#Opt out is a crappy model

[s-n-arly]

Fuck Google Gemini

If you have Gmail, you probably got a welcome to Gemini email today-ish (Feb 19, 2025). If, like me, you want nothing to do with gen AI garbage software, you can turn Gemini off. However, as it is an opt out, rather than an opt in, I will never trust that Google won't just turn it back on again. This move shows that they are very much pro gen AI, which means they are pro theft of intellectual property as well as pro fuck-over-the-environment.

You can send Google feedback on how you feel about this. 1. Open the Gemini extension and go to Help in the left sidebar (it's the question mark, if it's compressed). 2. Click Help in the pop up menu. 3. Click Report a Problem in the little pop up window over on the right. 4. Share your feedback.

This is inspiring me to escalate my removal of all content from Google products and pursue different email options. Yay for motivation, I guess. [Screen capture showing icon and path to Help. Followed by a screen capture showing where you'll get the feedback dialog box.]

[celli-ohs]

hubba hubba!

part two of accidentally in love! series frat boy!yeonjun x stubborn!reader; college!au, one-sided love to lovers! comedy/crack, fluff, angst, smut

ATTENTION: reply/comment for taglist!

15. pretty (written chapter 3.17k)

Your phone dings for what seems like the 20th time tonight, but you’re so annoyed you don’t even go to check. “You’re not going to see?” Yujin gestures to your phone as she sits beside you on the couch. You all are seated in the living room, Rei and Wonyoung also beside you as they decide on what crappy TV show for you four to watch. Tonight was an actual girls' night. After a couple of chaotic “girls' nights” with all the boys, you and the other girls finally pulled the plug on the invitation following some absurd requests. So instead of gathering at your apartment like you all usually did, tonight you opted to stay over at Yujin’s and Wonyoung’s apartment (Liz had gone to see her family in Jeju for a couple of days). You sigh and shake your head, getting up to grab a drink. “No, I’m sure it’s just Yeonjun again.”

“Again? He’s been all over you recently, are you sure he doesn’t like you?” Wonyoung eyes you with a smirk. “Are you really going to have me relive my trauma of being friend-zoned by a frat boy?” You glare at her, opening your soda. “Sorry, it’s just why else would he be commenting on every post you’re in? He has no reason to be lurking.” She proves her point. “Honestly, I’m with Won on this,” Yujin nods. “Not you too, oh my god,” You roll your eyes. “I’m serious! Look I’ve been meaning to tell you this but when you had me model your dress, he seemed like he was really really into you.” Yujin reveals. You’re shocked but then scoff at her. “He’s always like that.” You disagree. “Oh really? So he just happens to constantly compliment you, wink at you, call you pet names? I almost forgot- he hugs you?!”

Both Rei and Wonyoung are flabbergasted at this information. You suddenly feel your face flush, and you begin to feel the pressure. “Uh- I can explain.” You hold up a hand. “You guys touch skin?!” Rei looks disgusted, while Wonyoung is trying to wrap her head around this. “Listen! Listen, okay?!” You hold your hands out, forcing them to quiet down. “He compliments me because he’s trying to show his gratitude. I’ve been doing all the heavy work in class, he said he feels bad so he wants me to know he appreciates it.” You say. “He only winks at me when he’s telling some stupid dad joke, and he only calls me names because he knows I don’t like them.” Yujin rolls her eyes, not believing you. “Okay those are plausible, but that doesn’t explain the hugging.” Wonyoung reminds you.

“Yujin is exaggerating, we only hugged each other goodbye.” You throw your hand to the side. “Just like I do with all of you, my friends!” The three girls look amongst themselves. “Fine, if you want the benefit of the doubt, okay then.” Yujin concedes. “But I know what I saw, and when he comes back crawling to you, I better get a thank you.” She threatens. You cross your arms and just decide to sit back down. “Whatever you say,” You snuggle into her side, giving her a silly smile. She pretends to be angry, but then she begins to laugh, throwing an arm around you. “Sorry, you’re one of my best friends and I just think you deserve to be loved by someone who isn’t afraid or a douche.” She mutters. “I know you’re just looking out for me, I’m grateful.”

“Us too! I want you to be happy and never have to worry about whether or not the person you’re with even likes you,” Wonyoung leans her head against your arm. You sit with a warm smile when Rei suddenly yelps. “Ow! Yujin, Wonyoung elbowed me!” As you and Yujin laugh, Wonyoung spits back. “Say something nice to Y/n you man hater!” Rei groans. “I think that guy is stupid and deserves to get jumped for hurting your feelings,” You eye her cautiously. “But I won’t because you like him.” She concludes. “I don’t like him.” You mutter. “Oh lord, here we go again.” Yujin sighs. “I don’t! We’re friends. I’m not going to fall for a guy who only sees me as a friend.” You laugh. “And when you guys start dating, I’ll be sure to remember that,” Wonyoung teases. “You guys are insuff-”

Your phone suddenly rings, and you clumsily fish it from under your seat on the couch. The contact name has you jumping up. “Go ahead and start the episode, I’ll be right back!” You don’t even look at your friends as you step outside, shutting the front door behind you. “Hello?” You say as soon as you answer the call. “Hey pretty, what’re you doing?” Yeonjun’s voice sounds like butter, and you can’t help but giggle. “Nothing much, just having a girls' night.” You explain quickly. “With Jake?” You swear you hear a twinge of jealousy. “No,” You laugh. “Just me and the actual girls this time. Kicked him out after he wanted to do Scooby Doo masks.” You hear Yeonjun crack up, and you smile to yourself. “Well, I have a question to ask you.”

“Okay, shoot,” You nod. You hear him clear his throat. “Are you busy tomorrow night? Soobin and his girlfriend are having a movie night and they said I could invite someone.” You pause, processing the question. “Are you asking me if I want to go with you?” You double-check, with a tone of cheekiness. “Yeah, I am.” Yeonjun sounds oddly shy. As you lean against the wall, you chuckle. “You couldn’t ask Kai or Beomgyu?” You tease. “Oh God no. Beomgyu’s too pissy to be around, and even if I did want Kai to go, he’s got the closing shift at work.” You hum at his answer. “I see, so I’m just the last resort.” You joke. “No, you were my first option.” Yeonjun shuts you right up. “Oh,” You peep out. He always found a way to surprise you. “So what do you say? Come join me?”

“You’re lucky I broke my non-dominant arm. If it was my right arm, I’d probably be unable to drive you.” Yeonjun chuckles as you two cruise down the street. “That just makes me more nervous.” You joke right back. Once you’d agreed to go with him, he’d offered to pick you up. You hadn’t expected much, but you also didn’t think big bad boy Yeonjun would pull up in front of your apartment complex in a Toyota RAV4, a total mommy car. “Why’re you nervous?” He asks, reminding you where you two were heading. You shrug, lying. “I’m meeting people I’ve never really talked to before,” You give him a small explanation. He nods understandingly. “Yeah, I get it, but I promise they’re all cool.” He reassures you as you two pull into a familiar apartment complex.

“This is where the boys live.” You look out the window, a bit shocked. “Yeah. Jay and the guys live here, on the third floor.” You point out their apartment, its curtains are closed but the windows are still bright, signifying someone is home. “Oh yeah, I think Soobin mentioned his girlfriend lives near them,” Yeonjun mentions. “Maybe I should pop in and say hi,” You mumble to yourself. “No, they might be busy, besides, the others are probably waiting for us,” Yeonjun says. You don’t seem to hear the slight jealousy in his voice. As you guys walk up the stairs, Yeonjun leans into you for a second. You can smell his cologne, it smells inviting. “I forgot to mention: Soobin and his girlfriend are weebs, I think we’re watching some kinda anime movie,” He mumbles. 

You laugh, nudging him in the arm. “No problem, I’m not picky with movies.” He leads you to a certain door and knocks. It bursts open in seconds, and you’re greeted by a tall man wearing the most atrocious Shrek-themed shirt you’ve ever seen. “You guys made it! Come on in!” Soobin ushers you two inside. You and Yeonjun arrive last, entering the bustling apartment. “Make yourselves comfortable. My girlfriend already made popcorn and Jen made pasta if you’re hungry.” Soobin tells you both as you remove your shoes. “Thanks, man,” Yeonjun claps him on the shoulder. “Woah! This is so cool!” You gasp at the screen projected onto the large blank wall in the living room. “Isn’t it? Best financial investment I’ve made with adult money,” Soobin’s girlfriend grins at you as she joins her boyfriend’s side (you notice she's wearing a matching Shrek shirt). 

“Didn’t Keeho steal it from our math teacher in high school after we graduated?” Chaewon interjects from the kitchen. “And I had to pay a heavy fee for him to let me keep it,” Soobin’s girlfriend argues. “Are you hungry?” Yeonjun asks you, secretly placing a hand on the small of your back. “I could go for some snacks,” You nod, letting him lead you to the tiny table. “Oh, let me add more M&Ms,” A girl scurries to the table, opening a fresh bag before she pours it into the bowl. “I’m Kazuha by the way, Chaewon’s girlfriend.” She greets. “Nice to meet you, I’m Y/n.” You smile. “Oh my gosh! Y/n!” A familiar voice calls out and you look behind you. Jen holds out her arms for a hug, and you excitedly run to her. “How’ve you been? You look so good!” She compliments. 

You thank her before a sneaky hand wraps itself around Jen’s waist. “Hey Y/n, how are you?” Keeho smiles. Yeonjun skips over to you, trying to show you the large plate of snacks he’d made. “I’m good, how about you?” You ask. “Not much honestly, just busy with school and ETEN,” Keeho nods, before turning his attention to the man to your left. “Which I need to talk to you about.” He looks and sounds stern as he faces Yeonjun. “Uh, can we do this another time dude? We’re here to have fun, I don’t feel like talking about that right now.” Yeonjun tries to be nice, popping a sour gummy worm into his mouth. “And when were you planning on answering my texts then? You’ve been avoiding all of council for the past month and a half.” Keeho raises a brow.

“You stopped showing up to parties, you have Changbin doing all the work, and you haven’t even spoken to Mark since-” “Okay babe, calm down,” Jen interjects, placing a hand on Keeho’s arm. “Let’s go sit down, you two can talk later.” She pushes him towards the living room, the others are also settling down. As they leave, you turn to Yeonjun with concern. “You’ve been avoiding the frat?” You ask him quietly. He doesn’t meet your eyes, looking embarrassed. “I’ve just been busy,” He shrugs. “With what?” You ask, but Yeonjun preoccupies himself with the gummy worms. You suddenly realize what he’s been busy with all month. “With… me?” You point to yourself. He finally looks at you, and you can’t tell what he’s thinking. 

“Let’s just say I’ve been reevaluating what I’d rather be spending my time doing.” He sends you a wink before taking your arm and leading you to the living room. Soobin and his girlfriend are seated on one end of the couch, Jen and Keeho on the other. Chaewon is cuddling with Kazuha on the bean bag. It’s then you realize what exactly you’ve gotten yourself into: a couples movie night. But before you can react, Yeonjun pulls you down beside him, squishing you two into the sofa chair. Actually, you’re practically on top of him, half sitting on his lap, the other half on the actual seat. You begin to feel hot, and your heart is beating so loud you swear Yeonjun could hear it too. You don’t want to turn to look at him, too embarrassed with how close you two were right now.

“We all can read right?” Soobin asks innocently. “Not Chaewon,” Keeho jokes, and he’s hit in the face with a popcorn kernel. “Ow! I was kidding!” He whines. “Well either way I don’t care, cause there’s no way in hell I'm watching dub,” Soobin says, and he presses play.

Halfway through the movie, you get up to use the bathroom. If you were being honest, you had no idea what was going on. Not because it was spoken in Japanese or because the plot was confusing. It was because you could feel Yeonjun’s… well everything. His heartbeat, his breath, his eyes. It was driving you crazy, you could barely concentrate. You hated yourself for feeling like this, after his rejection you thought you could control, maybe even dissipate your feelings for him. But sitting all cozy on one another in a dark cramped space had you thinking otherwise. Occasionally he’d lean in and whisper in your ear. Usually, he commented something funny about the movie or Soobin’s reactions, but every so often he’d say something that would make the hairs raise. 

“You smell good, what perfume are you wearing?” He says while lightly sniffing your collar, his nose tickling you. “I was going to tell you in the car, but I like your hair tonight.” Yeonjun’s lips ghost over your neck and you get chills. “Feed me a gummy worm, pretty? My arms are full,” He playfully uses his one free hand to squeeze your thigh. You had to excuse yourself before you got too dizzy from all the teasing. After calming down, you tried to mentally prepare yourself for when you return. There's a knock on the door and you pause. “Just a second,” You call out before you open it slightly. You don’t know who you were expecting, but it wasn’t Jen. “Hi, sorry, can I come in real quick?” She asks though she pushes herself inside. 

“Uh, yeah,” You nod. “Here, I’m finished anyway.” You attempt to leave when she catches your hand. “No! I actually wanted to talk to you.” She says, and you close the door again, this time with more concern. “What is it?” You know the others have probably noticed you both are gone now. “I’ll be fast,” Jen promises. “I just felt that you needed to hear this since you and Yeonjun are seeing each other now,” She says and you hold a hand out to stop her. “We’re not, we’re just friends.” You correct her. “Oh sweetie, everyone and their mama can see you guys like each other. Don’t deny it.” She laughs. You feel embarrassed because maybe she was right. “Even if you guys are ‘just friends’, I need to warn you.” She says with air quotes.

“Warn me about what?” You furrow your brows. Jen sighs and leans against the bathroom counter. “Yeonjun and I used to have a… thing last year. Nothing super serious I promise. It was mainly sex.” She begins to say, nonchalantly. “I just feel that as girl to girl, you should know he may seem sweet, but he’s never serious.” Your heart begins to sink. “He does this to every girl, he butters them up, sleeps with them, then ditches them for another one,” Jen says, her words stinging. “Yeonjun used to take me to parties and dates or whatever, but when I didn’t want to sleep with him anymore, he stopped holding up that nice guy act and we went our separate ways.” Jen takes your hands suddenly and you have to fight the urge to pull away. “I know we’re not super close or anything, but you need to know because you deserve to know who he really is.”

Who Yeonjun really is… You swallow thickly and nod. “Thank you, I appreciate it.” You give her a smile. She smiles back, squeezes your hands, and sighs. “We should probably go back,” She mutters, and you two exit, pretending to have never even had a hushed conversation. “You guys okay?” Keeho asks as you and Jen sit back down. Yeonjun holds you so naturally, yet you feel so stiff. “Oh yeah, nothing much,” Jen nods, catching your eye. You turn away quickly. “Feeling okay? You were gone for a while.” Yeonjun whispers. “Yeah, I’m fine, just uh, lady problems,” You lie. You can feel Yeonjun stare at you, trying to figure you out, but you remain fixed on the screen. You can’t even pay attention to the film anymore, you just need to pretend that you are normal. Yeonjun seems to believe you because he nods and leans back into the seat. You both don’t say a word for the rest of the movie.

“Have a good night guys, thanks for coming over.” Soobin’s girlfriend waves goodbye from the front door. “Thanks for having us,” You smile. “Is Soobin going to be okay?” You point to the lanky man who’d latched himself onto his girlfriend as he cried his eyes out into her shoulder. “Oh yeah, every time we watch Your Name he cries. He’ll be fine.” She assures you, petting her boyfriend’s hair as he babbles on and on about the love story. “Just- just- I just love them so much!” He sniffles. “Dude, you’ve got snot all over your face.” Yeonjun snickers. Soobin sadly flips him off. “Alright, take care, see you guys later.” You and Yeonjun finally leave, walking silently side by side down the stairs back to the parking lot. “How’d you like the movie?” Yeonjun asks quietly.

“Good.” You lick your lips nervously. “Kinda confusing, but it was sweet.” Yeonjun chuckles, unlocking the car. You both get in, buckling up. It’s late, there are no cars on the road, which means he could speed through town to get you back home, but Yeonjun seems to take his time. After a few minutes of debating, you finally speak up. “Hey,” You swallow. “Have you been avoiding the frat for me?” You ask. Yeonjun slows the car to a stop at the red light. “Yeah, why?” He turns to you and you guys meet eyes. There’s something in the way he looks at you, his eyes are so gentle that you feel as if you could read him like an open book. Even with all the things Jen told you tonight, you knew now as you looked at Yeonjun under the neon streetlights that whoever she was referring to was not the same guy who sat across from you. This Yeonjun was different.

“Nothing.” You say, still looking at him. “I just don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” The light turns green, and Yeonjun has to force himself to look away to continue driving. “I’ll talk to the guys.” He sighs. “I’m just focusing on the more important stuff right now.” Your heart begins to flutter. “I’m more important to you?” You can’t even believe what you’re hearing. Yeonjun nods, a smile gracing his lips and you have to physically stop yourself from screaming with happiness. 

“You have no idea how important you are, pretty.”

Bonus:

Some things the guys did to get themselves banned from girls' night: Heeseung begging to play LOL, Sunghoon picking Frozen as the movie, Jake (other than the cursed Scooby Doo masks) getting angry over losing in Monopoly (noise complaints)

Jay did nothing wrong he would cook, let the girls paint his nails/do his makeup, and knew how to give a good massage, it was such a shame to kick him out (they still secretly invite him)

Yeonjun knew it was a couples' movie night, he just conveniently forgot to mention it

Loser Soobin and his gf return! lol I left lots of awooga crumbs in this chapter

previous | next

hubba hubba! masterlist

taglist (open): @justandloyal2961 @hoonatic @emosakumas @ancnymcnzjy

[theribbajack]

PSA to my followers and fellow artists,

Tumblr has recently rolled out a new """feature""" regarding AI scraping. You can read the full post by staff here, but the gist is that Tumblr is allowing AI scraping with an option to opt-out. Only problem is, it's opt-in by default. To opt-out of having third-party AI models trained on your blog's content, go to Blog Settings (if you're on desktop, this is different from Account Settings) >Visibility>Prevent third-party sharing, and tick the switch ON to opt-out. This must be done for all sideblogs as well.

Also, I am going back through my blog and poisoning all my artwork with the Nightshade Tool to make them unusable for AI training, and I recommend any fellow artists do the same. I don't care if it's a crappy doodle, these AI companies have no right to anyone's original work, be it art, writing, gifsets, etc. without proper compensation. Protect yourselves and your work, friends.

[petty-revenge-stories]

Have the students build it...

I am a Technology Education teacher who always went above and beyond for my school, students, and administrators. I spent countless hours designing and building things for the school; I.e. signs, murals, wall art, games, etc. I really didn’t mind because I enjoy the design challenges that go along with these builds.

That was until I received a pink slip. For those of you who are not aware, a pink slip basically means that I may be losing my job the following school year. This really pissed me off because I had received great observations, became a role model for my students, and put in dozens of unpaid hours to create these side projects for the school.

I had a meeting with my assistant superintendent who basically told me that she appreciated all of my hard work but didn’t see much value in my program and with budget cuts coming down the pike I would most likely be losing my job.

Now it needs to be mentioned that Tech Ed is not like the traditional shop classes of the 70s where students would build bird houses and ash trays. My curriculum focused primarily on STEM with heavily involved hands-on applications. I related otherwise dry material to awesome projects that all students enjoyed (kids actually liked their school work) and she knew it. It’s also worth noting that both the valedictorian and salutatorian were going to Ivy League colleges to pursue STEM degrees. Needless to say I was beyond livid.

The week following the meeting my principal asked me if I was interested in building some new games for the cafeteria that students could play when they finished eating. Easy table games like mini knock hockey, checker boards, etc. to alleviate student from getting out of control. I explained that I could not complete the project and that was that.

Until...the assistant superintendent caught me in the hallway and told me, “just have the students build it”. So that is exactly what I did.

I tasked my laziest & most unqualified students for a “special project”, the result of which was glorious. Checker boards that didn’t have squares, knock hockey boards with splinters and uneven goals, laser engraved puzzles that did not fit together.

I thanked the students and asked the assistant superintendent to come on down to my lab because the student projects were done and they were excited to show them off.

In she walks and upon seeing the projects looks me dead in the eye. She now has a decision to make, 1- ask me what the hell happened or 2-tell the students to their faces what a great job they did. She opted for choice 2, going on and on about how great everything looks and how proud she was of the students while I had the biggest smile on my face knowing how crappy they turned out.

I thanked her for suggesting to “have the students build it” as she left with essentially a pile of scrap wood. The projects never made it to the cafeteria...

I resigned from that school and took a job that paid $12,000 more at a place where I was valued. They ended up keeping the position and begged me to stay on board.

I realized resigning was my best option because I could get an early jump on all of the new openings as opposed to being let go at the end of summer which would leave me with the worst schools that could not find a teacher.

(source) story by (/u/itsthebman12)

[dharc16]

It’s good to be back witches! I have been away for a while but I’m back with this post for all christian witches out there!

BEGINNING MAGIC

5 HARD TRUTHS ABOUT MAGIC

Of the many laws of magic, there are a few that you’ll never see on a T-shirt or affirmation board. Here, we’ll cover some of the tough stuff: The harsh, unsettling, the ambiguous facts of living an enchanted life.

This article was inspired by some recent discussions of false positivity—that is, the habitual repetition of encouraging words and images. In short, false positivity means well, but it does harm by shutting down discussion of anything problematic. You can’t hide the truth forever—and when you try, it seeps out in sneaky and unexpected ways.

There are certain aspects of magic that are difficult to come to terms with. The purpose of airing them is not to discourage anyone from their path, but to counter some of the shallow advice and empty promises that the witchy blogosphere churns out.

It’s time for some straight talk about magic—some Swords to go with your Cups, some Rue with your Roses.

IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE

It's not for everyone.

Can anyone become a Witch? Any honest answer to this question is complicated. In some ways, yes—the magical arts are open to all who seek them. In other ways, no. Some people lack the gifts, the learning—but most often, the dedication—to become effective practitioners of the Craft.

These two are the fundamental magical skills: The ability to alter reality through will. And, the ability to perceive things beyond the normal senses. These experiences are part of our natural state of being. They are, in a sense, the birthright of every conscious creature.

Yet these abilities are constrained on our earthly plane and must be located and cultivated. You need a strong will to accomplish this. It takes repetition. It takes humility. It often requires help from others—partners, plants, disparate parts of self—whose cooperation you must earn.

In short, excelling in magic is just like excelling in business or music or athletics. Not every aspirant will have what it takes. Talent only gets you so far. Hard work isn’t always enough. Sometimes you do everything right and still don’t get the results you want.

It’s not easy. It’s not for everyone (or at least, not all of the time).

REAL WITCRAFT ISN'T PHOTOGENIC

Real magic isn't photogenic.

Thick black eyeliner, a bespoke cloak, moon tattoos, and a table full of Amethysts—that’s what magick is made of, right? Sure, if you believe the internet. Like so many other things, witchcraft has been co-opted in recent years by lifestyle bloggers and tastemakers, advertisers and influencers. Super-stylish, just-edgy-enough witchy pics go hand-in-hand with the idea that magick is a piece of cake.

What’s wrong with enjoying all these highly performative images of witchcraft? Nothing! There’s no reason a person can’t be genuinely magical and also extremely good at self-presentation. Visual art is a kind of magic, too. However, let’s not make the mistake of confusing Instagram witches with the real thing.

It’s even possible for personal magic and social media to work at cross-purposes. Oversharing violates the principle of magical silence—the idea that talking about your workings can dilute or disperse their energy. People who endlessly photograph their working tools, altars, and ritual garments are arguably siphoning off some of their power for the sake of likes and followers.

Thinking back about the most powerful magic I’ve witnessed, much of it has been in the dark, among old or shabbily dressed people, with nary a smartphone in sight. The most eye-opening books I own are crappy dog-eared paperbacks that would look terrible in a tableau with a crystal pendant and a sprig of Rosemary. Pinterest offers no altar porn for the third eye…you’ll have to find those goodies on your own.

MAGIC IS DANGEROUS

Magic is dangerous.

With experience, I see a grain of truth in this warning. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies out there, folks. Different magicians have different opinions about whether spirit entities have an external reality or only dwell within the mind of the magic worker. Spirit entities are real, they have independent consciousness, and not all of them have your best interests in mind. The dead are asleep in their graves, according to God, and are not trying to communicate with you. And those who believe that they can believe in spirits, or even worse, control spirits, are placing themselves in a dangerous position.

Let’s look at the energy model of magic. Playing with spiritual technologies — certain forms of meditation, invocation, astral travel, etc. — can cause extreme and rapid shifts in your energy body. They can wreck your appetite and mess with your sex life. They can effect changes in your mood and sleep cycle that will disrupt every aspect of your daily existence.

Other hazards of the occult are more pedestrian: You can become arrogant (common!). You can turn into a colossal bore who only talks to plants (and even the plants wish you would shut up). You can invite the scorn of people who don’t approve of your path, people who formerly respected you. It’s hard to keep your spiritual and mundane lives in balance—but it’s absolutely necessary if you want to make magic a lifelong quest.

Anything worthwhile carries some risk. With magic, we are talking about nothing less than the rapid evolution of the soul…so it only makes sense than the risks would be commensurate with the reward. Only you can weigh the dangers and decide if it’s worth doing. (See #1: It’s not for everybody.)

YOU DON"T NEED TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE SPELLWORK

You don't need tools.

As a people who identify with the label “witch,” we often find that people want to perform “spells” to manifest what they need or want in their lives. Spells are nothing more than prayers to God, the source of all power. People use candles or herbs or the like to help focus their own minds and strengthen their intentions. There is no power inherent in the spells or the tools themselves outside of their ability to help us focus our intention. God and our own intentions are where the power lies. So the ultimate goal is to realize where our power comes from, and to come to the point where we no longer need tools to help us focus. With this goal in mind, we begin to understand the importance of meditation, which helps us clear our minds and focus our intention. Meditation is the best tool you will have in your arsenal.

THERE ARE NO EXPERTS

There are no experts.

“We’re all apprentices in a craft where no one becomes a master.” Ernest Hemingway was referring to writing, but the same can certainly be said of the metaphysical arts.

Magic is a vast and mysterious topic. There’s a natural instinct to look up to people who have been at it longer than you, or who seem to be more sure of themselves. But while some people are objectively more accomplished, there’s nobody who’s got it all figured out. We are all grappling with the inexplicable mystery of consciousness. We are all grasping at forms we can’t possibly see the shape of.

It’s scary to realize that everybody else is basically flying blind. But it’s liberating, too. When you stop relying on others to show you the way, you can begin to truly explore your own power. In turn, there's nothing wrong with learning from the experience of others. You simply have to find your own groove.

And there you have it...five tough nuggets. I don't expect that this will become one of my most popular posts ever, but I'm happy that I published it. What are your hard-won magical truths?

Adapted from Grove and Grotto

[kenneth-omega]

Sink or Swim **Ben Hardy**

Prompt was from here

“I need to make my ex jealous.” Fake dating trope.

Warnings: Swearing, Ben being too cute for his own good, and also hot af, mentions of body issues.

Word count: +8.7k

A/N: I’ve had some major heart eyes for Ben since I first saw him in X-Men: Apocalypse (ooF)

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The invite on Facebook that went around to the majority of your old classmates made you want to curse. You stared at the event on your laptop screen, sat at your dining table in your pyjamas, legs curled up as you rested your chin on your knee.

A dinner party hosted by one of the girls who you shared English with at your high school. She had been popular, naturally, and her looks hadn't faded over time, despite it being almost 12 years since you had all graduated. She'd gone on to work at a modelling agency, whereas you'd decided to work behind the scenes as a hair stylist.

However you could hardly complain about your job, as it had allowed you to work many amazing opportunities. The most recent one being on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, the new biopic that had recently hit the cinemas.

You'd been assistant to the head stylist who was in charge of all the wigs. This meant you had fixed and removed wig after wig, morning and evening, for a few months. It had been a brilliant experience, and one that you'd not taken for granted.

It also meant you had gotten a lot of time with the actors and actresses in the film, specifically Ben, who had portrayed Roger Taylor in the film. You'd gotten on well with him, however it had never progressed into anything more, certainly not into anything romantic.

Sure, Ben was easy on the eyes, but you were professional and so was he.

You'd swapped numbers after filming wrapped, but mainly because Ben found you a real laugh to be around. You were around the same age and so it was nice to be able to talk about similar topics, such as TV shows you'd both grown up with, how your school life had been, etc.

After the filming was done, Ben had invited you out a couple of times for pizza or a drink, since you lived a half hour drive from his area, it was easy to drop by and catch up.

Looking through the invited guests of the dinner party, you read many names you recognised, and some that you didn't. Already there was 30 responses from people confirming that they were going. They looked to be mainly people who hadn't settled down, with little responsibilities such as kids or serious jobs, meaning they had little in their schedules.

You clicked the 'Interested' button, not wanting to seem rude or ignorant. But then you saw a name that caught your eye, having RSVP'd that they would be attending, and it filled you with anxiety.

It was your high school boyfriend. Or ex for that matter.

He'd dumped you before prom, telling you that he didn't want to go with a girl like you, and that he had been asked by someone far better.

Looks like they hadn't worked out either, as they weren't in each other's friend lists when you had a cheeky sneak through. A little stalking never hurt anyone.

However this new revelation made you consider changing your answer to 'Not Going'.

You really didn't want to face that ass after 12 years, with no boyfriend or much else to show for it. If you were going to be reunited with him, you wanted to be able to rub it in his face about how successful your life had become after he ditched you.

Unable to ponder on it any more, you slammed the laptop shut and ran upstairs to get dressed, checking the time on your phone. A missed call.

From Ben.

You rang him back, having him pick up after the third dial. By the sound of it, he seemed to be in a car.

"Ben?" You asked down the phone, to which he laughed.

"Why do you sound so confused?" He responded with a question of his own, obviously humoured by your quizzical tone.

"Because I don't know why you're calling me?" You suggested, opening your wardrobe and trying to pick out an outfit for the day. You hadn't got anything really planned, so it didn't need to be anything special.

A pause on his end.

"Please don't tell me you forgot our plans." He whined, a little annoyed as he huffed down the phone.

You frowned, trying to recall making any plans with him. Then it suddenly hit you like a freight train.

Swimming!

"Shit! Ben, I'm so sorry, it completely slipped my mind." You stammered, now beginning to rifle through your drawers for your swimming costumes.

That was also something you and Ben had discovered you both enjoyed whilst on the Bo Rhap set. Your love for water.

He'd suggested you both go swimming one day, and that day had finally come around. He'd asked you last week when he'd popped over for a cup of tea, although you had been a little occupied with not burning your house down whilst he spoke to you. You'd been baking, or attempting to, a cake for your mother's birthday, and had agreed to go, only half-concentrating on what he was saying.

There was a laugh on his end, and it filled you with a little bit of relief, glad to know he wasn't too annoyed.

"Well it's a good job I called you then!" He pointed out, much to your chagrin. "I'll be there in 10, okay?" And with that he hung up, leaving you the chance to run around like a headless chicken, trying to gather up a bag to take with you to the swimming centre. It was the local one near you, about five minutes away from your house, making it easy for you to walk there whenever you felt like it, as you couldn't drive.

You chucked in a clean towel, along with some underwear and a bra, and some toiletries for after you were finished. You didn't fancy reeking like chlorine around Ben, despite the fact you rather enjoyed the way the swimming pools smelled. You'd opted to put your swimming costume on under your clothes to save you time in the changing room. You'd only had two choices to decide between when it came to which swimming costume you could wear.

Either you picked a really old, grey one-piece suit that was practically threadbare, or you put on the red, polka-dot bikini that you'd bought for a weekend away with your girlfriends. You'd gone up to celebrate one of their 30th birthdays at a spa centre with a pool and jacuzzi, and so you'd treated yourself to a new costume.

Aside from that, it hadn't been worn again, and was in practically mint condition. The only downside was that it was a bikini, and you didn't really fancy showing off a load of skin around Ben. He was a good-looking bloke, and very chiselled too. You didn't want him to find your body repulsive or have someone else at the pool laugh at you and Ben and the obvious fact that you didn't really belong around him.

Perhaps you could take a t-shirt?

You chucked in an old shirt that you didn't mind getting all chlorinated, and then went to brush your teeth in the bathroom. You tied your hair back from your face, putting it onto a simple ponytail so that it wouldn't hopefully get entirely wet.

It was starting to stress you out a little, as you realised Ben would be here any second, and you felt rather crappy in regard to your appearance, knowing that it was stupid to wear makeup to a pool, but not liking the idea of going bare-faced.

But then you had no more time to think about it, as your front doorbell rang, signalling that Ben was here. Cursing under your breath as you gave yourself one last look over, you grabbed your little bag of stuff and ran downstairs. You could see his shadow through the frosted glass of the front door as you picked up your keys to let him in.

Opening the door revealed him stood with his back to you, as he looked down the street whilst he waited for you. Upon hearing the door click, he turned around and saw you standing in the doorway, which made a smile spread upon his perfectly pink lips.

His hair had been shaved at the sides and the back, the top remaining relatively long, although he'd pushed it back and fixed it with some product. He was sporting a thin, grey jumper as the air was relatively crisp still at this time of year, along with some blue jeans and basic white trainers.

"Ready?" He asked, nibbling on his bottom lip with one of his canines as you grabbed some flat shoes and pushed them on. You nodded at him, feeling a little conscious of your clothes and your bare face, stepping out the house and locking it behind you.

Ben's car was gorgeous, a beautiful matte green, similar to the colour of moss, with tinted windows and leather interior. He treasured this car like it was his baby, obviously having spent a fair bit of money on it.

He opened the passenger door for you, so you could climb in easily, having to use the little built in step to get in. It was a real beast of a car.

Once Ben had gotten in the driver's seat and gotten you both off your little street, he looked over at you, noticing the tense way you were sat and how you were nibbling on your nails.

"You alright?" He asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road but also look at you occasionally. You nodded and made a humming noise.

"Just thinking." You told him, feeling a little bad that you weren't acting your usual self today. You didn't want to ruin the mood or your day that you had planned.

Ben laughed to himself. "That can sometimes be a dangerous thing to do. Care to indulge me as to what's on your mind?" He enquired, pulling his car into the car park for the swimming pool centre. It was hardly bound to be busy on a weekday, but there were a few cars parked up. When he stopped the car you shook your head, putting on a smile.

"It's nothing Ben, really. Let's just go and enjoy ourselves." You told him, hopefully making it clear that you didn't want to speak any more on the subject. He got the hint and just nodded, getting his bag out the back of the car and following you into the building.

The faint smell of chlorine and cleaning fluid hit your nose instantly as you walked in, and you couldn't help but inhale deeply. Ben shot you a funny look, but you just giggled, feeling the heat in your cheeks inflame.

"I like the smell." You told him sheepishly, to which he couldn't help but smile, placing a hand on your back and guiding the two of you to the front desk. The receptionist seemed a little surprised to see you with someone, recognising you from the many previous visits, however none of them having a partner beside you. You wondered if she would recognise Ben, as she kept glancing back and forth between the two of you but said nothing. You paid for your time in the pool and then walked off to the changing rooms.

A little bit of dread crept up into your throat as you neared the door with the female sign on it, realising you were going to have to get undressed and meet Ben on the other side, no doubt feeling like a fool.

Ben squeezed your bicep, grabbing your attention away from the door. You turned to him and found him stood by the gent's changing room.

He shot you a playful grin raising an eyebrow, and you couldn't deny how it made your heart flutter a little.

"See you on the other side?" He asked, pushing the door open. You nodded, giving him an uneasy smile, but he didn't pick up on your slight discomfort.

He headed inside, and you dashed into the women's, finding an empty cubicle and shutting the door, locking it so no one walked in on you. Plonking your bag on the seat, not wanting to put it on the wet tiles, you slipped off your shoes, glad you didn't have socks on that would get soaked by the water that people trailed through from the pool and showers.

Inside the tiny cubicle, you managed to shimmy off your jeans and the nice shirt you had on, folding them neatly in your bag, taking out the old, scruffy one that you planned to wear over your costume.

It was such a nice bikini, you felt it was a shame to cover it up, but you kept having the same thought of how Ben would react to seeing your body that was nowhere near as perfect as his was.

With a sigh, you unlocked the cubicle and chucked your bag and shoes into a locker, taking the little key that was attached to a plastic bracelet and locking it up, tying it around your wrist. There was a floor-length mirror on the wall before you headed past the showers and towards the pool entrance. You stood in front of it, inspecting how the bikini looked, wondering if somehow it had become too tight or loose in the short drive from your house to here. It hadn't, it looked the same.

You looked down at the shirt clenched in your fists and eventually caved, throwing it on over your head.

It came down to your upper thigh, covering as much as you needed it to, much to your relief. Sighing, you walked towards the changing room exit that lead out into the pool area, ignoring the funny look that one woman gave you as you passed her in the shower area.

You dodged the cold little puddle of water that was always in public swimming pool areas, hating how you had to walk through it to go back and forth between the pool and changing rooms. Stepping out into the huge leisure room, you could see the glistening water, the orange glow from the lights bouncing off its surface. It was so calming to see, instantly putting you at some form of ease, making you momentarily forget about the intrusive worries and doubts in your head.

That is, until you heard your name being called from your right and you looked to see Ben walked towards you. It was painfully unfair to see how brilliant he looked in his swimming shorts, his toned and very muscular torso on display for everyone to see. You could see the muscles under the skin shift as he got closer to you, the way they tensed when he ran his hand through his hair.

You knew then that it had been a good idea to put the t-shirt on, knowing that you would look ridiculous stood next to him.

"Hey! You look a little lost, is everything alright? What's with the t-shirt?" Ben asked when he finally had gotten to your side, giving you the once over as he spotted the t-shirt you donned over your costume. You shifted from foot to foot, toying with the hem of the shirt as you tried to find a better excuse than simply the fact that you felt rather crappy compared to him. You knew that people were looking at him, more specifically the women that were in the pool. Even the young lifeguard that sat up on her tall chair couldn't help but give him a very satisfied look down. Ben seemed oblivious to it all.

"Just, feel a little bloated?" You guessed, not entirely convincing him. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

"No worries. Well, let's get in then!" He pushed you playfully, teasing at throwing you in the pool, making you squeal.

"Ben!" You snapped, although you had a huge grin on your face. He backed away before you could grab at him, diving in head fist, with the grace of an Olympic athlete. You watched him disappear under the surface, before popping back up with a splash, flicking his head to shake the wet hair out of his eyes. Rubbing it with his hand caused it to stick out at weird angles, and you couldn't help but laugh at how funny he looked.

"Coming in?" He asked, swimming back towards the edge of the pool. You nodded, sitting down onto the cold tiles and slipping your legs into the water first, opting to sit on the edge for a little bit first.

Ben swam up to your side, resting his arms on the side so he could tread water easily.

"So, why the t-shirt? And be honest with me this time." Ben asked you, his face deadly serious, catching you a little off guard. So he hadn't believed your poorly put together lie. You felt your face go extremely hot at having been caught out.

"It's just..." You trailed off, hating the fact that you were going to have to tell him the truth. You didn't want to sound like an ass.

Ben waited patiently, careful to not pressure you into speaking. He rest his chin on his hands, continuing to tread the water as he watched you fumble over your words.

"It's you, Ben." You admitted, wincing at the way his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Me?" He responded, and you quickly tried to explain.

"NO, well yes. It's complicated." You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose as you tried to keep back the tears. Ben stayed silent. "You're hot..." You began, earning a laugh from him.

"Thanks love." He replied with a shit-eating grin. You swatted his arm.

"Shush, I wasn't done." You chided him, only he simply waggled his eyebrows, biting his bottom lip. You tried to ignore how that little action made you feel. "Well, as I said, you're hot..and I'm, well I'm not, basically." You explained to him, hoping he would understand what you were trying to say.

Ben silently pulled himself out of the water, his bicep muscles tensing and flexing as he did so, so that he was sat next to you, your shoulders bumping slightly. You kept your eyes focused on the shimmering surface of the pool. It was too much of a distraction having Ben sat next to you with beads of water sliding down over his abs and dripping off the ends of his hair.

"You know that is a load of shit, right?" He laughed, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you closer to him, his hand resting on your waist. "Listen to me, you're beautiful. Now I don't say that often, except as a joke occasionally on one of Joe's Instagram posts."

You couldn't help but laugh, having seen said Instagram comments for yourself.

"But on a serious note, you do not have to feel like you're worth any less because you're with me. I hate that you feel so insecure around me, because I always want you to be comfortable." Ben confessed, tugging on your ponytail jokingly so that you'd turn to look at him.

"It's just so difficult." You sighed, wrapping the t-shirt fabric around your finger.

Ben nodded. "You can keep the t-shirt on if you like, that's entirely your choice. But I just want you to know that I think everything about you is perfect. You're very hot, if you don't mind me saying." Ben nudged you at that last part, making a giggle erupt from your lips. It was a sound that Ben loved to hear and was glad that he was the one who could make it happen.

You began to pull your legs out of the water, and Ben frowned up at you as you got to your feet.

"I'll be right back." You mumbled, turning on your heel and going back into the changing rooms, forgetting about the cold puddle and stepping through it with a shiver and a grumble.

You stood outside the locker that was yours and opened it. With a long, slow exhale, you tugged the t-shirt up over your head, screwing it up and locking the door in a hurry, not wanting to change your mind if you lingered for too long.

Tugging at the bra part of the bikini, you repositioned it, hoping that it covered your breasts up well. You really didn't want a slip up to happen in front of Ben.

Perhaps you should have just wore the old swimsuit, you thought.

It was far too late now though, and you tried not to look in the mirror as you walked past it, failing miserably.

Ben's words echoed around your head as you tried not to look at all the imperfections you saw instantaneously.

I think everything about you is perfect.

You managed to pull your gaze away from the mirror and head back to the pool, forcing your arms to remain at their sides and not wrap around your midriff like you so wanted to do. You dodged the puddle and poked your head out to look around the big pool room. Ben was floating in the pool, not paying any attention to anyone as he gently floated on his back. Grumbling, you forced your feet to walk, one in front of the other, so that you were now well and truly exposed.

Nowhere to hide now.

"Fuck it." You whispered to yourself as you stepped up to the side of the pool.

It was at this same moment that Ben happened to look over, obviously wondering where you had gotten to, and spotted you stood on the edge with your hands balled into fists. You couldn't help but groan, as you'd been hoping you would be able to get in the pool without him seeing.

The smile however, that graced Ben's lips was one of pure happiness and...admiration?

He swum over to you until he was a metre from the edge, looking up at you.

"You took it off." He pointed out, his voice soft. It made your heart melt a little.

"Yeah." You admitted sheepishly, clearing your throat as you felt yourself grow more awkward by the second.

Ben quickly looked you up and down, but it didn't go unnoticed by you.

"You're even more beautiful than I first thought." Ben told you, making a warm heat pool in your stomach that spread all the way up to your cheeks.

"Thanks, Ben." You replied, sitting down and quickly lowering yourself into the pool, wanting to at least cover yourself up partially, plus it was getting rather chilly just standing on the edge like a lemon. The water was relatively warm, and it felt so natural to slip into it, you couldn't help but smile as you felt the warmth wrap around your body, in between your fingers and toes. Ben pushed away, and you swum after him, heading towards the shallower part of the pool.

It was here that you could eventually stand up, the water just reaching your collarbones whilst it only just made it up to Ben's pectorals.

"Feeling okay?" Ben asked you, moving his hands in the water, feeling the way it swirled around him, creating little currents. You nodded, bouncing on your tiptoes.

Ben stepped a little closer to you, and your heartbeat went a little funny when he nibbled on his lower lip, now flushing a deep red colour by how often he seemed to bite on it. You wondered if it was a habit or something to do with nerves, although you couldn't fathom why he'd be nervous around you.

"Is that everything you had on your mind?" He asked you, a drop of water slipping down his cheek and eventually dripping off his jawline. It was a pretty sharp jawline.

You shrugged. "There was this other thing, a dinner party, but it's alright, I've decided not to go." You told him nonchalantly. Ben pulled a face, his bottom lip sticking out a little in a pout.

"Why not?" He asked, splashing you playfully with a little water. You giggled, splashing him back, the water simply hitting his chest and running over his rock-hard muscles. You swore mentally at yourself to stop looking at his body.

"Because it's a high school reunion, hosted by a really popular girl who's now a model, and my ex who dumped me before prom has RSVP'd that he's going. I don't fancy turning up single and having to deal with him the entire night." You grimaced. Ben nodded, understanding your reasoning for not wanting to go.

"Just get a date for the evening." He told you, splashing a little harder, a few droplets of water hitting your cheek. You shook your head, partially due to the fact that Ben was going to get drowned if he kept pushing his luck.

"It's too short notice." You sighed, chucking a rather large amount of water at him. Ben wiped the water off his face with a grin.

"I'll go with you then." He offered, slapping his hand on the surface of the water, creating a huge spray of water that drenched your face and your hair. You gasped in shock, jumping on Ben and trying to push him under the water, but with little luck as he was far stronger than you and had anticipated your move.

His strong hands gripped onto your hips, holding you still as you burst into a fit of giggles at your pathetic attempt of shoving his head underwater. You didn't even register how close you now had gotten to Ben, hands resting on his shoulders as his toned abs were pressed against your stomach. The heat that radiated off the two of you as you stayed pressed together was intense, Ben's eyes flicking down to your lips on more than one occasion.

"So?" Ben practically whispered, unable to stop himself from letting his hand slip a little higher up to rest on your waist. The sensation of his hand on your bare skin made you shiver. But you remembered he had asked you a question, so you tried to remain focused on the conversation rather than how you enjoyed his hands on your body.

"Erm...So what?" You asked, having a momentary lapse of memory loss.

Ben chuckled, with you being able to feel the rumble of his chest under your hands. "Want me to go to this dinner party with you? I'll pose as your boyfriend or something, and make your ex see what he missed out on." Ben offered, explaining the little plan he had concocted. Your eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean, be my...fake boyfriend?" You laughed, unable to believe what you had just heard.

"Well, I never said fake, but sure." Ben joked, but you didn't miss his quick glance at your lips again.

Could Ben be interested in you?

You shook off the thought quickly, scolding yourself for how ridiculous you sounded.

But still, the offer of having Ben as your boyfriend was inviting, even if it was just for one night. Plus, you could rub it in your ex's face.

How wonderful that sounded.

With a mischievous smile, you agreed to Ben's plan.

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It was two days after your trip to the swimming pool with Ben, and you were finishing up your makeup in the bathroom mirror, knowing Ben was coming to pick you up in the next few minutes. You hadn't forgotten about this night however, but you had been a little late in getting ready, as you had been on the phone to your mother about the dinner party.

When she'd asked if you were going alone, you had mentioned Ben, but stated firmly that it was simply as friends. Your mother hadn't sounded very convinced.

Now the evening was upon you, you had butterflies in your stomach. It was silly, but it almost felt like a date to you, even though you had told yourself countless times today that it wasn't, if anything it was an operation.

Operation: Jealous Asshole Ex.

You'd put a lot of effort into your appearance tonight as well, but you didn't know if it was because you were doing it to pile on the jealousy, or if it was because you were going to be with Ben.

Either way, you scrubbed up pretty well.

It was a black dress that your mother had bought for you. You'd had a bonding day together and went to a huge shopping centre where you'd had lunch and treated yourselves. You'd been rather resistant to let your mum get you something, especially a dress that you'd had no idea when you would ever wear. But now you were grateful.

The dress zipped up your back to your shoulder blades and had a halter neck front but with a cut out that showed off a little bit of cleavage. It had built in breast support and boy; did it support alright. You'd never known your boobs to look so bouncy and voluptuous.

It was pretty modest in length as it came down to the top of your knee, but it was devilishly tight, hugging every single part of your body, hiding nothing. Had it not been so figure-hugging you would have considered wearing something over the top, but due to its tight form, it seemed to make everything look slimmer and curvy.

Whilst you detested heels, you had nothing flat to wear that matched, so you begrudgingly borrowed a pair of black stilettos from one of your friends. You'd curled your hair instead of tying it up and let it hang loose, framing your now dolled-up face.

You liked this style. It made you look confident and sexy.

Something you often struggled to feel.

The doorbell rang downstairs and your heart began to thump heavily in your chest.

Ben was here.

You grabbed your phone and carefully got down the stairs without any injuries. You were certain that you'd trip and twist your ankle by the end of the night.

There was no hesitation this time as you opened your door, eager to find out what Ben would think of how you looked.

You didn't have to wait long to find out, as his mouth physically dropped open when he laid his eyes on you. But you were no better as you gaped at how handsome he looked.

He was sporting a black blazer with shiny black lapels, alongside some tight black dress trousers. What made your jaw drop was the shirt. You recognised it as one he'd worn at a premiere for Bohemian Rhapsody, having seen photos online, but in person you couldn't stop staring. It was made of a mesh kind of material, slightly opaque, just enough to be able to see how defined and toned he was under his clothes.

"Ben.." You trailed off. You couldn't deny how good he looked, and it was impossible for you to tear your eyes away from him.

Ben was quick to speak up in your silence.

"You look stunning. Absolutely gorgeous." He complimented you, extending a hand out to you. You took it without hesitation as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek. You could smell the cologne he'd put on, the intoxicating scent drawing you in closer. He was so magnetic to you, attracting you like a moth to a flame.

"And you don't look half bad yourself." You joked when he pulled back from you. Ben rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"What, this old thing?" He waved it off, feigning disinterest. You bit your lower lip just at the sight of him laughing, looking so ravishing in his suit. His hair was slicked to one side, with a couple of blond strands falling over his forehead.

"I don't doubt that tonight will be a success with you looking like that." You told him, as you headed towards his car. He opened the door, just like he had done a couple of days ago, only he stayed and helped you into the car, keeping a hand firmly on your back for support. When you were in, he gave you one last smile before shutting the door and returning to the driver's side.

He was treating you so nicely, it made your heart swell.

This felt a lot like a date to you.

But you knew that it wasn't really. So you pushed the thought out of your mind and waited patiently for him to begin to drive to the dinner party. But before he did, Ben remembered something and slipped his hand inside his blazer. You watched quizzically, wondering whether he'd forgotten something, until he pulled out a singular, red rose.

It wasn't real, and Ben explained it was to make sure that you never had to get rid of it, that it would be forever permanent. You just about fainted at his sweet gesture, fingers trembling slightly as you took the rose from him, stroking the petals that were made of velvet.

"You're such a charmer." You giggled, leaning over and kissing his cheek quickly, pulling back before he could react. Although it was dark as he drove you both towards the party, you could swear that in the glow of the street lights, his cheeks had gone a faint red.

Had you made him all flustered?

It humoured you to think so, but how likely was it to be that you'd managed to make him blush?

You didn't think about it anymore as you sat in silence for the rest of the journey, albeit a comfortable silence.

It wasn't until you arrived at the house that you started to feel some jitters. There were cars parked along the street, lots of guests having already arrived. You dreaded to think how many you would remember, and how many might remember you. But you were only here for one thing, and you intended to carry out the plan you and Ben had devised.

Once Ben had parked up, you both hopped out and crossed the road towards the house. Although it was more of an estate really.

"Jesus, this place isn't half posh." Ben muttered under his breath, shoving his hands in his pockets as you both walked down the fully-packed driveway. You hummed in agreement, but in reality you were trying to calm the nerves coursing through you, straightening your dress and fixing your hair.

You'd like to think you'd changed considerably since high school, but who knew?

Ben noticed your nerves and brought one of his hands out of his pocket to grab yours. You startled at the sudden contact and the unusual action, something that neither of you had done before.

"What are you-"

"Come on." Ben interrupted, throwing you a playful wink as he noticed your confusion. He pulled you along towards the front door. He was the one to push the doorbell button, hearing the little chime from inside. The entire door was made of frosted glass, so you could see a dark shape getting closer as the person on the other side approached.

Gripping Ben's hand a little tighter, you let out a deep breath before the door was opened.

And there she was.

Amelia Hargreeves.

The host of the evening, who hadn't seemed to of changed a bit, save for her chest being a lot bigger than it was, and her curves having gotten even more curvier than when she was 16. Although she had dark brunette hair, it was a little lighter at the tips, hinting that she'd gotten a balayage recently. The dress she wore was beautiful, obviously made specifically for her by some clothing brand.

But she wore a smile as she greeted you and Ben. You noticed the big engagement ring on her left hand and sighed a little, glad that you wouldn't have to worry about her possibly trying to get on with Ben. Not that it should really matter to you.

"Oh my god, hi!" She pulled you in, giving you an air kiss on either side of your cheeks, before doing the same with Ben. "I'm so glad you made it, please come in. Geoffrey and I were just talking about you!" Amelia ushered you both inside.

You put on a big smile, perhaps a little too forced, but still believable. "I hope we aren't late." You replied, stepping into the spacious, open hallway. You could hear soft music and chatter down the hall, knowing that everyone must be through there.

Amelia shut the door, beaming at the two of you. "Not at all! Please, come through and meet everyone else. God, you look so beautiful tonight, I love the dress." Amelia lead you down the hall, passing numerous pieces of art, pictures and decor.

You couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride in yourself. Amelia, whilst she had never been cruel to you in school, hadn't exactly been the best person ever, often a little self-centred and egotistical. But she was being especially nice to you tonight, and you had to wonder if perhaps she'd changed her tune.

"Thank you, and I love yours as well." You complimented her back, to which she laughed, a little, tinkling laugh.

"Thanks, it's Louis Vuitton." She giggled.

You had to refrain from rolling your eyes just a little.

She looked over her shoulder at Ben, giving him a warm smile.

"You're an unfamiliar face though, how do you two know each other?" She asked, looking back and forth between you both, waiting for one of you to answer. You clammed up, hoping Ben would take the lead in spinning this web of lies.

"We met on set actually, we're currently seeing each other." Ben smiled proudly, to which Amelia cooed.

"How sweet! Geoffrey and I met in Milan, I was over there, and he was doing a shoot with me in it. We're engaged." She waggled her hand, as if we hadn't seen the boulder of a stone on her finger.

Ben smiled. "That's lovely."

He was far better at this small talk business than you were, and for that you were so grateful.

The chatter of voices had gotten louder now as you reached the big open space, a giant living room with ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the garden. The ceiling was tall and had a large, modern-looking chandelier in the middle, casting a golden light over the entire room. People were sat around, and many were stood in little groups, all talking amongst themselves. Some were in deep conversation, whilst others were laughing at whatever one person had said. It was a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

A few pairs of eyes spotted you instantly, and many people turned to the sound of heels clicking on the wooden floor. Ben let go of your hand, much to your distress, until he slipped his arm around your waist, pulling you a little closer into him. You were grateful for the support.

Amelia introduced the two of you, which had your face turning a deep red as many watched on, Ben smiling at anyone who happened to be looking your way. When Amelia had moved on, a couple of people came up to you instantly. You recognised them both.

Keerah and Jonathan. Both of them had been in your maths class.

Keerah's thick, black hair was tied in a braid that trailed down the length of her back, with little beads and rings woven in, and she wore a deep blue gown with a white sash around the middle. Jonathan's curly red hair was now cut short, so that the curls stayed close to his head instead of the wild mop he had sported in high school. He was wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt and skinny black tie. He'd actually been rather nice in school, often mucking around in class to entertain the students, much to the teacher's chagrin.

"I thought that was you!" Keerah laughed, giving you a quick hug and shaking Ben's hand. "You barely look like yourself anymore! Wow, 12 years makes a difference, huh?"

She was sweet to you and Ben, and Jonathan piped up, a bottle of beer in his hand.

"You haven't got drinks? Come on, let's get you something." He led the two of you over to the built-in bar at one side of the room. There was even a man in uniform stood behind it, waiting to serve whoever came up. You ordered a glass of white wine, but only a small, whereas Ben went with a bottle of beer, the same as Jonathan.

"I thought you were driving?" You asked Ben, brows knitting together as he took a swig from the bottle. He gives you a smile.

"I'll just have one, and if I end up having more we can get a taxi. Don't worry, baby." He smirked. You almost keeled over at the little nickname he had decided on adopting for you. You hadn't expected any names to be brought into play, but you sure as hell weren't complaining. You just took a sip of your wine, listening as Jonathan asked Ben about what he did for a job.

Ben wound an arm around you, pulling you into his side.

"I'm an actor, I just starred in a film that came out in the back end of last year." Ben sipped his bottle, watching Jonathan's eyes grow wide.

"Blimey mate, what was it?" Jonathan asked, fully interested.

"Bohemian Rhapsody."

Keerah gasped. "Oh shit, you're the drummer!" She laughed, covering her mouth. Ben nodded, to which Jonathan shakes his hand.

"Bloody hell, good on you mate." He replied, still in awe. Keerah tapped your shoulder, drawing your attention away from Ben, who you had been watching, no doubt with a stupid smile on your face.

"Did you know Jacob was coming?" She asked. You grimaced at the name, recognising it all too well. Ben's ears must have pricked up as his head also turns to look at Keerah.

"Jacob?" Ben echoes, to which Keerah laughs nervously.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bring up your old flame, but I remember how it ended with you two and I didn't want you to get a nasty surprise if you saw him." Keerah apologised to you and Ben, but you waved it off with a laugh.

"Don't apologise, it was 12 years ago. How petty would I be to still hold a grudge against the bloke?" You joked, earning laughs from Jonathan and Keerah, even a chuckle from Ben, but that was more because of the fact that he knew the reason why you were both here.

Jonathan took a long gulp from his bottle before spotting something out the corner of his eye.

"Well shit, it's a good job you don't have a grudge, because he's coming over now." Jonathan put a hand on Keerah's elbow, mentioning that perhaps they should give you and Jacob some space. Keerah agreed and they left, promising to speak to you and Ben later.

You turned to Ben, panic set in your eyes as you stared into his perfectly calm ones. He noticed your worry and set his drink down on the bar, placing both his hands on your shoulders.

"You feeling okay?" He asked, worry laced into his words. You couldn't help but feel a little happy at how he fretted over you and the genuine concern he seemed to show.

"Yeah, with you here I'll be fine." You assured him, placing a hand on the lapel of his jacket. Ben pressed his hand over yours, curling his fingers around yours and bringing your hand to his lips, kissing it softly as he continued to look at you. You could feel him smiling against your skin, and the simple gesture had your head reeling, wishing he would stop being so charming. But that was his whole point of being here tonight.

There was a gentle pressure on your back, the cold hand against your bare skin making your blood freeze. The sound of your name on his tongue made you want to turn around and punch him in the face. Ben lowered your hand, but kept a firm grip on it, his eyes instantly going from twinkling to dark and threatening as he looks behind you.

Turning around, you were met with the very man you had come to see tonight, but now wished you were a million miles away from. Jacob.

His brunette hair was still wavy and long, the ends brushing the collar of his black shirt that was unbuttoned at the top. He wore no tie, but instead he donned a smooth, arrogant smirk on his lips. He no doubt still thought he was the shit, as it was blatantly obvious by the way he looked past you at Ben, raising a single eyebrow silently.

You could feel Ben tense behind you, and you wondered if he might actually punch Jacob.

Part of you secretly prayed for it.

Jacob was the first to speak. "Well, I'll have to admit I didn't expect you to be looking so foxy tonight, so colour me impressed." He joked, sticking his hands in his pocket and letting his head fall slightly to one side, letting his gaze travel up and down your body at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Ben cleared his throat, causing Jacob's eyes to snap back up and look at the intimidating blond behind you.

"Hello mate, loved the film." Jacob stuck his hand out for Ben to shake, which he did. Very firmly.

Jacob couldn't completely hide the wince as Ben squeezed his hand to death. You had to admit it was a little hot seeing Ben so worked up, using his body to appear more intimidating to Jacob.

"Thanks, bud." Ben replied with a smile, although his eyes remained cold.

Jacob shifted his gaze back to you, giving you a lazy smile. "So, how have you been?"

You braved a smile as you spoke to him, remaining civil but uninterested. "Good, made some good friends and worked on some big films, such as the one I met Ben on." You leaned into Ben, feeling his hands go to your waist and pull you against his chest. Jacob nodded.

"Yes, you seem very happy together. How long have you been dating?" He asked, the tone in his voice dripping with sarcasm. You felt the itching urge in your hand to slap him cross the face. Ben hummed, turning you to face him and leaning down to look at you, his face inches away from yours.

"It's been a few months hasn't it, baby?" He asked, one hand slipping up your back to rest at the nape of your neck. Ben looks at you through heavy, almost lust-filled eyes, that bottom lip being caught in between his teeth as he gazed down at you. You knew it was just an act, but you liked having this opportunity to have fun. So you slipped your hands up to link around his neck, pulling him a little further in, giving him an award-winning smile of your own.

Ben showed no surprise at your sudden change in mood, instead he seemed to lap it up.

"That sounds about right..." You purred. "Baby."

The name he had now affectionately called you twice came as shock to him when it came from your mouth. Ben knew he shouldn't be finding it hot, the way you spoke to him and how you looked at him. But he had initially been acting at the start of the night, only now it didn't seem like it was pretend anymore.

He'd never seen you like this before, and he couldn't help but wonder if you were actually flirting with him out of your own interest.

Remembering that Jacob, the self-righteous asshole, was still stood in front of them, Ben devised a smart, little plan to get them away from him. And to also make Jacob regret ever deciding to dump you, and to even think he could try to speak to you again.

Leaning down to your ear, he whispered, "Follow me."

You looked over at Jacob who was stood there, looking rather irritated at how little you seemed to care about this presence, before looking back at Ben. Nodding your head, Ben turned to Jacob with a shit-eating grin.

"Excuse us, we have some business to take care of."

The numerous suggestions that statement left hanging in the air made you want to blush, and Jacob seemed unable to hide his scowl at the two of you as Ben pushed you away from the bloke. You daren't look over your shoulder, but out the corner of your eye you saw Ben wink at Jacob from over his shoulder, before walking alongside you.

The two of you were walking back towards the hallway that you'd arrived from, the slightly darker corridor leading away from the room. You weren't out of the room just yet, but that must have been Ben's plan, as he stopped you just before the corner where you two would vanish out of Jacob's sight.

"Sorry about this." Ben muttered to you, and before you could ask what he meant, he pulled you in and smashed his lips to yours in a hungry kiss. You couldn't help the moan that escaped you as he slipped a hand to the back of your head, running his fingers through your hair and pulling slightly, the other one trailing down to playfully grab a handful of your ass.

Although you were supposed to just be acting, you knew that everything you did in retaliation to Ben was 100% of your own accord and your own attraction to the man that was currently making out with you. He pulled away, bringing your lips apart for just a few seconds so he could whisper to you.

"Walk back a little." He commanded you, before bringing his lips back to yours and slowly pushing you backwards. You did as he asked, making little steps back until you felt the cold plaster of the wall behind you, meaning that you were pinned against Ben.

With his body pressed against yours, you couldn't help but get a little more desperate in your kissing. You parted your lips a little and Ben knew instantly what you wanted, his tongue slipping into your mouth as you deepened the kiss.

"Ben-" You gasped, as his kisses began to trail down from your mouth, travelling along your jawline and down your neck. He hummed in response but didn't stop. You moaned, but then quickly bit down on your lip to stifle it, not wanting anyone to come along and find you both.

"Ben...Baby, please." You whined, accidentally letting the nickname slip from your mouth. He stopped the kisses on your neck, bringing his face up to look at you again. His lips were slightly swollen and red, and was a little laboured in his breathing, but you found it all extremely hot.

"Baby?" He teased. You fidgeted, looking away from him in embarrassment.

"Sorry, it just slipped." You mumbled. Ben rolled his eyes, hooking a finger under your chin and bringing your face up so that you would look at him.

"Yes, and that intense make out session we just had was definitely me just acting." He told you, the sarcasm dripping off his tongue as he looked back and forth from your eyes to your lips that were no doubt swollen like his.

"When did you stop acting?" You asked, biting your lower lip as you toyed with the lapels of his jacket. Ben laughed quietly.

"When I picked you up to go swimming, two days ago."

You blink in surprise, casting your mind back to the day in question. Those kind things he said, the way he admired you and seemed so pleased when you joined him in the pool. When he had offered to be your boyfriend.

"At least we don't have to lie to these people anymore." You giggled, leaning forward and standing up onto your tiptoes to kiss him gently on his soft, pink lips. Ben didn't back away from the kiss when you did, instead leaning in again to stop your lips from breaking contact.

After one more long and passionate kiss, he finally reigned it in enough to pull away. He held out his hand for you, visibly happy when you took it without hesitation, before you began to walk back into the party together.

"Let's knock 'em dead, baby."

[illycanary]

Anne’s, “I was right,” is such a great, deeply satisfying line and a perfect bookend to this story, and here’s why:

The modern-day equivalent would be 16-year-old Anne’s boyfriend Fred trying to persuade her to have unprotected sex. Anne has some misgivings and asks for advice from her closest adult female role model. Auntie tells her, “That’s a bad idea. You could get pregnant, have to drop out of high school, and end up an uneducated single mother who has to work minimum wage for the rest of your life. But you already knew that because you’re a smart kid. Remember what you owe yourself and stand your ground.”

Anne could be more measured in how she interprets and follows through on this advice. She could say, “You know what, Fred? I think we should graduate, set up our careers, and get married before we have sex.” Or she could go for a more middle-road approach such as, “Let’s do the sex, but use protection.” Instead she opts for, “I don’t want poor Freddy to have to deal with the discomfort of blue balls or a rubber. He’ll be happier if I just cut him loose.” That’s 16-year-old black-or-white thinking for you.

Then Anne graduates, researches a practical career path that has a modest pay scale but a high degree of stability, and sacrifices most social pleasures and personal comforts in order to work her way through college without going into debt. She finds herself secure, but somewhat unhappy with her job because she’s got a crappy boss who sits above her on the career ladder with his foot on her face, underpaying her and denying her deserved opportunities to move up. 

Then Fred (who took the riskier route and didn’t go to college, but managed to work out a successful, high-paying career for himself through a moderate amount of talent and a lot of luck) comes back around. He starts rubbing his happiness and success in the face of the overworked, undervalued girl who had the audacity to dump him and fools around with his adoring entourage just to spite her. “See, Anne? Look at all the fun I’m having without you! Don’t you wish you’d put out for me now?” Except, one of those sorority girls gets pregnant. Now it’s, “Oh, crap. If I don’t marry this groupie I had no intention of having anything permanent with, I’m going to be an absentee, deadbeat dad and relegate this not-too-bright girl to life as an undereducated single mom. WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?!” Fred’s bacon gets pulled off the fire when his baby mama miscarries a few months into the pregnancy, at which point he realizes what an absolute dick and butt-hurt moron he’s been for eight years. He finally dredges up the sense to crawl back to Anne with his tail between his legs to see if he’s got a chance, because suddenly, a woman with a lick of sense and enough self-control not to let the whims of the moment make all her major life decisions doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. 

So it all works out for them because circumstances are different now. They’re not sixteen. Their future is far more secure. They still agree on every other point that cultivated their initial attraction. And Anne, looking back on how different their happiness and feelings for each other might be now if they had been forced together by a teenaged pregnancy and trapped in a lifelong cycle of scraping by paycheck-to-paycheck, is more than entitled to a well-placed, “You’re lucky you’re cute. Also, I was right not to let you knock me up in high school, you dumbass.”

I've just finished rereading Persuasion and at the end Anne says that listening to lady russell was The Right Thing and it seems really forced. Isn't the whole book about making your own choices and taking some risks? How is submitting to the persuasion right? she was young when she did, of course, but the fact that she says, after eight years of sufferings, that she did the right thing always leaves me confused. what do you think?

I think with Anne it’s not so black and white. We tend to think in terms of “this wasn’t wrong” to then mean “it must have been right” when Anne also elaborates and points out that in her case, it turned out to have been the wrong choice. My reading of it is that she’s saying in the moment, aged nineteen, she did make the best decision she could have made at the time, with the information she had available. Also recall that had Wentworth swallowed his pride a couple of years later and renewed his offer, she would have had the certainty she needed to accept him. So of those eight years of misery, in hindsight, two of those years could be blamed on her choice, and six of them could be blamed on Wentworth’s choice.

Lady Russell’s place in Anne’s life can’t or shouldn’t be minimized. In adaptations, where characters are kind of broken down into their basic note-hitting points, Lady Russell’s position as a neighbourly adviser kind of takes center stage, and in order to highlight Anne’s isolation and unhappiness, she’s often shown as being very lonely. Which she is, in a sense, but she is not alone, nor is she without love. Her family is ridiculous, but Lady Russell is her lifeline, and I don’t think either adaptation really shows that–she’s played off as a meddling but well-intentioned older woman with no perception for Anne’s true feelings. But the text tells a different story. At nineteen, Anne is only five years on from having lost her dear mother, and Lady Russell has stepped into that void and cherished and loved Anne as nobody else has done. Lady Russell has been the next thing to a mother Anne has had as she matured into a young lady, and certainly the best friend in the whole world. Lady Russell is noted as having been a sensible and deserving woman, who helped to guide Lady Elliot, while she lived–and Anne is noted as being very like her mother, in many respects. A superior creature, yes, but everyone can do with a sensible and worthy friend to talk things over with when times are hard.

So here is Anne, at nineteen, with her one consolation and emotional outlet being Lady Russell, who is halfway between a mother and a best friend to her.

[Lady Russell] was a woman rather of sound than of quick abilities, whose difficulties in coming to any decision in this instance were great, from the opposition of two leading principles. She was of strict integrity herself, with a delicate sense of honour; but she was as desirous of saving Sir Walter’s feelings, as solicitous for the credit of the family, as aristocratic in her ideas of what was due to them, as any body of sense and honesty could well be. She was a benevolent, charitable, good woman, and capable of strong attachments, most correct in her conduct, strict in her notions of decorum, and with manners that were held a standard of good-breeding. She had a cultivated mind, and was, generally  speaking, rational and consistent; but she had prejudices on the side of ancestry: she had a value for rank and consequence, which blinded her a little to the faults of those who possessed them.

So from this we can determine that Lady Russell has her faults–as does anybody–but she is certainly no evil meddler, and a very worthy friend to have. Her objections to Wentworth as a match for Anne are indeed material–that he has no high connections, and no fortune, but even were Lady Russell not on the snobbish side, these would still be valid concerns. Lady Catherine’s objection to Elizabeth Bennet’s low connections is true snobbery–Eliza has no career to speak of. But in the case of a professional man, particularly in the Army or Navy, a single connection in the right place could be the difference between a life of hard graft and no promotion, and access to wealth and rank. Though the Navy in war-time certainly allowed for more merited promotion than the Army and peace, it is acknowledged that young Captain Wentworth can offer no guarantees for Anne’s support and comfort, and as a gallant young officer, will run the very real risk of injury or death throughout his career. We see the Harvilles living very poorly, though they strive to be happy enough, with the support of Benwick and other brother-officers…and that is with Captain Harville alive, on reduced pay, and still able to do gentle work in mending nets. They are getting by, but only just, and in the best-case scenario. Any crisis–another child born, Harville’s health worsening, some accident or unforeseen cost–can still be the tipping point into abject poverty. This is the uncertainty which rather rightly terrifies Lady Russell on Anne’s behalf, who perhaps has not even thought of these things until Lady Russell points them out to her. Anne has never been married, or really known a married couple other than her parents; Wentworth is a bachelor, and has saved nothing to support a wife and family, though he’s confident enough to propose, anyway.

Anne, being genteel and elegant and high-minded and young, Lady Russell cannot bear to see risking all her happiness on a man who is barely known to any of them. This was very much a whirlwind romance, and now Wentworth is that boyfriend from the other side of town saying “What do they know, babe? Trust me.” If Anne is not persuaded by Lady Russell, she is to be persuaded by Wentworth…so this is less her making up her own mind independently, and more her having to decide who to trust to ensure her future happiness. And Wentworth…Wentworth is not unbiased, here. Sure, Lady Russell has her blind spot of snobbery (but note she doesn’t object to Wentworth the man so much as Wentworth’s career being uncertain and risky and her fears are for Anne’s material style of living being adequate and consistent, rather than believing Wentworth is some stupid peasant who isn’t worthy of a daughter of Kellynch. That’s Sir Walter’s view.) But Wentworth’s blind spot is that he’s deeply in love and all he wants is to be married to Anne. Which, fine…but at what cost? Could his love and his hopes have over-inflated his belief that Everything Will Be Fine well beyond what is reasonable to expect? Lady Russell sees his confidence as foolhardy, perhaps even tempting fate, and it worries her deeply. That Anne eventually sides with Lady Russell causes deep resentment in Wentworth, and rather than understanding Anne’s position and feelings, he leaves the country in a fit of pride which lasts long enough to prevent him renewing his offer two years later.

Now hindsight is 20/20 and we know it’s Wentworth and Anne and true love and all will be well (kinda sorta the risk of injury or death is still there but hey he’s fine for money now) but what kind of mother/best friend figure wouldn’t step in at that point with teenager Anne to be like

Lady Russell, whom she had always loved and relied on, could not, with such steadiness of opinion, and such tenderness of manner, be continually advising her in vain.

So when, in the end, Anne says “I don’t think I was wrong to listen to Lady Russell” it’s a defense of the deep bond and respect she has with her closest friend, and the trust she had placed in her. In the time to come, Anne would learn the value of relying more on her own judgement, yes, and admits that she made the wrong choice in doing precisely as Lady Russell advised (why not settle for a long engagement, instead of breaking it entirely?) she must admit that, given the circumstances, Lady Russell’s caution was entirely reasonable, and that *in general* young people could do much worse than heed the well-meant guidance of older people who have some perspective and loving concern for their well-being. In this particular case, yes, it’s not so simple, and Lady Russell was proven wrong by what, in time, happened…but that’s not proof anybody could have whipped out in 1806 to support Anne and Wentworth’s arguments in favour of the marriage. Wentworth can only hope to make his fortune–he cannot claim with any certainty that he will. His personal convictions are strong enough that he feels able to rely on them, but that’s not enough for Lady Russell, and ultimately, Anne’s doubts work to persuade her, as well. Wentworth resents this, of course, and Anne regrets it…but Anne is doing her best with what she’s got. Should she have ignored her best friend? Specifically, yes, because Wentworth’s gamble prevailed. In general, no.

It was, perhaps, one of those cases in which advice is good or bad only as the event decides…

If Wentworth had died or sunk into poverty, Lady Russell’s point would have been proven. Luck was with him, however, (yes, he is brilliant and brave, but in such a profession one cannot wholly discount the hand of fate,) and he has been raised to wealth and power enough to make Anne and their family secure.

The book, I think, is about weighing risks, rather than simply taking them, and how to best judge and allow the influence of others. Louisa Musgrove is our cautionary tale from the other end of the spectrum–no one can persuade her to do anything she does not wish to do, and ultimately she suffers for it when she is too headstrong and the advice of her sensible friends goes unheeded.

[cyanalaqnci1987-blog]

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[canaryatlaw]

alright, well today was pretty fun. my alarm went off at 9:30 and I got up and got ready, then walked over to the spot and met up with Jess, and headed over to the vegetarian place, where we got the same things we always get (with the same waitress we always have, we’re very predictable). Enjoyed our brunch, then once we finished we ran next door (like literally next door) to the UPS store where I paid $1.67 to mail the Illinois government my $10 check for the taxes I apparently owed them. The whole thing was fairly ridiculous IMO, but whatever, it’s done now and at some point I should be getting a federal refund around $600 so that will be nice (which I’ll surely spend on con plans almost immediately). but once we finished there we walked back to Jess’ place and down the street where she had parked and began our journey to get something figured out with her car because the lease was almost up. We had gone to dealerships in a suburb (there’s not really many actual dealerships in the city the way there are in suburbs) a few weeks back and they gave us some price estimates to consider, but they were kinda sketchy and giving off a weird vibe so we were gonna try the dealership in another suburb that’s up by the fancy movie theatre we go to sometimes. So we get to the Honda dealership, and the plan is to buy her current car that she had been leasing as that would result in the cheapest monthly payment. so we sat down with the salesman and start running numbers it turned out keeping the car was actually going to be a lot more expensive than initially thought, and at this point it would be a cheaper monthly payment to get into a new lease, so we opted to do that instead. The current model she had was doing fine so they went to see what they had on site, and asked for colors, Jess said she liked the red she currently has and I said blue, which she agreed with as well. So more paperwork, signing things and reading contracts (as the Lawyer Friend™ that’s my designated duty, even though my position on adhesion contracts is that they’ll never hold up in court anyway). So they pull the car up and it’s like, the coolest shade of blue, like fairly dark in tone but also pretty bright if that makes any sense (someone suggested it was Tardis blue, and that’s probably pretty accurate) which we very much liked. So we checked it out, it was nice, a lot of upgraded stuff, so we finalized some stuff which ended up getting dragged out and taking forever so when we finished we were like okay let’s go lol. So they kept the former car and we drove off with the new one, we need to run the second key up to them this week once Jess’ parents mail it to her, so we’ll be back. So from there we drove over to the mall/movie theatre complex we like and went to buffalo wild wings because I told Jess we could go there despite me not being able to eat the majority of the menu, lol. It was very clear they were severely understaffed, we had to wait for someone to come to the hostess booth to get seated for a solid 10 minutes or so, and then waitress checking in would be kind of sporadic. and like, this is a situation where a lot of people would think this is bad service and I’m not going to give them a good tip, but I’m very much of the opinion that a restaurant being understaffed is not at all the fault of the waitstaff, and it being understaffed is only making their job harder and they’re clearly trying their best, I’m not going to make their day worse by leaving them a crappy tip when they get paid shit money from the restaurant and rely on those tips. So I have strong feelings about that, lol. I rarely ever reduce a tip below 25%, I’m a strong believer in solid tipping lol (blame my affluent childhood). So we had gotten cheese curds to share because of course and I was trying to just get something light because at that point we were planning on going to the cheesecake factory for dinner so we didn't want to fill up, so I ordered something listed as “roasted garlic mushrooms” which ended up being deep fried mushrooms and they were just....not good. so I ate a lot of cheese curds lol. From there we went to the movie theatre that’s right there, it’s the super fancy one where they’ll do things like bring you a blanket for free if you’re cold in the theatre and have like a full dining menu available including like $40 steaks 😂 it’s wild. Since we had just eaten we opted to keep it lighter, Jess got a milkshake and I just got some skittles. We had decided on seeing “Isn’t It Romantic” which is the one with Rebel Wilson, we had initially been considering the second lego movie or how to train your dragon 3 but they weren’t playing at that theatre because they recently redid it so it’s all 21 and over since there’s a lot of alcohol available, so they wouldn’t be playing kids movies (even if there are adults who would like to see them). But yeah, the movie was pretty funny, got some good shots in at romantic comedies in general which was amusing, and the casting was pretty well done. By the time we got out we still weren’t very hungry and we had been debating how to do things because there was also a bubble tea place next door we wanted to hit up, so we decided to just do the bubble tea and head home, and do the cheesecake factory when we come back on Wednesday to drop off the key. So we got bubble tea which was like in smoothie form this time (meaning that they blended the ice into it instead of adding it afterwards) and it was very good, I enjoyed it. We headed back from there, a little cautiously since it’s still a new car to get used to, but we made it. Jess dropped me off, I got up to my apartment and ditched my uncomfortable jeans for the leggings I was wearing underneath them (they were ripped jeans and not suitable for wearing in the winter on their own), and then spent a while ripping the clutter in my room apart to make sure I had all the aspects of my cosplays for next weekend ready and good to go, so that took a bit of time. I’ll have to commit to actually clean up my room sometime this week, because it’s pretty messy at the moment. But once I had everything accounted for I moved to the couch and watched some more of The Americans until I decided to shower and start getting ready for bed, then I of course dawdled and wasted time, but then I did start writing and now I am here. Church in the morning, I’m not 100% sure which service I’m gonna be in the babies room for, I was initially signed up for the 11:30 but someone for the 10 am just cancelled and they’re generally busier, so it might be a good idea for me to switch to that one. Idk, we’ll see how things play out in the morning. And on that note it’s definitely time for me to go to bed, so I’m going to do that now. Goodnight babes. Hope you’ve had an awesome weekend so far.

[mareebrittenford]

Hey! Here I am with an actual piece of a WIP!

This is from the novel I hope/plan on publishing by the end of the year. It’s the start of a new series, called The Extra Fakes. It’s a lighter YA Urban Fantasy about a group of teens who start developing powers, and as always I’m not quite sure how to describe it. So have a read and then you can tell me what my pitch should be (seriously. I always need help on that!)

As always I appreciate any support for my writing, so please check out my novels #1, #2, patreon and ko-fi!

This city is not a magical place to grow up, despite the presence of the supposed Happiest Place On Earth.

It's what makes the old house over on Orangethorpe stand out. I call it The Fairy House because it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. The old fashioned kind that hasn't been processed to remove the nasty bits. It’s got a real wood shingle roof covered in creeping vines. There’s diamond shaped windows of wavy glass, and this fence that looks like drunk elves built it in the middle of the night out of materials they thought were pretty. It even smells special. Rich and damp and green despite the baking dry heat that’s overrun everything else.

It’s obviously just a house. A funky, water restrictions ignoring old house that’s shoved it’s way into my head. I'm not sure when I first noticed it, it's obviously been there for a long time, but when did I first care it existed?

All I know is that I altered my running route, even doing extra miles in the summer heat some days, just so I could run past it. It keeps my mind occupied for the rest of the run, coming up with stories, about what if, what if it really was enchanted? I've found myself reading up on older versions of the familiar stories. The kind where people die for making bad choices. If the house is really enchanted I'd say there would be a fifty fifty chance of that being a bad thing for me. But I wonder, as I stop in front of it and breath in the sweet smell of flowers and grass if this was how Hansel and Gretel felt. This strange desire to know. To see. To go inside.

In the end it's just silly stories to keep my mind entertained on the long solo runs, because there is no magic here, no mystery. Around here people know better than to believe in magic. When you've seen backstage you know that it’s all a trick. All there is are people working crappy schedules for minimum wages to create the illusion.

The house might not be a planned illusion. But it’s false. Like an oasis in the desert, the evaporates when you get closer.

I still can’t stay away from it.

When I meet up with the track team the week before school starts, I find myself casually suggesting that we take the run down Orangethorpe. Because there’s some trees. Everyone wants shade, right?

Lionel, the team captain smiles indulgently. He's one of the few people that has bothered to keep up his training over the summer. He's also one of my best friends. I've made him run this route enough times to complain about it.

He’s a tall black guy, his long lean body cultivated into an ideal runner build. He's usually faster than me. I say it's just longer legs. But that doesn't matter today. As team captain he's opted to make this first run easy. The hell workouts will come in the next few weeks.

It's better to start soft, so these out of shape idiots don't quit on us. Their commitment level isn't the best anyway. We aren't exactly an all star team.

Lionel's not so great at figuring people out (he claims that's what he has me for,) but he's great at logistics and organization. If there's a leadership role available you can find Lionel filling it. Not so much that he likes telling people what to do, and more so that he's excessively responsible. Things run well when he's in charge, and teachers like that.

"Oh wow I wonder why we're running this route," he says. The Fairy House isn't as interesting to him as me for some reason. He's mostly amused and says I'm obsessed.

"Why are we?" asks Brad, dropping in on my other side. He crowds me a little and I edge closer to Lionel. Brad is a jackass, and he's never forgiven me for only going on one date with him. That was one more date than I should've done. It gives me perverse pleasure to see that his pale skin is now bright red and he's streaming sweat. Someone didn't stay in shape over the summer.

"Oh Lyse has a local tourist attraction she'd like to cruise past," Lionel says. He puts on a high pitched voice. "If you would turn your attention to the building coming up on your right. It's a falling down old house, which our esteemed team mate Carlyse believes to be inhabited by fairies-" I elbow him in the side and he makes a choked sound as if I've done him some actual harm.

"What?" Brad's frowning. "What are you guys even talking about?"

We've drawn level with the house now, and I flick my thumb at it in annoyance. "This old house. I think it's cute. And I don't think fairies live there." Ok, when I’m this close to it… maybe they do. Or something else like that.

Brad shakes his head. "Why are you guys always such jerks. I'm not an idiot. It's a model train store. Perfect for nerds. You should visit." He snorts in annoyance and gives up his battle to keep up with us, dropping back to a walk.

I look up and down the street. It's a light industry/retail area, and the fairy house is sandwiched between a mattress outlet and a janitorial supply. Further down is a sporting goods store, and a FedEx depot. It's a real mixture. But one thing there isn't?

"Hey do you see a model train store anywhere?" I scan back and forth.

"Nope. Just your dopey house."

"What was he talking about then?"

Lionel shrugs, unconcerned. "He's just pulling your leg. You know how he is. There is a model airplane store down on the next block. Maybe he got confused."

How could he look right at the fairy house and see a model store, train or otherwise? It's weird. I look back over my shoulder, and see him walking with a couple other teammates who have stopped to walk too. They're laughing and pointing at the house.

Obviously he's not confused. Just Brad being his usual ass-hat self.

[styomi]

Fifteen study dates | 15-day prompt challenge | Sweet Pea/OC | Day 12

AN: And, with this one, we’ve officially entered into the kink territory… Enjoy the ideas, you little curious ones :D

Info:

Fandom: Riverdale Pairing: Sweet Pea/OC Rating: T Word count: 1718 + 120 bonus Chapter count: 12/15

                                                   Stay still for me

Ruby was seriously regretting taking Mattie’s challenge and signing up for the art class at school. It was positively kicking her butt. The worst part, though, was the fact that her current assignment was to draw someone important in her life. And, she probably would’ve asked Jo to sit down for a portrait, because he wouldn’t’ve bothered her, no matter how crappy it came out. But, her father was out of town for work, like usual. So, that left her with the next best thing. Ruby groaned in advance and grabbed her phone, dialing a familiar number.

“Hey, short stuff,” Sweet Pea’s attractive rumble came from the other side of the call. “What’s up?” Ruby closed her eyes, praying for patience.

“Are you busy?” She asked, opting to take the least destructive road. Teasing would come, she knew, but that didn’t stop her from attempting to postpone it as much as she could.

“Not really, just hanging out with the guys.” Toni’s voice protested from his side, making Ruby grin. “And girls.” Sweet Pea corrected himself pointedly, more for his friend’s sake than anything else.

“Well, then… um… Canyoumodelformyartclassportrait?” Ruby rushed to get it all out, the words jumbling together in a smushed sentence.

“Errr, can I what?” Sweet Pea asked. “Didn’t catch that last part of mumbo-jumbo.”

“I’m in art class.” Ruby started again, her face on fire.

“A beautiful fact well-known to all, I don’t doubt. What’s that got to do with me?” Sweet Pea was quick to shoot back teasingly. She was already regretting calling him. She should’ve asked Toni or Fangs. Maybe even Jughead.

“We have a portrait assignment. Someone important in your life.” The girl couldn’t back down then. She’d already stepped into the mess with one foot.

“Oh, want me to ask Toni to come over?” He asked, voice going a bit distant as he moved away from the speaker, undoubtedly looking for the purple haired Serpent.

“No, you,” Ruby quickly cut him off. “I want to draw you,” Sweet Pea laughed. He actually laughed at her. Ruby snapped and cut the call off. She would just draw Jo from memory or something. Her phone rang again from the spot on her desk where she’d tossed it in mild anger and embarrassment. She watched Sweet Pea’s name flash on the screen for a few seconds before giving in and picking up the call. “What?” Ruby’s tone was anything but courteous.

“I’m coming over,” Sweet Pea replied in his usual rumble. “I’m leaving the quarry now, so I’ll be there in ten.” Ruby felt her anger vanish at his calm tone.

“Alright. See you in a bit.” When the line cut off, the girl placed her phone on her sketchbook gently, looking at the dark screen for a few moments. Then, she jumped up from her chair. Ruby rushed to her wardrobe, throwing the drawers open and looking for something nice to wear. Finally, she settled on a light blue sundress with a golden pattern of a phoenix on the front, which Mattie had drawn with some fabric paints when she’d come over. It took the girl a few minutes to have the dress on, tame her long hair with a brush and finally apply some casual mascara and her Chapstick. With a final check in the mirror, she decided that she looked nice enough, but not date-worthy. So, perfect. The doorbell rang Chili’s barking ringing throughout the house. Ruby jumped and rushed down the stairs barefoot, pulling the door open with a sharp motion.

“So, how naked should I get for this assignment?” Sweet Pea was leaning in the doorway, a smug smirk on his lips.

“It’s just a portrait. So, not at all.” Ruby shot back with a small smile, letting him in. Instantly, her dog started singing a different tune, trying to get the biker to pet him with passion.

“Bummer, I think that I’d be a great nude model.” Sweet Pea bent down a bit, petting the eager Chili across the back, then ruffled his ears and let the pooch go. As Ruby led the way to her bedroom, the dog stopped following them, retreating downstairs, where he usually hung out.

“Sit there and don’t move, if that’s possible,” Ruby instructed, making Sweet Pea plop on the window seat and get settled in. He shrugged off his signature leather jacket and tossed it on her bed, before starting to mess with the pillows on the seat, checking out the books and notes on it and looking out at the driveway.

“So, how’s it coming?” The boy asked after the first half an hour. Ruby was focused on her sketchpad, her pencil always moving and eraser coming up from time to time to correct something. She tossed him a glare at the question. Sweet Pea threw his hands up and leaned back, taking up one of the books she’d been reading and opening it. He started skimming through the pages at first. Then, he actually focused on it, becoming immersed in the storyline and reading it slowly. It gave Ruby plenty of time to draw him.

She wasn’t a good artist by any means. Mediocre, at best. But, at Mattie’s challenge to take an art class and develop that skill, she couldn’t resist. Now, drawing Sweet Pea, she wished that she was better. She knew that she couldn’t do his handsome face justice on the paper. After a while, Ruby lost focus and just ended up staring at the tall biker, ridiculously out of place in her window seat, reading a romance novel she’d been given for her birthday by her best friend, Mattie, as a joke.

“Am I distracting you?” Sweet Pea asked after a while, his eyes leaving the page and meeting hers over the top of the book.

“Incredibly.” Ruby sighed, closing her sketchpad and tossing it on the table, along with her pencil and eraser.

“Does that mean that we’re taking a break?” Sweet Pea eagerly suggested. “Because this thing has some very interesting suggestions that I’m just dying to try out.” He put the book up in the air, waving it. Ruby couldn’t resist laughing. She knew that the book had quite a few intimate scenes, rather descriptive, too.

“Mattie gave it to me,” she elaborated. “As a joke, of course.” But, Sweet Pea was already grinning wide from his spot.

“Maybe your bestie just wanted to help us spice it up from time to time,” he waggled his eyebrows and she lost it, bending over with laughter. “Seriously, that scene with the blindfold… Damn, it sounds good.”

“Do you want to try it, then?” Ruby suggested, rising from her seat. She walked over to the door of her room, taking a scarf from one of the hooks. When she turned, she saw that Sweet Pea’s eyes had been glued to her behind the whole way.

“Sure,” he replied, swallowing thickly. Ruby walked over to the window seat, pushing the books to the side to sit next to him and handed him the scarf. Sweet Pea’s hands were cold when they wrapped it around her head, covering her eyes. It told her that he was beyond excited about their little game. “Can you see anything?” He asked, voice coming from right in front of her. Ruby felt his hot breath on her face, smelling of peppermint and some kind of food. He’d probably chewed a gum on his way to her house.

“All dark,” Ruby replied, her voice trembling.

“Alright. Tell me if we go into weird territory, okay?” Sweet Pea’s rumble sent a pleasant chill down her spine.

“We passed it some time ago.” But, the comment wasn’t a biting remark, rather, a sentence of consent, which Sweet Pea knew well. It was like pressing the play button. The first thing Ruby felt was a soft brush of Sweet Pea’s fingers along her neck, down to her collarbone and then they traced the top of her dress and vanished. She took a shaky breath, waiting. Next, his hand took hers, interlocking their fingers. For once, hers were warmer than his. His lips were on her cheek then, gently trailing over it, without a kiss, but with a teasing touch. And, as he neared her mouth, Ruby leaned in, expecting a proper kiss, but met air. She huffed in disappointment.

“Relax, cupcake,” Sweet Pea whispered into her ear, almost making Ruby jump out of her skin. She had had no idea that he was there. “I’ve got you.” The next touch came in a form of a kiss to her neck, making her sigh. Sweet Pea knew what he was doing when it came to neck kisses. They were open-mouthed, hot, coupled with gentle and hard nips, along with promises of hickeys which usually stained Ruby’s skin for days. She couldn’t resist reaching up with her hands, letting go of his fingers, and following his arms up to his shoulders, neck and finally settling for pulling on his hair. It was gelled, an annoying fact that made running her fingers through it hard, but she wasn’t in the business of gentle toying with his locks then. Ruby just wanted to tug on the damned thing and make him kiss her properly. So, she did.

Sweet Pea obliged, his lips meeting hers gently at first, but she deepened the kiss immediately, her tongue seeking out his. It was sloppy, as Ruby couldn’t see anything, and she’d always preferred having her eyes open when kissing. However, the two managed. Then, Sweet Pea pulled away and his arms came around her, hefting her small body up and carrying her somewhere. Ruby sighed, excited by the suspense of not knowing what was going to happen next.

Then, her back met the mattress and she felt Sweet Pea lean against her body, the weight a familiar and welcome feeling. Ruby’s arms came up to go around his shoulders, but he pushed them down.

“No touching, tater tot,” Sweet Pea ordered her. “I sat still for you earlier. Now, it’s your turn.” Ruby nodded shakily and her fingers twisted into the covers, holding on for dear life. She managed to let him do as she wished for a while before she abandoned all thoughts of obeying his wishes.

I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys thought of this one :D

Taglist: @enticinghell @projectcampbell @sweetscamille @xoxodege

Previous parts: Day 1: A way to memorize Day 2: How to prepare for a study date (?) like a proper gentleman Day 3:  With proper motivation, anything is possible Day 4:  PG13 PDA sugar can be good motivation Day 5: Autumn time is picnic time Day 6: It’s best when we can compete Day 7:  Master of procrastination and his jailer Day 8: Take me anywhere, everywhere, away from here Day 9:  Dirty French for beginners   Day 10:  I need… sleep?… no, you… Day 11:  Delirium   Day 13:  Debate? Apparently, a turn-on   Day 14: Two-seater and Chinese   Day 15:  Unintentional intentions  

                                                          Bonus

“What the heck is that?” Toni asked, looking at the drawing Sweet Pea had pinned to the DIY cork board he had above his desk.

“Ruby drew me for her art class,” the tall Serpent shrugged. “I managed to convince her to let me have it.” The purple haired girl leaned away from inspecting the portrait done in pencil in order to raise her eyebrow at her friend.

“Sweet Pea, I love Ruby and all, she’s a darling in a small package…  But, that’s just plain ugly.” Toni spoke slowly like he couldn’t understand her. Sweet Pea laughed heartily and nodded.

“I know, but don’t let her hear that. If you ask me, she needs to drop that class ASAP.”

Now, I’m done :D

[mattresspadsxyz-blog]

Best Mattress Topper Reviews For 2019

Transparency Disclosure – We may receive a referral fee (at no additional cost to the buyer) for products purchased through the links on our site or other applicable pages. To learn more, please read our full disclosure page here. We also encourage you to read about how we may research and/or test Products here.

Had enough of your old and saggy bed? Or maybe you still love it but want to spring new life into it and make it more comfortable.

You will benefit from a mattress topper or even cheaper pads. Yes, it’s very similar but not the same.

More about this later in this article…

Sizes, materials, and quality can vary a LOT, so more expensive doesn’t always mean better and cheap (crappy) ones can even worsen your sleeping experience. We definitely don’t want that.

After testing more than 30 products, we have decided to make a list of five best mattress toppers you can buy in 2019 and five of our favorite pads (just to divide these two categories). Our aim here is to make your life easier and to save you a lot of time.

The 5 Best Mattress Topper Picks

The 5 Best Mattress Pad Picks

Benefits of Using a Top Mattress Topper Brand

The best rated mattress toppers may help provide benefits and spare you a serious amount of cash. Here are some of the benefits associated with a great bed pad, as they are also called.

It’s a Cost-Efficient Alternative

As you may be aware of, a brand new and great mattress could easily cost you a small fortune. And, as you already know, failing to pick one which is capable of bringing the necessary support and comfort could result in unpleasant aching throughout your entire body. A mattress topper, on the other hand, is cheap and it’s going to provide you with everything you may need.

Extends the life of your mattress

The mattress topper is definitely going to extend the life of your mattress (find out how long they typically last). So even if it’s brand new, you might want to consider supplementing it with a comprehensive topper. This is due to the fact that it would add more height to it and you wouldn’t be sleeping on the mattress so much as on the topper. This would reduce the wear and tear of the former.

It’s comfortable

Not only is a topper comfortable, but it’s also customizable. You can pick the mattress pad you need based on the specifications of your current bed. For example, if you have a firmer mattress, you might want to adjust that by adding a softer topper to increase the comfort and vice versa.

It sleeps cool

The majority of the mattress toppers, such as the ones we’ll be reviewing down below, are perfectly well ventilated. This is going to ensure that the airflow is consistent and that the sleeping temperature is kept fairly regular throughout the entire night.

It’s eco-friendly

There are quite a lot of different materials that you can pick for but the truth is that most of them are eco-friendly. Examples include bamboo toppers as well as natural latex ones which are free of any toxic chemicals.

Pain-Relief

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that can cause fatigue, muscle pain, and a lot of tender points on the body. The New Life Outlook recommends a mattress topper for anyone that suffers from fibromyalgia (memory foam is preferred).

In addition to fibromyalgia, a bed pad is a great choice for anyone that suffers from chronic back pain or hip pain. We put together a buyer's guide for each:

Best Mattress Toppers For Back Pain

Best Mattress Toppers For Hip Pain

As you can see, there are quite a lot of different perks of using a topper and this is undoubtedly something that you might want to take into proper consideration.

Sleep on Latex Pure Green (Best Overall) Highlights

Three Firmness Levels

Optional Organic Cotton Cover

Fantastic cooling and breathability

100% Natural Materials

OVERALL RATING: 9.7 out of 10

Pure Green topper from Sleep on Latex comes in three firmness levels (Soft, medium, and firm). The soft model is the most popular. This is good news because depending on your mattress you can decrease firmness by as much as 30%. Constructed from 100% natural Dunlop latex, it ensures maximum breathability and cooling without any flame retardants or chemicals. It is supportive and bouncy and can create a completely different feel when you sleep on it. You should never experience loss of support, just an overall softer feel.

It’s worth mentioning that you can opt for an organic cotton cover that will provide a bit more protection. It comes with 30 days trial period and 5-year warranty.

Overall, considering the price range and overall quality, Sleep on Latex gets our top rated mattress topper award. It will bring a new life to your bed and serve you for years to come.

Lucid 3-Inch Gel Foam Highlights

Memory Foam for comfort

Excellent breathability and cooling

Special formulation to improve ventilation

OVERALL RATING: 9.4 out of 10

The Lucid 3-Inch Gel Foam Topper from Lucid offers 3 inches of comfortable support at an affordable price. The memory foam structure includes many air pockets to ensure that air is able to move inside it.

The foam is formulated to ensure optimal ventilation and then infused with gel to further help regulate sleeping temperature. This keeps you cool and comfortable all-night long.

The memory foam provides excellent pressure relief and molds to the shape of your body bouncing back into shape when you get up in the morning.

The size is good – for example, the queen size mattress topper measures 60” x 80”.

This is a soft mattress topper that will keep its shape and give you a comfortable night’s sleep. The reason that it doesn’t take the top position is that it does not come with a cover. It would have been nice if it did, but it is not essential.

Sleep Innovations 4-Inch Dual Layer Highlights

Excellent breathability and comfort

“Like sleeping on a ”

Comes with an easily cleanable cover

Quilted top with fiber fill for additional softness

OVERALL RATING: 9.3 out of 10

The design of the Sleep Innovations Dual Layer Mattress Topper from Sleep Innovations makes it clear that the manufacturers take your comfort seriously. Constructed of two different layers, this topper combines the pressure support of memory foam and the softness of fiber fill.

The base of this product is made of 2-inch memory foam, infused with cooling gel, to ensure that you get the support you need to relieve painful pressure spots in your body.

The top layer is fiber-filled and quilted to ensure softness. Sink into the top layer and have a great night’s sleep. The two layers together can transform even the firmest bed into a soft, comfortable space.

For convenience, a removable cover is included. It can be washed and dried as normal, making cleanup a breeze.

Ultimate Dreams Queen 3″ Talalay Latex Highlights

Three firmness levels

Natural bamboo fabric cover

Made of Talalay latex

Great support and comfort

OVERALL RATING: 9.2 out of 10

The Ultimate Dreams Talalay Latex Soft Mattress from Dreamfoam Bedding combines the very best in comfort and support. Choose the level of firmness that suits you.

The soft option adds extra softness to a firm bed. The medium layer helps with pressure relief and adds some softness as well. It is ideal to use for a sofa bed. If you are happy with how firm your bed is but want pressure relief, the firm option will provide the extra support without added softness.

The Talalaly latex is four times more breathable than the normal foam or memory foam and offers about 33% more pressure relief. The latex gives a nice bounce to your bed and is extremely comfortable to sleep on.

The cover is a light cream color and has a soft feel to it. It is removable and washable.

Zinus 4 Inch Gel Memory Foam Highlights

Top notch breathability

Extremely comfortable

Supportive underlayer

Biofoam improves freshness

OVERALL RATING: 8.9 out of 10

The Zinus 4 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper from Zinus is constructed from two different types of foam. The top layer of gel-infused memory biofoam is two-inches thick and provides excellent pressure relief. It is very breathable and will keep you cooler at night.

The two-inch layer of support foam underneath provides excellent support.

Biofoam is used instead of petroleum products when the memory foam is made and includes green tea extracts and activated charcoal to help neutralize odors.

If your mattress is no longer offering sufficient support, or if it is a new one and offering too much support, this topper is an excellent way to make your bed the comfortable sanctuary it is meant to be again.

Slumber Cloud – Nacreous (Exceptional Cooling) Highlights

Outlast Phase Change Material

Cooling or Heating Properties

No off-gassing

Machine Washable

Hypoallergenic

OVERALL RATING: 9.7 out of 10

Cloud Slumber nacreous is made from Outlast viscose fabric that has fantastic temperature regulation properties due to Phase Change technology. Specifically, this material cools you down when you sleep hot and heats you up as your body temperature drops.

Most of us looking to buy a quality mattress pad usually want to make our sleeping surface softer and more comfortable. Nacreous does a good job at adding more padding and cushion on top of your mattress, and it provides slightly more pressure relief. Although, it’s not going to be a major change in the overall feel. For a complete overhaul, you can buy one of the mattress toppers with this pad, and it will create a far better surface than any cheaper bed.

What you will instantly notice is a fantastic and cool feel when you get in bed. After only a few minutes the material will adapt to your body and provide the optimal temperature. You can even use it without sheets, it’s also hypoallergenic, and it doesn’t have any off-gassing.

If you tend to sleep “hot” and you are looking for a bit more padding, Nacreous will be ideal for you. If I had to choose between this and a thicker topper, I’d choose this any day of the week. Slumber Cloud is also our #1 pick overall and a winner for cooling mattress pad category.

eLuxury Supply Extra plush bamboo Pillow Top Highlights

No flame retardant chemicals used

Good breathability

Bamboo-blend cover

Has a skirt

Hypoallergenic

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

The Bamboo Mattress Pad from Exceptional Sheets acts like a cooling mattress cover. It is well-constructed with strong stitching and Revoloft Cluster Fiber. This cooling mattress pad is ideal for hot sleepers and for those who want a more luxurious sleeping experience.

The quilted top keeps the fibers evenly distributed. The high-quality fiber fill will not clump and is very durable. It feels similar to a down cover but is hypoallergenic and not at all prickly.

The bamboo-blend cover feels soft and silky to the touch and helps to keep you cool. The skirt attached to the pad keeps it securely in place, for even the most active sleeper.

This is as comfortable as your favorite fluffy topper. It can be used on its own to lend a soft, comfortable feel to a firm bed. It can be paired with a memory foam mattress topper to improve breathability and add extra comfort.

The Quilted Fitted (Best Budget Option) Highlights

Best Budget Option

Includes cover

Hypoallergenic

Easy to wash and dry

OVERALL RATING: 8.9 out of 10

The Quilted Fitted Mattress Pad from Utopia Bedding is an inexpensive way to add a little padding and to keep cool at night. Don’t be fooled by the low price, though; this is not just another cheap knockoff.

The padding is fairly thin, so it is not going to convert that hard bed of yours into a plush, comfy one. What it will do is to create a layer between you and the bed and help you sleep cooler.

Use it over the top of your foam padding to help reduce heat buildup or use it as an extra layer of protection for your bed itself.

The cover also looks pretty good. It fits onto your bed like a fitted sheet and won’t slip off at night.

This does score points for being easy to wash and dry.

Hypoallergenic Quilted Stretch-to-Fit By Hanna Kay Highlights

Poly-cotton blend

Hypoallergenic

Inexpensive

10 Year Shield Guarantee

OVERALL RATING: 8.8 out of 10

This mattress pad scores big points in affordability. It is inexpensive and does provide some padding for your bed. In terms of comfort, it won’t make a huge difference to the firmness of your bed.

Where it does shine is in reducing heat transfer from foam padding. The poly-cotton blend in the cover is more breathable than one made of 100% polyester would be.

It fits the bed well, and the cover stays in place, without any wrinkling. The skirt is deep and stretches to fit up to a 16” depth. It will stay in place, even with very active sleepers.

The cover stands up well to washing and drying and does a good job of protecting your mattress. The company offers a 10-year warranty on this product which, considering the price, is pretty good.

Overall, this shapes up well and is a good budget-friendly option to try.

Web Linens Fully Reversible (Double Life)-1″ Down Alternative Highlights

Down Alternative

Soft cover with sturdy stitching

Hypoallergenic

OVERALL RATING: 8.6 out of 10

The Fully Reversible Down Alternative Mattress pad by Web Linens is strapped onto the bed, making installation quick and easy. You can quickly and easily rotate or flip the pad to ensure that it wears evenly.

The microfiber cover is exceptionally soft and has been well-stitched. It will not fall apart after the first few washes.

Be warned, when you take it out of the packaging, look for the instructions and follow them as closely as possible. Before using it for the first time, it needs to be aired for at least a day to get back into shape. Alternatively, it can be placed in the drier with a couple of tennis balls to fluff it up.

It offers a nice bit of padding and provides a decent barrier between you and your mattress. Used in conjunction with a memory foam topper, this makes a firm bed a whole lot more comfortable.

Mattress Toppers vs. Pads vs. Protector vs. Encasement

Now, the truth is that there is an ongoing confusion amongst customers as to the actual difference between mattress toppers, pads, encasements, and protectors. That's why we've decided to have a quick look at all of them and help you understand how they compare.

Mattress Toppers

This is usually a more expensive and thicker version of the regular mattress pad. It's also generally more comfortable. It's likely that you might have tried those before and disliked them. However, contemporary technology allowed manufacturers to enhance their overall quality significantly and you would be sorry not to take a second look.

Mattress Pads

The mattress pad is usually more affordable and it's a thinner version of the mattress topper. While they don't bring the same amount of comfort, they do bring a lot of additional features that many of the toppers don't, including precise heating and cooling features. Some people are going to prefer a pad while others – a mattress topper and it's true that there are quite a lot of different ones designed to fit the myriad of personal preferences.

Protector

The protector is something entirely different. They are usually used to protect the sleeping items from issues such as allergic reactions or bedwetting, for example. These features, however, could easily be added in a topper or a pad so you wouldn't need an additional purchase.

Encasement

This, on the other hand, is usually designed to provide you with the ultimate protection against bed bugs and are quite commonly used in hotels – as you might actually suggest. With this in mind, if you’ve had issues with bedbugs, for instance, you might truly take a look at these solutions for further information and also for added protection. They are quite different and distinct from the regular pad or mattress topper.

Best Types of Mattress Topper (Pads)

Memory Foam Mattress Toppers

According to the buying behavior of customers, these toppers are undoubtedly amongst the most popular ones on the market. Memory foam is a conveniently crafted material which is designed to contour your body shape carefully and to memorize it conveniently.

The best thing about it is that it reduces the noise transmission from your partner and that it’s particularly durable. The product also allows the creation of mattress pads in a range of different densities which is something quite convenient.

On the offside, we have the poor and questionable temperature control (here are some cooling tips) as well as the strong off-gassing smell when it’s new.

Cooling Gel Mattress Toppers

Cooling gel mattress pads are particularly convenient, especially for those that sleep hot or suffer from night sweats. However, they are also rather expensive. Some are using an actual liquid system while others use existing fans to blow cold air up through your actual bed. As you may suggest, this brings an incredibly comfortable sleeping sensation and it allows you the ultimate temperature control.

PROS

The mattress’s temperature is flawlessly controlled

The sensation is amazing

Pillow Top Mattress Toppers

When it comes to pillow top mattress toppers, you ought to know that the kind is a bit less firm and thicker in comparison to other counterparts. This is also why they are a lot less expensive in comparison. With this in mind, it’s also true that they deliver an enhanced sleeping sensation due to the ergonomic design. With this in mind, it might be a good idea for you to take a look at those and try one for yourself before going any further.

PROS

They are very comfortable

They are perfect for hip pain treatment

They offer a range of different patterns

CONS

They are not as thick

They are usually a lot less firm

Latex Mattress Toppers

Mattress toppers of the kind are most commonly made out of natural latex. This is an eco-friendly and naturally sourced material which is definitely designed to be the best when it comes to support, durability and comfort. They are free of any synthetic materials as well.

PROS

It provides splendid support and it helps you ease the pain

It is incredibly durable

It’s free of toxins and it’s eco-friendly

CONS

It’s more expensive

It’s not suited for people with latex allergies

Other Materials

It’s also important to note that there are quite a lot of additional materials that you can easily take advantage of if you are looking for something far more specific. Feather and fiber are common choices but the most common one out of the big four is the mattress topper made out of bamboo. They are known to be very gentle and particularly comfortable, giving you the sensation that you’re sleeping on a cloud.

On the other hand, if you prefer something a bit harder regarding sleeping feeling, you can also check out those which are made out of fiber or wool. The latter are characterized with their overall breathability which is going to help you sleep well through the night without waking up sweating in the middle of the night.

Buying Considerations For A Mattress Topper

Topper Size

Obviously, the size of your mattress topper is another crucial consideration that you'd have to account for. Of course, the size of your bed should consistently linger through your mind when you are considering purchasing a bed pad.

There are a few different sizes that you would be able to find toppers in – these include king, full, queen, and twin sizes.

For this exact reason, you will need to know the exact size of your own bed as well as the size of your mattress if you are going to be securing the perfect fit. If you purchase a smaller or a larger bed topper, this is going to make your entire bed feel a bit uneven.

Pay attention to this as it is something quite important and you’d certainly have to account for it.

Topper Weight & Thickness

The thickness of your mattress is another important and quite paramount characteristic that you would have to account for. This is undoubtedly something very important. Your mattress topper should be thick enough – that's just it. You should pay special attention to this particular consideration if you are to make a good call.

According to some experts, memory foam, as well as latex mattress pads, usually provide the best range when it comes to thickness. It's also worth noting, however, that every single thickness is best for a certain issue, so that's something you ought to account for.

The thickness will usually range between 1 and 5 inches. Your current condition of the mattress is likely to be a decisive factor when you choose the thickness of the pad. The general rule of thumb is that mattress pads which are thicker are appropriate for softer beds and the other way around. Basically, your mattress topper should compensate the attributes that your mattress is lacking in.

Therefore, if you need a firmer appeal and your mattress can't provide it, go for a firmer topper. The opposite is also true. Studies conducted in Spain revealed that usually, a 2-inch thickness is perfect if your mattress is in a proper condition.

Firm or Soft

This is a debate which is definitely going to be raging on and on for an entire eternity. However, there is one simple truth here – it all depends on what you want and what works best for you.

Firmness is the characteristic which is going to be supporting your back. On the other hand, softness is what’s going to determine the contouring of your body. Each one of those is important for addressing back pain and other conditions. Of course, there are quite a few things that you might want to take into consideration when it comes to it.

It is usually considered that back sleepers can benefit more from a firmer mattress while side sleepers would need something softer. Stomach sleepers, on the other hand, would need something which is a comfortable blend and meets them in the middle. Of course, a lot of us combine all of the above and prefer different sleeping positions through the night. Therefore, your individuality is likely to determine this particular consideration.

However, if you have a certain medical condition related to your spinal alignment such as a slipped disc, for instance, you should definitely consider something which is rather firmer and has a density rating which is higher. A baby mattress topper, for example, should be a bit firmer, in order to prevent any spinal malformations early on. On the other hand, if you have a college kid, you can easily use a mid-range firmness to promote different sleeping positions.

Are Tempurpedic models Worth it?

There are a few key considerations which are worth taking into account when determining whether a Tempurpedic mattress topper is a worthy investment. Right off the bat, you ought to know that they take advantage of firm foam which is going to bring a serious support for your back. You wouldn’t have to worry about replacing the unit for a few years because they are rather reliable. They will also enhance and prolong the overall lifespan of your mattress.

At the same time, they are known to relieve the stress on different pressure points conveniently and without any hassle. This is going to quickly get rid of different sleeping related issues and ailments. You can rest assured that the Tempurpedic mattress toppers are perfect for back sleepers and they are also fairly appropriate for side and belly sleepers as well.

All in all, it is safe to determine that the products are truly worth the asking price and you are unlikely to go wrong with a mattress of the kind.

Conclusion

To conclude, the choice of a mattress topper is obviously going to be predicated on a myriad of different factors, each one of which is quite substantial.

Ultimately, though, you would have the last word. It is up to your personal preferences to make sure that you get a solution which is appropriate and which is going to accommodate your sleeping habits.

We've walked you through a few different products and we've tried to keep things versatile to encompass the differentiated demand. Hopefully, you will find value in the above and it would help you make the right call without wasting a tremendous amount of time in the process.

[orbemnews]

The Maker of the Aeron Chair Grapples with Politics and the Pandemic When Andi Owen took over the furnishings firm Herman Miller, in 2018, she didn’t anticipate to get caught up in politics. However today, it appears no chief government is protected from the tradition wars. Over the past 12 months, Ms. Owen, a former government on the Hole, has needed to mollify a piece pressure shaken by the identical polarizing forces straining the nation. On her manufacturing facility flooring within the battleground state of Michigan, wardrobe selections — from Make America Nice Once more hats to Black Lives Matter T-shirts — have provoked arguments amongst workers. In response, Ms. Owen has tried to carry collectively an organization already examined by the pandemic and slumping gross sales. “We’ve tried to create alternatives for individuals to have frank conversations, for them to get collectively and focus on the arduous subjects of the day,” she mentioned. “I don’t assume these are new issues. However whether or not it’s about race, or inclusiveness, or whether or not it’s about what’s occurring on the earth at the moment, these are all issues you must discuss.” On the identical time, Ms. Owen has been steering Herman Miller by way of a pandemic that closed places of work worldwide — an existential menace to an organization that makes workplace furnishings and owns Design Inside Attain, an upscale retailer. Ms. Owen went to Interlochen Arts Academy, a Michigan boarding college targeted on the humanities. It was there that she first discovered about Herman Miller, which produces iconic items by well-known midcentury designers equivalent to Isamu Noguchi and Charles and Ray Eames, and fashionable workplace staples just like the Aeron chair. Ms. Owen then studied artwork historical past on the Faculty of William and Mary, and began working in retail. A job at The Hole led to a sequence of senior roles on the retailer, culminating in her management of the Banana Republic model, earlier than she moved to Herman Miller. This interview was condensed and edited for readability. Did getting a liberal arts diploma have an effect in your profession? It’s helped me in a variety of methods. I discovered loads about individuals. I discovered loads about historical past. I discovered loads about remark. I’ve all the time approached any job I’ve ever had as a generalist and an observer of human nature. Some individuals would say I’m not good at anybody factor. I’m kind of OK at a variety of issues. And that’s OK. I’ve surrounded myself with individuals which might be loads smarter than me. However I’ve just a little little bit of a broader standpoint, and an expertise that doesn’t essentially pigeonhole me into pondering one factor or one other. I had a mother who was an educator and a dad who is that this free spirit musician. And all my mother ever mentioned to me was, “While you go to high school, be taught what you’re keen on. You’ll have loads of time for a profession and it received’t matter anyway.” So I actually did spend time doing what I liked, and I feel it’s been a bonus. In contrast to a variety of C.E.O.s, you by no means bought an M.B.A. I really utilized and bought accepted. I used to be in my late 30s, and as I used to be speaking to a girl in admissions and he or she mentioned, “It’s nice. We don’t have that many middle-aged ladies which might be serious about these applications as a result of they’re all having households.” And I used to be like, “Not me. I’m good.” After which in fact I bought pregnant and didn’t go. You get to a sure level in your profession the place getting a normal M.B.A. is just a little little bit of a waste of time, since you’ve discovered an excessive amount of alongside the way in which. However I went again and bought an government M.B.A. at Harvard, which form of stuffed within the gaps. The Hole has clearly had its ups and downs. What did the corporate get proper, and what did it get unsuitable over time? Enterprise & Economic system Up to date  Jan. 22, 2021, 7:23 p.m. ET I used to be lucky sufficient to be there for the actually, actually good years, when the inventory was splitting yearly. And I used to be there to observe the decline. The Hole was at its finest again within the day when the trusted editor was vital, once you performed a job serving to individuals perceive what they wanted. We had a variety of success early on. However once you’re tremendous profitable and also you don’t change, you get afraid. That skill to take dangers — to consider how the corporate may very well be completely different, to reinvent your self from the within — it turned unattainable. And a variety of nice individuals bought fed into the wooden chipper making an attempt to deliver The Hole again. When the digital revolution hit I went into the web a part of our enterprise. And I bear in mind certainly one of my bosses telling me, “Nobody will ever purchase garments on-line. That is going to be the largest mistake of your profession. What are you doing?” That actually was the way in which individuals had been pondering again then. We simply didn’t change quick sufficient. And we had been actually out of contact with the client. While you depend on a playbook that was profitable previously, and also you don’t perceive the place your buyer goes, it’s a prescription for catastrophe. How did your time at The Hole form your excited about what you do at Herman Miller? I interviewed a man who turned my head of digital. He had labored in retail, and he mentioned, “Have you learnt what excites me most about coming to this trade? I really feel like I’m going from making landfill to creating heirlooms.” I really feel equally. These are merchandise that you simply hope you’re going handy down. With a number of the Banana Republic cashmere sweaters I made, I hope anyone arms these down. However I do know the hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of T-shirts we made most likely aren’t getting handed down. What occurred when the pandemic hit, and the way did you discover your method out of it? We’d by no means closed down our vegetation earlier than, and there we had been hastily. We shut down all of our vegetation in 12 hours, and day-after-day was a brand new lesson in disaster administration. There have been nights when I’ve sat down on the finish of the day and shed just a few tears due to it. The human toll from this pandemic has been not simply the demise toll, however individuals’s lives and jobs, complete industries worn out. We capped out at 400 layoffs and individuals who opted out [about 5 percent of the work force], and we’ve executed our greatest to maintain that quantity the place it’s. However we’ve additionally designed a brand new product in instances that we by no means thought we may. So it’s been an actual steadiness of, “Hey, proper now could be actually crappy,” and, “We’re going to get by way of it.” Your core enterprise has held up surprisingly effectively throughout the pandemic. Who’s shopping for a lot workplace furnishings proper now? Our worldwide enterprise is powerful. The components of the world which have gotten out of the pandemic — sure components of Asia, New Zealand — they’ve moved on. Now the largest questions that C.E.O.s and folks which might be planning area have are: “Hey, what does the distributed work pressure seem like? What does my new workplace must seem like?” It definitely can’t be what it was. Folks don’t need workers to return again to what it was. At first it was, “How do I make it protected? How do I put boundaries in all places?” Now the dialog has advanced to, “How do I make it a compelling setting?” What are a number of the solutions to that query? It’s a fascinating selection. Monetary firms are like, “We’re coming again to precisely what it was. We’re not going to vary a lot of something.” After which a number of the tech firms in Silicon Valley are like, “Who wants an workplace ever once more?” I’m unsure both a kind of are essentially the reply. Alongside that continuum, most individuals are touchdown in a spot of, “Gosh, what do individuals miss?” So whether or not that’s innovation, creativity or collaboration, how do you create environments the place individuals can have these sorts of issues? Relying on the trade, I feel we’re going to see a complete lot of various options on this first 12 months or two. At Herman Miller, we’re taking all of our workplace environments and utilizing this time whereas we’ve individuals working remotely to fully renovate them. They’re our personal little check labs. Herman Miller isn’t an inherently political firm, so how do you cope with a second like this, when there’s a lot rancor, together with amongst your personal workers? We now have bought to unify, we’ve bought to speak. We now have to have respect and kindness and we’ve to hear. What occurred on the Capitol was not OK. Alternatively, I’ve to guarantee that we’re listening to at least one one other, and are looking for commonality. Typically I yearn for the times after I was again in Berkeley, Calif., and I may stroll down the road and all people thought the identical method. However you recognize, all people is in Michigan. So you must make the oldsters on the proper really feel comfy, and you must make the oldsters on the left really feel comfy. That’s a problem as we get increasingly more divisive as a society. Typically you must comply with disagree since you’re to date aside. However for us, it’s been about encouraging respect and inspiring kindness. Supply hyperlink #Aeron #chair #grapples #maker #Pandemic #Politics

[thatonehiddenbladeingibraltar]

Hey loved those gaming hcs where the heroes got to watch and mess around with their S/O's favorite game! Can I get hcs for the same prompt but with Hanzo, McCree, Sombra and Widowmaker?

The hcs mentioned in the request are right here

Like last time, feel free to guess which game I’m referring to (either through the askbox or by PM)

Hanzo Shimada:

At first he has absolutely no idea what was happening

“What is going on right now?” “You’ll see, Hanzo.”

But as the game progresses, he finds himself becoming completely immersed in the gameplay and the lore

Absolutely loves seeing you use the protagonist’s powers, but is curious as to how they originally manifested

Hanzo’s dragons do pop out and curl up around your feet as you begin to progress through the story

Seeing you play and gush about your favorite game does remind him of a few moments in his childhood when Genji used to do the exact same

It doesn’t give Hanzo any grief, but it does give him a bit of nostalgia

He doesn’t ask if he could play around with the game, opting instead to let you sit in his lap or in between his legs while he spectates

If he senses that your frustration levels are getting too high, he’ll coax you to take a break or go to bed if it’s late at night

Hanzo is intrigued by the in-game choices you’re offered and chuckles when he realizes what either choice meant

You do make a remark about the similarities between the Shimadas and their dragons with the protagonist and their own powers

“Imagine if the Conduits saw your family’s dragons. Wonder how that would go down.” “Either in blood or mutual distrust, my cherry blossom.”

Jesse McCree:

You have to force yourself to sit on Jesse’s lap and have his arms wrapped around your abdomen just to keep him interested in the game you’re playing

He’s a little confused as to why they were so many characters running around and punching each other or blasting each other’s face off with guns that appeared out of nowhere

When the screen cuts to a cargo plane after a minute of watching everyone punch each other however, McCree was definitely intrigued

You explained how the game worked and that you were actually going up against real life players as you raided empty buildings and began picking up various guns and gear

He isn’t a big fan of the shotguns in-game and never fails to remind you of that

“Careful with the S12K, darlin’. You’re gonna have to ditch it when it’s down to the last few people.” “…Thanks for the reminder.”

When Jesse sees a revolver lying on the ground in one of the buildings you were looting, he insists on you using it despite your protests about its lackluster stats

Does help to try and keep an eye out for you when you think you’re being followed

As soon as you hitch a ride in a vehicle, McCree presses the button to honk the car horn as you’re driving

Be prepared to lower your volume down for the obnoxious honking

The two of you actually jolt forward when you manage to headshot someone with a sniper rifle

He does remind you to stay within the designated play zone so you didn’t get killed after being outside of it for too long

Sometimes the two of you will switch, but McCree normally lets you play the game

You actually suggest that he should play alongside you but he only chuckles and kisses your neck only to not give you a definitive answer

If he did though, who else was going to be your personal cheerleader and give you advice?

Sombra:

When she initially sees you playing your favorite game of all time, she’s a little confused

All you appeared to be doing was moving left and right, turning lights on and off, closing industrial-like doors, and flicking through a crappy CCTV system while a clock was read 2 am

However, Sombra was shocked to see a purple bunny animatronic pop up on screen and an inhuman sound emit from the speakers as you nearly fell on your back

You quickly explain the gist of the game and what you were doing even though it takes Sombra a bit of time to get used to it, but when she does, she definitely wants to play it herself

“Why can’t you just hack the animals to stop them from moving?” “Not everyone has cybernetic upgrades, Sombra.”

If you can’t get to the end of a level and your frustration was slowly reaching its limit, Sombra will take over for you while you take a small break until the two of you switch

She does notice odd newspaper clippings appearing on some of the walls when she’s looking at all of the rooms

You do tell her that they’re little lore bits to the game when Sombra asks about it and she makes a mental note to go check it out later

The two of you actually cheer when you complete all of the levels

The euphoria literally died down when Sombra saw the ‘6th night’ label under the Continue button on the main menu

And when you told her there were four more games in the series

Well guess who just found something to do during date nights?

Widowmaker/Amélie Lacroix:

At first, Widow isn’t all too impressed with the game, only brushing it off as another ‘digital imitation of the real world of assassination.’

When she sees that one of the in-game missions took place at a French modeling show however, Amélie was intrigued

She nods at some of the outfits that the NPCs were modeling but winces at some of them

As soon as she sees an assassination opportunity for you to take out one of your targets, Amélie insists that you go forward on that route

“It will be fun, ma chérie. How often do you get the chance to assassinate your target as a model?”

She will make you go back and restart the level if you blow your cover

But when you’ve killed all of the designated targets, Widow lets you escape however you want

When you tell her how old the protagonist, she does look genuinely stunned

Widow doesn’t play the game herself, but she does make snarky remarks at some of the in-game dialogue

Even though you know that she’ll never admit it, you were absolutely sure that Amélie was enjoying watching you play your favorite game

Especially when you tell her about Elusive Target missions

Be prepared to have her breathing down your neck about timing and having the perfect plan

@elise-the-assassin @sylvennia @videogamesanddragons @jeveuxxvivre @buckingforbucky

[asfeedin]

The Best Mother’s Day Gifts to Keep Isolated Moms in Good Spirits

When I was growing up, Mother’s Day celebrations always took place at my great uncle David’s house. We’d sit at a big round table, eating heavily buttered Lender’s bagels. The conversation was often over my head, which didn’t really matter because I’d escape as soon as possible to play my uncle’s ancient Frogger, pretty much the only video game I’ve ever played in my life.

This year, I find myself looking back on that time in black-and-white, so unattainable that I almost can’t believe it ever happened. I’d love to spend Mother’s Day sitting around the table with my family and eating wonderfully crappy bagels. But this year I’m in quarantine in Brooklyn, with my mom in Boston and my family spread out all over the country. Many of you, I’m sure, are feeling the same way, longing for the chance to hang with your mom but unable to do so.

It’s also likely that there are those of you who might be quarantined with your mom and wishing you could have a little more distance. So this year, whether you’re 100 miles or 100 paces apart, we have a few gifts in mind to make this difficult period in history a little more celebratory and comforting.

A few tips: If you’re in quarantine with your mom, try using this new equipment or enjoying these tasty snacks together. And if you’re apart, have a Zoom session to experiment in the kitchen with each other. Of course, it’s possible your mom relishes her time in the kitchen because it’s the only moment of alone time she gets in the day. So, in that case, give your gift. Then give the woman some privacy.

For Cooking and Baking

Tagine

A new piece of cooking equipment is a nice way to help Mom expand her repertoire. This beautiful tagine makes for an impressive cooking vessel and serving dish. Pair it with a printed-out (dare I say, laminated?) recipe for a flavorful North African stew for cozy nights in.

This particular tagine, which is handmade in Tunisia, comes in a few different colors, so you can select whichever one suits your mom’s preferred color palette. Better yet, pick one to match her kitchen, and she can keep it on display all year long.

Back to the full list

Rice Cooker

Whether it’s burned, gloopy, dry, or just plain glued to the pan, a bad batch of rice is a deeply disappointing experience. But a good rice cooker takes all guesswork out of the equation. The Cuckoo model shown here is our favorite for cooks who regularly purchase and eat lots of different rice varieties (you can see our other picks in our full rice cooker review). If that’s your mom, she’ll enjoy all of the custom presets the Cuckoo has to offer. What’s more, this machine has a small footprint, which will be appreciated by apartment and house moms alike.

Pick one of these up for her, and save her from disappointing-rice hell for the true gift that keeps on giving.

Back to the full list

Vitamix

Maybe Mom’s a smoothie person, or maybe she’s into milling her own flour (what with flour being out of stock these days, maybe we should all do this). For that, she’ll need a kick-ass blender. Our exhaustive testing of high-powered blending lands on the Vitamix as a go-to for blasting through everything from wheat berries to fibrous kale.

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Quality Wooden Cutting Board

Like the Vitamix, a quality wooden cutting board is an investment piece. While the price may be high, if you take care of this board, it will take care of you—and your knives.

For a really nice board, we look to The BoardSmith, a small, family-run company that makes all its boards by hand. Its maple end-grain board is thick, solid, and long-lasting (Daniel’s been using his for years!). It comes in a few different sizes and offers some customizations like a juice groove and feet.

If you’re worried about your mom handling the upkeep, we’ve got her covered. Just print out our cheat sheet for cutting board maintenance, and she’ll be good to go.

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Chef’s Knife

Like my mom, maybe yours has been using the same knives for years. To remedy that dull situation, grab her a new chef’s knife. You can go Japanese or Western—Western blades tend to be heavier and more curved than their Japanese counterparts—but these two took home the top prizes in our chef’s knife review—out of a whopping 27 candidates! They’ll revitalize your mom’s knife skills and make slicing and dicing much safer.

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Mortar and Pestle

If she’s all set on knives, I’d recommend a mortar and pestle. There’s a wide variety of styles and use cases. Sure, they’re ideal for grinding up sauces and pestos, but no matter what style you opt for, they’re guaranteed to help Mom work out some stress and anxiety, too. *Take that, quarantine!*

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Piping Tips

There’s lots to get for your mom if she’s into baking. If she already has the essentials, treat her to some decorative tools like piping tips. These large ones are perfect for piping out creamy Oreo filling and dollops of chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream onto cakes. The set comes with several different shapes like swirls and stars, so she can get as creative as she’d like.

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Marble Pastry Slab

This marble pastry slab isn’t just a pretty base. It’s a smooth and cool surface for rolling out buttery pie crusts, laminating dough, and even tempering chocolate. It’s also good-looking enough to act as a serving platter for all those baked goods. And what mom doesn’t love a multitasker?

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Scale

If your mom is just starting out on her baking adventures, she needs a good scale. We’ve said it time and again, but measuring cups aren’t accurate enough on their own. Sure, she should have some, but a scale is indispensable if she’s going to produce beautiful breads, pastries, and treats.

We especially love this pull-out scale from OXO because it’ll show measurements even if there’s a big bowl on top of it. And lord knows we’re into batch-baking right now. The bigger the bowl, the better.

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Baking Dish

This Staub baking dish is another multitasker that Mom will love. The “splurge winner” for our baking and casserole dish review, it’s nice and heavy, it’s oven-safe at up to a whopping 575°F (300°C), and with excellent heat retention, it’ll keep what she’s made hot longer than the average baking dish. With a four-quart capacity, it’s large enough to hold not just brownies but roasts and big, holiday-friendly casseroles.

Maybe instead of wrapping this one, make a huge Hasselback potato gratin, serve it, and tell her it’s all for her.

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Baking Steel

Maybe now’s the time to get Mom into pizza-making. (That’s what’s happening to us, anyway.) For better, faster pizza at home, pick her up a Baking Steel to get that crust extra-crispy. Upon trying his own, Kenji noticed that his New York–style pizza dough even got those traditional oven-charred spots and a super-crisp bottom that’s hard to achieve, even with a pizza stone.

The Baking Steel will also prove useful if Mom is into baking bread, since it can measurably improve the performance of her oven by adding thermal mass. This means it’ll keep her oven hotter, ensuring those loaves get a full rise.

In layman’s terms, a Baking Steel is a piece of kitchen badassery that anyone would love. Plus, it’s too heavy to return, so she’ll keep it forever no matter what.

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KitchenAid Pasta Roller Set

For homemade pasta and ramen noodles as good (if not better) than what you’ll find at restaurants, pick up a KitchenAid pasta roller that will attach right to her mixer. You can even print out our exhaustive walk-through of how to make fresh pasta from scratch. It’s more reliable than anyone else in the family.

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A Supportive Floor Mat

It might not seem critical, but having a supportive mat on the kitchen floor can make cooking (and dish-washing) much more comfortable for cooks of any age. These GelPro mats are nice and squishy, providing good support for feet and knees. Maybe it’s not glamorous, but it’s a gift she’ll appreciate after a long day in the kitchen.

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A Chic Apron

This linen apron from Etsy is as functional as it is good-looking. It has a big pocket for thermometers and tongs, and it doesn’t have annoying ties, which is perhaps its greatest appeal. Mom can just slip it on and get cooking.

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For the Home

Robot Vacuum

It’s an indisputable fact that the worst part of cooking is cleaning. That’s why this year we’ve added a good vacuum to the list. And not just any vacuum, but one that requires almost zero energy from your mom. It’s an iRobot Roomba. Plug this baby in, turn it on, and let it go. It’ll pick up all of those stray crumbs in the kitchen and living room. And if your mom is anything like me, she’ll name her robot vacuum, start to talk to it, and by the end of quarantine, she’ll have made a new, very helpful friend.

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Wine Glasses

While mom is sitting back and relaxing, letting the Roomba do the work, make sure she has everything she needs for a nice self-care session. That should start with a nice glass of wine. (Yes, the wine should be nice, but the glass should be, too!) These reasonably priced (for crystal) glasses from Riedel did exceptionally well in our tests, impressing professional sommeliers (and yes, the casual wine-drinkers among us) with their ability to capture the aroma of red, white, and bubbly wines.

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Otherland Candles

Pair that glass of wine with a nice candle, and you’ll really be in business. For candle-gifting these days, I’ve been using Otherland, a company founded by an old high school friend of mine. The candles smell wonderful, they’re handmade (and free of parabens and chemicals), and the packaging looks like a gift unto itself.

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Breville Espresso Machine

If your mom is an espresso drinker, help her sip in style with a fancy espresso machine. This is actually the machine we use in our office (not that we’ve been there in what feels like an eternity). It produces beautiful espresso, is easy to use, and can even whip up frothy milk! Sure, it costs a whole lot, but Mom’s worth it.

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Jono Pandolfi Espresso Cup

So maybe you won’t be splurging on that espresso machine, but you can still help her sip in style with a Jono Pandolfi espresso cup. These beautiful little cups are all handmade. Plus, they’re dishwasher-safe, which as far as I can tell, is the best gift anyone could ask for.

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Parlor Coffee Subscription

You could also treat your coffee-loving mom to a subscription from Parlor Coffee and support a small business in the process. They source their beans from all over the world, offering single blends and origins, plus weekly and monthly shipping.

Better yet, grab yourself a subscription as well, especially if it’s been hard finding coffee at the grocery store.

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Powerful Coffee Grinder

If you’re going to treat Mom to good coffee, make sure she has a good grinder to match. Baratza’s Virtuoso coffee grinder was a favorite in our review. The conical burr produces a wide range of grind sizes, the machine is solid (made from both metal and plastic), and the customer service is excellent, which is important when your caffeine intake is on the line.

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For Eating: The Sweet Edition

Beautiful Caramels

Our new features editor, Daniela, says that while pastry chef’s Susanna Yoon’s chocolates are some of the best in the country, her soft caramels are the sleeper hit. They come in rich flavors like raspberry, brown butter macadamia nut, sea salt, and salted peanut, and they’re available in 10- and 20-piece gift packs. Each luscious little caramel is individually wrapped in cellophane paper for a delicious little treat far more elegant and elevated than any supermarket brand.

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Raaka Chocolates

If you do want to go the chocolate route, pick up some Raaka chocolate bars. This trio pack comes with wild flavors like pink sea salt and bourbon cask–aged. What’s more, the wrappers are a piece of art themselves. They’ll make Mom’s chocolate break all the more glorious and exciting.

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Real-Deal Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

We’ve long championed this chocolate-hazelnut spread from our friends over at Gustiamo. It’s rich, luscious, and might just ruin the original. Is that a bad thing? Perhaps. But once Mom’s hooked, you can make sending her a jar of Gustiamo’s concoction a regular thing. Birthdays, holidays—send a jar, and you’ll be all set.

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Pistachio Brittle

This Iranian toffee from Persian Basket is flavored with saffron and cardamom. It’s nice and sweet, just like English toffee, and it’s topped with toasty pistachios. The buttery hunks are packaged in a lovely, colorful box—and the website says the toffee pairs well with wine. No mom could say no to that.

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Pistachio Spread

Our founder, Ed, is constantly praising Gustiamo’s pistachio spread (which we hope he shares with his wife when he has it!). While it’s a pricey everyday purchase, this pistachio spread makes for a very special gift, made with Italian pistachios and little else.

While you could obviously just dive in with a spoon, this rich treat would also taste excellent spread over your morning toast, smothered on a sticky bun, or drizzled over ice cream.

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Frog Hollow Citrus Basket

I suppose citrus would fall under the sweet category as well. If Mom always has lemon in her water or is constantly digging into grapefruits, get her a gift box from Frog Hollow Citrus. This farm has been practicing regenerative agriculture since your mom was in her early days. Giving her one of its boxes packed with citrus is an excellent way to send a little sunshine even in the depths of quarantine doldrums.

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Bergamot Marmalade

Of course, if she prefers that citrus on her toast, then add some bergamot marmalade to her Gustiamo order. For the uninitiated, bergamot is a citrus fruit that’s sort of a cross between bitter oranges and lemons. In other words, the perfect pairing to hot biscuits and English muffins.

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For Eating: The Savory Stuff

A Great Spice Mix

My love for this particular spice mix is undying. Filled with pink Himalayan sea salt, grains of paradise, shallots, garlic, and more, the World’s Fair Barbecue Rub is versatile and delicious. It transforms everything it touches, from eggs to steak to tomato sauce. Whenever I feel like a dish is just a little bit bland, I add a few sprinkles, and it turns the whole thing right around. Starting at $6.99, a bag or glass jar of this mix from The Spice House is an excellent, affordable, and useful gift for Mom. (She’s over tchotchkes and so are we.)

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A Spice Set

I happen to know some moms whose pantry is full of old spices that have basically lost all of their flavor and are now just dust particles. If this is your mom, consider getting her a new set of spices to revitalize her collection. We’re particularly enamored with this gift set from Burlap & Barrel, which has all of the essentials. As Daniel puts it, these spices are not just fresher than what you’ll find elsewhere, but they’re “er-er,” which is his way of saying that they’re “better in every way from the ho-hum stuff on supermarket shelves.” If that isn’t an endorsement, then I don’t know what is.

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Sichuan Peppercorns

Málà is that wonderful flavor you taste and feel when you’re eating Sichuan cuisine. And that hot and numbing sensation comes from Sichuan peppercorns. If you want the good stuff, look to Mala Market, a small company that imports all of its ingredients straight from China. Their Sichuan peppercorns will give your chili crisp more buzz—and will be your mom’s gateway into the wide world of Sichuan cooking.

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AeroGarden

Whether your mom has a green thumb or a black thumb, she’ll revel in an AeroGarden. Especially during this time of quarantine and limited grocery trips, having an AeroGarden is not only satisfying but useful. Without much effort at all, your mom could have all the herbs she could ever want growing just about anywhere in the house, regardless of her natural-light situation.

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Lots of Pasta

We cannot get enough pasta here at Serious Eats. (Did you even see Starch Madness?) While we’re perfectly happy eating pasta from supermarket brands, sometimes we like to splurge, and the splurge is almost always at Gustiamo, which imports Faella dried pasta from Italy. During Covid times, Gustiamo is offering five-pound bags of certain shapes, including penne. While mom is trying to stay home, there’s probably nothing better to gift her than a gigantic bag of pasta. The fact that it’s from Italy and is really, really delicious? Well, that’s just icing on the pasta cake.

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Meat From D’Artagnan

Now it’s time to talk meat. Our culinary team has long looked to D’Artagnan for specialty meats, like porcelet collar and duck. And when shelves at grocery stores are bare and you want to fill your freezer, D’Artagnan is a great place to look. While the steaks and specialty meats can be pricey, I’d look to the ground beef as a gift. Sure, it’s not sexy, but wait, what am I talking about? A good burger is definitely sexy.

If you’re quarantined with Mom and you decide to go the duck route, you’re in luck. We have all sorts of recipes from our duckstravaganza. Maybe go for a group project and dry-age your duck for the best duck breast either of you will have ever had.

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Pantry-Friendly ‘Nduja

You’ve also likely seen us talking a lot about ‘nduja lately. Why? It’s an affordable pantry ingredient that can amp up all sorts of dishes, from casual beans and greens to mac and cheese and even eggs. Better still, ‘nduja lasts for ages in the fridge, so Mom can take a scoop whenever the mood strikes.

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Tags: day, Gifts, Good, Isolated, moms, Mothers, Spirits

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[ladyvean]

STLV17

Stories and photos under a cut to save your dash.

Photo-op with Armin Shimerman.  Posting the crappy snapshot I grabbed with my old as hell phone because the scanner I was using makes everything REALLY dark.  @guljerry blinked, so he’s been cropped out of the photo.  But Mr. Shimerman was so kind.  Unfortunately for me, that kindness resulted in me smiling with my teeth, which I prefer not to do!  LOL

Since our photo got messed up, I asked Creation if we could do a reshoot, but the said Mr. Shimerman was too busy.  However, I ran into (read: politely interrupted him having coffee with friends) him, who said he would have been happy to reshoot had he been asked.  He graciously agreed to let me grab a snap of him with Jerry. 

Noticed a similar problem on the signage last year.  Get your shit together, Creation!  XD

One of the best things about the conventions is hanging out with like-minded people, and here are some of the best!  Two Garaks and a Damar - @guljerry, @galinaredreznikov, @doctorparmak (thanks for the cookies)!

Ira Steven Behr had an early morning panel, so decided to buy coffee for those of us who showed up instead.  I opted to have hot tea, since I don’t like coffee.

Hey, you want to be intimidated?  Have your photo taken with a former super model!  What the hell was I thinking?  Thank God I brought 6 inch wedges. 

Supposedly this is a raktajino.  If that is the case, I think there would have been a lot more stumbling around on Deep Space Nine. 

Me, unprepared as always, for a selfie (of sorts) with Ethan Phillips and @guljerry.  The lighting in the vendor's room does not lend itself to good photo taking, but whatever.  It's Ethan Phillips!  And he was charming and gracious and kind - not to mention funny!

I hated my photo with Jeffrey Combs (Mr. Re-Animator himself!) from last year so much that I redid it this year.  Curse of the flat hair continues, but still an improvement over last year.  Also, this man is a total dollbaby. 

Took this plaque I made to Jeffrey Combs for an autograph.  He looks at it and says, "Oh, it's so pretty! What is it?"  "It's Dominionese, Jeff.   It says 'fuck you and every clone of you.'" He about fell out of his chair laughing. 

Notice how Marc Alaimo is literally leaning away from me and into @guljerry? The power of Jerry’s cuteness.

A good find, purchased from the man himself - Max Grodenchik! 

So, the conversation at the autograph table went like this -

Casey (feeling the shirt):  Oh! Nice shirt!  Where did you get it? Me:  I designed it and my friend made it. Casey:  Excellent.  So, is that my first name? Me:  Oh no, honey.  No. Casey:  So, is it another character?  Like, two characters? Me:  No, Casey.  Yadik is Cardassian for Daddy. Casey (grinning and muttering):  Daddy Damar, Daddy Damar... [starts to sign the shirt at the bottom] Me:  No, Casey, Sign it here.  [points to heart] Casey: [meticulously signs name in heart and draws a little heart, then looks at me with a smile]  Who loves you?  Daddy loves you.

My dudes, I am SO not making that up. 

It took me three years to talk myself into getting a photo with Casey and my hair is flat.  They should really put a mirror up so you can check these things before the shoot.  He looks amazing though. You can’t really tell from this photo, but his shirt was unbuttoned and one could get a really prime view of that gorgeous rug of silver chest hair.

Those are all the photos I have, but there were so many awesome moments at the con, I’m sure I can’t even remember them all right now!  Here are a few:

· Robert Picardo remembering me from two years ago, saying it was nice to see me again, and saying I had pretty hair (I queened out on him SO hard two years ago - it was BAD)

· Finally getting an audio copy of Robert Picardo’s EMH book – from the man himself

· Ethan Phillips stealing my joke and being charming

· Ethan Phillips also being sweet and kind when I became unexpectedly emotional about what Voyager meant to me as a teenager in an abusive household and giving me a hug

· Singing Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian with Steve Rankin and Vaughan Armstrong in the vendor’s room

· Talking animals and politics with JG Hertzler

· Talking about OCD with Max Grodenchik

· Thanking Terry Ferrell for publically saying Jadzia was pan and her thanking me for bringing it up and discussing how the symbiot transcends gender

· Terry Ferrell hugging me

· Chase Masterson hugging me – repeatedly - and telling me I look amazing

· Chase Masterson touching my hands and saying how much she enjoyed seeing my face in the audience every night

· Chase Masterson singing Peel Me A Grape just for me and coming off the stage and running her fingers through my hair and down my neck and shoulder

· John de Lancie doing  a double take at me

· Smiling and waving to Robert Picardo and Chase Masterson in the hallways

· Almost crashing into Casey Biggs in the vendor’s room

· Stealing front row seats for the Rat Pack

· Ethan Phillips making me laugh so hard during the Rat Pack that my abdominal muscles ached

· Jeffrey Combs telling me I looked great (I’m 3/3 with that man; he said I looked ‘lovely’ the two previous years)

· Jeffrey Combs’ insane manic energy during the Rat Pack

· Hugging Casey Biggs

· All the amazing singers at the gala, especially Tim Russ singing Moondance

· People liking my cool Cardassian bag

· Marina Sirtis being her usual awesome self during the TNG panel, and putting that Kirk woman in her place (if you’ve been to the con, you know who I’m talking about)

· Seeing my buddy Mike again and doing an interview about Trek

· Armin Shimmerman and James Darren both asking what my For Cardassia shirt said (to be clear, it’s NOT in Cardassian; it’s in English - so the fact that they BOTH asked what it said just makes me laugh)

· Aron Eisenberg giving me a copy of one of his photographs

· Yelling at Ira Steven Behr to get a shot of @guljerry in Cardassian make-up with a Bajoran dude for his documentary – and him doing it