#dates are from the old Complete Book of Thunderbirds

[bigassnocash]

Hopeless Romantics

HiHo friends! I mostly wrote this piece for @iaminlovetomhollandmarvel because she's like my one consistent reader. Once again, I'm still fairly new to writing so please be kind, and send in requests for any characters and actors/actresses you want and I'll write for you! I also used writing prompt 707 from @creativepromptsforwriting and its highlighted in bold, there is also a Sylvia Plath poem in here!

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"Hey Y/N, what're ya doin?" Arvin asked as he walked up to you as you sat reading on the steps outside of the school.

"Not much, just sittin' here enjoyin the warm weather. What are you doin' Arvin?"

"Well you looked pretty lonely over here, so I was thinkin I could keep you company but I can go if you want."

"I don't mind, come sit down I promise I won't bite."

As he sat down next to you he linked his arm with yours to see how you'd react. When you didn't pull away he scooted closer to you, to the point of being able to see over your shoulder.

"Y/N L/N what on Gods green Earth are you reading?" he laughed at the content you were consuming.

"If you must know, nosey josey its a romance book," your cheeks started turning red with embarrassment as he laughed.

"I don't know much but I do know one thing; people do not talk like that on dates."

"I wouldn't know, I've never been out on a date before," you turned your head away feeling shame. 17 years old, and never been out on a date while some girls in your class were out here getting married.

Arvin felt bad, he did know that you didn't go out much but he figured that the most beautiful girl he's ever seen would've been asked out at some point.

"Thats about to change. C'mon Y/N get up, I'm taking you out on a proper date," he offered his hand to help pull you to your feet.

"Arvin are you insane, what would even do?"

"Anything you want. We could go to dinner, a movie, we could go to the library, I could get a picnic together really fast and go to the lake, we can go skinny dipping," he winked at you.

"Skinny dipping is a third date activity young man, I think you know this," you shot back at him matching his cheeky smile, "I wouldn't mind a picnic by the lake, I just need to stop by my house and tell my momma where I'm goin."

"Your carriage awaits m'lady," he help open the car door for you and helped you in.

"Before we do this I need to know, why are you doing this Arvin?" you asked him, very worried about getting hurt.

"Cause its Friday night and I'd rather spend it with the prettiest girl in school than at Church with Lenora."

An hour later after you dropped your stuff off at home and got a picnic and blanket you and Arvin were sitting by the lake looking out over the water.

"Y/N will you please read your book to me? 'ts just I've heard you read in English and I really like your voice. Please?" he was so kind and quiet that there was no way you could deny him of this.

"I won't read you my book but I'll read you a poem, how's that?" he nodded happy with the trade off. As you pulled your poem book out of the small bag you packed, he laid down in your lap looking up at the sky.

"This one is called Mad Girl's Love Song by Sylvia Plath.

"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again. (I think I made you up inside my head)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary blackness gallops in: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. (I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade: Exit seraphim and Satan's men: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you'd return the way you said, But I grow old and I forget your name. (I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead; At least when spring comes they roar back again. I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. (I think I made you up inside my head.)"

Arvin stared at you in awe. He had never felt feelings like this before. In the moments that you were reading to him everything felt right, as if you wrote the poem for him.

"Y/N that was absolutely beautiful," he gushed to you.

"Aww you don't mean that, now c'mon enough with all this gushy stuff. Its hot and i want to cool down with a swim."

"But we dont have our swimsuits and I thought skinny dippin was a third date activity miss," he was getting real cheeky now.

"Thats very true, but I wear undergarments, and those cover the same amount skin that a swimming suit do. Arvin, do you wear undergarments?" you asked as you started to unzip your skirt.

"You sure about this?" he wanted to go swimming with you more than anything but he didn't want you to feel uncomfortable.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life Arvin." you were completely undressed, except the matching bra and panty set you were wearing. Arvin was awestricken with you. "Hurry up, I want to swim and your taking forever."

In record speed he took off his jeans and shirt, grabbing your hand and running into the water with you. You guys splashed in the water for a long time, well into the night. At some point you guys just floated, side by side holding hands. No one had ever made you feel the way Arvin did, like you mattered.

"Y/N your shivering, let get you dried off," he helped you onto the shore and wrapped a towel around and rubbed your shouders. "Heres the keys to the truck, you can changed in there. 'm gonna go into the woods to give you some privacy." he truly was the sweetest boy.

Once you both got changed and were sitting in the car, he asked you something you never thought he'd ask. "Will you dance with me? I can turn up the radio and we can dance outside." you nodded your head and lept out.

He took your right hand, in his left and wrapped your left arm around his waist. He placed his right hand low on your back yet high enough to still be respectful.

"Arvin, real talk and I want a real answer from you this time. Why did you ask me out tonight?"

"I asked you out because I've been infatuated with you, but i was never sure to liked me back so I started to flirt with you."

"What? We barely even spoke before today, how did you flirt with me?"

"I mean, I looked at you... sometimes you looked back."

"Arvin I don't know what to say, you could've talked to me."

"I wanted to, so badly Y/N its just that... I didn't want people to get the wrong idea about you because you deserve the whole world and I cant give it to you and people say I'm dangerous and I swear I'm not I just don't wan-"

you cut him off with a kiss. An earth shattering, mind blowing kiss. his lips were so soft and molded perfectly to yours, and he could taste the cherry chapstick you always wore. It lasted forever it felt like. When you both eventually pulled apart he rested his head against yours. "Woman if you keep doing that you're gonna kill me."

"I hate to ruin this absolutely perfect first date but, its past my curfew and I have to be home," disappointment clear in your voice. "All good things must come to an end eventually I suppose."

The whole way home, you didn't leave his side. He even walked you to your door and kissed you goodnight. "Can we go out again tomorrow, ya think?" he asked so hopeful you'd say yes.

"I would absolutely love to Mr. Russell but I don't know if my mom will let me after gettin in so late after I was supposed to be home. Give me your number and Ill call you tomorrow if I can."

He gave you his number and you two parted ways. He sat by the phone all weekend waiting for you to call, disappointment shattering his heart when you didn't. He found you by your locker first thing Monday morning at school.

"Hey, I figured that Id come say hi to you. Ya know, just make sure everythings still good between us?" He had never been this nervous in all his life.

"Yes of course everythings good between us why wouldnt it be?"

"Well you never called, and I got really worried. Why didnt you call?"

"My mom said I wasnt allowed to use the phone because I broke curfew. I promise you I would've called Arvin, I had the best time of my life on Friday. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Really, you want to go out with me again?"

"Well, yeah. Of course I do. There's still a second date we have to go on, before we get to the third." you winked at him as you shut your locker and turned around and walking in the opposite direction. Leaving him there, wondering what on Earth he just got himself into.

[popculturebuffet]

Uncle Scrooge by Don Rosa:  The Isle at the Edge of Time (Thank You Comission For Rosie Isla)

Hello all you happy people! Today’s review is a bit special as it’s the result of another review. See I had trouble finding a translation of the subject of last weeks’ mother’s day special, Family Ties. 

No not that one. I have Paramount+. I can watch all the Family Ties I want and that’s a fact that i’m pleased as punch about. 

No it was the story 80 is Prachtig, called Family Ties in the copy used, Della’s first major comics appearance and one that explains what happened to her in the classic continuity, one that clearly served as the foundation for her far more fleshed out 2017 versions personality and backstory. It also had Pinocchio in it for some reason, and spent most of it’s large run time on a meta comedy plot that had nothing to do with the reason anyone wanted to read this story in the first place.

But despite being a vitally important story, it never got an english translation, something that baffled me till I read the story and found cameos of the racist indigenous stereotypes from Peter Pan. In 2014. You may commence booing. Even with how weird the story was I simply couldn’t find the story googling it and the Della tag is too vast and deep to go spelunking in.

So what’s all this have to do? Simple I put out a post last month when neither I nor Kev, who wanted to comission it as part of Moons, Millionares and Mothers, my coverage of all three season 2 Ducktales story arcs, could find a copy and offered a review to whoever found it.  Weeks passed I got nothing.. then in the 11th hour I got a break as the lovely @rosieisla​ found a translation that was on this very site, one she seemed to have helped with. As a result I could do the review and as a man of my word, offered it up despite her clearly having not seen that part of the post and simply having done this to be nice. Still she gladly took up the offer and offered me my pick of two stories: The Carl Barks Story Back to Long Ago or this one. 

As for WHY I picked this one Back To Long Ago didn’t seem bad, i’m just not a fan of “The Cast is put in the past as their own ancestors” type deals. Or in some cases put the cast as people from that time period. It’s just not for me and is most often done in TV where it can get really goofy, Beverly Hills 90210 being a prime example of this, though Girl Meets World was no slouch in being embarassing... that being said I really need to finish that show and miss it. 

So yeah when put up against a story with two intresting hooks and FLINTHEART GLOMGOLD, even if i’ts not the version that’s my boy, it was no contest. So what are these hooks you ask? Well join me under the cut and find out. 

We open with a weird stylistic choice: This story has a narrator complete with caption boxes. Now for those of you familiar with comics or pastiches of comics in tv and film, this probably dosen’t seem like a big deal. It was a common thing in comics from their inception to 90′s to have caption boxes, big boxes of text narrating the action to help move things along faster. It did start to fade out by the 80′s and was gone by the end of the 90′s for the most part, replaced instead with first person narration. It’s the kind of thing you’d see most often in the Golden and Silver Ages, with stuff like tihs

It’s not a BAD device, it’s good old cheesy and bombastic fun and some writers did get clever with it.. like that time Chris Claremont used the narration to yell at a greiving cyclops after he lost a teammate early in his long and storied run on the uncanny x-men. 

This is a objectively weird scene that’s still somehow effective by the by. On the one hand it does come off as Chris Claremont essentally bullying Cyclops who already feels guilty for a death that was not in fact his fault as Thunderbird was told the plane he was attacking with fleeing villian Count Nefaria was about to explode and refused to listen.. and that they needed to get rid of either him or Wolverine as both served the same purpose and chose the non-white guy. 

On the other htough it comes off just as much as Scott beating himself up in his grief and anger over the event and his perceived failings as a leader. It’s good stuff and shows why this run caught on as this was only three issues in. Also the rest of the issue features the X-Men fighting a giant cyclopian demon that Cyclops accidently freed in his rage by destroying the stone thing keeping him imprisoned. No really here’s the cover

Huh so tha’ts what Nifty’s dad looks like. Neat. Also I REALLY hope we get the X-Men fighting aliens or demons in the MCU. Unlike the XCU the MCU isn’t alergic to getting batshit.. and for the record Deadpool and New Mutants are the exception, not the rule.

My point that I swear I do have is that this was common practice for most comics.. but never really for Disney Duck comics. It popped up ocasionally, like with Scrooge’s introduction, but Barks and those after him never really used them that much. Sure they’d have caption boxes for flasbacks and what not but Barks and Co geninely only used this sort of thing to set up a story. The most i’ve seen it in a duck comic is life and times and even then i’ts usually only used for gags or to set up the passage of time, as the story IS covering decades and thus often needed to have montages to show time passing, and in the case of chapter 11, had to cover decades in the span of a single chapter, so it’s not like they had many other options. So even Rosa as a personal quirk didn’t really use these often. 

Rosa used this specifically because he felt the plot was complicated by the use of the international date line. As for what it is, it’s essentially a line marking calender dates from one side of the hemisphere to the others. To use the offical defentition from the National Ocean Service I found via a quick google:

“The International Date Line, established in 1884, passes through the mid-Pacific Ocean and roughly follows a 180 degrees longitude north-south line on the Earth. It is located halfway round the world from the prime meridian—the zero degrees longitude established in Greenwich, England, in 1852.

The International Date Line functions as a “line of demarcation” separating two consecutive calendar dates. When you cross the date line, you become a time traveler of sorts! Cross to the west and it’s one day later; cross back and you’ve “gone back in time."

Despite its name, the International Date Line has no legal international status and countries are free to choose the dates that they observe. While the date line generally runs north to south from pole to pole, it zigzags around political borders such as eastern Russia and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.”

Rosa felt this made the story complicated.... and that... really isn’t remotely true. The narration is mostly used for gagas and really dosen’t clarify anything. it’s mostly used well in the opening.. but the actual explinations for the date line are clear enough in the story that even if I hadn’t looked the thing up, I still would’ve got it and i’m sure a kid would’ve too. It just feels like a weird thing to ruminate on, especially because he’s got actual things to make up for: while to his credit the native american characters he cribbed from carl barks are sympathetic, their culture respected and treated decently and used for a green aseop, their dialouge is stitled and sterotypical something he dosen’t even comment on (And these trades ewren’t THAT long ago) 

And of course it dosen’t help that he dosen’t even comment on using a common device in american superhero boooks.. in the same volume where he ONCE again makes an unwanted and outdated diatribe about superhero comics. I’ll probably cover the Super Snooper Strikes again so I can throughly tear this apart but higlights include: Calling superhero comics “Unwanted” just because he dosen’t like them personally, when people like me would disagree and they’ve lasted through a LOT of highs and lows, outdately saying they took over the American market as the only suitable comics which while true for a TIME,but by 2015 when this book was printed is laughably out of date, as non superhero works like The Walking Dead, Saga, and Scott Pilgrim were massively popular, one of my faviorite comics that is entirely slice of life and would go on to bea huge hit, Giant Days, re-debuted that very year. He also has the fucking gal to insult The Uncanny X-Men by name and I swear to god I did not know this when I made those references earlier, but as you probably guessed REALLY god me livid. 

And this is just on his COMMENTS on the story I can’t imagine just how bad the content itself is and having read the first few pages which come off as Rosa using Donald to essentially do an “old man yells at cloud rant” about superhero comics, I really don’t want to. Might make htis a patreon exclusive or again would do it on comissoin. You all make the call.... the point is I don’t likes his elitist bullshit about superhero comics, and this is clearly something that gets my hackles up as I just spent a good two paragraphs of an entirely unrealted review yelling at the guy for it. I don’t like when he does this and this authors notes entirley felt like an excuse. I GET the dark age of comics were bad, they REALLY were that bad, but I will NEVER accept painting an enitre genre as bad just because one work in it is bad. And I wont accept it from someone who himself writes about an often throughly unlikeable anti-hero for a living.  Scrooge may not have a gun on his gun on his gun or get to stabbing or have pouches, but he DOES finacially abuse his nephew, scoff at people’s personal troubles, and often refuse to use his wealth to help others in general. So yeah in conclusion Rosa really needs to say less about this subject. 

Okay so where were we.. right the story hadn’t even started yet. Jesus. 

Okay so our story begins with the narrator. Whose going on about time and what not. The main point of this speech about time is that it’s night in Duckburg and Scrooge is going to bed as, even being the workhorse that he is, he can’t keep going 24 hours. While he’s snoozing though something major happens and it’s the hook that made me pick this story along with the international dateline one.. an island rises thanks to volcanic erruption.. and the lava is GOLD. That’s just pure unabashed classic Duck Stuff: a mysterious treasure or phenominon of gold bound to bring scrooge in. 

But Scrooge isn’t stupid: the sun comes up and the world still spins while he sleeps, so he set up a satalite to monitor for this sort of thing. The thing naturally goes nuts.. and even more naturally breaks down becasue Scrooge bought cheap parts. A nice gag and a fully in character way to bring our antagonist into the picture, as the Satellite of Loaded falls in the middle of South Africa... right on the property of my boy Flintheart Glomgold. 

This is something Rosa brought up in his commentary for the story i’d never thought about. It turns out Glomgold being a citzen of Duckburg WASN’T an invention of the original Ducktales but the comics: some overseas had understandably moved him from his home country of South Africa. Him bieing in the same town as Scrooge instead of half a world away allows for easier setups and more intresting ones.

Rosa however being obdient to Barks Version of things, ketp Glomgold in South Africa like barks did, which was an .. ifffy decision given Apartheid had JUST ended at the time of this story. Not so much in the reboot as not only had apartheid been long gone by the time of the reboot, but that’s more fair. Still we do get some gorgeous vistas as a result as Glomgold’s minon goes to look at it and finds it’s from McDuck Mining company... Glomgold’s reaction is obvious. 

So on that note we cut to Scrooge rushing to Donalds house and forcing him awake and not telling him anything at first. Look his Ducktales Counterpart straight up kidnapped his donald in my last review, I’d call this a win. He also tries to dress Donald while explaning both his panic to find the crashed satlitle and what it found: the golden island. The end result of him dressing donald is worth a chuckle

So after Donald puts his shirt and little hat on our heroes get rollin rollin rollin what keep rollin rollin rollin who to Manilla. On the plane we get the scene I mentioned: The boys make a quip about Scrooge having lost a day and the group go over the international date line. It’s a fun little scene especially Donald trying to get paid early at the end. Classic scrooge and donald stuff without the abusive undertones some of their classic stuff has. 

Meanwhile Glomgold works out the data and finds out about the gold island, and his excitement accidently wakes a giraffe outside.. welll it was nice knowing him, Giraffes are the deadliest species known to man.. here’s an educational video t back that up....

So at Manilla Airport, Scrooge finds out abotu the south african crash, figuring he’ll get a laugh out of glomgold being there ... only for Donald to spot the Jet. Scrooge figures this can’t be anything good... now come on man maybe he’s just promoting his energy drink. 

As super sayin god super sayian as my witness, I will never get tired of Ultra Instinct Glomgold here. 

Scrooge isn’t so nice about that though and figures he better find out if Glomgold knows about the island and bribes one of the fueling crew for his uniform. He sucesssfully eavesdrops on Glomgold talking to his pilot, finding out from him exactly WHERE the island is. He ends up hilariously botching the mission though: when getting ready to leave Glomgold complains abotu the price of gas and that naturally causes Scrooge, just as cheap, to join in... and Glomgold to find out it’s Scrooge. The two wrestle outside the plane but before this can progress to a game of Naked Robber an airport security guy comes up and Scrooge cleverly claims that Glomgold’s plane has an infestiation, requring it to be quanrantined and allowing Scrooge to jet on.. thoguh not with an actual jet. With Glomgold seemingly dispatched, he can afford to save some money and take his time with a seaplane and I know just the man for the job. 

Oh nope looks like he’s busy. So one time related rambles later we meet Keoki, their asian pilot from the tiny island of Wookawooka.. and no that’s not a real place i checked... and no Fozzy dosen’t own it his check bounced. That being said it is a very well done represntation of someone from a smaller country: he’s doing this job to try and bring money back home, but being a seaplane captain just isn’t enough and his island is dying. Scrooge naturally is about as sympathetic as you’d expect, having apparently never even heard of the idea of a bonus when Huey, Dewey or Louie suggests it. 

Even less suprising is that Glomgold streaks by in his Jet:turns out Manilla was already overun with the bugs Scrooge claimed and Donald rubs it in that had Scrooge got a JET this wouldn’t of been an issue. 

So Glomgold easily beats them there, and to add insult and actualy injury to a cash based one, our heroes get blasted by golden lava on the way in and crash. Should’ve gotten launchpad... got the crashing professional. Keoki is dispondent as this means his people are doomed. He also dosen’t know waht staking a claim is when Scrooge mentions it and the boys bring him up to speed with the poor guy saying he wish he could for WookaWooka. Donald also makes a valid point about how greedy and heartlress scrooge can be.. and really billiionares in general.

No no YOUR the Grouch who refuses to have one drop of emapthy. Donald’s just pissed at your general selfish and terrible behavior. 

Glomgold glomgloats and has seemingly won... but naturally that rant that seemed extranious at the time about the date line comes into play: turns out the Island is on it, and since glomgold put his marker int he west, Scrooge simply puts his in the east which is a whole day before. Now GRANTED there’s nor eal legal prescendice for the intetaoinal date line itself , as noted above... but there’s enough witnesses in Scrooge’s favor that it simply does not matter anyway. Scrooge SEEMINGLY wins.

But Huey, Dewey Or Louie instead backs another claim: Keoki’s from earlier. While it was made in gest, he and the others along with Donald back it as witnsses instad. WookaWooka is saved and SCrogoe ends the story yelling at the narrator.

Final Thoughts: Don Rosa.. did not like this story, feeling it wasn’t one of his best and apologizing for it. I however.. really loved it. It’s not PERFECT: the narration feels not entirely necessary and the gag isn’t as funny as he thinks, though the payoff of scrooge saying “it’s time for this story to end” is fucking hilarous. I also feel it’s a bit too compressed: the story is only 16 pages and was only THAT long because Rosa added a few for exposition, a worthy addition. This feels like one of his 30 page adventure stories but slightly crammed into half the length. I also feel the golden island bit was BADLY underused as it’s such a cool setting but barely shows up in the story. 

But despite that.. it’s still a fun story: as is standard for Rosa the art is gorgeous and the humor is great. And unlike some stories where Rosa casually ignores how terrible scrooge is, here it’s his own greed and hubris that do him in: had he actually agreed to help Keoki, the boys likey would’ve let him keep the island but his own cold refusual to be a human being does him in, just as his cheapness nearly did. Flintheart is also decent here.. not the deepest foe but frankly most classical duck antagonists really aren’t all that fleshed out, and we still get some good bits with him. The dateline bit, while telegraphing that it will be important, as I said REALLY isn’t that hard to understand. All in all while i’ll agree with Rosa this isn’t his BEST, it’s still a really damn good story and one he shoudln’t be ashamed of. 

Tommorow: Green Eggs and ham is back for some train shenanigans! Kay. 

Saturday: The Tom Retrospective returns for it’s last detour! Eclipsa and Moon team up to stop meteora but grapple with diffrent wants: One to save her daughter.. the other to stop waht she clearly sees as an out of control monster. The result.. will only lead to tragedy and a hell of a two parter. 

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But if you go up to 5 you get a guaranteed review of whatever you want every month, and will get me to my next milestone, which will give everyone including yourself a monthly public darkwing duck review, reviews of the two Ducktales minis’ I haven’t covered (Time is Money and SuperDuckTales) and a reivew of the Danny Phantom film the Ultimate Enemy. So please join today and if you cannot, like this review, subscribe and give me your opinions on it bellow. Or even if you can feedback is always appricated and I will see you at the next rainbow. 

[misssquidtracy]

The Bravery of the Tracy

So I dipped my toe into the angst sandbox a little while ago...and nearly broke it off in the process.

I started my first and only fic to date (A Taste of the Tracy) at the start of lockdown, and my intention was (and still is) to keep it as humorous as possible. Unfortunately, I’ve found myself shifting between genres a bit more as the chapter count nears the big five zero landmark.   

My absolute favourite to write is (and always will be) Gordon, however I find John appealing in a scary kind of way. Appealing because I feel he’s much more multifaceted than what we see in the series, but scary because I find his identity hard to ascertain. He straddles both the older and younger camps, yet belongs to neither. The plight of every middle child.

I wanted to challenge this, and ol’ musey was up for it. I published this chapter a while ago, but recently re-read it and tightened a few things up. It’s well outside my comfort zone of Gordon and humour, but casting John as the heroic big brother was very satisfying, especially when considering his place in the Tracy age hierarchy. He may not be as old/experienced as Scotty and da Virg, but he’s just as much of a big bro to my boi and Alan as One and Two are. Maybe even better...*ducks flying chair and scurries back to Gordon’s corner*

P.S. This is chapter thirty two out of forty six. Gordon rescues a stray mutt in chapter twenty seven and names her Celery. She makes a brief appearance at the end.

                                                            -x-

John hated water.

It was wet, got everywhere and was frequently a lot dirtier than it looked.

It was also incredibly dangerous.

Hence the redhead’s displeasure when Lady Penelope sent him and his brothers the coordinates for Sydney Harbour, along with instructions to rendezvous with her and Kayo aboard FAB 2 for a private cruise.

It had taken the combined efforts of both Virgil and Gordon to manhandle John into Thunderbird Two, plus the assistance of Alan to secure him into a seat. It was only after Scott broke out some tranquiliser pills that John felt calm enough to stop puffing into the paper bag Gordon had handed him.

John’s fear of water was well justified. His aversion wasn’t the result of a lack of skill; like the rest of his brothers, he was a strong swimmer. Granted, he hadn’t enjoyed the swimming lessons their dad had forced them to take when they were young as much as Scott and Virgil had, but drop him in a body of water and he’d be quite capable of getting himself out safely.

It was the fear of one of his brothers drowning that fuelled John’s aquaphobia. The fear of looking away for a second, only to turn back and see one of them floating face-down. John swore he lost half his bodyweight in sweat every time Thunderbird Four was deployed.

The redhead’s fear hadn’t been born inside the four walls of his head. He’d had the misfortune of very nearly losing not one, but two of his brothers to the murky depths of aquatic oblivion.

It had been the middle of the summer holidays, and the entire Tracy clan had been enjoying a brief vacation at their mother’s ranch in Arizona. Jeff had been away at a NASA conference in Glasgow and Sally had been visiting some old friends in Phoenix. As the eldest and therefore the most responsible, Scott had been left in charge of the house and his brothers.

It had been a hot and sweaty day. Tempers had escalated alongside the thermometer and Scott had quickly found himself with four irritable younger siblings on his hands.

“I need an ice cream!” Virgil panted, fanning himself desperately with the hem of his shirt, “It’s too hot!”

Gordon, who had already shed most of his clothing and was padding around in just his shorts, pouted and gazed out the window, “I want to go swimming! Why can’t you take us swimming, Scotty?”

“I wanna go swimming too!” Alan cried, sipping angrily from a glass of juice, “You just don’t want us to have any fun because granny left you in charge!”

Scott sighed and dragged his hands across his face. He had a bunch of reading to catch up on before the new semester started in three weeks and copious interruptions from his brothers had already thrown him way off schedule.

John was also busying himself with schoolwork, however not quite on Scott’s level. While the eldest was reading for a degree in aeronautical engineering, John was preparing to graduate high school one year ahead of his peers.

Virgil was sailing through the first year of a degree in aerospace engineering, however wasn’t as preoccupied with studying as Scott and John were. As far as he was concerned, the summer vacation was for resting and spending time with family.

Gordon was in his second year of middle school and had zero intention of completing any of the homework his teachers had set him for the three month break. Stacks of untouched maths and history worksheets lay untouched in his schoolbag back on Tracy Island, along with the remains of a sandwich that had been in there for goodness knows how long.

Being in the middle of elementary school, Alan had bounded through what little homework he’d been assigned with some help from Scott. The youngest seemed unable (or unwilling) to understand why his brothers spent so much time on schoolwork when they were on holiday. Wouldn’t they much rather play video games and watch TV with him?

“Scotty!” Gordon whined, snatching the book on astrodynamics his brother’s nose was buried in and throwing it onto the floor, “Take us swimming! Take us swimming! Take us swimming!”

“Swimming! Swimming! Swimming!” Alan chanted, stamping his foot in time with Gordon’s pleas.

Scott groaned loudly and turned pathetically towards Virgil, his sapphire eyes wide and despairing, “Virg, could you take them outside and spray them with the hose? I haven’t got time to take them to the local pool.”

Virgil gave a sympathetic shake of his head, “Sorry bro, but I’ve got to be at the train station to meet Grandma in just over an hour.”

“John?” Scott tried, desperately switching his gaze to the redhead.

John remained silent for a few seconds, mulling over his options. He’d have to slap on at least three layers of sunscreen to stop himself from burning to a crisp, however schoolwork was getting dull and the weather was gorgeous…

“Fine,” John capitulated, wincing when Gordon and Alan screamed in elation, “But only for an hour.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Scott gushed, seizing the redhead around his waist and yanking him in for an awkward hug, “You are my favourite person in the whole world right now.”

John merely grunted and reached for the sunscreen.

It was the middle of the day by the time John, Gordon and Alan arrived at their local swimming hole. Gordon had insisted that they go to the old flooded quarry on the perimeter of the ranch’s land, arguing that the local pool would be too busy.

John hadn’t objected. Any plan that didn’t involve crowds got his instant approval.

The sun’s rays beat down on their heads and John cringed as he felt a bead of sweat run down his neck. After separately tackling both Gordon and Alan and smearing an appropriate amount of sunscreen across their wriggling bodies, the redhead dumped himself in the shade of an ironwood tree and returned to his essay on hydrostatics.

Gordon and Alan busied themselves over the next twenty minutes with swimming and cannonballing off every rock they could reach. Tuning out the excited screams and energetic splashing, John channelled all of his attention into the paragraph on Pascal’s law he was in the middle of writing.

It wasn’t until the splashing ceased that John glanced up, only to see the quarry empty and the water’s surface perfectly still.  

Panic coursed through the redhead as he scrambled to his feet and ran down to the bank, hoping desperately to catch a glimpse of Gordon’s bright green trunks or Alan’s blond head beneath the surface.

After being thwarted by the poor visibility of the water, John switched his focus to scouring the nearby rock formations, silently praying that his brothers were engaged in an impromptu game of hide and seek.

A lone bubble breaking the pond’s surface dashed that plan in a second.

John had never thought of himself as particularly brave, but the boldness with which he threw himself into the quarry would have stunned even Scott.

Without waiting for his eyes to adjust after crashing through the surface, John frantically swooped down towards the bottom of the pond, his long legs making short work of the journey. Panic turned to dread when the redhead realised that the water was a lot deeper than he’d originally thought.

The sight that met John’s turquoise eyes when he reached the bottom would go on to haunt him for the rest of his life.

Gordon’s leg was ensnared by a submerged section of wire, most likely from a discarded piece of machinery. Alan was tugging on his brother’s arm in an attempt to free him, however was expelling an alarming number of bubbles, a sure sign that he was seconds from falling unconscious.

Reacting purely on instinct, John seized Alan’s arm in a steel grip and began to drag the youngest towards the surface. He glanced down briefly to motion to Gordon that he’d be right back and instantly wished he hadn’t.

The look of despair in Gordon’s eyes as he watched John disappear with only Alan in tow was an image the redhead would take to his grave. It was the raw panic of an older sibling who’d been left to die so that the parent could save its helpless younger sibling.

It was a look of anguished rejection.

After surfacing and dumping a coughing Alan onto the first rock he could find, John dove back down only to find Gordon limp and unresponsive.

It took the redhead’s strategic mind only thirty seconds to disentangle his brother’s leg from the wire trapping it. Chillingly, he knew from his rescue training that it only took twenty for an exhausted child to drown.

The ascent with Gordon was much harder than with Alan, but John knew his own fatigue was mostly to blame. His lungs burned and the strain of propelling two bodies up to the surface was killing his legs.

Alan was sat on the rock John had left him on. He was white from cold and had several nasty looking cuts on his hands, no doubt from trying to remove the wire, however seemed otherwise stable.

Gordon was blue and unresponsive. John could feel a scream of dread building inside his lungs as he lay his brother down on the shore and began performing rescue breaths.

In the background, Alan started to cry.

“Come on you idiot!” John screamed as he surfaced for air, slapping Gordon across the face before starting a series of chest compressions, “Breathe! Breathe!”

Gordon didn’t stir.

John felt white hot anger crash over him like a tsunami. His previous fatigue long forgotten, he resumed the rescue breaths and chest compressions, barely flinching when Gordon’s sternum cracked under the pressure from his palms.

After one more gut-wrenching minute of CPR, Gordon exploded back to life. John felt himself sag as his brother violently vomited up the water he’d inhaled, his torso spasming in panic.

“He’s okay!” Alan cried, his cheeks red and tear stained, “You saved him!”

John barely heard his youngest brother, his vision blurring as the adrenalin wore off and shock began to set in. In the distance, he could just about make out the forms of Scott and Virgil sprinting in their direction, their yells fading to white noise as John’s drenched head hit the ground.

Two seconds later, his world went black.

                                                            -x-

“We’ll all wear lifejackets, so try not to panic too much,” Scott soothed as John planted himself like a mule in the doorway of Thunderbird Two, “FAB 2 also has a state of the art drowning detection system, so we’ll be as safe as if we were on dry land.”

John scowled and refused to budge. Scott hadn’t seen that air bubble. Or Gordon’s face when he thought he’d been left to a watery grave.

“C’mon John,” Virgil waded in behind Scott, “We’ve all had a rough week. Don’t you think you deserve a little pampering?”

John’s face flushed red, but he still refused to move. He felt a sudden affinity for cats and their aversion to water. Screw the joke about him being a ginger giraffe, he was most definitely a ginger tabby.

“Ten seconds,” Scott sighed, raising his eyebrows in impatience, “I’m giving you ten seconds to move and let us pass, otherwise I’m locking you below deck with Celery.”

John’s eyes widened accusingly, “You brought the dog along?”

“Of course,” Gordon responded, motioning to a yellow pet carrier that was stashed in the back corner of the cockpit, “I couldn’t leave her back home with just Grandma and Brains for company. She might get blown up. Or be made to sample Grandma’s new liver casserole.”

John scowled, suddenly aware of his nose twitching in irritation.

It didn’t matter. Dog or no dog, he wasn’t about to willingly let any of his brothers near water that wasn’t contained in either a shower or a bathtub.

Ten minutes later, the redhead found himself imprisoned beneath the swanky deck of FAB 2 while the others cast off. Celery sat obediently at his feet, gazing up with the same expression of ardent worship she used on Gordon.

Next to Celery, Sherbert yapped loudly, thrilled at finally having another doggy friend to play with. The tiny pug launched himself at Celery’s face, disturbing a large plume of fur when his claws playfully caught the mutt under her chin.

John groaned before sneezing loudly.

[tsarisfanfiction]

Fic Rec Bingo

Okie dokie, this is the Fan Rec Bingo - idea courtesy of lightvials on twitter, but I don’t have a twitter that I ever use, so I’m filling it out here instead.  Let’s see if I can fill it all out!

I did, and then some.  To save poor dashboards, it’s all under the cut!  If I know author tumblrs they’ve been mentioned - I know pitifully few so if anyone knows the ones I don’t, let me know so I can mention them, too!

A fic you love without knowing the source material: The Dragon-King’s Temple by Kyral (Stargate SG-1/Avatar the Last Airbender)

Through the spite of the spirits or plain rotten chance, a door that would have been better left untouched has opened. On the other hand, with Fire and Earth as one's allies, sometimes escaping is the easy part. Rated: Gen.  AO3 Archive Warning for Graphic Descriptions of Violence. Characters: Zuko, Toph Beifong, Janet Fraiser, Sam Carter, Jack O’Neill, and more Words: 196311.  Status: Complete

I very rarely read fics without already knowing the canon, but one that I think counts would be a Stargate/ATLA crossover, because I know nothing about Stargate and I have yet to finish ATLA!  This was recommended to me due to the creativity of the author regarding a language barrier (something I always enjoy, and my friend knows that).

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A fic series with a premise that shouldn’t work but it does: Crazy=Genius by blackkat (Bleach/Harry Potter)

Minerva McGonagall isn't about to let Harry go back to the Dursleys after his first year. She finds an alternative, and along the way, Bazzard Black finds that he might have more family left than he'd ever thought. Rated: Teen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Bazz-B, Harry Potter, and more Words: 21682.  Status: Incomplete

Okay, I cheated and picked a series.  Not my fault blackkat decided to make this universe a series of oneshots rather than a single entity and you’re certainly not getting me to only pick one of the five already published ones.  Bazz-B being a Black and also kinda a wizard is a brilliant concept, and having him adopting Harry is pure gold.  Not sure how crazy Quincy adopting poor, neglected Boy Who Lives works, but it does!

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A fic you’ve reread several times: The Guardian (Director’s Cut) by SGTBrowncoat (Naruto)

Itachi Uchiha receives his first mission in ANBU: protecting a certain trouble making Jinchuriki. He bonds quickly with the boy, but dark forces rise to threaten Itachi, Naruto, and those they care for most. Rated: T.  Canon-typical violence Characters: Uchiha Itachi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Shisui and more (includes Uchiha Itachi/Inuzuka Hana background pairing) Words: 35945.  Status: Complete

Back to my first ever fandom, here, and a really fun non-massacre AU fic, with lots of Itachi and Shisui goodness.  There are a fair few ANBU-looking-after-kid-Naruto fics but this is by far my favourite of them!  There is a sequel, but unfortunately it’s not finished and hasn’t been updated in a long time (I live in hope!)

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A fic you still remember many years later: While The Ring Went South by Thundera Tiger (Lord of the Rings)

What happened after the Fellowship left Rivendell but before they came down off Caradhras? Behold the missing scenes. Rated: K+.  Canon-typical violence Characters: Legolas, Gimli, Aragon, Gandalf, the whole Fellowship Words: 149624.  Status: Complete

I refound this fic completely by accident the other week, after first reading it (according to when I favourited it on FFN) in 2011!  It was just as amazing as I remembered, and is really the standard I hold all other LotR fics to, especially ones that involve the entire, pre-Moria, Fellowship.  It has a sequel but sadly that’s not been updated in some time (but again, I live in hope!)

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A comfort fic: There May Be Some Collateral Damage by metisket (Bleach/Harry Potter)

Ichigo’s been ordered to go undercover at a magic school to bodyguard a kid named Harry Potter, and this would be fine, except that he’s about as good at bodyguarding as he is at magic. And he considers it a good day, magic-wise, if he hasn’t set anything on fire. Rated: Gen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Kurosaki Ichigo, Harry Potter, Weasley Twins, and more. Words: 61209.  Status: Complete

I have no idea what this means by ‘Comfort Fic’ but if I want a laugh and Umbridge getting a pile of comeuppance, this is definitely the fic I’ll turn to.  As the A/N says: ‘sending Ichigo to Hogwarts is basically the same as swinging a wrecking ball directly into the side of the castle’.  Beautiful chaos is what we get.  Beautiful, beautiful chaos.

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A cathartic fic: See You Again by cookietosser (One Piece)

Rocinante has been through a lot in his life. Adding uncontrollable time travel into the mix? That's just the icing on the cake. Rated: Teen.  AO3 Violence and (canon) Character Death Warnings Characters: Donquioxte Rocinante|Cora-san, Trafalgar Law, Heart Pirates Words: 15755.  Status: Complete

You want to rip my heart out and trample it into lots of little pieces while still making it all better because Law and Rocinante?  Well, this little time-traveller’s wife AU fic is just the one for all that.  Sad moments, frustrating moments, happy moments, all wrapped up in this oneshot!

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A fic you’d print and put on your bookshelf: Thrower of the Dart by Vathara (Artemis Fowl/The Avengers)

What might have happened instead of Artemis Fowl book 6, if it'd happened in the Marvel Universe. Megalomaniacs ahoy! Rated: Teen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings Characters: Artemis Fowl II, Tony Stark, and more Words: 101272.  Status: Complete

It’s long, it’s epic, and it would nestle in perfectly at home alongside my Artemis Fowl books on the bookshelf!  It’s not so much a rewrite of book 6 as a complete replacement of it, with a new plot and an all too familiar villain!

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A fic you associate with a song: Goodbye, Brother by Serena Estelle (Bleach)

Ilforte's final moments as I like to picture them-with his brother. Rated: T.  Canonical character death Characters: Szayelaporro Granz, Yylfordt Granz Words: 3073.  Status: Complete

Might be cheating, because the author actually names a song in their starting A/N, but this definitely brings to mind Exile Vilify by The National, and I fully recommend listening to that (on loop - there is a 10-hour loop version on youtube) as you watch this for maximum tear-jerking effect.

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A fic that inspires you: Magic of the Rose Cross by Awensweth (Harry Potter/D.Gray-Man)

In Harry's 4th year the Triwizard Tournament is brought back to live, but the appearance of a fourth mysterious school about which only Dumbledore seems to know brings new secrets with it for everyone. Who are the students of Rose Cross? Rated: Mature.  AO3 Chose Not To Use Warnings Characters: Harry Potter, Allen Walker, and more Words: 66632.  Status: Incomplete

I have been inspired by many, many fics, but I chose this one in particular because it was the main one that inspired me to join the HP/DGM Triwizard Tournament wave of the early 2010s - indeed, The Combat School is one of my most popular fics, but without this and other fics of the trope, I probably would never have written it!  That’s not to say I’ve copied this fic - aside from the base trope I tried my best to make my own work unique against the others, and hope that I succeeded!  Sadly, this fic is incomplete and hasn’t been updated for some time, but it’s still worth a read.

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A fic that brought you on board a new ship:  Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by MsChunks (Boku no Hero Academia)

Uraraka and Bakugo have a secret. It’s not what their classmates think it is. Rated: Teen.  AO3 Chose Not To Use Warnings Characters: Bakugo Katsuki, Uraraka Ochako Words: 182478.  Status: Complete

Putting Bakugo and Uraraka together was something I’d never considered, and I started this fic with some trepidation after a friend recommended it to me, but said friend has never steered me wrong with fics and didn’t start now!  Fake dating, Uraraka actually being badass, the most terrifying couple in class 1-A?  That’s this fic.

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A fic you wish could be a movie: Mission Impossible by Loopstagirl (Thunderbirds)

Being selected for his first solo mission should have been exciting for Captain Scott Tracy of the Air Force. But there was something else at play. Something dangerous and deadly. Something that could cost him more than his life. Rating: T.  Warnings: Violence Characters: Scott Tracy, Gordon Tracy Words: 55048.  Status: Complete

Air Force!Scott?  W.A.S.P.!Gordon?  On a joint mission together?  Yes, gimme, gimme, gimme.  Gimme Scott’s awkwardness alone on a boat of WASP personnel, gimme Gordon’s horror when he realises the suicide mission pilot is his older brother, and now give that all to me on screen!  And we can’t forget the Hood, of course!  Might be a bit higher rating than the current Thunderbirds stuff, but hey, I’m old enough.  Gimme.

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A fic that led to you becoming friends with the author: The Gabriel Project by Aceidia (Bleach)  - @thetwelvecaesars​

When Szayelaporro knew Aizen's reign in Heuco Mundo was coming to a close, he took matters into his own brilliant hands. He reincarnates himself and the other nine Espadas into a new life full of surprising turns and irony. Yet, the harmony and ignorance is not forever as they begin to remember. Rating: M (violence) Characters: Szayelaporro Granz, the Espada Words: 116030.  Status: Complete

Well, this fic sparked off a friendship that’s still very much there, even if neither of us write much for Bleach any more!  What started off as a challenge to identify who the Espada were turned into essay-length PMs about anything and everything, and then RP groups and now random emails about whatever at random times of the day (different timezones don’t help)!

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A fic you’ve gushed about irl: Living Like Kings by CLynnB (Thunderbirds)

The world wants to know more about the Tracy brothers. So Lady Penelope takes it upon herself to show the world just who they are. Through YouTube. Rating: Gen.  AO3 Author Chose Not To Use Warnings Characters: Lady Penelope-Creighton-Ward, Tracy Family (background Pen/Ink, Scayo, Virg/Brains) Words: 35348.  Status: Complete

I love social media fics like this one, and my poor boyfriend got the brunt of it while we were on holiday... he knows basically nothing about Thunderbirds except for what he’s heard from me (which is a lot because he’s amazing and lets me gush).  I mean, Tracy boys playing “The Floor Is Lava?” and tackling each other to the ground?  Gimme.

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A fic you associate with a place: Thunderbirds Meet Thunderbirds - Alan trip in to the movie verse by ak47stylegirl (Thunderbirds) @ak47stylegirl​

Crazy stuff always happens to Tracys, don't they?  Add felling into a different world to the list. Rating: Gen. AO3 No Archive Warnings Characters: Alan Tracy, Tracy Family times two Words: 25599.  Status: Incomplete

This might be a little random, but this fic was one that I found while I was ill on holiday to the Lake District last autumn.  Sadly, it’s the only trip there I’ve ever done where I couldn’t climb a single fell (and my car’s clutch burnt out after having to reverse up a pass... thanks bus coming the other way), and this fic’s updates while I was there kept me sane!  This has actually very loosely inspired a fic of my own which is in the making - which might get posted in the next year if I’m lucky...  Still waiting eagerly for this fic’s next update :D

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A fic that made you gasp out loud: The Colours Of The World by MaiKusakabe (Fullmetal Alchemist/Harry Potter)

When Roy Mustang went to retrieve his eyesight from Truth, he wasn’t expecting to end up doing a job in exchange. It couldn’t even be an easy job, of course, because Edward’s assessment of Truth was a pretty accurate one. Rating: Mature.  AO3 No Archive Warnings (but watch for canon-typical violence) Characters: Roy Mustang, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, and more Words: 120578.  Status: Incomplete

Badass Roy yesss.  Twists and turns and Truth is a pretentious you-know-what but Voldemort’s even worse so where does that leave poor Roy except caught in the middle and very much a war veteran at this point... much to the horror of a few wizards!

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A fic you found at the right time: Seafaring Heartless: Exit North Blue by Avian Swallow (One Piece)

Pirates may be considered evil by the majority, but Law had met quite a few of the world's navy who were corrupt to the core and putting up a very thick facade. He reasoned that if he was going to manipulate and scheme his way into that goal, at least he was going to be honest enough to admit it. Rating: T.  Canon-typical situations Characters: Trafalgar Law, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, Heart Pirate OCs Words: 159644.  Status: Complete

Is there ever a ‘wrong time’ to find a fic?  (a 100k+ at 4am debatable, but shh).  When I craved Heart Pirate content, this fic (and its sequel, still in progress but updating) appeared!  Only loosely clings to canon at the moment, thanks to some SBS revelations, but with well developed OCs to fill the faces we have no names or personalities for at the moment!

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A fic that you would read fic of: Only a Boy by Riddle Lee (Harry Potter/Merlin)

Merlin has changed Camelot forever but while that part of his life is complete, destiny has a new task for him. Now he has to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, hide the fact that he's the Merlin, and defeat a Dark Lord that's messing with magic he knows nothing about. Rating: T.  Canon-typical situations Characters: Merlin, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, and more Words: 340998.  Status: Incomplete

An amazing universe with Slytherin!Merlin, no Harry Potter/Boy Who Lived, and the good old ‘hiding real identity’ trope to underpin the whole series.  Currently just into the start of Merlin’s third year at Hogwarts, aka “The Prisoner of Azkaban”.  This universe has so much to give, although Riddle Lee is doing a fantastic job at it.  It’s incomplete and slow to update but does update!

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A fic that made you laugh out loud: HOW’S THE COMA GOING by ossicle (One Piece)

Kidd and Penguin keep trying to murder each other and Law is done with their shit. He assigns them to take care of each other’s injuries so they’ll learn to get along. It doesn’t work. Rating: Teen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings Characters: Eustass Kid, Penguin, Trafalgar Law (background KidLaw) Words: 2062.  Status: Complete

Oh this one had me in stitches basically the whole time.  Kid’s bedside manner should not be mimicked in the slightest, but a beautiful bonding fic in typical pirate fashion - beat ‘em up ‘til they have your approval.  Poor, poor, Law.

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A fic with a line (or two) that you’ve memorised by heart: On Their Side by Gumnut (Thunderbirds) - @gumnut-logic​

She trusted these boys with a great deal. Rating: Teen.  AO3 No Warnings Apply Characters: Colonel Casey, Virgil Tracy, Gordon Tracy Words: 1116.  Status: Complete

I think I have basically the entire thing memorised.  This one also falls into several other categories, most notably ones that made me laugh and ones that I’ve reread several times, but it really belongs here on this list.

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A fic that gave you butterflies: it’s a long way forward so trust in me by aloneintherain (Miraculous Ladybug)

Six times Marinette carried Adrien (plus one time he carried her). Rating: Teen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings Characters: Adrien Agreste|Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng|Ladybug (all sides of the love square) Words: 5611.  Status: Complete

Aaah I have a weak spot for strong!Marinette and this fic ticks that box time and time again, with a side of blushing!Adrien and general love-struck Adrien/Chat.  I mean, what more could a girl need?

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A fic that embodies something you value in life: Team Itachi by Killer of thy Cookies (Naruto)

What if the Third Hokage stopped the council before they could order Itachi to commit the Uchiha Clan Massacre? Itachi is one of the village's strongest ninja, and has now been given the task of being a Jonin sensei, assigned to Team 7 with his little brother Sasuke, the 'dead last' Naruto Uzumaki, and fangirl Sakura Haruno. This is Team Itachi. Rating: T.  Canon-typical situations Characters: Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and more Words: 155092.  Status: Complete

(Yup, another non-massacre AU.)  Loyalty.  Honestly, there are so many fics that have loyalty in them, especially in fandoms like Naruto, where loyalty is a pretty big thing anyway (alongside friendship, of course), but this one is Itachi staying openly loyal to the village because Sarutobi actually saved the clan, and of course lovely bonds between the team!

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A favourite AU: A Son By Any Other Name by carryonstarkid (Thunderbirds)

Cursed as a child, Scott Tracy lives a life in which everyone he encounters must follow all of his given commands. Rating: Teen.  AO3 Chose Not To Use Warnings Characters: Scott Tracy, Tracy Brothers, Kayo Kyrano, and more Words: 83429.  Status: Complete

I rarely read AU fics - my preferred sandbox is the canon one, or a nice slice of canon diversion, rather than completely taking characters out of their home and dumping them somewhere entirely new.  This fairytale AU, however - reminding me very much of Sleeping Beauty except instead of sleeping it’s, well, what the summary says - is fantastically well done and addresses the strain such a thing would put on even the closest of family relationships.

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A fic you stayed up too late to finish reading: As N Approaches Infinity by Corisanna (Bleach/Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Despairing as yet another timeline goes horribly wrong, Homura wanders into Karakura. There she discovers that while the spiritually-aware people of Karakura were distracted by Ichigo Kurosaki and Xcution, Kyubey had managed to contract the Kurosaki sisters as magical girls. Drawing the attention of the shinigami could be just the advantage Homura needs. Rating: Teen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings but watch out for canon-typical situations for both fandoms (especially Madoka) Characters: Akemi Homura, Kurosaki Karin, Kurosaki Yuzu, Urahara Kisuke, and many more Words: 465297.  Status: Incomplete

There are many fanfictions that have kept me up til dawn.  Many.  This one, however, has literally robbed me of all my sleep and I’ve still been unable to finish it in one sitting.  It’s good, the pacing is fantastic, and with Homura as our leading lady, that means those time resets really hit hard when they happen (and they happen.  They really, really, happen).  Might be incomplete, but is still updating - and there’s plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime!

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A fic that made you feel seen: A Seed Once Grown by Darkestwolfx (Thunderbirds) - @darkestwolfx​

Believe it or not, they did have a garden on Tracy Island. It looked a little like a… tip. And that was being kind. Rating: Teen.  AO3 No Archive Warnings Characters: Ned Tedford, Tracy Family Words: 4785.  Status: Complete

Okay, so I’m taking this literally because I spend a lot of time feeling invisible on the internet so having a fic written for me from someone I’d barely spoken to before was a whole pile of screaming.  Not that it’s the first time someone’s written a fic for me, but the other ones have been done by friends I’d already known for some time, and not someone in a fandom I’m just starting to find my feet in.

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Free space: whoo boy, fun time!  There are a few fics on the top of my head that didn’t fill any of the above prompts (or got beaten to the punch by another), so my wildcard space is going to be a few fic links without the extra detail because I’ve already spent about 12 hours on this to get to this point (did I get sidetracked and re-read a bunch?  You bet) and I’d quite like to also get some fic written today, too!

Eight-Day Week (JoJo Spotting) by TrufflestheMushroom (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

The Trouble With Eastern by teaandtumblr (One Piece)

Remembrance by ClioSelene (One Piece)

Legacy by MaiKusakabe (One Piece)

A Fleeting Smile by AnonymousTwit (Boku no Hero Academia)

Too Loud For Comfort by vaporeon_ninja (Boku no Hero Academia)

A Dragon’s Hoard by Chezka (Boku no Hero Academia)

Nine Lives by P_Artsypants (Miraculous Ladybug)

Chat’s Eye View (Love Letters To Paris) by Icka M Chif (Miraculous Ladybug)

Gabriel’s Lament by Chaotic Neutral (Miraculous Ladybug)

What The Cat Dragged In by Kyral (Avengers/Miraculous Ladybug)

Weekend Warrior by BlackDog_66 (Avengers)

Fitting In (Tiny Spaces) by aloneintherain (Avengers)

Autonomy by beetlebee (Naruto)

Great Minds by ScreamingViking (Final Fantasy VII)

Dear Kunsel by Sinnatious (Final Fantasy VII)

Cracks in the knight by authorettejasmin (Magic Kaito)

To Wrap An Elvish Princeling by Jael (Lord of the Rings)

There are more, many more, and I’ll probably post a few more recs around - you can also find some on my blog and I’ll try and get that updated with a few more at some point because there are many more than that!

[strawberrysunrisewitches]

Amara Profile

template made by @hogwartsmysterystory​

Identity

Name: Amara Jade Caplan-Shields

Gender:Female

Birth Date:4 January 1999

Species: Human

Blood Status: Half-Blood

Sexuality: Bisexual

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Ethnicity: Vietnamese African-American

Nationality: British-American

Residence: North Yorkshire, England?

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ENFP-A / Campaigner

The Mage

Wand: Black Walnut 11” ¾ Swedish Short-Snout horn

Animagus: Maine Coon cat with a dragon mark on the stomach (was made an animagus by Chaotic Official Aunty Lucia)

Misc Magical Abilities: N/A

Boggart Form: Her sisters dead surrounded by thestrals 

Riddikulus Form: Her parents in clown suits

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Cherries, bbq smoke, morning dew, 

Amortentia: (What do they smell?):Honey, Lavender, Roses, chocolate, cinnamon on whipped cream 

Patronus: Swedish Short-Snout

Patronus Memory: Getting to hold Layla for the first time

Mirror of Erised: Her adult self as the CoMC professor

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Reducio(Because carrying a giant blanket is no fun)

Draconifors (Cause she likes dragons)

Accio (Don’t want to lose a shrunken blanket)

Incendio (Good way to get warm and roast marshmallows)

Diffindo (Cut a blood supremacist time is always with this spell)

Appearance

Faceclaim: Hailee Steinfeld

Height: 4’6(Year 1), 5’9(Year 7)

Weight: 156 lbs(by year 7)

Physique: Well muscled (thanks Quidditch) but quite curvy

Eye Colour: Hazel

Hair Colour: Very Dark Brown

Skin Tone: Light Tan

Body Modifications: Two studs on both ears, when she is 15 she gets the tips of her hair dyed green to match her Mama

she gets multiple tattoos when she is older; 

Going down her right side from just below her chest to her thigh is a dragon with wisps of red fire placed around various parts of it(16)

Between her shoulder blades is a tattoo of two wyverns one red and one blue forming a heart with their bodies with the name of her significant other in it whoever that may be (17)

Wrapping around her left arm are four pink flowers with blue magic swirling down their stalks from a blue butterfly(17) 

On her stomach. She has a tattoo of a white and blue snowy owl with six blue and purple flowers on the wings, three on each one.(18)

Scarring:Scar going vertically down the middle of her right eye

Inventory: (what do they carry on them?) Wand, hair ribbon, stetson, magical creatures books, butterfly book, five person blanket, a hot water bottle in a butterfly cover

Fashion: Amara is always wearing at least two layers of clothing, preferring warmth over fashion; merino wool clothing is her immediate go to for anything; hoodies, sweatshirts you name it if there is a version made of merino wool she will like it. If there’s no merino wool then she will settle for polyprop clothes but never wears skirts or dresses, she is also never seen without her green hair ribbon given by her Mumma or stetson from her Mama

Allegiances 

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Ilvermorny House: Thunderbird

Affiliations/Organizations:

Hogwarts

Slytherin

Prefects

Professions: CoMC Professor(Future)

Hogwarts Information

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: D

Charms: O

DADA: E

Flying: O

Herbology:A 

History of Magic:O

Potions: A

Transfiguration: O

Electives:

CoMC O

Magical Theory E

Music E

Quidditch: Beater

Extra Curricular: Magical Creatures Club

Favourite Professors: Hagrid

This should be obvious why she likes Hagrid but it’s solely because of his teaching style allowing the students to get up close and personal with the creatures to understand them better and learn how they act in an environment they are comfortable in.  

Least Favourite Professors:Professor Sinistra

Amara dislikes Professor SInistra due to the fact that Astronomy requires them to stay up past midnight when its cold and Amara hates the cold due to its effect on her and how she isn’t allowed to wrap herself in her big blanket in class

Relationships

Sisters:

Reyna Andrea Caplan-Shields(Rara) @cursed-ice-spirits​

Halfblood

Hufflepuff

Two years older

Brown hair, tan skin,  hazel eyes

Amara looks up to Reyna and will seek her guidance for problems that she believes her parents cannot help with but does wish Reyna will take a break from everything she does every day for her sanity’s sake. Amara would do anything for Reyna if it meant she’s safe and healthy even take a curse for her.  

Layla Ida Caplan-Shields

Halfblood

Hufflepuff

Two years younger 

Brown hair, tan skin, and blue eyes

Amara is very protective of Layla and would prefer she let her fight her battles for her but will relent if Amara can see it’s something Layla truly believes in and wants to fight for it, despite this protectiveness Amara knows Layla is a better dueler than her but it’s hard to remember that when Layla is in a situation where she could get hurt. 

Mother 1:Lauren Karina Caplan-Shields(Mama)

Half-Blood

Gryffindor 

Brown hair, dark tan skin, and hazel eyes 

Out of all of her parents, Amara is closest to Lauren and is the first one she will confide in when it comes to any problems that she has. It is because of Lauren that Amara first wanted to become the CoMC professor of Hogwarts. Lauren is always willing to tell Amara about the new species of creatures that aren’t in books and of course the obsession with butterflies came from Lauren.

Mother 2: Rebecca Vivian Caplan-Shields(Mumma) @cursed-ice-spirits​

Pureblood

Hufflepuff

Black hair, light tan skin, and hazel eyes

Rebecca loves Amara as much as she loves the rest of her daughters although they might not be as close as Rebecca and Reyna. She likes showing her how to care for creatures since she knows that Amara wants to be the COMC Professor when she’s older

Father: Diego Caplan-Shields(Papa)

Halfblood 

Hufflepuff 

Brown hair, tan skin, and dark hazel eyes

Despite not actually being biologically related, Diego and Amara are very close, he taught her to stand up for her friends and what she believes in no matter whoever or whatever she is facing. Diego also instilled a love of music in her that she will never lose.

Love Interest: *shrug*

Best Friends: Grace Winger

Rival: *Shrug*

Enemy: ALL BLOOD SUPREMACISTS

Dormmates: 

Grace Winger

Roxanna Firahel

Pets:

Nieve, her snowy owl, big fan of sitting on heads and not a fan of bird cages at all. Very bitey if you try to put her in one

Cici, a wolf that lives in the Forbidden Forest that Amara nursed back to health when it was injured which eventually is adopted by Amara when she graduates

Closest Canon Friends: TBD

Closest MC Friends:

Alaire Whitecross @hogwartsmysterystory​

Alissa Firahel

Amaranth Winger @thecursedvaultchild​

Grace Winger @thecursedvaultchild​

Hannah FIrahel

Penelope Auraine

Rebecca Firahel 

Rhett Winger @thecursedvaultchild​

Roxanna Firahel

Selene Firahel

Background/History

When Amara was about 9 years old, she escaped her parents watch and wandered around a nearby forest where she came upon a couple called Henry and Michelle Auraine who were attacked by some wolves which they were able to kill but not before Michelle died and Henry close to it, Amara was able to comfort Henry in his final moments assuring he will see his wife again. This event gave her the ability to see thestrals which unfortunately instilled in her a fear of thestrals

In her first year Amara befriended Penelope Auraine, the daughter of Henry and Michelle. the two became quick friends despite being in different houses

In her third year, Penelope fell into the Black Lake and didn’t know how to swim, only problem was it was winter so if Amara went to rescue her she would very quickly get hypothermia. Amara didn’t even hesitate and jumped in hoping to be quick enough to rescue her. She was able to do so thanks to quidditch but just barely before she fainted from hypothermia, she was of course saved but it was very close 

It was also in her third year that Reyna collapsed from the demon afflicting her which increased Amara’s worry for Reyna and desire to ensure Reyna relaxes for once in her life.

In her fifth year, Amara became prefect and started trying to get rid of any and all traces of blood supremacy she can find

In her seventh year is when Amara comes upon Cici and nurses her back to health

After Hogwarts Amara became the professor of CoMC once Hagrid retired but before he did, she worked at Lauren’s magical creatures zoo for awhile 

Personality

Amara is the complete opposite of the stereotypical Slytherin, she's emotional, very empathetic, loyal to a fault and very smart but at the same time she uses everything she has at her disposal to accomplish her goals whether that be schoolwork or shutting up pureblood supremacists it matters not to her. She is also a absolute 100% mess when it comes to romance and it's very obvious to everyone including herself when she has a crush on someone

Misc

Her scar was from when she fell while holding scissors with the blade facing upwards when she was young

She’s very susceptible to the cold to the point that she can get hypothermic much more faster than normal people hence her carrying the big blanket and hot water bottle with her most of the time

Is VERY cuddly to her friends and family and will very quickly doze off when doing so, and you are not allowed to move because it's the law

She wakes up early to watch the sunrise with Lauren along with some hot chocolate and her blanket to keep warm in the morning air

Her first name means Everlasting and Her middle name is from her late grandmother, Eliza Jade Shields

She is fluent in English and Spanish

Her side tattoo looks like this, her dragon heart tattoo looks like this, her arm tattoo looks like this and her stomach is this

Generally puts her hair up in the same way as Lauren

Is a bit obsessed with butterflies

Knows how to play the guitar and drums

[thunderbirdcarebear]

New Beginnings - Chapter 6

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5

Chapter 6: Discovery

After we'd gone round the entire house, Mr Tracy appeared from his room, carrying boards from his windows. He looked a lot happier than I'd thought he would after the disturbed night we'd had.

"Right," he said. Looking about, he saw Scott come back in from the patio. "Ah, Scott, do we have power again yet?"

"No, father, sorry. We didn't want to disturb you so we went outside to clear up first."

He looked around again and saw the other boys milling around carrying planks of wood to be put back into storage, burnt down candles, dead matches, used batteries, all the sorts of things you get through in a black out.

"I guess we'd better get the power rebooted then."

"Do you want my help, father?" Scott asked.

"Uh, yeah, OK. You can help too, Tin-Tin."

After collecting a torch, we walked down to the basement. It was dark and smelled musty. When we reached the bottom, I switched on the torch and Mr Tracy tried the lights. Nothing happened. "Just checking."

I looked around. I was surrounded by rocky walls; I guess we must have been inside the hills.

I looked over to where Scott and Mr Tracy had gone. They were on the other side of the basement next to a box on the wall.

Mr Tracy was opening it just as I got there. I held the torch up so they could see what they were doing. He flipped a few switches and the lights came on.

We were in a big space, which was full of junk. I looked around, as I turned off the torch. There were boxes with each of the boys' names on; one for Scott, Virgil and the others. I looked in the first box I came across; it was John's. There were baby pictures, old teddy bears, baby grows, all the sorts of things you'd normally find in a basement or attic.

Scott turned round. "Say, what you looking at, Tin-Tin?"

I looked up as he walked over. I showed him a picture I'd pulled out of his box and his face dropped. "Oh, no, Dad," he moaned, turning to look at his father. "Why d'you have to bring her down here? I'd forgotten this lot was here."

I was about to say something when I heard a bleeping noise. I looked about to see where it could be coming from but then I saw Mr Tracy raise his arm. I looked at him confused.

"Jeff Tracy here. Oh, hi Brains. What's wrong?"

"We've received an emergency call from A-A-A-Alan in the space station."

"OK, Brains. I'll be right there." He turned to us. "Coming?"

I nodded then turned to Scott. "What's with the watch?"

"Watch? Oh, I see. We have communicators in our watches for emergencies." He raised his arm and pressed a button on the side of his watch. "This is Scott Tracy calling John Tracy, Scott Tracy calling John Tracy; come in John." I looked at his watch and the dial disappeared to be replaced by John's face.

"What's wrong, Scott?" He sounded very alarmed.

"Whoa, calm down, John. I'm just demonstrating the intricacies of the wristwatch telecom."

"Oh. Oh, alright." Now he sounded disappointed. I felt sorry for John. He rarely got to go on rescues.

We reached the lounge and I saw that Brains and Virgil were talking to a monitor bearing Alan's face.

"What's the problem?" Mr Tracy asked as Alan terminated the link.

"There's been an explosion in a tower in Tokyo causing a fire, which the fire crews there are unable to control," Virgil reported.

"Th-there are a group of t-tourists buried, uh, underneath the wreckage of the-the tower. They're alive, but t-trapped," Brains added.

"Right. Scott, you get Thunderbird 1 out there and set up. Alan can give you more details when you're airborne."

"FAB," Scott said, walking over to his panel.

About five minutes later, Scott radioed us.

"I've had more details from Alan and I think we're gonna need the fire fighting equipment and a double crew. Oh, and probably the tunnelling equipment."

"OK, Scott. Thanks." Mr Tracy looked round the room. Virgil was sat on the settee, waiting hopefully. He knew he'd be needed. "Virgil, get down to Thunderbird 2. You'll need Pod 1 and I'm sending John with you. OK, off you go." He turned to the multitude of buttons and pressed one marked "John". He appeared on his portrait / monitor, reading a book and apparently unaware he was being watched. "John, get up here. You're going with Virgil on a rescue."

I looked into the screen again to see him jump off his bed and drop his book on the floor; all the disappointment from earlier was completely gone to be replaced by excitement.

A couple of hours later, I was sat just inside the balcony looking out over the ocean through closed doors. There was a strong breeze out there, a kind of reminder of the previous night's storm.

I heard a noise outside and looked about to see which way it was coming from. I knew what it was; Scott had returned from the fire. I looked back across the lounge and Mr Tracy nodded. He'd heard it, too.

He pressed a button on his desk and the swimming pool below began to slide back to reveal the opening beneath it.

I looked up and Thunderbird 1 started lowering towards the opening. I crossed the room to sit on the settee.

I heard a mechanical noise and the panel swung round revealing a very messy Scott still in his uniform.

"What happened, then?" Mr Tracy asked.

"Well, once Virgil arrived we soon got to blaze under control and we also managed to stop the fire from spreading any further. The tourists were all OK, a few bruises and scrapes, one broken arm and they were all a bit shaken up, but fine."

"That's good to hear," I said. "Do you know why the fire started?"

"Actually, I do. The building's foundations were in unstable ground and they've been trying to make it safer for a long time, but have been unsuccessful. So they planted explosives to demolish the tower but something went wrong and the explosion was uncontrolled."

"What about the tourists? How did they become trapped?" Mr Tracy asked.

"They were in the area and didn't understand the warning signs. They were looking through a phrase book trying to find the translation when the explosion occurred." Scott walked across the room and was about to sit down, but decided not to when he saw his father shook his head at him. "Are there any more questions, or can I go now?"

"Just one more," I said, smiling. "Did you try to put the fire out with your bare hands?"

He looked down at his uniform. "I think I'll go get cleaned up."

"You do that. Are Virgil and John far behind?" Mr Tracy asked.

"No, I don't think so." He walked off, wiping his forehead.

"Oh, Scott," Mr Tracy called. Scott whirled round, pulling off his sash as he did. "Put your uniform into the auto-wash straight away. I don't want your room smelling like a bonfire."

About ten or fifteen minutes later, Virgil and John returned. They were just as dirty and sweaty as Scott.

John came forward to give me a hug, but I backed off. "You want to hug me, you clean up first. I don't want to have to do extra cleaning!" I smiled at him. Then I started laughing. His face as covered with dirt, his normally clean blond hair was nearly brown and his smart uniform was no longer blue. Virgil was no better; it was hard to tell what colour his sash had once been.

That evening, I went back down to the basement with Virgil. He didn't seem to mind the idea of me looking at his baby pictures as much as Scott. Actually, I think he was interested himself to see them.

We reached the big rocky room and switched on the lights.

"You know, we're not allowed in here when Thunderbird 3 is due back or lifting off," Virgil suddenly said.

"Why's that?" I asked.

He walked over to one of the walls and leaned on it. I followed and put my hand against it. Nothing felt strange. It felt just like a rock wall should.

"That doesn't help," I said.

"Thunderbird 3 silo is on the other side of this wall. Dad doesn't want us in here in case anything happens."

"So why do you keep all your childhood memories in here?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I'm just telling you what I've been told myself."

We walked in a little further until we reached the boxes.

I looked at the first box. It had something written on the side but I couldn't tell what because it was too dusty. I brushed at it and a big cloud of dust rose, making me cough. I looked at it again. I'd uncovered Alan's name.

While Virgil wandered round the basement looking at the small bikes complete with stabilisers, I rummaged round in the box. There were pictures of him at various stages of his young life, baby grows, teething rings, that sort of thing. I dug a little deeper and found a piece of paper. I pulled it out and dusted it off. It was Alan's birth certificate. I read it. "March 12th 2044".

I went to the next box and brushed off the name. It was John's box. I dug around and found what I was looking for. His birth certificate read "October 8th 2040"

I continued looking and brushing away dust to read the comments on the paper. Scott's read "April 4th 2039" and Gordon's "February 14th 2043".

I came to the last box, brushed away the dust and read Virgil's name. I dug around to find his birth certificate. I read it and gasped.

"What's wrong, honey?" Virgil asked, walking over.

I thought fast for an excuse. "Oh, nothing. I just, uh, found a spider."

Virgil laughed. "Is that all?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, silly of me, I guess. It's probably more afraid of me than I am of it." I glanced around pretending to look for it as Virgil wandered over to look at a collection of toys. I looked over as he crouched down and picked up a very small, very dusty toy piano.

'Typical Virgil. His mind is always on music.' "Let me guess," I called out, trying to overcome the shock I'd just had. "Your first piano?"

He nodded and I turned back round to look at the piece of paper again, checking I'd read the date correctly. "August 15th 2041". I'd read it right, but that meant it was Virgil's birthday tomorrow.

[aphroditeurl]

If I'm doing all the asks then so are you.

>.> fineeee

1. If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Play video games, I’m not gonna lie about that. 

2. What’s your favourite piece of clothing you own/owned?

I have a black dress I bought for myself a couple years ago that makes me look like a badass Bond villain. And I look sexy as all hell in it. 

3. What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue?

I want to make custom dolls idk

4. What would your perfect room look like?

PINK i’m a fucking girly girl

5. How often do you play sports?

Never...I am not into sports. Watching others though is fun

6. What fictional place would you most like to go?

Diagon Alley

7. What job would you be terrible at?

Anything involving math. So I would make an awful accountant.

8. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning medal for?

Being sick apparently...nah I’m pretty good at graphic design I think

9. When was the last time you climbed a tree?

I am afraid of heights so never

10. What is the most annoying habit other people have?

loud chewing, I will want to murder you I Promise

11. What job do you think you’d be good at?

Anything with animals, I have a passion for them

12. What skill would you like to master?

A different language. Being bi-lingual would be cool. I hate English. 

13. What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?

Oh fuck I want to travel. Even to places considered “dangerous”. I want to go everywhere, I have A NEED. I’m a sucker for those exploration videos on youtube. 

14. If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house look like?

Firstly it would be a beach house because I love water and beaches. Secondly, it’d have at least four bedrooms, maybe six. And a full sized basement. I want it to look Magical As Fuck. For reasons. There will be an aquarium in it.

15. What’s your favourite drink?

Coke. The drink.

16. What state or country do you never want to go back to?

I miss Michigan a lot. I loved it there. 

17. What songs have you completely memorized?

A lot?? too vague

18. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in?

STARDEW VALLEY. Sustainable farming is sexy. 

19. What do you consider to be your best friend?

@sedris-the-meme-king

20. Are you usually early or late?

Early. Like twenty minutes early. Anxiety fuels me.

21. What pets did you have while you were growing up?

A lot of cats, a few dogs, hamsters, and a couple bunnies. I love animals.

22. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?

Relationship advice

23. What takes up too much of your time?

Depression 

24. What do you wish you knew more about?

Space law. Which is weird. The concept of space really scares me but it’s also a little fascinating. 

25. What would be your first question after waking up from being cryogenically frozen for 100 years?

“is my cat ok?”

26. What are some small things that make your day better? 

Getting random texts from ppl. 

27. Who’s your go to band or artist when you cannot decide on something to listen to?

Rihanna or Halsey 

28. What’s the best way to start the day?

By sleeping in a little longer

29. What shows are you into?

Anything that’s paranormal, pretty much anything on TLC, Gordon Ramsey is Good

30. Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?

@floating-in-the-dark for being a good bean 

31. What age do you wish you could permanently be?

18. That was a fun age dude. 

32. What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch?

13 Reasons Why, Game of Thrones, I’m petty 

33. What would be your ideal way to spent the weekend?

Video games, ice cream, kissing, things of that nature, maybe going to the movies, exploring a haunted abandoned hospital, casual things you know

34. What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without?

My phone

35. What’s your claim to fame?

Idk what this means???

36. What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way?

Dating. I’m sort of a cliche geek ok. 

37. What’s your favourite genre of book or movie?

Horror for movie and fantasy for books

38. What have you only recently formed an opinion about?

God phoning. Non-pagans won’t get this. 

39. What’s the best single day on the calendar?

The first of every month because it feels sorta refreshing

40. What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of?

Sexual education 

that’s a joke but I am also serious

41. How do you relax after a hard day of work?

I watch youtube videos and play some games, or RP

42. What was the best book or series that you’ve ever read?

The Maze Runner. Sorta corny but it was enjoyable. 

43. What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

California. 10/10 would go back. 

44. What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen?

“I would blink” out of context this makes no sense but it meant a lot to me in context 

45. What is the most annoying question people ask you?

“Are you SURE you’re __ age?” I am small, I sound 12, but yes I promise I AM TWENTY

46. What could you give a 30-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

Harry Potter at any given moment. Esp Draco Malfoy. 

47. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

Tbh??? Move away to a completely new place that you have no connections in. That sounds crazy stupid but really, it was the best choice I ever made. 

48. Would you rather go hang gliding or whitewater rafting?

Whitewater rafting

49. What’s your dream car?

1967 Thunderbird bitches 

50. What’s worth spending more on to get the best?

Make-up, and bath stuff 

51. What is something that a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point of?

Game of Thrones lmao

52. What are you most looking forward to in the next 10 years?

School. I can’t wait to start college in the fall. 

53. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?

UP Michigan 

54. What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but just haven’t gotten around to it?

There are lot of ways to answer this. 

I want to try a ghost pepper lmao

55. What’s the best thing that happened to you last week?

I started talking to someone really sweet

56. What piece of entertainment do you wish you could erase from your mind so that you could experience for the first time again?

Undertale tbh

57. If all jobs had the same pay and hours, what job would you like to have?

I’d work at a graveyard no joke

58. What amazing thing did you do that no one was around to see?

Absolutely nothing my dudes

59. How different was your life one year ago?

Extremely different and I sorta miss it

60. What quirks do you have?

I wiggle my mouth from side to side when I am in thought, I tend to rub my nose randomly, I walk on the balls of my feet

61. What would you rate 10/10?

@funkypanda

62. What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

I!! Want!! 90s!! Fashion!! Back!!

63. What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen?

anything @floating-in-the-dark has done

64. What kind of art do you enjoy most?

See above answer

65. What do you hope never changes?

Most of my friendships

66. What city would you most like to live in?

Londonnnnn 

67. What movie title best describes your life?

The Boss Baby 

68. What did you decide to do the work you are doing now?

Huh????

69. What’s the best way a person can spend their time?

Being kind to others

70. If you suddenly became a master at woodworking, what would you make?

Some really weird shit dude 

71. Where is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been?

UP Michigan lol

72. What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you?

Meeting my best friend 

73. Where would you rather be from?

Canada 

74. What are some things you’ve had to unlearn?

My temper, some bad habits that were formed from anxiety

75. What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

School, getting a puppy, summer

76. What website do you usually go on when you have time off?

Tumblrr

77. Where would you spend all your time if you could?

Japannnnn or South Korea

78. What is special about the place you grew up?

Everyone was a community. We all supported each other. 

79. What age do you want to live to?

100+ cause I fear death a lot

80. What are you most likely to become famous for?

The Biggest Baby Award

81. What are you absolutely determined to do?

Finish school and become a zoologist cause that’s the dream

82. What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?

I can code and shit????? idk

83. What do you wish you knew more about?

Space law

84. What question would you most like to know the answer to?

“will I ever be successful at anything” 

[gnomesagetion]

Missing Gears Chapter 1

Things always go wrong when something good happens. For example: The Thunderbirds were just starting up when Gordon Tracy was the only survivor of a holfoil crash. An engagement of a Tracy son and an ex FBI agent when someone is out to get International Rescue. But sometimes good things come from the bad things in our lives.

Read on: Fanfiction.Net AO3 Wattpad

Naomi and Virgil stood hand in hand outside a church in Matamata, New Zealand. Three weeks earlier Virgil had proposed to Naomi at a New Year’s party with her old team at the FBI. Three days later they had decided that they wanted to get married at Naomi’s old church in her hometown. A week after that, Naomi had started packing her stuff for her move to Tracy Island. Although Jeff Tracy had told the couple that he was perfectly fine with Virgil moving back to America to live with his soon to be wife, both Naomi and Virgil wanted to live on the island. So that Virgil could continue working for International Rescue. So that Naomi could join International Rescue.

“You okay Nomey?” Virgil asked his fiancé “Yeah. Just nervous. I haven’t been here for over 20 years. I don’t even remember who was running the office,” “You were barely six when you left,” “Yeah. And I barely remember anyone from here. And like 60% of the church was at the funeral,” “So let’s get this over and done with,” “Yeah,”

Naomi knocked on the office door. A short women opened it. She looked very familiar to Naomi “Hi, can I help you?” She asks “Um… Hi, I’m Naomi Winchester and this is my fiancé Virgil Tracy. We were wondering if we could have our wedding here,” “Come on in, I’ll see what I can do,” The women showed the couple into the office “I’m Philippa Winchester by the way,” Naomi laughed a little. “I think my cousin on my dad’s side has a wife called Philippa,” She explained “It’s not every day this sort of thing happens,” “What’s your cousin’s name?” “Err… It can’t be Nat or Theo because I know for certain they’re still bachelors. Maru is who knows where doing who knows what. Brian, David and Kelvin all have a different last names. Anthony lives in Rotorua while Jeremy is in Wellington. So that leaves Sam and Matthew,” Naomi counts on her fingers “I think its Matt but I can’t be sure. I haven’t seen any of my cousins since I was like six,” “So you’re the cousin who moved to America,” “Yeah. Wow. Are you and Matt living here?” “On a farm out on Taihou South,” “Cool,” “Anyway, besides the mini family reunion, you two want to get married here,” “Yeah. Naomi grew up here and we thought it would be nice if we married in Naomi’s hometown,” “So what date are you thinking about?” Philippa asked, logging onto the computer. “We haven’t…” “July 14th,” Virgil interrupted “No more tears of sadness,” “A winter wedding?” “Why not?” “You just want it to be easier to remember my birthday,” Naomi bantered with her fiancé playfully “Have I ever forgotten your birthday?” “No. But your brother has,” “So we have nothing planned or booked on Wednesday 14th July this year, would you like us to book you in for the day?” Philippa asked “Yes please,” Naomi and Virgil said in union. A tall boy walked through the door. “Hey Mum,” He looked up and saw the two visitors in the office. “Caleb, this is your dad’s cousin Naomi and her fiancé Virgil,” Philippa told her son “They’re planning to have their wedding here in Matamata,” “Hey,” Naomi said “Nice to meet you,” “You too,” Caleb said “I’m going to Uncle Sam’s now Mum. I’ll be back on Thursday,” “Okay. See you then,” Naomi sighed. “I completely forgot how many people there are on my dad’s side,” “Well the church will be big enough for the whole family,” Philippa told the couple “That’s true,” Naomi agreed “So anything else we need to do before we leave?” “Yeah, just your address and payment details,” Philippa told the couple. Virgil grabbed the pen and paper. “Remember most of the payment for the wedding is coming from my bank account,” “I’ll pay for the venue – you save it for the dress,” Naomi rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ll contact you guys later with more details,” “Thanks Philippa,” Naomi told her cousin’s wife “No problem. But don’t be surprised if you get a wedding present from the church,” The three adults laughed. “See you around,” Virgil said “We’ve got a few more jobs to do before we head home tomorrow,” “Of course, I won’t keep you any longer,”

15 minutes later, Naomi pulled into a driveway. A blue letter box stood on a wooden post at one end. At the other end, an old house from the 1970s stood. “Welcome to the Winchester farm,” She told her fiancé “My childhood home,” “It’s beautiful,” “For an old house. That my dad helped to build when he was nine,” Naomi said “That shed must have been put up after I left though. I don’t remember that being there,” “I think we should go talk to the occupants, they must be wondering whose car this is,” Virgil suggested. “Good idea,” They got out of the car and went up the concrete steps. They walked along a path to a set of orange wooden steps. “My poppa made these before he died,” Naomi explained “The only way down before these were made were the steps on the other side and the front porch,” “You really remember all that?” “Of course I do. I always was a bright kid,” Naomi took a deep breath and knocked on the front door. A teenage girl opened the door. “Can I help you?” “Um Hi, I’m Naomi. This is my fiancé, Virgil, are your parents’ home?” “Yeah,” The girl answers “Mum! Someone’s at the door for you!” An older women appeared. “Hi, you must be the landlord’s niece,” The women said “I’m Kristen Jones, we’re renting the house at the moment,” “I’m Naomi Winchester, this is my fiancé, Virgil,” Naomi introduced herself and the middle Tracy. “Come on in,” Kristen said.

Kristen handed Naomi a glass of water and Virgil a cup of coffee. “Congratulations on your engagement,” She told the couple “So when’s the wedding,” “July 14th,” Naomi told the women “We’re having it at the bible church in town and we were wondering if we could use the house for the night since neither one of us own property here in New Zealand,” “Well we’re on holiday in Australia at that time so feel free to use it for a week if you need to,” Kristen said “Mr Turner explained the situation to us over the phone a few days ago,” “Thank you so much Kristen,” Virgil smiled “This means a lot to us,” “No problem,” “We’ve got the wedding venue done as well as a place to stay. Still need to worry about the cake, catering, the dress and the people in the wedding party and people invited,” “I’ve got a friend who does catering, I’ll give you her number,” Kristen said, writing down a number on her notepad “Just tell her that Kristen Jones gave you the number,” “Thank you again Kristen,” Naomi said, handing over a card “Here’s my number if something crops up. Obviously I don’t work for the FBI anymore,” “Thanks, I hope you two can get everything ready in time for your wedding,”

Cameron Muter sat in his apartment, reading the latest issue of New Life. The cover story was the announcement of Virgil Tracy and Naomi Winchester’s engagement. While the news of their engagement had been released some weeks prior by The Maze, the Tracy family had only just officially confirmed the fact. It had a photo of the middle Tracy son holding his bride-to-be gently. He had extra reason to. The lucky girl’s right arm was in a dark blue sling. The article stated that the 29 year old had recently been caught in crossfire while saving the fourth Tracy son. Cameron sighed. It would have been better if that Tracy had died when he was supposed to. It would have meant that the Tracy family would have to go through even more pain that they were originally going to go through. Because of the red haired son, Jeff Tracy was going to have to watch his first daughter-in-law perish alongside all of his sons. Cameron picked up his phone and dialled the number at the top of his contacts list. His only contact. “Good evening sir, I’m afraid to report that this time, it seems, that the rumours of a Tracy bride were true,”

[fantasticnewtimagines]

*Once Bitten, Twice Shy*Newt x reader

◘ Anonymous asked:

Is this an okay request? Newt meets the reader and although he begins to develop feelings for her, he's reluctant to open his heart fearing that she'll betray him like Leta. Kind of like the old saying, "Once bitten, twice shy"?

❤ Enjoy! I really enjoyed writing this one! I hope to post some more tonight after work! So stayed tuned!! ^_^ 

One of your all time favorite places to spend time was the Obscurus bookshop in Diagon Alley. The store was filled, floor to ceiling, with a plethora of books. You had recently finished the two books you purchased last time and were in need of something new. You had heard through the grapevine that a new book had been released recently and was causing quite a positive stir among witches and wizards. You were told it was about Magical Creatures, which was something you always loved reading about. 

The bell above the shop entrance rang as you entered, the owner smiling up at you from the bookshelf he was arranging.

“Back so soon, Y/N?”

“I hear there’s a new book about magical creatures?”

“Ah! Yes! Lucky for you, we just got a new stock in today.” The owner shuffled over to the display near the front counter where he picked up a copy of the book from the large pile. 

“The young man who wrote it traveled all over the world to document and study the creatures within the pages. He’s an interesting man and very intelligent.”

“Newt Scamander, eh?” Reading the introduction, your eyes scanned the words and then landed upon a tiny photo of the gentlemen who wrote the book. His hair was a dusty cinnamon with curls just covering the tips of his eyes. He had a gentle look, one of compassion and love. You couldn’t help but smile as you admired the photo.

The bell rang and a customer walked in, their shuffling coming up behind you and stopping just inches away. You were so entranced by the book that you didn't even bother to look up to see who was now standing beside you.

“Ah! Newt, my boy!” The shop owner smiled as he looked up from the counter.

“Hello.” The man’s voice was quiet. “Was coming in to check the dates you wanted me to come in for the signings.”

“Yes yes! Let me check my schedule. I know I had a day picked... let me go look.” The man shuffled away, leaving you, still enraptured by the book in your hands, alone with the man still standing beside you. As you flipped through, you could sense his gaze on you and you briefly looked over. About to ask him if you were in his way, you gasped as you recognized the familiar face.

“You’re... you’re this guy!” Flipping the pages back to the beginning, you looked at the photo and then at the man again. A shy smile spread across his freckled face and he averted his eyes to the ground. 

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he hid his hands inside his pockets. 

“Your book is amazing, Mr. Scamander. I just started flipping through it moment ago and I’m already knee deep in new facts!” 

He looked back over to you about to speak when a tiny creature popped out of his great pocket in his coat. You gasped, not expecting to see such a thing but you found yourself suddenly inches away from Newt as you peered up at the creature.

“Is that a bowtruckle?!” 

“His name is Pickett.” Holding his hand up to the creature, it crawled out and stood on the back of Newt’s hand. “He’s got some attachment issues. He insists he stay in my coat pocket.” 

“He’s absolutely adorable!” 

As you admired the tiny creature, the shop owner reappeared and told Newt the day and time of his book signings. Agreeing on the chosen date and time, Newt placed Pickett back in his pocket and turned to you. 

“Well, I must be going. It was nice to meet you...?”

“Y/N. Y/N L/N.” You held out your hand and Newt took it. A tiny tingle shot through you as he locked eyes with yours and smiled.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”

“You as well, Mr. Scamander. I can’t wait to take your book home and read it!”

He blushed again, his curly hair falling in front of his eyes as he hid behind it. His hand fell to his side and he turned around, hunched over slightly as he made his way out. Watching him walk away, you felt a tinge of sadness in knowing you’d probably never see him again. In just that brief moment of meeting you, you already felt a deep connection. 

Turning back around, you opened your purse and pulled out your money. As the shop owner took it and went to get your change, you realized you never heard the bell above the door ring. 

“P-perhaps, if you’d like, you would like to join me for some tea? I mean... only if you want to. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have about my book.”

Elated and overjoyed, a huge smile spread across your face as you nodded and replied, “I’d love that.”

A couple months had passed and you and Newt quickly began close friends. Most of your days were spent with him, helping him care for his creatures and learning more about them from the ultimate master. 

Newt enjoyed having someone to spend time with. Most days he spent alone and with his creatures. Truthfully, he didn't mind that, but it was wonderful to finally have someone to talk to and genuinely listen to him as he shared his knowledge. 

Your relationship was completely platonic and you hid the fact that you had indeed began to produce feelings for the sweet wizard. It was hard not to. What with his adorable freckles, sweet smile and his incredible knowledge and love for magical creatures! He was perfect in your eyes.

“Could you hand me that bucket there, Y/N?”

Obliging, you handed the small pail over to him as he began shuffling through a bowl of nuts. It was evening and the two of you had been hard at work all day. Taking a seat on a stool across from him, you quietly watched as he shuffled through the bowl, plucking the nuts out and tossing the discards in a nearby bowl. He glanced up at you a moment and you quickly averted your gaze down. 

Newt continued his work and you waited until you knew he was no longer looking to fix your eyes on him again. Your heart beat wildly within your chest as you admired him. You thanked the stars every day that you ran in to this amazing and wonderful man. However, your heart ached with the knowledge that what you two would ever have was a deep friendship and nothing more.

Obviously, if he liked me, he would have acted on his feelings by now, you thought to yourself one day. You were currently caring for the occamies as Newt brushed and cleaned Frank. Every so often you’d glance up, admiring the way he gently spoke to the giant Thunderbird and how gentle he was with him. He truly did have the complete trust of every creature within this case.

Perhaps it was up to you to share your feelings first to then have him share his. The Hufflepuff was a bit shy and perhaps just needed a bit of a push in order to get things going. 

The thought of sharing your feelings towards him scared you and you immediately pushed the thought away. Never in your life had you ever shared your emotions with anyone you liked. The fear of rejection was something that always plagued you and you couldn't bear to be rejected by Newt.

“This is absolutely delicious, Y/N.” Smiling at you from across the table, Newt took another bite of the dinner you had prepared that evening. You knew he loved chicken with vegetables and the delicious mashed potatoes you’d make smothered in a delicious gravy your mother taught you how to make.

“Thank you!” 

Taking another bite, you watched Newt across from you as he ate. You love how adorably cute he was as he chewed; using his napkin to wipe away the bits of food that didn't quite make it in to his mouth. 

Your eyes lingered on his lips and you began to wonder what it would be like to kiss them. Oh, how you wanted to feel his against yours...

As you continued to eat, your mind began to wander and you thought about the past months since you had met and how much you two had connected in such a short amount of time. Never in your life had you ever felt to safe or connected to another human being so quickly. 

Did Newt feel the same? 

The question kept bouncing around in your mind and you suddenly, without even realizing it, blurted out, “Newt? Why do you like to hang out with me?”

The wizard paused mid chew, his eyes looking up at you and his curly hair hiding his expression just a bit. He swallowed before clearing his throat and sitting up straight. 

“Umm.. W-what do you mean?”

“Well, I don't know... we get along super well. We spend almost every day together and if I’m not spending time at your place than you’re usually here at mine.”

“I like being around you.”

“Is that it?” You knew Newt was becoming uncomfortable and you watched as he set his fork down, placing his hands in his lap and staring in to his lap. His eyes stayed down, refusing to look up at you.

“I like bing around you too, Newt.” You replied. “But, I guess I just thought that there might have been a reason. You know?”

Newt let out a sigh before pushing his chair out and standing up. 

“It’s getting late, I should go.”

“Newt, it’s only eight thirty.”

Ignoring you, the wizard slipped his blue coat on and grabbed his case propped up beside the door. His hand was on the door knob and about to turn it when you said, “Walk out that door, Newt, and I won’t let you back through it.”

Pausing, the wizard stiffened, his knuckles turning white on the handle of his case. You weren't quite sure why you had said that to him, but you knew he was holding something back and you wanted to know what it was. 

Truthfully, you knew you had said it as a way to prove whether or not you truly meant something to him. If he honestly didn’t care for you, he’d go. But seeing him stand there, obviously at war with himself, you knew there was something more there. 

Without turning around or even looking at you, Newt began to speak quietly.

“Look... I-I can’t do this right now, Y/N.”

“Do what, Newt?”

“This.”

What did that mean? Why was he being so weird? Your annoyance began to grow and you honestly wanted to just throw your fork at him. 

“This? What’s this? Is there something here?” You questioned. As far as you knew, you two were just enjoying a nice evening together after helping to patch up one of his injured creatures. 

“This!” Newt spun around, his free hand flying to to motion at you and the table. You hd never heard his voice raise that high and you sunk in your chair a bit. “I can’t do this!”

There was a pause and the room stayed completely silent. Your eyes were staring at your hands now fidgeting in your lap. Newt continued to stand beside the door and you felt his eyes plastered to you, staring intently as you sat there, your mind reeling with thoughts about how you should have just stayed quiet and not said everything. You for sure thought Newt would leave tonight and never come back and it would be all your fault.

Tears slowly began to creep up in to the corners of your eyes as you remained seated. Your waited for him to speak, hoping whatever he said next would be how much you meant to him and how he wanted to be with you.

The sound of him placing his case down caused you to slightly lift your head up and you watched as he put his hands in his pockets and shifting a bit as he stood there, his gaze at the floor.

“I like you, Y/N... I have liked you for quite some time now... The thing is though,” He paused, rubbing his forehead behead gathering the words he wanted to use to continue. “I’ve been in love before and, well... it didn’t go exactly as I had hoped.”

“So you’re just going to go through life not loving anyone based off of one experience?”

“You don’t understand.”

Your head shot up and you stared at him, eyes glaring as you felt the anger inside you boiling up, ready to explode at any moment. 

“I love her, this girl in school, and she betrayed me. I took the fall for her and got nothing in return. She used me. She got what she wanted and tossed me to the side. So, forgive me for not feeling comfortable opening my heart to you or anyone really...”

You stood up, brushing your hair behind your ears as you slowly walked toward him. His eyes stayed fixated on the floor and you could tell the memories of his past heartbreak were replaying in his mind, causing him to feel the pain he felt that day all over again. 

“Newt, I’m so sorry...” Gently, you placed a hand on his shoulder as you searched his face. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes and glanced up at you, a small lopsided smile appearing on his freckled face.

“I was never good at making friends in school. She was the only person who truly made sense to me and I thought we had something special. I know, Y/N, that you’re not like her. But I can’t shake the feeling of fearing that I could lose you and feel that heartache all over again.”

Your heart swelled at his confession and you smiled, placing a hand under his chin and lifting it up to meet his green eyes with your E/C eyes. Brushing away his hair from his eyes, you leaned in close, pressing your forehead against his as you stood on your tippy toes. Newt’s hands came to rest on your waist and you felt him hold you tightly, not wanting to let you slip away. 

“I would never hurt you, Newt. I love you.” 

Your words rang true and he heard the sincerity in it so clearly. Without a moments hesitation, Newt pressed his lips to yours, pulling you in to his chest. Your arms wrapped firmly around his neck and you pulled yourself up a bit more as you deepened the kiss. Newt smiled against your lips and you felt tears slip down his cheeks. 

Breaking free to breathe, Newt cupped your cheeks gently as he whispered, “I love you too, Y/N. More than human or creature I have ever met. The moment I met you in that bookstore and saw you reading my book, I knew from that second on that you were someone special; someone worth my while. I wanted to tell you ages ago how I truly felt but I was so afraid. The pain I felt with Leta was so strong that I allowed it to blind me and keep me from realizing that you aren't like her.”

Tears slipped down your cheeks and a huge grin spread across your face. Brushing his tears away with your thumb, you kissed his lips before replying, “I would never hurt you, Newt. Whatever this Leta girl did to you, it’s in the past. Right here, right now, it’s the present. And I want to make a future with you.”

TAG LIST: @infinite-exist-once  @pocketcow @hunger-games-imagineers @gdmora @irlus @silverwingedfox @feyreaelinmaas @barbarachern@blackrose22-0hokulaune320 @demigodgirl91 @sharon6713 @lulurebhuhn2@nour-adeeb@myboyjarpad @endergirlz224 @its-onepiece @fluffylemonjuice@gondorgirl01 @demigodgirl91@omgunicornsarebae @ever-faithful-sidekick@im-disgustingly-vain @muggleno-maj @carlylynnmikaelsonscamander @savvythedork @itsmhayward @peyhag

[somar78]

Chevrolet Corvette C1 Convertible - 1961 by Perico001 Type 887 Bonhams : the Zoute Sale Sold for € 115.000 Zoute Grand Prix 2017 Knokke - Zoute België - Belgium October 2017 Back in 1953, Chevrolet's launch of a two-seater sports car was a radical departure for a marque hitherto associated almost exclusively with sensible family transport. Based on the 1952 EX-122 show car, the Corvette made use of existing GM running gear and a shortened chassis frame, around which was wrapped striking Harley Earl-styled glassfibre coachwork. Motive power came from Chevrolet's 235.5ci (3.8-litre) overhead-valve straight six and, unusually for a sportscar, there was automatic transmission, a feature that attracted much adverse criticism at the time. Intended as competition for the T-Series MG, the Corvette cost way above the target figure, ending up in Jaguar XK120 territory but with an inferior performance. Sales were sluggish initially and the model came close to being axed, surviving thanks to Chevrolet's need to compete with Ford's Thunderbird. A V8 engine for 1955 and a radical re-style for '56 consolidated the 'Vette's position in the market, the model going on to become the world's best-selling and longest-lived sports car. This 1961 Chevrolet Corvette was delivered new via Établissements C F Wismeyer & Co in Brussels, the local importer for Chevrolet, and sold new to Mr Armand Blaton in Brussels. The Blaton family was already well known in the motor racing world, with the brothers Armand 'Blary' and Jean 'Beurlys' Blaton both being successful racers. This Corvette was ordered and registered in the name of Armand Blaton Sr. but mainly used by his sons Armand and Jean. The car was delivered fitted with the 245hp V8 engine, and the original sales contract (on file) lists several desirable options: electric power windows; hardtop; four-speed manual gearbox; twin four-barrel carburettors; heavy duty brakes; safety belts; one exterior rear-view mirror; and a Positraction limited-slip differential. With 'taxe de luxe' of 13% applied, this was one very expensive motor car, costing Blaton 385,618 Belgian Francs. The Corvette was first registered on 24th April 1961 as 'B1288', later 'B6277', and finally 'ABL-078', reflecting Armand Blaton's initials. The car was originally delivered with a speedometer calibrated miles per hour, which Blaton changed two months after delivery to one in kilometres (correspondence on file). Unhappy about the brakes, Mr Blaton contacted the Girling company in August 1961 to inform them of this, stating that he wanted to fit 'Girling disc brake equipment' to his Corvette (correspondence on file). He even contacted Autostar-Bizzarrini & Co to get them to install their AC Dunlop patent disc brake system, though nothing came of these approaches. Clearly Armand intended to do hill climbs with this Corvette, and there is correspondence on file with Ronald M Chazan of Corvettes Limited in California about the best competition equipment for such events. In April 1962, Armand had a minor accident with the car, which was not his fault. Luckily only the right front wing, right front light, and front bumper were slightly damaged, as can be deduced from the detailed 'declaration d'accident' on file. In June of that same year there was more bad luck when the garage door struck the Corvette in the right rear quarter, blown by the wind. The minor repairs required were done at the supplying dealership, C F Wismeyer (invoice on file). In August 1962, Armand Blaton wrote to his good friend Jacques Swaters, the Ferrari importer for Belgium, saying that he wanted to change the body of his Corvette for a special Bertone body (only one year after he bought the car). Jacques Swaters frequently travelled to Italy, and having had a meeting with Giotto Bizzarrini and Marcello Gandini, he informed Armand that Bizzarrini's plans for a Bertone-bodied Corvette had been completed. However, Armand decided not to commit to this venture as he feared that he would not get his car back in due time. There are plenty of other anecdotes concerning this Corvette, all contained in the fascinating history file. Clearly Blaton was keen to experiment with his car, wanting to change almost everything, and what happened is completely the opposite – it stayed beautifully original. In 1966 another minor accident occurred in which the car was slightly damaged, and on this occasions it was repaired by the established coachbuilders, Vesters & Neirinck (invoice on file). In 2013 the car underwent some mechanical work including an oil change and attention to the brakes, carburettors, and electrical components. The last works were carried out were in 2014, since when car has hardly been driven. It has remained in the Blaton family for its entire life. The current odometer reading is just over 90,000 kilometres, which is correct. The outstandingly comprehensive history file contains all documents from new (perusal highly recommended). The amazing amount of original paperwork includes a copy of the original sales invoice (dated April 1961); the original 'contrat de vente' listing all options requested by Mr Blaton (dated January 1961); a copy of the first Belgian registration papers in the name of Armand Blaton (dated 1961); and old Belgian registration documents in the name of Armand Blaton (dated 1992). In addition, the car comes with the original service book and owner's manual; a 1961 Corvette sales brochure; 'The Corvette Story'; old Contrôles Techniques and road tax documents; some period photographs; numerous service invoices; correspondence with Wismeyer, Brussels; and even the 'proces-verbal' when the owner received a fine for not parking the car properly! Today, the Corvette is presented in highly original condition with a delightfully patinated interior, still in excellent condition. A Bonhams specialist has had the chance to drive the Corvette over a short distance and is highly complimentary about the way it performs: 'You can feel it is an honest and original car'. https://flic.kr/p/YPbmo9

[awesome-legendarystudentcho-blog]

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An officer pulled me over for not using my blinker. He gave me a ticket for that and not having insurance. The problem is I have insurance, I just had an expired card in my car. I don't remember getting the knew ones in the mail and I had just forgotten about it. I know I pay my preimum every month because it is taken out of my checking account electornically. The officer didn't believe me. I even told him he could call my insurance company to verify. He refused to do so. I am very upset. He could have spent 5 minutes calling my company, instead I have to spend several hours going to court to get this cleared up. Is it true that officer doesn't have to call a company if he doesn't want to? Shouldn't it be a department policy that he verify insurance if someone asks him to?""

Cheapest Car Insurance For Me?

I currently have commerce insurance company. I drive a Nissan Versa Hatchback 2011 I have been a licensed driver for the past 8 years without accidents or tickets I am looking for the cheapest auto insurance I can get I am currently financing my car for the next 5 years just to build on credit. I would like for you to let me know what I should. Oh I am also on my own and paying rent on a two family home I pay all my bills on time so there is no issues I have Three jobs and one of them being my full time job. Thanks

What is the cheapest online car insurance in the market today?

What is the cheapest online car insurance in the market today?

Health Insurance/Student emergency card help!?

I'm currently filling out a Student Emergency Information Card and I'm stuck on the Health Insurance portion... For the portion, it only says Insurance #, I have HealthNet but I don't know whether to write the group number or the subscriber number.. I'm kind of sure it's the subscriber one, but I need some assurance. Also, it asks for Medi-Cal straight after that with Yes/No.. How do I know if it's medi-cal or not?""

Monthly Insurance??

Can anyone give me a guess-timate on how much the average monthly auto insurance would be in New Hampshire for a red 1996 Ford Thunderbird with a 5.0 V8 and automatic tranny? I want almost all the coverage. So could anyone give me any answers??? Thanks!

I got a ticket for no insurance in california?

well i told the officer that i had insurance on the car but the little proof of insurance card did not come in the mail yet so he gave me a ticket for that and he told me something about if i mail the proof of insurance to the court i guess i dont have to go to the court date or soemthing like that is that true by the way i checked the mail that same day i got the ticket and the proof arrived

How do you get car insurance for your car when you never had insurance?

I'm looking to put a down payment on a used car but I need to know how does putting insurance on it work? I never had my own insurance this will be my first car I get on my own, I will not be under my parents insurance or anything like that it will be completely brand new.""

Car insurance issue(s). Please share your experience and help if you can. Thanks?

My car caught on fire due to some electrical wiring, im fully comp, and have never claimed before. But sneaky as they are, they have told me that they do not cover electrical wiring faults, which has caused the fire. But the AA who towed my car in has catergorised it as fire damage. Surely they must cover the fire damage. I took it to a repair centre near me, and have asked them to have a quick check, and they also say its fire damage and what not, this has been procrastinated for so long by the insurance company, (claims company rather) that i can't remember what the repair centre has stated. Surely, fully comp covers something like this? THEIR engineers have said that there was no further damage to the rest of the car, but can i trust THEIR engineers? A full check up costs a lot, as they would have to take apart the car ( i believe? ) When i rang up the lady at the claims centre, she had no idea what case i was on, she literally said 'give me a moment to read up on your case' for me, thats a bit pathetic. While speaking on the phone with her not only was she rude, almost shouting at me (as i pressed on further ) . She told me she would send the company policy booklet to show that electrical wiring is not covered, and a letter stating the case was closed and in detail what the whole case is about. A week and a half has gone by (she said couple of days) This is the most annoying thing. She was rude, unhelpful, unwilling to help, and just taking the pee with the whole thing. I just find it sketchy that the letter has not been made, and no further actions or anything has happened (i have also opened another case about another incident - no info .. still) . I think they are just hoping i'd give this up as they are so unwilling to pay out. This is the reason I have insurance. Whats the point otherwise? Sorry for the long read. I have no idea what to do now, can i take it to a small claims court or talk to someone in the city council to further my case? Thanks""

Should I buy insurance?

Should I get the insurance offered when I book our next cruise? What is it for?

""How much would my car insurance be, under 25?""

Im looking to get a car soon and im curious on how much car insurance would be. 2012 toyota corolla s im 18, female, Live in Florida Not married or anything, no kids Iv been driving for 2 yrs No accidents or tickets Also i have no credit (Ps whats a safe way to gain credit?) and i work at dunkin donuts. Thats all the details i believe i would need to know the answer.""

How do speeding tickets affect your insurance?

i received a 81 dollar ticket and lost 2 points last friday. im 16 and i was driving my moms car. the car is in her name and so is the insurance so since I got the ticket how will it affect my mom's insurance? i am not on the insurance nor on the title for the car.

""I have a question about an accident, insurance, an estimate and payment?""

Hello. I recently got rear-ended and had an estimate done for $1800 dollars and somebody told me they would never give me that much for my car. I looked up the Kelley Blue Book and a private party price would be about $750 and that's how much they would give me and THEY take the car. Is this right? I might do it $750 and I keep the car! I put a new clutch in it, new front brake system, new exhaust, I love the car, so it's worth much more to me.....I'm just wondering what the law is on it and what I might be able to do to maximize my payout. If I'm unhappy with their offer can I take them to small claims and win? I just can't believe that I was just sitting at a stoplight and BOOM my car's wrecked and since I'm poor I can't get it fixed ya know? Thank you for your time......""

""Financed car damaged,no insurance.what to do?!?

long story short... my car cost 7000 to fix and i dont have any insurance. i want to have the finance company to get the car.what happens once they get it? will i have to pay off the loan or just pay for the damages done?

Car insurance quotes tripled overnight?

I've been getting my car insurance quotes ready for the 1st of september. As soon as i was able to get a quote for the 1st of sept (my renewal) my insurance quotes went from 1100 to about 3900 This is ridiculous, its been a few days and it hasn't changed yet. Starting to panic a bit now, i have 2 years no claims and this is a stupid amount. Will this likely go down soon? Thanks""

2003 G35 Maintenance fee and a estimate insurance price in nyc?

Want to buy a used 2003 G35 but would like to know the Maintenance fee and a estimate insurance price in nyc? ok I'm a 19 year(soon to be 20) old black college student who lives in Brooklyn, NY and would like to know how much it would cost me to maintain an insure a 2003 used G35 with about 40k- 80k miles? I've been driving for lets say a year now and live in a urban area, which i will be commuting back and forth to work, school and home.""

How much is insurance on a 2008-11 Honda Accord Coupe Ex-l V6 for a teen?

I want this car for graduation and I want to know how much would insurance be? I live in a small town

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

Cheapest car insurance?

new drivers

How much would Insurance go up with Speeding Ticket?

I'm 17, in Kansas, and I got a speeding ticket for going a 51 in a 40. My dad said that it will cause insurance to go up for the next three years. My ticket cost is $96.00. How much should this cause my insurance to go up? I've never had any violations of any kind before and I have the good student discount, too. Also, what do you recommend I do? Should I just pay the fine and accept whatever happens to my insurance?""

Car accident/ car insurance/ what happens?

I had just got into a car accident. The other lady was at fault, she got a ticket and I didn't. I have no-fault car insurance. How does this work? I've never been in an accident. Does her insurance pay for my damages? What happens??""

Renewal of car insurance after accident?

I was in a car accident in Oct 2006, I was injured in the accident and still under medical treatment but insurance is now refusing to pay any medical bills and my 6 month renewal is up and I am wondering if I need to renew this because of being in a accident or not. If anyone has been through anything similar like this could you please advise. I was not at fault in this accident and I am waiting to hear from a lawyer. Any Advice? Serious answers only PLEASE!!""

Car insurance tricks to make it cheaper?

Im getting a car but my insurance is going to be 8000 is there any tricks to make it cheaper? my friend told me to use Learner Driver Insurance and use it for a year and it will cost me 1000 pounds should I do this or not?

Are there any whole life insurance / Roth IRA options similar to Colorado Banking?

I recently spoke to an investment broker about an option offered by Colorado Banking that offers an IRA with a guaranteed interest rate where the amount you put in ($150 per month) goes toward a 80,000 whole life insurance plan and also into an IRA that would return 319,000 at the end of 45 years. I've done the math and it does work itself out, but I'm curious if there are any companies that compete with the same type of plan.""

Cheapest auto insurance?

Cheapest auto insurance?

If your a 20 yr old female in florida how much do you pay for your car insurance?

I just moved here and want to buy a car but i was wondering how much someone my age pays for insurance. A little help please? actual numbers would help

How much auto insurance do I need?

How much auto insurance should I get for a 1999 Ford Escort that is already paid for. I have insurance now but it is 660 dollars a year and that sounds like way too much for an 11-year-old car.

Whats car insurance??????

im 17 and dont know much about it but they said i needed car insurance before i can buy a used car. how do i get car insurance and what happens once i have it..how much does it cost?

Whats the best insurance?

Im still on my dads insurance till I'm 21, but it wont cover prenatal care for his children unless its his spouse having his baby.... which is like most insurance... so what is the best insurance for me to use? I need opinions.... THANKS A BUNCH!""

""What is a sporty, efficient, nice looking, affordable small car?""

My fiance has been looking at cars to buy. We plan to buy used and pay cash with about a $7,000 price range. First she liked the Pontiac G6 but we read tons of terrible reviews and decided against it. Aswell as the G5. She says she wants a sporty yet classy car. She likes the Cobalt alot. I have read mixed reviews about it and also questioned fuel mileage and insurance costs. Please help! She is getting discouraged and I really want to make her happy in looking for another car. I know theres one out there somewhere...""

Need help on car insurance for young driver?

Hi! I've been struggling to get a good quote for car insurance for a while now. I tried all the big name comparison sites and every one is quoting me 4k (monthly installments). I opted for third party and theft, i am 22 years of age and my postcode starts with sl1 (slough) and i got pass plus and had my licence (manual) since march 2011. I got my car already its a Peugeot 206 1.6l petrol manual 1999 3doors. If you have time you can try for yourself with the above details the quote is freaking too much. Is this just how it is or am i doing something wrong? If you can point me to the right direction that would be amazing!!""

1st time car insurance. Y are they charging me so much?

I had no idea car insurance was so expensive. Quotes so far for basic insurance: Progressive : $300 for 6 months Geicko: $455 for 6 months. Where can I find a better deal? My info: Male, 27 y/o, Got license at 18 y/o, 1990 Honda Accord (paid $900 for it), 180K miles No DUI's, accidents etc, this is my 1st car""

How much did your car insurance go up after a speeding ticket?

I got a ticket a few months ago, and I got one today. Both were oddly enough 21 mph over the limit. I have not noticed a rate increase yet, and I was wondering what others have gone through.""

Cheap auto insurance for new driver?

I was just wondering of anyone knows of an insurance company that will insure new drivers for a low cost. I know it's hard to find because it always costs more to insure younger drivers due to the likely hood of them getting into an accident. I don't have my license yet, but will have it estimated by June of 2013, by then I'll be 17. I'm going to get my permit sometime in January so I would need the insurance by then.""

Car insurance?

I was given a car from Texas would I be able to insure the car with Texas plates ? If not how would I go about getting it smogged & insured if I can't drive it ?

How much did you pay for motorcycle insurance in Ontario just after getting your M2?

I've asked a couple of brokers for quotes and the very cheapest you can go is seemingly $800 to $900 a year for a newly licensed rider, after advanced training and a govt-approved course, which seems a little steep even for Ontario. So I am asking for personal anecdotes - when YOU, yes YOU, started tooling around Ontario on your first farty little 2 stroke scooter or whatever, how much did the insurance company shaft you for, what was the bike model and what else do you think is worth mentioning? Thank you.""

How much coverage do you get with salvalge title car? And how much does insurance run with salvage title?

How much coverage do you get with salvalge title car? And how much does insurance run with salvage title?

How much wil I have to pay the first time wen I go set up my car insurance?

Ima buy a used car this week for about 2 thousand. Nd I wanna go put insurance on it but how much will I have to pay wen I go.

Can you still get bundle insurance with a DWI?

I just like to know if it is possible to get a bundle insurance and the discount with a DWI? My family has a bundle policy for both car and house. Recently, my auto insurance was ...show more""

Cheapest car insurance for a 21 year old 2002 Mazda protege 5?

Live in Ajax Ontario, and I also have 2 suspensions non alcohol related""

Question about car insurance?

I live in philadelphia with my mom, and I live with my dad in quakertown on most weekends. Even though my permit is registered under my mom's address, can I go on my dad's car insurance since it's way cheaper? I mean I do live with him part time, just as I live with my mom part time. I'm 18.""

Liability vs full coverage insurance on motorcycle?

Im getting my first bike next week (a ninja 250r) and i got these 2 quotes from my insurance company: Liability $253/year Full Coverage $842/year What do you think?

Will my child automatically get added to my car insurance when he gets his license?

My 18 year old son is getting his license tomorrow. And I was wondering, when he gets his license through the DMV... Will he automatically get added to my car insurance? If so when? Is there anyway to prevent him getting placed on my insurance without me doing so. My rates would be a killer. Thanks""

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

Health insurance question?

i am 17, and will be 18 january 12th. i curently live in california, but will be going to arizona to start college in january. my parents have signa nationwide health insurance, and i was wondering if i would still be covered if i only wnet to school part time? i am considering going part time because is is about 2000 more dollars to take 4 classes rather than two, and i am still waiting for my financial aid which wont come until after january. any help would be appreciated, thanks.""

How much would it be to insure a 17 year old on a Nissan Navara Pick Up Truck?

'JUST OUT OF INTEREST' I have always wanted a Nissan Navara Pick up truck and i turn 17 in october, its unlikely i will be driving till next year! i was just wondering an insurance estimate on, say, an 08 plate? Im not fussed weather it is 'expensive' i know it wont be cheap and the companies are unlikely to insure me on them but i was just wondering about a price. Its hard for me to go on insurance websites as i do not have a license and know any information. I have herd they are in Group 11 insurance.. Also are they classed as a Van/Car/ Etc? Would just like an average quote please! don't want answers with 'depends on this, this or this'.. Thanks very much!""

Im 6 weeks pregnant with no health insurance in california?

Im 6 weeks pregnant, i got my proof of preganancy at a free clinic, i applied for medical.. how long till i know im approved? I work part time, i dont make enough money at all... maybe 400 before taxes. i pay 400 rent, i split rent with my bf that i live with. he has a good job. would that effect my media-cal application? are they going to want my roomates info? and with him being my bf does that make a difference? we are not married so will they still use that?""

""Im 19 ,how much should i pay for car insurance?

im not british.but im getting a uk full licence.. any people know how much should i pay for a classic mini? and how about a 1995 subaru wrx?

How would one categorize those who will not have health insurance after Obamacare officially starts?

Considering that it will be law that everyone must have health insurance. What of those who will not have insurance and did not for whatever reason sign up for the government plan? How will Obamacare address them?

Is medicaid good insurance?

Im pregnant, nn I'm currently unemployed, without health insurance, and I was just wondering if medicaid ia good insurance?""

Should Obama be impeached for saying you can keep your insurance?

Should Obama be impeached for saying you can keep your insurance?

""Difference in insurance price between 2007 4DR Chevy Cobalt, and 2008 Pontiac G6 GT 4DR?""

I currently have a 2007 Cobalt LT 4DR 2.2. I'm fairly happy with the car but I want a car with a little bit more room, that's still a GM or Ford and has a little bit better get up and go. I love my low insurance rates with the cobalt how much do you think i'd go up with the g6?""

What's a low cost yet good car insurance co in California(northern)?

I have a gas hog and I am trying to lower my bills since the economy slump and I am trying to find if my car insurance is high and if I should switch and to who I pay every six months 681.00.Thanks in advance.

Do you hav to hav insurance to drive a car?

well i might buy a cheap old car (one that i dont have to worry about scratching or dinting) but do i HAVE to get insurance? and what other stuff do i HAVE to get like tax and what not and how much does all that cost?

Collector Car insuance for 17 year old? Possible?

My 17 year old son wants collector car insurance for his 67 Chevelle that he heavily modified and uses it only for hobby and pleasure. He puts 4,000-4,300 miles a year. We live in California and were wondering if there was a collector car insurance like hagerty, american car collector, etc. that would cover a 18 year old or younger? Any Possible plans? Thanks. PS. He locks it up in our secure garage.""

If i get a v6 mustang will my insurance be lower?

Im 16 and looking for a mustang, but if i get a v6 mustang will it be a lot cheaper than a v8?""

""How many billions will obamcare cost to insure the poor ,the crack heads the people who can't afford it?

how much is the fine if you can't afford to buy obamacare

Cheap home insurance?

Where can i obtain cheap home insurance?

Massachusetts proof of car insurance while out of state?

OK. In Massachusetts, some car insurance companies don't give you/ offer a separate little card that serves as your proof of insurance; the licence plate/ your registration serves as your proof in MA. Now I was wondering. most other states have a requirement that you carry proof of insurance at all times while driving. In theory, if I was driving in another state, some distance from MA and therefore where the police are not familiar with how MA does things, and get pulled over, would the officer know that I was insured, even if I was unable to produce the little card, or would he always assume that without it, the driver is uninsured? the insurance is listed on the registration, but...""

I need to how much car insurance will be ?

Im 19 years old an i live in topeka ks. im goin to be gettin a 1994 camaro i want to no how much the car insurance will be since it is a sports car

My new employer wants to add me to their auto insurance i have 30 years driving experience?

But I have not been insured for 10 years.will their insurance rates go up?

Buying sunglasses using health insurance ?

hi i am trying to buy sunglasses using my health insurance because aetna health insurance allow me to buy sunglasses on their charge, a lot of my friends did it this way, but every time i call a store they say that they don't do that!! any info ? thanks""

How much is a low rate car insurance cost? how much would it be ??? ?

How much is a low rate car insurance cost? how much would it be ??? ?

Young driver insurance?

what is the best car insurance for young drivers

CAR INSURANCE 17 YEAR OLD?

Hi im coming up 17 soon and am hoping I can pass my driving license. Anyway just wondering on how much a quote would be. Im a full time student looking for a 3rd party only, because im going to be buying a old car to start off, besides the car price how much would it roughly be. I was also considering getting a pass plus and getting a car from group 2 insurance. Any rough ideas on how much it will be? any experiences? btw I cant get on the same as my parents untill 21""

I'm moving to Alaska and I need advice about health insurance.?

I'm moving to Alaska in January and will be needing health insurance. Is there any cheap insurance there or something you can get based on your income? I will be getting a job eventually,but I need something before that and if the job is only part-time. My dad had lived there all his life and I will be moving in with him. Does that make a difference with anything?""

Are States legally allowed to require car insurance?

Can the State legally mandate that citizens buy insurance from consumer agencies that have little to no regulation of price and guaranteed service? Can we consider this question with these items. item 1: Premium rates are as high as the industry chooses to set them item 2: Insurance companies are not required to provide to low income families (as are utilities, and other necessity services) item 3: Insurance companies only pay a small percentage (20%) of claims, and only 6% without judication.""

Why are Pickup trucks so expensive to insure?

ok, I'm 17 and I own a 1999 Dodge Ram 4x4. I pay an insane amount for insurance, and I know I'm a teenager, but I haven't had any tickets or accidents to make it go up. Anyway, my truck is really common in my area, there are Ford, Chevy, and Dodge trucks everywhere you look. But yet I compare the insurance of my truck to a brand new Camaro SS, and the Camaro way cheaper, Heck I compared it to a Brand new Mercedes Benz CLS63 AMG, and it's still way cheaper. I'm thinking about getting a little newer Dodge Ram, but the insurance is a little more expensive on it than what I'm already paying. So why are trucks the most expensive vehicles to insure? I mean if they are in a low speed accident, they don't cost nearly as much to fix as a Brand new expensive car such as a Mercedes with expensive parts, and trucks don't get damaged as easily either. It's kind of frustrating that I have a 11 year old vehicle that you see everywhere, and the cost to insure it is outrageous already, but even If I get the same truck only 5 years old, it's even more to insure, which is understandable seeing how it's newer. I know trucks are big, but even a Brand new Suburban cost less to insure than my 11 year old truck. The truck I'm thinking about buying is the most expensive vehicle possible to insure on a standard drivers license.""

Home owners insurance check made out to mortgage company and me?

Evidently my insurance co made out the check to both myself and my mortgage bank (too bad I didn't realize it before I deposited it at the ATM this morning...) for siding and roof hail damage. I was on hold for over 40 minutes today waiting to talk to a rep at the mortgage bank (PNC). I hung up and will call back tomorrow when I have more time to listen to bad music. What's the normal procedure for handling this? The check was only for $6800. I may hold off a bit on some of the repair, and do some of it myself. I've already made arrangements for a window replacement ($900 vs the $450 the ins co gave me). There's a PNC Bank just down the street. Any ideas on whether they can handle it there?""

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

""If I'm a registered driver but I'm still with my mom, will her insurance costs go up?""

I'm 16 and I want to get my learner's permit then eventually my license, but I heard that my mom's costs would go up even if I didn't have a car.""

Will getting a car permit/License increase tax?

I wanted to get my permit and then license as soon as possible. My mom however says by driving there will be an increase on tax she has to pay. Does she mean insurance? I'm not sure what she means by that, so can anyone explain?""

What are your thoughts on how insurance companies can put a price on life?

I'm not sure of the figure but my understanding is that insurance has a figure they use when ... say ... a plane crashes. Are all the lost lives worth the same?

Are there any car insurance companies that wont force me to be on my parent's insurance policy?

I got my license 4 months ago and I have NEVER driven since getting it. Not even once. I don't drive. I ride the bus or my bicycle everywhere I go. I don't need car insurance. I don't want car insurance. I live with my parents and their insurance requires that they add me to their coverage simply because I have a license. Are there any insurance companies that don't require me to be on my parents' plan like this?

Does lojack reduce auto insurance rates?

Does lojack reduce auto insurance rates?

What is the cheapest online moped insurance for a 16 year old?

im going to be 16 in october and im getting a moped , the bike will be kept in a secure brick building , i wish to have fire and theft , the moped is a direct bikes sports 50cc , has any one got a good estimate or a recommendation website for me? i would like to be able to get insured as soon as ive passed my cbt, and also could i get it online taxed the same day? thank you ;)""

What insurance group is a 1965 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK?

What insurance group is a 1965 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK?

Quick question about a 16 year girl's car insurance rate...?

My daughter's about to turn 16. Anyone have any idea what we can expect her insurance rate to be on a 2011 Mustang V6?

Car Insurance for a Corsa?

I am 18 had a license less that a year and I'm employed what would be the cheapest insurance for for a 1.6 vauxhal corsa?

Unemployment insurance disadvantage? california?

is there any negative impact if you file for UI???

I am 30 and just got my UK licence and want to buy a car. Any tricks to getting cheap insurance?

I have had my NZ drivers licence since I was 16 and many years of no-claims. However, I haven't owned a car or insurance policy in the UK. Any tops for not having to pay very high premiums? I would love to get a sports car, but it's looking very expensive. (Would it be worth registering in girlfriends name and being a named driver?)""

How much is your monthly car note and how much is your insurance? How many months do you have to pay it off?

What do you drive and do you feel its worth it? I pay $271 on my note. My insurance is $138. I had 42 months on it. I drive a 2005 chevy cobalt. So far I guess it is worth it. Driving is very expensive.

Health insurance question.....?

My daughter broke her arm. She is insured with my husband's insurance. The insurance company agreed to pay for the hospital and doctor bills but the doctor's office never submitted the bill to our insurance company. There is evidence that they submitted it to the wrong insurance company and are trying to blame us for it saying we gave them the wrong information. I have no idea where they think we came up with information on an insurance company we never had. Moreover they had the right information when they billed our insurance for a previous case. Now 2 years later the doctor's office is trying to collect the money from us saying it is too late to collect on our insurance. Can they do that? We pay a lot for health insurance every month and now we have a huge medical bill too.

Can you get your drivers licence if your car's insurance is not in effect?

so i'm getting my licence and my car's insurance doesnt go into effect till the 20th and i get my licence before then. can i use the car even though its not in effect yet. i have an insurance card. i live in georgia btw

What is full auto coverage in California?

I have a new 2010 Smart Fortwo that I am financing. What is considered full coverage in the state of California? In other words, what are the main components of the insurance that I need, and what can I do without? Please help, I need an answer quick...""

""Is anyone with Endsleigh for their car insurance, and has done pass plus?""

How much did you save? I am 18 and am about to buy my first car after using my mums. I did pass plus but on confused.com quote it doesn't ask if i have it. Well anyway, endsleigh is the cheapest quote but i was wondering how much i will save when they know i have pass plus?""

Do I need additional Insurance when renting a car in the USA?

I have full car insurance in the UK. Does this cover me when I rent a car in the USA or do I legally have to take out further insurance?

Why does anyone not complain to insurance companies ?

people have auto insurance because of the fear of accidents. but when accidents occur, why does insurance companies increase their prices ridiculously? insurance are for the case of accidents. when accidents happen, we already have given them so much money. why do they need double the money from us after accidents ? were we just giving them money in free before ? i understand that auto insurance must be required but there should be some rules set by government so that they could not rob people so easily. it is like it is legal for them to rob people. i feel we should complain against it. any supporters ????""

What kind of insurance would I need for renting out my backyard for parties/events/weddings etc?

is there any company that specializes in this insurance or an agency that deals with event rental properties?

Are company's allowed to bump up your no claims for you so you get cheaper insurance ?

A family member of mine bought a car last year from a dealership and bought the insurance through them for ease, they hadn't had a car for a few years and so lost there no claims bonus however it would seem that the company put that he had a 5 years no claim bonus on anyway so that he would get his insurance cheaper, is this legal ? Also a year has now passed and so they are looking to get insurance somewhere else because other places offer even cheaper prices, however the insurance company are saying if he moves to another insurer they will say he only has 1 year no claims, but if he stays with them he can keep his 5 years no claims and that seems a little bit shifty to. This isn't really a question but still any input on the matter would be brilliant, thanks.""

I need to get some car insurance quotes!?

What are the best sites to get a free quote? Also what is the basic insurance you should get?

Where can I buy affordable car insurance?

I know u can do it in the UK...but can't find any insurance agency in the US to do it.

How much would insurance be ? ?

im 18 years old and i have a 2006 hyundai sonata and i was wonderinq how much my insurance would be every month .

Automobile insurance sites?

Hey, I've been trying to find a website that gives out free automobile insurance quotes. I found a ton, but they all ask for personal information like telephone numbers and addresses. Are there any sites that will just give you what you're looking for: a fast insurance quote without having to give out all your personal info?""

What is a good company for individual dental insurance?

What is a good company for individual dental insurance?

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70118

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whole-life-insurance-seniors-quotes-yvonne-wesley/"

[m0ckingjay]

Zoey Shikoba

Member

Tribe: Makah Age: 24 Birthday: 31 Dec 1992 Gender: Female Location: Neah Bay High School: Graduate

Zoey is currently Online Zoey's other character(s): Jezebel Arlin,

Postcount: 1811 RP Posts: 128 Last Logged In: 07:36 7 Aug 2017 Started playing: 27 Jan 2009

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:: Bio ::

Talent(s):

None

Appearance:

Since young, Zoey had always appeared as a buck-toothed, brace-wearing, short girl with frizzy chestnut coloured hair. She was often looked down upon by friends and relatives ever since her kindergarten days for her less than average looks, back when Zoey and her family still resided in Illinois. Going to elementary school changed her a little. She dropped her glasses plus the braces, but still, her classmates snubbed and ignored her, thus planting a shy seed in Zoey herself. Her less than pleasant history made her the shy person she was now, and there weren�t many comforting memories at her old hometown, either. Puberty brought about a huge transformation in her appearance, when she first moved to Forks. Her hard complexion features softened to reveal a sweet, angelic face with large hazel eyes, mixed with a slight indigo tint inherited from her grandmother, and was the only thing that seemed to stand out in her features. Her frizzy hair soothed out into a long mane of coffee coloured hair that reached her waist, and her skin has a similar but slightly lighter brownish hue, giving her a sun burnt kind of look. Her short and stout bodice shot up a few good inches, and her waist eventually shrank. Zoey may seem small and petite at first glance, her body a fragile and tiny frame supporting her heart-shaped face, but since joining the Spartan cheerleaders, she'd gotten herself plenty of exercise and is fit as a fiddle. Zoey as a Thunderbird shifter has dark brown feathers and a bright yellow beak. Like all Thunderbirds, she is huge in size and it was the enormity of her size that had scared herself when she first shifted. Post-shifting Zoey as a human has also experienced a change in which she lost a lot of weight and looked more haggard than her bubbly cheerleading days. She had permanent dark circles under her eyes and constantly looked as pale as a parchment. However, after her brief move to Finland, she managed to make herself look better, though not as good as her pre-shifting days but good enough. Hence, that was one of the reasons she was most reluctant to move back to Forks after three years.

Personality

Zoey was ostracized from society ever since she was young, and things didn�t exactly turn well for her for the next few years. People often gave her disdainful glances that indicate that she was not worthy of their appraisal. Therefore, being the only child in her family, Zoey grew into a shy person, avoiding attention and crowds if she could. Although many people thought being the only child was a privilege, Zoey saw it as a tormenting experience, as there often was no one she could confide in. Her secrets, her thoughts, her opinions� She had to keep them to herself, and more often than not, she wished herself a sibling to be her guardian, as her workaholic parents were playing the negligent game on her. Many people think that introverts are, in actual fact, proud and ignorant brats, but Zoey was anything but one. She merely had an introspective personality and preferred to muse over her thoughts alone, undisturbed. In her opinion, she hadn�t done anything impressive, what was there to brag about? Nevertheless, she was one of the �losers� and outcasts in Fallbrooke High of Illinois, and once again found herself alone and isolated with no one to keep her company. Despite her shyness, Zoey�s brittle temper can be quite a flare once she was triggered, and her rebukes were often less than polite. It was as if the loneliness she had felt since young had piled up inside her, and resulted in a more than sulky attitude whenever she was infuriated. However, it doesn�t take much to relief her of her anger. Say, books and music were her best remedies. More often than not, her mood swings would take over her feelings, and people were often taken aback by her volatile personality. Meeting her new stepfamily brought out a change in Zoey. Perhaps it was the bubbly aura of the Baileys that had infected her system and caused the upward curving of her lips every time she meets people. Indeed, her step-sister, Linden, was a caring sibling, and Zoey�s childhood wish was finally fulfilled, and at the same time, she got herself a new best friend and was not lonely ever since. Unfortunately, great things do not last long, and Linden�s sudden death made Zoey replay her old past life again. Her loneliness and helplessness returned with a force so tremendous, it was exhausting. Once again, she shunned herself away from everybody, meaning to mend her broken heart all by herself, but was later guided back to her route of happiness by her newfound best friend, Chelsie Overton. Things went downhill again after Chelsie was bitten by a vampire and Zoey started shifting into a Thunderbird. Her old snarkiness and moodiness returned and she was her bitter self once again. The move to Finland however, opened her eyes a little and she matured greatly over the years. She was not prepared to be forgiving during her return to Forks, but Zoey knew better than to completely sink into the deep pits of her old bitter self once again.

History:

The Shikobas can be regarded as an ancient American native family of the Makah tribe that dated back to the �30s. Born in the 1960s, Troy Krueger Shikoba was a lucky son, as he didn�t have to go through the poverty condition the Shikoba ancestors had to endure. It was the most fortunate year for the Shikobas. Therefore, it can be said Troy Shikoba was the luckiest of the young Shikoba generation. Troy Shikoba met Nathalya Sparrow in university, which he went to after graduating. And, of course, they fell in love with each other and there were no objections between the two families towards their marriage, although the affluent Sparrows weren�t exactly appeased by Thalya�s choice of a bridegroom. The arrival of Zoey Ishka Shikoba on the 31st of December 1992 to couple Nathalya and Troy Shikoba was greatly anticipated, as they were childless for a decade since their marriage. Relatives and friends often marvelled at the cherubic child, and her parents couldn�t have been prouder. Years �specifically fourteen years- after Zoey�s birth, Troy was ordered to Forks, due to working reasons, and after several weeks of exhausting trips to and fro the two towns, Troy Shikoba announced an official move to Forks, a tiny town located somewhere in the Olympic Peninsula. Of course, Zoey was both sad and elated, but excitement soon triumphed over solemn as Zoey was utterly glad to leave her traumatic past behind in Illinois. Despite the move to a smaller town, the Shikoba couple remained busy as ever, hardly paying attention and regard to that little child of theirs. Although she was the only child, Zoey was never spoilt by her parents, but was brought up strictly and primly instead, even when they still lived at Illinois. Her past time were spent juggling several curriculum at once; academic tutoring, piano and violin lessons, swimming and netball lessons. Although Zoey kept on comforting herself that her parents was doing this for her own good, she found herself in despair every time she saw other kids enjoying themselves in the snow, or running around in meadows near to her house. Despite people�s incessant comments about her being �the perfect child�, Zoey felt anything but whole, anything but perfect, for all she ever felt deep inside was a huge, yawning void, waiting to be filled by someone who loved her dearly. Zoey only found comfort in the stories her grandma often told her about the Makah tribe, a tribe both her parents were part of. Due to the amount of time Troy and Thalya Shikoba spend on work, Zoey�s own dear parents never had the chance to tell those tales themselves. So when Grandma Shikoba eventually contracted schizophrenia and had to be in a ward on a long term basis, Zoey felt left out of the world and often retreated to her own thoughts, which had now became her own personal sanctuary. Zoey started school at Forks High and was usually classified as one of the �freshman freaks�. Her so-called friends weren�t even enough to fill a raft, and she was frequently snubbed and ignored by her student body for one, being an outcast, and two, scoring the highest grades on every test. To everyone, she was the haughty Zoey Shikoba from the rich Shikoba residence; the spoilt princess of her parents. Even though Zoey was hurt by those remarks, she tried to hide her feelings with an imposing fa�ade, determined to be oblivious in this school of hell as she reckoned that she couldn�t have felt lonelier than she already was. The excuse of �work� eventually became the reason of the divorce between Thalya and Troy Shikoba, as they brought up the subject casually during dinner, as if it was merely an idea to repaint the kitchen walls. Surprisingly, the divorce wasn�t quite a surprise for Zoey after all the time she was neglected by her parents, and the only feeling felt during the separation was nonchalance, and perhaps a wee tinge of regret as she watched her father leave the threshold. Her mother had put on a stony expression that was unreadable, and even though Zoey knew she was the one who had suggested the divorce, she knew Thalya Shikoba was still filled with an influx of regret towards her first love she met 20 years ago. Zoey had stayed with her mother in a secluded suburb in Forks ever since. Thalya Shikoba �who didn�t bother to change her surname-, was a single mother for two years, until she met Dirk Bailey, and surprised Zoey by announcing the news of her remarriage over the dining table. A wave of jumbled emotions swept over Zoey and she realised that they were mainly made up of fear and nerves. She already couldn�t cope with her classmates at school, much less a new family. Under that layer of fear and apprehension, there was also a tinge of agitation and irritation towards her mother, possibly triggered by her quick and rash decision to remarry and build a whole new family with a complete stranger in the said stranger�s house. When the time had arrived, sensitive Zoey was afraid to meet her new family in the magnificent and majestic Bailey house in Seattle. She was afraid of their reactions and judgments towards her, the shy and sulky Zoey Shikoba. Worse, she was afraid she wouldn�t be able to accept what was in store for her, as she was never a fan of new changes and surprises. However, surprisingly, she found herself comfortable with her newfound father and stepsister, Linden Bailey. It thrilled her more that they were in the same clan, the Makah tribe, and truly believed that things would start to get better after all. And she got her wish, as Linden was the best sister and friend she had ever had in her sixteen years of life. Stories about evil step-families were now considered taboo in Zoey�s mind, and she couldn�t believe she could ever fear the Baileys. Zoey�s blissful dream was destroyed on a rainy day in the month of May, when she found her step-father and mother crying in the living room. She herself was shell-shocked when her mother blurted out that Linden was dead. Zoey could feel her world crashing down around her and refused to accept reality. No one and nothing could confirm the real cause of Linden Bailey�s death, except that she was covered with lots of brutal and severe lacerations that were fatal and was believed that she was killed by a wild animal when tracking through the woods at an ungodly hour in the morning. Zoey didn�t believe any of it, and was sure something was behind her sister�s demise, and vowed to find out the real truth by herself even though she was reprimanded constantly by her mother for her paranoia. Linden�s death brought out the old Zoey; the isolated and grumpy and lonely girl she was at her previous hometown. Suddenly, school turned out to be a great bore, and the few friends she made at her first few days at Forks High School realized her change in behavior too and started to avoid her. Zoey couldn�t help herself, but thought it was probably best for her to avoid people, and for people to avoid her. However, a few weeks later, she met a new girl, Chelsie Overton, apparently hailed from San Francisco and a small class-skipping act brought the two teenage girls together, and they were best friends ever since. Zoey still couldn�t forget about what happened to Linden, but in the end, she promised to not ever fall into the sunken pit of her life again, and returned to her bubbly and cheerful self, which earned her even more friends than before, including her newfound boyfriend, Blake Matthews. Thanks to Chelsie's encouragement as well, Zoey decided to join the Forks High Spartan Cheerleaders in her junior year and that was what Zoey liked to call her "golden era". She had everything she could ask for: a best friend and close friends from the cheerleading team. However, Blake and Zoey drifted apart gradually and both agreed it was for the best. Since then, Zoey had never been in a serious committed relationship, and she preferred for it to be that way until she found someone she might, well, imprint on. Her golden era collapsed the day Chelsie and her went to the Olympic Forest for an innocent jog, which ended up with Chelsie being bitten by a vampire and vanishing thereafter, leaving Zoey to phase into a Thunderbird for the first time. Fortunately, she was discovered by the Makah Alpha at the time, Roswyn Sands who had stopped her from going after the vampire that had turned Chelsie. Chelsie's "accident" had a huge impact on Zoey's life. She was her old self again until a few weeks after the incident, when her mom and her stepfather decided a move would be appropriate, and the whole family packed up and left for Finland without telling a soul. At the time, Zoey hardly cared but in retrospect, she probably should have told the Flock about her move instead of leaving them hanging. The three years Zoey spent in Finland helped her to mature greatly. She knew she could never become the same bubbly cheerleader she was again but she was determined not to sink into the deep pits either. There, she had the privilege of leaving her past behind and learned the brand new cultural ways of the Finnish. She didn't mind staying at the Scandinavian country forever. However, the world isn't a wish granting factory and three years later, Dirk announced that they would have to move back to Forks because he was needed there by his company. Plus, both her parents thought it was finally time to return to reality. Zoey was less than pleased, but she knew her parents were right, and that she would have to face her problems eventually. Her first sights of Forks were painful, and the sight of Forks High was even worse. Memories of her and her girls practising on the field every afternoon, her hangouts with Chelsie at the cafeteria...she was relieved she had already finished high school. She was also surprised to find that almost everyone in Forks was a stranger to her, and the same could be said for the Makah Flock. Despite the fact that she crave for familiarity, she decided she could work with a whole new environment too, just as long as it didn't give her headaches as her old environment had.

[invitationbyrsquared]

Destination Wedding: The Wild, Wild West

The western United States offers tons of glorious locations at which to host your destination wedding.

There are so many!  And you know us … at Invitations by R Squared, we love LOVE, and we LOVE weddings!

After a very interesting discussion with our associate, Maya Ruby, about hosting a destination wedding in Yosemite Park, we felt we needed to look at the west again.  Sure, we’ve talked a lot about planning a destination wedding out west – look here and here – but we haven’t looked hard at an often-overlooked resource – our National Parks.

National parks will require a special use permit for a destination wedding.  Fees will vary on this, and the reason seems to be tied to the popularity of your choice of location.

There are so many western National Park locations just perfect for a destination wedding, that we found it really hard to choose our favorites.

Yosemite, California – Our #1 Favorite – Whether you envision vows in a grassy meadow, a waterfall fete or a winter-white wedding that takes advantage of the ice-skating rink, the home of Half Dome has a wide variety of spaces. It also boasts several indoor venues, including a wooden chapel and The Ahwahnee, a 1927 luxury lodge with Arts and Crafts touches.

The only issue: This sought-after park is often booked more than a year in advance.

As is true at all national parks, a special use permit is required for any destination wedding or commitment ceremony held at any location within Yosemite National Park. The permit cost for Yosemite is $150.

Destination weddings or ceremonies may be scheduled in any National Park up to one year in advance and more than 21 days prior to your event.

You can take a look at, download and complete the application to hold your event in Yosemite here.  When completing any application for a national park destination wedding, be sure to include any special needs of your party (e.g., access for persons with disabilities, elderly guests, etc.).

Yosemite Park offers a list of ceremony sites within the park.  If you are sending in your application for a Yosemite destination wedding, you will need to specify a site.  You can find the list of ceremony locations right here.

The park service will review your application for a destination wedding.  Once approved, your Special Use Permit will be prepared and mailed to you for signature. Upon receipt, please review, sign and return the permit to the specific park service office for final approval. After the permit is approved, the park service will send you an authorized copy.

The approved permit must be in your possession at the time of the ceremony.

Entrance fees into the park are not waived for either ceremony participants or guests.

Close by to Yosemite Park, you’ll find the Tenaya Lodge.  Hold your actual destination wedding ceremony in the park at one of a number locations, and schedule your accommodations, welcome party, and reception at the Tenaya!

Their Lodge Rooms offer the refined details destination wedding couples, and their guests, would expect in a Four-Diamond Yosemite resort — deluxe baths, plush bedding, flat-screen TVs, mountain charm and access to limitless recreation.

The pinnacle of Yosemite luxury lodging, Tenaya Lodge’s spacious suites – perfect for a destination wedding night or honeymoon stay – with custom in-room amenities complement the alpine grandeur that surrounds the resort.

For those couples seeking a private and hidden getaway, the Tenaya has just the ticket!  Nestled among towering Sugar Pines and Incense Cedars of the Sierra National Forest, the Cottages at Tenaya Lodge provide a unique, secluded escape. Cottage Rooms offer private outdoor sitting areas, fireplaces and rustic charm among the evergreens with easy access to the main lodge.

Say “I do!” at the fifth-oldest national park, Crater Lake,

where several promontories along the volcanic rim overlook the very blue, very deep namesake lake and its forested islands.

Keep in mind that this area averages 44 feet of snow a year (it’s often still blanketed come spring) and has no indoor destination wedding facilities.

Groups can overnight and dine in the 71-room Crater Lake Lodge between May and October. Built in 1915, it’s full of old-timey charm — stone facades, a crackling lobby fire and no TVs.

Olympic, Washington – This is a delightful location for any adventurous destination wedding couple.

At this diverse park, covering nearly 1 million acres of the Olympic Peninsula, you can explore tide pools at the ocean, chase waterfalls on a rainforest hike, and climb a legit mountain in the same trip.

Lodging varies from Spartan campgrounds to warmly appointed lakeside resorts. Lake Crescent Lodge’s westerly view over clear glacial waters makes for exceptional sunset unions. Lake Quinault Lodge features a gazebo on a manicured lawn and a ballroom with cathedral ceilings.

Bonus: Both lodges are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Warmly thought of as the Switzerland of North America, Glacier National Park is snuggled against the Canadian border.

Tie the knot in a tree-lined outdoor amphitheater like Rising Sun, Avalanche Creek or Many Glacier, or opt for the pebbly shore of Medicine Lake.

Stay at the circa-1913 Lake McDonald Lodge, where trademark retro red buses congregate, making for a stellar photo op.

Grand Canyon, Arizona – This is one for the destination wedding books!

Grand Canyon National Park offers a variety of indoor and outdoor locations for destination wedding ceremonies and receptions. To be married in the park, obtain an Arizona marriage license, acquire a Special Use Permit from the park, and arrange a Justice of the Peace, Municipal Judge, or an ordained clergyperson to perform the ceremony.

If you are not bringing along your own officiant, there are several churches in the area whom you can contact for your destination wedding.  Clergy from Grand Canyon Village will often perform wedding ceremonies, however, counseling prior to the wedding may be required. You can find a current list of churches in Grand Canyon National Park right here.  Favored ceremony spots (Shoshone Point, Grandeur Point) at this gorgeous natural wonder are isolated and rustic, or require short hikes.

Retreat to the Thunderbird Lodge (picture a fireplace and a balcony overlooking the Colorado River and South Rim) for your reception, but retire to El Tovar, a throwback to the golden age of railroad travel.

Zion, Utah – Possibly our second favorite location!  The beauty of Zion Park in Utah is truly unbelievable.  Desert meets forest in this peaceful preserve of vertical walls, sandstone plateaus, crimson rock formations, vivid wildflowers and curious wild turkeys, ready and willing to crash your destination wedding and photo bomb at every opportunity!

Zion National Park in Utah is one of the most unique places for a Destination Wedding.

Couples travel from all over the world to be amazed by towering sandstone cliffs of Zion and enjoy the charming town of Springdale which lies at its entrance. We are always in awe of magnificent natural spaces for hosting a destination wedding, and the cliffs and canyons of Zion National Park pretty much leave all other locations in the dust.

There are few wedding destinations more beautiful in the world. Wedding guests who travel to Zion for the first time are always blown away by its absolute beauty and vastness. Over the years, Zion has become a perfect destination for adventurous couples for many reasons.

The giant sandstone cliffs and canyons are known by nature lovers around the world.

Cottonwood trees line the Virgin river cutting through the sandstone behemoths. There are many locations both in and outside of the park where you can hold your wedding.

One of the best parts of planning a wedding at Zion National Park is its accessibility from anywhere in the world. Zion is only about two hours from Las Vegas and its international airport and little more than 45 minutes from St George and its Airport. There are many lodging choices in Springdale, Rockville, and Hurricane, not to mention the lodge inside of Zion National Park.

A permit is required to hold a wedding in Zion National Park regardless of group size, with a permit fee of $100.00.  Applications must be submitted three weeks in advance to receive consideration.  You can learn more about the application process here. (http://ift.tt/2pNgi4g)

Co-opt shuttles for eco-friendly transportation to six outdoorsy sites like the campground amphitheater or Temple of Sinawava, which has a river beach.

Zion Lodge catering can whip up a brunch buffet after a sunrise ceremony, as well as provide accommodations for your party, and help you plan some super fun activities in the area.

Grand Teton, Wyoming – This peak-filled playground provides group activities aplenty, from Elk Island cruises to whitewater rafting. Jenny Lake Lodge begs for a welcome party, while two chapels vie for your vows. Up to 600 guests can mingle under the antler chandeliers at Jackson LakeLodge.

Once you’ve chosen your location from one of these absolutely amazing destination wedding sites, and decided on a date, get in touch with us!

We’re here to help.  Fran is ready to talk about your Save the Date cards, destination wedding invitations, colors, fonts, and more.

In the meantime, check out this collection of curated destination wedding images to inspire you!

We know that your wedding day is going to be magical, memorable, and absolutely perfect!  And simply your Best Day Ever!

  The post Destination Wedding: The Wild, Wild West appeared first on Invitations by R2.

from Destination Wedding: The Wild, Wild West

[mrrolandtfranco]

Community Bulletin January 12

School News

» A Safety Message from the Head of School's Office

It has been brought to our attention that there was an incident in Dong Jiao Guest Villas this week where four houses were broken into and money and valuables were taken. Please be aware that there is often an up-tick in burglaries over the holiday season (now through Chinese New Year) so we would encourage you to be extra vigilant, locking your bikes and scooters and securing your homes. If you should experience any sort of burglary, please call 110 immediately to report the incident.

» Save The Date for the 14th Annual Gala & Auction on March 11. Tickets on sale February 13 - March 3. Tickets cost 850 RMB each.

» Follow us on Concordia's Official WeChat Account.

Get the latest updates. New information will be sent out once a week. Scan the QR code.

» Phoenix Shop

Looking for a great Holiday Gift? Please swing by the Phoenix Shop! Holiday sale on our "Levi" inspired Denim Jacket. 2 washes and sizes run Small to XXLarge. It has the "Xie He" tag and Shanghai buttons. Regular price was 300 RMB and now it is reduced to 100 RMB! Also, our Men's and Women's Polar Fleece is on Sale. Regular price 200 RMB, now 100RMB. We also have some new items. "Ayi in Training" laundry bags, Shanghai Tai Tai aprons, Phoenix Strong t-shirts and long sleeve dry weave shirts. New charity items include Wooden Tree trivets, Wooden Christmas Trees and batik notebooks. Great small items to take home for the holidays. The Phoenix Shop is open Monday through Friday at the lunch hour, 11:30 AM-1 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 PM.

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Towel & Blanket Drive

Do you love animals? Want to help bring comfort and warmth to rescue animals during this cold winter? The HS Environmental Committee is holding a Blanket & Towel Drive. Drop off your unwanted blankets and towels in the box by the HS office. On Saturday, Jan. 14th, there will be a day trip to the Best Friends Animal Shelter in Songjiang to bring these towels and blankets to the rescue animals there to help keep them warm and cozy. For more information about the Best Friends China animal charity, visit http://ift.tt/1J6tjGK.

Athletics & Arts

Welcome back. Hope everyone had a great break. This weekend our high school basketball teams will compete in the city SISAC basketball tournaments. The Varsity teams will be at SAS PD and the JV teams are in Suzhou. The high school swim team will be at SAS PX competing in the China Cup swim meet on Friday night and all day on Saturday. We are one short week away from our APAC teams traveling to their season ending tournaments. Good luck to all of our teams, athletes and coaches.

PSO

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Open positions for the 2017-18 School Year

We are currently in the midst of hiring for next year. We have already talked with some outstanding educators. If you know of any exceptional candidates who are both outstanding teachers and models of Christian faith, please either encourage them to go to our website to learn more http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw or contact Steven Nurre at recruitment@concordiashanghai.org

Faculty opening:

Administrator: HS Assistant Principal

Director of Marketing

Primary (Gr. 1-4) Classroom Teacher--currently Grade 1 and 2

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--currently Kindergarten

MS Math/Science Teacher

ES Physical Education Teacher

MS Humanities (Gr 5-8) Classroom Teacher-this position is now confirmed internal candidates should let me know ASAP.

Potential HS Social Studies

Potential-English Language Learner (ELL) Coach --will be filled only if the Bridge class does not attract enough students

Support Staff openings:

ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

Accountant (PRC only)

Opportunities

» Charity Gym Day to Help One of Our Own

As we all know the gift of giving is the greatest gift of all. We recently found out that one of our Shanghai Gymnastics families has been going through tough times and we will be hosting a Charity Gym Day on January 22nd in the hopes that our amazing community can pull together and make a difference in the lives of these people.

Who are we helping? Matt and Kari Alligier have been friends since 11 years old and eventually married in 2010. They have 2 beautiful children, MJ and Harlyn. MJ was born with profound hearing loss at birth and has had surgery to get 2 cochlear implants, which have changed his life. Recently, baby Harlyn has also been diagnosed with profound hearing loss. In order to give her the best chance of hearing, she will also need to undergo surgery for 3 cochlear implants. Unfortunately, the surgery is extremely expensive. It is going to cost the family close to 20K USD with further costs for follow up treatments. This has caused much hardship and financial stress to the family.

A message from Kari: "Our lives have been blessed with two beautiful children, MJ and Harlyn. Though it has been quite a rough road, cochlear implants have completely changed our son's life. The fact that we can look at him and say "we love you" and for him to hear his favorite songs or read him a book, it's a miracle and the most indescribable feeling. We want our daughter to have this same advantage and be just as blessed as her brother. MJ is currently in pre-K and is reading and doing amazing in school! We know that with the help from these doctors, this will be Harlyn in 4 years too. It's a long road ahead, but nothing will stop us from getting there for our baby girl!"

The Charity Gym Day is for children of all ages and skill levels to come into the gym for a 1 hour session. All proceeds from this event will be going to the Alligier family to help pay for the medical bills for little Harlyn. We sincerely hope that we can all open up our hearts and give Harlyn a chance at a healthy life.

Date: Sunday, January 22nd

1 - 2PM (First session)

2:15 - 3:15PM (Second session)

3:30 - 4:30PM (Third session)

Cost: Each session is 150 RMB Location: Shanghai Gymnastics Jinqiao (2622 Jinqiao road, #59, building #1) 40 children per session maximum so please send RSVP to Shanghai.gymnastics@gmail.com

100% of proceeds will go to the Alligier family!

» Service Opportunity Hosting families "Service Through Friendship"

This program offers the opportunity to be a "Big Brother" to two of WILL Foundation boys for one or two nights. The boys will be paired. They're between the ages five and twelve. They could share a bed or enjoy camping-out on a rug. (Sleeping bags available.) But, be warned, they eat like bears Contact david.chaveriat@concordiashanghai.org Click here for more information. Thank you. Looking for host families for the following dates:

Saturday January 14, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Thursday January 19th 3:20 (Friday NO SCHOOL) until Saturday morning 10 AM 2 nights

Chinese New Year – January 27 – February 4. You pick your dates and boys. Very flexible.

Saturday February 17, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Friday February 24, 2017 3:20 pm until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Friday March 10, 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday March 18, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10AM 1 night

Friday April 28, 2017 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday May 6, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Saturday May 20, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

» Community Center Events

Community Center is having a Shanghai 123 session on Friday the 20th of January and I would kindly like to ask your help to invite new parents/families to this orientation.

To all new families and newcomers in Shanghai, Community Center Shanghai is inviting you to Shanghai 123 on Friday January 20th from 9 AM to 12:30 PM.

It's an orientation that gives you the resources to navigate your first year in Shanghai. Click Here for Registration

It's free, including breakfast, lunch and childcare. It's also a great chance to meet others that arrived around the same time in Shanghai.

Location: Community Center Shanghai, 1146 Biyun Road, Pudong, Shanghai (http://ift.tt/2jluETd)

Check more information at http://ift.tt/2dWsQyq

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.

» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Shanghai Griffins Basketball » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source)

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

» Moms In Prayer International

Experience the joy of replacing anxiety with peace and hope by lifting up our children, teachers, staff and community with thanksgiving. Join other moms who meet twice a month on campus to seek guidance and wisdom for our children, our school and the Concordia community. Friendly to women of all languages. Please contact Michelle Wu if you have any question.

Classifieds

Please check next week!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

Please check next week!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» Health Office Information

Concordia's Health Office has put together this useful list of emergency telephone numbers and addresses in both Chinese and English. Click here for the list or contact the Health Office for more information. Flu Shots For information on Flu shots, contact the Health Office. Contact Jenny or Yukki directly.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices, are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications.

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2jlCMDq

[mrandyzavala]

Community Bulletin January 12

School News

» A Safety Message from the Head of School's Office

It has been brought to our attention that there was an incident in Dong Jiao Guest Villas this week where four houses were broken into and money and valuables were taken. Please be aware that there is often an up-tick in burglaries over the holiday season (now through Chinese New Year) so we would encourage you to be extra vigilant, locking your bikes and scooters and securing your homes. If you should experience any sort of burglary, please call 110 immediately to report the incident.

» Save The Date for the 14th Annual Gala & Auction on March 11. Tickets on sale February 13 - March 3. Tickets cost 850 RMB each.

» Follow us on Concordia's Official WeChat Account.

Get the latest updates. New information will be sent out once a week. Scan the QR code.

» Phoenix Shop

Looking for a great Holiday Gift? Please swing by the Phoenix Shop! Holiday sale on our "Levi" inspired Denim Jacket. 2 washes and sizes run Small to XXLarge. It has the "Xie He" tag and Shanghai buttons. Regular price was 300 RMB and now it is reduced to 100 RMB! Also, our Men's and Women's Polar Fleece is on Sale. Regular price 200 RMB, now 100RMB. We also have some new items. "Ayi in Training" laundry bags, Shanghai Tai Tai aprons, Phoenix Strong t-shirts and long sleeve dry weave shirts. New charity items include Wooden Tree trivets, Wooden Christmas Trees and batik notebooks. Great small items to take home for the holidays. The Phoenix Shop is open Monday through Friday at the lunch hour, 11:30 AM-1 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 PM.

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Towel & Blanket Drive

Do you love animals? Want to help bring comfort and warmth to rescue animals during this cold winter? The HS Environmental Committee is holding a Blanket & Towel Drive. Drop off your unwanted blankets and towels in the box by the HS office. On Saturday, Jan. 14th, there will be a day trip to the Best Friends Animal Shelter in Songjiang to bring these towels and blankets to the rescue animals there to help keep them warm and cozy. For more information about the Best Friends China animal charity, visit http://ift.tt/1J6tjGK.

Athletics & Arts

Welcome back. Hope everyone had a great break. This weekend our high school basketball teams will compete in the city SISAC basketball tournaments. The Varsity teams will be at SAS PD and the JV teams are in Suzhou. The high school swim team will be at SAS PX competing in the China Cup swim meet on Friday night and all day on Saturday. We are one short week away from our APAC teams traveling to their season ending tournaments. Good luck to all of our teams, athletes and coaches.

PSO

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Open positions for the 2017-18 School Year

We are currently in the midst of hiring for next year. We have already talked with some outstanding educators. If you know of any exceptional candidates who are both outstanding teachers and models of Christian faith, please either encourage them to go to our website to learn more http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw or contact Steven Nurre at recruitment@concordiashanghai.org

Faculty opening:

Administrator: HS Assistant Principal

Director of Marketing

Primary (Gr. 1-4) Classroom Teacher--currently Grade 1 and 2

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--currently Kindergarten

MS Math/Science Teacher

ES Physical Education Teacher

MS Humanities (Gr 5-8) Classroom Teacher-this position is now confirmed internal candidates should let me know ASAP.

Potential HS Social Studies

Potential-English Language Learner (ELL) Coach --will be filled only if the Bridge class does not attract enough students

Support Staff openings:

ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

Accountant (PRC only)

Opportunities

» Charity Gym Day to Help One of Our Own

As we all know the gift of giving is the greatest gift of all. We recently found out that one of our Shanghai Gymnastics families has been going through tough times and we will be hosting a Charity Gym Day on January 22nd in the hopes that our amazing community can pull together and make a difference in the lives of these people.

Who are we helping? Matt and Kari Alligier have been friends since 11 years old and eventually married in 2010. They have 2 beautiful children, MJ and Harlyn. MJ was born with profound hearing loss at birth and has had surgery to get 2 cochlear implants, which have changed his life. Recently, baby Harlyn has also been diagnosed with profound hearing loss. In order to give her the best chance of hearing, she will also need to undergo surgery for 3 cochlear implants. Unfortunately, the surgery is extremely expensive. It is going to cost the family close to 20K USD with further costs for follow up treatments. This has caused much hardship and financial stress to the family.

A message from Kari: "Our lives have been blessed with two beautiful children, MJ and Harlyn. Though it has been quite a rough road, cochlear implants have completely changed our son's life. The fact that we can look at him and say "we love you" and for him to hear his favorite songs or read him a book, it's a miracle and the most indescribable feeling. We want our daughter to have this same advantage and be just as blessed as her brother. MJ is currently in pre-K and is reading and doing amazing in school! We know that with the help from these doctors, this will be Harlyn in 4 years too. It's a long road ahead, but nothing will stop us from getting there for our baby girl!"

The Charity Gym Day is for children of all ages and skill levels to come into the gym for a 1 hour session. All proceeds from this event will be going to the Alligier family to help pay for the medical bills for little Harlyn. We sincerely hope that we can all open up our hearts and give Harlyn a chance at a healthy life.

Date: Sunday, January 22nd

1 - 2PM (First session)

2:15 - 3:15PM (Second session)

3:30 - 4:30PM (Third session)

Cost: Each session is 150 RMB Location: Shanghai Gymnastics Jinqiao (2622 Jinqiao road, #59, building #1) 40 children per session maximum so please send RSVP to Shanghai.gymnastics@gmail.com

100% of proceeds will go to the Alligier family!

» Service Opportunity Hosting families "Service Through Friendship"

This program offers the opportunity to be a "Big Brother" to two of WILL Foundation boys for one or two nights. The boys will be paired. They're between the ages five and twelve. They could share a bed or enjoy camping-out on a rug. (Sleeping bags available.) But, be warned, they eat like bears Contact david.chaveriat@concordiashanghai.org Click here for more information. Thank you. Looking for host families for the following dates:

Saturday January 14, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Thursday January 19th 3:20 (Friday NO SCHOOL) until Saturday morning 10 AM 2 nights

Chinese New Year – January 27 – February 4. You pick your dates and boys. Very flexible.

Saturday February 17, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Friday February 24, 2017 3:20 pm until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Friday March 10, 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday March 18, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10AM 1 night

Friday April 28, 2017 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday May 6, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Saturday May 20, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

» Community Center Events

Community Center is having a Shanghai 123 session on Friday the 20th of January and I would kindly like to ask your help to invite new parents/families to this orientation.

To all new families and newcomers in Shanghai, Community Center Shanghai is inviting you to Shanghai 123 on Friday January 20th from 9 AM to 12:30 PM.

It's an orientation that gives you the resources to navigate your first year in Shanghai. Click Here for Registration

It's free, including breakfast, lunch and childcare. It's also a great chance to meet others that arrived around the same time in Shanghai.

Location: Community Center Shanghai, 1146 Biyun Road, Pudong, Shanghai (http://ift.tt/2jluETd)

Check more information at http://ift.tt/2dWsQyq

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.

» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Shanghai Griffins Basketball » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source)

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

» Moms In Prayer International

Experience the joy of replacing anxiety with peace and hope by lifting up our children, teachers, staff and community with thanksgiving. Join other moms who meet twice a month on campus to seek guidance and wisdom for our children, our school and the Concordia community. Friendly to women of all languages. Please contact Michelle Wu if you have any question.

Classifieds

Please check next week!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

Please check next week!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» Health Office Information

Concordia's Health Office has put together this useful list of emergency telephone numbers and addresses in both Chinese and English. Click here for the list or contact the Health Office for more information. Flu Shots For information on Flu shots, contact the Health Office. Contact Jenny or Yukki directly.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices, are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications.

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2jlCMDq

[mrmarknewman]

Community Bulletin January 12

School News

» A Safety Message from the Head of School's Office

It has been brought to our attention that there was an incident in Dong Jiao Guest Villas this week where four houses were broken into and money and valuables were taken. Please be aware that there is often an up-tick in burglaries over the holiday season (now through Chinese New Year) so we would encourage you to be extra vigilant, locking your bikes and scooters and securing your homes. If you should experience any sort of burglary, please call 110 immediately to report the incident.

» Save The Date for the 14th Annual Gala & Auction on March 11. Tickets on sale February 13 - March 3. Tickets cost 850 RMB each.

» Follow us on Concordia's Official WeChat Account.

Get the latest updates. New information will be sent out once a week. Scan the QR code.

» Phoenix Shop

Looking for a great Holiday Gift? Please swing by the Phoenix Shop! Holiday sale on our "Levi" inspired Denim Jacket. 2 washes and sizes run Small to XXLarge. It has the "Xie He" tag and Shanghai buttons. Regular price was 300 RMB and now it is reduced to 100 RMB! Also, our Men's and Women's Polar Fleece is on Sale. Regular price 200 RMB, now 100RMB. We also have some new items. "Ayi in Training" laundry bags, Shanghai Tai Tai aprons, Phoenix Strong t-shirts and long sleeve dry weave shirts. New charity items include Wooden Tree trivets, Wooden Christmas Trees and batik notebooks. Great small items to take home for the holidays. The Phoenix Shop is open Monday through Friday at the lunch hour, 11:30 AM-1 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 PM.

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Towel & Blanket Drive

Do you love animals? Want to help bring comfort and warmth to rescue animals during this cold winter? The HS Environmental Committee is holding a Blanket & Towel Drive. Drop off your unwanted blankets and towels in the box by the HS office. On Saturday, Jan. 14th, there will be a day trip to the Best Friends Animal Shelter in Songjiang to bring these towels and blankets to the rescue animals there to help keep them warm and cozy. For more information about the Best Friends China animal charity, visit http://ift.tt/1J6tjGK.

Athletics & Arts

Welcome back. Hope everyone had a great break. This weekend our high school basketball teams will compete in the city SISAC basketball tournaments. The Varsity teams will be at SAS PD and the JV teams are in Suzhou. The high school swim team will be at SAS PX competing in the China Cup swim meet on Friday night and all day on Saturday. We are one short week away from our APAC teams traveling to their season ending tournaments. Good luck to all of our teams, athletes and coaches.

PSO

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Open positions for the 2017-18 School Year

We are currently in the midst of hiring for next year. We have already talked with some outstanding educators. If you know of any exceptional candidates who are both outstanding teachers and models of Christian faith, please either encourage them to go to our website to learn more http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw or contact Steven Nurre at recruitment@concordiashanghai.org

Faculty opening:

Administrator: HS Assistant Principal

Director of Marketing

Primary (Gr. 1-4) Classroom Teacher--currently Grade 1 and 2

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--currently Kindergarten

MS Math/Science Teacher

ES Physical Education Teacher

MS Humanities (Gr 5-8) Classroom Teacher-this position is now confirmed internal candidates should let me know ASAP.

Potential HS Social Studies

Potential-English Language Learner (ELL) Coach --will be filled only if the Bridge class does not attract enough students

Support Staff openings:

ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

Accountant (PRC only)

Opportunities

» Charity Gym Day to Help One of Our Own

As we all know the gift of giving is the greatest gift of all. We recently found out that one of our Shanghai Gymnastics families has been going through tough times and we will be hosting a Charity Gym Day on January 22nd in the hopes that our amazing community can pull together and make a difference in the lives of these people.

Who are we helping? Matt and Kari Alligier have been friends since 11 years old and eventually married in 2010. They have 2 beautiful children, MJ and Harlyn. MJ was born with profound hearing loss at birth and has had surgery to get 2 cochlear implants, which have changed his life. Recently, baby Harlyn has also been diagnosed with profound hearing loss. In order to give her the best chance of hearing, she will also need to undergo surgery for 3 cochlear implants. Unfortunately, the surgery is extremely expensive. It is going to cost the family close to 20K USD with further costs for follow up treatments. This has caused much hardship and financial stress to the family.

A message from Kari: "Our lives have been blessed with two beautiful children, MJ and Harlyn. Though it has been quite a rough road, cochlear implants have completely changed our son's life. The fact that we can look at him and say "we love you" and for him to hear his favorite songs or read him a book, it's a miracle and the most indescribable feeling. We want our daughter to have this same advantage and be just as blessed as her brother. MJ is currently in pre-K and is reading and doing amazing in school! We know that with the help from these doctors, this will be Harlyn in 4 years too. It's a long road ahead, but nothing will stop us from getting there for our baby girl!"

The Charity Gym Day is for children of all ages and skill levels to come into the gym for a 1 hour session. All proceeds from this event will be going to the Alligier family to help pay for the medical bills for little Harlyn. We sincerely hope that we can all open up our hearts and give Harlyn a chance at a healthy life.

Date: Sunday, January 22nd

1 - 2PM (First session)

2:15 - 3:15PM (Second session)

3:30 - 4:30PM (Third session)

Cost: Each session is 150 RMB Location: Shanghai Gymnastics Jinqiao (2622 Jinqiao road, #59, building #1) 40 children per session maximum so please send RSVP to Shanghai.gymnastics@gmail.com

100% of proceeds will go to the Alligier family!

» Service Opportunity Hosting families "Service Through Friendship"

This program offers the opportunity to be a "Big Brother" to two of WILL Foundation boys for one or two nights. The boys will be paired. They're between the ages five and twelve. They could share a bed or enjoy camping-out on a rug. (Sleeping bags available.) But, be warned, they eat like bears Contact david.chaveriat@concordiashanghai.org Click here for more information. Thank you. Looking for host families for the following dates:

Saturday January 14, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Thursday January 19th 3:20 (Friday NO SCHOOL) until Saturday morning 10 AM 2 nights

Chinese New Year – January 27 – February 4. You pick your dates and boys. Very flexible.

Saturday February 17, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Friday February 24, 2017 3:20 pm until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Friday March 10, 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday March 18, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10AM 1 night

Friday April 28, 2017 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday May 6, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Saturday May 20, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

» Community Center Events

Community Center is having a Shanghai 123 session on Friday the 20th of January and I would kindly like to ask your help to invite new parents/families to this orientation.

To all new families and newcomers in Shanghai, Community Center Shanghai is inviting you to Shanghai 123 on Friday January 20th from 9 AM to 12:30 PM.

It's an orientation that gives you the resources to navigate your first year in Shanghai. Click Here for Registration

It's free, including breakfast, lunch and childcare. It's also a great chance to meet others that arrived around the same time in Shanghai.

Location: Community Center Shanghai, 1146 Biyun Road, Pudong, Shanghai (http://ift.tt/2jluETd)

Check more information at http://ift.tt/2dWsQyq

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.

» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Shanghai Griffins Basketball » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source)

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

» Moms In Prayer International

Experience the joy of replacing anxiety with peace and hope by lifting up our children, teachers, staff and community with thanksgiving. Join other moms who meet twice a month on campus to seek guidance and wisdom for our children, our school and the Concordia community. Friendly to women of all languages. Please contact Michelle Wu if you have any question.

Classifieds

Please check next week!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

Please check next week!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» Health Office Information

Concordia's Health Office has put together this useful list of emergency telephone numbers and addresses in both Chinese and English. Click here for the list or contact the Health Office for more information. Flu Shots For information on Flu shots, contact the Health Office. Contact Jenny or Yukki directly.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices, are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications.

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2jlCMDq