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merchantservices444 · 4 months
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POS Systems in Boise, ID: Streamlining Transactions for Local Businesses
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Simplify your business operations with seamless Business Central Shopify integration. Manage inventory, fulfill orders, and gain a 360-degree view of your financials effortlessly. Enhance productivity and customer experiences while streamlining your online commerce with Business Central. Explore the benefits of the Business Central and Shopify integration today!
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cloudifyaps · 7 months
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Unlocking Efficiency: Exploring Seamless Integrations with Microsoft Business Central, Economic, Fortnox, and Zoho Invoice in Accounting Systems
Introduction
Imagine running an enterprise where your financial data is spread across disparate systems. It feels chaotic, right? Now imagine having a unified accounting system where all your financial data seamlessly integrates into one place. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? This is where integrating Microsoft Business Central, Economic, Fortnox, and Zoho Invoice into your accounting systems comes into play.
The Era of Digital Transformation in Accounting
We are living in an era where digital transformation is not an option, but a necessity. Especially in the realm of accounting, automation and seamless integrations have become the new normal, enhancing efficiency and accuracy while saving valuable time.
Automation, a key feature of this digital era, has brought about a significant shift in the accounting landscape. It minimises the time and effort spent on routine, mundane tasks, freeing accountants to focus on more strategic aspects of business finance. This automation is not limited to mere calculations. It extends to intricate tasks like regulatory compliance, invoice processing, and even financial reporting.
The era of digital transformation in accounting is also marked by a trend towards seamless integration of various business systems. Today's accounting software can effortlessly integrate with other business systems, such as CRM, sales, and inventory, providing a unified view of the business's financial health.
Microsoft Business Central: Empowering Businesses
Overview of Microsoft Business Central
Microsoft Business Central is a comprehensive business management solution designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It's a cloud-based, all-in-one business management solution that's easy to use and adapt, helping businesses manage finances, operations, sales, and customer service.
Key Features and Benefits
Microsoft Business Central boasts a wide range of features that empower businesses. From financial management to sales and service management, warehousing, and even project management, Business Central covers it all.
Business Central addresses the challenges often encountered with accounting systems such as Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks:
Upgrading from less efficient accounting tools
Synchronising various business systems
Minimising manual operations
Streamlining fiscal reporting
Providing a reliable, cloud-based platform
Seamless Integration in Accounting
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The real game-changer with Microsoft Business Central lies in its seamless integration capability. Businesses can integrate this platform with their existing systems, driving efficiency and making data-driven decisions.
Read more: 
Supercharge Your Financial Performance: Transforming Your Marketing-Accounting Workflow with Custom Automation
Some of the popular integrations with Microsoft Business Central are: 
CRM integrations: HubSpot, Pipedrive
Production and inventory management integrations: Katana, inFlow, OrderHive
e-Commerce integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Amazon seller central
Online form integrations: Jotform, Typeform
Payment integrations: Stripe, PayPal
Project management integrations: Trello
Booking management integration: Guesty
RMM integration: Syncro
Route planning integration: Previsto
e-conomic: Modern Accounting Solution
Overview of e-conomic
Visma e-conomic is renowned for its ability to seamlessly integrate with a wide array of business tools and software. This enables a holistic view of your financial data across multiple platforms. The app can integrate with various CRM systems, payment services, e-commerce platforms, payroll systems, and time tracking tools, among others.
Furthermore, it also supports API integration, allowing businesses to create custom integrations and workflows that fit their unique needs. These integration capabilities enhance the efficiency and transparency of financial processes, thereby aiding in making informed business decisions.
Key Features and Benefits
e-conomic offers easy-to-use, intuitive accounting tools that cater to the needs of both small and large businesses. The flexibility of e-conomic makes it an appealing choice for many.
Here are the key attributes and benefits of the e-conomic accounting platform:
Complimentary Access: The e-conomic platform provides access without the need for credit card information or contractual commitments. Users can explore the platform through a trial version that expires automatically.
Simplified Collaboration: e-conomic facilitates seamless partnerships between businesses and accountants. It eliminates the need for transferring documents by allowing bookkeepers simultaneous access to the platform, fostering efficient collaboration.
Digital Invoicing: e-conomic enhances security and tracking while minimising manual tasks by enabling the sending and receiving of e-invoices.
Intuitive Bookkeeping: The platform automatically reads vouchers and invoices, providing insights for efficient bookkeeping management.
Intelligent Banking: e-conomic streamlines banking tasks by automating bank entry imports. Its auto-suggestion feature speeds up posting, and automatic bank reconciliation is facilitated.
In essence, e-conomic offers an array of unique features and advantages, making it a compelling choice for businesses seeking efficient and intuitive accounting solutions.
e-conomic's Integration Capabilities
e-conomic shines when it comes to integrations. The software allows businesses to integrate with a wide array of tools and applications, thus boosting productivity and operational efficiency.
e-conomic easily integrates with other business systems such as HubSpot, Pipedrive, Katana, inFlow, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Amazon seller central, Jotform, Typeform, Stripe, MailChimp, PayPal, Gmail, Guesty, Syncro, Previsto, etc. Its customisability ensures it meets diverse business accounting requirements.
Know about other integration capabilities of Visma e-conomic app:
Examples of CRM integration with accounting
Fortnox: Driving Accounting Efficiency
An Introduction to Fortnox
Fortnox is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small to medium-sized businesses. With Fortnox, businesses can handle everything from invoicing to payroll, all within a single platform.
Key Features and Benefits
Fortnox comes packed with features, including invoicing, supplier invoices, accounting, and payroll. With its intuitive user interface, businesses can streamline their accounting processes and improve efficiency. Some of the features include:
Effortless Usability: Fortnox prioritizes usability to ensure a seamless user experience. It automates various modules and workflows to minimize manual tasks, enhancing productivity. The software also generates real-time reports, offering a clear view of your business's performance. With Fortnox, your accounting becomes smoother, simpler, and more efficient, allowing you more time to focus on running your business.
Remarkable Versatility: Fortnox boasts a vast network of integrated services and a range of smart features, catering to businesses of all sizes and industries. It offers over 400 custom integration possibilities, providing unmatched versatility and variety to meet diverse needs. If Fortnox doesn't have a specific solution, it can often be sourced from one of their many partner networks.
Cloud-Enabled Solution: Fortnox is a complete cloud-based accounting software, allowing you anywhere, anytime access, as long as you have an internet connection. This platform's cloud-based nature ensures compatibility across devices and operating systems and facilitates collaboration with multiple users logged in simultaneously. Also, with Fortnox, data loss isn't a concern - your records are continually backed up and readily available in the cloud.
Financial Overview: Fortnox provides a comprehensive financial overview, tracking income, expenses, and cash flow in real-time.
Scalability: The software can scale with your business as it grows, accommodating increased transaction volumes without compromising performance.
How Fortnox Enhances Integration
Fortnox stands out with its excellent integration capabilities. It allows businesses to integrate their existing systems with Fortnox, thus promoting collaboration, improving data accuracy, and enhancing decision-making. Some of the systems that Fortnox has great integrations with are: Jotform, Typeform, inFlow, Pipedrive, HubSpot, Shopify, ActiveCampaign, Trello, PayPal, Gmail, Guesty, Syncro, Previsto, Amazon, etc.         
Zoho Invoice: Simplifying Invoicing
An Overview of Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice is a simple, intuitive invoicing software designed to help businesses send professional invoices to clients and track expenses from anywhere.
Unique Features and Advantages
It's a go-to platform for businesses looking to simplify their invoicing process. Zoho Invoice offers a host of features like time tracking, expense tracking, project management, and more.
Comprehensive Customer and Product Management: Zoho Invoice provides a one-stop solution for managing all your customer and product details. From basic contact data, shipping and billing addresses, tax specifics for each client, to selling prices and product descriptions for each item, all can be maintained effortlessly. Once transactions are initiated, the system efficiently processes the rest, choosing the appropriate customer and product details.
Efficient Invoice Management: Zoho Invoice simplifies invoice creation and tracking. Its user-friendly interface allows you to swiftly create and send invoices. Personalize and brand your invoices using pre-existing templates. Every invoice you generate is stored for future reference or reuse. Furthermore, Zoho Invoice can be used for creating quotes, advance payment retainers, credit notes for sales returns, and more.
Effective Time Tracking: Zoho Invoice facilitates seamless time tracking, allowing you to bill clients for project hours. Once users are invited to your projects, they can log hours from their mobile or desktop devices.
Simplified Payment Collection: Zoho Invoice integrates with over 10 payment gateways, making timely payment collections easier. It also lets you record payments received via offline methods such as cash or checks. Automatic payment reminders and customer payment tracking ensure smooth payment operations.
Easy Expense Monitoring: With Zoho Invoice, tracking all types of expenses - regular office expenses, mileage costs, or customer-related reimbursable expenses, is simplified. Expenses can be categorized for easy review, and receipts can be captured directly from your mobile device and attached to your expenses.
Customer-Friendly Portal: The Client portal in Zoho Invoice provides a self-service area for customers to manage their billing information, view and approve estimates, pay invoices, and download statements. They can even initiate a chat request if live chat support is provided. This self-service feature allows your customers to access what they need easily, freeing you to concentrate on your business operations.
In-depth Reporting: Zoho Invoice provides over 30 real-time reports, offering detailed insights into your business's financial health. Key metrics such as top-selling products, invoice statuses, pending payments, and more can be tracked for a comprehensive understanding of your business performance. 
Zoho Invoice's Integration Potential
Integration is a forte for Zoho Invoice. It can integrate seamlessly with other Zoho apps as well as third-party applications, thereby providing a centralised platform for all business operations.
Cloudify offers Zoho Invoice integrations with other apps like Pipedrive, HubSpot, Stripe, Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, Katana, MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, Trello, Gmail, Syncro, Previsto, Amazon, etc.    
The Impact of Seamless Integration on Accounting Efficiency
Real-world Applications
Seamless integration of these accounting systems can truly transform a business. Imagine being able to automate repetitive tasks, reducing errors, and making accurate, data-driven decisions. It's like having your very own super-powered finance team, but in the digital world.
Overcoming Challenges with Integrated Systems
Implementing integrated systems might seem daunting initially, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges. With the right planning and strategy, businesses can leverage these integrated systems to maximize efficiency, save time, and improve overall financial management.
Conclusion
In conclusion, integrating Microsoft Business Central, Economic, Fortnox, and Zoho Invoice into accounting systems can significantly enhance a business's efficiency. It not only simplifies processes but also provides a holistic view of a business's financial status, allowing for better decision-making and planning. As the digital transformation era continues to evolve, embracing such integrations will become the norm rather than an option for businesses aiming to thrive.
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sqitconsultingblog · 7 months
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Best Payroll Software in Dubai | HR Payroll Software in UAE Discover the best payroll software solutions in Dubai and UAE. Our HR payroll software is tailored to meet your payroll management needs, making payroll processing seamless and efficient for businesses in the UAE.
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websyn · 9 months
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Integrating CRM and ERP with Dynamics 365 Business Central
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, seamless coordination between various departments is essential for success. This is where Dynamics 365 Business Central emerges as a powerful tool for integrating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In this article, we delve into the significance of integrating these systems and how Dynamics 365 Business Central simplifies the process.
Understanding the Need for Integration
Efficient business operations require a holistic view of customer interactions and backend processes. CRM systems handle customer data, sales leads, and support history, while ERP systems manage inventory, finances, and production. Integrating these systems eliminates data silos, streamlines processes, and enhances decision-making.
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The Dynamics 365 Business Central Advantage
Dynamics 365 Business Central, a comprehensive solution, offers a unified platform for both CRM and ERP integration. Let's explore its key benefits:
1. Seamless Data Flow: With Dynamics 365 Business Central, data flows effortlessly between CRM and ERP modules, ensuring accurate insights and eliminating redundant data entry.
2. Enhanced Customer Insights: By integrating CRM functionalities, businesses gain a 360-degree view of customer interactions. This insight empowers personalized marketing, improves customer service, and strengthens client relationships.
3. Streamlined Processes: Business Central's integration eradicates manual data transfer between CRM and ERP systems. This streamlining reduces errors, saves time, and boosts overall efficiency.
4. Informed Decision-making: Integrated systems offer a holistic perspective, aiding informed decision-making. Real-time access to financial data, sales forecasts, and customer preferences enables strategic planning.
5. Scalability: As your business expands, Dynamics 365 Business Central scales accordingly. You can seamlessly add users and functionalities without disrupting operations.
6. Flexibility: Tailor Business Central to your organization's unique needs. Whether it's customizing reports, dashboards, or workflows, the system adapts to fit your processes.
7. Cost Savings: Integration eliminates the need for multiple software licenses and reduces IT infrastructure costs. A single, integrated platform translates to reduced maintenance efforts and expenses.
Implementing Integration
Integrating CRM and ERP through Dynamics 365 Business Central involves strategic steps:
1. Assessment: Understand your business requirements and processes that need integration. Identify key touchpoints between CRM and ERP systems.
2. Data Mapping: Define how data will move between systems. Ensure data consistency and accuracy during migration.
3. Customization: Tailor Dynamics 365 Business Central to match your workflows. This ensures a seamless user experience and maximum utilization.
4. Training: Provide adequate training to employees using the integrated system. A smooth transition minimizes disruptions.
5. Continuous Monitoring: Regularly monitor the integrated system's performance. Address any issues promptly to maintain smooth operations.
In conclusion, the integration of CRM and ERP systems through Dynamics 365 Business Central revolutionizes the way businesses operate. By unifying data, enhancing customer insights, and optimizing processes, this solution propels businesses towards growth and success. Stay ahead in the competitive business landscape by harnessing the power of Dynamics 365 Business Central for seamless CRM and ERP integration.
Incorporating Dynamics 365 Business Central's integration capabilities can be a game-changer for your business. Say goodbye to data silos, inefficiencies, and disjointed processes. Embrace a unified future with Dynamics 365 Business Central. Contact us to learn more about how this transformative solution can elevate your business to new heights.
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advaiya-solutions · 1 year
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ERP modernization is becoming a popular option for companies of all sizes and industries that wish to be more productive, agile, and cost-efficient. Cloud based ERP solutions offer the best option for ERP modernization. They eliminate many of the implementation costs and timelines that make traditional ERP upgrades challenging.
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Why Dynamics 365 Business Central is an ideal choice for Australian businesses
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atotovic · 1 year
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Where is the limit in Business Central CRM capability when integrating it with D365 Sales? (part 3)
Where is the limit in #MSDyn365BC CRM capability and when integrating it with #MSDyn365Sales? (part 3)
As I have told you in the previous blog post for part 3, I will introduce you to the Data Synchronization feature, and I will try to explain all capabilities of Data Synchronization. Before we start creating and explaining how it works, one step needs to be made before we Synchronize Sales Professional and Business Central. You will need to create Synchronization between Dataverse and Business…
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digisurface · 2 years
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Intergrate WordPress with Business Central
Integrate WordPress with Business Central using Digisurface connector. Explore how easily you can Integrate WordPress to Microsoft Business Central. DigiSurface is a team of Microsoft experts, Digisurface offers remote support for Business Central, AX 2009, and AX 2012. we also provide remote support for India, GCC, Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK.
https://www.digisurface.co/integrate-wordpress-with-business-central/
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Shut Up! | Bart Allen x villain!reader
Bart Allen x fem! Reader
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Based off this imagine I made.
MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!
Warnings: Violence. Blood(tiny). Smutty! Just go ahead and read the imagine if you don’t want spoilers. Slight smut. Maybe I’ll write a part 2 with full on smut😏
notes: female reader. Villain reader. Villain name never mentioned. Race or appearance of reader never mentioned.
a/n: dude I was minding my business when this scenario popped into my head and now I just have to share it with the world. Enjoy!
———
Being chained up to a chair with his feet being bound together isn’t how Bart thought he’d spend his Friday night.
He wasn’t even supposed to be in Gotham. He protects Central City with Wally. Kinda. Wally doesn’t really like Bart as a sidekick. He was more of Max Mercury’s sidekick.
Max was probably worried out of his mind. He just really hoped Max wouldn’t show up or try to look for him, or else he’d find something he doesn’t need to know.
Bart has a secret. A secret crush on a certain Batman villain. Ever since he had to fight her with the young justice team, he was smitten.
His favorite pass time is running to Gotham city and foiling her plan before heading off to go hang out with Tim.
She would always catch him, she always did. And he would always let her. He loved it. A game of cat and mouse.
He loved watching her smile in victory as she caught him. He loved watching her integrate him. And he especially loved annoying her.
Like right now. He could vibrate his molecules and get out of the ropes, but what’s the fun in that?
She had caught him by freezing the ground and him falling into a trap she had made. She than knocked him out and tied him to a chair.
She stood in front of him with a scowl. She didn’t enjoy this game as much as he did. Her mask had been removed, giving Bart a few look at her face. She stared him down before smiling.
“Butch you can leave.” You said to your guard standing by the door. He left and closed the door, leaving the room in a dark cast.
The lights from outside the windows cast shadows across your features. The only other light was a small one back behind Bart, giving him the tiniest bit light to see your face.
“Impulse.” You stated “why do you always pop up and ruin everything?” You asked, no malice in your tone, Bart noted. Only curiosity.
“Well when you’re about to do something bad it’s kinda my job to come stop you.” Bart said as he smiled at you.
“Hmm” you hummed as you moved to a table full of weapons.
You grabbed a knife and turned to face him. Bart watched as you walked up to him slowly before leaning down to be at his eye level.
“You know,” you started with a sly smile “usually, I’d let you off with a warning. Maybe a slap on the wrist.” You whispered to him as you raised the knife to his face.
“but today you didn’t just mess up my plan. No.” You whispered with fake sorrow. You dragged the knife against his jaw, causing Bart to let out a breath. “You messed up the Bane’s plan too.”
Bart sucked in a breath. He didn’t know that. Obviously, he could put run Bane, but that didn’t change the fact that he was scared of him.
“Yea so, now I have to teach you a real lesson Impulse. Either with me or Bane. Take your pick.”
“Oh I’d much rather be punished by you.” Bart said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
Your smile turned to an annoyed look. “Suit yourself.” You dug the knife at his neck, not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to hurt.
Bart winced in pain, but another idea popped into his head. Acting like his name, he impulsively took action.
“So what do you do when you’re not trying to kill me?” He asked teasingly. The smirk on his face prevalent.
Your face slipped for a minute before the walls were back up again. “Is that really what you’re asking right now?” You asked dumbfounded.
“Well,” he started staring you right in the eyes, you could finally see the color of them. A nice golden brown. “I figured since your bodyguard wasn’t in here anymore, we could get to know each other a little more.” He smiled seductively.
Your blush was very noticeable, especially since your mask was off. “But- stop trying to distract me from your punishment.” You said sternly, though Bart was not convinced.
“Well I normally wouldn’t let someone tie me up the first official date, but you’re a special exception.” Bart winked. “So, at least tell me about yourself, since I’m being so nice.” He looked at you with faux innocence. You won’t lie, the look on his face was turning you on. You had to figure out a way to have him keep the look on his face.
You quickly remember that Bane would have your head if you didn’t take care of Impulse. Your need for survival trumped the need between your legs.
“That’s a vague question.” You say as you resume moving your knife against his neck, watching the goosebumps that it leaves in its wake.
“Huh?” Bart asked.
“Thats a vague question. Be specific. What did you want to know?” You ask as your knife slowly pierces the skin of his neck.
He hisses at the pain, before almost chocking on air. You moved your head towards his neck and licked the blood off of his neck. Bart stares at you, completely turned on and kinda scared.
You watched as the cut immediately healed itself, leaving no scar. You notice his shocked staring and laugh.
“How about a deal? Every question I answer, you have to answer one of mine. Deal?” You asked as you made the same innocent look he had given you earlier.
He nodded dumbly and you smiled.
“So too fast too furious, what’s your question?” You asked him.
“What’s your name?” He asked, his smile returning.
Your knife continued on its path across his neck going up to his jaw line.
“Y/N” you said as your knife gently touched his jaw line. He breathed out, liking the sensation of it gently touching him. “Your turn.” He tells you.
“Why do you heal so fast?” You asked as he breathed deeply. You were genuinely curious.
“Super fast metabolism.” he breathed as your knife made its way to the end of his suit by his neck.
Your knife gently teared the spandex, revealing more skin to slice at. His skin was incredibly soft. Slightly tan with freckles all over the part of his now exposed shoulder.
“Why are you working for Bane?” He asked. You weren’t really a villain in his eyes. More of an anti hero. You didn’t really harm people. You helped bad guys though, but you didn’t seemed fond of that.
“Cause I have to.” You said, still mesmerized by the goosebumps you were creating on his supple skin.
He figured he can ask you about it another day. Right now he didn’t want anything to stop you from dragging the knife all over him.
“Why do you always come to Gotham? I thought you and the flash protect Central City. That’s like two states away.” You say you start to cut the skin of his shoulder gently.
He breathes out a whine as it hurts. You try not to focus on the way that noise made you feel.
“What do you think sweetheart? Why am I here?” You might have been intimidated by his words if you weren’t meant to be torturing him.
You grabbed him by the hair and pushed his head back fast. He whined again and stared at you in shock.
“I asked you a question, speedy!” You say, giving him a dangerous look.
He stares at you in shock and overwhelmed lust. You smirk and decide to sit on his lap instead of kneeling on the floor.
You let go of his hair and go back you his shoulder. Watching the blood drip down a little. You saw the cut had healed and just to turn him on more, you lean down and lick the blood up his shoulder. You lick a little higher than where the blood stopped just to mess with him.
“Because I wanted to see you.” He states. Blushing madly.
You look up at him, and look through his goggles into his eyes. You saw shame and embarrassment. He’s telling the truth.
You won’t lie, that statement might have made your day, hell, your week. You try to hide the smile on your face but miserably fail. You had a lot of body image issues growing up and were bullied heavily, it was nice to find out someone actually wanted to see you, not just for a business deal.
“Your turn.” You tell him, still a little giddy.
“Why do you always kidnap me?” He asked with a handsome smile.
“You always try to stop me. So why not just stop you before you can?” You say as you pick your knife back up and continue your assault of his skin.
your hand pulls down the fabric a bit that had been cut on his shoulder, revealing part of his chest.
Bart sucks in a breath. Waiting for your next move.
“Why aren’t you actually hurting me?” Bart asked. You looked up at Impulse.
“Do you want me to actually hurt you?” You whisper as your kinda gently trails down from his shoulder.
“No.” He said as the cool knife hits his chest.
“I’m not gonna hurt cause I don’t want to.” You say turning back to work.
“But won’t the henchmen outside notice I’m not hurt?” Bart asked.
“What do you mean?” You asks as you slice a tiny shallow part of his right pec.
Bart makes a small whimper at the sensation, as another better idea pops into his head.
“Like don’t people who are tortured usually scream and make noise?” He asks in a seductive voice.
Your knife stopped moving again and you look at him and see his eyes blown out with lust. Your mind made a decision before you could stop yourself. You leaned down and licked up the blood before dragging your tongue up his shoulder to his neck, before sucking on the skin of his neck.
Bart moaned as he leaned more into your touch. The noise he made went straight to your core.
You pulled back, a tiny bit of blood on the corner of your mouth. Your hands went into Impulses hair and you gently tugged, causing him to leg out another whine. You moved your sitting position so that your legs were straddling his.
“Yea. I suppose they do. You wanna help me make this sound real?” You ask as your hand move onto his face, pushing his goggles up so you can see his eyes.
“Yes.” Bart says as he felt his dick harden against your thigh.
“Good boy.” You say before leaning in to kiss Bart.
——
anyone want a part 2?
Edit: Part 2 here
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imamuffin · 2 months
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LGBTQIA+ Representation in Video Games [2024]
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In recent years, the video game industry has made significant strides toward inclusivity and representation, but one area that still demands attention is LGBTQIA+ representation. As discussions surrounding diversity in gaming continue gaining traction, it's becoming increasingly evident that the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters and narratives isn't just a matter of political correctness - it's essential for the industry's growth and cultural impact. Let's delve into why this representation matters and the profound effects it can have on players and the gaming landscape.
Increased LGBTQIA+ representation in the video game industry is crucial for several reasons. First, it​ fosters inclusivity and diversity, creating a more welcoming environment for players of all sexual orientations and gender identities. When individuals see characters in games that reflect their own identities or experiences, it can lead to a stronger sense of connection and validation within the gaming community. Secondly, increased representation in video games helps combat harmful stereotypes and prejudices by offering nuanced portrayals of diverse identities. By featuring more characters in a variety of roles and contexts, games can challenge societal norms and promote acceptance and understanding.
Furthermore, including LGBTQIA+ characters and narratives in video games enriches storytelling possibilities. It allows developers to explore unique perspectives and themes that may resonate with players on a deeper level. This not only enhances the overall quality of gaming experiences but also contributes to the cultural significance of the medium. Additionally, from a business standpoint, catering to diverse audiences can be financially beneficial for game developers and publishers. By acknowledging and addressing the interests and needs of LGBTQIA+ gamers, companies can tap into a sizable market that has often been overlooked in the past.
Using recent examples of video games with positive LGBTQIA+ representation, take, for instance, "The Last of Us Part II," a critically acclaimed title that prominently features LGBTQIA+ characters like Ellie and Dina. Their relationship serves as a central aspect of the game's narrative, showcasing a complex and authentic portrayal of love and identity within a post-apocalyptic world.
Another notable example is "Undertale" by Toby Fox, which includes LGBTQIA+ characters such as Alphys and Undyne. Their storyline unfolds organically throughout the game, offering players a glimpse into their struggles and triumphs as they navigate the challenges of friendship and self-acceptance.
Similarly, "Life is Strange" by Dontnod Entertainment explores themes of friendship, love, and identity through its protagonist, Max Caulfield, and her best friend, Chloe Price. The game offers players choices that can affect the course of their relationship, allowing for personal exploration and reflection.
"Dragon Age: Inquisition" by BioWare is also renowned for its diverse cast of characters, including LGBTQIA+ romance options like Dorian Pavus and Sera. These characters not only contribute to the game's rich lore but also provide players with opportunities to explore different facets of identity and relationships within a fantasy setting.
The introduction of Kung Jin, an openly gay character, in one of the latest Mortal Kombat installations, marked a big step forward in LGBTQIA+ representation within the gaming industry.
His storyline not only showcases his prowess in combat but also delves into his personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance. By integrating Kung Jin's sexual orientation into his character arc, Mortal Kombat not only acknowledges the existence of LGBTQIA+ individuals within its universe but also provides a platform for meaningful storytelling and representation. This milestone underscores the series' commitment to inclusivity and highlights the importance of diverse representation in mainstream gaming. [1]
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"Catering to an LGBTQ audience would be good for companies, GLAAD argued, citing that queer gamers are 1.4 times more likely to buy or play a game with a character that matches their gender, 29% of all gamers wish there were more prominent LGBTQ storylines in games and 70% of LGBTQ gamers (as well as 46% of non-LGBTQ gamers) are less likely to buy a game if it contains harmful tropes or stereotypes about the gay or transgender community." [2]
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By portraying diverse characters with multifaceted identities and experiences, these games not only validate the experiences of LGBTQIA+ players but also provide a platform for discussing mental health in a safe and supportive environment. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it's essential to recognize the power of representation in addressing mental health issues and promoting positive change within the gaming community.
According to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, approximately 63% of gamers reported that playing video games helped them to connect with friends and family, contributing positively to their mental well-being. When members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel included, video games have a profoundly positive impact on mental health.
With that said, increasing LGBTQIA+ representation is essential for fostering inclusivity, challenging stereotypes, enriching storytelling, and tapping into a diverse market. By embracing diversity and representing a wide range of identities, games have the potential to become more meaningful and impactful for players around the world.
Citations
Mortal Kombat Makes History With Its First Gay Character. (2015, April 17). HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mortal-kombat-gay-kung-jin_n_7087054
2. Roeloffs, M. W. (n.d.). New Study Shows More Gamers Than Ever Identify As LGBTQ, But Representation Lags Behind. Forbes. Retrieved March 7, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/02/13/new-study-shows-more-gamers-than-ever-identify-as-lgbtq-but-representation-lags-behind/?sh=2eb3d9a57cf6
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mariacallous · 2 months
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In February 1994, in the grand ballroom of the town hall in Hamburg, Germany, the president of Estonia gave a remarkable speech. Standing before an audience in evening dress, Lennart Meri praised the values of the democratic world that Estonia then aspired to join. “The freedom of every individual, the freedom of the economy and trade, as well as the freedom of the mind, of culture and science, are inseparably interconnected,” he told the burghers of Hamburg. “They form the prerequisite of a viable democracy.” His country, having regained its independence from the Soviet Union three years earlier, believed in these values: “The Estonian people never abandoned their faith in this freedom during the decades of totalitarian oppression.”
But Meri had also come to deliver a warning: Freedom in Estonia, and in Europe, could soon be under threat. Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the circles around him were returning to the language of imperialism, speaking of Russia as primus inter pares—the first among equals—in the former Soviet empire. In 1994, Moscow was already seething with the language of resentment, aggression, and imperial nostalgia; the Russian state was developing an illiberal vision of the world, and even then was preparing to enforce it. Meri called on the democratic world to push back: The West should “make it emphatically clear to the Russian leadership that another imperialist expansion will not stand a chance.”
At that, the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin, got up and walked out of the hall.
Meri’s fears were at that time shared in all of the formerly captive nations of Central and Eastern Europe, and they were strong enough to persuade governments in Estonia, Poland, and elsewhere to campaign for admission to NATO. They succeeded because nobody in Washington, London, or Berlin believed that the new members mattered. The Soviet Union was gone, the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg was not an important person, and Estonia would never need to be defended. That was why neither Bill Clinton nor George W. Bush made much attempt to arm or reinforce the new NATO members. Only in 2014 did the Obama administration finally place a small number of American troops in the region, largely in an effort to reassure allies after the first Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Nobody else anywhere in the Western world felt any threat at all. For 30 years, Western oil and gas companies piled into Russia, partnering with Russian oligarchs who had openly stolen the assets they controlled. Western financial institutions did lucrative business in Russia too, setting up systems to allow those same Russian kleptocrats to export their stolen money and keep it parked, anonymously, in Western property and banks. We convinced ourselves that there was no harm in enriching dictators and their cronies. Trade, we imagined, would transform our trading partners. Wealth would bring liberalism. Capitalism would bring democracy—and democracy would bring peace.
After all, it had happened before. Following the cataclysm of 1939–45, Europeans had indeed collectively abandoned wars of imperial, territorial conquest. They stopped dreaming of eliminating one another. Instead, the continent that had been the source of the two worst wars the world had ever known created the European Union, an organization designed to find negotiated solutions to conflicts and promote cooperation, commerce, and trade. Because of Europe’s metamorphosis—and especially because of the extraordinary transformation of Germany from a Nazi dictatorship into the engine of the continent’s integration and prosperity—Europeans and Americans alike believed that they had created a set of rules that would preserve peace not only on their own continents, but eventually in the whole world.
This liberal world order relied on the mantra of “Never again.” Never again would there be genocide. Never again would large nations erase smaller nations from the map. Never again would we be taken in by dictators who used the language of mass murder. At least in Europe, we would know how to react when we heard it.
But while we were happily living under the illusion that “Never again” meant something real, the leaders of Russia, owners of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, were reconstructing an army and a propaganda machine designed to facilitate mass murder, as well as a mafia state controlled by a tiny number of men and bearing no resemblance to Western capitalism. For a long time—too long—the custodians of the liberal world order refused to understand these changes. They looked away when Russia “pacified” Chechnya by murdering tens of thousands of people. When Russia bombed schools and hospitals in Syria, Western leaders decided that that wasn’t their problem. When Russia invaded Ukraine the first time, they found reasons not to worry. Surely Putin would be satisfied by the annexation of Crimea. When Russia invaded Ukraine the second time, occupying part of the Donbas, they were sure he would be sensible enough to stop.
Even when the Russians, having grown rich on the kleptocracy we facilitated, bought Western politicians, funded far-right extremist movements, and ran disinformation campaigns during American and European democratic elections, the leaders of America and Europe still refused to take them seriously. It was just some posts on Facebook; so what? We didn’t believe that we were at war with Russia. We believed, instead, that we were safe and free, protected by treaties, by border guarantees, and by the norms and rules of the liberal world order.
With the third, more brutal invasion of Ukraine, the vacuity of those beliefs was revealed. The Russian president openly denied the existence of a legitimate Ukrainian state: “Russians and Ukrainians,” he said, “were one people—a single whole.” His army targeted civilians, hospitals, and schools. His policies aimed to create refugees so as to destabilize Western Europe. “Never again” was exposed as an empty slogan while a genocidal plan took shape in front of our eyes, right along the European Union’s eastern border. Other autocracies watched to see what we would do about it, for Russia is not the only nation in the world that covets its neighbors’ territory, that seeks to destroy entire populations, that has no qualms about the use of mass violence. North Korea can attack South Korea at any time, and has nuclear weapons that can hit Japan. China seeks to eliminate the Uyghurs as a distinct ethnic group, and has imperial designs on Taiwan.
We can’t turn the clock back to 1994, to see what would have happened had we heeded Lennart Meri’s warning. But we can face the future with honesty. We can name the challenges and prepare to meet them.
There is no natural liberal world order, and there are no rules without someone to enforce them. Unless democracies defend themselves together, the forces of autocracy will destroy them. I am using the word forces, in the plural, deliberately. Many American politicians would understandably prefer to focus on the long-term competition with China. But as long as Russia is ruled by Putin, then Russia is at war with us too. So are Belarus, North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Nicaragua, Hungary, and potentially many others. We might not want to compete with them, or even care very much about them. But they care about us. They understand that the language of democracy, anti-corruption, and justice is dangerous to their form of autocratic power—and they know that that language originates in the democratic world, our world.
This fight is not theoretical. It requires armies, strategies, weapons, and long-term plans. It requires much closer allied cooperation, not only in Europe but in the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. NATO can no longer operate as if it might someday be required to defend itself; it needs to start operating as it did during the Cold War, on the assumption that an invasion could happen at any time. Germany’s decision to raise defense spending by 100 billion euros is a good start; so is Denmark’s declaration that it too will boost defense spending. But deeper military and intelligence coordination might require new institutions—perhaps a voluntary European Legion, connected to the European Union, or a Baltic alliance that includes Sweden and Finland—and different thinking about where and how we invest in European and Pacific defense.
If we don’t have any means to deliver our messages to the autocratic world, then no one will hear them. Much as we assembled the Department of Homeland Security out of disparate agencies after 9/11, we now need to pull together the disparate parts of the U.S. government that think about communication, not to do propaganda but to reach more people around the world with better information and to stop autocracies from distorting that knowledge. Why haven’t we built a Russian-language television station to compete with Putin’s propaganda? Why can’t we produce more programming in Mandarin—or Uyghur? Our foreign-language broadcasters—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Martí in Cuba—need not only money for programming but a major investment in research. We know very little about Russian audiences—what they read, what they might be eager to learn.
Funding for education and culture needs rethinking too. Shouldn’t there be a Russian-language university, in Vilnius or Warsaw, to house all the intellectuals and thinkers who have just left Moscow? Don’t we need to spend more on education in Arabic, Hindi, Persian? So much of what passes for cultural diplomacy runs on autopilot. Programs should be recast for a different era, one in which, though the world is more knowable than ever before, dictatorships seek to hide that knowledge from their citizens.
Trading with autocrats promotes autocracy, not democracy. Congress has made some progress in recent months in the fight against global kleptocracy, and the Biden administration was right to put the fight against corruption at the heart of its political strategy. But we can go much further, because there is no reason for any company, property, or trust ever to be held anonymously. Every U.S. state, and every democratic country, should immediately make all ownership transparent. Tax havens should be illegal. The only people who need to keep their houses, businesses, and income secret are crooks and tax cheats.
We need a dramatic and profound shift in our energy consumption, and not only because of climate change. The billions of dollars we have sent to Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia have promoted some of the worst and most corrupt dictators in the world. The transition from oil and gas to other energy sources needs to happen with far greater speed and decisiveness. Every dollar spent on Russian oil helps fund the artillery that fires on Ukrainian civilians.
Take democracy seriously. Teach it, debate it, improve it, defend it. Maybe there is no natural liberal world order, but there are liberal societies, open and free countries that offer a better chance for people to live useful lives than closed dictatorships do. They are hardly perfect; our own has deep flaws, profound divisions, terrible historical scars. But that’s all the more reason to defend and protect them. Few of them have existed across human history; many have existed for a time and then failed. They can be destroyed from the outside, but from the inside, too, by divisions and demagogues.
Perhaps, in the aftermath of this crisis, we can learn something from the Ukrainians. For decades now, we’ve been fighting a culture war between liberal values on the one hand and muscular forms of patriotism on the other. The Ukrainians are showing us a way to have both. As soon as the attacks began, they overcame their many political divisions, which are no less bitter than ours, and they picked up weapons to fight for their sovereignty and their democracy. They demonstrated that it is possible to be a patriot and a believer in an open society, that a democracy can be stronger and fiercer than its opponents. Precisely because there is no liberal world order, no norms and no rules, we must fight ferociously for the values and the hopes of liberalism if we want our open societies to continue to exist.
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queer-crip-grows · 8 months
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Right-to-buy council houses without specifically only releasing housing that already had a replacement built was of the most notable ways of the *many* that Thatcher et al screwed the UK.
I’d love to have a law put in place that landlords either have to sign contracts to provide housing under council house-type contracts with rent controls to people on housing benefit etc, or sell to the local council at compulsory purchase prices.
Same for all the houses not being lived in - use to house people under contractual controls, or have to sell to the council housing central fund.
Personally I’d start converting all the office units that are no longer needed because so many people are working remotely now into housing too.
Same for the huge city centre shops - I’m not sure if the pattern repeats elsewhere, but I live near Glasgow and the city centre has basically died since Covid. No one is renting the huge retail stores and the place is full of unhoused folk, which is a fucking scandal. So convert them into housing; let the buildings see use, and let those folks get off the streets. Pets and kids specifically allowed too - get families out of one-room shelters and into proper homes of their own.
I’ve heard that there would be issues putting in water infrastructure, but given the place is literally crumbling already and usage in so many areas is so low that having workers digging up the streets to install water lines wouldn’t cause enormous disruption, the time to do this is *now*. Build rainwater catchment and purification systems on roofs too - we get so much rain in the UK it’s kind of ridiculous not to use it! Some of that could go directly to drip irrigation in gardens, but plenty could go right into the houses/flats too. And of course this would provide tons of jobs in construction, architecture, planning etc etc.
Install gardens and green spaces around the place while you are doing this - offer some at low rent, or to buy cheaply, to market gardeners, but specifically put spaces in for communal gardens with the idea of offering allotments and encouraging people to grow their own food.
Put solar panels on every roof and integrate spaces for smaller wind turbines amongst the houses too. Huge storage batteries in basements to make the new blocks as low-footprint and self-sufficient as possible power-wise.
It would be a *fantastic* opportunity to create genuinely accessible housing - office buildings and shops already have lifts and wide corridors ideal for wheelchairs and other mobility devices, so keep that in the design when creating housing. There is a hidden epidemic of houselessness amongst disabled people and older folk with mobility needs, so create low-rent council housing that specifically fits those needs there.
It would regenerate the areas - all the smaller shopfronts not suitable for housing conversion would fill up with people offering the things people in residential neighbourhoods need, with a guaranteed payer base. People on low incomes *use* all of their incomes on necessities, so small businesses selling those necessities will do well. Offer small businesses low rents to provide those necessities. Any that don’t fill up, offer to charities and use for council staff offering the aid and advice people transitioning into housing actually *need*.
Carers are generally low-paid - so this would be an opportunity to offer them cheap housing close to a huge client base in the new accessible housing. No need for low-paid, mostly-female workers to dash constantly between clients in cars. They could walk to work and walk in between clients, who would also no longer be trapped in inaccessible homes, so people who are not actually bedbound would hopefully be less housebound.
Put rooms in the blocks for communal and co-op activities to reduce isolation - with the lifts and wide corridors, even people who are functionally housebound are likely to be able to make it to a room in their own building, and even quite young children could get to those places safely on their own if their parents are working. Wraparound childcare, paid and informal, near where folks actually live.
City centre areas that are now largely dead other than unhoused people, with limited and decreasing zero economic activity taking place and a decreasing incentive for businesses to set up there rather than in out-of-town retail parks people need to drive to, would become vibrant communities with every incentive for businesses to set up there, particularly for the small businesses that still employ the majority of people.
It wouldn’t take a lot to extend this model to transform those out-of-town business parks that are currently largely empty either; nothing says the businesses that are still there would need to move, and they would have a huge new pool of potential employees living within easily walkable distance, though there would need to be oversight to make sure places like Amazon didn’t attempt to buy them up and turn them into company housing. There would need to be a little more investment to provide green transport links like electric buses and trains so that it would be easier for small businesses to move in to provide services, but given the tax income that would result and the reduction in pollution the investment would probably pay itself back within a decade or so.
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cloudifyaps · 8 months
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Streamline Your Invoicing Process with Cloudify's MS Business Central Sync App on Stripe Marketplace
Introduction
Invoicing is an essential part of any business, but managing invoices and payments can be a time-consuming and error-prone task. To solve this problem, Cloudify has launched the MS Business Central Sync app on Stripe marketplace. Our MS Business Central Sync app creates a seamless integration between Stripe and Microsoft Business Central, enabling businesses to create invoices in Microsoft Business Central automatically when a payment is made in Stripe.
Problem
Manual invoice creation is a tedious task that takes up valuable time and resources. Additionally, it can be prone to errors, which can cause issues with bookkeeping and accounting.
Solution
The MS Business Central Sync app by Cloudify provides a solution to this problem by automating the invoicing process. With this app, businesses can easily create draft invoices in Microsoft Business Central when a payment is made using Stripe. This eliminates the need for manual invoice creation, saving time and reducing errors for clients.
Integration
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The MS Business Central Sync app also features uni-directional sync with trigger options for invoice creation and payment in Stripe. This feature makes it easy for businesses to keep track of their invoices for tracking and audit purposes. By automating the invoicing process, businesses can focus on other important aspects of their operations.
To create an invoice, the following information must be in place in Microsoft Business Central:
The client to whom the invoice is sent
Products that need to be added as line items in the invoice
Please ensure that this information is up-to-date in MSBC to avoid any delays in creating invoices.
In addition to the integration feature, the Microsoft Business Central Integration App for Stripe also offers the following benefits:
Uni-directional sync between Stripe and Microsoft Business Central
Retrigger unsuccessful integrations directly from invoice metadata.
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Seamless integration with Microsoft Business Central and track sync status log of each transaction within the invoice metadata.
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Automated invoice creation
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Time-saving and efficient billing process
Setup guide is available here.
Subscription plans:
To get started, simply select your plan. The trial plan is free with 15 credits and is the default plan. You can anytime upgrade to the premium plan.
Get the pricing details by Clicking here
Conclusion
Cloudify's MS Business Central Sync app is a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their invoicing process. With its automated features, the app eliminates the need for manual data entry and provides businesses with a simple, efficient solution to manage their invoices and payments. The app ensures that important data is migrated from Stripe to Microsoft Business Central, ensuring that all invoices have correct, consistent, and only important data. By using this app, businesses can manage their finances efficiently, reduce errors, and improve their overall productivity.
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sarahowritesostucky · 1 month
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Ultimate Vacation Home: Kemp
Steve's favorite place to abscond with you is in Belize.
After Lloyd, he's your richest daddy, and like Lloyd, you aren't sure how he makes his money. He's a surgeon, that you know, but he's rich enough to make you suspect there's something else. Maybe he inherited money, maybe he does secret plastic surgery for the mob, who knows.
Because he's so rich, he also owns the property in the rainforest in Belize. It's isolated, luxurious, dreamy, and slightly spooky (but in a very aesthetically pleasing way). It's otherworldly.
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One of the two bedrooms looks out on a natural waterfall, and the other looks out into a literal cenote! With sunlight streaming in from above the cave and lush green plants hanging down, it's gorgeous. You can't decide which bedroom you like better, and you regularly switch between the two.
To see a house built in such an unbelievable location is baffling. You at first assume it's a custom build, much like Steve's unique Portland house is.
But when you ask where he got the idea for the house, he informs you that the house was a payment from a grateful - and wealthy - client. Jeez, you think. Maybe he gave a facelift to a Belizean drug lord.
The bathrooms in this place are unbelievable, too. There's water all around, and they're designed to feel integrated into the rainforest landscape itself.
You and Steve regularly go skinny dipping in the various natural pools and springs around the property - especially the waterfall swimming hole just outside the one bedroom.
You've long wanted to take pictures of it all and post to your Instagram, but Steve is a very private person and does not allow you to take pictures of his houses. You hate the rule, but it's his property so you respect it.
Much like at his Portland house, this house has a basement you've never seen. Steve keeps it locked and says there's nothing down there anyways, so you don't need to worry about it.
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Steve is all about ensuring your comfort on vacation. He'll fly you in when he's already on business in Central America. He'll pick you up in his jeep and the two of you drive off for your jungle getaway.
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He cooks you romantic dinners and takes you out for kayaking and horseback riding in the rainforest. He's the total package, which is why you can't really understand why his wife isn't gaga about him.
You've met her, once. She's cold and odd, and would rather he spend all his time with you rather than with her. They don't even live in the same house, back in Portland!
Along with Andy, Steve is unhappily married with kids, and you often feel like he's longing to confide something to you, but you don't know what. At least he hasn't asked you to run away with him yet. You're not in the business of replacing wives - just filling spaces in cold beds.
Whether his home away from home is funded by the drug trade or some other shady business, you don't know. Whatever it is Steve does, you just reap the benefits.
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Five Daddies masterlist
Masterlist
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