Being a high Seraphim is not a stress-free job. There’s the constant screening of incoming souls. Determining which ones need to be dealt with directly, and which can be pawned off to the nearest Dominion or Archangel, who eagerly await orders at Heaven’s every beck and call.
Despite holding one of the most prestigious positions in all of Heaven, and sitting atop the highest court known to the immortal realms, Sera of the Seraphim is not immune to what those plebeian Winners would call the common migraine.
Particularly now, after word has spread that the first Sinner ever to be redeemed from the trenches of Hell had magically materialized in her boardroom that very morning. And said Sinner is currently being given the grand welcome tour by Emily, while her sister and superior looks down at her tablet, frantically flipping through her records aimlessly, trying to figure out how the fuck this is actually happening to her in the first place.
As if Adam’s death during the Extermination hadn’t been enough, now she has to deal with the fact that Souls can be redeemed. That she was wrong, possibly about everything, and will now have to explain to Heaven’s elders how this was allowed to happen under her watch.
Sighing heavily, Sera puts her tablet down on the table. She uses her fingers to scratch her forehead several times, trying to release the gnawing, heavy ache that’s begun punching behind her eyelids. She takes a sip of water, and then downs the entire fucking glass, trying to process all the events rapidly unfolding right in front of her, and having no idea how to even begin explaining any of it.
Lute and the Exterminators had been hit hard by Adam’s passing, and his former second-in-command is already taking charge of his entire fleet. Sera had already spied on the smaller angel during her impromptu meeting with Lilith, realizing that an entirely different house of cards may be soon about to fall, once Hell’s ruler and his daughter find out their matriarch has been staying here for the last 7 years.
That contract had been Adam’s business. It had nothing to do with her, so she’d figured she could stay out of it, blissfully unaware. However, she’s not sure now how she could ever be so lucky, not when that arrogant, pompous imbecile had always been trying to test her limits, and never knew when to keep his fucking mouth shut. Or call it quits, when it looked like he actually might have underestimated Hell’s forces so badly.
Soon, all of Heaven will know about her own lack of foresight and incompetence. It had been her job to keep the First Man in line. Keep him sated with his own pet projects, and keep him happy, even if it meant putting her own people at risk by allowing him to play army. The court elders didn’t need to know how she’d done it, just that he was content. He could get away with slaughtering thousands of innocents, so long as her own hands were free of blood, and the other Winners under her care, the important ones, remained safe.
Sera groans loudly into the room, laying her head atop her arms upon the table, coming to grips with the fact that with Adam gone, this mess is entirely hers to clean up now. No matter how much she doesn’t want to, she’ll have to be the one to handle the PR of a Sinner ascending to Heaven, as well as the political nightmare that’s about to unfold once Charlie Morningstar finds out she’d been right all along.
She’ll let Emily handle Sir Pentious for now. If she’s lucky, maybe the Seraphim of Joy can distract their people long enough that they don’t even realize the implications of what his ascension means. In the meantime, she can figure out how to deal with Lilith and Lute, and the absolute mayhem she needs to prevent from happening in the world far down below. As well as preventing the fight from coming to her own door.
Adam had gone off for days at a time after other Exterminations, celebrating and participating in such horrid debaucheries, that his absence may not be missed for a few days yet. That could give her some time. Time to form a plan on how to deal with Hell’s denizens, and figure out what her next step should be on the matter of redemption, depending on what answers she can uncover.
The trouble is knowing who she can trust with this type of information. She can’t go to Lucifer. She hadn’t exactly been kind to him by agreeing to cast him out, and he’s the type to immediately tell his daughter that her plan had worked, which would be horrible for her. She’s not ready for the types of gossipy, accusatory headlines that could come out of a disaster like that.
She also can’t talk to anyone else in the angelic court; they’ll immediately report her to the elders, and then she’ll be done for, and may never be able to serve in any official capacity in Heaven again.
The more she thinks about it, the more anxious she becomes. The more anxious she becomes, the more her head throbs with pain. The more her head hurts, the more water she drinks, which isn’t actually helping. Oh, Heaven’s to Betsy, is her only solution really going to be reaching out to her?
They haven’t seen each other, or even spoken, since Lucifer fell, and the prospect of turning to her of all people leaves a dry, chalky taste in Sera’s mouth. Makes her feel a little woozy, and like she has to lay her head on her arms once again, to stop the spinning, twirling dizziness of the room, that only serves to make her headache even worse.
There really is no other option. Every other road, every other mental map she tries to chart, ultimately leads to total, near-immediate retribution. What she needs now is to be discrete. And hope that at least some of the rapport she used to hold with this particular person…well, that there’s any of it left to draw upon in the first place. Her social goodwill is running ridiculously low at the present moment, so that’s honestly the best outcome she can reasonably expect at this time.
Sera sighs. She stands up, and she paces. Sits down again, then stands up, and paces some more. She drinks more water, and paces again, before slumping in her chair like her bones are made of marmalade, and screeches like a barn owl out of frustration at what she has to do.
Activating the screen on her tablet, she scrolls and opens an old, nearly forgotten folder, which contains a number of certain contacts. Lucifer is in there, as well as several of the Goetia. And even some of the friendlier Deadly Sins and overlords, who she never actually calls, but thinks it’s in her best interest to keep on hand, just in case.
She starts at the bottom of the list, and then scrolls up, unintentionally dragging out this dreadful, uncomfortable feeling, for as long as she possibly can. When Sera finally reaches her number, she stares at it for much longer than necessary. Her body tightens, and she swallows her heart that has jumped up into her throat. Her finger hovers precariously over that little icon, and she fluffs up like a bird trying to get water out of its feathers.
She looks at the name next to the icon one last time, mentally fortifying herself for what’s to come. Then her finger drops onto the screen, and she pushes it, screaming silently within the endless void that is her own head, at the drastic step she is about to take.
She watches as the calling icon appears on her screen. After the second ring, her heart finally sinks back down into her chest. After the third, it’s already crawling up her esophagus again.
After the fourth, the call remains unanswered, and she is immediately taken to voicemail, which is honestly so much worse than she had anticipated.
Sera listens and prepares herself to hear that voice once again. And when it comes, she is filled with a multitude of fuzzy, complicated feelings. She almost wants to hang up, as the pre-recorded callback message echoes endlessly between her ears, like the pattern of soft drums:
“Hello, this is Carmilla Carmine. I’m not available right now. Please leave a message, and I’ll return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Hey, Nat here! I have been working to set up an Upwork profile to hopefully attract more freelance clients.
Breaking into a new freelance site is... not the easiest endeavor in the world. If you don't have testimonials and reviews, people pass you over. It's understandable, but still frustrating!
To help me break in, I have a special offer that will hopefully be mutually beneficial.
I will edit up to 10k of work, any genre, for free!
OR
I will provide story mapping support, any genre, for free!
This can be fanfiction (probably needs to be a fandom I'm familiar with just to... you know... make it actually possible for me to provide feedback), or original fiction of any genre, at any skill level, at any stage of the writing/editing process. We will start with a brief emailed or DM'd consultation to go over your goals, your perceived strengths, and your frustrations. Then, I will read your work and provide actionable editing notes, or if it's a story mapping situation, we will have a back and forth conversation about your characters, your plot, etc to help set you up for success as you begin writing your novel.
It will have to be through Upwork, meaning the job will have to be "paid". Upwork's minimum is $5. I do have to charge this, BUT there are two ways we can go about it: the $5 can be a down payment toward a bigger editing project and go toward your total fee for that, OR I can refund it to you via venmo. You'd have to share the last 4 digits of your phone number with me if you want a venmo refund.
I will edit for up to 5 writers and story map for up to 20! Email me at [email protected] and we can go from there. I am working with one writer, so I have 4 spots left for editing up to 10k.
NOTE: my Upwork name is Natalie Tucker because this is my legal name. My Gmail name is Natalie Ries because this is what I go by. It is what it is. They're both me. Getting married and taking your husband's last name is a whole thing. Someday it'll all be Natalie Ries but unfortunately Natalie Tucker still lingers.
Click here to view my testimonials from past clients and a sample of my editing notes.
🌱 Using GIS Tools to Identify Best Sites for Organic Farming and Increase Yield
📍 Introduction
Let’s face it—finding the perfect spot for organic farming isn’t just about green fields and good vibes. It’s about data. As organic farming becomes more essential in our sustainable future, selecting the right piece of land can make or break your farm’s success. That’s where GIS tools come in.
🧠 Key Concepts
So, what’s GIS? Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are tools that capture, analyze, and visualize spatial data. Think layers of information—soil quality, rainfall, terrain, land use—all stacked together to help you make smart decisions.
And when you’re growing organic? Every factor counts.
🌾 How GIS Supports Organic Farming
Using GIS, you can:
➡️ Map out soil types and moisture levels
➡️ Analyze slope and sunlight exposure
➡️ Perform buffer analysis to stay clear of pollutants (like roads or residential zones)
➡️ Merge layers to see the full picture—where all the right conditions align
Tools like MAPOG make this super accessible. You don’t need to be a cartographer—just upload your data, run your buffers, and start mapping your future farm.
🧑🌾 Who’s Using This?
Local agriculture departments are using GIS to zone out regions for organic certifications
NGOs and environmental groups rely on it to advocate for sustainable land use
Organic certification bodies trace farm origins and verify compliance
Even policy makers use it to shape subsidies and district-level irrigation schemes
✅ Conclusion
In a world where sustainable choices matter more than ever, GIS isn’t just a tech buzzword—it’s a real game-changer for agriculture. Whether you're just exploring or already knee-deep in compost, GIS tools can help you farm smarter, not harder.
✨ Ready to see your land differently? Tools like MAPOG can help you start mapping your organic vision today.
📍 Introducing: A Map That Shows What Each University Is Best
Instead of relying on lengthy rankings, a category-based world map created using tools like MAPOG offers a visual way to explore top universities based on their strongest academic disciplines.
Want to see where top MBA schools are clustered?
Looking for the world’s most creative cities for art school?
Curious about engineering hubs around the globe?
Now you can see it instantly—on a map.
🧠 Why This Map Matters
Because lists are old school.
Maps tell stories.
💡 With GIS, we can visualize patterns:
Where top law schools are concentrated
How medical education spreads across continents
What parts of the world lead in engineering or design
It's educational and beautiful.
🎯 Who’s This For?
If you’re:
A student figuring out where to study
A parent supporting that dream
An education nerd (like us!)
A researcher or consultant looking at global trends
A planner shaping future academic policy
This map is your new best friend. 💻✨
🖼️ Visualize, Click, Explore
This isn't just data. It's a visual journey through global education. Click around. Zoom in. Explore academic excellence by region, by specialty, and by curiosity.
🗺️ The British Journey to India: From Arrival to Rule
What if you could trace the entire timeline of British colonization in India—not through textbooks, but on an interactive map?
From Surat to Delhi, from trade to total control, the British presence in India wasn’t a single event—it was a slow, strategic expansion across centuries. It began with coastal trading posts and ended in an empire built on military power, treaties, and economic dominance.
💡 Using tools like MAPOG, we can now visualize this transformation. Every port, battlefield, and annexed kingdom can be plotted on a map—offering a spatial story of colonial ambition and its impact on the subcontinent.
📍Want to see how British India took shape? Map it.
Through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), students, educators, and history lovers can now dive into British colonization of India using interactive storytelling. It’s not just about where things happened, but why—and how it all connects.
