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#consider this my application for niche carvings
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Welcome to the ultimate destination for comparing top-notch platforms that cater to your Mechanical Engineering assignment needs. As an expert in the field, I understand how important it is to find reliable assistance to complete your Mechanical Engineering assignment with ease. In this comprehensive blog, we will delve into a head-to-head comparison between two prominent players in the industry: MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp and AssignmentPedia.
MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp: Unraveling Excellence
MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp stands out as a go-to platform for students seeking impeccable support in completing their Mechanical Engineering assignments. The platform is synonymous with quality, offering a range of services tailored to meet the unique requirements of Mechanical Engineering students. From intricate problem-solving to comprehensive project assistance, this platform has carved a niche for itself.
One of the standout features of MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp is its team of seasoned experts. The platform boasts a pool of highly qualified professionals with extensive experience in the field of Mechanical Engineering. As an expert, I can vouch for the credibility of the individuals associated with this service. Their in-depth knowledge and proficiency in tackling diverse assignments make them a reliable choice for students aiming to excel in their academic pursuits.
In addition to the expertise of its team, MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp emphasizes timely delivery. Meeting deadlines is crucial in the academic realm, and this platform excels in ensuring that students receive their completed assignments well before the submission date. This commitment to punctuality reflects a dedication to student success, setting MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp apart from the competition.
AssignmentPedia: Navigating the Academic Landscape
On the other side of the spectrum, AssignmentPedia presents itself as a formidable contender in the realm of Mechanical Engineering assignment assistance. The platform prides itself on offering comprehensive support across various topics within the field. Whether it's theoretical concepts or practical applications, AssignmentPedia endeavors to provide a holistic solution to students grappling with their Mechanical Engineering assignments.
One of the noteworthy aspects of AssignmentPedia is its user-friendly interface. The platform has been designed with the user in mind, making it easy for students to navigate through the process of seeking assistance. From submitting requirements to tracking the progress of their assignments, AssignmentPedia ensures a seamless experience for students seeking help.
Furthermore, AssignmentPedia boasts a vast network of experts specializing in Mechanical Engineering. The diversity of expertise within their team enables the platform to handle assignments spanning different branches of Mechanical Engineering. This adaptability is crucial, considering the multidimensional nature of the subject.
Conclusion: Making the Right Choice
In the quest to complete my Mechanical Engineering assignment with excellence, both MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp and AssignmentPedia offer compelling options. The decision ultimately hinges on individual preferences and specific assignment requirements. While MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp excels in delivering precision and punctuality through its seasoned experts, AssignmentPedia stands out with its user-friendly interface and expansive network of specialists.
As an expert in the field, my recommendation is to carefully assess the unique features of each platform and align them with your academic needs. Whether you prioritize expertise, efficiency, or a combination of both, rest assured that both MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp and AssignmentPedia are equipped to assist you on your journey to academic success in Mechanical Engineering.
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softranswolves · 11 months
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In the Teen Wolf fandom, it seems like peeps only love the big-names, the ones who regularly return to post content versus people who joined in the last few years.
As someone who has been here a while, what's your take on this? Should new people stop trying? Because that's what I'm feeling.
Hey friend!
I just wanna say, before I really get to my answer, I'm kind of touched that you see me having been around for a while!! I'm definitely not what I'd consider a big-name and I know my blog is mostly just my little corner full of stuff I curate with my own creations or reblogs of other people's but you see me 😊 I'm also for sure not tapped into the fandom itself like some folks I follow. I just doot my snoot in my little archive of teen wolf shenanigans and try to maintain friendships with anyone who wants to interact with me (via asks, messages, or tags, good golly I wanna hug anyone who interacts in tags lol and I for sure recognize when ppl come back).
I typed a way longer response that you may not have wanted, all to just say I would hate to see new people stop trying!! I adore that teen wolf is still pulling people despite it being off air and potentially not getting more movies (whether or not that's what most people want). I think fandoms need fresh air continually too. No two people will experience the show or content 100% the same way and have every single response be the same. Just with the two cakes mindset of creation, there are multiple cakes for how we all digest the show and they're all delicious. I carved out my own little corner here because I wanted organization for myself, and I create largely for myself. Any interaction I get, I fucking adore, I cannot impress that enough lol. I just never really expect it bc I know I do my own thing here with stuff like Multiamory May moodboards. Rarepairs and polyamory and trans headcanons just aren't everyone's cup of tea and I stopped trying to be recognized for what I "target" when I know my quality isn't 100% and I'm just vibing to my own weirdness instead of being super put together about it. I've definitely flickered in and out of the fandom when it comes to engagement too - like how last year (or year before? idk, time is confusing) I was running regular events but currently I just don't have the energy/passion in the same way.
If you really want to be seen more, esp if you make your own posts/content, utilize tags, even if you're hella lazy with it like me. I try to always use #twedit no matter what, in addition to #twfemslash and #twrarepair when applicable. Those go on the radar of people who fill the queues of some "big" blogs that do a bunch of reblogging just to have continual content out there. I also feel like I got a foot in via a couple of my discord servers, mainly Teen Wolf Legacy, and making a couple too (one for Scott shipping, one for teen wolf femslash; others i know of included pecific Derek-positive ones, a Stiles shipping one). That absolutely increased my reach, because I could share my stuff with people who specifically wanted to get pinged for, say Allison/Stiles content as an example. Idk that my following blew up or anything, I'm still a relatively small teen wolf blog. But it did make it easier to grow into my niche here. It also made me realize how big the fandom is. Some might only watch for or engage with a particular ship or character, while others like me do so for pretty much anyone.
This was still lengthy, I'm sorry. You caught me after work when my brain is like solely focused on decompression via fixation and tumblr is often a source for that. Please don't be discouraged from trying, and if you feel comfortable coming directly to me I could possibly point you in the direction of some other teen wolf blogs with similar interests! Big-names are hella daunting and it still blows my mind some of the ones I always sort of looked up to also just have some nerd behind them that I can talk to (even if I feel like im annoying them lmao). Feel free to talk with me more either on or off anon too, I'm pretty much always here to some extent. I love new people so fucking much, I'm just not engaged enough to always see you 💜💜💜💜
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payalbind · 3 months
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Blushlin
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Exploring Elegance with Blushlin: A Comprehensive Review
Blushlin has emerged as a prominent player in the beauty industry, captivating the hearts of makeup enthusiasts worldwide. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the exquisite world of Blushlin products, evaluating their quality, diversity, and overall impact on the beauty landscape.
Unveiling the Blushlin Collection
Blushlin's extensive collection is a testament to their commitment to offering a diverse range of products. From radiant blushes to captivating eyeshadows, each item is crafted with precision and attention to detail. The brand's dedication to providing a wide spectrum of shades ensures there's something for everyone, regardless of skin tone or style preference.
Quality Redefined
It has set a new standard for quality in the beauty industry. The pigmentation of their products is exceptional, delivering vibrant and long-lasting results. Whether you're a makeup novice or a seasoned artist, the smooth application and blendability of it's formulations make creating a flawless look effortless.
Product Range:
We offers a diverse range of blush shades suitable for various skin tones. From soft pinks to vibrant corals and deep mauves, the collection caters to both everyday and bold looks. The pigmentation is impressive, allowing for buildable coverage, whether you prefer a subtle flush or a more dramatic pop of color.
Longevity:
One of the standout features of Beauty's blushes is their longevity. The color stays vibrant and fresh for hours without fading or becoming patchy. Whether you're heading to the office or a night out, you can trust that your blush will stay put and keep you looking radiant all day and night.
Affordability:
Considering the quality of the products, Blushlin Beauty's blushes are surprisingly affordable. The brand manages to strike a balance between offering a luxurious experience and making beauty accessible to all. It's refreshing to find a brand that doesn't compromise on quality while keeping the price tag reasonable.
Innovation in Packaging
Beyond the quality of the products, the commitment to sustainability and innovation shines through in their packaging. The thoughtfully designed, eco-friendly packaging not only adds a touch of luxury to the products but also aligns with the brand's ethos of environmental responsibility.
Final Thoughts: Elevate Your Beauty Ritual with Blushlin
It has undoubtedly earned a permanent place in my makeup routine. With its impressive range of shades, impeccable formula, and affordable price point, it's a brand that caters to makeup enthusiasts of all levels. If you're in the market for high-quality blushes that deliver on both performance and style, Blushlin Beauty is a must-try. Elevate your glow game with these fabulous blushes – you won't be disappointed!
Having successfully carved a niche for itself in the beauty industry, this brand offers a sophisticated range of makeup products that cater to the diverse needs of consumers. The combination of quality, diversity, and commitment to sustainability positions it as a frontrunner in the ever-evolving world of beauty. Elevate your beauty ritual and embrace the allure of this brand - where elegance meets innovation.
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jcmarchi · 3 months
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Siri Shortcuts: Unveiling the Potential of Voice in iOS Apps - Technology Org
New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/siri-shortcuts-unveiling-the-potential-of-voice-in-ios-apps-technology-org/
Siri Shortcuts: Unveiling the Potential of Voice in iOS Apps - Technology Org
In a digital landscape where convenience is paramount, voice-activated functionalities are carving a significant niche. Apple’s introduction of Siri Shortcuts in iOS 12 marked a seminal moment in this voice-driven revolution, offering a glimpse into a future where vocal commands take center stage.
As more brands and developers consider integrating Siri’s capabilities into their apps, it’s imperative to understand the transformative potential of this feature and the avenues it opens up for iOS app development services.
Understanding Siri Shortcuts
At its core, Siri Shortcuts is a feature that allows users to create custom voice commands to trigger specific actions within apps. While Siri’s inherent capabilities are already vast, Shortcuts adds an extra layer by letting users customize voice interactions tailored to their routines and preferences.
Empowering User Experience
The integration of Siri Shortcuts into iOS apps offers several distinct advantages:
Personalized Interactions: Users can set specific phrases for tasks they frequently perform, making interactions more intuitive and personal.
Time Efficiency: By bypassing multiple steps to execute an action, Siri Shortcuts reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks.
Hands-Free Operations: Especially useful for scenarios like driving, cooking, or other hands-on tasks, users can command their apps without ever touching their device.
Innovative Applications in Different Sectors
Siri Shortcuts’ potential isn’t limited to just a few sectors. Various industries can leverage it to enhance their app’s value proposition:
Fitness: Imagine users being able to start their favorite workout routine on a fitness app with a simple “Hey Siri, start my morning run.”
E-commerce: Simplifying tasks such as checking order status or reordering regular items with commands like “Hey Siri, where’s my package?” or “Hey Siri, reorder my usual groceries.”
Media & Entertainment: Streamlining media consumption with commands such as “Hey Siri, play the latest episode of [Podcast/Show Name].”
Challenges and Considerations
Like all technological innovations, Siri Shortcuts come with their set of challenges:
User Education: It’s essential for developers and brands to guide users on setting up and using Shortcuts effectively.
Privacy Concerns: With voice commands, there’s always the looming concern of privacy. Developers must ensure that sensitive actions within apps have additional layers of authentication.
Language & Dialects: The diversity in speech patterns, accents, and dialects might pose challenges in seamless command execution.
The Road Ahead for iOS App Development Services
For iOS app developers and service providers, Siri Shortcuts presents a realm of possibilities. It pushes the boundary of what apps can achieve and how they engage with users. As more people grow accustomed to voice-driven interactions, integrating Siri Shortcuts could very well become a standard offering, not just an additional feature.
Conclusion
The voice-first shift in digital interactions is not just a fleeting trend—it’s a testament to our evolving relationship with technology. Siri Shortcuts is Apple’s forward-looking response to this shift, offering users more power and flexibility in how they interact with their apps. For brands and developers, it’s an invitation to imagine a more dynamic, responsive, and user-centric app experience. The question is, are we ready to converse with the future?
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atiquzzaman2218 · 7 months
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Unlocking Digital Freedom: A Yearlong Experience with Panda VPN
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The internet is a wonderful place filled with endless possibilities, from connecting with people around the globe to accessing a plethora of information with just a click. But with these advantages come certain risks — privacy invasion, data breaches, and restricted access to websites, among other concerns. To combat these issues, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have emerged as a necessary tool for secure and unrestricted internet browsing.
Among the myriad of options, Panda VPN has carved a niche for itself with a promise of anonymous browsing, fast and secure connections, and user-friendly experience. And with the current offering of 12 months + 12 months free at an incredible 83% off, it has never been a better time to consider taking your digital security seriously. This article explores my one-year experience with Panda VPN and how it dramatically enhanced my online life.
How Panda VPN Changed My Relationship with the Internet
Prior to using Panda VPN, my internet usage was a bit reckless. While I was somewhat aware of the risks involved, I never took proactive measures to secure my digital footprint. Advertisements for products I'd merely thought about seemed less like a coincidence and more like a haunting reality of my compromised privacy. That's when Panda VPN came into the picture.
Setting up Panda VPN was a breeze, thanks to its easy-to-use interface. With servers in multiple countries, I had the luxury to virtually transport myself to any part of the globe. This feature was especially beneficial for bypassing geo-restrictions. I could finally watch shows and access websites that were previously unavailable in my location.
Panda VPN: The Privacy Solution You Didn't Know You Needed
While Panda VPN assured fast and secure connections, what intrigued me was its emphasis on anonymous browsing. The VPN uses advanced encryption methods to secure your data, making it nearly impossible for hackers to intercept. It also doesn't keep logs of your activity, offering an extra layer of security. Over the past year, I have browsed with the comfort of knowing that my activities remain private, thanks to Panda VPN.
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Moreover, public Wi-Fi networks are notorious for being breeding grounds for potential data breaches. However, Panda VPN automatically turns on the moment it detects a public network, ensuring that your connection is always secure. The peace of mind that comes with this feature cannot be overstated.
Surf the Web Securely: The Comprehensive Guide to Panda VPN
For those who are not tech-savvy, the idea of setting up and regularly using a VPN might seem daunting. Panda VPN eliminates these apprehensions with its incredibly user-friendly interface. The application is straightforward and requires little to no technical knowledge to navigate. The VPN offers different modes depending on what you aim to achieve—whether it’s secure browsing, torrenting, or streaming.
Over the past year, I’ve found Panda VPN to be remarkably reliable. The connection speeds were excellent, and I didn’t experience any significant drops that interfered with my activities. The customer support is also commendable, offering quick solutions to any queries or issues.
Conclusion
As we continue to integrate the internet into our daily lives, the importance of digital security and privacy cannot be overstated. My yearlong experience with Panda VPN has been nothing short of transformative. From browsing anonymously to accessing a world of previously restricted content, Panda VPN has elevated my online experience while providing a much-needed security blanket.
With their current offer of 12 months + 12 months free at an 83% discount, Panda VPN has made digital security more accessible than ever. It’s an investment in your online freedom and peace of mind — one that I wholeheartedly recommend.
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idigitizellp21 · 1 year
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9 Golden Rules For Content Writing
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                                9 Golden Rules For Content Writing
Today, the internet is an overcrowded space and can be compared to a lot of stars in the sky or unlimited sand particles on the beach. As per the internet live statistics, there are 1.9 billion plus websites in existence, 3.5 billion plus Google searches on a daily basis, and roughly 350,000 tweets sent every minute. In this kind of competition, capturing the readers’ interest can be the biggest challenge you can be facing. Chartbeat conducted a research that opened up an ugly fact that 55 percent of the visitors spent less than or 15 seconds on a webpage. Good website content is the key to defeat these statistics. Well-written content that’s optimized for the web allows your webpage to top the search results and can hold readers’ attention. Whether your content appears on the web or in print or carved on a wall there are some writing rules that you need to know.
Follow these 9 golden rules to make sure whatever you write gets the attention it deserves:
Do your research: Before you put pen to paper or finger to keyboard you need to study who are you trying to reach? I.e. your customers, audience, readers. These are some questions which need answers before you start drafting your content. Who is my target audience? Who are my target audience influencers? How are they going to reach my website?. Once these parameters are defined you need to dig deep and try to answer questions like, What topics would they like to read about? What questions would bring them to my website? Is my website answering/solutionizing their issues? You then need to ensure your content is accessible and engaging to all these audiences.
Structure your content: Web visitors have a very short span of attention and are judging your website for relevant information in seconds. Structuring your content on the web is like a website makeover, where utilizing the Inverted Pyramid Model of content writing proves beneficial. Here, you need to place the most important/headlines at the top of the page and then progressively move to more specific and factual data. Making your text scannable is another habit you need to incorporate while you structure your content. Instead of verbose paragraphs, use bullet points or numerical listing which will make your content look organised. White space, is the best friend of a web designer where they would allow empty space around images, text and other website elements. A decent amount of space around text eases your eyes and makes it look more legible. Love at first site is applicable here, make sure you make it worthy.
KISS (Keep it Simply Short) rule: As the attention span of the audience is reducing, research proves that readers today prefer sentences with less than 35 words. And also an average reader reads at a 7th to 9th grade level. We recommend you to use more nouns and verbs compared to adverbs and adjectives.
Active voice gets more engagement: In order to draft user-friendly and actionable sentences you must consider using active voice compared to passive. For example, you can say, “Visit your nearest outlet for great deal” compared to “Our outlets have great deals”. Active voice is a direct form of communication, which drastically increases the engagement levels of a reader.
Avoid technical jargon: The web is for the world and not just for your technical circle. So you need to ensure that your content on the web educates/informs/imparts knowledge to the world, for which it needs to be generic. Define niche terms, if you use acronyms-spell them out in the first reference, provide hyperlinks to other webpage which can help the reader to know more.
Variety of words is the key: Words are like cookies, we all have our number one. But in order to keep your audience engaged, you need to use variety. You may have exhausted a word by using it too often. Type it into Thesaurus.com (Can link) to find new synonyms to complement your content. While you enhance your web content, do not miss out on your primary keywords which should appear throughout your web page systematically. not looking like a word crowd. Keeping a positive tone of text is always a pleasant read. Example, use “invoice” over bill, use “client” over patient.
Blend multimedia: Many a times a picture/graphic speakers for itself and doesn’t need text to support or elaborate it. Research shows that 90 percent of the information transmitted to the human brain is visual, and people process visual information 60,000 times faster than text. Images or videos also helps break up text monotony making it easier to distinguish sections on a webpage.
Hyperlink keywords: Your website is great when it allows the reader to navigate from one page to another in a smooth synchronised manner. Help users find meaningful content by hyperlinking certain keywords to other relevant pages on your website. Recheck if the right page is linked with the right keyword/phrase as this can make or break your audience engagement score. These internal linking are extremely beneficial for your SEO but remember overloading your text with too many links will confuse the readers’ directly contributing to higher number of disengaged readers’.
Call-to-Action text is critical: A website which generates sales or achieves its desirable goals gets its readers’ to reach its conversion page. Between information sharing and conversion comes a thick line called “Call-to-action button”. Keep them blunt and initiate it with an action word like “Share”, “Buy now”, “Book now”, Sign up”, Watch”, etc. After which hyperlink this button to actually allow the user to complete the action.
Writing, in general, is a tough job—writing content for your website, even more so. But remember, you don’t need to be a pro at it, at the very first time! Once your content is live, you can monitor and optimize it monthly for a better web performance. With the above mentioned golden rules , you’re ready to create effective content that will solutionize your readers’ queries.
If it still gets you worried, we at iDigitize specialise in designing web content that is simple and effective. We believe in drafting engaging content with a dash of fun.
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ow-anteater · 3 years
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The announcement of the end of the Omnic Crisis had washed over them like a wave; sudden and at once unexpected and long awaited. Gabriel still isn't sure what to do from here
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A short little thing about choosing to be okay, no matter how briefly. Also about how nicely Reinhardt Wilhelm cleans up
Reinhardt/Reaper, rated T, spans 4411 words. Reblogs are priceless in spreading my writing 🧡
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anncanta · 3 years
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Veduta of Venice
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Fandom: Dracula (2020)
Characters: Count Dracula, Zoe Van Helsing, Agatha Van Helsing
Relationship: Dracula/Zoe Van Helsing, Dracula/Agatha Van Helsing
Rating: Explicit
Veduta (Italian veduta - seen, view, picture, point of view) is a genre of Western European painting and graphics, especially popular in Venice of the 18th century.
@alma37 @hopipollahorror @ravenathantum @flutteringphalanges @ladyhaley28​ @dragatha @khyruma​
Read on AO3
Or read below
The hotel was damp and cold, but the view was magnificent. Rising from the chair, Zoe wrapped herself tighter in a wide woolen scarf and went out onto a tiny balcony made of openwork stone.
As far as the eye could see, there was water ahead – pinkish, blue, green. Zoe had never seen so much water before. The water has never been so close. Leaning over the balcony railing, Zoe stared down at the low waves intersecting at odd angles.
Such a strange city. When she bought a tour at the agency, she was offered a choice – Verona or Venice. Zoe rejected Verona at once. And she looked at the glamorous, deliberately beautiful photos of Venice for a long time as if looking for something – either a crack in the ideal porcelain world captured on the image or ugly everyday flaws. In the end, she decided – she has nothing to lose.
The flight never seemed to end. The large iron bird seemed to hang in the sky forever, spreading its immovable wings and holding the half-asleep Zoe either in its paws or in a steel silver beak. When, to her surprise, the bird let her go, Zoe still had to get from mainland Italy deep into the archipelago. So she arrived at the hotel completely exhausted.
She burst into a spacious room that smelled of rain and prickly nights, dropped her suitcase on the floor, and stretched out on an obscenely wide bed.
And when she woke up, the sun, mother-of-pearl gray skies, and water looked out of her windows.
Zoe wasn't going to take a vacation. She worked hard and monotonously, with stubborn, dull dedication, unlike many of her workaholic colleagues – not for the sake of her own reputation and career, and not at all for show. The fact is that there was really nothing more in her life.
Zoe didn’t realize it right away. She just worked, day after day, not even always overtime. Like everyone else, she played bowling on Thursdays and had fun in pubs on Fridays. But when her friends and colleagues hurried home to their families at the end of a stormy evening Zoe, starting her old Renault, every time fought the temptation to return to the laboratory.
This went on for a long time. Months. Years. Until one day, on the eve of her fortieth birthday, Zoe realized that the desire to go back to work after a party with friends was her only temptation.
For some reason, this understanding frightened her so much that the next morning she was already sitting in the office of the head of the medical research center in which she worked, with an application for a vacation, and a week later – on a plane on her way to Italy.
Zoe straightened and looked at the bright scarlet sun sinking into the bay. Self-pity is not the best feeling to approach the second half of your life, she thought. Well, in general, she had nothing to feel sorry for herself. She was lonely – but she always had more or less enough of her own company, with the rare addition of a friend or two to chat with over the weekend. She did not have an impressive career – although many of her colleagues at the center, who discussed at tea the young doctor, who had managed to make several breakthrough discoveries by the age of thirty-five, could argue with this. Success in science is an unpopular success. Nothing to brag about. Zoe chuckled out of the corner of her mouth. And she had absolutely no idea what to do next, and for that matter – why all this was needed.
On the other hand, why not?
Would she have died of some kind of blood cancer, she would have made a sort of a romantic heroine, Zoe thought irritably as she closed the balcony.
At the foot of the building, somewhere far, far away, muddy water was rustling and foaming.
***
Zoe bought a complete tour, which included a full package of services, so she did not choose a hotel. Maybe if she did, she would spend time looking for something more comfortable and not so boring, she mused as she walked down to the restaurant for lunch. During the week and a half that Zoe spent here, nothing happened in the hotel that could conditionally pass for entertainment. Don't consider the other guests as such, she chuckled mentally. On the stairs and in the corridors, there were mostly gloomy gray-haired couples and girls of dubious appearance. Sometimes a jazz band played in the lobby in the evenings.
There wasn`t a soul to be seen in the bright and quiet hall – except for a tall man in black, sitting in the far corner at the piano. Leaning over the keyboard, the man absentmindedly fingered the keys, pulling out the notes one at a time. Zoe smiled at the metaphor that crossed her mind and turned around and headed there instead of the restaurant.
In the niche in which the piano was hidden, only one small lamp burned, giving a soft yellow-orange light. Falling obliquely on the keyboard and the lid, it snatched out of the half-light a man's back and shoulder, tightened in a classic black suit, the outlines of the profile and hands with large fingers.
Approaching, Zoe leaned on the piano and for a while, just stood listening to the music. Now, being near, she could finally understand what was wrong with this music – the stranger played skillfully and cleanly, but the melody, its very fabric, seemed... vulnerable and fragile as if the pianist was painfully remembering it or composing it on the go. Zoe watched as his hands gently touch the keys as if asking about something – and finding no answer.
‘You haven't played for a long time,’ she said softly.
‘Very long,’ he raised his head. For a moment, his face – beautiful, pale, with dark eyes and well-defined lips – remained relaxed. Then he brushed aside a straight strand of black hair that had fallen on his forehead and looked at Zoe. And then a strange expression appeared in his gaze – bewildered, amazed... looking. This happens with those who have met someone whom they have long lost hope of seeing. Zoe could bet that he was about to say something, but at the last moment, he resisted. He turned away again and continued to play.
‘My… teacher was pretty good,’ an ironic note slipped through his low voice, ‘but I'm afraid I’m lacking in practice. What do you think?’ The stranger again raised his eyes to Zoe.
‘I like your manner,’ she said carefully. ‘Have you just arrived?’ she asked for some unknown reason.
‘Yes, yesterday,’ said the man. ‘Always wanted to go to Venice,’ he added slowly. ‘To this... city of dreams.’
Zoe smiled involuntarily. Looking at his hands, which were still on the keyboard, she suddenly imagined with amazing clarity how fingers stroking the keys touch her skin. Imagined how they touch her neck, shoulders, pass along the shoulder blades, move to the waist, barely noticeable, but confidently increasing the pressure. Turning away, Zoe blinked.
The momentary rush of embarrassment, however, disappeared as quickly as it had arisen. What are you here for, Zoe, she asked herself. Not to sit in the room in the evenings with a glass of Tokaj and picture suffering, are you? Take a look at this piece of masculine beauty and make the most of what he promises. If he promises, of course.
‘ – at dinner tonight?’ Zoe woke up and looked at her interlocutor. Judging by his look, he was perfectly aware of what she was thinking and did not seem to mind. ‘If I understood correctly, there will be dances after dinner.’
Zoe nodded.
‘It's always like this here on Fridays. If you're looking for entertainment, there is hardly a better case,’ she said, looking him in the eye. ‘The season has just ended.’
The man silently shook his head.
‘I’ll come,’ he answered, standing up. He bowed graciously, intending to leave, and suddenly turned around. ‘What is your name?’
Again this strange seeking expression, a poignant mixture of despair and hope. And mockery – not at her, at himself.
‘Zoe Van Helsing,’ she said. Amazement flashed in his dark eyes but then disappeared.
‘Count Dracula,’ he said, shaking her outstretched hand. ‘See you at dinner, Zoe Van Helsing.’
***
For the upcoming evening, Zoe prepared carefully. After scrapping several spectacularly low-cut dresses, she settled on blue jeans and a light blue blouse. ‘If he is a real Count,’ her pride chuckled, ‘you will hardly be able to surprise him.’ Well, she didn't intend to.
‘I want to have a good time,’ Zoe muttered, glancing at herself in the mirror of an antique carved dressing table. She washed off the mascara from her eyelashes, which she diligently dyed five minutes ago, then, after short thinking, wiped a thin layer of lipstick from her lips. Zoe used makeup a little and only on special occasions, but it was not a lack of habit or awkwardness that made her get rid of it now. She could not explain to herself why, but she was sure that the best choice for meeting the Count was naturalness.
The hotel restaurant was unusually full: probably dancing inspired not only her, moving to one of the few free tables – at the exit to the terrace – Zoe thought. Sitting at the table and ordering a glass of Chianti, she turned her face to the light wind blowing from the ajar doors.
The bay shone in shades of blue, pink, and dove. Small waves broke up, catching the lighted lanterns. Zoe heard how music was born and tried its power in the hall. The wind became a little cooler. The waiter brought her Chianti.
She could have sat like that all evening, Zoe thought after the third or fifth sip. The music became louder and a little braver. Zoe decided that she might need more wine.
‘You promised me a dance.’
‘When did I?’ Zoe turned around.
Pause.
‘One hundred twenty-three years ago.’
She chuckled.
‘What a precision. And what a tactlessness!’
‘I beg your pardon?’
He was dressed in the same classic black suit as when they first met, and just like when they first met, she wanted this suit off him immediately. Zoe nodded to his questioning glance in the direction of the chair opposite and said, putting down her glass:
‘You just hinted at my age?’
‘No way,’ Dracula responded with mock horror. His eyes flashed with a mixture of irony and melancholy. ‘Never mind, this is... a personal joke.’
The orchestra fell silent behind them. One by one, the instruments stopped playing, as if they were disappearing into the shadows, yielding to the only remaining violin.
Zoe finished her wine. She felt like crying. Determination and frivolity vanished, and anger with herself remained.
‘I –’ she began, but Dracula interrupted her.
‘You promised me a dance.’
She watched him get up and walk over to her. Taking his hand, she rose and allowed him to lead her to a small dance floor in the opposite corner. She saw him making a sign to the musicians, heard the first chords sounded, then he pulled her to him and velvetly ran his hand along her back.
Everything floated somewhere: Venice, the damp smell of canals, a shade of raw plaster, which seemed to cover everything and everyone in this city, a draft coming from everywhere; pink-blue sky. Closed, sharply defined lips and dark, demanding eyes.
Music came from somewhere with dry clicks, crumbling on them beat by beat and measuring their steps. Piano – thunderstorm, monotonous rain, wet asphalt, water on San Marco. Pigeons flutter out from under her feet. Fractional flashes of droplets gather in puddles, a violin steps carefully over them, creeps in, displaces other sounds, and again remains alone. Freezes, kissing her forehead. And everything freezes with it.
...They took the elevator for ages. Squeezing his hand, Zoe watched the numbers change on the scoreboard on the wall. When the number three finally lit upon it, it seemed to her: a little more, and she simply could not stand it. They got to the room, and holding the key card to the door, she was surprised – it does not open until it dawned on her: not her suit. The door opened, closed behind her. Zoe leaned back on it, lifted her head.
Dracula leaned over to her and took her face in his hands. Zoe stood silently, motionless. Closing her eyes, she held her breath, feeling the touch of his lips, then – the tongue. Snuggling up to him, she grabbed him by the neck. He ran his hands over her body, finding, squeezed the nipples through the fabric. He pulled her blouse from the belt and ducked under it with his palm. Exactly how she fantasized... a long time ago... yes, this... afternoon. Twitching impatiently, Zoe swung her hips, her jeans button digging into his stomach. He pulled away, turning her, pressed her to the door again, tore off the button, zipper, and put his hand into her panties. Zoe buried her forehead against the door with a groan. His fingers caressed her harshly and roughly, without ceremony, tormenting her, not allowing her to escape. Zoe finished, breathing out a soundless scream.
Grasping her from behind, Dracula waited until she calmed down, turned her around, ran his fingers over her cheeks, erasing the lines of tears. He pulled her into the room, along with him, to the bed.
Lying on her back, Zoe listened to the disturbed world rebuilding within her body. She smiled at Dracula, who had time to put his clothes somewhere and bent over her. Now his touch was gentle, fleetingly teasing as if he was asking for forgiveness for the recent explosion. Zoe lifted herself up and slid into his arms – and gasped as he rolled onto his back, swapping them.
Zoe loved sex and found partners easily. Many of them were passionate and skillful. But she never really wanted to be on top. She shifted in embarrassment. She wasn't even sure she understood how...
She did not have time to think out the thought: grabbing her by the waist, Dracula slowly lowered her onto himself. And it was so good and... accurately, that Zoe bit her lip with acute pleasure. Dracula waited a couple more moments, lifted her, froze. Zoe frowned in bewilderment. He smiled and moved his hips. Once, twice. The third – slower, then faster, and in the same order – again. Arching, she trembled – and when his fingers found her clitoris, everything became unimportant, there were only moans and sighs in the darkness.
‘Would you like some coffee?’ Zoe asked. Dracula, hugging her with both arms and absentmindedly running his fingers over her stomach, shook his head.
‘I don’t drink... coffee,’ he replied, and there was distant anxiety in his voice. Zoe nodded nonchalantly as she climbed out of bed, wrapped her dressing gown, and walked over to the table.
‘It's cold,’ she said, looking into the coffee pot. Well, the coffee was brought in yesterday. She turned to Dracula, who was sitting on the bed. He was disheveled and looked at her in a strange way. ‘I'll order a new one.’ Stepping to the balcony, Zoe opened the glass door and breathed in the morning air.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dracula get up and approach her.
The sky was still gray, but somewhere in the distance birds were already awakening. Zoe turned to Dracula – and froze, bumping into a sharp, focused gaze.
He stood naked in front of her, and there was something very familiar about it – not because of last night, but different.
‘Sorry.’
He grabbed her with lightning speed, so that she did not have time to recoil or cry out, hugged her again – and something happened.
Zoe felt herself trembling and swaying, slipping and falling into an unknown direction. Everything blurred, and before her eyes flashed pictures – an iron grate, a torch thrown to the ground, the smell of burnt wool, a nun's dress, and blood. Swaying, salty air, captain at the helm, shouts, shadows on the deck, and another fire. An explosion, the smell of fresh gunpowder tickling her nostrils, a man's face distorted by rage bending over her.
Agatha recoiled, gasping for air, and finally screamed when she realized what he was doing.
‘Agatha, it`s over!’ Reality fell on her and struck from all sides at once, stunning. ‘That's all, Agatha!’ Dracula hugged her, holding her. She struggled, trembling, bursting into sobs. ‘Sorry,’ he repeated when she was exhausted and quieted down. ‘Sorry, I had to make sure.’
He let her go, and she, moving away, climbed onto the bed, huddled like a wounded animal. She wrapped herself tighter in her dressing gown, which miraculously still remained on her. She leaned back on the pillow and cried softly. Dracula silently sat down on the other side of the bed.
‘You survived,’ Agatha said without looking at him.
‘I did,’ said Dracula. ‘I just slept for a hundred and twenty years. Then I woke up and saw around... all this. But I liked it, you know.’
Agatha didn't answer. She didn't want details. She wanted to close her eyes and not open them for another hundred years.
‘How many have you eaten?’ she said dismissively.
‘Agatha, you worked at the research medical center,’ Dracula's voice sounded annoyed. ‘Do you know who the donors are? These are special people who donate blood, eggs, and sperm.’ He paused. ‘And there is Tinder, besides.’
Agatha felt her head begin to throb heavily.
‘How is this possible?’ she asked hoarsely. Turning, she looked at Dracula. Dracula didn't answer. ‘It’s the twenty-seventh of October two thousand and twenty,’ Agatha said with an effort. ‘I ate toast for breakfast. My blood type is the first negative. I don't like grapes and I love bananas. Last year I went to Islamabad. I remember the life of Zoe Van Helsing!’ she shouted; her voice rang out again.
Dracula was silent, and somehow that silence helped calm the storm that was raging inside her. Agatha looked around the room, looked at the bed, and at Dracula. She breathed in without a sound. Her body was still agitated, still keenly aware of what they were doing together. How could she do this – with him?
‘You remember the life of Zoe Van Helsing because you were her,’ she heard Dracula's voice. Agatha looked at him incredulously. ‘Her life was real. From the very first day. And at the same time, from the very first day, it was you.’
Getting up, Agatha walked to the balcony and leaned against the glass of the door. She frowned at Dracula.
‘It is believed that reincarnation,’ he said, ‘is always a new personality. In rebirth, a person begins a completely different life. And in most cases, apparently, it is. But it happens... it happens very rarely that the former personality turns out to be so strong that it displaces or does not let the new one in, and a conflict arises between them. I heard about this maybe two hundred years ago from some Arab doctor.
Agatha listened in silence.
‘The problem is,’ Dracula continued, ‘that two consciousnesses cannot get along in one human body. Such a split cannot last forever.’ He made a pause. ‘Have you ever been diagnosed with... what is it called now... cancer?’
‘Some years ago. I was in the hospital. Suspicion of leukemia,’ Agatha said in surprise. ‘Not confirmed. Zoe... I've seen the tests. But Z... I'm not an oncologist. I figured it was just a mistake. Someone confused the tubes.’
Dracula stared at her wordlessly.
‘Now, yes, that's a mistake,’ he said and stood up. In the split second after his words, something changed in his face and gaze, and in the room. Standing in place, Agatha watched him approach, stretches out his hands to her, opens her dressing gown. Already when he is very close, holding her between himself and the glass, raises her hips, and enters, she remembers that he is still naked.
Looking into her eyes, he pushes into her body, hard, rough, and deep. She has nowhere to go, not to hide, she should be disgusted and ashamed, she should be hurt, in the end, but she only moans and, shuddering, leans back.
The despair in his movements melts, smears out, he gets out of her, carries her to the bed. He enters again, leaning on his hands, continues, at the only point in contact with her. Agatha cums from this alone, and sweet spasms are still poured in her – while he lets her go, while he searches for his things, finds them, while dresses and, buttoned-up, walks to the door.
Agatha is unable to move, she feels at the same time heavy and light, but her thoughts and feelings are more clear than ever. She turns and holds out her hand.
‘Don't go.’
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samuelmasseysblog · 3 years
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Potential Financial Sources I Could Consider
My business utilizes a drop-shipping format to limit my costs, I don’t maintain my own inventory, have warehouses, or personally manufacture shirts. Therefore, I can expand to meet growing demand easily.
Where investments come in is, presuming I carve out a niche & do well, I can expand the “net” that I cast over the general public through advertising.
Firstly, I can state that Venture, or Angel capital likely doesn’t apply here. Venture Capitalists deal with much larger organizations that need a significant seed, in exchange for equity, as do Angel investors, but in smaller scales. I’m not particularly interested in handing over equity, I’d rather remain a sole proprietor. 
Incubators, Grants, and Loans, don’t seem particularly applicable either.
Even though they “shouldn’t be taken lightly”, Love money investments seem straightforward and reasonable. To reemphasize, I don’t have the capital to maintain independent storefronts, buy up advertising space, or any other kind of not-free (social media for ex) advertising. Utilizing contract-less Patient capital to achieve market visibility I couldn’t otherwise grab, is straightforward, and doesn’t really involve the sort of commitments beyond “repay me later” that I can’t see myself comfortably making, under this current business model.
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How to find calligraphic wooden-ware in Pakistan?
Kinds of Several Historically Famous Calligraphy wooden-ware Decor StylesParis decor calligraphy gift label. Connect them .Tying a label to an antique key, worn door handle or lonely coat hook is a fantastic way to get calligraphy outside in the open. Choose a quote, song lyric or saying to reach your desired look.Just adding a little tag to an current bit of hanging decoration creates another layer of meaning and a glimpse of where it came from. Possessing a place name lettered on a gift label can offer a welcome memory of a particular holiday or event and indicates a tale to tell.Arabic Decorative Calligraphy Decorating with drawingsDonation label floral drawing with pencil inkJ apanese CalligraphyScrapbooking A  wall-clock looks so much prettier decorated with a lovely lettered gift label Calligraphy !Read on for inspiration of how to utilize present tags around your home for beautiful living daily. You will be taken by Click on the pictures .Calligraphy further advanced into a Number of Other types of arts in China, like Seal Carving, Ornate Paperweights, and Ink-Stones. We can likewise customize any message that is scripted and then can use it.Through the medieval period of time of history that the Calligraphy achieved its new highs in the kind of Arabic Calligraphy.  wall-art  in this period's use was not restricted to such a items that were decorative or the newspaper.Calligraphy may be used as a very amazing tool to be sure to maintain its glorious existence when beautifying our wooden-wares. Devanagari script can be used to incorporate the native feel of the message that was depicted.There was a time in which Roman Calligraphy was limited to portray the Christian spiritual sayings and quotations. The Roman Calligraphy has gradually become the symbol of westernization and modernization. The roman letters can be used to depict the ancient and royal type of modern wooden-ware art.Calligraphy is a kind of music not to the earsbut also for the eyes." (V. Lazursky)Actually, almost all the monuments of that time were decorated by carving and inlaying that the calligraphic form of texts into them. It arrived from mausoleums and palaces to home decor and slowly achieved the image of royalty and is being recognized as piece of decoration from the modern and royal manner.Beautiful bookmarksHome decoration ideas for vintage and shabby elegant livingSHOP GIFT TAGSIt does not just have to be assessed that adorns present tags - fragile drawings operate equally well too. Better in pencil and ink. Hang them from empty hooks to include interest and intrigue !Calligraphy decoration gift tags with specific dates Calligraphy gift label with classic home decor Adding a significant date to your gift tag will serve to jog the memory also may be set on picture frames showing family photographs or artworks of a favorite location. Consider tying three or two tags together with a place, a date and a quote to tell a tale and remind you.This one being restricted to ancient and royal architectures is now making a brand new comes back in modern Calligraphy wooden-ware decor styles, let us investigate it.Calligraphy having an artistic depiction of almost any human language was mostly practiced during Chinese civilization. Like lots of other arts calligraphy is totally inspired by character. In any script even every dot, every stroke, depicts the kind of a object that is natural.Roman Calligraphy wooden-ware Art Place settings There are loads of regular and modern options when it comes to wooden-ware decor. Patterns, landscapes photos and carry excellent aesthetic value and sculptures are all contemporary.Maintaining a scrapbook is a lovely way to store photographs and mementoes of a vacation or special event. Cut-out articles ticket stubs and postcards all can be gathered and tagged for prosperity. Whether you produce a collage which may be framed and put on display, or anything more personal, hand lettered present tags will tie it all together. They've so a lot more applications than just being added to a gift wrap. And if you are provided a gorgeous gift tag which you just can't bear to throw off (and why should you?) You might like a few of those ideas. They will add your home in no time and some chic appeal until you really have to admire the gorgeous calligraphy.These small hanging decorations can include some meaning and attention to your decoration easily and immediately. No matter how small your area you are able to add a certain je ne sais quoi and handmade loveliness.Special datesMore will be moreHand lettered scrap booking gift label accessoryThough using calligraphy gift tags as home décor is only a little touch, it will add effect, albeit in a subtle manner. Whether they are personalised with calligraphy of whimsical word your quote or a drawing that is quaint, their royal presence will probably be enough to make layers of significance and attention .We will recount a comparatively old but crucial aspect of wooden-ware artwork.For adding finishing touches filled with charm to your table configurations these calligraphy name tags perform wonders. They look lovely if you're hosting a formal dinner or afternoon tea party. They are guaranteed to please and could be taken home by your guests and valued as a reminder.I don't know about you, but I am a fan of faffing and making things look quite. Foraged and give me a few objects locates to arrange and I am happy - much more happy when a there is a label. Style it with your favorite paintings onto a shelf or tray on a desk. I can't resist tea cups, blossom hearts along with French glass vases folded from old novels. Indian Calligraphy Art India being an area of many languages has diversity of this artistic direction of writing. Sanskrit is among the most ancient languages. Of duplication of texts, it was used Within this language the craft of calligraphy has served many purposes because its starting in 2nd century BCE.Calligraphy novel mark with beautiful quotesInsert some fairly and functional organisation by minding these sweet and small tags to cloth storage bins using a safety pin or tying them onto wicker baskets functions as well. Whether it's storing bottles or pegs from the laundry area or makeup in the bedroom, you will know where things are without needing them. Sometimes a line of poetry or amusing words out of your favourite novel are worth watching regular in addition to making a thoughtful gift for a bookworm. Two of my favourite things and one wonderful combination AND fairly, practical.Roman wooden-ware CalligraphyWhy don't you blend a hand-lettered tag to some plant stem or around the grip of a jug of flowers to allow them to sing much more. A couple of words written on will probably be sufficient. Alternately, fill an empty jam jar with flowers cut from the garden, wind some many times around the rim and then add a gift label. It's the tiny changes which make the biggest differences here.Vases of flowersArabic Calligraphy wooden-ware ArtYou could use two or one of these gift tag thoughts or scatter the appearance around and decorate your living space. The best bit is, it's really easy to achieve, have the benefit of being timeless and will make daily beautiful. Japanese is one of popular language for tattoos nowadays. However, we can even use calligraphies composed by brush the place of honour of the house, in the niche Tokonoma. There are numerous choice calligraphy (Verses, Poetries, Sayings and Independent Kanji) for various seasons. In Indiait could be customized to alter calligraphy decorating as per our style suits. Calligraphy tags for storage in the laundry areaCalligraphy quotes make beautiful keepsakesQuote, candy-jar .
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jhaernyl · 4 years
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More wizarding economics stuff
I had some kind of dream that was HP-related but also not-quite-HP-setting and I cannot remember it because it's already fading but I just woke up from it (needed to pee) and my brain was stuck on wizarding economy and spell-related production and economical upswing happening both post Grindelwald and post Voldemort wars and then economical stagnation after the upswing.
Given war patterns and humanity behavioural patterns, after the wars there should have both been a baby boom and an economical boom and probably more than a few people with PTSD and a war-related skillset who needed to now find a job that wasn't war-and-violence related. Some of them succeeded, some of them didn't but it just got me wondering about how many war-acquired survival-based skills you could turn around into actual magical jobs.
I had some ideas pop into my head, like someone really, really good at helping people conceal their identities to escape persecution going into the make up business because they spent the whole war helping people escape the clutches of the madmen in power and well, if that's what they are good at doing, there must be a market for potions and spells and charms that make you modify your appearance.
Someone who was too young to be law enforcement but also too hot headed / too personally involved to stay out of the conflict protesting "The only thing I'm good at is cutting spells." to their buddies and one of the buddies piping up "Why don't you get certified for painless magical butchery? It's a solid line of work according to my aunt and knowing your cutting spells is a really huge part of it." while someone else shrugs and goes "Well, how about going into helping people train for professional dueling?"
That person who spent the whole war repairing brooms for Aurors and Hit Wizards and who now is out of a job because the Ministry needs much fewer mechanics and they are going to keep the older, more experienced guys over the newbies and the newbies with connections over the newbies like them, who don't have them who just double flip off the Ministry and either go get themselves hired by a broom making company or set up their own repair shop or do the first to get around to do the second because they know all about the one thousand ways and spells that can damage a broom and how to undo them or protect from them or even make them be thrown right back at the fucker who threw them in the first place.
Someone whose main skillset is that of being a home maker and money are lean and times are hard and they can't afford to rely on just one parent's income so okay, fine, you know what, I'll patent my mother's family's secret food recipes and they found what will turn out into a household name / food staples that are in every wizarding home. Or the same person going into another direction and marketing their specially enchanted needles that will do your own knitting for you, you just have to buy the ones enchanted with the patterns you want them to do.
I already spoke in the past (though it might be literal years ago XD) about a character I had in my HP!AU who went to school in the years of the / right after the first Voldemort war and then went on to create portable music devices and if that character had been around in war times they might as well have come up with a more practical application of that kind of spell, to have portable radios and such, except he was a not-war-time character so what he did was portable music players, bc the circumstances and necessities of your life shape where your talents go to get applied.
All of this led me into thinking about the difference between mass-spell produced goods and artisanal goods. Like yeah, you can buy the enchanted needles and have them knit the patterns you need while you go around the rest of your life but there must also be various levels of quality in the industry.
Just to stick with the clothes examples.
Going from the enchanted needles to the enchanted needles for more complicated patterns to the things that are mass-spell produced and available in something like, say, Madam Malkin's (uniforms for everyone, enchanted with the same set of standardized spells, ready to be tailored for each child but affordable by everyone) and then moving on of various levels of craftmanship, Twilfitt and Tattings vs Gladrags Wizardwear and shops that cater to the discerning wizard or the discerning witch alone going from 'we only have a few employees but our quality is better' to 'each dress / robe you buy from us is the work of four different talented people who pour their time and energy to give your clothes not only the perfect cut but also the perfect sets of enchantments selected by you for your own needs from our list of available spells and enchantments and effects'.
Plus whoever is into the second hand business who sells second hands clothes and robes after repairing them, repairing the spells on them and making sure they will go a few more years despite having been used to the point where they are being disposed of.
There was a description, in an italian book I read as a child that was set in the 50s or 60s post-war Italy, that talked about children in school and how the uniform was supposed to be this great equalizer but that in reality the kind of uniforms poor kids, middle class kids and rich kids had wildly differed in quality and design, going from the poor kids with stiff collars they could clean their pencil erasers on to the rich girls with fur collars in winter and taffeta fabric.
That popped into my mind and set me off thinking that if Draco is shopping in Madam Malkin that must be some kind of Hogwarts-conventioned business where you have to buy all of your school clothes from, because otherwise you cannot tell me that he would buy clothes in the same place where less economically influent students buy their own clothes.
I know that Molly Weasley buys some stuff second hand (see: Ron's dress robes from year four) but Ron looks to have the same uniforms as everyone else when it's not about especially bought dress robes, so there probably is a commonly enforced clothes standard for Hogwarts that means you have to go to Madam Malkin's for your school robes or you cannot tell me the snobbiest purebloods would have the same quality of clothing than what they see as the rabble.
It's interesting to think about, isn't it?
(Or, otherwise, hello to what was a jumble of confused thoughts in the first two minutes of waking up that took me about ten to fifteen minutes to jot down in coherent form XD)
Oh and before I forget, the thing about stagnation is that after you have all those people heading back into the workforce and setting up their own businesses and carving out their own niches, you get this period of economical upswing / economical safety where you get used to using these new products and such and it works so well that why should we change that? and that feeds into a period where you have all you need / you can afford all the stuff that before was essential along with a lot of surplus so you are not going to be scrabbling for a job in the same way / you won't have the same economical needs so you are either going to push your children to follow in the family business footsteps or you are going to want better things for them than what you personally do.
It also means having a lot more people who can explore topics and professions that might have fallen to the wayside / would not have been considered useful and / or necessary under wartime so you have a lot of children being encouraged to follow their dreams or specialize differently because they don't have to be forced into specific roles and / or professions (might actually actively want to avoid your children going into such roles and / or professions) so you won't push them into that.
Especially when coupled with a baby boom.
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sekerenews · 5 years
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Chicken Republic Business Review
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Welcome to Sekere’s Podcast, On this episode, the Sekere Team and their guest will for the first time ever be doing a business review. They will be sharing their opinions on the Nigerian fast food franchise Chicken Republic. https://soundcloud.com/user-243775710/chicken-repblic-business-review   Christiana: Hello, welcome to Sekere News podcast. My name is Christiana and I'll be your host for today. My guests today are Semira, Imoh, Tolu and Ik and today is our first ever Business Review. Christiana: We'll be reviewing the franchise Chicken Republic. I will talk about Chicken Republic as a brand and also talk about the quality of their products and Brands position in the market when, you compare it to is competitors. So let's start off with Chicken Republic as a brand. Christiana: Imoh, what do you think about Chicken Republic as a brand? Imoh: Well, I feel they have dominated the market and one thing I like about them is how they have set out franchise in different areas, and they are easily accessible. So they are all there in your face and you can't miss them. Imoh: They have set their brand mark and they have become a household name that everyone wants to partake in.. Yeah…thank you Christiana: Thank you… Semira what do you think about Chicken Republic as a brand. Semira: Hi, thanks for having me on the show. I particularly like the brand identity of Chicken Republic. I think it's very modern, very very interested, very striking and I also like how they have set out all the stores. Semira: It has this distinct Chicken Republic identity. So wherever… whether it's on the island or on the mainland…wherever it is… you will always see a Chicken Republic store and then you know that this is the signature Chicken Republic brand identity, brand design…basically…so I particularly like their brand identity and I also like that their our menu is very true…they have been very true to their style from the onset. Semira: So whether is there meat pie or chicken pie, nothing has really deviated from their taste or all their menu selection so you don't start seeing things like maybe fish and sauce or something like that… You just see what they have been through to right from the onset? So yes, I personally like that about the brand. Christiana:  All right. Tolu, what you think about the brand. Tolu:  Yeah, I think… Thanks for having me on the show Christiana. Christiana: You are welcome Tolu: So I think Chicken Republic has done well for themselves so far. I think they've carved a niche for themselves and I think they are doing great… although I am of the opinion that…I'm not a great fan of their food. I love their snacks, but their food, I think they can improve on that. But as a brand, their identity and in the marketplace…I think they are doing great. So… Christiana: All right IK IK: Thank you for having me around Christiana IK: I think I'm Chicken Republic is quite a conspicuous brand in the KSR segments of fast food in Nigeria. Not only just being very conspicuous, they are quite aggressive with their marketing strategy such that… I mean unlike any other brand with the 500 fuel… I think it is refuel Tolu: Yeah..refuel IK: I mean, it's very affordable for quite a number of people with easy to just pick up and on the go… which is actually very good for growing their brand and I think some other brands have picked out from this thing and then yes… they're working on it. IK: Basically yeah… that’s all I have for them now but along the show…Yes…I mean… Semira: So for me, I also like that IK mentioned the refuel meal and they also have something like the refuel max. I think… An 800 naira full course meal… not a full cost meal but you get all your necessary nutrients and then you get a drink. Tolu: Yes your get value for your money Imoh: Very pocket-friendly Semira: Yes, very pocket-friendly and I think other brands have tried to copy that model but they haven't quite got it yet. You can go to any Chicken Republic outlet and say you want that meal and they tell you they are out of it. It is always there at any time of the day. Imoh: I have actually experienced one when they ran out of it. Semira: Where is that? Imoh: That was at Maryland mall. Semira: I am sure they were done for the day Tolu: I have actually experienced it before along Ago Palace way. Imoh: It was actually around Midday. Semira: I am sure that was like after rush hour. IK: I think it is good for their business if you run out of stock… considering Tolu: I think they are doing really great. Imoh: People actually go in for it. Tolu: It is affordable to the lay man. Semira: What is interesting is that they don’t deliver the meal to you even if you are going to pay an extra cost. I actually find it very annoying when they tell you have to order a certain amount before they can have your food delivered even though you're still going to pay for a delivery fee. So what does it matter what I have to order it? If I am still going to pay for the delivery. That is my only problem with your Chicken Republic and that. Christiana:  But I think that's the every like fast food. Semira: But why is that? I'm not still paying for the delivery. Tolu: Value for the delivery? Christiana: Maybe they just want to… I don't know. I don't understand that. Semira: I don't understand it Imoh: If you are paying for the delivery it doesn’t matter what she is ordering. Christiana: What she is ordering if she is paying for it. Tolu:  Yeah, I think you're right. Christiana:  So that doesn't make sense so… Tolu: But I think did not want through the stress of that for just probably 300 or 500 naira Semira: But I am still paying for delivery. Tolu: That’s it….So it's not about the money to them in the long run though the money Matters. IK: But think for every business regardless of…It’s the money coming in Tolu: Yes it’s the money… how would I put it…let’s think about it.. It is not only Chicken Republic this is applicable to… if you go online and to place an order…you see a minimum of 1. 2, a minimum of 1. 5. Semira: I think most… because Dominos you don’t even pay for delivery…Right? Do you pay for delivery? Tolu: No Semira: You don’t pay for delivery whatever you are asking for. Christiana: I think you do… Semira: No you don’t pay for delivery, So I think it's just the way the business model is. I don't know if it's because it's being… I mean they are franchises... Is Domino’s a franchise as well? Christiana: Yes it is Imoh: Yes it is Semira: Yes it is… So I wonder why? Tolu: So it is not just Chicken Republic…if you are to go on Jumia Foods, most of the restaurants there…they do the same thing. Semira: Which I think is very bad… if you are going to charge me for delivery for something… let me ask for whatever I need to ask for, even if it is a bottle of water. Imoh: It all depends on what you are selling. If what you are selling doesn’t amount to that except they add a lot of products to it.  You will still have to sell it and charge them for delivery. Tolu: Oh! Well… I guess… in the course of this we will find out Christiana: I think this is something they should definitely work on. Tolu: Yes, they need to Christiana: All right, so I think you guys have said everything when it comes to the brand. It's not high-end and it appeals to everybody… if you're rich you can go Chicken Republic, you can afford the food. If you're not so…if you are in the middle class…. You can also afford Chicken Republic. I love the ambience every single place you go to unlike…. Mr. Biggss where you have different…Maybe go to one…Tasty Fried Chicken and you see how its… someplace you will like and you go to another place and…its off Tolu: I will have to cut you off there… You made a statement saying if you're rich you can afford the food. If I am rich I don't think I would want to Chicken Republic's food sometimes because for them I think is more about quantity than quality because I would rather I think I preferred there…. Tolu:  I don't know how long you've been having Chicken Republic but when this refuel max came. I think the quality reduced when it comes to the food. So I think if I'm rich I'll rather go elsewhere than get 500 or 850 food. Semira: But if you are on the go… Tolu: Exactly I thank that’s their pain point what they decide to work on is for those on the go,  affordability for people who can't…Bike man, market women whatever, store owners, but I don't think their target market is for the rich. Imoh: I actually don’t like their fried rice. Tolu: Their food I won’t say is great… Christiana: Alright…so you guys have already moved to the quality of their products. So like Tolu is saying she… Semira: I think they have their off and on days…some days especially when it's fresh out of the stoves. It is nice to eat… and maybe on a Monday when they’ve rested….Actually, they don’t rest…. But sometimes they are actually like…this is the Meal! Especially when you have gone a long day and you are starved. When you eat the food you are like this is value for my money. So, yes, they have their on and off days, especially in some locations. But… IK: On and Off days Tolu: Which shouldn’t be for business. Semira: I know ….obviously IK: Then again…it is mostly off... because the truth is that…if you had somewhere to eat for that amount you would not take it. Semira: I won’t say it's not … IK: I am sorry to say, their fried rice is not fried rice now, it's just coloured rice Tolu: Even the Jollof Semira: I think fried rice is generally coloured rice IK: It is just coloured rice Semira: Well… for me… Jollof rice is fine even their spaghetti is actually fine too Imoh: Where have I has nice fried rice? IK: But then again if… Semira: It's 500 naira how do you want it to be garnished with… Tolu: That’s why I said what was their purpose of doing this… it is to reach out to the masses. That’s why I said its quantity for them, not quality. When they started it… Semira: But the chicken is really…it is a nice size Tolu: I am not talking about the chicken, I am talking about the rice Semira: So I guess they are making up for the rice by giving you a nice size of crunchy chicken. Tolu: No I don’t want size I need quality. Christiana: But I think, apart from rice… their chickwizz sandwich isn’t actually bad. Tolu: Their chickwizz is amazing. Semira: Their spaghetti is really good for the 500 naira meal, so I think you should just target the spaghetti. Tolu: The chickwizz is amazing I must say. Christiana: The low end… the packages is what is not so good.. maybe the rice… the 500 naira but when you go to their chickwizz, their burgers… you can eat those things. Tolu: That’s why I said that their snacks are amazing Christiana: Their products are just somewhere… Tolu: I rather pay 1500 to have a proper fine meal..quality Semira: But you can do 3 of that. Tolu: I rather not…For me it is about quality. Semira: I rather do 3 of that. Christiana: Okay, so I'm going to move to Chicken Republic as opposed to its competitors… Semira, Tolu, Imoh, IK. Semira: So TFC fried rice is very good… it is not coloured rice, jollof rice I don’t really like it that much. I feel like… Tolu: Their Ajoke rice…everything about TFC is so good… trust me it is amazeballs!!! Its nice. Semira: I don’t know about their Jollof rice, I am actually always running from their jollof rice. Tolu: It is nice Christiana: It is just there Tolu: I would take it over their Jollof rice Semira: Jollof rice is very dicey, one day good, one day bad… so I feel if it is not eating at a party, I don’t expect all these eateries to actually get it right. So for me, I would actually go to Chicken Republic for jollof rice over TFC's jollof rice… in my honest opinion. Semira: Then the varieties of chicken and Chicken Republic… they only give you the spicy one and the crunchy one right?. No barbecue. Christiana: They don't have barbecue. Semira: That's very bad. IK: But then again…I mean… looking at it from this angle… I am a vegetarian and they don’t even take care of my needs. That is something they should work on Semira: But it is a Chicken Republic…go to Vegetarian Republic IK: Regardless… it should cut across Semira: I truly doubt it IK: And not just flesh eaters… I mean… Semira: Hello… It's Chicken Republic what do you expect? Christiana: Most of the fast foods in Nigeria cater… none of them cater to vegetarians Semira: I mean you could do the salads Imoh: Maybe they can reconsider, prepare Tofu for them.. Semira: Hello… Go to Tofu Republic don’t go to Chicken Republic Imoh: or put in chicken nuggets Semira: Chicken nuggets won’t still be eaten by the vegetarians Imoh: You can take chicken nuggets right? IK: No Semira: That’s right, you can’t even take eggs, so why are you even going to Chicken Republic… or go to buy vegetarian spring rolls on the roadside Christiana: Or cook your food. Imoh: Or just stay in your house and eat fruits. Tolu: Exactly…like I said their target is not for vegetarians, not quality … it is for quantity and for the masses. Semira: The chicken is quality Christiana: Okay… Imoh… Do you have anything to say about their food when compared to competitors? Imoh: No Christiana: Okay so… Christiana: Okay, so if I have to say anything about competitors I feel when it comes to food definitely TFC beats Chicken Republic hands down but when it comes to accessibility, everywhere you go to you find a Chicken Republic. Semira: Yeah Christiana: TFC not so much Semira: I also like their branding, way better than TFC. Christiana: Sometimes TFC can be a little bit local when you compare it to… Semira: Even their brand identity compared to Chicken Republic…the packaging IK: It's different especially when it comes to the ambience as well Semira: Exactly Semira: Chicken Republic is way better Christiana: Yes... They are consistent… Tolu: I would say that TFC is consistent when it comes to their food…you will go to all the TFC outlets in Lagos and you will find the same taste… reasoning being that TFC has a rally point where the food is cooked at a certain place as ahead and is dispatched all round. But consistency when it comes to… Chicken Republic I really can’t say. I wouldn’t say I am biased about Chicken Republic but that’s my opinion. Like I said, I rather quality over quantity and masses. Christiana: Well I think the only thing TFC has over Chicken Republic is food but apart from that ambience wise, packaging, brand messaging and brand image, Chicken Republic beats it hands down. It's even more affordable. So I feel overall  I think Chicken Republic is a strong brand. What do you guys think? Semira: Yes, I think it is a strong brand too and I feel like they're going to be around for a very long time. Christiana: Yes… Imoh... what do you think about it?   Imoh: I agree with you. They are going to be around for a long time, they have done their homework and they are killing the market. Christiana All right… IK what do you have to say? Final words for Chicken Republic? Semira: More vegetarian food IK: Exactly more vegetarian food. It is quite difficult because I hardly ever eat there but then again you will think they will cater to some of us who don’t eat some of these things. Christiana: You can try their moi moi Tolu and Semira: The moi moi has egg. Imoh: Yes on their moi moi, that’s like the greatest scam ever. Tolu: Greatest scam ever, I mean how much is egg Imoh: Egg is like 30 naira Tolu: I rather you don’t even put egg inside Imoh: Than to give me a slice of … Semira: Maybe they just want it to fit into the package Tolu: I am of the opinion that anything worth doing is worth doing well. If you know you want to go the 5000, the 800, you want to really go affordable… if it’s not convenient.. why? But anyways I think they are strong when it comes to brand identity, being out there for the masses and of course, affordability… people would want to be like… oh! I am hungry and walk into a place… Yes, I would give it to them and I think they will be around for a very long time because of this but asides that quality I am sorry… no no for me Semira: Sorry…one just popped into my head… I think they have free Wi-Fi spots in some of their outlets right and I also want to say that it's a great place for meetings because I would definitely not go to a Mr. Biggs or a Tantalizers or a TFC. It is always a Chicken Republic. Imoh: Is there still Mr. Biggs Semira: Yes Christiana: All right. Thank you guys for coming in…Tolu, Ik, Semira and Imoh…, thank you guys so much for coming in Semira: Thank you for having us Christiana: And if you want us to review any business, please let us know in our comment or you can send us an email or when you visit the blog you can put it down in the comments, or on the social media pages. We will be happy to review the business, and if you agree with our review or disagree, if you have any comments, please leave a comment below. We are very eager to hear from you… Thank you… Read the full article
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An Ending
Kiriyama Kazuo/Numai Mitsuru Battle Royale 2500~ words. Sfw.
“We began with honesty. Let us end in it too.” -- Rupi Kaur
Mitsuru has been thinking about how to have this conversation for longer than he wants to admit it, to himself, to anyone else… And no one else knows what he is about to do. Locking himself into mental and emotional isolation was the only way that he could be sure he was making this decision of his own accord, after all. Letting someone else influence this choice is not something he could let happen, not when he knows how much rides on the conclusion he comes to. And now that he has come to it, now that he is certain this is how things must be… It hurts to think about it. To think that he has to do this after everything the two of them have been through.
He’s been looking for a time to have this conversation, not sure what was proper. Between final exams and college applications, between studying for entrance exams and squeezing a few more precious nights out with the Kiriyama Family, there has been so little time for him to do anything. But now, as the two of them walk down the familiar sidewalk hand in hand, he knows he finally carved out the niche of time he needs to have this conversation.
It hurts to know he has to do it. His throat is tight and his nerves are jittery, but this is the right decision. He knows this better than anyone, because he knows himself better than anyone. He knows what he needs to be happy in life. He knows what he needs in order to strive for a better future for himself, to be an example for his younger siblings, to find success and happiness. And holding onto this… That isn’t the way to go about anything.
“Is there a particular reason as to why we are out on this evening?” Kazuo asks, his soft detached voice stirring Mitsuru from the swirling cauldron of his thoughts. “I would think so, since it is very late and you woke me up in order for us to take this walk.”
Unable to help himself, Mitsuru grins. Yeah, he had done that. Hands shaking, he had made the call to Kazuo’s cell phone, knowing he had to do it now while he had the nerve, not wait and try to do it from a longer distance. And there will be a distance, because Kazuo will excel in a world that gives him no limits, and Mitsuru could never hope to do the same. The schools Kazuo has considered are far out of his league, out of his reach, and hundreds of miles away.
“There is.” Mitsuru squeezes Kazuo’s hand, abruptly turning to the right, leading Kazuo into the currently empty park. The gondola the two of them have shared moments beneath waits for them, beckoning with open arms. To think the last memory he plans on leaving here is this one.
Kazuo doesn’t ask him what he’s doing, just allows himself to be led along until the two of them are beneath the deep shadows of the gondola roof. The spring night is a warm one with a nice breeze, flowers already budding on the trees and in the grass. Shiroiwa in the spring has always been a beautiful sight, teeming with life, and Mitsuru finds it almost ironic given that he came here tonight to lay something to rest.
He lets go of Kazuo’s hand, shoving both of his into the pockets of his jeans, leaning his back against the gondola railing. “How long have we been dating now?”
“Since our last year of junior high. Three years and seventy-six days, to be exact.” Kazuo stares at him placidly, though Mitsuru can pick up on the fact he has piqued Kazuo’s curiosity with the question. “Why do you ask?”
Mitsuru is quiet. Three years and seventy-six days. He might have been able to answer that question at a different date. When had he stopped looking at the passage of time within their relationship as a positive that, despite their differences, they were able to make things work out? When had it been a burden to recognize they had been together for so long, that they had learned so much about each other in that time? He isn’t sure that he knows the exact answer to that question, only that he recognizes it now, at the end of this.
He clears his throat, raising his eyes to meet Kazuo’s in the darkness. “When I first met you, you saved me. You know that, right?”
“I recall the altercation that resulted in your fingers being broken, yes.” Kazuo cocks his head at him; Mitsuru has brought this up before, but not for a long time now.
“The first time I saw you, I thought you were one of the most beautiful guys I’d ever seen in my life. I think it was the first time I ever thought a guy could be beautiful. And you were.” Mitsuru smiles, a bittersweet quirk of his lips at a memory he used to treasure. “You were calm and poised and impossibly strong in the face of a fight with guys older and bigger than you.”
Kazuo nods slowly, his eyes never leaving Mitsuru’s face. “This is true. I know how to protect myself, and they knocked my paintbrush out of my hand.”
“You told me to go to a hospital when it was said and done. My mother freaked out when I came home bruised and bloody with broken bones. But everything healed fine.” Mitsuru holds the hand in question up between them, flexing his fingers. If he hadn’t known better, he would never have known anything in his hand had ever been broken.
“You were in pain, Mitsuru, and badly injured.” Kazuo is silent, then stretches out a hand of his own, weaving his fingers together with Mitsuru’s. “Why did you bring me here tonight?”
Though he has been building up to this conversation for weeks now, for months, Mitsuru’s throat closes up around the simple answer. He swallows the knot in his throat down hard, and it hurts, hurts more than it has any right to. And still, Kazuo watches him with that placid, all-knowing gaze that pierces through him to his core while asking for nothing at all and looking for nothing at all. Though Kazuo will spend countless hours hunting down answers to his own questions, he has learned to wait for Mitsuru to explain himself rather than trying to puzzle it out for himself.
The thought makes Mitsuru’s eyes sting. “I’ve been doing some hard thinking lately. About the future and about college. I assume you have, too?”
“Naturally. My parents had their list of universities they wanted me to apply to. I had my own.” Kazuo shrugs, as if it is that simple, but Mitsuru knows his parents. Nothing is that simple.
“And you know, planning for a future isn’t easy. Nothing ever really is.” Mitsuru pulls his hand away from Kazuo’s, tucking it back into his pocket. He can’t bear to touch Kazuo right now, not when he has to do this. “Relationships aren’t easy. We had some rough patches, remember? Just being as different as we are.”
Again, Kazuo nods slowly. “Yes, we did. It was only natural. Most people do, after all.”
“Yamamoto and Ogawa are probably the only couple I know of that doesn’t really fight that much, but they’re like… Made for each other.” Mitsuru doesn’t have to say he once thought he and Kazuo were made for each other. He’s said it to Kazuo before, after all, and Kazuo never forgets anything. “But we worked through it, one way or another. We put real effort into this.”
“We did,” Kazuo says, soft and slow.
Mitsuru doesn’t know why he wants to acknowledge this. It’s more like a need, something compelling him to recognize that what they had was not easy, and that it was not without effort. Maybe it’s a part of understanding why this can no longer be, why he has to cut things off here instead of trying to forge on into the future. Realizing that they had tried so hard, had worked so hard, that this does mean something even if it doesn’t anymore.
When had it stopped? When had it really stopped for him?
He has to swallow down hard again, tipping his head back, staring at the ceiling of the gondola, ignoring Kazuo’s gaze. “I fell in love with you in junior high. I’d never loved someone as much as I loved you then. I didn’t even know what it was at first.”
“A perfectly natural reaction, at that age,” Kazuo says, still cool and collected, still himself. Nothing can ever shake him, it seems. “You were fifteen, as was I. We were young and growing and still had more to learn about ourselves. That is a part of growing up.”
“Another part of growing up is realizing when you’ve grown out of something, y’know. A hairstyle, a TV show you used to like, a hobby. Sometimes, as you get older, as you get more mature… You realize there are things you have to let go of. And people.” People like first loves, people like the boy he would have once given his life for if the circumstances had ever demanded it. People like Kazuo Kiriyama. “Kazuo, I…”
He trails off, finding it difficult to finish this sentence, but Kazuo says nothing. He simply stands and waits, his face now turned away from Mitsuru, as if in placid acceptance of what is going to happen here. By now, he has no doubt connected the dots, can figure out exactly why Mitsuru called him out here and is having this difficult conversation with him. And still, he says nothing. He merely waits, his eyes toward the ground.
Mitsuru takes a slow, deep breath to brace himself before standing up straight. “I loved you with every part of myself, you know. A part of me always will, I’m sure. That’s how some first loves are, but… For the better of our futures, I think we should end our relationship here.”
“I thought that was what you were going to say.” Kazuo lifts his head, then slowly turns to face Mitsuru, spreading his hands out before him. “It would be wrong of me to pressure you to stay, as mutual happiness is a fundamental part of any relationship.”
“Always logical. I appreciated that about you.” The tension in Mitsuru’s body eases, though the deep ache in his chest refuses to let up.
Kazuo shrugs one shoulder at him. “It is who I am and who I will always be.”
That much, Mitsuru knows to be true. Nothing and no one in this world will ever be able to change Kazuo Kiriyama. The boy who had beaten up a gang to protect Mitsuru before they had ever known each other, the boy who had interrupted their first kiss to instruct Mitsuru on how to do it properly based on his research, the boy who had accepted the promise ring Mitsuru had given him last year only to blast him with twenty questions as to what promise rings are supposed to mean.
The ring. Mitsuru had almost forgotten. “About the ring—”
“What about the ring?” Kazuo’s slender fingers brush over the silver band, the simple sapphire stone. “Do you want it back?”
The question startles Mitsuru. “Why? Did you want to keep it or something?”
“When you gave this to me, you told me that it was a symbol that you loved me, and that while you recognized we were too young to cement our relationship, you wanted me to wait until we were both ready and that our circumstances allowed for such a thing.” Kazuo pauses, as if allowing the weight of the words to settle onto Mitsuru’s shoulders. “I assume you will not be marrying me. However… I do wish to keep it. To remember that there was someone who was once able to see me for who I was, and who did not judge me because of it.”
The words arrow straight through Mitsuru’s heart, but he manages a shaky smile just the same. “Then it’s yours. I gave it to you, after all.”
“It has sentimental value. I will keep it.” Kazuo nods confidently, then begins to walk across the gondola. “I will go home now. It’s quite late and I need to sleep.”
Mitsuru catches him by the hand and pulls him back against his chest, into his arms, pressing his face into the soft black of Kazuo’s hair. Once, such a gesture would probably have earned him a quick punch to the face. Tempting Kazuo’s reflexes like this is far from a smart move, but he can’t help himself. And Kazuo doesn’t lash out in response. Instead, he merely allows himself to be drawn back, allows himself to go soft in Mitsuru’s arms.
“I hope you find someone else who can love you like I did,” Mitsuru tells him, and he means it more than he’s ever meant anything in his life. “Someone who can see you for who you are, and not judge you for it. I’m just sorry I can’t be that person for you anymore.”
Kazuo remains in his embrace for just a moment longer before smoothly stepping out of it, continuing on his way out of the gondola. “And I hope you are able to find someone as well. I wish you luck on your exams in three days. I suppose this is goodbye.”
“It is,” Mitsuru confirms, turning to start on his own journey back home, calling back over his shoulder. “Goodbye, Kazuo Kiriyama. It was my pleasure to get to know you as well as I did.”
To his surprise, Kazuo turns to face him once more, and he nods once. “Goodbye, Mitsuru Numai. And thank you for treating me with grace and respect from the moment we met.”
There are no more words exchanged between them. On the walk back home, Mitsuru reflects on the fact that the last affectionate gesture he had shared with Kazuo was that final embrace, the last thing he could bring himself to do. Kissing Kazuo was out of the question; he hasn’t been able to do it for weeks now, has been too torn up over his own feelings— or their tendency to change, their intensity fading— and it would have been cruel to demand such a thing now, at the finality of their relationship, when he had been the one to end things.
But as his front door closes behind him, as his back comes to rest against the wood, as he slides down until he’s sitting on the floor, tears rolling slowly down his cheeks, it almost feels like he wasn’t. It almost feels like this wasn’t his decision.
Across town, Kazuo Kiriyama picks up the framed picture of himself and Mitsuru— taken one afternoon by Sho, a memento for them— that sits on his nightstand. He sits on the edge of his bed, staring down at its surface, for hours before he finally feels he can sleep.
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