Advanced Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Advanced Marketing - Essay Example McDonalds’ is an exemplary example of expertly exploiting the changing demands of the public and now includes healthy food with salads, fruits and energy drinks in its menu. This helps the organizations to effectively meet the needs of the individual segments of the masses and thereby develop more lasting relationship with its customers. Tesco extensively use the database to customize their service and win trust of their customers. The database of customer also promotes in identifying the products that have niche market position and thereby helps to promote brand creation to maintain its position. Levi’s, L’Oreal, Gucci etc. are major brands whose major strength is value positioning. It helps to gauge the flow of customers at different times of the day and helps in sales forecast. They can ensure inventory of products that are more in demand. Samsung extensively uses the customer database to manufacture its products as per the sales demand so that they can come up with new value added products without incurring loss on huge unsold

The effect friendships have on a child's development Essay

The effect friendships have on a child's development - Essay Example However, like Roald Dahl writes beautifully in his renowned book Matilda, friendship is not really confined to one or more persons. Children are affected easily by the totality of their external environments and this also thus concludes the various kinds of interactions that they undergo in everyday life. In Matilda, the young girl befriends her books due to the lack of people that she is able to communicate with. Her brother does not prove to be a good friend and neither do her parents, thus she takes to her books and finds that those books turn her into a very gifted individual full of faith and belief in the better things in life. He writes, â€Å"Sometimes Matilda longed for a friend, somebody like the kind, courageous people in her books. But it occurred to her that talking dragons and princesses with hair long enough to climb, such people would only exist in storybooks.† (Dahl, Roald) this goes to show the kind of need that the young girl had in her life for someone that would talk back to her and give her advice and listen to her little whims and fancies as well. Children usually imitate whatever happens around them and so if a parent sees his child overdoing something or doing things that are unusual of him, they may come to the conclusion that he must have picked it up from somewhere. At the young ages between three to about ten, the kind of friends that a child has makes a great amount of difference on his mind and health. These friends help to shape the child’s character when the parents are not around and help to build a sense and level of confidence within the child. No child is able to communicate everything he or she wants to their parents, and thus, they sometimes find the comfort in doing so with their friends. Most friends even listen and try to help if someone is in some kind of trouble, but of course this stage comes in later after further development of the child’s mind. Roald Dahl wrote a book called Matilda which was about a young girl born into the wrong family in the sense that she had nothing in common with her parents or brother. Matilda was very curious about the world and loved to read and know more. She wanted to go to school and get educated and make friends. "Both Matilda and Lavender were enthralled. It was quite clear to them that they were at this moment standing in the presence of a master. Here was somebody who had brought the art of skulduggery to the highest point of perfection, somebody, moreover, who was willing to risk life and limb in pursuit of her calling. They gazed in wonder at this goddess, and suddenly even the boil on her nose was no longer a blemish but a badge of courage."  (Dahl, Roald) From these lines it is clear that Matilda had found a friend and confidante in Lavender and in doing so, they were comfortable in carrying out tasks that even they felt were wrong, however they did it anyway because of a kind of backing that they had from each other. She could conf ide in Lavender and was sure that the latter would keep her secrets. This is how children get affected by their friends and are able to do things together with a better sense of confidence. Just by having someone around them helping them, they

Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti Essay Example for Free

Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti Essay Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti I believe this poem tells a story, a story about temptation and lust, about the desire to obtain something the narrator clearly is not meant to take or have. It has similarities to the Story in the bible about the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have been told You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat you will surely die. When I read the poem by Christina Rosetti it makes me think about that story because of the opening lines I ate and ate my fill, Yet my mouth waters still; The narrator, like Adam and Eve, felt discontented with what they were getting. They were always going to want more, never satisfied. There are subtle hints that the narrator should not be eating the fruit, but this makes the fruit taste better and more appealing. The words that have been used are double edged for example Cherries worth getting On it own this sounds innocent and appears to be about fruit! The double meaning here, I believe, suggests that something or someone is desired. Wanting to taste but not being quite sure; this also links with virginity, untouched and this is where the lust comes in I think the words Christina Rosetti has chosen are extremely clever because you have to read the poem time and time again to get the true meaning; this keeps the reader interested for longer. Every time you look at this poem you find something else you didnt notice before. I feel that to try and pull out the striking words would not be of benefit, as they are all seemingly striking and without the rest of the poem attached they would not appear as exceptional; I believe this would not be doing justice to the poem. For example the word Pellucid to me is very striking but alone, without the rest of the sentence, it makes no sense and the feeling is not the same. The line Pellucid grapes without one seed To me has much more of an effect and shows a lot more about the narrators emotions. I think the tone of this poem is unpredictable as there are different meanings. When you first read this poem and you see that it is about fruit, one may start to feel that the narrator is babbling, as it does not make a great deal of sense. For example To-morrow night I will buy some more; and kissed her. This, in the context of fruit, seems out of place and somewhat irrelevant. It is only when you read the poem again, this time realising that it is not quite as innocent as it first seemed, that the tone changes; it becomes more exciting and profound. I would say that the mood of the poem changes when the realisation of the poems true meaning sinks in. While the poem just seems to be about fruit I found the persona offered no excitement or anticipation. This changes quite dramatically when you realise that the poem is actually quite unconventional as it is hinting at a sexual relationship between two women. For example Cheek to cheek and breast to breast Locked together in one nest At this point the voice then seems to become playfully mischievous. There are a lot of similes in this poem, for instance Like two pigeons in one nest I think Christina Rosetti wanted the reader to really visualise what was going on; also I feel that she used simile to create a feeling of anticipation, using a familiar image of closeness. Like two flakes of newly fallen snow Is very clearly talking about two people who are having a sexual relationship, but also telling us that it is the first time and in actual fact they are both virgins. Snow, when it has just fallen, is untouched and perfect in everyway thus symbolising purity. Not a bat flapped to and fro Round their nest Is an example of the use of metaphor in this poem. People do not sleep in a nest and yet these two people are being likened to animals. This I believe creates a feeling of peacefulness, nothing moving. This is representing that they have reached a climax and they are now enjoying the serenity of the moment. An illustration of the use of personification in this poem is Wind sang to them a lullaby The wind of course cannot sing but the image is used to create a peaceful atmosphere. I image it would be really calming and relaxing to have the wind singing a lullaby. Alliteration is not strongly used in this poem I could only find one example which is And sugar sweet their sap I feel this is to heighten the readers experience, making them almost taste the sugariness, thus allowing the reader to really get in touch with what is happening in the poem. This poem uses a lot of run on lines an there are only two full stops in the poem. I think this increases the anticipation as well as the feeling of expectation as you can never see how it is going to end. The metre is quite smooth and sinuous and it is used by the narrator to keep the sequence of events told in the poem flowing. The tempo and manner of the poem, as I said earlier, changes when you realise its true meaning. I feel that this happens to keep the suspense. This poem has a sporadic rhyming style because some lines rhyme and others dont but I feel that this is in keeping with the rest of the poems style as it is all rather unconventional.

The influence of communication climate in workplace

The influence of communication climate in workplace Introduction Organizations today are influenced by many factors attempt to achieve a goal or gain a reputation. Dwyer (2005) explains that effective and efficient communication is just as essential to the successful operation of any organisation .Indeed, communication is used frequently in almost every aspect of business, such as: in meetings, discussions, interviews, e-mail or teleconferencing. Pomeroy (2006) also explains that successful company practice great communication. Based on some previous literature study, In order to face the uncertainty change and need of organization, communication becomes one of the most important competences to use in workplace. Additionally, organizational communication refers to communication climate as a whole of organization and the use of different instruments for communication. It can decidedly affect the quality of relationship and organization`s effectiveness. A positive communication climate may contains many Factors, such as the climate that mutual trust , effective communication mechanism, praise each other, humors, Mind magnanimous and sincere and the mentality of communication. On the contrary, a negative communication climate may contains many barriers, such as personal barriers, physical barriers and language barriers. Definition Communication is a conscious or unconscious, intentional or unintentional process in which feelings and ideas are expressed as verbal and nonverbal messages; sent, received and comprehended'(Berko, Wolvin Wolvin ,1998). Verbal communication can be defined as a way for people to communicate face to face or communicating people`s thoughts through words. It is an ability that every one should develop to improve interactions and relationships. Yoder et al. (1996) define non-verbal communication as all non-language aspects of communication behaviour. Some key aspects of nonverbal communication are: proxemics, artifacts kinesics, oculesics, haptics, vocalics, and chronemics. Putnam and Cheney (1985) define communication climate as the atmosphere in an organization regarding accepted communication behaviour.Usually use supportive and defensive communication climate as distinction for the key factors in the communication climate (Hoof Ridder, 2004). A supportive climate is nonjudgmental so that the other person does not feel defensive by communication. It encourages open, constructive, honest and effective interaction. Defensive climate can define as makes the other person feel self-protective and leads to competitive or destructive conflict. Therefore, the competent communicators will attempts to maintain a supportive communication climate. According to Dr. Gibb (1961) describes six dimension of behaviour to warm up or chill the communication climate (See Appendix A). The pole of these dimensions creates a defensive climate and supportive climate. They applied equally in every small group. Positive communication climate A positive communication climate is very important to the people, so how to build a positive communication climate. 1. Creating the organizational climate that mutual trust There is a well-known bank, the managers of the bank decentralized to the middle-level employees that they can spend enough money to marketing which they dont have to care. Some people may worry that(Joyce E. Bono; Hannah Jackson Foldes,2007) the employees will overspend, but in fact that the employees did not overspend, but to maintain a lot of customers. In contrast, some managers see the money very strict, they fear that other people overspend, but the employees are in the dark by all means seeking their own interests. In another company, the managers office is placed in an open hall the same as the general staff so that every general staff can see what the manager is doing. When the staff went out to buy daily office supplies, in addition to normal claims, the company also paid a number of additional hard costs, this move put an end to the employees who want to get virtual sham. In this two cases we can see that mutual trust for each member organization is very important. 2. Establish an effective communication mechanism Understanding and trust is not empty talk, sometimes a small misunderstanding may caused endless trouble. There is an employee who wants to resign, but the manger said: you shouldnt leave, you are so outstanding, what I did before is just want to exercise you. However, the employee thought what the manger said is just a pack of lies. He dedicated (Yoder, D., Hugenberg, L. Wallace, S. 1996) himself to work, but the incomes he gets are less than the bootlicker. The manger would like to reuse the talent; the enterprise wants to play to their talents, but just because the poor communication, the all get nothing. So establish an effective communication mechanism is very important to a company. 3. Praise each other Praise is almost a well-tested communication lubricant. In this world, there is on person who dont like to preceiving recognition, so iinstitute of praise will be smooth sailing in any communication. 4. Communicate with humours Humours not only are the steps to harmony and a springboard for dialogue, but also a panacea for resolving the conflict. The ugliest girl in the class walked onto the stage that runs for the Class Flower, she said to the female students: Please vote for me, after a few years, you can say to your boyfriend pointing at me, look! I am more beautiful than the classes flower. So, she was unanimously elected. Humour can be a miracle to make the impossible possible. 5. Mind magnanimous and sincere Many entrepreneurs (Ali D Akkirman and Drew L Harris,2005) like to entertain customers in bathing place, because that can get a closer relationship with customers, in the bathing place people meet all sincerity, no one will put on airs. This is also a non-verbal signals, a number of non-verbal signals used by Human beings are all in this intention, such as salute, handshake are all in order to communicate with each other that they do not have a weapon. 6. Adjust the mentality of communication With the rapid develop of the modern communication technology and information networks, the way of people communicate are more and more manifold. Even if two people far apart, communication between them will be fairly easy. On the surface, The communication between people is indeed more frequent. But in fact, most of the communication has become a the surface behaviour that driven by material interests of society, which the effect can be imagined. But most people in modern company lack of a sincere attitude of communication. So the organization communicator of modern enterprises should not only do business operation procedures of communication, but also should pay attention to the hearts of communication between members. There is such a case: The management of a factory hope that the staff can bring coffee their own, and in order to save time, they hope the staff can drink coffee not in coffee shops, but beside the machine. The company has been very frank and candid. In the staff meeting, The management had shown the electricity consumption tables of the factory, the tables illustrate that when the staff drink coffee in the coffee shops, the factory will waste much electricity. They give this case in order to proved prolonged work stoppage would result in loss of profits. So the staff readily accepted the new rest system finally. This case illustrates that in an organization, communication has its essential value. It is need to communicate to disseminate information and exchange ideas between Management and management, management and staff or staff and staff. Information transfer between people is to communicate, and the goal is to make the recipient understand the meaning of information. Managers an d team leaders to convey the instructions, Colleagues Grasp the progress of work each other, no matter upper and lower layers or the same layers, they all must take the power of communication to ensure the normal operation of collaborative work so that ensure the members within the organization can keep dynamic link with others, and the overall and promote the development of the organization. Negative communication climate There is a case that shows the negative communication climate: Damian (accounting manager) and Jenny (marketing director) interviews with a number of audit positions of candidates together. Then they and three other department heads together to determine the final candidates, when Jenny proposed that a candidates shortcomings what she had seen, Damian immediately sharply questioned Jennys ability to evaluation of audit skills, Jenny is natural felt very angry about the attack by Damian. Although Damian apologized to Jenny and said she was very remorseful about this matter, but Jenny has been brooding on this matter. This case shows that negative communication climate will do great harm to relationships. Even if the receiver can receive the information, various kinds of interference will limit the understanding of information. These barriers like noise, it will obstacles to communicate, It may occur in the physical environment, or arising from personal emotions. Noise will make communication can not be entirely, or filter out some of the content, or distorted information intended. There are three types of communication disorders (Daisy Saunders,2007): personal barriers, physical barriers and language barriers Personal barriers is due to peoples feelings, values, or bad listening habits which caused communication barriers, It also includes the level of their education, race, gender, socio-economic status, and other communication barriers. Personal barriers often associated with the psychological distance between the people. It is very similar to the actual physical distance. For example, A talk to B with domineering tone, which makes B very offensive. The offensive has led to the psychological distance between the two. Physical barriers refers (M. Sandy Hershcovis; Nick Turner; Julian Barling; Kara A,2007) that the barriers present in the environment of communication. A typical physical barrier is that the noise suddenly appears which interferences the talk. Other physical barriers include the distance between people and so on. When the physical barriers appear, people will realize and take appropriate measures to compensate. In the language of communication, Team members from different cultural backgrounds because used to using the different mother tongue, which lead to language difficulties. It indeed exist communication problems in a multicultural cross-cultural team. Even if team members can keep using a common language, such as English, However, for those team members who are not native to that language, They express the feeling in the team communication is often not in place. This will cause misunderstanding with other team members. In addition, the members affected with different cultural backgrounds, they may have different ideas, ways of thinking and world view. So the language barriers will be more obvious in team. Conclusion A pleasant working atmosphere is a very important factor for highly efficient team work, positive communication climate played a significant role on improving the motivation of employee. Therefore, if managers can master the skills to create positive communication climate, and used it in their own work, then the manager will be able to identify the behaviour is efficiency or not, and be able to change it effectively so that can efficient and easy to get creative achievements. Positive communication climate not only can bring to the enterprise the smooth flow of information, but also provide basic protection for the organizations decision-making and execution. All organizations should be fully aware of the importance of positive communication climate, and eliminate the obstacles blocking, finally reached a good communication environment

Alphonse Scarface Capone Essay examples -- essays research papers

Alphonse “Scarface'; Capone BACKGROUND INFORMATION  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alphonse Capone was born on January 17, 1899. He grew up in rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY where he would attend school only up to the sixth grade, when dropped out. Capone got his nickname “Scarface'; from a knife attack by the brother of a woman whom Capone had insulted. The attack left him with three scars across his face and a new nickname.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capone joined his first gang when he became part of the James Street Gang, headed by the well-known Johnny Torrio. In 1920, upon the request of Torrio, Capone went to work for Johnny’s Uncle, Big Jim Colosimo. Colosimo was the head of the largest prostitution and gambling ring in Chicago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the murder of Colosimo, Torrio took over his uncle’s empire, but he was forced to retire after an attempt on his life. So Capone took over and by the time he was 26, he was managing more than a thousand employees, each one of whom he demanded full commitment and loyalty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1929, Al Capone’s most famous escapade occurred and was to become known as the St. Valentines Day massacre. The event took place at the bootlegging headquarters of George “Bugs'; Moran, Capone’s latest rival. Five police officers walked into the garage, lined up Moran’s men, and shot them dow...

Super U Supply Chain Management :: Business Operations Management

Which activities are managed is significant for a company's success. Moreover, the supply chain management is crucial within a firm's processes since it incorporates activities in which intermediate goods and final products are given to consumers through a distribution system. It is important to analyse it and take into consideration that this subject matter has a great impact within business procedures. The main objective of our project is to study System U North West's supply chain management. This analysis could be made because of an interview with the Product Manager, Mr. Ledu. Also, it is intended to use the concepts and knowledge learned in Operations Management and apply them into real life. It is significant to note that we decided to choose this company since it is a major one in France. Moreover, its market chain (Marchà © U, Super U and Hyper U) is well recognized within the major French cities. The importance of our research will permit the reader to understand different elements that are crucial part of the supply chain of this business. In addition to this, the project is going to be divided in the following sections: general information, purchasing, logistic process, information system, barriers and conclusion. GENERAL INFORMATION System U is a purchasing center for the market chain (Hyper U, Super U, Marchà © U). The firm is an intermediary between suppliers and stores. Also, the company has an annual turnover of 13.79 billion of € what is equivalent to 8% of market shares. It has to provide all products that are sold in more than 800 stores. Furthermore, the main objective of System U is to satisfy their consumers through price and high quality service-products. Moreover, this firm is composed by 4 regional purchasing centres: Systà ¨me U Ouest, Systà ¨me U Sud, Sytà ¨me U Est and Systà ¨me U Nord Ouest. System U North West is the youngest of the 4 purchasing centers. It has to provide 120 stores in 19 departments. Also, it represents 1.1 billion € meaning that it has around 9% of the total turnover of the firm. In spite of its weak turnover, this purchasing center is the more dynamic with an annual increase of 10% since 2000. SYSTEM U NORTH WEST PURCHASING Choice of suppliers Salesmen are in charge of choosing the suppliers. However, since System U is a famous and recognized brand, most of the suppliers get in touch with the sales department because they want to offer it their products.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5

â€Å"For someone who just orchestrated a murder, you're kind of overreacting.† Overreacting? In the last twenty-four hours, I'd had to endure virgins, scary vampires, murder, accusation, and humiliation in front of my favorite author. I really didn't think coming home to a quiet apartment was too much to ask for. Instead, I found three interlopers. Three interlopers who were also my friends, mind you, but that didn't change the principle of the matter. Naturally, none of them understood why I was so upset. â€Å"You're invading my privacy! And I didn't murder anybody. Why does everyone keep thinking that?† â€Å"Because you said yourself you were going to,† explained Hugh. The imp sprawled on my love seat, his relaxed posture indicating I might actually be the one in his home. â€Å"I heard it from Jerome.† Across from him, our friend Cody offered me a friendly smile. He was exceptionally young for a vampire and reminded me of the kid brother I'd never had. â€Å"Don't worry. He had it coming. We stand by you all the way.† â€Å"But I didn't – â€Å" â€Å"Is that our illustrious hostess I hear?† called Peter from the bathroom. A moment later, he appeared in the hallway. â€Å"You look pretty snazzy for a criminal mastermind.† â€Å"I'm not – † My words died on my lips as I caught sight of him. For a moment, all thoughts of murder and apartment intrusion blanked out of my mind. â€Å"For God's sake, Peter. What happened to your hair?† He self-consciously ran a hand over the sharp, half-inch spikes covering his head. I couldn't even imagine how much styling product it must have taken to defy the laws of physics like that. Worse, the tips of the spikes were white-blond, standing out boldly against his normally dark hair color. â€Å"Someone I work with helped me with it.† â€Å"Someone who hates you?† Peter scowled. â€Å"You are the most uncharming succubus I've ever met.† â€Å"I think the spikes really, um, emphasize the shape of your eyebrows,† offered Cody diplomatically. â€Å"They just take†¦ some getting used to.† I shook my head. I liked Peter and Cody. They were the only vampires I'd ever been friends with, but that didn't make them any less trying. Between Peter's assorted neuroses and Cody's dogged optimism, I sometimes felt like the straight man – er, woman – on a sitcom. â€Å"A lot of getting used to,† I muttered, pulling up a bar-stool from my kitchen. â€Å"You're one to talk,† returned Peter. â€Å"You and your wings and whip getup.† My mouth dropped, and I turned an incredulous look on Hugh. He hastily shut the Victoria's Secret catalog he'd been leafing through. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"You said you weren't going to tell! You sealed your lips and everything!† â€Å"I, uh†¦ it just sort of slipped out.† â€Å"Did you really have horns?† asked Peter. â€Å"All right, that's it. I want you all out of here now.† I pointed at the door. â€Å"I've been through enough today without you three adding to it.† â€Å"You haven't even told us about taking the contract out on Duane.† Cody's puppy-dog eyes looked at me pleadingly. â€Å"We're dying to know.† â€Å"Well, Duane's the one who technically did the dying,† pointed out Peter in an undertone. â€Å"Watch the snide comments,† warned Hugh. â€Å"You might be next.† I half expected steam to pour from my ears. â€Å"For the last time, I did not kill Duane! Jerome believes me, okay?† Cody looked thoughtful. â€Å"But you did threaten him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. And from what I recall, so have all of you at some time or another. This is just a coincidence. I didn't have anything to do with it, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Something suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"Why does everyone keep saying things like ‘arranged his death' or ‘got someone to murder him'? Why aren't you saying that I did it myself?† â€Å"Wait†¦ you just said you didn't.† Peter rolled his eyes at Cody before facing me, the older vampire's expression turning serious. Of course, â€Å"serious† means all sorts of things when paired with a hairstyle like his. â€Å"No one's saying you did it because you couldn't have.† â€Å"Especially in those shoes.† Hugh nodded toward my heels. â€Å"I appreciate your complete lack of faith in my abilities, but isn't it possible I could have, I don't know, taken him by surprise? Hypothetically, I mean.† Peter smiled. â€Å"It wouldn't have mattered. Lesser immortals can't kill one another.† Seeing my astonished look, he added, â€Å"How can you not know that? After living as long as you have?† Teasing laced his words. There had always been an unspoken mystery between Peter and me concerning which of us was the oldest of the mortals-turned-immortals in our little circle. Neither of us would openly admit our age, so we'd never really determined who had the most centuries. One night, after a bottle of tequila, we'd started playing a â€Å"Do you remember when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  sort of game. We'd only gotten back as far as the Industrial Revolution before passing out. â€Å"Because no one's ever tried to kill me. So what, are you saying all those turf wars vampires have are for nothing?† â€Å"Well, not for nothing,† he said. â€Å"We inflict some pretty terrific damage, believe me. But no, no one ever dies. With all the territory disputes, there'd be very few of us left if we could kill each other.† I stayed silent, turning this revelation over in my head. â€Å"Then how do – † I suddenly remembered what Jerome had told me. â€Å"They get killed by vampire hunters.† Peter nodded. â€Å"What's the deal with them?† I asked. â€Å"Jerome wouldn't elaborate.† Hugh was equally interested. â€Å"You mean like that one girl on TV? The hot blonde?† â€Å"This is going to be a long night.† Peter gave us both scathing looks. â€Å"You all need some serious Vampires 101. I don't suppose you're going to offer us anything to drink, Georgina?† I waved an impatient hand toward the kitchen. â€Å"Get whatever you want. I want to know about vampire hunters.† Peter sauntered out of my living room, yelping when he nearly tripped over one of the many stacks of books I had sitting around. I made a mental note to buy a new bookshelf. Scowling, he surveyed my nearly empty refrigerator with disapproval. â€Å"You really need to work on your hosting skills.† â€Å"Peter – â€Å" â€Å"Now, I keep hearing stories about that other succubus†¦ the one in Missoula. What's her name again?† â€Å"Donna,† offered Hugh. â€Å"Yeah, Donna. She throws great parties, I hear. Gets them catered. Invites everyone.† â€Å"If you guys want to party with all ten people in Montana, then you're welcome to move there. Now stop wasting time.† Ignoring me, Peter eyed the red carnations I'd bought the other night. I'd put them in a vase near the kitchen sink. â€Å"Who sent you flowers?† â€Å"No one.† â€Å"You sent yourself flowers?† asked Cody, his voice quaking with sympathy. â€Å"No, I just bought them. It's not the same. I didn't – look. Why are we talking about this when there's an alleged vampire killer on the loose? Are you two in danger?† Peter finally opted for water but tossed beers to Hugh and Cody. â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"We aren't?† Cody seemed surprised to learn this. His scant years as a vampire practically made him a baby compared to the rest of us. Peter was teaching him â€Å"the trade,† so to speak. â€Å"Vampire hunters are simply special mortals born with the ability to inflict real damage to vampires. Mortals in general can't touch us, of course. Don't ask me how or why this all works; there's no system as far as I can tell. Most so-called vampire hunters go through life without even realizing they have this talent. The ones who do sometimes decide to make a career out of it. They pop up like this from time to time, picking off the occasional vampire, making a general nuisance of themselves until some enterprising vampire or demon takes them out.† â€Å"‘Nuisance'?† asked Cody incredulously. â€Å"Even after Duane? Aren't you the least bit worried about this person coming after you? After us?† â€Å"No,† said Peter. â€Å"I am not.† I shared Cody's confusion. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because this person, whoever he or she is, is a total amateur.† Peter glanced over at Hugh and me. â€Å"What did Jerome say about Duane's death?† Deciding I needed a drink myself, I raided my kitchen liquor cabinet and made a vodka gimlet. â€Å"He wanted to know if I did it.† Peter made a dismissive gesture. â€Å"No, about how he died.† Hugh frowned, apparently trying to piece together the logic afoot. â€Å"He said that Duane had been found dead – with a stake through his heart.† â€Å"There. You see?† Peter looked at us expectantly. We all looked back, baffled. â€Å"I don't get it,† I finally said. Peter sighed, again looking utterly put out. â€Å"If you are a mortal who has the semidivine ability to kill a vampire, it doesn't fucking matter how you do it. You can use a gun, a knife, a candlestick, or whatever. The stake through the heart thing is hearsay. If a normal mortal does it to a vampire, it won't do a damned thing except really piss the vampire off. We only hear about it when a vampire hunter does it, so it carries some special superstitious lure, when really, it's only like that egg thing on the equinoxes.† â€Å"What?† Hugh looked totally lost. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"I actually know what he's talking about, as scary as that is to admit. There's this urban myth that eggs balance on their ends during the equinoxes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the truth is, you'd get the same results any time of the year. People only try it on the equinoxes, however, so that's all anyone notices.† I glanced over at Peter. â€Å"Your point is that a vampire hunter could kill a vampire in any number of ways, but because the stake gets all the attention, that's what has become the accepted method of†¦ ‘revocation of immortality.' â€Å" â€Å"In people's minds,† he corrected. â€Å"In reality, it's a pain in the ass to drive a stake through someone's heart. A lot easier to shoot them.† â€Å"And so you think this hunter is an amateur because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cody trailed off, obviously unconvinced by the compelling egg analogy. â€Å"Because any vampire hunter worth his or her snuff knows that and wouldn't use a stake. This person's a total newbie.† â€Å"First,† I advised Peter, â€Å"don't say ‘worth his snuff.' That expression's out-of-style and makes you sound dated. Second, maybe this hunter was just trying to be old-school or something. And even if this person is a ‘newbie,' does it really matter since they managed to take out Duane?† Peter shrugged. â€Å"He was an arrogant asshole. Vampires can sense vampire hunters at close range. Combined with this one's inexperience, Duane should have never been taken. He was stupid.† I opened my mouth to counter this. I would be among the first to agree that Duane had indeed been both arrogant and an asshole, but stupid he was not. Immortals could not live as long as we did and see as many things as we did without gleaning substantial know-how and street smarts. We grew up quickly, so to speak. Another question moved to the forefront of my reasoning. â€Å"Can these hunters hurt other immortals? Or just vampires?† â€Å"Only vampires, as far as I know.† Something didn't add up here between Peter's comments and Jerome's. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was bothering me exactly, so I kept my misgivings to myself as the others chatted on. The vampire hunter topic soon became passe, once they'd decided – with some disappointment – I hadn't contracted anybody. Cody and Hugh also seemed content to buy Peter's theory that an amateur hunter posed no real threat. â€Å"Be careful, you two,† I warned the vampires when they were getting ready to leave. â€Å"Newbie or no, Duane is still dead.† â€Å"Yes, Mom,† answered Peter disinterestedly, putting on his coat. I gave Cody a sharp look, and he squirmed a bit. He was easier to manipulate than his mentor. â€Å"I'll be careful, Georgina.† â€Å"Call me if anything weird happens.† He nodded, earning an eye roll from Peter. â€Å"Come on,† said the older vampire. â€Å"Let's get some dinner.† I had to smile at that. While vampires getting dinner might have frightened most people, I knew better. Peter and Cody both hated hunting human victims. They did it on occasion but rarely killed when they did. Most of their sustenance came from extra-rare butcher shop purchases. Like me, they were half- assingtheir infernal jobs. â€Å"Hugh,† I said sharply as he was about to follow the vampires out. â€Å"A word, please.† The vampires gave Hugh sympathetic looks before leaving. The imp grimaced, closing the door and facing me. â€Å"Hugh, I gave you that key for emergencies – â€Å" â€Å"Vampire murder doesn't constitute an emergency?† â€Å"I'm serious! It's bad enough Jerome and Carter can teleport in here without you deciding to open up my home to God and the world.† â€Å"I don't think God was invited tonight.† â€Å"And then, you went and told them about the demon-girl outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh come on,† he protested. â€Å"That was too good to keep to myself. Besides, they're our friends. What's it matter?† â€Å"It matters because you said you weren't going to tell,† I growled. â€Å"What kind of friend are you? Especially after I helped you out last night?† â€Å"Christ, Georgina. I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd take it so personally.† I ran a hand through my hair. â€Å"It's not just that. It's†¦ I don't know. It's this whole business with Duane. I was thinking about what Jerome told me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hugh waited, giving me time to gather my thoughts, sensing I was about to unleash something. My mind pondered the night's unfolding as I studied the imp's large shape beside me. He could be as silly as the vampires sometimes; I didn't know if I could speak seriously to him. â€Å"Hugh†¦ how do you know if a demon is lying?† There was a pause, then he emitted a soft laugh, recognizing the old joke. â€Å"His lips are moving.† We leaned against my counter, and he studied me from his greater height. â€Å"Why? Do you think Jerome's lying to us?† â€Å"Yes, I do.† Another pause followed. â€Å"Tell me then.† â€Å"Jerome told me to be careful, said I could be mistaken for a vampire.† â€Å"He told me the same thing.† â€Å"But Peter said vampire hunters can't kill us.† â€Å"You ever had a stake driven through your heart? It might not kill you, but I bet you wouldn't like it.† â€Å"Fair enough. But Jerome claimed vampire hunters find other vampires by following their prey. That's bullshit. Cody and Peter are the exception. You know how most vampires are – they don't hang out with other vampires. Following one generally won't lead to another.† â€Å"Yeah, but he said this one was a newbie.† â€Å"Jerome didn't say that. That was Peter's theory based on the stake.† Hugh gave a conciliatory grunt. â€Å"Okay. So what do you think is going on?† â€Å"I don't know. I just know these stories are contradicting each other. And Carter seemed awfully involved, like he was in on some secret with Jerome. Why should Carter even care? His side should technically approve of someone picking off our people.† â€Å"He's an angel. Isn't he supposed to love everyone, even the damned? Especially when said damned are his drinking buddies.† â€Å"I don't know. There's more here than we're being told†¦ and Jerome seemed so adamant about me being careful. You too, apparently.† He stayed quiet a few moments before finally saying, â€Å"You're a pretty girl, Georgina.† I started. So much for serious talk. â€Å"Did you drink more than that beer?† â€Å"I forget, though,† he continued, ignoring my question, â€Å"that you're also a smart one. I work around shallow women so much – suburban housewives wanting smoother skin and bigger breasts – who have no other concerns but their appearances. It's easy to get caught up in the stereotypes and forget that you have a brain in there too, behind your beautiful face. You see things differently than the rest of us – more clearly, I guess. Sort of a bigger picture kind of thinking. Maybe it's your age – no offense.† â€Å"You did drink too much. Besides, I'm not smart enough to figure out what Jerome isn't telling us unless†¦ there aren't really succubus or imp hunters out there, are there?† â€Å"Have you ever heard of one?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Neither have I. But I have heard of vampire hunters – independent of pop culture.† Hugh reached for his cigarettes and changed his mind, remembering I didn't like smoking in my apartment. â€Å"I don't think anyone's going to put a stake through us anytime soon, if that's what's bothering you.† â€Å"But you do agree we're being left out of the loop?† â€Å"What else do you expect from Jerome?† â€Å"I think†¦ I think I'm going to go see Erik.† â€Å"Is he still alive?† â€Å"Last I knew.† â€Å"That's a good idea. He knows more about us than we do.† â€Å"I'll let you know what I find out.† â€Å"Nah. I think I'd rather stay ignorant.† â€Å"Fine. Where are you off to now?† â€Å"I've got to go put in some after-hours time with one of the new secretaries, if you catch my meaning.† He grinned, dare I say, impishly. â€Å"Twenty years old, with breasts that defy gravity. I should know. I helped install them.† I couldn't help but laugh, despite the grim atmosphere. Hugh, like the rest of us, had a day job when not furthering the cause of evil and chaos. In his case, the line between occupations was a little thin: he was a plastic surgeon. â€Å"I can't compete with that.† â€Å"Not true. Science can't duplicate your breasts.† â€Å"Praise from a true connoisseur. Have fun.† â€Å"I will. Watch your back, sweetie.† â€Å"You too.† He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and left. I stood there, alone at last, staring idly at my door and wondering what all this meant. Jerome's warning probably had been overkill, I decided. As Hugh had said, no one had ever heard of imp or succubus hunters. Still, I clicked my deadbolt and fastened the chain on my door before going to bed. Immortal I might be, but reckless I was not. Well, at least not when it counted.