#i liked it! worth the 12 bucks honestly even just to support the guy

[hailtothebubble]

i'm going to bed now but i played the elephant collection today too which was fun. i looooved those games as a kid and it's a lot of fun to revisit em

[natsunoomoi]

Chinese Romance Novels in English

So by chance and obviously successful marketing, I’ve had a lot of web novel apps being advertised to me and out of boredom I downloaded one and got hooked real bad.

The first app I got I think I might delete because most of it seems like trash and was clearly like American wannabe writers. I kind of just read the first few chapters of one story that they happened to put into an advertised Facebook post and I just wanted to continue the story 1 or 2 chapters just to get off the cliffhanger, but the story itself actually isn’t that good and the character motivations seem kind of stupid. The main character also seems kind of like a Mary Sue where like she is just special by some huge coincidence of fate and it’s kind of annoying. Like the beginning part was alright, and then it took a sharp turn when the first guy she was into that rejected her decided for some stupid reason to challenge her new guy who accepted her and then when he claimed to not concede a fight to the death, he went absolutely apeshit and somehow it traveled into dark magic. Idek. Plus like...almost all the stories on that app for some reason have to do with wolf people and packs? Like it’s obviously some kind of trend inspired from Jacob and Twilight and I don’t even like that series. And in addition to that, it’s like on par with the famously former Twilight fanfiction 50 Shades where it has some really uncomfortable unhealthy depictions of BDSM relationships. Like it’s just kind of thrown in there for no reason...? Like whatever floats your boat, but you can totally write it in there in a more sensible way and not just like throw it in randomly. In that sense, maybe it’s actually worse than 50 Shades. Seriously a lot of the stories on there read like horribly written fanfiction by a 12 year old. I was 12 once and my stories then were no better because I had too many ideas and wanted them all in. That’s how much of a mess those stories are. This one I just mentioned is the better one. There’s another one I started reading that’s much worse that’s like a high school drama that I barely remember the story too, but I remember the person putting in a whole ton of One Direction lyrics, which I think is going to get the person and the app sued because lyrics are copyrighted and the writer shamelessly pointed out they are a Directioner and to unlock new chapters you need certain items that you can earn or buy and basically they’re definitely making money off of it.

But then similar to how I found this app, I found another app that had Chinese romance novels translated into English in the same way I found the previously mentioned app through a Facebook ad, which is cool cuz I don’t often get to read literally anything with main characters that are Chinese let alone Asian. Most of the Asian protagonist media I consume is from Japan and I just gave up on looking up anything in Chinese cuz I honestly didn’t know I could find any in English.

But damn, the quality of writing is rather good. The translations could use some work and consistency where sometimes the translator doesn’t know common English expressions or there’s grammatical mistakes in newer chapters or sometimes I think they’re speed translating too fast and accidentally mix up characters. But the story itself is top notch and suspenseful. I’ve been reading non-stop for the last week and a half and caught up and am awaiting new chapters. Sometimes there’s bits where character decisions are a little frustrating or like some of the plot twists are like again or like how come this person can’t catch a break, but I got invested in the story so quick.

There’s two in particular I’m enjoying right now. One is Irresistible Romance and the other is Thorny First Marriage on Bravonovel. It’s actually a bit pricey to charge for diamonds and pearls to continue the story, but I felt like it was worth it because I did want to read more and didn’t regret it. I actually started a third today just because I ran out of chapters in those two. Both are similar in that the male lead that the female protagonist is with or trying to get with is like a rich Chinese business man that is so well-known for their business acumen and power via their company that they can strike fear into the hearts of other people and companies. So there’s like some intrigue and like really fascinating maneuvers and media manipulation.

In Irresistible Romance, the main character is an actress that had a really shitty relationship with the loser President of her management company who was cheating on her with another actress and he had convinced his fiancee (the main character) to basically give up her life for him and help him to push the actress that he was ultimately having an affair with. The main character, Yan Wen, gives up the final straw when like he ditches her at the Marriage Registration Office for some lame excuse where he’s with his mistress and by chance the rich guy in this story shows up at the Registration Office and gets stood up by his own prospective fiancee although for him it was a random girl he picked from a pile just to satisfy his family getting on his case about not finding a wife. So basically because the main character grows a spine and decides fuck her fiance she’s not going to just take his bullshit, she asks the rich guy, Jiang Sui-an, if he’d mind marrying her. He totally accepts though and they get married on the spot. He seems at first to be kind of a cold-hearted jerk, but he’s actually super cool. Like he marries Yan Wen just to get his family off his back, but then after he does some research into his wife and finds her super interesting and as she begins her journey of trying to take back her life from her ex-fiancee and his stuck up bitch mistress, he like finds out and helps from the shadows and like realizes she’s actually super cool too. And then like through the whole process they actually fall for each other and are super sweet and have each other’s backs. They have a really beautiful and healthy relationship where they can each have their own separate lives and do their thing, but they get supported and help when needed.

It was so refreshing cuz like the rich CEO thing was like a huge fetish for sure especially after 50 Shades, but like a lot of people noted, that relationship was hella unhealthy. This story though, Sui-an lets Wen take her time fixing her career and life in her own way and like postpones announcing their marriage so she can set things right herself. He totally supports her space and her own decisions, but if he ever sees that she needs an extra boost or gets backed into a corner by some unexpected thing, he steps up and lends a hand. But ultimately he leaves everything up to her decision. And like on her end too, she’s totally a really good supportive wife and tries to make sure she doesn’t worry him too much and that he gets plenty of sleep and eats regularly, and she even tries to help him where she can with his work. They are so cute together. Along the way a lot of other people try to defame Wen or pull some shady entertainment world tactics, but she stays poised and lets the truth come out on its own or even does some defensive research and stuff. It’s so good.

Plus, writing-wise it’s really fascinating how they intertwine the online commentary tabloid headlines into the story so you can see different angles. And then when they write the antagonists’ sides they give you their internal dialog POV so you can understand the situation the best. The actual story and plot development is so good.

Then Thorny First Marriage, holy shit the intrigue. Plus for the most part, the main character is most like my personality only I’m not a former journalist. It’s just a lot of her reactions and sassy thoughts to things are really similar to me and how I feel like I would react if I was in her position. There’s a few times where she does things that I don’t think I would necessarily do or I would do things a bit more drastically, but so good and I identify with her. Writing-wise I don’t think it’s as good as Irresistible Romance because there’s been two times where they kind of forgot about something that they mentioned in an earlier chapter, so they have some issues keeping track of their plot twists, and there’s a few times where I’m reading like, “Why don’t you just tell them what happened and then they’d STFU?”

But yeah, this story starts out with the main character, Xia Zhi, waking up in the presidential suite of a hotel and not knowing how she got there and distinctly feeling like she was raped and finding some...remnants on the bed next to her. As the plot develops you find out that her asshole husband, who had never touched her himself for some reason and has the spine of jellyfish, sold her to some rich guy for 2 million bucks (she finds out later). What the actual hell? What kind of husband pimps his wife to another man?! And like she gets a pregnancy test later and somehow someone blabs to her mother-in-law and her mother-in-law totally doesn’t believe her and she knows that her son and her were never intimate, so she throws her out of the house. Then some dude that’s like some kind of secretary or assistant just comes by all stalker-like that appears to be from some rich guy that knows her and basically coerces her into going with them and going to some mystery safe house mansion. She’ll be cared for there by two staff, but she also tries to escape and find out who tf this guy is and if he’s the Dad. She still has a job and goes to work as a journalist, but gets assigned to interview some rich VP of a famous company. All the while she’s trying to get a hold of her asshole husband to find out what the hell happened to her that night she didn’t remember where she got super frickin’ drunk at his company party. This dick has been in hiding and trying to avoid her for some reason since that night and he finally calls back in the middle of her interview and because she’s freaking out about her unexplained pregnancy she unprofessionally takes the call. The rich VP, Sang Qi, ends up calling her boss and getting her fired, which I mean, obviously. That’s a thing where I probably wouldn’t have taken the call. One of the differentiating things between her and me. But how she reacts to being fired, yeah, that’s totally me. She runs into Sang Qi later at a rich people shopping mall shop and somehow manages to steal his phone and starts a plotline where she tries to use it as leverage to like get back at him and make a living for herself that also involves him being crafty and like kind of tricking her into some situations like confronting her ex-husband. And then like at some point she remembers a custom cufflink she remembered finding in the room she woke up in that one time and starts to wonder and suspect if maybe Sang Qi was the guy cuz he does have those kinds of things. And she like looks at the cufflink she has that she took from the room as evidence, but she has to do a direct comparison. He like uses GPS to find her mansion prison and tries to take back his phone and Zhi gets like even more suspicious that he is the guy cuz for some reason he knows how the balcony door at the place works even though it has a weird af lock, and they have witty banter and somehow he ends up staying over and she tries to sneak in his room at night to check out his cufflink but he catches her. And like hot damn, so much intrigue. After like a ton of frustration with trying to interrogate everyone around her about who the baby Daddy is she’s just like f it, I’m not going to be your baby incubator and tries to go get an abortion (I would’ve gone way sooner) and before they can start the procedure Sang Qi shows up and claims to be the Dad, and then afterward also takes care of her because she’s allergic to anesthetic. Since she knows who now they like stay together and stuff and she tries to question him about that night, but he actually has no memory of it either cuz he was super frickin’ drunk too. It’s just a lot of unanswered questions. And like since he’s supposedly the Dad, he tries to get closer to her, but she won’t let him really. There’s a lot of witty banter between them and like he even helps her out with her loser husband by getting him demoted. Over time they actually become fond of each other and like used to each other, and it’s really sweet. He actually is there for her and helps her on a number of occasions even though she doesn’t really trust him cuz of course he bought her right? But then little by little you see them really start to like each other and it seems like he might be more interested whereas Zhi is like more reserved because he’s her captor as far as she knows. But then just when you think that maybe they’ll get together, Qi disappears and then the process of him showing up you find out who the actual Dad is and a whole lot of family drama, and other drama where like you actually don’t know where Qi stands, and it like isn’t until like where I am that you find out he was actually upright the whole time. It’s so stressful but it’s so good.

There was a couple of times earlier one where there’s misunderstandings with other people, where I was like, dude, just tell the people your asshole husband sold you for money. I think they’d be more understanding of your situation if they knew.

And then like...for me, I like Qi and I came around to him after awhile, but like I suspected him and didn’t like him toward the beginning especially because he didn’t do or say anything that made him seem trustworthy. He never really lies except for one thing (about being the father), but also he like isn’t that truthful either, or rather, he doesn’t stop to actually explain himself properly which would have made Zhi not like freak out or mistrust him and would have made me not mistrust him. Like I shared a lot of Zhi’s fears because she was in an unfamiliar situation and being manipulated like a puppet by someone with money, and this guy claims to be the one that bought her like an object to be a baby incubator. I and the main character can’t respect that no matter how nice he is. If he admit he didn’t do it at the beginning it would have made all the difference. It’s a trek to find out who though. And at first even that guy sounds disgusting, but like where I am in the story maybe not? Like almost sympathetic.

The only one that I like really hate and disgusts me is her original husband. Like eww. He’s such a greedy asshole. And like later on you find out that actually he lied to her about how much he sold her for and it was actually more. What the actual fuck?! It wasn’t bad enough that you sold your wife for money, but you had to lie to her too about how much it was so you can hide the money from her? And for such a long frickin’ time he tried to coax her to come back and to not divorce him. What the actual hell? What kind of delusion is he living in?! But like also her original husband reminds me of someone I knew in real life when I was in uni. He was a friend of mine initially, but at some point he started making really uncomfortable jokes and it seemed like he liked me or something. I never viewed him that way, but we just hung out. And then at my uni because there was a huge rush to like try to figure out 2nd year housing, we arranged to do a co-ed roommate situation where like me and another girl and him and his friend would stay in apartment from our second year. To me that seemed normal cuz other friends of mine did that too because there’s only so many people you know and you have to try to snatch up and apply for apartments as soon as possible. There were long wait lines and I actually hadn’t thought about it until the last minute, so I didn’t see it as having much of a choice. But he started making cracks and fantasizing about neighbors and people misunderstanding and thinking we were married, which I didn’t find funny and how and why when there were other people we were living with too? It made me super uncomfortable and during the summer he was kind of like a stalker and tracking where I went so I just started avoiding him every chance I could. After awhile thinking about him made me feel physically ill. The next year after that my roommate decided to move out with two other girls into a different apartment (after unsuccessfully trying to make him leave). But the whole thing with how Zhi’s first husband was written totally reminded me of that guy. Especially with the lame excuses when confronted and stuff and not thinking and his unhealthy tie to his parents’ way of living.

That said, finding these stories are kind of like an unexpected comfort. I wish I could find someone as supportive as Sui-an or Qi. Especially when the men I’ve met in my life were just as bad as some of the other male characters or arguably worse. I’ve been bullied by the guys I fell for, I’ve liked some guys that were way too moody, I’ve had guys that liked me that were not creepy too, but I just wasn’t interested in them or the timing was just wrong, I’ve given up someone I really cared for because a mutual friend of ours crossed a line and then posthumously went kind of crazy from the grief, and I’ve met guys that were really fucking stupid and didn’t know how to act appropriately in a professional situation and actually sexually harassed and retaliated against me. I’m so tired and almost 4 years into living in Japan, I’m starting to realize that because of that last one, I think I gave up on my life because of trauma. Just hurt too many times, so don’t even think about love anymore cuz why bother? It took awhile for me to even be able to become a functioning human being again after the PTSD of harassment. I was really bad and freaking out because the guy that did it was so frickin’ stupid that he like wasn’t actually responsible enough to know the things he shouldn’t do and it was freaking me the hell out that he just didn’t know when he crossed a line. So I ran away to another country and tried to rebuild some semblance of a life for myself. Now my home country is a goddamn mess and I’d be in a worse position to go home, but at the same time, although my heart has healed enough to the point that I can function as a human. I am not at all motivated to look for anyone or let myself care for someone ever again. When I was younger I had so many dreams and really wanted a family. But now I am sad to say I have resigned myself to believing that that will probably never happen because I am apparently plagued by horrible people. I haven’t met horrible people since I’ve been in Japan, but I also don’t go out and talk to anyone other than co-workers and students because I’m busy and in my free time I want to introvert. It’d be kind of nice if I was lucky and had a kind of random chance like Yan Wen cuz like, I just can’t and don’t want to put up with low quality people.

That said, I was talking with my boss and co-worker the other day and we were discussing how China’s population problem with the bachelor society so there’s a lot of men but less available women to be their wife, so I was kind of wondering if that was also kind of how come so many modern day Chinese romance novels seem to involve a rich CEO. I suppose in China right now the chance that you could marry one is greater than anywhere else in the world because of the population problem, so maybe they’re trying to promote moving there and marrying them. LOL I’d be kind of suspicious of whether or not they’d be able to be like actually good husbands for real, but I suppose there probably is some sense of desperation.

And then because I ran out of chapters to read for today because I have to wait for them to translate more, I started another one about a Bossy Ghost Husband? It’s kind of creepy at the beginning, but the ghost husband thing has been something I was kind of curious about because you can marry the dead in China. But like for real I also wondered if youkai really are real or not and if you could unknowingly marry a youkai or something too, so basically it’s right up my alley too. And then also because my life is garbage I was like seriously thinking and wondering if it would actually be so bad to be single to the people who know you around you, but married actually to a ghost and have a ghost husband to go home to? Like would that actually be bad? I suppose in that same vein, it’s not much different from WoL having a secret relationship with Emet-Selch, but yeah.

Anyway, all of this gave me a lot to think about.

[shireness-says]

Playing the Part ch. 18: Song of Love

Summary: As a stage manager who’s clawed her way up from the bottom, Emma Swan can handle just about anything thrown her way. But does that include handsome lead actor Killian Jones? A CS Broadway AU.  Rated T. Also on AO3.  Prologue  Ch. 1  Ch. 2  Ch. 3 Ch. 4  Ch. 5  Ch. 6  Ch. 7  Ch. 8  Ch. 9  Ch. 10  Ch. 11  Ch. 12 Ch. 13  Ch. 14  Ch. 15  Ch. 16  Ch. 17

A/N: Thanks for your patience, waiting for this one! I ran out of my stash of already-prepared chapters. I think this one is worth the wait though! After this, there’s just an epilogue and we’re finished.

Chapter title from “Once Upon a Mattress”. My beta, @snidgetsafan, and I would both like you to know this was almost named “A Night We’ll Never Forget” after “Carrie: the Musical”, but thought that might be a joke too far. We’re trying to keep you guys from questioning our sanity.

Tags: @kmomof4, @winterbaby89, @thejollyroger-writer, @mythologicalmango, @onceuponaprincessworld, @idristardis, @teamhook, @courtorderedcake, @aerica13, @revanmeetra87, @snowbellewells, @searchingwardrobes, @mystrangedarkson

Let me know what you think - I promise next week will be up much more promptly!

Somehow, Emma’s hand doesn’t leave Killian’s for the rest of the night. Well, that’s not strictly true; they separate their palms to clap, as is required by an awards show, but their hands keep wandering back together afterwards. It’s becoming an unconscious gesture, but truthfully, Emma doesn’t really have a problem with that. It’s… comfortable isn’t quite the word - that’s somehow too small to describe it. It’s natural, she supposes, like something they were always meant to do. Maybe they were; maybe her resistance was the only thing holding them back. Regardless, she appreciates the comfort and support the gentle pressure of his hand provides.

She needs the support, too, as the surprises keep on coming. Somehow, in all the emotions involved with Killian’s win, she’d forgotten that the production was up for Best Musical until there’s a call for everyone to return to their seats for that award after a break for commercials. Emma’s already seated; that’s not the problem. The problem is a sudden flash of awareness that with two acting wins and a series of technical awards, they’ve really got a chance. And God only knows what will happen then.

“Buck up, Swan,” Killian whispers in her ear as the announcer begins speaking. That phrase has always kind of grated on Emma’s nerves, truth be told, but when she turns to glare at him, Killian’s already grinning and waggling his eyebrows in that way she knows means he’s teasing. Maybe he already knows that about her too; the things he remembers about her always surprise Emma. Regardless, though she rolls her eyes at his antics, some of the tension eases out of her shoulders while the corners of her mouth tease at a smile. That last part wasn’t intentional, but that seems to just be the effect Killian has on her lately.

(She’s already half in love with him, Emma knows, and that might be part of it too. God, there’s so much she needs to say to him once this is over, so much she wants to do to him.)

Still, it’s a good thing she’s got a good grip on Killian, because she needs that grounding when Pride & Prejudice is announced as the winner. She hears the words, knows what they mean, but that doesn’t help her brain process the declaration at all. The applause is so loud and this means - well this means everything to Emma: professionally, emotionally, possibly spiritually if the actualizing of all of Mary Margaret’s hope speeches can be counted as Emma’s religion. It’s hard in the moment for her mind to wrap itself around the fact that they’ve won, that she’s part of the team responsible for a Tony Award winning show.

Emma’s on autopilot when she stands up to let Mary Margaret and David through to reach the stage, but Killian tugs her out into the aisle instead.

“Aren’t you coming, Swan?” he grins, his intent obvious.

“Oh, I don’t know —” Emma demurs, but Killian is already tugging her up the aisle.

“It’s your baby too,” he whispers as they reach the stairs up to the stage, carefully handing her onto the first steps so she doesn’t trip. He has a point. After his lovely speech, too, it seems stupid not to just get up there and bask in the applause for a few moments.

Merlin gives the acceptance speech, but honestly, Emma doesn’t hear most of it. The lights are so bright and the ambient noise of the crowd so much louder than she anticipated that it’s overwhelming. Emma’s never been more glad that her job is in the shadows and the corners of the theater most people will never see, if only to avoid the hundreds of intense stares in her direction. It feels that way, at least, even if Emma consciously knows they’re just looking at the stage in general, and most likely at Merlin at the microphone. Still, it’s mildly terrifying, and Emma’s grateful for the gentle pressure of Killian’s hand on her back.

The real benefit of winning the last award of the night - besides the obvious perk of, you know, winning - is that all those gathered on stage for the acceptance speech get ushered off into the wings and towards the press, avoiding the masses all trying to file out down Radio City’s aisles. Merlin’s speech may have been one of the shortest of the night or one of the longest - Emma doesn’t really know for sure, far too preoccupied with trying to process the significance of the moment - but the crowd roars its applause again as the play-off music swells and Killian starts to gently steer her offstage. Emma doesn’t mind, she’s fine to go; there’s so much going on that it’s kind of nice to have someone else to direct her.

They’re barely clear of exiting cast, crew and producers before Killian’s excitement bubbles over and he sweeps Emma off her feet, whooping and twirling around in a circle. It must look very dramatic, well suited to the venue. His Best Actor trophy digs a little into her back, and Emma knows he’d be deeply apologetic if she complained, but truthfully, she’s too caught up in the joy of the moment to care overly much.

“Can you believe it, Swan?” he asks with a smile stretching from ear to ear, before continuing without waiting for an answer. “God, this is all just… Gods.”

“I know!” Emma laughs. Maybe to anyone else his sentence wouldn’t have made sense, but she hears enough of the surprise and pride and pure elation to know that she shares the sentiment, even if neither one of them can quite put it into words.

“We couldn’t have done it without you, you know,” he says, purposefully making eye contact to drive home his point, though he still smiles like a happy maniac. “I wasn’t kidding, this is your baby too. No one deserved to be on that stage more than you.”

Emma’s stomach suddenly flips. She’s wanted to talk to Killian since his touching speech, but now she’s struck with nerves. This is the moment though, even if there are still people milling about. Looking at his joy, however, restores some of her calm. It’s miraculous how much his smile can achieve.

“Speaking of,” she starts, “I just wanted to say — ”

Before she can get any further, her phone starts buzzing insistently in her handbag. It’s undoubtedly Henry; God, she loves her kid, but his timing really needs work. Groaning, she retrieves the device from her purse, noting that it is indeed her son. “Sorry, I’ve just got — ” she starts to explain.

“Not to worry, love,” Killian replies genially, his face settling into a fond expression. Emma’s not sure whether it’s affection for herself or for Henry or for both, but she loves that expression regardless, and all that it signifies.

She’s barely connected the call before Henry begins shrieking on the other end, so loud that she has to keep the phone pulled back from her ear and Killian laughs. “You won! You won, you won, you won!” Henry cheers. Emma can practically picture him in her mind’s eye, bouncing around Elsa’s living room in his excitement.

“Yeah, we did, kid,” Emma laughs right back once she can finally get the phone safely near her ear. “How do you feel about that? I can’t tell,” she teases. Killian’s being directed towards where the press awaits by an insistent theater employee as she talks, the moment she thought she’d grasped slipping even further away. I’ll be back, he mouths, quickly tossing up a hand in a little wave.

Meanwhile, Henry continues on the other end of the phone call. “This is so cool!” he gushes. “Did you touch the statue? Can you bring it home so I can show all my friends? Is there, like, a certificate too or something?”

“Slow down, kid,” Emma says, but it’s probably a lost cause. Emma doesn’t blame him; this is a big moment, and she’d probably be doing the same thing in his shoes. “Killian let me hold his earlier, but I haven’t touched the show award yet. I don’t know what will happen with the show statue, but I bet it will be at the theater for your friends to come see. Otherwise maybe Robin or Killian will let us borrow theirs. I don’t actually know if there’s a certificate, but I can probably find out.”

“Is Killian there? Can I talk to him? Liam wants to talk to him too.” Emma can’t help but smile fondly as she remembers Henry’s starstruck reaction to Liam Jones only a few months ago; now, you’d never know. That’s her son, though, ready and determined to make friends with everyone that crosses his path.

“Killian is actually doing press stuff right now, but I’ll make sure he calls his brother later. Now in the meantime… don’t you have your last Monday of school tomorrow? I think it’s time for bed.”

“Mom,” Henry whines, but Emma won’t be swayed. It is approaching 11:30 pm after all; he’s only been allowed to stay up this long because it’s a special occasion.

“Nope, none of that,” she chides back. “Go get ready for bed, we’ll do the full recap tomorrow. I bet you’ll realize how tired you are when you crawl under the covers.”

“Fine,” he huffs. “But you’d better tell me everything.”

“I promise. Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too, Mom. I’m happy you won.”

“Thanks, Henry. I am too.”

———

Killian’s probably less chatty in his interviews than the red carpet reporters would prefer - not to mention the show’s publicity department - but he’s too anxious to find Emma again to bother with more. She’d had a look on her face right before Henry called, one that said she was about to say something significant, and he’s itching to know what it was. He’d bet money it was about his speech, but he’s got less of a guess about what she’d have to say on the subject. He hopes it would be a thank you - not because he did it for the gratitude, but because that would mean she has accepted that her own role deserves thanking and attention and recognition, accepted that she plays an integral role not just anyone could fill. If her initial reluctance to join everyone onstage to accept the award for Best New Musical is any indication, though, he’s afraid that might not be the case.

By the time he makes it through press, she’s already waiting for the cars with the rest of their group except Belle, who must still be making her way through the crowds herself. It seems slightly ridiculous to Killian that they’re driving the few blocks instead of just walking ten minutes to the Plaza for the official afterparty, but then again, he’s not the one wearing high heels. They would have looked a little absurd walking down the messy streets of New York in their formal wear anyways.

“Hey, you survived the masses,” Emma teases. He wants to know what she was going to say, demand she continue right now, but Killian knows it’s not the right moment; not here, in front of all their friends.

“I did,” he replies instead, smiling at Emma. With those lovely heels she’s got on, it’s less of a downwards motion tonight; they’re almost level in height, though he’s still got an inch or two on her. “Not to jinx myself, but I think I may actually be getting the hang of this public speaking thing.”

Emma snorts at that. “Yeah, that’s what the statue says,” she replies dryly, though the smile creases around her eyes and mouth say that she knew he meant the interviews, not the acting. “You should call your brother, by the way.”

“I will once we get into the car,” he promises. “Less noise that way.”

As if summoned by magic, the first of the SUVs appears just then, pulling up to the curb. The idea of getting out of this mass of people - or at least getting to the next mass of people who will inevitably be waiting in front of the Plaza for pictures before they enter the afterparty - is appealing, but Killian also doesn’t want to leave the rest of their party behind. Belle’s still working her way through the press line, the bright flowers of her yellow dress only just visible when Killian turns back to look, and God only knows how long it will take for her to break free. It feels rude to abandon Will, Mary Margaret, and David, just because his own ride is here and waiting.

He should have counted on Mary Margaret having other ideas though. “Go,” she smiles, “I can tell you’re ready to get out of here.”

“We’re fine waiting, it’s really not a big deal,” Killian tries to protest - albeit weakly - but Mary Margaret just waves him off in a little shooing motion.

“We’ll be fine, I promise,” she assures him.

“It’s really best not to argue with her,” Emma sighs, though there’s obvious affection in her voice. “Mary Margaret may look sweet, but she gets her way in the end.”

And really, who is he to argue with that? Especially if it would be pointless anyways.

Killian gladly hands Emma up into the interior of the SUV, clambering up after her and trying not to step on her dress as they squeeze into the very back row, Regina and Robin climbing in right after. Emma slips out of those lovely heels as soon as she’s seated, letting out a borderline inappropriate groan of relief as her toes and arches are freed from the contortions they’ve been forced into. Killian doesn’t blame her for that - even if they’ll be in the car for less than ten minutes, he’s sure every one of them feels heavenly.

(It’s a little hard to concentrate when she makes those noises, though.)

“God, that feels good,” she sighs. It doesn’t help matters in the least. His face must make quite the picture, as Emma huffs a little laugh in the back of her throat when she looks in his direction, her mouth quirking up at the corners in a poorly-suppressed smile. “Are you going to call Liam?”

It takes an embarrassing moment for the words to process, and Killian has to actually shake his head to settle his thoughts back into order. Well done, Killian. “Yes, yes, of course. Thank you. I’ll do that now.”

Liam picks up on the first ring, which makes Killian think he was just waiting for the call. “Congratulations, brother!”

“Thanks, Liam,” he replies bashfully. It’ll take some getting used to, hearing all the congratulations for his work, but it’s something Killian thinks that he could get used to. Not that there’s much of a choice there - as long as he’s got this statue, there will now be people applauding his having received it. “Were you able to see everything on TV?” It’s admittedly a stupid question, but it will hopefully turn the conversation back away from him. In the adjacent seat, Emma rolls her eyes like she knows exactly what he’s doing. She probably does, frankly.

So does Liam, unfortunately. “Yes we were, but this isn’t about me, Killy,” his older brother reminds him. “Now tell me, how does it feel to have won?”

“It feels pretty damn fantastic,” Killian admits. It’s the first time he’s said that and really meant it; with the press, it was just convenient words to say, and the ones they wanted to hear anyways. No one wants to hear a celebrity try to work through their muddled feelings on the red carpet when anyone else would be immediately thrilled.

“It’s well deserved, Brother, I promise. How’d Emma react to that speech?”

Killian has to force himself not to look in Emma’s direction at the question, needlessly paranoid it would give something away. “Don’t know.”

“She’s sitting right there, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Well get back to her, get back to her!” Liam urges. “If that speech didn’t impress her, she’s crazy, and Emma Swan doesn’t strike me as crazy.”

“Oh my God, shut up, Liam,” Killian hisses into the phone. Emma’s quietly chuckling next to him; at least someone is enjoying this. “Go back to your date or whatever, I’ll talk to you later.”

“It is not a date — ” his brother starts to protest, but Killian disconnects the call before Liam can take the excuse any further.

“Liam pulling your pigtails?” Emma asks.

“He’s a piece of work,” Killian grumbles right back, much to Emma’s amusement as she lets out another peal of laughter. That gets him to smile at least; she’s always been able to do it, like a special superpower.

“He loves you,” she points out, and well, that’s true too.

“Yeah. I know he does.”

As if on cue, Killian’s phone buzzes inside his jacket’s breast pocket.

I’m proud of you, Kil. Have a great time with your girl.

Any lingering annoyance with Liam melts away immediately. That’s all he’s ever wanted, after all, ever since he was a little kid: to make his brother proud. Liam’s always been his hero, so that’s the highest compliment that can be paid to him.

Killian tucks his phone away with a new sense of peace and happiness about him, conveniently just as the car pulls up to the hotel.

“You ready for more?” Emma asks, bending nearly in half to secure her stilettos once again.

He’d rather have that conversation with Emma, but it’s still not the moment for that, not with a crowd of people waiting for him to make an appearance. For now, they’re just here for a celebration. As such, there’s really only one answer to her question.

“Lead on, Swan.”

———

She probably should have figured that the afterparty would be boring. After all, the executives aren’t exactly known for being a rolicking good time. That’s the actors.

It’s not awful, it’s just kind of… bland. The music is perfectly acceptable, but no one wants to dance. The food is fine, but not exceptional. It honestly seems like most of the money has been spent on decorations, and whatever trendy vibe they were going for manages to clash spectacularly with the staid, old money aesthetic that exemplifies the Plaza Hotel.

There are highlights too, of course - namely the way Killian sticks by her side like glue all night, one hand always tangled in her fingers or wrapped around her waist. Whenever their eyes meet, Killian seems on guard, like he’s waiting for her to tell him to stop, but Emma never does. She never wants to. So instead, she just smiles, and turns back to the party.

The people make up for it, somewhat. Her own little crew keeps her smiling and laughing, and at a party like this, there’s plenty of famous faces around who all seem to want to congratulate Killian. It starts feeling like a bizarre fever dream, meeting all these celebrities she usually only sees in magazines. Everyone is perfectly nice, of course - Emma’s particularly happy to discover that Lin-Manuel Miranda really is the friendliest man alive, and tries not to geek out too much when Matthew Broderick comes up to graciously congratulate the man who beat him and ends up shaking her hand like it’s a totally normal thing to do and not one of the highlights of Emma’s life.

Killian’s off getting them drinks when Merlin sidles up beside Emma. “Hey, congratulations!” she says as soon as she notices him; in addition to accepting the award for Best Musical on their behalf, he’d also been recognized for his directing.

“And you as well!” he wishes her in return with a wide smile on his face. This just might be the happiest Emma has ever seen him. It’s a little odd to see her director in such a celebratory mood - though Merlin is certainly enthusiastic and generally happy, this is something else altogether.

Still, Emma’s not sure she deserves his congratulations. “I don’t know about that,” she hedges with a smile on her face, not outright rejecting the sentiment but not fully embracing it either.

That visibly perturbs Merlin, a little serious frown etching itself onto his mouth. “I’m not sure you’re aware of exactly how indispensable a role you’ve played, Emma. It takes a certain kind of person to not just do your job, but do it well. And with the way you anticipate problems, you’re possibly the best I’ve worked with,” he states confidently, heedless of the blush spreading across her cheeks. “Anyhow, what’s the saying? It takes a village? I think that could be applied to a show as well. And you’ve done a lot to keep the villagers from running around in circles like madmen,” Merlin confides, chuckling a little at his own joke.

Emma’s never been good at accepting praise, probably due to lack of opportunity in her youth, but it still means something to hear that from her director, her boss. “Thanks. That, uh… that means a lot,” she finally settles on.

“I speak only the truth,” Merlin replies. “Now, I know this is a ways out - several years, most likely - but a friend of mine is working on a new musical, a madcap murder caper. I don’t suppose you’d be interested? Availability permitting, of course, and we’d discuss it further once things became definite, but I think we’ve made a good team.”

Emma remembers Robin’s words from all those months ago, about how directors like to work with an established team. Now that it seems like that may actually be developing, she’ll have to thank him for his wisdom and encouragement. “I’d love that. Keep me in the loop.”

“Excellent. I’ll let you get back to your date,” he excuses as Killian returns with a pair of champagne flutes, “but really, congratulations. It’s been such a pleasure working together.”

Emma flushes an even deeper pink as Merlin walks away, but there’s a grin there too.

“Good news?” Killian asks as he hands her a drink.

Emma laughs a little, mostly to herself, before quipping, “I think I might have made it, kid.”

“I never had a doubt.”

———

They somehow end up in Granny’s diner at the end of the night. It’d probably been inevitable, really; it seems like so many of his and Emma’s milestones along the way to where they are now - wherever they are - have happened in that restaurant. It doesn’t hurt either that the food at the official afterparty is boring buffet fare, and Granny’s is open 24 hours. The lady herself has long since gone to bed - it is one in the morning - but the kitchen is more than happy to send out a variety of burgers and fries and grilled cheeses with onion rings. Emma has seemed slightly on edge all night, though happy; Killian is eternally grateful that she was able to accompany him and witness their win herself, but he knows the awards weren’t quite her scene. Here, in Granny’s corner booth with a dollop of whipped cream on her nose from her oreo shake, she’s more in her element, laughing with their friends and sticking her tongue out at him when he swipes the whipped cream off.

(God, he loves her.)

His heart does a happy little jig when Emma rests her head on his shoulder as hot drinks and slices of pie are distributed, though he does his best to play it cool. Still, Killian can’t resist the urge to wrap his arm around her waist, both to support her and to tug her just a little bit closer. If the little sigh Emma exhales onto his shoulder is any indication, she’s not opposed either.

She wasn’t supposed to fall asleep, though; that was never something Killian had anticipated happening. Part of him doesn’t want to wake her back up. Emma looks so peaceful in sleep, her features fully relaxed and serene, and it seems like such a shame to disturb that. They’re closing in on three in the morning, however, and as much joy as Killian takes from having Emma Swan nestled against him, her own bed must be so much more comfortable than this booth and his bony shoulder.

“Swan,” he whispers at first. That’s not particularly successful; Emma hums a little half-asleep sound, but makes no attempt to make her way back to wakefulness. Indeed, she tries to burrow her face further into his flesh. It’s endearing, certainly, and cute beyond words, but not particularly helpful. “Swan,” he repeats, “you’ve got to wake up.” A little nudgey shrug is more successful, causing Emma to finally lift her head with bleary eyes and her brows furrowed in confusion.

“What time is it?” she slurs, stretching in a way that does not accentuate her bust in the least.

“Nearly 3 am. Can I walk you home?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” she yawns.

“I think it’s about time we were all heading home,” Mary Margaret cuts in, sliding out of the vinyl booth seat. Will and Belle already departed almost an hour ago, off to their own celebrations that Killian would rather not know more about, and Robin had left immediate after they were done eating to pick Roland up, but Ruby, Regina, Mary Margaret, and David had all stuck it out - though David looks like he’s about to fall asleep on the tabletop as well. There’s hugs all around as everyone piles into various cabs, but finally, it’s just Killian and Emma - just the way he’s wanted all night. They’ve both got things to say, Emma especially, and Killian’s ready to listen to all of it.

———

The night is peaceful, just the two of them - at least as far as that’s possible in a busy city of millions. The more Emma thinks about it, the more she thinks that the peace she feels is less due to the time or location, and more due to some inner serenity. It sounds ridiculous to think of it like that, but that seems to make the most sense. She’s happy; that’s what matters.

Her apartment is only a few blocks away, so without any verbal agreement or further discussion, Killian and Emma both set out walking in that direction instead of hailing a cab. She doesn’t need escorting home, not really, but she’d happily accepted all the same for the chance to spend a little more time in Killian’s company. It will give them a chance to talk uninterruptedly, anyways, if Emma can bring herself to upset their current harmony. She’s not nervous about it anymore, far from it; still, in the midst of such a perfect moment, it’s hard to bring herself to interrupt it with something so silly as talking.

Emma’s just preparing to break the silence herself when Killian jumps in first. “It’s a lovely night, isn’t it?” he asks softly, a gentle smile playing across his lips as he looks towards the skyline.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Emma’s not talking about the weather. She thinks Killian might not be either. Quickly, she plows ahead with her intended speech before they both get lost in another moment again. “Listen, I just wanted to thank you, Killian. For tonight, and the speech - God, especially that speech - and… everything. Thank you.”

“Oh, Swan, that’s nothing you need to thank me for,” he replies, blushing red and letting his hand steal away to that nervous spot on his neck again.

“Yeah, there is,” she insists right back. “You didn’t have to do that.”

That catches Killian’s attention, his body suddenly snapping back upright from the bashful position it had curled into. “Of course I did,” he says. There’s a fire in his gaze that wasn’t there before, that Emma usually only sees at the theater when he’s passionate about what he’s doing. “I know you don’t do this for the thanks, but I see all the work you put in every day. Hell, some days you hold this entire thing together through sheer force of will. All without any thanks.” He pauses to take a deep breath. “I didn’t do it for your thanks. I did it because you deserve to be thanked. I think we all know I’m not exactly an unbiased source,” he chuckles wryly, “but what you do, day in and day out, is amazing. You’re amazing, and brilliant, and… I just wanted everyone to know that. Yourself included.”

It amazes Emma, most days, the fierceness of what Killian feels for her. To hear him speak, you’d think she was an angel sent to earth, a powerful goddess walking amongst mortals, the most amazing thing he’s ever encountered. It’s even more awe-inspiring to realize that that’s exactly how he sees her.

The thing is, the way Emma sees Killian isn’t much different. Maybe she wouldn’t get so melodramatic in her descriptions the way he might - she’s never been one to use the word “angel” anyways - but she’d readily call him one of the kindest, most thoughtful men she knows, and more than deserving of all the good things that have come his way.

“Now, I don’t mean - please don’t take what I’m about to say as a demand for thanks, because it’s not, I didn’t say all those things for the thanks,” he continues, fully babbling now, “but I was just wondering - well, you see, I like you, Emma, really like you, rather halfway in love if I’m placing all my cards on the table - and I know I’ve asked before, but so much has changed, and… well, to borrow the quote, my affections and wishes are unchanged,” he grins a little at his joke, albeit somewhat nervously. The silly man. “I suppose what I’m getting at, what I’m wondering — ”

Emma doesn’t wait to find out what he’s wondering, however, even if she’s pretty sure she knows what’s coming. Too impatient to wait any longer for him to collect his thoughts - can that boy ever ramble - she surges up suddenly to pull his face down to hers and mash their lips together, one hand sliding into his hair to tug and caress the strands the way she’s wanted to for longer than she’s willing to admit. Weeks, for sure; probably months. Whatever the case, the moment is now, and she’s going to revel in every bit of it.

Though Killian is initially caught off guard, emitting a little shocked grunt (Emma would kill for photographic evidence of it, imagining cartoonish popped eyes and pinwheeling arms), he relaxes into the kiss almost immediately. Maybe if Killian was initiating, their kiss would be a gentle, deliberate thing; that’s the way she’s always imagined it, at least. Emma’s the one in charge though, so this kiss is fierce, hungry, almost desperate. She wants to learn all of it, all at once - the way he sounds when she nips at his lip or sucks at his tongue, whether he likes it when she pulls on the hair at the nape of his neck (and oh, if those groans and moans are indication, he does, he absolutely does), all of it. Killian seems much of the same mind as his hands settle possessively at her hips, thumbs tracing along the sheer panel at her midriff as his head tilts and readjusts in a quest for the perfect angle at which to explore her mouth. It’s the realization of months and months of longing and repressed feelings and they slam together, pressed tight against each other’s fronts as their mouths practically meld into one, and it’s perfect.

They finally break apart when more than the quickest gulps of air become necessary, but Emma’s hand slips down to grip Killian’s lapel - for stability or comfort or whatever else she doesn’t know, but it somehow feels necessary for her continued existence. “That was…”

“Yeah, it was,” he replies, before letting out a laugh - a joyful, winded sound. “God, what was that? You didn’t even let me get out the question,” he teases gently.

Even his ribbing can’t wipe the smile off her face, though. “You were taking too long,” she shrugs, mindlessly nosing at his neck. It’s a new frontier, one she looks forward to kissing and nibbling once she gets a second wind.

“Ah, well, forgive me. This seems a little redundant now, but I don’t suppose you’d want to get a cup of coffee sometime?” He’s obviously aware of the sense of deja vu from his first attempt at this, grinning madly with a twinkle in his eye.

“What do you think?” Emma whispers in reply, drawing him back down for another round of kissing.

As if there was any other answer now, after all they’ve done and all they’ve been through, but the most enthusiastic yes.

[monkeypretzel]

OK, so far so good. Nice to hear from Joel after six months of near-silence. Things are going really well? That’s good news! You’re going into the studio Monday? Well, I guessed that from the high level Season 11 backers being invited to have set visits at their expense a few months ago talking about how excited they were for next week. I hope they have lots of fun.

I get that secrecy is very important to you, Joel. Not necessarily because of having everything be a big surprise for the fans, but maybe a little bit because you don’t have to listen to any questions about what you’re doing when nobody knows what you’re doing.

No, certainly you don’t want to make shows by committee, because again that involves answering questions and as you’ve stated in numerous interviews, the creative process can’t be questioned. You can’t explain why something is funny, after all. I’m going to believe you when you say you took suggestions from the fans seriously, but I question which of those fans they are. Are they the fans that have hundreds of dollars to meet you at VIP events and premieres, or the ones with thousands of dollars to get invited to set visits in secret? Jonah has tweeted that he (they?) pretty much doesn’t bother to read comments, so I wonder how much the feedback is filtered before it reaches you? Do you read the hundred of thousands of comments or do you rely on others to tell you what they said? I suppose I shouldn’t ask questions like that. I don’t understand creativity, I guess. But you’re welcome, anyway.

Hmmm. Suddenly there’s a whole lot about binge-watching that really hasn’t been a point of previous updates or interviews. “How to tweak the Forrester experiments...”...to the way Netflix’s viewing model works. Hmmm. Given the next paragraph talking about new viewers not giving the show a chance because of the length, it sounds like Season 12 failed to get the viewership metrics Netflix wanted to see. Fewer new, unique viewers and more people who were playing the show on repeat. Then we hit the interesting part. The “concept” of the season will be different.

What concept? The concept where Kinga is continuing her family’s experiment to gain their approval? The concept where Kinga was a reluctant mad scientist -in-training? The concept where the point of the experiments was to sell out to Disney for big money? The concept where the point was to blow up the MST3K brand and make it a household name? All of these are concepts Joel said were major parts of last season. This is intriguing...what direction will Season 12 take, and how will it get there? How will it be “warped” (read: totally changed) and “written to encourage binge watching”? Well, the encourage binge watching part hints very strongly at a continuing storyline, where each episode has to be seen in order to make sense and you have to watch all of them to understand what’s going on.

Will the same fans who dislike Season 8 because Sci-Fi forced a storyline onto a show that didn’t need it dislike Season 12 because Netflix is forcing changes to a show that doesn’t need them?

Yup, that’s what this section of the update is doing, and in all sincerity credit to Joel for putting the spin on it he is. This is Covering Your Ass 101. Without saying it explicitly, Joel has told the fans that Netflix is behind the changes to Season 12, and that you can blame the dreaded “Executive Meddling” instead of him if you don’t like the result. And it’s working! So far what most people are focusing on is the six episodes part, and the comments make it clear they believe it Netflix’s fault for only funding six episodes because they don’t support or believe in the show. Well, if fans expected more than 10 episodes tops from a Netflix season that’s unrealistic wishing. I personally thought between 8 and 10, but six isn’t out of line. Focusing on the amount of episodes right now is the only thing concrete most fans have, unless they’re willing to do the deeper analysis. And honestly, we don’t know if Netflix said you’re only doing six episodes, or if Joel is only making six episodes because that’s all he can get out of the funds he was given. (The only behind the scenes info I have on this is a rumor from someone who allegedly has a friend at Netflix that the negotiations did NOT go smoothly last year between Official MST3K and Netflix, and that boy! Season 12 is VERY important, make or break time.) As for getting the season out more quickly because it’s shorter, I’ll take that at face value, but with the knowledge that Joel suffers from terminal lateness in pretty much everything he’s involved in. It’s not out of line to think they put some strict deadlines into the contract. It certainly doesn’t promise, as some fans have been quick to latch onto, that future seasons of MST3K will be released once or even twice a year.

14 episodes was a lot of episodes. It would be really nice if you have at least the same amount of studio time, maybe even more, to shoot 6 episodes worth of content instead of 14. I hope the increased focus results in a show that addresses the problems and criticisms the fans brought up about Season 11. But someday would you let the fans in on what the whole picture is, too?

Hoo-boy. I talked about this yesterday, so I’m not going to rehash it here. But again, the spin is dizzying. “We’re going to offer you a chance to give us money (for no specified reason) because you guys WANTED to have a chance to give us more money!” Seriously? That’s going to work? Well, yeah, of course it’s going to work. There’s a huge chunk of the fanbase that has plenty of disposable income to throw at Joel because he makes them feel all fuzzy warm inside or something. Just look at how the elite backers are treated compared to the rest of the fanbase. Money determines your worth now as an MST3K fan, and no, I’m not the only person out there who’s noticed.

Again, you don’t ask for money unless you need money for something. I’ll be a lot more forgiving of Joel, and might even apologize for jumping to conclusions, if the rewards offered to the customers are reasonably priced. After all, we don’t have to fund a new season this time, because it’s been funded by Netflix. So you don’t need to ask for $100 for a six episode season box set or $75 bucks for a tote bag or $7500 for a bot puppet now, right?

Right?

(This is my inner bitter bitch speaking, but remember how I complained we only hear from Joel in the past year when he’s trying to sell the fans something? When he’s asking for money? Hmmm.)

Hey, you know, we screwed up fulfilling the reward from the last fundraiser big time, so much so that it’s over two and a half years later and we have NO IDEA when the coffee table book is going to get released, and we have NO IDEA why some of you didn’t get the stuff you paid for, and we have NO IDEA why any of the screw ups happened (or at least we’re not going to tell you), but give us more of your money, because even though we’re going to do things pretty much the same way with a lot fewer people, you can trust us that everything will go perfectly this time. (But don’t expect us to lower the prices any. We couldn’t do that. Even though we don’t need the money. At all. Nope, nothing to see here.) Anyway, that’s all icky business stuff so I don’t care about it. I don’t know why you people are so concerned over not getting what you paid for and were promised, anyway. Can you just finish it up for once and for all so we can move on and forget this happened?

You have so much more. Like all that behind-the-scenes stuff you promised to share April 14, 2017. I really can’t wait to see that, Joel. No, I can’t wait, because I’ve given up all hope of you meaning anything you say. This whole update is one of the greatest exercises in conveying intended meanings without actually saying anything that one can be pinned down on I’ve ever seen. It’s a masterpiece of laying groundwork, shifting blame, and ass-covering. No wonder it took months to come out with this.

TL;DR:  "I loved it! It was much better than Cats! I'm going to see it again and again!"

[ultradoux]

2020 Reading List

Because in the end it was a great year for reading! Just a list of the books I read this year, with comments that (maybe) get progessively more boozy as I go on

1. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova: A really irritating read to start out this year (feels prescient?). Only worth it for the travel log features of places like Istanbul, Amsterdam, and most of Eastern Europe. Even Dracula was completely boring and useless. 

2. Howard’s End - E.M. Forster: Love, love, I will forever whore myself out for bright women acting mildly rebellious in Edwardian England, love

3. Les liaisons dangereuses - Choderlos de Laclos : Pas un seul personnage aimable, c’est magnifique, 10/10

4. The Brothers Karamazov - Feodor Dostoevsky: Did I read this as a flex in early confinement mode? Absolutely. Did I enjoy it? Christ no. If I have to read one more Christ allegory I’m climbing up on that cross myself. 4/5.

5. Chéri - Colette : C’était mignon et trop sucré, comme de la pâte aux amandes. Moins de 100 pages, du coup à avaler dans une gorgée. 

6. Pride and Prejudice (for maybe the 8th time?) - Jane Austen: Substitute “Regency” for “Edwardian” in the comment for Howard’s End and I’ll literally start vibrating. I want to be buried with this book, preferably with 90s Colin Firth, too

7. The Sorrows of Young Werther - Goethe: I go through more sorrows in seven hours of existing than Werther did in his whole life. Pass. 

8. The Epic of Gilgamesh: Ok, fine, I skimmed. You ever try reading a religious text out of respect and interest, not being very religious yourself, only half the text is missing and it’s been written so long ago that most of it is gibberish until you stumble upon a few lines that reach across millennia and sucker punch you? Similar experience. Hard to find a good translation. 

9. Mémoires d’Hadrien - Marguerite Yourcenar : Il m’a fallu une putain de pandémie, mais j’ai en fin (en fin!!!!!!!) fini ce bouquin et qu’est-ce que c’est beau. Yourcenar était un génie, ce livre est son chef-d’oeuvre, je suis tellement content que je n’ai plus à le lire. 100/10.

10. Dune - Frank Herbert: Ok, don’t come at me because it will only frustrate all of us (much like this book did me), but SNOOZE. A+ world building, but God, at what cost?  Timothée Chalamet could respectfully get it, though.

11. Going After Cacciato - Tim O’Brien: This was good? Like in the territory between okay and good? Just like a fine little book, albeit stuck in the middle of the Vietnam War. 

12. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck: Is a white American woman from the 30s necessarily the best person to write about rural China? Probably not, even if she was raised in rural China. Honestly, though? Still pretty good. 

13. Tender is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald: Do you ever get so desperately bored of pretty, rich 1920s people having pretty, rich 1920s people problems, like being tragically unfaithful or having too much money and not enough problems? No? You might by the end of this book -- but it’ll sound pretty while you’re reading. More engaging than Gatsby, in any case. 

14. Jamaica Inn - Daphne du Maurier: Reading a du Maurier novel is always trippy because the tone is like “I’m a plucky heroine and I’ll give them a piece of my mind!” and then the stakes are literally “I’ll bash your head in and strangle you on the moors and you can’t stop me.” Reading this book is like swigging moonshine in a soft, lace- and chintz-covered tea room. Gotta love it. 

15. L’éducation sentimentale - Gustave Flaubert : C’est bizarre, car mon beau-frère s’appèle Arnoux aussi, mais c’est une belle histoire qui perd un peu de son élan vers la moitié du roman. Je préfère Madame Bovary quand-même.

16. Wishful Thinking - Carrie Fisher: Who doesn’t love Carrie Fisher?

17. Shogun - James Clavell: Is a white Australian man from the 80s necessarily the best person to write about feudal Japan? Probably not (he was not raised in feudal Japan). But it’s well researched and very good. This unfortunate theme in authors did not continue this year, luckily. 

18. Chanson douce - Leïla Slimani : J’adore, j’adore, j’adore. Louise m’a donné des frissons tellement elle faisait peur. Impossible de ne pas se mettre à la place de Miriam; à lire, 100%.

19. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka: A cute, light read that I stumbled upon in a bookshop (support local businesses, kids! Jeff Bezos will harvest your dreams like one of those shitty vampires from Charmed where they couldn’t afford good special effects!) Some of the writing felt a little more caricatural than anything else, but I liked the main character. Sometimes things can just be fun. 

20. L’ombre du vent - Carlos Ruiz Zafón : !!!!!!!!! Le livre de l’année, l’étoile de l’été, un gout de miel qui a laissé des traces sur mon âme. Que d’amour pour ce livre (et ce n’est pas que le champagne qui parle!)

21. L’étincelle - Tahar Ben Jelloun : Etant l’époux d’un Tunisien, je suis plutôt obligé de tout connaître sur le printemps arabe, et j’ai bien aimé ce livre. Par contre, d’après ce fameux époux tunisien (bisous baby!) ce n’est pas forcément la meilleure ressource pour en parler. 

22. Barbe bleue - Amélie Nothomb : J’aime bien Amélie Nothomb, mais c’est clairement pas son meilleur. Ça donne envie de boire du champagne, par contre. 

23. Les contes de Perrault - Charles Perrault : Ecoutez, je me faisais chier en août, et c’est quand-même pas mal. Merci à Barbe-bleue d’avoir inspiré tous les cauchemars de mon enfance.

24. La princesse Palatine - Christian Bouyer : BOF. Elle aurait été plus intéressante si elle avait eu des vrais problèmes. Profite bien de tes châteaux, betch. 

25. Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe: For some reason I started this one years ago and didn’t get past the first few pages, but it was totally compelling this time around? It truly is a wonderful (and tragic) story, completely worth a read. 

26. Rules of Civility - Amos Towles: Katy is the type of person I wish I was, I would look so good in 30s clothes, I just wish I hated NYC a little less (it’s not your fault, NYC [I mean it is but I at least feel bad about it])

27. A Room of One’s Own - Viriginia Woolf: Quintessential! Still a transcript of a lecture though. Prosecco is amazing! 

28. Le horla - Guy de Maupassant : Soyons honnêtes c’est plutôt une nouvelle. 

29. Alcools - Guillaume Apollinaire : J’aime pas la poésie, même quand elle est belle. Meh.

30. Consider the Lobster - David Foster Wallace: I’m so tired of this man being the standard for everything. I mean I know I ended up reading this but what the hell. He was just bored. He read a few edgy novels and he was bored. Come on. That being said, this was an enjoyable read. 

31. Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak: Ok, to be fair this was a PAIN in the beginning, but by the end I had tears?? In my eyes. That very rarely happens. Love it. 

32. Censoring an Iranian Love Story - Shahriar Mandanipour: It would have been better if he was so convinced of what a great writer he was?? What was the point of the weird dead little goblin?? Must we read from countless men every day of our lives?? Must we????

33. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel - Susanna Clarke: So my Fenian grandmother loved this book, which is why I feel I have no right to go too hard on it, but at the same time if English exceptionalism had a literary form it would be this book (but like that insidious kind of English exceptionalism where it’s all tongue-in-cheek, so if you call them out on it they just mock you for being a rube. I see you, English exceptionalists. You’re only special because you’re on an island)

34. Go Tell It on the Mountain - James Baldwin: Christ I loved this book. Anyone who reads or writes hopes one day to be as lucid as James Baldwin. 

35. The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett: I was left largely unmoved. 

36. Alexis - Marguerite Yourcenar : Pendant six mois j’ai cherché ce bouquin, et une fois trouvé il m’a déçu. Alexis est gay, voilà le grand choc. 

37. Kafka sur le rivage - Haruki Murakami : Je ne suis toujours pas sûr d’avoir bien compris ce livre ; il faudrait peut-être le relire encore une fois. Mais ça vaut le coup d’être relu encore une fois. 

38. Le mec de la tombe d’à côté - Katarina Mazetti :  Super cute comme roman!! Inattendu, mais ça a super bien démontré le conflit de cultures même à l’intérieur d’un pays. 

39. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley: I should have totally read this in high school, but didn’t. I’d waste your time with a bunch of faux-deep statements about how prescient this was, but I’m about a bottle of prosecco deep and no one really wants that, right?

40. Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo: I am basic for reading this and I am so glad I did; very good stuff, I’m all in, I’m sure UChicago had the same type of shit, love it!! 

41. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho: I read light on Christmas break, ok? 

42. Watership Down - Richard Adams: I’m not big on anthropomorphic, animal-based stories, but this really went off? These are some hard-ass rabbits, respect.

43. Sharp Objects -  Gillian Flynn: Intense!! Great!! Sharp!!!!!!!!!!

[surveysbygracelynn]

1) How are you doing in this time of COVID19? Do you personally know anyone who is not taking COVID19 seriously? I’m probably doing better than most, honestly. I don’t mind working from home, or not seeing people often. But I’m also a lot busier than normal. One of my friends still goes out a lot, but I don’t see him much. I think even my trump supporting family takes the restrictions serious to an extent. 

2) What do you think of TikTok? Have you jumped on it yet? Why or why not?  Tik Tok is great. I joined when it was about to be banned. I’m so glad I did because a lot of the content is great. 

3) What game have you gone back to playing or missed playing because of this time of self-quarantining? Like everyone else I’m now on animal crossing most of the time. But I haven’t had a lot of time to play. My island is not pretty or thought out. 

4) How internet-savvy are your parents? Can you think of time(s) when they surprised you with what they know (i.e. memes, platforms, emoji uses, etc.)?  My parents are like good and not good. They know enough. It was kind of sweet when they hopped on the national daughters day trend this year because neither of them post much (when they did, it was me posting a caption for them lol) 

5) What is your favorite foreign cuisine? What is your favorite food/dish from that cuisine? I love Italian and Mexican. I could probably eat both of those all the time. Italian, I love eggplant parm. Mexican, I love quesadillas. 

6) What is an electronic gadget that you’ve had for more than 5 years? Would you say it was worth your money? Do you plan on replacing it any time soon?  Hmm. That’s a good question. My laptop  I think is about 5 years old now. I don’t think I bought it though. I might replace it eventually because it crashes a lot. 

7) What TV show would you say you’ve re-watched more than two times? Are you re-watching anything now? Probably Full House and Friends in advertently. I’m not one to go back and watch a show multiple times as a series. 

8) Do you remember the moment when you started feeling alarmed by the development of the COVID19? How did your life change since? I think I started actually taking it serious in the end of March. A lot of stuff was happening amidst the friend group, people were still coming to my apartment every day and I could not handle it. 

9) What viral video/meme last made you furious or annoyed? Probably something a Republican posted lol 

10) When was the last time you woke up feeling pumped and determined to have a great day? How did that day unfold for you? Uhmm.. I don’t know.  lately I kinda just wake up cranky if I’m up too early or cranky if I’m up later than I have time to kind of chill by myself. 

11) Do you use e-mail a lot at work? If so, what are your biggest e-mail pet peeves? If not, what mundane task do you do on a regular basis at work and what do you dislike about it? Yes, email is probably most of my job right now, as the phone calls have slowed down. I don’t really have any pet peeves about emails. It’s kind of annoying when people cc my boss on a random email to me but I don’t really get too worked up about it. I guess what would be my pet peeves is that most of my coworkers don’t read my emails when I send them.

12) What hobby or interest of your significant other do you have ZERO interest in? What about something you actually think might be fun or something you actually picked up thanks to them? If you don’t have an SO, you can think of a relative or friend as an example instead.  Brandon has a lot of interests.  games and anime are cool, but I can’t get into them as serious as he is. I guess I have zero interest in cooking which is kind of terrible to say. I would guess anime is something I picked up thanks to him. I played video games before. 

13) Do you use Uber? If so, how often do you use it or cabs in general? Have you ever had an awkward moment with a cab driver? Only in emergencies or dire situations really. When I took it last month as to not get on the city bus coming home, there were a few. One guy was taking an awkward way back. And one guy had a car that you wouldn’t think was an Uber..

14) If you are employed, what would you say are the best and worst parts of your company’s culture. If you don’t work, what would you say is the busiest part of your day? The best part is the flexibility with things. Like, I could take a long lunch and it not be a problem. The worst part is trying to keep boundaries. 

15) What was the last craving you fulfilled? That’s a good question. I haven’t really had many cravings lately but some of them I don’t find reason to fufill. I think the other day I was trying to recreate the subway sandwich but then we didn’t have cheddar. The one that really sticks out is when Brandon made us breakfast sandwiches before we went to the Beach. 

16) Do you like stand-up comedy? Who are your favorites? When was the last time you remember discovering someone new that you actually liked? John Mulaney is probably my favorite. Hmm. That’s another good question... It probably honestly was John Mulaney. 

17) Have you ever felt affected by the death of a celebrity or public figure? If so, who? Do you remember when you found out and what was your reaction to it? Not really, honestly. I mean I awlways cry when there’s like a memoriam tribute but no one really made me super sad. 

18) What positive affirmation do you need to give yourself right now? My boundaries are necessary and are an act of self love..

19) How often do you get headaches? What are usually the cause(s)? What are your go-to remedies for it? What was the worst headache you’ve ever had?  Lately it’s been a lot more. And then I get scared its COVID. but I usually try to power through them or take advil. I got migraines in high school but I really don’t  remember much. I think I was still dating my first boyfriend at the time. 

20) What was the last purchase you regret making? What about it that made it regrettable? How about the last purchase that you found absolutely worth your buck? I guess I sort of regret getting two types of light bulbs at the store. or this reeses ice cream which kinda sucked actually. The most worthwhile purchase as of late I think has been the reusable k cup. I use it like every day. 

[eyeandheart]

I did a good job following up on several promising job leads last week. Unfortunately none of them panned out. I was offered a position I would have been happy to take, but the greedy bastards offered me less than 10 bucks an hour. I could barely support myself on 12.

I’ve been trying to stay positive about it. I’m glad I at least got an offer, especially after the extensive background checking they did, it’s better than nothing but.. I would be lying if I said I didn’t still feel bad. I keep asking myself, what if that’s all there is out there for me? What if that’s all I’m worth?

I recently listened to the Protomen Act I and II albums with some friends that were old fans of it, I loved every minute. I’ve been listening to Act I at least once a day since, Act II is good too but it’s too depressing for me to handle right now. It’s such a simple story but the raw emotion of the singers and the poignancy of the lyrics is something to behold. I can summarize Act II for my husband but Act I.. I could never do it justice, you just have to be there (and use line notes!). He likes megaman and rock music but for some reason I can’t convince him to give it a listen.

It seems like I can’t fully enjoy something unless I know someone else is enjoying it with me, and I know why, and I know it’s wrong to feel that way, but.. I don’t know how to not feel that way.

Anyway since I enjoyed the albums so much I’ve been working on assimilating the fandom the way I did with Sonic. Honestly they’re pretty similar fandoms, the comics are even written by the same guy. I don’t really know anyone else who gets into retro video games for their plot and characters and totally sucks at the games and doesn’t bother with them. Pretty sure I’m unique in that area. There’s just an elegance and a wholesomeness in their simplicity, and so many plot and character development holes to get busy filling and over analyzing. Also games from the 90′s were catered primarily towards boys so the cast is mostly male, leaving plenty of room for m/m slash (my favourite!). Kind of ironic how that happens..

Instead of researching and dissecting all the games like I did before I’m just reading the comic books, they’re pretty cheesy but they keep me interested somehow and they include most of the elements of the games. I’ve been informed that I will receive my “official real fan card” (C) as soon as I finish the last issue. Eh.. I’ll probably end up watching a crapton of let’s plays on youtube who am I kidding. Kenny knows a surprisingly large amount about the game too, we stayed up too late talking about it.

I love how every night is like a slumber party with my best friend. I love the way his face lights up when he talks about how to cook food he likes. I hate the way he cries when he knows he’s hurt my feelings and he can’t fix it, I don’t mean to hurt anyone back, I know I’m easily wounded. Sometimes it’s okay to tell me to let things go, I forget that a lot, but he’s really just as sensitive as I am at heart.

[cyberkevvideo]

Throne of Night Theory Builds Part 26: Strange Sea Merchants

So THIS is the post I tried uploading last week before crap hit the fan and the computer crash, causing me to lose everything. To say it sucked would be an understatement. But we're finally here.

This particular post is very near and dear to me because it feels like a sense of vindication and I'll get into that in the next half of the post. I’m being careful how I word things, and that I don’t post too much as it karma might bite me in the backside again for being to prideful, even thought I technically have the right to. =P I’m also doing a back up and saving a draft of the article just in case. I don’t want to have to go through this a third time.

Regardless, this post has NEW ART. That’s right. It may be a week late, but it’s still here, and you’ll be able to gaze upon the awesome in just a moment. Also, two stat builds instead of one, and it’s not because there’s an animal companion.

As always, for space reasons, I’ll be cropping the encounter build.

All images shared here were done by the forever fantastic and amazingly talented Michael D. Clarke, aka SpiralMagus

I do not have a Patreon or a Kickstarter, but I do have a Ko-Fi page (linked) for those who are looking to support me monetarily. There is no pressure or obligation to do so.

Finally, before I get to it, I hope everyone’s staying safe right now.

EDIT: I’ve come back and cleaned it up. Even advanced the bodyguards to CR 15 from CR 13.

Back during the release of "Way of the Wicked", before I'd published anything at all, I was mystified by the adventure modules, but something always bugged that an element was missing. Why did the hyper LAWFUL GOOD government and judicial law just stop looking for the most wanted criminals of that time? These weren't petty crooks. They were high level criminals who had done heinous crimes, escaped prison, and probably murdered a league of guards in the process. And among them, might even be an infernal ogre of unknown Hellish influence. Not a single bodyguard or inquisitor apprentice went "I'm going to double check and make sure they're actually dead"? Instead, they just assume they were lost to the swamp. That always seemed odd to be, and honestly very unacceptable. So I designed three bounty hunter brothers that would go after them, including a human ranger/inquisitor, and released it on the public forum, along with my thoughts on WHY these guys had to exist. If not all three, then for sure the ranger/inquisitor. And to my surprise, people agreed. Even Gary agreed. And more surprising, they were taken for other people's games, including Gary McBride himself. The author had acknowledged my efforts, and admitted this was a worthwhile addition. For anyone who doesn't know me personally, for me to have received that kind of validation, especially from the author of something big like the "first evil campaign for Pathfinder 1e", it was an exceptionally big deal. I was had readied myself for only beratement, as that's what I was used to from writers and game masters. So when Book 2 was released, I stepped up again. It threw me off that in a world of devils and angels, and so many religious NPCs, that the PCs were limited to finding a specific black market that could get you specific items, but it could take literal months or even years to get it because most items PCs would want were illegal on the island and would have to come in from the mainland, the long way, because of one side of the island having terrible storms and a giant whirlpool. Why though? It made sense to me that a young and upcoming mercane could easily slip in and sell the PCs some wares. Considering their ability to plane shift and sell to other planes of existence, they certainly wouldn't care if the king's emblem and heraldry was plastered all over armor and weapons. Heck, introduce him in Book 1 as one of the kiosk guys when the PCs are first shopping. Just give him or her a basic hat of disguise and you're laughing. Again, that idea was met with reverence by Gary and others on the forum, and again the character was added to other games.

I bring up that long-winded story because when I realized who and what these strangers were, my jaw dropped. Everything had come back full circle. Their size, the colour of their skin, and the number of fingers on their hands. They were mercanes. My original idea that I'd put forth way back from the days of "Way of the Wicked" was made a reality here. Whether it was just a coincidence or not, it didn't matter. It felt great to see it in the flesh, so to speak. Merchant strangers from another world drifting on the open waters of the Sunless Sea, and hoping to make a buck, or come across interesting characters with wares to peddle. By this point in the story, the PCs are likely chomping at the bit to access items that they don't have to craft themselves, or get made by the myceloids, maybe the drow, or even hope to find randomly in a pile of treasure. They can literally get absolutely anything they want in exchange for gold, mithral, or gear they've been stockpiling for the past 4-5 books. Which brings up a big point. When do the PCs meet these guys? My thought is that it's likely not that far into Book 5. Probably before the aboleth city is found. There's also the possibility that they're found on the way to the end of Book 5, beginning of Book 6, but for me that's way too long. Honestly, though, the PCs have already been waiting long enough. As such, I made these guy the levels that they are. There's no way they're still the original CR 5 or even CR 6 (fighter 1).

If the PCs can afford it, the secret chest should be able to access whatever it is that they want.

THE VISITING MERCHANT ON THE SEA    (CR 15; 51,200 XP) Male mercane abjurer 11/loremaster 2 LN Large outsider (extraplanar) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20 DEFENSE AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 22 (+4 armor, +3 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural, –1 size) hp 222 (19 HD; 6d10+13d6+144) Fort +17, Ref +11, Will +18 Defensive Abilities energy absorption (33 hp/day); Resist acid 10; SR 26 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee mwk falchion +14/+9/+2 (2d6+3/18–20) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Spell-like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +12)   3/day—dimension door, invisibility (self only)   1/day—plane shift (W-DC 18) Abjurer Spells Prepared (CL 13th; concentration +20)   7th—quickened fireball (R-DC 25), mass hold person (W-DC 24), spell turning   6th—chain lightning (R-DC 24), mass bear’s endurance, spellcrash (W-DC 25), telepathy   5th—feeblemind (R-DC 22), quickened magic missile, teleport, wall of force, wreath of blades (R-DC 24)   4th—ball lightning (R-DC 22), curse of magic negation (W-DC 23), globe of lesser invulnerability, greater flaming sphere (R-DC 23), solid fog, stoneskin   3rd—dispel magic (2), fly, haste, hold person (W-DC 20), nondetection, tongues   2nd—acid arrow, cat’s grace, communal protection from evil, create pit (R-DC 19), glitterdust (W-DC 19), resist energy, web (R-DC 19)   1st—alarm, grease, mage armor (already cast), magic missile, shield, stunning barrier (W-DC 20), touch of the sea   0 (at will)—detect poison, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance Opposition Schools illusion, necromancy TACTICS Morale Unless prevented from teleporting, the visitor will hide behind the bodyguards and teleport or plane shift them away to safety. STATISTICS Str 14, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 30, Wis 17, Cha 17 Base Atk +12; CMB +15; CMD 32 Feats Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Greater Spell Focus (abjuration), Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Quicken Spell, Scribe ScrollB, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]), Spell Focus (abjuration, evocation), ToughnessB Skills Acrobatics +22, Appraise +22, Bluff +22, Craft +19 (+21 with tools), Diplomacy +22, Fly +12, Handle Animal +10, Heal +20, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +20, Knowledge (engineering) +21, Knowledge (geography) +23, Knowledge (local) +18, Knowledge (planes) +30, Knowledge (religion) +22, Linguistics +18, Perception +20, Profession (merchant) +13, Sense Motive +18, Sleight of Hand +15, Spellcraft +24, Stealth +10, Swim +21, Use Magic Device +20 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal, Terran, Undercommon; telepathy 100 ft. SQ arcane bond (wand), lore +1, protective ward (7 rounds, +3 deflection, 10/day), secret (secret health), secret chest Combat Gear wand of fireball (29 charges); Other Gear masterwork falchion, mithral daggers (4), amulet of natural armor +2, belt of mighty constitution +2, cloak of resistance +2, headband of vast intelligence +4 (Acrobatics, Swim), ring of protection +3, folding boat, scroll of sending (2), masterwork artisan tools, spell component pouch, small silver mirror (worth 100 gp), granite and diamond dust (worth 500 gp), powered lead and platinum (worth 250 gp) SPECIAL ABILITIES Secret Chest (Sp) A mercane can retrieve or hide an extradimensional storage chest, as the secret chest spell (caster level 5th). The mercane does not need an expensive replica chest to use this ability; any chest will do. It can only use this ability on one chest at a time.

---------------------------------------------

MERCANE BODYGUARDS (2)    (CR 13; 25,600 XP) Mercane fighter (polearm master) 7/rogue (survivalist) 6 LN Large outsider (extraplanar) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +27 DEFENSE AC 31, touch 15, flat-footed 25 (+11 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, –1 size) hp 219 (19 HD; 13d10+6d8+121) Fort +19, Ref +15, Will +18 Defensive Abilities evasion, uncanny dodge; SR 26 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 adamantine bardiche +25/+20/+15/+10 (2d8+13/17–20) or     +1 cold iron gauntlet +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d4+7) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks polearm training +1, sneak attack +3d6, steadfast pike +2 Spell-like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +11)   3/day—dimension door, invisibility (self only)   1/day—plane shift (W-DC 17) Survivalist Spell-like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +8)   3/day—mending   1/day—endure elements STATISTICS Str 22, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 14 Base Atk +17; CMB +24; CMD 40 Feats Blind-FightB, Bodyguard, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Dazzling Display, Dodge, Improved Blind-Fight, Improved Critical (bardiche)B, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power AttackB, Precise StrikeB, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bardiche), Weapon Specialization (bardiche)B Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +11, Climb +14, Diplomacy +13, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (planes) +16, Linguistics +12, Perception +27, Profession (merchant) +13, Sense Motive +25, Sleight of Hand +13, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +5, Survival +18, Swim +11, Use Magic Device +20; ACP –3 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Terran, Undercommon; telepathy 100 ft. SQ hardy, pole fighting –2, rogue talent (combat trick, minor magic, snap shot), secret chest Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of resist energy (fire); Other Gear +2 mithral full plate, +1 adamantine bardiche, +1 cold spiked gauntlet, amulet of natural armor +1, belt of physical might +2 (Str, Dex), cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +1, potion of extended comprehend languages (2) SPECIAL ABILITIES Secret Chest (Sp) A mercane can retrieve or hide an extradimensional storage chest, as the secret chest spell (caster level 5th). The mercane does not need an expensive replica chest to use this ability; any chest will do. It can only use this ability on one chest at a time.

[radiohorizon]

All of them 😏

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say? Still want pancakes for breakfest? 2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed? Nothing other than being friends3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care? I would a lot and try and support them into recovery4. Is your last name longer than six letters? No5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober? Sober6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up? Yepp7. What does your last received text say? “I don’t know”8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed? A few times but it was all in one night9. Where was your last kiss at? My best friends younger siblings bed room on New Years10. When is the last time you saw your sister? Like .3 seconds ago11. What do you drink in the morning? Coffee or juice12. Where did you sleep last night? My bed13. Do you think relationships are hard? Hard but worth it14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you? Only thing i would do differently would be to try and hang out with family and friends more15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems? Nah, he’s one of my closest friends and we get along really well16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy? Rainy17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? Nope18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants? Spandex19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now? Honestly i dont know if ill even have the same friends 3 years from now let alone a relationship20. Does anyone like you? I dunno?21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S? No but I wanted to kiss someone whos name started with an S22. Is the last person you kissed gay? Lmao no he’s straight as fuck23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand? Mhmmm 24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo? One i can afford it Im getting a lot tattoos 25. In the past week have you cried? Yeep26. What breed was the last dog you saw? Goldendoodle27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower? Out of shower28. Have you ever kissed a football player? Yeah but he was shitty as hellll29. Do you think you’re old? Ye30. Do you like text messaging? Kinda sorta31. What type of day are you having? Good, i had dinner w my best frienda32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? I wanna but im a pussy33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather? Cold34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you? Andrew, Jarred, Tyler, Kyle35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling? Relationship36. Are you a simple or complicated person? Complicated as fuck37. What song are you listening to? Im not listening to anything right now but my favorite song atm is Believer by Imagine Dragons38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it? 100%39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you? Annabelle, my best friend40. What made you start liking the person you like now? We clicked instantly and kept talkig41. When did you last receive a text message?a few minutes ago42. What is wrong with you right now? Lmao thats a loaded question43. How well do you know the last female you texted? Extremely well, shes my best friend44. Does anyone disgust you? Trump45. Would you date someone right now if they asked? No, my head is all kinda of fucked up and so i am in no type of mental state to be in a relationship46. Are you in a good mood right now? I guess47. Who was the last person you talked to in person? My mom48. What color shirt are you wearing? Pink49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear? Not that I can think of50. Anyone you’re giving up on? Never51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for? I want to hate her but I cant52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t? Ive wanted to but never thought of actually doing it53. Do you like rain? LOVE IT54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? No but if its out of control then I’m concerned55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them? Plenty of times56. Do you like to cuddle? Kinda. I like it but im so antsy so i have to move a lot 57. Are you shy? Depends on the situation58. Do you get along with girls? Sometimes59. Have you dated the person you texted last? No, shes my best friend who is straight and dating my guy best friend sooo😂60. What do you carry with you at all times? Hairties 61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you? Dude i would for 5 bucks but only if i wasnt alone62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months? Yeah, longest relationship was 9 months63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship? Nope but I was talking to my ex and then she dropped me again surprise surprise🤷🏼‍♀️64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute? YEESSS65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week? Idk prolly but i cant think of anything66. How old are the last three people you kissed? 17, 17, 1767. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? Do them myself68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print? Zebra 69. Do you have any stickers on your car? Dont have a car70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne? Lil wayne71. Blackberry, Anroid, or iPhone? Iphone72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut? Never73. Do you like diet soda? Not really74. What color are the walls in your room? Green, black, and splatter paint75. Are you 16 or older? 1876. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars? Yes😻77. Do you have a job? Dishwasher78. What are your initials? ERA79. Did you ever have braces? For 2 years80. Are you from the south? Lmao no im from PA/MD81. What does your last status on facebook say? Idek i havent put up a status in so long82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed? No, we kinda just lost touch over the past two yeats83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad? Equally close w them84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics? Both and i love them both but dance is my true passion85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters? Annabelle: Creation and it was fucking terrifying86. Do you smoke? Not cigarettes if thats what you mean 87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops? Converse88. Is your phone touch screen? Yes89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly? In the summer natural waves but during the school year i tend to straighten it a lot90. Have you ever snuck out of your house? Nope its literally impossible but ive snuck out of friends houses91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool? Lake92. Have you ever made out in a car? Nope93. …Had sex in a car? Virgin94. Are you single or in a relationship? Single95. What were you doing last night at midnight? Sleeping surprisingly96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks? July 2nd during Police Explorers97. Do you like the camera on your phone? Eh sometimes98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits? Lmao yup99. Have you ever passed out from drinking? No100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate? Yeah😂101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? Nope102. Name your favorite Kesha song: tik tok103. Do you have any tan lines right now? Baby ones on my butt104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts? Nopeee

[cwdcshows]

Stargirl - S1 E3 - Icle

Honestly, I wasn't nearly as impressed with this episode as the first two episodes.  There were a few decent parts, but the story felt weak and a lot of pointless plot points that felt like something you'd see from an Arrowverse show. The part where Pat took Courtney to the Justice Society headquarters was nice, but that felt like something that should have happened in either the first episode or the second at the latest.  Ditto the ending, when Courtney takes the Justice Society gear to recruit new members; and I don't know how I feel about that either, as it feels a little forced. And what's up with the JSA having giant banners of themselves hanging in their headquarters?  I can buy the villains doing that, but it seems pretty narcissistic of the heroes.

I'm seriously over the trend that happens virtually every new show now to take for fucking ever just to set up the core premise of who the main characters are and what their dynamic is; get to the fucking point.  Maybe I'm to impatient, but I saw nothing wrong with how they used to start a series by using the pilot to layout the framework of the series and then just hit the ground running telling the stories.  Look at the first episode of Buffy, within the first two hours of the series (and let's be honest, "The Harvest" was part two of the pilot) we knew the "sitch" as Buffy would say of who the main characters were and what their deal was.  We met Buffy, Joyce, Giles, Xander, Willow, Cordelia all in the first episode too; plus the big bad of the Master and they still advanced the plot by having the Master try to free himself. Meanwhile, three episodes in it's obvious they're going to make Courtney and the girl who's being harassed and called a "slut" best friends, but Jesus they're dragging that out. And while I applaud Courtney for trying to stick up for her, the dialog felt contrived. Then of course they try to go to the opposite extreme by trying to rush an investment in a new character, just so they can kill them and try to milk some kind of sentiment for an intentional, yet seemingly pointless death.   I fully expect this magic kid (Joey, I think they said his name was) to also befriend Courtney in a Xander-esque capacity (not to lean too hard on the Buffy comparison), but come on, we're supposed to give a shit about this kid getting killed by Icicle just because we saw a couple of scenes of him doing some shitty card tricks (badly); and sharing one scene with the main protagonist?  Let us learn more than his name first; or even just let us be sure his name is in fact Joey if you want us to care when kill him off. And what the hell was up with the level of enthusiasm for this school's talent show?  I think they said something about "regionals" or some bullshit, but come on.  Is this one of those performing arts highs schools?  And if it is, why did Courtney seemed so surprised by everyone being in costume?  Why are they all in costume during the regular school day?  There's need to be in costume all fucking day, rather than change right before your performance; that's what the call time is for.  It's the time ahead of the show during which you get ready. Why were so many students gathering around to watch this lameass card trick?  Who would give a shit?  Are they all stoned?  Did serious no one else, besides the one guy, not see the card Courtney picked, to realize he later picked the wrong card?  Because they absolutely would have called him on screwing up the trick if anyone else had seen. I'm also starting to think the writers have no fucking clue what to do with Courtney's mom.  What was the point of her coming home only to find Pat and Courtney were out?  And why did they choose that exact moment to leave and take a tour of the JSA HQ, when at least Pat knew that what's name would be home before they could possibly get back; to say nothing of his own son. Her being at...whatever that meeting was for city development, seemed random - especially since I either missed it or it wasn't made real clear who Icicle is supposed to be in his public life.  Is he the mayor or something?  Her comment on the community theatre was yet another instance in this episode that seemed random and kind of forced.  And why are these characters, who I can only assume are elected officials, at least in the context of that scene, talking about the community theatre losing money; it's not a fucking subsidiary of a business you own.  Maybe that theatre group is renting space from the city or something, but if they're losing money, that's not really the city's problem, unless they're in a position to support it; and they're not losing money from that fact, unless the theatre group is behind on their rent.  But considering how big of thing the fucking high school talent show is, I'm kind of astounded to hear them suggest their community theatre is losing money.  If they're losing money it's probably because all of the fucking high school students keep renting their costumes and wearing them all day, getting them all sweaty and stained at lunch (theatre rule #12: never eat in costume); and then drop them back off without washing them, so the theatre has to drop a shit ton of money to have all of those costumes drycleaned. But apparently the writers just needed some contrived excuse to show Courtney's mom expressing interest in what's happening in her town to justify her joining whatever board or committee we see her attending later in the episode; rather than just having her say she'd decided to get involved by serving on this committee or whatever, like any normal fucking person would.  And how much you want to bet it's not even the fucking the community theatre board she's joining, but just some random community development committee or something?  Or even who fucking cares?  Because in three episodes they've given her about as character much development as the kid they killed off this week; and I'm not even sure they've mentioned her name.  It seems probable they did, but I'll be damned if I can remember it.  So far the only defining aspect of her character is that she's played by Amy Adams, who is apparently a vampire, seeing as she doesn't appear to have aged in the last 20 years.  We sure as hell haven't been shown anything to show that she and Pat are actually in any kind of romantic or sexual relationship.  I can't even remember if they said they were married.  I think they did, but much like her name, I can't fucking remember. And why did Icicle kill Joey?  What possible purpose did that serve?  He seemed to have an ulterior motive for it, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it could be, other than naming the community theatre after him and milking people's emotions over that.  But they couldn't even be bothered to draw an association between him and the community theatre to make that make sense. Is Icicle omnipotent, that he can so effortlessly manipulate the environment from a distance?  He can light blow, from wherever the fuck he was, and make the road/bridge ice over in just the right spot? Why would Joey just leap into traffic like that, just to retrieve of his stupid fucking playing cards?  Spend a buck and buy another pack?  A lot of card tricks tend to bend up or even tear their cards, so I'm sure you're regularly buying new decks anyway. Even if the road wasn't suddenly icy, he jumped into oncoming traffic, without a care of any cars heading his way.  It's not like the ice made the car speed up; it just made it harder for the car to stop when some asshole jumps out in front of him. And why should we care that his father is also murdered?  It was obvious from the start that he was probably also a former member of the Injustice Society; and given how hard they leaned into the magic stuff in his introductory scene, it was equally obvious that he possessed real magic.  Yet apart from whipping out his wand, so to speak, we don't actually see him display any real magic.  Nor do they really tell us anything worth knowing about him throughout the rest of the episode; other than he was apparently some elected official.   Was Courtney's mom filling his vacancy?  Was the why Icicle killed him?  Because that just seems round about. And, shock, gasp, the boy Courtney was talking to earlier turns out to be the son of Icicle!  Who could possibly see that coming...other than people watching it with the sound on (and probably a few without sound)?

[cheaponlinegames-com]

Best Cheap Nintendo Switch Games!

Ever since it's launch back in March, the Switch has been getting a growing library of awesome titles. Now, of course there's been big name stuff like Splatoon 2, Arms, and of course Legend of Zelda, but there's a lot more out there that's worth people playing. Now, at the 20 to 30 dollar mark, there's a lot of great stuff, but let's go even cheaper. Let's talk about games that are 12 bucks, eight bucks, even as low as five. Let's talk about the best cheap games on the Switch. Kicking things off with the cheapest of the cheap at just five dollars is KAMIKO. Now this is a very simple, retro-style game. Think of like an old-school Zelda game, but on fast forward at all times. The basic idea is that you have to get through each level killing enemies to build up energy, and then spend that energy to open up chests or activate special shrines and make your way out of the level. The gameplay is just simple enough to make it really easy to learn and very easy to invest a little bit of time into here and there, but just complex enough to make it a ton of fun to play. And while it isn't necessarily the longest game out there, one of the things that helps give it a lot more game time is that there are three different characters to play as. Each of which has just an interestingly different enough style to make playing through this title at least three times completely worth it. And honestly, don't take my word for it. It's five bucks, just try it. You'll love it. Next up, let's talk about one of the ports that made its way to the Switch. Now if you've ever gone to the Switch library, you'll notice that one thing there's a lot of right now are ports of old school Neo Geo games. And if there's one Neo Geo game that has held its age perfectly well, that's worth picking up for just eight bucks, it's Metal Slug. Metal Slug is one of the original old school arcade run-and-guns, offering one or two player co-op that is fast, simple, tons of fun, with beautiful animations. And, unlike some of the later games which are also on the Switch, it doesn't suffer from any of the major slowdown issues in some levels. Now, one thing about this version is the fact that it is just an emulation of the old school arcade games, so it does end up being a little on the easy side thanks to the fact that you have infinite, fake virtual money. But if you're the kind of person that likes to get high scores, or just have simple fun and co-op with friends, this will fit the bill perfectly. Next, let's slow down the pace a little bit with a very different kind of run-and-gun shooter: MIGHTY GUNVOLT BURST. Now, this is the newest game that is a crossover between NT Creations, Azure Striker Gunvolt Series, and Mighty No. 9. If you haven't heard of them before, NT Creates is actually the team responsible for some of the later MegaMan games, before Capcom basically gave up on the franchise, Like Megaman Zero and Megaman ZX. And although the Mighty No. 9 part might scare you a little bit after how that game went, don't let it because this crossover game is really a true successor that the MegaMan franchise needed. All the old school MegaMan tropes that you love are still here, but with the addition of a few unique twists and changes that make the gameplay more difficult and really interesting for people that have played all the older games. It's a little shorter than old school games, but thanks to the fact that there are two different playable characters you can get through the game as, it's totally worth picking up for just 10 bucks. Then we have another game from NT Creates, but instead of being an original title or a sequel to anything they've worked on before, this is actually a remake of an old school NES game. Master Blaster Zero. As I edited this, I realized that I apparently had Mad Max on the brain. The game is called Blaster Master Zero, not Master Blaster. - Master Blaster runs Barter Town. - Now if you've never played it before, Master Blaster Zero was this sort of Metroid-like game featuring the use of a vehicle to travel around the world, but also entering small areas in a top-down shooter platform. This game includes all those gameplay details but has fixed things up a little bit as well as adding a changed-up plot. One of the most impressive things about this game to me, though, is how much support its gotten since launch. Titles like these are very easy to forget about once they've hit the E-Shop. But this game has been getting continual DLC, including more difficult modes, and features multiple playable characters from other franchises, like Shantae or even Shovel Knight. At just 10 bucks for the base game and two dollars more for every DLC character you want to try out, this game's definitely worth giving a shot. Next up is a game I never thought I would've actually seen on the Switch, and that's Implosion. The reason being is that Implosion was originally an iOS and Android specific game. I actually covered it a couple years ago when I was still doing top five mobile games lists, and I loved it back then and I love it now. The port job for bringing this to the Switch was done excellently. All the controls have been redone for the Switch and they are perfect. The combat is fast-paced and flashy. The only complaint I really have is that the visuals leave a little something to be desired, but that's really no surprise considering this was a game on phones two years ago. The story is nothing to write home about but the gameplay is paced perfectly. If you just want some simple, fun action blowing stuff up as a robot, just go grab it. Then we have a game that honestly I would argue is probably the best for its dollar on this list, but at the same time I actually want to warn you not to buy it, and that's Shovel Knight Specter of Torment. Now this is worth every penny, but the reason why I warn against getting it is 'cause for 15 bucks more you can get Shovel Knight Treasure Trove, which allows you to play as Shovel Knight, Plague Knight, Specter Knight, and the upcoming DLC for King Knight. Basically, a lot more gameplay for way less money total. And honestly, even if you've already played Shovel Knight on other platforms, it's totally worth picking up again for the Switch to get easy multiplayer co-op, gameplay on the go or at home. It's just honestly the definitive version of the game as far as I'm concerned. So those are my favorite games on the Switch that go for less than 20 bucks. If there's any that you love that I did not talk about, put 'em down below in the comments and I will see you guys later.

https://youtu.be/Q9-ny2aiwgI

[shamelessmilkshakepanda-blog]

What are the local home insurance rates for London?

"What are the local home insurance rates for London?

I am trying to do a project for a public health class and I was wondering what the home insurance rates for someone owning a home in London? It would be awesome if you knew about how much it cost around the Tower Hamlets area. Also, if you do know about what percentage of people have home insurance in London, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://financeandcreditsolutions.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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COSECO Insurance Company?

does anybody know about COSECO Insurance Company I need a quote in auto insurance. i live in North York, is there any best rate insurance company""

""What health insurance is recommended for a single dad with 3 kids, with a budget but have decent coverage?

I am a single father of 3 kids and looking for health/dental/vision insurance for my family. We don't really go to the doctor as much but still want decent coverage in case I need to do so. Any ideas? Am based in Southern California.

Auto insurance company wants to check my credit and past infractions.?

My auto insurance company (which i've been using for 6 months now) wants to check my credit history and past infractions in order to benefit from new lower rates i have good credit, but a couple of speeding tickets, could this actually increase my rate?""

How much is a non owners sr 22 insurance?

I been court ordered to get a sr 22 insurance in order to get my licence back and i do not own a car.. so i have to get the non owners sr22. i have too keep it for three years . i was woundering how much that would be, monthly?""

Will my car insurance pay out?

my car has been stolen, but my friend claims my insurance wont pay out as it was only taxed and tested until next month. surely they should still pay me?""

Expat insurance - what kind of insurance is appropriate?

I traveled abroad for a year and got worldwide travel insurance. Then I decided to make the move permanent. I am living outside the EU and I'm wondering, surely travel insurance is inappropriate for a permanent move - what to other expats get to make sure they are covered against issues abroad? Thanks

""I got pulled over, and failed to surrender insurance?""

I was driving my friends home from a party one night, (being a DD), unfortunately I was caught going 123 in a 90 zone, and then I got pulled over. The police officer told me that not only I was speeding, but I was driving past midnight with a G2 class license. But the only thing I was charged with, was a 65$ fine for not surrending insurance, because I was driving my Dad's truck and could not find the insurance papers ANYWHERE. Since the police officer said there were no demerits to be added, does this mean my insurance rates will go up? I plan on pleading guilty and paying the ticket.""

What are the local home insurance rates for London?

I am trying to do a project for a public health class and I was wondering what the home insurance rates for someone owning a home in London? It would be awesome if you knew about how much it cost around the Tower Hamlets area. Also, if you do know about what percentage of people have home insurance in London, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Car Insurance and Tickets?

My room mate just got two tickets. One for changing lanes without using a blinker and another for not having his headlights on at 9 o'clock at night. He had just left a parking lot. He had a previous ticket for going 12 over the speed limit which was moved to a parking violation. Will these new tickets affect his insurance rates? He has State Farm and lives in Saint Louis. Should he just pay it or get it fixed?

How much does car insurance cost?

if you can't give me an exact amount or something that's fine, just give me some kind of ball park.""

I need help finding a good cheap sporty used car with low insurance rates.?

Well I turn 16 in december, I've had my permit for about two months and my family is at total loss of cars. My sister and her car are going to College, and my mom is using the Sienna. So my dads been riding his motorcycle to work. However, he wont be able to do so because he has a 30 mile commute to work. So he needs a car before the rain rolls in, so when he gets a car it'll be his, until I get my license, then it becomes ours. However, all my ideas are getting shot down, but as we get closer to needing one, slowly he's getting more okay with my ideas, but I need your help. I want an Rx8, I've wanted one since I was in 4th grade. I know I know. What the hell, why? A rotary engine with not even 2 litres. barely any horsepower and only gets 16/26 mpg. Well I've driven an Rx8 and I think they're amazing. HOWEVER, my dad doesnt want one for one reason, and one reason only. High insurance. So I was wondering if you can help me find a sporty used car, that I could find pretty cheap. For some Ideas I like, Bmw 330ci's, 328i's, rx8's, G37 coupes. OH YEAH, that reminds me, I'd like a coupe, but a 4 door would work well too if it still maintains a sleek style. like a lexus IS250s. Manual transmission or automatic is fine. decent mileage. you know the drill, OH and it must be atleast 4 seater. Thank you, its greatly appreciated.""

How much would the average monthly payments be on a motorcycle for a teen?

I'm 15, turning 16 in a few months, and I wanted to get a Ninja Kawasaki 250r. Most likely used, and around 2008 or 2009. I live in Las Vegas. Please include repairs, insurance, etc.""

""Do traffic schools, particularly in California, prevent an increase in auto insurance rates?

I just received my first traffic ticket :(

What companies can insure a Ferrari or Lamborghini?

Progressive, Geico, eSurance, all the crap didn't even list Ferrari, as its a specialty car. So who the hell DOES insure a ferrari? and how much does it cost annually? its a ferrari 360 modena convertible""

I need cheap non drivers insurance for cort in less than a week?

ware can i get it in st.louis missouri

Is there any way i can get cheaper car insurance?

ok so I have not long passed my test im looking at buying a car im looking at a ford fiesta I have 1000 to spend on a car but now the problem is the insurance which is sky high and the deposit well ... and the insurance is like 2-3 times more than what I would actually be spending on what the car is worth

What does a good student car discount mean?

like, what grades qualifies for a good student. I've looked on a lot of insurance pages and it doesn't say what grades means your a good student please help!""

How do I renew my health insurance card in the U.S?

I am 15, and my health insurance card a few months ago. How do I renew another one? Do I have to sign up all over again and do all the paper-works or I just have to go to that place and ask for a new card? May I get plenty of details about this? Because it's really important to me. The person with has the BEST answer will get pretty awesome points. Thanks :)""

Is there a way for me to get cheap auto insurance?

I am 16 years old and from st.cloud minnesota. I don't have a car yet but I want to get one from around $3000-$4000. I have to go with State Farm because my parents have it. I am a safe driver and I get good grades. Is there a way to get cheap auto insurance through state farm through any special deals? Thanks

Can someone tell me how much will cost insurance for my friends car just for driving test day?

Can someone tell me how much will cost insurance for my friends car just for driving test day?

Does my auto liability insurance cover me while driving a rental car?

I am going on vacation in Florida and am renting a car. I have auto collision coverage through my credit card company but want to know if my regular liability insurance covers me while driving a rental too or do I need special insurance?

Aren't you glad the ACA is making health insurance more affordable?

Aren't you glad the ACA is making health insurance more affordable?

What types of car insurance are there?

I'm a confused soon-to-be licensed driver. My mom just got my sister (who is 18) some type of insurance for driving. From what I know, it's expensive. But I know that our car has insurance. What kind of insurance did my sister possibly get and how does it differ from the insurance for the car itself? Is there personal insurance for each driver? Is it required or is the car insurance only the main requirement? Which type of car insurance/s is required???...(sorry if my question doesn't make sense. I dont know how else to word it lol)""

Cheap motorcycle insurance?

anybody noe of some cheap motorcycle insurance im only 17 and im planning on getting a 250cc dis coming summer and i cant spend 300 or more a month thats to much pls help.

Car insurance getting caught?

i want to know that can you only get caught driving without insurance if you have an accident? So if you drive normally and safely you can never get caught? thanks

Car Insurance for Teens?

Hi, Im 16 years old, going to get my license, and did parent taught drivers ed. All my life, ive wanted to drive, but now, I hear that car insurance for teenagers is so damn high. I heard it is at least 200 a month, and I know for a fact my parents cant afford that? What should I do? Some people I heard pay only 20 dollars a month, how the hell did they get suc ha low rate? Also, Id like to drive a sports car, which im guessing is gonna make insurance way higher. So where can my parents get affordable insurance for me?""

Can you really find cheap health insurance ?

I live in mass and i can not find health insurance for my needs and have been denied by the state health insurance. Dont know what to do ... anyone can help ?

Cheap motorcycle insurance in Kansas for a 21 year old male?

cheapest i have found is AIG for about 115$ a month for full coverage, and they will also let me knock that down to liability during the winter time when i am not driving the bike. geico and progressive both wanted upwards of 210$. my question is, are there any places that i should try that you think might be able to beat AIG's 115 a month for full coverage. i am 21 years old and have 1 ticket on my record of 14 mph over about a year ago. the bike is a 2006 kawasaki zx6r. thanks""

Around how much is car insurance for a 19 year old new driver in the uk?

Around how much is car insurance for a 19 year old new driver in the uk?

Would you get heath insurance and if so who through?

Me and my husband married young, when we married I had insurance through my job which was great but now, since I went back to school we are without insurance. I am in school ft and he also works but is two hours under what he has to be working to get insurance a week. We are 21 now and are wondering if you view health insurance as something someone our age needs and if so how to shop for it, what type to get and where to get a quote. We are both EMTS and have ran rescue before and we have seen lots of people without insurance but we want to make a well informed decision regarding this health insurance. Might I add that we are generally healthy, have a general practitioner at the moment that we rarely use, and during our marriage of two years have never been to an ER for any reason... Any insite that you have into this situation would be great! Thanks and God Bless""

How much do you pay a month for car insurance...?

I pay $112.

What is the best insurance company for a 21yr old with a bad driving record?

car insurance for nj drivers

Cheap car insurance places in michigan?

i am currently relocating and i need to find a very cheap insurance for my husband asap. he is 21 clean record and doesn't have much of a credit started. does anyone know what car insurance places that would be cheap less than 150 a month i know it varies for different people but I'm stuck and need a few ideas.

What are the local home insurance rates for London?

I am trying to do a project for a public health class and I was wondering what the home insurance rates for someone owning a home in London? It would be awesome if you knew about how much it cost around the Tower Hamlets area. Also, if you do know about what percentage of people have home insurance in London, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Cheapest Auto insurance?

Cheapest Auto insurance?

How much should I expect to pay for car insurance?

I'm a 17 year old female that will drive a Vauxhall Corsa but it's kind of old like this one: http://www.ajb-enterprise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/vauxhall-corsa-club-2001.jpg Does the amount of lessons/make of car/pass score change the price of insurance? All the insurance sites want me to enter my details, which I don't want to do. Is there a big difference between cost when I'm 17 compared with 18? Sorry for all the questions but thanks (:""

""I'm 18, want a Toyota Supra in a few years. Need help!?""

I'm 18 and love cars, especially Jap cars. Before anyone starts, I'm not one of those boy-racer types, I'm genuinely interested in that car. I know you can get a 2nd-hand Supra for less than 5000, but can anyone advise on insurance and how/where to buy a Supra, by age 23/24? I plan on respraying the Supra a bright orange, and getting a bodykit for it - making it look really nice.""

Low cost health care for an adult in California?

Could you tell me what kind of resources are available for a single male who makes $1,800 a month and needs affordable low cost health care coverage in California? What does the state offer if anything?""

Can i get insurance to cover me driving my girl friends car?

My girlfriends mom is nervous with me driving her daughter's car. The mother is the one who holds the registration and insurance. Is there a way that I could have it insured for me so that she will feel comfortable if I borrow it? She worries about getting sued if I get in a wreck. is there a way to have that fall on my shoulders?

Problems with my car insurance?HELP?

last night somebody broke in into my car stole my audio system, they rip the cover of the doors to get the speaker and they broke the dash to get the stereo, not satisfied with that those bastards scratched all around my car, I called my insurance and they asked about a previous claim ,,where a car hit me in the front side and broke my light, well they asked if I fix that ,,they payed a thousand $ to me because I have full coverage but they got their money back from the other partie insurance, so I told them that I did replace the light but that was it, u guys think Im gointo have problems with them because my car wasn't in excellent conditions or because I didn't fix it HELP,have this ever happened to anyone tell me,,,,,,,,thanks""

What would be the cheapest car to insure for a 23 year old malel uk?

Every car i seem to look at has really high insurance costs, it ricockulous! seems ill never be able to afford to insure a car. Si i have 2kids a girlfriend and a job, im 23, and really need to get on the road. so does anyone have any suggestions as to a few cars i should check out insurance costs on that they think would be the cheapest options>? anuy ideas would be fab, thanks.""

On average how much would it cost for an independent living 15 year old girl to get good health insurance.?

On average how much would it cost for an independent living 15 year old girl to get good health insurance.?

I am Looking for a Best site for Comparing HEALTH INSURANCE Quotes Online?

Are there reasonable car insurance quotes comparison sites online that someone can link me?

Can I buy life insurance for my grandmother?

She lives in Alaska and is 82yrs old. She wants me to have a little money and take care of the funeral expenses when she passes. She's in very good health. I was thinking a term life 10yr $100,000 policy. The monthly payment is rougly $572.00 a month. Is it possible if I make the payments on her life insurance?""

What Texas insurance company covers composition over wood shake shingles?

Hi everyone I'm selling a house and want to be prepared to answer questions about insuring a roof with composition shingles over wood shakes (or wood shingles). I have a major carrier, but I've heard there are insurance companies that refuse to insure these roofs these days. I'd like to know for sure what insurance companies I can say cover these roofs. I am in Dallas, Texas, so it should be a company that is in Texas. Thanks so much for your help!""

""I am starting a Cleaning service, I need to be insured can some one help me find good affordable business ins?

I need to find a insurance company that will have some affordable business insurance it will only be my self and 1 other person please help!!!

Who gets what (or how much) from an insurance settlement?

i was involved in 2 car accidents (neither my fault) during my marriage that have ended up in litigation. my other half who wants the divorce, (i feel) is stalling, waiting to see what happens to the settlement before she signs her name. we have no other need for an attorney (dont have anything (else) to fight over). does any of this matter? does it matter when the lawsuit is finalized in relation to the divorce finalization?""

What would be the insurance of a teen driving a 2004 Toyota Camry?

My 16 year old daughter just got her lisence and i want to put her on insurance right away. I just need the range of about how much this would cost me.

Has anyone used comparisons.org for auto insurance?

i'm looking for cheap insurance and don't know if i can trust them. any suggestion from anyone?

How much is an car insurance per month?

im looking for an cheapfull covered car insurance for an 21 yr old female who is also an first driver and what company would be best thanks the make of the two cars if chosen are ford ka (2011 make) and kia pincanto thanks

If i report my car stolen will the insurance company ask for the keys?

My car was tolen... But i lost the keys to it. Does either the police or the insurance company ask for the keys?

Why is my car insurance company charging me 2 premiums?

I go through farmers insurance and last month I paid a premium of 94.42 and now this month I'm being charged a premium of $83.70 plus a renewal adjustment of $7.27 does this mean my car insurance is always going to be this high? It was only $67 last 6 month cycle.

Insurance for teenagers?

So i'm gonna get my car/license in a month and i was wondering how much insurance was on average for teens?? Also, how much would it be if i got a sports car? Like a mustang""

How much will insurance go up?

I'm 20 living in NJ. Been driving for about 2 years and under my parents insurance policy. I have no points on my license other than the ones that you start out with.I've gotten 2 tickets before but neither of them were point tickets and neither of them went to insurance. This ticket I just received was for speeding (over by 9 MPH). About how much will my monthly insurance rate increase by?

Car insurance with dwi?

I went to a bar in upstate ny to see a friend's band play. I was drinking at the bar, so I decided to stay at a friend's house down the road (walk there obviously). Someone I thought was my friend took my car to go home ( I left the keys in the ignition ). I know I'm a dumb *** for leaving the keys in the car, don't flame me for that please. Anyways this guy got pulled over by the cops and got a dwi. The car was legally parked when they pulled him over so it didn't get impounded. My question is will my insurance go up? I wasn't driving the car and this guy had no license or any kind of insurance whatsoever. He was also under 21 if that helps and no I didn't report the car stolen. But when the cops questioned him he just told them he took the car.""

Do I HAVE to pay for insurance if im not driving but have a license?

My mom is trying to tell me and my brother (who is 19 and I will be 18 in about a month which is when i will get my license) that we cant get a license unless we have money to buy insurance. I think its really f***ed up for a student who got a license and doesnt drive any vehicle has to pay for insurance. She says that once i get my license, the insurance company will force her to put me on her plan so i can be insured. I think its a load of sh*t. I have never heard of anyone being forced to have insurance when they dont drive. When i say dont drive i mean, when i get my license, i wont be driving until I get my own car. Please dont respond to my situation and how i should deal with it, just tell me if thats even possible for the insurance to do that.""

Car insurance discount qualification?

I hav heard that you can get a discount on ur car insurance if ur GPA is 3.0 or higher and if you send the company a copy of your report card. But is it okay to send them ur progress report card(the one that comes out in the middle of the quarter)? Or is it okay to send them your report card from the year before(i am currently a junior high school, so is it okay to send them my report card from my sophomore year?)? Also, can you still get a discount even though my quarter grades are 3.0 or higher, but my midterm and final test grades are bad?""

Car Insurance questions (teenager)?

I am a teenager, and i live on my own. I pay my own bills and everything and i need to find the CHEAPEST car insurance possible. Can you help me out? Liability.... Yes, i know its cheaper with my parents, but my mom took me off of her insurance, and i need to find one fast.""

Motorcycle insurance quote?

can you get a quote without entering a social security number? i dont want to give it out

What are the local home insurance rates for London?

I am trying to do a project for a public health class and I was wondering what the home insurance rates for someone owning a home in London? It would be awesome if you knew about how much it cost around the Tower Hamlets area. Also, if you do know about what percentage of people have home insurance in London, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-would-cost-year-own-car-like-ferrari-india-answer-rajka"

[magicvalleycoworking-blog]

Do you love the job you have now?

Are you happy with your current job?

Well, are you?  

There is no right or wrong answer here.  You could be happy with your job but in the same sentence be unhappy with your pay or benefits with the job. You could hate your job but love that you have the weekends off to spend with family and friends.  Take me for example.  I genuinely dislike my current job.  There is nothing wrong with this. I work all day in a call center, fixing other people’s issues, being verbally abused because I am lucky enough to have been the guy on the other end of the line.  (Yes, 8 out of 10 of us do this.)  

You could be the nicest person in the world with other people, face to face and in every other dealing you have, but the moment something doesn’t work the way you want it to, when you want it to, you will take it out on the first person who tries to cheerfully say “how can I help you?”

I am not bringing this up to talk about me per se.  I am bringing this up to simply ask you “what are you doing to change what it is you dislike about your current job?”  

Before making any changes, you have to ask yourself a few questions;

What is it about my current job I don’t like?  Be honest here. Write it down, make a list, but be honest.  You don’t have to share it with anyone. What are the things you don’t like? Is it the pay?  Is it your boss or the guy who got the office you wanted?  Maybe you are like me, in that you are doing a job in a field you no longer enjoy.  I do tech support, but I don’t enjoy technology.  Odd, I know.  I am good at it, and I am good with people, but I don’t like technology, or emerging technology.

What are you doing to fix your current situation? Again, be honest with yourself.  Are you doing something to fix your situation?  Are you looking for work that pays you more?   Are you looking for something that affords you more freedom?  Did you take the coffee mug of the guy who has the office you want?  (Don’t do this.)  

A smart man, Alan Cates, once told me to make goals for myself and be accountable to your goals.  I really can’t express how important this is.  You genuinely can’t fix an issue until you set goals for what it is you want to do/fix/achieve.   Again, you don’t have to share your goals, but you DO have to be accountable to yourself on if you can complete them or not.

Most people recommend a 3, 6 and 12 month goals.  They are easier to track, and they don’t feel so daunting.   You can easily change that to 1, 3 and 6 month goals.  Keep in mind that just because you set a goal for yourself to complete in 1 month, doesn’t mean it’s always obtainable in 1 month.    

In my case, I started my own business.  It was an easy goal to get my business license, tax ID, website and social media sites set up in a month.  But, getting incorporated?  I thought I could do it in 6 months.  That wasn’t the case.  Between funding and my other daily tasks, I set a goal I realistically couldn’t achieve, became discouraged and forgot about it.  Eventually I was able to finally get incorporated, but it took me a year to do it. That leads me to my next topic;

Are you re-evaluate your goals often?  It’s ok to re-evaluate your goals and modify them.  But don’t use it as an excuse to procrastinate.  If making goals is difficult, make small ones you know you are going to obtain first, build a habit of setting and achieving those goals.  Then make ones that are more difficult, and set a reasonable time line.  

Some goals can only be completed by doing smaller goals first.  I mean you can’t say I am going to start a business and my goal is six months and BAM, you have a business.  That goal is obtained by setting smaller goals.  Talking to your friends and co-workers/clients about the business you are starting.  Getting quality feedback.  Build a social following.  Get a business license and have your business become a legal identity.  As you complete these goals, you’re working on the larger goal of starting a business.  Next Step;

Are you sticking to it? If your goal is to get a higher paying job and gives you your weekends off to spend time with your friends/family and you have set your goals.  Stick to them.  Don’t stop when someone says no.  If your goal was to first go to your boss and ask for a raise and they said no.  Who are they to stop you from looking elsewhere?  Maybe your boss doesn’t know your true worth?  If we are being really honest, maybe you didn’t show your full work to your employer and they didn’t feel it was justified to give you a raise.  I don’t say that to be a dick.  In the past I have not performed to the best of my ability at a job.  I was frustrated, burned out and I genuinely hated the idea of walking up and going to work.  You think I was in any position to ask for more money?   Not there.  However, I was able to brush my mental state up, focus and get myself together for another company and pursue a higher pay.

Are you branding yourself!  You heard me right.  This is another thing my friend and mentor Alan advised me to do.  Brand yourself.  What is it about you that makes you able to do everything you want to do?  Why are you the best person out there?  How do other people see you?  What do you do to show people your worth?

Now, I will admit I struggle with this.  I am not a big on bragging about myself. I tend to be more quiet and shy.  I would rather sell myself a little short then brag and not be able to deliver.  LET ME BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.  NEVER, never, sell yourself short.  You can’t build a brand for yourself if you don’t let people know WHO YOU ARE!  Don’t be afraid to get out there, introduce yourself.  Anything that grabs the attention of the person or people you are talking to.  Let them introduce themselves, even if you know who they are.  It makes them feel important and we all want to feel important.

Now that you have their time and attention.  Tell them about YOU. If the thing you are the best at is SQL, tell people you are the best there is at SQL.  Tell them why you are the best at SQL.  Tell them they are stupid for not hiring you to do SQL for them.  It doesn’t even have to be SQL, it could be baking bread, or doing what I do and selling collectible toys.  But let people know you bake the best damn bread, or sell the best figures out there!

Now I know you are thinking, did he just tell me to say someone is stupid?  Yes, I said it.  You can certainly tell someone they are stupid, what I didn’t say is tell them they are a f*cking idiot. That tends to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.  You don’t even have to say they are stupid in those exact words.  Give them examples on why you are better than the person they are paying the big bucks to and why you would be a better choice.  Tell them, you are there to make them succeed and your skills integrate into a strong foundation.  Because it’s true!

The next thing you need to do is deliver on how good you really are.  While you may not be working for the guy who sits next to you, you could be.  You may hate your current situation, but continue to prove you are the best at what you do, till something better comes along.  This sounds extraordinarily easy, but it is not always easy to do.  Especially if you are frustrated with your employment situation, or you really hate the guy sitting next to you.  These things build your brand.  In this world, your brand is EVERYTHING.

Are you blaming others for your failures?  We all do it at some point.  I am not going to say much regarding this other than, stop it!   It’s not someone else’s fault that you are not going where you want to go.  The “man” isn’t holding you down.  Stop thinking like that, you are an adult so take responsibilities for your own actions, or lack thereof.

Are you doing or talking?  This is also a big one.  Are you continually talking about what you want to do, or are you actually taking the steps to do it?  You can want to start a business, but honestly only a slight percentage of you will actually do, once this is said and done.  You can talk about the bread you bake being the best in town, but if you don’t bring it to work, share samples, network, no one will know that you actually bake the best bread in town!  So, here it is; the advice I am going to give you.  Get up, get going and START DOING!

Don’t sit there and say you will start tomorrow.  I don’t care if it is midnight, you are clearly not sleeping, if you are reading this get up, make your list and set your goals and start doing.  You can set your first goal, to write your goals now!  Hey, I believe in you.   If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have written this.  Even if you don’t believe in yourself, sit back and say, “Joel believes in me!”

You have no reason to sit back and say I am not able to get what I am worth in this world.  If you think like that, STOP!  With that thinking your worth is very little, so you are most likely getting what you are worth.  If you know you are worth more, now’s the time to get it!  Don’t stop, always do.  Move forward and kick ass!

What are you doing to move forward and better your current work situation?  Are you starting your own business, baking bread or are you the best damn SQL developer out there?  Tell me about it.  Tell me what you are doing to better your career.  Have suggestions, well let’s hear it!