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sunflowervoltwentyeight · 7 months ago

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Happy 28th! Here is my November 2024 fic rec, organized by word count, from longest to shortest. You can view my other fic recs here. Enjoy!

Next to your Heartbeat (where I should be) by jaded25 (130k)

"We were meant to be but a twist of fate made it so we had to walk away"

All it takes for them to fall in love is one night. All they have to do is wait one year to see each other again.

Yet, when Louis returns after his year abroad, the boy who's got his arms wrapped around Harry isn't him. It isn't a stranger either, which should make walking away all that easier. After all, friend's don't lust after their mate's boyfriends.

Technically, doing the right thing should be easy - but when has Louis ever been known to taking the easy way out?

To Haunt a Heart by etherealbliss / @givesuethemoon (110k)

A high-profile double homicide in the quiet, small town of Ashford, WA sends shockwaves through the public. Louis, the lead detective assigned to the case, is headstrong, earnest, and desperate to prove himself. Harry, the widow of one of the victims, is insufferably rich, wears far too many vintage dressing gowns, and is desperate to prove he’s not guilty.

Their desperation unexpectedly blossoms into something beautiful behind closed doors, amidst the ticking time bomb of a slowly unravelling mystery that the two soon find themselves deeply entwined in.

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks by Larry_you_know / @larryyouknow (45k)

Louis is a world class violinist. He’s one year over forty, living his best life in New York. One day, he comes to a small town in Connecticut where he inherited a house from his late father. The town looks nice and its people welcome him warmly. The problem is that Louis never knew his father and he doesn’t intend to change anything about it - his father can stuff his last will up his treacherous ass. In a strange coincidence, Louis meets town troubadour Harry, who seems wonderful to him just right until he reveals that Louis’ father was like a dad to him.

Even though Louis tries to convince himself that it shouldn’t - it hurts.

written for 1D Silver Fox Fest

Too Much, but It’s Enough by ohpleaselarry / @ohpleaselarry (40k)

There are about a thousand things Louis wishes he could go back in time and fix. A thousand things, and nearly all of them include Harry.

There are the more simple things, like showing him more support, telling him it’s okay to be himself, gently reminding him that a condom in his pocket is rather obvious in skinny jeans, but if he could just choose one thing, just one to change, he’d probably just have told the lad he loves him.

Always has. And always will.

Baby, What a Big Surprise by kiwikero / @icanhazzalou (33k)

As Harry settles into his seat, self-consciously adjusting his shirt over his slightly distended stomach, he can’t help but wonder how he got himself into all this. But he knows, of course he knows. It isn’t exactly easy to forget the moment that changed his entire life forever.

It all started with a party.

Or, the one where shy, quiet Harry has no idea he's a carrier, and a one night stand with the most popular boy in school shows him just how wrong he was.

Featuring Lottie as Harry's best friend, Niall as her boyfriend, and, of course, Louis as the popular boy with a soft spot for his little sister's quirky friend.

Into This Mess by crimsontheory / @ireallysawanangel (20k)

The first day of Louis’ promotion is going well, far better than he expected. That is until his new partner shows up, who just so happens to be the guy who stumbled half-dressed out of his flat that same morning.

Or the enemies to lovers detective AU.

Have Me And Hold Me by letsjustsee (8k)

His clumsy trips were now even more burdened by the sudden downpour. Twice he almost fell making his way back to the ceremony area, mostly due to his insistence on running across the lawn in between trips. The rain was relentless, coming at him from all angles with a deafening wind that muted everything outside of his own heavy breathing. He felt like he was making pretty good headway, all things considered. His pace was stalled only momentarily when, on his tenth or so trip, he thought about what someone looking out the window at that moment would see. Louis in his formal shirt and trousers, barefoot, stomping through the muddy lawn to gracelessly lug two chairs at a time towards the building.

Or, a wedding day AU in which Louis will let nothing stand in the way of a perfect day - especially a little rain.

If We Make It Through December, We'll Be Fine by penceypansy / @penceypansy (8k)

A job promotion of his dreams, an eight month long distance relationship, a cancelled train, and an emotional misunderstanding - Louis is just trying to make it home for the holidays.

No Faith Left to Lose by louieshalo / @louieshalo (7k)

Louis shoves an album booklet — Harry’s album booklet — into Harry’s hands, folded open to a familiar page. “I need you to tell me that that goddamn song is not about me.” His voice cracks a little in his vehemence, and ice fills Harry’s veins as he glances down at the creased page.

He doesn’t need to look closely to know what it is Louis is talking about — the title is printed plainly on the page, Second Chances, along with every incriminating lyric, line by line. It’s his most blatant offense off the entire album, probably; sickeningly indulgent and too obviously vulnerable to even defend himself against. The song is a surface-level dip into the fantasy world Harry toys with when the ache of loneliness gets to be too much in the middle of the night, the brief glimpse already toeing over the boundary he’d promised himself he’d set for his career.

Most damning, though, is the tiny embossed dedication at the bottom of the page;

“For who I’d be if I wasn’t afraid,” Louis recites, looking expectantly at Harry. “What the fuck does that mean?

or, the one where they miss each other more than anything.

With You I Am Never Alone by LiveLaughLoveLarry (SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFic) (6k)

Louis comes up with the idea of holding a Thanksgiving dinner for their families. Harry loves it. And him.

#28th appreciation #november fic rec #monthly fic rec #larry fic rec #fic rec #hlcreators #read

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poisonpercy · 8 months ago

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Important notes for U.S. Americans planning to vote on Election Day (November 5)

Several states allow you to register to vote at the polls on Election Day. Those states include Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia (D.C.), Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming. If you would like to double check if your state allows same day registration, you can check here

Same day voter registration may not be available at your assigned polling place, so make sure to check with your local election office to see where same day voter registration is available

Make sure you know what you need to bring to vote. You can check the requirements for your state at vote.org or at rockthevote.org. These sites can also help show you what will be on your ballot and where your polling place is

Make sure you know your state’s polling place hours on Election Day. You can check out ballotpedia.org for the polling place hours in your state. I have also added some graphics with polling hours by state

Remember, if you are in line to vote when the polls are supposed to close, stay in line. As long as you stay in line, you have the right to vote

If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one

If the polling machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot

If you experience a problem at the polls or have any questions about voting, call the Election Protection hotline at:

866-OUR-VOTE (English language hotline)

888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish language hotline)

888-API-VOTE (Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and Tagalog hotline)

844-YALLA-US (Arabic language hotline)

301-818-VOTE (ASL video hotline)

If your name is not on the voter registration list, ask for a provisional ballot and follow up with your elections office to ensure your ballot was counted. To learn more about provisional ballots in your state, you can check out ballotpedia.org

#voting rights #voting information #2024 presidential election #us politics #2024 election #skys post

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sjsmith56 · 4 months ago

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Assignment Bucky Barnes, Chapter 23 - The Switch

Summary: Bucky is taken to see Ariel but their reunion is bitter. Hours after their meeting ends it’s discovered that Ariel is missing.

Length: 5.6 K

Characters: Bucky, Ariel, Sam, Peri, Merton.

Warnings: Emotional outbursts, rejection, surprise revelation.

Author notes: 1940s Ariel was envisioned by actress June Haver, who acted in the late 1930s and 1940s until she retired after getting married to actor Fred MacMurray. The actress who resembled her the most in modern times is Isla Fisher who will be the face claim for 22nd century Ariel.

<<Chapter 22

Peri's manner became all business and she gave an order to the young man who had assisted them to assemble the council. Then she looked at Merton.

"We won't start the meeting until you return but if you could take Bucky to Ariel now I would appreciate it." She turned to Sam. "You will accompany me and meet the council. We have some intelligence to share with you that you will need upon your return to your own time. I can't say anything more until the council meets. Once our meeting is concluded you will both be my guests at my home. Ariel is already there. Merton, you will return as well? I would imagine you wish to have your own conversation with Bucky later."

"Yes, Madame Chair," he said, bowing his head slightly.

He gestured to Bucky to follow him while Peri led Sam to a modern looking conference room. Pulling out a chair next to hers at the head of the table they waited for the arrival of the other council members. In the hallway Merton quickly walked towards an exit which led outside. A vehicle was waiting for them and Merton entered it after Bucky did.

"Chair Peri Wayne's residence," he said to the air as a disembodied voice acknowledged the request.

Once Bucky was inside, the vehicle lifted up and began an ascent into what looked like a designated air space for vehicles. As soon as a gap appeared the vehicle inserted itself into the flow and began flying towards a large city that dominated the horizon.

"A flying car," he whispered, smiling.

"It is," smiled Merton. "It is based on similar vehicles which were developed by the scientific minds of Wakanda in your time. Their technology helped transform the world, and protect it from the ravages of industry, avoiding an ecological catastrophe." Then he pointed towards the large city. "That is New York. It encompasses all of Long Island and much of the New Jersey and Connecticut portions that bordered it in your time. Now, to the matter at hand. Ariel is fragile. I have no other word to describe her state of mind. None of us blame you for what happened as there was much she didn't share about your relationship. I was supposed to be her sounding board but by the time you broke up we realized there was so much she hadn't told me. In retrospect I should have pulled her out of the assignment long before you two broke up."

"Why bring us here now?" asked Bucky, his face full of concern.

"The treatment of mental and emotional problems have advanced greatly from the 20th and even the 21st century," said Merton. "But the treatment of a broken heart is still one that tests even the most experienced professional. In the eight months since I brought her back, she has undergone some treatment, but she hasn't been a willing subject, insisting that we just give her time. All of the professionals have determined that her problem is with the breakup and that you two must come to some sort of understanding before she can get through the grieving process."

"What is she grieving?" asked Bucky, already knowing the answer.

"Losing you," replied Merton. "Even though she knew of your fate, the actual breakup and the midnight visit to her room intensified that feeling of loss. She's still stuck in the anger and denial stage of her grief. You know she was initially reluctant to accept a proposal."

Bucky looked blankly at Merton at first. "You mean when I actually proposed with the ring? It was her idea. She said she would agree to an eventual engagement as long as I didn't pressure her to a wedding date."

Merton shook his head, apparently it was another thing that she didn't pass on.

"She often felt like an imposter," replied Merton. "She told me several times that she had misgivings if it got to that point, and I just said that it didn't matter because she already knew your future. We, Peri and I, convinced her that it was just a role that she was playing – saying yes, to keep you two together so the observations could continue. But the love affair was real for her and that became more obvious, especially once she accepted your proposal. She said yes because she loved you and wanted a future with you, even though she knew it wouldn't be possible. Before that New Year's Eve gala that you took her to, she asked me if she could marry you, wanting to experience it with you but we determined it would change history too much. I should have clued in then how much it had affected her. I also convinced her that your relationship may have been a factor in how you resisted your HYDRA programming. After you went for basic training, she seemed to rebound, as your relationship continued through letters but when you returned on leave, I found that her anxiety levels went up considerably. She was obviously affected by you pressing her to get married."

Bucky looked out the window for a moment then nodded. "I couldn't figure out why we were engaged if she didn't want to take it to marriage, especially after I got drafted. I thought the situation would convince her to go through with the wedding. It caused me anxiety, and I would go back to camp upset that she wouldn't commit. I was frustrated, going without sex for months then coming home on leave and spending nights with her, only to be told she wasn't ready to marry me yet."

"It was frustrating to her as well," said Merton. "Then you broke it off for good just days before the Stark Expo. She cried most the time. The ultimate betrayal to her was you climbing in the window of her room to have one last night with her and her smelling Chantilly on you, knowing you had been with someone else. Her cries woke me up and when I saw you on the floor of her room, I lost my temper. Everything nasty I said to you before then was mostly acting but that night I was furious at you and wanted to hurt you physically."

Neither man said anything then until Bucky turned to him. "I'm sorry for hurting her and for insulting you," he said. "For what it's worth you were stronger than you looked. You kicked my ass."

Merton smirked. "I was a martial artist in my youth. I knew what I was doing."

"The pressure on her must have been enormous," said Bucky. "I sense you feel as much guilt as I do."

"We both do," he said. "That's why Peri has already decreed, with the council's approval, that there are no longer to be any such deep cover assignments. The emotional cost to Ariel has been too great."

He looked like he was going to say more but was interrupted by the AI voice in the vehicle announcing two minutes to destination. Giving out his personal code he requested the vehicle wait for him for a return trip to the Guild headquarters. The AI confirmed his order and pulled up to a docking port high above the street. The door opened, both men stepped out and Merton led the way into the residence, a penthouse unit. A uniformed man stepped forward as Merton identified himself with a code word, then vouched for Bucky. Apparently, he was expected as the man readily opened the door for both of them. Merton stopped just inside as a staff member approached to take Bucky's bag.

"Show Mr. Barnes his room, then escort him to Miss Paxton," he said to her. "They are to be given privacy, as per Madame Wayne's instructions." He turned to Bucky. "I have no advice for you. You're going to have to play it by ear. Try to be kind. She responds to that."

He gripped Bucky's arm briefly and left to return to the Historian's headquarters. Following the woman Bucky learned where he would sleep then she escorted him to what looked like a solarium.

"Miss Paxton is in here," she said softly, then smiled kindly at him and withdrew.

Bucky stepped inside and listened carefully for any sounds of breathing or a heartbeat. It was hard to do because there was music playing that was strangely emotional. He strained his ears then finally heard breath sounds in a quiet moment between songs, following it to where he saw a ginger coloured cat playing with a cat toy. It noticed him and meowed then began to walk towards him.

"Rosie, where are you going?" said Ariel's voice, coming into view.

The sound of her gasp when she saw him was audible, as she put her hand to her mouth before she wavered as if she were going to faint. Immediately Bucky was at her side, and lifted her up into his arms.

"I have you," he said, carrying her to a chaise lounge and placing her gently on it.

He held her hand and stroked her forehead as she gazed at him, still not believing it was him. Gazing back, he noticed how her hair and makeup were styled differently but her face was almost the same, as were her beautiful blue eyes, full lips and creamy skin.

"How are you here?" she asked.

"Merton and Peri came to 2024 for me and my partner, Sam," he said. "They said you needed me."

"I needed you in 1943," she replied, then she looked away. "You know the truth about me?"

He nodded, then he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I never knew what my drunken escapade cost you. You must have thought I was being so cruel to you."

"It destroyed me," she whispered. "I let myself love you and when you showed your true colours I was devastated."

"Those weren't my true colours," protested Bucky. "That was the response of an immature, hurt man. I hooked up with those two women, one of them was supposed to be for Steve, to prove that I was over you. But after, I still wanted you, still wanted to say goodbye so I climbed up to your window, sure you would succumb to my charms. I don't even remember much other than I was a fool and I hurt the one woman I promised never to hurt. I know my apology sounds inadequate, but I don't how else to make it up to you."

"There's nothing to apologize for," she said, pulling her hands out of his and standing up. "It was all a lie. I wasn't Ariel Black. I wasn't from Montana. I wasn't born in 1917. I was there to watch you and sleep with you. I did that and ...."

She didn't finish, as she placed her hand on her mouth as if she was going to cry. Stifling the urge, she started walking away from him, followed by Rosie. Bucky called after her.

"You did want to marry me, though, didn't you? You asked Merton if it was possible?"

She stopped and hung her head then turned towards him. "It wasn't possible. Marrying you would have affected your timeline, changed history and historians don't do that. I would have maybe saved you but it could have set something much worse in motion."

"World War II wasn't your fault, Ariel," Bucky said loudly, coming closer to her. "Neither was HYDRA, or anything that happened to me after. The only thing you were guilty of was falling in love with me when I was an ordinary man, as much as I fell in love with you. Everything else that you claim was a lie, that's just details that don't matter any more. The best moment of my life was that night we first made love. The second best was the day I asked you to marry me, the day I got frostbite. For the first time in my life I had someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Now we have a second chance and I'm not willing to let it go. Are you?"

She kept walking as Bucky grimaced then moved quickly so he was blocking her way. Stepping to the side she tried to pass him, and he blocked her again. Twice more she tried to get past him, and he blocked her from leaving. Then she looked up at him and pushed him firmly in the chest. He took it without reaction, so she slapped him twice, with Bucky gazing at her with sympathy. When she raised her hand once more to slap him, he grasped it in his left hand and kissed the palm. She noticed it as if for the first time and stared at it with a look that bordered on agony.

"Let me go, please," she whispered. "I can't ...."

"No, I let you go once," said Bucky. "I won't let you go again. You're going to have to deal with me."

She pushed him again but he held firm, not moving. "Please, let me go," she begged him again. "I can't do this. Not now."

"Why? So that you can wallow in your misery? Why have you fallen apart, Ariel? Tell me!"

Bucky's face was inches from hers. "I hate you," she said in a choked voice. "You promised to take care of me, but you hurt me."

"You accepted my proposal to marry me then wouldn't go through with it," he countered. "It wasn't until I got here that I found out why and I understand it now. So why can't you understand why I hurt you?"

"Because you promised!" she yelled, pushing him in the chest again. "You started looking out for me from the moment we met by walking me home, making sure those construction workers kept their comments to themselves, and you stopped that drunk from harassing me. You came out in a fucking blizzard to make sure I made it home safely but as soon as I said no to marriage you abandoned me, and walked out on us. Then you showed up drunk, wanting to get into my bed when you had just come from another woman's bed. You ran me through the wringer and I still haven't forgotten what it felt like when the man who I thought was in love with me treated me as bad as all the women he used before. Alma and Irina were right about you. I wasn't special. I was just the one you spent a little more time on until you got tired of me."

Bucky frowned and shook his head angrily. "That's not true. You know that's not true."

"Really?" She looked up at him with anger. "When you asked me to go with you to City Hall and get the licence then get married the following day, what was your real reason?"

"I loved you," he said. "I wanted you to be taken care of if anything happened to me. As my wife you would get my military life insurance and the house."

"On our wedding night would you have worn a condom?" she asked.

"No, because we would have been married," replied Bucky. "If you got pregnant the baby would have been legitimate."

"Even though I repeatedly told you about my fear of you leaving me alone with a baby, you would have been happy if I was pregnant?" asked Ariel. "I did have real nightmares of being alone with a baby but admit it, the thought of getting me pregnant before you left didn't bother you because you would fulfill your dream of being a father."

"Yes, I wanted to be a father. Every man wants to leave a piece of himself behind. That's how it was in the 1940s. I thought once you were pregnant your maternal instincts would kick in."

"There wouldn't have been a baby because I had a modern implant in," she revealed. "It was all a lie and getting married so you could leave me with a baby was a lie. I couldn't tell you the real reason, but you didn't even respect the made-up reason, even though I felt that way for real."

"I respected you," he said weakly. He looked down. "As much as any man respected the woman he loved in 1943."

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek from her eye and wiped it away. "Forcing a baby on me wasn't respect," she stated. "It wasn't love. It was control."

Bucky's shoulders slumped slightly, and this time she walked past him unhindered. Behind him he heard the sound of a door closing and being locked. Taking a breath, he went into the solarium where the music was still playing, and looked out the window at the massive skyline before him. Turning around he noticed an open journal on a small table, wondering if he should read it. Remembering how possessive he was of his own journals when he wrote his fragmented memories down, he knew the answer, and closed it then picked it up, taking it to the door of Ariel's room. Gently he knocked on the door.

"Ariel, you left your journal out here," he said. I'll leave it on the floor for you. I didn't read it."

He dropped it on the floor then walked away from the door. The sound of it unlocking reached his ears and he stopped, turning around. She opened the door, bent down and picked up the journal, looking at him, with a pained expression on her face.

"I didn't read it," he repeated. "I had several journals full of memories when I broke away from HYDRA. The thought of someone reading them without my permission was one of my greatest fears. When the CIA captured me they read them all. I felt violated. I wouldn't do that to you."

She looked at the book in her hand then turned around and went back into her room without comment, leaving the door open. He considered for several minutes whether that was an invitation then walked to the door and pushed it further open. She was sitting cross legged on her bed with the journal open. Without looking at him she turned it around, so it faced away from her. Hesitantly he stepped inside, aware of the same emotional music still playing in there, but at a lower volume. At the edge of the bed, he kicked his boots off and got on the bed facing her, crossing his legs.

"You want me to read this?" he asked.

She gave no answer, so he picked it up and began to read, seeing the date of the entry. With a questioning face he looked at her.

"Merton said you burned your journals," he said. "This is dated the day after we broke up."

Her face remained expressionless.

June 2, 1943

It's truly over. Bucky asked me to go through with the wedding before he ships out on Saturday, and I told him I couldn't. Not even to prolong the lie. It would mean staying here, writing to him, receiving his letters in return but knowing that soon he will be captured, and his fate sealed forever. I can't do it. Better I let my heart be broken now than have it broken again in October when he is first taken prisoner, then permanently destroyed in January 1945 when I would get that telegram informing me of his death. I already grieve for his parents and sister. Their lives will never be the same. Bucky was born a hundred years too soon and I was born a hundred years too late.

June 6, 1943

After three days of not hearing a word from Bucky, he climbed through my window early this morning and got into bed with me. I was barely awake, and he had his hands on me, holding me down on the bed with one hand as he unbuttoned his pants with the other. Never did I think he would stoop that low. What was worse was he smelled of perfume that wasn't mine. Admitted to being with two other women but wanting to leave me with something to remember him by. With all of my strength I pushed him away and he fell on the floor. I'm truly broken now. Merton came in, saw him on the floor, and pulled him from the bedroom, telling me to lock the door and window. I could hear them out there. Bucky crying and begging for forgiveness while Merton called him every name in the book. When it finally became quiet Merton knocked on the door and told me to switch rooms, uncertain that Bucky would stay away. I was a mess and finally asked Merton to stay with me until I fell asleep. I can't stay here. I'm done.

Bucky dropped the journal and looked at Ariel in alarm.

"I tried to ...." He couldn't finish the sentence. "I'm so sorry. I have no memory of that at all and reading it makes me sick. I hurt you so badly by it. That's what this is about, isn't it? What I did has caused you PTSD. Shit."

He got off the bed and paced around the room, his face a mass of emotions as he went over what he could remember of that night. Trying to remember that night, he couldn't believe he tried to force himself on her, feeling shame and anguish over what he had done.

"They thought that you needed me to help you heal but I'm the reason you're not okay," he said. "I was a monster to you and nothing I say can ever make it up to you. I loved you and promised to look after you, protect you and I violated that. I'm so so sorry, Ariel."

He turned to leave, feeling unworthy of being in her presence, picking his boots up in his hand. Before he got to the door Ariel spoke.

"I forgive you," she said, in a small, stressed voice that didn't sound like her at all.

"I don't know if I can forgive myself," he replied, looking back at her briefly. "I came here hoping to convince you to come back to 2024 with me and live the life we were denied. I don't think that's possible now."

He left her room, closing the door behind him and went to his room, closing and locking the door. For some time, he sat there looking out over the urban skyline but not really seeing it as he dealt with the realization that he had tried to force himself on Ariel, the one woman he loved more than anyone. A knock on his door and Sam's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Buck, what's going on?" asked Sam. "Where's Ariel?"

Reluctantly he got up and opened it to Sam, a concerned look on his face. Leaving the door open Bucky returned to the window, putting distance between him and his friend.

"Ariel's in her room," he said. "She showed me something, something I didn't remember doing. It's my fault, all my fault."

"She's not there," said Sam. "In fact, she's not in the apartment at all and Peri said there is no record of her leaving. No one's seen her since the housekeeper showed you to the solarium."

"I left her in her room," said Bucky. "Then I came in here and I've been here alone for ..." He looked at his watch. "Two and half hours."

"Then something's not making sense," said Sam. "What did she show you?"

Bucky said nothing while he kept looking out the window.

"What did she show you Bucky?" asked Peri, who stood in the doorway.

"Her diary from 1943," he replied. "The entry from the night we broke up and the entry from when I climbed into her room and tried to ... I tried to force myself on her."

He turned away, disgusted with himself. "You tried to force yourself?" she asked. "That's not what happened. What exactly did it say, Bucky. I need to know."

"I saw it, in her handwriting," he replied, angrily. "It said I held her down while she was in bed and unbuttoned my pants to ...." His shame was visible on his face. "She pushed me onto the floor then Merton came through the door and dragged me out of the room, told her to lock the door while he got rid of me. She said she could hear me begging him for forgiveness."

"Some of those things happened," said Peri, "but not the part of you holding her down or unbuttoning your pants. She didn't stay in her room. Merton sent her to his immediately. Bucky, did Ariel tell you any of this directly to your face?"

"No, before she went to her room she did say I tried to force a baby on her then said I didn't have respect for her," he replied. "She said it wasn't love I felt for her, it was control. Then she went to her room and locked the door. I found the journal and knocked on the door, told her I was leaving it on the floor as it was private. She opened the door, took it and went back inside leaving the door open. She opened the journal to those two entries and pushed them towards me. She never said anything until she said she forgave me." Awareness flashed on his face. "It said she didn't hear from me for the three days but I sent her a letter. Rebecca gave it to Merton and he said he would give it to her, but in the diary it didn't say anything about the letter. What does it mean?"

Peri put her hand on the door frame, looking shaken. "I don't know how but they got in here," she said. "They replaced her with a doppelgänger and that's who was with you. They got details wrong but the real Ariel wouldn't have done that. Her diary skills were exemplary. How many entries were there?"

"What are you saying?" asked Bucky. "I don't understand." Peri kept staring at him, silently demanding a full answer. "The day after we broke up and the day after I climbed into her room, after the Stark Expo."

"The same people that tried to interfere in your relationship in the 1940s are trying to keep you apart now," said Peri. "All the security protocols we had here to keep Ariel safe were broken and they took her." She turned around and called out. "Merton, call in the troops. They have Ariel."

Bucky looked totally confused, then angry. "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"The organization you knew as HYDRA?" said Peri. "It continued to evolve in the shadows and became something as insidious as it was in your time. They are agents of chaos. By taking Ariel back with you there was a high probability that you, Sam, and the Avengers would be able to wipe them out of existence, but they interfered in the timeline, starting in 1940 and ending with them taking Ariel from here, from what was supposed to be a safe house to keep her protected. That's why Sam was invited to this timeline, so that he would be able to organize your people to deal with them during your partnership. Ariel was the key. She was always the key and now they have her. The journal in the solarium was a modern journal, started after her return here. I know because I helped her burn her old journals, all of them, after she let me read them. She wrote several entries between the day your relationship ended and when you entered her bedroom, including mentioning the letter you sent her and the visit from Steve after he found out you had ended it. Somehow they had access to her journals and cherry picked then changed the entries that would affect you the most. They wanted her alone, long enough to get her out of here and to plant the accusation of you trying to force yourself on her."

"We can get her back, can't we?" asked Bucky. "There's got to be a way to get her back!"

"Yes, there is," said Peri. "But it means Merton, you and Sam have to go back to the 1940s. I'm not going to lie. It's going to be dangerous for you and if we can't disguise your arm you'll have to do without it."

"Then we'll go," said Bucky, turning to Sam, "won't we? You can disguise me, right?"

Peri nodded. Then she turned and called to Merton, giving him orders to set up a full persona change for himself, a modified one for Bucky and a minimal one for Sam. They were returning to make sure the doppelgänger wouldn't be exchanged for the real Ariel.

"How long will we have to be there?" asked Sam, coming out to where Merton and Peri were. "I have things to do next week. I can't be gallivanting around the past for an indefinite time."

"Three years, almost," said Peri, "long enough for Bucky to get shipped out. When you return it will be the same day you left, and you'll bring Ariel back with you."

"But I'll be three years older," said Sam. "Won't I?"

Peri and Merton made a strange face, as if they were debating whether they could tell him or not. Disclosure won out and Peri looked at both Bucky and Sam.

"Technically, yes," she said. "But there's a process to restore the years back to your body. It hasn't been done regularly in a long time since we've become a lot longer lived species in this century, but it is still used in special circumstances, such as a long-term assignment. As the chair of the Historians Guild, I have the right to authorize it."

Bucky's face stayed stoic as Peri told them what she could of both processes. At any other time he would have put the brakes on allowing himself to be modified but with the realization that Ariel was in danger he knew that he would agree. Then a thought occurred to him, and he looked Peri in the eye.

"Why would they replace Ariel in the past?" he asked.

She didn't answer and Bucky asked again, in a more demanding tone that made Peri flinch. Merton took a breath and spoke for her.

"To impregnate the imposter. Ariel has an implant to prevent pregnancy because history said you never had any children. But your genetics were part of the reason why HYDRA was successful in making you the Winter Soldier, even though you fought it. If they could get a child sired by you before you were changed, they could begin the serum part of the process and indoctrinate it from infancy to be their Fist of HYDRA after you broke free. They wouldn't need the memory machine or cryostasis to keep it controlled. It would voluntarily breed for them and be the father or the mother of their army."

Sam let out an audible swear as he glanced at Bucky who was quiet but furious.

"Why didn't fake Ariel try to seduce me now?"

"Would you have believed it if she was suddenly receptive?" Peri asked as Bucky shook his head. "I'm guessing as a work in progress if she passed a visual encounter with you, enough to plant the seed of doubt in your mind they would know they were on the right track."

"Okay, send us back and we'll keep Ariel safe," he said. "I owe her that much. One more thing. Where is the Ariel who was here, the real one?"

Peri gave a great sigh. "I don't know but she is in this time, I think. I'm putting my entire security force on it. We have some ideas of the key players in this time and will work towards taking them into custody. They really didn't want you to take her back to your time, so I have to believe that they are holding her somewhere in the city until you leave. That's what the accusation was supposed to do ... shame you into leaving."

What she didn't say was what they would do to Ariel if they were successful in replacing her in the past. Ariel Prime would be of no use to them and Peri was afraid it meant she would be killed or worse, either made a slave in a HYDRA facility somewhere or turned herself into a Winter Soldier. By the look that Bucky was giving her, she knew he was thinking the same thing.

Chapter 24>>

Series Masterlist

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #james buchanan barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes romance #bucky barnes x ofc #pre war bucky #time travel

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keyishacolecat · 2 years ago

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do you have any book recommendations? pls i need lots 💙💙

this is such a loaded question friend. but lucky for u, i am procrastinating assignments, my take out has yet to arrive, and i just finished another book!

horror fic has been my choice for the last several books

the centre by ayesha manazir siddiqi is about a young Pakistani woman living in the UK. she's a translator for Urduru films. language and translation are central to this book. people are becoming fluent in a matter of weeks in complex languages.... the centre is gorgeous if not entirely mysterious, magical even. but whats the catch?? beautifully written. vivid details. anisa is a flawed, honest, and genuine feeling mc, as are the people in her life. i just finished it a couple hours ago n i miss my girls.

slewfoot by brom is set in 17th century Connecticut. our protag, Abitha, is not from this town but she does he best to adhere to the Puritan standards, if not for her well being, than that of her husband's. something stirs in the outskirts of the village, in the forest and beyond. she finds help from an unlikely source while also fostering a deep inner power of her own. these characters felt so well thought out, the writing is magnetic and the action is well paced. it puts so many preconceived notions right on their head. i loved this book and can't wait to read brom's other novel, the child thief, a retelling of peter pan and the lost boys!

sister, maiden, monster by lucy a. synder was oh so gay and oh so cosmically horrendous. this is like h.p. lovecraft wasn't a weird racist. this is like if biblically accurate angels were once just women in love. this is horrifying, visceral, and relevant to our COVID world. i was gawking at so many of the details. there are so many monster themes actually, it's perfect. the story is told through 3 povs of 3 different women. and we love women! and horror! i didn't expect to pick this one up but I'm so glad i did.

mary: an awakening of terror by nat cassidy do u know what it's like to be virtually invisible? forgotten? disaffected? do u know the pure joy of having a precious collection, adding to it over time, and it being almost ur only reason for living anymore?? then you're a lot like mary. and mary is a lot like plenty of women who get the chance to live beyond adolescence, who are cast out by society-- deemed invaluable. mary is utterly lost at a time in her life she feels she should have it all figured out. she goes back to her hometown, an ambiguous small town in the middle of the desert, and some unlikely characters help her piece things back together. i finished this book feeling so close to mary. we are friends now. there is mystique, horror, fables, myths, bad guys, mysterious architecture, and well mary is not the most reliable narrator. loved this one too.

the last house on needless street by catriona ward i had no idea where this book was going and i loved piecing the narrative together through several characters and their povs. it forces u to confront ur own biases regarding mental health. u are sympathetic to the characters in the most painful, heart wrenching ways. there is murder. there is mystery. there is missing children. there are cats. this book surprised me and it was fun to have to find a couple reddit threads to be sure i was understanding the story correctly. i felt like i read this kind of fast! which is always fun too.

brother by ania ahlborn this one pissed me off a bit. but in a good way because i was so deeply invested. this one is set in Appalachia. i'm not one for stereotypes, especially bc i think Appalachians have a bad rep and it's of no fault of their own. that being said, the insular feel of the book and the absolute claustrophobia those mountains create in this story were like a character in it of itself. our protag, michael, knows there's something beyond. he's seen them on colorful postcards. but his own mind and his own heart seem utterly trapped here. this one is heartbreaking. it's horrifying. and it'll make u dizzy from the amount of times u change ur mind. excited to read her other novel, Seed, because this one stuck with me so much!

a couple honorable mentions that fit the theme:

the vegetarian by han kang korean food. infidelity. art. nightmares. inexplicable mindfucks! this story was scary because it felt very.. possible? no monsters this time. no spells. just... the mind deteriorating. could happen to any of us.

a certain hunger by chelsea g. summers what if girlbossing is just a quick pivot from sociopathy?? what if the crimes are so much more gratifying than say, fame or fortune or even love?? women can be sociopaths too, you know!! this one is fun bc the protag is crazy and it's fun to slip into these characters. cathartic even. omg did i mention, she's a foodie too! just like me :-)

#book recs #horror lit #halloween reading list #the centre #ayesha manazir siddiqi #slewfoot #brom #sister maiden monster #lucy a. snyder #mary: an awakending #nat cassidy #the last house on needless street #catriona ward #brother #ania ahlborn #the vegetarian #han kang #a certain hunger #chelsea g. summers

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deconstructthesoup · 1 year ago

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The Web House

Full disclosure—I did not have this all typed out before today, but this won the poll, and I do nothing if not deliver.

*cracks knuckles*

So, this is kind of an inverse to my already well-established AU, The Wittebane Archives, over on AO3—Luz is the Archivist and going through the horrors, there’s an equal amount of deep character moments as well as incredibly chilling encounters, it’s great, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, please go check it out. You got tragic Lumity, tragic Huntlow, wholesome Veesha, Skara and Boscha content, and Belos being much more morally grey than you’d expect. Also, there’s some fucked-up monster content.

ANYWAYS!

I finally decided to do an AU where a young Jon ends up on the Boiling Isles, and I took a similar approach with the tone that I did with Wittebane Archives. In that story, while I still highlighted the horror of the world they live in, I decided to make it more manageable for the characters and give them chances to still find ways to feel human, reflecting the fact that TOH is a more gentle and optimistic show (and I much prefer happy endings to sad ones). So, with The Web House, I decided that the Isles in this world are the Isles we would’ve gotten if Dana had been allowed to do her original vision… which is to say, all of the scary and horrific parts are kicked up to their extent. No sugarcoating here, the demon realm is explicitly referred to as Hell.

Now, to the characters!

Jon: He is, of course, in the role of Luz. Rather than being a naive ray of sunshine from Connecticut, he’s a prickly, anxious, and socially awkward kid from Bournemouth who gets in trouble for his constant refrain of correcting the teacher, having no interest in the assignments, and his habit of reading during class. This eventually leads to him nearly getting sent to a camp for “troubled kids…” until his habit for wandering off and getting distracted by things that are out of the ordinary leads him to stumble in through a portal to the Boiling Isles. Once there, Jon is absolutely blown away by the wonder and horror of the world, and he finally finds something that he’s truly passionate about—though, time and time again, he’s told that he can’t do magic because he’s a human, and he gets very defensive about it. It takes him a while for his walls to come down.

Gerry: He’s Eda—a snarky, anti-establishment, laid-back criminal with a lot of trauma and a habit of unintentionally adopting kids. Instead of an Owl Beast curse, he has a Spider Beast curse, and is referred to as the “Web Witch” by the denizens of the Isles. Gerry was actually pretty happy pre-curse, mainly because his mother died before she could do a lot of real harm… but after getting cursed, everything came crashing down, culminating in Gerry accidentally blinding his father and running away to hide in the woods. Since then, he has a hard time really letting people in, and the fact that he’s a wanted criminal doesn’t help. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t regularly take in strays. (Also, the curse turns his hair black, but it’s naturally red. You’ll see why in a sec.)

Annabelle: She is a slightly more mature version of King—a spiderlike demon child that Gerry found and took in at a young age. Knowing full well that she’s adorable, she takes advantage of the fact that people think she’s sweet and naive to get what she wants, which leads to a lot of shenanigans in the first-season arc. As the story goes on, and she finally takes the push to learn more about her past, she starts learning how to be responsible and to be more honest with herself and others, though she never loses her talent for deception. She’s a curious and devious little kid.

Helen: She’s a Hooty equivalent. Just a sassy door being who helps keep the Web House in tip-top shape.

Agnes: She’s Lilith—Gerry’s older sister and the head of the Emperor’s Coven. Of course, Agnes being Agnes, she’s a lot less tightly wound than Lilith at first and is genuinely sweet and caring, just deeply misguided. She truly believes that Gerry joining the EC is the best option for him, and she’s always been tormented with guilt over cursing him. After leaving the coven, Agnes tries her hardest to make up for lost time, both with Gerry, Eric, and their great-aunt Gertrude, even if she really has no idea how to interact with people outside of being the polite and perfect role model. It’s a learning curve.

Basira: She takes the place of Willow, though her character development is less about being insecure and slowly gaining confidence and more about being stoic and apathetic and learning to express her emotions and fight for what she believes in. Basira has natural talent in both Beastkeeping and Plants, and while she initially thinks that switching to the Plant track would be better for her, she eventually decides to take both classes once it’s approved. She’s painfully logic-minded and has a lot of internal doubts about the coven system, though until she meets Jon and hears his casual breakdown of how valuing certain types of magic over others just doesn’t make sense, she doesn’t yet have the courage to voice it. On her end, Basira turns out to be just the friend that Jon needs—someone who believes in him, but isn’t afraid to tell him when he’s being an ass.

Georgie: She’s in Gus’s position, though instead of being a prodigy at Illusion magic, she’s a prodigy at Abominations magic… and is more than a little terrifying as a result. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wonderful person, but her keen interest in both humans and in subsects of magic that are more than a little macabre can be a little off-putting to some, which is why Basira’s her only real friend at first. After their initial meeting, which consists of Georgie excitedly asking Jon for a blood sample and him being incredibly spooked by her amazement at meeting an actual human, the two end up getting along like a house on fire, and are basically enablers in each other’s chaos. Georgie’s family doesn’t have a lot of money or social standing in the Isles, so she works twice as hard in order to prove herself and get better opportunities. This leads to burnout. Frequently.

Melanie: She’s… okay, so, she’s Matt in that she’s a fellow member of Georgie’s human appreciation club and a new student at Hexside, though she and Georgie don’t really have a rivalry beyond friendly ribbing. However, she’s also Viney, in that she’s a member of the Detention track who helps kickstart multi-track studies. She and Jon don’t get along immediately, mostly due to the fact that he unintentionally ratted her out for studying both Oracle and Construction magic the first time they met, but the two form a begrudging alliance during a basilisk attack and later become actual friends. Melanie’s a sucker for drama and conflict, and she carries that with her—whether she’s in the Human Appreciation Society, the Flyer Derby team, or just hanging out with Georgie and the rest of the gang. She’s fun.

Martin: He’s Amity, in that he’s a depressed rich kid who’s severely isolated due to parental expectations. Due to his incredible talent at Illusions, a lot of kids end up coming to him when they need to cheat, though they never actually become friends with him due to everyone seeing him as a quiet weirdo who never had to work for anything. When Jon comes along, Martin is distrustful of anybody claiming to want to be his friend, and he doesn’t help things by accidentally demeaning Jon’s interest in magic—which, in Jon’s eyes, cements him as a rival. After a string of miscommunication and failed interactions, the two eventually reach a middle ground and become friends… which later leads into Martin developing a gigantic crush on Jon. Which is later reciprocated. Aside from the romantic drama, Martin learns to both become more open and to stand up for himself, becoming the kind yet bitchy individual we all know and love.

Tim & Danny: They’re Edric and Emira—Martin’s class-clown yet charming older brothers who love teasing their little brother and getting into general mischief. Tim’s the oldest, and he’s usually the one who shows a lot of actual worry towards Martin, though he’s still a very flashy individual and tends to do a lot of crazy things just for the hell of it. Danny, on the other hand, has some identity issues that stem from being a middle child who doesn’t quite know who he is outside of his family, and he tends to throw himself into something if he thinks it’ll make him stand out. They’re both illusionists, like Martin, and while Tim and Danny are biological brothers, all of them are adopted. (Also, Tim eventually starts taking Bard and Beastkeeping classes, while Danny starts taking Potions.)

Daisy: If my decision to make Basira Willow hasn’t tipped you off, Daisy is Hunter—the Golden Guard of the Emperor’s Coven, praised as a teen prodigy yet possesses no magical talent of her own. She’s loyal to the emperor and genuinely believes in everything she’s been taught, and she is absolutely horrible at expressing any emotion other than smugness or anger, believing fear and sentiment to be weaknesses and being deathly afraid of being perceived as anything other than strong. Daisy is a very vulnerable person underneath her hard exterior, and she can be incredibly soft with people she cares about… though, of course, she’s not given much opportunity to connect with anyone outside of the castle, or inside, for that matter. In the canon of TMA, Daisy is a truly fascinating character to me, and I knew that the only character she could feasibly be is Hunter—hey, person who did bad things for a cause they believed was just and had that illusion stripped from them, meet other person who did bad things for a cause they believed was just and had that illusion stripped from them. And they both love wolves. So, yeah, she’s a very traumatized child soldier who makes the gradual evolution into a protective big sister friend and a disaster lesbian.

Sasha: I had to make her Vee. I had to. Even if you take away the whole fact that she was NotThemed and how similar that is to the basilisks, the fact that she was almost made the Archivist makes her perfect for that role. Her general story is pretty much the same as in canon—she’s a basilisk who was created in a lab for the purpose of studying magic draining and ran away to the human realm, falling in love with it almost as soon as she arrived. Once in the human realm, Sasha develops a love for computers and manages to make friends with the people she meets at the camp (I’m not sure who they are yet, though I’m leaning towards making them Sam and Colin—Alice already has a role), and when she and Jon actually have a chance to meet, they almost immediately bond as siblings after the distrust and animosity is thrown out the window. Also, Sasha’s existence helps Jon finally fully connect with his grandmother, so… bonus!

Oliver: He’s Raine. As much as I love Doorkeay, I have a different role in mind for Micheal, and Oliver’s dynamic with Gerry as two gorgeous witchy goth men connected with The End is something that I’d love to see more of. Anyways, um… so, Oliver and Gerry’s story is pretty similar to canon—they met when they were in high school, were best friends from that point on, and eventually started dating, though they broke up due to Gerry being tight-lipped about the curse and Oliver eventually making the decision to join the Bard coven. Oliver didn’t start being a rebel leader right away, though, since he initially believed that the best way to fix things was by changing it from the inside, but after years of that not working, he finally caved and started the BATs. He’s very practiced at pretending that he’s just an unassuming workaholic, and he often claims stage fright in order to continue operating under the radar. Oliver’s a smart dude.

Trevor: He’s… well, he takes the position of Eberwolf as the Beastkeeping coven head, but he also acts as Darius for a lot of the story beats—mostly because he takes the role as Daisy’s actually decent paternal figure. Trevor comes off as an old grump who doesn’t like people or fun, and he’s seen many a Golden Guard die in his time as a head of a coven… so, when he sees Daisy be rebellious for the first time in her life, his wolf dad instincts kick in. Not quite sure where Julia fits in yet, but she’ll fit in. Somewhere.

Jane: Terra. She has to be Terra. Gross plant woman who pretends to be sweet but is actually psychotic. She’d definitely suggest turning children into mulch as an apt punishment for failing a small challenge.

Nikola: Same deal, she’s Adrian. She can’t be anyone else.

Peter: He’s in the position of Odalia—an antisocial yet jovial businessman who reeks of old money. He also deals in security and weaponry, though he primarily uses oracle magic instead of Abominations, and he’s very interested in studying the effects illusion magic has on the mind. Of course, he can’t actually practice illusion magic, so he has to turn to other avenues for research… such as adopting three gifted illusionists. Needless to say, Peter is not a good parent by any measure, and he kind of holds the fact that he adopted his sons over their heads so they don’t step out of line. Unfortunately, the kiddos don’t have an Alador equivalent (as far as I’ve decided), so the only person they can really go to outside of each other is Peter. Not a good environment, really. And it’s definitely complicated by the reason why their dad has all this standing and power, beyond just the family connections…

Elias/Jonah: So, he is in Belos’s place as the emperor who’s secretly a human witch hunter, but his motivations aren’t the same. Rather than planning on killing witches simply because he hates magic, his intention is to drain the magic from them and take it for himself—well, for humans, but mostly himself. Elias is also a lot more… shall we say, lax about interacting with other witches, which is why he has zero qualms with having an on-again, off-again relationship with Peter Lukas. And several other men throughout his time on the Isles. Yeah, Philip may be too deep in a Puritanical mindset to claw his way out of Narnia and admit that he’s not straight, but Jonah is a harlot and that’s a part of his character that stays constant. I’m not gonna go into his backstory, for spoiler reasons, but I will say that Gwendolyn is a Caleb equivalent, and Alice is her Evelyn. I’m riding on the Dyhard train and you can’t stop me.

Micheal (Distortion): And last but not least, I couldn’t make our boy Micheal anybody other than The Collector! I know that technically, he and Helen are kind of the same character, but she just doesn’t have the silly vibes that he does. All I can really say is that his story is… well, it matches up with in canon, except he’s more of a preteen than a kid. We know so little about Collie’s past outside of the events that led them to be trapped, and what we know about Micheal himself—pre-Distortion, of course—is equally as murky and unclear, so… yeah. He’s a funky neon star kid who originally manifests as a funky shadow kid.

And yeah, I think that’s it for now.

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themisinformer · 6 months ago

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Dick Teacher Actually Makes Students Do Work

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT - Students at Wilbur Cross High School were in for a shock this week after realizing that they’re new teacher, Meredith Jaynes, actually expected them to do work in class. The students, who were expecting a free period to use their phones and talk with friends, had to quickly change focus when their new Math teacher assigned them with not one, but two assignments on the first day back from winter break.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” said student Kaylee Johnson. “Like, who even brings a syllabus anymore? But no, Ms. Jaynes was dead serious. She called it… wait for it… ‘homework.’”

Jaynes, who previously taught at a private school “where students actually tried,” according to her LinkedIn page, reportedly expects her public school students to read an entire chapter of the Math textbook each week. “And that’s not even the worst part,” said fellow student Dylan Ramirez. “She also grades assignments on actual effort. Like dude, we’re just supposed to copy and paste from ChatGPT and call it a day.”

Jaynes has since been referred to as the “Dick Teacher” by students, a term that allegedly originated during the first week of classes when Jaynes instructed students to put their phones away, saying, “If you can text on your phone, then you can take notes.” The nickname has since become a rallying cry for students uniting against what they call “literal tyranny.”

“I signed up for this class because I thought it’d be easy,” said senior Jake Harmon. “Now she’s already talking about group projects and something she calls a ‘research paper.’ What even is this, college?”

Sources say that the final straw for students came when Ms. Jaynes surprised students with a pop quiz. “Who even does this in 2025?” Asked one student, with tears of frustration welling up in their eyes. “This bitch doesn’t want us to live our best lives. She’s literally a dream killer. Like, get off our dicks!”

In response, students have started a Change.org petition titled “Free Us from the Dick Teacher,” which has already garnered 3,000 signatures, including from several parents who admit that they don’t want to help their kids with any extra note.

Jaynes, however, seems completely unharmed by her student’s plot to undermine her authority. “These students need to learn to take responsibility for their own education,” Jaynes told The Misinformer. “I’m not here to be their friend, I’m here to prepare them for the real world.”

#themisinformer #satire #satirical #satirical news #funny #meme #school #high school #school memes #high school memes #teachers #teaching #high school teachers #teacher memes #high school teacher memes #education #academia #academics

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covid-safer-hotties · 10 months ago

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COVID-19 vaccination mandates boosted uptake among health care workers - Published Aug 30, 2024

Should health care workers be required to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine? A new study examines the effectiveness of COVID-19 mandates

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, governments and health care centers across the country faced a difficult but important question: Should health care workers be required to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine?

It was an economic quandary as much as an ethical one. Vaccine mandates could cause reductions in staff, either from workers missing time due to recovery from the vaccine or from opting to seek employment elsewhere. Additionally, health care workers are highly educated on the value of vaccines and had seen firsthand the perils of COVID-19, reasons to think them capable of making the best decisions for themselves and their patients.

Now, a new study from researchers at Tulane University has found that state-level COVID-19 vaccination mandates successfully increased vaccine rates among health care workers, a finding that, while perhaps unsurprising, provides evidence that the policy can boost vaccination rates even among a highly vaccinated, highly educated population.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, examined vaccination rates among more than 30,000 health care workers in 45 states, 16 of which issued COVID vaccination mandates. Researchers found a 3-4% increase in vaccinations among the group, an improvement on an already lofty baseline vaccination rate of 86%. The study only found increases in vaccination rates in states that required vaccinations and provided no option to opt-out.

“It’s great from a government perspective to see this policy increase vaccination rates in an already very highly vaccinated population,” said corresponding author Charles Stoecker, a health economist with Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “These results also show that how we craft these regulations matters. States that provided an option to take a regular COVID test in lieu of getting vaccinated didn’t see the same impacts as the strict mandate states.”

The findings provide valuable insight on the role vaccine mandates can play in the event of a future pandemic and why such mandates may be justified.

“The federal government has shown that it will defer to the states on this issue, and states have rolled back their mandates, but now we know we have this toolkit,” Stoecker said. “In the event of a new pandemic, this shows we’re leaving some vaccination coverage on the table if we let even highly educated health care workers decide for themselves.”

The vaccination increases were primarily seen in health care workers between the ages of 25-49 years. The 16 states which passed and upheld vaccine mandates without opt-outs were California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Washington, DC.

Stoecker said the next step would be to examine how these mandates affected disease transmission, which could help quantify the economic impact such policies have.

“The ultimate goal would be to be able to assign economic benefits to the vaccinations that happened because of the mandates,” Stoecker said.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2822221

#covid #mask up #pandemic #covid 19 #wear a mask #coronavirus #sars cov 2 #public health #still coviding #wear a respirator

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hellothetutorshelp-blog · 26 days ago

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Assignment Help in Connecticut

Assignment help in Connecticut provides essential academic support for students across high schools, colleges, and universities. With expert thetutors help and writers specializing in various fields—such as business, healthcare, computer science, and humanities—students receive personalized guidance for essays, research papers, and projects. These services ensure high-quality, plagiarism-free content aligned with institutional standards. Whether it's underst anding difficult concepts, improving writing skills, or meeting tight deadlines, assignment help in Connecticut enables students to enhance their academic performance. Both online and in-person options are available, offering flexible and timely assistance to help students succeed in their educational journey with confidence and clarity.https://www.thetutorshelp.com/usa/assignment-help-connecticut.php

#Assignment Help in Connecticut

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eyeslikewatercoolers · 2 years ago

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Retail Therapy- Sashnetra

Here it is, a Superstore AU! Based on one of my favorite shows, it's mostly Sashnetra as Amy and Jonah in the show. I don't plan to continue this any further, just a fun little one-shot!

Big thank you to @imtooobsessedrn for helping me with this!! Maybe there'll be a surprise chapter 2 with Aura's Red Velvet flash mob

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Working as a retail floor worker was never part of Sasha’s ten-year plan. If things went the way she originally planned, she’d probably be working in the corporate office of this chain retail store. Instead, she wore the cheap polyester vest and a name badge that said ‘Hi, my name is Sasha’

Sasha sat at one of the round tables in the breakroom that the assistant manager, Mistress, led her to a few minutes before. She waited patiently as other employees entered the room and filled the rest of the seats, all waiting for the morning huddle led by the general manager.

“Everyone listen up!” she heard Mistress say, breaking apart the small side conversations as she and another woman with the nametag of Salina-General Store Manager walked into the breakroom.

“Happy Monday, everyone! Before we start the shift assignments, I’d like to welcome our new employees to our store.” Salina said in a chipper tone. Sasha was about to stand to introduce herself, but a bubbly blonde woman at the table in the front stood up.

“Hi everyone! I’m Loosey. I was one of the shift leads from one of the Connecticut stores before I relocated here. I’m glad to be part of the team!” Loosey said with a huge smile on her face before sitting down again.

Then everyone turned their heads to Sasha as she timidly stood up, “I’m Sasha, it’s nice to meet everyone.” she said, not wanting to say what brought her into a dead-end retail job.

At the end of the huddle, as everyone left the room, Sasha and Loosey were approached by a woman with long cherry-red hair and piercing brown eyes. “You two are with me to start your floor training.” she led them down the corridor.

“Okay, Gail,” Sasha said as she read the woman’s nametag clipped to her vest.

The woman turned back to look at them, “That’s not my name. They messed up on my original nametag, so I grab whatever’s in the manager’s office.”

“Then what is your name?” Sasha attempted to ask, but the floor manager ignored her question as she led them into the store.

A couple of hours into Sasha’s first shift, she was bored out of her mind. The floor manager put her on one of the most easily mundane tasks in the store as she was training Loosey on the register.

After she completed the zoning in the grocery section, she walked along the aisles, finding someone else they were willing to train her on something. Turning the corner, she noticed two younger women wearing the uniform vest, both of their attentions on their phones.

“Hi, excuse me?” Sasha said, hoping to get at least one of their attention.

Both of the women looked at her, and Sasha realized that they were identical twins. One had long light brown hair with the nametag ‘Sugar’, and the other with long dark brown hair with the nametag ‘Spice’.

Sugar spoke up first, “We’re on lunch right now.”

“Both of you? At the same time?” Sasha tilted her head as she asked.

Spice nodded “Well, she’s on lunch for the next ten minutes, and then I go on lunch right after her.” she explained.

“So you both take a full-hour lunch together? Even if you only get thirty minutes each?” Sasha asked for clarification.

Both of the twins nodded as if it was obvious.

“Then why do you spend your lunch in the middle of the store?”

Another employee walked by carrying a cardboard box and added, “They split the pay of one person, so the managers let them do pretty much whatever as long as nothing gets broke.”

Sasha looked closer and read ‘Luxx’ as the twins returned to texting on their phones. It looked like she might get a better answer from this employee instead.

She caught up to Luxx and asked them, “Is there anything that you can show me how to do? The floor manager has been making me stack cans for the past two hours.”

“You can do what I do to look busy,” they said as they passed the box to Sasha as they walked together. Sasha felt the lightness of the box as they placed it in her arms. “Don’t worry, she can be a tight-ass sometimes,” they added in a lower voice.

“Oh, the floor manager?” Sasha said as they both stopped in one of the aisles. “She does seem to be a little bit on the bitchy side.” She said in a lowered voice as Luxx looked past her shoulder.

“I gotta find another box, I’ll see you later,” They said as they made a quick exit out of the aisle.

Shrugging, she turned back and saw the same piercing brown eyes from that morning narrowed at her. Sasha never felt so small in her entire life until this moment, getting stared down by her superior whose name she still didn’t know.

Before she could make an excuse, the floor manager passed her a scanner. “Electronics are on sale, I’m going to teach you how to change the prices.” Her red hair flowed as she turned on her heel and walked to the end of the aisle.

“If I won’t be too bitchy for you.” She added in a bored tone as she led Sasha to the electronics section.

“Okay, so you scan the item, press the control key, then alt, divide, zero point two-five, and then enter.” the floor manager said as she passed Sasha the scanner and the clipboard.

“I got it, thanks,” Sasha said as she started unlocking the first glass case in the electronics section with the keys she borrowed.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to show you again or write it down? Most people it takes a bit of practice to do this.” the woman pointed out.

“And most people didn’t go through most of their MBA, twice.” Sasha pointed out.

She didn’t care if she would continue to piss her superior off since this was just a temporary gig until she felt ready to finish business school.

Whenever that was going to be.

“Fine, I’ll be in sports and outdoors if you need anything.” The woman said, turning away and leaving the aisle.

The task was still a little mundane, but at least it kept Sasha busy until the end of her shift. All she had to do was scan, press the buttons, and mark it off the list.

Sasha listened to the sales announcements that Luxx was making over the loudspeaker nearby in between the corporate radio music. She let her mind wander as she worked through repricing the gaming consoles.

She thought about a few weeks before she packed up her car and just started driving when she felt like business school wasn’t for her anymore. A few hours into her impromptu trip, she was hungry and needed to stretch out her legs, causing her to find a Help Wanted sign in the window of a big box store.

After finding her resume in a packed box, she went into an interview with the intimidating assistant manager and walked out with a job offer to start the following Monday.

Now she was here, a ‘dead-end part-time job’ that she tried so hard to avoid for her entire adult life.

But a small part of her didn’t mind it. She liked how her new coworkers were interested in talking with her, and it didn’t feel like she was competing to be the best in the class anymore.

“How’s it going?” A cheery voice pulled her back into reality. She looked up to see Salina standing above her, smiling at her.

“It’s been alright so far,” Sasha said as she flipped to the next page on the clipboard.

“This sale seems to be popular. Everything is pretty much flying off the shelves!” Salina said as she looked around at the excited customers taking any and every item included in the sale.

“All this for twenty-five percent off?” Sasha asked as she saw the floor manager speed walk up to them, a concerned look in her eyes.

“What’s going on? The cashiers are getting swamped by people buying stuff from the sale today.” She said, looking at the crowd moving to the front of the store. She looked back at Sasha, “Is the scanner showing the right price?”

“I’m doing this exactly how you showed me. Control, alt, divide, two-five-point-zero, then enter.” She said as she pressed the buttons on the scanner.

“Wait, two, five, and then the period? It’s supposed to be the other way around.” The woman took the scanner and pulled a keyboard off the shelf to scan the barcode. “It’s not twenty-five percent off. It’s twenty-five cents.”

“So everything got changed to cost a quarter each?” Salina asked, looking panicked.

Anetra slowly nodded as the three women looked at each other for a quiet moment in the middle of the chaos.

The next hour consisted of most employees trying to either quickly change the prices or forcibly take the products out of customers' hands for damage control.

It felt like a warzone inside the store. It was a whirlwind of customers berating and yelling at employees, getting pushed out of the way, and getting called almost every synonym for someone unintelligent.

It was a lost battle. Almost all of the products in the department were cleared out and sold for the biggest margin of what it was worth.

Sasha and the floor manager sat at the small food court in the store, both exhausted. It was getting closer to the end of the day, and Sasha felt like it would also be her last working at this store.

“I’m gonna talk to Salina, and then we can clock out. I’ll see you later.” the woman said as she stood up and walked away from the table.

Sasha aimlessly wandered until she found Luxx at the customer service desk, organizing the go-backs in the carts.

“How was your first day in retail hell?” Luxx asked her, barely looking up.

“I need another box, I might as well try to look busy since my ass is getting fired,” Sasha sighed in defeat. She might as well accept her fate now and then look for another dead-end job in the morning.

Sasha walked into the dark parking lot, holding her folded vest. She waved to the twins and Loosey as they walked together to their separate vehicles.

Her heart sank when she realized that she was going to miss this job, even if it was short. Something about it felt like working at this store meant to be the life and the people for her.

“That was some eventful day, huh?” she heard a voice next to her and saw the familiar long red hair and striking brown eyes.

She nodded, “Yeah, I’m sorry again for that mistake. I should have listened to you.” She explained, trying to sound sincere.

“It’s okay. Good thing it’s a fresh start tomorrow.” the woman slightly smiled, “Or at least that’s what Salina tells us.”

Sasha turned to look at her, “So I’m not getting fired?” she asked.

The woman shook her head, “No, you still work here. We wanted to give you a second chance.” she explained. “And Salina said I can’t fire people,” she added jokingly.

Sasha felt relieved that she was keeping this job. She will be extra careful that this mistake won’t happen again.

“I gotta get home. Have a good night, Sasha.” The floor manager said as she walked forward to get closer to her car.

“You have a good night too,” she said, forgetting that this woman’s name was still unknown to her.

As if on cue, the woman turned back around and called out, “My name is Anetra, by the way.”, before getting into the driver’s seat of her car.

Sasha smiled to herself, realizing that working in a dead-end retail job may not be as bad as she always thought.

#sashnetra #rpdr s15 #rpdr fanfiction #my writing #my fics

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lboogie1906 · 9 months ago

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Jurist Constance Baker Motley (September 14, 1921 – September 28, 2005) was a jurist and politician, who served as a Judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. A key strategist of the civil rights movement, she was a state senator, and Borough President of Manhattan before becoming a US federal judge. She obtained a role with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as a staff attorney after receiving her JD and continued her work with the organization for more than twenty years. She was the first African American woman to argue at the SCOTUS and argued 10 landmark civil rights cases, winning nine. She was a law clerk to Thurgood Marshall, aiding him in the case Brown v. Board of Education. She was the first African American woman appointed to the federal judiciary, serving as a US district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the ninth of twelve children. Her parents, Rachel Huggins (domestic worker) and McCullough Alva Baker (chef) were immigrants from the Caribbean Island Nevis. Her mother served as a community activist. She founded the New Haven NAACP.

She was a founder of the New Haven NAACP and she was exposed to African American history, especially the writings of W.E.B. DuBois, in her Sunday School. While in high school, she became president of the New Haven Youth Council and was secretary of the New Haven Adult Community Council. She graduated with honors from Hillhouse High School. Though she had formed a desire to practice law, she lacked the means to attend college and instead went to work for the National Youth Administration.

With his financial help, she started college at Fisk University but transferred to NYU. She obtained her BA. She received her LLB from Columbia Law School.

During her second year of Law School, Thurgood Marshall hired her as a law clerk. She was assigned to work on court-martial cases that were filed after WWII.

She was married to Joel Motley Jr., a real estate and insurance broker for 59 years. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

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atlantianfell · 1 year ago

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It'd been just two weeks since the fateful (I shan't call it 'miraculous', for it seems the Gods worked hard against us for so long), and the generous General had been welcoming of an old friend, providing him with a place to stay in his humble Roman abode while he got his land-legs stretched out and oriented his bearings. A thousand fucking years and several thousand miles is a tremendous distortion of space and time to suffer in a single instant. He knows. He's been there. The transition was admittedly a little easier for Hector; the world has never ceased the need for more leaders and vicious warlords, but the number of princes has notably dwindled since the Medieval Era. He knew first-hand through experience that Viktor would need some time to settle in, adjust, live the world, breathe easy in the Connecticut countryside within New Haven. So he kept his regal, respectful distance and courtesy, but, you know.

Walking home for another night at sunset to a peaceful, breezy march from the town to the country, he makes the familiar sound of his keys jingling the lock of the white-painted wooden gate on stucco walls, announcing the man of the castle has returned from his days of labor at the fire station, and would be staying home for a few days. Passing by the central impluvium of his property, and heading straight for his bedroom to stand before the large full body mirror and try to wipe the sweat of his working man's brow, adjust his hair; still in his tight fireman's navy blue shirt and light pants. Instead, he fights Viktor already in his bedroom--their bedroom, you could even say. Hector built this place with one man in mind, thinking he'd be lost to time forever and longer, therefore Viktor shared the bedroom. Slept together on the days Hector was home from the fire station, even if respectfully, at least for the time being. New Haven's system implied that Viktor would learn and acclimate to the world, he'd be assigned his own place, find his own career, unless...

They greeted with a hug standing by the foot of his bed near the open window bringing in the last of the natural light for today (largely immaterial for a species of the depths and well sighted in the dark), Hector holding onto Lascaris for a little longer than usual, head past his shoulder, thinking, pondering, strategizing. The lingering scent of a working man, ashen and smoky, ought to help Viktor decide, when Hector pulls his head back to look into his eyes, endearing, wanting, arms still largely enveloping and embracing, grip of his calloused hands on Viktor's elbows, holding him closed in tight and small. "Your Highness." He begins, addressing with that bygone title that he uses whenever he's up to not good, which should tell you lots, in case the toothy grin and flashing canines were not sufficiently revealing. "I had a revelation today. It was tragic and wasteful and bitter, and I shall not burden you with the loss I witnessed, but, it did illuminate me of this..." strong hands begin to slide down Viktor's forearms, then wrists, and smoothly fit upon his hands, holding them. "Prince Viktor Lascaris, Imperial heir of Atlantis, first of Triton." With the regal dexterity he still possessed even after all this time, a single knee knightly bent before him on the terracotta tiles, one hand escapes Viktor's palms gently, reaching beside him on those deep fireman's pockets, producing a faintly glowing orichalcum-green crystalline ring with a single blue-rose pearl centered; the design is entirely simple, it's the material wealth that's largely extinct, invaluable to find, if not for the secrets of the trade of a bygone civilization. You know what it is, he needn't say it, but he does so anyways: "Marry me."

@atlantianremained

#ic /#atlantianremained #coming back strong 🤭

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dollycas · 11 days ago

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Welcome to Cozy Wednesday! It is my pleasure to share my thoughts today about Grave Words by Gerri Lewis! Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting - Connecticut Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 10, 2025 Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages Hardcover ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892421133 Paperback ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892422482 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DGPF9R8P Audiobook ASIN B0F97G3PP3 Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building. Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter is stonewalled at every turn, failing to discover Chester’s last name, or where he came from. When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and that the fire was set to cover it up, all fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the arsons, he was also the last person to see Chester alive. As more nails are pounded into Scoop’s coffin, Winter’s uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting the notorious town gossips, The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion. More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear Scoop’s name, putting her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same grave consequences. Dollycas's Thoughts In this second Deadly Deadline Mystery, Winter Snow is wondering if her obituary business is going to make it, especially when a current obituary lists her as deceased. Getting that error fixed is not going to be fun, but having her best friend, Scoop, in the hot seat as the top suspect in a series of arsons requires her full attention. A homeless man was found in the last fire. When his death becomes classified as a murder, with the fire as a literal smoke screen, all eyes on truly on Scoop. He was the last person known to see Chester alive. Under a deadline from the funeral home, Winter needs a lot more information about the man who died. He was known around town as just Chester, no last name. She is having a devil of a time getting information from anyone. As the evidence starts to accumulate, Winter knows she needs to get the scoop on the real killer to clear her BFF of the crime. This is one deadly deadline that she can't miss, or both she and Scoop could face dire repercussions. ___ All the characters I enjoyed in the first book, The Last Word, are back. Winter and Detective Kip Michaels are now "a thing". Winter's Uncle Richard and her neighbor Horace want to help Winter in any way they can with everything in her life, including solving the murder. Her friend Carla works at the local funeral home. She sometimes sends Winter some obituary business and helps with her murder investigations. The Parker sisters, Gabby and Abby, aka the Nosy Parkers, usually have some information to share or some drama to stir up. Winter has adopted Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy, after her person was killed in book one. She does get along with Horance's German Shepherd, Max, but true to her name, she can be a bit of a DIVA. I liked getting to know this core group of characters better. We got a little more information about Winter's sister, Summer, and her death, but I feel we have just scratched the surface, and more will be revealed in the next book. The mystery was a little meandering at times, but when another death was connected and more clues were revealed, it began to even out. Scoop knew more than he should, but he refused to reveal his source. Winter and Carla took on the task to find out. They make a great team as amateur sleuths. Winter was upset with Kip for not sharing details with her, but he was just trying to keep her safe. It didn't deter her; she and Carla kept digging. Winter took a lot of risks, and she and Carla got into some dangerous situations. One that had a humorous rescue and led to a huge clue. A clue that helped things start to fall into place for me before they did for Winter. That clue also led Carla and Winter into a deadly situation with a serious deadline. That being said, I was only partially right and needed more information to understand all the whys, hows, and people that entered the story late in the plot. Grave Words had a few bumps for me, but I was satisfied when all was wrapped up in the final chapter. The characters are strong, interesting, and are developing depth, so I am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Lewis has planned for them next. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent About the Author Gerri Lewis started her career as a freelance writer and has published over 1,400 features, news stories, obituaries, and columns. Along with writing her novels, she continues to write magazine features for O68 Magazine. Her cover features appear regularly, and her HOW WE MET column was a popular staple of the magazine for many years. Her accolades include feature-writing awards from the New England Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists, among others. Beyond journalism, Gerri works as a public information officer for the Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Gerri lives with her husband in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and the setting for her obituary writer mystery series. Author Links – Website – Instagram – Facebook – Thanks to the publisher, I have 1 trade paperback copy of Grave Words to give away! The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old with a US or Canadian mailing address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited. You do not have to be a follower to enter, but I hope you will find something you like here and become a follower. Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow. Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page. Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries. Follow Crooked Lane Books on Facebook for 3 Bonus Entries Follow Crooked Lane Books on Instagram for 3 Bonus Entries Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries. If you share the giveaway on Threads, X, or Facebook, etc., you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link. The Contest Will End on June 25, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST The Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org The Winner Will Be Notified By Email and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar. Click Here For Entry Form Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” Read the full article

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