that and what have you done to the loft?” Josh asked, hopping up to sit on the counter.

“That would be the very best thing that’s ever fallen into my lap. A.k.a my new store and venue manager Maven. She moved back to the area after living in Hollywood for a few years managing bands and she completely changed my life. We finally have consistent stock, a longstanding line up at the club and I have had the time to start photography again. Truly a godsend, if not occasionally a pain in my ass. She turned the loft into a breakroom of sorts. There’s a couch and table up there now. She practically lives up there sometimes.”

“Damn she must be some woman if she finally got you to get your shit together with that club.” Sammy piped up.

“She’s hellfire, I’ll tell yah that.” Levi chuckled, finally hitting play on a playlist. The first bars of Surfin USA by the Beach Boys came on the surround system and matching groans came out of Jake downstairs and Maven upstairs.

“Not this shit again!” Maven yells. Jake chuckled to himself. Hellfire indeed.

“It’s my day to pick so suck it!” Levi called back before faux stage whispering to the boys “I mostly just play this to piss her off.”

Levi clapped his hands together once “Well boys, It’s close enough to five o'clock and I owe you a beer. Let’s head over to Little Fleet for some grub and beers and we can catch up.”

Josh grimaced as he sucked down the last bit of his coffee before lobbing the empty cup into the trash at the end of the counter. “You still make shit coffee Levi.”

“It’s the one thing I wouldn’t let Maven fix.” Levi said with a grin as all five men exited out the back door.

~0~

The boys took a week to relax, as per Levi’s request. They spent the days hiking the shore, kayaking and drinking beer around the fire. It had been way too long since they’d done this. The release of The Battle at Garden’s Gate had been exhilarating and the fans' response had been everything they’d hoped for. People seemed to love the album and they were all so proud. But with press interviews and touring, they hadn’t gotten more than a day or two to relax at a time. And they certainly hadn’t gotten a chance to get back to their favorite old haunts in years.

They stopped by the store almost every morning for a cup of coffee strong enough to jumpstart their hearts. Sometimes Levi joined them on their escapades, and sometimes he stayed behind to help out at the store. The boys spent a few afternoons sifting through albums and strumming on some of Levi’s vintage guitars.

Mostly they caught up on each other's lives. The boys recounted their more personal lives that happened outside the coverage of the album and Levi talked about the past few years of his life in Traverse City. Levi told them all about Maven and how she was practically his little sister. They laughed. They drank. They had a blast.

The boys noticed Levi was a little on edge occasionally, typically when they heard someone shuffling upstairs or equipment moving around in the backroom of the shop. They assumed it was Maven but weren’t sure, since they had yet to see her in the flesh. A week from their arrival they were all sitting in lawn chairs in the alley behind the store, smoking cigs and drinking their coffee when Sam finally asked.

“So, why haven’t we met your precious Maven yet? Hiding her from us or something?”

Levi shifted a bit in his chair. “Um..” he coughed out a laugh. “I am actually. Yes. But it’s the other way around, I’m hiding you from her.”

“Afraid she’ll fan-girl or something?” Josh commented as he ashed his cigarette.

“In… a sense.” Levi coughed. “But in quite the opposite way you’re imagining.”

“She’s a fan then?” Sammy piped up.

“She loves your music. A lot.” Levi sniffed and coughed again. “It’s a real safe haven for her. When she’s having a bad day I catch her upstairs laying on the floor smoking a J with sound cancelling headphones blasting your albums as loud as she can.”

“Exactly how it’s meant to be enjoyed. With a joint in hand.” Jake chimes in.

“Yeah..” Levi toes the asphalt a bit with his boots, but doesn’t continue.

“Soooo” Sammy drawls “Why can’t we meet her? We’re no stranger to super fans. I’m sure she’s cool.”

“Um, well. It’s a bit complicated.” Levi heaves a sigh before flicking his cigarette butt into the coffee canister at the center of their little circle. “I suppose I can trust you guys. You’re friends. Do you remember the huge lawsuit that the band Undercover Heart went through last year? The one about the um” He coughs again, “Rape of one of their staff members by the lead singer Ryan?”

“Yes. That shit was horrific man.” Danny spoke up. “I read all the details I could. They kept the poor girl's identity private but goddamn I felt so bad for her. She was a badass for filing that suit though.”

“Yeah. She was.” Levi breathed. “So, this is strictly off record and if you repeat this to anyone I will skin you all alive, famous rock stars be damned.”

“Jesus Levi.” Jake said.

“It was her.” Levi choked out. “Maven. That’s why she ran back from Hollywood and ended up here. That dude messed her up and she just… she struggles with meeting famous bands now. You know how many people cycle through this joint writing stuff. She just… has a really fuckin hard time with it sometimes. Particularly bands she likes. I think it’s because once you meet someone, and in her case, discover how much of a monster they can be, their music isn’t… safe anymore.”

“Fuck.” Jake said, flicking his cigarette into the canister.

“Well I feel terrible for joking about her being a fangirl.” Josh mutters.

“She just genuinely loves you guys a lot. I never really told her I was an old friend because I didn’t want her to be worried about y’all stopping by. I just know that if she knows you’re here she’ll take off and avoid coming by the shop as much as she can and not only do I need her here, but I think she needs the safety of the shop too. I didn’t want to wreck it.” Levi sighs again. “I know she’ll find out you’re here eventually, it’s inevitable. I just was a coward and didn’t want to break the news to her.”

“She was a pretty well known band manager wasn’t she?” Danny asks. “She like… completely made Undercover Heart what it was. Before they hired her they were slated to be a one hit wonder but she hauled them into relevancy basically by her will alone.”

“Yeah. She basically built that man's career for him. She gave him everything, and he took everything from her. If I ever see the man I’m liable to get my ass thrown in prison.” Levi mutters.

“I’ll help.” Danny says immediately.

All five sit in silence for a few minutes, smoking the last of their cigarettes. When they’d all finished, they stood and stretched to head back inside the shop.

“So yeah. Anyway, If you see her that’s fine, just… well now you have context for… her.” Levi says as he yanks open the door.

A few steps into the back hallway, Levi suddenly halts, causing all four boys to nearly bash into each other. The front door to the shop had crashed open and there were footsteps stomping across the store toward the front desk.

“Listen Levi,” Maven’s tense voice carried down the back hall. “I know Wednesdays are usually your day for music but I’m having an absolute shit fucking day so I’m playing Greta all day and there’s absolutely nothing you can fucking do about it, kapeesh?”

The very opening chords of Edge of Darkness scratch through the speakers after she finishes her sentence and the boys all exchange a slightly amused look, grins spread on all of their faces.

“Kapeesh.” Levi calls out to her. He spins and silently nods to the boys to head toward the back door. The boys attempt to be as quiet as they can as they creep toward the door.

“Also, Levi?” Maven calls again. Everyone halts in their tracks. “You said there was a band coming in soon. Are they here yet? Do you need me to set up the backroom?”

“Uh, yeah they’re here.” Levi squeaks. All five men share nervous looks. “They’re uh… up at the house.” He cringes at his lie. “I’m getting an equipment list from them today and then you can get started.

“Cool cool.” Maven calls back. “Do you think I’ll like their stuff?”

“Uh. Yeah.” Levi grins then. “I think you will.”

“Wicked.” Maven calls back.

All five men repress giggles as they skedaddle out the back door and into the alley.

~0~

The next morning the boys wake up to a group text from Levi.

COME BY THE SHOP ASAP. COME IN BACK DOOR. HEAD DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE BOOTH. BE AS QUIET AS YOU CAN.

A weird request, but they did as they were told. They all piled into the SUV they had rented and headed to the shop. Danny peeled open the back door as quietly as he could, and Sammy opened the door to the stairs. They tiptoed down and through the door at the end of the stairs that opened into the booth of a sound studio. Levi sat in front of all the mixing boards with a cup of coffee to his lips. He glanced over at them and softly said “coffees on the table.”

“Why the weird text?” Jake asked.

“Because of that.” Levi responded softly, pointing through the dark glass into the soundstage.

The sound stage was littered with mismatched rugs, and a few milk crates that doubled as tables. There was a gorgeous seafoam green drum set toward the back wall and stands full of various guitars and basses. Along the left wall was a piano and a Mellotron set up exactly to the specifications Sam sent over. However, with all these beautiful instruments to look at that would normally catch their eye, it was the woman sitting on stool in the center, cradling a dark purple Fender guitar that made Jake stop in his tracks.

Maven, Jake had to guess that’s who it was, was wearing checkered distressed pants, with a ripped up old band t-shirt cropped at her ribs, revealing a sliver of the rounded part of her stomach. Over top she was wearing an orange leopard print cardigan that ran down to her thighs. Around her neck was a series of long necklaces, and her wrists were adorned with interlacing leather bands.

She was plucking out a melody with her eyes closed, rocking back and forth on the stool. Jake had seen countless numbers of people playing the guitar before. On the road, in the studio, studying old masters on YouTube. There was nothing overly special about the way she was sitting or playing, but he felt a little bit like he couldn’t breathe.

“She never fuckin plays anymore man.” Levi whispered. “It felt like magic hearing music coming out of the basement this morning. I just felt like you should see it.”

The melody she was playing was sad. Haunting is a better way to put it, and Jake couldn’t look away. Not even when Sammy placed a cup of burning hot coffee into his hands. She was moving her head along with her playing, the strands of her dark messy hair shaking back and forth. The group watched in silence as she played out the riff a few times, Levi cranked the volume of the mics in the space and they could hear her humming softly.

“She has a strong presence.” Josh murmured.

Maven suddenly stopped. Everyone froze as she heaved a sigh and stood from the stool to put the guitar back on it’s rack.

“You in there Levi?” Maven said then. The boys still didn’t move a muscle. Jake’s head was spinning, having finally seen the face that went with the voice he’d heard in the loft for a week. She was beautiful. He couldn’t even really put his finger on why, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even seeing her through the thick dark glass of the studio.

Levi hit the button to the mic in the booth and responded “Yah.” He paused before adding. “Sounded good.”

Maven snorted in a self-deprecating way and said “Thanks.”

Levi hit the mic button again and said “You should play more.”

“Don’t push it Levi.” Maven snapped back. Levi released the button to his mic and let out a heavy sigh. “Can you check some levels on the lines for me? I think I have everything pretty good but I want to make sure before they get here today.”

“Sure.” Levi replied.

Maven pulled the amp cord out of the Fender she had been playing on and plugged it into another guitar, one more similar to the guitars that Jake regularly used while they wrote.

“Are we looking for a punk or a rock-y sound?” Maven asked.

“Um.” Levi hesitated. “Rock. Their sound is like…” He tossed a small smile over his shoulder at the boys. “Like Greta’s actually.”

“Dope. I hope they’re not just copying the boys. They’ve got a mellotron in here and everything.” The boys smiled. She pounded out a few chords on the guitar. “Good?”

Levi looked over at Jake for confirmation. Jake, who still had not taken his eyes off Maven, nodded.

“Yeah, that should be good for raw sound. They can play with stuff too. They’re a pretty well educated bunch.” Levi called back.

“Thank god.” Maven snorted. “Not like that indie punk bunch you booked last month who needed me to do fucking all their sound mixing for them.”

“Maven, I don’t think they kept asking you down here because they need help with their sound.”

Maven just rolled her eyes at that.

They repeated the process with each instrument, Levi silently asking for confirmation from the respective Greta member until they were sure the sound lines were all functioning properly.

“Great work kid.” Levi called into the studio.

“Ew don’t call me kid. I’m a 27 year old woman.” Maven called back.

Levi chuckled. “You’re a kid to me.”

“Whatever.” Maven muttered. “I’m gonna go take a walk along the beach. Smoke a little. Text me if they need me.”

“Will do.” Levi called back. The boys all tensed, looking for places to hide, or to run up the stairs and back into the alley. Luckily, Maven took the back door out of the studio and up another hallway instead.

“Well boys, it’s all you.” Levi said. “Text if you need anything.”

Sam piped up and said “Yeah actually, can you pick my brother’s jaw up off the floor?”

“Jake see pretty lady play guitar and Jake brain break.” Josh teased.

“You guys suck.” Jake grumbled.

Levi cackled. “I thought you’d like her.”

~0~

Maven walked along the coast of the bay and absentmindedly smoked a joint. It was an overcast and drizzly day which meant there was no one around, which she preferred anyway. She was feeling on edge. The drizzle was very slowly building a small sheen of water on her arms and hair, but she didn’t mind. The cool water and gentle breeze combination was perfect.

Maven sat her butt down in the sand and stared out at the waves. She normally wore headphones on her walks, her world was a near constant stream of music, but she had opted for silence today.

Levi was being weird. He was edgy around her all week, sending her out every morning for tasks and disappearing without saying where he was going around 4:30 every day. She had come to the conclusion that whatever band was in town this week was a pretty big name. Or big enough that he was nervous about her being around them. She sighed. She hated when he tiptoed around her. Maven didn’t blame him. When she first started working at the shop she had had a couple pretty bad PTSD episodes that had scared the shit out of him. She owed him everything for staying with her, talking her down and making sure she was fed and had water when she got into one of her states.

Levi was her best friend, to put it mildly. He cared for her, kept her safe and in return she busted her ass at his store making sure they had the best products, the best shows and that their artist getaway was something that people would go back and tell their friends about. She loved Levi like an older brother, and he cared for her like his little sister. She would forever be grateful to whatever power in the universe made her stumble into The Edge two years ago.

She had been high out of her mind, as she had been most days after she came running back to Michigan with her tail between her legs, and Levi had been struggling with an amp in the shop. She had walked in, spotted his struggle and didn’t even say a word to him, just walked over and fixed the wiring so that it was functional again. Levi had looked up from where he sat on the floor and said “You don’t happen to need a job do you?”

The rest was essentially history. It only took two months of seeing him every single day, and him not letting her sour moods go by unnoticed, for her to spill her guts over some bourbon one night. About Ryan and Undercover Heart and how badly the whole situation fucked her up. How after she’d recorded her testimony she’d boarded the next flight to Grand Rapids and hightailed it up north. She came crash landing into Traverse City because she’d always loved it as a kid, and figured it would be a great place to start over. The small town she’d grown up in had too many people who knew her.

He was extra careful with bands for a while. Never letting her be alone in a room with too many male band members, and carefully vetting everyone who came through. Eventually she told him off about treating her like a porcelain doll and he backed down a bit, giving her free reign over lots of the equipment set ups and giving her plenty of hours in the shop by herself. She was happy to do so, so Levi could focus on fixing up the artist house and starting his photography again.

But he was still very gentle with her sometimes, and she’d always love him for it even when it pissed her the fuck off.

Once she’d smoked the joint down to the roach, she tucked the end into her pocket. It was sacrilegious to litter near the lake. It was too precious to be fucked with. She meandered back toward the shop. Her plan was to grab her bag and head back to let her Pitbull, Stacy, out for a walk and pee. The girl had been cooped up all morning and Maven felt bad.

She threw her whole body against the front door, as the latch often stuck, and the loud sound of the chimes clanged in the empty space. She rolled her eyes. Of course Levi left the shop unattended and unlocked. It was Traverse City, no one was gonna rob them, but what if someone wanted to buy something?

She was humming softly to herself as she made her way around the edge of the counter and plopped down on the stool by the register. She whipped out her phone to ask Levi where he was. She had the message halfway typed when the door behind her, the one that led to the staff restroom, popped open.

“You know, crime is especially low in this town but that doesn’t mean someone wouldn’t come in here and try to steal your precious coffee maker.” She tossed over her shoulder.

“Oh.” Was all that came back. It was decidedly not Levi’s voice. Maven spun back quickly.

“Sorry I…” But that’s as far as she got. She was suddenly face to face with Jake Kizska and all thoughts quickly left her brain.

They both stared at each other for a long moment. Maven couldn’t quite figure out why he looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him. He also almost looked afraid for some reason that Maven couldn’t figure out.

He was dressed in an outfit she’d seen him wear plenty of times. A black button up, half unbuttoned, loose fitting light wash jeans and a pair of well worn boots. His wrists were full of bracelets and his hair was longer than the last time she’d seen footage of their concerts, well past his collarbones at this point.

“Hi.” Jake finally broke the silence. “I’m Jake.” He reached out his hand for a handshake.

“I know.” Maven replied, and then coughed. Why did you say that you freak?

Suddenly the front door bell chimed again, and Maven whipped her head to see Levi coming in the front door. She stood abruptly from her stool, skirted around Jake’s outstretched hand, and out from behind the counter. She scooped up her leather satchel on her way.

She headed straight at Levi. He glanced over his shoulder and saw an apologetic Jake looking forlorn and lowering his hand back to his side.

“Oh hey Maven-”

“Hey dumbass, don’t leave the store unattended again. I’m going home to check on Stacy. Probably won’t be back for the rest of the day.” Maven spit as she stormed past him toward the front door.

“Maven wait-”

But she was already outside, the hinges bringing the heavy wood crashing back into the frame. The chime of the bells rang through the space.

“Sorry.” Jake muttered.

“Not your fault. I knew she’d find out eventually. Right now she’s probably just pissed I didn’t tell her. Which she has every right to be.” Levi sighed.

After a few more beats of silence Jake spoke again. “Who’s Stacy?”

Levi huffed a laugh. “That would be her Pitbull.”

“Oh.” Jake said again. He felt crazy because his brain couldn’t come up with anything else to say. She was prettier up close. She smelled like the Lake and weed and sandalwood. He really wished she’d taken his hand. He shook his head trying to find his brain in it somewhere.

The other three boys came clambering up the stairs and into the store. They all looked between Levi, who was still standing in the middle of the shop, and Jake behind the counter.

“Are you two playing freeze tag or something?” Sam quipped.

“Jake met Maven.” Levi responded. The boys' heads whipped toward Jake.

“And… I’m guessing it… went well?” Danny questioned.

Levi finally walked back toward the counter. “She left for the day. This is on me. I should have told her y’all were here.” He snagged his keys from below the counter and walked toward the front door to lock up. “I’m closing early, boys. Let’s go get a beer.”

“Kowabunga baby.” Josh said with a grin.

~0~

Maven sat curled up on her velvet couch, Stacy was her little spoon. There was incense burning, a bottle of wine open on the side table and a lit joint in the ashtray. She had changed into a giant t-shirt and boxer shorts. The soft sounds of John Denver playing off her record player.

However, none of these things were easing her mind.

She was pissed, mostly. At herself. At Levi. She was pissed he didn’t tell her they were coming. She was pissed that he felt he couldn’t tell her. She was pissed that she had acted like a freak in front of Jake.

The anxiety was an endless pit in her stomach. She couldn’t go back there tomorrow. She couldn’t see any of those people. Not when she felt like this.

She whipped out her phone and quickly shot a message to Levi, before chugging her whole glass of red wine and snagging the joint out of the ashtray.

~0~

Levi’s phone dinged on the table where all of the guys sat drinking beers and chatting. Levi glanced at it and quickly picked it up when he saw her name.

“It’s Maven.” He said.

“What did she say?” Jake asked, sitting up a bit in his chair.

“Fuck.” Levi said, tossing his phone on the table, still unlocked.

All four boys leaned in to read the screen.

CASHING IN ALL MY VACATION DAYS. I’LL BE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS.

“Fuck indeed.” Josh said, pounding back the rest of his beer.

#jake gvf #jake kiszka #greta van fleet #greta fic #jake fic #gvf #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta fan fleet fic #peaceful army

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star-anise · 4 years

Text

An ask I got recently:

hi so i’m a transmed and i’m not sure if you’ll answer this because of that but i saw your post about transmedicalism and was wondering if you could expand on that? you seem like a genuinely kind and judgement-free person, thank you darling x

My response:

Heh, you call me “judgement-free” and ask for my opinion on a topic I’ve formed a lot of judgments about… I get it though, I’m not into attacking people for what they believe so much as providing FACTS. As a cis queer, my insight into transmedicalism isn’t really about the innate experience of trans-ness so much as using my education and professional experience to talk about social science research, diagnostic systems, and public health policy.

This ended up really long, so the tl;dr is, I think transmedicalism as I understand it:

Misunderstands why and how the DSM’s Gender Dysphoria diagnosis was written,

Treats the medical establishment with a level of trust and credibility it doesn’t deserve, at a time when LGBT+ people, especially trans people, need to be informed and vigilant critics of it, and

Approaches the problem of limited resources in an ass-backwards way that I think will end up hurting the trans community in the long run.

TW: Transphobia; homophobia; suicide; institutionalization; torture; electroshock therapy; child abuse; incidental mentions of pedophilia.

So first off I’m guessing you mean this post, about not trusting the medical establishment to tell you who you are? That’s what I’m trying to elaborate on here.

I have to admit, when you say “I’m a transmedicalist” that tells me very little about you, because on Tumblr the term seems to encompass a dizzying array of perspectives. Some transmedicalists believe in what seems to me the oldschool version of “The only TRUE trans people suffer agonizing dysphoria that can only be fixed with surgery and hormones, everyone else is an evil pretender stealing resources and can FUCK RIGHT OFF” and others are like, um… “I have total love and respect for nonbinary and nondysphoric trans people! I qualify for a DSM diagnosis of dysphoria but that doesn’t make me inherently better or more trans than anyone else.”

Which is very confusing to me because according to everything I’ve learned, the latter opinion is not transmedicalism. It’s just… a view of transness that acknowledges current diagnostic labels and scientific research. It’s what most people who support trans rights and do not identify as transmedicalists believe. But I kind of get the impression that Tumblr transmedicalism has expanded well past its original mandate, to the point that if a lot of “transmedicalists” saw the movement’s original positions they’d go “Whoa that’s way too strict and doesn’t help our community, I want nothing to do with it.”.

Okay so. Elaborating on the stuff I can comment on.

1. DSM what?

The American Psychiatric Association publishes a big thick book called The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, called the DSM for short. This is the “Bible of psychiatry”, North America’s definitive listing of mental disorders and conditions. It receives significant revision and updates roughly every 10-15 years; it was last updated in 2013, meaning it will likely get updated sometime between 2023 and 2028.

The DSM lists hundreds of “codes”, each of which indicates a specific kind of mental disorder. For example, 296.23 is “Major depressive disorder, Single episode, Severe,” and 300.02 is “Generalized anxiety disorder.” These codes have information on how common the condition is, how it’s diagnosed, and what kind of treatment is appropriate for it.

Diagnostic codes are the key to health professionals getting paid. If there isn’t a code for it, we can’t get paid for it, and therefore we have very few resources to treat it with. The people who actually pay for healthcare–usually insurance companies or government agencies–decide how much they will pay for each code item to be treated. They’ll pay for, say, three sessions of group therapy for mild depression (296.21), or they’ll pay for more expensive private therapy if it’s moderate (296.22); they’ll pay for the cheap kind of drug if you have severe depression (296.23), but to get the more expensive drug, you need to have depression with psychotic features (296.24).

Healthcare companies, especially in the USA where the system is very very broken and the DSM is written, are cheap bastards. If they can find an excuse not to fund some treatment, they’ll use it. “We think this person who lost their job and can’t get off the couch should pay this $1000 bill for therapy,” they’ll say. “After all, they were diagnosed as code 296.21, and then saw a private therapist for five sessions, when we only allow three sessions of group therapy, and you’re saying they haven’t had enough treatment yet?”

A lot of the advocacy work mental health professionals do is trying to get the big funding bodies to pay us adequately for the work we do. (This is a much easier process in countries with single-payer healthcare, where this negotiation only needs to be done with a single entity. In the USA, it needs to be done with every single health insurance company in existence, as well as the government, sometimes differently in every single state, and then again on a case-by-case basis as well.) Healthcare providers have to argue that three sessions of group therapy isn’t enough, that Medicaid needs to pay therapists more per hour than it costs those therapists to rent a room to practice in, or else therapists would lose money by seeing Medicaid clients. DSM codes exist a tiny bit to let us communicate with each other about the people we treat, and a huge amount to let us get paid. The fact that their existence lets people make sense of their own experiences and find a community with people who share common experiences and interests with them is a very minor side benefit the DSM’s authors really don’t keep in mind when they update and revise different diagnoses.

So when it comes to convincing insurance companies to pay for treatment, humanitarian reasons like “they’ll be very unhappy without it” tend not to work. The best argument we have for them paying for psychological treatment is that it’s economical: that if they don’t pay for it now, they’ll have to pay even more later. If they refuse to pay, let’s say, $2000 to treat mild depression when someone loses their job, and either refuse treatment or stick the person with the bill, then that person’s life might spiral out of control–they might, let’s say, run low on money, get evicted from their apartment, develop severe depression, attempt suicide, and end up in hospital needing to be medically resuscitated and then put in an inpatient psych ward for a month. The insurance company then faces the prospect of having to pay, let’s say, $100,000 for all that treatment. At which point somebody clever goes, “Huh, so it would have been cheaper to just… pay the original $2000 instead so they could bounce back, get a new job, and not need any of this treatment later.”

Trans healthcare can be kind of expensive, since it often involves counselling, years of hormone therapy, medical garments, and multiple surgeries. Health insurance companies hate paying for anything, and have traditionally wanted not to cover any of this. “This is ridiculous!” they said. “These are elective cosmetic treatments, it’s not like they’re dying of cancer, these people can pay the same rate for breast enhancements or testosterone injections as anyone else.”

So when the APA Task Force on Gender Identity Disorder (a task force comprised, as far as I can tell, entirely of cis people) sat down to plan for the 2013 update of the DSM, one of their biggest goals was: Treatment recommendations. Create a diagnosis which they could effectively use to advocate that insurance companies fund gender transition. Like when you go back and read the documents from their meetings in 2008 and 2011, their big thing is “create a diagnosis that can be used to form treatment recommendations.” So that’s what they did; in 2013 they made the GD diagnosis, and in 2014 the Affordable Care Act required insurers to provide treatment for it.

A lot of trans people weren’t happy with the DSM task force’s decisions, such as the choice to keep “Transvestic Fetishism,” which is basically the autogynephilia theory, and just rename it “Transvestic Disorder”. The creation of the Gender Dysphoria diagnosis, basically, was designed to force the preventive care argument. They didn’t think they could win on trans healthcare being a necessity because healthcare is a human right, so they went with: Trans people have a very high suicide rate, and one way to bring it down is to help them transition. One of the major predictors of suicidality is dysphoria. The more dysphoric someone is, the more likely they are to attempt suicide (source). Therefore, health insurers should fund treatment for gender dysphoria because it was cheaper than paying for emergency room admissions and inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations.

I have spoken to trans scientists about what research exists, and my understanding is: The dysphoria/no dysphoria split is not actually validated in the science. That is, when you research trans people, there is not some huge gaping difference between the experiences, or brains, of people With Dysphoria, and people Without Dysphoria. Mostly, scientists haven’t even thought it was an important distinction to study. The diagnosis wasn’t reflecting a strong theme in the research about trans experiences; that research showed that trans people with all levels of dysphoria were helped with medical transition. The biggest difference is just that dysphoria is a stronger risk factor for suicide. Experiencing transphobia is another strong risk factor, but that’s harder to measure in a doctor’s office, so dysphoria it was.

(I’ve seen some transmedicalists claim that dysphoria’s major feature is incongruence, not distress. And I’ll just say, uh… in psychology, “dysphoria” is the opposite of of “euphoria”, literally means “excessive pain”, and is used in many disorders to describe a deep-seated sense of distress and wrongness. As a mental health professional, I just can’t imagine most of my colleagues agreeing that something can be called “dysphoria” if the person doesn’t feel real distress about it. If you want a diagnosis that doesn’t demand dysphoria, you’d need Gender Incongruence in the upcoming version of the ICD-11, which is the primary diagnostic system used in Europe, published by the World Health Organization.)

2. Doctors are not magic

Medicine is a science, and science is a system of knowledge based on having an idea, testing it against reality, and revising that knowledge in light of what you learned. We’re learning and growing all the time.

I don’t know if this sounds painfully obvious or totally groundbreaking, but: Basically all medical research is done by people who don’t have the condition they’re writing about. Psychology has a strong historical bias against believing the personal testimonies of people with conditions that have been deemed mental disorders, so researchers who have experienced the disorder they’re writing about have often had to hide that fact, like Kay Redfield Jamison hiding that she had bipolar disorder until she became a world-renowned expert on it, or Marsha Linehan hiding that she had borderline personality disorder until she pioneered the treatment that could effectively cure it. Often, having a condition was seen as proof you couldn’t actually have a truthful and objective experience of it.

So what I’m trying to say is: The “gender dysphoria” diagnosis was written and debated, so far as I can tell, by entirely cis committee members. The vast majority of psychological and psychiatric research about LGBT+ people is written by cisgender heterosexual scientists. Most clinical and scientific writing has been outsider scientists looking at people they have enormous power over and making decisions about their basic existence with very little accountability.

And to show you how far we’ve come, I want to show you part of the DSM as it was from 1952 to 1973. It shows you just why so many older LGBT+ people find it deeply ironic that now the DSM is being held up as definitive of trans experience:

302 Sexual Deviation This category is for individuals whose sexual interests are directed primarily toward objects other than people of the opposite sex, toward sexual acts not usually associated with coitus, or towards coitus performed under bizarre circumstances as in necrophilia, pedophilia, sexual sadism, and fetishism. Even though many find their practices distasteful, they remain unable to substitute normal sexual behavior for them. This diagnosis is not appropriate for individuals who perform deviant sexual acts because normal sexual objects are not available to them.

302.0 Homosexuality 302.1 Fetishism 302.2 Pedophilia 302.2 Transvestitism […]

Yes, really. That is how psychiatry viewed us. At a time when research from other fields, like psychology and sociology, were showing that this view was completely unsupported by evidence, psychiatry thought LGBT+ people were fundamentally disordered, criminal, and incapable of prosocial behaviour.

My favourite retelling of the decades of activism it took LGBT+ people and allies to get the DSM to change is from a friend who did her master’s thesis on the topic, because she leaves in the clown suits and gay bars, which really shows how scientific and dignified the process was. The long story short is: It took over 20 years of lobbying by LGBT+ people who were sick and tired of being locked up in mental institutions and subjected to treatments like electroshock training, as well as by LGBT+ social scientists, clinicians, and psychiatrists, to get homosexuality declassified as a mental illness. And that was homosexuality; the push to change how trans people were listed in the DSM is very recent, as seen in the latest version listing “Transvestic Disorder”, a description very few trans people ever use for themselves.

Here are a few more examples of how people with a condition have had to take an active part in the science about them:

When HIV/AIDS appeared in the USA, the government didn’t care why drug addicts and gay people were dying mysteriously. Hospitals refused to treat people with this mysterious new disease. AIDS patients had to fight to get any funding put into what AIDS is, how it spreads, or how it could be treated; they also had to campaign to change the massive public prejudice against them, so they could be treated, housed, and allowed to live. Here’s an article on the activist tactics they used. If you want an intro to the fight (or at least, white peoples’ experience of it), you could look into the movies How to Survive a Plague, And the Band Played On, and The Normal Heart.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a little-understood disease that causes debilitating exhaustion. It’s found twice as often in women as men. Doctors understand very little about what it is or why it happens, and patients with CFS are often written off a lazy hypochondriacs who just don’t want to try hard. There are basically no known treatments. In 2011, a British study said that an effective treatment for CFS was “graded exercise”, a program where people did slowly increasing levels of physical activity. This flew in the face of what people with CFS knew to be true: That their disease caused them to get much worse after they exercised. That for them, being forced to do ever-increasing exercise was basically tantamount to torture, so it was very concerning that health authorities and insurance companies began requiring that they undergo graded exercise treatment (and parents with children with CFS had to put their children through this treatment, or lose custody for “medical neglect”). So they investigated the study, found that it was seriously flawed, got many health authorities to reverse their position on graded exercise, and have made strides into pointing researchers to looking into biological causes of their illness.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare but debilitating disease that isn’t researched much, because it affects such a small portion of the population. The ALS community realized that if they wanted better treatment, they would need to raise the money for research themselves. In 2014 they organized a viral “ice bucket challenge” to get people to donate to their cause, and raised $115 million, enough to make significant advances in understanding ALS and getting closer to a cure.

A common treatment for Autism is Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), which is designed to encourage “desired” behaviours and discourage “undesired” ones. The problem is, the treatment targets behaviour an Autistic person’s parents and teachers consider desirable or undesirable, without consideration that some “undesired” behaviours (like stimming) are fundamental and necessary to the wellbeing of Autistic people. Furthermore, the treatment involves punishing Autistic children for failure to behave as expected–in traditional ABA, by witholding rewards or praise until they stop, or in more extreme cases, by subjecting them to literal electric shocks to punish them. (In that last case, they’ve been ordered to stop using the shock devices by August 31, 2020. That only took YEARS.) Autistic people have had to campaign loud and long to say that different treatment strategies should be researched and used, especially on Autistic children.

So I mean… I get that the medical model can provide an element of validation and social acceptance. It can feel really good to have people in white coats back you up and say you’re the real deal. But if you get in touch with most LGBT+ and transgender groups, they’d say that there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to researching trans issues and getting scientific and governmental authorities to recognize your rights to social acceptance and medical treatment.

Within a few years, the definition you’re resting on will turn to sand beneath your feet. The Great DSM Machine will begin whirring into life pretty soon and considering what revisions it has to make. You’ll have an opportunity to make your voice heard and to push for real change. So… do you want to be part of that process of pushing trans rights forward, or do you just want to feel loss because they’re changing your strict definition of who’s valid and who’s not?

3. Scarcity is not a law of physics

One of the major arguments I see transmedicalists push is that there’s only a limited number of surgeries or hormone prescriptions available, so it’s not okay for a non-dysphoric person to “steal” the resources that another trans person might need more. This makes sense in a limited kind of way; it’s a good way to operate if, say, you’re sharing a pizza for lunch and deciding whether to give the last slice to someone who’s hungry and hasn’t eaten, or someone who’s already full.

When you start to back up and look at really big and complex systems–basically anything as big, or bigger, than a school board or a hospital or a municipal government–it’s not a helpful lens anymore. Because the most important thing about social institutions is that they can change. We can make them change. And the most important factor in how much the world changes is how many people demand that it change.

I’ve talked about this before when it comes to homeless shelters, and how the absolute worst thing they can have are empty beds. I used to work in women’s shelters, which came about when second-wave feminists started seriously looking at the problem of domestic violence in the 1960s and 70s, It was an issue male-dominated governments and healthcare systems hadn’t taken seriously before, but feminists started heck and did research and staged demonstrations and basically demanded that organizations that worked for the “public benefit” reduce the number of women being killed by their husbands. Their research showed that the leading cause of death in those cases were when women tried to leave and their partners tried to kill them, so the most obvious solution was to give them someplace safe to go where their partners couldn’t find them. Therefore the solution became: Women’s shelters. When feminists committed to founding and running these shelters, local governments could be talked into giving them money to keep them running.

(Men’s rights activists, the misogynist kind, like to whine about “why aren’t there men’s shelters?” and the very simple answer is: Because you didn’t fight for them, you teatowels. Whether a movement gets resources and funding is hugely a reflection of how many people have said, “This needs resources and funding! Look, I’m writing a cheque! Everyone, throw money at this!” In other news, The BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse does great work. People should throw money at them.)

When the system in power knows there are resources it wants and doesn’t have, it finds a way to make them appear. For example, in Canada, the government knows that it doesn’t have enough trained professionals living in its far North, where the population is scarce and not very many people want to live. Doctors and teachers would prefer to live in the southern cities. But because it’s committed to Northern schools and hospitals, they create incentives. For example, the government offers to pay off the student loans of teachers or health professionals who agree to work for a few years in Northern communities.

Part of why trans healthcare resources are so scarce is that for a long time, trans people were considered too small a part of the population to care about. Like, “Trans people exist, but we won’t have to deal with them.” Older estimates said 0.4% of the population was trans, which meant a city of 100,000 people would have 400 trans people. A single family doctor can have 2000 or 3000 clients, so the city could have maybe 1 or 2 doctors who really “got” trans issues, and all the trans people would tell each other to only go see those doctors because all the rest were assholes. And the cracks in the system didn’t really seem serious. A couple hundred dissatisfied people not getting the healthcare they needed? Meh! Hospital administrators had more to worry about!

But the trans population is growing. A recent poll of Generation Z said 2.6% of middle schoolers in Minnesota were some kind of trans. which is 2,600 per 100,000. That’s enough to make hospitals think that maybe the next endocrinologist or OB/GYN they hire should have some training in treating trans people. That’s enough to make a health authority think that maybe the state should open up a new gender confirmation surgery clinic, since demand is rising so much.

Or well, I mean. Hospitals have a lot on their minds. This might not occur to them as their top priority. They’d probably think of it a lot sooner if a bunch of those trans people sent them letters or took out a billboard or showed up by the dozens at a public meeting to say, “Hello, there are a fuckload of us. Budget accordingly. We want to see your projected numbers for the next five years.”

When you’re doing that kind of work, suddenly it hurts your cause to limit your number of concerned parties. Sure, limited focus groups or steering committees can have limited membership, but when you put their ideas into action, to protest something or lobby for political change, you need numbers. If you want to show that you’re a big and important group that systems should definitely pay attention to, you don’t just need every trans or GNC or NB person who’s got free time to devote to your campaign, you also need every cis ally who can pad out numbers or lick envelopes or hand out water bottles or slip you insider information about the agenda at the next board meeting. You need bodies, time, and money, and you get them best by being inclusive about who’s in your party. Heck, if it would benefit your cause to team up with the local breast cancer group because trans women and cis women who have had mastectomies both have an interest in asking a hospital to have a doctor on staff who knows how to put a set of tits together, then there are strong reasons to do it.

Basically: All the time any marginalized group spends fighting over scraps is generally time we could spend demanding that the people handing out the food give us another plate. If you don’t think you’re getting enough, the best answer isn’t to knock it out of somebody’s hands, but to get together to say, “HEY! WE’RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH!”

That kind of work is complicated and difficult! It’s definitely much harder than yelling at someone on Tumblr for not being trans enough. But if you do any level of getting involved with activist groups that fight for real systemic change, whether that’s following your local Pride Centre on Twitter or throwing $5 at a trans advocacy group or writing your elected representative about the need for more trans health resources, you’re pushing forward lasting change that will help everyone.

#staranise original #transmedicalism tw #transphobia tw #homophobia tw #my problems with sj let me show you them

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