libertyreads · 1 year ago
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Book Review #88 of 2023--
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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Rating: 5 stars.
Read from July 8th to 10th.
Am I really giving a Fantasy Romance a 5 star rating right now?? Well, hopefully you’ve seen me live blogging my reactions to this one over the past few days so you know how this book was making me feel. Do I realize this is probably not the next great American novel? Of course. Was I a giddy school girl the entire time I was reading this one? Yes. This was so fast paced (and done well) and I just wanted to keep reading. Yesterday, I read 290 pages in one day (and I would have read more if I had the time) because I had to keep reading. It’s such a compelling story. Let me back up and give you a quick synopsis: We follow Violet who is entering the war college at the age of 20, but instead of going to the scribes like she always thought she would, this disabled young woman is forced to enter the quadrant for the dragon riders. The most physically and mentally demanding quadrant at the school. But when your mother is the general of the war college you do what she demands. While in her first year, Violet must overcome the physical challenges her disability and the school put in front of her. She uses her daily pain as a beacon to light her way and uses every advantage she has to survive.
I don’t know where to start. I loved the world building and felt like it was done in a way that made sense. I could see not only the setting that this was taking place in, but also the magic and the way it worked. I could picture all the different magic types and how their magic worked with the connection between dragon and rider. I could also picture all of the dragons and the way they moved in flight and in battle. I absolutely LOVE Tairn and Andarna. I cannot tell you how quickly these two dragons wormed their way into my heart. A magical companion will always, always become a favorite character. Another character I basically adopted as one of my children immediately is Xaden. Look, morally grey is my favorite color and I have to adopt all of the morally grey characters. It’s practically a law at this point. He is such the dark and brooding villain hero, but at the same time, when you hold him up in comparison to Dain (Violet’s best friend at the start of the novel), he is just the better person when it comes to how he treats Violet. Well, as long as we ignore the first part where he’s threatening to kill her. But you can’t have an excellent enemies to lovers without the enemies first. And that is what this novel has as the Romance part of Fantasy Romance. There were some solid romantic moments in this novel for me. It starts with Knife Flirting--the sharpest and most elegant of flirting styles in Fantasy. There’s also Hand-to-Hand Combat Flirting which I didn’t know was a thing but now want in every. single. Fantasy I read that has even a moment of a romance. Two of the other big, non-sexual, moments for me were when he had daggers made for her and when he had a saddle made for her dragon (and then just approached the most deadly dragon in the quadrant to ask if it wouldn’t mind acting like a fucking horse). But speaking of sex scenes, there are a few which would normally bother me as someone who is asexual and has a lot of trouble with how specific sex scenes get with what the characters like and how uncomfortable that makes me. But these were some good, and still spicy, sex scenes that I actually enjoyed reading. And if you can make me like a sex scene then that alone almost deserves 5 stars.
And that was a long paragraph. Okay, I also could note how the book had a few moments of not 100% great writing, but I had such a good time with this one. I really enjoyed it and I hate that I don’t have a copy. And I also hate that I can’t read this for the first time again. Overall, this is great for someone who likes Fantasy, likes Romance, likes the combo of the two. If you’re looking for something that just hits all the right beats in a magical world with dragons, a deadly war college, and political machinations, pick this one up and thank me later.
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dontdenymeshakespeare · 4 months ago
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Mid Year Book Freakout Tag
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joaquinwhorres · 2 years ago
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Tailspin - Part 3 (Fanboy Garcia x F!OC)
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SUMMARY ››››› Having grown up just across the bridge from North Island, Carolina Alvarez has been told her whole life to stay away from the Top Gun boys. And for the most part, she has. That is, until Fanboy catches her putting quarters in the jukebox at The Hard Deck and initiates a game of cat and mouse that ends with her exactly where she swore she’d never be.
PAIRING ››››› Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia x F!OC
WORD COUNT ››››› 5,474
WARNINGS ››››› None
MASTERLIST ››››› Here
A/N ››››› Wow this took forever to figure out. But here it is! Also, yes, this takes place two years before Penny buys the Hard Deck, but in my head, she works there before she buys it from the previous owner.
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It was entirely possible that the whole Top Gun class would be banned from The Hard Deck by the end of the week.
Or murdered, judging by the look on Penny's face.
The bartender stormed out from her station, crossing the room in long, purposeful strides. She looked every bit like an Admiral, ready to ream out a young officer for a victory lap.
A hand came down on Fanboy's shoulder, drawing his attention away from Penny's warpath and onto his friend. "Good luck," Payback said, offering a smile that somehow managed to be equal parts amusement and sympathy. His eyes flicked from Fanboy's face back to Penny who had come to a stop next to the jukebox. She stooped down and yanked the cord from the wall, cutting off Van Morrison mid-lyric.
"The next idiot to play that song is getting thrown overboard," Penny announced, threatening the bar with a wag of the cord. Applause broke out amongst the other patrons, a few even cheering as she bent over once more to plug the jukebox back in.
Payback let out an amused exhale as he raised his eyebrows at the WSO. "You're gonna need it." 
He wasn't kidding. Fanboy was definitely going to get banned if she didn't show up by tomorrow. 
The pilot patted the backseater's shoulder once more before heading off towards the doors to rejoin the rest of the aviators headed back to base, leaving Fanboy alone at the Hard Deck for yet another night. 
As much as he wished Columbus or Payback had stuck around a bit longer, he wasn't exactly sorry to  see the rest of the class go. Three straight nights of Ripley and Beaker ripping into him for "pining over that jukebox girl" was enough to have him at the end of his patience. He was just as relieved as everyone else to hear Blondie singing once the jukebox whirred back to life.
"So you're aware, that rule goes for tomorrow night too."
Fanboy whipped around to face Penny, finding her standing at his back with a finger pointed threateningly at him. "And if I do have to hear Brown-Eyed Girl again, you're buying everyone a round."
"Fair enough," Fanboy conceded, offering a good-natured smile.
"Good," Penny said, lowering her finger and jerking her head towards the bar. Fanboy slipped from his seat at the high top, gathering up his friend's abandoned beer bottles before trailing after Penny.
"You know," he started, placing the bottles in front of what had become his usual spot. "I'll even help throw them overboard."
"You'd better," Penny huffed, tossing the bottles a couple at a time into the recycling where they crashed against the others already there. "It's your fault I'm losing my mind."
"If I could control Beaker, I'd be a captain by now," Fanboy reasoned. The bartender shook her head, throwing the last of the bottles crashing into the bin before heading over to the fridge.
"You know damn well they only play that song because you keep responding to it," she rebutted, pulling out a new beer for him.
He acknowledged this truth with a sheepish smile. He couldn't help his reactions. Every time the beginning guitar riff started, his heart stuttered with the possibility that it could be her. None of the other aviators, or even Penny, had experienced her smiling right at them as an oldies song played in the background like a moment straight out of a movie. If they had, maybe they wouldn't be on him as much as they were.
"It's only Tuesday," Fanboy shrugged as Penny set the beer down in front of him. "I'll start to give up hope on Friday."
"God willing she shows up before then," Penny muttered as she removed the bottle cap, vapor curling up and out of the neck as the piece of metal clinked down onto the bar.
"She will." The words were out before Penny could even pick up the cap. She paused, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"She will?" Penny repeated, not even bothering to keep her disbelief contained to her face. Fanboy opted to omit the fact that if she didn't come by Thursday, she probably wasn't coming at all.
He'd worked it out in the spare moments between the drills and lectures and debriefings that filled most of his time in Fightertown. He'd reviewed all of the details from their too short encounter on Friday: from the look of wonder on her face while scrolling through the song catalog, to the subtle upturn of her lips when she spoke about her friends, to the glint her eye as she set up their agreement before slipping into her Lyft. He'd turned over her statement that she didn't talk to naval aviators and her friends' confirmation of her stance. He'd considered every possible scenario of how this week could turn out, all with the same precision he brought to analyzing a mission.
"She'll show up," he affirmed. "And some of the pilots are going to lose a lot of money when she does."
The skepticism faded from Penny's face, replaced with a resigned disappointment. "Really? It's a bet?"
Fanboy shrugged. "They bet on everything. I just hope I get to watch Payback collects his winnings."
This seemed to mollify Penny as she simply shook her head with a slight smile before catching sight of a customer attempting to flag her down. "I hope you're right," she said to Fanboy, patting the bartop in front of him before heading over to the other side of the bar.
Fanboy grinned to himself, taking a sip of his beer as his eyes drifted to the closed front doors.
They remained closed, for the most part.
Over the next few hours, the only time the front doors opened was to usher patrons back into the outside world, the already light Tuesday night crowd growing thinner and thinner as last call ticked closer. It was looking increasingly likely that Fanboy would be helping Penny close down the Hard Deck again tonight. A prospect which Penny did not seem ready to resign herself to.
"Do you have a picture?" she asked, stopping in front of Fanboy with her hands on her hips.
"A picture?" he repeated back, brow furrowing in confusion.
"Of the girl," Penny clarified. "I can give you a call if she comes in."
Fanboy raised his eyebrows at the bartender, a grin forming on his face. "Trying to get rid of me?"
Penny offered a half-smile as she leaned down on her elbows. "You're too young to be spending your nights sitting here, waiting on some girl you hardly know, who may not even show up," she said, a little too kindly. "Go downtown. Find someone who actually wants to give you her number. I'm sure there are plenty of girls out there looking for someone just like you."
There were.
Over the past few days, he'd waved off more than a few girls and their offers of drinks or feigned interest in his work as a WSO. His dismissals had sparked criticism and jabs from the other pilots and almost indignation from Ripley.
"Top Gun is made for flings," his front-seater scolded. "It's thirteen weeks to get your dick wet before heading back to the carrier and your right hand. Stop wasting it."
The others had agreed with Ripley, Beaker chiming in his support by adding, "Dude, you have got to start seeing what's in front of you."
But if Fanboy only focused on what was and not what could be, his frontseater would probably be dead instead of here at Top Gun, leading the charge in making Fanboy's life hell.
He didn't say that though. Instead, Payback had pointed out how odd it was that Ripley was so focused on Fanboy getting laid instead of finding someone himself.
Fanboy had a feeling that saying the same thing to Penny would get him banned sooner rather than later. Instead, he offered her a shrug. "There are, but I want to see about this one first."
Her half-smile bloomed into a full one even as she shook her head at him. "You're a good one, Fanboy."
"Th-" The word died on his lips as the all-too familiar guitar line picked up, raising a chorus of accompanying groans.
"Jesus Christ," Penny swore, pushing herself away from the bar and towards the bell, giving the rope five sharp tugs. The grumbling amongst the patrons shifted, changing into cheers.
Fanboy spun in his seat to see who had come back to harass him, and his heart jumped in his chest.
Caro.
He couldn't believe he'd missed her entrance. She stood out like a beacon with her bright red top and jeans compared to the working uniforms of the men who slowly made their way to where she stood.
Fanboy turned to Penny, finding the bartender stood with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face. "That's her, isn't it?" she asked.
He nodded.
Penny smirked. "If I were you, I'd hurry over then."
"She didn't know..." he started to appeal, but she stopped him with a shake of her head, her smirk widening.
"Rules are rules. And I believe you promised you'd help throw the next person overboard."
Fanboy hung his head, but he couldn't stop his own smile from his face. She was here. She came. Before Friday. "Close me out?" He asked, looking back up at Penny.
She nodded, turning to the POS system as Fanboy left his seat and his beer, making his way over to Caro. She seemed to have taken notice of the officers hovering around her, her face growing increasingly apprehensive.
"I got this one," Fanboy said as he arrived at the jukebox.
The attention turned from Caro to him, but he couldn't find it in him to care. Instead, his eyes were locked with Caro's, and he watched as her shoulders lowered half an inch at the sight of him.
"Mickey," she breathed.
"You came," he said.
"I came," she nodded.
The other patrons around seemed to catch on to the shift in atmosphere, nodding at him before moving back to their seats. Caro watched them leave, confusion tugging her lips into a frown.
"What was that about?"
He gestured towards the jukebox. "There may or may not be a ban on that song."
Her eyes narrowed immediately as she turned to face him. "Since Friday?"
He nodded. "I'll explain outside."
"Outside?" Caro repeated, disbelieving. "Why?"
His grin turned sheepish. In all of the scenarios he considered, kicking Caro out of the Hard Deck hadn't even crossed his mind. And he'd entertained one course of action that involved driving down to a Vegas chapel. "You're being thrown overboard."
"I'm what?" Caro blanched.
This was not going to go over well.
"Going overboard," he said. "Penny's kicking you out."
"Because I played a banned song?" Caro asked, looking around the room. From behind the bar, Penny offered a wave goodbye and a sympathetic smile.
Caro paused and despite her impassive face, he could see the thoughts racing through her head. He'd be lucky if she didn't just get in her car and leave.
"I promise, I'll explain," he pressed. "And it's going to give you some excellent material to make fun of me with."
"It better," Caro said, shaking her head as she started walking to the door.
"Rules are rules," Penny called out, and Fanboy stopped Caro with a light hand on her arm.
"What, has the Navy banned walking too?" Caro asked, sounding completely exasperated.
He grimaced. "Part of going overboard is that you have to be thrown overboard."
"You're kidding," she said flatly.
He shook his head.
Caro stared at him blankly, time stretching on as she waited for him to break under her stare. When he didn't, she sighed, stepping towards him.
"Don't drop me," she ordered, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He scooped her up easily, reveling in the small gasp that escaped her.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he assured her, looking down into Caro's face.
She broke eye contact first, readjusting her hands clasped around his neck, and a small thrill shot through Fanboy at the reaction. He started out of the Hard Deck, passing by a smiling Penny on his way towards the front door.
It was difficult to keep his mind focused on figuring out how he could explain this to her in a way that didn't send her racing for her car. Instead, his mind kept slipping to how soft she was and how perfectly she fit in his arms. He had to focus on keeping his hands in the right places and not how she smelled like vanilla or how if he looked down at the right angle he could probably see–
Boot camp.
Punching out of a plane.
Watching Spock—
"Mickey!" Caro exclaimed, holding out a hand to push open the door he had almost run them into. He muttered an apology as she kept it open with the tips of her fingers so it didn't swing back in his face.
He stopped just outside of the door, leaning down to deposit her on her feet.
Caro found her footing again with a hand on his shoulder for support. "So," she started, turning to face him and folding her arms across her chest. "What did you do to get that song banned in four days?"
"You might be impressed to know that it only took three days of excessive playing for the song to get banned," Fanboy answered. "I wasn't here on Saturday."
"Oh," Caro said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I'm very impressed."
"Thought you might be," Fanboy grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Caro shook her head, something like a smile ghosting across her lips. "Did you think if you played it enough I'd just appear like Beetlejuice?"
"Didn't you?" he asked. Caro opened and shut her mouth again before he decided to save her. "No, uh, my friends played it a lot to mess with me for waiting here all night. Every night."
Caro looked surprised. "Every night?" She repeated.
He nodded, offering another shrug. "Didn't want to miss you."
"That's…" she trailed off, and his stomach tightened, hoping for her to end the sentence with "romantic" or "clever" or even "cheating." Instead, she decided on "Pretty desperate." But her eyes crinkled at the edges, and rather than it coming out as an accusation, there was a fondness to her voice.
Fanboy tipped his head in her direction as an acceptance of the charge. "According to my friends, it's incredibly desperate."
This was what earned him a laugh from Caro, the sound bubbling out of her and causing a warm feeling to blossom in his chest.
"It worked, though," he asserted. "I mean, if it wasn't the Beetlejuice thing."
Caro shook her head at him, the smile still remaining on her face. "Well, it's good to know you're not the type of guy to be hanging out at a bar on a Tuesday night an hour from close."
Fanboy whistled at her, shaking his head. "That's pretty judgmental coming from the girl who just got thrown out of a bar on a Tuesday night an hour from close."
Caro's mouth hung open for a second before she pushed at his chest. "That was entirely your fault."
Fanboy laughed, holding a hand over the part of his chest that she'd shoved. "If you'd just come on Sunday we'd both be inside, and you'd be having your drink."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. "Well, since I can't get my drink, I think I might as well go home."
"Or," he started, taking a step towards her, a part of him relaxing when she didn't step backwards to reassert the space. "We could go somewhere else to get a drink."
She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure this is a sign I should stay out of bars tonight. When I get in my car, I'm going home."
"Then don't get in your car."
It came out faster than he intended, slipping from his lips easily and without much thought. All he knew was that he couldn't let her slip through his fingers.
Caro raised her eyebrow and opened her mouth, probably to remind him that she wasn't about to get into the car with a strange man desperate enough that he spent the last three nights waiting alone at a bar on the off chance she'd show up and give him her number. Before she could tell him any of this, he spoke again. "Take a walk on the beach with me."
She raised her eyebrows. "That wasn't the deal."
"No," he agreed. "But it's nice out, and you're already here."
Her eyes moved from his face to the beach. "You're not going to get me kicked off the beach are you?"
He grinned and shook his head. "No."
She nodded twice, thoughtfully. "Alright," she agreed. "A short walk."
"Do I get to decide what counts as short?"
"No," she snorted.
"Will you at least hold my hand?" Fanboy asked, extending an open palm to her, ready for her to entwine her fingers with his.
"We're not holding hands," she said, a smile quirking her lips. She gave his hand a small high-five as she brushed past him, starting towards the path to the beach.
Fanboy stared after her, frozen in place for a moment as he watched her go, a blend of cool moonlight and warm patio lights illuminating her figure against the darkness. She seemed to sense his eyes on her, or maybe just that he wasn't following, because she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"Change your mind?" She asked, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
The question spurred him into action, and he started after her, pulling at his boots' laces as he went and then hopping as he tugged off his shoes and socks, desperate to be by her side as quickly as possible. She waited for him, watching the spectacle but saying nothing, even when he rejoined her.
The pair walked down to the water's edge in companionable silence, the night air cool on their skin. The beach was largely empty, only a few couples dotting the sand here and there. Fanboy was careful not to pay too close attention to what they were doing, instead keeping his eyes on the girl beside him. The girl he wasn't sure would come despite what he said to the rest of the Top Gun candidates and Penny.
"I'm glad you came," Mickey said, his voice coming out softer than he was entirely proud of. She didn't seem to mind, offering him a gentle smile and shrug, her dark hair falling off her shoulders and down her back.
"We shook on it."
He could have kissed her then.
He could picture it so clearly in his head, reaching out to tug on her hand so she turned back into him, only so he could tilt her head back and press his lips to hers. They would move together in the same gentle rhythm of the waves washing over the shore, and it would be perfect.
He could have kissed her, and he would have, if he wasn't dead certain that if he did he'd probably lose her. And she'd probably slap the shit out of him before she went.
She seemed to notice the awe on his face and misinterpret it as something else. "I'm a bit offended you think I'm the kind of person who doesn't follow through with her agreements."
"No," Fanboy said, shaking his head quickly, breaking eye contact with her to look back ahead. "I just thought you were the kind of person who doesn't talk to naval aviators."
She hesitated for the briefest of seconds before dismissing the remark with a shrug. "I'm not. I just really didn't think you'd be waiting here every night. What did you even do?"
He shrugged. "My friends were here part of the time. The rest I mostly spent talking to Penny."
"The bartender," Caro remembered, and he nodded. "About what?"
"Yours and mine's deal, what it's like for her working at the bar, Star Trek," he said, shrugging.
"Star Trek?" Caro repeated with a laugh.
He nodded. "I've been a fan since I was little. It's why I wanted to fly," he explained. "And join the Navy."
"I didn't think Star Trek was about the Navy," Caro said, eyes focused down the beach.
"It's not," he shook his head. "The characters are part of Starfleet which is kind of like the UN's peacekeeping forces meets space Navy but for exploration and diplomacy."
"Two things that militaries have historically handled extremely well," Caro snarked.
"That's the thing," Fanboy pressed. "The show shows what could be. It teaches us why we need to value diversity and—stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" Caro asked, before pressing her lips tightly back together.
"Like you're trying not to laugh at me," he said, bumping her shoulder with his.
"I just didn't think you'd be such a nerd," Caro defended, bumping his shoulder back.
"You say nerd. I say fan," Fanboy protested. He couldn't help but notice that the distance between them had closed some, the space small enough for him to reach out a finger and hook it with hers. He resisted the temptation.
"Anyway, it's how I got my callsign: Fanboy."
Caro burst out laughing, and Fanboy raised his eyebrows at her. "What?!" he asked in mock defense, a smile taking over his face.
"I can't decide if Fanboy or Mickey is worse."
He laughed then, and Caro grinned back at him.
"Alright then, tell me something I can make fun of you for," he charged.
She shook her head at him and shrugged. "Unfortunately for you, I don't really have anything you can make fun of me for."
"Nothing," he said, disbelieving.
"Nope," she answered, popping the p.
"Are you a good dancer?"
She looked up at him with a smile. "I'm a really good dancer."
"Do you have a boring job?"
"I don't have a job," she shrugged. "I just graduated USD and my cert program doesn't start until September."
"Your cert program?" he repeated, and she nodded.
"I'm going to school to become a chiropractor."
"So you're a future doctor who's a really good dancer and also extremely beautiful."
"Yeah," she nodded, beaming up at him.
The urge to kiss her rose up in him again, but he pushed it back down, instead reaching out to loosely tangle his fingers with hers before pulling his hand back to his side.
"Well, what made you want to be a chiropractor?
"Have you ever seen the TV show Bones?"
"You're really funny."
Caro shrugged. "I know."
The two continued along the beach for a moment more in silence before Caro spoke again. "I just think the spine's really interesting–how it coordinates so much of what happens in the body. I just think it's underrated. Like people know it's important, but so few people actually care for it until suddenly they have back problems or get in a car accident."
He nodded, waiting for her to continue.
Instead, she offered him a sheepish smile "I totally just have you something to make fun of me with, didn't I?"
"No," he shook his head. "It's a good point."
"Really?" Caro raised an eyebrow. "Because I think I just said that the spine was underrated."
He cracked a smile and shrugged. "Maybe I just think you're right."
The conversation wound from there, Fanboy sharing some of his other interests much to Caro's delight and teasing. Caro continued to amaze him, with her wit and insight and stories of musical festivals and time as a yoga instructor.
It almost felt like no time had passed by the time he finally looked at his phone and realized he had to wake up in five hours.
"So," Fanboy started, prompting a smile from Caro. He wouldn't be surprised if she already knew the question he was about to ask. "This rule about not dating naval aviators…how firm is it?"
"Pretty firm," Caro affirmed, nodding her head.
"Bad experience?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I just live too close to base for there to be any mystique. I've seen this story play out too many times."
"You've seen our story play out?" He asked, brows raised in amusement. "You should have mentioned you were psychic."
Caro stared at him, unimpressed, but he pressed on. "How does it go?"
She sighed and rolled her eyes with a shrug. "You go through Top Gun and split your scraps of free time between me and your friends, but somehow I still end up too attached. After your program's up, you go back to wherever it was you're from or maybe off on some assignment, and I'm left behind. If we're really stupid, we kid ourselves that we can do long distance, but that crashes and burns within a couple of months and ends with at least one person getting hurt."
She went silent after that, her face somber as the moment stretched out before she broke free of her thoughts and shrugged again. "The only way it works is casual and short and that's not for me."
"Definitely not," he agreed.
She shot him a quizzical look. "I can't tell if you're making fun of me or trying to agree with whatever I say so I break the rule."
He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "No, I just meant--you don't seem like the type to love 'em and leave 'em, and I can't see anyone spending five minutes with you and thinking they could shake you off as just a one night stand."
Whatever stormcloud had hovered over Caro while sharing the reasoning behind her rule seemed to dissipate, and instead she seemed amused by his analysis. "What about you?" Caro asked.
"After one night? I think it'd take at least a month to get you out of my system," Fanboy nodded. "Maybe two, depending on how good it was."
She laughed then, and he grinned, thankful for the sound.
"No, I meant, can you do casual and short? One night stands?"
He shrugged. "Not usually."
"Ohhh," Caro said, taking a step back to make a show of looking him up and down. "So you're the 'I don't usually do things like this' guy?" She laughed as she accused him, and he couldn't help but laugh too, shaking his head and looking down at his feet.
"You are!" she exclaimed, coming closer once more to walk beside him.
"In my defense, it's true!" he defended.
"Mhmm," Caro hummed skeptically, bumping her shoulder against his. "Of course it is, Fanboy."
"It is," he insisted. "I'd much rather date you than just go back to your place."
He meant it, and he hoped that she could see it in his face. As much as he would enjoy a night in her bed, making her forget how ridiculous she found his names as she cried them out, it wouldn't be the same if he didn't get to wake up with her in his arms.
Caro flushed, looking off to the side and away from him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Alright, well, you've still got your question and your guess for my number."
"So I have a chance?" Fanboy asked, tapping at the back of her hand with a finger.
"At getting my number," Caro responded, moving her hand away and offering him a coy look instead.
He bit his lip and nodded. "Ok. Fair enough."
The pair stopped at the bottom of the path up to the Hard Deck's parking lot, Fanboy narrowing his eyes in mock-assessment as he looked over Caro. He had thought about this moment too over the past few days, contemplating what question he would ask to confirm his guess. It had only taken a few hours and seven scratched out options in the margins of his notepad.
"Do you relate to the lyrics?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stood in thought, and he wondered if the lyrics were running through her head right now in the same way that they filled his. He wondered if she was matching the same snippets of verses to herself that he had when pairing them up with memories and the facts she revealed about herself on their walk.
Finally a small smile turned up the corner of her mouth.
"Yeah," she said, and then nodded to herself. "I do."
Fanboy nodded too, waiting a beat and fighting the smile rising to the surface.
"You have a guess?" Caro asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I have the answer," he corrected and her eyebrows shot up as she ooohed at him playfully. "It's 'She Way Out' from The 1975."
Her jaw dropped.
But instead of the surprise or amusement that he had hoped for—or the throwing of herself into his arms that he had dreamed of—apprehension crossed her features.
"How did you—how did you know?"
All of the quips he's come up with about his strategy or cleverness or own psychic ability flew from him in the wake of her unease. Instead, he softened and admitted the truth: "I asked your friends after you left on Friday."
"They told you?!" she burst, indignantly.
"Sort of," he said, tilting his head back and forth. "One of them was going to, but then the other convinced her not to. She said I should at least put in some of the work."
"Sami," Caro breathed. He couldn't remember the girl's name, but Caro seemed so sure, he nodded.
"She gave me the band after I beat her in darts. And bought a couple of rounds."
Caro barked out a laugh at this.
"I looked them up, saw they only had one album and listened to it a few times. It's pretty good."
"It's incredible," Caro corrected. She continued to stare at him before shaking her head. "I can't believe you just listened to it and guessed."
"Well, I had the answers to my questions," Fanboy said. "But that one reminded me the most of you."
Caro started to say something, but he cut her off half-singing, "She said it's not about your body / It's just social implications are brought upon by this party that we're sitting in."
She blinked several times before finally quipping, "And here I was thinking you were about to call me intelligent or compliment my style." As she said this, she fished into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled napkin with purple writing on it and passing it to him.
She Way Out - The 1975
619 - 92 - 113
He looked up and grinned at her.
"I'm still not going to date you," she said, turning around and heading up to the gravel parking lot, Fanboy lightly jogging to catch up with her.
"Of course not."
"But since my friends are off starting their new lives and you're stuck here for a bit, maybe we can hang out."
"Sounds good," he nodded, walking with her over to her car. She pulled open the door, but before she could sit down, he leaned on top of the frame. "What are you doing Friday? Wanna hang out?"
"Text me," she said, offering a grin. "And we'll see."
Next Chapter: Ch. 4 - I Ain't the Same
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ctlightner · 2 years ago
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Storygraph Wrapped 2022
Went on Storygraph today and found my wrap-up for 2022
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It's hard to believe I only read Iron Widow a year ago. I know it's new(ish), but it's been on my mind all year, so it feels like I first read it 5 years ago. It's one of the few YA books I've been able to get through and be excited about in a long time, and of course I've pre-ordered the sequel!
I'm less surprised that something TMNT related is my last-read book. Statistically speaking, TMNT had the best chance at being either first or last or both, given my brainworms
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Not surprised Fantasy is my most-read genre. I've been trying to branch out a little more over the last few years, but old habits die hard. Banger year for comics, though, and I don't see that changing any time soon. Need to try and work a few more Horror into my diet this year.
I admit, I don't go out of my way to seek out queer books. By that, I mean that I try to read diversely, so queer books are definitely something I seek out deliberately, but I tend to see it as a bonus rather than the whole reason to go into something. Then again, I rarely read Contemporary anything, so there's a reason why I don't read issue-focused queer fiction as often. I've been reading more Non-fiction lately, so if I see a spike in queer lit, it'll probably be from a non-fiction angle.
I've been slowly acquiring a taste for romance books. Most of these pictured are probably there as a secondary genre, but I've read a few that were primarily Romance. The issues I'm having run parallel to me not enjoying a lot of Contemporary (which is a good portion of primarily Romance books), and also having been burned many times when I try to read Fantasy Romance. FanRo tends to lack in either of the genres while favoring the other, so I'm very, very wary about it. Recommendations appreciated.
More stats below the cut.
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I've been tending towards shorter books lately. I used to be able to devour 800 pages epic fantasies, but my tolerance for high page counts has dropped significantly. The last super long books I think I read were Mistborn Era 1 seven years ago. Frostheart also doesn't feel like a tome to me because it's Middle-Grade, and MG books actually have lower wordcounts overall, and sometimes bigger font and illustrations that can pad things out. If "Escape" had been formatted like and adult book and had zero illustrations, it probably would have been closer to 250-300 pages at most.
Novellas are my recent loves, especially the Singing Hills Cycle. Into the Riverlands was not my favorite (that still remains The Empress of Salt and Fortunes), but it was pretty good. I think I'll try to reread the three books sometime this year.
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Along with reading more books in general, I've been using my library more. The reason why it took me over a month to read Tender is the Flesh is because like 5 holds came in and I was suddenly given Deadlines.
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Very interesting to see that over 50% of my 5 star reads were comics. I knew I read a lot of them this year, but it's nice to know I really liked a good portion of them, too. Unsurprised that the prose fiction I gave 5 stars were on the more literary and stylistic side of SFF.
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I read Evelyn Hardcastle for a reading club. I'd heard of it before, but hadn't heard anything about it that would have made me pick it up otherwise. It's a very weird book. I like the time loop structure of the plot. It's pleasantly confusing and I honestly love how the constant body-jumping kept me on my toes. However, the gimmick did start to wear out its welcome a bit the longer it went on.
I grew very disillusioned by the ending, however. Up til about the last quarter of the book, it's designed as a time loop whodunnit. Very interesting. However, by the end it starts to turn into a weird, sudden exploration of the futility of the prison system. as someone who's been digging into prison abolition/restorative justice lately, I was at first intrigued by the idea, but the final few reveals ended up severely clashing with the story that came before hand. I think it ended up generating exponentially more questions about the world of the novel than it answered, and it didn't present these questions in a way that was looser, softer, less important to question due to the themes being explored.
For contrast, I also read Thistlefoot last month, and though I have a few complaints, they're not complaints about the worldbuilding. Thistlefoot is a fairy tale, a book of magical realism, filled with soft magic. and it doesn't pretend otherwise. Evelyn Hardcastle, starts out in a way that let me go along with it; I didn't feel the need to question why this guy was trapped in a body-jumping time loop. By the end, when the author tries to give answers for questions I didn't really have, it made the whole thing unravel now that the author was shifting into harder worldbuilding.
As for the TMNT actor autobiography... it's not very good. I could only ever recommend it to hardcore TMNT fans who would get something out of reading a self-published autobiography by an obscure actor in the 90s films. It's clear he wrote the book himself, though, so I have a deeper appreciation for the effort put into it than whatever Evelyn Hardcastle was trying to do.
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I don't care about keeping track of the series I'm reading. I don't read 200 books a year (only 56 in 2022... a lot higher than non-readers but still nothing compared to some Booktubers), and I try to DNF when I know I'm not going to like something.
I am going to try rereading more books this year. I Am Not Immune To Consumerism, but I am trying to inoculate myself a bit. Going to not buy any more books from now til June, and try to reread a few of my top favorite books. I miss the days when I used to reread books over and over and get something new out of them.
I've already decided that Hogfather is going to be my Christmas read every year, and the Collector's Library edition is probably going to be the first book I get on July 1st.
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I'll be honest: could probably stand to DNF even more. Some of the books I actually marked back onto my TBR rather than as a DNF. Often it's because I know I wanted to read it, owned it, and just wasn't feeling it. Other times it was because I'd barely gotten 10% into it and therefore didn't consider it even as something I was really reading.
That being said, ACOMAF has one more chance for me to try and read it at the behest of my friend or else I'm just gonna give up. Maybe if I borrow their physical copy I'll have better luck (I don't read a lot of ebooks, and if the library makes me give back a slow-going book before I'm done, I won't fight that hard.)
Speaking of physical books, I have a shitton of them. I primarily read physical books. I'm going to try and read down my physical TBR this year so that I can clear up my shelves a bit. 35/56 owned books in 2022 isn't bad though!
And that was reading for 2022. Lots of interesting insights for myself. Here's to a great 2023!
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starindiaelectricals · 3 years ago
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miniature circuit breakers (MCB) are used for safeguard homes from overload. They are much reliable and safer than a fuse. MCB is that it ensures equal distribution of electrical energy across all the devices!! fan junction box
For wholesale enquiriescontact us: 9888828343Website= www.startindiaelectricals.com
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the-fanros · 2 years ago
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Hi fanros! What are your favourite ships that remind you of danro? <3
-your favourite fanro 💌
I couldn't choose just one so heres a list
(dan=left side,zero=right side)
kel x sunny (omori)
noel x susie (deltarune)
berdly x kris (deltarune)
natsuki x yuri (ddlc)
the hotlands gaurd guys (undertale)
basically any ship that follows this trope:[puts up with person B's chaos] x [makes the person A more chaotic]
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ubersk · 4 years ago
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lidaphotos · 5 years ago
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Fanroe beach, Ireland - July 2019 . . . . . . . #beach #summer #sand #sea #clouds #ireland #explore #travelphotography #travel #vagabondiary #wanderlust #exploreireland #ig_photooftheday #ig_nature #ig_beaches #iphonephotography #roadtrip #holidays #bluesky #reflection #waves #surfspot #theglobewanderer #marvellous_shots #peoplescreatives #exploretocreate #passionpassport #theoutbound #livefolk #lifeofadventure (at Fanore Beach, Ireland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B15tRj7oMGs/?igshid=197996ujk3vxh
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majalahforbes-blog · 6 years ago
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Aniaya Warga Maluku, WN Swiss Pemilik Resort Jadi Tersangka
Forbes - KWG alias Kurt, seorang warga negara (WN) Swiss, dijadikan tersangka karena menganiaya seorang warga Maluku Tengah. WN Swiss tersebut diduga menganiaya warga Maluku Tengah dalam kondisi mabuk. Adapun warga Maluku Tengah yang dianiaya ialah Fandro Tuhepary (38) yang tak lain ialah karyawannya sendri di sebuah resort. Kemarahan dipicu karena WN Swiss tak terima kerjaan Fanro. "Penyidik dari Polsek Saparua telah melakukan pemeriksaan terhadap saksi korban atas nama Fandro Tuhepary serta dua orang saksi lainnya," kata Kapolres Polres Ambon dan Pulau-Pulau Lease, AKBP Sutrisno Hadi Santoso di Ambon, yang dilansir Antara, Minggu (24/2/2019). Sedangkan, Kasubag Humas Polres Ambon, Ipda Julkisno Kaisupy, tersangka KWG dijerat pasal 351 ayat (1) KUHP. Dia mengatakan, penyidik berencana akan segera memanggil yang bersangkutan juga untuk diperiksa dalam kapasitas sebagai tersangka. Julkisno menambahkan,tersangka Kurt adalah WN Swiss yang memiliki sebuah resort di Kecamatan Saparua. Sedangkan Fandro adalah salah satu karyawannya. Fandro yang sesehari bertugas sebagai satpam di resort tersangka ini dianiaya hingga menderita luka-luka di bagian lengan serta mulut pada Mingu, (27/1) 2019 sekitar pukul 22.00 WIT. Korban saat itu sedang bertugas dan sempat memejamkam mata karena rasa kantuk, kemudian datanglah tersangka KWG datang bersama istrinya sambil marah-marah dan menyuruh Fendro pulang. Saksi korban berusaha untuk memberikan penjelasan namun tersangka yang sudah dalam kondisi mabuk tetap marah-marah dan mengusirnya, termasuk salah satu teman korban bernama Kilbert yang baru tiba di lokasi kejadian. Akhirnya Pandro dan rekannya meninggalkan tempat itu, tetapi korban kembali untuk mengambil telepon genggamnya di atas meja tetapi tersangka langsung memukuli serta membanting korban meski pun ada upaya istri pelaku yang melarai. Read the full article
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yeseniageniazs · 7 years ago
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Buy it on Amazon - http://ift.tt/2njyOyJ - Discount FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone - Beige -- Click the link to buy now or to read the 29 4 & 5 Star Reviews.Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC--JbOCApZTqUdwVxc7FyvQ?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 Discount FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone - Beige Excellent. Was all set to buy another model, but researched this and ended up making the best decision. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Riley After days of research, bit the proverbial bullet and bought this as a gift. My better half could not be happier with it. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Emily Click http://ift.tt/2njyOyJ to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. Professional-grade lavalier Mic with 4 section plug(Incompatible with some PCs that require 3 PINs), high quality omni-directional condenser capsule, better noise reduction, features a patented audio pop filter to eliminate background noise and focus on the human voice and get great sound quality. We also provide an extra back up Mic anti-pop filter. It provides clear loud dialog and blocks wind and background noise nicely High-end shielding wire line (1.2 meters) long, smaller and more soft than others are sell on the market. Its kevlar reinforced cable ensures that you never stretch or snap your Mic under normal usage conditions. The 3.5mm TRRS golden Jack of this tiny highly sensitive microphone is compatible to be used with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Windows smartphones, tablets and more usable devices. (Not compatiable for Samsung S4 S5 S6). Simply plug the microphone into the device and clip it onto your shirt. You can instantly reproduce your voice, no additional plugs or batteries needed. The microphone comes with a gift box and deluxe PU bag, double packing to keep it safer and looks more beautiful. Note that ONLY buy from FanrosDirect to get product described as listing, any third-party sellers are not authorized. We also provide one year product warranty and 100% money back satisfaction guatantee. I was hesitant about purchasing online, but after opening the package I could not have more surprised at how easy it was and how good the quality is. Amazon Review.... Reviewer : Michal Click http://ift.tt/2njyOyJ to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. ***Let Us Know What You Think… Comment Below!!*** Watch my other review Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC--JbOCApZTqUdwVxc7FyvQ Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC--JbOCApZTqUdwVxc7FyvQ?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 #FanRos, #FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone - Beige This is a review video for : B01LAGJ3HS Manufacture : FanRos Related Videos in Channel
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dontdenymeshakespeare · 1 year ago
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The Amazing Readathon Week Three
The Amazing Readathon is a readathon created by Brianna from Four Paws and a Book and co-hosted by many others in the BookTube and Bookstagram community. This one is based on the reality TV series The Amazing Race and it’s about spending the month of August travelling the world. There are prompts and ways you can get bonus points (team colour, BIPOC author, etc.). It turns out we’re not supposed…
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joaquinwhorres · 1 year ago
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Speak Now (TV) OC Tag Game
Thank you so much to @sylviebell for tagging me in this!! I had fun going through the whole album again to find songs.
Rules: claim a speak now (taylor’s version) song for your fic pairings 💜
Caro & Mickey - "Ours"
So don't you worry your pretty little mind
People throw rocks at things that shine
And life makes love look hard
The stakes are high, the water's rough
BONUS: Caro & Dalia - "Never Grow Up"
To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
Audrey & Javy - "I Can See You"
And we kept everything professional
But something's changed, it's somethin' I, I like
They keep watchful eyes on us
So it's best that we move fast and keep quiet
Lauren & Bradley - "Electric Touch"
I'm tryin' hard not to look like I'm trying
'Cause every time I tried hard for love, it fell apart
Birdie & Jake - "Sparks Fly"
My mind forgets to remind me you're a bad idea
You touch me once and it's really somethin'
You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be
I'm on my guard for the rest of the world
But with you, I know it's no good
Murphy & Joaquín - "When Emma Falls in Love"
When Emma falls apart, it's when she's alone
She takes on the pain and bears it on her own
'Cause when Emma falls in love, she's in it for keeps
She won't walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave
Tagging: @bobfloydsbabe @akabluekat @veetlegeuse @demxters & anyone else who likes Taylor Swift and has OCs (my brain is dead on that front rn)
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lexinavaro85 · 7 years ago
Video
youtube
Buy it on Amazon - http://ift.tt/2njyOyJ - Buy FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone - Beige -- Click the link to buy now or to read the 29 4 & 5 Star Reviews.Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCER62W4qy1bUgCHEoOFs-sA?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 Buy FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone - Beige Excellent. Was all set to buy another model, but researched this and ended up making the best decision. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Riley After days of research, bit the proverbial bullet and bought this as a gift. My better half could not be happier with it. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Emily Click http://ift.tt/2njyOyJ to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. Professional-grade lavalier Mic with 4 section plug(Incompatible with some PCs that require 3 PINs), high quality omni-directional condenser capsule, better noise reduction, features a patented audio pop filter to eliminate background noise and focus on the human voice and get great sound quality. We also provide an extra back up Mic anti-pop filter. It provides clear loud dialog and blocks wind and background noise nicely High-end shielding wire line (1.2 meters) long, smaller and more soft than others are sell on the market. Its kevlar reinforced cable ensures that you never stretch or snap your Mic under normal usage conditions. The 3.5mm TRRS golden Jack of this tiny highly sensitive microphone is compatible to be used with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Windows smartphones, tablets and more usable devices. (Not compatiable for Samsung S4 S5 S6). Simply plug the microphone into the device and clip it onto your shirt. You can instantly reproduce your voice, no additional plugs or batteries needed. The microphone comes with a gift box and deluxe PU bag, double packing to keep it safer and looks more beautiful. Note that ONLY buy from FanrosDirect to get product described as listing, any third-party sellers are not authorized. We also provide one year product warranty and 100% money back satisfaction guatantee. I was hesitant about purchasing online, but after opening the package I could not have more surprised at how easy it was and how good the quality is. Amazon Review.... Reviewer : Michal Click http://ift.tt/2njyOyJ to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. ***Let Us Know What You Think… Comment Below!!*** Watch my other review Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCER62W4qy1bUgCHEoOFs-sA Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCER62W4qy1bUgCHEoOFs-sA?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 #FanRos, #FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone - Beige This is a review video for : B01LAGJ3HS Manufacture : FanRos Related Videos in Channel
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starindiaelectricals · 2 years ago
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Junction BOx Manufacturer in India
In electrical engineering, junction box is simply a box that can be made of metal . These come in a variety of shapes and sizes (mostly round or square) that are used for additional sockets for laying wires, expanding electrical circuits, and adding lighting points. Where more electrical conduit meets to each other junction of wires are happens then we use junction boxes to hide then it can be used when we want any external circuit from this junction boxes. There Are Many Junction box Manufacturer in India but starindiaelectricals Stand Among the Best junction box Manufacturer in India.   Established at Delhi (India) in the year1990, we, “starindiaelectricals”, is One of the The Best Junction Box Manufacturer in India. By growing a distinctly pioneering and superior variety of electrical products, we've got installation a benchmark for the competition withinside the industry. We have a professional group of professionals, which make certain pinnacle grade merchandise are dispatched to our customers. Further, we attempt difficult to apprehend the possibilities and expectancies of our customers after which provide them cost-effective products with out compromising on quality. We are specialized in manufacturing and supplying a wide range of junction boxes. Our products are made from high quality raw materials and components sourced from trusted and certified suppliers to the industry. Our production unit is integrated with advanced technologies and modern techniques, thus helping us to develop a flawless product range for our customers. In addition, customers can take advantage of the full line of products at the best prices in the industry. We supply a comprehensive range of Junction boxes, ideal for various industrial applications. In addition, junction box in India are in high demand by customers located all over India due to unique characteristics such as increased durability and resistivity under various adverse conditions. we Are Junction box Manufacturer in India with great care.
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technewsdirectory · 8 years ago
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FanRos Professional Lavalier Clip-on Condenser Recording Microphone – Beige
http://dlvr.it/Nwhr7c
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fanprology-blog · 11 years ago
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What can you tell us about your warriors?
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Kriga: They are lazy, inefficient, and fragile! Their fighting techniques make me weep in pain! They get distracted by the silliest of things, like relationships or food!
Kriga: *calmer* But they are loyal to me and they do their duties without hesitation. And unfortunately I need them, as I do not have time to get certain things done, since the time wimp doesn’t stop time for anyone, evEN OTHER GODS.
Kriga: Asshole.
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